Masi Oka is making games. The ex coder from ILM and now star of Hawaii 5-0 will be making some games. Ironically, the article doesn’t really talk about his own games at all, but he does talk about his experience in games. Maybe that’s just the best way to go. (Gamelivetv – Masi Oka)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Art Exhibition at GR2
Game Over
Video Game Culture Art Exhibition
June 2 - June 27, 2012
Opening reception Saturday June 2th 2012, 6:30-10pm
GR2 – 2062 Sawtelle Blvd LA, CA 90025 www.gr2.net 310 445 9276
Giant Robot 2 (GR2) presents: Game Over
Video Game Culture Art Exhibition
Artists include:
Aaron Brown, Albert Reyes, Alex Chiu, Ana Serrano, Andrice Arp, Aska Iida, Bradford Lynn, Brian Luong, Bryan Wong, Bubi Au Yeung, Cam Floyd, Carlos Donjuan, Christopher Chan, Cory Schmitz, David Horvath, Devin McGrath, Elizabeth Ito, Elliot Brown, Eric Broers, Erin Althea, Gabe Gonzales, Gary Musgrave, Grant Reynolds, Heidi Woan, James Chong, James Kochalka, Jarrett Quon, Jay Horinouchi, Jeni Yang, Jeremiah La Torre, Jeremy Tinder, Jeremyville, Jeromy Velasco, Jesse Balmer, Jesse Fillingham, Jesse LeDoux, Jesse Moynihan, Jesse Reklaw, Jesse Tise, Jiyoung Moon, John Lau, Kerry Horvath, Kevin Luong, Kio Griffith, Kwanchai Moriya, Lawrence Yang, Linda Kim, Louise Chen, Luke Chueh, Luke Rook, Maiko Kanno, Mare Odomo, Mari Inukai, Mark Ingram, Martin Hsu, Matt Furie, Meatbun, Miso, Nick Arciaga, Patrick Kyle, Peter Kato, Philip Koscak, Renee French, Sana Park, Sara Saedi, Sarah Lee, Sean Chao, Shawn Cheng, Shiho Nakaza, Shihori Nakayama, Sidney Pink, Silvio Porretta, Stasia Burrington, Stephanie Kubo, Theo Ellsworth, Tru Nguyen, Yejin Oh, Yoskay Yamamoto, Yumi Sakugawa and more.
Also there will be playable indie games including the works of programmers Beau Blythe and Shelby Cinca who are creating a game with Sean Chao and Jeni Yang. It’ll be a welcome back to ArtxGames series.
Giant Robot was born as a Los Angeles-based magazine about Asian, Asian-American, and new hybrid culture in 1994, but has evolved into a full-service pop culture provider with shops and galleries in Los Angeles as well as an online equivalent.
Eric Nakamura
Giant Robot Owner/Publisher
eric@giantrobot.com
(310) 479-7311
In Wired, Keiji Inafune let’s it out in many ways. Here’s one.
“I want to talk about Korean products too. Why are there no Korean products in Japan? Japanese people believe that Korean products are much worse than Japanese ones, that they’re very bad. But throughout the world, they’re more successful than Japanese products.”
There are more from the creator of Megaman who’s now making games from his own studio. (Wired – Keiji Inafune)
Lengthy Anna Anthropy Article. We worked with her and Saelee Oh to make Octopounce for a previous Game Over Exhibition. She’s made 70 games! Congrats! (Capital NY – Anna Anthropy)
Report on the video game exhibition. There’s a podcast involved and from what we’ve read, there could be more interaction, but overall, it’s a start to the video game revolution in the USA. (voanews – Smithsonian)
Thanks, Things to Do in LA for the nice write up on Diversions and promoting Game Night.
Also thanks to Tiny Cartridge!
Paul Robertson is a quiet individual who’s imagery is as powerful and iconic as any digital artist. He’s from Australia, yet might be best known for his work on the Scott Pilgrim video game. With one look at his art and then the game, it’s obvious. Robertson’s art style echoes that of games of yesteryear, yet the subject matter has both retro elements and iconography yet is filled with cyber energy and excitement. His current work at Giant Robot 2 is a series of prints in Diversions.
GR: Your work has a 8 bit feel. Is that too trite of a thing to say about your work? Or is it 16bit?
PR: I don’t think it’s fair to call it 8 bit or 16 bit, it seems like those terms are thrown around alot without knowing what they actually mean. I’d say I just work in pixels and usually low colour pallettes.
GR: Can you explain the process by which you create art?
PR: When I have an idea for something I’ll sketch it down on paper, or a rough pixel sketch first. Then I’ll just gradually pixel over it, edit things here and there, and push things around until it doesn’t look terrible. I don’t think I’m a natually good drawer so I always do a lot of editing and adjusting. Pixel art is pretty accomadating for this kindof method.
GR: Is there a scene of artists or audience for your work in Australia?
PR: I have no idea. I’m not really into any artist “scenes” in australia. I think my work is mostly known online.
by Robert Bruce (special guest reviewer from our close friends, Angry Bananas)
Oh hai there, I’m reviewing Zuma’s Revenge.
The game is Zuma’s Revenge, it’s the same game Popcap has been re-releasing onto every single console they can for the past couple of years. I guess this is the “sequal” to the original Zuma? To me, who is admittedly not a Zuma afficianado, it seems to be the same EXACT game they have been releasing on every console since… many moons ago, regardless of the title change. It’s not a bad idea, mind you. I see lot’s of profit in the Popcap buisness model. Regurgitation of a succesful game, especially a simple game of this nature that doesn’t get old with repitition, it makes a lot of sense, so I am not downing it. However, I have some problems with this particular game, and it’s iteration on the DS.
The game is a typical Popcap style simple/ puzzle fun type game, with cutesie characters and jocular dialogue. Popcap games take “light/ casual” gaming to a new level, and really are one of the best, most consistently successful game makers in this category.
In Zuma’s Revenge, or ZR as I like to call it, you control a frog that shoots balls out of it’s mouth, toward other balls. It’s a lot like the Bust a Move puzzle mechanic, in that you must match up at least 3 balls of the same color and then they disapear. This type of thing repeats until you can clear the board of all balls. The balls are being spit out at a certain speed interval so you must quickly line up shots. There may be more than one line and areas of the line might be cut-off, forcing the frog to jump to another shooting vantage point. There are various special balls that will give you a guide, destroy other balls of the same color, etc. This type of gameplay continues ad-infinitum as with all puzzle games of this nature, with increasing speed, and pattern difficulty. There are some challenge modes, and some other modes, that help give the game some replay value and longevity. Of note, but not REALLY of note is that the theme is Hawaiin/ Samoan, Pacific Islander, fyi. Not much to say about that, so I leave that where it lies.
As with all Popcap games, it’s a simple, straightforward, easy-to-pick-up as well as easy-to-put-down game. However, I don’t find this particular game to be the best Pop-Cap has to offer, and that’s really just a feeling thing. For me its just “eh…”. The other three main-line titles from Popcap are a little more engaging: Peggle; Bookworm Adventure; Plants vs. Zombies. I think each of the story-lines, as cardboard and cheesy as they are, end up being charming. The tacked on story line to Zuma’s Revenge is just not that charming, and I find the game-play, just not fun enough to addict. On the other hand it seems some people out there really do like this game, and the core of the game-play is fun enough to really get people into it for a prolonged period of time. Kudos to them, but… yeah not for me.
Even so, I would probably stay away from the DS version, as the resolution is abysmal, and the porting causes control issues. The game makes more sense on a smartphone, for price point and resolution matching; also the game style matches the typical game style of that device. That being said, if you are a grandmother/mother/ relative of a kid that is into video games, this would be a better, innocuous, cheap, non-offensive, stocking-stuffer type game to give a kid, rather than making the mistake of getting them some liscense-game garbage, such as Spogebob Squarepants, or what have you. However, I would suggest Plants vs Zombies or Peggle first.
Getting a shout out in a video game is always special since how often is this going to happen for us? Thanks to the folks at Wayforward Games. They’re a cool bunch of fellas who do a great service to games both in and out of LA. Here’s the photo set from our past Game Night with them.
This is kind of sad: Gamers in Japan are getting older. As the average age increases, so are the gamers. SEGA is finding that the average age is going up which means they need to make equal adjustments.
The reasoning behind this couple playing games is quoted as “His wife, Tsuneko, splits her time shopping in the mall and playing video games. “We’re bored. We have nothing to do. I don’t have anything to say to my husband anymore. It’s much better to come here than just sit in the house watching TV all day. We need some excitement, too,” she said. (CNN – Gamers)
Nintendo is posting a loss of $850 million. It’s serious. Here’s why. Angry Birds? Why buy a console when you play on your phone! What is Nintendo Wii U? They haven’t produced a loss in 30 years, but recent mistakes like a $250 3DS that had to be priced lower is part of the problem. The consoles are supposed to be profitable, but the 3DS isn’t. The signature games are helping, but the gimmicks are failing. Is the 3D really important? Not at all. (Japantimes – 3DS)
Post-apoclyptic landscapes are the cliches Japanese scifi is made from. But never before have we seen it this gorgeously rendered.
His username is “Tokyo Genso” and–according to his profile– he works on “animation and games”. You can view the artist’s blog here and more of his artwork in this series on his deviant art page.
Thanks to our friends Angry Bananas for handling this review for us. That’s the vocal stylings of Carlos. Enjoy the review!
Another successful Game Night and it helps that Meat Bun has a new line of shirts which we’ll make available at any time. Watch for further posts. Fez is a beautiful game and with it’s sound has a shoegaze element to it. superHYPECUBE takes you into another dimension. It takes 3d Glasses. The developer (below right), Phil Fish from Polytron flew in from Montreal to attend. It’s an honor having him here.
Mike from Meat Bun and Kinuko who designed the shirt he’s wearing. (Yes that design was an art piece in Game Over at Giant Robot SF)
many more photos below.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Game Night 7 at Giant Robot 2
Game Night 7 – Polytron Games: Fez and superHYPERCUBE, Nintendo 3DS StreetPass
Saturday, December 3 2011, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Giant Robot 2
2062 Sawtelle Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90025
gr2.net (310) 445-9276
In conjunction with the Attract Mode, Meat Bun apparel, and Angry Bananas, Giant Robot is proud to host Game Night 7, an event that takes place at GR2 about every two months. For this seventh installment, we are featuring two games by Polytron, Fez and superHYPERCUBE.
Both games appeared at Indiecade in Los Angeles and turned heads and as well as provided top notch entertainment. Fez is a well designed scrolling type of game. You’re a character moving around an atmosphere that’s artistic and cute and the entire environment actually shifts as you make turns. It’s an instant classic. superHYPERCUBE developed also with Kokoromi, is a game requiring 3d glasses and runs of a Xbox 360 Kinect. It takes motion and depth perception and is an insane feat using the technology of today’s games. Both games provide very separate experiences and is guaranteed to amaze.
Nintendo 3DS StreetPass: Meetup Everywhere is a simple-to-use online platform that enables an organization’s fans or followers to coordinate local, real-life meetups based on shared interests. Nintendo 3DS users who are interested in sharing content with others via StreetPass are invited to visit http://www.meetup.com/nintendo3ds to find events in their area or to plan their own StreetPass meetups. Users are also encouraged to use the “#streetpass” hashtag within social media to promote Nintendo 3DS StreetPass events throughout the year and attract even more participants.
Giant Robot was born as a Los Angeles-based publication about Asian, Asian-American, and new hybrid culture in 1994, but has evolved into a full-service pop culture provider with shops and galleries in Los Angeles.
Game Night 7 will take place on Saturday, December 3rd 2011, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
For more information about Game Night, GR2, or Giant Robot magazine, please contact:
Eric Nakamura
Giant Robot Owner/Publisher
eric@giantrobot.com
(310) 479-7311
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – HOLIDAY Pop Up Store at Giant Robot 2
Meat Bun HOLIDAY Pop Up Store at Giant Robot 2
Saturday December 3 – December 30th, 2011 at GR2
2062 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
gr2.net
(310) 445-9276
Giant Robot is proud to host the Meat Bun HOLIDAY Pop Up Store at Giant Robot 2. For one month, a new line and some of the classic favorites of Meat Bun clothing will be available.
Meat Bun is a Southern California based company featuring video games graphics fused with a creative and thoughtful energy. Their t-shirts often use a graphic that’s inspired from a game that’s been recreated into an aesthetic more inline with an artistic work. Their new line of t-shirts promises to be their best yet.
The opening day of the pop up store coincides with the video game event: “Game Night 7″ also at Giant Robot 2.
Giant Robot was born as a Los Angeles-based magazine about Asian, Asian-American, and new hybrid culture in 1994, but has evolved into a full-service pop culture provider with shops and galleries in Los Angeles as well as an online equivalent.
Eric Nakamura
Giant Robot Owner/Publisher
eric@giantrobot.com
(310) 479-7311
Thanks LA Weekly! Game Nights are always fun, and the crowds are getting larger. For this mention, I have to thank all involved starting with the staff, game fans, and the folks we work with to make this work. Meat Bun, Angry Bananas, and Attract Mode. This undoubtedly helps. Next game night targeting for early December. See some photos from the last Game Night here.
Annually, Culver City opens it’s doors to IndieCade, a indie convention or conference about indie gaming, their maker and their wares. Most of the events are free which is miraculous. You can stroll into the fire station and jump right into trying the games of the future. Actually that’s not really true, most of these games will stay indie and won’t be highlighted at Best Buy anytime soon. However, the thought process an execution is something you won’t find at Best Buy, but perhaps in a couple of years when an industry creative sees what some of these “kids” are doing with the technology at hand, they’ll incorporated it into a blockbuster video game.
Pew Pew Pew Pew Pew Pew. That’s the name of the game. Instead of using a button, you can voice your shots. It’s funny because a) you can tap the mic for the missile to fire, or you can b) voice it. Everyone wants to voice it. The sound of a missile is something that you grew up with. Each area or country might have their own, which is akin to the sound of a dog barking. It’s different almost everywhere.
Black Bottom was created by students at Savannah College of Art and Design and it is a cool table projected game. It may take more space, but the spectacle of playing a game on a table that’s lit works well. Of course, you can lay down that soda, and it might fall, but the electronics are far away where all should be safe. You can eat lunch on it too! The sheer size makes this something fun to look at. Not only did they create the game space, they also created the controller as well.
A decade has passed since Al Qaeda’s attack on the World Trade Center. Multiple news sources have commemorated the event as a moment of self-reflection in which America and the world have evolved–for better or worse–in the Post-9/11 world.
Salon ran a story by Matt Zoller Seitz describing some of the ways in which popular culture changed and reacted to the event. We know about America. How did the rest of Asia fare?
Mark Austin recalled what it was like in the newsroom at the Daily Yomiuri when both planes struck America’s shoulders. Nothing too interesting to tell and as far as I know, no one has openly recalled on this anniversary of anniversaries how the War on Terror influenced Japanese pop culture. Let’s start with cinema.
Battle Royale II: Requiem contained several less than subtle references to the landscape of the time. The most unsettling part about the sequel is that the survivors of the first film formed their own terrorist cell called the “Wild Seven.” The movie veered dangerously close to glorifying terrorism and resistance as a mode of existential relevancy.
For video games, Konami released Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, shortly after the attacks. The moral ambiguity of the terrorist antagonists of the game didn’t cause any substantial changes or delays. However, developer Hideo Kojima had to make some last minute changes to the script and cut scenes where downtown “Arsenal Gear” devastated Ellis Island and downtown Manhattan. He further more removed a scene where the American flag fell on the Solidus’s corpse.
Additionally, Japan’s Hip Hop scene had a few words of their own to say on the matter. The controversial rap group, King Giddra, released their single, “911,” on the first anniversary of the attack. They criticized the hypocrisy of America’s War on Terror and the Japanese government’s complicity in America’s grand agenda.
With the exception of Hideo Kojima, these twoexamples represent a moment in which America’s position in the world came into question. To a certain extent, I wonder whether it marked a moment where Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution on the country’s pacifism came into question.
As we all remember, 9/11 eventually led to the Iraq War and then Prime Minister Koizumi supported the invasion with a provision of troops from the Japanese Self Defense Force. America’s inability to secure an immediate victory further called the article’s legitimacy into doubt. If America couldn’t protect itself or prevail as a super power, then how are they going to safeguard Japan? No sooner than this, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for a review of the constitution in 2007 to endow Japan with a stronger role in the world and bolster the country’s national pride.
What I’m getting at is that 9/11 may have temporarily thrown the ball further into the Japanese Right’s court. K Dub Shine of King Giddra possessed some right wing views of his own. He produced the soundtrack to the Sakura of Madness film where a Neo-Tojo gang targets foreigners in Shibuya, Tokyo, to “clean up the trash.” In an interview with Remix Magazine in 2009, he opined that Japanese soldiers who fought during World War II should be honored for fighting for the betterment of their country. In addition to that, he defended his remarks by comparing the American occupation of Japan to the enslavement of Blacks and (inaccurately) labeled Black Power groups such as the Black Panthers as right-wing. An interview with Zeebra of King Giddra by David Z. Morris suggests that he harbored similar views.
This is only in Japan. The South Korean film, The Host, had its own anti-American undertones and the “Fucking USA” protest song released in 2002 carried a long history of malcontent of its own. At the very least, Asia may remember 9/11 as the moment when the world vocally doubted America.
