tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45248639878762366052023-11-15T23:59:05.889-08:00Blogger RevolutionBlog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4524863987876236605.post-40845122760644175922013-03-12T08:00:00.002-07:002013-03-12T08:00:36.400-07:00God of War: Ghost of Sparta<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
How does Sony manage to do it all the
time? No, allow me to rephrase that. How does this franchise always
manage to do it? How does it manage to not change its formula, but
always win us over? God of War: Ghost of Sparta plays not much
differently than the GOW games before it, and yet, we don't care. Has
this franchise stumbled upon something that defies age? I'm not sure
just yet, but what I do know is that I wholly enjoy this game. Much like
every other God of War title, you're thrown into the eye of the storm
immediately, so the game wastes no time in delivering the goods - and
that's par for course. Traditionally, GOW games were never about long
and tiresome training intros, and that's because the game is so
accessible, there was never a need for them. Yes, occasionally you'll
get gameplay hints towards the beginning, but they aren't very intrusive
and allow the gamer to focus on the action.</div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyj4wV2xE_wcyDg63saNqc6wXQ_Tv7HHyzZD-ruRutxZfI-8xeoQmDjG46F_kXPnx4LHr_Q_iZnQ1GuG0HEurHRdfWG20f1bMKeIDdZL678ixG8sPW3CWGpgH-1C3EVCn0rpMbaAmU-6f/s1600/gods+of+war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyj4wV2xE_wcyDg63saNqc6wXQ_Tv7HHyzZD-ruRutxZfI-8xeoQmDjG46F_kXPnx4LHr_Q_iZnQ1GuG0HEurHRdfWG20f1bMKeIDdZL678ixG8sPW3CWGpgH-1C3EVCn0rpMbaAmU-6f/s1600/gods+of+war.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
And
that's what makes God of War so great. Not just this game, but the
franchise as a whole. It has never strayed from what's made it a superb
series in the first place; it never lost its focus. God of War never
tried to be something more than a balls-to-the-wall, super fast, super
violent action game, and I respect that. It never decided that it had to
become an RPG midway through, or that it needed strategy elements. No.
God of War's focus has always been: 'pressing a series of buttons makes
the character furiously whip around and spill lots of blood'. Perfect.
And those boss battles? Let's face it, the reason we love them so much
isn't because of how epic they can be, but it's because of how gruesome
the boss' death ends up being. Those are just some of the reasons why we
love God of War, and all of the reasons continue to exist with Ghost of
Sparta.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
upgrades, the mayhem, the weapons, the boss battles, and even the
always engrossing storyline - Ghost of Sparta continues the faithful God
of War tradition of being the total package, despite coming in a
package that only fits inside the UMD slot of your PSP. Perhaps the only
drawback to all of this, and this may be considered a technical
limitation, is that Ghost of Sparta is nowhere near as lengthy as other
games in the series. The UMD can only store so much, and that impacts
the length of the game to about eight hours. Though are a variety of
challenge modes for you to partake in once you finish the game, which
increase the amount of time you can spend with it considerably.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bar
none, Ghost of Sparta is the best looking PSP game available today. The
same way that the franchise has set a bar on the PlayStation 2 and
PlayStation 3, it has done the same on the PSP. Chances are, considering
the age of the PSP, it's unlikely a better looking game will come along
and unseat Ghost of Sparta - I simply don't see it happening. So not
only is Ghost of Sparta one of the best playing games for Sony's
handheld, but it's the best looking one. Ready At Dawn has pushed this
little unit to its limits by increasing the texture clarity, smoothing
out the edges around game characters, allowing the framerate to run
silky smooth, and employing some really spectacular effects. Chains of
Olympus already looked great, but Ghost of Sparta simply looks better.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If
you're a God of War fan, you know what to expect from the audio. Voice
acting courtesy of TC Carson, who continues to deliver some of the best
voice acting this industry sees on the regular, in addition to a
soundtrack that's made to raise your tension, thanks to its fully
orchestrated arrangements. Ghost of Sparta's brilliance knows no bounds,
as the audio will leave you in a more than satisfied state. I also
found it best to have a pair of nice headphones plugged in while
playing, because the audio simply sounds that much more rich when it's
streaming directly into your ears, as opposed to the PSP's speakers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All
in all, God of War: Ghost of Sparta is the PSP game you should have no
reservations about. It's a well deserved $40 purchase that'll stay in
your collection of portable titles for a long time. It's the ultimate
example of the full console experience in the palm of your hands. God of
War: Ghost of Sparta boasts everything you'd expect out of the
franchise: superb visuals, great audio, massive gameplay, epic story,
and great controls, all in a package that fits in the palm of your hand.</div>
Blog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4524863987876236605.post-25868936686353412622013-03-12T07:59:00.003-07:002013-03-12T07:59:48.585-07:00Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://livedemo00.template-help.com/joomla_39892/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="template blogger" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ySxK7X_b3Tx5UKzuds-z5iZGv4-mfNDSIk2KNs3biWfM1SJ3MyIHI63K19Ebb4mrr7a_yYmwSnCN2sK4PZCw3DOMvnc9Yoj3nW3GZc24-n8x9Ib_yXUsm1ooVsnYr9_tWWNwj8O0sh8/s400/Resident-Evil-Operation-Raccoon-City.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
Resident
Evil: Operation Raccoon City delivers a true third person team based
shooter experience set within the dark and sinister Resident Evil
universe and a reinterpretation of the events depicted in Resident Evil 2
and Resident Evil 3. Zombies and Bio-Organic Weapons (B.O.W's) add to
the mix as players not only compete against an opposing squad but also
tackle this third unpredictable element, creating a brand new style of
gameplay and breaking the conventions of traditional team based
shooters.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It
is September 1998 and the action centers once more on the ill-fated
Raccoon City and the horrific consequences of the deadly T-virus
outbreak from the Umbrella facility. With a cover up required, Umbrella
orders an elite team into Raccoon City to destroy all evidence of the
outbreak and eliminate any survivors. Hearing of this plan, the US
Government dispatches its own special forces to uncover any evidence
that exposes the cause of the viral infection and Umbrella's actions.
Players take on the role of an Umbrella Security Services soldier
(U.S.S.), competing alone or in four player co-op in a battle against
all the competing forces at play in Raccoon City. </div>
Blog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4524863987876236605.post-227890437440329512013-03-12T07:58:00.007-07:002013-03-12T07:58:57.717-07:00World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria beta<span style="text-align: justify;">Beta testing for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria will begin
shortly, Blizzard has announced. The developer launched a beta opt-in
FAQ late last night for the upcoming expansion, filling gamers in on the
trial's details.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPAi7tMLmhblmKVLPkDyd3nEyb5Zd6LD7fmxDpCSE_JY5VzAtTzsJYE1vXgSg3pLRYC7SrvWvwYAjET5ykCcEdBMPwi2ZEgHsd9ipsaiKJUuuyiA48WNWaDWubZR3IB9fv6QZbVJFniM/s1600/MistsofPandaria_25796_embed.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="template blogger" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPAi7tMLmhblmKVLPkDyd3nEyb5Zd6LD7fmxDpCSE_JY5VzAtTzsJYE1vXgSg3pLRYC7SrvWvwYAjET5ykCcEdBMPwi2ZEgHsd9ipsaiKJUuuyiA48WNWaDWubZR3IB9fv6QZbVJFniM/s1600/MistsofPandaria_25796_embed.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Players interested in participating in the Mists of Pandaria beta can
opt in today via their Battle.net accounts. Blizzard did not say when
the beta will begin, but noted that players chosen for the trial will be
alerted via email.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Players will not be forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement to
participate in the Mists of Pandaria beta period. The developer made
clear that Mists of Pandaria is an in-development product, and anything
gamers encounter in the trial is not necessarily representative of the
final product.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Blizzard did not say how many gamers it plans to invite to the Mists of
Pandaria beta test, but did say its "primary focus" will be making sure
all WOW Annual Pass holders are granted access to the trial period.
Announced in October 2011, the WOW Annual Pass rewards gamers who make a
12-month commitment to WOW with a free copy of Diablo III, among other
items.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mists of Pandaria is WOW's fourth expansion. It follows The Burning
Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008), and Cataclysm (2010). The
add-on is set on the new continent of Pandaria and focuses on the
Pandaren as well as the monk player class. The expansion pack, which
does not have a release date, will also increase the player level cap to
90. </div>
Blog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4524863987876236605.post-86490989727479090692013-03-12T07:58:00.003-07:002013-03-12T07:58:15.356-07:00Valkyria Chronicles 2<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To this day, Valkyria Chronicles
remains one of the most under-appreciated PlayStation 3 exclusives out
there, regardless of how often the avid fans sing its praises. Some of
those same fans were a little disappointed when the sequel came
exclusively to the PSP, and it doesn’t help that the third installment
also seems to be leaving PS3 owners out in the cold. That being said,
strategy/RPG aficionados will most certainly want to dive into this
sequel; it’s very much like the original, and although I’m not the
biggest fan of the new school sim feature, Valkyria Chronicles 2 manages
to retain much of its charm and intricate appeal. The depth is here,
the storyline suffers only a bit due to extra emphasis on the
aforementioned school feature, and above all else, that unique and oddly
addicting gameplay is as good as ever. Honestly, if you were a super
huge fan of the first title and you don’t yet own a PSP, VC2 might be
enough of a reason to snag Sony’s portable.</div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXs8bTGj8fjO_5i_LINADzM5tbd-NHrosEBLxjlhsxkUfhDPLbKb4VubWd5Fz4AKg1oCEt6QH2Y3_OFK9FnmZTL0Tj3scyHpRvsC6sa3Fnv-08A9BrVOUsfn_wNP-RNaBXkZ8wWgcRgn0/s1600/val.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXs8bTGj8fjO_5i_LINADzM5tbd-NHrosEBLxjlhsxkUfhDPLbKb4VubWd5Fz4AKg1oCEt6QH2Y3_OFK9FnmZTL0Tj3scyHpRvsC6sa3Fnv-08A9BrVOUsfn_wNP-RNaBXkZ8wWgcRgn0/s1600/val.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
As
you might expect, we have to make allowances for the graphics, which
obviously can’t be as accomplished or polished on the PSP. Even so, the
cut-scenes are still super pretty and the in-game visuals are more than
competent. I was actually surprised at how well detailed many of the
characters were, the effects enhance the experience as always, and
there’s only the anticipated lack of clarity and sharpness. If you can
handle the latter and accept you’re playing this sequel on a lesser
machine, you’ll be good to go. I do think there could’ve been more
diversity in the environments, though, as there were three or four
battles in a row where I began to get a little tired of my surroundings.
I don’t remember this drawback being evident in the original on the
PS3, which is why I mention it here. That aside, VC2 looks just fine and
really, the story-driven scenes are pretty darn impressive for a
handheld.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Concerning
the sound, both the voice acting and soundtrack are definite
highlights, although I might call the effects into question (due to an
occasional lack of balance and intensity). Some of you probably know my
favorite game of all time is Final Fantasy Tactics, so maybe I’m
unfairly biased towards the musical talents of Hitoshi Sakimoto, but the
quality and emotion of the tracks in VC2 is undeniable. I’m most
thankful this one particular element of the first PS3 presentation
carried over; it really gives the game that extra “oomph.” To me, the
voiceovers in this sequel are solid, but a bit more hit-or-miss in
comparison to the original. There are also less voices overall – again,
to be expected – and like I just said, the effects don’t always do it
for me. But man, the music is just so perfect and the complete sound
package fits the style, theme, and structure of the game. So we
definitely shouldn’t nitpick.</div>
Blog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4524863987876236605.post-61095781153419099772013-03-12T07:57:00.003-07:002013-03-12T07:57:30.318-07:003DS getting new 2D Mario<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nintendo fans will soon be getting a
new Mario game and a new way to take the company's systems online.
Today, Nintendo announced that a new 2D Mario side-scroller is in
development for the 3DS and detailed the plans for an online hub called
the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and 3DS.</div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICHDzbLB0NMhXGCbw3ppxRspa5dR_jencee0fwb_MoG7rV_F4XlfOEGs2_O20Qj7v9EpzHmeIipnhu18_9wny71yKlDF-tb6tO5KyrcwOkKR1P2WNZ-ShcyZyS-D3EI2We5AiIjVW5KCW/s1600/supermario3dland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICHDzbLB0NMhXGCbw3ppxRspa5dR_jencee0fwb_MoG7rV_F4XlfOEGs2_O20Qj7v9EpzHmeIipnhu18_9wny71yKlDF-tb6tO5KyrcwOkKR1P2WNZ-ShcyZyS-D3EI2We5AiIjVW5KCW/s400/supermario3dland.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
Nintendo
shed little light on the new Mario title outside of acknowledging its
existence. The company assigned the game a broad release window, saying
it will ship during Nintendo's next fiscal year, which runs April 1,
2012, through March 31, 2013.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nintendo
also announced today the Nintendo Network, a new online service for the
3DS and Wii U that will cover "competitions and communication among
users, as well as the sales of digital content." According to the
company, the Nintendo Network will run parallel to the current Nintendo
Wi-Fi Connection service.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Additionally,
the Nintendo Network will introduce a personal account system for the
Wii and will allow for multiple accounts to be registered to the
console. According to Nintendo, offering this has been "a challenge we
needed to tackle."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Further,
Nintendo said it is exploring the possibility of offering full-game
downloads through the Nintendo Network for the 3DS and Wii U. Nintendo
said it already has the required infrastructure to allow for full-game
downloads, and the concept was "built into the design" of the 3DS.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nintendo
indicated that full-game downloads for the 3DS and Wii U may still be
far off. According to the company, it has not yet finalized partnerships
with wholesalers and retailers, and storage capacity on SD memory cards
is also an issue needing to be considered.</div>
Blog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4524863987876236605.post-31618385493650229402013-03-12T07:56:00.004-07:002013-03-12T07:56:38.445-07:00Gran Turismo<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A collective holy sh*t has probably
dropped from every last one of you guys reading this. Or maybe not. Yes,
you're looking at a Gran Turismo review that has scored, for the first
time ever, nowhere near the practically perfect grades we've graced this
franchise with since day one. Okay, maybe some of you have read some of
the other reviews out there and are aware that something has gone
really wrong. Well, first off, allow me to preface the remainder of this
review by stating that Gran Turismo for the PSP has, allegedly, been in
development for five years. I say allegedly, because I'm certain that
the development cycle for the game had been temporarily sidelined
numerous times in between all of the work Polyphony had to do for the
PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. Gran Turismo's development was most
certainly not a continuous effort of five years...and unfortunately, it
shows.</div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4m1KY4bp8qA7PIbblvVdIi8vBgodhfTPvP-7s06BU0yhwhpOlFQmrjC86V2GMMXhTvXCILM6etz3UpUvF4LuMiv2ca1ODFThOH3gICeKpYiosKZ-hB7sCrFPINU5KduvKIt6ONAJzwu4/s1600/GT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4m1KY4bp8qA7PIbblvVdIi8vBgodhfTPvP-7s06BU0yhwhpOlFQmrjC86V2GMMXhTvXCILM6etz3UpUvF4LuMiv2ca1ODFThOH3gICeKpYiosKZ-hB7sCrFPINU5KduvKIt6ONAJzwu4/s1600/GT.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
Now,
after re-reading this review, it definitely comes off harsh, but with
good reason. Gran Turismo PSP is a flawed game. But, on the other hand, I
still had a lot of fun with it, as at its core, GT PSP is still very
enjoyable, accessible, and fun game. I put in tons and tons of hours
into the game just making money and collecting cars, which is one of the
purposes of GT PSP. Many of these cars are transferable, allowing you
to sync GT PSP to GT5 and transfer cars you've bought or won into your
PS3 game. Again, GT PSP is a very fun game. But a "fully specced Gran
Turismo", Kazunori Yamauchi said, this is not.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
first major disappointment came when I realized the tiny little size of
the game file Sony had forwarded me. 937MB? Gran Turismo 2 was a
PlayStation 1 game and it boasted two separate discs, essentially making
it a game worth 1.2GB. Okay, so I held out hope. So the game boots up,
and immediately I run to the dealership to look through the list of
amazing cars, only to realize I can only choose between Bugatti,
Bentley, Chevy, and Polyphony. "Oh," I said, "Sony must've sent me a
demo file accidentally. Oh, those crazy guys, I'll just contact them
agai...what? This is normal?" You see, as the days cycle in-game, the
dealerships you can browse through change, as do the cars you can buy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Allow
me to explain in a bit more detail. When you boot up the game, you'll
have four dealers to access and 100,000 credits to spend on a car, which
is a gracious sum. Once you buy a car, you can participate in a few
events. As the days roll on in the game, a new set of four dealerships
will be made available to you. But, just because you can access a Nissan
dealer, doesn't mean you can have the ability to buy any of their cars.
No, no. If you don't see a GT-R or a 300ZX TT, you have to wait until
the next time Nissan becomes one of the four dealers you can shop at and
see if the assortment of cars features the ones you want. Yes, it's
that complicated, confusing, and stupid.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some
of you may say, "but Arnold, why didn't you mention this in your GT PSP
hands-on preview? Why is this such a shock to you?" Because when I
played Gran Turismo PSP a few months ago at a New York City event, I
recall being able to sort through a complete listing of every car in the
game, through every single make; none of this four dealers only
bullcrap. So to see this absolute lunacy on my PSP, in a game I had so
long waited for made me livid, quite frankly, as I'm sure you can tell
by the tone of this diatribe.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Blog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4524863987876236605.post-1542489507374109552013-03-12T07:55:00.004-07:002013-03-12T07:55:50.078-07:00SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Up until now, Tekken has been the only
massive 3D fighter to arrive on the PSP. Years ago when Tekken: Dark
Resurrection arrived on the PSP, I praised it for being a superb game
that brought the very same console experience into the portable world,
complete with a story mode, endings, and all. So with SoulCalibur:
Broken Destiny on the way, I expected to see that same kind of
treatment. And while Broken Destiny delivers in many areas, it fails in
one critical aspect...</div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFT2AB1VngmSvKfdrh31Gy9g31RShJWf_Vh5cn31o-irpbOKLn8xD57s-Bh-4xskVtakYLTpSyM1uVxEyAR17Z2Uu9d51CcKSFwUebt23Rwg-mebvgJ0Ds3DV-JZ6WHiMzbMtCIgoH0W8/s1600/excalibur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFT2AB1VngmSvKfdrh31Gy9g31RShJWf_Vh5cn31o-irpbOKLn8xD57s-Bh-4xskVtakYLTpSyM1uVxEyAR17Z2Uu9d51CcKSFwUebt23Rwg-mebvgJ0Ds3DV-JZ6WHiMzbMtCIgoH0W8/s1600/excalibur.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
...That
aspect is a proper story mode that comes complete with individual
endings. A mission-based mode called The Gauntlet serves as this game's
core experience and quite frankly it's pretty terrible. Essentially the
game pits you against numerous rivals, but instead of full fledged
fights, you have to carry out specific tasks/requirements that are
displayed on the screen in order to progress. Now, each one of these
"missions" lasts, on average, about five seconds, with a select few
going as much as 20. These "missions" will often require you to dodge an
attack, block an attack, block then counter an attack, or dodge then
counter an attack. Needless to say, these mission requirements are
pretty repetitive and tire quick. Sure there's a mildly amusing story
behind The Gauntlet, but it's not nearly amusing enough to play the mode
for.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now,
as far the gameplay transition from console to handheld goes,
SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny does everything just right. Just like how
Tekken: Dark Resurrection found its way flawlessly onto the PSP, you can
expect that same level of quality from Broken Destiny's battles,
complete with its superb fluidity. In total, over 30 fighters are found
in the game, one of which is Kratos, in addition to an all new fighter
Dampierre. Kratos is one of the heavier pushes for Broken Destiny, as he
is actually the most prominent figure on the game's box art.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Of
course, naturally, Kratos was my first pick to fight with, and it felt
absolutely fantastic to kick some ass with him. He retains all of his
signature attacks from the game, and they're particularly awesome to
pull-off, too. Also, thanks to Sony, Namco-Bandai had the proper help
when integrating Kratos into the SC universe. In fact, from what I was
told by a Namco rep, the Kratos model in the game is actually the same
one found in God of War: Chains of Olympus, which is very cool.</div>
Blog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4524863987876236605.post-46265052471065669842013-03-12T07:54:00.003-07:002013-03-12T07:54:42.896-07:00EA stock tanks on Star Wars: The Old Republic fears <br />
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US markets are largely positive today,
due in large part to positive earnings-season economic data and
strengthening unemployment data, according to a consensus of financial
reporters. However, such is not the case for Electronic Arts, which is
trading down more than 6 percent after Brean Murray Carret & Co.
analyst Todd Mitchell lowered the company's price target from $28 to
$22.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYIYmPxSci3orFYktCaFLf4KvuDeHkCppfRjlJR3qQVYzUp_vkt4D5_fPOf6cZmX_mlgCqSBlruo5ukRC0kCCqXEW_hEQO4AUuHNGyiNVtnQzFZ86kSpj1X2wHHagOMCxVbimafOatW94/s1600/starwarstheoldrepublic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYIYmPxSci3orFYktCaFLf4KvuDeHkCppfRjlJR3qQVYzUp_vkt4D5_fPOf6cZmX_mlgCqSBlruo5ukRC0kCCqXEW_hEQO4AUuHNGyiNVtnQzFZ86kSpj1X2wHHagOMCxVbimafOatW94/s400/starwarstheoldrepublic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
As
reported by Market Watch, Mitchell's reassessment of EA came about due
to what he termed "creeping concerns" over the future of EA's recently
launched massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The
Old Republic.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Specifically,
initial sales appear to be below expectations, and casual observation
of early play is causing us to rethink our churn assumptions," Mitchell
said in a note to investors.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Released
to a strong critical reception on December 20, The Old Republic sold
more than 1 million units during its first week of availability. That
tally proved to be more than what EA could handle, as the game's launch
was marred by long wait times to access many servers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mitchell's
analysis of The Old Republic's situation isn't without its detractors.
Speaking with GameSpot, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research's
Jesse Divnich emphasized that it is far too early to measure the game's
long-term potential.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Some
sell-side analysts have such bad tunnel vision on the market that they
fail to understand the mechanics of the MMO vertical," Divnich said.
"Whether MMO, console game, mobile, or social, each have a completely
different business model. It is erroneous to apply success metrics from
other verticals to the MMO market and that is exactly what a lot of
analysts are doing."</div>
Blog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4524863987876236605.post-84052837919364005912013-03-12T07:52:00.003-07:002013-03-12T07:52:50.936-07:00Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s been several years since
LucasArts first asked its fan base, “Would you be interested in playing
as a Star Wars villain?” Apparently, this idea was met with some
enthusiasm, and the result was The Force Unleashed for console gaming
systems. TFU makes its PC debut with the Ultimate Sith Edition with its
flashy new packaging and additional game content. Unfortunately, this
updated release is just a few banthas short of a herd.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aLBALwoCdaQKprsqtKYmHrt0R5_DLWC60mx_ymd9NH56fDbOa9JAjf6f3xqcITpNZ5itn2fNpVeIXGX6Nmj8yOBvv6_jCx0o83cBzoUlW7hDUEmxN2g3kUJqvvX6N-I3PtrnVXeZjSf5/s1600/s38883_pc_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aLBALwoCdaQKprsqtKYmHrt0R5_DLWC60mx_ymd9NH56fDbOa9JAjf6f3xqcITpNZ5itn2fNpVeIXGX6Nmj8yOBvv6_jCx0o83cBzoUlW7hDUEmxN2g3kUJqvvX6N-I3PtrnVXeZjSf5/s400/s38883_pc_18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To
its credit, The Force Unleashed does a lot of things extremely well.
You don’t need to be a Star Wars junkie to appreciate the story, which
is lavishly presented in high-quality cinematic sequences. The
characters are brought to life not only with terrific voice acting, but
facial motion capture that impressively conveys the fluidity of human
emotion. For those unfamiliar, The Force Unleashed follows the
adventures of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, who is exceptionally
talented and trained as an instrument of the dark side. This makes the
apprentice a true “wrecking ball” of the Force, indiscriminately
blasting through rebel soldiers and stormtroopers alike.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Although
dazzling as always, the lightsaber is not really the focal point of the
combat. Most of the fun lies within the clever integration of Force
powers. TFU is an action game at its core, and the available moves for
the apprentice certainly reflect this. Hurling objects at your foes,
electrocuting them with lightning, or simply blasting them into oblivion
offers players the chance to channel quite a bit of aggression into the
game. As you become increasingly skilled, you’ll be able to string
powers together for devastating results; lifting a stormtrooper into the
air, then impaling him with the lightsaber, might be one of the coolest
things seen in any Star Wars video-game.</div>
Blog Santa Marshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831483170521042871noreply@blogger.com0