Updates

Well a lot of stuff has been going on with me and the gaming world. First off, I would like to say that I'm the proud new owner of a Playstation 3. I mangaged to sell my Xbox 360 somehow. I feel really lucky. You'll know what I'm talking about once you head to Ebay and see how many used 360s are up for sale. Anyway, I found a really good deal and purchased the PS3. It'll be here this Friday so I can't wait to play Metal Gear Solid 4! The more I read about the PS3 the more impressed I am. This is the total package if you're looking for a great entertainment system. The fact that you get a Blu-Ray player is a bonus. The player itself costs around $400 but with the PS3 you also a get a gaming console. Online play is free and that was one of the major reasons why I switched. The Xbox Live service is good but I'm not going to keep paying more for the same service. It doesn't make any sense to me. The holiday season last year showed people that the Live service is not entirely reliable. With the PS3 you get free online gameplay and other cool things. Moving on, the hardware..Oh dead Lord the hardware issues on the 360 almost drove me nuts! Microsoft did a piss poor job of designing their hardware and rushed it into production so that they could beat Sony and Nintendo. And now they are paying for it. It's the shittiest console ever in terms of breakdowns and the number of problems associated with it. Even the original Xbox didn't have so many problems! What happened Microsoft? How could you release a product that is so broken and problematic?! Just go back to making OS's...Well at least you guys could do that pretty well until Vista. I'm really happy that I'm getting system that will only improve in the future while Microsoft will continue to screw it's customers in the future.

This year's E3 was actually pretty bad. Microsoft's new avatar and redesigning of their the layout was the biggest news judging by the response. They did manage to get Final Fantasy XIII on he 360 with the same launch date as the PS3. Sony actually had games to show off on their conference! With the DC Universe mmorpg, God of War III, InFamous, and Resistance 2. Sony definitely has the better games coming out this year and next year. But for me, the biggest news out of E3 was the KOTOR mmo announcement from EA. BioWare has been working on this game since 2006 and many gamers suspected that there could be something in the works. Can't say that I'm overly excited by the news that it's going to be a mmo, but I'm stoked that there is another KOTOR game on the way!!! It made me really happy and hopefully BioWare will do itself and it's fans justice by making a great game. I was really disappointed with Mass Effect and hopefully it won't turn into another rpg/fps bullshit. That's all for now. Peace!

Jumping Ship....

It's official, I'm jumping ship. I'm getting rid of my Xbox 360 and purchasing a Playstation 3. I'm tired of Microsoft and after watching one of my friend's console die in front of me I'm scared the same will happen to me. I don't want to go through that whole thing ever again. Here I come PS3 and Microsoft can suck it!

Just Watch...

My dreams have come true...

Microsoft Blu-Ray Player Coming Soon?

According to Stan Glasgow, Sony Electronics US president, Microsoft and Sony are in talks to develop a Blu-Ray player for the Xbox 360. There have been rumors floating around the net, but today we finally got some official word. Although there is nothing confirmed this is big news. Even though I don't own a HD-DVD player, it's nice to see Microsoft groveling at the feet of Sony. Hopefully what will happen now is that both companies will cooperate and do what's best for consumers.

Sins of a Solar Empire

To be honest I was not too sure about this game when it was released. I read the reviews on IGN.com and other websites like that, and they gave it rave reviews. Those big gaming websites give good reviews all too often, so I wasn't sure what the game was really like. Anyway, I got the game last week and I'm happy to say that the reviewers got it right this time! Sins is a 4X RTS that is set in space. It's got fantastic depth and even though it lacks a single player mode, all the other modes more than make up for it. There's a lot of freedom in this game. You don't have to play big scenarios if you don't feel like it. There are plenty of small to medium sized maps that you can play and thoroughly enjoy. The layout of the game is very neat and does not feel overly cluttered with information. The game has a nostalgic feel to it. There are no elaborate cut scenes and the graphics are above average. The voice acting is cheesy but that's done intentionally. You don't need a super computer to run this game. It's all about making bad ass ships that you can use to conquer other planets! You can set your empires public policy and how you choose to develop each planet under your control. I found the black market aspect of the game very cool. You can buy and sell goods and that has an affect on the market. The online aspect of this game is also superbly designed. You can play Ironclad sessions which can last a long time. Or you can just log in and play online with random people or friends. The game runs smooth online. Overall Sins of a Solar Empire is an excellent game. A game that any RTS fan should definitely check out. Also, people new to the genre should play this game. It takes ten to fifteen minutes to get a grip on things but once you do it's a very easy game to play. Peace!

More Locusts Will Die....

Epic Games have announced the sequel to the mega popular Gears of War.Epic
will release the game this November, right before the holiday season on the Xbox 360. Surely this is big news for Microsoft and 360 owners. The previous holiday season saw some big name franchises returning and new one's being born. Anyway, I liked the single player mode on the first Gears of War. The multi-player was fun, but became very repititive for me. Hopefully they will expand on the multi player more and make it more like Call of Duty 4. Also, let's see some backstory on Marcus Fenix. The story line was mostly ignored in the first game. Probably done purposely because the game's aim was to "kick ass" first then talk later. When the first Gears was released it was a benchmark game for the 360 in terms of the graphics, the style of gameplay, and the multi-player. I don't know if it still will have that novelty aspect to it when the sequel is released. Rest assured Microsoft will hype this game up which will drive up sales. The guys at Epic are first class first person shooter creators. Unreal Tournament is one of my favorite games of all time and the frantic nature of their games are a lot of fun to play. Let's hope Epic will go for quality instead of worrying about the quantity. If the game is good people will buy, if not it will be chainsawed by the masses.

Mass Effect DLC Coming Soon

Bioware and Microsoft announced today that they will be releasing new downloadable content for Mass Effect. According to the IGN
article the new content will let us explore a new uncharted world and we get to meet the Batarians. Hopefully this "exploring" won't just involve you getting in your Mako and driving to an outpost shooting down some turrets and aliens along the way and then it's over. Mass Effect is woefully short on exploration depth. It involves you getting on your Mako and repeating the above mentioned task multiple times. There is no real depth to those side missions. Don't get me wrong, I love Mass Effect and I've already played it four times but compared to a standard rpg it's not very deep. It took me about 14 hours to finish the game the first time through. I didn't do most of the side missions but still that's way too short for a game that was marketed as an "Epic rpg", and the story which was good but is no way an epic. Knights of the Old Republic is a great example of an epic story. Anyway, I've completed most of the side missions on my second and third playthrough and it was extremely boring. The side missions don't really have any impact on your major story line and it feels rather pointless in the end. Back to point, I hope this new content will actually have a more traditional exploration that we are used to seeing in rpgs. That's the reason people play rpgs, so that we can explore, interact, discover, and make an impact within that game's universe. Also, as suspected the whores at Microsoft will be charging $5 for this new 90 minute content. So I'll wait and see actually what the content is like before I decide to send my $5 to Microsoft. Cheers!

Stargate Gamer Trailer

My favorite sci-fi franchise Stargate is becoming a video game! We heard about this a few years ago, but then we heard that the project was being scrapped. But now developer Cheyenne Mountain is working to make those dreams a reality for all those Stargate fans out there. It's a massively multiplayer role playing game (hopefully free like Guild Wars), so it should be fun to see how everything works out. Hopefully we'll get to encounter our favorite SG characters like Col.O'Neill, Teal'c, Sam, Daniel Jackson, and maybe even Walter Harriman whom you should know if you claim to be a hardcore SG fan. Anyway, I'm really excited about this game and hopefully it won't be a cheap or diluted product. The Stargate franchise and it's fans deserve a great game. I'll be following this story closely and will post any update when released.

IGN Stargate Worlds Interview

My Xbox 360 Broke...

My freaking Xbox broke earlier this week. So what happened you say? I turned on my console and wait for it to turn on but nothing happens. Instead I get a blinking red light on the "ring of lights" and I get an error message on my TV. It gave me a system error message in various languages and an error code (E74) and told me to contact Xbox support. At this point I thought one of the cables might not be connected so I check everything and reconnect everything properly. I turn it on again but the same thing happens and I'm worried at this point that something really serious has happened to my console. I keep trying but nothing happens so I decide to call Xbox support thinking that I should be able to send it in back for repairs under the new 3 year warranty plan. Unfortunately, for me I found out that I have to pay for repairs because the new warranty plan does not cover anything else but the 3 red lights problem. Angered by this I decided to hold off on spending $99 for repairs and wait a few days. I thought about this and how Microsoft is screwing it's customers left and right for horrible service. If there is any hardware problem with the console the warranty should cover it. There should be no exceptions. If you broke your console by dropping it or damaged something on it then it's understandable for them to charge for repairs. It's like buying a new car and then finding out you have a problem with it. You take it to the dealer and since your car is under warranty the dealer should fix the problem. But in Microsoft's case the new warranty plan does not cover anything else but the 3 red lights problem. So beware! If your console is out of warranty buy a new warranty service otherwise you're screwed. Now, I'm starting to develop a real disdain for Microsoft and their b.s. We shouldn't have to put up with this crap as consumers. I know of no other company that releases one problematic product after another, whether it be software or hardware, and force feed it to the public. And here's the kicker: We take it right up our you know what! I was very close to selling my console and buying a PS3 but I don't have the required funds so I have to repair my console and I'll probably have to send it in for repairs again in another four to five months. Sad...

Houston Gamers Sue Microsoft.

Houston Chronicle Link

Finally someone is doing something! I too experienced horrible Xbox Live service during the holiday season, specially after Christmas and before the new year. I personally know of people who also have had problems with the service as well. The thing that gets gamers angry is when a company like Microsoft denies or pretends the problem does not exist. Only when thousands upon thousands of customers are frustrated and angry they release some information. Now Microsoft is trying to appease gamers by offering them a full free Xbox Live Arcade game. Is this fair compensation for people who were looking for some quality gaming time during the holidays? I don't know, I suppose it depends on the individual gamer. But for me it's not enough. Not by a long shot. I hope Microsoft will improve their service and implement a better way to communicate with their customers. We the consumers demand the truth and if Microsoft had come out and admitted the truth maybe they wouldn't have had made so many people angry.

The Duke is Back???

Need I say more? This video was released a couple of weeks ago but it's still awesome to watch.

Welcome!

Welcome one and all! This is the inaugural post of The Gamers P.O.V. blog. I've created this blog not only for long time gaming fans but also for people new to gaming. I'm no pro-gamer and I do not play long hours everyday. This blog is for everyone who wants unbiased opinions on the gaming industry. My intention is to look beyond the hype and provide fair review or opinions on games. I feel like some of the bigger gaming news publications don't always give fair assessments on games and I intend on making it easier for people to decide whether to get the game or not. I will review games, give my opinions, you can agree or disagree, and I will also try to bring news stories from the gaming industry. I will try to focus not only on the big games and the big studios but also the little guys trying to make an impact. Lastly but no the least we will have some fun doing this because it is video gaming after all! It's supposed to be fun and entertaining. So let's get started without any further delay!

Since today's the last day of the year 2007 I will start out with my list of the games of the year and also take a look at some of the major gaming news of this year.



2007 Game of the Year

My choice for 2007 game of the year is Infinity Ward's intense shooter Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The guys at IW have done it once again, making an excellent game with some of the most intense action sequences ever created in a video game. Although some complained about the short single player campaign I think it was well made because of the different variety of missions created. When the game did end I was glad it ended because I didn't know if I could stand another four to five hours of high intense action. Level design specially the AC-130 gunship level was memorable and lots of fun to play over and over again. The arcade mode provides depth to the single player mode and has a nostalgia factor. What makes COD 4 really stand out though is the multi player mode. With it's excellent levelling up system the game does not loose the fun factor and adds some gusto even after repeated sessions. You are always looking forward to unlocking new weapon attachments, completing new challenges, and changing your own online build. The possibilities are almost endless it seems with the create a class system. There are plenty of online maps to choose from and a lot of modes. From the classic team deathmatch to the one-on-one battle there's plenty of online modes to choose from. The only problem I have with this game is the lack of co-op play and the lack of online split screen mode. I hope IW will implement these features quickly because it will only make this terrific game even more better. Overall COD 4 set the bar very high once again for a war shooter so let's hope the rest of the gaming industry has been paying attention.

Runners Up: Mass Effect, Ghost Recon: Advance Warfighter 2, and Rainbow Six: Vegas.



2007 Most Over hyped Game of the Year

This award goes to the much beloved Halo 3. The third and hopefully last installment of the Halo franchise shattered all sorts of records upon it's release. I never was a Halo fan but I decided to go buy me a copy of this game. After playing through the mostly mundane single player mode I asked myself, "What's the big deal about Halo?", the game doesn't look like it's anything special in terms of graphics. Next to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Halo 3 looks quite shabby. The fact that the protagonist is named Master Chief is beyond me. It's sort of like Ricky Bobby, having two first name. So what are you? Master or Chief? Anyway, after trudging through the mindless single player mode I decided to try my hand in the online mode. Granted the multi player mode offers different variety, like the Forge mode and the ability to record your online session, it still isn't anything remarkable. We've seen this style of game play on Unreal Tournament already. Bottom line, Halo3 does not come close the the hype it received and I think there are plenty of better shooters out there.

Runners Up: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City (When is it coming out?), BioShock, and Madden 2008.




Other Games & News Stories of 2007

2007 was an exciting year with big name franchises coming back and new franchises getting started. With the release of Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare gamers were in gaming heaven (if such a place exists) and will be entertained for the next coming months with new packs being released to the market.

Mass Effect, BioWare's epic sci-fi story was one of the best games I've played in years but still it lacked the depth or the emotion of their previous works like The Knights of the Old Republic. Hopefully the sequels will have more depth.

We saw pc gaming push the limits of technology with releases of Crysis, Supereme Commander, Neverwinter Nights 2, and etc. Crysis specially was a remarkable achievement considering maybe a handful of people can maybe run it close to a decent framerate. This coming year might actually provide gamers with the necessary hardware to play that game at a moderate to high specifications.

Couple of big name mergers, specifically EA and BioWare will hopefully result in great games and not diluted products. Let's hope a company like BioWare can keep doing what they do best and hopefully EA will not meddle too much.

Well this turned out to be quiet long for a first post but hopefully you enjoyed reading this. That's all for now and I wish everyone out there a very happy and safe New Year's! Peace!