Bio: John Boske

Nickname
John "Karlinn" Boske
E-mail
karlinn@randomnpc.com
Profile
Just your average, lazy, mildly obsessive-compulsive 20-something gamer/writer, with aspirations of doing either of the latter for pay sometime in the near future. I make no secret of my PC gaming heritage, nor the fact that I use 'heritage' improperly to describe a tendency to favor; I believe the proper word there is proclivity. But I digress.

I do that a lot too, by the way.

Anyhow, until further notice I'm your resident editor person who occasionally deigns to review games, but mostly is just here to keep things running as smoothly and error-free as possible. I have a strong fondness for literature of all kinds, have a man-crush on Warren Spector, and possess a soft spot for those games that offer little more than a really cool idea. I'm also one of the nicest, most laid-back people you're going to find without the aid of "herbal supplements", and I'm told I should be in radio.

If only, my friends. *If only*.

Posts by John Boske

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Mass Effect 4 to use Battlefield 3 Engine

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Rumblings about Mass Effect 4 have already begun, with BioWare more or less confirming it after asking for fan feedback via twitter. With the project in its early stages, little is currently known about the title. However, BioWare did confirm that ME4 will run on DICE’s Frostbite engine, most recently used in Battlefield 3. Development has also been handed off to BioWare Montreal from their Edmonton studio, who developed the original trilogy.

Source: Eurogamer

Yasumi Matsuno Leaves Level 5

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Acclaimed designer Yasumi Matsuno has parted ways with studio Level 5, as he announced on twitter like all the cool kids seem to be doing today. Having joined the studio just sixteen months ago, Matsuno commented that “With my work done on the domestic and overseas version of my latest 3DSWare game (Guild 01: Crimson Shroud) it was good timing for me to step down and take a short break in order to recharge for my next project. My deepest thanks to everyone at Level-5 and everyone playing our games for your continued support.”

Matsuno gave no details about the upcoming project, tweeting only that “sorry, it’s a secret.” Friendly reminder: Matsuno is the brains behind Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre, directed Final Fantasy Tactics, and produced/directed Vagrant Story.

Source: Eurogamer

Mass Effect Trilogy Launches on PS3 in December

Saturday, November 10th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

With the Mass Effect Trilogy already available for 360 and PC, BioWare has revealed a date of December 4 for the bundle to hit the PS3 in North America. The European release will follow on December 7.

DLC-wise, the PS3 version will include Bring Down the Sky, Kasumi, Overlord, and Lair of the Shadow Broker. Mass Effect 3 will remain as it shipped, with the Extended Cut still free for download separately.

Source: Eurogamer

Dragon Quest VII Release Scheduled for Japan

Saturday, November 10th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Square Enix has announced their 3DS redux of Dragon Quest VII will hit Japan on February 7. No global release was confirmed at this time.

Source: Eurogamer

South Park: The Stick of Truth Delayed

Saturday, November 10th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Obsidian’s South Park: The Stick of Truth has been delayed, with a nebulous “fiscal 2014” as the release window instead of its original March 5 of next year. Given how fiscal years work, that could still technically be in 2013, but this was not clarified.

Source: Gematsu

Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition Advances Release Date

Thursday, November 8th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

In a rare twist, Overhaul Games announced that the Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition has been pushed forward, slightly. The game is now set to launch on November 28, as opposed to November 30; the Android release will happen “soon after” the iOS, PC, and Mac versions.

Source: Eurogamer

Next Skyrim DLC Confirmed: Dragonborn Coming in December

Thursday, November 8th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Skyrim: Dragonborn has been confirmed, with the DLC scheduled for a 360 release on December 4 for 1600 MS funbucks. No PC or PS3 dates were given. As the title suggests, the content centers around another Dragonborn, specifically the very first one. Currently known only as the Dragonbeast, it intends to make a dramatic return to the land of Solstheim, which it once ruled.

Check out the official trailer here. No, seriously, check it out. That looks an awful lot like a dragon mount, my friends.

CyberConnect2 Developing New Solatorobo Game

Thursday, November 8th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

CC2 president Hiroshi Matsuyama announced that development is already underway on a new Solatorobo. While it follows last year’s Solatorobo: Red the Hunter for the DS, no further details have been given at this time.

Source: Eurogamer

Persona 4 Arena Delayed in Europe to Next Year

Thursday, November 8th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Over on Persona Europe’s Facebook page, it was announced that Persona 4 Arena will not see a 2012 release. An FAQ from the publisher explained that “For all EU games, there are a number of changes that need to be done to bring it in line with the regulations laid out by Sony and Microsoft in Europe. These regulations are to ensure the game will work correctly in each individual PAL territory, from individual EU countries to Australia and UK.” This, unfortunately, appears to be the delaying point.

While fans reacted angrily, citing the unpopular decision to region-lock the game, the FAQ did suggest a possible bonus as compensation for the delay. “We understand everyone’s frustration surrounding this,” it reads, “so we are preparing something – and we’ll announce that once the new schedule for release is in place.”

Check out the full FAQ and resulting rage here.

Dungeon Fighter LIVE Gets Update

Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

In a press release, Nexon announced an update for the XBLA-based Dungeon Fighter LIVE: Fall of Hendon Myre. Apart from technical changes, such as an improved camera during multiplayer, the update adds new difficulty modes – Expert, Master, and King’s Road – for the game’s final dungeon.

The press release can be read in full here.

Disgaea D2 Details Discussed

Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

With Disgaea D2‘s announcement still warm from the oven, producer Shogo Kozakai released a few general details. As mentioned before, the game follows the original Disgaea and its eccentric core cast, with Laharl again at center stage. D2 will apparently scale back the content somewhat, reacting to fan feedback that Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten was a bit too large.

The team originally considered remaking the original, but eventually settled upon a new story. Kozakai indicated this may be the start of a new subseries, as Disgaea 5 has also been confirmed to be in development. D2 will hit Japanese PS3s on March 20 of next year.

Source: Source: Gematsu

Valhalla Knights 3 set for Japanese Release

Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

This week’s Dengeki PlayStation has revealed the release date for Valhalla Knights 3 as January 31. At present, no release outside of Japan has been announced.

Source: Gematsu

Dragon Quest X Starts Wii U Beta in February

Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Square Enix has announced that the Wii U beta test for Dragon Quest X will start in February, with vouchers for the beta to be included with Wii U Premium Set editions. As the Wii and Wii U playerbase will share the same server, Wii character data can be imported to the Wii U.

DQX is set to launch on the Wii U sometime next year.

Source: Gematsu

Kickstarter RPG Two Brothers to Launch on WiiU eShop

Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

As the title subtly suggests, developer Ackkstudios will be releasing their Kickstarter-funded title Two Brothers on the Wii U’s eShop in 2013. Already available on PC, 360, and OSX, the retro styled action RPG is currently “in the early stages” of the porting process.

The developer is also working on a second RPG, which will share a visual influence by Earthbound and The World Ends With You. It is not yet titled, nor has a platform been decided; the game will be revealed at PAX East in March.

Source: Gematsu

Tales of Hearts R Vita Announced

Friday, November 2nd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Namco Bandai’s next Tales escapade comes in the form of Tales of Hearts R, a Vita remake set for a Spring 2013 release in Japan. As is customary, the remake will include new events, full voice acting, and Calcedoni as a new party member.

For the curious, the official site is now live and located here.

Final Fantasy XIV to Shut Down on November 11

Friday, November 2nd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

With the cut-off for saved character data already past (October 31), Final Fantasy XIV itself will be taken offline for the Realm Reborn changeover starting November 11. The first of four waves of alpha testing on ARR is now underway, and current active players can join the alpha test by applying here.

Source: Gematsu

3DS Getting Dragon Quest VII Remake

Friday, November 2nd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Via the latest issue of Jump, a 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII is confirmed to be in development. While few details are available at this time, the game is planned to release in February 2013.

Source: Gematsu

Bethesda Announces Skyrim Premium Edition

Friday, November 2nd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

A retail listing on Amazon Germany preemptively revealed a Premium Edition for Skyrim, planned to launch in December. Bethesda has since confirmed the listing, though regarding the release date, a spokesperson said only that details are coming soon. The package reportedly includes a world map, t-shirt with the Empire insignia, an Elder Scrolls novel titled “Hell City,” and six concept art postcards. Notably absent from the listing was any mention of DLC.

Source: Eurogamer

Persona 4: Golden Given Release Date

Friday, November 2nd, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

Vita redux Persona 4: Golden has been given a tentative release date of February 20 in North America, with the European release following on the 22nd; The publisher has noted that this date could be changed if necessary.

Source: Eurogamer

London Philharmonic Composes Second Game Music Album

Thursday, October 25th, 2012 by | Posted in Game News

With last year’s orchestral album based on video game music under their belt, the London Philharmonic Orchestra is putting together a second one. The tellingly-named Greatest Video Game Music 2 launches on November 6, and includes the following tracklist: (more…)