It’s funny that in the newest edition of Sessler’s Soapbox, Adam Sessler should talk about the same thing I’ve been saying for a few months, most recently in last week’s feature about JRPG’s: Japanese developers have fallen off the rails. He lays out some of the issues and even mentions what part of the problem is, before offering a few solutions.
What do you guys think about this issue? Are Japanese devs playing catch-up to Western developers?
I know that one day, an MMO will nab me and never let me go. I’m totally in love with the idea of them, but the gameplay has yet to really catch me on any particular one. And with everybody and their mom starting to turn IP’s into that now popular genre, it’s only a matter of time before one really inserts itself into my daily gaming.
That being said, MMORPG has put together a lost of the top 10 games that need to be MMO’s, and I have to say they have some really crazy but interesting ideas. While I don’t know if a Madden MMO would work, I can see it having that mass appeal that developers are looking for. The possibility of a Nintendo based world is nifty, as well. Also, the idea of zombie MMO where survivors try to find one another amidst a world overrun by the undead sounds cool as hell.
This list is definitely worth reading. What do you guys think of the ideas that are laid out? What is your favorite? Go!
Source- MMORPG
I know we’ve talked about this before, but it really is starting to bother me. Apparently, Naughty Dog is adding a multiplayer component to Uncharted 2, complete with 3 player co-op and deathmatch, among some other game modes. While I don’t mind the 3 player co-op (though it is kind of a weird number to settle on), the deathmatch mode just annoys me. Uncharted is a platformer a la Prince of Persia- why does it need a deathmatch mode?
Sure, I can just avoid playing the multiplayer when the game comes out, but my real concern is that a subpar deathmatch mode just seems like it’s a waste of valuable developer time to me. It’s the same as people complaining that Bioshock or Mirror’s Edge didn’t have multiplayer. I understand that it adds some replay value, but why can’t games be single player anymore?
What do you think about platformers like Uncharted 2 having a multiplayer component? Do you celebrate it, or do you want a more focused single player experience?
Source- Kotaku
We all get sick and have to miss work or class or other obligations. Sometimes we get so sick that we can barely lift our heads off the pillow. Sometimes it’s merely a stomach virus and when not giving birth to food babies, we manage to find time for games. And sometimes, we don’t care and play through the pain anyway. After all, the world needs saving!
I remember in high school, I was taking summer classes to lighten my load for my senior year. I came down with a horrible case of mono. Awesome. Not only was I nursing a broken heart due to a certain girl, but I got to lay in bed all day and not be able to move! Seriously, I had to crawl to the kitchen the first few days just to get some cereal. But it wasn’t all bad because that summer, I played two of my favorite games ever for the very first time.
Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: Chicken Soup for the Gamer’s Soul
After writing my feature, I got to thinking. This generation, while great and a lot of fun, is starting to pump out some of the same kinds of games over and over. Each year, we are waiting for 4 or 5 big profile games, all of which are shooters. Beyond that, music games have become the big thing as well, giving us still more of the same.
To me, it seems that each new generation of video games should bring with it innovations in each of the genres we know and love. And at this point, it’s like, “ok developers, we get it – you can make awesome FPS games”. We’ve pushed the shooter genre to exciting new leaps and bounds graphically and gameplay wise. But really, that’s where it stops.
So what can developers do to improve on other genres that we seem to be lacking? What genres are you starting to miss this generation. Personally, I feel like platformers are really falling by the wayside, as well as brawlers and fighting games. What about you guys? Thoughts?
Growing up, gaming was all the same thing to me. Things were either platformers, brawlers/shoot-em-ups, or fighters. That’s all that gaming fell into, and I was happy with it for a time. But then something magical happened. I played a Japanese RPG, and my world changed. I didn’t know that gaming could tell a story. I had no idea up until that point that I could care about a game’s characters or miss them when I had read the last bit of text. It was truly an eye-opening experience.
Since then, I have played a lot of JRPG’s. Probably too many, to be honest. In college, I remember I would rent anything that looked remotely like a JRPG, and played it until my eyes bled. I loved the concepts, the stories, and I really liked being able to level some guys up and fight through hordes of baddies. It was all extremely appealing to me. However, somewhere along the line, things have taken a drastic turn southward in JRPG-land.
Continue reading Where Have All the JRPG’s Gone?
I’ve seen a lot of mash ups in my life, and they don’t always work. However, when they’re solid, they’re freaking rock solid, and this is no exception. Over on the Team Fortress 2 Maps forums, user goldenhearted has thrown together a wicked concept: a Team Fortress 2 RPG, complete with a party of the Heavy and the Medic, on a mission to locate the Scout.
The really cool part about all of it is the menus and the user interface that he’s put together, complete with the classic and colorful Team Fortress 2 look. He’s posed a few cut scenes together with GMod, and even has some loading screen mock ups. All of it is really slick and just screams to be made into an actual game. So, modders, if you’re reading this, get to it!
To check out the awesome gallery of photos, head over to TF2Maps. Thanks to Lord Ned for the heads up.
There might be some slight spoilers here regarding Fallout 3, but I will do my best to avoid them. I haven’t finished the game, so I can’t spoil it too much anyway, I can only talk about what I know.
It seems that the new Fallout 3 DLC, “Broken Steel” which will hit next month on the PC and 360, actually removes the ending of the game itself. Beyond that, it even changes a few key events leading up to the finale, in order to make things more to people’s liking after lots of complaining about the original ending.
Not only does this raise the level cap and allow people to explore the world after the game is finished, it also raises some interesting questions.
Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: Changing the Ending?
Game time. I turn on the PS3, go to the bathroom and wash my hands. I hate sticky controllers and my hands get sweaty when I find myself in a vicious cock fight with the Helghast of Killzone 2. I sit on the bed, make sure my cell phone and the TV remote are in front of me, slightly to the left and if my controller is charging, I make sure the wire is not snagged on anything in case I have to make a sudden move. I sit Indian-style on my bed, never laying down because this is no time to relax. I check my message box and then sign off. I don’t need to be bothered during killing time with invites.
My laser-like focus will not be moved.
So, as you can see from reading the above, I am a little quirky when it comes to playing games. I am pretty set in my ways and I like things the way I like them, even outside of games. You should see my organizing system for my books! So what quirks do you guys exhibit when you play games?
Well dudes, it looks like we finally have confirmation of a new Fallout sequel in 2010, courtesy of Bethesda. The next Fallout game will take place in a post-apocalyptic version of Las Vegas, and is another story told in the same universe we already know and love, much like The Pit or Anchorage.
While Fallout: New Vegas isn’t a true sequel to Fallout 3, it’s nice that a full game is coming, and the idea of a Las Vegas setting is super intriguing to me. Another interesting tidbit is that Obsidian, creators of KOTOR 2, are going to be working on this sequel with Bethesda, which should theoretically free Bethesda up to focus on other things- Elder Scrolls V, anyone?
So, who’s excited about the announcement of a new Fallout game?
Source- Kotaku
Now this is something you don’t see everyday. As games’ technology gets more and more advanced, it seems that many developers are turning to in-game cinematics rather than the CG artistry of old. Heck, even MGS4’s cut scenes were filmed with a real time camera tool. It’s pretty cool then, to see Blizzard using this machinima trailer to promote its next part of the Wrath of the Lich King, Secrets of Ulduar. The animation is slick and the visuals rock, to boot. Great stuff.
In my life, there are lots of things that I’m not proud of. First, I’m a girl when it comes to horror movies. Or horror anything, really. I’m easily frightened, jumpy, and pretty much a big sissy when you break it all down. True story: when I think something scary is going to happen in the middle of a movie, I literally cower done in my seat and stick one finger in one ear, thus hopefully blocking out some of the inevitable noise whenever the scary thing pops out. Yes, it’s as pathetic as it sounds.
See? Lots of things that I’m not keen to admit to people, much less all of the Internet, but what the heck. The funny thing is, since gaming is such a big part of our lives, I’m sure that we all have things like that when it comes to gaming. Things that we don’t necessarily talk about or that we hide from other people for fear of public humiliation and rejection.
So, here are some questions that hopefully pull some gaming confessions out of you dudes. Answer with as much or little as you want.
Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: True Gaming Confessions
As you all know, I tend to move from multiplayer game to multiplayer game, stopping and camping out on one of them at a time for a few months. Right now, the game of multiplayer choice has been Halo Wars, and so far I’ve been really into the versus modes.
However, my 2 v 2 teammate and I have recently moved into a new skill tier of players, and we’re finding that our tactics aren’t working as well as we used to. Try as we might to adapt and test new strategies, we’re only winning about half of our matches, and just getting crushed by some players. I wonder if we’ve kind of topped off in terms of how good we are, which really isn’t all that great, all things considered.
So what was the last game that you guys have played where you felt this kind of noticeable plateau in your skill level? What did you do? Did you fight through it, or just accept it and move on? Go!
As gamers, we’ve all gone through our own number of difficult ordeals. Whether it’s a boss, a particular area, or just a largely difficult stage, there are those games out there that just seem to give us fits because of the insane amount of skill needed to best them.
It’s funny, I was thinking about this just the other day, and lo and behold, GameDaily shows up with their own list of the hardest games of all time. There are quite a few on there that give me chills just by seeing their titles, and I’m sure you’d agree.
Hit the jump to see the full list!
Continue reading And The Hardest Game Ever Is…
Even though I don’t do too much PC gaming these days, some of my favorite titles of all time have been played via keyboard and a mouse. Warcraft III, The Sims, Counter-Strike: Source, Battlefield 2 and many other games easily top the list of great titles, and I never would have had them without my trusty PC. Well what about the folks that made those games?
ZTGD has put together a list of the top 10 PC game developers of all time, and while the list isn’t all that surprising, it really is cool to go back and reminisce on gaming days of old. These developers really have brought a lot to gaming, particularly folks like Valve, Blizzard and Id.
So who made the number one? Go check it out and see. Also, who is your favorite PC game developer of all time? Do you agree/disagree with this list?
Source- ZTGD
Video game reviews have a difficult existence. Some people use them to decide whether or not to buy games, others use them as ammunition in the Console Wars. Usually, very strong emotions are attached to these reviews. But one thing we seem to be missing that we should get mad about is the lazy and irritating cliches that constantly pop up in reviews, even from such esteemed sources as EGM.
Continue reading Cliches I Never Want To See In Game Reviews Again
Now that we’re already halfway through the month of April (seriously?), that means the whole gaming realm inches closer to E3 2009, which takes place the first week of June. While the event isn’t quite the spectacle that it used to be, gaming studios take the few days with the press fairly seriously, and bring out their big guns, especially in terms of announcements.
We are now starting to hit that gaming news drought that comes in the month or so leading up to E3 where studios pull up the protective turtle shells and wait to unleash their megaton announcements all at once. In years past, we’ve gotten to see first glimpses of things like Halo, MGS, GTA, Zelda, and the like.
So what do you think we’ll hear at E3 this year? Any big and bold predictions? Personally, I think that one of the big 3 is going to mention a new console. They probably won’t be unveiling it or showing it at this point, but it wouldn’t shock me to get a tease of some kind. Also, I’m thinking we might see an announcement regarding a new Zelda game as well as something new from the Halo franchise.
What do you guys think? Make your predictions!
Happy Easter, dudes. I know I’m a day late, but hey, it’s all good. While I didn’t have a long weekend due to days off and holidays, I know that some of you probably did, so I hope you got in lots of good gaming time while you could.
When thinking about the Easter season and gaming, I naturally thought about those oh-so-awesome gaming easter eggs that are sprinkled throughout our favorite titles. I’m a big fan of easter eggs, and I love replaying some of my favorites to go through and find those hidden gems that are put there by developers.
I’d have to say some of my favorite easter eggs are found in the Halo series, as there are dozens of them. I think the coolest one would have to be the uber fuel rod cannon found in Halo 2’s first level. Also, I think the alternate way of killing The End in MGS3 (by turning your PS2’s clock forward) is hilarious.
So what about you guys? What are your favorite gaming easter eggs?
Every now and then in a generation, a game really comes along and surprises you. Just when you think that you won’t play another really great title for some time, something lands in your lap and is a joy to play again and again. Resident Evil 5 has been that game for me over the last few weeks.
I have a small confession to make that I know will hurt my gaming cred amongst some of the faithful Resident Evil-a-holics here- I’ve never played Resident Evil 4. Yes, I know that it was probably the best game on the Gamecube and one of the greatest games of all time possibly, but I just never played it. Not because I didn’t want to, I just really never got around to it. Things like that happen when you get married the same year as a blockbuster video game. You tend to miss out. Though marriage still rocks.
Continue reading Review: Resident Evil 5
As you all know, I’ve been tearing up quite a bit of Halo Wars recently. The online multiplayer is so fun, and my friend and I have been testing out all kinds of strats in 2 v 2 arranged matchmaking. Our current one involves warthog rushing in the first couple of minutes of the game, and so far it’s working well.
However, while I feel the game is terribly well balanced, there are a few borderline-annoying things about it in terms of overpowered units, etc. The Covenant army gets a hero, depending on which race they choose. While the hero is a cool addition, when they are leveled up, they are virtually unstoppable and act as a one-man army.
Like I said, this doesn’t keep the game from being enjoyable, but it got me thinking about other cheap tactics or cheap factors in video games. You know what I mean- things that always own you or unfairly seem to just whoop you to the point of irritation. For me, I think one of the biggest ones was NCAA 2005 Football. Occasionally, the CPU seemed to decree with the football gods that no matter what you did in a particular game, you were going to lose, period. It was a really stupid system, and one that resulted in many a thrown controller.
What about you guys? Ever come across cheap tactics or cheap games that frustrated you?
