Will MAG have the last laugh?

What was the the biggest joke in Sony's E3 press conference last year? MAG. An FPS with 256 players and a terrible name. Game journalists scoffed at it as "another Sony fail." I'll admit that I thought that Zipper would have changed the name by now to SOCOM something. But at this point, if the game turns out the be a success, they can rub it in everyone's face. But I'm getting off track......

Jump ahead to this year's Sony press con and MAG isn't looking like a joke. It's looking and sounding really cool. It's like some of the best parts of COD4 and (of all games) Warhawk, competitive/Co-Op gameplay with a huge amount of players. Now, I'll admit that the player count does worry me. While in some cases, (like the smaller Headquarters maps on COD4) chaos can be really fun. But a whole game based around possibly hundreds of people shooting at each other could run very thin quickly. But, in an interview with IGN via Podcast Beyond, (interview starts at 28:00) lead designer Andy Bodwin talked about how the action would ramp up. Starting you out in a smaller group of 4 to 8 to let you get the feel of the tactical side of the game and working as a team, battles and objectives soon escalate to larger and larger scale until you end up in a 128 vs. 128, 300-style showdown. If pulled off correctly, the tension and feel of being in a full scale war should be as real as you could get on a console.

The real test is going to be that feeling that at anytime, a group from the other team could show up and the fight would be on. Maybe your support will be able to help you and maybe you'll have to go it alone and hope for the best. It's a difficult feeling to convey in a game. The most resent attempt would be the final battle in Killzone 2. (link contains spollers)

In an interview with Gamespot @ E3, Andy and CJ from Zipper talk about the "Dangling the Carrot" gameplay that is going to play into your progression in the game and how the world will continue whether or not you are playing. Sounds like the near perfect COD4 Perk system will be used here as well. Also sounds very MMO inspired. DLC and expanded locations and scenarios are very interesting if done correctly.

After watching the latest MAG Monday video via Gametrailers.com, I'm thinking that this is game is going to be a bigger deal than people might be giving it credit for. Granted that it's still early, but I trying to keep an open mind about things. It's a flaw. Check the all the MAG Monday vids below.

Video Games | MAG | Exclusive Shadow War Dev Diary

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Video Games | MAG | Exclusive 256 Dev Diary

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Video Games | MAG | Exclusive PMCS Dev Diary

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

J.

Killzone 2 DLC: might as well jump.

Is it just me, or was gametrailers TV actually good last night? On the show that brought us some gameplay videos of Bioshock 2, comes the big reveal of the first Killzone 2 DLC maps. Titled Steel and Titanium, the two maps are as different from the current multiplayer maps as you can get. Set inside the ISA's home spaceship, The New Sun map looks like a snipers paradise. Bad news for me as I seem to get shot from millions of miles away when I play the game now. But, that's what I get for going back and playing Warhawk and Call of Duty 4 again this week. Multi-level maps are cool just to get the drop on people by jumping down and wasting enemies in mid air. Possibly alot of forcing people off the deck while they run from hordes shooting at them as well. Hooray for cheap kills!

The Wasteland Bullet map is the one that I'm going to either hate or love. It takes place on two trains speeding down the rails. Shooting is going to be fun, provided that no gravity physics pull bullets from intended targets. The real love/hate thing will be the jumping from train to train. I can tell you now, I WILL die numerous times by getting smashed like a bug trying to outrun someone plugging me in the back with bullets.

Both look like very cool updates to a great game and will be out at the end of the month. No price was given, but I figure it won't be so hard on your wallet. Sony has been doing a really great job with marketing Killzone 2. Sure, there aren't any branded Mt. Dew bottles or trailers before Star Trek, but the word is out and people are buying. Let's hope they keep up the streak.

J.

Killzone 2 Kountdown: Scout and Saboteur Badges

Not really a countdown anymore, but still cool and interesting stuff from Killzone 2. This time, it's the Saboteur Badge. Cloaking is one of those things that sucks ass if you're not using it. The Scout, as well, has a cloaking style device that works only while standing still. The Scout is the only one that uses the sniper rifle in multiplayer. I just saw one of these guys last night while I was playing online. He was doing a Terminator 2-like 'breaking down into another form' animation. He looked like one of my guys, but I figured that something was up so I shot his ass. Chalk one point up for me.

This game's multiplayer is really interesting and makes me want to keep playing more and more to use the different badges. More videos soon, since I think they are all out at this point.




Saboteur Badge



Scout Badge


J.

In Deck: School's out forever.........

Well, it's been a long road, but I'm done with school as of yesterday. Thank you. Other then making up time I missed while enjoying myself in Hawaii, I've got nothing but time on my hands. Well, outside of getting plans together for my new business. But in the meantime, it's time to catch up on some games. And there has been ALOT of games I've been playing and that I've really wanted to play. It feels good to not have to have to get up early on the weekends at stare into an anatomy book. Anyway, on to the games......

Peggle




I don't doubt that casual games are here to stay. I like alot of them. It's the notion that all games are going, and should go, in this this direction is what bothers me. I don't mind the thought of the "casual" game and the "hardcore" existing together, though. My personal favorites are of the Pop Cap variety. Bejeweled 2 and Peggle being the ones getting the most play for me. Bejeweled 2 is my first foray into the world of casual. And it's awesome as you already know, but Peggle really got me. It's the simplest premise, erase all the orange pegs. It's likely the perfect casual game. One where it's simple to learn, but after you look up at the clock and realize that you've been playing for three hours. It's a good time. Sometimes I hope it's not too good.

Peggle is out on every platform you can think off (except PS3...for now) From $10 to free.


Magic Ball



This Breakout clone is still fun. Played more over the course of a few weeks of late night studying. And got 100% of the trophies in the game, a first for me. Seems like I'll be able to show you by this time tomorrow. Again, if you like your games on the casual side and you like Breakout/Arkanoid clones, check it out.

Magic Ball is out for $10 on PSN


Fallout 3



Jumped into Fallout 3 for a second. I'm two bobbleheads away from Vault-Tec CEO trophy. I'm very close to the end of the game, so bailed and am roaming around being a general badass, mowing down anyone in my way in the process. It's hard to get back into the game since I've really wanted to start Oblivion again. Playing both at the same time could destroy my life. Fallout 3 could be my first platinum trophy. More on this soon.

Fallout 3 is out on PS3, 360 and PC; 360 and PC have exclusive DLC for $60


On Deck..........

Killzone 2




Not much more can be said. Thanks to Amazon.com's retarded "one day shipping," I am getting KZ2.....today. Yeah. THREE DAYS after release. But, that's water under the bridge. I plan on getting into the possibly the most talked about game of all time. Reviews seem to say it lives up to the hype. Halo killer? People don't want Halo to die, so it won't. No matter what. So stop it with the "killer" tag. It's sounds like an awesome game with awesome multiplayer variants. I'll have my story about my first hour with the game up soon.


Hope you're doing ok and that your playing something cool.

J.

Killzone 2 Kountdown: Medic Badges

It's the big day. No more words needed. I'll be playing Killzone 2 tomorrow, but until then, check out the Medic badges. Sounds fun. I'm still planning to rock the engineer class.....alot.



J.

Killzone 2 Kountdown: Assault and Engineer Badges

I figured that I'd jump on the bandwagon and drop some Killzone 2 heat. First, we have the badges for the Assault and Engineer classes in multiplayer. It sounds alot like Team Fortress 2 to me, which for me is cool. You know, since TF2 kind of sucks on PS3. The Engineer class seems like the class I'll be messing with initially. Having sentries shooting the shit out of people around corners while they are unaware is a very satisfying way to win a game. Reminds me of owning people in Goldeneye on N64 with the Laptop gun. Having started COD4 as of late, I look forward to shooting you in the face in a few days.



Assault class and badges



Engineer class and badges


More coming soon.

J.

The new Killzone 2 TV ad (is awesome)

I'm a PS3 owner. As a PS3 owner, I've been subjected to shitty ports, half hearted "such and such" killer apps, low expectations and doomsayers predicting the end of Sony at every turn. I'll admit that I doubted Sony. I didn't think that Sony could pull off anything that could change peoples' minds about the black box, but after watching the the new Killzone 2 TV ad......wow. I'll have to admit that I was wrong.

The trailer is very subtle while showing nothing but action and mayhem on the battlefield. (All in-engine, if you were wondering). I was reminded of the "Madworld" ads for Gears of War, without the catchy music. Sure, I was looking forward to the most debated game in history to see what the hubbub was about, but in the last few weeks, I've really gotten on the train for Killzone 2. The nearly across the board praise for the game, to mainstream gaming outlets having seemingly no choice but to admit that Killzone 2, in fact, lives up to the hype and passes it by and now, TV ads. Wow. Sony could be......well....let's wait until next week and see.

If you have doubts about what the PS3 can do and whether or not you should save some money and pick one up, I say, watch this ad. And if you STILL think that the PS3 is a waste of time, i really don't know what to say to you. Wait for halo 3 ODST on 360? Or.....whatever else Mircosoft has this year.

J.

Upcoming articles

Well, it's been a long few years, but the era of Dubya is over. It almost doesn't seem like it's really over. Like Sean Hannity is going to come running down the street, waving the Patriot Act, screaming "The Patriot Act says black people can't be president." Oh well, it'll sink in soon enough. Anyway, here's the articles i'm working on:

- Another Killzone 2 story; my take on the most anticipated game of all time.

- In deck with Midnight Club: LA, Street Fighter 2 HD remix, Lumines Supernova, Mahjong Tails and Chrono Trigger DS

- New Demo-ilition with Skate 2 and more

- changes and new features on The Driver ID coming....soon?


Enjoy the day. Hopefully, things are going to start looking up.


J.

On Deck: old school is the best school

Looking forward, i noticed that a few of the games i was looking to get are throwbacks. not all, but some. so, that's where i'll start this On Deck:



Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

Jesus! "over 40 Genesis games"? wow. sure your now standard Sonic games are on there. As well as Golden Axe and Altered Beast. But the games that I'm hyped about are overlooked classics like E-SWAT, Streets of Rage and Ecco the Dolphin. All are the standouts to me. "All the games will be upgraded to 720p"? Sweet deal. But, really. Did we REALLY need Golden Axe 3 AND Shinobi 3? Why not Shinobi? Oh well. it's a must buy for the old school console owners and Putt-Putt arcade visitors like me.



Street Fighter 4

I love Street Fighter. It's a god among fighting games. And with 4 coming next month(!), it's going to come back around again, hooking gamers with fireballs shooting from hands, mouths and feet. The little that I've seen is really fluent and fast. Relying on knowledge of the moves and blocking at the right time rather then cheep ass combos. (like Marvel vs. Capcom, as much as i like it) Don't know about online, but it should be there if it wants to hang around with the other fighters on the market. The lineup seems solid, although, the exclusion of Dee Jay is full of fail, as the kids say. At least Fei-Long is in it. Every fighting game should have a Bruce Lee clone in it.



Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom

Mahjong is one of these games that i've always been intimidated by. It seems very complex and difficult. But as i've gotten older, it's become a very relaxing game. Kind of like Lumines and Pixel Junk Eden is for me, it's a game that i play in the morning or at night before bed as a wind down. Something that's not so heavy as Fallout 3 or Bioshock or MGS4. And now, it sounds like Majong Tales should be coming out in the next week or so. Hopefully, the game isn't too much money. X-mas kind of wiped me out. So hopefully Sony thinks about that when it comes out. Until then, check out the video.



Killzone 2

Nothing left to say about this game. It's out next month and it looks amazing. and with some reviews leaking out, some think that the game isn't the internet meme that we all thought it would be back in the old days. I look forward to seeing what the gaming blogs have to say about it next month. I really can't believe i just said that......


Well, that's all for now. Back to Lumines Supernova and Bioshock tonight. Fallout 3 in the morning.


J.

On Deck: PS3 video version (mostly)

haven't done an On Deck in a while. mostly because everyone knows about the games that are out that i want. because it's the same games that you want, too. well, not all of them. but, with x-mas coming up, here's a video list of games i'd like to play that are coming sooner then you think.


Skate 2



i really liked skate. i decided to check it out after playing the demo and being really disappointed with tony hawk proving ground. it was as close to real skating as you could really get. there isn't much they really had to do to add to it. except handplants and ninjas. and now, they're in game. sweet. look for it jan 6th. wow. i need to save some money.

Uno Rush



this is already out, but with my waffling on joining the rest of the civilized world and buying a 360, getting this is one of the reasons why i keep thinking about acquiring one. the amount of games on XBLA that i'd like to play are alot bigger than the regular, disc based games. believe it or not, i really don't care about playing gears of war or halo ever again. whooping someone's ass in Uno and laying the smacktalk down while you're doing it is awesome. and it's a flashback to my indoor recess games in the 7th grade. this is out now. get it.

Infamous



still not much about this. looks like a win for sony fans. shooting lightning is cool. just not as cool as fire swords and shooting bees. coming "sometime" in 2009.

Chrono Trigger DS



Chrono Trigger was one of the best RPGs ever made. period. if you don't think so, you're wrong. cool. now that we have that out of the way, CT is coming out in a few weeks. i have the PS1 version bundled with final fantasy 4 (my favorite RPG of all time) but i haven't played it in a while. i might be not being able to plop down in front of my 27" and grind like i used to. it also might be that max has had my copy for a while now. either way, this will be a moot point when this comes out on the DS next month. RPGs are a very good fit on the DS. with it's awesome battery life (i've charged mine twice....in a fucking year!) and install base, square should be porting every FF and RPG that they have ever made to the DS. and yes, that means super mario RPG.

Chrono Trigger DS comes out next month.


Killzone 2



sure. we've all heard the jokes. but now that we're seeing more of the FPS that sony has all their money on, people are starting to back off their punchlines. alittle. kind of like what joe lieberman is doing now. it looks insane! hopefully, i can get into the beta soon and tell you more. until then, start eating your crow now. just in case.....

Killzone 2 is out (hopefully) in February.

J.