WeekDAY gaming(3/15/10)- What are YOU still playing?

[Purple Santa]

Today’s weekday thread inspired in a very real way by Alice in Wonderland’s white rabbit:

I'm late, I'm late for
A very important date.
No time to say hello, good-bye,
I'm late, I'm late, I'm late
I'm late and when I wave,
I lose the time I save.

This about sums up my thoughts as I am writing this one foot out the door toward my own start of the week. The weekday waits for no one. It begins.
A very nice weekend for gaming although not as productive as “I’ll show you my screenshots” MagGnome but a productive one for me with these:

Heavy Rain- The simple fact this game has drawn me in allowing the feel as if I am playing “god” as one of the characters. I’m savoring this game with small amounts of playtime like a fine wine, spirit or food.

Viking- One of those titles that gets lost in the year then gets praise when it’s found in the bargain bin. Definitely worth a play if you like a hack/slash RPGish game.

Dream Chronicles- A cute point and click adventure. I recommend this one for parents with young children who can read or learning to. Lots of fun factor with this one.

Down the rabbit hole I go. As I do…what did YOU play…what will YOU play…

[LarsenNET]

Played a bunch of Demon’s souls. I finished all of world 2 & 3. Now I’m farming dragonstones to finish upgrading my dragon longsword to a +5 before moving on to 1-3. So far hardest boss was Flamelurker, then probably Maneater.

[Gorvi]

http://www.ps3attitude.com/wp-content/gallery/final-fantasy-xiii-cover-art/final-fantasy-xiii-cover-art-na.jpghttp://media.industrygamers.com/editorial/2010/01/god%20of%20war%203%20box%20art.jpg

[Jason]

http://www.ps3attitude.com/wp-content/gallery/final-fantasy-xiii-cover-art/final-fantasy-xiii-cover-art-na.jpg
On Xbox instead though. I'm five hours in and enjoying it so far.

Bad Company 2- Like the game. Gotta get some people on my friends list to play it instead of MW2.

Also, might get in some Bayonetta, Mass Effect 2, and Dragon Age.

[rein]

http://www.ps3attitude.com/wp-content/gallery/final-fantasy-xiii-cover-art/final-fantasy-xiii-cover-art-na.jpg

[Kelegacy]

Brutal Legend still. Was sick all weekend with some stomach flu bug so I didn't get to play much. What a waste of a weekend.

Today I'm swinging by Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery to see what they have for the going-out-of-business sale, hopefully I can score some cheap games.

[AyeEmBored]

Final Fantasy XIII. Chapter Seven and moving for me.

Also, Mass Effect 2 is STILL staring at me from the shelf.

AND I picked up Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box for $5 at a flea market this weekend. No, I didn't need it, but I NEEDED it when I saw the price.

[Spigot]

As I mentioned in the Weekend thread, I played a surprisingly tiny amount of FFXIII. I did muck about for the first level/chapter of Bioshock 2 and liked what I saw, though part of me keeps wishing I had just waited and grabbed it cheaper on Steam (which will still likely happen once it has a sale).

I also spent something like 6 hours straight with ME2 last night. I've now scanned every planet in the galaxy, done every loyalty quest aside from Legion's and am really getting frustrated that I can't seem to get Garrus out of his suit and into my quarters. I think that Jacob would have been up there hours ago if I wasn't so busy trying to woo all of the aliens on the Normandy instead. Mordin is a hoot though. I'm starting to think that he's my favourite crewmember in the game.

And as most of you know, I bought a DSi yesterday. I played through more of Miles Edgeworth last night. It's as delightful as ever. I thought I saw a dead pixel on the new unit but it sort of came and went so I'm just going to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't manifest again. I went through 3 DSes back on the day when I first got one because of dead pixels. They're the bane of my existence.

Now it's time to get up, get dressed and try to figure out what I'm going to do with the kids on the first day of March Break. Sigh.

[Xydarc]

Of course, I'll be playing:

http://www.rpgsite.net/images/boxart/42_eu.jpg

I <3 Lightning

and:

http://cache.g4tv.com/ImageDb3/181164_S/God-of-War-III-Ultimate-Edition-Details.jpg

[jpublic]

FF13 if I ever get time.
SMT: Devil Survivor, assuming Infinite Space doesn't take it's place in my DS mindspace.
Borderlands, until Metro 2033 comes out and eats my PC brainspace.

[Dukefrukem]

You guys are crazy...

I'm gonna be playing


http://www.ff-xiii.net/images/wallpapers/FFXIII9_Wide_Big.jpg


and


http://www.thehdroom.com/images/gamescreens/large/6930.jpg

[Spigot]

FF13 if I ever get time.
SMT: Devil Survivor, assuming Infinite Space doesn't take it's place in my DS mindspace.
I want to know more about Infinite Space. It is by Platinum and it sounds like a really cool game, but I have so much already gathering dust and so little money at the moment. Sigh.

I hate to say it, but I'm going to have to... *shudder*... stop buying games for a bit and actually play the ones I own.

*sob* :(

[Gorvi]

I hate to say it, but I'm going to have to... *shudder*... stop buying games for a bit and actually play the ones I own.

*sob* :(
Ok, guys, place your bets! How long til a new game gets bought? I've got 8 days. :p

[Spigot]

Ok, guys, place your bets! How long til a new game gets bought? I've got 8 days. :p
I've got GoW3 paid off. And I am getting SMT: Strange Journey. It's the other games that I'd like to get that I'll have to resist.

Given that I think my plans for the day are going to involve me going to a Lego store, I won't be able to afford any games even if I wanted to once my son's finished drooling all over everything there :)

[Dukefrukem]

I hate to say it, but I'm going to have to... *shudder*... stop buying games for a bit and actually play the ones I own.

*sob* :(

Sounds like you're suffering from Dukefrukem-syndrome (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=1699) and Dukefrukem-itis (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?p=508053#post508053).

[Xydarc]

Ok, guys, place your bets! How long til a new game gets bought? I've got 8 days. :p
Are we starting a pool? If so, I want 3 days.;)

[Talanvor]

I'll be putting some time into Splosion Man. Making steaks out of scientists is delicious.

Oh come on, guys. Have some faith in Spigot. I'm sure he can resist temptation.

I'll put $5 on when Steam has the next sale.

[hunterx280]

I finally got back to playing Lost Odyssey again. I finished up a dungeon and killed the boss. I was a little worried I was going to lose an hours worth of work in the game because I didn't see the save point before the boss. I came so close to dying it's ridiculous. This isn't the first time I've missed a save point. There have been a couple that aren't in the obvious path like they should be and you have to go off somewhere to find them. Oh well! I think I'll be working on side quests the rest of the week, trying to finish this out.

I should be getting Assassin's Creed 2 from Goozex today or tomorrow and Borderlands 360 sometime soon as well. It's going to be a full week. Of course there is the always present TF2. After nearly 3 years of playing I still love this game! It makes me wonder how much life the game will have after the last class update though.

[Purple Santa]

Today I'm swinging by Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery to see what they have for the going-out-of-business sale, hopefully I can score some cheap games.
I have no luck with Hollywood video sales. Now they are going out of business and I won't be near one for a week. Not that I should be buying anything...let us know what you find. Maybe I can entice you with a rubber paypal check ;)
Ok, guys, place your bets! How long til a new game gets bought? I've got 8 days. :p

I have faith in Spigot. We should be positive in his time of need. I say 14 days:eek:

Well I took this week off due to spring break. It was a last minute decision, but now to go enjoy my week off beginning with Heavy Rain.

[National Kato]

Out of town most of this week visiting a friend in Atlanta for St. Patrick's holiday. We'll be playing a ton of NHL10 as he, once again, tries to beat me and, once again, fails miserably.

Upon my return Saturday night it will be God of War 3 and FFXIII.

[rein]

I have faith in Spigot. We should be positive in his time of need. I say 14 days:eek:

Well I took this week off due to spring break. It was a last minute decision, but now to go enjoy my week off beginning with Heavy Rain.14 days? No way. Even if his wife hides the purse, wallet and all forms of credit and debit cards. He is going to crack before day 10. :D

Have fun on your week off. I think that is what I need. Unfortunately it's not going to happen for me any time soon. At least not till the end of June when the little one gets here. I'm taking a week of grandfather leave. :)

I really want to get a copy of Heavy Rain but I don't think I can handle the distraction. If something pulls me away from FFXIII I may never finish it. Not that it is not a great game. I just know my tendencies to 'move on' when I get distracted.

[Vigil80]

Picking up my preorder of God of War tomorrow. Looks like I won't be the only one.

I'll be trading Hevay Rain for it. :D

[Superman's Dead]

I started up KotOR II again this weekend, I'll probably play through that as an asshole dark-side gunslinger like I've always wanted to.

Also: INFINITE FUCKING SPACE.

[Gorvi]

I have faith in Spigot. We should be positive in his time of need. I say 14 days:eek:
So how do we define buying a game in the grand old year of 2010? Surely the rules of 2009 can't apply, could they? ;)
Well I took this week off due to spring break. It was a last minute decision, but now to go enjoy my week off beginning with Heavy Rain.
That sounds like the perfect time to pick up Final Fantasy XIII! :D

[menage]

FXIII, which is, I admit, way more interesting than I thought it would be.

I love everything about it except the upgrade grid (which seems pointless seeing as there's isn't really any influence on where it's going, so why make me push the button.) and the fact that there's isn't much hidden stuff out there up until now (every item is obvious as hell). But I haven't seen a prettier game this side of UC2 or ME2 this gen. And the story is pretty decent so far.

[astranoir]

I'll probably be playing some more Mass Effect 2 this week. Finally replayed the end of 1 and got my save game transferred, so the world is right again.

[Kelegacy]

I have no luck with Hollywood video sales. Now they are going out of business and I won't be near one for a week. Not that I should be buying anything...let us know what you find. Maybe I can entice you with a rubber paypal check ;)


My local store is a bit behind other stores being liquidated, so right now new releases for movies is 3 for $25, or older ones for 3 for $20. Games are 20% new and used, from the original price. That means not much for me as 20% is peanuts.

However, I did pick up a new copy of Opoona for Wii, which was $8 after the discount. I heard some interesting things about it and it was cheap so what the hell. I'll return each week to see what the discounts are up to, as they increase them to get rid of merchandise. I looked around for Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa, My Neighbor Totoro and others, but I couldn't seem to find them. I probably didn't look good enough. But 3 for $20 would have been good enough even for some older flicks.

My son started crawling with skill this weekend, or the end of last week anyway, so in the course of just a few days we now have to keep an eye on him much more than ever before. He may start on one side of the room and the next thing I know, as I'm typing on CoG, he'll be at my computer and reaching for the modem cable. We put off babyproofing thinking we were safe for a bit longer...but looks like that day has finally come.

I caught him alongside the tv stand today with game cases on the floor and a disc out of a paper sleeve from Netflix. My life just got a lot more busy. :)

[Evil Avnovice]

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx230/Avnovice/Video%20Game%20Boxart/calling02.jpg

[Pale Ale]

I played too much Brutal Legend (I keep wanting to jump Poyahoga
Gorge every time I drive around in the Deuce ) and Dow2:CR Saturday. Apparently I'm right near the end in both but on Sunday I rested.

And by rested I mean played Sins of a Solar Empire

[Spigot]

Man, you guys are such cheerleaders.

Give me until the paycheque after this at least before I fall off the wagon. SMT: Strange Journey is the only game I'm picking up outside of GoW3 in the foreseeable future. If I start yapping about Infinite Space or Fragile, feel free to jump into TF2 and shoot me in the face.

Oh, and we went to this Lego store/fun-land today and saw some really cool things, like, say, LEGO BATMAN!


http://lh3.ggpht.com/_epEotZijAeY/S56wQLT4HTI/AAAAAAAACYw/TYzVoJgiYSo/s288/iPhone%20Pictures%20018.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.ca/spigot/MarchBreak2010?feat=directlink)

If you click on that, you can see some of the giant Lego mechs and such too. It was daunting... esp. when you go into the store and see how much they're charging for Lego!

[Spigot]

Gaming goal for this evening: Finish Mass Effect 2.

[Purple Santa]

Out of town most of this week visiting a friend in Atlanta for St. Patrick's holiday. We'll be playing a ton of NHL10 as he, once again, tries to beat me and, once again, fails miserably.

I need a friend like that. Meaning one I can just beat at a game as they try again and again to beat me. I'm not sure what is more unlikely...finding someone who is worse than I am playing a "vs" game or finding a non-virtual friend.
14 days? No way. Even if his wife hides the purse, wallet and all forms of credit and debit cards. He is going to crack before day 10. :D
I think we need someone to keep track of all the bets. Anyone up to the task? maybe we should start a thread :D

Have fun on your week off. I think that is what I need. Unfortunately it's not going to happen for me any time soon. At least not till the end of June when the little one gets here. I'm taking a week of grandfather leave. :)
Well i'm going to give moral support too to ADDGirl who has a ton of papers to write. That was part of the reason to stay home. While i'm home i'm going to work on getting her resume online as well as mine. We both need to be job searching now.

I really want to get a copy of Heavy Rain but I don't think I can handle the distraction. If something pulls me away from FFXIII I may never finish it. Not that it is not a great game. I just know my tendencies to 'move on' when I get distracted.
I do the same. That Yakuza 3 box is staring at me as i'm taking my time playing Heavy Rain.

So how do we define buying a game in the grand old year of 2010? Surely the rules of 2009 can't apply, could they? ;)

The old duck rule. If it quacks, walks and talks like a duck... Any game. Anything that has a sniff of "it's a video game". We aren't letting his learned logic from the "I object" games getting the better of us this time :p

I caught him alongside the tv stand today with game cases on the floor and a disc out of a paper sleeve from Netflix. My life just got a lot more busy. :)
Ah, the "exploring" stage. Which really doesn't end but when it starts... Well have fun with that. I actually look forward to that when I eventually have a kid. Then i'll be up with Gorvi in the middle of the night playing co-op with him and his sons since that will be the only time I get any gaming in then :cool:

[Cyndair]

Come on you guys... Spigot won't be buying any games...

Except for the ones that are older than 6 months...
or portable games.. cause they are cheaper...
or games that he's already pre-ordered
or really big releases cause you HAVE to get those right when they come out
or unless there is a really good Steam sale, can't pass that up...
or an Amazon deal...

All those don't count.

[Kelegacy]

Come on you guys... Spigot won't be buying any games...

Except for the ones that are older than 6 months...
or portable games.. cause they are cheaper...
or games that he's already pre-ordered
or really big releases cause you HAVE to get those right when they come out
or unless there is a really good Steam sale, can't pass that up...
or an Amazon deal...

All those don't count.

Bravo! We all know our friend Spigot so well. :)

[rein]

Oh, and we went to this Lego store/fun-land today and saw some really cool things, like, say, LEGO BATMAN!


http://lh3.ggpht.com/_epEotZijAeY/S56wQLT4HTI/AAAAAAAACYw/TYzVoJgiYSo/s288/iPhone%20Pictures%20018.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.ca/spigot/MarchBreak2010?feat=directlink)

If you click on that, you can see some of the giant Lego mechs and such too. It was daunting... esp. when you go into the store and see how much they're charging for Lego!Those are some awesome pics. It looks like your kids had a lot of fun.

I want a lego store. It's just a little out of my way (http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Conway&1s=AR&1a=[1-4]+Sunny+Gap+Rd&1z=72032&1y=US&1l=35.086015&1g=-92.334405&1v=BLOCK&2c=Houston&2s=TX&2a=5085+Westheimer+Rd&2z=77056-5673&2y=US&2l=29.740687&2g=-95.463627&2v=ADDRESS).

[Purple Santa]

Man, you guys are such cheerleaders.
We are such bastards...but it's why you love us so much :p



Oh, and we went to this Lego store/fun-land today and saw some really cool things, like, say, LEGO BATMAN!


http://lh3.ggpht.com/_epEotZijAeY/S56wQLT4HTI/AAAAAAAACYw/TYzVoJgiYSo/s288/iPhone%20Pictures%20018.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.ca/spigot/MarchBreak2010?feat=directlink)

If you click on that, you can see some of the giant Lego mechs and such too. It was daunting... esp. when you go into the store and see how much they're charging for Lego!

I want a Lego store!

This is for Spigot my fellow Heavy Rain fanatic. I think they need to rename a trophy. It should be "you aint taking me alive copper".

Heavy Rain action events = QTE at its very best. QTE will never be the same. Or shouldn't be if developers are smart and copy the way this game has used them.

[Spigot]

I'm not saying I'm not buying any games... just nothing for a bit until my bank account stops bleeding and becomes a nice, festering black again. Sheesh.

I made a point of not saying I'm going to stop buying games for the year. I DO need to take a break for a few weeks or so though or I'm going to be living in a box on the side of the road :)

Sheesh.

Ok, time to dive into my last push at ME2 before the endgame starts.

[Purple Santa]

I finished Heavy Rain. I often rally with others to tell other gamers some games that might be missed that we suggest to be played. They are usually long gone past their release date, collecting dust in the bargain bin. It's hard to rally around a $60 game but Heavy Rain I will. The developer needs to be supported for their effort. This game is worth buying even if you end up hating it. Although if you can't play Heavy Rain and come away feeling not moved at all...well you have no gaming soul. I'm usually all about different tastes for different people. Then there is a game like Heavy Rain where it's about the experience. It needs to be experienced and yes even at $60. The game is brilliant. 'Nuff said.

@Spigot: I know you said you want to take time off to forget much of the game then go back. I'm wondering how you do that :). I have been saying I will go back to see the different ways the games story changes. Right now i'm very happy what I saw. I don't know if I want that feeling erased. But I think i'll let some time go by and then try again.

And I want the soundtrack to the music in this game!

After that...now what the heck do I play?

[Spigot]

Do what I did and go away for a couple of days with only your DS to comfort you. Or play something a little more light-hearted, like Theresia or Fatal Frame 2... :)

[Purple Santa]

Do what I did and go away for a couple of days with only your DS to comfort you. Or play something a little more light-hearted, like Theresia or Fatal Frame 2... :)

Hey, I'd play through Theresia again. Which says a lot about my mental health issues. I'm still trying to get the nerve to put in the first fatal frame. I think i'm going with the DS and try to win some cases in AA.

[Pale Ale]

The developer needs to be supported for their effort.

Quantic Dreams?

Are you fucking high?:confused:

[Dostoyevsky]

Bad Company 2 - 360, add me up! I've mainly been going through the single player campaign, which is fun, and occasionally funny ("That was the greatest thing I have ever seen..." :)), but doesn't quite reach the heights the first one did for me. It's a better story, and there are better set pieces, but I think the first was a little bit more...fun. Though the visuals are amazing, and the verticality in some of the levels is really awesome.

Also, (and this is very true of the multiplayer as well) I still contend it's a bit too visually complicated for its own good. I'm not sure what I mean exactly, its more of a feeling at the moment, but playing the first one there was a simplicity to the HUD and the chaos was toned down just enough to make it more tense, whereas this feels a bit more like Modern Warfare to me.

This feeling will probably diminish the more I play though, and I plan to spend significant amount of time in the Multiplayer after I've beaten the campaign. I'm just glad my BC1 skills have carried over, because I've been doing pretty well even without learning the maps. That or the noob-quotient is still fairly high.

Rock Band 2 - More drunk playing last night! Walking on the Moon is a cool head bobber, but ridiculously easy on guitar, unlike Rust in Peace...Polaris, which was brutal, and brutally fun!

[Purple Santa]

Quantic Dreams?

Are you fucking high?:confused:

I loved Indigo Prophecy and loved Heavy Rain even more. I wasn't high playing either one :p

[Pale Ale]

I loved Indigo Prophecy and loved Heavy Rain even more. I wasn't high playing either one :p

The disease has spread to the brain. Only one cure!

http://scrapetv.com/News/Classified/Images/chainsaw.jpg

[Spigot]

Hey, I'd play through Theresia again. Which says a lot about my mental health issues. I'm still trying to get the nerve to put in the first fatal frame. I think i'm going with the DS and try to win some cases in AA.Good choice. That said, the first Fatal Frame is sunshine and rainbows compared to the second one. *shudder*

I loved Indigo Prophecy and loved Heavy Rain even more. I wasn't high playing either one :p

I'm with you on this. Indigo Prophecy was very strange and fell apart at the end but it laid the groundwork for the masterpiece that was Heavy Rain. Screw the haters... I love that game so much.

Speaking of games I love, I just finished Mass Effect 2. Lost two squaddies on the final mission and I think I just made a choice that will at the very least piss off the galaxy come Mass Effect 3, but I'll live with it given the danger everyone seems to be in. It was nice to get that out of the way just before GoW3 hits tomorrow, well, today, technically. Now I wish I had Bioshock 2 on the PC instead of on the PS3 because I have too many PS3 games vying for my affections right now!

Well, time to head on up to bed and play a bit more Miles Edgeworth before bed.

[Doogie2K]

No time to say hello, good-bye

You say good-bye, and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello-oh-oh-oh-oh
Hello-oh-oh...

Warhammer [...] Chaos Rising (PC) - Fuck that long-ass title anyway. Started the co-op campaign tonight with the usual suspect. Took a couple of missions, but I can still totally rip shit up with the FC and Thaddeus. The Corruption mechanic is going to take some thinking, especially since it appears to be tied into secondary mission objectives in lieu of the last game's "defend this emplacement for 20 minutes" missions. I could be wrong, though: we spent more time respeccing and regearing than actually playing, and funny enough, I can't use any of my Terminator armours, so I can't equip my Big Kabooms (aka "Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield"); I need a Techmarine to fix them first. WTF.

Mass Effect 2 (360) - I'm sure there'll be progress to be made in this at some point this week. I'm on Tuchanka to help Grunt and Morodin with their missions. Just talked to the Krogan chief...

Wrex! Man, I love that big galoot. Hate to think what my game would be like if I'd offed him in the first one.

Portal (PC) - Should get back to the radio challenge. Because I'm like that. I won't, because I'm also really effin' busy, but I'd like to think I'll try.

Other candidates: Borderlands (PC) and Prince of Elika (360).

[EWolfmanD]

Final Fantasy XIII - I finished the story last night, and now I'm going to work towards the Platinum trophy.

God of War 3 - Gamefly shipped it today, so hopefully I'll be playing it in a few days. Maybe it'll end my FFXIII addiction.

Yakuza - I need to get back to this and try to finish it before GoW3 shows up so I can send it back to Gamefly. I think I'm in Chapter 7. It shouldn't be too hard to get back into, although I was having a problem with the game occasionally freezing when trying to load a fight. I lost a bit of time and a few street fights worth of exp the last time it happened, so hopefully it will get better, or at least not occur when I'm stuck between save points again.

Today will most likely be another FFXIII day though. :p

CoG - I haven't read any threads since last Tuesday, so now I need to catch up on a few hundred posts in the FFXIII thread and also read last week's Weekend/Weekday gamer threads.

[Purple Santa]

The disease has spread to the brain. Only one cure!

http://scrapetv.com/News/Classified/Images/chainsaw.jpg
I think I know your weapon of choice in zombie infested games :eek: I am no zombie sir! Now come here so I can munch on your braaaaaiiiiiiinnnnnn...
Good choice. That said, the first Fatal Frame is sunshine and rainbows compared to the second one. *shudder*
I know the FF fans (ok, it's really Frederec) mention the second is even better. I'll have to check my Gamefly but I think my 360 is big release free for a bit of time. So I need to make a game playing agenda for my 360. I think FF, GTAIV and Mass Effect will get some looks. On the PS3 side...FFXII and Yakuza 3. I am resisting the urge to play more Heavy Rain with another play through. I know I was going to go "game lite" but I'm to much of a game whore. I finish one then it's onto the next all the while thinking yeah you were fun but now there is a new game to play.


I'm with you on this. Indigo Prophecy was very strange and fell apart at the end but it laid the groundwork for the masterpiece that was Heavy Rain. Screw the haters... I love that game so much.
Well those with no gaming souls....if they feel the need to be cynical, which seems to be the "thing" with games, live through the '80's. Now that is something to be cynical about and earned your cynical stripes. Otherwise stay off my gaming lawn ;)


You say good-bye, and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello-oh-oh-oh-oh
Hello-oh-oh...

Ah, I was so hoping someone would go with that. One of my favorite Beatles songs. Damn, now I want to go sing some Beatles tunes in RB.

[Gorvi]

The boss of Chapter 9 in Final Fantasy XIII kicked my ass 3 straight times between last night and this morning. I really need something to take my anger out on..... God, I wish I knew of a game to wage War on that I could pick up on my way home, that would be 3 kinds of awesome..... :p

[Kelegacy]

I'm the anti-Spigot. I made a promise back in 2008 that I wouldn't buy anymore full priced $60 games and I haven't. I'm struggling to think of a time when I spent more than $20 something on a game since then. :)

[Kelegacy]

Well those with no gaming souls....if they feel the need to be cynical, which seems to be the "thing" with games, live through the '80's. Now that is something to be cynical about and earned your cynical stripes. Otherwise stay off my gaming lawn ;)


I like to think of Heaven as being a one giant 80s themed place. If it's not, I'd rather be in hell.

[Purple Santa]

The boss of Chapter 9 in Final Fantasy XIII kicked my ass 3 straight times between last night and this morning. I really need something to take my anger out on..... God, I wish I knew of a game to wage War on that I could pick up on my way home, that would be 3 kinds of awesome..... :p
I hope your local game store has Yakuza 3 in stock. Doesn't seem to be well stocked last time I checked :p;)
I'm the anti-Spigot. I made a promise back in 2008 that I wouldn't buy anymore full priced $60 games and I haven't. I'm struggling to think of a time when I spent more than $20 something on a game since then. :)
I respect you for that. I on the other hand will wallow in my irresponsibility and immaturity. That is until I have a kid and a house then I'll raid the local GS with my game coupons.
I like to think of Heaven as being a one giant 80s themed place. If it's not, I'd rather be in hell.
So you enjoyed Brutal Legend too? I need to go back to that game. I love the '80s...but only in retrospect in a very Romantic type of perspective. Nostalgia does over gloss reality. My memories of that decade is my proof :p

So my celebration of FFXIII's release with my play of FFXII. I must say...you FF geeks know what you are talking about. The game's opening was very impressive. I can't believe this game is 4 yrs old. It still looks damn good. The battle system is ...different. I'm liking it. I made my way into the dessert for an errand and learned my first lesson: Picking on cacti and lion looking creatures, ok. Pick on dinosaur looking creatures...um,no. Instant death. Ah the harshness of the game over screen in a JRPG. I missed you old friend.

@Spigot: I'm trying to find the DLC for Heavy Rain on the PSN but getting no where. Where art thou DLC?

[Gorvi]

I hope your local game store has Yakuza 3 in stock. Doesn't seem to be well stocked last time I checked :p;)
I hope so! ;)
So my celebration of FFXIII's release with my play of FFXII. I must say...you FF geeks know what you are talking about. The game's opening was very impressive. I can't believe this game is 4 yrs old. It still looks damn good. The battle system is ...different. I'm liking it. I made my way into the dessert for an errand and learned my first lesson: Picking on cacti and lion looking creatures, ok. Pick on dinosaur looking creatures...um,no. Instant death. Ah the harshness of the game over screen in a JRPG. I missed you old friend.
See?!! Just be aware, the game does allow you to go to areas you have no business going to early on, so if you explore a lot (like I did) be prepared to run like hell if you need to.

[Cyndair]

Man I loved 12... It's great that you are getting into it Santa. I think you'll really enjoy it. Be prepared to put in the 40 hours though it's well worth it.

Now I want to go back and play 12 again... No time!

I'm almost to the end of chapter 9 in FFXIII. I am hearing so many wonderful things about the boss. I can't wait to get frustrated. Then again, if my copy of GoW3 gets here today like I hope it will, then I'll be waiting a few days to give it a shot.

[Spigot]

I made that vow back when I got my 360 and promptly broke it :(

and Gorvi, send me to a haberdasher because I need to tip my hat to you :)

[jpublic]

So, I picked up Metro 2033. I was stunned to see this morning it had actually unlocked, instead of waiting until 2PM as Steam usually does.

I didn't get a chance to play it, beyond setting up some gfx settings. Irritated that I can't get it to do Windowed Mode, and it seems to think the 196.21 Nvidia drivers are outdated.

I have high hopes.

[EternalGamer]

I'm the anti-Spigot. I made a promise back in 2008 that I wouldn't buy anymore full priced $60 games and I haven't. I'm struggling to think of a time when I spent more than $20 something on a game since then. :)

I did this last year and came to realize that what I really end up doing is buying a pile of $10-$15 games many of which I don't finish. Sometimes because they are mediocre, sometimes because I just get distracted with a ton of other cheap games. And many of the games I was finishing were pretty uneventful titles that I was playing solely because they were cheap. I also ended up acquiring a bunch of shit to pile around since i filled up my gaming shelf and had no more room.

So I'm going back to my old days. Gamefly for new releases or sell stuff on Ebay to pay for new games in the store. And nothing is sacred in terms of needing to keep it around after I finish, though. I now only the ones I that I might honestly go back and play sometime in the next year. Elsewise, I can always pick them back up a year from now when they are literally under $20. Using this system, I managed to pick up and play most of the new releases this year for under $20 because I just sold in the last big game I played before it. Borderlands sold for $45 on Ebay meant I only paid $15 for FFXIII. Darksiders Ebay-ed meant I got Bioshock 2 for $12. Both FFXIII and Bioshock will probably provide me my next big titles for cheap.

It keeps my gaming less cluttered and more focused. Also more exciting since I get to play new releases when there are still active conversations about them and it is nice to know i'm supporting the developers. And i really don't think I'm spending more money than when I was bargain hunting.

In fact, I think I'm spending a lot less time shopping in general. Which is a side benefit because I'm trying to break the habit of just shopping and acquiring shit as a past time. Parts of the story of stuff (http://www.storyofstuff.com/) really hit home with me. It used to be that I didn't go into a store without checking out the electronics section. But now, when a game comes out I want, I go to the nearest store, and I'm out in less than 5 minutes. Less time shopping and acquiring games, more time playing them.



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As for games, I'm playing about an hour a night of Heavy Rain and still really enjoying it. I still think the control system is not a success and the camera can be really awkward, but neither of those things should prevent anyone from playing the game because it is the most original and emotionally effecting gaming experiences I've ever had.

The rest of my gaming time is now dedicated to FFXIII, which I am beginning to adore the shit out of. The first 3 hours were kind of iffy, mainly because they waited too late to give me control of the paradigm system. Once you start playing with them, the battles become way more interesting. It is like the RPG equivalent of an action game where you rapidly shift between paradigms (basically pre-designed but somewhat customizable gambits for those who played FFXII). And yeah the storyline is fairly linear, but that also is just more like an action game where the experience is streamlined. Here, it works. Plus it allows the game the freedom to just look utterly gorgeous all the time. No cut and paste models here.

[Gorvi]

My game buying has become all about balance. I'll pick maybe 6 games for the year to get when they come out (it was only 4 last year) then the rest of my gaming is taken up by older games on the cheap. Not bad games either, there's so much great stuff out there that I haven't played it's silly.

From last year alone I still need to get and play inFAMOUS, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Assassin's Creed 2, Red Faction Guerilla, Dragon Age: Origins, Sacred 2, Prototype, and Borderlands. All of those I could probably get for $40 or less right now, half that in some cases. And shit, this time next year I'll probably have to pick from Darksiders, Bioshock 2, Heavy Rain, bayonetta, White Knight Chronicles, and Dante's Inferno, as well as a number of other games coming later on that I won't have the time and money for.

[Kelegacy]

Well, I used to have more of a habit to buy games just because they were cheap. While I found a lot of games that were unfairly rated that way, I've sort of switched gears. It's more of a patience game these days, as I've come to realize I really don't need any game Day 1 like I used to when I was younger. I waited for Brutal Legend to get to $20 or less, which I'm now enjoying. I still get to play all the same games as everyone else, but just a bit later. Which is fine for me since I've always got a pile of games to play.

Renting is as much an option for me these days because of time constraints, and I like to take my time and enjoy a title.

[Widgetcraft]

c1BDGdzyC50

[Spigot]

@Spigot: I'm trying to find the DLC for Heavy Rain on the PSN but getting no where. Where art thou DLC?I wonder if it's available for the plebes who didn't buy the game new. I got a code when I picked up my game. It's quite enjoyable.

Hey, I have a code for the Amazon GoW skin if anyone wants it. I got the EB one, entered it and then realized that I can only use one preorder code per PSN account. I still have the code from my aborted Amazon preorder if anyone is interested and didn't buy the game new at EB or elsewhere.

So whoever pegged me to crack TODAY wins the pool. I realized that I had Fragile already preordered at EB but I was listening to the Active Time Babble guys chat about Infinite Space and decided to switch my money over to that game instead. I also traded in a couple of games so that meant that Infinite Space cost me about $15 out of my pocket, cash-wise. I can live with that. To make up for it, I didn't take the kids out for lunch today and fed them at home so there's the $15 I would have otherwise spent on lunch for the family :)

[Purple Santa]

See?!! Just be aware, the game does allow you to go to areas you have no business going to early on, so if you explore a lot (like I did) be prepared to run like hell if you need to.
I do like to explore. That's my problem. I explore to much. Which is why I got whacked with the dinosaur. I guess not all enemies you can defeat right away. Picture someone trying to kill a tank with a twig. Yeah, that was my fight. I think I heard the dinosaur laugh at me too :p

Enjoy Yakuza 3 :D





As for games, I'm playing about an hour a night of Heavy Rain and still really enjoying it. I still think the control system is not a success and the camera can be really awkward, but neither of those things should prevent anyone from playing the game because it is the most original and emotionally effecting gaming experiences I've ever had.

That is how I think Heavy Rain is best played. About an hour or so at a time. I played it that way and found it was a nice pace so the story and emotional impact resonated with me. And I yes yes yes to your view on the experience. It's why I say those who don't like it...man, how dark is that game world you live in?;)
I wonder if it's available for the plebes who didn't buy the game new. I got a code when I picked up my game. It's quite enjoyable.
This was a code that was outside the box? Ok, my GS screwed me. I guess i'm going to have to pay for it when it comes out...if it does. I thought there was a code and I looked for it in the box. Ah well. I think it's time to shop in a different GS/EB.

Hey, I have a code for the Amazon GoW skin if anyone wants it. I got the EB one, entered it and then realized that I can only use one preorder code per PSN account. I still have the code from my aborted Amazon preorder if anyone is interested and didn't buy the game new at EB or elsewhere.
I'll take it!!

So whoever pegged me to crack TODAY wins the pool. I realized that I had Fragile already preordered at EB but I was listening to the Active Time Babble guys chat about Infinite Space and decided to switch my money over to that game instead. I also traded in a couple of games so that meant that Infinite Space cost me about $15 out of my pocket, cash-wise. I can live with that. To make up for it, I didn't take the kids out for lunch today and fed them at home so there's the $15 I would have otherwise spent on lunch for the family :)
I think someone had 3 days. I had faith in you. I gave you two weeks. That's what I get for being kind :p Damn social worker in me....

@Cyndair: I really am digging FFXII. I'll admit I haven't really loved some of the past FF games (I haven't played the true classic FFVI though) but this one...this one wowed me. I loved the first "mission". Rogue tomato. Someone at Square has a very odd sense of humor.

My gaming ADD is again at work so off to play some GTAIV:TBoGT...

[Gorvi]

I do like to explore. That's my problem. I explore to much. Which is why I got whacked with the dinosaur. I guess not all enemies you can defeat right away. Picture someone trying to kill a tank with a twig. Yeah, that was my fight. I think I heard the dinosaur laugh at me too :p
Oh, believe me, I tried the same thing. I think they put that thing right outside the first city just to show you that there are enemies that can and will kick your ass if you're not careful. :p
Enjoy Yakuza 3 :D
I will, eventually! ;)
I loved the first "mission". Rogue tomato. Someone at Square has a very odd sense of humor.
It was even better for FFXI players, the Rogue Tomato must be a long lost cousin of FFXI's Mandragoras:

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/ffxi/images/thumb/e/e4/Mandragora1.jpg/180px-Mandragora1.jpghttp://www.final-fantasy-12.net/walk/walk005.jpg

Later on some Mandis are even in FFXII. :)

[Spigot]

Ah, Rogue Tomato. I love that guy.

I played a tiny bit of God Of War 3 today. Basically made it to the first save point and I've already disenjoweled a big monster. Yes, that's my new word of the day:

Disenjowel - v. To rip the jaw off of a monster or enemy: see first 10 minutes of God Of War 3. "Wow! I totally disenjoweled that giant robotic history crab!"

See also: Demasticate (v.)

[Gorvi]

At first I read that as Disenjewel, which would have been something else entirely. :p

[Vigil80]

How could you stop at only the first save point? Clearly you are not nearly bloodthirsty enough.

[Kelegacy]

How could you stop at only the first save point? Clearly you are not nearly bloodthirsty enough.

He had to quit so he could go out and buy another game. :)

[Dostoyevsky]

Bad Company 2 - Finished single player, got all the single player achievements, moved on to multiplayer. had my best BC match ever, and finished for the night. Really looking forward to playing more.

Dragon Age Awakenings (DA:O:A :)) - Just downloaded last night from XBL, 1.8GB and 3200 points! Awesome. Love Dragon Age, can't wait to play later today.

[Lint of Death]

See also: Demasticate (v.)

What has been chewed cannot be unchewed.

I'm alternating between the old DoW2 campaign and Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.

[Purple Santa]

How could you stop at only the first save point? Clearly you are not nearly bloodthirsty enough.
Spigot saves his bloodthirstiness when his kids become unruly ;)
He had to quit so he could go out and buy another game. :)

Ouch. Oh the burn...

[Pale Ale]

I beat Brutal Legend last night. Latest in a line of clunky console games I've rented lately but I find myself kinda liking it. I dunno if it's the childishly charming "World of Metal set too 11" or my love for Full Throttle overflowing.

Chaos Rising is calling for me to beat it. Reluctant because it's so short/pricey.


I think I know your weapon of choice in zombie infested games :eek: I am no zombie sir! Now come here so I can munch on your braaaaaiiiiiiinnnnnn...

So polite, couldn't help but think of RE: Your Brains
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AjcH2UmK1uo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AjcH2UmK1uo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[Gorvi]

He had to quit so he could go out and buy another game. :)
I laughed out loud at that. :D

Oh, and holy shit is God of War 3 ever awesome.

[Kelegacy]

Apparently some Sam's Club are selling Infamous on clearance for under $10. I can't remember if my store had any when I was in there last. If anyone is shopping and sees and extra copy, I will suck--I mean, be very thankful. :) Same goes for Arkham Asylum for the same price.

[Spigot]

At first I read that as Disenjewel, which would have been something else entirely. :pI think that comes later in the game.

How could you stop at only the first save point? Clearly you are not nearly bloodthirsty enough.I had to go pick up my son from the sports program he was at. As awesome as the game is, it wasn't quite worth having Children's Aid show up at my door over ;)

He had to quit so he could go out and buy another game. :)Har har. I'm not arguing this statement's veracity though.

Spigot saves his bloodthirstiness when his kids become unruly ;)There have been days...

What has been chewed cannot be unchewed.What IS the proper term for tearing off someone/thing's lower jaw? I'm still curious. Until someone informs me, I'm going to stick with disenjoweling.

I beat Brutal Legend last night. Latest in a line of clunky console games I've rented lately but I find myself kinda liking it. I dunno if it's the childishly charming "World of Metal set too 11" or my love for Full Throttle overflowing.I had a blast playing through Brutal Legend, warts and all, but it took me 5 days to beat with a rental and I was DONE with it once I finished the game. As much as I like Doublefine and Tim Schaefer, I just could not justify buying Brutal Legend for much more than, say, $20-25.

Apparently some Sam's Club are selling Infamous on clearance for under $10. I can't remember if my store had any when I was in there last. If anyone is shopping and sees and extra copy, I will suck--I mean, be very thankful. :) Same goes for Arkham Asylum for the same price.That makes me very, very sad. I adored inFamous. And Arkham Asylum! Those prices are insane.

I think my day with the kids wore me out yesterday (and the two nights of staying up until almost 3am playing Mass Effect 2 probably contributed to it too). I was trying to focus on God Of War 3 last night but even its crazy brutality just could not keep my eyes open. I woke up in my chair in front of the TV at 2:30 in the morning and feel like I slept on a sack of rocks today. Sigh.

I think I'm going to take the kids to the glow-in-the-dark miniputt tonight. I'm getting a sitter in tonight so that we can go out for all-you-can-eat wings (and at least a pint of Guinness for me) and that should hopefully help fuel some Kratos rage tonight. There will be much rumbling in the underworld, if you know what I mean :)

Speaking of which, the way they do the Metroid "lose all your stuff" stripping of Kratos' powers in GoW 3 is awesome and subtle at the same time. I didn't even realize it was happening at first but I had to tip my hat to them when I clued in.

[Kelegacy]

I tried out Opoona last night for a few minutes but couldn't find a save spot so I had to quit. The fact it can be played with just the nunchuk is neat, but I probably will still use the Wiimote.

The problem is both the Wii and PS3 are hooked to the living room big screen, so being able to hog the screen isn't feasible. All of my games look so much better on that better LCD, too. I could move the machines to my 32", but that would be a pain in the ass. Basically I just need a better HDTV, and though we have a bundle of tax money coming in most of it is already spoken for and I also want to keep a small cushion for "just in case" money.

[Spigot]

Man... My BIG tv is a 32". You guys are making me jealous.

And Oopoona is weird.

[Kelegacy]

Man... My BIG tv is a 32". You guys are making me jealous.

And Oopoona is weird.

Well, my 32" is just a Westinghouse. I bought it for $500, but they can be had for cheaper now.

My 46" is a Samsung, and it was too expensive to state. I used to complain about it, but with a PS3 hooked up that think is a beauty. As a result, PS3 games look better than my 360 games.

I think if I pick up another tv it will be 42" at least, have great black levels, and possibly be a plasma. My big tv is a 1080p LCD, and my smaller is 720p. I can tell the difference in quality and resolution, at least when jumping from the 360 to PS3 on their respective sets. So I think the next tv also has to be 1080p.

I'm not spending more than 1k, and I'd like to get it for as cheap as possible. But I also know you get what you pay for and I don't want another "okay" tv like this Westinghouse. We'll put the Westy in our bedroom, if I can figure out how to get the cable working up there. There is a cable in the wall, and I've followed it to the basement, but I can't get it to work. Last time I was messing with the wires and splitters in the basement I kept getting shocked. Doesn't seem normal to get electric shocks from actual cable heads. They were low voltage but enough to scare me. So I set that project aside for a bit.

[Gorvi]

I got a 52" Bravia last year and it's great...... ;)

[Kelegacy]

I got a 52" Bravia last year and it's great...... ;)

Sony fanboy. ;)

[Gorvi]

Sony fanboy. ;)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2006/07/fanboy.jpg



I need to get that show on DVD to corrupt my kids.......

[Kelegacy]

My father-in-law bought a Bravia last year and took me along with him for help. He went with a 52" to out-do me. It's a beautiful tv but they don't know how to use it. Whenever I'm over there they are watching the SD broadcasts and it pisses me off. I usually get the remote when no one is looking and switch it to the HD equivalent channel. They have no clue.

Or they'll watch an SD program and then because it has black bars they'll Stretch it with that function and make it uglier. You switch to HD and it's overscanned like mad and you are missing a quarter of the image.

Most of the time it's because the input is on "TV" and not "Input whatever", for the HD cable box. I've given up now though. I let them watch their grainy shows as they don't appear to notice the difference at all. Such a waste to spend that much money and watch SD though.

He said one day after getting it up and running, "Looks pretty damn good, huh?" and it was obviously in SD and fuzzy. Yes, it's big, but it was a bad picture. After that when he was busy I unhooked some wires and reconfigured it so it would actually be HD--he had the component cables plugged in to the wrong inputs and whatnot. Even when it's on HD they have it on that vibrant as hell mode. Ugh.

If I had that tv, it would be the bell of the ball. I'd treat her real nice, give her the attention she deserves.

[Gorvi]

I see the same thing whenever I go over to my parents' house. They got a 46" Aquos (beautiful picture) about six months before I got my TV and every time I go over there they have the SD version of channels on. I'd go over there to watch football with the family and, without fail, every single time they had the SD station on. I'd change it to the HD channel and they'd be shocked every single time. These are not dumb people!

[Xydarc]

Amazon comes through yet again. GoW III is waiting for me when I get home, and I chose regular shipping. I think I'm gonna follow Gorvi's example: take a break from FFXIII and wreak havoc upon the gods of Olympus.

[Kelegacy]

Now I've spent the past 20 minutes television shopping. I need to check out Amazon, where there is no tax. That would save me some money at least.

No, I need to refrain. Our next big purchases are a fridge and oven, and maybe countertops, and new kitchen floor.

It sucks being domesticated.

[Gorvi]

Now I've spent the past 20 minutes television shopping. I need to check out Amazon, where there is no tax. That would save me some money at least.

No, I need to refrain. Our next big purchases are a fridge and oven, and maybe countertops, and new kitchen floor.

It sucks being domesticated.
That's where I got my TV, it was $500 below the MSRP, no shipping costs, no tax. I'm pretty sure Doc Finger posted the link that lead me to it, and I'm incredibly thankful. When I get my next TV Amazon is the first place I'm looking.

But yeah, having a wife and kid(s) really curbs the random spending. Well, it should, there's always exceptions. Not that I'd call out Spigot by name or anything. :p

[Kelegacy]

That's where I got my TV, it was $500 below the MSRP, no shipping costs, no tax. I'm pretty sure Doc Finger posted the link that lead me to it, and I'm incredibly thankful. When I get my next TV Amazon is the first place I'm looking.

But yeah, having a wife and kid(s) really curbs the random spending. Well, it should, there's always exceptions. Not that I'd call out Spigot by name or anything. :p

Hahaha, Spigot is the guy we all wish we could be. God bless his wife. :D

[Spigot]

When you're as rich, er, in debt as I am, money is no object. Seriously, I only use my debit card :)

I make up for my rampant spending by never going anywhere or doing anything.

And I picked up Freakazoid on DVD last year. My son loves it. He would go down the slide at the park and say he was downloading himself into cyberspace.

[Spigot]

Hahaha, Spigot is the guy we all wish we could be. God bless his wife. :D
Tell me about it. I feel bad sometimes but then I just squash the guilty part of my conscience. But we met in high school and dated for something like 8 years before we were married, so she had plenty of time to make a run for it and it's not like my game addiction is a recent development :). And as much as it appears to the contrary, I have both scaled back my gaming budget and curbed my penchant for buying every wacky game that comes down the pike. The main rule that I have is that I pay my bills and the mortgage and such before I even think about the gaming side of things. I did come across an old pay stub from shortly after we were married and have NO idea how we lived on that. But then again, we didn't have kids or a mortgage. Sigh.

[Purple Santa]

I decided to play some OXM demo discs I have lying around now for a few months. I felt the need to at least try what was on the discs and grab a few gamer pics. To my surprise there were a few decent demos, one which included the next Matt Hazard game. I really liked the demo which made me want to take out the first game. I know Spigot and Kelegacy liked it in the beginning but it got old after a while. I love the humor in the game so far and made it to the second scenario/level. I had intentions to play more FF today but instead I ended up with this game. My gaming ADD at work once again...

Edit: And I saw a rare sighting. Mags on his 360! I should get some achievement for that sighting. Let me check if he's actually playing a game...wait...oh he must be playing on his PC. I know he's not playing Batman:AA on his 360. Damn tricky Gnome...

[jpublic]

I have a 42" Sharp Aquos. We watch the SD versions of channels all the time:

1) We can record a hell of a lot more SD shows than HD.
2) My PVR allows me to pause live SD for 60 minutes, but live HD for only 20.
3) When I'm input-hopping from game-to-HD and back, if I'm on a SD channel the TV syncs faster.

[rein]

My 46"

I got a 52"

I have a 42"

I have not felt this insufficient since taking showers in Jr High School gym class. :o


Man... My BIG tv is a 32". You guys are making me jealous. I'm right there with you. It's not the size that counts... ...it's what you do with it. :p

[Widgetcraft]

My father-in-law bought a Bravia last year and took me along with him for help. He went with a 52" to out-do me. It's a beautiful tv but they don't know how to use it. Whenever I'm over there they are watching the SD broadcasts and it pisses me off. I usually get the remote when no one is looking and switch it to the HD equivalent channel. They have no clue.

Or they'll watch an SD program and then because it has black bars they'll Stretch it with that function and make it uglier. You switch to HD and it's overscanned like mad and you are missing a quarter of the image.

Most of the time it's because the input is on "TV" and not "Input whatever", for the HD cable box. I've given up now though. I let them watch their grainy shows as they don't appear to notice the difference at all. Such a waste to spend that much money and watch SD though.

He said one day after getting it up and running, "Looks pretty damn good, huh?" and it was obviously in SD and fuzzy. Yes, it's big, but it was a bad picture. After that when he was busy I unhooked some wires and reconfigured it so it would actually be HD--he had the component cables plugged in to the wrong inputs and whatnot. Even when it's on HD they have it on that vibrant as hell mode. Ugh.

If I had that tv, it would be the bell of the ball. I'd treat her real nice, give her the attention she deserves.

Yeah, my parents are the same way... They have a nice new TV, but don't know shit when it comes to actually using it. In their minds, it looks better just by virtue of being new, even when they're mutilated the picture to the point that it looks worse than their old CRT.

Personally, I don't mind stretching regular TV, as long as it's a smart-stretch sort of thing where it stretches the edges of the screen and leaves the center intact. It's just TV, and unless it's something I'm really into like Lost, I don't give a shit. They don't even do the smart-stretch thing though most of the time, they just set it to "Full" which is the whole image, stretched to fit a 16:9 screen. It looks god-awful.

[Spigot]

So, I went out and had my all-you-can-eat wings and pint of Guinness... and grabbed Fragile (sorry, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins Of The Moon) while I was picking up my copy of Infinite Space. My wife was NOT IMPRESSED.

I'm locking up my debit and credit cards now...

On the up-/rationalization side of things, I only had to spend about $60 total for both games, so that's not bad... right?

[EWolfmanD]

I think you should stop talking about not buying games because it seems like it only makes you buy more instead. :p

[Purple Santa]

So, I went out and had my all-you-can-eat wings and pint of Guinness... and grabbed Fragile (sorry, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins Of The Moon) while I was picking up my copy of Infinite Space. My wife was NOT IMPRESSED.

I'm locking up my debit and credit cards now...

On the up-/rationalization side of things, I only had to spend about $60 total for both games, so that's not bad... right?

Do you trade in all these games you buy? I understand saving a game like Heavy Rain but some others...I'm beginning to wonder where you are putting them all :) Besides, if you trade them in I can see buying so many. Otherwise, I think you might want to look harder for a rental service again :D Before your wife hides your credit/debit for you.

[Spigot]

I think you should stop talking about not buying games because it seems like it only makes you buy more instead. :pTell me about it. It didn't help that Fragile was a game I've been following since 1985 when EvAvnovice started the first preview thread. To walk away and leave that there seemed cruel.

Do you trade in all these games you buy? I understand saving a game like Heavy Rain but some others...I'm beginning to wonder where you are putting them all :) Besides, if you trade them in I can see buying so many. Otherwise, I think you might want to look harder for a rental service again :D Before your wife hides your credit/debit for you.I do trade in games. Some I keep for sentimental/classic reasons and some I keep because I haven't finished or plan to play again in the future or share with friends.

I definately need to sign up for a rental service again, if only for the action games and shooters. Those are the ones I regret paying big dollars for the most.

So I spent a good hour or so tonight playing Infinite Space. I've finally made it through the basic prologue and the game looks to begin in earnest. It's a little clunky around the edges but the tiny bit of time I've spent tinkering with my one ship has been awesome. I can see how I could lose myself in the combat and customization side of the game very easily.

Fragile is going to stay on my shelf, wrapped, until I finish up a few other games. It looks too good and interesting to get lost in the shuffle right now.

[Purple Santa]

I have Infinite Space and Fragile coming from Gamefly. I really wanted to buy Fragile but couldn't.

I was sucked in more with Eat Lead. I can understand the complaints of it being a bit monotonous with the duck and shoot. Yet, there is some very clever game design in the game (hide and seek with the sniper is one). I'll pick this up when I need something mindless to play. I definitely can't play this more than a couple of hours in one sitting.

[Gorvi]

God of War 3: It only does ridiculously amazing boss fights........

[rein]

So, I went out and had my all-you-can-eat wings and pint of Guinness... and grabbed Fragile (sorry, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins Of The Moon) while I was picking up my copy of Infinite Space. My wife was NOT IMPRESSED.

I'm locking up my debit and credit cards now...

On the up-/rationalization side of things, I only had to spend about $60 total for both games, so that's not bad... right?We had a very similar dinner. Minus the game purchase. :)

Can I just say right now I love Guinness. I tried to get out of my Guinness habit last summer but I finally realized I should stop forcing myself to drink other beer when I know what I like.

As for the purchase, we've all been there. Buying that game right after we told ourselves we were not going to be buying new games for a while. I think it's a requirement of the hobby. You should probably do something extra special for the wife though. You know, just in case... ...you don't want to end up like me, old, bitter and looking to adopt a bunch of cats. :)

[Spigot]

I have Infinite Space and Fragile coming from Gamefly. I really wanted to buy Fragile but couldn't.I'm interested to hear what you think of Infinite Space. It's like a less bastardly Etrian Odyssey meets Armored Core in space, at least in tone. It hasn't done a lot of exposition and has just laid out the basics of the mechanics but the depth and customization are scratching an itch on the DS that I've had nagging in my brain for a while.

I was sucked in more with Eat Lead. I can understand the complaints of it being a bit monotonous with the duck and shoot. Yet, there is some very clever game design in the game (hide and seek with the sniper is one). I'll pick this up when I need something mindless to play. I definitely can't play this more than a couple of hours in one sitting.I agree. I loved the opening of Eat Lead and came VERY close to beating it before the monotony overwhelmed me at the penultimate level's boss (though he was awesome). My biggest gripe about the game was that it could have been so much more if they'd bother to move outside of having it just be a straight up shooter. I'd really hoped that Matt Hazard would have to go into an MMO and mix things up there, etc. Instead it just brought elements from a variety of games and genres and plopped them into the shooter world. Sigh.

That said, the JRPG boss is worth fighting for the awesome factor alone.

[Spigot]

As for the purchase, we've all been there. Buying that game right after we told ourselves we were not going to be buying new games for a while. I think it's a requirement of the hobby. You should probably do something extra special for the wife though. You know, just in case... ...you don't want to end up like me, old, bitter and looking to adopt a bunch of cats. :)Heh. I hear ya.

This has just been a busy month on the game front. I mean, we had the big guns with FFXIII and GoW3 and then all of these really neat niche titles sprinkled out over the past 3-4 weeks too. A lot of these games would have been much easier to justify getting later in the year or if there wasn't all of the AAA releases but noooo... Everyone needs to make their year end financials so we have the Yakuzas and the Fragiles and everything else getting thrown out there to die. Sigh.

It didn't help that I also got my iPhone, a new DSi and had to pay for March Break activities (and renew my license for two more years) which has been a real drain on ye olde finances. I think my wallet has bulimia :o

[EWolfmanD]

It looks like it will be a while before I can finish Yakuza. Whenever the game tries to load the story fight for Chapter 7, it just freezes. I can't see anything wrong with the disc, but I guess there must be. I was already planning on buying Yakuza and Yakuza 2 eventually, so I'll just have to pick them up used in a few months when some room in the gaming budget opens up again.

My main regret is that I stopped playing Yakuza last Monday when it froze because FFXIII was coming out the next day. If I had checked it a few more times then, I could have sent it back to Gamefly while I played FFXIII for the last week. I guess it doesn't matter since hopefully God of War 3 will show up tomorrow, and I still have a ton of stuff to do in FFXIII as well as several other games to work on.

So instead of discovering who is behind the plot in Yakuza, I'm going to keep working on post-game stuff in Final Fantasy XIII. My current goals are to get three pairs of dash shoes, a genji glove, and to unlock the Gilgamesh, Inc. store so I can buy the weapons for Fang and Lightning that I plan to transform into their ultimate forms.

[rein]

Heh. I hear ya.

This has just been a busy month on the game front. I mean, we had the big guns with FFXIII and GoW3 and then all of these really neat niche titles sprinkled out over the past 3-4 weeks too. A lot of these games would have been much easier to justify getting later in the year or if there wasn't all of the AAA releases but noooo... Everyone needs to make their year end financials so we have the Yakuzas and the Fragiles and everything else getting thrown out there to die. Sigh.

It didn't help that I also got my iPhone, a new DSi and had to pay for March Break activities (and renew my license for two more years) which has been a real drain on ye olde finances. I think my wallet has bulimia :o

It has been a rough month for game purchases but Gamefly and my new casual gamer attitude saved me from my old habits of purchase first and think later.

It looks like it will be a while before I can finish Yakuza. Whenever the game tries to load the story fight for Chapter 7, it just freezes. I can't see anything wrong with the disc, but I guess there must be. I was already planning on buying Yakuza and Yakuza 2 eventually, so I'll just have to pick them up used in a few months when some room in the gaming budget opens up again.

My main regret is that I stopped playing Yakuza last Monday when it froze because FFXIII was coming out the next day. If I had checked it a few more times then, I could have sent it back to Gamefly while I played FFXIII for the last week. I guess it doesn't matter since hopefully God of War 3 will show up tomorrow, and I still have a ton of stuff to do in FFXIII as well as several other games to work on.

So instead of discovering who is behind the plot in Yakuza, I'm going to keep working on post-game stuff in Final Fantasy XIII. My current goals are to get three pairs of dash shoes, a genji glove, and to unlock the Gilgamesh, Inc. store so I can buy the weapons for Fang and Lightning that I plan to transform into their ultimate forms.Are you playing Yakuza on a software BC PS3? If so, I think Yakuza has issues around that chapter. I do not think there is a fix either. :(

[Spigot]

It has been a rough month for game purchases but Gamefly and my new casual gamer attitude saved me from my old habits of purchase first and think later.I do need to sign up for a new rental service... The nice thing right now is that if it's available on the PC, most of the time I can get it a lot cheaper and I know Steam will run a sale on it, so I'm able to hold off on those purchases a lot longer than I used to be able to in the past.

And I can't even say that these purchases were impulse buys. The games I've bought over the past while have all been very high on my radar for a LONG time... it was just that I didn't expect them all to be released in a 3 week period. Sigh. At least my wife is following me around for the next couple of days and we're not going anywhere near a game store.

[EWolfmanD]

Are you playing Yakuza on a software BC PS3? If so, I think Yakuza has issues around that chapter. I do not think there is a fix either. :(

Yes, I am. I actually thought about that possibility before and thought about googling it, but then I got frustrated. I'll try to look it up and see if maybe I can transfer my save to a PS2 memory card and borrow my brother's PS2.

Thanks for the info. :)

EDIT:
Thanks a lot, rein. :D Switching to a PS2 worked.

[Purple Santa]

God of War 3: It only does ridiculously amazing boss fights........
I think they should of gone all ironic and did tiny bosses. Like miniature bosses that are just as deadly. Ok maybe not :p

You know, just in case... ...you don't want to end up like me, old, bitter and looking to adopt a bunch of cats. :)
Hey, what's wrong with cats?!? :confused: ;)

I agree. I loved the opening of Eat Lead and came VERY close to beating it before the monotony overwhelmed me at the penultimate level's boss (though he was awesome). My biggest gripe about the game was that it could have been so much more if they'd bother to move outside of having it just be a straight up shooter. I'd really hoped that Matt Hazard would have to go into an MMO and mix things up there, etc. Instead it just brought elements from a variety of games and genres and plopped them into the shooter world. Sigh.

That said, the JRPG boss is worth fighting for the awesome factor alone.
Did you play the demo for the new Eat Lead? The gameplay was a contra homage. It was hilarious. If you haven't played the demo i'm sure it's on Live. I remember you saying why you got tired of the first, then playing that demo I thought "Spigot needs to see this". I don't know if the rest of the game is as good as the demo though.

I'll agree again the shooting in the game is getting monotonous. I'm not that far in either. Granted, i'm not much of a duck and shoot gamer but I think if I play in small doses I might make it till the end. Now I want to play at least to see the JRPG boss. I do remember you talking about the awesomeness of that one.
Yes, I am. I actually thought about that possibility before and thought about googling it, but then I got frustrated. I'll try to look it up and see if maybe I can transfer my save to a PS2 memory card and borrow my brother's PS2.

Thanks for the info. :)

EDIT:
Thanks a lot, rein. :D Switching to a PS2 worked.
One Guinness beer to Rein for that solution :D I'm glad you will get to play more. After chapter 7 the game really flies by.

[Spigot]

I died in Infinite Space last night. It was sad.

[Gorvi]

Guinness all the way! Good to hear some people have taste. :D

Only some more God of War III for me. Hades down, holy shit that was a fight. This is going to be a tough game to play through on higher difficulty levels I can tell already........

[LarsenNET]

Still playing Demon's Souls, I finally got through 1-3 last night. Next up 4-2.

[rein]

Hey, what's wrong with cats?!? :confused: ;)

There is nothing wrong with cats, just cat ladies.... ...or cat man in this case. I guess it beats being the creepy old guy that sits around in his underwear all day. Oh wai! :eek:

[Spigot]

There is nothing wrong with cats, just cat ladies.... ...or cat man in this case. I guess it beats being the creepy old guy that sits around in his underwear all day. Oh wai! :eek:Na na na na na na na na CAT MAN!

[Purple Santa]

I died in Infinite Space last night. It was sad.
And no one heard you scream. Now that is sad. Also couldn't hear your bad puns either so maybe it's a wash :eek:;)
Guinness all the way! Good to hear some people have taste. :D

It's to early to be thinking about beer but now I am hankering for a Foster's beer now. I haven't had one in years but the can suddenly came to me. I wonder if I can find one around here...
There is nothing wrong with cats, just cat ladies.... ...or cat man in this case. I guess it beats being the creepy old guy that sits around in his underwear all day. Oh wai! :eek:
Well I get to be the creepy old guy just because I date a younger woman :D And yes I get told this. I do wear my boxers over my boxers to wear as shorts. So I guess I am that old guy too:eek:
Na na na na na na na na CAT MAN!

You should have stayed in space...

[Spigot]

Hey man. I had a very nice ship and it got blown out of the sky. That's not nice to have to deal with after two hours of kicking ass through the local star cluster. My stupid crew was too tired to help me. Stupid crew.

[Purple Santa]

Hey man. I had a very nice ship and it got blown out of the sky. That's not nice to have to deal with after two hours of kicking ass through the local star cluster. My stupid crew was too tired to help me. Stupid crew.

I wish I had some paint skills. I can see you commandeering a flying ship, with your crew which would be the regulars around these threads. You with your megaphone yelling "row row row you blimey bastards". You would make a perfect captain Bligh :D

Well I need to take this over active imagination to a more useful place. Like creating a cover letter for my resume so I can be employed soon...

[Kelegacy]

That FUCKING Gamestop B1G1 sale is pissing me off. This morning I had some good games in my cart, trying to find one more (I had 3). Then the site hits the shitter at work and I can't do anything. I am training employees at work so I couldn't get on again until after lunch. Meanwhile all the games I wanted are gone. I'm ripped.

So, if anyone has an extra copy of Rune Factory Frontier and A Boy and his Blob they want to sell me for cheap, please do. :(

[Purple Santa]

So, if anyone has an extra copy of Rune Factory Frontier and A Boy and his Blob they want to sell me for cheap, please do. :(

I only sell my games for sexual favors :eek:

[Gorvi]

I only sell my games for sexual favors :eek:
Did you forget who you're saying that to? ;)

[Kelegacy]

I only sell my games for sexual favors :eek:

I'll do anything but poop and pee stuff.

[menage]

Woohoo.

God of War 3, Final Fantasy XIII, Risen, new Splinter Cell demo, beer in the fridge and tomorrow got a day off. Let the gamegasm begin.

[Xydarc]

I played GoW III to the first save point in Ares' Tomb last night, after lovingly opening my Ultimate Edition. Kushiel's Mercy had its grip on me, so I finished that instead. After my niece's riding show tonight, it's gonna be all about vengeance, baby.

[Xydarc]

Bwa hahahahah!

Track 7 of the Blood & Metal EP that comes with the GoW III Ultimate Edition is "Even Gods Cry" by The Turtlenecks. Here's a sample lyric:

If I should come across you
and kill you 'till your dead
please don't take it personally
it's just...there's a circle above your head.

Full of win, that song is.

[Purple Santa]

I'll do anything but poop and pee stuff.

Prude. I guess i'll have to sell them to someone else now :p

[Xydarc]

I'll do anything but poop and pee stuff.
It's nice to know even you have limits.;)

[Spigot]

Prude. I guess i'll have to sell them to someone else now :pYou never said it had to be MY poop and pee. I'll take that copy of Rune Factory Frontier for a bag of discarded medical waste.

[Purple Santa]

You never said it had to be MY poop and pee. I'll take that copy of Rune Factory Frontier for a bag of discarded medical waste.

Sold! I'll look for the payment through Paypal.

[EWolfmanD]

I finished Yakuza earlier. There was so much about the ending that I don't think you could actually figure out during the game. I had guessed a little bit of it, but there was so much more. :p


Now I'm really curious to see how Yakuza 2 starts [why there is even a game] with the way things ended in Yakuza. :D


God of War 3 also arrived in the mail today, and now I'm about to try that out.

[Spigot]

I came up with a nice analogy for the difficulty curve in Infinite Space yesterday. The learning curve isn't steep, per se. That said, I feel like I'm on the wheelchair ramp right now and up ahead looms Mt. Everest. It's the difficulty in potentia that scares me about this game :)

[Pale Ale]

Picked up GoW3 this after noon. Played till I got to the Judges of the Underworld. Now I feel sorry for fuckers you can't pick up a PS3 atm.



I had a blast playing through Brutal Legend, warts and all, but it took me 5 days to beat with a rental and I was DONE with it once I finished the game. As much as I like Doublefine and Tim Schaefer, I just could not justify buying Brutal Legend for much more than, say, $20-25.


If it wasn't for Gamefly I probably would never try out all these so-so games that I bitch about constantly.

[Purple Santa]

I finished Yakuza earlier. There was so much about the ending that I don't think you could actually figure out during the game. I had guessed a little bit of it, but there was so much more. :p


Now I'm really curious to see how Yakuza 2 starts [why there is even a game] with the way things ended in Yakuza. :D


I thought the same after I finished but they do a nice job of making the whole sequel work.
I came up with a nice analogy for the difficulty curve in Infinite Space yesterday. The learning curve isn't steep, per se. That said, I feel like I'm on the wheelchair ramp right now and up ahead looms Mt. Everest. It's the difficulty in potentia that scares me about this game :)
Are you trying to scare us NOT to play this game? :p




If it wasn't for Gamefly I probably would never try out all these so-so games that I bitch about constantly.
You mean for games like GoW III? ;)

[Spigot]

Are you trying to scare us NOT to play this game? :pOh, maybe... kind of... but the view from the top is so nice.

What I am liking about Infinite Space is that it's not quite a vertical wall of a difficulty curve. It's more that I can see the complexity looming in the distance but it's easing me into it relatively gently... though it also let me know that I wasn't going to coast through the game what with my first slapdown right after leaving the starting system.

Man, I am having a really hard time getting into God Of War 3. It's not that it's a bad game or anything but I've been having some insanely busy and tiring days with the kids over March Break and by the time I get around to playing the game, I'm barely able to keep my eyes open. Tomorrow should be a little more contained and relaxing so we'll see if I can actually get into a groove with the game. So much for my plans to beat the game within a week and trade it in for full store credit :P

And hey, it's after midnight, so that means it's my birthday! I went out and picked up some Guinness and a bottle of Ballantine's and made a nice Irish Coffee this evening (which probably contributed to my nodding off while playing GoW :) )

Time to get my creaky old bones off to bed before my insane kids wake up tomorrow.

[Satertek]

Beat Batman Arkham Asylum on normal, got to the 85% mark of Riddler's secrets and found the spirit of Arkham. Think I'll call that a game. Had a blast.

Only have 25 secrets left, but I imagine the last few will end up being a huge pain, especially the few chattering teeth I missed. Can't get 100% anyway as there's no way I'm getting the scores needed on all those challenges.

Instead, I'll throw it in the mailbox and pray to the GameFly gods for Heavy Rain.

[Pale Ale]

I thought the same after I finished but they do a nice job of making the whole sequel work.

Are you trying to scare us NOT to play this game? :p

You mean for games like GoW III? ;)

Well I am reading this while trying to figure why I can't make this fucking jump in Gow3:p

[Purple Santa]

And hey, it's after midnight, so that means it's my birthday! I went out and picked up some Guinness and a bottle of Ballantine's and made a nice Irish Coffee this evening (which probably contributed to my nodding off while playing GoW :) )

Time to get my creaky old bones off to bed before my insane kids wake up tomorrow.
Well Happy Birthday Creaky!

That was a nice image you portrayed. You with your little drink, nodding off in your chair as you played a video game. Damn you are old! And since i'm older....well that makes me about dead :eek:
Well I am reading this while trying to figure why I can't make this fucking jump in Gow3:p
I was reading about this "jump" issue in the GoW III thread. What's up with this? I had some control issues with GoW 2 but I was told it was just me. Now this widespread talk of a "jump" problem. I hope this is something that can be patched. I await the official response from the GoW representative, Gorvi :p

[Pale Ale]

I was reading about this "jump" issue in the GoW III thread. What's up with this? I had some control issues with GoW 2 but I was told it was just me. Now this widespread talk of a "jump" problem. I hope this is something that can be patched. I await the official response from the GoW representative, Gorvi :p

The "you've failed, fall off the map" zone sits in the median of Mario honed double jump. You ether need to jump strait up, up forward, and then glide. (Which works on most of the jumps.) OR stovepipeing your double jumps then gliding, something I know you had to do in the last GoW, but not as aggressively. (This is more reliable.)

However I might have an inkling of the "features" I'm still not any fucking good at it. Plummeting like a rock is over 95% of my deaths so far.

[Gorvi]

I was reading about this "jump" issue in the GoW III thread. What's up with this? I had some control issues with GoW 2 but I was told it was just me. Now this widespread talk of a "jump" problem. I hope this is something that can be patched. I await the official response from the GoW representative, Gorvi :p
Hey, now! But yeah, it's there, though it's more of learning to time your double jump than an actual "issue". You have to double jump at the peak of a jump, if you wait til you're on the way down at all it won't register. I don't remember that being an issue in GoW2 but then I don't recall having to do a ton of double jumping in GoW2 either.

[Vigil80]

Double jumping is starting to bug me. Seems like the last few games I've played with double jumping place platforms so that I have to double jump every time anyway.

Fellows, either mix it up, or just make the 1st jump that big. Every jump shouldn't need be a double tap.