WAIP: November 17, 2009 - The "Look Ma' I Can Update My Blog" Edition

Once you have not been doing something for so long it becomes easy to not get back on the horse and get back to work (in this case we are talking about this very blog).

You would be surprised at what you can accomplish in fifteen days of game playing.

I started it all off with completing the campaign of Uncharted which was absolutely fantastic. It was easily one of the best games I played in terms of immersion and the fact that you always feel like you are inches away from death. I have not played more since I beat it but I easily can look forward to at least one more playthrough before I pick up Uncharted 2. I had not gone for the hardest difficulty initially because of my inexperience with the Playstation controller and I just wanted to enjoy my first experience with the game. I can easily say to anyone that owns a PS3, "If you have not played this game, you are doing your excitement senses a disservice." I only worry that the sequel will not be as good as the first.

The next big gaming event that I partook in was actually an event. I went to the Midnight Launch Party for Modern Warfare 2 in Union Square. I like to involve myself in these major launches because I want to be part of something interesting and exciting in the gaming space (not that the actual games are not exciting). This was an opportunity to play the multiplayer before picking up the game at midnight. It was also an opportunity to win copies of the game and anything that falls in line with that. I actually got my phone laser engraved with Modern Warfare 2 for free so that had me all jazzed up (that and the free Monster Energy Drinks that they were handing out). I played roughly four multiplayer matches (and I say roughly because one was only about half of a match) and was only on the loosing team once. I kept my K/D ratio above one for all but one match (the first one) and overall I have to say that I played fairly well. Here are a few photos from the the outside of the tent (before I was too involved to take any photos inside): The Modern Warfare Launch Night Party

I also worked up the gusto to introduce myself and take a picture with Major Nelson. We chatted about the 360 and achievements and even the PS3. He is a super nice guy and even though my eye looks busted in the picture (I do not know how the picture came out that way) it was a really nice experience.


And since then I have done nothing but play the Modern Warfares. I finished the campaign in one seven and a half hour play session (on release day) which while absolutely enthralling it leaves you emotionally and physically drained (I would say that this was because of the subject matter rather than sitting I one place for that long (and I did get up after each mission)). Since then I have been dedicated to the multiplayer and I have been dabbling in Spec Ops with Jarvis. I have only become annoyed with a ten year old a few times so I am calling myself lucky thus far.

A lot of people feel like the level "No Russian" (the terrorists in the airport) is in poor taste but I feel that it was well done and I feel that it is up to your individual basis on what you will think of it (if you did not already skip it). It is the set-up for the main conflict of the game and without it I feel that the game is less than itself and that is all I have to say about it.

I have not touched Borderlands let alone Brütal Legend and my PS3 has basically fallen by the wayside in the wake of MW2.

I did manage to play LittleBigPlanet with my wife last night because I just got a nice shiny new red controller. When we started playing I immediately stuck a sticker to her Sackboy's face not even knowing that I was going to receive a trophy for doing so (a enjoyable little delight). We then proceeded to play through some of the earlier levels and some user created levels based on the subjects of The Nightmare Before Christmas and Doctor Who. Most user created levels are not really that great but I also cannot wrap my head around being able to do something that laborious myself.

We also got our first BluRay that I am excited to watch (but have not watched yet): UP. Star Trek is also on its way to us and you can be assured that I will watch the shit out of those special features as well as the movie itself.

I hope this update was extensive enough but the words do not make up for fifteen days without an update and for that I am sorry.

WAIP: November 2, 2009: A Little Bit From Column 'A' Edition

This past week I ran the gamut on what I have been playing. I think that I successfully paid attention to my Xbox and my PS3 equally while the later may have eked out a little more of my attention - what with its newness and all.

I started the week off right with Borderlands. Gearbox made the game that I have been asking for - a Role-playing Shooter. It is like a first person, open world, Diablo but I have to be honest, the story is severely lacking. I am searching for something mythical called the Vault and all I can decipher from that is that it is corny. Everything else about the game is fantastic. From the art style to all of the stats, the upgrades and let us not forget the infinite guns, this game is packed to the brim with new things to explore and great times with friends. I have not had much of a chance to experience a lot of co-op experiences but the ones that I have were fun and challenging.

I managed to jump into a game last night, with a few people from my friends list, and while we were all around the same level, the enemies were all equal or greater to our levels and we spent the whole time reviving each other and acquiring some decent loot.

On the Xbox side of things I also managed to check out Halo Waypoint and the only useful thing it told me is that I am a level 35 (out of 40) Halo player based on Gamerscore. It would be nice if Waypoint actually pulled some of your stats from ODST and H3 but the avatar awards that I have will suffice right now.

I spent a lot of time with the PS3 in the latter half of the week particularly paying a lot of attention to LittleBigPlanet and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. LBP is becoming quite the challenge as I progress through the levels but I still find myself branching off and playing user created levels and the bonus Metal Gear Solid levels that came with the GOTY edition of the game. The Paintinator is a fun little addition to the game and I also managed to pick up the free Pumpkinhead costume that was out for Halloween. I cannot wait to see where this game takes me in the future.

When I started with Uncharted I was not sure how to feel. The game was beautiful but the controls took me longer than usual to get used to (but it probably had something to do with having to invert the Y-axis for both looking and shooting) so I was torn for a moment. That moment quickly past as I spent the next two and half hours tearing through the game's first four and a half chapters. The game is in one word: RIVETING. You do not believe that you should be able to do half the things that you do but in the end you still pull every single thing off. The game makes you feel like Nathan Drake and further than that it makes you feel empowered while still having a lot of control over the game. The best way I can describe it (better) is that it makes you feel as powerful and cool as you did in Assassins Creed but you feel like your button presses are actually controlling Nate Drake not vice versa.

This past week a demo (something that ALL PSN games need) was released for a little game called Fat Princess and I played the shit out of it. It took me a short while to get used to the game but after I had I had a ball. It is just so cute and bloody. I cannot wait to play more.

WAIP: October 26, 2009: Playstation 3 Acquired Edition (The First Experiences)

On Friday night I finally took the plunge and picked up a PS3. I picked it up in Jersey (boo hiss) because we were visiting my wife's Aunt and the tax just so happens to be a tad bit cheaper in Jersey. When we got back to Cindy's (wife) Aunt's house I unpacked it slowly, but deliberately, and proceeded to hook it up to a busted standard definition television (let us not forget the fact that I hooked it up incorrectly at first). I purchased a HDMI cable online so my standard definition gaming will be limited.

So I went through all the set-up procedures (pretty standard issue here) but it took me a few minutes to really learn the way the on screen keyboard works. The standard issue QWERTY keyboard works just fine and it is actually a bit quicker than the 360 on screen keyboard (good thing too considering their version of the 360 chat pad is said to be not that great). What I cannot figure out is why some of the time they have this cell phone like keyboard that forces you to type in some T9-like formula that really does not make sense in the realm of the console but in the grand scheme of everything this is a low priority issue.

The real annoying issues came out of having to update the console. Before I could sign into the Playstation Network I had to update the console to 3.02 and folks, people are not kidding when they say that the console takes forever to update. I would measure the time in time it takes to make a sandwich (slowly) and then eat that sandwich (slowly). It was painstaking considering all that I wanted to do was play my new console.

After that I signed into PSN and began to browse their very pretty and well organized store front. The first thing that I noticed, other than the aesthetics, was the lack of content compared to the Xbox Live Marketplace (not really disconcerting but an easy observation to make). So I queued up the demos of inFamous and MLB: The Show 09 and went on my merry way (meaning I left the Playstation Store).

I then popped in LittleBigPlanet (which needed an update that was long enough but not nearly as long as the system update) and proceeded to be melted by that games charm and attention to detail. I managed to accidentally get myself online in one of the levels I was playing and while it was more funny than anything that one experience was a smidgen laggy and I immediately noticed that lack of people talking (which I think that this game benefits from when it is there).

I later installed the demos for inFamous and The Show. Yes you heard correctly, you have to install your demos and I think this might go the same for PSN titles but do not hold me to that seeing as I have not purchased one yet. It does not make sense to me and it is just one thing getting in your way of playing your games sooner.

That is all for my initial thoughts on the Playstation 3 and though it may sound like I do not like the thing, that is not the case. I quite enjoy the Playstation experience I had so far and I am looking forward to playing Uncharted 1 this coming week. I thought I would not like the controller at all but I really do not mind it. I still prefer the 360 controller but I can (and still need too) get used to the Playstation controller (I need to stop pressing the 'SQUARE' button instead of the 'X' button when it says to press the 'X' button. I need to train myself on the PS controller).

But for now I PS3'ed out and I just want to play some Borderlands on my 360 (mental hug).

My Plans for Acquiring a PS3

Ladies and gentleman my days of owning just one console are numbered. While many of you know that I have had plans to purchase a PS3 it has only now become a viable option (price drop and job promotion - it is a gift from my wife). I am excited but I am also a bit taken aback and the reason for that is because I already have enough on my plate to play. Nevertheless this is what I am looking at in terms of games:

• Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (If I like the first one, which knowing recommendations and other various factors, I will)
• Flow and Flower
• The PixelJunk series
• LittleBigPlanet
• InFamous
• MLB: The Show
  

...and that is all I can think of right now. I am looking for other recommendations but for now I think that I have a good base. Also, if anyone was wondering, I do not plan to purchase anything other than Playstation exclusives on the PS3; I love getting Gamerscore too much and I do not see there being a lot in Trophies for me.

Monday MUpdate: Death of a Disco Dancer

For the start of this Monday MUpdate, I figured I'd collect every bit of E3 I was involved in for the convenience of all the fanciful readers, just in case anyone was curious. I ended up doing/writing a lot about it, so if for no one else, this acts as a nice way for me to have a collection of me-related E3 things to enjoy. So here is my official E3 Wrap-up:

Halo 3: ODST "Firefight" Write Up - bam
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Write Up - ka-pow
DC Universe Online Write Up - thwap
IGN Game Scoop! E3 2009 Podcast - snikt
E3 Write Up for BGE (including full descriptions of hands on games) - zap
E3: A Travel Companion's Perspective - epa
IGN E3 Wrap Up Write Up - (link missing)
IGN Editor For A Day Video - vjjjwommmvvvvvvb

So with that out of the way I can get on to other videogame related things, which will be split into two parts:

1. Things I Own: The most I played at E3 turned out to be my Nintendo DS. I don't think this is a huge surprise considering this is what I had in my hotel room and on the plane, but I finally managed to take out a good chunk of Crono Trigger. I love this game beyond loving it, but having played it a million times already I am admittedly slow. I know all the plot points, the twists, and the things to be wary of already. I've even taken a stab at fighting Lavos just to get one of the different endings (although I did fail). E3 did get me playing it a lot in my down time, and for anyone that knows the game, I am now in the Underwater Palace fighting the twin Golems. I had started, I believe, right as you enter 65,000,000 BC. That gives you a good estimate of all that I did in just three days! I really would like to sit down and give it a good honest play soon, with the hopes that I can finish, because I'm not that far from the end at this point. I still have The World Ends With You and Final Fantasy IV to play, in that order.

On my XBOX 360, the game I've been playing the most is 1 vs 100. It's in it's Beta stages and I was able to sneak into the first Beta the night before I went to E3. It was so much fun. Two of my friends and I sat around shouting out answers and making the avatar dance on "live" TV. It's probably one of the most fun experiences I've had in a group oriented game on XBOX in a while. It's too bad you can't win prizes yet or I'd be rolling in Microsoft points! 1 vs 100 was an idea I was doubtful on, but when it coems down to it, it really is a winner. I believe you can still play the bonus trivia rounds every night, so if you get the chance, play. The actual game is much more fun and I'm looking forward to the full season where you can really win prizes. And with Sam and Max coming out sometime this week, you can be sure that I'll be spending a lot of time in front of my TV.

Other than that, though, I haven't played much. I'd like to, I really would, but I have so much on my plate these days that sometimes it's hard to bring my priorities straight. I want to focus on so much that I end up focusing on so little. It's kind of a tragedy, in a way. All that, however, leads me to my next topic of discussion, which is...

2. Things I Don't Own: One thing about BGE is that we all have our systems. Nate and I have our Nintendo DS', we all have the XBOX 360, Kara has her PC, and Nate and Kara share a love for the simple pleasures of the Wii. But in the big four of the video game wars, where is our representation of Sony? I have a PSP sitting in my closet, but it hasn't worked in months and I've never cared enough to get it fixed. The only games I had were Metal Gear Acid, which I didn't enjoy, and Gitaroo Man, which I loved. However, the PSP just randomly stopped working one morning, and as I said, it was never a big enough part of my gaming life that I felt I needed to replace it. On top of that, I sold my PS2 to Game Stop a while ago in order to pay for XBOX 360 games! So is Sony doomed to a fate of no love whatsoever from us?

Not anymore. At E3, I developed a slight love for the PS3 and some of it's games. I found that there was more to love than I originally assumed and decided, why not? At the very least I get a blu-ray player out of the deal! Besides, I really want to play The Last Guardian (pictured) like nobody's business, and LittleBigPlanet is high on my list of wants as well. So I have begun saving away a little bit at a time and have decided that I will buy a PS3 for myself at the end of July, sometime after my birthday. This will act both as a birthday gift and a moving gift to myself from myself, and the longer I push it off, the more I will feel as if I really earned it. Or something like that. So look forward to some sort of PS3 related news towards the end of next month as it becomes more relevant in my life.

One thing I hope to do is reviews again, which I haven't done in a long time. Once I finish some other projects I'm going to go out and rent a bunch of games I've wanted to play for a while and give them all playthroughs and do reviews on all of them. None of them will be all that exciting or well known I suppose since I want to play games like Afro Samurai, but still. And as soon as I complete Sam and Max, I will definitely type up a thorough review of that, so keep your eyes and ears peeled as I do my best to get more involved in the videogame community once more.

User-Created Content? Do you care?

I was just watching this video that Joystiq linked and it got me thinking about the ever controversial topic of user-created content.

When the Xbox 360 was first being announced it was touted as the platform of user-created content and user-customization of the console itself. Since that we have seen little that makes it "the console" for user-created content. Sure you have the affor-somewhat-mentioned (as in the link above that you should clickity-click) user created Forge maps in Halo 3 but really it is only modification, the basic groundwork for most, if not all (I am guessing that Sandbox could be different), levels is already laid. Sure this user-created content debacle has been talked about and Microsoft Certification is surely the one(s) to blame but the real question is how many people care about the ability to make user-create items?

I know that there is that core mod community who would love nothing more than to have mods enables in UT3 (Unreal Tournament 3) but my guess is that the greater majority of people do not give a crap. I say this perhaps because I do not give a crap most of the time. I am happy that the Forge in H3 is there, don't get me wrong, but I would not die without it. What I like about it the most is that I will always have fresh variations of that game to play.

I also thought that LitteBigPlanet was going to be great but I am telling you right now, there is a good chance I would have not created anything and there is a better chance that I would have not downloaded many if any user-created maps. So what it really comes down to is how much you care about user-created content? Comment.

On top of that, like I said earlier, 360 was shown as the user-modifiable console but we all know what road that went down. The faceplate is probably a bigger failure than the RROD itself a similar failure to RROD numbers (that still doesn't sound right) but naturally it does not matter because everyone cares about functionality more than a removable faceplate. The only time anyone cares about a faceplate is when there was only five of a specific one released. Again there is a tiny community that this caters to still but Microsoft has virtually dropped all support of these snap on pieces of plastic. Just a question, how many people thought that they broke their console when they first tried to rip one of these of the front? Another question, how many people know at this point that the thing even comes off? This isn't something I talk about when I am trying to sell someone I know an Xbox. In terms of customization, I am fine with gamer pics and themes.

I am of the opinion that if the creator did not make it, it was never intended to be there and that is just how I like it.