Here’s the first trailer for the Fall 2010 release of the newest addition to the Ghost Recon series. It leaves quite a bit to the imagination, but hey, we’re probably 6 months away from a release. I’m looking forward to this as I’m a big fan of most Tom Clancy games. What do you guys think?
Here’s the trailer.
No plans for Valentines Day? GOOD! That is, if you’ve missed out on some of the 360 hits of yesteryear. Amazon.com is currently offering 3 for the price of 2 on all of the 360’s Platinum Hit titles until February 13th. Fable II, Mass Effect, and Bioshock are just a few examples of the offerings. Oh, the joys of having a black book full of ex’s.
Hit up the link for a full list of available titles.
If you’ve been playing a lot of Halo 2 or Counter Strike on Live lately, you’re world is about to change. Microsoft has announced that it will be abandoning all online gaming support for original XBOX games, including titles currently available for download XBOX Live, on April 15th. Apparently Microsoft had a difficult time making the decision, but are justifying the move in order to “evolve the service”.
What do you guys think? Is it time to bury the past or are they doing us all a great disservice? I for one don’t really mind as I haven’t played anything that requires Live support on the original XBOX in years. I’m sure, however, some of you are still out there kicking ass and taking names on Halo 2.
In case any of you have missed this today, apparently several sites have been given a little source code face lift today from someone associated with the game (to be released on Tuesday). The pics (below) are found by simply viewing the source code on the front page of Digg, IGN, Gamespot/Kotaku, Daily Motion, Games Radar, and WWE. Each piece of ASCII artwork contains a password and a link to this site: http://hellisnigh.com/ .
I’ve entered all of the passwords from each of the pieces and received a download titled “Earthly Rewards”. In the download you can find each of the ASCII files, several posters, wallpapers, game music, and a concept artbook for the game (which is actually pretty decent).
The passwords are as follows:
Password # 1: excommunicate (Digg)
Password # 2: scythe (IGN)
Password # 3: grafter (GameSpot/Kotaku)
Password # 4: styx (Daily Motion)
Password # 5: unbaptized (Games Radar)
Password # 6: alighieri (WWE)
Here are the ASCII Pics:
What do you guys think?
Well I was browsing the information super highway today and I stumbled upon something interesting. Apparently there’s a game being released on February 23rd that I’ve never even heard of. The game is called Deadly Premonition, and it’s a 360 exclusive. It’s a third person survival horror game that’s being released by Access Games.
I’m a huge survival horror fan, and this seems (from the limited info I’ve been able to find) to be a lot like the Silent Hill series. I’m pumped.
Here’s the trailer.
I buy a lot of games. 360, PC, PS2, etc, etc, etc. Obviously anything beyond the current generation I must purchase used, and usually through a non-national (aka local) chain. I also use eBay, Amazon, and (my personal favorite) Craigslist. I simply cannot get behind the corporate molestation that occurs every time a patron walks into a Gamestop and gets pennies…PENNIES…on the dollar for a used product, regardless of how pristine the condition. Have I purchased games from Gamestop? Sure – mostly new. Do I regret my decisions? No – it was a matter of convenience. Why don’t I like them? Why don’t I buy used games from them? Simple. I feel morally obligated not to.
There are so many options out there if you’re in the market for a used game. Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, local stores, etc. that benefit you and the buying/selling party. On Craigslist, eBay, and Amazon you are supporting other gamers by ensuring them fair market value for their products and you are probably saving between $15 to $20 off the corporate model’s $5 off newer used titles. If you use local stores you’re (from my experience) probably supporting a small business that sells more than just current generation games. Both of these seem like a much saner alternatives to supporting corporate giants who have zero problem ripping you off. Especially if you’re making a gamer to gamer transaction.
If you’re buying new, I don’t have as big of an issue. While I typically try to order a game directly from the manufacturer (I ordered DA:O from EA directly for instance). While this is not always an option, plenty of online retailers will guarantee delivery of a new title on release day at no additional charge. However, corporate stores are everywhere and probably on the way home for most of us. If you’re looking for new, go for it.
When it comes to used, do yourself a favor, do your fellow gamers a favor, and do the future of the resale market a favor. Think before you fork over your hard earned money or trade-ins to the corporate Scumlords. Next time, be a Superstar.
Square announced last Wednesday that Final Fantasy I & II are soon to be released on the iPhone and iPod Touch. There’s no info concerning a release date, but if I were going to guess, I would say sometime around the FF XIII US release. The game is coming with new sprites and updated controls (obviously).
I, for one, am an avid Final Fantasy fan and am very excited to hear the news. The old school final fantasy series seems to be the perfect compliment to touch controls. I’ve been really disappointed in the lack of turn based RPGs on the iPhone/Touch and will be purchasing these bad boys on release day.
What do you guys think? Is this a good idea? Is anyone else looking forward to this?
I’m an avid video game collector. I have been, pretty much, as far back as I can remember. Even as a child I would meticulously care for my collection, keeping boxes, dust covers, and instructions in pristine condition. I don’t throw boxes away and I don’t resell games.
In a previous blog entry I stated that I have 500+ games. I did a count recently (I catalog my collection) and found that I have approximately 550. My collection includes almost everything from NES up, and I focus on difficult to find items. My favorite is an original Mario Brothers arcade game.
Why am I doing this? Why spend so much time and effort (not to mention money) hoarding the old classics? Is it simply nostalgia? Is it something more? Am I trying to hang on to a childhood full of carefree days? Is there just something wrong with me?
Nostalgia is my true reasoning. Replying games like Blaster Master, Bionic Commando (the original), and Super Punch-Out makes me feel good. Sure, the graphics and sound are simple by today’s standards, but at the same time, almost therapeutic. It takes me back. Some days I just can’t get enough.
I’m posting this to get a feel for the other collectors out there. Why spend your time with the old when there is so much new out there? What drives you? Why do you collect?
Who knows. Maybe I’m the only one out there and I’ve just completely lost my mind?
I doubt it.
I started playing Koudelka last night and I have a few initial thoughts.
My first impression when I popped the game in was: wow, this looks like RE2. The intro video is decent and is about the same quality of RE2. Not horrible for something of that generation, but not great. The whole intro video sequence lasts about 5ish minutes which is basically enough time to find out that Koudelka is breaking into some type of castle. That’s about all the information provided to you before you are introduced to another playable character and put into a battle.
The battle system is essentially a limited turn-based experience (up to this point at least). You start out with a handgun, knife, and your bare fists as weapons. One thing I did notice is that you have the ability to use the handgun more than once on certain turns, but because your ammo is so limited and the initial battle is so simple, I will just use my knife when I find one of my PS1 memory cards and am able to actually save my progress. That was a little brain lapse last night, but luckily I only played for an hour.
What I dislike horribly about this game are the graphics. Sure, it’s a PS1 game so they’re not going to blow your mind, but they are pretty much horrific. When you have trouble distinguishing things like doors from walls, that’s a bad thing. Speaking of doors, I found myself running around in circles for about 5 minutes looking for a way out of the 2-3 rooms you are able to explore after your initial battle due to the fact that one of them was in a position that I was physically unable to see. After getting up closer to the TV and deciding that there SHOULD be something there (which was still a mess because everything seemed to be black or some shade of brown), I started hitting the X button until I found it. Now that I think about it, I’m betting you can move the camera somehow. I know you can in battle, so hopefully I’ll remember that when I pick up the game again.
Okay, back to graphics. This game was released in North America in June of 2000. Final Fantasy IX was released in November of the same year. Comparing the two games visually would be like comparing a hand-drawn flip book to Advent Children. Simply ridiculous. I’m sure FFIX was in development much longer than Koudelka, but really? I think RE2 on the N64 looked better than this.
Graphics aside, the combat is okay so far, and I plan on continue the adventure. I really enjoyed Shadow Hearts on the PS2, and have wanted to play this for a long time. Depending on how much time I have to put into this game, I’ll write a review when I’m finished. It was $10 and I’m glad I found it for that. These are just my first impressions, but I thought it might be helpful in case my previous post inspired anyone to dive into a little old school.
Hello everyone. This is my first post so I thought I’d give you all a little background info before I dive into a serious blog. My name is David, and I live in Oklahoma City, OK where I work in the Energy Industry. I’m in my mid 20’s and have been gaming since my grandmother bought me an NES for Christmas in 1988. I was 4. I was hooked immediately.
I’ve never really been considered a nerd/geek and have never had problems making friends (which seems to be a cultural norm for people in my age range who grew up playing computer/console games). I’m outgoing, have plenty of friends, etc. I simply love the thrill of the game. I collect games ranging (so far) from NES up. It’s mostly a nostalgic obsession with the things I grew up with, but I do find time to play the ol’ NES & SNES frequently when I’m not busy with the current generation of FPS and RPGs. I have a massive backlog on every console I own (which is quite a few). I think I have about 500 or so games? Maybe more. Who knows.
One of my gamer resolutions for 2010 is to take little time outs from games like MW2 and play thorough some of that backlog. I started Assassin’s Creed and Gears of War last night, and I’ve been happy with the results so far. I just found a copy of Koudelka for $10 on Tuesday, so I’ll probably get that one rolling soon as as well. It’s not that I ever took a huge break from gaming, I just get hung up on certain games for long periods of time. I played UT2003 for over a year, for example. The whole online gaming thing really gets me in that department even though I’ve never played an MMO.
I guess that pretty much wraps up my gaming interests in a nutshell. I am fairly opinionated so hopefully I’ll be able to bring everyone some quality content in the future. I was in a discussion with some friends recently concerning where video games fit into the realm of entertainment media, so maybe that will be my first true blog topic.