Life of PS3

Coincidentally this movie was filmed in Taiwan.

I have a story for you that will make you believe in videogames.

I moved to Taiwan after graduating college in 2005.  I had a rough time my first year in Taiwan, but that all changed when I got my PS3.  I named it Parker Starchild.  The machine filled my life with wonder and joy and I made a couple good friends having multiplayer game nights.  Pretty much my PS3 is what got me through my 8 years in Taiwan.

That made it that much sadder when Parker Starchild broke down for the 3rd and final time.  I knew I probably wasn't going to be able to revive him and would have to get a new one, but I didn't realize it would kind of be an emotional experience to see my Parker Starchild laid out on the cold slab in his autopsy.

I took it to the game store and they told me it wouldn't be worth it to fix it because it was so old and I could get a brand new one for almost the same price it would be to get it fixed.  They asked if I needed to get a game disk out of the system since I couldn't turn it on.  I couldn't remember if I had a disk in there or not so I said we might as well check.  He told me once he opens it up, there's no going back.  I said okay and the doctor went through with the operation.

He had to basically tear apart the machine to get to the disk drive.  Pieces were flying all over and he ferociously ripped through the several layers machinery.   When he got to the disk drive, it was empty.  I felt sorry that I had to put my little man through that in his last moments, but I guess he was already gone and didn't feel any pain.  After that, I decided to have them take out the heart (hard drive) for me.  I had the idea that maybe I could put his heart in a new system and Parker Starchild could possess it.  As I left the game store I saw one of the clerks taking Parker around the building to throw him in the dump, because they couldn't even use the spare parts since Parker was such an old model.  If couldn't put the heart in a new system, I could at least give it a proper burial.

All that's left of my best buddy.

While they were walking away, and I looked back at my PS3, it didn't look back at me to say goodbye.  I felt so upset that he didn't even look back.  We went through so much together and helped each other get through my Asian voyage and then he just left me so abruptly.  I think without Parker Starchild, I definitely wouldn't have survived Taiwan and I owe my life to him.

I realized later that Parker actually sacrificed himself to save my games.  While packing to move back to America, I only had just enough space in my luggage for my clothes and PS3 games.  If I brought home my PS3, I would have had to get rid of more than half of my games.  It would have been a tough decision for me, but my PS3 took his own life for the good of the family and for that I'll always be grateful.

Don't believe this story?  Okay, the truth is I ate a bunch of people in Taiwan and I never even had a PS3.  I bet you like the story now.  You believe in videogames now, don't you?

Addicted to Pinball

I've come on hard time in the last 6 months and haven't been able to afford many new video games, which has made writing posts about video games difficult for me.  I'm doing fine.  I've had to ask my parents for food money a few times but other than that, I don't have many complaints about my life.  The only thing that sucks about not having any extra spending money is that there are so many new games that have been released and I haven't played any of them.  Plus, my PS3 recently broke down for the 3rd time and I don't think my warranty will cover it this time and I'm not sure if I can afford to get it fixed.

Luckily, my Vita is still in full working order.  I wrote a post about a year ago talking about how I was thinking of selling my Vita because there didn't seem to be many good games being released for it.  While there still haven't been many good games for it, I didn't have the heart to get rid of it.  The saving grace for the Vita for me has been Zen Pinball.   I downloaded the demo for it about 6 months ago and after playing it a few times decided to buy the Marvel pack including Spiderman, Wolverine, etc. for only $10.  I've been addicted to it ever since.  I've bought all the Marvel packs and single tables, the Star Wars pack, and several of the other generic tables like Mars and Earth Defense.  With the cheap prices of the tables, I haven't had to think too much about spending my hard earned (and begged) money for them.

I didn't even like pinball when I was a kid and didn't understand why anyone did.  I used to think it was sheer luck, but now I realize how much skill is involved in playing pinball.  Still, I don't know if I would get back into real pinball if I had the chance, because the themes of the pinball games I've seen weren't of much interest to me.  With the cool themes, great animations, and battles of the Zen Pinball tables, I can't get enough.  As I continue to be poor and unable to buy nice, shining new PS3 games, my addiction to pinball has helped me get through these tough times.  My drive to continue to beat my high scores is all I can think about as the days go by and I've almost forgotten that I still haven't played Black Ops 2, Far Cry 3, and The Last of US, and probably won't for a long time.  It's okay, I can accept that, as long as I got my Zen Pinball.  Now bring on some new tables!  I NEED IT!  I NEED IT!

I hate zombies in videogames.

Can we give zombies a rest?  Ever since I saw MJ's Thriller video when I was a little kid, I've had an intense fear of zombies.  I love the song, but could hardly sit through the video.  Who knew that 30 years later, the world would still be infatuated with zombies.  That has been especially so in videogames.  Even videogames where zombies do not belong at all, the developers still decided to put them in.   Am I the only person who hates that they put zombies in all the Call of Duty and Modern Warfare games?  That's extra game that takes up space that I have no desire to play through.   I guess it's okay if they make it an add-on download to purchase on the PSN like they did with Red Dead Redemption, but I don't want to have anything to do with it. 

Oh Come on. Leave me alone.

I'm a big fan of light gun shooter games as you might have read in my last post, so there are good chances I'll buy any shooter game that comes out for the PS Move.  But the last 4 shooters games released have all been f'n zombie games!  House of the Dead 3 and 4 and 2 Resident Evil Chronicles games.   Finally, I broke down and bought Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.  The thing about the Resident Evil movies and games that I've noticed is after the first couple games, it seems like the zombies are always just a nuisance and not the main problem because there are much bigger monsters to fry.  That makes me feel a little better knowing that the zombies are no big deal and anyone living through the apocalypse can easily take on a horde of zombies with their bare hands.   That has allowed me to get through my nightmares a little easier.  Did I mention that I have zombie nightmares every single time I see a zombie?  I've learned to deal with the zombies in my dreams and it hasn't been as traumatic as it used to be, but I still don't appreciate it.

Fine, I'll play, but I'm not gonna like it.

To some of my friends' amazement, one of my favorite TV shows right now it The Walking Dead.  I guess the show has in some way been an attempt for me to try to face my fears by surrounding myself with it, just like Batman did with bats.  But zombies are a lot scarier than bats. 

Playstation Move Shooting Games Wishlist

I've always been a fan of light gun games ever since Nintendo's Duck Hunt.  I bought the gun apparatus for almost every console that I've owned.  I had the Super Scope for Super Nintendo, which was the first bad ass videogame gun, but since it was Nintendo, they didn't come out with the kind of bad ass games that would have been cool to play.  I bought a generic gun for PS1 to play Time Crises and got Namco's Guncon 2 for PS2 and the Guncon 3 for PS3; both were for playing the Time Crises games that came out.  Unfortunately, only a few other games were compatible with Guncon, so the potential of it was never reached. 

Finally, with the Playstation Move, there seems to be a real interest and motivation for companies to develop games with Move functions.   I have really enjoyed the shooting games for the Move, such as Raizing Storm and The Shoot and hope that they come out with many more.  Here is a list of gun games that I think would have new life on the PS3.

1) Virtua Cop - I had a Sega Saturn, but did not play it much, because there weren't too many quality titles for it, but one of my favorite shooting games ever is Virtua Cop.  The gun was the most accurate gun to date and the graphics were pleasing to the eye.  I don't really know why I liked it so much, it was just a feel good game.

2) Silent Scope - This game was awesome in the arcades.  I love sniping in all games and to have an actually sniper rifle to play with was amazing.  It was quite innovative that they had the full view on the screen and the zoomed view inside the scope, which probably made for the most realistic sniping experience in videogames.  I bought Silent Scope 2 and 3 for PS2, but you could only use the controller to play which made the game about 10 percent as fun as the arcade.  I think they could figure how to turn this game into a Move game if they put their minds to it.

3) Time Crises - Though they do have Raising Storm which came with Time Crises 4 and Deadstorm Pirates, but I would like them to re-release the previous Time Crises games to be played on the Move, like they re-released The House of the Dead games.  I don't like zombie games, so I haven't played House of the Dead.

4) Police 911 - This game was a little hard to find even in the arcades.  This was the first time I'd seen a game that utilized a camera that tracked your movements so you could dodge bullets with your own body.  I guess they released the game in Japan for PS2, but I don't think it ever came out in the States.  This game would be perfect for the Move, since that's pretty much what The Shoot is like.  I own The Shoot and enjoyed it, but it was a bit to childish for me and would like to play a more mature game with the same mechanics.

5) Crises Zone - This game was pretty much the same thing as Time Crises, but with an uzi type gun instead of a hand gun.  I only played it once or twice in the arcades, so I can't comment too much about it, but hey, the more the merrier.

11 Tips to Improve Your Online Shooter Success

This article is for beginners who are getting into playing online shooters and keep getting killed.  Here are some tips that I use to stay alive and possibly get some kills.

1) Find Cover. The most important thing for survival in an online shooting game is cover.  A lot of newbies want to just run out in the open spraying and praying.  Especially if you're a newbie and your gun is not that good yet.  Chances are somebody else is gonna see you before you see them.  That means you're dead.  Good players find good spots to hide and take cover.

2) Don't shoot from far away if your gun is not accurate.  If the other player has their back to you and doesn't know you're coming, don't shoot right away if you're still a little far from him.  Get closer until you know you have a good shot.  If you shoot from far away and miss or hit, but don't kill, you give away your location.  If the other player is good, he'll be able to turn around quickly and kill you. 

3) Shoot from the hip first.  If you run into somebody all of a sudden and they're close to you, you need to shoot fast.  If you press the precision aim button (usually L1) before shooting, you'll be too slow.  I say start shooting first and then press L1 while you're shooting.

4) Remember your grenades.  When you're face to face with someone and you're both shooting at each other, throw a grenade (usually L2 or R2).  The grenade might not hit him but could throw him off a bit and give you a chance to get the kill.

5) Find an efficient weapon that suits you.  I love using sniper rifles and shooting people from far away, but it's a slow way to get a kill and you probably won't be of much help to your team.  I'm best with mid-range guns because I have decent aiming skills and the gun shoots faster.

6) Get used to the melee attack button.  I've been killed many times because the other players were really quick at knifing.  Because I play a variety of FPS games and the melee button is often a different button on different games, so I forget which button is the close quarters knife button.  When you start playing, make sure you get used to pressing that button like a reflex, because you'll need it.

7) Don't be predictable.  The reason playing against a computer opponent is so easy is because they're predictable and always have patterns.  Being a human being, you can be completely unpredictable and that is the reason playing online is so much more difficult than playing campaign modes even on extreme difficulty.   If you are in a shootout with someone and you run for cover before dying, that player will probably be waiting for you to pop out, right where he last saw you.  Find another area to pop out where he'll less likely be looking and attack.

8) Flank.  If you see your teammate shooting at someone, don't go to where your teammate is.  Try to go around and hit the opponent from the side while they're shooting at your teammate.  Also be aware of flanking enemies while in a shootout.

9) Keep moving.  If you've just killed someone.  They're probably gonna come right back to find you and get revenge.  Even though you might have found a great spot, there's no spot that is safe for long.

10) Find a friend.  Don't always go at it alone.  Follow a teammate and back him up.  If he's in front of you, chances are he'll get shot at first and that will give you more time to shoot at the enemy.

11) Shoot first, ask questions later.  Most online games turn off the friendly fire option, so if you shoot at a teammate, they will not be hurt.  If you run into someone suddenly, shoot!  I used to make the mistake of seeing someone and thinking it was my ally, but it was an enemy and I was killed.  As long as friendly fire is turned off, shoot at everyone you see until you know for sure.

Online Gamers Are Unsympathetic Jerks

That's me falling and getting pwned by some asshole

I love playing FPS games online and can hold my own most of the time, but occasionally you get put into an all-star match and you can't survive for longer than 3 seconds.  People will just camp out at your spawn point waiting for you to appear and kill you again.  These guys are unforgiving assholes.  But what reason do they have not to be?  Playing games online, you can't see who you're playing with, so you basically don't care at all about making that person not feel like the biggest noob idiot ever.  I think these guys' goal is to make a noob want to never play that game again.  This can't be good for business though, can it?  Some games like Call of Duty are always rewarding players for being too good by giving them weapons that make them even stronger, while the newbies are stuck with shitty weapons that don't do half as much damage.  The only way you have a chance is if you buy the game on the day it comes out so everyone is even.   If you're coming into a game a few weeks late, you don't have a chance.  Sure, most games have servers for newcomers, but most of us want to play with the big boys, right?  Even the beginners are usually still really good though.

So if you're playing an online game and getting your ass handed to you.  You might never want to play that game again.  Do the videogame companies care?  You already bought the game and for PS3, online play is free.  The companies don't make any more money from you playing online unless you purchase weapons or the new levels.  I'm guessing at least half of the gamers never spend anymore money on the game.  So the people who quit because they couldn't get any kills might even be saving money for the company, because if less people are playing online, I suppose they don't have to spend as much money on the server size.  I don't know really know if the companies have to spend more money if more people are online, but I assume they do.  That's why they reward assholes by giving them better weapons and abilities, because those assholes are saving them money.

If you die 15 times, this is
who you become.

I've had this idea for an online game.  It probably wouldn't work, but it's an interesting thought.  The game rewards people for dying.  Not really rewards, but gives you an advantage if you die too many times.   And if you keep killing people and not dying, you get more and more disadvantages.   I know you're thinking what's the point in trying to win and what would stop people from just killing themselves in order to get a better weapon?  You still get rewarded for winning but you get rewarded with cooler and cooler outfits.  The other reason people play online games forever is so they can get new outfits.  That sounds gay, but it's true.  Games like Warhawk and Starhawk never give you new weapons but they give you fashion accessories like helmets and boots that give you no advantage at all but help you kill in style.  How about the losers get better stronger weapons, but their clothes become more and more ridiculous?  You've died 10 times in a row without killing anyone?  You get a semi automatic grenade launcher, but you have to wear diapers.   If you killed many victims and haven't died, you get downgraded to using a knife, but you have a tailored Armani suit on.

So the more you die, the better the weapons, but the worse your clothes.  The more you kill, the smaller your weapon gets, but the cooler your clothes get.   I might be on to something here.  Let's see if someone steals this idea and doesn't give me any credit.  At least I'll have proof that this was my idea first on the date at the top of this post.

Game Guide Goodness, a.k.a. The Other GGG by Jordan Williams (my vidgam partner)

 

        
      I was at a bookstore the other day, and spotted just before leaving a guide to Diablo III.  I was sorely tempted to rip open the plastic covering (which by itself is one of the major reasons I rarely go into bookstores anymore) and plop down for the next hour and a half, delving into the new usable characters and what abilities they can develop as a result of slaying numerous hell-born monsters, yay.  And I would’ve been happy to do this even though the likelihood of me actually playing the game is minimal, because… Well, I don’t have a scientific explanation besides it makes my brain feel happy.  If you’ve got any snide comments, you can go to hell, and I’ll imagine my warrior avatar slaying you on my journey to defeat the demon king and gain experience points from your carcass.

      Good game guides have been of practical use in my life before.  When I was in junior high, Street Fighter II was all the rage (though I remember vaguely a fighting game called Streets of Rage), and people would line up in front of the arcades like they were on welfare.  Same expression too; you never saw anyone smiling while in queue to play, as if they were physically getting ready for a fight.  Being a introverted young boy with limited funds, I was quite intimidated, yet intrigued by this phenomenon.  And since one of my hobbies was to wander around stores and not buy anything, I happened to come across an “official” guide to playing SFII at a Tower Records (R.I.P.) one sunny weekend.  I assume the reaction that came across me upon seeing such an artifact was akin to the folks who discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls.

      At that point in time, I had perused some editions of Nintendo Power, a monthly magazine published by…Nintendo!  That was already a treat to view, and they did have some walkthroughs and strategies for some of the more popular games.  The guide for Street Fighter was a whole different animal, however.  There were detailed analyses of all the playable characters and bosses, which included move combinations and rankings.  Bar charts are hot, man.  I pored over the pages with manic intent, as if absorbing this knowledge would make me more of a man among other boys.  Armed and loaded, I now could enter arcades and liquor stores (and the occasional donut shop) with something resembling a sense of belonging, and be able to hold my own against slightly older teenagers, winning their respect and not getting beaten up and robbed.  It was the joy of just using one quarter and playing through the whole tournament against the computer opponents that really boosted my ego, drawing admiring looks occasionally from an onlooker or three, like I was defying a law of science.

      After returning from my childhood flashback, I stared at the new Diablo game guide for a moment, pondering its contents further.  I worried about the future of this particular industry, as people tend to play more simplistic games, i.e. Angry Birds, and such activities don’t exactly require detailed strategies and in-depth analysis.  It brought to my mind newspapers, also a dying breed of print.  For a moment, I thought about purchasing the Diablo guide just on principle alone, that I’m doing my part to keep this thing alive.  Then my senses came upon me, and I realized that I could probably download a copy somewhere over the internet.