First feedback of the new Xbox LIVE updates (Twitter and Facebook)

 

According to Nelson: “Testing out all the cool stuff now.  With Twitter and Facebook now, I think they need to add a browser to Xbox live.  If I want follow a link someone posted, I can’t.  I don’t know how much I’ll be using either of these.  It needs to be more integrated instead of a separate program to be more affective.    I do like last.fm on live, only because my 360 is hooked into my stereo system and I can crank it.  Not the same effect coming out of my tiny laptop speakers.”

Borderlands – First Impressions

No real need to post an unbelievably long review. This game is just plain fun. 

This is what Fallout 3 would have been if there was a multiplayer mode.

This is another game set off in the far flung dystopia future; you are being guided around the planet Pandora by a mysterious static voice of a woman looking for an equally mysterious vault. That’s all you need to know.

The rest of the game is simply, if it moves, kill it, and collect the loot.

The game is simplistic and deep at the same time. Amazingly the first 10 levels you play won’t even take you that far from your start point as you learn how to choose your weapons, fight at least 3 bosses, learn how to drive vehicles and so forth.

Graphically speaking, the cell shading art is pretty good but sometimes I still longed for the ‘realistic’ approach given to Fallout.

Multiplayer handles pretty well with very little lag and sometimes battles can get hectic really quick.

If I can give any minuses to the game, it would be these.

Enemies that are MUCH lower in level to you can still wield a large amount of damage on you and even though you can be a level 10 character and kill a level 4 enemy with ease, that level 4 enemy can still deal large amounts of damage quickly and more so in a swarm.

This is possibly the only major thing that unbalances the game.

The other is sometimes it takes a few button clicks to reload (I think this is a skill thing) and sometimes you have to highlight a drop item ‘just so’ to pick it up.

The driving controls are a bit clunky and it takes practice just to get it to go straight but hey, you didn’t get this game to go driving!

My only other major issue is that I have as of yet not seen any place to store your loot and I am not sure of this was intentional or not but games of this sort always allowed you to have some type of storage system because you never know if that ‘one’ gun you found earlier may be needed later…however I am guessing that with the amount of stuff available you sell it more than keep.

We also as of yet not seen a way to swap weapons between players short of dropping it on the ground, hopefully this may be remedied later.

Now, the skill tree is the coolest and easiest I have seen to use. You have to make sure you stick to whichever one you choose to flesh out and get the max skills for your character. I am using a Soldier and I am trying to max his skills out right now under the medic branch so he can be most effective in multiplayer and thankfully leveling doesn’t feel like a serious grind.

Some are saying that this game may give Modern Warfare 2 a run for its money and it’s possible given the simplicity of the game and sheer amount of weapons, it’s going to be a strong contender.

I give it 8.5 out of 10.

Microsoft Seemingly Confirms Blu-ray For Xbox 360

via 1UP RSS feed by Kat Bailey on 10/21/09

 

 

More than a year after Sony declared victory in the format war, it appears that Microsoft is officially embracing Blu-ray, to an extent. In an interview with Gizmodo, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed that the Xbox 360 will eventually be received a Blu-ray add-on drive. The confirmation came when Ballmer was asked whether the Xbox 360 would be getting a Blu-ray drive anytime soon. He replied, “Well I don’t know if we need to put Blu-ray in there – you’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories.”

 

As Gizmodo points out, it’s possible that Microsoft is merely pointing out that any Xbox 360 Blu-ray drive would have to be external, and that it’s not an actual confirmation. For its part, Xbox 360 representatives are keeping their cards pretty close to their chest, saying that they’re not ready to comment on future plans. [MORE]

The 360 getting a Blu-ray player has been talked about for over a year. (Search the GamersVue Archive) it would be nice kill off one of the few remaining reasons to get a PS3.

First impressions: Uncharted 2

This game came out right as I finished the first one and really it’s giving me a great idea of how someone can take a rather new IP and improve up on it. It sort of reminds me of how GoW was improved upon from one to 2 without missing a beat and it’s really good.
 
You really don’t need to play part 1 of Uncharted per se unless you would like to better understand some of the characters in the game and how they all relate.
 
Presentation and story wise, this game to me, so far, makes up for all of the sucky movies that came out this summer from the cliffhanger beginning to running thru the streets of Nepal avoiding runaway trucks, so far this game is a big thumbs up. And yes, some of the action scenes are a bit clichéd but then really think when is the last time you actually played some of those scenes in a game?  Altho it may be barely noticeable (it’s really noticeable to me however) the cut scenes  and overall visuals look much sharper than it’s predecessor almost to a point that it does make you feel more like you are playing an interactive movie. Not to mention that these early levels really have you playing up to the game’s starting point with crosses and double crosses really gets the blood pumping.
 
AI Wise, I do enjoy the fact that just like the last game, your sidekicks will provide help but won’t do all of the work which is good. Don’t go thru the game expecting your AI buddy to do all of the killing. You have to get your hands dirty too. Not to mention I LIKE the dialogue (There’s one above you!  There’s one below you! And “You follow all the `hose’) that sometimes just randomly spouts up. Speaking of which, I enjoy how the game’s new characters are introduced with the new faces and old faces and just when you think  you can trust somebody, they turn on you and sometimes back again.
 
Control wise, I think they have been tweaked somewhat with a few buttons moved and simplified but there is a tutorial that happens in certain sections that show you how to do things. The added `Stealth and takedown” mode really fleshes this out to keep this a run `n gun fest. Speaking of, you have to really plan a lot of your moves in this game especially in the Stealth portions as moving to rashly will almost always end badly for you. The shooting portions are similar to the first and are reminiscent of the GoW series. You can do more blind shooting and you can target your enemy as well and they are indeed smart. They will flank and pin you down if you aren’t careful.
 
All in all, Uncharted 2 is a top notch adventure game that succeeds where the Tomb Raider games had gone wrong and keeps it fun and interesting without all the frustrating puzzles and fizzle.
 
5 or 6 chapters in, I am very satisfied playing this game and I can’t wait to try the multiplayer!

- DreddheadedPoet

PSA: PSN is down for maintenance [update]

via Joystiq – ULTRAFEED by JC Fletcher on 10/6/09

 

Oh hey, were you about to jump on the PlayStation Network for a quick round of gaming on your lunch break? Actually, we can answer that for you: you weren’t, even if you thought you were, because PSN is currently unavailable.

Trying to log in brings up the message “Site Maintenance Notice: The server is currently down for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please try again later.” We’ll do our best to find out when a good time to try again will be, but in the meantime you’re on your own. Perhaps you could get some laundry done, or find a new sandwich recipe.

Update: A Sony rep tells us that “this maintenance should be completed by 1pm Pacific.”

[Thanks, Matt!]

PSA: PSN is down for maintenance [update] originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A public service announcement…

Friends don’t let friends be gold famers.

 

and ANYONE that buys gold or levels from a website is a total loser that obviously can not play video games.

Thank you.

Home 1.3 update freezing systems, workaround offered

via Joystiq – ULTRAFEED by Andrew Yoon on 10/2/09

The biggest update to PlayStation Home since its public beta debut went live not too long ago. However, the transition hasn’t been as smooth as many hoped. There are sporadic reports of system hangs during the initialization screen, post 1.3 update. While EndSights says "many systems" are affected, it seems likely the problem is isolated to a minority of PlayStation Home users.

According to Home Manager Locust_Star, a few items in the virtual world may be causing the hiccups. Items like the Namco Bandai Love Seat, Fat Princess Throne and Ghostbusters Bagel are amongst the few suspected to be causing crashes. Until a proper patch is implemented, the PlayStation team recommends deleting and reinstalling PlayStation Home. Erasing Home data from the Save Data Utility may also help PlayStation gamers that are desperate to log into the virtual world.
Let us know if you’ve been affected by the latest Home update, and if these workarounds, um, work.

Home 1.3 update freezing systems, workaround offered originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jack Thompson Sues Facebook Over ‘I Hate Jack Thompson’ Group

via 1UP RSS feed by Kris Pigna on 10/1/09

Disbarred Florida lawyer Jack Thompson is making legal news again, and while this time he’s playing a different role in the courtroom, it is, you will probably agree, no less unusual. Thompson — well known for his self-described "crusades" against game violence over the years — is now suing Facebook over their refusal to remove an "I Hate Jack Thompson" group, and is seeking $120 million in damages (via Bloomberg).

According to the lawsuit, the "I Hate Jack Thompson" group was started in 2006, following an interview Thompson did with 60 Minutes where his battles with the gaming industry were highlighted. Evidently Thompson faxed a request to remove the group to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which went unanswered. This prompting Thompson to accuse Facebook of "intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and failure to supervise the site."

As Bloomberg’s story notes, the group has allowed members to post messages such as, "Jack Thompson should be smacked across the face with an Atari 2600." No other examples were cited, so whether that comment is in fact the worst of the worst ever produced by the group is uncertain.
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Really Jack?   Are you trying to go for a world record for the amount of times you can look like a douche bag?  You might as well try to sue every Gamer in the world because they you.   Why don’t you use that personal vendetta you game against video games for something worth wild.. oh I don’t know.. world hunger perhaps?  Perhaps helping to gather money for some pet project for NASA?  Help to stamp out breast cancer some how?  (God knows all men love boobs!)