Nerdy Linguistics and Sexy Ladies
Nicholas B Frickelton
Hailing from the cold nordic reaches of Scandinavia, Nick embraces the ancient wisdom of the vikings - drink beer and play games! Through the haze of mead and video game violence, Nick shares his musings on the state of the world of video games.
Posts by Nicholas B Frickelton
Comic Con 2012: Penny Arcade looking to create PAX South
Jul 14th
Another year, another San Diego Comic Con.
Amid the myriad promotions by giant media conglomerates, costumed visitors and sexy booth-babes, and ever-satisfying merchandise, panels often serve not only as a refuge from the endless crowds, but also as a more intimate way to engage your favorite celebrities. Penny Arcade graced us with their presence again this year, and yours truly was at their panel to catch this delicious morsel of information; Penny Arcade is seeking to expand their Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) to a third venue, in addition to their annual PAX Prime and PAX East on the west and east coast More >
Indie Preview - Exodus Wars: Fractured Empire
Jul 8th
Hello, gorgeous!
Exodus Wars: Fractured Empire is a turn-based strategy PC adaptation of the popular miniature tabletop game Exodus Wars. Like Warhammer 40K, Exodus Wars centers on a human empire in decay, fighting for survival in a dystopian future. Unlike the games based on W40K though, Fractured Empire is not a mainstream real-time strategy game.
Straight from their indiegogo.com campaign page, developers Membraine Studios declare their intention that “Exodus Wars: Fractured Empire will be the computer game tabletop wargamers have always wanted but have never seen made because wargaming is seen as too niche a market.” Right on!
Contrary to the more mainstream direction Relic took with More >
The Dichotomy of Diablo 3: Offline vs. Online
Jun 21st
Diablo 3 is a great game. It has a fantastic art style, fun combat system, and an addictive loot system. Played co-operatively with friends, it’s a blast. But, it is also a game with some fundamental issues. Diablo 3 is being torn apart by a schizophrenic design that tries to cater to diametrically opposed play-styles, doing neither extremely well and discouraging adherents of each.
The dichotomy centers around the design of the game in regards to it’s online functionality. Diablo 3 is both a single-player game and a quasi-MMO. Building on their first attempt with Starcraft 2, Blizzard have attempted to More >
Why You Should Play: Diablo 3
May 28th
The games industry is huge, releasing hundreds of larger and smaller titles and generating billions of dollars of revenue every year. Many are sequels in popular franchises, some simply one-offs, others break-out Indie games. There are many games currently available. Too many, in fact. You would not have enough time in one human life to play all existing games to completion. As depressing as that thought may be, fear not! A great deal of those games are crap anyway. Or, put another (polite) way, some games are more exceptional than others. In order to save you from dreary, bleak, and More >
A Bumpy Launch Day for Diablo III
May 17th
Diablo III launched in North America on May 15th, finally ending the decade-long wait for millions of fans of the franchise. The last Diablo game that came out was Diablo II’s expansion, Lord of Destruction (2001). In this humble writer’s opinion, it was well worth the wait. Diablo III is an excellent game.
Alas, the launch of the game was not without problems. Developers Blizzard repeated their design choice for StarCraft II (2010) by completely integrating the game into their battle.net service. While excellent for social functions in the game, it also means the game requires a constant internet connection to More >
Blizzard saves Australians from Hell
May 14th
With the steady rise in digital distribution and retail over the last decade, brick and mortar retail stores have suffered as customers stop visiting their stores, instead favoring the 24/7, home-accessible convenience of the web. As part of that trend, the large videogame retailer GAME went into administration in the UK in March this year. GAME’s other branches are following suit, and now the Australian GAME branch has entered administration too.
That’s bad news for Diablo III fans in Australia, as pre-orders will not be honored or refunded. Usually, dedicated fans would have no other choice but to purchase another copy of More >
Why You Should Play: The Battlefield Series
May 10th
The games industry is huge, releasing hundreds of larger and smaller titles and generating billions of dollars of revenue every year. Many are sequels in popular franchises, some simply one-offs, others break-out Indie games. There are many games currently available. Too many, in fact. You would not have enough time in one human life to play all existing games to completion. As depressing as that thought may be, fear not! A great deal of those games are crap anyway. Or, put another (polite) way, some games are more exceptional than others. In order to save you from dreary, bleak, and More >
Diablo III is two weeks away!
Apr 30th
Diablo III! Diablo III! Diablo III!
In case you have completely fallen off the face of the earth, live under a rock, or had no internet connection over the last half year or so (welcome back), here’s a friendly reminder: Diablo III will be released in about two weeks, May 15th. Mark your calendars, book a month off, write your will, etc. This one. Will. Consume. YOUR SOUL!
Here’s a new TV spot via PCGamer UK to whet your appetite (US version requires youtube login, shamefully).
Mass Effect: Homeworlds #1 - Comic Review
Apr 24th
The major comic companies put out enough comics that sometimes it can leave your head spinning and eyes bleeding as you search the new titles each week for something worth reading. To aid in your Geeky endeavors, Speak Geeky To Me on occasion reviews new titles from the major companies to spotlight the best and worst of what’s available at your local comic shop. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a new Comic Review.
Title: Mass Effect: Homeworlds #1
Genre: Science Fiction
Writer: Mac Walters (Lead Writer - Mass Effect games, Mass Effect: Invasion)
Artist: Eduardo Francisco (Mass Effect: Conviction)
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh (Shinku, Mister Terrific)
Publisher: Dark Horse
Page Count: 22
Price: $3.50
The More >
Mass Effect: Invasion - Comic Review
Apr 10th
The major comic companies put out enough comics that sometimes it can leave your head spinning and eyes bleeding as you search the new titles each week for something worth reading. To aid in your Geeky endeavors, Speak Geeky To Me on occasion reviews new titles from the major companies to spotlight the best and worst of what’s available at your local comic shop. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a new Comic Review.
Title: Mass Effect: Invasion
Genre: Science Fiction
Writer: Mac Walters (Lead Writer of Mass Effect video games)
Script: John Jackson Miller (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Iron Man)
Art: Omar Francia More >
