Feature: Interview - Hiptic Games Creative Director and Artist, Long Vo
You may not know artist and developer Long Vo by name but odds are you’ve seen his work. With a long and accomplished history in comics as well as game development with legendary studios like Capcom, Long’s resume is as long (no pun intended) as it is varied. Currently Long has dived head first into the brave and bold world of mobile development as Creative Director for Hiptic Games. Their first title Go Ninja! aims to bring back a bit of the old school action we grew up with on the NES to iOS and Android devices. We talk Ninjas and mobile development with Mr. Vo.
Feature: Interview - Artist, Matthew Ryan Page
Odds are you don’t know Matt Ryan Page by name but you’ve come across his amazing Metroid fanart around the Tumblr network and Pinterest. Amazingly enough, not only is Matt a wonderfully geeky guy, a gamer but also a local artist (Florida) as well. Here at GND we love to peer behind the awesome emerging artists inspired by gaming and the media we love. So I bothered Matt for an interview and he graciously said yes. Read on to find out who is Matthew Ryan, the man behind the fanart.
Feature: Xbox 360 Spring 2012 Showcase Preview
Microsoft has been quiet. I’d say too quiet, about what’s coming to their platform in 2012. Granted there’s always surprises come E3 time, as Microsoft loves to announce tons of new stuff at the expo. But what’s coming this Summer? Ah, well that’s what the Xbox 360 Spring Showcase is for.
Feature: The Big Games of Spring 2012: Your wallet weeps
We’re all still reeling from 2011, which was a hell of a good year for gaming and a terrible year for my wallet but here we are in 2012 and if you think that just because the holidays are over your wallets safe, than think again! Q1 of 2012 is packed with some quality software; full of aliens, zombies and even some elves — the next three months are full of, as I eloquently put it, “Good sh*t!”.
Feature: So what’s in store for Gold Members with the new Xbox dash that’s actually free?
December 6th launches Microsoft’s latest update to the Xbox 360 dashboard. Bringing with it not just a new look, but a much heavier focus on apps. If you think it the new dashboard looks an awful lot like a Windows phone, it’s not a coincidence. Metro, the new style is something that Microsoft is bringing over to all of its products, including the upcoming Windows 8. Sure, some apps on the new dashboard are going to require a subscription similar to Netflix, but what can GOLD members look forward to for free? Let’s take a look at what that $60 a year is getting us.
Soundtrack Sunday - Shadows of the Damned
Its been awhile since I’ve done a Soundtrack Sunday, but with Halloween being Monday I thought now would be a great time to highlight Akira Yamaoka. Akira Yamaoka is one of the best musicians in the game industry, so it’s not a shock to anyone that his soundtrack for Suda 51’s Shadows of the Damned is one of the stand out game soundtracks this year. While not as creepy as his work on the Silent Hill series, it’s great stuff none the less. Check it for yourself after the break.
Feature: Interview - Kan Gao of To the Moon
Several months ago we stumbled upon a little trailer for a new indie game that really came out of left-field and shocked us (and several other outlets) with a beautiful soundtrack and an interesting premise that really hit the heart. We had to know more, and thus we managed to bug Director and Designer Kan Gao just enough to give us some new details on Freebird Games latest title: To the Moon.
Feature: Interview - Steven Skidmore, Environmental artist on Darksiders II
You may have seen some of his work in the erroneously overlooked time-traveling shooter Singularity, but if by chance you missed it, you’ll be seeing plenty in next years apocalyptic Darksiders II. Steven Skidmore is a gamer, music lover and environmental artist on the upcoming action-adventure title which is receiving tons of buzz and for good reason… it’s looking pretty bad ass. Steven was kind enough to answer a few question for us on what it’s like for an up and coming artist in the industry and even touches a wee bit on Darksiders II.
Feature: 20/20 Hindsight - Spyro the Dragon
The 1990’s were a fantastic period for people with a passion for videogames. This was the era of titles which need no introduction, such as Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo and Tekken 3 (in my opinion the best one, ever). The list goes on, really, but let’s focus on this nifty little game about a purple dragon named Spyro.
Feature: Nintendo 3DS Getting Some Third-Party Lovin’
Nintendo has always had a history of having strong first party support for their consoles and have recently had some strong support from third party developers on their DS platform.
Soundtrack Sunday - Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
Ezio’s quest against the Templars continues in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
Feature: It Came From The Bargain Bin - Vanquish
Third person shooters don’t get much more over the top or flat out insane than Platinum Games Vanquish.
Soundtrack Sunday - The Last Story
A tale of mercenaries and conspiracies is told in Mistwalker’s latest RPG: The Last Story.
Soundtrack Sunday - Bayonetta
This week we’re rocking a little bit of the sexiest witch around — Bayonetta.
