Infinity Blade 2 Coming to iOS on December 1st
Apple’s iPhone may not be the most advanced smartphone on a hardware level but the iOS App Store by which it is supported has become the most vibrant of its kind. Found within said App Store is a plethora of bite sized software ranging from productivity boosters to games.
One smartphone specific title that is quick to be noted is Rovio’s Angry Birds which has essentially become a household name despite featuring a very simple premise. While Angry Birds may be one of the most popular games utilizing Apple’s iOS as a platform it doesn’t go to great lengths of putting the more advanced iOS hardware on display. A game that does do this, however, is Infinity Blade.
Those not familiar with Infinity Blade will want to make note that this game was released largely to show off what the iPhone 4 is made of. Due to this, Infinity Blade did not feature an in depth story but instead relied heavily on fancy graphics coupled with hack and slash gameplay.
Now that the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 are out complete with dual-core processors, the makers of Infinity Blade are at it again with the game’s successor appropriately dubbed Infinity Blade 2. Set to hit the iOS App Store on December 1st Infinity Blade 2 will feature top of the line graphic along with some new gameplay features. Not only will players accrue new weapons and other equipment along their journey but they will also be able to collect materials that will help upgrade said equipment.
As of now there’s no word on how much the game will go for but in the mean time check out two promotion Infinity Blade 2 videos included after the break.
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Target Offering Nintendo 3DS for $145
Black Friday will soon be upon us where we’re sure to see countless video game related deals. The most recent deal we’ve gotten wind of comes from Target and focuses on the Nintendo 3DS which they will be selling for just $145. According to our sources the deal is going down right now in store as a pre-sale leading up to Black Friday.
Make note that quantities will be limited meaning if you want to get down you will have to make haste. That being said, this may be the perfect time to get down on Nintendo’s glasses-free 3D display touting handheld. You know, unless you’d prefer spending the normal $180 – $200 retailers command for the same device.
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Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 to Offer USB Game Controller Support
In recent times manufacturers of dedicated portable game consoles such as Nintendo and Sony have been under attack from platforms for . While there’s no denying the fact that consoles such as the Nintendo 3DS and PSP offer great games, some consumers have a hard time justifying a $30 purchase when there are so many games available for smartphones and tablets commonly priced at just $1 such as the highly popular Angry Birds.
Platforms of this nature predominantly include Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android powering devices such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S II, respectively. But things aren’t all peaches when playing games on such devices as hardcore gamers are well aware of the headaches associated with touchscreen input when playing games that, for instance, fall into the FPS genre.
Some smartphone carriers have attempted to remedy this with gamepad touting devices such as the gamepad touting Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. But still even such devices forego the inclusion of physical analog sticks for the sake of saving space.
Luckily, it seems that all of this may be remedied in the near future thanks to Google’s latest iteration of Android: version 4.0 commonly referred to as Ice Cream Sandwich. While this platform’s biggest selling point is the fact that it was designed from the ground up with both smartphones and tablets in mind, one oft-overlooked tidbit will prove to be much more interesting to gamers on the go.
That point is none other than USB gamepad support – a feature pre baked into Ice Cream Sandwich. Taken a step further, users can also utilize a compatible device’s HDMI port to mirror the image on an HDTV. Combined these two features can, in essence, turn a tablet or smartphone into a full fledged video game console capable of running the many different games offered through the Android Market.
On another note, this will also prove to be interesting and possibly game changing if Google ever gets around to giving their Google TV set-top box platform similar functionality.
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Sony Ericsson CEO Hints at Playstation Phone
Sony is one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers with their products ranging from HDTVs and the PS3 to digital cameras and picture frames. Their cellphone department, Sony Ericsson, however has been struggling to keep up with heavy hitters like Android and Apple’s iPhone. Luckily, if rumors are to be believed, Sony will release a Playstation Phone powered by Google’s Android mobile operating system in the near future.
This rumor has been denied by Sony Ericsson execs in the past but today the company’s CEO himself, Mr. Bert Nordberg told the Wall Street Journal the following:
“There’s a lot of smoke, and I tell you there must be a fire somewhere. Sony has an extremely strong offering in the gaming market, and that’s very interesting.”
Following this statement, Nordberg said that a new device will be unveiled next Februrary during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. So does this mean there actually is a Playstation Phone and the above picture that Engadget leaked is legit? We’ll have to wait and see.
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Nintendo 3DS Release Date, Pricing To Be Announced On September 29th
There has been a lot of buzz circulating regarding the Nintendo 3DS. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s Nintendo’s latest portable console that is essentially the same thing as the Nintendo DS but features an upper screen capable of displaying 3D content with no 3D glasses, and twin cameras for taking 3D pictures.
Seeing how such seemingly high tech gadgetry is jammed in to one device, the hype is no surprise.
Unfortunately, while Nintendo has let us take a pretty in depth look at the device, they have yet to announce an official release date or price point. Luckily, it was just announced that they will be letting us in on both the release date and price of the Nintendo 3DS come September 29th, 2010.
Yes, an announcement for an announcement – that’s Nintendo for you.
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Pizza Star Portable 2?
Product placement in video games… is something that I’ve always been opposed to. For evidence as to why this concept isn’t applicable to virtually any form of multi-media entertainment, just look to the James Bond franchise, which has become a walking, talking series of product endorsements for name-brand watches, vodka, and other shit no one cares about. But I’m willing to make concessions if the product in question is appropriate to the game or movie its going to appear in.
In Phantasy Star Portable 2, your character will be given the option of imbibing virtual refreshment in the form of Fanta beverages. Ok? Fanta is a stretch. But Pizza Hut?
Not only will there be actual Pizza Huts that you can interact with, but you can equip your character with a pizza box shield and sword, also. Emblazoned with the company’s logo, I might add.
How is any of this bullshit relevant? To me it’s just another example of commercialism taking precedence over artistic integrity, which is ultimately what I object to.
via joystiq
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