I decided to set up a new blog that was just for the purposes of gaming and a place to link my You Tube reviews to. I know that I have been doing it on this blog for sometime now, but I decided that I wanted to split them apart. I will still be keeping this one going for none gaming stuff but I felt that it was easier for me to have a pure gaming blog as I am now a writer for the Real Otaku Gamer site and I wanted a place where people who follow me can go to without having to wade through any none gaming stuff.
I have set up a link to my other blog in the top left corner of this page along with other cool websites that I hope you will check out.
Like I say, I am not closing down this blog at all, but from now on it will have other stuff apart from gaming on here.
Thanks
Aidy
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Sunday, 15 May 2011
PSN RETURNS...LESSONS LEARNED
So the PSN should be back for the majority of people in the US and Europe by now, with the rest of the world being rolled out today. After some three weeks of waiting and cursing Sony, the wait is finally over, at least for the online gaming aspect of the service. There are still major features that have yet to return such as the Store.
The important thing is that the online gaming service is back and ready to roll.
One can only hope that Sony have learned their lesson in the past three weeks, because it has been the lowest ebb in the Playstation brands history. Sony showed their naivety and frailty and their shortcomings were exploited. It is surely the case that this has been remedied to the best of their abilities, or any other companies ability for that matter. Make no mistake, it will take some time for this to blow over for Sony and there can be little doubt that consumer confidence in the Playstation brand will have taken a hit. The size of the hit depends on how forgiving the general public are.
What must be pointed out is there will have been some good in what happened to Sony. It would take a remarkable naive person to believe that Sony are the only company out there who have customers personal details in a relatively unprotected state. There will have been a number of companies frantically trying to remedy their shortcomings in the past three weeks as well, fearful that a hack may be directed at them.
Whereas Sony have been the fall guys, it is important to know that they will not be the last company to suffer such a breach.
Although it has taken a long time to get the PSN back online, it does show how seriously Sony have taken this breach and how dedicated they are to resolving the matter. The whys and wherefores of whether this attack should have happened and the lack of Sony's data protection has been debated to death on the Internet. It is time to but that aside and get on with the business of playing games again.
My only hope is that Sony have learned their lessons and that they also realize that constant lines of communication to their customers is vitally important as well. Being met with a wall of silence was one of the worst aspects of this whole drama and it is clear that Sony need to sort out their PR and fast at is was shambolic to say the least.
If the public forgive Sony this time, they will certainly not be so charitable in the future.
The important thing is that the online gaming service is back and ready to roll.
One can only hope that Sony have learned their lesson in the past three weeks, because it has been the lowest ebb in the Playstation brands history. Sony showed their naivety and frailty and their shortcomings were exploited. It is surely the case that this has been remedied to the best of their abilities, or any other companies ability for that matter. Make no mistake, it will take some time for this to blow over for Sony and there can be little doubt that consumer confidence in the Playstation brand will have taken a hit. The size of the hit depends on how forgiving the general public are.
What must be pointed out is there will have been some good in what happened to Sony. It would take a remarkable naive person to believe that Sony are the only company out there who have customers personal details in a relatively unprotected state. There will have been a number of companies frantically trying to remedy their shortcomings in the past three weeks as well, fearful that a hack may be directed at them.
Whereas Sony have been the fall guys, it is important to know that they will not be the last company to suffer such a breach.
Although it has taken a long time to get the PSN back online, it does show how seriously Sony have taken this breach and how dedicated they are to resolving the matter. The whys and wherefores of whether this attack should have happened and the lack of Sony's data protection has been debated to death on the Internet. It is time to but that aside and get on with the business of playing games again.
My only hope is that Sony have learned their lessons and that they also realize that constant lines of communication to their customers is vitally important as well. Being met with a wall of silence was one of the worst aspects of this whole drama and it is clear that Sony need to sort out their PR and fast at is was shambolic to say the least.
If the public forgive Sony this time, they will certainly not be so charitable in the future.
Thursday, 12 May 2011
INDIE GAMING
During the past few weeks Chelle has been drawing my attention to the many excellent Indie Developed games that are available on X Box Live Indie Games.
I must confess that I hadn't really paid much attention to this section of the Game Marketplace before, being more the kind of gamer that tends to be attracted to the nice shiny thing being dangled out there waiting for me to pay small fortune for. Thankfully, Chelle is a much more well versed gamer than I am and she has quickly opened my eyes to this often ignored world and it's many gems contained therein.
One of the great things about the XBLIG is that, like the Arcade titles, you can access a free trial of each game available even though the normal price of a game is 80 points which hardly represents a risk when it comes to purchasing a title. There is really no excuse to not check out an Indie game.
I am still a relative noob to the Indie game scene but I am already being drawn into playing these titles, allocating nearly as much time as I have for the major game releases. What each game represents is a labour of love whereby the developers are giving their all into a project that is not designed to be commercialized in anyway. It takes me back to the days when I first started out gaming on the likes of the VIC 20 and Commodore 64 whereby games were developed by individuals or very small teams of people whose primary interest was to create something fun and addictive to play.
It is all about taking simple concepts and making something worthwhile playing, addictive, and something that captures the primary essence of what gaming was all about when it was in it's infancy. With so much attention being placed on technical achievement with games these days it's hardly surprising that the fun element tends to take a hit.
Amongst the games I am current playing are:
Decimation X and X3 by Xona games. These are essentially a beefed up take on Space Invaders but both are hugely addictive and bring back that feel of wanting to beat your last score. Fast and frenetic I usually find myself having a go on these first thing in the morning whilst my reflexes are at their sharpest!
Inflamous by Milkstone Studios S.L. which is a great little game where the objective is to set everyone on fire in an office. Not only is it a good laugh but it also a great stress reliever!
Crossfire 2 by Radian Games is a great shooter where the objective is to destroy wave after wave of enemy ships but in order to do so you must use a jump feature which sends your ship from the bottom of the screen to the top and vice versa. The game is so addictive and fun to play and it gets really manic as the levels progress.
Epic Dungeon is an awesome RPG style game but very old school with a nod to the original Legend of Zelda. It is compelling and easy to play and sports a real 8-bit pixel style that takes me back to the type of games I used to play as a kid. It is also ruthless. When you die, that is it back to the very start just like the old games used to be!
Finally I want to make mention of a series of games that cost a little more than the standard Indie games but is frankly one of the most interesting and compelling games I have played for some time. Decay released in four parts by Shining Gate Software. This is a puzzle based game but is very creepy and tense with it's fair share of scares. The first episode weighs in at the usual 80 points but the subsequent 3 are priced at 240 points. Believe me it is well worth it. What is brilliant is that with each episode you can see that the developers are implementing new ideas and techniques to make the game better. Please check out this brilliant review that Chelle did which will explain more about the game than I can: http://realotakugamer.com/games-you-slept-on-decay-for-xbl-indie-games
You see, there is a whole world of gaming out there that does not cost the Earth and believe me when I say that me just highlighting the ones I have come across on XBLIG does not even scratch the surface as to what is out there. If you are prepared to do a little digging around on the internet, you will find many places where games can be found, some available free of charge.
The next time you feel ripped off by paying top dollar for a game that lasted 4 hours, why not check out what Indie games there are out there to play? You will be pleasantly surprised as to what is out there.
I must confess that I hadn't really paid much attention to this section of the Game Marketplace before, being more the kind of gamer that tends to be attracted to the nice shiny thing being dangled out there waiting for me to pay small fortune for. Thankfully, Chelle is a much more well versed gamer than I am and she has quickly opened my eyes to this often ignored world and it's many gems contained therein.
One of the great things about the XBLIG is that, like the Arcade titles, you can access a free trial of each game available even though the normal price of a game is 80 points which hardly represents a risk when it comes to purchasing a title. There is really no excuse to not check out an Indie game.
I am still a relative noob to the Indie game scene but I am already being drawn into playing these titles, allocating nearly as much time as I have for the major game releases. What each game represents is a labour of love whereby the developers are giving their all into a project that is not designed to be commercialized in anyway. It takes me back to the days when I first started out gaming on the likes of the VIC 20 and Commodore 64 whereby games were developed by individuals or very small teams of people whose primary interest was to create something fun and addictive to play.
It is all about taking simple concepts and making something worthwhile playing, addictive, and something that captures the primary essence of what gaming was all about when it was in it's infancy. With so much attention being placed on technical achievement with games these days it's hardly surprising that the fun element tends to take a hit.
Amongst the games I am current playing are:
Decimation X and X3 by Xona games. These are essentially a beefed up take on Space Invaders but both are hugely addictive and bring back that feel of wanting to beat your last score. Fast and frenetic I usually find myself having a go on these first thing in the morning whilst my reflexes are at their sharpest!
Inflamous by Milkstone Studios S.L. which is a great little game where the objective is to set everyone on fire in an office. Not only is it a good laugh but it also a great stress reliever!
Crossfire 2 by Radian Games is a great shooter where the objective is to destroy wave after wave of enemy ships but in order to do so you must use a jump feature which sends your ship from the bottom of the screen to the top and vice versa. The game is so addictive and fun to play and it gets really manic as the levels progress.
Epic Dungeon is an awesome RPG style game but very old school with a nod to the original Legend of Zelda. It is compelling and easy to play and sports a real 8-bit pixel style that takes me back to the type of games I used to play as a kid. It is also ruthless. When you die, that is it back to the very start just like the old games used to be!
Finally I want to make mention of a series of games that cost a little more than the standard Indie games but is frankly one of the most interesting and compelling games I have played for some time. Decay released in four parts by Shining Gate Software. This is a puzzle based game but is very creepy and tense with it's fair share of scares. The first episode weighs in at the usual 80 points but the subsequent 3 are priced at 240 points. Believe me it is well worth it. What is brilliant is that with each episode you can see that the developers are implementing new ideas and techniques to make the game better. Please check out this brilliant review that Chelle did which will explain more about the game than I can: http://realotakugamer.com/games-you-slept-on-decay-for-xbl-indie-games
You see, there is a whole world of gaming out there that does not cost the Earth and believe me when I say that me just highlighting the ones I have come across on XBLIG does not even scratch the surface as to what is out there. If you are prepared to do a little digging around on the internet, you will find many places where games can be found, some available free of charge.
The next time you feel ripped off by paying top dollar for a game that lasted 4 hours, why not check out what Indie games there are out there to play? You will be pleasantly surprised as to what is out there.
Sunday, 8 May 2011
THANKS FOR NOTHING SONY
So, Sony finally revealed their amazing compensation package to their customers this week and at face value it might seem very generous. One months free access to PSN+, a choice of two free games from a list of five for the PS3 and a list of four for PSP users. There is also the hint of one years free access to an identity protection scheme.
All that is wonderful, I suppose, but it seems to be a cautious offer if you ask me.
First up the offer of the PSN+ one months free access to current and non PSN+ subscribers. Well this is a flawed gift if you already have PSN+ because we have pretty much lost a months access to that anyway so it is not a gift but rather compensation for a service we have paid for and not had access to! This was a great point that Chelle made to me yesterday that by the time the PSN will finally be back up, the 30 days will have all but been used up! I suppose if you are none subscriber this seems like a great offer but again it's a bit of a kick in the teeth to those who have already forked out money for the service.
Then we come to the matter of the games. This is where companies like Sony get really clever. On the surface, it seems like an amazingly generous offer. Two free games from a selection of titles, but there is the rub. A selection of titles. Make no mistake, Sony know all the games you play. They have data (no doubt awaiting to be stolen at some point) on the number of consoles out there and the games being used on them. Since, in this instance, PS3 users who do use their console online are not affected by the outage they don't factor into the equation.
From this, you can guarantee that the games offered will be ones that have sold well already, thus minimizing the effective loss on offering these free games. It's very clever but an extremely back handed way of offering compensation. To put it another way, what do you do if you already own the games on the list? Download your free offer and trade in the one you already own so you can get an insultingly low price for it? Gee, thanks Sony! There is simply no reason that Sony cannot compensate customers properly by adding the cash equivalent via a code so you can add those funds to your PSN store wallet to use as you want to. That should be how it is done, not some back handed offer of free games from a carefully selected list designed to do nothing more than minimize their financial exposure even more.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am not going to turn this blog into a weekly bash at Sony, but for me video gaming is an important part of my life and the PS3 plays a huge role in that. As a customer of Sony I think it only fair that I and all the other customers be treated fairly. At the moment, all I see is a corporation looking minimize the effect this whole sorry affair will have on it's bottom line and that is something I don't think is right.
All that is wonderful, I suppose, but it seems to be a cautious offer if you ask me.
First up the offer of the PSN+ one months free access to current and non PSN+ subscribers. Well this is a flawed gift if you already have PSN+ because we have pretty much lost a months access to that anyway so it is not a gift but rather compensation for a service we have paid for and not had access to! This was a great point that Chelle made to me yesterday that by the time the PSN will finally be back up, the 30 days will have all but been used up! I suppose if you are none subscriber this seems like a great offer but again it's a bit of a kick in the teeth to those who have already forked out money for the service.
Then we come to the matter of the games. This is where companies like Sony get really clever. On the surface, it seems like an amazingly generous offer. Two free games from a selection of titles, but there is the rub. A selection of titles. Make no mistake, Sony know all the games you play. They have data (no doubt awaiting to be stolen at some point) on the number of consoles out there and the games being used on them. Since, in this instance, PS3 users who do use their console online are not affected by the outage they don't factor into the equation.
From this, you can guarantee that the games offered will be ones that have sold well already, thus minimizing the effective loss on offering these free games. It's very clever but an extremely back handed way of offering compensation. To put it another way, what do you do if you already own the games on the list? Download your free offer and trade in the one you already own so you can get an insultingly low price for it? Gee, thanks Sony! There is simply no reason that Sony cannot compensate customers properly by adding the cash equivalent via a code so you can add those funds to your PSN store wallet to use as you want to. That should be how it is done, not some back handed offer of free games from a carefully selected list designed to do nothing more than minimize their financial exposure even more.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am not going to turn this blog into a weekly bash at Sony, but for me video gaming is an important part of my life and the PS3 plays a huge role in that. As a customer of Sony I think it only fair that I and all the other customers be treated fairly. At the moment, all I see is a corporation looking minimize the effect this whole sorry affair will have on it's bottom line and that is something I don't think is right.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
SONGS WITH MEANING
I was going to write another blog today, but as I tend to write stuff that is largely shit and boring I thought I would post a couple of music videos that currently mean a lot to me.
The 1st one sums up what I think it is like to be in love with someone completely that they are so amazing:
The 2nd one is one of my favourite songs of all time - Look at You by the Screaming Trees:
I promise to fix this excitement with a regular dose of random rambling bullshit for my next entry.
The 1st one sums up what I think it is like to be in love with someone completely that they are so amazing:
The 2nd one is one of my favourite songs of all time - Look at You by the Screaming Trees:
I promise to fix this excitement with a regular dose of random rambling bullshit for my next entry.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
NINTEN-DO
OK, OK it was a corny title, but I really cannot wait to see what the new Nintendo console will be when it is unveiled at E3 this year.
There is no doubt in my mind that Nintendo continue to be the one to watch. If one takes aside the Game Cube which wasn't quite the failure that many people say was, Nintendo has the most impressive track record of all the current crop of console manufacturers. This success has not been based on copying what others do, but rather by doing things the Nintendo way which is to simply do their own thing.
Even with the perceived failure of the Game Cube, Nintendo wisely turned it around by making the basic architecture the heart of the mega-successful Wii. Has any console manufacturer ever done that and made a successful console. They have successfully cornered the hand held market even in light of serious competition from Sony with their underrated PSP and not to mention the advent of mobile gaming in the form of the iPod/iPhone and iPad.
Nintendo have not panicked like other companies might have. Instead they have launched the 3DS, a brilliant piece of technology that could well revolutionize gaming. The successful implementation of 3D is certainly food for thought for it's competitors.
Already the internet is alive with speculation as to the capabilities of Nintendo's new console. The reality may be some way off the mark that many think but there is little doubt in my mind that Nintendo will once again release a console that will be successful and will bring something new to the table.
Not only is it about the product, but also the timing. Both Sony and Microsoft have hinted that their new consoles maybe a couple of years off so Nintendo may be able to steal a march on them, not that they need to if the release of the Wii was anything to go by.
In any event, I am really looking forward to seeing what they have come up with and I await the release of their new console. I just hope that it proves to be another success for Nintendo as they remain the only company that really understands gamers.
There is no doubt in my mind that Nintendo continue to be the one to watch. If one takes aside the Game Cube which wasn't quite the failure that many people say was, Nintendo has the most impressive track record of all the current crop of console manufacturers. This success has not been based on copying what others do, but rather by doing things the Nintendo way which is to simply do their own thing.
Even with the perceived failure of the Game Cube, Nintendo wisely turned it around by making the basic architecture the heart of the mega-successful Wii. Has any console manufacturer ever done that and made a successful console. They have successfully cornered the hand held market even in light of serious competition from Sony with their underrated PSP and not to mention the advent of mobile gaming in the form of the iPod/iPhone and iPad.
Nintendo have not panicked like other companies might have. Instead they have launched the 3DS, a brilliant piece of technology that could well revolutionize gaming. The successful implementation of 3D is certainly food for thought for it's competitors.
Already the internet is alive with speculation as to the capabilities of Nintendo's new console. The reality may be some way off the mark that many think but there is little doubt in my mind that Nintendo will once again release a console that will be successful and will bring something new to the table.
Not only is it about the product, but also the timing. Both Sony and Microsoft have hinted that their new consoles maybe a couple of years off so Nintendo may be able to steal a march on them, not that they need to if the release of the Wii was anything to go by.
In any event, I am really looking forward to seeing what they have come up with and I await the release of their new console. I just hope that it proves to be another success for Nintendo as they remain the only company that really understands gamers.
Sunday, 1 May 2011
POST DRAGON AGE 2 THOUGHTS
No, this is not a full blown review as such but rather some thoughts that I have regarding Dragon Age 2 now that I have finally finished the game.
First up, as to be expected for an RPG, it is quite a long game. Admittedly I was not rushing through the game but it did take me some 50 or so hours to complete it. The quests whilst varied and in places challenging were somewhat lackluster for want of a better word, but I will come to the reason for that soon enough.
The actual game itself is very good. I would not have put 50 hours of effort into something that I did not like, but for some reason it was not quite the satisfying experience that the first game was. There are plenty of quests to do as I have mentioned already and it does follow the same formula as the original game but there is something missing.
Graphically it is an improvement over the original and game is now more gory, not that it matter much. What is important is that it performs much better on the X Box 360 than it's forebear which probably a result of it being designed more with the console market in mind.
So going back, why do I think there is something missing?
Well the answer is really simple. The story itself. The original game was a grand adventure putting you at the center of a struggle to save the world from the evil Blight that was sweeping across the land. You always felt that your mission was critical to the survival of the people in that world and that it was imperative that you stuck to the right path and succeeded. In Dragon Age 2 the scale and scope of the adventure is toned to dramatically.
At no point did I ever think that the fate of the world lay in my hands but rather the fate of a city which seemed to at war with itself. Those charged with running the city seemed foolish and intent on some sort of civil war with your character being dragged into it. The number of times I simply wanted to tell everyone to sod off and get on with it were countless and many times I felt like nothing more than some sort of glorified errand boy running round doing menial tasks that characters were too lazy to do themselves.
What Dragon Age 2 really highlighted was the importance of story telling. By the end of the game I was thankful that it was over, not because of how long I had been playing it for, but because I was so bored of the story. Having spent hours running around trying to do nothing more than level up I was quite happy to see the credits roll. Again I stress that this is a good game, but I would advise against trying to complete it by continuously playing it, but rather dipping in and out of it as I am sure that this will prove to be the best way you can get enjoyment out of it.
There is a chance that this game could be nothing more than a prelude to Dragon Age 3 as the ending was a cliff hanger of sorts in which case I may have to revisit my opinion of this, but I always believe that each chapter of an adventure should be compelling enough to stand on it's own two feet and in this instance I think Dragon Age 2 falls short.
First up, as to be expected for an RPG, it is quite a long game. Admittedly I was not rushing through the game but it did take me some 50 or so hours to complete it. The quests whilst varied and in places challenging were somewhat lackluster for want of a better word, but I will come to the reason for that soon enough.
The actual game itself is very good. I would not have put 50 hours of effort into something that I did not like, but for some reason it was not quite the satisfying experience that the first game was. There are plenty of quests to do as I have mentioned already and it does follow the same formula as the original game but there is something missing.
Graphically it is an improvement over the original and game is now more gory, not that it matter much. What is important is that it performs much better on the X Box 360 than it's forebear which probably a result of it being designed more with the console market in mind.
So going back, why do I think there is something missing?
Well the answer is really simple. The story itself. The original game was a grand adventure putting you at the center of a struggle to save the world from the evil Blight that was sweeping across the land. You always felt that your mission was critical to the survival of the people in that world and that it was imperative that you stuck to the right path and succeeded. In Dragon Age 2 the scale and scope of the adventure is toned to dramatically.
At no point did I ever think that the fate of the world lay in my hands but rather the fate of a city which seemed to at war with itself. Those charged with running the city seemed foolish and intent on some sort of civil war with your character being dragged into it. The number of times I simply wanted to tell everyone to sod off and get on with it were countless and many times I felt like nothing more than some sort of glorified errand boy running round doing menial tasks that characters were too lazy to do themselves.
What Dragon Age 2 really highlighted was the importance of story telling. By the end of the game I was thankful that it was over, not because of how long I had been playing it for, but because I was so bored of the story. Having spent hours running around trying to do nothing more than level up I was quite happy to see the credits roll. Again I stress that this is a good game, but I would advise against trying to complete it by continuously playing it, but rather dipping in and out of it as I am sure that this will prove to be the best way you can get enjoyment out of it.
There is a chance that this game could be nothing more than a prelude to Dragon Age 3 as the ending was a cliff hanger of sorts in which case I may have to revisit my opinion of this, but I always believe that each chapter of an adventure should be compelling enough to stand on it's own two feet and in this instance I think Dragon Age 2 falls short.
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