Who else besides me is excited about this game? Can I see a raise of hands? All of you? Rock on. I agree. The original Borderlands was awesome. It was a lot of fun. I still never got a pearlescent weapon to drop off the crab guy. But still, it was a blast. Looks like the game is set to launch during Take-Twi's fiscal year 2013 beginning on April 1, 2012. Borderlands 2 includes all-new characters, skills, environments, enemies, weapons, and equipment.
Also players will be returning to Pandora, the setting of the first game. What I hope for is new areas of Pandora. Hoping that you won't go to the same areas as the first game.
I whole new story as well. Not the same stuff. It should be fun and exciting. Maybe they will have a melee class that uses swords and such. Without a doubt, I would be that class. Slice and Dice for sure.
That's all for today.
-j-
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Diablo III... Getting Real Money for Virtual Items
Well if some of you guys are pumped for Diablo III like I am.. I'm sure that you have seen that you can make real US dollars outta of Auction House in Diablo III. Which I think is insanely.. AWESOME! Now we won't know until the game comes out and all that stuff if you can actually make a decent profit off of items in D3, so perhaps you wouldn't have to work as much maybe? If the profit is actually worth the time spent farming for items. Time will tell on that one, so we'll have to wait and see. What I really want to know about D3 is the specs. How nice of a computer will you need to play D3? I have no idea yet, and hopefully they have it where people with slower CPU's can play the game. Otherwise, you better start saving up for a new computer.
There still isn't a beta yet for Diablo III, which is a total bummer. I really really want to try this game out. But alas, there isn't even a date set for the beta. You know how Blizzard is.. They want everything to be perfect in the game before they release anything. I will do everything I can to get into that beta. I can't wait to play the game.
I'm guessing that the game will be released.. Sometime in 2012. I highly doubt it'll be this year. You never know, but I'm pretty sure it won't be this year. So you have some time to save up for that new computer that you want.
There is some info that I will share with you guys about the game, little tidbits that I think are cool. Lets take a peek at somethings
The online Auction House to be implemented through Battle.net for Diablo III will allow you to put in game items up for sale for real money. You set the price, other players bid or buy out, you make the profit.
That means when you're in a dungeon, slay a boss and get a super rare item, it's exciting not only because it'll help you kill stuff more effectively, but also because you could potentially profit from it in real life. The Battle.net Auction Houses will be separated based on region. While there won't be one single Auction House for the global player base, all players within a region will have access to the same one. Eventually Blizzard may allow players to check auction houses in other regions using different currencies, but at launch that won't be the case.
Auction Houses will be split into in-game currency versions and real money versions. If you don't want to deal with using real funds to buy items (or virtual), you don't have to. Most of everything you find in Diablo III, from skill-enhancing runestones to rare items to in-game gold can be put up for auction. The system is Blizzard's way of taking ownership over the black markets that tend to pop up around item-based games.
It's also Blizzard's way of making more money. There'll be a "nominal" flat fee charged by Blizzard for every item you post on the Auction House, as well as a transaction fee when the item is sold. It's important to note that this is a fixed fee, so it does not scale depending on the rarity of what you're selling or the associated price. For those who might cry foul at this, Diablo III executive producer Rob Pardo points out, "We could have chosen to do a model of 'we're just going to sell rare items on our website for X amount of money'. We just didn't feel like that was the right decision for us." The reason Blizzard says the listing fee exists is to guard against players spamming the Auction House with junk. It's likely at launch you will get a handful of free listings per week to try it out.
Is Blizzard expecting the Auction House to serve as the primary source of revenue for Diablo III? "We're still sticking to our box model for Diablo," says Pardo. "When you look at the Auction House, it's a really big unknown. I think it has potential. I think it's really conducive to the design of Diablo." In case you're not aware, enemies in Diablo III drop random items. Unlike something like World of Warcraft where loot tables for bosses are well known, nothing in the world of Diablo will spill out items with any sort of reliability, and very few items you acquire in Diablo will be soulbound (permanently tied to your in-game character).
If you buy an item online, you're free to do whatever you want with it. You can use it, trade it to a friend in-game, or wait for a 24-hour cooldown and put it right back up for sale with the hope of selling it for more than the original purchase price. The money you make on the Diablo III auction house can be filtered to a Blizzard account, where it can be used to buy other Blizzard products, or filtered through a as of yet unnamed third-party service into an external account, in which case it's your money to use however you see fit. There will be a percentage fee for exporting the money beyond the bounds of Blizzard's system, though, so you'll take a hit on your total revenue.
If you do decide to keep the money in Blizzard's system, you can't export it afterwards. "If we have a balance that you can at any point turn into cash," said Pardo, "we get treated like a bank. That suddenly brings in a whole lot more regulations and things we do and oversight we have to have. It just made so much more sense for us to partner with someone that does all that." The decision about whether to filter profits to the third-party account or the Blizzard one therefore becomes all the more important.
Blizzard maintains it has no interest in posting items for sale within the Auction House. The idea is for the whole system to be player-run, with Blizzard's oversight meant to serve as a guarantee that you will receive the items that you buy and receive the money earned for a successful sale. As of now Blizzard has no plans to separate players online between those using the in-game currency Auction House and those actively utilizing real-money transactions.
As part of Blizzard's plan to provide a secure trading environment, Diablo III will require a constant online connection whether you're playing alone, with friends or competing in player-versus-player matches. Your characters will all be stored on Blizzard's servers to ensure there isn't any hacking going on, ideally maintaining a safe, secure environment.
Now I'm going to chat about something that I think is a good and bad thing about D3. It's good because.. Well you will see. But it's bad because it means you could lose out on items that you could have gotten.
In many loot games, ninja looting, or greedily snatching up powerful items so others can't collect them, is frequently an issue. The issue of ninja looting is bypassed entirely in Diablo III. When playing with another, the loot you see onscreen is unique to you. That includes money and gear. You still fight the same monsters, interact with the same NPCs and travel through the same spaces, but the drops are visible and accessible only to you. So even if someone really, really wanted to snatch up gear before you get a chance while playing co-op, they couldn't.
Sellers on the Auction House will be anonymous anyway, so even if you know a particular player is a jerk, you won't be able to identify what he or she is selling. You will see the name of the player with the highest bid, but that's it, along with the item and potential buyout price. You can then set your account to bid up to auto-bid up to a certain limit on an item, meaning you don't have to hang around for an auction's duration.
What you won't be able to do, at least at launch, is preview the item's look on your character model. You also won't initially be able to access the Auction House through external websites or mobile devices, though this could change as well. Characters from your account, which will be capped at 10 on Battle.net, could potentially be sold at a later date, but it won't be possible whenever Diablo III is first pushed live.
So honestly I am very hyped for this game, and it should be a blast. Lots of little changes from Diablo 2, and some down the same path. The game will be phenomenal. Can't wait to get my hands on it.
That's all for today.
-j-
There still isn't a beta yet for Diablo III, which is a total bummer. I really really want to try this game out. But alas, there isn't even a date set for the beta. You know how Blizzard is.. They want everything to be perfect in the game before they release anything. I will do everything I can to get into that beta. I can't wait to play the game.
I'm guessing that the game will be released.. Sometime in 2012. I highly doubt it'll be this year. You never know, but I'm pretty sure it won't be this year. So you have some time to save up for that new computer that you want.
There is some info that I will share with you guys about the game, little tidbits that I think are cool. Lets take a peek at somethings
The online Auction House to be implemented through Battle.net for Diablo III will allow you to put in game items up for sale for real money. You set the price, other players bid or buy out, you make the profit.
That means when you're in a dungeon, slay a boss and get a super rare item, it's exciting not only because it'll help you kill stuff more effectively, but also because you could potentially profit from it in real life. The Battle.net Auction Houses will be separated based on region. While there won't be one single Auction House for the global player base, all players within a region will have access to the same one. Eventually Blizzard may allow players to check auction houses in other regions using different currencies, but at launch that won't be the case.
Auction Houses will be split into in-game currency versions and real money versions. If you don't want to deal with using real funds to buy items (or virtual), you don't have to. Most of everything you find in Diablo III, from skill-enhancing runestones to rare items to in-game gold can be put up for auction. The system is Blizzard's way of taking ownership over the black markets that tend to pop up around item-based games.
It's also Blizzard's way of making more money. There'll be a "nominal" flat fee charged by Blizzard for every item you post on the Auction House, as well as a transaction fee when the item is sold. It's important to note that this is a fixed fee, so it does not scale depending on the rarity of what you're selling or the associated price. For those who might cry foul at this, Diablo III executive producer Rob Pardo points out, "We could have chosen to do a model of 'we're just going to sell rare items on our website for X amount of money'. We just didn't feel like that was the right decision for us." The reason Blizzard says the listing fee exists is to guard against players spamming the Auction House with junk. It's likely at launch you will get a handful of free listings per week to try it out.
Is Blizzard expecting the Auction House to serve as the primary source of revenue for Diablo III? "We're still sticking to our box model for Diablo," says Pardo. "When you look at the Auction House, it's a really big unknown. I think it has potential. I think it's really conducive to the design of Diablo." In case you're not aware, enemies in Diablo III drop random items. Unlike something like World of Warcraft where loot tables for bosses are well known, nothing in the world of Diablo will spill out items with any sort of reliability, and very few items you acquire in Diablo will be soulbound (permanently tied to your in-game character).
If you buy an item online, you're free to do whatever you want with it. You can use it, trade it to a friend in-game, or wait for a 24-hour cooldown and put it right back up for sale with the hope of selling it for more than the original purchase price. The money you make on the Diablo III auction house can be filtered to a Blizzard account, where it can be used to buy other Blizzard products, or filtered through a as of yet unnamed third-party service into an external account, in which case it's your money to use however you see fit. There will be a percentage fee for exporting the money beyond the bounds of Blizzard's system, though, so you'll take a hit on your total revenue.
If you do decide to keep the money in Blizzard's system, you can't export it afterwards. "If we have a balance that you can at any point turn into cash," said Pardo, "we get treated like a bank. That suddenly brings in a whole lot more regulations and things we do and oversight we have to have. It just made so much more sense for us to partner with someone that does all that." The decision about whether to filter profits to the third-party account or the Blizzard one therefore becomes all the more important.
Blizzard maintains it has no interest in posting items for sale within the Auction House. The idea is for the whole system to be player-run, with Blizzard's oversight meant to serve as a guarantee that you will receive the items that you buy and receive the money earned for a successful sale. As of now Blizzard has no plans to separate players online between those using the in-game currency Auction House and those actively utilizing real-money transactions.
As part of Blizzard's plan to provide a secure trading environment, Diablo III will require a constant online connection whether you're playing alone, with friends or competing in player-versus-player matches. Your characters will all be stored on Blizzard's servers to ensure there isn't any hacking going on, ideally maintaining a safe, secure environment.
Now I'm going to chat about something that I think is a good and bad thing about D3. It's good because.. Well you will see. But it's bad because it means you could lose out on items that you could have gotten.
In many loot games, ninja looting, or greedily snatching up powerful items so others can't collect them, is frequently an issue. The issue of ninja looting is bypassed entirely in Diablo III. When playing with another, the loot you see onscreen is unique to you. That includes money and gear. You still fight the same monsters, interact with the same NPCs and travel through the same spaces, but the drops are visible and accessible only to you. So even if someone really, really wanted to snatch up gear before you get a chance while playing co-op, they couldn't.
Sellers on the Auction House will be anonymous anyway, so even if you know a particular player is a jerk, you won't be able to identify what he or she is selling. You will see the name of the player with the highest bid, but that's it, along with the item and potential buyout price. You can then set your account to bid up to auto-bid up to a certain limit on an item, meaning you don't have to hang around for an auction's duration.
What you won't be able to do, at least at launch, is preview the item's look on your character model. You also won't initially be able to access the Auction House through external websites or mobile devices, though this could change as well. Characters from your account, which will be capped at 10 on Battle.net, could potentially be sold at a later date, but it won't be possible whenever Diablo III is first pushed live.
So honestly I am very hyped for this game, and it should be a blast. Lots of little changes from Diablo 2, and some down the same path. The game will be phenomenal. Can't wait to get my hands on it.
That's all for today.
-j-
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Comfirmed Release Window
Alright guys. That's right. Final Fantasy XIII-2 has been confirmed to come out January 2012. Let's just hope by then the game doesn't get pushed back more. Which I can see happening in a blink of an eye. No doubt about that one. You know Square Enix. Always delaying games. But on the bright side of things, it's coming out in the beginning of 2012. w00t!! I can't wait. Now I know a lot of people will say how crummy XIII was. But really, it wasn't that bad if you think about it.
Yes it was linear.. But wasn't X as well? Think about that one for a bit. I do hope that it's not AS linear as is predecessor. I do want some freedom to run around and do what I want. And to be able to go back to some places that I was before. You know like old school Final Fantasy's such as 2. Boy do I miss that game. Well, it's 4 here in the states, but for SNES, it was FF2. And that has to be one of my favorite of all time, no doubt about that one. I do want the ability to go back to where I was. Instead of XIII where you are stuck on Pulse. Only to grind, complete the missions from the stones, and level up weapons. And you can only do so much of that before you get bored.
The game is pretty much going to be the same. In certain ways. The battle system is going to be the same. You'll be able to break your opponent so that you can deal massive damage against him. I'm curious if the loot system will be the same or not. As in upgrading your weapons. I didn't mind the whole weapon upgrade thing in XIII, but it was annoying farming those big guys for that gem that you needed to get your ultimate weapons. But that's just me.
I have high hopes for XIII-2, as well as Final Fantasy versus XIII. Which I hope will be a huge reboot on the franchise, and help it get back on it's feet. Cross your fingers.
-j-
Yes it was linear.. But wasn't X as well? Think about that one for a bit. I do hope that it's not AS linear as is predecessor. I do want some freedom to run around and do what I want. And to be able to go back to some places that I was before. You know like old school Final Fantasy's such as 2. Boy do I miss that game. Well, it's 4 here in the states, but for SNES, it was FF2. And that has to be one of my favorite of all time, no doubt about that one. I do want the ability to go back to where I was. Instead of XIII where you are stuck on Pulse. Only to grind, complete the missions from the stones, and level up weapons. And you can only do so much of that before you get bored.
The game is pretty much going to be the same. In certain ways. The battle system is going to be the same. You'll be able to break your opponent so that you can deal massive damage against him. I'm curious if the loot system will be the same or not. As in upgrading your weapons. I didn't mind the whole weapon upgrade thing in XIII, but it was annoying farming those big guys for that gem that you needed to get your ultimate weapons. But that's just me.
I have high hopes for XIII-2, as well as Final Fantasy versus XIII. Which I hope will be a huge reboot on the franchise, and help it get back on it's feet. Cross your fingers.
-j-
Friday, July 15, 2011
Don't Forget About the MK / Marvel Vs Capcom 3 / Street Fighter Tournament in Butte at the Butte Plaza Mall
Yes indeed. Just as the title says. It starts at 10am on Saturday, and you can register TODAY at the Mall up until about 9pm. So if you want to participate in any of the events, make sure to get down to the mall and sign up now. I look forward to seeing everyone there.
More details about this can be found on a earlier blog post. So make sure to check it out. And I'll see you all there!
More details about this can be found on a earlier blog post. So make sure to check it out. And I'll see you all there!
Monday, July 11, 2011
One of the hardest games of 2011... Dark souls.
Alright guys. Lets talk about one of the hardest games that will be coming out all year. And no, I'm not exaggerating here. Dark Souls. The second in the series of games. The first game was called Demon Souls. If you haven't played it, do yourself a favor and buy the game. It's for PS3 only though.
Dark Souls will be for both PS3, and 360. And just let me say this one more time. It's going to be one of the hardest games coming out all year. Think about how hard old games used to be. Think of those games. Dark Souls will be just like that. You die in a couple hits. You don't have your shield raised up, and you get hit, you could die. Easy as that. And when you are dead, you are at half hp, because you're in spirit form. So pretty much you die in one hit. The only way to get your body back, is to kill a boss.
Now the way you level up in the game, is when you kill things, you collect their souls. Now this is the currency for the whole game. Whether you want to buy items, weapons, new spells. It's all through Souls. And when you want to level up.. That's right.. It costs souls.
Now here is the catch on things. Which really sucks. Let's say you die. All the souls that you have are now on the ground right where you died. You lose them all. The only way to get them back is to walk to where you died and pick them up. Now here is the tricky part. Remember that when you die, you are at half health because you are in spirit form. Now if you die again on your way back to your body, and you didn't pick up your souls.. THOSE ARE LOST FOREVER! You can no longer get those souls back. Do you see why this game can be so tough? If you didn't spend your souls, or are saving up to level.. Yeah. You lost those. Can you see why this game is.. Unforgiving at times?
I've lost hundreds of thousands of Souls before. And it is.. Well.. How can I put this.. Very frustrating. Very very frustrating.
Can you see why this game can be tough? Now from what I have heard rumor wise, Dark Souls will be.. Much tougher then Demon Souls. Which honestly I can't wait for. The difficulty of the game is what really draws me in. I love a good challenge in a game.
If you want to get some practice before Dark Souls come out. Once again, get Demons Souls. I'm sure it can't be more then 30 bucks right now.
See Kris or Cory there and say Jonnie sent you to come pick it up. Say you read about it on the blog here and maybe you can snag a discount, I dunno. It's worth a shot.
-j-
Dark Souls will be for both PS3, and 360. And just let me say this one more time. It's going to be one of the hardest games coming out all year. Think about how hard old games used to be. Think of those games. Dark Souls will be just like that. You die in a couple hits. You don't have your shield raised up, and you get hit, you could die. Easy as that. And when you are dead, you are at half hp, because you're in spirit form. So pretty much you die in one hit. The only way to get your body back, is to kill a boss.
Now the way you level up in the game, is when you kill things, you collect their souls. Now this is the currency for the whole game. Whether you want to buy items, weapons, new spells. It's all through Souls. And when you want to level up.. That's right.. It costs souls.
Now here is the catch on things. Which really sucks. Let's say you die. All the souls that you have are now on the ground right where you died. You lose them all. The only way to get them back is to walk to where you died and pick them up. Now here is the tricky part. Remember that when you die, you are at half health because you are in spirit form. Now if you die again on your way back to your body, and you didn't pick up your souls.. THOSE ARE LOST FOREVER! You can no longer get those souls back. Do you see why this game can be so tough? If you didn't spend your souls, or are saving up to level.. Yeah. You lost those. Can you see why this game is.. Unforgiving at times?
I've lost hundreds of thousands of Souls before. And it is.. Well.. How can I put this.. Very frustrating. Very very frustrating.
Can you see why this game can be tough? Now from what I have heard rumor wise, Dark Souls will be.. Much tougher then Demon Souls. Which honestly I can't wait for. The difficulty of the game is what really draws me in. I love a good challenge in a game.
If you want to get some practice before Dark Souls come out. Once again, get Demons Souls. I'm sure it can't be more then 30 bucks right now.
See Kris or Cory there and say Jonnie sent you to come pick it up. Say you read about it on the blog here and maybe you can snag a discount, I dunno. It's worth a shot.
-j-
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
New DLC for Mortal Kombat.. And a Tournament in Butte
First things first, lets have a little chat about the Montana Melee Championships 2011, here in Butte Montana. If you are a fan of fighting games in general, you will want to keep reading. Here we go.
Montana Melee Presents: Montana Melee Championships 2011.
Games Include:
Butte Plaza Mall, 3100 Harrison Ave, Butte MT.
Registration via email June 9th - July 12th *Preferred!*
Late Registration Friday, July 15th, 4pm-9pm *On Site*
Registration Fee of $10, Plus $5 Per Event you would like to participate in.
All event frees will go towards top 4 prize money.
For more info, and registration, visit Montana Melee on Facebook, or email Montana melee@gmail.com
Now is that not exciting or what?! I'm pumped to be playing in this bad boy. And beware.. You could get.. SMOKED!
Well, as you all know, there are 4 Mortal Kombat characters that are coming out for DLC this summer for Mortal Kombat, and the 2nd of 4 was just released yesterday, and he goes by the name of Kenshi.
And he is a BEAST. Let me tell you what. If you haven't seen any video's for him yet, you should do yourself a favor, and go look at some.
I'll give you one to check out right now, how bout that?
Montana Melee Presents: Montana Melee Championships 2011.
Games Include:
- Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
- Marvel vs Capcom 3
- The New Mortal Kombat 2v2 Tag Team (Partner Req.)
- The New Mortal Kombat 1v1 Singles
Butte Plaza Mall, 3100 Harrison Ave, Butte MT.
Registration via email June 9th - July 12th *Preferred!*
Late Registration Friday, July 15th, 4pm-9pm *On Site*
Registration Fee of $10, Plus $5 Per Event you would like to participate in.
All event frees will go towards top 4 prize money.
For more info, and registration, visit Montana Melee on Facebook, or email Montana melee@gmail.com
Now is that not exciting or what?! I'm pumped to be playing in this bad boy. And beware.. You could get.. SMOKED!
Well, as you all know, there are 4 Mortal Kombat characters that are coming out for DLC this summer for Mortal Kombat, and the 2nd of 4 was just released yesterday, and he goes by the name of Kenshi.
And he is a BEAST. Let me tell you what. If you haven't seen any video's for him yet, you should do yourself a favor, and go look at some.
I'll give you one to check out right now, how bout that?
More Mortal Kombat Videos
Watch it, and that's just a little bit that he can do. Will he be overpowered at first? Yeah, most likely. Is he a versatile character? Indeed he is.
But can you be good enough with him to win the tournament? Who no!
See you guys there on Saturday.
Leave a comment to let me know what you think!
-j-
Watch it, and that's just a little bit that he can do. Will he be overpowered at first? Yeah, most likely. Is he a versatile character? Indeed he is.
But can you be good enough with him to win the tournament? Who no!
See you guys there on Saturday.
Leave a comment to let me know what you think!
-j-
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Sony redesigning the PSN?... And more
If a report from Reg Hardware is to be believed, Sony is currently working on a visual redesign of its PlayStation Network service. The makeover will apparently place PSN more in line with Steam and Xbox Live as opposed to its current text-heavy style.
Interesting... Right? Now honestly, I don't use the store a whole lot. Why? Well, there isn't anything that I would really buy.. I used to buy a lot of Rockband DLC, but I just used the link through the game, as it was much easier that way. Maybe that's one reason they want to switch it up? Make it easier for people to download through their store, instead of using the link through the game they are playing. Interesting...
It would seem that these changes would affect the PlayStation Store rather than the main XMB. A source tells the website that Sony is trying to de-clutter the service in favor of "an aesthetic layout with logically marked sections and rolodex lists". New features include a live search that shows more results with each character entered along with database-like listings for both games and movies, showing details like developers or cast on the right side of the screen. The blue background will also be eschewed, to be replaced by a black one, with brighter colors highlighting content. A 'deal of the week' section will also accompany the relaunch, the report claims.
You know, I still haven't used the whole welcome back program thing yet that we got since the network was down for.. EVER. I need to do that before it expires. What are some things that you would like changed with the store and such? One thing that I really want, is VOICE CHAT! I want to be able to have several friends in one chat and be able to just talk to them. Not having to rely on the game we are playing to support voice chat. Other wise, it's just very annoying to even play the game having to type out everything. Keyboards help, yes, but they are just a nuisance to used compared to just.. Talking.
What other things come to your mind about the PSN Store?
Let me know in the comments below.
Another thing that I would like to touch on real quick, is that they are saying the PS4, and next XBOX could be coming out in 2012.. Is this true? Personally, I don't want it to. Yes, it would be cool if they did come out with another power house of a system (both Sony and Microsoft) but why? They are still selling 360's and PS3's, and I would like to get at least another 2-3 years outta my console, and not have to drop 400 bucks on a new one. Because right now, I don't have that kinda cash! Advancing the gaming technology would be great. But with the reasons I stated... NO!
Digitimes, a Taiwanese manufacturer has claimed that the PS4 is on track for a release in 2012, and that it will feature "body movement-based control like Kinect". The source indicated that manufacturing duties will fall to Foxconn and Pegatron Technology, the company that made the PS3, with a minimum of 20 million units planned to ship in 2012. The report comes after weeks of speculation that the next Xbox will also be released next year, after being unveiled at E3 2012.
I'm not too worried about it coming out next year, partly because it flies right in the face of Sony's much-publicised ten-year strategy for the PlayStation 3, and partly because Sony has been so very vocal about how un-bothered they are by Kinect and Wii U. A 2012 PS3 successor would be more than a little premature.
But still, Sony, if you are pondering about releasing the console next year... Hold off!
That's all for today kids.
-j-
Interesting... Right? Now honestly, I don't use the store a whole lot. Why? Well, there isn't anything that I would really buy.. I used to buy a lot of Rockband DLC, but I just used the link through the game, as it was much easier that way. Maybe that's one reason they want to switch it up? Make it easier for people to download through their store, instead of using the link through the game they are playing. Interesting...
It would seem that these changes would affect the PlayStation Store rather than the main XMB. A source tells the website that Sony is trying to de-clutter the service in favor of "an aesthetic layout with logically marked sections and rolodex lists". New features include a live search that shows more results with each character entered along with database-like listings for both games and movies, showing details like developers or cast on the right side of the screen. The blue background will also be eschewed, to be replaced by a black one, with brighter colors highlighting content. A 'deal of the week' section will also accompany the relaunch, the report claims.
You know, I still haven't used the whole welcome back program thing yet that we got since the network was down for.. EVER. I need to do that before it expires. What are some things that you would like changed with the store and such? One thing that I really want, is VOICE CHAT! I want to be able to have several friends in one chat and be able to just talk to them. Not having to rely on the game we are playing to support voice chat. Other wise, it's just very annoying to even play the game having to type out everything. Keyboards help, yes, but they are just a nuisance to used compared to just.. Talking.
What other things come to your mind about the PSN Store?
Let me know in the comments below.
Another thing that I would like to touch on real quick, is that they are saying the PS4, and next XBOX could be coming out in 2012.. Is this true? Personally, I don't want it to. Yes, it would be cool if they did come out with another power house of a system (both Sony and Microsoft) but why? They are still selling 360's and PS3's, and I would like to get at least another 2-3 years outta my console, and not have to drop 400 bucks on a new one. Because right now, I don't have that kinda cash! Advancing the gaming technology would be great. But with the reasons I stated... NO!
Digitimes, a Taiwanese manufacturer has claimed that the PS4 is on track for a release in 2012, and that it will feature "body movement-based control like Kinect". The source indicated that manufacturing duties will fall to Foxconn and Pegatron Technology, the company that made the PS3, with a minimum of 20 million units planned to ship in 2012. The report comes after weeks of speculation that the next Xbox will also be released next year, after being unveiled at E3 2012.
I'm not too worried about it coming out next year, partly because it flies right in the face of Sony's much-publicised ten-year strategy for the PlayStation 3, and partly because Sony has been so very vocal about how un-bothered they are by Kinect and Wii U. A 2012 PS3 successor would be more than a little premature.
But still, Sony, if you are pondering about releasing the console next year... Hold off!
That's all for today kids.
-j-
Thursday, June 30, 2011
If you haven't tried out WoW, and always wanted to, now is the time to do so
That's right. The game that steals peoples lives away and ruins relationships and marriages. And does many other countless things that we will not touch on, is sorta, in a way, free to play. That is, until you reach level 20.
From what I have heard, WoW can be played completely free up until level 20. And that's good news for people who might have wanted to try out the game but never got to. Or you just don't want to fork out the 15 bucks a month to play the game. You know, I played the game for years. Off and on. I haven't touched it since Cata came out though. I was able to down Lich King, but then from there, I quit playing.
Now that everyone has a chance to play, and have all the available features up til level 20, you have a shot at trying out the game that... Well pretty much dominates all other MMO's. Give it a shot. You never know.. The addicting could spread onto you, and before you know it, you'll be past level 20 on your way to having a character that is epic'd out. The choice is yours.
Keepin' it short today.
-j-
From what I have heard, WoW can be played completely free up until level 20. And that's good news for people who might have wanted to try out the game but never got to. Or you just don't want to fork out the 15 bucks a month to play the game. You know, I played the game for years. Off and on. I haven't touched it since Cata came out though. I was able to down Lich King, but then from there, I quit playing.
Now that everyone has a chance to play, and have all the available features up til level 20, you have a shot at trying out the game that... Well pretty much dominates all other MMO's. Give it a shot. You never know.. The addicting could spread onto you, and before you know it, you'll be past level 20 on your way to having a character that is epic'd out. The choice is yours.
Keepin' it short today.
-j-
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Why there needs to be a Final Fantasy 7 remake
Now honestly, if you have never played Final Fantasy 7, you are missing out. I know the game is about 15 years old or so, but the game is one of the best RPG's ever. Not even kidding. Yes the graphics aren't very good either. But the story makes up for it all, and it draws you in. Trust me on that one. FF7 is on the PSN. Not sure how much it is exactly, but you can buy it, and you totally should. Not question about that.
Now after you have played the game, you can see why so many people want a remake of the game. Me being one of those people.
About 1 year ago, I played through FF7 again. And got pretty much everything in the game possible. Maxed all my chars, got all their secret weapons. And it was so much fun doing. When you first play the game, the story can be a little bit confusing. Which is why if you played it a couple times through, you will really start to understand the story a lot more, and catch onto things you didn't the last time you played through. And with a remake, I personally think they should add more scenes to the game and explain things a little bit more. Just so it's more.. Clear. Ya know? I just love the whole story line in the game. And they need to make more games like this one. More RPG's. That's what I really want to play, and that's one of the main reasons I got a PS3. Because of Final Fantasy. I did enjoy XIII, but I wish it was more turn based, ya know? Like the good ol' days. This will be a long shot in the dark, but have any of you out there ever played FF2? I think it would be 4 here in the states. I had to for SNES. FFII. It has to be one of my all time favorite FF's. Not the remake on DS or whatever. But the real classic FFII. Amazing. Do yourself a favor and play it. You won't regret it. If you haven't played really any of the Final Fantasy's... You are missing out.
Now I'm going to post what IGN has said about a remake of FF7. Lets take a peek.
Five years, Dirge or Cerberus, Kingdom Hearts titles, Crisis Core, and Dissidia's later, how does it look and sound now? With the exception of a Yuffie and Aerith, all of the voice actors have been maintained through all of these titles. 3D models have been kept the same as well throughout all of these games. Not only have we seen Midgar and other locations in Advent Children, but we've seen many of them in other titles now, in all their 3D glory. Music has also stayed constant, getting the rock cover or fully orchestrated treatment depending on the film or game.
What I'm trying to say is the 3D remake of FF7 is all but already made. Characters, voices, locations, and music have established in our minds what the game would look and sound like. There's no need to go to the drawing board for this one! Simply take the existing models to the bank and give the people want they want!
Now, let it be known that I actually enjoyed Final Fantasy XII. However, was it all that it should have been? Absolutely not. I remember them talking about FF13 for years, and how it just kept getting delayed and delayed. I remember how it was going to save the FF name and make us all believe in Square Enix again. I bought my PS3, anxiously awaiting the day I'd get to play FF13... And then it came out... and then the backlash began.
Make us believe again in you, Square Enix. Let us save you from the financial turmoil you are in. Help us, to help you. Give us what we want! Show us the Final Fantasy VII remake! Give us a remastered version of the game that changed RPGs, caused people to buy over 4 million DVDs, caused millions to download a 15 year old game on the PSN, and is at least heard of by almost every gamer on this planet. Help us to remember why we loved you once.
Limit Breaks in a FF13-esque battle system? Yes please. Leveling up instead of Crystarium garbage? Definitely. Summons and magic requiring MP instead of TP? Oh yeah. Running around Midgar and the 3D world in a non-linear manner (a la Crisis Core and Pulse)? Boo-yah. Tifa in all her 3D battle glory while The Black Mages blast some serious FF7 music?... need I say more?
Could Dissidia even be used as a possible model of combat? Why not make a true RPG with some Dissidia action?
In addition to story, some elements could be better explained. Throughout these titles, for instance, the explanation of things like Zack, Jenova and her cells, SOLDIERs and their creation, and Sephiroth's wings have evolved over time. Many of these things were only partially explained in the original FF7, and have been built upon later. How about adding Genesis, Angeal, and those guys from Dirge of Cerberus into the mix? A new FF7 could take the time to explain some of these more confusing elements by adding new dialog/scenes to the game. I'd love to see a clear-cut description of some of these things in one game.
What about when Jenova fell from the sky? The Cetra and "the man" who walked among them making them sick (Sephiroth)? What about what Rufus says in Advent Children about "bring your Jenovas and your Sephiroths" as a future tie in? Just saying...
.
The latest Final Fantasy VII installment (Crisis Core) is 4 years old, so strike now while the iron is hot! If you wait too long, people will begin to lose interest and forget about the FF7 name. We've seen countless remakes of FFIV, and even multiple platform remakes of FF1, 2, 3, 5, and 6... but no VII. Square Enix's most successful title is sitting there, rotting, and the people are demanding.
Square Enix, we've got your stimulus package in our wallets, and it's waiting for a new Final Fantasy VII.
Now tell me, what do you think about a remake of FF7? Will it ruin what was a true classic? Or will it build onto it and make the game even better?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on things.
Now after you have played the game, you can see why so many people want a remake of the game. Me being one of those people.
About 1 year ago, I played through FF7 again. And got pretty much everything in the game possible. Maxed all my chars, got all their secret weapons. And it was so much fun doing. When you first play the game, the story can be a little bit confusing. Which is why if you played it a couple times through, you will really start to understand the story a lot more, and catch onto things you didn't the last time you played through. And with a remake, I personally think they should add more scenes to the game and explain things a little bit more. Just so it's more.. Clear. Ya know? I just love the whole story line in the game. And they need to make more games like this one. More RPG's. That's what I really want to play, and that's one of the main reasons I got a PS3. Because of Final Fantasy. I did enjoy XIII, but I wish it was more turn based, ya know? Like the good ol' days. This will be a long shot in the dark, but have any of you out there ever played FF2? I think it would be 4 here in the states. I had to for SNES. FFII. It has to be one of my all time favorite FF's. Not the remake on DS or whatever. But the real classic FFII. Amazing. Do yourself a favor and play it. You won't regret it. If you haven't played really any of the Final Fantasy's... You are missing out.
Now I'm going to post what IGN has said about a remake of FF7. Lets take a peek.
1. It's Already All But Made
Remember when Advent Children came out in 2006? Remember how it felt and looked weird? Remember how the characters didn't look quite right, or didn't sound quite the way you had imagined them to sound in your head? I know I thought everything seemed a little strange, or at least not how I imagined it, which is a very normal thing to experience the first time something is brought to life through picture and sound.
Five years, Dirge or Cerberus, Kingdom Hearts titles, Crisis Core, and Dissidia's later, how does it look and sound now? With the exception of a Yuffie and Aerith, all of the voice actors have been maintained through all of these titles. 3D models have been kept the same as well throughout all of these games. Not only have we seen Midgar and other locations in Advent Children, but we've seen many of them in other titles now, in all their 3D glory. Music has also stayed constant, getting the rock cover or fully orchestrated treatment depending on the film or game.
What I'm trying to say is the 3D remake of FF7 is all but already made. Characters, voices, locations, and music have established in our minds what the game would look and sound like. There's no need to go to the drawing board for this one! Simply take the existing models to the bank and give the people want they want!
2. Square Enix Redemption
And this I mean in two different ways: 1) Fiscally, they are not doing too well, as was reported by IGN a short time ago, and 2) Let's face it - Square Enix has dropped the ball in all sorts of ways over the last few years, especially when it comes to Final Fantasy.
Now, let it be known that I actually enjoyed Final Fantasy XII. However, was it all that it should have been? Absolutely not. I remember them talking about FF13 for years, and how it just kept getting delayed and delayed. I remember how it was going to save the FF name and make us all believe in Square Enix again. I bought my PS3, anxiously awaiting the day I'd get to play FF13... And then it came out... and then the backlash began.
Make us believe again in you, Square Enix. Let us save you from the financial turmoil you are in. Help us, to help you. Give us what we want! Show us the Final Fantasy VII remake! Give us a remastered version of the game that changed RPGs, caused people to buy over 4 million DVDs, caused millions to download a 15 year old game on the PSN, and is at least heard of by almost every gamer on this planet. Help us to remember why we loved you once.
3. New and Old Together
Now, I'm not saying that FF7 should just be completely rebuilt. Here is a golden opportunity to give us the best that the newer and older Final Fantasy games have to offer. Why not create a FF7 game with the world, characters, and story we love, but with a modified FF13 battle system? Keep the intense active battle system we saw in FF13, but add Materia, full party control (instead of just controlling the leader), and please, please drop the chain building/breaking. We don't need Paradigm Shifts or Saboteurs - just an even more intensive customizing Materia system and the full party control we once knew.Limit Breaks in a FF13-esque battle system? Yes please. Leveling up instead of Crystarium garbage? Definitely. Summons and magic requiring MP instead of TP? Oh yeah. Running around Midgar and the 3D world in a non-linear manner (a la Crisis Core and Pulse)? Boo-yah. Tifa in all her 3D battle glory while The Black Mages blast some serious FF7 music?... need I say more?
Could Dissidia even be used as a possible model of combat? Why not make a true RPG with some Dissidia action?
4. Story Continuity and Explanation
For those that have seen/played FF7, Crisis Core, Last Order, Advent Children, and Dirge of Cerberus, you know that there are a few continuity problems with the story. I'm pretty sure I've seen Nibelheim portrayed in 3 or 4 different ways, each with a slightly different twist. Now is the opportunity to set the record straight. Show us what happened. Please, my brain would like a definitive answer.
In addition to story, some elements could be better explained. Throughout these titles, for instance, the explanation of things like Zack, Jenova and her cells, SOLDIERs and their creation, and Sephiroth's wings have evolved over time. Many of these things were only partially explained in the original FF7, and have been built upon later. How about adding Genesis, Angeal, and those guys from Dirge of Cerberus into the mix? A new FF7 could take the time to explain some of these more confusing elements by adding new dialog/scenes to the game. I'd love to see a clear-cut description of some of these things in one game.
5. Final Fantasy VII-2/Agito/Versus/Duodecim
Now here's a FF#-2 I'd like to play. I'm sure FFX-2 was fine, and who knows what XII-2 will be like, but I'm positive I'd love to see a VII-2. Heaven knows Square Enix likes making these "spin-off/sequel" titles, so why not make one we'd actually like to see? How about what happens after the story between FF7 and Advent Children? Between Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus? Remember that "500 years later" movie? Midgar gets that way somehow, and I'm pretty sure 500 years is a sufficient window to make a game's story about.
What about when Jenova fell from the sky? The Cetra and "the man" who walked among them making them sick (Sephiroth)? What about what Rufus says in Advent Children about "bring your Jenovas and your Sephiroths" as a future tie in? Just saying...
6. It's a New Generation
It's now almost been 15 years since the release of Final Fantasy VII, and there are many that have never played it. Sure, it's out there on the PSN, but the game hasn't aged that well (though I still love it). The 3D models on the 2D landscapes was pretty awesome for the time, and the 3D battles with blocky modeling was cutting edge back then, but now people demand more. We've seen how good FF13 looks, and how cool Dissidia and Crisis Core are (even for a handeld), now there's a whole new generation of gamers who could get exposed to FF7. It's got the name power, now give it the face that we'd expect to see from games nowadays, and gamers both experienced and new to Final Fantasy will want to try it.The latest Final Fantasy VII installment (Crisis Core) is 4 years old, so strike now while the iron is hot! If you wait too long, people will begin to lose interest and forget about the FF7 name. We've seen countless remakes of FFIV, and even multiple platform remakes of FF1, 2, 3, 5, and 6... but no VII. Square Enix's most successful title is sitting there, rotting, and the people are demanding.
Now tell me, what do you think about a remake of FF7? Will it ruin what was a true classic? Or will it build onto it and make the game even better?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on things.
Friday, June 24, 2011
New Patch On 360, Live For Black Ops. Bye Bye Unstoppable Famas
Alrighty guys, if you haven't heard by now, yes it is true. The Famas is getting... NERFED. I first heard about it from Panisko, but now that I have looked into it, it's true. Now what did they do to it? Lets take a look.
Changes include tweaks on the ADS raise time, hip fire accuracy reduction, more gun kick (so less accurate) and slightly slower re-center speed. But the good thing is, if you are a famas user, the rate of fire, damage, range, and magazine size will all stay the same.
Other then that, here are the other patch notes for 1.10 for the 360
If you aren't feeling the Famas anymore, honestly, you should give the AK47 a shot (pun intended), if you enjoy using assault rifles. If not, I enjoy using the Spectre and MP5K. Don't forget if you need class set up and other tips, make sure to check out our earlier posts on our blog about Black Ops.
-j-
Changes include tweaks on the ADS raise time, hip fire accuracy reduction, more gun kick (so less accurate) and slightly slower re-center speed. But the good thing is, if you are a famas user, the rate of fire, damage, range, and magazine size will all stay the same.
Other then that, here are the other patch notes for 1.10 for the 360
- Security Updates.
- New playlists – Flags and Bombs
- C4 can no longer be warped to player carrying bomb in S&D and Sabotage.
- Removed erroneous “Reset to Default” message when trying to load a DLC map you do not have.
- In-game icons (care package icons, etc) no longer appear in the Create A Class menu.
- Support for Annihilation map pack, available June 28th on Xbox LIVE!
- Fix for a rare crash related to weapons.
- Game no longer crashes when Xbox LIVE servers are down.
If you aren't feeling the Famas anymore, honestly, you should give the AK47 a shot (pun intended), if you enjoy using assault rifles. If not, I enjoy using the Spectre and MP5K. Don't forget if you need class set up and other tips, make sure to check out our earlier posts on our blog about Black Ops.
-j-
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