Gamerpunch

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4

BUZZ: Sony's unnatural obsession with the number 599
2007-07-14 02:23:00
Just days after the announcement that Sony is slashing prices on the 60GB PS3 to $499 comes the revelation that the $499 PS3 is being discontinued, confirmed by Sony's Kaz Hirai. The $499 unit will be replaced with the lone 80GB, $599 model when supplies of the $499 model run out.So, how long will that be? Sony says there are supplies to last "into the foreseeable future". Dave Karraker of Sony Computer Entertainment America says that this means "several months to come."What seemed like a price cut now seems like Sony attempting to cling to the $599 price by any means necessary. An extra 20GB of hard drive space is not going to convince those for whom $599 is too much. Can anyone see their logic here?[Via Joystiq, Kotaku]
More About: Buzz , Obsession , Natur , Natura

TECH: Das Keyboard
2007-07-13 03:03:00
While I loved this keyboard mod, I didn't quite understand why the modder decided to sand off the markings on each key. Turns out, there are products out there which offer this as a selling point. According to their research blank keys increase typing speed because, like with the keys of a piano, you're forced to instinctively remember where each key is, rather than relying on the crutch of glancing at the markings.If it can increase typing times, perhaps it can increase gaming response times, too. Any gamers out there using an unmarked keyboard like this? What are your thoughts?[Das Keyboard ]
More About: Tech

CLICK: Game Fonts Database
2007-07-13 02:48:00
Currently contains 140 logo fonts for games. Useful for the Photoshop wizards out there. Another clicky link of interest is the MMORPG Lexicon, which contains definitions of all the intense MMORPG lingo you can think of. Funny how words can mean different things in different sub-cultures. Twink, for example. If only they knew![Game Font Database , MMORPG Lexicon]
More About: Click , Fonts , Base

MAKE: Tasty cupcakes
2007-07-13 02:38:00
Mmm... a groom's cake made out of cup-cake pixels. It's not the most beautiful game cake I've ever seen, but that's part of its allure, I think. You wouldn't feel too bad if you took a piece - not like you'd feel if you cut a slice out of something like this. The pixel Mario cake says "Admire me," then "Eat me."Enough Mario, though. Let's bring on the more obscure characters.[Pixel Mario cake on Flickr]
More About: Make

BUZZ: Today's E3 round-up
2007-07-12 11:33:00
The big sites are updating at an insane rate. Yeah, we appreciate it, but the most important facts are easily lost in the details. Here's everything of great significance that occurred today, at E3, or otherwise.16 tracks have been announced for Rock BandMass Effect is coming to the Xbox 360 in NovemberHalo Wars, an RTS set in the Halo universe, is coming 2008Silent Hill V is to be developed by The Collective, coming to PS3 and 360S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has been announcedMGS4 will be a PS3 exclusive, and is the last in the seriesPSP Slim and PSP Slim Silver are being released in SeptemberResident Evil 5 is in development, will be set in AfricaThe Xbox 360 Elite is arriving in Europe on August 24Microsoft is releasing an Halo 3 Xbox 360NCSoft has partnered with Sony, plans to create online titles for the PS3Gears of War and Viva Pinata coming to Games for Windows[Special Coverage of E3 at Joystiq]
More About: Buzz , Round Up , Round

HACK: White elephant gifts exchange, gaming edition
2007-07-11 06:16:00
Found this idea for a White Elephant gift exchange game via WikiHow. The idea is that you tell a group of friends about it, you all bring objects that you own but don't use, and give away your items in exchange for items other people have bought. The original idea is to include tasteless or gag gifts, but I think I might have a better idea.If you're a gamer, here's to hoping you have some gamer friends. Most of us have a few old games/consoles/gaming magazines/bits of merchandise lying around that we just don't have much use for anymore. Get your friends together, bring a bunch of neatly wrapped gaming detritus, and exchange to your heart's content. After all, one person's trash is another's treasure, so you might end up with something you actually want. That's more than what you came with!To get the most fun out of it, you'll probably have to know how a normal, non-gaming White Elephant exchange goes down. Just substitute the word 'gift' for 'gaming gift' in the articl...
More About: Gaming , Gifts , Hack , Exchange

CLICK: Little People
2007-07-11 05:26:00
After discovering Slinkachu's Litt le People blog via Boing Boing, I knew it was something I wanted to post here. My problem, though, was that it wasn't game related in the slightest.But it could be. For the following text to make any sense you need to have clicked the link above and had a look. Go on. I'll wait.Had a look? Good. Anyone else think this kind of thing would be a great premise for a game? I'll write my idea in the comments thread below, because I'm interested to see what others think of the overall concept.[Little People via Boing Boing]
More About: Click

MAKE: First level of Super Mario... scarf-style
2007-07-11 05:05:00
It might not look like much yet but cassinator of craftgrrl is attempting to render the entire first level of Super Mari o as a scarf. It could be awesome, but if you consider that the section pictured above took two hours and is two hand-widths long, it becomes clear that:1) this is going to take bloody ages2) it's going to be so ridiculously long that it'll probably force its creator to consider the question of when a scarf just becomes a really long piece of knittingFor an idea of scale, the author is working off this image. I know I'd give up at about the point pictured above. No, scratch that - one row and I'd be out. I'd probably just be too busy marvelling at the improbability of my suddenly and inexplicably gained ability to knit, which I do not currently posess.If the thing gets completed gamecraft fans all over with have something to hype about. If not, A+ for effort and inventiveness, eh?[Super Mario bros scarf update via Wonderland]
More About: Style , Make

PLAY: 1UP's 101 best free online games
2007-07-11 04:37:00
There are thousands of free online games. Some of them have to be good. Heaps of them are bad. Most of us can't be bothered slogging through lots of crap ones to find a gem. We're more inclined to load up a game we paid for and know we like instead. Funny that.What if someone sorted through the crap for you and collected all the gems in one place? The result would look something like 1UP's 101 Free Games list, originally published in Games for Windows magazine.** Obviously not accounting for subjectivity. But hey, at least someone liked the games listed. Someone from the GFW editorial team, no less.[101 Free Games 2007 - the best free games on the web! via 1UP]
More About: Online Games , Play , Online

MAKE: Gamer's ultimate wedding cake
2007-07-11 04:23:00
GameDaily's Carol Orsini wanted her 2006 wedding to reflect what means most to her in life. Hence, the creation of her wedding cake, featuring the consoles she owns and loves and crowned by her limited edition Legend of Zelda gold GameCube. Usually great game consoles and sugary goodness are pleasures we have to enjoy seperately - not so with this wedding cake.Carol says her husband was a non-gamer at the time. While I'm not certain whether the tuxedoed man in the background is Carol's husband, his face certainly does have that "non-gamer slightly disapproving of and confused by game-related geekdom" look we've all seen before.Got a hunger for game cakes? You're not the only one.[Have your games and eat them too! via GameDaily]
More About: Wedding , Cake , Make , Ultimate , Wedding Cake

CULTURE: PS2 marketing ideals as old as the console
2007-07-11 04:03:00
Click on the above image to view the ad full size. If, for whatever reason, you don't want to, the unreadable bit in the bottom-right corner says:PS2 - Because your girlfriend bores you shitless.Sony , your advertising department sucks.[Misogynist PS2 ads running in India via Wonderland]
More About: Marketing , Culture , Console , Cons

BUZZ: Class-action Xbox 360 lawsuit numero uno
2007-07-11 03:44:00
The most surprising thing about this is that Microsoft is being taken to court over an issue that isn't the red ring of death. This one, strangely enough, is about disc scratching during the "reasonable, foreseeable, normal and intended use" of game discs.Those who've brought the matter to court are seeking 5 million dollars from Microsoft. It's chump change for the company, but that's a whole lot of compensation for a few scratched discs. I must admit to having had a fleeting desire to take a sharp implement to my DVD collection and blame it on Sony.[First Xbox 360 class-action suit filed via Engadget]
More About: Action , Lawsuit , Xbox 360

BUZZ: Make product cheaper. More units sold. More profit. Who would have th
2007-07-10 08:46:00
[Via Engadget]
More About: Product , Buzz , Profit , Make , Units

PLAY: Like watching plants grow
2007-07-10 08:31:00
Not sure what it is about Plan t Tycoon that makes me smile. I think it has more to do with the kind of person I imagine playing it than it has to do with the game itself. Let's have a look at Plant Tycoon's selling points, as listed on the official site:Dozens of seed varieties, plant species and gardening tools to work with. A wide variety of collectible insects. New ways to organize your budding business. Gorgeous, all new artwork with detailed dynamically-generated plants. Numerous purchasable items allow players to customize their nursery with fountains, statuettes, and more. A well-stocked gardening lab offers new chemicals for fun experimentation. Introducing pruning to customize the look of your creations. Original soundtracks and ambient sound effects.Please, bring me the person to which this game premise appeals. Then bring me their parents. I'll ask them what sort of parenting tricks they employed to make their son/daughter turn out that way. Then I'll try to implement...
More About: Plants , Play , Watching , Like

USE: BioShock PC system requirements
2007-07-10 08:23:00
Via the Cult of Rapture:BIOSHOCK PC SPECIFICATIONSOperating System s:Windows XP (with Service Pack 2) orWindows VistaMinimum System Requirements :CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz Single Core processorSystem RAM: 1GBVideo Card: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550).Sound Card: 100% direct X 9.0c compatible sound cardHard disc space: 8GB free spaceRecommended System Requirements:CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo processorSystem RAM: 2GBVideo card:DX9: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512MB RAM (NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT or better)DX10: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 or betterSound Card: Sound Blaster® X-Fi? series (Optimized for use with Creative Labs EAX ADVANCED HD 4.0 or EAX ADVANCED HD 5.0 compatible sound cards)Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activationAnd here is a link. Which I am including, you know, just in case.[Finalized PC specs are here! at 2K Forums]
More About: Shock , BioShock , Stem

CULTURE: Old Grandma Hardcore
2007-07-09 14:23:00
Let me begin this post with a disclaimer. I love my grandma. She's lovely. I'd never wish for anyone else. I will admit, though, that if I were transported to an alternate dimension in which my grandma never existed and I could choose one elderly lady to replace her, I would totally choose Old Grandma Hardcore . Below are the reasons why.She owns an Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP. Which big time company reps gave to her.She plays heaps of games. Not just family friendly DS titles - the kind Nicole Kidman might play if advertisements were a reflection of reality - but hardcore FPS titles like Gears of War and Resistance: Fall of Man.She plays Xbox Live and unlocks achievement points and stuff.She played Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters in her hospital bed.She seems like an awesome person to know.I admire anyone who breaks two age-old (excuse the pun) stereotypes: that all gamers are under 15 and male. Sure, she's just one person, but anything that isn't this is a step in t...
More About: Culture

HACK: Suck up gaming news like some sort of gaming news machine
2007-07-09 04:53:00
I leave my feed reader open all day. It allows me to keep track of gaming news as soon as it occurs and track what gamers are discovering around the net. I don't need to remember to check a lot of different websites because the new content is all piped to my feed reader. All this combined means I see news as soon as it breaks while not having to constantly check dozens of sites just in case they've updated.If you've come to this site, you're probably interested in games. I thought I'd share the best gaming feeds I read so you can keep up to date with gaming news and trends as easily as I do.First, you'll need a feed reader. If you have one already, go on to the next paragraph. If not, I recommend Google Reader, but there are plenty of others to try.To get the link for the below feeds, select and copy the feed link next to the site title. Add the address to your feed reader under an appropriate category.This siteGamerpunch - http://feeds.feedburner.com/Gamerpunch_fe edThe big th...
More About: News , Gaming , Machine , Hack , Sort

BUZZ: Sony fesses up
2007-07-09 04:30:00
Sony has officially announced it will be selling the 60GB PS3 at $499 and an 80GB counterpart in August at $599. Seems like Sony thought the appropriate course of action was to deny deny deny until the press release hit media inboxes. It just makes those responsible for the price cut look reactionary and sly.The fact that both Sony and Microsoft have announced corrective measures for things gamers weren't happy about (console price and failure rate, respectively) makes it easy to analyze how each company went about things and how each move was received. Microsoft were open and honest about their initiative and announced it as soon as the media cottoned on. Sony played silly buggers and seemingly made the announcement only when forced. On the PR front, Microsoft wins, and it's no mystery why.In terms of capitalist suaveness Sony really seem to have lost their mojo of late.[via Engadget]
More About: Sony , Buzz , Fess

EDIT: DIY dual core gaming rig for $720
2007-07-09 02:40:00
Tom's Hardware has a shopping list for a 4GHz, dual core water-cooled PC which will cost around $720 USD if you build it yourself. There's also another shopping list available for those with a budget of around $1200 which truly yields some impressive performance for the price.While the shopping list is accompanied by some installation instructions the writer does assume you've navigated PC building territory before. In other words, beginners will probably find the DIY too much to handle. Your chance at a bargain's not lost though: even if you get the parts assembled at your local computer store it will no doubt still be a whole lot cheaper than buying a similar rig whole.[Your DIY 4GHz Dual Core Gaming Rig for $720 at Tom's Hardware]
More About: Edit , Ming

CLICK: New and inventive ways to show off #24
2007-07-09 02:23:00
I'm pretty sure that if you participate on any kind of Xbox 360 devoted forum or website having an online Gamercard to display is a prerequisite to earning credibility and respect. Without it, you're suspected of being a bad gamer, not owning that many Xbox 360 games, or worse: being Phil Harrison.[Xbox Live Gamercard generator]
More About: Show , Click , Vent

GET: Wiimote keychain, Halo 3 stuff, a cheaper PS3
2007-07-08 04:12:00
Bungie Day means free stuff -- I love it when companies see fit to name days after themselves. According to Bungie July 7th belongs to them - it's Bungie Day. We even get a day off work and everything. Because it falls on a weekend. We also get some free stuff:3D screenshots of Halo 3A page of info on the Brute ChopperInfo on Spartan variants C.Q.B. and E.V.A.A free Halo 3 theme.The downloads are only available for the duration of Bungie Day, meaning from approximately 2:00 AM PDT until midnight on Saturday (for those in the US).[Bungie day pictures and theme via Major Nelson]Get a Wii mote keychain -- owners of Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree are elligible to receive a free Wiimote keychain if you follow a few simple steps. Details below.[Free Wii Remote keychain via Sliced Oranges]Whatever Sony: buy a cheaper PS3 today -- The PS3 pricing controversy is getting curiouser and curiouser. According to PS3 Fanboy certain Target stores are already selling 60GB PS3s for $499 while, confus...
More About: Stuff , Bungie

MAKE: Beginner Nintendo papercrafts
2007-07-08 03:49:00
Via Crafty Crafty comes these Nintendo papercraft print-outs. They look easier than, say, certain other papercrafts, and would be cute to have around the house. Next time you find yourself doing a jigsaw puzzle on a rainy day, how about you rustle up one of these instead?[Nintendo papercrafts via Crafty Crafty]
More About: Beginner , Make , Papercraft , Tendo

CULTURE: Where games and people collide #1
2007-07-08 02:08:00
Chinese government makes itself even easier target for jibes -- the Chinese government recently ordered that skeletons in World of WarCraft be removed and replaced with flesh-covered counterparts. They've also announced that bare-boned corpses of dead characters must be buried in graves rather than lying on the ground. Seriously.The9 - the Chinese company responsible for running WoW in China - has already complied with these orders. Why have bones, of all things, been censored in World of WarCraft? To comply with Chinese president Hu Jintao's mandate of an "harmonious society," apparently. No idea how that works. It seems like the government has started censoring things just for the fun of it.[Censorship reaches internet skeletons via Kotaku]Fuzzy virtual pet owners start online rebellion -- On July 3rd a new feature arrived in NeoPets land: the NC Mall, which allows users to pay real world money for the game's virtual currency, Neocash.According to those rebelling the mall break...
More About: People , Culture , Games , Transformers , Xbox 360

GET: Free graphic novels for your PSP
2007-07-07 04:42:00
PocketGamer has scrounged up some great freebies for your PSP. Download the (free!) graphic novels you want via the links below, then follow the instructions at PocketGamer to get them up and running on your - now more excellent - Playstation Portable.50 free Super Spy graphic novelsSix free episodes of NYC 2123Two free episodes of Agent Hitless (pictured above)Darren Reid's Xevicom Fever (free)Introductory episodes of seven different titles free at gomangaKomikwerks also offers free introductory episodesOnce you've downloaded what you want head over to PocketGamer for instructions on how to get the graphic novels displaying correctly on your PSP, or to view write ups of each comic before you make your choice.[The best digital comics for your PSP at PocketGamer]
More About: Novels , Free , Graphic Novels , Graphic , Graph

MAKE: Bewdiful Katamari papercraft
2007-07-07 04:26:00
To accompany the news that Beautiful Katamari is bypassing the PS3 in favor of the Wii I thought some Katamari craft was in order. Wii owners can celebrate the announcement with their new Katamari Prince papercraft, while PS3 owners can place the papercraft in front of their TV set, squint really hard, and imagine a wonderful alternate dimension in which they are actually playing Beautiful Katamari on their PS3.Of all the Katamari crafts floating around I chose the Tiny Prince paper toy because it doesn't look too tricky (as far as papercrafts go). And because the Prince is really cute.You can download the print-out via the link below.[Paper Toy Friday: The Tiny Prince at Warm 'n Fuzzy]
More About: Make , Papercraft , Mari , Tamar

Round table: A word from our sponsors...
2007-07-06 16:44:00
Caught this seemingly obligatory post at Kotaku today. It's a shout out to the site's sponsors; Pentax, Project Sylpheed, Rockstar Games, Verizon and World in Conflict. What struck me is that of five sponsors, two are game titles and one is a game developer. Kotaku writes about all of them. Could we expect Kotaku to write objectively about these sponsors, even if the truth would make them look less than pretty? Not if they want to keep the funds rolling in, I suspect.Of course, Kotaku isn't the only gaming media publication sponsored by the very brands and companies it has promised to write about fairly and objectively. I find it difficult to see how coverage of these sponsor companies could remain free and independent in that kind of situation.As a media student, I feel this kind of thing casts a shadow over the journalism taking place. I can't help but wonder whether Rockstar Games sponsored Kotaku before or after they posted item after item supporting Rockstar Games and Manhu...
More About: Word , Sponsors , Table , Round , Round Table

CULTURE: Wii'll not forget
2007-07-06 16:16:00
This is the kind of advertising that makes you forget - just for a moment - that the company responsible just wants your money. First the advertisement team pushing Blue Dragon cast a shadow across the streets of Shubiya, and now Nintendo is getting creative, displaying these wall mosaics made out of colored posted notes in various locations around Italy. On the back of each individual note is a message encouraging the recipient to pay homage to the 80s by playing old-school favorites on the Wii .Your move, Sony. Impress us, eh?[Nintendo Wii: Wii'll not forget via The Cool Hunter]
More About: Culture , Forge

MAKE: Cabinet for a gaming geek
2007-07-06 05:14:00
Flickr user kriseattle22 took six months to create this gamer's cabinet. I particularly like the wooden brackets used to raise the devices for good air-flow, and the console holders on the side. The neon-lit fans look a bit much built into unpainted wood, though, but I'm sure a coat of sleek black paint would fix the problem.Instructions on how to make one for yourself aren't provided, but I'd prefer a different set of instructions anyway: instructions on how to make enough money to buy all that stuff![Cabinet for a gaming geek at Flickr]
More About: Gaming , Geek , Make , Ming

CLICK: File Front latest game demos
2007-07-06 04:56:00
There are plenty of sites around offering downloads of PC game demos. What makes this File Front page special is that it's updated as soon as a new demo is added to File Front and allows you to follow download links for each new demo as it is added. In other words: you don't need to spend time worming your way through a convoluted site to get at the fresh content you want.[Latest Game Demos list at File Front]
More About: Click

BUZZ: Console Consessions
2007-07-06 04:46:00
Via a number of sources comes the news that the price of the PS3 is going to drop from $599 to $499 on the 12th of July. I'm not sure how much a price drop from 'really expensive' to 'still really expensive, but less so' is going to change SONY's fortunes, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.Just as SONY makes that concession comes the news that users who experience the 'red ring of death' on their Xbox 360 console will have their warranty extended to three years.It's good to see both companies able to bow to public pressure, but is it a case of too little too late?[Report: PS3 $499 on July 12 at GameDaily BIZ][Microsoft Expands Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage press release]
More About: Buzz , Console , Cons , Sessions , Sole