An Overload of Options

I never thought I'd say it, but I wish there weren't so many video games coming out. The only saving grace is that there is still nothing of note coming up for the PS3, so I'm safe on that front. But look at this list of games I'll be too weak to resist buying.

Phoenix Wright 3 - 10/23 - Nintendo DS
Guitar Hero 3 - 10/28 - XBox 360
The Simpsons Game - 10/30 - XBox 360
Super Mario Galaxy - 11/12 - Nintendo Wii
Fire Pro Wrestling Returns - 11/13 - PS2
Smackdown vs Raw 2008 - 11/13 - XBox 360
Mass Effect - 11/20 - XBox 360
Rock Band - 11/23 - XBox 360

And that's just through November! Yes, I'm well aware that some of those games will also be out for the PS3, but unless there's a damn fine reason for getting the PS3 version, like extra levels or something, I'll get the XBox 360 version. Why? Because I'm a bit of an achievements whore. Plus, my friends all have 360s, so I can do multiplayer with them. Only 2 of my friends have PS3s, and of those two, one has a 360 also.

The worst part isn't even how my wallet is getting raped without any lube. No, the worst part is how I don't have enough hours in the day to play this. I suppose my weekends will be opening up in November, which is nice, but between these games, the games I already own and haven't played enough of (Hi, Halo 3!) and the few tv shows I watch, there just aren't enough hours in the day.

Adding insult to injury, I'm picking up Beautiful Katamari today and I'm going to try to have the strength not to grab Orange Box at the same time. The only good news is that Katamari won't suck up too much time since I can grab it and play for a short time. I'm also really glad now that Heavenly Sword is only like 5 hours long. I may actually beat it! Of course, I have to actually start it first.

The only other thing of note to happen is that the wife and I got Eternal Sonata a couple weeks ago and started to play it the other night. Well, to be truthful, we started to watch all the damn cinematics at the beginning of the game. It took like 20 minutes before I was actually playing anything. Hopefully I'll be able to add a second character to my party pretty quickly, since we want to play the game co-op. I haven't really gotten far in the game since our work schedules have conflicted since we decided to play it. I'm not really a big JRPG fan, that's my wife's job (though she insists she doesn't like them, she really does) but I play them on occassion. Because of this passing familiarity with JRPGs I can't be sure if Eternal Sonata is more emo than the average JRPG or if it is just way, way emo. All I know is there's a whole lot of whiny "woe is me" type dialog in the beginning movie. Maybe its just me getting older, but damn is it annoying.

The PS3 - First Console Designed by Trained Monkeys!

Alright, I've spent some more time with the PS3 and I'm still pretty happy with the purchase. Come to think of it, the PS3 hasn't actually been turned off since I bought it, I've left it running Folding @ Home the whole time. I have to admit I wouldn't have the confidence in my XBox 360 to leave it running like that.

The wife and I have spent a lot of time playing We Heart Katamari this week, getting ready for the release of Beautiful Katamari in a couple weeks. I kind of like the irony in playing a game on the PS3 to get myself geared up for an XBox 360 release.

I spent a bit of time at a PS3 forum yesterday, trying to really get into the role of a new PlayStation 3 owner. I check out 360 Arcadians daily, so I figured I should balance that out with some PS3 love, too. Man alive, nothing could have prepared me for the fanboys at the PS3 site. The Arcadians, while an XBox 360-centric site, still gives plenty of love to other consoles, because at its heart it is a gaming site/forum. Over at the PS3 forum, you'd think Bill Gates and Major Nelson had gangbanged these people's dogs and forced them to watch.

The big complaint was the Microsoft was paying developers to delay their PS3 releases. Um, yeah. That's called a timed exclusive. There were also many cries about how Microsoft is paying for exclusive games for the 360. I'm still failing to see the problem. Microsoft is doing everything they can to make the 360 the leader of this console generation. There's nothing wrong with that. Of course, some of these folks are so paranoid, they think Sony took money from MS to delay Home. Yes, you read that right. In fact, I'll have to quote the post, because you'll never believe me otherwise.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Insanehead
You think MS also paid Sony to delay HOME?you never know. i
don't think its a case where ms blatantly gave sony money but microsoft probably
knew 360 would be dead along with live as soon as home came out so they probably
made some sort of deal like you delay home for 6 months and afterwards we'll
give up this and this exclusives cause they knew ps3 would kill them anyway. and
by getting sony to delay home for 6 months, it means they could launch halo 3
and other games successfully without sony killing them with home so early, and
sony gets back some of the exclusives in the deal. probably haze was the first
game on the ps3 side from the deal.

That's user Nariko Rulz, who has unforunately been banned since yesterday. That's a shame, because I really enjoyed his paranoid fantasies.

Look, I know it is just plain stupid to suggest that Sony is trying to fail with the PS3, so I'm not going to do that. What I will say is that I have to seriously wonder about whomever is making their decisions. From the beginning, Sony has displayed a level of hubris not seen since Nintendo's heyday back in the 80's. First, the release a console at the $500/$600 price point a full year after the XBox 360 launched, so they knew what MS's price was. Sony just felt that since the PS2 sold so well, people would buy the PS3, too.

There's also the problem of the game library. Right now, there are very few AAA titles for the PS3. That list narrows much further if you try looking for PS3 exclusives. There's Warhawk, Heavenly Sword, Lair, and Resistance. Some people would include Ninja Gaiden Sigma in the list, but that's just the third rehash of a title for the original XBox. I was being nice in adding Lair to the list since it was really supposed to be this awesome game. I figure someone that never reads reviews could be tricked into buying it, so it'll go on the list.

But really, just 4-5 "must have" games after a year? People like to say that the Xbox 360 was in the same boat its first year, but I'm not buying it. In the first year, the 360 had PGR3, Dead Rising, Saint's Row, and DoA (3, 4? I hate fighting games, cause I suck). Plus they had Fight Night: Round 3, Oblivion, and other awesome games that weren't exclusive, but they weren't available on other next-gen consoles at the time. Add in XBox Live Arcade, which is far superior in every way to the PlayStation Store, and the games were looking pretty good in the early days of the 360. You'll also notice I left out Gears of War, since it snuck in just after the console had been out a year.

And now Sony is goofing on rumble. Yes, they've finally settled their lawsuit so they can put the rumble back in their controllers. But they seem to be in no rush to do that. Japan is getting it by the end of the year and then North America gets it sometime next year? You would think Sony would be rushing to get that to the US before the holidays. Rumble doesn't sell systems, but some people will wait to buy a console if they know a new model is coming out soon.

Look at Mike Tyson. Way back when, Tyson (Sony) had a fight against a young up and comer named Buster Douglas (Microsoft). Douglas has pretty much a no name in boxing circles and it seemed like Iron Mike was going to steamroll another opponent. So, Tyson was lazy coming into this fight. He didn't take it seriously and didn't prepare properly. Douglas, on the other hand, made the most of this shot. He trained, studied, and generally prepared to kick some ass. Tyson was caught off guard and next thing you know, there's a new World's champion. I'm not saying Sony is going to try and bite the ears off Nintendo, but they'd certainly do well to try and get in the damn fight.

PS3: First Impressions

This is kind of a supplemental post to the buying the PS3 story.

I've had an XBox 360 since April 2006, so I'm pretty used to it and how it works. During that time, the XBox 360 controller has also become my all-time favorite video game controller, a spot that was previously held by the DualShock controller. Actually, the WaveBird is probably the best controller ever, hampered only by the screwy button placement Nintendo decided on for the GameCube and the lack of rumble. But I digress.

The Good:

• I liked the fact that I was able to use my old PS2 component cables with the PS3. I've got an HDTV, but it is old enough to only have a DVI input, no HDMI.
• Going back to the SIXAXIS is like riding a bike. I haven't actually turned my PS2 on in over a year, but picking up the SIXAXIS was like I never stopped playing it.
• I like the opening music when you turn on the PS3. A minor thing, but I enjoy it.
• Folding @ Home. Its for a good cause and it looks pretty.
• The wireless internet was simple to set up and offered no problems at all.
• I heart the Emotion Engine chip. No software emulation backwards compatibility for me!
• The PS3 is certainly an impressive looking piece of electronics.

The Bad:

• It is impressive looking because it is HUGE. Like it dwarves all my other systems. It is currently sitting where my original XBox sat and is way bigger.
• I really like the XBox 360's UI better. I like the blades and the way things are organized, it makes sense to me. The PS3's interface, on the other hand, is functional but ugly.
• When I first turned it on, I had to download a rather large update. It took forever. I've been told that it is faster to use my PC to download the update, then apply it using a flash drive or memory card.
• The PlayStation Store. I understand why they made it like they did. Having it be a webpage means they can quickly and easily change it whenever they want. I mean, a total conversion kind of change, too. But it looks ugly. The icons are ugly. And I hate using the controller to move my "mouse" cursor around. It is slow and very easy to overshoot your target. This was especially annoying when I was trying to buy something on the store and kept missing the scroll down bar for the credit card expiration date.
• To go along with the previous two complaints, when I bought a couple items from the store (flOw and Super Stardust HD), they took forever to download. Same thing with the demos I got. I actually started downloading the Heavenly Sword demo, put in 300 and watched it, and when I was done, the HS demo was only 83% done. There's no excuse for that. I've got 10mbs cable internet, so it isn't a speed issue on my end.

The Unknown:

• I haven't tried out the unit to play non-DVD movies yet, so I'm looking forward to that.
• Same thing for music and pictures.
• I'm also looking forward to trying some multiplayer in Resistance. I've got a couple friends coming over tonight so I'll try that. I'll also try some online play soon.
• Warbirds. That game looks so awesome and I really want to get both it and Ninja Gaiden Sigma, but I know with Halo 3, I won't actually play either of them for a while.

So that's my intial review of the PS3. I know it looked pretty heavy on the critical side, but I'm really pretty happy with my purchase. I'm anxious to get a game that can really show what it can do, though.

This Is The End

It seems like just yesterday I was commenting on how quickly the goal was approaching. Actually, it was two days ago. How time flies.

This morning I checked my accounts and with the marketing sale that went through while I was sleeping, I've reached the goal. Yes, I have now managed to acquire the funds for a PlayStation 3 using only online sources. I'm at $523.14 earned, which is enough to go make the purchase. And it only took 52 days.

I'm still waiting on a couple of checks to come in, but at this point I'm sure I could convince the wife to let me go get the machine and reimburse the checking account as the checks arrive. I'm really not sure what I'll do. The sad truth of the matter is that I'm in a rush to get a PS3 only because I want to be sure to get a 60GB version with the Emotion Engine chip inside. There aren't any PS3 exclusive games I'm dying to play and I don't own any Blu Ray movies (yet).

I am, however, looking forward to playing some of my PS2 games upconverted. I especially am anxious to play some God of War and Kingdom Hearts on it. I'm also wanting to play Stranglehold, but I'm not sure if I want to play it on the XBox 360 or the PS3. I do like the achievements on the 360, but if I can get the limited edition PS3 version, I'll probably grab that one instead.

I'm also thinking seriously about getting the PS3 from Amazon. I've got an affiliate account, so I'll get like 4% back, which is still better than nothing. On top of that, they're running a promotion where I'll get 2 free Blu Ray movies with the PS3, in addition to the 5 movies you get just from buying the system. If I go that route, I'll probably get the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Those should look pretty nice in HD.

But I guess the real question is, where do I go from here. I've got the foundations of my internet marketing business up and running. The revenue is still rolling in from it and I really enjoy tending to the sites to make it all happen. I really think that learning these new skills was way more exciting than getting the PS3.

I'll keep this blog going, because I've had a lot of fun talking about video games. But I will be changing its purpose. Or, at least half of its purpose. With the PS3 purchase imminent, I think I'll shift my sights a bit higher. I've been wanting to get an iMac to do some music recording (GarageBand is pretty damn cool), so I think my next goal will be to get one of those nice 24" screen iMacs. Just like I did with the PS3, I'll keep the running total going to the right.

Console Gaming vs PC Gaming

I realized today just how little I used my PC for gaming anymore. I mean, I obviously have to use it for MMORPGs, but beyond that, the last thing I think I played on it was Oblivion. And I honestly can't recall the last upgrade I did. Probably switching up to a Radeon 9800 Pro a couple years ago. In a shocking turn of events, to me at least, I do way more of my video gaming on a console.

To put things in perspective, I've been playing console games since I got an Atari 2600 in 1980. Since then I've had a NES, Super Nintendo, Genesis, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, XBox, Gamecube, PlayStation 2, XBox 360, and a Wii. That's not even counting the handhelds I've owned.

I've also been playing games on a computer for a long time. I started with an Apple IIc back in the mid 80s, got a Commodore 128 just to play games on, and have had some form of PC since my first 386.

During all that time, the best games always came out on the computer. The console games were fun, but lacked the depth and scope of a computer game, for obvious reasons. Of course, there were exceptions, like how fighting games and platformers were always better on the console (except the original Prince of Persia), but the best games were on the PC. But now, consoles are pretty much little computers optimized for gaming. And the depth of PC games is no longer an issue with consoles.

Try Oblivion on the PC and then on the XBox 360 or even Playstation 3. Other than the fact that you can't download mods on a console, the games play the same. In fact, you could make a case for them playing better on a console. You need a pretty beefy PC to make Oblivion look great (not good, but great) and have to download several mods to optimize the experience for the PC. With the console, just put the CD in the tray and you're set.

Which brings me to the fact that I don't have to worry about drivers or patches for my console. Well, I guess there are patches, but those are auto-downloaded and have yet to cause more problems than they solve. Can't always say that for the PC.

Plus, I never have to upgrade my console. Sure, I may have to buy a new system every 4-5 years, but even still that's just the cost of a high-end video card for my PC.

The saddest thing to me, at least from a nostalgic point of view, is that I don't see the PC regaining its crown as king of gaming. The bright side is that the games are stellar all around, no matter the platform. The king is dead, long live the king.

What I Should Have Been Playing This Week

The weekend if finally here, so I'm looking at logging some actual time into some games. During the week, I've just been too busy after work to actually play anything except for a bit of Guitar Hero II and the Beautiful Katamari demo.


Guitar Hero II - Man alive, this game is way better than I would have guessed. I didn't play either Guitar Hero on the PlayStation 2, but finally broke down and bought the XBox 360 version a few weeks ago. Since then, it has been just about the only thing I've played, except for a little bit of Pokemon before bed. This game is an absolute blast, the music is great and the time flies when you're rocking out. Also, "Woman" on hard difficulty can go screw itself. Seriously.


Beautiful Katamari - I've played the PlayStation 2 versions and loved them, so I was pretty excited when this was announced. When I found out the demo was ready to download, I couldn't wait to try it out. The HD graphics look fantastic and the gameplay is as good as ever. The demo is really short, which is unfortunate, but this game is a definate buy for me. People have complained about the $40 price tag, but that seems completely fair to me. Wasn't We Heart Katamari eitehr $30 or $40?


Twilight Princess - So, this game had the misfortune of being purchased as I was trying to finally beat Oblivion (I'm still a couple quests from finishing it). I have't got very far into the game, shortly after meeting Zelda for the first time, if memory serves. I really want to go back and make the time to play this some more, because my Wii is seriously being underappreciated at the moment.


Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes - Kind of a random choice, but I started this game about a year ago, and quickly put it aside for something else. Gaming ADD, remember? I've got all three MGS games, but haven't beat a single one. I keep planning to knuckle down and bust through them (as much as you can bust through an MSG at any rate), but haven't made myself do it yet.


Lord of the Rings Online - So, I quit World of Warcraft to play this one. I still stand by that choice. Haven't had time to play in nearly a month at this point, though. I do really like the quest system and how you level largely from quest exp. The graphics look nice, the world is plenty detailed, but I just don't have the time to enjoy it. It also doesn't help that the friends I started playing with became totally lame and dropped out, too.


The Sims 2 - I can be a kind god or an angry god. I'm just kidding, I'm always an angry god.