Ben-DutkaThis damn storm is starting to piss me off. I'm not hearing good things and the timing couldn't be worse. But don't you worry none…nothing stops!
If need be, a generator will see to it that reviews for Assassin's Creed III , Need for Speed: Most Wanted , and Assassin's Creed III: Liberation (if I can get to it this week) will go up as scheduled. Basically, ASAP.
Yeah, I'm ready for that GTAV info. I've BEEN ready for a WHILE
It wasn't until I read that latest update that I realized just how starved I was for Grand Theft Auto V details. You know, concrete details. Rockstar says a ton of information is coming our way next month and that's great because I have to remind myself that I'm a gigantic GTA fan. I say "remind" because GTAIV came out freakin' four and a half years ago and I tend to go through GTA withdrawals if they take too long. I still say the game might come to one of the next-gen consoles (in addition to the current systems, of course) but either way, just gimme the game . For the time being, I can sort of fill that open-world adventure void with ACIII and Liberation but it's not quite the same. Let's face it… nothing is really the same as GTA. No, not Saints Row , either. It's just too different.
I just hope it's not too far off. All these analysts are saying it pretty much has to launch this fiscal year (before March 31, 2012) for Take-Two's financial predictions to come true. But if it isn't ready, it isn't ready. Rockstar and Take-Two really don't believe in releasing half-done products; whenever one of their games arrives, you can usually expect it to be just about as good as they could make it. So I say, take your time and make GTAV the masterpiece everyone is expecting. …just don't make us wait too much longer. I'm starting to get a little antsy.
Plus might really help convert old-school gamers
It isn't really working with me, but I can see how PlayStation Plus might get older gamers more interested in digital . I think this is all about convenience and value. Not only are there significant discounts (and a whole lot of stuff is free with Plus), but they're also not typically giant downloads. They're right there, for less than you might think, and all you have to do is click a button and it becomes yours. I still believe those who take their video game collections seriously won't put much stock in digital offerings, but that doesn't mean they'll never have a digital game. Heck, I'm the biggest proponent of physical media there is and I've got plenty of digital games on my hard drive. I treasure several of them, too.
Granted, most of them came to me via PR people and I didn't have to pay for them, but left to my own devices, I probably would've paid for many. Plus really is a great deal, in my opinion. And while it may not completely sway old-fashioned gamers who will always appreciate boxes and discs, it certainly makes digital more appealing. There's no reason to think it can't continue to be successful, and Sony recognizes that.
Personal gaming update
I had anticipated playing more of Medal of Honor: Warfighter but that game has become my biggest disappointment of 2012. I just can't deal with it and I don't wanna talk about it. Rather, I'm more interested in my play-time with the awesome Dishonored , and I've been going through Need for Speed: Most Wanted as well. I'm sure I'm not allowed to say much before the embargo lifts on Tuesday, but the game is fun . I'll just leave it at that for now. Obviously, I've got a ton of stuff to be playing this week, so I won't have much time to play anything but work-related titles. But every once in a while, work blends with pleasure…saying I "have" to play Assassin's Creed III is just silly. Oh yeah, twist my arm. 😉
And I know Halo 4 comes out next week, which I will eventually play. I've played every single Halo and while I maintain they're overrated, I've enjoyed each one. I just won't have the time for it, so I think I'll throw it on a Christmas wish list. I'd actually rather use my 360 to play the new Alan Wake game, which I haven't gotten around to yet. As for the Wii U…don't care. Sorry, but it's not doing anything for me.
Can't wait for more GTA V info. It's hard to believe that a whole year has passed since the logo first dropped with the promise of the trailer. It looks as though a Spring 2013 release is now confirmed, so I want to know more about the game itself. Gets me down that I won't get to play it for a while, but so it goes. I'll be enjoying myself in other ways 😉
Personal Update:
Into part 2 of Atlas Shrugged. It's really well written and I find myself looking forward to the way that all of the different plot points will ultimately be resolved. I haven't been as engrossed by a novel as I am with this one in an obscenely long time, so it feels a bit like a blast from the past.
Had to restart my game of XCOM. Stupid decisions basically led to my utter self-destruction. I find it kinda strange that the game has the option of an Ironman Mode, where the save files are made automatically. Am I the only person who plays their games that way anyway? I don't like having a hundred and one save files, so I just keep to the one and if I stuff up, so be it. I'm just a mite confused about it, and the way that people are calling it refreshing boggles my mind a bit.
I remember that book, I couldn't help but wonder if it was satire.
Ironically, I'm reading Ayn Rand's other classic, The Fountainhead. I like it a lot so far. 🙂
World,
I don't think it's satire, but one can definitely draw links between the disappearance of the driving forces of society and evil state themes in the novel with our depressingly stagnant times. Sometimes, I think the only visionaries left to us prefer creating fiction than future…
Ben,
It shares a lot of themes with Atlas Shrugged, doesn't it? I definitely want to look into it at some point. Her writing quality is undeniable.
Oh I know it's not, Rand actually believed that stuff.
Well done Ben, and I am not kidding here, we really appreciate your hard work on getting us those reviews!! NFSMW is getting wonderful reviews so it's great to see that. Thanks for your preview which sold me on it otherwise I wouldn't have ever had it on my radar or bought it! 🙂
I am also really looking forward to GTAV!
PGU:
Still playing Borderlands 2! My SMG, which is my preferred gun is amazing with a cool old time looking CD spinning ammo cartridge with fire damage! It's really cool how my Mechromancer reloads this gun!! I love the imagination with all the different types of gun cosmetics. I put every bad ass point I can towards Fire Rate and Recoil Reduction. My Mechromancer is setting so many baddies on fire it's hilarious! Deathtrap RULES!!
Thanks go out to Gearbox for their awesome SHiFT code schedule they just implemented! I was able to get 2 gold keys today! I lost my original gold key by accident when I opened the loot chest in Sanctuary. I am going to try to get more gold keys so I can try to get an even better SMG. I will hold on to the rest of my keys until I am level 50.
It's going to be a sad and amazing day when I have to put down Borderlands 2 for a while to play what is becoming "Juggernaut – The October 30th"!!! 🙂
Last edited by CrusaderForever on 10/27/2012 11:00:44 PM
Can't wait for those reviews! Might go pick up RAGE tomorrow if it's as cheap as it is on Amazon. About to finish up FFIX on the PSP and Liberation should keep me entertained.
RAGE is BAD-ASS. Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise.
I agree with Ben 100% Rage is a badass game and you will have a blast with it!
Rage is a must play game. And for the ridiculously low price it's going for now, it's a steal. I sincerely hope they do a next gen sequel.
Rage is great – and *looks* amazing. But make sure you got plenty of room on your hard drive before installing it – more than what's required for the actual install. This game reads from your hard drive *constantly* and a full drive makes reading files slower.
Cool! Well now I have to buy it!
Worst case I dl it off of steam. I'm going for a PC copy. Don't spend enough time around the PS3 and need to make use of the asus before it's outdated.
I'm really looking forward to the GTA V info, I'm actually tempted to pull out GTA IV since I never actually finished it and I never played the extra Episodes. As for Plus, I'm not planning on being a member since I still am a stickler for disc based gaming. For some reason I just think that's it's more worth it when I pay 60 bucks for a new game when I can open that wrapping and pop in an actual disk, I just feel so much better. Just clicking on a file just doesn't have the same effect.
Personal Update:
Well, I just got done tonight with the 7th show of my university's performance of the classic play Our Town, so since I just finished most of my midterms and closing night/strike is tomorrow, my schedule is getting more and more freed up for the upcoming release of Assassin's Creed 3. It might actually be one of the first games I'll actually attempt to do everything and get every trophy, I've just never seen the point in doing all that, but I think it might just be worth it this time.
Also, the other day I preordered Far Cry 3, and as I looked at my very sad wallet I remembered how amazing this fall and spring is gamers. There are just so many great games coming out, and I'm pretty excited to see how well they all sell and get rated. Happy gaming everyone 🙂
GTA5 is haunting my dreams with AC3. With that being said,my preorder is in and I will be there for the Midnight release.
PGU: Finished Resonance of Fate. Loved it! Got my characters to LV 250+. Tried Wonderland and was royaly kicked all over the place. Just wish they had some DLC packs for new costumes. Vash needs some new treads. Started Dark Souls. Tough,tough game.
If PS+ let me keep my free games after my membership expired I'd do it. But it doesn't so…
MoH: Warfighter just wasn't on my excitement list to begin with. Though, I do think most critics will resolve that NG3 will claim most disappointing for the year. It's a series that's at least claimed goty at some point or another by various outlets.
I'm really stoked for Halo 4. I will at least rent it. That's right, D1R. If I had the cash it'd be a D1P. That latest "game play" trailer (i don't see gameplay) does look incredible, visually. It looks quite cinematic in lighting quality. The number of lighting passes the GPU is doing looks insane. They just keep learning new tricks with 7 year old hardware, I suppose.
PGU: It's been DOA5 all week for me. I took a major 3 hour upper division programming exam on friday. It was one of those you have 4 attempts to pass or youre out if you can't pass with an 80 or better type exam, so tension was high. Thankfully, I came away from it feeling like I aced it. Woo hoo!
Last edited by Temjin001 on 10/27/2012 11:13:55 PM
You're spirits have certainly been high lately, school and family must be doing well.
If the rumoured enhancements to the GTA franchise are proven true on release, then it will be an awesome game! It's hard to believe that it's been 4.5 years since GTA 4!
Regarding PS PLUS, I would have joined up, except for the fact I already owned most of the titles on offer as part of the package. I still feel that full size digital PS3 games for download from the PS store are way too expensive, even with an occasional discount
PGU: My Vita is getting some love this week. I'm trying to complete Mortal Kombat, Unit 13 and get cracking on Uncharted.
Funny I haven't had any inkling to play GTA, but I feel bad for fans getting toyed with this way by R*. I still don't think this reveal will have a release date.
PSPlus is finally worth having and way better bang for your buck versus Live.
PGU: 3 words: Metal. Gear. Solid. I finally got it working 100% on my Dreamcast so that renders it at double resolution with anti-aliasing. Then I fire up the 1080p upconverter and it looks great. (Though it's a bit weird they have no eyes). So hopefully I can properly get into the series now! I'm enjoying it so far.
" … so that renders it at double resolution with anti-aliasing. Then I fire up the 1080p upconverter and it looks great."
Careful, World. You're beginning to sound like a PC gamer with talk like that…
=p
Scary isn't it?
@World
I've finished Eternal Sonata. What is the secret that you want to tell me? Thanks! Hehe.
Eternal Sonata Spoiler Below:
There is an optional dungeon, if you complete it, you can bring Claves back from the dead!!!!
A chance we never got with Aeris. Look it up online.
Thanks for the tip, hehe.
Ben are you going to review Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward?
I don't think so. I haven't even heard of it.
It's for Vita. The original came out on 3DS. It's been getting really high review scores from what I've seen but I'm not sure what to think. I downloaded the demo but haven't booted it up yet. I read that you pretty much NEED to play the first though and unless they release it for Vita I'm never gonna play it.
really looking forward to finally getting some V info i heard today a promo poster teasing a spring 2013 release leaked lets hope this comes true.
don't need to tell me the effects of "GTA withdrawals" ben i can't go a month without messing around in one of the PS2 GTA's. i've actually spent the past few evenings taking a trip back to ViceCity (which is celebrating it's 10th anniversary this monday… Damn that makes me feel old xD) and been having a blast with it haven't played it in awhile. such an authentic experience. definitely ones of the PS2's finest.
peace.
Yeah, like Canadian dude, I saw a leaked poster for GTAV saying Spring 2013. Hopefully it's for real.
Tell you the truth, I hate the prospect of a digital future but I have to say that both the PSplus and my Vita have opened my mind quite a bit. I've played some awesome games I probably wouldn't have otherwise due to the ease of the digital format. But, don't get me wrong, I still want my physical copies.
PGU:
Finishing up Uncharted: GA before starting on LBPVita.
On PS3 I'm just starting Sleeping Dogs and my friend convinced me to splurge and buy NBA2k13 from the PS Store. I'm glad I did! Haven't gotten a basketball game in quite a while and I'm having a great time with it. Not to mention I can't resist whooping on some butt with my dominant Lakers team!!!!
I've been playing as the Nuggets in 2K13 and damn, I just can't keep up with the Lakers and Heat cuz my defense is just not keeping up! I've got the offense, don't get me wrong, but my big men leave the paint open like none other and it's really annoying lol
My gaming update: Got pre-black friday deal on Darksiders 2 and Sleeping dogs for 20 buckaroos each thanks to Steam and Amazon. Didn't get to Sleeping Dogs, yet, but, I'm really enjoying Darksiders 2.
Congrats, Sensei Temjin, on the exam. Balancing family, work & play is part&parcel of a ninja's struggle to be one with the universe!
the gameinformer issue is releasing november 8 so we dont have too much longer to wait till we have some much needed details!
a poster has been found revealing the games launch window too, so maybe its not as far off as we thought?
eh, all i want is GTA san andreas in HD!
thats it!
the activities, upgradeable weapons, gang wars, scale, everything from san andreas but brought into a much bigger map, and with crazy graphics.
looking at what R* did with current systems back in 08 i cant wait to see what they have been able to do since!
and what they could do if it will come to next gen systems.
dunno why but im really starting to get into warfighter.
its just so much more open and creative than its predecessor.
yea its allot less tactical, and i really miss the constant streaming info from your team mates, but this almost feels like a adecuate replacement.
its funny in a year where we have had so many sequels that have been so different, they all replace the awesome with the meh.
its nice to see that change for once, and the awesome is replaced with something actually half decent!
the chase and vehicle missions are so much fun too!
i just hope danger close get another bite at the apple, and next time there given the time, budget, and freedom they need to really give us a brilliant war game!
id like to see a mix of 2010s reboot, the stealth and tactility it had mixed in with warfighters scale, openess, and high budget.
that would make the ultimate war game!
"looking at what R* did with current systems back in 08 i cant wait to see what they have been able to do since!"
Wait, what?! Aren't you the one famous for saying GTA IV was crap, going so far as to deem it Taxi Driver? Now you're implying they did fantastic things? Oh you're impossible 😀
Last edited by Lawless SXE on 10/28/2012 6:58:43 AM
graphics, dude, graphics!
jesus christ, ben i need a pay rise i dont get paid enough to dumb everything down to kindergarten level!
I'm convinced that ________ is an escaped mental patient or some kind of crazy government experiment unleashed on the public.
The graphics of GTA IV really aren't overly impressive. Maybe it's just that they're realistic, but I actually thought that Oblivion trumped it due to colour, architectural design and scope. Character models were ugly, though the city was pretty convincing…
I have this issue with memory. Like, i bought the splinter cell HD off the store and while i love playing chaos theory, i always end up deleting it to make room for something else. While i always want to play resident evil 6 or dark souls. Those two games i would like to have as digital and have splinter cell as physical. Its weird i know, but i think some games should be digital and some be physical.
GTAV… I showed my girlfriend the trailer for vice city yesterday. Just because i was 10 years old when it came out. Hard to believe ten years has gone by but i still remember the music, setting, and story in vice city. Rockstar is one of the greatest devs out there. You can feel their love for their games and that makes it all the better to play.
I've been playing left 4 dead 2 on my pc. Finally found a way to use my ps3 controller so its been fun. I also still play some re6 here and there. I was ranked the 356th best player for like 4 days straight. Now im like 31 thousand and something. I also have been playing dark souls. Now that people can't lagstab me the experience has gotten a bit better. I still haven't played journey but only because i don't like games where something is not trying to kill me.
Its weird, but after 15 years of playing games where everything is trying to kill me it just makes me feel akward having a casual stroll. I started to play warfighter but aside from the short campaign the MP feels like CoD MW2. I didn't play much of MW2 but i remember how it felt and Warfighter felt the same.
Only two more days till i get to be an assassin in red coats era! I will miss the earlier era's because they had some fantastic ambiance but from what i've seen AC3 will deliver on that portion. My main concern is that guns will be to heavily influenced and that might ruin it for me. I was also thinking about buying doom 3 BFG but thanks to ben, i know im better off with my memories.
Oh and the Wii u? Bribing youtube celebs to say its a great system is kind of rediculous. My gamestop has like 40 or so people with the AC3 ps3 bundle. The same thing with the halo 4 bundles. They have so many pre-ordered ps3's/360's bundles and only a couple of wii u's. Im friends with the manager, his nick name is big boss. After playing MGS4 i finally know why.
PGU: still playing RE6, and having a blast! Also havnt finished MoHyet but I've been playing it, and what a rush. Everything I've said about the game still stands. It's running flawlessly, and looks and sounds beautiful. I'm 80% through the campaign I think and it's just plain good. There is an underlying story that's actually really compelling! For this who only played up to a certain point I could see how it's, i don't know… Blah! But it's a fine little story as it plays out.
Not a disappointment for me, I think it's great. And the mp just gets better and better the more I play it. It's got a learning curve which is great. Because now instead of going 30-4 in team deathmatch game in CoD, I'm going 15-9 on average. So it's testing my skills, and I'm having a blast with it.
I plan to pick up a few games on Tuesday with Targets buy 2 get 1 deal. Not sure which yet. Definitely AC3, but undecided on NFS, only because Ive been upset at full price purchases on racing games this gen.
As far as Medal of Honor Warfighter goes, I agree with you. It has played flawless for me and the sound and gameplay have been perfect.
It has a great story that was easy to follow for any Modern FPS player and the graphics are spectacular. I've become attached to these characters, best bunch since Battlefield Bad Co.
I really like the characters also, and the story is easy to follow. The great thing for me, is they way MoH (both games released this gen) really portrays the soldiers life and what they might go through. In Warfighter you get to see the struggle that the "warfighter" has through his moral decisions.
I really like playing as Preacher, that part of the story is shaping up and has me completely interested! Havnt finished it yet but I plan to tonight!
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 10/28/2012 7:43:36 PM
I hear ya with the storm, it's even messing with us southern Ontarions…but I will fight through the storm to get ACIII
Regarding GTA5, I am not so sure if it will be released for both current and next consoles. It would be neat but has Rockstar ever done that before, releasing a game for two different generations hardware? And wouldn't that put too much restrains on the next-gen version? Naah, I doubt it.
If I have to choose I hope it is for next gen hardware. I would love to get me a GTA5+PS4 bundle.
PGU:
I've been to Cyprus the last two weeks, I got married there among other things. 🙂 So there's been little gaming except on my mobile. Been playing UniWar a lot (turn-based strategy) and I gotta say, that game has a really awesome community. I've become party of a group that fire up new games constantly, and it's a blast regardless if I win or lose. The chat channel is almost the main attraction. 😀
PRU:
It's sad that I'm the only one reading sci-fi around here since it makes sharing what I read somewhat redundant. But this holiday I dug deep into a new collection of sci-fi short stories: "Solaris Rising". A really good collection of works from both established and new sci-fi writers in a wonderful blend.
Sci-fi must be one of the best suited genres for short stories. But whatever. This is not the place to discuss SF. 🙂
But if you own a smart phone and like turn based strategy, you really should give Uniwar a try. It's great!
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/28/2012 5:27:47 AM
It wasn't a simultaneous launch, but Bully was released on PS2, then the 360 a few years later. Or you could look at Table Tennis as a reference point, which released on the Wii and 360, if you choose to regard the Wii as last-gen, which, based on the tech specs, is entirely reasonable. It's a smaller, laser-focussed game though, unlike GTA V. Kind of kills the possibility if you ask me.
You got married?! Cool to hear and I hope she makes you happy 🙂 'Grats on that Beam.
As for SF, I used to read and love it; now my forays into that realm of fiction are almost exclusively in films and games. Not because I don't still love it, but my reading habits have turned away from it. Nowadays, I just like keeping up with scientific theory and discovery. It doesn't have quite the same whimsy as SF, but it's arguably more fascinating as it is real. Now you make me want to read some SF again… Damn you 😉
Congrats on your new marriage, and may it last your lifetimes.
Thanks Biker and Lawless! Yeah it was an awesome event. We both love Cyprus so much so it was the obvious location for us.
@Lawless: Well it's cool to hear you at least *used* to read SF. It's something. 🙂 I think the genre as a whole is underrated, I hardly hear anyone reading it. Even the most ardent readers typically has read very little sci-fi.
As for me I love SF in every medium: Games, movies, TV-series, comics, books… I'm just *so* there.
But I prefer the more scientific or poetic style SF over the more plain, action oriented "good VS bad" stuff. Movies like A Scanner Darkly, Dark City, Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, Brazil, AI, Moon… Man there are many great SF movies.
But I too love real life science! I subscribe to all the BBC science programs on my mobile. I listen to them every week before I go to sleep.
I guess bottom line is that I find the future to be incredibly more interesting than the past. Always have. 🙂
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/28/2012 11:24:18 AM
Congrats! I hope your marriage is a long and happy one 🙂
Congrats Beam! Way to go!
Thanks, Big and Bete12. It only took me seven years to convince her. 🙂
Can't wait for GTA 5,need my bmx bunny hopping cycle-by shootings back.
PGU:RE6 & Killzone HD
Scatter GRENADE!!!
My PS Plus membership paid for itself a long time ago, I'm a happy camper with my subscription and it allows me to try new games and games that I missed out on.
PGU: Dishonored is taking my time and I love it! Ben's review swayed me for the purchase and I don't regret it one bit.
Congrats Beamboom! You just got married in Cyprus…Hmmmm, I am sure there has been plenty of game playing going on!!
Hey Ben, I fall into that "older" gamer genre, and I for one dont have a problem with digital downloads. Pleny of games I haven't played, and being alot of free ones available, they are mine until Sony don't carry them anymore.
I have 47 hours into Darksiders ll and still not finished. I am a slow gamer!!