Best Games of 2007: HDCGAMER Edition...

#1 BIOSHOCK

Yes, you knew it was coming. But really I stand by my choice. I made this one on Gamespot about a week before the VGAs so I feel more justified than anyone with picking Bioshock than anyone. The reason I picked Bioshock is pretty simple. The game tells an incredible story, has incredible gameplay, incredible graphics, and has bring philosophical elements to the fore of a video game for the first time. These are things not easily done all in the same title. Most titles do one or two of them. But to do them all, that is worthy of true praise.

#2 The Orange Box

This package with Half-Life 2, Episode 1, Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. Pretty much blows away anything else. The games packed in this box are everything from a FPS to a puzzle game. Even with a few issues at launch with playing online. The game is still the best of the bunch and the best value anyone can get for $60. With downloadable content and even episode 3. There is little doubt that Valve will continue to make great advancements not only in innovation but in turning conventions into a kind of classical perfection.

#3 Halo 3

This title was so incredibly hyped by Microsoft that really there was no chance it wouldn't be a big hit. The game while innovative certainly doesn't support it's megalithic hype. But for it's industry changing Forge that allows the player to change the layout of maps and for it's film capturing feature this game earns a third place nod.

#4 Call of Duty 4

Call of Duty 4 brought Infinity Ward back to the stage of battle and again they dominated. With an incredible graphical feel and a unmistakable cinematic quality; the game is one of the best shooters out this year. The best part of Call of Duty 4 are the hundreds of options in their mulitplayer and the ranking system that seems to be copycat of Halo 3's. While the single player was excellent the never ending enemy barrages and the timed events grew old quickly and really pulled the player out of the game.

#5 Super Mario Galaxy

This is my only Wii title in this list and the only game this year on the system worthy of a spot. This game served to take platforming to it's top level. Mario is a the height of his powers here in Galaxy. There really isn't a better platformer. But unfortunately that's all that can really be said of Galaxy. It's Super Mario 64 on speed. But that isn't exactly a bad thing.

#6 Persona 3

It took us all too long to get to Persona 3. But really this is where it belongs. The game has an accomplished story and an even better and more satisfying combat scheme than many supposedly more advanced RPGs. The game is incredible and should be played by anyone who loved Final Fantasy. The game has the same feel but a more modern feel and a cool manga-like art style that makes everything look cool.

#7 God of War 2

This game having come out early in the year on PS2 seemed to get lost in all the noise of later titles. But the design and execution of God of War 2 make it certainly one of the best games of this year and the sequel can only highlight this fact whenever it arrives. The God of War franchise is the best of Sony's stable and will hopefully retain it's quality throughout it's existence no matter what version of the Sony console it lands on.

#8 Rock Band

The difference between Rock Band and Guitar Hero is simple a microphone and a set of drums. The game allows the player to choose an instrument and play either together in a band or join a A.I. controlled band that has a loose theme but not the kind of true theme that the player controlled bands have. The game is incredible and certainly deserves a high place on the roster for it's incredible amount of downloadable songs and the large amount of replayablity that the game engenders.

#9 Guitar Hero III

The game is certainly the crowning achievement of the series and even with a lackluster number of improvements or changes over previous editions the game is still a high achievement. With it's record sales and probably a partial reason why playing the guitar again seems to be an interest of children and oldsters alike. The game even being difficult is excellent and hopefully will garner a more innovative sequel in the future.

#10 Unreal Tournament 3

This legendary game is probably more full of potential than anything else. The gameplay and overall design are first rate. The lack of sales and seeming interest for the title are head scratching. But in six months this title will most likely be at the height of it's powers and might then take it's place among the greatest games on any system.

The games that were not listed here were either not good enough to be put on it or were beyond the experience of the author. This is not to say that these games are not good, simply that I haven't gotten around to playing them yet. BTW, as not worry anyone, Mass Effect would be #11 due to it's many bugs and boring vehicle sequences.

And the Award Goes to?

Yes it's true, we have entered that time of the year when everyone and their brother has decided that they need to do a GAME of the Year. But what really is the point in the end? Everyone more or less talks about the same games in their top ten and most sites have agreed this year that Bioshock from 2k Games is the winner. I certainly can understand why this happened but what I don't understand is everyone's need to proclaim it from the rooftops.

The quality of the title is rather obvious to anyone who has played it. But what some games of this year haven't shown is that they are all basically, when boiled down the same thing. I can hear it now, the cries of how wrong I am and what a fool I am. But it's true. The games of 2007 fell into two categories.

Critical darlings and financial ones. Only a couple of games bridged the two. Most games that did well financially were totally destroyed critically and most of the games that were critically acclaimed had a hard time getting off the ground financially.

The two games that really broke that mold were the Orange Box from Valve and Halo 3 from Bungie. You could also count Guitar Hero 3. All these games were incredibly well received both financially and critically.

But what do these games have in common and why then are all games the same. It's a lot easier than you might think. The reason for Halo's success was it's heritage. If there was no Halo or Halo 2 there would not have been the blockbuster Halo 3. It just couldn't have pulled in all that money. Same holds true for the Orange Box. If two thirds of the box hadn't appeared in other places and from the award winning company Valve. There wouldn't never have been that financial success. Finally the same holds true for Guitar Hero 3. And to an even greater extent there is Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. If there hadn't been all those Mario games in the past this game would never have been such a financial success.

The industry now is run by sequels. If the game isn't a franchise product it doesn't have that multimillion dollar power behind it. The reason for this of course is the distracted nature of the average consumer. Most consumers don't pay much attention to the here and now. Most pay attention to the last year or so.

So if your game is new and unique and no one has played anything like it. Then there is no way for that average consumer to know that your game exists. Unless there is a feature film about it or some kind of graphic novel about it.

Therefore, I will probably go along with the crowd and drop my top ten best games of 2007. I might even do it tonight. But folks please just take this as my opinion. Because the main thing that you should take away from 2007 in video games is that this was the year of the sequel. What will next year bring? More of the same. But then, that IS what everyone wants right???

Epic, what is going on with UT 3?

According to the Unreal Tournaments Forum FAQ:
"UT3 can run on PCs, PS3, and XBox360. Can I create a server on a PC that can be used to host games for PS3 and/or XBox360 players?
- Per Epic Games, "Hi all. PS3 servers require being run on PS3s. Epic is putting up a bunch of PS3 [dedicated servers], but the console universe traditionally is listen servers." -Jeff Morris 11/28/07"

But

"Server browsing is similar to the PC, with the ability to filter by various game options. You can specify whether you want to restrict your choices to dedicated servers. When creating a multiplayer game, you can choose to host as a dedicated server, and dedicated PS3 servers can be run from PCs as well." Shacknews...

Which is only one example of where they say that the PC servers can host PS3 games. Considering these interviews were done in December and the FAQ is posted on the 28th of November it is kind of hard to believe it was a dropped feature. SO WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? I bought the PC version to make maps but considering there are STILL NO TOOLS to cook mods for the PS3 I guess I'll just fool with the PC mods until there are. Also the mouse support for the PS3 is borked!

This is the reason that people who own PS3s get so angry.... Please Epic release some statements about UT3 and please so that you REALLY support this title by coming out with a patch for the PS3 version and some better support for the dedicated server program.

Gamespot gets the Oliver Stone Treatment!

Gamespot's Video Review of Unreal Tournament 3 PC version

DLTV Unreal Tournament 3 Review

Unreal Tournament 3 for the PS3! What's wrong with it?

I just don't get it. Full keyboard and mouse support, some customization options, and some of the best traditional FPS gameplay. You can even download mods and put them on your PS3 to play from the PC version. So what the HELL is wrong with it? Why isn't anyone playing. It's practically impossible to find a lag free game. Unreal Tournament 3 would probably be the best FPS out there if there were just more people playing. I guess I could pick up the PC version because I was going to anyway to make mods. But since my PS3 is graphically better than my PC I was hoping to mostly play on there. Even with the controller the game is fun. Come on guys! Play some Unreal Tournament 3!

[UPDATE] December 27th 2007... There are some Midway Dedicated Servers that have been added for the PS3. But I AM hoping to get the PC version soon. I REALLY look forward to making mods for the PS3 and the PC. I just hope the PS3 tools come out soon. The mouse side of the keyboard/mouse support seem to be a little sketchy but I'm sure it will be fixed soon. Playing with the controller is fun and on dedicated servers the game is incredibly fun.

Please folks, at the VERY LEAST pick up the game for the PS3 or the PC. I know you have a PC, your reading this. I have to say that this is one of the best FPSs I've ever played. I know there were tons of games out this holiday season, but this is one you shouldn't miss. Also, you know that in six months when there are hundreds of mods you'll REALLY want to buy it then. SO just pick it up now, use that gift card you got for Christmas.

Better REALLY LATE than never? Duke Nuk'em Forever trailer!

Burnout Paradise PS3 and XBOX 360 Demos. It's SO GOOD!

What is up on XBOX LIVE and Playstation Network are two identical demos that allow the player to get a feel for Burnout Paradise. Both games look exactly the same on each console. There don't seem to be any performance or graphical issues with either system. I currently have a lot more friends on XBOX LIVE so I will probably buy the XBOX 360 version. But that's just me, there is NO REASON to be console conscious when thinking of buying this game.

The game allows you to drive freely through an open city and take on Burnout style challenges like Burning route, Race, or Road Rage. Of what is in the demo they are very challenging. But these aren't the reason to buy the game. The reason is the online multiplayer. It's like playing a Burnout MMO or a REALLY good version of Test Drive Unlimited. The game should have allowed for MANY MORE players online at once but perhaps this will be in Burnout Paradise 2. I want to be online from the moment I turn on the game and play with ANYONE on the server. Like 16-30 people. Not just 4... It's just not fun playing alone! I REALLY LOVE the game. But playing with people, doing takedowns, near misses, and crazy tricks makes this game worth any price for admission. I can only hope there will be tons of DLC to keep this game going until Criterion can make Burnout Paradise 2. It will probably be the bestselling racing game of the year and probably the BEST RACING GAME OF THE YEAR of 2008. Get your copy on Jan 22nd!

No matter your taste in games, Burnout Paradise will make you happy. Head down to Paradise City this January, ir won't let you down....

Mod Tools not yet out for PS3 version of UT3.

"December 12, 2007 - If you've already purchased a copy of Epic's Unreal Tournament 3, you may have noticed you can't yet load in mods. Before users can actually start making mods work for PS3, Epic apparently needs to release special PS3 tools, which Epic producer Jeff Morris assures us will be available soon.

"By far the superior method of explaining this is that mod creators should begin creating mods," said Morris in an email. "Once the tools come out (they will be available soon) players can port them to the PS3, but since they'll work the same way on the PC as the PS3, creators should get busy! Additionally, there is always a delay between a UT game and when mods start to appear. PS3 is no different."

Jeff went on to explain, step-by-step, the process for transferring the mods from your PC to your PS3.

• Save the PS3 folder (per mod) to your SD card (or USB drive).
  
• Run UT3 on PS3
  
• Insert SD card into PS3
  
• Go to My Community User Content
  
• Select Import Content
  
• Import from the SD card"IGN...

• 
  

This is all very understandable but the lack of advertising and the problems with PS3 game development on the whole makes this just another slap in the face to Sony. Also, Epic needs to get going on something for this game. There seems to be this general lack of interest and it was relatively hard to get the information above. Some people think that the PS3 game WON'T except mods ever. Which is wrong but the total silence out there just doesn't seem to be helping anyone.

Guns N' Roses Paradise City Trailer! I knew this was coming....

PS3's New Firmware update makes it the King of all Media!

With the latest video additions in the 2.10 firmware update for the PS3 it has finally, a more than a year after launch. Has made the system the best choice for all your media consuming needs. No longer will you have a limited selection of videos to watch on your system and no longer will you have trouble streaming all the web shows you want to watch to your PS3. What I speak of, of course, is the addition of both WMV and Divx formats making the system compatible with everything but Quicktime. And what IS compatible with Quicktime other than Macs and iPods? So they have finally done what all PS3 owners have been waiting for. With Unreal Tournament 3 and custom wallpapers it is a BANNER month for the PS3. All we need now are custom soundtracks and the PS3 will inch passed the XBOX 360. But considering I watch all my movies on the PS3 I guess now I will play all my internet media there too. Thanks Sony!

Resident Evil Degeneration Trailer!

RESIDENT EVIL DEGENERATION TRAILER
Uploaded by PANZERDRAKO

That looks good. I think the current series with Mila should watch it's back.

Huxley gamplay from Gamevideos!

So this obviously comes from an Asian country. Why is that? Huxley was going to be on PC then ported over to XBOX 360. It's a FPS MMORPG. There were originally awesome graphics and some REALLY cool design ideas. It now looks kind of like Unreal Tournament 3 and Far Cry had a love child. I know it is probably still early so hopefully by Fall 2008 when this thing is supposed to come out after around 3-5 years of work it ends up better than an MMO rip off of something else.

Level Four of Discovery Channel Rise of Videogames Show: Starts like a God and ends, however you want?

" LEVEL FOUR

• Premiere: Wednesday, Dec. 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT
  Ever since the invention of the computer, man has feared "the machine" and its ability to think. But a computer's unique computational power has also led to the development of unpredictable, intelligent and malleable games. "God games," like SimCity and Civilization, simulate entire worlds and let players experiment with cause and effect. As the 1990s dawned, global turmoil forced gamers to find solace in the world of videogames — a virtual world that offered control at a time when the real one seemed dangerously out of control. Now, videogames have become tools for learning and creative expression. Players use games like Halo and Unreal Tournament 3 to tell their own stories via Machinima or through custom content that is shared with others over the Internet. The line between producer and customer has forever blurred — further proof that videogames are destined to become the dominant form of entertainment. This episode features Will Wright (creator of SimCity, The Sims and Spore), Sid Meier (who developed the game series Civilization) and John Brennan (voice actor from the Jerky Boys and Family Guy)."DiscoveryChannel...

God games are discussed with another crazy look at the past and attempting to wrap an era around a game genre or games as a whole. With just as improbable parallels as those in episode 1. Simcity as a model for geopolitical cause and effect? Not really, most people looked at Simcity as a way to have a sandbox and play in it. It's not a mirror for reality, which they also state by admitting that real life has too many variables to see what happens. They also try to prove that in the early 90s people moved toward these games because they were more complicated and smarter. Yet today, most Sim-type games are usually purchased at Wal-Mart.

Making good versus evil and the whole morality thing being in the 90s is also insane. Considering the real good versus evil in games really didn't hit center stage until the first Black and White. Not Populous. Populous was just like Civilization or Simcity. There is no good or evil, you just do whatever you want and live with the effects of those actions. Wow, the show actually makes a good point. The Black and White games make a statement about religion. I guess even blind dogs find the door once in a while.

What is it about the military that is SO attractive for the makers of this television show. Certainly there are things in military technology that have seeped into every part of our culture. Why, are games being laser honed in on; as products of pure military heritage.

I would have liked to hear a good explanation of, WHAT exactly artificial intelligence does and how it works rather than just saying how great it is and how it came to be. Because this is definitely something that needs simplification for all most everyone.

I all ways love listening to what Will Wright and Peter Molyneux have to say. But to not really ask them too many things interesting, is kind of worthless and certainly a missed opportunity.

The moving from one era to another so often and so quickly in the name of discussing a theme is hard to follow for people who don't all ready know this stuff. And it is REALLY boring for the people who DO all ready know it. How can they go from the 70s or 80s to the 90s. Then all of a sudden start talking about present day. It's much too hard for the casual viewer to follow. Themed shows just aren't good for this type of thing. Either do history or do commentary on the modern era. Not just jump around like 9th grader writing his first term paper and expect people unfamiliar with the material to follow it.

The horribly over-viewed Mod community really is crazy. The whole thing just needs a rewrite. The microcosmic view of the world of video games is going to make the casual viewer think that all this has been going on without them knowing. The funny thing is, is that it has; but no one felt it to be important except the people in those communities. They are really crossing too many time periods and technological eras to make this whole thing understandable or even reasonable.

Machinima in the 90s? They are really stretching the boundaries here. Red versus Blue needed Halo and that came in 2001. Seems someone is putting the cart before the horse. What I really love about this show is that it uses dates when it serves the show. But when it doesn't, the dates and time frame is completely ignore it.

November drives sales up to $2.63 billion....

"US GAME HARDWARE SALES, NOVEMBER 2007

Nintendo DS - 1.53 million
Nintendo Wii - 981,000
Xbox 360 - 770,000
PlayStation Portable - 567,000
PlayStation 2 - 496,000
PlayStation 3 - 466,000

TOP 10 GAME SOFTWARE TITLES, NOVEMBER 2007
1) Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (360) - Activision (Corp) - Nov 2007 - 1.57 million
2) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - Nintendo - Nov 2007 - 1.12 million
3) Assassin's Creed (360) - Ubisoft - Nov 2007 - 980,000
4) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2) Activision Oct 2007 - 967,000
5) Wii Play (with remote) (Wii)- Nintendo - Feb 2007 - 564,000
6) Mass Effect (360) - Microsoft Nov 2007 - 473,000
7) Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3) - Activision Nov 2007 - 444,000
8) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) - Activision Oct 2007 - 426,000
9) Halo 3 (360) - Microsoft - Sep 2007 - 387,000
10) Assassin's Creed (PS3) - Ubisoft - Nov 2007 - 377,000"Gamespot...

Well you didn't really think it was called Black Friday because of the bad weather, now did you?

Unreal Tournament 3 (PS3) DLTV Review

Causal Gamers don't know what No More Heroes is! Mini-Skirts won't even help!

Check out what I found on Kotaku...

The problem with the Wii is that causal gamers who are the main folks who buy the Wii only buy casual faire and not even too many games. No more Heroes isn't even on their radar. Even with Suda and company standing outside with toliet paper ready to sign and an extremely attractive woman with a mini skirt on couldn't draw a crowd, The rumors now say that Suda is going to make his next game on the XBOX 360. I wondered why he didn't make this one for the PS2 or PS3 to begin with. But it fashionable to develop for the Wii. It's only fashionable now, if it's profitable. The Wii bubble is about to pop Nintendo, you better get those copies of Super Smash Brothers Brawl out fast before the whole market goes away.

N'Gai Croal Tackles Video Games as Art...

Check out N'Gai's great article on Next Generation. He makes reference to the NY Times article about Halo 3 being representative of art. Which seemed thin on the surface. I do like the fact that N'Gai tackles the idea that games can be art based solely on gameplay rather than relying solely on the storytelling aspects.

Personally, considering there is such a convergence of the arts in every video game it is hard to believe that games aren't art. For instance, there are the visual arts that the game designers use to create the textures and such. Also, games have architecture aspects when dealing with map design. Also there are the amazing scores that are created for video games. Finally, there is the story in some games. So that is yet another recognized art form. How could games not be art when they are made up of art to their vary bone. Throwing in some science and math in there when it comes to the programming and technology aspects. You probably have the highest form of art that could be created.

In previous articles, I've discussed the importance of video games as art. But certainly the particular aspects discussed by N'Gai Croal and those I mentioned above were missing. I don't think games to need to change to become more artsy. I think that people's minds have to change about the way we think about games. After all, a person who creates and Unreal Mod or a Half-Life Mod couldn't be considered anything but an artist. How about the folks that do Machinima, they are certainly artists. So where does the art end and the game begin? It just doesn't...

Discovery Channel's Rise of the VideoGames Episode 3: Back to the History Board..

" LEVEL THREE

• Premiere: Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. ET/PT
  With games like Castle Wolfenstein 3-D and Doom, video games grew from their primitive 2-D roots into richly detailed 3-D worlds. These groundbreaking 3-D games led the industry down new paths, both thrilling and troubling. Designers now had the technology to create games that accurately simulated the real world. For the first time, game designers had to grapple with a difficult question — how long before a game was nearly indistinguishable from reality? For all the controversy surrounding the first-person shooter genre in video games, its popularity was undeniable. And in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the same government that fought to regulate video games quickly designed their own as a recruiting tool for the Army. America's Army was born and an even more sensitive debate arose as to the morality of recruiting young men for real war through the fun of a video game. Were games desensitizing us to the very real pain of violence and war? And more importantly, were video games leading us on a march towards virtual war? Some people interviewed in this episode include Colonel Casey Wardynski (director and project originator of America's Army) and Asi Burak (producer of Peacemaker — a computer game simulation of the Israeli-Arab conflict)"Discoverychannel...
  

Back to history, huh? I suppose that's the only place that the series could go. Problem is that there was never a controversy over the army recruiting people using video games. Taking a laser sight on to the importance of using video games to simulate military activities. Much of the REAL informaiton about technological advancement is lost. Also, trying to be hip and interesting they concentrate wholly and completely on FPS. Which isn't given credit to Mario which really was the revolution of the 3D experience and really Doom and Castle Wolfenstein were secondary. Oh BTW. everything Nazi is banned in Germany folks, not just video games.

Some of the stuff that they talk about; like the early 90s being a big boom for video games seems really insane. I was in high school during that time and I never played Doom. But I did play plenty of video games. I really didn't see the big deal over Doom. The spark of the video game controversy was Mortal Kombat which was FAR MORE POPULAR than Doom. The forming of the ESRB and the reasons for it were not well enough explained.

How old is Heather Chaplin? She talks like she's 60. All these references to kids and how they do this or that and what they think or don't. She was probably 20 when this was going on; maybe even younger she was one of these, "kids."

It's really funny how everyone in the games industry can point to these 2-3 games that are really incredibly violent or crazy. Can the same be said for the movie industry? Can somebody in the movie industry name 2-3 movies that are the worst their industry has ever created? Or are there just too many to mention? Which industry is worse?

Anyone who has fought in actual combat has really come out to say that the reality of battle is not represented in ANY video game. It's a good teaching tool, but certainly not teaching people how to kill. Killing people and their being a chance you could get killed is much different than any game or movie. The brain can tell the difference and there IS a BIG difference. To take any time to review the history of flight simulators is just TERRIBLY boring and makes REALLY bad television.

Of course, no video game show on television is complete without America's Army. The game that only people in the Army or people who want to be in the Army play. It's on PC only and has no future on the console. The participation is great in the game but how many of those people had no interest in joining the Army before playing the game? ZERO! I played America's Army back in the day, because it was free. I'm sorry, but what REAL GAMER plays the game?

It's so simple. If every console had a mandatory way of making sure that the game was being played by the person who the games is rated for, then there would be no more talk about violence in video games. How about a credit card confirmation? How about parents USING parental controls! When little Johnny watches the porn that his father leaves lying around it's the father gets blamed not the porn industry. Same should be true of video games. Doesn't that seem simple.

To use simulators as some kind of example that video games and war go hand in hand is ridiculous. It's like comparing toy guns to real ones. There is a HUGE difference between the two.

Then they show WW2 games as the private sector making war games. Then they start criticizing Tom Clancy games and their views of terrorism. Maybe they will start talking smack about 24? I guess these people can't tell what is fiction and what is reality. Which is really what the government is worried about with games to begin with. Which makes everything REALLY funny in a sad sort of way.

The amount of lightning rod information is SO LIMITED because there is so little of it. So the same topics come up over and over again. Which is kind of like trying to make statements about a country based on one book that a citizen of that country created. Then trying to take every book that is like that book from every other country and then trying to make statements about the world based on that.

There are plenty of people who have said that since WWI America has become a very militarized country and continues to. Video Games are a symptom of this not a cause of it. Think about that for a while. After all, the US is not the only country that makes video games. Not by a long shot.....

At the end of the show, they start talking about all the "Good" uses for video games. This is SO STUPID! It is like comparing a training video to a movie. Do these people REALLY believe that video games represent reality? Because if they see plumbers jumping around on mushrooms and Space Marines landing in Africa. I really want to know what drugs they have been on.

There is a marked difference between a game and a simulator. In a game you have points, a goal, and a trial and error way of getting there. There is usually a story and it usually involves some kind of action or drama. But a simulator is a direct representation of reality. There is NO STORY and usually no drama. That's why simulators are usually boring and usually used for a particular purpose. If these folks think Halo is a war simulator you are too naive to even speak to.

Finally, I want to top this off with the fact that all of these questions have been asked and answered in so many better ways in SO many other places; that to bring up this is just fear mongering and propagandizing. I really get angry when I see this kind of thing because it is SO pathetic and SO unnecessary. If you want to do video game history, try doing it without the crap.

Gaming Takes a Holiday!

This time of year everyone turns their radar onto games. It's amazing how a little advertising money and a glut of games coming out all at the same time can generate so much press when most of the REAL gaming press is looking forward to a nice two week break while developers and publishers get some time off.

The amazing part of all this is not that it happens, but that it's mostly so annoying. Even the Spike Video Games Awards are getting to be more white noise than cool.

The MTV style gets a little worse every year and this year they decided to make some poor models naked painted envelopes. I'm a guy and these were some really beautiful women and the body painting was great. But I couldn't help but wonder if this was just another step back for the games industry being taken seriously. Would the Grammys have done this? Would the Academy Awards? No, I really don't think so. So why did the VGAs feel like they could do this? Well, the same reason why they thought people would want to sit through two lame comics that couldn't come up with anything remotely funny. It all smacked of a lame awards show that really wasn't taken seriously by anyone. You know like the Rasberries or the MTV Music Video Awards. Considering the VGAs are the ONLY televised Video Game Awards Show it would have been nice if they could have at least tried to have a little class.


Besides the VGAs we also are bombarded by day time TVs attempts to make games something to get for the holidays and their pathetic attempts to seem like they know about what's new and cool. No one believes that anyone on these shows has the slightest clue and when they bring some one on who does; they usually give them around 2 minutes to explain what probably needs around 10 to explain.

Where does all this come from? It's there all year. Really it is. If you've noticed X-PLAY, Attack of the Show, or the wonderful Rise of Video Games that so many OTHER blogs have been saying is SO GREAT, The shoddy construction, the flashing lights, the endless prepubescent references. Well, Rise of Videogames doesn't have the last one. But the series isn't over yet. If these folks want to be taken seriously, like REAL journalists; maybe they should stop acting like the opening performance at a Carrot Top show.

But why do we see this so obviously this time of year? Well, it has something to do with all the games that are coming out SO CLOSE together. Holiday Rush by Kyle Orland, really gets deep into this, but I have something to add. Not only do publishers seem to feel obliged to get their games out for Christmas but worse yet; they think their game has a shot of beating everyone else's.

This really seems to contradict directly the idea that it's good to come out when everyone else is, because it makes people who aren't normally looking, well, look. That would be fine but with SO MANY choices it's like going to the movies and being given a chance to see ONE summer blockbuster for free and then having to wait three months to see any of the others. On the one hand you feel like your being given this great gift. On the other, your like,"Hey! What's with that!"

That is the way I see Christmas for MOST kids. Now, you kids who get a new IPOD every year because you want a new color and those kids who ACTUALLY get a new PC for every Back to School season; don't bother reading any further.

I think Bioshock had the right idea this year. It was all that anyone was talking about in the press for at least a month. They made an incredible impact and they came out in August. Trying to push all your releases into two months of the year can only hurt the game and the industry as a whole. In some cases it forces to make a choice they may not normally make and will inevitably kill at least one or two games all together.. If I had bought Rock Band, Guitar Hero 3, and Halo 3. I would have not touched Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Super Mario Galaxy, or even Uncharted Drakes Fortune until at least next year and then their is inevitably something new and cool that will spark my interest and make me forget other games.

As much as most of you don't want to admit it. You feel the same way. Did anyone catch Kane and Lynch Dead Men? How about Battalion Wars 2? These aren't awesome games but you would have rented them if there wasn't so much other stuff out there.

Now some would say many hours played with one great game compensates for a few hours on not so good games. I agree, but what you aren't getting there is the variety. In the early part of the fall I was playing a shooter, a driving game, and an RPG all during the same time period. Now I have a choice between an RPG or a music game or a music game. This isn't because I don't have other games to play, it's because I don't have time to plan them.

Oh and Flagship; sorry I haven't logged into my Hellgate London account for about a month and I'm sorry I canceled my subscription but even if I knew what your new content was and why I should want it. I wouldn't be there to play it and benefit from it. Time issue again...

So if I all of a sudden stop writing this blog, stop updating the website, and oh... Stop doing the podcast. Don't worry, I've just taken a holiday from gaming before my paid counterparts. Hey, there should be at least ONE advantage to working for yourself for no money, right?

NO HDCGAMER Podcast? No Problem!

Hey guys,
Just letting you folks know that I didn't space on this week's podcast. There have been some technical issues and there probably won't be a podcast for a while. There will be plenty of stuff coming out on the blog soon. In fact there should be a story coming right up after this. So don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you...

PS3 Orange Box: Half-Life 2 footage

Halo 3 Foundry Map Trailer

Halo 3 Rat's Nest Map Trailer

Halo 3 Standoff Map Trailer

Is Someone at Activision Asleep? COD 5 will be another WWII game?

On Gamer,"

Call of Duty 5 back to World War II

Story By Jay Filmer

Thought Call of Duty 4 meant no more WWII? Think again

Those of you who enjoyed the latest Call of Duty’s modern-day approach may be saddened to learn that Treyarch (the dev team responsible for three, and, who will quite possibly end up doing seven) is taking the series back to World War II for the fifth game in the series.

Well, that’s if a job ad on the Treyarch website is anything to go by.

The ad, which is for a level builder, in case you’re interested, doesn’t give away any concrete info as such, but after asking for applicants with “working experience with First-Person Shooter or Third-Person Shooter genres”, does go on to add, “if you’re a fan of World War 2 shooters, then even better!”.

Which if you ask us is a bit of a giveaway. Why would the ad say that if the person lucky enough to bag the job ends up on designing levels for a modern-day or futuristic shooter anyway?

What do you reckon? Are we reading too much into it? Also, what do you make of the step back to WWII? After the success of COD4, is this what you really want? As ever, let us know in the comments section below.

Oh, and cheers to forum user ‘farquad92’ for the heads up. Your stock is rising number 92…"

OK, I know it was a lot to ask for Infinity Ward to come back and do another Call of Duty so quickly. But how about just not making a Call of Duty game next year?

What Every Gamer Should Know about the Reviews They Read

If you ever had any doubt that N'Gai Croal is one of the best writers out there; let this piece on the Level Up Blog dismiss them. N'Gai hits game journalism and the review process with the hard sledgehammer of reality. The problems that exist in video game journalism are those that I'm trying to avoid by being independent. I hope it becomes profitable someday.

Kotaku, you rumor mongers!

Kotaku is reporting some rumors about massive resignations coming over at Gamespot after all the hoopla over the firing of Jeff Gerstmann. I was wondering when this shoe would drop. But if it does, I certainly support these guys and what they are trying to do.
I just hope in trying to fix the huge gapping hole in CNET's ship they aren't just sinking it forever. As bad as Gamespot looks right now they are still one of the three biggest and most influential sites on the internet. Think hard about what you do young padowans.

Jaffe Shows off Twisted Metal Head-On for the PS2?

Today. Playstation Blog had the exclusive story on David Jaffe and the first project from Eat Sleep Play. This game is for the PS2... Yes, you heard right. It's for the PS2! Seems Jaffe and crew can't get over their old console home. I hope one of these design geniuses will head over to a modern console. Yes, there certainly are plenty of PS2s out there; But considering some of the new Playstation 3s won't have backwards compatibility, there probably won't be as many customers out there as they might hope by the time this game releases.

Hopefully, Jaffe's next project will be for the PS3....

Kane and Lynch PR, you dirty fibbers!

" Kane & Lynch Site Fibbing About Reviews, Scores

It's not like the relationship between Kane & Lynch and review scores wasn't messy enough. But now this? Visitors to the game's official site will notice, once the page's flash intro is done, that two review scores for the game are flashed for your perusal. One from GameSpy, one from Game Informer. Both look positively glowing! Both give the game a very encouraging five stars! Thing is, both are...well, not real. They're fabricated. Lies, if you will.

GameSpy did not say "It's the best emulation of being in the midst of a Michael Mann movie we've ever seen" in their review of the game. They said that in their E3 2007 coverage. In other words, a preview. They also did not give the game five stars. They gave it three.

As for Game Informer, same deal. The highlighted quote does not appear in the review of the game. Nor do they give it five stars. Game Informer don't even score in stars. They gave it a 7/10.

To assist you in correcting your error, Eidos, and you in procuring all the necessary facts, dear reader, attached below are how the two review selections should appear.
Kane & Lynch Review [Game Informer]
Kane & Lyncn Review [GameSpy]
Official Kane & Lynch Site [Eidos]

Official Kane & Lynch Website LIES About Its Scores [Gamebump]"Kotaku,,

Wow, is there is really that much riding on this game to break all the rules and take all these chances to get it some sales?

Virtua Fighter 5 Version D Preview

Jeff Gerstmann speaks and there is a black out over at Gamespot!

Today, many Gamespot forum members have called for complete boycott of Gamespot and all CNET owned internet properties. This is a protest against the firing of Jeff Gerstmann over a disagreement over the review score of Kane and Lynch dead men. Head over to the jump for full details. Th e members are calling the boycott,Black Monday. In related news Gerstman finally speaks to Joystiq about his firing and his statements are as follows:

"Exclusive: Gertsmann speaks about K&L review, future

74 Comments by Kyle Orland Dec 3rd 2007 4:00AM
Filed under: Culture, Hacks

"Losing a job you've held for over 11 years in an abrupt manner is shocking, yes."

While the above quote should perhaps win Jeff Gerstmann the 'understatement of the year' award, the former Gamespot editorial director is still staying silent about the specifics surrounding his recent firing (citing the previously mentioned "legal reasons," among others). He has, however, told Joystiq that he still stands behind his controversial review of Kane & Lynch.

"I stand behind my work, regardless of where I do it," Gerstmann told Joystiq in an e-mail. "If there was content that I felt I couldn't support, it wouldn't see the light of day." Gerstmann did not comment specifically on the edits made to his text review of Kane & Lynch, or the site's removal of the video review, but he did support the editing process in general. "If factual errors are made, I have no problem owning up to that error, correcting it, noting that a correction has been made, and feeling like an idiot for making the mistake in the first place," he said.

Gerstmann also directly addressed the somewhat pernicious rumor that he did not complete Kane & Lynch before he finished his review. "A reviewer's Xbox Live Gamercard is rarely a good place to look for answers about how much that reviewer has (or hasn't) played a game," he said. "For the record, I saw both endings in Kane & Lynch before writing about it."

As for his future plans, Gerstmann seems to be keeping his options open. "I'm not really sure what I want to do next," he said. "This whole situation has left me with a lot to think about. While this sort of clean break would be an acceptable time to think about trying game development, I feel like I still have more to say and do on the editorial side of the fence, too."

Surprisingly, the experience doesn't seem to have soured Gerstmann on video game journalism as a whole. "Despite the number of people who are taking these rumors ... to mean that game writing is ethically bankrupt, I don't feel that's the case," he said. "Either way, I'm currently keeping my options open and have been in contact with interesting people on both sides."Joystiq...

Certainly Jeff's statements ring true considering the folks over at 1UP quickly came to the support of Jeff's stand on his review and if they are hiring Jeff couldn't pick a much better place to work. I really look forward to seeing what Jeff Gerstmann does next considering I was all ways a huge fan of his work and the man himself. I have found Jeff to be both a straight shooter and an excellent writer. If I could pay, I would put out an offer to him myself.

Call of Duty 5 and Guitar Hero 4 Confirmed!

Both titles have been confirmed from statements made by the newly minted Activision-Blizzard. The real question here is less about if these franchises would continue but when and how they will continue. This being that Call of Duty 4 is fresh out the gate as well as Guitar Hero 3 being fresh to publication. Most people thought that both developers would be making DLC not new games.
Therefore, any new titles created, at least from the Call of Duty camp would seem to be coming from someone else other than Infinity Ward. But most analysts now believe that since Call of Duty 4 did so well that Infinity Ward would be doing 5. But Call of Duty 2 was the most successful one in the history of the series and yet Call of Duty 3 was done by a different developer to a luke-warm response.
As far as Guitar Hero 4, perhaps this is a response to Rock Band's continuing content and the seeming lack of innovation from Guitar Hero 2 to Guitar Hero 3. This is possibly the Guitar Hero 3 that should have been. But banking on people having bought Guitar Hero 2 and 3 by making new and even harder tracks for GH4 seems a little insane. If they go back to the proverbial drawing board and come up with something completely new it might alienate those people who just bought GH2 and GH3.
Hopefully the statements that these games are in development only means that there are plans for them and that we won/t see either title for at least a year. Coming out sooner, would be jumping the gun on both titles and not allowing the franchises to properly mature. Activision is doing really well right now, but these are certainly the exceptions not the rule. Hopefully Activision will use it's experiences as a publisher to lead them into the future and not unnecessarily rush these two premier. franchises.