spac3c0wb0y's Xanga

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Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:36:29 GMT

I've been ressurected from the dead and am raring to continue where I left off. I'm not sure if anyone noticed I stopped but nonetheless, I've returned. I have alot in mind for future topics to write about concerning the gaming industry. So be on the look out for more and more from me, The Space Samurai Pirate Cowboy.

Just for a little taste of what's to come...MMORPGs are taking the world by storm with the success of World of Warcraft and a very large aspect of these types of games has always been player versus player (PVP) combat. With so many different PVP systems spread about so many games, it's easy to pick certain aspects of what one likes and dislikes in PVP...

Sorry to cut it short but I have to get some lunch and don't know when I'll be back. But I can assure you that it will be worth the wait.

Press Conference Mania

Wed, 10 May 2006 16:25:13 GMT

After watching each of the "Big-3" press conferences, I got a distinct impression from each company.

Sony: I felt that they wanted to get everyone thinking forward while reminding them that Sony holds the key. They were very insistent that the future of console gaming rests on the shoulders of Sony and the Playstation 3. Kaz Hirai, the keynote speaker at the conference, stated, "We're not interested in gimmicks, clever rhetoric, or conventional thinking." This could be seen as a slight jab at Microsoft. I'll go more into that later.

Sony did a good job of showing off what the PS3 could do through many gameplay demonstrations. They also announced alot of really great titles that will be available once the console is released in November.

There are some people that stated that the Sony press conference was boring and highly uninformational. I ask these people, what were you looking for? A show and a treat? This is a press conference. I thought that Sony handled it very professionally and did a very good job. They displayed alot of new titles that I am really excited about. One of which, Eight Days, really caught my eye. The demo they showed flipped between CGI movie and gameplay rather seemlessly it made for a completely immersive viewing experience. I can only imagine what it would be like to play. All in all, I am even more excited about PS3 than ever before. The price is steep, sure, but I'm definitely willing to spend the money for this thing.

Nintendo: Miyamoto beginning the conference with a virtual orchestra with the Wii controller in hand really set the tone of the Nintendo press conference. We were all going to have alot of fun with this one. And we had a great time. Nintendo's focus is to be the all inclusive console. They are striving to expand the gaming demographic and I think that they will be successful. Nintendo is doing a good job catering to all types of gamers with the titles that they have unveiled. The new Zelda looks amazing. Red Steel is really going to bring alot of people to the Wii.

The Wii is a very interesting console mainly because of the controller. It's unlike anything that we've ever seen before and it's going to sell units just because of the intruige it brings. The bottom line with the Wii is that Nintendo is trying to make games simply fun; accessible to the masses and appeal to everyone who likes to have a good time.

Microsoft: Peter Moore was introduced as the "Zen Master of Gaming." What? Sounds like some more clever rhetoric that Kaz mentioned. The first game that they showed off was Gears of War. A pretty violent and bloody game. It looks pretty good but wouldn't be my first choice to start off a press conference.

Microsoft's goal was to address the competition. They wanted to drive their points home by making comparisons between apples and oranges. Moore stated that projections indicated that Microsoft will have sold 10 million units before the competition has sold it's first unit. He referred to it as a "10 million unit head start." My question is, head start to what? Obsolution? MS is so intent on selling as much as they can as fast as they can. Why? Are they that desperate that they are trying to cash in while they can? Seems like Microsoft is looking over it's shoulder ALOT.

They want to show that they have the casual gamer in mind as well with x-box live arcade, where you can play alot of old arcade classics...What about new content that's casual friendly? Oh right...that's Wii's job.

Another point of interest for MS was the Japanese market. They are really pushing that market hard. I wonder if they are trying to prove to themselves and the rest of the world that they can be international powerhouses like...Nintendo or Sony.

X-box Live is doing alot of things to integrate different media types and mediums in the console as well as connecting gamers from all over the world. I will give them credit for this however they are Microsoft. They run the internet remember? There are alot of things that Microsoft is doing to break down the barriers between PCs and consoles but when given the choice, I'd rather play PC games on my PC and not an Xbox.

I'm sure you have noticed my lack of love for the Xbox...but they aren't helping since there are zero titles that I am interested in. I will admit that there was a point where I was really close to buying an Xbox for Fable. Changing my mind was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. Any game that I had any interest in on the Xbox was also available on the PC. I always ended up with the PC version and was quite content. No need for me to have an Xbox when I have a computer. Unless I can play the new Final Fantasy games or those party games that Nintendo puts out, on the PC, I'll be looking to the Playstation and the Wii for my console needs.

Mind Boggling

Tue, 09 May 2006 17:56:02 GMT

Trying to keep up with all the information that is coming out of E3 is simply overwhelming...it's like a full time job. Wouldn't that be nice?

I watched the Sony press conference and though it didn't have all the fancy bells and whistles that the Microsoft conference will most likely have it still got me really excited about the new console as well as many titles that will be released for the PS3. I cannot wait to see the Nintendo and Microsoft press conferences. I'm sure that Microsoft will go with an all out MTV style hype-a-thon that will include alot of smoke and mirrors and not to mention the gratuitous hand-waving that they are so good at. Anyways I'll end my rant saying that I'll have many more details soon.

Of all the years not to go to E3...

E3 is upon us...

Tue, 09 May 2006 14:26:46 GMT

Unfortunately I won't be there this year as I was last year. However I will be keeping my ear to the ground and frequenting many many websites for all the updates.

I'm currently watching the stream of the Sony press conference from yesterday. This is definitely one of the most wonderful times of the year!

On the first day of E3 Sony gave to me. A 60 gig hardrive PS3.

An interesting diicision

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:48:51 GMT

The news story is here: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6148462.html

Nintendo has announced that they have changed the name of their next generation console from the Nintendo Revolution to the Nintendo Wii (pronounced "we").

When I first read this, I kept thinking to myself, "Why did they do this? The Revolution was such a good name. And why Wii?" At first glance, the name is strange and gimicky.

"So that's Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because, it's really not about you or me. It's about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything."

If that doesn't furl your brow at all then perhaps you might want to reread that quote again.

One thing that this name change does is help differentiate Nintendo from it's competition through it's moniker. Perhaps Nintendo always had this going for them but they have really emphasized it with this move. The other next-gen consoles are named after previous iterations of itself. X-Box becomes X-Box 360. Playstation 2 becomes Playstation 3. However, the Gamecube is not turning into the latest next-gen console for Nintendo. What was previously known as the Revolution is now being called Wii; a completely new console and new identity outside of the Gamecube or any other Nintendo console..

While the Nintendo Revolution seemed like a very good name for a console, changing the name was probably the best strategic move by Nintendo. Sure the name sounds a little funny now, but give it some time. People will still be calling it Nintendo.

"Let's play Nintendo."
"Let's play Wii."

No matter what surname that Nintendo decides to use people will still call it Nintendo and adding the Wii is a way to put an exclaimation point on it. The name is unique, easy to say and remember, and offers alot of potential from a marketing standpoint.

Can you sii it? All the glorii that is to come? Nintendo has a bunch of giiniuses working there. They've been in the business for a long time and they tend to know what they are doing. While I'm still trying to get used to the idiia of calling the new console by it's new name, I biilieve it was the right diicision.

E3 Booth Babes story

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 22:37:30 GMT

It turns out that the story I read about the booth babes back in March was incorrect. The booth babes are still going to be around for the conference but the event coordinators will be enforcing their rules of decency or some junk like that. It was getting a little too racy and so the exhibitors have been told to tone it down.

Too bad I won't be there this year.

End of an Era?

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:10:39 GMT

There definitely has been a decrease in the number of great RPGs out there. Is this the beginning of the end for single player RPGs? Or has it already reached it's final legs as a genre?

Andrew Park from Gamespot discusses Oblivion and the possiblity of it being one of the last of the genre.

With the popularity of MMORPGs at an all time high with the success of World or Warcraft, many of those who normally play single-player RPGs have been sucked into the persistent worlds of these online games.

While there is alot of story and lore that surrounds these games, enough to fill volumes upon volumes, much of this content is glossed over by your average player. It simply isn't a necessity to get involved in much of it to progress and enjoy the game.

This is where the traditional single player RPG can fill in the gaps. The great roleplaying games are remembered for their epic storylines and their intuitive gameplay. The single player game can allow for a more immersive experience than an online game due to the fact that the player must progress through the story to progress through the game. Because of this, the plot and the story telling must be intruiging and captivating or otherwise it fails it's purpose to provide entertainment. It definitely is a double edged sword because many times you'll find yourself with the same plot elements from game to game, just with different ingredients. Making the single player RPG a little stale at times.

Over the years and multitude of RPG titles that have been put out, these common elements that are put into this genre has been widely simplified and becomes humorous for the seasoned RPG player. A friend sent me a list of RPG cliches that pokes fun at any and all plot lines that have ever existed in a single player RPG.

Some of my favorites"

Thinking With The Wrong Head (Hiro Rule)
No matter what she's accused of doing or how mysterious her origins are, the hero will always be ready to fight to the death for any girl he met three seconds ago.

Cubic Zirconium Corollary
The aforementioned mysterious girl will be wearing a pendant that will ultimately prove to be the key to either saving the world or destroying it.

"Silly Squall, bringing a sword to a gunfight..."
No matter what timeframe the game is set in -- past, present, or future -- the main hero and his antagonist will both use a sword for a weapon. (Therefore, you can identify your antagonist pretty easily right from the start of the game just by looking for the other guy who uses a sword.) These swords will be far more powerful than any gun and often capable of distance attacks.

Aeris's Corollary
Just as the main male character will always use a sword or a variant of a sword, the main female character will always use a rod or a staff of some sort.

Dungeon Design 101
There's always goodies hidden behind the waterfall.

While these cliches are humorous and often times true, it's not any fault of the games or the genre, it's the difficulty to come up with something new, innovative and remain accessible to the general public. Depth and complexity is games offers a plethora of things to do, but game mechanics that are too complex are more frustrating than refreshing. The game makers have a tough job of creating a game with an intruiging story, complex but simple gameplay mechanics and new character designs and geographical ideas.

It's a tough job, sure, but I still believe that there are some out there that are up for the challenge. The Final Fantasy series has been going strong and remains one of the most popular series to date. Dragon Quest's latest title has been a success as has the Kingdom Hearts titles. Square-Enix can't be the only ones commited to developing great, entertaining single-player RPGs. Can they?

Of the latest single-player RPGs that I have played, the biggest dissapointment was Knights of the Old Republic II. The first one was great. It had an interesting story that enthralled me for hours at a time. The game was definitely one of my favorite RPGs. I had high hopes for the sequel. I really enjoyed the combat system and the mechanics behind it. However the story seemed a bit rushed and contrived. A little too much railroading considering the events in the game that led up to the point where the story broke down. One of the reasons for the let down could have been that the sequel was not made by the same people that made the original. From Bioware to Obsidian, something got lost along the way. This is by no means a knock against Obsidian. It's not easy to follow up to a game that did as well as the original KoTOR.

Is the MMORPG market siphoning the life out of the single player RPG genre? To an extent. As I mentioned earlier, the need to get involved in much of the content is minimal in these games. There are still many gamers out there that prefer to play a single player game with a great plot than to be inundated with a general world chat filled with old Chuck Norris jokes and comments like, "ZOMG U NOOB!" or "STFU!" That definitely takes away from the immersion just a bit. Sure there are many role-playing servers/realms in these online games, but it's a little too much for the average person to get into completely.

Because of the recent MMORPG boom with games like Everquest and World of Warcraft, many companies are trying to find their place in that market. This leaves little attention to the traditional single player game. It's ebb and flow. Eventually game makers will realize that there is a need for these single player games to fill the gaps and return to making some great games. Perhaps I'm old school in thinking this way, considering that alot of gamers out there are craving online multiplayer content, but I still enjoy a game that I can play at my own pace and not having to worry about keeping up with levels or gear just to stay competitive and have a good time. Maybe it's just me hoping and wishing that there will be a resurgence of the single-player RPG. I would hate to see Oblivion be the last game in a great genre, but then again, I wouldn't pick a better game to ride with, off into the sunset.

Finally, a review of Oblivion

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 21:58:46 GMT

I picked up the latest The Elder Scrolls game, Oblivion a little while back and I wanted to play it a bit before I tried writing a review for it. I think that enough time has passed and I've played enough of the game to qualify me to review this game.

Set in the land of Cyrodiil, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, puts you in the shoes of a prisoner that is ultimately destined to save the world. The game starts you in your prison cell as the Emperor is fleeing from assassins. The Emperor and his bodyguards come through your cell because apparently there is a secret door to escape hidden within your cell. Ignore the fact that you had no idea the passage existed before they told you or that you never came across it when you were first imprisoned and decided to look for a way to escape. That doesn't matter at this point. What matters is that the Emperor, who is voiced by Patrick Stewart, saw you in his dreams and that he believes that you will have a part to play in the near future, so he lets you escape through the secret passage as well.

I won't get too much into the storyline but it is much more engrossing than the previous Elder Scrolls game, Morrowind. I will say that you do have an outlined mission to carry out and there is no question that following through with the quest will advance the story's plot.

The great part about the game though, is that it doesn't really matter whether or not you go right away or spend your time going from town to town completing side quests for the townsfolk. The number of quests available in each city is immense and more keep presenting themselves each time you go back to revisit.

The menus are fairly easy to navigate and are intuitive. The only issue that I had was that it took a little bit of reading the manual and time to figure out the icons on the tabs. There was no tooltip as you hovered over the tabs telling you what each of the tabs were. Aside from that the menus are chock full of detail and information. The journal and quest system is well laid out and easy to use. This is great news considering all of the quests that you will be taking on.

Combat in this game is a little more action oriented and faster paced than Morrowind. Manual blocking is a good addition as it is no longer merely dependent on your block skill. Since combat is sped up a bit, it is easy to lose your targets amidst all the moving you will be doing when you have multiple enemies.

Leveling up in this game is fairly easy to do, as you only have to increase any of your major skills a total of 10 times, but it is not necessarily beneficial to increase your level as soon as you can as all the enemies in the world scale to your current level. Working on your major skills will increase the multiplier of the attribute that corresponds to that skill. For example, alchemy affects intelligence and blade affects strength. Increase your skill in alchemy enough and you will acheive a higher multiplier for intelligence, resulting in higher attribute scores at lower levels.

The sound is excellent. Whether an item hits the ground or your weapon finds it's way into your enemies side, the effects are very well done. The voice acting is done pretty well for the most part, but there are some times where sound clips are recycled and the old beggar with the raggedy voice that you were just speaking to will change to a younger, more boisterous voice. It takes away from the immersion just a little bit.

The world is rendered beautifully. From the old ruins to the forests and the towns, the environments are simply outstanding. Each town has different architecture which gives them their own individual feel. Some of the facial models look a little off (the emperor included), but others look great. You can spend a good amount of time playing with the character generator to tweak your character's face just the way you want it. The number of slider options are truly outstanding. At first, I was a little overwhelmed (and impatient) and ended up creating hideous looking beast of a man so I hit the randomizer a couple times and changed the hair style and color. I think I've gotten a little better at creating faces now that I've sat down with it for a little longer.

If you like to complete everything in the game that there is to complete then you are looking at a good amount of time spent playing this game. I'm not certain at how long progressing through the main storyline will take but that's not what The Elder Scrolls games are all about. It's more about immersing yourself into the trials and tribulations of common townfolk, criminals and dignitaries alike and helping them solve all of their problems. Having played MMORPGs for countless hours, quests tend to get a little dull and repetitive. However in Oblivion, I am always surprised at how creative they get with quests. They are not all kill, collect and deliver quests, which is a refreshing change. The interaction between the NPCs also adds alot to the game and the quests that you can undertake. Listening in on NPCs converse can lead to several quests and conversation topics opening up for your character to involve themselves in.

There are a number of playstyle options one can take throughout the game as well as ethical choices that will affect how NPCs view and treat your character. Because of this, the replay value can be quite high. All in all, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion is a great game with interesting and captivating encounters and storyline.

Score: 92/100

PS3 Delayed...Microsoft Elated.

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 21:37:57 GMT

Just to add to the many reasons why I don't like the X-Box. It's mainly the people behind the development and marketing of said console. I saw a video of some Microsoft people displaying the X-Box and talking about it in this presentation deal. The attitudes of these Microsoft people really turned me off from the X-Box. The presentation was more of a production than it really needed to be. Gimmicks and catch-phrases littered the presentation. It was a little insulting that they would try to target their audience in this manner. I think that the average gamer is a little more intelligent than to buy into an MTV-style hype fest.

They started the presentation with a model walking out with an X-box 360 in a messenger bag and we had to sit and wait while she plugged stuff in. Then she started talking some nonsense and then the entourage came walking out onto the middle of the floor. If it weren't for the fact that the crew was all white and wearing clothes that tried to make them look hip, I'd have thought that it was some rapper's posse. They even had some Oakland Raiders player in full pads and helment run out on the stage and talk...That's pretty stupid.

"Ooh look. It's an Oakland Raider! X-Box 360 MUST be cool." *rolls eyes*

These self proclaimed hipsters kept talking about how great they were and how smart they were for creating the X-box 360. *yawns*

To bring us back on topic, Sony is delaying the worldwide release of the Playstation 3 until late 2006. The story can be seen here:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6146150.html

"In every other generation, the first guy to 10 million consoles was the number one seller in the generation. Did we just get an even better opportunity to be the first guy to 10 million? Yeah, of course we did"

Just a few things...Since when is the first company to 10 million units sold the winner? The first to release will probably be the first to reach a certain number, I would think. Ok, so historically he's saying that the first to reach that number was the most successful...There is that little problem of timing. PS3 and Rev are slated to be released almost a full year after X-Box. That's a huge head start that Nintendo and Sony have given Microsoft and Microsoft is bragging about it. It'd be like playing someone one-on-one to a game of 21 and spotting them 10 points, then they start taunting you about how they are winning the game. Whatever...

I would love to see X-Box 360 get to 10 million units sold and suddenly stop while the Revolution and PS3 end up selling 500 million each. First never meant best. I'd rather wait another year for the PS3 if it meant that it would be a better console in the end. Sony and Nintendo have been in the business a long time and I have to trust that they know what they are doing. Microsoft is still pretty new. They have a good company with alot of bright people, but the hype and self promotion are a little too much for me.

Back to the whole X-box 360 presentation video that I saw (because I must), I also watched a video of the Revolution controller presentation and a PS3 presentation as well.

These were much more formal and less "Hollywood". Directly to the point and straightforward were the speakers. No models or celebrities to tout their wares. Perhaps it's the no nonsense attitude of the Japanese business companies, but it just felt like they respected their audience a whole lot more. The X-Box presentation was all about where X-Box was going to take you and what it was going to do for you. How it'll change the entire world. The PS3 and Rev presentations were simple. "Here is our product and the philosophy behind it."

That's all I really need to know about consoles. What is it and what are you trying to do? Is it going to make my coffee in the morning and mow my lawn? No...so just tell me straight up. I'm smart enough to make my own decisions if you give me the facts. Perhaps that's what Microsoft doesn't want....hmmmm

BOOTH BABES BANNED FROM E3!!!

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 20:59:19 GMT

I'm not sure if any of you have heard the news...

Booth babes, the scantily clad women showing off their wares as well as the company who hired them, have been banned from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2006.

This does not really come as a surprise to me as the number of these booth babes seemed to reach insane numbers as their clothing revealed insane cleavage. I was fortunate enough to attend E3 last year. That's right, the final year of the Booth Babe. I must say that I am sad to see them go but at the same time relieved a bit. Let me try to explain.

Gaming has reached mainstream popularity and is no longer considered a counterculture of sorts. It is no longer only pale, skinny, teenagers that play video games, but the gaming bug has bitten middle-aged mothers and even folks in their golden years. Men and women of all age, race, social status, political party, and nationality play video games. "So what?" You ask?

I might be going out on a limb here, but with such a wider demographic of gamers, are booth babes entirely necessary anymore? I'm not sure who was going to E3 for the booth babes and just happened to be sold on a video game as a result. It was usually the other way around. Come for the games, stay for the booth babes. The majority of attendees of gaming trade shows were male. So why not cater to them? Times are changing. Gaming is for everyone, so therefore it's trade shows must be for everyone. It looks as though now that the game companies and their creators have decided to let the games sell themselves.

But everyone knows that sex sells, right? So what's the big fuss? I can't say for certain since I am not on the E3 organization team. I can only offer speculation. With the competitive nature of these tradeshows and games that are to be marketed. Wouldn't there also be comeptition in booth babes? The more racier and shocking the booth/booth babes, the more attention it will bring. More shock and more steaminess will eventually lead to some thing ridiculous, like a woman wearing nothing but body paint riding around on a unicycle shouting, "Game Company X for the win!".

They nipped that in the bud before it became too much of a problem. Kudos to E3 for that. I want to see games for the merit of the game itself. The gameplay, mechanics, sound, graphics and all that other stuff. If a company needs to push breasts into my face to get me to look at their game, is it really going to be worth my time and money? Probably not.

But then again, I am still a man and I will miss them dearly.