Blades of 360

I spent a lot of time in August watching the Olympics, thankfully I live near Canada, so I could watch the events live, rather than the pathetic “next-day-prime-time-event-results-well-known-already-what’s-the-point” coverage of NBC.  I digress.  About the time of the Olympics came the release of “Beijing 2008: The Official Game of the 2008 Olympics” game.  The game boasts features like:

Of course, it would have been nice to have the demo of the game hit prior to the Olympics, rather than just a few days ago.  I’m not sure what the thinking is to release the demo so late, since the time to strike is when “the iron is hot” and not “lukewarm”.  Anyway, I downloaded the demo to see if the game was worthwhile.  In a word, “whats-the-point?”  Okay, maybe that was a few words, but the reality is that the demo lets you run in 100m dash, compete in the triple-jump and do the hammer throw.  Why all track and field events when there were plenty of other choices like shooting, swimming, gymnastics, and the like?  None of the three events WOWed me and in fact made me want to wait for the game to go down in drastic “used” price before buying it.  I’ll be writing an entry soon on “Suggestions to Publishers About Demos”, but for now a couple come to mind:

1. Put a worthwhile demo that shows off a variety of pieces of your game.
2. Make the demo last longer than length of time it takes to download it
3. The parts in the demo should encourage the person to actually want to purchase the game.
4. Make the demo accessible without requiring all sorts of machinations and praying to the east wind to be able to get in the game.
5. I care more about the inherent gameplay than the various world you can play in.
6. Checkout my future blog entry for even more ideas are what and what-not to do.

I can’t highly recommend that anyone download the Beijing 2008 demo, since it doesn’t provide much in gameplay we haven’t seen in the arcade game “Track and Field”.  See if you can find a friend who already has it or wait for the price to come WAYYYYYY down.

Our Grade for the demo:  C-

I’ve been trolling a variety of websites and refreshing my Rock Band Music Store area to catch wind of today’s expected DLC for download.  I just saw the following message from hmxsean on the Rock Band forums:

Hey everybody,
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen technical difficulties, we won’t be able to release Rush’s “Moving Pictures” this week. We’ll be working on it as hard as we can, but it looks like it could be a couple of weeks to fix. In the meantime we will be moving around our schedule so we still have DLC coming out each week (including this week, info to follow in another announcement).

Look forward to some exciting news this weekend, from PAX and elsewhere.

Talk about a major downer.  I’ve been waiting for this to appear and thanks to some newly won points from my friend Deaconblade360 over at Unscripted360 I was set to rock Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta and the rest of the Moving Pictures album.  Instead, we wait, perhaps for weeks.  I think I’ll forget about it and be suddenly surprised when it final lands.  <Sigh>  Delayed DLC for the loss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s out, I’ve been waiting for it, and I’ll have to wait to buy it for a little longer.  What else could I be talking about than the “just today released” Tiger Woods 09!   As you’ve seen in my previous posts this game has added so many cool features, such as club tuner, Tiger’s Pro help (Hank Haney), simultaneous multiplayer and very cool Gamernet.  Instead of rehashing them I suggest you stop reading this, run out and buy a copy right now…seriously GO!

Of course, if you’re like me you’ll have to wait a little longer, but only long enough to procure the $$$ to get the game.  Like me, you can watch the video and dream that you too could walk on water and sink a wedge!!!!   Game on and BIG FORE!

Are you a survival horror fan?  Do you like to have all the senses in your body on edge when playing a game or watching a movie?  Do you like to be immersed into an interactive experience?  If you answered “Yes” to any or all of these questions, then you’re going to be mesmerized by the experience that Electronic Arts has setup for their upcoming game “Dead Space”.  This new experience builds on previously released developer diaries that revealed how the game was made and animated comics that show the back-story of chaotic events after a mysterious artifact was found on the Ishimura, the ship that the game/story takes place on.  Now fans can experience further freakiness with the newly unveiled website NoKnownSurvivors.com, which takes fans onto the Ishimura and into a plethora of information that includes weekly updates through a variety of mini-stories, building up to the October 21 game release.

When you go to NoKnownSurvivors.com you end up in the Organ Replacement Lab of a technician known only as “Greggs”.  In this interactive room you’ll find information about the mysterious Red Marker found on Aegis 7 that precipitated the events of the game. You’ll also find character profiles of workers on the Ishimura, including the risks of planetcracking, as evidenced by some of the patient consultation audio logs in Greggs’ lab. EA even includes a chance for visitors to “take” a risk assessment test provided by the Ishimura’s computer to determine their chances of survival on the ship, as well as explore additional artifacts, images and animated video content.

Don’t wait for the game to begin your journey of sensory horror.  Go to NoKnownSurvivors.com right now and begin looking over your virtual and non-virtual shoulder.  To know what truly happened on the Ishimur you’ll need to continually check NoKnownSurvivors.com and then get Dead Space when it hits shelves on October 21.  Prepared to be freaked now and in space!!!!

Thanks to our insider at EA we were able to procure audition tapes from some of the selected boxers for the game.  Enjoy the rambling of the mighty Russian Molotov, the black magic of Voodoo, Socks and other game characters as they audition for their chance at game superstardom. 

Remember that the game drops on September 5th, which is coming in a few weeks.  I was impressed with the demo, although it was too short IMHO.  Some of the things you can do is to share your boxers, download boxers and even get yourself into the game via Photo Game Face  on “EA Sports World”.  Don’t forget that the game includes Couch Royale, Brawl for it All and other game types, so keep your eyes open and your head on a swivel for that which is Facebreaker.  In the meantime, enjoy the videos:

Facebreaker Audition Tape 1

Facebreaker Audition Tape 2

Facebreaker Audition Tape 3

Thanks to our insider at EA we were able to procure audition tapes from some of the selected boxers for the game.  Enjoy the rambling of the mighty Russian Molotov, the black magic of Voodoo, Socks and other game characters as they audition for their chance at game superstardom. 

Remember that the game drops on September 5th, which is coming in a few weeks.  I was impressed with the demo, although it was too short IMHO.  Some of the things you can do is to share your boxers, download boxers and even get yourself into the game via Photo Game Face  on “EA Sports World”.  Don’t forget that the game includes Couch Royale, Brawl for it All and other game types, so keep your eyes open and your head on a swivel for that which is Facebreaker.  In the meantime, enjoy the videos:

Those who’ve read this blog for any length of time know my fondness for the Tiger Woods series and especially on the Xbox 360.  I was chomping at the bit (ie, excited) to download the demo from the Xbox Live Marketplace on Wednesday morning.  I’ve had a couple of days to play with the demo and digest it enough to provide my first impressions.

What the demo contains:

• Three holes (#7, #8 and #18) from the new Gary Player Country Club course in South Africa.  (Note that you actually play them in #18, #7, #8 order, which seemed strange to me)
• Custom practice drills (these are supposed to be done after playing the three holes, so that some shots from the “round” could be used for practice drills to increase your “ability”.
• Club tuner, which lets you adjust club settings for additional distance, workability, spin and such.  I was excited to check this out, since I tinker with the setup, swing weight, etc on my real-life golf clubs.
• A list of the new features in TW09

You play the demo as Chad Davis, a beginner golfer.  You can’t change the skill-level or create your own profile in the demo, but here are a few specifics included in the demo:

Dynamic Skill

Stay Atop Your Game - Adding Skill Points to your abilities is only half the battle as all-new Dynamic Skills shift after every round, emphasizing consistency as much as improvement.




Performance Feedback

Coach Haney will constantly be watching your performance and assessing areas for improvement, providing you tips and drills to increase your skills.



 

What the demo does not contain:

Enhanced EA SPORTS GamerNet

The all-new Instant Challenges - long drives, approach shots, and putting contests - will appear throughout your round in the full version, but the demo didn’t include anything about GamerNet or include the option to play it.




All-New Online Simultaneous Play

In the full version of the game you’ll be able to compete in live four person rounds in the same amount of time it takes to play a single-player round. Different colored ball trail visuals indicate your competitors’ shots, allowing you to swing whenever you’re ready.

Additional Courses

You can only play three holes on the Gary Player course (in South Africa), so that means you’ll have to get the full version to play the other courses, which include Bay Hill, The West Course at Wentworth (in London), Sheshan International Golf Club (China) and Wolf Creek Golf Club (in Nevada).

Additional Pro’s:

You don’t get to play as any of the new international stars in the game including Se Ri Pak, Darren Clarke, Nick Dougherty, and Rory McIlroy.

 

My Impressions

I was disappointed with the limit of only three holes, since I wanted the chance to play more than the same three holes, but that’s not a dealbreaker of the game being good.  I was impressed that the control scheme remained the same as previous versions, so gamers won’t have a learning curve to climb.

The custom practice drills were a cool feature, especially when you were returned to a shot you’d done in the previous round that you needed work on.  I found that doing well in practice drills increased your abilities, but in the next round you’d lose whatever you’d gained and then some. It’s tough to increase your abilities much in only three holes, so I’ll have to reserve full-judgement on this feature until I get the full version.

I really like the tinkering I could do in the club tuner and I found it was the easiest way to increase distance, workability and such.  I wonder what would happen if you went to the club tuner first, hit shots until you got A+ on each grouping of clubs (not that tough to do actually) and then play your round.  You might actually increase your distance and accuracy prior to playing.

What I liked:

• Club Tuner
• Custom practice drills
• New course to play (I’ll be pumped to get on the other new courses though)

What I didn’t like:

• The grass on the greens seemed “long” and muddled
• The camera angles, especially when I was putting, were weird.  In particular the camera would cut-away and I couldn’t see the break for a follow-up putt.
• Some putts I hit were going with great speed, heading to the hole and then suddenly stopped.

All in all I’m happy with the demo and the chance to get in the game.  One of my biggest concerns is Gamernet, which TW08 struggled with bugs and problems.  I’m looking forward to seeing it in successful action, as well as the 4-player simultaneous play mode.  I don’t rank demo reviews, but I definitely recommend everyone download it and get a feel for the features prior to the game’s August 26th launch.

My Xbox 360 gamerscore stands at 29,750, which is a scant 250 points from breaking another barrier.  The question I face is what is the game and achievement(s) I should use to go “over the top”?  I could run through some FIFA08, return to Oblivion, put in some extra-effort on some arcade games.  The question is which one?  Some gamers go all out in breaking the 200,000 gamerscore barrier, but mine have always meant something more than just gobbling it up without thought.  To me this is like enjoying a great steak or dessert, rather than gobbling it down like a pig snorting corn.  What do you do when you break each 10K barrier?  What do you think I should do to break through?

Recently the discussions have been brewing around the Internet and at some of the gaming sites around the world about whether 1200 MS Points was too much to spend on an Xbox Live Arcade game.  The game in question is Braid, the newly crowned “fastest to make serious bling” arcade game.  There are those who believe spending 1200 MS points is too much, while on the other side of the fence are those who say the puzzles are fabulous, the artwork beautiful and the experience deliciously awesome!  First, for perspective how much does 1200 MS Points cost in various parts of the world?  Thanks to a quick use of the online Microsoft Points Converter, we get the following results (as of the time/date of this post):

Now, of course these numbers assume that you aren’t purchasing any special deals like Target’s current USA sale of 1600 MS Point Cards for $14.99 or any other deal from sites like Cheap A$$ Gamer (a huge favorite with me)

The question begs of what would you do with that $14.99 if you didn’t spend it on Braid or any other arcade title?  Here’s a small list that I came up with although it’s simply up to your imagination of what else you could get (as long as the total was less than $14.99)

1) Fifteen items off the dollar-menu at your local fast-food joint (just think 10 5-piece chicken nuggets and five small bags of fries)

2) A little over 3 1/2 gallons of unleaded fuel (equals about 70 miles if your vehicle gets 20mpg

3) 21 packages of Top Ramen (at “5 for $1″), three cans of tuna and three packages of mac-n-cheese

4) Twelve boxes of Little Debbie snack cakes

5) Seven minutes of phone chat time on your local “Singles Date Line”

6) Two pair of flip flops or Croc knockoffs at your local Rite-Aid.

7) One box of Claritan-D allergy medicine (10 count)

8.  One 1600 MS Point card from Target (see your local ad for this week)

9) Three Venti Frappacino’s at your local Starbucks (might vary, but based on about $4.35 per drink)

10) Two months of Xbox Live if you purchase the “by the month” plan.

11) Thirteen days worth of USA Today newspapers, which you can use later to wrap presents, pack, put in a bird cage, or even wash your windows (use instead of paper towels for a great shiny shine!)

12) Three gallons of milk (I prefer 2%, except in my coffee then it’s whole milk FTW!!!)

13) Taxi cab fare for a 5-mile (10 minute) ride in Seattle, WA (except to/from airport then it’s about three mile ride due to charges)

14) Gamer apparel <>http://www.cafepress.com/moderngamer/5769068

14a. hmmm, from 14 above, you could even get two pairs of “Sexy Girl Noob Slayer Thongs” for that gamerchick in your life!)

15. A pair of Starbury basketball shoes on Amazon.com and have change for some other items above (he signed deal with them after his other avenue filed bankruptcy-just google Starbury Amazon for details)

16.  <fill in blank with you own idea>

This begs the question then of what value we place on $15 (US).  What amount of entertainment are we OK and NOT OK with paying for.  When you consider that purchasing $15 worth of penny stocks will probably be a waste.  Purchasing $15 worth of Lotto tickets might give us a huge return, but the overwhelming odds are against it.  We’ll pay $15 for a not-so-great meal and not blink twice.  Yet, the value that Braid has provided in the form of 5-8 hours of puzzling entertainment is balked at.  Of course, there is the chance that a company will try to charge that amount for a dud, but everyone who has played Braid loves it.  I for one will purchase the full game, using my own money and I know that I’ll love every mind-bending, time-warping, princess-saving moment of it.  I know that I won’t use a walkthru, for that would cheapen the game’s value and thereby make me try to justify how “unworth it was for 1200 points”.  When I finish the game without that walkthru I will feel vindicated in spending the points.  That’s my take, I’m sticking by it and that’s that.  Now what say ye?

The question everyone seems to want to know is how you’ll transfer all of the fabulous gold you’ll earn gaming in tomorrows release of the Fable 2 Pub Games when Fable 2 releases? Always scouring the world of news we uncovered the following:

Lionhead explained the entire process to Eurogamer and we didn’t want to keep the goods for ourselves, since gaming is all about community, right.  (Editors note: that is unless your gun is pointing at me in a multiplayer match of an online shooter, then all bets are off).  Sorry, I digress, so here’s the real scoop on Pub Games gold:

1. When playing the Pub Games, you will first choose a gambler.
2. Gamble until you’ve earned every piece of gold on earth (not really) tire of the process or your fingers fall off.
3. When you buy Fable 2 come October 21st and you race home, create a hero and journey about the game until you find yourself a “Gamemaster” at a local tavern or out and about.
4. Accept the Gamemaster’s invitation to play a game (not unlike the WOPAR in War Games) where you’ll be given a chance to merge your Fable 2 hero with your Pub Games gambler.
5. As fast as you can say “the body electric”, your in-game hero will now “own” the gold that your Pub Games’ gambler accrued.  (Insert “working for the man” jokes here)
6. What’s very cool is that you can merge many gamblers earnings into a single gambler which can be merged with your Fable 2 hero.
7. BIG WARNING:  Once a hero and a gambler have merged, there is no undo option or going back, so be sure you’re ready to merge, before you do.
8. If you didn’t heed the warning above, and if you decide to go back to the Live Arcade pub games, you will play as your newly merged hero from Fable II, who will be gambling using your in-game gold. You’ve been warned.