kitties
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Craft the latte foam kitty of your dreams with this insane 'gun'
If you love lattes but wish the foam could somehow be more adorable, good news! You'll soon be able to sculpt the most cloyingly cute animals you want using the Awa Taccino, a gun that fires measured dollops of foamed low-fat or soy milk. You just need to add the milk, whip it up for a minute with the supplied battery powered blender, sculpt it into shape and add chocolate features (as shown in the amazingly Japanese video below). You'll notice I said "sculpt": it does seem to require a modicum of skill, so for $60 you may end up with "formless blob" lattes instead of kitteh or panda lattes. It'll arrive at the Japan Trend Shop next month.
Firearms, futuristic spaceships and lots of explosions in Naughty Kitties
Naughty Kitties is an action-strategy game that combines two of everyone's favorite things: kittens and high-powered weapons. As the player, you and your cats must keep your spaceship -- yes, spaceship -- alive as it cruises along the skies and takes down alien enemies. Your ship can be defended both by its built-in weapons and your kitties, which can be perched on specials areas of the vessel. Each cat performs a different task -- from firing on enemy ships with rifles or guided missiles, to repairing your own vessel after it's been hit -- and each can only perform their duties for a short period of time before needing a break. The game quickly becomes a focus on resource management as you replace offensive and defensive assets on your ship and activate your large main weapon at certain intervals. It's a mix of tower defense and real-time strategy, and manages to feel fresh and different despite familiar themes. There are a few different game scenarios to tackle and a host of offensive and defensive cats to unlock, along with upgrades for each. It's a very deep game, which you might not assume given its extremely cute animation and overall aesthetic. The game does fall victim to a bit of the "pay to win" mentality with various in-game currency and items available for purchase with real-world cash. I found it quite enjoyable to play without spending a dime, but it's clear that dropping a few bucks will make you more powerful instantly. Naughty Kitties is free, and even if you only play it a few times, it's worth a download. If you're willing to toss a few bucks in, you'll find the game to be a wee bit easier, but it's definitely not required.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Simple pleasures in Guild Wars 2
Right after finally crafting The Flameseeker Prophecies, I took my in-game efforts down a couple of notches. As a result, I've had a few fairly quiet weeks in Guild Wars 2. It's not for lack of things to do or of goals; I've still got plans for oodles of armor sets, a few of the pseudo-legendary weapons, a double-handful of additional level 80 characters, and some titles. I've just been taking a more laid-back approach to achieving those goals. For the last month or so before getting my shield I was running two to three dungeons a day along with other things like camping meta events and going into Orr for T6 mats, which is by no means hardcore but has made for a very pleasant experience switching into a lower gear. I've been taking time to enjoy the simpler pleasures of Guild Wars 2.
Star Trek Online adds a new flavor of cat people
Do you like cats? Hopefully you do, as Star Trek Online has just seen the felinoid Ferasan added to the C-Store. But wait, didn't the game already add Caitians? Yes, but the Caitians are a Federation race, while the Ferasan are exclusive to the KDF, thereby allowing you to play as a kitty on whichever faction you choose. The Ferasan are related to the Caitians but apparently are not quite the same species (presumably akin to the Romulans and Vulcans). The Ferasan possess only one specific trait, Predatory Instincts, which increases jump height, melee damage, exploit damage, stealth, and perception. Unlocking the race costs 480 Cryptic Points and also unlocks new customization options for Caitian characters on the Federation side. On the other hand, if you just want to have one on the bridge, you can place a requisition for a Ferasan bridge officer for 400 Cryptic Points. So if you've felt that there's a distinct lack of feline members in the KDF, you've now got an option to rectify that situation.
It puts the dog food in the basket or else it gets the hose again: Ubisoft announces Petz World
Several MMOs, such as Free Realms, flirt with the concept of virtual pet ownership and conditioning, but it looks like Ubisoft is ready for a full-fledged commitment to the concept with Petz World. Gamasutra reported that Firma Studio is developing the free-to-play MMO, which will be published by Ubisoft in 2011. Based on the popular Dogz and Catz virtual pet simulators that date all the way back to the stone age of the internet (1995!), Petz has since expanded the franchise to include a wide variety of animals including hamsters, tigers and horses. In these games, players "adopt" a virtual pet of their choice, provide for their needs, and train their behavior through repeated actions. Repeated actions -- that sounds right up an MMO's alley, doesn't it? Ubisoft hopes that Petz World will bring parents and children closer together through the gameplay. The MMO will involve a large variety of collecting, achievements and unlockables as players scour the world for cool pets and conquer special challenges. Ubisoft's Chris Early thinks there's enough to appeal to a wide demographic: "This game is a unique way for children and parents to play games together." This is the latest move by the publisher to expand into the casual MMO landscape, following other titles like Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms.
