The final stop on my tour of gamescom 2010 is hall number 9, where developer Bigpoint’s booth was (quite literally) one of the bigger eye-catchers. With loud music, near-constant dance performances and countless giveaways, they drew in the crowds to promote its online title Poisonville. Though I would dare suggest that including Germany’s playmate of the month (Bernadette Kaspar) as a character in the game and having her meet visitors at the booth in Cologne certainly did not hurt them either. I just called it a very good excuse to dust off those old German language skills 😉 Turns out she was very sweet and down-to-earth when talking to her, but if you want to see her as a Grand Theft Auto-esque character then check out the game, which can be played for free starting this month. Continue reading “Gamescom 2010 report: 4/4”
Gamescom 2010 report: 3/4
Hall number 6 at gamescom was filled to the brim with major publishers showcasing off its A-list titles. The biggest area was reserved for EA, and came complete with stands where the audience could sit to watch EA’s trailer videos, a setup which tied in nicely with one of its most prominent titles at the show: Fifa 11. EA had invited numerous (former) professional football (or soccer) players to help boost interest in the title, which had gamers manning the demo stations non-stop. Going head to head with Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 this October, it will be worth seeing which developers managed to improve most on their solid offerings from last year. Fifa had a head start with last year’s superior offering, but Pro Evolution Soccer looks set to close to the gap. Continue reading “Gamescom 2010 report: 3/4”
Gamescom 2010 report: 2/4
Our retrospective virtual stroll through gamescon 2010 continues in hall number 7, which houses what turned out to be some of the major ‘best of the show’ award winners. Sony’s Move controller won for best hardware accessory and will be supported in next year’s PS3 exclusive Virtua Tennis 4. With the accuracy offered by Move and the proven gameplay mechanics of this successful tennis franchise, sports fans who thought Wii tennis didn’t offer enough depth have something special to look forward to here. Other games that will be supported include Take 2’s NBA 2K11, Ubisoft’s Michael Jackson: The Experience, and the Lord of the Rings title Aragorn’s Quest by Warner Bros. Continue reading “Gamescom 2010 report: 2/4”
Gamescom 2010 report: 1/4
Having previously been to the CES convention in Las Vegas, where gaming is just a small part of the total experience, I was immediately struck by the sheer size of the show floor at GamesCom. Booths were spread out over four giant expo halls, with business areas set up in two further locations at the Koelnmesse Convention Center. To keep things somewhat easy to digest, I will be covering GamesCom on a ‘per hall’ basis, kicking off with hall number 8. Continue reading “Gamescom 2010 report: 1/4”
Dynaflex Powerball – Cyber Athleticism
Whoever said cyber-athleticism wasn’t a sport?
It’s an oft-heard complaint in many households with teens who are very much into gaming: why not go outside and play sports instead? Continue reading “Dynaflex Powerball – Cyber Athleticism”
