• 8Jun 13

  Jimmy doesn't have Internet, but he wants an XBONE.

  Well my last blogpost backfired so let's try changing the topic, shall we?

  One thing I've heard quite a few times is how the XBone having this "always on" feature may not affect gamers like us, gamers who have access to awesome internet speeds all the time, but gamers who don't. Gamers who either don't have internet all together or have really unrealiable internet for whatever reason. I've read many blogs and forum posts speaking up for these quote unquote unfortunate gamers, claiming that the XBone sucks and that what Microsoft is doing this time around is unfair. While I do tip my cap towards all these Gamespot users who are sticking up for this demographic, I also think they're taking this cause a little too far. And when I say a little too far I mean really, really too far.

  Saying that the XBone affects gamers who don't have access to internet is like saying the television affects people who don't have access to cable. If you want to watch ESPN, not only do you need a television but you need cable. If you want to play the XBone, not only do you need the XBone but you need some internet to help it say hello to Microsoft servers once a day. In no way shape or form is Microsoft hurting anybody with this always-on feature.

  Now. You may personally disagree with this feature on principle. You may think it's stupid. You may draw conclusions that Microsoft is up to more than just an always connected Xbox, for instance using an always on connection to make sure you're not playing used games for free, finding ways to sneak in DRM or spying on you in your underpants. And you may not buy an XBone because of all this. This is all cool.

  But don't feel bad if you do decide to buy one some day and don't make other people feel bad for getting ready to buy one either. And certainly don't think it's robbing Jimmy and Stephanie, or the thousands of Jimmy's and Stephanie's, who live without adequate internet from a chance to play video games. This is not Microsoft's responsibility.

  • Posted Jun 8, 2013 12:59 pm GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 2Jun 13

  A Quick Fart on The Last of Us and Review Scores

  I feel like in a few weeks Gamespot and its' users are going to find themselves in an awkward position (actually I don't think that these people will actually realize this fact, but anyway...). Soon, everyone will be getting their hands on the final version of The Last of Us.  Reviews of The Last of Us will come out and it will prbably get a 9.0, a 9.5 or 10.  A score which isn't very far from what everyone gave Bioshock Infinite a month or so beforehand.

  The cool thing about a 10 point review rating system is that in theory it gives you a lot of numbers to work with.  Reviewers can easily space game scores apart appropriately, separting the crud from the average and the good from the must play titles.  In reality it doesn't work like this.  The biggest reason I think is how gamers view games that receive a score lower than 8.0 as being absolute junk.  As a result we get a lot of "good" games getting ratings of 8.5 and 9.0.  

  The problem with this is, when an actual amazing game comes out, like The Last of Us, there's no way to adequetly separate it from the good games which got a high review score for the reason just mentioned.  Now, I know i'm not Mr. Perfect when it comes to giving out review scores either, but you don't need to be a professional to know that The Last of Us deserves a good chunk of separation from Bioshock Infinite.  With the way it looks now there's no way to do this.

   

   

   

  • Posted Jun 2, 2013 7:14 pm GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 26May 13

  Infinite

  So I've been thinking about my harsh comments towards Infinite and wondering whether they're just or not. Mainly because I was thinking back to a day when video games excited me more than they do now. The days when my life was pretty boring. Going to school. Getting stoned. Eating Chips. Playing Need for Speed or something. And I know that the Mark of those days would have certianly given Bioshock Infinite a much higher score.

  I played Infinite again last night to make sure I still felt the same way about it before ordering my roommate to send it back to GameFly's massive video game warehouse. It really is a shame to play a game you really want to like but can't. I still wonder whether it's my personality these days that keeps me from liking the game or is it that the game is just not as good as everyone says it is? I'm really not sure. Maybe Infinite is one of the better FPS we've seen in awhile.

  But I can't escape the fact I got bored with it. And even as I replayed it again, I got bored again. For this reason I have to stick with my opinion.

  I do have to say there is something I could change from my end. Changing how I play it. Meaning, play it on a PC when I get a gaming rig. Which I'll probably do. At that time I may have a change of mind.

  • Posted May 26, 2013 12:46 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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