‘X’ Spot

by Manwhore

Posted by Aaron - Free Will on 03/09/08 at 02:12 PM from

I played one while I was in Texas over the holidays, and I like it much better than the PS3.

Of course, if Lee was spending $500 in RMB in China, he’d probably be able to get both, along with pirate copies of all the games he wanted, and have enough money left over for a pair of Mongolian hookers.

Also, if you remember the horrifically bad Ghostbusters games released for the NES and Atari (see the Angry Video Game Nerd’s review), it looks like that franchise is preparing to redeem itself, from the same awesome brand that brought you “World in Conflict”.

Posted by Miguelito on 03/09/08 at 02:41 PM from

I’ve got all 3 current consoles… my impressions:

Wii: Games that use the motion well are great.  Great party games.  Graphics aren’t as good as the others but they focused on games instead.  Unfortunately I don’t really use mine all that much.  As much as you’d think FPS games and such would rule with the remote like a gun.. it just doesn’t seem to work that way.

360: Tons of great games.  The live integration and gamerscore is very cool.  The hardware however sucks ass.  I’ve had 2 out of 3 consoles fail on me (I have one in for service right now.. DVD drive just up and died).  I personally know 2 people that have had at least 6 (yes 6!) failures that had to go back.  1 guy gave up completely and just got a refund.  I’d be super pissed that I couldn’t play my games right now but I had 2 360s (I bought an elite, the one that’s currently dead, for the HDMI port and so I could have a spare to take with my Rock Band kit to my parents when we have family get-togethers).  Oh, and the HD-DVD bit sucks too.  Yeah, when a movie works right it’s pretty nice, but I’ve had all kinds of problems with playback… disks just not working, playback getting super glitched to the point of just hanging, not to mention HDi stuff hanging hard (see my blog entry for details).. so I’m glad Blu-ray won.

PS3: Has more potential, is still lacking some in games.  Sure most of the really great stuff is cross console, so it’s fine (CoD4, Rock Band, etc) and games like Uncharted really showed what the console can do.  Lately it’s been beating the 360 in sales, so it might really take off.  The Blu Ray playback has been nothing but flawless for me.  I think Sony was very Japanese (go figure) in that they preferred to delay their console release a bit to get it right.  They knew including Blu Ray would be a big plus (and you can’t deny it had a lot to do with the outcome of the HD disc wars) and I think they made the right decision to include HDDs in every model (I think MS made a HUGE mistake in not allowing games to even use the HDD for cache if it’s there… Mass Effect suffered a ton where this could’ve helped).  In the end, I think the PS3 will edge out the 360, especially if their Home thing turns out as good as it looks… and doubly so if they do some kind of gamerscore tie in with it like the 360 has (as long as they can without bringing the wrath of MS down on them in lawsuits).  I’ve not had a single hardware issue with the PS3 either, and it gets WAY more use then the 360 (it doubles as my default DVD player too so is on pretty much every single day). 

If you only have the $500 or so to spend, and would also like the HD disc bits; then the PS3 is the way to go.  Even more so if you’re going to use the console for playback of movies and such, because the 360 is noisy as hell while I can’t hear the ps3 at all.

If you’re like me and you’re a game whore that needs to play tons of games.. drop the limit on price and get them all. :P

When it comes down to it, I tend to buy a lot of games that exist for both on the 360.. for 2 reasons:
1. The gamerscore stuff is cool.. that’s the one thing the ps3 needs to add.
2. Since my Ps3 doubles as my DVD playback, and I tend to game in spurts and flip between game and movie/TV.. by playing the game in the 360, I can save getting up to swap discs.  Yeah, I’m lazy. :)

Oh, if anyone cares.. my 360 live id is miguelitosd

Posted by dwex on 03/09/08 at 02:57 PM from

sorry dwex World of Warcraft is too fucking slow for 15 shekels a month

s’ok. I can’t play “twitch” games. I haven’t owned a console since the original NES. I pretty much just play adventure/RPG games, and the occasional flight/space simulator.

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 03:24 PM from

Wii + Super Mario Bros = Win

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 04:20 PM from

There’s no right answer to this question. If you’re buying the thing purely as a games machine, then the Xbox is the better choice even though the PS3 is a more powerful machine. That’s because the Xbox has a hugely better range of exclusive games.

However, the PS3 isn’t just a games machine. It plays Blu-ray disks and can be used as a media center, streaming video from your PC. It would therefore be my choice even if I wasn’t getting a free one with my Bravia LCD HDTV (as part of a promotion here in Australia).

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 04:21 PM from

Also, I agree with Surfpunk that Super Mario Galaxy is a more fun game than anything available on the Xbox or PS3. FWIW my first game on the PS3 will definitely be Grand Theft Auto 4 (which is also available on the Xbox).

Posted by Loud on 03/09/08 at 05:08 PM from

Personally, I would never own an Xbox, because the “wide array of games” is still not worth it to me to have to replace my console every couple of months (usually having to repurchase any content I bought from Xbox Live).  I’ve heard about it happening--Miguelito just mentioned it--and I don’t think it’s worth it.  I just read an article about a company that services Xboxes, and they get about 5 times as many problems with Xboxes, and who knows how many Microsoft deals with because they sure aren’t putting out the numbers.

I have a Wii, but I’m a Nintendo fanboy (all 5 consoles are lined up over by my TV), so I’ll move to the PS3…

Let me start by saying that when the PS3 came out, I laughed with glee when I saw piles of them in cages while the Wii was still selling out.  I might have been interested in a PS3, but it was not at all worth the price tag in my eye.  Then the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD war ended with Blu-Ray the winner, the PS3 has come down in price a hair (40GB for $400), and to me, the PS3 was all of a sudden worth it.  I just don’t have $400 to toss around right now.  When I do has some money to toss around, I’ll be getting an HDTV and a PS3.

Point me to some PS3’s that fall apart like Xboxes and I’ll rethink that.

Another reason I never wanted an Xbox was more of a personal philosophy, and it was the simple fact that it was made by Microsoft.  I used Windows at the time and I didn’t have a real problem with the company until they bought their way into the video game industry.  Nintendo was always a video game company, and Sony was an electronics maker that worked with Nintendo to create a CD-ROM system for the SNES, which was eventually scrapped and turned into the Playstation.  Now along comes this monsterous software company that says, “Hey, we should start making our own hardware!  It’ll be great; we just put DirectX in a Box!” Sorry, I tolerate your software; I won’t be buying your hardware.

What I always thought was hilarious back in my home town was all the people I would regularly hear wailing about the “corporations, man” were all the same people who owned Xboxes…

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 05:45 PM from

PC > consoles.

Posted by Miguelito on 03/09/08 at 06:00 PM from

PC > consoles.

I used to be the same way.  Finally got tired of the constant need to upgrade systems to keep up with the needs of the latest games (without having to turn most settings way down).  That.. and it’s much nicer sitting in my recliner playing games on a bigscreen TV and through my stereo and such too.

FPS games are still better with a keyboard and trackball.. but I got used to using the sticks to aim.  Last PC only game I played, because it looked that good (and it was) was S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl.  Might have to boot into Windows again (game/dev box mostly in the dev mode anymore.. even that’s pretty rare) to play the prequel coming out soon.

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 06:09 PM from

Still… its not just FPS that own on PC’s. You have RPGs, MMORPGS, RTS, FPS, indie games, etc. Upgrading really doesn’t seem as consequential if all it means is buying a $200 video card every few years rather than a $500 non-upgradeable console. I’ll always be able to play the games I’ve bought for my PC… but not many consoles are backwards compatible… and if they are it costs extra. And then you have custom content out the wazoo for PC.  If you’re playing consoles just because of your sitting arrangements… you could make some alterations to your setup then… thats not really any kind of argument.

And I wish they’d let PC players play with console players of the same game… put that stupid argument to rest once and for all… who’s best my ass.

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 08:43 PM from

Personally, I would never own an Xbox, because the “wide array of games” is still not worth it to me to have to replace my console every couple of months (usually having to repurchase any content I bought from Xbox Live).  I’ve heard about it happening--Miguelito just mentioned it--and I don’t think it’s worth it.  I just read an article about a company that services Xboxes, and they get about 5 times as many problems with Xboxes, and who knows how many Microsoft deals with because they sure aren’t putting out the numbers.

I got you there. It was a consideration. However, I’ve bought one of the newer versions after the recall. I was careful not to buy a used one because it might be one of the bad ones.

FPS games are still better with a keyboard and trackball.. but I got used to using the sticks to aim.  Last PC only game I played, because it looked that good (and it was) was S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl.  Might have to boot into Windows again (game/dev box mostly in the dev mode anymore.. even that’s pretty rare) to play the prequel coming out soon.

The last online game I layed was DOOM, but now I only play the boardgame version. IT FUCKING ROCKS!!

Point me to some PS3’s that fall apart like Xboxes and I’ll rethink that.

Which is why I will be purchasing the Sony used. Sony has a lot of work to do to regain my trust IMO. FWIW I didn’t buy the PS3 because the only ony out now it the 40gig and that is not backwards compatable. Otherwise I would have bought the ps3 solely to play ps2 games.

Sony pissed the entire market off over pricing thier machine.

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 08:50 PM from

I’m a ridiculous gamer, PC, console, handheld, you name it.  I don’t have the PS3 yet, though I have friends that do.  There aren’t enough games for me to warrant shelling out that kind of money just yet.  But to hear them tell it, the PS3 is effectively a NEXT next generation system.  The problem, though, is that all the games produced are just next-gen (or this gen, if you will), and end up being graphically identical for both systems.  So, unless you want to invest a ton of money into Blu-Ray player with a couple of decent games, I say go Xbox 360.  Sony’s selling problems at start-up made them lose a lot of exclusivity, which Microsoft obviously picked up.  And the Wii is a joke.  I have it, I’ve played (and sadly, owned) most games for it.  The motion controls are great for the novelty and for your average Joe who doesn’t play video games, but the translation in most games is downright horrific.  With EXTREMELY rare exception, ports to the Wii have tacked on motion controls that are just shamefully abysmal, nevermind that it’s graphically an overclocked Gamecube. 

a sound so very loud - some games do.  I believe Shadowrun for Windows and the 360 had cross platform gaming, at the very least

joeloud - you never have to repurchase Xbox Live purchases.  You can recover your gamertag, and any purchases can always be downloaded again through the account manager.  I’ve had to do this myself when I upgraded to the Elite.

I have and enjoyed SMGalaxies, but those games are too kidsy to keep me in rapt attention.  My most recent obsession had been Mass Effect (completely recommended if you like American style RPG’s such as KoToR, LONG game, with a ton of replay value to boot) and I just bought and totally loved Army of Two, though its a really short game (great replay value with the selection of guns and upgrades, though).

And if anyone’s interested, my gamertag in the 360 is “Peter Dinklage”.  Don’t ask, it’s an inside joke.  Or just imdb it, you’ll get the gist of it.

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 08:55 PM from

I own the 360 with the HD-DVD drive.  I play COD 2, COD 3, COD 4, Ghost Recon 1, Oblivion, and Halo 3.  I also watch my HD movies (without a hitch) through my HDMI port and I’ve ripped the HD-DVD movies that I own to my computer as MKV files (with zero recompression) in case the HD-DVD ever dies (and now that it will be difficult to find a replacement due to the death of HD-DVD).

I know all about the issues and rings of death and such, but I also know that Microsoft has extended the warranty to 3 years as a result.  This is Microsoft.  They have never released a single thing that works properly for the early adopters but, all snobby OS elitists notwithstanding, I think they eventually get the kinks worked out (remember how bad XP was when it debuted?  Now it’s my workhorse and Vista is the bastard stepchild—give it time).

All that being said, the PS3 just got a MAJOR lift due to the Blu-Ray victory.  I still won’t buy one—don’t need to.

All in all, you’ve made a good purchase, IMO.

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 08:58 PM from

I’m a ridiculous gamer, PC, console, handheld, you name it.  I don’t have the PS3 yet, though I have friends that do.  There aren’t enough games for me to warrant shelling out that kind of money just yet.  But to hear them tell it, the PS3 is effectively a NEXT next generation system.  The problem, though, is that all the games produced are just next-gen (or this gen, if you will), and end up being graphically identical for both systems.  So, unless you want to invest a ton of money into Blu-Ray player with a couple of decent games, I say go Xbox 360.

This was the way I ended up making my decision too. I was almost swayed when the guy said that the PS3 is the cheaest BluRay player on the market, but then another person said that Blu Ray is great if you already have your home theater made and can take advantage of it.

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 08:58 PM from

Oh yeah!  Bioshock is one of the greatest games I’ve ever played in any generation of gaming, period.

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 09:01 PM from

I own the 360 with the HD-DVD drive.  I play COD 2, COD 3, COD 4, Ghost Recon 1, Oblivion, and Halo 3.  I also watch my HD movies (without a hitch) through my HDMI port and I’ve ripped the HD-DVD movies that I own to my computer as MKV files (with zero recompression) in case the HD-DVD ever dies (and now that it will be difficult to find a replacement due to the death of HD-DVD).

Out of curiosity could one reverse the process and make Blu RAy copies into HD DVD?

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 09:02 PM from

Oh, and good to hear from you again kevin, good friend! ;)

Hope all is well with you in your adventurous life..

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 09:05 PM from

Oh, kevin, since you have the console, have you heard of ‘Condemned’? It’s a game about a cop who investigates serial killers and goes nuts, but thinks he’s actually uncovering a crime.

I heard it’s a really fucking cool game.

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 09:13 PM from

Condemned is the most intense, suspenseful game I’ve ever loved for a total of 30 minutes.  The hand to hand combat basis for the game, coupled with the surround sound and things that MIGHT be enemies is fucking SCARY.  The level design really put me off after 30 minutes though, they’re just so bland and repetitive.  When an apartment building feels exactly like a subway system, you know you’ve done something wrong.

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 09:36 PM from

Do you think they’ve improved it by condemned 2?

Posted by on 03/09/08 at 09:48 PM from

I hope so, I’ll let you know when I get my hands on a copy.  Even the first one is worth a rental, it’s an experience, and others may be more forgiving than I am when it comes to first person “shooters” (or slasher/smasher, in this case).  I’m really picky on that front.

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 10:06 PM from

I hope so, I’ll let you know when I get my hands on a copy.  Even the first one is worth a rental, it’s an experience, and others may be more forgiving than I am when it comes to first person “shooters” (or slasher/smasher, in this case).  I’m really picky on that front.

It brings up an even greater conversation about gaming design. EA has canned some proceses but Rockstar proved content is king.

I am amazed at game design looking especially at games done in the past (like chess) and wonder which games survive the test of time in the digital era.

For example you’d play hell finding Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and a Dreamcast to run it on. However it is a MUST HAVE for gamers, and Street Fighter is an amazing testament to the comlexity of design in a game so simple. Could it be the digital equivilant of Chess?

I’ve read hundres of pages (if not a thousand) on strategy in the game. For example, to be a serious competitor with Blanka is a topic I could write a thread about.

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 10:13 PM from

As for Marvel vs. Capcom 2 my team of destruction is a very curious but technical one, and this is also a topic for debate.

I use Charlie, Guile, and Sentenial. The dynamic for choosing this team is very deep and philisophical. I think that the three person dynamic to the game an the combo system puts it over the top.

I’ve never really been a fan of the hyper technical games that really exploit timing, but I respect the dedication to such versions.

Posted by Miguelito on 03/09/08 at 11:07 PM from

Bioshock - Excellent game.  Seriously bad ass graphical use of the 360.. no other game even comes close yet.  Having the story learned as you played instead of long cut scenes (save the one) was also genius.  Being able to “upgrade” yourself and choose the bits that you were best with, loads of fun.  I just recently played through it again for a 2nd time, and got a few of the achievements I’d missed the first time around (with a little help from info on the net). :)

Condemned - I loved that game.  Yeah, the level design was the one really weak point, but having combat that was actually pretty realistic for once, and having to balance which was the best weapon was interesting.  The crime fighting tools usage was pretty neat too.  I did get bit by one bug that was annoying as hell too: got to the absolute final fight, and couldn’t pickup anything to fight with (well known bug apparently).  Took about 20 tries (and I’d gotten that far, so I HAD to finish) to beat the last boss, but finally did it.  Entirely by kicking the bastard.  Whee.  :-/ Looking forward to an improved design in version 2, and no sucky bugs like the above.

FEAR - Much like a cross of the above 2… cool story exposition via hacking computers and listening to voicemails.. some small cut scenes but nothing so long and boring, lots of scary movie effects/gotchas too.  Also damn friggin real combat.  When you see enemy soldiers dragging one foot and trying to run away after you shot them in the leg… that’s detail.  Playing through FEAR Files (sequels) now.  FEAR 2 looks like a nice improvement too.  BTW, I have FEAR for both PS3 and 360 (was curious) and it’s identical on both.  PS3 might be a tad smoother in intensive graphic spots, but barely.

Orange Box (Half Life 2+) - Some of the best gaming ever… on any platform.  I’ve played through the mail HL2 story at least twice.. once on PC back when it came out.. again on 360, plus Ep 1 twice (same), and then Ep2.  Portal was a lot of fun too.  Looking forward to a longer game making use of the tech.

Mass Effect - Very good game.  Tons of fun.  Incredibly long load times (back to my comment about MS making a HUGE mistake not allowing the use of the HDD to store game data for faster loading) got annoying at times though.  Tons of graphics clipping was annoying, but not a show stopper.  Reminded me a lot of Star Control 3 (or StarFlight) on a current gen scale, with wicked cool mix of tech and weapons and ability to play again and again from different perspectives.  Also a really interesting story.

Games I didn’t care for that have huge backing (totally bought and paid for my MS if you ask me): Halo 3 and Gears of War.  I just don’t see why there are so many hard core fans.  Halo 3 had an interesting story, but pumping multiple clip loads from guns into aliens that don’t seem to be affected (aside from the little guys, who were silly, screaming and running away) until they die.  Constantly using all your ammo on a handful of guys was annoying.  Same for Gears.. at least halo 3 held my interest through the end, I couldn’t get beyond a 1/2 hour into Gears.  Another “pump clips into alien that can continue to fight like nothing is happening… until he drops dead” one.  With LONG, and boring cutscenes.  In about 30 minutes of playing, a good 10 of that was watching a cutscene.

Oh and my most recent buy: Frontlines Fuel of war.  Pretty cool game (despite the obvious political message beating you over the head.. designer’s denial aside).  Use of drones, especially the little helicopter with the rocket launchers, was really cool.  Seemed too much like they took two games and decided to split them up to get it out early and setup a sequel (and double the sales of course)… but still had plenty of play time.

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 11:17 PM from

Oh, if anyone cares.. my 360 live id is miguelitosd

Mine is manwhore, and I will stalk you and steal your ‘Golden Shotgun’ when you get sniped. ;)

Posted by Manwhore on 03/09/08 at 11:20 PM from

Games I didn’t care for that have huge backing (totally bought and paid for my MS if you ask me): Halo 3 and Gears of War.  I just don’t see why there are so many hard core fans.

I had this discussion as well. I played Halo 2 until the disc didn’t spin, but three just didn’t bring it.

I actually am a competitor in the SOCOM Navy Seal circuit, but I filed for divorce at Three. It was the most horrible thing that could’ve happened to the game. They canned it, and tried to mimic COD.

The first SOCOM made me love the game, and the third made me feel insulted.

Posted by Loud on 03/10/08 at 03:54 AM from

joeloud - you never have to repurchase Xbox Live purchases.  You can recover your gamertag, and any purchases can always be downloaded again through the account manager.  I’ve had to do this myself when I upgraded to the Elite.

Yeah, but the way the article made it sound, after having your Xbox repaired, it can sometimes make your system appear to Xbox live to be an entirely different console.  I’m not that familiar with the thing, and it was simply another reason I used to justify never purchasing an Xbox.  Maybe I can find the article again…

Posted by HARLEY on 03/10/08 at 04:00 AM from

Pc’s......... upgradeable and Mods.

Posted by on 03/10/08 at 07:09 AM from

Out of curiosity could one reverse the process and make Blu RAy copies into HD DVD?

The answer is—kinda.  What some people are doing is ripping Blu-Ray to their hard drives and then re-encoding to WMV HD or Divx (both of which are supported by the XBox 360 now) and streaming with the Media Connector.

Another option is to rip it, then reauthor it to HD-DVD format and then burn it (regular DVD burners can burn HD-DVD onto regular DVD discs, but you are, of course, limited to the 8gb for a Dual Layer DVD).  That way, you can just pop in the disc into the drive and go.  The problem with this is that a full length HD movie really needs at least 15Gb (at 1080) to look decent.

Oh, and good to hear from you again kevin, good friend! ;)
Hope all is well with you in your adventurous life..

Been a bit hectic around here—gearing up for a Vegas run next weekend for March Madness.  :) Doing well, though.  Jacked up my neck on my 2nd run snowboarding yesterday, but it’s nothing that some Vitamin I can’t remedy.  ;) How have you been doing?

Oh, kevin, since you have the console, have you heard of ‘Condemned’? It’s a game about a cop who investigates serial killers and goes nuts, but thinks he’s actually uncovering a crime.

Haven’t heard of it, but it seems right up my alley.  For our senior project, me and a bunch of my fellow classmates developed an FPS called “Bell Tower” where you were perched in a bell tower (duh) sniping on pedestrians.  Occasionally, you would get “discovered” and you’d have to flee to another sniping point.  Warped.  Totally warped.  But we had included realistic qualities like scope wobble long before the “real” gaming companies were doing it.

Oh, and we skinned the character to look like our Professor.  In multiplayer mode, EVERYbody looked like our Professor.  He was oddly amused by it.

Posted by on 03/10/08 at 07:28 AM from

You made the right choice w/ the 360.  The 3 year warranty on the ‘ring of death’ is a nice insurance policy (my launch console went DOA 2 months ago and was replaced within a week).

I’m another with all 3 consoles.  I bought the PS3 in anticipation of Gran Turismo.. well, nearly a year later, and the release date is still being pushed out..

For the 360, as before, I’d recommend Bioshock, Gears of War, Dead Rising, Forza 2, Crackdown, Orange Box, and my favorite $4 game, Geometry Wars.  In addition, I like the media extender functionality, in that, I can stream Xvid/WMV movies off of my PC through the Xbox, and I have access to my entire library of MP3s and playlists (which you can stream while playing a game for a custom soundtrack).

Don’t waste your money on Condemned, rent if if you must play it.  Use surround sound and HDTV, it’s half of the experience.  Personally, I’m waiting for ‘Alan Wake’ or Dead Rising 2.

Posted by Manwhore on 03/10/08 at 09:13 AM from

Been a bit hectic around here—gearing up for a Vegas run next weekend for March Madness.  :) Doing well, though.  Jacked up my neck on my 2nd run snowboarding yesterday, but it’s nothing that some Vitamin I can’t remedy.  ;) How have you been doing?

Have you been snowboarding in California before? Lotsa guys in the office do it, but I got freaked out when one of my co-workers splintered his leg. Like surgery splintered.

Haven’t heard of it, but it seems right up my alley.  For our senior project, me and a bunch of my fellow classmates developed an FPS called “Bell Tower” where you were perched in a bell tower (duh) sniping on pedestrians.  Occasionally, you would get “discovered” and you’d have to flee to another sniping point.  Warped.  Totally warped.  But we had included realistic qualities like scope wobble long before the “real” gaming companies were doing it.

Too funny. I’ve got a story along this line, but I’d have to have it with you via email.

You made the right choice w/ the 360.  The 3 year warranty on the ‘ring of death’ is a nice insurance policy (my launch console went DOA 2 months ago and was replaced within a week).

I know. It was an agonizing choice for someone who used to be a Sony loyalist.

Don’t waste your money on Condemned, rent if if you must play it.  Use surround sound and HDTV, it’s half of the experience.  Personally, I’m waiting for ‘Alan Wake’ or Dead Rising 2.

Not even the second version?

Posted by on 03/10/08 at 11:49 AM from

Have you been snowboarding in California before?

Not yet, but I have a Marine buddy in San Diego who keeps telling me that we need to get up to Big Bear.  As for injuries, I’ve found that snowboarding results in more temporary injurys (whiplash, soreness) due to the the fact that your falls usually are caused by your board digging in and creating a pendulum effect (your feet stop whereas your head continues traveling at it’s previous velocity).  It knocks the wind out of you, but once you recover, you are typically fine (if not sore for a few days).  The nice thing is, though, that permanant injurys (knee ligaments, muscular) are less common with snowboarding since your legs are not acting independently (as they are with skis).  I actually ripped my meniscus and sprained my MCL on a nasty skiing fall.  Never had a single issue with snowboarding.

Posted by Miguelito on 03/10/08 at 01:12 PM from

I know. It was an agonizing choice for someone who used to be a Sony loyalist.

I’ve never been one to stay loyal to a brand.  Anytime I go to make a new purchase for a product, especially home electronics that aren’t something you regularly replace.. I look around and compare.

I do love the comments in the console and HD disc wars though when people say they’d never buy Sony after the root kit CD fiasco.  I find this stupid for 2 reasons: 1. It was Sony/BMG, not Sony proper (AFAIK at leas) and they realized what a monumental mistake they made.  2. Most people saying this (both in consoles and the HD disc war) conveniently ignore all the things MS has done (rarely is it a nintendo person swearing off Sony). 

I have a severe distaste for almost anything MS… based on >20 years (ouch I’m getting old) experience with their products.  But I still eventually bought an xbox and have a 360.  When it comes down to it, I want to play the games.

The thing about the 360 that frustrates me, is how well they did with most of the design, but have just eaten it on reliability of the hardware.  Normally I hate most MS software, but the 360 is a pretty cool design.  I like how the HDD and memory cards are swappable.  I like the interface (for the most part) and how you can pop up the OS bits when needed.  Do think they screwed up (yeah, again) the lack of ability to use the HDD for data cache, and I think they should upgrade to an HD disc for more storage. 

However, I’ve just grown frustrated at how badly they completely bungled the hardware aspect.  Especially in a console, where reliability is the most important part.  Even worse, their hardware bits were usually where MS did ok.. I’ve always liked most of their natural keyboards and had one of their early 3d joysticks for a long time.

I think they just massively skimped on the hardware QA to try to save a little more money, on something they’re already selling at a massive loss.  I think they rushed out to get out there for the holiday season in 2005, and so they could claim they beat Sony to the market.. and now they’re (and we’re) paying for that mistake, with massive failure rates.  As much as people like cheap these days.. in the long run, they don’t like cheap that breaks too much.  The breaks too much bit is catching up on them fast. 

Now I know that there are all kinds of claims that it was early models with all the problems, and how they newer ones are better.  But I call bullshit.  My first dead 360 was not an initial run one, and I had an Elite (much newer) die already too… I think it’s just more “our next one will fix everything, we swear” crap from them.

Posted by The Contrarian on 03/10/08 at 06:42 PM from

Why waste $500 on one game and one system when you can get a used PS2 and PSP and load up on classic RPGs like Star Ocean, FF Tactics, Disgaea, Xenogears, and at least ten more for that money. Hell, $500 even gets you a Wii, four remotes, Smash Brothers and Metroid, and change for a lapdance.

Neither 360 or PS3 have a lot of great games. Both have decent shooters with Bioshock, Halo, and Orange Box. They’re ok for sports games I guess (I never play sports games) and there are some decent action games like Uncharted and Devil May Cry 4. If it has to be one or the other, I’d get PS3 because of the blue ray, browser functions, PS2 compatibility, and a few decent RPGs that are on the horizon, but if you’re all about latest generation acton games, 360 is the way to go.

As for my gaming credentials, I own every console, including old-school shit like Game Gear and Atari. I am an editor for rpgfan.com and I do reviews for Japanese games that aren’t out in the states yet. It’s kind of funny how all the right-wingers here dig American style action games and RPGs like Mass Effect, Oblivion, and Call of Duty.

Posted by on 03/10/08 at 07:07 PM from

It’s kind of funny how all the right-wingers here dig American style action games and RPGs like Mass Effect, Oblivion, and Call of Duty.

JRPG’s all either have childish looking characters or insanely over the top action style.  Lost Odyssey, I’m looking at you.  That shit was cool the first couple of games, circa Final Fantasy VII, but now I just wish to God they’d stop.  And I don’t even like any of the Elder Scrolls games.  Too many choices, not enough focus.  And I hate the character development system.

NWN2 for the character creation/leveling.  Mass Effect for the exploration.  Bioshock for the story.  Ok, and the Big Daddies.