So, after my 360 broke I was lucky to spend a week at my parents house for the Christmas season. The nicest part was spending time with my family. However, the nicest 'tech part' of this was playing PS3 and 360 on my brother's 32 inch HDTV. After about thirty seconds I figured out why I should get an HDTV.
My brother (the nicest guy in the world) let me borrow his 360 after Christmas to play my new games and such. However, when you get back home after playing video games on an HDTV you will realize what exactly HDMI capable televisions are needed for.
1) Your eyes don't hurt!
2) They are just so damn pretty!
3) You can actually see what you are playing or watching!
I finally got the chance to play Call of Duty 4 on both consoles for an extended period of time. I must say, this is the most perfect example of Microsoft and Sony needing to combine networks and allow gamers to play the SAME game online.
The PS3 may be more powerful on paper (and in practice at times) but there is a point where you have to ask, what good is this powerful hardware if it only has a couple of games that will ever really flaunt it.
The 360 is a piece of junk, lets just be honest. They break on nearly 50 percent of the consumers (I was a victim on December 7). However, when the 360 is working it is an extremely impressive machine.
The only true advantage the PS3 has is only important if you own a decent HDTV. BluRay has won the "Format War". BluRay playback is all it is cracked up to be...as long as you have a decent HDTV.
If you are a gamer that either doesn't have the money or the mommy and daddy that will supply an HD System to their little wonderful brat. You are in the some boat as me.
Each console has it's perks and drawbacks. However, when you look at what really matters to the average gamer it is "Do I enjoy the game with whatever I have?" My answer is YES I DO! The HDTV is the best thing you can do for your gaming experience. The only trick is finding the money or the nerve to focus on getting one.
Happy Holidays, enjoy your new games and HDTVs! I will be enjoying my borrowed 360 and waiting for my broken $400 system from Microsoft.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Death of My XBox 360 (and My Warranty Woes)
E-74 Error... Just as I watched Call of Duty 4 enter my console I received this message on my screen.
This error means that your cables aren't hooked up properly or (in my case) the Video Encoder is fried. Microsoft refers to this as the ANA chip.
After trying their trouble-shooting ideas to no avail, I decided to call Microsoft and get some support. The person on the phone was professional, however, she also let me know that it would cost me over $100 to get this fixed.
I know some of you are thinking "What about the 3 year warranty?"
Well, that only covers the "3-Red Lights" or "Red Ring of Death" (RRoD). In this case, I only had the lower right quadrant light up as Red. This is where you start to wish that you had the 3 red lights.
After ignoring her offer to fix my $400 console for a quarter of the cost I called in my extended warranty with Overstock.com. It was during this phone call that I was told that I would have to pay for shipping my console to be repaired. This is one key point... Repaired, not replaced with a new or refurbished console but repaired. This means that my 360 will be dismantled by a mystery company in Pennsylvania and hopefully returned in one piece and in working condition.
Not only do I have to send my 360 in, but everything I got with it. This includes my Hard Drive and controller. (I have since made small markings with a sharpie marker that only I will know to look for). This is in order to make sure that I am receiving my xbox in the same state I sent it.
I loved my 360. It was a solid machine for over a year and just as I thought I was in the clear...Poof! It breaks and I am without a console for the holiday season.
My advice to anyone that is looking to get a 360 or PS3 is to get it at Best Buy and purchase the $100 replacement plan. This will allow you to simply get a new 360 or PS3 when/if yours breaks. The plan is worth the extra money and avoiding the hassle involved with dealing in online warranties and retailers such as amazon.com or overstock.com. If you find a great deal online you are usually better off avoiding it if the product is an expensive one like a 360 or PS3.
Overstock.com is making me pay $30 shipping (on top of my $35 Protection Plan) so that makes it $75 and I am beginning to wish I had just gotten my 360 at Best Buy.
Fight the online urge... just get it at a physical retailer and buy the replacement plan.
This error means that your cables aren't hooked up properly or (in my case) the Video Encoder is fried. Microsoft refers to this as the ANA chip.
After trying their trouble-shooting ideas to no avail, I decided to call Microsoft and get some support. The person on the phone was professional, however, she also let me know that it would cost me over $100 to get this fixed.
I know some of you are thinking "What about the 3 year warranty?"
Well, that only covers the "3-Red Lights" or "Red Ring of Death" (RRoD). In this case, I only had the lower right quadrant light up as Red. This is where you start to wish that you had the 3 red lights.
After ignoring her offer to fix my $400 console for a quarter of the cost I called in my extended warranty with Overstock.com. It was during this phone call that I was told that I would have to pay for shipping my console to be repaired. This is one key point... Repaired, not replaced with a new or refurbished console but repaired. This means that my 360 will be dismantled by a mystery company in Pennsylvania and hopefully returned in one piece and in working condition.
Not only do I have to send my 360 in, but everything I got with it. This includes my Hard Drive and controller. (I have since made small markings with a sharpie marker that only I will know to look for). This is in order to make sure that I am receiving my xbox in the same state I sent it.
I loved my 360. It was a solid machine for over a year and just as I thought I was in the clear...Poof! It breaks and I am without a console for the holiday season.
My advice to anyone that is looking to get a 360 or PS3 is to get it at Best Buy and purchase the $100 replacement plan. This will allow you to simply get a new 360 or PS3 when/if yours breaks. The plan is worth the extra money and avoiding the hassle involved with dealing in online warranties and retailers such as amazon.com or overstock.com. If you find a great deal online you are usually better off avoiding it if the product is an expensive one like a 360 or PS3.
Overstock.com is making me pay $30 shipping (on top of my $35 Protection Plan) so that makes it $75 and I am beginning to wish I had just gotten my 360 at Best Buy.
Fight the online urge... just get it at a physical retailer and buy the replacement plan.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The Xbox 360 Best of 2007
Game of the Year-
1) Call of Duty 4- Best Game Ever?! Just 'google' the game and read for yourself.
2) BioShock- Creepy... Yeah creepy amazing gameplay, graphics and story!
3) Guitar Hero 2/Rock Band- Took over college dorms on the XBox 360, crazy fun!
Sports Game Of The Year
1) All Pro Football 2k8 - A sign from the football gods that there is still hope!
2) NBA 2K8- Fantastic game with great graphics and game play. But it is still just basketball.
3) Madden 08 - A patch five months in the making was too little too late!
Best FPS-
1) Call of Duty 4 - Best Game this year. Online is amazing, the story is like a movie...The Best FPS...period!
2) BioShock- Intriguing story with great graphics and a simple interface. Great game!
3) Halo 3- Halo 2.5 is what this should be called. The numbers don't lie... A lot of people love this game, but I don't.
Best Deal-
1) The Orange Box - Four Games for $50-60!
2) All Pro Football 2K8 - Started too high, but is now only $20 at your local retailer!
3) NFL 2K5- If you want good NFL Football get this game for XBox/360 for $2!
1) Call of Duty 4- Best Game Ever?! Just 'google' the game and read for yourself.
2) BioShock- Creepy... Yeah creepy amazing gameplay, graphics and story!
3) Guitar Hero 2/Rock Band- Took over college dorms on the XBox 360, crazy fun!
Sports Game Of The Year
1) All Pro Football 2k8 - A sign from the football gods that there is still hope!
2) NBA 2K8- Fantastic game with great graphics and game play. But it is still just basketball.
3) Madden 08 - A patch five months in the making was too little too late!
Best FPS-
1) Call of Duty 4 - Best Game this year. Online is amazing, the story is like a movie...The Best FPS...period!
2) BioShock- Intriguing story with great graphics and a simple interface. Great game!
3) Halo 3- Halo 2.5 is what this should be called. The numbers don't lie... A lot of people love this game, but I don't.
Best Deal-
1) The Orange Box - Four Games for $50-60!
2) All Pro Football 2K8 - Started too high, but is now only $20 at your local retailer!
3) NFL 2K5- If you want good NFL Football get this game for XBox/360 for $2!
Mass Effect Review
The story is great, the graphics are great... the game is okay.
I must admit, I was sucked into believing I could explore worlds openly and simply 'be' much like in Oblivion. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Mass Effect will impress most gamers with it's graphics and voice acting. The storyline is compelling and keeps you interested. However, the gameplay and overall presentation feel a bit clunky.
I was under the impression that it was a FPS (First Person Shooter). Once I started playing I realized that it was more like Resident Evil 4 or Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence. That isn't necessarily a bad thing... just a surprise when you are expecting something totally different.
The game starts off decently enough by throwing you in the middle of a time of crisis. You are gradually given background on what is happening. Then you are thrown into combat. This is where the game lacks any real FPS feel.
You are in command of 2 other party members. Your commands are given by using the D-Pad. This means you have four options. Okay, that is simple enough. The problem comes when you realize that to throw a grenade you have to press the 'Back' button. Since when is this button used for anything more than a "Time Out" in Madden? It is very awkward to say the least.
Then you fire your weapon using the right trigger (Typical). The game begins to feel like Halo more and more. And that is a bad thing. When firing your weapon it feels like you are firing blanks. You never see any blood or damage down to your enemy, they simply fall down when they die. When aiming your weapon you have a light blue aiming point that turns orange when on an enemy. This goes along with a radar that shows the location of almost every enemy in the area (unless they have radar jamming).
The biggest disappointment comes when you try to explore. It isn't as deep as most people want to believe. You are destined to get bored with driving your vehicle over terrain, staying away from 'liquid hot "Magma"' and NEVER flipping it over. All in all, the game is just not what I had hoped it would be. Maybe I should play it a little longer. However, it is hard to do that when there are other games to be played.
If you want a number rating I would give it a 8.5/10
Bottom Line-
If you love RPG's and have the patience to deal with learning awkward controls and team management, you will probably enjoy this game. If you like to pick up a game, play it, know it and have fun use your money on Call of Duty 4.
I must admit, I was sucked into believing I could explore worlds openly and simply 'be' much like in Oblivion. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Mass Effect will impress most gamers with it's graphics and voice acting. The storyline is compelling and keeps you interested. However, the gameplay and overall presentation feel a bit clunky.
I was under the impression that it was a FPS (First Person Shooter). Once I started playing I realized that it was more like Resident Evil 4 or Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence. That isn't necessarily a bad thing... just a surprise when you are expecting something totally different.
The game starts off decently enough by throwing you in the middle of a time of crisis. You are gradually given background on what is happening. Then you are thrown into combat. This is where the game lacks any real FPS feel.
You are in command of 2 other party members. Your commands are given by using the D-Pad. This means you have four options. Okay, that is simple enough. The problem comes when you realize that to throw a grenade you have to press the 'Back' button. Since when is this button used for anything more than a "Time Out" in Madden? It is very awkward to say the least.
Then you fire your weapon using the right trigger (Typical). The game begins to feel like Halo more and more. And that is a bad thing. When firing your weapon it feels like you are firing blanks. You never see any blood or damage down to your enemy, they simply fall down when they die. When aiming your weapon you have a light blue aiming point that turns orange when on an enemy. This goes along with a radar that shows the location of almost every enemy in the area (unless they have radar jamming).
The biggest disappointment comes when you try to explore. It isn't as deep as most people want to believe. You are destined to get bored with driving your vehicle over terrain, staying away from 'liquid hot "Magma"' and NEVER flipping it over. All in all, the game is just not what I had hoped it would be. Maybe I should play it a little longer. However, it is hard to do that when there are other games to be played.
If you want a number rating I would give it a 8.5/10
Bottom Line-
If you love RPG's and have the patience to deal with learning awkward controls and team management, you will probably enjoy this game. If you like to pick up a game, play it, know it and have fun use your money on Call of Duty 4.
Metal Gear Solid 4 - A Victim of Corporate Stupidity
NOTE- Both release dates referred to in the blog were later changed and pushed back further...
So, according to Ryan Payton (the Producer of Metal Gear Solid 4) "The PlayStation brand has always been good to us, and we're pretty bullish on the PS3", the producer said. "We're telling our fans that if you want to play Metal Gear Solid 4, you have to buy a PS3."
Sorry Mr. Payton, but you have it the wrong way around. The right thing to say/do would be this:
"We're telling our fans that we want them to be able to play Metal Gear on either console, the PS3 or the XBox 360. This is simply because Sony out-priced themselves on their new console at launch and there are many more owners of the XBox 360 out there to help us make a profit off of this game."
Konami, it is time you understand that by delaying Metal Gear 4 you have allowed yourself to miss out on more people caring about the release of your game. Bottom line, you are releasing Metal Gear 4 on March 1, 2008.
You should look at your calendar more closely and see that Grand Theft Auto 4 is coming out on March 3, 2008. Good luck selling 1 million copies on the PS3 alone. At least Microsoft released their over-rated and over-appreciated Halo 3 before Christmas and set media sales records. Metal Gear Solid 4 will go the way of Metal Gear Solid 2- 'Big in Japan, but no where else'.
So, according to Ryan Payton (the Producer of Metal Gear Solid 4) "The PlayStation brand has always been good to us, and we're pretty bullish on the PS3", the producer said. "We're telling our fans that if you want to play Metal Gear Solid 4, you have to buy a PS3."
Sorry Mr. Payton, but you have it the wrong way around. The right thing to say/do would be this:
"We're telling our fans that we want them to be able to play Metal Gear on either console, the PS3 or the XBox 360. This is simply because Sony out-priced themselves on their new console at launch and there are many more owners of the XBox 360 out there to help us make a profit off of this game."
Konami, it is time you understand that by delaying Metal Gear 4 you have allowed yourself to miss out on more people caring about the release of your game. Bottom line, you are releasing Metal Gear 4 on March 1, 2008.
You should look at your calendar more closely and see that Grand Theft Auto 4 is coming out on March 3, 2008. Good luck selling 1 million copies on the PS3 alone. At least Microsoft released their over-rated and over-appreciated Halo 3 before Christmas and set media sales records. Metal Gear Solid 4 will go the way of Metal Gear Solid 2- 'Big in Japan, but no where else'.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Madden 08: The Death of EA Sports
The last couple of months have been filled with football on my television every weekend. On the night of Madden 08's release I thought it was going to be a wonderful prelude to the best football year of all time.
Unfortunately, I was duped once again. I purchased Madden 08 for XBox 360 for $60+tax. Brought it home and played for a few hours. Then I began my Franchise, hoping to make the Cleveland Browns into the next Dynasty. The disappointment didn't come from the Browns for once... it came from the broken Franchise Mode. I found that any rookies that weren't drafted and subsequently signed would vanish from the game along with many other Free Agents. After the first year of my Franchise there were no Free Agent Kickers or Punters to choose from.
This is a problem that has plagued Madden since the release day and EA Sports has not publicly acknowledged any effort to fix this in a patch. The game is rendered useless because of this error and there are no plans to fix it. After reading message boards and forums (even the official EA Sports forum) I noticed that the broken Franchise issue has been the most highly talked about subject.... yet, there is no fix in sight and EA Sports is silent on the subject of fixing it.
Madden 08 is the Death of EA Sports.
Unfortunately, I was duped once again. I purchased Madden 08 for XBox 360 for $60+tax. Brought it home and played for a few hours. Then I began my Franchise, hoping to make the Cleveland Browns into the next Dynasty. The disappointment didn't come from the Browns for once... it came from the broken Franchise Mode. I found that any rookies that weren't drafted and subsequently signed would vanish from the game along with many other Free Agents. After the first year of my Franchise there were no Free Agent Kickers or Punters to choose from.
This is a problem that has plagued Madden since the release day and EA Sports has not publicly acknowledged any effort to fix this in a patch. The game is rendered useless because of this error and there are no plans to fix it. After reading message boards and forums (even the official EA Sports forum) I noticed that the broken Franchise issue has been the most highly talked about subject.... yet, there is no fix in sight and EA Sports is silent on the subject of fixing it.
Madden 08 is the Death of EA Sports.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
$600
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) was launched at $600 in November 2006. As a consumer I was floored by the price. As a Sony fanboy I was betrayed. In response, I opted for the Micro$oft XBox 360. I must admit, I felt dirty getting a 360; almost as if I were a traitor to Sony during the height of th Console Wars. That feeling has changed
Sony went onto keep the PS3 at $600 for nearly nine months. The Sony fanboys turned on their PCs and went to battle in online forums. Rumors began to swirl about the PS3's long awaited (and currently delayed...again) Metal Gear Solid 4 being ported to the XBox 360. I hate to admit this but a part of me cheered inside when I heard this 'news'. (Keep in mind, this is all still rumored...yet, I see no choice for Konami at this point) This was the culmination of my monetary logic. I was able to purchase a Premium XBox 360 in August 2006 with a new controller and a game for $395. The news about Metal Gear was music to my ears. Not only did I have Gears of War and Call of Duty 2 to compliment my 360 game collection but I would someday have what was once exclusive to the over-priced PS3.
Not to say the PS3 is worthless. I merely think that it is worth no more than $450. There is no rumble technology in their controllers yet and it lacks any amazing games. While there are several games in the works, it seems as if Sony has simply taken to limiting themself by keeping the PS3 above my assumed price ceiling. Some of you think that Blu-Ray technology is worth the $600 price tag. I respect that! There is a certain justification in feeling that way. Personally, I am more jealous about the integrated Wi-Fi and ability to use external harddrives and common memory such as USB and compact flash memory. The 360 is still using silly proprietary memory card hardware to save game content and the optional wireless antenna that costs $100 (and doesn't even work well). But I can live without that. I figure by the time Sony drops the PS3 to $300 I will be ready to allow it to share my living room with my XBox 360.
Sony went onto keep the PS3 at $600 for nearly nine months. The Sony fanboys turned on their PCs and went to battle in online forums. Rumors began to swirl about the PS3's long awaited (and currently delayed...again) Metal Gear Solid 4 being ported to the XBox 360. I hate to admit this but a part of me cheered inside when I heard this 'news'. (Keep in mind, this is all still rumored...yet, I see no choice for Konami at this point) This was the culmination of my monetary logic. I was able to purchase a Premium XBox 360 in August 2006 with a new controller and a game for $395. The news about Metal Gear was music to my ears. Not only did I have Gears of War and Call of Duty 2 to compliment my 360 game collection but I would someday have what was once exclusive to the over-priced PS3.
Not to say the PS3 is worthless. I merely think that it is worth no more than $450. There is no rumble technology in their controllers yet and it lacks any amazing games. While there are several games in the works, it seems as if Sony has simply taken to limiting themself by keeping the PS3 above my assumed price ceiling. Some of you think that Blu-Ray technology is worth the $600 price tag. I respect that! There is a certain justification in feeling that way. Personally, I am more jealous about the integrated Wi-Fi and ability to use external harddrives and common memory such as USB and compact flash memory. The 360 is still using silly proprietary memory card hardware to save game content and the optional wireless antenna that costs $100 (and doesn't even work well). But I can live without that. I figure by the time Sony drops the PS3 to $300 I will be ready to allow it to share my living room with my XBox 360.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Dancing With The Devil (Madden 07)
After waiting for 3 months to hear any new info on All Pro Football 2K8 I decided to put down the $15 and get Madden 07. I had rented it a few times prior, so I figured I might as well import my rosters from NCAA and see what I could do with my Browns before the ubiquitous NFL Draft started making me feel like Madden 08 was worth $60 (which I can say 3 months in advance that it won't be worth that price tag).
The only "new" information on APF2k8 is that it will have Legends. This isn't much of a surprise, so I won't elaborate any further.
I must say, I am finding myself falling off the "Sports Game Wagon". The more I play football online, the more I realize that there is no true simulation unless you are playing against someone sitting next to you; instead of some anonymous jerk that goes for it on every 4th Down whether or not he is inside either 10 yard line. The other evil you are subjected to is the CPU AI which seems to work for the first half and then once you are winning by 21 points the interceptions start appearing like Ricky Williams drug results, you are amazed but not really surprised and by the end of the game you don't even care.
Case in point, Browns VS. Broncos-
Jake Plummer throws for 156 yards and 2 TDs, 2INTs in the first half. (This is a great start for 5 minute quarters).
I am winning the game 35-14.
2nd Half starts and all of a sudden Jake Plummer falls apart... I intercept the ball 7 times in the second half (4 of which are returned for TDs)...Keep in mind, all of this is done with my INT slider set to ZERO.
THE DRAFT
I finished the season as undefeated Super Bowl champ. It was great, but the announcer didn't care. The fans didn't care either. It was like EA said, "good for you, now play the same thing again...30 more times"....
So, I did... well, I have started the 2nd Season anyway
Rd 1- Steve Breaston
Rd 2- Gaines Adams
Rd 3- Levi Brown
(everyone else is meaningless, and you will soon see why)
SEASON 2
Being the Browns fan I am, I traded for Brady Quinn. Then I figured, why not see who else I can grab. I proceded to get Ted Ginn Jr., Troy Smith
(for 2006 NFL MVP Charlie Frye- 3900 yds, 45 TDs and 9 INTs) ,
Adrian Peterson as well as Adalius Thomas from Free Agency.
The Second Season has started well. I have allowed 14 points in each of my first two games, while averaging 56 points per game. 4 Defensive TDs and a great RB (FINALLY)
I still feel dirty having purchased Madden 07. But Football cannot wait when I am suffering withdrawl and the NFL Draft has given me a quasi-Caffeinated need for something I will have in a few months.
OH, and
Brady Quinn (584 Yds, 5 TDs)
Troy Smith (204 yds, 3 TDs)
Adrian Peterson (167 yds, 4 TDs)
Steve Breaston (189 yds, 3 TDs)
Ted Ginn Jr. (3 Returns for 30 yd avg.)
other players on my team-
Walter Thomas (6'5" 370 lb, DT)
Devin Hester (2 TD Returns)
The only "new" information on APF2k8 is that it will have Legends. This isn't much of a surprise, so I won't elaborate any further.
I must say, I am finding myself falling off the "Sports Game Wagon". The more I play football online, the more I realize that there is no true simulation unless you are playing against someone sitting next to you; instead of some anonymous jerk that goes for it on every 4th Down whether or not he is inside either 10 yard line. The other evil you are subjected to is the CPU AI which seems to work for the first half and then once you are winning by 21 points the interceptions start appearing like Ricky Williams drug results, you are amazed but not really surprised and by the end of the game you don't even care.
Case in point, Browns VS. Broncos-
Jake Plummer throws for 156 yards and 2 TDs, 2INTs in the first half. (This is a great start for 5 minute quarters).
I am winning the game 35-14.
2nd Half starts and all of a sudden Jake Plummer falls apart... I intercept the ball 7 times in the second half (4 of which are returned for TDs)...Keep in mind, all of this is done with my INT slider set to ZERO.
THE DRAFT
I finished the season as undefeated Super Bowl champ. It was great, but the announcer didn't care. The fans didn't care either. It was like EA said, "good for you, now play the same thing again...30 more times"....
So, I did... well, I have started the 2nd Season anyway
Rd 1- Steve Breaston
Rd 2- Gaines Adams
Rd 3- Levi Brown
(everyone else is meaningless, and you will soon see why)
SEASON 2
Being the Browns fan I am, I traded for Brady Quinn. Then I figured, why not see who else I can grab. I proceded to get Ted Ginn Jr., Troy Smith
(for 2006 NFL MVP Charlie Frye- 3900 yds, 45 TDs and 9 INTs) ,
Adrian Peterson as well as Adalius Thomas from Free Agency.
The Second Season has started well. I have allowed 14 points in each of my first two games, while averaging 56 points per game. 4 Defensive TDs and a great RB (FINALLY)
I still feel dirty having purchased Madden 07. But Football cannot wait when I am suffering withdrawl and the NFL Draft has given me a quasi-Caffeinated need for something I will have in a few months.
OH, and
Brady Quinn (584 Yds, 5 TDs)
Troy Smith (204 yds, 3 TDs)
Adrian Peterson (167 yds, 4 TDs)
Steve Breaston (189 yds, 3 TDs)
Ted Ginn Jr. (3 Returns for 30 yd avg.)
other players on my team-
Walter Thomas (6'5" 370 lb, DT)
Devin Hester (2 TD Returns)
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Console Wars, Exclusive Rights and Non-Madden Football, Oh My!
2007 has started with a bang in the video game world.
Console Wars
Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii were released within a week of eachother in November of 2006. The PS3 is in the same position the first XBox was in during the last 'next-gen' release of 2000-2001. While the PS3 may be a more powerful machine on paper, the world is still waiting for it to show it's true capabilities when compared to the XBox 360. (The Wii is not considered 'next gen' or even a part of the 'Console Wars' for a few reasons I will cover later in this article.)
I will be the first to admit that I was a Playstation Fanboy. I got the PS2 on Launch Day (for Christmas) and I was excited as hell! I didn't realize until it was too late that there were going to be flaws in launch systems. Yet, I still managed to fix it and it still works (with enough coaxing) today.
I was planning on purchasing a PS3 in March 2005 and then that date moved to March of 2006. Then I was planning on buying it in November 2006 after they delayed the PS3 by nearly 2 years. Then came the release of the console price and the release of two seperate consoles! $500-$600 for a Sony launch product had me scared out of my mind for two reasons.
1) It was a launch day piece of hardware that would be even more limited than the 1 million that shipped for the PS2. Launch hardware is (as I learned with the PS2) is not a smart purchase unless you like fixing things.
2)$500-$600! There is an exclamation point there because that is what every person once interested had above their head. Like a game of Metal Gear, we all had panic in our mind and started running around as if the world had just exploded! $600! WTF?!
Blu-Ray had captured our hearts and minds with it's huge 50GB capacity. The limits of video games seemed vanish from the concept of such a large media. I was amazed at the possibilities and became enthralled in Hideo Kojima's words that Metal Gear Solid 4 would need to have Blu-Ray in order to hold the entire game. Wow, a 50GB game?! This was unreal, amazing, something new and sexy that I just had to try out! But then something happened. $600 happened.
Blu-Ray is great and exciting, but did I really want to put my money towards a system that was going to be using a proprietary piece of software media? DVD's have been proven on the XBox and PS2. They have been proven as the preferred movie format. So, why would I want to trust Sony? Why would anyone want to trust Sony? Fanboys and young-easy to influence-kids were targets. I had for the first time in my gaming life felt betrayed by a company and system that I had worshipped for almost ten years. God had died in the form of an un-proven piece of $600 hardware. For the believers out there, I wish you well. And for those of you thinking about converting, I would wait until we see what this once powerful god really has to offer. I for one am very happy with my 360. I purchased it only a month after my dream died with a $600 price tag stuck on it and there have been no problems (knock on wood).
Exclusive Rights
Metal Gear Solid 4 had also died in my heart. The hope to finish the saga of Solid Snake which I began nearly 20 years ago had vanished with the PS3's price tag. But then, out of the blue came this wonderful rumor. The prophecy said that there was a possibility that MGS4 would be realeased on the 360.
WHAT?! OMG OMG OMG!
Yes, that was essentially what went through my head.
It caused me to start looking into Exclusive Rights for console games. Halo for Microsoft and MGS for Sony. This is how it has been for over 5 years and we all seem to get along. I'll put it this way...
If Sony Fanboys were Israel and Microsoft Fanboys were Palistine, we had finally reached a long lasting peace one that would be un-impeded by the forces of darkness because we had our precious little pieces of what we claimed was ours, MGS and Halo.
Now the barriers and happiness were threatened! MGS going to the 360 seemed like a betrayel to those waiting for their PS3 only because MGS4 would be exclusive. I left the PS3 boat and found my promised land for $200 less (at least). Then I found out that God would be coming to my side of gaming as well! This was a happy day.
This made me realize that exclusive titles hurt gaming. We are forced to pick between a game and a system much of the time. MGS4 or 360? Halo or PS3? It was a sad test of our loyalty to one side of a "pick which parent you want to live with."
My solution is to make all games available for all systems. I just read recently about attempts to make Unreal Tournament 3 cross-bred for 360 and PC. This could obviously make it possible for PC gamers to crush those with controllers into the ground, but it was a good step towards my solution. If they could only make games that would branch from PS3 to 360 online there would be one gaming nation. Much like the one we enjoyed with the NES of yester-year. World gaming peace is within reach but Exclusive Rights are standing in our way!
Non-Madden Football
While the world looked at Madden as the quintessential game to mimic for longevity (other than Final Fantasy) there had recently been a horrible transformation. Madden, the best football game in the universe had become Madden, the only football game in the universe. They (EA Sports) purchased the exclusive rights to the NFL. This meant that 2K Sports was being robbed of their competition with EA Sports. 2K Football had finally measured up to Madden during the 2K5 installment and then, all of a sudden, it was gone. The NFL was off-limits to 2K Sports and EA Sports was given to opportunity to get lazy in their innovation of the game and sport.
Madden became the only choice. The only difference between Madden 06 and Madden 07 are rosters and the '06 and '07 titles.
The return of 2K Sports is coming in Summer 2007! All-Pro Football 2K8 is slated for release and the world of unhappy football gamers is smiling at the possibilities. There will be no NFL teams and few, if any ex-NFL players to use in the game. Some people are turned off by this immediatley. However, my way of thinking is that this gives a longevity to the game. People don't need updated rosters because the players are not 'real'. There is no attempt to make stats 'realistic' because there is nothing to compare them to! All-Pro Football 2K8 is going to force football games amazing. Against the wishes of the mighty EA Sports, they will have to start working for their once taken for granted throne over football gaming.
Console Wars
Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii were released within a week of eachother in November of 2006. The PS3 is in the same position the first XBox was in during the last 'next-gen' release of 2000-2001. While the PS3 may be a more powerful machine on paper, the world is still waiting for it to show it's true capabilities when compared to the XBox 360. (The Wii is not considered 'next gen' or even a part of the 'Console Wars' for a few reasons I will cover later in this article.)
I will be the first to admit that I was a Playstation Fanboy. I got the PS2 on Launch Day (for Christmas) and I was excited as hell! I didn't realize until it was too late that there were going to be flaws in launch systems. Yet, I still managed to fix it and it still works (with enough coaxing) today.
I was planning on purchasing a PS3 in March 2005 and then that date moved to March of 2006. Then I was planning on buying it in November 2006 after they delayed the PS3 by nearly 2 years. Then came the release of the console price and the release of two seperate consoles! $500-$600 for a Sony launch product had me scared out of my mind for two reasons.
1) It was a launch day piece of hardware that would be even more limited than the 1 million that shipped for the PS2. Launch hardware is (as I learned with the PS2) is not a smart purchase unless you like fixing things.
2)$500-$600! There is an exclamation point there because that is what every person once interested had above their head. Like a game of Metal Gear, we all had panic in our mind and started running around as if the world had just exploded! $600! WTF?!
Blu-Ray had captured our hearts and minds with it's huge 50GB capacity. The limits of video games seemed vanish from the concept of such a large media. I was amazed at the possibilities and became enthralled in Hideo Kojima's words that Metal Gear Solid 4 would need to have Blu-Ray in order to hold the entire game. Wow, a 50GB game?! This was unreal, amazing, something new and sexy that I just had to try out! But then something happened. $600 happened.
Blu-Ray is great and exciting, but did I really want to put my money towards a system that was going to be using a proprietary piece of software media? DVD's have been proven on the XBox and PS2. They have been proven as the preferred movie format. So, why would I want to trust Sony? Why would anyone want to trust Sony? Fanboys and young-easy to influence-kids were targets. I had for the first time in my gaming life felt betrayed by a company and system that I had worshipped for almost ten years. God had died in the form of an un-proven piece of $600 hardware. For the believers out there, I wish you well. And for those of you thinking about converting, I would wait until we see what this once powerful god really has to offer. I for one am very happy with my 360. I purchased it only a month after my dream died with a $600 price tag stuck on it and there have been no problems (knock on wood).
Exclusive Rights
Metal Gear Solid 4 had also died in my heart. The hope to finish the saga of Solid Snake which I began nearly 20 years ago had vanished with the PS3's price tag. But then, out of the blue came this wonderful rumor. The prophecy said that there was a possibility that MGS4 would be realeased on the 360.
WHAT?! OMG OMG OMG!
Yes, that was essentially what went through my head.
It caused me to start looking into Exclusive Rights for console games. Halo for Microsoft and MGS for Sony. This is how it has been for over 5 years and we all seem to get along. I'll put it this way...
If Sony Fanboys were Israel and Microsoft Fanboys were Palistine, we had finally reached a long lasting peace one that would be un-impeded by the forces of darkness because we had our precious little pieces of what we claimed was ours, MGS and Halo.
Now the barriers and happiness were threatened! MGS going to the 360 seemed like a betrayel to those waiting for their PS3 only because MGS4 would be exclusive. I left the PS3 boat and found my promised land for $200 less (at least). Then I found out that God would be coming to my side of gaming as well! This was a happy day.
This made me realize that exclusive titles hurt gaming. We are forced to pick between a game and a system much of the time. MGS4 or 360? Halo or PS3? It was a sad test of our loyalty to one side of a "pick which parent you want to live with."
My solution is to make all games available for all systems. I just read recently about attempts to make Unreal Tournament 3 cross-bred for 360 and PC. This could obviously make it possible for PC gamers to crush those with controllers into the ground, but it was a good step towards my solution. If they could only make games that would branch from PS3 to 360 online there would be one gaming nation. Much like the one we enjoyed with the NES of yester-year. World gaming peace is within reach but Exclusive Rights are standing in our way!
Non-Madden Football
While the world looked at Madden as the quintessential game to mimic for longevity (other than Final Fantasy) there had recently been a horrible transformation. Madden, the best football game in the universe had become Madden, the only football game in the universe. They (EA Sports) purchased the exclusive rights to the NFL. This meant that 2K Sports was being robbed of their competition with EA Sports. 2K Football had finally measured up to Madden during the 2K5 installment and then, all of a sudden, it was gone. The NFL was off-limits to 2K Sports and EA Sports was given to opportunity to get lazy in their innovation of the game and sport.
Madden became the only choice. The only difference between Madden 06 and Madden 07 are rosters and the '06 and '07 titles.
The return of 2K Sports is coming in Summer 2007! All-Pro Football 2K8 is slated for release and the world of unhappy football gamers is smiling at the possibilities. There will be no NFL teams and few, if any ex-NFL players to use in the game. Some people are turned off by this immediatley. However, my way of thinking is that this gives a longevity to the game. People don't need updated rosters because the players are not 'real'. There is no attempt to make stats 'realistic' because there is nothing to compare them to! All-Pro Football 2K8 is going to force football games amazing. Against the wishes of the mighty EA Sports, they will have to start working for their once taken for granted throne over football gaming.
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