Ok, well welcome back to my blog, and can I just say Yay as my User Picture was finally changed the other day. Took a while but its worth it, to see Makoto's head representing my profile, and now represents me as a squirrel person. Woot.

Anyway, this one will be quick because often I am asked about the subject since I collect video games: Piracy.

Don't ask me why, but most people I know often ask me if any of them are copied off the internet or were illegally gained because I have a large collection. I'd update my collection here but its too big and I don't have the time, but getting back on point, admittedly I did dabble for a little while with Piracy.

Actually, it happened when I was younger and got the original Playstation. I didn't create them myself, I received them from a distributor for about $10 for 5 different games. I mainly bought the fighting games of the time (Namely Tekken and Dead or Alive) but I thoroughly enjoyed them still.

Then I found the one issue with copied games. Soon the software didn't work, and I ended up throwing them away. Don't ask me why, but lately I've been thinking about them again, because despite being illegal, they were still great games.

So thats why I spent about $50 buying them on eBay today and you know what? No regrets. I really enjoyed them all, and now that I am getting the real copies, I can live with a clean conscious. Once again, woot.

More of a complaint, really.

In case you didn't read todays blog, I like the new addition for the Blazblue series, Makoto. So I wanted to change the User picture to admittedly, her. Or specifically, her head. Its in size, the resolutions correct... And it will only let me use the image as a profile picture. Now I'm apparently a male/female squirrel girl, at least thats what my about me page says now.

Yay.

Ok, category...

... Other.

EDIT: I can't even use a gamespot shared image now.

Hey again Gamespot, and yes I am back for a while with opinion pieces. I believe my last update was... Oh yeah, the beginning of 2009. Yay.

Anyway, today's topic, and what a topic it is: Video Game Girls.

Now, being a male obviously, they are kind of hard to ignore for all forms of video games, and while we try to deny to our girlfriends and wives that we don't show an interest, we still show it. Hell, showing interest in something is basically the male kryptonite, and that always ends well...

And before you ask, yes, I do have this interest too. Hell, look at my profile page! I have an image of Tifa from Final Fantasy VII as a banner and in case you can't guess it, my user image is Nu from Blazblue. So what do you think my reacton was when the new DLC brought out Makoto?

It was in the form of two words: Hell. Yes. And no, I'm not into squirrels.

Just thought I'd share this gift from ARC Systems and to get the ball running on this blog. With a friendly face and a positive start to the new blog. Don't take it seriously or anything, its just something to get everything going.

Oh, also don't forget to vote for Psycho Mantis for the wildcard entry. Anyone who makes you physically get up to change controller slots is evil. Oops, I mean *Spoiler!*. Dammit.

Hello and welcome to the first Ramblings of a Game Collector for 2009, and it's been fun so far. I mean, it really has not taken off yet (There's no view counter, just comments. I would check, but I REALLY cannot be bothered), but I'm sure that soon this will gain momentum and will hopefully gain interest. It's all a matter of getting of being more involved.

Well, this week I am focusing on the Best of 2008 as voted by Gamespot users. I'm going to go through the main awards, such as Game of the Year, so yes, I will be talking a fair bit about Metal Gear Solid 4. We will also be talking about some of the winning games such as GTA IV (It's still great, no matter how much you want to hate it), No More Heroes (Review coming soon!) and... Actually, it's difficult. All the games won for a reason, so it's going to be hard to fit what games I will be choosing. Ah well, I have a whole week to worry about that.

Now, Metal Gear Solid 4. What a game, am I right? Whether you look at it from a technological point, or just for its sheer fun-factor, MGS4 ticks every box for Game of the Year. Looking back at how this game came into creation, it's hard to ignore the three predecessors which built a steady launch pad for one of the greatest games ever made. It's no wonder Rock Revolution sucked; which game do you think Konami was putting more effort into?

But if there is one thing which I had to complain about... I would not be able to. Had you going there for a little bit, right? While the game may not be completely faultless, no one would be able to pick them. And multiplayer just stacks more replayability into the game. It's really like Halo 3, except no one can complain about it.

Bottom line, it deserves Game of the Year, and if you disagree, then you obviously need to find a new past time. If it's a simple case of 'Never got it' syndrome (It's in speech brackets because it is a fairly unknown disease) try it. It is well worth a purchase, but it is a must-try for a rental if you do not have it.

Moving on now, another big hitter for Best of 2008 was, what else but Grand Theft Auto IV. However, people have been losing interest in it later during 2008 for reasons unknown to me. Maybe it was the multiplayer, which was great and fun to play, but never really took off. Maybe it was because no one liked the protagonist Niko Bellic, who just wanted a normal American lifestyle after all of the troubles he has back in his homeland.

But let's put the series in perspective: Grand Theft Auto was pretty much the first game that actually set a stage for the crime genre, which opened the door to other fantastic crime titles such as Driver (In its earlier days, at least) and Saints Row (Not realistic, but still entertaining). It became the benchmark for what games should be like, in terms of interaction with the world, graphics, gameplay, realism and, of course, story.

It really is a series that should join other fantastic series such as Final Fantasy, Half Life, and yes, Metal Gear Solid. If Grand Theft Auto was not on the list for GTA IV, then it would surely be on there simply because of the history of Grand Theft Auto.

Well, I might just cut this edition of Ramblings Of A Game Collector short because this blog does have to go up soon, and I am very busy at the moment, usually, you know... Playing video games.

Anyway, one game I was not expecting to make it into the nominations for Game of the Year was No More Heroes. That's not to say I'm sad to see it there; I'm actually very pleased to know it actually is that good of a game to be considered Game of the Year. I do own it for my Wii and usually is the first thing I play when I grab a Wii Remote.

Part of the reason I was not expecting it to be a nominee was because it really isn't a game for everyone. It sounds insane, but this game, even with all of the humour and the way it does not take itself seriously, but there will always be a group of people that do not really appreciate No More Heroes for what it is. Obviously then either everyone disagrees with me or a group like that exists in Gamespot, but are so small no one really is paying attention to them or they did not vote. Or Travis Touchdown paid them each a visit and just took off their heads with red streamers coming from where their head once was.

Soon I will be writing a review for this game even though it has been around for a while, but this game is an absolute gem, and really, it's like MGS on the Playstation; if you don't have it, you are clearly insane or you have a different taste in games.

Well I believe that will do it for this week's edition of Ramblings Of A Game Collector. Thanks for reading, and a friendly reminder that if you have an opinion, just drop it into the comments box. Because if someone is getting really irritated with the way I type my blog, you just have to say... Then just pray to god that I agree with you.

Ethan

Wildboy124

Hello everyone, and welcome back to an overdue blog entry of Ramblings Of A Game Collector. Its been a long month for gaming, with both game releases and news coming in a constant stream. Some of the news Gamespot has had coming through includes EA's Black Box having to lay off 1,000 employees during the Christmas break, not to mention the latest Console Comparison, now including PC. And finally, the latest racing game on the Nintendo Wii, Mariokart Wii, gets a review. Not here, obviously. Just an overview.

Now, you don't have to be a genius to figure out that the world's economy is currently suffering from what we like to cal in the business, a stuff-up. Many people have been fired from their jobs across the world, including 1,000 staff members of Black Box, a smaller company owned by Electronic Arts, who received the bad news through the mail during the Christmas break.

During these financial times most people can understand this situation for EA, but what makes it seem worse is that it is partly because games such as Mirror's Edge and NFS: Undercover are not selling at the rate EA had expected them to, which makes me feel kind of sorry for Black Box.

It makes me feel guilty for owning Mirror's Edge because it is really a fantastic game, and it should be selling faster than Chocolate at a Weight Watcher's meeting. But everyone has their own personal taste, and you can't change what other people think about the game, most of the time anyway. But when people are being fired because no one is showing any interest in their products, it really lowers company enthusiasm. If 3 is a crowd, what is 1,000 then? Still, I think I speak for most people when I say that whoever was fired from Black Box, we wish you the best of luck finding a new job... Ok, now I sound like EA's President.

Ok, now obviously people have been taking notice of the Console Comparison articles lately for the never-ending war between Playstation and Xbox. Well, PCs are now being brought into the fight as well, now very well turning it into a three-way war. Lets take a brief look at the competition.

First, you have the PC, which is part of a duo because Xbox is run by Microsoft and considering most people are using Windows to run their computers (Including me), this would make a 2 on 1 war now if you completely forget about consoles and just consider the brands. The PC has the obvious strength to upgrade with graphics cards, sound cards, any enhancement you can think of, and is home to most games available today.

Next, the Xbox 360, or the winning console graphics and picture today, which is kind of awkward considering the PS3's superior hardware. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, just unusual that an Xbox 360 and PC are keeping up with Blu Ray, a cell processor and some of the best games available only on PS3, such as, dare I say, Resistance 2: Electric Boogaloo (Not the real name, in case you are confused).

And finally, the PS3. Until of late it seemed to be the best performing console available, and the Playstation Network is coming along nicely as well. Not that I think it would not, it would just be because that Xbox Live was a huge change for what could be done online. But, as of late, everything from ports to... Well, not really pushing the PS3 to its limits.

So, who will win? Well, as said before, the Xbox 360 is winning between both the PC and PS3 in my opinion. However, I have a feeling that PS3 and PC will be the final two, which would be a battle of latest technology VS. upgrading technology. I'd pay to see that.

And so now we finish off with one of the most interesting games on the Wii, Mariokart Wii. Quite simply, its good. Real good.

It is one of the most good looking games available on the Wii, has some of the most innovative controls in a game, not to mention some of the most recognisable faces in the Entertainment Industry today. If you have a Wii, racing games do not come as fun, or strangely realistic (Apart from throwing shells and dropping banana peels) games ever made.

The review will be coming soon, and from now on, I will be posting links on my blogs to the reviews so you don't have to track them.

Thats it for this weeks review. If news has shifted during the time I've been away, then... Well, not my fault. Or problem. Hey, it's still a blog!

See You Around

Ethan

Wildboy124

Link to Mirror's Edge Review:

http://au.gamespot.com/ps3/action/mirrorsedge/player_review.html?id=628857&tag=readerreviews;continue

Link to Far Cry 2 Review:

http://au.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/farcry2/player_review.html?id=634478&tag=readerreviews;continue

(If there is no link, just copy and paste)

Welcome to the first ever edition of Ramblings of a Game Collector. Or if there already is a blog with the same name, welcome to MY version of it. My name is Ethan, and through thick and thin, best and worst, I will be (Or TRYING to) posting my thoughts on everything happening across the world, whether it is games, national news (if it's important enough), basically, whatever I can think of.

Now, to kick off my first ever blog, I want to have a rant about the latest article Gamespot has generously posted; Xbox 360 vs. PS3. So, where to start? The sandbagging of the Playstation 3? The glees of joy that the 360 is keeping up with much more advanced graphics technology? Or maybe be part of the in-between crowd, yapping about the PC being the best despite the noticeable handicap that it is not even involved in the conflict? Actually, those are three good points we can make use of.

Firstly, I know that some Playstation Fanboys are going to try give me a personal flogging day from what I'm going to say, but let me say this: I'm neutral in this conflict. I believe that both the Xbox 360 and PS3 have the technology and potential to push the boundaries that we have not even reached yet. But I am still disappointed that the PS3, of all consoles, is struggling to keep up. They have some of the best technology available to them, such as Blu-Ray, which allows more than 60 GB onto a single disc, yet they are producing some low High Definition games today. It is such a major shame that Sony is not hell bent on pushing the PS3.

However, that is to say the PS3 hasn't had it easy lately. The main reason for this is that games such as Fallout 3 are simply ports from the Xbox 360 or PC versions. This is why people flock to the console exclusive games, such as Resistance 2, because they are raised on that system's hardware. This is what the PS3 needs right now, because with big Xbox 360 hitters like Gears Of War 2 here, people may begin to lose hope with the big 'S'.

There is, however, joy in the PS3's misery. Mostly for the Xbox 360 and its Fanboys. When the PS3 was first released, it was an absolute powerhouse compared to the Xbox 360. All of the latest technologies, not to mention some A-list games that were console exclusive. Now, as the cracks appear to show, Microsoft is going in for the kill, with games that look much better than their PS3 counterparts, and perform better as well. I'm pleased about this too, despite me being neutral, as this is showing that older technology from the Xbox 360 is keeping up with more advanced technology, and in some cases, moving beyond them. It's a great kick in the nuts to the expression, 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks'. Now if only the Wii could pull off this kind of prank. Then again, sales will go through the roof just like its first official release.

To finish off this rant on the latest article, I want to know what PC users are doing on an article featuring consoles. Seriously, why are they here? It seems as if PC fanboys are trying to push the PC into a war it probably does not want to be involved in, even though it could win anyway. The reason for it would be that you can upgrade your PC with graphics cards and the like, which console users unfortunately lack. But back to the point. PC users, you have two choices. Make something up on the forums, or try asking the Gamespot Staff to write something for you. Don't come on and post a comment if you are not even remotely talking about the subject. Pay attention, goddammit!

Moving on now, I want to have a chat about the new game based on the sport Parkour, Mirror's Edge, available for the PS3 and Xbox 360. First off, what a game it is. Games in the past have only had a third-person view on a game like this, but it is amazing how a change of view can change what we think of a game such as Mirror's Edge.

The story is standard though. You play as Faith, a runner who delivers messages for her clients. But your sister is framed and now you have to run through the city to find out what has happened. It's a decent story, for the least, with some twists thrown in for good measure, but you won't be worrying about that as you run across rooftops at 200 Km/h out of control.

This isn't going to be a review, even though I may post one through the week, but it definitely deserved more than a 7 from Gamespot. Still, it is their own opinion, everyone has their different opinions, which is why I'm giving it an 8.5. If you want the reasons, when the review is posted, it will be there.

Now, for those who have been paying attention to me, and if you have, get out of the house, I have mentioned Fallout 3 a few times over the last couple of weeks. To be honest, it's uncontrollable. Its an absolute cracker of a game that will devour your daylight hours, although will not steal as much as Oblivion has.

The videos on Gamespot do not really do it justice for what you can expect in the game. It goes beyond what you would expect about this game and its genre. I have one issue with this game though; it is a Role Playing game, but it still undeniably have a First Person Shooter feel about it, and if you happen to have some experience with the genre, then most should find this easily accessible.

If I do get the chance, I will post a review for this game despite having the PS3 version, but on any console, it's a must buy. This game should change the way we think of First-Person shooters, Role Playing games, storylines and decisions.

To finish off my first ever blog, I want to chat about the latest game in the Guitar Hero franchise, World Tour. This being the first game I have played which has included a drum stick and mic. The reason for this, is because, and I am ashamed of this, is because I do not have an internet connection for my Xbox 360 or PS3, so I'm stuck with the Set Lists. And lets face it, 80 songs in a Set List in a game like Guitar Hero is awfully impressive.

The character customisation is a step forward as well. I like the fact that I can rock out on a plastic guitar with my own character shredding his guitar in the game. It adds to the feel that you are in an actual band and being a true Rockstar. However, it still does not seem like enough of a feature, especially considering that there is not much of a choice of clothes or hairstyles and the like. It's a shame that more effort was put into it.

All in all, Guitar Hero: World Tour is a great game that is a good equal to Rock Band, and really, until Harmonix can start releasing Rock Band across the world as World Tour has, I'm firmly in Guitar Hero camp. I think almost every gamer in Australia is on the same side anyway.

That's it for my first ever blog. If you have any comments or questions, please, feel free me message me on Gamespot. I'm open to suggestions about how this blog can be improved, because I do want this blog to be successful, and without feedback, I won't be able to change the blog for the better.

Next blog, I'll be talking about the new Prince of Persia game, F.E.A.R 2's banning in Australia, and I share my feelings on Resistance 2, and how it makes it a must-own for Playstation 3 owners everywhere. Also, try to keep an eye out for my review of Mirror's Edge, which will be released during the week.

See you next week, for another edition of Ramblings of a Game Collector.

Ethan

Wildboy124