Know Thy Game

Game Critics Awards E3'08

2008-08-06T18:14:09.266-04:00

Best of Show
Fallout 3
(Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Original Game
Mirror's Edge
(DICE/Electronic Arts for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 36)

Best Console Game
LittleBigPlanet
(Media Molecule/Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3)

Best PC Game
Spore
(Maxis/EA)

Best Handheld Game
Resistance: Retribution
(Bend Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment for PSP)

Best Hardware/Peripheral
Rock Band 2 Ion “Drum Rocker” Set
(ION Audio/MTV Games for Xbox 360)

Best Action Game
Gears of War 2
(Epic Games/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)

Best Action/Adventure Game
Dead Space
(EA Redwood Shores/EA for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Role Playing Game
Fallout 3
(Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Racing Game
Pure
(Black Rock/Disney Interactive Studios for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Sports Game
Madden NFL 09
(Tiburon/EA for All Systems)

Best Fighting Game
Street Fighter IV
(Capcom for Arcade)

Best Strategy Game
Tom Clancy’s EndWar
(Ubisoft Shanghai/Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Social/Casual/Puzzle
LittleBigPlanet
(Media Molecule/Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3)

Best Online Multiplayer
Left 4 Dead
(Valve/EAP for PC, Xbox 360)

Fox News on: Fat Princess

2008-08-01T19:06:12.117-04:00

I guess even a game as cute and fun as Fat Princess can offend some people.

Robots Everywhere! Where is Will Smith When We Need Him?

2008-08-01T19:01:44.921-04:00

Here is a user video I picked up from GameTrailers, it's about robots from way back, til now... With IBM stating their next super computer to be named SkyNet, and then this video...Whomever is named John Connor better prepare...

Hakuna Matata!

2008-08-01T18:45:37.124-04:00

QuakeCon: Rage Trailer

2008-08-01T18:06:30.601-04:00

Carmack says Blu-Ray Offers A Better Rage

2008-08-06T18:15:33.756-04:00

In an interview during QuakeCon; John Carmack stated, their upcoming title Rage would look and sound better on PlayStation 3, compared to Xbox 360 counterpart, not due to systems extra horsepower but rather related to storage space issues. Blu-Ray disc offered in PS3's can hold the entire game without any need for compression, but that is not the case with 360, due to their use of standard DVDs. Carmack says their intention was to make Rage, a 3-Disc game for 360, but Microsoft royalty fees makes it rather unprofitable...I guess downloading 10-15GB of the game through internet would be one solution to it, but as it looks for now, 360 owners might lose quality on textures and sound when the game comes out, because Id would have to compress 3 disc worth stuff into 2 discs.
My personal thought is; Microsoft would better upgrade to Blu-Ray on all 360's, because as time goes by, we will start seeing more games requiring that extra space Blu-Ray provides for developers.

PS3 Climbing to the Top!

2008-08-01T17:23:47.342-04:00

After releasing their quarterly earnings report, Activision held a conference call where publishing CEO Mike Griffith provided the company's forecast to the future of the console wars. While Wii will be the overwhelming winner, Griffith predicts PS3 will beat Xbox 360 by a 1-2 million margin this year.

According to the company, Wii is forecast to sell 15 million units. PS3 will sell 8 million, while Xbox 360 will sell 6-7 million. Not strangely, the PS2 is also expected to continue srong, with 4-5 million units sold.

This isn't the first major publisher to go on record with high expectations for the PS3. EA went on record in February with a similar prediction.

Courtesy: PS3 Fanboy

Metal Gear Solid 4 Review (Finally)

2008-07-25T21:42:20.556-04:00

Today, July 25, 2008; is a day of mixed feelings. On one hand, I am extremely happy and satisfied for beating Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots; a game that kept me waiting in excitement since the first release of its trailer at E3’05, also a game that broke my PlayStation… However, I am also frustrated and disgusted for the fact that it took me so long to get my hands on this game after its release (35 days to be exact) because a Sony Customer Rep. made a mistake with my shipping info. Overall, though, the joy outweighs the negatives in my situation.As someone who has played any Metal Gear Solid title that came out, even the PSP ones, the trailers shown on E3 2005 gave me some sort of an idea about how it would turn out when MGS4 came out, but as time progressed and more and more videos came out, my expectations were falsified and replaced with a giant smile. This would be the Metal Gear that I always wanted; thoughts of getting shot by enemy patrol that is outside camera angle are finally gone. Next thing I know it’s 2008 and the game is out, and YES…I wasn’t wrong, this is the MGS gamers always wanted, loyal fans long deserved.Overhauls do not stop at camera angles. Another thing gone is how linear the old MGS games used to be, this time around Snake is given the choice on how he gets to his objective and how he deals with obstacles that lay between him and where he needs to be.Radar on the corner of the screen is still there but only after we pick up Solid Eye, and it can be turned off, before that snake is given a threat meter that scans 360 degrees pointing out proximity and psyche of enemy. Those who played MGS3 should be familiar with camouflage system, though this time instead of changing clothes Snake’s outfit changes color, blending in with his environment. I could keep on listing all things that have changed for better, instead I’ll just say this…everything is bigger and better than before, or even better than what you think it is or could be.The story, although I would love to talk about it, is SO complex and big and with more shocking twists then an M. Night Shyamalan movie, there is no possible way I could fit it in one page of review. When I say the story is big and complex, I mean it because it involves all Metal Gear games that came before it and we all know how crazy they have been. But when its all done there is an extreme sense of satisfaction…Kinda like how Dick Cheney felt after he shot that dude in a “hunting accident”.Graphics: 10MGS series are known for their own art style and awe inspiring graphics, but even knowing that didn’t prepare me for one of the best looking, highly detailed maps that surround the greatest looking character models ever seen. The game looks so good; Hideo Kojima is almost taunting us with a zoom feature during in-game engine cut scenes. There is one particular cinematic involving motorcycles, that IS the best looking moment in gaming history.Sound: 10Great voice acting accompanied with excellent ambient effects and a soundtrack that puts players in the mood for some tactical espionage.Gameplay: 10Forget everything you know about Metal Gear Solid series. Everything has been addressed; from basic game camera to fighting mechanics. There is no more leaning against the walls or lying on the floor during an intense fire fight. Everything us gamers disliked about MGS….GONE. Well, excessively long cut-scenes are still here, but they look much better looking and more entertaining than any other game provides, so, it isn’t all that bad.Overall: 10OK, let’s do simple math. Mind blowing graphics + Sound effects that turns your house into war zone + Second nature quality controls = Me, screaming like one of them people seen on MTV’s TRL.[...]

E3 '08: EA Press Conference

2008-07-19T21:25:46.342-04:00

E3 '08: Announcement

2008-07-19T21:09:31.020-04:00

Last week I(and a million other people) wrote an article about xbox 360 getting a price cut and a new 60gig version for the price of $349, to which Sony responded they wouldn't cut price themselves. It turns out that was only half the truth,for Sony is now phasing out 40gig versions by replacing their harddrives with a whopping 80gig counterpart. And they not only have upped the HDD, they also kept the price the same...$399. Which completely silenced the hype xbox created only a few days after.

E3 '08: Killzone 2 Gameplay

2008-07-19T21:03:10.709-04:00

E3 '08: Motorstorm Pacific Rift Gameplay

2008-07-19T21:01:14.835-04:00

Courtesy: GameTrailers

E3 '08: Best of Playstation

2008-07-19T20:49:03.048-04:00

Courtesy: G4TV

Head for Circuit City

2008-07-13T17:38:08.175-04:00

There are certain gems on the market anyone who call themselves gamers, should not pass. Such as Wal-Mart's $100 gift card with purchase of Ps3, now we have another on our hands and this time it's from Circuit City. Metal Gear Solid 4( By far one of the best gaming experiences) is currently being sold for $49.99 -$10 Off- but it doesn't end there, Circuit City is also giving $10 gift card for anyone who purchases MGS4 at the discounted price. That is $20 or 33% off,for my non-math savvy readers, and it is GOOD.
So, get off your butts and head for Circuit City

Marky Mark Inflicts Massive Payne!

2008-07-11T21:59:22.189-04:00

Mark Wahlberg will star as the bad-ass Max Payne.

E3 Brings Forth Price Cuts!

2008-07-11T20:21:40.485-04:00

E3 isn't here quite yet, but talks of price cuts are already out, buzzing all over the net. When asked by Nomura Asia Euity forum, Nobuyuki Oneda (Sony CFO) denied such plans by Sony, by stating, "Our strategy is not to sell more quantity for PS3 but to concentrate on profitability."
Which indeed has helped Sony's gaming division by reducing loss in the last fiscal year by over $900Million, to $1.1Billion loss as opposed to $2.0Billion the previous year.

On the other hand, gaming's west coast representitive Microsoft decided to go south on its prices by cutting them on its Pro version of its console by $50. The rumors of $299 price tag has been going around the net for a few days now, but today we saw the first price cuts by Target stores. (Click here for Target site) It doesn't really come as a surprise though, since PlayStation 3 introduced its 40Gb model, sales have been neck-and-neck on both consoles.

PS3 Firmware 2.40 Breaking PS3s? Help is Here!

2008-07-06T19:55:10.071-04:00

By now everybody has heard how Ps3 firmware update 2.40 turned some consoles into giant black bricks(and it is not model specific)...but, as it turns out, this doesn't affect all Ps3's and Kotaku has reported a way to undo the damage at the expense of saved files. Here is what the article says;
"Users found that removing and reformatting their PS3 hard drive and then reinserting it into the console would get the system to boot completely, after which it asks to reformat the disk again and everything runs normally. Of course they lose all of their saved games and have to redo all of their downloads, but I suppose that is better than sending in the system for a $150.00 repair.

One can only assume that the update was the catalyst that caused certain data on affected hard disks to become corrupt, rendering the system unbootable. It would certainly explain why only certain systems are being affected, and why Sony couldn't have caught the problem in the first place."

While there is still no word from Sony, as they are still figuring out what triggers the problem. Sony also have pulled the upgrade until upgrade.

Firmware 2.4 Well On Its Way

2008-06-30T20:28:14.119-04:00

I'm Gon' Need Some Metal Polish

2008-06-23T23:37:32.706-04:00

OK...first of all,how come my readers can't send me any cool tips like these?


According to PS3Fanboy.com , somebody left this picture of PSN Trophies that will be available with Firmware 2.40 update. It seems authentic to me, though I am aware of talented digital imaging graduates with no jobs out there....R.C. I'm talking about you. So, it is up to you to decide whther this is real or bogus.

Then, when confusion was still intact at PS3Fanboy, another person who apparently claims to be a developer sends this picture in. Which features a user profile page that shows persons gamer level(which are earned by collecting trophies of all sorts) that gets harder to level up as players level goes up such as in CoD4.This developer person also alleges that, tapping PS button will bring out in-game XMB which will do most of its functions though some features will need players to quit game before accessing. Also, holding PS button will bring out the pre 2.40 menu options.

Verdict: I don't know how trusty these sources are, but it sure looks real.
Click Here to see original article.

PSN Down on 06/24

2008-06-23T23:19:25.121-04:00

PlayStation Network will not be accessible on June 24th for a scheduled maintenance that will last approximately 6 hours. The maintenance is supposed to start at 8am PT, and end by 2pm PT. Also, this goes for entire PSN. So, don't try logging onto PS Store either, because it too is down. Well, go out and enjoy some fresh air my fellow gamers, it will be good for you....

A Sad Day in KTG History...

2008-06-23T10:22:43.997-04:00

It has been a loong week for me, and it looks to be an even longer one for me, as my beloved PS3 will go under surgery...It turns out, Blu-Ray player on my PlayStation 3 was a faulty product and most PS3 Model#CECHG01's are undergoing repair and/or replacement. But, one thing that was positive in this ordeal has to be Sony Help Center repairing my PS3 that has gone over its warranty period for free. They could have asked the service fee of $149, for it has been a while since warranty expiration. Thank you Sony.

PS3 Gets Firmware Update 2.36

2008-06-23T10:12:02.287-04:00

Last week Ps3 owners everywhere received the latest firmware update, 2.36. It doesn't really bring anything new to table. rather, prepares PS3s for the most anticipated update ever in the never ending line of firmware updates,ever perfecting our PlayStation consoles, Firmware update 2.40....ahhh, the goodness of in-game XMB is finally here, with his buddies game trophies(equivalent of gamer points on xbox live)

Battlefield: Bad Company PS3 vs. 360

2008-06-17T15:07:16.876-04:00

If these videos are to be believed PS3 is the "clear" winner.

GTA IV Pushes Only 630p On Ps3...Let me Make Things Clear.

2008-06-17T14:53:01.159-04:00

Ever since GTAIV launch, fanboys on both sides have been comparing their version of the game.
It is no different than one guy telling another his d***k is bigger than the others, and the other responding "but you only last a minute".
*Both systems have advantages over the next, Ps3 version installs itself in the beginning but then load times are shorter than 360.
*Ps3 suffers from aliasing in comparison, but has less pop-in issues.
*360 reaches higher frame-rate, but both versions seldom drop below acceptable frame-rates and Ps3 has a further draw distance, and clearer signs on buildings and such.

The list goes on and on...but one I personally love, 360 pushes 720p and Ps3 (pushing 630p)can't. It is true that Ps3 version is slightly inferior to 360 counterpart when it comes to counting lines, but that doesn't mean the machine can't push the polygons. It was a decision made by Rockstar to make both versions different, because where Ps3 fails in polygons, it makes up for it by better lighting, better particle effects and more. Also, on a 42" Tv while sitting 4-5' away from the set, the difference of 630p and 720p are almost non-existant(unless you have a bionic eye that counts all 720 lines in an instant). Halo 3 runs at 630p... I don't think much 360 players noticed.

Verdict; there is no clear winner here...just go play a game that borders perfection, whatever system it may be.

Battlefield: Bad Company Preview

2008-06-15T13:33:32.693-04:00

Last week, I downloaded playable demo of BF: Bad Company. And I've been playing online ever SINCE! It may not have the realism found in Call of Duty 4, but it sure has a lot of fun packed in. First of all, being able to destroy walls to get to my objective is probably the most satisfying feature in a multi player game(even though, I can't drop in on people by blowing up the ceiling :{ ). When playing Single Player campaign; BC, plays a lot like another FPS published by EA, Black. From how enemies seem to survive half a clip of bullets to how players can get swarmed by what feels like a never ending enemy assault...it feels quite similar to Black. Which is not a bad thing at all...I loved that game, and I can truly say...Bad Company is on the right path to snatch some CoD fans. Even with the 720p only support.

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