Toronto Thumbs

Review
Xotic

The screenshots of WXP’s Xotic are surreal and alluring; as strange as it looks from afar, the game becomes even stranger when you start playing. Being different, though, can sometimes make a game fun – the departure from the ordinary makes for a great way to be entertained. Unfortunately, the bold visuals and odd controls make this XBLA downloadable game a less desirable prospect than other first-person-shooters, which is unfortunate given the uniqueness of the game.

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Posted in Reviews, Xbox 360 | No Comments »

Event Report
Dx3 Canada: Gamification

Gamification. Up until a few years ago you would hardly think a term like that could even exist – let alone be defined in Webster’s Dictionary. I hate to break it to any naysayers out there, but it is definitely a concept that is alive, kicking, and being used in the gaming world this very moment. If you are still unsure of what this concept entails then don’t you worry: the answers are coming.

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Posted in Events, Krytical Eye | 2 Comments »

GameON Finance
Interview With Zack Karlsson

Recently at the GameON: Finance conference I had a chance to talk to Zack Karlsson, VP of Business Development & Digital Platforms at Capcom. During a panel he had some interesting things to say about the direction of current “triple-A” games. Karlsson said that he doesn’t believe that development costs of AAA titles will inflate anymore than they already have. Even as new generations of consoles come into play Karlsson stands by his statement. Below is my brief interview with Karlsson on his views on AAA titles.

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Posted in Events, Interviews | No Comments »

Event Report
GameON: Finance 2012 – The Start-Ups

At first glance, GameON: Finance can sometimes appear stuffy for a digital media event. The amount of investors, publishers and like-minded professional men and women can seem a little daunting in contrast to the creative minds in the industry. Marketing, capital and revenue are a part of the business and without them many of those creative minds wouldn’t have the support they had aspired for their company. In a world that revolves around money, it’s sometimes not easy to maintain focus on the creative aspects of a company.

It doesn’t hurt to be a skeptic; business and creativity working hand in hand seems so unlikely. However, GOF is interesting in that while business-oriented goals are ever-present, the creative aspects of companies emerge; proving that their role in the industry is an important one. During Canadian Interactive Showcase (Presented by CMF) up-and-coming Canadian companies each had the opportunity to present a five-minute pitch sharing their project and future endeavours. With an audience of potential partners and investment opportunities at stake, this was quite the event for each of the candidates.

Curious to know what some of these showcase start-ups have created and what they hope to achieve in the future? Following is an interview with three of the participants:

• Introduction
• Cinder
• Kolody
• Era: Origins

Posted in Events, Interviews | No Comments »

Boom! Headshot.
Sniper Elite V2

Anyone that knows my gaming personality knows that I tend to lean towards reconnaissance in first-person-shooters; in fact, I quite enjoy stealth-based third-person games like Assassin’s Creed and Batman. I never did play the original Sniper Elite; I regret my decision from time to time – but with so many other games to play, I don’t think I ever really mourned that loss properly. Of course, when I saw clips of Rebellion’s Sniper Elite V2 and I think I just found my second chance.

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Posted in Previews, Videos | 1 Comment »

OMB Best Song Ever!
Mutant Blobs Attack

Where you’ll be when you find out this news.

What’s that you say? Toronto Thumbs alumnus Shaun Hatton has done music for Drinkbox Studios’ upcoming Playstation Vita game: Mutant Blobs Attack?

The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is yes.

Posted in Awesome, Music, Previews | No Comments »

Highlight
The Immoral Ms. Conduct

We’re incredibly lucky here in Toronto to have such a vibrant game development community. One of the most interesting things to come out of that was an incubation session designed to get more females into the game-making field. We here at Toronto Thumbs have covered the Difference Engine before; but one game in particular stuck out because of its unconventional medium and subject matter.

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Posted in Awesome, Indie | No Comments »

Preview
Jagged Alliance: Back In Action

While it pains my X-COM-worshipping bones to admit it, the days of the turn-based strategy game may well be truly over. Sure, some standouts might still remain (cases in point: the intriguing Xenonauts and Dead State), but the sign of the times is glowing in massive neon letters: speed it up. That’s not to say some games haven’t taken the “speed it up” mantra and run with it to an exciting hybrid of turn-based and real-time game-play; Flotilla and Frozen Synapse are two solid examples which have done just that – with excellent results. Still, these are new
properties; can an established, classic turn-based franchise make the leap to a modern hybrid style?

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Posted in PC, Previews, Videos | 1 Comment »

Review
Choplifter HD

“Take a look at me now!”

Who remembers playing Choplifter when they were young? The simple premise of flying behind enemy lines to rescue trapped soldiers and hostages was a neat idea and fun to play. Now, inXile brings us Choplifter HD, a modern reimagining of the Apple 2E classic for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Does the game have any lift? Or does it come crashing down?

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Posted in PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360 | 1 Comment »

News Bytes
Stuff From Lately

It has been a few weeks since the calendar turned and 2012 looks to be just as exciting as 2011 – if not more. The webs of the internet yield some juicy flies from time to time; best to pull them off and look at them before the web sags too much, right?

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Posted in News Bytes | 1 Comment »