Saturday, December 5, 2009

My Thoughts

In such a gender-balanced society, with women in a far more prominent role than that of, for example, the 1950s, I feel many of the biological issues women face that affect their ability to cope or think logically permeate much of society’s general mentality, and alter it for the worse.

For instance, take the act of “PMSing”. Obviously, the woman who is facing this symptom is not to blame, as the distress the woman experiences is a result of multiple biological interworkings, such as a lack of sleep, overworking, along with a largely dissatisfying lifestyle, where sexual desire and cravings are compromised for late hours, and mere coffee breaks. But when women are socially, yet unwillingly accepted when encountering these symptoms, surely some men may learn from the outcome of the erratic behavior, and perceive it to be advantageous, later implementing such a behavior into his own repertoire of emotions or states of mind.

While mindless conduct is not always met with gratification, short attention spans in this high-octane, fast-paced, ever-changing society in which we live are. The way I see it is that men oftentimes take a more relaxed, considerate pace to their work, while women are constantly tackling new goals, with little thought or value as to what is being accomplished. Of course, I am generalizing, which has much to do with sexism, and the way all of us perceive the opposite, or even possibly, our own sex. The largely platonic way we view the opposite sex relates to those around us, and the media that time and time again ensures the reinforcement of gender-specific stereotypes. Take a divorced woman with two children and a dead-end job, working for slightly more than minimum wage. If that woman’s husband served as the primary breadwinner, earning a great deal more than the woman, without a doubt, after bearing that divorce she must be bitter or prejudice towards men even though her children may be both male – understanding all men, indiscriminately, as “pigs”.

One must assume that in all forms of media, there is at least one sector of the audience that cannot see through the fictitious qualities of maybe a joke, a story, or even a stand-up comedian’s portrayal of a racial stereotype. By that account, our society is impacted indirectly; people form slight prejudices or even build connotations towards men, women, Asians, Europeans, Africans, North Americans, South Americans, what ever. If you were speaking through a phone to a man or woman you have never encountered in person, with little indication through your accent or the way you form sentences, and said “I am half Czech, and half Italian” (which in my case, I am), people are inevitably going to go down a path of assumptions. He or she may ask, “Do you by any chance, have a relative named Nicky?”, in which case, I would reply with a resounding, “Yes”.

So all in all, let me go out with a bang: all prejudices, stereotypes, personifications, discriminations, aversions, partialities, examples of racism, revulsions, abhorrence, or cases in which we may witness sexism, feminism, or even masculinism for that matter are all shaped by our past experiences, both the good and bad, and are not justified positions in which we may slouch in, merely to seek acceptance or a sound state of mind. We must acknowledge and respect the views of others, and to not rely on these preconceived notions that supposedly may bear any evidence or value in life – all people are distinctly unique regardless of class, race, and age, and we must be profoundly comfortable with that thought.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Video Game Reviewing: The Purpose?

Video game reviewing was pioneered by such outlets as Electronic Gaming Monthly in 1989 throughout the United States, and Famitsu, a popular Japanese magazine, that unlike EGM, has been around since 1986 and exists to this day. What do video game reviews contribute to society? What do video game reviews solve or whom do they help?
Barely, if anyone and anything at all.

Video games are enjoyed by many. Some are savvy, devout know-it-alls and some are casual. Of course, there are exceptions, but for the most part, this remains true. A susbstantial number of those savvy gamers are active message board posters, and will stop at absolutely nothing to do everything in his or her power to further evangelize his or her supposed "ultimate video game".

Although I sadly do not have a credible metric that will support the number of vocal message board members, let me have you know there are quite a few that may be unquestionably categorized as Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft fanboys; all the while, wearing their biases on their sleves during a rampant message board discussion.

Similar to those lifeless few who conduct the bulk of their political debating on YouTube, message board users will senselessly argue the merits of one video game or console over another to the point where you're convinced his religion is in the name of Sony or Microsoft. You would think people in this day and age would persue endeavors slightly more worthwhile, right? I suppose this is the way people perform business these days; in the most brash and hostile manner possible. I mean look at what our town hall meetings have degenerated into. This is a generation of dynamic "change", action, innovation, and versatility. Although most of this is achieved through long, arduous arguments that never may never seize for years on end. Only until then, will bills be passed, laws modernized, problems alleviated, roads fixed, and maybe even hardcore, skeptical, egotistical gamers annihilated.

The simple act of expressing thoughts or ideas can be both satisfying and rewarding. But with so many publishing outlets saturating the industry on the internet, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to stake out a claim to fame or credible following that reliably will visit the site each day or so. At the same time, it's easy to see why reviewing video games is such a sought-after job: playing video games and writing what you think of the experience the game provided is essentially all that's required of a video game reviewer.

With the wake of EGM in mind, shoddy imitators are inevitable. So gamers are tasked with answering the question: Which source do I trust? By most, such a question is met by a resounding "Metacritic!". Metacritic, most notably known for its aggregation of the review scores of many video game-centric outlets, is a widely trusted destination for the devout gamer.

Ultimately, games are not only used as a form of entertainment, but also a source of debate. Consider the verbal assaulting that has taken on the internet no different than a debate team. Same nerds, new generation.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Does anyone subscribe to Nintendo Power anymore?

This has been something that has been bothering me for some time now -- Nintendo Power, a magazine that I have grown up with isn't nearly as interesting as it once was...

I've been a subscriber of Nintendo Power for up to ten years now, and either my expectations have increased or the games the Nintendo Power staff cover have gone down the drain. I mean, compare the covers Nintendo Power has boasted in their earlier days. From Megaman, to Mario, to Metroid back in "the good 'ol days", now to Sonic and his shi### friends, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Whatever, and Generic Minigame Ripoff Party!.

Clearly, Nintendo Power is not to blame. The supply of hardcore games on Nintendo consoles have since slowed from the days of Goldeneye and Super Mario 64. So who is the target demographic for Nintendo Power? Children who use the Wii as a primary console, and idolize everything Sonic and Pokemon? I think that's safe to say. Here's a fairly reliable look at Nintendo Power's demographic, whether intended, or not.



Whether the Nintendo Power staff is to blame or not, for the past several years Nintendo Power has failed to jump out of the pages the way EGM did, both aesethetically and in terms of writing personality. Although the games covered aren't particularly interesting by any stretch of the imagination, the staff doesn't seem to be very interested themselves in selling, or convincing their audience that a particular game will be fun. (Maybe after all the movie-licensed cashins, it's slightly harder to be optimistic about games) It seems they approach each magazine as an arduous task, loftily critiquing games in order to avoid hate mail or controversy.

I've noticed since the redesign, Nintendo Power never seemed to step out of their boundaries. They always strictly covered games, with a minscule piece about video game art towards the end of the magazine. Now I'm not asking for a Maxim magazine that tries to appeal to all 17-30 year old males; converging women, [presumably] cars, and video games into one gigantic disaster. But much like The Official Xbox Magazine, and EGM, I would enjoy seeing some intellectual pieces that aren't inextricably cranked out each month -- with some thought, perspective, insight, and maybe even a little personality. (Kind of like Robert Ashley's articles featured in EGM)

I've come to the unbelievable conclusion that Nintendo Power is no longer for me. When Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics is featured as the cover, I must say goodbye, even as much as that hurts ten years down the line. Sorry Nintendo Power, but you are not what you once were.

So does anyone else either still subscribe to Nintendo Power, or consider ending your subscription?

Thursday, September 24, 2009

An Unrequited Love: Top Gear

By: Michael Lenoch



Top Gear is a show that features insightful reviews of practical everyday cars, to seemingly ironic critiques of ear-splitting supercars, as if that was to say they were cost-efficient or worth their generally steep prices. By this banner of Top Gear at the top, it may appear as a generic, European-centric science show. Well, I can confidently say, it is not some explosive-laden, destruction-filled show made for 12-year-olds; but rather, much more.

To avoid monotony, the producers always seem to know when to break from reviewing cars. This is done by throwing some challenges and celebrity appearances, where the celebrities take a spin on the Top Gear test track in a 'reasonably priced car' into the mix. But as for the challenges, they vary from utterly absurd and unlikely endeavors of impossibility, to demonstrations that may actually prove useful. For example, in this segment on "Cars for 17 year olds", there are moments that serve as comedic relief, although I don't imagine this challenge would be found as useful by anyone -- it's purely intended to be entertaining. And does a solid job doing so.








The car reviews progress as an average novel, film, or video game review would, and use understatement and fictitiousness to their advantage. Each review is captured by a camera in the car itself, as well as several cameras places periodically throughout the test track. Top Gear's test track was previously owned by Lotus Motors, and serves as a great litmus test, filled with wide variety of broad and sharp turns and a quarter-mile strip of runway that gauge the acceleration, top speed, grip, and overall performance of the given car quite accurately.



The reviews themselves have a distinct formula that nearly every successive review either improves upon, or follows exactly. Traditionally, the reviews come to a "But", "However", or "Although", and sometimes may even degenerate into harsh and senseless criticisms, eviscerating either the most minute or gargantuan failings of the given manufacturer. But what makes the reviews genuinely entertaining are the gleeful expressions any of the three presenters may use. This comes as refreshing to know the person you are watching on television is actually enthused with whatever he is presenting and loves his job, not himself.

The Stig is Top Gear's mascot. He is a wordless driver, dressed in white Alpinestars overalls, with a white helmet, whom of which outmatches any of the charismatic hosts in terms of lap times and inherent driving skill.



To the credit of BBC, the "identity of the white-suited Stig ... has been an open secret within the motoring world for some years, with newspapers refraining from publishing his name, to uphold the spirit of the programme." I simply love the unabashed approach the Top Gear crew embraces in order to run with the unknown racecar driver cliché, or in this case, the Stig.



There are very few programmes that can rival Top Gear's level of entertainment value, and for that matter, even fewer auto shows. The sly, gentlemanly British sense of humor makes Top Gear even more appealing.



As an American, I adore the blatantly honest criticisms of cars that have been all but conspicuously absent on even the most enthusiast of networks here in the land of the stars and stripes, such as the Speed Channel. I doubt I will ever tire of watching Top Gear. Good on ya mates, and motor on!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

How the Prevalence of Technology Affects Us Directly

By: Michael Lenoch

Specifically, the internet, one of man's many impressive innovations in technology throughout the past 100 years has rendered as a primary aid to many, and a detriment to even more. As a preface, according to Wikipedia, one of the most cautiously trusted, yet popular websites of today, the year 1996 witnessed an enormous growth of internet users, up to a 100 percent increase. Personally, I can remember as a mere toddler witnessing the rudimentary AOL screens my father browsed as he shared information with friends throughout the early nineties. Now, the internet has spanned tremendously throughout the past several years, so much so, that computers in schools are becoming a commodity. This is both for better and for worse: children have an entire world of information at their fingertips, yet with such information it's as if children these days are implicitly being encouraged by their parents and teachers to live unscrupulous and unconcerned lives, lacking the thoroughness their parents boasted. As parents haven't grown up with the internet, they generally don't understand what it is like to become less as thorough in one's work or research, and ultimately do whatever they can to encourage leisurely internet "research" or "learning", scouring the mostly trustworthy words of Wikipedia.

From my own perspective, living in America, industries always seem to be on the move, businessmen seem to never be ceasing, and people driving on even the most tranquil of suburban streets are constantly rushing to reach his or her next destination. Psychologically, as most people these days seem to essentially live, or carry out business, communicate with friends or family, read the latest news, listen to music, or to conduct any number of a modern human's day-to-day needs on the internet, peoples' rushed lifestyles seem to be directly be correlating to the streets, boardrooms, and classrooms of today.

To demonstrate this 'failing' [by traditional standards] of a generation, take a look at any given message board. Message boards are intended to serve as virtual places where people can intelligently communicate and share opinions on specific topics. For the most part, any message board that is not met with sufficient moderating is doomed to fall to the wayside and to diminish in popularity, as the discussions will inevitably lose their focus, and no longer will users exemplify a desire to talk in-depth about the given matter or topic. Coincidentally, when researching to get somewhat acquainted with the topic of the 'short attention-span generation of internet users', I entered that very query on Google, which yielded this message board discussion: http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum9/4639.htm .

The original poster says:

"Does the internet encourage short attention spans?

I was at an internet site a few minutes ago looking up some code (DOM event models as it happens ;)) and although I was at an excellent, visually appealing site with just the sort of content I was looking for, I found myself instinctively scanning the page to find the information I wanted as quickly as possible, get the information in a hurry and then head off (after a quick bookmark I will probably never see again) somewhere else.
I think this might be a symptom of internet search culture, in that you are forced to analyse information at a fast rate in order to find the best site and good content, or risk getting bogged down in poor sites and pages.

I scan the serps looking for the ideal match, click through several sites after looking around briefly to see if the result was a good match. If I don't find it fast, I'm outta there.

Which would be fine if I only did this when trying to find a good site, but now I'm catching myself doing it on really useful sites too...

I'm sure we've all seen lots of 'hit and runs' on our sites in referrer logs. Designers (and SEOs) are encouraged to put the content we think visitors want as noticeably and as high up the page as possible, so we are teaching visitors that if it's not there, it's not a match.

Is it just me? Do I need to take some deep breaths and stop drinking so much coffee, or are attention spans on the web destined to go the same way as TV audiences?

Be interested to hear any thoughts :)"

-pixel


In that message board discussion, the participating users commonly misspell words, and often neglect grammar rules, which is a similar behavior to that of the average YouTube user, commenting on any number of videos. Why is it though, that internet users generally always seem to be in a hurry, or carelessly cobble together words that are supposedly representative of some asinine thought that no one else but him or herself will have any hope on earth of understanding? Now how was that for long-winded?

As a perfect example of this short attention-span generation of degenerates, my sister demonstrates a lack of desire to think or contemplate abstractly. In school, she thinks with a single-layered intellect: "Do the work, quickly." It's possible she's been influenced by my father's strict, Machiavellian-like work ethic that he has surely ingrained in her, or even a lifestyle she's carved out in order to cope with her homework load. Her lack of any perceivable abstract thought whatsoever may be due to the way her friends communicate or perceive the world, which is on a single-dimensional, or concrete basis. Though, if my sister were to speak intelligently among, [which by that, I mean not saying the word "like" every sentence], it would be considered obstructive or strange, when the descriptive depiction is not entirely necessary. So, it all comes down to context, I suppose.

But even then, supposing "it all comes down to context", ignores how shallow her intellect truly is. And to me, that's not fair. People like myself, who think of politics, society, and current events in-depth are rewarded on a relatively rare occasion in terms of grades, with English papers and History essays for example. While schools have become more attune to teaching students with pitiful vocabularies and an unassuming imaginations, recommending concretely-minded mathematicians to prestigious universities, while the Philospher Kings [like myself, of course], by their innate abilities may as well get them no where. For all intents and purposes, no one cares in this day and age how beautifully one can construct a sentence, but how efficiently one can solve a problem that requires no extent of imagination. We are sorely in need of a renaissance. God knows how many mechanics working at Mike's Tires and Oil Shop are secretly brilliant composers of spirit and word, without half knowing it themselves. I digress.

As I come to a close, the most interesting part of all of this chatter is how people in this modern age are nearly encouraged to carry out these simplistic, mathematic, take-it-for-what-it-is type of lifestyles, and are gratified even though they rarely seem to exude any degree of thought. We who think outside the box are flogged and discouraged. Whoops, there goes another artist of superb intellect. Gone forever.

By my own observation, it is a shame the common populace of today demonstrates such little discernment that was once present many moons ago. People seem to instinctively carry out the processes of life, and to let the flow of life carry them.



SOURCE:
"Does the internet encourage short attention spans?" Webmaster World. Web. 20 Sept. 2009. .

Saturday, September 12, 2009

2 Cents on Shopper's Remorse and One's Core Values

By: Michael Lenoch

Every time I have purchased virtually anything, I have felt some degree of remorse. Be that a far cry from my bohemian roots, or how I grew to perceive the world and distinguish the value of hard-earned money, I am what one may call a "Saducee".



For all my life I have thought in terms of extremes. Take a car for example, and what young boys hope to one day do with them: to customize or upgrade. I envisioned any number of modestly priced cars I hoped to one day assume from the standpoint of a ten-year-old, fully decked out in anything from improved exhaust systems, to mildly necessary body kits, purely for cosmetic and unique purposes. The other side of the spectrum exposes one of my core values as well. By the earlier end of my teenager years (which are currently in progress), I hoped [and still do] to move to Germany, and to appreciate what truly matters in life, outside all of the glamour and glitz that occupies our unquestionably secular lives. Sure, I do in fact take time to relax in my backyard, not only by playing soccer, but also taking my dog on walks throughout the unadulterated plot of 8.8 acres of land that sits alongside the yard. At the United States' core, essentially every citizen has the ambition to achieve that particular person's ideal extent of wealth or success. This is not a negative thing per se, but capitalism does indeed by its very nature, promote an expansionist-like ambition in many of the workers that blissfully reside within it. To provide a concrete example, imagine the 8.8 acre plot of land that sat near my backyard. Sadly, within a few years, that very plot of land could very well be gobbled up by some young and inspiring real estate agent trying to get a buck or two. Therein lies on a microcosmic level, how as populations across the world grow, "vacant", or otherwise wildlife-inhabited parts of the world will continue to diminish.

Recently, I took the time to very briefly snoop my sister's room and view her numerous treasures that render her carpet ostensibly invisible. Lying throughout her room, which is larger than that of my own, were absurdly tall leather, and presumably expensive boots that I was shocked to witness my sister's possession of them. Over the past few years, day after day, my family's computer's Internet Explorer tabs would be occupied by Nordstrom's, Neiman Marcus, and Free People shopping carts, ready to buy hundred-dollar shoes, boots, jewelry, dresses, skirts, and God knows what else. This is in all my expressible honesty, a travesty to use the fewest possible words of the English language. I ask for so little from my parents, yet day after day, my sister inevitably will insist on them ordering her a new article of clothing online, or them dropping her off at a high-profile, opulent mall, that mind you, is not what one would call "close".

But from a different perspective, this circumstance can be viewed as healthy for me. As I witness my own sister ask for anything that will supposedly lead to her heart's content, I know that having such a materialistic outlook on life is bound to lead to failure or ultimate discontent. By asking for such an innumerable amount each month, my father begins to think he is buying my sister love. Saying "thank you" in most cases is an empty gesture, devoid of meaning or spirit. I haven't the slightest clue as to how my father would understand a "thank you" or even a sign of appreciation, such as a smile, or a gasp of excitement as she would witness the package for the first time as a gesture of love. I think as of late, my sister's unreasonable desire for clothing and accessories has somewhat slowed, and my father has realized taking out checks for things that truly are not quite so important in life are not top-priority.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Breaking away from Exhibitionism: Facebook

By: Michael Lenoch

Such has our world as of late been consumed by the social time-sink, or Facebook. To my outspoken dismay, this is to the detriment of modern teenagers.

Never has there been a website that nurtured the average teenager's ability to glaze over the website's own text. You're with it if your Status is short. You're not if it's long, or if you gave it any thought at all. You're with it if you quoted a recent popculture reference verbatim. You're not if you come up with a clever aphorism of your own that provokes some thinking.

Facebook, otherwise known as the electronic organization of brainless commentary and social interaction, is a vomit-provoking site to say the least. Meaningless clubs that supposedly pair Facebook members with similar interests, coupled with endless and unremarkable messages and Statuses are certain to leave one with the thought: "Why did I ever decide to join Facebook in the first place?"

To quote Andy Ostroy from the Huffington Post;

"What started out as a social networking site for college kids has somehow turned into a cesspool of self-absorbed way-too-old-to-be-fucking-around-on-Facebook adults who think that the rest of us actually give a shit about what they're drinking, eating, thinking, reading, watching, and/or are listening to every five minutes. They post their top 5 records, movies and TV shows. They post "25 Random Things About Me" lists. And they tell us constantly what they're "fans of." One person is a fan of "grilled cheese." I kid you not. What have we come to when grilled cheese has its own Facebook page? Someone clearly has way too much time on their hands."

To think people who attend my school know various people purely from his or her Facebook profile is a social nightmare come true. The site is inundated with depraved teenagers who use Facebook as a way to "express" him or herself. That's not expression, that's beating someone over the head with all of your interests and activities at any given moment that no one cares to the slightest degree.

"The site is overcrowded with attention-starved [teenagers] essentially screaming "look at me... look at me!" all day long. They change their profile photos as often as I change my underwear, and they've somehow convinced themselves that their lives are infinitely interesting all the time. The "audience factor" is just way too attractive to these folks. It's drunken karaoke without the booze and the bad singing, but with all the requisite self-indulgence."

In what instance will I ever in my lifetime find any of this information useful whatsoever -- senseless musings of obviously confused teens, the regurgitation of music lyrics, and the stereotypical ignorance teenagers have been so apt to promote and reinforce.

But in the spirit of a carefully orchestrated crescendo, I must confess how I initially became a Facebook member. By my Sophomore year, I transferred to a new school. Prior to that time, I wisely neglected becoming a Facebook member, thinking, "It's simply not for me." But when I did in fact, break down and submit to the ubiquitous Facebook regime, there was nothing particularly remarkable, even from the outset. Sure it was helpful to get to know people before I stepped foot in my new school, but Facebook is a depressing waste of time that blares in your face how little people care about you no matter how little, or considered your contributions are, especially relative to your fellow self-absorbed peers.



SOURCE:

Ostroy, Andy. "I Hate Facebook." The Huffington Post. 25 Mar. 2009. Web. 2 Sept. 2009. .

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

I hate the routine

By: Michael Lenoch

I hate the routine
I hate the routine, the forced lifestyle that all of us must endure,
I hate the routine that has provoked the dark suicidal thoughts in us all,
I hate the routine that makes me grateful for any free time I may have,
I hate the routine that makes me keep track of time,
I hate the routine that forces me to write in order to cope,
I hate the routine that requires no creativity, as those who have mastered the routine, yet are clearly less intelligible than myself succeed,
I hate the routine that surges stress in us all daily,
I hate the routine that mercilessly knocks the inkling of personality we each resembled, prior to our embracing the routine,
I hate the routine that supposedly, will one day make formidable professionals of us all,
I hate the routine that limits our time we spend with our families,
I hate the routine that mandates me to sit in a classroom full of students all day who consider themselves brilliant purely because they happened to fill in answer C, rather than answer A,
I hate the routine that consists of a blaring alarm clock, and a gloomy morning,
I hate the routine that was employed by adults who assume ubiquitous stupidity of teenagers,
I hate the routine that restricts my full potential in activities I consider worthwhile and a possible profession, such as writing,
I hate the routine that has me witness innumerable faces that appear sleepy and lifeless,
I hate the routine that situates me with individuals who dismiss me entirely,
I hate the routine that consists of a large amount of teenagers who have no desire to learn and to succeed,
I hate the routine in which I witness individuals who assume their wit based on the name of the school they attend,
I hate the routine in which so much more could be done other than the undeniably objective, mind-numbing homework we are assigned each night,
I hate the routine in which I must endure a senseless beating of the French language a year behind, when I could be enjoying the brilliant sounds of the German language, a year ahead,
I hate the routine that has me sitting in a stifling library on the fourth floor, contemplating every drawback, and hoping for the most of every hardship,
I hate the routine in which I must suffer criticism, misunderstandings, as well as ignorance,

But I do in fact love the routine in which I can sit down, satisfied, knowing I either contributed to the English language in one form or another, or have at the very least, provoked some sort of questioning.

Monday, August 17, 2009

My Aspiration to Live in Germany

It is senseless,
It is bound in pride,
It is nigh inexplainable,
It harkens to a lack of identity in the land of the stars and stripes,
It makes me question my allegiance to the red, white, and blue,
It shocks me how generic the texts of the land represented by a bald eagle truly are,
It gives me a sense of longing,
A sense of parting from my ancestry, a loss of my heitage and my roots in history,
A yearning desire that envisions myself speaking a language proudly that was spoken by my great fathers long ago,
A culture that is more united than these supposed united states,
A culture that doesn't beat itself up about sports feuds, messy divorces, and petty arguments, debating the implications behind the First Amendment,
But rather, a relaxed lot, who understand the core values of life, and are not driving everywhere by car and chopping every tree in sight to achieve them.

Monday, August 3, 2009

John Davison, the sensationalist

(As a preface, John Davison, former 1up/EGM employee, runs a site called WhatTheyPlay.com, and is a popular guest on my personal favorite podcast, Listen Up!.)

Lately because I've been listening to multiple podcasts; Gamespot UK podcast, Listen Up!, Giant Bomb, and (World Soccer Daily, although that's irrelevant), I've had a spectrum of opinions throughout the various shows, and have noticed how much of a sensationalist John is. He makes out every game that he spent 5 minutes playing and didn't frustrate him to be the next game of the year. He commonly uses words like "Awesome", "Excellent", "Spectacular", and "Great", which can get a bit confusing. First of all, for the most part, all of the words I mentioned have identical connotations, and when used, can be perceived to pertain to the same standard or quality. I feel John needs to be more careful when speaking about games, because from first-hand experience, I've bought some iPhone games that I've been greatly disappointed with because of how "Good" he describes every game he mentions. John needs to use subtlety to his advantage. He clearly must have no idea what kind of influence he has on gamers -- because if Uncle John says it's good, it's nearly guaranteed the boards will be either up in arms in regret, or in love with John's weekly recommendation by the following week.

I might be taking a bit of a diversion here, but I think John would be better suited talking about books on a podcast. Books educate. Books have never done anything wrong. Books are worth reading even if the subject is not particularly interesting because you are bound to learn something new. And most importantly, books have never wasted anyone's time. John's approach to talking about games is very fey or whimsical. Don't misinterpret this though; what I mean by "fey or whimsical" is that John rarely has had the misfortune of having to take a chance on a game that he has been told was good -- he always has the opportunity to try a game before commiting a purchase by the very nature of his job. John certainly has expressed instances in which he has been burned by buying a game, but he seems less critical if "he spent 5 minutes or more playing a game and it didn't frustrate him". So in some cases, it appears as though he forgot what it means to be a gamer -- and indeed is going on by assumptions.

All in all, John needs to be more careful with his words, not use words like" Spectacular" for every game he talks about, truly get down to what makes a game fun -- not what it is about -- which is inevitably what the show gets caught up in on nearly every show. It's not always worth the time to know what the game is about, but rather whether it is worth my time.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Area 5 is sorely lacking

I can remember the 1up Show, and how interesting and solid each discussion featured on the show was. After watching this week's Area 5 show, I'm afraid to say that Area 5 is sorely lacking. In contrast to the 1up Show, when Ryan, Jason, Cesar, Jay, and Matt were filming some of the most articulate writers the video game industry has seen, the show was highly entertaining. The idea of inviting other video game writers is a plus, but on this week's show, I could barely understand what Cesar was trying to convey during the Call of Juarez discussion . Maybe I am a fool, or maybe Cesar needs to work on his communication skills or build his vocabulary. When he was trying to say how he felt about Call of Juarez as a whole, he kept rephrasing what he said a few seconds ago. Cesar alone is not to blame. Let's be honest, there's a reason the Area 5 guys aren't invited to podcasts. They are spectacular video producers, and I commend them for that, but they are not the most articulate game critics. They certainly do a great job explaining their personal experiences, but can barely make a solid critique about a game, which is why they made such an appropriate fit making the 1up Show with the verbally articulate 1up guys. I can understand how stressful it can be improvising these discussions (whether they are or are not), but as an honest consumer, I felt like no one on the Call of Juarez discussion clearly indicated whether it was something I should look into or not. Maybe I'm harping too much on the Call of Juarez discussion alone, but relative to Area 5's quality work in the past, this simply didn't seem to fit.

No offense Area 5 guys, just some constructive criticism

Friday, June 26, 2009

Battlefield Heroes Impressions

In Battlefield Heroes, the highly popular ranking and experience system is back in full glory, right? Wrong, personally, I feel in Battlefield Heroes, the ranking system is absued. By the end of each 5-10 minute round or so, you'll see that you've racked up nearly 1000 points that will be added to your character. This feels good, sure, but when you see literally billions of points popping up before your character, they begin to become meaningless. Added the fact that there are few weapons to choose from, you'll ifnd yourself wondering what to spend your points on. One of the only factors that distinguishes Battlefield Heroes from any run-of-the-mill modern shooter is your abilities and clothing options, which may interest you Barbie fans out there. But as for me, and any other man out there, I honestly don't care what my character looks like.



But surely this game wasn't intended for me, a hardcore Battlefield 2/Call of Duty 4 player, right? Yes, in fact for players new to shooters, or online games in general, this game is great. I watched attentively as my babysitter's son, who is about 9, play Battlefield Heroes -- he enjoyed it, partly because of how greatly the game gratifies you as you earn points, as well as how forgiving the game is. Also, the requirement for speedy reflexes is not quite necessary, which for me at least, is something that made my experience with the game less as enjoyable. And because the game is accessible, free, and encouraging, you're going to be finding yourself in many games with a hefty amount of exploiting jerks.



Aside from all the details, the core gameplay, for me, fails to impress. The shooting mechanic could have been done more effectively in a number of ways. Shooting in Battlefield Heroes feels uneffective, and that's due to the fact that DICE wanted people to come back for more each day -- after all, dying with a few rounds to the head in a game like Counter Strike is not the most encouraging, fun, or even gratifying way to draw in a fanbase. It's apparent that everything from the health system, the UI, the HUD, the few classes, the inability to choose spawn points, the fact that this game takes place in 3rd person, the inability to go prone, the amount of rounds it requires to take down someone, and the very few weapons to choose from, that this game was made for the utmost unskilled, inexperienced, and brutally unsavy gamers, children, or people to enjoy and play, and have that ideal 'Battlefield Experience' that was lusted after by people outside the Battlefield 1942 community.



All in all, I'm araid to say Battlefield Heroes is not my favorite Battlefield.

Modern Warfare 2 Gameplay at E3 in Words

Lately, I have been doing everything but writing, and it is apparent how desperate in need of stimulating that skill I am. So to stimulate my writing skill, (and because I'm out of ideas for writing prompts now) I think I should as accurately as possible describe the Modern Warfare 2 gameplay that was featured at E3. Here it goes.



You witness your resilient companion, Soap McTavish smoke a cigar to the frigid scenery surrounding you. Your path ahead is uncertain, but you know you must carry on. Your confidence is still strong, as you can hear the beat to your heart. Speedy aircraft soar overhead with tremendous velocity. They appear to be MiG-29s. Soap commands you to get up from your break as he tosses his warm cigar down the ice-patched cliff. You clench near to the cliff wall to hold on for dear life while you look down the deadly descent that looms before you, inciting paranoia in your every muscle. You look to the side where Soap is facing the very same fear you are for comfort. You eye Soap's dangling rifle, knowing that that is what will potentially save both your and his life. Soap orders you to cover him, as he scales the ice cliff with every remaining ounce of strength he remarkably still has. He draws his ice picks, and brings himself up with incredible effort. By the time he nearly reaches the top, he assumes all is well, and there is nothing to fear. He has you follow him with little precaution. You climb the arctic wall with equal strength demonstrated by Soap, watching each cracking section of ice permitting your ascension. Two more unknown aircraft pass by, as Soap is blown, he grips for his life with one hand. He recovers with little effort, and arrives at the top of the treacherous cliff. Then as you make it to the top of the cliff, you gaze at Soap's daring will, while he leaps off the very cliff you both worked so hard to scale. You do the same with a running start, grasping your ice picks, as they begin to allow you to drift, Soap valiantly comes to your aid. You reach the bottom of the cold path, dangling one ice pick, and looking down to the gargantuan descent. Then your other ice pick, which is still attached to the freezing path is released from the slide, as Soap grabs you by the arm with immense courage, saving your endangered life.







----------------------------------IN THE INTEREST OF TIME----------------------------







Then, you and Soap roam the windy territory, spotting enemies worth your bullets. You fire your silenced rifle like a natural. You hear malicious yelling in Russian through the foggy land. Your heartbeat detector mounted on the side of your rifle indicates the presence of multiple targets. Then, feeling confident, you run past a truck, knifing a devilish Russian wearing a fear-inducing gas mask. Then you enter a building with a rounded roof, firing at an enemy through glass bottles. Soap has you lay low, as an enemy truck passes by. You walk by an airstrip, seeing the same MiG-29s that nearly blew Soap off the cliff earlier. You reach a fueling station, placing C4 on the indicated area. You're then hurled into an intense firefight that has you take cover and skillfully pick your shots within stunning time. A couple of snowmobiles with two riders on them each jet toward you, as you fire at the riders for your own safety, they fall into the snowy ground to their deaths. The action heats up while two snow-uniform clad Russian soldiers approach you with weapons ready. Your fast reflexes show that they don't stand a chance against your unbeatable force. You run past the smoking, singed debris that resemble airplanes, and use it as a decoy to run to your safety. You run towards a large hill, and safely slide down the soft snow, firing at a few enemies that followed you to the hill. Two more snowmobiles race past you. You watch as Soap manages to strike one of the snowmobile riders with his ice pick to his death, falling off the quickly moving snowmobile into the soft snow. You then take to one of the vacant snowmobiles, and maneuver the relenting terrain, along with its rigorous jumps and slopes. You take out one of the other snowmobile riders moving alongside you with your trusty Glock automatic pistol, held sideways. Finally, you reach the last cliff. You fearlessly take it head on while riding your snowmobile. And you are safe.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The Average Video Gamer's Claim to Fame

Video gaming as a hobby can be described as one of the most thought-provoking activities one can do. By that fact, video gamers represent a rampant desire to express themselves by accessing internet message boards, online clubs, or any other community-based video game website to get their word out there just like any professional video game journalist would. Exactly as I am doing right now; writing to ultimately lead to my anticipated claim to professional fame, thousands of other gamers, equipped with very similar aspirations are doing the same. So the question is; how can I literally rise above these brainless laymen and become known in the gaming industry? Obviously, I am no expert of this, as I have no past experience and have not been recognized in any meaningful way by the gaming industry as a whole, but I do have some theories that may aid in your, and if not my own attempts to verbalize the average gamer's supposed claim to fame.

Step 1. BE DIFFERENT
Many times I have heard the vague suggestion to 'be different', yet have never had any concrete description as to what I should do in order to scrounge my way out of this cesspool of highly enthusiastic, but truly not very skilled writers known as the enthusiastic video gamers of the world. Hopefully I can provide some first-hand insight that will brighten your trail to understanding your task at hand. To be 'different' in terms of writing means to use words in new ways, to not be afraid to take risks, and to go out on a limb, while not using any clichés or too many terms you have heard in the past. In fact, the most amount of learning is done when you take risks and are creative in your endeavors. But you should always keep in mind the professional writers out there that you so greatly admire, and truly observe his or her personal style of writing. And remember that a strong writer stems from an even stronger foundation, so reading is essential.

Step 2. CHOOSING THE RIGHT TIME TO WRITE
Writing is a hobby that needs to be honed constantly. If you choose to write every day regarding topics you are not truly very inrigued about, you may as well find yourself writing very bland, uninteresting pieces. Choosing the right time to write is crucial, as you will astound yourself with your colorful language, descriptive depictions and enthusiasm that simply bleeds through the pages. Unlike the typical mindless gamer racking in thousands of gameplay hours, you will surely rise above their puny stature by gauging your own amount of enthusiasm at a particular moment and capitalizing on that very enthusiasm at its peak. Yet the only problem that obscures your view of your goal that you've worked so hard to achieve is garnering an audience.

Step 3. GARNERING AN AUDIENCE
In all honestly, this is one area that I have miserably failed at. Given my blog's pathetic popularity, this is only evident that this is something that I need to work at. I can talk and write all day how to approach the gaming industry as something to reap profits from by writing, and certainly writing about video games you love is fun, but making a fully realized execution in doing so is a dream by my perspective, never realized. Anyone who has ever visited my website seems to have done so only once, and must have been disappointed by my latest offerings -- my only recommendation to alleviate this is to group up with some buddies of yours, and to take on this uncharted gold rush of fanboy-oriented websites and numerous throw-away reactionary opinions called the internet with full force.

Hopefully, armed with these three suggestions, you will be prepared to take on the gaming industry that has been begging you for years to tap into. Who knows, maybe you're the world's next great writer.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Does every online shooter honestly need an experience system?

In the wake of 2005's Battlefield 2, Infinity Ward capitalized on DICE's experience system with Call of Duty 4, and to great effect. So much so that this sort of carrot-stick incentive-based system has gone rampant. Games that trailed off of Call of Duty 4's explosive success are Lost Planet 2, Gears of War 2, Battlefield: Bad Company and Battlefield Heroes (although it's arguable whether or not Bad Company and Heroes' inclusion of the experience system was a reaction to Call of Duty 4 or it was fully intentional from the start of development of each game), Far Cry 2, Crysis Warhead, Resistance 2, Killzone 2, and Fear 2. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by how much you might have to earn to play at a reasonable level these days, especially if you're playing multiple shooters at once? And do you imagine yourself dividing your time between shooters given the time-consuming nature of the RPG-like experience system that is seemingly duck-taped in most modern online shooters? Personally, I find the ranking systems in some games truly unecessary, but then again, I'm certainly not someone who can plow through all the ranks in a few days, which is something that may color my opinion.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Peggle for iPhone

Upon being shocked by the fact that Peggle was recently released on the App store, I was quick to download it. Initally, I expected the controls to poorly translate to the iPhone's touch interface. But to my surprise, they actually seem to flawlessly mimic the classic gameplay that became so famous on the iPod and PC. The game takes place horizontally on the iPhone's screen, and the legendary Peggle experience is intact. You use your finger to slide your aim, and there's a separate 'Fire' button to the right. Luckily, the game doesn't force you to obscure your aim by placing your finger in front of the ball launcher, but rather allows you to put your finger anywhere on the screen in order to aim. I could see hardcore fans being slightly disappointed by the fact that the 'Fire' button is so far away, relative to the previous iPod and PC versions, where the 'Fire' button was virtually next to your aiming interface. If you have never played Peggle, think of it as Pachinko with a scrolling dish along the bottom that allows skilled players to time their shots in order to get a free ball, along with various power-ups that can vary from guided shots to heaping fireballs. Once again, if you have never played Peggle, I strongly recommend purchasing this game, it's well worth the 5 or so dollars.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Battlefield 1943 Impressions: Part 2

For anyone who seems to have diluted themselves into believing Battlefield 1943 will be similar to a Battlefield 1942 PC experience, you're wrong. The console space will possibly never evolve to the PC experience where your teammates seem to be somewhat willing to cooperate. Whereas on console games, where the nature of the playing field is to hop-in, hop-out, and typically go out with a lone-wolf approach. Take Battlefield: Bad Company for example (Which appears to be the same game as Battlefield 1943), as far as I can see, it didn't work on consoles. People would simply never give you health packs, and imaginably, if there was a revive mechanic, similar to that of Battlefield 2 or Killzone 2, the same would apply. People playing shooters online on consoles are typically oblivious to their teammates around them -- they seem to get into a sort of hive-minded/drone mentality that seeks to aid the player himself, and no one else but himself. Compare a game such as Call of Duty 4 to Battlefield: Bad Company on the consoles. The experience Call of Duty 4 provided was simply better tailored to appeal to the current shooter audience on consoles, which consists of people who adore cheap, instant thrills. Battlefield: Bad Company attempted to present itself in a more methodical, strategic, or tactical fashion by having larger maps, and no regenerating health, but as far as I can see, Dice's attempts on the console were all for nothing.



Let's just hope the PC audience responds more positively to Battlefield 1943 than the console audience will.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

A Paragraph-Worth of Thoughts on Super Paper Mario for Wii

My Spring Break ends this Sunday, and I'm spending my break in Marco Island, Florida by playing Super Paper Mario on Wii, soaking up the sun, and by dwelling on the beach, and in the pool. To my surprise, I'm finding the Super Paper Mario part of my trip spectacular, presumably because I've never dared to play or even purchase a Super Paper Mario game. Super Paper Mario for Wii seems to be a much more inviting game relative to the previous Super Paper Mario installments that emphasized the role-playing aspect of the game. I would imagine that would be due to how integral platforming is, and how little a role the RPG elements play in the overall game. All in all, due to the lack of intense RPG elements, and the astonishingly unique 3D to 2D perspective-shifting gameplay, I can confidently say I'm enjoying it!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

My Backyard, oh How I adore thee

Crysis Wars Impressions

By: Michael Lenoch

Today, I have nearly spent the entire day waiting, anticipating, and going through the steps necessary to download Crysis Warhead. The time it took to download the game wasn't due to my internet connection, but rather my own ability to comprehend the IGN's Download Manager and the uncertainty if the game was being installed to my external harddrive. Anyway, I'm sure this is very interesting. You might want to hear about my experience playing the game? Probably not. Too bad, I will regardless.

Crysis: Wars Banner Pictures, Images and Photos

First of all, I must address the fact that in Crysis Wars, Crysis' multiplayer suite, does include the ability to use all the abilities featured in the single player game; armor, strength, speed, cloak. This does make the game stand out from the plethora of imitation-quality first person shooters out these days, those of which attempt to grab a piece of the Call of Duty 4 pie. Although there are only very few similarities between Crysis Wars and Call of Duty 4, Crysis manages to make its own fast-paced fun. Crysis Wars, however, doesn't mix up the gameplay by implementing Call of Duty 4-style perks, but instead, the four aforementioned Nano-suit abilities.

crysis Pictures, Images and Photos

Granting the player to make appropriate use of the four abilities is for better and for worse though, especially in the multiplayer setting. Given the fact that armor allows increased bullet-proofing, strength provides higher jumping and stronger melee attacks, speed gives the player faster running, cloak makes the player transparent, and these abilities are all accessible at any time, this game is a recipe for chaos. And how chaotic this game is. Hypothetically, you're attempting to play as a sniper with limited movement and while using the cloak ability so you're not spotted by your enemy. This can be tremendously inconvienent, especially when you're enemies are jumping 15 meters in the air, while simultaneously traveling at incredible speeds. But of course, this heavily depends on the people you may be playing with and their skill. But what makes this game truly distinctive aside from the spectacular graphics, is how this game allows you to play it in any way you desire; hidden, methodically, or rushing past your enemies with speed.

Unfornately, from what I've played, this game seems to suffer from slightly unbearable lag. Crysis Wars' lag only seems to make your enemies disappear, and in very rare instances, limit your movement for a short period of time. The weapon customization doesn't quite compare to games like Call of Duty 4's though, as custimzation is done on the fly, and the attachments you are allowed to choose from are entirely based upon the particular weapon you picked up. Keep in mind though, there are not any classes in Crysis Wars. This can be at times somewhat frustrating when you spawn in front of someone who has had the opportunity to pick up a shotgun, while you're stuck with your comparatively puny sidearm. Weapons range from a few imaginary rifles to real-life guns that nearly mimic Call of Duty 4's selection in its assortment and variety.

All in all, I cannot stop comparing games to Call of Duty 4, and Crysis Wars is rather fun.

Oh and this

crysis Pictures, Images and Photos

Monday, March 30, 2009

Tracking the Evolution of Michael Lenoch throughout the 1up.com Message Boards

This archive consists of everything I have contributed to the 1up.com Message Boards is intended to highlight the point at which I claimed I was to be a writer, when I became conscious of grammar, spelling, punctuation, slang, my sanity, my enthusiasm, and lack thereof, and when I began to form a sophisticated opinion. Given the fact that the "Lithium", or old Message Boards of 1up are being closed, I thought what other occurence could better spark such arduous work than this. Keep in mind quite a few of these responses I post are out of context, and anything written by either myself or anyone else has not been altered in any way. From the time where all I would talk about would be Me & My Katamari and Animal Crossing: Wild World to Battlefield 1942 to Final Fantasy XII, for the most part, everything's covered. It was a time where the Gaming Industry wasn't nearly as fast-paced, and I didn't exactly crave information or podcasts like I may today.

Throughout these 3 years, I've done quite a bit of learning, and maturing. Hopefully this will provide an insightful glimpse at how the 1up message boards have literally changed my life. I am incredibly grateful for the community and my opportunity to converse and learn with them during these years. Thank you all, und ohne weitere Umstände.


Re: che :(
he's my favorite editor (don't worry, I'm not gay!)


Re: Super Princess peach commercial
It's seems like it's from the 80's (not the quality, the Whole thing actually!)

Re: Japanese hardware sales
GOOOO DS whoo hooo!

Re: Post your DS collection
you got a lot!
I have 8 because that's all my case can hold
I have
1.Metroid First Hunt(if that counts)
2.Asphalt Urban GT
3.Super Mario 64 DS
4.Wario Ware:Touched!
5.Need For Speed Underground2
6.Nintendogs: Shiba & Friends (Japan Import)
7.Nintendogs: Lab & Friends
8.Mario Kart DS
9.The Best, My Favorite, Animal Crossing:Wild World!

Anyone think Burnout for the ds is good (I don't have & don't plan to)
I've heard that it was but hadn't seen any media for it

Re: guyz look i got a DS lite
It won't load

Re: Rub rabbits 1up review
WHAT!!!! on the 1up show they said it was fun!

Why do PSP owners neglect DS games and Vice-Versa (from what I've heard from all of my friends)
I am a DS owner that is thinking of Importing a White PSP (from ebay even though there is no need to,the white looks way cooler) When my soon to be favorite PSP title: Me & My Katamari arrives, I just have to see how it is!
or I would totally dig if there was a Katamari game on the DS!

Re: Me Playing the Persuit Force Demo - Game's got potential!
WHY ARE PEOPLE SOOO BAD AT PSP racing titles!!!!!!!!!(always crashing into thiungs!) I don't have a PSP but my friend does and until I see a person that is good besides him I will stop stereo typing PSP players

Re: Why make crappy FPS's or third person shooters for the PSP, that have to comprimise controls...
Yeah! my friend told me that Star Wars BF2 on PSP's controls were taken out because of the lack of the second analog stick

Do you like Katamari Enough to......
. get the PSP one

. Re: Why make crappy FPS's or third person shooters for the PSP, that have to comprimise controls......
well I have 2 friends who's favorite game is coded arms! and thay talk about it at school at least onece-a-week!

Re: Do you like Katamari Enough to...........
I just got it and it's like all the fansof the original are asking you to do stuff

I'n Dragon Quest VIII..........................
How do I get the little kids to move from Jessica's Bedroom?
MK:DS online stinks!
Because of the disconnecting thing nintendo should have a tally on how many times a person disconnects

Re: So if the DSlite doesnt come with a wrist strap, how are you supposecd to play MPH?
Man, what's wrong with the stylus, NOTHINg, AT ALL! just take the damn pen out of your DS jeez!!

Re: DS from Japan
Man I've Known that since summer when I imported Ndogs:sba and friends

Re: I'n Dragon Quest VIII..........................
oh thanks I always thought that the mouse was worthless

Re: WARNING READ - VJ2 demo on PS2 holiday demo disc WILL ERASE YOUR MEMORY CARD!
that sux

Re: what is your favorite playstation 2 game's
Katamari Damacy,
We (Heart) Katamari,
Dragon Quest VIII,
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec,
Gran Turismo 4.

I just got the FFXII Demo and...................
can anyone beat the beach level(not the dungeon)

Re: Why do PSP owners neglect DS games and Vice-Versa (from what I've heard from all of my friends)
you got that right! whenever I talk about ds my friends' expectations are very, very low and he knows how to do everything with his PSP, or The Sony media manager and he expects a lot more from gamming devices now that he knows how to do download/upload media to his PSP
yeah I always see you on the ds forums not here, I was thinking of getting a PSP because Katamari is coming to it but if ds gets it you can forget I ever said the word 'PSP'!

Re: How many psp fans own a ds too?
I have a DS and AC:WW is a daily-fix in its self, and I couldn't see myself fit a PSP in my pocket, and that screen, oh that beatiful screen that would totally get messed up because DS closes and PSP doesn't.
I even bring my red nintendo ds to school every day because AC:WW is so daily!

Re: MK:DS online stinks!
wait!, they should get a loss or they do?

Re: Whose selling their fat Ds for a Ds lite?
I don't think you should call it fat........It knows where you live ......well actually the top mostly sticks out.

Re: New Tenchu DS screens
cool! like the ps2 but with n64 graphics

Does anyone have a White PSP?
And does it dirtier?

Re: my psp will only read disks when its on low battery....
nope! that sucks fer ya, I think PSP is too complicated, so I have a Red Nintendo DS!!!

Do you bring your DS and/or PSP to work/school?
I bring my red nintendo DS

I beat the FFXII Demo Twice!
The beach level, how do you beat the dungeon level though?

Re: Is the DS compatible with the GBA Gameshark?
I HATE gameshark, why buy games if you cheat!?!?!
Re: Do you bring your DS and/or PSP to work/school?
I always was thinking of doing that when I become a writter, editor, Jornalist for a gaming website.


And do any of your clients see your PSP?

do any of your clients see you playing games?

CAn a japanese PSP play U.S. Movies?
And can it be linked to a computer of the United States?

Re: Does anyone have a White PSP?
yeah I know that you have to import them

Re: Do you bring your PSP and/or DS to work/school?
WHAT?! from talking loud @ them? Like yelling "Oh my gosh!!!".

Any thought among the Naruto Game?
well I can't remember what it's call though

Re: best game for Girls?
Maybe........ Chibi-Robo, but from what I've played, I can't say that it's good, because I put my gamecube away, and had to play on my sister's and that wasn't enough time to play so I guess, If a friend has it, ask if you can borrow it.


(I put my gamecube away because the next generation of systems came out, but I left my PS2 out because I just got Burnout: Revenge, We Love Katamari, and Chibi-Robo, but my gamecube is put away.)

Re: Do you bring your DS and/or PSP to work/school?
Well if your not into multi-player DS games at least get Animal Crossing: Wild World, Only the best Nintendo DS game to date.
I always bring My DS with AC:WW loaded into the game slot, I play it on the way home though, somtimes on the way to school, if I have time.

Re: CAn a japanese PSP play U.S. Movies?
Wow, Wow very cool! I didn't even know that!

I hope!
That Me & My Katamari, my soon to be favorite PSP title. I hope Namco doesn't make me buy a $250.00 PSP just to play Katamari anywhere. I want them to bring it to the DS and that the PSP is so delicate, more that 1/2 of my friends' PSPs have broken. One of which just sent it back because he had a warranty to best buy. And he returned it because his screen was scratched, he sent it in, they sent him a new one, without accesories. Worthless, completley, babyish, Oh Yeah!, but awesome.

On my game collection it says that,
Advance Wars: Black Hole Rising is $49.00

Re: "Error in Backup Memory" on FFTA
Play on your DS, micro, GBA 1 , or the gamecube thing, or I bought all of those.

I hope that I get a,
Choice to get Katamari on DS instead of being force to buy a PSP to play Katamari portably, they should bring it to DS!

What system LOOKS the best?
X360 = xbox 360
PS3 = playstion 3
NREV = nintendo revolution
PS2 = playstion 2
XBX = xbox
NGC = nintendo gamecube
N64= nintendo 64
SG = sega genisis
GBC = gameboy color
GBA = gameboy adv.
GBA SP = gameboy adv. sp
GBA MICRO = gameboy micro (advance)
ANY OTHER GAMEBOY: other gameboys that are unmentioned
SPSP = sony playstation portable
NDS = nintendo ds
SLIM PS2 = slim playstation 2
DS LITE = lite ds
OTHER = other systems unmentioned
(I mean NOT graphics, exterior, or shell, and mention color you think it looks best in)

Re: I hope that I get a,
well I don't like the metroid first hunt controls one bit because it is not senseitive enough, so you end up having to lift your stylus up and slide it up just to look up. Do you know what I'm saying?

and for katamari they could have face buttons+d-pad, like the controls of the PSP, or maybe improved pac-n'-roll controls, if possible

Can web browsing w/ your PSP damage it?
at least, that's what my friend said

Re: New Metroid Prime Hands On!
i dislike; dispise; HATE all metroid games, sorry fanboys; fangirls, the games are just so wierd, don't make sense, and I'm bad at them, but good at halo 2, well isn't everyone? and i don't like it when the thing looks like a puss attacks your screen

Re: I'n Dragon Quest VIII..........................
OH yeah!, I got it last week because of X-play's review, giving it a 5 out of 5.

Re: I beat the FFXII Demo Twice!
WHAT!?!?!? NO!!!! I thought this was one of the best RPG's I've played in a long time, it reminds me of Pokemon, because it is such a fun RPG, I HOPE this is multi-player, well I wouldn't know because this is the second FF I've EVER played, since crystal chronicles. There is no way I won't buy this, unless for some strange reason it will be rated M. But I will still try to negotiate with my dad like I did for Halo 2, I said that all of the stuff in it was fake, like the aliens, and the language wasn't bad AT ALL! I don't think that Halo 2 should be rated M, but whatever, I still got it.
Oh and now, I beat both of the levels, the beach 3 times, and the shrine/temple/dungeon once.
If that game came out on the PSP I would definatley buy a PSP, but I'm stickin' to AC:WW for DS.

Re: I hope that I get a
Instead of crappy games like, the one I bought,(NFSU2 for DS) because I thought it would be like the PSP's NFSURivals. And OH BOY was I wrong that game sucks ass TIMES TEN. I kept watching the trailer of the PSP game, and kept thinking that was going to be how the DS one was, but back then, I haven't seen a bad DS title so I was very optimistic. I think nintendo and some other companies truly know how to make games fit to the DS, that game would have been fun if it was on GBA, probably amazing to see those graphics and not fun though.

Re: I hope!
Well if I were to get a PSP, I don't think so, a loyal nintendo fanboy, I am.

Re: Sunday!Sunday!Sunday!
well it's much better because people won't cheat.

There's a show I just watched on [Adult Swim] and I don't know what it's called.(details inside)
It had a group called Holy, there was a man who had like a beast-like are that was Red and Yellow, and that is about all I can give you, because I don't really follow that anime, I always watch: Bobobbobobbobo, IGPX: my favorite, and The Boondocks


Re: Toonami does Miyazaki
I saw Spirited Away, on the regular Cartoon Network, and it seems as though it should be on the PSP. An it was really moving, even to my 7-year old sister.

Re: There's a show I just watched on [Adult Swim] and I don't know what it's called.(details inside)
Yeah! That's it! I just had seen an episode that had a guy who was really scared and had a big robot guy to support him, and the rebellious guy with red hair and the transforming arm had killed/broke the Large robot (that seems like it's from Gundam).
But honestly what's wrong with that show to you, I think it's fine?

Re: Do you bring your PSP and/or DS to work/school?
Mighty_Rearanger wrote:
I usually bring my DS. If we have a free class or something, we can play.

________________________________________

WHAT!?!? Wouldn't a teacher take it away, I have to sneak it from my backpack to my pocket, to play it on the way home

Re: MK:DS online stinks!
ViewtifulSean wrote:
The first day I got MK DS, I got disconnected a whole lot. The message that would pop up, said it was my opponents disconnecting. Later found out it was me when I saw my record after less than an hour was 2-35 >.<

________________________________________

Ha! AWESOME sweet!!! I never disconnect and Don't plan to, The people who only care about scores, ranks, who disconnect should pay! and I guess they are,

DS Demo Station, I saw news about this in NP, has anyone seen one yet?
And if so it says the games are:

-Meteos
-Brain Age:Train your brain minuates a day
-Mario Kart DS
-Metroid Prime: Hunters exclusive movie
-Pokemon Trozei
-True Swing Golf
-Tetris:Standard mode
-Tetris ush mode

Are you familiar with the color coding for MK:DS wi-fi?
It is when a certain region is a color=U.S. is Blue,Japan is Red

What is Green, and are there other colors?

Re: Nothing but blue skies and tiny bots
Killer_of_Cows wrote:
The way you type your text so that a new line begins after every 5 or so words reminds me of a poem. Brings a tear to my eye......

________________________________________

Uh Why? would that tear your eyes?

Re: Hands on Impressions of DSlite and Important info for Importers
Then is the battery pack smaller/smae/larger than reg. DS?
I probably won't buy it because I just bought a replacement Red DS(it's my favorite color ) and so I'll feel stupid like when I bought the GBA micro. :-(

Re: Three Pokemon from Diamond and Pearl revealed
VrginX101 wrote:
Apparently, no one likes to their pics to be stolen....

3 New Pokémon
Well, the three new Pokémon that were shadowed have been fully revealed. Ladies, Gentlemen...I give you Tamanta, Perappu & Buizeru. I shall try and get better pics soon:

And D/P most likely won't be out til 2007.

________________________________________

The third one looks awesome. Maybe if they are the starting pokemon this looks like a game I would buy my younger sister,(sorry, I don't like pokemon anymore, I think that my whole school would like it today if it didn't take so long for ruby&saphire to come out).

Re: Stoopid PSP thread
weave45 wrote:
OK soooooooooooooooooo i just get an PSP off ebay and i like am exsited too tryitout and it comes wit six game and too movie and i hopes that it got hear soooooon soooooooo i will play and what i wnt too now is whatare good game to have the psp come wit GTA MGSacid death jr tonyhawk prinse of presia starwars batel front kwel for i
________________________________________

TOO much bad grammar!

My sister wants a PSP, is going to get: Me & My Katamari and Hot Shots golf.
Is it worth her buying it?

Re: Do you bring your DS and/or PSP to work/school?
Infectedsoul wrote:
I bring it to school every day and I play it when the teachers bore me....-_- they rarely check up on me and tend to leave me alone. I think I beat Maveric hunters in Geometry.

________________________________________

My school is private and Catholic so, the kids are scared to ask to play it.
(and I have to sneek it from my backpack, while it's in the locker, to my pants pocket or else I'll have my DS confiscated because we are not allowed to bring electronics to school, for some stupid reason)
But the bad thing is that we have uniforms at our school.

Re: Help me if you feel like it
Me & My Katamari








If FFXII also came out on PSP that would make me buy one
And if Katamari is awesome, I'll find out from my sister though.


Is Armored Core for PSP fun?

And how do you download a game to your PSP, I know I don't have a PSP but I just want to know because that's what my friend said?


What's the last town/destination in Dragon Quest VII?

Re: GT4 Online?
MethodMike wrote:
The online plans for GT4 have probably been scrapped, considering that I haven't heard a thing about it since the games release. I'm hoping Sony can get their act together and at least have an online mode for Gran Turismo 4 Mobile for the PSP (whenever that comes out).
________________________________________

I don't think They'll call it that. I think it won't have a number in it, probably just GT mobile

In DQ8, where is Emma's Grandnother's house?

Re: My PSP broke!!!!!!!
If you are saying that DS's feature of a touch screen is going obsolete, you've got to be kidding me



I've got a Red Nintendo DS with Animal Crossing

Re: DS Demo Station, I saw news about this in NP, has anyone seen one yet?
Well what if you go to gamestop and just HAPPEN to bring along your DS, If I see one I'm going to download Brain Age, it is that Japanese game that you hold your DS to this side Depending on if you're right handed or left. Sounds nerdy but my dad would highly approve me playing that game over AC:WW but I would want to get the weeds out of my town every day, it gets boaring, but fin at times.

Re: How do you exchange data between memory sticks?
Yeah my friend told me that your PSP holds the data and you just put the other memory card in, I don't have a PSP so I wouldn't completley know.

Re: My sister wants a PSP, is going to get: Me & My Katamari and Hot Shots golf.
I'm only 13, so I can't get GTA:LCS, I already have NFSMW on XBOX and I didn't like it so much, so now I've gone back to Gran Turismo 4.
And my friend from school says that you have to stop every time you want to look to the side, in SW:BF2, and If I were to get a PSP, which I don't think I will because I am already occupied by my DS, I would get Me & My Katamari.



Main Reasons why I think I will not get those games, or a PSP: (bottom-line reasons)
I'm only 13, so I can't get GTA:LCS
I already have NFSMW on XBOX and I didn't like it so much
you have to stop every time you want to look to the side, in SW:BF2

Re: Princess Peach
My sister Bought this game today and she likes it.





IT"S MY 100TH POST!
nohmen wrote:

________________________________________
Samurai_Momo wrote:
Please don't buy this because of 'loss of dignity' or something like that, I think that's the main reason the video game market is restricted right now to only making ultra-masculine games. I like Doom and Halo 2 as much as anyone, but give this game a chance, too.
________________________________________

Agreed. If you hate good games, don't buy it. But if you think "it's too girly", sucks to be pathetic you.
________________________________________

Well I'm not buying this becuase I can't fit anymore in my case. (my case can fit 8)
When I was watching my sister play the game it sounded like a Mario Party game.
It didn't make sense, the graphics looked like kirby game

Why did it say that Nintendo DS can have at least 16 players?
And now it seems like the limit is 8 except Pictochat, but I only did 16 player pictochat once, on a school field trip. Now that WAS fun!
ON DS MULTIPLAYER! you don't speak english?
They say that it CAN have up to 16 players, but no games have taken advantage of that, only 8, same goes for PSP
That makes sense............. I guess.

Re: racing racing racing
I don't know but i got back to playing GT4 for PS2 and now I'm better.
But no seriously look on IGN.com, Gamespot.com I don't know if it's bad I was going to buy that for my friend for his Birthday, but oh well, I don't have a PSP.
And the reason I'm here is because my sister is getting one, look at the thread I made here.

If it's true that PS3 won't support the PS2 memory card.......
I think when I get new games like Final Fantasy XII, I'll wait for the PS3 and put the memory on that instead of having to start over, like the Xbox 360, and just like the X360, the graphics might even look better

What anime is on PSP's UMD?
I already know Samuri Champloo, is there anymore, I don't have a PSP, and my sister's getting one so I would watch it on DVD.

She is getting a Japan, White PSP and if PANDA-Z is on that, Japanese, or not I have to buy her that.
(she is 7)

What's your favorite Katamari Series Character?
So far mine is Foomin, but if I can find a Male that is male that would be mine

Re: New PSP D-Pad!!
WHAT's wrong with the regular one???

After you roll up the sun, have you beat We [Love] Katmari?
The if so, I have beaten it.

Is a 128MB memory card from sandisk enough to..........
Store one movie at 1 1/2 hours long?

And ten 30 second commercials?
Forget the ten commercials and the movie, what about 53 min. with two game saves?

Re: Gran Turismo 4 is good and all but...
I Totally Suck at this Game!

i'm serious.
after barely being able to keep my car on the road in every course i try in arcade mode since i don't have enough space on my card for GT mode and i can't afford a new card yet or afford to erase any of the data on my old one, I try out the test course. the one that's basically an oval that goes on forever. i guess i did pretty good, but then this ghost thingy that looked like my car kept passing me. it really sucked.

this game has a crapload of cars and some really good courses and I can see they put a lot of work into this game. they were even able to throw in 1080i which i really appreciate.

________________________________________

I just got back to this game and I'm So Good!~Better than when I just got the game, I can perfectly brake and shift, maybe a long break from this game made me better, but I'm not sure! (I have a white nissan skyline 99')

I'm watching Inyuyasha on [Adult Swim] and I don't really understand why and/or how...
Cagome has power over Inyuyasha.

Or basically, why can Cagome say 'SIT BOY!' and Inyuyasha must do it?

Re: Do you think the PSP can handle PSO?
I'm kinda confused, what does 'PSO' stand for?

Re: Mario Kart Cheater!
I can't understand you!

Re: WTS Silver DS System *Pristine condition* - with Charger, Box, and Metroid Demo
And, what are you going to buy with the money that you get for selling your DS?

WHAT'S WRONG WITH DS WHY ARE YOU SELLING YOURS?)


Oh sorry I just read it and you said that you want a DS Lite, ok and don't you think that Ebay is better-suted for doing these kinds of things?

Re: PSP + Extras For Sale or Trade
trauma85 wrote:
I have a PSP in very good condition for sale or trade. If im selling it i want about 200. It comes with charger, car charger, 32mb, 512mb card, MLB game. The original case and an Intec case that holds 4 games and the psp.

Trades im looking for a DS (any color) and some DS games. or Xbox360 Items (Games things of that nature) or Ipod Mini (any color) or Creative Zen Micro (Any Color). Or just take a shot with your trade all i can do is say no


________________________________________

YEAH GO NINTENDO DS!!!!! And, why did you buy it if your going to trade it? just keep it so you can play the games when you get older!

How can you tell if a game has online play or game sharing abilities?
My sister didn't get her White PSP yet. (I want to see it so badly!)

Re: UT 2006 PSP!
Any FPS can work on the psp using metroide prime control scheme!
________________________________________

YEAH! in the metroid demo that came with the DS you could choose the controls and those are the same!

Re: My PSP won't start.
I think the PSP is the weakest system out there.


(almost everyone I know who has one had to send it back,but I'll definiteley support it if a Gran Turismo cames out,and if Me & My Katmari is good, I'llhopefully see it soon on my sister's PSP)
With Metroid Prime Hunters is this Nintendo's first portable game that is rated T?
Including games on all gameboys and DS

Re: Idiot destroys his DS
tree_hugger wrote:
lol the psp vid was way better than the ds vid


and while were at it http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4150622241712103115&q=gamecube+on+fire
________________________________________

Is this the one with the Japanese guy, and he had a baseball bat? And why do you guys think his DS 'pissed him off'?

Re: man F!! i can't wait for CAPCOM REMIXED BRA!
Ah, I was born in 1992, so I have no idea what you guys are talking about, my first system, the Nintendo 64. I got it as a gift when I was four, so the universe of gaming wasn't revealed to me until I was four

What's so great about Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan?
I've heard a lot of people mention/talk about it, is it very fun? And do you think that unique games like that should become games in the U.S. Unlike franchise games, like sports serieses?

Re: Best DS game?
backlot52 wrote:
d-pad to move, move the stylus against the touch screen to look around, L to shoot, double tap touch screen to jump
Message Edited by backlot52 on 03-11-200610:37 PM
________________________________________

I thought it was R= Jump. Anyway, get AC:WW, I think that's the last DS game I ever get! But, if you get bored easily, and that's probably why you have a DS, then you should get Metroid.

Does just about everyone here read/subscribe to Shonen Jump's magazine?
I have last months and my dad still didn't send the subscribe card in.

Can someone explain Evangelion for me?
(I wish Toonami was on every day though so I could always watch their animes) I just watched an episode of Evengelion today, and it doesn't make any sense, there is a bratty girl, and she hates everyone, gets in the robt, and tries to kill herself

Does anyone here like U2????
I think they are the best band EVER, if you are here don't say anything else is because that is your opinion and this thread is people with an opinion of U2.

I just went to the Museum of Science & Industry, today, and Game On had an NES game called...
Street Gangs, that was so much fun! I went to the Game On before, but now it's Game On 2.0, oooooooo who cares really, the reason I went a second time is because on the first time, we had to leave, and now this time I got to see all of the stuff, the pokemon collection was AWESOME!, I finally got to see all of the handhelds, new and old (which doesn't really matter because my sister has a white psp, I have a red DS, a gba color, advance, sp, micro, my other sister has a pink ds, you get the picture.) All of the people were hogging DDR and Eyetoy, which doiesn't matter either because my sister has DDR, but still, I diddn't get to show off my mad DDR skills. Then, I saw Initial D! On sega genisis, and it was an import, so the graphics were bad but it was fun.



So I'll just cut to the chase, Have any of you been to Game On, or Game On 2.0?(please tell me your experiences if have been to Game On)
And do you think that Street Gangs if more fun than a majority of games out today?

Re: hey, you guys need to get the cast from g4tv.com to help out the show
G4 IS SUCKING TO ME RIGHT NOW!!!!! They took off Judgement Day, G4TV.com, and the ONLY videogame-based shows that are on now are Attack of the Show (stupid), and X-play (which is the only good thing right now!!!).

After reading a magna, do any of you guys...
Go look back and draw the characters, or just draw things related to that magna?

I, Michael Lenoch was a chosen person....(letter from NOA)
You are one of a select group invited to participate in this very
important study on Nintendo Power, so please don’t delay.

Your participation in this survey will help Nintendo continue to provide
the best products and services possible.

The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Please respond by Wednesday, March 22nd. Your responses are completely
confidential and will be used for research purposes only.

Thanks again for your time!

To participate, just click the link below and follow the instructions
that appear on the screen.

Click here to start the survey:
http://www.nintendo.com/user_survey/spring_np.jsp?entry=31949632


Sincerely,

NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC.

The Online Group


This e-mail is a presentation of Nintendo of America Inc. PO Box 957,
Redmond, WA 98052. All contents are TM and Copyright 2005 Nintendo. Game
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All rights reserved.

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check out our website: http://www.nintendo.com/privacy





MAybe I shouldn't be telling you guys this, and maybe Nintendo is lying about being 'a chosen one', but help NP out for this... If you want to..
Re: What do you think the best Gundam Series is?
When I was watching a Gundam show, (I forget which one) and why did the Gundams have wings??? I thought they had jetpacks, and they are in space-no gravity in space, everyone knows that!
I think in like the Federation Gundams there are to many civilians/worthless filler people, instead like G Gundam, most of the people repair the Gundams, train the pilots, or the pilots father/mother. (& the people in G Gundam have purposes.)
Re: Highest quality anime you have seen or know of?
I would have to say IGPX, mostly because it is my favorite animie ever and that I personally think that it has perfect coloring.........
FOR SURE: you guys are going to disagree because no one here likes IGPX besides 'Bangzoomcd' and I.

GAMER LANGUAGE: (WHAT IS IT COMING TO??!) Noob, fragged, pawned, owned, DUDE????!!
I NEVER use these words, do you? (I Mean ALL THE TIME?)

Re: What is your position on Old Country Buffet?
My school went on a field trip, and had a low-cost meal because my school is catholic and they hate me, anyway, everyone fooled around, got food that they didn't eat, and we have this one fat teacher, and she liked it, and I think that fat people like it...............
What languages do you speak?
I'm learning German (Deutsch) but I'm not in a class, (this is pretty hard to explain my current status though, so I won't explain it all to bore you) but I will be in a class, and that is all I will say..


(Short & sweet I guess)

I have figured out Nintendo!
Koopa, in Polish means, Poo, so Koopa King, or Bowser is Mario's enemy, and Mario is a plumber, and I guess.. He FIGHTS POO!

And since I am learning German (Deutsch), I've figured out that Wario is supposed to be ein Deutschlander! (a German!)
Also, I got back into MKDS, and Wario is my favorite character, and when he wins he says 'JA!', or 'YES!'

Do you think I should submit my manga drawings to Shonen Jump?


AFTER: Battlefield 2142, do you think EA/Dice will make a WWII/BF1942 remake?
I've been really thinking a lot about this, and from watching Band of Brothers on the History Channel, once you think about it there is a lot missing, and there is big room for improvement, but Battlefield 1942 is a great game, except when you are play Single Player, the A.I. NEVER responds! And from my Call of Duty memories from playing with my friend (because I do not own the game) I remember he guns always having a distinct sound to them.

In conclusion: there is a lot missing, and a lot there, will EA/Dice improve on the WWII game?
TPSDude wrote:
But the few that are good actually have elements of 1942 incorporated into them and besides who doesn't want to storm normandy with 64 players, anyone I would they put new and better things into it from BF2 into it which I think would be more enjoyable. Does anyone agree. Also most WW2 shooters only scratch the surface of what really happenend.

________________________________________

NO! I love the 1942 format, on the HUD, I don't really like BFV's at all, and BF2's is okay, but BF1942's is the best, but the voices for the American's are SO FAKE, they sound like a rough touch-killing machine, but in reality all the soldiers were scared, Band of Brothers is so much realisctic, well, because it's easier than doing it on a PC..

But I have two more questions:

1.) In 2142, why is it '42?

2.) If there are 'SO MANY WWII shooters!' then name 10 made/released from 2003-2006, or 3 years

Band of Brothers—SCARY
I know, I know it is old, but I just opened my dad's DVDs (he said I could.) and wow!! near the end on the Ninth disc where they see the Jewish people, it is SCARY!! (maybe just for me) but WOW! I have it on pause still, because I'm scared to watch it, were you scared, and if you peak, or are learning German (like I am), could you understand the people when they sounded like that?

I watched it and it was SO good!! I hardly undersood the people, because I'm learning, IT WAS SO GOOD! (wieder) It wasn't that scary, but I don't know, (I guess my brain amped it up what it really was )

Do you think The Girl Gamers concept is being brought too far?
By that I mean almost sexist? Look here: http://videogames.aol.com/canvases/articles/_a/men-are-from-mars-women-are-from-halo/20060811112909990002 Sometimes, the Girls are very bad and they are just teasing guys, sometimes, I don't think that has ever happened to me on an online game. (where a Girl is beating everyone)
Re: The MikeLenoch5 appreciation thread!!!

Virtua Fighter isn't 'Virtual' becuase English-Speaking Japanese people
Can't perfectly make 'L' sounds, or it's hard for them?



As a child, do you remember what game you anticipated most?
For me, it was Pokemon Coliseum, my school's Library had book mark for the game, I looked through magazines, and was possibly dreaming of it.

Sometimes, I'm incredibly pathetic
Especially today:

Today, I definitely felt undefined. (once again) While listening to classic, or my favorite podcasts from: EGM, theirs on 12/18/06, and 1up Yours' on 3/02/07. I feel as though no one cares what I say, and need to express myself because I feel like no one else listens to the podcasts besides me. Especially since most of the Ziff Davis employees ever reply to a personal message. And I need to act as though I'm alive, and my main mission in life is to get featured on a podcast, but now in a different fashion, a pssive fashion, where I don't try as hard to be on it (since not being on the internet for the last four weeks, mind you, Lent, I have probably developed a less-addictive quality in my life, to not use the internet when I get home, which is EXCELLENT, but I think I will start going and using the internet during the middle-week.
Extremely blog-styled, hey! It is in my blog, but is there anyone else who feels the same way? I just thought it might be interesting, and I wanted to express my curiousity.

How IGN doesn't come alive

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/827/827008p1.html


If you watch the video on the page, try to remember, or simply go back and watch the 96th episode of the 1up Show, and compare how Mark Macdonald made the way he thinks, and expresses himself apparent, as opposed to when (possibly) David Clayman lifelessly plays Rock Band, without uttering a word. That's the way I've felt IGN has been portraying themselves since I first visited their site; slick, efficient, and heavily acclimated with the "gets the job done" mentality. In their reviews, I've found it rather difficult to distinguish each employee's writing style.

Look at 1up, or even narrow it down to the current cast of 1up Yours: you have a blonde haired, seasoned Japanese enthusist, a British play-almost-anything player, a bearded reactionary-exclamatory game player, and a middle of the road, partly genre-hardcore/partially loves everything player. You can't exactly compile a crew that's even moreso distinguished than that; the problem that IGN is facing is that they don't allow their personalities to shine through.

In that video, it may have been intentional that the player's attitude didn't come through, as IGN has proved to strive for in all their media. But when you look at it from a perspective of a person who doesn't regularly visit IGN, you feel there aren't many updates, there isn't much content, and even to the extent where in 1up Yours, Garnett referenced an IGN article. 1up definitely makes you feel like they're human; they show their messiness around the office through the 1up show, they make excuses for technical problems, and they generally have phrases (on the podcasts) that make you laugh, and remember. If you also look at IGN's Wikipedia entry- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ign , it shows their massive staff, which may also drastically contribute to their unapparent personalities.


All in all, IGN is a very reliable website, that definitely will always have the latest article, but 1up is a very perceivable website, with great podcasts supporting it.

Re: Team Fortress 2, anyone else not feeling it?
I was initially disappointed with it, but I later gave it time to impress me, and it has. Though I think the main appeal to the game in the unusual comedy, the style to it, the wildly various classes, and the pace. I never exactly thought it was funny, and I still don't, regardless of comedy, I still find it to be fun. But If you're a Battlefield 2 player, I wouldn't be surprised if you're not enjoying Team Fortress 2. I played Battlefield 1942 and loved it, and can only imagine how much better BF2 is- (Too bad my PC can't run it).

I also posted this in the "Replayability" thread that was recently posted:


Battlefield 1942. Although I have most commonly mentioned Battlefield 1942 as one of my favorite games, and as a bridge to learning German, I haven't mentioned Battlefield 1942 as one of the most replayable games in existance. When contemplating my beloved Battlefield 1942 experiences, I am having doubts whether or not Team Fortress 2 will nearly captivate me as Battlefield 1942 did.

First of all, I'm beginning to feel I loved Battlefield 1942 so deeply for the reason that I had never played a PC-shooter before, and had never seen a game with such an expansive map, and so many opportunities for sniping spots, and other occurances based on the geography. The vehicles have also played an enormous role in creating a more enjoyable game, and have also heavily contributed to the refreshing gameplay. Now that I'm fairly acclimated, and experienced, I was expecting more out of a PC shooter that I spent $30 on Steam. From as far as I can see, there's not much to do; there's one map that I've seen so far, and a single game type.

Yes, the classes are fun, but with one map, it feels like the demo of Battlefield 1942 that got me into buying the full game. I know it was meant to be sold with three other games, and was meant as a feature in the package, it seems like it never was intended to be sold separately. And I know Valve will add new maps (if there is actually only one map), hopefully they are as varied as World War II. Along with that point, you can't exactly beat World War II; desert, plain, sea, meadows, rivers, snow, there's so much variety that it almost always is going to seem refreshing.

Re: If I plan to be a gaming writer/jouranalist, should I play more or fewer games?
In relation to Beige's "Gaming Literacy" thread that is long past by now, but still remains relevant, I grow curious whether I should try every genre possible, to determine whether or I would enjoy it, or should I remain reluctant and obstinate by my game selection, and only choose games I know I'll enjoy; which does have its benefits, as my love for gaming would vastly expand later in my life. So do I spoil myself with anything I can now, or should I be reserved in my preferences, and wait when I'm jaded, or desperate, and use that to get back into gaming later in my life?


-Never played:
-Castlevania
-Ninja Gaiden
-Devil may Cry
-Super Paper Mario- only for a few minutes
-DOA
-Any Metroid besides Fusion, and Prime 2
-Tekken
-Street Fighter- only for a few minutes
-Only FFXII and FFCC
-And many others

I wrote this during my leisure of my study hall, it describes the obscenities that I have faced early on in my High School Career- tell me what you think of it. (Note: I didn't check it, so it may be terrible)

Where is the earnestness from the 1950s?
My name is Michael Lenoch. I am 14 years old, currently attend ......... High School in Illinois, and experience a tremendous descomfort in the form of social attidutes, and what disrespectfulness I've witnessed in my school.

The first matter is the obnoxious yelling that constantly never fails to occur each day, the consistant urge of self-expression; where each student feels it is appropriate to casually swear in even the most minor of distress, whenever he or she feels necessary. The significantly noticable lack of earnestness, discipline, and courtesy each student has for one another is absolutely astonishing. Not to mention the discriminatory acts of criticism.

Why is each student so influenced as to carelessly toss these harmful words around each day? I've noticed that a very large majority of students are so compelled by what media figures present themselves as, to something desireable, to become more as such and such a figure from an envious perspective, to justify his or her feelings in what is considered more "mature." I only feel justification for writing this when I remember loosely throwing swears, naive of their meaning, with a strong sense of remorsefulness and disgust of what I said and what I meant by such harsh remarks.

I've always considered myself as a thinker, a ponderer if you will. As well as an analyst of what events I witness each day. Since swearing has a tendancy to be practiced on a daily basis, I choose not to swear, as I believe peoples' perception of such a philosphy compells them to follow that same virtue, to make their lives more thoughtful, and meaningful.

The Pledge of Alleigance; a sign of honor, a daily ritual, is one of many that is often disrespected in the interest to obtain, or sustain a positive self-conscious view from other students, cluttered with chatter, and lacking a respectable posture. It is very disparaging that such a sign of dedication, pride, and one man's dream is diminished in such a casual fashion, neglected, and rudely ignored for the purpose of "looking cool."

There only happen to be very few honest, reliable, and decent students I've seen out of this enormous student population of diversity. I'm not particularly electing myself King of Eloquence, Prime Minister of Properness, or anything pertaining to such high regard- but what i can say is that I dedicate each day of my life to learn in school, and while I'm here, I choose to do it with dignity, honor, and respect.

Right now, I am in study hall, sitting behind a girl, who I consider to be very reactionary- her sparks are lit once the slightest discomfort arises, as she immediately procedes to yell, and fuss, with no remorse, no matter who is there, oblivious to the standards set in the 19950s; from at least my perspective, I view it as a time accompanied by earnestness, genuine happiness, inginuity, kindness, and the birth date of many wise minds.

Each student seems or is conceived to be so vain in what he or she wears, how they speak, as well as how they treat one another. If they are so vain as to look his or her best each day, sit in a casually presentable, and fashionable pose, impressing each other, with a running mouth so disrespectful, not even their mother would kiss it. Speaking essentially how each student is defined based on knowledge, or how each student wishes to be interpreted. Now, as I like to consider myself very analytical in the daily happenings I witness, I have often pondered why it is true that every student's dialect is so infused with such a socially understandable baby-talk, solely for the purpose of self-expression.

Your dream podcast- What would it be like?
I'd particularly enjoy a three-hour Christmas episode, consisting of Shawn Elliot, Seanbaby, Luke Smith, and just let it soar with tangets.

Re: Better online multiplayer - COD4 or Team Fortress 2?
________________________________________
GrayFoxtastical wrote:

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MikeLenoch5 wrote:
A definite answer: Call of Duty 4. Call of Duty 4 is not only the most fun, but it has automatic guns and that counts for quite a bit. People may tell you that Team Fortress 2 is "dynamic" or other various claims of exclamatory remarks for its hilarity throughout, but trust me, Call of Duty 4, I've played Team Fortress 2 and it was fun for the time that Shawn was talking about it.

And by the way- read my review!

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A) You're so wrong.

B) Automatic guns? Really? That makes a game good for you? Corridor 7 had a machine-gun! GOTForever.

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Yes, I have Team Fortress 2- I'm probably even on the "1up Madhouse" club. It's just the hit detection that makes the game so much more enjoyable for me, and how forgiving it is. It may be that I'm so much better at Call of Duty 4, and my PC isn't very good, but when I'm sitting here, remembering my experiences as a whole, I have better memories of Call of Duty 4. I also have more things to complement about Call of Duty 4.

(Note: I play Call of Duty 4 on Xbox 360, which may play into my opinion)

BARRICADE_28 wrote:
Reading the comments here i think i can conclude that both are great games, but different. I have a bunch of friends i like to play online with so Team Fortress might be best so we can have more fun working together. I remember us playing BF2:Modern Combat together online and we barely spoke to each other since everyone seemed intent on doing their own thing. I can see a similar thing happening with COD4, though to a bit lesser extent. I did play the COD4 beta a few times and it was fun, but i'm leaning to TF2 right now...plus im more interested in The Orange Box single-player games than COD4 single-player.

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I suppose it's a good choice if that's what you're looking for. I would think that Orange Box single player is significantly better than Call of Duty 4's. But in terms of Multiplayer, (which is what you asked by the way), my personal preference would lean to Call of Duty 4- (Which is my first Call of Duty game, which may, make me less exasperated of the feel of the game than others).

Are the members of GAF nerd mirrors of us?
I've visited GAF about 3 times in my life, and every single time has brought me to the thought of "Why do those members talk about the 1up and EGM employees so ravenously?" Is it because GAF was out before 1up.com? And the nerds are so reclusive that they don't want to leave their humble homeland, and actually talk with the 1up employees. I don't see why they talk about 1up- is it because it permits them to have a freedom to say whatever they will, without the consequence of being banned?

Another slang-induced way I can express myself is "Why won't they come out of the closet?"

What type of game appeals to you; story-driven, or competitive?
With competitiveness shrouding the majority of games lately, is an engaging story-driven experience more enjoyable, or do you favor blood-boiling experiences with friends and other online players?

A few key examples of chiefly story-driven experiences would be Half-Life 2, [various] Final Fantasy games, BioShock, and Mass Effect

As well as a few multiplayer-driven multiplayer experiences, such as Counter-Strike(s), Unreal Tournament(s), Call of Duty(s), Halo(s), and Virtua Fighter(s)

And as you can notice how most commonly competitive games are sequels, and iterations of the perfect multiplayer formula.

So which do you typically prefer?

Multiplayer provides me with a sense of comfort and familiarity from a day-to-day basis to ease stress and to immerse myself into a familiar fantasy setting.

Is Call of Duty 4's popularity due to the lack of deviance?
Typically, I've found shooters to have a sort of underlying probability/likelyhood/possibility/chance-based system employed that makes a few bullets ineffective, stray from the intended target or deviated. Whether the deviation of bullets is actually true or not, (and I wouldn't know because I've never shot an assualt rifle fully-automatic, just semi) I think the general public would expect every single bullet to fire correctly and true, and has been intregal to the game's tacit feel, and invariable possibility of the bullet hitting the target, no matter the distance. The only strange thing is that the accuracy is servely reduced when you're not looking through the sight... though that must have been a gameplay dicision for balance and justification to even have or use the sight in the game.
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Grim_Praetorian wrote:
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MikeLenoch5 wrote:
Typically, I've found shooters to have a sort of underlying probability/likelyhood/possibility/chance-based system employed that makes a few bullets ineffective, stray from the intended target or deviated. Whether the deviation of bullets is actually true or not, (and I wouldn't know because I've never shot an assualt rifle fully-automatic, just semi) I think the general public would expect every single bullet to fire correctly and true, and has been intregal to the game's tacit feel, and invariable possibility of the bullet hitting the target, no matter the distance. The only strange thing is that the accuracy is servely reduced when you're not looking through the sight... though that must have been a gameplay dicision for balance and justification to even have or use the sight in the game.

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You've shot a rifle before, you should realize that looking down the sights is much more accurate than shooting from the shoulder. I'm not exactly sure what you mean deviance of bullets, are you talking about exterior forces that act on it after it leaves the barrel or are you talking about the things the shooter can do that would make a shot off target?

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Yes I suppose, but if you guys actually played Call of Duty 4 extensively, you would eventually notice that when you're firing from the hip, the bullets completely scatter as if you were the heavy gunner in Team Fortress 2. Though that is without the perk 'Steady Aim', but why do you need that in the first place? A gun isn't a spray bottle.
adam_grif wrote:
If you had ever fired a real gun you would know that in real life, bullets exit the barrel very, very straight, and only deviate from this path at extended ranges, with the influence of the wind, and the Coriolis effect at extreme distances. Up to 60-70 meters or so, you WILL hit where the barrel is pointing, barring extreme winds.

The reason the bullets "deviate" in games is to simulate that the barrel will not always be kept steady in somebody's hands. Because the actual gun itself in a First Person Shooter didn't jump around AT ALL in old FPS games, to emulate this unsteadiness, they just put a pseudo-random number generator to the task of working out a pseudo-random trajectory to fire the bullet at, to attempt to approximate this unsteadiness.

Now the guns COULD move if the people made them move, but this "random trajectory" bullshit is still in all shooters.

In call of duty 2/3/4, if you aim down the iron sights, the weapons fire realistically in terms of ballistic performance, and when you are not iron sighting, you get the random trajectory stuff.
So the bullets fly straight, the GUN ITSELF moves when you do full auto fire. Unlike in games.

And no, this has absolutely nothing to do with CoD4's success.


Message Edited by adam_grif on 07-29-2008 08:26 AM
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Now that I read yours, I realize that you have made the best non-cynical post in this thread
future_nobody wrote:
The Mike Lenoch School of Thesaurus Abuse is now open.

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The Cynical School for Hillbilly Nobody Retards is now open.
adam_grif wrote:
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EXTomar wrote:
...that is "interesting statement" but what does that have to do with anything? Any FPS can operate perfectly well without orbital weapons/mass driver/Hammer of Dawn that are more effect than almost every other weapon in the game. The same thing with pointy sticks.

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...

Yeah, and I'm saying that pistols should be shit, just like they are in the RL. You can say "ITS A GAME IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE REALISTIC" all you want.

Obviously, a level of realism is important in most games - otherwise halo would have used pew pew star wars lasers for all of the weapons. If you're going to go to such a level of detail explaining everything in your game, writing back-ground documents about it, huge amounts of technical details, obviously believability is important to you.

So it annoys people such as myself, who have actual experience with guns, as well as being weapon enthusiasts, when every game designer on the earth seems to have it set in their mind that pistols are extremely accurate, and, shot for shot, are more effective than most rifles. There are plenty of games that treat pistols as they really are, and they work fine, but most designers insist on being incredibly stupid like this.

I'm saying it makes me angry.

And this above statement, that it makes me angry, is true. You posting that sometimes they do it for reasons doesn't change the fact that 99% of videogames shatter my willing suspension of disbelief on a regular basis. Does that make me a bad person? Should I feel bad for not being more ignorant about all this stuff?

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Do you want to run out of rounds when you're chasing a guy with a pistol and die? Or is that not realistic? After all, I think I can fairly contradict myself by saying pistols are sidearms and intended for drastic or otherwise desperate situations
adam_grif wrote:
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Thisneedskerning wrote:
Yea that comment was directed at Mike because I have NO idea what hes talking about. Im not sure he knows what deviance means.

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Deviance doesn't just mean sexual deviance, if that's what you're thinking.

Deviance means something that deviates. And he is talking about bullets deviating from where you are aiming - as in, you point somewhere, and they hit somewhere closeby, but not where you pointed.


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THANK YOU, THISNEEDSKERNING, GO BACK TO PRESCHOOL BECAUSE MIKELENOCH IS RIGHT.
Do modern multiplayer games rely too heavily on an objective other than fun?
Modern multiplayer games are nearly outrageous by how heavily they sometimes emphasize the experience which is supposedly fun to arduous tasks such as 150 Headshots, or certain kills with a certain gun under whatever the situation, which may provoke a more menial, hardcore style of play among gamers. The potential style of play that may have gamers playing to achieve all possible goals results in a largely detrimental experience, where the player is no longer encouraged by the promise of fun each match. Do you mind if a game's experience is largely focused on challenges and rank, other than blatant fun?

Hopefully I'm not alone in saying "Playing Call of Duty 4 feels like arduous work!"


These concepts have not yet effected many games other than Call of Duty 4, but seeing as successful it has been, it may (hopefully not) be the dawn of a new, more menial approach to how we play our games.

You can also take several of the Battlefield games as an example.
Thisneedskerning wrote:
The main flaw here is that all of those challenges you mention are purely choice. You dont HAVE to do any of them and not many are required to advance or even do well. In COD4, at minimum you need to get 25 kills in order to get a red dot sight on most guns which isnt really much of a task and can be done in 1 or 2 matches.

If people find challenges like this fun then they will take them on. Ive completed a good amount of the challenges in that game but most of them I have just stumbled upon. (ie: learning that claymore mines are a godsend in that game). You speak as if these challenges are being forced on the gamer when they just arent.

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Then I suppose they hold the same subconscious presence as an Achivement to a gamer.
Thisneedskerning wrote:
The main flaw here is that all of those challenges you mention are purely choice. You dont HAVE to do any of them and not many are required to advance or even do well. In COD4, at minimum you need to get 25 kills in order to get a red dot sight on most guns which isnt really much of a task and can be done in 1 or 2 matches.

If people find challenges like this fun then they will take them on. Ive completed a good amount of the challenges in that game but most of them I have just stumbled upon. (ie: learning that claymore mines are a godsend in that game). You speak as if these challenges are being forced on the gamer when they just arent.

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To a certain degree; especially considering if I intend reaching the 10th prestige.
animalcrushing wrote:

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MikeLenoch5 wrote:

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Takes a dick to point out a dick.

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Not really.

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If you don't like what you're reading, get out, it's actually quite simple
Viewtiful-Rappapa wrote:
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MikeLenoch5 wrote:

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animalcrushing wrote:

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MikeLenoch5 wrote:

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Takes a dick to point out a dick.

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Not really.

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If you don't like what you're reading, get out, it's actually quite simple.

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Well I like making fun of you being a retard who thinks typing big words and changing really simple to explain opinions into small essays with a snobbish tone at ONE UP DOT COM will help you get a job at EGM.

And when does COD4 seem like a chore? Fuck most of the non gun achievements aren't hard to get, hell, I got the suicide grenade on accident. The game becomes a chore when you become an achievement whore.

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Someone's jealous. And if that's not jealousy, that's pure hypocrisy, as you present a fair amount of snobbery yourself.

What makes think you're better than ME? What makes you think that me writing with intelligible words simply to accurately convey my opinions and experiences makes me top the 1up boards' hierarchy, and deplore every other person's opinion? I look at every single response that each and every single person has ever typed with their fingers in response all of my threads I have ever typed, hosted at boards.1up.com.

I will admit I have looked up words on dictionary.com, but does that make me a criminal?! Does that make every single person who has used it a criminal? I'm the lowest of the low here, and I have no reason to be a snob, as I am not one.

I tried to be nice, but how about a little critique for you? If anything, you need to work on your linguistic accuracy because by you acting as if you're a "REAL GAMER" by speaking the foul-mouthed, down-to-earth vernacular that is shared on Xbox Live, and utterly disrespecting me by any means. Would you please obide and SHUT THE FUCK UP? If you think me speaking with linguistic accuracy prevents me from sounding like a real person.... WHO CARES? Even 1up Yours made fun of me!

revocelot wrote:

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MikeLenoch5 wrote:

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Viewtiful-Rappapa wrote:

Well I like making fun of you being a retard who thinks typing big words and changing really simple to explain opinions into small essays with a snobbish tone at ONE UP DOT COM will help you get a job at EGM.

And when does COD4 seem like a chore? Fuck most of the non gun achievements aren't hard to get, hell, I got the suicide grenade on accident. The game becomes a chore when you become an achievement whore.

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Someone's jealous. And if that's not jealousy, that's pure hypocrisy, as you present a fair amount of snobbery yourself.

What makes think you're better than ME? What makes you think that me writing with intelligible words simply to accurately convey my opinions and experiences makes me top the 1up boards' hierarchy, and deplore every other person's opinion? I look at every single response that each and every single person has ever typed with their fingers in response all of my threads I have ever typed, hosted at boards.1up.com.

I will admit I have looked up words on dictionary.com, but does that make me a criminal?! Does that make every single person who has used it a criminal? I'm the lowest of the low here, and I have no reason to be a snob, as I am not one.

I tried to be nice, but how about a little critique for you? If anything, you need to work on your linguistic accuracy because by you acting as if you're a "REAL GAMER" by speaking the foul-mouthed, down-to-earth vernacular that is shared on Xbox Live, and utterly disrespecting me by any means. Would you please obide and SHUT THE FUCK UP? If you think me speaking with linguistic accuracy prevents me from sounding like a real person.... WHO CARES? Even 1up Yours made fun of me!

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You're writing precociously and with the belief that you're important just because you got mentioned on a 1up podcast. Seriously, I'm looking at the fucking list and it's just sad that that's (assumingly) more important than the more practical things in life.

The point: You're starting to become like Giuseppe Contelli/Zanmato's "What If's" and Andrew Barker/Xehirut's "Stupid Game Store Stories and Other Standard Embarrassing Shit."

If you don't want to be shit on like this anymore, stop posting like this ("this" being long-winded, intricate and useless) and more shorter shit. If you don't like it, you might as well just stay like this for the rest of your account status.

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And how can you defensively support your perception that I think I'm more important than any of you guys for being MADE FUN of on 1up Yours?! I even said; "I'm the lowest of the low here". What more do you want?

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Derevorina wrote:
Mike Lenoch, my sweet babboo, do you want to make out? I miss you.

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WHEN DID THEY LET THE GAYS IN?!

yakityyakblah wrote:
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MikeLenoch5 wrote:

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Derevorina wrote:
Mike Lenoch, my sweet babboo, do you want to make out? I miss you.

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Zeig Heil, mein fuhrer mein fuhrer

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Really Mike? It's interesting you feel that way.

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Hmm... that's strange, everyone knows in German you capitalize nouns... Funny how dumb Canadians are!
I think I'm leaving
As an avid contributor to these boards, they have continually proven to be rather immature. By the fact that 1up has some of the absolutely best podcasts, coupled with the most inane, ignorant, rampant, and utterly ridiculous community the world has ever seen, I wished to simply express my opinions. But obviously, my expectations of intelligence, and true human understanding from the community have not properly matched, as I have been respected by few, and disrespected by an unbelievable amount. I have been scolded for being unique, developing my own writing style, and using words I see appropriate. I have asked this existential question many times before, but; why do people on the internet take absolutely every opportunity to critique anyone on any specific aspect of the smallest minuteness? It's discouraging to say the least. Everyone wants the community to be an absurd haven where elite gamers share their tales. This place is simply not worth my time if the community is such garbage. Every single word to be typed under the MikeLenoch5 profile have constantly been blown out of proportion, ridiculed to death, and misinterpreted. If I contribute so much time, effort, and subtle progress as a writer, and none of that is ever appreciated, I fail to see why I should spend my time here. I might write a very occasional opinion from time to time. I do not like this place, it is depressing and worthless, wretched, and polluted with the scum of the earth.

No one ever got to know me, everyone stood there and laughed

In your opinion, is it more difficult to write a positive or negative review?
In your opinion, is it more difficult to write a generally positive or negative review? What unique difficulties present themselves when being confronted with each type of review?

For example, does a reviewer have to go about describing a certain aspect in more detail if he or she is fond of it than if the reviewer dislikes another aspect of the game? And is it easier to illustrate exactly what a game does wrong than right?






Thank you for your time~

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yerffejk wrote:
For the most part, it's more of the same gameplay wise. The real fun to be had is in the Horde mode. Co op with a bud is the way to go. I only got it because I could trade in a few of the games my brother didn't want and ended up getting it for 14 bucks.

Also, nothing beats a head shot with a sniper rifle. Boom, no head and a fountain of blood shooting out. It's glorious.


Message Edited by yerffejk on 11-14-2008 10:05 PM
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That's plainly disgusting, gruesome, sadistic, and horrifying. What have games done to you?!

What's your most enjoyable example of a driving game?
Personally, Project Gotham Racing perfectly captures the inherent gratification behind each turn and bend and every sense of flair associated with it. Also, that game's physics must have shaped my understanding of how cars handle when I was younger, because that game completely resonates with me -- except PGR1.

Seeing as how open-world gameplay is an increasingly common trend with racing games, do you think a feature such as that sometimes exposes too much of the world, in mundane or otherwise boring ways?

For example, where there isn't a constant motivational force behind driving as fast as one possibly can, doing challenges in Burnout Paradise can eventually diminish to the overall newness and interest in exploring the world -- as opposed to strictly track-based racers, where there can be different routes through the same scenery, as well as reverse variants. (Don't get angry at me because I love Burnout Paradise too) And having a world that I feel like I've already exhausted [Burnout Paradise], renders it a lot less as attractive to go back and play than PGR. (But then again, I don't own PGR 3 or 4)

Or do you simply enjoy being given access to explore the world as you please?
I forgot to mention how I feel about Forza Motorsport 2.

It's most likely one of the least enjoyable racing games I've played within recent years. Now that I think more about it, a hybrid between realism and arcade is most enjoyable for me
GRID -- I loved everything about this game. The physics are weird, but once you learn how to handle your vehicle, it's a blast.

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When I tried the demo, Grid's cars were unstable in that the acceleration outweighed the grip of the tires, which is precisely why I found myself suddenly in first place, then in last a mere moment later. I can imagine eventually understanding the physics, and it becoming fun, yet I was never quite grabbed by what I played.

A simple (but obscure) question to pique your Christmas
If you could only choose between an efficient, overly diligent, anti-social, automaton-like editor, with virtually no redeemable character or charisma, or a somewhat lazy editor with charisma, character, and an active, eccentric intelligence that is not apparent in his or her written work on the video game-related website itself, but is accurately represented in his or her contributions to podcasts and conversations to his or her coworkers; which polar opposite qualities of a site editor do you value more and why?

Do you want the news posted on the site as efficiently as possible?

Or do you not mind if the news is slightly late, as long as it is intriguingly written?

I prefer a more charismatic, more human type of video game editor. Anyone can parrot the fresh news off the press release -- but when you have some personality behind the news, it becomes incredibly more interesting to read. I think 1up is comparatively rather slow to post early news, previews, and reviews, but the content can always be expected to be top-notch, and opinionated more so than a typical video game publication. Also, podcasts are in my opinion, typically far more entertaining than a written piece of work, and that is precisely what a podcast asks for: great personality.



Although I suppose, after reading this, it can merely be considered a matter of quality or quantity.

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