Random musings on video game commercials and the future...

What is it with video game commercials that try to mock reality? I noticed it with this hilarious pole position commercial, but then I stumbled across these old Atari Jaguar commercials, which depict more people being semi-absorbed into some kind of pseudo-reality video game world. If these commercials are anything to judge, real life becomes about 15 times more intense when you step into the 64 bit world of the ATARI JAGUAR! Excuse me while I go change, because I think I just soiled myself...

Did you own the ultimate in video gaming technology, the SIXTY-FOUR BIT masterpiece that would revolutionize the gaming world?!? ...yeah, me neither.

Aside from the fact that the Jaguar failed miserably, the commercials do have an inherent statement to make, which I have brushed on ever so briefly in this blog. Virtual reality, one of the thematic mother loads of science fiction, is an inherent quality in every game console around. Every time you grab a controller, joystick or Wii-mote, you enter an artificial world that allows interaction within the limits of certain rules. Some of these rules are simple, like in Pac Man or Pong, and some are extraordinarily complex sandbox-style games like Grand Theft Auto or Assassin's Creed. But the idea remains the same: a simulated experience is created in place of a real one designed to entertain and occupy our minds. All of these commercials are expressing the idea, almost unconsciously, that you must somehow be virtually integrated into the game to have the best experience.

Thanks to enormous recent advances in consumer-available technology, the Seventh Generation of video game consoles (which gamers have lovingly called "Next-Gen systems") are moving closer and closer to reaching a level of virtual reality once only fathomed by science fiction nerds and conspiracy theorists. Multi-player, story-lines, and interactive environments all contribute in different ways to the virtual experience, which in my opinion is a really cool step forward in the entertainment industry. I think this most recent Xbox 360 commercial (apparently banned, for some reason) puts my whole idea on this issue in perspective:



And there you have it. The cabbie near the end just shows me that people are still capable of being responsible and putting virtual reality on hold for real life concerns. Like homework. Which I swear, I'll do right after I finish beating Halo.. again.

Prince of Persia 3: The Two Thrones (a battle within)

The Sheel here, coming back at you with yet another review for the Xbox. Not the 360, or the PS3, but the regular old "current-gen" [post link] system that keeps me so entertained and often prevents me from doing all the work I'm supposed to do. Like all those essays I claimed I would finish early so I wouldn't have to worry about them. Yeah, right.

Honour and Arrogance at odds with one another: the Prince struggles with a schizophrenic mind for most of the game due to a curse.




Where to begin? Well, because this is the third part of a three part series, the storyline is a little bit confusing. I'll try the simple recap: you start on a boat, after rescuing the princess of time. Everything is fine and dandy, until you return to your Kingdom and everything is in ruins, because some bad-ass army has invaded and occupied the entire city of Babylon. You spend the game trying to restore the Prince's kingdom, spending your time in puzzle solving action sequences and/or laying the smack down on the occupying troops, with a few great boss battles thrown in to keep it interesting.

This commercial might give you an idea of the frustration of learning the controls. If you play this game, expect to die.. a lot. The Prince can use "sand-capsules" that allow you to slow down or reverse time, which keeps you from having to live through the game-over sequence too often, but the game is still impeccably hard. Which is something I really enjoy about it.

A highly recommended title, go and check it out along with the first two games in the series, particularly if you are a fan of the Tomb Raider or other puzzle solving/action genres. I'll leave you with the beauty of several CGI cut-scenes that never made it into the game; disappointing considering the excellent storyline that accompanies this title. Please enjoy :)

Sheel-Score: 8.5/10

A Quick nod to useless video game media

Just a quick nod to a cool new article on IGN: the Top 100 Games of All Time is getting released as I type these words. Well, not exactly now, but the countdown has begun. Here's the criteria they used when selecting these games:

• Eligible games had to have been released no later than December 31, 2006 (perspective is a good thing)
• A number of factors were taken into consideration when selecting a winner: How good the game was compared to others of its time, its overall game design, how well it stands up over the years, how influential it has been in the realm of gaming and just plain how much fun we had playing it are all points for contention.
• The list is comprised of single, stand-alone titles and doesn't include compilations, expansion packs or add-ons.
• Titles with multiple editions such as collector's boxes, gold editions or direct re-releases have been consolidated into one single entry, with the edition deemed most deserving taking precedence.
• Updated versions of original titles were only included on the list if they were significantly different from their predecessors.

Clearly they've thought about this. These guys (and indeed many gamers) really take their games seriously. Only the first 10 are out as of this post, but the cool thing is that they allow users to post their thoughts directly below IGN's write-up. How 'democratic' of them, no? Alright, I'm stretching, and it's late. Give me a break and enjoy the list. We're up to the top half of the list and theres some really good games on there. And yes, its got NHL94, don't worry.

The Latest in CC: "Cool Controller" Technology

Its no question that since their conception, video games have been an escapists way out of the real world. From the oldest of video games to the most modern, it is all about creating a virtual world that we interact with through various methods. Originally just an analog arcade joystick, game controllers have now become extraordinary pieces of technology that give the gamer enormous control over the way in which you interact with these 'virtual' worlds. I already mentioned the mind controller using "electro-encephalograph" technology, but that system is more an experiment than a practical controlling device. Today I want to look at some of the latest controllers that are both practical and changing the way gamers interact with the environment, and perhaps one day will evolve into the latest virtual game technology.

Nintendo Wii Zapper

Way back in 2006 the Wii Zapper was introduced at the E3 conference as a pistol shape, but it has recently emerged with this more "tommy-gun" inspired look. The design was taken with a grain of salt at IGN because of a few design flaws:

"The biggest of these is the implementation of a plastic trigger in the forward grip that presses against the Wiimote's own B trigger. In use this connection doesn't work well, as the mechanical trigger has a very squishy, imprecise throw that makes it really difficult to tell when the actual button is depressed"

It looks kind of cool to me, but they could definitely have done a better job getting the controller to respond. I much prefer the simplicity of the pistol design -->



The Novint Falcon

This awesome looking mouse design is exciting a lot of people for its ablility to allow the user to 'feel' surfaces and make movement in three dimensions. Through force feedback technology, the controller moves in the standard left/right, up/down, but also has a forwards/backwards capabilities. You can also feel texture.. The demo is a hand that moves about feeling various textures. Apparently you can also feel kickback from a gun if you're playing a FPS like Half-Life. Cool.


Camy's Pro Gear "Hero Pack"

Ok, I know its another Wii-mote adaption, but its just kicks so much ass I can't resist. I mean, are you telling me I can actually weild the Master Sword? AND the shield of Hyrule? That is seriously awesome! Theres the Wii-mote in the sword, the nun chuck clipped into the shield, and you walk around like Link beating ass. I don't have much else to say about it, except how cool it is. Period.

Guitar Hero Guitar

This controller to me, is more like an adaption of DDR, that stupid arcade dancing platform that saturated movie theaters everywhere and generally made me sick. Theres not much introduction that the controller needs because more people have played guitar hero than own an internet connection (not cited, but the author thinks its possible). Just look at all these controllers I found on the internet. There's even a guy who made an actual instrument using some computer programming wizardry and a synthesizer. The "Guitar Heroes"? He actually plays better on the controller than the real guitar. Wow.


On a side-note, and as a credit to how tired I am finishing this at about 3:02 am, check out this old commercial for a game called "Pole Position." This voice (possibly a steroid-using motivational speaker) manifests himself as a giant hand that rips this innocent, 'Leave it to Beaver-style family' from their Sunday drive and into the racing game, in which the family is quite obviously terrified and end up looking like extras in a Michael Jackson music video. I can't believe how hard I actually laughed when I watched this... please enjoy




Gotta love that contemporary, anti-corporate dialogue:
Mysterious voice: "HEY...you look like a real jerk!"
Dad: "Well, I am a corporate executive.."
"Muffy": "He stops exciting things from happening!"

Shame on Ubisoft... Assassin's Creed "squandered the immense potential of this pseudo-stealth action title"

The only thing missing from this review is the fact I haven't played the game yet. Look, I'm sorry. I just don't have the spare cash to go out and purchase a brand new xbox360.. Welcome to the poor life of the student.

Luckily, I have the advantage of the internet.. and the knowledge that countless internet nerds are determined to put as much video on the internet as is physically possible. But first let me point out a quote from IGN's review:

"Assassin's Creed could easily have been one of the best games of 2007. It is, without question, impressive on several fronts. But developer Ubisoft Montreal took some missteps along the way and squandered the immense potential of its pseudo-stealth action title."

...Wait, what? This game was supposed to be revolutionary to the video game industry! I was interested in this negative statement, because after watching all the previews I was as excited as a fourteen year old with a Victoria's Secret catalogue for this game to come out. So I did something I'm not proud of... I cheated and used youtube to watch the spoilers of the game. I'll try not to spoil the game for you, but I will point out some of the factors that have disappointed the video game community about this supposedly revolutionary title.

First of all, theres a HUGE...and I mean hulking, overshadows the entire plot of the game, blue light special huge plot twist that gets revealed literally before you even start to get into the game. You can find it here, but I leave that up to your discretion as to whether you watch it or not. It shows someone playing through the game and reveals the plot twist as if you were watching the game. Its actually an interesting concept, but its extremely disappointing that they wasted the opportunity to use this within the game.

The second problem appears to be the repetitive game play. I can't back this one up, because as far as I can tell, the controls look very innovative and although perhaps difficult to get a hang of, they give a lot of control over your character. However, the reviewers claim that each mission is essentially the same thing... hunt, kill, escape. I'm not sure if I agree with this, because the fight scenes look absolutely stunning and engaging with the environment (like the crowds of people and the ability to climb anywhere in the city) seems to be done extremely well.

Overall I think IGN may have overplayed their disappointment in their review, although I can't back that up until the university lowers tuition, or I get a better job.

Faster.. Louder.. Better.. What does Guitar Hero truly offer the world?

...I remember the greatest achievement of my third year was that I could go potty by myself. Now you can go on youtube and watch diaper clad infants rock out to Poison on their PS2. What kind of phenomenon have we reached? Guitar Hero has virtually invaded the videogame market, selling over $110 million dollars in the first week of sales, and people's social lives are suffering as a result. What would happen if the world decided to put down their weapons and settled their differences by Guitar Hero duels? World peace, thats what!

Unfortunately, the world isn't that awesome. But for the privileged and indulgent masses with expendable incomes and loads of spare time, I believe that we are breeding the next evolution in the greatest and most captivating instrument of modern music history: the electric guitar.

Why should I suggest such a thing? After all, playing real guitar is drastically different from five coloured buttons, not to mention the importance of having a musical ear and understanding at least a shred of musical theory. There are no strings to press, no amps to play with and no electronics or acoustics to worry about. However, I think you only have to watch the video above to notice that at 3 years old, this kid is following in the footsteps of Poison. Presumably minus the heavy drugs and ferarri crashes.

No, what GH generates is interest in the instrument. Not every kid is going to go pick up a guitar because he's a whiz at guitar hero, but I guarantee you the next time he sees a real guitar, something inside him is going to say "I wonder..." and he's going to think about picking it up and trying to play a few notes. On top of this, they have guitar players like Yngwie (pronounced ing-vay) Malmsteen to admire. Someone will eventually have to top them.

So keep rocking boys and girls. You never know what you're capable of.

"It's not personal.. it's business" (review)

Before I start out on what a great game this movie adaption is, I have to point out that I have not actually seen the Godfather movies. I am thoroughly ashamed of this, especially since I own all three movies and they're sitting right under my tv. But give me a break; they're in VHS form and in all honesty.. nobody has a tape player anymore.

Despite having missed one of the best movies of all time, I did manage to get a movie-like experience when I played the Xbox version of the Godfather. While versions exist for both Xbox and PS2 (as well as an updated Xbox 360 version, with new missions, improved graphics, and various other game tweaks), they are essentially the same game following the plot of the movie with a new character (the player) helping the Corleone's take back control of New York.

First of all, the game kicks ass. Straight up, no question. It's a 'sandbox' game modeled after Rockstar's GTA series (see GTA Clones) which is a particular favorite gaming model of mine, because it incorporates several game genres into one awesome product. You have racing, shoot-'em-up, role playing, and even a little bit of basic puzzle solving all incorporated into a large real-world model environment that allows for lots of interaction. In Godfather you can listen to people on the streets talk about what they're going to make for dinner, complain about their unfaithful spouses or even make snide or outraged remarks when you bribe police officers in their presence ("I wish I could make deals like that"). Touches like these are what makes good games great.

EA delivers an authentic New York Gangster experience. Come and get me copper!

Regarding the game play, Godfather is a tough game. Expect to get "iced" regularly, because dying is easy when you're a mobster and tommy guns are rampant throughout the city. There are five families (based on the fictional movie families, not the ones from the book) and some tend to be more violent and aggressive than others. The Tattaglia's are notably the weakest, the Stracci's and the Cuneo's are somewhat in the middle, and the Barzini's are absolutely ruthless. So paying attention to what family you are attacking is important, because some are much quicker to violence (the Barzini's in particular will whip out a shotgun and blast your face away before you can say "spaghetti")

As with every game, there are a few glitches: the targeting system is well done but it is a little finicky on choosing a target; I found myself accidentally mowing down innocent bystanders on more than one occasion. Overall, it is clear that EA spent a lot of time making sure that these glitches were minor and easily made up for by the excellent game play. In short, if you love sandbox style games... this is a must have.

Sheel-Score: 8.9/10

Downloadable games = Increasing gaming sales, and modded Xbox takes over my life

Today I wanted to discuss something that is extremely prevalent in today's "digital" society: the art of downloading. Theres a lot of yapping in this post, so if you have a short attention span I have a place for you to go. Otherwise, sit back, put on your reading glasses and pay attention..

Downloads Driving Gaming Sales Growth (article)
Note: this graph is for aesthetic purposes only; no correlation between actual sales data and this graph exist. Just in case you can't already tell...

Everybody who has been online looking for TV shows more than a couple times is probably familiar with programs like Bit Torrent; if not, let me explain: Torrent's are the next generation of "Napster," where you can download media such as movies, albums, television shows, and yes.. even video games. The user downloads a file (called a .torrent) and then uses a program very similar to Napster to activate these files and download whatever content comes with the torrent. For example, if I wanted to download the Trailer Park Boys Movie, I would search for the TPB movie torrent (ie "TrailerParkBoysSeason 7.torrent") and download that to my computer. Then (assuming I have already installed the Bit Torrent or other sharing program) I would use the Bit Torrent software to download the movie with the .torrent file, just like downloading a song from Napster.

So how does this relate to gaming? Well, the story started with Microsoft's release of the Xbox, which was the first console to have a build in hard drive intended to store gaming data. This is important because it essentially makes the Xbox a mini PC, with data storage capabilities and a processor fast enough to run just about any computer program. After a few years, computer nerds started figuring this out, and began to modify Xboxes to bypass Microsoft's default loading sequence. With a little bit of spot welding or software modification, your Xbox (or even Xbox 360) can become a mini media center, with the capability to store whole games on the hard drive, as well as sound and movie files, programs (emulators or media players), and even web browsing capabilities.

Basically, think of the modified Xbox as a way to play any game you want (limited to the console of course) without having the CD. On top of this, you can load your favorite tv shows, movies, or music artists and play them right through your Xbox. This means quicker loading time for games, easier access to your media, and a really really cool piece of hardware that replaces your CD, DVD and video game units all in one. So, now that you understand the modded xbox, the question remains: how does the ability to download games mark an increase in gaming sales, when you consider the trend in the music industry of decreasing sales?

Well, I have a theory. First of all, the latest gaming trends are (and have been) going in the direction of online gaming, which relies on a monthly subscription to sustain itself (see Xbox Live). These services also provide downloadable games which give the user instant access to any games, as well as access to numerous re-released games from older systems like Super Nintendo, Sega or Playstation. And even if these gamers were to download games free of charge from sites like the Pirate Bay, they still have to purchase the console in order to have it modified so that they can download these games. So if you want to be able to download and play Xbox games, you have to actually purchase and own an Xbox, whereas in the music industry an Ipod (while extremely popular, and very cool) is not necessary to listen to your favorite artists.

Finally, I believe that being able to download content like this contributes to the interest levels of gamers. This goes back to the idea of "demo discs" which became common after Playstation borrowed the idea from PC gaming and began releasing numerous samples to the public. These demos allowed you to play the first few levels of four or five different games, so you could find out if it was a game you wanted to buy. With downloading, you get the advantage of being able to own the entire game, but at the same time you can generate the interest of other gamers. This works because there is a community of gamers around the world are constantly trying new games and telling their friends how awesome (or how crappy) the latest titles are.

All in all, its a dangerous piece of hardware for people who can get distracted easily.. Like me. It has so much to keep you occupied that if you're not careful, you could stay glued to your TV for hours. But it keeps me on my toes playing the latest games, and lets me indulge in a little nostalgia with my Super Nintendo emulator whenever I feel the need. And clearly, it isn't hurting the video game market whatsoever. So now that we've all had a little education on the concept of downloading games, its time for me to go fire up the box and get started on my 'homework' for the day.

Ahhh, life is good.

The next 'Power Glove' uses Electroencephalography [link]

A company called Emotiv Systems is developing a brain cap that allows the user to control actions on a gaming screen with your mind. It works by reading brain waves and transfers them into commands such as "push" or "lift." The interview on Emotiv's main home page shows users lifting, spinning and pushing the giant stone pillars of Stonehenge using only their minds. They call it 'electro-encephalograph' or EEG for short (don't worry I can't pronounce it either), and they claim that it is the next revolution in the 13.5 billion dollar gaming industry.

Personally, I'm not convinced and neither are some experts, who claim that signals from brain waves are extremely weak and difficult to pick up. This leads to sluggish response times and somewhat awkward movements, two things that drive gamers absolutely crazy. The less control I have over the screen, the more frustrated I'm likely to become when the game doesn't respond the way I want it to. Essentially, you become the Angry Videogame Nerd.

The Power Glove looks cool, and thats about it. I used to own one but I used it more often when I was pretending to be Robocop.

This new technology just reminds me of the Power Glove which, incidentally the AVN reviews on this video. If you watch how frustrated he gets playing these older and technologically simpler games, imagine how difficult it will be to use this so called 'electro-encephalograph' technology to play a next-generation game like Harry Potter (which Emotiv uses as an example) where a slow response time could and will spell disaster for the gamer. I'll give it some credit; it is a revolutionary step forward in how we play video games (*cough*virtual reality!*cough*), but becoming a successful consumer product by 2008? Sorry Emotiv, you'll have to show me something a little more effective.

Jack Black, heavy metal, and a complete overdose of violence.. my kind of game!

Awe·some:

1. Full of awe, profoundly reverential.
2. Inspiring awe; appalling, dreadful, weird.
3. a. In weakened sense: overwhelming, staggering; remarkable, prodigious. colloq. (orig. and chiefly U.S.). b. In trivial use, as an enthusiastic term of commendation: ‘marvellous’, ‘great’; stunning, mind-boggling. slang

Now that I've properly defined what you're about to witness, please check out the latest source of my 'awe-filled' excitement.

....and watch closely. Right as the heavy metal music cues up, the character (a Roadie named 'Riggs' played by none other than Jack Black himself) actually flashes the devil horns before starting off on a violent ass-kicking massacre of all sorts of wild creatures. That is so metal I don't even know what to do with myself.

Apparently the promotions that were sent out for this game last week included a working vinyl record player, a record and a flier with some cryptic poem. This video clip shows you the whole package, but don't watch too much because whoever is filming really starts to get annoying by the middle of the video (he even admits it himself).

The Devil Horns.. Rock and roll baby!

As a heavy metal lover and Jack Black fan, I'm so excited to see this game that I might go buy a 360 or PS3 just so I can play it. The game's producer Tim Schafer is known around the industry for infusing comedy into his games, and Jack Black pretty much sweats funny (see The Pick of Destiny) so I can't see this game being anything but totally AWESOME!


(Update: Oct 21st, 2007. Double Fine Productions and Tim Schafer officially announced the upcoming Brutal Legend as a very real project. It appears to be based on a fictional account of heavy metal antiquity:

"Together, the two groups [that's 'Double Fine' and Schafer] are in the process of reconstructing and realising the events that took place eons ago, allowing future generations to pay respect and experience first-hand the blood, sweat and chrome needed to ensure metal prevailed.")

Beautiful Katamari.. Can you roll with the best?

I'm so confused.. and strangely interested.

Beautiful Katamari is on it's way out for Xbox 360, and there is no easy way for me to explain the game.. So I took a blurb of the storyline from IGN's video review:

"You're a prince, and you roll around a katamari.. or a ball.. and you collect objects. The point is to restore the universe, but actually who cares what the point is; the game doesn't make any sense, and that's one of its main attractions."

Did you catch that? The game makes no sense. I watched IGN's video footage and all I can say is that yes, the game is complete nonsense. You're a little Prince, and you have to somehow save the universe by rolling around this ball collecting objects; starting small with things like stamps or bottle caps, and eventually moving to things like cars, fences and even people. Quite literally nothing is beyond your reach.

Watch out Grandma, the Prince does not discriminate.

But strangely enough, I would still give this game a try. I want to see how expansive the game can really get. It has an Xbox live version which allows players to compete against each other for... picking things up? I have to say I'm very curious, but I don't see myself going through a lot of effort to get my hands on this one.

Star Wars 'Nerdery' Continued... (Game Review)

Today I'm reviewing an older game, which was released way back in 2001. Why, you ask? Well, the other day I discovered some old computer games in my closet and one of them was Star Wars: Dark Forces 2. This was an old first person shooter that let you use different Jedi powers along with classic Star Wars blasters and thermal grenades. It, along with several other titles from LucasArts occupied a fairly big chunk of my very pathetic childhood as a computer gamer. I spent hours upon hours on games like Grim Fandango and Tie Fighter for the PC, and anyone thats nostalgic about old PC games should most definitely check these titles out, if you can somehow find them. But this blog is devoted to console games, because, well.. I think console games kick ass. So, permit me to introduce you to Star Wars Starfighter: Special Edition for the Xbox.

This very cool remake of the original Starfighter game for PS2 (which I never played) impressed me in terms of its smoothness, although I found it did have a few more glitches than I would have liked to see. For instance, blowing up large spaceships often results in a few discombobulated seconds of pixelated flying space debris, which is choppy to play through. You also tend to 'bounce' off ships awkwardly if you get too close, and there is very little room on some of the planet battles which leads to a claustrophobic feel at times. However the space battles don't share this problem and overall the game runs very smoothly and only takes about a half hour of getting used to the throttle/braking system and the turning capabilities of all the ships.
You can see how the image looks crisp from a distance (left), but seems to get pixelated at close range (right). However this game was released in 2001, so it is actually ancient by technologies standards, and it still looks great. Kudos to LucasArts.


In the mission mode you play as one of three characters (all of which fly different ships) fighting against the Trade Federation to stop the invasion of some planet. I didn't really focus on the plot of the game too closely because the game is pretty much blasting away at everything you can target and destroy. There are some cool features, like having an interactive teammate or wing of fighters that follow your commands, but the commands are basically restricted to "attack my target" or "defend my target". The audio chatter gives you some direction as to what you should be blasting (for example, your wing mates will yell things like "quick, destroy that missile frigate!") but for the most part the game lays out your objectives beforehand and you can pretty much take out everything in sight.

Overall, there's nothing outstanding about this 'special edition' game, however it's a fun couple hours of gaming and it offers a decent challenge to any flight game fans out there. I'm pretty sure this game was motivated by its release date (it came out about a month before christmas) to generate a bit of green. Overall, not bad. But don't go rushing out to buy this technologically ancient title, there are some much better flight and fight games to be played.

The ancient look of the LucasArts 'gold guy' really speaks for how old this game actually is.

Sheel-Score: 6.5/10

Game Review: Black

Inspired by fellow classmate Eric's post on game realism, I decided to return to a well kept secret in the world of first person shooters: Black. Your character is a special operations soldier named Jack Keller who is on the hunt for a rogue American agent responsible for a professional terrorist organization called 7th Wave. You have to battle your way through various urban landscapes including military border patrols, industrial loading docks and a real creepy bombed out asylum. Black provides what IGN.com calls a "100% visceral experience 100% of the time" and the guys over at IGN are pretty much bang on.

Without question, the most incredible feature of this game is its graphics. Criterion, the company responsible for Black has gone above and beyond what is expected of a shooter, delivering an awesome and engaging treat for the video game senses. Glass will shatter, concrete and wood will disintegrate under a hail of gunfire, and you get to see lots and lots of explosions. Find yourself out of grenades? Just try shooting any of the various explosive objects that are littered throughout each level. And given that you are moving through war torn regions under intense military control, theres lots of targets of opportunity. Glee.

These pillars were in good shape, but they got in the way of Kellar's bullets. Oh yeah, and the bad guys aren't doing too well either..

The game play is smooth, nothing exceptional for the genre, however the extra effort that Criterion put into the games graphics goes above and beyond any other shooter I've played. For instance, everything is governed by real life physics so that when you fire a sniper rifle over a long distance, it takes a few seconds to reach its target. The opposing soldiers will use flanking maneuvers to try to gain a better position on you, and you can hear them communicating along with putting up with regular radio chatter from your own teammates in certain levels. Generally the AI is pretty simple minded, but theres enough challenge to make it interesting (especially on the higher difficulty levels) without feeling like you're shooting up mannequins all game.

The game has two major flaws that I found, which IGN also cites as the game's biggest flaws (see their video review and lots of in-game footage here). The first is a lack of a multi player option, which could have opened the game up to a much larger group of gamers. As it stands, its just a short yet engaging single player game that has very little lasting power. Which brings me to Black's second flaw: the game only lasts about 5 hours total. Usually a good game will last between 10 and 15 hours, with the exception of RPG's which can last much longer (some can exceed 60 hours, or go as long as the gamer can stand playing). However, its short length is probably a good thing because otherwise the game would get dull.. All that running and shooting can only fill so much time, and the storyline can only make a game go so far before it becomes tedious to follow.

Overall, I give this game a great review because of its excellent audio and visual effects, smooth game play and its realistic feel. It loses points for the lack of multi-player options and the one dimensional storyline (which seems to me like a Tom Clancey novel), and an extra .5 deduction for the stupidly long intro sequence and lack of a way to skip the cinematic scenes.

Sheel-Score: 7.5/10

Films and Gaming: A New "Force" in Next-Gen Gaming

It seems that Star Wars is continuing to be a leading innovator in media, this time merging Hollywood and gaming in an upcoming PS3 game that looks to be totally AWESOME. The storyline follows what is essentially an 'evil' version of Luke Skywalker; a young apprentice of Darth Vader before the bucket head and his Emperor get whooped by the Rebellion. And let me tell you, this guy is totally out of the ballpark juiced on Force steroids. In the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) trailer the main character takes down a whole Star Destroyer with his force power, then he charges up his lightsaber and looks like he's going to dice up the ship for a big Stormtrooper and scrap metal salad. Holy (deleted)!!!
This guy is serious. He's ready to kick the entire Star Wars universe square in the nuts.

The most significant part of the game revolves around five characters: A nameless apprentice, Darth, another semi-evil mentor guy, a sexy blonde femme fatale, and what looks like a more evil version of C3-PO. Sounds weird, but what's great is that all five of these characters are portrayed by real actors filmed in a small studio (see some behind-the-scenes footage here). The production team paired up with George Lucas and, taking a hint from the enormous popularity of storyline based games like Halo, cast real actors to play the parts of the game characters. I'm not sure whether they will incorporate this into the regular game play or just in cinematic cut-scenes, but its a pretty interesting step forward in how games are designed. It also draws the gamer into the storyline a lot more than the standard run around, kill everyone in sight style of game which doesn't develop characters in any way.

No game is complete without the scantily clad cleavage bearing pin-up girl, complete with an impossible outfit.

If they can avoid the usual pitfalls with such games (dragging cinematic scenes, poor game play, or poor use of surrounding environment) then this game should be a hit. So far it looks like you can force lift pretty much everything, and do so with a variety of different force skills. And of course, there's the fan favorite: the Lightsaber, plus what promises to be a myriad of other cool ways to cause mayhem around the galaxy . Star Wars fans, do yourself a favor and keep updated on this one.

Videogame History is Made, and the Chief Becomes Legendary

Bungie Studios must have been under enormous pressure developing the game considered the most highly anticipated video game of all time. I think it's safe to say that tomorrow morning people out there that will unwrap Halo 3 from its package and never see the light of day again. I think with the online capabilities of the Xbox 360 and the addictive nature of online multilayer games (Such as Gears of War, or dare I mention the old cult classics: Counterstrike or Unreal Tournament) Halo 3 has the chance to be a long lasting favorite of gamers through the next 2-3 years, solid. The lucky bastards at IGN received the game ahead of the world to give their reviews. I've watched them all, and.. Damn. The game (aside from what IGN calls "some issues," they assured their readers that it has been the game that we have been waiting for.

Above: the original drawing of Master Chief.. Badass.

What makes Halo so awesome? Well, the original game introduced the rechargeable shield in tandem with a health meter, which changed the way first person shooters were played but without eliminating the dynamic of physical damage and medpacks. It introduced a new approach to physics of the game (if you played, you might remember blowing up warthogs with a reckless abandon), and borrowed largely from Half-Life's concept of an exciting and attractive story line, which made playing through the campaigns much more enjoyable and engaging for the player.

The new game will have a map editor feature, which means that even if Halo 3 wasn't awesome enough for the online multiplayer experience, now you will have the joy of creating your own customized maps to play out a whole variety of different scenarios. I've already seen review footage of some guys using the gravity hammer (a weapon that allows you to go into Barry Bonds mode against vehicles) as a baseball bat, with another player as a "pitcher" shooting rockets at you. I think I'll want to avoid striking out on this one.

Master Chief John-117 is back.. Kicking alien ass with an extra shiny visor.


I'll tell you about my playing experience when the game comes out (Tuesday!), and if I can pry my friend's brother from the Xbox controllers long enough to give it a try. Not owning a 360 myself, I have to get the cheap condensed version of a review.

The Revenge of the Nerds...

James Rolfe looking real pissed as the AVGN



I mentioned gaming nostalgia in my last post, but I wasn't thinking about the overpowering blast of early 1990's memories I would get when I stumbled across the Angry Nintendo Nerd. Original NES gamers beware, watching any of the following videos will make you scramble to your closet to look for your old console, praying that you haven't accidentally smashed it to bits in frustration, or sold it for five bucks to some kid at a yard sale.

Before I elaborate further, I want to put forth a disclaimer for anyone who watches these videos. The Angry Nintendo Nerd (James Rolfe) is a wrathful, vulgar and sometimes violent gamer, who works off a combination of shock value and satire. He swears profusely (an understatement) and his descriptions of what he would rather do than play some of the games he reviews are pretty graphic to say the least.

That being said, I think he's hilarious. I love watching his videos because he revives the frustration that I remember having trying to play these games. What sets the Nerd apart from other video reviews of games is the format of his videos. They run very similar to the preferred format of many of the AdultSwim cartoons: 15 minutes or less of video, a short title sequence and original theme music, and a sense of humor that my aunt likes to call "toilet comedy." Awesome.

He has gained minor success on YouTube.com and ScrewAttack.com, as well as his own website Cinemassacre.com which features his film work (including the Nintendo Nerd series). If you're not particularly interested in old school Nintendo , it might be tough to relate to these episodes. But if you love the old gaming experience, check him out. Here are my episode recommendations:

Nintendo Power (the old nintendo magazine! how awesome. A good first episode to watch)

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (the original review, of a truly horrible game from a truly great series)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (I personally thought this game was sweet, but I was 6 years old. I still think it's sweet, and that the Nerd just can't handle the TMNT power)

Here's a compilation of the rest of his videos. The layout is kind of crappy, but easy enough to figure out. Enjoy!

For Those About to Game...

Ever since the explosion of Pong in the early 70s, video games have become increasingly popular in the average North American's lifestyle. It has become a multi-billion dollar industry, commanding the attention of countless gamers around the world. Video game 'cult classics' continue to be produced and often bleed over into other markets as a result of their enormous popularity. The stereotypical video game programmer is found by his computer working late into the night guzzling coffee and sweet tarts, obsessing over a sprite design and struggling with a deficiency of vitamin D after not seeing anything except virtual sunlight for weeks . Why do these programmers (and countless gamers) subject themselves to these sorts of conditions? Is it the appeal of a virtual world, an escape from reality into a new environment? Taking part in activities not legitimately possible in the real world like drive by shootings, stealing cars or battling fantastic other-worldly creatures? Is everything else just really really boring?

Whatever the reason, video games have become as much an integral part of our culture as movies, television and music. The demographics associated with gaming suggest some interesting trends. Consider these gaming statistics collected by the Entertainment Software Association:

1) The average age of a gamer is 33
2) The majority of gamers (almost 50%) are between 18 and 49
3) Females are playing games almost as much as males (girls make up 38% of gamers, and there are more females over 18 gaming than there are males under 17)
4) Gamers spend triple the amount of time exercising, playing sports, or volunteering for the community than they do playing video games (23.4 hrs vs 6.8 hrs weekly)

Other cool gaming stats from the ESA


Why is this important? Well, it means that a large portion of the North American adult community is and has been actively involved in gaming for many years. I myself have been playing Nintendo consoles since the earliest days of NES (I still get nostalgic every time I think about Double Dragon or Blades of Steel). In fact, many of the people I know have been gaming as far back as I can remember. A good portion of my Christmas mornings as a pajama-clad youngster were spent calling all my friends to talk about which games or new consoles Santa brought us, and whose house we were going to spend the next two weeks of vacation glued to a television, controllers in hand.

Clearly these video games have been and continue to be a significant part of our culture, and they don't seem to be on their way out anytime soon. So for all of you gaming nerds, for all the university and college escapists, the up and coming programmers and game designers, couch loving stoners, late night media addicts, and to anybody else that finds themselves coming back to the controllers again and again, I salute you. Game on!