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17 Sept 04
I got a message today. If you want to get into the Blitzkrieg II closed beta click Here. Check out Nival's website if you need more info.
I threw a few more thoughts on Burnout 3 in forums if you care to check them out.
I haven't gotten any feedback from people playing the Sims 2. Is anyone out there playing it? Or are you too busy playing it to check back here?
I put a blurb up on the news section of the site. Atari is specifically supporting the Athlon 64 processor. I wonder what Intel would do if 64 bit computing suddenly became a gaming fad. I think they still have the Itanium rumbling around somewhere. You'd think they almost have to respond.
I liked those Dell "little upgrade" ads the first time I saw them mostly for nostalgia. Of course, they wore thin very quickly. They do bring up an interesting point. For business purposes, it's hard to tell the difference between a 3 year old computer and a new one. In fact, there doesn't seem to be much incentive to upgrade soon. I'd say the software upgrades are a better value now in the business environment.
Now with all the value priced computers out there, the new user can pick up something cheap that will actually last them for a while. Unless they play games. I know game needs have traditionally driven the hardware market, but if business really soften on hardware, gamers could be the last refuge for the resellers. So that's why I'm interested in this Atari move. If it catches on, it might change the direction of the platform we're all gaming on. Who knows?
Jason
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16 Sept 04
There's a little update on Acclaim today. EB Games is reporting that all the pending titles for Acclaim are cancelled. So titles like Juiced and the Red Star might eventually come out, but it will be either under a reorganized Acclaim or through another company. There's no official word from Acclaim, but I don't know who's left there to be making any official statements.
If you haven't heard it elsewhere, Valve's release candidate for Half Life 2 was submitted today. We'll either see a gold announcement or a delay shortly.
Speaking of going gold, the next Leisure Suit Larry game has hit that milestone. We'll see how it stands up minus Al Lowe. Reviews should start popping up soon.
Finally, the Tokyo Game Show is coming up soon. There should be a ton more information on the Nintendo DS, the Sony PSP and their accompanying games. I'll try to sift through the flood to bring you the best bits. Rumor has it that the slimmed down PStwo will makes its debut as well.
Jason
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15 Sept 04
I try not to jump on bandwagons. Hype can ruin many a good game. In fact, I won't be surprised if Fable (RPG) for the the Xbox turns out to be a sales dud. It's not that it isn't a good game. By most accounts it's a quality title that fills a gap in the Xbox library. However, many reviews label the game as a disappointment because it isn't the game that was hyped to the gaming media. Many of the grand ideas just didn't make it into the game.
In fact, some reviewers note that the game didn't even match up with the marketing copy Microsoft sent out. It would be a shame if the game withered on the vine (despite average scores around 88% by Gamerankings). The fact is the game was hyped too much, too early and unrealistically. So now I'm sensing a general apathy in the gaming community towards it. We'll see how it pans out, but keep in mind many big games are just around the bend.
I actually like the games that take the opposite approach. The seem to come out of nowhere and explode onto the scene. While you're at Gamerankings, you might want to see what the top rated recent game is. It's Burnout 3 (Xbox/PS2). While the series has been popular enough, it's never been labeled a hit. I can't recall hearing much about this game ahead of time except for some reports from E3 this year that it was hard to put down. Most of the reports about it were focused on the potential for EA to ruin the game.
I admit that I couldn't ignore the glowing reviews for this game. So when Fry's had it on sale, I jumped at it. Now I understand why the reviewers were smitten. While a game like The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth is a grand fantasy take on war, Burnout 3 is just as fantastic a take on driving. There may be the shell of reality around it, but the meat of the game is the pure fantasy buried in the heart of every driver.
High speed, dangerous driving, and consequence free accidents are exactly the type of thing that most drivers dream about while stuck in a traffic jam. This game reminded me of the feeling of freedom and power of when I first got my drivers license. Perhaps more than that, it reminds me of how I felt as a kid imagining what it would be like when I could drive. Yes, it's that fun.
There are some problems. The EA/Xbox live link is still a bit troublesome. EA has improved it from release, but it's not seamless yet. Some races seem disproportionately difficult. But there are so many different ways to play and earn rewards, you won't care. Check it out if you want to embrace your inner wild driver.
Jason
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14 Sept 04
The Sims 2 is out. While it's not a traditional strategy game, it should generate some good stories. If anyone is interested, please use the forum. If you need hosting for screenshots for your story, drop me an email. I can find some space.
There's a new article out about Xbox 2 compatibility. Check it out Here. The interesting thing is it's not clear that Microsoft is actually using this product or that this might be a pitch to sell it. While most people agree that it's technically possible to emulate, the costs would probably prove prohibitive. Then there's the issue of translating the graphics commands from the Nvidia format to the new ATI format. Since backwards compatibility is plus and encourages people to buy more Xbox games now, Microsoft's silence on the issue still speaks volumes to me.
Jason
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13 Sept 04
Well, we're getting into the fall season. Besides the wonderful start of football, it's quite possibly the best games season of the year. You always get a rush of releases at the end of a quarter. After all, those preorders turn instantly into revenue on shipment. That infusion of cash always looks good on financial reports.
Falls also good as the students are back on the internet. Word of mouth is spread more easily. So a lot of games that didn't make the end of school shopping season get pushed back to this time of year.
Magazines are starting to prepare their Christmas/holiday shopping guides. Publishers like to get them a few solid games they've already reviewed so the magazines can hedge their bets against the potential hits for the Christmas season since some of them are guaranteed not to pan out regardless of hype level.
Then after September, games are starting to be released in preparation for Christmas. If you know you've got a hit and will get positive reviews, you can launch a little earlier knowing the buzz won't die down before the big shopping season. That looks like the strategy for the next Grand Theft Auto game. After that, the publishers are trying to time out their releases so their big guns don't step on each others' toes.
I'm working on a look ahead guide to try to scope out the major players in the tactical and strategy genres. I'm also throwing in some of the other "big" games. Hopefully, it will be of use to you trying to plan out your gaming budget and holiday wish list.
I received an interesting email today. It looks like our next contest might be sooner rather than later. More to come.
This week's game stays firmly in the quirky category. It's another card game, but it's quite different from Metal Gear Acid. It's Soccer Cards from The Man with No Mouth (Mike Douglas). You play a team manager just starting out. You play cards to reflect different situations in the game. The better you play the cards, the better job opportunities available to you. Can you win the world cup?
Jason
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