Ben's Week In Review: February 13

An interesting week in terms of news, and I figure the biggest is worth discussing first...

Activision wants...everything

Of course, EA pursued Take-Two several years ago after Grand Theft Auto IV hit, and whoever ends up with GTA will rocket upwards in the realm of video game publishing. But such an acquisition for Activision would mean one publisher has control of the three largest (numbers-wise) video game franchises in gaming today. To me, that's the issue. I don't think a publisher, even one as large as Activision, has as much control over a developer as many seem to think, and if a designer simply says, "there's no way we can do a quality GTA every year," I do believe Activision - or any publisher, in fact - would be forced to listen. CoD is quite different; let's face it. So the idea that Activision would somehow force Rockstar and other publishers to produce a new GTA, a new Bioshock, or a new Red Dead each and every year doesn't ring true with me.

It's this "cornering the market" philosophy that irritates me a little. I don't know enough about business to be sure about the ramifications of Activision being so powerful, but one has to assume an acquisition like this would have some impact. That impact is yet to be determined but it will have to exist. ...and that's the kind of thing that concerns me, even if I can't quite pinpoint my anxiety.

Obviously, gaming is now a human network

In reading Jade Raymond's comments concerning the social elements in gaming, and how what I call "the human network" (sorry, CISCO) is expanding at a very rapid pace, I find myself reflecting and considering. I have never gotten into multiplayer but I can easily understand the lure of playing with other humans; as Raymond says, it's usually more fun than playing with/against AI. However, that being said, I don't agree that it's always preferable, and I believe genre has a lot to do with it. I will never want to play an RPG with other people, even if I can see myself playing any given shooter online (at least for a little while). But what she's talking about is indeed crucial for any developer, because it's all about understanding the constantly changing environment of the industry. I don't know what her new IP is, but I have a feeling it won't really appeal to me...even if it appeals to the rest of the world.

In this way, I feel a little old and behind the times. It can be depressing. Maybe I should talk to Jade about it. Maybe she can make me feel better.

.........what?

Personal gaming update

I think I've done everything I've wanted to do in GT5; I've done all the A-Spec events expect the Endurance races and the Formula One and NASCAR championships, and I've driven just about every car I want to drive. I've done a lot of the Seasonal Events, too. So I'll just finish up Dead Space 2 this week and get ready for Killzone 3 and Bulletstorm the following week. Also, we won't be ignoring Test Drive Unlimited 2 (review coming Monday, I think) and Knights Contract (I should get it from Namco) just because they're being overshadowed. Oh, and I will have early reviews for the new Ar Tonelico (embargo up on the 21st) and Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (embargo up on the 15th) for the PSP.

I'm most interested in Dragon Age II for next month, primarily because I couldn't get into Fable III and Hyperdimension Neptunia wasn't what I wanted. Two Worlds II is a solid RPG but with BioWare's latest due out in only a few weeks, I just can't see spending time with the lesser product.

Lastly, we should have some really interesting news for everyone soon. It won't be this week, but soon... No comment just yet but let's just say we want PSXE to be in front of a lot more people...

2/12/2011 Ben Dutka

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Comments (170 posts)

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Deleted User []
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:10:08 PM
Reply

I can't wait for this "big news"!

4 up, 0 down

Shams
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:11:52 PM

Facebook connectivity?

3 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:47:48 PM

I hope not. Death to Failbook!

9 up, 5 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:51:14 AM

Hehe. I FB is an epidemic, but it's got it's uses.
Great way to get back in contact with people you haven't seen in a long time, as well as bdays, weddings, etc., plus it's easier than writing down a phone number or email address when you bump into a person but are on the run.

4 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:04:48 AM

I do have it, and used it to get back in touch with some people. Then I realized: "There are some pretty good reasons I don't talk to these people any more."

As such they just faded away again. The best thing FB can be used for is connecting with women, they are all addicted to it. Enforces their theory that everything they do is of the utmost importance ;)

2 up, 0 down

crunchy_nut_kid
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 8:53:08 AM

its probably a youtube channel

2 up, 0 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 11:05:07 AM

Lol, World, I know the feeling. But I'm sure you a know at least one good friend who you lost contact with not because of a change in heart, but simply because of a change in life's circumstances, like moving, or busy life both sides. It's also nice to be able to check out the albums, visiting memory lane, or seeing what you missed.

For me, since I have a lot of family and friends all over the world, it's an invaluable resource, even if I hardly use it once a fortnight.

1 up, 0 down

leatherface
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:21:45 PM

You sold PSX Extreme to Activision

8 up, 0 down

PasteNuggs
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:31:13 PM
Reply

Was this the big news we were suppose to know about last week or something?

PGU: I made it from chapter 5 to 9 in Castlevania. I haven't played that much this week to because I've been sick. D*mn sinus infection. I'm really into Castlevania now and hopefully ill finish it tomorrow.

3 up, 0 down

Shams
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:12:35 PM

Beautiful game.

0 up, 1 down

GuernicaReborn
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:13:57 PM

Last week Ben welcomed questions from the readers, we haven't seen what became of that yet.

This announcement, however... It sounds like some sort of ad campaign, or maybe a Youtube channel or Facebook page. Something that puts PSXE out there and more accessible.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:19:13 PM

Castlevania gets better with every chapter.

2 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:41:48 PM

Oh yeah, if you didn't see me caution this before, stick around after the credits for the big twist :)

1 up, 0 down

PasteNuggs
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:08:07 PM

@World
Ya, I have kept your last post on the subject in mind.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:17:46 PM

Cool, it pains me to think there are people who shut the game off at the credits and didn't see that.

1 up, 0 down

kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:25:45 PM

I always watch the credits at the end of the game, put all that time into it, I can wait 30 minutes to make sure I don't miss anything.

4 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:28:20 PM

Anytime I beat a game I reward myself with a sandwhich while the credits roll. Ever since FFVII I have always waited to see what happens after the credits.

3 up, 0 down

PasteNuggs
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:31:38 PM

@Kraygen
I always watch them too. It's like if I don't, I feel like I'm doing a disservice to the developers by not watching their names scroll by. Maybe I'm weird in that way. But that's ok right? RIGHT? :)

3 up, 0 down

kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:39:14 PM

Definitely ok, some of the names give me a good laugh sometimes anyway. Plus if the game is really good, you get some nice music to listen to and maybe some artwork to look at.

2 up, 0 down

Kangasfwa
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:51:54 PM

The original God of War had the coolest end credit sequence I had ever watched.

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:22:42 AM

Another reason why FFXIII wasn't quite a true FF, since VII they all have something after the credits, not XIII.

Don't remember if the others did, my NES and SNES days can be a little fuzzy.

1 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 4:23:10 AM

Youtube of course, that's it I bet. Youtube is oldfashioned and has been around forever. Not Facebook. That's too big for psxextreme. 500 million people should be avoided at all cost! :D

1 up, 0 down

Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 6:50:47 AM

LOL, I watched MGS4 credits like 5 times, but that part at the end is worth it x10. "Common...your not gunna make me eat sunnys eggs ALONE, are you?" Classic XD

1 up, 0 down

matt99
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:31:32 PM
Reply

Damnit! The suspense for this announcement is killing me!

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:22:58 AM

already?

0 up, 0 down

matt99
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 6:20:52 PM

I may be exaggerating slightly:P

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Temjin001
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:46:44 PM
Reply

I'm not usually a fan of annually released games. Not so much cause I don't think the quality can't be high--two devs on a rotating time block seems to work fine. And games like Assassin's Creed manage to get high marks despite AC2 and AC:BH releasing so closely together--plus, they're open world/sandbox. But I feel that it's a lot more saturation in too short of time. I had just barely finished AC2 right around the release of AC:BH and so I ended having my fill for the time being.

Maybe PSXe will be going multi-platform t, xbox/PS, to expand their user-base. Seems like most the devs and pubs are doing that. So why not PSXe?

PGU: I've been playing tons of different games: GT5, Gears, Halos, Suikoden, NG, SF4, and T6 over the past week. I'm just on a variety kick, I suppose. Plus, I'm getting over the flu, that always means more game time ;)

I will say I enjoy the Gears series a bit more now having returned to them. I remember way back when the PS3 was launching and MS launched this Gears game. My room mates and I were pretty dang impressed by how great it looked and how it introduced a more fresh pop 'n fire design that seemed to have influenced many other games following thereafter.

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Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:12:04 PM

Erryeaaah, I personally would rather they keep the site focused on Sony products. It's the reason so many of us frequent this site more than others. It's unique in that sense. Why jump just because everyone else is doing it?

1 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:21:52 PM

This place did have a sister site "Xbox nerds," but nobody cared about it and it sucked so it was abandoned.

I'm just getting over being unwell too, seems like everyone is.

0 up, 0 down

Shams
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:45:22 PM

Quite the ecclesiaste, Sensei Temjin.

One of the reasons I had my 360 was because of the Gears craze (but it was NG2 that finally pushed me to pick it up). I remember being impressed by Gears, being RAM heavy, texture rich. Gears 2 was certainly good for a playthrough. What I found about the Uncharteds, on the other hand, is the versatility and platforming within the battles broke free of the "whack-a-mole" monotony that a lot of cover-shooters quickly degrade into. The breathe-taking visuals, artistry, and Hollywood calibre cinema and voice-acting kept each playthrough as enjoyable as the last.

1 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:46:49 PM

I can tell you we're not going multiplatform. We might cover some Xperia Play stuff, but that's still Sony.

And yeah, as World said, we did have Xbox Nerds at one point - and I kept it up for a while with news and a few reviews - but it was just pointless and didn't generate anything. Val ditched it a while ago.

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:09:58 PM

Well crap, there goes my wish =(

"Why jump just because everyone else is doing it?"

Because MS told me to "Jump In" You know, their slogan, or motto, or whatever. =p

Come on, Ben, Jade Raymond likes Xbox*
You'd have more common ground to talk about other than just those AC games ;)

World, I never knew of "Xbox Nerds."
That name probably didn't go over well with competitive online elitests who like to think of themselves something better than a nerd.
That's not me, though. I'm a nerd and proud of it =) And I like Xbox

Shams, yeah, Gears is cool, and it's way.. way... better than Uncharted 'winks at jawknee'

*Jade Raymond may not actually like Xbox

2 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:27:24 AM

and btw, Master Shams, I don't know if it's just me, but I swear the first Gears game has richer detailed texture work than Gears 2. When I zoom into the textures by looking down the site, I noticed the textures mostly hold up pretty well with dense detail. Gears 2, on the other hand, doing the same thing, oftentimes resulted in the texture work falling apart into a mess of soupy'ness.

And as for Gears and Uncharted. They have some gun play similarities for sure, but, yet, they're quite different games. I definitely enjoy Nathan's more brisk and athletic abilities; though, I also enjoy the thick weighty'ness of playing as a high powered soldier in a tough-talking squad who faces off against complete craziness, including even 'digestive teeth and bloody worm hearts' and some decently epic sized boss confrontations. But these two games invoke such different emotions in me, the similarities in experiences pretty much stop after looking outside of the pop 'n fire mechanic.

1 up, 0 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:09:40 AM

But, Marcus Fenix (he's to cool to spell it Phoenix) sounds like Marge's sisters, and he's sorta stuck to a 2d plain of tar! Ok, I will concur that the lancers and brumacs are cool, but even still, Gears - online = ME2 + better graphics - story and characters. But if you loved Gears, lemme send you Vanquish. Vanquish = Gears + NG!

0 up, 0 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:38:40 AM

Oops, missed your last post, Sensei Temjin. I agree, they're going for two different vibes. I hear ya about the texture difference between the two Gears. Although I do think Gears lacks the polish treatment that Uncharted has by a long shot, I do appreciate the supersoldier motif, the grit, and the other-worldly sci-fi setting.

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 10:47:04 AM

I plan on picking up Vanquish when it goes discount. I expect to find it for sub $20 within the next 6 months.

0 up, 0 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:53:30 PM

Vanquish (and LoS and even Enslaved) have been taking a while to depreciate in value. But all good things come to those who wait. $20 is the sweet spot.

0 up, 0 down

NoSmokingBandit
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:55:08 PM
Reply

Everyone else posts their gaming updates, so i guess i will too.

I was going to try and get a platinum in Demon's Souls, but the tedium of stone farming killed all of the fun.

I borrowed my sister's iPod Touch and i'm playing a bunch of iOS games. They are basically fnacy Flash games, but fun nonetheless. There hasnt been anything for PSP that has interested me lately.

I picked up Crystal Chronicles for DS. I'm looking forward to playing it, but there are a few games before it on my list.

So now i'm basically waiting for KZ3 and Bulletstorm, both of which look like a ton of fun.

1 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:11:36 PM

PSP has Suikoden. Go play it!

0 up, 0 down

johnld
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:09:57 PM
Reply

cant be selfish ben. live chat with jade raymond...make it happen, hahaha.

never been into gta or red dead. found bioshock alright. if activision takes 2k then it wont bother me. still, if activision gets a hold of these block buster franchises then i can sense multiplatform game quality lowering. no more stories, just online multiplayer. if activision can reap massive profits for making sub par games then what pushes other developers, third party at least, to make better experiences.

pgu; i'm working on star ocean last hope right now. game is amazing, even more amazing after the disappointment that is ff13. i need my rpgs damn it. i loose track of everything when i get a game like this. last game in my backlog. i just got to EN II, so i hope i'll be done when kz3 comes out. also thinking of getting MvC3 day one but its still up in the air.

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PasteNuggs
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:12:30 PM

I wish I was in your position. After Castlevania I still have GT5, AC:B, Split Second and Apache: Air Assault to play through. Also, soon to add KZ3 which will probably come before some of these because it will be shorter.

0 up, 0 down

GuernicaReborn
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:11:27 PM
Reply

PGU: I just finished Dead Space 2, and I was planning on getting the platinum... until I read the rules of hardcore mode. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but I died at least 75 times on Survivalist mode, so I have a pretty good feeling that I would never be able to beat hardcore mode. I'm gonna go through it at least one more time though. It was awesome.

Now, I have to debate wether I want to get Mass Effect 2 or GoWIII. I think I might go with GoW, because that won't take as long to beat.

0 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:13:52 PM

God of War is a better game too.

5 up, 3 down

Veitsknight
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:20:41 PM

Being a ME fan, I would still say go for god of war, It is just so amazing.

3 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:24:38 PM

I'd disagree, GoW has the higher production values and is shorter, but not very satisfying. Find that one cheap.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 2/12/2011 10:24:58 PM

1 up, 1 down

Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:28:54 PM

It probably can be had on the cheap now. World, you and Cowpatty are the only people I know who didn't find GoW3 satisfying. ;)

2 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:40:49 PM

To rail against the game and to be disappointed in it are two different things. Don't lump me in with that freak.

1 up, 1 down

Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:43:27 PM

Lol, indeed. My apologies. You know I love you World. ;)

2 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:44:58 PM

The respect of the PSXE Brotherhood has never been missing from your banter Jawknee :)
I just... don't like that guy.

2 up, 0 down

Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:55:13 PM

I concur with gow3 being amazing and satisfying,love the animation on the gorgon when she trying like f*ck to get away from kratos.And the sound she makes is horrible when he has her by her...snakes i supose.
Unbelievable graphics

2 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:32:50 PM

ME2 is probably the most meaningful game to me this console generation.

1 up, 0 down

Codeez
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 4:37:16 AM

@world: What specifically did you not find satisfying about GoW3? I can most defintely see how the emotional investment into a game like ME2 (which I love and have beaten multiple times) could make it seem less immersive and such, but I thought it was still very satisfying and stress relieving.

1 up, 0 down

Simcoe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 10:09:56 AM

Kudos to World for saying that he didn't care for GoWIII and not sounding like a total douche while doing so!

2 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 11:13:25 AM

If I could have GoW2 with GoW3's visuals I'd be most happy.
I liked GoW3 a bunch, and it's jaw-droping gorgeous with some insanely awesome boss moments. But I really think GoW2 was the better game. Everything from level layout, constantly changing locales, a crap load of quality bosses, and overall length. GoW2 is one sweet and completely satisfying ride that didn't leave me thinking it ended too soon or was lacking in some ways compared to it's predecessor.

I expect GoW4 to be the series best now that Santa MOnica has had time to come to grips with the new hardware.

2 up, 0 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:11:04 PM

Didja know, Sensei Temjin, that GOW2 was originally planned for the ps3. Back then, when Stig Asmussen had just been promoted from Artistic Lead to Lead Level Designer, he was miffed that it didn't happen. I think Corey Barlog (and David Jaffe) got a bit overwhelmed from the demanding schedule and high expectations of the new and unfamiliar platform. Later, he jumped ship early in the GOW3 development, when he shouldn't have. It wasn't a bad GOW at all, and was great outing for their first on the ps3.

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GuernicaReborn
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:12:25 PM

Thanks for all the tips. I'm definitely gonna get GoWIII first, then ME2 after I beat GoW.

I didn't know they were making a fourth game, I thought that 3 was supposed to end the series?

World, I'm hoping I can find it cheap, its almost been a year since it released. I'm curious, what did you think of the first two games? Did this one disappoint compared to the other two?

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 6:46:56 PM

@Codeez

GoWIII was really good, but aside from the superb graphics it still felt like a last gen experience. There's still just one fatality sequence per creature, the levels are confined and ugly (no big sweeping vistas or interesting sights), the number of enemy types is still about the same, the puzzles were weak, and it didn't add much to the franchise in my mind considering what game engines are capable of these days. Also, very thin on story.

GOWIII is something I'm glad I bought and played, and it is at home in my collection, but I couldn't even get through a second playthrough because there was nothing that compelled me to do so or add difficulty for a challenge.

@ Guernica, I would put the God of War games in this order of my opinion of best: I, then III, then II. III just simply isn't an improvement over II in many areas. Graphics, extended fatalities, and the Zeus fight were all viscerally fantastic though. I just wanted much more from it. Call me greedy but it was kinda like when an action movie franchise becomes soulless in its later sequels and is driven by constant action instead.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 2/13/2011 6:53:02 PM

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aaronisbla
Monday, February 14, 2011 @ 5:06:24 AM

i love gow 3 but id strongly suggest ME2 over it. ME2 is that good imo and it has quite a lot to offer. GoW 3 may be cheaper than ME2 by now though

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Veitsknight
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:17:02 PM
Reply

I hope that the big news will be a price for the NGP.

PGU: Just got my Demon's Souls back from a friend. Bought MAG from said friend. Been enjoying MAG (I'm not good at it though), but i have been having freezing issues. Downloaded the Killzone 3 multiplayer beta (playing botzone only because of unstable internet). My sister loves Killzone aswell. She's 8. hahah.

1 up, 0 down

Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:19:41 PM
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I agree with ben's logic involving a GTA/Red dead every year,i know blizzard was a merger and they have the say when it comes to their ip's.If activision were to buy out T2 then there might be some sort of clause mapped out during negotiations that protects the better selling titles.
Jade redmond could make me feel better about ALOT of things if you take my meaning :)

PGU:
Been dismembering my way through dead space 2 & building up ammo + medpacks for my zealot run.Ds2 multiplayer needs more maps a maybe a new mode or two.
Still enjoy the odd game of co op in uncharted 2 whilst waiting for killzone 3 eeehehe!!

This big news has also piped my interest!

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Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:19:51 PM
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I don't care much for Take Two or their many popular franchises but I would hate to see a mediocre, craptastic company like Activision take over those franchises.

PGU: I have gone back to Peace Walker and have been playing around with the KZ3 beta and 3D demo. Looking forward to Feb. 22nd. Waiting for Dead Space 2 to arrive in the mail as well. Was going to wait a bit on that one but Amazon had it on sale for $40 for one day only so it took the bait. :)

1 up, 1 down

Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:35:48 PM

Dead space 2 is awesome,well worth 40 bucks.
I was actually having 2nd thoughts about going into the next room or hallway,my nerves were all over the place,scared even.
This coming from a 30 year old man..well kid but anyways ENJOY :)

1 up, 0 down

PasteNuggs
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:16:22 PM

How are the 3D effects in KZ3? Are they worth it? I'm somewhat interested in 3D and want to upgrade but I guess building a life comes first.

1 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:34:58 PM

3D is pretty sick. I'm glad I got a 3Dtv when I did. You just have to save what you can when you can if you really want to get one. :) I found my 55" Bravia NX800 for a great price over the holidays.

Last edited by Jawknee on 2/12/2011 11:38:26 PM

2 up, 1 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:28:33 PM

Sweetness. I'd get one, too, but I just got my plasma at the end '09. I'll have to wait.

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main_event05
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:22:50 PM
Reply

Not much news on my end...
I haven't been playing many games lately been on the other side of the industry. I'm working on a game of my own and I hope to done with it sometime soon (not likely). I had started with RPG maker but I scrapped that because that program seemed way to constricting and generic, So I'll be using Blender to make game. so, wish me luck, lol.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:27:38 PM

Good luck. Get it on PSN for us somehow.

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main_event05
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:43:40 PM

I'm sure the Highlander can help me pass it around when i'm finished.

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Shams
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:27:58 PM
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PGU: Beat ME2 with two trophies away from a platium...one of 'em requiring you to beat the game on "insanity". Wondering if it's worth the challenge. All in all, brilliant game, chaulk-full of content, lovingly crafted characters and story, and well-paced up 'till the very end, finishing with a riveting ending battle, and a moving ending.

Playing DS2, on chapter 7. Another superb multiplatform. Hair-raising thrills punctuating constant suspense. Play it continuously and you'll fry your CNS.

And this gaming year is just getting started! I've been putting off GT5 for a driving wheel and a new HD. Curious from others if I should, or should not.

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Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:34:45 PM

I found the Duel Shock 3 satisfying. I want a wheel but I can wait.

1 up, 1 down

matt99
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:01:27 PM

The force feedback wheel is pretty cool and definitely adds to the gameplay, but the game is still a lot of fun with dualshock 3.

1 up, 0 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:10:06 AM

Cool. I'll get started then.

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Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:12:46 AM

I just use the right thumb stick for my gas/brake and it works great. As much as I'd like a wheel, I remember getting one for GT3 and I constantly felt like I was going to break a plastic foot pedal and the unit would also shift around on the floor while I used it. I think if I ever considered a wheel again I would have to first think up some sort of mounting device or cabinet, or something, before taking the plunge.

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Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:18:19 AM

Ah, forgot that. Verdict is out. Rather than wait for new HD, driving wheel, and apparatus for holding said wheel set in place, I should just get started at GT5. Thanks all for the input.

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RadioHeader
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 6:39:01 AM

I have no desire to play GT5 with the DS3. For me, 90% of GT5's awesomness is set free via force feedback :)

Sorry to go against the grain, but at least you'll have something else to look forward to, Shams.

1 up, 0 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 10:32:04 AM

I hear ya, Radio Header. I'm sure GT5 is worth the cost of admission, and the wheel setup is a big part of the experience. Others seem to be enjoying it sans-wheel and progressing to the point where one can't lie to oneself, though.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:37:40 PM
Reply

I see what you are saying Ben, but the problem with your statement is this: "if a designer simply says, "there's no way we can do a quality GTA every year,"

The key word is quality, Activision cares nothing for the quality of their games as is evident in the bugs rivalling those of Bethesda. They only want to put it out and make the money so a bunch of GTA spinoffs and reskins aren't out of the question should Take Two fall on evil times and be bought by the demon Kotick. When one dev company isn't enough for the schedule, they just add 4 more.
But if gaming unravels into a bunch of soulless gaming conglomerates I suppose all we can do is whine about it and gobble the scraps they give us.

As for Jade, I too have no wish to partake in her social games. But if you can get an interview with her you take pictures okay?

Is that what getting PSXE in front of people means? Yet more interviews? Or is it the oft rumored video reviews and such? No offense but I prefer to read the news, when a site pushes me toward a video review I always pass.

Whatever happens, like I said before, ya gotta fix the code of the site if big shots are gonna see it. I still get a pointer finger everywhere and the full page ads crash Firefox all the time.

Me? Still playing ME2, plan to play DS2, must get DAII, and I want to get Ar Tonelico III but it scares me that reviews are embargoed till after release. That usually doesn't bode well.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:48:53 PM

I've never had anything crash, World... And the only reason the pointer finger is there is because of the full-page Two World II ad. It goes away without that.

And you don't have to worry about us abandoning text reviews; it's what we're so well known for, and what people really enjoy. IF we are planning to do some video reviews here and there, they will be adjuncts; merely extra commentary in video format that goes along with the text review.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:52:31 PM

Oh, and as for Activision-

I know the games can be buggy, but we really have to recognize that the titles in question are hardly trash. I think Activision knows what EA keeps saying, that quality really does sell games, despite the sheeple who will buy any CoD title.

No, I don't think Activision will put out a lesser GTA product if they really do believe it's "lesser." I believe Rockstar may feel more pressed but I don't believe that pressure will result in too many cut corners...game designers, especially the best ones, love their projects. They put years of effort and money into them and they're crushed if things don't turn out well.

Like I said, I really don't think publishers have as much power over developers as some people think.

Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 2/12/2011 10:53:12 PM

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rogers71
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:59:13 PM

I am with you World. I cannot stand the full page ads that pop up in between pages when I try to navigate the site. It is even more annoying when you try to go back to the previous page, I just keep getting the ad and it won't let me back to the main site.

Ben,
I know you guys need the ads but you should really do something about the full page annoyances. I have cut down on my visits to the site because of the hassle it brings.

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Jawknee
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:05:41 PM

Oh c'mon, the ads aren't that big of a deal. Not big enough to avoid viewing the site. They pay for the site so I am happy to tolerate them.

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matt99
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:06:37 PM

No offence, but clicking 'skip' isn't really that big of a hassle.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:11:54 PM

I don't have any issue with ads being there, they gotta be for us to enjoy the place on a regular basis. Maybe it's only crashing for me, but it's doing it on my PC and Laptop, I've sent Mozilla about 20 crash reports so maybe that will help.

(@matt99, it's clicking skip that crashes the site for me. So I have to wait for the 30 seconds to finish.)

You are probably right about publishers and powers Ben, but I guess we all like to think the worst of Activision so we aren't too shocked when the next thing comes down the pipe.

In any case, the more exposure for PSXE the better.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 2/12/2011 11:13:03 PM

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PasteNuggs
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:21:41 PM

@World
Firefox has crashed on me a few times also. I noticed that it is only when I miss the skip button and hit somewhere else though because when I restore my session a new tab is opened for the Two Worlds ad.

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Lawless SXE
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:28:01 PM

Well that's odd. I get no ads whatsoever outside of the ones that are up surrounding the article. I feel special.

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kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:38:03 PM

Do you guys have an updated ad-blocker plus? I have seen several people who say they do, but still experience problems. I don't really understand this as I use it and I have never seen a single ad on this site.

If you are having the issue with a particular ad, you should be able to right click it and tell ad-blocker to block it specifically which should negate the problem.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:57:33 PM

As kraygen and Lawless said, I really don't think there's an issue. I've never actually had anything crash. I also never see any ads.

And the full-page ad will only show up once each time you visit the site. Once you see it and stay here, it'll never come back.

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PasteNuggs
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:01:40 AM

The only time it will show it to me multiple times is if I hit the back button. If I hit the PSXextreme logo at the top it won't pop up again.

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Highlander
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:04:33 AM

Activision should know from it's own games over the years that CoD is an exception. In general, the quality of the game is reflected in it's sales. I'm not saying CoD games are poor quality, but I am saying that they are so massively successful now that they would sell multiple millions of copies on 360 and PS3 each regardless of their actual quality.

Both EA and Activision have seen poor versions of franchise games suck in the sales department and only sell well again when then quality is there. I think/hope that they are smart enough to see that anyway.

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Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:17:43 AM

I just love seeing Black Ops map pack ads for the 360 here on PSXe.

At least I think I thought I saw that for a few days.
It was this video ad with crappy, map fly-throughs of the levels. I grimaced to myself thinking, "crappy CoD"

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:25:39 AM

I get the full pager every time I reload an article to check for responses.

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Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:34:18 AM

Have you tried Google Chrome, World?
I used to use Safari on my mac but it gets so dang slow it drives me insane. Chrome, though, is pretty speedy and nice.

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Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:13:23 AM

Yep, I'm a chrome user, too. It's zippy, and relatively glitch-free.

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main_event05
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:24:12 AM

Firefox is meh now. It crashes every time i go to a site that has flash.

Can't we just make donations to keep the site going vs selling ad space??

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:36:30 AM

Hmm, maybe I'll try it, switching browsers is like defecting to another country though, not to be taken lightly.

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kraygen
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:11:32 AM

@ World

Instead of reloading the page, just click the psx logo to go back to the home page, then click the article again, that should remove the problem if it's happening when you reload and it's pretty quick.

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Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 9:07:50 AM

World, use your PS3 browser...works perfect on the site.

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Simcoe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 10:25:29 AM

Going back to World's original comment about Jade and an interview with photos, I noticed that Ben was mum on that subject!!!

With regards to the full-page ads, I use Firefox 3.6.13 on an almost 4 year-old hp laptop running Vista and have no problems closing or skipping those ads.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 7:40:44 PM

For the record, I use Firefox all the time and don't seem to have a problem...

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Alienange
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:52:36 PM
Reply

Jade is right in a sense but obviously you don't want your friends running around in ALL your games. Sometimes you just want to feel like the superior being in an interesting world. The Bethesda RPGs do that well as do the GTAs.

As soon as you add others into your game it can sometimes feel like it's no longer yours. Like you're at the playground now and some kids are hogging the slide.

I think it just really depends on the type of game and what you're in the mood for.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:16:02 PM

and your skill level. I like to play lots of types of games, even ones I'm not so good at. If it is overrun with people who practice their gaming skills twenty hours out of the day I'd have trouble in that playground.

Though the game wasn't for me, the system used in Demon's Souls was the coolest thing I've seen as it allows players to help each other and interact without stepping on any toes.

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Danny007
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:17:34 PM
Reply

Yup, I'm looking forward to Killzone 3 and Bulletstorm as well. What do you guys think the metacritic score will be for Bulletstorm?

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PasteNuggs
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:22:36 PM

I predict 83

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kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:41:02 PM

I hope it's not that high, I was not impressed. It doesn't scream top notch to me. Altho as the worlds first FPK it could score high as most first time genre's do.

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PasteNuggs
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:51:26 PM

I wasn't that impressed with it much either. I just see it bringing down higher scores because of who the developer is.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:28:31 AM

Cliffy B lovers will score it high no matter what.

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Snaaaake
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 3:02:16 AM

It will probably average 85-90.
The demo was fun, only question is what will Epic have in store for us to for the crazy fun to last.

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Gordo
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:26:49 PM
Reply

PGU
20 hours into Mass Effect 2 on the PS3. Loving it and the game is really excellent. Very polished. Just about to go through the relay with my team...

Thinking of picking up Killzone 3 after I finish ME2 as a total change of pace. Killzone is definately my FPS of choice.

Then need to get back into Nier then get back into Gran Turismo 5 then after that back into Demons Souls...

I probably should rob a bank or something so I can get some solitary time with just me and my playstation (though I think they call it something else in prison).

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:30:50 AM

Everything is polished but the Hammerhead sequences. I winced at the huge pixels on the ground. And when I'm on foot I keep getting stuck up on platforms that I can't get off of. Grrrr. Other than that great game.

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Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:27:22 AM

Hammerhead sequences are embarrassingly fugly. But the flying car-chase segment in Shadow Broker makes up for it... almost, cuz there's only one. And tip: save Overlord for night time with headphones. I was rushing through it during the day time, thinking it was just another quick random mission, but it dawned on me that they were going for a Deadspace theme, and I would've enjoyed it much more if I played it in the way I just recommended.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:59:26 AM

I did the same thing, I agree the subtler nuances of the game can be lost if you aren't careful.

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Lawless SXE
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:39:02 PM
Reply

If Activision has proven anything, it's that they will find any loophole they can. Look at CoD: They now have Infinity Ward, Beachhead, Treyarch, Raven and Sledgehammer all working on different projects/facets of projects, just so that they can keep up their schedule.

Sure, the primary developers may think that they can't get a quality game out each year, but IP ownership switches to the new publisher, which means that they can put other dev teams on the projects, if they so desire, and you know they do. Gaming will bleed if Activision gets T2.

Hey Ben, how would you feel if a turn-based RPG were to be created where you could team up with players online to create up to five-member parties and face off against teams? Just a question about the social revolution in gaming.

Personal Update:
I missed this last week. So... since Cyclone Yasi we've basically just been trying to get everything back together. We've cleared the front yard of all the fallen trees and replaced most of the panels on the roof that were leaking, so the place looks decent again. I found out on Thursday that I get to keep my job for as long as I want, so I was ecstatic about that, considering there were about two dozen people that got put off. I must be doing something right :D.
In terms of gaming, considering the power is down and we're running off the generator, I haven't been playing too much PS3, but I've fired it up a couple of times to play a little bit of Dead Space. My primary gaming has been Valkyria Chronicles 2 on the PSP and I'm up to October. Can't wait for the third one to get released here, such a quality series.
I've aso been getting through Middlemarch at a better clip, so I'll hopefully finish that either this week or next. Don't know why it's taken me this long to finish it :/
Anyway, Peace all.

P.S. Is it Home? Don't tell me it's a business partnership with IGN o_O? Eh, I'm sure it'll help out the site, so bring it on.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:58:18 PM

That's not a bad RPG idea, but no, it's not for me.

Role-playing will always be a solitary experience in my eyes.

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main_event05
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:20:39 AM

isn't that basically an MMO??

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Lawless SXE
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:51:40 AM

I don't mean it like an MMO. Picture this:

A grand fantasy adventure, focussing on a single character changing the events of history in a story on par with the best RPG gaming has to offer (for argument's sake, let's say FFVII). This combined with a create-a-character akin to Demon's Souls. You are given a large, open world to explore in the course of the narrative, similar to Oblivion, though the sidequests aren't so prevalent.

Yes, there would be aspects of MMOs, but instead of running on servers with hundreds/thousands of people, you run with no more than say, thirty. At any time you can break away from the online segment to go it completely alone, and in this case you would be given (two?) AI characters, which you control. However, you can also choose to do this and remain online, which would allow you to run into other player controlled groups, while you're alone. That would be an awesome dynamic as one person faces off against three, four or five. It'd be a head-check.

But the storyline would still be paramount. Perhaps at points, you would enter into what you would assume is a dev-programmed battle to progress the storyline, but as a sidestep to the player, you are facing off against people. Similarly, at random points as you progress, you may be asked to compete against a someone trying to progress the storyline. Maybe I'm just ranting, but to have all of that in a turn-based RPG would be awesomesauce.
Peace.

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Lawless SXE
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 3:50:08 AM

Also Ben, while it's on my mind, the Tactics Ogre embargo... are you sure about that, because IGN had their review up last week.

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Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 10:38:59 AM

Glad to hear you home wasn't devastated, Lawless, and that your job is waiting on you. And regarding the power outage, that's yet another benefit of the upcoming NGP!

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Lawless SXE
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:48:13 PM

Thanks Shams. Compared to some, we definitely came through unscathed.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 7:41:42 PM

Lawless: IGN doesn't care about embargo dates. They break them all the time.

We actually have to respect them. Trust me, I have the press release that came with the review copy.

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Lawless SXE
Monday, February 14, 2011 @ 12:49:43 AM

Hokai then, I was just curious.

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kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:45:22 PM
Reply

PGU: Gone back to spend more time playing Just Cause 2. Game is so much fun. I have over 100 hours into it now and I'm going to be making some more youtube video's. Love that aspect of the game, especially when you just catch that perfect insane moment.

Looking forward to getting Two Worlds 2 as soon as it goes on sale for $40, shouldn't be too long. Was glad to find out that all the pre-orders and special items from different stores use repeatable codes which you can find online for free. Get all the goodies without the hassle, love it.

Loved Dragon age, but I'll be waiting for the ultimate edition of DA2, no game is worthy of $100 worth of add-ons.

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Highlander
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:01:34 AM
Reply

Regarding Activision, I think the source of your anxiety is the M word. Monopoly - not Microsoft, although the effect is much the same. Would actvision becoming that big and that dominant in the industry? Why no ask developers of PC operating systems other than Microsoft...oh, wait, there aren't any. OK, well let's see, I know we'll talk to the developers of business software like word processors or spreadsheet applications. Wait, what do you mean, other than Microsoft? Surely there's....um....Oh, that's right there aren't any more, really.

See that is the problem. Does anyone think that if Activision got bigger it would simply stop there? of course not, it's power and influence would grow, and it would continue to grow. So, do we really want Bobby Kotick's brand of publisher to be the biggest force in gaming? Microsoft got where it is by using it's weight to bully competitors into submission. Microsoft is a huge company, and they use that weight to dominate the PC industry. There was a time when you didn't have to support a Microsoft proprietary gaming library to have your game run on a PC, now it's Direct X or nothing. I'm absolutely sure that I do not want to see an Activision growing to the same kind of dominance in gaming as Microsoft has gained in PCs in general.

PGU - Still grinding out the levels in WKC. I've done my first re-birth and have started the climb back to level 50 for another. This added 'challenge' is interesting. I've played the game through already, and so this is simply a replay, so I have nothing to do in the story, but there are so many things to collect along the way in this game, and the whole guild rank thing is fun too. Having to upgrade your town to gain access to larger space so you can place more job parts and ultimately peg the various georama stats at 50 to achieve a special armor for each profession is a nice additional challenge too.

You can re-birth a total of 4 times, and each time you reset back to level 35, but can attain an additional 40 skill points. So once you get your 4th rebirth done and level back up to level 50 you'll have 360 skill points to play with, vs 200 when you hit level 50 the very first time. So, as a walking deity you set forth on the challenges of the high rank quests....

Personally, when i eventually get to level 50 for the 5th time, I'll be ready to set forth on the journey to WKC2. There's really very little left to do in WKC1 by the time you reach that kind of level. Unless you wish to spend literally hundred more hours grinding through the various quests to obtain every item in the game, 10,000,000 gold and buy every item, bind every item, fight every monster, etc to get the Platinum.

As much as I like this game, I do not have the will power to do that. My KOS-MOS avatar will rebirth 4 times, regain level 50 and probably max out each profession in the town to achieve the georama special armors. After that, I think it's time to give it a rest and wait for WKC2. Besides, that little lot will have added a goo 100 extra hours of playing time to the game, so all I can say is, if you get into it, WKC has monster good replay value.

I have Hyperdimension Neptunia coming from NISA on preorder (exclusive collector's edition of course) and Ar Tonelico Qoga is on pre-order also, though I only got the special edition, not the one with the calendar. NISA has it's own store for pre-orders which allows them to directly control the sale of special editions of the game. I like that a lot. I really hate it when different retailers have different pack-ins or specials you can download. When ND brings Uncharted 3 out - for example, I'd love to see a special collector's edition with whatever wonderful things they want to throw in (a remastered version of the original game using Uncharted 3's engine wouldn't go amiss). But I'd like it even better if it was a pre-order that you purchase through ND or Sony directly. that way I don't have to choose between giving money to Gamestop or hoping that Amazon doesn't screw me again (like they did the time I pre-ordered Uncharted 2).

Ah well, once the RPGs an the RPG crave is gone, I'll be back into GT5 heavily again, perhaps by that time they'll have fixed the transmission so that fully customizable means what it says and is more than a crappy top speed slider that doesn't even reflect the true top speed.

Oh, BTW, White Knight Chronicles is crazy good. If you are waiting for WKC2 because it has the first game included, I understand, but if you can find the game for a good price, do yourself a favor and get it.

1 up, 1 down

Lawless SXE
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:23:54 AM

To be fair, there are a few small competitors to Microsoft's dominance, like Linux. Not to mention Apple and MacOS. But in the grand scheme of things, you're right. Those other companies are so small as to be almost neglible.

Now, Activision purchasing T2 would make them the biggest company in gaming without a doubt, but they would still have the competition from EA, S-E and the first-party publishers. I don't think that any one company will ever publish every video game. In my eyes, it's a completely different ballgame to the monopolisation of the PC market, if only because of the lack of unified systems.

If there was only one console manufacturer, I'd be able to see them agreeing to a merger with Activision, but not in the world we currently live in. The only thing we have to worry about is Bobby getting his hands on T2. As long as that never happens, we should be good.
Peace.

EDIT: Also, would love to get WKC, but everytime I see it, it's still going for $100. Seriously, it's been out for almost a full year, and it still costs more than Dead Space 2 did for me on release day :/

Last edited by Lawless SXE on 2/13/2011 12:26:23 AM

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:36:36 AM

Maybe it's rare now Lawless. Glad I got mine, but I simply don't have the patience to put in all the time Highlander has.

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Lawless SXE
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:42:55 AM

Even so, would it not have recieved a price drop before retailers jacked it back up again?

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:57:30 AM

It's probably an issue with Australian supply, I dunno what the transfer rate is with the US, but it's only $28 USD on our Amazon. You could always import but at this rate it might just be better to wait for WKC2 with both games in it (Provided we get the same deal Japan got)

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Lawless SXE
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:06:40 AM

Aww... you guys get all the good stuff :P The exchange rate is $1AUD = $1.0019USD, so importing would be a great idea. Parity... that's amazing. But no, I'll definitely wait for the second. It can't be too far away. The first one took a little over a year to localise, so following that logic, it should be out by August of this year. Fingers crossed, and I've most certainly got enough games to keep me occupied until then.
Peace.

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Highlander
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 7:44:21 PM

Lawless,

I've watched Microsoft from the professional IT side of things since the 80's. Linux is a non-0entity in the desktop market, only Apple exists other than Microsoft in any meaningful manner. Apple's fortunes are better now, but for nearly 15 years Microsoft had a nearly 95% market share of desktop computing. IBM, Apple and others were a flea bit compared to Microsoft. And apart from the occasional incursion by Linux, Microsoft still has more or less complete dominance outside of the Apple market. As for the point about monopoly. How many of the follwoing companies or packages still exist.

Borland Quatro or Paradox
Lotus 123, Symphony or Notes
Corel Office (this was a conglomerate of other companies products like Word Perfect)
Word Perfect
DBase, DataEase, Freelance, FoxPro, etc.

When Windows became so dominant, other office software developers and publishers tried to compete, but could not. A combination of Microsoft's size and dominance in Windows combined with cross marketing with MS Office and Windows and the integration of Office friendly tools in Windows, plus the inability of these other developers to produce applications that worked as well with Windows ultimately doomed them. And all that is/was left is really Microsoft.

That kind of dominance is bad for the diversity of products. If two or three large publishers capture 80-90% of all the game market between them, that leaves little room for smaller devs and publishers to compete. Marketing spend and the ability to integrate common features for online play such as the EA sports account allow the super-publishers to do things that smaller publishers can't. The way I see it, things in the game industry are heading in the direction they did in the Office PC market before Windows arrived. Before windows there were several competitors in the OS and application market for PCs, after Windows became the huge success it became, those competitors dwindled. I don't want gaming to go the same route.

Re White Knight. It was patience at first Worlds, then it became a slight addiction....slight...

I still have to get into LBP2 as well....

Last edited by Highlander on 2/13/2011 7:45:04 PM

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Kangasfwa
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:17:57 AM
Reply

I started playing Demon's Souls... I'm having trouble getting into it. The difficulty hasn't been that bad so far (not any worse than the Sly Cooper games) and I have only just wandered around aimlessly... because that's all there is to do right now...

Last edited by Kangasfwa on 2/13/2011 12:20:03 AM

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DIsmael85
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:22:23 AM
Reply

Activision acquiring Take-Two will most likely not happen. Don't know how this bit got started, but after losing some franchises and knowing CoD wont sell much, why would this even be considered?

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JDC80
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:23:06 AM
Reply

PGU: Trying to wrap up RDR: Undead Nightmare(been busy with other games i.e. NBA 2k11, NHL 11, Mass Effect 2)and get ready to ship it back to Gamefly so I can get "Killzone 3" when it drops.

Mass Effect 2: That game is addictive I only gave myself 30 minutes to play and I ended up playing it for 2 hours. Now it really looks like Shepard is about to hook up with Jack(even though I trying to hook him up with Miranda). Question to those who either beat the game or currently ahead of me in the game can Shepard hook up with more than one female character or is he just with Jack if things goes down between them?

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Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:31:15 AM

Good luck, on getting KZ3 from Gamefly anytime soon. At least I was never so lucky.

I went ahead and pre-ordered the game. I expect a visual action packed feast like no other come Feb 22nd.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:38:06 AM

I haven't been able to hook my Shephard up with anybody, but Miranda's a total b*tch so I'm siding with Jack.

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Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:20:05 AM

Wait, Miranda's a b*tch and Jack/Subject-zero is not?

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:51:07 AM

Jack's just misunderstood, and mentally ill. Just my type :) You know, aside from the shaved head and overtattooing.

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Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:06:05 AM

...and the lack of L5 cybernetic implants. I swear that's what they call 'em. Ok, not them in particular.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:33:48 AM

I've got lots of credits, I'll buy her some for her birthday. Now THAT would be some RPG customization.

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Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 11:04:42 AM

From what I understand, Shepard can't be a mac-daddy and get with every woman on his ship.
Miranda eventually softens up and becomes less cold. She's something of a head trip. But towards the end of the game, her disposition towards you changes and becomes more personable.

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Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:01:05 PM

You know what's funny: if you continue to make conversation with Mordin Solus, he'll accuse you of making a pass at him. Shepherd goes, "you're kidding, right?" And later, he'll do a broadway musical piece. Funny stuff.

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Temjin001
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 7:54:17 PM

Master Shams, that was hilarious. It just so happened that Mordin was near the upgrade terminal so I ended up dropping a line of conversation pretty often. I mean, I'm a captain, I can't just go perusing around Mordin's work area without actually saying something. It's funny that he took to my interests as "coming on to him."

Awesome, awesome game.

That's one of the very things I value so much about ME2. How the game successfully sells me on the human psyche of interaction. It's something more innate in RPG's, like in Suikoden, or whatever, I always get a kick out of walking into someone's shop and going behind their counter and rummaging around in their back room. Granted, shop keepers in these instances are rarely ever programmed to react to it, but, emotionally, I get something of a small rise out of attributing my day to day social logic into the pre-programmed game world. And this is where the ME games really grab me. I don't really feel like I'm being 'told' a story, from like the 3rd person. Instead, I feel like I'm living as and determining the events of the character I'm assuming the role as. Basically, when I experienced ME2, so much of it didn't feel like a "videogame" in the traditional sense.

Ultimately, I think Bioware is contributing something very progressive to RPG design and I'm very excited to see how their efforts continue to re-define standards.

1 up, 0 down

Shams
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 11:30:36 PM

Sensei Temjin, for the exact reasons you described Bioware's penultimate adventure, I cherished it. By the action and visuals alone, the game is a 7, pushing an 8 at most. But due to the painstakingly created detail in the character behaviors, choices, conversations, and outcomes, the game becomes alive, and cleanly lands in the ranks of elites, IMO. Everything from listening to the hum of the engines of the Normandy, while feeding fish in your private lounges fish tank, or changing the heart of a squad member and gaining their friendship, to saving the universe, the game truly sets the bar. I'm excited about ME3, and just another reason amongst many that will most likely make this the year of gaming this generation.

0 up, 0 down

___________
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:45:14 AM
Reply

antivision are not going to buy out 2K.
that happening is as likely as apple entering the console market, and we all know thats not going to happen!

got TDU2 and mindjack on thursday.
as predicted mindjack is a heap of tripe!
typical $E game!
TDU2 on the other hand, i knew it would be crap because 1 its been covered by atari who have not made a decent game in god knows how long!
but mainly because, well wheres all the hype for it?
i mean its been out for 4 days now and we have what 8 or so reviews for it!
plus there has been barely any previews, theres no hype for the game so i knew it would suck, but i still had the hope that it would be half decent, because, well how many open world racers do we have?
i was hoping this would be 2011s burnout paradise!
not even close!!!!!
graphics suck, controls SUCK, sound SUCKS!!!!!!!
very buggy, servers are down, almost every part of the game sucks!

it suffers the same control issues as NFS hot pursuit, im speeding down a road at 200KMPH and i full lock to the left on my G27 and the car goes straight.
WTF?
is the steering wheel even connected!!!!?????
theres a MASSIVE delay!
if i ask the car to turn, i expect it to turn NOW, not in 10 minutes time!

than theres the woeful sound, i mean EVERY ps3 game supports dolby digital but i could only get this playing in PLI cinema.
WTF?
thats what the freaking PS2 used!!!!!!!!!!!!
if this was 2003 than this would be a acceptable game, a 6/10.
but its not, its 2011 and its freaking pathetic!
how this games getting 8s+ is beyond me!
giving this a 8 is like giving rouge warrior a 8!
actually no, scratch that, this has to be the WORST game i have EVER played!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 up, 5 down

Lawless SXE
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 3:44:00 AM

Read up on the friction circle of driving. It might help you to understand why you don't turn when hooning at 200kph.

1 up, 0 down

Veitsknight
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:06:22 AM

Honestly, all comments left by nameless here has been nothing but negative. control sucks.. killzone lacks cool destructibility... dragon age sucks...

WTF?

6 up, 0 down

Lawless SXE
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:15:05 AM

True... I'm surprised he hasn't been Benhammered yet, but I like him. Something about the negativity and randomness in some of his posts always manages to make me smile.

1 up, 2 down

kraygen
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:15:53 AM

Veitsknight meet _________.

You got it right on your first guess.

2 up, 0 down

spiderboi
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 9:11:50 AM

"got TDU2 and mindjack on thursday.
as predicted mindjack is a heap of tripe!"

Let's see.. you foresaw that it was trash, and yet you went ahead and got it. Bravo. That tells a lot about you.

6 up, 0 down

sirbob6
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:07:01 PM

Wait I thought you said mindjack was going to be new and innovative, not a pile of junk?

3 up, 0 down

Snaaaake
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 3:08:45 AM
Reply

"I don't think a publisher, even one as large as Activision, has as much control over a developer as many seem to think, and if a designer simply says, "there's no way we can do a quality GTA every year," I do believe Activision - or any publisher, in fact - would be forced to listen."
Well Ben, defy Activision means you're fired so I doubt Activision would listen...............

Anyway, for my PGU, I haven't been playing anything on my PS3, stopped LBP2 and GT5 and I think they're collecting dust.

But I am waiting for my Killzone 3 and also the demo next week.
Is it the E3 demo or a different one?

0 up, 0 down

kraygen
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:17:20 AM
Reply

BIG NOTE:

Sony is releasing a 160GB Killzone 3 bundle. KZ3 is basically free. 160GB with KZ3 for only 299.99.

Good for the KZ3 lovers, especially if you're looking for a new system.

2 up, 0 down

kraygen
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:30:51 AM

Oh fyi, only place in U.S. I have found it so far is at kmart dot com. You can preorder it there while supplies last.

Last edited by kraygen on 2/13/2011 5:31:06 AM

0 up, 0 down

Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 3:35:14 PM

I got my 160GB in 2008 with 4 free games for £289 soo...no, basically it isnt free XD

Nice try though.

Last edited by Ludicrous_Liam on 2/13/2011 3:36:19 PM

0 up, 1 down

kraygen
Monday, February 14, 2011 @ 5:55:47 AM

Ok, well in America a 160GB ps3 is 299.99 without a game, so if this one has KZ3 at no extra cost, I think that is free.

0 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:19:11 AM
Reply

PGU: Borderlands! Yes indeed, two of my buddies and I have started on playthrough two of Borderlands (in coop mode of course), and to my surprise it turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected to revisit Borderlands, although I gotta admit we spent more time on the expansions than the original game. Anyway, this is a sure sign that we got to do with a quality game.
Plus we've had so many mediocre coop experiences lately, so this revisit reminded us on how much fun a coop game CAN be, and that Borderlands 2 will be a day1 buy for me.

Last edited by Beamboom on 2/13/2011 5:32:29 AM

1 up, 0 down

Veitsknight
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 9:08:23 AM

I agree, borderlands a great coop experience. almost as good as L4d2(The coop gameplay, not the game itself). Are the DLCs nice? I have not bought any of them yet. With all the games I have to buy this couple of months, which DLC has a bigger inpact on the game? I can only afford 1 atm...

0 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 10:27:30 AM

The pure *genious* about the dlc for Borderlands is that they are all totally different from each other, and different from the main game. They all got their own story and their own focus, and you can tell that Gearbox really put a lot of thought and work into them.

One is a pure party game arena style battles (Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot), one has a vehicle focus with areas too large (and dangerous) to travel by foot (The Secret Armory of General Knoxx), one expansion has a totally new story (The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned) and all new monsters (zombies in all shapes and forms), and the latest, "Claptrap's New Robot Revolution" that we frankly have just started.

If I had to pick just one of these it would probably be Zombie Island because of the graphics alone, it looks absolutely splendid in all its dark, moonshine blueish gore'n'glory, and it's *huge*. Loads of new areas to explore, and it's all new. No vehicles, you walk around in woods with scary sounds and crazy howls everywhere. And, again, it looks *totally* different than the "typical" Borderlands.

Last edited by Beamboom on 2/13/2011 10:33:39 AM

0 up, 0 down

crunchy_nut_kid
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 9:00:06 AM
Reply

activision is playing monopoly in the gaming industry. there buying all the properties, so no matter where you land, you'll be paying them your money. i think it's time activision'do not pass go, do not collect $200'

0 up, 0 down

spiderboi
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 9:25:27 AM
Reply

On Activision-- I still remember when the only recall I had for that name was on a Simpson's game on the Gameboy. Now, they're everywhere. It's good that they are in good business. But c'mon, give back to the community what it deserves in return for its support. Better MP support, quality releases, more interesting and relevant innovation.

On Human Network-- It's unavoidable. My sisters, who have never played games before, are now certified Facebook App game addicts (well, at least one is). It sure changed the meaning of casual. And things are just gonna go even higher from there. Even Angry Birds got into PSN. Imagine that.

PGU: It's still MAG for me, GT5 has been gathering dust because last playthrough I went more than 10 tries at a license and still only got silver (and yes, I'm not a racing game guy). LBP2 finally got more playtime, and I'm enjoying every bit of it. I'm playing KZ3 MP Beta from time to time, but honestly, I wasn't too blown away. Gaphics-wise, yes, my body-bits are all over from being blown, but the MP structure was a bit bland for me. But hey, I'll still get it. Why? Coz it's not often you get a very eye-candy FPS game with solid SP (plus I'm thinking of buying a Nav controller and a Sharpshooter attachment for my Move coz playing one hand DS4 and Move on the other = my right hand being erratic and unstable.
Gonna be checking out new PC games as well, as we got a new laptop (Samsung R580) and for its specs, it was said that it can hold its own on gaming, so I wanna try that out.

0 up, 0 down

Simcoe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 10:54:17 AM
Reply

PGU: Hot Pursuit, Bad Company 2, Risk (great PSN title!) and Killzone 3 beta. Tried and loved the ME2 demo, have to see where my time will allow me to fit that one in!

0 up, 0 down

sirbob6
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 12:01:16 PM
Reply

Well I have been jumping around my games. Primarily I've been trying to make a level in LBP2, farm in Demon's Souls, and find all the blast shards in inFamous(15 left).

0 up, 0 down

GuernicaReborn
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:13:43 PM

Oh eff. We've had some convo's on here about those damn blast shards. Here and the forums. Good luck with that. I'm still at 147/150, and I will forever be stuck there.

0 up, 0 down

sirbob6
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 7:21:22 PM

Well I am down to 4 left. It takes forever to do a block by block search.

Last edited by sirbob6 on 2/13/2011 7:23:32 PM

0 up, 0 down

Teddie9
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:31:12 PM
Reply

Simply for me, while it would be disheartening, if Activision meddeled with the quality of bioshock and GTA to the point where the games aren't what they could be I'm not supporting them any longer.

PGU: waiting for KZ3, beat Batman:AA again and recently finished ME2, getting through KZ3 beta, anyone else find when they start a match it will appear that your side has won or lost and even after death with the game contiuously running the notice stays and your hub doesn't display?

Last edited by Teddie9 on 2/13/2011 1:31:23 PM

0 up, 0 down

Simcoe
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:07:27 PM

Yeah, I had that happen once. In my case I joined into a friends room mid-game. It sucked because it made it hard to aim and none of my unlocks were available. Once that game ended, it corrected itself.

0 up, 0 down

JDC80
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:44:53 PM
Reply

Temjin001
If you really want to get Killzone 3 from gamefly next Monday whatever game you have out shipped it tomorrow or no later than Tuesday just to ensure the game gets there this week. Once you mail the game back clear out your Q and make Killzone 3 the number one game in your Q. That how I got Mass Effect 2 I shipped back AC: Brotherhood that Monday before Mass Effect 2 release.

As Mass Effect 2 I did like 3 different missions since pissing off Miranda and she's still pissed off she keep saying "Why don't you go visit your friend Jack?" The two given response doesn't do jack(no pun intended) but what I gotta do to change this?

0 up, 0 down

kraygen
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 3:24:32 PM
Reply

So I have been having a blast playing some more Just Cause 2, one of the most fun games of 2010.

I just uploaded a new u tube video, man you JC2 fans have got to see. This game is hilariously insanely fun.

I'd link it, but moderator approval and all that, it's not long and if u care, search kraygen on u tube and it will bring up a video by me, then just go to my vids and watch Best Car Ever. Man what fun, just doing crazy stuff. I think I'm going to go see what I can tow behind a plane now.

0 up, 0 down

JDC80
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:01:03 PM
Reply

Sorry for all the multiple comments my internet is acting up and it didn't register them the first time.

0 up, 0 down

hehateme
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 6:01:40 PM
Reply

i really hope this deal never happens... im very much looking forward to the next red dead and well if this takes place they would be popping out red dead games every year... GTA games every year with xbox seeing the better quality and dlc first

1 up, 0 down

556pineapple
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 9:35:02 PM
Reply

I'm going to wager that the big announcement is that the previously reported involvement with PS Home is finally coming to fruition.

0 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Monday, February 14, 2011 @ 3:16:51 AM

Oh damn, youre right. THAT'd be awsome...!

0 up, 0 down

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