In an effort to bring more affiliated content to the Community Contributions Union, I'll be updating the board there whenever the Trigames crew and I record a new podcast. Ironically, I'm not in this one. Oh, and just to be safe - hey, Draqq [CC Union leader]?
"I'm Draqq W. Zyxorian. And I approve this message. In fact, I think it's awesome."
Thanks Draqq. I'll vote for you in '08.
Trigames.NET Podcast Episode 25 - Thack Jompson
2006-10-31 - MrCHUPON takes a break with his family as they take the matriarch out for her birthday; meanwhile, ballerinas AnTiPoDe, Porpuswail and Fastethanfelson pull their weight and spend a glorious hour railing on a certain attorney who shall remain nameless. Also included in the conversation - the weird Baby with the Playstation 3 commercial and the shutting down of (sniffle) popular import shop Lik-Sang.
Download here. [PARENTAL ADVISORY: Explicit Profanity and Fun within]
File size: 49MB
Run time: 1:00:09
I encourage all of you to send your questions or comments to us - mailbag [at] trigames [dot] net. Or, you can just slap them in the CCU thread. I will read them on the air, so make sure to ask something you want answered and want an automatic "shout-out" as a result. If your intended question or comment is vulgar, it's probably wise to email it - the Terms of Use don't play nice with foul mouths on these here boards!
(Please note that we don't curb our mouths during any podcasts. Please also note that some of you may find our verbal horseplay offensive; we are absolutely not serious when we play around and we don't intend to target anybody and we don't mean anything by it; simply put, spontaneity is what keeps it fresh. If you are easily offended, which is understandable, it's probably wise to move along.)
MrCHUP0N Blog
Podcast 24
by MrCHUP0N on Comments
Better late than never... I guess. Episode 24 (oh 24, Season 6, start already) is up and ready for listening. If your ears are whiny and don't liketh the mean cussing, keep on walking.
Download here.
Podcast homepage here.
Download here.
Podcast homepage here.
Forcing Feedback: The Importance of Rumble
by MrCHUP0N on Comments
Foreword: This is written not in response (well at least, not directly) to the lack of rumble in Sony's new controller, or the "puny" rumble in the Wiimote and the lack of it in the nunchuk. In fact, this is written in response to some critics. Well, one in particular from elsewhere, who responded to the news that the Wiimote would incorporate rumble with, and I paraphrase: "That's nice, but I never liked rumble. I usually turn it off because it feels funny and only makes the controller wiggle and shake at weird useless moments." Useless? Hardly.
Since the popularization of rumble in console games with Nintendo's N64 Rumble Pak and Sony's Dual shock controller, vibration feedback became expected in game controllers for nearly a decade. However, when Sony announced that its Playstation 3 controller - now known as the SIXAXIS - would eschew rumble in favor of motion sensing because rumble was "last generation," there was an almost instantaneous uproar from fans. The question has been posed again and again since - rumble, or motion sensing? Quite often, the answer was "rumble," immediately. However, the possibilities provided by a motion-sensing controller can't be denied. Even on a simplistic, non-Wiimote-exclusive level, using the SIXAXIS to merely steer a car brings players one step closer to fully emulate a real driving experience on a standard joypad (read: without having to buy a wheel).
I makes the shimmies, I makes the shakes, but I don't makes the shocks.
Rumble, however, remains an important innovation that will only become more important as motion-sensing makes its debut in the next wave of consoles from Sony and Nintendo. It's quite simple - rumble, like graphics and sound, is another form of feedback that relays some kind of gameplay-related data back to the user. As such, when used appropriately, rumble in games has a definite, perceivable value in letting the user know that he or she is performing an action properly. It also has value when appropriately conveying an in-game situation or stimulus to the user for gameplay-critical items that aren't readily seen or heard.
Like flashy graphics and sound or overly-gaudy cut scenes, rumble has been often implemented in a way that's "really nice to have" but doesn't necessarily serve a core gameplay function. One example is having the controller rumble in Street Fighter III when your character's body hits the ground. Another is having the controller jolt when Link's shield deflects a blow in Zelda. These frills help to immerse the player in the game, but one can argue that there aren't really any true gameplay "benefits" - per se - to having these in the game. Being able to see and hear that sword clang against Link's shield is more than enough feedback, as is watching Ryu's body hit the ground. This is the type of rumble implementation that some players and critics are quick to dismiss with "I'm not gonna miss it" or "I just turn off the rumble".
What these people might be missing, however, is that instant where rumble tells you something truly important and vital to the game. Project Gotham Racing 3 is one such instance where the Xbox 360's controller rumble really provides the player with the critical feedback of knowing when a drift is too wild and going out of control. This is something that's not entirely visually apparent. The sound of squealing tires and a chugging engine helps, sure. The rumble, however, gives the player tactile feedback and more information about just how severe the drift is; you "feel" how much you need to adjust your turn by in a way you can't get simply by receiving input through your ears.
Let's consider Shadow of the Colossus, a game in which the on-screen action gets severely hectic and frazzled at critical moments. There are several instances where rumble is used effectively, and not just as a tack-on, obvious effect. It's all well and nice that the controller rumbles when massive colossi stomp their feet into the ground. It's immersive and it's fun, but it doesn't really impact the gameplay a great deal unless we're talking about knowing when we're near the thing. What I'm talking about is the nerve-wracking vibration that possesses your Dual Shock when you're hanging for dear life onto the fur of one of these beasts. Since the game is mostly about your struggle in climbing to the top of these monstrosities, the rumble plays a subtle yet important role in making this slightly more challenging. As you're mentally trying to focus on creeping upwards, that constant rumbling - along with the visual stimulus of your hero swaying sideways as a flimsy tree branch in the wind - tries to disengage that focus and make you fall.
Yet, this very same rumble technology makes a 180 and helps you at your moment of attack. When attacking the weak points of the colossi, you will find yourself planting your off-hand for stability and bringing back your sword arm for the maximum momentum required for - wait for it - massive damage. Try it right now - ball your hand up into a fist and pull your arm behind your back, bending at the elbow, as if you were to thrust forward and stab something. You feel that tension in your arm that tells you that you can't pull it back any further (without ending in the hospital)? It's at that moment in the game where your controller rumbles to simulate that tension, or at least, signal it. It's that "feel" again - something that's not entirely, 100% noticeable through visual stimuli especially given how intensely the on-screen action is shaking and moving. It's at that moment of rumble when you know to release the button and plunge your hero's sword into the Colossus' weak spot.
As can be seen, the benefits of rumble go past immersion. They include tangible - if subtle and understated - gameplay benefits in terms of rumble acting both as a challenge and as a stimulus for gameplay mechanics. Like stereo or surround-sound that tells you where an assailant is firing from, or the obvious advancement of graphics from 2D to 3D to provide for a new method of traversing game worlds, rumble serves a function that's not just fancy. Sure, there exist frilly moments - akin to HD graphics, which are gorgeous but ultimately not yet more "beneficial" to gameplay mechanics - but pick up the SIXAXIS and try to race with the motion sensing.
In fact, let's take a look at that example. Take any rectangular object, or hell, take your Dual Shock controller. Turn it as if you were turning a steering wheel. You feel that? "Uh, feel what?" Precisely. That resistance you feel from your steering wheel when driving your car, or the resistance your thumb gets from an analog stick, is missing. This same thing happens with the Wiimote. Ubisoft wheel accessory or not, the Wiimote doesn't provide that resistance either. This isn't so much of a problem yet, but when you get to those instances where - in Project Gotham Racing 3, to recall our previous example - the rumble kicks in to tell you that your drift is too extreme, or that you're braking too hard, or whatever, you get nothing. Tactile pin drops, if you will. You'll get visual and audio feedback when your car gets knocked around, but if you're playing the game from the dashboard perspective this visual stimulus is not as readily apparent. Sure, I know that the Wiimote provides rumble where the SIXAXIS does not. Based on Brian Ekberg's hands-on experience with the game GT Pro Racing, however, the rumble is said to be "puny." This doesn't instill much confidence.
Let's move on to another Playstation 3 game - Lair. You steer your dragon much in the same way - turning your controller as if it were a wheel - yet this time, it's more about emulating the feel of holding reins. Pulling the left end of the SIXAXIS towards you is like pulling on that left rein, and your dragon's head should yank to the left accordingly. This is an awesome concept; however, wouldn't it be nice if there were some vibrations to signal when you've pulled your reins (or, your arm rather) completely taut? Let's take this out of Lair, then, and touch a bit on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a launch title for the PS3. Wouldn't it be fantastic to use this same control method? If you wanted to stop your horse, you yank up with the SIXAXIS. Except, had there been rumble, you would feel a jolt the instant your reins went taut so you know you did the motion correctly. Again, there is a visual stimulus - your horse rearing up - but your hands would react and learn much quicker with tactile feedback to let you know, "hey, this is the approximate distance and power you need to use when yanking your controller up to effectively stop your horse."
Finally, let's travel to Nintendo-land, where in Call of Duty 3 for Wii, you can apparently use the motion sensing when struggling for a weapon. The Wiimote does have rumble, as touched on before. The nunchuk attachment, however, does not. If you're trying to wrestle a horizontal bar away from someone else, an activity that is similar to trying to win the struggle for a rifle for instance, you're using both hands. Apparently, you can simulate this action with the nunchuk and Wiimote combination. What kind of tactile stimulus is the game sending to you, however, if you can only feel the "resistance" rumble in your right hand? Wouldn't your experience be more properly facilitated by having rumble in both units, such that you could feel when you need to pull more with your left hand than your right?
Oh I vibrate alright, but my analog friend here is, uh, shall we say... rumbly-challenged.
Simply put, as we move forward in this next generation of controller technology - motion sensing - we need rumble more than ever. We need something to help simulate the resistance or tension of an analog stick, that "click" of a face button. Trauma Center: Second Opinion for Wii is a prime example of why rumble is necessary. Because you're, say, pulling pieces of glass out of a wound with a pair of tweezers or making an incision with a scalpel, you will be better served with more than a simple visual cue. Unlike Trauma Center for the Nintendo DS, where there is an unmistakable "impact" when your stylus hits the touch screen during incisions, there is no "touch" with the Wiimote. That "touch" is replaced by the rumble sensation in the Wiimote. Without it, your hand would be searching for some kind of sensation that lets it know that it's dragging a scalpel across bare skin.
If we turn back to our "frivolous" rumble moments, such as Ryu getting hit in the face with a fist, hopefully the difference between the implementation of rumble are clear. Ryu getting hit gives a very quick, obvious stimulus - a large, colorful hit spark and Ryu's reaction. This visual jolt is so quick and obvious that you know for sure that he's been hit successfully. This is the rumble that people usually put off as unimportant, and with good reason. But beneath this, useful implementation of rumble lurks in many games from this generation and the last. Things that aren't as easily seen or heard, or that would be served better by "feel," are brought to light with rumble. As we move forward, let's not forget the importance that the original Dual Shock controller and the N64 rumble pak represent. Sony, please settle with Immersion and release a rumble-capable version now or in the future; Nintendo, please make the rumble in your Wiimote stronger, and implement it in the nunchuk as well. Because as Greg Kasavin said during Gamespot's live coverage of TGS 2006: "I think it's something people won't think they'll miss until they realize that it's gone."
Images courtesy of Google's magic elves.
Originally written by myself for publication on Trigames.
Since the popularization of rumble in console games with Nintendo's N64 Rumble Pak and Sony's Dual shock controller, vibration feedback became expected in game controllers for nearly a decade. However, when Sony announced that its Playstation 3 controller - now known as the SIXAXIS - would eschew rumble in favor of motion sensing because rumble was "last generation," there was an almost instantaneous uproar from fans. The question has been posed again and again since - rumble, or motion sensing? Quite often, the answer was "rumble," immediately. However, the possibilities provided by a motion-sensing controller can't be denied. Even on a simplistic, non-Wiimote-exclusive level, using the SIXAXIS to merely steer a car brings players one step closer to fully emulate a real driving experience on a standard joypad (read: without having to buy a wheel).
I makes the shimmies, I makes the shakes, but I don't makes the shocks.
Rumble, however, remains an important innovation that will only become more important as motion-sensing makes its debut in the next wave of consoles from Sony and Nintendo. It's quite simple - rumble, like graphics and sound, is another form of feedback that relays some kind of gameplay-related data back to the user. As such, when used appropriately, rumble in games has a definite, perceivable value in letting the user know that he or she is performing an action properly. It also has value when appropriately conveying an in-game situation or stimulus to the user for gameplay-critical items that aren't readily seen or heard.
Like flashy graphics and sound or overly-gaudy cut scenes, rumble has been often implemented in a way that's "really nice to have" but doesn't necessarily serve a core gameplay function. One example is having the controller rumble in Street Fighter III when your character's body hits the ground. Another is having the controller jolt when Link's shield deflects a blow in Zelda. These frills help to immerse the player in the game, but one can argue that there aren't really any true gameplay "benefits" - per se - to having these in the game. Being able to see and hear that sword clang against Link's shield is more than enough feedback, as is watching Ryu's body hit the ground. This is the type of rumble implementation that some players and critics are quick to dismiss with "I'm not gonna miss it" or "I just turn off the rumble".
What these people might be missing, however, is that instant where rumble tells you something truly important and vital to the game. Project Gotham Racing 3 is one such instance where the Xbox 360's controller rumble really provides the player with the critical feedback of knowing when a drift is too wild and going out of control. This is something that's not entirely visually apparent. The sound of squealing tires and a chugging engine helps, sure. The rumble, however, gives the player tactile feedback and more information about just how severe the drift is; you "feel" how much you need to adjust your turn by in a way you can't get simply by receiving input through your ears.
Let's consider Shadow of the Colossus, a game in which the on-screen action gets severely hectic and frazzled at critical moments. There are several instances where rumble is used effectively, and not just as a tack-on, obvious effect. It's all well and nice that the controller rumbles when massive colossi stomp their feet into the ground. It's immersive and it's fun, but it doesn't really impact the gameplay a great deal unless we're talking about knowing when we're near the thing. What I'm talking about is the nerve-wracking vibration that possesses your Dual Shock when you're hanging for dear life onto the fur of one of these beasts. Since the game is mostly about your struggle in climbing to the top of these monstrosities, the rumble plays a subtle yet important role in making this slightly more challenging. As you're mentally trying to focus on creeping upwards, that constant rumbling - along with the visual stimulus of your hero swaying sideways as a flimsy tree branch in the wind - tries to disengage that focus and make you fall.
Yet, this very same rumble technology makes a 180 and helps you at your moment of attack. When attacking the weak points of the colossi, you will find yourself planting your off-hand for stability and bringing back your sword arm for the maximum momentum required for - wait for it - massive damage. Try it right now - ball your hand up into a fist and pull your arm behind your back, bending at the elbow, as if you were to thrust forward and stab something. You feel that tension in your arm that tells you that you can't pull it back any further (without ending in the hospital)? It's at that moment in the game where your controller rumbles to simulate that tension, or at least, signal it. It's that "feel" again - something that's not entirely, 100% noticeable through visual stimuli especially given how intensely the on-screen action is shaking and moving. It's at that moment of rumble when you know to release the button and plunge your hero's sword into the Colossus' weak spot.
As can be seen, the benefits of rumble go past immersion. They include tangible - if subtle and understated - gameplay benefits in terms of rumble acting both as a challenge and as a stimulus for gameplay mechanics. Like stereo or surround-sound that tells you where an assailant is firing from, or the obvious advancement of graphics from 2D to 3D to provide for a new method of traversing game worlds, rumble serves a function that's not just fancy. Sure, there exist frilly moments - akin to HD graphics, which are gorgeous but ultimately not yet more "beneficial" to gameplay mechanics - but pick up the SIXAXIS and try to race with the motion sensing.
In fact, let's take a look at that example. Take any rectangular object, or hell, take your Dual Shock controller. Turn it as if you were turning a steering wheel. You feel that? "Uh, feel what?" Precisely. That resistance you feel from your steering wheel when driving your car, or the resistance your thumb gets from an analog stick, is missing. This same thing happens with the Wiimote. Ubisoft wheel accessory or not, the Wiimote doesn't provide that resistance either. This isn't so much of a problem yet, but when you get to those instances where - in Project Gotham Racing 3, to recall our previous example - the rumble kicks in to tell you that your drift is too extreme, or that you're braking too hard, or whatever, you get nothing. Tactile pin drops, if you will. You'll get visual and audio feedback when your car gets knocked around, but if you're playing the game from the dashboard perspective this visual stimulus is not as readily apparent. Sure, I know that the Wiimote provides rumble where the SIXAXIS does not. Based on Brian Ekberg's hands-on experience with the game GT Pro Racing, however, the rumble is said to be "puny." This doesn't instill much confidence.
Let's move on to another Playstation 3 game - Lair. You steer your dragon much in the same way - turning your controller as if it were a wheel - yet this time, it's more about emulating the feel of holding reins. Pulling the left end of the SIXAXIS towards you is like pulling on that left rein, and your dragon's head should yank to the left accordingly. This is an awesome concept; however, wouldn't it be nice if there were some vibrations to signal when you've pulled your reins (or, your arm rather) completely taut? Let's take this out of Lair, then, and touch a bit on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a launch title for the PS3. Wouldn't it be fantastic to use this same control method? If you wanted to stop your horse, you yank up with the SIXAXIS. Except, had there been rumble, you would feel a jolt the instant your reins went taut so you know you did the motion correctly. Again, there is a visual stimulus - your horse rearing up - but your hands would react and learn much quicker with tactile feedback to let you know, "hey, this is the approximate distance and power you need to use when yanking your controller up to effectively stop your horse."
Finally, let's travel to Nintendo-land, where in Call of Duty 3 for Wii, you can apparently use the motion sensing when struggling for a weapon. The Wiimote does have rumble, as touched on before. The nunchuk attachment, however, does not. If you're trying to wrestle a horizontal bar away from someone else, an activity that is similar to trying to win the struggle for a rifle for instance, you're using both hands. Apparently, you can simulate this action with the nunchuk and Wiimote combination. What kind of tactile stimulus is the game sending to you, however, if you can only feel the "resistance" rumble in your right hand? Wouldn't your experience be more properly facilitated by having rumble in both units, such that you could feel when you need to pull more with your left hand than your right?
Oh I vibrate alright, but my analog friend here is, uh, shall we say... rumbly-challenged.
Simply put, as we move forward in this next generation of controller technology - motion sensing - we need rumble more than ever. We need something to help simulate the resistance or tension of an analog stick, that "click" of a face button. Trauma Center: Second Opinion for Wii is a prime example of why rumble is necessary. Because you're, say, pulling pieces of glass out of a wound with a pair of tweezers or making an incision with a scalpel, you will be better served with more than a simple visual cue. Unlike Trauma Center for the Nintendo DS, where there is an unmistakable "impact" when your stylus hits the touch screen during incisions, there is no "touch" with the Wiimote. That "touch" is replaced by the rumble sensation in the Wiimote. Without it, your hand would be searching for some kind of sensation that lets it know that it's dragging a scalpel across bare skin.
If we turn back to our "frivolous" rumble moments, such as Ryu getting hit in the face with a fist, hopefully the difference between the implementation of rumble are clear. Ryu getting hit gives a very quick, obvious stimulus - a large, colorful hit spark and Ryu's reaction. This visual jolt is so quick and obvious that you know for sure that he's been hit successfully. This is the rumble that people usually put off as unimportant, and with good reason. But beneath this, useful implementation of rumble lurks in many games from this generation and the last. Things that aren't as easily seen or heard, or that would be served better by "feel," are brought to light with rumble. As we move forward, let's not forget the importance that the original Dual Shock controller and the N64 rumble pak represent. Sony, please settle with Immersion and release a rumble-capable version now or in the future; Nintendo, please make the rumble in your Wiimote stronger, and implement it in the nunchuk as well. Because as Greg Kasavin said during Gamespot's live coverage of TGS 2006: "I think it's something people won't think they'll miss until they realize that it's gone."
Images courtesy of Google's magic elves.
Originally written by myself for publication on Trigames.
Digital Life 2006: Day 1 in Photos
by MrCHUP0N on Comments
Digital Life, a conference that showcases consumer electronics, online ventures, emerging technology and - of course, as a result - videogames, is open to the public for a small fee. This year, Digital Life is currently taking place between Thursday, October 12th, 2006 and Sunday, October 15th, 2006. Held in the Jacob Javits Convention Center on 34th Street between 11th Avenue and the West Side Highway in New York City, Digital Life hadn't been a huge showcase for videogame-related content in its two previous years - although last year did show the potential for expanding upon this when Microsoft held live Xbox 360 demonstrations and Nintendo set up a very small area to showcase new offerings like Mario Kart DS for the Nintendo DS.
There was a pre-show event on Thursday, but AnTiPoDe and I first headed towards the conference on Friday, the conference's first "real" day, for a few hours. We spent the day chatting with Xbox Live Arcade program managers, dabbling in some retro-gaming with Xbox Live Arcade and Gametap, and proving our sight-reading skills to the mostly Easy-Medium crowd at Guitar Hero II by co-op playing an amazing first run-through of Beast and the Harlot by Avenged Sevenfold on Expert. (And... Misirlou got some playtime. On Expert. You shouldn't expect any less from us. ^_^) There was some Playstation 3 and Wii action to be had as well, though their offerings weren't as substantial as the multiple Xbox 360 and Playstation 2 kiosks scattered everywhere (the latter thanks to Guitar Hero II and Final Fantasy XII).
Expect write-ups of hands-on impressions and observer impressions on Trigames about the following topics for Day 1, but first - and more importantly - I've compiled a set of photos I took around the conference. Watch out for Pac Man sightings! Hit the link after the topics below.
Small Arms (Xbox 360)
Contra (Xbox 360)
Doom (Xbox 360)
Lumines Live (Xbox 360)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat III (Xbox 360)
Final Fantasy XII (Playstation 2)
World Heroes Perfect (Neo Geo via GameTap)
Alien Soldier (MegaDrive via GameTap)
Guitar Hero II (Playstation 2)
Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Xbox 360)
Madden NFL 2007 (Wii)
Superman Returns (Xbox 360)
Digital Life 2006: Day 1 in Photos
Note: Zaps, ShenlongBo (and of course, Em-Four even though we've never spoken), we wish you were there. You would have CREAMED everybody else there at GHII.
Note II: Any NYCers who will be there, I'll be there Saturday again from about 2:30PM til closing (and likely Sunday) to hopefully have a sit-down interview with the Xbox Live Arcade program manager and of course more GHII. I look like I do on the right, over there in About Me :P I will be wearing some variety of red-white-blue cap, likely backwards, with a navy blue t-shirt with an orange snowboarder silkscreen, toting around a yellow notebook. Find me and we'll be Guitar Heroes.
There was a pre-show event on Thursday, but AnTiPoDe and I first headed towards the conference on Friday, the conference's first "real" day, for a few hours. We spent the day chatting with Xbox Live Arcade program managers, dabbling in some retro-gaming with Xbox Live Arcade and Gametap, and proving our sight-reading skills to the mostly Easy-Medium crowd at Guitar Hero II by co-op playing an amazing first run-through of Beast and the Harlot by Avenged Sevenfold on Expert. (And... Misirlou got some playtime. On Expert. You shouldn't expect any less from us. ^_^) There was some Playstation 3 and Wii action to be had as well, though their offerings weren't as substantial as the multiple Xbox 360 and Playstation 2 kiosks scattered everywhere (the latter thanks to Guitar Hero II and Final Fantasy XII).
Expect write-ups of hands-on impressions and observer impressions on Trigames about the following topics for Day 1, but first - and more importantly - I've compiled a set of photos I took around the conference. Watch out for Pac Man sightings! Hit the link after the topics below.
Small Arms (Xbox 360)
Contra (Xbox 360)
Doom (Xbox 360)
Lumines Live (Xbox 360)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat III (Xbox 360)
Final Fantasy XII (Playstation 2)
World Heroes Perfect (Neo Geo via GameTap)
Alien Soldier (MegaDrive via GameTap)
Guitar Hero II (Playstation 2)
Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Xbox 360)
Madden NFL 2007 (Wii)
Superman Returns (Xbox 360)
Digital Life 2006: Day 1 in Photos
Note: Zaps, ShenlongBo (and of course, Em-Four even though we've never spoken), we wish you were there. You would have CREAMED everybody else there at GHII.
Note II: Any NYCers who will be there, I'll be there Saturday again from about 2:30PM til closing (and likely Sunday) to hopefully have a sit-down interview with the Xbox Live Arcade program manager and of course more GHII. I look like I do on the right, over there in About Me :P I will be wearing some variety of red-white-blue cap, likely backwards, with a navy blue t-shirt with an orange snowboarder silkscreen, toting around a yellow notebook. Find me and we'll be Guitar Heroes.
Cats like Sigma Star Saga. Scientific evidence.
by MrCHUP0N on Comments
Rather, photographic evidence.
Games. Playstation 3. Here. Finally.
by MrCHUP0N on Comments
It seems lately that Sony's been laughed at by more than a few pundits and forumites alike. From the still exorbitant price-point to the lackluster keynote speech yesterday at 2006's Tokyo Game Show, the word on the street had simply been a grumble or a taunt thrown Sony's way.
Lord knows I've had my fair share of eye-rolling. Online banking on the Playstation 3? Is this what Ryan MacDonald really wanted to report to the Gamespot readership?
I've been no fan of the price point, and I never will be. The game lineup, on paper, really didn't impress me personally any more than anything coming from Nintendo or Microsoft. I reasoned: 1080p be damned, there's no reason to be excited about a $499-$599 console if the games aren't more compelling than what's out or coming on other system.
But this is a great time for me right now.
Thank goodness for the kiosks at Tokyo Game Show, and the mounds of media coverage over there. Regardless of platform, I like learning more about games. Period. I may not be buying the console said games are coming out on. I may not be interested in the end product. Hell, the end product might turn out to be grossly sheisty.
But for the time being, it feels absolutely wonderful to be able to go over to the Playstation 3 section and look at all of the hands-on impressions and gameplay demonstration videos and finally start to grasp just what people will be getting with Sony's beast. The games aren't just a list of names on paper anymore. We're not just getting trailers of Solid Snake or the obligatory Resistance: Fall of Man interview. No, we're finally getting HANDS ON coverage for a buttload of other stuff. Devil May Cry. Virtua Tennis. Ridge Racer 7.
The Xbox 360 has already had its moment to shine - the damn thing launched already. Nintendo brought us a preview of the soon-to-be-televised, self-proclaimed revolution in gaming twice - once at E3 2006, and once just a few weeks ago. Now, it's finally Sony's turn, and the trinity is complete.
So, for just these few days, let's forget about the price. Let's forget about the "Foreman grill" forum cries. Let's especially forget about the lackluster Sony press conferences and keynotes, which are already in the past. It's time to stop speculating and start learning.
The games are finally here, and class is in session. All we have to do is stay up all night for it.
Unless your time zone is more Japan-friendly than ours in North America is. In that case, you're in luck, and screw you! I'm going to bed.
Lord knows I've had my fair share of eye-rolling. Online banking on the Playstation 3? Is this what Ryan MacDonald really wanted to report to the Gamespot readership?
I've been no fan of the price point, and I never will be. The game lineup, on paper, really didn't impress me personally any more than anything coming from Nintendo or Microsoft. I reasoned: 1080p be damned, there's no reason to be excited about a $499-$599 console if the games aren't more compelling than what's out or coming on other system.
But this is a great time for me right now.
Thank goodness for the kiosks at Tokyo Game Show, and the mounds of media coverage over there. Regardless of platform, I like learning more about games. Period. I may not be buying the console said games are coming out on. I may not be interested in the end product. Hell, the end product might turn out to be grossly sheisty.
But for the time being, it feels absolutely wonderful to be able to go over to the Playstation 3 section and look at all of the hands-on impressions and gameplay demonstration videos and finally start to grasp just what people will be getting with Sony's beast. The games aren't just a list of names on paper anymore. We're not just getting trailers of Solid Snake or the obligatory Resistance: Fall of Man interview. No, we're finally getting HANDS ON coverage for a buttload of other stuff. Devil May Cry. Virtua Tennis. Ridge Racer 7.
The Xbox 360 has already had its moment to shine - the damn thing launched already. Nintendo brought us a preview of the soon-to-be-televised, self-proclaimed revolution in gaming twice - once at E3 2006, and once just a few weeks ago. Now, it's finally Sony's turn, and the trinity is complete.
So, for just these few days, let's forget about the price. Let's forget about the "Foreman grill" forum cries. Let's especially forget about the lackluster Sony press conferences and keynotes, which are already in the past. It's time to stop speculating and start learning.
The games are finally here, and class is in session. All we have to do is stay up all night for it.
Unless your time zone is more Japan-friendly than ours in North America is. In that case, you're in luck, and screw you! I'm going to bed.
OMGTEHPODCAST is back?
by MrCHUP0N on Comments
The podcast has seen a bit of trouble lately due mostly to technical difficulties, but we've got 17 and 19 edited and up in "low-fi" versions.
Yeah, that's right - we're giving into harsh time demands by putting up a version that's not as crisp and clean as we'd like. If it means staying relevant to the news, though, there's no choice but to do so at the moment.
Plus, Draqq in all of his wisdom has offered to link to the podcast in Reviewspotting from now on either in CompleteSpotting or the Columns section. Toast to Draqq!
Therefore to get it out on time, our schedule will be as such:
Sunday night: Lower-quality version (64kbps source recording) goes up.
Whenever: Higher-quality version (128kbps source recording) of that same episode goes up.
With that, here are our low-fi episodes 17 and 19, slated to be up by 11:59:59PM EST on Sunday, September 17th:
Episode 17 - Summer Sun Means No Fun
Episode 19 - Televising the Wiivolution
Let us know what you think - is it too low quality? Bear in mind that Episode 19, while at the same bitrate for the source recordings, somehow sounds much better than Episode 17. Not sure why.
This isn't up on iTunes yet. I'm tempted to throw it up there even without Episode 18 (which is an absolute monster to edit; deals with the PS3 launch, and Ethan and I tear into each other again), but it'll look funny in the iTunes playlist.
Yeah, that's right - we're giving into harsh time demands by putting up a version that's not as crisp and clean as we'd like. If it means staying relevant to the news, though, there's no choice but to do so at the moment.
Plus, Draqq in all of his wisdom has offered to link to the podcast in Reviewspotting from now on either in CompleteSpotting or the Columns section. Toast to Draqq!
Therefore to get it out on time, our schedule will be as such:
Sunday night: Lower-quality version (64kbps source recording) goes up.
Whenever: Higher-quality version (128kbps source recording) of that same episode goes up.
With that, here are our low-fi episodes 17 and 19, slated to be up by 11:59:59PM EST on Sunday, September 17th:
Episode 17 - Summer Sun Means No Fun
Episode 19 - Televising the Wiivolution
Let us know what you think - is it too low quality? Bear in mind that Episode 19, while at the same bitrate for the source recordings, somehow sounds much better than Episode 17. Not sure why.
This isn't up on iTunes yet. I'm tempted to throw it up there even without Episode 18 (which is an absolute monster to edit; deals with the PS3 launch, and Ethan and I tear into each other again), but it'll look funny in the iTunes playlist.
Gamespot Ice - dark. Tasty.
by MrCHUP0N on Comments
This is perhaps pointless, but then again maybe it isn't: Gamespot Ice Dark is really slick (thanks for the tip, Korubi!). Considering that I'm crazy and I change all my Windows graphics to a blue hue from the default gray (I use Windows XP classic style), it matches perfectly.
I wasn't too keen on Gamespot Ice before, because it had a white backdrop; introducing a Dark backdrop helps it immensely. Any Total Access members out there should check it out, and any of the other themes they have out there. The setting for this is kind of tucked out of the way (click Prefs -> Members Only) so there's a good chance you're not entirely aware of what themes you could be using.
I wasn't too keen on Gamespot Ice before, because it had a white backdrop; introducing a Dark backdrop helps it immensely. Any Total Access members out there should check it out, and any of the other themes they have out there. The setting for this is kind of tucked out of the way (click Prefs -> Members Only) so there's a good chance you're not entirely aware of what themes you could be using.
The Legend of Blue Mouth: The Ocarina of Dental Work
by MrCHUP0N on Comments
Oh the wonders of pallette swapping. Ever since I played Street Fighter II, or at least the first version where Zangief wore blue spandex, I've been perturbed and disturbed by the ghastly inside of his mouth.
Arf??? Como dices? That's some blue mouth.
Even he's in pain knowing that he's got a blue mouth.
Yeech.
I'm conveniently not discussing the fact that his scars are light blue, even though they should be - oh, I don't know - a darker variation of the color of his flesh.
<_<
>_>
Arf??? Como dices? That's some blue mouth.
Even he's in pain knowing that he's got a blue mouth.
Yeech.
I'm conveniently not discussing the fact that his scars are light blue, even though they should be - oh, I don't know - a darker variation of the color of his flesh.
<_<
>_>
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