Gaming by GlossGreen

By GlossGreen

Ah, vacation. That magic word that makes all the stress disappear - if only for a short time. This time for me was 26 days. 26 days of relaxation, fun, and...cleaning the house. Alright, 2 out of 3 isn't bad, and it very well could have been. I think overall this was a pretty good vacation. I admit, it would have been better if we weren't still unpacking the house, or if we did get away for a while, but we can't have everything. So what did I do during my time off? Lots of stuff.

One of the biggest priorities the family and I had for this month was unpacking the house and setting up my wife's studio in the basement. See, she has a tiny bit of artistic talent and really needs her own space to practice her skills. But only a tiny amount of talent? Actually, she has more creativity in her little finger than I have in my entire body. Luckily for my daughter, she inherited her mother's artistic vision. All she got from me was her interest in gaming. I guess it could have been worse, she didn't get my sense of humor. Back to the story, we have the studio almost done. We just have to buy a couple of bookshelves and move a few boxes around, and generally get the space in order. Almost there.

As far as me, I got really lucky this vacation. Right around the beginning of my time off I received a little gift from good ol' Uncle Sam in the form of my tax return and stimulus money. I, of course, had to be a good American and purchase a good ol' American product. I had my eye on a couple of different things, but I finally decided on what to get. I ended up buying an Xbox 360 Elite with Mass Effect, a good purchase in my mind and one I don't regret making. Since then I've downloaded a few demos and games from Live, got about half the achievements in Mass Effect, and generally enjoyed the 360 experience. I didn't neglect my PS3 during this time though. I also got to experience the whole firmware update 2.40 thing. I do currently have the update on my PS3, and luckily, have had no problems with it. Already, I've managed to get almost as many trophies as I do achievements. Not too bad for just starting out.

I've also spend a little bit of time catching up with some of my favorite shows. I love That 70's Show. I've even managed to watch a bit of The Family Guy (although I like American Dad better). But the one show I most enjoy? That would have to be Red Vs Blue, I'm up to the beginning of season 5 now. The humor and dialog in that series is great. When I was watching it I couldn't help but laugh, my daughter would just look at me confused when that happened. I'm so hooked on the show I sometimes catch myself talking as Vic/Vic Jr. or Caboose. My wife just looks at me and tells me I'm strange when that happens.

It's been too long since I'd taken time off. I didn't do a whole lot, but I still managed to have a good time. I got a new game system. I let my daughter have the storage shed and make it into a club house. I helped to set-up the actual house. I even got out of the house once. I went to the lake with my daughter and took a few pictures. Vacations are great, I can't wait for the next one.

If you don't know what the above numbers signify, then you are not a gamer. Those three little numbers have been all over the internet for the last couple of weeks, and with good reason. See, those numbers are the reference for the next PS3 firmware update, live today. Now why is this update so important? Because Sony is finally trying to level the playing field against Live.

The true importance of this update is two-fold. For the first time, we are able to access the XMB while in a game. This is a very significant event. Now, instead of having to leave the game to adjust Bluetooth headset options or check out that message that your buddy just sent you. Part of having access to the XMB is also the addition of custom soundtracks. To me this is very interesting. No, not because I want to use the feature (I don't have any music on my PS3), but because a couple of months ago Ripten reported that Microsoft holds a patent for in-game custom soundtracks. I guess they don't own this method.

Second, (and just as important for some people) is the addition of achievements, or as 2.40 refers to them, trophies. After downloading and installing the firmware update and the update for Super Stardust HD (which took about 45 minutes total) I was able to try and get a trophy. It didn't take me long, I managed to snag the Tokenizer trophy. The trophy message pops up in the upper right hand side of the screen, a little more unobtrusively then the bottom center placement of achievements. Supposedly there is a noise to accompany it, but with the SSHD soundtrack as frantic as it is, I couldn't hear it. Looking at the trophy list itself in the XMB, listed are the names of the trophies and a description of how to get them. After you unlock a trophy a picture and the date and time information from when it was unlocked are added. An interesting feature to add, to be sure. Now taking a look at this update, I have a question. Will this be enough to compete with Live?

Then answer? It's a step in the right direction. There are still several additions that need to be made in order to be on the same playing field as Live. Cross game chat and invites are probably the biggest faults right now. But, I have no doubt that those features will be added very soon. Sony says it's taking it's update cues from the consumer. If there is a feature you want to see, tell them. Tell your friends to tell them. Tell your forums to tell them. Tell everybody to tell them.

Now tell me, what is the feature - that didn't make it in this update - would you most like to see and why?

I've had a little bit of time to test out my 360, about 2 weeks now, and I thought: "Why not do a review of it"? I know I've never done a review for anything here. I have plenty of opinion pieces. I have a couple of speculation articles. I even have a couple of dreaded lists. But I've never, ever reviewed anything before. Here's my first one, don't be too rough on me about it. Now the only question is...What do I think? I like it. Mostly.

First the hardware itself. I like the look of the console. It has some pretty smooth lines and looks nice next to my PS3. I, of course, bought the elite model to match the rest of my hardware. I don't care too much for the chromed out disc tray, the only feature on the case that I think they could do away with. Why couldn't they make it match the color of the console? The controllers are also a good fit with the console. The black and gray color is great and I do like color coded buttons, they really stand out that way. I also like the size of the controllers (in fact, I like the size better then my undeniably great Dual Shock 3). The button placement seems pretty good. I don't understand the offset sticks, but it doesn't effect the gameplay. I like the feel of the triggers and the shoulder buttons. The only problem I have with my controller is the right trigger makes a damn squeaking sound on occasion. On the plus side, I haven't had any problems with the much reviled D-pad, yet.

Upon power-up the machine works very well. The blades come up very quickly and connects to Live just as well. Navigating the blades is easy. I didn't have any problems finding what I wanted. Upon entering the marketplace things got a lot less friendly. The descriptions of the games leave a lot wanting. Another thing I would love to see is previews of the gamer pics and themes before they are purchased. At this point it's a crap shoot. You may like it, you may not. The problem is you won't know until you pay for it. This is an area that I've read a lot about over the last few months that has been identified as a problem. So why hasn't it been fixed? We don't know, but here's one possible solution.

Playing a game in the drive is one area I have a problem with. As soon as I start a game the 360's incredibly loud fan kicks in. It actually drowns out the sound from my TV. But that is a minor annoyance, the sound fades into the background after a while. Games run smooth, with no problems. The controllers are responsive and are comfortable even after using for hours at a time. The hard drive is efficient and relatively quiet. I hear it every once in a while, but it's not as distracting as the fan is. As far as graphics performance goes, Mass Effect looks really good, but that's more to the credit of the developer and not the hardware. I can't compare the graphics to my PS3 because I don't have the same title for both consoles, and honestly, I really don't care. I'll get a game based on the story and gameplay, not necessarily graphics.

I think that covers just about everything. As you just read, I think the 360 is a good console with a lot of potential. It does have one or two...quirks, but nothing that will keep me from playing it. I've played through Mass Effect and I plan on picking up the first Halo game this month. If I'm going to start with the Xbox, I might as well start from the best and the beginning. One of these days I'll have to pick-up the wireless adapter so I can get a dedicated connection for Live. Eventually, I'll see you all online.

I know the old saying about ignorance and bliss. I get the meaning behind it, too. The logic is that if you don't know about something then it can't effect you. For normal everyday events that may be OK. As far as gaming goes, happiness doesn't come from not knowing about games. Happiness comes from playing the games**.

Here's the reason why I say gaming bliss comes from knowledge. As you all know I recently purchased an Xbox 360. That alone opens a whole world of gaming that I just can't get with a PS3. Now I get the opportunity to play games like Mass Effect, the Halo series, the Gears series, the upcoming Too Human, and many other interesting games. There's one other side to Xbox gaming that I never actually considered before. As I looked back through some of the original Xbox titles a few of them caught my eye. Sure, Halo and Fable were up there on my radar, but then I noticed Doom 3 and Serious Sam II. For typical console gamers those games may not mean much, but for PC gamers, they are well known. And that's what caught my attention.

Now here's where ignorance, my ignorance, really kicks in. I had no idea that there were so many PC titles available for the Xbox. Now, I've never been much of a PC gamer, I got my first computer in 2006, but that never stopped me from having an interest in all types of games. As a kid I used to go into the neighborhood bookstore (that's where they sold PC games when I was a kid) and see the games they had there. I don't remember a lot of the titles of the games they sold back then, but I do remember that they looked a hell of a lot better then my Atari 2600 and NES games did. My family never had enough money to get me a computer back in those days, even though they wanted to, I still kept abreast of advances in computers.

As time went by, I became less and less interested in PC gaming. Console systems were becoming more and more advanced, and were cheaper than buying a PC. I eventually bought an N64, PS1, PS2, a Game Gear, Game Boy, and even an Atari Jaguar, all before I bought my first PC. In picking up a computer I bought a laptop that was decent enough to play games on. I did get a couple of games for it, but trying to keep up with PC hardware was something I didn't want to follow through with. So, I stuck with console games. In doing so I thought I was missing out on some great titles that would never see console form. Well, I was wrong. In my ignorance I was unaware of how many PC games were actually available for the Xbox. I initially dismissed the console, due to reasons I don't even remember now, and missed the whole thing.

After picking my 360 I decided to check out all the titles I've missed, and I was surprised. See, for me, a title's age won't effect my enjoyment of it. A great story and compelling gameplay are all that I require. Heck, even the story is optional in some cases. Needless to say, I've got some catching up to do.

**Disclaimer: Happiness also comes from having a family, such as a wonderful wife that allows me to buy all sorts of gaming stuff and continue with this time consuming and costly hobby. Thanks dear, I love you.

Yes, it's that time of year again. E3 may not be the blockbuster gaming event that it was just a few years back, but it still holds a lot of sway with game developers and publishers. How do we know this? All these damn stories about how a "secret" will be revealed at E3 statements that are being released by everyone, their mother, and the kid down the street. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of seeing them.

I'm of the mindset that if you want gamers to get excited about your product, tell them about it, don't tease them. I know, sounds like a hard concept to grasp right? Well, I hate to break it to the game makers and the gaming press, but if they can't figure that out they are stupid. Take this event from Blizzard that's been getting a ton of press lately. I don't know what your take on this might be, so I'll just give you mine. It's ice. From a company named Blizzard. No challenge there to figure out. If it is about a game then they need to spit it out instead of dragging it out. This what-ever-it-is image seems to be advancing day by day. To what? Honestly, at this point I really don't care.

Here's a good one from the fantastic folks at Microsoft courtesy of MCVUK.com:

European VP of strategic marketing for interactive entertainment at Microsoft EMEA David Gosen has told MCV that the platform holder will unveil some ‘fantastic surprises’ at E3 this year as it steps up its efforts in the mass market space.

"We’re always working on new things, and you'll continue to hear lots from us that we believe will be game-changing," he told MCV.

That's a pretty bold statement...About absolutely nothing. What is going to be "game-changing"? How about those "fantastic surprises" and "new things". Could it be an announcement featuring Halo Chronicles? I know, how about the theorized code-named Newton controller we've all heard about? My bet is on an announcement about a new hardware SKU or possibly a price cut. Then again it could be none of those things, and probably, nothing that any of us would give a damn about.

Sony most definitely is not immune to hyping themselves up either. The big talk with the Big S is all about Home and firmware update 2.40. As Sony's answer to Live and Achievements the question has to be asked: Will they be worth the wait, and the hype. The problem is that hype can (and frequently does) backfire, just reference the PS3's launch and first year. And there is always the risk that the next big thing that is getting plugged could actually end up being the next Ninjabread Man or some other load of crap.

This time of year has always been full of marketing garbage and shit talking, and I don't see it changing anytime in the near (or far) future. Game makers will always try to peddle their wares, but without telling us the details, how do they expect to sell it to us? I know everyone wants to make a big deal out of their hard work by manufacturing their announcement into a media event. My opinion: Give us the damn info and let us make up our own mind without the force feeding of crap to go with it.

Two days ago I finally bought an Xbox 360. I had been thinking about picking one up for quite a while, but like many, I had my reservations. Obviously, I don't have any reservations now and I bought an Elite on Monday. I went to the store by myself, chose the game I wanted, paid for it and went home. After I got home I let my daughter see what I bought thinking that she'd be excited to have a new system in the house. Boy was I wrong. Before I even had a chance to open the box my sweet, innocent, and carefree daughter was criticizing my decision to pick one up. OK, I've dealt with fanboys on the internet before. I usually respond by spouting logic and then ignoring them, kinda hard to do in this case.

See, here's the thing. I think this is all my fault. No, I'm not a Sony fanboy myself, although for the past several years the only systems I've owned have been of the Sony variety. In 2002 I bought a PS2 for myself. At the same time I bought a Game Boy Advance for my daughter. She was 5 or 6 at the time and not really into videogames as much as she is now. She would watch me play and pick up a controller every once in a while herself, but she didn't really have the skills to have fun gaming. A few years back all that changed.

Starting in 2006 things became different. My daughter was getting more and more active in playing games and more demanding to have more time to play. It got to be so bad that she would try to take the controller out of my hands, not that that actually worked. I finally gave in and sent my PS2 to the dark and dangerous region of the house known as "her room". After that, my daughter's interest in gaming went through the roof. She, like me, would spend hours playing games. She would play games like, Spyro, The Sims, and Kingdom Hearts all day and love it. Last year she kept bugging me to get games like Okami and Psychonauts for her, she knows creativity and quality in games when she sees it. And that trend continued up to a few months ago when I got my PS3.

Now, my daughter hasn't had the interest for the PS3 as much as she has for the old system (which miraculously still works after 6 years). Sure, she enjoys games like Uncharted, but of course, the PS3 resides in the living room and under my control, unlike her PS2. How is this teaching her bias against other systems? Remember, I said I bought her a Game Boy Advance right? Well, she never had any interest in that. We never had an Xbox (until now) or any Nintendo systems in the house during her lifetime. Sega systems are just as unknown to her. So she is biased on the basis of not having experienced anything else.

I don't have anything against Microsoft. Really, I don't. I just never thought too much of the original Xbox. And with the RRoD crisis I really didn't think too highly of the 360 either. This never stopped me from believing that both systems had great games though, the hardware just never impressed me. I think it was this attitude that my daughter has latched on to and adopted as her own. This attitude was laid bare when my wife asked me why I had to own all the systems in the current generation and how the 360 was different from the PS3. Before I had a chance to answer my daughter blurts out that the PS3 is better then the 360 in every way. She went on to criticize the game box saying that she couldn't even stand to look at the color. At that point I managed to get a word in edgewise and try to air my opinion of the 360. I explained to my wife that the games are different. Each system has exclusive games that I can't get for the other and that is why I had to buy both. This seemed to satisfy my wife, but I don't know if my daughter understood.

See, I have to teach her the way of the true gamer. It's not about the hardware and it never should have been. It's all about the games. The hardware is just a means to play great software, and the software is what it's all about. Next month or so (after my funds are replenished) I may pick up a game or two for the 360 that'll interest her. Maybe Halo would be a good choice. After all, blowing something up on the PS3 is just like blowing something up on the 360, it's all fun.