Griffin McElroy

Griffin is a graduate of Marshall University with seven years of experience in professional video games reporting. In addition to his work as Weekend Editor, Contributing Editor and now Reviews Editor for Joystiq, he's produced content for a number of local West Virginia news organizations and contributed to MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08 election coverage. He's also the co-host and editor of My Brother, My Brother and Me, a podcast in which he distributes exclusively terrible advice.

Articles by Griffin McElroy

EverQuest 2 going free-to-play (again)
No, you and you internet browser haven't slipped backwards through time -- though EverQuest 2 already went free-to-play last year (with the somewhat confusing, browser-based EverQuest 2: Extended), the game is going really free-to-play starting December 6. A post on the game's official site clears things up: The offerings of Extended will be folded into the rest of the title, and membership will be broken down into three tiers: Free, Silver and Gold. Free members get a handful of races, classes, character slots and other utilities, while Silver members ($5.00 or 500 Station Points per month) get ... well, a handful more. These two tiers also have the option to purchase some items (like races and classes) piecemeal. Gold members ($14.99/mo.) get unrestricted access to everything. Check out this handy rubric if you're still confused by all these precious, precious metals.
Report: Final Fantasy Type-0 getting international release
According to Andriasang, Square's Ultimania guide for Final Fantasy Type-0 includes an interview with director Hajima Tabata, who reportedly reveals that his team is currently working on the international version of the PSP title. This would be the first official confirmation of the game's upcoming arrival in Europe and North America -- though the interview doesn't bring up any details about the timetable for said localizations. Andriasang also reports that the interview contains Tabata's plans for the franchise's future. He reportedly wants to make a direct sequel to the game, titled (what else?) Type-1, and would like to see the next installment on a home console. We've contacted Square for a comment on ... well, everything you just read.
Rocksmith DLC adds Vampire Weekend, T. Rex, Three Days Grace
If you've got the patience to stick with Rocksmith's guided tutorials, you could know the guitar parts of three new songs by the weekend. The real guitar-utilizing game will have its DLC library expanded with a trio of tracks this week: "Cousins" by Vampire Weekend, "20th Century Boy" by T. Rex and "I Hate Everything About You" by Three Days Grace. We can confirm that the first two, at least, are great songs, and that the third might just be the angriest song ever recorded by a human being. Each track will run shoppers 240 Microsoft Points ($2.99 on PSN), but the ability to impress all the ladies and dudes on the quad with the preposterously frantic rhythm portion of "Cousins" is absolutely priceless.
A wild Victini appears, just in time for the new Pokemon movie
We're guessing that a majority of our readership isn't too terribly stoked for the two-day theatrical arrival of Pokémon the Movie: White-Victini and Zekrom, which is really the real name of a real movie. This, however, may tickle your fancy: Coinciding with the film's December 3 launch, players of Pokemon Black and White will be able to grab a Level 50 Victini through the game's Wi-Fi Connection portal. This promotion comes with two benefits, the first of which being that Victini, a legendary Fire and Psychic type with moves that enhance the powers of his teammates, is a powerhouse. The second is that you don't have to go to Toys R' Us to attempt to stealthily grab Victini, living in constant fear that you'll end up on some kind of government watchlist. %Gallery-140408%
Steam cuts Blood Bowl down to $8 today
Once again, Steam's offering an awfully big discount on Games Workshop's curious fantasy football title, Blood Bowl. If you haven't grabbed it during a similar promotion in the past, you can pick up the violent (well, more violent) version of the sport for $8.00 today.
Mario Kart 7 review: An exercise in fun/frustration
Mario Kart 7 is, as its predecessors always have been, an exceedingly hateful game. Three laps' worth of perfect corner negotiation, aggressive drafting and creating enough sparks to manufacture a small sun can be overturned instantly, sometimes in sight of the finish line. Who am I kidding? It is always in sight of the finish line, and it's always Toad, an innocuous-looking bastard who's caused me to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory more times than I could ever hope to count. (Estimated guess, though: A hundred billion.) Frustrating though they may be, those turnabouts are how the franchise skirts around recurring poxes of the racing genre. Last place racers get far more potent weaponry than the pace cars -- not rubber-banding in the traditional sense, but the result's the same. Mario Kart 7's changes and additions are few in number, but they're rich in the refinement of that concept. More than ever, it's a game about getting screwed over without getting too angry about it, a pair of goals it achieves with panache. %Gallery-135959%
Impulse Technology suing Nintendo for patent infringement
Tech developer Impulse Technology -- that name sound familiar? -- has filed a lawsuit against Nintendo and a score of third-party studios, accusing them of violating a 1996 patent for an "interactive system for measuring physiological exertion." The suit is largely based on the weight-tracking Wii Balance Board (and the games which use it, like Wii Fit Plus, Zumba Fitness 2 and UFC Personal Trainer), which Impulse claims too closely resemble its own Trazer Interactive Fitness machine. Normally, we'd scoff at such a lawsuit, especially since Impulse leveraged almost the exact same claims against Microsoft for its Kinect hardware this past July. Still, take a look at the Trazer Interactive Fitness machine, seen above. The resemblance truly is uncanny, right? Right?
Dark Souls patch brings lots of tweaks, plenty of nerfs
Were you able to skirt around the considerable difficulty of Dark Souls by finding potent tactical combinations, like casting Iron Flesh and Homing Soulmass in tandem to turn yourself into an invincible, automatic killing machine? Well, you can't do that anymore: Dark Souls patch 1.05 was recently released, adding a handful of new features, tweaking a few abilities and outright nerfing some spells, including the two mentioned above. The update is the same as the Japanese patch that went live some time ago. You can check out a full list of translated patch notes over on Eurogamer. Many condolences for the imminent death(s) of your poor, poor hero.
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc coming to XBLA/PSN next Spring
Haven't yet had enough of Rayman, despite the recent release of Rayman Origins, you horrible, insatiable glutton? We'll try to turn a blind eye to your avarice as we share with you this exciting news: Ubisoft just announced that Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is being ported from its original Xbox and PS2 platforms to the XBLA and PSN during Spring 2012. The game will feature an "all-new high-definition makeover," and will be "updated to run at 60 frames per second and offers improved audio quality." Apart from that, it's the same Rayman you've come to know and love: Rewarding platforming, loveable characters and the constant, quiet unease of controlling a protagonist who has apparently been drawn and quartered. %Gallery-140078%
Netflix's 'Just for Kids' section added to Wii
If the Netflix application on your Nintendo Wii is used exclusively for the Spongebobbening of adolescent family members (or yourself, we suppose), you'll want to keep an eye on its new content channel: Just for Kids. The section features films, television shows and franchise filters specifically geared for the 12-and-under crowd, a seemingly timed bulletpoint addition for the holiday sales season. Take heed of the section's name, however -- that "Just for Kids" denotation isn't just a suggestion, it's federal law. You don't want to be thrown in the slammer because you couldn't resist the siren song of Phineas and Ferb, do you?
Battlefield Heroes captures Capture the Flag today
There are few things in gaming more satisfying then the planting of an enemy's flag in a friendly home base. If you've been turned off of Battlefield Heroes' lack of abductable pennants, you should give the game a second look: Capture the Flag mode is now available.
Square Enix opens Android store in Japan, fills it with classics
Having decided that there still aren't enough platforms upon which to play Final Fantasy, Square Enix recently launched its own marketplace on the Japanese Android app store. The splintered-off storefront allows users to purchase downloadable Square Enix titles like Chaos Ring, Crystal Defenders and the iOS remake of Final Fantasy. The store will be updated with each new mobile release from the publisher, like the upcoming Chrono Trigger re-release. The store will go live in Japan for KDDI users on December 1, while subscribers of DoCoMo and other cell networks will have to wait an unspecified amount of time. Considering how ubiquitous these games already are, we can't imagine they'll be forced to wait too long.
Next Killzone in the works at Guerrilla Games, new IP still in development
The latest issue of Edge Magazine (via CVG) reveals that Killzone developer Guerrilla Games is working on -- what else? -- a new installment in its PS3-exclusive shooter franchise. Actually, "what else" may not be a fair question to posit: The studio is still working on the new IP announced at GDC Europe last August, which is being spearheaded by Killzone game director Mathijs de Jonge. The identity of the new franchise isn't known, though studio founder Adrian Smith explained that members of the Killzone team will be lending their support throughout the game's development. We think the appearance of red-eyed antagonists is a lock.
Gears 3's Bullet Marsh video flythrough will devour you whole
It's very, very important that you don't travel too far from the light in the upcoming, rebooted Gears of War 3 map Bullet Marsh. Not because its shadiest corners house equally shady characters -- unless, of course, you consider maneating Kryll swarms shady. Which ... um, you might, now that we think about it. Epic recently posted some information and a video flythrough of Bullet Marsh, one of the five free battlegrounds included in the Booster Map Pack, due out Thanksgiving Day. Check it out, and seriously, watch out for those swarms. Getting eaten by bugs is one of the worst ways to die in Gears 3, right behind getting chainsawed in half, curb-stomped and exploded.
Skyrim console commands give the unlimited power you crave
Players who have already dipped into the seemingly infinite world of Skyrim already know the power of words. For instance, a clearly-spoken "Fus" has the ability to send the contents of a meticulously set dinner table into an adjacent room. Despite the strength of your shouts, there's another language that carries even more otherworldly potency: Console commands. PC Gamer has corralled all the console commands for the PC (duh) version of Skyrim; a codex which includes spells like "sexchange" (which changes your character's gender) and "killall" (which kills all things). Give them a look, provided you're playing the appropriate version of Bethesda's epic RPG, and are also a cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater.
Grab Magicka for $2.50 on Steam, or free for the weekend
What's that? You still haven't experienced the boundless joy of mashing-up already hazardous incantations? That's inexcusable, but you'll be rewarded for your oversight: Steam has Magicka discounted for $2.50, and is letting users play it for free for most of the weekend!
Final Fantasy XIII-2 screens are exactly what you need
Admit it: There's a hole in your heart that's just waiting to be filled with obscenely pretty environments, effeminate hairstyles and inscrutable RPG progression systems. We got you -- or rather, the Final Fantasy XIII-2 screens located in the gallery below got you.
Sega snaps up Spiral Knights dev Three Rings
If you've played ... well, any Sega games, you're probably aware of the company's unhealthy fixation on rings. Sonic can't get enough of the things. Ecco the Dolphin will defy the laws of gravity to pierce them. Today, the publisher further developed its addiction: Sega has announced via a press release that it has acquired San Francisco-based Spiral Knights developer Three Rings. The company's got plenty of street cred, thanks to its well-received pseudo MMO Puzzle Pirates, and its upcoming online game set in the storied Doctor Who universe. Still, that's probably not why Sega bought them. It's because they have rings, you guys. Three of them. If there were a company called Five Rings, or Ten Thousand Rings, Sega probably would have bought them instead.
EA finally responds to forum bans also banning Origin game access
EA has proven that it's not afraid to bring the banhammer down on Origin users who defy their Terms of Service; though its stringent adherence to that policy has, on occasion, provided cause for concern. In March, a user on the Dragon Age 2 forums was banned for breaking the forum's rules, only to find out he'd been prohibited from using his purchased copy of the game as well. Though EA reinstated his Origin access and chalked it up to a system error, Rock, Paper, Shotgun reported that it was not an isolated incident. EA has never explicitly said that handing out Origin bans alongside forum bans was its modus operandi; however, RPS finally received an official statement on the bans from EA Corporate Communications' John Reseburg. According to him, "when someone violates our Terms of Service, we are forced to take actions that can include suspensions and other measures." That's not a clear confirmation of the policy, though Reseburg later added, "We have listened to our customers and are planning a policy update which will include more equitable rules on suspensions – we want to make sure the time fits the crime." It seems utterly bizarre that EA wouldn't be explicitly clear about a policy that carries as heavy a punishment as this. We can understand wanting to keep a forum free from the blight of obscenity, but if that comes at the cost of preventing legitimate purchasers of EA's products from accessing said games, those purchasers deserve to know about it ahead of time. As it stands now, Reseburg simply suggests, "any user with a question about suspensions or our policies to please contact us at (866) 543-5435 so we can address their specific situation."
Robot Entertainment reveals iOS game, Hero Academy
Orcs Must Die developer Robot Entertainment recently revealed to us the identity of its next opus: A two-player competitive iOS board game titled Hero Academy. It's a tactics game in which players move heroes across a staging area in an attempt to destroy their competitor's home base crystal before theirs, in turn, gets smashed. If that sounds a little too intense for your usual iOS gaming tastes, don't fret -- the action all takes place asynchronously. Check out the screens below for a first look at the downloadable title, and keep an eye out for the debut trailer in the coming days! %Gallery-139655%

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