E3 – Microsoft Presentation Impressions

After watching the Microsoft presentation at E3 in its entirety, I have to say my reactions are mixed.  The trailers of games that will be released look great, but by the end of each short time period the game developers were allowed I was starved for more information. The trailers looked great, but revealed little above and beyond what we already know about the games.

One of my greatest disappointments was a huge time allotment in the middle of the presentation where a new Live “dashboard” was revealed, more casual-gamer-friendly environment, and parade of “family-friendly” games coming out. As a hardcore gamer, I felt very alienated and bored watching this segment. I’ll start with the dashboard… A new system will require each user to create an “avatar” (a la “The Sims”) to represent themselves, rather than the old system of gamerpic. The avatars look a little less cheesy than Nintendo’s “miis” but still look like toy dolls. I’m glad that there will be a lot of customization for them, but that’s not enough to win me over. And I wonder, why are they fixing something that’s not broken, and worse than that, doing it by doing the same thing another console is doing? Lame. The whole dashboard will be overhauled as well, with the entire thing looking more like the Windows Media Center. The casual gamer will probably be thrilled, but I’m going to be hard pressed to get used to this. As for the casual gamer and family friendly titles… I think they are trying too hard, a result of seeing the Wii’s numbers sold. People are buying Wiis, but they are not buying as many games or playing as many games, or downloading anywhere near as much content. I really feel Microsoft are better off continuing to cater to the hardcore gamers – the ones that buy several games a month, download Marketplace content every week, and loyally renew their Live memberships on expiration. I can understand throwing a bone here or there to the casual gamers. Who knows maybe some of those people will see how great gaming is and get hooked, and join the forces of the more hardcore. But I don’t think they should have had the huge, long snoozefest segment at E3 that they did catering to these people. EARTH TO MICROSOFT: Casual gamers are NOT the people watching E3 coverage on G4 or the internet…

I must say there was one game that appealed to me during the “casual-friendly” segment, though. It’s a karaoke game called “Lips” which allows you to sing karaoke with music videos in the background, including your own music library through your zune or iPod. That’s right, the first music-based game where you can use your own music. Also available will be music of all different genres for download, from what I could tell. Looks to be a fantastic party game and vehicle to really enjoy YOUR favorite music, no matter what the genre, whether it’s been in any music games before, or how obscure it is.

Another thing I thought was exciting was the Square Enix segment. They announced that Final Fantasy XIII will be released for the Xbox 360. I am really excited about this, because although I’m a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series, I skipped the last one because I’m also a graphics fanboy and I stopped playing PS2 and other “last gen” systems the day the 360 launched and never looked back. So I missed it, but now I’ll have the opportunity to play the series again, in the next-gen glory it should have been released with in the first place (and not on a Sony console for the first time). Square Enix also talked about The Last Remnant, Infinite Undiscovery, and one of the games I am MOST excited about right now: the new installment in the Star Ocean series. The Star Ocean series is AMAZING and I highly recommend any RPG fan not miss this one. I believe trailers for all three of these games are available on the Marketplace.

Another exciting announcement is that NBC/Universal will now be available on the Marketplace: their TV shows and movies. I was excited about the NBC announcement because these shows are no longer available on iTunes, which is the only place besides the Xbox Live Marketplace that I download television shows. Now I will again have access to the shows. I refuse to use “free” download sites like Hulu that shove ads down my throat when I watch something. I want my content ad-free, even if I have to pay for it.

Also announced was a partnership with Netflix, so that many more movie rentals will be available. I may be more likely to rent movies if I pay one membership fee per month rather than pay by the movie. I’m already skiddish about renting because I don’t like the way you have nothing to show for your hard earned money after you’ve “returned” it or it expires. I’d rather spend more on something but get to keep it forever. But this is definitely a benefit for people who like to rent a lot of movies. Now they have more options – a monthly membership fee or pay-per-view.

I would say more about the games that were talked about but the developers had very little time to introduce them. I’ve seen Cliffy B’s presentation at the Microsoft presentation and in an interview with Adam Sessler where he focused on the multiplayer aspect but I still want to know if there will be more modes available, including any that are not team based. I want my deathmatch!!! But that question is still unanswered. Graphics and bosses for the new game look great though. As for Fallout 3, the announcement that stood out in my mind was when the Bethesda spokesman said there will be over 100 hours of gameplay, just like Oblivion, and also lots of download content on the Marketplace. This is definitely one to look forward to.

Another one of the most exciting parts of the presentation were the announcements from Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2. Guitar Hero World Tour will have the Eagles and Van Halen exclusively, and Rock Band 2 will have AC/DC exclusively. Another exciting announcement from Rock Band 2 was that not only will ALL of your download tracks up until the new game releases be playable with Rock Band 2, but you will also be able to play most of the tracks from the original Rock Band disc with Rock Band 2, without swapping discs! The ENTIRE playlist for Rock Band 2, it was announced, has also been released and includes a lot of new bands. It was also announced that a lot of download tracks will also be available for free when the game is released. There are some I don’t like, but overall I am very excited about some of the new tracks… good chance you will be too!:

You can view the entire Rock Band 2 setlist on their official website, here:

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63006

Return to this blog with further E3 impressions and news. I’m going to watch every minute of coverage available. E3 week is like Christmas when you’re a hardcore gamer!

Music Review: Worlds Collide by Apocalyptica

“Worlds Collide” by Apocalyptica: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

I was browsing around the iTunes store the other day and noticed this album on one of the pages. I was intrigued that this was just about one of the coolest names for a band I’d ever heard, so out of curiousity I wanted to listen to some clips. I was completely blown away. I think I officially have a new favorite band. I must have been living under a rock not to know about this band before. They’re from Finland and really haven’t gotten the exposure they deserve in the U.S. This is the most original band I’ve heard in a long time. The closest comparison I could make might be to compare some of their tracks to “Afterlife” by Avenged Sevenfold. These guys are well studied in Classical music, not afraid to include string instruments, but have a hard metal/rock sound. Guests on the album include Adam Gontier (Three Days Grace), Corey Taylor (Stone Sour/Slipknot), and Dave Lombardo (Slayer). The music brilliantly combines moving melodies with hard, edgy rock, in a deep, layered sound, and it really works. I was emotionally moved by this music. Totally blown away, and it only gets better and better with every listen. If I had to be shipped to a desert island with only one album, make it this one. The album was released in October 2007 and is available on iTunes and other online music stores, as well as enlightened record stores. I could not recommend this album more highly.

Breath of Fire III and Mega Man Legends for the PSP: Canceled

I was extremely disappointed to find out this morning that two of my favorite games on the original Playstation that were in production as PSP remakes have been CANCELED: Breath of Fire III and Mega Man Legends. I have very fond memories of playing these games, especially Breath of Fire III, and I was really excited about these releases. What a great idea it was for them to release these greats again. Lately, I’ve really been enjoying a remake of another Playstation classic: Final Fantasy Tactics and realizing that playing a great game again years later can be even better than the original experience. But, alas, we won’t get that opportunity with these other two worthy games. Meanwhile, we’ve got a real dry spell coming up the rest of this year for the PSP, unless there are some earth shattering announcements at E3. The PSP REALLY needs more games, especially more good games – so the fact that these cancellations occurred is completely baffling. Whoever made the decision needs to be slapped upside the head. I would sure like to see another development studio pick up these projects and complete them PLEASE! That’s probably what it’s going to take for them to ever get finished. The PSP needs more good games, they don’t need to be cancelling projects like these with so much potential.

And by the way, we need a remake of Tactics Ogre from Atlus on the PSP too!

Rock Band 2 Announced

It’s official; Rock Band 2 has been announced as a September release on the Xbox360 in the United States. Other platforms and regions may get the game later on. The official press release is posted on the official website:

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59332

I am thrilled to find out that all of the download content from Rock Band 1 will be playable with Rock Band 2.  I had been concerned that once the new game came out I’d have to start over. This is very exciting news and I may be even more inclined now to buy more of the downloads, knowing they will have so much more replay value than I at first imagined. In interviews late last year it was said a new Rock Band game would probably not be released again in 2008. I’m glad that is no longer the plan; a lot of improvements are in store – to the software and the hardware (NO BROKEN GUITARS THIS TIME PLEASE, EA!!!). When Rock Band originally came out I was squeamish about the price tag for the bundle. At the time, I had no idea I’d still be playing the game regularly 8 months later and getting fresh content weekly. I know better this time – the amount of time you can get out of a game like Rock Band (one, two, or any other) is worth more in gameplay time and fun than several other games combined. No price has been released yet, and that doesn’t change my mind. So enjoy the good news. If this makes you more inclined to buy some more download tracks, my thoughts on the downloads released up until now is below in yesterday’s post!

One more thing… they aren’t releasing any names of tracks or artists yet, but for the record I’d like to beg for:

“I Don’t Care” and “I’m Not Jesus” by Apocalyptica

“Munich” and “Bones” by The Editors

Hotel California by The Eagles

Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand

Dashboard by Modest Mouse

Gone Away by The Offspring

More Les Wampas

One final note about Rock Band and Rock Band 2. The fog and lights kit, which will be compatible with both games, is being released next month. It’s a splurge, but talk about giving yourself the Rock Star treatment! With everything going on Rock Band is starting to look more like an experience than a “game”.

Rock Band Download Content: Keepin’ It Fresh

After the unfulfilled promises of monthly download content during Guitar Hero II days, I was highly skeptical that Rock Band would be able to deliver new download content every single week. And if anyone would’ve said there would still be weekly content 8 months later I would have laughed hysterically. Yet here we are, over 8 months later, and Rock Band is still pumping out new content every single week without fail. I think it may be a good idea to start reviewing the content, since I have a habit of being hasty about plunking down the points, and I can warn people about the duds and alert them to the winners.

I actually have a lot of thoughts about Rock Band’s download content. I think I’m a lot more open minded about music, thanks to the downloads. Obscure bands I knew nothing about have given me endless pleasure on the game, and music I never thought I could like has also managed to grow on me. I no longer scoff at the less well known bands – some of the best tracks on the game have come from bands I never heard of before. I’m glad I gave them a chance – it’s tough to make a judgement call whether to spend your hard earned money or not based on such a short clip. I sometimes visit iTunes to see if I can hear a longer or different clip, which sometimes helps.  But I have to say, the majority of the time I am at least “satisfied” with the tracks, and often I am thrilled with them.

I am disappointed that there aren’t more players online that have a lot of the download content. This is what keeps this game fresh and new, even 8 months after release. A lot of us who bought the game at launch don’t want to keep playing the same disc songs over and over again; the variety is what keeps us coming back! So if you haven’t checked out the download content do us, and more importantly yourself, a favor and check it out! There are a ridiculous number of songs available now.

There’s so many downloads that, at least for now, I don’t have any plans of going back and reviewing all of it. From now on mid-week I’ll comment on the new stuff, starting with this week’s downloads. I will follow that up with a general update of what’s come out so far:

Downloads for July 1, 2008:

“Down At the Whiskey”, Motley Crue. This is a decent track definitely worth picking up with it’s budget (80 point) price tag. It’s the same old familiar Motley Crue sound that those who were teenagers or a little older will get some nostalgic pleasure out of. It doesn’t especially stand out within the Motley Crue library but certainly is enjoyable enough to justify this price point, especially if you have fond memories of good times associated with the band.

“Time Is Running Out”, Papa Roach. What were they thinking? I expected a lot better from a band like Papa Roach. I didn’t hesitate to pick this one up, because of the good tracks by Papa Roach I was familiar with, but this one does not live up to the quality they’ve given us before. Very mundane, but if you’re a Rock Band Track collector like I am that craves variety then it might be worth the half-price cost.

“Who’s Going Home With You Tonight”, Trapt. This one is okay… thankfully this one is half price too. Take it or leave it. Nothing makes it stand out, in a good way or bad.

“Promised Land”, Vesuvius. The only reason I recommend downloading this is because it’s FREE, and in my opinion not worth a penny more. May be worth the hard drive space, barely. Sounds like a lame re-hash of typical 80’s pop rock of the forgettable variety.

As for an update of what’s out already:

Tracks you’ve GOT TO GET!:

“The Kill” by 30 Seconds to Mars. In my opinion, the best track on the whole game. Fun to play, with just the right level of challenge, and immensely satisfying to hear. This brilliantly written song really stands out in the pack as original, heartfelt, and captivating. You may be familiar with the singer, Jared Leto, through his career as an actor and director. The guy isn’t just a musician; he’s an artist who is brimming with creativity. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!

“Afterlife” by Avenged Sevenfold. These guys really know their stuff. You can even hear the classical influence in this track (which was also the case with their track on Guitar Hero II). A beautiful melody with the hard edge most Rock Band devotees crave. This track is exceptional; BUY IT NOW!

“Hammerhead” by The Offspring. This blood pumping adrenaline rush is pure ear candy. The lyrics may not be as hilarious as some of their other tracks (HINT please give us more Offspring!!), the song is fast, fun, and well written. You gotta get it.

“A Clean Shot” by The Myriad. An obscure MTV2 pack track from a band I’ve never heard of in my life, this has become one of my favorites. And it was half price! Addictive melody keeps me coming back to it. One of the biggest surprises. The Myriad suddenly has my attention.

“Monsoon” by Tokio Hotel. It won’t be for everyone – it’s mellow and soothing, like a grownup lullaby. If you need your tracks hard ‘n heavy this may not be for you, but it’s a great track to relax and enjoy. Another band I never heard of before is definitely on my radar now.

“Manu Chao” by Les Wampas. Again, not for everyone. But if you have an open mind about the foreign language lyrics this song is a real treat. Les Wampas entertain with the upbeat and amusing, catchy song that will stick with you long after you turn the game off. I went to iTunes and downloaded the entire album because of this song. I was not disappointed – with this song or the rest of the album. This is one of my absolute favorites on the game. Les Wampas have fun with their songs, and considering you’re playing a game, you should too… so get this track!

“Move Along” by the All-American Rejects. There’s nothing I would want to reject about this song. An absolute blast to sing especially, but great for everyone to play. A stroke of genius gave birth to this catchy and addictive track.

“Hard to Handle” by the Black Crowes. The fast lyrics and all over the place pitch on this track make it an insanely fun challenge for the singer, and crazy, lively fun for a band. This is one of the new classics.

All the songs by Boston, Stone Temple Pilots, and Oasis. All of these bands are consistently reliable to give us some of the best music on the market, and the songs included with Rock Band are no exception. Anyone would be very, very hard pressed not to know and love all of these tracks.

Now for the songs to AVOID! Save your hard earned money and don’t buy these turds!:

“Promised Land” by Vesuvius. I reviewed this above; it came out this week. The ONLY redeeming quality about this song is that it’s free. I’ll let you decide whether it’s worth your hard drive space or not…

All three songs on the “Earache Thrash Pack”. Unless you’re into self-loathing and a gluton for punishment take a pass on all of these tracks. If you refuse to take my advice and buy them anyway, then I hope you have a full supply of asprin in your medicine cabinet for the throbbing headache you’re going to have. In my opinion, this is just NOISE.

“Super Sprode” by Freezepop. I was really disappointed with this one, because I really like the other two Freezepop tracks on the game as well as the one from Guitar Hero II. But they really passed the ball on this one. “Throw your undies on the stage… no wait… you’re underage” the lyrics chirp. Personally I recommend throwing rotten tomatoes, regardless of your age. Silly songs can be fun, but this crosses the line into so silly it’s stupid. PASS.

“Hanging on the Telephone” by Blondie. “Call Me” is fun for it’s nostalgic value, and a good song to boot. After hearing “Hanging on the Telephone” it became abundantly clear to me why I remembered Blondie’s other track from the game and not this one: it sucks.

That’s it. Of course there’s more great tracks and more lousy ones, but I just wanted to highlight the best and the worst in my opinion – otherwise I could keep typing all day. I took into consideration the gameplay as well as the sound of the song, but in my mind the way the song sounds is more important. I think that’s why most people play Rock Band – for the love of music – and any great, great song is going to be fun to play. The button pushing is secondary. This is also why Rock Band is one of the few games that’s almost as fun for the observer as the player, and why it’s great for parties, even if you’re not one of the lucky four to have an instrument in your hand. The music is what it’s all about.

Check back mid-week for another installment of my Rock Band download content reviews, and consider checking out my recommendations!

 

Miscellaneous banter

I received some responses about my use of the game controller with Age of Conan. I definitely think it’s worth buying and using. My favorite things about the controller are using the toggle to allow for greater ease of movement walking and running, and the ability to auto-assign whatever movements or tasks you want to whichever buttons you want. And if there aren’t enough buttons on the controller, you can still continue to use your keyboard and mouse as well for additional tasks, like ones you don’t use that often or don’t need in the heat of battle. But I find the controller buttons easier and faster in combat and movement much smoother and easier. Granted, I have more experience with console games so I’m probably more comfortable with the controller to begin with, but I definitely recommend trying it. Just make sure to get a game controller with a toggle – movement is the biggest advantage in using the controller because of the toggle.

Over 24 hours since I got my PC up and running again and I’m still re-installing games and updates. The Reel Deal MMO has already taken 8 hours to re-install all the updates and it’s still going! Flight Simulator X and the library of add on content for that is going to keep me plenty busy next. It’s amazing I think how long these updates can take to install even with a broadband connection.

I know, it came out a while ago, but I’m really hooked on Final Fantasy Tactics for the PSP. I played the original on the PS, and playing it again now I am reminded why this is one of my favorite games of all time. It’s a strategy RPG with incredible depth. So many job classes and abilities you can master and great strategy. It’s hard to put the PSP down when I just want to earn one more ability! Or one more job class! Or find out what happens in the story next! This game is a classic, one of my all time favorites, and even, in my own personal opinion, the best game with the words Final Fantasy in the title. Few games have this much depth. I may write a full review for this sometime soon, but I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a great PSP title.

I’ll be back soon with more reviews and news.

My computer is back from the dead

For those wondering why I haven’t written a post in so long, the reason is that a lightening surge blew up my computer. Took out the power supply, hard drive, motherboard and CPU. It cost a small fortune to fix. I have not been able to get back on here until today.

I apologize for the delay and thank you greatly for your patience, everyone who has stuck around. I’ll be back with regular posts A.S.A.P. Today, however, I have hours upon hours of re-installation times for my games. The MMOs I suspect will take a ridiculous amount of time. I’m going to try and get most of that done today and be back with you tommorow.

Don’t trust surge-protecting power strips. Apparently, they “wear out” and lose their ability to protect without warning, and may not protect your high end PC anyway. If you have a backup battery with surge protector specifically designed for computers, not only will it be a more reliable way of protecting from surge, but if it can’t the battery will act as the “fall guy” and blow up instead of your valuable computer components. And by the way, even if there appears to be no lightening in your area, you could still be at risk. At least all this is what I was told by the shop that fixed my pc. I had to learn my lesson the hard way; don’t let it happen to you!

Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures (PC): Initial Impressions

Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures is a new MMORPG that I’ve been playing for a couple of days, and my reactions so far are mixed. One thing you notice immediately that sets this MMORPG apart from others is the big (and welcome) assortment of classes. There are 3 races and a whopping 12 classes from which to choose. To further the customization and ability to make your character more unique from other players, character appearance customization is fairly deep, with many sliders to tweak each feature and body markings and hairstyles available. And not only are there many classes to choose from, it’s a tough decision, because they all have interesting, unique skills.

Once a name is taken, it’s gone, so if you want a better chance of getting the name you want then plan on creating your character as soon as possible. If you think you will want to try a variety of classes, I suggest making all of your characters from the get-go so you can claim the names you want before they are taken (if they aren’t already). You can create up to 8 characters on one account with no extra charge, which is excellent considering how many options there are. I recommend trying a few different classes up to level 10 or so to really find the one that’s right for you. I was unimpressed and bored with the first character I created, but a lot more interested in the game when I tried another class that, as it turns out, more suited my preferred style of play.

I highly, highly recommend having a PC game controller to play this game rather than relying solely on the keyboard and mouse. The combination of all three makes movement and combat far more comfortable. Using W,A,S, and D keys to move around instead of a controller toggle is clunky and awkward. I also prefer controller buttons for attack moves. I still use the keyboard and mouse for some other functions. I am using the Logitech Dual Action controller. You can assign whatever task/keystroke you want to 12 different buttons, plus movement or other actions to the directional pad and left and right toggles. It plugs into your USB port, and comes with software that easily allows you to make your button assignments for this, and any other PC game. The software CD is small, and my drive couldn’t read it, but you can also download the software from Logitech’s website if you encounter a similar problem, if you are interested in this controller. It costs $19.99.

This month’s PC Gamer magazine offers a code for a unique in-game item that will allow your character to travel back to their homeland from other places on the map. Between that and the several-page article about the game I recommend this issue for anyone interested in the game.

Back to the gameplay… This game fully supports Direct X 10 and the graphics are beautiful – except when there is a collision detection problem. Collision detection never seems to be a problem in combat, but it does pop up affecting the appearance of the game. With the graphics otherwise so great, this is a shame and I hope they will be able to fix it. As for the quests and activities, at least so far that I’ve played, they seem to be standard run-of-the-mill MMORPG quests like fetching things, delivering things, escorting people… etc.  Luckily, the interesting abilities of the different classes make at least the combat a little less monotonous than other MMORPGs. This is a good game for “lone rangers” who aren’t that interested in partying up, from what I’ve read in articles. It is said that a person can reach very high levels by mostly soloing, though it would be more difficult. I haven’t played much multiplayer yet because I don’t know anyone personally who has the game yet and I prefer to play with people I know than strangers. So if I know you BUY THE GAME, PLEASE!

I am more impressed with this game initially than I have ever been with any MMORPG I’ve started in the past. The character classes and customization are fantastic. And the graphics, aside from a few minor incidents, are outstanding. But the gameplay just doesn’t feel that fresh or groundbreaking to me. Combat and controls feel almost identical to Lord of the Rings Online, although your abilities are different.

As I continue getting further into the game I’ll blog more about it, culminating in a full review later on. So far, I’d say it’s a “BUY” for MMORPG fans because there are enough improvements here to be well worth checking out, but don’t expect groundbreaking new gameplay, at least not in the early game.

Thompson violated 27 Florida Bar rules – article

This is absolutely priceless. I don’t think I can top this so I’m just going to direct you to the article:

(You can press the back button on the browser to return to the blog when done reading).

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6191397.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;0

Thompson has always been a media w****. Thompson wanted media attention – well here you go and you didn’t even have to grandstand and slander gaming to get it! We already knew you were completely ignorant about gaming; now we know you are completely ignorant of the law, too!

I hope if there are any holdouts out there that still listened to this moron they can see his true colors now. If they don’t, then I don’t know what it will take. His lack of understanding of the law clearly now extends beyond his ignorance of the first amendment.

Review: Bully: Scholarship Edition (Wii)

Here is my review for Bully: Scholarship Edition for the Wii, now available on TheGameReviews.com. When you are done reading you can use the back button on your browser to return to the blog.

http://xbox360.thegamereviews.com/article-551-Review-Bully-Scholarship-Edition-Wii.html