Real-life Pip-Boy is functionally delightful and practically useless

Prepare for post-apocalyptic survivalism in style with custom Android mod

Words: Tom Goulter
Source: GameSetWatch

We all like to hope that none of the armed conflicts or escalating WMD stockpiles in the world of 2011 will actually trigger a nuclear apocalypse, but it's prudent to be prepared, just in case. One soul doing his homework for such an eventuality is YouTube's MyMagicPudding, who's put together a full-size (albeit non-wearable) Pip-Boy 3000 to rival any of the Portal fan-creations doing the rounds of late. You'll need a pretty high Science or Barter skill to get your hands on one (or, for that matter, to get one on your hands) though.

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While this isn't the first corporeal Pip-Boy to surface, most modders content themselves with sticking a new screen in the clock that came with the Survival Edition of Fallout 3. Not so Mr. Pudding, who followed the lead of more adventurous prop-builders at The RPF to put together a sturdier creation, augmenting the tool with an Android app custom-built for the purpose. If you've ever wished you could track your stats IRL, this may be the best way to do it – provided your Speech skill is high enough to explain why you're carrying about a huge watch that doesn't even fit on your hand. The prop hasn't been made available for the general public yet, but MyMagicPudding calls this a “prototype,” so you may be lucky yet.

Deus Ex getting DLC augmentation in October

By Tom Magrino, GameSpot
Square Enix's cyberpunk action adventure picking up The Missing Link add-on next month; pricing, platforms TBA.

Following the row surrounding Deus Ex, GameStop, and OnLive, it seems likely Square Enix would be happy to shift the conversation back to positive developments for its cyberpunk action game. That chance came today, as the publisher announced Deus Ex will receive its first downloadable content release this October with The Missing Link.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

The Missing Link follows up on events that transpire during the full version of Deus Ex, in which Adam Jensen goes mysteriously AWOL for a three-day period. Square Enix describes this episode as a time when Jensen has lost his augmentation powers and must escape a freighter using only the abilities nature gave him.

The Missing Link introduces a handful of new characters and enemies that play into the game's storyline. Square Enix also played up the add-on's opportunity to rebuild Jensen's augmentations from scratch.

Star Trek Online setting phasers to freemium

By Tom Magrino, GameSpot
Cryptic Studios confirms sci-fi MMORPG will transition to microtransaction-based business model later this year.

From Lord of the Rings Online to Age of Conan, success stories abound for massively multiplayer online role-playing games that flip to a microtransaction-driven freemium business model. With Cryptic Studios' Champions Online going the freemium route in January, it should come as no surprise that the MMOG specialist has similar intentions for Star Trek Online.

 Freemium isn't exactly a space where no man has gone before.
Cryptic Studios confirmed this week that it intends to transition Star Trek Online to a freemium business model by the end of this year. The studio expects to have additional information on its pricing and execution strategy for Star Trek Online available next week.

News of the announcement first arrived during a Perfect World postearnings conference call last week. In that report, chief financial officer Kevin Lau confirmed that a freemium version of Star Trek Online will arrive in the US and China. Perfect World bought Cryptic from Atari in May 2011.

Star Trek Online received middling review scores when it first launched for the PC in February 2010. The game operates independently from any of the events established in the film or television series.

Players assume the role of a starship captain operating under the banner of either the United Federation of Planets (better known simply as "the Federation") or the Klingon, who are locked in an intergalactic struggle. The hive-minded Borg will also play a role in the MMOG.

Resistance 3 Day One Patch Is Big. And Early.

Bigger than the Chimeran invasion.

Resistance 3 is out pretty soon, and the promised ‘day one’ patch for the game, which will obviously await your time and attention if you’re picking up the game next week, is now out for anyone that has the game early – or, like us, is battling their way through it for review.
It’s a whopper, though – 656MB for the European version of the patch, which is currently crawling through my rather rural connection just now.



That’s in addition to the game’s install, which takes considerably longer than the introductory video sequence (which is lovely, mind) is supposed to mask.

Quite what a patch of that size is actually updating is anyone’s guess, if we get a changelog on boot we’ll update this post but it was previously just a rather vague ‘updates and tweaks’ and is presumably just fixes to the multiplayer based on beta feedback.

The game’s pretty good though, especially for fans of the series – our full review will follow next week, but in the meantime you can read our hands on with the game’s opening section here and our interview with the developers here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an update bar to watch.

Street Fighter x Tekken gets two more character teasers

By Tom Goulter

Here's two new character teasers for Street Fighter x Tekken, which continues to test your knowledge of the two rival franchises butting heads in the upcoming crossover. If you're unsure of who's being teased here, just scroll down to the comments section – right after the game's newly-revealed box-art – where you'll no doubt find the answers revealed by people who'll probably be beating you at the game come March next year.

Of course, inscrutable character puzzles aren't the only way Capcom's building awareness for Street Fighter x Tekken; the company's also keeping up a steady stream of public events aimed at reminding you that the development heads of Street Fighter and Tekken are both skilled brilliant game designers, skilled pretzel-tossers, and freaking crazy, like a damn fox. All things you want in a designer, right?

Mad Catz and HES step into games publishing with Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge

Rugby to be the next big thing from Street Fighter fightstick distributor

You may not have heard of Home Entertainment Suppliers. It’s the exclusive distributor for Mad Catz, a company best known for its line of hardware peripherals. Now, HES is trying its hand at games publishing of the sporting variety with Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge, a new entry to the short list of rugby games available on the PC and consoles.

The game features career, competition, and tournament modes - and up to four-player online or local multiplayer. Players choose from 93 of the world’s Rugby teams, like the New Zealand All Blacks, and 1500 players from around the globe.  According to developer Sidhe, the experience is completely customizable with 31 stadium locations with conditions and time of day options. It also includes a fully customizable player creator with options to change the player stats and features right down to the size of player’s ear lobes. For fans of team management, the game offers a 13 season career mode where player injuries, suspension, and other Rugby related mishaps will come into play.

Sony rebrands online services, PSN now part of Sony Entertainment Network

One network to rule them all with streaming video and services to be determined
Words: Paul Ryan
Source: IndustryGamers


Sony has decided to restructure its online streaming networks. Starting with the PlayStation Network and Sony's streaming music video service Qriocity, the company will be rebranding various networks and incorporating them into one umbrella service: the Sony Entertainment Network.

“Through Sony Entertainment Network we can provide everything that Sony customers value and want in a convenient, comprehensive manner that is uniquely Sony in its presentation and delivery,” said Kazuo Hirai, chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment at an IFA press conference in Berlin. This new network will rebrand the Qriocity music- and video-on-demand services as “Music Unlimited” and “Video Unlimited” - a change that went into effect last week.

Along with being able to offer more services in one place, Sony might be thinking it's a good idea to move away from PSN, since hacker attacks last April compromised millions of user profiles and interrupted the service for 23 days. Regardless of the motivation behind the change, PSN users may soon see “Sony Entertainment Network” when they log in.