snahfu's Blog - 2old2play

Comic Review - 03/24/07

More comics even though I’m a week behind.

The Mighty Avengers #1

Pictures – Frank Cho – I can honestly say that I hate, hate, hate Frank Cho on the Avengers. Yes, all the women are going to have the bodies that would put a Playmate or a porn star to shame; when they don’t look dumpy and chubby that is, but his art just doesn’t work for me. He has zero consistency. In one panel, Ms Marvel will have an ass you could bounce a bullet off of, and the next she looks like…well…like she sits on her ass all day, except when she’s getting up to fly to Krispy Kreme for another box. Beyond that, Cho can’t draw guys without making them look like ugly, dumpy chicks. He makes Ares look like a pussy and Sentinel look pretty. His rendition of Iron Man is terrible. It’s clear that Cho knows how to draw tits and ass and nothing else. There’s no sense of motion or action in his drawings. A two page spread of Ares, the god of war being a murderous bastard and it’s a complete yawn. Yes, the last scene of the comic with a female Ultron is done well…but only because Ultron is now a chick, with spectacularly unruly breasts, no less. I hope Cho goes away. Let him go draw some cheesecake comic, or put him on Heroes for Hire where he can draw all those chicks as much as he wants.

Words – Brian Bendis – I find myself wanting to like this comic but Bendis is working really hard at dissuading me. First, the line up.

Iron Man – Good

Ares – Great

Black Widow – I suppose

Ms Marvel – Bendis’ new b-list female hero that he’s trying to make a legitimate hero. I’ve read all about Ms Marvel. I know what her powers are and I can emphatically say…I still don’t fuckin know what her powers are. She can fly around, blast shit and punch shit and look stellar in her C.F.M. boots…but that’s it. So…meh.

Wonder Man – GOD! When I was collecting West Coast Avengers twenty years ago Wonder Man was gay. He’s STILL gay. There’s nothing to him. Make him go away.

Wasp – With Cho drawing her, her breasts are as big as her head…which is entertaining to some. The ONLY time wasp is interesting is when she’s banging some Avenger on the sly while telling Hank Pym she still loves him but she’s not IN love with him.

Sentinel – I’ve never liked the whole “Superman” archetype, and Sentinel, despite his much under-used, over-hyped mental instability is a Superman archetype and a poor one at that.

So…I’m not loving the lineup. I have faith in Bendis. Despite the dodgey lineup, he still should be able to wordsmith up a good story. It starts out well. He starts with a fight. You can’t go wrong with that in a comic book, especially an Avenger comic book. He still has some strong dialogue, and I enjoyed the conversation between Iron Man and Ms. Marvel when they’re trying to decide who to pull for the team but…but…the thought bubbles. It’s a new thing…sorta. It’s an old school thing and for some reason I found it disrupting to the flow of the comic. I won’t say I loved it, but I didn’t hate it either. It was just a bit odd. The end of the issue with a a naked, porn star Ultron is really, really, really lame. It’s like Bendis suddenly realized that Cho is know for drawing well-built women so…hey…why not make Ultron a woman this time right? Cool.

Yeah…not cool.

He’s also not writing a believable Tony Stark. Tony’s been through some serious shit over the years and getting a bit panicky during a fight with underground monsters just doesn’t seem to cut it for me. Although I have a suspicion that the Iron Man in the fight isn’t Tony Stark but is someone else…which would make sense when reading what the “Iron Man” during the fight says. Otherwise, Bendis is way off on his Tony Stark impression.

So…all in all, unless you’re a big Avengers fan, I’d say avoid this title. I don’t think the lineup has the wheels for a prolonged run. I don’t like the art at all, and Bendis’ writing is less than stellar in this title. I’d give it a NO BUY.

The New Avengers #28

Pictures – Leinil Yu – So the New Avengers, the actually story, and the path that they’re walking on currently is a bit dark and sketchy, which Marvel might think translates well to Yu’s dark and sketchy style. At times…a few times, but not many, I do like the art. Most of the time though it looks like an erratic, sketchy version of Sam Keith’s work on The Maxx. I like my Avengers larger than life, like what DC is doing with the JLA right now. I’m quite underwhelmed by what is found in this issue. Oh, and Luke Cage has pupils. It’d be nice if Yu could remember that.

Words – Brian Bendis - As much as I dislike the lineup in Mighty Avengers, I LOVE the lineup in New Avengers. Love it. Like…love love love. With that said, Bendis’ rendition of Spider Man, and the over-used snappy patter even makes me think, “Dude…shut the fuck up already and web something.” I know, I know…that’s what S-M does…he makes with the snappy patter. Bendis is just pushing it, I suppose. Beyond that, I like what he’s doing with this version of the Avengers. I’m definitely eager for the next issue and I’m curious as to why his writing in this is so different from Mighty Avengers.

Love the lineup and the promise of further interaction between the heroes involved has me hooked despite the art. This issue is a Buy. This Avengers title looks to be the one of the two that’s worth buying.

Moon Knight #8

Pictures – David Finch – I like Finch’s work. There’s a little voice in the back of my head that complains. Saying his work has no substance. That he has four or five faces that he uses over and over and over…but I still like his work. When he’s drawing the characters in costume…they look great. Hopefully the writer will involve more costumes…hint hint.

Words – Charlie Huston - I find myself really, really wanting to love this, but I’m not. I keep convincing myself to give it time. Wait for the characters and story to blossom. It’s not happening. There’s one thing that’s keeping me on the hook right now, and that was the conversation between MK and Captain America. That was some GREAT dialogue. So great, that it makes me think Huston has more, and I just need to give him a chance to show it in the next few issues. Beyond that…I dislike Marc Spector. I dislike his supporting cast. I dislike the stories he’s involved in right now. All that’s keeping me on this title is the art, and the promise that Moon Knight might be the Marvel U’s Batman...but I’m done holding my breath. This title has one more issue. I hope it blows me away or it gets dropped.

Unless you’re a Moon Knight fan…a big one…I’d say this issue is a NO BUY.

Thunderbolts #112

Pictures – Mike Deodato Jr. – Wow. I love Deodato’s work. I know that other people don’t but I love his stuff. Also, Rain Beredo has done an EXCEPTIONAL job with colours. There’s so much detail in Deodato’s work, and his use of different views and angles makes practically every page entertaining and fun to see. The angles he uses really lends itself well to a sense of movement and action when necessary. All in all…this guy could keep drawing this comic forever and I would be happy.

Words – Warren Ellis – Ellis’ work on Thunderbolts has taken a well-meaning but ultimately confusing and convoluted title, and turned it into something that I want to read every single week. He’s added depth to EVERY character, save Penance but I believe he’ll be getting his own issue soon. Norman Osborn and Bullseye are breathtaking in their insanity. The explanation behind Radioactive Man’s new costume was great. Mac Gargan struggling with the symbiote is great. The social chess match between Songbird and Moonstone is great. The use of Stan Lee in Marvel’s rendition of The Running Man movie is great. The promise of the Thunderbolts fighting against American Eagle and the Steel Spider is great. Life is great when you’re reading the Thunderbolts. You know that everything is gonna fall apart. The characters are so vile and complicated, you want things to fall apart, but you also hope it never does because it’s so much fun to read.

BUY THIS COMIC If you like team comics. If you like the whole “anti-hero” thing. If you just want to read an entertaining story. Read the Thunderbolts.

[3 Comments]

Comic review - 03/14/07 / five titles reviewed with six remaining for later this week

So I’ve fallen behind…again. Scads of comics to review once more but I’ll start back at last week. If I go back further, I’ll have an insurmountable number of comics to write about.

< --- has approximately zero time lately

Justice League of America #6

Pencils – Ed Benes – What more can be said about Benes’ work that I haven’t said already? Most titles have a weakness, be it on the artistic side of things, or the story side of things. Benes holds up his end perfectly. I am really enjoying his work in J.L. of A. He makes everything in the comic larger than life and that’s what I expect from a marquee title like J.L. of A.

Colors – Alex Sinclair – For a person that commented on my last review for J.L. of A. they mentioned that I ignored the person in charge of colours in the title. I had to agree that the colorist needed to get some recognition. Getting the JLA together involves nearly every colour you can think of and Sinclair does a brilliant job of making everything vivid and vibrant. The images pop right off the page. In a comic with so many different costumes and colours, you could run the risk of things looking too busy. It doesn’t in this title. Everything looks perfect…seriously.

Words – Brad Meltzer – So I’m not ashamed to admit that the first few issues of this run had me a bit underwhelmed. A story focusing on the Red Tornado? Seriously? Who cares about the Red Tornado? I can answer that last question now. I care about the Red Tornado. He turned a two dimensional, lame-o robot into a wind manipulating character with depth and substance. He also made Solomon Grundy an undeniable badass rather than just the token tank or meatshield that a criminal mastermind is using as a stooge. I can only hope that Meltzer stays on this title for a good long while, and he gives Red Arrow, Black Lightning and Hawk Woman as much substance as he did for the Red Tornado.

No more lame numerical ratings from this guy. Instead you’ll get a simple “BUY” / “NO BUY”.

If you like super group stories and you’re interested in learning more about the second-tier heroes in the DC-verse, this series of five comics leading up this sixth one is definitely for you. BUY this comic.

If you suck or you’re a pinko-commie-bastard, then this comic is a NO BUY.

;)

Hyperion vs Nighthawk #3

Pencils – Paul Gulacy – Paul Gu-who? Yeah, that’s what I said when I first started pulling this title, but as it turns out, Gulacy is a pleasant surprise. It’s not terrible art, nor is it so great that it overshadows the story. I really enjoy the detail he puts into the faces of all the characters and how they all look different. A nice thing is that Gulacy does an excellent job of conveying emotion in the faces of the characters unlike other pencillers with bigger names and reps (Jim Lee for one). The premise of the Squadron Supreme world is that it’s basically super heroes in today’s world, and the art conveys that premise in a convincing fashion. All in all. I’m happy with the work.

Words – Marc Guggenheim - So you take the “big name” heroes from the DC – verse and put them in the political powder-keg world of the t.v. show 24 and you get the Squadron Supreme universe. Hyperion/Superman vs Nighthawk/Batman gives their rivalry more substance than what you’re seeing in the Squadron Supreme series currently being done. In my opinion, it flesh out Nighthawk more than just an “anti-caucasian” super hero. He makes the 619, pussy version of Nighthawk look like…well…a pussy, and he’s such a mean son of a bitch that he’d even give Batman a run for his money. Writing about the atrocities going on in Africa seems to be “the cool new thing” lately in the comic world, but it takes a back seat to the relationship that is being established between Nighthawk and Hyperion.

If you collected Supreme Power, or collect the new Squadron Supreme. Pick this up. This is definitely a BUY.

If you’re looking for a different take on super heroes then this is definitely a BUY as well.

Ultimate Spider-Man #106

Pencils - Mark Bagley – Consistent, Mark Bagley deliciousness. It’s not the best artwork out there ever, and the fact that all his female characters tend to look the same with only different coloured hair and eyes as a differentiating feature can be a bit confusing….BUT; it works for USM. I am completely biased as he is the only artist that has been on USM and I have been reading the comic and looking at Bagley’s art for the last five years but I just can’t imagine anyone else drawing these characters. I believe Stuart Immonen is slated next when Bagley and Bendis leave and I don’t envy him for the shoes he has to fill. Whatever title Bagley works on next, I will probably start pulling if I’m not pulling it already, which speaks to how much I enjoy bagley’s artwork.

Words – Brian Bendis – Hark, hark, hearken unto me! Everything that I used to love about the original USM has returned in this issue. Villainous villains. Bad ass super heroes that think Peter is a weiner. Peter and MJ are back together again, kinda sorta with a healthy dose of 90210 angsty goodness!

< --- lieks teh angsty goodness

Without sounding like a big girl, the development on the last panel of this issue has me eagerly anticipating #107. The story involving the Kingpin and Daredevil is good too…

This issue is a BUY. Bendis got back to basics with this issue and if you’re trying to decide if you want in on the USM fun, pick this issue up and then buy all the trades as back issues. You won’t be disappointed. Truly, the only “Spider-title” worth buying at the moment.

Captain America #25

Pencils – Steve Epting – The best and only Captain America run worth collecting continues with it’s bestness and onlyness. Epting’s pencils have a retro-feel without having a retro-look. I know…it doesn’t make any sense but there you have it. He also manages to convey a very realistic look, and couples that with a great sense of conveying motion and action. Perfect for this title which has gotten away from Cap battling the Serpent Society and more towards political intrigue and special ops.

Words – Ed Brubaker – He has composed twenty-five issues of Captain America that I feel, have done a better job of defining the character than all the previous titles put together. Now, regarding the story. First, I’d like to say that I hate the vultures. Dipshits that come charging into the comic book store to buy the issue Captain America died in because they heard about it on CNN or MSNBC, hoping they just bought a lottery ticket with pictures. For the record, this title won’t mean shit in the ways of profit. Atleast not for a very, VERY long time. MAYBE if there was a good Captain America movie, or MAYBE if Captain America was as huge as Spider-Man, but neither of those things have happened or ever will anytime soon. So…Captain America is dead…or is he? Or isn’t he? Or is he? From the other comics I have read, the cat’s dead. At the very LEAST, Steve Rogers, the guy behind the mask is dead. Rampant speculation on who will be the next Captain America has already begun and I haven’t the desire to allocate any additional brain cells towards figuring out who it will be. The story is good. Cap’s betrayal, however unknowing the betrayer was is an excellent twist. The Red Skull is actually a bad mother-fucker for once and I LOVE that they brought back Bucky and he’s a bad mother-fucker too. Some people were unhappy with how Civil War ended. I was pleased. Anyone who reads a great deal of comics, knows the business and some people knew that SOMEONE was going to die, someone of note. It couldn’t be Spider-Man, and Iron Man wouldn’t have been it because there’s an Iron Man movie in the works so Cap was an obvious choice. Not a huge death but big enough to affect a large number of characters in the Marvel Universe. I think Steve Rogers getting killed was a good choice and who knows how long he’ll stay dead. Brubaker is an excellent writer and seems to have a very solid grasp of the Marvel-verse. If it’s up to Brubaker I think Rogers will stay dead for a long time. Personally; I’m really looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.

This title is a BUY. If you don’t own the run, buy all the back issues too. Buy it because Epting and Brubaker are a great team. Don’t buy it because it’s going to be worth something in twenty years because it probably won’t.

Civil War; The Initiative

Multiple Writers and Multiple Pencillers

These multi-writer-penciller collabs kinda irritate me but I understand why Marvel puts out things like this. Shameless self-promotion for current titles and upcoming titles that dovetail with the conclusion of the Civil War run.

This made me realize how much I miss Marc Silvestri’s work. Man. The cover alone on this comic was enough to make me buy it, but the introduction of Canada’s new team, built on the ashes (literally) of Alpha Flight…ta daaaaaa OMEGA FLIGHT! Boy oh boy am I stoked about this title and I’ll be double-plus stoked if they keep Scott Lobdell away from it.

There’s also some promoting of Warren Ellis’ Thunderbolts run which is brilliant and rapidly becoming one of my favourite titles to read.

There’s also some fleshing out of Spider-Woman (the Shield agent, Hydra agent one). She’s annoying despite the fact that her costume accentuates her already unruly breasts.

I’m stuck in the middle regarding the recommendation of this title for purchase. If you’re a Civil war fanatic, then definitely pull this title. Otherwise, save your money for something you really do want.

[0 Comments]

WORMS LEAGUE REGISTRATION

Here's the names of my four worms. Remember them. They'll be the ones blastin' ya to smithereens.

Team Name - Heavy Mettle

i) Brooksy
ii) Spanky
iii) Smicky
iv) Basho

Leave a comment here if you're in the league and tell me the name of your team as well as the names of your four worms so I can add them to my spread sheet.

Once the game comes out next week, we'll start planning out how games will be played out.

[13 Comments]

Crackdown Review - 02/21/09

So; as I stated in my last blog, I don’t do number ratings anymore but I will certainly give this a review of sorts.

Graphics – I love them. The frantic pacing of the combat in the game doesn’t always give you an opportunity to appreciate the ‘little things’ that are included in the game but during the odd lull in the action, you definitely do get a chance to poke around at things and see just how much detail has been included. The graphics were clearly kept clean and uncluttered in order to facilitate the tremendous sense of depth and draw in that the game has. Take ten minutes in game, steal five cars, park them in an intersection, gather up some wooden crates and some propane tanks. Place a limpet mine in the middle of the concoction; move away from it and fix the camera view so you can watch it from a distance.

Blow the limpet and admire the fireworks. Individual pieces of debris are rendered with incredible detail to the point where you can pick them up and throw them at gang members.

You have the token lens flare and pretty ambient lighting and all in all, I feel like I’m looking at a next-generation game. Which is good. A year into the distribution cycle of a new console should involve the consumer being able to play games and look at games that look next-gen. What excites me most are future games that utilize the Crackdown engine. Realtime Worlds has developed something special and I hope they take advantage of the engine in a Crackdown sequel; and there are some rumors floating through the tubes of the internets that some other companies are already licensing the Crackdown engine.

I also dig the evolution of your agent regarding his appearance. Just yesterday, I discovered that my agent is now sporting two extra earrings and some crazy tribal tatts on his face. Not sure when it happened; maybe when I got to level three in fitness but the change in appearance was a nifty discovery.

Controls – They are definitely responsive but the “floaty” jump mechanics take a short moment to get used to. The camera can be a bit of a nuisance at times and I’m not necessarily a huge fan of the lock on targeting system. There doesn’t seem to be a way to cycle through possible targets so after a kill, you need to adjust the reticle and acquire a new lock on with the new target. It’s a small thing, but in combat as heated as you find in Crackdown, it can be a chore. It just doesn’t seem like they put as much effort into the controls as they did with everything else. The controls are the weakest part of the game in my opinion and taking a step back; they’re really not that bad. It’s just that compared to everything else involved with the game, the controls is the category where there is the most to gripe about.

Concept – Some people will dislike the wide open nature of the game, but for me; this is my new Oblivion. I find myself constantly distracted by some other rooftop I want to jump up to. Some bundle of steel pipes I want to throw over the edge of a roof into traffic and watch the pipes bounce and scatter around, damaging cars and people alike as vehicles careen left and right to avoid hitting each other.

< --- sighs happily

As much fun as it is to be a super agent dealing out fistfuls of justice from the end of the smoking barrels of your guns…being an agent of chaos is so fuckin’ rad. My nine month old baby is an agent of chaos. She sees something orderly and structured (like a book shelf) and she takes it upon herself to destroy such examples of order by emptying the aforementioned shelf.

Crackdown is MY bookshelf.

There is just so much cool stuff to do. So here I am, trying to snipe the gas tank of a Los Muertas car that is speeding down the street and I spaz out, lock onto an Agency cruiser instead and while trying to correct the lock on I pull down on the control stick and end up shooting out the right, rear tire of the Agency cruiser. The cruiser proceeds to fishtail, slides askew and then flips into the air and proceeds to cartwheel down the street and into a crowd of rubberneckers. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever witnessed in a videogame. Which led to me jumping up onto the steel girders hanging over a bridge and partaking in an orgy of tire-shooting goodness.

Then there’s the whole Le Parkour, roof jumping thing. I love the concept of Le Parkour. I’ve followed it for a few years and when I played City of Heroes I would spend hours in King’s Row just jumping from rooftop to rooftop, watching my cape fluttering and flowing with my movement and deciding whether or not I had the legs to make the next jump. The developers did an excellent job of planting agility orbs tantalizingly close enough so that you’re thinking… “Hmmm…If I jump up onto that church parapet, run along that ledge and give ‘er…I should be able to make that jump.”

Oh yeah…then there’s the actual story part of the game. Something about three gangs and taking out lieutenants in order to make the big boss of the gang weaker…blah blah blah.

The story I can take or leave, but what is really interesting is the flow of the game and how it changes depending on who you take down. My first lieutenant kill involved taking out the gang’s automobile “guy”. After taking him down there were significantly less of the bastards on the streets…in cars at any rate. It seemed they took offense to my style of delivering justice and I couldn’t swing a dead cat by the tail without hitting some ganger douche-bag that wanted a piece of yours truly. So…I went after their recruitment expert. After parking a cube van on her ass, the gang’s presence on the street took a dramatic decline…unfortunately they were now coming after me with sniper rifles and rocket launchers. There were other lieutenants I could have went after but I searched out their weapons dealer, swam in behind his base, climbed up a nearby lighthouse and jumped down on his head from above. Landing on him knocked him down and being the belligerent shit that I am, I gave him a kick in the gut for good measure while he was down. He may or may not have fell from he platform he was on, and the distance he fell may or may not have played a role in the fact that he may or may not have died when he hit the ground.

Ooops.

It did save the Agency on ammo bills though.

Taking out the lieutenants is a great deal of fun and it can be in a different order every time you play. How you play and who you take down changes the overall experience regarding how the other lieutenants go down.

Taking out the big boss for Los Muertas was cool. I made a circle of limpet grenades on the ground outside the building he was shooting from. Lured him out by standing in the middle of my pretty ring of death and when he got inside it with me….boom.

He died…I died…everyone died, but he doesn’t have cloning technology on his side.

I do, though. J

I haven’t even touched the Volk or the Shai Gen yet, but I plan on gettting reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal creative with taking down the lieutenants.

I also haven’t spoken about the character advancement yet. Without getting into it too deeply, how you kill the gangers is what you get better at. Simple as that. I have kicked a guy and knocked him down, only to follow up with a shotgun blast and upon his death, out pours strength and firearm orbs in combination to improve my strength skill for kicking and my firearms skill for shooting.

Doing particular tasks like rooftop races and driving races improves particular skills and sniping guys from way way on high not only improves your firearm skill but your agility as well.

Your agent can different each time you start a new campaign. In the end I think everyone will have an agent with their skills max’d but how you go about doing it can be wildly different from another person.

Summary -If it seems like I’m gushing it’s because I AM gushing. This game is fun. This game is a treasure that the mediocre majority type of gamer simply isn’t capable of appreciating. They might think it’s fun, but they really can’t begin to understand how fun this game is.

A high point to this game is that I might actually FINISH this game. My pile of shame just seems to grow higher and higher as I get older and I never seem to find the time to go back to a game and finish it once and for all.

I KNOW I will finish Crackdown and more importantly after I finish it, I’ll be playing it again with a partner online AND playing it more by myself taking a different route with a different agent, working on different skillsets as I take down the lieutenants in a different order than I did previously.

I don’t use numbers for reviews anymore, nor will I flat out tell someone to buy this game unless I have an excellent handle on what type of gamer they are. I’m a player of games and a collector of games. I like to own “watershed” games. Games that impact the industry in one way or another. I also like to own games that are art. Crackdown happens to be both.

[3 Comments]

The Evolution of a Video Game Fan...

So there has been an evolution of sorts. The videogame industry is definitely in a state of evolution with the greater integration of the internet and truly creating an online community.

I have been playing online games for years on my PC and I have never been involved with more people through online gaming than I have since I purchased my Xbox 360. I can’t really explain why it’s happened, but it definitely has.

This isn’t really about the industry though. It’s about me. I’m evolving. The games I want to play. How I want to play them; regarding online play and offline play and most importantly; reviews.

I have always been an avid reader so videogame magazines are a staple in my reading diet. PC Gamer, PC Accelerator, CGW, EGM, GamePro…etc.

I read them all growing up and for a while they all seemed to be on the same scale regarding their numerical ratings. There were some exceptions from time to time, but only small ones. Everyone in the industry seemed to be on the same page when it came to viewing a game and deciding whether or not it was good.

Things aren’t so clear now. A game that gets a 5 in EGM, gets a sterling review and a score of 8.5 in PLAY. Videogames are getting closer and closer to becoming art, and much the same as art, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

A reviewer from EGM recently gave Hotel Dusk for the Nintendo DS a 10. I have Hotel Dusk. I am currently playing through the game and although I am enjoying it, there are definitely parts of the game that leave a great deal to be desired regarding game play and story. A 10 game should be something that is not only revolutionary, but unbelievably wide-reaching regarding who would purchase it, play it and enjoy it. Is Hotel Dusk that kind of game? As my man Cole from Gears of War would say; “Hell to the no!”

This reviewer from EGM is so excited by the potential that Hotel Dusk has; so eager to encourage people to purchase this game; he has compromised his journalistic integrity. He’s stopped being a member of the media, and instead he’s simply a fan that happens to be writing for a magazine. Where I definitely appreciate the views of fans regarding games, I can get that by going online and checking message boards or hanging out in the local videogame boutique. When I’m reading a magazine I expect the reviewers to have a certain level of detachment from the product they’re reviewing.

The concept of attaching a number to a review in order to give a clear cut message to the reader about whether or not the game is a waste of time has lost it’s meaning entirely. The fact that videogames are more mainstream now doesn’t help because with so many people exposed to the industry now, the likelihood of finding an individual whose opinion differs from your own is quite likely. There is also a trend towards the fact that people are no longer “the media”. They are fans that happen to be fortunate enough to work in the media. There are some pros and cons to this.

There’s nothing more annoying than reading an article; written by some douchebag that doesn’t know shit about the industry, nor do they care about the industry. It’s even worse that it’s generally these reviews that get the most viewing as they are the ones that belong to various types of media that get an extremely high number of viewers. These people that write this shallow, clichéd shit hurt the industry. The misinform potentially new fans. They misinform parents that want to take some interest in something their child is passionate about. They push sub-par product out to the mediocre majority that purchase whatever annually released sequel of uncreative shit are told to purchase.

Onto the fans. The fans know more. They’re easier to relate to, and the really good ones take the time to explain to the noobs new to the industry just WHY the game they are reading about is as exceptional as it is. Fans that do reviews are passionate about what they’re writing and reviewing and it shows. The downside is that fans can be extraordinarily biased. They know enough about the industry to passionate hate a particular developer, a particular distributor, a particular genre or most ignorant of all…a particular console. An ignorant fan can poison a new consumer, a potential fan for no other reason than to drive their own particular agenda.

So what does all of this have to do with my evolution?

I’m done with reviews. At the very least I am done with numerical values regarding the quality of the game and whether or not it’s worth buying. There was a time when I would look to the number first and then read the review. Now; the number could be removed and I wouldn’t even miss it. I do the research on games. I read the developers journals and read the previews. Thanks to Xbox Live I now get to download the demos for games that I want whenever I wish. There simply is no reason for me or another consumer to make an uninformed decision regarding a videogame purchase these days.

When and if I read reviews in the future I will pick through the article. Hopefully the reviewer is intelligent enough to write about the features of the game. To highlight what it excels at as well as highlighting where it needs some more work. From that article I will make my decision regardless of what numerical value is bolted on at the end of it.

I have lots more to add regarding the way my perception as well as purchasing habits are “evolving” when it comes to the videogame industry. This is my first post regarding it and hopefully there was more coherent points than incoherent ramblings but I’m mucho tired so…who knows.

;)

Stay tuned for more…

[3 Comments]

SQUENIX?! ZOMG!!!11!1 WTF!!11!

So...a quick one.

Pet peeve of mine. Why do people insist on calling the merging of Square/Enix as Squenix? (pronounced SKWEENIX)

Why not SquarEnix? (pronounced SKWAIRNIX)

Their logo could even look like this...sorta.....

SQUARENIX

wouldn't that make more sense?

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UFC All or Nothing PPV Results in a half-assed way

So! Big fight this weekend and although some might be disappointed by the results, I certainly wasn’t. All in all, it’s a PPV that shows the potential for really big things in the future of the UFC.

So let’s get started with the breakdown.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva – Middleweight Champion

Travis Lutter

I made that call that it was going to be Anderson Silva wins with a TKO by ref stoppage in the first round. I was wrong.

Turns out that it was Anderson Silva with a win in the second round because Lutter tapped out.

Anyone who knows MMA might be thinking, “Travis Lutter tapped out to Anderson Silva???!?!? No f’n way!” To which my response would be a resounding, “WAY!”

There was a lot going on behind the scenes to this fight which turned out to be a regular fight and not a title-fight; the reason for this being that Travis Lutter failed to make the 185lb goal. See, if you’re a professional fighter, you rarely walk around at your fighting weight. Most cats walk around fifteen to twenty pounds heavier than the weight category they fight in. The smart cats start cutting weight a week or two weeks in advance so that they have time to get to the proper weight.

Travis Lutter obviously didn’t do that. On the telecast it seems like he tried to cut twenty pounds in a very short period of time, and although it wasn’t mentioned…he was now sporting a completely shaved head. I’m betting that he was in such a panic, and so desperate to make weight that he resorted to shaving his head in an attempt to lose a few more ounces and maybe bring him closer to the 185lb goal.

Travis would have been better off to have died in the octagon when he fought Silva that night because basically he committed suicide as far as his UFC career goes. Anyone who watches the UFC often knows that the president; Dana White is not the most level-headed of individuals and Travis Lutter blowing his weight, blowing the championship fight and disappointing all the fans that tuned in to watch a championship fight; will not be received with a patient and understanding UFC president.

Yes, Joe Riggs did the same thing a year ago but Joe is/was going through some significantly turbulent personal issues and Joe was cut some slack. I think Travis is going to get crucified by the UFC, let alone the fact that not only did Lutter lose, but he lost by submission which is HIS gameplan, and not Silva’s.

The fight was alright. I like Silva, and I can take or leave Lutter. I’ve never seen an interesting or exciting fight from Lutter and part of it is simply due to Lutter’s laidback style. Yes he’s a bad mother when it comes to jiu jitsu but he’s really boring to watch.

With all that said, I feel bad for Lutter. Getting booed by a stadium full of people has to suck. Blowing a once in a lifetime chance to be the very best in a sport that you have dedicated your life to has got to suck. Lutter had a solid chance to beat Silva, and he blew it by messing up his weight and cutting too much of it before the fight, thereby weakening himself and diminishing his opportunity to win. You could see it when he entered the place. He looked disappointed. He looked broken.

With all that out of the way, I’m looking forward to seeing more title defenses from Silva in the future. He takes being the champ seriously and he really gives everything he’s got during a fight.

John Halverson

Roger Huerta

I didn’t know anything about these guys before the fight and I still don’t know much because the fight was so fast. Halverson went down after one exchange with Huerta.

Huerta followed up with a knee. Legal if it hit Halverson anywhere but the head. Halverson went limp like he had been kneed in the head, but it clearly (to me) looked like a knee to the shoulder. Huerta climbed onto Halverson’s back and began beating him like a junkyard dog and the ref stopped it after about ten brutal punches which should only have been about five but it appears the ref was asleep. This was all in the first thirty seconds of the first round.

A little bit of controversy but all in all, another blazing fast lightweight fight that showcases just how dangerous the lightweights are. Great division, and a great move on the UFC to bring back the lightweights.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Fillipovich

Eddie Sanchez

So…no decapitation.

Which was what I called for the first round. As it turns out, Sanchez pretty much ran away from Cro Cop for much of the first round until Mirko caught him with a vicious left kick that glanced the top of Sanchez’s head. Sanchez tripped over the fence as he was running away…again. Mirko got the full mount and the fight was stopped shortly thereafter by the ref as Sanchez was getting pummelled. Not the most electrifying match but rumor has it that Cro Cop is fighting Andre Arlovski next which could prove to be an excellent fight.

So Cro Cop won in the first round with a “Yeah? So what?” finish, but big things could be coming.

Quentin “Rampage” Jackson

Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman

First and foremost, the American crowd sucks. They were really, REALLY quick to boo during this PPV when there was the slightest lull in the action. The crowd has gotten crazy, fuckin’ vicious and unless the fighters are throwing Dragon Punch’s and Hurricane Kicks, then people start booing. It’s absolutely insane how intolerant the crowd is now. Rampage clearly had some ring-rust and a bad case of nerves in the first round. Ontop of that, Marvin Eastman looks like a super hero that could pick up a car and throw it through a building. The cat is 5’9” and 205lbs and no doubt he cuts weight to get DOWN to 205. I sure as hell don’t wanna get punched or kneed in the face by Marvin Eastman because I’d cry like a girl. I’m sure that Rampage has plenty of respect for the fists and flying knees of Marvin Eastman so the crowd is just gonna have to chill the fuck out if Rampage doesn’t go charging in, throwing fists and body slams.

Rampage ended up winning the fight in the second round when the ref stopped the fight after Rampage nailed Eastman with a number of successive upper cuts to the head. A fight against Chuck Liddell is already being splashed around but Liddell would destroy Rampage right now. Rampage looks solid but he’s nowhere near smooth enough to take on Chuck. Rampage has a very deliberate gameplan and fighting with finesse and quick footwork isn’t really something Rampage is known for. Hopefully they will give Rampage two or three more fights before they toss him in the ring with Chuck.

Patrick “The Predator” Cote

Scott Smith

I called it for Scott Smith in a three round decision. Turns out I was wrong. It was Cote in a three round decision in a relatively lacklustre fight where Cote didn’t really fight to win. He just fought “to not lose” if you get me. The crowd was relentless with their booing once more and although the fight was a bit slow-paced, there still; wasn’t the need for the constant booing.

It’s too bad because both of these guys are solid guys and I think they were more concerned with other things than simply getting into the octagon and fighting their hearts out.

Speaking of fighting their hearts out, there was an undercard fight in the lightweight division between Tyson Griffin and Frankie Edgar. This fight was excellent. I’m not even gonna tell you who won this fight because it really truly is a treasure. A fight that you’re not normally gonna get to see and it’s a fight that really makes you appreciate the sport of MMA and see it for the gritty, tough, beautiful sport it can be. The PPV for this even is still available and they tacked this fight on right at the very end which is what they normally do with the undercard fights. This fight alone is worth the purchase of the PPV.

Watch the Tyson Griffin, Frankie Edgar fight. It’s something to behold.

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Achievement Icons Used as Gamer Pics?

I doubt this is an original idea but I think it would be keen if upon opening up an Achievement, you could then use that picture associated with the Achievement as your Gamer Pic.

So yeah.

I sent off the idea to Microsoft. I'm hoping to be rewarded with an Xbox 1080.

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