On Wednesdays (or sometimes Thursdays apparently) I spend my time looking for a digital buffet of gaming goodies – I post them here on the Humpday Bump.
This week’s bump features yet another create piece of fan fiction using Valve’s Source Filmmaker. User thingshappen posted a rendition of the famous apartment standoff scene from Pulp Fiction using TF2 characters. I would explain more, but since it’s done so well I’ll let the video speak for itself.
I’m very impressed by this video, especially considering the Source Filmmaker hasn’t been out long. If you’re interested in seeing the original unedited Pulp Fiction version for comparison it’s right here, but it’s a little longer than the TF2 version. I have a feeling that this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we’re going to see with this tech and these characters. Pretty soon there will be more spoofs, parodies, or recreations all featuring the TF2 characters. Is the cast of TF2 about to become quasi-cultural icons?
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So remember yesterday when my colleague Michael Lacerna reported that the Ouya had made $2 million through Kickstarter in one day? Well today their total is up to $4 million, almost four times what they were asking for. To give you some perspective, Double Fine’s successfully funded Kickstarter, you know the one that helped make Kickstarter what it is, earned a paltry $3.3 million in comparison and that was over the course of a month with a ton of free press. The Ouya has smashed that record and is on pace to set a new one. It isn’t a question of whether or not the Ouya will be a success, but a question of how successful it will become. At the very least the Ouya has shown us all the true power of Kickstarter.
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Speaking of Kickstarter, CLANG, the game that hopes to create realistic swordplay, has also completed its project, albeit in a much quieter fashion than most, squeaking past their goal by about $26k, whew. I’m glad to see this idea turn into a real project. The idea of melee game with swords being as detailed as a shooter with guns is so simple, and yet no one has done it right. I’ll be keeping my eyes on this.
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I always complain about trailer for games that don’t showcase enough, or any, gameplay. Games aren’t movies; they’re an active experience, requiring a more interactive marketing mechanism not a passive and bland trailer. Well apparently the people at IO Interactive agree with me because they’re showcasing 17 full minutes of Hitman: Absolution gameplay. See, this is much better. With so much gameplay I can actually make an informed purchasing decision; I’ll take seven copies. – Source: Kotaku
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My Diablo 3 coverage is slowing dwindling which makes sense because so is the game. On Blizzard’s forums one user named Diablo777 literally posted 99 reasons he or she feels Diablo 3 is a disappointment. We’re not talking a list of reason, Diablo777 wrote 99 actual paragraphs. I can’t tell if we’re a desperate fan whose dreams were crushed or an angry troll with too much time on his or her hands. The post itself might be a little crazy, or amazing I haven’t decided, but no one is saying it’s inaccurate.
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If you’re excited about Wasteland 2 (I know a lot of Kickstarter references today) well then inXile Entertainment has got a treat for you. In addition to receiving a copy of the Wasteland 2, the game will also include the original 1987 title free of charge. It may not seem like a big deal, but Wasteland is pretty much responsible for the Fallout series, and was a huge influence on RPGs for years after. It might not grab at new players like it did in the late 80s, but at least everyone will be able to see a piece of the history that started it all.
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And finally, you ever wonder how much every game ever would cost? Ok, well maybe not every game ever, but how about 22 full sets of consoles and every game released on them? If you guessed $1million Euro you would be correct. Last week Kotaku posted a story about an Ebay auction containing in my opinion the most impressive video game collection in history, just cruising through all of the pictures would take about an hour. Well it sold, which I can’t believe, to some other completely crazy but probably awesome person. Excuse me while I go raid my old attic to see if there’s are any video game treasure worth pawning.