65 - Game of the Year

GOTY TechFixation style

OUYA Dev Consoles 

GTA5 Release Date

Instagram Loses Big

At&t Working out the kinks

PS2 Sales have been put on hold

The Hobbit Rocks On!

10 Ten most Pirated Movies

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Dexter Jaekel's GOTY

Dexter Jaekel is the Editor-in-Chief of TheTechFixation.com

I play videogames to be taken on a wild journey. For me, it's all about losing myself in the experience and fully accepting the universe that is on display in front of me. I don't skip cutscenes, I don't breeze over written notes, I pull as much out of the story as there is to take. That being said, my choices are all based on the games that succeeded in bringing me into a new dimension and changing my perspective on how to live my life.

3) Borderlands 2:
This was a surprise for me. I had played the original briefly, and absolutely hated it. But, when Borderlands become free for Playstation Plus, I gave it another try and enjoyed myself. The next week, Borderlands 2 came out and I didn't hesitate to pick it up. Borderlands 2 added a compelling story, more guns, and more action. I wasted tons of hours just looting the crap out of stuff with friends. The ability to play everything with up to 3 friends also adds significant playability to the game. I probably would have grown tired of it rather quickly if I didn't have all my friends playing it at the same time. This game really is a blast, even if it didn't suck me in on an emotional level. And thats really saying something.

2) Mass Effect 3:
I was a little late to the Mass Effect Party. I start Mass Effect 1 until about 6 months before Mass Effect 3 was released. However, This allowed me to have an absolute blast playing the games with almost no downtime between titles. Mass Effect 3 is definitely the best in the series, not just because it is the end of the trilogy. Bioware made vast improvements to the gameplay and graphics. Previous installments relied very heavily on the compeling story and decisions, and most players had to make excusses for the rest of the gameplay. Mass Effect 3 had intense action sequences throughout, smooth character animations, and a redisigned combat system. Even though the ending was met with much criticism, I still found it to be perfect and didn't ruin the experince for me at all. In the end, it's really all about the journey and not the destination.

1) The Walking Dead: The Game: 
Whenever I played the demo for The Walking Dead, I wasn't impressed. Not even a little bit. The graphics weren't great, the animations were clunky, the whole thing just felt weak. I didn't get excited about it until a friend came over and played the demo and expressed extreme desire to play the full game. His excitement was contagious, so I bought the season pass. From the very first moments of the actual game, I was hooked. This game put me through Hell and back, emotionally. They put me in charge of this little girl's safety, and then made me do some horrible things to protect her from even worse things. I know that most of my conection with this game is due to the fact that I have a daughter of my own, but I have never been sucked into a game so fully and completely. Even down to the last seconds of the game, I was so enthrawled. You know that a story is great, whenever it makes you forget the subpar graphics and awkward animations. This is my GOTY.



Honorable Mentions:
Journey, Far Cry 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Persona 4 Golden, Metal Gear Solid Collection Vita, Halo 4, Gravity Rush, Resident Evil 6, Assassin's Creed III, Twisted Metal

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Game Of The Year 2012

Over the past year, Tech Fixation has grown significantly. We grew from being a podcast, to a full blown website with it's own podcast, a host of talented writers, and a source of original reviews and features. We have all dedicated a great number of hours to playing and researching the hottest games this year, and we all have an opinion as to what should win Game of the Year. So, without further ado, let's begin the countdown.

Number 3
We put it to a vote and let everyone's opinions be heard, and we were unable to narrow down a single #3 Title. The best we can say is that it is a toss up between Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, and Hitman: Absolution. All are great games that deserve your hard earned money, you will not be left disappointed

Number 2
Mass Effect 3 takes our number 2 spot. Shepard's last adventure was his most desperate and most heroic of them all. Everyone will remember the lives that they ruined, and the lives that they spared on their journey to save the universe. The implementation of such an addictive multiplayer was also a major step up for the Mass Effect Series. And the game is still being supplemented with extremely well written DLC for players to enjoy.

Game of the Year!
After careful consideration and much deliberation, the official Game of the Year 2012 is The Walking Dead: The Game. We didn't want to make this decision lightly, knowing that many other Websites had come to the same conclusion. However, the more we talked about it and the more we deliberated on it, The Walking Dead really was the surprise hit of the year. Years from now we will look back fondly on our time with Lee and Clementine, and still grumble about some of the dumb decisions we made along the way. Not to mention the fact that this game runs just as beautifully on an iPhone as it does on a Playstation 3.

The Contributing writers for this article had their own articles for GOTY. These are the bright fellows who contributed:

Richard Hodges

Dexter Jaekel

Matt Holt

Daniel Goad

Cameron Skayman

Roger Havens

John Schwartz

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Daniel Goad's GOTY

Daniel Goad is Senior News Editor for TheTechFixation.com

I’ll be honest right from the start; I haven’t played a lot of games this year. Not from a lack of time or interest, but because of money. I just have not had the money to dedicate to gaming. In retrospect it’s a necessary sacrifice but it is always hard to walk passed a GameStop or a gaming aisle in a store. Nevertheless I am quite knowledgeable of the games released in 2012 and I can still give you an adequate opinion on some of the best games to hit shelves.

Best Damn Games of the Year

DOTA 2

Dishonored

Mass Effect 3
The Walking Dead
Hitman: Absolution
Journey

Winner: The Walking Dead

Best Damn Action Adventure Game of the Year

Sleeping Dogs
Assassin’s Creed III
The Walking Dead
Dark Siders II
Spec Ops: The Line
Hitman: Absolution
Super Mario Bros U
Dishonored

Winner: The Walking Dead

Best Damn Strategy Games of the Year
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Crusader Kings II

Winner: XCOM

Best Damn Original IP of the Year

Sleeping Dogs

Dishonored

Lollipop Chainsaw

Journey

Winner: Journey

Best Damn Co-OP Game of the Year
Borderlands II
Diablo 3
Epic Mickey 2

Winner: Borderlands 2

Best Damn Soundtrack of the Year
Mass Effect 3
Journey
Nintendo Land
Sound Shapes

Winner: Jouney

Best Damn MMOs of the Year
Guild Wars 2
PlanetSide 2
Rift: Storm Legion
World of Warcraft: Mist of Pandaria

Winner: Guild Wars 2

Honorable Mention: Star War: The Old Republic.

I know this game isn’t valid for the nomination because it’s a 2011 game, but I just started playing it this year and it’s amazing and I’m enthralled entirely.

Best Damn RPGs of the Year
Torchlight II
Dark Souls
Diablo III
The Witcher 2
Mass Effect 3
The Last Story

Winner: Mass Effect 3

Best Damn Graphics of the Year
The Witcher II
Borderlands II
Halo 4
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Far Cry 3

Winner: Far Cry 3

Best Damn Single-Player Shooter
Borderlands 2
Dishonored
Far Cry 3
Max Payne 3
Spec Ops: The Line

Winner: Dishonored

Best Damn Multiplayer Shooter
Hawken
Natural Selection 2
Tribes: Ascend
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Halo 4

Winner: Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Best Damn Indie Games of the Year
Journey
Mark of the Ninja
The Walking Dead
Slender

Winner: The Walking Dead

Best Damn Fighting Game of the Year
Dead or Alive 5
Persona 4
Soul Caliber 5
Tekken Tag Tournament II
UFC Undisputed 3
WWE 13

Winner: Tekken Tag Tournament II

Best Damn Digital Download Game of the Year
Minecraft
Trials Evolution
The Walking Dead
Mark of the Ninja
Unfinished Swan

Winner: The Walking Dead

Best Damn Studio of the Year
Ubisoft
Gearbox
Bethesda
343 Industries
Telltale Studios
Square Enix

Winner: Telltale Games

Worst Damn Games of 2012
Resident Evil: Raccoon City
ZombieU
Trasformers Fall of Cybertron
Asura’s Wrath
The Expendables: The Game
Amy
Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor

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John Schwartz' GOTY

John Schwartz is a News Editor for TheTechFixation.com
















Top 3 Choices:

Torchlight 2: Torchlight 2 is my pick not only because it's an awesome game, but because it does everything a game should do for it's sequel. That is, take the criticism of the first game and improve upon it and implement suggestions for the second. Torchlight 2 maintains its predecessors charm and addictive-ness while adding multi-player, interesting skill trees, and replayability.

Borderlands 2: Borderlands 2 has been called Borderlands 1.5 as criticism for not improving enough to call it a sequel. Despite that, the game still has amazing dialogue, loot chasing, customization, and story. And the game has improved on the last one, somewhat. There is now a main villain for you to destroy, the customization options are great, guns are now even more awesome with the different features they can have, and the skill trees are amazing just to look at. Definitely a contender for Game of the Year.

Guild Wars 2: the launch of the new guild wars was meet with varying reactions, from some saying it's the worst money they've ever spent and other still not able to stop playing it. I thoroughly enjoyed Guild Wars 2-the level adjustment, PvP and WvWvW, the crafting, questing, exploration-the game is very well made, designed, and thought out, and it's lack of monthly fees made this one a no-brainer for me.

Honorable Mentions!

Pokemon Black And White 2: While Game Freak continues it's streak of vastly improving upon the last installment of their franchise, this one seemed to be a backtrack in some places, mostly the utility of the touch screen. In the last Pokemon I played (Diamond), the utility of the touch screen could be changed to see your Pokemon's health, a pedometer, or a clock. Black and White 2 has changed that functionality to the 'C-Gear,' which if you don't have wireless turned on is absolutely useless. The rest of the game is still very fun though.

Halo 4: The newest Halo was an excellent game, but the campaign ran a little short, and once again, lack of online made the game rather stale after a while. However, with the weekly Spartan Ops, fun-as-always multiplayer, and more streamlined story, this game was definitely one of the best of 2012.

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Richard Hodges' GOTY

Richard Hodges is CEO for TheTechFixation.com

When prompted to put together an article on who should get the GOTY crown, I was ecstatic! After setting down to put my words on paper, I quickly realized the difficulty of the task.  It is truly hard to put your finger on just one title.  Each game is entirely its own experience. These experiences are what helps connect the gamer and developers as a whole.  Knowing that each title released was nothing shy of a work of art, there are a few that stand out in my eyes.  Ubisoft’s Assassins Creed 3, for sheer delivery. TellTale Games and their most recent success story, The Walking Dead, because of the Amazing storyline and heartfelt moments. And Bioware and their Mass Effect project for the obvious improvements to its predecessor and the grueling tear dropping moments that you are put through. 

1) Mass Effect 3

While weighing my options and throwing pro after pro into a hat, I’ve decided that Mass Effect 3 has way too many things going for it to hold it back!  It is a tough decision to put it side to side with any other major hit, because it is in a category of its own.  The Action RPG wasn’t a style of gameplay that I enjoyed before indulging into Commander Shepard’s every move.  The story that you have built from day one has been carried through to the end.  By building relationships with your crew you can gallivant through the galaxy, dominating every species that tries to keep you from the ultimate goal.  

No matter the stance you take, Commander Shepard was always someone that I could relate to.  And no, I’m not talking about slaying aliens from various planets. He was always someone that, at the very least, understood what needed to be done.  Standing up for his beliefs while others would defy their own race and lose all self respect.  John "Alejandro" Shepard was entirely his own man, instead of just another soldier following orders. 

Bioware has accomplished this masterpiece on several levels.  Between the updated graphics and the new abilities threw the franchise, makes Mass Effect 3 my Game of the Year - 2012. 

2) and 3)

TellTale Games and Ubisoft have hit the right notes on several topics.  Heart wrenching moments to agonizing fire fights, The Walking Dead and Assassins Creed III take my number 2 and 3 Game of the Year - 2012. 

Honorable mentions - 
Ubisoft has a knack for hitting the right notes! Resident Evil 6 is a must mention!  It has tried to be a lot of things with the latest iteration, but has done wonders with the writing and soundtrack!  

Borderlands 2 is another that can not go without at least a few lines of compliments.  Gearbox has done a marvelous job getting an action packed, open world adventure slapped with some damn good commentary! 

Please, keep up with everything Tech and Gaming News with TheTechFixation.com!

This has been an @HodgPodge42 adventure! 

Written and Edited by Rich Hodges - CEO of TheTechFixation.com and TechFixation Podcast.

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Matt Holt's GOTY

Matt Holt is Senior Tech/Games Editor of TheTechFixation.com

Here are my top 3 games of 2012, and I don't think there's any coincidence that they were all released at the back end of the year.  As we get to the end of the current console cycle, developers are squeezing every last bit of performance from the machines and continuing to deliver satisfying, involving stories and gameplay.  Narrowing this list to 3 has been tough, there are some excellent games around, but these are the ones that stood out for me because they didn't come out of my machine until the next one on the list arrived.

3. Need For Speed: Most Wanted

Slightly disappointed with NFS: Hot Pursuit (the last Criterion Games NFS), I was very cautious on getting this, but picked it up when someone mentioned it should have been called Burnout Paradise 2.  They weren't wrong.  It's still a NFS game where you're street racing and avoiding cops, but the exploration and freedom is clearly there from the last Burnout game, and whilst there is a phenomenal amount to do, it never has you feeling lost in the city.  The only complaint I have is that being a long time Burnout and Gran Turismo fan I like to use the analogue sticks for accelerate and brake, default in this game is the R2/L2 combination.  Full control customisation is possible but switching to the sticks prevents you from starting races because accelerate and brake need to be pressed together, bit of an oversight on the developers part.  However, it speaks volumes that I adapted to the control scheme to keep speeding through streets, countryside, beaches and even power stations in this very well executed racing game.

2. Hitman: Absolution

Definitely my most anticipated game of 2012, I pre-ordered 6 months before it was due out, hammered the Sniper Challenge to unlock everything before release (even scored in the top 12 one week and won a prize), and loved every minute of it even though it isn't a true Hitman game.  This game should take the prize for best looking of the year, and can't be topped on the considered and intricate level design.  It also needs a special mention that the single player actually worked out of the box and didn't need a day one patch like the majority of major titles this year.  Contracts mode is a great addition and I'm looking forward to going back to this once I've finished the last game on my list.

1. Far Cry 3

I liked Far Cry 2 so was eager to see what this would be like, not expecting it to be as compelling as it is.  The game is flawed, it's not the best looking, and there are random glitches and crashes (all less than a Bethesda release I need to add), but I just can't stop playing.  I love the freeform approach to combat, the detail of the island, the pacing of the story, and the characterisation.  Very few games get these aspects to work together, and it's taken Ubisoft 3 attempts, but it is phenomenal what they've achieved.  I should have platinum'd this game by the time you're reading this and that makes me sad.  I don't want this game to end, I'm enjoying it too much, and I can't think of a better reason to make it my game of the year.

And lastly, honorable mentions for this years games that didn't make the cut but were hugely enjoyable - Dishonored, Journey, Walking Dead, LBP2 cross-controller DLC & LBP Vita, Borderlands 2, F1 2012, Plague Inc., and Motorstorm RC.

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Roger Havens' GOTY

Roger Havens is Game Reviews Editor for TheTechFixation.com

2012 has been a fairly bustling year when it comes to the video game market. We have received new games in some large franchises like Far Cry 3 and Mass Effect 3. Some smaller IP's have also taken the spotlight such as Journey and Hotline Miami. When it comes to deciding the Tech Fixation GOTY, a lot of tough choices have to he made. I have spent hundreds of hours enjoying several unique experiences over the last year.

Believe if or not, my vote for GOTY is not a huge multi million dollar title. Having played Tell Tale Games' Back to the Future, and Jurassic park, among others, I have grown to love the developer. They give me a chance to play a game based on some of my favorite media universes.  The Walking Dead made its way to consoles and PC by way of a point and click adventure game. From a technological standpoint, Tell Tale has stepped up its work on making their games run better and feel more fluid. But the real reason I choose The Walking Dead the game as my GOTY is because of the wonderful and emotional time I had playing it. The game evokes strong emotions in those who play it. The choices that you make can really make you feel sick and emotionally disturbed. The choices are not at all superficial. They make a very significant difference in the outcome of your story and in who lives or dies.

Another very large part of the game is the conversation that you can have with others who complete the story. All of my friends had different events happen that I didn't even know were possible. I am looking forward to a season 2 and having my saves and choices carry over. I will be talking about The Walking Dead for quite some time to come and I encourage you to give it a try.

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Cam_Sky's GOTY

Cameron Skayman is the Entertainment Editor for TheTechFixation.com

3) Black Ops 2 Multiplayer:

Yes, I'm the Call of Duty Player that never plays the campaign. But why play the campaign when the multiplayer is so amazing? This year the maps are not as good as previous installments but the gameplay and games are better than ever. The use of scoresteaks is a huge plus and the streaks that you get are awesome. I absolutely love the pick 10 feature because I can make any soldier I want. I can’t wait till the new map packs are released so I can spend another 50 hours online. The 60 dollar price tag is well worth the multiplayer.

 2)Angry Birds Star Wars: 

Take the most successful videogame of all time and add Star Wars. You get the most amazing iOS experience of the year. It builds on the fun pickup and play gameplay of the angry birds franchise, and takes it to perfection. All of the Birds are dressed up as Star Wars characters and are given fun new abilities to change up the standard gameplay. I can't count the hours I’ve sunk into this title, but it was well worth the $0.99 price tag. If you haven't picked this one up, do it, right now. Instead of buying Far Cry 3, you can buy yourself and 59 friends a copy of it. Choices choices =)

1)Hotline Miami:

Take my favorite television show (Miami Vice), add weird animal masks and buckets of blood, and you get Hotline Miami. After hearing Brian Altano rant about it on “Game Scoop,” I decided to check this one out. “Wow!” is all I have to say about this title. It sucks you in and never lets you go. It is the videogame equivalent of crack. Gameplay and story are amazing in this title. I don't want to spoil anything about the game but I recommend everyone to go on Steam and buy this game. Do it or I’ll be very disappointed in you. Hotline Miami is Cam_Sky GOTY.

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Happy Holidays from Us

Here's hoping you got all the games you wanted and all the accessories you needed for your tech stuff. Stay safe this New Years and aim for a good 2013.
Look for us to expand next year and throw more news your way.

Share what you got from Santa with us. You get Far Cry 3 or a new graphics card? Maybe a sweater and some socks? Were curious what our readers asked for and recieved.

Cheers readers. Weve enjoyed you this year.

-Daniel, Jedi Editor
*110

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Grand Theft Auto 5 Releasing 3-26-13

Simple as that folks. After the release of five new screen from Rockstar's fifth installment of the GTA series we have learned that March 26th of 2013 will be the day youll get to drive into San Andreas.

-Daniel, Jedi Editor
*109

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New GTAV Screens: Jets, Subs, and Sharks!

Sharks. Need we say more? The fact of the matter is; the waters of GTA have been lackluster at best. Falling into the oceans of GTAIV and the rivers of Vice City were at best boring and lonesome. It seems with this photo it confirms that you can be killed by something other than drowning in the waters of San Andreas.

No doubt cell phones are coming back into gameplay after such a success in GTAIV. But submarines?! What kinda of weird missions will we undertake with a private submersible? Did i hear you scream "pirate treasure?"

Three things about this photo. First we can conclude that jets ARE in the game. Secondly is that one of the main characters is driving the plane on the left, which looks like a 747, and the character on the right is flying a mock-up of a F14. Lastly, a dirigible can be seen in the background. These blimps have been apart of GTA for quite some time. They can be seen in the skies giving advertisements to radio stations but if you're daring and lucky enough to reach one you cannot crash them; they're technically not even there. But can we pilot one in GTAV?

Peter Molyneux would be proud. Is this a hint that we can have pets in the game? If so are they in danger? Or is this just a cheeky screenshot from a cinematic?

-Daniel, Jedi Editor
*108

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64-Merry Christmas Everybody

Episode 64 - Merry Christmas Everybody

Happy Birthday Richard Hodges!!!

News:

Facebook's New Pervy App, Poke;

So Many Assault Rifles Purchased;

The Hobbit Sales;

And Much More That I can't remember at 2:39 AM;

Games We've Been Playing:

Far Cry 3,

Hitman: Absolution,

Persona 4 Golden,

Skyrim,

Black Ops

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Community Season 4 Sneak Peek

For the Christmas season, Community has released this brief sneak peak of its upcoming season. Community returns to the airwaves February 7th after being delayed from its original October 19th release date.

If you don't know why you should care about Community, the video at the bottom will show you all you need to know

Written by Dexter Jaekel

Editor-in-Chief of TheTechFixation.com

This is why you should watch Community. This is a small clip from the Season 3 finale

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Facebook's New Scandalous App, Poke

Today, Facebook released a new app exclusively to the iOS App Store. The app is called Poke and it takes it cues from the app SnapChat. The basic concept is that you will be able to send pictures to your friends (or lovers) that will only be displayed for a set period of time (1 to 10 seconds). While the app cannot stop the recipient from taking a screenshot, it will be nice enough to tell the sender that a screenshot has been taken. So far, this app is only available for iOS, but an Android and Windows version may become available at a later date.

This further proves my point that "Facebook is for perverts." I have a hard time thinking of a non-perverted use for an app like this.

Written by Dexter Jaekel
Editor-in-Chief of TheTechFixation.com

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New Final Fantasy XIII-3 Trailer

Square Enix unveiled a new trailer for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII today. With the impending apocalyptic theme for the latest Final Fantasy installment, Square Enix decided it would be suitable to release this trailer on 12/21/12 as a play on the fears/hopes of people who believed the world would end on this date........ I thought it was funny.

Enjoy the trailer. Visit their Official Site for more screens.

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Nintendo Suggests Updating Your Wii U Before Gifting It

Today, even the official American twitter account for Nintendo admitted (inadvertently) how ridiculous the major out of the box Wii U update is. They actually suggested that anyone gifting a Wii U to friends or family should open up the unit, take out all the cords, hook it up to their television, tie it to their Internet, and update it themselves. While this would definitely make the recipient far happier with the gift, it would be a major inconvenience to anyone buying the system. 

If someone gives you a Wii U for Christmas and says, "By the way, I already updated that for you," you should definitely give them a big hug.

Nintendo of America

• ✔

@NintendoAmerica

Giving #WiiU as a gift? Pro-tip: Perform system updates before wrapping so it’s good to go as soon as it’s opened!

21 Dec 12

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