Epic fail of the week #2. The worst gaming video. Ever.
12:33 AM, May 29, 2008
May 27, 2008
Review: Myst on the DS is an epic fail
2:30 PM, May 27, 2008
I don't often write negative reviews, since I prefer to play and review fun games.
But I consider my Myst review something of a public service announcement. The title and its various sequels has sold about 12 million copies, making it one of the best-selling franchises of all time.
So Myst fans and intrigued newbies might be tempted to check out this new version on the DS.
Don't.
Behind the scenes at Nerve Software, maker of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for Xbox 360
2:13 PM, May 27, 2008
I went out to Nerve's offices in Richardson on Friday to visit with them before the launch today of their latest game, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for the Xbox 360.
I talked with them about how they make games and what it's like to see your creation on store shelves after two years of planning, designing and programming.
Check it out.
I've also posted the official launch-day press release after the break.
May 23, 2008
Texas Gamer Reviews
11:48 AM, May 23, 2008
Hey fellow gamers...sorry it's taken so long to post...been tied up with some other TV content, but I'm back in the groove and playing catch up...
May 21, 2008
'GTA IV's' real Niko is bitter about his salary
5:24 PM, May 21, 2008
Looks like Michael Hollick, the guy that voiced Niko Bellic in 'GTA IV,' is not so happy with his $100k paycheck. The New York Times spoke with the somewhat disgruntled voice actor about the situation.
Here's what I take away from this article and Michael's story:
• What planet do you need to be on to not realize that a 'GTA' game would sell a gajillion copies? You should have had better negotiations up-front, dude.
• I would gladly lend my voice talents in the next game for a few copies of the game for me and my friends and some sweet 'GTA' swag like a t-shirt or hoody.
• Looks like the wonky contracts for game actors could lead to a huge Hollywood strike this Summer. A strike that may compare in scope (and scorched earth?) to the lovely writers' strike we just tolerated.
A cool hundred-thousand for 16 months of voice acting? You know what, I'm all for no more voice actors and just game-play action.
May 19, 2008
Wow, EA doesn't know when to quit
10:49 AM, May 19, 2008
Looks like EA is still tryinh to buy out Take-Two Interactive. The deadline for the $2 billion deal has been extended, but EA has not raised their offer.
May 16, 2008
'Guitar Hero' world record attempt going on NOW!
2:43 PM, May 16, 2008
If you're in Dallas, get over to the Blockbuster at 3501 McKinney Avenue (NW corner of Lemmon West @ McKinney) to see 13-year old Danny Johnson go for the Guinness World Record 'Guitar Hero' score.
He's playing for straight 24 hours (until 2:30 Saturday May 17th)!!
Stop by and cheer Danny on!
You can also compete in a 'Guitar Hero' challenge to win lovely prizes!
Get there!
FYI, watch Danny play 'Guitar Hero' (prepare to be exhausted):
May 15, 2008
'GRID' demo is mighty impressive
3:46 PM, May 15, 2008
'GRID,' Codemasters' follow up to the fantastic rally racer 'DiRT,' appeared in demo-form on Xbox Live a few days ago (the game will be release on the 360, PS3 and Windows). I was totally caught off guard with this title... I only learned of 'GRID' back in April, so I had no idea what to expect.
From the press-release, here's the gist of the game: GRID embraces all types of racing, including traditional circuit courses in exotics in Europe, muscle car street races in the US, and drifting import tuners in Japan.
Here's the heads up: you haven't tried the demo, start your download now... this game looks like it's going to be amazing.
'GRID's' graphics are some of the best I've ever seen on any console. I guess the look reminds me, a little, of the recent 'Need for Speed' series games with muted tones and gritty track locations. Remarkably, the menus and text are like nothing you've ever seen before... the presentation is high-tech and stylish. The cars continue the visual goodness with a trio of nice test vehicles from BMW, Nissan and Ford... the rides look picture-perfect.
And, once the cars are set in motion, the whole thing takes on a hyper-realistic look with motion-blur, camera shakes and some insane damage modeling. It's almost overwhelming. 'GRID' is a nice departure from games like 'Gran Turismo' and 'Burnout.' Finally: a top-notch racer with photo-real graphics and "brand-name" cars that you can actually wreck.
The controls in the 'GRID' demo game take a little practice, especially for those of use accustomed to the slam-and-go driving in 'GTA IV.' I had to re-learn the art of easing the throttle up and down instead of mashing the controller triggers to death. After a few races I had it down. It's not hyper-realistic like Sony's 'GT' series, but it's not overly-arcade-like either. The controls feature a nice balance between simulation and fun.
The demo provides a nice mix of racing styles including track and street courses; but the drifting is divine. Not since the Japanese PS2 releases in the 'Kaido Battle' series have I been so captivated by a drifting game. It takes a ton of practice, but it's a smoking good time while perfecting your drift technique. So cool!
I could gush over this game for hours, but I will wait for the full release in early June. With more cars to unlock, more tracks to race and a very cool online multiplayer mode, there is a lot to look forward to with 'GRID.'
May 13, 2008
'Lips' a no-show at Gamer's Day
4:26 PM, May 13, 2008
Looks like, so far, Microsoft has nothing to say about the rumored 'Lips' project (game, accessory, body part) at their Gamer's Day presentation.
Many gaming blogs seem to be shrugging their shoulders as to what has transpired today... which is nothing.
Wait a minute, how many times have we been teased by something like this in the past?
May 12, 2008
Xbox 360 announcement tomorrow? WiiWare starts today!
2:05 PM, May 12, 2008
Microsoft is set to announce something, or some things, tomorrow.
Joystiq points out that something called 'Lips' and 'Ninja Blade' are in the schedule lineup to be announced at Microsoft Gamer's Day '08.
'Ninja Blade' sounds like a new game. 'Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise' and a new 'Scene It' game are also on the list.
What could 'Lips' be?
ALSO, WiiWare starts today. This is Nintendo's version of the Xbox Live Arcade. Instead of ports of older console games (like the Virtual Console), these are original games for the Wii that (hopefully) take advantage of the Wii-moste.
Launching today: Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, LostWinds (which looks awesome!), Defend Your Castle, Pop, VIP Casino Blackjack, TV Show King. The launch games are priced from 500 to 1500 points.
May 9, 2008
Random thoughts: 'GTA IV' irritations, 'Speed Racer' (the movie) and why Microsoft is making a huge mistake
5:13 PM, May 9, 2008
'GTA IV' irritations
I'm irritated a few little things in 'GTA IV' and I wanted to know if anyone else felt the same way.
• I'm frustrated with the pre-missions in some of the main mission segments. These are the simple busy-work parts where you have to drive to a location, follow someone, steal something or chase someone before the meat of the mission begins. It's usually right after these early, easy-parts, that I'm instantly killed because I'm so worn out by what precedes the action... and I'm not paying attention. The real beating comes when you have to start the entire mission over... including the boring easy part. I wish the game would start right where you died.
• I'm tired of the music that plays when the game auto-saves: "Do - do - dum - do." It haunts my dreams.
• What's up with invisible props? I drove across what I thought was an empty patch of grass... then BAM, my car comes to a complete stop with a crashing sound of metal. Slowly, phantom playground equipment appears in front of my car. Where did that come from?
• The Russian clothing store.
• Toll booths
• Jumping a car up to a balcony or other small location where the vehicle becomes permanently stuck.
• Motorcycles seem vanish from Liberty City only when I want/need them.
Quick review: 'Speed Racer' the movie. Too much talking, awesome racing scenes and colors that will burn your eyes. Lop off the first hour and it's great!
Microsoft is making a huge mistake.
This is all anecdotal, but I swear Microsoft is killing themselves by not offering a Blu-Ray player in the Xbox 360.
After the release of 'GTA IV' I have had several friends tell me they were planning on buying a PS3 within the next few days. When I asked them if they had considered an Xbox 360, all of them said they really wanted the Blu-Ray player to watch movies. Every single person said the same thing. And these are non-gamers who are dying to try 'GTA IV' and watch high-def movies.
Even after I explained the virtues of Achievement Points, downloadable content and Xbox Live, the number one selling point for my friends was the Blu-Ray compatibility.
I guess you can point out that the Wii is surviving without a High-Def video player, but it has a broader appeal than both Sony's and Microsoft's systems.
C'mon Microsoft, bite the bullet.
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Biggest gripe: Not being able to access my weapons quick enough & problems shooting in the middle of fist fights.
Doug note: YES! That's pretty awful too!
May 8, 2008
Preview: Metal Gear Online beta
11:06 AM, May 8, 2008
I think MGO has promise, but the complicated registration process (really, Konami, do we need to have two accounts before we can play?) is a big turnoff.
Konami promises they're working on streamlining the registration before the game is complete.
Also, I mention in the preview that I couldn't figure out how to play as Snake.
Konami was helpful enough to send me the solution to my quandary:
It is actually possible to play as Snake in MGO. It's a certain game mode where one person takes on the role of Snake (with all of Snake's cool tricks, such as OctoCamo and the Metal Gear Mk II), and everyone else tries to hunt him down. Snake gets points for killing people on the map, and everyone else gets points for killing Snake. So it's this back and forth of trying to hunt Snake while trying to help your team. Seems to be a very popular game type.
May 7, 2008
id Software hiring for Doom 4 (oh yeah, Doom 4 announced)
12:02 PM, May 7, 2008
id Software, based in Mesquite, Texas, just sent out a press release announcing that it is now hiring developers to work on Doom 4.
Of course, id hasn't even finished the last game it announced, so I'm guessing Doom 4 is a few years away, at least.
Still, kind of cool. And any of you who happen to be world-class game developers looking for work might want to freshen up your resumes.
Full press release after the jump.
May 5, 2008
Looks like Iron Man held its own against GTA IV
4:23 PM, May 5, 2008
As I said on Punchbutton last week and in my column on Saturday, there was some talk that GTA IV might siphon off moviegoers who would have otherwise gone out to see Iron Man.
With Iron Man raking in $100 million-plus in its opening weekend, I think we can put that theory to bed.
Like I mentioned in my column, though, I am curious to see the GTA IV sales numbers for the PS3 versus the Xbox 360. If the PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto outsold or even came close to the sales of the 360 version, that's a huge win for Sony.
Five worst video game sites of all time
3:13 PM, May 5, 2008
Old-Wizard.com (should even I know about this site? I don't!) listed their 5 worst video game related sites of all time.
Thank goodness we didn't make the list!
Xbox 360 Blu-Ray rumors refuse to die
3:06 PM, May 5, 2008
The tech blog on Yahoo points out that a manufacturer is claiming to have won the contract to make Blu-Ray compatible Xbox 360's.
Will this rumor ever die?
Will Microsoft finally come over to the Jedi side or are they happy on the dark side?
Will someone replace my HD-DVD's?
'GTA IV' is losing it's 10-point sheen?
11:12 AM, May 5, 2008
Besides the non-shop complaints about the in-game freezes, now the 'GTA IV' glitches are appearing on YouTube. I know there are problems with every game, but weren't similar problems the reason everyone bagged on 'Vice City?'
Here are some awesome glitches (there may be some language, so be warned before you click):
The sink hole of death:
Break dancing with the bus:
May 2, 2008
Thinking back on it, my PS3 HAS frozen a few times in the past
11:59 AM, May 2, 2008
I don't know why I didn't think about this before.
I've had some major PS3 freeze-ups in the fast, just like the 'GTA' bugs.
Once, when installing the 'Motor Storm' updates and DLC, I couldn't get past the menu screen in the game. I had to delete all downloaded content and re-install everything from scratch (I didn't lose my saved games, they are in a separate file). That worked.
While playing the 'Home' beta, I would constantly freeze every time I would reach a certain doorway in the game. I deleted those data files, re-downloaded, re-installed and it was fixed.
And finally, when adding DLC to 'Warhawk,' the game locked up my whole PS3. Deletion of the files and a fresh install, again, fixed the problems.
The 'GTA' problems seem awfully similar to what I was going through. I just think the sheer number of copies bought, brought the problem to a lot more people.
The 360 issues, I'm at a loss there.
Take-Two's suggested PS3 Grand Theft Auto IV fix
11:22 AM, May 2, 2008
The freezing issue on GTA IV doesn't seem to be going away.
I contacted Rockstar for an official comment, but they declined and suggested I get in touch with Sony.
From what I've seen on other game news sites, Sony doesn't have much to say, either.
But Gamespot did contact Take-Two's tech support team, and came away with an extensive list of suggested fixes for the PS3 version of GTA IV (no word on whether these fixes work on the Xbox 360 version).
While the checklist is probably worth a try if your copy is freezing on you, the length of the list suggests to me that the cause of the problem is still unknown and Take-Two is basically trying every gimmick it can think of to solve the issue.
I'm sure an official patch will be coming at some point.
For now, though, good luck with the list.
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What about the xbox 360 copy of Grand Theft Auto 4? thers no news, no soloutions nothing! i brought a copy of GTA4 a couple of days ago. it was fine for the first 20 mins but the suddenly the screen just froze. then ever since it's been freezing as soon as i walk out of the flat (especially when i start driving in a car). So then i went and bought a second copy as i thoguht it may be the disk and yet the same thing happened again! What do I do?At least you ps3 gamers have a soloution!!!!
To fix GTA game freezes just clear the system cache on the Xbox 360!
Unfortunately you may have to do this frequently.
Go here for the instructions: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907586/en-us
May 1, 2008
Now that 'GTA IV' is out, what's there to look forward to?
6:46 PM, May 1, 2008
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bored with 'Grand Theft Auto IV'... but I want to know what's next.
Seriously (or, um, SRSLY), what are you looking forward to, now?
For me:
• 'Iron Man'
• 'Lego Indiana Jones'
• 'Ninja Gaiden 2'
• 'GRID'
• 'Battlefield: Bad Company'
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Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, LittleBigPlanet (although I still have a sneaking suspicion that it will suck), Star Wars: Force Unleashed, Soul Calibur 4 (Yoda and Darth!), and first rumors of the Xbox 720 (yeah, I think we'll start hearing anonymous reports of the next console's specs by the end of the year).
Oh, duh, and Spore.
Which will almost certainly be a letdown after the years of hype, but still, I'm curious.
Will Grand Theft Auto IV derail Iron Man's sales?
2:21 PM, May 1, 2008
Some analysts have been saying that box office sales for Iron Man could suffer if gamers stay home to play GTA IV this weekend.
I really doubt it, because I can't think of a single gamer who isn't drooling over Iron Man.
I mean, just look at this preview and tell me you don't get a tingly feeling all over.
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Victor, "Iron Man" is spectacular. It's worth losing some 'GTA' time to go see. Go now!!!
Workout with the Wii at Westin hotels
11:19 AM, May 1, 2008
Fellow DMN reporter Suzanne Marta has a post up at our Airline blog about how the Westin chain of hotels is beginning to install Wii consoles in its fitness rooms equipped with copies of Wii Fit.
Sounds more fun than the ancient Super Nintendo systems you still occasionally find in hotel rooms.
- Epic fail of the week #2. The worst gaming video. Ever.
- Review: Myst on the DS is an epic fail
- Behind the scenes at Nerve Software, maker of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for Xbox 360
- Texas Gamer Reviews
- 'GTA IV's' real Niko is bitter about his salary
- Wow, EA doesn't know when to quit
- 'Guitar Hero' world record attempt going on NOW!
- 'GRID' demo is mighty impressive
- 'Lips' a no-show at Gamer's Day
- Xbox 360 announcement tomorrow? WiiWare starts today!
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