Microsoft forces Bungie towards X-Box: More to follow?

June 27, 2019

The PC Gaming industry may be slipping

 

 
 

Microsoft, the glutton of smaller companies, has taken over control of game developer Bungie in an unexpected move. Bungie, the makers of the Myth series, were not a serious contender in the market, and the purchase by Microsoft surprised many. However, Bungie is developing one of the most anticipated games in the foreseeable future, “Halo,” something Microsoft probably wants to get their hands on. On the plus side, with Microsoft’s enormous amount of resources, shouldn’t Bungie produce a superior product for PC gamers? They should, but Microsoft may not let them. With their eventual release of the gaming console X-Box, Microsoft has been recruiting developers everywhere to make games for it. Bungie will now direct their focus towards development of “Halo” for the X-Box, with a possible port for PCs afterwards. The head of Microsoft’s gaming division, Ed Fries, mentions that “Only a few very special games will work well on both PC and on X-Box.” Those PC gamers anticipating “Halo” may have to extend their wait from much longer to forever.

 
 

PC gaming is now walking a razor sharp tight-rope. At the end of the rope is the acceptance and embrace of the world’s developers, producers, and gamers, plus the support that will make the computer a viable platform for games. On either side of the rope is failure. The “Halo” episode is only one of the many examples that show the PC is slipping from its perch. As the PC progresses …

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The Next Generation Of Portable Gaming is Coming

June 19, 2019

Tokyo was the venue for a gaming announcement that will change portable gaming forever. Since the original PSP released back in 2005, Sony’s portable gaming franchise has been on a downward spiral.

The problems with the original PSP were several, the limited number of games, limited network features, and a overall drop in sales which threatened to ruin Sony’s market for portable gaming. But with yesterdays announcement of the PSP 2 which is also known as NGP (Next Generation Portable), the gaming world is a buzz with the possibilities of what this sexy new console can achieve in the gaming world.

The Features Of The PSP2/NGP

The system incorporates multi-touch, 5-inch display. It is touch sensitive and will feature touch sensitive areas on the back of the console as well as the front. One major new aspect of the PSP2 is the inclusion of Joysticks, much like you see on the Dualshock Controllers… this brings a whole new way of gaming to the portable system.

 
 

The PSP2 will feature a new gaming medium, gone is the UMD to be replaced with Flash Memory Cards which will be games to play on the system. The Flash Memory Cards will also feature save data, and game add ons. The system will feature 2 cameras, one on the front and one on the back. It will feature 3G and Wi – Fi network connectivity which is good for online gaming, a big part of the PSP2 for sure. The big new feature is …

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Glossary of Siege Warfare terms

May 21, 2019

Defensive fortifications
The massive castles which spring to mind whenever the subject of siege warfare is discussed are those from the end of the medieval period. There are several reasons for this: the earlier fortifications were either destroyed or replaced by stone structures, and a good stone wall is much more memorable than the remnant earth mound of a motte-and-bailey structure. Castles started out as fortified residences for a local lord in feudal Europe, and were taken to new levels after the Norman invasion of England. Castle building probably reached its zenith during the reign of Edward I and his conquest of Wales.

 
 

 
 

Bastide
A small fortified settlement on a strategic route or near a border in 13th century France.

 
 

Broch
An old pictish tower.

 
 

Caer
Fortified Welsh settlement.

 
 

Crannog
Defensive island in early medieval Ireland or Scotland.

 
 

Llys
Fortified residence for a Welsh lord.

 
 

Motte-and-bailey
Early type of castle with a tower on a raised mound surrounded by a wooden stockade.

 
 

Palisade
A strong wooden fence.

Pele towers
Fortified tower residences found along the England/Scotland border dating form the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Initiated during the reign of Edward I in response to continued raids by armies form Scotland (and England). Continued to be used throughout the era of the Border Reivers.

Shell keep
A stone replacement for the wooden walls of a bailey (of a motte-and-bailey structure) usually restricted by the size of the original mound.

 
 

Tower keep
A small castle formed from a single tower.

Castle features…

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Game

Review: Sheep

May 14, 2019

If you had asked me a month ago whether or not I’d play a game about herding sheep, I would probably have said no. After all, how much fun could that be, right? Well, as it turns out, herding sheep is actually a lot more fun than you’d expect.

In Sheep, you take control of a herder, whose task it is to guide a flock of sheep from the beginning of a level to the end. Of course, it’s not that simple, as each level is chocked full of nasty enemies and traps designed to kill sheep in the most imaginative ways possible.

The game features a total of seven worlds. Each world is built around a particular theme. You’ve got a farm, a medieval faire, a space station, a candy factory, a dinosaur playground, and even a nightclub. Each world is composed of four levels, and in order to successfully complete a level, you have to rescue a minimum number of sheep.

Each level oozes creativity, and at no time does the game feel repetitive. Not only do you have to guide the sheep past dangerous obstacles, but you’ve also got to solve puzzles. For the most part, this means herding sheep onto buttons in order to open gates, but there are some more creative puzzles in there.

As you go through a level you’ll come across machines that will provide your sheep with disguises that help them live longer, and there are also a variety of power-ups that …

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Miniatures for siege warfare

April 25, 2019

Gaming siege warfare

Siege warfare was predominant in the middle ages. Forget about the battles with massed ranks of knights, men-at-arms and spearmen — for each of those there were hundreds of sieges. The next few articles will offer suggestions for gaming siege warfare – covering miniatures, defences, fortifications (model castles, etc.), reference books, a glossary of terms, and (hopefully) wargaming rules. For this first article we take a look at 25/28 mm scale miniatures.

Siege engines
There are a few manufacturers currently offering quality miniatures:

OldGloryMiniatures.com is one of two on-line representative for Old Glory (one of the stalwart manufacturers of wargaming miniatures). Check out their Dark and Middle Ages catalogue for Siege Equipment (OGSE).

The models on offer include a penthouse and ram, trebuchet (counter weighted beam and sling stone throwing engine, see illustration left), a 7″ tall siege tower, an onager ( stone throwing engine dating back to Roman times), a crow (crane used to hook ladders and men scaling the castle walls or to pull men hiding behind cover), as wells as palisades or mantlets, and incendiary wagons.

The illustration of miniature trebuchet is courtesy of Old Glory Miniatures.com, please note that this picture is copyright protected.

Essex also have a range of siege equipment. Miniatures are tailored to the end of the Roman Empire with different forms of catapult, or to the latter part of the medieval era when gunpowder first appeared (Edward I used gunpowder at Stirling in 1304, and guns were later used …

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