Motion Notion

Since the advent of the Wii in 2006 by Nintendo, both Microsoft and Sony have been working to keep up with its competition. The question is, does it live up to the Wii. The answer is absolutely yes. In the Fall-Winter of 2010, these two companies released the Playstation Move and Kinect for the 360.

 

Of course after four years since the Wii’s release, both of these systems in my opinion carry better technology. I do not have a PS3 so I cannot comment on it but after seeing the Kinect in action, it trumps the Wii many times over. The Wii has too many buttons to keep track of. To move the controller and also often tap buttons can be confusing. The Move only has 4 buttons, not including the PS button, eliminating any chance of confusion during gameplay. However, I am most impressed by the Kinect. It uses no controller and tracks your body movements very well. Overall, the Move and Kinect employ better technology therefore being superior to the Wii.

 

I have also noticed many problems with the Wii. The most dire problem is the sensitivity of the motion detector. I often can’t get my sensor to pick up my controller which usually messes up my playing.

 

In my opinion, Nintendo better step it up with the Wii U because it seems to be losing ground. Nintendo was on top a decade ago, but Sony and Microsoft are really stepping up there game and may soon overrun the once video game giant.

Call of Duty VS. Battlefield

            With the intense competition in the first person shooter gaming industry, it is hard to create a game that has its own unique gameplay. More and more, games like Homefront try to copy the biggest hits and only disappoint anticipating gamers. However, throughout the many years of hard work, experience, and possibly luck, the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises have shown their true colors to be the best first person shooters on consoles and PC. Each is very unique from the other. Battlefield, known for its massive battles with potentially up to 64 people on the PC and the use of vehicles such as tanks has proved itself the most successful realistic shooter game on the market. Call of Dut,y however, especially the titles post Call of Duty 3, has a more unrealistic sense to it that can give you some shock and awe moments. Though it may be unrealistic, both in campaign and multiplayer, the expansive online options make it one of the biggest online shooter communities.

            Call of Duty, once a small franchise has now turned into the world’s shooter sensation. One of its greatest games, CoD 4 Modern Warfare, brought the shooter industry to a whole new level. Here are the main highlights of CoD games.

 Since CoD 4, both Infinity Ward and Treyarch have made slick and heart pounding moments. Close squad mates killed, intense chases, and even dogs make the campaign top notch. I have never been so emotionally engaged in a shooter such as CoD. It seems its next title, Modern Warfare 3, will also deliver an intense campaign as it is set in what looks to be World War 3. The single player is what makes CoD games unique and engaging as opposed to the usually dull Battlefield campaigns.

However, CoD also shines in its multiplayer. Never before in a game does it allow you to create your own class as it was CoD 4 and later titles. The depth of the customization is enormous with weapons (primary and secondary), attachments, grenades, equipment, and perks. This deep system allows the player a much more personal play style. If you’re aggressive, go with a machine gun. Sneaky and fast, you should try a sub machine gun with a silencer and lightweight for speed. As you can see, CoD delivers an immersive system that has gamers like you weighing out all of his options for the perfect class. All of the different elements in create a class will have a direct impact on the field. This is where Battlefield comes short on as they already have boring set classes or a very limited customization option as it was featured on the Bad Company series.

Despite Battlefield’s very minor defects, there is a reason why it is one of the biggest shooters out there. Battlefield has always been set on a massive scale in both the campaign and multiplayer. Gargantuan battlefields, huge multiplayer lobbies, and vehicles make you feel like you’re part of a real war.

 Unlike Call of Duty’s small concentrated maps, Battlefield has maps spanning different environments that can fit up to 64 players on the PC. That’s over 5 times the amount of players than in Call of Duty which is usually 12 players. This creates an intense combat environment requiring teamwork from the rest of your 31 teammates. In addition to the massive teams, they are even further broken down into squads.

In Battlefield 2, players have the option to break into small squads. Each squad is headed by a team leader who reports to the commander. The commander has a huge responsibility for coordinating squads, giving orders, and providing support such as artillery or supply drops. This unique feature once again makes you feel you’re a part of something big. This is where CoD falls short on. Being pinned downed in a street by heavy machine gun fire and a tank? Have your squad leader report this to the Commander and he’ll rain fire on your enemies. The chain of command in this game is simple, but effective. When used right, it creates a virtual and realistic war zone with voice chat between the team. It is disappointing that CoD falls short on these aspects. In my opinion, in CoD you are a lone wolf. I feel that the CoD’s multiplayer is just walk around and shoot anyone on sight. This requires no thought or strategy to achieve victory.

Vehicles have always been a tradition in Battlefield and have made the environment double the intensity. The sniper, regular infantry’s worst enemy has you marked in an urban environment.  With armor such as tanks, they can provide you cover with their sheer size as you advance through the streets and can finally blow your enemy from his position. This adds a new tactical element of gameplay as to where these tanks should be. Should they be on the front covering infantry or on the flanks waiting to surprise the enemy from the sides? A good mix of both can provide a strategy worthy of a five star general once again making the Battlefield franchise its own.

Shooters of this age are the next big thing in gaming. Every year dozens of shooters are released trying to appeal to already loyal and new fans. However, few have the appeal of Battlefield or Call of Duty. Both are shooters, but totally different in various aspects. Call of Duty, the famous franchise known for epic campaigns and just shoot talk later multiplayer has dominated the industry. Battlefield, a well know PC franchise now on consoles stands out in its massive multiplayer battles and tactical engagement brings a new breed of shooter gaming. Whichever one you prefer, both companies make some of the best games out there in the market, and they go head to head this coming fall.

Forza 3: True Racing

Racing games have been a classic genre in the gaming industry. It has evolved from 2D birds eye view with crappy graphics to full HD and 3D real time racing. Few have been able to achieve a near perfect racing game, but Forza Motorsport 3 does exactly that.

            Forza made its debut in 2005 on the original Xbox. It received great reviews and continued to do so through all 3 games in the series, soon to be four games.

 One reason Forza 3 is so great is because of its stellar graphics. The details are fresh and crisp with realistic graphics. Every color is perfectly made to create a true masterpiece of gaming. Damages caused to the cars seem like the real thing with shards coming off at every crash.

            Forza’s gameplay is the best I’ve seen in any racing game. Car handling is realistic with turns matching your finger on the controller. Competitive AI keeps you challenged unlike many other racing games of the day.

            Many appreciate Forza for the depth. So many racing games today only focus on racing, but Forza goes deeper allowing you to customize your car and selecting which races to participate in. You can buy every single part that makes a car that affects your car’s performance like brakes, acceleration, speed, etc. Every decision you make will have an impact on your races. The persistent level up system is great which allows you access to new things in the garage.

            Forza 3 is something the world has not seen. It has revolutionized the racing industry and recent news of Forza 4 has many excited.

Mass Effect

Hey all you gamers. Today I will not be posting an article as I am on vacation and will not have time to create one. The articles after this by the way were created in advance but there will not be an article July 1. When I get back which will be this coming Saturday, I plan on getting the first Mass Effect because I want to know the entire story before I get Mass Effect 3. To those who have played the game, I would love to know all the info like which class to pick, tips, etc. Please leave them in the comments section. I can’t wait to get back to creating more articles for your pleasure next week. See you soon and happy gaming!

Halo 4: Will It Survive?

Fans were shocked when they learned that Halo Reach would be Bungie’s last title. The company that completed an Xbox has now left for new and better things. What happens now to the Halo series? On the bright side, Halo 4 is currently in the works as it was announced at E3 2011. The bad side is will it survive?

            Bungie created Halo with care, passion, and love. Will 343 Industries, Halo’s next developer, be able to achieve the same perfection like Bungie. The answer is no because Bungie’s work can never be replaced or duplicated. However, 343 Industries may have the capability of creating a whole new meaning for Halo. Perhaps it may be as good Halo Reach, maybe even better. However, that’s unlikely. What do you think? Do you think Halo will ever be the same again?

I believe that Halo has lost many fans after Bungie’s departure. Hopefully 343 Industries will be able to mend these wounds to forever continue the legacy of Halo

Gamestop Trade Ins & Selling Old Games

Do you realize that all businesses have one goal, to make a profit? Then why do many people deliberately take a part of Gamestop’s trade-in system. To those that have, I hope you realize that it’s a huge rip off.

Gamestop already sells many of their pre-owned games for ridiculously high prices. However, do you ever wonder how much they buy them for? You don’t even want to know the answer to that question because Gamestop’s trade in program is horrible.

 There are many alternatives to get rid of your old games and get a nice amount of cash back. Sell your games on Ebay and get a hefty amount back. Sometimes you may even get lucky and get more than what it is actually worth. However, for the most part, the money you get from selling online will always be higher than giving it to Gamestop. Be smart and don’t be tricked into participating in Gamestop’s trade-in program.

Ghost Recon Future Soldier: Gunsmith

The shooter market is the most competitive genre in the gaming industry these days. Games like Call of Duty and Battlefield dominate the crowd. It takes something unique to attract new attention. Ubisoft’s upcoming game, Ghost Recon Future Soldier, does just that.

            Many games have allowed you to customize your weapons like in CoD with color schemes, scopes, grips, etc. but nothing will be as in depth as Ghost Recon Future Soldier’s gunsmith. With gunsmith, players have the ability to create their own unique weapon. It is so in depth and weapons can be stripped down and customized to the bare bones. By bare bones I mean very specific things like the gas system and the stock. Of course the essentials are still there like scopes. All of these things are customizable via your controller or even with you bare hands and voice.

            Ghost Recon Future Soldier will support the Kinect system on the Xbox. With motion sensor and voice recognition technology, Ghost Recon has just put shooter gaming to the next step. This works flawlessly in gunsmith. By waving your hand, you will easily flip through the various customization options in gunsmith. Not only that, but with voice commands it is even possible for the game to build your own gun by saying words like “range” and “close quarters.” This revolutionary feature in the game will allow the game to create the perfect weapon for your current combat situation. This has never been seen before and I’m really excited to get my hands on it this upcoming January.

Best Weapon in Black Ops

There are so many guns to choose from in Call of Duty Black Ops. Sub machine guns, rifles, machine guns, and sniper rifles are the main categories. However, have you ever thought of a weapon that could act as a hybrid? The Ak74u does just that by acting as both a sub machine gun and a sniper rifle.

 

            At its core, the Ak74u is really a sub machine gun for its fast rate of fire. However, a few tweaks in the right hands can turn it into a deadly medium to long range killing machine. First off, slap on warlord as it will allow two weapon attachments. Next use grip and rapid fire for your two attachments. Grip will allow for better handling (accuracy), making it more like an assault rifle. Rapid fire will maximize its full potential for its rate of fire making it more like a submachine gun than it already is. What you get from these two attachments is the perfect weapon, in the right hands.

 

           
            Although this gun is near perfect, you still have to learn the tricks. As you can imagine, a gun with that fire rate will have the recoil like a horse’s kick. That’s why grip is there, but there will still be fairly heavy recoil. So how do you control this? Well, the easiest way is not to be a trigger happy beast. If you are and can’t stop it, this weapon is not for you. However, for those who can control their finger, when using this weapon, always use it in short 2-3 round bursts. This tactic will allow you to hit long range targets like a sniper. If a target is in your sights at long range, squeeze a bit on the trigger and it’s likely at least one of those rounds will score a hit. Only let very small time gaps between each shot to readjust from recoil, but don’t wait too long because the enemy may drop a bead on you. Keep repeating this process until your target goes down and you’ve become the new juggernaut.

 

            I hope you found this information useful in having a better Black Ops experience. Happy Gaming!

Xbox Live & the Smart Buyer

Xbox Live connects millions of people around the world daily. From family friendly games like Rockband, to intense shooters like Call of Duty, it’s just another way to get connected with new people through games. However, last year they raised the price from 50 to 60 dollars. Was this really necessary Microsoft?

 

With already millions of loyal customers, was it a smart choice to raise the price? All I have to say is that I was a little disappointed, but that didn’t stop me from buying more awesome games and playing online.

 

Fortunately for those of us with tight budgets, it’s possible to get Xbox Live subscriptions for a much cheaper price. First off, don’t buy anything below the year plan, you lose money otherwise. Unless you really aren’t going to play the Xbox for an extended period of time, the year plan is the way to go. Anyways, there are many places to buy Xbox Live subscriptions where you can save a lot of money. Might I also mention they’re legal before anyone asks. The most reliable retailer is Amazon. Amazon sometime sells their cards for as little as $40. Before the price went up, it was even at 30 dollars. You can save up to 20 dollars. Three years of live can get you one extra. Buy 3 get 1 free! Or if you like it this way, buy 3 and get a new copy of an upcoming game this year like CoD MW 3, AC Revelations, or Battlefield 3. If you’re out of a subscription now, they’re having a sale at $48.99 right now! Remember though that this may not always be the case. Be patient, wait a few weeks, and you’ll start filling up that piggy bank.

 

AC Revelations: Bombs

In the latest interviews of the fellows at Ubisoft, they have officially announced the introduction of bombs in their upcoming title Assassins Creed Revelations.

Throughout the game, players will collect special resources such as powders to create bombs. Their are tons of different combinations to create different bombs, such as smoke for cover and explosives for lethal attacks.

This new feature in Assassins Creed may change the gameplay for many players. For the tactical assassins, they may perhaps prefer smoke grenades to cover their position and then surprise their target. For the aggressive assassin, a quick shock and awe bomb will immediately disintegrate your enemies. In previous titles, to avoid combat and possible death, players often run to the rooftops to evade their pursuers. With bombs, however, it may be much easier to toss one right at the enemy(s) and be done with it, especially when you have a small army chasing you.

The new bomb feature will surely add more spice to the game. It will definitely revolutionize playing styles of many fans. I’m excited to hear more on one of Ubisoft’s biggest hits, Assassins Creed Revelations.