Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Back To World of Warcraft!
I haven’t played World of Warcraft for a year this month. Once I went to Blizzcon however, I some how got lured back in. The sense of community and nostalgic thrill that crept in finally over came me. This may seem like a crazy reason to return to the game. But with this strange confluence; patch 4.0 was also out. Which if you haven’t all ready experienced it. Changes everything. I had five characters on Horde side and retalenting each one of them really changed my attitude toward some of them. In fact, I started playing my Warlock again, which I had basically relegated toward basically a bank and profession alt. But with the new rebalance of talents and such the old specs that were good are no longer that great and over all it seems that the classes are far more balanced against each other.
The only problem I have of course, is I missed the entire endgame content for my Main and my Main isn’t geared anywhere near well enough for Battlegrounds. Which means I’m pretty much on hold with my Main.
I also started a new character, Troll Shaman. So that I can experience all the new Cataclysm content. Oh yeah, I pre-ordered the Cataclysm content. There are certainly plenty of things wrong with World of Warcraft in general and even with all the new updates and innovations the game is far from perfect or where I think the game SHOULD be after this much time. But, World of Warcraft is still fun and currently the only REAL viable MMORPG worth playing. Considering I’m so completely invested with multiple characters over 60. I feel like if I want to play an MMORPG, this is one.
I also can’t wait to play a Worgen. In fact, I’m going to give you all an update about the status of my Worgen progress on a RPPVP server, which I have never been on before. So you can all experience the coolness of the new race with me. I have NO IDEA what class I’m going to play. Hopefully something viable in a Raid but still makes sense with the essence of the race.
I certainly can’t wait for Guild Wars 2 to come out. Whenever that is… I’m guessing sometime at the end of next year. Which I’ll be completely done with all the WoW content by then.
Well, see you all on December 8th for the first WoW update. Oh and read the site between now and then too. Lol.
Dedae Reviews Fallout New Vegas: Cause I'm not going to!
Monday, November 1, 2010
XBOX LIVE UPDATE! IS this what an Extra $10 gets me?
Once again Microsoft is trying to change their image from Corporate Raiders who want to sell you over priced software to a cute and cuddly company that is more like Nintendo or Apple. The difference is that unlike Nintendo or Apple there is very little behind the fluff. And worst of all they are taking down the people who have supported them all these years in doing this.
As with every Dashboard update things have changed. And as with every Dashboard Update since the Avatars were released, not for the better. For some reason it seems that Microsoft feels that their old Dashboard from years gone by was just not soaking up enough processes. So they have, with every update tried to stress the system so that you are seeing more loading screens than actual content.
Best of all not only do you have to download the ESPN add-on and a new Zune Marketplace add-on separately. But the inital setup of the new dashboard drops all your original settings. Thanks, Microsoft that was handy. Perhaps instead up changing the design of the dashboard and Avatars AGAIN! They could have worked on the back end and make everything run more smoothly, have fewer loading screens, fewer errors about content that doesn’t exist, and less time screwing around in menus just to go to other menus. Yeah, but where would the fun in that be? How would that be a good PR campaign. Because after all, ALL these people who are going to buy a Kinect for their living room/gymnasium aren’t going to know the difference. Yeah, that’s too bad, considering those people are probably going to buy two games and never touch the system or any of the the content again. These are people the analytics refer to when they talk about people who don’t use DLC.
Apparently however, everyone wants a piece of the Nintendo pie. Too bad Microsoft, isn’t holding back on the crazy to do it. After all, Sony seems pretty low key about their casual jump and that’s good because the people they are targeting aren’t going to be impressed by marketing or ads. They will be impressed by word of mouth. Unfortunately the only word of mouth I can give this new update is, “rip-off.” I say this because starting in November we get to pay an extra $10 a year for the casual revolution so that Microsoft can pretend to be Nintendo for six months until they realize they aren’t making any money and start on Halo 4.
So thanks Microsoft, good to see my money is going to good use. Perhaps next time, you’ll survey the hardcore before you start throwing our money around.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
All Treats and No Tricks (Costume Quest Review)
The game is a pretty typical RPG style game that takes place on Halloween Night. Yes, ladies and gents, this whole game takes place in one night. You go from sleepy suburbs to a Mall to a even sleepier little farming town. The game does a REALLY good job of transition from one area to the next while allowing you to go back and get any quests or items you might have missed the first time. This game is all about collection. Collecting candy, cards, costumes, quests etc.. If you don’t like collecting stuff this game is not going to be for you.
The thing I really loved about Costume Quest was the costumes. In a game about Halloween what else would make it great? Being able to change into any of the totally awesome and wonderful forms just by changing costumes makes this game wonderful. The combat is simplistic but totally fun. Who knew that real time turn based RPGs could be so much fun. I completed the whole game with every achievement in around six hours. But I did grind a fair amount and I did reach max level which is ten. I know six hours isn’t very long but the game only suffers from it’s limit in that the game IS SO GOOD you don’t want it to end.
While the game is left open at the end for a sequel; I get the impression that it might be in poor taste to look for one. This project certainly shows Double Fine’s talent for making a good, compelling, funny game. Perhaps such a limited scope is what they do best. I loved Costume Quest and everyone who loves a good collection based RPG should check it out. Especially before Halloween, after that, I think the magic might have worn off.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Not a Headshot(Medal of Honor Review)
Medal of Honor is a name that has been in First Person Shooters for all most as long as there have been First Person Shooters. People have been playing these war themed games for a long time. In the good old days these games were based in the conflicts of World War 2. Over time however, these games were surpassed in their quality and ability to represent these conflicts by Call of Duty. Which is, ironic, considering the same people who created Medal of Honor went on to make it’s successor Call of Duty.
Now Electronic Arts, with the help of Danger Close and DICE have decided to make; yet another Medal of Honor. Again, they aren’t working with the people who originally made Medal of Honor. Because THEY are now working for their own company, Respawn. Perhaps they should have consulted on this one.
The campaign component of Medal Of Honor is pretty good. The Medal of Honor campaign is split up into 3 major parts. Which follows three different teams, these guys are both Tier 1 operators and Army Rangers. All of these areas are good, in fact most of the campaign; while very reminiscent of other games of it’s type is very good. The problems I had with it were mainly the very large number of game crashing bugs. Most involved the player not being in the right spot or in some cases the A.I. not responding correctly. They occurred for me around four times in my play through. But given the circumstances of the crashes; I would say they would happen over and over unless the player knew how it occurred and how to fix it.
I certainly enjoyed the story; but I would have preferred they had stick to one team and not worry about trying to show something that didn’t need to be seen from many sides from many sides. The split stories bring little, if anything to the overall game. I guess this does allow the player to decide which story they like the best. But I think a more fleshed out main character might have solved this issue.
While I really enjoyed most of the running single player. I have to say that the Multiplayer was both less ambitious and less interesting. Where the single player has some patchable problems, the multiplayer seems irrevocably worthless. DICE has basically taken their incredible Battlefield Bad Company 2 and stripped out all of what makes it important. The current multiplayer of Medal of Honor is simply Modern Warfare without the long list of perks, weapons, and upgrades. As it stands now, it is not interesting or different. It’s just a bunch of players shooting each other back and forth until one side wins. All of the modes are certainly surpassed in their elegance by Battlefield and in their creativity both in level design and finesse by Modern Warfare 2. For some reason in trying to recreate or out do, Modern Warfare 2 it appears that Danger Close has simply created a poor imitation.
There certainly is plenty of history, both from the old days and from the recent few years. While Danger Close and DICE certainly tried to deliver identical experiences to those that have been delivered recently it seems that some more time was needed to work out the bugs. And perhaps, Battlefield Bad Company 2 should have had a good enough multiplayer for anyone. Let us not forget about Modern Warfare 2 while we are at it; which is STILL the best of all possible modern era FPS games. While this might not all ways be the case, it will be at least for the near future.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Membership Doesn’t All Ways have it’s Privileges..
As I’m writing this I’m literally, waiting in a que for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Beta game session. I’ve only been able to get into 2 games in the passed 2 hours; and people are quitting out of my current session. I’m not sure what’s more infuriating the fact that I’ve only played 2 games or that people are actually going back into a even wider que thinking things are going to be quicker.
This is the exclusive beta that only people who have pre-ordered(I pre-ordered), some PSN Plus Members, or members of the press were allowed into and then only just this week. Before that, t was only European Plus Members and Press.
This is one of two “exclusive” betas that have sprung up for different games in the past couple of weeks and I’m sorry but I think this was a TERRIBLE IDEA! These are multiplayer games, that need LOTS of people to play them in order to test server load, game balance, etc… Considering the time of the year, this probably the second worst time to be holding one of these “exclusive betas.” The first of course, being actual holiday season which in the US starts around November 1st.
The other offending Beta is Dead Space 2 Multiplayer Beta. Which I got into, I guess, because I’m a member of the press and a member of EA Gun Club or maybe one or the other. I don’t know. EA never really explained why anyone got in, the invites just showed up. Also apparently, if you were a PSN Plus member you were in the group to be chosen. Whatever, that actually meant.
I booted up Dead Space 2 Multiplayer around 5 times at different times of the night and I have NEVER gotten into a game. Some of the times, I must admit, I only tried to get in once or twice and then got fed up and left but the other times, I spent upwards of 20 minutes trying to get on. Nothing…
My point is that if your going to make an exclusive test anything, you might want to be sure that there will be enough people out there to ACTUALLY test what your working on. Otherwise, other than a marketing stunt; your beta hasn’t achieved anything. Not to mention the people who pre-ordered and are now thinking the game will be a failure because no one “seems” to be playing it.
Now, I hear that Killzone 3 will have an exclusive PSN Plus grab bag type beta sign up. Great, should I just not bother if I get sent the code? Because if it’s just me, and 101,000 people, then I’m probably never going to get on.
Monday, October 4, 2010
DC Universe gets Delayed! But it’s not all bad news!
“Today Sony Online Entertainment announced that DC Universe Online will be delayed until early 2011….
….SOE has also revealed new details regarding the beta program. Players with VIP key cards and those having registered at the DCUO website will receive access on a priority basis starting as early as next week. As an added thank you, everyone that has already pre-ordered the game, and those who do so by November 15th, 2010, are assured access to beta by November 30th (North America only).
Anyone pre-ordering the game after November 15th will gain beta access one week prior to the launch date and will be able to participate in the special beta ending event entitled Battle of the Legends with the rest of the beta participants. As an additional bonus, all beta participants will be recognized post release with a special emblem for their character when the game goes live. Beginning October 7, 2010 instructions on how to qualify to receive your pre-order beta key will be located here: www.dcuniverseonline.com/betakey.
Those wishing to register for beta without pre-ordering have until 11:59pm PST tonight. This is a general queue and does not assure access.
Lastly, due to overwhelming demand from the community, SOE is pleased to announce that a Collector's Edition for the PlayStation 3 will also be released (North America only), which includes the same items contained in the PC version announced earlier this year – the DCUO Batman statue, the limited edition Art of DC Universe Online art book, the DCUO Legends Issue #0 comic book with a Jim Lee variant cover, the DCUO Prestige comic presentation of the DCUO back-story and the limited edition Jim Lee-drawn poster Version of the Legends Issue #0 comic book variant cover…”DC Universe News.
So that’s the story folks. I’m not surprised considering how everything seemed to be going as far as coverage. Normally an MMORPG has a heck of a lot more coverage when it’s only a month before launch than DC Universe Online EVER had. This game looks great and it’s also wonderful that Sony is working so closely with their dedicated fans and give everyone some serious beta time to chew on while they wait for the game to come out. Can’t wait to play the beta for this brand.