Video Game Resolutions 2013

2013, it still seems awkward saying it (i'm sure it would be more awkward writing it for a while).

So, what are my gaming related resolutions this year?  I may have set my sights pretty low, but there is currently only one 2013 release (South Park: The Stick of Truth) that currently interests me. 

My End of the Year Games Presents

Well, 2012 is coming to a close.  Allegedly, the next generation will start towards the end of 2013 (no the WiiU doesn't really count for me).  The only currently announced 2013 game I am interested in is the South Park: The Stick of Truth.

So what did I get for Xmas/the end of the year metropolitan policy.  I guess these games have to last me a while, since I currently don't intend to go "next gen".  Many of these were Black Friday deals (or online - I did take advantage of some Xmas XBLA points and Xbox Live sales), a few were presents.

Karaoke (Xbox 360 Apps): Impressions

Yesterday saw the release of an app on the Xbox 360 (i think you find it in the app section) titled "Karaoke".  This seems to be an iNiS game (they did Lips on the 360) and a Karaoke Channel license.  It is free to download and currently has 5 free songs per day.

So how is the app?  Well, i would say middling. 

Game Room Report for October 2012

It is closing in on a whole two years without any new content.  i guess the odds of new content coming out are probably about the same as me winning a large (multi-state) lottery jackpot. 

Observed Leaderboard Increases (October 11 - November 12, 2012):
* Battlantis (+10,000)
* Konami GT (+100)
* Missile Command (+1,000)
* Pinball (+1,000)
* Plaque Attack (+100)
* Quadrun (+100)

Summary:
For the last several weeks, i have observed 7 or so increases.  Over this period i noticed only 6 increases for a leaderboard increase of 12,300.  The big increase was Battlantis (a launch pack title) finally ascending to the 20,000 mark.  Will there be any other new 20,000 leaderboard games in the future?  i would say doubtful.  Though if i did have to pick a few i would say Astrosmash, Lunar Lander and Red Baron have the best shots.  No new titles passed the 1,000 leaderboard mark, though Konami GT and Plaque Attacked inched closer (the 800 mark). 

Cumulative Stuff (maybe i'll get into more detail on the 2 year anniversary of the last pack):
* Estimated Ranked "Sales" (at 87.5% of leaderboard): 423,662

Game Room Report: For September 2012

Another month has come and gone (as months typically do).  Did any leaderboards increase since my last "report".  i would guess the answer is "yes" (or else why post).  December 22nd of this year will mark the 2 year anniversary with no new content.

Observed Leaderboard Increases (September 13 - October 11, 2012) 
* Flak Attack (+1,000)
* Jail Break (+1,000)
* Kabobber (+100)
* Pooyan (+1,000)
* Thin Ice (+100)
* Rack 'Em Up (+1,000)
* River Raid (+1,000)
Summary:
There were 7 games with observed leaderboard increases during the time period (for 5,200).  That, ironically, was the exact same amount as last "report" - go figure. 

Thin Ice joined the 1,000 leaderboard club.  Ranked games not yet to that plateau: Beamrider (still at 900), Cosmic Commuter (700), Dodge 'Em (800), Dolphin (600), Gravitar 2600 (400), Hover Force (100), Kabobber (300), Konami GT (700), Off The Wall (200), Plaque Attack (700), Pressure Cooker (500), Quadrun (100), Radar Lock (300), Star Strike (100), Submarine Commander (100), Super Pro Decathalon (100), Vectron (81).  So if anyone asks you what the worst selling ranked game on Game Room is - the answer is Vectron (i wonder if Venetian Blinds sold better). 

Dview: Fable the Journey (Xbox 360, Kinect)

The Bottom Line:
Fable the Journey is a spin-off of the Fable series.  Supposedly this takes place 50 years or so after the events of Fable 3.  This game is mostly Fable in name only.  There are some of the recurring monsters (like trolls, hobbes, hollow men, balverines).  Some of the characters (especially from Fable 2 are mentioned briefly).  It is not at all like one, two or three.  In this game you play as a dweller (kind of like a gypsy) named Gabriel.  i am curious if Gabriel will show up in Fable 4 (if it happens, probably next generation)

This is a Kinect only game with no gamepad support.  Unlike many other Kinect games, you play this one seated and use mostly your arms.  Basically this is a light shooter game for Kinect, i guess there is also a lot of horse stuff (but the horse can almost go off on its own, except during certain game sequences).  Basically, the horse just fills in the blanks between dungeons.  When this game works it is fun at times (though tiring), however at times the controls will kind of mess up (especially aiming). 

Xbox 360 S Wireless Connection Issues

i decided to take some time off of Fable the Journey (mostly because my arms got really, really sore).

So, recently i have been kind of annoyed that i cannot connect my Xbox 360 S to Xbox Live.  No, i don't play online games, but it prevents me from downloading things like demos and arcade games (and updates).  i get the stock "cannot connect" replies from the Xbox (actually something about an incorrect password). 

It turns out that my problem is not that uncommon among those that have to deal with a piece of junk Comcast all-in-one device known as the Arris TG862 and also have Xbox 360 S (the matte black "slim version".)  Actually, the problem is supposed to be more of a Comcast firmware issue.  Allegedly Comcast is supposed to release a patch/update addressing this issue - but it hasn't happened yet (and i doubt it will happen anytime soon). 
   
i wonder if the ethernet ports on the back of the unit are functional (if they are maybe i could set up another router or something).  Maybe i could find a cheap one somewhere.  i have considered going with a bridge/access point, but i don't really want to pay those kind of prices. 

In Progress: Fable The Journey (may contain light spoilers)

i played Fable the Journey yesterday for 3-4 hours and boy are my arms fatigued by the build-up of lactic acid.  

Fable the Journey is a spin-off game for the Kinect.  This is not part of the main series and really does not play like it.  In the Journey, you take on the role of Gabriel (a dweller) who gets thrust into an adventure - somewhat due to his proclivity to fall asleep in the rain.  He meets a familiar face in Theresa (well if you have played any of the previous Fable games - you will learn a little of her back story here).  Unluckily for Gabriel, it turns out that an entity called the Devourer is after Theresa. 

My Summer Vacation in Video Games

You may be asking yourself how this guy can have a summer vacation despite being out of school for a long time.  Well, i just can ok. 

i'm currently getting a Train song "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" stuck in my head.  Dang, it's catchy.  The hassles of writing a post while listening to songs on my computer (hopefully i don't subconsciously quote lyrics).

i watched an inordinate amount of movies during that period.  i did find some time to play video games though.  i wish engage.xbox would still send my reports on monthly playtime, etc. But they don't

Game Room: Report for My Summer Vacation

"Another summer, another vacation is over" - "Heartbeat" by Wham!  What, Wham! was awesome, especially that album. 

So, i have been taking a break from posting for a while.  Sorry, i might come back.  Well, what happened to the Game Room leaderboards in June through September 2012?  Looking at my numbers, it might be a little longer than that.  Not a whole lot.

Game Room: Report for April 2012

April has mercifully given way to May.  This means yet another time to check the leaderboards for Game Room... 

Observed Leaderborad Increases (April 3 - May 4, 2012)
* Battlezone (+1,000)
* Buzz Bombers (+1,000)
* Beamrider (+100)
* Dodge 'Em (+100)
* Food Fight (+1,000)
* Time Pilot (+1,000)
* Yie Ar Kung Fu (+1,000)

Summary:
There were 7 games in which i observed a leaderboard increase during the period - for an increase of 5,200.    

Dview: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (Xbox 360)

The Bottom Line:
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is an M rated third person action RPG.  This edition is the Enhanced Edtions released for the Xbox 360.  The story and surronding themes are a little bit more mature than your typical why is the M rated again faire (like Mass Effect or Skyrim).  Some of the themes and references are a little bit more mature (there is nudity, public urination, suicide, execution, rape, regicide, etc).   Overall, this game seems to be slightly better than average (with an average-ish story of political machinations).  The big letdown for me in this game is the combat (which can be dodgy at times).  i didn't have this game freeze on me, but there were issues like screen tearing and the screen flashing black at times (sometimes after/during an auto save).

The Witcher 2 (Xbox 360): in progress

So, i picked up Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings today.  i have only beaten the prologue (on easy of course, and a couple minutes of Act 1) and i have already seen: nudity, decapitation and execution (hanging).  That is probably in the first two hours.   

Overall, it currently looks like a decent game (probably a litle over-rated).  However, there are definitely things that i currently am not a huge fan of...

2012 E3 Random "Predictions": Xbox 360

Well, MSFT's E3 conference "keynote" is approaching again.  This year it is slated for June 4th at 10:00 AM PST.  So, what do i think will happen all the way in the future?  Here is a nice list of guesses on things which won't happen (and maybe a few that will).  These are all guesses, with limited basis in reality - so be advised.  "Predictions" made on 4/16/12

Xbox 360s Best RPGs - My Opinion

This post i will delve into the RPGs (one of my favorite genres) and post what i think the best RPGs i've played on the Xbox 360.  Some of this may not be totally accurate - as my memory of some of these games is a little fuzzy.  i may have (or will) played more games than this

Go Lizard Kingz

So, what is this post.  Is it an attempt to annoy my alleged brother?  No (not totally).

i have been thinking back (as i typically do), because the present basically sucks - and i think the best future outcome would be the annihilation of the earth (fingers crossed for 12/21/12.

If you don't know (and you probably don't) the title is a reference to the EA game Mutant League Hockey.  There are a ton (or tonne) of games i would like to see released on XBLA (or Windows 8 Tablets). 

Here are some of the games i would like to see:
* Lunar 1
* Lunar 2
* Other Turn based RPGs
* Mutant League Football
* Mutant League Hockey
* MindWare PC games: Gazillionaire Deluxe, Profitania, Zapitalism
* Carmen Sandiego (PC game)
* Arcade Classics (category - like Atari, Midway, Capcom, etc) / Game Room on Windows 8 Tablets might seal the deal of my purchasing one (provided price falls in the right range)
* Bonk
* Others i can't think of...

Game Room Report for March 2012

Another month has come and gone.  Other than that (for me) nothing has been going on.  i once again endeavored to glance upon the leaderboard stats for Game Room. 

Apparently, the leaderboards keep increasing for some game (at a slow rate).  There has been no content for over about 15 months. 

Are Video Games Art? No

So, recently (maybe due to the Mass Effect 3 fallout) i have seen an influx in people claiming that video games are art. 

i take exception to the theory that video games are art.  To be fair, i don't consider anything that is mass marketed / mass distributed to be art.  That means that movies, video games, books, music, etc are not art - at least in my view.    

The Mass Effect 3 Ending i Would Have Liked to Seen

First off, no i haven't played Mass Effect 3 (i did play the firs two games of the series).  Without the backlash from the "scorched earth" ending, i probably would have purchased it (and beat it) by now.  As it stands, i guess i can wait until it is deeply discounted (i got Mass Effect 2 for $9.99).  i disliked the demo - the ending controversy was icing on the cake.  i guess i will just spend that money i would have spent on Mass Effect 3 on The Witcher 2 (despite misgivings on difficulty).
My Ideal Mass Effect 3 Ending(s) - some random notes:
*  i want a "happy ending possibility" that is an option, not the only one - of course my idea of a happy ending is to repel the reaper threat (and have them retreat, after taking care of Harbinger).  Let the civilizations 5,000 - 50,000 years from now deal with it.  Let the Quarians set up their new planet and the Krogans deal with life post genophage. Let Shepard live "happily ever after" with his/her love interest (maybe raising a family).  i could deal with a few systems/planets being wiped out.  i mean, Pluto's status as a planet has already been wiped out. 

* i want a bad ending too, where the Reapers win and galactic civilization is wiped out completely.

* Ending possibility 3: the sacrifice ending.  i'm ok with that option of Shepard somehow sacrificing himself or (the Normandy with crew on board) to save everyone else.  Like the Star Ocean: The Last Hope character who created a black hole to deal with the boss. 

* Boss fight with Harbinger - i don't view boss fights as "too video game-y" for a video game. 

* War Assets should actually mean something.  i want scenes of Rachni swarming a reaper, i want the Destiny Ascencion to come in and help me with its massive gun, i want to see the Quarians defending their new home planet, etc.  Admittedly, this may not be easy to implement.  Not every race needs to hunker down around Earth (they could have their own problems to deal with).  Some war assets should play out in the final boss fight. 
- Effective Military Strength should be jettisoned (multiplayer should NEVER impact the single player expreience).
* i want to see the citadel annihilated by the Reapers, destroying the catalyst (forcing the races to depend on themselves - not deux ex machina).

BioWare: My Consumer Relationship With Them

i was just thinking (a dangerous idea i know) about how i have been related with BioWare games over the years.  Maybe this is because i am thinking of placing them on my "do not buy list".  Basically, i viewed them as a fading developer (for my interest anyway).  The Mass Effect ending debacle has cast a new shadow over this.  If they don't seem to care about the fans, why should the fans care about them?

Mass Effect 3 Endings: You Hate the Endings (Renegade Strategy)

Well, i was going to pick up Mass Effect 3 this week - that was until i started reading the stuff about the "endings".  They seem a lot different than what was promised (or sold by the PR people).  Wow, it sounds like they really messed up.  Right now, it seems like BioWare is in full "we're listening to you" (but not really) mode.  If they had time to complete day one DLC, they obviously had time to get other stuff going. 

i figured if they could go with a "scortched earth" ending (essentially invalidating all choices in previous games), why couldn't dissatisfied gamers use a similar tactic.  The tactic here would be for those dissatisfied with the game to help hasten the decline of the game's prices.  How is this possible, you may ask?  Well, you know how video game companies tend to not like the used game market (maybe this could reinforce why).

Basically what i am proposing is that dissatisfied players "trade" or sell their copies of the game en masse. The theory here is that by flooding the market with used games that the price will come down.  The price will come down eventually, but expediting it wouldn't be beneficial to the retail outlets or BioWare/EA.  Also, you could potentially impact new orders at the retail level. 

However, i am not sure that the critical mass could be achieved for something like this. 

Dview: Mass Effect (Xbox 360)

The Bottom Line:
Released in 2007, Mass Effect is probably my favorite WRPG this generation.  i view this as the last good BioWare game.  In this sci-fi/action/shooter RPG you play as Commander Shepard and get involved in the a galactic problem.  There were things i definitely had problems with - weird movement glitches, the Mako (i hate the Mako) and numerous elevator rides.   

Game Room Report for February 2012

Yet another month has mercifully fallen vicitm to the sands of oblivion.  Or i guess you could say another month has gone by.  So, i decided to look at Game Room leaderboard stats again.  Unfortunately, it took me over a day to do - as the server was being uncooperative. 

Dview: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (Xbox 360)

The Bottom Line:
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an action RPG from Big Huge Games (38 Studios) published by EA.  This is a nice first entry in a potential new RPG franchise.  This game seems to be more focused on action (specifically combat).  Basically, it is two button combat (a primary and secondary weapon) along with some skills (that can be accessed through pulling the right trigger and pressing the corresponding face button).  i think combat plays fairly decently.  There are a bunch of quest to find and complete (including 5 or so factions).  This game seems, to me, to be sort of a mix between Fable and Oblivion. 

In Progress: Kingdoms of Amalur (Xbox 360)

i noticed that i frequently go a while between posts.  My new label "In Progress" is for games i am playing but i haven't yet beat - think of it like impressions of games.

So, Kingdoms of Amalur is an action RPG from Big Huge Games (i think owned by Curt Schilling's 38 Studios).  Well, i got my first freeze in the game 28+ hours in.  The game froze on a quest where i was supposed to deal with some kind of cursed ring - cursed indeed. 

My Month in Video Games: January 2012 Wrap-up

So, here i am with yet another "what did i play type" posts.  i added a video game related "news ticker" to the blog, how is that working for everyone.  Did i forget any important search terms (who knows since the ticker doesn't work exactly how i want it to). 

So, what did i play in January when i wasn't watching a ton (or tonne) of movies?  The email i got from engage.xbox.com will tell me.
* Gamerscore: 35,617
* Time on Xbox Live (Connected to): 59 hours 16 minutes 
* Most Frequent Activity: Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga (beat the main game, not expansion)
* Other Activities (top 3):
- Gears of War 2: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Halo Reach: 2 Hours 15 minutes
* Factoid: Average Gamerscore: 4,159 (i have two accounts with over 35K). 

i guess some of the other time was filled with the Kingdoms of Amalur demo.  That game will figure prominently in any February post i might make (as far as playtime goes).  i don't think i actually beat any games in January. 

Used Games, Should They Be Locked Out: Part 1

Recently, there was a rumor that the Xbox Next (as i like to call it) would have a scheme to lock out used games from playing on the system. 

Dview: Star Ocean: The Last Hope (Xbox 360)

The Bottom Line:
Star Ocean: The Last Hope, sometimes called Star Ocean 4, is the fourth game in the series.  This is probably the second best of the three games that Tri-Ace were released on the 360.  In general term, this is probably my third favorite RPG this generation. 

What else should you know... this game comes in a spindle case and is 3 discs.  There seems to be some slighlty annoying disc swapping when you reach disc 3 and backtrack to complete quests.  i guess you could call this an epic game.  i have been playing through this recently and having problems, like freezing on the final boss fight, that i haven't had happen before.  For some reason it seems harder than i remember.  This is an action RPG with multiple difficulty settings.  Overall, it is a good game with some issues.
Grade B-

What to Expect:
* Action RPG, so some button mashing with special skills mapped to the triggers for quicker access
* Cutscenes, some kind of long
* Some strange characters, especially Wlech, 'kay
* Without spoiling too much... the whole save the universe plot
* Character Endings based off of affinity (with 2 hidden) via private actions
* A mid-story (sort of) outlook change for the main character to overcome (though not soon enough)
* Fairly deep crafting system
* A bunch of sidequests (many are orders from shops you encounter)
* Battle Trophies - 100 for each character: some grinding, some sadistic
* Camera that sometimes seems possessed, though you control it (close to wall and camera don't typically work well together)
* Traditional big bad boss structure
* Learn to blindside and get used to it. 

Achievements: 
i think that the best word to describe the achievements for Star Ocean the Last Hope is sadistic.  The types of achivements range from battle trophies (each 10%), collecting data, creating items via crafting, opening treasure chests, completing sidequests, getting character endings, a mini-game acheivement, some for the arena, a couple difficulty related ones and two for the bonus dungeons.  i haven't completed it on a more recent playthrough yet (close).  On my that other account i beat the game, but only had 510/1,000 gamerscore.

Microsoft Kinect: Impressions of Kinect Disneyland Adventures

So, here i go again with more impressions.  That term denotes that i played the game but did not beat it (usually several hours).  With this game, i played for an hour or two - trying out the interface and playing a few mini-games). 

Kinect Disneyland Adventures is one of those titles (like Kinectimals - also developed by Frontier Developments) that could be said to have "charm".  Yes, basically this is another mini-game collection set against the backdrop of Disneyland.  It seems to be fairly decently recreated (with mascots, etc), but i've only been to Disneyland once - a long time ago. 

There is the ability to move around the park a little bit by holding your hand out (i think this would have worked better if they implemented the Rise of Nightmares control scheme).  You can also take "photos" using your other hand.  This creates kind of a short-burst play scenario (your arm can get tired very quickly).  Eventually, you will learn the gesture for using a map (very, very helpful).  There are also some more context based gestures included (like hugging a mascot or asking for their signature). 

From what i have seen in the limited amount of mini-games i have played, you will use some different gestures.  The mini-games seem to be on-rails.  There are platforming mini-games where you jump, move side to side and some other things.  There are also "shooter" stages where you aim the gun (or watergun) with your hands.  The detection is mostly solid, but can be a little dodgy at times.  The mini-games are also a little more difficult than i expected. 

i was basically hoping for a game that was more like Kinect Adventures - and in a lot of ways (mini-games) it is similar - but with a Disney and slight exploration angle. 

Game Room: Report for January 2012

So, another month for me to check Game Room stats... Yes there were some increases in leaderboard level (though for a while i thought there wouldn't be)

My Month in Video Games: December 2011 Wrap Up

So, you may ask, what video games did i play in December (because i haven't really finished any in a while)? 

i didn't do a Game Room monthly post for Decmeber because i used stats from 12/28 (i usually would have used 1/3) on my Game Room: A Year Without Rain Post (or a year without new content)
Luckily, the engage.xbox email will answer some of those questions...  i did have some connectivity issues with Xbox Live that month (kept dropping/logging off)
* Gamerscore: 34,892
* Time on Xbox Live (connected to): 84 hours, 52 minutes
* Most Frequent Activity:  Oblivion: 38 hours, 48 minutes
* Other Activities (rest of top 3):
- Skyrim: 27 hours, 29 minutes
- Risen: 4 hour, 55 minutes
Post Xmas backlog of games i haven't completed (games added to my collection in Dec):
- Divinity 2 Dragon Knight Saga (i've been playing this game a lot)
- Kinect Sports Season 2
- Kinect Disneyland Adventures
- Halo 3 ODST
- Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom
- Leedmees (XBLA) - not played other than demo
- Jetpac Refueled
- Frogger - not played other than demo
- Forza 4 - not opened yet
- Halo Reach - not opened yet
- Gears of War 3 - not opened yet
- Alpha Protocol - not opened yet