News & Update 26th Feb

- Rumor regarding DS2 is getting stronger, Nintendo recently patented DS with rumble feature. This patent describe the rumble is triggered depended on DS stick. Many analyst predicted that DS2 will be unveil during E3. Even though DS is still doing well, DS successor obviously is deep in development and its getting closer and closer.

- Sony patented a universal controller. The controller has a touch screen LCD, which can display various controller button input. The main purpose is to emulate controller for popular game console such as Playstation, Nintendo, Microsoft, even Atari Jaguar, Amiga, Sega, and Turbographs. I'd say it is an interesting concept.

- In attempt to prevent exploits from Geohotz, Sony rumored to eliminate install other OS options on PS3 completely with the next patch. While this feature has gone from PS3 slim, it is still available in old PS3. Linux community will certainly will not be pleased. For others, it might not be such a big problem.

- Yakuza 3 west version will have some content cut due to various reason. The thing that they cut is Trivia quiz, because people in the west might not be familiar with Japan history. Sounds fair enough. The other thing that they going to cut is the hostess club. One of Yakuza 3 famous of is its hostess club while you can befriend with the girls. Not good SEGA, not good..

- Nintendo announced that Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Wii will be released in North America on May 23; and Metroid: Other M will be out by June 27. Expects gazzilions of sales from this two Wii products.
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Battlefield Bad Company 2 demo hands on

Battlefield Bad Company 2 demo hits on Xbox Live and PSN until 25th February. Players who miss the demo will wait until the full version comes out.
After playing around 3 hours or so, I must conclude that it is a solid multiplayer mode. BBC 2 itself doesn't offer something that we haven't seen before, but they are definitely taking what works from other FPS and blend it into one. 
For example: The squad system are from MAG and Battlefield 2. Each squad consist of 4 people and there are 2 Squads each in Sabotage mode. The attacker try to bomb the objectives while defender try to prevent it.
There is class mode that you can choose. Assault, Medic, Engineer, and Recon. When you die, you can spawn directly to your squad mate, which is good and makes squad team close to each other. This obviously they take it from Killzone 2.
Also from previous BBC, there are lots of vehicle to ride and shoot to and can take down a building, it adds a lot of strategy.
And when you combine all the good elements into one, what do you get? A very solid multiplayer game. BBC 2 stands somewhere between MW2 and MAG. It is not as tactical deep as MAG, but it gives more action than it. It is also not as paintball style than MW2, but enough to let you easily flank the enemy and get into some action.
I was deeply impressed by the detail in BBC 2, when there is an explosion near your, your gun will flinch and makes you aiming unstable for a while.
From what I've seen this could be a FPS game that we are going to play for a while. Seems that EA lives up their words that they going to match MW2 success.
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Onlive saga continues during DICE summit

This week at DICE summit, Onlive demo more games to try to convince that its service is going to work. First of all, for those who aren't familiar with Onlive, it is a service that lets you play games streamed over the network without the need to invest in hardware. The game will be processed from Onlive server and send to your tv via a small device.
This week, they show Unreal tournament 3 and Burnout paradise. The game was reportedly run smoothly. Not only that, they also show Crysis played on an iPhone. Though it doesn't seem very effective cause the iPhone button is not suited to play Crysis, Steve Perlman wanted to show what kind of games that can be successfully implemented in their products.
Now for the catch, Onlive data center need to be within 1000 miles from your home.
Steve then produce a map of what seems to be Onlive data centers. While most of US area seems to be covered, it doesn't explain how population density will be affected.

You will also need 1.5 Mbps internet connection to play games in standard definition, 5 Mbps to play in High definition. Steve claim that there is 71% of US population that have 1.5 Mbps connection, while the latter should be just over a quarter.

While I am still skeptical with this product, I am eager to see how this is unfold. The idea is brilliant, but it tries to do too much thing at a time, maybe even too ahead for its time. There are a lot of possible things that can make this unsuccessful.
Firstly, potential customers are limited within US, multiplayer games are global. How Onlive will solve this? Secondly, obviously it won't be supported from console maker like Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft. Meaning that Onlive will depended with third party games.
And there are lots of problems need to be addressed such as connection issues, pricing (Onlive vs owning a console), etc.
But hats off to Onlive, if they really can pull this off.. I'll will keep my eyes close on this streaming thing, because I believe it has a lot of potential to be the future of gaming industry. 

 
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Fight to increase game software sales is getting more complicated

Used game sales, game rental, and piracy hurts software game sales. This is not a new news. With current generation console, it is not cheap to develop a game. Therefore, developers and publishers needs maximum return for their product.

There are ways that developers tried either by forcing the customer or giving incentives for buyers, and it is getting more and more complicated.

EA test out the market with Mass Effect 2, providing free DLC for people who buy a new copy. For those who rent or buy used copy, they need to buy the DLC. And was proven successful. It will come into no surprise that EA might do this again. In fact, they already did, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will come with a code, should one purchases original copy. It can be redeemed for multiplayer map. 

Sony themselves joined the band wagon. Recently announced that Socom Fireteam Bravo 3 will require registration to PSN to play its online feature.  While buying the digital copy will have no problem, hard copy will not be straight forward. And of course Sony will still let used game buyers to enjoy the online feature, only they have to shell additional USD 19.99 to buy the license because the license is unique and cannot be transferred.

Ubisoft come out with their own "DRM" that force PC users to connect to the internet during their gameplay, even a single player game like Assassin Creed 2. The game will connect to Ubisoft master server and saves the progress via cloud computing.
The logic seems understandable, it lets Ubisoft to verify authenticity of the game, reduce pirates and increase the sale of the software. 
Only it back fire to them. Should there is a network glitch like router reboot or momentarily pause in connection, the game jump back to the title screen. Not only that, you will lose all your unsaved progress. The worst part if somehow Ubisoft master server is down, the game is entirely unplayable. This can lead to frustration. 

So I think that used game business will face shrinkage because of this effort that developers make to increase their profit. I have nothing against it, because it is their right to implement the system to counter piracy as well as second hand market. But again, sometimes it is confusing for customers. Some customers might not know that Ubisoft Assassin Creed 2 PC needs a constant internet connection, and not all of us have good broadband connection. That will makes the game unplayable for some people.
And I certainly won't be happy if next time they cut some part of the story just to urge you to buy a new copy, cause hey, we aren't all millionaires and game is expensive, we too sometimes like to buy second hand game or rent the game for various reasons 
 
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New & Update 17th Feb

- Street Fighter IV will be coming to iPhone. Will feature virtual directional buttons on the left and four attack buttons on the right, and you can challenge others via bluetooth. Not bad for casual players on iPhone, just don't expect the same experience with the console version.

- Capcom is also interested to bring Street Fighter IV to PSP as well. If they can bring SFIV to iPhone, so why not PSP? 

- Gamekult reported that some game developers already have DS2 development kits. It is reportedly that it feature motion sensor like iPhone but does a bit more. Is Nintendo ready to unveil DS successor?

- Xbox 360 exclusive Ninety-Nine Nights 2 will be launched in Summer. The first one didn't have much impact, but perhaps the second one will be different.

- Uncharted 2 sales nearing 3 millions copies and seems that MAG is also well recieved. More than 500.000 people are online. This should be a good news for Sony and developers.

- Good to hear that Starcraft 2 Beta has finally began. One step closer to actual game release. Keep it up Blizzard, it's already 3 years in the making.

- Though it is still a rumour, Capcom will release Monster Hunter Portable 3 to PSP by the end of this year. Oh well, that is still a long time. Should surge Japanese PSP sales with this title though.

- There won't be Kingdom Heart 3. At least not now. Tetsuya Nomura confirmed that the next KH wont be KH3 and it won't star Sora.
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MAG review

I know its a bit late for MAG review. But I feel I played enough hours to give a fair review. I am level 33 now, with SVER as my faction, and I feel while there's a lot that can be improved, I'd say that Zipper really pull it off on this one.
First of all MAG focus more on teamwork than any FPS shooter. FPS multiplayer more or less the same since Counter Strike/ Half Life era aka Paintball style, biggest frag rules. Not so in MAG. With 256 people in one huge map, it is really hard to go by yourself. The team are divided by platoon, and then divided by squads with consist of 8 people. Then the squad leader will issue a FRAGO (Fragmented Order) for the team to follow. It is better to play MAG with a headset so that you can communicate with your team mates.

With so many people in a game, MAG can successfully create a battlefield atmosphere, bullets flying everywhere and you will be killed easily if you are not well covered. Once you play enough hours, you will see the strategy is quite deep. There are possible ways to attack the enemy line. For example: you can choose to join other squad and swarm the bunker. Or you can try to sneak in and take out the AA battery, so that you can parachute behind the enemy line, thus make it easier to crush those bunkers. This is just one of the situation that you can choose. I'd say that MAG offers more depth than other FPS. 

There are also many roles to choose from. There are skill tree that you can spend your skill points. You can invest in guns or equipments. For some reason, I choose field support. While others go frag fest, I usually take the opportunity to repair vehicles, turrets and sneaking to take out enemy's AA battery so that squad has more chance of success.

Though MAG sure can use more maps and less bugs. Some people have a problem with respawn bugs and I know Zipper is working on it. For the lag, I say that it is the least lag FPS game I ever encountered.
Sure MAG doesn't have pretty graphics compared to MW2 and the weapon is very limited, but it makes up with concept that no other FPS has dare to try.
Good job Zipper.

Final Verdict: 9/10


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Rest of Super Street Fighter IV cast

 

 

Although Capcom hasn't release official statement, this screenshot and Famitsu magazine pretty much confirmed the rest of Super Street Fighter IV crew. Already added Adon, Cody, Guy, T Hawk, Dee Jay, and Juri, there will be some love for SFIII fans. Makoto, Ibuki, and Dudley will all feature in this expansion.

With this, total rooster will be nine new characters. Pretty much justifies Super Street Fighter IV won't be a DLC but a full game instead. Only hope that Capcom will not charge the same price as a new full game. 
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EA games, hyped but come out short

Dante's Inferno, the newest title from EA will has released. It's about a dude try to save his girl that he even go through hell, literally. This game has spun quite a hype among gamers, and EA really aggressively pushing this title. They even planned to advertise during Super Bowl. Do you know how much it cost for 30 secs advertising during Super Bowl?
With the support is that good, EA must have some faith in the game, no?
Then reviews comes in. I was surprised that Dante's Inferno has been given C- by 1Up.com and 6/10 elsewhere. Sure, we should not trust 100% what reviewer said. However, I read thousands of reviews from many websites, and reviews has been a very good guidelines so far.
It said that Dante's Inferno is unpolished and rushed. While the hack and slash is quite fun, but the story and level design is way far from God of War 3.
Why does EA games comes short. I mean look at previous title. Army of Two 2, is no means a bad game, but we should really expected and compared to Uncharted 2 and Assassin Creed 2. The jump from the first to the sequel is huge! I mean those game are mind blowing. EA should know what went wrong with the first, and they should make a correction. The second Army of two is very short, much like the first one and the story makes no sense. Though I must say the combat is good, that makes the game solid but not great.

I think EA is too big corporation with issues with its policy. Why Dante's Inferno is rushed? Maybe they want to release it before GoW 3 using its hype? Is it the budget was over, and release date missed? Too many projects, less resources maybe?
It is no surprise that EA decided to cut down new IPs this year, maybe they want to focus to deliver more AAA title than half hearted game. But so far, it's been disappointing. Right now, all eyes are looking to Battlefield Bad Company 2. This the next title that EA has biggest hope in terms of FPS. Could it be as good as it is expected? We'll see.
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News & Updates 5th Feb

Time for news and updates:

- Final Fantasy VII remake is unlikely according to Square Enix. The reason is conversion to HD is difficult. It is hard to create graphic of the same style as the original game and it will take too much time. Ok, I think if Square should invest in time, they should make a brand new franchise line and not depend too much on Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.

- Couple games that I expect a good review but turns out not are Dante's Inferno and White Knight Chronicles. Both got C+ and C- from 1up and the reviews more or less the same elsewhere.Talking about major disappointment.

- On the other hand, while not many is impressed with open beta, Sony's exclusive MAG get a quite high score review of A- from 1 Up, and mostly 8/10 from elsewhere.  Tried the game, and it is really not bad. Good work Zipper, only if you can add more maps that'll be nice.

- Fallout: New Vegas is announced. This Fallout series and being developed by Obsidian Entertainment. The trailer is out now should you want to take a look. Doesn't reveal much though.

- Sony reportedly is planning to relaunch PSPgo with a price cut in mind. Afer PSPgo failed big time, it came to no surprise.
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PSP to stream live footage for Arsenal games in Emirates stadium

To those who travel watching Arsenal FC at Emirates Stadium, London, Arsenal and Sony collaborate to bring live footage via PSP and PSPgo while you watching the game live. The footage includes action replay from different camera angle, slow motion options, live statistics, team sheet, Arsenal players' profile, pre match video, and Arsenal.com editorial news.
The application cost 10 pounds to download, and it is a one time fee and the content will be streamed over the stadium's wifi.

"Sony is constantly looking at ways in which technology can benefit both the fan and the Club," said Mark Grinyer, Head of Sports Business at Sony Professional. "Our work with Arsenal is truly a world first and we believe that it will set the standard for live event experiences."

It is expected that the technology will follow to other sporting event. So to Arsenal fans who frequently travel to Emirates stadium, get your PSP ready.  And to those who can't go to Emirates stadium, you can just bite your fingernail.
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MAG first impression

Ok, I just bought MAG today out of impulse. Went to the shop, saw the last unit, though I had doubt about this game, cause I didn't really impressed with the open beta, I thought what the hell.. Let's give it a try. Its not everyday you can have 256 shooters.
After I start MAG, there are two separate patch which you have to download, totaling 100 MB.
I joined SVER and immediately jump into the game. There are two modes, training and team deathmatch mode. I queue team deathmatch. The queue wasn't long. It long take about 10- 15 seconds to join into the game.
Team death match is just killing each other until one side victorious.
My first game, kill 1, death 6. Ok, being freshly from Modern Warfare 2, I played exactly like MW2 (paintball style). I go around with my rifle and try to kill enemy on sight. And that my friend, is a wrong way to play. I keep getting pawned.
The thing is, MAG has A LOT of players. Once you fire, your position shown on the map like cod, and 3 or 4 people will shift the attention to you.
So I play couple rounds just to try out different weapons and get to know the maps.
After couple rounds, I gained level and sabotage mode is opened.
Sabotage lets either you or enemy be attacker or defender. You must defend/ attack the objectives with limited times. My first sabotage game, I still running around try to get some kill, but it wasn't successful.
Second game, with my teammates (who are actually a clan), I began to follow them. They talked to each other which objectives to attack, and coordinate their attack. Although they are not pro, it still enough for me to know what are they trying to do. So I take my position and wait for the enemy come, and cover my mates who are trying to capture the objectives. And it works, I got easy kills, and my mates successfully captured the objectives. Then I try to stay with them and help to cover left and right. Although we didn't win the game, it feels rewarding.
The second sabotage game, let us defend the objectives until time runs out. My group is not a clan, but they seem to stick together. We went to objective B. There I take my position, while my other mates took the other direction. The enemy keeps coming trying to get into the base. But we are well covered to give them even a chance. We win the game by the way.
So MAG is a whole different game if you ask me. Its not COD, remember that. The graphics itself is improved compared from Beta. I feel the graphic is sharper than beta one. The map itself is very big. You have couple of spawn area each time you died, so enemy will not spawn at random places like CoD and you can always look at the enemy direction. It's more like tug of war with each other pushing to the opposite direction.
The point of this game is team play. Without it, you are not an army, just bunch of people with guns running around. It can be frustrating getting killed over and over at the first time, but once you learn to stick with the group, and cover each other, with good coordination and communication, it can be very rewarding.

I really satisfied what I've seen so far. Can't wait until I tried full 256 person game. MAG is definitely worth a try, especially if you can make a clan with friends.
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