The Recycle Bin

Racing for 10th.

I never thought that racing for 10th place would be fun, much less rewarding, but Ferrari Challenge changes everything. Ok, maybe not everything, but the game is about the best racing game that I have played in recent memory. For this gamer, Ferrari Challenge has three things going for it. First, the game offers realistic racing physics; or at least believable, immersive gaming engine. Second, Ferrari Challenge offers an appropriate level of difficulty, with an enjoyable learning curve. Finally, the game is fun, which is the reason we play games in the first place.

Realistic
Ferrari Challenge offers a realistic experience; at least it does to a certain point. Maybe I should rephrase this as the game offers up a semi-realistic experience. Since I have never driven a Ferrari, much less any other sort of racing car, it is hard for me to genuinely reflect on a game as realistic. With that said, from my vantage point, the Ferrari F430 behaves as I would expect one to behave. Is the actual racing realistic? Probably not but more on that later. From a balls out racing standpoint, I think Ferrari Challenge gets the job done. More often than not, I find myself at the front of the pack, challenging for a podium finish, only to make a mistake, which forces me to double my concentration as I go into an all out recovery mode racing for 10th place.

Approachable Challenge
Ferrari Challenge offers an approachable challenge. I hate games where the CPU does things that are seemingly out of my reach, but so far I do not think this is the case. As long as I do my part, and hold to the line, which is easier said than done, my lap times continue to improve, which is extremely rewarding. If I were fast right out of the game, of if I never showed signs of improvement, what would be the point? The challenge may have something to do with the Dynamic racing AI; I have not played around with the other modes (i.e. easy, hard, whatever).

Fun Factor
The final point in Ferrari Challenge’s favor is that the game offers a certain difficult to describe quality called fun factor. Now this is where reviewers tend to get into trouble. If you are looking for an arcade style racer, despite the arcade mode included in Ferrari Challenge, this game is just not going to be your cup of tea. Arcade fans typically want over the top physics, quick pick-up-and-playability, and tons of cars and options. This is not Ferrari Challenge. If you suppose that simulation fans shy away from console games, because they stick to PC simulations, then Ferrari Challenge may fall squarely into a hybrid racer that leans more towards simulation than fantasy style racing. For me, spending 15 minutes racing at Monza, always on the edge is almost the stuff of wet dreams.

No game is perfect …
Let’s don’t get too crazy. The game is not perfect. You can ram into the CPU cars with little to no consequences. When cars do trade paint, the physics get fairly squirrely. For every negative, I can think of another positive. I suppose that has something to do with my love for the game, but that is what keeps me coming back for more.

Monza in the wet
I am racing around Monza, in the wet. From the cockpit view, the wipers are doing a poor job of giving me better visibility. That and the three lead cars in front of me are spraying the crap out of my windshield. The conditions are treacherous at best; thank goodness I opted to stick with some drivers aids. The wet conditions require a tremendous amount of concentration, but I continue to gain on the car in front of me. Do I really have a shot at a podium finish? I am 13 minutes into the race, so I know that I am on the penultimate lap.

I find myself in a position to challenge for a clean pass, but I enter a turn to aggressively, misjudging the wet weather brake point, which is clearly different than a dry track would dictate. Son of a … ! I am off and just lost all chances for a podium because of a boneheaded mistake.

As I attempt to recover my composure I find myself in sixth place. It has a hell of a last lap doing everything I could to finish a respectable fifth place. Sure, it was not a podium finish, but it was fifth at Monza. In the wet. If I would have done my part, there would have been a happier finish, but as it stands, I am satisfied knowing that I should have done better.

Saturday morning gaming update.

This morning as I was slurping down a couple of cups of the black stuff, what I like to call the nectar of the gods, I put together a few nuggets of gaming goodness for your reading pleasure. I am going to start prepping for a morning run before the heat manages to reach sunstroke levels. Lots of family activities, household chores, and some work are on the radar for today, but I should have some time for gaming this afternoon. After all, it is too damn hot to do anything else.

Search for cheap soccer.
Recent CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifying action, the miraculous Confederations Cup run into the finals, and upcoming Gold Cup play has me jonesing for a decent soccer title. Over the last few months of complete gaming inactivity, I sold off my PSP and PS2 soccer titles (I never bothered to pick one up for the PS3). I think I have some sort of PES for the PS2 (maybe), but I think I may actually be soccer less for the first time in recent memory. I am not sure how I arrived at this low point, but I digress.

I thought about picking up FIFA 2009, but it is still selling for close to $50 for the PS3 and $30 for the PSP. That is too steep a hill to climb when the annual update is only four months away. The next versions of PES are due in November, but much like the FIFA games, the “current” versions of Pro Evolution Soccer are just not what I would consider reasonable. It is hard for me to stomach throwing down $40 for a game when the new version is due in November.

Of course that is the way it is with sports games. They seldom hold value, and while there are bargains to be found on the used market, the retail price holds because the manufactures and retails assume some unsuspecting mother or grandparent will decide to go with the “cheaper” version of the game.

I guess there is always Worldwide Soccer Manager. I have not tried one of those in a couple of years, but I think for now I am going to have to sit on this one and decide if my jones is going to force me into what I consider an overpriced purchase.

XPlay G4TV
A couple of nights ago I caught the tail end of the God of War III demo (or preview, advertisement propaganda) on G4TV. I only saw the final 10 minutes, but the game looked extremely impressive. I have never played a GoW title, but I have the first one tucked away somewhere. All the button manipulations and combos and specialized moves in these types of games are just too damn trying for this older gamer. Still, when March 2010 rolls around, given prosperity and continued good health, I may be inclined to give this one a go.

Qore (November)
I finally got around to installing and watching the November Qore episode. I only have a couple of comments about the actual episode. First, the Japanese content was much too brief. Just when it started getting interesting, it closed too quickly. I think the Japanese gaming scene is something that could have been greatly expanded, and is the type of content that most gamers would enjoy watching. My other comment is that when you actually know what Veronica Belmont is talking about when she holds up a PS3 version of Aquanaut’ Holiday, you are probably a little over the top. Dare I say a complete gaming nerd or geek? I was going to say hardcore, but I always hated that term, and I have no idea what it has been replaced with in this current generation of gamers.

Trophy Whore
I have never read anything from The VFLHP Blog, but I came across this article via N4G, and decided it was worth a reference. The author talks about some of the good points brought about by the advent of trophies, and then goes into the bad points. All that is well and good, but the writer never gets off the fence; comes across as rather wishy-washy.

The anti-Trophy brigade sees them as the worst thing to happen to gaming since the Wii (Yeah I said it!!!). Excuse my French but the phrase “Trophy Whore” has now entered the vocabulary of most gamers. This is a person who has basically become addicted to collecting Trophies. This is the main problem most people have with Trophies. There is no denying the fact that there are now people who only buy games in order to get the Trophies in them. One look at www.ps3trophies.co.uk gives us a clear example of how big this “Trophy Hoarding” has become. Right at the top of the Trophy Leaderboard is Killerxx from (Yeah you guessed it!) the USA, who has collected no less than 2683 trophies, including 44 platinum ones, which means he/she has bought and played at least 44 games to death! I don’t mean to insult this person but a certain “World Of Warcraft” inspired episode of South Park springs to mind!

I see no downside to trophies. They add value to games, and they make playing some older long forgotten game a little worthwhile. I would hazard a bet that gamers addicted to trophies were already addicted to gaming.

College Football Annuals.

Every year I swear off purchasing college football annuals, but like spring turns to summer, the anticipation of a new football season brings me back to another round of purchases. Then of course there is the hope that the next yearly installment of EA Sports’ NCAA Football will bring football nirvana into my living room.

Each year I struggle to break the cycle, and this year is no different. These days I rarely visit brick and mortar bookstores, but after taking the family out for pizza (and beer for mommy and daddy), we checked out the bookstore right around the corner. Kid. Candy story. Me. OK, it was a bookstore, but you get the picture. A plethora of football annuals were on display, but I showed some restraint and limited myself to three of my traditional favorites. I picked up the Athlon Sports Southeastern 2009 Preview, Lindy’s Southeastern 2009 Preview, and of course Phil Steele’s 2009 College Football Preview is must read material.

Maybe one year I will break the cycle, but not today. Not this year. 2009 is another lost cause.

I think it is finally time to put in my NCAA Football 2010 pre-order. PS3 or PSP? Or Both? Decisions are like drinking beer. As the night goes on the decisions become easier, the beer gets better, while the tab continues to climb. Something like that.

Pangya: Fantasy Golf Ships.

Finally! I just got a shipping confirmation from Amazon that Pangya has shipped. It should be here on Monday, and the best news is that Amazon waived my Next Day shipping change. $3.99 is not that much, but I complained that God and all his children had the game. Well, everyone except for me has Pangya because for some inexplicable reason Amazon did not get the game on release day. I guess Amazon wanted me to shut the hell up. Either way, I can wait until Monday for the game and pocket the $3.99.

Sony tells critics to f’off.

The criticism of the PSPgo launch price continues. This short article from Gamervision is hilarious.

In an interview with MCV, Sony revealed that they’d price the handheld however high they damn well want to.

**********

Are you charging more for the PSPgo to protect retail margins as they won’t be selling software? Or to cover R&D costs?

Those aren’t the factors. When you introduce a new piece of hardware you have the opportunity to say there is a certain premium that is associated with it, and we took that into account.

As with all hardware launches you look at the business model, the cost structure, and the necessarily level of profitability, and you use that to set the wholesale price. Much as we do with any other hardware.

**********

In other words, fuck your wallet. I’m really shocked that the guy just came out and said it – and more power to him. The balls on that company to admit that they’re jacking up the price of their new handheld will likely annoy the hell out of their investors, but it’s still pretty damn funny. I mean, we all sort of know that’s the reason they’re doing it, but at least Nintendo has the common sense not to talk about it.

Awesome. I bet the new PSPgo sells like hotcakes, which will justify Sony telling everyone to f’off. Good stuff!

PS3 repairs.

I finally decided it was time to send in the PS3 for repairs. The inconsistency of the Blu-ray reader was driving me nuts. Sometimes games would work, sometimes they would not. When you want to watch a movie or play a game, you (or at least I) want to do it right away. I do not want to try to insert a disc five different times, trick the reader by holding on to the disc, or turning the PS3 on its sides. Enough already.

The bad part is that this repair will set me back $157.94 ($149.00 for the service plus $8.94 for taxes). It also looks like I am going to have to put my original HDD back into the system. According to Sony,

SCEA will send you a package via courier service that contains a customized shipping box for you to pack your system, a prepaid shipping label addressed to our service facility, and documents with detailed instructions on how to pack and return your system. When we receive your system and confirm that the service request matches the system’s condition, we will send you a factory certified replacement. The replacement system will be functionally equivalent to your system when new and will be free from cosmetic defects. Please be sure that all games and movie discs, media cards, and any other peripherals are removed. The service center will not be able to research any missing items we did not request. SCEA is not responsible for any systems that are lost, misdirected or damaged during the shipping process

I damn sure better get back another 60GB original model CECHA01 – the one with the emotion engine for PS2 emulation and full PSX backwards compatibility.

More updates to come.

PS3 HDD upgrade project update.

It did not take exactly 10 minutes by the time you add in the HDD backup and recover process time, but all in all, the HDD upgrade was smooth and painless.

The steps were simple:

I started off by using my new 350GB Passport USB drive to backup the PS3. I selected the full backup option, which too ~120 minutes. After that I start HDD removal process …
Remove HDD cover plate.
Remove blue screw securing the HDD.
Left HDD harness handle and slide to the right.
Remove HDD from the PS3 system.
Remove the four screws that secure the HDD to the HDD harness. Oops. I stripped one of the screws and had to use a pair of pliers to get it the rest of the way out.
Replace system original 60GB HDD with new improved Western Digital 250GB drive (5400 RPM SATA drive is a must).
Reverse the process.
When I powered on the PS3 it recognized that I had a new HDD. I selected the format option.
I started the recovery process, which took ~120 minutes.

Everything transferred correctly from the old HDD to the new HDD. All content, PSX and PS2 memory card save slots, game data, demos, installed games. Everything! Happy Days.

More on digital downloads.

This is a great article from The Portable Gamer titled Sony Finally Finds Smart Marketing. I am not sure how smart the marketing is, but from a financial standpoint, it makes sense. The author also points out one of my key concerns about digital content.

Pushing digital downloads is one of the smartest plans that Sony has come up with in recent years. Considering the constant news of GameStop’s never-ending record profits, mainly in used games, all consoles publishers need to find a way to get away from the secondary market. Digital downloads are the key.

I am not too crazy on reuse of the PSX library. It would be a great win for consumers if we could insert our PSX games, and let the PlayStation Network read the CD (serial number or some such indicator) as proof of ownership, which would entitle owners to a $5 download. I could live with that, but I am not very interested in paying $9.99 all over again for PSX games that I already own. Then again, I am thinking about purchasing the Final Fantasy VII download. Here I go again …

Confederations Cup miracles continue.

USA 2 – Spain 0? Wow! Un’fing real. Last week I counted this team dead and done; begged them to show some pride.

… the U.S. is just not that creative, lacks a serious attacking striker. Besides, the defense will let us down at some point in the game with a boneheaded mistake.

At this point I just want to see Team USA not completely embarrass itself against Egypt. I known Italy and Brazil are the best of the best (FIFA #4 and #5 respectively as of June 3), but we should not be out of our league against top competition. Egypt is ranked #40, so this afternoon is a good chance to show if we are going make a decent recovery or if we just want to pack up and go home with our tails tucked between our legs.

I love being proved wrong. While the U.S. may not be the better team, it looks like they were better than Spain today. That is good enough for me, and shows major progress in our soccer program. Happy days! The best part is that I get to watch the finals this Sunday. Tomorrow we will learn if we take on Brazil or South Africa.

Wednesday night gaming update.

Because everyone needs a hump day dose of gaming goodness …

Slow go on PS3 HDD upgrad
I got my new 250GB HDD and the USB 350GB My Passport drive today, so I figured I would give the upgrade a go tonight. It turns out that the actual upgrade may only take 10 minutes, but the PS3 backup takes forever and a day. I am upgrading because my PS3 original system 60GB HDD is all but full. After plugging in the USB drive, I selected the backup option (full data; not selective files). As I write this, the PS3 progress bar shows 3% or about 1 hr and 20 minutes remaining. Good grief! I hope the backup program actually backs up everything; I would hate to have to re-download all my games, Qore episodes, and Shakira video.

Remote Play update
Remote Play, at least the connectivity part, is holding up well. No random start-ups and eventual disabling on internet mode. That is the good news. The bad news is that the lag makes menu navigation very much hit or miss. My PS3 also seems to be struggling to play PlayStation (PSX) games, which would make this feature rather worthless to me. The main reason I want Remote Play to work is to get some use out of some of my older PSX games.

The lag is probably due to not getting on a great wireless connection, but I still think my PS3 is slower in wireless mode compared to my laptop. The PSX game issues probably have nothing to do with Remote Play. Instead the issues are probably more repercussions of my two-year-old son inserting three games into the PS3.

In general Remote Play seems to be poorly conceived and under supported. Of the games I have, I can play PixelJunk Monsters, PixelJunk Eden, and High Stakes Poker. That is pretty much it. Looking at The Unofficial PS3/PSP Remote Play Compatibility Thread Lego Batman may be my only hope at a decent Remote Play title. I am sure it would be too much to ask to make more games Remote Play compatible, but going forward, it is time for Sony to start supporting Remote Play or discontinue it as a supported option.

Pangya: Fantasy Golf a no show from Amazon
Unbelievable. Amazon is now showing Pangya as being available June 26. This may be the last time I preorder from Amazon.

Amazon scores a miss with Pangya Fantasy Golf (PSP)

Last weekend was the first time I have preordered a game in a year or so. I think last year’s Madden was my last preorder. That game actually shipped at the same time that major videogame retailers (i.e. GameStop) shipped their copies.

Pangya: Fantasy Golf was released yesterday, but Amazon now shows it “in stock on June 25, 2009”

I am not sure if this means that Amazon did not get their copies at the same time as the likes of EBGames, or if it means they sold out quickly, and I was too far down the preorder list. My guess is that they just did not get the game yesterday, which pretty much sucks because I was working myself into a frenzy over getting a new game. Not really (the frenzy part), but I was looking forward to having something new this weekend.

Random PS3 and PSP links.

Before I get to the links, Amazon has not shipped my Pangya: Fantasy Golf yet, so I am not sure when I can start posting some impressions. Not getting a game out on time is a definite knock against Amazon. Prime shipping is all well and good, but please ship the game on or before release day already.

PlayStation Network vs. Live
Leave it to a PlayStation centric site to make a case for Sony’s network pulling ahead of Microsoft’s offering.

But now it’s time to reevaluate the situation and I have to say, based on the available software alone, the PSN has Live beat. I like to check both on a relatively frequent basis just to see if I can nab something cool for a great price. Well, the PSN library already has gems like flOw, Flower, Wipeout HD, echochrome, and others, and while I know you can find original Xbox classics on Live, the lineup really can’t compare to the PS1 classic selection on the PSN.

The article also compares some third party download content, and of course first party offerings. I think it really comes down to the games you like; personal choice … all that jazz.

PSPgo digitial game prices?
This Australian based site is concerned about the price of PSPgo games.

While trying to defend the UMD and insisting on it’s continued use he [Michael Ephraim] states that the digital PSP Go’s games will be based on the same price structure as the PSP 3000.

I have written about PSP content prices several lately; they are really too high. While this site is looking at AU dollars, I hope to see more than AUD $15 “discount” for digital vs. UMD games.

PS3 2.80 Firmware
There are lots of articles circulating about the newest PS3 firmware, but I like this one from joystiq best.

It’s deja vu time. Another firmware update which seemingly does nothing. Firmware 2.80 has, according to PlayStation Network’s Eric Lempel, a single feature. “The playback quality of some PLAYSTATION 3 format software has been improved.”

LMAO, but everyone has to post about the latest, greatest firmware update … including me.

Tekken 6 LE Bundle lands an ass kicking?
If I preorder this, my wife is going to kill me …

The premium bundle includes the Tekken 6 game, limited edition wireless fight stick crafted by Hori and collectible Art book.

Just say no to $150 bundles, but damn does this one look inviting.

Is inFAMOUS worth a full price purchase?

I am trying to establish a new cardinal rule of game purchases. I am still working out the details, but one no-no has to be instant gratification purchases of new games. As I have learned in the past, if I do not have time to play a game, or if I do not have the patience to work my way through a complicated control system, the game just sits around collecting dust.

Enter inFAMOUS. It looks really good. In fact, this Australian site rates this one a “steal” … as in, Microsoft should dig deep in their pockets to figure out how to get the game to the 360. Of course I do not see this happening anytime soon because Sucker Punch is too closely aligned with Sony, but stranger things have happened before.

While I personally don’t think it will be a Game of the Year-type title, it is without question a fantastic game, and all 360 owners who are bored of Prototype should be very jealous of this fantastic, superior game.

If some of you 360 owners are lucky enough to have a PS3 as well, definitely pick this one up and have a go.

Would we steal this title for the 360?
Steal It? YES!

I do not see me picking this one up unless I can get some sort of discount. I still have to pay off Pangya and my HDD/USB drive purchases.

PS3 HDD upgrade in the works.

I finally decided that it was time for a PS3 HDD upgrade. As I wrote a few days ago, my 60GB PS3 HDD is full, and I am less than satisfied. It is not like I have a ton of games, demos, and content. I have been struggling to regain space by removing demos and videos. I am now down to 3-4 demos, some games that I purchased from the PlayStation Store, and all thirteen Qore episodes. A 60GB HDD is just not going to cut it.

I did manage to get to about 7GB of free space by removing some old game saves. There is no longer any reason to keep around several versions of Madden, NCAA Football, and MLB game data. It looks like one of the biggest space hogs is Elder Scrolls save data.

I am going to follow the upgrade instructions listed here after I receive my new HDD and USB HDD. For this project I decided to try a Western Digital 250GB drive. It looks like the key to PS3 capability is a 5400 RPM Sata 2.5 inch notebook HDD. I picked this one up from Amazon for $59.99. To backup the PS3 and some my laptop’s media (data files, iTunes music, pictures, etc) I went with a 320GB Western Digital My Passport USB HDD from Amazon for $89.99. I figure this will be enough to backup my new PS3 HDD and then some.

The new PS3 HDD and Passport should be here Wednesday thanks to second day Amazon Prime shipping. The upgrade article says that replacing the PS3 HDD will take all of 10 mins. I will of course report back here and post the results.

Pangya: Fantasy Golf (PSP)

Over the weekend I decided to do something unusual. You might even call it down right crazy. Not only did I preorder a game for my PSP, I preordered a golf game that happens to be one of those goofy anime offerings. Pangya: Fantasy Golf is scheduled for release June 23; Amazon should have the game delivered to my front door by towards the end of the week.

I decided that I wanted to invigorate my PSP with something new, and I wanted to see if a quick pick up and play game of anime style golf would get me posting. Although I have been posting a lot over the last few days, is it really sustainable? Am I really going to offer up some first impressions of Pangya?

Time will tell. Until we get this sorted out, click on this link for the latest Pangya: Fantasy Golf news.