Point of Contention: Making Games Fun Again

 Analysis, Video Games  1 Response »
Mar 062013
 

Hey everyone. It’s been a good long time since I’ve sat back and really gotten a chance to look at the industry, culture, and playing population behind the games from a broad point of view. Lately I’ve been trying to paint myself a picture of what we are and what it is, just so I know that what I’ve gotten myself into is worth the time, money, and soul dedication. So today, I’m going to play doctor. And instead of making you remove your pants behind the village oak tree I thought I’d diagnose a problem and offer my own homegrown prescription.

But Tarabisu!, some of you are eagerly saying, There’s nothing wrong with games culture at all! We’re perfectly healthy. Well much of my “research” has been sulking around the comments sections of Kotaku, IGN, Gametrailers, The Escapist, etc looking for common trends, because, you know, the internet provides such a good estimation of humanity. Nonetheless, I’ve deduced that we take our medium to a number of dangerous extremes, and I think it’s makes for a valuable discussion.

Source - IGN.COM

Source – IGN.COM

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Trophies Finally Added to Metal Gear Solid 4

 News, Video Games  No Responses »
Aug 072012
 

It’s been 4 years since Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was released, and it finally has trophies. Yesterday, a patch was released that allows you to earn trophies for one of the PS3′s best titles. Konami had this to say about the patch:

The download will be automatically implemented the next time you login to PlayStation Network with Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece, and adds 34 Trophies to the game. The trophies reward players for skilled play and for finding easter eggs such as using a drum can to knock down enemies. There’s never been a better time to revisit one of the PlayStation 3′s most acclaimed titles.

You can  check out the Metal Gear Solid 4 trophy list here. Some of the them are pretty weird, but I’m not surprised due to Hideo Kojima’s quirky humor. It’s important to note that you cannot earn trophies using your old save files. If you need an excuse to pick up this title again (or pick it up for the first time), now’s your chance. I know my brother LIFE will be revisiting this game pretty soon. Happy hunting!

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PlayStation Plus: The Steam of Consoles?

 Analysis, Commentary, Video Games  No Responses »
Jun 192012
 

For the longest time, I’ve never given PlayStation Plus much thought.  Sure, they advertised free games for the service, but after giving up on the Xbox, paid online services seemed abhorrent.  At one time or another, I thought that the ability to play console games online was a premium service that was well worth the cost.  Later on I realized I can get almost the same experience on just about every other gaming device, but for free.  Subscription fees just for the ability to play games online seemed rather silly.  As you can imagine, I remained determined not to spend a dime on any sort of subscription service.

However, while watching the E3 2012 Sony conference, I realized there may be some pretty good incentives to try out PS Plus.  With titles like Infamous 2, Just Cause 2, and LittleBigPlanet 2 offered for free, I decided to try the service.  While I probably would’ve bought Infamous 2 if it never went up for free, I never would’ve bothered giving Just Cause 2 or LittleBigPlanet 2 a chance.  And that would’ve been a damned shame, as I’m finding Just Cause 2 to be insanely fun.  I can do crazy shit like attach a car to a helicopter, fly high up, swing it around, and fling it.  And to think, were it not for PS Plus, I would’ve missed out on this title.

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E3 2012: Sony Conference Recap

 Commentary, Recap, Video Games  No Responses »
Jun 122012
 

Like Microsoft, Sony had both games and gimmicks at their conference.  On one hand, while I liked the games shown at Sony’s conference a lot more, I think Sony’s failings were a good deal more disheartening.  It’s kind of a painful conference, really, and not because it was boring.

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Objection! – E3 Predictions, Guesses, and Crazy Theories

 Commentary, Video Games  No Responses »
May 242012
 

Laevatein: Hey everyone, Laevatein here!

Kaushik: Kaushik here.

Laevatein: And today, we thought we’d debate about what could happen in E3! Now Kaushik, to start, is there anything you really want to see at E3?

 

Kaushik: Well, for starters, I’m really looking forward to details on the Wii U. There’s a lot to learn, and a lot ot sell me on. Hopefully nintendo can knock this one out of the park for me… Though I’m not certain they will. Besides that, there’s the handhelds, 3DS and Vita. I’m expecting some more from them since they’re still relatively new to the scene.

Laevatein: Yeah, this year’s E3 seems to be make or break for the Wii U. Though I think as long as they can show they have strong third party support, it’ll be golden. I’m sure they won’t fail on first party games, what with Mario, Zelda, the new Super Smash Bros., Retro Studios, and Monolith Soft. However, considering how Nintendo’s conferences went in the past, I don’t believe we’ll see pricing. Though I don’t think they’ll show too much more of the 3DS, since that already seems to be established. Less so with the Vita.

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Review: Tales of Graces: F

 Review, Video Games  1 Response »
May 162012
 

So this week I’m reviewing a video game. I had the good fortune to beat Tales of Graces: F, an RPG for the PS3, last night. Ended up with a a clear time of 180 hours or so. Don’t be afraid (or excited, I suppose) as that is most definitely atypical. There was maybe 40 or so hours of multitasking going in there, so I’d say my actual play time was closer to 140 hours. And counting of course, I have post-game content to do. So for people that look for a lot to do in games, you’ll really enjoy Graces with its robust content besides just the main quest. But if you’re just looking to beat the game, that’s there for you too. Anyway, despite my time spent on the game, the game certainly isn’t perfect. Let’s detail those as we go on, shall we?

The game cover. This is pretty close to the Japanese cover, if not identical. I always hated the art on these.

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Review: Nier

 Review, Video Games  1 Response »
Mar 072012
 

The main character... His name is whatever you want it to be. And his book companion, Weiss.

Now for something pretty different. I couldn’t really think up an anime I wanted to review this week, so instead I’m reviewing a game I recently beat. It’s Nier, an action-RPG developed by the now-defunct Cavia and published by Square Enix. Released in 2010 in Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia, it was only released as 1 game in North America called Nier. However, in Japan, it was released as Nier Gestalt and Nier Replicant, being the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions respectively. The differences between those two titles are marginal (Gestalt has you taking the role of a father, whereas Replicant has you taking the role of an older brother). As to why the difference was made in Japan… I can only assume it’s to appeal more to the Japanese gaming demographic on the PS3, which is owned by more people there. In America, however, only the Gestalt version was released both for the PS3 and 360. The difference is just cosmetic though, so it’s not a big deal. Anyway, I’ll be reviewing the PS3 version today.

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SIYM Presents: Moar Mass Effect?

 Analysis, Video Games  No Responses »
Dec 092011
 

Santa dropped by a little early this year . . .

You’ll be shocked to hear that I honestly thought about giving up on my Mass Effect fanaticism. It had been so long since I derived any pleasure from playing the franchise. With all the 100% completions and countless hours logged in, I didn’t think I’d ever find any true motivation to do moar play-throughs. Well, as of this week, I’m back in action! Off on an adventure to save the digital universe . . . again! This time, on console! Of course, to complete such a task, one must be properly equipped for this kind of job. How does SIYM gear up for duty? Let’s check it out:

Turtle Beach PX5: With the exception of the Modern Warfare branded “Delta” Turtle Beach’s, this headset is the biggest bang for your buck you can get from this manufacturer. I’ve always been a TB fan and the PX5′s do NOT disappoint. However, I haven’t had the most diverse experience with gaming equipment so I’m unable to compare TB with its competitors (i.e. Triton) but I can say that I’m a satisfied customer after putting the product through its initial paces. I may do a review in the future but for now I’ll just give a few impressions (good/bad) that have stood out so far. PROS = Comfortable, wireless, clear/immersive sound, multiple presets, easy-to-setup, great color! CONS = Pricey, reports of cup swivel breaks, bass sound is not impressive. Overall, for a personal review, I give it 4.5/5. It’s a fantastic headset that should satisfy all your audio desires. Just remember to choose dynamic bass (preset 2) and set your equalizer to “Bass Booster” for maximum BLAM and POW!

Playstation 3: I’ll be frank, I’ve never owned a Playstation in my life so I had no idea what to expect. In short, I enjoy this new piece of hardware. It’s slick, fast, and mostly reliable. I say “mostly” because I’m currently having issues downloading an update for Battlefield 3 and it’s driving me crazy. My last resort: Wired Connection! We shall see what happens next. So, what are my thoughts? PROS = Quiet, powerful, slick interface, the HOME network, Blu-Ray discs allow games to stay on one disc as opposed to 2 or 3 on xbox. CONS = Installing every game you play gets annoying quickly, audio interaction pales in comparison to xbox’s “party/game chat,” the interface and accessibility isn’t as simplified as it could be. Overall, I love it! Gets a little intricate in places but the learning curve is quickly overcome. Plug in a keyboard for maximum enjoyment of HOME. A personal review would give this a solid 4/5. Not perfect, but nothing is. Great console from a great manufacturer!

Mass Effect 2: *sigh* Let’s get this over with–> PROS = Everything / CONS = Nothing / 5 out of 5. See? I can be unbiased.

-Fifth Fleet Out-

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