Mark Rein upset about SO MANY PEOPLE Playing FPS on Consoles!

    Mark Rein was recently interviewed by Guardian Unlimited.  The interview was basically an update about the progress of Unreal Tournament 3 across PC and consoles.  There was also a discussion of the new version coming to XBOX 360 and the fact they are still having problems getting user content on there.

     The big thing Mark said, or implied actually was that consoles games are getting really hardcore and this is taking away emphasis from the PC.  The problem with this philosophy is that most PC games now need a PC that costs around $1,000 to play.  I know, I need an upgrade myself.

   I don't mean play as in, get the game running and be able to tell what's going on.  I mean to run smoothly with descent settings.  So don't start telling me about running Crysis on $600 machines.

      I have a PS3, XBOX 360, and a Wii.  I suppose if I didn't buy ANY of those consoles and then waited until now to buy a PC.  I would have had plenty of money to upgrade.  But I didn't and I certainly never thought PC games would just this far this fast.

     I love Unreal Tournament 3 on the PS3 and while it's playable on my PC.  It certainly isn't as cool as the PS3 version.  So I know Mark and a bunch of other PC developers are bummed out by bad PC games sales.  It's definitely a temporary matter and is more linked to hardware than anything else.

     I predict by the time Spore and World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King come out there will be plenty of high spec cheap PCs.  But right now, the drought will continue.

Technorati tags: pcgaming, pc, PS3. XBOX360, videogames, ut3, unrealtournament, epicgames, epic, midway

SoulCalibur IV Character Slideshow

King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters Review

   For those of you who don't live in New York or California you probably got your chance to see this movie this week when it came out on DVD.  Just like I did.

   This is BY FAR. the best movie of any kind that has come out about video games.  But just as SO many other movies about sports this movie really isn't about video games.  It's about people.  Billy Mitchell one of the most self promoted video game champions in history against Steve Weibe, one of biggest underdogs in history.

     The movie portrays these classic video game champions as a club of guys.  A kind of clique in it's own right.  In this clique Billy Mitchell is King.  Which I think is side effect of his charisma and his self promotion.  Steve is just an ordinary guy trying to break a record.  He doesn't understand the politics going on here or anything; which seems weird to me.   This is the way things are played out in the movie and Billy Mitchell seemed to think it was an unfair portrayal of him in the situation so maybe some creative editing turned this into a much more dramatic story than it was in reality.

      Believe whatever you want, the movie is excellent and while I was raiding in World of Warcraft last night it made a wonderful distraction.  I say buy it, rent it, just watch it.

Technorati tags: videogames, documentary, pacman, donkeykong, kingofkong, movies, films

Devil May Cry 4: Demo Impressions for the XBOX 360

   I just want to say right off the bat, that this is an awesome game and even though this is a timed demo, it is still wonderful.

   The game is coming out for both the XBOX360 and for the PS3.  According to developers the game was made for the PS3 first and then developed for the PS3.  With the ability to install the game on the PS3 it may seem like the better choice.  In fact, it is the better choice.  What?

   Believe it or not, it all comes down to controls.  If you are interested or are good at Devil May Cry; and when I say good I mean you get an A or S ranking most of the time on any difficulty other than Easy.  You will hate the controls for the XBOX 360 controller.  I guess you might be able to change the controls in the final game.  But constantly hitting the right button is annoying and virtually having to hold it down constantly is just annoying.  The Ps3 shoulder buttons are bigger and are easier to keep held down.  I haven't played the Japanese PS3 demo yet, but I will.  In past Devil May Crys the games controlled perfectly.  I never felt like I was fighting the controller to pull off moves.

      If you can change the controls in the game, I think the you could play either version of the game equally well.  But having constantly hold down any button on the XBOX 360 controller, I think would be annoying.   I will probably rent the 360 version to get achievements and buy the PS3 version.  I love the XBOX 360 but this time I just don't think the games will match up.  But it is only a demo...

    The demo allowed me to get a feel for the XBOX 360 controls and see the wonderful graphics in the game.  The graphics are beautiful and the enemies, while pretty much like a lot of the old enemies from the other games look very good in HD.  I especially liked the detail Nero and his cool sword.

    The CGI is top rate and I would love to see a DMC movie someday with that same tech driving it.

   So in the end the game is AWESOME, I can't wait to play the final versions and this demo just made me that much more excited for it.

If you have and XBOX 360, you couldn't do anything better than download the free demo today.  Even if you have Burnout Paradise all ready take some time off and download the game.  You can play offline, while it downloads.

Technorati tags: devilmaycry, capcom, dante, nero, xbox360, PS3, sony, microsoft

Team ICO looking for help, here's a screenshot for supposedly ICO 3...(Rumor)

Team ICO Gamers are the ones who have circulated the rumor that this screen is a CG of the new ICO 3.  Synthesis is the one who started all this hubbub by looking for help for a new project.  So far Sony has made no official comment on the title of the new game or whether it actually exists or not.  There is definitely something going on, but there is no word on exactly what it is.

Technorati tags: sony, PS3. PS2, Playstation, ICO, Synthesis

I Don't Want to join this CLUB: Demo Impressions...((XBOX360)

 

      I really didn't think this was going to be a AAA title going into the demo.  But it was truly hard to tell if it was the level selected or the fact the demo only lets you play one character that screws this game to the wall.  The game has a horrible story about being made to play in some kind of bloodsport much like movies like, "Most Dangerous Game," "Best of the Best 4," and many other terrible B flicks.

      This part of the game isn't important, but come on guys lets not pretend there is a story.  The game is pretty much one step up from a light gun shooter.  In fact, considering the element of the game that makes you run around like an idiot, the game might have been better served as a light gun game.

     The multiplayer, which is probably going to be the best part of this game; was locked in the demo.  I can't wait to get a final copy and see how the multiplayer stands up to other titles in the shooter genre.  I understand there is the ability to switch from first to third person perspectives, but considering the amount of dodging and running in this game you will probably find yourself in third person most of the time.

     The guns have no kick and shooting seems too arcadey.  I would have preferred a less arcade-like atmosphere and more devastating effects from weapons.  Most of the machine guns take too many shots to kill enemies and the shotgun is good but you have to be on top of the guy for it to work.

    But before I rant about this title anymore, I want to wait to play the final version.  Here's hoping it will get better.

Technorati tags: sony, PS3, microsoft, XBOX360, theclub, bizarrecreations

The Apocalypse is near Gamespot and X-Play agree on the Review score for No More Heroes!

    Here are all the links your going to need:

Gamespot's Review

IGN's Review

Gametrailer's Review

X-Play's Review

  OK, I know somebody out there is going to say that Gamespot works on a 10 point scale and they gave it a 9.  And X-Play works on a 5 point scale and they gave it a 5.  However, when compared to IGN's review that gives it a 7.8 I think we can agree that for all intents and purposes Gamespot and X-Play agree that No More Heroes is an Excellent game.

  As more reviews come in I will update you folks but that's all for now...

 

Technorati tags: nomoreheroes, Suda51, Nintendo, Wii, videogames

World of Warcraft Tops 10 Million Subscribers!

"Blizzard Entertainment has announced that its hugely popular MMO World of Warcraft (WoW) has reached yet another milestone. Since its debut in 2004, the game has gained 10 million subscribers across the globe. More than 2.5 million people have signed up to play the game in North America and two million have subscribed in Europe. "Interest in the game has remained high in all regions, with thousands of new and returning players signing up through the holiday season," Blizzard stated.

WoW's momentum incredibly just doesn't seem to slow down. The MMO was the bestselling PC game of both 2005 and 2006 worldwide, and finished second only to its own expansion pack The Burning Crusade in 2007.

"It's very gratifying to see gamers around the world continuing to show such enthusiasm and support for World of Warcraft," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're always pleased to welcome new players to the game, and we're looking forward to sharing the next major content update with the entire community in the months ahead."

Available in seven languages, with a Russian version in development (scheduled for release later this year), WoW's appeal is truly global. In addition to North America and Europe, the game is widely played in mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. It's this dominant online presence in Asia, of course, that made the Activision Blizzard merger such an important deal for Activision.

Blizzard is currently working on the game's second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, which is expected to hit the market later this year."Gamedaily..

This is some pretty crazy stuff.  I've been flip flopping on and off World of Warcraft for a couple of years.  I've quit a couple times and vowed not to go back.  But I'm back again.  I know it's insane, but I think being in World of Warcraft is actually a mark of progress on MMORPGs in general.  So if you play WOW, you understand better the way things should or could be run smoothly.  I find it helpful in comparing beta builds and working with developers on other MMOs.

I can't wait to see Age of Conan and The Agency.  I also REALLY can't wait for Warhammer Online.  All of these are coming at a minimum in May.  So this year should be a good one for MMOs.  Will it effect WoW?  No, will Lich King increase subscribers?  No, because Lich King is going to be ALL HIGH LEVEL CONTENT.   If and when Blizzard does another expansion like Burning Crusade then there will be another subscriber boost.

I love WOW, but it's a love/hate relationship and even though sometimes those relationships are long lasting.  Unfortunately they usually end in separation.

Technorati tags: WOW, worldofwarcraft, blizzard, pc, pcgaming, MMORPG, microsoft, sony, XBOX360, PS3

Age of Conan: Dreamworld Trailer

Technorati tags: xbox360, pc, microsoft, pcgaming, conan, mmorpg

Alone in the Dark Trailer: Is this game still coming out?

Technorati tags: PS3, Xbox360, microsoft, sony, aloneinthedark

Bionic Commando Reloaded for Digital Download

"SAN MATEO, Calif. — January 18, 2008 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced Bionic Commando Rearmed™, a makeover of the classic 8-bit game originally released 20 years ago. Bionic Commando Rearmed will be available for digital download from Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PLAYSTATION®Network and PC this spring. This announcement follows the news that Capcom will be releasing an all new next-generation sequel to Bionic Commando® on Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment’s PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and PC platforms."Capcom...

 

This is good news and from the above shots, I think the game looks great.  I'm wondering how the game will be delivered on the PC.  Will it be Gametap or some other service?  I dunno, but here's hoping it won't take too long to get this game on XBLA or PSN.  Certification, certification, certification....

Technorati tags: PS3, PSN, sony, xbox360, microst, XBLA, Capcom, PC

Tiberium Debut Trailer

Turok Demo impressions from OXM magazine's Demo.

note screenshot from PS3 version

Hey folks, the latest Turok demo is only available to US players through the demo disk that comes packed with every copy of Official XBOX Magazine.  This might be the reason it came out in every territory but North America recently on XBOX LIVE Marketplace.  But that aside....  To the Demo...

   The demo begins with you with a mate in some dark caves trying to find your way out.  Your friend is a rather poorly A.I. scripted guy named Slade.  I say this because he will often just stand stalk still while dinosaurs attack him and I guess he is waiting for you to shoot them off him.  He will do something similar with you.  If your attacked, don't count on anyone saving you.  The caves are dark and very hard to see too much except in the places where they have dropped lights.  This is cool I guess but it's just nothing new.

   The dinos are pretty neat in that they are highly detailed and seem to be more intelligent than many of the human A.I. characters in the game.  You start the game with two pistols, SMG, a knife, and a bow.  You can change these weapons out.  All but your bow and knife for others.  But the coolest weapons in the game are yet to come.

      You make it through the caves, I suggest using your SMGs and if you pick up a shotgun, use that too.  There is one instance where using a bow was fun but I'll let you find that out for yourself.

     Once your out of the caves you go into the jungle.  Here you follow your buddy some more and fight more dinos.  Then you hit an area where your ship crashed and you are tasked with killing the most guys as quietly as you can.  This means getting up behind them and knifing them in the back.  Which has a cool finisher animation.

     I got two guys before a bunch of dinos attacked and I had to switch to my bow to be more efficient and more able to kill both guy or dino.  After which there was a large group of enemies over the crest of a hill.  Your friends get into the fray at this point but they are horrible shots and you have to do most of the killing.

    This game seems incredibly fun and there are lots of dinos of different kinds for you to discover, kill, and play with.  Also, the multiplayer here looks like it might be fun.

      The only problem I see here is repetition.  The game just seems like jungle, ship, cave, jungle, and there doesn't seem to be much chance for too much more. 

   I can't wait to play a final build on February 5th when the game comes out.  I would recommend the sneaking killing way; instead of the run and gun.  The sneaking is more satisfying.  Which could be a problem in the end.

Technorati tags: sony, PS3, XBOX360, microsoft, Turok

X-Play cooks up new show, Tastes GOOD!

   To say that I'd given up on G4 to provide my gaming needs is like saying that the country has given up on going back to the 1960s lifestyle.

   But today, things have changed.  Today was the first of X-Play's new shows that encapsulate what used to be several half hour shows.  With exclusives and such that seem to be on the level of the internet in it's delivery.  The only problem they seem to have is their time limit.  And hour show would be much better than the current half hour.

  I truly love the new format and think they are definitely moving in the right direction.  I hope this trend continues and that this isn't the bluster of a new format or G4 trying to be a legitimate gaming source again.  Because I would really love to see a least one good show on G4 again.

Technorati tags: xplay, sony, PS3, XBOX360, microsoft, videogames, videogame, nintendo, Wii

Unreal Tournament 3 Keyboard and Mouse support video for the PS3

Unreal Tournament 3 installing mods on the PS3

Gametrailers Unreal Tournament 3 Review

SoulCalibur IV will have some Star Wars Trailer!

Unreal Tournament 3 burns while the world looks the other way!

  While the whole world is watching the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas.  Epic is slowly rolling out the big guns for Unreal Tournament 3.  Yesterday the PS3 Mod Tools were released and within the past week a PS3 Unreal Tournament 3 commercial has hit the cable/satellite airwaves.

   This is kind of surprising considering the company has been so silent up to this point when it comes to the mainstream media.

   The problem and the reason I don't have a pretty little video screen up to show you is that everyone is so focused on CES that no one is even paying attention to these commercials and therefore no pretty internet video to show you.

     I love Unreal Tournament 3 but unlike a lot of other games that have come out this holiday season; Unreal Tournament 3 is about as hardcore as a game comes.  Even for the PS3 this game really puts the player in a fight for their lives right off and really never lets go.  The PC side sports a unix style server window that pretty much keeps everyone who doesn't understand how to do a sever from command line out of the picture.  The PS3 version is better with a more graphical configuration and is a little more user friendly.  Even if you can't see logs or see games in progress when running a dedicated server.

   With the incredibly fast paced nature of the game itself.  This kind of thing really doesn't help too much.  Also, the complexity of the mod tools that are provided for the PC version are very overwhelming and to most causal and even some hardcore gamers they may see a little too much to handle.

     This isn't to say that all this complexity isn't great.  But sometimes it is just annoying.  Just like the dedicated server madness.  The uploading of PS3 mods is insane.  The files must be put in a special folder on your removable media and it appears impossible to copy over multiple mods on one piece of removable hardware.  This seems like it could have been done better.

    The whole PC/PS3 convergence is practically complete and with all this it would have seemed a no brainer to allow PC players to play PS3 players.  But due to some technical issues dealing with patches this feature was canned.  But it just seems like the whole software package was built with this in mind.  This is strange also, because the original ability for PC servers to host PS3 games has also been canned.  This was touted all the way up to launch of the game, which makes it's lack seems incredibly strange.

    While Epic is still talking about patching Unreal Tournament 3 and all the things that might be possible through those patches.  What makes me wonder even more is the upcoming XBOX 360 version.  This will be the height of ingenuity if they can bring user created mods to XBOX LIVE for the first time.

    While this may appear to be a review of Unreal Tournament 3 it really isn't.  I haven't played anywhere near enough of the game to review it.  These are just a few things about the game to make people realize what is up with it and hopefully more people will run out an purchase it.

   The PC version runs great on most system specs.  As long as you purchased your PC within the last 2-3 years you will be able to play Unreal Tournament 3.  With the PS3 the graphics are incredible and with mouse and keyboard support the game is virtually the same as the version on the PC.  Right now there are more mods on the PC but since the PS3 mod tools came out earlier this week I'm sure there will be plenty of mods converted for the PS3 in the coming weeks.

   The game is great and any shooter fan will love the game.  Also, for anyone who is playing the game and wants to change their experience.  Download the mutator for the 3rd person Cam called, "ActionCam."  This can be downloaded for the PC or PS3.  This totally changes the game and makes it incredibly cool and makes you want to do some crazy dodging and jumping.

   So until my 1,000 dollar PC arrives I will have to give the PS3 version a 9.5/10 and the PC version a 9.8/10 (mod tools son, mod tools...).   If you want to see what the next generation of shooters are doing under the radar; check out Unreal Tournament 3.

Technorati tags: unrealtournament, UT3, Unreal, Sony, PS3, PC, PCgaming, Epicgames, Midway, Epic

PS3 Mod tools for the PC are out now for Unreal Tournament 3

You can head over and download the tools from here. Make sure you have patch 1.1 installed. Considering how big a deal this is, the information is kind of hard to find!

LittleBigPlanet CES "Create" Trailer

Need for Speed ProStreet Review

   I've read the terrible reviews of this game.  But I really wanted to love this game.  I am a BIG racing game fan; as people who read this blog and my site might all ready know.

   The game takes a good stab at doing a few new things.  First, they take the player and the racing off the street and on to the track.  There are plenty to choose from, too bad they all look more or less the same except for the changes in signage.  This game really could have benefited from the whole ice level, water level, lava level formula that have worked so well over the years for action games and platformers.

    The game allows you to customize your cars to a degree but most of the changes are cosmetic or just plain formulaic like having five different types of tires to choose from that all do the same thing.

    The vinyls and other visuals are much more Need for Speed 3 rather than Most Wanted.  The autosculpt just doesn't seem to be that big a deal anymore and the damage that has been activated really is nothing more than a nuisance.  By the time I'd played a couple hours of the game I was all ready bored of spending petty cash on repairs.

    The main career difficulty is a little to easy for anyone who is used to driving games which is certainly a new thing for the Need for Speed series.

    The graphics are pretty good especially compared to most other driving games of the non-simulator type out right now.  Games like Dirt and Forza certainly look better than Need for Speed Prostreet but they do so much that Prostreet isn't willing to do.  The damage models in each work better and certainly effect performance much better.

   What could have saved Prostreet were the variety of modes and ways to get through the game and of course battle against the different areas kings of the road.  But maybe I lost something in the convoluted non-existent story but the whole thing never really seemed to matter that much and the rewards; at least for the first half of the game seemed kind of pointless.

    I would really like to see the series go back to it's Most Wanted past and not continue in this silly street event format.  Or at the VERY LEAST create more of an atmosphere around the events.  They are barely even window dressing for the game.  Every race seems to take place on an overcast day on a more or less road course style track.  The drift tracks could be a little bigger and there could be a little more tutorial if the game is going to make you pay for your repairs even if your just restarting the race midway through.

   The ironic part of Need for Speed Prostreet is that it is probably the best casually built racing game this year.  Problem is that it has no hardcore tuning.  Any racing game about tuning that has a drag mode that you cannot change the clutch seems a little insane to me.

    The final problem with Need for Speed Prostreet is kind of a amorphous one.  The game has no soul.  There is really no depth to the style or theme of the game.  It is just a whole lot of flash that adds up to very little in the final analysis.  There are plenty of things wrong with Need for Speed Prostreet and if it wasn't from the Need for Speed guys doing it it would be just another no name crappy racer.  You want white knuckle casual style racing play Burnout Paradise.  You want customization, play Forza Motorsport 2.  You want arcade racing, play Need for Speed Most Wanted, again.  But you won't find any of these experiences in Need for Speed Prostreet, at least not a satisfying one anyway.

Technorati tags: needforspeed, racing, xbox360, sony, microsoft, EA, PS3

Sexy Videogame Land takes on Mario...

     During the holidays I tend to do two things more than anything else.  Work(my day job is retail) and play games.  But I also tend to try and catch up on everything I've put off during busier periods.  Such as a growing bookmarks list that is starting to look like some one put a bible on a scroll.

     One of those bookmarks was an article that Leigh Alexander wrote about Mario.  It's called, "There are No Corners in Space."  It is an excellent article and just reasserts my opinion that Leigh is an incredibly talented writer.

What I didn't like about the article is the overall nostalgia and attitude of the of it.  The main idea is that 2D games are better than 3D games when it comes to platformers or gameplay based games.

This certainly isn't a new idea.  In fact, earlier this month I was reading an article in Play Magazine by Heather Campbell about how platformers and some other games are too talky and have unnecessary tutorials.

But these authors do have understandable and very well thought out opinions.  They are not exactly looking at the big picture when they make judgements about games outside of Super Mario Galaxy.  The biggest thing about games in general these days is that they are walking the thin line between being completely about the casual experience and a low level or easy hardcore title.  What these folks are responding to are the casual elements in their hardcore title.  Perhaps you or I don't need tutorials in our platformers and find them annoying.  But gamers less familiar with platformers or video games in general may need the tutorials.  These are issues that developers need to address and cannot be cast aside when developing for the fastest growing casual game system in the industry.

  Also dealing with the 2D to 3D issue; I just don't see it as anything else except that for Leigh, Nintendo hasn't learned how to take advantage of the 3D space in the proper way.  She also said she hated the story elements in the game and Heather stated that she hated the hub world concept and would rather not see it at all.

Hub worlds seem to be product of lazy game design but also are necessary for Mario's pick up and play style and the ability to save after each world before going into the next world.  Many gamers find the ability to play the game in small bites rather than being required to play for hours at a time to get to a save point.

Certainly there are ways around the Hub world problem and the thrust of the article in that Heather wants all games to have replay and share abilities like Halo 3 is a very cool idea.  But I think what both of these journalists do an excellent job explaining is that for all Super Mario Galaxy's greatness it isn't perfect.  Which I think I agreed with in print, not too long ago.

Every game can be made better.  But in many ways Mario's rise to power has simply been an example for everyone else on how not to do things.  But just like in life those other platformers have to learn from someone don't they?  I can't wait to see what comes out of their latest lesson.

Technorati tags: sexyvideogameland, nintendo, wii, mario, videogames, platformer, supermario