Solid Snake must be getting bored...

MGS4 Delayed (Again) to Spring 2008

From 1up.com
Arguably PS3's biggest game yet suffers another setback.
By Steve Watts, 10/31/2007 Just in time for Halloween, Konami has decided to smash our proverbial pumpkins. And by pumpkins, I mean hopes for an early 2008 release date for Snake's latest outing.

An announcement went out this morning that the hotly anticipated title Metal Gear Solid 4 would be delayed until the second quarter of 2008, following another delay announced at E3 2007. This is a push back from winter, which would have had it dropping in the first quarter. The move doesn't come as much of a surprise, given that such a marquee title would usually release in the holiday season.

Interestingly, the press release says the delay stems from attempts "to make further improvements to the quality of the game and provide even greater enjoyment for more customers worldwide."

For all of the PS3 owners out there who bought their consoles for MGS4, I am truly sorry. Congratulations, Konami, for delaying the biggest game francise for the most powerful gaming system out there. If this isn't going to be fodder for 360 fanboys, I don't know what is. Good thing Uncharted is coming out, otherwise it would be a lean holiday for action/adventure gamers out there.
Is it really that hard to program for the PS3? It better be, otherwise Konami needs to learn to use time management a little better. I can just imagine the phone call with Sony when they told them about the delay:
Sony: Hello? (customary phone greeting)
Konami: Hi, Sony, how are you doing today? (brief pause) Is the weather good over in your neck of the woods? (brief pause) How's the family?
Sony: This is about MGS4, isn't it?
Konami: Yes. It turns out that the pixelation of the inverse protaglators aren't responding well to the polyphonic testing, and we are going to have to delay the game until Quarter 2 of next year.
Sony: That explanation was just a bunch of gibberish, wasn't it?
Konami: Yes.
Sony: What's the real reason?
Konami: Bob took the graphics code home to work on it, and his wife accidentally threw it away.
Sony: Again? Isn't this the third time?
Konami: Yes. But we had a talk with Bob and he's no longer allowed to take work home.
Sony: Well, I guess we'll have to live with it.
Konami: We're working really hard on it and if it gets done sooner, we'll let you know.
Sony: Riiiight.
Konami: What was that?
Sony: Nothing. I guess we'll talk to you later inb the quarter then.
Konami: Yeah, see you later.
Sony: Bye. (hangs up phone, and turns to secretary) Could you call David Jaffe and see if he can do another Twisted Metal or God of War for the PS3?

I know delays suck, but I also know that if MGS4 isn't perfect that could really hurt Sony and Konami's credibility. Hopefully good news is on the horizon.

MAN UP AND ADMIT IT ALREADY!

Men also avid players of casual video games: study

from Reuters.com folow the link for the whole article.
Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:04pm EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Men are just as likely as women to play casual video games, but are less likely to admit it, according to an industry report that shatters a widely held industry belief that such games appeal mainly to women.

But women are more likely to buy casual games -- a broad term referring to games that are easy to pick and play -- than men, who are more determined to find a free version or try to thwart anti-piracy protections on games.

Those were some of the findings in the first yearly market report by the Casual Games Association, an industry group aimed at promoting a fast-growing segment that accounts for about 10 percent of the $30 billion global video game market.

Congratulations, Reuters, you now know something that every guy in the world knew for years!

I'm not going to say that I play or enjoy casual games. I might even admit the opposite. You will never know, unless you have male parts or are my wife (I Love You!).

You got to lay people off to make money, apparently.

EA confirms "routine" job losses.

from gamesindustry.biz
Matt Martin 09:52 (BST) 29/10/2007

Across development, publishing and corporate divisions Electronic Arts has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that a number of staff across studios will be losing their jobs, but has stopped short of revealing the exact number of those affected.

The jobs are across the board in development studios, publishing and the company's corporate divisions, with EA putting the reorganization down to the completion of its 2007 games line-up.

"This is a small and somewhat routine event for this time of the year when many of our titles are finished and being shipped," said a spokesperson for the company.

"It includes a small number of roles across studio, publishing and corporate divisions."

I wonder what "small number" actually means. I also wonder if this is going to include people from Bioware/Pandemic Studios. Layoffs are something that isn't uncommon in the corporate world, but if the gaming media makes a big deal out of this it could hurt Electronic Arts. My guess is this will only be a "small" blip on the publics gaming radar.

Being a gamer, and middle class, it's very important to me that a company treats their employees well and keeps them through the slow times. If a game was mediocre, but the developer was a stand up company in employee relations, I would be more inclined to buy that game to help out. This doesn't go for crappy games. They deserve to not make money.

Of course this does insure that EA will be around next year to make even better versions of Madden and the other sports games that they are famous for. My best bet is that none of those departments are losing people. I'm also sure my wife would love another Sims 2 expansion pack (I Love You).

PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) 2008

So dates were announced for the greatest gaming community event ever! I know that it's only been a couple of months since PAX 2007 ended, but I'm super excited about this! The dates are August 29th, 30th and 31st, 2008. It's going to be held at the Seattle Convention Center again and it will be a blast!

If you aren't familiar with Penny Arcade, please follow the link and check out their community and fantastic web comic.

Microsoft makes money, gamers still broke.

So Microsoft is making a profit in their entertainment and devices division. Congratulations to Microsoft for making money! Of course that means that millions of gamers around the world are now poor. I know that's a messed up way to view it, but I like to tell the truth. I only own 15 Xbox 360 games and have bought Call of Duty 2 twice. I've done the math in my head and that amounts to approx $800 in games. That's not counting the money I've spent at Blockbuster on renting games and late charges on said games. You should also add Xbox Live Arcade titles to that also. And I'm not hard core like most of the gamers I know.

For those of you who don't know what Army Of Two is...

Great Trailer! Now I want this game more.

Now for news that really bums me out:

Army of Two will miss holiday

From gamesindustry.biz:

EA needs time to "get the first title right"

EA's Army of Two, originally planned for a November release, has been delayed until early 2008.

"Army of Two has potential to become a lasting EA franchise -- so getting the first title right is essential," Frank Gibeau, head of EA Games, said in a statement.

The company said it needed time to "polish" the co-op shooter, which is being programmed for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter expected the game to earn approximately USD 54 million in revenue during EA's third quarter.

"It's an important game for them if they hope to establish it as a franchise," Pachter told Reuters.

I wonder if this is the reason EA wants a universal platform. I also wonder which system is giving them the most trouble. Part of me wants to say the Colecovision is holding this game up, but I could be wrong.
Could this be a turning point for Electronic Arts? Are they going from a game factory to actually caring about the quality of their products? This news could quiet down the naysayers of the Bioware/Pandemic buyout and bring in a new age of innovation at EA.

Or it could be a stall tactic to point out that multiple consoles delay games. I hope for innovation but realize the latter is more of a possibility.

ONE SYSTEM TO RULE THEM ALL (Maybe)

Imagine a world where you don't have to buy the next best system. A world where you don't have to plug your console into the TV you want to play with. A world where you carry your controller wherever you want to play games in your house. A world where the only gaming choice you have is which game do you want to download. Imagine.

While surfing today I found an article at the BBC where Gerhard Florin, head of EA(Electronic Arts) international publishing, called for a universal console. Here's a snippet of the article (Follow the link for the whole article):

EA wants 'open gaming platform'
By Darren Waters
Technology editor, BBC News website

Rival gaming systems should make way for a single open platform, a senior executive at Electronic Arts has said.

Gerhard Florin said incompatible consoles made life harder for developers and consumers. "We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible," said EA's head of international publishing.

He said the web and set-top boxes would grow in importance to the industry. "We're platform agnostic and we definitely don't want to have one platform which is a walled garden," said Mr Florin.
EA currently produces games for more than 14 different gaming systems, including consoles, portable devices and PCs. "I am not sure how long we will have dedicated consoles - but we could be talking up to 15 years," Mr Florin added.
He predicted that server-based games streamed to PCs or set-top boxes, would become increasingly important. "You don't need an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii - the consumer won't even realize the platform it is being played on." Set-top boxes are becoming increasingly more powerful as they include technology to deal with High Definition TV streams and access to the internet.

I'm not sure if I like the idea of a "universal" console. It would be nice to not spend money on a console every 5 years or so. Gamers could spend the $400 to $700 on games and not have to decide on which console offers them the better experience. We could buy accessories to customize our systems. Imagine the possibilities. WAIT A MINUTE! We already have something like that! It's called a PC!

Now for the downside(in my speculative opinion):

1. Game prices could rise exponentially. Consoles keep the price of games down, mostly because of competition.
2. A universal console could end up being more expensive in the long run than multiple consoles combined. Look at the PC market and tell me that I'm wrong.
3. There would be more games than people on the planet. With every gaming company releasing games for one console, it would flood the market. (DarkZero.com staff discussion)
4. Gaming companies would go out of business. More than likely in droves.
5. There wouldn't be as much excitement for gaming as there is when new consoles and games out. Basically: Too many games, not enough money for advertising hype.
6. Jesus Love Consoles (look at the PC market and tell me I'm wrong)

I don't know if there is a good side to having a universal console. I'm pretty sure that the console makers won't let this happen for years, if ever. Nintendo has always made money off of their consoles and will continue to be in the game. Sony has it's name to live up to in Playstation and it's consoles have a long shelf life (the PS3 is supposed to be 10 years). I could see Microsoft going universal, but would they? They seem focused on building community and creating brand loyalty through that. Going universal would blur the brand line for not only Microsoft, but the rest of the console giants, and create less profits in other sectors of these companies.
The future is closing in fast, how it ends up is anyones guess. One thing is for sure, I miss the past already.

Quick write up of Lost Planet (for Duff)

I just want to say that Blockbuster is awesome when it coes to selling used games for far less than what they are worth. I bought Fear, Lost Planet and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 for $15.00 each. All of these games are still over $30.00 here in the Alaska. I was waiting forever to buy Lost Planet from them and am really happy I stopped by Blockbuster to check. Talk about a gamers candy store! Now onto the quick review of Lost Planet.

I'm so glad that I didn't buy this game for the story or cut scenes. If so, this game would lose points quickly, not that it's a bad story, it just isn't my cone of snow. I absolutly love the nonstop action! Shooting bugs is just plain fun in my book (Earth Defense Force). The aiming system is good for a 3rd person shooter and the graphics look great on an SD Television. I'm not that far into the game (maybe 3 hours or so) so my mind might change after playing the rest of the game. I doubt it.

I really want to play an online match. This will probably never happen because the rest of the world has moved on. Maybe Duff will find the time to play. (defragduff.blogspot.com)

Orange Box: Part 2 Episode 1

I rented Orange Box last night and jumped into Portal. I'll never say, "I'll just play for a half hour and go to bed." ever again. I played through 85% of the game until I realized that it was midnight. It's been a long time since a game has made me forget about time.
Portal score: High enough to warrant buying the entire game.

PGR4 (or Thank God I Rented this Game!)

Project Gotham Racing 4 (PGR4) is a racing game by Microsoft Games Studios and Bizzare Creations. From what I had been hearing this wasn't a bad game. I figured instead of dropping $60 on a game I hadn't been anticipating, I would rent it. And thank God I did!

I'm not saying that PGR4 is a bad game, it's not. I'm just iterating that it's boring. I guess if I had been more excited, like I was for Forza 2 (pronounced "Fortza Too"), getting into this game would not have been a problem. But it was. I've had the game for 3 days and have played it twice. And I've only really enjoyed myself once.

I'm not a big fan of losing my first race, or my second race, or my third race, or my...well, I think you get it by now. Normally with a slightly difficult game I really wouldn't have a problem, but it's a freakin' racing game! I'm slightly good at racing games, I don't lose races until it starts getting hard. I'm not saying this game is bad. As an arcade racer, this game is really solid. When I played the drift race I had a lot of fun and wished the experience could continue in campaign mode. But, alas, I was wrong. After losing the next race I shut it off and went to play Lost Planet.

Orange Box

For all of you that don't know (My audience of me and the occasional visitor who got on the wrong internet offramp,) Orange Box is a collection of games from gaming company Valve. They've created such fine games like Half Life 1 & 2, Team Fortress 1 & 2, Counterstrike and other fine games. You can view their games list here.
The games that are included in Orange Box are:
Portal
Team Fortress 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2: Episode Two
Half-Life 2: Episode 1

If you want to know more, do the research. I'm a horrible educator.

I should be more excited about this, that would make me a hardcore gamer. Being that I'm just "core" makes me a little sad. Not that I'm not contemplating buying Orange Box, I am heavily contemplating (and maybe electroplating and misinterpreplating) on buying this game.

Do I need another First Person Shooter? No. I still have to beat Halo 3 and the rest of my collection of FPS' and other very exciting games. That is a subject for another day, time and argument with my wife about my incredible laziness.
Maybe I'll see if Blockbuster has a copy. If not, they'll have a copy of something. Who knows, maybe tonight's the night where I finally rent Vampire Rain.

Grape-Nuts

I want to know how I ever forgot about Grape-Nuts. I was reminded of them today and think I need to go out and buy a box. As a matter of fact, you as a reader should go and enjoy a box yourself.

Here's to creating goals, sort of.

325
That's right, I bench pressed 325 lbs. yesterday! I never thought that I could, but I figured I would try. Nothing makes you feel more like a man, except maybe a larger "treasure chest", or an expensive car, or money, or self respect.

Gamers Untie!

I've been thinking about different bloggers and forum posters who give a "call to arms" for gamers to unite together against the many evils of the universe. (I think that was a run-on sentence) It seems to me that isn't the best way to get results in the gaming world. Seriously, how many gamers do you know actually rise up against anything? With the promise of annonimity online and the distinct fact that we are not going outside to have our adventures, why would anyone expect this to work. Online petitions are only good if there is an actual name to the signer.
Here's my idea. Before a person has a call to arms, why don't you start with a call to community. Befriend people and let them know who you really are. Put a face to your name. Become a figure, not just a character. When others follow suit, then call them to arms.
Let me know how that turns out.

Is this thing on?

More than likely I'll quit before I get started. But just in case I don't: Howdee! I'm Neal, aka. Altered Weapon, and I'm here to rock...umm...no...more rolling than rocking. I'm here to roll, like dinner.
Welcome to my world...