Steve Anderson
The Video Store Guy
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May 2012
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Part Game, Part TV Show--All Defiance
May 31, 2012
Watching tonight's episode of G4's X-Play--got to love that free preview on Dish Network--showed me an interesting concept tonight; Defiance. While a game generally isn't defined as an "interesting concept", it's the supporting marketing behind this one that's got my hackles up.
While Defiance looks like an impressive enough MMORPG--Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game for those who aren't well-acquainted with the acronyms--featuring a variety of different character classes with different weapons and playing styles taking on a race of gigantic alien horrors that have turned the planet into a partially smoking hellscape par excellence, that's not the really interesting part of the whole thing.
See, Defiance is getting its own television show on the SyFy Channel, which is said to at least somewhat parallel the events of the game. While this isn't the first time that a video game has received a television show equivalent--most gamers remember the Super Mario Brothers Super Show, among others--this may well be one of the first times that a television show based on a game has actually been in close coordination with the events of the game. It would almost be as though an episode of World of Warcraft had a season finale involving taking on the Lich King.
As a marketing move, it's a reasonably clever idea, but only reasonably, and a lot of the problem is the network that's showing the show.
While Defiance looks like an impressive enough MMORPG--Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game for those who aren't well-acquainted with the acronyms--featuring a variety of different character classes with different weapons and playing styles taking on a race of gigantic alien horrors that have turned the planet into a partially smoking hellscape par excellence, that's not the really interesting part of the whole thing.
See, Defiance is getting its own television show on the SyFy Channel, which is said to at least somewhat parallel the events of the game. While this isn't the first time that a video game has received a television show equivalent--most gamers remember the Super Mario Brothers Super Show, among others--this may well be one of the first times that a television show based on a game has actually been in close coordination with the events of the game. It would almost be as though an episode of World of Warcraft had a season finale involving taking on the Lich King.
As a marketing move, it's a reasonably clever idea, but only reasonably, and a lot of the problem is the network that's showing the show.
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault To Serve As Anniversary Celebration
May 30, 2012
For those not already familiar with the Ratchet and Clank series, a series which has done more for sheer dedicated chaos and putting unnecessarily big guns in the hands of an anthropomorphic raccoon-thing (they call him Ratchet, he's a Lombax, and don't worry about it making sense) than, well, than pretty much anything ever released to mankind. And he'll be coming back with his robot buddy Clank in Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault.
The word out of Insomniac proper, via Ted Price, says that Full Frontal Assault will be a "fun-size" title, much the same way that 2008's Quest For Booty was. Moreover, they'll be returning to the classic series mechanics, heavy on the gunplay, and with the controls, camera style and feel that the series has become famous for.
There's no word as yet on pricing and release dates, though the word from Ted Price says that this is going to hit in time for the holiday season, making it worth considering as a gift for the Ratchet and Clank fans out there.
I always loved the Ratchet and Clank series, though the more recent titles have been kind of a departure from the classic mechanics.
The word out of Insomniac proper, via Ted Price, says that Full Frontal Assault will be a "fun-size" title, much the same way that 2008's Quest For Booty was. Moreover, they'll be returning to the classic series mechanics, heavy on the gunplay, and with the controls, camera style and feel that the series has become famous for.
There's no word as yet on pricing and release dates, though the word from Ted Price says that this is going to hit in time for the holiday season, making it worth considering as a gift for the Ratchet and Clank fans out there.
I always loved the Ratchet and Clank series, though the more recent titles have been kind of a departure from the classic mechanics.
