Well, it’s official. The Xbox 1 is about to die. This April 15th (Tax Day for all of us Yankees!), Microsoft will be shutting down the online servers for all Xbox 1 multiplayer games. Halo 2, Counter-Strike, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, and a host of other servers will be closing. While it’s true that die-hard Xboxers will still be able to play local and single-player games, this shutdown indicates the end of the Xbox 1. After all, most gamers still playing Xbox 1 games have their favorite single-player campaigns down by heart with the only challenge coming from small online community. Given the communities which have formed over yeas of camping and corpse-humping, is Microsoft crossing any boundaries with this announcement? Continue reading ‘Microsoft, Fans, and the Death of Xbox Originals Online Play’
We’re pleased to announce Letsgetacid as the randomly selected winner of our first Frag Swag Giveaway! Letsgetacid will be receiving one free copy of Chime, a non-profit XBLA title developed by Zoë Mode and published by OneBigGame.
We’d like to sincerely thank everyone who participated in the Chime giveaway. We were really impressed by the scope and variety of developers named by our readers. From big hitters like BioWare and Valve to less recognized developers like tri-Ace and Treasure, participants reminded us just how big the industry is and how many people are out there making really fantastic games.
We’re sad that we can only give away one copy of Chime. We would like to remind everyone, however, that it is great puzzler available on Xbox Live Arcade and is well worth the 400 MS Point ($5) price tag. 60% of the proceeds from the sale of Chime will be redistributed by OneBigGame to children’s organizations. We’d like to encourage our readers to check out the demo and, if you like it, pick up a copy. After all, it’s not often we get a chance to do a little good while playing video games. We would like to offer a special thanks to OneBigGame for donating the prize code and wish them good luck in their work as a charitable organization. We’ll be featuring their future releases here on Fragmatica!
Again, our congratulations to Letsgetacid and a big thanks to everyone who participated. We will be doing frequent Frag Swag giveaways here so be sure to check back often!
With the number of user comments praising BioWare, I thought it would be prudent to write up a segment spotlighting the esteemed developer’s historic games and exploits. The company’s history is littered with successful, quality games that have lead to a large number of passionate followers. By the time BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts Inc. in 2008, the company had over 3.8 million registered users at www.bioware.com and it’s safe to say their fanbase continues to grow. With recent releases such as Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2 thrilling game reviewers and the general gaming populace, I think the three doctors who began it all can look back with pride at what they’ve created.
Continue reading ‘BioWhat? the little canadian company that could’
Speedrunning is the act of completing a video game (either in part or completely) in the quickest possible time. Today, in the first post on our two-part Gamer Culture series, “The Quickest Controller in Town,” we’ll be looking at the history of speedrunning. Check out the low-down on the fastest sport in gaming! Continue reading ‘The Quickest Controller in Town: Part I’
On Your Radar: DesolationPoint
Today, we’d like to introduce ‘On Your Radar‘, a new feature here at Fragmatica that focuses on you, our readers! Basically, on a timetable that’s yet to be determined, we’ll choose one reader from a pool of volunteers to spotlight here on the site. We’ll ask you a few basic questions about how you became interested in gaming, what platforms you own and which one gets most of your time, your favorite games, etc., and then write up a short bio. To kick things off and let you get a better feel for what we mean, we’ll start out by spotlighting the three main contributors at Fragmatica. This week, we’ll be focusing on DesolationPoint. Hit the jump to learn more!
[UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Check back for our announcement of the Frag Swag Giveaway winner!]
Fragmatica is happy to announce its first Frag Swag Giveaway! In light of the release of OneBigGame’s not-for-profit Chime XBLA game, we’re giving away one free Chime download. Check out the contest details and more info about Chime after the jump!
Continue reading ‘Frag Swag: Enter to Win a FREE Copy of Chime!’
The Joys of the Xbox Live Arcade
Maybe it’s my short attention span, my need for simple, straightforward play, or my extreme frugality, but I love the Xbox Live Arcade. Sadly, in the face of big releases like Halo 3: ODST and Modern Warfare 2, it’s all too easy to forget about the XBLA. After all, Arcade games don’t receive nearly the hype or industry media time that they should. What’s more, Microsoft is notoriously bad about announcing release dates and has a bad of habit of surprising us Wednesday mornings. In honor of the underappreciated XBLA, let’s take a few minutes to consider all the great games that came out in 2009 and what we have to look forward to later in 2010.
Continue reading ‘The Joys of the Xbox Live Arcade’
Today, Joystiq.com hosted a hilarious, if somewhat disconcerting, news clip revealing the threat posed by predators using Xbox Live to communicate with kids. Griffin McElroy over at Joystiq took the time to poke a little fun at this example of truly remarkable journalism, but the Fragmatica staff would like to take a moment to talk about the real consequences of new stories like this.
To view the video, check out the Joystiq post above or check out Kotaku’s excellent post on the subject. Hit the jump for more info.
Continue reading ‘What You Should Know About Xbox Live Privacy’
Machinima: Films for Gamers
If you’ve ever seen a video of Horde characters dancing to MJ’s “Thriller” in a Kalimdor field or a film of USMC Spartans discussing the meaning of life while sniping enemies on Blood Gulch, then you’re familiar with machinima. Machinima is, in short, the name given to the genre of films created using a video game’s built-in 3-D animation program. And, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s everywhere. In this week’s edition of our Gamer Culture series, we’ll be looking at the history and significance of this popular gaming phenomenon.
The Realities of Motion Sensing
Let’s talk about motion control. I know, I know. You’ve already talked about it. You’ve watched the Project Natal videos, you’ve heard what Sony is promising, and you may even own a Wii. It’s probably safe to assume you’re sick of the motion control blitz. But let’s take a step back. Let’s forget the cynicism, ignore the ridiculous PR, and stop thinking about that awkward E3 Natal demo. In fact when I count to three, we’re going to forget everything we know about motion control. Ready? One, two, three…
Continue reading ‘The Realities of Motion Sensing’
