Mashing buttons since 1984
Thanks to the folks at Rocket XL for hooking us up with a copy of Top Spin 3 from 2K Sports. There’s a lot of gaming going on around here right now. I’m not sure if I’ll actually get to TS3 tonight (I gotta beat Zuma and try the Too Human Demo) but I’ll be getting to it shortly.
In the meantime here is some media you might be interested in, if tennis games are your thing:
(Also, don’t forget to vote in Nat’s latest poll. You can see it over there in the sidebar.)
While Tony will be writing about E3, I’ll be the devil’s advocate. As gamers we gut FUD all year long. For events like E3, it just goes over the top.
Bill Harris says it much better than I can.
In a sense, to me, it’s all epic fail. All I know is that Nintendo prints money and really wants to get into the controller business (for each individual game), Microsoft overprices hard drives (is it up? down? a new size? a phased out kit? wha…?), and Sony still appears to be in denial (everything else is just niche) .
Geesh.
E3 08 is upon us.
And I have neither the manpower, firepower nor willpower to keep up with all the news, announcements and megatons that are sure to result from E3. That being said, I still try to stay abreast of the happenings and what-not of the event. This year, I’ll mostly be following the news via a few select Twitterers. Here are my “must follows” to get your E3 fix, if you use Twitter:
Major Nelson (of Xbox’s Major Nelson) – Because duh!
Zonk (of Massively and MMOGNation) – Because I need my MMO fix.
FalconGN (of Gaming Nexus) – Because us Ohio Boys gotta stick together.
Godfree (of Gamertag Radio) – Because between him and Major Nelson, you’ve got your Xbox 360 bases covered.
Chris Paladino (of the Gamerscore Blog) – Because, two’s company, three’s a trend?
bapenguin (of Evil Avatar and Co Optimus) – Because we all need a less corporate, more gamer take on E3.
multiplayer (of the MTV Multiplayer Blog) – Because variety is the spice of life.
N’Gai Croal (of Level Up) – Because the guy seems like a pretty cool dude and he gets all the scoops.
Chris Grant (of Joystiq) – Because I need all around coverage.
Garnett Lee (of 1UP Yours, 1UP.com) – Because I like the cut of his jib.
Phew, that’s a full time job just following these guys. Anyway, that’s how I’ll be following most of the E3 news. Am I missing anyone?
I finally bit the bullet and signed up for Gamefly. This was the first disc to arrive.
Bill Amend nails the popular webcomics good. I wonder what they each thought of being included in Fox Trot?
(I’d think it was pretty cool)
Link.
I’m back from the weekend of funeral services and family gatherings. Tears were shed, hugs given and received, and final goodbyes said. Now the ship has righted itself and things are pretty much back to normal.
Even under the circumstances, it was nice to see family and friends. I come from a pretty tight-knit family as it is, but it was still nice to see people that I don’t normally see regularly. It was also nice to travel back to where my grandparents grew up and my dad lived for a while (Brownsville, PA) and to hear some family stories from my dad. It has been a great experience overall.
Thanks for all the condolences expressed personally and publicly. They are all appreciated.
Things should be back to normal around these parts now. I have a bunch of items in the hopper, along with a couple of weeks where I will be family-free, as my wife takes the kids on an extended trip without me. I’ll be sad to see them go but happy about the free-time laid out before me.
It’s going to be an extravaganza around here.
This may be an old discussion—even before the 360 or the PS3 existed. To prove there really is nothing new under the sun:
I was playing the greatest game ever made this afternoon, and as the Emperor’s cronies fired bolts out of their hands and tattooed my arm—I realized it.
All those times I got a new addition to my arm, all those times I received new medals and pins—those were achievements. Nothing has ever been as more rewarding in a game as the wonderful glowing tatoo designs I received on my arm.
My mom used to fix this pork chop dinner that may have been a precursor to beef jerky. I wasn’t allowed to get up from the table until I had finished the meal. Many glasses of water and what seemed like an eternity later I was able to walk away from the table with pride.
I wish mom had that kind of power over me when it comes to the games I buy—new and used. I’ll admit I’ve not been the best at completing games. I like what Jason does at Unfettered Blather tracking his purchases compared to the enjoyment he gets from the game. I’m a stat junkie. Things like time compared to cost and enjoyment entertain me.
Somehow, I don’t think I’m alone. I would venture to say that more gamers don’t complete the titles they have or get. If so, why do we fork over the big bucks for the latest titles? Consumerism? Materialism? The need to fit in? Why do I do it? Why purchases games and then just play them a little bit? I’ve got five $60 titles on my shelf now that I’ve played once or twice. Yes, time may be an issue for some games (RPGs), but I think there there has to be more. I’ve not really thought about why I do it.
I’d like to explore this topic a little more. Here’s where you come in. I’ve created a little poll. Cast your vote.
[poll id=”2“]The post will be availavble on this post and in the sidebar.
Due to a death in the family (my grandmother), I won’t be around these parts for a few days. I’ll leave you in Nat’s capable hands until I get back. Shouldn’t be too long. I’ve been working on a few posts, so I hope to get those up soon.
For now, I leave with the Super Mario 2 Theme, Gypsy-Jazz style:
Capcom has made a bold move to make Mega Man 9. Actually, Capcom making a Mega Man game period has not really been all that bold. They’ve been milking that franchise more than my local dairy sticks a vacuum tube to their cows.
Mega Man 9 will be old school. Yes, it’s going to be done like an old NES game–graphics, style, and sound. It’ll be available as a WiiWare title. No timeframe on the date or price.
The lovers: anyone over the age of 25 who played Mega Man 2 or 3.
The haters: anyone under the age of 25.
(Don’t believe me? The comments at Kotaku are priceless.)
Somehow, GamesRadar was able to score some screenshots and get a little more info such as boss descriptions.
If this is a hit expect to see tons more new, old games. Ha! I, for one, welcome it. Thanks to GameRadar for the pic.