Day 1 in Liberty City

So I made the mistake of popping in GTA4 today. I wanted to make sure that I didn't have any problems loading that game which is a problem that some people are having. So I jacked around with my roomates for awhile to see what kind of cool things have been added. I have not yet touched the missions but I have definitely seen some really cool new features. Here is what I have seen in my first day in the new and improved Liberty City:

1.) The new physics engine is amazing. Natural motions makes for truly unique effects. I hit a car head on at full speed and watched as the other man was thrown from his windshield. I now know what journalists were talking about when they said that it finally feels real when you hit people. Bodies will react realistically based on where you hit them and how hard.

2.) Rockstar has obviously taken complaints from previous games into account. Instead of having instant access to any car you find, Nico will look around and then break the window with a well placed elbow before hotwiring the car and driving away.

3.) The level of pedestrian interaction is impressive. People will get out of their cars and try to help people who have been hit. They talk on cell phones and will try to pick fights.

4.) The new driving mechanics feel real smooth and fitting depending on which cars you get into.

5.) The moment I realized this game was going to be great: I pulled a man from his car and jumped in. As I started to take off, the man grabbed the handle and opened the door but continued to hang on as I drove. He hung onto the door for about 100 yards or so before an oncoming car ripped him and the door clean off my car. It was amazing...

I only jacked around for a little bit and these are all very basic elements of the game. I will get back to you when I have delved deeper into the game. Look for full impressions on this weeks podcast.

-Nick

Forum Highlight - BREAKING NEWS EDITION!!

Forum user and mod Mypallyownu has posted exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4 footage. Up till this point the only footage and pics we have seen of the MGS4 boss "Crying Wolf" are these seen below:


and




...but now, we have leaked footage of "Crying Wolf" in training. Check it out!



Unbelievable! Be sure to visit the thread here in our forum to post your thoughts!!


-Brad

Sierra Gamers Day 08 Footage

So I just returned from working the midnight launch of GTA4. With the last of my energy, I shall post these videos from Sierra's Gamers Day 08. The videos include gameplay footage and interviews regarding several of their big titles that are expected to hit store shelves this year. Sierra seems to be publishing all sorts of cool stuff this year. So here are the three games that really caught my eye.
Prototype

This game looks absolutely crazy, the footage is some of the first good quality gameplay footage I have seen since the games initial trailer. In the game, you take control of Alex Mercer, a person who has been used as a lab rat by the government and been transformed into a super human, shapeshifting, monster. The game is a free roam game much like Grand Theft Auto but plays more like Hulk: Ultimate Destruction or Crackdown. The gameplay is definitely impressive and with little extra polish, this game might be one of the most satisfying games this year.

Ghostbusters

So here we have an interview with one of the developers at Terminal Reality, the team in charge of creating the next installment in the Ghostbusters universe. He mentions how the project came to be and the new engine that the team developed for the game called the "infernal engine". I can't wait to get my hands on this!

The Bourne Conspiracy


I couldn't mention Sierra without mentioning one of my most anticipated games this year, The Bourne Conspiracy.

Nick out for now. I should be back to posting regularly this weekend!

-Nick

This Week on Justin.tv

I hear this series is supposed to be pretty good so I thought I'd give it another shot. I'm genuinely interested in the character and his story this time around, so I hope it's good. I will begin playing after I get back from the midnight launch on Monday. There is currently an online meet-up thread located here in the forum if you are interested in getting your multi-player game on with 4pp.


Not sure if I will be playing this alone, or with Nick, but I do plan on starting this game this week. At least I thought I was going to...


I haven't played much yet, but I'm excited to play more. Playing through to get ready for the sequel later this year.


What would have been an epic gaming experience with the 4players of 4pp will sadly end up being just me and David. I'm still pretty pumped for this as it should be fun seeing what antics we get into. Let's just say this event is FOR AMERICA!!


This is what we have planned as of now. Unfortunately, we have had some technical issues with our feed on both ends recently, but if all goes well, expect a lot of broadcasting from us this week. See ya there!

Brad

A New Love

So I Accomplished something this week. Something that happens only once... every three to four months.

I beat a game. The thing about me is, you have to pretty damn sure that the game i beat blew my mind, otherwise i wouldn't beat it. So, the game that I think is magnificent, extraordinary, stupendous? Dreamfall: The longest journey.


I am a big fan of adventure games, the type along the lines of Myst. So from the get go i knew i would like Dreamfall.

But damn, what a story. The game play, the graphics, some of the puzzles, and the fighting are all lacking somewhat (This is an original xbox game). But where they shorthanded those aspects of the game, they completely blew the story section out of the water.

Now i would love to tell you about the story, but the thing about it is... if you tell pretty much any thing about it, it will give something away.
Tell you one thing though, which might get Nick interested, First scene of the game with the main character (Zoe Castille) she is in her underwear watching tv.

Sexy, no?

If i were to write a full review, i would give this game a 8.5 out of 10. That may seem mediocre, but trust me, thats a pretty damn good score in my book.


oh, also started this week: Riven, picked Civilization IV back up, and began playing Lumines for the PC.



See yall at the podcast!
-Travis

Instruction Booklet Video - Rhythm Tengoku

Here's our first Instruction Booklet video. I playthrough the first section in one of my favorite games, Rhythm Tengoku, an Import GBA rhythm/music game.

Hope you enjoy it,
David

Konami Beta Key Registration Problems

Am I the only having problems getting this retarded Konami Beta thing to work? What is the deal with the f'ing multiple IDs. It tells me it won't accept it but it doesn't tell me why it won't accept it. I apparently have to use letters and numbers and hyphens and underscores and periods?!~?!?! What is going on? Between 8-32 letters?

** - Oh wait, it worked, I just had to type a long ass ID for it to do it, hooray.
** - Downloading beta now....

David

Brad's Laundry List Update (Go Get the Soap Edition)

Started and beat:
Fatal Frame 2 (Xbox) - 100%
God of War 2 (PS2) - 100%
Silent Hill 3 (PS2) - 100%
F.E.A.R. (Xbox360) - 100%

Still working on:
Phantasy Star IV (PSP) - 20%?
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP) - 25%?
Ninja Gaiden (NDS) - 30%?

New and working on:
Lost Odyssey (Xbox360) - 10%?
Bully (PS2) - 9%?


and


Fatal Frame 1(Xbox)!!! - 50%?

That's right. As of last night I officially got out of my Fatal Frame 1 slump. Though the game is still challenging in my current state, I found a couple of herbal meds, regained my bearings, and even killed the ghost in the well. I will try to finish this evil evil game this week, so make sure you are watching.

My other goal this week is to actually finish a couple of games from my original list dammit. Maybe Phoenix Wright and Advance Wars 4? I also plan to beat Urban Chaos: Riot Response.


Brad

MGO Beta Post Poned

Konami issued this press release earlier today:

KONAMI:

IMPORTANT NOTICE for all
METAL GEAR ONLINE PREMIERE BETA players

We would like to thank all players for their keen interest in taking part in the beta test.
However, we regret to inform you that due to extraordinary levels of traffic from all around the globe, we have been unable to run the service to the level we expected.
As a temporary measure, we will be deferring the start of the US public beta test until we are able to stabilize our server.
We would like to apologize for all inconveniences as well as confusion caused.

We would like to add that due to the above reasons, we will be making the following changes to the schedule:
1) Starting date: TBA. We will be making another announcement on 22/4/2008 23:00(PDT)
2) Beta Test closure: This will now be on 11/05/2008 at 24:00(PDT) rather than 06/05/2008 at 24:00(PDT)

IMPORTANT: Please note that your voucher code will only be valid up until 05/06/2008, so please make sure to register them by then.
------------------------------------------------
Kind of sucks... I really hope that this doesn't suggest that the online functionality might be a little pre-mature. Anyways, we still plan to broadcast the beta as soon as it is made available so check back often for more updates.

-Nick

Silent Hill 5 Named and Dated

Move aside Metal Gear Solid 4, you have now been dethroned as my number 1 most anticipated game of 2008!  Today, Konami officially announced that Silent Hill 5 will be released this September as "Silent Hill: Homecoming".  This is perhaps some of the best news I have heard in awhile.  My only concern now is to see just how the Collective has changed the series.  For now, I will trust them and hope that they don't destroy my favorite franchise of all time.  

Silent Hill 5 will feature a new protagonist named Alex Shepard who returns home from war in search of his missing brother. Not only will the game include shiny new visuals, but the combat system is supposedly improved. Expect more news from me as the release date approaches.

-Nick

Podcast # 59 & Top 5 # 6

Hey guys podcast # 59 and our Top 5 podcast # 6 are up in the podcast archive so be sure to download those when you get a chance.  For first timers, you can find all of our podcasts in our podcast archive link which can be accessed in the menu to the right.  Thanks for listening and we look forward to next weeks show.

-Nick

New Bourne Clip

I'm Excited

-nick

Perhaps I Will Give Siren A Chance After All

So it looks like a trailer for a new Siren title hit the Internet this week. The game looks to be titled "Siren: The New Translation" which implies that rather than being a sequel, this game will actually be a re imagining of the first game. The trailer looks creepy as hell and has definitely grabbed my attention. I thought the original Siren was a great premise for a horror game but it definitely lacked the production values necessary to be a true horror masterpiece. This new game looks to bring detailed new graphics, better voice acting, and a much more cinematic or "silent hillesque" feel to it. Check out the trailer below but be warned, the trailer alone creeps the **** out of me.



-Nick

Wii Fit... the First Game with a Weight Limit?

So I was in the store the other day speaking with our awesome Nintendo Rep was told about something that was kind of interesting. It turns out that "Wii Fit", Nintendo's new aerobic game, will only be able to withstand people who are under 330 pounds! First of all, this is the first game I can think of that actually has an actual weight limit (if i'm wrong, please correct me). For those who aren't aware, Wii Fit will sell for $89.99 and include a "Wii Fit Balance Board" that allows players to interact with the Wii in fresh new ways. The game uses weight based technology that is able to measure a persons weight and center of gravity which allows players to perform aerobic exercises and other fun, unique activities. This definitely sounds like a cool idea and I can see myself probably picking this up. I know I need to exercise but I just can't seem to choose that option when I could be playing video games! So this obviously fixes that problem by allowing players to do both at once.

While discussing this with our Nintendo rep, she informed me that this game may not be tailored to some of America's "fluffier" (exact wording) inhabitants. This makes sense when you think about it considering that Japanese citizens are typically a lot smaller or "less fluffy" than most americans. My only concern now is how it will affect us on the retail side. I obviously can't tell someone that they may be too "fluffy" to play this game so how am I supposed to handle a situation like that. I can see it now: Thousands of americans run... "or maybe park in the handicap spot and walk to" retail stores to try and return their broken Wii Fit Balance Boards! The prospect of this is kind of frightening and I can only hope and pray that Nintendo has some kind of plan for if this kind of situation were to arise. With that said, this game definitely looks like another hit Wii title on Nintendo's hands. I predict that this will probably be one 2008's biggest sellers on the Wii. We will have to look at this subject in retrospect on our end of the year podcast in December.

-Nick

First "Spider-man: Web of Shadows" Update

So it turns out that the reason the new Spider-man game snuck up on everyone is because Yahoo had the right to the exclusive for the game. The site released new information earlier this afternoon following my earlier post that includes some concept information. Apparently, Web of Shadows will include the same open world gameplay that the series is known for but this time around, New York City has been overrun by some unknown menace that closely resembles the alien symbiote that gave birth to Venom. The game will feature a type of moral compass that will allow players to choose whether they care more about saving the lives of the citizens of New York or saving their own skin. This seems to imply that the story will be a lot darker because we all know that, the situation would have to be pretty serious to convince Peter Parker to care more about himself than those he protects. It was also revealed that players will be given the choice as to which marvel characters (both heroes and villains) to fight with or against. As always, I will keep you posted as the updates roll out.

-Nick

Legend of Zelda Movie Trailer (lil Late)

Hey guys, I was listening to the top 5 podcast from last week and realized that Brad said he had not seen the movie trailer. For those who didn't see it, ign.com actually created a fake "Zelda Movie Trailer" for April Fools. I don't know how Brad and David missed this. Anywho, I know its a little bit late but its definitely worth posting. I give IGN props for this.



-Nick

Video Games Live

Ok, so if you don't already know about Video Games Live, it's a pretty neat idea. Basically take popular video game themes and arrange them to be played by an orchestra. Add in light effects and other visuals, make it live and you have the basic concept.

So the production will be making a stop in Austin July 11 & 12, which we're planning to take part of. My only concerns are that I'm not this 14 year old Master Chief fanatic who's going to burst into tears when I hear the Halo theme. Mario is great and so is Final Fantasy, but if you watch the trailer you'll see a bunch of guys running around dressed up as Solid Snake and the guy from Tron. That's all fine and dandy, but I don't exactly find Chuck E. Cheese and amusement park performances all that interesting anymore. See The Trailer [Here]

Another thing that doesn't sit well with me is that Tommy Tallarico is Co-creator in all this. And although he may be very talent and has worked such games as Earthworm Jim & Advent Rising. Honestly I just don't like guy. The way he promotes and speaks of himself, he just sounds kinda like a sleazeball. Then again, I've never met the guy and some of you may not have even heard of him so who knows. But then again, I don't see any Miyamoto.com or Kojima.com promoting those individuals either. There is a nobuouematsu.com, but it's a fan site. Well, if you want to check out his official website here it is. [www.tallarico.com] I especially love that picture of him, it's so dashing.

Here's the music list and what I am interested in and what I'm not....

Interests - Mario, Zelda, Halo, Final Fantasy, WarCraft, StarCraft, Sonic, Metal Gear Solid, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Cross, Castlevania, Metroid, Beyond Good & Evil, Earthworm Jim, Pac-man, and Contra.

Not So Much - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Headhunter, Guitar Hero, Conan, Medal of Honor, EverQuest II, Tron

There were a few more titles but they're more of a I'm not so sure category. I know this post is going to come off sounding negative and I didn't really try to mask it either, but that just leaves more of a chance for me to surprised.

Should be an interesting Night,
David

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Announced

So at work yesterday, I noticed a promotional flier that included an invitation for people to visit gamestop.com to vote on which pre-order bonus would be offered with "Spider-man: Web of Shadows". If you haven't heard of this game yet, you are not alone. This was actually the first I had ever head of this new spider-man title. If you have visited Kotaku today, you can see an image of this flier that was posted by another gamestop employee. So today, Activision officially announced the game that will be developed by Shaba Games and Treyarch and will be released on all current consoles and handhelds (as is common with spider-man games). The game looks dark and interesting and will definitely be something that I pick up play but i'm not sure if it will turn out all that great. The game will be an open world new York, swinging extravaganza like previous titles and suggests that the alien symbiote will play a role in the story. Since it is not based on the movies, I am hoping that it may turn out to be the next "Ultimate Spider-man" which was a surprisingly good game on last gen consoles. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Ultimate Spider-man was underrated. I will be sure to keep everyone posted as new information is released but for now, check out the teaser trailer below.



-Nick

Slight change of Plan

... Can't find my copy of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, so I am forced to do something I already regret...


...

I am going to use my Sonic Anniversary disc for the Xbox. Which means I will not be bringing my Sega genesis to play.

So the game plan today is to play Sonic 3 (other sonics maybe) and Donkey Kong Country 2.
See yall at 5:00 Central

-Travis

New Top Fives & Reminder

First off, the older and newer Top Fives have been added. My apologies about the delay. In show
004 we go over our Useless Video Game Characters
005 it's about Developer Pet Peeves

Don't forget Travis will be broadcasting later today for Wayback Wednesday. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Vectorman, and possibly Donkey Kong Country 2.

Here's something to think about today while you're in your daily activities. If Microsoft hadn't been in a rush to get the Xbox 360 out ahead of everyone and waited to include the HD-DVD drive as part of the system, would be all be having to buy Blu-rays right now? Or what if the 360 had the HD-DVD built in during the release?

Thanks,
David

A 2d Okami? A Wii game I'm excited about...

This is very much a game I want to see more of. It's actually a WiiWare game in development; and I hope this is a sign of things to come for the Wii's new downloadable game service.




Brad

Forum Highlight - LOLLERCOPTER U OWN SHADOW TEH HEDGEHOG!1!! Edition

LOL sorry Shruikan

"Forum Highlight" is a new weekly feature where we highlight a pretty cool thread currently active in our forum. This week you can go check out some pictures of game collections from some of our forum members. Travis and Nick also posted there collections so go check it out. We have bigger plans for David's collection and mine is all in boxes, but we want to see more from everyone out there! Videos of collections would be awesome too.

Anyways, click here to visit (and post) in the thread. You can also click on our "Forum" link on the right to see all the action. There are some really cool and hilarious threads going on in our forum so check it out. We decided to to toss up this forum a couple of weeks ago more for staff use, but thanks to readers we are already quickly approaching 1000 posts and 100 members.


Keep it up guys.

Brad

Manga, Anyone?

Last night, instead of watching Brad trudge through Silent Hill 3, I got wrapped up in finishing what is now one of my favorite manga. I'm not that familiar with the manga world, but I have a feeling that this is a very unknown series. But that doesn't make it any less amazing. I would have to recommend this to anyone who likes well anything good. Forget being a japanophille, or anime fan, or comic reader. If you're alive and have any interest in a good story, interesting characters, or something thought provoking, at least give the first couple chapters a read.

Parasyte is about these alien pods that come down. Small worm like creatures come out of them and attack a human and take over it's brain. From that point the person is no longer themselves and under the control of the alien. The aliens are able to shape their bodies in to different things like mouths and knives. They blend in and being feeding on the human race. The main character, Shin, is attacked by one of these worms, is lucky or unlucky enough to get it lodged in his arm and avoids being completely overcome by the parasite. The alien being takes over his right arm and the series progresses forward as the two must coexist by not only avoiding other humans but infected ones as well.

Here's a link for the manga [Here]

Thanks Mike for recommending the series to me.
And thanks to kururu for the link to the manga
David

Podcast # 58

Hey guys, the new podcast is up for download. The last two top 5's will be posted shortly as well. It takes a bit longer because we have to edit Travis in there because he missed the last two shows but we should have it up very soon. If you like our show, feel free to subscribe by clicking one of the buttons in the right menu or leave us a review on itunes. We are open to criticism and suggestions as well. Anywho, you can download the podcast by clicking the link below or clicking podcasts in the menu.

Podcast Archive

-Nick

I'm Back

Colorado was fun, but I miss my games.

So heres what I am doing.

I picked up the old game boy game called Final Fantasy Adventures from the library that is David before I went skiing. I played this for about an hour or two. The thing about this game that draws me to it so is that it is basically Zelda with Final Fantasy plastered on the front. I played this when I was only a tyke of the tender age of 7 or some bullshit like that. It is a very enjoyable, and shallow old game.
I would suggest it to any game boy lovers, final fantasy collectors or to anyone just wanting a new zelda game, for this would fill that void pretty well.

So i am in the mood for a Survival horror game. Now i most likely won't be playing this live because who would want to watch through it a second time?
Fatal Frame my friends, While i am not in the world..... of warcraft, i shall be playing Fatal Frame. I played about 30 minutes of it a couple of nights ago and was drawn into it. I can't stop thinking about it and i NEED to beat it. need to beat something anyway. So i plan on doing that

By the way, Level 60 is a definite thing tomorrow. Hell yah epic mount.

This wednesday I believe i am going to be playing Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Vectorman, And i might slip in some Donkey Kong Country 2.


See yall later this week.

-Travis

Come on Capcom...

Here is the new character Rufus shown in Street Fighter IV.


Now here is footage of Bob from the already released Tekken 6.



Right....

If it was just another fat white dude they decided to put in the game, that's fine... but the fact that he is nimble as fuck makes it a blatant ripoff. Is this what we have to look forward to in the fighting game that is supposed to revive the series?

Crappy Limited Editions

So for anyone who was there for the show last night, we discussed our feelings about Limited Editions and mentioned poorly made collectors editions. Prey was the main example that we used, which recalled my memory of when I shot a Prey LE demo late last year. I had to do some searching but I went back and found it and uploaded it to youtube. So here it is...



Yes, Nick paid 69.99 for this, so don't be too hard on him.

Another Great Fan Video!

Hey guys, I would like to thank thecosmicfly for a new video. There is not much I can say about this so just watch it. Its pretty good! Thanks a lot once again!




-Nick

MGS4 PS3 is Coming to the U.S.

After a month or so of thinking that the MGS silver PS3 was only going to hit stores in Japan, Sony officially announced that this same package will be hitting American shores as well on June 12, 2008.  The bundle will be VERY limited edition and contain a steel colored PS3 with the words "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" embossed on its surface.  It is a 80 GB PS3 that will be the first PS3 to be packaged in a white box!  The bundle will retail for $499.99.  Sony also took the time to clear up something else:

Metal Gear Solid 4 Online will be packaged with all versions of the game (both standard and LE).  It is dubbed the MGS Online Starter Pack but is actually the full online game.  Sony is only calling it a starter pack because they have big plans for expanding the concept in the future.  It was previously thought that the online portion was only going to be a demo and that the full version would be released at a later date.  

I was going to post the box art for both the Standard and LE versions of the game but I figured I would leave that for David when his box art comparison makes its long awaited return to form.  So keep your eyes peeled.

Thanks,

Nick

PlayStation Store video walkthrough

From Crackle: PlayStation Store video walkthrough

Submit Viewer Questions for Podcast #58

Hey guys, podcast # 58 is quickly approaching and we are still looking for some more questions to answer on the show.  If you have a video game related question that you would like to hear us answer on the show, then please go to our forum by clicking the link below and register.  Once you are registered, go to our podcast discussion topic and then leave a reply in the "podcast # 58 viewer questions" thread.  The podcast will be recorded on either friday or saturday so hurry up and get those in.  

Forum

Thanks!

-Nick

MGS4 LE Exclusive to Gamestop

After thinking for several days about whether or not I wanted to switch my reserve over to the MGS4 Limited Edition, I finally gave in and did it.  Today, Konami announced that this Limited Edition version of the game will be exclusive to Gamestop and retailers like GameCrazy are out of luck.  This isn't really a bad thing but I am just praying that the box doesn't include the word Gamestop on the box like the Resident Evil 4 limited edition.  I saw a picture of the potential cover art for the standard edition compared to the LE and was much more impressed with the Limited cover art so I feel a little bit better about my decision.  For those who don't know, the LE will be $84.99 and come bundled with a limited edition box along with 2 different making of documentaries that include exclusive interviews with Hideo Kojima and the development team.  Also included will be a concept art book for people like me who love to salivate over beautiful game art.  Of course, what sealed the deal for me was the inclusion of the soundtrack which is usually what tips the scale for me when debating on whether to go the extra mile.  Anyways, keep an eye out for more MGS4 news in the coming months along with a MGS4 edition podcast shortly after the games release on June 12.  

-Nick

Podcast #057 - The Good Show

I forgot to mention earlier that the new Podcast was posted to check that section for the download.

Another Wednesday Over

Today came and went another Wayback Wednesday. Travis got in his little time machines and went back to play some games from our childhood. Besides smoking through all of Easy mode Star Fox 64 Travis took some time to run through the plains in Lion King. Then I joined him for some Golden Axe, Jurassic Park, and Streets of Rage. There are a bunch of highlights from the day up on JTV, and thanks again to Final_Smash for picking out lunch for us.

Thanks,
David

More Great Work From Moderator Keyweez

Brad

In the Defense of Pre-Ordering

Right now, I have the pleasure of working in video game retail. This opportunity has been incredibly rewarding and I can't imagine any better way of working my way through college. This job has not only offered insights into an often overlooked aspect of the video game industry but it has really opened my eyes to something that a lot of people simply don't understand. I am talking about pre-ordering. Before you get all wide eyed and start thinking of ways to bash this common practice, let me say this: pre-ordering is not for everyone. I know that Brad is already rolling his eyes at this article because in his eyes, pre-ordering is completely unnecessary.  That is perfectly alright and I understand why many people choose not to reserve games prior to their release. I on the other hand reserve every game that I intend to pick up on day one of its release. Let me explain why.

First of all, what many people don't realize is that manufacturers determine how many copies of a game to send to a store based on the number of pre-orders it has received. Pre-ordering is a sign of demand. It is a representation of a desire for that particular game in a geographic area. If a retail store gets zero reserves, it may receive 3 or 4 copies of that game on launch day. This isn't necessarily a bad thing until the 5th customer walks into the store and wants the game. Now I know what everyone is thinking. You are all thinking that you would just head on over to another store and find a copy but the moment you are forced to do that, you may reconsider visiting that store next time you wish to buy a game. This is unfortunate because this really had nothing to do with that store in the first place. However, if even five people pre order a game, the store might receive 15 copies of the title which lowers the chance of the store selling out before replenishments arrive considerably. Now let's take a moment to examine that scenario in detail. Five people pre-order the game which means that five people who really wanted that game will be guaranteed a copy of the game within the first 48 hours of its release. No rushing to the store, no stress. In addition that that, another 10 people are free to pick up their game without any problem. Everybody wins and fewer, if any, people are disappointed.

Now lets look at the cost of pre-ordering. Every retailer might do it differently but 90% of the time, pre-ordering is a free service. Sure, you place a five dollar deposit on the game but that money goes toward the total cost of the game when it is released. I know people also have a problem with retailers having your money before a game is released but the fact is that they are going to have your money either way so there isn't any point worrying about that. Here is where what I said earlier comes into play. Pre-ordering is not for everyone. As a retail employee and college student, I understand that you may be a little tight on money or that you might be saving for something else. In these situations, I fully understand why you would opt not to shell out five dollars. With that said, let me tell you who pre-ordering is for:

1.) People who are not tight on cash
2.) People who are definitely (let's say 80% chance or higher) going to pick up the game within the first 48 hours of release.

If you find yourself in a store and and are considering reserving a game, ask yourself if these statements apply to you. If the answer is yes and the game is not too far off, ask yourself the following: "Why not?" I consider this a simple service that helps out the store you prefer to shop with as well as yourself as a gamer. I can't count the number of times I have had snooty, rude responses if I ask if a customer would like to pre-order something. There is no need for that because it is a simple question. Us as employees don't get upset if you say no but are annoyed when that same customer shows up day one expecting to get a copy of the game and leaves disappointed. Believe me, this happens a lot. I will go ahead and step down off my soap box and hope that these considerations will be taken into account.

Waiting No Longer

It's official. It's 3:50 am, I'm downloading Ikaruga. I might even be the first on the internet to blog it.

Time to get owned,
David

This Week's Minutes

Currently it's about 3 am Wednesday morning. I'm waiting for Ikaruga to be downloadable on Xbox Live Arcade. When are they supposed to post these things anyways?

Arcana Heart for the US got pushed back a few days. I've heard in stores Friday?

Keyweez360 thanks again for sending in the logo/character art for us. I cropped it up and moved some things around and used it as our new JTV icon, hope that's ok.

Don't forget Travis will be doing Wayback Wednesday today around 5 pm. After his escapades in Star Fox 64, I'll be joining him later in the afternoon to try to help with Golden Axe on the Genesis.

See you tonight,
David

Star Fox and Golden Axe

Make sure you join me or us (not sure who will be there yet) for another exciting adventure through the gaming of an older generation... or some bullshit like that.
I am going to attempt to beat Star fox so that will be my main focus of the night. Golden axe will be my stress reliever.
Hopefully i won't need such a thing though....
Make sure to join me around 5 PM central time.
See you there.
-Travis

Managing the Hype

So, I think most people know about how I feel about hype. I'm pretty notorious about managing hype and I've been turned off many a time due to over-hyped crap. When I was younger I didn't know any better and honestly probably didn't care. But now, I'm at a point in my video game "career" where I want my games to mean something and really move me. So when I come across a game I'm excited about, I go into sleep mode. I don't look at screenshots. I don't read about it. I don't watch trailers. And especially I don't play the demo. At the purest level, one should just play the game. They should have no other forms of distractions, even box art or advertisements. I can easily think of a few games that were maybe not spoiled or ruined, but just a little less powerful than their potential due to me just trying to dig up a little too much information.

So why am trying to prove my point? I recently listened to the 1-Up yours podcast for 4.4.2008. Shane was invited to Konami to play through all of MGS4. He's very limited about what he is allowed to say about the game, but still I heard things I didn't want to. Nothing spoiling or anything, but he did say enough about his impressions of the game to make me not want to hear anymore, so I cut off the podcast halfway through. I going to finish the next two games in the next two months and then go into the final chapter as hype free as possible. The way I see it. I know I'm going to pick it up. I'm excited, but is this really a game that I need more persuading in order to purchase? So from now until June, you probably won't hear me say anything about MGS4.

David

Brad's Videogame Laundry List (Smexbox Update)

New games recently started:
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP) - 10%?
Ninja Gaiden DS - 20%?
Darkwatch (Xbox) - 70%?
Urban Chaos (Xbox) - 75%?
The Warriors (Xbox) - 15%?
The Suffering 2 (Xbox) - 20%?
Fatal Frame 2 (Xbox) - 10%?
Fallout 2 (PC) - 1%

Older:
Cave Story (PC) - 50%?
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion (Xbox360) - 75%?!?


Haven't touched most of my older stuff from this list yet again.


I need to do some actually cleaning up...

-Brad

Star Wars: the Force Unleashed Update

Normally, I am opposed to games that are released on every platform imaginable because the quality tends to drop.  This week, the team developing Star Wars the Force Unleased released this video that details the elements that are unique to each platform.  I will be playing the PS3 version obviously but I am surprised to say that what they have managed to put together on the other platforms (Wii, PS2, PSP, DS) actually looks pretty interesting.  I am actually considering picking up the game on one of these other consoles as well and giving my comparisons when the game is released.  What do you think?  While you ponder that, watch and enjoy:


-Nick

Thanks all around

Thanks once again for everyone who showed up or stopped by for Friday's marathon. We had a lot of fun. In a few hours my Aunt will be getting on a plane back to Japan so it'll be a while before I see her again, but last night we had started talking about how to cut her time down possibly getting it down to the record 9 days. She'll be back in October I was told, so that's something maybe to plan for.

Thanks for keyweez for the caricatures and to everyone who's been making stuff and posting it in the Forum. We're always excited to see stuff made by you guys plus its funny too.

I've made a forum post under general discussion for favorite artwork. So if you guys have any video game artwork that you'd like to share, I personally would like to see it. I've posted just a couple of my favorites but plan to add more as I think of them.

Thanks again,
David

Slight problems with JTV

I was planning on broadcasting right now. It is letting me broadcast, but i can't sign in or view the actual broadcast. So until this problem is resolved, hopefully soon, there won't be anything broadcasting. This might mess up our podcast tonight.

Hope for the best,
God speed
-travis

Why I have a soft spot for Itagaki. Soft?

-Brad

In Memory of Giant Man Spook

For those of you who missed last nights episode of Call of Cthulu on 4 Player Podcast, check out this video. Thank you so much for making this video DoctorJones7961!

-Nick

Independent Game Spotlight #5

The following are a couple of projects by Jason Rohrer, an independent game developer leading the charge in the "Are video games art?" movement. Despite how feel about that question, these two games could definitely be considered unique.

Both of these games are very simple in both graphics and design. But don't let that fool you. The designer has a message he wants to convey in both games. Both can be oddly emotional, and whether or not you agree with the message, the games can clearly be considered "art." If you are going to play these games, you must play them till the end, otherwise you might miss the point. Well... I guess the "point" is not completely clear. Like other forms of art, you might get something different out of it than someone else.

Passage

This game is very simple but it has some very subtle game design choices that are pretty cool. Don't get mad at me if you burst into tears. This game is meant to be played from beginning to end and I think you will get the point about half way through. But play this game all the way to the end as it is only about 5 minutes long. Note: The game "plays" whether you are playing it or not. Click here for the games page where you can download the game.

Gravitation

This is his more recent project Gravitation. This game is both slightly more somplex in both design and message. Even more so than the first game, you must play to the end... or at least to a point to understand the meaning of the game. Total game time is only 8 minutes, so give it a chance. Click here for the games page to download the game.

Again, whether or not you enjoy the games or agree with the message in the games, Jason Rohrer is doing something very interesting here. Something that you don't typically see in video game form. I very much look forward to any other games created by this "artist."

Leave us comments and tell us what you think.


-Brad

Podcast # 57 (4/5/2008)

Hey guys, feel free to join us on JTV this Saturday night for our 57th podcast. We will be discussing video game industry related topics and then answer some viewer questions. If you have any questions that you would like us to answer, then please register for our forum and leave the question as a response in our "podcast discussion" thread. Anyways, hope to see you there! We will also be doing a top 5 right after as well. Hope to see you there!

-Nick

Friday Night Marathon

It's official my Aunt, who is in town visiting from Japan, will play playing through Pikmin live for the first "official" 4playerpodcast marathon. She's pretty good from what she and others have told me. She's pulled off a a 30/30 parts 14 day playthrough before but she's only been able to pull off about 17 recently. Just a little background on my Aunt Lily.

She's from Naha, Okinawa one of the southern islands of Japan. Speaks and understands most English and loves Pikmin 1, hates Pikmin 2. She used to live in the US but moved back to Japan so I haven't seen her in about 6 years. She originally challenged me to race her but I respectfully declined. I'll be there with my Aunt managing chat so you'll be able to ask her questions live.

The event should start around 6:00 PM Central time and run until about 10 PM. So barring any feed problems it should be an interesting night.

See you on JTV,
David

This was a Triumph

Wayback Wednesday was a huge success.
For the first time in about 3 months I beat a game first of all.
Second of all, it was Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Got a couple of problems with this damn Hedgehog though. One, Don't ever freeze on me like that again. Two, learn to walk up hills. 3, slap your dumbass friend in the face for me. He gets annoying real fast. When he isn't busy falling behind, he is either getting in my face or dieing.

So what i think about Sonic 2 sixteen years after its launch?
Typical. I don't remember much about the game (Especially not level select) But never before did i realize how simple the game actual is once you get the patterns down for the bosses. The last boss, which took me a frustrating hour full of screaming, was easy as pie ONCE you new what to do.
This causes a couple of problems for me.
one, it is basically impossible to go into a boss without dieing your first time because the boss is not based on skill. its based on jumping hysterically trying to figure out what the boss is doing.
It's two or three... or fifty times into it that you begin to understand its pattern, and then take advantage of it. Now i know why i could never beat it as a kid, and i know why its aimed at kids. You can't beat that as a kid, you just run in every time and hope for the best, not knowing the "complexities" that lay hidden.
but as a big boy now, i can and will take advantage of robotnik.


Had a great time, glad all 140 some odd people showed up.
Next week, Golden Axe and Star fox

P.S. Sorry I shrunk the list down to two. But i want to make significant damage into each game. when i am with yall i have a lot more motivation to beat a game than normal. so i will get much farther. God knows i would of put down sonic fast if it wasnt for the fans. So because i am shortening these games, i will be getting pretty damn far in them.

P.S.S. I think i need a partner for Golden Axe. anyone?

Some ladies to keep me company while I'm updating this page.

The ladies of Soul Calibur IV

The new site.

We are going to be switch over. Help me get this up to speed guys.