State of Play: PS3

It has been a difficult year for Sony. In fact it has been a difficult two years for Sony. In the last generation they were the industry leaders, and now they are in an increasingly distant third position. They continue to sell solid numbers of both game and hardware, but the other two console manufacturers are pulling away each month. This is not indicative of the quality of the PS3. Despite the nit-pickings of many bloggers it is indisputable that the PS3 has the most graphical potential of the three, and the inclusion of the Blu-Ray player also positions it as the most technologically advanced console there is. But it is in trouble, and at this point it is certain that the previous dominance it held last generation will be unattainable this generation.

Beyond the PR slip ups, the arrogance and the disregard for developers which caused its initial problems, the stumbling block for Sony is now price. With its more humble attitude and frank assessments of its position in the console war, Sony is trying much harder to court prospective developers and customers, but as the most expensive of the three it is proving to be a pretty daunting task. It is a well know fact that $200 is historically the magic price at which the most consoles are sold. The Wii is $250, you can buy an Xbox 360 for $200 and you can buy a PS3 for $400. The Wii has a unique interface, and the Xbox 360 games look pretty much the same as the PS3 ones so the average consumer will see little reason to throw away an extra $200. You can argue all day (and many will) about whether the Xbox 360 or the PS3 has the better games, but that is no longer relevant. It’s about Blu-Ray.

It is well known amongst those in the industry that the PS3 is one of the best (and one of the cheaper) Blu-Ray players available. But the general public doesn’t know that. And whether they care is also a different matter. But as recent figures have shown, and with the launch of the Dark Knight on Blu-Ray, it is rapidly gaining in popularity. What we don’t know is whether people buying are PS3 are doing so because it is a Blu-Ray player. Regardless, that is what Sony needs to focus on at this point. In the same way that DVD made the Playstation 2 the most popular machine last generation, Blu-Ray is Sony’s only real hope to gaining leverage in the market whilst being significantly more expensive than its rivals. And in the global economic recession that we are currently facing, price matters.

Sony has been slow to respond to the threat of Nintendo and Microsoft. What they need to do is to drop the price, which would be incredibly expensive for them. Failing that they need to pack in Blu-Rays with the PS3 to show the consumer what it is capable of. When it launched there were a lot of bundles that included either Spiderman 3 or Talladega Nights. Then they stopped doing it. If they had made a Christmas bundle that included the Dark Knight on Blu-Ray then the kind of sales figures they could have achieved would be significantly higher. At this point it is no longer arrogance that is holding them back, it is a lack of foresight.

State of Play: Xbox 360

Microsoft has had an excellent year in many ways, and yet they are in a strange and uncomfortable situation. Released before the Wii and Playstation 3, they had a long time to build a healthy lead. But the Wii has cruised passed them in worldwide sales, a fact that will no doubt be cause for concern at Microsoft. Both Microsoft and Sony have dealt with the Wii in the same way; by ignoring it. Neither can hope to attain similar sales to the Wii so instead they are content to fight each other in order to carve out a secure second place. And Microsoft has achieved it. They have opened up a lead over Sony which continues to grow due to its very competitive price point. And unless something changes dramatically that trend is likely to continue.

Microsoft seemingly has had a very clear strategy and has adhered to it with admirable resolve. By launching earlier and producing excellent hardcore games as well as an organized and robust online infrastructure to support them, they established themselves as the console of choice for those seeking top level competition. By buying exclusives and supporting developers, and well as being easier to develop games for than the PS3, they also made themselves popular amongst creators. And once you have a large user base the games will come. By getting exclusive Square-Enix RPGs and ensuring that Final Fantasy XIII and Tekken are going multiplatform they have taken away from Sony what many consumers will identify (incorrectly) as Sony brands. They have taken away a lot of reasons that people buy a Sony console. Recently they have begun to focus on more casual games with which they hope to eat into the Wii market (perhaps too little too late) and at $200 they have the most appealing price point.

Unfortunately I wish it was that simple. All the incredible inroads they have made into the video game industry in such a short space of time have come with their flagrant disregard for the consumers. Yes I’m sorry to bring it up again, but I’m talking about the Red Rings of Death. Xbox 360s break far more than a console should and it is shameful that this problem still exists. I’m aware that they extended warranties but that is simply not enough. They shouldn’t be able to sell you faulty hardware. With the recent introduction of the Jasper chip hopefully that problem should be a thing of the past. But it is breathtakingly disrespectful to the consumer that it has taken so long and that Microsoft has tried to deny or belittle this problem. But as people have become more invested in their 360’s more and more apologists have emerged who also try to play the malfunction off as a minor inconvenience. Whatever the product, no one should have to endure this kind of failure rate.

And there is sadly another example of misleading consumers. The Arcade unit could be some as a fantastic deal and an opportunity for people to get into games at a very low price. For those who know exactly what they are getting and use it accordingly they are indeed getting a great deal. For those less well informed they are being misled. What you won’t see on the Arcade unit box is that it cannot play every game for the 360. Yes the number of games is minuscule, but even so it is somewhat deceptive. The promise of having netflix is also unusable without a hard drive which the Arcade unit does not have. Both Sony and Microsoft have been responsible for causing consumer confusion with multiple SKUs of their console. Nintendo only has one. In the last generation they were disrespectful to their consumers by quickly and callously cutting off support for the Xbox after the launch of the 360. It is sad that we as consumers are so quick to forgive.

So what about the future for the Xbox? Well even more so than Sony and Nintendo they will have their eye on the next generation as their console is significantly older. They have a massive opportunity to shape the games industry by coming out first and with the amazing way in which Xbox Live has developed it will be a treat to see how that service evolves. What they have achieved within the space of two consoles is incredible and it is clear they will be a dominant force in the industry in the future. But do they take on the elephant in the room? Will they go after Nintendo and try to appeal to the mass market, adopting the ‘Blue Ocean’ strategy? Or will they try to crush Sony in the competition for the best system for hardcore gamers. It is very difficult to do both. I suspect the latter will be more likely, the next machine being a very powerful machine with a traditional control method, but that will prove to be an even more integral entertainment hub than before. If they feel that they can knock Sony out of the game, then there will only be one other competitor. Whilst I am very excited to see what Microsoft can bring to consumers, I do so with a sense of foreboding. I can only hope that they will have more respect for the consumer than they have done this generation.

State of Play: Wii

Two years after its launch the Wii has continued to surpass everyone’s expectations. Before its release many in the industry predicted that the Wii would fail due to its dated technology and strong competition from the already established Xbox 360 and PS3. And whilst at $250 it was the cheapest of the three consoles, it still seemed unlikely that it could compete with the superior capabilities of the other two consoles without becoming even cheaper and appealing to the ‘impulse purchase’ market.

Well here we are two years later. By September 2008 the PS3 had sold 16.84 million consoles, the Xbox 360 has sold 25 million up to November 2008 and the Wii had sold a staggering 34.55 million by September 2008. In November in North America alone it sold more than 2 million consoles. And it is still in short supply. Nintendo can’t keep up with demand. People still want a machine that is essentially, on last generation technology. Why?

Well as difficult as it may be for those in the industry to fathom, Wii could be on its way to establishing itself as a separate form of entertainment. Try to think of a brand which has truly universal appeal; including all age ranges and cultures. It is pretty difficult to come up with more than a handful. But Wii has that universal appeal. Once they have established sufficient motor skills, very young children can play and it also taps into the massive elderly market that no other console has a chance of attracting. It’s called the ‘Blue Ocean’ strategy in which you try to appeal to everyone. So is it really possible for the Wii to attain a similar status to television? As crazy as it sounds it does have a chance. Whilst many bemoan the lack of quality software, many will simply use Wii Sports as their bowling/ golf/ boxing/ baseball/ tennis simulator, or Wii Fit as an alternative to costly gym membership. Separate from the Playstation, separate from the Xbox 360, the Wii has emerged as a new genre, ‘game entertainment’. Realistically speaking, it wouldn’t be surprising if Nintendo never made another hardcore game again. Whilst it is sad for a gamer like myself to see a dearth in quality titles from a company that I have always liked, it isn’t for people like me anymore. The hardcore gamer has been left behind in favor of the soccer mom. Whilst I appreciate the fact that I can buy old Nintendo classics on the Virtual Console, Nintendo has an incredible library of games that still mysteriously remain absent. And having them charge so much for their most dedicated fans to repurchase games that we have purchased so, so many times already (I have three versions of Mario 64 now and the last three Animal Crossings I purchased seem remarkably similar) shows little sentiment for loyalty. Nintendo has left behind its base. It has gone into the ‘Blue Ocean’.

So it does have a chance but there are a number of interesting choices that Nintendo will have to make from now on. Whilst it has surpassed the idea that it is merely a fad, that isn’t to say that its popularity won’t decline. People could get tired of the Wii and it certainly doesn’t have the experience and depth of the television industry to support it. As of now it is impossible to imagine how consumers will react. And what do Nintendo do when it comes to making the next iteration of their console? Will it be called the Wii 2? Or will they go with Wii HD, to align it more closely with the transition that the television industry is making. Will people want a Wii HD or will they be content will playing Wii Sports forever? Nintendo are undoubtedly considering these factors (they must be doing something because they certainly aren’t using their resources to make decent games) so it will be fascinating to see how the lifecycle of the system plays out and how they adjust to the next generation. Specifically will they change the Wiimote, the method of interaction? If they change it then essentially they will be playing into people’s desire for new technology. The conservative, but conceptionally bolder move would be to stick with the Wiimote, as if to say to the consumer that like the television, the Wii is an entertainment device, rather than a video game console.

The inconvenience of Death

Video games have always interpreted death in a very liberal sense. It is not so much an ending as it is in impediment or an inconvenience. In a similar sense ‘lives’ are also defined in a number of ways depending on the creator’s vision. At its essence these terms are a form of making the experience easier or more difficult. A lot of the early video games such as Pac Man and Mario owe their system of a relatively small number of lives to the arcade philosophy. If you die you can try again. But whilst on consoles this means the only thing you have lost is your time, in arcades paying more would allow you to continue from where you left off. It was how they encouraged you to spend more. Since then the concept of lives has changed considerably although some games still adhere to the old system.

With this in mind it is interesting to consider the criticism of games such as Ubisoft’s reinvention of the Prince of Persia franchise. Much of this criticism is centered on the idea that it is too easy. Whilst this is indeed a valid criticism from the perspective of reviewers, it is specifically the criticism that you cannot ‘die’ that seems somewhat naïve. In the game, if you are about to die your companion will always save you, whether that means she pulls you up to prevent falling into an abyss, or intervening when and enemy is about to finish you off. In both scenarios the player is punished by taking them back in the level, or regenerating the enemy’s health. Either way you lose something.



So why has this become an issue? Of course video games used to be more difficult than they are now, and you can’t die in a traditional sense but why is that necessarily a bad thing? One of the aspects of Prince of Persia that ahs been praised is its seamless nature. The character traverses the environment in a fluid smooth motion and the way in which he physically interacts with the companion character is very natural to the point where she in no way impedes your progress, an impressive feat in modern games. The punishment system is merely an extension of that.

As games have moved towards more mature and involving narratives, the concept of death has proved to be more and trickier as a plot device. If the basic plot revolves around your character surviving to the end then how can your failure as a player be explained? Many games simply ignore this. Your character dies, you ‘come back to life’ and you get another chance. It is an uncomfortable marriage of convenience between the internal logic of the plot and ‘video game’ logic. It is something that the player endures, or turns a blind eye to in order to be drawn into the game.

Even games which have tried to address the issue have solutions which stretch the suspension of disbelief. Take 2K’s Bioshock for example. Whilst the narrative was very impressive, it’s approach to ‘lives’ was very flawed in terms of the plot. When you activated Vita Chambers, you would instantly return to them once you died, with full health restored. The explanation of this was that your DNA was taken, cloned and therefore you were resurrected after your death. Of course this leads to so many plot holes that I will not even begin to discuss here.

Life and death in videogames has always and will always be the elephant in the room as a narrative device. I’m not advocating that all games attempt to find a way to express them as internal logic. But certainly Prince of Persia should be praised for its unique way to attempt to deal with the paradox of a main character’s death, rather than derided for it.

You can't speak in Home but you c** **so text

Censorship is a thorny subject for everyone, and sadly that issue has surfaced once more in Playstation Home. Whilst there are a lot of censorship issues in video games, censorship of the people who use them is an even trickier prospect than the contents of the games themselves. This is not exclusive to games, but rather to any internet interaction. But whilst the internet chat rooms can be controlled with delicate moderation, much of it is still a lawless environment where expletives, racial slurs, sexual harassment and homophobia run riot. The problem for people who provide the services for online interaction is that they must show some degree of responsibility in policing them in order to make their services usable by children, or anyone not wishing to be subjected to this kind of language.

Nintendo has dealt with this through a rather heavy handed but effective way. Unless you know the person with whom you wish to communicate, well, you can’t. Their solution is ‘Friend codes’, 16 digit codes that need to be inputted in order to communicate with the console that the number is assigned to. Unless you have your friend’s codes, you can’t contact them. In addition to that some games require additional codes in order to play specific games. Whilst many feel this to be unnecessarily draconian, nonetheless it does ensure that users are better protected. If you are going to be abused you can be sure that it will be by someone you know.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 have pretty similar systems in place which mean that when you are playing an online game you can chat with the other users. If that person is someone you no longer want to hear screaming at you, you can choose to mute them or block any interaction with them, or to report them. This system is of course very flawed but it gives some form of control to the individual users and essentially relies on gamers being discerning about what they personally choose to censor.

And then we come to Playstation Home. This is essentially a three-dimensional chat rooms with all the benefits and problems that that entails. Recently it was patched and an interesting change that was made is that the use of voice chat has been disabled. So whilst Home is about communication, for now Home has gone silent. As someone who only uses text, I am certainly relived that I will no longer be subjected to hearing the chatter of a mass of preteens as I wander around, but this is clearly a short term solution. Home was meant to be about the future and the omission of voice chat is clearly a step in the wrong direction for something which aspires to be the future of online interaction. How they deal with it will be very interesting to observe. What can you do about people giving their opinions? Should you censor what people say? Well, as contrary as it is to my usual stance on censorship I do feel that there should be some protection for children. Whether Sony has the technical ability, resources and delicacy to handle this issue may be the difference between whether Home succeeds, or becomes a rallying crying for politicians to have more stringent control over games.

As a closing thought let me relate what some video games journalists were discussing. When he tried to a message to his friend in Home he wanted to say ‘You can also text.’ It appeared on screen as ‘You c** **so text.’ See which letters were asterixed to work out what Home was censoring. Oh and he also tried to type ‘Merry ******mas’.

Imagination is endless... unfortunately

It's the end of the world as we know it

The imagine series represents the evolution of the videogame industry, from the videogame industry into the mainstream. It also represents its evolution from the videogame industry into the ‘it-doesn’t-really-matter-what-we-do-any-more industry’. The imagine series features just about everything you would never want (I’m full aware that I am not the intended target audience of this franchise) along with some of the worst products ever shoveled onto a shelf. Lead paint based toys from China are less damaging to your children’s’ health than this garbage, and I guess it just goes to show that there are worse things out there than sex or violence. Take a look at the list of titles (courtesy of Wiki) available now and feel your blood curdle in disgust.

Imagine: Master Chief (2007) (known as Imagine: Happy Cooking in PAL regions)
Imagine: Fashion Designer (2007)
Imagine: Babyz (2007) (known as Imagine: Babies in PAL regions)
Imagine: Figure Skater (2008)
Imagine: Rock Star (2008) (known as Imagine: Girls Band in Australia and Imagine: Girl Band in Europe)
Imagine: Teacher (2008)
My Secret World by Imagine (2008)
Imagine: Babysitters (2008)
Imagine: Baby Club (2008)
Imagine: Fashion Model (2008)
Imagine: Modern Dancer (2008)
Imagine: Fashion Designer New York (2008)
Imagine: Champion Rider (2008)
Imagine: Pet Hospital (2008)
Imagine: Interior Designer (2008)
Imagine: Wedding Designer (2008)
Imagine Dream Wedding (2008)
Imagine Party Babyz (2008)
Imagine: Ballet Star (2008)
Imagine: Movie Star (2008)
Imagine: Gymnast (2008)

There are so many things about this list to enrage and confuse, but I guess at least I have to give some respect to the PAL regions marketing teams who at least had the self respect to spell babies correctly. But the fact that there is a game called 'Babies' and one called 'Babysitters', and one called 'Baby Club'... and one called 'Party Babies'. I can't decide whether the idea of 'Party' babies, or a club for babies is more disturbing.


An in-game 'action' shot from imagine babyz

And in case you hadn’t noticed there were an astonishing eighteen games in the ‘Imagine’ series released in 2008 alone. By next year it will be double that. By 2020 50% of all videogames will be released under the ‘Imagine’ brand. By 2067 the ‘Imagine’ will have taken over the world and enslaved us all, except for a small but determined pocket of resistance known as the ‘Rebel Alliance’. Prepare for the bleak future now. Start imagining. Because 'Imagination' is endless.


Look at this picture. Now look at the one at the top. Why?

Waiting for XIII

Looks good doesn't it? I hope it keeps you warm for the next year because you shouldn't expect it anytime soon

This year has seen some great games spanning nearly every genre, with one notable exception. Whilst Tales of Vesperia and Valkyria Chronicles were well received games, the first is little more than a slightly more graphically impressive last generation game and Valkyria falls into the strategy category. This year we haven’t seen any amazing Japanese RPGs. Considering that at the beginning of the year many felt that there was so much potential, what happened? Why has the promise of the next generation of RPGs faded weakly as we look back on the year?
Certainly there were a number of games which were expected to succeed, in particular the Square-Enix 360 exclusive RPGs. Lost Odyssey was pretty good, Infinite Undiscovery was okay and the Last Remnant was critically mauled. This was hardly what we expected of the biggest and most prolific JRPG company. If they can’t invigorate the genre then what hope is there for it? And yet if you look at some of the other systems there were a number of excellent JRPGs this year. Square-Enix released two of the best DS RPGs in The World Ends with You and Final Fantasy IV. One was a unique and stylish foray into new territory and the other was a highly polished remake of an older games. Both were very good. The Playstation 2 hosted one of the best reviewed games on any system in Persona 4, which continued a popular franchise on older hardware rather than switching to the PS3 or 360. But no one managed to achieve the same feat on the current generation systems. Even Sony’s big hope, White Knight chronicles only scored 29/40 in respected Japanese games magazine Famitsu, and that was made by Level 5. A company that has always made incredible RPGs combined with the hype for this game meant that it has already been seen as a big disappointment.

So where does that leave us? Well for a start I wouldn’t sell your PS2 just yet if you are a fan of Japanese RPGs. And with last year looking to be so good and falling short, the prospects for next year also feel rather lack luster. Of course with one notable exception. Everyone is waiting for XIII. XIII will save the day. XIII will change everything. XIII will change your life. Has it really come to this? We have to wait for Final Fantasy to come along before the next generation of JRPGs kicks off? Apparently so. So that means more waiting and more heartbreaking delays for those of us who are desperate to play with spiky haired angst ridden protagonists. And who knows, it might not be until 2010 that it is finally released. So far this generation has been full of disappointment. The wait continues.

Peripheral Vision: Seaman

On one hand Seaman is not as disgusting as it sounds. On the other hand it is more disturbing than you could imagine. Microphones are now commonplace and most online game experiences are enhanced through using them to communicate with friends or foes. But back in the days of the Dreamcast the microphone opened up a new and frightening possibility for the peripheral. You could talk to your mutant fish. That has the face of a Japanese salary man. Welcome to the world of Seaman.
Seaman is a creature that you look after, from its egg phase through to its final evolution. It is a horrific journey. The young Seamen eat each other until the largest one emerges as the sole survivor (having previously been incubating in another fish’s stomach before bursting out of it) and it is just you and him. Having seen him (it?) cannibalizes its brethren it has hardly endeared itself to you. But there is the microphone and its time to use it. Because you will be talking to Seaman every day in order to teach him to speak. And at first it will be fun. The say something and it will repeat it. Until one day when you realize just how much it understands. And then it gets creepy. You ask it simple questions, and it answers. You answer its questions and it knows what you are saying. You get angry and abuse it and, well, it insults your mum. That was a hell of a shock. In the end it is a difficult game to continue playing. Whilst the microphone is a peripheral that opens up a whole new way of interacting with your console, having played this game I think it’s better to leave sleeping fish-with-Japanese-man’s-face alone.

Peripheral Vision: Sega Bass fishing

Whilst the Wii remote has made many peripherals obsolete, there is still no denying that having a real fake replica (figure that one out) is far more satisfying. This classic peripheral is further evidence of this. The Sega Bass fishing rod controller achieved the impossible and convinced the player that rather than being a sport for middle-aged men trying to escape their family, it was a thrill-a-minute dramatic sport that should be sponsored by an energy drink. Playing Sega Bass Fishing without the fishing rod controller is like… well I’m not going to both with more similes. Just don’t do it. But settle down with the rod and feel every tremor and vibration, every rattle and shake as well as the weight of the pull indicating the size of the prey. No matter how (surprisingly) exciting Sega Bass fishing was, it paled in comparison with Sega Marine fishing. Forget puny bass, this was about catching Marlin, Eels and Hammerhead sharks. Add in the virtual aquarium which you could fill up with various sea life and scenery and you never need to face the great outdoors again. Grab a six pack of beer, don a baseball cap and build a boat out of cushions. You aren’t going anywhere.

Mascotpedia: Dear Daniel

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you the magical, the mysterious, the ‘who the hell is he’ wonder that is Dear Daniel. Yeah you heard me, Dear Daniel. He is rarely seen, an enigma wrapped in a conundrum. But from what information I can gather, he is Hello Kitty’s bit on the side. He will forever be in the shadow of his omnipresent better half, growing bitter and jaded over his future prospects. Judging by how little Daniel merchandise there is, he just isn’t important to her. You have to search pretty hard to find something that bears his likeness. So with not much to go on, what can be speculated about Dear Daniel? Why the hell does he have a human name? Does his ‘Dear’ refer to the fact that he is an important friend, or just that he loves writing letters? Just how does he feel about being in a relationship with a girlfriend whose image is plastered all over the place? Perhaps we will never know. But next time you catch a rare glimpse of his stoic visage, spare a thought for poor Dear Daniel, the Sanrio equivalent of the other members of the Jackson Five. Don’t let him fade into obscurity.

Akihabara Guide: Asobit City (character goods)

As I mentioned previously there are two Asobit stores in Akihabara. This one is located close to Super Potato on the other side of the street. And it is well worth a visit. Whilst perhaps not as famous as Animate, this Asobit store has a fantastic range of anime, manga, video game and pop culture merchandise and all for pretty reasonable prices. It has all the benefits of being a new store, such as its size, cleanliness and abundance of new stock, as well as embracing a number of goods that you might not expect to find in such a mainstream store. There are seven floors and all are worth checking out, but in any case the top floor is a must visit. On this floor you get a pretty good range of anime related T-shirts and accessories as well as some cosplay and toys. But it is the dolls section that is the most eye-catching. You may have heard that it is somewhat popular for people to buy doll parts, accessories and clothing and then to create their perfect character. This is serious stuff too; you aren’t buying some beach holiday Barbie. Here you can buy hands, toes, wrist joints, eyeballs and even eyelashes. It’s worth seeing the doll clothes too. I’m sure that some of the outfits you can purchase are more expensive than the clothes you are wearing now. And then along the back wall they have the life sized female figures. I believe that even the biggest perverts would be somewhat taken aback by the proportions of some of these characters. Let’s say that if they were real women then their spine would have imploded. Someone made these life-sized dolls. Someone who had serious breast issues. Well, either that or the ones that look like ten year olds. Which is worse? You decide. If you are still interested and have about ¥300,000 to spare then go ahead and pick up a plastic companion. After your friends all abandon you it will be nice to have some company. Still, this store contains everything you want to buy if you want to get some character goods, and shows you things you didn’t even know you wanted to see for the curious visitors.

Game Reviews: Resistance 2

Resistance 2 is a game that demands respect. As a PS3 console exclusive (and the sequel to a much lauded PS3 launch title) it is a rallying point for PS3 owners to justify their choice of console. When the PS3 launched everyone agreed that Resistance was the one game you had to get. So how does the sequel fare in comparison?



Resistance 2 is two different games. On one hand there is a graphically stunning, yet slightly hollow and unsatisfying single player campaign, and on the other there is a graphically stunted, yet incredibly smooth and impressive multiplayer experience. Of the two, the multiplayer mode will undoubtedly consume more of your time and essentially it saves the game from mediocrity.
The single player mode is by no means poor. In fact there are visual set pieces in the game which surpass any other game in terms of scale. Insomniac had always claimed that the focus of the single player campaign was to create a sense of scale, and they can rest assured that they convey this sense perfectly. The boss battles in particular are jaw dropping. However, actually fighting the bosses is no more interesting or fun than in any other FPS. In fact the boss battles are slightly dull once you get used to how visually stunning your titanic opponents are. They all have very simple patterns, can only be injured at certain times, display little intelligence and are pretty easy. Therefore what should have been one of the best features of the game is unfortunately one of the least interesting aspects.
The normal enemies are actually pretty varied and interesting. Some are very simplistic and their only A.I. seems to be charging blindly at you but at least they do so in an interesting way. Having invisible foes or lightning fast zombies does prove to be an adequate replacement for a tactical struggle, and the Chimera are will attempt to use cover and so on. But they never seem to be particularly cunning foes.

Fortunately the feeling of controlling the character is very good and the aiming has tightened up considerably since the first game. The weapons are all fun to use which is a saving grace for the campaign. So many of them are enjoyable to use and the secondary fire functions provide an additional element to make every weapon useful in some way. But this is why the game succeeds so much more as a multiplayer gamer than a single player one. The tights controls and weapons carry over but leaving behind the less desirable aspects of the single player campaign. The sense of scale is recreated though with massive battles catering for up to sixty players. Despite the size, the games still feel very focused and you never feel as though you have no opportunity to make an impact. Insomniac deserves a lot of credit for not only managing to support sixty player games, but to make them fun as well. The cooperative mode is also very well executed because it has been meticulously crafted. There are three different classes to choose from in this mode (Solider, Medic and Special Ops) and it is impossible to complete a mission without all three classes on your side and working together. Whilst this can make the experience initially frustrating, this mode proves to be the most rewarding of the three, and which experience points leading to leveling up which leads to better equipment, it gives you a reason to return to it even if you clear all of the cooperative campaign missions. It should be noted though that very few people use microphones, which depending on how you look at it either makes the game much harder, or more peaceful.



Resistance 2 was met with a very mixed response by the gaming press, and that is completely understandable. For many, their disappointment with the single player campaign and the completely disinteresting plot of the second game (I have played it twice and remember little worthy of mention) carried over into their assessment of the game overall, and blemished their view of the multiplayer. But after nine hours of time in the campaign, you will likely be spending a lot more time in the superb experience that is battling others online, so it is with that in mind that I can recommend Resistance 2. I simply hope that the inevitable sequel rediscovers the soul that this game lacked.

7.5/10

Top Five: ways to annoy people on Home

With the launch of Home proving somewhat disappointing, you soon realize that you have to make your own fun. You could be a virtual model citizen, politely conversing with people of all races and nationalities and expanding your world. Or you could be a jerk. This list celebrates those who favor the second choice. Without further ado here are the top five ways to be a jerk in Playstation Home.

Dancing is one of the greatest things about Home. I really can’t emphasize just how entertaining it is to see your virtual counterpart body pop and salsa. As hilarious as it is, there is no sane reason as to why it is there. There is no virtual disco (yet). So it must be there to annoy and confuse. And it does. For the best results, get a group of your friends to run up to and surround a stranger then start doing the running man dance in unison. They will obviously flee in panic. Rinse and repeat.

Running man dance

All the avatars in Home are fully 3D models, meaning you can’t go through them. So just as in real life if you stand in front of a door then other people can’t get past you. Oh sure, they can go into the menu screen and warp to another area, but by then the damage is already done. You have inconvenienced someone. Congratulations.

In the same vein, you can actually prevent other people from accessing entertainment. For some bizarre reason Sony made Home so that if you want to play one of the activities it has to be available to do so. Simply put, if all of the pool tables are being played on, you have to wait for other people to finish their game. Which is ridiculous because whilst it is something we have to put up with in the real world, why in the name of (insert appropriate deity) would we want to in a virtual world? It would be like having a Disneyland videogame where you actually had to wait two hours before going on Thunder Mountain. So with that in mind feel free to prevent other people from having fun. Without the danger of having your head smashed in with a pool cue.

Giving the silent treatment is something kids do. It is immature and pointless. So go ahead and creep people out by reverting to childhood! Yes when someone tries to give you a friendly greeting, slowly turn to face them. Impassively make no response, then after about thirty seconds get your avatar to shake their head in disgust (yes they can do that). Then slowly walk away, glancing over your shoulder. You have just destroyed someone’s self-confidence in meeting new people. Bam.



Despite its limitations, there is a, literally, quiet dignity to text communication. The keyboard blocks out the shrill screech of teenagers, the incomprehensibility of different accents, and the pomposity that is prevalent throughout the world. But in Home you can communicate by microphone. You need no imagination to figure out the avenues that opens up. Sing, shout, pretend you are the guy from Police Academy, subject everyone to your love of German Opera music, it is entirely up to you. Just be aware that if you do then you are destined for an afterlife spent in the ‘hot basement.’

So there you have it. A guide to being a jerk… but please don’t. Ok maybe for ten minutes, but then try to play nice. There are enough jerks in real life, let’s try to have one area that we can escape to. If only it didn’t feel so good to be bad…

Home watch: the online sausage fest

Thank the Lord there is no such thing as virtual rohypnol

Whilst statistically the number of female gamers has increased significantly in recent times, I implore all women to think of their own safety when entering the virtual world of Playstation Home. Or if you are starved for affection and in need of some self confidence that you can garner from being hit on by an endless supply of horny strangers, then jump on in. Or if you a guy who just likes the attention, then create your own female avatar and do the same thing. Why? Well because entering the virtual world of Home in a skirt is going to get you noticed. Big time. Going into Home one of the first things that will strike you is how generic everyone looks. Then eventually after wandering around for a while, the realization will hit you; there are no women. Yes like a classic Star Trek episode, you appear to have landed on a planet entirely populated by male GAP models (that’s just what the avatars look like). And then you spot something unusual out of the corner of your eye. A girl. You reel back in shock, but by then it is too late. The swarm of virtual men have descended upon her, obliterating her from sight. You can no longer see her, simply a scrum of men all asking the same question, “Are you a real girl?” Actually I have expressed that far more eloquently than you see in Home. Examples of what you might see are, “Rel Gir???” “GIRL?” RU DEF GIRL?” and “Prove u real”. There are far more hilarious ones that I can’t write here due to the fact that they are likely to offend everyone. I want to believe that in real life these men are far more charming and sophisticated than their virtual counterparts, and it is only behind the anonymity of a keyboard that evolution never happened. And then comes the most hilariously majestic sight that you can only see in Home. The girl makes a run for it. Yes, she burst through the crowd and jogs away as fast as her digital legs can carry her to try and find somewhere a little less crowded. After a moment, the men realize and the chase is on. It is as if Fox Hunting was never banned. A solitary figure flees from a mob of pursuers. All of which are trying to stake a claim, “Yer lez get away frm thez NOOBZ”, “Leave her alone guyz”, “Lets chat away frm dem.” As you stand in the virtual mall, marveling at the collapse of the virtual society, perhaps like me the Benny Hill music begins to creep into your head. Social experiments have never been so funny.

Home watch: even in a fake world they are selling you stuff

Virtual consumerism comes Home



Welcome to the terrifying world of 3D chat rooms.
Some background information first. For those who have never heard of it (the vast majority of the population) Playstation Home was recently launched. If you know what Second Life is, it’s a watered-down version of that concept. If you don’t know what Second life is, it is basically a chat room in which you have a virtual representation of yourself and you can interact with other real people in a virtual space. It’s a chat room. Now you have an idea of the basic concept, let me elaborate on just why it is the greatest, and most horrific thing to ever grace console hardware.

First and foremost Playstation Home is a monument to consumerism, marketing and exploitation of customers. Yes in Home you have your own apartment and some limited clothing and furniture, but for now if you want to look even slightly different from everyone else (there are only six t shirts you can wear and the color scheme can’t be changed) then you have to cough up some dough. Yes, that’s right, real money for virtual clothing. The world has gone mad. The irony of having to pay for individuality is somewhat amusing, but not for long. In the virtual world there are virtual stores that sell real life brands, so to add insult to the injury, essentially they are asking you to pay in order to advertise their products. I am aware that this is also true in real life but I guess that finally breaks down the idea of videogames as a form of escapism. I promise to report to you if Ronald McDonald shows up. And yet even the clothing is not the worst offender in prying you away from your real hard earned cash. Want to buy a new table? That’s two dollars please. A chair? One dollar sir. How about this origami crane? 59cents and leave your self respect at the door too. Blatant marketing is one thing. To make us pay for it is downright insulting.

UFO catchers...what happened to my money?

UFO catchers (I have no idea why they are called that) are surprisingly common in Japan. Certainly in England the only place that you were likely to find them was in an amusement park, but Japan is chock full of these time and money swallowers. As a recovering addict I know that despite the fact I haven’t touched one for a long time, just one moment of weakness and I could be back into my cycle of despair. You see, a few years back for a couple of months, I was really into these things. And I mean really into them. I wasted about ¥4000 once try to win stuff in Sega World. When you live on a salary which forces you to eat packet noodles with tinned tuna for dinner five days a week, that is a lot of money. And the worst thing is you don’t really want the prize. It may look pretty cool in the machine but once you win it, take it home and put it on your shelf, it is a worthless space filler. Whilst I have purged most of my UFO catcher collection from my house I have kept one or two things as a reminder of my past follies. It is the feeling of winning that is so compelling, and why recovering addicts like myself twitch when we pass by the flashing lights and the glint of the seductive glass. The feeling that you got something for less than its retail value is akin to finding a bargain. You may not really want what is on sale, but it is so cheap that you can’t resist. But of course they are not on sale. You have to win them, and that is easier said that done. Whilst it is certainly easier to win on these machines than the ones in England, there is always the possibility that you will end up spending ¥4000 to win nothing as I did one fateful day. That is something you will be able to reflect on when you are still a few days from payday and you have to beg your friends to lend you enough money to get to work. Don’t be a chump. Just say NO to UFO catchers kids.