Future Pixel

XCOM - Enemy Unknown 2012 - Angel of Death Trophy Achievement Guide

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Welcome,
For this Trophy you need to have researched the Archangel Armor, which has flight capabilities.

XCOM - Enemy Unknown 2012 - Poison Control - Trophy Achievement

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:28:00 +0000

Hi there,
Today we have the Poison Control Trophy Achievement for XCOM - Enemy Unknown.
I've edited it quite a bit but its still lengthy, hope it helps!
NOTE: Moving your squad members even one space to the left or one space to the
right can change the whole battle as it will affect which way the aliens
will run when they see you. So this is just one, of hopefully many, tactics.

XCOM - Enemy Unknown 2012 - Wet Work Trophy Achievement

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:26:00 +0000

Welcome,
For this Trophy you need to complete a very difficult abduction mission in 5 turns or less.
It took me about 8 tries, be sure to save loads!
Any questions feel free!

Borderlands 2 Review - Guns and Loot for everyone!!

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:53:00 +0000

The first Borderlands game took me completely by surprise.

And to be totally honest, when I first played Borderlands I thought I was in for the usual stock-standard First Person Shooter with a select set of guns and a linear (and ultimately boring) campaign.

Boy was I wrong!!

At the time, my lack of knowledge regarding this game was actually to my benefit, and every single preconception I had about it (negative preconceptions at least) was blown away at every turn.

I discovered very quickly that 2k games’ combination of a First Person Shooter and Role-playing Game ACTUALLY worked well, and even though it had been tried before…this was the first time that it was done right.

The unique cell-shaded graphical style and quirky comedy had me intrigued from the very beginning and once I unlocked my main ability to throw out a stand-alone turret (playing as Roland, the soldier class), I started to realize the sheer number of available options and strategies that the RPG dynamic truly allowed.

I must have put in at least 100 hours into the game, and it kept my interest for a very long time, and with the 4 expansion packs that were released for the game, I kept coming back for more.

Of course, that was back in 2009 and eventually I stopped playing…but the impression it left on me was certainly profound.

In 2011 Borderlands 2 was announced and the first of the 4 available classes were shown – The Gunzerker. Immediately I could see that the character classes were even more interesting than in the first game.

And thus began my wait for my next Borderlands fix. To say I was excited would be an understatement.

When I eventually received my copy of Borderlands 2 (it was delayed in South Africa, much to my shock and horror), I rushed home to power up the Xbox and eagerly inserted the disk.

As much as I wanted to start up my character and start shooting things with reckless abandon, I ended up spending a good few hours watching the introductory sequence (several times) and creating characters for all 4 classes.

The introductory cinematic alone is enough to impress. Beginning similarly to the introduction of the first Borderlands, your first instinct is that it's just more of the same. It soon became apparent though that 2k planned this all along, and it quickly turns into an action packed and informative character demonstration which helps you in your initial choice of class.

Watch the Introduction Cutscene Below

My first excursion to Pandora (The planet the game is set on) saw me only using one character, but this time I was determined to use every class on offer, and while the first game gave you some basic color choices for your character to make them your own…Borderlands 2 goes out of its way to allow you to customize your character to a much larger degree.

You can now choose many different heads / haircuts and skins for each character which are unique to their class.

Granted, this definitely isn’t The Sims (and that’s a good thing), but the most unique aspect of this addition is that Character customizations are now dropped by enemies as loot, or purchasable from vending machines. It’s a small change, but one that should appeal to the collector in you nonetheless.

Once the game started, it became immediately clear that 2k had addressed many of the issues that players had with the first game.

The much loved CL4P-TP (or Claptrap) takes you through the beginning of the game, and keeps things fresh with a comedic approach to teaching you the basics. While in Borderlands 1 the focus was on mindless grinding for the first few levels to reach more interesting points in the game, Borderlands 2 keeps things fresh and exciting from the start by providing new enemies to fight against and showing you just how unique weapons can actually be.

This time around the weapons are even more easily distinguishable by their Manufacturer, as each manufacturers guns have different benefits. Some guns can be thrown as grenades when reloaded, while other guns have a higher rate of fire or increased elemental damage.

The brand new Bandit guns also have the largest magazine sizes of any weapon type.(2 examples are shown below)

Grenades follow the same line here, and are even more unique at times. Many of the separate qualities the grenades possessed in the first game are combined to give you something special to take into battle.

Badass points are a welcome addition to the game, as any stat increases they provide are carried over to all your characters. Badass Rank replaces the previous challenge system, but instead allows you to choose the benefits from a random selection of 5 stats to increase.

Enemies are a lot more diverse and interesting in Borderlands 2, and can be even more of a challenge than in the first game.You should go in prepared to die a lot at first, but thankfully the spawn points generally take you to a close enough location to continue the battle from where you left off.

The environments are also a lot more varied than the wastelands of Borderlands 1, and now include areas covered in Ice, grassy plains, ashen landscapes and many other types of terrain.

The Main characters within the game have been far more thought out, and the combinations of particular abilities are extremely useful when playing Multiplayer.

Check out the "Borderlands 2 - An introduction by Sir Hammerlock" video below to get an overall idea of the game and what it entails.

While the game can be played single player, and is perfectly competent as a solo game, it is designed to be played as a co-op multiplayer experience (up to 4 players). Enemies will all scale to the amount of players in the team as well as the level of the players, but the guns and equipment dropped will also scale in the same way.

Some enemies are designed to be approached with 4 players in your team as well, and attempting to take down “Terramorpheus the invincible” on your own (and not with the four level 50 characters that are recommended) will only result in constant death.

The first Borderlands only really became interesting after a few hours of gameplay, and once you really had a chance to see what it had to offer you were inevitably hooked. Borderlands 2 gets you hooked from the very beginning and keeps you wanting to come back for more.

You’d be hard pressed to find a sequel that matches the improvements, innovations and addictiveness that Borderlands 2 provides.

Loads of Downloadable content is scheduled to be released in the coming months. (Including a new character to play as, new vehicles and expansions)

If you enjoy First Person Shooters, Role Playing Games…or just games in general, then this is certainly a worthwhile buy and will keep you busy for a long time to come.

9/10

Borderlands 2 - Trophy & Challenge Guides

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 18:37:00 +0000

Borderlands 2 - How To Collect Varkid Samples, Mighty Morfin' Quest

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:20:00 +0000

A quick guide showing how to collect infected Varkid samples on the Optional Quest Mighty Morphin'.
Enjoy.

I'm attempting to create guides that are both quick & informative
so there's less watching & more playing, its a work in progress.
Subscribe for quick guides!

Check out my channel for loads more top quality game guides.
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrReign420?feature=mhee

Borderlands 2 - High Flying Hurler Trophy Achievement Guide

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:17:00 +0000

Welcome,
For this Trophy you need to kill an enemy with a thrown Tediore Weapon, the weapon automatically gets thrown while reloading & teleports back to you!

I'm attempting to create guides that are both quick & informative
so there's less watching & more playing, its a work in progress!
Subscribe for quick guides!

Check out my channel for loads more top quality game guides.
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrReign420?feature=mhee

Borderlands 2 - How To Open The Cell Doors

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:27:00 +0000

Welcome
Just a quick vid on how to open these cell doors!

Borderlands 2 - Goliath, Meet David Trophy Achievement Guide Solo

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:38:00 +0000

Welcome,
In this vid we show how to grab the " Goiliath, Meet David" Trophy.
You need to find a Goliath and shoot his skull helmet off, you will then need to lead him to other enemies for him to smash up, try help with the stronger ones. He then goes through several upgrades to which the last one will have "GOD" in his name, then finish him..

I'm attempting to create guides that are both quick & informative
so there's less watching & more playing, its a work in progress!
Subscribe for quick guides!
Check out my channel for loads more top quality game guides.
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrReign420?feature=mhee

Borderlands 2 - Time to prepare for madness

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:54:00 +0000

Borderlands 2 is easily my most anticipated game of the year.

And yes, that includes brilliant games already released this year like Diablo3, as well as upcoming games like Call of Duty Black Ops 2, Torchlight 2, Guild wars 2 and any other release with or without a number in it.

Those of you who haven't played the first Borderlands may think I'm insane, but of course I think you're ALL insane for not having played it yet. Those who have played it...know exactly what I'm talking about.

2k Games took a big risk with their brilliant First Person Shooter RPG, and I must admit that up until it was released, I had very little idea what I was in store for.

While I originally thought of it as just another FPS to further saturate the genre, it ended up proving to me that a First Person Shooter can have an amazing RPG mechanic and that the "Diablo as a FPS" analogy described was as true as it could be.(Hellgate London had already tried this with little success)

And now on the 21st of September, we can finally play the sequel and my additional purchase of a bucket for my drool will definitely be a good buy...with good reason.

Here are some interesting differences and additions to the sequel that should make things even more interesting, and to prepare you further...I have included links to the Skill Calculators for the main classes so that you can map out how you want to level up your character.

More expansive and customizable weapons system

The first game had over 7 million different variations of guns, and if the Borderlands 2 Doomsday trailer is anything to go by then 2k looks to up that number substantially. (not to Gazillion though…that’s not a real number) Add to this that the looks of the guns will vary far more than the first game and the different types of loot you can pick up is astounding. Weapons are also displayed on your character's back when not in use, so that you can show them off in multiplayer.

Four Player driftable vehicles

Vehicles were fun for the most part in the first game, but didn’t allow four people to get into the same one. When wanting to take the entire team through to one location this might eliminate the slight annoyance of taking separate vehicles. The ability to drift will give the cars a much needed improvement to the realism of driving in the game.

Dynamic Quest System

Quests will now effect the outcome of the game and failing certain quests will make a difference later on. Also, depending on which quests you complete, more quests will open up to the player.

Badass Points that carry over to all existing characters

Badass points will be earned by reaching certain goals in the game (killing a certain amount of a particular enemy etc.) These points can be used to add additional bonuses to you character, such as increased accuracy. These points don’t necessarily need to be spent on that character though and can be used with any other character you’ve created in the game.

Increase in number of NPC’s that travel the world

In the previous Borderlands game, the NPC’s were situated in the towns and other important areas of the game, making the landscapes appear even more barren and lifeless.This time, these characters will travel around the world and give the world a greater sense of completeness.

Interactivity between enemies

Enemies will now interact with each other in more diverse ways in order to eliminate you and your team. They will attempt to heal each other, use each other as shield and work together to create a more dynamic and interesting battle.

More diverse landscapes

The environments in Borderlands were very rarely anything but desert and wasteland, and at times seemed a little too dreary and desolate for the colorful nature of the game. Borderlands 2 looks to change that significantly by adding new areas with snow, foliage, a space station and plenty more.

New elemental effect – Slag

The new elemental effect in Borderlands called Slag looks to be an interesting addition. Slag coats the enemies and weakens them for a short time. Any other type of damage taken by the enemy will be greatly increased while they are coated in Slag.

Improved Character Customization options and lootable skins

The Customization options in the first game were limited to 3 categorized color changes to hair, clothing and trim and were incredibly limited by this. Whilst giving enough variation to distinguish characters from each other to a small degree, It just wasn’t enough to give your character it’s own personal touch. Borderlands 2 will allow you to really make your character your own. Hair styles, clothing and facial hair will all be changeable to make you character look exactly as you want. Interestingly, these choices will increase over time due to some of these items being made available as loot while playing.

Able to share loot with your other existing characters

While the sheer amount of loot will be incredible, not all of it will be applicable for your current character. You will now have the ability to transfer weapons and loot over to your other characters…making the value of each item you pick up way more applicable.

Mini-map added for greater navigation

It was often difficult to travel in the original game, and getting lost was a common occurrence. A mini-map has now been added to give a greater sense of direction in the game.

Borderlands 2 Class Skill Calculators (Click on the link above the picture of your preferred Class)

Axton Skill Tree Calculator

Maya Skill Tree Calculator

Salvador Skill Tree Calculator

Zero Skill Tree Calculator

Currently there doesn't seem to be a Skill Calculator for Gaige - (The Mechromancer Class), but I'm sure this will become available later.

Enjoy!!!!

Warhammer 40K Space Marine - Librarian of Macragge Trophy Achievement Quick Guide

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 14:20:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tnLirHbho4

Welcome,
This Quick Guide shows the locations for all the skulls in Warhammer 40K Space Marine, achieving the Librarian of Macragge Trophy.
Enjoy
I'm attempting to create guides that are both quick & informative
so there's less watching & more playing, its a work in progress!
Subscribe for quick guides!
Check out my channel for loads more game guides.
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrReign420?feature=mhee

EA officially announces Battlefield 4

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:47:00 +0000

Good news for all Battlefield junkies!!

EA has revealed that Battlefield 4 is coming and if you pre-order Medal of Honor : Warfighter Limited edition...you will have access to the exclusive Battlefield 4 Beta in August 2013.

While both games use the Frostbite Engine, they offer different experiences and each cater to both Single Player and Multiplayer respectively.

EA has promised further details at a later date, but this is certainly an exciting game to look forward to next year.

It's a safe bet to say that we'll see a continuing rivalry (and subsequent improvements) to both Activision's Call of Duty and EA's Battlefield series for some time to come.

Halo 4 limited edition Xbox 360 bundle Announced

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:04:00 +0000

Microsoft has announced a new limited edition Xbox 360 Halo 4 Console which is now available for pre-order.

Bundled with this fantastically beautiful version of the Xbox 360 is a copy of Halo 4, two custom Halo 4 controllers (with Blue LED lights), and will be released with a 320gb Hard Drive.

From the pictures, an Xbox 360 headset may come with it as well.

Custom Sounds will play when the console is switched on and when Ejecting Disks

It will also have exclusive downloadable content for Halo 4 itself, with a unique armor skin, unique weapon skin, unique emblem, matching avatar armor and a unique avatar prop.

Halo 4 is due for release on 6th November 2012, so keep your eyes peeled for availability of thios console closer to the time.

Theories on the Future of Console Gaming Controls

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:04:00 +0000

Once upon a time, gaming controls were limited to either Mouse and Keyboard, or if you were playing on console...a controller with your standard D-pad and 4 buttons.

Very little variation regarding these two configurations were available at the time and everyone was happy using these peripherals to control their in-game characters.

That was back when gaming was simple, and the only real attempts at innovation regarding control systems were few and far between, like the Nintendo Power Glove and a few others. A massive disapointment, the Power Glove was cumbersome, over-complicated and uncomfortable and failed to find its place amongst the already established methods of control.

The only real additions to these original control systems were extra buttons, triggers, vibration and the analog control stick. Mouse sensitivity was greatly increased and keyboards started coming out with additional buttons for more specialised games.

Where we are now?

Until the Playstation 2 Eye-toy and the Nintendo Wii surfaced, the focus seemed to be on the refinement of existing console control systems, and while there were a few attempts at creating new methods to control your game...none were succesful until these.

The Nintendo Wii changed the focus of manufacturers significantly with it's success, and over the last few years motion-controlled games can be found on all platforms (either in their peripherals or with camera technology)

The focus has changed once again to something a bit different.

Last year all eyes were on the Nintendo Wii-U at E3 (with regards to technology) and while Sony and Microsoft mentioned the use of other devices to control your game experience, their focus remained on motion-controlled gaming.

This year all three manufacturers showcased some interesting technology utilizing a second screen to add functionality to the games we play. None more so than with the Wii-U which will use the new "Gamepad" tablet controller quite extensively, while at the same time providing backwards compatability with the Wii controller and Nunchuck.

While no developer is backing away from motion-controls in games, there is a greater focus on adding functionality and controls to the increasing collection of devices we use to control our games and game characters.

Currently, the majority of gamers seem to agree that the Mouse and Keyboard are still the most accurate and most beneficial method of controlling games. This is of course dependant on the game that you're playing, and many genres benefit more from the use of analog control sticks (or even the D-pad) on a controller. (Third person games, racing games, platform games etc.)

While motion controls are by no means perfect, the concepts behind them are sound and perhaps need the opportunity to be refined as the previous control systems were before them. People have a tendency to forget that the mouse started off as a device that wasn't intended for games in the first place. With only one button and a ball under it to control movement of the mouse pointer...it was certainly a far cry from the mouse of today.

Touch screen technology has been around for a while now, and the increase in its uses regarding handheld gaming consoles, phones and tablets has given gamers another unique way to control their in-game actions.
Even some of the games we play show these technologies being used in similar ways (although on the arm)

The use of voice recognition, facial recognition and three-dimensional imaging have also found their place in the games of today.

So...what comes next?

There are few technologies at this point that haven't been tapped into in at least one way or another, so the answer may lie in the further refinement and combination of two or more of these methods.....perhaps even all of them.

Many of the current and upcoming devices themselves show the benefits of using several of these technologies together, with good examples being voice recognition and facial recognition with Kinect (which seems to be much of Microsoft's current focus) and the combination of Analog controls and touch screen technology. (The Nintendo 3DS, Wii-U gamepad, and Razor's Project Fiona)

What happens when ALL these technologies combine is uncertain...but the results may give us something that potentially rivals any control system before it.

Once all these technologies have been refined to give us greater accuracy and freedom of movement, there may be a time when something like my concept art below becomes a reality. Please keep in mind that this is all theory and not necessarily factual by any means.

While my design may seem a bit over the top and the a little rough around the edges, the possibilities behind it may provide some interesting applications.

It incorporates all of these technologies (even the Nintendo Power Glove) and would be a prime opportunity for different variations of control sets, depending on the players preference.

While the majority of these technologies should remain optional (with the possible exception of the touch-screen tablet for use), the continued use of the analog stick is incredibly important, and integral to the continuation of core gaming in general. Of course, this may be something that Microsoft themselves may have disagreed with until now, but considering their focus on Kinects voice-controlled features (on its own) for core games lately (with the continued use of the Xbox controller)...they may have realised this already.

Other hardware alternatives for future controllers may be along the lines of the Nintendo Wii Nunchucks (one in each hand) which would keep the players existing control system (dual analog sticks - wireless) and also providing for motion controls. Obviously, touch-screen technology would not apply to this, as both hands would be used and having to release one of the controllers to use the touch screen may ruin the experience.

The possibility also exists of console manufacturers integrating camera functionality of motion controls into the console itself...which would eliminate the need for a seperate device like the Kinect, Move camera or Wii Sensor Bar.

These are just some of the ideas regarding console controls that may come to pass.

...Of course, I may be completely wrong and Virtual Reality is just around the corner. Only time will tell.

Lollipops,Chainsaws,Sparkles and Zombies

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 21:08:00 +0000

Lollipop Chainsaw has finally landed!For all of you who missed my "OMG when will it release" and "OMG it has a release date-ish" articles,heres a recap.Lollipop Chainsaw is a weirdass zombie killer game,brought to us straight from the minds of Suda51 and James Gunn.It's a hack and slash game,centering around cheerleader Juliet Starling and her zombie hunter family,and takes place at Juliet's highschool.

Don't let the term hack n slash fool you,if you don't learn to love all your buttons you'll soon land up dead and annoyed.At start up I smashed only the attack button for a while,and whilst I didn't actually die I soon learned that the dodge/jump button was my very good friend.Both because it kept my health up and because it offers a most hilarious finishing move where you smack the triangle button repeatedly to cut a zombie in half from groin to crown.This game is not one where you can simply get away with only bashing one button.

Your initial attacks are a high chainsaw attack.low chainsaw attack,pom-pom bash and a dodge.The pom-pom bash is not for the killing of zombies,but to herd them around and daze them.There are upgrades though,available for purchase from the chop2shop stands dotted around stages.You'll have to decide between buying some neat new combos or upgrades to your stats,it all depends on your play style which will work best for you soonest.

Juliet doesn't only have her chainsaw (which gets nifty upgrades) and her pom-poms for use during zombie hunting.She also has her boyfriend Nick,or more exactly,his decapitated head.Right at the start of the game Nick is bitten by a zombie,and in order to save him Juliet cuts his head off.For the most part Nick is basically a belt charm,but there are times when you can smack his head onto a handy zombie body,starting a quick time event.During hard times in battles a Nick Ticket can also activate a roulette game,if you hit the Nick head you activate a special attack,and Juliet swings her boyfriend around her on a leash to fend off the zombie hordes.

Thankfully sexy new outfits for Juliet are bought with a different currency than upgrades and combos.Currency is earned by zombie killing,multiple decapitations at once earn you more coins.These flashier zombie kills are called Sparkle Hunting.Killing Zombies also fills a meter that when activated allows you to hit harder and kill easier.

The maps in Lollipop Chainsaw are pretty much linear,although your movement doesn't feel too restricted as the path forward isn't always clear or straight.At times you need to use that nifty chainsaw to cut through debris to move forward,in other areas there are vehicles crashing or explosions that open up the path.
Throughout the game Juliet recieves birthday gifts from her sensei and quirky family,each gift is a nifty new upgrade to her chainsaw that allows for new ways to travel and fight.

.

Lollipop Chainsaw is weird,wonderful and full of fun.But not for the faint of heart as it is also full of disturbing little comments and cursing.Definitely one of my favourite games this year.

Meet the Team

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:59:00 +0000

With the Pyro update and the "Meet the Pyro" video finally out, we can finally see all 9 "Meet the Team" Videos.

And for convenience sake I shall post them all here. Cos I'm such a nice guy.

4 reasons that Call of Duty and Battlefield are Copying each other

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:40:00 +0000

Majority of FPS players have a pretty good idea on what to expect when it comes to Military shooters...especially when it comes to the yearly staple diet of Call of Duty and Battlefield games (or Medal of Honor on EA's side) that arrive like clockwork every November.

Both franchises have always been different in their own ways, and have always stood apart for a number of reasons, but as military shooters go, both compete for the same online space when it comes to multiplayer.

These distinct differences have lead to a dedicated following of either the one or the other and both sides swear that their game is better.

As everyone knows, Call of Duty is a massive success, and year upon year the sheer number of players flocking to purchase their own copy defies imagination. Battlefield, though not as successful as Call of Duty in sales, has generated a great deal of interest and a particularly zealous following.

Call of Duty has generally prided itself on it's intense close combat and fast and frantic gameplay, whereas Battlefield has always focused on their inclusion of vehicular warfare and much larger environments.

However, at the moment both franchises look to change things up quite significantly and when looking at the successes and failures of each...it may be interesting to note that both seem to be copying the other.

To show where I'm coming from...a bit of a history lesson is in order.

Out of the two franchises, Battlefield was actually the first to surface in 2002, with Battlefield 1942 being the first in EA's acclaimed series. Released after EA's other successful military shooter (Medal of Honor), they had already made a name for themselves in this genre.

Battlefield 1942 was structured as a purely multiplayer experience (local play or online) and focused a great deal on holding strategic points on the map which was at that stage quite unusual for First Person Shooters.

In 2003, Activision released the original Call of Duty which was a purely Single player experience (similar to Medal of Honor) and made it's name by depicting more realistic military scenarios and providing the player with assistance from NPC's within the game as the story progressed.

Battlefield Vietnam followed in 2004, and Call of Duty 2 the year after in 2005. While Battlefield Vietnam retained its focus on multiplayer, the Call of Duty Franchise began to show it's capabilities for multiplayer as well.

Both games were well received and both publishers must have started to realize that competition would remain strong for several years to come.

In 2006, EA released Battlefield 2142, which surprised many due to it's futuristic setting. In November of the same year Call of Duty 3 was released, which showed a greater emphasis on competitive multiplayer.

At this point potential rivalry's between EA and Activision may have started showing and possibly preceded the open contention that both companies show towards each other to this day.

In the years to come, the Battlefield series began to show more of a focus on Single player with their Battlefield Bad company series, and the Call of Duty franchise took the multiplayer world by storm with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (and is still considered by many to be the best in series).

At this point, November release dates for Call of Duty games became the norm.

The release of Battlefield 3 earlier this year was a much anticipated revival of the core series, with a major focus on what made the original Battlefield series so appealing. Larger environments were once again more emphasized and the graphical engine was updated.

Instead of entirely focusing on multiplayer in their core franchise this time...EA made a valiant (yet unsuccessful) attempt at providing an experience that appealed to the Single Player as well.

Suddenly Call of Duty has a proper competitor again, and although they still dominate the franchise.....they may have begun to sweat a bit about their prospects for the future...

And so now both franchises are now set to start copying the other.....and here are the reasons why:

1.) Futuristic combat

While the Battlefield series did delve into Futuristic Warfare with Battlefield 2142, the Call of Duty series has always remained in the past or present.

The announcement of Call of Duty Black Ops 2 and its futuristic setting was surprising for fans, as Activision (and Infinity Ward - the developer behind the Black Ops series) has a tendency to stay within the less dangerous waters of what they already know. Emphasis has generally been placed on building what is already there.

Black Ops 2 will mark the first time that a Call of Duty game has been set in the future, and puts Call of Duty on par with Battlefield in this regard. 1 for 1.......what happens next?

2.) Close Combat vs Open Warfare

Interestingly enough, while Call of Duty has always been up close and personal involving gameplay, and Battlefield has always prided itself on a larger map which allows for greater strategic decisions......they both appear to be changing their core dynamic in this regard to a point.

On the Call of Duty side, Black Ops 2 has been showcased as being open world (to a degree) - in its single player campaign at least. Focus has shifted to allow you to jump to different units within specific skirmishes to allow for a more open experience.

The choice of which skirmishes you choose to play will ultimately determine the outcome of the war (which will further the developing RPG mechanic behind the previous entries in the series)

No details regarding multiplayer have been revealed yet, but many fans are hopeful that these open choices will spill over.

On the Battlefield side of things, close quarters combat has become a primary focus in their DLC and may end up finding it's way into future entries in the series. The primary example of this is a DLC pack for Battlefield 3 titled "Close Quarters" which has new map modes specifically designed for more close combat gameplay.

3.) Vehicular warfare

Since the very beginning, the Battlefield series has had the added benefit of being able to jump into a vehicle and blast your enemies from a different (and often devastating) perspective. Call of Duty has generally steered clear of this to a larger degree. The occasional stage in the single player campaign or killstreaks in multiplayer did have it to a certain degree...but it never gave you much freedom in when or where you were able to utilize them.

Battlefield always had vehicles available on majority of their maps which could be grabbed at any time. The thrill of jumping into a tank, jet or helicopter to do some heavy damage is second to none.

Black Ops 2 and its more open choice regarding unit selection leaves many of these possibilities open. Video Clips shown of the single player campaign indicate that not only will infantry units be selectable......but vehicular units may be as well. Some of these clips show Air combat, although it's uncertain as to what degree you will be able to navigate them.....the potential definitely exists for a greater degree of control.

4.) Single Player Campaign

Call of Duty has undeniably been impressive in it's multiplayer offerings, but even those who don't have an internet connection still flock to buy the game.

Their Single Player offerings may have been overshadowed by the sheer daunting brilliance of their multiplayer...but in truth, the Call of Duty series has never really dipped in quality when it comes to their single player campaign either.

The Single Player campaign of Battlefield 3 was disappointing, but much of that was due to fans wanting it to measure up to the multiplayer. When looking at it from a larger perspective...Battlefield is set to equal Call of Duty in future releases in this regard...

Truthfully, it's the balance that they should be wanting to achieve...a good single player campaign, with excellent multiplayer. In truth, this is where Call of Duty shines.

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These are a few of the ways that both Call of Duty and Battlefield are copying each other in the Military FPS genre.

Short of EA and Activision joining forces to bring us the ultimate military shooter (a pipe dream for certain)....the fact that their competitive nature has allowed them to learn from each other may bring us the same.

Nintendo 3DS : A Double Dose of Demos

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 09:42:00 +0000

Square-Enix has this habit of suprising me at the strangest times. I usually buy their games without too much thought, and if it disappoints I shelve the game and wait for the next one. I'd say their success rate, according to me anyway, is well over 70%. And my anticipation for upcoming Theatrhythm (July 6, 2012) and Kingdom Hearts : Dream Drop Distance (July 20, 2012) has been doubled since I got to play these amazing demos, available on the eStore on the 3DS.

Theatrhythm, an oddly named rhythm game, follows a similar setup to Dissidia. Chaos and Cosmos are at it again and now music is the form of battle. You use the bottom screen to tap, swipe and hold in commands while your units fights in the top screen, which is where you keep your eyes on most of the time anyway. The system is simple, but even on beginner it starts off as a good challenge. If you liked Elite Beat Agents, or more recently Gabriella's Ghostly Groove, then you'll love the gameplay of Theatrhythm. It also breaks down the stages into Battle (where you battle a stream of enemies to the sound of that specific Final Fantasy's battle music), Field (a side scrolling adventure where your aim is to get to the end of the area before the music stops) and Event (which plays special sequences - and was not available in the demo). The controls are very easy and the touch screen is very responsive. If you've got rhythm in you soul then you shouldn't miss this game. Go check out the demo at least, its free up to 30 plays.

Kingdom Hearts : Dream Drop Distance is also available at a "whopping" 15 plays, but it is the shortest demo I've played in my life. If you're already familiar with the Kingdom Heart series you'll skip the tutorial. Controls are pretty much the same and the battle system follows the Birth by Sleep (PSP) setup. You hit with one button, dodge/block with another, and jump with the third. The fourth button is your special skills which, during cooldown, swap to the next one on your list. They can be changed with the d-pad, and you move Sora around with the analogue stick. That aside, you run into the game and meet Neku from The World Ends with You. I love TWEWY and its music and it's awesome to see the contrast between Neku and Sora. I was really looking forward to interacting with him but he doesn't join your party. One boss fight later you're out of playtime.

So even if Kingdom Hearts : Dream Drop Distance left me a little unsatisfied it is very beautiful and left my anticipating for more. Theatrhythm is also a day 1 purchase for me, but I've always loved rhythm games. The library for 3DS is growing steadily and I'm liking what I'm seeing.

The Pixelcast Episode 9 - The Diablocast....Nuff Said!!!

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 05:53:00 +0000

Welcome to The Pixelcast......where the Writers of Future Pixel get together to discuss the latest in Gaming News, Events, and Developments.

The Pixelcast Episode 9 - The Diablocast.....nuff said by Future Pixel

This Week onThe Pixelcast Episode 9 - The Diablocast.......Nuff Said!!!

Diablo 3 - The problematic release, server issues, hacking and first impressions
The Rise of the Dungeon Crawlers?
The Elder Scrolls Dawnguard DLC
The Elder Scrolls Online
E3 predictions
New Humble Bundle release

FINAL ROUND!!! - Links on interesting things from the writers of Future Pixel

Wesley - Whimsyshire secret Diablo3 level - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92rxsu17mZg
Tamsyn - Devlopers Hell Diablo 3 level- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzS2Z4z11vY
Dave - What if Diablo 3 was a girl? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=I43GUnZN_s4&feature=endscreen

News from E3 that caught my eye: ZombiU

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:42:00 +0000

Nintendo and Ubisoft showed off a title for the WiiU at E3 that really caught my eye,so obviously you know this will be about zombies.I haven't been able to find out much about the storyline,other than that the game is set in London.The news on gameplay and utilisation of the WiiU technology makes up for that though.

The thing that really sets ZombiU apart from it's contemporaries,and that really makes me excited to play the game,is permadeath.Thats right.One bite and you're dead.When this does happen - and it will - you don't then respawn as yourself,you come back as a new survivor,and you've lost everything.The up side is that you can then hunt your previous self down and reclaim your backpack and inventory.The downside is that there IS a levelling up system,and when you die you go back to 0.I love me some zombie games,but this aspect alone makes the WiiU and ZombiU a must have to me.There's nothing more thrilling to me than a game that pushes you to perform better,and that's exactly what this mechanic will do.

Although all I've had to look at so far are CG trailers,it looks like this game will use that pretty tablet controller really well.You'll use it to manage your inventory,track zombies,hack doors,snipe,perform awesome finishing moves and shake off any zombie that invades your personal space.But beware,you can't spend ten minutes digging through your backpack and deciding what weapon goes best with your shoes.It's all in realtime.So when you have that tablet pressed to your nose the zombies will be closing in.

Here's hoping that ZombiU lives up to it's trailers and hype,because if it does,this looks to be a heart-pounding,adrenalin pumping thrill ride that won't soon be topped.

And Now for Something Completely Different : Wreck it Ralph

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:04:00 +0000

I feel I have mistepped here. I love animation. I love video games. I love John C. Reilly Movies. Why did I not know about this until the E3 trailer announcement. See all the video game references? SEE THEM NOW!!!

Doesn't matter. This is coming out in November. My body is ready.

E3 2012 - Microsoft Press Conference

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:14:00 +0000

E3 kicked off this year with one of the biggest contributors to gaming rolling out the red carpet, and showcasing some of their latest offerings on the Xbox 360....I am of course talking of Microsoft and there are few surprises to be shown this year....though not as many as we would've hoped.

As is to be expected after the many Kinect games showcased at last years E3, Microsoft continues to push the Kinect and to endorse it as a device that can be used for Casual gaming as well as a useful addition to Hardcore gamers as well.

While most gamers are aware of the motion-sensing capabilities of the device, the focus this year was on the voice functionality of Kinect being utilized. Games like Mass Effect 3 and The Elder Scrolls V : Skyrim have already shown us just how well this can be implemented, and Microsoft looks to continue this trend for quite some time.

One of these titles is Ubisoft's upcoming Splinter Cell Blacklist, which sees the return of Sam Fisher in the latest of this popular series of games.

Ubisoft's development team revealed interesting applications of Kinect within their games, such as the ability to call out to enemy soldiers to distract them, as well the ability to use voice commands to call in an airstrike.

EA Sports also showed off some uses for this with their upcoming selection of titles, including Fifa 13 (allowing players to make substitutions, call plays and even argue with referees) as well as Madden 13 (which allows you to shout commands to players and changing routes for players.)

A less interesting announcement made was the integration of Internet Explorer into the Xbox. Not worth an announcement in my opinion. Naturally Kinect's voice integration was mentioned here, as well as using gestures to navigate.

Next up was a slightly different perspective on interactivity, with the announcement of a feature that Microsoft is calling "SmartGlass". A feature that will be released this holiday season, SmartGlass allows you to use your smartphone or tablet (IOS, Android and Windows Mobile) to interact with Movies, Games and Music.

Particularly interesting to note was the application of this in games, with Madden being the main example on show. Tablet users will be able to call plays in Madden, mixing up things in an interesting way. Never mind that this seems a little too similar to a certain Nintendo device showcased this year (The Wii-U), it may prove an interesting addition to how we use our Xbox 360.

Of course, the Hardcore games were shown as well, and some interesting titles were discussed and shown, such as Halo 4, Gears of War : Judgement (which is a prequel to the original trilogy), Tomb Raider and Forza Horizon. A new title by Twisted Pixel was shown (The studio recently purchased by Microsoft who brought us the wacky and brilliant Gunstringer) called LocoCycle.

Other games were shown as well like Ascend : New Gods and Wreckateer, as well as some inevitable Kinect titles like Dance Central 3 and another fitness game called Kinect Training.

While all in all, Microsoft had a decent conference this year...it certainly wasn't as interesting as their offering in 2011, and no incredible surprises were announced. Although mostly due to news of Halo 4 being revealed at E3 last year, and the recent leak of the new Gears of War, Microsoft would have been better off revealing a decent new IP, as the regular barrage of sequels is beginning to wear a little thin.

There was of course the inevitable appearance of Call of Duty Black Ops II.

No news was revealed at all on a next generation Xbox, but Microsoft had already made that clear beforehand.

The entire 1hr 37 minute conference can be viewed below

Wii U : Majora's Mask Gag

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:47:00 +0000

So there I was, minding my own business... and what do I find

The Majora's Mask remake trailer

But before any of you get as excited as I did, know this: It's a fake. A really well made fake. A really mean-spirited, well made fake. Nintendo needs to see the excitement this generated and get a remake for the Wii U going for this game.

The E3 conference is still young at this point. Let us hope for the best.

Wii U : Pikmin 3 Trailer

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:46:00 +0000

The Wii U is looking fantastic. Nintendo has discovered the internet, online (and local) play and looks to be getting into some form of the tablet market. I wonder if the short-battery-life tablet controller will have Apps?

Anyway, a nice piece of news is the Pikmin 3 game. We didn't get one for the Wii, for some dumbass reason, but maybe the Wii U won't be for grannies and children and that fabled "family time".

Support for both classic (Wii) controls and tablet controls will be in this game. Glad the tablet hasn't become mandatory... yet.

A Diablo 3 Nightmare

davidridley605@gmail.com (gamerforlife) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:44:00 +0000

Diablo 3 has launched, stumbled, corrected itself and is now hobble-jogging its way into my most played game since Diablo 2. But it needs to be said... I feel like I'm "faffing' about. The game starts off simple enough and once you waltz up to the first serious mini boss (name avoided for spoilers) you're not having too much trouble getting through. I even started having friends log on while i motored ahead and had no problem slaying the legions of hell. The loot dropped fine and i pimped out my witchdoctor with so many inteligence boosters minions were dropping left and right. Upon getting to the final act and confrontingthe final boss, I had not yet felt truley challenged. A little disappointed, sure, but the game had brought back that feeling of late night diablo 2 marathons and I'll always love dungeon crawling for loot.

Starting up Nightmare difficulty, the game still felt easy. Until we got halfway through act 1. Then it got a little harder. My minions weren't lasting long and one hit kills weren't happening anymore. Act1 final boss was easy enough but it was annoying I had to resummon so often and I was losing mana fast. Act 2. I began to feel the bite. I remembered from Diablo2 how nightmare level minions encouraged multiplay but this was different. This encouraged me to change my entire playstyle. I stopped summoning zombie dogs and rebuilt my character to cast a lot of spirit spells and mana regen. I started kicking ass again but it required me to think! Not mindlessly running about and occasionally using a fancy skill. Now I had to make sure I wasnt going to die. Luring a group of enemies away and no longer taking them head on, flushing out the weak ones first while stunning the large ones and even using an escape skill.

I see a lot of upset online about the ease of Diablo 3. All that tells me is they haven't even finished normal yet. I even understand the insanity of Inferno mode makes the game unbearably difficult. But loot has always been a key factor of Diablo and if you crawl every dungeon the loot drops make it wothwhile, even if you dont get class specific items. A shared stash does make up for it though and it never hurts to roll other classes.