Introducing Supernova Cast! (Our First Podcast!)

This is the first of hopefully many podcasts to come. We hope you have as much fun listening to it as we did making it! In the first ever episode of Supernova Cast the NovaGamer crew talks about what we’re currently playing and our thoughts on the games. Also we touch on some DLC news relating to Farcry 3 and Black Ops 2, and we also put our 2 cents in about the new installment of the Batman Arkham franchise.

If you enjoy our banter please share our voices over facebook and twitter and feel free to download the podcast and listen to us on the go.

Internet, do your thing.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag – Gameplay Reveal Trailer

Ubisoft seems to be going with the strategy of year round hype for their games rather than saving it all for E3. This stunning gameplay trailer was released only one day before the Watch Dogs video posted here.

Personally, I have been waiting for someone to make a good pirate game and playing Assassin’s Creed 3 really threw some fuel on that fire. I have complete faith that Ubisoft will do an excellent job on yet another ambitious project. Check out the new gameplay trailer below.

CAN… NOT… WAIT! What about you? Are you excited for this next installment in the Assassin’s Creed Franchise or do you think this pirate twist is a bad decision? Leave a comment with your thoughts below!

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag World Premiere Trailer!

Today it was leaked that Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag will be released on October 29th in the world premiere trailer. If you were begging for an awesome pirate game, you need look no further. Check out the official trailer bellow.

Xbox Live’s Ultimate Game Sale – Borderlands 2 $29.99

Listen up all you XBOXers! Microsoft has been running a “steamy” XBL Game on Demand Ultimate Game Sale. Today is day 5 and we have Borderlands 2 and Dishonored for $29.99 and a slue of other games ranging right down to the critically acclaimed rally racer DiRT 2 at a measly $2.99! These deals are all full releases, no DLC’s. If you own and Xbox you owe it to your self to check out some of these Steam type deals.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag Revealed!

Earlier today Ubisoft “announced” that Assassin’s creed 4 with the release of the games cover art shown below “Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.”

Ubisoft Montreal is the studio developing AC4: Black Flag so it is sure to be a show stopper. The one thing we can tell you is that the cover art they released today is for the PS3 and XBOX 360 which most likely means a release window of October-November 2013 . That release date is pure speculation based on past AC releases and the fact that the PS4 will be released this Holiday season. More details are going to be released by Ubisoft on Monday, so stay tuned to Novagamer.ca for the latest on Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag.

Xbox SmartGlass: What it is today? What can it become?

As of today Xbox SmartGlass is available on every windows 8 computer, tablet, phone as well as all iOS and android devices. This article is split into 2 sections, what smart glass is today and what this new technology can become.

What SmartGlass is today?

Recently the NovaGamer crew was invited to attend a Windows 8 launch event in Halifax. While we were there the folks from Microsoft gave us a good walk through of what SmartGlass is today.

Right now if you install the app on any of your devices you can control your Xbox with the remote option. This allows you to swipe through the dashboard panels and select something by tapping the screen. While neat, this really is impractical unless you just want to watch Netflix and you can’t find your controller.

With the addition of Internet Explorer in the last Xbox update you can now browse the web through your Xbox 360. SmartGlass aids this by turning the screen of your device into a touchpad that you can control the cursor with. Also when you need to type a full keyboard will appear on your devices screen. The full keyboard feature is nice, but too be honest the IE app works well with a controller and if you own a controller keypad you will most likely just use your controller.

In the SmartGlass app you will find sections for Xbox Music and Xbox Video which when purchased can be pushed to the Xbox from your phone tablet or PC. With Xbox Video you have access to a movie guide on your mobile devices while watching the movie. This currently works with most movies that were released this year. With Xbox Music You can import songs bought on iTunes but these features will not work for media that was not purchased. Sorry pirates! The new Xbox Music looks very slick and would be great to run in the background during social events.

But screw social events! We’re gamers after all and if you’re like me you’re wondering how this new appendage of your Xbox will help you when you’re gaming until 2am with no pants and Cheeto stains everywhere….. Seriously, I hope you’re not like me. Anyway, there isn’t much news on the game front as of yet. As of right now only 7 Xbox games have SmartGlass integration. Some titles include Halo 4, Forza Horizon, Dance Central 3, and Madden NFL 13. Halo will push information about weapons and events in the game to your device while Forza Horizon shows your map screen so you won’t be constantly pausing to check your location. Dance Central 3 allows you to setup playlists via your device which would be easier than navigating the Kinect menus. Finally Madden NFL 13 lets you draw up and even execute plays with your SmartGlass enabled device.  Not a lot of titles, but it’s a start.

With the exception of Madden these application of SmartGlass to games is an extra, which is how it should be. This should never be a feature that you feel you NEED to use but if you want to drive around in Forza without ever opening a map then it would be handy.

What SmartGlass can be.

When using the SmartGlass remote feature on my iPad or Android phone I can’t help but wonder why I can’t see my dashboard on my device as well. This would make navigation easier as you could just swipe between tabs and select the tile you want. Not to mention anything would look nicer than that god awful remote screen, damn that’s ugly.

Internet Explorer works well enough but multitouch gestures could use some tweaking, I often am trying to 2 finger swipe to scroll down the page and the thing is going haywire thinking I want to zoom in or out. Also why can’t I view the page on both devices at the same time or at least pull the page to my tablet and walk away.

Xbox Video and Music works pretty well and this is probably why they have talked about this more than anything else. Hold up, this works well if you want to buy your media from Microsoft. If you are one of the millions of iPhone customers and you have 10GB of music your iPhone you will not be able to push any of that over wireless to the Xbox. Same goes for video and pictures (luckily you can buy an AppleTV for $109 that will do all of this shit.) Microsoft keeps talking about how Xbox is becoming the hub of the entertainment experience. Now that they have Apps on virtually every device out there, they should let us share all of the content from every device to the Xbox regardless of the files origin. If they were to do this then Xbox would truly start to become the entertainment hub for gamers.

Now onto the games. This is the most important feature, as it is why most of us own an Xbox 360. In this Microsoft actually did a great job at least with the 4 titles I’ve mentioned. The added content or the easier way to interact with menus and maps is the perfect place for SmartGlass to start. These innovations are simple yet practical and enhance the gamer’s experience. I am looking forward to more of the same and would kill to be able to access my Borderlands 2 menu on my iPad. Imagine being able to check the map, change your load out, and manage your inventory from a second screen that you already own. Make it happen Gearbox!

Will it sink or swim?

I am concerned with how few titles this has launched with and how little it is being talked about. It is not even noted as a feature on the back of the Halo 4 case. When we asked the Microsoft reps what we could expect for SmartGlass in the coming months they were quick to deflect the question saying that the tech is out there and now it’s up to the developers to use it, this is worrisome. If Microsoft does not create a buzz around this feature then developers may not see the need to create the content for it. The amount of game content that is developed in the coming months will ultimately be the deciding factor in determining whether or not SmartGlass is a gimmick or a game changer.

“Surprise” Black Ops 2 Live Action Trailer Feat. RDJ

Today Activision released a live action trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. The trailer (that features a Mr. Robert Downey Jr. I might add) will air tonight during Monday Night Football. However if you’re not a football fan, or you just need your CoD fix RIGHT NOW then check it out below!


Black Ops 2 releases for PC, PS3, and XBOX 360 on November 13, 2012 and will also be a launch title for the Wii U on November 18th.

BioShock Infinite Trailer Beast of America

Sure the NovaGamer crew JUST finished 24 hours of straight gaming, raising money for the IWK Hospital as part of ExtraLife. But by god, our job is to report the gaming news, and news there is!

Early this morning (which felt very VERY late to us) Irrational Games released a new trailer for their highly anticipated game, Bioshock Infinite. So by all means check it out!

Awesome! …Now I’m going to bed.

Mechromancer Class Available Now!

Gaige, the Mechromancer is available for download on all platforms as we speak! Gearbox Software’s CEO Randy Pitchford teased everyone yesterday on his twitter account saying “There may be a big surprise from us within the next 24 hours or so. Stay tuned!” Well @DuvalMagic didn’t disappoint when he tweeted this in the wee hours of the morning “So – here’s the surprise, Mechromancer for Borderlands 2 is ready about a week earlier than I promised. Oct 9, all platforms. Woo!”

Those of you who pre-ordered their copy of Borderlands 2 can download the new class for free. However if you did not pre-order your copy you the Mechromancer will run you $9.99 on the PSN or 800 MS Points on Xbox Live. You can check out the Gaige’s skills here with the interactive skill tree on the Borderlands 2 website.

Also take some time and get to know Gaige a little better by listening to her ECHO logs in the videos below.

…As if I needed another reason to play more Borderlands.

Double Douse of AC3 News. Season Pass, An Assassin’s Journey Trailer

A PlayStation Store update has confirmed that a season pass will indeed be available for Assassin’s Creed 3.  Now while this is new to the Assassin’s Creed franchise it is something that gamers are starting to become accustom too.  The price of the season pass has not been revealed yet, but since the digital download “Gold Edition” will be available on the PlayStation Store for $89.99, we figure the price of the season pass will be priced around $30.

Now if that didn’t exactly hype you up for AC3 this just might. Ubisoft has released a new trailer that sets up Connor’s story and shows off just how pretty of a game AC3 is. Take a look.

Assassin’s Creed 3 releases on October 30th for the PS3 and Xbox 360 and will be a launch title with the Wii U on November 18th. The PC version is slated for November 20th.  Will you be picking AC3 up on release day?