Carnival
Latest
'Animal Crossing' updates send Mario and Hello Kitty to Carnival
An 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' update coming on January 28th brings Brazilian Carnival to the game, and the worlds of Hello Kitty and Super Mario arrive in March.
Recommended Reading: The Wii U wasn't for everyone
The Wii U Was Great, Just Not For Me Luke Plunkett, Kotaku Before Nintendo revealed all the details about its upcoming Switch console, a lot of us took a moment to reflect on its predecessor: the Wii U. While the console offered compelling gamine experiences for some, it wasn't for everyone. Kotaku discusses just that, including its appeal among younger players.
Brazil used Tinder bots to promote AIDS awareness
Despite what Tinder execs say, everyone knows what the app's actually used for (hint: it's casual sex), which explains why the Brazilian government (Portuguese) has used the mobile app to spread the word about AIDS. It also brought Hornet, an app aimed at gay males, into the fold and created accounts on each in an effort to raise awareness for condom use. The faux profiles were for three men and two ladies who're pretty open about their interest in prophylactic-free intercourse, and, should a Brazilian match with any of them, they'll immediately get a message warning them about the risks of unprotected sex. Given the country's struggles with the disease, hopefully it's effective.
Carnival's cruise ships are getting much faster WiFi
If you've tried to use internet access aboard a cruise ship, you know it can be an exercise in frustration -- the connection is rarely speedy or reliable enough to make you feel at home. You might not have that problem on your next pleasure trip, however. Carnival is now rolling out WiFi@Sea, a "smart hybrid" network that automatically switches between satellite data and land-based antennas depending on whichever is quickest. In theory, this leads to service that's not just 10 times faster, but more reliable; you should have an easier time uploading vacation photos, even if you're between ports.
Moon Knight joins Marvel Heroes roster
The mysterious and mystical Moon Knight has surfaced in Marvel Heroes, joining the game's growing collection of superheroes. Moon Knight is a masked vigilante who was given a little supernatural assistance by an Egyptian God. Gazillion is selling the Moon Knight in a hero pack with two costumes and other assorted goodies. Marvel Heroes is also throwing a combined Carnival and Mardi Gras celebration in the game. Players will get a daily gift for logging in, discover themed drops, and have the chance to buy Halloween items and costumes on sale. [Thanks to Spacejesus3k for the tip!]
Ron Gilbert shares more art from his Double Fine game
Ron Gilbert has posted two new pieces of art from the game he's working on with Tim Schafer's Double Fine Studios. Don't get too excited -- as far as we know, it's not that, extremely well-funded game. Nope, it's the pre-Maniac Mansion idea he's working up, and apparently it carnival booths and laser turrets.
Silkroad Online rolls out premium server tomorrow
Wanna feel like a VIP? Silkroad Online's got you covered. Tomorrow Joymax will take the wraps off of its new premium server, Genesis, which will cater to the high-rollers and high society among MMO gamers. The members-only server will reward loyal customers by offering huge XP, SP and drop rates, GM events, and discounts on cash shop purchases for a limited time. Joymax isn't limiting the fun to just subscribers, either; all players on all servers are invited to partake in Silkroad's Carnival. The Carnival will deliver a smaller but still significant XP boost than what Genesis is offering, and any players who head over to an attendance event will rack up SP and skill/stat reset scrolls. This event goes until December 13th, so there's plenty of time to shake your booty and rack up the rewards! [Source: Joymax press release]
Steamroll some carnies with Killing Floor summer steampunk DLC
Step right up in your starched vest and polished boots, good sir, and take a ride on the Ferris Wheel -- of Death. Survival-horror FPS Killing Floor is adding to its Summer Sideshow Event with a new Steampunk Character Pack for $1.99 or three Prize Tickets, no crazy carnie-strings attached. All you have to do is click the "Add to Cart" button, and we promise it's not glued down, over-inflated or rigged in any way ... except to take your money. So don your top hats and get to slaughterin', you fancy lads.
Found Footage: Hands-on with Boardwalk Games from Skyworks
For just US$1.99, you could do a lot worse than picking up Skyworks's new Boardwalk Games [iTunes link]. Offering three carnival-style attractions, Boardwalk Games takes you into the midway with good gameplay, quality graphics, and audible sound. To be honest, those audible sounds kind of drove me a little nuts and I couldn't find a settings screen to could turn them off. The three mini games are all simple toss-something-at-something games: toss a ball at tiki statues, toss a ball at milk bottles, toss a dart at balloons. It's fun. Admittedly, a little limited, but fun. The fun is probably worth more than the two bucks the app costs. Just in case you think you're getting a little bit too good of a deal, well, you are. Skywork's included some fairly heavy-handed upselling ads in the game, which appear each time you finish playing a round. It's not too bad as these things go, but clearly they intend to balance their relatively low price point with targeted advertising. I found the games easy to play and engaging. Will the app remain on your phone for the long term? Probably not. This is one of those use-it-for-a-few-days-or-weeks-then-toss-it kinds of games. There aren't compelling learning curves and not much room has been left for the app to grow. I'd recommend this for a rainy day / DMV visit / Doctor's Appointment, but it's not so amazing that you should rush out and buy it right away. It's amusing, it's well made, and I hate that music. TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.
Gatheryn casual games update brings minigame pavilion and location-based puzzles
The MMO industry seems to be stepping away from pure fantasy titles, and some new projects are taking a rather different approach to what we expect from massively multiplayer online games. Gatheryn from MindFuse is one such title, that blends steampunk and mini-games into an MMO that's a departure from the norm. Gatheryn is already a decidedly casual MMO, but that hasn't stopped the creators from identifying what works and running with it. In this case, they've opted to add more mini-games to Gatheryn's existing beta content.Gatheryn's Casual Games Update, which went live today, brings two new features to the steampunk-themed MMO. The Minigame Pavilion is a carnival where players can try out Gatheryn's numerous minigames, right off the bat, and without needing to pay silver to try them out. MindFuse has also introduced Word Safari, which they describe as "a series of location-based puzzles where players find special objects and match words according to their specific role and location in Elymia." This sounds like fun, and in some respects is like an exploration game as players learn more about the various areas to be found in Gatheryn. If this seems like your type of game, you can register for the Gatheryn beta over on their signup page.
Sony adds four new PSP "Carnival Colors" to worship
In a sudden retch of pigmentation, Sony just spat out the "Carnival Colors" collection of PSPs. Starting March 5th in Japan, the new colors matched with a 2200mAh battery will set you back a tax-inclusive price of ¥19,800 (about $223). Otherwise, you can drop ¥24,800 (about $279) for the 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark2), PSP pouch, wrist strap and cloth bundle. Now go ahead, revel in your paganism before ritualistically prostrating yourselves at the feet of the Lord Knight of consumer electronics. Mmm, feels good doesn't it?[Via Akihabara News]
Get back at Carnival folk by scoring free stuff
Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! You there, the big winner with the pretty lady! How about taking a shot at our fantastic Take-Em-Out game -- where everybody wins! The rules are simple -- grab your wallet, skillfully dig deep and take out $40! Hand it over to the smiling gentleman, and you have scored a great prize for your girlfriend! It's true, Take-Em-Out is the easiest way to have fun!If there wasn't any reason to pick up Carnival Games before, is the promise of a free t-shirt going to tip the scales in Wal-Mart's favor? Well, probably - Carnival Games is one popular piece of software, free T-shirt or not. If you buy (and wear) this, hundreds of Wii owners are sure to point and nod approvingly. Best of all, there's even more opportunities on the horizon to become popular with the Carnies.[Via GoNintendo]
Joystiq hands-on: Carnival Games
Carnival Games is exactly what it says it is. A Wii game that uses the Wiimote to mimic 25 carny games without the need to actually experience the smell of one. The title holds 25 games at the semi-steep $40 for a collection of minigames. The video pretty much tells all you need to know about this title. It's as simple as can be, while attempting to create depth by adding new things to your character as you win carnival tickets.The game itself is perfectly basic fun minigames and is clearly designed for a family with small children. The guys showing the game reminded us that adults can use it as a drinking game, which isn't actually a bad idea and pretty much the only way a reasonable adult would play this. The thing that saves the game is that the minigames work just fine -- nothing more, nothing less. It's nothing special, but it's just not bad either, which you could say about a lot of games out there anyway.
Carnival Games officially announced
Global Star Software's Carnival Games, previously discovered via Gamefly listing, has been confirmed as a real game. It's pretty much what we thought it was going to be: a collection of midway-style (not Midway-style; no Kombat here) minigames for the family. Carnival Games, developed by Cat Daddy Software (Deal or No Deal PC) will feature over 25 minigames including Milk Can Toss, Dunk Tank, and Test of Strength. In keeping with the carnival theme, players will be able to win 250 prizes in-game, including goldfish and stuffed animals. There's a really goofy people-in-front-of-the-couch gameplay trailer at the official site, if you can't wrap your mind around the idea of minigames on the Wii.
Rumor: Carnival Games
Here's a rumor that's easy to believe: Gamefly has a listing for an upcoming game called Carnival Games from budget publisher Global Star Software (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Scaler). Carnival Games sounds like a collection of uncomplicated midway-style attractions like ring toss and a shooting gallery; in other words, more minigames. It's a pretty safe assumption, we think, that something called Carnival Games won't turn out to be an RPG or a fighting game, right?We don't necessarily blame Global Star for (allegedly) taking the easy way out, because they do budget games, but we feel like we should deliver the following message to publishers: stop making minigames. At least put a year-long moratorium on them. Let's try to diversify the Wii library a little.
You can't escape: Carnival brings cellular to the open sea
Some of us take cruises to escape the crushing reality of being within reach at all times, but for everyone else, Carnival Cruise Lines has announced a partnership with Wireless Maritime Services to outfit its entire 21-ship fleet with cellular networks. WMS is a joint venture of Cingular and Maritime Telecommunications Network, but despite Cingular's affinity for GSM, the system supports both GSM and CDMA handsets and has roaming agreements in place with Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile, among several other major carriers. Staying in touch from the middle of the Atlantic ain't cheap, though: even Cingular's own customers can look forward to paying $2.49/minute for the privilege.[Via Mobiledia]
Carnival of Gamers #15: roll up, roll up!
We've followed the Carnival of Gamers for several months now, and its latest stop chez Kim Pallister is, once again, a treat. With articles on topics ranging from "why E3 sucked" to the next-gen console battle, via an assault on "girl gamer" articles, the subjects are as varied as ever. If you have the time, it's worth checking Carnival #15 out for a cross-section of some of the past month's best games writing.See also:Carnival of Gamers celebrates first anniversaryCarnival of Gamers gets n3rfedCarnival of Gamers rolls on to Virgin WorldsCarnival of Gamers gathers under Slashdot's tent[Thanks, Tony]
Carnival of Gamers celebrates first anniversary
It's that time of month again -- the Carnival of Gamers has made its fourteenth stop, coincidentally marking its first anniversary (there were two last June). This regular collection of game writing from around the blogosphere is a delightful way to get some alternate opinions aired and always seems to be worth the reading time.This month's edition covers casual vs hardcore gaming; the Wii; violence and politics; modern MMO issues; and a few other juicy topics from co-op gaming to the ESRB. There's plenty of thought-provoking material in true Carnival style.See also:Carnival of Gamers gets n3rfedCarnival of Gamers rolls on to Virgin WorldsCarnival of Gamers gathers under Slashdot's tent
