Co-op Fantasy Hack n’ Slash HAMMERWATCH Gets The Greenlight On Steam
Wednesday, 15th May 2013Posted in Preview
Tags: Co-op Fantasy Action, greenlight, Hammerwatch, Hipshot, interview, Jochum Skoglund, Niklas Myrberg, RPG, steam
Written by: Craig Hunter
Today we are taking a look at an interesting hack n’ slash adventure title called Hammerwatch. It has a very strong focus on its up to 4 player co-op as well as a streamlined and simplistic combat system.
Recently Greenlit on Steam the development team described the game to us as a “fast paced pixel art hack and slash game which should be simple to pick up but challenging to play and has a strong cooperative experience.”
You can check out some of the latest gameplay footage and our exclusive interview with developer Hipshot along with a link to the free open beta so you can try the game for yourself.
Continue reading “Co-op Fantasy Hack n’ Slash HAMMERWATCH Gets The Greenlight On Steam” »
Why Live Action Video Game Trailers Work
Tuesday, 7th May 2013Posted in Industry
Tags: 2k sports, game trailers, interview, live action, live action video game trailers
Written by: R Bryant Francis
The concept of the live action trailer for video games is weirdly fascinating to me. Over the last two weeks, Bethesda, Activision and 2K all announced their new titles not with a demonstration of the actual game, but with live action trailers–content designed to replicate cinema instead of games, but usually marketing games which mimic closely cinema or other art forms to begin with. The fact that they blur the lines between game and cinema, sometimes knocking it out of the park with experiences that expand of the fiction of the game, make them a cool thing to study while talking about the experience of being a gamer. Continue reading “Why Live Action Video Game Trailers Work” »
Meet REX ROCKET: 100+ Levels of Deep Character Development and Mega Man Style Combat (Exclusive Screenshots)
Wednesday, 1st May 2013Posted in Preview
Tags: 100+ Levels, Cave Story, combat, Deep Character Development, dynamic lighting system, exclusive, interview, Mega Man, Metroidvania, REX ROCKET, Robert Maher, screenshots, Tyler Bud
Written by: Craig Hunter
With the rise of crowd funded-indie games, we have seen a number of excellent titles heavily inspired by games like Mega Man and the Metroidvania-type experience–and we like it.
In many ways these kinds of experiences are something gamers felt was missing from the AAA eco system that has dominated our consoles and PC’s over the last several years. Today we have another exciting title in that vein. Pittsburgh, PA based developers Robert Maher and Tyler Bud have recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for their sci-fi themed, MegaMan/CaveStory inspired, action adventure game: Rex Rocket.
“Set in Earth’s distant future, Rex Rocket references the classic story of Man vs. Machine. You play as Captain Rex Rocket, a former war hero who now spends his days transporting scientists around to the far reaches of the universe in his epic Star Cruiser, the S.S. Montana.” Continue reading “Meet REX ROCKET: 100+ Levels of Deep Character Development and Mega Man Style Combat (Exclusive Screenshots)” »
How Taylor Davis’ Violin Is Capturing The Gaming World
Wednesday, 24th April 2013Posted in Musician
Tags: interview, performer, performs, taylor davis, VIOLIN TAY, violin video games, violinists
Written by: Paul Nyhart
“The true mission of the violin is to imitate the accents of the human voice, a noble mission that has earned for the violin the glory of being called the king of instruments” - Charles-Auguste de Beriot
There are some who believe that the violin is the most difficult instrument to play; move your finger a centimeter off the mark and you’re playing an entirely different note. Bend your elbow too much (or not enough) and the bow will slide off the strings and give nails on a chalkboard a run for its money.
But it’s more than the degree of difficulty that draws people to the violin: the violin continues to be a literal bridge between music and so many art forms that inspire our decisions and provide us an escape.
In the video game community, the violin has added longevity and helped us to re-imagine our favorite gaming moments. Taylor Davis (YouTube: ViolinTay) has channeled her passion and love for video games into the violin, to the tune of 23 million views and 160,000 subscribers.
I found out in our my INTERVIEW with Taylor that she started playing the violin in elementary school and assumed it would just be something to keep in her life as an escape or hobby as she pursued a possible business career. But the ability to connect video games with the violin has allowed her to become a full-time musician, a person who doesn’t always need a controller to enjoy gaming.
Naturally I had a number of questions to ask her — here’s our EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Taylor Davis: Continue reading “How Taylor Davis’ Violin Is Capturing The Gaming World” »
Exclusive Interview: What Fans Can Expect From METRO: LAST LIGHT
Friday, 12th April 2013Posted in Preview
Tags: interview, Metro 2033, metro video game, Metro: Last Light, preview
Written by: Paul Nyhart
“Getting through a station in the metro is a test of survival, not just a test of your combat skills…Humanity is too blind to see where salvation lies.”
It is the year 2013 — if we were living in the world of Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky, we would be in the heart of a nuclear holocaust. Glukhovsky’s international bestselling novel, Metro 2033, takes place 20 years after a nucelur explosion nearly wipes out humanity, and became the foundation for THQ’s FPS, Metro 2033.
Metro 2033′s atmosphere will remind some of Bioshock (and for the Ukrainian gamers) S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl and the horror will draw parallels to what Dead Space consistently delivers. With this, Metro 2033 still stood out on its own, (albeit with a few bugs). Its “karma based system” was the foundation for a game where every action, be it moral or physical, had consequences — looking at your compass meant putting your weapon down, which made you exposed to possible attack, and not cleaning the filter on your gas mask resulted in game over. Continue reading “Exclusive Interview: What Fans Can Expect From METRO: LAST LIGHT” »
How Classic Video Games Helped One of the World’s Biggest Metal Bands, POWERGLOVE, Make It To The Top
Tuesday, 19th March 2013Posted in Musician
Tags: gaming, interview, metal band, nerd metal, nerd rock, Powerglove
Written by: Jeff Nau
Follow @jeffnau
Boston’s Powerglove is an exception to the rule that “instrumental bands can’t be successful”– with albums like Total Pwnage, Metal Kombat, and Saturday Morning Apocalypse, the boys have managed to take instrumentals and make them relevant again. How? By making tracks like “Dr. Wily’s Theme” from Mega Man 2 into full-fledged sonic assaults, or turning music from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 into a swell little metal ditty called “So Sexy Robotnik.”
For Powerglove, sexy and video game music go hand in hand. We sat down with bass guitarist Nick Avila to talk about video game music and the band’s plans for the future.
JHS: What inspired you to get your start as an all-instrumental band?
Nick Avila (Powerglove): The four of us had been been in a melodic death metal band together in 2002 and in 2004 Powerglove was started as a side project. We just ended up having more fun with Powerglove than we were having with our old band. Continue reading “How Classic Video Games Helped One of the World’s Biggest Metal Bands, POWERGLOVE, Make It To The Top” »
Exclusive: Tomb Raider, Dead Space Composer Jason Graves Explains The Secrets To a Great Gaming Soundtrack
Monday, 18th March 2013Posted in Musician
Tags: interview, jason graves, Tomb Raider, tomb raider soundtrack, video game composer
Written by: Jeff Nau
Follow @jeffnau
In the world of video game composing, fewer are more revered and beloved than Jason Graves, he of both Blazing Angels 2 and Star Trek: Legacy soundtrack fame. The guy paid his dues studying under such legends as Elmer Bernstein and Jerry Goldsmith before hitting the big time with his score for the Dead Space franchise.
Most recently, it’s Graves’ Tomb Raider score that’s earning him accolades both amongst professionals fans alike, particularly for his complete re-imagining of the theme (as well as his diverse musical talents in composing it). Continue reading “Exclusive: Tomb Raider, Dead Space Composer Jason Graves Explains The Secrets To a Great Gaming Soundtrack” »
Colin McComb Talks Meaningful Choices, Players Legacy In Science-Fantasy RPG, Torment: Tides Of Numenera
Friday, 15th March 2013Posted in Gaming Personality
Tags: cm, Colin McComb, combat, exclusive, game, interview, jhs, tides, Torment: Tides of Numenera, world
Written by: Craig Hunter
Torment: Tides of Numenera is a CRPG and the spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment. Developer inXile, recently raised over $1million in 8 hours on Kickstarter and has currently garnered over $2.6million in funding for the project.
Torment is a single player, isometric RPG with a “rich dialogue system” and “optional NPC companions you may choose to include in your party.”
The game is based on Monte Cook’s Numenera, a world creative lead Colin McComb describes in our exclusive interview below as “a science-fantasy world set a billion years in the future amid the ruins of great civilizations that came before, a place where artifacts of incredible power wait for passers-by to discover them.”
The Phantom Pain Mystery Gets Even Weirder
Friday, 15th March 2013Posted in Preview
Tags: Fox Engine, game, Hideo Kojima, interview, Joakim Mogren, kieghley, mgs, new, pain, phantom, said
Written by: Craig Hunter
In an interview last night with GTTV’s Geoff Kieghley, CEO of supposed Phantom Pain developers Moby Dick Studios said that a new trailer for the game will be showing later this month at GDC in San Francisco. The supposed CEO, Joakim Mogren, also said that there will be a full reveal of the game at that time.
Mogren, seen below, appeared with his face almost completely covered in bandages much like the Big Boss looking character shown in the debut VGA trailer.
At this point, if it wasn’t already, this is pretty obviously some kind of an elaborate ruse Mr. Kojima has set up. For a full breakdown of all the speculation pertaining Kojima’s attachment to the Phantom Pain project check out our previous coverage here.
Continue reading “The Phantom Pain Mystery Gets Even Weirder” »
$50,000 in 5 days: Himalaya Studios Tells Us The Secrets Behind Mage’s Initiation
Tuesday, 26th February 2013Posted in Gaming Personality
Tags: aaa gaming, crowdfunding, Himalaya Studios, indie gaming, interview, kickstarter, mage's initiation
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Himalaya Studios describes itself as a company “forging new paths in adventure game development.”
One of the primary and recent steps they’ve taken towards this endeavor is Mage’s Initiation, a game currently raising funds via kickstarter and well on the way to its $65,000 goal. Mage’s Initiation is a point and click that will remind gamers of King’s Quest, a full length storyline that features a unique “magical” combat system.
In an age, where kickstarter projects are quickly becoming the tail that wags the dog for the gaming industry, Himalaya Studios is offering a game that for less than 10 dollars, provides an experience that could rival some AAA titles, for a sixth of the cost. Not bad for a company that is barely two years old. Continue reading “$50,000 in 5 days: Himalaya Studios Tells Us The Secrets Behind Mage’s Initiation” »
Jace Hall Talks Gangs, Gaming, and Growing Up In The Projects On “Defying The Odds”
Thursday, 14th February 2013Posted in Ask Jace
Tags: defying the odds, interview, Jace Hall, motivation
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Many of you know Jace as the avuncular host of The Jace Hall Show — the man who never backs down from a gaming competition or shies away from a chance to be silly with his guests.
But in a recent interview for the pilot presentation of “Defying the Odds” – a series hosted by David Jones that takes an in-depth look at celebrities who found success after growing up in the projects – fans get to see the side of Jace that MADE him into the epic gamer he is today. Fans see the man who fell in love with comic books and video games and the reasons why he attached himself to comic superheroes so strongly.
Jace told David in the interview: Continue reading “Jace Hall Talks Gangs, Gaming, and Growing Up In The Projects On “Defying The Odds”” »
Today in 1337LoungeLive – Yasemin Arslan, “Lilith” from Borderlands
Sunday, 16th December 2012Posted in 1337 Lounge Live
Tags: borderlands, interview, yasemin arslan
Written by: Jennifer Zhang
If you love Borderlands, you’ll love us tonight as we’ve prepared a very special broadcast into 1337LoungeLive. The stunning Yasemin Arslan – live action actress for “Lilith” – will be joining us LIVE in the Lounge via webcam, all the way from Sydney Australia to answer your questions, chat and hang out. At 7 PM PST, 1337LoungeLive is the place to be.
Continue reading “Today in 1337LoungeLive – Yasemin Arslan, “Lilith” from Borderlands” »
Broken Pixels Drops ‘HALO 4′ Music Video (John 1:17)
Thursday, 15th November 2012Posted in Musician
Tags: Broken Pixels, comedy, halo 4, Halo 4(John 1:17), interview, video
Written by: Jeff Nau
The nerdcore hip-hop act Broken Pixels made a name for themselves much the same way a lot of other nerdcore acts did: lots of hard work, countless hours slaving editing video, and perhaps most importantly, some seriously witty repartee.
Their newest video, “Halo 4 (John 1:17)”, is a tribute to Master Chief’s ongoing battle against the Covenant, with a special focus on the franchise’s storied mythology.
The song is actually the full history of Master Chief from the first game (Halo: Combat Evolved) through the books and up to the events before Halo 4 when Master Chief tries to escape in the ship “Forward Unto Dawn.”
Karateka and Prince of Persia Creator Jordan Mechner Hanging out at 1337LoungeLive on November 7th!
Monday, 5th November 2012Posted in Gaming Personality
Tags: interview, Jace Hall, jordan mechner, karateka, live streaming, video games
Written by: Paul Nyhart
KARATEKA is BACK! It was announced today that the the game will be available for purchase on XBL November 7th and will be coming to IOS and PSN later this month.
For $10 you can enjoy the re-imagining of the karate wrapped love story set in Japan, fit with three playable characters (with three endings) and innovative, cinematic gameplay.
The best in all of this, JORDAN MECHNER WILL BE HANGING OUT WITH US on Karateka’s launch day, November 7th, starting at 8Pm in the 1337LoungeLive. He will be answerwing questions, play the new KARATEKA directly with us, and the audience in real time live! Continue reading “Karateka and Prince of Persia Creator Jordan Mechner Hanging out at 1337LoungeLive on November 7th!” »
Daily Anime: New Manga iPhone App Could Land You a Job
Wednesday, 24th October 2012Posted in Apple
Tags: app, application, interview, iTunes, job interview, Robert Walters Manga Interview App
Written by: Jeff Nau
Follow @jeffnau
If there’s two things I never would have assumed would go together, it’s ‘manga’ and ‘employment.’ (Yet I’m doing this write-up here, so it goes to show ya). Robert Walters didn’t let that hold him back: he’s regarded by companies of all kinds as a leader in the industry of employment recruitment consultancies.
Walters has wasted no time in proving he’s ahead of the game, helping design a new app called the Manga Interview App, which utilizes an anime-styled approach to helping aspiring job-seekers perfect the interview process. Continue reading “Daily Anime: New Manga iPhone App Could Land You a Job” »
Exclusive Interview: PlanetSide 2 Creative Director Tells Us What It Takes To Make a Great Video Game, Used Car Commercial
Monday, 17th September 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, News
Tags: car commercial, commercial, exclusive, interview, matt higby, matthew higby soe, planetside 2, SOE, Spoof
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Fans of The Jace Hall Show fondly remember Producer Todd Roy’s attempt to make a game trailer for Sony Online Entertainment’s epic MMOFPS PlanetSide 2. The result was…um, different, than most video game trailers, and resembled more of a used car commercial than a trailer promoting one of the most massive shooters in the history of gaming.
Front and center as the face of the trailer and the main man behind the scenes of PlanetSide 2 is Creative Director Matt Higby. We decided to get his thoughts on the interpretation of the commercial, what it takes to make it in the video game industry, and what makes PlanetSide 2 so different from the competition. Continue reading “Exclusive Interview: PlanetSide 2 Creative Director Tells Us What It Takes To Make a Great Video Game, Used Car Commercial” »
Exclusive Interview: SimCity Brings The Best of SimCity Back To Life
Wednesday, 12th September 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: exclusive, interview, photos, release date, sim city, SimCity, simcity 5
Written by: Paul Nyhart
It’s been almost a decade since the most recent SimCity, SimCity 4, was released. An announcement was made about a year ago that the same team that had developed the originals, Maxis Studios (EA) were going to be bringing a fifth title to the franchise.
SimCity producers Kip Katsarellis and Jason Haber and Art Director Ocean Clearwater Quigley sat down with us at The Jace Hall Show to discuss the latest installment of the SimCity franchise.
SimCity is slated to be released in 2013, and will carry on the iconic gameplay of Continue reading “Exclusive Interview: SimCity Brings The Best of SimCity Back To Life” »
Exclusive Interview: Defiance Re-defines Role of Modern MMO Shooter
Wednesday, 5th September 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: defiance, exclusive, interview, MMO, mmofps, syfy channel
Written by: Paul Nyhart
If any of you had the privledge of attending Comic Con this year, you may have noticed that Defiance had quite the presence — with a poster that you could spot in Tijuana. Prior to that, Defiance was one of the most heavily featured games at E3.
The Jace Hall Show had to opportunity to sit down at the game’s headquarters at Trionworlds and get a look at the gameplay, features, and the latest insight with Defiance Senior Producer Rob Hill:
JHS: Will Defiance be on all platforms? Continue reading “Exclusive Interview: Defiance Re-defines Role of Modern MMO Shooter” »
Daily Viral Video: Kate Upton Talks Video Games, Dating…Apparently She Prefers To Watch
Thursday, 30th August 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Pop Culture
Tags: ask men, gamer girl, gaming, hot, interview, kate upton, model, supermodel, yankees
Written by: Paul Nyhart
So we stumbled on this interview, albeit a bit late, and felt it important to share Kate Upton talking baseball, video games, and how to treat a girl right with ASK MEN.
It was a rare behind the scenes look at the Three Stooges actress and twenty year old supermodel still looking for a bra that fits, as she gave her take on video games and dating, which surprisingly she didn’t mention as being mutually exclusive.
“I am (a gamer). I like the Wii, though…I like to watch people playing, as well…” Continue reading “Daily Viral Video: Kate Upton Talks Video Games, Dating…Apparently She Prefers To Watch” »
What Drives Naomi Kyle? We Get To Know One Of The Coolest Girls On The Internet
Wednesday, 29th August 2012Posted in Gaming Personality
Tags: actress, Canada, canadian host, cheap cool crazy, daily fix, gamer girls, host, ign host, interview, naomi kyle, photos
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Fans of The Jace Hall Show are no stranger to IGN START, the home of Season 5 and the only place where you can find a man in a smoking jacket telling you the answer to every question you never had.
But IGN is also the home of one of the coolest girls on the internet, Naomi Kyle, who you undoubteldy know as the Host of IGN’S Daily Fix and Cheap Cool Crazy, the latter of which airs on the aforementioned IGN START every Thursday.
Many of you are aware Naomi is one of the most passionate gamers on the face of the planet, but we had the chance to get to know her beyond gaming and discover what it took to develop such a unique career.
What challenges did she overcome, what does it really take to make it in the biz, what music is she listening to when she’s not playing Sleeping Dogs? Here’s our exclusive interview with Actress/Host, Naomi Kyle: Continue reading “What Drives Naomi Kyle? We Get To Know One Of The Coolest Girls On The Internet” »
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