Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
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.
Black Powder Red Earth Part 1
I first came in contact with Jon Chang through his grindcore and thrash bands (GridLink, Hayaino Daisuke, and Discordance Axis), whose subject matter ranges from hardcore anime allusions, to hard sci-fi and obscure horror references, to no-holds-barred observations on war. It’s the latter that provides the content of Chang’s first comic book. Black Powder \\ Red Earth tells the story that Chang’s company’s Facebook game is based upon. It’s as obsessive in its details account of private security contracting in the Middle East as it is gripping with its political thriller tone. With the first book out now and three more on the way, I figured this was a good time to touch base with Chang about his publishing effort with co-writer Kane Smith and illustrator Josh Taylor.