[Editor’s Note: With this post, we’re pleased to introduce Brian Hoss as our newest contributor to The Bonus View. Brian joins us to assist with videogame coverage. As you’ll note from his credentials in the bio section, he’s extremely qualified on this topic. Please give him a warm welcome. -JZ]
Winter is coming. And by that, I mean a winter executed by Blizzard, which may leave non-‘Diablo’ players out in the cold.
Diablo III (PC/Mac)
That chugging slowdown you feel in the internet is the result of countless ‘Diablo III‘ players trying to activate Amazon’s most preordered game ever. As ‘Diablo III’ invades hordes of willing PC gamers’ hard drives, it’s important to note that, unlike most titles, this one will still be at its $60 price point for the foreseeable future.
Max Payne 3 (360, PS3)
Rockstar has wisely conceded PC game sales this week to ‘Diablo III’ by releasing only the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of ‘Max Payne 3‘. It’s been ten years since the last ‘Max Payne’ title was released, and this new sequel eschews graphic novel panels in favor of Rockstar’s signature cinematics, which have been peppering commercial breaks all over the dial. In other series departures, the game is set in summery Brazil and features a large multi-player component. Rockstar titles with this level of hype are tough to avoid just on account of style, but I’ll try to wait the two weeks until a PC version is available.
Game of Thrones (360, PS3, PC)
In a series of possible missteps, the ‘Game of Thrones‘ RPG bows the same week as ‘Diablo III’. Developed by Cyanide, known for its bicycling and horse racing sims as well as the universally panned ‘Game of Thrones: Genesis’ strategy game, this edition of Throne Gaming has the player taking the role of two different new characters (one a member of the Night’s Watch, the other a Red Priest) during and peripheral to the events of the first novel of the now phenomenally known George R. R. Martin series. Word is that development was modified to incorporate some of the successful elements of the first season of the show, namely some V.O. and soundtrack pieces, and that George R. R. Martin is quoted as saying, “I’ve sampled the work Cyanide has done, and I’m largely happy with it. I think many of my fans will share that feeling.” I love the show, the books and the board game. Still, this game looks likely to please few.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (PS3, 360, PC, Android, iOS)
I was not a fan of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1’ demo, but maybe Sega has made some big strides in this second installment of the throwback/sequel to its platformer series. Owners of both Episode I & II will get bonus Episode Metal content.
Men in Black 3 (Android, iOS)
If you love Will Smith and the ‘Men in Black’ films, let them know by buying Gameloft’s title, which will probably be a celebration of all things ‘MiB’ in 2012.
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Do you have any intention of spilling cash for these games? Tell us which and why in the Comments. I’d even like some impressions, especially on the ‘Game of Thrones’ RPG, though not so much the ‘MiB’ 3 game.
Julian
I wanted to visit Brian Hoss’ website, but the link seems to direct me to this same page (the videogames for May 13, 2012).
Brian Hoss
The url for my website is:
http://www.brianmhoss.com
Most of it is locked down though.
MrVidiot
Max Payne seems like it is going to be a great title but the over-a-decade wait made me jump on the D3 train. What a bumpy ride.
Diablo 3 launch is a really obvious indication of how dumb removing true single player is. Waiting an hour and a half after launch just to create a character is crazy. It is not even an MMO. I want to just experience the game even if it isn’t a bnet character.
The game is pretty bad ass the DRM is just irritating. I would have played offline until the servers came up then hopped on my battlenet character when servers stopped choking just like D2.
Servers are now down for maintenance for hours and no one can play any part of the title. This is an annoying DRM future and it upsets me Blizzard is peddling this.
Brian Hoss
The situation with Blizzard and their DRM is a lot like my local Comcast cable provider, who now requires a cable box to pick up any channels after years of basic analog cable being available right from the wall. They want money and usage information for each cable jack, which is completely for their benefit.
At the same time, I recall when Half life 2 launched and Steam crumbled initially while they started the service, depriving everyone from playing for the game they paid for, often months in advance. Still, now I love steam and avoid games that are not available on it.
For Blizzard, they have an account with my 10 year old Starcraft and Diablo keys, and I can download those games and play them offline with a reasonable amount of freedom and convenience. In that sense, Diablo 2 is the offline mode for Diablo 3. Of course that doesn’t help the $60 purchase feel great on launch day.
William Henley
YAY, Sonic!
The MIB trailer does nothing to tell me anything about the game.
Back in the day, I loved the Max Payne PC games. I just HATE this genera of games on consoles – it really needs a keyboard and mouse to properly enjoy, so I will be passing on this one.
I honestly do not know why I did not like the first two Diablo games – it is exactly the type of game I enjoy. I should be extreamely excited. Instead it gets a Meh from me.
But I will probably download Sonic tomorrow on payday
Brian Hoss
Sonic is said to be much better than the first episode, so I may get it as well.
I do want Max Payne 3 for the PC, but since it is third person, I’ll want to use a 360 controller. I take it you prefer to use mouse and keyboard on games like Mass Effect 3, Just Cause 2, and Arkham City?