• 11Dec 07

  Well isn't that neat.

  So I decided I'd try to write up blogs a bit more often. It's come to my realization that I rather enjoy writing. Oddly enough, it's pretty fun to dwell into the mind to conjure up a neat passage of words that construes into a sentence.

  In any case, I was rather hoping to pump out a nice blog once a week, but my constant overload of work with the addition of that conrner street slut, procrastination, I never seem to find time. Well, lo and behold, I found time... at 3 in the morning.

  I really need to get to bed earlier than this, at least not 4 hours before I need to wake up. I've had even later nights, but my usual is a good 3am bedtime.

  Understandibly, this blog has to be cut short, due to the fact that I can't even think while I'm typing. I'm really hoping that my usual readers will increase from a mere 3 or 4 (whom I love) to a bit greater demographic. Merely for improving purposes; so as I write more, I get more feedback, and therefore I have greater incentive to keep up with these silly bits of text.

  Well, good night... or good morning.

  • Posted Dec 11, 2007 2:58 am PT
  • Category:
  • 3 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg
• 23Nov 07

  What is up with Gamespot!?

  Do they have a personal vendetta against Sony and the Playstation 3? Must they put down every single attemt game developers take at making a masterful exclusive? In all honesty, I'm sick of repeating myself. I'm sick of saying "I can't take Gamespot's reviews seriously," because in reality, who could? Well, I'm sure there are people on one side of the spectrum (mostly Microsoft worshipers, such as, but not limited in any way to, the majority of the Gamespot staff), that could easily agree with every single review Gamespot spews out for system exclusives. But there are game enthusiasts with a bigger brain, with a bigger view on the world of gaming, who can and will grasp any new innovation or previously recycled material that has has been greatly improved.

  Case in point; Gamespot. It seems to me that the majority of the reviewing staff more or less enjoys nothing more than hum drum activities rather than a presentation of many different and unique features. It greatly saddens for me to dwell into a subject like this, as I usually stray away from any topic that has to do with a battle of the consoles, which in this case it is. Sadly though, it is unavoidable and I cannot keep it shut anymore.

  I will bring to example a couple reviews from both the Xbox360 and the PS3 (I will not, on the other hand, have any focus on the Wii, as it is in it's on little state of nirvana that has nothing and hopefully never will have anything to do with this degrading subject).

  In depth is not the point I'm trying to bring across here, nor do I believe any of my astute readers (what is it? 2 or 3? :p) will be interested in wasting their time on reading a critique of an overdone review.

  The Xbox360:

  Gears of War: 9.6

  Halo 3: 9.5

  The PS3:

  Ratchet and Clank Future: 7.5

  Uncharted: Drake's Fortune: 8.0

  Does anyone else find anything peculiar about those scores? Because I do. I'd like to think that these are the leading titles that define their respective consoles. Now how, one may ask, how can the PS3 come out as a respectable system to someone who has little time and only checks a selective site, such as GS, for reviews. The PS3 doesn't even have one AAA title rated by GS, whereas the 360 already has quite a handful.

  Let me break down the games. Gears of War: highly repetetive shooter with great graphics. All it is is duck and cover spanned across the entire game with an incredibly bland story line. Halo 3: Same old shooter that was released 5 years ago with a little bit of new features thrown in. I will agree with the fact that when it first came out, I was sucked into the void of the hype. I was hooked on the game for two weeks after release and thought there was nothing better out there. After the fun dried up, and believe me, it was a quick dry, I realised just how easy I fell into the overhype of the game and how there was basically nothing special about it. The shooting aspect of the game is the same, but that's alright, why break something that works? It's just the fact that GS bought into the hype as well. Rating a mediocre game with such a high honor. Really, what was special about the game? Some new features brought into multiplayer?

  So, as I go close and closer to basing my conclusion of GS's recent propaganda, I began to realize they are more or less afraid of change. Now, I'm deriving this statement only from a select few reviews, but it's enough for me. The new Ratchet and Clank, Tools of Destruction, brings a whole meal to the table, and then some. The developers tried their best to feed you as much content as possible. It's safe to say that they wanted to make an order menu available to anyone from the most casual gamer to the hardcore veterans of the series. It's a game designed specifically for a console, overly ambitious; and for a good cause. It's brining back the very same feel of console games that you were sold for back when you were a kid. Offering you everything. But lo and behold, Gamespot complained, "There's a lot more to Tools of Destruction than platform jumping and shooting--perhaps too much. There are so many different gameplay mechanics that you get the sense that the developer didn't say "no" to any idea that was presented during the design process." Is the reviewer a monkey that cannot comprehend more than one meaningless task at one time? (Yes, yes he is). Uncharted is another example of a true console game. What do you play your system on? A tv, correct? Well then, the best offer out there would be to give you an interactive movie. Which, in a sense, is what Uncharted aims as, and succeeds. But no, Gamespot once again finds a combination of different gameplay ideas too difficult too live with. They want too much simplicity and praise the things that offer nothing more than perhaps a few button uses here and there.

  When games such as Halo 3 and GoW threw out maybe a little too much of the same thing, you have games such as R&C and Uncharted, which just let you have fun. Never boring you, constantly entertaining you with newer and better activities. Which leads me to question, why does Gamespot have a personal vendetta against the PS3 and it's offering welcome of true console fun?

  • Posted Nov 23, 2007 3:29 pm PT
  • Category:
  • 5 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg
• 3Nov 07

  The hell is this?

  Ok, so I go on my daily run to Gamespot, usually just to check up on the R&CU or any new reviews, and I check my messages. And to my surprise, I find a little present:

  

  So I think to myself, what the hell is this? I didn't do anything wrong in the past weeks and I barely post at all anymore. Last time I received a tos violation was over a year ago and I've only had four altogether before this. So, pray tell, what could have been this god awful violation that I have committed that I lost points for (I could care less about points though)? Well, as it turns out, it's one of my own blogs. Yep, the infamous "blog blog blog blog..." (dated Apr 29, 2007 11:13 pm PT) has now been sent to bloggy heaven. Interestingly enough, the reason for this was "Moderator Discretion - Spam/Disruptive."

  I am willing to accept the fact that it was, indeed, a very spammy blog. Clearly my point was to spam. Spam, spam, spam. So what? I was bored, haven't made a new blog in over half a year and decided my time was due. It was fun, it was useless, we had a blast.

  So then we get to the "/" part. Disruptive? Who in god's holy name was I disrupting. This is my journal, correct? I don't know about you, but I can read a pretty little title at the top that plainly puts it: "2ez's Journal." Ah, so that solves the mystery of who's personal blog space this was: mine. Who am I going to disrupt? Myself? Hell naw!

  So, I have come to the conclusion that some worthless twunt that lacks any male genitalia was the one to blame for this. Some lurker that just happened to find me and my little journal of fun and decided, "Hey look! That interesting and sexy fellow has a blog that's over half a year old. But wait, it seems to be nothing but spam! And it disrupts me greatly... somehow. I must report it for the good of mankind!"

  Yeah, that's another thing that cheeses me off. Not that I care about points in any least bit, but this little cockroach got himself a little boost in his pseudo-e-penis:

  Notify with Point Loss (user) - Reporting user(s) received good mark.

  As previously stated, who cares about points? But honestly, what kind of self respecting GS community member would do such a thing? Mark a perfectly good blog that does not belong to him for deletion. Oh wait... that's right! There is no self respecting GS community member (excluding the exceptional few that I happen to congregate with).

  Edit: So as I look at it, it seems that I lost half a level for my own blog post. Nice. /Edit

  If it wasn't for the R&CU, I would say cheerie-o to Gamespot in a jiffy...-o. This site started lacking in quality ever since the extreme makeover it received a good two years ago. The online community's features, blatantly biased reviews, and boring coverage has made this exceptional site what it is today: and not-so-much-exceptional-site.

  Well, as always, I thank you for reading through my inconsistent ramblings and the great transitions from one incoherent topic to another.

  Good night and good riddance. :'D

  • Posted Nov 3, 2007 5:19 pm PT
  • Category:
  • 6 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg

See Previous Blog Posts