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PS3 hit 'Journey' unexpectedly arrives on iOS
Thanks to a surprise release from Annapurna Interactive, the PlayStation 3 classic, Journey, is available on iOS.
PlayStation Classic jumps on the retro trend December 3rd for $100
With "Classic" game systems occasionally outselling modern ones, Sony is bringing back its own old school system. The PlayStation Classic will launch in December, loaded with 20 "generation-defining" games in their original format for $100 (€99.99 RRP). It's 45 percent smaller than the original system and uses a virtual memory card for saves. It will arrive with two PS1-era replica controllers from the time before analog sticks for local multiplayer and connect to modern TVs via HDMI-out, but you'll have to bring your own USB power adapter.
Sega Japan teases a mini Genesis coming later in 2018
Along with the rereleases of Shenmue I & II, Sega also showed off its own attempt at retro console loaded with classic games. While knockoff Genesis systems have been easy to find, the success of Nintendo's miniaturized NES and SNES may have pushed Sega to get serious about nostalgia. MegaDrive Mini is apparently just a tentative name, but it's also timed to arrive for the system's 30th anniversary. So far Sega's social media and PR for Europe and Japan are quiet on the subject, but if we find out any more details we'll let you know.
Look at the Xbox 360's cancelled 'Goldeneye 007' HD remaster
It's one of those bits of gaming trivia that punches a specific generation of players square in the gut: There was once an Xbox Live port of Goldeneye 007 in the works, but it was cancelled. It's true -- Activation was porting the Nintendo 64 classic to the Xbox 360 back in 2008, but the project was canned when Microsoft and Nintendo couldn't reach a licensing agreement. The good news? Today we finally get a look at what the game would have been -- known leaker Rare Thief has posted 30 minutes of gameplay footage.
N64's 'GoldenEye 007' goes modern with Unreal Engine 4
Ah, yes. GoldenEye 007. One of the classic Nintendo 64 titles and a memorable first-person shooter is certainly a game that I spent a lot of time with. Now we have a glimpse of what the game could look like if it was made with the tools available to developers today. YouTube user Jude Wilson recreated a portion of the Facility Map using Unreal Engine 4, offering a bit of nostalgia for those of us who are familiar with the title. Wilson isn't the first to do this, as Mario and Sonic have already been given the UE4 treatment. It's an interesting take, but don't take our word for it, go through the level yourself via the video down below.
BlackBerry 10 phones get the Amazon Appstore in the US
If you're a BlackBerry-toting American, you're about to get a ton of Android apps on your plate. As promised, BlackBerry has started the US rollout of an update that gives all BB10 devices access to the Amazon Appstore, saving you from having to sideload some of the Android titles you can't live without. You'll also get better anti-theft protection and a "fresh look" that includes faster access to common tasks.
BlackBerry Passport and Classic come to AT&T on February 20th
BlackBerry fans on AT&T, your long wait for a new phone is almost over -- the carrier has announced that both the Passport and Classic will reach its stores on February 20th. As promised, AT&T's ever-so-slightly customized (but still oddly shaped) Passport will cost you $200 on contract, $22 per month on Next 24 or $650 up front. If you'd like something a tad less squarish, the Classic will cost you $50 on contract, $14 per month on Next 24 or $420 outright. These BlackBerrys certainly aren't the cheapest devices in AT&T's roster, but they're also the network's only modern phones with hardware keyboards. If you still aren't a fan of typing on glass, they're your best bets.
The Game Archaeologist travels to Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds
I confess that I have a particular fascination for MMOs that came into existence in the 1990s. It's not only the fact that I was oblivious to them at the time (er, wild college days?) but that practically each and every one of them were true pioneers in their own fashion. And while your standard MMO fan might think that there were only three such games in that decade (four, if they are gracious and include Meridian 59), the truth is that there were far more of them. Today we are going to look at one of the most important MMOs to emerge from that time period, Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds, although its influence was primarily located in Korea while being vastly downplayed in North America. Still, here's a successful MMO that not only beat Ultima Online out of the door by a year but has since won a Guinness World Record for longevity!
Take a look at the original Apple Watch from 1995
The Apple Watch is just around the corner, ready to usher in a new era of wearable technology for Cupertino. While we wait with bated breath to get our hands on one, here's a look back at the first Apple Watch from 1995. It couldn't control your stereo or read your heartbeat; in keeping with the era, it simply told time. The watch was given away as an incentive for customers to upgrade to System 7.5. Customers who upgraded could pick between the watch or the program Conflict Catcher 3. A few of these delightful antiques were briefly up for sale, but they have since sold out. That leaves this video as your only option to get a look at this piece of Apple history. Enjoy.
BlackBerry's Passport for AT&T isn't quite so square
Love the idea of BlackBerry's extra-wide Passport, but wish its ergonomics were a little better suited to your hands and pockets? You'll want to pick up the newly announced AT&T version, then. This first (and only, since it's exclusive) US carrier model both rounds off the corners and adds a more pronounced chin that could make it easier to type -- sadly, though, this doesn't bring a fourth row of hardware keys. It's otherwise the same oddball BlackBerry you've come to know, including that signature square 4.5-inch display, a reasonably speedy Snapdragon 801 processor, 32GB of storage, a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front cam. AT&T hasn't pinpointed an exact release date, but its Passport will be available for $200 on-contract, $22 per month on a Next 24 plan or $650 up front.
Look back on Azeroth's past with classic Kalimdor images
World of Warcraft has changed a lot in the ten years its been out, rendering the face of Azeroth completely unrecognizable in places -- though it's still nearly un touched in others. So while we look forward to another decade of WoW, let's look back, too, on the game world past, and how much World of Warcraft has changed over the years through these (mostly Wrath-era) screenshot galleries of the world as we then knew it. Today's nostalgia-filled tour of Warcraft's past takes us to Kalimdor, where orcs, tauren, elves, and draenei began their adventures in the game world. (Yes, goblins venture through Kalimdor, too, but Aszhara looked a little different by the time they arrived.) So let's take a trip back in time to revisit Kalimdor's past.
Look back on Azeroth's past with classic Eastern Kingdoms images
World of Warcraft has changed a lot in the ten years its been out, rendering the face of Azeroth completely unrecognizable in places -- though it's still nearly un touched in others. So while we look forward to another decade of WoW, let's look back, too, on the game world past, and how much World of Warcraft has changed over the years through these (mostly Wrath-era) screenshot galleries of the world as we then knew it. We'll start our tour in the Eastern Kingdoms, home of Molten Core, Stormwind, and the Undercity... and where many of us started our World of Warcraft journeys. Click on for a trip through Azeroth's past!
The Game Archaeologist: How DikuMUD shaped modern MMOs
Even though there are hundreds and thousands of MMOs spanning several decades, only a small handful were so incredibly influential that they changed the course of development for games from then on out. DikuMUD is one of these games, and it is responsible for more of what you experience in your current MMOs than you even know. Of course, that doesn't mean everyone knows what DikuMUD is or how it shaped the MMOs that came out after it. You might have seen it used as a pejorative in enough comments that you know it is loathed by many gamers, but I find that there are varying degrees of ignorance about DikuMUD in the community. What is it, exactly? Why is it just the worst? And is it really the worst if we like the games that can point to this text-based MMO as a key ancestor? Today we're going to dispel the mystery and myths of DikuMUD to lay it out there as it was and is today.
The Game Archaeologist: The complete history of classic MMOs
Since this is my final Game Archeologist post of 2014, I want to indulge in a personal project that's been pulling at my shirt-tails for a little while now. I've been writing this column for years and have yet to create a proper guide to all of the games and subjects that I've covered. So that's what you're getting today: a "complete" (thus far) history of classic, obscure, and dead MMOs, arranged by decade. Ever wonder where MMOs began? Wanted to know what online gamers played back in the '90s and '80s? Trying to remember which games never made it to launch? Curious whether I've covered that little-known gem that was your doorway to a larger virtual world? Then take my hand and come with me!
BlackBerry's surviving, but not as a smartphone company
It's been almost a year since John Chen was appointed to save Blackberry and it's clear that his grand plan has, at least, stopped the company losing money hand over fist. In the Canadian outfit's latest three month report, it reveals that losses have been trimmed from $4.4 billion last year to a much more manageable $148 million. Of course, it's clear that as the business reinvents itself as a software-and-services company, manufacturing smartphones has increasingly become a side project.
BlackBerry's $450 'Classic' phone aims to bridge the past and present
It's been nearly 10 months since the folks in Waterloo announced the throwback BlackBerry Classic, but today's the day the thing officially breaks cover. Hooray? If it wasn't immediately obvious, the "Classic" moniker refers to the fact that the device is a proper sequel to the BlackBerry Bold 9900, complete with the traditional trackpad and navigation keys that people still apparently swoon over. Oh, and BrickBreaker is back too! We've seen the Classic's spec sheet in great detail over the past few months, but let's recap: It's working with a 3.5-inch square touchscreen running at 720 x 720, an 8-megapixel camera and a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor. Combine those old-school physical attributes with the generally pleasing punchiness of the BlackBerry 10.3.1, and you're left with a device that aims to straddle the fence between past and present. The question is, will anyone bite?
DICE promises more Battlefield 4 DLC, surveys classic maps
Battlefield 4 developer DICE doesn't know when to stop Battlefieldin', as the game's latest map pack "Final Stand" won't be the last piece of content for the first-person shooter. "With Battlefield 4 Final Stand released, we hope and believe that you will enjoy it together with the rest of the game for a long time," the developer wrote in a blog this week. "However, there is one thing we want to assure you: There is more content coming for Battlefield 4." While DICE did not specify what it had in store for further DLC, it did acknowledge the "many requests of re-creating classic Battlefield maps within the Battlefield 4 universe." The developer opened a poll to the public to see which maps from the previous games in the series would be most popular among fans, available here. The next entry in the series, Visceral Games' Battlefield Hardline, was delayed to March 17, 2015. [Image: EA]
The Game Archaeologist: Perpetual's Star Trek Online
If you're among the legions of Trekkies, then you are almost certainly aware of Cryptic Studios' Star Trek Online. Since early 2010, players have boldly gone where no one has gone before in this MMO that blends spaceship battles, ground combat, and faithful tie-ins to the long-running franchise. Star Trek Online appears to be thriving following a free-to-play adaptation and two expansions, and some see it as the only official continuation of the TV series right now. But what players encounter in Star Trek Online is not what it originally started out as. You may or may not know that STO began development under Perpetual Entertainment, which handled the game for several years until it went bankrupt and passed the license and art assets to Cryptic. It's another tantalizing historical "what if?" scenario to think about what this game would look like if Perpetual had taken it to launch and beyond. But what did this version of Star Trek Online look like? Let's investigate.
Blackberry fans line up here: pre-orders for the new Classic are open
Platform loyal BBM addicts have a new device to consider -- other than the Passport -- now that Blackberry is taking pre-orders for its upcoming phone. The Classic (aka Q20) brings the design, keyboard and trackpad users are used to, plus a large square touch screen, the latest version of BlackBerry OS and support for Android apps. Currently only a GSM version is available (no Verizon, Sprint or US Cellular support here) in the US for $450 and shipments are expected to start in mid-December. Oddly, BlackBerry hasn't revealed more details or specs about the phone, but those should be revealed closer to its release. Our best look at the phone came from this leak, feel free to take a look back before deciding to whether to place an order.
The Game Archaeologist: Four online sci-fi titles no one remembers
In the MMO industry, science fiction has always taken the role of the overlooked little brother to big sister fantasy's popularity. Sure, there have been several online games that eschewed dungeons and dragons for spaceships and solar radiation poisoning, but even today the fantasy genre continues to be the dominant one in the genre. So not only have we had fewer online sci-fi games, but the ones that have attempted to make in-roads are all too soon forgotten. Over the years that I've been researching and writing The Game Archaeologist, I continue to come across these little games that have been all but forgotten by modern gamers, and many of these titles are indeed of a sci-fi bent. This week I'll be taking a look at four such games, including one that never even made it to launch, in an attempt to acknowledge their place at the family dinner table.
