I have a new banner, I had to change it, it's Joanna Dark from Perfect Dark series, I seem to be obsessed with her.
For games, I beat Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction the other day. It was better than Deadlocked, it's a very good game and it's too similar to other games, though I shouldn't be complaining after Deadlocked changed the series(it was ok though). Can't wait for Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time coming this fall.
I'm also on Chapter 8 in Valkyria Chronicles, the previous chapter was hard as hell. I read there's like 20 chapters in this game, I have a LONG ways to go. It's more of a strategy game with RPG elements. I'm liking it so far and I have no idea why this game is selling poorly, I'm not even half way done and I like it more than my other PS3 games(even Uncharted), though MGS4 is debatable. Oh right, Sega didn't advertise it enough, what's wrong with them, they ruin their old franchises(Golden Axe, Altered Beast, most 3D Sonic games, etc.) and not promote new ones. Madworld was also affected as well. Who is in charge? Also, if you have a PS3 and not this game:
to buy this game.
I need to hurry but take my time, I plan to get 3-4 PS3 games next week and the week after that. Here's a hint(click on the links if you want to): All those PS3 games I'm trying to get scored a 9 here.
Sad news: The King of Pop, known as Micheal Jackson, died today. It was said to be a heart attack. If you guys didn't know, I'm a fan of his music, I like songs like Thriller, Billy Jean, Beat It, etc. Sure, he did some bad things that I shouldn't bring up for obvious reasons, but his impact on music shouldn't be forgotten and it outweighs his flaws. May he R.I.P.
The rumor about the new 360 is half true, half false. What's true is that there would be a new 360 next year, what's false is that it's an upgraded 360. It's the same 360 with Natal included, there may be a slimmer version as well. People actually thought this would happen because of the previous Xbox lasted 4 years, you can't blame them, but since 360 is doing better than the original, it would make sense to keep supporting it. So that huge rumor is half true, half false, it's ok now guys.
Ah yes, one of the most realistic shooters ever gets a sequel known as Arma 2, People expecting this to be like the usual shooter like Call of Duty will be disappointed because not only does it look real, it plays realistically too. This video shows a cool feature that allow you to use your head that's actually cooler than motion controls. It gives you the sense of being in the game, though you better not have neck cramps. Now that's what I call using your head
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wXx3vMy_AQ
I beat Metal Gear Solid 4 on the 14th of this month, and it looks like Super Mario Galaxy has some competition at being one of the best games this gen. The shift to over the shoulder view and being able to soot and move in 1st person view are already improvements. Stunning visuals(like the character models), an amazing soundtrack(I even listen to some of the music on youtube) and engaging gameplay makes this game instant win. In many situations, you can simply run n gun or go stealthy, and the open end environments gives you paths to take to complete your missions. There's a decent amount of gadgets and there's over 40 weapons you can use, and you can customize most of them(added scopes, silencers, etc.). Boss fights are well done and kept me on the edge of my seat, no really, as you fight them, they come up with new ways to try to bring you down. Nice set pieces gives more variety to the gameplay as well, like high speed chases for example. Even after beating the campaign, you can unlock more things and do other modes(like Metal Gear Online, a 16 player mode).
If there's a complaint, it would be the cutscenes. Yes, you can pause them and skip them. It's a treat for MGS fans, but for non fans of the series, I don't think they can put up with those cutscenes because:
1. It's made for the fans.
2. If they haven't played the previous 3 games, they're lost on the plot.
3. There are too many of them.
It's hard to consider it a flaw when it doesn't make the game any worse, in fact, you can interact with a lot of them. Plus some of the cutscenes are actually fun to watch, despite their length.
The story is FAR from simple, like previous games, it's complex and and complicated, while it may be overwhelming, at least it isn't the typical "hero must stop villain" plot in most games.
If you can forgive it's numerous cutscenes and difficult to follow if you're not a fan story, you'll experience one of the best games this gen.
This is info taken from 1up:
Earlier this week gaming blog Kotaku quoted Microsoft's Shane Kim as saying that the launch of Natal, Microsoft's new controller-free motion control technology, would be as big as the launch of a console. Not surprising. That's because Natal is going to be a new console.
On this week's Listen Up podcast we discussed Natal, and David Ellis and I talked about what we've been hearing regarding the new technology -- and how it's actually the cornerstone of Microsoft's next evolution of the Xbox. Microsoft will not only release Natal as an add-on for the Xbox 360, it will come standard with the next Xbox console.
Yes, there will be a new Xbox console next fall.
However, the new console won't just be an Xbox 360 with a camera, though -- we've heard it will be considered a new platform and carry a new name (Xbox Natal?). It's not clear what sort of upgrades we might see, but some have suggested it will be an slight upgrade of the current Xbox 360 technology. Current Xbox 360 games would be playable on it, but future games would be able to take advantage of the added muscle. Similar to what we see in the PC space, games played on the more advanced Xbox would look or perform better, but publishers will still be able to support owners of both systems. Some developers have complained that they've already maxed out the Xbox 360; perhaps this will give them room to expand.
Make no mistake, we wouldn't be talking about the sort of hardware leap we've seen with Xbox (or most other) platforms in the past, and we're not talking about Microsoft ending one console cycle and starting another. We're talking about an evolution of the Xbox 360; similar hardware but upgraded, repackaged, and rebranded. It's actually not that unlike what Nintendo did with the Wii, where it essentially took the GameCube hardware, stuck in motion controls, and successfully relaunched it. The new Xbox console is said to be aimed directly at a mainstream audience -- and will launch before Nintendo is able to release its Wii HD.
What's interesting is that Nintendo and Microsoft are on a course to deliver very similar products yet are coming at them from opposite directions. Microsoft currently has the HD hardware and will in the future introduce motion controls, while Nintendo has motion controls and will in the future introduce HD hardware. Sony's PS3 will also be providing motion controls next year, though as a peripheral for its EyeToy camera.
As John Davison pointed out on the podcast, the Wii was the first console to do this, but it's likely that all future hardware will be more iterative than substantive. The distinction between new consoles will become far less marked -- similar to what we've seen in the handheld space, such as with the transitions from the Game Boy to the Game Boy Advance, the DS to the DSi, or the PSP to the PSP Go.
So when would we first hear about this new Xbox console? Our sources point to next year's Game Developer's Conference as the target for its unveiling and Fall 2010 as the target for release.
And you can read more at http://kotaku.com/5289168/new-xbox-to-launch-in-2010
Sounds like the Wii, because it won't be that big of a leap in graphics. Thanks a lot Natal, and Milo.
If it does come out next year, I'm not getting it, I have all but the PSP this gen.
