Elemental – War of Magic from Stardock comes out for the PC this week and we had a chance to see the game up close and personal.  Elemental is a PC strategy fantasy game based in a magical world with a vast number of creatures and races.  It is extremely detailed with a landscape and characters so extensive that it could fill a book (in fact a book titled Elemental: Destiny’s Embers – published by Random House will coincide with the release).  Elemental is also turned-based so that means you can pace your units and make plans to explore the land or fight baddies in a controlled and meticulous way.

Some things that stood out during our demo – phrases like ‘sandbox mode’ where you create your characters and environment and the ‘campaign story’ which will take you all over the terrain.  There is also a community aspect of the game which involves new technology developed by Stardock called ‘Impulse Reactor‘ which is an in-game skin interface.  The player may choose to battle and conquer or make treaties to advance in the game.  Elemental is for the HARDCORE strategist gamer – this would be a difficult title for casual gamers to latch onto.

The graphics of Elemental stand out – in fact we inquired about using the game to replicate a ‘machinima-like’ animation.  It turns out this is a complete possibility and within minutes we were able to fly a camera through a scene of two dragon’s interacting in the middle of the village.  The developers at Stardock admit they didn’t develop the game for this reason but we’re always on the look-out for other ways to make games even more fun!

Check out more from Elemental – War of Magic from Stardock here:
http://www.elementalgame.com

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DANCE CENTRAL from Harmonix and MTV Games was showcased at E3 but it was only last week at a private event where we really got to put on our dancing shoes and delve into the game.  This was the first chance we got to try out the ‘Dance Battle‘ mode which is the only chance for two players to face off against each other head to head in the game.

In ‘Dance Battle’ the song is broken up into sections where two players switch off at different parts of the song trying their best to keep up with the music and Kinect motion sensor for the Xbox 360.  If you are playing in the standard ‘Perform It” mode then other players can dance alongside of you but the Kinect sensor only registers the person in the center.

We brought COIN-OP TV correspondent Erin Darling along to dance the afternoon away as you’ll see in this video clip below.  Dance Central is certainly one of the biggest Kinect titles getting buzz.  Harmonix admits that they are on the forefront of this new technology and pushing things as new Kinect abilities unfold.

If you are considering buying Dance Central – remember that this title, like other Kinect games, requires a good amount of room so that the camera can see from your head to your toe.  If space is an issue then you may consider other options but if your living room is large enough then be ready to work out and get down with Dance Central this holiday season.

More on Dance Central here: http://www.dancecentral.com

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Konami took a page out of Capcom’s arsenal this week by holding a community event launch for their game DanceDanceRevolution PS3 (a first time showing for this PS3 exclusive) at the Royal-T Cafe in Culver City.  The game uses both the familiar dance pad along with Sony’s exclusive Move controls.  Are you coordinated enough to move your hands and feet along with the music?  The game also utilizes the camera function to display the players on the screen.

DanceDanceRevolution Wii was also part of the party – which doesn’t have the same caliber of graphics as the PS3 title but appears to maintain the fun.  Finally, tucked away in the corner, was DanceMasters, which uses the Kinect from Microsoft’s Xbox 360.  We never got a chance to try DanceMasters for ourselves due to the crowds of people lined up but from a distance it looks like healthy competition for Dance Central from MTV Games/Harmonix.

The atmosphere at the party was relaxed with people there from all ages and excitement levels.  No VIP room for media journos made it tough to see games close-up but this event was more about fan appreciation.  There was a bar with drinks, snacks and a full size DDR arcade where the kids were showing off their moves.  No celebrities in attendance but DDR’s creator Naoki Maeda was available for photos and eventually took over the tunes when he doubled as the DJ.

For more info check out – http://www.konami.com

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The premiere season of WCG Ultimate Gamer was met with mixed reactions. Hardcore gamers want a TV show showcasing the top gamers actually playing video games yet the popular audience just wants to see the ups and down of reality TV drama. Season 1 was heavily coated with the reality drama – in fact when it did come to playing video games – the challenges were usually marred with additional obstacles.

Positive things about the show – the personalities in season 1 were great. Each episode had enough ‘fun’ to them even though they were all on the ‘silly’ side. Since COIN-OP TV seeks out the top professional gamers it was only natural that half the cast had appeared as guests on the show over the years including: Starslay3r, sWooZ1e, Alyson and Prod1gy X.

Season 2 contains only two former COIN-OP TV guests in Justin Wong and Yaz aka ‘Cl0wn’.  Hosts Joel and Hannah are back calling the shots – let’s hope this time around they are less stiff and more playful.  The big question is, will we see any PC games in the mix?  We know that Nintendo will participate this time around in Wii Kart.  According to the trailer (see below) we should also expect to witness Tekken 6, NHL 10, Forza 3 and Battlefield.  Will Super Street Fighter IV make an appearance? If so, you can count on Justin Wong coming away with a victory.  Should any PC shooters pop up? Count on Yaz to get the most ‘head shots’.  On a side note – don’t count out female gamers Faye and Vanessa as both have won high level fighting tournaments in the past and are cool under pressure!

WCG Ultimate Gamer – Season 2 premieres Aug 19, 2010 on the SyFy network -
http://wcgultimategamer.com

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We celebrated the COIN-OP TV 6 year anniversary party and DVD Volume 3 release at the L Bar in Hollywood – lotsa awesome people came out to join the fun! Robert Welkner and Hailey Bright from COIN-OP TV appreciate your support – we’ll see you guys again next year!  Also – thanks to Mike at NYKO for helping organize/participate with the location!

Link to first wave of photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertwelkner/sets/72157624671389768/

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Our friends over at PRESS THE BUTTONS welcomed COIN-OP TV founder/producer Robert Welkner to be a guest on the show for episode 17!

The group discussed upcoming video games, reactions to both E3 Expo and the San Diego Comic-Con and also talked highlights on the COIN-OP TV DVD Volume 3 collection.  Be sure to check out more of the show from this awesome team of video game journalists!

Press The Buttons episode 17:
http://www.pressthebuttons.com/2010/08/power-button-episode-17-talking-comiccon-and-e3-with-rob-welkner-of-coinop-tv.html

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Robert Welkner from COIN-OP TV and Erin Ashley Darling had a chance to visit the MTV offices in Santa Monica this week for some hands on time with Rock Band 3 and Dance Central (Harmonix/MTV Games).

Rock Band 3 is set to arrive in stores in October 2010 while fans will have to wait until November to get their hands on the Kinect friendly Dance Central.  Both games were a treat and additional information and video from the event is forthcoming but for now enjoy these candid photos of Erin and Rob in action!

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Namco Bandai released Clash of the Titans, the video game, to coincide with the DVD/Blu-Ray release of the film remake of the same title.  Clash of the Titans, the film, stars Sam Worthington (as Perseus) and Ralph Fiennes (as Hades).  The movie was met with mixed reviews and mostly chastised for cashing in on the current 3D trend.

Clash of the Titans the video game was developed by Game Republic, who was responsible for the moderately successful PS3 game ‘Genji: Days of the Blade‘ and the upcoming ‘Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom‘ (which is creating some buzz).  As much as we’d love to dive into the game and come away giving it ‘two thumbs up’ – we’re going to have to lay it in the ‘mediocre movie to video game’ pile.

On a positive side the game is faithful to the movie remake as for look and sound and even has some keen voice acting.  There are over 80 customizable weapons and you can play a campaign on your own or with a friend.  We love anything with Greek Mythology, but Clash of the Titans doesn’t have enough charm or strength to hold up in the competitive gaming market.  After about three hours of playing time we started to wonder if the achievements were enough to overcome the poor pacing and limitations.

Clash of the Titans is available now for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
from Warner Bros and Namco Bandai – more info can be obtained via their website:
http://www.clashofthetitansgame.com

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COIN-OP TV host/founder Robert Welkner joined Mike Schramm and Turpster hosts of ‘The Incredible Podcast of Amazing Awesomeness‘ show last week for episode 24!

The show covered many video game and pop culture related topics like the San Diego Comic-Con, Blizzard games (Starcraft 2) and the recent release of COIN-OP TV DVD Volume 3.  This live podcast show also featured interaction with listeners in the chat room as well as responses to viewer submitted voice mail.

A unique aspect of the show is that one host (Mike) lives in California and the other Turpster in the United Kingdom.  This means that Mike is allowed to hit up all the hipster events in LA while Turpster has to live vicariously through his experiences.  The show is fun and face paced and contained many industry insider looks at the world of video gaming!

Listen to episode 24 with Robert Welkner guest on
The Incredible Podcast of Amazing Awesomeness here:
http://www.incrediblepodcast.com/?p=235

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