Video Games
King Of Kong (Movie)
Apr 1st
I just watched the best documentary I’ve ever seen (via Netflix online)…King Of Kong. How a movie about the world record score of Donkey Kong could be the best documentary ever…I have no idea. It’s just downright wonderful tho. Long live Steve Wiebe. (I googled this and he lost the title to Billy Mitchell in 2007).
More sometime tomorrow or Wednesday. I’m off to bed for the night…
XBOX Live Demos
Jan 26th
I never even thought about this, except for the first night I got my XBOX 360, but I need to download some game demos. I’m downloading BATTLE STATIONS: MIDWAY, JUST CAUSE, CONDEMNED, and LOST PLANET overnight. Will try to report back on how they are. CONDEMNED I’ve been wanting to play…will try these, then download more demos and review what you’re actually able to play of all these games…
Off to bed for now…
Dead Rising: Impossible to Play on an SDTV!
Jan 20th
Dead Rising looks like a very cool game…it feels like a very cool game, just from the 10 mins or so playing it.
Unfortunately, since I have a 25″ SDTV- the game is completely useless to me.
Why? As many others are painfully aware (I’m only aware of the issue after a google search)- there is a ton of text on screen involved in talking to people, answering your phone, and getting instructions on what to do and how to do it.
BUT- the game was developed with HDTV in mind, so the text is nearly impossible to read! You have sometimes lengthy conversations with others in the game, but it’s all pointless as you cannot possibly read what it is being said.
Your phone rings, and text shows up as the caller’s voice- also impossible to read. Boxes pop up every now and then to tell you how to do certain things. Even most of this text is impossible to read.
I’ve no idea why a game developer would create a game, not even bothering with the fact that the text might as well be invisible unless I have a brand new $1, 000 HDTV!
VERY frustrating. Worse- Capcom (the game’s developer) has the lamest fixes on the planet- try to set your TV to widescreen? That helps! Except I don’t have a widescreen TV, this the ratio is all screwed up, and this doesn’t make the text any more readable as it is. Will search more sites to see if they came out with a patch for this hunk of junk…
GottaPlay Game Rental Service
Jan 17th
I signed up for GottaPlay‘s game rental service the other day- it’s $12.95 for one game out…cheaper than the others from what I saw.
I signed up on Jan 13, which was a Sunday. No mail on Monday due to MLK Jr. Day. I checked my “Gamer Q” just now and they still haven’t sent any games out- I added nearly 20 to my list, and a few of them are really lame games I added simply to see if all the good games were out.
I called their customer service line, and both times I got a message saying they were busy with other customers and to leave a message and my number, and they’d try to call me back as soon as possible. No way Jose- if you offer customer support, I’m of the view I shouldn’t have to leave my name and number like I’m calling a buddy whose late meeting me at the cinema.
They still have yet to reply…this was nearly 2 days ago I E-Mailed them, asking when a game would be sent out, and how I would know when one was sent out.
The thing is- unlike Netflix, for example, and many other services- they don’t have any status on any of their games. There’s no “available,” “short wait,” “long wait.” NONE of that at all. Just a “Gamer Q” that lists your games with a message that says “ATTENTION: For the best possible service, add additional titles to your Rental “Q”.”- a list of your games and buttons to move them up the “Q” for top priority.
I’m a bit concerned already…this doesn’t sound like good customer support from their delay in responding, and the way they leave you in the dark as to what status the games are in is troubling as well.
I’m going on a hunch here- this isn’t going to be a good service. I saw another review where someone said the times in getting games back were fast. He said when he sent out a game on Monday, he’d usually get the next game the next Monday or Tuesday. (this is not fast shipping.)
GottaPlay, on review sites, and on their own site, list that they have 5 shipping centers located around the country, so they have the fastest shipping times. Doesn’t sound like the real world experience is matching up with the hype.
I’ll write on this again if they ever send me a game…
UPDATE: I called once again and finally got through to someone. The lady I talked to said she saw that no games had been shipped, and that she had no idea why no game was sent out. It takes 2 days after signup to send out the first game…if a game doesn’t go out in 7 days, they automatically extend the trial period (it’s a trial period of 10 days for $1)- so, my trial will be extended almost surely…
I noticed their website says they reply to all E-Mails within 24 hours. Unfortunately, that’s not even close to true. I sent two E-Mails and got one reply 4 days after my initial E-Mail! 24 hours? Nope- 4 days. Big difference. Poor customer service in my view. Make no promises of quick replies to E-Mails if you’re 3 days off on the guarantee.
The E-Mail said that they had an influx of new customers and they can’t keep up with game demand. Basically- they can’t send me any games, because they don’t have any games in stock. A VERY bad sign for any business. I will cancel my account and urge others to steer clear of this service. Having low inventory is one thing, but they need to make this clear on their site. They don’t list status for any of their games, they give you no clue as to when a game will be sent, if any games are available, why a game isn’t being sent…that and the slow reply to E-Mail when they promise a 24 hr response time. Calling centers that are so booked they say THEY will call YOU back. Too many problems with GottaPlay. Thumbs down big time.
XBOX 360 Console
Jan 6th
So, I decided to pick up an XBOX 360 the other day…ended up spending nearly $520 after the battery charger and GEARS OF WAR…I went in and had no idea what game I wanted to buy. I was interested in CONDEMNED, but decided to get GEARS OF WAR instead. VERY hard game as far as I’m concerned- you die easily and there doesn’t seem to be tons of ammo lying around everywhere. I read many site reviews, and it seems the game is based on the strategy of being forced to hide behind things a lot and work with the others to attack the weird beast things (not even sure what they’re called- the story is a tad disjointed and not all that clear.)
I also picked up VIVA PINATA, just because I’m cool like that. I’ve played PINATA most so far…it’s actually fairly complex as well. MANY things to remember how to do, LOTS of various resident pinatas to keep tabs on, care for…It’s not the simple kids game the box makes it out to be. Which is good. And bad, when I’m too tired for something too complicated. It’s interesting…there tends to be a lot of downtime doing mundane tasks, but according to reviews of this game, you can delegate these tasks to others eventually. Haven’t gotten to that point- either that or I haven’t figured out how to hire helpers yet!
I signed up for XBOX Live…silly me, I tried to join a casual GEARS OF WAR ‘vs’ game right off the bat, without even playing the game- so I had no idea what controls did what…I quickly left that game! Oddly enough it shows a gamerscore of 50 (it showed 10 after that game but went up today to 50)…and a rep of 3 stars out of 5 I think it is. It actually automatically signs on to LIVE as default…which I guess I should turn off.
Need to pick up CONDEMNED sometime. Tried to PGR3 demo- it’s okay…just like PGR2 (which I have and loved)…but, it seems too much of the same. No radio stations like in part 2, no regular cars to drive, etc.
Not sure about any other games. I need to get an HDTV set- 360 is in HD…you can pick up a $200 HD DVD drive for it, and it’s actually a bit hard to see everything on my 25″ SD set. To bad my electronics are taking over, and I have no room for the 360 outside of the floor in front of the entertainment center itself. Might be worse with an HDTV and a small stand for it- even the smaller stands with limited AV room below run $200 at Wal Mart, I’ve noticed…
Well- off for now.
Applebees and Baseball
Jan 1st
Went to Applebees tonight…had some pasta and chicken. Good stuff. It was free too. Well, sort of. I got a VISA gift card, but I paid cash for it and then will use the VISA for groceries- so basically I came out even. I’m supposed to be in bed, so I can get up early…
Unfortunately, I picked up the PSP when I was turning everything off and started playing MLB 06: THE SHOW (yes, I still play this game almost daily). I have a new season started- this time with the New Orleans Zephyrs. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to get onto a major league team’s roster and stay there. I’ll get called up- I’ll play 3 games, get 6 rbi’s in those 3 games, 2 home runs…yet the still drop me. I have no idea what the deal is. I’m already in my 3rd year of my career! I’ve had top batting avg in AAA, most RBIs, most home runs, most at bats, best slugging avg, fewest strikeouts, and on and on…still no luck. The team always drops me even after I give them gold during my tenure!
I will go to bed in a few mins…after I post this, that is.
I finally returned one DVD to Netflix need to watch one more tomorrow and return that one…
I finally found a nice day planner. It’s very thin, so it fits nicely in my attache. I finished a few work related items this weekend. I was off today and go back tomorrow- very odd since it’s felt like I haven’t worked in forever. I swapped one day for another, so that was a day off…then I took 1 comp day, so I had many many days off during the holidays. That’s when salary isn’t too bad. With my job, I actually haven’t found it bad in any ways at all tho. So, either way.
I need to get a schedule to work out. Make one…whatever I’m trying to say.
Finally- I hope Wal Mart keeps this 37″ Emerson HDTV in stock. It’s under $800. I think I’m going to buy it- I’ve read many sites and hear good things about it and the picture quality. I have a nice home theatre system sound-wise, so the audio isn’t much of a concern for me. I’ll need to see how DISH NETWORK HD fits into my monthly budget tho. Not sure how much it’ll cost just yet- I’m mainly interested in the VOOM channels.
I guess that’s that. Not too exciting or not exciting at all maybe. I’m off to bed…try to get up much earlier than usual. See how that goes. Have…to…put…down…PSP. Wii or XBOX 360? Tough choices…
Happy New Year to everyone…
Video Gaming Prices Need to Come WAY Down
Nov 15th
The PS3 will be out soon. Sony’s latest version of its popular playstation gaming console has a $600 price tag…or you can pick up a $500 core system without the extras (I believe the $500 version lacks the hard drive.)
The XBOX 360 has been out for many months and the price for the full system with the hard drive is $499. A $399 version is available without a hard drive (which means you have no way to save games without purchasing an overpriced memory card that is basically obsolete given the hard drive capability.
Nintendo’s new Wii system is out this week and carries a price tage of $249. The system is backwards compatible (as is the 360 with SOME XBOX games…not certain about the PS3), but the games are often more kid-friendly, oriented, it seems, to a much younger audience…I don’t think Nintendo really targets the hardcore gamer.
The prices on these systems are just too much. That and the fact that the systems are, at launch, nearly impossible to find in stores (they just don’t make enough to meet demand)- it all adds up to a big mess. Well, video gaming is massive, so maybe it’s a semi-large mess.
I can’t imagine the average gamer going to the store and shelling out $600 for a PS3. Even the XBOX’s $400 price tag is heavy for most wallets. A big Christmas present, maybe…but a normal everyday buy for yourself to have some fun purchasing? Seems a bit over the top.
Worse- the prices for the games are going through the roof as well. The average game for the XBOX 360 runs around $55-$60. To get a system with a hard drive and 1 game, you shell out nearly $600 there. That’s with ONE controller, so you better hope you have a single child household and you better hope that kid has no friends who might want to play video games with him on his new system. A controller will run at least another $20.
Will this hurt the business as a whole? Doubtful. But the conumer is getting screwed big time in the end with these prices, and no doubt they will only continue to rise. How much for the PS4 when it arrives? $799? $899? Games at $100 a pop? You sometimes find yourself wondering if sticking to PC gaming is a good idea…the games are often cheaper and most of us have high enough powered PC’s to handle the bulk of the popular games out there. Adding on a control pad to get rid of the keyboard/mouse gaming experience will set you back, but not by much as there are many more companies out there making various controllers at various price levels (and various levels of reliability.)
I guess I just miss the days when you could buy a console and it would come complete. All you needed to sit down and play- a game included…and two controllers. This nickel and diming a person to death with the add-ons is starting to get ridiculous. Maybe the costs are too high for the prices to come down…find a way to bring costs down. Find better agreements with the software companies to bring down game prices. Do whatever you have to do. I can see a future where gaming will be limited to a priveleged few- enough extra cash on hand to buy any new toy they want…I think that would be a real shame for everyone involved.
UPDATE: Per reporting from Fox News- There have been multiple incidents of violence connected to people trying to get PS3 because there are SO few of them and most who want them cannot get one. The lines are around the door at various dept stores and retailers like Best Buy. One man was shot because he refused to give his console up to another person who wanted one. Also- EBay prices (according, again to Fox News— UPDATE: I checked EBAY myself and the highest prices I see are around $2000. I think maybe she meant to say $1,500 not $15,000) have PS3′s in the $15, 000 range! Is it irresponsible to deliberately release such a small number to get a frenzy going? I’d say yes, but others will surely disagree…when they know it will lead to various acts of violence and chaos- I say it’s a no-no.
Burnout for PSP (Video Game)
Aug 28th
I went to Game Crazy last night to look at PSP games…traded in an XBOX 360 game I got for free for Burnout on PSP.
Awesome game so far. I’ve played around with it for an hour or so, and it’s pretty addictive. The main goal is to make your opponents crash and crash big…insane speeds, unrealistic controls which is good for this type of game, different modes- chase, takedown, racing, timed attack, rampage, etc. They go by different names in the game, but those are the basic ideas.
You can unlock more and more cars the more takedowns you make. A takedown is crashing an opponent’s car…usually done by smashing him into a wall. You crash as well, you take damage, and keep going until your car gives out totally.
Graphics are good. Not a fan of the music. Just not my kind of stuff…not sure what genre you’d call it, but it’s not for me. There’s an autosave feature which is nice…the load times are pretty quick. There seem to be many features to keep you playing. More awards to get, more cars to win, more challenges to beat.
I’ve never played any version of the game before, but I’m definitely like this one so far…
Crossposted at the video game blog.
Dead Rising for XBOX 360
Aug 4th
Check out the information for this new zombie game for XBOX 360. Looks really cool. Will try to post more later today after I get some sleep…
Click here for more on the game
CAPCOM ® SHOWCASES DEAD RISING ™ FOR
xbox 360 ™ video game and entertainment system from microsoft
- The Road to Stardom is Wrought With Swarms of Flesh-Hungry Zombies -
E3, LOS ANGELES ¾ May 10, 2006— Capcom â today showcased Dead Rising™ for Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, an action horror game that brings new meaning to the phrase “retail hell.” Dead Rising follows the harrowing tale of Frank West, an overly zealous freelance photojournalist on a hunt for the scoop of a lifetime. In pursuit of a juicy lead, he makes his way to a small suburban town only to find that it has become overrun by zombies. He escapes to the local shopping mall, thinking it will be a bastion of safety but it turns out to be anything but. It will be a true struggle to survive the endless stream of enemies, but players will have full reign of a realistic shopping center, utilizing anything they find to fight off the flesh-hungry mob and search for the truth behind the horrendous epidemic.
Dead Rising features an open level of freedom and offers a vast array of gameplay possibilities. As part of a real time system, time is dynamic in Dead Rising , marching on whether Frank is actively engaged or if he is stationary. Time also plays a role as zombies become more powerful when the sun goes down. Though they move slowly during the day, the zombies become stronger and faster at night, making it even more dangerous for players to survive. The unprecedented numbers of enemies come in never-ending waves and consist of a diverse population of former humans that have retained some memory of their previous lives, which is reflected in their behavior and appearance. The variety of different stores in the mall offers players an endless supply of resources including vehicles, makeshift weapons and more. Players will also encounter other survivors along the way and by helping them can acquire valuable clues as to what has happened.
Dead Rising includes the following features:
• Huge environment – expansive indoor and outdoor areas of the mall provide a variety of different locations to explore
• Swarm technology allows an unprecedented amount of enemies on screen at once resulting in nonstop, pulse-pounding action
• Intense gore and vibrant realism
• Anything in the mall is at Frank’s disposal
• Grab environmental objects like umbrellas and benches to use as improvised weapons
• Snatch items from different stores to use as weapons including golf clubs, lawnmowers, fry pans and more
• Chow down on various “mall food” to revive health
• Real time system – key events happen at certain times and if players are not mindful, important story elements and opportunities may be missed
• Use Frank’s photojournalistic skills to capture the insanity on film; the better the shot, the better the reward will be
MicroMachines Video Game
Jul 22nd
Check out the info for this new MicroMachines video game coming out for PSP, PC, PS2, and other formats. I remember as a kid loving these things…I’d get tons of them. There was one time, it was my birthday, and I told my 2 brothers I wanted micromachines. They went into Wal-Mart while I sat in the car with my mother…they came out and told me they sold out of them. I was so upset I think I started throwing a tantrum (I was like 6 yrs old!) So upset was I…
Turns out, they were messing around and they had them and they got me a bunch of them for my birthday.
Game looks cool…information below.
The PSP version (pictured below) is out now and the PC, PS2 and DS versions street soon…
MICRO MACHINES returns to video gaming as Codemasters confirms plans for MICRO MACHINES v4
Revival of classic racing series confirmed for PlayStation®2, PSP™, PC and Nintendo DS™ – first game details and screenshots revealed
Friday 10 th March (10am UK time) – It’s been called “the most playable game in the world”* and was the party game of choice for a gaming generation, and now a MICRO MACHINES video game is set to return to game screens as Codemasters today announces the revival of its classic series.
A smash-hit series through the 1990s, Codemasters, has once again secured the rights to the miniature vehicles for an all-new video game that promises a real return to the MICRO MACHINES game’s much loved, all-out fun, racing gameplay. The property is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS).
MICRO MACHINES v4 , titled as a sequel to the last MICRO MACHINES game from Codemasters, is now in development for PlayStation®2 , PC , PSP™ and Nintendo DS™ . Scheduled for a summer 2006 release, development is back with the team at Supersonic Software , creators of some of the most acclaimed MICRO MACHINES games and more recently Mashed and Mashed: Fully Loaded .
Mixing miniature mayhem with maximum multiplayer racing, MICRO MACHINES v4 will arrive packed with knockabout, breakneck racing in the fastest scale miniatures, complete with explosive weapon power-ups. Letting you loose with hundreds of vehicles, each with distinctive performance abilities, you’ll be racing your inch-long miniature motors on the wildest tracks where everyday household objects appear immense in size and can become lethal hazards.
Sport cars, street racers, stock cars, 4x4s, beach buggies, lowriders and muscle cars are just some of the MICRO MACHINES models you’ll be taking out on the improvised tracks around the MICRO MACHINES house, garden and – for the first time – beyond!
Fans of classic MICRO MACHINES games will rejoice in the return of some of the series’ most popular racing arenas. Spin out around the breakfast table littered with cereal spills, tear through the kitchen, turbo boost around the pool table (while avoiding the treacherous pockets), or hit the gas as you drive around the rim of the bath, carefully negotiating the ferocious waters pouring over the edge of the bath.
As well as the familiar feel-good environments, MICRO MACHINES v4 sees your racing world expand further than any previous MICRO MACHINES game. Go beyond the house and garden tracks and discover what it’s like to race across house roofs, in the sewers, through supermarkets, museums and even down to the farm, with its danger-packed chicken coop !
Of course, it wouldn’t be MICRO MACHINES without an arsenal of power-ups and weapons to collect and use on your opponents while you’re racing. MICRO MACHINES v4 brings all the favourites back, including –the car-mounted giant hammer!
With much more unique game content yet to be revealed, the MICRO MACHINES v4 is set to capture the dynamic, fast, fun gameplay of its classic predecessors when it launches in summer 2006 for PlayStation®2, PSP™, PC and Nintendo DS™.
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