Boss Talk 6: Why are we wearing costumes?

The new Boss Talk is up, but you'll notice the lack of skits for this episode. Expect some extra special skit stuff sometime soon. "The Bossing" will come, I swear!

Quick Update on Boss Talk

I know I'm a little behind schedule. Actually, I'm really behind schedule. Boss Talk is usually up around sunrise or so. Today it is not. I figure I should throw an update on here on the off chance that anyone questions it. I didn't forget, if that's your first assumption. I'm rendering out the newest Boss Talk as I type. We did a lot more skit stuff than usual for this special episode. There was a lot of stuff to crawl through, but it should be up by the end of the day.

I made a personal Twitter account for myself, where I'll post updates on my editing progress, new ideas, teasers for content I'm working on, and just generally cool stuff. I'm planning on previewing the new Boss Talk on my Livestream channel before I upload it to YouTube. I'll announce that on the Twitter account before I do it, but if you miss it Livestream keeps a backlog of old stuff I've done.

The Boss VG Twitter will still be used for bigger update news, just like it always has been. I've always kinda wanted a twitter account for myself, that's really what this boils down to. We'll figure out some more stuff to do with the main one, I promise. For now, sit tight. Oh, and follow me on Twitter. :)

EDIT: It is now 8:37 PM and I'm still having render issues. I think I found the problem, but to make everyone's lives easier, I'm uploading Boss Talk separately from the skit just so it's up.

New Call of Duty going to be revealed tonight

The new Call of Duty game was scheduled to be announced tonight with the release of the game's trailer. But the game's name and release date were released ahead of time. The game will be called Call of Duty: Black Ops, to be released on November 6th. There are rumors that the game will take place in Vietnam, which is a war that I think needs more lovin' from game developers. So fingers crossed that the trailer will be awesome when it is released tonight!!!!

APB gets a release date!!!!

I have been pretty excited about APB in the past. That excitement quickly faded away when it seemed like the game would not be released this year since the developers were giving almost no information on the game aside from how customizable it is.

But today EA has made a statement talking about the release date and the payment method. The game will be released in the US on June 29 and July 2nd for the UK. And the following is a quote from EA's statement regarding the payment method.

"Gamers can purchase a retail version of APB either in-store or via digital download at standard retail price of $49.99. The game includes 50 hours of action gameplay out of the box plus unlimited time in APB’s social districts customizing, socializing and trading in the marketplace. Once the 50-hours are up, players have flexibility: top up their game time from as little as $6.99 for an additional 20 hours, or opt to purchase a 30-day unlimited package for only $9.99 with discounts available for 90 and 180 days. In addition to this flexible payment model, players can also earn game time by actually playing the game. APB provides avenues for accomplished gamers or creators to earn rewards for their creativity and subsidize their ongoing costs with their in-game efforts."

Bungie signs a 10 year contract with Activision

Everyone is going crazy over this news, and I don't blame them. I was not expecting this in the least bit. Halo developer Bungie has announced that it just signed a ten-year contract with Activision. This is their first long-term engagement since they split with Microsoft in 2007.

Its important to note that even though Activision is publishing their games, Bungie still owns full rights to their IPs. So while Activision is still pretty dirty, its highly doubted Bungie will have its own fiasco like Infinity Ward. Activision has money and they will market their game like crazy, so it doesn't seem like too bad of a business move as long as they make sure to keep all the rights.

In some other related news, Sony is all excited because since Bungie won't be making exclusive games for Microsoft anymore, they are under the impression that Bungie will give them games like a "Halo on steroids", lol that's cute. I'm pretty sure Bungie said they were going to make multi-platform games, which means your system will still get the shaft like always Sony.

PlayStation Move video

For my last update in this chunk of updates, let me show you a neat video from Stuff.tv.


I guess all the hype got to me, but now the Move doesn't really seem that much different than the Wii. I mean, yes, it is a LOT more responsive and sensitive. And yes, the graphics on the system in question are a billion times better...

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that the Move looks like what the Wii should have been. I mean, I haven't touched my Wii for a year at least (hahaha). If you're really keen on motion controllers, I could see getting one. Me? I think I'm going to be much more interested in Project Natal.

Cub Scouts Game for Upgrades

The Cub Scouts are sounding a lot more cool now that its possible to get a Video Gaming belt loop and pin. The criteria for both items highlights parental involvement and choosing the right games for your age group. The pin especially requires making appropriate choices and learning how to set up a video game system.

I think this is an excellent idea and it touches upon a lot of important topics. For one, kids are required to learn about what is and is not appropriate for them to play. The ESRB exists for a reason, after all. Most parents are shocked to see the levels of violence in games today, especially when they themselves bought their twelve-year-old an M-rated game. The Cub Scouts are raising awareness about video game ratings, and teaching the kids other important lessons while they're at it. Check out number seven on the pin criteria list, for example:

"7. Play a video game that will help you practice your math, spelling, or another skill that helps you in your schoolwork"

That sort of teaching is the way of the future, I think. If we could integrate teaching with technology, maybe we could focus on other more important things. People are gradually realizing that video games are a staple of our culture. Maybe if they embrace them, we could get some really cool stuff done in the classroom.

Good job, Cub Scouts! You just earned yourselves an "Impressing Jervan" badge!