Assassin's Creed 2

I recently borrowed this game, having played the original, and one word springs to mind when playing it... Improvement!


The first Assassin's Creed was visually impressive but the game play was repetitive to the point of insanity.


Ubisoft have paid attention and changed things up. All for the better.


Movement is better. Tasks and challenges are better. You can swim!


It's just nice to see a game sequel that learns from it's past mistakes.


Thumbs up for this one!


M

"Video games promote hatred, racism, sexism and reward violence"

This quote is from a video that was featured in a recent ps3attitude.com blog and it got me really quite annoyed!


Julie Peasgood. As her article on Wikipedia state:

She is the regular sex expert on The Alan Titchmarsh Show

Why she is commenting on gaming, I've got no idea.


She talks about an American study, 130,000+ kids (note that keyword!) and how they are affected by violent video games. But why were they allowing these heavy rated game to be played by kids?!


What annoys me is the fact that Tim Ingham repeatedly states that video games, like films, are legally rated. This fact is constantly ignored by the rest of the panel.


If children are getting a hold of these games, it is the fault of the parent!


Don't blame the content. Blame the people allowing unsuitable games to be played by underage children!


This is an issue that has come up time and time again. First music was corrupting the young, then it was violent movies, now it's the turn of the video games.


When are they going to stop blaming everything else and start pointing the finger where it belongs? The parents and the upbringing.


Blaming entertainment products for peoples behaviour is an easy way to shift responsibility away from the parents. After all, who is supposed to be monitoring these impressionable kids in the first place?!


I'm a fan of violent video games and (at times, very graphic) horror films. The most trouble I've ever been in? A speeding ticket in 2003. That's it.


When are these people, such as Julie Peasgood, going to get it?! Until they do, their mouths should be in the same state as their minds... Closed.


M

Guitar Hero Frustration

I got my first GH game (GH II) for PlayStation 2 from my girlfriend for Xmas 2006 and I had never heard of it... Cut to a few minutes after me starting to play it, and I'm in love with a new format of gameplay. Since then I've had GH3, GH: World Tour, GH: Metallica, GH: Greatest Hits and the latest GH5. So you could say that I'm a fan.

That is what make this blog all the more frustrating to write.

The message is simple: WHY GUITAR HERO?! WHY DO YOU ANNOY ME SO?!!

I recently had issues with my guitarhero.com online account, and it ended up with me having to use a different username and losing all the data I had built up over time. This is frustrating. I must admit though, after I complained about the initial problem online, the GH developers did get in contact with me and help me, eventually, get it into some kind of useable state (not that I think I will be using it now).

But my main bone to pick with the game is the DLC. (Almost) every week, there is new DLC for GH5. This is good. What annoys me is the fact the Rock Band also have DLC out every week and it's kicks the shit out of the GH DLC every week.

GH give you 3 tracks at about £1.70 each (can't remember the exact price).

Rock Band give you at least 6 tracks, each at 99p!

Why?! Why the price difference and why the volume difference??

Having never actually played RB, I don't know if the game is THAT much more simple/cutdown than GH or what. The only thing I know for sure is that GH have an extra drum pad to deal with. But if that was all, why THIS much of a price and volume difference??

RB: Green Day is coming out soon. Think it'll be time to try walking on the other side for a bit.

M

PlayStation Move - First Impressions

Ok, so we are going to have people saying "It's just a copy of the Wii!" ... and I have to agree that it does have many similarities. However, PS3 has brought High Definition gaming (and movies via Blu-Ray) into the home and it is capitalising on Nintendo's great job done of bringing motion controlled gaming to the masses.

I have a Wii in my flat, right next to my PS3. When it does get played, it's fun, it's interactive, it's different.

Nintendo managed to bring this generation of console gaming to the whole family, but more hardcore gamers found the Wii a bit tiring and unfulfilling. The games were aimed at the younger market and those that were for a more adult audience still weren't up to scratch.

The shift from the Wii to the PS3 is inevitable.

So far, from what I have seen via the PlayStation GDC press conference, the focus of the PlayStation Move is very much in precision.

The demoed games, both family and "gamer" types, are looking good. In particular, I'm liking the look of a street fighting game called "Motion Fighter" (working title) (see YouTube video below).

One of the comments on this video is "wii HD=playstation move". I'm assuming they meant this as a good thing, because the interactivity of the Wii mixed with the quality gaming of the PS3, all in HD... It's a great time to be a gamer!

M

PlayStation Move on Wikipedia

Playstation Customer Care...

...are brilliant!

So, back in November my PS3 died (A geek's day of mourning), and I had to get it replaced. When I called the helpline I was expecting lots of waiting, moving round to different people... Basically all you'd normally expect from support lines where you want something delivered to you.

But to my shock, I spoke to one guy and he sorted me out with a delivery for 2 days later.

Jump to now, the replacement PS3 I got decides that it should be make more noise in the flat. It's fan is horrendously loud! So loud that I can no longer watch blu-rays without having a window open and the PS3 right next to it to cool it so the fans aren't needed in overdrive.

So, just now I called the wonderful people at Playstation Customer Care, explained the problem, gave them the reference number from my previous dealings with them, and after a 13mins call (which included the time to get through to someone in the first place) I've got a delivery date of tomorrow!! Now THAT is service. And best part is that because I'm still within the 3 months warranty of the replacement model, it's all free. Can't ask for more than that.

Also, I had a concern that some content that is obtained from the Playstation Network only allows downloading onto 5 PS3s... This was slightly worry, considering this was to be my 3rd. But once again PCC come to the rescue and tell me that by decativating my PSN account on the console I'm replacing, it take it out of the pool of 5 consoles allowed.

Is there anything that can't be solved by these people?!

Staff of PCC... Your next assignment... Cancer. I'm expecting it done by the end of the month.

M

PS3 games - New and revisited

My playstation dying a couple of weeks ago actually made me play an old game again and realise just how awesome it is (again) - Guitar Hero: Metallica. Started playing drums (on hard) and it's so much fun!

Also been playing Burnout: Paradise City and Star Wars The Force Unleashed. Both fun, Burnout more so. Good old driving fast and crashing hard!

M
(Mobile blogage)

My last day in the club

I have survive 364 days of The Club, and I have way through the 365th. That's right, tomorrow is my birthday and I become even older than I am right now! (I think that's how birthdays work)

I've got the whole week off work and I plan to use it. The mornings to watch films I haven't yet gotten a chance to watch and the afternoons to go out and take advantage of London. How much I stick to the 2nd part is up for debate.

I'm heading out soon to trade in some gaming items for... well... more gaming items. Hopefully it won't stop me from going out later on, but only time will tell.

I should enjoy my last day as a 27 year old. Free to do what I want, and right now, I want to go out and get some fresh air.

Chat at you later intrawebs.

M

PSN Portable ID

I am such a geek!

I found out about the "Official PlayStation website: My PlayStation®Network" and I had to set it up, me being a gaming/PS3 fan and all. So here it/I am:

This is not static either, this will change the more I play/achieve. Which is nice.

M

EDIT: After posting I've noticed that my layout doesn't allow it to be shown in full... Will investigate.

EDIT: Changed the layout of my blog to take full advantage of the width of the browser window. Temp change? We shall see.