Want a PS3, shop at Target and get something Free!

Ok, now i know that i am not much of a poet but I do have a new article for you anyway. What is up everybody, it is Mr B4 here to give you the latest as to what is going on in the world of gaming. Sorry about no news story last week, I had some family problems to deal with and I was not able to bring all of you gamers an article like I always do. I am back now, and am ready to get into the swing of things, so let us get right to it.

Now for those of you who are looking to buy a PS3 and get a little something extra with your purchase, listen up. I have just found out yesterday, in their latest sale-ad, that Target is doing a promotion from February 17th to February 23rd for the PS3. What they will be doing is giving away a $40 Gift Card for free when you buy a PS3(40 GB $399 model). You can also receive a free $10 Gift card for free when you purchase one of the games from the following list.

Here are the games you can buy:

• Heavenly Sword (PS3)
• Unreal Tournament III (PS3)
• WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 (XBOX 360, PS3)
• Assassin’s Creed (XBOX 360, PS3)
• Devil May Cry 4 (XBOX 360, PS3)
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (XBOX 360, PS3)
• Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
• Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
• Mx Vs ATV Untamed (XBOX 360, PS3)
• Turok (XBOX 360, PS3)
• Halo 3 (Xbox 360)

I personally think that is a good deal for people who have not purchased a PS3 yet, because it gives them a little something extra for their purchase. The only real problems are that most of these games that are offered are either games that we have already purchased (Halo 3, COD4), or ones that we simply just do not want to purchase , but rent instead(MX vs. ATV Untamed). The other thing is that most games for the PS3 that are quality titles(Uncharted, COD 4, Ratchet and Clank) do not cost $40, but I guess you could use the Gift Card to get a couple of cheap Blu-ray DVDs for free or something, that might work.

Either Way, you make the call, just thought I would let all of you know about it first.

Until next time gamers, this is B4 signing off

Take care,

B4

Target Website: www.target.com

COD4: A Sample of Things to Come

Since impressing the public and critics alike at E3 2007, Call of Duty 4 has become one of this year’s most anticipated titles. Now, two months from release, the “public” has been given a sample of what’s to come.

The fact that this beta, which offers only 3 maps and a handful of weapons, has managed to steal some of Halo 3’s thunder (a game only 20ish days away) is a testament to how good COD4 will be. Since entering the beta I was almost instantly enthralled. (More on why “almost” later.) In the interest of full disclosure I should probably mention that I spent countless hours with Infinity Ward’s COD2, yet hardly touched Activision’s COD3, so I was excited to see what the original creators could do. It looks quite promising.

When you first start the COD4 beta, and presumably the retail version, the multiplayer options are pretty bare bones. Choose your class, choose your game type, then go shoot people. The menu teases, showing features and options that will be accessible later, but for now all you can do is decide upon a standard pre-made class and go shoot dudes in the face. Almost everything, from weapons to camo patterns to perk customization, has to be unlocked. (I’m not going to waste time explaining the beta’s content, but give my impressions. If you want information then go to charlieoscardelta.com and check it out. They do a much better job then I ever could.) Playing online gets you experience points. Get a kill and you’ll be rewarded 10 points. An assist nets you two (couldn’t finish him off, could you?). Eventually you’ll rank up, which unlocks different guns and the ability to create a class. Creating a class is probably the best unlock, at least in the beta, letting you select which perks you want. This really opens the game up to many different options, and really lets you play how you want according to the situation at hand. Have an enemy that hides behind cover? Then pick someone that shoots through walls. Does your enemy turtle as a pack in a small room? Pick a class that carries multiple stun grenades and the last stand ability, so you can flash and clear and take the survivors to hell with you. It almost becomes a game of chess, with you constantly countering the other team’s tactics while trying to outsmart them. These perks really add a whole strategic element to the game, and force you to quickly adapt and change your style mid-game.

Read the rest of this entry »

Somewhere, Beyond the Sea…

Would you kindly enjoy Bioshock?

Bioshock doesn’t feel like a game, which is perhaps the finest praise a video game can receive. An “experience” is a more fitting description, for it succeeds at fully immersing you within the world it creates. This is an adventure that deserves to be taken, and one you won’t soon forget.

A plane crashes into the middle of the ocean, and one lone survivor discovers a mysterious lighthouse - a structure which serves as entrance to the underwater city of Rapture. Intended as an underwater utopia, where citizens could live without the oppressiveness of government, religion, and politics (the cause of all unrest), Rapture was a city of hope, where merit was earned and unjustly taken from no one, a haven for science, with the desire to improve the human species. This ideology, flawless though it may seem, failed to take into account humanities many faults, and Rapture crumbled into a city of violence, carnage, and desperation.

This is where Bioshock begins. Read the rest of this entry »

The Mystery Box

Going to a store with the intention of purchasing an Xbox 360 must be hell for the average consumer. It’s no longer as easy as walking in, money ready in hand, and throwing four bills on the counter. No, it’s a convoluted, incomprehensible mess. You’ve got four different boxes staring you in the face: core, premium, elite, and Halo edition – plus variables.

“Fine” you say, “I can figure this out.” And you do. Or at least you think you do. You’ve discarded the deceptively low-priced core and the unexplainable over-priced Halo edition, so now it’s down to elite and premium. This is where it gets tricky, and thanks to MS, a little luck is involved. Do you go with the elite, which advertises 100 extra gigs and guaranteed HDMI, or do you take your chances with the premium, try to get HDMI and hope you get lucky?

I find this distinction, or lack of, quite infuriating. Remember how much MS advertised the me-too addition of HDMI when the elite was announced? I remember listening to the Major Nelson show when he not too subtly poked fun at Sony saying, “HDMI cable is in the box”. Well Major, which box is it in? As a consumer, I have the right to know what I’m paying for. This kind of information should be readily available to the public, and withholding it is nothing short of dishonest.

Do it. Pull the trigger. Try your luck. Play 360 roulette.

It becomes even more confusing when you throw processor chips into the mix. Will you be fortunate enough to get a hold of the improved 65 nm chip? Or are you going to be stuck with the will-need-of-repair grandfather chip? What about which DVD drive will you have? Is your family going to be yelling at you in the middle of the night, screaming “Turn that damn buzzing off”, or will you be able to game into the wee-hours without interruption? So many variables to consider.

Hardware revisions are nothing new, and in some cases necessary. They help producers cut costs and improve their product, while passing the savings to consumers and shipping them more reliable products. But why not be honest and up front about it? The reasoning: Well, because consumers won’t by old, unreliable tech, and store shelves will be filled with unmovable goods. Which is the point! It is our right to choose and be informed of what we’re buying.

Read the rest of this entry »

But, think of the children?

This past Monday, August 6th, US District Judge Whyte ruled against bill AB 1179, which had been passed in California, October 2005, calling it unconstitutional. This bill would have placed severe restrictions on the sale and rental of certain violent video games to minors, and offenders would have faced fines of up to $1000.

Join me in doing your best Arnold:

“I signed this important measure to ensure that parents are involved in determining which video games are appropriate for their children. The bill I signed would require that violent video games be clearly labeled and not be sold to children under 18 years old. Many of these games are made for adults and choosing games that are appropriate for kids should be a decision made by their parents. I will vigorously defend this law and appeal it to the next level.”

So the ESA, and in turn gamers everywhere, can count this as a victory, right? Well, in a sense. The distribution of video games is going to continue unchanged, with no federal or state regulation — but is this actually going to hurt the quality of games in the long run? I’m going to announce something that conflicts with the typical gamer viewpoint: I’m all for the restriction and controlled distribution of interactive entertainment.  Just take this ride with me, and pretend that I make perfect sense.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Two Stick Renaissance

Ever stopped to think how useful our thumbs are? These often overlooked little appendages let us show approval, hold the bottom of sandwiches, and move one way while shooting in another. What more could you want?

Back in 1997 I remember pumping quarter after quarter into the then retro Smash TV (released 1990). There was something so simple, yet horribly addictive, about the game play. The second my fingers touched the controls I could feel the adrenaline flowing. It was all about having the odds stacked against me as I faced incessant waves of enemies. It wasn’t a question of would I die, but how long could I last? How long could I look death in the eye before finally making a mistake, forcing me to dig through my pocket in hopes of finding one last quarter?

If you had told me a couple years ago that the two-stick shooter would be making a revival, I wouldn’t have believed you. With developers touting sophisticated enemy AI and hyper-realistic graphics, who would have thought that the most rudimentary style of game play would achieve such popularity? Now, before you yell out “Hey, welcome to 2005, we all know it’s back” (Or since you’re in internetland, it’ll be more like “I p0wn3d n00bs FTW”), I assure you I have a point. In 2005/06 it may have been considered a fad, but now that we’re approaching end-2007 and the genre is still going strong, it’s save to say that it’s here to stay.

Why the sudden revival of a game style that not only has been dormant for nearly a decade, but has little room for innovation? (Innovation, or the lack of, was discussed in this excellent article.) I’ll tell you why it’s back, and so much fun to play:

Read the rest of this entry »

H3 to feature 4 player online co-op!

During a official press conference in Amsterdam Microsoft and Bungie confirmed that Halo 3 will feature 4 player cooperative play on Xbox Live. More info coming soon.

“In Halo 3, the third installment of the legendary epic, the war has come to a climax; the Flood continues to grow in numbers and strength, the armies of Earth are scattered and decimated, and the Covenant threatens to activate the Halo, effectively destroying all life in the galaxy. Master Chief’s mission is to stop the Covenant, destroy the impending Flood threat and, ultimately, save mankind.”

http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-55843.aspx

Fanboys rejoice! Now the only question remaining: How awesome is Halo 3?

Will this game just come out so we can get over it already?

Vampire Rain Review

Very few games give you a chance to learn another language. I now know that in Japanese ‘Vampire’ means ‘sucks’ and ‘Rain’ means ‘balls’. Hold onto your butts, here is my review of Vampire Rain.

Question: What does doing your taxes, passing a kidney stone, and finding out ‘she’ is actually a ‘he’ have in common? Answer: All are more fun than playing Vampire Rain.

The line between genius and insanity is very thin. Never has this been truer than in Vampire Rain. Vampires have overrun an entire city, and are on the verge of taking over the world. It is up to you, Jake Lloyd, special operative of an unnamed generic task force, to infiltrate this city, discover the vampire’s weakness and kill them, saving all humanity. Be swift, you only have one rainy night to do so! For rain interferes with their bat-like sonar, giving you the chance to slip by unnoticed. Combining Sam Fisher and vampires could have been utter genius; instead it simply creates a game which will drive you insane.

The game’s mechanics are shamelessly taken from Splinter Cell, with a dash of Metal Gear Solid thrown in. You control Jake just as you would Sam Fisher, the only difference being the radar used in MGS is sometimes available, giving you vision cones to avoid. The problem with this mechanic is it’s not entirely reliable, as vampires don’t always automatically register on your radar. You have to sit still, switch to heat vision, wait for the vampire to be targeted, see where he’s looking, then maneuver around his cone. Problems with this: 1) Sometimes vampire placement seems entirely random, and you’ll replay certain segments wondering where the hell you were spotted from. 2) Vampire vision is very irregular. Some can see you from way off, out of your radar’s range, while others have no peripheral vision at all, allowing you to literally walk to the front right/left of them. Even more puzzling is that sometimes the mission path will require you to do so. Read the rest of this entry »

A new writer arrives! His name is Thrillhouse17!

Allow myself to introduce myself. I’m Thrillhouse17, listener, forum poster, and now writer for XBL Radio. I came across the show by pure accident about a year and a half ago. Searching through itunes I was looking for a different podcast (which shall remain nameless), and thinking I had found it downloaded XBL Radio. I’ll be totally honest, when I first listened to the show I can’t say that I cared for it. Lets just say that I had no intention of listening to further shows. Well, via the magic of the ‘subscribe’ feature shows kept appearing on my computer, and being too lazy to delete them (I know, it takes maybe two clicks, but let’s not discuss how lazy I am right now) they just sat there, waiting my attentive ears. Weeks past, shows piled up, and eventually out of curiosity I gave it another listen. Well…I found that the show had slowly improved, and the two hosts had become more comfortable with the format and found their groove. Needless to say well over a year has past and I’m still listening.

I grew up in the ‘golden age’ of gaming. The Atari, and more prominently the NES, were the first consoles my neighbors owned. Yeah, I was ‘that’ kid, the kid who would come over and ask “Can I, uh, have a turn playing too? Please…” It wasn’t my fault! When you’re an 8-year-old kid you can only make so much money selling lemonade and popcorn. Still, despite my lack of funds, I always managed to find my way into someone’s home or into a local arcade. I’ve probably lost years of my life playing Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat 2, NBA Jam, Twisted Metal…

If I had to peg one game as being the most influential in my young life, it would be Jurassic Park for the NES, for reasons having nothing to do with the game itself, but the friendships that developed because of that game. Nothing brings young kids together like a game, and my friend and I are still in touch today yet being literally thousands of miles apart. (Cue sentimental music…and tear.)

Many years later here I am, pretty much doing the same thing, you know, just hanging out, playing Nintendo. I may have grown up, but when life doesn’t get in the way there’s still a kid in me that likes to nerd out and have fun. XBL Radio has given me a great chance to entertain and enlighten you all with my wisdom, so I’ll be doing just that. Feel free to send me a message telling me how great my articles are. Or how you’re wrong and think my articles are terrible. Either works. I’m just kidding. But seriously.