Between finishing up several projects at once and trying to get the daily stuff done, it's been nigh impossible to update this blog as regularly as I would like.
This Saturday at midnight marks the US release of the thrice-delayed Super Smash Brothers Brawl, and of course I have to work the launch. Maybe I can bring back some interesting tales for the blog. The rest of March looks particularly packed for good games. Here's some highlights for you gamers on what to keep an eye on:
On the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, we've got Army of Two (released today), Condemned 2: Bloodshot (3/11), and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (3/18). Also exclusive to Playstation 3 this month is Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds (also released on 3/18).
On Nintendo DS, there's Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer (released today) and Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (3/25). Lost in Blue 3 is also out on March 18. Although the series is incredibly niche, I found it worth noting.
On PSP, there's God of War: Chains of Olympus (released today) and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (3/25).
On PS2, there's...well, there's really nothing. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is getting ported over from the PSP on the 18th, but that's pretty much all there is this month.
As far as computer games go, there's really nothing new arriving this month except for Command & Conquer: Kane's Wrath which will arrive in stores on March 24. However from what I've gathered most people are still swooning after the recent release of Sins of a Solar Empire.
So an amazingly busy month for gamers of all platforms (well...except for PS2). As for me? I'm still playing through the end of Lost Odyssey. At this point I am standing at the gates of the final area, but I'm trying to finish most/if-not-all of the game's side quests and optional boss battles. I still intend on posting a thorough review when I finish.
A recent repurchase of Halo 3 has gotten me back into the game's multiplayer again, although I prefer to play only when friends and coworkers are on my team. Today I hope to pick up Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer. Despite the game's utterly atrocious US box art (as opposed to the attractive japanese box art), it is actually a very hardcore title and a long-running Japanese franchise. 1up.com has already posted their review which can be read here.
March 5, 2008
February 27, 2008
New PS3 sku rings of smart business sense.
Sony has announced its newest sku for the Playstation 3 and it is quite a doozy. Set to be released in June is another variation of the 80 gb PS3, but this time it is being bundled with a Dualshock 3 (the new ps3 controller that has rumble) and a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. There is no word yet on the backwards compatibility of the new sku, but one would assume that it would have the same 70-80% compatibility that the previous 80 gb Motorstorm bundle had. The system will debut for $499, so if you've been sitting on the fence as to whether or not you should pick up a PS3, June looks to be the deciding time.
Honestly, this is the smartest thing that Sony has done for the PS3 yet. The consistent delays of in-game messaging, the Home network, and the US release of the Dualshock 3 (now slated for an April release) has been frustrating to say the least. However this new Metal Gear Solid system deal is incredibly sharp and will guarantee a boost in sales for Sony during the slow Summer months.
Also released today on PSP is Patapon. If you haven't had the pleasure of trying out the demo for Patapon, it can be downloaded off either the PS3 or PC PSN networks. The unique little rhythm/strategy game is coming out for $19.99, so there's pretty much no reason not to pick up a copy.
On the PS2 front, Shin Megami Tensei fans will be elated to hear the Atlus is going to be releasing the director's cut of Persona 3 (dubbed Persona 3: FES) in America on April 22. The director's cut makes several changes to the original game as well as adding in a 30+ hour expansion pack after the completion of the original story.
Honestly, this is the smartest thing that Sony has done for the PS3 yet. The consistent delays of in-game messaging, the Home network, and the US release of the Dualshock 3 (now slated for an April release) has been frustrating to say the least. However this new Metal Gear Solid system deal is incredibly sharp and will guarantee a boost in sales for Sony during the slow Summer months.
Also released today on PSP is Patapon. If you haven't had the pleasure of trying out the demo for Patapon, it can be downloaded off either the PS3 or PC PSN networks. The unique little rhythm/strategy game is coming out for $19.99, so there's pretty much no reason not to pick up a copy.
On the PS2 front, Shin Megami Tensei fans will be elated to hear the Atlus is going to be releasing the director's cut of Persona 3 (dubbed Persona 3: FES) in America on April 22. The director's cut makes several changes to the original game as well as adding in a 30+ hour expansion pack after the completion of the original story.
February 26, 2008
Work beckons
So GDC has officially come to a close. While there has certainly been a great deal of interesting and varied discourse between developers and the media, the announcements for games themselves aren't particularly noteworthy. Some of the more interesting news includes:
- Gears of War 2 has officially been announced for the Xbox 360 with a November release. Smart planning on Microsoft's part as GoW2 can provide their system with some resistance to the Playstation 3's incredibly strong Fall and Winter lineups.
- Portal 2 is in the works, but they are hardly past the conceptual phase of development. Expect a longer wait. On a related note, "Still Alive" (the song played during the closing credits of Portal) is being released as a song for Rock Band.
- It would appear that PSN Home is further along than everyone thought. Some screenshots were shown and it looks near completion.
- Gears of War 2 has officially been announced for the Xbox 360 with a November release. Smart planning on Microsoft's part as GoW2 can provide their system with some resistance to the Playstation 3's incredibly strong Fall and Winter lineups.
- Portal 2 is in the works, but they are hardly past the conceptual phase of development. Expect a longer wait. On a related note, "Still Alive" (the song played during the closing credits of Portal) is being released as a song for Rock Band.
- It would appear that PSN Home is further along than everyone thought. Some screenshots were shown and it looks near completion.
February 21, 2008
You, me, and a total lack of updates.
I have to apologize for the complete lack of updates to the blog for the past few weeks. Long story short, I've been busy and sick at the same time. I hope to start gradually putting more energy back into "Digital Ramble."
So this week is the 2008 Game's Developer Conference. There is a lot to cover right now, and I plan on giving a synopsis on the events of the conference shortly. For those of you who would like to jump right into the event without hesitation, Joystiq.com has been doing a great job of covering all the events at GDC thus far.
Also, I plan on releasing my first full retail game review for Lost Odyssey after I've completed the game. Seeing as I've already put eighteen hours into the game and am only on disc two of four doesn't bode well for the timeliness of my review, however.
So this week is the 2008 Game's Developer Conference. There is a lot to cover right now, and I plan on giving a synopsis on the events of the conference shortly. For those of you who would like to jump right into the event without hesitation, Joystiq.com has been doing a great job of covering all the events at GDC thus far.
Also, I plan on releasing my first full retail game review for Lost Odyssey after I've completed the game. Seeing as I've already put eighteen hours into the game and am only on disc two of four doesn't bode well for the timeliness of my review, however.
February 2, 2008
In regards to defending our dear village.
Originally a mod for Warcraft III back in 2003, Tower Defense has become what one could call a minor net phenomenon. There are tons of imitators, and flat-out copycats, out on the web that can be played in your browser. The concept of the game is quite simple: use limited funds to build towers to defend the goal from wave after wave of different monsters. As these monsters run, fly, and skitter towards the goal, the player must erect the appropriate defenses to stop them.
Now another version of tower defense called Pixeljunk Monsters has been released on the Playstation 3 network. In this version of the classic mod, the player assumes the role of an aboriginal shaman who must protect a small village from oncoming hordes of monsters who want nothing more than to dine on the little inhabitants. By building the appropriate towers, the player must ensure that at least one of the twenty villagers survives anywhere between ten to twenty waves of nasty critters.
In comparison to other versions of Tower Defense, Pixeljunk Monsters is vibrant and attractive. The game's color palette is lively and interesting to look at, while the soundtrack is incredibly cathartic and relaxing. The soothing sounds really help keep the player from snapping as the game's difficulty ramps up so quickly that the prospect of protecting all the villagers in each stage becomes incredibly daunting. Even in the first stage alone, keeping everyone alive and kicking can take several tries.
Pixeljunk Monsters is twenty stages long, but if you're a perfectionist you'll find yourself going back and retrying each stage just trying to keep the causalities down to zero. It is on sale right now for a limited time on PSN for $7.99, and I couldn't recommend it more. If you even casually enjoy puzzle games or strategy games, Pixeljunk Monsters will easily keep your entertained and focused for hours at a time.
In other news, it would appear that the good folks at Gamevideos.com have compiled a collage of all the Super Smash Brothers Brawl supermoves. They can be seen here.
Now another version of tower defense called Pixeljunk Monsters has been released on the Playstation 3 network. In this version of the classic mod, the player assumes the role of an aboriginal shaman who must protect a small village from oncoming hordes of monsters who want nothing more than to dine on the little inhabitants. By building the appropriate towers, the player must ensure that at least one of the twenty villagers survives anywhere between ten to twenty waves of nasty critters.
In comparison to other versions of Tower Defense, Pixeljunk Monsters is vibrant and attractive. The game's color palette is lively and interesting to look at, while the soundtrack is incredibly cathartic and relaxing. The soothing sounds really help keep the player from snapping as the game's difficulty ramps up so quickly that the prospect of protecting all the villagers in each stage becomes incredibly daunting. Even in the first stage alone, keeping everyone alive and kicking can take several tries.
Pixeljunk Monsters is twenty stages long, but if you're a perfectionist you'll find yourself going back and retrying each stage just trying to keep the causalities down to zero. It is on sale right now for a limited time on PSN for $7.99, and I couldn't recommend it more. If you even casually enjoy puzzle games or strategy games, Pixeljunk Monsters will easily keep your entertained and focused for hours at a time.
In other news, it would appear that the good folks at Gamevideos.com have compiled a collage of all the Super Smash Brothers Brawl supermoves. They can be seen here.
January 31, 2008
120GB w/ Dualshock confirmed?
Some may remember hearing rumors of the 80 GB PS3 being discontinued a month or so back. Well, apparently those rumors have been confirmed. Word has leaked out from the Gamestop conference that the rumors of the discontinuation of the 80 gig unit are indeed true, but now there seems to be talk about Sony shipping out yet another sku. Supposedly this new sku will be a 120 gb unit that comes with a DualShock-3 controller (backwards compatibility has not been mentioned).
Logic says that this possible 120 gig sku will replace the 80 gig's position in Sony's current selling strategy. So does this mean that the new sku will sell for $499.99? Maybe. There is no current release date for this new sku, but I wouldn't be surprised if the new unit shipped before the worldwide release of Metal Gear Solid 4.
Still, I can't help but scratch my head over Sony's business strategy should they create this new sku. Wouldn't it make more sense to release an even cheaper version of the system? The sweet spot for the PS3 would be at $299. The high price tag of the Playstation 3 is, at least in my opinion, what is seriously curbing its install base growth in the US market. Even the stripped down version of the 360 (the Arcade) sells for about $279. If Sony wants to get its system into households, they need to lower the price of entry to rival that of Microsoft's box.
A lot of people have attributed the Wii's success to two primary factors: Nintendo's savvy marketing and the price tag. Nintendo has chosen to sell the system to mainstream public by subtly showing the Wii as a toy - especially one that the whole family can get into. Also, $250 is a lot cheaper when you look at the prices of the premium models for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
At this point Sony has two choices for success. They can either lower the price of the system even further, which may draw in more users but will obviously hurt the initial profit margin. Another idea is to put more money into backing the developers to get out their games sooner. Right now the only game that PS3 can really put stock into is MGS4. Yet after the Metal Gear release in June, there are no exclusives out for the PS3 until September. If Sony can put out a well-marketed title for each of the summer months (like 360 did last year), then there is a fair chance they can catch up to the 360 NPD numbers.
Or at least that's what I think.
Logic says that this possible 120 gig sku will replace the 80 gig's position in Sony's current selling strategy. So does this mean that the new sku will sell for $499.99? Maybe. There is no current release date for this new sku, but I wouldn't be surprised if the new unit shipped before the worldwide release of Metal Gear Solid 4.
Still, I can't help but scratch my head over Sony's business strategy should they create this new sku. Wouldn't it make more sense to release an even cheaper version of the system? The sweet spot for the PS3 would be at $299. The high price tag of the Playstation 3 is, at least in my opinion, what is seriously curbing its install base growth in the US market. Even the stripped down version of the 360 (the Arcade) sells for about $279. If Sony wants to get its system into households, they need to lower the price of entry to rival that of Microsoft's box.
A lot of people have attributed the Wii's success to two primary factors: Nintendo's savvy marketing and the price tag. Nintendo has chosen to sell the system to mainstream public by subtly showing the Wii as a toy - especially one that the whole family can get into. Also, $250 is a lot cheaper when you look at the prices of the premium models for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
At this point Sony has two choices for success. They can either lower the price of the system even further, which may draw in more users but will obviously hurt the initial profit margin. Another idea is to put more money into backing the developers to get out their games sooner. Right now the only game that PS3 can really put stock into is MGS4. Yet after the Metal Gear release in June, there are no exclusives out for the PS3 until September. If Sony can put out a well-marketed title for each of the summer months (like 360 did last year), then there is a fair chance they can catch up to the 360 NPD numbers.
Or at least that's what I think.
January 30, 2008
A test of the emergency blogging system.
So here it is; the first post of the blog. This little post is really just a test for now. I hope - time permitting - I will be able to consistently update this page with the latest in gaming news as well as the myriad rants I find myself predisposed to go on about when it comes to video games.
Having just beaten No More Heroes, I find that my Wii may have some life in it other than the first-party titles that Nintendo puts out. Prior to the new Suda 51 game, I was fairly tempted to pawn off my Wii on Ebay. I really didn't find Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to be as fun as I was hoping it was going to be and as great as Super Mario Galaxy turned out, I just don't find myself looking forward to playing the Wii unless I am in a group. Super Smash Brothers Melee obviously has a ton of promise, but I can't help but wonder whether I'm going to enjoy it as much as I would like. Hopefully more third-party developers will follow Grasshopper Manufacturer's lead and start making more actual games for the system rather than sloppy minigame collections.
For some reason I think I'll find that wish unfulfilled. Perhaps it's the fact that these days I'm a bit of a cynic as far as games go? Maybe.
On the opposite end of the system spectrum, I downloaded the demo for The Club on my Playstation 3 and played a good hour of it. Explaining this game is difficult as while it appears on the surface to be a third-person shooter, it's not nearly as straightforward as one may think. Essentially the player is thrust into one of eight different environments where his goal is to hit a certain score before the time runs out or he completes the course. The difficulty level the player chooses affects both the amount of damage enemies do as well as the requisite score needed to finish the level.
Now, here comes the twist: the player gets points by killing enemies and shooting certain targets in said environments. Every time an opponent is killed, the player is rewarded points for the kill as tallied by where the enemy was hit (ie. head shots) and the strength of the opponent defeated. Also, each time an enemy is killed a combo meter pops up in the corner of the screen. This meter adds a multiplier to the score of each kill, but it disappears once the player fails to kill another opponent quicker than the game wants.
The result is that The Club plays less like Max Payne and more like Project Gotham Shooter. This is not a complaint, nor is it unexpected seeing how Project Gotham's developer Bizarre Creations had a hand in its creation. However the demo didn't really sway me. It has some really interesting ideas and the final retail build could be tons of fun, but it doesn't seem that it has enough substance to be a $60 game. Apparently the retail release will have multiple game variants, eight selectable characters (with different stats), and some multiplayer functionality. Whether or not these features will warrant the price tag remains to be seen, but I recommend downloading the demo nonetheless. In a world of constant sequels and companies playing it safe, The Club is at least trying to do something a little different. That alone gives it a pat on the back and well-wishes from me.
Oh, and I messed around for twenty minutes with the Devil May Cry 4 demo again. I needn't have to tell you to this, but you can (and should) go and download the demo off PSN or XBL if you haven't done so already.
Do you have any response on the Wii, the Club demo, or the Devil May Cry 4 demo? Feel free to comment below.
Having just beaten No More Heroes, I find that my Wii may have some life in it other than the first-party titles that Nintendo puts out. Prior to the new Suda 51 game, I was fairly tempted to pawn off my Wii on Ebay. I really didn't find Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to be as fun as I was hoping it was going to be and as great as Super Mario Galaxy turned out, I just don't find myself looking forward to playing the Wii unless I am in a group. Super Smash Brothers Melee obviously has a ton of promise, but I can't help but wonder whether I'm going to enjoy it as much as I would like. Hopefully more third-party developers will follow Grasshopper Manufacturer's lead and start making more actual games for the system rather than sloppy minigame collections.
For some reason I think I'll find that wish unfulfilled. Perhaps it's the fact that these days I'm a bit of a cynic as far as games go? Maybe.
On the opposite end of the system spectrum, I downloaded the demo for The Club on my Playstation 3 and played a good hour of it. Explaining this game is difficult as while it appears on the surface to be a third-person shooter, it's not nearly as straightforward as one may think. Essentially the player is thrust into one of eight different environments where his goal is to hit a certain score before the time runs out or he completes the course. The difficulty level the player chooses affects both the amount of damage enemies do as well as the requisite score needed to finish the level.
Now, here comes the twist: the player gets points by killing enemies and shooting certain targets in said environments. Every time an opponent is killed, the player is rewarded points for the kill as tallied by where the enemy was hit (ie. head shots) and the strength of the opponent defeated. Also, each time an enemy is killed a combo meter pops up in the corner of the screen. This meter adds a multiplier to the score of each kill, but it disappears once the player fails to kill another opponent quicker than the game wants.
The result is that The Club plays less like Max Payne and more like Project Gotham Shooter. This is not a complaint, nor is it unexpected seeing how Project Gotham's developer Bizarre Creations had a hand in its creation. However the demo didn't really sway me. It has some really interesting ideas and the final retail build could be tons of fun, but it doesn't seem that it has enough substance to be a $60 game. Apparently the retail release will have multiple game variants, eight selectable characters (with different stats), and some multiplayer functionality. Whether or not these features will warrant the price tag remains to be seen, but I recommend downloading the demo nonetheless. In a world of constant sequels and companies playing it safe, The Club is at least trying to do something a little different. That alone gives it a pat on the back and well-wishes from me.
Oh, and I messed around for twenty minutes with the Devil May Cry 4 demo again. I needn't have to tell you to this, but you can (and should) go and download the demo off PSN or XBL if you haven't done so already.
Do you have any response on the Wii, the Club demo, or the Devil May Cry 4 demo? Feel free to comment below.
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