iGame Radio

Yesterday, shortly after the Apple September 1st Keynote event, I appeared on the MacJury to discuss and adjudicate the revelations Steve Jobs made. Hosted by Chuck Joiner, I appeared alongside Dave Hamilton of the Mac Geek Gab, Chuck LaTournou of Randomaccess, and Don McCallister of ScreenCastsOnline. We had great fun chatting up this content filled keynote and all the implications therein, including the importance of Apple streaming the thing. Yeah, every little detail is important. ;-)

I, of course, had a lot to say about Game Center, and the lack of information still provided in the keynote, what the new iPod Touch will mean to gaming (and Job’s comments about it being the #1 mobile gaming platform now), and the gaming possibilities that AppleTV 2.0 will represent.

Go, listen. It’s a fun-filled hour of Mac geeks chatting about their favorite subjects.

The Apple event today was all about the music, as could be inferred by the invite with the guitar in the background. But game treasure could be found all around if one knew where to look. Jobs gave us more information about Game Center, we saw a wonderful demo of an Epic Game in development on the new iPod Touch, and we discussed the possibilities about the new AppleTV.

First up was the announcement that iOS 4.1 would be released next week. Read more

Frictional Games has announced that Amnesia: The Dark Descent has gone gold and will be released on September 8th. Developers of the horror games the Penumbra series, Frictional is continuing the horror theme with this first person horror game that focuses on immersion.

You enter play with little in the way of defenses, and the game integrates sound and visuals very effectively (if you don’t believe me, just check out the unaltered gameplay video below).

Recommended system requirements are a bit hefty:

• Mac OS X 10.5.8/10.6.4 or later
• NVIDIA GeForce 6 / ATI Radeon HD
• 2.0 GHz CPU
• 2 GB RAM
• 2.5 GB Free hard disk space

You can pre-order Amnesia: The Dark Descent now with a 10% discount. When released, the game will go for $20 (US).

TransGaming has released the Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening DLC for the Mac. The Awakening expansion pack can be obtained as a digital download from Transgaming’s Mac games portal, GameTreeOnline.

Set after the events of Dragon Age: Origins in the land of Amaranthine, Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening places the player in the role of a Grey Warden trying to rebuild the order while also dealing with political matters as the Arl of Amaranthine. As the Warden Commander, the player travels to Vigil’s Keep to assume command of the Grey Wardens there. Throughout the game, the player journeys to several locations and recruits party members of whom may undergo the Joining ritual to become Grey Wardens.

This follows the release of previous DLC expansion packs Leliana’s Song, Dark Spawn Chronicles, and Return to Ostagar

“The Dragon Age franchise has been exceptionally well received by Mac gamers and we’re excited about continuing the saga through the release of this expansion pack and all DLC add-on game content for the Mac community”, commented Vikas Gupta, President and CEO of TransGaming.

This is really good news to hear, as Bioware is currently working on Dragon Age 2, and it would be really good to see this come to the Mac as well. I will be checking out DA2 at PAX this weekend and reporting back on what we will hopefully be in for.

Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening is available now for $29.95.

Com2uS has announced the release of Slice It!, a geometry game that requires an intuitive sense how big each pie slice really is. Slice up shapes into equal portions using limits on the number of slices, mirrors, and obstacles to avoid.

Slice It! is the product of an in-house game design ideation competition that Com2uS held for new ideas in games. The game has 60 initial levels of slicing fun, with another 20 in the works for a future update. Hints are provided throughout the game, but you have to work to get more hint points, so use your hints with care.

Slice It! is available for both iPhone and iPad for the same price of $0.99.

Corey and I have waxed poetic numerous times on the used games industry, but recently Jeff Vogel of Spiderweb Software also had some words to chime in with. Regarding the quote of THQ’s Cory Ledesma (which Corey had some opinion on last week himself), Vogel found himself coming on the wrong side of the debate with the Penny Arcade folks who I saw, surprisingly, condemning the sale of used games.

Vogel makes a good argument that I’ve been thinking myself as well, regarding the application of the argument against used games to other used markets, such as the book market. Basically, the idea is that books, like games, are a vehicle for transmitting ideas and art. They are objects that you are allowed by law to sell or give away as you see fit. Being able to circulate these ideas freely, such as with used markets or libraries, is a good idea.

The argument regarding the used games industry really comes down to this, in my opinion. There are members of the game industry that feel that every single person who wants to play a game must buy a legitimate copy of that game from the original publisher/developer because not doing so is “taking money” from that publisher/developer. Which, by extension, means that everyone who enjoys playing a copy of the game that they did not buy is taking money out of the pocket of the publisher/developer…no matter what form they are enjoying it.

This includes coming over to a person’s house to play their game with them. This includes playing a game with your kids. This includes having multiple copies of the game on multiple computers in your house so that you aren’t having to purchase a copy for every single child. This includes LAN parties.

How can anyone engaging in these activities justify it if they hold that philosophy I mentioned above? By some definition, PAX itself is a Used Game-Playing Convention.

This type of thinking feels more to me like overwrought greed rather than justified alarm. No other industry seems to have such hand-wringing when it comes to used items. I mean, I don’t see the book publishing industry making libraries or the used book industry illegal. I don’t see the clothing industry making second-hand stores or hand-me-downs illegal.

Perhaps the Game Industry needs to rethink their fears.

CCP and Bigfoot Networks will be presenting the Killer 2100 Plexplosion event throughout September. Participants can win prizes every day, including 30 PLEX, 30 T-Shirts and two Killer 2100 network cards. In order to participate you need to “Like” both the EVE Online and Bigfoot Networks’ Facebook pages. Two prizes will be awarded daily and winners will be announced on Facebook (presumably both EVE Online and Bigfoot Networks’ Facebook pages).

You can also participate to increase your chances of winning by visiting the CCP booth at PAX and signing up for the event.

TellTale Games has released the fifth and final episode of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse. The City that Dares Not Sleep is now available for download from the TellTale website.

The City That Dares Not Sleep wraps up the five part season of Sam & Max, the popular franchise that is on its third run. I don’t know too much about this episode, but suffice to say it involves a monster rampaging through the city streets (yeah, that would be Max), the Final Imperative (TM), and something about being spawned in a butt. Not too sure about that last one, though.

If you are looking for the Mac or Windows version, look no further. You can pick up the entire season for only $19.95, and start playing all five episodes today. You can also get all three seasons of Sam & Max, including Save the World, and Beyond Time and Space, for $39.95. Note that as of press time, the TellTale Games site still lists The City That Dares Not Sleep as “soon”.

Check out the awesome trailer that wraps up the season!

Shrapnel Games is celebrating Labor Day with a sale on Dominions 3: The Awakening. This turn-based strategy game will be available for just $48.95 from August 30th until September 8th.

Developed by Illwinter Games, Dominions 3: The Awakening is an epic fantasy strategy game that includes 2000 units, 700 spells, and 68 nations in three different eras of play. More features of the game include:

• An immersive world. While there is no story based campaign the world of Dominions 3 is still rich and vibrant, thanks in no small part to the fact that one of the developers teaches myth and religion. Units and nations come alive in vivid descriptions. The three eras of play also tell their own stories, as each era alters how one plays.
• Awesome multiplayer possibilities. Jump into a multiplayer game with the possibility of having twenty-one players. The preferred choice is play-by-email and finding a game is easy thanks to the strong community that surrounds Dominions 3. Check out any of the multitude of AARs available online to take a peek at how exciting multiplayer can be.
• Strong modding support. From the get-go Dominions 3: The Awakening has been open to the modding community, which has done a superb job. Mods range from altering game balance to new maps to new nations.
• Ongoing developer support. Since its release Dominions 3: The Awakening has been updated several times by Illwinter, and we’re not talking just killing bugs. New content and gameplay modifications have been featured in every patch. We’re talking at least an expansion, if not two, all for free.
• Fantastic community. Games typically come and go but Dominions 3: The Awakening has never left, in no small part to the great group of gamers. They eat, breathe, and sleep Dominions and it is awesome.

For more information or to purchase the game, visit the Dominions 3: The Awakening home page

Eyedip has released Flight Doodle for iPhone and iPad. This hot air balloon game merges doodle-style gameplay with customizable balloon craft and colorful atmospheric settings.

With an in-game drawing program, players can design their own hot-air balloons, then launch their craft into the game. Gathering powerups as you go will protect from falling objects and enemies, such as pushpins or aircraft. Even changing weather patterns will have an effect. With a tap of the finger, you can shrink or expand your balloon, give it a shield, or arm it with explosive shells for protection and defense.

The developer has integrated the theme of doodling throughout the game, so that you can share your customized balloon with others, and even doodle your own art onto the menu screen. Several mini-games and modes are promised in the first month alone with new features and challenges.

Flight Doodle for the iPhone has launched for $0.99, and Flight Doodle HD for the iPad has launched for $2.99. A lite version for the iPhone is also available.