it's not that i don't like you, people who read my stuff, it's just been a hard time. too much going on, too much to do, not enough sleep, but i love you. you're my special friend. you specifically.
now, with that out of the way, here's the hizzy-haps no what's happening in games land.
firstly, my quest to get a copy of rock band is getting desperate. like, random ebay bids that i know will never win (but secretly show that i'm contemplating a purchase) bad.
sent my 4th e-mail regarding a review copy today to a slightly higher up EA contact, but don't expect a reply on that either. oh, and best buy are supposedly not taking pre-orders and EB will gladly take my money, but no guarantee me a copy of the game, seemingly ever. they told me to come back and check to see if i can get a guaranteed copy of the game. seeing as how i leave for home the day after it comes out here, it's not looking good at getting it legitmately. it's possible to get a copy for slightly over retail (plus $50 frigging dollars for shipping) as there are so many copies on ebay, i'm just still hesitating because of cost, immediacy to christmas and desperate hopes that someone at ea/harmonix will actually respond to one of my pleading e-mails.
i'm still going at ace combat 6, and for anyone looking to try it, it gets much better after the first level. the only problem it does suffer from is really shitty looking backdrops when you're up close (ie, when i crash;)) and very long, repetitive gameplay. i'm over half way and most of the game ends up being chasing around planes-shoot missle-missle misses-shoot more missles-get hit-take too much damage-fly for five minutes to land and get new craft-keep going. the missions can take up to 30 min to complete! it's kind of ridiculous but as the planes i buy get better, it does get slightly more enjoyable, i just can't stand playing more than one mission in a row.
i'm now looking forward to christmas very much, not for the presents, but for drinking scotch and beer with my parents, watching good movies, trying to convince my parents to play games (unsuccessfully of course) and various other sundry activities.
i promise to be more faithful to you people in the future but for now all i can offer is my undying affection, and my body. (or maybe the affection will do?)...
unceasingly faithfully yours,
JD
Friday, November 30, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
120 stars/desert bus for hope
still with the quick posts, as i emerge from the horrific carnage that was last week.
not much time for gaming, and i've come to a bit of a crossroads with which games to cover.
i'm still sitting on 3/4 of a halo 3 review, but, like the lazy person i am, lacking inspiration to finish it. i want to have a couple more to through into our gaming feature in a couple weeks (though it should be more like 4-5 ready by then).
here's which ones i'm currently working on:
-tony hawk proving grounds-not finding anything really new or innovative, mostly it's just pissing me off like they all have to some extent since th4
-battalion wars 2-played this a total of 2 times so far and it's hella fun just not as addictive as hockey-mario-or ghiii
-ace combat 6-andrew and i played this for an hour or so but found it desperately boring and long winded
-mass effect-loaned to drew for a couple days but still need to crack it in earnest.
but on the flip side, i'm nearing the 120 star full completion in mario galaxy. this is taking up way too much of my time, but it's the only game my fiancee jen will actively watch/participate in willingly;). it's true, the gameplay does not get boring or old after the star 60 and the original quest is done, it maintains and stays challenging and fun. though i've now started working down from the hardest to the easiest, and few games have illicited more expletives and shouting from me this year-unless you count multiplayer games of nhl 08, but who does?
lastly i want to draw people's attention to a charity that i really support (with money too!) called child's play. in a quick nutshell, instead of just raising more money for research into illnesses that are affecting children, they attack the main immediate problem of kids stuck in hospitals with nothing to do. they get hospitals near most big cities to submit wish lists of systems and games so that kids can get stuff they wouldn't' be able to afford or obtain normally, and allows them some self-sufficiency in entertaining themselves and having some fun.
an off-shoot event being held in victoria bc, is desert bus for hope. it's a hilarious concept. these guys have taken the released code from the never released penn and teller pseudo game, which was more a bunch of tricks you can play on your friends that was meant to look like a game, and they've decided to play one of the most gruelling modes for as long as people continue donating money. all the funds go to child's play, and they're now up to 98 hours of driving time they must spend on the road.
the game 'simulates' driving a bus along a real highway route along the desert for the actual amount of time it takes to do it. there is no end, and the road is slightly curving mixed with straight sections the whole time, making it impossible to cheat. it's one of the biggest 'in-jokes' in video gaming.
they guys who've been handling the 'bus' have already crashed 3 times (meaning they had to restart the trip that many times) and have been running the desert bus relay for 2 days already. you can watch a livecam from their site and donate money to keep their torture going and support a good cause.
not much time for gaming, and i've come to a bit of a crossroads with which games to cover.
i'm still sitting on 3/4 of a halo 3 review, but, like the lazy person i am, lacking inspiration to finish it. i want to have a couple more to through into our gaming feature in a couple weeks (though it should be more like 4-5 ready by then).
here's which ones i'm currently working on:
-tony hawk proving grounds-not finding anything really new or innovative, mostly it's just pissing me off like they all have to some extent since th4
-battalion wars 2-played this a total of 2 times so far and it's hella fun just not as addictive as hockey-mario-or ghiii
-ace combat 6-andrew and i played this for an hour or so but found it desperately boring and long winded
-mass effect-loaned to drew for a couple days but still need to crack it in earnest.
but on the flip side, i'm nearing the 120 star full completion in mario galaxy. this is taking up way too much of my time, but it's the only game my fiancee jen will actively watch/participate in willingly;). it's true, the gameplay does not get boring or old after the star 60 and the original quest is done, it maintains and stays challenging and fun. though i've now started working down from the hardest to the easiest, and few games have illicited more expletives and shouting from me this year-unless you count multiplayer games of nhl 08, but who does?
lastly i want to draw people's attention to a charity that i really support (with money too!) called child's play. in a quick nutshell, instead of just raising more money for research into illnesses that are affecting children, they attack the main immediate problem of kids stuck in hospitals with nothing to do. they get hospitals near most big cities to submit wish lists of systems and games so that kids can get stuff they wouldn't' be able to afford or obtain normally, and allows them some self-sufficiency in entertaining themselves and having some fun.
an off-shoot event being held in victoria bc, is desert bus for hope. it's a hilarious concept. these guys have taken the released code from the never released penn and teller pseudo game, which was more a bunch of tricks you can play on your friends that was meant to look like a game, and they've decided to play one of the most gruelling modes for as long as people continue donating money. all the funds go to child's play, and they're now up to 98 hours of driving time they must spend on the road.
the game 'simulates' driving a bus along a real highway route along the desert for the actual amount of time it takes to do it. there is no end, and the road is slightly curving mixed with straight sections the whole time, making it impossible to cheat. it's one of the biggest 'in-jokes' in video gaming.
they guys who've been handling the 'bus' have already crashed 3 times (meaning they had to restart the trip that many times) and have been running the desert bus relay for 2 days already. you can watch a livecam from their site and donate money to keep their torture going and support a good cause.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
revuuuuuss!
check em out me boyos!
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Guitar Hero III Review
Super Mario Galaxy Review
let me know what you think. i'm kind of excited about this stuff, but i'm still learning, i always feel like i am...
love and bricks,
JD
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Guitar Hero III Review
Super Mario Galaxy Review
let me know what you think. i'm kind of excited about this stuff, but i'm still learning, i always feel like i am...
love and bricks,
JD
blatant craziness/zapper first impressions
today is shaping up for another doozie (doozy, doozi?). either way it's going to suck.
if you're wondering why no post last night/day it's because i was in the office til frigging, 7 o'clock, working on these 5 contests and a huge feature for PCWorld.ca.
On the plus side, one of you lucky people could walk away with a Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanner, a Palm Treo 750 Smartphone, a Brother WiFi MFC, a Kodak Digital camera or a frigging Viewsonic HDTV. choice products.
check out PCWorld.ca's contest section for that noise.
as for the zapper, this is a tough one for me.
when i heard they were making a gun peripheral for the wii, i was stoked. i was stoked beyond measure. all i could think about was house of the dead style action, or virtua cop, or some other arcade experience that would be amazing with a gun that's better than a light gun, wireless and that has rumble (kickback or just regular rumble features).
in reality, it's a solid gaming experience, but i'm not completely sure about the gun. it's only that the aim isn't one to one. if that were the case it would be perfect. i mean, don't get me wrong, i'm seriously enjoying link's crossbow training more each time i play it, but i think it will be a more full featured game (like umbrella chronicles, or my most anticpated house of the dead 2-3 comp. and ghost squad) that will be the decider.
well, it's been a rough day, so enter the contests, read my new reviews (there's three of them!) and take er easy on the roads. it snowed.
later motivater,
JD
if you're wondering why no post last night/day it's because i was in the office til frigging, 7 o'clock, working on these 5 contests and a huge feature for PCWorld.ca.
On the plus side, one of you lucky people could walk away with a Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanner, a Palm Treo 750 Smartphone, a Brother WiFi MFC, a Kodak Digital camera or a frigging Viewsonic HDTV. choice products.
check out PCWorld.ca's contest section for that noise.
as for the zapper, this is a tough one for me.
when i heard they were making a gun peripheral for the wii, i was stoked. i was stoked beyond measure. all i could think about was house of the dead style action, or virtua cop, or some other arcade experience that would be amazing with a gun that's better than a light gun, wireless and that has rumble (kickback or just regular rumble features).
in reality, it's a solid gaming experience, but i'm not completely sure about the gun. it's only that the aim isn't one to one. if that were the case it would be perfect. i mean, don't get me wrong, i'm seriously enjoying link's crossbow training more each time i play it, but i think it will be a more full featured game (like umbrella chronicles, or my most anticpated house of the dead 2-3 comp. and ghost squad) that will be the decider.
well, it's been a rough day, so enter the contests, read my new reviews (there's three of them!) and take er easy on the roads. it snowed.
later motivater,
JD
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
i'm gonna zap things! zap, zap.
the hell week continues to be relentless. if you weren't aware, we are simultaneously running two websites this week: www.pcworld.ca and beta.pcworld.ca, so our viewers can write rude comments on both at once from the 20th to the 30th.
we're also putting together a fairly sizable feature on thursday (which is being organized by moi) and 5 contests for thursday (to go with the contest that launched today). as promised, here's the link to win an ipod by telling us what you think of the NEW pcworld.ca.
i sincerely hope everyone i know enters (except family, who are unfortunately not eligable) and if you don't want to read the blog, or go on the site (though shame on you to not even look for my articles;)), i've started a facebook group to let people know what contests are on pcworld.ca and will continue to put up links to each contest as we launch them.
on the games front, two reviews come out thursday, and links will be added to the sidebar when that happens. i finished up the main quest of galaxy (truly an amazing game) and got my guitar hero iii review done and ready for print.
i also picked up my zapper peripheral (almost solely out of a sick interest to try it and for the zelda shooting game).
!!!!!!!!
will post some first impressions tomorrow (or later tonight if i'm feeling antsy.
hugs, kisses and white fake plastic guns,
JD
we're also putting together a fairly sizable feature on thursday (which is being organized by moi) and 5 contests for thursday (to go with the contest that launched today). as promised, here's the link to win an ipod by telling us what you think of the NEW pcworld.ca.
i sincerely hope everyone i know enters (except family, who are unfortunately not eligable) and if you don't want to read the blog, or go on the site (though shame on you to not even look for my articles;)), i've started a facebook group to let people know what contests are on pcworld.ca and will continue to put up links to each contest as we launch them.
on the games front, two reviews come out thursday, and links will be added to the sidebar when that happens. i finished up the main quest of galaxy (truly an amazing game) and got my guitar hero iii review done and ready for print.
i also picked up my zapper peripheral (almost solely out of a sick interest to try it and for the zelda shooting game).
!!!!!!!!will post some first impressions tomorrow (or later tonight if i'm feeling antsy.
hugs, kisses and white fake plastic guns,
JD
Monday, November 19, 2007
don't adults get snow days?
this is going to be an extremely short post for me, as i've been excessively verbose as of late and i have way too much to do right now. i also have noticed that this post has nothing to do with the title, i'm just jonsing for the good old ontario blizzard and getting to stay at home all day, drinking hot chocolate, eating chips and gaming.
quick newsy news about me and others...
the PCWorld.ca beta site launches officially tomorrow and...
you could win an iPod Nano for telling us what you like/don't like about the new design. (assuming you're a) a resident of canada b)18 c)not related to me:), sorry mum and dad). link to follow tomorrow when the contest goes live.
i got a copy of Tony Hawk Proving Ground from the good folks at activision-along with a press kit full of photos and videos. Other devs, take note from activision, i shouldn't have to take my own screenshots of grab from offical websites.
I'm very excited to compare this to the Skate demo i downloaded to the 360 a couple of days ago. They seem like they're nothing alike, and after playing many hours of NHL 08 (with EA's improved skill stick - somewhat like the skate controls) and many hours of the skate demo, i don't know how the old tony hawk formula will hold up. and i've played every hawk game since the original on the 64. hell, i bought a ps just so i could play hawk 2. it was a defining moment for skateboarding and sports games when the th series blew up, and i don't know if there is enough room for two skateboarding franchises (much like the new NHL EA games have turned 2ksports hockey into a fringe series).
Later days, and faster rays,
JD
quick newsy news about me and others...
the PCWorld.ca beta site launches officially tomorrow and...
you could win an iPod Nano for telling us what you like/don't like about the new design. (assuming you're a) a resident of canada b)18 c)not related to me:), sorry mum and dad). link to follow tomorrow when the contest goes live.
i got a copy of Tony Hawk Proving Ground from the good folks at activision-along with a press kit full of photos and videos. Other devs, take note from activision, i shouldn't have to take my own screenshots of grab from offical websites.
I'm very excited to compare this to the Skate demo i downloaded to the 360 a couple of days ago. They seem like they're nothing alike, and after playing many hours of NHL 08 (with EA's improved skill stick - somewhat like the skate controls) and many hours of the skate demo, i don't know how the old tony hawk formula will hold up. and i've played every hawk game since the original on the 64. hell, i bought a ps just so i could play hawk 2. it was a defining moment for skateboarding and sports games when the th series blew up, and i don't know if there is enough room for two skateboarding franchises (much like the new NHL EA games have turned 2ksports hockey into a fringe series).
Later days, and faster rays,
JD
Thursday, November 15, 2007
delayedness - rock band style
what's with the new fad in game design these days, delaying product and telling people that there's going to be stock shortages.
how is it that we can make 1000s of tvs, never sell out of cds, yet video game consoles and software are constantly running out or being delayed.
well the latest hit here is rock band. this is a game i've been super excited about, though still unwilling to reserve, due to it's steep price - in the over $200 for a game range.
well, now, after telling everyone that there would not be enough copies to go around, like virtually none, chris kohler, a man i usually enjoy and respect on wired.com's gaming blog, gamelife, broke the news that rock band was delayed for canada.
i don't understand the hositility chris. and i'm trying hard not to shoot the messenger, but dammmit. this is some b.s.
shell-shocked at best,
JD
how is it that we can make 1000s of tvs, never sell out of cds, yet video game consoles and software are constantly running out or being delayed.
well the latest hit here is rock band. this is a game i've been super excited about, though still unwilling to reserve, due to it's steep price - in the over $200 for a game range.
well, now, after telling everyone that there would not be enough copies to go around, like virtually none, chris kohler, a man i usually enjoy and respect on wired.com's gaming blog, gamelife, broke the news that rock band was delayed for canada.
i don't understand the hositility chris. and i'm trying hard not to shoot the messenger, but dammmit. this is some b.s.
shell-shocked at best,
JD
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
