Just random thoughts and maybe a quick game review.

• 23Nov 09

  Bored at work #19.

  Simply put, MW2 is a MP game with a solo story thrown in so it'll sucker in a few more buyers. I found the story so far fetched, so impossible, and so full ofobviousmoments that it simply distracted me from the game play. This really didn't help since the game was very short for a AAA game and just so limited. There is zero replay value, not even for a single mission like the AC130 in the first game. Sure the Predator Drone missles are nice but they are nothing compared to the AC130 guns. Why they didn't include many levels of that is beyond me. It was simply the best part of the first game. No doubt there will be a third game in the series but if the second game is any indication on where the series is headed, it's going to be just more of the same and quite boring for us who enjoy the solo bits more then MP. Yeah, it has the co-op mode but it's just more of the same. Thou at least it has a AC130 mission which requires two people, lame. And whats up with allowing system link for MP but not co-op? So the one mode where it affects other people (boosting) is allowed but not the one that is for two people? Just another flaw in a long list.

  If you look back, you can see a post where I compared MW2 and Borderlands features and Borderlands easily won. Now that both are out and I've played both, Borderlands is easily the best new IP of the year and top 3 overall while MW2 is Top 20. I've had many friends play both and all give the nod to Borderlands. The biggest complaints about MW2 is the story and that the gameplay just feels like the first one but with better visuals. Anyway, MW2 will steal quite a few awards this year due to just it's name and hype which shows how bad the industry does the rewards. Really sickens me. I mean come on, Borderland's story is four times longer and the DLC that is coming out tomorrow is the same length as MW2's story, how is it that MW2 is even in the same class?

  Anyway, MW2 is gone from my machine andI shall never see it again. Borderlands is still going strong for me and my friends. We are very excited for the first DLC tomorrow. You have no idea how happy we are with Borderlands, I mean we never buy DLC except maybe once a year. It truely is the game we have been waiting for.

  Speaking of DLC, I plan on getting Fable 2's two DLC for xmas. I know I'm quite late in getting them but stuff changes and I change my style. I'm still going by the completion of a game motto but I'm a little more open with my rule. I mean with Borderlands, I gotta be since I've been playing that since it came out. So, I got Forza 3 going and I did have Enchanted Arms going but I simply couldn't stand it anymore and had to put it back until some point in the future. After I play Borderlands DLC a bit and after Turkey, I might play Assassin's Creed 2. I tried the first one on the PC and didn't care for it at all but from what I seen, this game seems to have fixed the issues.

  In other news, got a 29g fish tank for tropical fish. Still breaking it in which is a slow process but looking forward to when it's full stock. It's my first tank since I was a kid so brings back some good memories. Going to my parent's for Turkey and the whole family will be there. Going to bring a Xbox 360 so my brother and I can play. It's also good kid control.

  • Posted Nov 23, 2009 8:56 am PT
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• 7Nov 09

  Wal-Mart and MS have a winner.

  As you may not have noticed, Wal-Mart is having a one day sale thats being unadvertise. You can find details only on their site. I believe IGN did a feature on it because they are selling a Xbox 360 Arcade at the normal price but with a $100 gift card. There seemed to be confusion with the gift card because the site says its only valid online but I have first hand knowledge that the card can be used in the stores also. So, pretty much you get a Arcade for $100. The sale started at 8am and at 8:30 they sold out while I was waiting in line to buy mine. I got the 2nd to last. I've heard from a friend in another city that has been to two with no luck and said there was even a fight for the last Arcade at one of the stores. So, on to more stores he goes. I'm waiting to hear back from another friend if a small town's store has any left.

  True, we all three have a Xbox 360 already so why are we geting another one, it's quite simply, the deal is amazing and something that would normally only happen on a Black Friday sale. Shoot, I'd even buy a Wii/PS3 if they had a deal like this going. For me now, I have three 360s. Two I bought and one I got in a trade. Sure, I don't feel as giddy with this purchase as I did when I got my first one but I still enjoyed taking it out of the box and setting it up. All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase and I'll be playing Xbox 360 games for quite awhile. This will surely boost the numbers for MS for the month.

  Moving on to games. I've played a ton of Borderlands and still very much enjoy it and recommend. We all know they have some DLC coming out but we still don't know what the release date is. The lastest news is that there will be new info about it next week so I'm hoping that includes a release date. I must say I'm happy/impressed that I saw tv ads for it just a few days ago during the Ultimate Fighter and World Series. Thats three weeks after release and you just don't see that. I mean shoot, all the ads for Uncharted 2 have stopped so again, good for Borderlands. I'm hoping for a top 5 placement in the Oct NPD data.

  Last thing I want to talk about is Halo. If you have played any Halo games, you need to download the free Halo Waypoint. It's like a Halo hub for news and achievements. The really cool this is that it gives away free avatar clothing based on your achievements you have earned in Halo games. I was awarded a ODST combat suit and matching helmet plus a toy or whatever they call it. A flying eye thingie, I don't recall the name but you can see it in my gamertag picture. Anyway, it's a nice reward system and yet another thing the PS3 can't match.

  • Posted Nov 7, 2009 9:19 am PT
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• 29Oct 09

  Bored at work #18.

  Going thru my old blog posts, I'd like to talk about some old subjects.

  The first one is the laptop. If you recall back in April or May, I said I was going to get a desktop replacement during the summer. Well, that got pushed back because of the move to a rental house. I still very much plan on doing the whole replacement. At this time, I don't see myself getting a laptop for at least six months. The cost isn't the only negative factor. Games are still a big factor and as it was a year ago or even two years ago, there just isn't any that makes buying a $1200 laptop a good idea. Not even Diablo III could. I got high hopes that Star Trek Online will be good but who knows when that'll come out. And for multi-platform games, would I rather play split screen Borderlands on a 17" laptop screen or a big HDtv with the Xbox 360? Plus all the other games that the PC can't do or requires a 2nd copy and PC.

  On a side note about PC's, I'm planning on getting Windows 7 this weekend. I'll be installing it on a 2nd hard drive just in case something goes bad or such and I want to remain with my XP. If I like it and run into no issues then I'll do the whole format of my main.

  The next subject is used games. As you may have noticed, I'm a big Borderlands fan. So when I tell people about it, I tell them to buy it new so that the dev and pub get paided. Buying it used does nothing for them. Even waiting till a new copy is $20 is better then buying used because at least some of that goes back to the people who made the game possible. So, before you get on your soap box about how piracy is killing the industry, ask yourself and your friends how many used games have you bought this year?

  Moving on to something new, I got a buddy down in FL buying the Super Elite MW2 next month and I must say I'm jealous. While I think the RE5 red Xbox 360 looks better, it's still nice to have some art on your machine. The larger hard drive would be nice, but not a must have with a 120g drive already. So, another friend joins the ranks and it'll be nice having another player for Borderlands and Forza 3.

  Anyone else find it funny that all of a sudden Sony is advertising the PS3? Like before the slim came out, they didn't bother. If you watched the Ultimate Figher last night, you would think that this was a brand new system coming out. Just commerical after commercial. Thou, I have this feeling that since all the commerical are for Uncharted 2, the commercials will go away soon and won't be back until God of War 3 is out. I do get a chuckle how they are advertising it as a do everything machine which is true. Thou, I think they might want to remind people it can do games to help make some software sales. I'm looking forward to the NPD data to see if the game does any better then Killzone 2 or Infamous did this year. Not that it's a high bar but ya know, its the PS3 so software sales are always low. But, I think the slim might help push a few more units. God speed little solider!

  Anyway, I look forward to when it's $200.

  • Posted Oct 29, 2009 8:07 am PT
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