GamerSushi Asks: When Are You Finished with a Game?

Little Big Planet

December and January have been spectacular for me in terms of clearing out my gaming backlog. I’ve commented on it in posts before, but there’s something really satisfying about playing games and knocking more of them off the list, finally getting to experience games I’ve been dying to play.

Whenever I tackle gaming backlogs, I tend to shoot for low-hanging fruit first, unless there is some stellar title that I am just dying to play. This means I normally go for games that I hear are shorter (or easier) and won’t delay me as I try to move through the rest of the list. Playing through these is rather simple, since there’s a clear beginning and end to the experience. I tend to run into problems, though, when I get to games like the three I’m dealing with right now: NBA 2K11, Gran Turismo 5 and Little Big Planet 2.

As two of them are expanding sports titles with deep pools of gameplay and one is a charming (and really awesome) sandbox extravaganza, it’s going to be hard to determine when I’ve hit the “end” of those titles for me. I’m fairly certain I’ve had my fill of NBA 2K11, even though there are plenty of things in the game I’ve yet to sample, but I’m not sure.

So what do you guys think? How do you normally tackle these large games that never end? When do you finally set them aside for another game? Do you do it when you’ve sampled everything? When you’re tired of the game? Go!

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Announced

Final Fantasy XIII-2

JRPG fans unite! Hello? Is this thing on? Well, anyways, those of you who enjoyed the latest installment of Square Enix’s flagship franchise, Final Fantasy XIII (and I know there are some of you out there) can rejoice because more of Lightning and company is on the way. Square Enix has officially announced Final Fantasy XIII-2 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The game will be out in Japan before the end of the year and in the U.S. and other regions next winter.

Despite the Internet ravings, FF XIII sold pretty well and garnered mostly positive reviews. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit and though I was divorced from the story, the ending was still rather touching, so I am anxious to find out what happens next. And more of Lightning is never a bad thing.

What say you? Is this a chance to make some quick cash for Square Enix or are you actually curious to see where the story goes? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Playstation Blog

Valve Confirms Cross Platform Support for Playstation 3 and PC Versions of Portal 2

Portal 2 PS3

This is the kind of news I’ve been waiting for. Since the announcement of Steam Cloud for the PS3 version of Portal 2, we’ve been speculating at length about what that could mean for PS3 users who purchase Valve’s next game in April. Would it mean a version of the game that covered PC and PS3? Would it mean cross platform support?

In a way, it means both. Valve has confirmed today that gamers that purchase the PS3 version of Portal 2 will not only get access to it on Sony’s everything machine – they will also receive a free copy to download through Steam on PC/Mac. This also means that both versions will support cross platform play between the two, as well as cross platform chat.

Here’s what Valve head cheese Gabe Newell has to say about it:

We made a promise to gamers at E3 that Portal 2 for the PlayStation 3 would be the best console version of the product… Working together with Sony we have identified a set of features we believe are very compelling to gamers. We hope to expand upon the foundation being laid in Portal 2 with more Steam features and functionality in DLC and future content releases.

I’ve been hoping for something like this from Valve for a long time, and I certainly would have enjoyed having this for Left 4 Dead back in the day. To me, it makes no sense to have to buy multiple versions of a game, especially when movie studios are packaging Blu-ray, DVD and digital copies of products together. As this doesn’t seem to include the 360 edition, this pretty much cements which version of the game I’m buying – PS3.

Source – VG247

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 15: Slunk!

It’s the first podcast of the new year! The year isn’t all that new anymore, but we finally got off our butts and chatted about video games. In this edition, we were careful to avoid recapping 2010 (again) and looking forward too far into 2011 (again), and instead just talked about what we’re playing and some stuff that’s been rattling around our mostly empty brains.

In order to achieve that ultimate state of full disclosure, I must say that we actually recorded this the week before last with the intention of releasing it last week, but stuff happens and we didn’t get to it. So, it’s new to you, and should get us back on our regularly scheduled podcast programming. I know you’ve just been dying to hear our nasally voices.

For some reason, I was either hyper or bored, and by the end of the podcast I was in a bit of a rare form. It’s the form that Daniel and Nick know best from when I goofed around on the set of WZ or in the making of Leet World. Since I haven’t listened to it just yet, I’m not sure if it’s been immortalized in podcast form. If it is, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Anywho, hope you guys enjoy, and be sure to rate the podcast on iTunes! Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 15: Slunk!

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Says Xbox Isn’t Just for Games

xbox 360 isn't a gaming machineWe’ve been grumbling and moaning around here since E3 of last year about the Xbox 360 and Microsoft’s seemingly all-in strategy with Kinect, but I think that we took solace in the fact that the 360 would remain a bastion for the hardcore in some respects even after Kinect sold 8 million copies this past holiday season. Our hopes may be in vain, however, as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently spelled out the company’s long term plan in an interview with USA Today, citing how the Xbox 360 isn’t only made for playing the video games.

“Xbox isn’t a gaming console. Xbox is a family entertainment center. It’s a place to socialize. It’s a place to watch TV. We have Hulu coming. It’s the only system where you are the controller. Your voice, your gestures, your body.”

Mr. Ballmer goes on to say that while the Xbox has the 15 year old boy demographic nailed down, they’re searching for ways to expand beyond that, into the 15 year old girl and the middle aged market. Things like Kinect will go a long way towards that end, especially after the aforementioned sales bonanza which outstripped Microsoft’s own internal estimations. Sounds like the Xbox only does everything, right?
Continue reading Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Says Xbox Isn’t Just for Games

Today’s WTF: Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2

Oh, marketing departments, the bane of sophisticated gamers everywhere. It’s easier to make your product appeal to the lowest common denominator these days, but sometimes I have to wonder how these ad campaigns get pushed through. Take this recent bout of advertising for Dead Space 2 which features 200 mothers watching, and being horrified by, EA’s upcoming sci-fi thriller. Now, as a child of the 90s, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this type of advertising stunt before, probably for Soldier of Fortune or something. I’m sure that my mom would hate Dead Space 2, but would I make her watch it and upload my own reaction video to win a custom PS3? Probably. Here’s the shameful behind the scenes video.

So, any opinions on EA’s attempt to bring Dead Space 2 down to the level of common grade schlock? Any thoughts on months and months of hard work invalidated in order to appeal to 12 year olds?

Epic Mickey Sells 1.3 Million Copies

Epic Mickey

The Wii is considered Casual Central by most hardcore gamers and industry insiders. With the exception of whatever games that Nintendo publishes, most hardcore games languish and die on the Wii, while plenty of sub-par shovelware flourishes, much to our chagrin. Before its release, I had pegged Epic Mickey as a game that would be the metaphorical canary in a coal mine regarding the ability of the Wii to have success with non-Nintendo hardcore games.

The result, to my great surprise, is that the canary lived. According to the L.A. Times, who unlike us, has access to NPD data still, Warren Spector’s camera-challenged adventure/platformer sold 1.3 million units. Frankly, I’m stunned and a little bit annoyed. Epic Mickey got mixed reviews, though with a 72 Metacritic score, they are mostly positive. Having reviewed it for GamerSushi and finding it to be severely lacking, I am frustrated that a game that, in my opinion, doesn’t deserve this kind of success finds it on the Wii, while other, more deserving games fail.

What do you think about this? Are you surprised at all? Does this validate the Wii’s hardcore credentials for you or is the jury still out?
Verdict?

Source: L.A. Times

NBC’s Life Trolls Video Gamers

There’s a video making its rounds on the Internet right now from a TV show called “Life”, a police procedural about a detective who was sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit, that centers around an incredibly off-base interpretation of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones and video games in general. While the video shows many falsehoods based around the game itself, perhaps the most egregious offense it makes is the depiction of gamers as 30-somethings who live with their moms and have Captain Kirk outfits. Seriously, watch this and try not to have an aneurysm.

Have you ever owned a game so hard it spits out spreadsheets of your drug deals? I know I haven’t. I know this is a TV show, but come on people, there’s no way you could get away with being this off base with anything else besides video games. If you want to see a blow-by-blow of what Life did wrong, check out the post on Geekosystem, where the author clearly had a bit of nerd-rage. Any opinion on this most egregious interpretation of our hobby? It’s almost as insulting as the Video Game Awards. Fire away!

Today’s WTF: Pac-Man: The Reality Show

Pac Man TV show

Yes, this is real. No, I am not laughing. OK, maybe a little.

I’ll bet when you think of Pac-Man chasing some ghosts around a little light maze full of strange pellets, you never thought that someone would try to turn that already ridiculous concept into an even more ridiculous reality TV show. According to Deadline, Merv Griffin Entertainment is trying to do just that. They are teaming up with Namco to produce this no doubt amazing TV revolution.

Says Roy Bank, Merv Griffin’s TV president:

The idea we have is to take what Pac-Man is and bring it to life, to bring what is essentially the world’s biggest game of tag to television.

I see no idea how this could possibly be anything other but awesome. What say you?

Source – Deadline

GamerSushi Asks: Ideal Collector’s Editions?

Super Mario 25th Anniversary

Nintendo won over the fanboys with their 25th Anniversary Edition of Super Mario All-Stars for the Wii. Well, not all of them. As seen in this 1UP article, Nintendo screwed up royally by porting the games over with a bare minimum of extra content. Don’t get me wrong: the CD and booklet were pretty cool, but one track from each Mario game, usually the track of the first level? Not exactly what I thought I was getting.

Which leads me to wonder, as the article does, of what publishers could throw in to special editions of games to make them more worthwhile. The fabled Developer’s Commentary is always a favorite that people clamor for, but is oddly rare. Lost levels, playable ones even, would be kind of cool.

What would you like to see in collector’s editions? Do you think Nintendo missed a great opportunity here or are you happy with what they provided? Speak now!

Source: 1UP

Why I’m Disenchanted with Gaming Sites

John MarstonIn some deep corner of my mind, I’ve got a couple of dream jobs, things I would like to do at some point in my life and that would not crush my soul daily. The ultimate dream job for me would be an author, preferably science fiction or fantasy. Seriously, I could write cheesy fantasy books for a meager wage and be a happy man. That’s more of a long term goal, though.

A slightly more realistic (but still far-fetched) and more short-term dream of mine would be to work for a gaming site, one with some actual financial clout behind it, instead of just a handful of dudes that made about zero dollars producing some Web shows for two years. But while many portray the Intertubes as a wild west where cowboys can get famous and make a name for themselves, there are just as many no-name bandits running around as well, trying to eek out some kind of online existence.
Continue reading Why I’m Disenchanted with Gaming Sites

Defining Good Choices in Gaming

Mass Effect 2

It’s been said often, but Bioware is the developer that gets the most praise when it comes to infusing a game with player-made choices (and more recently, Quantic Dream). However – is choice always the best route that a developer can take? Could choice restrict or limit game design? Could choice make a game less interesting?

That’s the question that Robert Green at Gamasutra poses this week. Green discusses the choices in games that have mattered most to him, and the ones that really fell flat. He makes some spot-on points about good and bad choices just for the sake of having them, and how they don’t really add much to a game. Green also waxes eloquently about how putting players into a class or upgrade box before giving them all the information they need is limiting for the player as well.

I totally agree with the assertion that players need more information before choosing classes and certain upgrade paths. The skills you have at the end of the game can make or break its enjoyment, and I hate not knowing what becomes more important later on. I’ve spent dozens of upgrade points leveling up completely useless things before in games, and it’s fairly irritating. I also agree with the idea that hard choices are better than simple morality choices.

What do you guys think about how choices are being used in games? What choices have felt too simplistic or not impacting? Which choices have really stuck with you?

Source – Gamasutra

Fight Night Champion Breaks Spam With Stamina

I’m not a big sports game guy buy any means, but Fight Night Round 4 is something of an obsession amongst my friends and I. Before a big night, we like to kick back with a few brews and a couple rounds of boxing that somehow end up taking half the night away. We even created near perfect facsimiles of ourselves in the game, and there’s something cathartic about beating your friends into submission (I imagine the same is true for them walloping me). Since Fight Night is a such a big hit with us, it wouldn’t be too much of a leap to imagine that we’re eagerly anticipating Fight Night Champion which releases March 1. There’s a new trailer out explaining the new Stamina system and the streamlined Corner Game. Check it!

Fight Night Round 4 was suprisingly addictive, and I imagine Champion will absorb many a night when it gets released. Anyone picking this up?

GamerSushi Asks: Questing for Games?

9 hours 9 persons 9 doors

One of the quirkier things about me is that I occasionally become laser-focused and obsessed on things. Actually, this happens all the time. All of my attention will go to one thing, much like the eye of Sauron, and I will be transfixed upon it until there is some kind of resolution.

Yesterday, Anthony directed my attention to a Nintendo DS game I hadn’t heard of before, called 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (or 999 for short). The game is getting rave reviews, and if it can be likened to anything at all, it would be something akin to Heavy Rain. Basically, you wake up on a freighter, and you have 9 hours to solve a mystery. If you fail, you blow up. If you try to leave, you blow up. Your decisions will cause people to die (including you), and there are multiple endings and paths to figuring everything out.

As a result of reading about this game, I’ve become terribly fixated on it. I’ve basically looked at several Gamestops in my area and near work to try and find this thing used, with no luck. Only two of them even had a new copy near me, and when I went to one of them, they couldn’t actually find it. So I’m considering heading to the other store several miles away to grab it. Yes, I’m aware GameStop has a locator on their site, but so far that has lead me astray many times with other games.

I did this one other time when I searched all over Houston to buy a Dreamcast for $15 several years back, but maybe I’m crazy. My question is: have you guys ever gone on absurd quests like this for games? And have any of you heard of 999?

Gran Turismo 5 Video Proves Real Life has too Many Jaggies

Gran Turismo 5 is out, and from all reports it’s amazing. I am dying to get my hands on it once it comes down just a bit in price, but until then, I’m forced to read about people being addicted to it (like Anthony and Nick) or watch awesome videos about it.

Take this official Sony video, for instance, which compares a run of the Nurburgring track in Gran Turismo 5 versus a real life run of the same track. Conclusion: real life needs better anti-aliasing.

Has anyone else played this that wants to taunt me with how awesome it is and how miserable my life is for not doing so yet?

A Peek at 20 Exclusive PS3 Titles in 2011

last guardian

2011 is going to be an exciting year for gaming, no matter what console or platform you play on. Well, except maybe the Wii. Kidding, of course, Zelda will be a hot ticket come the Fall, I’m sure. But I think it’s safe to say that the PS3 has a large selection of announced exclusives that few other platforms can match.

The Playstation Blog was nice enough to give a little peek at 20 of these titles and as I scrolled down the last, my jaw dropped a little bit. It’s pretty staggering. From the blockbusters we know about, such as The Last Guardian, Infamous 2, Killzone 3, Resistance 3 and Uncharted 3 to the ones that flying under the radar, like Hyperdimension Neptunia, Journey and Yakuza 4, the sheer variety of games is enough to make my wallet cry.

Take a look at the list at the Playstation Blog and report back here for comments. Personally, Hyperdimension Neptunia sounds kind of interesting and you know I am down with Ratchet and Uncharted 3.

What games on the list are you most excited about? Is there anything that you can think of that was left out? Start your comments!

Source: Playstation Blog

GamerSushi Asks: Would You Rather, 2011 Edition

It’s a brand new year, so it’s time for a brand new edition of Would You Rather, that game where you answer questions and give us awesome rants and diatribes about life, gaming and what you had for dinner.

It’s been some time since our last WYR (November), so I think everyone should be recharged and ready to give us some good responses. Since we’re in a bright shiny new year, I thought it would be pertinent to come at you, bros, with a salvo of 2011 gaming-related queries. I know, I know, the 2011 thing is already getting old, but you’ll probably stop being told that it’s a new year on every site in the world sometime within the next week. That’s just how bloggers roll, I guess.

For the Would You Rather virgins out there, the game is simple: I ask questions, and you follow up with your answers. Give as much or as little explanation as you want for your choices, but we all know that we like to see the reasoning behind the madness.

But don’t let your answers suck. In previous years, we’ve threatened violence and humiliation for having bad bouts of WYR responses. This year, we are going to be more civilized, and instead threaten verbal assaults on your immediate family. After all, you can’t come back to the site if we’ve broken your hands. Anyway, answer away, gents.

Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: Would You Rather, 2011 Edition

Fighting Through Bad Game Design

Call of Duty Black Ops SOG

Yesterday, I got off the late bus and finally picked up Call of Duty: Black Ops, joining the masses currently playing through another one of Treyarch’s well-received stabs at the CoD franchise. So far, I’m a huge fan of the campaign, and it’s managed some intense and epic moments, and the pace never lets up on you from the moment it starts with its memorable opening missions.

However, during the first Vietnam level, S.O.G., I’ve run into a bit of a problem with some bad game design. It turns out I’m not the only one, either. If you haven’t played the game (and even if you have), there’s a point in the mission where your objective is to take a hill back from the NVA. They are storming across and hopping down in trenches, and your mission marker tells you to get to the bottom of the hill.

This proved almost impossible. Continue reading Fighting Through Bad Game Design

Dragon Age 2 Developer Diary Lays Out the Narrative

If there was ever a title out there scampering about with a question mark firmly planted above its head, it would definitely be Dragon Age 2. While the original game in the newly birthed fantasy franchise was a slightly revamped cross between the combat sensibilities of Bulder’s Gate and the dialog system of older BioWare games like Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age 2 is, to further use our phrase, “Mass Effecting” it a little. Gone is the very mutable player character: you now control a human named Hawke, who’s only variables are gender and class. How is this going to work in a world that was defined by your actions and not necessarily your character? BioWare has just dropped some relevant knowledge on us in the form of a developer diary which I’ve embedded below:

BioWare is playing Dragon Age 2 very close to the chest this time around, causing a lot of Dragon Age: Origins’ fans to raise a very justified eyebrow. While we’ll see for certain on March 2 whether Dragon Age 2 can live up to the original, at this point I’m certain that BioWare’s pedigree speaks for itself. Who’s got Dragon Age on their must buy list?

“Class-less” Skyrim Details Emerge

I know most of you are still busy trying to finish every last quest in Oblivion, but you might want to pause and take a look at some of the changes VG247 has revealed that will be featured in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, due to be released in November. Some of them will likely ignite a fire on the Internet not seen since…well, it happens all the time, so nevermind.

For starters, you don’t pick a class when the game starts. Also, now you get to pick Perks, just like in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, which should be a nice touch when applied to the fantasy setting. They are cutting the number of skills fro 21 to 18 and you can either specialize in certain skills or be a jack of all trades, which is always my choice.

Combat will be more tactical than “ATTACK, BLOCK, ATTACK” and you can dual-wield certain weapons, which sounds pretty bad-ass. The way NPC’s interact with you will change based on how your character is built, in addition to challenging NPC’s to duels, just like Red Dead Redemption, but without guns, I hope. It sounds like Bethesda is not content to rest on their laurels, nor turn Skyrim into a fantasy Fallout, which is a nice realization. For more details hit the link.

What do you think of the changes announced so far? What would you like to see done differently? Commence comments!

Source: VG247