First Screenshots of Fallout Online “Project V13”

MMORPGs have never interested me. Not even ones based in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. I know. Cah-razy, right?

That said, screenshots of a Fallout MMORPG have recently surfaced thanks to some court battles, and while it does look like a rather bleak place to spend one’s time…I’m all for it. Hope these images only mean that “Project V13” is one step closer to becoming a reality. Check out the other two shots below the cut.

Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm, and more arriving on Xbox 360 November 17

That’s right. A slew of social content is coming to Xbox Live on Tuesday, November 17, including Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, Zune video, and a new “News and More” section, which will draw from MSNBC, The New Yorker, and Dilbert for content. Wait…Dilbert? Hmm.

Seems that the services are only available to Xbox Live Gold members but us lowly Silver users (must be 18+ for Facebook and Twitter) will be able to get a sample thanks to a Free Gold Weekend happening from Friday to Sunday. I’ll be sure to try it out and let the world know what I think of it. Personally, I still feel like much of the social shtuff such as tweeting and updating statuses will be time-consuming, awkward, and worse for wear, but let’s wait until I can actually update my status with “Just blew a Super Mutant Overlord to pieces with a Lincoln’s Repeater headshot!” before I start with the nay-saying.

Until then…

Nintendo Announces the Nintendo DSi LL

Nintendo announced at a Tokyo press event there will be a revised version of the Nintendo DS, dubbed the Nintendo DSi LL.

Great. Cause at this point, the world needs one more iteration of the DS. Here’s how it’s gone down over time:

1. The DS
2. The DS Lite
3. The DSi
4. The DSi LL

Evidently the “LL” is in reference to the new, larger screens, which fans have been asking for since the 207 B.C. It’s mostly there for those using the system to listen to music and surf the Interwebz though I wouldn’t mind seeing my tiny Animal Crossing: Wild World items better represented. Anyways, the new DSi LL also comes with two styluses, three in-system games, the DS Easy Dictionary, and three snazzy colors (Dark Brown, Wine Red, and Natural White). There’s probably a stronger battery life in there, too. No U.S. launch date or pricing yet.

For what it’s worth, I love the color wine red, but really feel that things need to slow dooooooown.

Kotaku has a comparison up of the DSi LL to the DSi and DS Lite.

Fable III to use Natal tech and in-game shopping

Peter Molyneux announced that Lionhead’s forthcoming Fable III will implement Natal support, as well as in-game shopping. Readers, I’m afraid.

Now, the latter doesn’t bother me one bit. It’s basically DLC already in a game, and so long as it doesn’t limit the gamer from having fun then by all means, have an in-game shop where you can buy treasure maps and super lubed condoms or whatever Fable III wants to hock. I mean, all the special avatar clothing and gear zips by me unnoticed so…

But Natal. Natal. Eep. This can only lead to bad, almost uncomfortable “blow into the DS microphone” gameplay that no one will want. I do not want to have to dance to get my character to dance no matter how “immersing” it is supposed to be. At this point, I’m just praying that it’ll be optional support because I want Fable III badly, but I do not want to have to buy further tech just to play it casually.

But yeah, while we wait for further details, let’s all start practicing our favorite expressions at home. Vulgar thrust, anyone?

Happy Birthday, Dreamcast!

The Sega Dreamcast, the last console from the company, is celebrating its tenth anniversary today on 9/9/09 for its release on September 9, 1999. Everyone is posting about the news of a new Dreamcast game release, as well as their favorite memories.

Me? I don’t have one, mostly because I never played a Dreamcast before. Is it as magical as everyone is describing? Did I miss out? Somehow, I’m wearing my doubts on my sleeves.

Either way, someone pass me a slice of the birthday cake.

Fable III has been announced

See the announcement and its details here.

No, you did not leave the kettle on the stove by accident. That sound is my girlish cry of joy at its highest screech–can’t wait to rule Albion! Anyone that does not bow to my dog will be tossed off the nearest parapet!

All systems engage and–update!

Today’s the day Xbox LIVE gets an update.

Will have to wait until I’m home from the day job to check out how it runs and all that, but so far the Internet is telling me all is good. No Facebook/Twitter integration, rampaging dinosaurs, or XXX porn. That comes in the next updatery. Can’t wait…

Update to Xbox LIVE arriving on August 11, 2009

The update will be ushering in a wave of new features, such as Games on Demand, the Avatar marketplace, user ratings, and other stuff. Read up about here.

Alas, this will not be the update that includes integrating Facebook and Twitter into the main dashboard, which is a shame as I was looking forward to that feature the most. I’m nonplussed about the notion of spending real money/Microsoft bucks for digital clothing and toys for the videogame representation of us gamers. Seems kinda moot, really.

But…but. The Avatar marketplace could really do wonders if it allows some games to unlock a few free tee-shirts or magical swords (I’m looking at you, Fable II) either as some part of an achievement or whatever. That’d be nice and possibly some incentive to even glance purchasable pixels.

As per the Games on Demand, it’s not for me. I like browsing a shop and bringing something home, whether it is a new game or a used one with the manual missing.I also suspect that they will be priced a bit unfairly, but I’ll only speculate for now and hope that they don’t go nuts. I got my copy of Mass Effect for $15 human dollars so hopefully it is somewhere around there as well.

So yeah, I’m just kind of waiting on the update bringing in Twitter and the Book of Faces. Some time this fall, eh? Okay…

Not Game Over Just Yet

Videogames.

From Marble Madness to Super Mario World to Suikoden to Jumping Flash! to Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus and countless others. More than just entertainment, they’ve been a part of my life ever since I was a young boy and received my very first game console for Christmas. It was, to my boyish delight, a Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and with its velvety purples and soft, ash-like grays the darn thing nearly brought tears to my eyes. In actuality, I’m saving those liquid droplets for when my SNES no longer works; I still play Donkey Kong Country 2, Killer Instinct, and Kirby on it to this very day, which, when you think about it, is akin to observing a miracle.

Anyways, I’ve gone through only a handful of gaming systems though, still not yet crossing into what Interwebberz deem “next-gen,” but not a day goes by that I don’t keep up with what’s happening in the industry or what new achievements were issued for such-and-such or when the next price cut might hit. I have thoughts, I have some experience, I have ideas and rants and questions that need posing. I guess that means writing about games again, or trying to. Hence, Grinding Down. It’s a gamer’s guide to nothing, which more or less means whatever you want it to mean. I’ll do my best to make it into something, really.

So here I am, resetting my inner console, starting over yet again.

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