• 2Aug 09

  The perfect friend for a PC gamer

  We who pledge our allegiance to the mighty personal computer have a good reason for it: we already have the best games available to us. At least in our opinion. Why buy another system to play inferior versions of the same games? Yes, there are many cases where the porting of a console game to PC was done by a bunch of apes dancing samba on a keyboard but such titles are easily ignored with short shrugs and ignorant statements such as ''that game sucks anyway''.
  
  Of course there are plenty of quality exclusives, such as Killzone 2, infamous, Metal Gear Solid 4, BlazBlue, Fable 2 and many, many others, but everyone (including me) doesn't feel like investing in a console such as Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 to pay $60 for a single game, or considerably more in case you live outside the United States. Not to mention the costs of a HDTV and a sound system - horrible built-in flat panel screen speakers just don't cut it if you want the 'true HD experience'.
  
  By now I must have plenty of console gamers breathing down my neck for underrating their system of choice so much. Just like you might prefer the hassle-free console experience, we are ready to spend time tweaking our games and systems to get the most out of what we have. I even enjoy the hours long tinkering to some extent and I'm certainly not alone.
  
  It's not that I don't want to play on 360 or PS3, I just don't have the time or money to do so. A gaming PC isn't as expensive as some people make it to be but games cost, even if they are often half cheaper on PC. I might save $20 or so when I buy the PC version of a multiplatform game but in the end I save nothing because I still use the same amount of money on games, I just buy more of them and spend even more of my precious time gaming.
  
  But I believe that no so-called hardcore gamer can call himself a true aficionado if they only game on one system, whether that system is a 360, a PC or an iPhone. There is so much singleplatform users are missing. I don't care too much if a game is 10 or 20 hours long, as long as the time I spend playing is quality time. I want the most and the widest variety of experiences. Once I'm done with the singleplayer campaign of a game, I'm done with it and move on to a new gaming experience.
  
  When choosing a console to go with my PC, I have to choose carefully because I only a limited amount of time and money. Whether you like it or not, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 more or less emulate a media center PC and with the huge amount of multiplatform games, the differences between console and computer games are becoming less and less visible. Plug in a 360 controller to your PC and you won't even notice the difference. So why invest in a console when we have already spent time and money on our gaming rigs which in our opinion offer the superior experience?
  
  Fortunately Nintendo does things differently. Rather than following the mass, Nintendo has made the mass follow them. As much as ''current-gen hardcore gamers'' seem to loathe Nintendo, I very much have to give them credit for what they've done. The Wii might not have the best or the most games out there, but what they've created is something you can't experience on any other system; unique control scheme (resulting in unique games) and Nintendo's own game development studios, arguably the best in the business.
  
  What does it matter if Wii doesn't have as many quality titles as the other two consoles, I don't even have the time to play every PC game I want. Super Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros. and Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 are enough to keep me busy when I don't feel like playing on PC. After being a happy Wii owner for two years I decided to purchase their even larger success story, the DS. And I can say that I don't regret it one bit. Neither Wii nor DS try to compete with graphical prowess, forcing developers to come up with unique game ideas to stand out of the crowd, rather than developing lite versions of console games. And the risks are low thanks to low budgets.
  
  Even if I have a gaming PC capable of producing marvelous 1080p graphics, I know that graphics don't make a game. I still play old games because many cIassics simply are that good. I'm currently working on Arcanum, which was released eight years ago and still is better than any WRPG I've played in the past year. And for example Secret of Monkey Island is still just as good as it was 20 years ago.
  
  The World Ends With You, Boom Blox and Rhythm Heaven might not look like much but they are an absolute joy to play. Same goes with the rest of weird-looking ''kiddy'' games on Nintendo systems. Don't let the looks fool you. If you are a PC gamer, grab a Nintendo console or two. Wii is the worst choice for a singleplatform gamer but Wii and DS are fantastic choices for a secondary system. And that goes for everyone.
  
  The weirdest thing of all, as soon as I start a round of Wii Sports, my friends suddenly find it cool that I'm a gamer. I never got that kind of response when I tried to show how awesome Bloody-Killing-Massacre 3 is.
  • Posted Aug 2, 2009 6:01 am PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 7May 09

  Away? Me?

  I've been absent for a while and I still will be until Tuesday. My modem died a week ago (I come home with a couple friends, extremely drunk, from crazy May Day partying and one of my friends starts to complain that the internet is broken). While buying a new one at my ISP's local service point, I found out that I was paying too much for my 8M/1M connection. For 3 euros a month less, the ISP was offering this ''Entertainment Package'' featuring a 24M connection, some extra TV channels, online video renting service and 5000Gb storage space on their servers for TV recordings. The digital media receiver doesn't even need to be on to record and I can program everything on the go through my smart phone. Best of all, upgrading is free (including a modem and the media device). But now rather than taking just a few days to fix the issue of being internet-less, I have to wait a week for the ISP to set everything up and for the equipment package to arrive behind my door.
  
  What? Are you implying that I was absent even before that? Well, it sure might seem that way. I just simply can't resist the wonderful spring air and the more time I spend outdoors, the more I crave for more and the more lively I become. Winters near the Arctic Circle with almost no sun for months can be extremely depressing. Now that the stimulant called sun is back, I've been working out even more than usually (some might call me completely obsessed at this point), going out even more and even reading more literature. I'm even quite confident to get into a serious relationship for a change. Yikes, what's gone into me? I thought I don't discuss about things such as relationships on the interwebz.
  
  I really haven't got much gaming done except for the occasional DS moments and Okami on Wii. But who cares with such wonderful weather outside? I'll probably be back to my normal routines as soon as I get used and maybe even somewhat bored to the warmth, verdure and the sun.
  
  See you next week! (maybe)
  • Posted May 7, 2009 11:47 am PT
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• 25Mar 09

  Eek, a pointless YouTube blog!

  First of all, it's great to hear that kelly's surgery went well. Not that I didn't know that already, of course she was going to be fine. It's kelly we are talking about.
  
  But the real reason for this short blog was to show you this great Space Invaders themed music video by Royksopp, a Norwegian electronic band. And while you are at it, you should check some of their other videos too, they are always bursting with creativity. I definitely have to pick up their latest album, Junior, which came out a month ago.
  
  Spring is in the air!
  • Posted Mar 25, 2009 1:15 pm PT
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