Cross Platform Goodness

I know it’s very difficult and expensive to allow cross platform multiplayer, whether it be co-op or a massive pwnfest.   I wish for the day that I can sit down at my Xbox 360, 720, 1440, or whatever the next iterations of the system are, and play against my buddy who is unfortunate enough to own a Sony product.  I know the logistics of this are impossible.  I’m fairly certain that Sony and Microsoft wouldn’t play nice together, but just think of how easy it would be on all of us, the consumers.

We buy the systems, buy the games, strategy guides, pay the Xbox live subs or show our faces on the PSN network and feel the shame.  We are the ones in control.  How hard would it be for the average consumer to say, no I won’t buy that game because I can’t play it with my friend.   I know a lot of people are asking for a single system world.  One system to rule them all.  This is just as unrealistic as a single online world for us to enjoy.  One day we will sit back in our recliners,  and stare at our 9 gaming systems under, and to the side of our 130 inch 3240P televisions and think to ourselves, if only, if only.

In the world we live in, larger companies will only be interested in what is purchased, when, and by whom.  I just hope that one day we’ll move past this, one day we’ll all be playing on a single system together,  without proprietary hardware or 5 different versions of each console.   And when this day comes, it will be our independence day… but without Will Smith as the plucky comic relief.

-Remy

Who watches the Iphone

So it was announced that a MMO styled Watchman game was being released.  On which platform you ask? Well the Iphone of course.  I know I’ve already discussed how much I despise Iphone apps being talked about as if they were in the same class as what I will refer to as “Real Video Games”.  I suppose it’s something I’m going to have to deal with.  This game, however, is just a product of the advertisement machine.  It’s a game pumped out by 47 underpaid programmers, meant to be released  as quick as possible so that they can make an extra 3 bucks (if that is indeed the cost) off of each fan who thinks it’ll be a good idea to pick it up.

We all know that it won’t be good, and we know that it will sell a ton of downloads.   A part of me hopes that this app will turn out to be something really good.  I know we can’t expect a lot out of it, because the Iphone isn’t meant to be a gaming platform,  but maybe, just maybe it’ll be a nice diversion while riding the subway or waiting in line at a Starbucks.

Don’t even get me started on the stupid Cylon Detector App. A Fraking 2 dollar novelty app, yeah that’s worth the money.  Think it took the programmer longer than 2 hours to write it?   Hey that’s a buck an hour if he sold 1.

I swear I’m not bitter.

-Remy

New Ideas and PRPG’s

I have to say I was a bit skeptical about Puzzle Quest when I first heard the concept behind the game.   I remember hearing about it on a favorite podcast of mine, The Totally Rad Show,  and thinking ‘There is no way that is fun’.  But after playing it for a good 30+ hours I found myself totally addicted and I will be picking up the sequel shortly.  But that got me thinking.

I like when new ideas are explored through games.  Portal was another good example of thinking outside the box.  We spend so much of our time playing these generic FPS’s or generic RPG’s that when something truly unique comes along we gobble it up like a bag of skittles (I love me some skittles).  I’m sure there have been plenty of times in the past when a developer would walk up to a publisher and pitch a game that doesn’t fit the standard gaming design.  I’m sure that they were shot down before they were halfway done with their presentation.  But these days when everyone and their mom owns a game development company, and when games can be distributed via Xbox Live,  it allows the smaller developers to create what they want to create and when that happens you know that they will put everything into making it truly great.

I’m hopeful that these innovative games will continue to be pushed to the mainstream and we’ll finally see the end of the standard shooter, RPG, RTS, and any other acronym I wasn’t able to think of.

And for the love of God, where is my Portal 2

-Remy

Strategically Placed

I try not to purchase games from video game retail stores, such as, Gamestop, EBgames, etc, because they always try and sell me the strategy guide for whatever it is I’m buying.   I’m find the use of strategy guides tend to hinder my enjoyment of the game.   That’s not to say I never purchase a strategy guide,  sometimes with games like Fallout 3, you need one to complete a lot of the tasks in the game.

And that leads me to my problem with certain games.  The Final Fantasy Series used to be about exploration and boss fights.  Recently they’ve made it impossible to play the game without some form of strategy guide.  I can understand wanting to add content to a game, giving as much bang for the buck as you can, but making objectives that are impossible to figure out without paying an extra 20 bucks for the how to, is a bit much.  In some games it even effects the outcome of the game,  giving you a separate ending for completion of certain tasks.  If all these tasks were easily discoverable without the use of a walk-through, that would be one thing, but this is usually not the case.

I’ve had many moments where I get to a puzzle that I can’t figure out, or don’t know where to go next to progress the storyline,  and when this happens I will consult my favorite strategy guide, Google.  Maybe it’s the way I play games, maybe I just want to figure things out for myself.  Sometimes frustration does lead to not having fun, and having a walk-through in front of you would help in this situation,  maybe I’m just being too picky.  Too each his own I suppose.

-Remy

Your Dream has been Cast

I pulled out and dusted off my Sega Dreamcast System the other day.   I look back on the system fondly, with games such as Skies of Arcadia, Power stone, and Phantasy Star Online.  With the system being 10 years old now I figured I’d power it up for nostalgia purposes and realized something, nostalgia is only fun when you have friends there reminiscing with you.  I probably played for 20 minutes before the gigantic polygons caused my eyes to bleed.   Now at the time of it’s release the graphics were very good,  and if the system would have had better 3rd party developer support it probably would have done a great deal better as far as system purchases go.

Now I still have my other old systems: Atari, NES, SNES, N64, Playstation, Virtual boy, etc.    After dusting off the Dreamcast, maybe I’ll do the same with my older systems eventually,  but just to see if they work.   It’s funny how these gaming systems that we spend so much money on end up in a crate in your closet.  Along with controllers and all the games you thought you’d play forever.

But when all is said and done you just move them out of the way for the “New Hotness”.   Not to long ago I boxed up my Playstation 2 games and Original Xbox titles.   I wonder how long until it’s time to find a nice storage spot in my closet for the gigantic plastic controllers from Rock Band.  We all know eventually our favorite games and systems will just become a dust collector.  It’s sad to look at your game system graveyard, but at the same time, it makes me smile a little.   The memories of playing Duck Hunt on Christmas in the early 90′s or playing Mario Kart on the SNES on versus mode are well worth the cost of the system.

Now no one can look back at the Virtual Boy and think anything at all except “My Eyes They Burn!”

-Remy

You’re Such a Tease!

Well the trailer for Mass Effect 2 hit a few days ago, and while it wasn’t very long, it did get the ‘Oh crap!” award.   As I’ve said before, I’m very much looking forward to this game and hope to see it on store shelves sooner than feasibly possible.  Now after watching the trailer,  which shows zero gameplay by the way,  I can only speculate as to what the story will be.  My best guess?  Shephard will probably be hunted by the human government and the death shown in the trailer is a cover-up so he can get on about his business.   Far fetched? Maybe.  But it is the scifi genre and we all know that they need the ‘Betrayed by the people you trust’ element.

Teaser trailers kinda make me angry.  It’s like, ‘hey look at us we’re doing something over here. Oh, you’re looking? Well that’s all we got!’  It makes you ask for more, which is what they want, but at the same time pisses you off.   It’s worked for a while now and i don’t expect them to stop it,  but come on you know we’ve waited to see this for a while and that’s all you’re gonna give us?  Like the Uncharted 2 trailer, just enough to get us excited.

I know we all have short attention spans but come on!  Now let me unveil the teaser trailer for my blog!  OK i guess not.  It’d probably be just me making funny faces at the camera.

-Remy

No Nonsense

I was going to post some nonsensical crap about gaming peripherals, mainly because I’m looking at purchasing the Saitek X52 and I thought it might be an entertaining post.  However, I’m certain that it would come across as a filler post that really didn’t belong.  So instead I’m going to talk about Jumpgate Evolution and my obsession with it.

I’ve always liked space flight games,  Wing Commander: prophecy and Freelancer were both incredible space flight games that had me from beginning to end.  Not long ago, a MMO  produced by a small company was released,  that MMO was Jumpgate: The Reconstruction Initiative.   Now being a space flight fan I picked it up and played it for a little while before moving on to something else.

So after 8 years of waiting a sequel is being released in June 2009 with next-gen graphics and a larger publisher backing it.  All I can say is I’m hyped and have my Saitek x52 in the shopping cart ready to be ordered.  See I came back to the peripheral!  Anyway I hope I’m not disappointed, seeing as I was never invited to the beta and have no idea what to expect.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

-Remy

What are you Looking forward to?

There are plenty of games coming out this year and after last years huge lineup I’m curious what we can really hope for.  We just had Street Fighter 4, GTA IV: The lost and the damned, and Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride for the DS released.  And the next few months we will see the following games released.

• Killzone 2
• Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
• Halo Wars
• Resident Evil 5
• Mad World
• Resistance: Retribution
• Guitar Hero: Metallica
• Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
• The Conduit

Now this is definitely an impressive list, and only games listed til a June release date,  but considering last year I probably bought 15 games,  I just don’t see this year shaping up to be a blockbuster year.  I plan on buying 1 of those games,  maybe 2.  I’m really hoping that the second half of the year will be better, but we can only wait and see.  I’m sure there are games I missed in my list.  Maybe I’m forgetting something really good.  If so let me know

-Remy

Weapons Free

My former podcasting brother, Adam, has a new podcast out  called Weapons Free: A Force of Arms Podcast.  From now on I’ll refer to it as WF:AFOAP.  Hmm still seems a bit long.   Anyway if you don’t know what Force of Arms is, go and grab the podcast to find out.

I love how podcasting has become a huge way of promoting a product. I’m already interested in 100′s of games as it is, and now I have another one to add to the list.   So go listen on the site or download and listen at your leisure.   I only hope that when the game is released I’ll be able to guest host on his show.

Then again I’m not sure if I should come out of retirement anytime soon.  My radio voice needs a cough drop.

-Remy

Thaw me when we get there

I don’t like to talk about specific games, or at least I try not to, but with the little bit of news I just heard about Mass Effect 2,  I couldn’t help myself.   Mass Effect was a great RPG, with some of the best gameplay I’ve ever come across.  The story was magnificent, and just the side quests alone could keep you playing for 50+ hours.    Me being the A.D.D. gamer that I am, didn’t do many of the side quests,  but now I have a reason to go back and play through it again!

Just “released” on Kotaku is a video with some of the developers talking about Mass Effect 2,  and in said video there is a bit of news that got me excited.

“Any saved game that you make from Mass Effect 1 you should be able to carry that same character into to Mass Effect 2,”

And

“You’ll be able to take that save game and create a character in Mass Effect 2.”

As I’ve said before in previous posts, I hate it when a sequel is just a new game.  Mass Effect 2 is exactly what a sequel should be,  a continuation of a story.   And not only a continuation, but a continuation with the character you created from the original.  More game companies should take a good look at what Bioware is doing and realize this is what people want.  (Well maybe just me)

Anyway,  I hope to hear more news in the future about Mass Effect 2, and I have no doubt that I’ll be picking it up as soon as it’s released.  Now the only problem left is how to freeze myself , to be thawed upon release of the game.  It worked for Cartman right?

-Remy