Toronto Thumbs

Too Human’s Lookin’ Good

I had a chance to play Too Human tonight at the Toronto launch party for the game. Six game stations were set up at the fancy Spoke Club on King St. while several journalists and Silicon Knights staff members mingled. In a separate room, a large screen setup was available for play.

This was the first time I played the game since last October’s press preview at Silicon Knights’ St. Catharines headquarters. It played more or less how I remembered the preview build playing – only this time for some reason I kept trying to move the camera around rather than realizing that the right analogue stick is ONLY for melee attacks. I played for about a half hour and passed the controller onto someone else, opting instead to watch other people play, which ended up being just as enjoyable if not more interesting.

Watching other people play games without actually talking to them or giving them hints reveals a lot about their thinking processes. Some people were obviously a lot better than others at holding their own against the relentless horde of enemies, and it was interesting to see the more gifted gamers play through the various levels.

After much internet hoopla and tonnes of forum flame wars, Too Human is finally coming out next week. Will the haters be won over? Probably not, as it’s not in their nature. However if you go into this one with an open mind you’ll very likely be pleasantly surprised. I’m definitely looking forward to playing the whole game despite some control issues I have with it.

UPDATE: Apparently the control issues I was having with the game were in some part due to some sort of monitor calibration issue. I played Too Human for a good hour on a tube television and it played much smoother. Odd that the demonstration set-up would be slightly off like that but unfortunately things like that do happen. More to follow…

Posted in Canada, Events, Xbox 360 | No Comments »

Xbox 360 Price Cut
20GB Console to be $299.99 in Canada

Microsoft has once again dropped the price of the Xbox 360, bringing the Pro 20GB unit down to a wallet-friendly $299.99 CDN. The move comes with another official announcement: by August, the 20GB edition will be phased out and replaced with a 60GB version of the console which will sell for $349.99.

Interestingly enough, the Elite 120GB version of the console will not have a drop in price, meaning it will still be priced at $449.99 - or in other words, $100 more than the 60GB SKU.

At this point, many gamers have already hopped aboard the high-definition console bandwagon, but for those who haven’t, it seems like Microsoft is trying to say “now’s the time.”

Posted in Canada, News, Xbox 360 | 3 Comments »

Labelling the Toronto Gamer

What does it mean to be a Canadian gamer, let alone a Toronto gamer?

When Shaun asked me to write for Toronto Thumbs, I started thinking on what I could possibly write about. Sure, I live here and I have fancy electronic toys, but what identifies me to the Toronto gaming niche other than those facts?

When I think of what it means to be classified a “gamer,” I think about “indoor” gaming with buddies at my house, with pops in the fridge and fresh pizza crumbs waiting to pounce on my stainless new controllers. I think about spending months waiting for new maps for my favourite MMORPG, and a week of exploration with a familiar party before it has become old news again. I think about long summers and nights spent after work playing the latest Zelda game.

“Just one more dungeon!” was the line, but the writers were just too good for me. Their stories were always so intriguing, the characters too real, that if I went to bed, the princess might be in another castle. Maybe for some people gaming can be classified as an addiction, but for me, I think it’s the empathy I have towards stories, friendly rivalry and new levels of creativity that have made me into a gamer. Aren’t these scenarios most gamers can relate to, regardless of whether they are Canadian or not?

Read the rest »

Posted in Canada, Editorial, News | 3 Comments »

CELEBRITY WATCH
Super Mario Shows up for NHL Awards in Toronto, Pimps NHL 2K9

No, not Mario Lemieux, hockey’s own Super Mario. The Super Mario of video game fame was on hand at last night’s 2008 NHL Awards at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto last night.

Look at that outfit! The hat! The moustache! I still can’t see how anyone can hate this loveable guy. Super Mario wasn’t just there to take in the ceremony, he was on the red carpet promoting the just-announced and first-ever official NHL and NHLPA licensed Wii game, NHL 2K9.

Mario reportedly high-fived fans while celebrating outside the theatre. The game will be released this fall and promises to allow players to use the Wii Remote as a hockey stick. Watch out for high-sticking penalties in your own living room, courtesy of 2K Sports.

“It’s our goal this year to bring the fun back to hockey video games,” says Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “NHL 2K9 for Wii includes the full feature set as available on other platforms, and added Wii Remote controls and other exciting features specific for the Wii console will allow dedicated fans the opportunity to fully enjoy and embrace NHL hockey in a brand new experience.”

The game will also be available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the still-kickin’ PlayStation 2. Check out the full photo of Super Mario.

Posted in Awesome, Canada, Wii | No Comments »

EVENT
Helping the Little Geeks

The Little Geeks Foundation is holding a computer giveaway today at St. Andrew’s United Church from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The organization is not-for-profit and it collects, refurbishes, and re-distributes donated computers to children in need. Their plan is to give away 200 computers this month, with an ultimate goal of 1000 computers for this year.

“Computer literacy, like math and writing is not a privilege in this country, it’s a right that every Canadian child should experience and Little Geeks is committed to making this a reality,” says Andy Walker, technology reporter and co-founder of The Little Geeks Foundation. “We need more individuals and corporations, like Best Buy Canada, to either donate their used computers or to provide financial support so we can all help make a difference in a child’s life, one ‘little geek’ at a time.”

Little Geeks was recently granted charitable status last year. For more information on the organization, including how you can help, visit littlegeeks.org.

Posted in Canada, Events, News | No Comments »

Okami Box Art Blunder Makes it to Canada

It might be a bit of old news to discuss Okami on the Wii, but for those that missed out on the interesting artwork blunder I have some confirmed news for you.

It looks like the art department over there used a screenshot with an “IGN” watermark on it in the actual production sleeve. It’s quite difficult to see unless you are looking, and it’s really not as annoying as the “score sticker” that is built in as well. In Canada, the “9.5 out of 10″ burst that is a permanent part of the sleeve is partly obscured by an actual sticker on top of that!

I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking the person responsible for this entire project needs to be fired or at least get a good square kick in the rear. Hopefully, it doesn’t deter you from picking up this great game on either the PS2 (no artwork blunders) or the Wii. In fact, since Capcom has fixed the artwork (and offered a choice of three print-your-own replacements for those offended by the watermark) I’m thinking that this version of the sleeve is going to be collectible. It will be discussed twenty years from now at some “classic gaming” convention as one of the more interesting mistakes of 2008.

At least, so far.

Posted in Canada, Wii | 5 Comments »

Too Human Gets Release Date

Too Human is a game that’s been a decade in the making. Jorge and I poked fun at it in the latest Thumbscast, but now it seems it has a real release date: August 19, 2008. Better start lining up for it yesterday!

Developed by Canada’s own Silicon Knights, the third-person action/RPG will have players running about and destroying the scenery as Baldur, a cybernetic god tasked with defending humanity against an onslaught of war machines. But wait! Baldur is half machine, like the vampire hunter who is half vampire!

An early build of the game played surprisingly well last October despite a few minor glitches. I for one am hoping the game not only turns out well, but is well-received by the gaming community. Silicon Knights is probably hoping for that a lot more than I am, however.

Posted in Canada, News, Xbox 360 | No Comments »

Wii Rock Band Release Date Announced

Unlike previous versions of the game, the Wii drum kit sports a nice white finish.

Canadian Wii owners can expect to be rocking out on the drums and annoying their neighbours with Rock Band on June 22, if all goes well. That’s when the much-anticipated Wii version of the game is slated to go on sale.

No word yet on whether or not Canadians will have to wait a few weeks longer than that as they did for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. But considering Harmonix and MTV has had a tonne of time to get the game ready, this shouldn’t be a problem.

The title is supposedly a port of the PS2 version of the game and won’t include any support for neither the Wii Guitar Hero controller nor the Wii remote. So unlike Disney’s upcoming Ultimate Band, you will actually be using real drum sticks on a semi-real drum set.

Posted in Canada, News, Wii | 14 Comments »

Xbox 360 Gets Huge Price Drop

All of these Xbox 360 consoles have received price drops of up to $50.

Microsoft announced today that Canadian gamers will be able to get their hands on an Xbox 360 at much lower prices than ever before.

The Xbox 360 pro console has been reduced from $399 to $349
The Xbox 360 Elite console has been reduced from $499 to $449
The Xbox 360 Arcade console has been reduced from $299 to $279
The Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special edition console has been reduced from $449 to $399

This means that an Xbox 360 now costs approximately the same as a Wii. Given the Wii’s perpetual supply shortage (and what is up with that?), this could be crucial sales leverage in the so-called console wars. Not that Microsoft needs it, mind you. If you’ve been on the fence about picking up a 360, this announcement should throw you off the fence and into the “buy it!” side of the yard.

Posted in Canada, News, Xbox 360 | No Comments »