Ok, so i watched a few more of the larger E3 pressers and have had my brain filled with gaming based goodness - and badness - coming in the next 12-18 months. Here’s how i reacted to the rest of the conferencess i watched in the format of the Fail Scale.
I’ve also added elements from the Microsoft Conference, even re-evaluating some with a little bit more of a mature outlook.
Rather than do a write up, i tweeted my initial reactions to the M$ Conference this year. It makes no sense but i don’t care. You can find my ramblings at http://twitter.com/MrCarrick as ususal.
However i did quite enjoy some of the mentions. I loved the original Crackdown and so a return to this franchise is much welcomed but i will have to see how much love i will send their way when more is revealed. The game now looks a lot less cell shaded, more gritty and well has zombies and monsters in it.
Like everything else.
Speaking of Zombies a return to another much loved game and the IP of the year for me from 2008 - Left 4 Dead.
The second installment sees 4 new survivors, 5 new campaigns, new special zombies along with alterations to the ones we know and love (to kill); such as Wandering Witches. It seems not all emos hide from the sun as the Witch likes to wander about when it’s day light rather than sit and cut herself.
There’re two doses of Halo loving for me in the next 18 months with both Halo ODST AND Halo Reach a previously hidden project buried deep in the earth’s crust whom no one could gaze upon untill today.
Both look awesome.
Now what else… let’s head toward the (and i will say personal oppinion, i appreciate some people like these games*) fail scale.
LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4. Fail.
Forza 3. Treacle Fail.
Cliffy B. Life Fail.
Tom Clancy Presents: Tom Clancy’s: Tom Clancy’s: Splinter Cell: Conviction by Tom Clancy, Presented by Tom Clancy. Tom Clancy Fail.
Metal Gear Solid. Sony Fail.
Natal Man Borking his Avatar. Windows 98 BSOD Fail.
And for the Win…
Natal (if it works). Win.
Metal Gear Solid. Xbox Win.
Sky, Last.fm & Zune. Win.
Arkham Asylum. Sexy Lady Win.
Beatles Cock Up. Fail Win.
Alan Wakes Existance. Not Duke Nukem Win.
Appart from those slanted views toward the 360 conference, there was something called Modern Warfare 2 as well. Who knew Infinity Ward made games eh?
Oh, Chuck Norris can do all of the push ups, in answer to your question Microsoft.
EDIT: Just found this. Nice.
Grrrr, Mr Carrick is not a happy chappy.
“Hmmmmm” i think to myself “i think i shall actually treat my PC to being used for something that might actually put it under more strain than Firefox and play Dawn of War II.”
It would seem i’m not allowed to do that.
Generally i have no problems with Steam as i think, fundamentally, it’s a good idea. Consoles very easily mash PC gaming to bits for their support of the multiplayer component these days what with the console firmware managed button you can press on any particular mate at any time to launch some multiplayer goodness with them.
PCs have always failed at life when it comes to this simplicity, in that every single game has it’s own bastardised lobby system and account management system you have to log into to kill your friends. Steam sort of solves this problem, which i love. Mainly because it’s not GameSpy Arcade.
Which is balls.
However just now, when i was about to actually use my PC, Steam has dropped in my estimations and caused me to almost pop a vein.
Dear Steam,
I would very much like to play Dawn of War II, a game which i have purchased, installed locally onto my machine and have not played much since i bought it. I would very much like to change this by launching the game locally and playing it locally, by myself, in single player, locally, thus not actually needing you to do this.
Kind Regards,
Mr Carrick
Computer Says No.
The Steam servers are currently too busy to handle your request. Please try again in a few minutes.
ANGER.
Thankfully it’s getting to that time of the year again where us gaming folk get some new meat to chew on as releases slowly start to trickle out again after the Crimbo break, I mean there’re a few big names I’m looking forward to such as Halo Wars (RIP Ensemble Studios!) and FEAR2, assuming I don’t shit my pants playing the demo*.
Then obviously as the year ticks by at an ever increasing speed more and more joy will be had; however there is always space for crap games and by crap games I mean proper crap games for real consoles as the DS has about 67.4 new releases a week and usually about 99% of those are utter toss.
By Ubisoft.
My brain has just been informed of several tragedies coming to the gaming scene this year and surprisingly these are not by Ubisoft. Although Tom Clancy’s, Tom Clancy’s, Splinter Cell: Xtreme Hobo Party ConViction (Ho Ho, it’s the fifth one, clever Ubi!) by Tom Clancy is unfortunately lingering like a real homeless person around the corner ready to steal your money.
>The first abomination is DJ Hero. D, J, Hero. DEE JAY HERO.
As if they hadn’t already made Simon Says hard enough by having to play it with a room full of mates using plastic instruments they’ve gone and poisoned the franchise by trying to milk it for everything it’s worth - I dare say there’s going to be an MC mode in it, an even better way to make people look like dicks in their own homes.
DJ Hero has been rumoured for a long, long time now as very small drops of information have leaked out around the web but it’s now official. No Activision, that’s a bad Activision!
My next disappointment is from those lovely people at Electronic Arts who I do sadly have to be nice to a little bit these days as Red Alert 3 is actually really good fun and they cancelled the abomination of Tiberium. I obviously caused that.
Obviously.
Need for Speed is a series of games I’ve never really liked as I’m not a terrible fan of racing games any who, the only real time I’ve ever given racing games was to the original Gran Turismo which I loved dearly and a few of the Burnout series which is something published by EA which has also been done right recently. Takedown & Paradise are awesome.
Apparently EA are moving in a new direction with N4S this year by bringing out three more titles which I think is a bit excessive considering it’s a franchise with more releases than I’ve had hot dinners. In fairness game creators do actually have to bring out different products if they wish to cater for true multiplatforming what with the success of the DS and the fact the Wii’s internal gubbins is a steaming pile of GameCube which can’t process modern games for toffee.
That aside it is interesting that EA have thought they need to transform N4S considering it’s a game that never fails to sell boatloads of copies every single release but what do I know eh? I just hope this year’s Need for Speed releases actually work.
*Which I probably will.