Mega64: EGM Metaphors
I think this is how a lot of people feel about the closure of EGM and 1up.
Procrastinating in the Heat
A few words from a professional procrastinator
Archive for the ‘ videogames ’ Category
The appeal of fighting games
I’m not a big fighting game fan. I only get into it casually when the need arises. I skipped the whole Virtual Fighter series when it came out and everyone was flocking to the arcades. There were a few instances I went to the arcade. There was one time in college where we spent the whole afternoon just playing Darkstalkers.
Darkstalkers
I had no idea what I was playing or what buttons I was pressing but as long as I was having fun I don’t see anything wrong with that. I got myself a Dreamcast shortly before it died due to Shenmue but the office favorite was Soul Calibur. Also an office favorite was Tekken 3 on the PS One which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. I do mean everyone.
We would wait for hours for our turn on the machines at work so what better way to get through the day with a few rounds of Tekken or Soul Calibur. Marvel vd. Capcom wasn’t that popular among the casual gamers. But Soul Calibur was so popular that we weren’t playing anything else in the office. After that era was gone, so was my interest in fighting games.
The only thrill I got from fighting games was the high you would get when fighting another person side by side and not over the network. There was some pleasure derived from button mashing whatever button that was under my fingers and seeing amazing combos come into play.
Ah yes those were the days and now I’m feeling a little nostalgic. Especially when I saw this.
勝つための必須アイテム!? 『ストリートファイターIV スティック』
This is the PS3 wireless version from Hori.
Followed by the wired Xbox 360 model.
These pictures sure are pretty and remind me of those old arcades and the fun I had back then. It seems only prudent for me to buy the control sticks if I buy the game.
Just to let you know, I haven’t decided just yet.
What can a little flower do?
From the same studio that brought “flow” into the PS3, this time they are about to bring “flower” as well. If flow brought you under the sea, flower will bring you the wind as you use the sixaxis to navigate from flower to flower collecting petals along the way. If you’re good enough, maybe a little music.
It is sad that very few games on the PS3 take advantage of the sixaxis let alone the motion controls. Sure it’s no Wiimote but “flow” very much captured the principle of it. Heavenly Sword tried to but I can say that “flower” is a great game to use it on. I don’t think you can play it anywhere else.
Very much like “flow”, it’s a relaxing game. No enemies, nothing to shoot, you don’t die. It’s something to take the stress off everyday gaming or even from the world. It’s a casual game that has the ability to bring in hardcore gamers as well.
It’s on my list of highly anticipated games for 2009 and a definite must buy for any owner of the console. I’ll post a more detailed review when it comes out sometime in 2009. Hopefully.
I’ll wait for the PS3 version
Ever since Square-Enix announced a few months ago that a number of titles were heading to the 360, a lot of RPG fans felt betrayed (this seems to be the word of the day). So games like Infinite Undiscovery, The Last Remnant, Star Ocean and Final Fantasy XIII will see the light of day on the 360 giving a much needed RPG boost to the American console.
But so far, it hasn’t been good to Square-Enix. Infinite Undiscovery just went from $59.99 to $19.99 in a matter of three months. Not a good sign if you are selling games. And now comes “The Last Remnant”.
Initial release for the 360 and eventually on the PS3 and the reviews aren’t exactly good.
The Last Remnant for the Xbox 360 from 1UP.com
The Last Remnant Review: Strategically Sound, Technically Flawed
In short, too many bad things to make this RPG even good. We’ll have to see what happens when Star Ocean comes out next year and FFXIII when it comes out. FFXIII has the distinction of being released first on the PS3 before being ported to the 360.
This is one game that I will wait on the PS3 and hope that they will fix all the technical issues plaguing the game.
More impressions on the PS Home Beta
I was finally able to finish downloading the other areas and walk around a bit. There’s quite a number of other areas to explore such as the mall, bowling alley, movie theater and of course the central area.
What I couldn’t figure out was that if Sony intended these to be default areas, then why not have included it in the original download in the first place. The areas can only be downloaded within Home and not through PSN. You can download the areas in background and still chat and walk around the area and interact with your surroundings but not much else. You can only dance so much alone in your house while waiting for the download to finish.
I’m hoping that these could be downloaded in the background and you can quit Home and go play something else instead of just leaving it on, sucking up power (yes, the PS3 is technically the most power hungry console among the 3) play another game and then log back in once PSN tells you that the download has been completed.
These aren’t the bugs yet, just the inconveniences. All the participants lack definition from afar. Meaning you won’t know who it is until you get pretty close. It’s very hard to notice if someone is trying to get your attention. Not to mention that everyone is wearing jeans and a t shirt doesn’t help telling people apart. It’s most probably my internet connection. But not everyone in the world has fiber running to their house at break neck speeds. Home needs a lot more background downloading. At this point it’s going to be another Second Life.
It’s still very early but it holds a lot of promise. If this were to become the new interface for the Playstation, Sony is on to something and could be one step closer to creating a totally a very unique gaming experience.
I would like the opportunity to launch games directly from Home.
I would like to invite my friends on Home to play online with me in games such as Little Big Planet.
I want my friends to visit my pad and see my stuff.
I want all my gaming trophies on display for my friends to be jealous of.
I want be able to buy stuff from the PSN store from Home and use in home.
The possibilities are endless. Sony is really on to something here. It may be have been a slow start for Sony in this generation but it’s definitely not out yet.
I’ll post the bugs when I see them and play a little longer.
LIttle Big Boo Boo
Little Big Planet Delayed Due to Quran Controversy
Finally a AAA exclusive title comes to the PS3 and it gets delayed. Apparently passages of the Koran were found in the lyrics of one of the songs in the game.
Gamers now have more time to pre-order the game. But those who have already pre-ordered it, chances are it may have already been shipped to you.
It’s sad in this day and age for game developers to overlook this. Sigh and another week of wait for me.
Insert this between KH 1 and 2
Square Enix: Kingdom Hearts Re-Beat On PS2 This December
When I got my hands on Kingdom Hearts 2, I was a bit thrown off by the story since it assumed that a lot happened after KH 1. A gameboy advance exclusive, KH: Chain of Memories was released before KH: 2 to explain the events after KH 1. Does this make any sense?
To put it plainly, this game goes between KH 1 and 2 and is coming to the PS2 this December. Yes I did write PS2.
Now if only Sony will put back the BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY in the PS3. Then this game will sell more than what they can anticipate.
It’s wasn’t the hard drive
Xbox 360: Why The 360 Didn’t Ship With A HDD (And Why The PS3 Did)
This is some crazy marketing being done by Microsoft here and lame reasoning in my opinion. The original Xbox didn’t get clobbered in the market because it had a hard drive. There wasn’t just any reason to buy one then. Much in the same case as the PS3 is in now.
There were no real games (other than Halo) on the original Xbox that would make me buy one back then. The PS2 was such a juggernaut that all the games anyone wanted was on it. Developers were able to fit their games into the dual layer DVD discs that were norm back then.
Fast forward to today. Almost everyone ships with some form of internal memory. The Wii comes with something. The PS3 has it standard on all their consoles. But the Xbox ships it optional, and for what? To claim that they are cheaper than the Wii. Thinking that making it cheaper than the Wii will help them overtake Nintendo.
This is a dangerous claim by Microsoft since most of their current games require an internal drive of some sort to save their games. Before the consumer knows it, he would have racked up an additional $50 or even more just so he can play the games he wants. Shipping without a hard drive is a complete u-turn from the “center of the living room” campaign they are doing right now with the digital rentals, media center connection and the Netflix connectivity. You’re going to need that bigger proprietary hard drive that they are shipping. Developers are stating that they are reaching the limits of the Xbox. This is a console that is not really a next gen console. But the best of the last gen.
Apparently only a small percentage of gamers are really into the high definition gaming with all the bells and whistles that some games come in. But what is the Wii showing us, that people don’t need the HD support, or the DTS surround sound. What matters to gamers is the gameplay. It just so happens that it’s the casual gamers that are driving up the sales.
Did the previous gaming generation end too soon? It was such a runaway win for Sony with the PS2. Even now it still sells. Nintendo and Microsoft were so far behind that they had to come up with the Wii and the 360 in order to survive in the marketplace. And us gamers were just so happy to buy the next console that hit the stands.
Given the choice today I still would have purcahsed the elite instead of the cheapest version. Why? It’s like buying a PC. Buy the better version because before you know it, the geniuses behind the machine would have thought of doing something more with the machine. Such as those Netflix rentals.
Nothing to see here, move along
PlayStation.Blog » PS3 Firmware update (v2.43)
Unless you’re in Japan you don’t need the 2.43 PS3 firmware update. According to the Playstation Blog, “It will not cause any issues with your system or add any new functionality.”
I think I should leave my PS3 at 2.41 as it is.
Have you unlocked any PS3 trophies yet?
Sony released the update to include trophy support on the PS3 in July. The award system which is very much similar to the achievements on the Xbox requires a patch from the game developer to support trophies in their game. Uncharted was one of the few games that have a trophy system in the game but it has yet to be unlocked.
Not all new games being released will have this function, and for those who were thinking of just downloading the save game and loading it up as if it was your own save doesn’t work.
So this begs the question, does anyone care about Sony’s trophies?
Fallout 3: No PS3 Trophies For Fallout 3
PS3Trophies.org – PS3 Trophies – How They Will Work
Playstation 3: The Eye Of Judgment Eyes New Expansion, Sees Trophies In Its Future
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Procrastinating in the Heat 