PS3 Updates – It’s like watching paint dry.

March 23, 2011

Sorted the mail, did the laundry, walked the dog… checked to see if the latest update for the PS3 was done.  A little exaggerated I admit, but that’s the feeling I have at times when forced to download anything from the PS3 network.  It amazes me the length of time it takes to download a few MB and then the addition time you wait for it to actually install.  The one thing that escapes me is the PS3 is the best Netflix client I have and it streams full HD without a hiccup.  Anything that can do that shouldn’t have the download speed issues that we see during the update process.  The only explanation I can come up with is that Sony has some seriously slow servers.  The 360 on the other hand flies through updates with no issues.  Don’t get me wrong…  I like my PS3, but Sony needs to do some serious work on their network to improve this issue before long.


3DS – I don’t want to carry two systems around.

March 12, 2011

Well… for all the hype and excitement surrounding the 3DS it appears that backward compatibility was not something that the big N put a lot of thought into.  I have included a link at the bottom of the post with all the details but to sum it up the screen will either be very small or fuzzy.  Take your pick on that one.  I understand that with the leap forward in resolution it is difficult to maintain a perfect picture but I had hoped Nintendo would have found a better workaround.  In all the past the iterations from the original Game Boy to the DSi XL they have managed to maintain an almost perfect picture integrity when allowing backward compatible play.  In many cases the picture was better on the newer system than the old one.  The kicker here is that in order to play your DS games on a decent screen you will be forced to keep and at times carry two systems.  The DS and 3DS are not small devices so this can be pretty impractical.  Another negative aspect is that Nintendo has announced that the battery life for the 3DS may be as short as 3 hours per charge.  This is very surprising considering I don’t even know what the average charge for the DS Lite is since I rarely ever have to charge the thing.  In light of these recent updates along with the delay of all the core titles to June and August I’m starting to questions if I will hold my pre-order.  I will more than likely still pick it up just to experience 3D without glasses but at this point in time I’m considering waiting for the 3DS Lite.

Playing DS on a 3DS is less than ideal


The Old Republic – Get your guild on!

March 10, 2011

Bioware has opened up guild creation for The Old Republic so if you have a name you really want you best get out there.  I will be playing under the name Rabid Ewoks (Jeff gets the credit for the name).  At last check there were already almost ten thousand guilds created.  You can access the guild creation page from the main banner at http://www.swtor.com/.

 


Metroid Other M – Man this is a late post!

March 10, 2011

This post is so outdated I debated on even submitting it.  I wrote it back in October a little while before I started work on the center and just never got around to posting it.  If you are interested read on.  There is a SPOILER at the end so if you still plan to play don’t read past the notice.

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I have been an avid fan of the Metroid series since it made its first appearance on the NES and I’ve played every game since on all platforms.  That being said I was very excited when the announcement of Metroid Other M was made.  As the details of the game began to come out I was skeptical but decided to give it a try for myself.

Though the story was somewhat on the dramatic side I’m not one of these who was totally turned off by it.  It was a little over the top, but it was Team Ninja behind it so I think most of us expected that.  The controls though not precise did add an interesting element.  Now don’t get me wrong, at times, it was a pain to switch back and forth between first and third perspectives.  This was especially the case in boss battles.  I think the classic controller or the Nunchuk combo would have better served the game.  Item collection is what you would expect but I really did miss finding the upgrades to my suite.  It just wasn’t the same having someone “authorize” use.   Overall, it did lack the feel of a true Metroid game but it was fun.  It is short enough that any Metroid fan should give it a try and experience it for themselves.

** SPOILER **

The biggest problem I had with the game came at the end.  Once you have “completed” the game and watched the closing cinematic the credits then role.  One would think you are done.  The story wrapped up nicely, the boss battle was satisfying and you are left with a good sense of accomplishment.  Sadly this is not the case.  Once the credits complete you are then thrown back into the bottle ship for a last mission.  Some may find this great, but once the credits rolled I was done with the game.  With a compelling game like Mass Effect 2 this would have been a welcome surprise, but with this game it felt like an added chore.  Team Ninja had just given me another errand to run.  The need to fully complete the game made me finish the last battle but after all was said and done it felt like more of chore than a bonus.  Some developers need to learn to quit while they are ahead.  In this aspect Team Ninja pushed the envelope a little too far.


I’m Back

March 10, 2011

I’m not sure if anyone is still following the BLOG but after almost a six month break I’m back.  The break was mostly due to my new endeavor of opening up a console gaming center.  You will hear more about that in the coming months.  My life recreationally and now professionally revolves around gaming so that should lend well to keeping this BLOG active.  I hope you enjoy the reads and as always let me know what you think.