It's been two years since I've done one of these, but to be honest, since WWE All Stars, the PS2 hasn't gotten anything aside from yearly sports games, so I decided to wait until the last of them come out, and then review them, since they'll be the same anyway.
I think I can safely say the 2014 editions will be the PS2s last, considering the PS2 has stopped production in Japan, and FIFA 14 on the PS2 was only released in PAL regions.
For this review, I will be looking at FIFA 14, I'll do PES 2014 another time.
This review is coming from a guy who doesn't follow football religiously, I watch the big national matches, that's about it. I enjoy playing the FIFA and PES games every year though, especially with friends, on the newer machines. Don't b*tch at me if I don't cover everything.
My brother has FIFA 14 on PS3, so I had a few games to see what that's like, My friend has the game on PS4 as well, I've played a game or two when I was over at his house. It's amazing when you think about it, here is the brand new PS4, just came out a few months ago, getting FIFA 14, with a new engine, and cutting edge graphics (well, not really), but on the other hand, here is the PS2, a 13 year old console, getting it's version of FIFA 14.
So what's FIFA 14 on the PS2 like, well, have you played FIFA 13? No? How about FIFA 12? FIFA 11? FIFA 10? 09? You played FIFA 09? Yeah? Good, Well, it's the same as that! They've changed nothing for the past 5 years! The only thing they've changed was of course the teams and kits, and from what I hear, they didn't even do a good job of that either! At least this year, they're giving it to us straight, but dubbing the PS2, and other versions, the "Legacy Edition".
Let's start with the presentation, because that's the first thing thrown at you in any game, and all I have to say about the presentation is... What presentation? You get the EA sports logo, you choose a language, and then the title screen comes up.
For an actual match, it's the same as any football game, the commentators introduce themselves, and tells us who's playing, shows us players in the back walking out, and shows us what I assume are flashbacks, they flash into a black and white sequence where the players are celebrating, I'm not sure what that's about.
How about the graphics? In the main game, they're nothing special, the models and textures look kind of nice, but not mind blowing, it seems EA attempted to give the players a more cartoony look, like they did with the Wii FIFA games, I didn't like the style there, and I don't like it here. The framerate is smooth for the most part, although it has is share of slowdowns. I say in the main game, the quality differs in another mode, I'll get to that later.
The game of course supports Widescreen (in this day and age, it's a necessity).
It also supports 60hz, but the feature is hidden, you can get to it by holding X and Triangle at the language screen, it looks horrible, though, the text is unreadable, don't bother with 60hz! It's okay to bother with the widescreen though, it does the job.
From what I hear, it doesn't support 480p, FIFA on the PS2 never did in PAL regions, and since FIFA 14 is PAL only, no 480p for anyone!
How's the gameplay? Well, as you'd imagine, it feels outdated compared to the current/next-gen consoles, the game feels stiffer, animations seem robotic, you can't do conditioning, and sprinting sucks, as you only turn at 45 degree angles. The game also seems slightly slower on the PS2.
Of course there are no physics engines, or sliders, none of that! The PS2 probably couldn't handle the former, but I think it can do better than what we got, but on the other hand, being in the state the PS2 is in, I can't exactly imagine there being a nagging demand for a more faithful port of the game.
It isn't even as fun as the early PS2 FIFAs, I have FIFA 2003, which I played for comparison's sake, and 2003 was a lot smoother faster, and more fun than FIFA 14, my friend, who also played both games, agreed with me.
So what game modes does it have? Well, it has none of what you have in the FIFA you're familiar with, of course, it has not Ultimate Team, or any sort of online modes, it does have career mode, which has been largely untouched since whenever EA have stopped caring the PS2 so much, because the career mode, or at least the core gameplay of it, seems mostly the same as the newer versions.
For those who haven't tried it, you create a player, and you play as that player in the team of your choice. The camera is different in the mode than others (on default) in the sense that it's pointing to the goals and is with your player at all times. A cool thing about the camera, though, is that when you approach the goal with the ball, it zooms in the player, and shakes, which makes scoring the goal more intense, I love it!
How far you'll go in career, depends on how well you play, obviously, but it's not just about how many goals you score, there is a bar that you have to fill up, I'm going to call this the "trust meter", it fills up as you do good things, such as staying in your position, successful passes, intercepts, assists, and of course, scoring goals. It goes down, however, if your passes get intercepted, call for a pass at the wrong time, and for not staying in your position, The game is very strict about your position, luckily, you can just hold L2 to automatically run to your position when you don't have the ball, which is convenient.
You also get objectives to do every match, such as doing skills, scoring a certain amount of goals, etc., which further increase your chances of ranking up and then playing for national teams. The problem with this is that the objectives remain the same regardless of your position, I've had times where I've played in defence, and the game asked me to score a hat trick...
The graphics in this mode look like p*ss, the models look like they came out of an Atari Jaguar game, most of them don't even have textures, some kit have stripes, but nothing beyond that, they don't even have any faces! The framerate as well is very unstable, despite the bad visuals, it's 60 frames at peak, but slows down more often than not, it even sometimes goes down to 10 fps! Even when the game is running the full 60, the animations look very choppy, so it doesn't feel smooth.
As you play through the career, you earn points, which can be spent on buying kits, stadiums, footballs, and more celebrations, you can also buy the Classic XI and World XI teams, and a cool little feature that I'll get to later.
The career mode is actually quite good fun, even my brother enjoyed it when he had a shot of it, but because they haven't done anything to it in years, I stopped caring about it after FIFA 12...
There's also "Lounge Mode" which seems like a league which is played by two or more players, I can actually imagine this being fun, but sadly, after playing one match, nobody wanted to play the game with me again...
As for other modes, there's also a season mode, which is the same as career, only you control the whole team, a tournament mode and a practice mode.
That's really it for game modes, EA have outright lied to us about the modes in this game, the back of the game's box said the game had "Historical Challenges" and a "Be a Pro" mode, but I haven't seen either in the game, "Be a Pro" turned out to be another name for "Career Mode" that wasn't used in the game. It seems they just copied and pasted the text from another version onto the PS2 box...
How about the sound? As always, I didn't like EAs choice of music for the soundtrack, and the sound effects and commentary are what you'd expect, they're all quite good quality, actually, easily the best thing about this game. One cool thing about the game, is the ability to unlock "Funny SFX" in the career mode store (That was the "little thing" I was talking about). When you do, it's actually quite funny, and when I played the previous games with friends, we had a laugh with it, for a couple of matches...
Overall, I didn't expect the game to break any boundaries, but apart from the career mode, the game isn't even fun for a PS2 FIFA game, you're just as well getting a used copy of an older FIFA game, which go for about 50p-£2 in most game stores.
Presentation - 4.5/5
Graphics - 7/10
Gameplay - 5.8/10
Sound - 8/10
Overall - 63%
I'll eventually be doing a PES 2014 review, and then give the PS2 it's final send off, it might be a while, though, as college work, and my laziness is getting in the way.
Monday, 30 December 2013
Friday, 29 November 2013
Retro Modern Pick-Ups: Black Friday Madness!
Today was Black Friday, as I'm sure we are all aware.
GAME was one of those stores, they had a great deal on a Wii U game I wanted: Rayman Legends, they had it, brand new, for only £15! The deal was only available for an hour, so I quickly got the bus, and went into game to pick it up, and the place was packed! The line went all the way to the entrance! There was no room to grab the game, since the line covered the Nintendo section of the store, so I had to stand in the queue and get it on the way there, while I was there, I found another game, Ninja Gaiden 3, for, yet again, only £15 brand new, so I thought "What the hell!", and got that as well!
I wanted to get Call of Duty ghosts as well, but GAME never had it, even when I specifically asked if they had it, the cashier who served me didn't even know of any other store selling the Wii U version! Shocking! It's no Wonder the Wii U version is selling poorly! You need to sell it, Activision! You can't just expect sales without any effort on your part! Maybe they wanted it to sell poorly, to give them an excuse to not develop for (or rather publish to) the Wii U...
HMV had the Wii U version for sale, though, for £50... f*ck that!
I also got a game in Tesco, I got Wii Party U, with a free Wiimote, for £30, £4 off... okay that wasn't a great deal, but do you know what was great? The game itself!
A wee problem arose, I wanted the white wii-mote package (Nothing against blacks, honest! I already had a black wii-mote, I wanted to distinguish, that's all), but Tesco only had the black one, the website, which I checked before going to Tesco, never had the game listed at all!, so I asked one of the staff about it, their database never specified the wii-mote colour, and checked the back to see if there was any, there wasn't, they tried contacting another store that I can go to to see if they had any, no dice! So I guess I was stuck with the black wii-mote, oh well.
Rayman Legends was pretty good, Ninja Gaiden 3 was great! Wii Party U was awesome! I had a game of Wii Party U with my brother, and we had a lot of fun with it! It's not a good as Mario Party, because it's more based on luck than skill, but it was great fun, I wouldn't say it was worth £30, though, I would wait until it reduces, if it ever does, this is Nintendo we're talking about... Well, I guess the free wii-mote helps justify the price...
Amazon had some great deals as well, they had 007 Legends for £9 and ZombiU for £15, and I thought I might as well get Call of Duty Ghosts as well, even though that was £45...
So overall, I think it's been a good day today, I think I'm going to enjoy these Black Fridays!
What exactly is Black Friday?I hear many asking. Well, apparently, it's a holiday where many stores have discounts and sales. I only heard about it 2 years ago, and I had no idea what it, or the fuss, was about. Until now.
GAME was one of those stores, they had a great deal on a Wii U game I wanted: Rayman Legends, they had it, brand new, for only £15! The deal was only available for an hour, so I quickly got the bus, and went into game to pick it up, and the place was packed! The line went all the way to the entrance! There was no room to grab the game, since the line covered the Nintendo section of the store, so I had to stand in the queue and get it on the way there, while I was there, I found another game, Ninja Gaiden 3, for, yet again, only £15 brand new, so I thought "What the hell!", and got that as well!
I wanted to get Call of Duty ghosts as well, but GAME never had it, even when I specifically asked if they had it, the cashier who served me didn't even know of any other store selling the Wii U version! Shocking! It's no Wonder the Wii U version is selling poorly! You need to sell it, Activision! You can't just expect sales without any effort on your part! Maybe they wanted it to sell poorly, to give them an excuse to not develop for (or rather publish to) the Wii U...
HMV had the Wii U version for sale, though, for £50... f*ck that!
I also got a game in Tesco, I got Wii Party U, with a free Wiimote, for £30, £4 off... okay that wasn't a great deal, but do you know what was great? The game itself!
A wee problem arose, I wanted the white wii-mote package (Nothing against blacks, honest! I already had a black wii-mote, I wanted to distinguish, that's all), but Tesco only had the black one, the website, which I checked before going to Tesco, never had the game listed at all!, so I asked one of the staff about it, their database never specified the wii-mote colour, and checked the back to see if there was any, there wasn't, they tried contacting another store that I can go to to see if they had any, no dice! So I guess I was stuck with the black wii-mote, oh well.
Rayman Legends was pretty good, Ninja Gaiden 3 was great! Wii Party U was awesome! I had a game of Wii Party U with my brother, and we had a lot of fun with it! It's not a good as Mario Party, because it's more based on luck than skill, but it was great fun, I wouldn't say it was worth £30, though, I would wait until it reduces, if it ever does, this is Nintendo we're talking about... Well, I guess the free wii-mote helps justify the price...
Amazon had some great deals as well, they had 007 Legends for £9 and ZombiU for £15, and I thought I might as well get Call of Duty Ghosts as well, even though that was £45...
So overall, I think it's been a good day today, I think I'm going to enjoy these Black Fridays!
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Mystery Console Revealed
Remember in my last Retro Diary, I mentioned that I was getting a new console, but never revealed what that console is? Well, it's here, so I'll reveal it, drumroll please...
...
...What, no drumroll? Ah, screw it! The console I got was...
That's right, It's a Super Nintendo! For those unaware, no, this is not a Japanese Super Famicon, the PAL SNES' had same design, the differences I'm aware of, are obviously the name and the Super Nintendo logo on it, and that the cartridge door has "PAL Version" written on it. I'm thankful we got the Japanese design, because, I think the North American design is really ugly, and dull, no offence to any American SNES fans watching,
I am quite exited to have this, I've always been wanting to play the Super FX games on it, and this game happened to come with one of them, or should I say two of them...
...Ha, get it? It's because I got two copies of Starwing (That's what Starfox is called in Europe), that makes two, but it's only reall- ah forget it!
For those who haven't seen a SNES before (The SNES did poorly here (at least compared to Mega Drive), so people like that exist here.), you probably think the cartridges are pretty bug, and you'd be right, they are, for those who make the argument of "They were small for their time", the Mega Drive came out 2 years before and had much smaller cartridges, and I've heard they can actually store more, here's a size comparison I made:
It also came with 3 controllers, although only 2 work, and only one of them had a functional start button...
Finally, here's a photo of the SNES all set up, ready to play Starwing!
One thing I like about the SNES, is it's eject button in the centre, it's just so satisfying to push and watch the cartridge pop out!
So I've played the SNES for a bit, and it's a pretty good machine, the controller feels great, and considering I can only view it from an RF output, it looks great on my TV!
So I'm going to play Starwing some more, BYE!
-Cobra!
...
...What, no drumroll? Ah, screw it! The console I got was...
That's right, It's a Super Nintendo! For those unaware, no, this is not a Japanese Super Famicon, the PAL SNES' had same design, the differences I'm aware of, are obviously the name and the Super Nintendo logo on it, and that the cartridge door has "PAL Version" written on it. I'm thankful we got the Japanese design, because, I think the North American design is really ugly, and dull, no offence to any American SNES fans watching,
I am quite exited to have this, I've always been wanting to play the Super FX games on it, and this game happened to come with one of them, or should I say two of them...
...Ha, get it? It's because I got two copies of Starwing (That's what Starfox is called in Europe), that makes two, but it's only reall- ah forget it!
For those who haven't seen a SNES before (The SNES did poorly here (at least compared to Mega Drive), so people like that exist here.), you probably think the cartridges are pretty bug, and you'd be right, they are, for those who make the argument of "They were small for their time", the Mega Drive came out 2 years before and had much smaller cartridges, and I've heard they can actually store more, here's a size comparison I made:
It also came with 3 controllers, although only 2 work, and only one of them had a functional start button...
Finally, here's a photo of the SNES all set up, ready to play Starwing!
One thing I like about the SNES, is it's eject button in the centre, it's just so satisfying to push and watch the cartridge pop out!
So I've played the SNES for a bit, and it's a pretty good machine, the controller feels great, and considering I can only view it from an RF output, it looks great on my TV!
So I'm going to play Starwing some more, BYE!
-Cobra!
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Retro Diary - 10th November 2013
I'm not being very consistent with this retro blog, am I? Well, the reason I haven't posted anything for the past few weeks, is because I don't have anything to post! That is not the case this week! I have some big news... sort of, to report!
Monday 4th November 2013
I was at CEX today after college, and I had found a great deal, I found 2 games for sale, Ace Lightning (Remember the show?) and Mall Tycoon, both for PC, and guess how much, in total, it costed me to buy both games... No, go on, guess... 45p! Ace Lightning costed 15p and Mall Tycoon was 30p! I thought that was a bargain! That was until...
I had installed both games, and I can see why they were both so cheap... Ace lightning was absolutely atrocious! I feel like I had been ripped off, that 15p could've bought me... erm... they have me there...
How bad is it? How does this sound? No mouse support, Tank style controls coupled with a Mario 64-esque camera, respawning enemies, space to jump, ctrl to shoot, and alt to swing your weapon... You have to do the spock hand to play this game, and it really puts a strain on my fingers after a while, and on top of all that, the game is boring to play... To give them credit, they captured the atmosphere of the show quite well, it feels like an Ace Lightning game. Another thing of note, they never got Ace Lightning's original voice actor for the game, instead, they got who sounds like Tom Clarke Hill, the voice of Cortez from Timesplttiers, the game's credits didn't mention the voice actors, and IMDB and Wikipedia have nothing on it either, so I'm not 100% sure, but I swear, it sounds so much like like him!
Mall Tycoon isn't a classic either, the controls are loose and clunky, and adding walls to is an absolute nightmare! For 30p, though, I can't complain, I got a bit of fun out of it once I got used to it... I tried a trial of Mall Tycoon 3 after playing it, and it's so much better, It'll be hard to go back to the original, so I uninstalled it...
Thursday 7th November 2013
I was at CEX again, and I saw all of the Smackdown Vs. Raw games as well as Smackdown: Shut your Mouth and Wrestlemania 21, all for £1 each, so I decided to nab all the games I didn't have, sadly, Smackdown vs. Raw (original) and Wrestlemania 21 don't work, everything else works perfect, though. Does anyone know if I have to go through buy or sell, or can I go through either to take what I bought back?
Friday 8th November 2013
I got a new console off of eBay, it came with 9 games (Including 2 copes of one game, the game I wanted this system for!), and 3 controllers, I thought I got a great deal on it.
I was never fussed about this console before, but then I saw someone put for sale on what's called "Facebay", which is a Facebook group where people from a certain city (they have groups for each city, I believe), sell stuff, for others in that city to buy and pick up at a meeting point, and vice versa, you can buy someone and go to a meet up point.
Anyway, someone was selling this console there, for a good price, it came with 4 games, and 2 controllers, so I was trying to make a deal with him, but he declined everything I offered, saying he'd get more on eBay and that he'd be "missing out", I got so exited to be getting this console as well, so I decided 'Screw it! I'm getting one off of eBay!' ...so I did.
What console am I talking about? I'm not telling you, I'll reveal it once it arrives... I bet youse are tempted to know what is it, aren't youse? No? Well, screw youse, I'm not telling youse either way!
Sunday, 10th November 2013
I had brought the Dreamcast to Grans this week, we didn't play much, though, I played a bit of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 with my brother, then I played a wee bit of Shenmue 2, I didn't get much further in the story, though.
Then I played a game of Chu Chu Rocket with my cousin: Steven.
Then my cousin: Giancarlo, came in, and we played some Ready 2 Rumble Boxing (Rumble Bumble!), and we had a blast playing it, then me and my (other) brother had a few matches. The graphics for that game still amaze me to this day, it looks like any regular PS2 or Gamecube game from the mid 2000s, and runs at 60fps, and this was in 1999, I can definitely imagine, somebody being blown away by the Dreamcast version of this game! I know I would've, it amazes me now!
The I had a wee game of NBA Showtime... that is all.
That's all we got up to this weel, maybe next week, I can bring that mystery console to grans, who knows?
Until then, BYE!
Monday 4th November 2013
I was at CEX today after college, and I had found a great deal, I found 2 games for sale, Ace Lightning (Remember the show?) and Mall Tycoon, both for PC, and guess how much, in total, it costed me to buy both games... No, go on, guess... 45p! Ace Lightning costed 15p and Mall Tycoon was 30p! I thought that was a bargain! That was until...
I had installed both games, and I can see why they were both so cheap... Ace lightning was absolutely atrocious! I feel like I had been ripped off, that 15p could've bought me... erm... they have me there...
How bad is it? How does this sound? No mouse support, Tank style controls coupled with a Mario 64-esque camera, respawning enemies, space to jump, ctrl to shoot, and alt to swing your weapon... You have to do the spock hand to play this game, and it really puts a strain on my fingers after a while, and on top of all that, the game is boring to play... To give them credit, they captured the atmosphere of the show quite well, it feels like an Ace Lightning game. Another thing of note, they never got Ace Lightning's original voice actor for the game, instead, they got who sounds like Tom Clarke Hill, the voice of Cortez from Timesplttiers, the game's credits didn't mention the voice actors, and IMDB and Wikipedia have nothing on it either, so I'm not 100% sure, but I swear, it sounds so much like like him!
Mall Tycoon isn't a classic either, the controls are loose and clunky, and adding walls to is an absolute nightmare! For 30p, though, I can't complain, I got a bit of fun out of it once I got used to it... I tried a trial of Mall Tycoon 3 after playing it, and it's so much better, It'll be hard to go back to the original, so I uninstalled it...
Thursday 7th November 2013
I was at CEX again, and I saw all of the Smackdown Vs. Raw games as well as Smackdown: Shut your Mouth and Wrestlemania 21, all for £1 each, so I decided to nab all the games I didn't have, sadly, Smackdown vs. Raw (original) and Wrestlemania 21 don't work, everything else works perfect, though. Does anyone know if I have to go through buy or sell, or can I go through either to take what I bought back?
Friday 8th November 2013
I got a new console off of eBay, it came with 9 games (Including 2 copes of one game, the game I wanted this system for!), and 3 controllers, I thought I got a great deal on it.
I was never fussed about this console before, but then I saw someone put for sale on what's called "Facebay", which is a Facebook group where people from a certain city (they have groups for each city, I believe), sell stuff, for others in that city to buy and pick up at a meeting point, and vice versa, you can buy someone and go to a meet up point.
Anyway, someone was selling this console there, for a good price, it came with 4 games, and 2 controllers, so I was trying to make a deal with him, but he declined everything I offered, saying he'd get more on eBay and that he'd be "missing out", I got so exited to be getting this console as well, so I decided 'Screw it! I'm getting one off of eBay!' ...so I did.
What console am I talking about? I'm not telling you, I'll reveal it once it arrives... I bet youse are tempted to know what is it, aren't youse? No? Well, screw youse, I'm not telling youse either way!
Sunday, 10th November 2013
I had brought the Dreamcast to Grans this week, we didn't play much, though, I played a bit of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 with my brother, then I played a wee bit of Shenmue 2, I didn't get much further in the story, though.
Then I played a game of Chu Chu Rocket with my cousin: Steven.
Then my cousin: Giancarlo, came in, and we played some Ready 2 Rumble Boxing (Rumble Bumble!), and we had a blast playing it, then me and my (other) brother had a few matches. The graphics for that game still amaze me to this day, it looks like any regular PS2 or Gamecube game from the mid 2000s, and runs at 60fps, and this was in 1999, I can definitely imagine, somebody being blown away by the Dreamcast version of this game! I know I would've, it amazes me now!
The I had a wee game of NBA Showtime... that is all.
That's all we got up to this weel, maybe next week, I can bring that mystery console to grans, who knows?
Until then, BYE!
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Cobra!'s Retro Diary - 22/9/2013
It's been a long time since I've done one of these, but then again, it's also been a long time since I was able to bring a console to my grans house and play some golden oldies with my cousins!
I have been on a shopping spree with CEX and GeForce, it's kind of like Steams summer sale, only with physical games.... and it's cheaper! Most games sold there are really old, so don't give me that rubbish about cheating publishers out of their money!
The most notable game I got was Dave Mirra's Freestyle BMX on the PC, it was only £2, I though it wasn't a bad price, even considering it's an Acclaim game.
Acclaim had made some brilliant games in their time, don't get me wrong, but most of their games were kind of... meh. So I bought it, thinking it wasn't going to be great, but I was pleasantly surprised! The game is so much fun, it has tight controls, a great soundtrack, brilliant physics for it's time (Ragdoll bails!), and it has features in the game that even the Tony Hawk/Mat Hoffman games haven't implemented at that point, such as trick modifiers, spine transfers, double trick variations and manuals! (I believe the game pre-dated Pro Skater 2 by about a month (I can't be bothered looking it up!)) The game was way ahead of it's time, and apart from the physics, I think the game has aged very well!
In my opinion, the game is almost criminally underrated and undervalued, it was the best £2 I had ever spent! If you can find a copy for £10 or less, jump at the chance, you won't be disappointed!
Sunday, 22nd September 2013:
I brought my Nintendo 64 to grans because I knew one of my cousins, Giancarlo, was going to be there, so I set the console up, and tested it, because I haven't tried the N64 I brought in a long time, it was covered in dust when I dug it up. So I put on Tony Hawk's Skateboarding, and apart from a slightly blurry screen (that might be just because I'm so used to watching Blu-rays and playing PC, Wii and Wii U games in HD.) it worked perfectly!
So after a wee session of that, me and my cousin had a few games of Goldeneye, and the memories it brought back! It has only been a few months, but it's felt like years!
After that, we watched one of the worst if not the worst film of all time, Troll 2! It was awful, we had so much fun watching it! That's one half of my goal fulfilled, now I just need to watch The Room, and decide what is the worst film ever!
That's it for my diary, I know it was short, but that's all that happened, sorry about that! I just hope I get to make diaries more often!
That's all I have, see youse in another few months!
-Cobra!
I have been on a shopping spree with CEX and GeForce, it's kind of like Steams summer sale, only with physical games.... and it's cheaper! Most games sold there are really old, so don't give me that rubbish about cheating publishers out of their money!
The most notable game I got was Dave Mirra's Freestyle BMX on the PC, it was only £2, I though it wasn't a bad price, even considering it's an Acclaim game.
Acclaim had made some brilliant games in their time, don't get me wrong, but most of their games were kind of... meh. So I bought it, thinking it wasn't going to be great, but I was pleasantly surprised! The game is so much fun, it has tight controls, a great soundtrack, brilliant physics for it's time (Ragdoll bails!), and it has features in the game that even the Tony Hawk/Mat Hoffman games haven't implemented at that point, such as trick modifiers, spine transfers, double trick variations and manuals! (I believe the game pre-dated Pro Skater 2 by about a month (I can't be bothered looking it up!)) The game was way ahead of it's time, and apart from the physics, I think the game has aged very well!
In my opinion, the game is almost criminally underrated and undervalued, it was the best £2 I had ever spent! If you can find a copy for £10 or less, jump at the chance, you won't be disappointed!
Sunday, 22nd September 2013:
I brought my Nintendo 64 to grans because I knew one of my cousins, Giancarlo, was going to be there, so I set the console up, and tested it, because I haven't tried the N64 I brought in a long time, it was covered in dust when I dug it up. So I put on Tony Hawk's Skateboarding, and apart from a slightly blurry screen (that might be just because I'm so used to watching Blu-rays and playing PC, Wii and Wii U games in HD.) it worked perfectly!
So after a wee session of that, me and my cousin had a few games of Goldeneye, and the memories it brought back! It has only been a few months, but it's felt like years!
After that, we watched one of the worst if not the worst film of all time, Troll 2! It was awful, we had so much fun watching it! That's one half of my goal fulfilled, now I just need to watch The Room, and decide what is the worst film ever!
That's it for my diary, I know it was short, but that's all that happened, sorry about that! I just hope I get to make diaries more often!
That's all I have, see youse in another few months!
-Cobra!
Saturday, 17 August 2013
My thoughts on Games for Windows marketplace shutting down...
Just a quick one, If you haven't heard already Games for Windows Marketplace is shutting down, it's closing on August 22nd, and it seems everyone is celebrating about it, I don't share the same enthusiasm, I'm here to give me thoughts on it.
I wouldn't be surprised if I was the only person on this planet to actually liked Games for Windows Live! I've always though it was much better than Steam, normally, their games were cheaper, and their DRM wasn't nearly as restrictive, for one, you didn't need the internet to activate the games, digital or physical! Not only that, I thought it was awesome that it was virtually the same as Xbox Live, which meant I could add people from said service, and since most people I know own an Xbox 360, almost exclusively, this was a great feature for me!
I'm sad to see the marketplace go, they should have a closing sale, I might get a game or two from them, either way, I might just nab Mortal Kombat Arcade Collection before it closes anyway, it's £2 cheaper than it is on Steam, and you won't have Steam's DRM in place to restrict you from, say, grabbing the installer, or make an archive of the installed game, and store it on a memory stick for keeps!
On the flipside, Steam's former "boss", Jason Holtman, has joined Games for Windows, I'm assuming this means that Games for Windows isn't going to discontinue, at least not yet, in fact this could mean Games for Windows could become more popular, and more publishers will use it again, but on the other hand, I'm worried that Holtman might change GFWL for the worst, and make it as restrictive as Steam. We'll see what happens, I guess.
If he doesn't restrict it, and only promotes it, then to me, the may be some hope left in PC gaming...
That's all I have, I told you it would going to be quick!
-Cobra!
I wouldn't be surprised if I was the only person on this planet to actually liked Games for Windows Live! I've always though it was much better than Steam, normally, their games were cheaper, and their DRM wasn't nearly as restrictive, for one, you didn't need the internet to activate the games, digital or physical! Not only that, I thought it was awesome that it was virtually the same as Xbox Live, which meant I could add people from said service, and since most people I know own an Xbox 360, almost exclusively, this was a great feature for me!
I'm sad to see the marketplace go, they should have a closing sale, I might get a game or two from them, either way, I might just nab Mortal Kombat Arcade Collection before it closes anyway, it's £2 cheaper than it is on Steam, and you won't have Steam's DRM in place to restrict you from, say, grabbing the installer, or make an archive of the installed game, and store it on a memory stick for keeps!
On the flipside, Steam's former "boss", Jason Holtman, has joined Games for Windows, I'm assuming this means that Games for Windows isn't going to discontinue, at least not yet, in fact this could mean Games for Windows could become more popular, and more publishers will use it again, but on the other hand, I'm worried that Holtman might change GFWL for the worst, and make it as restrictive as Steam. We'll see what happens, I guess.
If he doesn't restrict it, and only promotes it, then to me, the may be some hope left in PC gaming...
That's all I have, I told you it would going to be quick!
-Cobra!
Oh no...
Remember that article I put up last month about my theory of the new Mortal Kombat on PC being DRM Free?
Well, I have a bit of bad news, I found a photo of the EU version of the game, look at the top right corner of the box...
"Requires Internet Connection to Activate"? This only means one thing... it uses Steam...
Why the f*ck did they makes us wait a f*cking month just to re-release the Steam version!? Why did they need an extra month to bring it out!? They already had the box art, and I assume they had the system requirements, a summary from the Steam page, and some screenshots, so what made them delay it!?
I am sick and tired of the PC platform DRMing every game these days! I promised myself that if Mortal Kombat Komplete game is DRM-free, I would stick with the PC for at least little longer, otherwise, I'm getting a PS4.
Sure, console game run slower, run on a lower-resolution, and aren't moddable, but they have one important factor to them that, for the most part, PC games no longer have: Game ownership!
You actually own your games, you're allowed to trade them in, buy a game used, and best of all, you will not be dictated by publishers! To me, the basics have higher priority than luxuries, sure, modding is fun, and I love my games to go 60+fps, but if you don't own any of your games, what does it matter?
I'll still get the occasional DRM-free (or dick-check) sports games and Telltalle games titles, like I always did, assuming they remain DRM free, and maybe the occasional indie off of GOG.com, and of course a bunch of oldies from the late 90s and early 2000s, but for the most part, I am done with the PC, it was once a fantastic platform, until Valve entered the scene with it's Steam, and corporatized it, turning into a measly rental service, turned it into the equivalent of a dictatorship!
Valve have made some gems, don't get me wrong, but the sad thing is, when Valve go, I won't be able to revisit any of their games (except for half-life 1), treasured memories of their games will remain just that, memories, never to be revisited...
If I ever find a game that doesn't use any of that DRM, I'll be sure to post them here, for those who feel the same way as me...
-Cobra!
Well, I have a bit of bad news, I found a photo of the EU version of the game, look at the top right corner of the box...
Blw~~60_57.JPG)
"Requires Internet Connection to Activate"? This only means one thing... it uses Steam...
Why the f*ck did they makes us wait a f*cking month just to re-release the Steam version!? Why did they need an extra month to bring it out!? They already had the box art, and I assume they had the system requirements, a summary from the Steam page, and some screenshots, so what made them delay it!?
I am sick and tired of the PC platform DRMing every game these days! I promised myself that if Mortal Kombat Komplete game is DRM-free, I would stick with the PC for at least little longer, otherwise, I'm getting a PS4.
Sure, console game run slower, run on a lower-resolution, and aren't moddable, but they have one important factor to them that, for the most part, PC games no longer have: Game ownership!
You actually own your games, you're allowed to trade them in, buy a game used, and best of all, you will not be dictated by publishers! To me, the basics have higher priority than luxuries, sure, modding is fun, and I love my games to go 60+fps, but if you don't own any of your games, what does it matter?
I'll still get the occasional DRM-free (or dick-check) sports games and Telltalle games titles, like I always did, assuming they remain DRM free, and maybe the occasional indie off of GOG.com, and of course a bunch of oldies from the late 90s and early 2000s, but for the most part, I am done with the PC, it was once a fantastic platform, until Valve entered the scene with it's Steam, and corporatized it, turning into a measly rental service, turned it into the equivalent of a dictatorship!
Valve have made some gems, don't get me wrong, but the sad thing is, when Valve go, I won't be able to revisit any of their games (except for half-life 1), treasured memories of their games will remain just that, memories, never to be revisited...
If I ever find a game that doesn't use any of that DRM, I'll be sure to post them here, for those who feel the same way as me...
-Cobra!
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition [PC]: Could the retail version be DRM-free?
A Quick update, but I've had a thought recently, and it concerns the PC version of Mortal Kombat Komplete. As you all probably know, they mentioned the Steam version will be released in July (it's out now), but the retail version would have to wait a month later to see the light of day...
Why is that? The retail editions of the console versions are already out, they could've been like everyone else and released it on PC physically on the same day, but they haven't, do you think there's a reason for that?
Let's look at other games that had to wait for physical releases on PC, most notably, Telltale games. Whenever they complete a season of their episodic games, us retail gamers always have to wait months untill the retail version comes out, and every Telltale games creation have been completely DRM free! I have a lot of their games, and I love every one of them, they don't restrict me from doing anything to them, and they're good fun, what could be better? Some of their games were even published by companies that regularly use Steam or Steam-like DRM, such as Deep Silver and Namco.
It's not just them, Ubisoft have done something similar as well, as you may or may not know, Rayman Origins didn't get a PC release untill months after every other version, however, the PC version, even retail, is free of any DRM, and this is coming from the company who invented Uplay, amazing, right?
So I think what WB are doing, are biding their time, waiting untill the other versions sell, and make a profit, and then unleash a version that does nothing to stop trade ins or piracy, to make just a little more money...
Think about it, this is the "Komplete" edition, meaning it has all the DLC included, also suggesting the game may not have any more coming out, so they wouldn't have any use for Steam or Game for Windows to host and sell more DLC, would they?
The game apparently runs on the Unreal Engine (seeing that Arcade Kollection did, I would believe that), it would be easy to port to PC, the unreal engine's home, so with that said, development won't cost much, so I don't think they're at risk of losing money, as they wouldn't have as much to lose...
They say the most important time for sales is the first week, if not the first month, so I think Nehterrealm/WB gamesare waiting until that period is over, and sales go quiet, and then release their game DRM-free! I really hope so!
What do you guys think?... That's going to be a rhetorical question, isn't it?
Why is that? The retail editions of the console versions are already out, they could've been like everyone else and released it on PC physically on the same day, but they haven't, do you think there's a reason for that?
Let's look at other games that had to wait for physical releases on PC, most notably, Telltale games. Whenever they complete a season of their episodic games, us retail gamers always have to wait months untill the retail version comes out, and every Telltale games creation have been completely DRM free! I have a lot of their games, and I love every one of them, they don't restrict me from doing anything to them, and they're good fun, what could be better? Some of their games were even published by companies that regularly use Steam or Steam-like DRM, such as Deep Silver and Namco.
It's not just them, Ubisoft have done something similar as well, as you may or may not know, Rayman Origins didn't get a PC release untill months after every other version, however, the PC version, even retail, is free of any DRM, and this is coming from the company who invented Uplay, amazing, right?
So I think what WB are doing, are biding their time, waiting untill the other versions sell, and make a profit, and then unleash a version that does nothing to stop trade ins or piracy, to make just a little more money...
Think about it, this is the "Komplete" edition, meaning it has all the DLC included, also suggesting the game may not have any more coming out, so they wouldn't have any use for Steam or Game for Windows to host and sell more DLC, would they?
The game apparently runs on the Unreal Engine (seeing that Arcade Kollection did, I would believe that), it would be easy to port to PC, the unreal engine's home, so with that said, development won't cost much, so I don't think they're at risk of losing money, as they wouldn't have as much to lose...
They say the most important time for sales is the first week, if not the first month, so I think Nehterrealm/WB gamesare waiting until that period is over, and sales go quiet, and then release their game DRM-free! I really hope so!
What do you guys think?... That's going to be a rhetorical question, isn't it?
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
(Yet another) Rant: Steam, and similar DRM/Corporate schemes
If this post gets at least one reader (which it probably won't, let's be honest), controversy might follow, Steam fanboys will keep nagging and trolling me, throwing at me insults and complaints without taking 1 look in the mirror. (a.k.a. Steam) They all seem to do. I'm not trying to create a spark or trying to get an angry mob after me, I just want this off my chest, I am only laying out the facts for you, you can choose what you think of it after. As the Oracle from the Matrix once said: "You have already made the choice, now, you're beginning to understand that choice.".
I ranted here previously, about digital download games. Well, since then, my opinions have changed ever so slightly, I'm okay with services like GOG, not as a replacement to physical, but as a companion, for indie games and such! On the other hand, I don't think I'll want to buy any physical game that uses Steam, Origin or UPlay DRM ever again!
I'm not going to complain about Origin and Uplay, it's pointless, as, let's be honest, Steam inspired them, they're just copies, Steam is the real culprit! It's not just Steam either, it's it's fanboys, I'm sure there exist Steam users who are smart, and know what they're talking about, I have a few freinds who are hardcore Steam users, and they're okay.
Most Steam users I've seen online, are a bunch of stupid, hypocritical, inconsistent ar*eholes! I'll get to them later...
Steam and similar DRM don't accept used sales. Now, I've seen a lot of PC gamers complain about the Origin, Uplay and the Xbox One (the latter not anymore) for doing this, when Steam has the exact same restrictions!
Steam requires an online verification to install games, Steam requires an online check-in every week or so (not as bad as Xbox One, but it still means you're screwed if you lacked internet), it blocks used games, and companies have full and total control over what you can and can't do with your games. They can even just take the game away from you, without reason, and you can't have a say in the matter, and you can't sue them either, because Steam have made it so you can't do that!
I am willing to bet that this the main, if not the only reason more publishers have become interested in the PC, it's a publishers wet dream to have full control over the consumer! Steam, and similar "services", makes that dream come true!
When buying a physical game that uses Steam DRM, as my friend once said to me, and he makes a good point, the code inside is more valuable than the disc, the disc is useless, you don't even need it to install the game, you can enter the code without the disc inserted, Steam will register it, and download the game. Once the code is used, you're just as well burning the game, it's that useful!
Worst of all, people want their physical games DRMed, which makes no sense whatsoever! Do these people want their physical games to become useless after the code is used!?
Steam also does nothing to stop piracy, it's very easy to obtain a cracked .exe of a game, and a cracked client, even Gabe Newell apparently said that pirates are a "non-issue" (but used sales are!?), so all the Steam DRM does is forbid buyers from sharing their games, and it eliminates used sales. In other words, it punishes the good paying consumer!
You see, my point about the physical/digital debate is game ownership, where you own your games on physical, but not digital, it turns out, you don't even own the game when buying physical, at least not if it has Steam, Origin or Uplay DRM. They're licensed to you, and you know a fascinating fact about Licenses? They Expire! They are not permanent things, they can expire over-time, or it can be revoked from you for any reason. So esentially, when you buy a game from Steam or Origin, you're only renting it, because you can't keep it forever, can you?
Don't believe me? You can read the Steam Subscriber Agreement.
Like probably the majority of youse, I breezed through it thinking it wouldn't concern me, and accepted, but give it an actual read, you'll be shocked at it's contents! More specifically, read sections 2.A and 2.F.
Actually, Don't bother! I've done it for you! I've even highlighted the important parts, because I'm nice!
...and here's section 2.F:
You can say what you want about Microsoft, and I'm not a fan of them either, but at least their Games for Windows games doesn't require an online activation, you only need it to play the game online (You can create an offline profile), and even then, the key is tied to the physical copy, not on any account. By the way, I've tried this with Street Fighter X Tekken, I turned off the internet, and installed it, and right enough, I had no problems installing and playing the game! (Where as Steam, which is clearly superior, reuqires online verification just to install it and you can't do anything with your Steam games)
If you don't believe me read this!
They even reversed the Xbox One's DRM policies after complaints. What has Valve done when people complained to them? Absoluletly nothing!
It's ironic as well, Microsoft are bad guys and Valve are gods!? Sure, Microsoft have their slip ups, but at least they make up for it later on, Valve just bury their problems and pretend they don't exist, fooling the unsuspecting consumer, and it seems to have worked!
I've seen Steam users complain that the Xbox One stops the ability to share your software, the fact you are screwed without internet, and that it restricts it's audiences to the very rich! When Steam has the same restrictions, when I see someone complain about Steam for the exact same problems, they seem to always put the blame on the user, and defends their precious Steam!
For example, when someone complains that they can't share their games with another user, or use the game on another machine/account, here's a comparison of what the average steam user says:
Xbox One: "Microsoft are a bunch of cheap, greedy b*stards! They just want more money, by treating us like criminals, taking away out freedom, and kills game ownership!"
Response to someone saying the exact same thing about Steam: "Fuck you! Do you want to give the game to another person and cheat the developers out of their money!?"
How many times have we heard both of those kind of comments from "PC gamers"? I see them a lot! They can't have it both ways! Are used games good or bad? Make up your mind!
Also, in response to the latter quote, which I get a lot myself, I only give a DRM-free game away if the other person isn't interested or ever plans on buying the game, either that, or I accidentally buy a second copy of a game new. (which is rare, but has happened a couple of times.) Either way, it wouldn't make a difference to sales whether or not a gave it away or traded it in...
Steam users also seem to talk about installing games anywhere as an advantage, which is a very poor arguement! You can do the exact same thing with a DRM-free physical games, and every download client on this planet, in fact, I'd be scared if you weren't able to do that with Steam!
What's that? Steam has an Offline mode? Well, you need be online to go offline, having online as a requirement in order to use a feature you're only going to use when you can't get online... It really defeats the purpose, doesn't it? Also, I'd like to see youse try to install a disc game offline, you can't!
Steam does achievements and leaderboards? So does Games for Windows, and even Raptr, which is an overlay for games, does something similar. I'm not fussed about achievements anyway, they're nice, but they're not something I need.
Really, the only great thing about Steam is it's workshop, it makes installing mods much easier, and you can easily uninstall them, that, I have to admit, is awesome!
That however, doesn't make up for everything bad about Steam, if I have to give up my digital right to make installing mods a bit easier... I'll stick with the traditional method if you don't mind...
I think everyone needs to wake up, and realize the PC is not the awesome platform it used to be, Valve are not the gods of gaming, they are killing the physical market, they are allowing publishers total control over us behind our backs! They are turning the PC platform into a corporatised rental service, if Valve were any better than EA or Ubisoft, and want to prove it, they would put an end to it all... because right now, getting a PS4 or even an Xbox One sounds quite appealing...
I used to love Valve, I have many memories playing the Half-Life games, and as much as I'd hate to admit it, I had fun with the Portal games and Team Fortress 2, but they're destroying the very market that made them...
I just hope that Mortal Kombat complete edition won't have any DRM, in fact, I reckon there's a chance, I might do another blog entry about why right after this, yeah, some good news to drown out the bad, I'll see youse then!
-Cobra!
I ranted here previously, about digital download games. Well, since then, my opinions have changed ever so slightly, I'm okay with services like GOG, not as a replacement to physical, but as a companion, for indie games and such! On the other hand, I don't think I'll want to buy any physical game that uses Steam, Origin or UPlay DRM ever again!
I'm not going to complain about Origin and Uplay, it's pointless, as, let's be honest, Steam inspired them, they're just copies, Steam is the real culprit! It's not just Steam either, it's it's fanboys, I'm sure there exist Steam users who are smart, and know what they're talking about, I have a few freinds who are hardcore Steam users, and they're okay.
Most Steam users I've seen online, are a bunch of stupid, hypocritical, inconsistent ar*eholes! I'll get to them later...
Steam and similar DRM don't accept used sales. Now, I've seen a lot of PC gamers complain about the Origin, Uplay and the Xbox One (the latter not anymore) for doing this, when Steam has the exact same restrictions!
Steam requires an online verification to install games, Steam requires an online check-in every week or so (not as bad as Xbox One, but it still means you're screwed if you lacked internet), it blocks used games, and companies have full and total control over what you can and can't do with your games. They can even just take the game away from you, without reason, and you can't have a say in the matter, and you can't sue them either, because Steam have made it so you can't do that!
I am willing to bet that this the main, if not the only reason more publishers have become interested in the PC, it's a publishers wet dream to have full control over the consumer! Steam, and similar "services", makes that dream come true!
When buying a physical game that uses Steam DRM, as my friend once said to me, and he makes a good point, the code inside is more valuable than the disc, the disc is useless, you don't even need it to install the game, you can enter the code without the disc inserted, Steam will register it, and download the game. Once the code is used, you're just as well burning the game, it's that useful!
Worst of all, people want their physical games DRMed, which makes no sense whatsoever! Do these people want their physical games to become useless after the code is used!?
Steam also does nothing to stop piracy, it's very easy to obtain a cracked .exe of a game, and a cracked client, even Gabe Newell apparently said that pirates are a "non-issue" (but used sales are!?), so all the Steam DRM does is forbid buyers from sharing their games, and it eliminates used sales. In other words, it punishes the good paying consumer!
You see, my point about the physical/digital debate is game ownership, where you own your games on physical, but not digital, it turns out, you don't even own the game when buying physical, at least not if it has Steam, Origin or Uplay DRM. They're licensed to you, and you know a fascinating fact about Licenses? They Expire! They are not permanent things, they can expire over-time, or it can be revoked from you for any reason. So esentially, when you buy a game from Steam or Origin, you're only renting it, because you can't keep it forever, can you?
Don't believe me? You can read the Steam Subscriber Agreement.
Like probably the majority of youse, I breezed through it thinking it wouldn't concern me, and accepted, but give it an actual read, you'll be shocked at it's contents! More specifically, read sections 2.A and 2.F.
Actually, Don't bother! I've done it for you! I've even highlighted the important parts, because I'm nice!
2. LICENSES
A. General Software License
Steam and your Subscription(s) require the automatic download and installation of Software onto your computer. Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a limited, terminable, non-exclusive license and right to use the Software for your personal, non-commercial use (except where commercial use is expressly allowed herein or in the applicable Subscription Terms) in accordance with this Agreement, including the Subscription Terms. The Software is licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Software. To make use of the Software, you must have a Steam Account and you may be required to be running the Steam client and maintaining a connection to the Internet.
...and here's section 2.F:
F. Ownership of Software
All title, ownership rights and intellectual property rights in and to the Software and any and all copies thereof, are owned by Valve US and/or its or its affiliates’ licensors. All rights are reserved, except as expressly stated herein. The Software is protected by copyright laws, international copyright treaties and conventions and other laws. The Software contains certain licensed materials and Valve’s and its affiliates’ licensors may protect their rights in the event of any violation of this Agreement.
You can say what you want about Microsoft, and I'm not a fan of them either, but at least their Games for Windows games doesn't require an online activation, you only need it to play the game online (You can create an offline profile), and even then, the key is tied to the physical copy, not on any account. By the way, I've tried this with Street Fighter X Tekken, I turned off the internet, and installed it, and right enough, I had no problems installing and playing the game! (Where as Steam, which is clearly superior, reuqires online verification just to install it and you can't do anything with your Steam games)
If you don't believe me read this!
They even reversed the Xbox One's DRM policies after complaints. What has Valve done when people complained to them? Absoluletly nothing!
It's ironic as well, Microsoft are bad guys and Valve are gods!? Sure, Microsoft have their slip ups, but at least they make up for it later on, Valve just bury their problems and pretend they don't exist, fooling the unsuspecting consumer, and it seems to have worked!
I've seen Steam users complain that the Xbox One stops the ability to share your software, the fact you are screwed without internet, and that it restricts it's audiences to the very rich! When Steam has the same restrictions, when I see someone complain about Steam for the exact same problems, they seem to always put the blame on the user, and defends their precious Steam!
For example, when someone complains that they can't share their games with another user, or use the game on another machine/account, here's a comparison of what the average steam user says:
Xbox One: "Microsoft are a bunch of cheap, greedy b*stards! They just want more money, by treating us like criminals, taking away out freedom, and kills game ownership!"
Response to someone saying the exact same thing about Steam: "Fuck you! Do you want to give the game to another person and cheat the developers out of their money!?"
How many times have we heard both of those kind of comments from "PC gamers"? I see them a lot! They can't have it both ways! Are used games good or bad? Make up your mind!
Also, in response to the latter quote, which I get a lot myself, I only give a DRM-free game away if the other person isn't interested or ever plans on buying the game, either that, or I accidentally buy a second copy of a game new. (which is rare, but has happened a couple of times.) Either way, it wouldn't make a difference to sales whether or not a gave it away or traded it in...
Steam users also seem to talk about installing games anywhere as an advantage, which is a very poor arguement! You can do the exact same thing with a DRM-free physical games, and every download client on this planet, in fact, I'd be scared if you weren't able to do that with Steam!
What's that? Steam has an Offline mode? Well, you need be online to go offline, having online as a requirement in order to use a feature you're only going to use when you can't get online... It really defeats the purpose, doesn't it? Also, I'd like to see youse try to install a disc game offline, you can't!
Steam does achievements and leaderboards? So does Games for Windows, and even Raptr, which is an overlay for games, does something similar. I'm not fussed about achievements anyway, they're nice, but they're not something I need.
Really, the only great thing about Steam is it's workshop, it makes installing mods much easier, and you can easily uninstall them, that, I have to admit, is awesome!
That however, doesn't make up for everything bad about Steam, if I have to give up my digital right to make installing mods a bit easier... I'll stick with the traditional method if you don't mind...
I think everyone needs to wake up, and realize the PC is not the awesome platform it used to be, Valve are not the gods of gaming, they are killing the physical market, they are allowing publishers total control over us behind our backs! They are turning the PC platform into a corporatised rental service, if Valve were any better than EA or Ubisoft, and want to prove it, they would put an end to it all... because right now, getting a PS4 or even an Xbox One sounds quite appealing...
I used to love Valve, I have many memories playing the Half-Life games, and as much as I'd hate to admit it, I had fun with the Portal games and Team Fortress 2, but they're destroying the very market that made them...
I just hope that Mortal Kombat complete edition won't have any DRM, in fact, I reckon there's a chance, I might do another blog entry about why right after this, yeah, some good news to drown out the bad, I'll see youse then!
-Cobra!
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Rant: Download games, and why I don't like them.
Please read the full article before responding! I'm always getting people making arguments I've addressed in the article itself, so please try and take everything in, I know it may be hard if you disagree with it, but please bear with me!
This topic has been really bothering me, I personally don't like downloading games, because I've had almost nothing but bad experiences with downloads, I much rather get my games on disc, despite the DRM PC games have these days, it's good to have a game on your shelf.
Me and my friends have been having a debate on which is better, I prefer physical, like I said, so does my friend, but he seems more than willing to switch to digital when the "digital age" comes, I will personally be dreading it.
Before I start, I want too point out that people complain about the PC and Xbox One when it was planned to have DRM for blocked used games, saying you can't share or trade games in, yet people embrace downloads, which have the EXACT same restrictions? To me, that's like, for lack of a better analogy, going against hanging because it kills people, but supporting hung, drawn and quartered! It makes no sense!
Most of the time, digital games cost more than their physical counterparts, especially on consoles and handhelds, Animal Crossing: New Leaf is £5 cheaper physical, physical games sound like a no brainer, doesn't it? Well people are downloading the games anyway, Animal Crossing: New Leaf broke records on the e-shop...
It baffles me how stupid people can be, you spent £5 more for essentially more for your money, not just the fact you get no case or cartridge, you can't share that game with others, or even give to a friend when you're finished with it, or trade it in! Also, when the 3DS gets discontinued, and the e-shop servers go down, you better hope you still have it installed, otherwise, good luck trying to play it again!
Even if you prefer downloads, you can't justify the higher price, and the fact you can't share or trade in that game!
Everyone I've talked to always mention virtual console, "What about virtual console?" they ask, well, they couldn't of brought up a worse example. Virtual Console is the best example of why digital downloads are bad, half of the 3rd part companies, most notably Sega, have all taken their games down from VC, they always tell me "Well, Sega are ar*eholes!", which isn't the point, the point is, they've done it, and nobody's stopped them, they have full control over what you can and can't get. Heck, I'd be surprised is anyone who bought their VC games got a refund or anything from it. Sure, they're only old games you can buy the originals of anyway, but it shows the power publishers have over the consumer.
If a company decided to stop manufacturing a physical game and stops selling it, it's still very much possible to track down a copy of that game, if a company decides to stop selling a digital game, it's gone forever...
That's exactly why companies are trying to switch to digital as soon as possible, companies, especially publishers, want full control over the consumer, they want to call all of the shots, and they want us to just take all the crap they will throw at us, digital downloads gives them the power to do that!
Not just with virtual console, but with downloadable Nintendo games in general, the game is tied to the console, and not any account, so if you accidentally lose or break your 3DS or Wii U, all your games go, too! Unless you bother with spending days of contacting Nintendo, and they shop you bought the console from, in order to either get a refund, or move the games over. This isn't come rumour I've heard, I can vouch for it, I have a story to tell youse: My brother once had a Wii U, he (or should I say out mum) bought Lego City Undercover from the e-shop, £50 it costed us! It turned out he didn't have the space for the game, the Wii U only has 25GB of space, the game took up 26GB. If Nintendo are going to be shoving digital games down our throats, the least they could do is provide enough memory for games, but I digress.
He cancelled the download for the game, and bought the physical copy for Amazon, which I may point out was £10 cheaper, it even included a little figure! He got it, played through it, etc., no troubles there.
He later on took his Wii U back (I still have mine) to get himself a laptop, he was later on charged for the digital copy of Lego City Undercover, despite not fully downloading it, my mum is trying to contact Nintendo for a refund for the game, but was told they needed the serial number of the console, but we no longer had the Wii U with us, so we couldn't give them the serial number, it would've made more sense to ask for the Nintendo Network account, but whatever.
We have to contact the store where we bought Wii U from to get the serial number, that was a couple of days ago... still no refund.
Already, getting a refund for out digital game has been a LOT more hassle than if we wanted a refund for a physical game. All you need for them is a receipt, and even if that's lost, you can trade it in used and get something for it.
In summary, we payed £10 extra for a version of a game that you can't play, or get a refund for... I'm so looking forward to the digital age!
That's another thing, space, not so much with PC games, but consoles never have the space to store enough games, AAA at least. Sure, digital games can save shelf space, but not much, the Wii U for example can barely hold 1, and anything by Sony or Microsoft could hold maybe 3 or 4, not much at all, is it?
Even with Sony and Microsoft's consoles, once the console is discontinued, and servers go down you better hope you have your digital games installed, otherwise, good luck trying to play them again.
PCs can probably hold quite a few, I'll admit, the PC is probably the best platform for downloads, the download clients still have their problems though:
Steam (as a DRM, not as an indie game store) I think is overrated, don't get me wrong, Valve make terrific games, I love the half life and portal games, and Team Fortress 2 is good fun, but people don't need to suck up to them! Steam isn't as great as people make it out to be, in fact, when you think about it, it's no better than Origin, a client made by EA, the greediest company alive! Steam doesn't allow used sales or trade-ins, and you need online and a code to validate games, meaning those who lack internet are screwed! Steam has an offline mode for already-validated games? So does Origin! Steam has discounts all the time? So does Origin!
Like Origin, Steam games are more expensive than their physical counterparts, not as expensive, but it's still bad. The sad thing is, the US PC market appears to have abandoned physical games for good, which is kind of depressing. For the curious US gamers, yes, Europe still has a physical market, with companies even releasing their DLC in the form of download codes in cases!
Another PC download client I'll mention is GOG.com, to be honest, I kind of like GOG, it's almost like how Virtual Console should be, while I would still rather get the games on discs, I can live with GOG, their games have no DRM, and they go for very good prices, usually under $5, let alone pounds! If there's a game I can't find physically, I wouldn't mind getting it from GOG.
I guess that would conclude my rant, it's off my chest, and I feel much better after letting it out! Before, I go I will mention a benefit of downloads, the only one I can see: Download markets are good for indie gamers to get popular, I suppose I wouldn't mind getting an indie game digitally if it means supporting the developer. Who knows, maybe it'll lead to a physical version in the future, like some indies have.
However, I think it's possible for indie developers to release physically as well, there exists services like Kunaki and Cafepress, who offer to make and distribute physical games for free. They do, however take away from any sales made, but from what I've heard, so do services like Steam and Desura. With that said, you can start physically selling your game with zero money on you, if you do that alongside your digital releases, then the way I see it, in the worst case scenario, you'll make a bit of extra money. Some people have said that would "punish" those buy it digitally, but I don't get how it would, could someone please explain it to me...
If you're games successful enough, you won't even need to do that, there are publishers in Europe and Oceania, such as Merge Games and Lace Mamba, who specialise in releasing popular indie games physically, DRM-free, with any extras, such as the soundtrack and a Steam gift-key, to give to a friend. Popular Indie games, such as Limbo, Binding of Isaac, Super Meat Boy and Awesomenauts, all have physical versions for sale on Amazon (I have a feeling Don't Starve is around the corner as well, seeing how popular that is, so I'll wait to get that). They're cheaper than if you were to buy the digital equivalent of the stuff on Steam, and also, you can have the games on your shelf! So if you haven't got the games, I'd say their worth a look.
When I make my indie games, I of course hope to have the latter happen to me, but most likely, the former will happen, I'm fine with that.
So I guess this actually end on a high note, maybe if there's an indie out there I'm genuinely interested in getting (apart from Super Meat Boy, Pro Wrestling X and A Hat In Time, but a physical version of the former exists, and latter 2 will have physical version coming out), I might consider getting the game digitally, if it means supporting the developers, and if they release a physical version later on, and I like the game, I'll be the first to get that!
This topic has been really bothering me, I personally don't like downloading games, because I've had almost nothing but bad experiences with downloads, I much rather get my games on disc, despite the DRM PC games have these days, it's good to have a game on your shelf.
Me and my friends have been having a debate on which is better, I prefer physical, like I said, so does my friend, but he seems more than willing to switch to digital when the "digital age" comes, I will personally be dreading it.
Before I start, I want too point out that people complain about the PC and Xbox One when it was planned to have DRM for blocked used games, saying you can't share or trade games in, yet people embrace downloads, which have the EXACT same restrictions? To me, that's like, for lack of a better analogy, going against hanging because it kills people, but supporting hung, drawn and quartered! It makes no sense!
Most of the time, digital games cost more than their physical counterparts, especially on consoles and handhelds, Animal Crossing: New Leaf is £5 cheaper physical, physical games sound like a no brainer, doesn't it? Well people are downloading the games anyway, Animal Crossing: New Leaf broke records on the e-shop...
It baffles me how stupid people can be, you spent £5 more for essentially more for your money, not just the fact you get no case or cartridge, you can't share that game with others, or even give to a friend when you're finished with it, or trade it in! Also, when the 3DS gets discontinued, and the e-shop servers go down, you better hope you still have it installed, otherwise, good luck trying to play it again!
Even if you prefer downloads, you can't justify the higher price, and the fact you can't share or trade in that game!
Everyone I've talked to always mention virtual console, "What about virtual console?" they ask, well, they couldn't of brought up a worse example. Virtual Console is the best example of why digital downloads are bad, half of the 3rd part companies, most notably Sega, have all taken their games down from VC, they always tell me "Well, Sega are ar*eholes!", which isn't the point, the point is, they've done it, and nobody's stopped them, they have full control over what you can and can't get. Heck, I'd be surprised is anyone who bought their VC games got a refund or anything from it. Sure, they're only old games you can buy the originals of anyway, but it shows the power publishers have over the consumer.
If a company decided to stop manufacturing a physical game and stops selling it, it's still very much possible to track down a copy of that game, if a company decides to stop selling a digital game, it's gone forever...
That's exactly why companies are trying to switch to digital as soon as possible, companies, especially publishers, want full control over the consumer, they want to call all of the shots, and they want us to just take all the crap they will throw at us, digital downloads gives them the power to do that!
Not just with virtual console, but with downloadable Nintendo games in general, the game is tied to the console, and not any account, so if you accidentally lose or break your 3DS or Wii U, all your games go, too! Unless you bother with spending days of contacting Nintendo, and they shop you bought the console from, in order to either get a refund, or move the games over. This isn't come rumour I've heard, I can vouch for it, I have a story to tell youse: My brother once had a Wii U, he (or should I say out mum) bought Lego City Undercover from the e-shop, £50 it costed us! It turned out he didn't have the space for the game, the Wii U only has 25GB of space, the game took up 26GB. If Nintendo are going to be shoving digital games down our throats, the least they could do is provide enough memory for games, but I digress.
He cancelled the download for the game, and bought the physical copy for Amazon, which I may point out was £10 cheaper, it even included a little figure! He got it, played through it, etc., no troubles there.
He later on took his Wii U back (I still have mine) to get himself a laptop, he was later on charged for the digital copy of Lego City Undercover, despite not fully downloading it, my mum is trying to contact Nintendo for a refund for the game, but was told they needed the serial number of the console, but we no longer had the Wii U with us, so we couldn't give them the serial number, it would've made more sense to ask for the Nintendo Network account, but whatever.
We have to contact the store where we bought Wii U from to get the serial number, that was a couple of days ago... still no refund.
Already, getting a refund for out digital game has been a LOT more hassle than if we wanted a refund for a physical game. All you need for them is a receipt, and even if that's lost, you can trade it in used and get something for it.
In summary, we payed £10 extra for a version of a game that you can't play, or get a refund for... I'm so looking forward to the digital age!
That's another thing, space, not so much with PC games, but consoles never have the space to store enough games, AAA at least. Sure, digital games can save shelf space, but not much, the Wii U for example can barely hold 1, and anything by Sony or Microsoft could hold maybe 3 or 4, not much at all, is it?
Even with Sony and Microsoft's consoles, once the console is discontinued, and servers go down you better hope you have your digital games installed, otherwise, good luck trying to play them again.
PCs can probably hold quite a few, I'll admit, the PC is probably the best platform for downloads, the download clients still have their problems though:
Steam (as a DRM, not as an indie game store) I think is overrated, don't get me wrong, Valve make terrific games, I love the half life and portal games, and Team Fortress 2 is good fun, but people don't need to suck up to them! Steam isn't as great as people make it out to be, in fact, when you think about it, it's no better than Origin, a client made by EA, the greediest company alive! Steam doesn't allow used sales or trade-ins, and you need online and a code to validate games, meaning those who lack internet are screwed! Steam has an offline mode for already-validated games? So does Origin! Steam has discounts all the time? So does Origin!
Like Origin, Steam games are more expensive than their physical counterparts, not as expensive, but it's still bad. The sad thing is, the US PC market appears to have abandoned physical games for good, which is kind of depressing. For the curious US gamers, yes, Europe still has a physical market, with companies even releasing their DLC in the form of download codes in cases!
Another PC download client I'll mention is GOG.com, to be honest, I kind of like GOG, it's almost like how Virtual Console should be, while I would still rather get the games on discs, I can live with GOG, their games have no DRM, and they go for very good prices, usually under $5, let alone pounds! If there's a game I can't find physically, I wouldn't mind getting it from GOG.
I guess that would conclude my rant, it's off my chest, and I feel much better after letting it out! Before, I go I will mention a benefit of downloads, the only one I can see: Download markets are good for indie gamers to get popular, I suppose I wouldn't mind getting an indie game digitally if it means supporting the developer. Who knows, maybe it'll lead to a physical version in the future, like some indies have.
However, I think it's possible for indie developers to release physically as well, there exists services like Kunaki and Cafepress, who offer to make and distribute physical games for free. They do, however take away from any sales made, but from what I've heard, so do services like Steam and Desura. With that said, you can start physically selling your game with zero money on you, if you do that alongside your digital releases, then the way I see it, in the worst case scenario, you'll make a bit of extra money. Some people have said that would "punish" those buy it digitally, but I don't get how it would, could someone please explain it to me...
If you're games successful enough, you won't even need to do that, there are publishers in Europe and Oceania, such as Merge Games and Lace Mamba, who specialise in releasing popular indie games physically, DRM-free, with any extras, such as the soundtrack and a Steam gift-key, to give to a friend. Popular Indie games, such as Limbo, Binding of Isaac, Super Meat Boy and Awesomenauts, all have physical versions for sale on Amazon (I have a feeling Don't Starve is around the corner as well, seeing how popular that is, so I'll wait to get that). They're cheaper than if you were to buy the digital equivalent of the stuff on Steam, and also, you can have the games on your shelf! So if you haven't got the games, I'd say their worth a look.
When I make my indie games, I of course hope to have the latter happen to me, but most likely, the former will happen, I'm fine with that.
So I guess this actually end on a high note, maybe if there's an indie out there I'm genuinely interested in getting (apart from Super Meat Boy, Pro Wrestling X and A Hat In Time, but a physical version of the former exists, and latter 2 will have physical version coming out), I might consider getting the game digitally, if it means supporting the developers, and if they release a physical version later on, and I like the game, I'll be the first to get that!
Thursday, 13 June 2013
I GOT ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF! A DAY EARLY! WITH A FIGURE!
I finally have Animal Crossing: New Leaf, I've been looking forward to this game for ages! The game is apparently being released tomorrow, but I got mines today! Seems to be a reoccurring thing whenever I order from GAME, not that I'm complaining!
Also, Since I pre-ordered the game from GAME, I got the free, limited edition figure... which is tiny! They did the exact same thing when I ordered Pokemon Soul Silver from GAME, you get a free figure if you pre-ordered, and the figure we got was tiny, and broke when I took it out of the packaging... Better than nothing, I guess, but still!
I don't have much else to say, so here are photos of the game and figure I've taken:
Here's the image of the figure(s) side-by-side with the Lugia figure I got when I pre-ordered Pokemon Soul Silver from GAME:
and Now, if you'll excuse me...
Also, Since I pre-ordered the game from GAME, I got the free, limited edition figure... which is tiny! They did the exact same thing when I ordered Pokemon Soul Silver from GAME, you get a free figure if you pre-ordered, and the figure we got was tiny, and broke when I took it out of the packaging... Better than nothing, I guess, but still!
I don't have much else to say, so here are photos of the game and figure I've taken:
Here's the image of the figure(s) side-by-side with the Lugia figure I got when I pre-ordered Pokemon Soul Silver from GAME:
and Now, if you'll excuse me...
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Xbox One Announcement Thoughts
I just watched the new Xbox One Announcement, I wasn't impressed. They apparently claimed that the new Xbox was all about the games, and they proved themselves to be complete liars! 90% of the time, they were talking about features that didn't have anything to do with games!
To be honest with you, I'd be surprised that Microsoft even know what a video game is! Even the original Xbox creator said that the Xbox consoles now are painful to watch, and I agree with him 110%! I imagine it'll only get more painful with their new Xbox One, as Microsoft are further floating away from gaming...
That's another thing, Xbox One is the stupidest name I've ever heard!
One of the name given to the original Xbox (which I was and still am a fan of) to distinguish it from the Xbox 360, was the "Xbox 1", and now we can't use that! Thanks Microsoft(!)
In fact I don't even want to consider the Xbox One as a games console, because it clearly doesn't want to be one!
Here's a video below that perfectly sums up my thoughts, it's not made by me, but whoever made this video, I want to give him/her a high five!
-Cobra!
To be honest with you, I'd be surprised that Microsoft even know what a video game is! Even the original Xbox creator said that the Xbox consoles now are painful to watch, and I agree with him 110%! I imagine it'll only get more painful with their new Xbox One, as Microsoft are further floating away from gaming...
That's another thing, Xbox One is the stupidest name I've ever heard!
One of the name given to the original Xbox (which I was and still am a fan of) to distinguish it from the Xbox 360, was the "Xbox 1", and now we can't use that! Thanks Microsoft(!)
In fact I don't even want to consider the Xbox One as a games console, because it clearly doesn't want to be one!
Here's a video below that perfectly sums up my thoughts, it's not made by me, but whoever made this video, I want to give him/her a high five!
-Cobra!
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Robot Wars is (Sort of) making a return!!!
I just found out that Roaming Robots, who are a Robot Combat organisation, similar to Robot Wars or Battlebots, but not as big, or on TV...
Anyway, it turns out that they had just bought the rights for Robot Wars! They are going to replace their entire brand to Robot Wars, and even plan on recreating the arena and bringing back the house robots!
However, they are no plans for a TV show, but hopefully, as the post author had said, this is a step in the right direction.
I hope this means we can see the return of legends, like Panic Attack (Who had actually made a comeback at Robots Live a few months ago, so there's hope there for an RW return), Chaos 2, Roadblock, Mortis, Razer (When though the team split and decided to never have anything to do with RW again, but that was BBC RW), and Plunderbird!
I'm sure robots like Behemoth, Storm and Kronic the Wedgehog, who we used to see in the old days will be there, seeing how they've yet to retire.
I'm extremely exited for this, this is a chance for a positive future for Robot Combat in general! What do you guys think.
Anyway, it turns out that they had just bought the rights for Robot Wars! They are going to replace their entire brand to Robot Wars, and even plan on recreating the arena and bringing back the house robots!
However, they are no plans for a TV show, but hopefully, as the post author had said, this is a step in the right direction.
I hope this means we can see the return of legends, like Panic Attack (Who had actually made a comeback at Robots Live a few months ago, so there's hope there for an RW return), Chaos 2, Roadblock, Mortis, Razer (When though the team split and decided to never have anything to do with RW again, but that was BBC RW), and Plunderbird!
I'm sure robots like Behemoth, Storm and Kronic the Wedgehog, who we used to see in the old days will be there, seeing how they've yet to retire.
I'm extremely exited for this, this is a chance for a positive future for Robot Combat in general! What do you guys think.
Friday, 22 February 2013
Sonic and All Star Racing Transformed [PC] - Download Only?
Just a quick updatem remember when Sonic and All Star racing transformed was first announced, they named all of the platforms it would be on, and they mentioned "PC Digital Download" instead of just "PC", suggesting that they would be no retail version?
For those who don't know me, I much prefer retail copies, I just don't like digital downloads at all, so this really p*ssed me off!
Despite this, Amazon had the PC retail version available for pre-order, so I thought I'd pre-order it, in hopes that Sega do make a retail copy.
Months after the game was released, I got an email saying my pre-order was dispatched! Either it was a mistake made by Amazon, or Sega have finally made a physical PC version.
The next day, it arrived! YES! I can finally try out Racing Transformed! I loved the original, great fun, I hope this one will be just as fun!
I'll try out out later on today, because I have my Driving lession today, and I'd guilty if I didn;t do something to my Rossies 3D project, but I'll definitely try it today!
*Insert proper outro here*
-Cobra!
For those who don't know me, I much prefer retail copies, I just don't like digital downloads at all, so this really p*ssed me off!
Despite this, Amazon had the PC retail version available for pre-order, so I thought I'd pre-order it, in hopes that Sega do make a retail copy.
Months after the game was released, I got an email saying my pre-order was dispatched! Either it was a mistake made by Amazon, or Sega have finally made a physical PC version.
The next day, it arrived! YES! I can finally try out Racing Transformed! I loved the original, great fun, I hope this one will be just as fun!
I'll try out out later on today, because I have my Driving lession today, and I'd guilty if I didn;t do something to my Rossies 3D project, but I'll definitely try it today!
*Insert proper outro here*
-Cobra!
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Rant: IOS, Android, and other Smart Phones
Before I begin, chances are, I won't have anything to report on next months Retro Diary, yeah, I was thinking of making on, but one cousin is Living in Australia for a month, and the other is too busy with his job, and they're the only one who played games with me, so I'd have nothing to report.
Okay, this is just a small rant, just to get this off of my chest, I'm very sure many will disagree with me on this subject, but I have to get this out there, I can't contain it anymore.
Why? Why are people so obsessed with Smart Phones, to me personally, they're boring, inconvenient, useless and overpriced.
With the exception of a few friends, eveyone I know checks their phone every 5 seconds, or are just completely glued to the screen, it doesn't matter what situation they're in, their phone is always their priority. When they're talking to friends and family, on their phones, when a good TV show or a film is on, they're on their phones, the apocalypse is happening, they're on their f*cking phones! In fact, I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if someone is viewing this on their phone!
I see people on them everyday, on the Bus, on the Train, in College, etc. and I always hear that annoying ringtone that pretends to be an old phone, you guys know what I'm talking about, and that annoying sound when someone gets a text message! urgh! I'm sick and tired of hearing it!
I actually once saw somebody on their Iphone in front of a PC! Why don't you use the f*cking PC!? Phones to me, are just watered down versions of PCs, it has half the stuff a PC has, but crappy.
What on earth do they do on them!? Are they on Facebook? Twitter? That's all I see on them, surely they must get bored of them, I mean don't get me wrong, Facebook and Twitter are good, but I check them like one or twice a day, if even that, not every 5 seconds!
I remember once Red Dwarf was on TV, always a good laugh, well, except when everyone in the room is too busy with their phones, they even said to me they're watching it, bullsh*t! They got off in the middle of the episode, and asked what had happened...
I recently got the first 2 series of Chucklevision on DVD, hoping to watch it with someone I know, you see, the best way to watch a comedy, is to watch it with other people. However, They were on their Iphone, playing Jungle Run 2 throughout the show, the show wasn't funny because I was the only one really watching it...
Even in the cinema, someone I knew had their phone under their jacker secretly on it while the film was on, disgraceful!
They also treat it like it was the only thing in the world that mattered to them, when the battery's running low: "Quick! Get the charger! This is an emergency!"
I mean come on! You can live a little without your phones, you did years ago, why are you so reliant on them now!?
In my opinion, phones should only be there for emergency purposed, and not to take over your social life, oh wait, they are "social", aren't they? They have Facebook and Twitter(!)
The only use I could have with an Iphone or Android, is the ability to go online outside your home, for example, I find a game in the store, great condition, price seems good, I could go on Amazon and eBay and compare prices. Nope, as far as I'm aware, you need a router or wi-fi to go online. Purpose: Defeated!
I wouldn't be surprised if the phones eventually turned everyone into zombies, and caused a zombie outbreak in the world.
Can anyone last 5 seconds without checking Facebook or Twitter on their phone!? Put them the f*ck down, and actually do things with other people! It'd be worth it in the end, trust me!
That concludes my rant! I'm glad it's out, I feel slightly better now!
Okay, this is just a small rant, just to get this off of my chest, I'm very sure many will disagree with me on this subject, but I have to get this out there, I can't contain it anymore.
Why? Why are people so obsessed with Smart Phones, to me personally, they're boring, inconvenient, useless and overpriced.
With the exception of a few friends, eveyone I know checks their phone every 5 seconds, or are just completely glued to the screen, it doesn't matter what situation they're in, their phone is always their priority. When they're talking to friends and family, on their phones, when a good TV show or a film is on, they're on their phones, the apocalypse is happening, they're on their f*cking phones! In fact, I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if someone is viewing this on their phone!
I see people on them everyday, on the Bus, on the Train, in College, etc. and I always hear that annoying ringtone that pretends to be an old phone, you guys know what I'm talking about, and that annoying sound when someone gets a text message! urgh! I'm sick and tired of hearing it!
I actually once saw somebody on their Iphone in front of a PC! Why don't you use the f*cking PC!? Phones to me, are just watered down versions of PCs, it has half the stuff a PC has, but crappy.
What on earth do they do on them!? Are they on Facebook? Twitter? That's all I see on them, surely they must get bored of them, I mean don't get me wrong, Facebook and Twitter are good, but I check them like one or twice a day, if even that, not every 5 seconds!
I remember once Red Dwarf was on TV, always a good laugh, well, except when everyone in the room is too busy with their phones, they even said to me they're watching it, bullsh*t! They got off in the middle of the episode, and asked what had happened...
I recently got the first 2 series of Chucklevision on DVD, hoping to watch it with someone I know, you see, the best way to watch a comedy, is to watch it with other people. However, They were on their Iphone, playing Jungle Run 2 throughout the show, the show wasn't funny because I was the only one really watching it...
Even in the cinema, someone I knew had their phone under their jacker secretly on it while the film was on, disgraceful!
They also treat it like it was the only thing in the world that mattered to them, when the battery's running low: "Quick! Get the charger! This is an emergency!"
I mean come on! You can live a little without your phones, you did years ago, why are you so reliant on them now!?
In my opinion, phones should only be there for emergency purposed, and not to take over your social life, oh wait, they are "social", aren't they? They have Facebook and Twitter(!)
The only use I could have with an Iphone or Android, is the ability to go online outside your home, for example, I find a game in the store, great condition, price seems good, I could go on Amazon and eBay and compare prices. Nope, as far as I'm aware, you need a router or wi-fi to go online. Purpose: Defeated!
I wouldn't be surprised if the phones eventually turned everyone into zombies, and caused a zombie outbreak in the world.
Can anyone last 5 seconds without checking Facebook or Twitter on their phone!? Put them the f*ck down, and actually do things with other people! It'd be worth it in the end, trust me!
That concludes my rant! I'm glad it's out, I feel slightly better now!
Friday, 8 February 2013
Retro Diary - January 2012
It's been a while since I've posted on this blog, and I had a retro diary in the works, but I stopped working on it because I was busy with other things, I'll psot whatever I've done, which is like 3 scentences:
There you go, not much, but I suppose it's better than nothing, right?
I'm afraid the thing is, my life is a lot busier than I first thought, so I might not be able to post on this blog anymore, maybe once college is finished, and my game is released, I might be more active here, but right now, I have no time at all to post here...
I guess this is goodbye... *sheds tear*
Cobra!
Okay, before I start off, I'll only be doing these blongs monthly now, and with less detail, because I'm busy with college and Rossies 3D. but hey, monthly is better than never, right?
On the 5th of January, me and my cousin, Steven, played a few games of Robot Arena 2 vis GameRanger, it works great, neither of us have had problems with it, if you want to play Robot Arena 2 with a friend online, GameRanger is the way to go!
The interesting thing about this night was that we didn't say a single English word to each other, we both spoke Scots the entire night!
There you go, not much, but I suppose it's better than nothing, right?
I'm afraid the thing is, my life is a lot busier than I first thought, so I might not be able to post on this blog anymore, maybe once college is finished, and my game is released, I might be more active here, but right now, I have no time at all to post here...
I guess this is goodbye... *sheds tear*
Cobra!
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