A New Leaf

Something that recently became very apparent to me is that multiplayer games aren't just full of jerks who love to shoot their mouths off through a microphone. Case in point, Team Fortress 2. One of the coolest things about this game is that it requires teamwork. No more deathmatches. Therefore working together is essential to victory. That being said, I'd like to confess my obsession with being the Medic. I've been in too many matches that have been turned in my teams favor because of this class. I used to be Pyro all day, but I cause more headaches by curing. So this is something to think about. Instead of going in head strong and wanting to blow someone to bits, try being supportive by healing. If you're one heck of a Soldier or Spy, stick by it by all means. But, for those who don't know which class you want to be, give Medic a try. It's a great feeling knowing you probably single handedly turned the tide of battle. And besides, if you nail someone with the syringe gun, or hack someone to death with a bone saw, they'll be like, "How did I just get killed by a Medic?" Never to be underestimated, the Medic needs more recognition. If you need more proof, add me on PSN, (Reno187) and watch those control points go down courtesy of the Medic. Schauen Sie ihn an!

In Wii We Trust

Nintendo's primary business is games. Their secondary order of business is... printing money. And lots of it. The Nintendo Wii is a lot like the old guy in old karate movies. He just lays back, seemingly outclassed by more powerful opponents. Then all of a sudden, he takes everybody out in one punch. The Wii is clearly less powerful than Sony and Microsoft's giants. Yet it has been able to outsell them both constantly. Why? I was under the impression that bigger meant better. Multimedia gaming consoles with internet access, downloadable content, and HD graphics are the future. Maybe not. The Wii is so dominant for a few reasons. The most obvious is price. It's about $100 cheaper than a Xbox 360 Premium bundle. However, with recent price drops between the 360 and PS3, this is slowly becoming less of an issue, especially when you factor in the quality of games. The Wii may be a lot cheaper, but what about the games? Truth be told, the only games that are hits on the Wii are from first party publishers. Some examples are Zelda, Paper Mario, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, and Mario Kart Wii in the future. The third party publishers shell out either mediocre or just plain bad games. The average number of Wii game purchases is about 4 games a year. The reason for this is probably name recognition. Nintendo managed to target people who aren't really gamers, and made them into gamers. And who doesn't know the name Nintendo? Instead of entering a death match for first person shooter superiority, they laid back and got the family together. A lot of people who buy Wii's aren't really that knowledgeable about the video game universe and what makes a great game. They just want to swing that Wiimote and have fun. They aren't so hung up on reviews and scores like hardcore PS3 and 360 gamers. Nintendo sells games to people who won't judge them for bringing out less than stellar games, and will keep coming back for more. Brilliant.

To DLC or Not to DLC

Welcome to the world where no game can be forgotten. Long after the initial quest has been completed, there is chance for replay value in the form of downloadable content. Across the three platforms we have PSN, Xbox Live, and the Wii Virtual Console. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but what about DLC? Some people look at it for a way for developers to continue to suck the pennies from our pockets. Others think it adds to the overall gaming experience and is one of the things that defines this generation of consoles. Well, both are true respectfully. There have been some awesome DLC that are well worth the extra coin. The Xbox 360 gets exclusive episodic content for the upcoming life consuming title GTA IV. As of now, no one knows how much it will cost, but it shouldn't be more than ten bucks. Here's the flip side to this argument. If Rockstar knew that episodic content would be released, then why not take that content and extend the original campaign? I'll wait... This is why some people say that it's all about making money. After all, the video game world is big business. I'm sure a lot of people were upset when they heard that GTA IV wasn't a PS3 exclusive title. It hurts, but the business side of things says that the 360 had a much greater install base than the PS3 at the time of this decision. More consoles means more money.

DLC also gives us smaller, but satisfying add- ons like costumes, different weapons, enemies, and modes. For a game like Warhawk, DLC is absolutely necessary. Being a multiplayer only game, Warhawk depends on the satisfaction of the online community to survive. So far, they've released the Omega Dawn expansion. They did a great job of hyping it up, and priced it at about seven bucks. In April, Operation Broken Mirror will be released, adding new weapons, and fan made paint jobs for the planes. Rockband and Guitar Hero 3 have licenses to print money with all the new songs released every week, and sequels that are sure to soon follow. So DLC does have some sweet spots... and some PAINful ones.

PAIN on PSN was a highly anticipated title. Flinging a guy through the air with a slingshot and watching him smash appeals to our primal human interests. At $9.99, it seemed to be well worth it. In the end, there was one unlocked character with three costumes, one stage, a couple short lived gameplay modes, and an hour of fun. Then DLC came along as characters that costs a dollar a piece. To this day, a half a year after it's released, there has been no new stages and nothing that would make you come back for more hours of fun. Don't get me wrong, it was great at first. But as time went on, I felt abandoned with this game. I think most of us did. Any add on (one add on) or character was just not worth it. I'm sure a new stage will be released, and we'll have to pony up the dough for it. And if history repeats itself, It'll be overpriced.

DLC can be a double edged sword. It can come off as pretentious. It goes to show that the best intentions to make a game last longer can be used as a way to line pockets with mediocre content. It's here to stay, and we'd better enjoy the ride.

Games That Freak You Out

The original Doom on PC back in the day introduced us all to gameplay that made you sleep with the lights on. Doom was in your face with all of it's gore and blood. Not to mention hordes of enemies that got their kicks from charging at you non stop. Other old school PC games like Alone in the Dark, presented a more cerebral frightening experience. There weren't any rocket launchers to save your behind in that one folks. Of course, looking back at it now, the graphics wouldn't be enough to scare someone with panphobia. So with this in mind, what does it take to scare the holy fibers out of gamers these days? The shock value of something crashing through a window a la Resident Evil does cause the occasional jump, but with all the gruesome films we watch these days (Saw or Hostel anyone?), I think we've become a tad bit desensitized. So it's up to game developers to use elements of the past and incorporate them into modern games. First up one the list, is the Resident Evil Series.

Zombies. Need I say more? I don't know about you, but I already know where I'm going in case a zombie outbreak occurs. And it ain't Raccoon City. Resident Evil had shock elements and cerebral elements that made it an instant classic. For instance, guns were the main source of combat. That combat knife took tons of skill and luck to off a zombie. However, you knew that conserving ammo was crucial. Every bullet had to count. Especially those magnum bullets. That alone created a sense of dread and desperation for gamers. The latest entry in the series Resident Evil 4, raised the bar in survival horror games. This time, we had to fight crazy villagers and cultists. In some ways, taking on an army of un- undead, uh, persons is more creepy than zombies. And let's not forget the thrill of body slamming one of those guys right on their parasite infested heads. The locales you visited were very diverse and you felt like no matter where you went, it wasn't safe. So what if you're outside, those people will destroy the only bridge out of town to get to you. Finally, the camera positioning was crucial. The over the shoulder view made Leon seem more like a professional, and made the gamer tilt their heads as if they were in the game. Now that's immersion at it's finest. Next up is Condemed 2: Bloodshot.

Now, I've only played the demo on PSN, and I've never played the original on 360, but I think it's an excellent take on survival horror. Guns aren't very prevalent in this game. You have to use the old method of fisticuffs as your main weapon. As well as various pipes, electrical conduits, bricks, and whatever else you can get your hands on. I like the fact that the main character is obviously messed up in the head. It's kind of how you feel when you play. I think the sound design of the game greatly contributes to this. Every sound puts you on the edge. Even if you bump into a garbage can that falls over, you'll be swinging blindly until you realize it was you. The people you fight on the streets (they look like bums) are downright creepy in speech and appearance. And as you fight, you get the feeling like the blows are very realistic, and in kind, you can't take that much of a beating before you die. These reasons my friends are what make a great survival horror game. I left a bunch out I'm sure, but that's where you come in. Drop me a comment why don't you. And, check out this video from the original Doom. Great memories. More later.

First! An Introduction...

Now, if you're reading this post, I'm assuming you like video games. Even if you don't, hang out for a little while. You may see something you like. This first post is just letting all of you guys know a little bit about this blog. I'm going to create in depth discussions about the world of video games. What does that entail? For example, what's the general impression of a one console future? What's more relevant these days between next gen gameplay, and next gen graphics? Why aren't they making more Battletoads games (just kidding... I think), and countless other things that are sure to come up. Also, I'm not running a dictatorship here, so feel free to comment about your feelings. Even you guys out there who live to bash people anonymously over the web. Bring it on! Alright, that's all for the intro. Now to the real business!