The Witcher II has nudity. So does Duke Nukem. And they’re going all out with the ESRB ratings. Duke Nudem is a frustrating target practice game vs a couple of women. If you win, they strip down naked. Yes. That’s why you won’t find this on YouTube. The game is frustratingly hard (obviously part of the rules) as you’re playing using accelerated mouse movements.

Irrational Games, makers of the bestselling game BioShock, have unveiled their latest title, and it’s not what anyone expected. BioShock Infinite is technically set in the same universe as the original game (and its sequel), but that’s where the similarities end.

Rapture’s dank underwater corridors have been replaced with bright, open spaces floating alongside clouds, in a thriving city filled with its own population. BioShock Infinite is set in the floating city of Columbia, which Irrational describes as “a floating symbol of American ideals at a time when the United States was emerging as a world power.” At the time the game begins, Columbia went missing ten years ago, and the intrigue starts there…

Unlike the nameless character you played in BioShock, this game places you in the shoes of Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, who’s hired to track down a woman imprisoned in Columbia since childhood. As in BioShock, you’ll upgrade with supernatural “augmentations,” but this time you’ll pair up with the powerful Elizabeth to engage in side-by-side battles. BioShock Infinite is built on an entirely new engine, enabling it to do things the original game couldn’t, such as face off against more than a dozen foes at one time.

The primary connective tissue between Irrational’s first game and this new one are their philosophical themes. BioShock examined historical feelings of imperialism and the transformative nature of technology, as were rampant at the time period in which it took place.. BioShock Infinite looks at the idea of “American exceptionalism,” the optimistic notion of America being a beacon of hope to a darkened world.

Hence, the bright, patriotic colors you see in the screenshots and the trailer (below).

I for one can’t wait to find out more about this game, but it looks like we’re going to have quite a wait ahead, since BioShock Infinite isn’t due to arrive until sometime in 2012.

Mimeo (even the name) started as a Mario clone with a twist: instead of power-ups affecting the player, they affect the entire game world. A story and mythos quickly developed. The so-called Mimeoverse consists of two 16-bit demiverses sharing 32-bits between them. When the evil Kleptopus King, an 8-bit octopus with an inferiority complex, discovers a portal into Mimeo’s realm and begins to syphon off its bits, Mimeo is sucked in and down-sampled to 2-bit. So begins Mimeo’s quest to restore balance to the demiverses.

I said it before I’m not a gamer, up until today I have owned one game console and that was the NES. The first Mario Bros. was and still is my favorite game. So needless to say I’m looking forward to Mimeo. I have no idea if I’ll be able to play it well on the iPhone as up until know the few games I have I’m no table to play them “fluently”.

Check out this demo on how the game is played.

Shaun keeps a development weblog detailing the progress of the game and the technical details that are involved in creating this game. Besides, designing, programming and creating the scenario, Shaun also composes and produces the music himself. If you browse the development blog you will find some sound bits.

For a non-gamer I have been keeping up to date with the development progress. Although less with iPad version. I just don’t see the iPad as a gaming device, it is so big, and with my small hands I wouldn’t manage to use the controls without dropping the iPad. In any case I’m looking forward to the release of Mimeo so I have more to do on the iPhone when underway or lying in bed in the morning then just reading email, feeds, tweets and news.

Game website: Mimeoverse: Mimeo and the Kleptopus King

Probably EMS.

The latest exciting DIY project from the labs is edible Asteroids.

I’m sure it’s happened to you: been getting all nostalgic with some old video games, totally lost track of the time, and then realised you’re famished.

The solution? Keep on topic with these Asteroids cookies.

Lovingly hand-crafted, naturally.

The penultimate comment: “Serve carefully arranged, on a dark background.”

Take a photo, though, because they ain’t gonna last for long.

Via

Evil Mad Scientist has done just that and come up with Tabletop Pong.

It’s a definite work in progress, but you can read the fascinating journey including photos and descriptions of the construction process.

Check out the video of it in action:

Obviously, some real world elements have crept in to the design — because the table isn’t quite level gravity takes its toll on the ball. Perhaps this makes the game even more playable (or fun, at least)?

In order to keep the ball moving (or to encourage it along) the paddles are powered and can detect when the ball has hit them. The play area is acrylic and the walls are beryllium copper finger strips which help the ball to bounce.

I definitely want one of these!

Via

Playing Flash versions in a browser window is old hat, so how about using the browser windows themselves as the ball and bats?

That’s what the developers at stewdio.org have done.

Browser Pong has been written to take advantage of the latest HTML 5 specification, which is why it doesn’t work in standards-mashers like Internet Explorer.

Graphically advanced it’s not, though if you fancy cheating it’s pretty easy — just expand one of the “bat” browser windows fully vertically. Easy.

Browser Pong (Via)

Professor Erno Rubik explains. “The Rubik’s 360 is one of the most innovative and exciting puzzles we’ve developed since the Cube – adopting elements of my original design, challenging the solver to use concentration, skill and dexterity. But it’s a more kinetic challenge, more physical, because gravity is involved.”

The object of the puzzle is to move six colored balls into their appropriate holes by spinning the puzzle around.

It’s made up of a 10cm diameter clear plastic sphere with six coloured domes positioned at intervals around the edge. At top and bottom are two black domes which operate an internal ‘locking’ mechanism, and inside the outer sphere is a second one, also transparent, with two holes. Inside this is a third sphere, containing six coloured balls. It also has a hole through which the small balls must pass.

Here’s the official web site, with the rather bizarre promo video below:

One of the reasons for the fans’ continued support for Starcraft, aside from the deep, strategic gameplay is the fact that you can play it with your friends and mount frenetic multiplayer battles during LAN parties. Nothing beats having a heated game in a room with all the trash talking going on between two competitors.

But if Blizzard’s plan for Starcraft II does push through we won’t see those cool Starcraft LAN parties anymore. Blizzard confirmed what many are speculating about Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. The game will be launched for the PC at about the same time the newly revamped Battle.net online network service, which is at the last part of 2009. Unfortunately, the game will be releaed without any LAN multiplayer option.

Blizzard said that the decision to remove this popular option is a type piracy prevention mechanism and also a way to maintain quality assurance. Blizzard wants to direct players to Battle.net as the best, and now the only, option for multiplayer gaming for Starcraft II.

I’m not too sold on the whole anti-piracy thing idea. Why would long-time fans of the game suffer for what pirates are doing? By removing the LAN multiplayer option, Blizzard is effectively alienating a large majority of Starcraft fans who plan on playing the game through their local networks. LAN multiplayer will obviously not need an internet connection — why would Blizzard expect players to connect to the internet to play with people who are all in the same room? And what about the lag, which is obviously not going to be a problem with LAN multiplayer? I think Blizzard is making a big mistake with this move.

Microsoft has insisted that the DLCs will only be available for its console but timed exclusivity was never mentioned or even discussed. And this gray area may have been the reason for the recent reports that the GTAIV DLCs will come to the PS3 this coming August. According to various European sites, Microsoft only has a six month exclusivity deal for the DLC, and this will expire in August — which means PS3 gamers will get their hands on the DLC soon after the exclusivity agreement lapses.

Although Sony and Take-Two Interactive (publisher of the game) declined to comment Microsoft, uncharacteristically enough for the company, issued a statement that the GTAIV DLCs “are exclusive to Xbox 360.” It may sound like a firm statement but there are still people who interpret this statement as Microsoft skirting the actual issue of exclusivity, which in fairness, the company did not address conclusively.

I guess we’ll see in August if there really is an exclusivity agreement that will lapse.

But that wait is now over. Apple Corps has announced that the entire Beatles catalog will be remixed and rereleased on the same day as the Rock Band game. Along with this, there will be two new Beatles CD box sets to be released on that day. This is the greatest music news I’ll probably get the whole year. All 12 studio albums will be released along with Magical Mystery Tour and a combo disc that contains two Past Masters releases.

The remixes will now turn the old Beatles albums to glorious stereo. But no worries for purists — The Beatles in Mono box set will also be made available.

I’m going to start saving up today for these absolutely wonderful releases.