jcalvert

Lindy’s Southeastern 2010 Annual Comments

Last year I thought it was a fluke that North Texas was not included in the various team previews for the Sun Belt conference. I did a quick site search and came across my Lindy’s post from last year. WTF? Déjà vu all over again? Once again North Texas is excluded from Lindy’s coverage.

I get it; North Texas is not geographically part of the Southeast, although I do not get why the publisher would not include at least a half page of Mean Green coverage as part of their Sun Belt preview. Not that I am bitter or anything.

Overall it is a college football annual that focuses on the SEC with a smattering of Conference USA, Sun Belt sans North Texas, and some fairly lightweight national coverage. As is always the case with Lindy’s Annuals, a few pretty sideline pictures are included; I suppose to help readers pass a long night without alternative materials. If you are looking for a review, you are probably not inclined to pay $7.99 to read about all things SEC.

Madden 11 Ships

Thanks to Amazon’s Prime service, with release day shipping to my door, Madden 11 should be waiting on me by the time I get home.

Apparently there are a lot of mixed emotions about this year’s installment on the various boards and blogs that cover such things as glitches in QB throwing motion animation sequences. I kid you not; Madden releases are serious business.

Once upon a time I would keep the previous version of Madden (or any other sports game for that matter) so I would have an option if the new version sucked (or contained some serious flaw). I would also use the older version as a point of reference; i.e. research what was improved, revisit how some previous feature worked, and other nutty stuff that I did as a game reviewer. Besides, I “collected” games – what a loser. These days I typically try to time throwing a sports game like Madden 10 on eBay to capitalize on the fact that the game is not fully discounted at retail and the new version is still a few months out. So if Madden 11 contains some major issue that was not in Madden 10, there is really no going back.

In the end I think things will be OK. The developers will address any serious flaws or bugs in the inevitable patch(es), and the player ratings and rosters will be adjusted a couple of times during the season. After playing the demo I hope items like piss poor punt return blocking and lack of quality kickoff returns will be addressed in the first gameplay patch.

If you are looking for an overhaul in the franchise system, that is not going to happen this year. After reading some of the comments from the producer, I am not sure if an overhaul of the franchise mode will ever see the light of day; apparently only a small, but very vocal minority of gamers care about such things as salary caps, owner mode, player rating progressions, and how the CPU handles trades, free agent signings, and the like.

I will be happy if I manage to get in a couple of games tonight. Typical “take these comments with a box of rock salt” impressions and comments forthcoming.

Happy Madden everyone!

Falcons – Too early for Super Bowl talk?

Are the Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl contenders? Jeff Schultz of the ajc thinks the Falcons are one of the Top 5 candidates to represent the NFC.

I know what you’re thinking: a little high. (The team, not me.) But no (to both). First of all, I think you can rank these five teams in almost any order. Here’s what stands out to me: The defense will be significantly improved. It will be more aggressive and get burned less often, given the additions of cornerback Dunta Robinson and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, as well as the return of defensive tackle Peria Jerry and safety William Moore from season-ending injuries. (The team’s broadcaster, Wes Durham, had a great analogy: Jerry and Moore are like redshirt freshmen.) The offense will benefit from Matt Ryan being in his third year, when young quarterbacks often take a big step up, and a more motivated running back, Michael Turner, who is in far better condition than a year ago.

I agree that the defense will be better thanks to actually having something similar to a shutdown corner in free agent signee Dunta Robinson. By default, the secondary will make the d-line look much better. Throw in “redshirt freshman” Peria Jerry and the d-line should be instantly better. The LB corps gets younger and faster with Weatherspoon. All this adds up to an improved defense.

On offense Ryan is expected to improve year-over-year, but to me the real key is Turner. If the Burner bounces back, Ryan could look like a super star.

Too early for Super Bowl talk? Probably. Training camp brings optimism. Go Falcons!

God of War: Ghost of Sparta – Ultimate Exclusive DLC Pack

I cannot think of the last time I actually pre-ordered a PSP game. In fact, except for pre-ordering my original PSP system, complete with some bundled games, I do not think I have ever pre-ordered a PSP game. I probably have, and am either getting too old to remember, or maybe just embarrassed to carry the shame and stigma that goes with pre-ordering PSP games. Seriously; who pre-orders PSP games? I mean it is not like there has ever been a run on PSP games, which would inspire anyone in the future to have some sort of crazy-assed dire need to get a PSP game on pre-order “just in case” there are not enough copies to go around.

Harsh? Probably, and I am really trying to have some fun and games this beautiful (and hot as hell) Sunday morning by poking fun at yours truly. I have written several times over the summer heat wave that thanks to picking up the right PSP games, I am actually getting some quality time, use, and value from my original brick.

The reality is that a pre-order everything I actually want. Why not, if I know I am going to get the game anyway? These days pre-order of “special” games usually come with some sort of incentive such as coupons for future game purchases, DLC, and special collectable items. For the most part I go for coupons; cash and saving money is king. Next up is DLC. I typically do not care that much for the special collectable items; I squirrel them away for future eBay fodder.

I decided to pre-order God of War: Ghost of Sparta from Amazon for $36.99. I was surprised not to see that Amazon was not currently offering release day shipping; I expect that to change in the future. I went with my Prime second-day shipping because I do not have to get Ghost of Sparta on release day. Thanks to the pre-order I get the ultimate exclusive DLC pack:

Ghost of Sparta Original Soundtrack – Be part of the legacy, and relive the emotional soundscape of defiance and rage through the original soundtrack
PSP® Theme – Are you the ultimate God of War fan? Prove it with the God of War® Ghost of Sparta theme
PS3™ Dynamic Theme – Fully animated in constant motion, personalize your ps3™ system with the official God of War® dynamic theme
PlayStation® Network Avatar – Be one of the few to own the exclusive Kratos Avatar only available through this pre-order
Legionnaire Skin – Discover the origins of the Spartan warrior as you experience God of War® Ghost of Sparta as Legionnaire Kratos
Exclusive Creative Directors Documentary – A full length featured piece with all the past and present Creative Directors of the God of War franchise in front of a live studio audience.

Exactly how exclusive is this DLC when everyone that pre-orders will have a new Kratos PSN avatar? All of the DLC is nice, but I wish it included a few extra in-game bonuses.

I am almost finished with God of War: Chains of Olympus; currently at The Temple of Persephone, which apparently is last area in the game. [Watch this; I am about to contradict myself. I just looked at an FAQ prior to my Ghost of Sparta pre-order because I wanted to see what percent of Chains of Olympus I had completed.]

Hint guides, cheat guides, walkthroughs, or whatever you want to call them can be covered another day. I typically avoid them, but in the case of something like Chains of Olympus, I will uses one the second time around just to make sure I do not miss anything. Chains of Olympus is the rare game that is worth a second play-through. It is that that good and has been a thoroughly enjoyably gaming experience. Longtime readers know I do not describe games as an experience very lightly; Chains of Olympus gets my highest recommendation.

I’ll put this in further context. I am now a huge God of War fan. I just pre-order Ghost of Sparta, I plan to get the PS3 God of War Collection, and I will also tackle God of War III. Yes, I am hooked on Kratos and his story.

Happy Sunday!

Plus Update – Free Games, Odds and Nuts

As we enter the second month of the Plus service I thought now would be a good time to provide a quick update. Am I sold on the service? Is it worth the $50 (annual subscription) price tag? Is there value to be found in a Plus subscription?

Today I am only going to tackle the free games. So from that perspective, as far as the price goes, as an initial subscriber, thanks to the additional three “free” bonus months, Plus only set me back $3.33. For a rental service that is not too much of a concern, which is of course one way to look at things. Another point of view is that I spent $50 straight up on a rental service that offers some free odds and ends and random discounts to go with the free games.

The first two months offered two “free” games: WipEout HD (87 – 52 critic reviews; 8.1 based on 71 votes) and Critter Crunch (87; 22 critic reviews; earning a spectacular 9.7 based on 11 dedicated, caring gamers).

Lucky for me that I did not own either game. If I did, I would probably not be very happy right now. This has to be a significant concern for heavy PSN spenders. Heck, even casual PSN spenders run the risk of having the monthly free game end up being something they have previously purchased. This is really the price you pay for having no idea what free games are going to be on offer; you are taking a gamble that more often than not, you will not own the monthly free download. This is where Sony could change things up a bit by offering an alternative free month of any PSN game you damn well please, but the alternative “rental” only lasts a month. I am not sure what sort of reaction this type of switch up would invoke, but I would be happy to have an option if I already owned the monthly free game.

I have always been a casual fan of the WipEout series, so while it is nice to get a quality game for free, I doubt it will be huge entertainment sink for me. Critter Crunch has been a welcome surprise; this is one of the better puzzle games I have played in a while!

While Magic Orbz (66 – 13 critic reviews, although the masses rate the game a solid 8.4 based on 11 votes) was not offered as a free download, I took a flyer on this one because Plus subscribers were offered two of the expansion packs for free, and the base game was offered at a discounted price. While Magic Orbz is far from a classic, it is an interesting diversion and a nice take on breakout.

I have not bothered with the free minis; I did download them to my PSP to give them a go on my next road trip. Same for the two free PSOne Classics. Rally Cross was OK back in the day, but I seriously doubt that it can hold up. The controls were always a little bit f’up on the PlayStation, so I cannot imagine that they work worth a darn on the PSP. If I remember correctly, Syphon Filter had a cult following, so maybe this one will be decent once I can be bothered to give it a few minutes.

If I take the $3.33 per month view, I am satisfied with the initial Plus offerings, although I am still reluctant to recommend the service. Plus I like getting a variety of games each month; sort of fulfills my gaming ADD. Certainly the $50 I applied to my Plus subscription could have been spent on a new PS3 game, which at some point could be traded in for another game or parlayed into cash to be used towards another purchase. This of course is the advantage of physical ownership of a game.

T&A Thursday: 10 Reasons DOA Rules

Because I can that’s why. Seriously; funny. Digital breasteses rule.

Digital Content, Summer Sales, and Plus

I thought this was a brilliant article from TheSixthAxis on spending money on PSN digital content. Brilliant as in the article is a good jumping off point that would provide some conversational value. Seriously? This guy has spent a boat load of money on digital content. I am nowhere near £700 (~ $1150) in total purchases; good grief that is a lot of content!

I love the concept of this article: Sony via PSN makes it too damn easy to purchase digital content. For the longest time I was a hold out (kind of like that earlier Facebook post), rallying against digital content, monthly subscriptions, micro-transactions, and the like. Sure I did purchase the occasional title such as Super Startdust HD, 1943, and Flow, but for the most part I steered clear of digital content cooties.

That being said, over the last few months I have really capitulated, including purchasing the Plus service. I guess you could say that I have become what I fought against so long. On that note, I am actually planning on throwing a more dollars Sony’s way during their PSN Summer Sale deals.

I will probably pick up Fat Princess ($7.49 sale; $14.99 reg.) and PixelJunk Shooter ($4.99 sale; $9.99 reg.) two games that I have been watching, but did not really want to pony up for full price.

I am not sure about the PSP games or even if I want to “invest” any more digital dollars into my PSP. I may pick up echoshift ($7.49 sale; $14.99 reg.), and will think about Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars ($14.99 sale; $29.99 reg.) after doing some general research, checking out some reviews, and blog articles. I have not finished Vice City, so I doubt I will throw $14.99 to chase after another GTA title. Lunar Silver Star Harmony ($14.99 sale; $29.99 reg.) is also tempting, but right now I really do not need another RPG; too far behind on the ones I already own!

I am really not that interested in the minis. I would probably pick up Tetris ($4.99 sale; $9.99 reg.) if it were $1.99 just because Tetris is a good way to pass the time, but there are so many other puzzlers available for the PSP that are far superior. Lumines, I chose you!

Speaking of Plus, I think the verdict is still out. I am going to write more about Plus, Wipeout HD and Critter Crunch later.

Madden 11 – In Need of a Friend

I received some EA Sports propaganda over the weekend that “thanked me for playing the Madden 11 demo” and if I “shared the demo with a friend” I would receive a Madden 11 Ultimate Team Pack (and potentially unlock other exclusive content … which may just be the “free” Ultimate Team Pack).

I really enjoyed Madden 10 Ultimate Team, so of course I jumped on the opportunity to get a free pack to start of my Madden 11 deck. Silly me; after clicking on the link I was told that I have to log into Facebook.

I am probably one of the last Facebook holdouts, but I really do not intend to sign up for an account no matter the pressure from family and friends. Ah, but what about pressure from Madden 11 and free Ultimate Team packs?

To be honest over the last few months I have thought about signing up for Facebook, linking back to this site, and maybe posting some pictures to share with friends and family. In addition, networking for future employment opportunities is probably a good idea in these troubled economic times.

As I said, I have managed to hold out. It is not that I am anti Facebook or think my friends can go f’ themselves, I just do not like the social networking concept. If I want to know what my family or friends are doing, I will call them, and I hope they have the common decency to call when they come into some money, are riding a train through the Europe countryside, or happen to be getting drunk at a nearby establishment.

Will I finally give in to social networking pressures? All for the love of Madden? I am doing my best not to prostitute myself, but it sucks that my Madden 11 Ultimate Team deck will start out inferior to millions of others that are not afraid of the potential consequences and baggage that go with social networking.

PSPgo – Complete Failure?

I know that the Japanese market is not the end-all-be-all barometer when it comes to videogame sales data, however the continued abysmal numbers for the PSPgo are worth noting. The Sixth Axis just posted some data for July.

Across the month the Wii beat the PS3 (89,899 vs. 77,315), the DSs beat the PSPs (202,082 vs. 108,695) and the PS2 continued to beat the PSPgo (6,134 vs. 4,056). Overall shares of the month’s hardware unit sales are little changed from June with Nintendo stealing a percentage point from both Sony and Microsoft. Out of the 509,108 consoles sold Nintendo accounted for 57% (291,981), Sony 38% (192,144) and Microsoft 5% (24,983).

I don’t think anyone is surprised with the continued success of the DS over the PSP; same for the Wii over the PS3. Was anyone really expecting the PSPgo to be a complete failure? I don’t think this is just a case of consumers wanting physical media (UMDs) over digital downloads. So what is wrong with the PSPgo?

Overly expensive hardware: I am not sure about in Japan, but $222 (discounted from $249 on Amazon) is still $100 too much.
Inadequate digital library: The selection of game available for digital downloads is vastly inferior to physical UMD products. In other words, all UMD products are not available on the PlayStation Store.
Digital library price relief: In some cases the UMD counterpart to a digital download actually cost less. Why? There are no traditional distribution costs, no physical manufacturing costs for the product (case, UMD, manual). Ridiculous.
No upgrade path: Sony has decided not to provide a UMD to digital format trade-in program or otherwise provide some mechanism to convert UMDs to digital format for the PSPgo.

I could probably go on, but I think Sony screwed the pooch with the PSPgo. I am guessing that Sony will try to continue to play up the PSPgo, but until they come out for the next PSP (PSP2, PSP Phone, whatever), Sony is probably better off offering incremental improvements with a PSP-4000 at an enticing price in over to keep in the handheld game.

Madden 11 Demo – Seven Observations

I have spent a few games with the PS3 Madden 11 demo, and so far color me unimpressed. I was going to title this “Madden 10 in Disguise” however after further review, that would be unfair and a little over the top. Here are a few initial thoughts …

First, I am surprised that the animations do not really seem new and improved. For example, watching Peyton Manning throw the ball is an exercise in how not to animate a game. I am sure there are plenty of differences a more discerning Madden gamer would notice, but I am underwhelmed. Is this really the best that EA can do with the PS4?

Second, the announcing is crap. After Matt Sanchez threw a TD, I was told how Sanchez “has been doing this for years.” Seriously? I am sure that there is a fine art to intelligent commentary, but after years and years of garbage, I think it is about time to come up with something a little better. The current generation of hardware should be able to provide enough horsepower to come up with something original, dare I say tolerable.

Third, at first blush I like the new kicking system. Then again, in my opinion, anything is better than the old kicking mechanics. My only concern is that it is possible that the new double click system has gone too far in the opposite direction, which could make the kicking game too easy.

Fourth, the new Gameflow system is probably just an automated Ask Madden. It will be fun to see how this system works with different teams and playbooks, and it will certainly simplify things for new gamers. It seems a little dishonest to taut Gameflow as a major new innovation.

Fifth, punt coverage (or really blocking) on returns is abysmal. I don’t expect to return every kick for a TD, but I do expect my blockers to, well, block.

Sixth, how many f’ing INTs can be dropped? I don’t really expect Indy and the Jets to drop potential INT after INT. I am not sure if this is a manifestation of a demo, some sort of bizarre game balance mechanism, or something entirely different. If my guys managed to catch half the potential INTs that they dropped, QB ratings would fall like a rock. Is this how the developers are managing QB accuracy?

Seventh, the new locomotion system, which at first glance seems like the same system used in the NCAA Football 11 demo, is worth watching. It will be nice to see some more differences between a wider variety of players when the full game is released.

Hopefully once I dive deeper into the full game I will be more impressed, but right now I feel like one of those mainstream reviewers that describes each yearly Madden release as a roster update. Based on what I have seen so far, I am not sure where the Madden team invested their money to improve the franchise. Hopefully I am wrong and there will be plenty of nuggets of goodness awaiting my football gaming pleasure when Madden 11 is released in a couple of weeks.

Now Playing – Afrika

OK, let’s get this over with and out of the way. WTF is wrong with me? I am sure that is the first question long-time readers are asking. A real head-scratcher, no?

I had some Amazon gift certificate credits, and I have always been interested in this “game” as a diversion. My boys love wild animals, photography, and of course gaming, so while Afrika seems like an odd mix to blend these three components, Afrika just could be the sweet spot of an alternative gaming experience.

The funny thing to me about a game like Afrika is that it is really not a game, which means it is almost impossible to review from a gaming perspective. Thankfully I am not here to write a review. The metacritic scores are not really favorable; so call it buyer beware.

My eleven year-old is really into photography, so at some point I am sure he will decide to give Afrika a try. Right now he is kind of eyeing Afrika somewhat suspiciously; to him the game looks somewhat boring. My eight-year old is also into photography, but is not as jaded as his older brother, so for him Afrika is actually interesting. My three-year-old loves Afrika and wants to help me play as much as I will let him help.

My initial complaints with the game are around the presentation and loading times. The presentation is lackluster at best – everything from the interface, navigation around the world and mission laptop, and menu structure is sub-par and in my opinion fairly amateurish. The load times are bad; really downright horrendously awful. As dreadful as the load times are, the save times absolutely unacceptable. From a quality control standpoint I think it was unacceptable of Sony to let a game with these broken mechanics into the US.

The missions revolve around taking pictures of animals. Pretty simple stuff, but time consuming waiting for the right pose. Some gamers may describe the missions as tedious, and from a certain vantage point I think I would agree with them. While I am enjoy the photography aspects of the game right now, I could see things getting monotonous as the missions progress.

If you want an alternate experience where you do not “die” and you enjoy wildlife of the African variety, Afrika could be an interesting alternative experience. I’ll post more about this one later to see if the “gameplay” holds up, or if as I hinted at earlier, will the game turn into a repetitive experience.

My initial reaction is that while I am enjoying Afrika, I wish I would have waited for a price drop. That is sort of a damning condemnation considering if you consider that I only had to put $14 out of pocket towards Afrika. I really don’t mean to come across that way, and while I am sure that I will get my money’s worth from the game, I just wish I held out a little longer for the inevitable price reduction.

Incoming – Falcons Season Tickets

I received my Falcons season tickets early this week. Needless to say I am pumped, excited, and ready for some Falcons football! This is a great time of year; training camp is in full swing for the Falcons and the Dawgs will be starting their fall campaign this Monday.

This year I am moving over one section to 231, still on row 5, but closer to the aisle. I also picked up an extra ticket, with the expectation of taking all three boys to some games. My youngest is three and a half years-old, so I may be stretching it a bit, but I say start them on Falcons football early and often!

On the Falcons news front, I just noticed that Atlanta signed first round pick Sean Weatherspoon to a five-year deal early this week. No idea of the financials since they were not disclosed. It would be a miserable experience to miss on a first round pick, but I expect Weatherspoon to be a mainstay, contributing and helping the Falcons right out of the game.

Go Falcons!

NCAA Football 11 – Another Year on the Sidelines

While NCAA Football 11 looks to be an improved gaming experience, as I mentioned a few weeks back, I am once again skipping out on NCAA Football. I am sure it is a fine game, and the metacritic scores reflect this (17 critic scores average to 85%), based on deeper analysis** I think the franchises needs another year to properly bake.

It sounds like the gameplay is solid; much improved over recent years. The glaring problem looks to be that the Dynasty Mode is full of cracks, and the deep Dynasty experience from the PSOne glory days is the reason I fell in love with NCAA Football in the first place!

Another reality is that I just do not have enough time to really dive into two football games. I guess if Madden 11 stinks, I could swap it out for NCAA Football 11; I need at least one football game to make it through football season!

Best NCAA Football 11 Review Honors …
As always, William Abner (GameShark) does a great job of taking a sports game and breaking it down into a nice enjoyable summary of the “important stuff” that majority of gamers can use to determine if a sports game should be on their purchase, rent, or skip list.

Reviewing Sports Games is a Rat Hole
Speaking of Mr. Abner, his colleague Todd Brakke over at The Nut and the Feisty Weasel, hit the nail on the head with his recent comments about the difficulty with reviewing sports games.

In other words, you have to spend time researching instead of just playing and I think that’s where a lot of reviewers, and the editors who assign them, fail when it comes to handling sports games. It’s not fun work to review these games and the time investment to do it is probably not worth what a reviewer is getting paid to do it, if they’re getting paid at all. And even for the guys (or gals) who do a credible job of attempting to thoroughly play and test a sports game, you are sure to miss something big that someone buying and playing the game for fun will catch inside of a week. There’s just too much stuff.

The business of sports game reviewing is really a thankless task. I’m glad I finally gave up the ghost and just turned to gaming first, and writing as a secondary way to enjoy gaming.

** Deeper Analysis is JC speak for a few trusted reviewers and op-eds, and blogs that are generally in line with my gaming expectations.

What’s not in a game? F1 2010

I thought this PlayStation Future preview of F1 2010 was entertaining. Nothing really new or remarkable was presented, however it got me to thinking that when the game is released, the boards will light up because of what is not in the game.

Now, before I go on any further, it’s worth mentioning some things that may not please some people, but you must remember this is Codemasters’ first Formula 1 game and these features can be expected in future F1 titles by the studio. There is no Safety Car, no formation and cool-down lap, and no mechanical failures, although AI can suffer it. The race will never be red flagged (in other words: stopped) although all the other flags are present in the game and have the according meaning.

But to be honest, with what F1 2010 is offering, who cares? There’s so much here you can’t cope!

I agree; there is always F1 2010 Championship Edition, F1 2011 Winter Testing, F1 2011 Rise and Fall of a Champion: Will Schume win again?, and of course the actual F1 2011 Formation Lap Edition. Expect Codemasters to capitalize on their license, recoup their investment in F1 2010, and of course improve the game.

Of course I am getting in front of myself, but this sort of reminded me of the “good old days” which were probably not as great as I remember. Oh well, I still cannot wait for late September when F1 2010 arrives, even if the Safety Car is missing!

Trophy Whores

Over the weekend PlayStation LifeStyle posted a couple of good articles on PS3 Trophies – the easiest and the hardest platinum Trophies. Entertaining reading.

These days I am not sure if I just suck at games, do not have enough time to play, do not have enough variety of games, or some other factor that prevents me from being a true Trophy whore. Nevertheless, my PS3 Level is low (I think at 3 as of this writing) and I do not believe I actually own any gold Trophies. I play games I enjoy, and if I get a Trophy or two along the way, so much the better. I will admit that I am 47% or so of the way complete with Super StarDust HD, and I am actually trying to get all the Trophies; some of the last ones are just brutal!

I doubt I will be picking up the Hannah Montana: The Movie anytime soon just to get my first platinum Trophy. Then again, I did actually review the PSOne classic Spice Girls game. I am making up the “classic” part, not the actual review part!