I was wrong on all fronts. I am addicted, and the game is pretty damn great.

JD, Jedi Badass

Almost too good, as if I have to take back everything negative I have ever said about Bioware. I think I have narrowed the reason why down to this – story. Everyone knows Bioware writes a good story – Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Dragon Age. The problem I had was that I did not want to read it. The dialog trees which equated to walls of text took me out of the story. I’m playing a video game. If I wanted to read I’d pick up a book or at the very least listen to one read to me on my ipod (my laziness knows no bounds). What Bioware did for SWTOR was the perfect solution – voice overs. Everything is voiced in this game, every quest, every reward, every interaction with your companions, everything. So much so, in fact, that Star Wars the Old Republic is in the Guinness World Records as having the most lines of recorded dialogue ever. 200,000 lines – more than any motion picture, let alone video game. I don’t even mind having to read subtitles for an alien language when someone is voicing it for me at the same time. Weird.

Now that I didn’t have to read everything that a NPC says to me, I concentrated on the story line, and my character. What a story it is. I have just finished Act I of the game, essentially completing the main story quests for my character, a Jedi Knight Guardian (tank). From the double agents to the evil Sith lords, I loved every second of it. Even the back stories of my two main companions, an astromech droid named T7 and a Jedi Padawan named Kira. As for what happens in Acts II and III, check back with me in a couple months. That is if I don’t get lost in the story lines of one of the eight other classes when I start a new character.

SWTOR is an RPG at its heart. Bioware repeatedly said during the development process that they were bringing story to the MMORPG, not just making a clone of other MMOs (WoW). I had no doubt that they would get the RPG part right, that’s what Bioware does. The MMO part is what I was worried about – multiplayer (co-op), player vs player (pvp), chat, etc. Things that other MMOs take for granted were new to Bioware. After a pretty flawless launch (save for some long wait times to login early on), I can report all of the ‘MMO’ parts are working well. There are things that need to be tweaked, primarily in the pvp sections, maybe make the economy a little more robust, a ‘looking for group’ menu, etc. But these things will get better, as the game gets patched and updated weekly, and as players level their characters.

As with all combat in SWTOR (quests, pvp, heroics, space) any xp you get levels your character, ship, and companions at the same time. This makes leveling simple and fun. You can basically do whatever you want. If you choose to skip all side missions and just do your main quests, you can do it. Make up for the loss in xp with pvp or space missions. The game is flexible in that respect.

The game is made up of planets that are designed for certain character levels, currently about 17 planets. Once you get your ship, you are free to travel to any of them, but obviously you will be spending time on planets appropriate for your level. I think the travel is pretty cool in this game. I like the idea of hopping in your ship, bringing up the galaxy map, and traveling to a spaceport on any planet you like, hopping out and starting quests. Early days of Star Wars Galaxies was all based on fast travel between planets (also from spaceports). Something about getting in your own ship first makes it cooler. There is a central hub in the game called the fleet. It is essentially a bunch of space stations/ships that have nearly any vendor/trainer/NPC you will ever need.

I have played many MMOs – Dark Ages of Camelot, WoW, Star Wars Galaxies, City of Heroes, Guild Wars to name a few. Is this game WoW with a Star Wars skin over it? Not in the least bit. Yes, there are the standard fetch quests, kill x number of these quests, etc. These are in most RPGs, standard fare. Loot grinders will be in heaven. But Star Wars: The Old Republic has some things that are different from any other MMORPG – the companion system, the combat, the way gear and upgrading your gear is handled, and the detailed and varied story.  You will see aspects of many other games in there as well, and Bioware would be stupid not to learn from other MMO successes. While SWTOR may not be a revolutionary game, it most certainly is an evolutionary game, there are many many things that the game does very well, a lot of them new. Looting multiple mobs at once! Hello?! Where have you been all my life?

I know I haven’t mentioned a lot of the details of the game, but there is too much to mention. The only thing I can say is if you have been thinking about getting this game, do it. Use the free month subscription and try it out. Just make sure you have a lot of spare time and say goodbye to your significant other beforehand. If you do join up, look up the Space Pimps guild on the Sith Wyrm server.  Tell them JD sent ya.

This got me thinking–what do I want from the next round of systems? Do I feel that my gaming experiences on Playstation 3 and Xbox360 are lacking something that the next round of systems could provide? My wants may not be what you’ve heard elsewhere. Click the jump to check out my uninformed ramblings on the subject.

First of all, I’ve got to state for the record that I’m perfectly satisfied with current systems as they are right now. I feel that this past year, developers really displayed how familiar and comfortable they were with this gen’s tech inside the PS3 and Xbox360, and the proof is in the pudding. Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3, and Batman: Arkham City are just three examples of the bumper crop of top tier titles that dropped last year, and games like The Max Payne 3, Prototype 2, and Dragon’s Dogma are looking primed to make 2012 just as exciting as 2011–if not more so.

That being said, here’s a synopsis of what I want from Sony’s, Nintendo’s and Microsoft’s next foray into the console industry.

Nintendo:
I like Nintendo. I’m not a big fan of Nintendo’s portable systems because I have large hands and even the DS XL’s ergonomic design cramps my hands after a while. I do however dig their consoles (I’ve owned everything from NES to Wii), and would like to have reason to add a WiiU to my entertainment center. In order to get my money, Nintendo is going to have to do a few things:

NEW IPs PLEASE!: This is all a matter of personal taste, but I’m going to have to see something other than the next Mario/Zelda/Metroid/MariKart racer to get me to buy this system. Nintendo is one of the most unique circumstances with regard to this; and in my opinion it is both blessing and curse. Their IP stable is at such an iconic stable, Nintendo has had the benefit of resting on its in house laurels. If they want to sell a few extra hundred thousand units, they just crank out another Mario game. I’m not saying that those games aren’t good–they are. I’m just saying that for me, those old school iconic “warm and fuzzies” aren’t going to do it for me this time around. I’m going to need to see some of that “Nintendo magic” that produced a Zelda, and produced a Mario come through again with new and exciting IPs. Nintendo knows how to do that. They just need TO do that.

CONSOLIDATE THE ONLINE STORE: Nintendo has a lot of great games available on their online store. In fact, I think it rivals that of the PSN, but you would never know that looking at that interface. You have to already know what you’re looking for, otherwise digging through the games quickly becomes a chore. With Nintendo having a tablet as a controller for the WiiU, there are a number of interface solutions that can be utilized with a little forethought. Even if they have to borrow a bit from Apple, that storefront needs a major facelift. Also, why do I have to have separate for Wii, and DS DLC? All that needs to be consolidated into one online store front, and one currency–preferably US dollars.

UNIQE GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCES: Nintendo is coming into the HD gaming arena very late. While its all fine and dandy that they say that they’re seriously trying to woo hardcore games to this system, games are going to have unique gameplay experiences that can only be found on WiiU for me to jump on board (not including Nintendo exclusives). Why would I want to play Darksiders 2 on WiiU, when I can get the exact same game on Playstation 3? I played the first game on PS3, I’m familiar with the control method, and graphically–unless the WiiU is a serious beast of a graphics powerhouse, it’ll look identical to the PS3 version. Nintendo is really going to have to encourage 3rd party developers to utilize that WiiPad to create experiences that will make me want to own that 3rd party game on WiiU as opposed to the other HD systems.

Microsoft:
I’ve had my problems with Microsoft’s current console. If the house that Gates built wants to see my money next gen, these points would be a good place to start:

GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT PLEASE!: If you’ve poked around the Gamerhusbands website, or listened to the GHR podcast for any length of time, you’ll discover that I’m a self admitted Playstation fanboy. Why? The answer is simple. I’ve had 7 Xbox360s red-ring. Eight if you include the “fixed” unit BestBuy provided me during my in-store warranty exchange. It matters not how good Xbox LIVE is or will be when the next console is released. It will all be for nothing if the service is provided through an overheating turd wrapped in plastic. I won’t be in that midnight launch lineup in front of BestBuy like I was when the 360 dropped. Instead, I’ll wait a couple of months to get an idea of what the build quality of that system is, before I jump in.

A MORE VARIED 1ST PARTY LINEUP: Halo and Gears are good games. I’m not really an FPS or 3PS maniac, but they are fun. However, I would like to see Microsoft step it up when it comes to their exclusives. There is more to gaming than having a character tote around a gun, and I’d like to see Microsoft make an effort to widen its 1st party genre horizons. Alan Wake by all accounts was a good attempt at doing that. Microsoft needs to do more to cultivate that this next time around. Microsoft has had the luxury of being able to rest on their LIVE laurels to move systems and 3rd party software; I want to see more effort from them in this regard.

SONY:
Sony really doesn’t need to do a whole lot different from what they’re already doing to get my money (yeah, Sony fanboy loud and proud). With a first party lineup that is 2nd to none, the awesome PSN Plus program, and free online, they just need to give me bleeding edge tech without bleeding my wallet too much. Thats not a whole lot to ask is it? Well, this is Sony, so maybe it is. I’m getting the next Playstation regardless, but if Sony included the following points, it would just make the deal that much sweeter:

COMMUNICATION: I don’t understand why Sony doesn’t do this already, but they definitely should with their next system. There should be a headset of some sort included with every system.

BACKWARDS REGION FREE COMPATIBILITY: There is no chance in hell that this is going to happen. I know that, but this is just one of those wishes my niche oriented mind would love to see in Sony’s next console. I have a fairly large collection of Japanese PS2 games–mostly fighters, and quirky action games of varying quality. I would love to be able to play my copy of Sega Ages Dynamite Deka, or Shin Gouketsuji: Bonnou Kaihou, then go to the latest and greatest on one system. Oh well, a man can dream…

TRUE HOME INTEGRATION: I haven’t used Playstation Home since its initial public beta. I found it slow, convoluted, and not very much fun moving my avatar to storefronts amidst the masses of electronic horndogs looking for digital strange. I could see what Sony was trying to introduce to the console space with this feature, and from what I’ve heard, Sony has made significant improvements in Home. The problem? I’ll never see it unless Sony forces me to. I’d like to see Home and PSN integrated in such a way that I can wander the Home landscape or go straight to the media bar seamlessly if I so choose, but Sony must make Home and PSN one to truly accomplish this.

I recently decided I wanted a new PC.  It started out with a random visit to the Apple Store when I bit into the pretty new iMac.  Man those are a work of art.  I’ve been excited for years to get into their photo editing, having iTunes that doesn’t crash and editing some videos.  I was pumped and brought it home.  It is a work of art, but I didn’t like it.  The machine is so pretty and the operating system is beautiful but I realized I didn’t like it.  Nothing wrong with it, I’m just used to Windows and didn’t see a reason to change.  So back it went.

I decided I was fine staying with my laptop.  It did what I needed.  Until JD and Weasel started playing Star Wars the Old Republic.  They played and I realized I wanted to play too.  OK back to the drawing board.  I wanted a nice laptop so I went to BestBuy and found the Asus G74SX-BBK which is a nice Republic of Gaming laptop.  Cost $1200 and she’s a beast for a laptop.  Core i7 with a terrabyte of memory, ran Star Wars beautifully but maxed around 60fps and saw instances of 37fps.  It had the Quad i7 and a GeForce Videocard but they were the mobile type so they’re just not as powerful.

I use my PC in the livingroom and a laptop really fits in well.  Unfortunately I started to feel dated already and I barely had the laptop.  I realized time would move on and there’s no upgrading.  So I started thinking about what I wanted to do.  Time to build a new rig.

I started by checking out this post on neogaf which gives you a good guide of parts.

Next it was just picking out components from that list and putting it together.  If you decide to do this let me say that if you get over the fear it’s not that hard.  I had my kids helping me some to try and get them to realize it’s not really hard.  Unfortunately I ran into some hurdles and went to YouTube too much so they got bored and wandered off.  YouTube + Forums are your friend if you want to build a machine.

Everything was purchased by Amazon only because I decided I wanted it here quickly and I missed the shipping time for Newegg.  Both had very similar costs, probably spent an extra $50 by using Amazon.

Case : HAF 922M ($90)

Picked the HAF because it is covered in holes to pass air through.  It also comes with some pretty beefy fans which give it tons of airflow.  Nice case, plenty of room to maneuver.

Motherboard : ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3   $200

I bought this motherboard because it has great reviews and Asus makes nice boards.  I built a machine 15 years ago with the best overclockers board.  The board gave me nothing but problems and they never fixed it right on bios updates and I was never fully happy with that machine.

Processor : Quad Core i5 2500 ($200)

I didn’t even look at AMD because I have some crazy idea I might turn this into a Hackintosh (not going to).  So I went with the i5.  It has great ability to overclock so it can power up close to an i7 for much less $.

Cooler :  Cooler Master Hyper 212 ($25)

This is a great cooler for the cost.  Best one I could find without moving up to water cooled which scared me some.  Read 500 great reviews on a water cooled unit but 1 guy said it leaked and fried everything.  Scared me enough to stick with the cheaper unit shown below.  The processor comes with a fan but if you’re going to overclock don’t skimp on cooler or thermal paste, these are the keys to your build.  It amazed me the size of this fan.

Graphics Card : GTX 570 (Factory Overclocked) $340

I went with this card because it had some good reviews.  There’s basically a few classes and I got middle of the road.  The new high end are close to $600 which is way more than I wanted to spend.  You could get a nice card for about $100 less.

RAM: Corsair 16 GB  $90

8 GB would have been fine for anyone.  I’ve read things that more than 8 doesn’t matter for most things.  8GB would have been $45 but I found a very good deal on RAM and got all 16.

Power Supply : Corsair 850  $185

Power Supplies have changed drastically since I last build a machine.  Chose 850 Watts to future proof myself if I ever buy 2 vid cards and run them together.

Monitor : Viewsonic VX2450WM ($188)

Everything has updated drivers and now the monitor looks great.  Have only been using it for a little bit but I like it so far.

Bought a cheap dvd drive ($25), a network card ($20), a Western Digital 2TB drive with 6gb/s SATA ($120).  Thought about an SSD drive to speed stuff up but they are ridiculously expensive.  Since I’ve been on laptops, I needed a mouse and keyboard.  Actually I needed 2 because my wireless ones wouldn’t connect to allow me to install Windows (no drivers before Windows installs).  So some added cost there.  Overall it was about $1600 which is more than I wanted to spend and much more than you need if you’re looking to play games.  But I’m happy.  Very happy with my new beast.

I’m not a computer genius so its not a very hard project.  Just need to dig in and plug away.  The hardest parts were putting the processor fan together and putting on the thermal paste.  Youtube and the Artic Silver website were great helps here.  All of the plugs were unfamiliar but they can only plug in one way and it’s pretty self evident.  I did make a mistake on some of the case controls but figured it out after the fan LEDs and power switch weren’t working.  Feels really nice to look over and realize I’m working on the machine I built.

Any questions?  Drop me a line on Twitter Tilt_101

Turkey Time, Turkey Time! The Gamerhusbands get together for another epic mashup show of sorts.  Last week we recorded with Podcasting Heavyweights, The 40 Cast, and this week we bring another show full of laughs. With the help of Bob, Co-Host of the Lagfree podcast, JD and Kevin we discuss open world games and how Saints Row has changed Open World games. Someone check Maverick’s temperature, because he has positive things to say about Modern Warfare III. Sam continues his disgust with the HALO REMAKE MULTIPLAYER. Yes, Sam bought Halo one for the multiplayer??? He also received some constructive criticism from one of our AWESOME listeners! Finally, someone pointed the cross hairs at Sam instead of Maverick. We talk turkey…..Literally. How do you like your turkey? and what time is thanksgiving dinner served at your casa? We talk different cultures and arriving at the table, CPT. Good game talk, and we try to stay away from being douche……well, except JD. Enjoy!

In October I was able to get to New York Comic Con and experience it. If you’ve never been there, it’s a daunting experience. There’s just so much there including comics, Steampunk shops, LoTR, Video Games, Gamer Furniture, everything under the geek sun.

Accompanying me this year was my 8 year old and one thing that caught his eye and stayed with him was a silly little iOS game called Corpse Toss. He sat down and played it on the floor and was enthralled for 10 minutes. I eventually dragged him away with the promise that we would buy it when it came out.

The premise is simple, you are an undertaker and you like whacking corpses with shovels. The further the corpse goes, the more money you get. It’s a real simple mechanic too, reminiscient of kicking in football games. You have a moving bar dictating your height and another dictating your strength.

As you get money you can level up your character. The meters can go slower, the undertaker’s strength gets stronger, you can buy bombs and trampolines and buzz saws all of which increase the distance. There are also speciality corpses with different bonuses.

I enjoy the overall artistic theme of the program. It’s comically Halloween and fits very nice with this game.

This is a simple game but that’s where it shines. It’s easy enough to pick up for 5 minutes, good enough that my 8 year old played it for hours until everything was unlocked. It’s only a dollar and well worth the money. My boy says it’s one of the best iOS games he’s played.

If gangsters with open shirts, hairy chests draped in gold chains, and hot women in the car makes you smile, then Gangstar Rio might be a game to check out. Some of the AAA sandbox games are being released, and it’s perfect timing for one to come to our handhelds and tablet devices. Gangstar Rio grabbed my attention with the trailer. Some of the goodies include; heliocopters, planes, ATV’s, and big gune. These are essentials for a good open world. Hopefully it has an entertaining narrative too. This game is coming to Iphone, Ipad and Android devices, so most people will have a chance to play it.

I’m not even going to put into words what I just saw. The phrase, “if we think it, we can make it,”  applies to this toy box filled adventure. As many wait to payback Russia in Modern Warfare 3, or  chase down flying dragons in, The Elder Scrolls V:Skyrim, there is a choose your own adventure in Saints Row:The Third. Just watch the trailer, and i’m sure you will be wondering where to insert quarters.

It’s time once again for the New York Comic Con. Every year they have been improving this convention and I can’t wait to get there tonight! Check back here for coverage as I post my impressions.

Things I’m looking forward to right now include:
Locke and Key failed Fox pilot
Max Payne 3 and GTA3 (mobile edition) by Rockstar!
Mass Effect 3

Wish I could make it to the Podcast Beyond! live recording but it’s not going to fit into my schedule. I’m sure there’s thousands of other cool things I will report back on.

Sorry everyone. No Show this week. I was sick the latter part of the week. We don’t like to miss show, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.  We will be back this upcoming friday with a lot of content. We have been playing a lot of games, and I can’t wait to talk about them on the show this week. Thanks for hanging in there, and thank you for all of the support!

Also, The Gamerhusbands want to take a second and remember all of those who lost their lives on this day ten years ago. A thank you to the Armed forces and everyone who has sacrificed their life for this country. Your hard work and dedication will never be forgotten. Thank you

Marketing. Its amazing how industries are willing to spend oodles of money to figure out how to get into our wallets by way of our heads.

As we all know, marketing is no stranger to the gaming industry. The tactic of using a videogame to sell another product isn’t new either. We all remember those Xbox360 Burger King games right? How many of us remember Yo! Noid for NES? Well, there was one even before the Noid. It was a great big ‘ol glass pitcher of water, sugar, and powder granules of fruit flavor. The game was Kool Aid Man for the Intellivision, and it was the first time I fell for a marketing campaign hook, line and sinker. So, if you’re so inclined, allow me to set the Way-Back Machine to 1983, where a skinny, nerdy, young ShoNuff (I’m still nerdy. Skinny and young–not so much) learned an early lesson about marketing hype.

I must have been around 11 or 12 years old, when one Sunday (don’t ask me how I can remember this, when I can’t even remember what I had for lunch today) I was looking through the comics section of my local newspaper. Somewhere between Beetle Bailey and Hagaar the Horrible, I saw a color add for Kool Aid mix. Normally I would have bypassed it, but something caught my eye. At the top of the add, were pictures of the Kool Aid Man videogame. They had one version for Atari 2600, and another version for Intellivision. Being the hardcore Mattel fanboy that I was, I knew which version I wanted to get.

It was and is a common belief among stand-up comedians that African-American households with children usually have Kool Aid readily available–especially grape. The exact opposite was the case in my household growing up. I had more Kool Aid as an adult than I ever did as a kid. As a matter of fact, before I saw that add, the only time I had Kool Aid was at a birthday party or backyard bbq at someone’s house. I didn’t dislike Kool Aid; its just that at the time, we had a local soda manufacturer and distributor called the Pop Shop. They made the best soda ever devised by mortal men. When my dad and I would go we’d always come back with at least two or three cases of the stuff in the back of his truck. Cooler still, was that they gave kids a tour of the plant; ending with an ice cold cup of Pop-Shop soda straight from the tap of any flavor they had. I always chose lemon. Most kids dream of being a cop, a fireman, or the President of the United States. Me? I wanted to run the machines at the Pop-Shop. Anyway–I’m digressing. Back to Kool Aid Man.

So anyway, I proceeded to beg my folks for Kool Aid Man–as I did for any game I saw for Intellivision. The answer was the same: “Keep your grades up, and we’ll see what happens.”

The way you got the game was that you had to send in a bunch of proofs of purchases of Kool Aid drink mixes. Honestly I don’t remember how many you had to send. Wikipedia says you had to send in 125 proofs plus “shipping and handling” to get the free game. I’m not really sure how many it was, but I remember that for quite a while, I must have drunk my body weight in Kool Aid mix–still with no guarantee that my folks would send away for it. Oh, and before you ask–yes, my folks (especially my dad) were the kind of parents to let their kid drink himself silly on Kool Aid and NOT send away for the game if I screwed up on grades, or behavior.

Well, I didn’t screw up, they sent a ton of proofs of purchases out, and in about a month or so, I received Kool Aid Man for Intellivision. The gameplay premise is this: It was a 2D game (as was every game back then–no polygons in 1983, yo). You play the part of 2 children trapped in a 3 story haunted house. The two kids traveled as one. You had to get all the ingredients (i.e: pitcher, the mix, and the sugar) and bring them to the kitchen sink. Standing in your way were the Thirsties–the antagonists of Kool Aid Man in the commercial campaigns in the ‘80s. If a child was touched by a Thirsty, they would scream, and be frozen in place. At that time, you would only be able to control the other child. If both children got caught, the game was over.

Once you brought all the ingredients to the kitchen sink, Kool Aid Man would appear–complete with busting through a brick wall and the Kool Aid theme playing. At that point, you take control of Kool Aid Man. The children disappear, and the house becomes filled with flavor ghosts that you can grab for points. That was how you built your score. Once you caught the two Thirsties, the round would end, and it all started over.

Kool Aid Man had an irritating play mechanic that I picked up on really quick. Normally, the Thirsties would run from Kool Aid, giving you plenty of room to move the slow as molasses glass of sugar water around to grab the flavor ghosts. As your score increases though, the Thirsties become suicidal, literally running toward Kool Aid like some thirst-quenching jihadists; causing the round to end and not allowing you to catch flavor ghosts.

I played Kool Aid Man pretty hard for about a day or two. Then, like the oodles of Kool Aid mix I had to drink, the game started to wear me down. Not being able to build up my score was frustrating, and soon, I was back to Night Stalker, Space Hawk, and AstroSmash. It was a long time–in fact I think I was in my 20s–before I had another drink of KoolAid. I drank enough for two lifetimes. The game won’t even boot up now. I can get a title screen, but when the control disc is pressed, the screen goes black. Of all the games I have for Intellivision, its the only one that doesn’t still work. Don’t know when it stopped working, either. Thats why this is a retrospective review–I had to write this from memory. Still, as I look back on my memories of that game, it has a certain endearment to it, which is probably why I still have it. Its also a reminder of a lesson I learned way back then–all that glitters in the marketing machine looking glass, isn’t necessarily gold.

RetroGrade: F (Because my damn game that I drank all that Kool Aid for won’t work)

The battle between the used games market and game publishers heats up a few more degrees courtesy of Capcom.

In Resident Evil: The Mercenaries for 3DS, there will only be one save slot that–if I’m understanding the GameStooge article correctly–can’t be deleted or reset. This apparently means that if I bought the game new, unlocked everything and traded it in, whoever bought the game used would be stuck with my game save. They won’t be able to experience the game themselves. If RE: Mercenaries is anything like the Mercenaries mode from Resident Evil 5, a big chunk of the fun in that mode was unlocking additional characters, skins, and levels yourself. Capcom by pulling this stunt has effectively made the game less fun (in my opinion) if you buy it used.

Of course Capcom claims no nefarious intent with this save method. Capcom Community rep Shawn Baxter stated: “RE Mercs was treated like an arcade fighting game. You unlock characters, levels, etc and they just stay unlocked as they would in an arcade machine.” (See his entire statement on the GameStooge article).

I’m sorry, but I’m calling shenanigans on this. I never played a fighting game at the arcade where every character in the game wasn’t available. Unless I’m mistaken in the arcade version of Tekken 6, and the arcade version of Super Streetfighter 4 certain characters were on timed unlock, meaning that after a certain amount of time passed, a new character becomes available. Its mostly a means to keep folks hyped about a game; primarily the console release, since traditional arcades are all but dead here in the States.

I’ve always said–If companies want to slow down the used market, they should make better games, and offer better deals. Places like Kmart, Amazon, and Best Buy offer deals on some games that make it almost a waste to wait for a title to come out used. They don’t have to resort to removing the fun out of a game if you buy it used. If Capcom and other publishers keep this silliness up, they might find their games collecting dust on the shelves–new and used.

This weekend (June 17th – June 19th) the Philadelphia Convention Center will be blessed with our own little version of geek nirvana. Run on down this weekend to see a multitude of old stars. Currently on the guest list are Bruce Campbell, Adam Baldwin, Pam Grier, Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin), Goldberg, and many others.

Make sure to check out the artist alley where you can get some great independent art.

If you’re going, hit me up @Tilt_101

Gameplay of Ninja Gaiden 3 was shown today. I’ve watched the footage on GameTrailers, as well as the hands on demo on G4’s coverage. While I’m happy to see latest episode in what I think is the greatest action series ever I have to temper my excitement with some skepticism.

This is the first Ninja Gaiden project sans Itagaki at the helm. Well, not just him, but a lot of Team Ninja’s core coders who made Ninja Gaiden Black so awesome aren’t there anymore.

The project leader Yosuke Hayashi mentioned the combat system called “steel on bone” technique several times in his GameTrailers interview. To me, after looking at the gameplay footage, “steel on bone” seems to be a fancy phrase for quick time events. When the button flashes and the player pushes the button, a heavy damage blow is dealt to the opponent. This doesn’t necessarily finish off your enemy. A lot of the time during the game play footage, they stumbled back bleeding profusely, begging for their lives. Hayashi stated that this was done in an attempt to show Ryu’s enemies as real people, and bring the player closer to what it might be like to cut through someone with a katana.

Speaking of weapons, although not explicitly stated by Hayashi, the katana (I would assume its the Dragon Sword) may be Ryu’s only weapon throughout the great majority of the game. The sword, Ryu’s apparent affliction (his right arm seems infected), and the apparent focus on the sword are all part of making Ryu a “Japanese dark hero” as opposed to being just the killing machine he was in the first two games.

Some differences between the first two games and this one: First up, you can do stealth kills in this game. You can sneak up on an unwary soldier by walking up behind them, hit the strong attack button (triangle in this case as the game was being played on PS3) to relatively silently dispatch your opponent.

Secondly, based on what was shown in the demo, the karma system of powering up your weapons seems to be gone. There wasn’t a karma orb to be found on the screen–which could be due to Ryu being a one weapon man this outing. While it would be premature to say that the Spider Clan and the Fiends won’t be making appearances in this game, Ryu spent most of his time in the demo cutting down Special Ops looking soldiers, ending with a confrontation with some sort of multi-legged mech.

I wouldn’t want to speak for Itagaki, but I would think that if one of his employees came to him with the idea to put quick time events in a Ninja Gaiden project he was heading up, he’d ask for his immediate resignation. Ninja Gaiden as a collective series has the greatest combat system of any 3rd person hack ‘n slash or brawler. It doesn’t need to rely on the crutch that has become the QTE.

Another point of concern is this desire to explore Ryu as a “dark hero”, and there was talk of creating a story that “made sense.” I don’t want them to turn Ryu into a brooding emo. Nor do I need my Ninja Gaiden games to have story lines that make sense. The wacky craziness is part of the charm with these games. I’m fine with cutting down soldiers, but I want to hack the Spider Clan, and Fiends with combat system that is second to none. I want a supporting cast of female characters that have boobs with ridiculous proportions, and s story that makes no sense in any way shape or form. That is the Ninja Gaiden I want. Obviously this new Team Ninja is taking it in a new direction. I just hope they don’t forget what made Ninja Gaiden the best action series in the world–that being the finger busting combat.

No release date was given. The demo was being played on a Playstation3, but I would assume the game will come to Xbox360 as well.

Image from Joystiq.com

E3 is literally around the corner, and news (other than the PSN outage) has been pretty slow for a while, since the big guns are going to be revealed at the big event. I personally am more excited for this E3 than I have been in prior years, as I’m expecting to hear more info about the type of games I enjoy, and Sony and Nintendo will be dropping info on new systems.

As with most old folks, excitement for new things brings up nostalgia for old things, and this excitement I’m feeling this year sparked excitement to revisit my gaming roots. So, I decided to do a short series of retro reviews of some classic gaming gems that are near and dear to me. The images are from games in my library.

The game to chose to kick this thing off was an easy decision. It was the game that first got me ridiculously excited about gaming at home. That game was Night Stalker.

Its 1982. I’m a skinny, nerdy 11 year old kid walking through the Gottschalks department store with my mom. As usual, I want to go over to electronics section to play at the Atari display they had set up at the counter. As I approach, I notice a small crowd of people gathered around one of those big console TVs that were all the rage back then. The clerk was demoing a new video game system put out by Mattel (yup, the Ken and Barbie company) called Intellivision, and the game being shown was Night Stalker.

I was literally speechless. These were the coolest graphics I’d ever seen. When the group that was there before me left, I asked the clerk if I could play. When he handed me the controller I was hooked. I was already a gaming fan. My brother had been taking me to the pinball parlor on a fairly regular basis, and I had been playing Space Invaders there. I also was very interested in the Atari 2600 at the time, but Night Stalker was the first game that pushed over the edge into gaming fanaticism.

A brief aside on the controller: In this day of DualShocks and 360 controllers, the Intellivision’s controller would probably be more akin to some type torture device. On the controller’s face was a numeric pad. Each game came with an overlay, that could be slipped on top of the number pad to show action specific functions. Below that was the control disc. On either side of the controller were two action buttons (that frequently wore out and needed replacement). Just by looking at it below, it just looks uncomfortable…And it was, for faster paced games like Night Stalker. My thumbs and fingers bore many blisters during my long gaming sessions during the weekends.

Like all games back then, the premise was simple, and the story all but non-existant. Your character, known only as “the man” is trapped in a maze, and is being hunted by robots, bats, and a spider. His only defense is a yellow glowing 6-shot laser gun, and the bunker that serves as refuge in the middle of the screen.

The game was a score chase. The excitement for me was as I got better at the game, I would see different robots. Things really get interesting when you reach15,000 points, as the White Robot appears, and has a shield that takes 3 shots to disable. At 30,000 points, the Black Robots shows up with a 3 shot shield and “energy bolts” that can destroy your bunker. Then, the final robot was the Invisible Robot which shows up at 80,000 points. It packs everything the Black one has, and its invisible–obviously.

Also patrolling the maze are two bats and a spider, that cause the man to be stunned and fall over if they touch him. Usually this meant certain death if a robot was on your tail, but sometimes they were life savers. Both you and your robotic enemies can only shoot one laser shot at a time–meaning that another blast couldn’t be done until the first shot disappeared. Getting stun on a horizontal section of the maze can cause a shot to go over your head–keeping you from getting blasted.

Of all the games that I have in my collection, this and several others were always my go to titles. There was something about the low droning sound “thump” sound the game made as the robots hunted you down, and the sound the lasers made as you sent “the man” running and blasting the robots that kept me coming back to this game. It was fast paced for the time, and an absolute blast to play. In this world of Street Fighters, Killzones, Assassins Creeds, and GTAs, this game–even today–brings a big goofy grin to my face; just like it did all those years ago. And yes, I am nursing a blister on my right thumb caused by that wicked control disk.

Like all the games back then, it doesn’t wear well. However the box art (as was the case with all Intellivision games) is simply retro classic–I’d like to those washed out water color style come back to box art today. Aside from everything else, this game is where I fell in love with my favorite hobby, and it will hold a very special spot in my gaming heart simply because of that.

We come back for another week with a Thursday episode. These episodes are always challenging, because we have to be careful with our words. So, what we say is what you hear which can make for some funny lines. We have a good conversation about LA Noire. Sam is a critical gamer so the LA Noire hype doesn’t cloud his early opinion on the game. Alfred has a hard time containing his excitement on the new Alan Wake rumor. He is just happy to have more Alan Wake. Scott is still catching up on games that you might have missed, so our games of the week is a well rounded selection. We also discuss a Blogpost from Jeff Green( former host of GFW live and 1up editor) that discusses the transition from playing most games for free as an industry professional, to being a civilian and the hard decision of spending $60 per game. This was a fun show and we keep the jokes rolling, and also cover a lot of bases! Enjoy!

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News and Topics on the show

NEWS
1.  Netflix on Consoles Accounts for 20% of Peak Internet Traffic in North America
2. AT&T is capping internet speeds. You pay a extra  $10 for every 2 gig extra
3. Gears 3 fastest selling pre-order on XBox(1 million)
4. New Alan Wake is (rumored) to be an XBLA download called “Night Springs,” the twilight Zone style show. XBLAfans.com broke the news, and  this site also broke the news on “Gotham City Imposters” months ago

The details of Modern Warfare 3 have  been unofficially leaked, according to an article in Kotaku. Activision hasn’t even  released the name  of the upcoming successor in the Call of Duty franchise. The  name, Modern Warfare 3, was part of the leak.  In recent years, the Cod franchise has been the most important franchise in gaming history. Last year’s iteration, Call of Duty: Black Ops  grossed over 1 billion dollars in revenue.

The source of the leak is questionable and Activision is not excluded from the lists of culprits. In the era of the 24 hour news cycle, PR could be the life or death of a game. THQ’s Homefront moved over 1 million units its first week following a successful ad campaign. A great way to generate some  buzz is to unofficially release details of the most anticipated title for 2011. Many of the game’s locales and multiplayer maps have been exposed in a way reminiscent of an official release. Some of the details that were leaked include(don’t worry, I won’t spoil): The single player campaign being rumored to continue after the Russian invasion of America in Modern Warfare II andSpec Ops  receiving new modes. Players can also expect more perks and modes in the multiplayer dept. With the depth of details that were leaked, is this Activision’s way of releasing details and not having to field questions concerning the game? Since the leak was  “unofficial,” this protects IW from any responsibility.  Infinity Ward’s Creative Strategist Robert Bowling clears some of the confusion up on his twitter account.

“A lot of hype & a lot of leaked info on #MW3, some still accurate, some not. To avoid spoiling the experience, I’d wait for the real reveal.”

Or maybe not. But he does concede that some of the details are true.

November is now the month for confetti and party hats, because it is unofficially Call of Duty’s birthday and fans  will line up in droves to buy Modern Warfare 3. With Battlefield 3 stealing the spotlight, this leak seems like an unofficial attempt to turn the spotlight towards Soap MacTavish. EA, like Manny Pacquiao, is challenging MW3 to the ring, but the once great champion, Activision,  has been relegated to unofficially releasing details on how great its next fight is going to be.

The GamerHusbands are back to form this week with one of our funniest shows. Scott, aka Rex Sterlington emerges to bless us with his knowledge of game industry humor and Black Angus.  Sam, decides to take the Gears 3 beta for another test drive. Scott has a nice little surprise game that he has been playing. Alfred goes a little fan boy about the thought of an Alan Wake sequel, and his imagination of speculation runs wild. Alfred also does a little ranting on used game sales and how there are more ways to support the industry than exclusively buying new games.(love ya Lefty) What will the Microsoft purchase of Skype mean for podcasters? Will Skype now have achievements? How much is hype pushing the interest in LA Noire? Lots of good conversation on this episode, and we are glad to be back recording together again. Minus Allen. Allen was too busy being Cliff Huxtable by welcoming his baby daughter into the world. Congratulations to his family!!!!!! Hope you enjoy this episode, and if you don’t, hatemail@gamerhusbands.com. Also, our lovesack hasn’t gotten too much love lately. It’s not enjoying the single life so feel free to send some letters its way.

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We’re Back! After a week of braving thunderstorms, tornadoes, and power outtages, the GHR crew sits down and relives some of the crazy moments from last week. While the storms subsided on the outside, we brought one of the most controversial guests ever, The Scargfinger, on the show this week. Mike(Scarfinger), founder of the Scarcasm Live Community,  takes the conversation to a new level with his excellent commentary regarding problems in the gaming industry. We also talk parenting which turns into a great discussion. Lots of heartfelt conversation on this show beginning with our humbling experiences in the tornadoes. We read a loveSack email from a professional trainer concerning the concussions discussion in Madden 12. Other topics inlude: Gears of War 3 Beta, NBA 2k11, GTA:TLAD, Sony Shutdown. Lots of gaming discussed on this show. Make sure and give it a listen. You won’t be disappointed.

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Multiple codes are available, and fill free to message me (GHR Superman) and the guys whenever you see us on the Gears Beta and we will get you into our game. And remember the Beta ends May 15th (that’s this Sunday). So what are you waiting for?

I grew up in the era of arcades. It seems foreign these days as arcades have died out during the past 20 years. Back then you could find a Donkey Kong or Pinball in most diners and bars. Later I remember going to a local pet store to play Dragon’s Lair or spending way too many Saturday nights at the Club House Diner playing Street Fighter and never buying any food. Arcade cabinets were everywhere in one’s and two’s but nirvana lived at the arcade.

Arcades were bars for kids. They were dark and often seedy. The Gold Train was within biking distance from my house and when I’d play hooky I’d ride my bike and play games until the truancy officer made spot checks. It was called The Gold Train because the old train car it was in was split in two. One side was filled with arcade machines, the other side was a “Buy-Sell-Trade” Gold business. 90% of that business came from kids robbing their parents gold and selling it for quarters to be used on the arcade side.

The Gold Train was the seediest of arcades, other arcades in the area ranged from borderline wholesome Chuck E Cheese places to dark smokey rooms filled with neon. Over time they all slowly died off. The home consoles quickly grew more powerful and soon the arcade experience was able to be had at home. People expected videogames to cost a quarter and ignored inflation. If a dollar coin became common it might have saved the arcades but unfortunately it never happened. Now we have online gaming which allows users to test their strength against counterparts from around the world.

Today’s children have no real arcade experience. Chuck E Cheese still abounds in my area and I love it for what it is, a kids arcade filled with bright lights and cheap games tailored more to giving me tickets than a fun video game experience. Dave and Busters exists as the adult version of Chuck E Cheese where I can drink and play games but its not the arcade I remember. Too corporate and the games aren’t as fun.

Luckily I have found High Scores Arcade in Burlington, NJ where I can relive a small portion of my childhood. Here is a dark area filled with about 25 cabinets, 3 pinball machines and a few multicades where you can play any of a dozen different tiles. The games range from a quarter to fifty cents and all the machines are in amazing shape. The sticks and buttons are tight and feel brand new. Tons of great games like Joust, Karate Champ, Star Wars, Paperboy, Burgertime, Jungle Hunt, Tron, Pac-Man (various varieties) and a ton of others.

Soon they’re going to be adding another multicade containing hundreds of games and a larger control scheme so they can play anything from Robotron (with 2 sticks) to Street Fighter or Marble Madness. They’re in the process of fabricating it now while they research the laws behind multicades. Most of the games included are abandoned-ware where they can be added freely. Some game manufacturers have retained the rights and they need to give permission before the ROMs can be added.

Their collection is impressive and it started with a single Donkey Kong cabinet. The owners saw King of Kong and decided to try his hand at the high score. Unfortunately he didn’t get far but him and his wife found a love for old arcade cabinets. Soon they had 10 and it was time to move. They debated upon which cabinets to get rid of and could never come to agreement. Finally they decided to move to Burlington where they found a 3 floor home perfect for their collection.

The first floor was opened up as an arcade and their collection has been slowly growing. They live on the second and third floors so they are able to keep their overhead low while doing something they love. The township originally feared the place would draw kids but in actuality most of their clientelle is comprised of middle-aged men.

If you find yourself in the Philadelphia area I urge you to check out High Scores Arcade. It’s only open Friday and Saturdays for now but will get some additional hours in the summer. My son (age 8 ) and I had a great time there. I was concerned he’d be bored since he’s used to more modern games but he had a blast. If you go, there’s a nice pizza shop across the street and an ice cream store down the block. Hopefully this is how I’ll be spending a few of my summer nights.

The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997. During these last 14 years it has become this generation’s Star Wars. 7 books, 8 movies, a theme park, countless spin offs, tribute bands and billions of dollars later have been made with no stopping in sight.

Sunday my son and I experienced the latest in this hype train as we travelled to the NYC Discovery Museum to see the Harry Potter Experience. The Discovery Museum takes one or two topics and makes a walkthrough exhibit. The two they’re covering right now are Pompeii and Harry Potter. While Pompeii looked interesting, we only had time to see Harry Potter.

The line was immense. We arrived around 2:30 and it was about 3:15 before we got to the exhibit. Just lots of waiting and queuing. They have a cool photo opportunity in front of a green screen and you can buy that photo later. Other than that, it’s just standing and waiting.

After you finally get into the exhibit you start in a room where a live actor picks a few kids and lets the Sorting Hat choose their house. Then you walk into another dark room with 9 TV screens. The screens are all showing video from the different Harry Potter movies and it visibly hits you how much these kids have grown since doing the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001.

After the video montage is complete you enter the main exhibit. It’s walk at your own pace and it didn’t feel cramped after you get out of the initial room. Tons of props from the various movies are here, usually broken up by character. They show off their wands and their outfits. If you do the audio tour (highly recommended) it’s similar to a dvd commentary track. You see why Dolores Umbridge has the clothing she has and why her wand looks like it does. A ton of detail is in every decision.

Later the tour travels through the Forbidden Forest with props from the actual movie. The tour explains why BuckBeak was all digital for the movie but a highly detailed model was created. It also travels through Hagrid’s Hut. Then you can feel a quidditch ball and try to through it through the hoops. Kids lined up there playing quidditch.

The Dark Arts section was very popular and here you can see the different costumes the Death Eaters wore and all of the wanted posters they had. The final section showed off various Harry Potter candies and the party outfits from the ball.

It’s an interesting exhibit that a Harry Potter fan will love. Without my son’s love for Harry Potter I don’t think I would have gone just to see props but with the audio commentary it was extremely good. I’m amazed at all of the thought and detail that went into every little item.

One downside : No Photos Allowed. They stated it was a copyright issue which I understand but it’s poor planning. These topics are always handled by lawyers and very little thought is usually put into it. It’d be nice if someone could have budged a little here. We’re not talking about state secrets, all of these articles are already in movies.

All in all, I highly recommend this for Harry Potter buffs. Casual fans need a reason to go wait in this line. And a warning : Wands are expensive and your kid will want a wand. He definitely will want a wand.

Hello all you GamerHusbands, GamerWives and GamerSingles, it’s been a while. Portal 2 releases in a few days and God help me if you think I’m not gunna put my two-cents worth into a review of that. This article isn’t about puzzle games though, it’s about games like Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age and any other Magic Realism interpretations of medieval times.

I tried ladies and gentlemen, seriously I did, but I just can’t get in the mood for it.

I don’t mind a bit of Assassin’s Creed, but that is fairly true history and I mainly liked it for the whole overarching story of the Templars and Assassins in the future. I haven’t bought Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood because I didn’t really feel like playing the story anymore unless it was focused more on the future battle. I told a friend that opinion and he told me that the whole thing about AC is that it’s observing the past to tip the balance in the future and it’s not that important about what happens to Desmond compared to Ezio or Altair or whoever the next game is going to be about. That’s all well and good but I like the future better, just give me a sweet as gun and a great story and I’ll love the game forever.

I love Fallout so very very much, so when I went to buy myself a copy of Oblivion recently, I was expecting a similar experience. It was pretty similar but I came to the realisation that these games just aren’t for me. Kings and Queens and Elves and Orcs and swords and horses, I dunno something about the whole thing just doesn’t appeal to me. I feel like the whole medieval theme isolates me into a genre I cannot relate to (In a way any ol’ scifi action explosion bazooka game does soo well). Don’t get me wrong, Oblivion is a pretty sweet game except for the whole thing where if you aim for a stealth playthrough you will have a very hard time (first hand experience) and wizards are wayyyy overpowered. The story just wasn’t worth the effort of sleeping by accident and leveling up and being mauled by the first thing you run into. In comparison I liked Fallout because you got to see other people’s stories laid out in front of you, and you had the choice to ignore the odd pile of bones in the corner of an old shack or you could investigate why it was there (for no achievements and no experience, just purely for the immersion into the story). Oblivion on the other hand, everything is given to you in text down to the dot, nothing left unexplained. Also I didn’t feel any characters had personal or believable stories at all, you didn’t have the choice to be nice or nasty to them, and when the quest was over you still had no idea who they were. I got the impression that if you were playing as a fighter or a mage then that wouldn’t matter much because the gameplay would be supercool, but I usually go for building assassins or thieves. It was very easy to get overpowered playing like that, and the Thieves Guild quest was kinda sparse and not very rewarding.

I play games that I want to play, not ones people suggest to me or are incredibly cheap. I do not want to play alternative medieval history games so I don’t. I should probably stop here, please feel free to comment on this article and tell me what you think, or just to hate on me for hating on this…

More of my reviews/ideas/thoughts/bizarre at twitter.com/warmanator

Until this weekend my iPad wasn’t getting as much love as I expected. It has some games on there that hold my attention for a few levels but rarely do I sit down and play something for hours on my iPad.

Battleheart changed that. I sat down and started playing the game and quickly got pulled in. It reminds me of Final Fantasy Tactics with Castle Crasher graphics.

In the game you start with a Knight and a Cleric. You then go on to defeat skeletons, slime monsters, goblins and all sorts of characters you would expect to see in a fantasy setting.

The game is light on plot (so light I think it’s non-existant) but the gameplay is fun. Add in the fact that there is plenty of loot and alternate characters to level up makes the game addictive.

The one problem many iPad games have lies in the controls. Even great ideas for iPad games fall apart at the controls aspect. They force control sticks and buttons on the screen and that doesn’t work. Battleheart avoids that and installs an incredibly simple control system. Touch and drag. Special moves by touching on the individual character. It works perfectly.

It’s iPad only right now but an iPhone version is scheduled soon. For $2.99 you can’t get a better iPad game.

On this episode of GamerHusbands Radio we invite special guest VicJoh from Open Forum Radio’s The 40 Cast. Since it is no surprise that VicJoh is a Nintendo fanboy, we had to get the play-by-play on his Sunday morning pilgrimage to Gamestop hunting for a 3DS. Vic also talks about the most evil phrase in the gaming industry……TRADE INS! We have a lot of fun this week, and cover a good bit of games. We give you some in depth first impressions of the 3DS courtesy of our guest. If you’re wondering will Crysis 2 measure up to other console shooters, then tune in to the show for our unbiased review. Sam is relentless in his quest to prove THQ hypnotized him to buy Homefront. He spends another week storming the beaches, while Alfred argues that THQ won’t be hurt by homefront’s issues. Lots of things were covered this week. Strap yourself in and push tray tables to the front, because we’re embarking on another wild ride as the guys jump down the rabbit hole again.

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In this episode of GamerHusbands Radio, we disagree with 2K Games when they refer to Serena Wiliams as the sexiest tennis player in their recently pulled ad for Top Spin 4. We also go over some of the hottest games coming out and we argue over why it is people love to play old games on new tech. All this and so much more on this episode of GHR!

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Click on the Jump for a Rundown of the show

I. Intro
II. Games of the Week – CoD:Blops, Homefront(PS3), GRAW 2, Gears 2, GTA:IV Lost and Damned

III. LoveSack & Hatemail

1. Mike –  I have a hard time understanding why, with the amount of good quality games there are for a given system, why          people would play seemingly dated xbox acrade/3ds/iphone/ipad games instead? I look at these photos of the new 3ds         games and they look worse than SNES graphics.

2.  Sam S – (Sam Read) -
We all know that the transition from PS2 and Xbox to PS3 and 360 did not go so well in terms of backwards compatibility.         Do you guys think the next consoles will have 100% backwards compatibility? If not, will any of you decide not to get the next         console? Let\’s face it, it would be a damn shame to lose all these great games for PS3 and 360 because the next             generation console are not compatible.
One last thing that all gamers must know. THE PC rules in backwards compatibility. We can still play PC games developed         and released as far back as 1995. Go figure. There are no lost games for PC!

3.  Meef J – I decided against sending in hatemail from two shows back when Alfred was asking Allen about Dragon Age 2, so imagine         my excitement when JD and Tilt called Allen out on last week’s show. What’s up with the whole “why are you asking me         questions” attitude? It’s a gaming podcast, right? Where you talk about games? That whole Dragon Age 2 conversation was         neither helpful nor discouraging, but merely slightly informative and uncomfortable. I almost had to pull a “EDG” and listen at         2x speed! I hope I am not inconveniencing Allen with this email. =X

IV. News and Stuff
1. Official Serena “The sexiest tennis player” add appears on Youtube
A. An actress in the video puts the video on Youtube.
B.  Why would 2k pull it????
1. Thoughts?
V. Topics
1. When was the last time you were so excited for something gaming related, that you couldn’t sleep?
2. 1. Piles of Shame – Are you catching up on your pile of shame? Are you picking up  games that have been out for a while?

Kills = Points, With a twist

I had a chance at PAX to chat with Joel DeYoung, producer for HotHead Games, about their upcoming release Swarm. In Swarm, you play as a group of small blue aliens called swarmites.  The swarmites have landed on a planet filled with deadly objects and traps.  The goal of each level is to simply reach the end with at least one swarmite alive. The group moves together as one unit, and with the controller you can spread the swarmites out, pack them densly together, stack them up, jump, etc.   Throughout each level are collectible orbs which boost your score, as well as DNA items that you can bring back your “mother” to help her grow.  One thing that is different about this game is that you get points for dying.  For each swarmite that dies, you get more points, as well as increase or extend any score multiplier you may have.

You need DNA. For your mom.

This game is really all about your score.  Taking a cue from Trials HD, Geometry Wars and other games -your friends list is constantly displayed with other scores that are just above you.  When you go back to your mother between levels, she might say “Why can’t you be more like TeeTocks?”  (Hopefully not.)  There is no set high score for each level, so there is always room for improvement and to beat the next score on your friends list.

Swarm is out next week on PSN and XBLA.

Cole Phelps - Lie to Him at Your Own Risk

I’ve always been a fan of Rockstar Games.  Heck, GTA IV is the reason I bought my Xbox 360.  I’ve been looking forward to L.A. Noire for a long time.  So when I got early access to the PAX East show floor with my media badge, I made a b-line for the Rockstar booth (just like last year for Red Dead Redemption).  This time Allen and Sam were close behind me.  As we settled down to see what was my first glimpse of actual game play, I noticed a familiar face, the same Rockstar Dev that demoed Red Dead Redemption for me last year.

L.A. Noire is set in 1940′s Los Angeles, taking inspiration from the brutal “Black Dahlia” murders.  Key word there – brutal.  This game is no different, the brutality is up front and in your face – the first case they showed us was that of a woman beaten to death in a park.  When protagonist Cole Phelps and his partner get to the crime scene, the camera pans to a naked dead woman with a severe head wound.  This is not for the feint at heart, not a kids game.  As Phelps, the game stresses you to use your detective intuition to find clues, interrogate people, and evaluate the results.  You may pick up an item and put it down without noticing something unless you turn it exactly the right angle as to reveal a tiny clue.   When interrogating, a person’s facial expressions, tone of voice, mannerisms all need to be studied to determine the value of the information given.  After someone answers a question, you are sometimes asked if you think the answer is truth, and outright lie, or somewhere in between.  If you accuse someone of lying, you need to have something to back it up in order to make your accusation stick.  If you’re wrong, clues may not be revealed to you.

Speaking of facial expressions, L.A. Noire has the most detailed player faces that I have ever seen.  Using a new ‘MotionScan’ technology, Rockstar digitally scanned actor’s faces for use in the game.  The results are obvious.  That being said, this is a huge open world Rocktsar game, an graphically it will not blow you away.  What we saw was a pre-alpha version with obvious frame rate issues.

The other game play mechanics that we have come to know from Rockstar – the HUD, shooting, cover system, driving, open world exploration are all there.  With the polish that I know Rockstar will put into this game, I will be playing this on day one.  Confirmed.

After working on Thursday, then driving to Allen’s in Ohio, and then battling through rain, snow and even crazy Boston traffic, Bumblb19 and myself, GHR Superman, made it to PAX East 2011. First things first, WOW! In many ways the venue change was a great idea, but so far I have noticed a few things missing from last year. Not the least important of these were the bean bags that lined the halls for those of you that just wanted to lounge around and getting some PSP time etc. But it seems like a fair trade off considering that I would estimate the number of spectators on the expo floor to at least double the number at PAX East 2010, and you can move around from booth to booth with relative ease compared to the packed space of last year.

So far, due to lack of sleep, arriving late because of the 1 ½ hour 10 mile adventure with Boston traffic and the sheer size of the expo, I have only spent in depth time with a few the available games and demos. But before I did anything, I wanted to confirm something I heard, but could not find any conformation online. I scanned the floor from above and quickly found the answer I was looking for. Yes, the Gears of War 3 beta was in the house and playable. Did it get me excite for the soon to be released beta and the release in September? Of Course! While a lot of it was very much the same, one added feature will certainly be praised by some while it is cast down by others. One of the biggest additions that I noticed in the brief match I played was the over head map that you can pull up while the match is loading and while waiting to re-spawn. It list detailed names of locations on the map as well as the names and location of the weapons available. And while some will praise this as adding a level of fairness for all the players in the match, I feel it will also add to the weapons race effect that often is Gears of War.

And while I can’t wait to get my hands on all of the AAA titles represented this year, I wanted to begin to search for the hidden treasures obscured by the large displays and game booths of the major developers. While everyone sets out to draw gamers into their game world, it always seems like the smaller developers have to work extra hard to make sure the games are noticed and even further, remembered. So I started by checking out ‘Slam Bot Scrapples’ by Fire Hose Games (www.firehosegames.com). If you hear anyone start off by saying this game is like Tetris, they are wrong. The only similarity is the shape of the color blocks used to build towers. The mode of the game that is playable at PAX is a 2 v. 2 mode in which each team attacks flying colored monsters to turn them into corresponding colored blocks, shaped similar to the shapes in Tetris. But that is where the similarities end. Instead of piecing the colored shapes together to eliminate lines or blocks, you form squares to create cannons used to attack the other team. The larger the squares formed, the larger and better the weapon. The end game is simple, the last team with their blocks standing wins. ‘Slam Bot Scrapples’ is releasing on Tuesday, March 15th, 2011 on PSN for $15. It will have a playable demo to check out, and the full game will include several modes including a coop story, 2 v 2 and more. The only downside, it’s not available for online play. But it seems like a very exciting and fun game to play at any party.

And last but not least, we stepped over to Demiurge’s ‘Shoot Many Robots’. This XBLA title is planned to release mid-summer, and it is packed full of action. From the story mode loaded with enemies and bosses to the onslaught of robot attacks in survival mode you’re sure to stay busy. With a side-scroller design that will take you back to the days of Contra, artistic graphics that would make any next-gen gamer proud and 4 player online coop, you won’t regret picking up this title at an estimated 1200 spce bucks

Keep checking back for more on PAX East 2011, and be sure to continue to listen to GamerHusbands Radio for our post PAX news and opinions.

As The  Gamerhusbands  approach worldWide status, we decided to turn the temperature up a little bit. Is this an excuse to put two hot girls on the website? Maybe, but that’s not the rub. No pun intended. We love to hear what our community thinks.  Send us your questions or comments about the show to our LoveSack(lovesack@gamerhusbands.com). It isn’t called the LoveSack for nothing, so we also welcome relationship emails too. Now, the red hot email inbox needs no introduction. HATEMAIL(hatemail@gamerhusbands.com). Feel free to tell us how you really feel about the show. Is there too much Halo and Final Fantasy talk? We got your messages, so we will slow down on the boring stuff. We can take the heat, so don’t be afraid to dish it out. Don’t worry, we won’t be crying in the locker room after each show. A wise man once said that too many meefing podcasts failed because they couldn’t take the heat. Hmmm…..Where is my Super Mario Brothers fire suit? I have some hatemail to attend to.