Coffee

My younger brother (can't call him "little brother" anymore - he's bigger than me) IM'ed me yesterday asking why emo kids love coffee. This was news to me, but I offered him some simple theories. Now it is with some hesitation that I begin this post by talking about coffee. Don't read too far into it now....

I've never been a big coffee drinker. The folks forbade it in my youth, save for special occasions. Not like I ever needed it; once I was up I was a bundle of energy.

That changed as I got older. In high school, I wouldn't say I was a ray of sunshine in the morning, but I could function pretty damn well during the early hours and throughout the day, even on six hours of sleep. When college came around, however, it got worse. Most undergrads will take any amount sleep they can possibly muster in a given day, yet they're still more than capable of going on incredible marathons of studying. I, unfortunately, am the wimp on campus. I've only ever managed to pull two all nighters in three years, and I any amount of sleep under six hours will generally put me out of comission during classes. Thus I've slowly begun to discover and enjoy the magic of the morning cup of coffee.

I don't drink if every morning. Hell, I don't even drink it once a week most of the time. But whenever I'm low on gas and need a serious boost, a good cup of Jo' (black, no sugar) works like a charm. It doesn't do much for me at night, but it really is amazing just how much it can help you get through those initial morning hours. Thankfully I'm often too forgetful to make it, so I don't think I'll have to worry about an addiction to it for a little while longer.

There's an article on 1up about the 25 games that EGM didn't choose in their 200th issue "greatest ever" coverage that the readers wanted to see on the list. The number one game was Kingdom Hearts, and here's EGM's reason for excluding it:

Fanservice goes a long way toward making a sale, but you need more than popular characters to achieve true greatness -- you need good gameplay. Kingdom Hearts, alas, was a frequently repetitive grind. And while slick graphics are nice, it's hard to appreciate them with they're spinning wildly thanks to one of the worst cameras ever inflicted upon a videogame. Its flaws and its general lack of new ideas (not to mention that stupid Gummi Ship) kept KH from our list.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Respect +100.

Weekend Update

Time for the weekend post.

For some reason, the two games I'm currently playing are Devil May Cry 3 and Ninja Gaiden. I'm not sure why I'm punishing myself with two brutal action games at once, but it does mean that I can see how these two rivals stack up next to each other. In fact, I think I'll make some sort of duel/head-to-head thing about them after I finish both. Regardless of who wins, they are two very interesting ways of creating an action game...

If you read Penny-Arcade (which I'm sure you do :) ) you have probably read this snippet by Mark Ecko in an interview of his new game, Getting Up:

I would say there are gamers that have a predisposition to have a bug up their ass for anything urban. The fact that there was a black character on the cover of this game, right away there was a dismissiveness that this was just another “GTA: San Andreas,” that’s number one. Number two, this is the end of a console cycle when there is a law of diminishing returns. The code is as polished as you can make it on a no-hard-drive console like the PS2. So, there are technical limitations that people just can’t understand. There are guys that have a predisposition to be slaves to the code, rather than be slaves to the branding, products or experience. At the end of the day, it’s going to be the consumer who decides and not whether the camera makes a difference.

Anyone know what that means? Anyone? Is he trying to deny the game's apparent bugs because the "code is polished" and its a hardware limitation? Is he actually saying its better to be a slave to a brand than to be a slave to the code (what does that even mean?) And the camera? Seriously, that's not even from left field. We all know the man doesn't know a thing about game development, but now it seems like he's not even trying to hide it. And this is the man that 1up's Kimi Matsuzaki thinks is a genius , though to be fair, if I bought every game that Kimi hyped up after attending some publisher's wild party or event, I'd have a stack of crap that even EB wouldn't take.

I know the news broke a while ago, but I really hope the further delay of the next Zelda game is justified. While this is still my favorite series ever, that last few games haven't rubbed off too well on me. Wind Waker, while being a beautiful and charming game, was a bit too formulaic and repetitive for my tastes, while the Minish Cap wasn't able to hook me after the first half hour of play. If Twilight Princess turns out to be another Ocarina of Time, then I'll be more than glad for all of the delays. Otherwise they'll be releasing a costly game on a (soon to be) dead system to an audience that has become very impatient. I suppose we'll see in just a few months.

Banned!

Ever see those advertisements that ran for Call of Duty 2 (and its console counterpart, Big Red One)? The ones that showed a dramatic, intense battle that was completely CGI rendered? Those ads are now banned in the UK on the grounds of being misleading to consumers.

This is an interesting issue. The COD 2 ads are certainly not the first ones to use pre-rendered scenes to sell a game, but they are two of the only game ads I can remember that show absolutely nothing from the game itself. Despite how much I loathed the misleading, all-CG ads for Final Fantasy 7 back in the day, at least the clips they featured were actually found in the game (even if they weren't indicative of the actual gameplay). Furthermore, even if an ad is heavy in CG, most of them at least show some brief clip of the game, and if they don't there are usually signs that what you are watching isn't actual gameplay (lack of HUD, perfect coreography, movie like camera angles).

With the Call of Duty ads however, all of the action is from a first person perspective, and they also feature the soldier reloading and aiming down the sights exactly as it happens in the game.
A lot of cranky gamers on the internet believe that anyone who is stupid enough to fall for the ads deserves their fate, but I disagree. There is no reason to make this kind of ad, with no gamepaly footage or even in game cutscene footage, except with the intent to mislead the public. Considering the content of the ads, I can see that happening to many ill advised gamers. Hopefully more advertisers will take note and show us actual footage from their games. If it is good as you claim, then the game should speak for itself.

Help Wanted

I love fighting games. I've got a collection of them that would make some people's head spin. I love most of them, but there's a problem; I have no one to play them with. It is pretty much a given that the hardcore fighting game community is small and secluded, and considering the Loyola gaming community is already very small and spread out, there's little chance of me finding good players to kick my ass on campus (aside from one or two chaps I rarely see). There is also no way that the campus gaming club would ever host a fighting game tourney (we have issues I'm afraid).

So I must ask - does anyone in the Baltimore area know of any good arcades or groups of hardcore fighters? I know I'm not very good at any given game, but I would love to find a place where I can learn the ropes from some good players and get into the community. I know this question is an absolute crap shoot, but I figured what the heck. And if there is anyone on campus who is reading this and would love to beat me down in a good 2d Fighter (or 3d if you enjoy Soul Calibur), be sure to let me know.

See you in the ring everyone :)

Put if Off....Level Up?

Not many interesting things have been to me lately. This is not good for the blog!! Still, I have discovered a couple of things to discuss tonight.

- This weekend not only did I go out to an actual factual bar, but I ordered my first drink at a restaurant. Right nowI'm sure everyone older than me is thinking "Big deal, I do that all the time" and (most) everyone younger than me is thinking "Big deal, I do that all the time (with my fake...)", but that still doesn't negate the fact that it was nice to actually do such things and know that I can do it whenever I choose.

Protip: when you go to Outback, order a Newcastle. They give a pint bottle.


-I came in second place in a game of Monopoly that actually went by the official rules. As far as I remember, that's a record for such a situation.

And now for the topic I wished to discuss tonight; significant short term improvements in gaming ability.

We all know that we generally get better at most games as we get older (as long as you continue to practice; an adult that gets in two hours a week may not beat a 10 year old playing every day, but you get the idea). Often these improvements are gradual, over the course of several years.
It took me months to beat Ocarina of Time, but I beat Wind Waker in less than a week. The question I propose is this:

Is it possible to experience significant improvements in gaming ability in a relatively short amount of time (say, a few months)?

This question is the result of personal experience. There have been many games which I have struggled with, only to shelve it for several months, leaving it completely untouched and forgetting most things about it. When I finally decide to come back to it, 9 times out of 10 I play much better, despite being out of practice and having the game out of memory for quite some time. Usually this happens to me with RPGs and tactical games, but most recently it ocurred with Devil May Cry on the PS2.

And yes, I do mean the first one. Ashamedly, I never finished it when I last played it in the fall, and I refuse to begin DMC 3 until I beat the first one. Unfortunately, while my most recent save was close to the final boss, there was no way I would be able to beat him. So I decided I would replay DMC1 from the beginning, this time making sure to learn better moves and conserve items. Much to my surprise, it actually worked. I forgot almost all the strategies to the major bosses, but I can beat them without healing or using powerful support items. I've had to continue all of three times because I've figured out strategies that lay waste to the regular enemies. I've purchased all of the best techniques and can buy a couple more. Simply put, I'm kicking ass at the game, and I don't know why.

Why didn't I discover these secret areas back in the fall? Why wasn't I discovering these great strategies earlier? Why is it that all of a sudden I can dodge attacks that used to make me panic and choke? It certainly wasn't due to past experince, because I didn't remember much of the game after the first boss. And aside from a few hours of Ninja Gaiden, I haven't indulged in many twitch action games. The only answer I have to the original question is that these short term improvements aren't due to vast increases in reaction time or strategic abilities. Instead, I believe they are the result of a "lack of fear" of sorts. The first time you play a game, you often panic in certain hectic situations, because you just don't know what to do. The next time around, you may not remember specific things about a game, but all the knowledge is still somewhere there in your subconscious. Thus even if you don't remember the specifics of an area, you technically have seen it before, and I believe this causes the sense of fear to go away. You become much more willing to experiment and pay attention to what's going on, and all that time away from the game has allowed the action to sink in and stew for a while, so certain aspects may make more sense. All in all, I think you just have to let things cook for a while.


So there you have it. My ridiculous theory. Feel free to comment on whether you agree or not, or if you even believe that someone can get that much better after a few months. It'd be interesting to see what people think about this topic.

V-Day

So its Valentine's day evening. Once again I'm single for it. And you know what? That doesn't bother me one bit. Lots of single guys and gals get mopey right around now, and I don't see why. Valentine's day is a pretty artificial holiday; its great to celebrate as a couple, but if you can't, its not sweat. Grab a couple beers, maybe a favorite book or game or movie, and enjoy some me time (or the company of good friends).

So, if you're celebrating Valentine's Day, I hope it is lovely and romantic. If you curse the holiday, I...guess I'll say a curse for you (damn!). Me, I'm going to go have a few brews and enjoy the ridiculousness of Devil May Cry 3 special edition. Nothing says I love you like triple nunchakus.

Speaking of that game, god bless Capcom. For the special edition, they shipped the original DMC 3 manual, along with a crappy little card that lists all the new features. A creative way to cut costs, I must say.

Also, I had to be stupid and buy the game at Power Gamer, which meant that I also walked out with King of Fighters 99 for Dreamcast (When it wass $15, how could I not?) This puts my KOF collection at 1999-2003. If I can only find 98 then I'll finally be content (plus my DC collection would be pretty much complete for my purposes).

Here's an interesting article about Fumito Ueda (mr. Shadow of the Colossus) and the creative process behind his amazing games. I never realized the man was such a control freak and perfectionist, but considering how beautiful and fun his games are, I say let the man do what he wants.

Snowfall

We actually got some bloody snow! The big northeast storm dropped quite a few inches on us, though it won't be enough to cause any cancellations. It kinda sucked watching people run down hills and throw snowballs yesterday evening while I was cooped up for yet another night trying to get rid of this bronchitis. Cabin Fever is no laughing matter (and when next weekend rolls around, no way in hell I'm sitting around doing nothing. I need a drink people).

Links are a healthy part of a daily blogging diet. Actually, they aren't, because everyone does them, but that won't stop me.

Don't you hate how console debates always boil down to who's doing the best business wise? When people start claiming that Nintendo is going down the tubes thanks to the Gamecube, and Nintendo fans claim that they're the only ones making a profit, and thus are diong the best? And somewhere in the middle there's a quip about Microsoft losign money on the Xbox. 1up has jumped into the fray and decided to take a look at these ridiculous discussions. Their verdict?

"it looks like the only losers here are those gamers who get so hung up on numbers and bragging rights that they forget how to enjoy all the great games these companies keep churning out. Seriously, guys -- it totally sucks to be you."

Amen to that.

At the recent D.I.C.E summit, Peter Moore once again admitted that Microsoft has done a horrible job promoting PC gaming. Once again there were promises to fix this. Once again I don't believe them. They did a good job with the PC compatibility with the 360 controller, but its going to take more than that for one of my favorite gaming platforms to pick up some steam, and MS is in the best position to make some changes. Unfortunately, as long as that shiny Xbox 360 is in demand, I think that PC fans will have to continue to settle with old product andempty promises.

I haven't gotten around to playing God of War yet, but I'm thinking I really should. Every time the game's creater David Jaffe speaks, I find myself listening. His latest speech at D.I.C.E., he compares games to porn ("sort of"), which seems apt when you read the latest previews for Black and continue to see the game being called "Gun porn". In reality, he was trying to express his disappointment with the lack of good writing and creative people in the industry. He also lamented how much the industry attempts to emulate film. Every game is trying to be more "exciting and cinematic", and in doing so they often fail to embrace certain gaming concepts that are rather important.

I wholeheartedly agree with this stance. I always find that the truly "cinematic" games are the ones that aren't trying to be so, but rather focus on solid design and good gameplay. Half Life 2 feels straight out of a good sci fi film, because it does so much of the gameplay is dynamic, and the anything that is scripted is well hidden from the player. Then we have something like Call of Duty 2, where it isn't too hard to see the smoke in mirrors (more on that in my upcoming review!). Ico doens't have a HUD because it literally doesn't need one, whereas something like The Getaway has no HUD simply so it can seem like a film, despite the fact that it desperately needs one.

In any case, good job Mr. Jaffe. We need more developers like you around (and as he said in his speech, they need to be better compensated!)

Bronchitis

Bronchitis. Its what they said I have. What drives me nuts is that I already spent about four days quarantined from the world, and now I'm supposed to take it easy some more. I'm going to get stir crazy not being to do anything. So much goes on in the college in any given day, and not being a part of any of it drives me nuts. Patience I suppose; a faster recovery later requires me taking it slow now.

But I wanna do stuff.....

Fighting Back

After what was easily one of the worst and longest illnesses I have had in several years, I am finally back on my feet (well, almost...still have a couple symptoms to get rid of). It feels good to be back in the realm of the living. I literally didn't have a weekend outside of the few hours reserved for the Super Bowl (congrats to Pittsburgh - at least I could make the right call for the Big One).

Nothing much to report beyond that. I did get a mysterious second application to a possible summer internship, which I believe is a sign that I should stop putting the shit off and get around to completing it. Also, I actually started playing Ninja Gaiden, despite some of my nasty remarks toward it. I still don't like some of the things it does, but when the combat begins it instantly becomes Real Ultimate Power: The Game, and that my friends is a good thing.

More links that may leave you feeling clean and refreshed.


Tomorrow, Shigesato Itoi will reveal the first real details to Mother 3 . If that means something to you, then perhaps you join me in praying that the game sees a US release. If this means nothing to you, it is time to do some homework on a game series that defines cult here in the states.

I never understood why the general populace is so obsessed over the lives and relationships of celebrities. Apparently CNN is confused as well, as they look into why the hell "Brangelina" won't go the hell away.

If anyone watched the Super Bowl last night, perhaps you saw the ad placed by Hummer. Once again this company has proven to me that their marketing team (if one exists) would be put to shame by a small group of bubbly undergrads working on their semester project. Let me get this straight....you made a giant robot and a giant lizard have sex, and the result was one of your cars? And this is supposed to entice people to buy your product? I know we can't expect much from the people that decided to name themselves "Hummer" (my 50 year old parents even "wtf"'d that one), but I think they're getting exponentially worse.

Finally, a lot of my peers have wondered why I drink so much water, but rarely ever pay for the bottled stuff (aside from a huge case of Poland spring at the start of the semster, so I can reuse the bottles). I suppose I still don't like the concept of paying as much for a bottle of water as I would for soda, gatorade or any other drink. I also find that most tap water (outside my own home of course) tastes pretty fine the way it is. In any case, I've finally found a good article discussing why the bottled water craze really is a bunch of bull. Thanks to Fifthturle for the link.

Crappy Title

Its been almost a week since the last post. There actually is a reason for this; this third week of classes has felt like crunch time all over again. Two coding projects due, one which I couldn't complete, and a music "test" that turned out to be an honest to goodness test based on only two days of lecture.

This doesn't really get me down though. There's always one spot in every class where I stumble just a bit, but it only strengthens my resolve and helps me bounce back in the future. I only wish said stumbling didn't occur so quickly in the new semester!!

I also have to get this work done so I can focus on job hunting. I've got all sorts of leads and oppurtunities, but they don't do a lick of good if you dont' apply.

The state of the union address was on last night, and I didn't know it until after the fact. Usually this kind of stuff doesn't fly under my radar, though I suppose I haven't exactly been in touch with society over the last few days.