Facts / Opinions / Debate
... and other misc stuff ...

• 4Nov 09

  Weekly gaming update

  I have decided I like to create a log of sorts explaining what I have played and done in terms of gaming over the last week. This week I finally got somewhere...
  
  I still played a little bit more Fossil Fighters. I've gotten to the point where I actually have to design a team so I can do team skills and such to pound the opposing team. I've got to be close to the end... I'm a Master Fighter now. This level-up battle was the easiest so far... I was disappointed.
  
  The game threw in an 'unbeatable battle' where they expect you to lose. I was against one dino, that had unknown stats and 999 (max) life. Every attack you do will miss... it is a hopeless battle. I tried to win anyhow padded my team with someone that helps my aim, and also has the ability to use life points to attack and heal... I got the boss down to 500 HP but still lost... I thought that was pretty fun, but I hate the story gimmicks that force you to lose. I hated the Eternal Sonata one, I hated this one. I don't ever like to lose.
  
  I did get to forza 2. I finally hit level 40, was able to finish three more race groups... so I got some more achievements there. I noticed some of the 'collect all cars' achievements require me to be level 45 in different regions.
  
  So I pose a question, has anyone actually switched their region? Does it make you start over on your levels? There is no way I'm going to play up to lvl 45 in each of the three regions if that is the case. It has taken me 2 years just to get to lvl 41 in the Asia region! Anyhow, forza 2 is about to be shelved for a bit again.
  
  I did a level of Dead Space. This game is extremely slow moving as I'm not overly motivated to keep working on it. I know I'm not a big horror genre fan, but I'll at least finish this once before I completely stop. At least that's the goal.
  
  I found Puzzle Quest for the DS! The game retails for $60 new on the web... I wasn't going to ebay the game or anything, but I did tell myself I would get it if I ever found it out and about either new or used (and in perfect condition). I did... I wanted to buy new, but hey, they don't make it anymore so their loss. So I got a nice used copy for $13.
  
  I could have bought it for $10 or less on XBLA though, so why spend the $3 extra? HARD COPY! and portable. Yep, downloadable content has bothered me, so I wasn't going to buy this via download only. I paid a little more for it, but I think it is worth it.
  
  Initial impressions leave me thinking Puzzle Quest might be my "Way overrated" game of the year. But it is warming up to me actually. The problem I think is I got use to playing Galatrix, so I'm looking for diagonal moves and such for matching. I also don't know what a lot of the items and such do, the help text (if they even have it) shows for too little time... But it is feeling better to me. Puzzle Quest is very forgiving, in that if you ever lose, you can redo the task over and over until you get it right. That hurts it and helps it depending on the context. I still think I like this one a lot more than the sequel.
  
  That's all I played this week.
  
  And... I warned you that my wife really wanted to get Lego Rock Band right? Well, I'll post some impressions about it later this week maybe seeming I'll end up playing it tonight. I'm somewhat concerned about it seeming the game is rated 'E10' so some DLC won't transfer, the DLC is all I play anymore, so this has me a little worried. You also can't export RB2 songs to play in LRB only LRB export to RB2.
  
  It has features for no-fret strumming (so my kids can actually play the guitar now probably) and no-bass-petal drumming which I might even use... I HATE the bass petal once I try to play on hard or expert seeming it always seems to be 'off beat' to me but I really want to do MORE complicated stick work... I hope this works so it even appeals to me. Anyhow, I'll post what I think about it later.
  • Posted Nov 4, 2009 10:35 am PT
  • Category: Games
  • 9 Comments
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• 28Oct 09

  The time has come...

  The gaming industry needs to take a stand about who their games are targeting. They need to make it blunt, to the point, and give examples. Who is the industry? Good question, but at least it should be some conglomerate of the big named companies (EA, Activision, etc) it would have more weight than the media and their scare tactics.
  
  Why? Because parents today still don't get that people are making games for them, and not for their children. Because the fallout of some game content has to be restricted because people don't get the point that games can and are being targeted for adults. A blunt message needs to be sent that the Gaming Industry is similar to the Movie industry. There are games that should not be available to kids... there are games made for adults.
  
  Overkill maybe? We have the ESRB out there police-dogging the whole system, but I don't think people (parents and media) get it. We have reviewers out there that completely ignore the ratings system when giving scores and recommendations.
  
  Do parents understand that Modern Warfare is the equivalent of an rated R movie? I'm not debating the point that kids should be able to play these, I'm debating the point that parents don't understand what the 'M' on the box means and then make an informed decision on what their kids play and the media/politicians needs a statement that can be repeated endlessly to them every time they try to fight against mature video games.
  
  An interesting statistic showed up this week: 'Tweens' Most-Wanted For Holidays... Most parents will probably cave in and get them the 'M' games. Sure the reason why can be debated, I bet most parents just don't know what the big deal is with the 'M' though.
  
  Growing up I played Doom, lots of Doom. It was THE 'M' game before the ratings existed. But 'M' games have came a long way since Doom. Sure the violence is still there, but now you have very mature themes, loads of swearing, even MW2 is touting a run and gun terrorist event through a civilian populated airport. Instead of saying: "Look the game if for adults..." the industry cowers in shame and makes warnings before the scenes (non-skip-able) and mar the whole experience... - What if the movie industry brought up warnings mid-movie... "Sorry, but this content might be offensive, please close your eyes until you hear the beep."?
  
  If the industry doesn't take a stand the media will. They will decry, "What are video games becoming? this is horrible, it shouldn't be allowed, etc". If the industry gets to the punch first, they could say, "look, some games just are not for kids anymore. But we want to give experiences that mean something to adults, similar to thought provoking and intense movies. As such we need the ability to paint the canvas as we see fit, and parents to take responsibility for screening what their kids play."
  
  At that point the industry can finally push games the same way movies push the boundaries. No longer will the media be able to cry foul when an M rated game comes along and parents finally figure out what is in it.
  
  The time has come, the industry needs to grow up and take responsibility for the content it wants to make. It needs a statement that clearly points out video games aren't just for kids, so let us make the games we want to make.
  • Posted Oct 28, 2009 12:23 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 26Oct 09

  Small update

  So, I've done a lot of working this last week, not much gaming. It happens sometimes.
  
  Never the less, I have had the chance to play a little Fossil Fighters this week. My kid loves it, so I figured I would play some myself so I know what he is playing and see what it's all about.
  
  You dig up fossils, clean them, then use them in battles. The strategy is get good at cleaning, kick every other persons trash because you will have super dinos compared to them. Or that is how I have seen it so far.
  
  I'm level 5 (I think there are 8 levels, but I haven't looked at one strat guide so I can't be sure) and I'm yet to lose a battle. They give you, so far, 5 different places you can go, one is unlocked every level you gain, and the story drags you back to different areas on a regular basis... the problem is the fossil finds and random encounters (well, random when you dig up a fossil) never change... so I'm back to the first area you go to and every so often I end up fighting some loser with one dino and 30 hit points... (mine have 600 right now)... yeah.
  
  They throw a twist in by making it so you can't tell what is in the fossils via x-ray... but still, it is easy to 100 (or for rare fossils, 125) them.
  
  The interesting, "WTF are they teaching my kid?" part of the game comes with the random encounters. You dig, and pull up a rock, a Fossil Fighter pops out and says: "I was here first! Any true FF would fight for it" - Battle: Yes, No? So, did I get that right, the GoW edition would be: "I was here first!" - "STFU, let me kick your dinos asses!" - "OK!" Ah, games teach kids the important skills...
  
  We also played Wii fit a bit with the kids... the game is already out ran its welcome with me... but I watch my kids because they have a lot of fun with it.
  
  I haven't touched anything else this week... I haven't even turned on the X360... despite me wanting to get some games done. Just had a lot of work to do and things to get in order before our first 3-6" of snow tomorrow - yuck, I hate winter. Next week I hope to have made some sort of progress on Dead Space or Forza 2...
  
  Later!
  • Posted Oct 26, 2009 7:44 pm PT
  • Category: Games
  • 7 Comments
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