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The Best of Big Download; June 29-July 5, 2008


This may have been a holiday week but we were extremely busy anyway with tons of original content and features along with some great new downloads. Here's a look at the highlights.

Exclusive Features

Continue reading The Best of Big Download; June 29-July 5, 2008

WRUP: American Edition

You might not recognize him, but that's Captain America saving the world from what looks like cast of WALL-E. With Commodore 64 graphics, you have to use your imagination to fill in quite a few missing pieces.

A happy 4th of July to all our readers (even if you're not American, just have a happy day, k?). Here's what we'll be playing this weekend. Be sure to let us know what games will be occupying your time!
  • Alexander Sliwinski: Metal. Gear. Solid 4. And Ticket to Ride, which is strangely addictive.
  • Andrew Yoon: Ludwig's coming over! YAY!
  • Chris Grant: Having finished Metal Gear Solid 4 (finally!), I've taken up arms with Battlefield: Bad Company. I find the destructive elements vaguely cathartic and, though I'm not very far yet, the storytelling well done. How's multiplayer? I totally skipped the beta.
  • Griffin McElroy: (See: Justin's answer)
  • Kevin Kelly: I'm out of town, and it's all board game action for me: Ticket to Ride, Zombies!!!, and the new Risk: Revised Edition.
  • Kyle Orland: Finally going to dive into Metal Gear Solid 4 in the serious way it deserves.
  • James Ransom-Wiley: In lieu of playing I'll be watching another friend take his walk down the aisle. And then I'll try out that game McElroy suggested a few weeks back: drinking.
  • Jason Dobson: I've recently had an itch to play games of the tabletop variety, and with family all gathering to set off small explosives in celebration of our nation's birthday, we'll all be dabbling with the dark arts (and stabing each other in the back) playing Betrayal at House on the Hill.
  • Justin McElroy: (See: Griffin's answer)
  • Ludwig Kietzmann: I'll be on a plane for most of my Friday, so I'm stuck with playing portable games. Which is just as well, since I have gems like The World Ends with You, Contra 4, Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles and Mega Man: Powered Up to keep me busy.
  • Randy Nelson: Since my PS3 still works, I figured I'd take the opportunity to unlock all of the Trophies in Super Stardust HD. Then I think I'll go back and find all the secrets (and get all gold stars) for the first three episodes of American McGee's Grimm. I just can't resist a game that implores me to "make it nasty!"
  • Ross Miller: Drums – real drums, that is. And some guitar, piano and mandolin at a 4th of July concert tonight in downtown Athens (woo-hoo!). Otherwise, I'm planning to go crazy on Diablo 2 and FIFA 08.

The best of WoW Insider: June 24-July 1, 2008


Where can the world's biggest World of Warcraft fans go to talk with Blizzard devs, hear news about upcoming games, and dress up like Murlocs? Paris' Worldwide Invitational 2008, of course -- that's where WoW Insider was last weekend, and we've got a ton of news about everything WoW from the event, including Death Knight exclusives, new talents for Wrath of the Lich King, and coverage of all the panels and ceremonies. If you've ever played World of Warcraft, now's the time to go check WoW Insider -- odds are there's something new that'll remind you why you liked the game in the first place.

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Features

The Best of Big Download; June 22-28, 2008


Wow. We have had tons of news, downloads and new content for Big Download this week . . .and that's just for Diablo III. Let's take a look at the highlights for the past week.

Exclusive Features
  • Games for Windows Press Conference: We attend Microsoft's press event where they give their views on the future of PC gaming.
  • Guide to TF2 Pyro Achievements: Want a details look at all of the new achievements you can get while playing the Pyro in Team Fortress 2. Then check out the first five parts of our series: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, and Part 5.
  • Shattered Suns Interview: We have an extensive interview with Chas. Cooper of Clear Crown Studios about their upcoming space based RTS game.
  • Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford: We chat with the head of the extremely busy game developer on Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway and their other projects.
  • Alone In the Dark Interview: We chat with Atari US producer Todd Slepian about their just released survival horror game.
  • Hands-On: Deer Hunter Tournament: We get hands-on with the newest entry in the hunting sim series from Atari.
  • In-Depth: Armaggedon Empires: We take a detailed ook at this acclaimed indie strategy game.
  • In-Depth: The Political Machine: We offer a look at the just released political strategy game from Stardock
  • Big Ideas: Why do we play video games?: Our editorial takes a look at why we need playtime with games anyway.
  • BigCast 001: Our debut podcast has three of our team members chatting about, what else, PC gaming
  • Freeware Friday: Our weekly look at free games has a look at Freeciv, a free tribute to the great Civilization games.
  • Spore Creature Creator contest: You still have time to participate in our contest; make the best creatures and win some cool prizes

Continue reading The Best of Big Download; June 22-28, 2008

The best of WoW Insider: June 17-24, 2008


It has been a wild week in WoW -- first, we heard about patch 2.4.3, with level 30 mounts and big changes to the talents. Then, new loot cards for us to drool over. On Saturday, the Midsummer Fire Festival started, with new quests and a new boss to fight. And this week, we're all puzzling over what Blizzard will announce at the Worldwide Invitational (and what "Icefield" means -- it's like Cloverfield, only colder). Big stuff happening at WoW Insider! Here's all the links you need to catch up.

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Features

Update: Did we mention that Season 4 starts today? WoW Insider has both a roundup of Season 4 news as well as an in-depth gear guide to the new set. Go get that Arena gear!

The Best Of Big Download: June 15-21, 2008


It's yet another huge week here at the Big Download news site. For a "game" that's not really a game, Maxis' Spore Creature Creator generated more buzz than most true PC game titles. But that's not all we had. Take a look at the highlights from the past week.

Exclusives

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: June 15-21, 2008

WRUP: Remember the 32-bit Era Edition

If controllers were measured by the number of buttons, the 32-bit Atari Jaguar had one of the best controllers ever. It is rivaled only by the Xbox 360 controller (with chat pad) and the Steel Battalion controller. (Tangent: Does anyone remember playing the Jaguar when it toured shopping malls? Maybe we're making that up, our memory's a bit hazy.)

Here's what we'll be playing this weekend. Be sure to let us know what games will be occupying your time!
  • Alexander Sliwinski: I will be getting in some Sins of a Solar Empire and messing around some more with the Spore Creature Creator. I've also had a Rock Band hankering again.
  • Andrew Yoon: Doing some traveling this weekend, so it's all about the PSP. I'm going to keep on playing Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, and I have to finish Secret Agent Clank so I can review it. I'll also be playing a hotly anticipated PS3 game.
  • Chris Grant: As soon as this pre-E3 week is over and I'm back in the comfort of my home (not to mention my Coast) I'll thrust myself back into the waiting and capable arms of Old Snake and Metal Gear Solid 4.
  • Griffin McElroy: I'm actually playing through BioShock for the second time. I know it's a little early to break that one out again, but with the proverbial well being dry until next Tuesday (Final Fantasy Tactics A2, which should keep me entertained until about this time next year), my weekend gaming options are somewhat limited.
  • Jason Dobson While most of my time this weekend will be looking for a roof to put over my head in the Beaver State, I'll also be trying to discover who framed Ratchet for theft in Secret Agent Clank. Bizarrely, the PSP has been getting the lion's share of my portable love of late, but I just can't resist a robot in a bow tie.
  • Justin McElroy: I finally broke down and got Metal Gear Solid 4, so I'll be playing that. Also, I'll be playing my favorite drinking game: Drinking.
  • Kevin Kelly: I'm finally revving up some GRID action, and I'm playing some board games I've been finding at thrift stores lately: Lost Treasure, Arch Rival, and Zombies!!! (the !!! is part of the name, not just me being a geeky fanboy).
  • Ludwig Kietzmann: My plan is to continue inching my way through Condemned 2, but I'm certain I'll just end up playing Metal Gear Solid 4 again. No alerts this time!
  • Randy Nelson: I have this problem, you see. I want to finish MGS4 ... but I don't want it to end. I think my only choice is to just bite the bullet and beat it over the weekend, then play through it again. And again. Then it's back to my considerable backlog until Alone in the Dark hits next week.
  • Ross Miller: I beat Metal Gear Solid 4 last week, but I feel the urge to go no-kill this time. Instead, I'll be giving my PC some love. Free Team Fortress 2 via Steam this weekend (I regret buying Orange Box for consoles now), and time to revisit some classics: Deus Ex, Thief and Grim Fandango.
  • Scott Jon Siegel: Hopefully Key Largo, and also crossing my fingers to get a little Risk: Black Ops going on. I WOULD be playing Space Invaders Extreme, if any retailers were actually carrying the game within a week of its release. Grumble grumble.

The best of WoW Insider: June 10-17, 2008


You can almost hear David Bowie singing around the realm of Azeroth lately: ch-ch-ch-ch-changes are in the air. Blizzard decided to do PvE to PvP transfers for the first time this week, Season 4 is coming soon in the Arenas, and lots of changes are coming to old Azeroth (including the Dalabubble, above). But don't let change worry you -- Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider has you covered, through all the changes coming in Wrath of the Lich King. You can turn and face the strain -- we got your back.

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Features

Meet the Team: Kevin Kelly


In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories.
  • Name: Kevin Kelly
  • Job Position: Contributing Editor, Los Angeles Area Monkey For Hire
  • Past Experience/Education: I studied radio, television and film production and writing at The University of Texas in Austin, and although I never planned on moving to Los Angeles, I've now been here for umpteen years. To think, it all started with one simple internship.
  • Life Outside of the 'Stiq: There's life outside the 'Stiq? What the?! In the spare time I'm able to muster up, I also write about movies, television, and other pop culture things for various sites around the web. I also hike a lot in the Los Angeles area, hit the beach (literally, with my fists) and try to be a well rounded dude. And no, I haven't tried surfing out here yet.
  • Why I'm Blogging: I still don't know the answer to this, because it happened by accident. I worked in the movie industry for ten years, and a good deal of those were at The Jim Henson Company. When Disney bought the Muppets, I went into limbo. Somehow I emerged into the realm of blogging, as if from a wormhole.
  • First game experience: Pong. The original version, so very long ago. I still remember bouncing between friend's houses because one had a ColecoVision, an Odyssey, an IntelliVision, and we had the Atari 2600. Ah, the heady days of practically no-bit gaming. A few years later, and I had a subscription to Coin-Op Monthly. It was a good day when you'd come home from school and that was in the mail.
  • Favorite games: Literally anything from Infocom (interactive fiction, ftw!), Full Throttle, King's Quest, The Last Express, Myst, Alternate Reality, The Bard's Tale, Ultima III, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, The Dig, Day of the Tentacle, Elevator Action, Cliffhanger, Dragon's Lair, Halo (1, 2, and 3), Catan, Um Jammer Lammy, LocoRoco, Super Mario Galaxy, and tons and tons of board games. I have a closet full of 'em, almost like that scene in The Royal Tenenbaums.
  • What the hell kind of clown are you?!: The crying on the inside kind, I guess.
There's more to come every Tuesday and Thursday.

Happy 4th birthday to Joystiq! (That's like a million in blog years)


Frequent readers may have noticed a few things in their last four years of reading Joystiq. First, and most unfortunate: you've all gotten older and grown hair in uncomfortable places. Second, you've seen our humble gaming blog grow from a scrappy publication (a "blawg") to one of the top gaming destinations on the web.

In that four year period, we've amassed over 27K posts and nearly a million of your comments. Doing the math, that breaks down to almost 20 posts a day on our side and over 600 comments a day on your side ... for four straight years. Clearly you're working a lot harder than we are and that's why the collective "we" wants to thank the collective "you" for reading along at home and making Joystiq not only a huge success, but something we're all very proud to be a part of. Here's to you, Joystiq!

Love,
–Chris, James, Ludwig, Ross, Alexander, Justin, Kyle, Jason, Scott, Griffin, Randy, and Kevin

The Best Of Big Download: June 8-14, 2008


Did you have a good week? We had a terrific one at Big Download but with the release of Spore Creature Creator next week it promises to be an even busier time for our site. In the meantime here are the highlights from the past week

Exclusive Features

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: June 8-14, 2008

WRUP: The Inaugural Edition

To celebrate the first-ever Joystiq WRUP (or "What Are You Playing"), we've all pulled out our dusty old 3DO consoles that none of us regret purchasing, given there's nothing else that really came out this week worth playing. Well, except maybe Metal Gear Solid 4. And Dolphin Olympics 2. And ... anything else. Here's what we'll be playing this weekend, be sure to let us know what games will be occupying your time this weekend.
  • Alexander Sliwinski: I will be hunkering down with some Sins of a Solar Empire. I'm also going to test the Civilization Revolution demo a little more, which will get me itching to play some Civ IV, so then I'll probably do that.
  • Andrew Yoon: Depending on how devastated I am by tonight's Battlestar Galactica finale, I'll be playing Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3). For my multiplayer fix, I'll be back in Team Fortress 2 (Xbox 360) and Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360).
  • Chris Grant: Unfortunately my $20 bid for BenHeck's portable PlayStation 3 wasn't a winner, so that means trying to cram the entire epic Metal Gear Solid finale into one hurried weekend before heading out to LA next week for some pre-E3 stuff. Go!
  • James Ransom-Wiley: My folks are in town for the weekend, but I'll be "sneaking in" some MGS4. Unfortunately, the PS3 (and everything else I hold dear) is in the all-purpose office / entertainment / guest room. No place to hide!
  • Jason Dobson: MGS is good and all, but right now I am neck deep in GRID, which honestly is the effing gold standard for quasi-realistic racers. I expected as much given the majesty that was/is DiRT.
  • Justin McElroy: Dolphin Olympics 2, obviously. ... What's that? There are other games? I wasn't aware.
  • Kyle Orland: My word processor. I've been stealing some moments with Trackmania United, actually, since Joystiq featured a post on it being free. Very frustrating, but the feeling when you actually win a race is the best.
  • Ludwig Kietzmann: I'll be playing Metal Gear Solid 4, mostly because I enjoy bowling people over with oil barrels. And, should I get too happy, I'll just play some Ninja Gaiden 2 to remind how disappointing a sequel can really be. I suppose I have to find time for GRID as well (hint: it's excellent!).
  • Randy Nelson: It's been a pretty slow couple of months for new releases, so I figured I'd check out this little indie deal called Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. I've heard some good things about it. Once I've watched ... er, beaten that, it's back to that Saint's Row wannabe, GTA 4. If I get a chance, I really want to sit down and get with the silly in the Spore Creature Creator. Sporky needs a friend.
  • Ross Miller: Given my new addiction, probably Metal Gear Solid 4 until my eyes bleed. Then Spore while I let them heal. I'm also thinking I'll bring Wii Fit and Rock Band home to my family to play on Father's Day.
  • Scott Jon Siegel: Super Mario Galaxy, in the capacity of star-bit collector. Also, hopefully Key Largo and Risk.

Meet the Team: Scott Jon Siegel


In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories.
  • Name: Scott Jon Siegel
  • Job Position: Blogger / Columnist
  • Past Experience/Education: Four years as a Literature and Integrated Arts major at Bard College; Game Politics correspondent from way back in the day.
  • Live Outside of the 'Stiq: Just moved to San Francisco, following a six-month stint living it up in the South of France (Bonjour! Où est la bibliothèque?). When I'm not blogging, I'm designing games, and blogging some more. I'm also engaged to an awesome blogger. Imagine that!
  • Why I'm blogging: I like writing, I like video games, and I like paying my rent on time, so it made sense. I started as a columnist (Off the Grid's coming back soon, I swear), and graduated into a full-time blogging position once I got out of college.
  • First game experience: I really can't remember. Must've been so awesome it erased itself from my consciousness, lest I become incapacitated by its glory. Obviously.
  • Favorite games: Rez, Metroid II, Chrono Trigger, and basically everything in this photo.
  • What do you really look like? This, plus 16 years or so.
There's more to come every Tuesday and Thursday.

Meet the Team: James Ransom-Wiley

jimi
In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories.
  • Name: James Ransom-Wiley
  • Job Position: Senior Editor / 3,434 posts and counting...
  • Past Experience/Education: Joystiq plucked me fresh from the "outside" in July 2004. I did manage a BA in Sociology from Wesleyan University a year before that.
  • Life Outside of the 'Stiq: Is a mostly quiet, mostly Hispanic, quickly gentrifying neighborhood in Brooklyn. (Call it "East Williamsburg," or just plain Bushwick.) Lex and I share an Astroturf'd yard set away from the street between buildings, where she really got her flower pots going this spring and on warm evenings we dine at Brittany Perez's just-painted baby blue (from pink) picnic table. On late nights back from the city we hit up the best sandwich place no one's heard of: T&A Deli. There, Alex greets us with, "Goodmornin! The usual, baby?"
  • Why I'm blogging: I needed to supplement my income, so I responded to a Craigslist ad for a part-time writing position on a developing video game blog. I submitted three samples in the style of a site I'd never heard of: "Engadget." Five weeks later I got a response. I was hired and began blogging for Joystiq alongside the then only contributor, Ben Zackheim. Coming up on four years later, Joystiq has grown far, far (far!) beyond my naive expectations and completely sucked me up with it.
  • First Game Experience: Big bro's ColecoVision. I remember Tarzan, mashing the 5-key to set off the monkey-man's signature cry; and thrashing the mini-wheel on the mammoth alternate controller to flicker around the bases in Super Action Baseball; and helping my color-blind brother figure out which blocks he'd changed in Q*bert. Plus: River Raid, Time Pilot, Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle, Cosmic Avenger, Donkey Kong, Venture, Zaxxon, Front Line, Looping, Mouse Trap -- yeah, they got me hooked young...
  • Favorite Games: Contrary to what GTA IV reviewers will tell you, there still isn't anything quite as "perfect" as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night -- but I'm gonna go with five close to my heart: The Legend of Zelda, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, Ninja Gaiden (NES), F-Zero, and Halo ... and five shoutouts to: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game, Tecmo Super Bowl, Gitaroo Man, Pac-Man C.E., and Shufflepuck Café.
  • Stick or Automatic? Stick.
There's more to come every Tuesday and Thursday.

The best of WoW Insider: June 3-10, 2008


It's heating up outside, but the World of Warcraft is growing ever colder, as we get closer and closer to the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. And as usual, Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider is covering every temperature drop that goes down -- from interviews with world-first guilds to the latest rumors and updates on what we'll find in Northrend, WoW Insider is there. Here's our most popular posts from the last week in WoW.

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Features

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