Guest Writer: My Problem with the Industry

My name is Tom Butto, and this is my first post on this blog. Matt has been kind enough to let me contribute, and I thank him for how wonderful of a person he is on a daily basis. Matt and I have been friends since high school, and we have many things in common. We both like sports, trolling, drinking beer, and of course, video games. You put the both of us in front of a video game we both like, and we will play that game for hours upon hours without stopping. That’s how we are; we are bingers, especially when it comes to video games. We love video games, we love to play video games, we love to beat each other in Madden or The Show, we have been playing the same Madden franchise in Madden 2011, and during the Halo 3 days, we loved to jump in a Hog and trash talk people while mowing them down with machine gun bullets and some sweet driving. I have never had a problem with video games, or the video game industry, until now.

I have a problem because the video game industry is killing itself. Facebook, mobile phone games, free-to-play are threatening the industry because they are as popular as ever, and yet the video game industry and the companies who make the console, I’m looking at Microsoft, seem like they are trying to distance themselves from their consumers. They are becoming greedier as the years go on, and seemingly keep shooting themselves in the foot. With the announcement of the new Xbox One, this was the final straw for me. The system has to be connected to the Internet at all times? Game prices are going to go up? If you borrow a game from a friend, it will cost you five dollars? This is all ridiculous. They want people to only buy new games, and subscribe to Xbox Live, which costs people more money. Either these people who came up with all these ideas for the new Xbox are so disillusioned and detached from society because of how successful the Xbox 360 was, or they simply don’t care. Last time I checked, people are still struggling to make ends meet. People do not have money to have subscriptions to Xbox Live, and pay 70 or 80 dollars for a video game.

Add this to downloadable content getting more and more ridiculous, and I want the video game industry to fail. I want people to stop buying video games and consoles when the new generation of systems comes out. Or at the very least, people stop buying the Xbox One, because the PlayStation 4 seems fine from what I have heard. Maybe if people go on a little unofficial boycott, the suits at these companies will have to change some ideas and actually look like they care about their customers. Because at this rate, you will have to pay an entry fee to get into a video game store, and have to put a strand of your hair in your console so they know your DNA and where you are at all times. Maybe if the industry collapses on itself, real, innovative ideas will come to the forefront. Until then, I will be content playing my Xbox 360, working on the fifth or sixth season of our Madden franchise.

A Quick Wednesday Update

It's been another slow day in the videogame world. There hasn't been much reported and that's all due to the upcoming E3 event. I think by now that everyone is aware that Nintendo will be holding demo events in various BestBuys. The Vita will have a big showcase for us too. I am sure much more will be revealed about the new PlayStation and Xbox systems.

If you are wondering what I am currently playing, it's a charming game called No no Kuni. For anyone that hasn't had the opportunity to play it, it's a JRPG about whimsical adventures and saving stuff. It's like a cross of Narnia and Spirited Away with a blend of some worldly concepts.

That's all for today!

Quick Post

As I wait for this rain delay to be over for the Mets vs. Yankees game, I find myself surfing the web for new videogame news. Well, it's slow out there and probably due to the E3 show coming soon in June. 

It seems like this E3 will be a big show case for the PlayStation Vita. It's about time the system started picking up the pace. The lack of games that I haven't beaten is killing me. I am sure Dragon's Crown will have some play time. I also read Koei will be show casing two games that will get a Western release, nice!

Anyway, it's a slow blog day for me--yesterday too--and I don't have much more to share that you probably haven't already read. Back the Mets and Ni no Kuni.

Persona 4: Arena Review

Persona 4: Arena picks up where Persona 4 left off. I am not going to spoil the story so I will stop there. That being said, I had the opportunity to try this fighter out for an hour thanks to being a Playstation Plus member. I have always been a quiet fan of fighting games that weren't Tekken  and I figured it would be a good chance to try out the game. I have to say for the hour I was able to play, it was a lot of fun. It's not as complicated as say BlazBlue where I needed to study a textbook to understand all them mechanics of the game, but it also left me with the impression that I still needed to know what I was doing beyond button mashing.  It's an easy pick-up and the game doesn't seem to have a steep learning curve to be able play competitively. 

The time I spent playing this fighter was in the Arcade Mode. There, I chose the main protagonist--Yu Narukami--from the 13 playable characters, and battled my way up to the final boss. There were many wins and few loses, but I would be lying if I said many of the matches did not present me with a decent challenge. It was fast, flashy fighting with fantastic artwork that made me sweat when my health was pretty low. It actually felt good to beat this game with one of the characters. Plus, there's even a decent story involved in this game to continue the story from both Persona 4 and Persona 3. I won't delve further into that in case some of you never played either one.

For how cheap this game is, it's a definite pick up for your collection. It's fun, fast, and can bring you hours of play. It may not be as complex and competitive as BlazBlue or Tekken, but it's still fun and worth your time.

Best Videogame Moments Part 1: Link's Awakening DX

After reading a great article on ZeldaDungeon.net, I began to think what are some of my favorite videogame moments. I have to agree with the writer that one of the best moments is the whole beginning of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, but there are obviously more great moments in videogame history. I had to sit and think for awhile what were my favorite moments in any particular game. There are just so many that I didn't even know where to begin. I figured the best course of action is to break these moments into parts periodically as I blog. In order to keep with the spirit of the article, I chose the ending for Link's Awakening DX. If you are wondering why I chose the DX version, it's simply due to the fact that the game was remade into color. I need no reasoning behind it.

Link's Awakening's ending is one of the greatest endings to any Zelda game I have ever played. The whole time you were just in the Wind Fish's dreams and that none of the people you encountered were real but you. That's right, they were all made up to help you on your journey to defeat the evil inside the Wind Fish. That means Marin, the owl, and all the other things on Koholint were just illusions. Does that mean that every relationship Link encountered was not real? Is this story trying to tell us that everything disappears and is only a fleeting memory?

What really makes this ending one of the best videogame moments in history has Link looking onto the horizon knowing those bonds that were created were real, even if they were short lived. Just because everyone and everything vanished does not mean that the feelings weren't real. As Link continues on his journey, this will always be real for him.

What really killed me is the part after "the end" appears. After these words scroll onto the screen, a seagull appears. So what? Well, one of the biggest things in this game was Marin wishing that she could travel like a seagull or be a seagull--it's been almost 20 years since I completed the game--and it seems her wish came true.

Anyway, after the break, the ending will be in a video so you can either relive or see for the first time this magnificent ending.

5 Kick Ass Songs in Videogames

It's Monday and I am back from Ocean City, Maryland. It's been over a week since I have had a chance to blog about one of my favorite things, videogames. I thought, what better way to kick back into this blog then to write about some kick ass songs in videogames? Let's be honest, videogames have some of the best music out there. Heck, some songs top charts all the time. For this piece, I am only going with music that plays during the actual game. So here are 5 of the many that I personally enjoy and I hope you enjoy as well!



5. Tales of Symphonia - Fighting of the Spirit

When this Tales game came out on the GameCube in the early 2000's, it was ambitious and awesome. How do you compliment ambitious and awesome? You do so by adding a soundtrack to compliment such greatness. If any Tales song stands the test of time or more beloved, it's this one. Just go look up all the remixes and covers of this song if you don't believe me. This theme originally appeared in Tales of Phantasia and since its debut, has been arranged for other games in the series. It really captures the essence of what an RPG's sound track should include. I posted the best version of this song below, enjoy.

4.  Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow - Battle Theme

Everyone who had a childhood can hum this tune on a whim. This theme would play anytime you encountered a trainer ready to be clobbered by your insanely powerful Farfetch'd or Mewtwo. These trainers had no idea what you were about to throw at them, but by god, you would sweep them with water gun.  

3. Final Fantasy VII - Battle Theme

If there was any game that people cream over like bacon, it's Final Fantasy VII. I do admit that this is my favorite battle theme in any of the Final Fantasy games. It really works on building up a climax and really pumping the adrenaline while killing cacti people and other weird monsters. I decided to post a video below that really demonstrates what a few guitars with videogame music can do, especially with a theme as awesome as this.

2. Halo Theme

Nothing gets you driving more reckless then blasting the Halo theme down the highway. You know it's time to man your make believe gunner's turret when this song starts playing and your friend is swerving out of the way of a newb pistol shot. This song really should have been looped during any match that had any multi-man vehicles in it and an open world to boot, like Valhalla.
  

1. Guilty Gear X2 - Holy Orders

Yes, this is my number one kick ass song for this post. You don't even know the magnitude of this on a Richter scale. That's all I need to say about this epic tune.

That's it for today guys, enjoy.

Quick Update

It's Tuesday night and I am beat. I think I am going to try and fully beat Tales of Graces f tonight. I honestly cannot wait for Xillia to be released in August. Why are these games so addicting? I hope they release a few for the Vita here in the West for us.
Anyway, I think I am going to finish this game so later guys.

May 10-17

Hey guys, I wanted to let everyone know I won't be on the webz for a week. I am going to be in OCMD shredding my liver so I won't be posting.

EA Acquired Rights to Make a New Star Wars Game: My Reaction

Apparently Electronic Arts has purchased the rights from Disney to make a new Star Wars game. That's terrible. Honestly, no good can come from this. People are going to end up paying $5.00 to purchase a lightsaber palate swap because EA are money grubbing corporate whores. I know I don't get very opinionated on this blog, but this is terrible. EA is one of the worst gaming companies in recent memory. You can argue differently since they generate revenue, but that still doesn't exclude the fact they suck. EA making a Star Wars game is equivalent to nothing else because it's going to be terrible. I can't wait until their exclusive rights to Madden are up so I can actually enjoy playing the game without crappy servers and crappy players. The only good that can come from this is that people will not buy this product because it's EA and some other company that actually cares about the consumers will pick it up and deliver a worthy game. FUDGE BROWNIES

Date Set for Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5

According to the Playstation Blog, you will finally be able to own this updated masterpiece September 10, 2013. For anyone that cares enough, if you pre-order this game soon, you will get a limited edition art book. A really cool item to keep on your coffee table to impress your friends with...or have them question your maturity in my case. This is a must have for both collectors and fans. It was a great game for its time and a unique one at that. For anyone who has not played this game in the past, this is the perfect opportunity to see what all the hype of these games are about.

Personally, I think it's great that an updated version of this classic is coming out. Many of the younger generations or people who were not really into gaming in the early 2000's really missed out on a gem. Now, they will have a chance to play and live through Sora's tale as he tackles adventures in Disney worlds with his companions, Donald and Goofy, while looking for King Mickey. You encounter various characters from Disney and Final Fantasy during the course of the game. You even team up with some of them while in their worlds! I am not going to spoil the game so I am stopping there. Will I purchase this item? I think I will. I wish they packaged both 1 and 2 together but I will take what they give.

Ys: Memories of Celceta and Why I am Excited

Ys: Memories of Celceta is a re-imaging of the two Ys: IV games, Dawn of Ys and Mask of the Sun set to be released in September. If you are unfamiliar with either of these games, don't worry since both versions never made it out West and both versions came out in the early 1990's. Thanks to XSEED, we will now have the opportunity to play Falcom's retelling of these tales. The basic premise of the story follows Adol Christin and his exploration of the Celceta forest.

I can't lie, I am really excited that this game will be localized. The Playstation Vita is lacking in localized rpg games and I feel it's suffering because of it. So far, the Vita only has PSP rpgs and Persona 4: Golden. That isn't enough to quench my thirst for epic tales and experience grinding. I am aware that the PSP has some awesome rpgs to play, but I want to see the Vita's full potential being used on new games here. If this game does well in the West, I think it will open up a door to more game releases here. It might make these game companies give up on holding their reservations about releasing games here.

I will leave this post with some images of the game for you guys to look at.

Summer 2013 of Gaming

It's a beautiful, allergenic May with summer being around the corner. This summer will mark the last push of this era's consoles before the new ones kick into full steam. We will most likely see the end of the Nintendo Wii and  DS's game lineup as Nintendo moves forward with the Wii U and 3DS. We will see Sony and Xbox push an avalanche of big titles before their new systems come out for the holiday season. It's going to be a hectic and awesome summer of gaming. My intention over the next few blog post is to blog about my expectations of Summer 2013 in gaming.

Time and Eternity: The Creepiest Game Trailer Ever

I don't think I have ever felt so uncomfortable listening to a narrator then watching this game trailer for Time and Eternity which is set to be released in North America in July for the PS3.  Honestly, take five minutes of your time and listen to him. It's a turn off to this game and that upsets me. The trailer explains the premise of a game while finding a way to make you feel like a pervert for wanting to play this unique take on the RPG genre.

 

I hope you watched this video. Doesn't it make you lose hope in humanity? No wonder why RPG's that aren't Skyrim get such a bad reputation in the West. You have game trailers like that--not to say this game would appeal to most gamers--and it takes away from what can be a potentially awesome experience.

Anyway, this game is set to come out July 7th according to GameStop.com. It seems like a game that might be worth while to play.