Gary's Video Game Blog

Heavy Rain

2010-02-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

Heavy Rain is a PlayStation 3 video game developed by Quantic Dream and has a release Date of February 23, 2010. The game is directed by Quantic Dream's founder and CEO David Cage, who also wrote and directed the studio's two previous games, Omikron: The Nomad Soul and Fahrenheit. A playable demo was released on February 11 2010. I was able to spend some time on the Heavy Rain demo released as a download through the PlayStation Network. While the unique gameplay takes a little getting used to I am thinking I will buy this game the day it comes out. The graphics look fantastic and the story is very interesting. I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time with this video game in the coming weeks. Read more on Heavy Rain and see the trailer ...

For more video game info for older gamers go to www.oldvideogamers.com

Latest Fallout: New Vegas news

2010-02-12T17:15:00.003-08:00

The recent edition of PSM Magazine features an article with Obsidian talking about Fallout: New Vegas. Scans of the magazine have already hit the web, here is what is revealed in them.

The following comes from the March edition of PSM Magazine:

Quotes from PSM Magazine:

It shows the command wheel for followers, with 8 commands: toggle melee/ranged, open inventory, toggle stay close/keep distance, back up, toggle aggressive/passive AI, use stimpack, toggle wait here/follow me, return to normal dialogue.

Scripting is wittier, characters more distinct. Example from vigour test word association: mother-human shield.

Opening inventory consists of a kit from the doc, adapted to your starting stats (like Fallout 1).

The Nevada area is less affected by the nuclear war, so it has plant life, relatively unspoiled houses, and in visual presentation has saturated colours and a bright sky.

There's a tutorial (led by a character named Sunny who looks a lot like Moira Brown), but unlike Fallout 3, it's optional, so you can hit the open game in 5 minutes from starting.

NCR and Caesar's Legion are the confirmed faction, article assumes Brotherhood of Steel will be in but they weren't mentioned in the presentation.

"In New Vegas it's all about the player examining the ideologies of the various groups that are controlling the area and supporting one over the others," explains Sawyer. "Each of the ideologies will have something good that you can relate to, but will also have massive flaws."

When asked about PS3's Fallout 3 being inferior to the others and if New Vegas will do better, Obsidian devs make no promises but indicate it was a learning process and they're working with all 3 platforms and all have problems.

The New Vegas strip is still in construction but will have gambling, variety shows and concerts

Electrical power is key in the faction struggle.

Radiation is still a problem, there's a nuclear test site to explore north of New Vegas.

The soundtrack will blend "Rat Pack style tunes with more Western numbers".

New Vegas doesn't tell a single-player story, but weaves decision into the gameworld and gives you greater power to influence things than Fallout 3 did.

On top of adding back in geckos, New Vegas has a whole new type of animal: mutated mountain rams called Big Horners.

Electricity is the new clean water it seems.

See the magazine scans

Scan 1

Scan 2

Fallout: New Vegas

February 4, 2010 - The debut teaser trailer for Fallout: New Vegas shows a barren wasteland surrounding a still-intact Las Vegas cityscape (see trailer below). The first thing I asked was how has the city survived the apocalypse intact? Then the camera pans back and reveals an ominous looking character who is wearing a mask and trench coat standing on the outskirts of town looking in. The trailer ends with the line, "War, war never changes."

Fallout: New Vegas is set for release this fall for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Games for Windows in North America and Europe, publisher Bethesda announced this morning. Development is being handled by Obsidian Entertainment, led by the founders of Black Isle Studios who previously worked on Fallout 1 and 2.

The official website for Fallout: New Vegas in its FAQ section also revealed Fallout: New Vegas will be a single-player only title, and is set "in and around New Vegas in Nevada," hopefully meaning players won't be confined within the city limits as it would be really fun to be able to explore another huge wasteland.

The website also gives fans a greeting, and a few words of warning, as they prepare to enter New Vegas.

"Experience all the sights and sounds of fabulous New Vegas, brought to you by Vault-Tec, America's First Choice in Post Nuclear Simulation. Explore the treacherous wastes of the Great Southwest from the safety and comfort of your very own vault: Meet new people, confront terrifying creatures, and arm yourself with the latest high-tech weaponry as you make a name for yourself on a thrilling new journey across the Mojave wasteland."
"A word of warning, however - while Vault-Tec engineers have prepared for every contingency,* in Vegas, fortunes can change in an instant. Enjoy your stay.
* Should not be construed as a legally-binding claim."

Fallout: New Vegas Teaser Trailer

Fallout: New Vegas Xbox 360 Series - IGN Rewind Theater: Teaser Trailer

See what the folks at IGN.com thought about the clues in the first Fallout: New Vegas teaser trailer.

More Fallout: New Vegas Info

Get the the latest on Fallout New Veagas and more at www.oldvideogamers.com

Fallout: New Vegas trailer

2010-02-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

February 4, 2010 - The debut teaser trailer for Fallout: New Vegas that was released this morning shows a barren wasteland surrounding a still-intact Las Vegas cityscape. The first thing I asked was how has the city survived the apocalypse intact? Then the camera pans back and reveals an ominous looking character who is wearing a mask and trench coat standing on the outskirts of town looking in. The trailer ends with the line, "War, war never changes." Read more on Fallout: New Vegas and see the trailer ...

For more video game news for old and young gamers check out www.oldvideogamers.com

New Aliens vs. Predator

2010-01-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

Aliens vs. Predator is a science fiction first-person shooter video game in development by British developer Rebellion, the team behind the 1999 original PC gaming classic, and set to be published by Sega for Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Bringing the legendary war between two of science-fiction's most popular characters to FPS fans, AvP delivers three outstanding single player campaigns and provides untold hours of unique 3-way multiplayer gaming.

New Aliens vs. Predator Trailer

Check out MyInsideGamer where I got the new trailer from.

The Story

In deep space, on the frontier of human colonization, an ancient pyramid is discovered. When archaeologists probe the pyramid's secrets they unwittingly trigger an apocalyptic confrontation between vengeful Predators, menacing Aliens, and heavily-armed Colonial Marines. Read more about the new Aliens vs. Predator for PS3 and Xbox at www.oldvideogamers.com...

Fallout 3 and Uncharted 2, great video games especially for us older gamers!

2010-01-20T22:39:00.000-08:00

Reviews and Video Game News for Older Video Gamers Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Review Uncharted became one of the best selling games on PS3 when it was originally released back in 2007. Now we have the sequel, Uncharted 2 which sees the return of Nathan Drake and co for more treasure hunting. Have Naughty Dog managed to build on the success of the original? By Jove yes Uncharted 2 has to be one of the best games to see release this year.

www.oldvideogamers.com
Not all video gamers are kids. Tonight I will be wandering the Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3! I still play Fallout 3 several times a week, I love the game!!

Headphone choices for the Older Gamer

2010-01-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

By Jim Hicks

My consoles are in the basement, in sort of a low-tech mancave, and it would take a bit of volume to bother anyone else in the house. Since I am Aged, and there are others in the home, often I can't really use my surround sound system to full effect. In my mind at least, it makes a difference if, in the midst of a game, I think I can hear someone sneaking up behind me.

I liked the spacial awareness I got from my very first surround sound headphones. Though they didn't have a microphone, I wasn't playing online at that point.

But then two things happened: I got a new LCD TV without a headphone jack, and I started playing XBox Online. Now here's where the Aged Gamer get old-sounding. Using the stock XBox Live headphones, I couldn't really hear what anyone was saying. Now, it turns out that a lot of y'all either mumble, scream, or both into the boom mike, and no amount of audio fidelity is really going to help that much, but I didn't know that yet.

So on a whim, I tried these:

I know, the thought of a 50 year-old man wearing these either makes you groan or giggle. But there turned out to be a couple of fatal (for me) flaws. The rigging of these things to the Xbox was a pain, using a patch cord that required that I dig up the adapter that allows an analog audio output from the XBox (I use HDMI to connect). That was just irritating. More confounding was the absence of a volume control on the unit. Well that just didn't make any sense. So I got rid of those and got these after considerably more research:

Turtle Beach makes a well-reviewed X41 which has Dolby 7.1 Surround. Boy that sounds really neat. It also sounds like about $180 on Amazon, a bit too rich for my wallet and my needs. The X31 (around $80) also has a wireless transmitter which connects to the audio-out of the XBox via a piggyback adapter, which just seems cleaner than the wired Skullcandy phones. The transmitter box is powered by one of the USB ports on the XBox. The headphones fit me well, are comfortable, and sound seems pretty decent. There is a button for special effects such as increased bass and spacial separation, but I like my sound flat. Read more of Jim Hicks's review of headphone choices for Older Gamers ...

Or go to www.oldvideogamers.com for more info!!

Want to write video game reviews?

If you would like to write game reviews for us you can send me an email and we can get your reviews posted. Keep in mind we can't pay you, but we can put a mugshot, bio and a link back to your blog or website on your game review in return. You do not have to be an old gamer to write reviews. Young folks are welcome too!!

Killzone 2

2010-01-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

RT @Gaidenrider: RT @missingbullet: Killzone 2 would not have been possible on Xbox. Here's why. #killzone #ps3 #xbl #xbox http://is.gd/635cC

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tekken 6 for PSP Review

2010-01-11T11:51:00.001-08:00

By James Hicks

This time, I really was about to sell my PSP. After I ran through
Tekken 5, I just couldn't find anything else that made me happy. I
think the PSP is an atrocious convergence device - the wireless is
"b," and though the screen is fine video conversion it is annoying.
Anyone wanting more of an iTunes experience with their PSP should look
at Doubletwist (doubletwist.com) which does allow a sort of (slow)
syncing between your media library and the PSP. Even so, I have an
iPod Touch which does all that stuff better, and fits nicely in my
pocket.

But then Tekken 6 for PSP came out. I was curious to see if it held a
candle to Tekken 5, which in my mind was worth the price of the PSP.
But $40 for a PSP title?

I'm not a huge fighter game guy. I get the combo thing, loved the
entire Ninja Gaiden series, but I never had played the Mortal Combat/
Street Fighter ilk. I got Tekken 5 based on ratings, and enjoyed it
enormously. Truth is, it is more fun on the PSP than it is on the PS3.
The PSP is the perfect console for Tekken, since you really only need
the D-pad and face buttons to play. It was painful trying to micro-
move on Resistance:Retribution for PSP, and while I appreciated the
effort the developer put in to accommodating the restraints of the
hardware, it just wasn't any fun for me. In my opinion the PS3 version
of Tekken 5, while fun, was not as well situated as the PSP version
for the game. Some moves benefit from the extreme closeness of the
PSP's buttons. It's just easier on the PSP.

I don't know why this isn't a more lauded release - I suppose I don't
see Sony doing much to hype anything for the PSP. Read more of Jim Hicks's review of Tekken 6 for PSP ... at Oldvideogamers.com

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Review

2010-01-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

By Gary Burzell
Late in January of 2008 when I bought my first gaming console, a Playstation 3, I asked some of my friends which games I should buy. I already knew I wanted any title with the words ‘Call of Duty’ in them as I had played and loved the first Call of Duty title when it came to the PC in October of 2003. In fact I think I purchased it the day it came out.

Some of the titles my friends suggested were Fallout 3, Dead Space, Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls and Madden 09 and many others. Of those games I did purchase I have to say Fallout 3 was my favorite game. However one title that was never mentioned for some reason was Uncharted: Drakes Fortune. When Uncharted 2: Among Thieves came out with raves reviews I asked, “if it is Uncharted 2, was there a first one?” Of course they said there was and told me how good it was.

Wanting to know the story of Uncharted before I bought part two, I recently I purchased a used copy of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune at Game Stop, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune puts the gamer into the shoes of Nathan Drake who is treasure hunter on a quest for a really big Spanish treasure. Uncharted completely immerses you in its experience, and for the most part makes the gamer feel like they are a character in a really good action movie. You have to take on pirates, scales ancient walls, swing from jungle vines and solve puzzles on your path to unearthing the secrets of Nate’s ancestor Sir Francis Drake. Playing alongside you during the game is the feisty newswoman Elena, and Nate’s cigar-chomping buddy Sullie.

Read more of Gary Burzell's review of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune ... at www.oldvideogamers.com

Batman Arkham Asylum Review

2010-01-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

By Paul Everitt
In my youth and beyond I have always found myself mesmerised with comic books. Growing up on Spiderman, X-Men and Superman, my childhood dreams were fuelled with rein-acting their stories.

One of my favourite characters from the comic books universe was the dark, tortured avenger Batman. Read more of Paul Everitt's review of Batman Arkham Asylum... at Oldvideogamers.com

Want to write video game reviews?

Oldvideogamers.com

Want to write video game reviews?

2010-01-08T18:41:00.001-08:00

If you would like to write video game reviews for us you can send me an email and we can get your reviews posted. Keep in mind we can't pay you, but we can put a mugshot, bio and a link back to your blog or website on your game review in return. You do not have to be an old gamer to write reviews. Young folks are welcome too!!

www.oldvideogamers.com

Almost been two years ...

2009-11-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

No, not since I last wrote a blog entry (that was last February), since I started playing the guitar again! January of 2008 is when my wife bought me my electric guitar. During that time I have been busy learning chords for the most part, and playing her acoustic guitar more than my electric guitar. I found I like playing a few chords and singing along. Surprising to me is my wife likes to listen!

One of the main ways people have gotten to this blog the last couple years is by searching how to toughen up your fingers to play a guitar. Well, about the only way I can think of is to play, play, play. If I go just a couple weeks without playing my fingers begin to soften up and they hurt more when I play. So, make sure you practice several times a week so that doesn't happen to you.

As for blogging??? Well, I will try to do better.

Don't forget to check out check out Gary's Guitar and Musicians Outlet Store for your music needs!!

I am one lazy blogger ...

2009-02-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit it. I am a lazy blogger. I have been playing my guitar some, but not enough. I will have to make a commitment to play more again instead of maybe once a week, and actually blog about it. Now the hard part, doing just that ...

Play, play, play … to toughen up those fingers

2008-11-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe it has been so long since I posted to this blog. Yes I am playing the guitar, almost every day. I have found that this is the best way to get those fingers toughened up. Mine are really getting there, I can play for quite a while now before they just can’t take it any more.

I am working on about 10 songs now that I can play and sing to my wife. Of course my voice ain’t that good, and my playing has a way to go, but I have only been playing since February.

I will try to keep up with the blog more so ya all can learn from my learning and maybe it will help someone.

Gary

Fingers are starting to toughen up...

2008-07-09T18:59:00.001-07:00

With work and things that life throws at me, sometimes I find it hard to make time to play my guitars. However, the past two weeks I have been finding a lot of time to play, and my fingers are really starting to get a callouses on them, whick makes it easier to play more. It also makes it easier to practice the songs I am learning on y acoustic guitar (harder to hold those strings down than on an electric guitar). The only problem I have with that is when I am at work typing it sometimes feels a little strange.

Later,
Gary

Check out Gary's Guitar and Musicians Outlet Store for your music needs!!

A 'Star Spangled" Fourth of Jul

2008-07-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I just had to do it. I went online and got a tab of Jimi Hendrix's version of the 'Star Spangled Banner' and modified it so I could play it (I had to take out all the real fancy stuff I can't do yet). I played it for my wife on the 4th of July and she cracked up! While of course my version isn't as good as the Hendrix original, it was loud (I used a setting on my G-dec that sounded almost like the Hendrix version) and you could tell what it was. It was fun learning it, and playing it.

Don't forget to check out check out Gary's Guitar and Musicians Outlet Store for your music needs!!

Later,
Gary

Has it really been that long?

2008-06-23T21:40:00.001-07:00

Man, I can’t believe it has been so long since I thought about blogging!! I have been busy with work and all the normal stuff a ‘50’ish man has to do, and I have been practicing the three songs I am working on; 'Broken Down Cowboy Like Me' and 'Deja Vu (All Over Again)', and Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile), by Carlos Santana.

Rather than try to learn other songs I have been trying to get as good as I can on these songs. I am making good progress and may start searching for something new in the next week or so.

I will try to blog more often!!

Later,

Gary

A quick update...

2008-05-20T21:05:00.001-07:00

I have been busy practicing on my new songs. I can see some real progress in all of them. Next week I am on vacation from work and will be hanging around the house, so I should have lot's of practice time, and time to write this guitar blog as well. In the meantime anyone have any comments? Is there anyone else out there learning the guitar that wants to chime in? I would love to hear from you!!

Gotta go,

Gary

Be sure to check out Gary's Guitar and Musicians Outlet Store for your music needs!!

I've been busy working on three new songs!!

2008-05-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

While I have not been blogging, I have been busy working on three different songs on the guitar. Two of them are John Fogerty songs, 'Broken Down Cowboy Like Me' and 'Deja Vu (All Over Again)'. I have actually played and sung both of these songs for my wife, and she was quite surprised at the progress I have made playing the guitar in the past couple of months. Of course while my voice will not improve much, I'm sure my playing will improve as I continue to work on these songs.

I guess seeing John Fogerty at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival kind of influenced my decision to learn a couple of his songs, and the fact that they use chords I can actually play helps as well.

All the practice I have been doing on chords has really come in handy for these songs, and I am able to switch between chords pretty good and make the changes needed to sing and play the songs. While I have a long way to go on both songs I am quite pleased with the progress I have made. A couple months ago I would not have been able to play and sing a song, so I guess I am getting somewhere in my quest to play the guitar.

The other song I'm playing is Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile), by Carlos Santana. The first time I heard it I knew I had to try and play it. Of course I will never be able to play it like Santana, but the other night I was practicing it and my wife came in the room and was able to tell which song I was playing and asked how long I had been working on the song. There are places in the song where Santana plays notes all over the fret board very quickly, and I just cannot do that very well yet. So for now I will have to play a slightly modified version until I learn to play better.

One thing that I found kind of amusing was that there is a part of "Europa' where you need to have a different sound than the rest of the song, so I have actually gotten to a point where I kind of need the 4-Button Footswitch for my G-Dec 30 amplifier. I never thought I would have the need for that.

I actually made a recording of me playing and singing 'Broken Down Cowboy' just so I could see the difference between how I play it now, and how I will do playing it a few months from now (no I will not torture any of you by posting a link to me singing and playing). That should be interesting.

In the meantime, be sure to check out Gary's Guitar and Musicians Outlet Store for your music needs!!

Watched some great guitarists this weekend at Stagecoach

2008-05-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend’s Stagecoach Country Music Festival provided me with an opportunity to see some great guitarists in person. Joe Walsh, and John Fogerty were among them. Walsh and Fogerty just make it look so easy to play the guitar!! Of course I saw many other fantastic guitarists this weekend, but those two were my favorites. Made me want to go home and pick up my guitar and sound just like them. Well, maybe not like them, but what the heck, I can try can’t I?

My favorite acts at Stagecoach were John Fogerty, and the Eagles a close second. Fogerty just rocks, and has a lot of energy on the stage. The Eagles of course are always great to watch in person.

I also enjoyed Jack Ingram and Trisha Yearwood. However, I was not impressed with Tim McGraw, he just looked and sounded a little out of it on Sunday evening. Perhaps he has been traveling a lot and was just tired, I can appreciate the fact that these folks are moved from one place to another and sometimes just can’t be on their ‘A’ game.

Singer Shelby Lynne had some rude things to say about the fact that there were empty high-priced paid seats located in front of the Mane Stage. See the video I took below of her comments.

Next year I would like to see less ‘pop’ country like Carrie Underwood, and maybe someone like Tracy Lawrence? Maybe a return by Alan Jackson and George Strait would be nice as well.

Well, I got’s to gets to my guitar now…

Gary

I am still plugging along

2008-05-02T01:26:00.000-07:00

Hello!! Sorry I haven't posted for awhile but I have just been so busy at work. Yes I have been practicing my guitar, I just haven't blogged!! I will catch up on what I have been practicing in the next few days. This weekend is the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, and since I live just down the street I will be there on Friday night for The Eagles, and I will be there through Sunday evening for Tim McGraw. I will hopefully be blogging with photos using my cell phone while I am there.

Later,

Gary

Still plugging along....

2008-04-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have been practicing my guitar the last few days, but mostly on the same things (chords, El Paso, etc, etc…). Because I didn’t have time to practice for almost a week I kind of got behind. I am starting to look for something new to try and learn, I will keep ya all posted.

Is anyone else trying to learn to play the guitar?? Let me know!!

Tomorrow I am going to change my strings (yup, I bought some new ones) and hopefully the one string I have that won’t stay in tune long will be cured. Hopefully it isn’t something with the guitar.

Until later,

Gary

Whoo hooo, I finally was able to pick up my guitar!!

2008-04-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of either being sick, or too busy with work and all that, I was finally able to practice my guitar for more than 15 minutes today. I spent over an hour practicing (actually almost two hours)!! Of course after not being able to practice much the past few weeks basically all I was able to do was catch up with the things I had been working on.

I have seven chords I have been working on (learning how to quickly switch between them), and of course learning ‘Wipeout’ and ‘El Paso’ along with the solo from ‘Black Magic Woman.’

One thing I did play around with today that was different was trying to play along with a MIDI of the Beatles ‘All My Lovin’ on my Fender G-DEC 30 Guitar Digital Entertainment Center Standard

. What I did was take out the vocal track of the MIDI using software that is available at the Fender website, and I played it on my guitar instead. At first it was hard to keep up, but after several attempts I was actually able to play along. What is cool is it makes it seem like you are playing with other musicians as you do this, and while it isn’t something I would play for other people, it is fun to do. Being able to do this is just one of the features of the G-Dec 30 that is popular with guitar players around the globe.

As for the Rock House Learn Rock Guitar Beginner Book/DVD/CD Combo StandardI have found that it is definitely something I would recommend for anyone learning to play the guitar. Of course if you can afford personal lessons that would be best, but the Rock House Learn Rock Guitar Beginner Book/DVD/CD Combo Standard is a great way to learn guitar basics. In the first lessons John McCarthy shows you how to tune and care for the guitar, how to change the strings, and of course the basic parts of the guitar.

In later lessons he shows you how to play chords and some riffs, and I like the way he explains things. One thing for sure is the book that accompanies Rock House Learn Rock Guitar Beginner Book/DVD/CD Combo Standard is something you really need to have as you watch the video.

Rock House Learn Rock Guitar Beginner Book/DVD/CD Combo Standard is one way for someone who can’t afford personal lessons to learn the guitar, however there are countless resources on the Internet, and in future postings I will talk about some of my favorite websites for learning how to play the guitar.

Until next time, Don't forget to check out Gary's Online Music Store for guitars, keyboards, Guitar Hero (yes, even serious musicians need to have some fun...), and all your music needs!!
Later,

Gary

My apologies…

2008-04-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, has it really been that long since I blogged?? I have been busy at work with a couple recent local events and haven’t blogged, or practiced all that much. I have managed to slip in 15 minutes here and there, but I haven’t tried anything new or even really looked at my Rock House DVD. This week, I promise…

I have been practicing, but not blogging, but...

2008-03-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a bit since my last post. I have been practicing my guitar, but not as much as I would like. To begin with I came down with the flu and was not feeling well for about 6 days. Also, the past week I have been very busy at work with the Pacific Life Open and a couple of other local news stories, and I have been kind of worn out when I get home!

My practice sessions have been shorter than they have been, and I haven’t been trying anything new. So that means my continuing chords practice, and practicing ‘El Paso’ ‘Wipeout’ and the others that I have been working on. I am feeling better now and the Pacific Life Open is (will be after today) over, so things should get back to normal.

Until next time…