Blog Report

Here is what I have been reading lately:

Uncharted 2’s Sloppy Fiction [Art]
Guess You Could Say She's Popular [Screengrab]
Modder Makes Remote Play On PS3 A Little More Useful [Mods]
What Budget Games Did Japan Flock To In 2009? [Only In Japan]
A Retro Gaming Room I Could Die In [Gallery]
It's The Little Touches That Make A Legend Of Zelda Themed Wedding This Great [Culture]
The Statistically Best Games of the Decade (Or Why Stats Sometimes Lie) [Games Of The Decade]
OnLive Boss Gives Live (And Long) OnLive Presentation [Clips]
Japanese Arcade Themed Like China's Back Streets [Arcade]
South Korea's First Person Shooting In 3D World [South Korea]
What Exactly is Konami's "Piece Walker" Site Getting At? [Teaser]
Can The West Cosplay With The Best Of Them? [Feature]
Something Modern Warfare 2 Got Wrong About Pakistan [Infinity Ward]
Japan Bang
Final Fantasy XIII Impressions: 15 Years Later, 25 Hours In [Impressions]
Create Your Army Of Two: The 40th Day Mask Online Right Now [Clips]
Look At These Otaku Rooms! [Book]
Get The Gran Turismo 5 Demo A Little Early [GT5]
Square Enix Now Taking Final Fantasy XIV Beta Applications [Mmo]

PS3 Hard Drive Swap

I was fortunate enough to receive a new hard drive for my PS3 this christmas and thought it would be a piece of cake. Enough blogs gave me that impression, but few mentioned how difficult the process of backing up the data on your PS3 could be. Here, let me draw up the scenario; I have a 300 GB NTFS external hard drive, should be suitable for backing up a 60 GB PS3, right? Wrong... For some reason the PS3 OS will only recognize external devices formated in the FAT32 format, not NTFS. Oh wait, that is not the only catch, the kicker is Microsofts operating system limits the size of a volume which could be formatted in FAT32 (32 GB). So I had a bit of a dilemma, since my hard drive had about 55 GB of data on it. I tried a couple 3rd party applications, but since they were not Windows 7 compatible and I could not get anything to trick windows into formatting over 60 GB. Rather than suffer any longer by continuing to search the internet for another couple of hours, I broke down and deleted enough off the drive to be able to backup at least 30 GB. From here on out it was really a piece of cake. Step by step:

1. 
   
   Plug in your external Hard Drive, and turn on the PS3
   
   
   
2. 
   
   In the XMB find Settings > System Settings > Backup Utility and run that guy
   
3. Once the back up is complete, power down everything and pull your PS3 out
   
4. Lay the PS3 down Horizontally and remove the small panel from the bottom of the PS3
   
5. There you will see the Hard Drive cage behind the blue screw.
   
6. Unscrew, flip handle and slide right. Now pull out the Hard Drive
   
7. Its a standard SATA laptop Hard Drive mounted in a cage by four screws.
   
8. Remove the four screws CAREFULLY! You can really strip these bad without a small tipped phillips...
   
9. Mount in the new Hard Drive to the cage, push down and slide left. You should feel a click.
   
10. Replace blue screw, cover and reconnect your PS3 to the entertainment center
    
11. The PS3 will need to format the new drive.
    
12. Once that is complete, reconnect the external Hard Drive, In the XMB find Settings > System Settings > Backup Utility and Restore Backup
    
13. Enjoy your beefed up PS3
    

        

   

State of the Industry: The Landscape of 2010 part 2

And the beat goes on as we look at the second half of 2010 and what the future holds. I would of course take any release dates you may have heard with a grain of salt. Many of these triple-A titles will hit a snag before going gold, so these are the top ten titles I would like to tentatively see drop in the later half of the year. 

1. The Last Gaurdian - Fumito Ueda and Team Ico make art as games and their narrative is prolific. Should be a must own PS3 title.

2. Dead Rising 2 - Capcom is bringing back the horde and the ability to create weapons, means all new ways to kill zombies.
3. Fable 3 - Peter Monyluex and Lionhead have a vision for the Fable universe that involves a level of immersion unseen in most games. I felt the last one fell short, but was getting very close.

4. Brink - Interesting theories on traversing the enviroment and combat, with a fresh art style. All good things.

5. Metal Gear Solid Rising - Just watch Raiden fight the Geckos in MGS4 and tell me you don't want to play that scene.

6. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Kojima does Castlevania???!!!

7. Halo Reach - Bungie's swan song?

8. Final Fantasy Versus 13 - I have no idea what to expect...please don't be Dirge of Cerberus, please don't be Dirge of Cerberus...

9. Deadspace 2 - Isaac is back and he has a zero gravity suit that doesn't suck

10. Crackdown 2 - Blow shit up with me!

Check back in for the final post on how "motion control" may try to become a standard of practice in 2010 and on.

*Note: all images are the result of a google image search and amazon.com

Merry Christmas!

Ding, Post 100!

Reaching a milestone here. And when I first started this blog, there was no framework. Maybe my content reflects that... but hitting post one hundred makes me happy to know that I have stuck with it this long. Now the road ahead seems less daunting and hopefully I will reach even more milestones on this journey. Thanks to everyone out there reading this and stick around, there is lots to look forward to in the year ahead.

-Sean

State of the Industry: The Landscape of 2010 part 1

2009 is coming to a close and it seems like 2010, despite any economic woes from the past year, is going to be jam packed with games. Now since everyone loves lists, whether it’s the convenient packaging of all the information or the opportunity to argue about why one thing comes before another, but in an attempt to avoid these scenarios; I am making two top 10 lists (first half of the year / second half of the year) and ranking them based on personal taste. Rather than having my long drawn out recommendations as I am sure you readers are acustomed too, all my reasons will be as consice as possible. Plus, if you have a different view, feel free to let me know in the comments section; that’s why it’s there. Alright, first half of 2010, GO!

1. God of War 3 – I have to know how the story ends and killing gods is oh so much fun.

2. Final Fantasy 13 – It has been far too long…

3. Mass Effect 2 – Bioware is on a roll and interrupting conversations with a blaster fire makes me feel like Han Solo.

4. Splinter Cell Conviction –  It might actually come out!

5. Red Dead Redemption – Rockstar has a knack for creating a game whose setting is a character unto itself.                                                                                                                
6. Alan Wake – Because of Remedy and my love for their games. \

7. Gran Turismo 5 – Again, it might actually come out!!

8. 3D Dot Heroes – It is just a really good idea.

9. Dark Void – I really dug the Rocketeer as a kid and “vertical cover” sounds ambitious / ridiculous.

10. Bioshock 2 – It’s an unnecessary sequel (IMO) to a great game and I hope they prove me wrong.

Now that is basically some of the most important games for the first half of 2010. Look for part 2 of this post to see what the 2nd half of 2010 holds in store for me and possibly you.

*Note: all game covers can be found on Amazon.com

Weekend Warriors

Almost Christmas and we have finally peaked in 2009. With the Sabotuer, we should get a brief break until 2010. While I am racing through Forza and playing some Trine, what will you be playing?

Blog Report: A change in content

With the school semester over, I will no longer be posting the blog reports in the same format. Instead of giving you a synopsis of 2 posts from a specific set of blogs, I think it would be more beneficial (if not more interesting) to post links to some of my favorite posts over the course of a week. This is a trial post, so some of the links below are over a month old, but from here out the Blog Report will be a weekly synopsis of my favorite posts, courtesy of the Internets. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Harry Potter Gets a Feel Good, Inner City Sequel [Dangerous Wands]


Kotaku's 2009 Gift Guide of Obscene Nicety and Sublime Naughtiness [Gift Guide]

let's talk about jumping [Column]

The Special Guest Star Who Wasn't [Screengrab]

Giant Bomb's MW2 Parody Tee Is Oscar Mike For Child's Play [T-shirts]

Happy 15th Birthday, PlayStation! [Sony]

Seeking A Game That Can Trick Me [Hindsight]

Final Fantasy XIII 360 Twitter Prize Tweets Back At You [Xbox Live]

Nintendo Takes Over Malls Across America [Holiday Shopping]

Make Your Netflix Disc Feel At Home, PS3 Users [PS3]

Spike Video Game Awards Nominees Announced [Awards]

Asking Why

Marketing 101: Nintendo Information Center

Ah Nintendo, your ability to reach the common man and cause them to purchase copious amounts of useless peripherals, mini-game collections and arguably the best kart racer of all time knows no bound. With the Christmas Holiday vastly approaching and consumers pouring into malls, Nintendo has brought its Holiday line-up to consumers. You can read more about the campaign here, but I just wanted to say that this is why Nintendo is winning, because everything about their business model screams "accessibility". Do the hardcore enjoy that? Not so much. Many hardcore gamers play games because they like to feel challenged, but the Wii is all about feeling like you having fun without having to worry about “which of the 15 buttons do I push to make this damn game work”?! Its about interacting with friends and family around a TV (because lets face it, this friend code bullshit has got to go) and having a good time. New Super Mario Brothers Wii is following that, although I am not to sure what Nintendo's definition is of a good time, while my friends continue to grief me. Regardless, here is the information booth at Grapevine Mills - Grapevine, TX where Nintendo had games like Mario Kart, Guitar Hero 5, Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports resort, Professor Layton, and Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Also, throw in some attractive young ladies to answer all your questions and you have sales. In fact, watch the Wii pull out ahead of the pack this December in hardware sales stateside and I would argue this is the reason. Now can I please have a "real" Zelda for Wii???

Weekend Warriors

And I am glad to be done with Assassin's Creed 2. Not because I felt it was tedious, but it was the first Platinum I have achieved. Yay me... Now I need to plug back into Dragon Age and I am pretty sure its time for some Forza Motorsport 3. What are you playing this weekend?

Blog Report: December 8th

Official U.S. Playstation Blog
Announcing the Gran Turismo 5 Time Trial Challenge
Stephanie Yoshimoto // Senior Product Marketing Manager
December 3rd, 2009
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/12/announcing-the-gran-turismo-5-time-trial-challenge/

We spoke a little about how Gran Turismo has an interesting marketing model within the United States and this post re-affirms that notion, but leaves out an interesting fact. With the release of the new Demo for GT5, Sony is offering the US & Canada the opportunity to compete on leader boards in a time trial. The Grand Prize for this is “round trip airfare and hotel accommodations for two (winner and guest) to attend the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, a.k.a. the Indy 500, on May 30, 2010. It doesn’t end there, because the winner and guest also get a VIP package which includes two (2) all-access passes for Carb Day – which includes the final Indy 500 practice, pit stop competition, special concert festivities, special event car rides in the 2010 Indy 500 event vehicle, as well as all-access passes to the garage, pit area, and Victory Lane for pre- and post-race celebrations for the race and two (2) VIP suite tickets” That being said I looked into what Europe was being offered, as they are more avid racing fans, than the Nascar following in the U.S. and they are getting a much more interesting offer. It is posted across various Blogs, but European gamers on the other hand will have the opportunity to receive a “full racing contract” via a program known as the Gran Turismo Academy. The previous winner is actually starting his professional racing career and recently placed 2nd at the Algarve Circuit in Portugal. Think about it, one weekend at Nascar is fun, but the opportunity to play a videogame and become a professional race car driver is priceless. Wonder why we North Americans are not allowed to compete?

Gamasutra – Substitute for Set on Stun
What Gamers Think About Microtransactions
Daniel Kromand
December 3rd, 2009
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4207/what_gamers_think_about_.php?page=3

Microtransactions are the driving force behind the “free to play” genre emerging in the industry of video games. The idea is that, a user is allowed to play a portion of the game if not all the game for free and content can be unlocked by paying a premium. This content usually relates to character development, allowing users to take shortcuts when making progress in the game, by simply paying to get ahead. The problem some companies are running into, is balancing these transactions so it does not inhibit those that choose to work for the content in game or those that receive the content by paying, are getting a fair deal. Looking at a couple of examples, there are a few different ways these things are balanced. Typically, all the content one can purchase with a microtransaction can be found playing the games. That way, it doesn’t allow people who pay to have a competitive advantage over those that don’t. Another model lets you rent the content, say pay for the content based on the number of hours you can use it or number of times. Take a in game weapon, some allow players to rent one for x number of realtime hours, or game hours, or number of times you can battle with it. When any of these constraints are reached, the content disappears, along with your money. Not sure how I feel about this, since I have yet to participate in a game that follows this model, but it seems like the future for some markets in the industry.

Play it NOW!: Assassins Creed 2

A period piece, fictional or not, has always been something I have an affinity towards. Maybe it is the academic in me, but understanding events in world history can bring about a more comprehensive relationship between past, present and future. So goes the plot for Assassins Creed 2 or at least my interpretation of Desmond’s story arch. But unlike the first one, AC2 lets you spend most of your days inside the DNA of Desmond, living out his ancestor’s story. That story is of one Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and it is one of the many accomplishments of AC2 over its predecessor. On a more personal note, I was a big supporter of the first title, despite its short comings. The ability of Ubisoft Montreal to capture the atmosphere  of the crusades

was more than enough to get me on board, but the overwhelming satisfaction of taking a 20 foot drop off the edge of a building and impaling the skull of your target, is why I stayed until the end. It really is quite gratifying after a long day at work, regardless of impressions that I may be a sociopath. Happily, that feeling returns in AC2, with twice as many hidden blades, plus some additional assassination techniques. This variety beautifully applies to almost all the aspects of the game, eliminating the previous complaints some had about the repetition and monotony of the mission structure. Instead of the assassinations happening in a vacuum, many assassinations are paced differently from each other and required fewer side quests to get the mission started. There is also a personal motivation behind the assassinations and without spoilers; Ezio is way more pissed off at these people than Altair was in the original. The dialogue does alot to reinforce this obviously, but the choice of using "Ital-ish" dialoge had me turning on the subtitles so I could get a translation. Not bad for building the atmosphere, but it begs the question of why the full italian dialogue is not as good as the "Ital-ish"?

With more comparisons to the original, lets look to life outside the assassination racket. Certainly Altair had some personality besides that of a cold blooded killer, but we never saw it. With Ezio, you find out in the first few hours (yeah, it is tedious) that he is the typical Italian alpha male in his prime; climbing cathedrals, beating up punks from rival families, and wooing merchant’s daughters. There is character introduction, plot development and even a sick burn from the mouth of Ezio’s mother, before all hell breaks loose and you don the assassin’s robes. After some redemption, Ezio discovers there is an uncle who lives outside of Florence and he agrees to take you in, but does make a request to spruce up the Auditore Estate and the village that surrounds it. Now, on your days off from

assassinating the Templers of Italy, you can actually engage in a meta-game, which involves you developing the economy of the town through monetary investments, in order to attract tourism and gain a substantial return. So much of a return, that by game end you will have more money than there is stuff to buy. But what kind of stuff can you buy one might ask? There is of course investing in the town directly, improving shops, guilds, a bank and various amenities but also art plays a huge part and the more art you collect from each city, the more valuable your estate is. Armor and Weapons also become art, with each piece you unequipped going on display at your estate. Combined that with the collecting challenges like roman statues, codex pages, feathers, assassin seals, etc and the entire process of managing this town becomes a game all unto itself, and is a nice break from the wash/rinse/repeat of assassinations. The blending is also an improvement over Altairs ability, allowing Ezio to blend with any group of people number 3 or more. Also, Ezio can hire prostitutes, mercenaries or thieves to walk along with him to blend or to go distract guards while Ezio searches for treasure. There are other small touches too, like catching thieves or messengers and taking their Florins, and hiding your opponents in haystacks after their grissly demise. All of these things were vital in really fleshing out the open world elements. It is a beautiful excursion through Renaissance Italy with plenty to do and very little to complain about in my opinion. So if your a fan of Assassins, Treasures and "Ita-lish" dialogue. Play it NOW!

*Completed story on PS3, played each type of side quest at least once and earned a Platinum trophy

**All images are a result of Google image search

Weekend Warriors

Must. Stab. Venetians.

What about you?

Blog Report: December 2nd

The Official U.S. Playstation Blog
Walk off your Turkey Dinner with Black Friday Shopping
Tim Bender // Senior Vice President of Sales
November 25th, 2009
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/11/walk-off-your-turkey-dinner-with-black-friday-shopping/

It’s that time of season, when consumer becomes predator and goes hunting on black Friday. With door buster deals starting as early as 4 am, retailers are seem eager to get the holiday season started, as soon as possible. One latecomer to the black Friday bandwagon was the PS3. Rarely do I recall the PS3 being sold for any possible bundle under $400 during past black Friday’s, it just wasn’t a good deal. But now that they are $300, and there is a significant number of quality games in their repertoire, Sony strikes with not one quality black Friday bundle, but FIVE, spread across various retailers, each containing 2 free games ($100+ value). For Sony, this is the best possible scenario for closing out 2009. Spending the past 2 months, selling the “new” PS3 and building a successful marketing campaign around it, they now reach the largest consumer holiday of the year, in our culture, and decide to sell 5 bundles. I expect people to eat this up. Sony’s bundles you have the choice of various combinations of games, combined with a 120 GB PS3. Some of the games include; Little Big Planet GOTY Edition, Infamous, Killzone 2 or God of War Collection. NPD numbers pending, bravo Sony.

Set on Stun
Doorbusters and Videogames — Aint Capitalism Grand?
Shawn Deena
November 26th, 2009
http://setonstun.com/2009/11/doorbusters-and-videogames-aint-capitalism-grand/

We already talked a little about black Friday in one of my other posts, but this one takes the opposite stance of the previous. Instead of praising the video game deals on black Friday, Shawn (not me) questions the legitimacy of some of these deals. Best Buy for example was selling a Elite, which came as the holiday bundle plus 4 additional games. That’s six games! Granted some of these are a little dated, and may have sequels available; for the first time gamer I felt this is a stellar deal. Then selling new releases for $20 dollars cheaper, although may not be stellar, it is still cheaper than the usual $60 price tag. Some may not feel the same way though and see people purchasing gift cards over actual products, thus not even guaranteeing that the industry will see a share of those profits, despite the purchasers’ intent for their use. As I also stated before, Sony seemed very prepared for black Friday, offering five bundles, and Nintendo did a good job of utilizing its DSi ware service by bundling the new DSi with 5 pre-downloaded games. Regardless, when the NPD numbers hit, we will have a good idea of how well the big three performed. In the mean time, I remain hopeful.

The Art of Gaming: December

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