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Pitch For A New Sitcom - "Got Game?"

By xAbleAssassinx November 8, 2009 20 Comments

Get this. New pitch for American sitcom, the writers of "Big Bang Theory" and "The Office" come together to bring us "Got Game?"

A comedy centering on the employees of a games company/games magazine/games website and their hilarious antics :)

Would you watch this show?

20 Comments

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles: Rock Band Review

By xAbleAssassinx October 26, 2009 1 Comments

‘Lovingly crafted’ is sadly not a phrase associated with many games these days. This is because the gaming industry is driven by an incredible thirst for profit. Not innovation, not quality, just cold hard cash. The games themselves reflect this, as for the most part, games produced are rushed, opportunistic, money-grabbing disasters. In recent years the rhythm genre has become one of the worst offenders, with Activision pumping out stale Guitar Hero sequels and spin off’s year after year. This is why it’s so refreshing to come across a game like The Beatles: Rock Band, which is thankfully about the music rather than the money. Obviously there is profit to be made, but the level of care, attention and sheer reverence poured into this title is down right startling in the current landscape of gaming.

It’s evident from the off that Harmonix has created a gaming experience that focuses entirely on The Beatles and their music. Unlike band specific titles from the ‘other leading brand’, there is no filler here. It’s all Beatles, all the time. Just the way it should be. Some might argue that a track list consisting of all Beatles songs might alienate those who wouldn’t consider themselves Beatles fans, and for some... - Read on at Our Misspent Youth

1 Comments

E3 09 Microsoft Conference Round Up

By xAbleAssassinx June 1, 2009 2 Comments

Left 4 Dead 2 reared it's zombie killing head, very surprising as the first was only released very recently and seems more suitable for a more episodic DLC format, rather than a full on sequel.Crackdown 2 made an appearance, first was a great game, they seem to been mixing it up by adding some kind of mutant/monster aspect to the game, could be interesting. Splinter Cell: Convictionis back and actually looks pretty damn good, they've done away with the beardy hobo vibe, gone for a much more gritty atmosphere, genuinely feels like a rebirth for the series, first time I've been excited about it since number one.

Bungie showed two titles: ODST and teased the newly announcedReach, probably based on the Fall Of Reach story, part of the Halo universe fiction. We were given a gameplay demo of ODST, looks like the story might be genuinely compelling as it's focusing more on actual people as opposed to the voiceless demon that is Masterchief. Team aspects make it look more interesting as a single player experience, different stories being told from different perspectives. They aslo mentioned a new online co-op mode called 'Firefight' which we'll hear more about as the week goes on.

Epic showed an XBLA game called Shadow Complex, a side scrolling futuristic shooter reminiscent of early Metroid titles. Microsoft announced a new avatar friendly game, Joy Ride, a cartoony racer. We were shown a trailer revealing graphics and gameplay for The Beatles: Rock Band, and Forza 3 made an appearance too. Microsoft, with the help of the lovely Felicia Day, also told us about the new networking features coming to Xbox. Soon both Facebook and Twitter will be fully integrated into the system, and now as well as upgrading their HD video service to support full 1080p, they are introducing Sky TV functionality for us here in the UK.

Infinity Ward, pleased the crowds with an impressive demo ofModern Warfare 2, showing off the same dramatic and engaging single player action we had in the first. We finally got a glimpse at what Alan Wake was actually all about, kinda looks like a mystery survival horror, very cinematic, visually underwhelming but gameplay looked impressive for that genre. We were also shown some more of Final Fantasy XIII, nothing new there really except some summoning action unseen in previous gameplay footage.

Two biggest announcements of the day are probably that the Metal Gear Solid Series is finally making an appearance on Microsoft's console, apparently "completing" what it has to offer. It won't, as many hoped and suspected, be a port of the excellentGuns of the Patriots, but rather a new title called Metal Gear Solid: Rising. Starring cyborg ninja Raiden (as opposed to irritating lady boy raiden) the game will provide "totally newMetal Gear experience". My guess is that it'll be more action orientated, more of a hack and slash with puzzle solving elements, but that's all speculation.

The second huge announcement, was the reveal of Project Natal, pretty much Eye Toy++. Microsoft are introducing a new motion sensing system in the form of a camera that tracks your entire body and all your limbs. It can also recognise your face and voice, to automatically log you in, and can act as a scanner to input images and text. It genuinely seems like a new generation of motion control, a new way to experience games and, if Peter Molyneux and his MIlo program have any say, molest creepy parentless children.It'll be interesting what Sony has in store for us in the coming days.

2 Comments

Fight Night Round 4 Demo Impressions

By xAbleAssassinx May 31, 2009 27 Comments

I'm torn really on the quality of the game, they said they were emphasising dodging and weaving to counter punch but its really very difficult to consistantly dodge. And i dont particularly like the new total punch contriol, so i switched back to classic, like in round 3, but the punching still felt unresponsive. They say its supposed to be faster and smoother than round 3 but half my punch movements on the stick dont get recognised. Its like i move to fast for it, this is a different engine and a different developer and it really shows. In round 3 you could smoothly and seamlessly move from a block to a punch, now you have to drop your guard first, pretty much let go of the stick and then try and punch for the game to register it, which make the whole countering system very unintuitive.

I wanted this to be round 3 with stunning vsuals, but it feels to different, and i dont think thats a good thing. Altho the game is absolutely beautiful, particularly in replay mode you can really appreciate all the detail. The muscles clenching when throwing or recieving punches (even down in the calf), the emotion in the characters face, the veins visible under translucent skin, and the physics in the face are incredible, like i was kinda blown away by round 3 so i nearly shat when i watched a replay in full slow motion with this game.

What you guys think?

27 Comments

S. Darko: Pointless Self Indulgent Shit.

By xAbleAssassinx May 29, 2009 9 Comments

Completely unnecessary, odd for the sake of being odd. That girl is far too pretty to be in this piece of shit. Full of pointless throwbacks to the old film, relies entirely on its following, constantly referencing back to it yet failing to explain anything. Lacks any vague form of originality, and any relatable let alone likeable characters.

Cinematography is dull and uninspired, lots of slow tracking to sad music that will never match Mad World from Donnie Darko. Performances are tolerable, mainly from the side characters, two leads are nice to look at but not much in the way of acting. Ed Westwick seems to have a large pole wedged up his smug arse the entire time, either that or he was going for cool and managed learning impaired.

What exists of the plot has no purpose, a great deal of the film is completely pointless and only serves to add to the eeriness, which isn't there to begin with. There was a lot of potential for this, they could have done something interesting with this universe, well Richard Kelly could have, this guy thought he might be able to, but hasn't. Instead what we get is a predictable, lack lustre excuse for a plot, half of which is basically a loose rehash of the original, but without a quarter of the mystique or compelling characters and themes. And an ending that makes no sense to a viewer unfamiliar with the concepts explored in the first. It would be an anti-climax were the director able to drum up any kind of anticipation. So it's just very a messy finish, which I suppose some would still call a climax (HA I'm so funny). It's one thing to love a film enough to want to work with that intellectual property, it's another thing to butcher it and pretend you achieved something. Straight to DVD is right. Pointless Self Indulgent Shit.

9 Comments

Infamous Demo Impressions

By xAbleAssassinx May 25, 2009 5 Comments

Immediately InFamous seems much more promising upon getting my hands on it. From what I can tell the gameplay footage I've seen doesn't do it justice, the game is a lot more fun to control and play than one would imagine from simply looking at it. This level of polish is impressive too, on face value it might not seem particularly amazing to look at but what with all the action happening on screen; cars being tossed into the air, lighting bolts shooting from your hands, electricity jumping from structure to structure, it's all done incredibly seamlessly, creating a very smooth, very enjoyable action experience.

The game itself puts you in the role of Cole, a man who awakes after being caught in a massive explosion, and finds he has the ability to manipulate electricity. The demo shows off a few of the different mission structures, and lets you play as the two polar opposites of good and evil. The difference mainly being that your electricity is either blue or red and your attacks are either more precise or chaotic. The demo isn't timed and there are a good few missions, with ample opportunity to do a bit of exploring, which is where a great deal of the fun is to be found. The guys at Sucker Punch have created a world that is as rich and detailed vertically as it is horizontally. With endless amounts of ledges and pipes to help you traverse the landscape, Coles abilities allow him to hop, skip and jump around the environment with super human agility and ease. Free roaming games must be enjoyable whilst doing just that: free roaming. It is the platforming elements of InFamous that make it so fun to play, without even beginning a mission.

Combat, although tricky at first, is also extremely gratifying. Your electrifying powers, in combination with your climbing abilities, make for many a nail baiting fracas; the freedom provided by your mobility allows for experimentation and different approaches to taking out enemies. There is a real sense of power and destruction in the combat, you reap havoc and leave chaos in your wake, it makes for lots of fun. So far this all is all based on a demo preview, so obviously this isn't representative of the quality of the full game, but it's safe to say that so far things are looking good.

5 Comments

An On Going Debate.

By xAbleAssassinx February 13, 2009 11 Comments

Kane Roderique-Walker - An On Going Argument The government, media and the ignorant world in general always seem to ignore the fact that the rating system and age restrictions have been much more successfully implemented for the games industry than in the Film and Music industries. It has been proven to be a hell of a lot easier to buy a CD or film underage than it is for a game, so why all the focus on games when in fact children are exposed on a much larger scale to violent and disturbing music and cinema.

Plus a link between violent video games and increased aggression or violent behaviour has never even been proven. For every study that comes to the conclusion that games are corrupting today's youth, there are three more that say they are doing no such thing. If anything games HAVE been proven to be a useful stimulant in regards to forms of education and in the mental development of younger children. It improves hand eye coordination and dexterity, encourages quicker thinking and rewards rational thought in those who play them, there are simply more benefits than disadvantages. Doctors even use video game technology to train and practice performing surgeory, there is statistical evidence to support that shows this improves their performance. Some people just do not seem to be able to grasp the concept of progress, or the difference between subjective speculation, and a well formed evidence supported argument.

If a young boy takes a gun and shoots 8 of his classmates, it is because there is something inherently wrong with that child, not because he plays too much GTA. People are so quick to assume that games are to blame, there was a case in which a man murdered a child, this child, the VICTIM had been playing Manhunt. Somewhere along the line someone decided to tell the media that the murderer in fact, had killed his victim after a marathon session of Manhunt, when in fact there was nothing to hinted at the killer ever having played the game. When FOX News jumped on the supposed scandal of what they called Mass Effects explicit, sick, alien lesbian pornography, which they referred to as interactive, the woman attacking the game had never even played it. Nor had she played the section in question, seen someone playing it, been shown footage of the game being played, or done any noteworthy research whatsoever. In fact the sex the accused the game of graphically depicting, is never even seen, it is simply implied, the game fades to black before the two characters even touch.

It is clearly a generational thing too, those who are older tend to be unfamiliar with games, and are understandably cautious of them; and so they should be, as there are some things that aren't suitable for younger human beings. However, they fail to see how they are doing exactly what the generation before them did when they blamed rock music for pretty much exactly the same things they blame games for today. People actually picketed Marilyn Manson's house after the columbine shootings. How can one musician honestly be held accountable for the massacre of dozens of school kids, by two severely disturbed young men? But don't try an tell that to Jack Thompson and the like, it's different this time, games really are affecting kids, because there interactive. If that's the case then why aren't we all running around shooting each other? If you think it might harm your kid, don't let them play those games. Stop shifting your parental responsibility onto the games industry, games are arguably an art form. You would not ask a painter or director to stop making art that may offend you or fuck up your offspring, so why games?

People still associate games with children, they see them as toys to be played with and not as a medium for expressing ideas and emotions. This undermines the industry and allows others to take pot shots without fear of repercussions. But it ignores and dismisses the amount of blood, swear and tears that go into creating unique experiences that in some cases surpass what a film can offer. It also fails to take into account the fact that most people who play games are adults, the violent ones are not made for kids. That's why the box says 18 on it. If a child is not 18 at the end of the day it is you who decides what he can and cannot play, so do exactly that, don't, as most people seem to think is a good idea, complain and expect the government to do something about it.

I do not blame parents for being concerned for their child's health, I'm sure I would do the same were I of that age group. It is media and the blatant fear mongering that occurs within it, their are some people out there who should just know better than to go around making claims with nothing to back them up. There is little evidence to support the ignorant, small minded claims and accusations of those clutching at straws on their pathetic moral crusades. But hey what do I know, maybe when I'm older I'll do the same. In fact, when virtual reality becomes a reality, look for me in the angry mob.

11 Comments

Killzone 2 Demo Impressions

By xAbleAssassinx February 7, 2009 8 Comments

The demo is single player only and has like 2 sections of one level, it takes about 10 mins to play through but u will no doubt play through it more than once. The controls take some getting used to, u hav to toggle iron sights but hold cover, it doesnt really make much sense to me but once uv played it a few times u strt too not notice the awkwardness. For more standard or call of duty style controls u can pick the "alternative 2" configuration, but because you have to hold R2 down to stay in cover rather than just press it, it makes close aiming with L1 a little annoying because your then using both fingers on the left shoulder buttons.

Visually the game is definitely one of the best looking out at the moment, i dnt know if its the masterpiece that people call it but it really is stunning, it all just looks very very nice, and the lighting is incredible, lens flares when u look at the sun look real, the water is a tad plain though, and up close some textures are a bit bland. But what it lacks in texture it makes up for it outstanding detail.

Either way you get used to the controls and the game bcomes very fun, a tad hard at times but fun all the same, ull probbaly notice alot of little details in the presentation that most games dont have; the particle effects, motion blur, the gravel scattering as you walk. The game is beautiful and actually quite fun to play as well.

P.S The loading screens are semi 3D, tilt the SixAxis to manipulate them.

8 Comments

The Gamers Guide To Survival Vol.1

By xAbleAssassinx February 5, 2009 2 Comments

I've just realised that gaming has taught me alot about survival, and I'd like to share this knowledge with you. For example, every gamer knows that if you ever get lost whilst driving, in a small town in the middle of nowhere (or underwater), in rediculously thick fog, the first thing you do, after leaving the car door open just incase their is a child that needs to go missing, is find a wrench/lead pipe. But what many don't realise is that to ensure safety, it is then crucial to head towards the closest ominous abandoned/haunted/cursed village or building, whilst drawing attention to yourself by screaming at the top of your voice.

After a short period of aimless wandering and unprovoked brutal attacks, with said pipe/wrench, on whatever comes across your path, it is important to note that if you ever find a strange looking liquid/piece of food, then the only thing to do is to drink/eat/inject oneself with said liquid/food, in order to gain a selection of odd abilities/powers. If you at any point, hear a noise/see a shadow that leads you to suspect something/someone maybe heading in your direction, it is essential to freeze on the spot and not, as many may have you believe, to start running; so as to make it as easy as possible for whatever it is, to see you and as a result start chasing you. If you follow these guidelines you will have no problem staying alive.

- xAbleAssassinx

2 Comments

Guitar Hero: World Bore?

By xAbleAssassinx February 5, 2009 1 Comments

It may have sold a bunch more but in my opinion, Guitar Hero: World Tour did not compare to Rock Band 2. The whole feel of the game was just cheap and old, yes they introduced drums and singing, but Rock Band did both better, and there so called music creator was actually laughable, not only was it ridiculously complicated, but didn't actually produce anything good. However, it looks like the guys at Activision have finally got off their arses and are ready to take the fight to Harmonix once more with Gutar Hero: Metallica. This game will have a few new features that actually seem quite interesting, a "Drum Over" system allows players to freestyle over any of the games songs, in place of the actual drum track, plus a new difficulty setting "Expert+" will introduce double kick pedals for super quick bass hits. I'm not saying their can only be one music game, but so far one is better, and until now i didn't see that changing.