PS3 | The Recycle Bin

Better late than never? Daggerdale PSN

I would love to see a decent action RPG based on the current D&D rules, released for the PS3, thus I have been waiting on info on Daggerdale.

We wanted to make the game as accessible as possible, just let players play, harkening back to the ‘old school’ days of gaming. You should be able to play alone, call a buddy over and play locally or jump online and find a party of adventurers to group with. There are definitely development issues with balancing and performance having a downloadable PSN game that is fully featured, but we felt strongly about the usability of the game. Besides, isn’t that what D&D is about – freedom of play?

Kind of lame for the Daggerdale director to post to the official’ish PlayStation blog, and then abandon the blog post without answering any comments, providing insight into the PSN release date, etc.

Daggerdale for the PS3 via PSN; better late than never?

Did I just do that?

Did I really just preorder Madden 12 Hall of Fame Edition with free guaranteed release day arrival? Yep; amazon must love me.

I tried to convince myself that I would skip Madden this year. I swore that I could not play NCAA Football and Madden titles in the same year; time has moved on … too old for dual football games, not enough hours in the day, and all that jazz.

I guess I was just fooling myself …

The nice thing about the pre-order special is that $20 credit, which makes this Hall of Fame Edition a $10 MSRP premium over the standard version. Please amazon offered up the following bonus:

… receive the Amazon exclusive All Rookies Team and All Sophomores Team.

[… coupled with the Hall of Fame bonuses …]

Madden Ultimate Team – Receive the most prestigious Platinum Pack yet, featuring a combination of 13 NFL Hall of Famers and former Madden NFL cover athletes. All cards feature ratings from each player’s most productive season in the NFL.

I loved the concept of Ultimate Team in Madden 10, but did not touch it in Madden 11 because I was worried about wasting too much money on virtual packs of cards, and I did not think there was any possible way for me to keep up with all the school age and college kids. To be fair, I did not really check out Madden 11 Ultimate Team to see if it had any substantial improvements over Madden 11.

It looks like I will be checking out Ultimate Team in Madden 12; if nothing else, my day one packs should be on par with all the kids that invest money straight away on special packs and cards, and have time to burn flipping decks.

EA Sports Season Ticket
Of course the next question you may be asking, is this dumb bloke going to do the needful and pony up $24.99 for EA Sports Season Ticket service?

Right now the answer is no. There was once a time and a place, where I would have done so, but I think that moment has passed me by.

Then again, before the days of amazon, I would shell out an extra $9.99 (or whatever) for release day arrival, and as mentioned above, I did pay premium for the Hall of Fame version of Madden 12. So I have shown signs of hopelessness before.

I don’t normally pay for extra sports DLC, so it would take a lot of spending to make up for that $25, even at a 20% discount rate. In fact, I did not pay for any DLC in Madden 10 (other than maybe $5-7 on Ultimate Team Packs) or Madden 11.

I think the introduction of EA Sports Season Ticket also implies to me that Sony’s PS+ service will be offering fewer EA Sports DLC discounts. How many monthly services can one subscribe to and receive a modest ROI?

Mel B – Week 1 Update

Last Sunday when I started Get Fit with Mel B I was at 178 pounds. One week later the tale of the scales weights out at 175 pounds. I’m not sure how much of this is attributed to Mel B or the running; I think the three tacked on short runs last week were nice fat burning boosters. Either way, if Get Fit is close to being accurate, I can attribute 1606 calories over 8 days and across 9 workout sessions to Mel B. That is an average of 178 calories burned per session, which would otherwise turn into beer fat.

The good news is that I made it a week, and as I just mentioned, I can actually see (via the scales) some real progress. When I got up this morning I could actually feel some of my muscles burning, in a good way; especially my upper arms and shoulders. Mel B is asking me to work out long neglected muscles I didn’t even know I had in the first place.

I have to say that after a week, I am enjoying Get Fit enough that I am going to add in some arm and ankle weights, and I am even going to give step aerobics a go. I’m still not ready to spring for a fit ball or resistance band; maybe one day.

Pros – Wonderment and Joy
While I wouldn’t recommend Get Fit to Trophy whores, at least not the US version, it is cool to see a Trophy pop every now and again as I do the various routines. As silly as it sounds, the Trophies do provide some added motivation, but at the same time they can be a little frustrating (see camera + Move support below). I have actually picked up 22 bronze Trophies, good for 32% complete.

I really enjoy the combat workouts; mentioned the solid upper body burn feeling earlier. I also like the variety, but at some point, if I ever master the exercises, I could see the workouts getting a little stale.

Cons – The Not So Good Stuff
I really don’t like doing some of the exercises with a Move in my hand. Besides the fact that one of my Move controllers will get all sweaty, hot, and bothered, it is just not fun to hold the Move for a lot of the exercises.

At times the camera + Move do not track movement correctly. There are instances where I am 100% convinced that I am doing an exercise correctly, but Mel B rates me with a low rep count and a low score. The game does not rate me well at jumping jacks; seriously … not sure what gives with this one because I can in fact do jumping jacks. From the competitive standpoint (yes, Virginia, I do want those Trophies) this can be a little frustrating because it keeps an otherwise Gold medal performance from being rated as such.

While Get Fit does track some overall statistics, I wish your daily (plus daily, monthly, and yearly) history was tracked. I want more stats, graphs, and charts. Show me how I am doing day-over-day, and track my progress with each exercise (high, low, and average scores, along with calories burned). If this were added to the next version or DLC, I would buy it.

Day 4
Mel B presented me with a 30 minute dance workout. I started to switch up and do a custom exercise because I hate the dance stuff. I look like a drunken idiot flailing about; nothing graceful about my dance moves, but I digress.

I mentioned earlier that the camera + Move does not always track your movements correctly. In the case of dance exercises, this is a good thing because I can sort of, kind of, mimic the moves. If I had to precisely match the elegance and grace of Mel B, I would have to throw Get Fit on eBay.

My 30 minutes of dancing torture was good for ~174 calories. I would have told Mel B this workout was too easy, but she never asked. Bitch! I think you may only be prompted with the too easy, just right, and too hard options if your workout is rated higher than your last workout of the same type. Or maybe you have to do better than your best workout. Need to explore this further.

Day 5
30 minute fitness burned 200 calories. I followed the workout by doing a 15 min kickboxing workout, which was good for 100 calories. I even picked up a Trophy because I am at the 1000 calorie mark, which I suppose is good for a Christmas dinner. It would be cool if the game had a Miller Lite counter.

Day 6
Mel B gave me a 30 minute combat workout; I burned 190 some odd calories, which was good for my first gold Trophy (90% rating; in-game Gold Medal). This was by far my best workout; only reason I did not get rated in the upper 90% was because the camera + Move did not track two exercises correctly.

I followed up with a quick, but short 1.5 park run, which should be good for another 100 calories.

Day 7
Today’s suggested workout was another combat routine. Just for the heck of it (and because my arms felt like dead weight) I decided to switched goals – general fitness (healthy heart), and sports (general sports). I ended up doing an invigorating 30 minute cardio workout, which was good for 202 calories.

This was my second best workout; also another in-game Gold medal. I think the key (for the most part) for the camera and move picking movements correctly is to be in a naturally lit room; no overhead lights or table laps that are in direct view of the camera (i.e. indirect lighting).

I topped off with a 2 mile park run; slow burn, 9.5 minute miles

Day 8
Felling a little bit lazy, I decided to go with a 20 minute custom fitness workout, which burned 165 calories. I thought about adding a follow-up combat workout, but I think I will see if I have anything else in the tank for a short afternoon run.

Moving Forward …
As mentioned at the beginning, next week I am going to add some ankle and wrist weights. I know this will provide more resistance, so I am curious if it will also boost the calories burned per workout.

I am also going to look into add some step aerobics, which should give me some more variety.

If I can make it a solid second week, I should start closing in on 170 pounds, not to mention there is a Trophy (Driven) for showing the dedication to two solid weeks of exercising.

Mel B Kicked My Ass (Well, Sort Of …)

Several months ago, on a whim, I picked up Get Fit With Mel B. After all, why not use my PS3 + Move + enjoy Scary Spice doing her level best to get me fit? Like I said, it was an impulse purchase, and the game set on a shelf until I realized that I picked up 5 unwelcome pounds during the miserably hot summer months when I only run once a week at best.

I gave up reviewing games a long time ago, so it is fair play for me to say up front that I have only completed day three with the lovely Mel B. What follows are some random thoughts for your reading amusement, and to give you a decent idea of what Mel B may have to offer.

Let’s be honest; Get Fit With Mel B (Get Fit; or sometimes Mel B as strikes my fancy) is very much geared towards the female audience. Just do a google blog search to see where I am coming from. Besides, what self-respecting guy (much less gamer) is going to get all sweaty with Mel B? Bottom line for any female readers that happen upon this article; I’ll try to refrain from talking about Mel B’s spectacular ta tas and overall great looking body, while at the same time you have to appreciate that I know diddlysquat about aerobics.

Thanks to those unwanted pounds, and because curiosity got the better of me, I finally got brave and fired up Get Fit. You just knew I would sniff the dandelions at some point, right? In the end, I always do.

Get Fit prompts you to enter some basic info – weight, height, DOB, along with your body type (skinny, not as skinny, and overweight). My wife said the not as skinny option was perfect for me, thank you very much, although I think she mistook it for buff, broad shoulders, and overall hunk; not just a little bit chubby around the midsection. Did I ever tell you my wife is too kind?

Next up, Get Fit presents you with a selection of background locations for your workout preference; if Get Fit sells at a decent clip, I could see more backgrounds being added in future DLC packs. I picked a nice yacht club background; beautiful water … picturesque for my viewing pleasure.

Mel B also offers a dietary plan of sorts; at least you can look at a daily menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and deserts, complete with recipes and preparations instructions. To this end you are given the opportunity to enter some items you don’t eat. I started to put in lamb; I love lamb, but it is not as if I can find any around here … just not a common staple.

Next up you get to pick an overall diet goal – weight loss, detox (i.e. junk food; I thought it meant no more drinking, which would suck), lower cholesterol, and finally healthy heart.

While all the selections make sense, and are good ideas for healthy living, the reality for me is that I am not going to follow the actual diet instructions. My wife is a great cook and while she may get some ideas from the various selections presented to get you healthy, I doubt she would ever be constrained by the 150 or so recipes (yet another DLC opportunity). In the end I picked weight loss, although if I stick with Get Fit beyond August, I may switch at some point just to see if I am right about these being more diet focused.

After selecting your overall goal, you are prompted to select one or two goal categories. I believe these goals will ultimately drive the types of exercise presented during each workout. You get to select from general health, lifestyle, special occasions, sports and activities, and shape. While I did not play around with all the options to see if this applied for each goal category, shape had several amusing subcategories – pecs, butt, shoulder, belly, upper body, lower body & core, and just Plain Jane looking good. If you decide to pick two goal categories, you can also setup the percentage to dedicate to each one.

Mel B will also allow you to make use of certain exercise equipment: aerobic step, fit ball, resistance band, wrist weights, and ankle weights. Since I don’t have any of these devices, I am not sure if I am missing out on any interesting fitness routines. I could see me getting an aerobic step, although I have plenty of steps on my front porch that I make use of after runs. I have never been into weights. Resistance band? No idea. I thought fit balls were used to break your back …

I decided to go with weight loss, general health and shape (belly focus), opting for a 50/50 split between general health and the dreaded belly fat.

Get Fit is nice enough to allow you to go with a pre-assigned workout routine, allow you to customize your own program, and you can pick the amount of time you wish to work out. You can also practice any of the exercises and there are tutorials where Mel B gives you the run down on exactly how to perform an exercise.

Day 1
30 minutes of torture. I have a whole new respect for aerobics; no coordination. So much for enjoying Mel B’s ta tas.

Good Lord; I’m out of shape … haven’t run in a couple of weeks, but I haven’t done aerobics since a junior high school physical education class. Let me be honest and admit that I was really dying at the 20 minute mark, but thankfully I finally hit the cool down exercises without hurting myself.

I was disappointed that I didn’t get to do any sit ups (I thought we were going to fix my belly fat), and I did not really enjoy waving around a Move controller. Interesting enough, Mel B never held a Move, so I am not sure what that is about.

While I was huffing and puffing at the end of my 30 minutes, when prompted, I was ashamed to tell Mel B that the advance cardio workout was too hard, so I went with just right. Probably; Mel B just kicked my ass.

For my efforts I did pick up five Trophies. I am afraid to really look and see what is required to platinum the one. Dance aerobics? Probably not going to happen. Back in “real” life Mel B informed me that I burned 196 calories, which just shows you how much good food sucks – Trophies for burning off a chocolate bar, a pizza and Christmas dinner.

Day 2
I decided to go with a 25 minute workout. For whatever reason, Mel B decided to throw some dance aerobics at me. If I thought I was wasted on regular aerobics, the dancing was a little over the top.

My wife unmercifully made fun of me, which was well deserved. I can’t dance; give me some sit-ups, pushups, park running … anything but clunky uncoordinated fumbling around on the screen dancing.

During the workouts, Mel B would encourage me to let me know I am doing the exercise correctly, or offer up some advice – twist your hips, lift your legs higher, follow the beat, not so fast, take it easy, etc. At some point I am going to have to experiment to see if this is Move related, or just camera tracking technology. Either way, I thought it was pretty cool (a tad repetitive) that Get Fit picks up your mistakes and tells you what needs to happen in order to nail the exercises.

By the end of the workout, I burned 130+ calories, and picked up another three or four Trophies. This “game” is a Trophy whore’s best friend or worst nightmare; really depends on your desire to exercise while earning virtual goodies.

The overall workout was OK at best; worked up a decent sweat, but I also know that I didn’t perform the exercises (dances) correctly. In the end I felt dissatisfied and a little silly, so I told Mel B that the workout was too easy. I then decided to go for a quick run around the park to help me burn off the rest of my energy.

Day 3
This time I went back to a 30 minute workout. Mel B kicked my ass ten ways to Sunday with her fitness routine. 204 calories, three more Trophies, and spaghetti arms (I’m push-up’ed out).

For some reason the camera or Move had trouble counting some of my sit up variations; will probably have to experiment with camera and move placement later.

Day 4 and Beyond
My short term goal is to make a sold week of working out with Mel B using the default (suggested) exercise routines. If I can make it into week two, I will probably play around some with custom workouts so I can pick things I actually enjoy; I will probably cry every time Mel B makes me dance.

The question is will I stick with Mel B? Really depends. If burning an additional 130-200 calories a day helps me lose weight, I am all for it despite looking perfectly silly in the process.

ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection

It looks as if the HD version of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus now has a firm release date of September 27. Hard to believe that I preordered this last November during Thanksgiving shopping season.

What do I get for the long delay? According to the official’ish Sony blog, a couple of free themes.

As if that wasn’t enough reason to pick up this collection in September, I’m happy to announce that the disc will also come with some amazing bonus content. Packed in every new copy of the game will be a voucher for two XMB Dynamic Themes, one for ICO and one for Shadow of the Colossus. In addition, on the disc itself will be a ton of exclusive video content from ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian that fans won’t want to miss. We’re busy finalizing the videos as we speak, and will have more details to share next month.

I am sure the videos are going to be interesting, but pre-order specials should include some nice, even if minor, trinkets. At any rate, I am looking forward to play ICO in HD. This was one of the many games that I missed the first time around, and have always been curious about the implementation; mostly because of the rabid, if niche following.

NCAA Football – Week 1 Impressions

After a week of time with the game, the one thing I have realized is what I have already described; under the covers the game may have moved forward with subtle AI improvements, but to the casual eye NCAA Football 12 is light years behind other franchises such as FIFA (overall experience; career development), MLB: The Show (presentation; gameplay), and even EA’s own Madden (presentation).

Let’s face it, looks are everything; from a casual gaming standpoint the graphics just don’t hold up. I am not sure how best to describe the graphics engine, it just looks dated. I think so much more could be done on the field, with the animations, and with the overall “experience” – stadiums, crowds, sidelines, etc. The developers looked like they put a lot of time into all the pregame activities – in my opinion that time could have been better spent adding more individual player animations.

I understand that the 360 version looks better than the flat and stale PS3 version; apparently that has been the case for years. Look at MLB: The Show and it is obvious more can be done in this regard on the PS3.

The presentation sucks; plain and simple. Everything about it – commentary, sideline reporting, replays, atmosphere, and so on are lackluster at best. If EA spent the time to overhaul the presentation, I think the game would really hold gamers (casual and simulation fans) attention for the long haul.

Of course graphics are not everything (contrary to what I just wrote); gameplay actually matters if a game is going to hold up and have any lasting power. The only thing I wonder right now is if NCAA Football 12 will hold up past the release of Madden 12. Too soon to tell, but over the years I have a tendency to concentrate on one game over the other; with Madden winning out over the last 3-4 releases, which coincides with the purchase of my Falcons season tickets.

I have not touched online gaming yet; doubt I will as none of my friends have bothered to pick up NCAA Football 12, and I hate playing random games with strangers. Same for online Dynasty; soon enough on that one in order to unlock one of the Trophies. I have also not had time to jump into a Road for Glory session, which is probably just the old Race for the Heisman or Campus Legend mode renamed and tagged as a new feature.

I have spent several hours with the Dynasty mode. I started my career as an offensive coordinator at Mississippi St. In our first year we went 11-1, winning 10 in a row after losing in the closing seconds to Auburn in Week 2. Next up is the SEC Championship game against 11-1 (9-0) Texas A&M. What? Yes, I realigned into a SEC Super Conference (Texas & Memphis to the West; Clemson and Texas A&M to the East) since I am a Trophy whore, and a Trophy or two was on offer just for doing the needful.

Did I mention that we beat Alabama, however a 1 loss Alabama team still managed to end up 4th, while the SEC West best Mississippi St. Bulldogs could only manage 5th?

Obviously the polls (after years and years and years) are still broken, which is really unacceptable at this point. If nothing else players should have an option to override anything that is just ridiculous. In real life everyone knows a strong team can (usually, with some luck) overcome a Week 2 loss. Alabama should not have been able to hold position over Mississippi St. after taking it on the chin in Week 11.

I am enjoying Dynasty mode from a coaching perspective; i.e. just calling offensive plays. It is kind of interesting watching play action, draws, and screens because they are very much indicative of my in-game play experience. Play actions look to be really hit or miss; hopefully a patch will offer some improvements. Draws work great, when called at the right time; i.e. if the defense expects a pass or is presenting a heavy outside rushing attack. Screen plays seem completely broken; when I am controlling the QB, I could understand wrecking the play by releasing the ball too early or too late, but watching the AI controlled simulation unfold shows me just how busted screens are in this game.

I am not sure about the Super Sim feature; certainly progresses the games really quickly, but time of possession seems way out of balance, and the actual statistics deserve a second look. Then again, how different is that compared to games where I control the action on the field? Like years passed, most CPU possessions are really short, ending in a bomb that I cannot stop, or a long TD rush because I cannot close down gaps, or worse yet, ending in some sort of miracle completion, as a pass bounces off the back of my CB, and somehow into the arms of the AI receiver surrounded by three DBs. Yep, that animation is still (unfortunately) in the game.

Unlike past years, as I play with the sliders, I am seeing a few decent 10+ play AI controlled drives, but these are the exceptions. The sliders for some penalty settings just do not work (offensive or defensive pass interference), while some work too well (off sides, holding). Patch please.

EA has also given Dynasty fans the ability to pay real duckets to improve recruiting. $24.99 for the full pack? No thanks.

I love the option offense; works like a charm, especially with a team like Mississippi St. I like the control over the RBs, although I swear (usually in a loud outburst) that the AI cheats and comes out of nowhere to close down a once wide open gap.

I have read that there is a custom playbook glitz, although I have not come across it. Not that UGA would ever do it in real life (not SEC’ish, not enough quality HBs, offense not run by a scrambling QB), but I added the Wishbone to the Dawgs playbook, mainly to run the triple option. It didn’t hurt that the game offers Trophies for a custom playbook and for have a FB score a TD out of a triple option. Besides, I just like to run option plays.

This article seems mostly negative, and to a certain degree that is the case, but NCAA Football 12 also offers up a certain fun factor. Maybe it is because I have been on the sidelines for a while, or maybe college football just holds a certain appeal. If the developers can patch in some gameplay improvements I can see me playing this one deep into the fall, but otherwise I expect that the wind will eventually blow in Madden’s direction.

White Knight Chronicles

I am surprised that selling ~275K copies of a game warrants a sequel; not complaining mind you, just thought it was interesting that White Knight Chronicles II is nearing a U.S. release.

The North American version will include a fully localized version of the Japanese game with additional on-disc quests that were originally released as downloadable quests in Japan in January 2011. In our North American version, players can start from White Knight Chronicles II without completing the original game — an important point, as the Japanese version requires players to clear White Knight Chronicles: International Edition in order to play the sequel.

It’s a good thing that gamers do not have to finish WKC:I in order to enjoy the sequel. I would be toast; never managed to complete the first title, but will probably look to waste a few dollars and hours on number two.

Week in Gaming (40? Not so old after all)

NCAA Football 12, what else? It is actually growing on me as I continue to fine tune some of the sliders, but the reality is that under the covers this is still the same NCAA Football that I turned my back on several years ago. Sure, there are improvements, small little niggles that any simulation fan will pick up on, but casual fans are going to wonder why they should continue to “upgrade” yearly.

I have not started farting around with Dynasty mode yet; mostly because of time commitments, and secondly because the developers have taken Dynasty mode in a forgettable direction. Is it really so hard to get this right? Just throw a couple of dedicated NCAA football fans at the helm as “consultants,” find some decent software engineers that understand progression modeling, standard deviation (from walk-ons to blue chip prospects), make it adjustable via various slider settings, and tie it all up with a pretty interface (hire a UI consultant) and we would have the killer experience that we have been longing for since we first fell in love with NCAA Football during the heydays of the 2000-2001 releases.

One can dream, right? Instead, according to Bill Abner at nohighscores, we get recruiting run amuck.

In 2013 we see…

42 quarterbacks rated 90 or higher

41 running backs rated 90 or higher

The country is filled with B+ to A+ rated teams, as progression has simply gone insane. You can make the case that the overall score for these players doesn’t matter, that it is the individual ratings that carry more weight and this argument would hold more water if EA shipped rosters that reflected this. They didn’t. This CLEARLY can’t be how it’s meant to work. EA can’t possibly mean for Ohio U (not Ohio State, but the Bobcats of Athens) to finish 12-0 in 2013 and have an 81 rated HB win the Heisman. That can’t be right.

What this does is effectively make your NCAA Dynasty a crap shoot when games are simmed as truly great programs are likely to go 6-6 because everyone is rated so closely together (unless you are truly a bottom feeder team.) A team might go 11-1 one year, still have a great team the next and lose 5 or 6 games due to randomness.

Is this harsh? Not at all if you admit to yourself that …

(A) NCAA Football is a niche title, which a simulation fan base and mass market appeal. The former demands a decent (that is really the mark at this point – decent) simulation, while that later just wants their beloved team to beat the shit out of everyone else.

(B) While my gaming habits these days are still rooted in simulation experiences, I have shifted (kicking and screaming) into the realm of a semi-casual gamer. This has an interesting impact on my gaming because I can really appreciate the full spectrum more so than at any prior point in my gaming life.

Catherine Demo
I spent a little time with the strange and curious Catherine; what will those crazy Japanese developers think of next? After watching this game for a while, I was interested to get my hands on the demo. It is really just a block pulling/pushing/manipulating puzzle type game, with an interesting story. While I like interesting (i.e. different) games, I am not so sure that I am going to keep this one on pre-order. I would actually like to see how the story plays out; could probably save $60 and just wait for the eventual youtube videos to make an appearance.

The Sly Collection: Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus
Still working my way through this one; currently in the Mesa City section. I missed these games the first time around (PS2 releases) and am glad I am giving the HD versions a go. The Sly games, at least the first one, are all about classic platform gaming action; however a little on the easy side. The cartoon cell-shaded graphic style makes the game appear to be a kiddie outing, but I think adults that grew up in the Mario world should enjoy the Sly games.

Where to from here?
Any gaming time this coming week will probably be spent with NCAA 12, exploring the broken Dynasty mode, looking to see if it is really as bad as has been reported. I’ll probably also turn back to LBP some; have given it a rest the last couple of weeks in order to recharge my appreciation for this true gem.

I also need to decide if I am going to take the plunge on any of the PSN Summer Sale games. I have such a huge backlog of games that I will probably pass; have to admit that Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is tempting me.

40 is just a number … although a scary one!
Speaking of 40, while it’s really not so old, it’s darn hard to believe that my household now features a 40 year-old better half. Cheers to Tonya; 40 is really just a starting point, a silly number if you will.

NCAA Football 12 – Very First Impressions

After skipping NCAA Football for the last couple of years, I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was semi-excited. Not “I’m about to get laid” excited; let’s call it curiously enthusiastic.

This is going to sound awful, but my first thoughts while beating down the dreaded bumblebees from Tech 35-14: “The game has not progressed; at its roots, this is still the same NCAA Football that I stopped playing due to discontent in the game’s direction.” I gave up on the franchise a couple of years ago because I thought it had been on a downward spiral since the glory days of NCAA 2000-2001, never really captivating me during the PS2 days and of course somewhat lackluster PS3 offerings.

Maybe I just expected too much. Maybe as a former reviewer I stopped appreciating fun, always concentrating on little flaws and gameplay defects. Maybe NCAA Football gave up on me, its core audience from the original PlayStation days.

So here I was last night listening to the same stale and forgettable (dare I say terrible?) commentary that seems to be impossible for the development team to improve. The in-game presentation does not at all seem fresh; far from an ESPN Game Day experience. Did I just see frame-rate stuttering as the players ran to the line of scrimmage? I know I did not just see one of those crazy-ass superhuman, no way that could happen in real life, CPU ball carriers speeding up, skipping multiple frame rates, just to make a first down. Say it’s not true …

I know I am only a few games in, but what’s the point of sportsmanship points when the game’s AI doesn’t seem to understand the concept? As an example, my beloved Dawgs were trashing the fighting chickens of South Carolina (hey, I can dream of future days), 38-0 deep in the 4th QTR; I did a quick out play … mainly because I was still learning the playbook and wanted to practice the play to get the timing down. I got docked -75 sportsmanship points. A few plays later, as time was running out, I kicked a FG, just because I could and I am all for knocking the Gamecocks’ in the teeth. Guess what? +12 sportsmanship points. That makes sense.

I am sure (probably) that as I play more, I am going to uncover actual gameplay elements that make me looked bemused – wow, the gameplay is really improved. Look at those attack angles, look at the closing distance; those DBs are really playing zone defense correctly. Or maybe not; such is the life of a jaded, former reviewer.

Hopefully under the covers, I will actually discover some fun. The greatest compliment to this game will be me falling in love enough to start a Chronicles series, and maybe, just maybe pass up Madden 12.

NCAA Football 12 – Finally Off The Sidelines

For the first time in recent memory (since NCAA Football 09 to be exact), I preordered NCAA Football. It didn’t hurt that Amazon offered a $20 promotional credit (already applied to my account). They also offered up some sort of PDF “starter guide” – have not looked at it to see if offers anything of note.

Enough of that; I happen to be home this afternoon. Strange coincidence that UPS just showed up with NCAA Football 12? Probably not …

Welcome Back Choices

Today is the last day to claim any “welcome back” games. When Sony’s package went live in early June, I picked up the free PS3 theme and LittleBigPlanet (LBP) for the PSP. I still have not made my other PSP selection; will probably settle on ModNation Racers as Pursuit Force and Killzone Liberation are not my typical fare for PSP gaming.

From a PS3 standpoint, I already purchased the PSN titles Dead Nation and Super Stardust HD. I also own LBP (although the Game of the Year Edition), and inFAMOUS. While I do not technically “own” Wipeout HD, I do have it available to my library as part of the initial PS+ offering. I also took advantage of a PS+ discount last September to pick up the Fury DLC for $7.99, which also renders this option as semi-worthless.

In other words, my PS3 choices are rather limited. I decided on Wipeout HD just because I would now “own” the game; not that I am planning on letting my PS+ subscription expire anytime soon.

I also decided on inFAMOUS; was there really any other choice? inFAMOUS was packed in with my PS3 Slim that I purchased around this time last year as a replacement to my original PS3 60GB system. Would you believe that I never actually played inFAMOUS, much less opened the game? I know; I suck. Figured I would get to it at some point down the road as I work my way through my backlog of games.

By going with inFAMOUS, I figure I can at least flip my copy for a few bucks on eBay or via some sort of trade in down the road, although the value has to be pennies on the dollar due to the game being offered in the “welcome back” package.

Yesterday I attempted to add inFAMOUS as my second game, however it was not offered as an available “welcome back” choice. After a lot of pain and suffering (i.e. research), I realized that because I never deleted and never played the free trial I received last year as part of PS+, I needed to download the trail again, play it, and let it expire.

That is a hell of a lot of work to try to get some value from the “welcome back” package. It fact it was way more work than I anticipated. For some reason the game took impossibly long to download; maybe hordes of other gamers were also making last minute “welcome back” selections.

At any rate, the download completed and installed just before midnight last night. I played it for about 30 minutes before crashing for the night. When I checked the available “welcome back” options this morning, there sat inFAMOUS. So happy days; I am currently downloading the full game now.

I know I should not look a gift horse in the mouth …

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[July 4th Update:] If you failed to collect your free “welcome back” games, Sony has extended the offer: “The Welcome Back offer has been extended until 9am Pacific on Tuesday, July 5th. If you haven’t had a chance to download the offerings, please do so before then.”

If you have not already done so, now is the time to do the needful.

PS+ Turns One

Actually, the official’ish b-day bash was a few nights ago (June 28), but I am just getting around to finding a few minutes to share some thoughts on year one.

PSN’er markburleson85 maintains a spectacular list of all the prizes, trinkets, discounts, and other miscellaneous crap offered to date by Sony as part of the PS+ program.

Of course spreadsheets are pretty and all, but for the graphics whore in you, check out IGN’s PS+ recap, replete with plenty of pretty graphs.

In my opinion the PS+ service has been well worth the $50 “investment.” While I have played many “free” games that I would have never purchased, I consider that a nice little bonus; sort of a way to round out my gaming experience. The discounts have been nice, but could be better – I would love to see a monthly coupon for a 20% discount on any PSN store item. Of course more exclusive avatars, themes, Home items, and sundry trinkets would be appreciated.

I am not sure if Sony considers the PS+ program a success, or if Sony is still trying to dip their foot in the water for pay-to-play network services. I do know that a hidden gem in the PS+ offering is the “automatic download” feature, which has been a fantastic timesaver. It is also readily apparent that Sony is moving towards more “cloud” type services, as this has been implicitly implied as part of the core Vita offering.

As PS+ moves into its second year, I hope for newer games, more day one discounts, and previously mentioned shiny trinkets.

Journey – Not the Wheel in the Sky

Journey is one of those really compelling games that I have been keeping close tabs on, and now it looks like PS+ is paying some dividends in landing a limited beta invite.

To test Journey’s innovative and unusual multiplayer functionality, we are conducting a small, invite-only beta that will run tomorrow, June 28 and will run through July 12. If you were one of the very earliest adopters of Flower, and you are a PS Plus subscriber as well, watch your XMB inbox for your invitation and entry into the beta. Additionally, we’ve been able to free up a limited number of additional spots for the beta. Please check thatgamecompany’s Facebook page, here on the PlayStation Blog, or our media partners and their sites for code give-aways.

It is not 100% clear from the article if all PS+ subscribers are getting an invite. Keeping my fingers crossed, because I am really interested in this one.

[Update June 29, 2011] I was a day one PS+ subscriber, and I didn’t receive an invite for the limited Journey beta, so it is safe to say that not all PS+ subscribers will receive an invite.

Now Playing (Closing Out June Edition)

Or maybe we should have called this one the Trophy whore edition. Yes, while putting in a few hours of “fun” time, I have actually been doing a little Trophy chasing (i.e. being a total Trophy whore).

Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet
I am all in on this one, which is great fun to play with the kids. Would I ever actively play this one on my own? Not with so many other great titles out there waiting for my attention. The AI can be kind of cheap and inconsistent. Some of the challenges are really a mess, and while nothing is overly difficult, some wore my patience to the nubs. Oh yeah, and the game will often crash, not saving your hard earned progress, which at times can make for a frustrating experience due to a clunky and slow menu/interface.

With all that said, my four and nine year olds love the game. They are enjoying the game, working to unlock all the characters, and of course earning Trophies. I have had to use a couple of “cheat” guides, mostly to find a few of the “ collectible” items; in most games, including this one, Trophies around collecting stuff are a total PITA. Thus the guides, as I really don’t have enough hours in the day to find overly complicated hidden crap, including BS Trophies. The joys of going after a “family” Platinum trophy, which we picked up tonight.

Ferrari Challenge
It is not the best racing game out there, but at this point I feel like I need to keep slowly pushing forward towards the Platinum. I have written about this one enough in the past to limit this entry to a single, decent racing experience description.

3 on 3 NHL Arcade
I picked this one on sale with a PlayStation Plus (PS+) price of $3.00 (compared to the way over inflated regular price of $9.99). If you are a complete Trophy whore, you probably already have this one. It is ridiculous easy to rack up the Trophies within a few games (2-3 hours tops).

As luck would have it, 3 on 3 is a fun arcade experience for playing with my kids. I can actually see this one sticking around for regular pick up and play sessions. I’m not a huge hockey fan or anything like that, but it is kind of disappointing that the game does not include some sort of team license. As it stands, there are a few ‘real’ players, but it would be nice to give the Thrashers a little glory.

Space Invaders Infinity Gene
This continues to be one of the better shooters around. You can just trip back and completely zone out on this one. I am not sure exactly what a “zen like quality is” but Infinity Gene must be what people mean when they throw out this description.

I’ll have 100% complete if I can manage to complete the game without continuing. Of course I doubt that will happen anytime soon; not enough skill in these old gaming bones. No regrets; well worth the purchase (I got it a while back for a tick under $5).

Little Big Planet: Game of the Year Edition
Everyone loves LBP, right? Right now I am just kind of playing the game here and there, exploring the different levels, and having a good time experiencing this one with the kids. I am trying to get my oldest kid interested in designing games or programming, so I am kind of keeping my fingers crossed that this perks up his interest.

Up Next …
As we turn towards July, and the long Independence Day weekend, I have several games lined up for my three day weekend rotation.

Dungeon Hunter (PS+ price $10.39, regular price $12.99); looks like some decent co-op gaming action. Notice the theme? I am really turning my rotation towards games I can play with the kids, without have to go 100% in the direction of Marvel Super Hero Squad type games.

Dragon’s Lair (picked it up for $4.99); really just got it for nostalgic purposes. Probably paid $1-2 too much, but it should be enjoyable, and will also give my kids a little history and perspective on the industry and what use to pass as a serious quarter muncher.

Sly Collection; re-mastered HD versions (improved with the addition of Trophies) of all three Sly Cooper classics.
Sly Cooper and The Thievius Raccoonus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. I am sure the boys and I will have a blast with this one.

Wizardy; I keep thinking about picking this one up. Maybe a sale will tip me over the edge, but as it stands, I think my backlog is too great to justify this one. But I am so tempted!

Good gaming!

T&A Thursday

I have not offered up a T&A post in a while, and the ‘eye candy’ tag is short of short on excitement these days, so without further ado, from the ‘what’s next from those crazy kids in Japan’ category – Dancing Eyes. Undress with success?

For what it is worth, I found both of these via N4G. Decide to post for said reasons above. Besides, I always enjoy this sort of thing; reading the comments for these off the wall Japanese games is usually a laugh a minute.

I am betting there is no way this one sees the light of day in the U.S. So says Captain Obvious.