Ben's Week In Review: December 4
DMCThings have finally eased up. I'm in my new place, the review craziness is over...time to revel a bit in the holidays. :)
Let's not forget: Ninja Theory ain't bad
Being a big Devil May Cry fan, I was just as annoyed as anyone when I saw the new heroin-addict Dante design. But you know, there are two things we have to take into account: firstly, Ninja Theory is a damn fine developer in my eyes; both Heavenly Sword and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West were great. Secondly, the new gameplay floating around out there is impressive. I'm still not sure we see all the depth we saw in past DMC entries, but I do believe the designers have captured the look, flow and feel of combat. And that's critical.
Another video highlighting new gameplay footage dropped, and while I still say it isn't much of an RPG, I'm sure Final Fantasy XIII-2 will work out fine. I'm one of the few people who thought FFX-2 was a great game, so I don't necessarily have anything against sequels.
Itagaki is never worried about anything
Tomonobu Itagaki has expressed anger, but I've never seen him act concerned. It just isn't his style. And while I think there's plenty to be worried about in regards to the current Western domination of gaming, you just had to love this guy's classic reaction. I can just picture him doing it, too. In that interview, he seemed his typical laid-back, cocky self. He basically says, "yeah, we're working with Westerners now (his allying with THQ) but so what?" Provided they just respect the differences between Japanese and Western and they work hard, who cares?
I'm just wondering if he wasn't overcompensating a little when he gave that cool, sunglasses-off, "no, I'm not worried" reply. I mean, you might want to be a touch concerned, although I imagine the world's love of shooters might help him with his new project, Devil's Third. It's in third-person, yes, but there are still plenty of guns. ;)
Personal gaming update
I'm nearing the end of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, which is depressing 'cuz the game rules the school. When I finish, I can go back to Catherine (no, I haven't finished it yet, damnit) or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. By the way, the reason I wrote that article is because I find it embarrassing. Many years of reviewing games, hundreds of reviews, and never have I encountered such a troublesome situation. You feel like Bethesda cheated you, the critic, but at the same time, you recognize the inherent genius of the game. It's tough.
We should have the next episode of the PSXE Show done this week, so look out for that, and I think I'll try to get a review done for the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. It'll be super late but people keep asking for it. Also-
Interview Alert
You'll probably remember our article concerning gamer and model Jo Garcia, which got quite the response. Jo responded on Twitter within minutes of the article going live. Well, we figured we should give her a chance to talk more about the subject we started, so we'll be chatting with her on Tuesday.
As usual, we get you guys involved with most interviews, so feel free to post up suggested questions in the comments below. Not sure how many I'll take, so don't be disappointed if I don't use your question. :) Obviously, any inappropriate questions won't be considered.
12/3/2011 Ben Dutka
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Comments (52 posts)
Nas Is Like
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:21:05 PM
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BikerSaint
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:36:01 PM
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FatherSun
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 12:49:03 AM
"Open your MIND...!"
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TheAgingHipster
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 8:47:27 AM
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GuardianMode
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 9:51:03 PM
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After the burned feeling of FFXIII I will also pass on XIII-2.
PGU: Assassins Creed Revelations is one fine game. I love the multiplayer. Very different.
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PasteNuggs
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 9:58:00 PM
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I think you should try to interview Ali Hillis next. She seems like a super awesome chick who seems to know a great deal about our medium.
Also, Ben I realized that your Skyrim review is not on metacritic. Did you have taken down or is it just not up yet?
PGU: It's been 90% Skyrim and Battlefield the other 10%. I got ACR in the mail today though so I may take a break from Skyrim and play that.
P.S. The new exclusive is apparently called The Last Of Us.
Last edited by PasteNuggs on 12/3/2011 10:02:35 PM
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 10:17:10 PM
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johnld
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:21:09 PM
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Lawless SXE
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 3:51:28 AM
Either way, definitely interested in it now.
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frostface
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 10:07:55 PM
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My question is:
How did she feel when you made that article and if it's a stereotype that she comes up against on a regular basis as a reviewer for that particular publication she writes for?
People already have a certain view of that mag, and it never relates to computer games, so do people take her as serious as she does when it comes to gaming? Where does she stand on the subject?
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CanadianGuy420
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 10:11:41 PM
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PGU UC3 MP is owning me right now especially co/op. think i'll get back to MGS HD this week and start part 3.
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Ultimadesires
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 10:11:53 PM
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PGU: I recently bought the Ico & Shadow of the Coloussus collection. I have only just completed Ico, but my oh my what a game! The scale is just immense, I can't believe they managed this over 10 years ago in the early ages of th PS2. The HD remake really does the title justice, bring the architecture to life, visually it can easily compete with any PS3 title up to Uncharted 1. I am now trying to get the trophies, the 2 hour playthrough is dirving me made, but I look forward to properly seeing the changs in the second playthrough afterwards. Then I'll finally move onto SotC, which I only can expect good things.
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ZenChichiri
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 8:22:51 PM
They are both awesome games, but SotC is so epic. Tell me what you think after playing it.
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Dreno
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 10:12:52 PM
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As for my question to jo ;
Id like to know what was the first game she ever played was, or atleastthe first game she played that she can recall was, and how it impacted her gaming lifestyle, and if she didn't play ikt if she thinks she would still be a gamer.
Also, if she could only pick 1 game to play for the rest of time, what would it be?
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Excelsior1
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 10:44:53 PM
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I LOVE Betehesda's games from a design stand point but I am not so impressed with their technical prowess on the PS3. They can't seem to release a game on the PS3 that does not have some kind of an issue. I can live with bugs but when a game starts to break down on you that when I start to have a problem. Some of the worst framerates I have seen this gen have come from their games. Fall out 3 to this very day can chug along at 5fps and just freeze up without any warning. No other game has made me reset my PS3 more. This is not the PS3's fualt. It is a Bethesda issue. I sincerely hope that I don't have to watch framrates like these on Sony's machine next gen.
PGU
I am playing Skyrim. It flat out is the best rpg I have played this generation.The scope and scale of the game is pretty amazing. I have close to 68 hrs total put into the game and I am still discovering new things. Even the sidequests are deep and well thought out. It's very addicting and a lot of fun. The amount of playtime you can get out of Skyrim puts other games to shame.
I would strongly advise potential players to turn auotsave off. That has seemed to help on my second play through. Another thing I have noticed is the game runs better when you do not have a companion/follower with you. That is just an observation.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 12/3/2011 10:52:48 PM
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johnld
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:46:55 PM
its not like i havent tried western rpgs. i played oblivion on 360. most of the time i just find myself heading somewhere while thinking "why am i going here for anyway?". i dont think i see myself putting hours into a game into infinite sidequests either. i'll probably just follow the story, play a few sidequests, beat it and never touch it again. at least thats how i felt playing oblivion. i got bored of it and never played it after a while.
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bigrailer19
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 4:08:46 AM
It's weird you don't like ME2, or rather I should say putting many hours into it. It's very linear for an RPG, which is why I say it's a TPS with some RPG elements. The only thing in depth about ME is the conversating, otherwise most of the missions have one way in and one way out, but through conversation you can change the dialogue. Point is, compared to Skyrim, or Fallout 3 it's very, very linear. So I'd assume that Skyrim wouldn't be a good game for you. The issues with the game, should not make that decision for you though, the game is well worth it!
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Shams
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:02:23 PM
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I feel I have to tear myself away from it to get to my backlogged games (LA Noire, Ico, Rage, Socom 4, Fallout 3, LBP, GT5, Majin), and even worse, I ordered a bunch of pc games on the cheap on top of this (Crysis: Maximum edition, Metro 2033, Bioshock, and Darksiders). So, I guess I'm getting the helpless, swamped feeling that you, Ben, and other reviews must get all the time, though I'm no reviewer.
What I'm surprised at, is that even with full effects, high-res textures, and 60fps, while Crysis 2 is one of the best looking games I've played, it still doesn't match the immersion to be found in Uncharted 3, KZ3, or Resistance 3. This shows me how important basic things are like level design, character design, enemy design, and art direction. And Crysis 2 is no slouch in these departments, mind you (well, with exception of AI perhaps). The music by Hans Zimmer matches the best of what Sony's first party studio's have produced. The maxed graphics are clearly next gen compared to what the consoles offer today. The set pieces are Uncharted worthy. The voice acting is at least at the level of KZ, and gameplay is addictive, yet, in my eyes, it doesn't take the place of other games on my alleged lesser platform.
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Shams
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:09:33 PM
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Interview asks audibly, "What's that?"
Tomonobu calmly continues, "Nothing, nothing. As we were saying."
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Excelsior1
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:18:47 PM
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johnld
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:19:23 PM
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dont really care about itagaki and his antics. theyre entertaining but not that interesting. isnt devil's third a shooter too? third person i think.
PGU:
Just platinumed battlefield 3 so i'm starting resistance 3 or maybe assassin's creed revelations. i also want to try sports champions and fight lights out now that i have 2 move controllers. maybe i'll get back to batman arkham city on new game+. definitely playing bf3 online on and off, just love that game. checked the new return to karkland trophies and one of the silver trophies is going to be a pain. you need to get a kill with a jet, tank, and assault rifle WITH A SINGLE LIFE. i rarely get a kill with a jet. i get a bunch of vehicle disables but rarely kills. then i have to go back and get a tank somewhere, get a kill, then get a kill with an assault rifle. that should be a gold trophy there.
also playing skyward sword. i'm impressed with the game over all but as expected, i dont like the motion controls. i try to slice one way and the game cant keep up sometimes. i know i need to slow down a bit with my motions but if it cant keep up with the way i play, its just a problem to me. when i see an opening, i react right away. i dont want to wait till link positions his sword to slice. i try to slice diagonally from bottom to top, he still slices vertically from top to bottom. i will say that skyward sword is a zelda game, exactly what i expect from the game. i guess the fault just lies with me and motion controls. skyward sword deserves the name legend of zelda. hear that square enix, or whoever the hell is running that company into the ground, each game released as legend of zelda actually deserve the name legend of zelda not like final fantasy 13.
oh a question, alright.
if she really is/was a gamer, i want to know her view on the changes, sometimes drastic, that recent devs/publishers are doing to established franchises like final fantasy, devil may cry, resident evil. Those are just the games at the top of my head.
that or her view about activision can get away with practically releasing the same game every year. i'm pretty sure i know the answer to the second question, like everyone does, so i'd have an answer to the first question. just wanted her view as a gamer.
Last edited by johnld on 12/3/2011 11:37:03 PM
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Jawknee
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 2:28:36 AM
I think they designed it that way so you don't over exert yourself while playing. When I got to the first boss I was swinging like crazy and I tired myself out way to fast. It works best with slower, more precise motions. Once I figured out the speed and angle of the Wiimote in which the swing responds best to I was able to master the sword play and the game instantly got that much better for me. There's a certain rhythm to it just like any other game.
I really never want to go back to a game pad after this. Nintendo can and should continue to improve upon the motion controls in Skyward Sword for future Zelda titles.
Last edited by Jawknee on 12/4/2011 2:31:16 AM
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LimitedVertigo
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:32:17 PM
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johnld
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:51:25 PM
the only thing i really hated about the game was the damn orb things you have to collect. the scenery is amazing and colorful, at least make those damn collectibles stand out.
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:52:50 PM
7 up, 0 down
johnld
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:58:43 PM
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Fane1024
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 5:33:01 AM
The "Piggy" DLC is supposedly excellent, if you're still hungry for more when you finish Enslaved.
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SvenMD
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 6:34:57 AM
The story was great and the whole thing was fun to play. Really wish there was a sequel.
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sirbob6
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:39:18 PM
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johnld
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 11:54:43 PM
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sirbob6
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 3:10:59 PM
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Kevin555
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 12:01:24 AM
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I'm still cautious about it but i am beginning to like what i see. Hopefully Lucia gets more screen time here considering Ninja Theory's fetish for blood nut ranga lasses.
PGU: I've been playing the crap out of Tekken Hybrid & KOFXIII. Love them both but KOFXIII would have to have the most cheapest final boss i've seen in a fighting game this side of Alpha 152 in DOA4. The soundtrack collection is a great touch too, i still remember some of them tunes in the good ole' arcade days. It is a great collection for any fighter buff & i am smitten to have it.
I also played Saints Row The Third & although i loved Saints Row 2 to death i felt dissapointed & underwhelmed with this latest addition. Granted, the character customisation is pretty good & the weapons & vehicles are classic comedy but they have taken alot out of this game that made the second one so enjoyable for me imo.
There are hardly any interesting interior locations anymore, you will walk up to a detailed neonlit looking shop which looks like it can be entered but cannot. Furthermore there is pretty much zero secret areas to find now! Whereas in SR2 you could find secret underground labs, caves behind waterfalls & mysterious islands in the middle of the ocean....but nothing here. & yet they took out multiplayer to add more to the single player experience? W.t.f?
The biggest personal gripe for me however is the cut down in story cut scenes, now i know not many give a shit about story in a game like this but atleast in SR2 the cut scenes were action packed & humerous most of the time but in The Third the story missions felt like side activities & no longer could i find myself looking forward to driving to a story point to see a cool cut scene because there was either none or the cut scenes just lacked the coolness of SR2.
Don't get me wrong i still like the game, i just don't love it like i thought i would. I would replace farts in jars, walking toilets & slapping people in the lips with a dildo anyday for some of the omissions taken out of SR2.
Oh & i just have to throw in MGS HD Collection. This isn't out in Australia or Europe yet but i couldn't be arsed waiting for it & decided to buy it online, & it is fantastic!! The new camera view for Snake Eater is just excellent! But does anyone know if they censored the Vamp scene in Sons of Liberty? I remembered that scene having more blood, or maybe i am wrong. Can anyone clarify?
Last edited by Kevin555 on 12/4/2011 12:10:02 AM
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Beamboom
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 8:49:23 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/4/2011 8:49:34 AM
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BikerSaint
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 12:02:31 AM
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My own PGU, as I stated above, I think I'm nearing the end R Six: Vegas and once done, I'll be hopping on R6: V2, but that one's the bot-box version.
i just picked up some video games from my 5Below store that I needed to help fill in my collection, and only $5 each new...
Chicken Blaster for my Wii,
Attack of the Movies 3D for my Bot-Box(w/4 pairs of 3D glasses(cardboard) included, but I already own regular sunglasses with the blue/red glass built right in them.
Ape escape:On the Loose (PSP)
Pursuit Force (PSP)
BTW, glad to see you went studly & got the interview with Jo.
Just promise not to throw her into a tree if the interview doesn't go well, LOL
Anyways, here's a few possible questions for Jo...
What is your favorite genre?
What's your all-time favorite console/hand-held
What's your all-time favorite game?
What game have you put the most hours into, & how many hours have you got into it?
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hellish_devil
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 10:11:23 AM
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___________
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 2:59:59 AM
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DMC is not famous for its setting, for its characters, for its story, its famous for its deep combat system.
the one thing NT have never been good at, in fact heavenly sword and enslaved had as simple combat systems as possible!
thats why the fans are so worried, NT are not known for doing amazing deep combat and thats exactly what DMC is known for.
putting NT on DMC is as logical as putting suzuki on a supercar.
there not exactly known for high quality, and speed exactly the things a supercar needs to be!
hes not worried because hes obsession with guns.
his recent remarks of devils third benefiting from a more realistic military shooter feel really worries me.
tis why i absolutely LOATH this gen, why does everything have to be a god dam military shooter!?
exactly why nothing can be popular, as soon as it is it gets milked to hell, becomes crap and it gets a billion copycats!
out of all the times skyward sword could of came out, why did it have to be now?
my god, no matter how much time playing the game i cant finish it!
im absolutely loving it, but i wish i could just finish it so i could move on to others.
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Lawless SXE
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 3:41:56 AM
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Itakagi's good for a laugh, but DoA's never interested me, though I have NGS2 unplayed on the shelf. I should get to that... I'll have to wait for more on Devil's Third before I make anything approaching a decision. I do like his sentiment though. As long as there are people that don't give a damn about what is popular, gamers have nothing to worry about as we'll always have diversity.
PU:
Skyrim. Again. About 22 hours in now, still unpatched. Still having issues, but it's cool. I really want to finish the main campaign, but crikey, it's long. For some reason, I'm becoming disillusioned with it. As long as I'm playing, I'm having a ball, but I always walk away unsatisfied. It's peculiar.
Still reading A Tale of Two Cities, still writing slowly, and things, I feel are good for the time being.
Peace.
P.S. Sadly, no questions for Jo right now. Might think of a couple later on though.
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Shams
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 5:00:18 AM
It's stellar as far as the genre is concerned, and does not get the credit it deserves.
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oldmike
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 6:51:24 AM
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z9TdDCWN7g&feature=player_embedded
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karneli lll
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 7:59:25 AM
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Beamboom
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 9:23:56 AM
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The Old Republic: I've been in the beta the last two weekends and I gotta say, this is the most professional beta testing I have ever participated in. There is a survey engine popping up in the game after each quest asking you to rate different parameters like voice acting, storyline, options/choices, things like that. Utterly impressive. If you just explore and fool around a survey will pop up asking you what you are doing now, how you enjoy doing that etc.
They are collecting an incredible amount of data here. Talk about listening to the fans...! Gotta love BioWare.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/4/2011 9:24:59 AM
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bigrailer19
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 11:58:55 AM
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BikerSaint
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 2:02:03 PM
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Just a FYI
At Amazon
Tomorrow, Monday December 5th, they're doing a all day "All Video games Gold Box Event", (including new "Move" game bundles too).
So make sure to check their deals out.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 12/4/2011 2:02:16 PM
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Lairfan
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 5:21:23 PM
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Its always amusing to see what Itagaki says next, but I do feel like he's underestimating this problem. Of course, that's his style, but he should probably give it a bit more thought than just the whole sunglasses routine.
PGU: Playing Skyrim when it will work, and I swear if Bethesda's next couple patches don't work I'm selling it. Its a great game otherwise, but alongside the bugs I'm not really finding much different betweeen it and Oblivion beyond the radiant quest system and the ability to go pretty much anywhere you can see. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly makes me feel like I've played this game before. AC: Revelations doesn't even have as much of that "been there, done that" feel tbh.
And other than that, I'm playing multiplayer in Uncharted 3/Resistance 3, and finishing up any DLCs I still have left to do (currently on inFamous: Festival of Blood, then when I 100% that I'll do the Portal 2 DLC). Overall, a great end to this gaming year, although several of the high profile releases of late in the year could have been better (both story and quality-wise). Only Uncharted 3 seems to be nearly perfect, and really, I can't see any other game this year deserving that coveted GotY award. Everything else just has too many problems compared to U3 to even stand a chance. Its only real competition is inFamous 2 and Portal 2, and even they can't do anything close to what Uncharted 3 did IMO.
Last edited by Lairfan on 12/4/2011 5:23:20 PM
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THEVERDIN
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 7:15:29 PM
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Excelsior1
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 9:57:54 PM
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, December 04, 2011 @ 10:03:39 PM
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She was afraid people were taking her comments out of context and as she said in her email, she really wasn't trying to "call out" the VGAs.
But she was very nice about it, and she has offered to do an interview, so stay tuned for that. :)
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Underdog15
Monday, December 05, 2011 @ 10:06:58 AM
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Obviously, someone like her must get similar questions. People give models a lot of flack, but I do have one friend who is a model full-time, and I know it's actually a pretty demanding and challenging job. People hear you're a gamer, and they think you have a slack-off job or that we're somehow less intelligent or have fewer abilities or lack ambition. Almost always, that is not the case. How does she deal with stigma, and what needs to happen for society to be more accepting of games as a legitimate form of entertainment and art?
Last edited by Underdog15 on 12/5/2011 10:10:46 AM
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hellish_devil
Reply
Saturday, December 03, 2011 @ 9:36:58 PM
http://youtu.be/KAQm66hWnKg