This was taken on "The Leviathan" at ~1am on 12/5/11. This party marked the END of all Beta/Game testing for Star Wars: The Old Republic. I hope to see all my friends there for the pre-release on 12/15 or the go-live on 12/20! May the Force be with you ALWAYS!!
"Take 64 Game Sidekicks. Make One a Legend." Looks more like GameSpot got trolled by the participants of its GameSpot All-Time Greatest Game Sidekick competition. Given that the champ wouldn't have made it out of the first bracket under normal circumstances, GameSpot and Best Buy take a pie to the face. The only thing that could have been more lame: a Rick-Roll for the champ posting.
The Gamespot of a few years ago would never have had this outcome, most probably because it wouldn't have run this contest. C'mon guys, pull it together, you are embarassing your long-time subscribers...including the ones that stuck by you when the credibitiy was in the tolet.
Cheers,
RaQin
If you are a friend of mine or read my blogs, please know I have not stopped mispoelling or mended my lysdexic ways...I am just doing them on Raptr, rather than GameSpot. This is not a slight to GS in any way, it is just easier for me. Catch me over there any time, I'm almost always checking things out.
http://raptr.com/RaQin_Whaitera
Ciao for now,
RaQin/Kate
05-17-2011
I have not posted in a long time, and wanted to share a business perspective article written of skepticism in the potential/success of SWTOR.
I am of the opinion that reservations will need to be set aside. SWTOR has been in development since 2005, and has most of the kinks worked out at this point. Content-wise this is being driven as a cooperative experience, to be played with friends (which is pretty much the point of all MMO's), but there will be MANY opportunities for single-player experiences, and the content will WELL EXCEED 150 hrs. The average World of Warcraft player will spend 10-14 game-days (that is 240 - 336 hours of game time) leveling a character in the launch version of the game, and it is expected that the SWTOR experience will be the same. Many hours of the SWTOR experience will be spent idling around waiting for groups, trading on the auction system, crafting goods, and the like. However, the majority of that time will be spent adventuring alone or with friends on quests, or in instances. The key to success is variety, end-game content, and most of all, replayability...To this end, BioWare has taken extra effort to avoid the pitfalls of many MMO releases, by ensuring that they have a solid game from beginning to end-game and beyond. SWTOR is likely to be the most refined MMO released to date, which will be a refreshing change for MMO players, as we have suffered many recent games with no end-game content of consequence (Star Trek: Online), no auction system (DC Universe Online), no sense of purpose despite looking cool (APB), and no point of being an MMO period (Need For Speed World or Test Drive Unlimited 2). BioWare has the best story telling in the industry (KOTOR, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect), the best IP in MMO gaming, and 6 years of development/refinement driving it's product to the finish line.
I don't think the author of this article has played many MMO's, and probably does not like them very much, as he never made comment to end-game or group play. It is true that it is not going to be KOTOR3...and while not having a KOTOR3 is a disappointment to all Star Wars gaming fans, it is not reason for skepticism of a title that is likely to capture 20% market share (or more) from the 2,000lb MMO gorilla that is WoW.
About me: I play WoW...a LOT (over 1000 hours in the last 6 mos)...I clearly love WoW. I am looking forward to SWTOR, and hope it will have much success, because MMO's need better development, better launches, better competition, and I love Star Wars as much as I love WoW. The folks at Blizz feel the same as I do, so fan-girl I am not. Better business I perceive coming from the arrival of this release (a Yodaism).
Here is a link to the Shaun White Skateboarding Announcement Trailer. G4 posted it a moment ago and I wanted to share...Great video, I can only imagine what the game might be like...we are sure to find out more by the11-30-10 release date.
Enjoy!!
http://g4tv.com/videos/46086/Shaun-White-Skateboarding-Announcement-Trailer/
Split/Second is everything you could want in an arcade racer! Simple controls, excellent graphics, and fairly intelligent AI racers make this game a must have for adrenalin junkies and Mario Kart lovers over age 17. The premise is simple...A TV show called "Split/Second" is looking for new competitors, and you have been selected...advance through the ranks, win cars, unlock stickers, and gain achievements.
The tempo of the game is spot-on, with the entry levels bringing you painlessly up to speed. Experienced MKart and N4S players will have no problem with the first set of levels, but progression get tougher, making it more difficult to get 1st place in every stage/every level the further you get into the game. Online play works flawlessly, and playing against on-level players is a total blast.
Tactics for a majority of the game are simple...If players are in the lead, they have to keep the peddle-to-the-metal. If they are not in the lead, they should maintain as much speed as possible while drifting around corners or drafting other players cars in order to gain power; filling the power meter with a 'bar' allows one to trigger explosions. Players may carry up to three full bars at once, allowing them to either trigger an explosion for each, or execute a track-altering demolition event by using all three at once. Minor explosions are used to take out competitors allowing one to advance in the race, but the track-altering events reveal new roads, hidden explosions, and some rather surprising obstacles. On the first race players zip around a mock airport, should they detonate the Control Tower, it crashes down (sometimes on unsuspecting players) changing the course of the race..a side effect of this is that a large cargo plane careens into the taxiway you are racing on, forcing you to dodge it ant the debris trail in its wake. It is over the top, and PERFECT for the game.
The solid gameplay is marred by minor issues in the UI, lack of achievements, and graphics settings for nVidia 3D. While the game does support the XB360 controller, it does not tell you what button to push when navigating the menus...instead the keyboard equivalent is displayed leaving you to either memorize the corresponding key-maps, or use the keyboard. Achievement junkies should buy the XB360, since the PC version doesn't really track achievements, which is the only major flaw I observed in this version of the game; had this been a Games for Windows LIVE release it would have got a 5th star from me. nVidia 3D users will need to turn down some of the effects (SSAO, and shadows) because they are only showing up in the right eye. This flaw will give players headache after about 30 mins...I learned the hard way, so if you do it, ~1000mg of your favorite headache med should set your back on track.
All in all, Split/Second asks you to throw reality out the window, grab your gamepad and hang on...It is a wild ride, and definitely worth your time and money. Get out and race...and drop me a line if you want to take a spin around the track!
While the game is over two years old (on the PC), Mass Effect still holds it's own. Graphics are stellar, and the storyline maintains the above par standards BioWare is known for.
The Good: Fluid controls, excellent mix of characters, 6 different ****s to chose from, fully voiced NPCs, and an array of weaponry and talents exceeded only by MMOs or Borderlands.
The Bad: No XB360 controller support, difficult to apply the DLC (to my Steam version at least), and hard to configure for those wishing to play on 16:10 displays.
Overall -
One of the reasons I did not play Mass Effect when I bought it in 2008 was that the story seemed to drag. Aside from the fact that I was hip-deep in WoW, I would have gladly played the game if it got off to a bang (like ME2 does; BioWare took notice of this flaw and fixed it in the second installment), but the game does not move or begin to make any sense until you are about 3 hours into it and taking your first mission away from Citidel Station.
The greatest appeal for me was the ability to play he lead role of Commander Shepard as a female with a fully voiced role, supported by BioWare's multipathed conversation selections. I felt a connection with the character, and was able to see the galaxy from her eyes. It was also impressive that BioWare created an opportunity for the character to enter an emotional/physical relationship with with either male or female members of the crew. The male relationship can be meaningful or trite, and the female relationship was well written and tasteful;it did not come off as a twenty-something male's girl-on-girl fantasy. More than likely BioWare consulted women of experience to write those scenes.
Mission play is great, with some missions affecting the main storyline of Shepard's pursuit/investigation of Saren, and other will designed side-missions to assist you with character development (more levels, money, guns, and skills are earned this way). Missions can vary in length from 10 mins (if you whiz though it) to 4 hrs. Additionally, DLC missions are available from BioWare's site; Bring Down the Sky is free and lasts 3 hrs, while Pinnacle Station costs $5, and allows you to develop your character in a holo-training environment. Both DLC packages are side-missions with no effect on the main story; you don't have to get them, but they are worth the $5.
Aside from it's global appeal, Mass Effect has earned a rightful place in my personal gaming hall of fame. If you don't have it, go get it. If you do have it, take the time to do EVERYTHING the game has to offer...the stories and content are well beyond that of 99% of the games that are out there.
MadWorld is very close to, if not THE, most violent game and offensive game I have ever played, and I am almost embarrased to say that I loved it.
I it is kinda funny that it is on released the Wii, as definitely breaks the "family-friendly" mold. The graphics are comic-book-vicious, the play-balance is perfect, and game mechanics feel natural. If you are twisting necks with ease in 5 mins, you are not the kind of person who will enjoy this title. At 4-8 hours the play value is WAY up as you will likely be able to find this game for less than $10. This is a must have for any hardcore gamer who bought the Wii and never plays it.
I am not ashamed to say I only paid $8.56 for it on Amazon...go get it today...WHAT!?!?! You are still reading...RUN!!! Go get it now!
WORD OF CAUTION: Don't let the kiddos play this one, the violence and language are off the charts. The ESRB M rating is spot-on for this title.
I'll get strait to the point...
The Beatles: Rockband is an awesome way to experience the music of the Beatles for the first time or the ten-thousandth time. The game takes you and your friends (up to 6 can play) on a smooth cruise through the Beatles career as you visit episodes of their career spanning from Liverpool club basements in 1963 to the Apple Record's rooftop! Great FUN, great Music! This edition of Rockband soars where others have consistently faltered, the musical experience is 100% quality all the way through. You just should not quibble over the fact that once in a while you are strumming a guitar controller yet the game is actually playing a Cello or other instrument. You're playing a plastic guitar for petesake!! The music is good, you know many of the songs even if you are only 13, and overall the game play simply flows well.
So...why does this review continue??? Ah, that my friend is because I haven't properly vented...Rockband rocks, but has some flaws that we all know about, yet somehow find it in our hearts to quickly forgive or forget.
(the following 4 paragraphs are meant to be read aloud, while leave you breathless in a vain attempt to keep up with the lack of breaks in the paragraph structures...the lack of punctuation it is intentional, and quite fun!)
One of the stronger points of this game is that it is the first Rockband title that is nearly as enjoyable to play as it is to simply watch. Instead of being bored to tears while standing idly as others play (because either A)it is not your turn to play, or B) you lack the intestinal fortitude to have fun in the face of acute personal embarrassment), you will still have a great time with this title because, lets face it, the Beatles are just that good (and if you don't think so, you are either under the age of consent in lower western Louisiana, or haven't happened upon what real music appreciation is like as you beg for Ronnie James Dio to release a 30-year-late-to-the-party album of crappy metal tracks that really were not good in the 80's when people somehow thought they were)! Additionally, as you stand around with your hands in your pockets singing off-key while watching the others have fun without you (as it is most likely the case that your friends are not acknowledging your presence or even your existence while you stand on the sidelines), you will have the distinct pleasure of watching some of the best visual elements ever dropped into the background of this genre or just about any other game for that matter; mindblowing-braincandy-nibblets made up of incredible Beatles inspired visuals and previously unseen historical elements put together by the designers at Harmonix and George Harrison's son that the players cannot see. So don't worry your turn will come, and during the time between the tracks, you shall enjoy a great bit of personal satisfaction telling those greedy-plastic-guitar-bogartin' players about the things they didn't get to see while the hogged all the faux-instruments!
This point gives me pause...but only for a moment. I think that someone out here needs to point out the one of the tragedies of this entire genre of games; you really can't watch the fantastic scenes while your are playing! You the player have no clue what is going on as you mind-numbingly strum the plastic flippers of your favorite 'guitar'. You'll only occasionally acknowledge the overly bright colored splashes of garbage that could have been drawn by a five year-old child armed with an arsenal of half-melted crayons for all you care! Yes, those great images are there, but you cant see them as they'll lay in the periphery of your vision because you dare not avert your narrowly focused eyesight away from the colored thingies flying towards you at a frenzied rate on something that resembles never ending one-lane road of color impregnated finger-twisting hell, but is actually called a 'fretboard'!
It is also well known by most players of the previous Guitar "X" and Rockband iterations that deep-down in our hardest-core-of-gamers-hearts that we all loathe these titles because more than half the time we are playing them they suck, and yet we still go wallowing back to our favorite 'instrument' (using that term VERY liberally), for more of the abuse that is certain to generate early-onset arthritis in half the game playing population aged 10 to 35. It is a known point that every time we let one of these games into our library, the developers entice us a string of hit songs in the beginning of the game, then place our befuddle brains and fingers on a slippery-slope to less than stellar tracks or over-played mediocre drivel through the remainder of the first half of the game, at which point our dulled senses willingly allow the power- that-be to force a bowel movement of obscure content upon us for next 45% of the game, only to give us a measly portion of hits during the last %5 which make us feel as though our bodies have been magically cleansed, enabling us to forget that we really only liked the game 25-35% of the time we are playing it.
OK, I've vented a little, which allows me to point out me to the best part of the game! While playing this game, we get nothing but pure unadulterated Beatles!!! Yes it is true that we are missing a 'few' and by that I really mean A LOT of the key Beatles songs like Hey Jude, Elenore Rigby, or We Can Work It Out or any of the other great Beatles songs released to the public, but lets face it, these games are marketed to drive not only the purchase of the game, but the DLC (down-loadable content) as well, and if Harmonix has a plan it certainly includes the release of these fine songs for a healthy price...CHA-CHING.
Truly the only REAL downside to THIS game is that it's a little too short for $70, and the content of The Beatles: Rockband is a standalone product, meaning the Beatles songs are NOT PLAYABLE on other versions of Rockband. So, you won't be able to used your saved bands, from RB/RB2, nor will you be able to play any content from those titles while your Beatles:RB disc resides in your X-Box 360...and the pain goes BOTH WAYS! So, if you had hopes of buying some great Beatles DLC while you remain tight-fisted with your hard earned money and avoid buying the whole game, you can forget it; because game merchandising doesn't work that way, and the world isn't one giant Burger King allowing you to have it your wayyyyyyyyyy. If you like that kinda thing it looks like you'll need to go get a hamburger instead of playing The Beatles: Rockband.
BTW- my review is inspired by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, a fine reviewer of video games notorious for his penchant of using adult language and as little punctuational as possible in his animated video driven column aptly titled, "Zero Punctuation". Check out Yahtzee's work for the real-mccoy at the escapistmagazine website...And, should you fail to laugh out loud or spew your drink at the monitor or simultaneously do both as you experience the very shocking brutally stated truth of his sentiments, then quite a few high-minded filthy-mouthed people would likely say you have no real sense of humor at all...and you should probably crawl back under your rock, and ignore him, myself, and those other people altogether because you really don't matter anyways. Personally, I think he is funny as hell! ;-)
I haven't gone anyplace...just been mighty busy. With the GLUT of great games that have arrived since summer '08, and the final season of my involvement in USA Rugby as a player, I have not had time to write anything
All in all, I am just happy to see that developers, bloggers, and writers have stopped predicting "THE END" of PC gaming...as you can see the doom-sayers of the past year have been all wrong! I know we will see few INITIAL releases on PC, butwith the rate of piracy out there, I am pleased to see the distributors have found a way to deliver PC games, without having the developers suffer under the weight of the torrent-sphere.
Cheers,
RaQin
Log in to comment