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Best Buy does 2 for $30 deal
Best Buy is having a sale on all of their video games priced at $19.99, allowing those looking to stock up on titles to snag two games for the sum of $30. And, looking over the list of titles that qualify, there's quite a bit of fun to be had. Notable games in the sale include Nintendo's training titles Brain Age, Brain Age 2 and Flash Focus. There are also other games like WordJong, SimCity DS, Spectrobes and Orcs & Elves up for grabs too. [Via QJ]
Orcs & Elves & a John Carmack autograph
As if having the words "Orcs & Elves" emblazoned on your DS isn't enough to get you made fun of at school/the office by fantasy-hating jocks/co-workers, id Software went the extra mile and slapped on some dragon artwork onto this customized system to multiply its dorkiness rating tenfold. Oh, and the John Carmack autograph on the lid is sure to bring in a few putdowns, too: "Who is this John guy supposed to be? Your boyfriend?" So what if he is?Thankfully, we won't ever have to worry about Alisha heckling us for carrying one of these around, as only two were made, and they've both already been given away as part of a recent GamePro contest. We just might end up printing out a similar decal for our own DS, however -- the idea of designing our handheld to match the dragon posters we've put up in our cubicle is too tempting.
Orcs & Elves drops price
EA has dropped the price of the DS game Orcs & Elves. Supposedly, this is to commemorate the release of its sequel, Orcs & Elves II, on mobile phones (you can read id's press release here regarding that). We could care less about what it's commemorating, to be honest. We just like cheap games!If you were on the fence regarding the game, maybe this new price of $19.99 will bring you down? Or, did you just not care for the title, regardless of price?[Via DS Village]
Metareview: Orcs & Elves
The choice to bring the title to the DS seemed like a no-brainer to id and publisher EA, as Orcs & Elves fared quite well on the mobile phone circuit. And, the critics that have tossed their two pennies into the virtual arena of thought seem to agree that the game has its merits. But, what's scarier, is the fact that the users over at Metacritic find the game to have a lot less value than the critics have said. So, who's to believe? GameDaily (80/100) says "Although it's easy to poke fun at the story, it harkens back to a day when hardcore role players locked themselves in their basements and played Dungeons & Dragons with friends, and because of that, Orcs & Elves has an old school charm missing from the latest Final Fantasys." GameTap (80/100) thinks "Fortunately, graphics aren't what makes a game fun--actual game content does. And while the story doesn't break any new ground, this is a solid little dungeon crawler to spend a few hours with." GameSpy (70/100) is of the mind that "Its simple elements are well-blended in an adventure that only lasts about eight hours but still manages to fill its time with great fighting, fun puzzles and a general nostalgic atmosphere. It might not be for everybody, but it certainly hits a niche that has been neglected by mainstream developers in recent years." Have any of you picked up the game yet, or given it a try?
Orcs & Elves gets European boxart
We've had our eye on Orcs & Elves for some time now, as we're dying to see how id's mobile phone game that received much acclaim would fare on the DS, perhaps receiving fame. See what we did there? We like to call ourselves wordsmiths.Anywho, all of our off-topic quipping aside, what do you all think of the boxart? We like all of the creepy smoke, but think that EA logo couldn't be more out of place. What say you all?
Checking out spell casting in Orcs & Elves
While we'll agree that Orcs & Elves could definitely use some better graphics, as well as maybe a more intuitive control scheme as far as controlling your character's movement goes (not the spell casting, that certainly looks fun enough), but that doesn't mean we're just going to write the game off.1UP recently got their hands on the game and found it to be oddly engaging. They obviously share our sentiment that the game lacks a fine touch in the graphics department, but feel the rest of the title they were lucky enough to get their hands on was actually pretty good. We're happy to hear that, to be honest.Read - Spellcasting trailerRead - 1UP preview
First look at Orcs & Elves on the DS
At the recently concluded QuakeCon 07, Orcs & Evles was shown off to the press. Considering the game was announced back in January, we're glad to finally be able to see something on the game. It's also revealed, during the sneak peek, that the game will be available this holiday season.The level we get to check out is the Prison. While the atmosphere looks to be on point, we have to say that moving the hero around looks pretty cumbersome and difficult. Also, we get to see one of the game's bosses, but it's kind of dark so it might be hard for you see.Hit up the video past the post break and let us know if you think the jump from cell phone to DS is a good one.
Joystiq interviews id Software's Todd Hollenshead
Just minutes before he takes the stage, along with John Carmack, to deliver the QuakeCon keynote address, we bring you our E3 interview with Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software. We had a chance to ask him about id Tech 5 and id's future in engine licensing, that new IP they keep talking about (and will be showing off any minute now), the Games for Windows initiative, their announcement of a Nintendo DS game, and more. You guys have been laying low for a while. Laying low, but busy. I'm quite certain. At WWDC you guys come back out swinging, and I'd like to find out what your goal was there. Probably a good discussion of that would start with all of the projects that we're working on that are sort of announced just so you get up to speed. And I think some of these things, people forget this is actually id working on this stuff. You guys are working with Splash Damage and Nerve over here and then you've got ... That stuff is all going on at id too, because we have internal resources that are devoted to that. For example, the guy who is programming all of the AI bot work for PC, 360, and PS3 is actually an id employee and he's devoted full time to the project. Of course, Kevin McCloud is the executive producer for id so he's overseeing not only the Splash Damage work but also others. So there's a significant amount of id effort that goes into a project like Enemy Territory because we're working hand in hand with all of the developers, and Activision trying to coordinate stuff. It's resources and managerial? Managerial? I guess it depends on how you define that word. It's design input, it's working with Activision and Splash Damage to make sure the workflow stuff that is set up is something we think is achievable and doable and is working towards the right direction. So, yeah, there is a lot of what ends up being management but not like what I would call production management work. Nobody is sitting down and going, "I've got twenty people and this person is working this many hours on this little thing and he needs to be done with that by Thursday at noon."
id Software announces Orcs & Elves DS, Orcs & Elves II
During the hullabaloo of E3, id Software and Electronic Arts announced a sequel to their popular first-person RPG cell phone title, Orcs & Elves. Cleverly dubbed Orcs & Elves II, the sequel returns to mobile phones where it will undoubtedly be met by gamers clamoring for something, anything, decent to play on their phones. With some serious accolades for the original Orcs & Elves and DOOM RPG, id's latest will surely be welcomed. But what about those of us that prefer to play our games on, you know, game consoles? They've also announced the release of the original Orcs & Elves for Nintendo's money-printing DS handheld. "Orcs & Elves was a perfect fit for the DS. We were able to take excellent advantage of the 3D hardware and unique user input capabilities, and expand the game to include a lot of wonderful features that we just couldn't fit on the cell phones," said id's John Carmack when he wasn't building rockets. Both are scheduled for release this holiday season.
Orcs & Elves to take arms on the DS
During an interview, id's John Carmack drops a bomb on us all, revealing that the company's game Orcs & Elves is headed to the DS. For those unaware, Orcs & Elves is one of the company's recent projects in the cell phone gaming community. John hopes that the game can be improved on Nintendo's handheld and is hoping "to do a DS game version of Orcs and Elves, moving over and enhancing the cell phone game on there, which would be our first real direct entry back into the Nintendo world."Many of Nintendo's loyal had bad things to say about the guy and his company, and for good reason. However, the prospect of getting a Doom game on the DS is something we can get behind. What about you guys? Think that Orcs & Elves on the DS is something that noone will care about or enjoy?
John Carmack taps DS for latest game
In a brief interview with Game|Life's Chris Kohler, the lead ego at id Software (psychology joke!) expresses interest in porting one of his recent cellphone titles to Nintendo's touchy-feely portable. John Carmack explains that the potential port of Orcs and Elves (not to be confused with long-rumored comedy adventure, Orko and ALF) would be enhanced and would represent his first step back into the historically colorful lands of Nintendo. Carmack recalls that "we were always just kind of peeved at the whole Nickelodeon censor arrangement with Nintendo. So we've kept them at arm's length for many console generations now." Thankfully, Nintendo has long since embraced limb-severing violence and is unlikely to inject bizarre green blood into Carmack's tale of swords, sorcery and ... is that Smaug?
Carmack returns to cell games with Orcs & Elves
MTV News has a story on Doom co-creator, and gaming guru, John Carmack's latest FPS megahit Orcs & Elves; only thing is, it's not based on some new super-engine that he hand-coded -- using only one hand, mind you -- while building rocketships with the other. Nope, it's a cell phone game. And it's not even an FPS really, it's "an interpolated first-person action-adventure sort of RPG." Err, right.So why return to cell phone gaming so soon after the unlikely hit of last year's Doom RPG? Sure, Fountainhead, the game design company working on Orcs & Elves for EA (who bought Doom RPG's publisher Jamdat last year) is run by Carmack's Mrs., but there has to be more to get one of PC gaming's biggest power-developers trading in his Ferrari for a Yugo. His vision: "'I do sort of have this grand scheme of, we do Orcs & Elves and we do a sequel and we go into this massively multiplayer Orcs & Elves world.' He sees people connecting across their cell phones, using the phone's built-in speaker and earpiece to communicate through the fantasy world."Some Verizon customers can get the game this Sunday, with additional cell phone platforms available in July.
