• 3Apr 08

  Love/Hate relationship

  I love my xbox - so many good games, so little time. But apparently it hates me.

  I have had so many problems that it just really isn't funny anymore (not that it ever really was). First I had my first xbox break (RROD) and had to send it in for repairs. My second xbox arrived and after a while it started scratching my discs, resuliting in many of them being unplayable. Also, many games just don't seem to work online and after contacting microsoft about the problem, no help has been given.

  Last night my second xbox got RROD and I tried unplugging everything to let it cool off. It still has RROD and I'll have to send it in again. I checked the xbox website and they said my warranty has expired and that I'll have to pay them £50 to get it repaired, even though it says that my warranty only started in Feb. 2007 and ended in August 2007 - that means I only had a 6 month warranty apparantly, even though I thought there was supposed to be a three year warranty.

  After emailing microsoft asking about my warranty situation, they emailed back saying only that I should check the power supply light on my xbox. Nothing about anything I had said.

  How can a console have this many problems, and yet still be so good?

  • Posted Apr 3, 2008 3:59 am PT
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• 19Oct 07

  Putting the Fun Back in Gaming

  It may just be me but I think that nowadays the industry seems to be spending too much time on realism and forgetting what makes games great - having fun. I think the second last level in halo 3 is a prime example. I won't give anything away to those who haven't played, but I found myself very bored and it just wasn't an enjoyable experience. Other games are guilty of this too. The problem is that gamers have forgetten why they play games and don't mind slogging through a repetetive, gloomy corridor shooter, just because the graphics look good.

  The wii has the right idea in its new approach but I still don't think they've quite nailed it. They've gone too far the other way, in that many of their games are just too casual orientated / minigame collections. Games need to try the middle approach, where they can still push for great graphics, audio and realism, but can deliver an experience that is innovative and fun. I think the best games tend to be ones thatdare to do something different.We've just about passed the world war two phase, but too many games stillseem to be aiming for the bogstandard shooter title.

  Games like the Katamari series, whilebeing nowhere near the standardof some other games, are great because they are completely different to anything else that's currently out there. But on the other end of the spectrum, I just played the Call Of Duty 4 demo and that was extremely fun, because it's so immersive and intense. Multiplayer is another way games can be fun. Nothing beats playing co-op on a really great game, because it sucks you in to the experience and makes it much more exciting and enjoyable.

  Other factors are important, but having fun is what makes a game truly stand out.

  • Posted Oct 19, 2007 9:19 am PT
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• 30Dec 06

  My Wii impressions

  Got my wii on Christmas day and I have found out this:

  Super monkey ball is fun in the main game but most of the party games just aren't that well thought out. The graphics and music are good though.

  It would be a crime to own a wii and not zelda - I'm five hours in and loving it.

  Wii sports is great for multiplayer and is loads of fun at first but you will grow tired of it after a couple of weeks.

  Wii play is great as a bonus for getting a wiimote and if you want to get one then I would definitely recommend getting it with wii play. Just don't buy wii play on it's own.

  Red Steel's graphics would have been shockingly bad on the gamecube, let alone the wii. The clunky controls don't help and although I haven't played much of the game I can safely say that it deserved its 5.5.

  • Posted Dec 30, 2006 3:11 am PT
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