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XZero

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Everything posted by XZero

  1. With all the hype surrounding this game, it occurred to me that I never played the first one despite owning the Orange Box for PS3 since December. So I popped it in and started playing it. About 5 hours later, I drove out to GameStop to pick this one up for $40. While I feel bad for the people who got it on day 1 and preordered it, I wouldn't have felt too terrible paying $60 for it either (but I got Mortal Kombat instead). Only real downside so far is that since I got the PS3 version, no online for me until sometime this week.
  2. VG music has been pretty defining for me ever since I was about 5. I would hum songs from various NES games all the time. Around 1998, it occurred to me that I could just put a tape recorder up to the speaker on the TV and I could record the music that I liked to listen to since radio just wasn't doing it for me. That led to the creation of 5 tapes with various game music themes, many of which were end credits songs since it takes a lot of work to reach the end credits. My first CD was in 1998, and it was the free Banjo-Kazooie soundtrack from Best Buy that came with the preorder. I listened to that thing so much that summer. I got the Super Mario 64 soundtrack in September of that year, and the 4-track Zelda: Ocarina of Time preorder bonus from Kmart (which, as a piece of trivia, was--I think--the only official OOT release to have the dawn music as part of the Hyrule Field track). From there, I started getting CDs through the Nintendo Power Supplies catalogue (see http://www.videogamemm.com/v/Catalogs/SPS+Winter+98/ for some nostalgia). In 2000, my family got a new computer and I convinced my dad to get me a microphone and a long cord for it. I plugged that thing in, reached the cord as far as it would stretch, and recorded an hour and fifteen minutes worth of music from Super Mario RPG, which was and still is one of my favorite game OSTs ever. I still remember the crappy quality of those .wav files I recorded. But enough waxing nostalgia, onto the question. How has it affected my mainstream tastes? Well, in a couple of ways. First, as demonstrated above, I was heavily influenced by video game music as I grew up, so it became preferable over mainstream stuff. Second, the mainstream music I like tends to have some game connection, however attenuated. For instance, I like Disturbed, a band I was introduced to because I watched Funimation's dub of Dragon Ball Z movie 5 and it featured, among other songs, The Game, a very video game-like track, over the penultimate battle with Cooler. VG music has been the biggest influence in my life as far as music goes, and I can't see that changing any time soon. As for mainstream tastes, I generally listen to VG music or remixes on my iPod while I drive rather than the radio, so I guess I don't generally have mainstream tastes.
  3. I respectfully disagree, though I doubt we could come to an agreement on this because our core positions are fundamentally in opposition. You say it's a "free system." I say it is not free; to the contrary, I paid for it when I paid $300 for the system last year. It was not an external cost, ala XBox Live, but I assure you PSN is not free. With respect to entitlement, there is a significant difference between acting "entitled" and being entitled. Entitlement, as a matter of law, is "[a]n absolute right to a benefit ... granted immediately upon meeting a legal requirement." Black's Law Dictionary. The legal requirement in this case is payment of the requested fee, here, the price of the console. This confers an absolute right to a benefit, the reasonable use of PSN services, on the purchasing party. There is another side to this argument, of course, and it is a combination of your point, DJ SymBiotiX, and a legal argument on Sony's behalf. Gamers do not pay a continuing price for PSN services (putting aside PSN+ subscribers for a minute). Moreover, in the agreement that you have to accept to sign on to PSN, I am quite certain there is a provision for "black-outs," likely by a different name, allowing for them to shut down the services. However, if challenged in court, there is a reasonable possibility that a court would work around that provision or otherwise exise it from the contract because it essentially compels the consumer to agree to forfeit something he or she paid for. Furthermore, without reading the provision, I cannot be sure, but black-outs would likely have to last for a reasonable duration. It is hard to say whether a week or more is a reasonable duration for a service like this, but I would certainly argue in court that it was not. After that, you just kick it to the jury and see where your argument takes you--and hope the jurors are young Call of Duty gamers
  4. For shutting down PSN for this long, Sony owes PS3 and PSP owners something. Everyone says PSN is "free," but that's really not the case for two reasons. First, PSN+ people do, in fact, pay a subscription fee, and they are being denied access. Second, normal PSN users who do not pay any fees did pay for the service and are being denied its use. The payment is part of the price of the system. Sony likely factors in some type of charge for PSN into the price of the system, but even if it doesn't, that's part of the value of the product to the consumer. Consequently, when the network is taken completely offline for an extended period of time, part of the package consumers bought when they purchased the PS3 system is compromised. For this reason, Sony owes any PS3 owner some form of restitution (a person is entitled to restitution when he or she confers a benefit to another in exchange for something and that bargained-for item/service is not delivered; the person can seek damages instead, but where, as here, damages are highly speculative except for PSN+ subscribers, damages are not preferred). It doesn't need to be excessive; give everyone a $10 credit on their account to buy some DLC or a classic game.
  5. Hahaha let's hope you don't need my services anytime soon. And for the record, it is the lawyer bar exam. It's a 2 day test in the end of July. The bartending component comes after the end of day 2 when you go out and get completely wasted at the bar (drinks) because you're completely exausted from the bar (law). No, but I know how to sue one. I'd just be afraid to do so because one day I may actually need a neurosurgeon and I'll end up under the knife of someone who I successfully got a huge judgment against. Hippocratic oath or not, I don't want them to remember me in that light...
  6. Easter was bright and sunny this morning. Went for a walk, then a run, then another walk. Then I returned to school this afternoon and got hit with a mini-monsoon. And for the people complaining about exams, I have 1 normal exam left in my educational career, which is next week. But the bright side for all of you is that you're presumably done for the summer barring any summer classes you may be taking. Me? I'll be wasting away without enough time to go outside or even to play PS3 while studing for the bar exam this summer :_(
  7. You're missing the big picture. By the time the new console comes out, the 3DS should finally have some good games and might just be priced a bit cheaper, so it'll incentivize people to buy it at that point. Relatedly, here's hoping the new console has decent launch titles. The 3DS' lineup was poor, and as good as Super Street Fighter 4 is, it just didn't hold my attention very long. Thank God for backwards compatibility.
  8. Family friendliness isn't Nintendo's problem. The family friendly Donkey Kong Country Returns, for example, is a hardcore game with wide appeal (both hardcore gamers and younger gamers alike). The same is generally true of the core Mario series games. Zelda and Metroid are in similar situations. Nintendo's problem since the N64 days has been entirely system- or format-based when it comes to hardcore gamers. The N64 used cartridges. Its graphics were suprior to the PS1, as was its general processing power. However, its games were expensive as hell to make and manufacture compared to the CD-based PS1 games. Likewise, the cartridges had less space, so while the PS1 couldn't put out gorgeous graphics like later N64 titles, it could put out CD-quality music and prerendered cutscenes, which were not something the N64 could afford to use cartridge space toward. Then we have the GameCube. Everyone else goes to DVD, Nintendo goes to mini-discs. While the GameCube was on par with the XBox in terms of graphics, sound, etc. for the most part, 3rd parties weren't putting games out for it in some cases because they didn't fit on the disc. Some were split up into 2 discs, but other games simply skipped the system. Another reason 3rd parties didn't make GCN games was probably the demographics of the GameCube. This was the one situation where the family-friendly approach was harmful. If adult gamers don't own the system, there's no reason to put many M-rated games out for it. So here, it was a combination of medium and marketing. Finally, we have the Wii. Family-friendly marketing done right. The system is in many homes, often alongside a PS3 or a 360. But the Wii has a huge problem. Despite coming out simultaneously with the PS3, it's not nearly as powerful, and that's where Nintendo first dropped the ball. While it was irrelevant back in 2006 and 2007, it became increasingly relevant since then. The best looking Wii games were and are Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, which means the graphical peak of the system, at least as of now, was achieved in 2007 (Metroid Prime 3 is another example of a beautiful game, which also debuted that year). If Zelda doesn't completely wow, then we'll know that Mario Galaxy 1 achieved early-on the most the Wii was capable of, and the problem becomes clearer. Nintendo also dropped the ball in the online area. Friend codes for every game? It makes no sense. Compared to the competition, the Wii's online is beyond terrible, which is a shame. Also, the trophy/achievement support, which is just one of those little things that people like for whatever reason, is completely absent. The Wii is meant to be played in a room with 4 people flailing about wildly; it is not meant to be played online while sitting on a couch holding a controller. So what does this mean for the next system? A couple of things. First, since Nintendo will likely be first out of the gate, it had better hope the Wii 2's processing power is on par with the PS4 and XBox 720 because it NEEDS third party support, specifically and especially from companies like Rockstar and Activision, whose games are often seen as "hardcore" by the community. Second, its online had better be amazing. And free. If they're going to market it, it makes no sense to say they're going to charge for something that has the potential to be just as bad as the Wii's online. They also need to eliminate friend codes or retain the 3DS approach. Additionally, there's no reason they can't give out stars to players as the equivalent of trophies and achievements. Finally, waggle and motion functionality have to be optional in games. Period. Because if I have to choose between waggling my wrist with the Wii remote or picking up a PS3 controller, I'm going with the latter. And now that I think about it and read over this again, I realize something funny. My actual recommendation for Nintendo's Wii 2 is simple: make a more powerful version of the PS3 with Nintendo first party titles on it.
  9. I'm reading the Harry Potter books for the first time. I'm 25, so when the first book came out, I was just a little too old for it, and despite the fact that many of my friends were reading them while I was in high school (and college, in the case of the last book or 2), I never got into them. I always dismissed them, which was very unfair. Many of my friends have insisted the books are really good, so I bought the whole set for about $40 on sale and decided to read them all. I just finished book 4 last weekend, and damn are these things good. I'm noticing a definitive shift in tone now that I'm in the second half of the series. Things are getting darker and more dangerous as time goes on. I've seen all of the movies, so I'm hoping to finish book 7 just before seeing the final film installment in July.
  10. Getting 100% in games has drastically changed since back in the older generation of games. For instance, consider Duck Tales 2 on the NES. To finish the game, you only had to go through the worlds, beat the bosses, and take on the terminator duck at the end of the game. However, to get 100%, you had to find all of the treasure map pieces, which tells you where the treasure is located, and then go there and beat the boss to secure the treasure. This meant you could get 75% in 45 minutes and 100% in an hour. While there are exceptions to this, this was fairly common back then, and it's why getting 100% wasn't as relevant. Let's jump forward to the SNES and N64 eras where percentage counters became more common (see, e.g., Donkey Kong series). People then began striving for 100% completion. I remember with Banjo-Kazooie, I got every last puzzle piece, musical note, etc. in my first playthrough, which took a long time. But here's the rub: I was, like, 12. Getting 100% in a game was a fun challenge for which I had the time. Nowadays, the coveted Platinum Trophy and its XBL equivalent are the end goals that generally signify 100% completion of a game. Gamers who grew up in the older generation probably don't achieve that 100% as often as gamers who are young now. I've personally never gotten a platinum trophy. I just don't have the time. I have a friend who's gotten several of them, and good for him, but I can't spare the 2 hours it takes to do one little task in a game just to get the trophy. When I was younger, I didn't mind constantly resetting something just to complete that one little task. Today, with very few exceptions (final star in Super Mario Galaxy 2, I'm looking at you), I just give up after one or two tries. Here's something to consider, though. If you are older (18+), do you or do any of your friends with less disposable income tend to get more trophies/achievements than you or one of your friends with more disposable income? I'm not rich, but I have enough money that I have a relatively consistent stream of games coming in, so if I don't get 100% in a game, it doesn't matter because I'll just buy a different one later. One of my friends, however, has significantly less money than me and, consequently, fewer games, but that person finishes most of them with at least 75+ percent of the trophies.
  11. While it's cool to see PSN getting stuff like this, would it shock anyone here if this version is just the Anthology version sans disc? It sounds a lot like it. For all of the classic sprite-based FF games besides III, I say give me the GBA versions and I'm happy (I'll use my Gameboy Player if I want it on TV).
  12. It's not bad at all (I'm not hearing anything wrong with 1:12, but maybe it's my speakers). Two suggestions: I can kind of hear the Green Brinstar theme, but I'd make it a bit more pronounced. Also, a it's hard to explain this, but I think you could use some bass somewhere there. It feels top-heavy with no support (that probably makes no sense). The higher pitched tones are very dominant, but there's not enough lower tones to provide the [iMO] needed juxtaposition between the two.
  13. And here I thought Voices of the Lifestream was an accomplishment. Wow.
  14. I was one who really thought they'd sell out faster. Lower price point, they totally would have. Still, as it stands, they're going to be sold out by Christmas. Mark my words.
  15. So I got the unit a little while ago along with Super Street Fighter 4 3D. General impressions so far: eh, it's alright. It's a DS. Given the impressive library of games for the DS, that fact is pretty exciting. Still, the launch titles are a huge disappointment. Street Fighter, while good, is not as good as the PS3 one is. So far, the best use I've found for it is playing Okamiden (the stick works infinitely better than the D-pad did for this game). That said, I'm still glad I got it. I'm holding out hope that Nintendo's got some decent games coming down the road because right now, the only real problem with it is it's terrible software lineup. Well, that and the over-the-shoulder/behind the back mode for SSFIV sucks.
  16. I finally got to try the 3DS for the first time at Best Buy today (I'm getting mine tomorrow, but this is the first I've seen the demo unit). It had this "Wow, this is really cool!" feeling to it, but as I flew around the stupid Mii island in Pilotwings, I noticed a few things. First, I liked Pilotwings 64 better, and I really wish Nintendo would stop using the stupid Mii style because I miss that little America landscape from the N64 game--thank God I had the foresight to go with Street Fighter. Second, I had to turn the 3D effect down to just be on a little bit for maximum effect. I was able to see the 3D all the way, but it looked better with less 3D. As for the not requiring 3D in every game thing, I never really expected this thing to be an All 3D All the Time! event. It's useful when appropriate, but it needs to be used properly to be done well. And on the shovelware point, was there ever any chance that this thing wouldn't be a shovelware haven? I'm just hoping the JRPG support from the original DS keeps up with the 3DS.
  17. Thanks! I'm finding that to be the case. I finished the first chapter last night, and even the somewhat annoying Ice Titan battle was fun overall. The whole game's like an odd God of War/Uncharted love child, yet it works.
  18. If you buy yellow poster board (I know you didn't want to spend money, but how much could it possibly cost?) and use a pair of scissors and a Sharpie, you could make a pretty cute little Pac Man costume.
  19. Way back when I was just a little boy of 4 circa 1990, my uncle gave me a Christmas gift that would forever change my life. I didn't know it then, of course, but that gift would be a turning point for me. Was it my first football or basketball? No. Was it my first set of golf clubs or a tennis racquet? No. (Though I did get my first tennis racquet around then, but I didn't start playing for real until I was 7.) It was my NES Power Deck with Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros. To be honest, I don't remember much beyond just opening the system, and I didn't fully comprehend it's awesomeness at the time, but I quickly grew to know and love its power. There were so many cool things in that box, too. The console, the controllers (2 controllers plus the Zapper; Nintendo could kind of learn from the past on this one, huh?), the double-game cartridge. It was all bliss. But among them, there's something else that stood out: the games' dual instruction manual. On the Duck Hunt side, things weren't overly impressive. As I recall, just a few screenshots and the basic instructions. But the same wasn't true of the Mario side. Oh no. There were pixelated images of every enemy in the game, accompanied by descriptions of the characters. That was the first time I met "King Koopa." That was my first exposure to a "Goomba." And who knew there was such a thing as a "Koopa Troopa" before then? I sure didn't. *** Okay, that's a little overblown. The point I'm getting at is there's an inherent coolness to a video game's instruction booklet. There are various uses for it: have it by your side during the early hours of the game so you can learn controls or be reminded of how to do stuff; have a mini-walkthrough in the back (Final Fantasy I); have beautiful artwork to view(Zelda, and countless others). Instruction booklets are a key component of gaming. I know whenever I buy a game used at GameStop now that I don't work there anymore, I always ask for a used copy with a case in good condition, no scratches or blemishes on the disc, and a clean instruction manual in the case. As you may or may not have heard, EA and other companies are doing away with instruction booklets. EA was already on the verge of doing so last year, and I think whoever publishes the Assassin's Creed games (Ubisoft?) had this half-assed manual for AC: Brotherhood. Why must we do away with instruction manuals? I suspect a lot of people who aren't in the "gaming community," but who still deem themselves "gamers" are indifferent to the presence or absence of an instruction booklet. A lot of my customers at GameStop didn't care about instructions. Many people probably don't read them in the first place, so why include them? Here are a few reasons to do so: (1) In-game manuals, even intuitive ones, are not particularly intuitive. They get in the way and may not contain all of the information you need. Also, you necessarily can't read them outside of the context of the game. In other words, you can't take a break from gaming to watch TV and read the instruction manual while doing so if the instruction manual is a purely digital entity. (2) Artwork, written story, etc. breathe life into a game in a way that cannot be replicated on the TV screen (3) Booklets can be valuable collector's items, or can otherwise significantly enhance the value of a game. I guess publishers are indifferent to this from an economic standpoint, but I guarantee you a used copy of any rare game is worth 10-15% more with its instruction booklet intact (4) People DO read them (5) There's something missing when you buy a game and, upon opening the DVD or Blu-ray case, there's just a disc and nothing on the other side As one of the comments on IGN noted, first they give us cases with giant holes punched into them, then they take away the instruction booklets. The next step, obviously, is a purely digital market. This is somewhere down the road in all likelihood, and it'll be around that time that I stop playing games (I like going to a store, looking at a physical product, and taking it home to display on my shelf). For now, however, let us take a moment to mourn the passing of instruction booklets in games. We probably did not read all of you, and we probably didn't give you as much credit as you deserved, but you will be greatly missed.* [*and yeah, this is partially a joke, but I'm still pissed about companies doing away with these things. Seriously, I really like looking through instruction booklets.]
  20. Awesome. Thanks for the info. The other thing I didn't mention above that I really like about this game, at least early on, is the amount of new attacks you seem to keep getting. I'm constantly unlocking stuff, and that makes me want to keep playing so I can experiment with all my slick new moves
  21. This thread singlehandedly inspired me to finally pop in my copy of the game and give it a shot. It's surprisingly good. The graphics are beautiful and the controls are fluid. Plus, the voicework is amazing. Quick question, are there a lot of swamp areas after the beginning? I hate wading through it being relatively constrained in my movement.
  22. I got the game back in October and it's still sitting unplayed on my shelf. I really want to get to it, but it's one of those games I just haven't had time to play Glad to hear you're liking the DLC, though. I don't usually get DLC for games because I'm opposed to it, but I might make an exception for this (as I did for Borderlands, the only other game I bought DLC for).
  23. Happy birthday! Mine was yesterday. As a present for myself, I gave myself the day off from doing anything school- or work-related; instead, I played Modern Warfare 2 with my one buddy for several hours. Good times.
  24. I finish about 55% of games I buy and completely finish them (100%) about 5% of the time. Of those games, I've only had assistance with maybe 5-10 of them. That's 5-10 out of about 450, or approximately 55% of my game collection. I guess the point is that I rarely get anyone's help with games. The only games I remember finishing with someone's help were Super Mario RPG (a friend and I decided we were going to play through it together), Super Mario Bros. (my dad because I was 5 and was unable to finish parts of it), Diddy Kong Racing (the SMRPG friend beat 1 race for me that I was stuck on), and, more recently, Borderlands in co-op. Other than that, I'm more of a solo gamer, so much so that I've even bought both Pokemon releases when they come out so I don't have to try to find someone to trade with.
  25. Like it? Love it! I love Castlevania music in this style. Nice work!
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