Top Video Game Reviews

Andrew Lawrence asked:


6 months late and only 400,000 systems for the nationwide launch, yep, sounds like another games console launch…

On November 17th Northern America saw the long awaited launch of the Sony PlayStation 3, but how many people got what they wanted?

Well, as expected the number of units available was very low and as usual there were quite a few people ready to pay big money to be the first to own a PS3.

The 60GB PS3 has a retail price of $600 and so far eBay has seen a steady flow of units selling for between $1,500 and $4,000 !!

Many people camped out over night on the cold streets for a chance of getting their hands on the highly prized console, some waiting three days to ensure a good place in the queue. Outside one Circuit City store 50 plus people patiently waiting but only 10 PS3 consoles were available for sale… A large bold sign reminding queuing hopefuls of this limited number seemed to make no difference, some waiting in line just for the chance that someones credit card might be declined or maybe an unexpected stock delivery? It’s great to see the never say never attitude alive and well in the streets of the USA!

These die hard PS3 fans are a special breed, keeping one-another encouraged and talking amongst themselves about the impending games releases and online capabilities, you can really feel the excitement in the air.

For others though, the cold long wait was just about the money, they weren’t afraid to admit that they intended to sell the console on for a profit, As with the games console releases in the past demand far outweighs supply and there are plenty of gamers prepared to pay top Dollar for a early chance to play. One queue waiter commented “I’d rather take the $2000 profit and wait another three months!”

So that’s the folks in the US underway, Japan had their PS3’s first on November 11th, but what of the European gamers? Well Sony have put off the Europe wide launch until March 2007 because of reported production problems with the graphics chips, and the difficult to manufacture Sony Cell processor, But will they meet the march deadline? They can’t say! Sony are currently refusing to guarantee a Spring European launch at all, so it could be an even longer wait for Europe. Let’s wait and see…



Nathan

The PlayStation 3 Saga: Information you Should be Aware Of

How do you define entertainment in the 21st century?

Gone are the days when operas, theatrical plays, and circus events were the most popular forms of entertainment. With the evolution and rapid development of technology nowadays, entertainment is now on its interactive form.

Kids and adults alike find themselves enjoying the benefits of technology, especially on the entertainment industry. Animated and digital films as well as high-technology gadgets replaced traditional forms of entertainment. The impact of technology to the entertainment industry is evident such that it produced one of the most popular machinery of all time, especially to the younger generations of our society?the video game console.

Almost every ordinary American household owns at least a video game console. Since the Magnavox Odyssey era, video game consoles proved its worth to be one of the most popular forms of entertainment, especially to the younger generations of our society. The interesting storyline behind every game as well as the animation features are regarded to be one of the contributing factors to the success of video game consoles in the entertainment industry.

Thus, it is not surprising that video game consoles reached its seventh generation, which began in the last quarter of 2005 with the release of Microsoft Corporation’s Xbox 360. Thanks to the Big 3 of video gaming industry (Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo), video game consoles are evolving fast, resulting to the production of advanced and more powerful video game consoles.

Among the members of the seventh generation of video game consoles is Sony’s PlayStation 3, which is scheduled to be released on different dates in major countries around the world. Its initial release was announced to be on November 11, 2006 in Japan, November 17 of the same year in Canada and United States, and March 2007 in Australasia and Europe.

The third member of Sony’s PlayStation series, PS3 was officially unveiled to the public during the E3 Conference on May 16, 2005. The release will involve the shipment of two configurations, as detailed in the Sony press release. The premium version of the PS3 contains an internal 60 GB hard drive, multiple flash memory card reader, wireless internet connectivity, and a brighter cosmetic silver-colored trim. On the other hand, the alternative configuration of the console comes with an internal 20 GB hard drive (which is upgradeable), yet without wireless internet connectivity as well as a memory card reader.

According to the information announced on the PS3 press release, the video game console will have a series of title launches for its game, which are as follows:

- Madden NFL 2007;

- Full Auto 2: Battle Lines;

- Genji: Days of the Blade;

- College Hoops 2007;

- Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire;

- Need for Speed: Carbon;

- Ridge Racer 7;

- Sonic the Hedgehog;

- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007; and

- Tony Hawk’s Project 8.

There are also title launches for other genres of PS3 games, such as for role playing (Final Fantasy XIII), action (Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots), racing (Gran Turismo HD), and fighting (Virtua Fighter 5). All of these games are scheduled to be released within the last quarter of 2006 and the first half of 2007.

If you are interested to know more facts about the PlayStation 3, related information is readily available in Sony’s official website as well as video game console reviews. Read such information about this latest offering from Sony and be one of the interactive entertainment aficionados.



By: Rio Morales Morales

About the Author:

Mark

The Darkness is a PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 exclusive first person shooter video game that fell under radar. It was one of those game that was completely lost due to all the BioShock madness and based on the comic book the Top Cow. Ironically enough, 2K games (the same game company responsible for The Darkness) made both The Chronicles of Riddick and BioShock. The storyline of The Darkness transpires in New York, and it is about a youthful 21 year old Mafia gang member named Jackie Estacado. He ascertains that his own Mafia (led by Uncle Paulie) is attempting to murder him; moreover, Uncle Paulie sends out a hit on Jackie and his girlfriend Jenny because Uncle Paulie believes that Jackie has stabbed him in the back. Jackie evades death and begins his journey for vengeance. Deceitful plot twists will no doubt keep players interested in the storyline from start to finish. The gameplay in the Darkness is a first person shooter with a twist. The twist being that the protagonist is possessed with this malicious voice named The Darkness. It is not merely a voice; furthermore, The Darkness is capable of controlling over Jackie’s body. These demonic capabilities will give him the chance to accomplish extraordinary feats that a mundane human could not perform. Gamers will see two demonic figures coming from each shoulder as they play. They look like menacing creatures that make eradicating humans straightforward. One of a bevy of things that players can do is set one of your two dragon-like creatures on the ground and see it annihilate a foe. You can also utilize the Darkness to stab straight through an enemy. This will result in you ripping the heart straight out of one of your countless foes; consequently, your darkness creature will ultimately eat the heart. The most powerful Darkness attack is the ability to open up a black hole. This black hole eradicates all opponents on screen at once (ala Tequila Bomb from Stranglehold). The Darkness can also act as a shield and provide you with better vision in the dark. Speaking of the dark, staying in the dark would be wise. When you use a darkness power, you exhaust darkness energy at an alarming rate. An intriguing gameplay mechanic is that being in the dark will enhance your attributes and regenerate your health. This is pivotal because shooting out the lights will always put Jackie in an advantageous position. Fortunately, all of the Darkness maneuvers are mapped to the directional pad. The uncanny powers are brilliant, but there are a usual selection of weapons ranging from handguns to machine guns as well. It is nothing too spectacular.

The game is not arduous at all. Every foe you will encounter can be easily killed with a headshot. You can literally cruise through the entire game without even touching any machine guns or shotguns. To make matters worse, the artificial intelligence is not necessarily cream of the crop. The enemies make a dreadful attempt to elude incoming fire. Even the civilians do not realistically react accordingly when you approach them. There are a few side missions sprinkled in here and there, but they are more of an afterthought than anything else. A map is given to you, so you will always know where to go. Any video game with a map will appease those (like me) with no sense of direction. The multiplayer is present but is not as engrossing as the single player campaign. Graphically, The Darkness is remarkable. I really felt like I was in New York when as I was playing the game. The little things like graffiti and street lights give The Big Apple an authentic feel. Unfortunately, you cannot really explore every part of New York. You are coerced into following a linear pathway during the game. What really sells The Darkness is the presentation entailing the music and the voice acting. Although the animations are not as phenomenal as Heavenly Sword, I enjoyed watching the dialogue between characters. The game has a nice and steady frame rate throughout the duration of the game without any flaws. Ten hours of gameplay will be the amount of time on The Darkness; it is not bad but not fantastic. Overall, The Darkness is a unique game as soon as the opening scenes begins. It is no where near on the same level as The Chronicle of Riddick or BioShock, but avid fans of the first person shooter genre will enjoy eating hearts in no time.

http://wwwfunnyman.blogspot.com/



By: sayed islam

About the Author:

Reginald

Zarqoo Zaimoo asked:


One of the greatest things about today’s technology is that everything you thought was expensive and only limited to stores and malls can now be acquired by just signing up under a website. You can download music, movies, e-books, and all kinds of media by just paying a one-time membership fee in any legitimate downloading site on the Internet. One of the most popular goodies to download is the PS3 game, and luckily for most ******** PS3 gamers they can get unlimited number of games off a single PS3 Download site. They don’t have to spend so much money on 2 to 3 games anymore since all they have to do is download directly from the site’s main database. It’s a gamer’s paradise.

Of course, there are a lot of things to consider when downloading games, music, movies, or anything off a website. You have to remember that the web isn’t safe from viruses, malware, spyware, or scammers from all corners so caution should still be maintained when looking for PS3 Download websites to download games for your console. This article will be giving all the necessary details and tips on how to spot a good website and what to look for when deciding on becoming a member.

Points to Look For in a PS3 Download site:

>> Any concrete proof such as customer testimonials or ratings from other professional websites that shows how trustworthy, reliable, and positive a particular downloading service is. For PS3 gamers, look for PS3 websites that have authentic customer testimonials by other PS3 players as well. Testimonials can either be verbal or visual; the important part of these testimonials is the content.

>> Satisfaction guarantees that will assure you that whenever something goes wrong, and you are no longer satisfied with the service, you can get your money back 100%. This is important so if the website doesn’t have any kind of guarantee, don’t subscribe to it.

>> The PS3 Download site must have all the necessary tools to make downloading safe and secure. It should have a malware and spyware protection system, a 24/7 technical support and customer service, and of course tools that will enable you to burn your games to a CD/DVD. You’ll normally find a list of these when you are about to subscribe to the website.

>> Lastly, the World Wide Web has forums and review sites where professionals, experts, and even normal customers write reviews about websites, products, and services online. Reading reviews on PS3 downloading websites will surely help you pick out the best online service to download your PS3 games, so whenever you have the time take a look at some of these written reviews.

Safety, reliability, and trust are very important when it comes to downloading online, so these tips should help you find the perfect downloading hub for your PS3 console. Websites that especially have updated databases such as the latest PS3 games, movies, and music are great places to download without having to spend so much.



Ross

 

Gamer testing ground is a website which provides useful information for people who are interested in becoming a video game tester. The website is run by a successful gamer who is currently working for well-known gaming companies. It is possible to get a beta testing job successfully even you had elementary education and with no programming and game developing skills. But it is not easy that a company will hire you even you have a good profile. It does entirely depend on your resume. Gamer Testing Ground will provide applicants with a guide on writing resume that most gaming companies are looking for when hiring candidates.

 

Gamer testing ground is neither a game company nor employment agency. It is a membership site which allows people who is interested in gaming career to join. The website has a list of 50 gaming companies with posted job, the list is update regularly. Selling video game is a big business. Those gaming companies are earning 50 billion dollars in revenue each year so as you can see many games are being release every month. To assure of their product quality, many companies are employing beta game testers to work for them. Gaming companies are lacking tester so they look for candidate outside the company to fill the position. So you would not have to worry there is no vacancy available.

 

Beside the list of game companies, the website also guides their members through the application process. Writing a good resume is the most important factor in getting the job. It is not like a normal job which most managers would look at your education, job experience background and skills in order to make a decision in hiring you. Game company would look at the reason and interest you have for video games. So you should not write your profile like you want to apply for an office job. It is not difficult to do that if you know the correct way to compose it. Gamer Testing Ground membership site include testimonials from people who are being employed by gaming companies successfully and they will share their experiences and techniques in applying for the game testing position with you.

 

The membership site is not free, it charges a small amount of fee in order for you to use their resources and tools. Whether you will get the job or not is entirely depending on yourself. The site does not guarantee that people who join their membership will be employed by a game company. If you follow exactly through their guide you will have a higher chance of being hired.

 

Let me show you how to successfully become a game tester.

 



By: Jonathan Valentine

About the Author:

Wilbert

Another video game adaptation from the infamous director Uwe Boll who has in the past made less than stellar films with House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark. You’d think that a script by acclaimed screenwriter Guinevere (American Psycho) Turner would mean good things but even her “genius” can’t overcome the trappings of a stale video game source material and a B-movie, low budget aesthetic.

BloodRayne follows Rayne (Kristanna Loken), a Dhampir or half-human half-vampire hybrid, which after breaking free of her chains at a carnival freak show goes on a quest in search of her father Kagan (Ben Kingsley). She is a person haunted by memories of the past that longs for closure of which only confronting her father will do. On this journey Rayne will eradicate all other vampires that get in her way. Eventually, her reign of terror arises the attention of Vladimir (Michael Madsen) and his vampire hunters (Matthew Davis & Michelle Rodriguez) who decide to join her on her journey after they realize that she is not a threat to them. Now as a team they set out to rid the world of Kagan’s evil once and for all.

That’s generally what the film is about but there are also many sub plots involving treason, destiny, prophesy, and various other plot threads that weave in and out of the story some successfully and others not so much.

Although I’ve not read the original Turner screenplay its obvious that this film is nothing more than an entertainment exorcise by Boll who wants nothing more than to allow audiences to go from one action sequence to the next. I do have to admit that unlike his previous two films BloodRayne has a stronger cast with lead Loken who holds together even the most mundane of elements in the film. Another strong indication that Boll is becoming a better director is the production design and sheer scope of the film itself which is magnified ten-fold from his previous films. BloodRayne may not be Resident Evil but it’s no House of the Dead either.



By: Kevin L. Powers

About the Author:

Johnson

Patrick Omari asked:


Nintendo have managed to target a wider demographic with the Wii console compared with its main rivals, the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and the Xbox 360. Nintendo has sold more than 10 million Wii Consoles and 70 million DS handheld machines worldwide. “We’re not thinking about fighting Sony, but about how many people we can get to play games. The thing we’re thinking about most is not portable systems, consoles, and so forth, but that we want to get new people playing games” boasts the Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata.

Wii sports was bundled with the console on its release. It has managed to showcase the Wii’s capabilities of bringing a ‘gaming experience’ to the masses. The game is a collection of five sports simulations, designed to demonstrate the motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote to new players. The five sports included are tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing. Players use the Wii Remote to mimic actions performed in real life sports, such as swinging a tennis racket. The game also features training and fitness modes that monitor player progress in the sports.

The next major step was the introduction of Wii fit, which is an exercise game consisting of activities utilizing the Wii Balance Board peripheral. The balance board measures a user’s weight and centre of gravity. The software can then calculate the user’s body mass index when told of his or her height. The game has roughly 40 different activities, including yoga poses, push ups, and other exercises. The game tracks a user’s “Wii Fitness Age” through a body test basing the result on the user’s current age, weight, and balance.

Wii Music, Nintendo’s latest in its Wii series, aims to help young and old gamers get involved and enjoy music. Apparently, the game shouldn’t be compared with other music titles, which are focused more on competitive play and challenges. Wii Music is more about jamming and creating new music that fun to play, whilst creating a new experience, a new way for consumers to be engaged, enriched and excited. The company have recently released the latest innovative addition to it’s Wii console- a highly-sensitive motion controller, which the developers state will add more realism and depth to games.

In comparison, Sony stumbled when it launched the expensive PS3 console a year and a half ago and trailed its competitors for months. That’s in complete contrast to its position as the clear market leader with the older PlayStation 2 console. Sony has warned PS3 owners it could take several years until they get the best out of their machine. Jack Tretton, the boss of PlayStation America, claimed gamers would eventually see the PS3 pulling away from its rivals as studios found ways of harnessing the full power of its cell processor.

One service that has received plenty of press is PlayStation Home, a free to download virtual world for the PS3. Users will be able to login, chat with both text and speech and play casual games together such as pool, bowling and even embedded arcade machines. And when these original features lose their appeal, users can invite one another into other PlayStation Network titles outside of PlayStation’s virtual worlsd.

Every user will be able to create a personal avatar and will have their own virtual apartment to decorate with furniture, their trophies from various games and content from their own PS3s. Not content at just images, users will also be allowed to share both music and videos with friends inside their private homes.

Sony is making concerted efforts to regain its footing. Earlier this week, it shaved $100 off the price of the PS3 in the United States. Sony said the 80-gigabyte version of the PS3 will retail at $400, down from $500, while discontinuing the 40-GB version of the console. Microsoft also dropped $50 off the price of the Xbox 360 and said the basic 20-GB model of the console will retail at $299.

Microsoft has also made an attempt to reinvent the Xbox 360’s look by making existing features easier to find and use, removing clutter from the marketplace. Microsoft also aim to vastly improve the social experience offered by Xbox Live- the service allows players to compete online and download content such as arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, and movies.

Microsoft have recently announced that content from Netflix will be viewable via Xbox Live for Xbox Live Gold members. The deal allows users who subscribe to Netflix to watch movies and TV shows saved in their Netflix Instant Queue on their Xbox 360. Netflix currently offers more than 10,000 movies and TV shows available for instant viewing. Video playback will stream at near DVD quality, and users will also be able to rate movies they’ve watched via Xbox Live.

Content from companies such as NBC Universal, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, SCI FI Channel, USA Network, Constantin, and MGM will also populate the video marketplace. Videos will be available for purchase in either standard definition or high definition.

Microsoft have already added a community channel to make socialising easier. The new channel lets you quickly find your friends, see what they’re doing, and then make it easy to join in on the action. LiveParty allows up to eight users to band together with shared voice and text chat. Everyone in the group shares the same communication channels while playing games, watching movies, or participating in other events.

Microsoft also decided to get into the personalisation fray with user avatars. Much like how you can create Miis on the Nintendo Wii and user avatars in Sony’s Playstation Home, Xbox 360 users will be able to create virtual representations of themselves in Xbox Live. In addition to simply looking pretty and providing an avenue for user expression, avatars will also be usable in upcoming games.

Microsoft and Sony are attempting to make up lost ground that Nintendo have seized. The PS3 and Xbox were struggling to compete with the Wii’s mass market appeal, as they have tended to focus on graphics and gameplay compared with Nintendo’s innovative approach to focusing on the whole gaming experience. The Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, sums up the Wii philosophy, stating “I believe we must find more ways for players to feel engaged, different ways for them to be enriched. The overall experience from our products must be increased enthusiasm.”



Royal

The third-generation consoles manufactured by Sony and Microsoft have actually become a rage for professional gamers and competitors around the world, although the sale of Nintendo Wii is higher than Xbox and PlayStation, passionate gamers tend to choose these more than Nintendo, this being the fact game development companies are usually contracted with both Microsoft and Sony in order to develop more video games and release every month, the game development companies make sure that they deliver a bug free and high-quality video games, this is where the game testers kick in.

Gamer Testing Ground is a website service that offers membership programs to gamers who are interested in testing jobs. The membership programs include high-quality information and tools that educate and guide members to become successful game testers. The most important thing to note here is that the Gamer Testing Ground website does not assure off and employment from gaming company rather it provides your program to which you have a better chance to get employed. The program in fact includes more than 50 companies which have open vacancies; with Microsoft as their client you can be sure to become one of the best game testers, if you have the talent in you. Can you really get a video game testing job with gamer testing ground? Yes you can.

In case you are an Xbox 360 and PC gaming fan, can you really get a video game testing job with gamer testing ground?, you probably know that there are thousands of game titles are available on both these platforms owned by Microsoft; to increase their profit margins each year Microsoft spends millions of dollars to make sure that there are quality games that are available for both these platforms. The Gamer Testing Ground is the right place for you to start with if you are looking for a game testing job which involves Microsoft platform games, Gamer Testing Ground provides you a perpetual platform through which you can showcase your talent as a game tester and go on to make this your career.

Let me show you how to successfully become a game tester.



By: Jonathan Valentine

About the Author:

Virgilio

Nintendo Wii games are different from other computer games. Instead of just moving the fingers it encourages children to physically play action games. Nintendo Wii games are getting bigger and better. These Games are inherently played without clutter or restraint through its wireless remote. It could be a tennis racquet, steering wheel, gun or bowling ball depending on what game is on.

Nintendo Wii games are the ultimate means to achieve the latest entertainment and physical exercise in one shot. These games are played with the conviction that they would provide the best entertainment to users. They are fun to play thanks to its innovative controllers. These games are controlled by body movements and are highly interactive and a whole lot of fun to play. They are available at an affordable price in the market. You could get Nintendo Wii games either from shop or downloading the software. The latter being the cheapest.

Nintendo Wii games are designed to get you out of your seat and exercise your body. The various Wii controllers and accessories are designed to allow the players to move around and get into the action. Nintendo Wii games are very popular as they have set down new concept in gaming. The games rated for teenage group include intense challenges and stronger action compared to that of kids which has less complicated plots.

Downloading Wii games is a pretty recent development. Most Wii owners have no idea how simple it can be to download games for a Wii system. Downloading Wii games is a pretty new trend. Based on a poll of our readers, we’ve learned that most Wii owners are clueless about how easy it is to find Wii games on the internet.

Online gaming has exploded from being an entertainment bonanza to a social lifestyle. Currently with the expanding popularity, they have turned into massive advertising models and virtual worlds where the possibilities of greater profits are within the scope of the game. Online reports indicate that seniors with an average age of 75 are hooked on to Wii games like sports especially bowling, tennis, baseball and so on. Wii has brought sports that were out of bounds for fear of injury back into the lives of senior citizens. Online video games may be even more popular. Friends from all over the globe can compete against each other.



By: Sudath Priyantha

About the Author:

Mariano

Mark Hirst asked:


Due the stiff competition from other mobile phones there is a need to have a good marketing plan that will make phones stand out from the rest.  One way of enticing customers is by attracting them with promotional ads like “if you make a mobile phone plan now we will give away free PS3”.  This is a good way to attract customers to buy your product.  Giving away free stuff would not only attract possible customers but will also retain your loyal clients and the possibility of them changing from other Mobile phones would be a rare possibility. 

                The phones must have good features so that the clients who avail of the product would really stay with their contract with mobile phone companies.  This is a big gamble; giving away free PS3 by just subscribing is a big deal.  It costs several hundred dollars.  There must be a rationale why most companies.  The PS3 costs more than your mobile phone.  Think about it.  You can have a PS by subscribing from any mobile phones that gives this free stuff.  The good news is that many known mobile companies offer this kind of deal. 

                I suggest that you would not miss this opportunity while the offer is up for grabs.  You do not have to settle for just a single company.  You can choose from any mobile phone service that gives away this kind PS3.  Chances are there many known companies that offer this kind of package when you avail of their services.  Phone companies that offer Playstation have experienced increased sales due to this offer. 



Ervin