I gotta give it to EA on this. I couldn’t care how derivative that the next Need for Speed may or may not be, but this trailer is amazing. This may be the first time I’ve seen a video game trailer almost look like a movie trailer. Granted the actors here aren’t great, but I like the marriage between gameplay (seemingly) and their cutscenes. I am really getting a NFS: Most Wanted vibe from this game, and if that’s the case, there might be something good behind this recent change the series has made.
I really don’t know exactly why I like Paramore. As a group, all it really sounds like is some manufactured teen angst shit, but it’s something about their songs that really keeps my attention. This isn’t any landmark joint, but it sounds good. The lead singer is decent eye candy and can at least hold a note. Some of their rhythms sound nice too, but again, nothing amazing. I can’t really put my finger on why I’m so entrhalled by them, but I should just shut up and enjoy the shit.
Not much to say about this, but god damn it’s funny. I’m console agnostic, so it’s not much of a big deal to me, but damn. You would have thought that the Lord himself came back to disavow all the scriptures the way the internet has been reacting. It’s a huge kick in the balls to Sony, but maybe they’ll have something tomorrow that will be almost as huge of a megaton.
I’ll preface my semi-rant by saying that I’m not too hot on the new avatar system that Microsoft announced today. It reeks of them trying to copy the “cool kid.” And while it is something to try and appeal to a casual market and even make Xbox Live a little more human like, get ready to see Hitler, Jesus, Mike Tyson, and all your favorite (or not so favorite) iconic figures while browsing through your friends list. Also, thanks Microsoft! All those consumers that purchased the themes and gamer pics you so heavily marketed to us are so appreciative that their points were wasted on something that you would totally abondon. While in the meantime, prepping us to spend more money on extra outfits and hairstyles for our Mii wanabes. You won’t catch me on that boat Mr. Microsoft…
Edit: Might I add that some of my rant is based on speculation. MS could come back and say that there will still be functionality with the themes and pics. But the avatars are still horible. That won’t change.
Rock Band 2 is nearly here! Which sounds pretty ridiculous considering the original was only released about 9 months ago. I’m not mad at Harmonix though. Rhythm games are probably one of my new favorite genres. So anytime I can get a nice fix of new songs and some fair upgrades, I’m all for it. With the new announcement though, there has been alot of chatter about the battle between Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour. I may or may not have been the first to say this, but I think there is enough room in the market for them to each hold their own niche.
While Guitar Hero: World Tour may seem like the more revolutionary game, it looks like that change will be coming at the price of cutting off the casual market. Granted the name alone is mainstream gold, the price is going to scare off alot of your everyday “Wal-Mart shoppers.” For that reason alone, I could see the stand alone disc totally being the way most casual gamers go. That issue aside though, as amazing as the song creation aspect of the game is, I highly doubt this is something that the casual market is going to take any prolonged trip into.
Which leads into why Rock Band 2 is in a pretty damn good spot. They may not have the same popularity as Guitar Hero, but with Harmonix ironing out some of the kinks in the user interface, allowing already purchased DLC to carry over, and the possibility of bringing all of the songs from the prior game into the new one without having to switch discs, things are definitely in their favor with them establishing a platform. Not to mention, Rock Band is noted as being the easier of the two games, making it simple enough for any Joe Blow familiar with a toy guitar to look like they know what they’re doing. Another notch in Rock Band 2’s belt is the fact that they are opening up to 3rd parties to allow them to make instruments for the game. This allows for the possibility of better or even cheaper instruments, making it look a little more appealing in the price department.
With all this said though, I totally see World Tour taking a life of its own. People are going to take the song creation mode and put that shit on its head. I can already seeing some talented people out there doing whole shows with the game. All of that’s for the hardcore though. That’s not a bad thing either, it’s catering to its own crowd; which is exactly the same thing that Rock Band 2 is doing. All this goes to show that while these games may be competing in mind share, there is more than enough of room in each game’s respective niche for them to both be successful.
This is gonna be mighty quick. I’m doing this as the game installs. Here are some pics of the Limited Edition and the strategy guide. Probably going to leave that sealed as it may become a collector’s item eventually. Enjoy.
From one of my most anticipated gaming moments in a long time. My excitement hasn’t been this high since Halo 3’s launch. Waking up this morning, I was greeted to two video reviews from Gametraliers.com and 1up.com. One of the recurring knocks I’m seeing associated with the game is the cutscenes. 1up stated that the first half of the game is 80% gameplay 20% cutscene, but the later half becomes increasingly more cinematic. To the point where it almost is detrimental to the game. I can see that as a valid criticism. Especially for some of the people who may be new to the series. This doesn’t sound like it will bother me that much, mostly because that’s one of the things that draws me to the series. I’ll have to wait until I get the game in my hands to see what other problems exist outside of what the reviewers stated. As soon as I get some substantial time in, I’ll be back to drop some quick impressions.
If The Boondocks proved anything, it’s that a nigga moment can ensue at any point. I love how this guy goes from “esteemed news reporter” to “angry/frustrated nigga.” All you need is that one seemingly unimportant variable to trigger it. In this case, niggas don’t like heat, and especially hate bugs.
Damn you Giant Bombcast. Out of mild intrigue from the Bombcast’s usual drink tasting session, I had to go out today and find the new Dew-Mocracy voted Mountain Dew flavors. I went to several gas stations around the area and had no luck. In a last attempt before my cheeseburgers became forever joined together with McDonald’s lovely wrapper, I ran into Wal-Mart and only found two of the flavors. I handed my $2.56 to the cashier and with that, lost a little bit of dignity. I really drove 10 miles for a fucking soda. Thanks alot.
