Tag: Culture - Page 9

  • E3 2015 YouTube Gaming Makes Twitch, Er, Twitch

    Google reveals new streaming initiative

    Twitch may be trying to laugh off YouTube Gaming's big announcement today, but there will be a lot of businessmen with furrowed brows right now. The video sharing giant has revealed its streaming initiative on the eve of E3 2015, touting a summer release date in the US and UK. Essentially, it will allow you to...

  • Soapbox Why So Many E3 2015 Announcements Are Being Spoiled

    Sammy Barker likes surprises, but reckons early reveals make sense

    I never tentatively tore the corners of my Christmas presents in order to get a sneaky first look inside. I had friends who claimed to know the contents of all of the gifts nestling beneath their fake fir trees, but I always preferred to wait. In fact, as I got older I tended to...

  • News With $50,000, You Too Could Transform Your Basement into an Elder Scrolls Tavern

    Fit for the Dragonborn

    Ah, the whims of the rich. The Elder Scrolls mega fan and DC Comics artist Tyler Kirkham spent $50,000 turning his home's basement into a place of worship for all things Elder Scrolls. Essentially background dressing for when he decides to sit down and soak up some Skyrim, the living space contains numerous nods to the series,...

  • News PlayStation Mobile's Last Ever Game Looks Pretty Rad

    Oh, deer

    We gave up covering PlayStation Mobile a few years ago, so we're part of the problem. It became clear to us in those early days of the platform that, despite being a decent idea, it wasn't going to get much traction – and it made more sense for us to cover the native PlayStation Vita games primarily; y'know, the ones that people were...

  • News Ratchet & Clank Stream Chucks a Spanner at Cancer

    Charity starts on Metropolis

    While we can't help but get "agitated" over video games sometimes, it's important to remember that there are real people out there with very real problems. It's nice, then, when our favourite hobby is used to do good – and MrSeanieBop, a Twitch streamer with a big heart, intends to play through the first three Ratchet...

  • News Behold the Power of Brand Loyalty as PlayStation Gear Launches in the UK

    PS I love you

    If you're a massive PlayStation fan - which we would assume you are, seeing as you're visiting us here at Push Square - you may want to check out Sony's freshly launched PlayStation Gear UK website. The store's been a success across the pond in North America and Canada, and as the regional URL suggests, the site now ships PlayStation...

  • Weirdness This DriveClub Razor Needs to Be Seen to Be Believed

    Comes with exclusive content

    What do men like almost as much as sports cars? A clean shave, of course. With that in mind, this DriveClub branded Philips Norelco Click & Style razor doesn't seem that strange at all... Oh, alright – it's almost as bad as that Assassin's Creed Unity edition of Edge shaving gel. The razor's available from

  • News Konami's Really Sorry You Don't Like Its Mobile First Future

    But it's going ahead anyway

    Konami's finally broken silence on the turmoil that's very publicly taken place inside the organisation of late. As part of an enormous, grovelling statement sent to IGN, it apologised for the anxiety which "conjecture" surrounding its future has caused, and stressed that it will continue to create console games – even...

  • News Sony Agrees to Review Investigation Process after BBC Report

    Lessons have been learned, apparently

    BBC's long-running consumer rights programme Watchdog took PlayStation to task as part of its latest episode this evening, reporting on two cases in which fraudulent account charges had left customers out of pocket. The first, regarding John Lappin's inability to obtain a refund for a game that he never...

  • News PlayStation Taken to Task in BBC's Watchdog Programme

    The weakest link

    Sony's no stranger to Watchdog, the BBC consumer awareness show that's been running in the UK for over 30 years. One legendary report saw the PlayStation 3 taken to task following the yellow light of death scandal, but it's the PlayStation Network that will be subject to an Anne Robinson-fronted grilling in tonight's episode. The...

  • News This Life Size Dragonborn Bust Is Expensive

    Lots of septims

    There's plenty of cool video game merchandise out there: figurines, t-shirts, wallets... Oh, and life size busts of your favourite characters. Yep, Bethesda's online store now has 600 hand-painted, polystone Dragonborn statues for sale. They stand at 25 inches and cost $650 a pop. If you'd rather, though, you can pay for one in...

  • News SEGA Classics to Receive Vinyl Soundtracks

    What year is it?

    SEGA smashes Shenmue and Streets of Rage are set to receive special edition vinyl soundtracks this September – and just so you don't panic, you're definitely still reading this in 2015. London-based record label Data Discs will be handling the uber-limited LPs. We imagine that the firm's based in Shoreditch and only hires...

  • News Rockstar Games Is Suing the BBC Over a TV Drama About Grand Theft Auto

    Game changer

    BBC's planned television drama, currently titled Game Changer, is about the controversy surrounding Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto series. The plot follows the long dispute between Sam Houser, Rockstar's president, and Jack Thompson, the outspoken lawyer and critic who says that video games cause real world violence. Rockstar has now...

  • News Canadian Kid Goes Crazy Over Confiscated PS4

    Don't do this at home

    We suspect that the majority of you learned at an early age that you can't always get everything that you want in life – but we hope that you didn't smash up your house with a baseball bat when the realisation set in. That's exactly what one Canadian kid got up to over the weekend, after his parents confiscated his...

  • News We're Keeping Quiet About This Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Figure

    Insert Björk lyrics here

    We're not going to give you a reason to assemble with pitchforks outside Push Square Towers: we're going to play this article safe. Under-fire director Hideo Kojima has revealed an action figure for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain based upon controversial character Quiet. According to the ousted executive, the toy has...

  • News Marilyn Manson's New Album Was Put on PlayStation Discs to Represent Change

    This is the new s***

    Here's something unusual: Marilyn Manson – yes, the controversial rocker who rose to popularity in the late '90s – released his new album on old PlayStation discs. It was more of an artistic decision than anything, as the self-proclaimed Antichrist Superstar's latest record, fittingly named The Pale Emperor, is supposed to...

  • Soapbox You Should Stop Pre-Ordering Games

    Sammy Barker's against this scary trend

    We've got a problem, readers – and it pertains to pre-ordering games. I never used to be opposed to this practice: I'd regularly drop a fiver at my local GAME on titles that I was looking forward to, and would waltz home happily with a receipt and a pre-order pack – the DVD that came with Metal Gear Solid...

  • News You Need This Journey Record in Your Life

    No, not that Journey

    You're not a true hipster until you have a sizeable vinyl collection – preferably spanning indie hits such as thatgamecompany's outstanding Journey. It's a good thing for your coffee shop street cred, then, that iam8bit has teamed up with Sony to create this stunning double LP set for Austin Wintory's soaring score. The...

  • News Start the Sonic Cycle Over with This Awesome Concept

    Piggin' brilliant

    Sonic the Hedgehog used to be king of the platforming castle, but the blue blur's long since fallen from grace. There have been some decent recent titles in SEGA's flagship series – the excellent Sonic Generations immediately springs to mind – but there's also been some trash. Perhaps the financially challenged firm needs to...

  • Soapbox We Need More New Game Plus

    Robert Ramsey wants to start over, but not from scratch

    Just a couple of days ago, I started a new playthrough of Dragon Age: Inquisition, in preparation for the first slice of DLC that's hitting PlayStation consoles in May. Having already completed the game once, I was looking forward to slogging through the adventure again while making use of the...

  • News Ryo Hazuki Will Finally Get His Revenge Against Lan Di

    Dead or Alive 5 mod finishes the fight

    The first two Shenmue games merely plotted the start of Yu Suzuki's monstrous story, but when the costly escapades flopped, so too did any hopes of the rest of the tale getting told. If you've been waiting over a decade to settle a few scores, however, this Shenmue mod for the PC version of Dead or Alive 5 will...

  • News This Teacher Makes a Great Argument About Children Playing Mature Games

    "Younger teachers like me grew up with games"

    Last week, you may have seen that there was a bit of a kerfuffle after an alliance of teachers were reportedly cracking down on children playing mature rated games. In a bid to get their stance across, they pointed out that they could potentially contact the police or child social care specialists, and...

  • News Sony's Legendary PlayStation Underground Has Returned

    But perhaps not as you remember it

    PlayStation Underground was a big deal in the late 90s. Produced by SCEA in North America, it allowed fans to sign up in order to receive regular CD-ROMs produced by the platform holder. These included both demos of popular games, as well as interviews with notable names. Want to know an interesting piece of...

  • News Some UK Schools Are Cracking Down on Children Playing More Mature Games

    No more GTA for little Timmy

    In an effort to crack down on children playing games that aren't suitable, a group of head teachers in the UK are warning parents that they're entitled to contact the police or child social care if they're found to have access to inappropriate titles. The Nantwich Education Partnership covers numerous schools in...

  • Weirdness These The Last of Us Plushies Are Pretty Cute

    D'aww

    Sony recently launched a gear page on its official website, where it's flogging various bits and bobs of merchandise. A lot of the goodies range from t-shirts to posters, so it's all pretty predictable stuff. However, we had to post about these The Last of Us plushies, as they're sure to delight fans of the franchise. Alright, they're a...

  • Feature The Seven Deadly Sins of Game Design

    You should know better

    Frustration is an emotion that none of us want to feel, especially when we're playing video games. The problem is, of course, that frustration is always lurking just around the corner, unless you're like the gaming equivalent of the most meditative monk in the world – in which case, we salute your patience and understanding...

  • Weirdness Some Idiot Traded in Their Ultra Rare 20th Anniversary PS4 at CEX

    Just another unloved appliance

    Sometimes you need a quick sale, and stores like CEX are always available to purchase your unwanted goods. This is fine if we're talking about your crusty old PlayStation 2 and scratched copy of Pro Evolution Soccer 3, but if you're offloading your 20th Anniversary PlayStation 4 at the high street store – well, you...

  • News What If Indie Games Got Collector's Editions, Too?

    Anything AAA can do, indie can do better

    Ah, the Collector's Edition – a publisher's attempt at extracting even more money out of your unsuspecting wallet. There's always been something ever so slightly insidious about the extortionate box sets that almost all AAA titles command, but what if they were crowdfunded, reasonably priced – and...

  • News A Very Happy Birthday to You, PlayStation 2

    The third place

    Seeing as Sony ceased production on the PlayStation 2 a little while ago, we assumed that we were done celebrating the system's birthday, but what the heck – pour one out for the old guy. The black behemoth turns 15 today, if you take into account its 4th March, 2000 launch date in Japan. Those were certainly heady days, as not...

  • These Are the Players A Conversation with YouTube Game Reviewer Caddicarus

    Caddick addict

    Here at Push Square Towers, we're constantly blithering on about the most famous game developers and designers, but there's always been a hole in our coverage: the players. We're talking about the fans – the people that love the brand as much as we do. Ultimately, we're referring to folk just like you. In this new series, we'll be...

  • Weirdness Sony Craftily Joins Dress Colour Debate

    Introducing the new white and gold DualShock 4

    Those that have topped up their Tumblr knowledge of late will be aware of the dress debate that's taken social media by storm. For those out of the loop, an image showing a white and gold dress [It's white and gold, darn it – Ed] has prompted an online rift, as some argue that it's actually black and...

  • News Apparently, People Buy PS4s Over Xbox Ones and Wii Us for the Resolution

    Hmmmm

    This should go down well. According to a report by Nielsen, the PlayStation 4 is selling like hotcakes due to "better resolution". We know, we're not exactly sure what to make of this, either. The publication quizzed consumers on what aspects of current-gen consoles they found most attractive, while in the process of purchasing their new...

  • Opinion How Reviews Can Colour a Game's Reception

    Good and bad

    There's a growing sentiment among the gaming press that sites like this one are an outdated concept. Apparently, people no longer want to read a considered critique of a game – they'd rather watch a playthrough on YouTube or Twitch, with some commentary from a popular personality. It's something that's constantly on this author's...

  • News The Order: 1886's 256 Page Strategy Guide Is Pure Gold

    Push square

    We're not ones to kick a game when it's down – after all, we really like parts of Ready at Dawn's inaugural PlayStation 4 exclusive – but The Order: 1886 is probably the last title on the planet that needed a 256 page strategy guide. Still, that's exactly what Brady Games has produced, and it's already proving a hit in some hardcore...

  • News UK Publisher and Gamer Charity Weekend Includes World Exclusive Gameplay

    Gaming for all

    If you hadn't noticed it already topping the trends on Twitter, this weekend marks GameBlast, a 24 hour charity gaming marathon by gamers, for gamers. Everyone is gaming hard all to help donate to Special Effect – a UK game charity devoted to helping those with physical disabilities play games. It isn't just streamers getting...

  • News Wait a Minute, Sony Bought a PS4 for £85,000?

    All for a good cause

    Remember those 20th Anniversary Edition PlayStation 4s? The sleek grey consoles proved to be incredibly popular despite their extremely limited availability, with many machines getting resold for extortionate prices on websites like eBay. Sony recently held an auction for the very first 20th Anniversary unit, and the bidding...

  • Talking Point How Important Is Game Length?

    Time to find out

    The Order: 1886 has caused a bit of a kerfuffle this weekend for supposedly being short, but how much does game length really matter? Some would argue that there's no point in spending money on a release that can be wrapped up in an evening or two, but many of us simply don't have the time to work through a 100 hour epic. It's a...

  • Weirdness This Abandoned Mall Looks Just Like the One from The Last of Us

    Out of business

    Spoilers: you spend a good chunk of The Last of Us: Left Behind in an abandoned mall. Here's the really, eerie bit, though: the derelict shopping centre appears to exist in real life. Cleveland-based photographer Seph Lawless recently snapped some shots of the snow blanketed Rolling Acres Mall in Ohio, which was shuttered in 2008...

  • News Happy Birthday to Sony Executive Shuhei Yoshida

    Many happy returns

    Are we doing birthday notices now? Gosh, this site's gone right down the pan – we'll be posting pictures of DualShock-themed tables on Twitter next. Still, we suppose that Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida is just about big enough to have his date of birth acknowledged on these hallowed pages – after all, he has...

  • Talking Point Do Review Scores Have a Future?

    Number games

    After an incredible 15 years – and more 8/10 jokes than we care to count – Eurogamer.net has dropped review scores. It's not the first site to do so – both Kotaku and Joystiq (RIP) ditched numbers and stars a while ago – but the news seems significant this time because our buddies from Brighton operate a more traditional...

  • News EA: Games Are Still Too Hard to Learn

    Don't pull that face

    A top executive from EA Games has suggested that most video games are still too difficult for the average person to learn. We suspect that this statement is going to go down like a lead balloon, but we reckon that chief creative officer Richard Hilleman, who was speaking at the 2015 DICE Summit, may actually have a point. "The...

  • Soapbox Why We Need More Grounded Games

    Sammy Barker's sick of the surreal

    I did something that I don't usually do last night: I cancelled my late night session at the Push Square coal face in order to finish Life Is Strange. The debut episode in DONTNOD's episodic escapade has received a mixed reception from critics, with some lauding it as a minor masterpiece, while others try not to...

  • Weirdness Don't Pimp Your 20th Anniversary PS4 Like This

    Glitter fugly

    Given how rare they were, it was maddening to see scalpers charging extortionate fees for their 20th Anniversary PlayStation 4s on eBay last year – but this is a step above. As spotted by the ever tasteful eyes of Eurogamer.net, one up-and-coming entrepreneur has opted

  • News Attackers Behind PS4's Christmas Outage Hit by Heavy Hack

    What goes around, comes around

    Behave badly and your actions will catch up with you eventually, as some members of the so-called Lizard Squad may be realising right now. After attaining plenty of mainstream media coverage following the PlayStation Network outage which it apparently initiated over Christmas, the group launched a DDoS service,...

  • News Watch PlayStation Titles Get Destroyed in the Awesome Games Done Quick Marathon

    Supersonic

    It's the start of a fresh new year full of gaming, and to help kickstart it into turbo gear is the bi-annual Awesome Games Done Quick marathon. Running from the 5th to the 10th January on Twitch to support the Prevent Cancer Foundation, an army of titles will be blasted through at speeds that may make you cry. The lineup ranges from old...

  • Weirdness This Christmas Gift Is the PS4 Equivalent of Coal

    Stone the crows

    If you reckon that you had a rough Christmas trying to connect to the PlayStation Network, then spare a thought for Igor Baksht's poor 13-year-old niece, who almost received a box of rocks for the big day. According to the Daily Mail, the aforementioned unfortunate shopper picked up a PlayStation 4 from Wal-Mart, but was sold a box...

  • News Season's Greetings from PlayStation's Premium Developers

    They wish you a Merry Christmas

    Christmas wouldn't be the same without more greetings cards than you know what to do with. Waltzing wintery streets with a square of cardboard that won't fit in your pocket is what the holidays are all about, so it kind of makes sense for game developers to acknowledge their fans with bits and pieces of custom art...

  • News Sony Boss Adam Boyes Made Someone's Christmas with This Gift

    For the lucky

    In theory, Secret Santa is a great idea. Everyone in an office or school gets assigned one random person, and they’re responsible for purchasing said individual a gift. The problem is that when there are already established relationships at play, phallic objects are usually the order of the day. Involve a stranger, though, and things...

  • Feature 10 PlayStation Gifts That Need to Be on Your Christmas List

    Stocking fillers

    We were going to produce a bog-standard buyer’s guide this Christmas, but we figured that we’d be re-treading old ground. After all, you can peruse what we think is hot on PlayStation courtesy of our nifty games page, and chances are you already have an idea what software you’d like Santa to lug down your chimney anyway...

  • Weirdness Sony's Made a Watch Out of E-Paper

    Time for something different

    Under the leadership of former PlayStation president Kaz Hirai, Sony is secretly exploring new methods that it hopes will propel it back to profitability in the future. One such subsidiary that it’s created on the quiet is Fashion Entertainments, a small startup consisting of five younger engineers, which has been...