Ben's Week In Review: June 27

Made a big purchase today, which means I'm ready for the future...

I guess I don't care what an "RPG" really is

The lines really are blurred these days. Role-playing elements can be found in many action/adventure titles and perhaps Obsidian is right when they say the only remaining differentiating factor is choice and player freedom. Maybe it's now inaccurate to call something like Final Fantasy XIII "role-playing." But I don't really care; I know what type of gaming I like, and I've always loved turn-based. That hasn't changed. I know it's linear; I know there's little to no "choice" involved; I know it's nothing like D&D; I'm aware of all that. But I don't care, anymore. I know what I've always liked so if the purists want to label such games as something else, fine. The problem is, we may never see any game that features that gameplay again (unless it's on a handheld) and that means I'll be stuck playing my old classics for the PS1 and PS2.

WorldEndWithMe mentioned in the Comments that he wants Suikoden VI, which I've wanted ever since I finished the fifth entry. Next to FF, Suikoden is my all-time favorite RPG (oh, whatever, call it what you want) franchise. Unfortunately, I know that even if Konami makes a sixth Suikoden, they'll muff it up and eliminate the turn-based mechanic, which will piss me off entirely. 'sigh'

Okay, so...what the hell if Final Fantasy Versus XIII?

I ask because I still know very little about it. They say we should see the official unveiling at the Tokyo Game Show, complete with new details and even gameplay...but I coulda sworn Square-Enix promised this very thing for "early 2010." What happened? I suppose I could accept the idea that many developers who worked on Final Fantasy XIII moved over to Versus XIII but FFXIII launched back in March (and well before that in Japan), so what the heck are they doing? As far as I know it's still exclusive to the PlayStation 3 but at this point, I'm not sure I really care. I know I won't get turn-based back, but I would like something unique...you know, even though it's technically turn-based, that Judgment Ring in Shadow Hearts is an example of a unique, engaging, highly entertaining combat mechanic that can really spice up a game. Why can't we they try something like that?

Based on the details and info we have thus far, it certainly sounds intriguing. I really like the idea of some RPG elements I know and recognize that were absent from FFXIII, and everything I've seen certainly looks great. But really, could we at least get a teaser or something? And not just a CGI teaser?

Personal gaming update

This is more of a personal update because the gaming aspect hasn't changed much, although I did get a chance to play some of the Medal of Honor closed beta. It's pretty damn good, although the graphics aren't as rich as I would like them; the gameplay itself is pretty sweet, though. No, the big news is that my TV died today. Played Transformers for a few hours, went out to get something to eat, came back, and there was no picture. Got sound...but no picture. And after a while of tinkering and getting a flickering screen at best (and when it did show up, it was all distorted), I realized it was dead. But...ironically enough, I just sold my Uncharted 2 Fortune Hunter edition for a relatively healthy sum this past week, and I kinda wanted one of the new 3D TVs. Look, I'm going to need one at some point, anyway, and I actually think I can call it a business expense...

But anyway, due to my recent sale, I really only had to pay an extra $200 for the Samsung 46" 1080p 3D LED 240Hz. It's just unbelievable. Now, does anyone else have a 3D-enabled LED? Because even though I'm not watching anything in 3D, I could swear there's a distinct change in how things are moving on the screen. Blu-Ray anything is so unbelievably realistic in how people move, that it almost feels as if they're directly there in front of me. It's not the picture; per se, it's the movement. Maybe I'm just going crazy. It's quite possible. But whatever...this thing is pretty silly amazing. :)

6/26/2010 Ben Dutka

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Comments (146 posts)

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556pineapple
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 9:44:37 PM
Reply

The more realistic motion is not a feature of the 3D tv alone, but any TV that uses at least 120Hz refresh rate, I think. My roommate has just an LCD 1080p 120Hz, but when in cinema mode, the motion looks much better. (V for Vendetta made me grin.) But anyway, congratulations on the purchase. I'm sure you'll let us know how the 3D is.

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bigrailer19
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 9:50:13 PM

Most plasmas run at 600hz and yes that helps for motion. for example when watching football, the football does not get blurry, while running a higher refresh rate like 600hz. What Ben is talking about is completely different.

I've seen what he is reffering too and its almost like they are right there in front of you, making every movement right in your living room. Im not talking about while viewing in 3d either. Im saying generally.

Last edited by bigrailer19 on 6/26/2010 9:52:48 PM

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:53:50 PM

You might both have a point. What I'm talking about is exactly what bigrailer describes but at the same time, my old TV was only 60Hz and this one is 240Hz, so...

I have noted that when it tells me exactly the resolution and Hz for each input (which it does on a routine basis), it shows games at only 60Hz and BD movies at only 24Hz. Not sure what that's about. Movement looks the same all the time, though, including with regular non-HD TV.

Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 6/26/2010 10:54:59 PM

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bigrailer19
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:06:15 PM

I didnt realize your last t.v. had a 60hz refresh rate. That is a big step up for sure. It could be what your noticing. I just know that what I seen is what you were explaining as well, and I have a plasma that runsa at 600hz. I must say the 3d-tv I seen was a way better picture and the movements were so seamless.

Pineapple may have a good point since your old t.v. didn't have the refresh rate your new one does, the refresh rate makes a huge difference.

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frylock25
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:09:00 PM

Ben the ps3 has the option to play the bluerays at the movie standard 24 fps so im pretty sure thats what it is at 24. my tv does that when i watch my bluerays. i have a 32" samsung. one of the settings in the ps3 can change that.

someone else said that the ps3 only does 60 so having a hdtv above 60 is pointless though i dont know if that is true. i dont know that the games are made for above 60 though honestly.

Last edited by frylock25 on 6/26/2010 11:10:49 PM

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Highlander
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:27:38 AM

@Frylock, the higher framrates allow the screen to refresh more frequently meaning you see a brighter, most stable image. the higher framerates also mean that the screen has a very quick response so there is no lag or blurring. In terms of frames per second, even if the source is only 60 frames per second (for example) the screen simply re-displays the same frame until it gets a new one.

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fluffer nutter
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:00:41 AM

It's definitely the 240Hz refresh rate that's making the movement so smooth. I've got a 40" Samsung TV with 120Hz AutoMotion Plus and it has three modes that drastically improve the movements on screen. It makes a big difference in gaming too. Love it. Why only 40" you say? Because it is in the bedroom. We've got the 65" in the living room.

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faraga
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:12:21 AM

@ TheHighlander
I know what you're talking about, my moms LCD monitor for her PC recently broke down, so I connected an old (1998) CRT monitor we still had to replace it until it's repaired. I noticed that running it in 60Hz made it flicker and it was really tiresome for your eyes, but increasing it to 84 or 85Hz (the max the screen would allow) made all the difference. The picture was way smoother and you could watch it as easily as any 60Hz LCD.

I know Ben didn't have a CRT TV, but this might be the kind of difference he was talking about.

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Lawless SXE
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 2:07:22 AM

FYI, movies are filmed in a 24 frames per second format, and most games are run at thirty, although some are as high as sixty. I've always wondered why television manufacturers created products capable of displaying up to six hundred frames per second, and I just wanted to thank you for clarifying that it merely projects a smoother image for whatever reason.

Peace all.

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SmokeyPSD
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:47:54 AM

those higher Hz options do nothing for gaming. the ps3 doesnt display it and it could cause problems if a tv set cant have 200hz turned off for instance

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fluffer nutter
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 6:18:42 AM

The higher settings do make a difference for gaming. There is an extremely noticeable improvement when I compare our 120Hz TV, set at the highest mode, to our 60Hz TV. I think it's awesome to see Sackboy move with such fluidity.

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Jawknee
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 10:40:25 AM

Yup Fluffer is correct. I have a Samsung with 120hz refresh rate and it DOES make a difference when gaming. Especially games with slower frame rates.

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Shams
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 @ 1:16:54 PM

Additionally, the 600hz "subdrive" of the panasonic viera plasmas, as Bigrailer was saying, is not the same feature as Sony's 60/120/240 hz Motionflow or Samsung's Automotion. I've had both, and although I like my Viera better because of the price-point, and high contrast, and color display, it clearly doesn't have the quasi-3d motion effect that even the 120hz Automotion/MotionFlow Samsung/Sony models have. What the Viera Plasma does have is a faster response rate or less game input-lag. Again, I'm just emphasizing what Bigrailer said. That Subdrive 600hz thing is just a marketing ploy to match "numbers" on the product feature checklist, but is entirely unrelated.

As Highlander said, Motionflow/Automotion is a feature that frequently doubles/quadruples the perceived framerate by redisplaying individual frames intelligently particularly during motion or camera-pans to reduce motion blur and screen-jitter. That is what Ben has been noticing especially since the 240hz automotion plus is a doubled upgrade from his previous 120hz model.

Also, Ben, depending on your ps3 and TV settings, this can vary even more. If you have the TV's "game mode" set up for a particular input, this will reduce the "automotion" to increase response time or reduce input-lag. Also, as ps3 has the 1080p/24fps for a cinema option as Frylock referred to, you can also turn this off to have 1080p with the 240hz automotion, instead. Why take 24fps over 240hz? Supposedly this reduces screen-jutter even more effectively as cinema is typically filmed in 24fps, but most hardly notice the improvement in performance (of 24fps cinema mode).

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rogers71
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 9:47:13 PM
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Definitely want to get a 3D tv at some point. It is time for you to hit up some of the 3D PSN titles and let us know how they are. That means, like, right now. ha ha

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bigrailer19
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 9:47:50 PM
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Yes ben in regards to the 3d-tvs, I agree with you.

I do not have one mind you but Ive seen them whern even not playing in 3d. And I must honestly say in every way they perform better. As you said "I could swear there's a distinct change in how things are moving on the screen. Blu-Ray anything is so unbelievably realistic in how people move, that it almost feels as if they're directly there in front of me." I cant say it much better. Theres just a distinct difference from my hdtv at home and the 3d-tv I seen. They are pretty amazing.

BTW I am in the market for one, and if you dont feel its necessary to tell me the price you paid for your samsung thats fine. But as I said im in the market and if your happy with yours I may do the same. I really want a Panasonic but they can get spendy. Either way glad your happy with your purchase.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:56:02 PM

The cheapest one you can get is probably the 40" Samsung (same as mine, really), for $1799 from Best Buy.

All of Sony's are over $2k and their smallest 3D-enabled TV is 46".

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bigrailer19
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:00:40 PM

Nice thanks a lot! My city is getting a best buy as we speak, and wont be open til August, which is just in time for me to have the funds! ;)

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Havoc
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 10:11:19 AM

Mitzubishi 3d tv / I got a 65" from best buy last cyber monday for $999.00

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NeoHumpty
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 10:13:39 AM

If you've got the time, I'd check out Amazon. Ben's TV died, so he needed one fast, but if you can wait, I've noticed several hundred dollars in difference with some Amazon offerings.

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Who_KilledMe
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 12:05:53 AM

I want the mitusbishi 73" 3d tv. It's almost 20" bigger than samsungs biggest and it's about $1000 cheaper. When I move into the 3d market that is what I am going for.

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Crudii
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 9:48:22 PM
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Well this is kinda good for us. We'll be getting 3D gaming reactions from a hardcore gamer we trust and someone who isn't afraid to speak his mind. Maybe you'll convince us all to be early adopters or maybe you'll make us put nitrous in our backside and run the other way!

P.s. Bloody hell Ben, how much did you sell that fortune hunter edition for!?

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:02:13 PM

In answer to your last question, "enough." ;)

And yes, I will certainly make my thoughts known. I still have my reservations but if I'm impressed, I'll certainly tell everyone.

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Deleted User [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 9:54:08 PM
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Welcome to the darkside. Now play your Wii & enjoy the pixelated mess that will be on the beautiful tv

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:24:40 PM

What Wii?

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:58:25 PM

I will either buy or borrow a Wii so I can play Super Mario Galaxy 2. :)

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bigrailer19
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 9:56:40 PM
Reply

BTW Ben,

How you enjoying Transformers? I played the co-op a little, and enjoyed it. But I'm really impressed with the MP! What are your thoughts?

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frylock25
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:32:01 PM

im pretty sure he will save most of his thoughts for a review. im just hoping his review makes me want the game even more.

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bigrailer19
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:53:05 PM

I didn't realize he was going to give a review, sorry... If that's the case my question can wait.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:01:19 PM

I liked what I played. I'll leave it at that for now. :)

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fluffer nutter
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 6:20:32 AM

I've heard some great things about Transformers: WfC. Maybe this game will drop in price soon since it is published by Activision. I hope the developer gets a good cut of the sales.

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tlpn99
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:01:13 PM
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Nice one on the tv purchase Ben even if it did come at a price of the old tv breaking down.

I will get a 3D tv later on. I have only recently gotten a tv so its working fine for now so will do me for a solid good few years yet fingers crossed.

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Deleted User
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:17:13 PM
Reply

I like to add that thinking of what you wrote.. gets me the thinking. I'm a huge fan of wrestling. Be it indy or WWE. Yea, it's fake. But they sure do get hurt. My point is, in every generation, there are guys who stand out more than others. They do extraordinary things & put butts in seats. They become LEGEND. And as people do.. they grow old and fade away while the next guys take their spot on centered stage. The show goes on but they are never forgotten. The appreciation is respectful. When their name is told once more years later, people MARK OUT in joy. Remembering the good times that were had. Here is my analog: I think "retro" is truly in, in gaming. I would lean on that, the perfect, turn base RPG will return & we will MARK OUT in joy. I would easily expect 2d gaming to explode once more (Donkey Kong Returns, Epic Kirby, etc.) I think innovation is in a cold-stalemate. I think in order to innovate, we take a step back. I don't every publisher adopting the "Elder Scroll" formula of action-RPG. I believe in my gut, old school turn base RPG would return once all these same "formula" of sandbox meets leveling up games blow over. No one wants to be the same. My theory: "Hey, everyone is doing the same games, we should make one like back then. It's so different.. it's so new."

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kraygen
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:22:44 PM

I wish that were true, but because of what can be done today, I think any turn based rpg to come out would probably be a download only title. I hope you're right tho.

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kraygen
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:20:44 PM
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I'm really excited you got this because like others I want to know what someone thinks of the new 3d in home tech.

Questions about suikoden games. I played the first one on the psn and enjoyed it quite a bit, not as much as ff series, but it was a lot of fun. How is the rest of the series, I'd like to play them, but some of them are super expensive new and I don't trust buying games that old. Any tips or advice would be welcome.

I'm still trucking away at ff9, its a lot of fun and soon I should get the first star ocean for psp, looking forward to trying out that series.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:00:14 PM

If you enjoyed the original Suikoden, you'll love the others. Suikoden II is like three times as long and even better in terms of polish (even though I have a soft spot for the first one), and Suikoden III for the PS2 was awesome.

Suikoden IV was a letdown, IMO, but Suikoden V was a return to form. You really can't go wrong with any of them if you're an old-school RPG fan.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:34:25 PM

I got a used copy of Suikoden V for about $25 and it's in pretty good condition. The point is it plays without messing up. You seriously can't miss out on that game if you even remotely like the series. My order:
1.)V
2.)II
3.)III
4.)IV (I didn't think it was as bad as others say)
5.)I (Great but way behind the others in so many areas.)

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:07:13 AM

I think III might actually be my favorite, just because I loved that three-character system.

But I really only go back to play the original because it's short and I love it so much. Certainly, later installments are better in most areas but I don't care. :)

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:11:26 AM

III was pretty cool but I found Thomas' part to be incredibly boring and it took forever to get the headquarters up to snuff. Still Chris Lightfellow is one of my favorite characters in the entire series. (And that's a LOT of characters).

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kraygen
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:53:12 AM

I thumbed up each comment because they all told me one thing. I've played the first one and now I have to find a way to play the rest.

I guess one good thing about not being able to get into video games until I was older, I have plenty of great rpgs to play for the first time.

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kraygen
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 4:20:51 AM

Ok, need some more help.

I went and did some looking for suikoden 2, I'd love to play it, but the only place I can even find it, is amazon. As much as I want to play it, there's no way I'm paying $85 for it.

No gamestop withing 200 miles has it, hastings doesn't have it.

Any ideas?

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 4:52:02 AM

Well you could always wait, I'm guessing it will eventually come to PSN.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:50:58 AM

Suikoden II is one of the more rare games in existence. I would really recommend III or V for the PS2 while you wait to see if Konami brings it to the PSN.

World: Yeah, Thomas really was boring but I totally agree. I LOVED Chris. She was the one I chose to be the...whatever that special person was...Fire something? Don't remember.

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kraygen
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:22:05 PM

ok, I just read somewhere that a few of the games stories were in line, like 2 and 3 followed the first 1, but maybe when I finish ff9 I'll just pick up whichever one I can find at a decent price.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:36:35 PM

Flame Champion Ben :) Kinda stupid name, but I chose her too.

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shadowscorpio
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:42:58 PM

Have to agree that Suikoden series is also one of my favs. I really didn't have a beef with any of them. Granted thaey all have slightly different styles but they all have grounded similarities and connections to each other.

I think that I still want a Suikoden 6. Konami just needs to realized that not every game needs to be an intended block buster. Its okay to stick to a franchises roots even when developing on a next -gen gaming console.

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frylock25
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:24:03 PM
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thats crazy you sold it for enough to score a new tv like that, and if you get that money back from getting to claim it... you lucky s.o.b.

anyway, im a long way off from getting one of those tv's but i hope you dont make me to jealous in all your future articles lol.

personal gaming update: i bought heavy rain this past week and love it. i have beat it twice and even got my gf playing it. she is horrible and screws up a lot. she is having a hard time with remembering what button is what. as long as she is happy playing it gets her off my back. Heavy rain is amazing. the story is wonderful.

been playin mag new dlc interdiction. i think it is cool i like how open it is. doesnt feel like as much pressure as domination.

ive seen heavenly sword for $20, assasins creed 2 for $40 and that new transformers game just came out. i have a huge transformers fan and i really want to play that.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:58:53 PM

I'm aware I was lucky. And no, I won't be bringing it up unless it's relevant. ;)

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bigrailer19
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:59:32 PM

The transformers game is very very fun. The game is a tribute to fans for sure. The characters both auto bots a decepticons look and sound like they did in the cartoons. The war is very interesting and puts it in a timeline before they come to earth. I truly believe the developers are also huge fans of transformers! I think if your a fan you will enjoy the game. It definately seperates itself from those movie tie ins!

The mp is very fun, transforming is seamless, and the customization of your transformer(s) you create is actually pretty in depth, as well as the ranking system!

There is a nazi zombie type mode, thats is very hard but very fun! You go through waves killing transformers and gain points to unlock weapons, doors, and upgrades!

And I've played a few moments of the campaign (the MP is just too fun) co-operatively online and it was very fun. A lot of action going on in the world, and a lot of involvement. Although the missions are pretty long, (which isnt necessarily bad) the game flows well.

If your a fan I'd look into it!

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frylock25
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:23:39 PM

@ Ben, dont hold back to much ;) we want to know about it. lol

@ Bigrailer thanks for the imput on that i really want to score a copy of it. i have all the 80's cartoons on dvd and am missin the first season of beastwars but i have 2 and 3. i have a crappy ps1 game of beastwars, the ps2 one before the movies that was actually pretty good, and the first movie game for ps2. that was actually my last ps2 game before i got my ps3. i did not like that second movie game at all and even the first one was lame. the more i see of it the more i get excited for it.

when i saw Ben had been playing it i really wanted to ask about it but i figured he was mentioning it as a hint for a review coming. after the positive feedback i am getting about it from you, Ben and some people on my friends list... i just need to wait to get money.

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hellish_devil
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:35:04 AM

@frylock25

"...and even got my gf playing it. she is horrible..."

Did you just said your girlfriend is horrible???

lol

Last edited by hellish_devil on 6/27/2010 12:36:53 AM

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Milonakis
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:32:28 PM
Reply

I want a naughty bear review so i know if it's a waste of hard earned cash

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:58:19 PM

I'll be doing that soon.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:37:52 PM

How about Naughty ManBearPig?

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kraygen
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:54:50 AM

sweet I'm really curious about naughty bear, I have a dark sadistic humor and every video for that game has made me laugh like crazy.

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fluffer nutter
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 6:25:17 AM

Looking forward to the review. FYI, Kmart (in the U.S.) will have Naughty Bear on sale this week for $34.99 starting on Tuesday and going through Saturday.

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Highlander
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:45:36 PM
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Hey Ben, hang on, traditional D&D games are explicitly turn based and feature a fairly linear story structure - just sayin'...

I don't honestly believe that we have seen the death of the turn based genre, I think that it has gone dormant for now, out of fashion with the twitch gamers and the companies that believe that feeding the twitch gamers equates to serving the gaming market.

I do see turn based games going strong on the more casual platforms of the DS and PSP, so I can hope that they will eventually make the leap back to the 'big' consoles as the PS3 (for example) becomes more casual gamer friendly both in price and interface terms.

I still await definitive news of FF Versus XIII, but I am not optimistic on anything from SE. Instead I will wait with quiet anticipation for White Knight Chronicles 2.

As for my personal gaming update, I have hit a bit of a rut and have recently gone back to thrashing around in Burnout Paradise and blowing things away in Uncharted 2 online.

My wife's surgery was, thankfully, successful, and she is recovering. So hopefully I can begin to de-stress now.

I bet your TV looks so good because of the enhanced frame rate and the LED light source. Higher framerates aren't noticeable in terms of individual frames that you can recognize, but your brain sees the flow of movement. With the higher frame rate I bet that the image looks a lot more stable and smoother to your eyes. You'll have to tell us how the 3D looks sometime.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 10:57:59 PM

Yes, yes, I know games like Baldurs Gate and other Forgotten Realms titles were "turn-based," but I think you know what I mean when I refer to turn-based RPGs. It's in how they play, obviously; BG is real-time, as far as I'm concerned, and something like Suikoden is turn-based.

Great to hear about your wife. Best way for both of you to de-stress might be to do some co-op LBP. It'll make you both grin like crazy.

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Highlander
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:27:22 PM

Oh, I think I see, we're talking about two different D&D games. I was referring to pen and paper with dice, and you were meaning the old doom-alike action versions. My apologies. I'm certain we agree, I misunderstood which D&D you were talking about.

As for LBP....Sackboy slap FTW!

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:41:59 PM

What happened to your wife man?

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Highlander
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:53:17 PM

A car accident years ago resulted in a ruptured facet joint in her spine, and several bad discs. They had remove those and fuse the vertebrae.

This operation repaired something that hadn't worked on the original surgery.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:15:34 AM

Glad to hear things went well. Perhaps she can spend her recuperating time honing her game skills. :)

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Shams
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 @ 1:28:55 PM

Congratulatons, Highlander, on your wife's successful operation. Now knowing how critically delicate the surgery was, and I can see why you were so stressed. Congrats again.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:03:02 PM
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By the way, everyone, those 3D glasses aren't cheap. Maybe I'm the last to actually know, but the rechargeable glasses are $200; even the regular ones with batteries you have to replace are $180.

...so, I'm waiting to get a pair for a bit. I spent enough today.

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bigrailer19
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:10:12 PM

So I hear there are a lot of different types. But the pair that have my attention are hooked up to the t.v. via bluetooth. What the t.v. displayes it then transfers to the glasses telling the pair, what to do with the eyes. Thats pretty amazing probably in the price range your speaking of.

Im wondering though if maybe there are even cheaper pairs out there.

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Highlander
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:29:48 PM

Big Railer, give it 6-12 months and these things will drop by about 33% just due to expanding market volume. If it's anything like BluRay it will begin to stick at a price that is acceptable to a certain band of consumers, and then once that group of consumers is exhausted, prices will drop a little more bringing in new customers. With BluRay that took between 6 and 12 months for each band.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:41:12 PM

Holy effing crap, I will probably never get a 3D TV. Shouldn't they throw those in with the TV?

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:00:38 AM

Oh, I'm sure the prices will fall. But something else I'm not sure people know about-

Because the glasses have to be synced with your TV, you have to get the glasses that match the brand. So if you have a Samsung, you have to get Samsung glasses. If you have a Sony, you have to get Sony glasses.

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Highlander
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:28:56 AM

Yep, that's something I was aware of, and is why I am waiting for the TVs that use passive polarized lenses instead of shutters. Or perhaps more preferable, but distant, no glasses at all.

3 up, 0 down

fluffer nutter
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:03:59 AM

They didn't give you a couple of free pairs with your TV purchase? That's crap. I know of two chain stores over here that were offering from 1 to 4 pairs for free with the TV's. I remember the Samsung 55" was on sale with four pairs for $1799 and I wanted to jump on it but there was absolutely no reason when my TV's are in great shape. I should have just thrown a hammer through one of them. lol

3 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:52:36 AM

Fluffer: A 55" 3D HDTV for $1799 with four 3D glasses...? No way. I find that impossible to believe...

The Sony 46" 3D Bravia is $2400, for instance.

Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 6/27/2010 9:53:08 AM

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Havoc
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 10:14:47 AM

http://www.amazon.com/Glasses-PS3-XBOX-3D-EMITTER-PC-XBOX/dp/B003S0V8F0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1277651621&sr=8-1

these seem reasonably priced

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fluffer nutter
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:05:30 PM

@Ben, it's true. This was the week that Panasonic and Vizio released their 3D sets and Samsung introduced their 9000 series 3D LED TV's. So, previously, Samsung had the 7000 series and dropped the prices on those to remain competitive. Samsung is really pushing their 3D sets to get a hold on the market before Sony starts to get their feet really wet. Just about all of the local retailers were giving away glasses with the sets as a bonus.

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Milonakis
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:20:31 PM

The bravia is also a far better tv though.

0 up, 1 down

Havoc
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 7:28:59 PM

Ben, go to amazon and type in 3d glasses ps3. You'll see a pair with a emiter for like $90. I just wonder if they work or not.

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BikerSaint
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 8:56:00 PM

Some of the manufacturer's were offering a free 3D accessory kit if you bought certain 3DTV models, which included 2 pairs of glasses

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Lawless SXE
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:11:48 PM
Reply

@ Ben,
Must be late. "Why can't we they try something like that?" Grammar, and "Okay, so...what the hell if Final Fantasy Versus XIII?" Where's the end to that thought? Oh and good on you for getting a new 3D TV, but shame for selling your Fortune Hunter Edition. You should have raffled it off here on PSXE if you no longer wanted it.

@ Highlander,
Congratulations on your wife getting better. Hope it pans out well for you.

Onto the article. I think that if anyone can get it right in addressing their fan desires, it's Konami. They got MSG4 right, even if Rising is all sorts of wrong. The newest Silent Hill sounds like a return to the original feel of the games, so that's right. And Castlevania seems promising, so that's right. Surely they can get a new Suikoden right.

As for the question of 'what is an RPG?', I think I'm with you Ben. I don't really care. I just want to know what is a good game, a good series, and I want to play it irrespective of the genre.

Versus XIII has me interested, I want to know more, but if it is unveiled properly at TGS, and they announce a release date sometime in the distant future, Imma be pissed. Seriously, release it in March of next year at the latest. Agito can come just before E3 next year, and then S-E can do whatever they want.

Personal update.
I don't have a 3DTv. My TV is about 16 inches across, SD baby... I'm getting around to getting a new one. Too much debt to deal with first.
I wrote about two hundred words all week. Because of all of this, I've given up on Winding Paths and am going back to Once Were Brothers. It's more interesting to me.
I'm about halfway through the second season of Dead Like Me. Great show, or greatest show?
I've read two of the five books which make up The Time Ships. I'm starting to worry that I'll finish it before I can find something else to read.
I finished Red Dead Redemption. After a month, or close to it. My review has been submitted, don't think it's been posted though. Way too long. Now I've only get seven games in my backlog. I think I'll switch back to Valkyria Chronicles. I went searching for Demon's Souls, but predictably the store had no copies. It's going to be challenging to get a copy.
Oh, and I think I'll be taking a PSXE break for the next week. I'll still be reading here, but I'll reserve my posting for if I feel as though I have something that needs to be said about the topic on hand.
Yeah, I think that's all.
Peace.

0 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:01:53 AM

Those are typos, sorry.

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Lawless SXE
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:32:15 AM

I know, I was pointing them out so that maybe you could fix them.
Peace.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:40:35 AM

Yeah, well, a little glitch in the system doesn't let me edit features. Gotta get that fixed.

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Gordo
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:48:02 AM

I've just traded in FFXIII and RDR for Demon's Souls Black Phantom Edition.

5 hours into it and I've got through one level and stuck in the next one. 5 hours of the purest gaming enjoyment I've had for years!

I knew there was a lot of fuss over this game but now I know it was all justified. I was your average "play it on easy" older gamer, but Demon's Souls has changed all that. I knew I was in for a challenge but it surpasses everything I thought it would be!

It doesn't even have a pause button! Not even offline... If the phone rings, you need to run and find a quiet spot before you can answer it!

You need to get it at all costs.

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Lawless SXE
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 2:03:21 AM

@ Ben,
Yeah, it probably would help to get that glitch fixed, but I swear that I've seen you go back and fix reviews. Does it only affect the category of features? Oh, and -cCan you at least tell me what you meant to say with the FF Versus sub-headline.

@ Gordo,
Thanks for the heads up. I think I'm going to have to send my sister two hundred bucks to get her to pick it up for me (she's a bit cash-strapped at the moment and doesn't want to get it for me, even though I promised to reimburse her. Maybe a little extra incentive will work.)

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:53:46 AM

Yeah, it's only features. I can edit everything else.

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LittleBigMidget
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:25:30 PM
Reply

I just Platinum'd Heavy Rain just a few days ago, and I platinum'd Batman unexpectedly, a day later.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:28:41 PM
Reply

Surprised to see my name up there, and I still think it's possible that something like Suikoden VI could actually stick to the formula since it has never been as big a title as FF. Also when they cut the number of fighters in SIV people went bananas so they changed it back for SV. I just picked up SV for my collection btw. A definite old favorite.

FFXIII is a bad example to be called an RPG, but I still think most JRPGs should stay in the RPG realm because I'm old and I don't like change!

Let's see, still playing Nier. I thought it was over and then Boom it kept going. Fallout 3 DLC (Getting ready for Vegas), and WET. RDR is on hold, I'm actually pretty bored with it.

1 up, 0 down

frylock25
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:42:21 PM

man i was playin the hell out of fallout 3 like a few weeks ago. i have WAY to much time invested in that game. lol

i beat the alien ship once and went through the pitt. also did the vr sim alaska or whatever. been workin on point lookout. if that stupid framerate in that game didnt lock up and slow down i would be in love with that game. sometimes if i hit my ps button it brings it out of framerate lock up. im really lookin forward to the new fallout.

Last edited by frylock25 on 6/26/2010 11:43:34 PM

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:11:48 AM

I've been fairly lucky I guess, the framerate only drops some when there are too many enemies and I've only had 3 lockups and those were all on the regular version (playing the GOTY now). I can't wait for New Vegas too. I'm gonna take my time with that sucker.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:40:56 AM

Nier is great. Very good ending.

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kraygen
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 4:03:08 AM

@ world

Sometimes I read what you write and I think you're in my head, I always knew their were lots of voices, just never realized their were people hiding in there listening too.

It's kinda creepy. lol =)

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 4:54:42 AM

heh, I use the mezz gun on people. Nah I just consider myself the every-man gamer and as such I connect with people fairly easily especially in a nice community like this. I've been around just long enough (29 next month) to have seen it all. Well, most of it anyway.

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Snaaaake
Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 11:42:53 PM
Reply

I'm giving Square Enix a deadline of April 2011 for Versus XIII, a game taking almost 6 years and still in development is just too long.

Personal Shopping update~~
Ordered Trinity Universe for $48 and Blazblue Continuum Shift for $39, I wonder if that's considered cheap because games like this aren't exactly AAA yet they're fun.

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FlyingKickPunch
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 11:47:10 AM

Got both of those on pre-order as well :D

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Temjin001
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:55:30 AM
Reply

Ben, you're experiencing an anti-judder technology that is prevalent in many of todays TV's that operate over 60hz.

Most TV's allow you to select to have this option on or off.

Each manufacturer appears to have their own name for this added processing: Motion Flow, Cinemotion etc.

But it's definitely worth playing around with because it can make many sub-30fps games appear to perform much smoother, even smoother than 60fps games.
From what I gather, not everyone likes it. I've heard but without doing any research on this. The technology produces a very slight latency problem. Depending on how sensitive you are with high precision action games, it may be better to keep this option off.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:55:02 AM

Thanks for the info. I'll try fiddling with it. I think the TV sets itself according to the Hz of whatever the product is; game, movie, or TV. Or maybe it's just telling me what those things SHOULD be running at in the upper left...not sure.

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___________
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 2:28:39 AM
Reply

im wondering what the hell $E are doing with FF V XIII, we were suppose to get new details at the beginning of the year!
looks like we have ourselves the new LA Noire!
speaking of such, i saw a new gameplay trailer and it looks AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
september cant come soon enough!

this is a promise, if $E bring V XIII to the 360 i will personally fly over to their HQ and stir up so much havoc they wont have enough room left to swing a cat!

i dunno whats wrong with me lately, ever since i bought my wii its alienated me!
i thought i would absolutely hate having to use the motion controls but im actually really enjoying it!
god whats wrong with me, now im finding myself wanting every MP game for my wii!
ive converted to the dark side!!!!!

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:11:47 AM

Too much lithium... or not enough.

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kraygen
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 4:05:31 AM

sounds like too much and some one should tell him you're not supposed to melt it and drink it in the first place.

2 up, 0 down

___________
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 8:54:46 AM

WTF are you 2 on about?

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Deleted User
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 5:45:05 AM
Reply

@Ben -Well another s**ker for 3D i refuse to buy 3D its just a fad you see don't wast your money 3D will only last a year or two tops. i am happy with my 46' LCD HD TV for gameing.

'currenly playing'
Ps3 -Bioshock (finshing up one last trophy that took me a year to get back to. the finish the game on serviel (sorry bad spelling) mode with out useing the vita-chambers. is a real ***** any tips on how to beat it any one.

360 -Crackdown. just playing it to get ready for crackdown 2 in july

0 up, 6 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:55:49 AM

Er...if you think so.

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The Stig
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 11:23:15 AM

I've heard alot of people saying the same thing but as soon as they actually experience playing a game in 3D their opinion on it instantly changes.

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Jawknee
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 11:38:19 AM

People who have not played with the 3D tech call it a fad.

Trust me, its great.

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fluffer nutter
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:09:53 PM

If you look at the specifications of the 3D LED TV's, you'll notice that they are great for regular 2D viewing as well. Base model 3D TV's are a great value. It is the newer higher end models that have a massive price jump. The new silver 9000 series from Samsung look sharp. This is what happens with home electronics. About every 3-5 years they go between black and silver. It looks like Samsung are trying to get the jump and influence the market.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:39:31 PM

That's not really a "sucker" move since his TV died on him. If mine croaked I'd probably shell out for the best tech available too. Plus Ben has to review these games you see...

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RadioHeader
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 6:29:46 AM
Reply

3 or 4 hours into Demon's Souls last night - Got a bit drunk and frustrated... killed everyone in the nexus. Good times. Guess I'm starting again.

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kraygen
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:25:54 PM

I think drinking and demon's souls would definitely make things difficult and frustrating, game can be difficult enough when sober.

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JackC8
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 7:12:26 AM
Reply

From what I've seen of FF Versus XIII, it looks a lot more like an action adventure game than any sort of RPG. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. Hopefully it will turn out to be a PS3 exclusive.

Personally, I put a new 500 GB drive in the PS3 the other day. Everything went smoothly and worked great. Only surprise was that my "500 GB" drive only has 412 GB of usable space. Oh well, more than I can ever imagine using.

Started on Final Fantasy XIII last night. The graphics and art style are absolutely sensational! Looking forward to spending many hours with this game.

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kellett007
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:48:45 AM

That is odd when I upgraded to a 500gig HDD mine only showed 465 gigs. What kind of HDD did you use? I have a Western Digital Scorpio Blue.

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JackC8
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 10:50:17 AM

That's exactly the same one I've got. It says it's got 465 GB total space, but immediately after installing it, it showed that only 412 out of the 465 were left. There was nothing on it at that point, I hadn't restored any data, just put the latest firmware update on it, which was a few megabytes or something.

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Highlander
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 11:53:00 AM

Regarding HDD sizes. When a HDD manufacturer sells a HDD with a 500GB capacity, they mean 5 hundred billion (500,000,000) bytes, which is not truly 500GB. In truth 1GB is 1024x1024x1024 bytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes, not 1,000,000,000 bytes as the marketing folks at HDD makers want us all to believe.

Your 500 billion bytes of HDD space do in fact equate to 465.6 GB of actual space as measured in real GB, instead of marketing GB.

Unfortunately HDD manufacturers have been doing this for upwards of two decades and don't look like they will stop anytime soon. So when buying an HDD remember to look for the actual size in bytes, and not just the number of GB that is claimed in the product name or description. The 1TB disks sold are, for example, not truly 1TB since they end up with a formatted capacity in the 920GB range.

3 up, 0 down

bigrailer19
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 11:58:13 AM

When you buy a larger HDD like your guys 500GB HDD, sometimes thats not the actual space they hold. The PS3 itself also takes up some space while formatting, and then you have to count all your backed up data.

For instance when I bought my 60gb PS3, it had only 55 GB of space out of the box. My 80GB PS3 had only 70 out of the box. I upgraded to a 310GB and it had only 270GB after install and format, but with all my backed up data it instantly dropped to 191GB of free space.

You should see what happens to TeraByte HDD. They lose a ton of space!

Just listen to what Highlander said! He hit it right on the head! And explained it much better!

Last edited by bigrailer19 on 6/27/2010 12:00:56 PM

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JackC8
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 2:52:05 PM

Thanks for the info guys. Just out of curiosity, what takes up the difference between the 465 GB total and the 412 GB that I actually had to start with?

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Highlander
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:06:50 PM

It's the space taken up by the PS3 system files and the overhead of the file system itself.

2 up, 0 down

Mavfan321
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 7:25:31 AM
Reply

Playing Castlevania SoTN, and FF IX. So my PS3 is a really powerful PS1 right now. Oh and SSF4 Dhalsim is my new main and I'm enjoying learning a character I hadn't used much since the Championship Edition days.

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PAKINIPS
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 7:27:17 AM
Reply

I just got £34 free amazon vouchers through a referral site so i bought Bioshock 2, Infamous and Xmen origins.

Going to borrow heavy rain off a friend as well so now my exams are over i can finally get up to date with all these games I've been missing!

BTW Did i miss the Modnation Racers review?

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JMO_INDY
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:06:52 AM
Reply

My family just bought a Sony KDL-40HX800 40" HDTV LED 240 Hz as well, for around $2,000 we had to get a new one for the living room being as my dog knocked over the previous entertainment setup we had. Thankfully my PS3 and 360 Elite were in my room again as I got a new TV for my room a Philips 42" its only 120 Hz and not 3-D capable LOL, we have since gotten rid of the dog so I'm going to try the 3-D MLB 2010 The Show Demo in 3-D later tonight.

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JMO_INDY
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 10:20:21 AM

The one you see in my picture is the Philip with my 360 and PS3 I understand the 360 screen is up but oh well the PS3 is still on I was just downloading a demo ATM and wanted to play some Crackdown 2. and yeah the computer there is very sub par I know but I'm building my custom setup right now. So soon that will replace that dinosaur tower and monitor.

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fluffer nutter
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:11:42 PM

Why did you get rid of the dog?

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kraygen
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:29:42 PM

that was the first thing I wondered too.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:44:19 PM

Yeah, ya gotta care for your dogs man. Too easy for them to be exterminated out there.

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JMO_INDY
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 2:33:31 PM

Kinda funny that was the first thing through everybody's head LOL well first off he bit everyone and he was kind of an ass to guests haha and one of our family friends offered to take him off our hands, see he was an Australian Blue Heeler and hes used to being an outside dog as he is usually a sheep herding breed and I dont think he did well with being inside so he got too rowdy, and the friend lives on a farm much as i do but he actually has animals and stuff, where mine is just corn fields.

Last edited by JMO_INDY on 6/27/2010 2:35:12 PM

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kraygen
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 2:40:25 AM

Dog whisperer speaks truth, any problem with the dog is usually the owner. Thumb me down, but Cesar Millan tells it how it is.

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JMO_INDY
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 9:08:29 AM

You actually listen to that guy? LOL and no we treated the dog well, we just got tired of him tearing stuff up, so we gave him away, it's not like we put him down, he's actually a lot better behavior wise now since he has been at the friend's house, and he is a completely outside dog now, where here he was an inside dog year round.

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kraygen
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 12:49:08 PM

yes I listen to him, he saved my dogs life. I thought it was going to have to be put down because it seemed aggressive, but two weeks of watching the dog whisperer and he had a complete turn around.

It's been over 2 years since then and now he is one of the sweetest and laziest dogs I've ever seen. He's 100 pound lapdog now.

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Scarecrow
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 11:51:46 AM
Reply

As far as rpgs go I just want Demon's Souls 2

I think I'll give up on FF
FFXIV is the closest thing to good 'ol FF, but even that's just an MMORPG

Next FF will be multiplat with even more guns and ****

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Mavfan321
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:33:15 PM

FF IX is so refreshing, it's amazing since I never played it for more than ten minutes being a fan of 7 and 8 but the change of atmosphere to one of actual fantasy, is a breath of fresh air.
Here's to hoping FF get's another breath of fresh air in a game that doesn't take itself too seriously another great aspect of 9, and a setting that isn't so "me too", because the whole Sci-fi world thing is getting old.

3 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:51:45 PM

FFXIII is such a big failure
Specially in the areas you just pointed out

I agree, when I first played FFIX back in the days it was like "wow, completely different from VIII, awesome!"

FUNNY game, I really loved IX, more than VII actually.

But yes the series needs to get back to being different and unique again.

FFXIII just wanted to be FFVII + FFX *facepalm*

Last edited by Scarecrow on 6/27/2010 12:58:59 PM

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dork02840
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 12:47:15 PM
Reply

not to sound lazy ben, but i have often wondered why developers do not offer a 3D veil instead of glasses. IE put the 3D glasses tech on a sheet attached just in front of the screen. i personally have a tough time with the glasses they give me headaches.

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Highlander
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:09:35 PM

The shutters have to be close to your eyes since they alternately block the view of each eye as the screen displays each alternate point of view required for Stereoscopic 3D. You can't put the shutters on the TV.

The polarization technology does something similar by polarizing the image so that alternate polarization filters block alternate images. This passive technology achieves the same trick as the shutter glasses but again uses a different filter at each eye and so can't be done on the screen.

The final type of technology is to have some kind of prismatic filter on the screen that separates the image into two points of view by splitting the light coming from the pixels so that your brain sees it as if it were truly stereoscopic. However this is very difficult to do well on a moving image because the depth of field is fixed for the entire screen. You can adjust the depth by adjusting the prisms, but the technology to do this per pixel doesn't exist yet.

Holographic display might at some time in the future work, but without that, 3D is effectively limited to some form of stereoscopic view.

In other words, there is no 3D stereoscopic veil that can be applied.

The headaches are due to some people being sensitive to the shutter speeds, and some people being more sensitive to the effects of the false perspective and depth of field. In short. Some people will get head aches and some will get sea-sick watching 3D.

Last edited by Highlander on 6/27/2010 1:10:47 PM

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shadowscorpio
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 1:49:20 PM
Reply

I was just wondering if I could get peoples opinions and/or knowledge on the best quality, most practical or most reliable type of HDTV to go for. looking for 1080p and above 60hz. Which one? Plasma, LCD, or LED?

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Scarecrow
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 2:00:34 PM

LED

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 2:55:40 PM

People seem to like their LEDs, I went with LCD because despite their long-life claim every LED device I've ever had died extremely early. However I haven't heard of that happening to a TV screen.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 6/27/2010 2:58:42 PM

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Highlander
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:08:51 PM

They're not LED TVs, they are LED backlights on LCD panels.

Theoretically LED backlights should have a far longer life and brighter lifetime than a CFFL backlit TV. But please, there are really no commercially viable LED TVs for the home.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:23:40 PM

heh, didn't know that. Which kind eats up more power Highlander?

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Highlander
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 5:56:27 PM

LED should be more power efficient, so I'd have to say LED backlit TVs use less power. Plus they have brighter light, and can use various techniques to do local dimming, which increases the depth of dark tones and blacks. That local dimming boosts the contrast of LED screens compared to conventional CFFL backlit ones. The LED responds as fast or faster than the LCD pixels as well, so there is no problem with the backlight taking too long to dim or brighten as there would be with CFFL. LED Backlit TVs are awesome. Sony has a tri-color LED backlight which in theory allows their TVs to have more vibrant colors as well as the other advantages of LED backlights.

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shadowscorpio
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 3:08:04 AM

thanks guys. Nothing on plasmas huh? Always was curious as to why they were so high on the hrz.

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Highlander
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 9:59:10 AM

Plasma technology has some unique pros and cons. It's fast because it doesn't depend on how quickly the liquid crystal can change. Response time is near instantaneous which is how it manages such high refresh speeds. But the flipside is that Plasma technology suffers more burn in issues than LCD tech does. They have implemented a lot of strategies to avoid the issues associated with burn-in in Plasma TVs, but the issue remains. They are also generally heavier than LCDs (which are heavy enough) and I believe that they use more power/give off more heat.

However they have great brightness, contrast and color, as well as very, very quick refersh rates. For whatever reason, Plasma TVs have gone out of fashion with manufacturers.

Last edited by Highlander on 6/28/2010 9:59:47 AM

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 3:24:20 PM
Reply

Kraygen! You out there? How can I contact you outside of these comments?

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kraygen
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 2:40:58 AM

kraygen is also my psn id, hit me up with a friend invite

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DeathOfChaos
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:01:33 PM
Reply

Versus XIII, from what I've heard in the past, is supposed to play like a much more mature Kingdom Hearts game. Sounds good to me. As much as I want Kingdom Hearts III already, Versus XIII is something I've been waiting for a longer period of time to be honest.

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SvenMD
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:18:32 PM
Reply

Ben, I don't know if you'll read this, but I saw that you were going to wait on the 3D glasses...are you going to use this for 3D movies much or more for games?

Also, if you are doing 3D movies...would you buy a 3D bluray or just go with the PS3 after the update? The guy at Best Buy was trying to tell me that the PS3 might not look as good....naturaly I told him to shove off since the firmware is not even out yet, but...

Any thoughts from the rest of the group?

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 10:04:23 PM

I'll likely use it more for games, if only because it's my job.

And I have no idea about 3D viewing concerning the PS3 vs. other 3D Blu-Ray players. But considering that most experts will tell you the PS3 remains one of the best BD players out there, and Sony wants to promote 3D through the PS3, I'd be surprised if the game console didn't do it so well.

3 up, 0 down

SvenMD
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 11:19:36 PM

Thanks. I'm definitely considering a purchase but may wait until KZ3.

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mjb
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 9:52:19 PM
Reply

@Highlander sorry mate, its ccfl(cold cathode flourecent lamp) not cffl.

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Highlander
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 12:28:35 AM

Thanks for the correction, I was talking about the cold cathode fluorescent backlights, but messed up the abbreviation. Funny thin about them being called 'cold'. My LCD gets decidedly warm, and always has.

1 up, 0 down

CharlesD
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 4:16:31 PM
Reply

The new TV is amazingly crisp and clear. The higher refresh rate makes me think I'm standing on set watching the actors ten feet in front of me. Have to say the glasses are a bit pricey and ben you can borrow the Wii next time you swing by

1 up, 0 down

FxTales
Monday, June 28, 2010 @ 6:57:22 PM
Reply

I think I'll wait. The most expensive one here in New Zealand is around $5000 I think. I know that's NZ$ but still $5000 is still $5000.

1 up, 0 down

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Ben's Week In Review: June 27

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