Blog Report

Why is it that John Marston always a sucker for scumbags and philanderers?

I just made it to Blackwater and I already hate the new mission characters more than the ones in Mexico or Armadillo.

That's saying alot since Armadillo was home to slimey, nun-robbing, necrophiliacs...

NEWS!

Tetsuya Ishida's surrealist self-portraits
Red Faction: Armageddon "Emergency Transmission"
The War Game Where Nobody Gets Shot [Politics]
Microsoft Changing Xbox 360 Box Art [Coverstory]
Results are in on PAX's Booth Babe Ban Poll [Pax]
Kim Kardashian As Lara Croft? That Can't Be Right, Can It? [Rumor]
Porn Empire Can't Penetrate the PS3 [PS3]
Radiohead Has Good Taste In Video Games [Music]
Contra Returns Without The Contra Name [Konami]
First Batch Of BlizzCon 2010 Tickets Hit eBay [Blizzard]
Enjoy Your Massage! No, Really. Enjoy It! [Wii]
Oh, BTW, EA Sports Confirms NBA Live's Name Change [Sports]
PlayStation Move Gets Another Supporter [Playstation 3]
Man Accused Of Killing Kitten For Unplugging Game Console [Crime]
Foxconn Employee Dies After 34-Hour Shift [Foxconn]
Hulu Coming To Xbox 360? [Rumor]
Sony Remembers The PS3 Is A HD System [Hd]
Rockstar Won't Be At E3; Game Reveal Purportedly On Hold
Surprise! No Portal 2 Party at E3 [E3]

Play it NOW! - Super Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter IV was the fighting game for a new generation. Not only has it fleshed out the idea of what a 2.5D fighter can be, but it has sparked a revival of the genre. It is only suitable that Capcom, the father of 2D fighters, be the one to lead such an ambitious journey. Much like their previous installments, SSFIV is an expansion on the foundations laid in Street Fighter 4. Some gamers may be taken aback by the idea that they have to procure another disc. Let me assure you: this is a new game.

First and foremost, the character selection screen is initially completely unlocked, and a few new characters are available. Some are from the original Super (Dee Jay & T-Hawk), others from the Alpha series (Guy, Cody, Adon), and still others from Third Strike (Dudley, Ibuki, Makoto). Rounding out the 10 are some new faces with Hakan and Juri. This article will focus on the new characters, since the existing are similar to their predecessors.

Juri - Is primarily an offensively oriented character, with few defensive moves. Most of her attacks are kicks and her fireball technique can be charged. If you choose to charge, she does a high kick first and can unleash her fireball at any time after that by releasing the button. She has a counter move in which she taunts her enemy into hitting her. If she is hit; she can move backwards, jump into the air, or appear behind her opponent. Combined with her aerial dive kick, this counter is especially painful for her opponents. Her super unleashes a flurry of fireballs and juggles the opponent, ending with a fireball that hits the opponent as they are falling. The first Ultra is the Feng Shui Engine, which is a timing move that allows her to do combos at ease. The second Ultra is the Kaisen Dankairaku, a devastating attack in which she kicks her opponent up, then down where the opponent lands on her foot. She taunts them before slamming them into the ground.

Hakan – An oil wrestler whose technique revolves around the application of oil to his body. The primary move is called the Oil Shower, but the overall move set remains the same regardless of the presence of oil. The difference made by applying oil shows in the strength and agility of the character. Moves like the slide attack, will reach further with oil applied. Since he is more of a grappler, his throws are also more powerful with oil. Applying the oil also makes him "glow" for a short amount of time, acting as a timer of sorts for his current oiling. His super involves grabbing his opponent, sliding back and forth across the floor of the stage. The first Ultra is the Oil Coaster, which is like a more powerful version of his Oil Rocket move. He grabs, then pops the opponent up into the air, and slides them into a wall. The second Ultra is the Oil Combination, where Hakan lays down on the floor and waits for his opponent to fall into him. Once an opponent does, calamity ensues and they will wish they had not executed that last jump.

Additionally, all characters have been given a second Ultra. You choose which Ultra to use before the round begins, much like Third Strike. The game also features a few additional online modes: Team Battle (up to 8 players), and Endless Battle (winner plays against a rotating group of up to 8 players).

Another great feature is the Replay Channel, which allows players to save and view replays from around the world. It provides users some excellent footage, despite the lack of any character specific filters, which would help in finding a match up you may be struggling with. Fans of the series will notice the return of the car and barrels bonus stages. I found these to be fun bits of nostalgia to remind people of Capcom’s roots. Rival battles are still prominent from the previous game, which feature a unique dialogue sequence whenever a certain pair of characters face-off against each other.

A downloadable Tournament Mode is scheduled to be released on June 25, 2010. This will allow people to create their own tournaments, with victory belts. This will be cool if only for bragging rights and Capcom has mentioned sanctioning a few tournaments of their own DLC is limited to a number of costume packs for the various characters. These are not essential, but certainly add some variety to the already numerous costumes and color combinations. The game itself is at a price point of $40. If you don’t already own a fighting game, it makes Super Street Fighter 4 essential for any console owner.

*note: all pictures are coutesy of a Google Image search

"Friendly" Rant: The Latest "Crush" in Gaming

Just when you thought the world couldn’t become a lonelier place, GameCrush has decided to up the ante on the level of despair the Internet brings to a new generation. What is GameCrush?

“an entirely new interactive social gaming experience allowing gamers to meet, match and pay to play online games with other users (PlayDates). GameCrush is the only online service that allows gamers to choose a companion to spice up their favorite online games. Both Players and PlayDates define the experience they want - either “flirty” or “dirty”, choosing from some of the most popular console titles and casual web-based games.”

–cited from their press release. Thoughts after the jump...

State of the Industry: Expectations and Bioshock 2

Expectations. Expectations define many things in how gamers approach games. Sometimes it is the hype built by publishers which can set gamers expectations awry. Other times it is the way a demo plays or how previews leave journalists after the first impression, but lately there is another way expectations can setup games for failure; their predecessors. The most recent example of this is Bioshock 2, which by all normal standards would be considered a great game, if not for expectations. When the sequel was first announced and it became apparent Irrational Games was not developing it (creators of Bioshock), the fans heaved a sigh of disappointment. Bioshock, which will forever be known as one of the most immersive single player experiences of this generation had created an expectation that no sequel could live up to. Maybe it was the idea of returning to Rapture, the setting from the original. Or it may have been the almost novel idea of returning as a Big Daddy, protectors of the Little Sisters and a most deadly enemy from the first one.

Personally, I played the original and harbored some of the very same feelings that many others did. I doubted my desire to return to Rapture and felt unsure about the whole concept. When 2k announced the games delay to develop a separate multiplayer component, the fans were up in arms. They wanted 2k's head. I personally did not care, because the number of games which have terrible & awesome multiplayer components has no effect on me either way. I rarely have time to play competitive multiplayer when I game. I am a more varied gamer and prefer to change up my experiences, rather than become exceptional at any one game. Plus I play a lot of RPGs which eat up 40+ hours of my life typically. So, when the reviews came in, I was excited to here many of the journalists I followed said it was great! I began talking about it around the house and for Valentine’s Day, Lauren bought me it as a gift (yeah, she is that cool). I put that in almost immediately, despite still being addicted to Mass Effect 2 and trying to finish up Bayonetta. Within the first hour or so, I was back in Rapture and loving every minute of it. So, why all the hate? How come almost every little comment I read about the game starts with "let me just say, this game is not nearly as good as the first one"?

Sure, there are things that still suck; like the Vita-Chambers are weird if you respawn in a place you don't remember or the shooting may still feel a little stiff, but look at all the new things they tried. Most obvious is the dual-wielding of plasmids and weapons. Second, the introduction of charged plasmids and the traps. Third, the mini-games involving little sisters, where now you have to protect them as they harvest corpses. Fourth, all new weapon types and so on and so forth. My point is that despite any shortcomings you could find, there are just as many new innovations. I don't think that we should fault 2k and the various studios who worked on this game, for not being able to provide you the same experience Bioshock did. You have to understand that the first time to experience anything is going to be much different than each additional visit. For me Bioshock 2 was a fantastic return to Rapture, which answered some additional questions and helps shed light on the splicers civil war. If you are at all interested in an atmospheric shooter, go give it a play through. You will be happy you did.

So, will we learn to be more open to sequels in the future? Hopefully, but it is going to be up to how we setup our expectations and what we define as acceptable. It is all about perception.

*Note: images are courtesy of a Google Image Search

Sony "Where's the PR?"

As many users may already aware, the Playstation 3 has run into a little error that effected it’s users in a big way. On March 1st, the internal clock on all “fat” PS3’s was a little mixed up and thought we were currently in a leap year. The cell or some higher function inside the PS3 new better and every “fat” in the wild began to beat itself up over the date, causing numerous problems. The biggest of which was the blahblahblah error, keeping the PS3 from being able to connect to the Playstation Network. This created a domino effect across other games, which required trophies to sync in order to run. Users who turned on their PS3’s and were greeted by this error, were equally as stunned to discover that they were also being treated to a slew of corrupted trophy data, save files and other oddities.

First off, Sony is not a villain in this situation, as this was a silly error that probably happened due to the forgetfulness of some poor employee. When compared to the Xbox 360 and its numerous hardware failures, Sony looks like the gold star of the classroom. The problem was how they handled the situation and the advice they offered their consumers. Telling your customers not to turn on their PS3’s is ridiculous, especially since they would not be online looking for a solution if they had not already done so. Also, most of the posts I saw in North America were directed at the United States audience, but this is a worldwide issue. It was not localized to one region and customers from many countries were probably left in the dark about what was going on. Holding their breath and hoping that this was not the end of their backwards compatible “fat’s” lifespan (I was one of them). I am sure Canadians everywhere were wondering where the support was. While engineers were being called in on a Sunday and someone soon realized that this issue would be resolved once March 2nd rolled around and the internal clock realized its mistake. Instead, of pretending like people were willing to stand by and act like nothing was wrong (which they weren’t reference solution), Sony should have been transparent about the situation and addressed the public with this knowledge, putting everyone’s mind at ease for the next 24 hours. If they were wrong, it at least doused the fire long enough for them to figure out a way to fix it, but if they were right, it potential ended a flame war hours earlier than what actually happened. Taking some action and keeping users from modifying their PS3s and causing more damage. I still love Sony and still support the brand, but I just felt they should have been more responsive to customer concerns, besides some press releases and twitter updates. Though, maybe I am still young and naïve. Whatever the case, everything is find now and my PS3 came back unscathed. Now I can finish Heavy Rain!

Play it Now!: Plants vs Zombies

by Lauren Doster

I would probably rate PopCap’s “Plants vs Zombies” as the cutest, most creative, and addictive tower defense game to date. The gameplay is built on a simple grid format, where Zombies move horizontally across the screen towards your rows of defense. If your lines of defense are not sufficient, the zombies will enter your house and the dreaded “ZOMBIES ATE YOUR BRAINS” flashes on the screen.

The key to long-term success in this game is twofold: your ability to collect sunlight quickly, and your ability to assess which plants to add to your arsenal at which time. Sunlight is key for financing more plants. I would highly suggest you purchase the double sunflowers as soon as Crazy Dave offers them up for sale in his shop. When selecting your arsenal, I always try to incorporate a walnut (this slows a zombies approach to your home, while you continue to attack him) and an “oh shit” plant for those zombies that do sneak by (Squash, Red Pepper will do just fine). Couple these with your traditional Pea Shooter, Sunflower, etc. As you progress, more seed packets will become available to spruce up your zombie-killing arsenal. I would highly suggest buying more seed slots as soon as you can raise the cash. This will come in especially handy as you take on nighttime games, where you receive no free sunlight.

Nighttime Survival Mode

That being said, the biggest hook of this game goes beyond the normal adventure mode. Puzzle mode, survival mode, and various mini-games including maintaining your own “Zen Garden”. I was trying to explain to Sean the importance of saving up capital to purchase Stinky the Snail to continue to collect gold coins in my Zen Garden while I was away. He’ll understand, someday. Another great mini-game consists of playing as the zombies, attacking plants and trying to eat brains. It’s a great way to learn how to resist zombies in the normal adventure mode.

Stinky the Snail – kickin’ ass and taking names.

Overall, I give this game a 9/10! I have completed the adventure mode and most of the puzzle/mini-games. I think PopCap balanced the “cute” aspect perfectly with genuine strategy required to be successful. This will appeal to both light gamers and their hardcore counterparts. Just be prepared for your girlfriend to utter “the zombies….are coming” for a few weeks!

*Note: Photos are a result of Steam and Google image search

When is Online Co-op Disconnected?

When you develop a game, based around your ability to communicate with your partner and there is no voice chat for on-line co-op... EA, you are a smart dedicated publisher that makes quality games. Why was this overlooked? I understand Microsoft gives you a freebie with cross game chat and you obviously had enough money to put in some chat function, since you were able to make a PSP version of this game (is that even going to sell). Sorry, getting a little bitter, but I think this should have been in there. It is just what the consumer would expect going into the experience. Good game though otherwise and the mask customization within the EA accounts was genius, but next time, please put in the voice chat. Thanks!

Play it NOW!: Borderlands

The wasteland of Pandora is plagued with adversity, but luckily, I have the cure; a bazillion guns! Borderlands, is not your typical FPS. It is one of many games entering what I refer to as a “hybrid-genre” and as Gearbox would describe it, Borderlands is what you would get if an FPS and RPG had a baby; more specifically, if Halo and Diablo had a baby. This should lead you to a couple conclusions, first you will be shooting aliens in the face, second, you will be collecting a ton of loot and last, you will be grinding until that level 50 level cap kicks in. As many of you know that read this blog regularly, I had been going to Gearbox every couple of months for focus testing sessions, and now that the game is out, I can tell you it was to play Borderlands. Since I had spent a lot of single player time (around 15 + hours) playing this game at Gearbox, I wanted to experience the actual game, co-op ONLY. Working out the schedule with my brother, we ended up finishing this game in a little less than 12 hours, and I am still left with some side quests to go back to.

I really have to hand it to Gearbox, if there is one thing Borderlands has going for it, it is style. The graphics alone are a blend of realism and cel-shading to create something wholly unique, visually referred to as “concept art” style. A thick black outline permeates the objects in the landscape and clearly defines the character models, buildings and weapons throughout Pandora. These are coupled with a sense of personality allocated to many of the NPCs you encounter; from the mischievous, sometimes hilarious Claptraps, to many of your quest dispensers like Scooter or Crazy Earl. Even your tougher enemies are differentiated by simply throwing the word “Badass” in front of their name. If I had to point to one thing lacking, it is any sort of narrative. The story is really irrelevant, starting with you choosing a class-based silent protagonist (despite the occasional taunt over your enemy’s corpse) and following the orders from a mysterious woman, to find a vault thought to contain a wealth of treasure. When you get to the vault, it will surprise you for about 3 seconds and then you realize the last battle kind of fizzles out. Let us take time to recognize though, that this is not why you play Borderlands! You play Borderlands, because of the loot and does Borderlands sure have some of the coolest weapons I have ever seen. Take for example “The Boiler”, a drum loaded cluster rocket launcher, which not only fires 5 rockets spread across the terrain, but 5 rockets which explode with “nalpamy” goodness, causing massive fire damage on all my enemies. Or my favorite close quarters gun, “The Judicator”, a shotgun of the highest grade (orange class) which will basically turn any opponent to kibble in two pops. Complete this little arsenal off with some Bouncing Bettie Electrical grenades (electric elements drop enemy shields quick) and you can pretty much handle anything the game can throw at you.

To come back the classes mentioned earlier, there are four choices; Soldier, Sniper, Siren and Brick (yeah, his name is the class). Soldiers are more tactical classes who can drop a turret which will buff you and your teammates, master shotties and assault rifles, and has an entire medic skill tree. Snipers try to control the battlefield from a distance, utilizing a pet bird to stun opponents, cause elemental damage and master the headshot. These are the two classes I experienced the most of (me being the soldier, my brother the sniper). The siren is a stealthy magic class, who can “phase walk” through enemies and explode behind them for massive area damage. She is also proficient with small arms. Then there is Brick, a human wrecking ball, whose special ability is to drop his gun and just start pummeling his opponents until they are a smear on the desert landscape. Oh and Brick also is proficient in heavy weapons, which he shoots from the hip! Each class also has a modifier, which will allocate bonus skill points to specific abilities making you more effective or balanced. I spent the majority of the game as either a Support Gunner or Shock Trooper. Lastly, there are the shields, and while most of them are cool and do various counter attacks or have immunities to specific elements, I found that the regenerative health shield was the only way to go. Myself being a medic sub-class, I could heal anyone by shooting them, except myself…which proved to be a problem from time to time, if I did not use the correct shield. The vehicle combat was passable, but did not resonate the Mad Max feeling I was going for, mostly because the vehicles lacked variety and the guns tended to be weaker than my own sidearm.

I think this game will be the Franchise that finally takes Gearbox to new heights. The Brothers in Arms series was always successful but suffered from the industries saturation of World War II shooters. FPS/RPG Hybrids on the other hand are few and far between, generally suffering from issues of being two much of one or the other. Borderlands on the other hand, seems to have found the balance here and with 2 million units sold in the first 45 days, I can hardly wait for the sequel. Luckily, there seems to be a slew of DLC keeping me busy until then. So if you like guns, guns, guns; Play it now!

* Played through the main story and probably 70% of side missions, reached lvl 38 Soldier before credits rolled.

**All images are a result of a Google image search and www.nerfnow.com

Blog Report: October 7th

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/10/it-only-does-uncharted-2-among-thieves/

It Only Does UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves from PlayStation.Blog
by Peter Dille
Oct 2, 2009

Sony has been on a holiday blitz lately, with the recent price drop of the PS3 and release of the PSPgo. To accompany these hardware releases, the will be pushing new marketing campaigns and the PS3 campaign “It only does everything” seems to be successful. This article is a post of the third commercial (to my knowledge) in that campaign and it is doing things a little differently. Most advertisements for the PS3 have been either relevant directly to the hardware (display features, price, style, etc.) or a mash-up of both first party / third party software titles. This new commercial however features only one first party software title, Uncharted 2. Within the past few days reviews have surfaced in anticipation of launch. Luckily, it is slowly ramping up to becoming one of the highest rated games of this generation, if not all time. With that in mind it seems like Sony may actually be on track to salvaging this console generation, simply by acknowledging that the hardware is not the only thing you need to consider when developing a console. The games people play are equally, if not, more important than the hardware it is developed on. For Sony, having an exclusive title like Uncharted 2 should help generate sales this holiday season. The humorous tone of this marketing campaign has been apparent from its onset and the new commercial is trying hard to keep the laughs rolling. It starts with a gamer requesting help from Sony, because his girlfriend has been watching the game as if it were a movie, for two days and she still does not realize it is a game. Watch the full video on the blog to see how it plays out.

http://setonstun.com/2009/10/gamers-doing-good-games-that-give/

Gamers Doing Good: Games That Give
JP Sherman
Oct 2 2009

Here is an interesting promotion, a flash based, casual gaming website that operates as a portal for charitable donations. Basically, registered users and guests alike are able to experience a number of browser based games, and by doing so, 70% of the ad revenue is donated to a number of different charities. I myself gave it a try and if you’re looking to spend an afternoon playing some Solitaire, Blackjack, Sudoku, etc; then you can do it and generate some funds for charity. It reminds me of a Stride Gum promotion that was going on last month, where a number of struggling arcades were in a competition to score the most points in a flash based game. Doing so would result in a $25,000 stipend for the winning arcade. You can find more information on that at http://savethearcades.stridegum.com/. Games that Give may not be the first of its kind, but it certainly is an ambitious venture, with over 5,000 registered users so far and $2,500 in ad generated charity. I wonder if any of these major gaming developers had considered an option like this for some of their games. Essentially, Pop Cap games have made the flash based platform into a viable industry with games like Peggle and Plants vs. Zombies. Could they too utilize a similar business model as Games that Give, maybe on some of their older titles? If they did, would they experience a stronger sense of loyalty from the community by giving back? From a PR perspective, this may be a good model for certain developers, but for now, if you have any free time, stop by and play some games.

Play it NOW!: Shadow Complex

I am not going into the details on this one, its really a no brainer (despite the political controversy). Do you like the idea of a 2.5D Metroid, with fantastic level design, interesting game mechanics and golden guns; Hell, do you like the idea of getting the content of a disc based game for $15 from the convenience of your couch?! BUY IT NOW!!!

State of the Industry: Marketing 101

1st quarter financials have been burning up the net and the big three are feeling the squeeze of the economy. This post is less concerned with the financial facts of the first quarter numbers, you can find all those at http://www.kotaku.com/, instead lets look at ways developers & publishers can curb the economic lows and deliver quality content.

The Game/Film Vehicle

Most consumers are interested in getting the most for their money. Whether it’s waiting to purchase a game until it is on sale or trading in your old games to buy that new one. With the recession taking grip across the United States, companies are starting to recognize this and they are reacting by trying to offer more than just a game. One strategy is to take advantage of the potential for more content on the disc besides the game, an added bonus for your purchase. The concept of integrating movies with video games is being driven by Sony Playstation 3 for the most part, due to the increased size on Blu-ray discs. Some examples of this include Midways Hard Boiled or the new Watchmen: The End is Nigh Complete Experience. With as many video games being built around movie licenses and Sony possessing its own film studio, there would seem to be a lot of potential for this to exist in future launch titles.

Fan Service

Why stop at movies though? As sequels continue to come after each successful installment of an IP, some games have crossed multiple generations of consoles. One such example is the God of War franchise. With the 3rd iteration debuting on PS3 in the fourth quarter of 2009, Sony has been conducting surveys to see what type of extra content consumers would want with the special edition of GOW 3 to contain. The most interesting of options was the idea that they could include the two previous installments from the Playstation 2. And lets not forget the recent release of Starbreeze studios Chronicles of Riddick sequel, Assault on Dark Athena, where Starbreeze included a full high definition remake of the original The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.

Episodic Content

One way to eliminate risk in a risky IP is to release it in portions, otherwise known as episodic content. It gives the developers flexibility to make the games they want to make and encourage more innovation. Valve software was one of the pioneers in this field with Half Life 2. Instead of making a direct sequel, they chose to release more content as chapters. So, once the original game of Half Life 2 is complete, you could then download episodes 1 & 2 and continue enjoying the same great game with an extended story arc and new game play functions. Episode 3 though has taken quite some time to complete and brings us to a downside of episodic content. Telltale games have really been the leading example when it comes to releasing games episodically and consistently.With such releases as Sam & Max, Strong Bad and many others, expect more great Telltale games in the future.

Additional Downloadable Content

To further explore the concept of downloading games; let’s look at how some developers hope to release new content for already existing titles via downloadable content. By taking existing games and expanding upon the content, we can invest in the success of a brand, without having to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a sequel. Instead, a developer can improve upon a specific aspect, such as the story or multiplayer experience and for a low price to the consumer; they offer the opportunity to continue enjoying the experience. Recently, Rockstar games released an expansion for the immensely popular Grand Theft Auto 4. It seemed almost unnecessary that a game of this scale would require much more, but Rockstar may have recognized this as well, by designing a completely new story arc, with different characters, missions, and in game items, while still retaining the feel. Rockstar is not the only company to find fruition through DLC, as the long time digital distribution advocates at Valve have now upgraded their PC browser Steam, so that developers can add downloadable content to any game on Steam--regardless of where the gamer purchased the game from, as long as they have the game they can download the extra content from Steam and it'll work.

Play it NOW!: Battlefield 1943

There is a new shooter on the block and it aims to break records with over 100 million kills in the first week and counting. That game is Battlefield 1943, and it fulfills DICE's expectations in making Battlefield even more accessible, by bringing the PC original to the consoles, through digital download.

In taking one of the first hardcore FPS Multiplayer games and simplifying the mechanics to play on all the strengths of the original, while maintaining its scope and vision, has lead to an overwhelming success. Day one, EA was actually unprepared for such a positive reception, causing their servers to fail and making the process of getting on-line arguous. But after a few days everything has seemed to even out and I am a happy to have made the investment. Honestly, I believe this looks better than its predecessor, being built on the Bad Company engine, which features destructible enviroments and brighter explosions. Making those pesky sniper towers and bridges the concentration of some of my most destructive urges.

By making it more accessible, the class structure has been reduced to 3 major classes: Rifleman, Infantryman or Sniper and each of these classes has a sub-class like engineer or demolitions. All seem very balanced and it makes the challenging decision of which class to choose that much easier. Also the maps have focused on the Pacific front of WW II with; Wake Island, Guadacanal, and Iwo Jima coming day one. As I mentioned before about breaking records, a 4th map was added to each console respectively, after the users racked up 43 million kills. Xbox360 reaching that in 4 days and PS3 getting there on day 8, bringing the air combat focused map Coral Sea.

This is where all you Aces can earn your wings, letting everyone continue to jump into planes over and over, without having to worry about being left standing on the aircraft carrier. The dog fighting is extremely visceral, where defeating one opponent leads to 3 more nearby. The vehicle mechanics, though taking some getting used to (plane controls felt foreign), do work much better that any mouse and keyboard combo. In fact, Battlefield was one of those games where I used to have a flight stick standing by, because there was no way I could fly a plane with a mouse. Note: there is a tutorial for the air mechanics if you find yourself crashing into things more than you'd like.

By doing all these things; class structure, maps, the new engine, and even keeping the player cap to 12 players on each side, it has made the adaptation to consoles seemless and enjoyable. At a price point of only $15, it is pretty much a no brainer for anyone that plays FPS Multiplayer games.

One thing I should note, this is still Battlefield, maps are large and teammates assholes. So when you are on a aircraft carrier and someone steals your plane or you try to right shotgun in a jeep and are left in the dust, it will make you appreciate playing with friends all the more. It is really the best way to enjoy a game such as this and I think you should play it now.

*all screenshots are a result of Google Image search and http://www.penny-arcade.com/

Almost April!?

So as you can see the blog posts kind of thinned out through the month of March. Mostly due to a downward spiral of reality I have been dealing with, but not without blame is the recent releases of RE5 and Killzone 2. To keep this ball rolling and finish the month out strong I wanted to touch on my recent experience will the Killzone 2 Multiplayer. Really, I think Penny Arcade summed it up best in 3 frames...

Now lets be clear, Killzone 2 does not re-invent the wheel. In most respects, it would be considered a standard shooter. But, it is my personal opinion that Killzone 2 does much more than just "any" FPS with multiplayer. From a technical standpoint this game is hit or miss. Beautiful Graphics, floaty gun mechanics or fantastic sound effects, terrible dialog. Its like most games, a share of the good and bad, so why has its multiplayer been such a success? The non-stop action is why. First, the matchmaking is solid and clan system effective, but really where it shines is the way the play mode is set. In most 32 player maps, each team participates in 7 rounds differentiated by defense objectives, assassination missions, assault campaigns and good old fashion death match. Leading to a 25 minute battle royal where, which ever team wins, receives a multiplier on their Battle Points. Whats a battle point? Glad you asked, because this is why I love Killzone 2. It has almost an RPG/Class based leveling system where you earn battle points by completing objectives in each round, plus you can get battle points for kills and using your class based skills.

That's right, class based skills. So not only can you play as a run and gun soldier, but there are classes like the engineer, medic, tactician, scout, saboteur, etc. who all have unique load outs and skill sets. Sure this borrows from Team Fortress 2, but not in a tacky way. It still retains its own natural feel, and even re-invents itself with a Ribbon system, where you can also unlock abilities through ribbons and these abilities can be used across classes. Allowing you to tweak your character to a specific play style. Of course, to tweak the difficulty you are only allowed one rifle and one pistol at a time, creating more balance among classes. And everyone glows the color team the are on (Helghan Red, ISA Blue) which really helps to differentiate enemies, while still letting them look unique. While it might not detour to far from the FPS Multiplayer formula, it is by far the best Multiplayer game Exclusive to the PS3 and is something that Sony fans should be proud is their own.

All pictures provided by www.google.com/image and http://www.penny-arcade.com/

State of the Industry: Multiplayer

With the new generation of consoles install base growing, our ability to play across the world wide web with friends from any locale has become incredibly simple. As of late, a hot topic around podcasts and interviews has been the necessity of multiplayer. Does everything we do in the industry have to revolve around the concept of online gaming or is it possible to have the same if not equally better experience just playing by yourself?

Personally, I am not a huge multiplayer fan. Mostly because I lack the time necessary to enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, I once had a lvl 55 Hunter in WOW, and I used to play Halo 2 'til my fingers ached, but lately I have been turned off to the whole multiplayer experience. While maybe for me, it is just the saturation of games with multiplayer, Pete Wanat (producer of the new Wanted game) in a interview expressed a frustration with how the press and marketers push to simply have multiplayer to spice up the box or add one more feature, regardless how useless it is (play The Darkness; great game, terrible multiplayer). He certainly makes a good point, and it is easily justified by seeing how many FPS games have multiplayer. Most FPS games now are pushing for a more team oriented structure (IE: Team Fortress 2, Resistance 2, and soon Killzone 2), but accessibility is an issue, because most games now require individual accounts per player and a maximum of 2 players per system for online play, it is demanding for even gamers to get friends together and play online when everyone has to have their own system and sometimes own account. COD 4 has done a good job of keep the LAN alive and providing a 4 player split screen for you and your friends, but I was confused when I rented Quantum of Solace and could only play one player online, no split screen, no guest options. I mean, a Bond game should always have 4 player split screen. Goldeneye anyone?

And there will be more FPS games coming out that stress the same multiplayer available in previous games we already have, each with there own twists. So is there a silver lining? Funny you should ask, because it is coming from an unlikely hero, Capcom. Here is a quick look at 2 games coming out, which have unique ways to multiplay.

Street Fighter 4








Got it last night! Play for like 6 hours straight because I just had to have every character unlocked... but lets talk about the online play. Simply put, its perfect. First of all, I played for like 1 hour online and experienced no lag, latency, or drops and not only can I just quick match and fight somebody on the fly, but I can build custom matches, send friend requests and build up my battle points to flex my muscle online. On top of all of this, the coolest option has to be playing the Arcade mode, but leaving the online mode running, so random challengers can pop in every couple rounds for a wallop. I don't think it could get any better unless I had a cabinet in my living room, but for the price of $150, the Mad Catz Tournament stick can bring the arcade to you. Mad props to Capcom for bringing the spirit of 1 on 1 competition to next gen consoles.

Resident Evil 5








Granted I have only played the demo, but was able to test the co-op with a friend. Another very near perfect multiplayer experience. The entire game is built around you controlling one of two characters as you make your way through the levels. At times you will have to separate to unlock certain areas or defend one another from an elevated position. A human counterpart tends to be much better than AI, so first they enabled co-op on the same machine via split screen, which is great and hopefully will be a seem less process, meaning a 2nd player may jump in and out at any time. Not only that, but then you can go online and invite or join friends to play through the story co-op. Which is perfect because it helps build the tension when you have to protect your buddy from chainsaw wielding zombies, instead of a AI partner, who can't give you shit about it later. Watch for this game to drop on March 13th.



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