tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-147059023572042942024-03-05T18:40:24.371-08:00A Happier DivideA blog about games, the wonderful thing that no one gives a crap about.Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-4930305354301163952010-03-16T20:52:00.000-07:002010-03-16T21:26:51.313-07:00The tumblerTHE BATMOBILE. or sort of w/e. Yeah the tumbler is the name of the car Batman drives and its so freaking cool. He uses it to "tumble" off rooftops. I am also tumbling off towards tumblr.com how cool is that? Yeah I used cool like 4 times already, Ill stop. For the future, bad jokes aside you can find my writing over at <a href="http://peggleisawesome.tumblr.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span></a>Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-14226295442577241452010-03-09T11:50:00.000-08:002010-03-16T13:11:39.859-07:00The Death of the Self, (and the Rebirth of the Family)A man had a dream, a dream of a world where rational self-interest reigned free. A place where man is not held down by governments or morality, outside of God and away from the leeches of society. In the world of <span style="font-style: italic;">Bioshock</span>, that dream is realized. Enter Andrew Ryan; an enigmatic randian hero. He constructed a city underwater, a thriving metropolis free from the constraints of the common man. Rapture, he called it. Yet by some cruel sense of nature, man will always be man. The city fell to ruin, in a philosophical sense. Its citzens begun to experiment with genetics, trying desperatly to alter their appearences in a vain attempt to achieve beauty. Eventually these genetics spiraled into weapons, and the city erupted into an all out civil war. Little girls now roam the halls of Rapture, extracting "Adam" from the corpses of the forgotten. While the Big Daddies, large hulking men and women in diving suits, stand watch over them.<br /><br />This is the world of Bioshock,Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-14709629281295005302010-03-02T22:35:00.000-08:002010-03-02T22:44:47.373-08:00Immersion BreakImmersion is the magic word that game developers love to use. Its the happy bunny rabbit that sits on top of your desk and reminds you why your life <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">doesn't</span> suck. Yet everyone has it, so the point of having it isn't really that unique, its just there for your own devices. Immersion works in relatively the same aspect. Every game developer loves touting the fact that their game has wonderful immersion aspects and how it sucks gamers in. Any experience that breaks it, therefore makes the game terrible and virtually unplayable. The gaming press has an even worse time when it comes to immersion as well. We will dissect a game and complain about how we were taken out of the experience. Thus ultimately destroying our enjoyment of the product as a whole.<br /><br />However, this isn't anything new. When you go to the movie theatre, there will be people walking in and out of the movie constantly. When you are reading a book, your mother or pet of some kind will bother you, taking you out of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">fanciful</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">philosophical</span> adventure you were enjoying. My point is that Immersion disruption in games is much the same. If a game is good enough in its execution of its story elements, the construction of its game designs, then immersion is a useless factor. Nine times out of ten, the average gamer will not be absorbed in your product. They won't wait on the edge of their seat, hoping for the next power-up mushroom to appear. Chances are that they will come in, play for an hour then go drink a beer and watch TV. Immersion is an important factor in game design, but it should never be the focus. What makes a game great is not drawing people into the world. Sure its a contributing factor, but the vast majority of people don't care. They want a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">brilliant</span> story, solid <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">game play</span> and an experience that only this medium can provide.Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-1364627017121413142010-01-15T23:19:00.000-08:002010-01-15T23:52:12.468-08:00In Defense of Video GamesAs of late, the gaming world has been bogged down by mediocrity. In titles that we once endeared and treasured above all else, we are stuck with crap. Nintendo keeps giving their loyal fans their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">comny</span> throw-up of the past 10 years. Microsoft practically tries to charge us for the air we breathe.<br />While Sony <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">doesn</span>’t understand the typical consumer and now tries to play catch up.<br /><br />2009 was a terrible year for games. Massive layoffs and less then stellar titles started to show that the game industry is not immune to recession. Titles like Assassins Creed 2 and New Super Mario Brothers <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wii</span> show us that our industry is dying. When games like that receive massive praise for recycled game concepts and rehashed graphics. Yet they were both huge successes, both commercially and through meta-scores.<br /><br />First of all I'm not complaining that they are bad games. They are the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">hyperbole</span> definition of fun. I lost myself for hours in Renaissance Italy, helping my friends save Princess Peach from the castle. Yet fun isn't a valid excuse anymore. We as a entertainment medium have been trying to validate our choices through this fallacy. "you can't knock that game, its <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">sooo</span> much fun dude." That excuse doesn't work now. It might have worked back in the Atari 2600 days, it might have worked when Gallagher was considered fun. It doesn't work today.<br /><br />These games are not amazing or groundbreaking. Assassins Creed 2 is a rehash of broken concepts hidden by a sequel moniker. It is simply the first game, with all its myriad problems, both aesthetically and fundamentally. The combat is flawed and broken, along with the control of the main character as well. All wrapped up with the laughable plot elements of a Dan Brown Novel. New Super Mario Brothers <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Wii</span> is a lazy port of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">DS</span> game with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">multiplayer</span> functionality of a Sega Saturn game. Any game can have 4 player local co-op, that isn't an accomplishment anymore.<br /><br />There are plenty of titles that are just as equally undeserving of any garnered "groundbreaking" or "innovative". No fan boys, stop it. If you truly love your console and your companies as you so blatantly confess, ask for more. Ask for Quality, not Mario or Zelda. For all of us. Otherwise, kittens cry, and the terrorists win.Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-32069506284009618572010-01-15T00:47:00.000-08:002010-01-15T01:11:51.947-08:002010 Predictions1.<span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Jade Empire 2</span> </span>will be announced and released sometime in 2010<br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Diablo 3</span> release date announcement, hopefully not 2012 or 2013<br />3. Nintendo releases at least one original IP that isnt a rehash of their work from the past 10 years<br />4. Sony beats Microsoft in overall game sales or console sales.<br />5. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;">Final Fantasy 13</span> will be mediocre at best, not groundbreaking.<br />6. A new <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">WoW</span> expansion (not cataclysm) will be announced<br />7. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Starcraft 2</span> the wings of Liberty will be released sometime this year.<br />8. Multiplayer, motion control and 3-D will be in practically every game, and we will all get sick of it by the end of the year.<br />9. Sony will dominate at E3<br />10. Capcom will suffer lackluster sales from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deadrising 2</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Void</span><br />11. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crysis 2</span> will be released this year.<br />12. A new reboot of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Resident Evil</span> franchise will take place.<br />13. A sweet Steven Segall game will be announced<br />14. Fanboys will be just as retarded as all the previous years<br />15. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mass Effect 2</span> will be freaking awesome<br />16. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alan Wake</span> will get delayed until 2011<br />17. A new Batman game will be announced and released this year<br />18. Xbox live will be free (yeah right)<br />19.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Infamous 2</span> will be announced at E3<br />20. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bioshock </span>movie is going to be highly entertaining, and be loosely based on the game.Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-27672195414085245382009-11-26T12:41:00.000-08:002010-01-25T01:42:29.397-08:00Being a Hero Sucks<span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS8L853tsMdtOXwKcEaPRnAJ2_BpBY6RMbbDrUegicWrZSvycfG-zG7pS8weaLG9uB2cJ8mx60T4PkOh4qY70KzSnn6j_-ZbddtKA7dnNE3_deSPCQ-5m7gpfWuQSL6XKWahG96CGjtw/s1600-h/4935139c_wallpaper_dragon_age_origins_01_1920x1200.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS8L853tsMdtOXwKcEaPRnAJ2_BpBY6RMbbDrUegicWrZSvycfG-zG7pS8weaLG9uB2cJ8mx60T4PkOh4qY70KzSnn6j_-ZbddtKA7dnNE3_deSPCQ-5m7gpfWuQSL6XKWahG96CGjtw/s400/4935139c_wallpaper_dragon_age_origins_01_1920x1200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428689077615845058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >The country of </span>Ferelden<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > is in a state of civil war. Amidst the tumultuous bloodshed and conflict, the horrid </span>Darkspawn<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > have waged a war against all sentient life. Seeking to plunge the world into ever casting darkness. You are a Grey Warden, a soldier who safeguards the world from evil. The nations of the world have fallen out of grace with your order. You are seen as sycophants and manipulators. It falls on you, however to sacrifice your life to save the world. You must lose all you love, all you cherish, to save the hypocrites of the world. Being a hero sucks.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Dragon Age: Origins is the latest game from </span>Bioware<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >. The company that brought you Jade Empire, Knights of the Republic, and the </span>Baldur's<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > Gate Franchise. I make note of this as Dragon Age borrows heavily from </span>Bioware's<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > past titles. It also still carries the </span>numerous<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > flaws of a </span>Bioware<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > game. The item management and quest log is as awkward and </span>unwieldy<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > as ever. Enemies die in awkward positions, coupled with the amazing </span>frame rate<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > hiccups and random game ending bugs. Yet even with all those problems, Dragon Age is an amazing game. It borrows all the great things from its past games, and improves upon them greatly. This is true fantasy Role Playing brought to life.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwg52Ahc2Nzl2WP1SJt263x3xEZeVzLNl3BY5v5pTmmQp_qYrwIz3-FepHPfSkMwYP3YCofVRt6TKtRA2-bIvCRk5dq5CT9I6eRWU_WXwpNioFaA8zZuCnVDFj3WvhEMVFCVw_NAIUTkc/s1600-h/41998_DragonAgeOrigins-02_normal.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwg52Ahc2Nzl2WP1SJt263x3xEZeVzLNl3BY5v5pTmmQp_qYrwIz3-FepHPfSkMwYP3YCofVRt6TKtRA2-bIvCRk5dq5CT9I6eRWU_WXwpNioFaA8zZuCnVDFj3WvhEMVFCVw_NAIUTkc/s400/41998_DragonAgeOrigins-02_normal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428689479595418178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekeiKYVbooPugxgIrKhMybLBVCDVYibEGSrd_BZ-JjUHxF8Ch3QAWsLVajmMQQMPoUXq6OAxG7JxT7YBJR5So8MWTKYtr_2OyWtTcsZjk3KsyjF9bMQ3y0X9-lPuO5lel06MlqMOklGE/s1600-h/vlcsnap-2009-10-13-15h20m22s116-560x315.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekeiKYVbooPugxgIrKhMybLBVCDVYibEGSrd_BZ-JjUHxF8Ch3QAWsLVajmMQQMPoUXq6OAxG7JxT7YBJR5So8MWTKYtr_2OyWtTcsZjk3KsyjF9bMQ3y0X9-lPuO5lel06MlqMOklGE/s400/vlcsnap-2009-10-13-15h20m22s116-560x315.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428684943206531106" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Taking its cue from High and Dark fantasy, Dragon Age is a tale of good vs. evil ultimately. Yet it moves into unfamiliar territory of the </span>RPG<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > genre; the morally grey. Dragon Age transcends the usual expectations of the series and diverts from the traditional angel v. devil points motif. You aren't docked points every time you commit an evil or good action. Instead, you simply face your consequences. Do you side with the crafty but beautiful </span>Morrigan<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >? or do you side with the ever chivalrous </span>Allistar<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >? </span>Morrigan<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > makes comments that are very true; people are petty and altruistic. What is a few of their lives worth in the end? You don't have time for their petty squabbles, you have the world to save. Yet </span>Allistar<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > and the others of your party tell you that you must act with civility and grace, save those who are in need, be a hero. The world of </span>Ferelden<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > is the embodiment of your choices, selfless or otherwise.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMwnH8ZeyqmzvzS_fOQIVIISPAwPTPj01I2xzmyhwsdeNG9MBlEWgvpuEhvWECXKr05_hd_o0guAlgaPsEZyWyjsgFXWbrl_6kEZQL_fA04pRtpIY9229B2jZSVGa6Lczz-SO88fVht4/s1600-h/morrigan-from-dragon-age-origins-r1dT1m-620x.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMwnH8ZeyqmzvzS_fOQIVIISPAwPTPj01I2xzmyhwsdeNG9MBlEWgvpuEhvWECXKr05_hd_o0guAlgaPsEZyWyjsgFXWbrl_6kEZQL_fA04pRtpIY9229B2jZSVGa6Lczz-SO88fVht4/s400/morrigan-from-dragon-age-origins-r1dT1m-620x.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428686260941593330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >With that in mind, </span>Bioware<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > has truly created an amazing fantasy world. </span>Ferelden<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > is a land awash with its cut-throat politics and its seedy underbellies. Prostitutes proposition themselves to passing onlookers, thieves run unopposed through the streets. The true accomplishment is the well written dialogue and rich history. It breathes life into the world and adds weight and </span>dimension<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > to player choice and character development. The lore and background history breathe to life the essence of the game. Every character is multi-faceted, each pertaining to very human flaws. They are people, not lines of code, mirroring your decisions. Some believ in a higher power, many have hopes and dreams. They have experienced war, </span>famine<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >, poverty and devastation. It is not the fantasy world you imagined when you were a child, but rather the one that exposes the faulty lines within the modern world that we inhabit.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUwjUTj7mMRbQFve8Wyz7gMS9b7WGodUhEdAjJal30ir2C8xWt0nngGDEscQqaJ4kRgBgYfUPW9s6OwSSBOKg8a3lz5mtpMNRwxf3OCZ3xgCzAAaiO5tWieMRVy2gZ4FzGUm-awpB2nA/s1600-h/475px-Thedasmap_wallpaper_1600x1200.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUwjUTj7mMRbQFve8Wyz7gMS9b7WGodUhEdAjJal30ir2C8xWt0nngGDEscQqaJ4kRgBgYfUPW9s6OwSSBOKg8a3lz5mtpMNRwxf3OCZ3xgCzAAaiO5tWieMRVy2gZ4FzGUm-awpB2nA/s400/475px-Thedasmap_wallpaper_1600x1200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428688349692996146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Akin to the overall story is the game play. The game play follows traditional </span>RPG<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > mechanics. You control one member of your four player party at a time. You may switch between any of them, at any time. Combat is handled in real time, or you have the option of pausing. You are allowed to pause at any point during the combat. Which means you can cue up one action for your party after every pause. This allows you freedom in deciding how each battle plays out and furthers your understanding of the game rules. After combat, each of your characters </span>recieve<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > experience points. Earn enough, and you level up, unlocking new </span>abilites<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > and spells. The stronger the enemy you face, the better loot and gear you gain for that fight.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Pretty standard fare for an </span>RPG<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > game. Yet there is absolutely nothing wrong with this formula. There is absolutely no grinding in Dragon Age Origins, opting instead of letting your prowess in combat rely on your skills as player. </span>Bioware<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > has trimmed the fat of the needless </span>time sinks<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > found in </span>RPGs<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > and show you the more combat driven side. You as a player determine all your characters strengths and how well they do in combat. The tricky nature behind the combat is ultimately what determines the "fun" factor. At its most base form, you can simply move your character around the room and press the A button until your party does all the work. On the flip side, you may opt to completely plan out the course of every battle. Learning to use your characters strengths to their full advantage. Understanding all the weak spots and blind points in a boss. Using the vast compendium of spells at your disposal to better dispose of your enemies. Or simply </span>equipping<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > the strongest armor and the most powerful weapon. </span>Subsequently<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > the combat is as deep or as simplistic as you desire it to be.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmffZHbtlHFtjvdBTo0gYHqY6h_rXrW7CW1iOnPsrY1bxi0uuzPUcc1hC0HPBAC8xb6Zj88_mizoQzixvQKZuAr7Qi2tjTg_Nqm5sVmzGEeeIAxIfMf1ZVorRhpCDIw0AtzswKD7XRAY/s1600-h/dragon-age-origins-13.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmffZHbtlHFtjvdBTo0gYHqY6h_rXrW7CW1iOnPsrY1bxi0uuzPUcc1hC0HPBAC8xb6Zj88_mizoQzixvQKZuAr7Qi2tjTg_Nqm5sVmzGEeeIAxIfMf1ZVorRhpCDIw0AtzswKD7XRAY/s400/dragon-age-origins-13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428685826612198146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Dragon Age: Origins is an amazing experience, from start to finish. It is a wonderfully crafted </span>RPG<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > that you'll play through multiple times. Yet Dragon Age is not for everyone. It is an old school Role Playing Game, a game so deeply entrenched in its own lore and history. If you are willing to look past that, you will find a complex world full of betrayal, honor, loss and love. A world where you can indulge in </span>fanciful<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > dream </span>fulfillment<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >. Or you know you can slay Dragons, </span>that's<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > pretty cool too.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">9/10 </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">(I dont personally believe in score attachment, but it is here for those that do not wish to read the full review)</span></span><br /></span>Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-59409411726984228412009-11-21T16:53:00.000-08:002010-01-19T18:55:13.408-08:00That was Controversy?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9-bDrOmgqhm2VC6qf3CVzY2AsrOpscp8KUKj4m36W2wqoL80hzGudzSN5zn_sy6c2JhaTPB7icLiXkQEzNbjG6IWOYyxBZex9yf2ziCv0vGwR1kJ1cfccm0Ivc659gyR3Oxo0vp09jY/s1600/callofduty_terroristshoot.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9-bDrOmgqhm2VC6qf3CVzY2AsrOpscp8KUKj4m36W2wqoL80hzGudzSN5zn_sy6c2JhaTPB7icLiXkQEzNbjG6IWOYyxBZex9yf2ziCv0vGwR1kJ1cfccm0Ivc659gyR3Oxo0vp09jY/s400/callofduty_terroristshoot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406828218009560690" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hailed by Fox media and right wing news sites, as a "terrorist" simulator, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is the game to talk about this year. Of course the controversy stems from the one mission 2 hours into the game that places you as an undercover CIA agent charged with infiltrating a Russian crime cell. This situation escalates with you and your compatriots rushing into a Moscow Airport, shooting civilians by the dozens. As a civilian cries for mercy, you desist to pour boxes of bullets into said person's skull. No, of course that isn't how it is.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7_RXAUfc1k29An57iZ_OsAKe_b4RDFXgO49UEyYNrjTOLqZjcyTPJq42kF9DnZlMyJv_gIN702JTrcw5uTg02JR23WFFPHjstnxECE_0Z5PNoMZ4se6sNRHubQjy0NXef7C0eTlIDoM/s1600/tbd-modernwarfare111_93787c.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7_RXAUfc1k29An57iZ_OsAKe_b4RDFXgO49UEyYNrjTOLqZjcyTPJq42kF9DnZlMyJv_gIN702JTrcw5uTg02JR23WFFPHjstnxECE_0Z5PNoMZ4se6sNRHubQjy0NXef7C0eTlIDoM/s400/tbd-modernwarfare111_93787c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406828674947848258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It simply is just melodrama that appears to support either the "games are art" or the "violent video games are negative" argument. The game supports neither, and the journalistic fallout is appalling. Multiple, if not all game publications have labeled this experience as "intense" and emotionally groundbreaking. While I will not name drop,(cough GameSpot, GameInformer cough) this behavior only strengthens the publicity that this game <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">receives</span>. Seriously? You are stabbing a knife into someones neck while seeing the whites of their eyes staring at you. You kill upwards of 200-300 people in your trek to stop the ultra nationalist psychos from taking over the United States.<br /><br />The entire game is just one <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">anthetamean</span> based over the top action story. It may look photo realistic, but the actual story and scenarios are far from it. There is nothing realistic about the scenarios placed in Call of Duty and as such, no it does not operate in a morally grey area. Modern Warfare 2 is simply just The Rock: the video game.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkEbvxkOSPFe0igSs0cXpjIbKXmw_JklkJhPAsFCemFdm_GNVf2477Uu8L3J0Sjd9vfkLT5n8H4S3laVJcGt6zjiETUejSzCNspXhyphenhyphen4ul2JothhNfqFSDR_N3h2PYgQHFjP3ilYDcZIoc/s1600/1106564-modernwarfare247_12_1920x1200_super.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkEbvxkOSPFe0igSs0cXpjIbKXmw_JklkJhPAsFCemFdm_GNVf2477Uu8L3J0Sjd9vfkLT5n8H4S3laVJcGt6zjiETUejSzCNspXhyphenhyphen4ul2JothhNfqFSDR_N3h2PYgQHFjP3ilYDcZIoc/s400/1106564-modernwarfare247_12_1920x1200_super.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406827384677596594" border="0" /></a><br />So placed with the absurdity of the overall game, we choose to cry foul at this one airport level? We as gamers don't have a problem gunning down digital men and women clothed in army fatigues. But oh no, give them a plaid shirt, denim jeans and suddenly we are despicable evil men. Give me a break. Point being, there is no controversy in Modern Warfare 2, so shut up.Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-17869019213737894902009-10-14T09:31:00.000-07:002009-11-06T02:11:34.011-08:00The More You Know......<a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_14979_6-most-terrifying-foods-in-world.html">http://www.cracked.com/article_14979_6-most-terrifying-foods-in-world.html<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_15982_5-horrifying-food-additives-youve-probably-eaten-today.html">http://www.cracked.com/article_15982_5-horrifying-food-additives-youve-probably-eaten-today.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cracked.com/article/113_6-fake-foods-you-will-wish-you-didnt-have-in-your-kitchen_p2">http://www.cracked.com/article/113_6-fake-foods-you-will-wish-you-didnt-have-in-your-kitchen_p2</a><br /><br /><br />I'm going to assume that after this, you are going to view certain of your foods with apprehension. If not then I would say you are special to say the least. But we are still a culture of consumers. I think I'm off fast food for at least 5 years now. I hope you are too. "I'm Lovin it".Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-85984696767486952432009-10-12T10:01:00.000-07:002009-10-12T18:13:28.011-07:00LOL<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGvAIDR_lRW-PUTX68NytyhVWCElt26smzHHiPPellAgGlJh40RnhEk4E1k2Uv9BdqBtNCqJE2UFaireom56wY3fcjB8sy1ODZs2XdMHZZv4IDnNpHPbepLymiV3q3PdLk9Ca4cpWcv8/s1600-h/senmurv.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGvAIDR_lRW-PUTX68NytyhVWCElt26smzHHiPPellAgGlJh40RnhEk4E1k2Uv9BdqBtNCqJE2UFaireom56wY3fcjB8sy1ODZs2XdMHZZv4IDnNpHPbepLymiV3q3PdLk9Ca4cpWcv8/s400/senmurv.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391886090825276578" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Title">What is it?</span></p> <p>The Senmurv is a wolf/eagle hybrid invented, without question, by someone with a dreamcatcher hanging from the rear-view mirror of their pickup truck. Each successful attack deals 1d6 of <em>freedom.</em></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Title">Where it Went Wrong:</span></p> <p>The Senmurv is what Toby Keith becomes every full moon, and as such it fails to impress us on every conceivable level. The only thing more ridiculous than picturing this beast clawing feebly through the sky like a Technicolor ValueJet, is imagining it trying to stand upright on two hind legs never meant for the task.</p> <p>Actually, more ridiculous still is imagining this beast's conception, which apparently involved a wolf, a giant tropical bird and painful screeches from within a cloud of neon feathers.</p>-Cracked.com, <a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_17455_15-retarded-dungeons-dragons-monsters.html">http://www.cracked.com/article_17455_15-retarded-dungeons-dragons-monsters.html<br /></a><br /><br /><br />AHAHAHAHAHAHA, this is hilarous. Yes I am now devoting less then a sentence, I will post a more thoughtful post to come but OMG. I know, Dungeons and Dragons inside joke. For more retarded creatures, please check out the link above. And if you don't get the joke, well maybe someone should expand their horizons.Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-56259405868900727322009-10-11T17:00:00.000-07:002009-10-11T17:12:05.223-07:00Omg TotallyTo the like what? four readers of this blog. Two are my family, the third is my girlfriend and you, yes you. You know who you are.The one who reads this out of pity for me. What am I saying? you are all reading this out of pity or you have nothing else better to do. Thanks anyway though for your continued and prolonged support. I will be writing for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Technorati</span>.org soon, which is kinda cool. You get to read my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">sycophantic</span> somewhat professional rantings over there as well. What am I kidding? None of my work is professional.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw50IpYCFs9zhuBSrKddW_zXz3w6qdpzeC4GXBfygg1afU2qxSdEXZT5PYV9p6RXJ1hQKwc8M-N9tfD1L0PEKDdgZu3LBugnhOjzOCMvHEkP3L1qehsEFixHKRo4BpG6gklmWGVZeeQm4/s1600-h/lolcatsdotcomx1ollou0m35sgsct.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw50IpYCFs9zhuBSrKddW_zXz3w6qdpzeC4GXBfygg1afU2qxSdEXZT5PYV9p6RXJ1hQKwc8M-N9tfD1L0PEKDdgZu3LBugnhOjzOCMvHEkP3L1qehsEFixHKRo4BpG6gklmWGVZeeQm4/s400/lolcatsdotcomx1ollou0m35sgsct.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391498331539086578" border="0" /></a>Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-40366397029255760302009-10-10T12:39:00.000-07:002009-10-10T12:48:08.392-07:00Does John Die @ the End?"Society is doomed for one very simple reason: it takes dozens of men working months with millions of dollars in materials to build a building, but only one dumb-ass with a bomb to bring it down."<br /><br />I lol'd<br /><br />if you haven't done so, please read a copy of John Dies @ the End by David Wong. You can find a copy at your nearest bookstore where ever that is located. I would argue that it is the best book ever written, however my standards are pretty shoddy so that isn't saying very much. Seriously, though, you should read it.<a id="publishButton" class="cssButton" href="javascript:void(0)" target="" onclick="if (this.className.indexOf("ubtn-disabled") == -1) {var e = document['stuffform'].publish;(e.length) ? e[0].click() : e.click(); if (window.event) window.event.cancelBubble = true; return false;}"><div class="cssButtonOuter"><div class="cssButtonMiddle"><div class="cssButtonInner"><br /></div></div></div></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vV-rHsH5O6DfdNWwdjfrrMdxMkY7M4cdMAAD8EL69Gd3sAN56eSoowQzj8ftBcvnUWsOYO3CZYJRvNTvsVxtIRokdvsXyaQwaBl4iOz_ceXAeBLjJTXuj3NDaz1OW0q0s4NQXGKNPxw/s1600-h/JohnDiesCover.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vV-rHsH5O6DfdNWwdjfrrMdxMkY7M4cdMAAD8EL69Gd3sAN56eSoowQzj8ftBcvnUWsOYO3CZYJRvNTvsVxtIRokdvsXyaQwaBl4iOz_ceXAeBLjJTXuj3NDaz1OW0q0s4NQXGKNPxw/s400/JohnDiesCover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391059669189679250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/John-Dies-End-David-Wong/dp/031255513X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255203748&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/John-Dies-End-David-Wong/dp/031255513X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255203748&sr=8-1</a>Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-39255214098097772682009-10-08T11:59:00.000-07:002009-10-08T12:12:31.181-07:00Are you Confused?Preorder bonuses for games are cool. If you are already going to purchase a new game, why not get something for your troubles? Getting a cool piece of in-game content is definetly worth shelling out 5 dollars or even 10 dollars towards your purchase. However it seems that nowadays the entire preorder landscape of games is just a muddled mess. Albeit an almost desperate attempt for retailers to corner away a share of the audience.<br /><br />Dragon Age Origins, Bioware's upcoming fantasy RPG is a good descripter of this problem. For at least 3-4 different retailers, there is a special "pre-order" bonus item avaliable. THAT IS CONFUSING! I just want to buy a copy of your damn game and play it. Not this stupid bullcrap of getting an item here and an item there. Yes the argument is very valid that I can not care and just buy a regular copy of the game. However in some way it feels like being screwed over immensly. 2ks Borderlands shares this same problem by offering "special" guns for preorder bonus.<br /><br />As stated before, I like preorder in-game items. (to be finished)Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-62914323746273404682009-09-30T09:29:00.000-07:002009-09-30T10:38:14.728-07:00I can has DLC?The landscape of the gaming industry has changed. Retail is no longer the beast it once was. With the growing popularity of services like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Netflix</span>, the idea of digital distribution is becoming commonplace. Gaming is starting to take that route as Steam has been increasingly popular, offering an online platform for indie and triple A titles. Why then does the concept only apply to PC titles? Why can't it be integrated into all the consoles.<br /><br />Well simply put, the consumer base isn't there. No person wants to pay the same amount of money for a digital copy then for a hard disk copy. With the current setup of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">internet</span> security, digital distribution has not moved to the point where you feel safe and secure possessing a digital copy. Services like I-tunes consistently lose account data, causing people to repurchase something they already payed for.<br /><br />With the wonky and unfriendly user interface that Microsoft uses with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Xbox</span> Live, apprehension is to be expected. I bring up Microsoft as they are the biggest contender for success of this model but the biggest offender to its failures. Recently Valve has announced why their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">DLC</span> has to have a charge point. Essentially Microsoft's model forces them to have a price point for their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">DLC</span>. So the new update is 7 dollars on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Xbox</span> Live and free on Steam for users with a PC. This creates such a wonderful message for Microsoft and their overall agenda to consumers everywhere. Why is it that I as a consumer am forced to pay for something that has always been free to me on the PC for the past ten years?<br /><br />Well to put it simply, Microsoft believes in charging for everything, it was the way they operated in making PCs and software, its how they operate in terms of gaming. Their argument is that the prices create an economy and the prices regulated the growing economy on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Xbox</span> Live. That is a bunch of BullS@#t. You just can't admit openly that you love charging everyone for everything on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Xbox</span> Live Marketplace. Five dollars for a Halo marine costume for your avatar? Seriously? If that is the landscape of things then I might as well buy all my games on the PC. Where at least I won't get charged <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">pitons</span> for all the services that have been free for the past seven to eight years. Thanks Microsoft.Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-69603509938292123252009-09-28T10:31:00.000-07:002009-09-28T13:57:42.617-07:00The Updates, Where are They?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUJ-dSws1ryVa6o-sHbVLLRzjxMzKnetS9vJ26i19JjFAo7lBKUG5Fg0V5ziKWnVdqF8ZxhppGkxnd16hSHj2NQt6QUVVoMPI2OhznjGK2HjhSbQj53h8VB8-5GoPnQJnle-myk6W4qI/s1600-h/also_elves.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUJ-dSws1ryVa6o-sHbVLLRzjxMzKnetS9vJ26i19JjFAo7lBKUG5Fg0V5ziKWnVdqF8ZxhppGkxnd16hSHj2NQt6QUVVoMPI2OhznjGK2HjhSbQj53h8VB8-5GoPnQJnle-myk6W4qI/s400/also_elves.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386625360413787234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As you are no doubt aware, I have not updated the world on my deeply insightful thoughts for at least a week. Rest assured you will be reading about something no doubt either entirely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">frivolous</span> or pointless in nature. Of course by the time you read this, I will have no doubt updated something slightly more interesting then this footnote. Funny picture to hold you over until then. Oh you should also <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">definitely</span> catch me on Twitter, if you are THAT bored. Seriously, if you are, that's pretty damn pathetic. "Base!"Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-71522264510909115392009-09-16T09:58:00.000-07:002009-09-23T08:22:50.506-07:00Rasberries AND Blueberries!Tower defense games are somewhat of an acquired taste. My girlfriend likens them to watching a generic action film. You create the scenario and watch it unfold ultimately. With Defense Grid, Xbox Live finally gets it's tower defense game. While it doesn't break any new ground, it improves on the concept of other TD games and offers a very solid and addictive experience.<br /><br />The game play is relatively simple. You create towers along a path while enemies show up from numerous locations, grab a power core and then proceed to the exit. Let every power core escape and you lose the game. It is your job to construct virtually a maze of death to stop them and their diabolical schemes of taking over the world. Now along with deciding which one of ten towers to use, you are given the option to upgrade them invariably. Once upgraded they cause carnage on a massive scale. So you are a given a choice, build more towers to maze your enemies effectively or upgrade your cannons to level 3 to decimate any boss monster that haplessly crosses its path.<br /><br />The single player campaign alone is 20 levels, not including about five to six challenge modes for each level. The Xbox live version also contains 5 new maps entitled "Borderlands" along with their respective challenge modes as well. While it doesn't offer any multi player modes, the resulting experience should last you ten-fifteen hours. Given the truly addictive nature of the game, there isn't anything too horrific with that.<br /><br />On an aesthetic level, Defense Grid is beautiful. I can't exactly place it, but the level design, the monsters up to the tower animations look and sound amazing. The towers rise up from the ground as they are slowly being constructed, the aliens cast long shadows as they move monotonously from one side of the map to the other. It isn't next-gen technology, but it still proves to be a visual vista for the eyes.<br /><br />Overall, Defense Grid isn't an innovation in the tower defense genre. However it is perhaps one of the most solid strategy games on the Xbox Live Arcade system. Made even better for half the price of the PC version plus five bonus maps. If you are a tower defense fan, a strategy fan or just a fan of addictive games, then this game is definitely for you. Yes Rasberries are totally awesome.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"></span>(score is for arbituary reasons, I do not really place a gameplay experience on a rudimentary number system. However, if you just want to know the simplfied version of my opinion, please read on)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eight</span> out of TenNathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-59421747099862254432009-09-09T00:24:00.000-07:002009-09-23T10:12:42.982-07:00Dying (No it is not emo, shut up)Dying in video games is common place in our experience. Back in the 8-bit era you would die almost constantly for clearly outlined reasons. "Oh you didn't jump there, or Oh yeah that guy does a special move on his 4th move that kills you if you don't move out of the way." Arguably, I would say that it is a good thing that gaming has moved beyond the punitive memorization era. However, it seems more and more common that games today are just frustrating and do not offer a clear definition of player failure and player death.<br /><br />First and foremost, it is true, no one likes dying in a video game. On that same vein, no one enjoys failing and having to re-invest more time sinks into a game. On par with that concept, that idea of difficulty and how often you die directly correlates with how much fun you have with a game. Which creates this question of difficulty. Why does it really need to exist? Why do developers need to infuriate their players to a point of frustration just to make their game? Are they so sadistic and cruel by nature?<br /><br />Well of course not, or I would hope not as the situation may warrant. Difficulty needs to exist to add gravity to a players actions and add to his overall motivation for playing. If you were essentially steam rolling content, you wouldn't have fun for very long now would you? However the alternative proves itself even worse off. By creating experiences that are simply cheap and frustrating to a player, you create an alienation and complete disregard for your game altogether. While you as a developer believe you are hiding behind the concept of "challenging" the player.<br /><br />Players should only fail because of his or her own skill level and understanding of the game's logic. Failure should never be related to a technical mishap that the programmer couldn't accomplish. These things should never happen or occur.<br /><br />There should always be a clear outlined reason and purpose for why you failed. This gap also shouldn't be hunkered down by a long wait period either. There should be a instant and immediate response time from the point of where you failed and the time it takes for you to retry essentially. No one wants to spend two hours attempting to break your crappy game design in addition to watching that same unskippable cut scene fifty times in a row.<br /><br />"Oh my god, my game is so difficult, I'm a cutting edge developer because I present challenge in my games. My games is sweet." No it ceases to become challenging, its just poor level and game design. Stop that, stop it now. Dying should be the means of failure in a game, not the adjective that describes your game experience.Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-37987890537150114822009-08-24T18:24:00.000-07:002009-08-26T09:54:40.673-07:00WAAAAHHHH Call the WAMbulance.Recently, Fable 2 creative director Peter Molyneux discussed his game's ending. Like many I had high hopes of Fable 2, believing it to be the Illiad of video games: A grand masterpiece just waiting to be experienced even if it was hated at the time. Of course this isn't true and it comes off neither great nor terrible. Ostensibly Molyneux received an overwhelming amount of hate mail concerning the games ending.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFrWfi5jk_MsCGJsUz1_cM1jXBzVYg8TWn2MCI8rf5qBTv6g0BBF2mSXlHndovyp5ZqapVoQ08HdbEL8pEwSQZTJ0MG0wbd9a02l-2ojWZzAb43kvoymRifZcfXm13ubu6QPN_sAQYZ0/s1600-h/fable2sc4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFrWfi5jk_MsCGJsUz1_cM1jXBzVYg8TWn2MCI8rf5qBTv6g0BBF2mSXlHndovyp5ZqapVoQ08HdbEL8pEwSQZTJ0MG0wbd9a02l-2ojWZzAb43kvoymRifZcfXm13ubu6QPN_sAQYZ0/s400/fable2sc4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373710888103236994" border="0" /></a><br /> For those of you that don't know the ending, SPOILER ALERT, your dog dies at the end of Fable 2. So you are posed with the ultimate question concerning your ethics and moral standing. Do you choose to be the hero and save the innocents who died at the hands of the villain, revive your dead sister and your dog, or do you forsake them all for infinite wealth and power?<br /> These letters were complaining that the choice was too hard. That they were too emotionally vested in both the dog and being a hero. Seriously? Wow, if you can't make such a simple altruistic choice then maybe games nowadays are perfect for you.<br /><br />That choice isn't difficult in the slightest. Yes that is subjective opinion as everyone is different. However the choice directly filters into a simple A, B, C methodology. There is no emotional connect between your dog that makes you feel emotionally tied to him. He really is just bits of data that renders as a dog on a virtual plane.<br /><br />What is more annoying is that Molyneux caved to the fan mail and resurrected the player's inscrutable mutt in the DLC. Quit your whining seriously. The concept of moral ambiguity is a serious one and needs to protected in these games. We aren't devolved to a baby status that we cannot make the difficult choices in life.<br /><br />I almost felt insulted at how easy the choices that were asked of you throughout the game. It almost baby coddles you into believing that you are the piece of the world that affects its moral standing. As a developer you have the responsbility to defend every aspect of your game no matter the critical reception. That is what makes you a great developer. Obviously years of broken promises have fallen short. Thanks again, Peter Molyneux<br /><br />For the article, please vist: <a href="http://kotaku.com/5343721/molyneux-hate-mail-changed-fable-ii-dlc">http://kotaku.com/5343721/molyneux-hate-mail-changed-fable-ii-dlc</a>Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-71617761742054637782009-08-07T21:54:00.000-07:002009-08-10T21:30:18.766-07:00Awww is it too hard for you? (sad face)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCDtGZHHA0MH3Dd3nJh1pQURk110l0g-Q-I4euAJaIgobDqv0jhukFqFoe6LWpRKhz5H9NfEFB2D143SMzmXsW4figGe2VOzHXUclPXqonMCzaF0VrVtO0B9BYywKLM_lNV9u8V0JxlA/s1600-h/splosion_man_review.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCDtGZHHA0MH3Dd3nJh1pQURk110l0g-Q-I4euAJaIgobDqv0jhukFqFoe6LWpRKhz5H9NfEFB2D143SMzmXsW4figGe2VOzHXUclPXqonMCzaF0VrVtO0B9BYywKLM_lNV9u8V0JxlA/s320/splosion_man_review.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367472863426689826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >(</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >Hes smiling because your about to spend 5 hours dying in his game. His name is 'Splosion man and you can find him on XBLA for ten dollars. Oh hes also hilarious and loves cake, but that's besides the point)</span><br /><br />An argument found more and more common these days is how difficult games are today. This argument usually stems from the older generation of gamers addressing the new line of "hardcore" gamers.<br />Typically it unfolds with us sounding like old cronies talking about the "golden" age in gaming. "Back in my day, we didn't have checkpoints , infinite tries and save points. We had to beat all our games in one go, with the twenty to thirty tries the game allotted us. And it was the greatest time ever time dumping hundreds of hours into one game".<br /><br />Of course that argument falls through when games are deemed as "artistic" or experience pieces. Then the concept of difficulty is tossed aside because your target audience can't "experience" your game in its entirety. More and more as the argument grows I start to wonder why its completely relevant.<br />I used to be on the side of the fence that argued that games today are too easy. Giving my little melodramatic speech about the eruption of the casual game. However I think game difficulty hasn't necessarily vanished, its just gotten more annoying. Games haven't necessarily gotten easier, just cheaper in their design philosophy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflhuXJEsLcXQWZe0b5PPYgC2s89mMKY1WOnoGM-gQhhWW7AXg2bbKnnJ1VkGDG_XgmkJ9rO_6GhTwIc027JHPgaNtrbgFe3GJGzOw_SWa1lbSTA_pfbl4nKIP7oi5-MDv8H2syOEePkQ/s1600-h/Braid_screenshot05.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflhuXJEsLcXQWZe0b5PPYgC2s89mMKY1WOnoGM-gQhhWW7AXg2bbKnnJ1VkGDG_XgmkJ9rO_6GhTwIc027JHPgaNtrbgFe3GJGzOw_SWa1lbSTA_pfbl4nKIP7oi5-MDv8H2syOEePkQ/s320/Braid_screenshot05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367473355511569442" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >(This is Braid, Jonathan Blow's awesome artistic experience. Its a poignant and melancholy take on the hero story. It's not supposed to be fun BTW, you should play it. )</span><br /><br />A disturbing trend is the approach to difficulty that developers have followed in the past decade. Lets make an Easy, Normal and a Hard mode. Maybe attach a very easy or very hard/impossible mode just for kicks. The casual players will gravitate towards the "easy" mode, the hardcore to the normal and hard modes and every ones happy, right? Not necessarily, as both experiences are just cosmetically different.<br />The first gamer will cruise through the experience, unlocking the ending and moving on with their lives. The second one will curse about ten thousand times, break three controllers and swear a vendetta on the developers. However in the end the two gamers experienced the same cut scenes and endings. Why would anyone want to be the second gamer then? Because gamers are stupid, duh.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfe9Ts1lE7C1KFNEUhu7HfmxERTD35RSkd-xBqs4dqWIA0Yi4mHDUqeEsRDUtVxAJwOOUKfGRAT798THydgSA7e4ByotGBlhwIPZzB-rXjNRtz-p1g92_SuWp0qQ_3KQ2Lpg-kxzSybA/s1600-h/achievement_unlocked11.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfe9Ts1lE7C1KFNEUhu7HfmxERTD35RSkd-xBqs4dqWIA0Yi4mHDUqeEsRDUtVxAJwOOUKfGRAT798THydgSA7e4ByotGBlhwIPZzB-rXjNRtz-p1g92_SuWp0qQ_3KQ2Lpg-kxzSybA/s320/achievement_unlocked11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367475361217072386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >(Achievements, the reason anyone does anything retarded and stupid in games. For reasons you don't even know. Yes you are just as bad, you people that get Trophies, yes you PS3 people. )</span><br /><br />Attaching arbitrary numerical values to a game isn't great game design, its stupid. No one wants to play your game to the point of memorization just to beat it. And no it is not cool when that one dude you made out on the far corner of the screen just shot you, meaning you just lost an hour of your life. That of course referring to not understanding at all why you even failed or lost the game. Too often have I played a first person shooter only to die randomly because some magic "bullet" curved its way into my face.<br /><br />You as developer cannot create a gaming experience and then completely shift numbers and call it a change in difficulties.<br />As in you cannot just make player A do X less amount of damage where as the computer controlled enemies do X times more damage to the player. The result is the controller through the TV because people don't want to play that. They don't want to play something that accounts for 99.99% luck and .1% skill. If you do, well then stop reading, you probably have a better lease on life. Go have fun playing Megaman for a hundred hours.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSO1FbeRn7KInzdqpfMssYP8ZgUEk1Bmx0Z19jV2iM4TXMMrdMx3-dEpsoXsTBzpWO8SFR2JiZXDzrJmBu65Iv2uAhfB_WcVNgzYecwnHxSh1iZ-UdALONQ7Yorw8O0j4br4kJ30PtJHM/s1600-h/909751199476ebb23590b1megaman1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSO1FbeRn7KInzdqpfMssYP8ZgUEk1Bmx0Z19jV2iM4TXMMrdMx3-dEpsoXsTBzpWO8SFR2JiZXDzrJmBu65Iv2uAhfB_WcVNgzYecwnHxSh1iZ-UdALONQ7Yorw8O0j4br4kJ30PtJHM/s320/909751199476ebb23590b1megaman1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367476728335380290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(He looks so happy for someone </span>that's<span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">about to</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">die like a thousand times just to beat his game. He is totally awesome though. His game was hard as hell, but he still is awesome</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">.)</span></span><br /><br />However for people that aren't like that. Me, for instance. I rather have an experience tailored towards how I play. What I mean by that is a game that stems from your skill as a player and not how well I as a developer created this for you.<br />Often times developers will create an experience that is meant to reinforce how awesome of a gamer you are. This is a very common practice and exists in practically every game today. No, I am not saying I want like thirty more of those experiences.<br /><br />Why can't we have an ounce of realism without tarnishing the overall experience? I don't want to be a super soldier who saves the world at the end. Why can't I just be a guy trying to live in the world and trying to get by? Why must I be engulfed in fake fights and battles just to reinforce my status as a gamer?<br /><br />What I as a gamer want is just to have a genuinely realistic experience. I want puzzles that are actually mind-bending puzzles. I want a racing game that grants me adrenaline when I'm truly racing against other cars. Of course I want an RPG that provides me with a deep profound experience that rivals a McCarthy novel or a Kubrick film. I don't want to be tricked into believing that I'm accomplishing all these things when I'm truly not.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rm8Mb_jxt4_kth5I6p85l5U9xrddhkgKtZYNF68PfhrmCJVd6vZMTvNKc7dDHlo9FU0O0GVErlZrLdEtrijgRJFFO4ZRZdCqsCMW0Kr4MOULAPi3YHUhIsCF_aOzlrO2P2QLueXSiTA/s1600-h/1242741158169.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rm8Mb_jxt4_kth5I6p85l5U9xrddhkgKtZYNF68PfhrmCJVd6vZMTvNKc7dDHlo9FU0O0GVErlZrLdEtrijgRJFFO4ZRZdCqsCMW0Kr4MOULAPi3YHUhIsCF_aOzlrO2P2QLueXSiTA/s400/1242741158169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367477688499774690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >(<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Honestly, I talk about </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Kotor</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> 2 in almost every single argument. This picture is pretty cool though. It has nice symbolism, sort of. Yeah I have to stop using this picture for like everything.)</span></span><br /><br />All joking aside, why do we need these archaic design philosophies? Why can't we differentiate difficulty scaling and offer a drastically radical experience?<br />Say for instance you are playing an Role Playing Game where you are mitigated to making choices for your character.<br />Now these choices filter down into your overall game experience and how you play the game ultimately. Why then can't the "easy" mode subject the player to all the "easy" decisions and blot out all the negative choices for them?<br />That way, they finish the game in more or less in an ignorant fashion. Which would be fine because they opted for a vastly different experience and didn't need to dump hundreds and hundreds of hours into it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXK4xmmrvOQqTEF2I2nK43vajgiAc8rNWIKez7Uk-vAoOPjmBY5jpD7yrIlGfsg4Bm6AAhnIY-PjlcA7gmrimwqhy33yFESoh8hM20wa2JY3n9T_RTmbgwFbZXjb25HaQeOGrkk0hxdc/s1600-h/wii-sports-resort.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 390px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXK4xmmrvOQqTEF2I2nK43vajgiAc8rNWIKez7Uk-vAoOPjmBY5jpD7yrIlGfsg4Bm6AAhnIY-PjlcA7gmrimwqhy33yFESoh8hM20wa2JY3n9T_RTmbgwFbZXjb25HaQeOGrkk0hxdc/s400/wii-sports-resort.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367478399263221986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >(A casual game like Wii Sports Resort. The most groundbreaking innovation for gaming. By the time I write this I'm sure its sold like 500 gazillion units. Simple, Fun and Awesome. Well, maybe just simple.)</span><br /><br />Now for the other gamer, who values something more from the game, you can create that element as well. Giving them the "normal" mode gives you a vastly different tone and atmosphere to the game. Where your choices are more severe and your experience is the result of the deep consequences of your choices in the game world.<br />As such you spend more time experiencing a more poignant and enlightening experience over the casual gamer. Now of course the two experiences are different, but you offer players a choice instead of spoon feeding them arbitrary number crunches. The end result is similar to the difference from Twilight and Pride and Prejudice. One offers a very condensed literary masterpiece while the other is simply entertaining. Which very much differentiates between the "casual" and "hardcore audience."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaU9GHgAp5V5bI885nVKtG7x3TgGjH3erYafatMID4sossRsFR6Zkd5PeNoDddz_gganMLnWgoLTfmsUPUGNXkPup1itriyb7CO8cNp9wL7z8TsavFZrf-oMbyvc_NISRFlXWR_FZfVUE/s1600-h/infamous_hero.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaU9GHgAp5V5bI885nVKtG7x3TgGjH3erYafatMID4sossRsFR6Zkd5PeNoDddz_gganMLnWgoLTfmsUPUGNXkPup1itriyb7CO8cNp9wL7z8TsavFZrf-oMbyvc_NISRFlXWR_FZfVUE/s400/infamous_hero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367671467279091362" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >(Infamous, the story about you and how evil or how good you want to be. It brings dramatic weight to your decisions and adds a layer of depth to the gaming world. We need more of these in our landscape of games. We need the darker shade of grey on the morality scale.What you thought I was going to make a sarcastic quip?)</span><br /><br />Of course this concept is far from perfect or entirely fleshed out. There are also numerous problems with it. However, my point is why does difficulty scaling even need to exist? Why do developers need to account for the casual gamers at all times of the day. You alienate the people that thirst for more in your game. Yes that one guy on the message forum bitched for an hour about how much he hated your game. So what? doesn't mean you need to take out dying for your game.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4L7MbfqVlIEzC9EalGzFKkxgJRFCij_h_x30eRBWf3UzXHSVaxNnGr_lwyGwWGxPiJ0uP5-1QwkJGPmlDlmQ0Cafg0PP91XY1aFxGQ1t04XQiw8WWw5trhFeeY9TQFzA-2-tlPyRKnDg/s1600-h/bioshock_header.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 327px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4L7MbfqVlIEzC9EalGzFKkxgJRFCij_h_x30eRBWf3UzXHSVaxNnGr_lwyGwWGxPiJ0uP5-1QwkJGPmlDlmQ0Cafg0PP91XY1aFxGQ1t04XQiw8WWw5trhFeeY9TQFzA-2-tlPyRKnDg/s400/bioshock_header.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367668227721912770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >(This is Bioshock, Kevin Levine's pet project about a underwater Randian dystopia. The game where you can't die at all. So your suppose</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >d to be terrified at the madness and hysteria that mankind can erupt into. Yet you can't die, and there is no consequence for failure. Have fun?)</span><br /><br />You as a developer have the responsibility to foster and care for your game. If you conveyed what you meant to show then more power to you. You can't make everyone in the world like your game. Just like everything else in this world. So create the experience that shows people fun and awesomeness on a realistic level. Don't subject them to just simple visual explosions all over their face like Peggle and Super Smash Bros. Show them just a realistic expression of your medium.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3Y11AJFU1hYSVkaixI8riQMSzMtlQ21SFwLoaGWzlaTgKYPAtHpYd_wOI0_8-A7OEj69ddnZmrbeN1gjp3t-nwpO-3_GYM5iEP4KLGlkEeachCC4AR-2ko_ZHPB5vXQEO-EQ_8aA4JA/s1600-h/peggle_nights-215371-1235980972.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3Y11AJFU1hYSVkaixI8riQMSzMtlQ21SFwLoaGWzlaTgKYPAtHpYd_wOI0_8-A7OEj69ddnZmrbeN1gjp3t-nwpO-3_GYM5iEP4KLGlkEeachCC4AR-2ko_ZHPB5vXQEO-EQ_8aA4JA/s400/peggle_nights-215371-1235980972.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367673200517589330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(Yes Peggle is awesome I know, but its tailor made awesomeness in a cup. As much as I hate railing on Peggle, it is barley even a game. Its addicting and fun, but its 99.99% luck and .1% skill. I also feel bad for not mentioning the myriad number of games that each would have carried valid points. Maybe next time. If you read this far congratulations, you are either totally awesome and care about what I had to say or you just want a cookie. You don't get a cookie.)</span>Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-82376161177409972022009-06-16T20:42:00.000-07:002009-06-19T16:34:23.215-07:00And At Last You Saw...........Video games have often carried a heavy burden since their inception. Before they were viewed as primarily a form of pure entertainment and joy, offering an expierence away from the stressfull recesses of life. Over the years, technology has changed alongside artistic direction and the scale of games. Games can bring about the weight of emotion in conjuction with its grandious scale. It is unfair to hail Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords as a monumental achievement in games. It carries its inane flaws both aesthetically and performance wise.Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-70365418783316145812009-06-06T22:37:00.000-07:002009-06-06T22:43:26.398-07:00BeSt PicTure EVer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHrY9HuDsh7fEU5sDV7iQH05A1vJ8wdDMJmVshjfDjl1Y1iTt6d6B_0zFB_lFXXLMVc6Pn6_avuRy5a2VKFpPTUN6_4SpUiy-GHuw9dwZgdoldS3GX7ObWvYOSKHnbZepYelb-d2-jEI/s1600-h/1244347457091.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHrY9HuDsh7fEU5sDV7iQH05A1vJ8wdDMJmVshjfDjl1Y1iTt6d6B_0zFB_lFXXLMVc6Pn6_avuRy5a2VKFpPTUN6_4SpUiy-GHuw9dwZgdoldS3GX7ObWvYOSKHnbZepYelb-d2-jEI/s320/1244347457091.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344455864494070834" border="0" /></a><br />Nuff Said. (title is weird on purpose, duh) More E3 ramblings to come. For like the three people that read this blog, thank you for your continuing support and wasting your valuable time on mindless ramblings. You will get a free tote bag from me in the mail. (P.S., I am out of tote bags)Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-56055962764808189582009-06-02T03:28:00.001-07:002009-06-02T03:44:05.267-07:00Microsoft Press Conference at E3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnq4Por-vBga6zTegL7KFDAQXP_dxFmhyphenhyphenDWOJ2wDKEXhX_NvLK9ed05p558oeS29BBLJlgJum5j0_3GpcG9Kw-zY7DMZqJsLbdoyAoWh0NdM6mj7fJRHcD4Nv2WSW90Q8tW9yFGwPBSU/s1600-h/xbox360logo1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnq4Por-vBga6zTegL7KFDAQXP_dxFmhyphenhyphenDWOJ2wDKEXhX_NvLK9ed05p558oeS29BBLJlgJum5j0_3GpcG9Kw-zY7DMZqJsLbdoyAoWh0NdM6mj7fJRHcD4Nv2WSW90Q8tW9yFGwPBSU/s320/xbox360logo1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342678155363757730" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So after a pretty awkward opening with the Beatles Rock Band demonstration, the Microsoft press Conference was underway. There were some very impressive games being shown off: Alan Wake, SplinterCell Conviction, Halo ODST, Left4Dead2, Modern Warefare 2, and better Netflix support. The true gaming news came directly after, when Microsoft officially won E3 with this bombshell.<br /><br /> Twitter and Facebook are now coming to Xbox Live. Now something that is mitigated to your PC and cellular device can now be infected into your console. Aren't you glad now? Truly now gaming will evolve into the forced awkward community it so sorely needs to be. The future of gaming is not charging fifty dollars a year for people to use your Internet service. Obviously it isn't for you to reassure your consumers on the integrity of your console. Lastly it isn't about greater support for community XNA titles and those rare "good" games. The future of gaming is Twitter and Facebook, on my 360. Wonderful.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMn_IA4VmNEBRlab6as9YZTLOb1F-xQ2Uy9xJ5tr_SgaUPc0xgIapN3THft0tLEMYYAgMisv9uh55TKa5VIb5K6cSTAgfV7CGaaPT40eDtps9vknUVuMyeYvqw48xxJlmqJIzh_DgrcY/s1600-h/twitter-bird-wallpaper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMn_IA4VmNEBRlab6as9YZTLOb1F-xQ2Uy9xJ5tr_SgaUPc0xgIapN3THft0tLEMYYAgMisv9uh55TKa5VIb5K6cSTAgfV7CGaaPT40eDtps9vknUVuMyeYvqw48xxJlmqJIzh_DgrcY/s320/twitter-bird-wallpaper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342679124932699010" border="0" /></a>Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-83416043965901027252009-05-07T14:51:00.000-07:002009-05-15T00:49:16.111-07:00Because War Never ChangesThe much anticipated of the three DLC packs for Fallout has finally come out. Broken Steel allows you to continue your adventure and raises the level cap to level 30. Does it owe up to its long wait or is it simply hiding behind its level cap? The answer of course is no. Broken Steel(more later)Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-30699935377687479832009-05-01T03:57:00.000-07:002009-05-15T11:42:59.501-07:00Wow...............<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nP-4MLE43uesROL0Usgpn2i3_mLpPUgjNxTt9fOJQauUzkrodZcm43kQNrOegK__PBckORNip5Tj_cyErSRT9LQzxvd856LwmCEbaPvjW3CaBHDdMTS8WU5yNMEkE3R7ZzhB_fliJhw/s1600-h/x_men_origins_wolverine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nP-4MLE43uesROL0Usgpn2i3_mLpPUgjNxTt9fOJQauUzkrodZcm43kQNrOegK__PBckORNip5Tj_cyErSRT9LQzxvd856LwmCEbaPvjW3CaBHDdMTS8WU5yNMEkE3R7ZzhB_fliJhw/s400/x_men_origins_wolverine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330808999227275906" border="0" /></a><br />I'm not normally very subjective when it comes to movies, but what a crappy movie. The new Wolverine movie was a horrid waste of ten dollars. Yes, that piece of bland and unoriginal tripe was ten dollars.<br /><br />While I am in no way a comic book fan or have ever been, I think they ruined the Deadpool character. Ryan Renolds was decent up until the last thirty minutes of the movie. You do not take a character that has great reflexes and no superpowers and turn him into a superpower toting freak. As my friend earlier today stated, the movie used too many powers just for the sake of using powers. The effects come off as bland and just plain showy, my eyes started bleeding towards the end. There barely exists any human aspect for the characters and it just turns into who can perform the crappy special effects better then the other person. Honestly, even as pure entertainment I would not recommend this for anyone, unless you love Hugh Jackman.(yes he is seriously ripped)Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-72729015553727778022009-04-28T21:40:00.000-07:002009-05-15T11:54:47.931-07:00Huh?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKS6A3tpUgtkMyAEoxmmz4HTTcdhHeKfUPjQ-EdEKdEE2zYc0wvrC1x4rlmbW58I0o_KLNgjX7EE4x5XxASlGorhQUiZrCIGFqNieQBRlln05i-QvwmRITw_FdLU_xnArsjsd3TzC-aE/s1600-h/14p52.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKS6A3tpUgtkMyAEoxmmz4HTTcdhHeKfUPjQ-EdEKdEE2zYc0wvrC1x4rlmbW58I0o_KLNgjX7EE4x5XxASlGorhQUiZrCIGFqNieQBRlln05i-QvwmRITw_FdLU_xnArsjsd3TzC-aE/s400/14p52.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329972123286536962" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqxqD0AswUItINmjwPF7susyohn7bcxzBJLedP5RCIfs3n7CvjTcG-C1qtxlhVRnDLUIJiXcP8HbwZ5HCaTFwai1N-6iwqatcqUVbtcLGQdpIOAgVunjYt6HWuPjsTBUveixJcBXAnG4/s1600-h/14p53.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqxqD0AswUItINmjwPF7susyohn7bcxzBJLedP5RCIfs3n7CvjTcG-C1qtxlhVRnDLUIJiXcP8HbwZ5HCaTFwai1N-6iwqatcqUVbtcLGQdpIOAgVunjYt6HWuPjsTBUveixJcBXAnG4/s400/14p53.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329972293645592626" border="0" /></a><br />Wow, I haven't written in a long time. Needless to say I have died of course and will not be writing anymore. No just kidding, just been busy and not filling the Internets with non-relevant garbage. Do not worry, I will soon be writing stupid articles that you should not care about whatsoever. Five people in the world cares about this at all. I am one of them.<br /><br />Oh and I would like to plug the web comic Dr. Mcninja. He is the single greatest hero/ninja ever. You may find him and his hilarious antics at <a href="http://drmcninja.com/">drmcninja.com</a>. So please support the artists and writers responsible and read it please. Plus how could you say no to a ninja whose also a doctor? Oh and he has a receptionist named Judy whose a gorilla. BASE!Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705902357204294.post-62318672520349710622009-04-12T22:26:00.000-07:002009-04-15T13:20:50.582-07:00The Real Step Towards Human Emotion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQBXJVSxqq_K_SUqVk06fU_olL7KtK9yrPKymh_KB3FKLHIG9z6sstwdN5jP3KpQNFwg3N9o1Hdb-ndcMHFB__7_qmo5exwVePYQraQk6LP1xOTU6icoh3mPmZVgygiD0-s38VXoLIak/s1600-h/fable-2-1629.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQBXJVSxqq_K_SUqVk06fU_olL7KtK9yrPKymh_KB3FKLHIG9z6sstwdN5jP3KpQNFwg3N9o1Hdb-ndcMHFB__7_qmo5exwVePYQraQk6LP1xOTU6icoh3mPmZVgygiD0-s38VXoLIak/s320/fable-2-1629.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324718930821067090" border="0" /></a>It seems pretentious to say a game made five years ago can surpass a game made one year ago. Visually and aesthetically, the argument is unfounded. Fable 2 looks and sounds vastly superior then its predecessor. With a new age in HD graphics, the beautiful world is brought to life right before your eyes. With full support for Dolby Digital Surround Sound, the sound is marvelous. Delivering you the breath of life to the fantastical world of Albion. There is almost no deterrent to your overall experience on a technical level whatsoever. This is perhaps the only revolutionary step for the genre to be found in your ten hour experience in Fable 2.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nrjmujibl0FjbjSI5lIJKzHrUHQ7VCjmALyzZXfDJYC_t__ojNdjZyZob-O3mff1Y3KToGvXPNtVjfDmzsvHY4p7IM6XjfwtouR6oQQFMQkGLhyphenhypheni1lVS8DgU1shfuv361aAJb3GcW3k/s1600-h/Fable-2-concept-art-Castle-fable-1298662-800-600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nrjmujibl0FjbjSI5lIJKzHrUHQ7VCjmALyzZXfDJYC_t__ojNdjZyZob-O3mff1Y3KToGvXPNtVjfDmzsvHY4p7IM6XjfwtouR6oQQFMQkGLhyphenhypheni1lVS8DgU1shfuv361aAJb3GcW3k/s320/Fable-2-concept-art-Castle-fable-1298662-800-600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324804535062605874" border="0" /></a>To further add to the overall experience, the way your quest starts out and the general structure of the game are very similar. First and foremost, the two games are very similar to one another. You can find many of the same wonderfully orchestrated scores entwined in the same places. Whether you are shopping, visiting a temple or fighting bandits, the music is virtually identical in both games. Who cares? So I've just stated that a sequel is similar to the original game. Wheres the validity in stating that?<br /><br />Well, despite having so many features in common, the "newer" Fable lacks emotional depth. Yes, Peter Moloneux has stated often before this game's release that he wanted real human emotion in his game. Like many developers before him, his intention was to include an outlet to further validate your choices as a good and evil character. By giving the player more attachments, the developer can weigh your morality choices in a more profound manner. As a result, you are given a dog and a family that morphs into your morality alignment. Be it good or evil, the "world" changes based on your actions and decisions. Its been done multiple times before and often times its done with shallow panache. This time it seemed that Peter Moloneux would succeed, thus driving forth a revolutionary new concept in the RPG genre.<br /><br />It however did not accomplish or fill any of these lofty expectations. Instead, the player is forced to care for an annoying furry animal. Yes, it saves you in the very beginning of the game and it adds <span id="query" class="query">nostalgic</span> value, but that is the extent of its usefulness. It exists as nothing more then a glorified item finder, and as such is a very detached character from the overall game play. Even your family exists as nothing more then a virtual high five. They applaud your good deeds and condemn your evil actions. How am I supposed to pour care and devotion to something that <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">feels</span> so cold and robotic?<br />The first game does away with these superfluous concepts. It offers an often times cliched childhood story of revenge but it does so with emotional weight. (to be continued)Nathan W. Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13217133609547949489noreply@blogger.com0