Today marks the 20th anniversary of everyone's favourite supersonic blue hedgehog, Sonic! On this day 20 years ago Sonic was making his first video game appearance on the Sega MegaDrive and he's had a phenomenal career since. I've grown up with Sonic and I've loved everything he's done. I've played all the games, watched the TV shows and read the comics. Do I feel old? No way! If Sonic is still only 15 after all these years then we're all going to live forever!
Sega are celebrating in style with the release of Sonic Generations on all the major consoles, and even in the online world of Phantasy Star. And to mark his 20 years in the business they have released 20 cool facts you may or may not have known about the cool blue hedgehog.
1. Over 70 million games have been sold worldwide
2. "Project Needlemouse" was the name given to the Sonic project
3. Sonic is fifteen years old and has never aged
4. An estimated 60 million people have played at least one Sonic game
5. Sonic runs faster than the speed of light and is officially the fastest videogame character of all time (Guinness Book of Records)
6. Sonic was voted number one video gaming icon of all time* (msn poll 2009)
7. Sonic's shoes were inspired by a combination of Santa Claus and the colour red for speed and fire
8. Sonic originally had a girlfriend called Madonna and was in a rock band
9. Sonic's first ever appearance was a humble one - as a toy hanging from the rear-view mirror in the little-known arcade racing game Rad Mobile
10. Sonic has starred in his own line of comics and in four animated TV series
11. Sega sponsored the Williams Grand Prix team and the team's lead driver, Alain Prost during the 1993 Formula One championship
12. Sonic fans have collected over 70 billion rings between them
13. Sonic was the first video game character to have a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
14. Sonic has made cameos in various games including, The Simpsons Game, The Incredible Hulk, Tom and Jerry: The Movie and he also featured in the Simpsons show
15. Sonic has appeared in over 65 games
16. Dr Eggman has an IQ of 300
17. Sonic the Hedgehog's personality is a juxtaposition of kindness and ferocity, as on one hand he does all in his power to snuff out evil, but he also can't look away when somebody else is in trouble
18. Sonic hates boredom and being tied down, so much of his time is spent running towards the next danger or adventure
19. Sonic's favourite food is chilli dogs
20. Sonic cannot swim
Source: Yahoo.com
Check out the full article on Yahoo!
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Friday, 17 June 2011
Yet another hacking in the gaming industry
I've just received an email from Sega that their network had to be shutdown yesterday due to unauthorised access to their Sega Pass database. That makes the third major games company to be attacked by hackers potentially in recent weeks. Why the video games industry is the target of so many hacks right now I have no idea but if things continue and more major players are attacked, gamers are going to start losing their trust of online gaming networks. I myself have accounts with various online games and while I don't keep any payment details online, I am ever more cautious about what I sign up to.
I've already experienced having my World of Warcraft account stolen, but I'm pleased to say that Blizzard have an excellent response strategy to these type of activities. However, how many of the other games companies can boast such a great track record. Sony's network has been down for weeks and this must frustrate gamers no end. You have to wonder who is going to be the next target.
As a gamer it is a horrible reality to face. Not only may your favourite games be unplayable due to downed networks or stolen accounts, but your personal details and financial details may also be stolen and used fraudulently. The only thing you can do is be vigilant about passwords, payment details and what sites you sign up to.
I've already experienced having my World of Warcraft account stolen, but I'm pleased to say that Blizzard have an excellent response strategy to these type of activities. However, how many of the other games companies can boast such a great track record. Sony's network has been down for weeks and this must frustrate gamers no end. You have to wonder who is going to be the next target.
As a gamer it is a horrible reality to face. Not only may your favourite games be unplayable due to downed networks or stolen accounts, but your personal details and financial details may also be stolen and used fraudulently. The only thing you can do is be vigilant about passwords, payment details and what sites you sign up to.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Nintendo Wii U
So I've just read about Nintendo's successor to the Wii, aptly named Wii U. Apparently this comes from Wii being a reference to 'We' meaning you, me and the whole family, and U which obviously means 'You'. It's a strange description from Nintendo but essentially they're saying it's a console for all the family but that's also perfect for the individual. I guess that means it's going to have all the family fun of the original Wii but with an equal amount of attention given to the Next Gen gaming that solo players found on PS3 and Xbox 360.
As I've just mentioned the Wii U is going to bring HD gaming back to Nintendo, at a quality to rival Sony and Microsoft, but they also are bringing a whole host of new innovations to the table, in just the way Nintendo always do. The most striking has to be the new controller. It looks like a mixture of an iPad and a standard game controller. There is a touch screen in the centre of the pad that can apparently do HD graphics, and then sticks, buttons and a D-Pad located around the screen. The pad is also motion sensitive and has a built in camera and microphone. With all of that the only thing that's missing is the kitchen sink!
One of the new concepts is the ability to take a game you are playing on your TV and in an instance transfer it straight over to your pad's screen. This smooth transition is set to work both ways and with the pad being portable you can then take your gaming to another room if someone wants the TV. Of course the pad isn't an independent console so you will need your Wii U within range and turned on to continue playing. The touch screen will also be usable for web browsing and utilizing the built in camera, it will be possible to have video chat over the new Nintendo Network.
Only a couple of games have been announced so far; Super Smash Bros and Lego City Stories, however several demos have been revealed to the press that demonstrate the power of the Wii U and it's new controller. One of the most interesting demos uses different Wii pads to view an arena from different angles depending on the location of the pad in relationship to the Wii U. Nintendo are trying to emphasize to gamers that games no longer need to be within a 3D realm on the TV but actually within the immediate area surrounding you. It's a first hint at the 3D worlds of sci-fi movies.
If Nintendo can pull of the Wii U incorporating both the family fun of the Wii and the Next Gen gaming that PS3 and Xbox 360 players have grown accustomed to, then they are on to a winner here. As a Nintendo fan from way back, I look forward to seeing and hearing more about the Wii U.
Nintendo's Wii U is set to be released next year.
As I've just mentioned the Wii U is going to bring HD gaming back to Nintendo, at a quality to rival Sony and Microsoft, but they also are bringing a whole host of new innovations to the table, in just the way Nintendo always do. The most striking has to be the new controller. It looks like a mixture of an iPad and a standard game controller. There is a touch screen in the centre of the pad that can apparently do HD graphics, and then sticks, buttons and a D-Pad located around the screen. The pad is also motion sensitive and has a built in camera and microphone. With all of that the only thing that's missing is the kitchen sink!
One of the new concepts is the ability to take a game you are playing on your TV and in an instance transfer it straight over to your pad's screen. This smooth transition is set to work both ways and with the pad being portable you can then take your gaming to another room if someone wants the TV. Of course the pad isn't an independent console so you will need your Wii U within range and turned on to continue playing. The touch screen will also be usable for web browsing and utilizing the built in camera, it will be possible to have video chat over the new Nintendo Network.
Only a couple of games have been announced so far; Super Smash Bros and Lego City Stories, however several demos have been revealed to the press that demonstrate the power of the Wii U and it's new controller. One of the most interesting demos uses different Wii pads to view an arena from different angles depending on the location of the pad in relationship to the Wii U. Nintendo are trying to emphasize to gamers that games no longer need to be within a 3D realm on the TV but actually within the immediate area surrounding you. It's a first hint at the 3D worlds of sci-fi movies.
If Nintendo can pull of the Wii U incorporating both the family fun of the Wii and the Next Gen gaming that PS3 and Xbox 360 players have grown accustomed to, then they are on to a winner here. As a Nintendo fan from way back, I look forward to seeing and hearing more about the Wii U.
Nintendo's Wii U is set to be released next year.
Friday, 3 June 2011
Tomb Raider (2012)
I've just been treated to a delight; a video of FMV footage from the new Tomb Raider reboot game. Whilst it looks amazing, it's not a true insight into how the game will actually look, but that's not what caught my attention. What caught my attention was the SquareEnix logo that flashed up at the beginning of the video! It seems that the Tomb Raider franchise is being taken in a new direction by a new development team. And having seen a few of the next gen offerings from SquareEnix I'm now really excited about what will happen with Tomb Raider.
If you want to see the latest video it's available on Yahoo Games. If you want to see what other next gen offerings are available from SquareEnix check out any of the recent Final Fantasy games, the Kingdom Hearts series of games and also the lesser known hit Nier. All have the most involving stories, incredibly realistic graphics and beautiful worlds.
If you want to see the latest video it's available on Yahoo Games. If you want to see what other next gen offerings are available from SquareEnix check out any of the recent Final Fantasy games, the Kingdom Hearts series of games and also the lesser known hit Nier. All have the most involving stories, incredibly realistic graphics and beautiful worlds.
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