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Quake was a game that more than raised the bar in FPS. Quake had the rather unique concept that the server software would be free and anyone could make content for Quake. It was what made internet FPS gaming what it is and it’s a model that still holds today. If you want to run a game server for just about any FPS game out there, you can generally download the server program and maps for free.

The current console generation is creating a new model as well. With all the major players now supporting digital content delivery, the future is bright for gamers, young and old, who can now spend a little and download their new game and be playing within minutes.

This has brought a new revenue stream with it as well: paid aftermarket content. This is a good idea because you can pay a little (provided you own the game) and add on new content. Guitar Hero and downloadable tracks are a prime example of how this model proves to be a winner for both game makers and players.

The problem is that there’s a giant grey area with regards to some content. Take the aforementioned FPS market. Their model pretty much mandates that most, if not all, aftermarket addons be free. If they’re not free there needs to be a sizable chunk of content to justify charging the players for it (HL2 Episode 1, for instance).

This really hits one player in the market the most: Microsoft. Microsoft opted for a rather good system of online play called XBox Live and they added the Arcade (XBLA) to do digital distribution after the 360 launch. But with this model comes control for Microsoft. There’s been rumblings that some manufacturers want to send some content for free but their XBLA agreements won’t let them do it and Microsoft wants to make some profit on any new content. This has another negative because with the 360 hardware failure rate and the way XBLA ties content to a specific XBox, if your XBox dies, you may have to pay for this content again.

Enter Valve and Orange Box. If you own the PC version, you get all new content for free. So you can enjoy Badlands (new map) right now. There’s always a delay in getting them out for consoles but many people are waiting with baited breath to see if MS and Sony will put it out for free as well or charge people for what PC owners get for free. If either one does, it may mean rough times ahead for FPS multiplayer games on the console. Worse, player made content may get shunned entirely which means that some of the greatest assets for FPS multiplayer may never be seen.

Hopefully, Sony and MS will make the right call.

During my morning drive into work, I often listen to the Rick & Bubba show. They’re usually kinda funny, and at that time of the morning it really doesn’t take much to amuse me. But this morning, they hit a sore spot.

I’m sure we’re all aware that there’s this little thing called the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday. I think it’s probably equally safe to say most people reading this site don’t care. I know I don’t. This was the topic of discussion today - and I can understand that. No problem. Well, some lady calls in to tell them that all of the men in her family will be playing computer games while the women watch the Super Bowl.

This is where things got ugly.

The insults they started throwing towards these men that *dared* not watch the Super Bowl went beyond playful ribbing in my opinion. One quip that stood out was “Are you guys surprised these guys aren’t fathers yet?” Yes, because we all know not watching football makes you less of a man. They went on to ask how could they do this, since they could play games any time but the Super Bowl only comes around ONCE A YEAR. And?

Y’know, some people just don’t like football. I know that’s a difficult concept for some to grasp, especially here in the deep south, but just let it sink in. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that none of the men that I talk to regularly in my life watch football. Not my friends, not my dad - none of them. And all of us seem to manage just fine.

This is what I wish would sink into people’s minds. Someone sitting on their backside in front of a TV watching football is no less productive, special, many, etc. than someone else sitting there playing a video game. In fact, I’d say that the person playing the game is probably using more of their brain, so at least they’re doing SOMETHING.

So what am I personally doing Sunday? I’m honestly not sure yet - odds are good that I’ll either be playing a game or watching a movie Sunday afternoon tho. So don’t ask me Monday about the score. Don’t ask me about the “big play”. Heck, don’t even ask me what teams are playing. Because I don’t know, and I don’t care. And if this is somehow traumatic for you - maybe YOU’RE the one who needs to take a close look at your priorities in life.

I’ll assure you, mine are just fine.

That’s the number that currently causing Galyn grief. That’s my new high score in Super Stardust HD, the most addictive downloadable game ever. He was closing in on me, so I’ve been trying to beat my score recently to extend my lead, and I finally managed it this weekend. Of course, I want to crack 100mil, so I’ll have to keep playing a little more. I still need to break in the newly added custom soundtrack option anyway.

So, what else is new? Well, I’m currently playing Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii. Yea, I know - I’m only a year and a half or so late. It’s definitely not bad, I was in the mood for a Zelda and it’s hitting the spot. The reason it took me so long to get to it tho is because I played Okami about the time TP first released, and Okami is simply incredible - I had to put some space between the two games to avoid comparisons.

I’ve decided to curb my game pickups this year, because I’m tired of having a backlog. There are some must-haves releasing this year - and you probably don’t need me to go over the list, we all know the names - but those in-between “good not great” games are gonna be a pass for me this year. I mean, I still have Folklore, Mass Effect and Mario Galaxy on hold - three games that I’ve heard nothing but good things about. I think I’ll have enough to play without picking up Turok.

Oh, Galyn is now gainfully employed! Hooray! I managed to help him get on at our sister company, and he starts on the 15th. I know he’s happy to know he’ll have a regular paycheck coming in again.

Hrmm…..this may be cause for another Rock Band party in celebration.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and Argyle was bored. That’s probably not the way you remember it. Deal.

I had a major game liquidation recently. Just realized I was hanging onto a lot of games for no apparent reason, and the cash would be more useful to me. I don’t miss anything I’ve gotten rid of so far, and I doubt I’m done yet. There are some that definitely won’t be leaving - but did I really need that copy of Unlimited Saga? I’m thinking “no”…..

So I’m enjoying life in beautiful Greenville - which is to say, I’m giving my Zune a workout while my parents watch Wheel of Fortune (the lo-def channel on their new hi-def tv…but I’m giving up that fight for tonight). I think I’m losing even more of my mind. The plan is to go back to Montgomery on Weds…here’s hoping I make it.

I’ve watched a couple of movies over the weekend - Sweeny Todd and National Treasure 2. Both were excellent, but if someone had to choose just one of those to see, I’d give the nod to Sweeny. Granted, I’m a huge Tim Burton fan - but also, it’s not every day you get to see a musical about a murderous barber. It’s top-notch from beginning to end, and had me enthralled the entire time. I’d see it again, no problem. I think I’m going to have to pick up the soundtrack, as well.

I brought along my 360, and when I can steal away the tv I’ve started playing Blue Dragon. I’m about 5 hours in so far, and have been pleasantly surprised. It’s very reminiscent of Dragon Quest (even beyond the obvious similarities since they share the same character designer). It has an old-school RPG slant to it, which I was looking for, but it also throws in some nice curves. For example, you can choose to engage multiple groups of enemies at once - it will throw up a roulette wheel between groups that gives you a random bonus between the fights, but otherwise you don’t get a break. The story is simple so far - another DQ similarity - but the characters seem interesting enough.   Just wish I could get more time with the tv.

Oh, one more piece of sad news - I just read that Sega is taking down the Phantasy Star Online pc servers in March. This will be the official end of PSO (I say official, because I’m assuming - and hoping - someone has figured out a way to setup your own server). It’s an end of an era - I’ve been playing PSO since it first released on the Dreamcast back in 2001. It’s been by far my favorite online game. I always found it soothing just to sit and play. Unfortunately, we didn’t find PSU to have the same draw that the original did. I think this calls for a moment of silence.

Spoiler Alert!  The rat wins!

So this week, if you couldn’t guess by the title, I watched both Ratatouille and Beowulf. Both were CG animated movies. Both featured main characters that were naked for a good part of the movie. Unfortunately, only one of them was really that good.

Ratatouille is a return to form for Pixar after the disappointing Cars. Granted, a disappointing Pixar movie is still better than most other studios’ movies - but stealing the plot verbatim from Doc Hollywood just isn’t like Pixar. Ratatouille is much more original, features more likable characters and truly jaw-dropping animation.  Even tho I’ve only seen it once (so far), I think it’s safe to say it’s the best Pixar movie since Finding Nemo. If you haven’t seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to do so.

Beowulf, on the other hand, is skipable. It isn’t *horrible*, but it isn’t that great either. It’s very slow-paced for one thing. The beginning drags on and on with nothing notable happening, and then once something does happen….it’s over quickly and you’re back to the movie dragging again. Another problem is the animation. They used the same motion-capture technique that was used a few years back in The Polar Express. They still haven’t fixed the problems with it tho - the characters go from looking realistic to creepy and back throughout the movie.

Finally, the movie ends - and although I was glad to see that it was over, the ending was very abrupt. It doesn’t help that after researching the epic poem that it’s based on, I found that the movie almost completely changes the plot - the only thing it really has in common with the poem is that it contains the same characters.

The 3D effect, which is probably the main draw to the movie, was done pretty well. There aren’t very many “duck” moments in the movie, where you really feel like something’s coming at you. But the 3D effect, even though used subtly, is nice. It’s not nice enough to pay the inflated ticket price to see a mediocre movie though - I’d recommend skipping it.

Rock Band is good. By that, I mean Rock Band is very good. I picked mine up last Tuesday night, and Galyn was kind enough to come over to help me test it out. After a couple hours of us swapping out between the guitar & drums, he was sold on his own set. He managed to locate one the next morning after several phone calls, so on Saturday we were all set with 2 guitars - everything we needed for a full band.

Six of us got together Saturday night and played the game for about 5 solid hours. We barely blinked. We were having a blast the entire time - most of us swapped to nearly every position at least once (Galyn never sang, thankfully). We even created a new 5th position - bass drum player. It seems, for most of us at least, getting our foot to cooperate with our arms while playing drums is simply too much to ask. The game is more fun than should be legally allowed.

The progression is more complex than it is in Guitar Hero. Instead of simply unlocking rung after rung of increasingly difficult songs, you’re opening different cities and venues, playing custom set lists as well as randomly chosen set lists. It sounds simple, but the effect is a greater sense of immersion. Of course, having a full band helps a lot with that as well. You really get the sense of working together. Sometimes, when a song hit that everyone really knew (such as Weezer’s “Say It Aint So”) everyone would sing along in unison.

Let me just sum it up - if you have enjoyed Guitar Hero, have friends, and are wondering if Rock Band is worth the price - the answer is absolutely. Without a doubt.

Lately, when I’m not rocking out, I’ve been stalking the streets of Jerusalem, riding the ancient world of evil men. It’s safe to say I fall on the side of “it’s really good” when it comes to the Assassin’s Creed debate. Some reviewers would lead you to believe that it’s an average game at best. I don’t have proof, but I would suggest that it is very possible that these same reviewers have some form of drug addiction. It’s just a hunch.

Assassin’s Creed recreates an enormous, detailed world that simply begs to be explored. They then filled it with tons of collectibles and side-quests to reward you for that exploration. Combine that with some truly outstanding graphics (especially in terms of character animation) and an intriguing storyline, and you’ve got a game that’s definitely living up to the hype in my book. I may have commented earlier on the collector’s edition extras not being all they were cracked up to be, and that’s certainly true - but the game itself more than delivers.

Ok, 2007 is coming to an end, and it’s time for… dun dun dun…

Galyn and Argyle’s Game Awards!

Best Free Running Simulator
Assassin’s Creed

Best Game That Requires No Skill Whatsoever
flOw

Best Game That Will MELT YOUR FACE
Rock Band

Best Combination Of All Things “Geek”
The Eye of Judgment

Best Babysitting Simulator
Bioshock

Best Use Of Pirates:
Rogue Galaxy

Best History Lesson Disguised as a Game
Eternal Sonata

Most Loved Game of Sesame Street Characters
Super Rub-a-Dub

Best Suicide Simulator
Persona 3

Best Game You Keep Buying Over & Over Again
Oblivion: GOTY Edition

Best Example Of How “Crime Doesn’t Pay”
Crackdown

Picked up Super Mario Galaxy and Assassin’s Creed this week, and thought I’d share some very early impressions. Mario is first up, I picked this up on Tuesday. Excellent deal going on at Toys R’ Us for this one this week - buy the game, get a $25 gift card for free. So I popped it in Tuesday night and played for about an hour and a half. First thoughts, the game is *fun*. The controls are natural and intuitive, the levels are bright and original, and it’s Mario.

You can’t be a Ratchet and Clank fan and not think of some of those games while playing Mario Galaxy - the small “round” planets are very reminiscent of past R&C games. But that’s not an insult - I personally have no problem with developers borrowing what works & putting their own twist on it, and that’s certainly what has happened here. Saying it’s a must-have for Wii owners is kind of a no brainer. It may just be the reason some people needed to invest in the system in the first place.

Assassin’s Creed has stirred up some minor controversy. Most sites are rating it very highly, IGN being the main voice of dissension. I honestly haven’t played enough of this to give a firm opinion, but I can say that I have been very impressed with what I’ve played so far. Again, the controls are easy to pick up and become second nature quickly. The game is gorgeous, and you can tell a lot of polish has been applied to it - from everything to the character animations & cities to the menus and HUD.

The main knock I can say against it so far involves the Limited Edition. I posted last week about my failed attempt at preordering the LE. Turns out, I would have been better off if I had not been able to get it. The LE consists of a tin case (way too big in the case of the 360 version, which I picked up), a Penny Arcade comic printed on small, cheap paper, a tiny figurine of the main character that looks like something you get from those .50 machines at the grocery store, a strategy guide/artbook “preview” (which is so small it’s tucked in the main game case along with the manual) and a bonus DVD. I haven’t watched the DVD yet, but it had better be really good - because this other stuff definitely wasn’t worth the extra $10.

So hopefully I’ll get some playtime with these & be able to give some more detailed impressions next week. This is the month that many gamers wait for all year. We have AAA-titles releasing every week. Today Uncharted slipped out a few days early, next week will be Rock Band and Mass Effect. After that, we’re in for a dry spell. But that’s fine by me, my backlog is massive right now. I could use the break just to catch up!

Gabe (of Penny-Arcade fame) posted a nice piece a couple of days ago about some of the shadier practices of GameStop. I had some recent personal experiences and wanted to expand on that a bit. If you haven’t read it, Gabe discusses how several GS managers have contacted him to let him know that they have a policy not to sell popular games on the day they release unless you have a pre-order. In other words, they’ll have more games than they have pre-orders for sitting in the store - they just won’t sell them to you.

Now I’m sure this isn’t true for every store, but the fact that any of them are doing it is disturbing enough. Just the other day, I stopped by my local GameStop to pre-order Assassin’s Creed: LE for the PS3. After a couple of minutes, the lady working there said that it wasn’t letting her place that pre-order. She suggested that they may have stopped taking them for the LE. The manager took a look, and he confirmed this is what has happened. I believe they were being honest with me, they always have - my issue here is a corporate issue. I thanked them & left. Once I was back at the office, I pulled up Amazon - who is still taking pre-orders for the LE - and placed my order. No hassle.

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I’m not a huge fan of FPS on consoles mainly because controllers don’t quite lend themselves to the precision that a mouse does. Maybe it’s just me. At any rate, I caved and bought the Valve Orange Box (VOB) for the PC. One thing that helped to entice me is that Valve actually did something magnanimous. I already owned Half Life 2 and Episode 1, both of which which come with the VOB package. Originally that meant wasted money but this time around they’re letting me gift those two games to someone. That’s right, I can give them to anyone. So I got 3 games I wanted and two I can give away for a total of $50. Not bad. So how do the games stack up? Read the rest of this entry »