Changgo
Changgo's last update: I just got Voice Candy for Mac free from tap tap tap. They just released Voices for iPhone http://bit.ly/i56Un
If you notice any bugs, please give us a shout in the forums.

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Nov. 19, 2009
  • I just got Voice Candy for Mac free from tap tap tap. They just released Voices for iPhone http://bit.ly/i56Un
    2 days, 6 hours ago via Twitter
Nov. 13, 2009
  • @craigign Really enjoyed your NSMBWII review. Well-reasoned, well-thought out, and well-written.
    1 week, 1 day ago via Twitter
Nov. 11, 2009
  • RT It’s the final day to get a bunch of hella-great, hella-FREE Mac apps from http://macheist.com
    1 week, 2 days ago via Twitter
  • #CallOfDuty Game prices at my local retailer: COD4 59.99, COD:WAW 69.99, MW2 64.99 - seriously no discounted games in that franchise?
    1 week, 3 days ago via Twitter
Nov. 9, 2009
  • Its a tough time of year. Lots of cool stuff I'd like to get, but Christmas is right around the corner; I'd better wait.
    1 week, 5 days ago via Twitter
Nov. 7, 2009
  • @jwhdavison It would be really nice to have you back on a podcast weekly. Enjoyed your segment on the @KomboBreaker show.
    2 weeks ago via Twitter
Nov. 6, 2009
  • I'm curious what percentage of the population (at least those that live in cities) walk to work? #commuting #exercise
    2 weeks, 1 day ago via Twitter
Nov. 3, 2009
  • Just gave my students their second mid-term. Now I have to mark them :(
    2 weeks, 4 days ago via Twitter
Nov. 2, 2009
  • Getting a new office desk this afternoon, but my old one was taken away this morning making work a bit awkward.
    2 weeks, 5 days ago via Twitter
Oct. 31, 2009
  • Imminent impact @MacHeist (151.7,174.4) Witness it and get DaisyDisk ($20) for FREE to reclaim GBs of space on your Mac! http://macheist.com
    2 weeks, 6 days ago via Twitter
Oct. 30, 2009
  • Are the new skeleton skins in #Uncharted2 the re-animated remains of the German expedition?
    3 weeks, 1 day ago via Twitter
Oct. 24, 2009
  • Why do little home repairs always turn into big ones? Cutting bolts on my toilet to put on caps turned into new closet ring and wax seal
    3 weeks, 6 days ago via Twitter
Oct. 16, 2009
Sept. 28, 2009
  • 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Sept. 25, 2009
  • @m1k3: Just to clarify - the broken controller bit would be used in conjunction with the motion controller, which you describe above, to add to it an analogue control for movement in addition to the motion-tracking etc. (i.e. moving you character while using the motion controller to aim).
    1 month, 3 weeks ago
  • When all the info about a Playstation controller that you could split apart was circling a while ago, I had to wonder what the point of such a device could be. (There was the patent for the break apart one that featured one half that looked like the current motion controller - fair enough - I can see the point in that.)  Then, after seeing the footage of RE5 being ...
    1 month, 3 weeks ago
Sept. 16, 2009
  • I just picked up Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited edition (an aside: how limited can it be if it is available brand new, in store, more than a year after launch?)  for $19.83.  Prior to this, in July, EB games was selling the same product for $9.89. At either of these prices the game you get is an amazing value.  But the question is why is ...
    2 months ago
Aug. 24, 2009
Aug. 22, 2009
  • Changgo had a submission approved for Sarah Kerrigan and earned 1 point (for a total of 2,586 points).
    3 months ago
Added by Changgo on Sept. 25, 2009

When all the info about a Playstation controller that you could split apart was circling a while ago, I had to wonder what the point of such a device could be. (There was the patent for the break apart one that featured one half that looked like the current motion controller - fair enough - I can see the point in that.)  Then, after seeing the footage of RE5 being played with a PS3 motion controller in one hand and a DualShock in the other, it all made sense (at least to me). Breaking apart the controller would allow one half to be used just like the Wii's nunchuck attachment. Perhaps.  Maybe.  Someday. Or not.
Related to: PlayStation 3


Added by Changgo on Sept. 16, 2009

I just picked up Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited edition (an aside: how limited can it be if it is available brand new, in store, more than a year after launch?)  for $19.83.  Prior to this, in July, EB games was selling the same product for $9.89. At either of these prices the game you get is an amazing value.  But the question is why is the game available for so cheap?  I understand that is what happens with games, there is a big spash when the come out and then a long, usually insignificant tail of sales. The publishers/retailers try to get the most of the title by cutting its price in an attempt to move units and eventually it makes its way from the wall shelves to the discount bins.  That is the way things work. Unless of course you look at some Nintendo titles - in particular the Mario Kart series which continue to sell well month after month.  It seems as the new Nintendo console buyers are recruited each month a large percentage of them pick up certain titles almost by default and as such the games continue to sell at or near their  introduced price.  Why has that not translated to other consoles.  Both the 360 and the PS3 add new gamers each month.  Why, if you by a PS3 for example, do you not  automatically pick up a copy of MGS4?  Does it have to do with limited mass appeal of certain genres?  Or does it say something more about the difference between those that own a PS3 or 360 and those that own a Wii?  The only title that I can think of that has been close to an 'Evergreen' title for the more graphically endowed current-gen systems is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.


Added by Changgo on March 8, 2009

I have played through, and enjoyed immensely, a number of AAA titles in the past year for the PS3.  (I'm certain if you are reading this that you have also likely played a number of AAA games recently on whatever console(s) you own.)   Prior to the games' releases I, probably like most who frequent sites like this, I would take notice of and devour the increased coverage of the title that would inevitably lead up to its debut.  Once the game actually hit store shelves I'd pick it up as soon as I could and spend the next few days playing through the whole thing.  Often after finishing the game, however, I have  been left with a feeling of being let down.  Not from the experience mind you, but from the end of the anticipation; akin to waking up on Boxing Day when you are young and realizing that there is nothing in your stocking and will not be anything in it for another year.  Multiplayer components help mitigate this sometimes, but after jumping in a couple times the experience is no longer new (even though it may be quite fun).  It seems to me that the gaming industry in general has developed a fantastic system for creating a frenzy surrounding a title, converting that attention to sales almost immediately upon release and then, once the gamer has had a couple of days to enjoy/digest the experience, focus attention on the the next game in the pipeline.

I do not want it to sound like I am complaining too much.  I enjoy assimilating the copious information doled out prior to a games release - it helps me decide whether or not to spend my money on it.  I just can't help but wonder if it all makes it easier to get over-hyped for a game and as a result affects my experience with it.

I guess the nice thing is that I have a choice in all of this.  (But then what would I read about on the internet at work?)


Added by Changgo on March 7, 2009

I recently benefitted from video game training in my real life and am wondering if others have experienced similar benefits of dedicated hours with controller in-hand.  

My wife and I were driving home one evening around 11 pm.  Our route took us by a large hotel with an equally large parking lot.  As we progressed past the lot, up popped three young teen-aged punks who pelted our car with rocks.  I yelled at my wife (who was driving) to stop the car.  She slammed on the brakes and I was out of the car before it stopped; running after the perpetrators through a dark parking lot.  Thats when my game training kicked in - every first person shooter I had ever played came back to lend a hand - I began strategizing as I was moving, thinking about how I could intercept my prey.  I saw them enter one of the external doors of the hotel, turn around and scan the parking lot for any sign of their pursuer (me).  Luckily, I was already pretty much out of view when the did this and was able to duck into a different external door without them knowing.  I then worked my way up towards the exit where I had seen them stationed just moments before.  Obviously they have not played enough FPSs as they were still in the same spot (gotta keep moving kids), I snuck up behind them (3 of them) and grabbed first two by their necks, picked them up, slammed them against the wall, and held them there (one in each hand) while I yelled at them for 10 minutes and impressed upon them the ultimate stupidity of their actions. (The third kid -who I didn't grab was dumbstruck.)  After making my point (over an over) I released them and made them open the door for me to show a little respect.  They were so shaken-up that they started freaking out when the door wouldn't open (they were pushing on a pull door).  I walked out to my car, which my wife had pulled into the parking lot, and checked for damage. There wasn't any noticeable so I decided to leave it at that. 

I felt pretty good after catching and chastising those kids - a little vigilante justice, but also felt quite old.  Anyway, video games to the rescue again. 



Added by Changgo on Dec. 10, 2008

If you believe what Sony Computer Entertainment America wants you to then the PS3 is an exceptional value compared to its competitors (namely the Xbox360 - the Wii is a different animal).  I have seen a couple articles address this issue lately, however, in my opinion they have all fallen short of true feature parity.  The following chart is my attempt at creating comparable  360 and PS3 systems beginning with the standard 60 and 80GB configurations. (I am from Canada and as such all prices reflect the MSRP in Canadian Dollars)

Xbox 360Playstation 3
 Console 300 400
WiFi 100 included
HeadSet included 50
 Online Play 60 included
 HD Cables included 10 (Monoprice.com)
 Rechargeable Battery 12 -
 Sub-Total 472 460
 Price Difference 12 0
 Blu-Ray 250 (Profile 2.0 with BD Live) Included
Total 722 460
 Price Difference +262-

The bottom line is, if you want to both game and play Blu-Ray movies the PS3 offers a significant price advantage.  True, you can stream HD movies via NetFlix on a 360, however, it is not at 1080p resolution.  If a Blu-Ray player is a non-issue for you then the true cost of the two systems is pretty even.  If you do not need WiFi access then the 360 has a 88 dollar advantage, however, when you factor in the cost of a Gold level Live account, that advantage doesn't take long to evaporate.

SCEA appears to have a point when they talk about the value proposition of the PS3 (when you factor in the ability to play Blu-Ray discs).  However, if the recent PS3 sales figures are any indication they do not seem to be successfully conveying this message to the public.


Changgo's Reviews
Customizable controls make-up for a list of short-comings (WII)
With the notable exception of Metroid Prime 3, the first-person shooter/action genre on the Nintendo Wii has been dominated by WWII-based games. Although it is the third major title on the Wii to revisit the European theatre of the 1940's Medal of Honor Heroes 2 provides enough unique features to ...
Reviewed by Changgo on July 26, 2008


Date Joined: July 21, 2008
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Games gamed.
a list of 16 items by Changgo
Brad 5 hours, 19 minutes ago
Fired up Braid on a whim this morning and instantly solved the puzzle that had me stumped for a year. What the eff.
Jeff 5 hours, 52 minutes ago
My new power to change the GB homepage's tagline at will is surely going to lead to ruin.
Ryan 6 hours, 51 minutes ago
play on, player! RT @FINALLEVEL: http://twitpic.com/qdjt0 - Daily Pic: Name this Bay Area Mack!
Vinny 1 week, 1 day ago
So easy to join! RT @jeffgerstmann: Square's new Scientology recruitment video. That guy looks so calm and in-control! http://bit.ly/3OtQH2
Alex_V 3 weeks, 3 days ago
Addicted to Torchlight. My life always felt like a dungeon hack.
Ravenhoe 1 month, 4 weeks ago
Cannot sleep, walls are closing in, Nick Cave
Win 5 months ago
Win thinks that the Meat Circus level in Psychonauts is frustrating as hell.