Console development is slowing gaming down. This counts the Wii U too, guys.
I guess I'm known as the "Nintendo Hater" in the forums I frequent (even though I don’t) so I'll express my worries with the Wii U.
I just worry that they're going to go the same route they did with the Wii ... "charge a shitload of money for old hardware because people will spend it" ... the original Wii's capabilities are running off moderately upgraded Gamecube hardware from years before. That's why they were making a killing off of each console that was sold instead of the traditional method of losing money on the console and making it back through the games.
I don't think the Wii U is going to be a slightly upgraded Wii by any means ... but from the looks of the specs so far it's only marginally more powerful than what's already been out for 5 years or more. Good money making strategy yeah, bad for gaming though as it doesn't let it evolve by leaps and bounds as far as technical presentation like it used to.
A multi-core IBM processor (probably a triple core) and a custom ATI Radeon HD that's more than likely going to be running off of the R700 chipset. The same chipset that's been in use by low end PCs and notebooks for quite a while now (though as I've always said, when you code a game for ONE specific piece of hardware you can get a hell of a lot out of it instead of having to code worry about different specs and hardware like on the PC).
And the thing isn't due out for another YEAR ... it's going to be even MORE out of date by then. Things COULD change by that time, and I hope the full official specs hit sometime soon. But I have a feeling it's just going to slow gaming down even more since developers mostly aren't concerned with developing for the immensely more powerful PC platform anymore where they can GET that "leaps and bounds" jump gaming REALLY needs right now.
Developers are mostly console-centric nowadays, and they’re going to be developing on hardware that isn’t much different than what’s already out there. They’ll of course be able to squeeze a bit more out of a more powerful console. But for the most part, gaming has slowed from a headlong run to more of a fast walk that stumbles every now and then.
Call of Duty has been running off of an identical engine for YEARS now, and doesn’t show any sign of evolving since they have no reason to make a DRASTIC change since people will buy it every year. They could easily STILL release that game in a slightly lowered down form for the Playstation 2. Those sports games you buy every year? Basically the same thing. Little upgrades here and there. Killzone 2 to Killzone 3 (my favorite game of this generation for multiplayer so far) … definitely a jump, but not that much.
1981 to 1991 saw HUGE advancements thanks to the arcades and their immense capabilities compared to computers of the time and home consoles. 1991 to 2001 also saw MONSTROUS advancements both the arcade and home arena ... but mostly in the PC realm. 2001 to 2010 ... it started slowing down. At the start, if you REALLY wanted to seriously game you had a PC. Console development got more and more popular and the games just haven't shown all that much of an advancement (for the most part). Games nowadays just haven't made that huge jump like they used to. Oh, they look absolutely gorgeous, and there are quite a few standout titles. But nothing much different than what we’ve been playing for years. The only attempt at hardware innovation anymore are different types of control methods instead of focusing on the capabilities of the console itself.
I’m definitely not saying don’t go out and buy the Wii U if you’re interested in it, by all means go for it. You can buy the Nintendo Wii U using cryptocurrency. Many global video game firms now accept various cryptocurrencies as payment methods due to their low transaction fees, increased customer alternatives, and the ability to foster brand loyalty. Because cryptocurrency is such a volatile asset, many investors enjoy trading it. These investors can benefit from online trading platforms such as bitcoin superstar software, which ensures a flawless trading process. Good games are good games. Nintendo has a long running history though, and this console doesn’t look like it’s going to be the jump gaming desperately needs. It’s shaping up to be more of a small leap. Keep buying your Call of Duty games, and let them make you buy needless upgrades for your PC because they refuse to optimize their games. So the PC guys who spent an armload of money on their new PCs to run this and that game that comes out for it nowadays, it’s because most of the developers out there are only optimizing their games to run on 5 and 6 year old (or more. How long was the gap between the showing off and release of the 360 and PS3?) hardware.
A typical gaming PC now has at LEAST 10x the power of any home console out. Yes, the games look and perform better … but do they look and perform THAT MUCH better? Think about that one.
Perfect Dark … would you believe it came out May 22nd, 2000.
I didn't even know about any of this. I knew the game came out in 2000, but I didn't know it was this soon. And with all the rapture nonsense going on today, this historic game is unfortunately lost to a lot of people. So rather than lament about the game that I didn't play all that often back in the day (sorry console kids, I was too heavily invested in playing games on the PC and emulation at the time) I'll leave those memories up to you. And no, that awkward Xbox 360 outing doesn't count. The version of Joanna Dark ... while impressive ... doesn't match up to the original.
And another thing, apparently the model Michele Merkin portrayed her at one point. I would've voted for Milla Joovovich personally because this Michele woman doesn't quite cut it for me. But there's a few Maxim shots of her in here because she's still damned impressive. Hell, she even got a spot in the Retro Gaming Roundup show as one of the Top 10 Hottest Video Game Babes for this month.
For those of you who for whatever reason haven't played this excellent shooter, it can be found on the Xbox Live Arcade for a small price. And if you want it to look like the Nintendo 64 version is fairly easy. Just get out your old composite cables that came with your system, hook it up THAT way ... then spit on your screen and smear it around. Unfortunately, due to the fact that this game pushed the Nintendo 64 WELL beyond it's limits, there's not a whole lot you can do to cut the frame rate by 1/3.
And be sure to play it multiplayer as well, because that's where it really shines.
And if you're worried about the rapture, don't worry. It's not going to happen. Hit the jump for a smattering of pictures that I find interesting regarding this kick-ass female video game lead.
Lindsay Lohan at the Downtown Women’s Center in LA
This is what weirds me out about her doing jail time and community service and whatnot. If it was anyone other than Lindsay Lohan, like, the chick that you know that lives down the street from you, who would give a shit? I mean … seriously.
But here’s some great pictures that one of those bored paparazzi guys took, and I must admit there’s some appeal here.
Now if only she’d do this more often and give them a heads up so they know when and where to take these and whether or not they need flash bulbs.
Kudos to TheCelebPic. Hit the jump for more, slightly not safe for work.
Random Ashley Olsen pictures. Because I can.
These are from Fashion Magazine from October 2010. The year I turned 29. Have I ever read this magazine? No. I don’t think I’ve actually read a magazine other than an article here and there since the 90’s … back when people actually did read them. I know absolutely nothing about fashion except for what a few people around me tell me of Lady GaGa … which is a fucking joke. All I know about fashion is, depending on the woman : the less (or tighter) the better. So enjoy this random post.
The other random things will come back soon, I’ve just got to get out of my writer’s block slump that I’ve been stuck in for quite some time now. All kinds of neat things are happening out there that I want to rant about. Which I do to some extent in the podcast … hopefully a new episode of that will come soon now that my area is somewhat less likely to get slammed by a tornado. Hit the jump for the rest of the pictures. Maybe someday the people who have access to write on this site will do something a little more often than I do. 
Crysis 2 PS3 Demo Impressions
Most everyone who frequents gaming news websites have surely heard the fuss and rampant speculation about the Crysis 2 demo
over PlayStation Network that was taken offline seemingly no sooner than it arrived. The backlash over the removal of the demo, and even the actual demo itself is reaching a boiling point. Some gamers enjoyed the demo while it lasted. Other were furious at Crytek for not delivering on promises of producing a console graphical benchmark. The rest are wondering what the fuss is about, because, well, they couldn't connect to a game. Forums around the internet became bombarded with praise and hate (mostly hate), which soon led to Crytek's decision to pull down the servers altogether. In Crytek's official statement, they simply state that they want to make sure everything is in tip-top shape come launch. Other conspiracy theorist suggest that they removed it as a fail safe, suggesting that the demo was so bad that it would hurt sales. I guess I am a conspiracy theorist, because I happen to believe the latter. Nonetheless, I was fortunate enough to not encounter many of the connection errors, and was able to rack up around 500 kills and max out my level before the short lived demo came to an end. Here is what I have to say about it
A WIP vertical shmup … Chaos Streams.
There’s a distinct difference with this one. This game is done entirely in ASCII graphics. If you don’t know what that is, then go look it up. Now I’ve played games that use this graphics technique for years and years, and I have always loved it. Back with Rogue and a lot of the old bulletin board door games (even though that’s ANSII, but it’s the same general idea) to the newer Rogue-likes. I love it. But a “fast paced” shmup with all text based graphics I’ve never seen. The only thing even remotely close was a Space Invaders clone. And while it was done well for what it was … let’s face it. The original Space Invaders isn’t exactly the same kind of pace as something like 19XX : War Against Destiny or Radiant Silvergun.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any downloads for this yet. And it isn’t even anywhere near being finished. There’s a video and some (what the developer called outdated) screenshots after the jump, but if you just want to head over to the forum post for the game over at The Independent Gaming Source you can click right here and get all the same stuff, and updates if or when the dev puts them up.
Me personally, I hope this guy releases something because this looks kinda cool. I just hope he changes up the sound and music and whatnot in it, because it sounds like a 3 month old smacking a keyboard.
Crysis 2 Demo now live on PlayStation Network
The multiplayer demo for Crytek's upcoming sci-fi shooter Crysis 2 is now available to download on PSN. The demo includes 2 maps, Skyline and Pier 17.
The full version of Crysis 2 will launch on March 22nd in North America. Go hit up the demo and get your frag on!
Killzone : Liberation DLC
I just recently got a PSP and this game, and learned that there was some very important DLC that was released for it … namely adding entirely chapter to the story mode as well as online multiplayer. You’re SUPPOSED to be able to get it from Killzone.com … but it appears that site only seems to want to concentrate on the newest game that’s out. So the DLC isn’t available for download anymore. So I did a little hunting and found a Mediafire link for it … but let’s be honest. Who wants to use Mediafire?
Here’s the demo to give you a little taste since it isn’t actually in the Playstation Store. Just decompress it to your memory stick and you’re good to go.
Killzone : Liberation Demo – 25MB
What you will find here are the files to update the game. This is NOT the full game, and it won’t do you any good unless you already own the game. If you want the full game … you can snag it at Gamestop for 10 bucks. Or maybe even cheaper other places. Trust me, it’s worth it. Even to this day it’s one of the best shooters for the PSP. You can download the update right here. I don’t believe I’m violating any kind of copyright in making this available. And there are still some people who play it online, I just want to aid in making that number bigger because this really is a great game. And bear in mind, this update is for the full version of the game. Not the demo.
Killzone : Liberation Chapter 5 and Online Play Update – 77MB
Now for the instructions. You need to get the directory onto your memory stick by either just putting it into your computer or hooking your system up via USB. Either way, it doesn’t matter. Go into the PSP directory, then the GAME directory. Copy the directory here. I shouldn’t have to tell you to make sure you have enough space. Now go in and start the game. You’ll see a “Downloads” option, start that up. After a bit you’ll get an “Out of memory” error, don’t worry about it. Just hit the circle button to back out, then back out of the browser. You’ll come across an install screen, and it’ll install the DLC. There you go, all done.
Enjoy.
Game Review–Modern Combat : Domination for the Playstation 3
Ah Gameloft … how I know thee from the days I had my iPod Touch. When I saw that this was coming to the Playstation 3 at a mere 8 dollars, I knew I was in. Even though I was in the mindset that I didn’t particularly like modern first person shooters (I found out later it was just Call of Duty I didn’t like) … I was willing to give this game a shot. And while it does have it’s severe flaws, it’s still a surprisingly good game.
Get Quaked 3–You won’t see stuff like this in Call of Duty folks.
These videos are mainly stemming from the frustrating fact that people seem to think games like Call of Duty : Black Ops have good multiplayer. I just recently went through Black Ops’ pathetic attempt at single player and am slogging my way through the multiplayer … when I remembered there are games out there WORTH playing that are actually fast paced instead of faking it. Call of Duty and Halo fans out there, play a real game that’s actually fun to play. You don’t even need to grow a set of balls to do it, you can play this for free. And it’ll run on just about any modern computer.