Hackers, they tourmented us countless times in Call Of Duty, Halo, Battlefield, and most other FPS. Though i am mostly going to talk about the biggest problem which is in Call Of Duty Mw2/Black Ops...
Hackers... with their Aimbots, Hacked Ranks, God like health. They think they are better than us legit players who work hard getting our ranks, getting better at the game, and having an all around fun time. It's like they cry because they can't get any better that they resort to hacks so they can get their revenge.
It's not that they can't get better it's that they're just sore losers that can't take a loss like a good player.
Hacking is not as big of a deal right now in Call of Duty: Black Ops but it is in Modern Warfare 2. But that does not mean it won't get to the point where you will want to break your game in half. Seriously I think hackers need to get a reality check, have a Dr.Phil moment and wonder why they are doing it in the first place.
Hacking in call of duty modern warfare 2 is so big now you cannot get into a game without them unless you are in a private match. Start a match and you will start dieing endlessly. Infinite Ammo is another problem they can Noobtube nonstop or blow you away with their AA12 this is so jacked up.
Want to know whats the thing i hate the most about Hacking?
Trash talkers, they talk big and Call us Noobs. They talk alot of smack always trying to make them selves sound better than us.
Me: What the *#@% was that?
Hacker: It's My Godly Skills.
Really? Skills? No way since when was downloading some hacking program skills?
I want to hear what you have to say on this topic, This is my first blog so i would like to know what I've done wrong. :)
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Showing posts with label Dan MacIsaac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dan MacIsaac. Show all posts
Friday, October 21, 2011
Random Rant about: Gears of War 3, Mass Effect 3, and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Okay. So let me start off first by saying that this is not a troll blog aimed at the Xbox or it's games. This is just a collection of my thoughts on these specific games, and my worries about them. Computers are limited in the amount of power they can put out. This is a given. A computer cannot run anything that requires more power/hardware than it has available. The Xbox, Playstation, and Wii are all just computers specialized for the purpose of gaming. This leads to the question of what are the developers going to do with these games to make them run on the Xbox360?
Gears of War 3
When Gears of War 2 came out any one who did research, and was able to suffer past the innumerable Rick-rolls, probably found the article where Cliff B. talked about how Gears 2 was going to be the best looking game on the Xbox360,. He said that the pushed the Xbox to it's limits and that visually Gears 2 was going to be the best the Xbox would ever get. Bold words. And while Gears 2 did look exceptionally good this leads to the question of; are they going to be able to improve the graphics for Gears 3? Or is Gears 3 going to run the same Graphics engine and are they just going to try and improve the story? With the statement that Gears 2 pushed the xbox to the limit how are they going to improve Gears 3?
Mass Effect 3
When Mass Effect 2 was first showcased at E3 it pushed the Xbox further than it could handle causing a majority of the Demo Xboxs to overheat and power down. Mass Effect 2 was downgraded to make it operate without melting the Xbox, and even then it still suffered terrible load times and frame rate drops. Now Bioware has developed a new, more powerful engine, the Mass Effect 3 engine. If Mass Effect 2 caused problems with the Xbox running the ME2 engine what are they going to do with the ME3? Are they going to run ME3 using the ME2 engine?
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Going back once a gain to the previous game, Oblivion, we realize that Oblivion suffered terrible frame rate drops, texture pop-ins, lag, screen tearing, and distance issues on the xbox360 (I'm not sure if this was prevalent only to Xbox, I didn't have the PS3 version for long enough to do a full battery of tests, but I know it's not a problem on a high end computer). Oblivion pushed Xbox relentlessly and the overall performance of the game suffered for it. The screen shots (Gameinformer magazine) for Skyrim look amazing, but this leads to the question of what are they going to do with the Xbox version. Maybe the new engine they made will help the issues, but I'm curious to see how they combat the problems that hurt oblivion.
These three games all pushed the Xbox to it's limit and a little further, and all of them suffered for it. With direct squeals coming out and no new Xbox on the horizon it leads me to wonder how they are going to try and improve upon their previous efforts. Everyone wants new better graphics and the "professional" reviewing sites are quick to jump on established games that don't show improvements in graphics and performance. With these games coming out and their prequels reaching the limit of the Xbox's power it may be time for Microsoft to release an new console to compete. There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Gears of War 3
When Gears of War 2 came out any one who did research, and was able to suffer past the innumerable Rick-rolls, probably found the article where Cliff B. talked about how Gears 2 was going to be the best looking game on the Xbox360,. He said that the pushed the Xbox to it's limits and that visually Gears 2 was going to be the best the Xbox would ever get. Bold words. And while Gears 2 did look exceptionally good this leads to the question of; are they going to be able to improve the graphics for Gears 3? Or is Gears 3 going to run the same Graphics engine and are they just going to try and improve the story? With the statement that Gears 2 pushed the xbox to the limit how are they going to improve Gears 3?
Mass Effect 3
When Mass Effect 2 was first showcased at E3 it pushed the Xbox further than it could handle causing a majority of the Demo Xboxs to overheat and power down. Mass Effect 2 was downgraded to make it operate without melting the Xbox, and even then it still suffered terrible load times and frame rate drops. Now Bioware has developed a new, more powerful engine, the Mass Effect 3 engine. If Mass Effect 2 caused problems with the Xbox running the ME2 engine what are they going to do with the ME3? Are they going to run ME3 using the ME2 engine?
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Going back once a gain to the previous game, Oblivion, we realize that Oblivion suffered terrible frame rate drops, texture pop-ins, lag, screen tearing, and distance issues on the xbox360 (I'm not sure if this was prevalent only to Xbox, I didn't have the PS3 version for long enough to do a full battery of tests, but I know it's not a problem on a high end computer). Oblivion pushed Xbox relentlessly and the overall performance of the game suffered for it. The screen shots (Gameinformer magazine) for Skyrim look amazing, but this leads to the question of what are they going to do with the Xbox version. Maybe the new engine they made will help the issues, but I'm curious to see how they combat the problems that hurt oblivion.
These three games all pushed the Xbox to it's limit and a little further, and all of them suffered for it. With direct squeals coming out and no new Xbox on the horizon it leads me to wonder how they are going to try and improve upon their previous efforts. Everyone wants new better graphics and the "professional" reviewing sites are quick to jump on established games that don't show improvements in graphics and performance. With these games coming out and their prequels reaching the limit of the Xbox's power it may be time for Microsoft to release an new console to compete. There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Thursday, October 13, 2011
8 Game Case Mistakes
Whenever people go to buy a new game one of the first things they look at is the back of the game case. Why do we look at it? The pictures and the description can tell us if its going to be a game we'd like or not. But sometimes these descriptions and pictures are wrong. Here's my list of the top 8 mistakes on video game cases. Why 8? Because 5 is to few and 10 is to overused.
8. Description: Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes.
The description on the back of the box reads "Two of the greatest games of all time, Metal Gear Solid 1 and Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty are fused together to form the Nintendo gamecube classic Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes" From reading that description it would be safe to assume that both MGS1 and MGS2 are in the case but its actually just MGS 1 with MGS 2 graphics and controls. While its directly wrong it is misleading. And that's why it gets spot 8.
7. "...they will find you, and you will die...": Vampire Rain
Very few people have heard of this game, and with good reason. It was terrible. It tried to combine the sneaking action of MGS or Socom with a vampire story. The result was unpleasant. The quote, which appears quite boldly on the cover of the game, was actually part of a larger quote by Adam Sessler (Xplay) bashing the games poor stealth mechanic. In his original quote (which I couldn't find) he said something along the lines of: no matter how stealthy you are they will find you and you will die, its terrible. For taking a negative quote and making it sound positive they get spot 7.
6. Bastilla on Ratakaa: Star wars The Knights of the Old Republic
Anyone who's played this game knows what I'm talking about here. But for those of you who haven't here you go. Bastilla get captured and you lose her for half the game. When you finally get her back (presuming you do it right) you begin the final level of the game. However the picture on the back of the box shows Bastilla standing with you in front of the Temple of Ratakaa (the 2nd to last level). Before you comment, No. There is no time to take Bastilla to the Temple of Ratakaa after you get her back. As soon as you get her a scripted series of events happens taking you into the final level.
5. Krea's right hand: Star Wars The Knights of the Old Republic 2 The Sith Lords.
I don't like reusing the same game multiple times, but when a game messes up like this it's hard not to. In the game (early on) one of your characters (Krea) gets her right hand chopped off. On the back of the box it shows her holding a lightsaber in her right hand. While this could have been an earlier picture she didn't get a lightsaber to later in the game and before the game she had an entirely different wardrobe.
4. Right Handed Link: Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
It's a little known fact that Link is in fact left handed. However on the Back of the Twighlight Princess case it shows a right handed Link. The official reasoning for this (and for making Link right handed in the game) is because the majority of players are right handed and it would be easier for them to play the game on Wii that way. However on the Gamecube version Link is left handed again with the case still showing right handed.
3. Magic Bar: Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
Zelda games have always had magic bars. That is until Twilight princess. The magic bar was an early concept idea that was ultimately taken out of the game. That doesn't stop it from appearing in a picture on the back of the box.
2. Oblivion rated M: The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion
When Oblivion was originally rated it got a simple easy T rating. However after a user mod allowed players to view the top half of females without clothes the ESRB changed the rating to M. Because it was originally rated T (games were released with the T rating) and later changed due to no fault of Bethesday I consider this an mistake on the game case. (I still have a sealed copy rated T)
1. Lightsaber on Telos: Star Wars The Knights of the Old Republic 2 The Sith Lords.
You might be curious why I picked this game as number one. Well for me this was the most annoying. In Kotor 2 the first planet you arrive on is Telos. You don't get a lightsaber until after Telos. However the back of the case shows your character holding a lightsaber in the last part of Telos. Why was this annoying? Because I saw the back of the case and the main character holding a lightsaber on Telos and thought that I messed up somewhere and missed it, so I restarted the game and did it all again only to find out 3 hours later that the quest to get a lightsaber doesn't even start until after Telos. That's why this mistake gets rated 1 for me.
While mistakes on game cases aren’t a super critical thing they can be annoying and sometimes fun to find. Have you found any other mistakes?
Edit: There is another mistake on the back of Kotor. It shows a large Rancor on the beach where the Ebon Hawk land on Ratakaa. This is a mistake as well because the Rancors are scripted to certain environments and can't approach the beach because of it. (Thanks william5150)
LBP2 saying Multiplayer on the back of the box with no Multiplayer Component included (Thanks Alpha)
MGS 4 Greatest hits Collection including trophies on box (Thanks ItlovesHalo)
8. Description: Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes.
The description on the back of the box reads "Two of the greatest games of all time, Metal Gear Solid 1 and Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty are fused together to form the Nintendo gamecube classic Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes" From reading that description it would be safe to assume that both MGS1 and MGS2 are in the case but its actually just MGS 1 with MGS 2 graphics and controls. While its directly wrong it is misleading. And that's why it gets spot 8.
7. "...they will find you, and you will die...": Vampire Rain
Very few people have heard of this game, and with good reason. It was terrible. It tried to combine the sneaking action of MGS or Socom with a vampire story. The result was unpleasant. The quote, which appears quite boldly on the cover of the game, was actually part of a larger quote by Adam Sessler (Xplay) bashing the games poor stealth mechanic. In his original quote (which I couldn't find) he said something along the lines of: no matter how stealthy you are they will find you and you will die, its terrible. For taking a negative quote and making it sound positive they get spot 7.
6. Bastilla on Ratakaa: Star wars The Knights of the Old Republic
Anyone who's played this game knows what I'm talking about here. But for those of you who haven't here you go. Bastilla get captured and you lose her for half the game. When you finally get her back (presuming you do it right) you begin the final level of the game. However the picture on the back of the box shows Bastilla standing with you in front of the Temple of Ratakaa (the 2nd to last level). Before you comment, No. There is no time to take Bastilla to the Temple of Ratakaa after you get her back. As soon as you get her a scripted series of events happens taking you into the final level.
5. Krea's right hand: Star Wars The Knights of the Old Republic 2 The Sith Lords.
I don't like reusing the same game multiple times, but when a game messes up like this it's hard not to. In the game (early on) one of your characters (Krea) gets her right hand chopped off. On the back of the box it shows her holding a lightsaber in her right hand. While this could have been an earlier picture she didn't get a lightsaber to later in the game and before the game she had an entirely different wardrobe.
4. Right Handed Link: Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
It's a little known fact that Link is in fact left handed. However on the Back of the Twighlight Princess case it shows a right handed Link. The official reasoning for this (and for making Link right handed in the game) is because the majority of players are right handed and it would be easier for them to play the game on Wii that way. However on the Gamecube version Link is left handed again with the case still showing right handed.
3. Magic Bar: Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
Zelda games have always had magic bars. That is until Twilight princess. The magic bar was an early concept idea that was ultimately taken out of the game. That doesn't stop it from appearing in a picture on the back of the box.
2. Oblivion rated M: The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion
When Oblivion was originally rated it got a simple easy T rating. However after a user mod allowed players to view the top half of females without clothes the ESRB changed the rating to M. Because it was originally rated T (games were released with the T rating) and later changed due to no fault of Bethesday I consider this an mistake on the game case. (I still have a sealed copy rated T)
1. Lightsaber on Telos: Star Wars The Knights of the Old Republic 2 The Sith Lords.
You might be curious why I picked this game as number one. Well for me this was the most annoying. In Kotor 2 the first planet you arrive on is Telos. You don't get a lightsaber until after Telos. However the back of the case shows your character holding a lightsaber in the last part of Telos. Why was this annoying? Because I saw the back of the case and the main character holding a lightsaber on Telos and thought that I messed up somewhere and missed it, so I restarted the game and did it all again only to find out 3 hours later that the quest to get a lightsaber doesn't even start until after Telos. That's why this mistake gets rated 1 for me.
While mistakes on game cases aren’t a super critical thing they can be annoying and sometimes fun to find. Have you found any other mistakes?
Edit: There is another mistake on the back of Kotor. It shows a large Rancor on the beach where the Ebon Hawk land on Ratakaa. This is a mistake as well because the Rancors are scripted to certain environments and can't approach the beach because of it. (Thanks william5150)
LBP2 saying Multiplayer on the back of the box with no Multiplayer Component included (Thanks Alpha)
MGS 4 Greatest hits Collection including trophies on box (Thanks ItlovesHalo)
The PS Vita and the 3DS have a common problem.
With the 3DS already released and the Vita on its way, it got me thinking about the place these devices have in my life. One common problem occurred to me. They are not phones.
To bring my point across we must jump back in time when the PSP and the DS were released. I remember think this is quite cool. A console in my hand. They seemed perfect for travelling and great for passing the time. Now we are going to jump a couple of years with the release of the 360 and the PS3. How so much as changed in such a short time. A drive to become a multimedia device has become more apparent. Sony's attempt to get a blu-ray player in every house left a mark on the gaming industry. These console were not just about gaming any more it had to do everything. Just to produce a gaming console is just not enough. To maximise profits the casual and non gamer must be added to the install base. It then became apparent that this multimedia image came a little too soon because the Wii with interesting new technology grasped this casual market with little multimedia functionality. However as this generation progressed this theme of multimedia functionality became more of a main feature than a nice extra.
Now smart phones have been around for some time. Arguable it didn't take off until the RIM brought out their Blackberry line of phones. It instantly become popular with business people who loved the function of sending emails and having a phone in the same device. But this wasn't anything like the surge to come in 2007. Apple's Iphone shot multimedia devices into the masses. It was a small computer in your pocket that was also a phone. Not only could you check your emails and call people but you could do much more. Now ,on N4G, the idea of the Iphone being used for gaming is seen as blaspheme. In the early days it did struggled but as it progressed the gaming part of the phone became more apparent. It was seen to be cool to have one.
Now the background is out of the way I can get to my original point. The 3DS and PS Vita have one common flaw. They are not phones. Times have changed since the release of the PSP and Nintendo DS. Carrying around one all inclusive device has become very popular in recent years and almost a necessity.
To say, on N4G, the Iphone and other android smartphones are a threat to gaming is followed by onslaughts of abuse especially on the topic of how you are not a "real gamer". This type of gaming is having little to no affect on home consoles but it is ,however, having an effect on portable gaming. It is hard to ignore the success the App Store has had on mobile gaming. The 69p games have very low development cost but relativity high return. These games are also small simple games perfect for on the move. There are other types of games (like Modern Combat) who gets the controls spot on but lack the battery life to really play. This however because a mute point in the large scheme of things.
I am finding it harder and harder to justify getting a dedicated portable gaming machine when the times I am on the move (or anyone for that matter) is barley long enough to justify getting into a fully fledged game. The BBC in 2003 said the average commute in the UK was 45 minutes (which was the highest in Europe). There were no collective figures I could find for America but for Washington it was around 25 minutes in 2006. OK these are people who have jobs but school children are no better. Considering in the UK a lot (bare in mind not all) live in there schools catchment area. My commute was no different to the figures produced by the BBC. The only aspect in life I can see buying a PS vita or a 3DS useful is on flights, where you are spending some hours sitting in one place.
No you may be thinking what I haven't really talked about the phone aspect in great detail but I have in directly. The problem the Vita and the 3DS has is they are in direct competition to the Iphone and android devices but without the most essential component. I know a lot of you will be getting it and think I am mad but even if all of you on N4G get it that isn't enough for the companies. We must look at the bigger picture and so must they. Sony tried, sought of, with the Xperia Play. It ended up being half of each. It wasn't a good phone nor was it a good gaming device. I do hope this hasn't scared Sony off. These smart phone devices offer more games (I know some are garbage) for less money so buying a game at 69p doesn't drain on your wallet like PSP and 3DS games do.
The 3DS has hit road blocks right from the get go. The hardcore gamer seemed less interested by the limited number of games and the casual were not as easily impressed by new 3D technology as they were when the Wii came out. The biggest test for both the systems is when the Vita comes out. It should sell in Japan as they love pocket gaming but with the increase popularity of smart phones, that do everything, there seems to be little reason to get the Vita and 3DS with the £20 per game price tag.
Phones are not the same as they use to be, nor are MP3 players. They have evolved with the times like many other devices. The two dedicated gaming machines must evolve or die and at the moment they are in danger of the latter
To bring my point across we must jump back in time when the PSP and the DS were released. I remember think this is quite cool. A console in my hand. They seemed perfect for travelling and great for passing the time. Now we are going to jump a couple of years with the release of the 360 and the PS3. How so much as changed in such a short time. A drive to become a multimedia device has become more apparent. Sony's attempt to get a blu-ray player in every house left a mark on the gaming industry. These console were not just about gaming any more it had to do everything. Just to produce a gaming console is just not enough. To maximise profits the casual and non gamer must be added to the install base. It then became apparent that this multimedia image came a little too soon because the Wii with interesting new technology grasped this casual market with little multimedia functionality. However as this generation progressed this theme of multimedia functionality became more of a main feature than a nice extra.
Now smart phones have been around for some time. Arguable it didn't take off until the RIM brought out their Blackberry line of phones. It instantly become popular with business people who loved the function of sending emails and having a phone in the same device. But this wasn't anything like the surge to come in 2007. Apple's Iphone shot multimedia devices into the masses. It was a small computer in your pocket that was also a phone. Not only could you check your emails and call people but you could do much more. Now ,on N4G, the idea of the Iphone being used for gaming is seen as blaspheme. In the early days it did struggled but as it progressed the gaming part of the phone became more apparent. It was seen to be cool to have one.
Now the background is out of the way I can get to my original point. The 3DS and PS Vita have one common flaw. They are not phones. Times have changed since the release of the PSP and Nintendo DS. Carrying around one all inclusive device has become very popular in recent years and almost a necessity.
To say, on N4G, the Iphone and other android smartphones are a threat to gaming is followed by onslaughts of abuse especially on the topic of how you are not a "real gamer". This type of gaming is having little to no affect on home consoles but it is ,however, having an effect on portable gaming. It is hard to ignore the success the App Store has had on mobile gaming. The 69p games have very low development cost but relativity high return. These games are also small simple games perfect for on the move. There are other types of games (like Modern Combat) who gets the controls spot on but lack the battery life to really play. This however because a mute point in the large scheme of things.
I am finding it harder and harder to justify getting a dedicated portable gaming machine when the times I am on the move (or anyone for that matter) is barley long enough to justify getting into a fully fledged game. The BBC in 2003 said the average commute in the UK was 45 minutes (which was the highest in Europe). There were no collective figures I could find for America but for Washington it was around 25 minutes in 2006. OK these are people who have jobs but school children are no better. Considering in the UK a lot (bare in mind not all) live in there schools catchment area. My commute was no different to the figures produced by the BBC. The only aspect in life I can see buying a PS vita or a 3DS useful is on flights, where you are spending some hours sitting in one place.
No you may be thinking what I haven't really talked about the phone aspect in great detail but I have in directly. The problem the Vita and the 3DS has is they are in direct competition to the Iphone and android devices but without the most essential component. I know a lot of you will be getting it and think I am mad but even if all of you on N4G get it that isn't enough for the companies. We must look at the bigger picture and so must they. Sony tried, sought of, with the Xperia Play. It ended up being half of each. It wasn't a good phone nor was it a good gaming device. I do hope this hasn't scared Sony off. These smart phone devices offer more games (I know some are garbage) for less money so buying a game at 69p doesn't drain on your wallet like PSP and 3DS games do.
The 3DS has hit road blocks right from the get go. The hardcore gamer seemed less interested by the limited number of games and the casual were not as easily impressed by new 3D technology as they were when the Wii came out. The biggest test for both the systems is when the Vita comes out. It should sell in Japan as they love pocket gaming but with the increase popularity of smart phones, that do everything, there seems to be little reason to get the Vita and 3DS with the £20 per game price tag.
Phones are not the same as they use to be, nor are MP3 players. They have evolved with the times like many other devices. The two dedicated gaming machines must evolve or die and at the moment they are in danger of the latter
Go Commando with N4G to win an Xbox 360 and Gears 3 from GameStop!
N4G and GameStop want you to Go Commando with us on September 20! Don't think you get less than a cool breeze for your efforts: pledging to Go Commando could win you an Xbox 360 and a copy of Gears of War 3 courtesy of GameStop!
Prize: An Xbox 360 250GB console and a copy of Gears of War 3
How to enter: Comment below with your pledge to Go Commando September 20th! You have until September 27, 11:59 PM PST to enter.
Quick Notes:
-Contest available to US residents (GameStop's rules, not ours, so deal!)
-One entry per member. Spamming or creating multiple accounts will be a DQ
-Questions & comments can be directed to Cat ( http://n4g.com/user/home/ca... )
-While Go Commando Day is September 20, we're giving you until September 27, 11:59 PM PST to enter.
-All Prizing provided by GameStop
For complete sweepstakes rules: http://n4g.com/general/Game...
More about GameStop's incentives:
GameStop ( www.gamestop.com ) has some serious incentives to go with their Gears of War 3 pre-orders, and is encouraging fans to Go Commando on September 20th - show your support (or lack thereof) on the FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/ev...
and with the #GoCommandoDay hashtag.
They're giving away prizes to pre-order customers right up to October 3. By pre-ordering the game at an GameStop or at www.gamestop.com use your receipt info to enter a code once a day on the "Go Commando" website, www.gamestop.com/gearsofwar . The grand prize is a 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer with daily prizes of XBL memberships, an ATV, flatscreen TVs and autographed Gears 3 concept art.
www.gamestop.com/gearsofwar
Prize: An Xbox 360 250GB console and a copy of Gears of War 3
How to enter: Comment below with your pledge to Go Commando September 20th! You have until September 27, 11:59 PM PST to enter.
Quick Notes:
-Contest available to US residents (GameStop's rules, not ours, so deal!)
-One entry per member. Spamming or creating multiple accounts will be a DQ
-Questions & comments can be directed to Cat ( http://n4g.com/user/home/ca... )
-While Go Commando Day is September 20, we're giving you until September 27, 11:59 PM PST to enter.
-All Prizing provided by GameStop
For complete sweepstakes rules: http://n4g.com/general/Game...
More about GameStop's incentives:
GameStop ( www.gamestop.com ) has some serious incentives to go with their Gears of War 3 pre-orders, and is encouraging fans to Go Commando on September 20th - show your support (or lack thereof) on the FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/ev...
and with the #GoCommandoDay hashtag.
They're giving away prizes to pre-order customers right up to October 3. By pre-ordering the game at an GameStop or at www.gamestop.com use your receipt info to enter a code once a day on the "Go Commando" website, www.gamestop.com/gearsofwar . The grand prize is a 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer with daily prizes of XBL memberships, an ATV, flatscreen TVs and autographed Gears 3 concept art.
www.gamestop.com/gearsofwar
Some problems I have with Sony
User blog
I am a proud Playstation fan. I own a PS1, PS2, PS3, and 2 versions of a PSP. Been gaming on Playstation consoles for a long time and am pretty satisfied with my experiences for the most part. However, there are some things that Sony does that really frustrate me.
Omitting moments where it is crucial to have the most accurate and up to date information possible; my first problem is with Sony notifying PS users of things like maintenance schedules and the like. Oftentimes when Sony is going to do maintenance, the ONLY way to know about it is through the blog or on sites like this one. Sony SHOULD be notifying users through their PSN accounts and emails, but I have yet to ever receive such notification. One user here stated that Sony do not send messages to PSN accounts because it would be impossible to tell if it was an official Sony message or some spammer/hacker trying to work one over on you. But I say that, considering Sony has complete control over PSN, they could easily implement a way to let people know if they are sending an official message. It's incredibly frustrating to try and do something on PSN, only to be met with vague error codes or a message stating the service is under maintenance AFTER you tried doing something.
That brings me to my next point. Sony should be training its support staff to know what the frickin' error codes are all about. 80% of the time, Sony customer service don't even know what the error codes mean, nor do they acknowledge there is even a problem. For example, error code 80010514. That code means the Blu-Ray diode is done and you need a new one. But the only way to find that out is through the forums, not through official Sony channels because they don't know anything or don't acknowledge the problem. You'd think since it's their system, Sony should know about the error codes since they programmed the codes into the system to begin with. Sony needs to have better communication within the company so as to facilitate the resolution of consumer issues more quickly and efficiently.
My next problem with them is their sloth like speed at fixing their PSN site on the internet, if they are even bothering to fix it at all. There is an Account Management site where you can make PSN account changes on your PC without needing to use your PS3 or PSP. Changes such as adding funds, changing Billing information, that kind of thing. But ever since the PSN hack of April, that site has been down with a message saying the servers are down for maintenance. It's been almost 5 months. How long does it take to do whatever the hell they are doing with those servers?
My final issue with Sony is their lack of support for WPA2 on the PSP. I'm not sure about the PSP Go, but both of my PSP's do not support my security settings for my wireless network, thus I can't connect to my own internet connection because it uses a WPA2 AES security function. So even if I have a problem with PSN on my PS3, I can't fix it on PC because the site is down and I can't fix it on PSP because I can't connect thanks to the use of a wireless b card in my version of the PSP.
Like I said, I love the Playstation brand and applaud Sony for the monumental "right" moves they made with the brand. But some of the wrong moves they've made are VERY frustrating to solve on your own, and a waste of time to try and solve through customer service. I think that Kaz needs to light a fire underneath his employees to get these problems resolved quickly, but I doubt that will happen any time soon.
I am a proud Playstation fan. I own a PS1, PS2, PS3, and 2 versions of a PSP. Been gaming on Playstation consoles for a long time and am pretty satisfied with my experiences for the most part. However, there are some things that Sony does that really frustrate me.
Omitting moments where it is crucial to have the most accurate and up to date information possible; my first problem is with Sony notifying PS users of things like maintenance schedules and the like. Oftentimes when Sony is going to do maintenance, the ONLY way to know about it is through the blog or on sites like this one. Sony SHOULD be notifying users through their PSN accounts and emails, but I have yet to ever receive such notification. One user here stated that Sony do not send messages to PSN accounts because it would be impossible to tell if it was an official Sony message or some spammer/hacker trying to work one over on you. But I say that, considering Sony has complete control over PSN, they could easily implement a way to let people know if they are sending an official message. It's incredibly frustrating to try and do something on PSN, only to be met with vague error codes or a message stating the service is under maintenance AFTER you tried doing something.
That brings me to my next point. Sony should be training its support staff to know what the frickin' error codes are all about. 80% of the time, Sony customer service don't even know what the error codes mean, nor do they acknowledge there is even a problem. For example, error code 80010514. That code means the Blu-Ray diode is done and you need a new one. But the only way to find that out is through the forums, not through official Sony channels because they don't know anything or don't acknowledge the problem. You'd think since it's their system, Sony should know about the error codes since they programmed the codes into the system to begin with. Sony needs to have better communication within the company so as to facilitate the resolution of consumer issues more quickly and efficiently.
My next problem with them is their sloth like speed at fixing their PSN site on the internet, if they are even bothering to fix it at all. There is an Account Management site where you can make PSN account changes on your PC without needing to use your PS3 or PSP. Changes such as adding funds, changing Billing information, that kind of thing. But ever since the PSN hack of April, that site has been down with a message saying the servers are down for maintenance. It's been almost 5 months. How long does it take to do whatever the hell they are doing with those servers?
My final issue with Sony is their lack of support for WPA2 on the PSP. I'm not sure about the PSP Go, but both of my PSP's do not support my security settings for my wireless network, thus I can't connect to my own internet connection because it uses a WPA2 AES security function. So even if I have a problem with PSN on my PS3, I can't fix it on PC because the site is down and I can't fix it on PSP because I can't connect thanks to the use of a wireless b card in my version of the PSP.
Like I said, I love the Playstation brand and applaud Sony for the monumental "right" moves they made with the brand. But some of the wrong moves they've made are VERY frustrating to solve on your own, and a waste of time to try and solve through customer service. I think that Kaz needs to light a fire underneath his employees to get these problems resolved quickly, but I doubt that will happen any time soon.
Why the division?
Its pretty late in California right now. 1:30A.M., I'm doing my late night web runs (Since I've been jobless for the last 2 weeks what else is there to do?) and one question pops into my head.
Why is it that we are divide as a nation? Looking back through the glass of time, I can remember NES vs. Master system, SNES vs Genesis, Saturn Vs Playstation VS N64, Dreamcast vs........ so on and so on.
But going through my 25+ years of gaming I can't remember ever arguing about system A is way better than that system B because....of games?.....Graphics?, nope! today's points are based solely on sales and the money generated by said system and said games on system. WHAAAAAAAAAT! I know at this point its like digging up a dead horse just to add a few more bullets to the poor animals skull but why are we as a nation so divided by something that is so separate from us to begin with.
If this game sells a billion and this game only sells a few hundred thousand, why does it matter so much? I mean we aren't seeing any of this money and its quite the opposite, we actually make these games the successes that they are buy giving up our money and yet we will argue to the point of being racist, ignorant jerks to prove why we bothered to make this game a billion dollar success and call those who did not put in things that will make our forefathers spin in their grave. Why has this happen to us? I remember growing up with Nintendo a good friend of mine was all about Sega, we still interacted like normal, played together and when it came down to our videogames we asked, what are we playing that day? Are we going to my house or your house? That trend pretty much continued up until X360 released. All of a sudden if you weren't online with a 360 we couldn't be friends in real life?!?!? WHAAAAAATTTTT! Then the PS3 released and if you owned one you just threw away $600 because as far as "Gamers" were considered it was D.O.A.. What happen to us? we used to share our experiences as a people, used to talk about games that we could play that our friends couldn't and vice-versa. But now it seems that system ownership is a lot stricter than religion. "Buy what I have so we can talk about it or F*** YOU!!" Why and How?
I'll admit early on I was just as rabid as the next person but I've been able to let that go, but it seems the problem has only gotten worst and not better, despite there being many ways to enjoy our freetime, it seems that you can only have one way to enjoy it or else you're an outcast. Sad really but I guess thats the way the world is going.
P.S. This was just a random thought but feel free to comment if you like.
Why is it that we are divide as a nation? Looking back through the glass of time, I can remember NES vs. Master system, SNES vs Genesis, Saturn Vs Playstation VS N64, Dreamcast vs........ so on and so on.
But going through my 25+ years of gaming I can't remember ever arguing about system A is way better than that system B because....of games?.....Graphics?, nope! today's points are based solely on sales and the money generated by said system and said games on system. WHAAAAAAAAAT! I know at this point its like digging up a dead horse just to add a few more bullets to the poor animals skull but why are we as a nation so divided by something that is so separate from us to begin with.
If this game sells a billion and this game only sells a few hundred thousand, why does it matter so much? I mean we aren't seeing any of this money and its quite the opposite, we actually make these games the successes that they are buy giving up our money and yet we will argue to the point of being racist, ignorant jerks to prove why we bothered to make this game a billion dollar success and call those who did not put in things that will make our forefathers spin in their grave. Why has this happen to us? I remember growing up with Nintendo a good friend of mine was all about Sega, we still interacted like normal, played together and when it came down to our videogames we asked, what are we playing that day? Are we going to my house or your house? That trend pretty much continued up until X360 released. All of a sudden if you weren't online with a 360 we couldn't be friends in real life?!?!? WHAAAAAATTTTT! Then the PS3 released and if you owned one you just threw away $600 because as far as "Gamers" were considered it was D.O.A.. What happen to us? we used to share our experiences as a people, used to talk about games that we could play that our friends couldn't and vice-versa. But now it seems that system ownership is a lot stricter than religion. "Buy what I have so we can talk about it or F*** YOU!!" Why and How?
I'll admit early on I was just as rabid as the next person but I've been able to let that go, but it seems the problem has only gotten worst and not better, despite there being many ways to enjoy our freetime, it seems that you can only have one way to enjoy it or else you're an outcast. Sad really but I guess thats the way the world is going.
P.S. This was just a random thought but feel free to comment if you like.
Gears of War 3 Achievement Challenge: $10,000 in prizing
Pairing nicely with the Gears 3 fever around here, 360Voice is hosting a Gears of War 3 Achievement Challenge kicking off September 20th and running through October 20, 2011.
Players unlocking achievements and recruiting friends to the cause are scoring points toward their Brotherhood's total score - and the top two Brotherhoods get prizes. More of a persuasive type? The top three Recruiters also win big.
http://360voice.gamerdna.co...
If the N4G Brotherhood ( http://360voice.gamerdna.co... ) led by our own Eiffel finishes in the top two we're adding to the prize pool: The top five scorers in the N4G Brotherhood get a Gears of War 3 controller and all surviving Cogs get a brand spanking newly designed N4G t-shirt.
Go! http://360voice.gamerdna.co...
Players unlocking achievements and recruiting friends to the cause are scoring points toward their Brotherhood's total score - and the top two Brotherhoods get prizes. More of a persuasive type? The top three Recruiters also win big.
http://360voice.gamerdna.co...
If the N4G Brotherhood ( http://360voice.gamerdna.co... ) led by our own Eiffel finishes in the top two we're adding to the prize pool: The top five scorers in the N4G Brotherhood get a Gears of War 3 controller and all surviving Cogs get a brand spanking newly designed N4G t-shirt.
Go! http://360voice.gamerdna.co...
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