February 23rd, 2007 at 10:47 am (Game and Gamers, Community News)
In many ways, this is the perfect picture to describe the console situation in Japan. The Nintendo Wii and Ds are both sold out, Sony (not really but metaphorically speaking) is trying to get people to buy their PS3 and the Xbox 360 is no where to be seen. I’d say you couldn’t craft a more perfect picture!
February 14th, 2007 at 10:29 pm (Game and Gamers, Community News)
SCE UK commercial director Jowett has been something of a stalwart within the PlayStation division of Sony. He took over as sales director from Doug Goodwin back in 1998 and has played an integral role within the organisation since then, in particular working closely with retailers over stock allocations on PS2, PSP and, more recently, PS3. He has also taken a keen interest in general retail issues such as pricing and the second-hand games market.
February 9th, 2007 at 9:42 pm (Game and Gamers)
Half Life 2 and Counter Strike are two of the most popular First Person Shooters available. These games are available for Windows PCs in first place. A growing number of people uses Linux as their major operating system and does not want to renounce their favored games.
This HOWTO should make it possibly for anybody to get Steam working with Wine.
February 1st, 2007 at 10:39 pm (Game and Gamers)
Source and Copyrights of: http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r29470.htm
It’s been said before but bears repeating, paraphrased – the PS2 may be in the twilight of its lifespan as a viable console platform system, but at this stage it seems to be home to some of its best games, graphically speaking.
Arthur and the Invisibles certainly fall into that category.
While the game itself treads the usual path of a platform adventure, filled with puzzles, the graphics of the game are wonderful. It creates an atmosphere that will delight gamers of all ages while closely following the style of the film. There are even movie cutscenes inserted into the game’s presentation to keep the association strong.
December 25th, 2006 at 5:35 pm (Game and Gamers)
Eragon is the newest licensed game to tie-in with a big-budget Hollywood movie (which is based on a book), similar to the LOTR games that came out a few years ago. Eragon is even developed by the same people as LOTR: Two Towers, Stormfront Studios, which gave me some hope for this title, but those hopes were quickly dashed after a couple minutes of play.
I’m honestly not too sure what Eragon is all about, I know there’s a dragon that fits in here somewhere, but all I’ve been able to discern is that your character enjoys killing people. A quick trip to the internet informed me that Eragon is about a farm boy who finds an egg with a dragon inside and now he has to save the world, or something to that accord. Eragon does a terrible job of presentation, any semblance of a decent story is nowhere to be found, although that shouldn’t matter, since it’s doubtful the game will hold your interest long enough for you to care. In a literal matter of minutes, it becomes clear that the story doesn’t matter, because if the developers don’t care to explain it, than it probably isn’t too important. Cutscenes are better off skipped, since we don’t live forever and wasting time watching them accomplishes nothing, just like playing the game itself!
Eragon is about as basic as you can get, the first level serves as a boring introduction to the ways of the game. Y jumps, X blocks and dodges, while A and B allow you to attack with your sword and holding R and then hitting A shoots an arrow from your bow. While the game has a few basic combo moves for you to try out, they’re completely unsatisfying to pull off and due to the game’s incredible ease, you’ll most likely never even need to use them. Attacking in the game is a clunky affair, with the extremely basic combat failing to immerse you in even the slightest way. If the slow, snore-inducing sword combat doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can use the surprisingly well done bow and arrow combat. Holding R brings out your bow and the longer you hold A, the more powerful and accurate your shot will be. The right thumbstick is used to switch between targeted enemies and it works pretty well, even if you’re being rushed by foes. The bad part about the bow and arrow parts is due to a flaw in the game itself; the fixed camera. Yeah, we know fixed cameras are supposed to be more “cinematic”, but I’d rather be able to see who’s attacking me than being able to look at myself. Eragon is definitely guilty of being a button masher and the game throws a ton of enemies at you, it’s just too bad that they’re no fun to fight. Magic plays a role in the game as well, but the fun factor of it is diminished greatly, because it cannot be used at any time. Despite being a game about dragons, these mythical creatures are seldom present and the few missions where you do control the dragon are just as boring to play as the rest of the game.
Eragon isn’t a bad looking game and it’s decent looking for an Xbox game. It even supports 720p hi-definition graphics, like the Xbox 360 version. With the game being on a fixed path, it probably isn’t pushing the Xbox too hard. Environments are fairly detailed, with a couple destructible items. Character models aren’t that bad looking either, but when the same enemy model is reused over and over, that’s nothing to be boasting about. The sound effects in Eragon are pretty standard affair for this type of game set in the middle ages. Your typical fantasy music is present, as are generic combat attacks, which sound pretty poor by comparison. One point of praise is the voice acting, which is actually well done in both gameplay and the cutscenes.
Eragon is a painfully easy game to play, whether you’re playing by yourself or with someone else. At one time, I started the second level and did nothing, while my CPU controlled buddy did all the work. I was down to about a third of my health, but dropped power ups refilled my health and by the end of the battle, I was back up to more than two thirds of my health. I suppose it’s convenient that the game plays for you, because I sure don’t want to play it. While the game’s very simplistic combat may seem to be aimed at younger gamers, the Teen rating nullifies it as anyone old enough to play the game isn’t going to find any fun in it. Eragon is an awful game and a chore to play, there really isn’t anything fun or interesting to be found whilst playing it and I can’t recommend it to anyone.
feel free to post your comments whether you like this game or not or what was your experience to play this?
December 21st, 2006 at 2:03 pm (Game and Gamers)
There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the two most popular gaming consoles currently on the market: Playstation 2 (PS2) and Xbox. PS2 is a Sony product, while Xbox is owned by the software giant Microsoft. Many different people have worked with these gaming systems inside and out, attempting to determine which system provides the best performance for your hard-earned gaming dollar. Here we take a look at each gaming system and compare the specs and performance of each. We will attempt to answer that age-old question: which is the better gaming system, Xbox or PS2?
You can take a look at a table comparing hardware specs here.
There are many specs in addition to the ones listed above, but these should give you some idea of just how close these two game consoles really are. If you are looking for pure processing power and graphics capabilities, the Xbox appears to have a slight advantage. In addition, its computer-like features, such as a built-in hard drive are nice to have. With the PS2 you must purchase a memory card if you run out of storage room. When comparing raw power and extra features, the Xbox wins - but you have to keep in mind that the PS2 was released first, and there are additional things to consider besides system specs.
What about Multi-player Capabilities?
Both the Xbox and PS2 have multi-player capability. You can hook up a series of both consoles so that you and your friends can play games together at the same time. The Xbox may be connected using a home LAN system, much like your home computers (here’s another example of how the Xbox is more like a specialized gaming computer). The PS2 may be connected using a link cable, not a LAN. This system may be cost prohibitive for some gamers, since you have to own multiple consoles, seperate TVs for each, and several copies of the same game (yep, that’s expensive).
Of course, you can always ditch the local network and play through the internet. Bboth PS2 and Xbox allow you to play online against a random assortment of opponents. Xbox uses Xbox live, a fairly well supported online gaming network. PS2’s network is not as popular as Xbox Llive, but it works fairly well all the same. If you are really into multi-player, it seems that Xbox is probably the best console for you.
Xbox Games vs. PS2 Games
When deciding which of these two game consoles is best for you, you should certainly take into consideration what types of games each offers, and which games you are most interested in playing. PS2, having been around a little while longer, tends to have the larger game library, but Xbox is not terribly far behind. In addition, Xbox tends to produce games geared more towards adults than children. The graphics seen on the new Xbox games are also clearly a step ahead of PS2 graphics. There is, however, nearly a PS2 game for everyone, and there are lot of PS2 games geared towards teenagers. If you are looking for games for kids, the Nintendo Gamecube may actually be a better choice than either of these two - and it’s cheaper.
Other Considerations
Some other things you may want to consider when comparing PS2 and Xbox is the controller provided by each. These may not seem like a big factor at first glance, but people usually prefer one type of controller over the other. The Xbox controllers tend to be slightly larger than PS2, mainly because Xbox is designed with older gamers in mind. You can always buy a converter in order to get one game console controller to work with another.
As far as price goes, PS2 has typically been cheaper than Xbox. As of the time of this writing (Dec. 2004), PS2 retails for about $150 and Xbox $100. Game prices are very similar for both game systems, with most new games costing about $30 - $50.
The bottom line is, PS2 is a little older than the Xbox, and is geared for a younger gaming crowd. If you are buying this console for a teenager, the PS2 may actually be your best bet - they have more games, the console is cheaper, and the games are more appropriate for that age group. The Xbox is a little more expensive, has fewer games, but it out-performs PS2 and has more adult-oriented games.
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Bradley James is a senior editor for http://www.scinet.cc, a consumer electronics review website. You can find more information about Xbox vs. PS2 at: http://www.scinet.cc/articles/xbox-vs-ps2/xbox-ps2.htmlArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bradley_James
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December 19th, 2006 at 9:09 pm (Game and Gamers)
Here are the official details of what Xbox Live on Xbox 360 will be like straight from Microsoft.Multiple Levels of Service
On Xbox 360, you’ll have a choice of service level. The Xbox Live Silver service means you can connect your Xbox 360 console to a broadband Internet connection and get functionality right out of the box. The premium Xbox Live Gold service delivers the complete online connection package. The breakdown is as follows:
Xbox Live Silver level
Xbox Live Gold level
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace will provide a one-stop shop for consumers to download new game trailers, demos, and episodic content, along with new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, “skins,” and other types of new content on demand.
The Xbox Live Marketplace is accessible to everyone who connects their Xbox 360 console to a broadband connection and creates an Xbox Live account.
Ubiquitous Voice Chat
You can now chat with your friends anytime, while doing anything on your Xbox 360 system, regardless of subscription level. You no longer have to be playing the same game or be in the same game session to communicate; you can be playing a game while your friend is watching a movie, for example.
Gamer Profile
On Xbox Live, every member will have his or her own gamer profile, which is a summary of their preferences, achievements, and online personality. Your gamer profile can be used for everything from deciding if the person who just sent you a friend request is worthy of addition to your Friends List to creating online matches between players who are more similar in background, styles, and skill. Elements of your gamer profile include the following:
Intelligent Matchmaking
Using profile data such as location, Reputation, Gamerscore, and Gamerzone, the matchmaking system on Xbox Live will help ensure that you are matched with the users you want to play with.
Feedback
With Xbox 360, Xbox Live lets you provide feedback on other players that will determine how frequently you are matched with them. Give them a good rating, and matches will happen frequently if you’re both available. Give them a bad rating, and you’re far less likely to play with them online again.
User Safety and Security
The new, more robust safety and security features in Xbox 360 help parents control the online and offline game experiences of their children by determining whether they can play online and whom they play with, and by locking the console to play only games that meet a certain rating.
Analysis
The new Gamer Profile feature is going to be great because it will keep kids out of certain games and allow you to play with people you actually want to play with. We’re also really excited about being able to chat with friends anywhere, anytime. Everything looks good and we can’t wait!
for further details visit xbox official site www.xbox.com or visit the source http://xbox.about.com/od/xbox2/a/xblx360info.htm
December 19th, 2006 at 8:51 pm (Game and Gamers)
