Windows 8 and the new PS3

Windows 8

Well when I first started seeing screens and news of the new windows 8 I can honestly say I was less than thrilled. Good windows builds tend to skip generations, this one is looking to continue the trend.

I do not have a computer that I am willing to mess up then rebuild with a good OS so I have not spent any time with this versions beta. But honestly my reason for not liking the system actually has little to do with the OS itself as much as it has to do with what Microsoft is pushing along with the system.

This will be MSs flag ship for their new "App Store" which will be a closed platform exactly like Apples app store. What this means is that any application looking to get support on the new OS will have to get approval from MS to launch through the store or build for the OS as a whole. Meaning there will be far fewer reasons to run a windows system in the coming future. Having a closed system is not only a tool to cut out or leech off the competition but also a way to entirely squash the little guys.

I think this move will further push Googles power in the OS scene. They already have enormous power in the mobile arena, it is only a matter of time before their "Chrome Books" catch on.
Personally I hope this push for a closed platform flops entirely.

New PS3 Slim

PS3 Mini perhaps?? Either way I am pretty excited about it! It means PS3 is finally pushing towards more and more out of the box space! There will be two versions at launch, 250gb and 500gb. 

Though this is a move in the right direction, Sony still hasn't learned the lessons that Microsoft and Nintendo have as far as sales and getting market share.

Sony for years has been a leader in all things technology, they still haven't got software figured out yet I think. 

It is the games that sell the systems, they need to focus on their core franchises, they have only just started doing just that with bundles. Uncharted and God of War are reasons to own a PS3. Those should have been selling points and launch titles, not the albeit impressive list of capabilities that the PS3 had at launch.

They also need to do more special editions linked to their key franchises and bring more of them outside of Japan. They had GoW and MGS versions of the PSP 1k 2k and 3k, why not PS3??? I know I would shell out my gas money for the month for a GoW trimmed PS3!! Microsoft has this sales trick down to a science. I can't even count how many times friends have gone out and bought a new 360 simply because it had Halo plastered all over it and a few extra bells than the standard version. That is the reason why the 360 has a huge sales lead on the PS3, not to mention that few of them fail so there is much less need to go buy a new one.

Lets hope with that with the new generation of consoles on the horizon that Sony will not only have learned their lesson on software over hardware, but will be willing to spend a little money on fan service. I wouldn't mind having a few extra PS3s or PS4s around the house if they were a limited edition type build.

Demon's Souls Review

   Demon's Souls is a very challenging, yet rewarding game. Before you master the first level, you will already have around 30 deaths on your save. If you do not cheat, by the end of the game your death count will surely be around 500.

   I really like RPG's, because of the amazing story. For some reason, this game did not satisfy my needs when it comes to story. I didnt get it at all, it was either too complicated, or too simple, forcing me to think about it. Obviously the more I think about it, the more my brain makes it complicated so it goes above human understanding. You are simply thrown right into action as the game starts, since you are in something that seems to be a castle dungeon, and you get attacked by a boss right away. Obviously, you die and are taken to a place called the Nexus where all of the NPC's are waiting just to rip you off. Right after the tutorial (yes, being killed by a boss is part of the tutorial) you go to the first of the five worlds, to regain your body by killing a demon. Getting to the demon, though, is no easy task! You must first prove your worth by opening the demon's gate, which is opened by penetrating two towers and cutting the chains. I assure you, you will get around 20 deaths opening the gate in the first level. Once you defeat the first demon, you will be taken back to the Nexus, where the black maiden tells you to see the monumental, who you would expect to be a huge statue, but no its a little girl sitting with other dead "monumentals". The monumental tells you the story and why you must defeat all the demon's, and then the story simply stops being told after that point. Now you have access to all five worlds to complete at your will. But this game is not for the weak, I rage quit in the second stage of the first world after getting 50 deaths and wasting 7 hours at a single checkpoint. I did go back to the game eventually though, and finished it.

   The gameplay of the game is where it's at, the gameplay is simply awesome. Demon's Souls is an action RPG game, with very unique online. Let me take a moment to explain the online. This game's online does not have lobbies, or even voice chat. if you are connected to the internet, you are forced to play the game online, you cant say no. Players help eachother out by placing signs on the ground, either telling you something is a trap, warning you about a boss and telling you his weakness, or even simply trolling you by telling you there is a hidden path but in reality you are simply going to fall. Players can also place a sign to be summoned, and help other players with the game. If you successfully help someone, you get to keep all the souls (currency) and are reverted back to human form. Being in human form grants you more health, and you are able to summon others to help you. That is not always a good thing though, since you can be attacked by black phantoms, who are bloodthirsty players just waiting to rob you of your precious souls and humanity.

   Souls are the game's everything. They are both money, and XP. You can either chose to buy nice armor and a good sword, or level yourself up, tough choice. Oh, did I mention every time you die, you lose all your souls? yeah, that happens. It feels awful when you are carrying 100,000 hard earned souls and out of nowhere you die and cant get back to your body to reclaim them.

   Personally, I would only recommend this game to the HARDCORE PS3 gamers, those who are willing to go through a lot of mental suffering and broken controllers just to get the awesome feeling of satisfaction when you defeat a boss for the first time. It is a great game, but half of the people that play it will rage quit on the second level like I did. Don't get me wrong, I did eventually go back to the game two years after my rage quit and finished it, and it was really rewarding. I wish I could go back in time and experience Demon's Souls again for the first time. There is still Dark Souls, but that game is not as good as Demon's Souls, and it is a LOT harder! I've been stuck on the same level for 2 months now... I think im just gonna rage quit that and go back to playing Demon's Souls

Rating: 8/10

Budget Co-op Fun!

Multiplayer gaming is all the rage these days! I remember when split screen was the only way it was possible. Now split screen is a rarity, but online co-op is still around. There are still a few gems out there, if you are willing to look past the less than blockbuster development budget. This time I will be focusing on disc based PS3 games. I will add videos for these games as soon as I can so be sure to check here for updates or keep an eye on the youtube channel!

So without further ado! Great bargain bin co-op action!

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2

Personally I have never played any other Dynasty Warrior games, but I have been told they all play fairly similar. It is pure mindless hack and slash action game. The game play is pretty basic but, there are combos for each Gundam that can be learned to maximize you kill count. There are several reasons I picked this game up, for one it was cheap. Also I always like games with big robots, even though I never really knew but about the Gundam universe. The amount of bots/mechs/gundams you can choose from to fight with is enormous.

The game supports split screen co-op and online PvP. Although most of the missions in the game can be played split screen, there are a few that can only be played solo. The online PvP supports up to 4 players in free for all shootout. Playing split screen farming for better parts for your favorite gundam is where the bread and butter of this game becomes addictive. The PvP is fun for a while but overall it is pretty dry.

Co-op Fun Score 8.5/10

Army of TWO: 40^th Day

This game got a lot of bad press due it its semi homoerotic nature. There does seem to be an excessive amount butt slapping and high fiving. Lame 90s “bro” one liners aside though, the game play is fun as long as you bring along a friend. It is your typical cover based 3^rd person shooter. Local split screen as well as online split screen is supported. Standard online multiplayer options are also present. There is a decent amount of customization for weapons and your face mask armor.

The enemy AI is pretty standard across all difficulties, only thing that really changes is damage taken and given. Personally for pure enjoyment normal difficulty is the best choice. Having a human partner not only makes the game much more enjoyable but it can significantly up your chances of survival in this game as an AI partner is next to useless.

Co-op Fun Score 7/10

Disney Universe

Great game to play with the family as supports 4 player co-op local. The screen can get pretty hectic though. It’s basically a Disney themed “beat um up” adventure game. The puzzles are light and if you have kids playing, or people who never play games; you can turn on the in game hints. Though calling them hints is an understatement as the game tells you exactly what you need to do every step of the way. Even though the game over all has an extremely low difficulty there’s enough cuteness and fun here for everyone. Each world has items you must collect to unlock other worlds or costumes.  Each world and of course costume is a Disney theme of some kind. The costumes each have a unique weapon that can be leveled up which in turn dishes out more damage and changes the weapon entirely.  The DLC support for the game is also surprisingly strong. Shortly after launch several costumes were available for download for free.

Co-op Fun Score 9/10

Fear 3

Great game great story line! Though not exactly fear inducing like the last 2 titles in the series, it is still a very twisted for mature gamers only story. That being said, the co-op play for this game is fantastic! Sadly there is no split screen, but the community is still thriving for this game so no worries really. This co-op however works a little different than most games. Instead of each player choosing the character that they want to play the host of the session always plays “Front Man”, the main protagonist for the story. Whoever joins their session becomes Fetel, the psychic younger brother of front man. The cool thing is that you don’t have to start a session and sit there waiting for someone to join before playing. Drop-in drop-out is supported regardless of what point in the story either player is at normally. Plenty of replayability thanks to the rank system which gives each of your characters new skills and strengths.

Co-op Fun Score 9/10

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel

This game is basically Diablo for consoles! Top down view HacknSlash dungeon crawling loot fest! For me personally I think the best part is that you can host a game and let people drop in and out of the game world you have been playing in, but not have to stay within a certain distance of each other.  Up to 4 people can play together online like I just described or you can play local one screen with one other person and 2 can join online. There are tons of hidden quests, easter eggs and, dungeons to be found. The max level you can reach is 250 and there are 4 classes to choose from. All of that together makes a great game to play with friends for hours and hours!!

Co-op Fun Score 10/10