Tag: gaming

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One – Kinect = Win

XBOX fans rejoice! Kinect is no longer mandatory! According to IGN during a recent Ask Microsoft Anything event XBOX Corporate Vice President Marc Whitten has stated that the Kinect is no longer required for the XBOX One to function. You can now use your videogame console for playing videogames just like nature intended. No awkward camera controls, no restrictive DRM policies. The removal of the mandatory Kinect functionality should come as a huge relief to fans as not having the peripheral means that now you should be able to acquire the new machine at a lower price and owners of the XBOX One will no longer have to worry about what happens to their console if the Kinect becomes damaged or broken.

 

The mandatory inclusion of the Kinect 2.0 peripheral for the XBOX One to function was a puzzling choice for Microsoft to make considering that the original Kinect had a fairly high dissatisfaction level among the people who bought it. It is understandable that Kinect 2.0 is supposedly a much more refined device but with the original Kinect’s poor reception among users, a mandated successor to the Kinect for the brand new XBOX One to function seemed counterintuitive.

 

Making the Kinect an option and allowing the XBOX One to function freely without it is the latest in Microsoft’s policy reversal’s. After the removal of the XBOX One’s highly restrictive DRM policies and always online requirements this latest concession from Microsoft is promising for the future of their newest console. The mandatory Kinect was one of the unpopular XBOX One features to survive the post E3 fallout where Microsoft reversed many of its other unpopular features. Microsoft’s direction with the XBOX one has changed drastically since this year’s E3 in June. This is largely in part because of abysmal reactions from the entire gaming community. Its inspiring to see fan feedback affect a billion dollar company like Microsoft so dramatically.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

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Wii U News

You can now add Bethesda Softworks to the growing list of 3rd party developer/publishers who aren’t making games for the Wii U. Some of the games Bethesda has brought us over the years include The Elder Scrolls and Fallout 3. Bethesda’s parent company ZeniMax Media acquired legendary developer id software in 2009 thus all games created by id are now published by Bethesda this includes the highly anticipated Doom 4.

 

Bethesda’s reasoning for not developing new titles for the Wii U is different than other 3rd party developers who claim that there just isn’t a high enough home install base for the console. Pete Hines, Bethesda’s Vice President of marketing told Joystiq in a recent interview at Quake-con that “it’s largely a hardware thing.” Stating that Bethesda makes the games that they want to make on whatever hardware that will support those games.

 

Yesterday  8/7/13 Nintendo held another Nintendo Direct broadcast online. It started off with Sonic Lost World which has really bizarre level designs sort of like navigating cylinders through strange backgrounds  you can move 360 degrees to progress. I can’t help but think this game was originally intended to be a tech demo for Sonic. The game does support 3DS and Wii U cross play. It wasn’t clear if your progress from either platform would carry over to the other but you can share items between gaming devices. Only a handful of Wii U games were mentioned and for the most part were even glossed over like a recent Luigi U title. These games included Art Academy Sketch Pad, Pikimin 3, Pokemon Rumble, and Windwaker HD a Wii U an HD update of a twelve year old Zelda game and of course the previously mentioned Sonic Lost World.

 

The Nintendo 3DS got a lot more attention at the Direct event. Many retro classics are coming to 3DS including the likes of the original NES version of Donkey Kong, Tecmo Bowl and Super Mario Bros. 3. Professor Layton will be seeing two new titles coming to America in 2014 and one of those games will be an Ace Attorney Pheonix Wright crossover game. The Professor Layton games were the most impressive of any titles shown at the Nintendo Direct event and they look amazing. Zelda has another 3DS title coming out called A Link Between Worlds. Part of the concept of the game is that their is a dark mirror version of the Tri-force. It sounded like an interesting idea but it was further described like the game would have two worlds that were almost exactly the same “but slightly different” and Link can now become a living cave painting that can walk on walls.

 

There will be a new feature coming to Animal Crossing known as the Plaza. It is sort of a hub for users to socialize and learn about upcoming events in the Animal Crossing world and that feature is free to download. That is about all that was covered at yesterday’s Nintendo Direct Event and another Nintendo Direct event was announced for tomorrow 8/9/13 called the “Wonderful 101 Direct Event.” An update will be posted after the event so come back tomorrow to learn all about this upcoming Wii U superhero game.

 

Before I go I would like to have a quick Jerry Springer-esque moment like Jerry Does at the end of all his shows. To be brutally honest a lot of these games look painfully cutesy. With the exception of the new Professor Layton games for the 3DS, which look very promising, most of the games shown look like they are appealing to children under the age of 6. I know Nintendo prides itself on its whimsy and the children at heart but you can still make great looking games within those parameters. Here is the link to the Pokemon Rumble U trailer and here is the link to the Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy trailer. Pokemon is releasing on the Wii U home console and Professor Layton is coming out on the handheld 3DS. I get that they are entirely different style games with different demographics but if Professor Layton is possible on a handheld gaming console would it really be so much to ask to make the Pokemon game at least somewhat resemble the cartoon show it was based on? Its puzzling to see Nintendo allow a game involving a franchise with a huge fanbase like Pokemon to look this poor considering the potential of the games basic idea, especially when you are trying to sell consoles.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

 

 

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Nintendo Woes

I am not sure if you know this, but Nintendo has a new console. In fact they have had a new console on the market for about nine months now. The console is called the Wii U. Which is actually similar to the sound a child makes when they are impersonating an ambulance siren. This is kind of a fitting analogy because the Wii U for all intents and purposes is getting very close to being put on life support. ( Brace yourself because here comes a few sales figures. I know its like math but I simplified it you’ll be fine. ) Since its release last November the Wii U has posted sales of about 3.6 million units worldwide. To put things into perspective Nintendo’s previous console the Wii sold 9.3 million units in the same amount of time. If you compare unit sales between December 31st and June 30th of their respective launch years the Wii sold just over 6 million units while the Wii U has sold about 550 thousand units. These numbers are fairly troublesome for a company that wishes to stay relevant in a market where Microsoft and Sony are poised to release two of the most anticipated video game consoles ever this fall. Pre-orders are selling out world wide for both the PS4 and the XBOX One, ( Although it has been documented that Microsoft is intentionally giving retailers smaller inventory of the XBOX One to boost demand. ) there is a lot of hype for these consoles.

 

E3 ( Electronic Entertainment Expo ) was a major publicity event this year for both Sony and Microsoft. Whether it was the surreal moment at the end of Sony’s conference where they openly took shots at Microsoft’s unpopular and poorly explained DRM ( Digital Rights Management ) policies or some very bone headed comments by the then President of Interactive Entertainment at Microsoft Don Mattrick, the XBOX One and the PS4 were all anyone could talk about. E3 is a platform that all video game developers use to publicize new software and hardware for consumers and investors alike to be aware of and excited for.

 

Nintendo has held a conference every year at E3 since the very first E3 in 1995. This year however Nintendo decided instead of a conference at E3 they would air a special pre-taped event about upcoming software and hardware on their Nintendo Direct internet channel. While Nintendo did have a presence at E3 this year, not having a conference feels like a major misstep for the videogames legend. The special Nintendo Direct event underwhelmed most viewers with one of the highlights being Nintendo executives coming out in cutesy cat suits to make light of a new feature coming to a new Super Mario game. I have read that the games actually shown on the floor at E3 were solid games, but without the impact of the E3 conference its hard to think that the games are all that good. If the games are so great why couldn’t they have been shown off at a conference, just like Sony and Microsoft do every year and like Nintendo has done every year before this one?

 

E3 for those of you who are unaware is the Super Bowl of video gaming to many people. There are many other platforms during the year where companies show off videogames and related hardware worldwide but E3 is usually where the big names in gaming bring out the big guns and show off their latest and greatest projects. Few, if any, videogame related events receive anything near the media attention that E3 receives every year and this year was pretty big with the PS4 and XBOX One coming out this fall. Not doing a conference is an acknowledgement, be it conscious or otherwise, that Nintendo doesn’t believe its console can compete with Sony and Microsoft.

 

For Nintendo to remain relevant they have to appear in full force at E3. They can’t opt out of their annual conference to do a “Nintendo Direct” broadcast. Whether its true or not this seems like an action of surrender. The mindset seems to be that they are OK with Microsoft and Sony grabbing the majority of the video game market as long as the the hardcore Nintendo fans keep supporting them. Titles like Mario and Zelda have large drawing power and respectfully are videogame legends, few titles have lasted half as long and still managed to be relevant.

 

The problem is Nintendo only has a handful of these types of exclusive titles. These games are great in their own respects but Nintendo’s apparent refusal to evolve these titles or to develop new IP’s ( Intellectual Properties ) are definitely points of concern. We all love Mario but people are burning out on him. Mario games seem relatively the same since the Super Nintendo days, only now the games have updated graphics and ( sigh ) magic cat suits. Their have been tweaks to the level designs and presentation and the differences may be substantial to the people who actually play them but to people on the outside looking in these games appear more and more like the same old thing. At least Link has received several different character designs over the years to help distinguish one game from the next.

 

The issue isn’t with Mario so much as it is with Nintendo relying so heavily on tired franchises. By the end of this year there will have been 5 Zelda games and 4 Super Mario games released in the last 2 years! Meanwhile 3rd party developers are getting very hesitant to create anything new for the Wii U. Earlier this year an executive for EA ( Electronic Arts ) actually went as far as to say publicly that the console was “crap” and as of right now EA has nothing in development for the Wii U. Most of the 3rd party titles coming to the Wii U right now are bad ports of games from other consoles. Many features like online multiplayer aren’t even being developed for games on the Wii U. Most recently Warner Bros has stated that their upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins for the Wii U will not have online multiplayer capabilities because they want to concentrate development for the largest online multiplayer audiences possible. To add insult to injury large retailers around the world are pulling the Wii U from their shelves in favor of “consoles that actually sell.” ASDA a Wal-Mart subsidiary and one of the U.K.’s largest retail chains will no longer offer the Wii U in their stores. Some Wii U games may still be available in store but if you want the console it will now have to be ordered online from the ASDA website.

 

Another reason why a proper E3 conference was and is so important to the Nintendo brand is that many people think that the Wii U is just a new controller for the old Wii. The fact that Nintendo has failed to properly explain the Wii U to the mass market as a brand new console is unforgivable. This year’s E3 was Nintendo’s chance to clarify to the world what the Wii U is all about and what kind of future consumers can expect with the new console. Instead they chose to stream a special on their own Nintendo Direct of which most casual gamers outside of Nintendo have never heard of or for that matter know how to access. If Nintendo’s faith is in the casual gaming market because of the success of the original Wii then why were the casual gamers excluded? Casual gamers are not looking up a special feed to watch Nintendo’s pre-recorded Direct event.

 

The Wii U itself doesn’t exactly have the highest specs for a console and will be considerably under-powered compared to the XBOX One and PS4. However the Wii U does support full 1080p high definition graphics and comes with an interesting tablet style controller that has a large screen built into the center. The Wii U only has 32 gigabytes of memory but the controller has multiple motion gaming capabilities and other features such as a built in camera. Since basically the dawn of home videogame consoles the console with the highest specs  has rarely won the so called “console wars.” The console with the “killer app” is almost always the one that wins the majority of the market share. In earlier years it was exclusive games like the original Super Mario, or Sonic the Hedgehog that helped a console sell. Nintendo themselves proved one of the most recent examples with the original Wii. The Wii didn’t even have high definition graphics and yet for a while it was outselling its competition at a factor of 6:1.

 

If the Wii U fails is it possible that Nintendo could leave the console market all-together and concentrate solely on software development? Its not likely as of right now. It is possible that the Wii U is mid swan song and if nothing substantial happens with the console soon it could very well be on its way out. Nintendo does have one card up its sleeve though. The Nintendo 3DS is one of the best selling handheld gaming devices of all time. Amazon reported that pre-orders for the handheld doubled that of the Wii in some regions. Currently the 3DS has an install base of about 33 million units. The question now is if the Wii U tanks will Nintendo forget about competing in the home console market and concentrate only on handheld gaming? Maybe Nintendo could use the profits from the 3DS to develop an all new console. Chances are that Nintendo spent a significant amount of money developing the Wii U and that could understandably make them weary of immediately developing a new console even if they can afford it.

 

Most recently Nintendo has released Pikmin 3, a long anticipated sequel to the 2004 Nintendo Gamecube game Pikmin 2. Pikmin 3 does seem popular with Nintendo fans right now and is helping to move some consoles. Something to consider is that even if Pikmin 3 does become a hit, with the high cost of videogame development and the relatively small install base of the Wii U will the success be enough to lure other developers to the console? The Wii U is navigating troubled waters right now. Their is a lot of hype for the PS4 and XBOX One coming out this fall. Nintendo has to bring out the heavy artillery if they want to remain relevant in the home console market and I fear Mario just isn’t enough anymore. For Nintendo this holiday season could be particularly cold.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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3D TV Myths

Editors Note 8/1/13: 3D TV’s work perfectly fine during the day as well.

 

There seems to be some misconceptions about 3D televisions. I myself enjoy 3D movies and was interested in the possibility of viewing 3D movies at home. Then I heard that you could play certain video games in 3D as well. After reading an article about someone who had played a God of War video game in 3D  I was definitely excited about the possibility of getting my own 3D TV. I can’t remember exactly where I read the article but I do remember the article seemed a little over exaggerated as the writer described it as if he had never really experienced a video game before he played one in 3D. He went on to say after about 15 minutes of gameplay on the 3D set he was convinced that 3D was a legitimate option for experiencing video games.

 

After reading all this I was definitely interested. I set out to learn all that I could about the differences among 3D TV’s on the market. I went online but the descriptions were a little too vague for me to really grasp the differences. Its easy to say something is better on paper but if you can’t experience it first hand how can you really know which TV is actually better? It was quickly becoming apparent that many people were excited about the 3D TV’s but few seemed to have any solid facts about the devices. Even more disappointing was that even most of the people in the stores that sold 3D TV’s didn’t know much about them.

 

I actually had a conversation with someone who worked in the electronics department of one of the bigger retailers that went something along the lines of this. Me– “Hey so I am really interested in these 3D TV’s.” Salesman– “Oh yeah they are pretty cool check them out.” Me– “I did, I was wondering what the differences were? and which kind you think is better?” Salesman– “These TV’s do 3D” Me– “Yes I know, but what are the differences in models?” Salesman– “These TV’s do 3D” and that was basically the answer to every question I had from there out. Not very reassuring when you are thinking about investing in something as pivotal as a new TV when the conversation you have with the person who is supposed to be selling these things quickly boils down to a bad Spinal Tap skit. So needless to say this pushed me back on the side of caution. Since the salesman didn’t know anything about these things I decided it was best to put off getting one.

 

Then about last November I was in one of those big bargain warehouses that sell everything and I noticed the prices on 3D TV’s had come down considerably. I decided I would take another look. After talking with someone who worked there and trying out a few demo’s I decided I would give it a shot. I knew Killzone 3 can be played in 3D and I was dying to try it. I settled on a 47 inch LG 3D TV. It took me a day or two to figure out how to optimize the 3D. What I had to do was go into my Playstation 3 settings and have it scan the TV for all its features. Once I figured this out it was game on!

 

I think the first 3D Blu-ray I bought was the third Transformers movie. The story is meh but the visuals were stunning. We are talking full 1080p in 3D! Giant robots are flying off the screen, whizzing through space, blowing each other up. The experience was unreal! Then it was on to the video games, how would they stack up? First I tried out Assassin’s Creed III. Once I figured out the 3D setting in the options menu and tweaked them for the size screen I was playing on it was awesome. I was walking through  a 3 dimensional colonial Boston in the mid 18th century. The environments in Assassin’s Creed III are so vast and rich that experiencing them in 3D enhances it so much more. You feel like you really are walking through these places. Killzone 3 was another great experience the 3D honestly makes everything more immersive. The particle effects at times can feel a bit gimmicky but most of the time they really do add to the atmosphere of a hostile alien planet. Its kind of wild the first time you site your weapons in the game, in 3D you suddenly feel like everything has more depth and mass. The Avengers movie is one of the best examples of why you should try a 3D TV. The 3D on the TV is better than in the theaters and I am not exaggerating.

 

There are legitimate concerns about adopting the 3D lifestyle. First and foremost is cost. When 3D TV’s first came out they were definitely a high-end item. Now though you can get a really nice 50 inch 3D HD TV for about $785 on Amazon. You can get a 42 inch for under $500. The 3D Blu-rays do cost about $5 more than a traditional Blu-ray but most of them also come with the DVD copy as well as a digital copy you can put on your computer or MP3 player. A 3D Blu-ray player will cost about $70. Any Playstation 3  can be used as a 3D Blu-ray player.

 

Another concern with 3D TV’s are the glasses. Part of the debate on what 3D TV to get was which kind of 3D glasses do you want to use? There are two different kinds, active and passive. The active glasses either need batteries or need to be charged but the point is they are a powered 3D pair of glasses to enhance your experience and the passive glasses are just like the ones from the movie theater and require no power at all. They come in plastic sleeves with small boxes to store them in and a little cloth to wipe them off if they get smudged. The TV’s usually come with at least 4 pairs of glasses included. The passive glasses can cost about as low as $3.25 a piece and the active glasses can be as low as $13.00 a piece if you ever need more. Personally I have only used the passive glasses and I think they work great.

 

Here is another myth about 3D TV’s. You don’t have to watch everything in 3D all the time. It totally functions as a normal high-def TV just with the bonus feature of being 3D capable. Obviously content made for 3D will look the best in 3D on your TV but you can convert regular TV to 3D if you want, it just won’t look quite as good as actual 3D made content. So don’t panic you can use the 3D features on the TV when and how you see fit.

 

People say the glasses give you headaches and after a little while they become intolerable. It takes my eyes about five to ten minutes to totally adjust and in that time I  honestly forget I am even wearing them. Movies and video games both feel more immersive with 3D. 3D TV’s I think were the victim of poor marketing. Manufacturers I guess assumed that 3D movies were doing well so 3D TV’s would sell well but with poor messaging about how a 3D TV actually functioned and an initially steep price tag made many consumers hesitant calling 3D TV’s just a fad.

 

3D programming is being discontinued on cable networks right now. ESPN is discontinuing their 3D channel soon, if they haven’t already, and the BBC has announced they will be taking a 3 year hiatus from their 3D programming at the end of this year. A low number of 3D TV adopters are quoted as being the reasoning for these cancellations. While this news isn’t exactly great news for 3D TV owners now is a good time to try one out. If you are in the market for a new TV, a 3D capable set is priced fairly competitively with TV’s that don’t have 3D abilities. New 3D video games and movies are released all the time and the 3D library of content is continuously growing. Hopefully this clears up some of the questions you might have had about 3D TV’s.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

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TLOU Multiplayer

 

 

The Last of Us online multiplayer is familiar but with enough of a twist to keep things fresh. Elements from story mode such as crafting weapons and listen mode are still present. There are two modes right now although more might be added with dlc. ( downloadable content ) The modes are Supply Raid and Survivors. Each mode consists of 4 on 4 team death matches. Supply Raid mode has a twenty minute timer and a limited number of respawns. You start with your team of 4 plus 20 lives for the entire team. Every time you or one of your teammates die a life is deducted from a shared pool. The main object is to wipe the other team out or have more total respawns than your opponents team when time runs out. Survivors mode has the same 4 on 4 team death match dynamic but the difference is that the mode is split into best of 7, 3 minute rounds, and if a player dies they stay dead until the next round. This makes your tactics into battle all the more important.

 

In each mode supply boxes are scattered throughout the different multiplayer maps. These supply boxes are invaluable for crafting items to help your team win. Anything from molotov cocktails to vicious melee weapons for hand to hand skirmishes can quickly swing the momentum in your favor. Like in story mode resources are limited so again use your items wisely. You can either choose from a preset class or you can create your own class using a limited amount of load-out points to equip your character before an online match. There are various weapons and abilities to equip your online character with. The basic outline is like this. You get 2 slots for guns, a primary and a secondary, 4 or 5 slots for different abilities like “marathon runner,” and 1 slot for a purchasable weapon if you so choose. The purchasable weapon is acquired by spending supplies you collect during matches and does not carry over after a match is finished. You are free to customize within those parameters anyway you see fit as long as you keep within your allotted load-out points.

 

Multiplayer online in The Last of Us is like a game within in a game. No its not as complicated or convoluted as the movie Inception but there is more here than just cut and dry death matches. Upon starting online multiplayer for the first time you will be asked to choose a faction. The Hunters or the Fireflies. This selects your online narrative and effects some minor cosmetic elements in your online experience. After a faction is chosen you are debriefed. Essentially you are given a clan of five people. Your goal is to grow this clan and help it to survive as best you can for a period of twelve weeks at which time help will arrive to save your clan. Sporadically throughout the twelve weeks you are given a list of tasks you need to complete within the multiplayer matches to help your clan survive. Tasks last for 3 days, or 3 matches and can be anything from reviving teammates to downing enemies with a certain weapon. The catch is every time you complete a task if you choose to do the same task again the number of times you have to do said task increases. So say you needed 3 downs with the hunting rifle, next time you will need 6 making it harder to complete within the 3 day window.

 

It is completely possible to fail a task and let your entire clan die. This means you will have to choose your faction again and start from the beginning. So choose your tasks wisely. You can equip guns with silencers at the cost of load-out points. Weapons can be upgraded but only with supplies you collect during matches. You can only acquire your purchasable weapon by spending in game supplies. You also have to collect a certain amount of supplies during a match to keep your clan fed. This adds another dynamic to attacking enemies because you might have a great shot on someone from far away but if you take him down, will you be able to swoop in and pick up the supplies he has dropped to help your clan? Your character has some customization as far as what they wear but they always spawn as a different type of person at the beginning of each match.

 

One thing I will say with The Last of Us multiplayer is that for some reason their seems to be an abundance of trolls. I have played many online multiplayer games before and have never encountered so many trolls. Obviously there are a lot of cool people to play with that make the online experience a lot of fun but I have gone entire sessions in the online multiplayer for The Last of Us where there was someone in every match who took away from my enjoyment of the experience. That aside I know the online game sounds a little complicated but once you get the hang of it, its pretty straight forward and can be a lot of fun and fairly addicting.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

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The Last of Us

 

 

The Last of Us is an exceptional new title exclusive to the Playstation 3. It is one of the highest rated games of all time. Some have even called The Last of Us the Citizen Kane of Video Games. I have heard to put things in perspective you have to think of it like this, if we were comparing video games to film we would have just reached the Jazz Singer. For those of you who aren’t film buffs and never heard of the Jazz Singer it was the first feature length film in history to have fully synchronized dialogue. In other words the first full length movie where people actually talked instead of having cue cards with dialogue on them. That is pretty monumental when you think about it.

 

A video game, something that literally evolved from two glowing white “paddles” hitting a white square back and forth simulating a rudimentary version of tennis on a plain black screen, has evolved to a point where a “game” has drawn comparison to one of the most iconic pieces of cinema ever. That is a fairly impressive feat to say the very least. It is a testament to the developer Naughty Dog who are no stranger to creating triple A titles with exciting narratives and compelling characters.

 

The Last of Us is a benchmark, a new ruler of which all games will be measured for years to come. I personally really enjoyed The Last of Us because the style of gameplay reminded me of the classic Resident Evil series, by which I mean the first 3 games with Resident Evil 2 being one of my all time favorite games in general. Because I have lost all faith in Capcom, to me this is probably as close as I am ever going to get to those glory days of survival horror. The focus is not about high scores or how quickly you can defeat enemies but instead the focus is on the characters and their stories, emphasizing their personal experiences. The journey is what is important.

 

To fly through a game like The Last of Us is a waste of time and money. If you are someone who doesn’t care about story and only cares about beating levels as fast as you can, don’t bother with this one. That’s not to say that the actual game play is bad in any way because in fact although not exactly revolutionary the gameplay is very well thought out and feels finely tuned. Every action is performed in real time and the game does not pause while you are crafting supplies. I actually had a moment where I was about to be discovered hiding behind a desk by a patrolling guard, I panicked and threw a glass bottle aimlessly across a large room and just when I was about to be discovered the bottle hit the far wall catching the guards attention and he turned to see what it was allowing me to get the slip on him. Moments like this were part of what made the game play so engaging to me. My one gripe, albeit minor, is that in the world presented throughout The Last of Us I feel like setting traps like snares and trip wires makes perfect sense within the confines of the game and in a game so thoroughly realized it feels odd to me that traps weren’t included.

 

I found in the online mode, which I will elaborate more on in a separate article, is that some people, not all but some, from the Call of Duty fps ( first person shooter ) crowd really didn’t seem to enjoy this game. The Last of Us is about the journey of two people twenty years after a global tragedy that saw tremendous casualties. Society has broken down into a world of survivors. Remnants of order still exist but for the most part it is everyone for themselves. Cars lie rusted and dilapidated on highways. Complete towns are deserted. Entire cities are empty. Many people live with an ambiguous moral code where their is a large grey area mostly consisting of the question, “Is it wrong to do something if not doing it means that the people I know, as well as myself will probably die?”

 

Every location you traverse has its own story to tell. There is much to discover in every location. Follow a streak of blood and you may discover the signs of a previous struggle leading you to the fate of some other poor soul that came before you. That person might have a note giving light to why they were there and what they were doing. Explore an empty home and you might find a letter addressed to a lost loved one telling them where to meet up in a quarantine zone only to go into the next room to find a suitcase that someone never finished packing. It is this element that gives The Last of Us its unique spice. This may sound a little strange but the people in the game actually feel human. They have real personalities. Every encounter be it with someone who is friendly or hostile feels like a real life.

 

The violence in The Last of Us is honest. It can be quite vivid but it never feels gratuitous because the violence is in no ways glorified. You never get the sense that your characters enjoy harming others, rather it is an often unavoidable conclusion to some particularly rough situations. The stealth approach seems most desirable in many situations as you want as few hostiles to know of your presence as possible. Supplies are very valuable and as such using them to take down an unsuspecting enemy can be a hard sacrifice to make, especially in a world where you’re not sure if you will be able to craft an item when you absolutely need it. So a simple choke hold, while not nearly as quick as a shiv, is still an effective take down. However with a choke hold your enemy will struggle more and will take more time to subdue. It makes the experience so much more raw. These aren’t soldiers fighting “bad guys.” You are not the ultimate bad-ass. These are ordinary people in tough situations which sometimes come to violent conclusions.

 

Its not all about the violence though. There are many places where the action slows down and you are allowed to take a breath. These moments in the game allow for exposition to give depth to the characters and the world they live in. I won’t give it away but my favorite part of the game was one of these moments. It was a lighthearted moment the two main characters shared while traveling through the ruins of an old building. What The Last of Us does which is so hard to do is incorporate many emotions into this story. Some moments are intensely sad, others can make you laugh out loud, some things will make you angry. It is this rare ability to incorporate all of these different things organically that make the game so great. Each experience adds another layer to the dynamic between the two main characters and you become a little more invested in their outcome. Until before long you find yourself outright rooting for them. The facade of a game fades away and you become a part of the journey.

 

The Last of Us is something you just have to experience to really understand. Its more than some blockbuster movie that you may like, or even just a movie with a great story you really like. Those are passive experiences. In The Last of Us you are actively interacting with the story. The story proceeds because you proceed. Everything hinges on your actions. The reactions happen because you participated. Its not what “I” saw but what “I” did. That is what really makes The Last of Us so endearing.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

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Gamer Integrity?

I have noticed a disturbing trend in this era where online multiplayer games have become more popular than ever. On the cusp of the next generation of console gaming both Sony and Microsoft have touted a larger more connected online community of gamers as a lynch pin in the future of gaming. On paper it sounds great, your future gaming console will be a hub for communication and social interaction.  It will become easier to find people who like to play the games you like to play.

 

Honestly it sounds really cool. People will be able to record parts of the games they are playing share it with their friends show others how to play a certain level or how to beat a certain boss. Gaming from your smart phone or tablet is being emphasized for next gen games as well. You will be able to participate in your favorite games wherever you are, whenever you are. So whatever you are doing you can always work on leveling up.

 

I have noticed in my own online mutliplayer experiences lately an absence of couth. Respect and reason has been abandoned. There seems to be a major rise of hate in the online gaming community. Maybe I missed the memo but aren’t we just playing games at the end of the day. Yet it seems like more and more people have no problem shouting racial slurs or calling someone something homophobic. I actually gamed with someone who’s gamer tag basically translated into hard penis and it wasn’t even a clever pun. I can’t help but wonder, are people getting dumber? I have been in some online lobby’s lately that would make you think the civil war never happened.

 

What happened to integrity? The weight of a mans honor? The importance of self discipline? Wherever you go, be it to your job, your home, the supermarket, one should always approach all situations with RESPECT and REASON. Why should it be any different in an online multiplayer lobby? All of the sudden some people get behind their gamer tag and they think that gives them free license to rapid fire hate speech. I have even seen recently in online matches players tearing their own teammates down because they play the game differently than themselves. Instead of, you know, cheering for your own team.

 

What happened? Why are so many people in the online gaming community talking like bigoted hate mongers all of the sudden? Over the years I have played with a lot of cool people online. There is always that competitive side to gaming and it should be encouraged. I have no problem with people taking shots at each other during competitive play but lets keep it reasonable. Hate speech and bigotry shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone ever. After all we are playing GAMES, a healthy escape from the every day grind, an excercize for the mind. Most of us work our asses off day in and day out with little to show for it and all we want to do is sit back and play our video game of choice without having to hear hateful ignorance turned up to ELEVEN!

 

Obviously there are a lot of good, genuinely cool people to play games with online. The problem is this growing cancer of self righteous fuck ups who have no manners and no concept of how to address other human beings in a friendly competitive arena. We aren’t fighting for the existence of all mankind and that needs to be kept in perspective. It sucks I even felt that this article was necessary but clearly this problem is getting worse.

 

I have grown up a heavy metal fan. A lot of people unfamiliar with the genre assume that heavy metal is all about devil worshiping and beating the shit out of each other at concerts. In fact their is a metal band about or for just about anything you can think of, be it helping out others, fighting waves of the undead, mythical beasts or just every day life. Heavy metal fans are proud to be a part of their culture. The music means something to each and every metal fan. At concerts their are mosh pits where people run into each other while screaming lyrics from their favorite songs but their is an etiquette. If someone falls down in the pit their are several people right there with them to immediately help them up and make sure they are OK. We metal fans may have a strange way of bonding with each other but we RESPECT the music and we RESPECT each other.

 

Shit talking is a part of competition but at the end of every sporting event opposing teams shake hands and congratulate each other on a game well played. Whether or not players like each other they still show respect for their opponents. Maybe an official rule book should be made for gaming or a code of conduct but we can not continue on this path where some players think its totally fine to completely berate someone they have never physically met in an online video game lobby. I love video games and am proud to be a part of the culture. I can’t wait to see what the generations of gaming to come will have to offer but I want to do it in a future where gamers act like adults and not sub-human parasites.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

 Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

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Madden-ness

Football season is coming! In less than two months “America’s favorite pastime” will begin again. I myself am a big football fan, although my devoutness has suffered a bit in recent years due to my suspicion of a WWE like structure being instated behind the scenes and a general distrust of Roger Goodell, but that is a whole other story. The story at hand is video game related I swear.

With every new season of football comes a new iteration of the blockbuster football video game franchise Madden. This year in fact is the 25th anniversary of the first Madden. Honestly that is really commendable considering how hard it is for any franchise to grab hold with an audience, let alone still be relevant a quarter of a century after its original appearance. A new entry in the Madden franchise sells several million units every year. There is of course the dreaded Madden curse which seems to effect whichever NFL player graces the cover of the game each year, if you haven’t heard of it look it up its eery to see how many players have bad seasons the year they were on the cover of Madden.

There is something else though that is beginning to feel more and more like a curse, Electronic Arts’ deal with the NFL to have exclusive rights to make games with the NFL license.  I have grown up with the Madden franchise and once the NFL Blitz arcade style football game started to get stale Madden was the football video game me and my friends would play. Nowadays though I am really sick of the Madden franchise. The ongoing joke is that getting a new Madden game is just getting the old Madden game with a new coat of paint. I think the issue has become worse than that though. With new entry’s into the Madden franchise fans aren’t just getting a new coat of paint, they are getting “innovation.” Sometimes this works well enough, I personally enjoyed a few years back when QB vision was a feature in the game, but last years new physics engine was a mess. Players tripped and fell walking into each other or on invisible objects.

I will say this though, Madden 13 was the first Madden I had played in about five years I really enjoyed after I bought it. Yeah the players on the field looked goofy in between plays but during actual game play I had a good time. Madden was fun again. I could run a play and pass the ball and felt like the game was actually fair in all aspects, offense, defense and special teams. Everything felt balanced. Then like six weeks in there was an update to the game and all of the sudden the ghosts of Madden’s past came screaming back. Linebackers could suddenly jump ten yards again in all directions, receivers couldn’t catch a cold, the game felt broken. Which makes me think that there is a mentality at Electronic Arts, I am sure they would deny because they basically have to, that they don’t have to actually finish the Madden title they are working on because they can always finish it or “fix” the game with a patch down the line.

About a day or two after that first patch last year me and everyone, and I am not exaggerating, everyone I knew stopped playing Madden. We just felt burned again. Finally for the first time in years the game was fun again and just like that it was taken away and all the issues that I just listed in the last paragraph and that most people I have talked with about the Madden franchise, came flooding back. I for one am sick of it.

The exclusive rights deal that Madden and Electronic Arts have together expires this year. It seems most likely that they will simply renew the contract as both parties have done in previous years. I am sure there might be some minor alterations as far as money is concerned between the two but for everyone looking in everything will appear as it has been for what feels like the dawn of time. This isn’t intended to be a rant against the Madden franchise itself so much as it the fact that Madden is the only football video game that you can buy, that’s what sucks. I think that the Madden franchise should continue on, with one condition, Madden is no longer the only NFL licensed video game from here on out.

Competition is exactly what is needed. If Madden had to compete against other games with the NFL license maybe the ghosts of Madden’s past would finally be cured and they couldn’t come storming back with a patch because those bugs still exist within the main Madden code. It would be really refreshing to have a choice when it comes to buying a NFL licensed game. The consumer could finally hold Electronic Arts accountable if they made an inferior product. “This year’s Madden kind of sucks maybe the other franchise is better.” Even if you are a die hard Madden fan you know the game would be better if it was forced to compete with other football games instead of just doing whatever they feel like. I am sure argument can be made that the Madden franchise has innovated over time but I am forced to wonder how much more would have and still could be done if the Madden franchise had some healthy competition.

When researching this topic (I know right? I actually research my topics) I heard a similar argument pop up over and over. The argument basically goes like this. Every other football game with the NFL license has been out of production for almost ten years now even if 2K Sports, EA’s biggest competitor, were to get back the rights to make an official NFL licensed game it would be terrible because they just don’t have a team that is familiar with making a competitive NFL simulation style game anymore. 2K Sports would have to build a new engine from the ground up to make a new NFL licensed game. There is no way 2K Sports or any other game developer looking to make an NFL licensed game could compete with the Madden franchises yearly entries.

Tell you what, that is a great argument if you work for Electronic Arts or are one of their investors. For the rest of us that is some bold bullshit. If by some miracle the NFL, a money hungry billion dollar entity who loves to incessantly control its image and the people associated with said image, and EA, a money hungry billion dollar game developer who loves taking the NFL’s money, somehow fail to reach an agreement and the exclusivity deal between the two companies somehow falls through, (I seriously doubt it will) I can foresee an exciting new era of NFL games on home consoles. Especially now on the verge of a new generation of console gaming with the PS4 and the XBone coming out this fall.

Can you imagine a developer like 2K Sports finally allowed to make an officially licensed NFL game again? Developing a new NFL game from the ground up. Starting fresh. The prospect of a new entry to end the tyranny of the Madden-opoly seems not only liberating but a necessity. You can argue until your blue in the face about how great the Madden franchise currently is, and by no means am I saying its terrible, but there is no way you could possibly say it couldn’t be better. I understand that it would be quite a stretch for any developer to come out blazing with a new NFL licensed video game franchise to compete with Madden a year from now, what about the year after that? or the year after that?

The Madden franchise doesn’t need to go away it just needs a friendly dose of competition. Winning wouldn’t be so great if nobody lost. As long as the NFL and Electronic Arts are running hand and hand all the way to the bank everyone else loses. Is this exclusivity agreement even legal? Doesn’t making Electronic Arts the sole purveyor of an officially NFL licensed video game a monopoly? I am considering starting a petition against this agreement because as long as there is only one “choice” there really are no choices and well that just plain sucks. When it comes to something like games based on sports where there is a yearly entry I think it is paramount to have competition. As the old adage goes “when companies compete consumers win.” I want to win, don’t you?

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Like the Sonic Mercury Facebook page and follow posts from Z3R0TH3RT33N and other contributors on Twitter @SonicMercury

 

 

 

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XBOX 180

Micro$oft has performed a 180

                        News is popping up from many different sources including IGN and Kotaku that Microsoft has rescinded on basically all of its draconian policies. The XBOX One no longer turns into a brick that only plays TV now when you don’t check in online every 24 hours. The XBOX One will now allow offline video game playing, however you will still require an internet connection to initially set it up. DRM is supposedly dead for now on the XBOX One. Region locks have been removed. It seems for the moment anyway that Microsoft has removed all the extremely restrictive features from their newest creation. The Kinect however, still mandatory for the system to function.

Don Mattrick President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft basically said this today, “Nobody wanted to buy our system,” (Look it up, a poll on Amazon yesterday had an overwhelming 95% stating they are buying a PS4 over an XBOX One) Don continues, “because no one wants to buy our system the way it is, which honestly may have had some really cool stuff on it but we acted like such arrogant douche bags about the whole thing we never even tried to tell gamers why we we’re implementing this new infrastructure for the XBOX One. We are going to go back on basically everything we said we were going to do. (KINECT STILL MANDATORY) Everyone seems to really, really, REALLY HATE the policies that we have with our new system and Sony isn’t going to do basically any of them. Given the fact that there is an overwhelming disdain for the XBOX One and I am literally sitting on what is and still potentially could be an XBOX One themed landfill. We here at Microsoft have decided instead of proceeding with what is at the moment a COLOSSAL FAILURE  in the eyes of millions and millions of wallets world wide,  me and my friends stand to lose a lot of cash, I mean ahem, the fans seemed not too fond of some of the XBOX One’s new features and we don’t want to let our fans down so we are going to end DRM”

In an YouTube interview on the Angry Joe Show a representative from Microsoft, “Major Nelson” arrogantly condescended to Joe as he politely asked honest questions about the restrictive nature of the XBOX One. Even going so far as to ask Joe “Don’t you want to come to the future with me Joe?”  Joe wasn’t allowed to finish his answer as the interview was cut short but he later said I do want to go to the future of gaming but I want to own my games not rent them from you.

There are so many things to think about now that Microsoft has rescinded on DRM and most of its other restrictive features. (EXCEPT FOR the always on KINECT which supposedly now has a “sleep mode but its still listening for “certain keywords”) For one thing if Microsoft was so sure that there business model for the XBOX One was the “future of gaming” then why not stick to your guns? Another thing to consider now is that even though it appears that Microsoft is rescinding on its policies we all now know what there real thoughts of the consumers are and where there true intentions lie. They don’t care about the gamers at all. What they wanted was a micro-transaction paradise filled with “free to play” titles, “the first one is always free.” A dystopian future where no one owns there games they simply rent them from Microsoft. “Hey I am not really crazy about this game I just got can I bring it back?” No, well that’s OK I will just give it to a friend. “Your not allowed to have friends unless Microsoft says its OK!” “Hey I am a soldier overseas and after a day full of getting shot at and protecting my homeland I like to come back to base and play some video games, its cool I don’t have any internet connection out here right? I just want to play some single player games anyway.” Fuck you! You want to play video games, buy an XBOX 360 the XBOX One is not for you!

Even though Microsoft has rescinded these absolutely despicable policies.  It is really hard to forget that Microsoft was willing to enforce such brutal restrictions on its loyal fans, the people who built the XBOX brand. The people without whom Microsoft wouldn’t even be here at this moment to release a third console! To top it off the non-existent effort made by Microsoft to politely explain the purpose of its policies, such as implementing DRM or a system that becomes useless if you don’t plug it in to the internet every twenty four hours, and not explaining these features in a way that is easily understandable to the average person is very unsettling. How can you trust them if they can not give you a straight answer? Instead Microsoft’s approach was very arrogant, very condescending. They acted like people should just “lie back and take it” as is so famously quoted now in there Killer Instinct stage demo during there E3 conference. Watch the interview with Don Mattrick and Geoff Keighley on the Gametrailers channel and also watch the interview that Angry Joe did with “Major Nelson” on YouTube they are pretty telling of the mindset at Microsoft upon releasing this abomination into the mass populace.

The only thing I could really think of when considering how Microsoft could be so disconnected from their core audience is that maybe they never actually polled their core audience. Maybe everyone who tested an XBOX One wasn’t primarily a console gamer but a PC gamer and that is why Microsoft actually thought designing the XBOX One the way they did was a good idea. PC gamers are used to DRM with online gaming however they still have a choice as to where to get there games. Ultimately I think Microsoft is not wrong in thinking that the future of gaming is digital. I do however think forcing it down our throats with a smug disposition really was not a great approach. Sony and the PS4 definitely seem like a better ship to be on these days if your a gamer. How will the console wars end up? That is a hard one to answer but its easy to see that Sony and the PS4 have a strong lead, and rightfully so with its gamer friendly culture it seems a much better place to be gaming right now.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Micro$oft

                               Anyone who saw the XBOX ONE reveal definitely has to wonder what Microsoft is thinking. They took a department of their team wholly created for the purpose of home gaming and turned there next big console into a glorified DVR with voice controls and MANDATORY kinect units. Watching the XBOX ONE reveal was like watching Microsoft slowly commit gaming suicide for an hour. Oh I know E3 will change everything. To be fair it is totally within the realm of possibility that Sony can still mess up at E3, but now with the confirmation that  XBOX ONE has to be connected to the internet once every 24 hours for your games to work and you can only lend a game to ONE of your friends, allowing of course that they have been your XBOX live friend for over thirty days makes the next generation of gaming look pretty grim.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N