Geeks Respawn

Interview: Meet Katana Grrl

Jen Hochstedler — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:15:06 +0000

So, what games have you been playing lately?

Oh Gosh! Well there are just so many coming out right now it’s hard to play them all! But I have been heavily into the new ‘Call of Duty: MW3′, as well as ‘The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim’. I also have found myself playing ‘Portal: Still Alive’ and ‘Portal 2′.

What got you into gaming?

I can’t say what exactly got me into it, perhaps it just runs in the blood! Though I have been playing video games since I was 3.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Well, outside of school I spend most of my time with my school Music department, performing in concerts and for the community both as a vocalist and instrumentalist. And when I am finally at home, I’ve found my free time consumed by my xbox:360 and college applications!

All-Time favorite game?

Man, that is such a tough question. I don’t even think I could pick just one! Though if I had to, right now I’d have to say Dragon age 1 & 2 have stolen my heart.

All-time favorite weapon or power in a game?

Hahaha. :3 MW3 it’d have to be the AK-47 and Skyrim would be the two handed dwarven warhammer.

All-Time favorite multiplayer map?

DOME!

Top 3 TV shows on are…

So tough, there are plenty of shows I am utterly captivated by, but ones that are currently on? Bones, Castle, and Grim.

Favorite food to snack while gaming?

Anything edible honestly.

I destroyed that game all while eating toast!

Any story behind your gamertag?

Well, I have always fancied the Katana sword, and I love everything that is Japanese, so it originates from my love of the sword.

What’s your favorite gaming experience?

Definitely Portal. It was utterly magnificent and I loved the sarcastic remarks from GLaDOS.

Do you have a favorite quote?

From a game? Well that would definitely have to be, Portal – GLaDOS:[the player is carrying a sphere that fell from GLaDOS] Maybe you should marry that thing since you love it so much. Do you want to marry it? WELL I WON’T LET YOU! How does that feel?

Or this one, GLaDOS: That thing you burned up isn’t important to me; it’s the fluid catalytic cracking unit. It makes shoes for orphans… nice job breaking it, hero.

And this one, sorry it’s so hard to pick just one! GLaDOS: Well done. Here are the test results: You are a horrible person. I’m serious, that’s what it says: A horrible person. We weren’t even testing for that. Don’t let that “horrible person” thing discourage you. It’s just a data point. If it makes you feel any better, science has now validated your birth mother’s decision to abandon you on a doorstep.

Okay that was my favorite one See it below!

Trailer: Ghost Recon Future Soldier: Premiere Gameplay

Jen Hochstedler — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:20:01 +0000

If you have not seen this trailer yet I highly recommend it. This game is looking spectacular especially for those of you who like stealthier games. The single player gameplay footage shows a lot of fun gadgets and and you may even use that brain thingie when deciding on which tactics to use.

Ubisoft announced that the Beta for Ghost Recon Future Soldier will begin in April for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

My favorite clip in this trailer was the cammo sniper, tandem take-down!

Do you see anything you liked about this trailer and will it make a spot on your game shelf?

Ghost Recon Future Solder is out May 22, 2012 in the US! Sorry Europe you won’t get it until May 24th.

Top Rated Xbox 360 Games Of 2011

Zen — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:00:08 +0000

The year was packed with top rated games. Games that stole your heart and had you glued to the TV screen for hours. It’s going to take me all of 2012 just to get caught up on all my gaming! Keep an eye out for deals, because a lot of these games are going on sale for the holidays. In random order, here’s our list of best games of 2011 for the Xbox 360. Your favorite game not listed? Share it on our Facebook wall.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Batman: Arkham City
Battlefield 3
LA Noire
Dragon Age 2
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Gears Of War 3
ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM
Forza Motorsport 4
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

When away from home several of us have been loving the fact you can play games on the Windows Phone 7 and get achievements!

Deal Alert: Best Buy Gears of War 3

Jen Hochstedler — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:21:30 +0000

It is that time of the year where gaming deals explode.

So, for anyone who has not picked up a copy of Gears of War 3 here is a great deal for you today at Best Buy.

800 Free Xbox LIVE Points with Gears of War 3 for $34.99 and even Free Shipping!

To get the most out of the new game, you’re going to want to play online. And
now, for a limited time, you’ll get a code for 800 Xbox LIVE points when you buy
Gears of War 3.

The site still shows the regular $59.99 price until it is added to the cart.

So in case you missed math class, you are saving a total of $25.00 off the price of the game, the 800 points are worth about $10.00 and then you get free shipping. Not too bad!

Is Modern Warfare 3 any different than other Call of Duty games?

Zen — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:24:25 +0000

The day had finally arrived, and I was in my local Gamestop picking up my copy of Modern Warfare 3. I overheard a few gamers talking about the new game and how it’s pretty much a $60.00 map pack for Black Ops. Walking out of the store I looked down at my purchase and began to question if they could be right. I loved Modern Warfare 2. My relationship with Black Ops was a little rocky. There was always something just a little off with Black Ops. After playing an hour of the MW3 campaign I was hooked. The multi-player brought me back to MW2, which is exactly what I was looking for. So what’s the big difference between Modern Warfare 3 and it’s predecessors?

To be honest, not a whole lot, but did we really want a totally different game? I think they could have made changes to make the game stand out from the rest of the Call Of Duty family. For one the MW3 menu looks exactly like MW2. I wish we had more control over customization of our character and emblems. The emblems have gone back to standard images like those used in MW2. I’m sure we all have a wish list of what we’d like to see in the game and I could nit pick the game to death, but at the end of the day it’s still the game sitting in my disc tray. There’s little tweaks here and there that do bring new life to the game. Plus a few added kill streaks, weapons and perks. I like the addition of prestige awards. My favorite award is the ability to pick a weapon that will remain unlocked after going prestige. The addition of different classes for kill streaks (assault, support, and specialist) is great and if used right can make your team unstoppable. Being a Juggernaut made me feel like Robocop roaming the streets destroying anything in my path. The satisfaction of someone falling for a rigged care package always brings a smile to my face.

The storyline of the campaign is engaging and had me daydreaming at work till 5:00 rolled around. Survivor & Special Ops Missions are fun and provide a nice break from multi-player. I wish they offered a four person co-op vs two. Xbox Live multi-player will provide hours and hours of game play.

The gamers in Gamestop had different expectations for the game than myself. Modern Warfare 3 is an exceptional game and I’m sure I’ll be glued to the TV screen for countless hours. You’ll be disappointed if you’re thinking it’s going to be a totally different experience than MW2 or Black Ops. If you’re a die hard fan of the Modern Warfare series then I think you’ll understand why a few little tweaks is all the game really needed to keep the series going.

Review: LYSOL Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System

Jen Hochstedler — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:19:26 +0000

LYSOL Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System

Well, it is the time of year again when germs lurk and spread like crazy. Us geeks are constantly touching smart phones, laptop keyboards, car steering wheels, and game controllers which are all places that breed germs. Since I am a germaphobe I decided to try out a new hand cleaning gadget called the LYSOL Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System.

The LYSOL Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System automatically dispenses soap once your hands are under the sensor. The starter kit includes a dispenser, one hand soap refill, and four AA batteries. Depending on where this is purchased you can expect to pay between $10.00 to $12.99 for the starter kit and about $4.00 for refills.

The soaps come in four scents:

Refreshing Grapefruit Essence (Refill only)
Soothing Cucumber Splash
Aloe Vera & Vitamin E with Moisturizers
Antibacterial Total Care

Pros:

Easy to use.
Dispenses the perfect amount of soap.
Cucumber Splash smells great.
It’s fun to wash your hands…for at least a few times!

Cons:

Initial investment on starter kit. (Look for coupons online).
Requires 4 AA batteries.
The soap refills are more expensive than other soap options.

Fact Time:

Did you know that the very simple activity of frequent handwashing has the potential to save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention?

Although people around the world clean their hands with water, very few use soap to wash their hands.

–From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Final Verdict:

This is not necessary for everyone but for me it works great in the kitchen. I can handle raw meat and then have soup automatically dispensed without having to touch the soap bottle. Yes, I am a germ freak but this has been very useful and I am happy with my purchase!

So, go buy this and show that gamers can be clean and practice proper hygiene!

Score:

9/10

Free DLC Challenge Pack #1 for Kinect Sports: Season 2

Jen Hochstedler — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:34:38 +0000

Kinect Sports: Season Two – Challenge Pack #1

Discover new ways to play Kinect Sports: Season Two with more game modes and challenges to send to friends.

Each sport receives a standout new experience:

Crazy Kicker (American Football)
Frantic Fielder (Baseball)
Cool Ringings (Skiing)
Champion Chip (Golf)
Rapid Returner (Tennis)
Smart Shot (Darts).

Challenge Pack #1 is free DLC on Xbox Marketplace so what
are you waiting for?

You can add Kinect Sports: Season Two – Challenge Pack #1
it to your download queue here!

Let us know what you thought of the pack after giving it
a try.

Learn How to Earn Double XP Time in MW3 with Mountain Dew and Doritos

Zen — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 17:40:09 +0000

You have my full attention when you say Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and double xp.

Mountain Dew and Doritos teamed up for limited time to offer just that. double XP time codes on select products. All you have to do after you’ve purchased the select products is create an account online at www.doritosxp.com or www.dewxp.com, then enter your code and, bang, time is added to gain double XP in MW3. You can keep adding product codes to your account and build up additional double XP time. You must be 17+ to enter and time codes range from 15-90 minutes per code. A total of 24 hours of XP time can be added per gamertag.

HOW TO APPLY DOUBLE XP TO GAMERTAG:

Go to the “My 2XP” tab in your Dashboard
Select the time to apply
Select gaming platform
Enter your Gamer ID, as Double XP time will be transferred to the Gamer ID you select.
If no Gamer ID has been entered during the promotion period, XP time will be forfeited.
You may apply up to 24 hours of Double XP per Gamer ID.
(Information via http://www.rankupxp.com)

Amount of time granted per specialty mark product:

15 Minutes Codes
20 oz. Mtn. Dew (various flavors)
2&3 oz. Doritos (various flavors)

45 Minutes Codes
12 pack Mtn. Dew (various flavors)
11 oz. Doritos (various flavors)

90 Minutes Code
Available only at Walmart
20 pack Mtn. Dew
17 oz. Doritos (various flavors)

Power Bonus (any Mtn Dew® and Doritos® combination) = 15 minutes (Can only be awarded once a week)
Go drink and eat up, but keep in mind, each gamer tag can only accumulate up to 24 hours of XP time.

Review: Bejeweled 3 Shines on Xbox Live Arcade

Jen Hochstedler — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:44:47 +0000

Dance Central 2 Demo Hits Xbox Live Today

Jen Hochstedler — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:01:27 +0000

The Dance Central 2 demo has hit Xbox Live today! The demo offers a couple of songs to dust off your dancing shoes with.

You can add the game to your Xbox Live download queue by clicking this link.

Dance Central 2 will be release October 25th!

Don’t forget that Kinect Sports: Season 2 releases on the 25th too!

Description:

Get ready for the sequel to the best-selling dance game for Kinect™ for Xbox 360®! Featuring another killer soundtrack, new simultaneous multiplayer and all-new dance crews, Dance Central™ 2 is sure to get your party started!