2009, We Demand Of Thee

Written by John Walker on January 5, 2009 at 8:42 pm.

So this is the new year. Do you feel any different? When thinking about what 2009 holds, I want to think slightly beyond the many exciting games we’re looking forward to and get a bit more thematic. On what journey should gaming take us in the following year?

2008, despite containing a ton of great games, felt a bit of a filler year in terms of progress. 2007 felt so huge probably purely thanks to Portal, and the impact that had on our expectations of gaming. But did it have an impact on last year? I’m not sure it did, beyond a few games making references to it (World of Goo Sacred 2 to name the first that springs to mind). Will the last year of the decade see us beginning to define what the twenty-teens will be about?

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CephalopOddbob’s Progress: SYNSO

Written by Kieron Gillen on January 5, 2009 at 7:56 pm.

Many wonder whether there’s a secret to getting your game posted on RPS. There is. Firstly, if you’ve done something we’ve liked, we’d normally link it. Secondly, if your game features an enormous head of a childrens’ TV presenter, that works too. OddBob has done both, creating a semi-sequel (Spiritual Sequel, if you will) to his 2008 pico-Epic War Twat which also features the head of famous revealing-aller Johnny Ball. It’s called SYNSO or “Squid Yes! Not So Octopus!” for long and is a one-life one-screen blaster where you have to score nine points. It is available from the internet. Here. Press tab to call up the menu and amp up the visual effects though. War Twat veterans will be attracted to the “Are You mental?” option, clearly.

This Is The Modern World: Sims 3 Specs Up

Written by Alec Meer on January 5, 2009 at 6:10 pm.

Stretching, yawning, RPS emerges from its brief hibernation, scrabbling through inboxes and RSS feeds in search of nutritious PC gaming info-nuggets. But is there much, if anything, for this small beast to feed upon in these desolate Winter weeks? It sniffs the ground disconsolately. There, a futile-looking Wii-style controller for PC. Here, a flight sim sequel. Satisfying to some, perhaps, but nothing of substance.

Aha! The shivering creature’s tired eyes finally catch a glimpse of something more fatted, juicier. It’s definitely a decent info-nugget - not the tastiest kind, but it will do. RPS takes a bite and finds…

Mmm. Official specs for the Sims 3.Yeah yeah, system spec stories are usually as invigorating as visiting Cumberland Pencil Musuem, but it’s different in The Sims’ case. Read the rest of this entry »

Gaming In The Russian Cosmos, Part 1

Written by Jim Rossignol on January 5, 2009 at 11:24 am.

This is a piece about Russia, Ukraine, and the future of PC gaming. It is about creativity, piracy, and thirteen tonnes of software every day.

A version of this article, which is based on my trip to Moscow and KRI last April, appeared in the May edition of PC Gamer UK. I’ve updated and expanded it for RPS, and broken it into two parts for ease of reading. Expect part two later this week.

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War Plan Pacific: Nimitz with limitz

Written by Tim Stone on January 4, 2009 at 1:02 pm.

For those of us that like our strategic entertainment martial and historical 2008 wasn’t exactly a stellar year. AGEOD kept their end up well enough, Matrix Games produced the odd semi-precious gem, and Combat Mission: Shock Force finally started looked like the game thousands of CMx1 fans hoped it would be, but overall it was a stale, depressing twelve months. The famine may explain why I’m moderately excited about War Plan Pacific, a pared-down WW2 wargame from new outfit KE Studios.

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The Sunday Papers

Written by Kieron Gillen on January 4, 2009 at 12:03 pm.

What’s Sunday For? Well, prompting long discussions about whose dad is hardest, it seems. Will it happen this time? Well, we’ll only find out after I’ve presented this compiled list of fun smart writing of the last week or so which tries hard not to include anything about pop music whatsoever…

• Creator of Reset Roburky’s been doing this on Quarter to Three, but he’s started to compile his adventures in my old favourite Space Rangers 2 on his blog in a diary form. In short, he’s trying to become the greatest Space Ranger in the galaxy by killing everyone else. Erk.

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Dead Space Comic, #1 Free

Written by Jim Rossignol on January 2, 2009 at 4:22 pm.

The first issue of the Dead Space comic is up over at Newsarama, for free. It’s a special thing, drawn by one of my personal favourite comic artists, Ben Templesmith, and written by the excellent Antony Johnston. I believe the full piece is collected as a hardcover from Image, which you can probably get your local comic shop to order for you. AMONGST OTHER COMICS. Yes.

Crimsoness

Written by Jim Rossignol on January 2, 2009 at 10:35 am.

Thank goodness for folks like al|together, who take the time to translate Japanese visual novels, and then repost them in the internet. Thank some even greater positive quality for the winner of the 3 Minute Game Competition, Crimsoness, which those fine translator chaps have posted on their site. It’s three minutes of high school emo rage, or something, and moderately amusing. Get it here. We don’t have a Rose & Camellia for 2009 just yet, but with outings like this we can assume it’s on its way.

It perhaps goes without saying that I found this link over on Insert Credit.

The Manipulator

Written by Jim Rossignol on January 2, 2009 at 9:06 am.

An intriguing indie platformer that we uncovered via TIGSource, The Manipulator sees you take control of other characters across the game to proceed. As The Manipulator you can jump like Mario, and control minds like Professor X. The game is presented in a lovely grainy sepia neon, which gives the ultra-simple art a suitable paranoiac quality. I think you’ll like it, just play with caution, it can be a bit tricky.

4mb direct download is here.

Happy New Year, Internet

Written by RPS on December 31, 2008 at 11:59 pm.

Like all good Northern Europeans we’re off setting things on fire and drinking hot booze, but we nevertheless wanted to wish you all a pleasant year end, and thank you all for making the past many months so entertaining. 2009, we’ve been informed, will be even better, at least if you like reading about PC games. Which we do.

Thanks, Internet. Here’s to the future.

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