journey

Making the perfect video game sand

SAN FRANCISCO--Who was the star character of video game mega hit Journey? Make that a what.

While you spend the entirety of the award-winning PS3 title playing as a nameless, mostly faceless humanoid with a very snazzy scarf, most of the oohs and ahhs come for what you're trekking across: sand.

It trickles down virtual dunes as it's stepped on. As the sun sets, it glows red and sets off a glassy sheen. And in the dark, blue light spills out over it, providing a (misplaced) sense of calm.

Like real sand, it's changing and flowing as … Read more

Spin that machine in Slots Journey

Slots Journey is the free iOS app for every casino game player who has some free minutes to fill. Its design and user interface serve one single aim: to bet money and win money back while having fun in a virtual casino, standing in front of a slot machine.

We liked how Slots Journey went beyond a typical virtual casino game and implemented the idea of a journey as a tweak to the slot machine app. The starting point is Egypt, followed by China, "Islands," Greece, Transylvania, Texas, and Australia, and each place has several levels to go … Read more

Journey well worth the trip

From the makers of previous cult PSN classics like Flow and Flower, Thatgamecompany has provided gamers with totally original gaming experiences all while maintaining a somewhat mysterious persona.

The developer's latest gem is Journey, where players take control of a character made of wavy cloth through a desert world.

Jeff: It's unfortunate that originality has become such a rare commodity in gaming lately, but with developers like Thatgamecompany, gamers who wish to walk the path less traveled are rewarded kindly.

While some may have written off the studio's previous two games as "screensavers you can also play," Journey is by far the most "game-y" of the trifecta yet. … Read more

E3 2011: The Microsoft exclusives

LOS ANGELES--Microsoft began its press conference with some gameplay demos of Modern Warfare 3, Tomb Raider, and Mass Effect 3. Though these titles certainly impressed, they'll be available on multiple consoles.

But at E3, it's exclusives that count, and Microsoft finally showcased a number of titles that will only be available on Xbox 360 and Kinect:

Xbox 360:

As we suspected, an intense Gears of War 3 demo delighted the crowd with Marcus Fenix battling a skyscraper-size alien. The game will be out in September.

Next we saw a teaser-trailer for the ancient Rome inspired Ryse that looks to feature Kinect implementation. There wasn't too much information here--just that it's being developed by the team behind the Crysis franchise, Crytek.… Read more

The 404 227: Where we're constantly waiting for MTI

Mark the Intern joins us for a hilarious show; this time around, we tackle stories breaking in mainstream media including the Mad TV cancellation, Journey greatest song of all time, the Arrested Development movie, and Stan Lee's cutting edge take on the classic superhero story.

There's a lot of music and television show news to report today, so we invite Mark the (former) Intern onto the show to help us discuss what's happening. First off, we get into the one song that can always brighten a dark day: Journey's "Don't Stop Believin." Whether it's in a crowded Karaoke Bar, in a Family Guy episode, or in a solo performance in the pajamas in privacy of my room, that song gets my juices flowing right when I hear that familiar falsetto. So a big congratulations to Journey for hitting the double platinum digital sales mark on iTunes!

Unfortunately, good news always comes with the bad kind too, and we're sad to report that Mad TV is shutting its doors after a 14 year stint on air. I personally loved Mad TV more than SNL all throughout middle school; don't you remember Ms. Swan? UBS Guy? Funky Walker, Dirty Talker? And Stewart! Look what I can do! We'll miss you Mad TV, but at least you're taking down Lipstick Jungle and My Own Worst Enemy with you. Seriously, Jeff says those shows suck.

EPISODE 227 Download today's podcast … Read more

The 404 130: Where Justin dances like a Muppet

Fridays are always the craziest days at the 404--hopefully you saw today's preshow where Justin danced his little Muppet heart out to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." If you missed it, you can still check out the video below. We have the pleasure of speaking to the great Lou Bakalar today over the phone; he gives us his take on cutting edge tech and we pick his brain about the dangers of driving a taxi in the city. The story rundown is equally zany, filled with strip clubs, celebrity death predictions, vegetable oil automobiles, and of … Read more