Gaming Inferno

Death of something not as cool as a martyr.

2009-12-27T15:22:00.004+10:30

I haven't posted anything in a long, long, long time, but hopefully I'll be turning this situation around in a little while.

Later, skaters.

- Callum

MAH HOUSE!!!

2009-08-10T20:51:00.003+09:30

Let me show you a little gem that I've found. CS Manager. It's like a football manager game but features - you guessed it - Counter Strike.

I haven't started using it just yet, so I'll get back to you once I've actually given it a go, but it seems like an epic concept.

I'm still on the hunt for John DiMaggio, but I'm not getting anywhere.

Tell you what, I'll try to get a hold of Gabe Newell. I don't want to aim too high, after all XD

Thanks boys and girls.

- Callum

Want a shovel?

2009-08-10T20:38:00.003+09:30

I'll tell you something. It's not really a secret, but I thought I should let you know, anyway.

I have two picks that I hope will both be incredible.

1. Modern Warfare 2 (Lands in November)
2. Halo 3: ODST (Lands in September)

Personally, I don't usually freak out over sequels (if you exclude Halo 3), but this is a major exception. I am pooping my pants over Modern Warfare 2. Every time I think about the fact that it's only 2 months away, I have slight nerdgasm.

As for Halo 3: ODST? Well, I'm getting this one only a week after it comes out. I might not be getting it 100% exclusively, but I'm pleased that I'm getting, anyway.

Anyway, that's enough for this post. I want to write about something far more interesting.

Beatboxin' With Kwanzaabot

2009-07-27T20:50:00.003+09:30

I'm trying to track down a truly awesome man.

I'm trying to track down John DiMaggio.

That's right. I am actually trying to track down a AAA voice actor for an interview. At this point, the most I've been able to do is find is a Wikipedia page, an IMDB page, and an IGN page.

The hunt is on, ladies and gentlemen...

Adam and EVE

2009-07-27T20:35:00.004+09:30

Holy fuck!

This is incredible!

If anybody here plays EVE: Online (I don't, but would love to), you know how big the economy is. How slowly the corporations move, yet how quick strikes happen.

An Australian player (Smart, like all of us here, Down Under) managed to embezzle $6000 worth of in-game cash out of what I assume is the game's largest bank, EVE Bank. Billions of dollars.

That is awesome beyond words.

Hip to the Hop.

2009-07-23T16:49:00.002+09:30

The following link will send you to a page where you can sign up to be part of the Fall Update Preview of the new Xbox LIVE dashboard.

If you don't have a 360, then you won't be able to sign up.

To those who do have 360s, you be enterin'.

https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=719

- The Piemaster, Callum.

Spring Xbox LIVE Dashboard Update

2009-07-20T19:43:00.005+09:30

This just in: Microsoft MAY give a shit.

Netflix Updates

Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.

Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.

Manage Your Queue – Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch – no computer required.

Enhanced Playback Experience – Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.

Friends Info – Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.

Avatar Marketplace

Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises. Please note that only limited content is currently available in the preview.

Clothing

Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as "Halo."

Props – You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.

Awardables – The ability to earn Avatar clothing and props as rewards within games has been added. Please stay tuned for an update on supporting titles.

Games on Demand

Please note that Games on Demand will be available in the preview beginning early August.

Enjoy 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular full game titles on Xbox LIVE whenever you want them, in the comfort of your living room.

Purchase Options – Browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games using Microsoft Points, direct debit, or credit card.

Game Manuals – Game manuals for Games on Demand titles can be viewed, downloaded or printed on Xbox.com.

It's Yours Forever! – As with other Xbox LIVE content, Games on Demand titles are linked to your Xbox LIVE account, so you can delete and re-download anything you have already purchased to the same console or another console.

User Ratings

User ratings help you find games that other people think are awesome!

Rate it – You can now rate every game on the Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a 5-star system.

Sort and Find it – Now you can easily find the games that everyone's been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.

Xbox LIVE Parties

Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved Xbox LIVE Party features.

Party Reconnections – If you are accidently disconnected from your party, Xbox LIVE will automatically reconnect you.

Streamlined Party Invites – Invites are now just one click away! No need to click through multiple screens to get all your friends together.

Video Display Options

We've made it easier for you to see your entertainment in the highest resolution possible on your TV using an HDMI connection.

Display Discovery – Make sure you can see and hear your entertainment in the highest resolution and sound quality possible with the option to override and select audio and video formats independent of the information your television sends to your Xbox 360 console.

Other Improvements

We're always listening to you for feedback, and this Xbox LIVE update will include numerous dashboard updates.

Gold Member Veterans – Xbox LIVE Gold members get to show it off with a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you've been a Gold member.

Indie Games – Xbox LIVE Community Games has been renamed Xbox LIVE Indie Games. We feel this new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles.

Achievement Browser – We've revamped the Achievements browser so it's now easier to read through all the achievements while playing a game. You can now also launch a game directly from the browser.

Achievements Tracking – A new view inside the profile panel which includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows of all your completed games.

Streamlined Navigation - Streamlined navigation, including new entry points in the dashboard for Active Downloads, redeeming codes, recovering Gamertags and more.

Voice Messages – No more blank voice messages! When recording a voice message, a warning will pop up if no audio is detected.

Friends List Sorting – It's now easier to find your friends! Find and sort your friends by activity, Gamertag or online status by pressing the Y button while viewing the friends list in the Guide.

Memory – Time stamps now appear in the memory area, which particular handy when managing saved games.

Account Management

We've made some changes to make your life easier.

Subscription Notification – If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE.

Updates for Invalid Windows Live IDs – If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.

Account recovery – We've enhanced the account recovery process to make it faster and more reliable.

What does this Xbox LIVE Update NOT include?

The following features will be coming in future Xbox LIVE updates, which we'll be sure to let you know about.
Facebook
Twitter
Zune video and 1080p Instant On
Last.fm

(Sporked from here)

"Torpedo into a pedestrian at 56kph or more"...

2009-07-14T19:44:00.005+09:30

Let me summarise Skate. 2 in one word: Perserverance.

This game is all about perserverance. Just today, I was attempting a challenge that involved grinding twice on two different ledges. It got to the point where I knew exactly when I fucked something up. I actually knew if I had turned a millimetre too far, or if I'd Ollied to early or too late. Because of my total in-tuneness with the game, I would be constantly jumping back to the starting point of the challenge. I was doing the same movement every four seconds or so, for about 20 minutes. I was robotic in the way that I moved. FUCKING ROBOTIC!

At this point, however, I can do nothing but recommend this game. It may have some glitches, but these are mostly minor and aren't encountered often. It's smarter, funnier, cooler, more open, more fun, and just far more epic than any of the Tony Hawk games ever were.

A feature of this game I really love, are the bails. Other skating games discourage you from bailing, because it screws up combos, and grinds, and whatever. This game encourages them (at the right time). Click both thumbsticks down, and pull both triggers, and you automatically bail. This is best done once you've Ollied off the edge of a large height. From here, you can do several different things:

1. Pose - There are 4 different poses you go into while in the air: Cannonball, Torpedo, Judo, and Spread Eagle.
2. Rotate yourself in the air.
3. Aim to break certain bones to acquire cash.

That's right. You get cash for doing this stuff. So far, I think I've made $15,000+ just from bails. It's epic to watch (especially when you hear the crunch upon hitting the ground), and it's incredible fun. Even more so when you start competing with your friends in Bail competitions (Which can be done online, locally, or via system-link).

Seriously. Get this game.

HARDER!!!

- Callum

"Holy cow, my god!"...

2009-07-13T11:02:00.005+09:30

Remember way back when this blog started? I said that I didn't get games too often, because my parents have a 'no games during the school term' policy?

Yeah, well, I think I might be putting this shit to bed. Yesterday, my parents bought me another game. SKATE 2. I've heard things about this game. Some good, some bad. The bad centered around the fact that the game was notoriously hard to get used to, in terms of controls.

After a mere minute of playing, it's plain as day that this isn't just a Tony Hawk clone. No, no. This is something very different, indeed. It's a good kind of different, though, and it brings some much-needed realism to a genre that generally lacks any form of realism. Anybody played THPS 4? Underground 1, and 2? American Wasteland? There was some amazing shit in that game. Amazing, yes, but realistic? Nope. No way.

In SKATE, you have to work to stay moving and hold momentum. You have to work to get air. You have to manually keep the board moving, by hitting A or X to pump your legs. You'll sit down with this game and, initially, you'll want to smash your controller. I know that I certainly did. Stick with it, though. I've only played for about 2 hours, but already I can see that this is a fantastic game.

All your flip tricks are handled with the right thumbstick (In the case of the Xbox 360). Moving the thumbstick in certain patterns triggers certain moves. This may seem impossible to get your head around after 10+ years of Tony Hawk's 'Hold B and rotate thumbstick' gameplay style, but stick with it. It only takes a few minutes of practice to get to grips with it.

At this point, for me, the game has everything that skateboarding game needs. Awesome graphics, great controls, epic scenery, street hoodlums, and pure cheesyness. The opening sequence of the game is even shot in live-action. The acting is in the intro is so cheesy, it's hilarious.

The only gripe I do have at this early stage, however, is the create-a-character function. The hairstyles are awful, your face ends up looking really bulbous and ugly.

Another thing I like, though, are the boards and the clothing. My board design features a cartoon horse mounting another cartoon horse, while saying "You like that?" How is that not epic?

It couldn't last forever, could it?

- Callum

You’ve been hit by, you’ve been struck by, a smooth criminal...

2009-07-12T10:18:00.003+09:30

By the looks of things, Michael Jackson is finding more popularity in death than he ever did in life.

Let me draw your attention to IGN. On the IGN website, on the left-hand side, there's a Top 10 section for what I assume is the most viewed games on IGN.

I'll break it down for you...

1. Battlefield 1943
2. Michael Jackson (I assume it's referring to the formerly upcoming Michael Jackson game).
3. Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
4. Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
5. Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
6. Ready 2 Rumble 2
7. Space Channel 5
8. Ready 2 Rumble 2
9. Ready 2 Rumble 2
10. Space Channel 5

For those who are still unaware, you can get the fuck out.

Just kidding! Well, sort of... Of the five games mentioned there, four of them feature Michael Jackson in either a leading role, or in a reasonably major role. Unless Battlefield 1943 has Michael Jackson included somewhere as an Easter Egg, but I doubt that...

This is incredible. Even though the games listed on IGN's Top 10 are pretty much just multiple entries of the same games, it's amazing how many hits there are on those games featuring the King of Pop. I've heard that Moonwalker was actually a fantastic game, which is absolutely shocking. A franchised game a AAA title...? It's unheard of...

But that's not what this post is about. I'm going to hunt down a copy of Ready 2 Rumble 2. I recall hiring the first one for the N64, but not enjoying because it was too complicated. I was about 5 or 6 at the time, though, so I'm sure that you can forgive me.

Anyway, as I finish typing this post, I'm still waiting for my 35.7GB SteamApps folder to copy into my external HDD. It's been going for about 2 hours now, but the time remaining is only about 10 minutes now! Yay!

I just thought I should update you on some happenings at IGN. It was something that I promised myself I'd never do, but I do have to get myself into the mainstream somehow, right? Once I get some followers, I'll go radical, and start posting about how I think a certain game character has a foot-fetish because of his reaction to something that happened in the back-story of a certain game. Wouldn't that be something?

It couldn't last forever could it?

- Callum

"EJECT! EJECT! EJECT!"...

2009-07-10T14:37:00.008+09:30

What you are about to see is a teaser trailer for the new Mechwarrior game. Heard of Mechwarrior? You should've. It was (and still is) the greatest Mech-shooter franchise EVER. It was around in the 90s. They were PC games that basically involved piloting a 'Mech' (A huge combat robot with lasers, missiles, railguns, etc.) and destroying the other 'Mechs'.

The Mechwarrior series was remade as Mech Assault (And its subsequent sequel 'Lone Wolf'), which was mediocre at best. Wasn't really fun. I owned 'Lone Wolf', but wasn't really happy with it. Story that didn't make sense, Mech fighting that was frustrating instead of fun, but whatever.

Mechwarrior 5...

*Nerdgasm*

It couldn't last forever, could it?

- Callum

"I don't want to set the world on fire" Part 1...

2009-07-09T19:09:00.009+09:30

Welcome, boys and girls, to the first EVER proper review churned out of this blog.

The following comments are MY first impressions of Fallout 3. They are NOT copied from anywhere else, and they are most certainly NOT going to be presented in a conventional fashion. They are ACTUALLY my thought processes as I played the game. They are in chronological order, and will be spoiler-free, however you may need to have played the game to understand what the hell I'm talking about.

'Well, this is good. Black screen. Wait... what? Hey, I'm a newborn baby! Cool! But if I was just pulled out of... You know... THAT... Then why are my mum's legs off to the left-hand side of the screen. Haha. Biological orientation fail.'

'God, this is a long scene, but at least it's straightfoward. I've chosen to be a boy, obviously. Oh, that's smart! Well done Bethesday! A character creation screen cunningly disguised as a 'Gene-Projection' machine. Hey look! I can make myself look like Wolverine. But that looks stupid. Hmm... The facial animations aren't very aesthetically pleasing. The faces almost look like claymation. All the faces look really silly, too. Except for #2: I like #2. Wait! Instead of making myself look like Wolverine, how about I actually make a devent-looking character? Alrighty, let's just go with stock-standard normal hair, and a soul-patch. Ah, well. If I don't like it, I'll just change it later...'

'Oh, okay. Now that mum's gone into cardiac arrest, I guess we're going to... Yep... Just like I thought... Fade to white. Wait a second... There's voices permeating the whiteness. Sounds like my dad talking to some old guy... An authoritative old guy...'

'Oh, wait. The whiteness is gone, and now I'm in what looks like a grubby metal cell. Wait! There's my dad. This can't all be bad. Oh, good. He's telling me to go to him. Okay, now where's he going? Oh great, he locked me in. Hey! If I press 'A' I make baby noises. Unfortunately, that's lacking in substance, somewhat, for a game that's supposed to be the best WRPG around. Oh, good. The game's telling me to do something. About time. Hang on, if I'm a two year-old wandering around, can I read? Could I figure out what the game was telling me to do?'

'Alright, so I have to open the gate to my little pen. That's not very secure then, is it? Parents trust their child's safety to this gate, and all I had to do was walk up to it, unhitch the lock, and push it open. Safetyfail. Cool. I can pick stuff up in a better method that Oblivion. That's something, I guess... Oh wait. I have to read a book. Great... That's what Oblivion had me doing, so this is hardly a step forward... Oh wait... I'm SPECIAL? Oh, I see... Another good play by Bethesda there! Disguising your base-stats selection screen as a children's book. Nice.'

'I think I'll make a stealth-based character. Looks good. Negative points for Strength and Endurance, and positive points for Agility, Luck and Charisma. Awesomesauce. That was simple enough.'

'Alrighty, what now? Aw crap! My dad's just walked in... But he's not angry? Huh... He looks proud. That makes sense, I guess. He's a doctor, and I suppose he'd be proud if his two year-old displayed the intelligence required to escape from a pen, and then read a book. We're going to go and see Amata? Who's Amata? I guess we'll find out as we walk through this door, here... Oh god! Fade to white! More voices! What's going on?!?!?!'

That wraps up Part 1 of the 'First Impressions' aspect of the GI reviewing system. Until, then sayonara.

It couldn't last forever, could it?

- Callum

"I am the Alpha and the Omega"...

2009-07-06T21:18:00.005+09:30

- PLEASE NOTE -

I'm writing this in the past tense. As in, I'm writing this from the perspective of somebody who HASN'T played Fallout 3 yet.

So... What Have I Heard?

God, what haven't I heard? I've heard that V.A.T.S. is great and works really well, but I don't believe that for a second. I use my own skills to kill things. I'm not going to let the game shoot for me.

I've heard that the graphics and artwork, in general, are comprised primarily of browns and greys, and that it's far too plain and boring. That's okay, I found Oblivion far too bright, colourful and storybook-esque. It felt like an army of small furry animals were about to jump out from behind a rock and start dancing.

I've heard that Fallout 3 has some epic weapons. Things like Fat Man (A rocket launcher that fires miniature atomic bombs), the Rail Rifle (Fires rail spikes. The massive nails to attach wooden slats to the actual metal rail tracks), and the Rock-It Launcher (Fires any and all junk found in the Capital Wasteland).

I've heard that Fallout 3 is one of the best WRPGs (Western RPGs) ever made. I've heard described as Mad Max in videogame form. That's already sold me. It's looking pretty damn good right now, but I haven't actually played it yet, so I really have no idea.

Well. I guess that went well...

Aftermath...

2009-07-06T20:54:00.012+09:30

One week and four days ago, I bought Fallout 3. It was my pick of 2008, but I didn't buy it until last week. Wtf, eh?

I meant to post about this last week, but I didn't. I don't know why, so don't be asking me, now.

Anyway, how about I actually talk about the game eh?

::REVIEW::

Graphics:
Well...

Jesus H. Christ! What the fuck is this? IGN?! I'm not doing some normal review? If I did, there would be NOTHING to set me apart from a regular gaming blog or website! What the fuck would the point of my blog be if it was exactly the same as every other blog?!

I mean, come on, this is Gaming Inferno: where mediocrity and normality goes to die.

Tell you what, I'll split the review over several sections:

1. What I've Heard
2. First Impressions
3. One Week Later
4. C-c-c-COMPARISON!
5. One Month Later
5. One Year Later (I'm serious)

Stick around, though, because there's another post coming up right after this one.

It's section 1 of Fallout 3's review system.

Remember, you're the reason I bought the gun...

- Callum

=(

2009-06-28T08:01:00.001+09:30

So... That's it, is it?

He's gone?

R.I.P. Michael...

Cranial Explosion Pt. 2...

2009-06-17T17:32:00.004+09:30

The email address is now live, but wait! It is NOT the email address I referred you to. Instead, the email is:

feedback(dot)gaminginferno(at)live(dot)com(dot)au

If you want to send feedback, questions, comments, ideas, whatever, then send them to that address.

Make it happen, guys.

- Callum

Cranial Explosion...

2009-06-16T22:54:00.005+09:30

Guess what! Gaming Inferno has its own email address! Sort of... The email address isn't active yet, because I'm having some problems with the hosting service. That should be cleared up in a couple of days.

As it stands, the email address will be...

feedback(at)gaminginferno(dot)net

However, the email address will not only be for feedback. You can send in ideas, random thoughts, whatever. It doesn't matter what you send, I will make reference to it in a post.

But don't start sending yet! I'll give you confirmation of when the email will be active. Until then, start collating your thoughts and I'll prepare for an email onslaught (Yeah, right...)

There's something I've really forgotten to ask you all. I know that there aren't actually many people reading this blog, but that's something I'd like to change. I'm committed to making this blog the best it can be, but are you? Are you telling people about this blog? Is the blog even recommendable? Tell me. There is a section for comments, let's not forget.

Like I said, start recommending this blog. Advertise randomly, if need be. If somebody tells you that their bored with the current gaming journalism, and aren't going to read any gaming websites anymore, send them over to me. Even if you don't think your friends are in the market for a gaming blog, recommend me anyway. Make sure you tell all your gamer friends about this blog. I want to make a name for myself as a gaming blogger (Journalist, even), but I can't if nobody knows about me.

Change that. Make me known. Make sure that people know that when all else fails, Gaming Inferno is here to ~~set them on fire and piss on their ashes~~ entertain and inform them.

Thought for the day: The smallest acorn grows into the mightiest oak tree.

Make it happen, guys.

- Callum

Goodnight, all!

2009-06-16T22:40:00.005+09:30

It's been a while since I've done one of these, and I know you guys love them. Goodnight!

Make it happen, guys.

- Callum

Do you love me like a donut?

2009-06-15T17:28:00.004+09:30

Sorry for the short hiatus, guys. I just couldn't think of anything to write about. That's pretty much exactly what's happening here, though. I've already decided that it's time to write something, but I really have nothing to write about. WAIT! I thought of something! A new concept! A NEW FEATURE!!!

Unreal Tournament 3
One week later...

Granted, it's been slightly more than a week since I bought UT3, but this'll do.

Week 2 - Day 1

I didn't expect it to become so repetitive. It's almost hypnotic. I can hear the voices coming for me again, to try and take me back to their world, but I won't go! I'll resist! They're not going to draw me back in for arcadey shooter action!

Week 2 - Day 2

I thought I'd be able to resist, but I can't. It's drawn me in, and I've tried to play the campaign, and I've forced myself to enjoy it, but it just doesn't work. The online mode is really laggy, and Instant Action becomes boring after a short while. It's like the game is conspiring to make me stop playing.

Week 2 - Day 3

Just finished a campaign mission on the Warfare gamemode. I had to use God Mode it was so fucking hard. I just kept playing, but no matter how hard I tried, the Blue Team would always invade our base and destroy our core, before any of my team (Red) would even make it near theirs'.

Week 2 - Day 4

It's clawing at my sanity. Trying to take away that which I hold dear: my love for videogames.

Week 2 - Day 5

I don't know if I'm going to make it out of here. It's been five days... and... I don't know if I can handle much more... Sure, they liven the campaign up with a bit of speech in the interim between levels, and try to give you freedom by letting you choose which level to tackle next, and giving you access to Strategy Cards, which influence the way the game plays out, but it just doesn't work. They've over-complicated something that should be so simple... So simple...

Week 2 - Day 6

Day 6... I'm nearly there. I'm nearly there... I just have to keep playing until the computer finishes downloading CS:S... Then, a week after that, I can play America's Army 3. Just another day...

Week 2 - Day 7

The game reduced me to fits of hysteria and tears today. I'm ashamed to say it, but I nearly torched my computer, and deleted the game. I wish I'd bought UT2004... I already knew that THAT was a good game, so why did I take my chance with UT3? I'd heard bad things, but I didn't believe them... I boy, do I have regrets...

Week 2 - Day 8

FINALLY! I don't have to play UT3 anymore! I have the option of playing CS:S, which is far more fun and interesting (And a lot less laggy when playing online)!

Final thoughts? Don't buy UT3. Buy UT2004. Playing UT3 will start feeling like a chore after a week. The story is good, but there's not enough of it. In the first 2 hours of play, I've seen one 5 minute cutscene. I want more character development and interaction. I can't live on gameplay and nice graphics alone... Can you?

Make it happen, guys.

- Callum

Seal!

2009-06-11T20:13:00.007+09:30

I bet you're thinking "Wow! This guy is NEVER going to run out of ideas!". You'd be right, because all I need to do is steal my ideas from others.

No, of course not. I mean, while this is hardly an original idea, you can't really say I've stolen it.

Anyway, my objective with this new feature (That's three, now) is to inform you of a good deal. Before we continue, no the title is not a typo. It's just a joke that nobody else in the world will get. Seriously. I'm willing to make a claim that nobody will remember what the hell "Seal!" is from.

Anyway, this week's Seal! is (not surprisingly) from Steam! The fantastic people at VALVe have released America's Army 3 for free. Not that it wasn't free in the first place, though. The thing that makes this deal special, is that you have 6 days (Count 'em!) in which to pre-load the game. 5GB of glorious simulation warfare ready to go the moment the clock ticks to "Game available in 0 hours, 0 minutes". My download is already on about 10%, and it's only been going for 30mins. I'll definitely have this baby ready to play on Friday next week!

You can find this deal right here and I really recommend that you at least give America's Army a go. While I can't speak for America's Army 3, I know that 1 and 2 were incredibly fun, and definitely worth the bandwidth.

Now get out of here. Go do something useful.

- Callum

"Good news, everyone!"...

2009-06-10T19:11:00.004+09:30

I got a new mouse. Isn't that fantastic. Regrettably, however, it's not a gaming mouse. It's still a pretty good mouse though. A new mouse... Wow... God, I have an exciting life...

I'm sure you guys love hearing about the stuff that I buy.

In other news: I'm getting Halo 3: ODST two weeks after it's being released, and I will be getting Fallout 3 in about three weeks.

Why don't I buy them sooner? I'm not allowed to buy games during the school term. Why? Because my little brother gets distracted by videogames, therefore I'm not allowed to play them. Sucks to be me, right?

I have nothing else to say, apart from...

Get out of here. Go do something useful.

- Callum

Goodnight, all!

2009-06-08T19:51:00.007+09:30

As you read this, know that I won't be doing this every night. I will, however, be doing it disturbingly often.

Now get out of here. Go do something useful.

- Callum

Unreal, dude...

2009-06-08T17:44:00.004+09:30

Finally got Unreal Tournament 3. It's fun. Graphics are sexually appealing to even the most frigid of 3-inchers out there.

Seriously. My graphics settings aren't even that good right now, but UT3 is looking B-E-A-utiful. If you have trouble controlling sexual urges, then don't play this game. You'll make the keyboard all sticky. Ugh...

Gameplay is fun, if slightly repetitive, but epic battles (Such as 32 player Vehicle CTF) make up for it. If you're looking for a fun arcade-style shooter with SEXAY Gears of War-style graphics, then get this. I can guarantee that you'll love it.

Goodnight, all!

2009-06-07T21:17:00.006+09:30

Just thought I should leave you with this.

Have a nice night! Achmed over there sure will!

Now get out of here. Go do something useful.

- Callum

Inaugural Band of the Month!

2009-06-06T17:26:00.005+09:30

I really shouldn't be posting this. It'll just eclipse today's main post. Ah well, I'm sure you'll read it, anyway.

As I was saying, this blog has a new feature: Band of the Month! So what if this is a games blog. Do you really have that much of an issue with me putting something music-related here? People said that the blog needed more, and I don't know of many videogaming blogs (or many blogs, at all) that have a Band of the Month feature.

Anyway, more about the band...

This week's band of the month is The Main Event. The Main Event are based in Las Vegas, Nevada. They're a Metal band sans the metal singer. In my opinion, the lead singer sounds a little like Sum 41's, but if you don't like Sum 41 then don't be deterred.

If you clicked on that link, you'll already know that they have some of their songs on the page. If you didn't click on the link, now you know.

Look at them. Now. If you have a complex, and can't read about non-videogame material in a non-videogame blog, then to the right (under the poll), you'll find the above text.

I want you to work your way through the below instructions every time there's a new Band of the Month! Trust me, it's a good idea.

1. Find the text about the Band of the Month!, if it's not too hard for you.
2. Read it, but don't weep.
3. Click on the link in the text. That'll take you to the MySpace of the Band of the Month!.
4. Listen to their songs. So what if they're slightly lacking in quality. Get over it.
5. If you're a MySpace member (then skip the next question), become a fan, write a comment, send a message, whatever.
6. If you're not a MySpace member, become one, and see the above instructions.
7. Refer your friends to the Band of the Month!'s MySpace, and maybe even to this blog.

Now get out of here. Go do something useful.

- Callum

The ‘F Word’

2009-06-06T17:05:00.002+09:30

Ohh... You thought I meant 'Fuck'. No, of course not. That's not very exciting. I mean, come on, almost everybody knows that word.

No, no. The 'F Word' that I'm talking about is 'Franchise'.

If you're unaware of the meaning of that incredibly vulgar word (But if you're a gamer, you should know the meaning of this word. You've probably been subjected to one of these evil games), then I'll consult the 'Great Book of Gaming-related Words'.

fran-chise [fran-chahyz]

1. A game series (such as Guitar Hero, Lego, or Super Mario) that becomes so popular that the developer of said game finds a justification to release a new rendition of the game each year. Normally, a franchise's age is inversely proportional to its quality, however there are some exceptions.

Understand? Yes? Good, because I want to move on to other franchise-related discussion.

The main thing I wanted to discuss is Halo. Let's take a tour around the Halo universe for a moment...

Halo: CE
Halo 2
Halo 3
Halo Wars
Halo 3: ODST
Halo: Reach

Maybe there's one or two on that list you haven't heard of. If you don't know about ODST, then GTFO, because you should know about it by now. If you don't know about Halo: Reach, then that's understandable. Hit that link for the trailer.

What I actually want to address is the fact that Halo is becoming a franchise. Now, this is something to worry about. If this goes the way of many other franchises, then we could well see the Halo series drop from the list of AAA titles. That's not to say that it's all about games being on the AAA title list. I couldn't give a shit about whether or not on a AAA title list, or whether or not it had a Metascore above 90. All I care about (with regards to Halo) is the fact that the quality of these games could slip. I love the Halo series and, with the exception of Halo 2, all the Halo games have been fantastic. This leads me to believe that Bungie might be making a mistake. Do they really want to become a developer that releases a new game every one or two years? Sure, the games might be decent, but that won't stop the Halo series being added to my list of Big ol' Franchises. Does Bungie really want to be seen as 'just another one of those companies'? I certainly hope not.

Anyway, as far as I can see it, ODST is looking pretty awesome. I haven't yet watched the gameplay videos, but I've seen pictures and descriptions, and so far I'm liking what I'm seeing. I'm really liking the fact that it's Halo with a lot of different elements. If you're unaware of what the hell Halo 3: ODST is... Ah, you've already clicked the link, by now...

In summary, I really don't want to see the Halo series become a franchise. Unless it was a really good franchise but, even then...

I guess this is the part where I ask you what your thoughts are. So... What are your thoughts? Post a comment. You know I love the attention.

Now get out of here. Go do something useful.

- Callum

Not just ANY amateur journalism...

2009-06-04T18:29:00.004+09:30

I have a question to ask all of you. Not that there's that many of you, really...

Anyway, the question I pose is this: What do you think about mainstream videogames journalism? That is, the mainstream journalism about videogames, not journalism about mainstream games...

On the right, as you can probably see, there's a poll up posing this question. Vote in the poll but, not only that, leave a comment as well. Tell me your thoughts. Do you give a shit? Do you think that mainstream journalism needs an approach akin to communism? Maybe you even think that I'd make a good games journalist.

Wait... Me becoming a games journalist has nothing to do with the quality of today's mainstream videogames journalism (But if you think I'm that good, feel free to tell me =P. Ego trip FTW!)

That should be all from me today. I don't really have much else to say. Expect more of this stuff. Not that the blog is going to be covered in stupid "YOUR OPINION" posts. I have a mind of my own, and I use it thoroughly. Hopefully I can say the same for you after reading your thoughts on the issue.

Now get out of here. Go do something useful.

- Callum

Well, look here!

2009-06-03T19:22:00.002+09:30

Hey guys. I'm blogging from the comfort of my Microsoft Office Word 2007 program. Who knew that I could set this up to run through my Blogger account?

Like a saucepan to the face.

2009-06-03T16:50:00.001+09:30

Was this at E3? I don't know, and damned if I care. What am I talking about, I here you ask?

Left4Dead 2.

I bet you're thinking the same thing I'm thinking. "L4D's only been out for about a year. Why release a sequel?"

Personally, I'm quite pleased. The first Left4Dead (even with survival mode) didn't really satisfy me. It felt too arcade-y, however many people are playing the "Too soon" card. While I don't agree, I can definately see their point of view. Team Fortress 2 content has been coming thick and fast of late, and VALVe have been regularly updating it for one or two years now, with no mention of a sequel.

Then again, Team Fortress 2 and L4D are two VASTLY different games, and from the time that L4D was released, I thought that it simply wouldn't hold the crowd like Team Fortress 2 could. After all, there are only so many times you can play through Blood Harvest before getting bored.

To be honest, I was quite disappointed with L4D. Mainly at the multiplayer Matchmaking debacle. That really pissed me off.

WARNING
Soapbox-Mounting in Progress

Why the fuck would VALVe who, with games like Team Fortress 2, revolutionised the way that online multiplayer would be played take a step back to a Matchmaking system. Honestly, what were they thinking?!

But enough about the original L4D. I don't want to talk about that anymore. I'd rather talk about its upcoming sequel.

So...

WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING?!

I'm thinking that Left4Dead 2 could be good if what was wrong in the original is given some attention.

I don't want:
To see another shitty Matchmaking system.

I do want:
Epic melee weapons but, if you watched the trailer, then you should already know that there are gonna be epic melee weapons. I'd also like to see some new zombies. As far as the trailer goes, there aren't any new zombies that I can see. I'd also like to see some kick-ass DLC! There better me more exciting stuff than just the cookie-cutter 'Survival Mode' that I predicted for the original the moment it came out.

My final impression?

FUCK YEAH!

Now get out of here. Go do something useful.

- Callum

Welcome.

2009-06-01T17:44:00.001+09:30

If you're here, then you've most definately been referred here by my blog on Sarcastic Gamer. If so, then you know what to expect. The occasional proper blog post, interspersed by ranting and lies about new directions for my blog.

I digress.

This isn't actually going to be an official post about any game-related incident/thought/whatever. This is more of an introduction to what will hopefully turn out to be a reasonably successful blog. My most recent SG Blog post is currently being written. That's right: I multi-task!

I guess I have to at least tell you what I'm playing. Well, currently, I'm playing Trials 2, Monster Trucks Nitro and, in a few days, I'll be playing UT3 that I bought from Steam for the low, low price of $10. It's at 37%, and downloading at about 181KB/s. That speed is pretty slow for my internet. Usually, I at least get about 250-300KB/s. Isn't this exciting? I'm talking about my download speed with you. Do you care?

No. Of course not. I do, though, and, because this is my blog, I'll talk about it all I want.

But not now. No. Instead, I have to do homework. More excitement. Anyway, if you've not been referred here from my SG Blog, and you want to have a look, you can find it here.

Just so you know, my blog post about Sound Effects was a quick effort at getting access to an online sound database. Yeah, it was shameless advertising. It's what I live for.

Now get out of here. Go do something useful.

- Callum.