Archive for August, 2007
« Previous EntriesNews: Well MET. How ARE you today, PRAY?
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
Well MET. How ARE you today, PRAY?
02:11 PM - Wednesday, August 29, 2007 - by Tim
Bioshock still sits there on the shelf, unopened, taunting me. Next week is the big move, after which I will happily delve into the watery depths.
In the meantime, I shall occupy my free moments with other games. Two Worlds is not one of these titles. A few people asked me to elaborate on what I disliked about the game. I can do this.
First off, character customization is on the weak side. It’s there, you can edit, eyes, nose, mouth, etc, but really no matter what you do, you end up with the exact same character you started with. They could have just had skin and hair color options and achieved the exact same level of diversity. But this was tolerable.
Then there’s the voice acting. Everyone in Two Worlds emphasizes the most oddball words in sentences, so THEY all start SOUNDING like THIS. Forsooth, there is also an unnecessary amount of “Ye Olde English” in the dialogue. Again, not a huge deal, because you can turn the voices off and just read the subtitles. Tolerable.
The largest problem (for me) came from the fact that the game hitched every 3-4 seconds. I could not spin my character in a full circle without the game hiccuping for half a second. And this is a console game. And the graphics aren’t even very good.
Now, apparently there are certain methods you can use to improve the framerate of the game. I’m no stranger to .ini files, but I don’t want to have to mess with that stuff for a console game. And I don’t want to have to make poor graphics look worse just to get smooth gameplay.
All in all it’s unfortunate, because aside from repetitive one-button combat, and the fact that you can’t choose who you want to target (the game auto-targets a random enemy), which is especially frustrating when using ranged fire (you just have to start shooting until you get lucky), I’ve heard the story-line in the game is actually fairly decent. But there’s just too much junk to wade through to experience it.
On a side note, and because I really disliked Oblivion’s “all the monsters scale to your level, so you never feel like you’re getting more powerful” mechanic, I found it amusing that they put really powerful creatures in the “newbie” area of the game.
“Ahh, I’ve arrived. Now, where do I go for a ques– AAUUUGH A BEAR!”
I played a bit of Metroid Prime 3, and so far I like it. If Twilight Princess is any indication, you can expect to hear me say that I’ve picked it up with an intention to beat it sometime next year.
Tiger Woods 08 is promising though. Hopefully the massive load on the EA servers from everyone trying to upload/download their Gamerface pics will ease up in the next week or so.
News: Two Worlds
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
Corruption
03:20 PM - Monday, August 27, 2007 - by Tim
Thanks for all the feedback concerning the Player One/Player Two shirts. We’re definitely going to go ahead and print them. Then sometime down the road I’ll see about maybe doing Player Three/Player Four.
When we put out new merchandise I like to put up a bunch of items at once, so in case somebody wants multiple items, it saves on shipping. So when these new shirts go up, and probably the magnets as well, we’re also going to go ahead with a shirt like this, which people have been asking for, and I’ve been promising for a month now:
A couple of games ship this week that I’m excited about. First off, Tiger Woods 08. I liked Tiger Woods 07 and, after I bought a 360 for my parents for Christmas last year, was able to play online with my Dad for a while. And then he got too good and I couldn’t keep up.
I view Tiger Woods 08 as a fresh slate. I can pick up the game again, some things/courses will be a little different, and my Dad and I will be on fairly even ground again. And with the GamerNet service, I think there will be quite a bit to do. Now if only more games would start allowing multiple people to play in online matches from a single console. Especially a turn-based game like golf. Two people should be able to play from one console.
The other game I’m excited about is Metroid Prime 3, because it’s been ages since I’ve played a Metroid game, and it’s arriving hot on the heels of me finally finishing Twilight Princess, and I’m in a Wii sort of mood.
Two Worlds
01:06 AM - Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - by Tim
Heh, wow. This game sucks balls.
Ahh well, “forsooth, STRAIGHT to the shelf with YE!”
News: Corruption
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
Corruption
03:20 PM - Monday, August 27, 2007 - by Tim
Thanks for all the feedback concerning the Player One/Player Two shirts. We’re definitely going to go ahead and print them. Then sometime down the road I’ll see about maybe doing Player Three/Player Four.
When we put out new merchandise I like to put up a bunch of items at once, so in case somebody wants multiple items, it saves on shipping. So when these new shirts go up, and probably the magnets as well, we’re also going to go ahead with a shirt like this, which people have been asking for, and I’ve been promising for a month now:
A couple of games ship this week that I’m excited about. First off, Tiger Woods 08. I liked Tiger Woods 07 and, after I bought a 360 for my parents for Christmas last year, was able to play online with my Dad for a while. And then he got too good and I couldn’t keep up.
I view Tiger Woods 08 as a fresh slate. I can pick up the game again, some things/courses will be a little different, and my Dad and I will be on fairly even ground again. And with the GamerNet service, I think there will be quite a bit to do. Now if only more games would start allowing multiple people to play in online matches from a single console. Especially a turn-based game like golf. Two people should be able to play from one console.
The other game I’m excited about is Metroid Prime 3, because it’s been ages since I’ve played a Metroid game, and it’s arriving hot on the heels of me finally finishing Twilight Princess, and I’m in a Wii sort of mood.
Two Worlds
01:06 AM - Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - by Tim
Heh, wow. This game sucks balls.
Ahh well, “forsooth, STRAIGHT to the shelf with YE!”
News: Whew
Saturday, August 25th, 2007
Flip
06:29 PM - Friday, August 24, 2007 - by Tim
The skate. demo came out earlier this week. I think I have another game to buy in September.
I remember when Tony Hawk first came out on the Playstation years back and totally rocked our video game skating world. And for the past ten or so years that’s pretty much all we’ve had. And some iterations have been better than others, and later on in the series they got a little over-the-top and silly with some of the stuff. But the basic formula has always been the same.
I wasn’t expecting much from skate, and sure enough when I first started it up I was fumbling the controls all over the place. Years of using a button to ollie, and a thumbstick to kick off had ruined me. Suddenly it was all backwards. And it was confusing. But then once you start to get the hang of it… it’s simple, but complicated. Somehow.
I found that while (eventually) I was pulling off the same tricks I could do in THPS, when I did them in skate I felt like there was more of an accomplishment there. And also that I had more direct control over my skater. The controls have grown on me, and now I’m not sure I’d want to go back to just holding down a button to do a trick.
Additionally skate just seems to capture skateboarding more than THPS has (at least Project 8, the last one I played). I haven’t skated for a long time, since I was in high school, but the movement and physics of the board and the skater, and the sounds… just seems more realistic in skate.
Another neat feature is the skate.Reel function, which lets you record clips and save them online to show others. It’s still in beta I guess, and not functioning for everyone right now (myself included). Which is unfortunate, because I had a pretty gnarly 780 at the pool I had uploaded. But hopefully it’ll be remedied by the time the game comes out next month. Better to find the problems now, with the demo, then once people are paying for the game.
If skate has a decent character creator (which should be a given, since it’s put out by EA), then I will definitely find myself converting come September.
Remember that “Stop Shifting Blame” t-shirt I said we were going to reprint? Well I just got word that it’s in stock. And in a variety of colors this time, too.
I’ve wanted to some Player One and Player Two shirts for a while, but I didn’t want to just sell blue and red shirts with numbers on the front. Though I did want that to be a part of the design, so I was looking for something to put on the back. I thought maybe I would make large portraits of the character, and then use the color of the shirt fabric for the color of the shirts on the players. I messed around with some designs this afternoon.
These would be the backs, with a large 1 or 2 in white on the front.
Let me know if you like them/would buy them so I can gauge interest.
Whew
02:08 AM - Saturday, August 25, 2007 - by Tim
*scratches Twilight Princess off his list*
I beat it. Yay me.
News: Flip
Saturday, August 25th, 2007
Flip
06:29 PM - Friday, August 24, 2007 - by Tim
The skate. demo came out earlier this week. I think I have another game to buy in September.
I remember when Tony Hawk first came out on the Playstation years back and totally rocked our video game skating world. And for the past ten or so years that’s pretty much all we’ve had. And some iterations have been better than others, and later on in the series they got a little over-the-top and silly with some of the stuff. But the basic formula has always been the same.
I wasn’t expecting much from skate, and sure enough when I first started it up I was fumbling the controls all over the place. Years of using a button to ollie, and a thumbstick to kick off had ruined me. Suddenly it was all backwards. And it was confusing. But then once you start to get the hang of it… it’s simple, but complicated. Somehow.
I found that while (eventually) I was pulling off the same tricks I could do in THPS, when I did them in skate I felt like there was more of an accomplishment there. And also that I had more direct control over my skater. The controls have grown on me, and now I’m not sure I’d want to go back to just holding down a button to do a trick.
Additionally skate just seems to capture skateboarding more than THPS has (at least Project 8, the last one I played). I haven’t skated for a long time, since I was in high school, but the movement and physics of the board and the skater, and the sounds… just seems more realistic in skate.
Another neat feature is the skate.Reel function, which lets you record clips and save them online to show others. It’s still in beta I guess, and not functioning for everyone right now (myself included). Which is unfortunate, because I had a pretty gnarly 780 at the pool I had uploaded. But hopefully it’ll be remedied by the time the game comes out next month. Better to find the problems now, with the demo, then once people are paying for the game.
If skate has a decent character creator (which should be a given, since it’s put out by EA), then I will definitely find myself converting come September.
Remember that “Stop Shifting Blame” t-shirt I said we were going to reprint? Well I just got word that it’s in stock. And in a variety of colors this time, too.
I’ve wanted to some Player One and Player Two shirts for a while, but I didn’t want to just sell blue and red shirts with numbers on the front. Though I did want that to be a part of the design, so I was looking for something to put on the back. I thought maybe I would make large portraits of the character, and then use the color of the shirt fabric for the color of the shirts on the players. I messed around with some designs this afternoon.
These would be the backs, with a large 1 or 2 in white on the front.
Let me know if you like them/would buy them so I can gauge interest.
Around Comics Ep. 127 - Greg Rucka Returns
Thursday, August 23rd, 2007One of the busiest writers in comics returns to Around Comics to talk about the myriad projects hitting comic shops, movie theaters, book stores and the video game market. Greg talks about the experience of being on set for the filming of Whiteout and how they made him work for the Executive Producer title. The new Atticus Kodiak novel Patriot Acts is do to hit stores this month, and we discuss the life of trained killers and the research that goes into gun fights and writing a personal security specialist. Greg talks about integrating espionage into the DC Universe with Checkmate and what we can expect from his new Question series Crime Bible. Queen And Country is on hiatus until at least 2009, but there are big changes and exciting revelations in store for fans of series to look forward to. Greg is set to begin a new PI series called Stumptown, and he talks about his love of gimmick free detective stories and how he’s bringing that to comics. We wrap up with some insight into the new Siphon Filter game and how Greg is introducing a new level of realism to the video game franchise. The episode concludes with listener e-mails and Sal’s declaration that he would eat everyone in the event of a snowstorm.
Студия Warner Bros. наняла сценариста Джона Олсона (”Оправданная жестокость”) и продюсера Тодда Макфарлена (”Спаун”) для создания современной версии детской сказки Фрэнка Баума “Волшебник страны Оз”. Как сообщает Variety, Олсон и Макфарлен вхотят, чтобы новый фильм пришли смотреть зрители, воспитанные на “Властелине колец” и “Гарри Поттере”.