Showing posts with label GFW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GFW. Show all posts

Sunday, January 25, 2009

It's Been too Long... Now is the Time!

  

              There have been so many events that have occurred in just the time that has elapsed since last I wrote a real post on this blog.  So I won't even try to sort it all out.  There would be no point and many of you would get bored and go down my blogroll to some place more exciting.  So I will make this short and to the point.  I currently write three blogs this one included.  One for World of Warcraft, one for Warhammer Online and this one.    However, with the recent closing of Electronic Gaming Monthly and all that made it unique and the not so recent closing of Games for Windows Magazine and all that made that magazine unique.  I felt it was time to return to writing mainly about console video games as well as writing about MMOs and PC games.  So, I have undertaken a Herculean task and perhaps I won't be able to measure up.  Please have patience there is only so much one person can do.

        Anyway, I will bring up a few games that I have experienced recently, and give you my humble opinion of them.  So here we go...

        Mirror's Edge: Wonderful game where you are a 'runner" in the future where you have to save your sister and expose a dark conspiracy surrounding her abduction.  This game has a killer art style and even some of the voice talent wasn't too bad in a Saturday morning cartoons kind of way.  But the controls in this game were crazy.  Once you got the hang of them and you basically figured out how to traverse terrain many times I found myself missing a jump or and grab just because my controller didn't respond quickly enough or too quickly.  I guess I'm saying that it was a little buggy.  And given the overall, quality of the game this was quite a shame. 7/10, please fix these problems and it will be a 9/10.

        Left 4 Dead:  What if you could play a movie like 28 Days Later or Dawn of the Dead?  Well,  Left 4 Dead answers this question but also adds the idea of playing the game with a few friends.  Now that's cool.  But the things I loved about Left 4 Dead aren't really either of the above. 

         I will say that the main thing I loved about Left 4 Dead was the weapons.  Yes, the typical guns that everyone complains about.  Why did I love them?  Because even though they are incredibly traditional they ARE incredibly well done.  But even more than that, the balance of each piece of the campaign and the incredible director A.I. that controls the flow of the game does an incredible job of dealing out an interesting and exciting experience.  There is no story but the game really doesn't need one.  The gritty reality of the situation doesn't really allow for much of a story explanation and would only slow down the game.  I loved it, I was just hoping for more maps and maybe even more "boss" type enemies to really give your group a good challenge.  I often found myself, totally destroying one boss only to have to wait an enormous amount of time for another.  But hey, they are going to be adding stuff soon I hear. So 9/10.

        Little Big Planet:  Probably the BEST game to EVER be created for your PS3.  I know some people would argue Metal Gear Soild 4 or Resistance 2.  But This game can get ANYONE playing and there is an ENDLESS amount of replay time.  The only platformer I like is Ratchet and Clank and this game is a platformer but this is the BEST platformer I've EVER played!  If you haven't all ready picked up Little Big Planet I suggest you bookmark blog and then go to your local store and pick one up! Little Big Planet is FINALLY the REASON TO BUY A PS3!  You will only need this ONE game to easily hold you over until ANYTHING ELSE you want to play comes out.  So go get it 10/10!

      So that's basically it.... Oh sorry forgot one thing....

      I remember I promised you folks a Too Human review. So here it is.  The game has wonderful controls, beautiful graphics, and an exciting original story.  What it needs is some diversity in it's enemy types.  Also the dropping of the 4 player co-op in favor of two player.  Has kind of taken the bite out of the game.  Finally, as good as this game was as a part one of a trilogy. I honestly hope that part 2 has a lot more enemies and some improvements in weapon types.  Because at this point even after around 25 hours this game just gets kind of boring. 8/10....

     So I know what your thinking.... These are old games... What are you going to review Dead Space next?  Actually yes... So enjoy the blog and pardon some of the back catalog.  I all ready told you I've been busy.

-Devilsalias

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Viva Pinata for PC, opens the party on November 4!


When Viva Pinata for the PC was announced during the Microsoft Press Conference at E3, I was pretty happy. What I didn't know at the time was why was this happening? I still don't. No details on the game have been announced. Is there going to be a garden editor allowing the player to make bigger gardens or gardens with strange structures? Can the player use some mod tools to make new Pinatas? Will there be new pinatas from the developers? Hello, Rare and Microsoft; this game comes out in November!
Will the game be different in any way from the game on XBOX 360? There was also a Nintendo DS version announced recently. Which they are saying will be exactly the same as the XBOX 360 version and will even support trading pinatas over WiFi.
Considering this game is less than a month away, I think it would be good if Rare and Microsoft show the game off. New Features? Better graphics? Construction tools? If there isn't anything different on the PC version, why does it exist?

Monday, September 17, 2007

World Cyber Games 2007




"The World Cyber Games National Final is over, and as the smoke clears and paramedics carry the battered bodies of the fallen from the fetid field of war, twenty-two figures stand silhouetted in the bright Universal Orlando Resort spotlights, ready to represent our country in the coming battle. Men like Need for Speed: Carbon Champion Kamram Siddiqui from Orlando Florida, and Dead or Alive 4 Champ Carl White from Toledo Ohio. Those two and twenty more bravely listed in the press release below will take to the battlefield on last time at the World Cyber Games 2007 Grand Final in Seattle Washington October 4th through the 7th, testing their mettle against 700 gamers from 75 countries for a chance at gold medals, cash, and prizes...but that matters not. Nay, these fine men and possibly women fight for America, ladies and gentlemen. For our freedom and glory. Okay, my hyperbole gland just burst. Hit up the press release while I hunt for a band-aid.
WORLD CYBER GAMES ANNOUNCES TEAM USA

America's 22 Best Gamers To Compete Against Over 700 PlayersFrom 75 Countries In e-Sports' Biggest and Most Prestigious Tournament - The 2007 World Cyber Games Grand Final - Taking Place In Seattle Oct. 4-7

(Orlando, September 16, 2007) - The World Cyber Games (WCG) 2007 USA Championship: National Final concluded today at Universal Orlando Resort with 22 of the finest video game players in the country earning a share of $100,000 in cash and prizes and spot on TEAM USA's roster. Now the American Team will travel to Seattle, Washington October 4-7 to compete on the biggest stage in competitive gaming -- The World Cyber Games 2007 Grand Final.

Earlier this year, over 10,000 gamers set out to make the United States' national team by enduring online qualifiers, live regional qualifiers and finally the WCG USA National Final. Those elite 22 players now comprise TEAM USA and will face off next month against 700 top gamers from 75 countries for gold medals and a share of nearly $500,000 in cash and prizes.

Team USA 2007 Includes:

PC
StarCraft®: Brood War™
Champion: Geoff Robinson (Mill Creek, WA)
Runner Up: Daniel Eidson (Reston, VA)

WarCraft® III: Frozen Throne™
Champion: Phil Crawford (Hopewell Junction, NY)

CounterStrike™
Champion: Team Emazing Games (eMg)
Michael Guevara (Queens, NY)
Scott Cavallero (Vineland, NJ)
Matt Beahan (Plymouth Meeting, PA)
Nazar Vynnytsky (Queens, NY)
Robert Irey Jr. (Birdsboro, PA)

FIFA Soccer 07
Champion: Felipe Stoyne (South Plainfield, NJ)

Need for Speed™: Carbon
Champion: Kamran Siddiqui (Orlando, FL)

Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars™
Champion: Shawn Teeter (San Diego, CA)
Runner-Up: David Lathrop (Fulton, NY)

Age of Empires® III: The WarChiefs
Champion: Ragave Phadke (Buffalo, NY)

Xbox 360 Games
Project Gotham Racing® 3
Champion: Wes Cwiklo (Camarillo, CA)
Brian Boyle (Lincolnshire, IL)

Dead or Alive® 4
Champion: Carl White (Toledo, OH)
Runner-Up: Jeremy Florence (Rio Rancho, NM)

Gears of War®
Champion: Team Infinite
Keith Haggen (Phoenix, AZ)
Jesse Cranker (Bowling Green, OH)
Michael Cannon (Harrisburg, PA)
Jesse Rodriguez (Chicago, IL)

Tony Hawk's Project 8TM
Champion: Dustin Valcalda (Reno, NV)

Widely regarded as the "Olympics" of competitive video game tournaments, this year's WCG USA National Final showcased some of the most exciting and competitive gaming action in e-Sports. With an audience of well over 10,000, packing the Universal Studios' Soundstage 33 over the course of the three day event, this year's WCG USA Championship series was by far the most competitive National Final in the league's seven year history.

"The high level of play at the WCG USA 2007 National Final not only exceeded my expectations, it was a great indication of the progression of e-Sports in this country," said Michael Arzt, General Manager, World Cyber Games USA. "TEAM USA has a tremendous opportunity to compete against some of the world's most renowned gamers and bring home some serious hardware. Next month's WCG Grand Final will certainly be an event not to miss."

The 22 players who comprise TEAM USA's roster will now travel to host city Seattle, WA on October 4th - 7th for the 2007 World Cyber Games Grand Final, taking place at Qwest Field.

The World Cyber Games 2007 National Final will be televised on Spike TV on October 12th. The Grand Final will be televised on November 9th."Kotaku...

This is the last, best, bastion of the pro gaming leagues. You probably won't find much better anywhere. Enjoy the broadcast, hopefully it will be more complete than those that have come before it.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

FASA Studios is NO MORE!


1UP.com reports,"

FASA Studio Officially Shuts Down

Long-standing rumors finally confirmed.
By Philip Kollar, 09/12/2007
Some people may remember way back near the start of the year, rumors began raging that FASA Studio would be shut down some time after the release of Shadowrun. That has since come true, as FASA studio manager (and 1UP Yours guest alum) Mitch Gitelman confirmed the news on the official Shadowrun forums:
"It is my sad duty to announce that FASA Studio has officially closed its doors. Today was the official last day of employment for those of us who had not moved on to other positions within Microsoft Game Studios. While the rumors have been circulating forever, we chose to wait on an official announcement because we didn't want people's attention distracted from our last product, Shadowrun, a game we love.

"As a testament to the team's commitment to Shadowrun, we released three title updates to improve the product even after the team learned we were losing our studio. We have kept our Community Manager and Technical Support Manager on the job to aid and support you and will continue to do so while people continue to play our game. I am pleased that about half of us have found great positions elsewhere in MGS and Microsoft where they can share their experience and passion with the great people there.

"But now, as the last of us say our goodbyes to each other, I'm saying goodbye to you on behalf of a group of talented and dedicated professionals who busted their humps for the love of the game. I am proud to have worked with and represented them to you and know that wherever they go, they will continue to kick ass."

In possibly related news, gamers on those same official forums are alleging PC and Xbox 360 players can no longer play the game against each other, a feature that was one of the original major selling points of Shadowrun. It remains unclear if this is an unintentional glitch that will be fixed or the first step towards scaling down Shadowrun's servers. "

OK, these are the same developers who said that they were changing projects and that the massive layoffs were just a part of normal business. This is the same company that promised more maps for their Shadowrun title. This is the same company that was SO SURE that a Shadowrun FPS was such a good idea that they criticized reviewers who didn't agree with them.

I liked FASA, at least pre-Shadowrun. The game was like a death null. The title was ill conceived, ill advertised, and finally ill delivered. On the PC the advertising was buy Shadowrun and get Halo free. This certainly doesn't bode well. I think the developers should have listened to fans and made an RPG of Shadowrun or at the very least an Action title. Anything but ANOTHER FPS!


Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Hellgate London PC Specs Revealed?


" The minimum PC specs for North America and Europe are as follows:

* OS: Windows XP with SP2 or Windows Vista
* Processor: 1 .8GHz or faster (2.4GHz for Vista)
* RAM: 1GB or more (2GB for Vista)
* Video: DirectX 9.0c/10 compatible device w/ 128MB RAM or better and Pixel Shader 2.0 support; requires NVIDIA GeForce 6200/ATI Radeon 9000 chipset or greater
* Audio: DirectX 9.0c compatible device
* Disc drive: 8x DVD or faster
* Hard drive: 6 GB or more free space
* Input: Keyboard and mouse
* Internet: Connection required for multiplayer"Hellgate Guru


It is interesting that these are the Alpha specs and originally Flagship stated that the Alpha specs would be higher than the final game. They said that they would be supporting a broad range of computers. 1GB of RAM doesn't really constitute a broad range of computers. Considering so many developers are going towards having 1+ GB of RAM it is definitely a better investment than all most any upgrade.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007