Aaron BouldingWebsite

Aaron Boulding began writing about the video game industry as a founding editor at IGN. Since then he’s ridden in helicopters, driven race cars and lost a professional curling match all under the auspices of covering video games. Before he learned to properly use words like “auspices” at UC Berkeley’s journalism school, Boulding began his still-active streak of always reaching the second level of every arcade video game he’s ever played on the first quarter. Find him on Twitter @aboulding

The Egotastic! Valentine’s Day Gift Mini Guide Because We Really Deserve It

By Aaron Boulding | February 14, 2013 @ 9:43 am

Full Hearts, Empty Pockets Can't Lose

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So apparently giving gifts that give back is a real thing that people can do now and it’s supposed to make the giver feel good. You give a loved one a gift of a donation to a worthy cause and you do it in that loved one’s name. It’s like you’re putting a down payment on their ticket to get into heaven.

This type of gift-giving is NOT what we have in mind this Valentine’s Day as we come up with our list of gifts that really give back. And we mean that in the most direct way possible. As in, we get something cool and awesome out of giving you this gift. At Egotastic! we often do things the wrong way and sometimes on purpose, sometimes for fun but it’s always without fear. It’s not easy working through this cocktail of abandonment, resentment and lactose issues we’ve got. Angrily choosing our V-Day sweethearts and offering gifts that come from the wrong place in our hearts is right up our alley; a cold, dark and unforgiving place as you’d ever want to be on Valentine’s Day. Read More » »

Wreck-it-Ralph Deleted Scene Could’ve Hurt The Sims’ Feelings. We Wish it Had (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 13, 2013 @ 11:29 am

The animated film "Wreck-it-Ralph" had a clear focus on arcade games and the now-nearly extinct arcade culture where ornately decorated wooden cabinets, specialized monitors and game-specific controls once ruled the day. When the movie-going public took their kids to this latest Disney money magnet, this take on arcade games carried plenty of appeal for adults (ok, dudes and dads) old enough to remember arcades. The news that a scene taking down ridiculous "do-nothing" social games was planned and then cut from the movie is both sad and exciting now that we have storyboard video of said scene. Read More » »

Aliens: Colonial Marines is More Bug Hunt than Stand Up Fight in Our Review

By Aaron Boulding | February 12, 2013 @ 5:03 pm

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The advantages of doing a proper console game based on the 1987 film “Aliens” are numerous and significant. You’ve got a beloved film franchise that has influenced first person shooters and other genres of video games more than we can fully appreciate. The sense of relentless enemies absorbing dozens of bullets before falling at the player’s feet is a big part of Halo’s appeal as a franchise and that can trace its roots directly to James Cameron’s classic. So the idea that that movie is getting the modern console treatment and in a way reclaiming its essence and projecting it fully into a proper Aliens-themed video game was very exciting when Aliens: Colonial Marines first surfaced years ago. All of the sound effects, voice acting from the original actors who played Hicks and Bishop (Michael Biehn and Lance Henriksen) and authentic weapon, vehicle and environmental design from Cameron himself should’ve made for one hell of an advantage. Unfortunately, Aliens: Colonial Marines squandered these advantages and buile-in good will on a substandard performance. Like one of Magic Johnson’s failed returns to the Lakers in the mid-1990s, something that seems so right might have been better left as an idea only. The NBA moved on in different directions and so did shooter video games. Read More » »

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Can’t Stop Showing Off Cool Stuff (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 12, 2013 @ 3:13 pm

Many cop cars will be sliced

You've seen the mini bosses and cool weapons featured in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance in some splendid pre-release videos. Now that we're down to the final pre-launch days, it's time for all of the goods to come tumbling out of this game and today is a special one. Upgrading Raiden to make him an even more deadly cyborg-ninja with new hand-to-hand and defensive combat skills is a nice complement to all of the weapon upgrading we've already seen. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance comes with a lot of moves, combos and potential abilities but honestly this such a well designed combat game that you really can get by on just the basic skill and weapon set. Battles may take longer --knocking off 1% of a Mastiff's health is worse than taking off 3%-- but this game is old school in that regard; long fights aren't a bad thing. Read More » »

Remember Me Reminds You of the Importance of Music (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 12, 2013 @ 2:14 pm

So close, so easy to forget

Don't forget that Capcom's futuristic, mind-hijacking action game Remember Me is still coming and could very well sneak up on all of us. Music in a game like this is something that can only help if it's done right. The key is going to be pacing, accessibility and variety of gameplay in Remember Me to where it feels like a fresh experience that lives up to the tremendous potential in the premise.

Have a look at this behind-the-scenes type video on the music of Remember Me and keep in mind that the best part of this game is going to be how well the mind-stealing, time-manipulating systems work. You should join me in helping that they pull this thing off because it'll be like playing "Inception."

Star Trek Game Will Be Like Star Trek II Without the Popcorn or Darkness

By Aaron Boulding | February 12, 2013 @ 12:05 pm

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If you've been bouncing around Egotastic for any stretch of time, you've seen our focus on Star Trek Into Darkness and we admit our pointy Vulcan ears are starting to show. We can't help it. Clearly Namco Bandai has seen though ears pop up on many a Trekkie out there and so they're throwing a Star Trek game out there to capitalize on the excitement. All I can say is "bring it on." We've had Star Trek video games over the years with the best ones usually showing up on the PC. Some of the ship-to-ship strategy games were well done but once you've seen one Enterprise or Excelsior flying around on a black screen, you've seen them all.

This time it's going to be Spock and Kirk running around shooting and doing the Vulcan nerve pinch and Kirk's double-fisted chop to the back (we hope) for a more up close and personal touch. Check out these latest screens and our thoughts on Star Trek Into Darkness.

The Next Xbox and Playstation Changing the Game with Connectivity

By Aaron Boulding | February 11, 2013 @ 4:33 pm

And just like that a mini torrent of information, speculation, hyperbole and leaks about the next consoles from Microsoft and Playstation is upon us and the first shots in the upcoming console battle have already been fired. Kotaku beat some nuggets of info out of veteran, if not totally reliable, source who revealed many whoppers including the idea of an always present, always connected Kinect motion-sensing system that will ship with every new Microsoft console. Not only will everybody be forced onto the Kinect train, but the Kinect unit itself will be much improved --able to "see" six people and the articulation of their hands all with a camera that can see farther and wider than the current camera.

Sony, meanwhile, has thrown out 6pm EST on February 20 in New York City as the time and place for a major announcement that has everybody convinced Playstation information is on the way. Soft acknowledgement by game makers that something big is coming up, has fueled excitement that next Wednesday will be the day. There's chatter about Killzone 4 on the new Playstation, an innovative controller that's supposed to include a touchscreen and/or "share" button for social media and even a rumor about the thing coming with two cameras.

Now that the race for the living room entertainment crown has restarted, keep it here for more on the new systems because things are about to get wild.