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Ray Muzyka Addressing The Mass Effect 3 Ending

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 22, 2012Posted in: Video Games

Ray Muzyka:

I believe passionately that games are an art form, and that the power of our medium flows from our audience, who are deeply involved in how the story unfolds, and who have the uncontested right to provide constructive criticism. At the same time, I also believe in and support the artistic choices made by the development team.  The team and I have been thinking hard about how to best address the comments on ME3’s endings from players, while still maintaining the artistic integrity of the game.

Would you take a painter seriously if he repainted one of his paintings because a vocal portion of views complained that they hated the colors?

If games are to be considered an art form, there’s nothing to be gained by kowtowing to the people who are complaining about Mass Effect 3’s ending. Even if they “redo” the ending, there’ll always be people who dislike the outcome. It’s a slippery slope that doesn’t have much upside for Bioware.

(Full disclosure: I have not finished Mass Effect 3 yet, but have played through the previous two games.)

via BioWare Blog.

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Looks Like Someone’s A Little Desperate

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 12, 2012Posted in: Video Games

via MMO-Champion

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Confessions From Fall Out Boy’s Lead Singer

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 11, 2012Posted in: Music

Patrick Stump, lead singer of Fall Out Boy:

Fall Out Boy’s last album Folie A Deux was our most critically panned and audiences openly hated it (it was also our poorest selling major label album even if one adjusts for the changing music economy). Now, that’s not to say it didn’t have its fans, but at no other point in my professional career was I nearly booed off stages for playing new songs. Touring on Folie was like being the last act at the Vaudville show: We were rotten vegetable targets in Clandestine hoodies.

…

Still, there’s no amount of money in the world that makes one feel content with having no self respect. There’s no amount of money that makes you feel better when people think of you as a joke or a hack or a failure or ugly or stupid or morally empty.

Fascinating read. Unfiltered insight from the singer of one of the most maligned bands of the 2000’s.

(I met Stump around 2005 before the band really broke big. He was a humble and very musically talented kid. Totally seemed out of place next to the tabloid nature of bandmate Pete Wentz.)

Patrick Stump — WE LIKED YOU BETTER FAT: CONFESSIONS OF A PARIAH.

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Marvel’s Free Digital Copy Bundle With Physical Comics

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 9, 2012Posted in: Comics, Technology

David Gabriel, Marvel SVP of Sales:

We’ve seen a tremendous response to the digital codes in Avenging Spider-Man, our Season One graphic novels and the Ultimate Comics line. The positive reactions from both retailers and fans make it clear that including these codes with our books drives customers into comic stores on a repeated basis.

Awesome move on Marvel’s part. With every $3.99 physical comic purchase, you get a digital version via the Marvel Comics App on Android or iOS. Leave it to a comics company to pave the way for a languishing publishing industry.

via Comic Book Resources.

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Well, When You Put It That Way…

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 9, 2012Posted in: Video Games

Never knew there was a gaming forum on 4Chan. They certainly aren’t afraid to speak their minds.

(Video might be NSFW with a little language and loud metal music.)

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Marco Arment’s iPad 3 Buying Guide

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 7, 2012Posted in: Technology

Marco’s got a very comprehensive FAQ on all the decisions you’ll need to make when considering the iPad 3. I couldn’t have said it any better myself.

This quote really cemented my decision to go for a 4G enabled model:

I used my iPad 2 with tethering for a few months. It wasn’t nearly as good as giving the iPad its own 3G service. With tethering, the iPad isn’t always connected. Getting and keeping it connected takes a bit of effort. Sure, it’s not a lot, but that friction adds up and just made me use it a lot less.

Which new iPad should I get? – Marco.org

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Infinity Blade: Dungeons

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 7, 2012Posted in: Mobile, Video Games

An Unreal Engine-powered dungeon game on my iOS devices? Why, yes, please take my money as fast as possible.

(I imagine that the game will have enhanced graphics on the iPad 3 that it won’t on other devices. Infinity Blade has quietly become the key “wow” gaming franchise for new Apple device launches.)

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Free MotorStorm RC Download For PlayStation Vita

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 7, 2012Posted in: Video Games

In a surprise twist earlier this week, Sony announced that Evolution Studios’ latest entry in the MotorStorm franchise would be a free download for PlayStation Vita users. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the PS3 version will follow suit with the freeness. Either way, you may as well “buy” the free game for your PSN account even if you don’t have a Vita yet as it appears to be a “limited time offer.”

I played through a couple of races and it’s definitely a fun little game to have on the go. It’s essentially a modern version of those single screen old school RC racing games. (Or RC Pro Am if that was your jam. It was definitely mine.) The controls are dead simple (Steer and go) and there’s a ton of events to play through and trophies to earn. Still, I gotta admit to being terrible at this game since I’m so used to behind-the-wheel racing games. Put me in a top-down isometric view and I just crash into walls all the time.

While there’s no multiplayer in the traditional sense, the game still invokes intense competitive instincts through its asynchronous leaderboard competition. Every time you finish a race, you see how you stack among your friends and the game prompts you to . It’s very similar to the Need For Speed Autolog or SSX’s RiderNet. I normally don’t give a crap about leaderboards, but when it’s tastefully shoved in my face after finishing a race, the competitive juices start flowing. There’s also a time trial mode, a freeplay playground mode, and a customizable single race event mode with bots. Basically, there’s enough content here to justify a $9.99  or maybe even a $14.99 price point. Since it’s free (for now), you don’t have to worry about rationalizing your purchase. Go get it, Tiger.

MotorStorm RC features 16 unique tracks spread across four extreme environments, including the dusty desert mesas of Monument Valley, the dangerous jungles of a Pacific Island, the icy tundra at the Arctic Edge, and the apocalyptic ruins of a destroyed urban city. Players can conquer these environments in powerful radio-controlled vehicles, with hundreds of uniquely customized models to collect in 8 distinct categories: Buggies, Superminis, Rally Cars, Muscle Cars, Racing Trucks, Supercars, Big Rigs and Monster Trucks.

MotorStorm RC Driving to PS Vita for FREE, Courtesy of Scion – PlayStation Blog.

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The First Halo 4 Info Dump

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 5, 2012Posted in: Video Games

Color me unimpressed.

Don’t get me wrong, I still hope 343 Studios comes out with a banging new Halo game, but after the debacle that was Halo: CE Anniversary edition, I’ll need first-hand proof that Halo 4 isn’t a dud before I believe it.

I mean, look at the stuff they highlight in this video (with my commentary in bold):

  • A clever reason why there are red and blue Spartans fighting each other. (Who CARES?! Is an elaborate backstory going to make up for subpar gameplay? Because that’s the first thing I’m going to think of when you draw attention to things like that.)
  • The story being integrated into the multiplayer experience. (Competitive Halo multiplayer has never been about telling a story. If it’s there and doesn’t detract from the gameplay, sure, I’ll take it. But it’s not something anyone has been clamoring for.)
  • The sound effects have been completely redone. (Whoopty ding-dong)
  • Players will be able to customize their loadouts and unlock gameplay changing features ala Call of Duty. (This is the biggest red flag for me. To me, one of the most elegant parts of a Halo deathmatch is that it starts everyone off on equal footing equipment-wise. You start giving players who have spent the time to grind out enough XP to give themselves a discernable starting advantage, you start going down a slippery slope of game balance issues. I’d rather lose matches to people who outmatch me with skill, rather than unlocks. This is an especially big issue for a game like Halo, where people don’t die in one hit like other modern war shooters.)
Now, I know it’s still early in the information dissemination cycle for the game, but the stuff 343 Studios has decided to tout in its first public information release is curious at best. It’s as if they were running out of ideas to improve the franchise as is and are grasping at any sort of “improvement” feature checklist features they can. I just hope my intuition pans out wrong on this one because Halo truly is my favorite big budget gaming franchise.
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The Assassin’s Creed III Announcement Trailer

By
Andy Yen
– Posted on March 5, 2012Posted in: Video Games

According to Ubisoft, the trailer was done with the in-game engine. While it’s doubtful actual gameplay will actually look like that, I don’t think I would have cared if it were done in play-doh. I’m just excited for the franchise to be out of Renaissance Italy because three consecutive years of that stuff was really beginning to wear thin.

Assassin’s Creed is a franchise that has managed to exhibit just enough improvement each iteration that I always get sucked into playing each one all the way through despite having low expectations from the game being on a yearly release cycle. This third entry, though, has my antipatory interest sufficiently piqued. Assassinating British Colonials in the forests of New England? Yes, please.

From the press release:

Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century, Assassin’s Creed III introduces a new hero, Ratohnhaké:ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars

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