only when it was funny

EBP 100 Hotline

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:24:00 -0400

Hey, SoS members. Give this a click to connect yourself to the EBP 100 Hotline. Record your message along with your name to get your snippet into the 100th episode of the Exploding Barrel Podcast.

Test of Word 2007 Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:03:00 -0400

Time to try some Word 2007 blogging, and hopefully with pictures too!

Wii!

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 20:46:00 -0500

Well, it is post Thanksgiving and I'm getting into the groove of my Wii. I've spent just about a solid week with the system and I have to say it is quite excellent.

Personally, I love Zelda. People worried about getting tired either haven't actually played the Wii or are so horribly out of shape so as to defy description. I've gone on four hour sessions and experienced nothing but fun. Of course I expected to enjoy the core game. It's Zelda. However, the controls are wonderful. The Wiimote and Nunchuck simply melted into my hands and became second nature very quickly. So for us gamers out there, Wii is a winner.

Being a holiday, I had the oppurtunity to try the system out on friends and family who are most certainly not gamers. From my mother to my girlfriend, everyone who has wieled the Wiimote has had a ball. Everyone picks up on the controls almost immediately and has a great time. My girlfriend actually wants a Wii for Christmas, which is saying something.

I'll now be juggling the bulk of my time with Zelda, Final Fantasy XII, Guild Wars, co-op Gears with my brother, and Wii Sports when visitors drop by. I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. Now I gotta see a Zora about a water bomb.

Why Sega is in Trouble with Phantasy Star Universe

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 14:01:00 -0400

Many of us were delighted (myself included) to learn of the upcoming week long open beta of Sega's Phantasy Star Universe for Xbox 360. I for one can't wait to try the game out. However, along with this announcement came the reveal of the GUARDIAN license. A $10 a month fee to play the game.

Here's the thing. The original PSO for DC was free to play online. With version 2, a $15 for three month pricing scheme came about with the promise of server side storage, updates, and new content. We got the storage, but updates and quests were far and few between. PSO was one of the most hacked games out there and Sega did little to fight against it. I am not condemning the game for charging on top of my Xbox Live Gold membership. Final Fantasy XI does it, and Microsoft flat out told us all other MMORPGs would too (the benefit being you only need Silver to play these games online).

I normally wouldn't have issue with the pricing structure for PSU if it weren't for a little game called Guild Wars. With Guild Wars, you get basically everything Sega is promising; constant updates, patches, server side storage, etc. Both games also operate similarly in that the only time you see large groups of people are in towns broken down into lobbies. When you and your party venture off, a seperate instance of the game world is created for you party, yet you remain connected to the larger world via in game messaging. Guild Wars does all this with no monthly fee.

I understand that Guild Wars makes most of its money on episodic releases in the form of new chapters in the Guild Wars universe. However, Sega also did virtually the same with PSO (Phantasy Star Online, Phantasy Star Online ver.2, Phantasy Star Online Epsidoe I and II, and Phantasy Star Online Episode III). And between those releases, there was hardly the level of new content present in the Guild Wars expansions. Just a few more dungeons, not entire new worlds (excepting Episode III which was a card game of sorts that I never had the oppurtunity to play).

The question we have to ask is, if Guild Wars can do all it does for free, what is Sega charging us for? Previous PSO games proved not much, and now we're paying more for this one. I'll certainly try out the beta and I'd get the game at least for the single player, but as it stands, Sega has a lot to prove to me is they want my $10 a month.

MSU Marching Band Does Game Music!

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Wed, 6 Sep 2006 23:42:00 -0400

I'm sorry, this is just too cool. Please watch. My senior year of high school marching band we closed with Phantom of the Opera. No comparrison.

Link to YouTube - Famous Maroon Band "Video Game Show" 8/31/06

No Scramble, New Uno Deck

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Wed, 6 Sep 2006 08:04:00 -0400

Major Nelson has the scoop on the latest XBL Arcade release, a Project Gotham 3 theme deck for Uno. This deck comes in lue of the promised title, Scramble, an arcade classic form Konami. Scramble was delayed to correct some last minute issues, so to keep Arcade Wednesdays alive this deack was released. It is available now for 100 MS points. Not a bad deal when you consider some picture packs can cost as much as 200 MS points.

Speaking of Uno, some friends and I played the real thing at our Labor Day BBQ yesterday. It was the first time I played since buying the game for 360. It's remarkable just how well the 360 manages to capture the fun of actually playing Uno.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Arcade: Uno PGR3 Deck

PS3 Delayed in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Wed, 6 Sep 2006 08:00:00 -0400

roller and vert shot" src="http://www.scee.presscentre.com/MediaPath/Img3574_0002.tif" align="left">Well, we all saw this coming. Our friends in Europe once again get the shaft as Sony announces that the Playstation 3 has been delayed from the previous November 17 2006 date to some time in March 2007. It seems the the reported blue laser diode shortages are to blame. A lot of folks predicted this and seems they were right. Could this mean there won't even be the promised 2 million units at launch or 4 million by year's end? Time will tell. So much for the worldwide launch.

Link to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe - Virtual Press Office

Guitar Hero 2 (Hopefully Partial) Songlist

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Sat, 2 Sep 2006 15:21:00 -0400

The October issue of EGM has a new songlist for the much anticipate Guitar Hero 2. The list doesn't seem to be complete (still shooting for some Iron Maiden "Aces High"), but here's what we have so far.

Nirvana; "Heart-Shaped Box"
Primus (original recording); "John the Fisherman"
Stone Temple Pilots; "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart
Anthrax; "Madhouse
Motley Crue; "Shout at the Devil"
The Police; "Message in a Bottle"
The Pretenders; Tattooed Love Boys
Spinal Tap; "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight
Heart; "Crazy on You"
Allman Brothers Band; "Jessica"
Lynyrd Skynrd; "Freebird"
Avenged Sevenfold; "Beast and the Harlot"
Dick Dale; "Misirlou"
Lamb of God; "Laid to Rest"
Alice in Chains; "Them Bones"
Reverend Horton Heat; "Psychobilly Freakout"
Black Sabbath; "War Pigs"
KISS; "Strutter"
Butthole Surfers; "Who Was in My Room Last Night?"
Van Halen; "You Really Got Me"
Guns N' Roses; "Sweet Child O'Mine
The Rolling Stones; "Can You Hear Me Knocking?"
Rush; "YYZ"

Well I'm excited. Spinal Tap? And the Freebird solo? I'm so there!

Link to Guitar Hero 2 Songlist Revealed news from 1UP.com

Assassin's Creed 360 Bound (Duh)

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Fri, 1 Sep 2006 08:14:00 -0400

The worst kept secret in gaming is out. 1up's Luke Smith reveals that the October issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has the official word from Ubisoft that Assassin's Creed, the darling of E3 from the team behind Prince of Persion, is coming to Xbox 360. This news comes days after the news that the game will also hit PC. Of course, one has to wonder why it took so long, and why now of all times to announce the game on multiple platforms right before Tokyo Game Show and X06. If there was a deal with Sony to keep quite, it would have made more sense to wait after these shows so Sony could show the game as exclusive just a bit longer.

Link to Assassin's Creed Coming to Xbox 360 news from 1UP.com

Xbox Live Marketplace is a Busy Place

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Fri, 1 Sep 2006 00:45:00 -0400

You guys like Live. Part boast, part pat on the back, and part justification for a $50 a year service, Major Nelson sends word that over 50 million Xbox Live Marketplace Downloads have been served. The release of the temporarily free Texas Hold 'em as well as the release of Madden caused a huge surge in Live usage. Check out Major's blog for some other impressive Live statistics.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Over 50-Million Marketplace downloads served

PS3 Production Underway (Finally)

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Fri, 1 Sep 2006 00:40:00 -0400

GameGossip brings the news that PS3 production has finally begun as of yesterday. So technically they got them out the door before the end of August, though not by much. Hopefully they won't face production problems and get the promised 2 million units for launch ready.

Link to :: GameGossip.com :: You Read It Here First

Madden 07 Sells like Delicious Hotcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Fri, 1 Sep 2006 00:36:00 -0400

According to Next Generation, Madden 07 has set a sales record for the now 17 year old game series. Of course, it helps when this is the only football game on shelves and available for more systems than ever before, but whatever. Now I need to continue my Steelers franchise. One for the... other hand!

Link to Next Generation - Madden 07 Sacks Retail Records

Assassin's Creed for PC is Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 13:12:00 -0400

1up has news that Assassin's Creed is in fact heading to the PC "some day." Ubisoft still has yet to say anything about a 360 version for sure, but between the PC version and all the previous rumors, it can't be too far off.

Link to Assassin's Creed Confirmed for PC news from 1UP.com

Duke Nukem Forever Finally Dying?

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 13:05:00 -0400

Shacknews has word of a massive departure of employees from 3D Realms, the company that has been developing Duke Nukem Forever for the past 9+ years. Fortunately, it seems most of the departing team members have found jobs elsewhere in the industry. Best of luck to them. I know I'd get sick of the same project for 10 years as well.

Link to 3D Realms Sees Major Employee Departures, Fate of DNF in Question? - Shacknews

Spell Tomes Abound

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 13:02:00 -0400

As promised, Major Nelson tells us the Oblivion Spell Tomes are now available. This add-on runs $0.99 for PC and 80 MS Points on Xbox 360.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Oblivion: Spell Tomes

Far Cry Instincts Predator Demo on Live

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 13:00:00 -0400

Major Nelson sends word that a demo has been released for Far Cry Instincts Predator on Xbox Live Marketplace. Though seemingly late to the party, any new demo is a welcome demo.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Demo: Far Cry Instincts Predator

Sim City Makes DS Debut

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 02:43:00 -0400

All you aspiring zoning directors, get ready for some touch screen civil management. EA has announced that Sim City DS is on its way. It will be based on Sim City 3000, but will be completely reworked to take advantage of the DS and include some new game modes and features. Get all the details from the article at IGN.

Link to IGN: Sim City Set for DS

New Call of Duty 3 Video

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 02:41:00 -0400

Gamepro.com brings us a new video showing some in game action for the upcoming Call of Duty 3. The video is rather low res, but exciting nonetheless.

Link to Feature: Call of Duty 3 for Xbox 360 on Gamepro.com.

Time Pilot Comes to Xbox Live Arcade

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 08:01:00 -0400

Major Nelson sends word that Arcade Wednesdays continues with the release of the arcade classic Time Pilot on Xbox Live Arcade. As always, a demo can be downloaded and the full game is 400 points.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Arcade: Time Pilot

Madden NFL 07 Wii Footage on YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 07:59:00 -0400

A 9 minute demonstration of Madden NFL 07 on the Wii has been posted on YouTube. The demo walks you through the basics of gesture based football. Graphics are about on par with current gen. The controls in some cases make sense and at other times seem a bit over-complicated. Is Madden truly a game that needs gesture based controls? We won't really know until the game is released, but feel free to begin drawing conclusions.

Link to YouTube - Madden NFL 07 Wii Exclusif

Spell Tomes Coming to Oblivion

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 00:07:00 -0400

Next in the line of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion premium content is a small addition that adds spell tomes to the world of Cyrodiil. Once purchased, the module will add the tomes as part of the random treasure pool in the game. Tome will cover the gamut from the basics to powerful new spells. A price point of 99 cents has been revealed for the PC version. No price has been announced yet for the Xbox 360 version. Both versions should be available this Thursday, August 31st.

Link to The Elder Scrolls

Marvel Ultimate Alliance Composers Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 00:03:00 -0400

Activision sends word that the composers for their upcoming Marvel blowout Marvel Ultimate Allaince have been selected.

Activision, Inc. announced today that award-winning composers Chance Thomas (Peter Jackson’s King Kong, Lord of the Rings series), Cris Velasco (God of War) and Mark Griskey (Best of LucasArts Original Soundtrack) have scored the upcoming, critically-acclaimed Marvel: Ultimate Alliance video game. The trio has produced over 50 minutes of original music for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, including arrangements for multiple game levels, the in-game cinematics and the Super Hero and boss battle themes.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is Raven Software’s highly anticipated action/RPG that allows players to create their Marvel dream team from the largest roster of Super Heroes ever in an epic quest that will determine the fate of Earth and the Marvel Universe. With over 140 popular Marvel characters and a playable cast of more than 20 Super Heroes, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade and Captain America, gamers will embark on a dangerous journey across exotic terrain and well-known comic book locations like Atlantis, the Shield Heli-Carrier and the Skrull home world in an attempt to defy Dr. Doom and the world’s most notorious Super Villains.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance will be the first Super Hero game available this fall for all next-gen gaming systems. Additionally, the game will be available for current-gen consoles, handheld and PC platforms, and carries a “T” (Teen – Mild Language, Violence) rating by the ESRB.

Having heard music from all three composers, I'm rather excited. Now if only I could win that voice acting contest Activision ran.

Link to Evil Avatar - Marvel Ultimate Alliance Scores Award-Winning Composers

Red Steel Offline Only

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:55:00 -0400

1up has the sad news that apparently Red Steel will not feature any sort of online play. Ubisoft Senior Project Coordinator Stephanie Langlous confirmed in an interview in the VIP lounge of the Nintendo of Europe website that, "Online will maybe one day be announced by Nintendo but it won't be for the launch [of Red Steel]. In terms of gameplay I can't reveal anything really but what I can say is that internally we are making tons of tests."

Link to Red Steel Will Not Feature Online Play news from 1UP.com

Next Gen Consoles Can't Run Crysis

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:51:00 -0400

Team Xbox has word from Bernd Diemer, the senior game designer of Crysis, that the fancy new 360 you have or the pricey PS3 you crave isn't even powerful enough to run Crysis. Team Xbox has the official word from Diemer.

Diemer explained that “next generation consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 do not offer the sufficient power” to assure the quality of gameplay Crytek demand for Crysis.

Crysis has been hailed by most as the best looking game ever. It will run in Windows on DirectX 9, but Crytek has stated that only DirectX 10 on Vista will run the game as intended. Still, if Half Life 2 and Far Cry could make it to the Xbox, I'm sure we'll be seeing next gen Crysis in some capacity.

Link to Crytek: Next Gen Consoles Are Too Weak for Crysis - Xbox

PSP Homebrew Coming to all Firmware Versions

noreply@blogger.com (Armand Minotti) — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 12:40:00 -0400

Gamers everywhere will shout in joy as Sony cries in anguish! Thanks to a new exploit discovered in all versions of PSP firmware, 2.00 - 2.80 will all be able to run homebrew. Right now, the infamous "Hello World" homebrew is available for all firmware versions from QJ.net. According to the article, all firmware versions will be able to run in kernal mode with the exception of 2.80, which will run user mode. So fire up those emulators (SCUMM VM for me) and get ready to enjoy one of the few reasons to buy a PSP (aside form Lumines and Wipeout).

Link to QJ.NET - PSP Updates - 24/7 Coverage of the Latest PSP News - Article Detail