Ace of Spades HQ

November 25, 2012

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
— Gang of Gaming Morons!

Well, hope you became fatty fat fucks on Thursday. Wish I could say the same about videogame news but shit be lacking yo. Other than Wii U face-planting on Giant Bomb's livecast, there hasn't been much going on.

Giant Bomb kicked off the Wii U launch with a special live cast where they were plagued with an hour and a half system up date, horrible lag in the ports and just general fuckery.

Hopefully you don't create an account on someone else's system as you can't transfer your account between systems. That's Nintendo for you, still can't grasp this new thing called internet.

If nothing else, Reggie was right in that the Wii U version of Arkham City is a different game since Joker stole the FPS.

Since it's out, we've finally got some concrete details on the innards of the system and frankly they're not pretty. 4A Games (Metro 2033) and DICE (Battlefield series and Mirror's Edge) have come out saying that the CPU is slower than what would be expected. They said enough that 4A Game's publisher, THQ, had to do damage control

The ram is simple DDR3 and a whopping 2 gigs of it (one gig for the OS and another for actual games). Of course that isn't the whole picture as no one has been able to figure out how much eDRAM (or I haven't seen anything myself but if you have a reliable source with it, please post it). Hopefully with the Euro launch, Ars Technica can fill in the gaps.

I guess if there is a positive, Wii U doesn't have the usual Nintendo supply shenanigans as they have been easy to find in stores since launch. And if you do buy one, please spend the extra $50 and buy the Deluxe model as it is worth the extra cash and you do get NintendoLand which really is a good minigame collection (not on the par of Wii Sports but still damn good).

Looks like Sony is going to need a second job to afford their debt as Fitch has lowered them to junk status

Microsoft reiterates their orginal goal with the Xbox brand, internet spazzes out

Don't know about you but other than an awesome sale from Microsoft's store which rivaled the awesome clearances from Circuit City and picking up an iCade from thinkgeek since it's on sale, Black Friday sales have been crap for me. And Valve should have never hired the economist as the Steam sales has been garbage since.

Wish I could say much about The Walking Dead's season finale but my backlog has kicked my ass. What I have played, it's very much worth the dough (you may have missed the sales on Steam and Amazon but it's worth the cash when the Christmas sale comes from Valve)

Other than that, this holiday week has been quite quiet. Any cool deals you've come across? Any cool videogame related stories with the fam on Thanksgiving?

Posted by: Gang of Gaming Morons! at 03:00 PM | Comments (132)
Post contains 504 words, total size 3 kb.

1 sorry for the two swear words, that was all me

Posted by: The Dude at November 25, 2012 03:06 PM (tw6Ar)

2 Get the XBOX 360.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 03:09 PM (NIZHJ)

3 Sony makes the Play Station 3. Glad I didn't buy that.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 03:10 PM (NIZHJ)

4 Thoughts on PS3 games for a complete amateur, very occasional player?

Posted by: BCochran1981 at November 25, 2012 03:11 PM (GEICT)

5 I watched 3 Malices die in the New Eden Open today. That's a Titan worth of isk in 3 ships. Epic

Posted by: Zakn at November 25, 2012 03:11 PM (zyaZ1)

6 Thoughts on PS3 games for a complete amateur, very occasional player?

Posted by: BCochran1981 at November 25, 2012 07:11 PM (GEICT)

depends on what kind of games you dig

Posted by: The Dude at November 25, 2012 03:11 PM (tw6Ar)

7 New Skyrim DLC in two weeks.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 03:14 PM (NIZHJ)

8 New Skyrim DLC in two weeks.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 07:14 PM (NIZHJ)

get to fly dragons

Posted by: The Dude at November 25, 2012 03:14 PM (tw6Ar)

9 Steam is making me poor

Posted by: Zakn at November 25, 2012 03:15 PM (zyaZ1)

10 I am seriously, seriously bummed out about the Wii U. I cannot tell what Nintendo is thinking. Yes, they get away with lower hardware specs in the handheld market, but that's because people value small size and battery life in their handhelds. Plus the PRICE! What are they THINKING, shipping a console less powerful than the 360 for MORE than the 360? Yes, the touchpad, but let's be honest - it's a gimmick, and it's not nearly as good a gimmick as the motion control thing was on the Wii. I'm sad now. Nintendo has seriously lost me. I haven't even played the last TWO Zelda games.

Posted by: Viridian at November 25, 2012 03:17 PM (y5LXw)

11 I didn't put Steam on my new computer. I only got it for Empire Total War. I'd rather not have something that big kicking around.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 03:17 PM (NIZHJ)

12 Nintendo will always make money on their hardware. Thats why it's priced like that.

Posted by: Zakn at November 25, 2012 03:19 PM (zyaZ1)

13 Bcock, try NCAA 13. Endless iteration.

Posted by: Truman North at November 25, 2012 03:19 PM (I2LwF)

14 Breeze hasn't thrown a pick 6 in a while.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 03:20 PM (NIZHJ)

15 Yeah Steam sale has been...underwhelming so far. Maybe because I have almost every impulse buy already, and maybe because Amazon, GMG and others match their prices or beat them with games that activate on Steam. The other thing this has created is a huge gaming backlog for me. I don't need to be in the first week mayhem of CODBLOPS 2, the only multiplayer I do these days is coop with my friends. So any first-rate single-player game that goes on sale now, I hesitate. Dishonored is 50% off now in the Steam store. Great deal, but I have so many games to get through before I can even start Dishonored that...I can wait for it to be 75% off the next time around. So thanks, but I'll pass. I'm sorry but I actually have TOO MANY games right now. And I just bought Deadlight on Steam - loving it so far.

Posted by: pilot141 at November 25, 2012 03:20 PM (v+cjl)

16 Also: try dead space 1, little big planet 1 or 2, borderlands, resident evil 4, any wwe game besides wwe 12, um... We like the survival horror games the best. Try any of the uncharted series, mass effect 1-3, borderlands 1 and 2, XCOM. Tons of good stuff cheap.

Posted by: Truman North at November 25, 2012 03:22 PM (I2LwF)

The Sony and Panasonic downgrades should - but won't - be an object lesson to liberals who bleat that California will always be wealthy because it has ___________. (Fill in the blank.)

A decade or two ago, who would've thought that Sony and Panasonic, then world beaters, would be on life support today?

See, liberals, no matter how much you may have going for you right now, it is possible to screw the pooch if you make bad decisions. Nothing is a given forever.

Posted by: Jay Guevara at November 25, 2012 03:22 PM (4u2LN)

18 Zakn: Then they shouldn't have billed it as a current-gen console.

Posted by: Viridian at November 25, 2012 03:22 PM (y5LXw)

19 I liked everything Total War as long as it's a western culture.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 03:23 PM (NIZHJ)

20 I don't mind the swearing, but it doesn't really fit the stylebook here.

Posted by: Truman North at November 25, 2012 03:24 PM (I2LwF)

21 I was wondering if anyone thinks Saint's Row 3: The Full Package is worth picking up? From what I've read, it's like GTA 4 with more or less stuff to do and less serious. There seems to be more of an RPG-ish leveling mechanic going on, which is the one thing I thought GTA 4 was missing, but I was hoping to get a moron's review before I got it.

I wouldn't buy it myself until the New Year, as I think the post Christmas sales are going to be spectacular, but I might put it on the gift list (also thinking of Dragon's Dogma, or a preorder on GTA 5) if one of my siblings asks.

Posted by: Methos at November 25, 2012 03:24 PM (hO9ad)

22 Anyone heard about this Steam Box thing?

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 03:25 PM (NIZHJ)

23 6 depends on what kind of games you dig Posted by: The Dude at November 25, 2012 07:11 PM (tw6Ar) Sports games are good, love the God of War series, can't do the soldier-ish/halo (yes I know that's Xbox)/war simulation style games.

Posted by: BCochran1981 at November 25, 2012 03:27 PM (GEICT)

24 Ref the Steam Sale. Today and tomorrow they have an AWESOME CRAZY GOOD deal on Orcs Must Die. You can get both I and II plus all the DLC for $8.74 That's Just Stupid

Posted by: Comrade Arthur at November 25, 2012 03:27 PM (IH2b5)

25 Wow Sony downgraded to junk status, that' a little surreal.

Sony was the defacto standard in Post for decades.

I remember going to Sony Vialta maintenence school.

Spirits could handle film better but nothing made a better picture than the Vialta.

Sad really.

Posted by: General Woundwort at November 25, 2012 03:29 PM (0fxcV)

26 I got Tits 3 for my Playstation. It's like one of those fireplace videos that you put on in the background but it tits instead of a fireplace. The tits in 3 are so much better than 2 or 1.

Posted by: Cat In A Velvet Robe at November 25, 2012 03:32 PM (MG6Y6)

ValU Rite Pudding is now level 5.5 thanks to a lot of hard work by Anachronda and Cowboy this weekend. Even Son helped some which he considers a big sacrifice since he prefers mimng and skinning with his dwarf. He sends his thanks to Conservative Monster for telling him about the great selling at the auction house.

Other than that, I've been playing both the Kindle and PC versions of Puzzle quest. Right now I'm prefering the app version, but it may be that I'd simply forgotten how hard the beginning stuff was with the PC game.

Posted by: Polliwogette, disappointed hobbit at November 25, 2012 03:33 PM (NYki8)

28 Thoughts on PS3 games for a complete amateur, very occasional player? Posted by: BCochran1981 at November 25, 2012 07:11 PM (GEICT)

I bought my PS3 specifically to be able to play Heavy Rain. It's an attempt to be an immersive RPG and, as I've mentioned, I can't say that I liked it, but it was well worth the time to play. Though, hmmm, as a parent you may not like the premise which is that you are hunting down a child killer who has taken your child. Not to be spoilery but the game does have have many many endings in which you don't save the kid.

On a completely different tone, Little Big Planet 1 and 2 are silly fun. Yet against different than that, I really like Darksiders. You won't go wrong with Uncharted either.

Posted by: alexthechick at November 25, 2012 03:37 PM (Gk3SS)

29 Been playing Natural Selection 2 lately. Quite a good Alien vs Humans RTS/FPS romp.

Posted by: HoboJerky, now with 45% more DOOM! at November 25, 2012 03:38 PM (fCMdQ)

30 Deus Ex: Human Revolution is on Steam sale for $5. Definitely worth that much.

Posted by: HoboJerky, now with 45% more DOOM! at November 25, 2012 03:39 PM (fCMdQ)

31 MINECRAFT!!!

Posted by: Fatman Alex at November 25, 2012 03:39 PM (aPAIU)

32 Methos: I love the Saints Row series, and while the storytelling in SR:3 wasn't as good as SR2, it was still a really fun game that I played from beginning to end. Imagine GTA but with better driving, shooting, and the ability to buy perks that can make the game easier. Just be aware - not only does the game not take itself seriously, it doesn't take ANYTHING seriously.

Posted by: Viridian at November 25, 2012 03:39 PM (y5LXw)

33 ValU Rite Pudding is now level 5.5 thanks to a lot of hard work by Anachronda and Cowboy this weekend. Even Son helped some which he considers a big sacrifice since he prefers mimng and skinning with his dwarf. He sends his thanks to Conservative Monster for telling him about the great selling at the auction house. Comments like this are why I love the Gaming Thread!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at November 25, 2012 03:40 PM (cQPiF)

34 This is likely the last year they can milk the XBox 360. If you can find a refurbished/used one at EB it's a good deal. If you are still a PC only gamer, but are tired of trying to play shooters with a mouse/keyboard, I found a good deal at Amazon.com on a USB gamepad: http://tinyurl.com/crbz7zw Only $14.99 and lots of good reviews for it.

Posted by: drawandstrike at November 25, 2012 03:41 PM (uVLJc)

35 32. That's putting it mildly. Although, the graphics aren't as good but that's hardly important

Posted by: Fatman Alex at November 25, 2012 03:41 PM (aPAIU)

36 Here's the link to the fight where the Malices died http://tinyurl.com/d3y3msn

Posted by: Zakn at November 25, 2012 03:43 PM (zyaZ1)

37 Well, downloaded the zSNES emulator for Ubuntu Linux today and played many rounds of Mario Karts. Thanks for the tip Dude.

Posted by: chemjeff at November 25, 2012 03:45 PM (SGEcv)

38 Tip for the future: don't go saying "the Steam sales blow because I already have all those games." Try mentioning which games are currently up that you do have that you think are worth or for others here you know like the Arkhangelsk city game of the year edition with all the dlc currently being one of this on sale.

Posted by: Buzzion at November 25, 2012 03:46 PM (+qElW)

39 I have a snes. I haven't plugged it in in decades.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 03:46 PM (NIZHJ)

40 21 I was wondering if anyone thinks Saint's Row 3: The Full Package is worth picking up? From what I've read, it's like GTA 4 with more or less stuff to do and less serious.

I've found the Saints Row games (including SR3) to be quite entertaining. Murder time is fun time!

I found GTA4 to be disappointing -- nowhere near as fun as GTA San Andreas.

Posted by: pbrown at November 25, 2012 03:47 PM (idRzK)

41 If you're thinking about getting Deus Ex: Human Revolution, get the Augmented Edition for $7.50. It comes with the Missing Link DLC, which is one of the best DLCs I've ever played.

Posted by: Viridian at November 25, 2012 03:47 PM (y5LXw)

42 If you are still a PC only gamer, but are tired of trying to play shooters with a mouse/keyboard, I found a good deal at Amazon.com on a USB gamepad: Posted by: drawandstrike at November 25, 2012 07:41 PM (uVLJc) This is one of those statements that *appears* to use English words, but doesn't actually make sense. I know people raised on consoles may prefer a gamepad, but after using both in shooters switching from KBM to Gamepad would be like trying to drive a car from the back seat with strings and mop handles. I know some games have crippled interfaces, but that's bad design, not the controller. I mean, for crying out loud, you can't *point* with a console controller. Pointing is what shooters are all about. The analog (trigger and stick) controls on the console are a help in driving games, though you really need a wheel. Neither one is ideal for everything. I'd like to see some kind of mounted half-controller to use with a mouse (or other pointing device), that would be cool.

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith at November 25, 2012 03:48 PM (bxiXv)

43 The thing about the GTA and Saints Row games (which I don't have but I've played a couple of GTA ones in the past), is that they're all about criminality, stealing, and hurting people. I'd feel like a hypocrite if I *paid* for a game like that. I mean, how hardcore a gangsta can I be if I won't even pirate a game? Come on.

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith at November 25, 2012 03:50 PM (bxiXv)

44 The XBOX 360 controller seems to work for pc. I bought one for a game called Daggerdale. It worked though the game sucked.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 03:52 PM (NIZHJ)

45 drawandstrike: Yeah, I keep a wired 360 controller specifically to play games on the PC that feel like they would be better with the controller, like Dead Space, Batman: Arkham Whatever, and Red Faction: Guerilla. Also GREAT for emulators!

Posted by: Viridian at November 25, 2012 03:52 PM (y5LXw)

46 I have an Xbox controller for stuff like Super Meatboy. Some games you just kinda need a controller

Posted by: Zakn at November 25, 2012 03:53 PM (zyaZ1)

47 #12

Not this time. Nintendo recently foreclosed in a quarterly report that they're taking a small loss per unit on the Wii U.

One big hint is the price for a Gamepad (the Wii U's tablet/controller) in Japan is $179. (They've yet to make them available separately in the US and there currently isn't any good reason to have a second one.) Committing to the Gamepad as standard gear raised the price a good deal. If it were an optional add-on, the machine could have had a fair bit more horsepower and gone for $250 for the entry level model. But Nintendo has long been obsessed with distinctive features that make for unique experiences not available elsewhere. Unless you have a Vita or a tablet with SmartGlass installed.

Anyone that was expecting Nintendo to push the bleeding edge of console tech hasn't been paying attention for the last decade or so. It simply doesn't suit the company's philosophy to pursue such fleeting goals. The Wii was the weakest machine of its generation by a huge margin. Really just an enhanced GameCube. But it generated awesome profits for several years. Some of the customer base was alienated, much as they were by the N64's use of mask ROMs after everybody else had gone to optical disc. This meant the machine was too capital intensive for many smaller publishers and placed constraints on what developers could do with it.

But the N64 made plenty of money because there was no other place to go if you had to have those Nintendo franchises.

Posted by: epobirs at November 25, 2012 03:53 PM (kcfmt)

48 I'd say Deus Ex HR is worth $5/$7. It's very linear, there's not much outside the main plot, you're railroaded a *lot*, and the ending sucked ass. But the graphics and mechanics are pretty good, the design is good, and you might squeeze a couple of playthroughs out of it, the more challenging one being the "pacifist" playthrough where you don't kill anyone (it's possible, though not easy). The second playthrough is kind of a drag because a) you know what's going to happen and b) the story gets more annoying as you go. I stopped before the "final fight" on the second playthrough because of what happens there, it wasn't worth it. If I play through again I will do the same, It would be nice if there were more story DLCs/mods.

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith at November 25, 2012 03:54 PM (bxiXv)

49 The Witcher was also cheap on Steam. Someone posted the Microsoft Store link Friday, they had a few $10 games including Skyrim and Witcher 2 (And Fallout 3 New Vegas). They seem to still be on sale, check PC gaming or XBOX as appropriate to your system: http://preview.tinyurl.com/3d4nocn

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith at November 25, 2012 03:57 PM (bxiXv)

50 Daggerdale was long and boring. IF YOU'RE anything IRL like what you are online, SR3 seems like a good for you, Bcock.

Posted by: Truman North at November 25, 2012 03:57 PM (M7gG9)

51 I am really enjoying Planetside 2. Some of the battles I have been in have been almost, cinematic. Now if they can keep the servers running good, they might have a winner. Oh and it is free to play. Can't beat free.

Posted by: Howcome at November 25, 2012 03:58 PM (t6O4K)

52 43 The thing about the GTA and Saints Row games (which I don't have but I've played a couple of GTA ones in the past), is that they're all about criminality, stealing, and hurting people.

I'd feel like a hypocrite if I *paid* for a game like that. I mean, how hardcore a gangsta can I be if I won't even pirate a game? Come on.

Pirating isn't hard-core either, plus the original cracker might include their own "DLC"...

I was going to shoplift GTA4. But right when I got to the door, I felt like a pussy. So I had to go back and commit armed robbery to "earn" my copy.

Posted by: pbrown at November 25, 2012 04:00 PM (idRzK)

53 A couple of 6 degrees outside feels a lot better.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:03 PM (NIZHJ)

54 Black Friday is usually what my wife calls "Geek Christmas". Except for Call of Duty games or anything by Bioware, this is when I pick up my Xbox games for the year b/c of all the deals. I was fairly successful this year, though I missed one I was aiming for due to the local Best Buy near my parents' house closing down:

Skyrim (I'll finally get what everyone's prattling on about months later)
Forza 4 (AKA Top Gear: The Game)
Dishonored
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
The Orange Box (took me long enough)
Max Payne 3

Did a couple laps in Forza and just started Skyrim. Anything I need to know about any of these before going any further?

Posted by: Hoss Fuentes at November 25, 2012 04:04 PM (aozUR)

55 I have not played it yet, but Quantum Conundrum is $3.74 on steam. It looks like a Portal-like puzzle game, a bit more cartoony and goofier. But for $4. That'd be cheap for a hot dog in some places. Torchlight II is not bad at $10. I don't expect it will will go less than that unless it inexplicably becomes unpopular.

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith at November 25, 2012 04:04 PM (bxiXv)

56 Re: Steam sale. Sorry, I'm not going to list all the games I have that are on sale now. Steam profile is the same as this one, so you can look and see what I have. It is....extensive. If anyone wants specific advice, feel free to ask me. I said I just bought Deadlight on sale, so I think that is worth it. Re: Saints Row 3, yeah it's worth it. I was a big GTA fan in the past. Bought every game from GTA III onward, on every platform (PS2, 360, PC) sometimes multiple times. But GTA IV....meh. It took itself too seriously. I want a crazy guy driving a Lamborghini down Biscayne Blvd running over hookers on his way to a drug deal while Eddie Money blasts from the radio. And laughing the whole time, not worrying if some PITA girl is going to call and want to go see her idiot cousin knit socks. So if want the craziness and the fun and the complete over-the-top stuff, get SR3.

Posted by: pilot141 at November 25, 2012 04:06 PM (v+cjl)

57 Skyrim for XBOX 360 is $25 right now on Amazon. I paid $40.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:06 PM (NIZHJ)

58 Took me several hours to get Max Payne 3 *running*, their tech support is useless and helpless and stupid and their mandatory "social network" crap is a pain in the ass. And then after that a friend called and said he played it and it was disappointing. -.-

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith at November 25, 2012 04:07 PM (bxiXv)

59 #54: Skyrim: save the game often. There's a few bugs. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood: some of the early levels are maddingly hard. There's one with a coach race that had me tearing my hair out. Eventually I figured out the goal was just to survive to the end of the race, not to win it, but the game never really told me that. There is no 'easy' setting in AC:B so just don't give up.

Posted by: drawandstrike at November 25, 2012 04:07 PM (uVLJc)

60 Re: Saints Row 3, yeah it's worth it. I was a big GTA fan in the past. Bought every game from GTA III onward, on every platform (PS2, 360, PC) sometimes multiple times. But GTA IV....meh. It took itself too seriously. I want a crazy guy driving a Lamborghini down Biscayne Blvd running over hookers on his way to a drug deal while Eddie Money blasts from the radio. And laughing the whole time, not worrying if some PITA girl is going to call and want to go see her idiot cousin knit socks.

So if want the craziness and the fun and the complete over-the-top stuff, get SR3.

Posted by: pilot141 at November 25, 2012 08:06 PM (v+cjl)

This is why I was a fan of the first Mercenaries game. Replace "hookers" with "Nork conscripts" and "drug deal" with "flattening Pyongyang with Chicom artillery and MOABs", you get the picture. My problem was with the lack of soundtrack with licensed music. Apparently Just Cause 2 can fill this void.

Posted by: Hoss Fuentes at November 25, 2012 04:08 PM (aozUR)

61 50 IF YOU'RE anything IRL like what you are online, SR3 seems like a good for you, Bcock. Posted by: Truman North at November 25, 2012 07:57 PM (M7gG9) Yeah, I don't change from online to RL. I'm overly sarcastic and inappropriate IRL too.

Posted by: BCochran1981 at November 25, 2012 04:09 PM (GEICT)

62 If you hook you XBOX 360 up to some wireless it will update and fix some things.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:10 PM (NIZHJ)

63 As long as Max Payne 3 is anything like the original, I should be fine. If they fiddled with it too much and made it more of a GTA clone without the cars, not so much.

Posted by: Hoss Fuentes at November 25, 2012 04:11 PM (aozUR)

64 Skyrim and its DLC's is all I have for XBOX360 so far.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:11 PM (NIZHJ)

65 Skyrim and its DLC's is all I have for XBOX360 so far.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 08:11 PM (NIZHJ)

Is the DLC worth it?

Posted by: Hoss Fuentes at November 25, 2012 04:13 PM (aozUR)

66 Hoss: re Forza. You can get lost in that game. But in a good way. It does a great job of letting you find your own path to success. If you want to just pick up and race, you can do that. If you want to delve deep and start upgrading and tuning your car you can do that as well. Do yo have any friends that play the game? It has a neat competitive mode that is offline - whenever you do a lap on a track or a race, it records your time and sends it to your friends. They can then see it in their challeneges and can try to beat it. So a sort of racing with your friends but you don't have to be online at the same time. Great fun, and can lead to endless tries at getting a corner JUST right to beat your friend. Good times!

Posted by: pilot141 at November 25, 2012 04:13 PM (v+cjl)

67 Thanks for the advice, guys, it sounds like SR 3 is what I'm looking for. I had read some of the comments over at gamefaqs, but it's hard to know which of those to take seriously and which are teenagers looking for an excuse to whine.

I played GTA on a friend's laptop, and kind of got over it in a hurry. I played one of the GTAs on PS2 on a rental, but mainly watched my brother (who got it just for the random sandbox stuff) muck around. So it was kind of a surprise in GTA 4 (which I got from my brother when he lost interest) to find that the story mode was fairly involved and held my interest. In a lot of ways, it feels similar to Skyrim, but with guns rather than magic and bows. And less freeze-ups.

Posted by: Methos at November 25, 2012 04:13 PM (hO9ad)

Posted by: Fatman Alex at November 25, 2012 07:39 PM (aPAIU)

A cousin of mine posted a YouTube video of a Minecraft parody of Gangnam Style. It was hilarious.

Posted by: Polliwogette, disappointed hobbit at November 25, 2012 04:13 PM (NYki8)

69 http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Main_Page

Any questions you have about Skyrim, you can ask Google. It knows everything.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:16 PM (NIZHJ)

70 Hoss: Just saw your post about Just Cause 2. Yeah, it is the best open-world shooter-type thing. Great fun. There is even a multiplayer mod being tested now (I think the latest beta test ends tonight). Imagine 1,000 people on a tropical island doing nothing but driving, shooting, flying, parachuting and all the other crazy crap you can do in that game together.

Posted by: pilot141 at November 25, 2012 04:17 PM (v+cjl)

71 Oh, and the PC port of Saints Row: The Third is excellent, in case that was the platform you were looking for.

Posted by: Viridian at November 25, 2012 04:20 PM (y5LXw)

72 65 Hearthfire is $5.00 and definitely worth it.
Dawnguard is $20.00 and is a closer call.
It brings vampires and Dragon Weapons. Since Dragons will attack you frequently you will have plenty of Dragon Parts.
I spend so much with a new game it probably is worth it. Seems pricey but I have not played through it all.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:21 PM (NIZHJ)

73 I put in about 1500 or was it 2000 hours playing Empire Total War.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:23 PM (NIZHJ)

74 There are 2 web sites that have everything Skyrim. The remotest details of the game are covered to the fullest.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:27 PM (NIZHJ)

75 So Sony finally won a format war but managed to bankrupt themselves in the process.

Posted by: we are so screwed at November 25, 2012 04:30 PM (BjJOB)

76 So Sony finally won a format war but managed to bankrupt themselves in the process.

Did PS3/bluray kill them? I was under the impression they made other stuff and it was the rest of their product lines that were lacking.

Posted by: Methos at November 25, 2012 04:32 PM (hO9ad)

77 There are 2 web sites that have everything Skyrim. The remotest details of the game are covered to the fullest.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 08:27 PM (NIZHJ)

I think I was asking more for what kind of ridiculous crap to look out for (e.g. the ending in ME3 being utter crap, GTA IV being a Serbian war criminal's sob story, etc.). So far the best advice has been save often, but Skyrim being a Bethesda game, I should have probably remembered that from Fallout 3.

Posted by: Hoss Fuentes at November 25, 2012 04:33 PM (aozUR)

78 Sony used to make the best TV's.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:33 PM (NIZHJ)

79 Here's another vote for Planetside 2. I downloaded it Thursday while I was getting my turkey on just to see how bad it was (I didn't expect much) and what the hell? Its actually good. Its like old school PS combined with the good parts of BF3. Seriously, if you like the FPS genre, give it a shot. There's a bit of a learning curve with the certification system, but after that its just good ol' fashioned mayhem.

Posted by: DanInMN at November 25, 2012 04:34 PM (khf9A)

80 Skyrim is kind of infinite. Don't over pursue the storyline as rewards and some key weapons are leveled. Find some safe storage for your loot.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:36 PM (NIZHJ)

81 I think I was asking more for what kind of ridiculous crap to look out for Posted by: Hoss Fuentes at November 25, 2012 08:33 PM (aozUR) Skyrim is a great game in many ways, there's a ton of mods and additons (for the PC) for free. But there's also a ton of bugs (over 1000 have been *fixed* on the PC, mostly by modders NOT Bethesda, but there are hundreds more). In fact I couldn't play the game for five months after I bought it because of the bugs. Also, the main storyline is kind of ignorable, both of the sides you're supposed to ally with are asses and not worthy. BUT the thing about an Open World game is there's still plenty left for hundreds of hours of play time when you get past that. It's almost like Skyrim is a great game *despite* Bethesda's efforts, not because of them.

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith at November 25, 2012 04:37 PM (bxiXv)

82 Skyrim. Pick a race that fits your style of play. Easier but you can do anything. What ever you do you get better at. Things you don't do don't improve.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:38 PM (NIZHJ)

83 You sleep under a rock? Planetside 2 came out.

How is it the genre defining game gets zero love?

Posted by: Unclefacts, now with even more summoning power. at November 25, 2012 04:39 PM (6IReR)

84 Nice coverage.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:41 PM (NIZHJ)

85 I always felt screwed with Sony stuff...I have no sympathy for them after that excessive format war.

Posted by: canadave at November 25, 2012 04:41 PM (voRpZ)

86 60: That was by far my favorite game ever. I especially loved pitting the different factions against each other.

Posted by: Fatman Alex at November 25, 2012 04:42 PM (aPAIU)

87 Any word on the Baldurs Gate version for the IPad?

Posted by: Jean at November 25, 2012 04:43 PM (+oKKW)

88 70: that game is huge, but, not even close to in depth enough for my tastes

Posted by: Fatman Alex at November 25, 2012 04:44 PM (aPAIU)

89 82: athletics isn't a trait anymore, nor is jumping. I liked hacking it to such an extent that i ran into walls

Posted by: Fatman Alex at November 25, 2012 04:46 PM (aPAIU)

90 I do miss the recordable Sony mini-disc and dat for data collection.

Posted by: Jean at November 25, 2012 04:47 PM (+oKKW)

91 Giant Bomb kicked off the Wii U launch with a special live cast where they were plagued with an hour and a half system up date, horrible lag in the ports and just general fuckery

I didn't do it, Man.

Posted by: Bart Simpson, ORCA developer at November 25, 2012 04:47 PM (z9HTb)

92 Skyrim really likes to kill your horse. Park him in Zimbabwe.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:48 PM (NIZHJ)

93 Borderlands, Game of the Year Edition is one of the best gaming deals available for the Xbox at 29.99. I like to say that Borderlands is the gaming equivalent of a Marx Brothers movie -- yeah, there is a plot, but it is just there to give them a reason to make snide cultural references and really bad puns for mission names. That and guns. Loot, guns, money, guns, grenades, guns, leveling, guns, oh, and did I mention guns? Borderlands has kept me entertained for close to three years, off and on, and Borderlands 2 looks to be an even better game (this time with a REAL PLOT!!!). Borderlands also has about the nicest set of coop multiplayer options I have ever seen on a console. If you have a friend who has the game, the two of you can literally play through the entire game together. Highly recommended. I suspect that Borderlands 2 (and Baldur's Gate enhanced edition for the iPad, which is due out on Friday) will satisfy my gaming needs until February or so.

Posted by: David (NOT Dave!), infamous sockpuppet at November 25, 2012 04:52 PM (pcnpf)

94 Borderlands OrcWars Tilted Mill?

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 04:54 PM (NIZHJ)

95 On Skyrim, my general advice (beyond the annoying freezes, which just are)
-Don't worry about powerlevelling anything. There's more than enough to do and I find I hit level 60 before I finish the quests in Whiterun and whatever my second questhub happens to be.
-Ignore what I just said and level the heck out of smithing. You can in theory make better armor types sooner than the appear as loot or for purchase, and in any case, the ability to improve them puts you far ahead of what's otherwise available.
-Also, enchant whatever you can with the most valuable enchantment you can get your hands on. Don't worry about hanging on to stuff to enchant, you'll always find plenty of cheap crap (say, draugr weapons) in each dungeon. If you're going to use the conjured weapons much, you may as well get the pick that autocasts the soul gem charging effect on anything you hit. Eventually, you'll be able to put two enchantments on your gear-resist magic takes care of anything the armor itself doesn't and loads of improved carry weight makes for fewer trips to sell of your junk.
-Plan out your skill picks ahead of time. Once you can make dragon armor, and boost your smithing when improving it, you aren't going to get much use out of any of the armor rating perks, since the value is capped. Some of the other effects in those trees are worthwhile, but don't pick from both. I wore heavy armor until I maxed the skill out, and light for the rest of the game, so I only ever got light armor perks, for example (I took the heavy armor route of perks for smithing, though, since I only needed to make light dragon armor once I switched over).
-If you don't mind the monotony of save cheating to pickpocket, levelling that to 50 and three perks gets you +100 to carry weight, which is nice.
-Beyond that, use perks for things you want to use a lot, which depends on you.

Posted by: Methos at November 25, 2012 04:56 PM (hO9ad)

96 Check out Planetside 2, it's free to play.

Posted by: KG at November 25, 2012 05:09 PM (IPz9m)

97 Posted by: Methos at November 25, 2012 08:56 PM (hO9ad)

So basically what you're saying is that I just jumped neck-deep into some hardcore console RPG? My only experience with that kind of thing was KOTOR, the first Dragon Age game, and the newest generation of Fallout. Without fail, unless absolutely required (i.e. when lightsabers are involved), I always end up building a butch Legolas. Awesome.

Posted by: Hoss Fuentes at November 25, 2012 05:11 PM (aozUR)

98 Skyrim is kind of infinite. Don't over pursue the storyline as rewards and some key weapons are leveled. Find some safe storage for your loot.

If you just kind of do the obvious things for a little while, that'll be taken care of. If an area respawns because you haven't been there in a while (allegedly 30 days, though I'm sure I've seen some variation) any stuff you leave in a chest or barrel or whatnot will disappear. You can get a house in Whiterun without a whole lot of effort (just try not to spend much gold until you've got it). You'll have triggered the possibility of random dragon attacks by that point, so you'll want to follow that questline until someone asks you for the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. After you return it, that character will have a dialogue option which gives you a repeatable quest to learn a shout, which you might as well take whenever you have a spare dragon soul, since they don't do you any good otherwise.

When you get sick of contracting diseases, go do quests for the Companions, and you'll eventually get a solution.

Your race choice eventually won't matter much since most effects are mimicked by enchantments or spells, or are too minimal to notice. I play as an altmer (high elf) for the extra magicka early on (I don't cast much, I just want to be able to cast something useful for each spell skill so I can level them when I get around to it), and their racial ability makes transmuting iron ore a less painful process early on.

Posted by: Methos at November 25, 2012 05:11 PM (hO9ad)

99 I have liked what I have seen from Planetside 2. Since I don't have a PS3, it's kinda my supplement for Dust 514

Posted by: Zakn at November 25, 2012 05:12 PM (zyaZ1)

100 In case anyone is interested in new arcade games, there was a trade show in Orlando, FL about a week and a half ago called IAAPA that I attended and nabbed a bunch of photos and videos of them in action. Click on my name for the link, website is Arcade Heroes. Favorites were Wizard of Oz pinball, Dark Escape 4D (Namco), Pac-Man Smash air hockey and the transparent multi-touch LCD used on a new concept called Black Out.

Posted by: Arcadehero at November 25, 2012 05:13 PM (zt7SE)

101 I am seriously, seriously bummed out about the Wii U. I cannot tell what Nintendo is thinking. Yes, they get away with lower hardware specs in the handheld market, but that's because people value small size and battery life in their handhelds.

Plus the PRICE! What are they THINKING, shipping a console less powerful than the 360 for MORE than the 360? Yes, the touchpad, but let's be honest - it's a gimmick, and it's not nearly as good a gimmick as the motion control thing was on the Wii.

I'm sad now. Nintendo has seriously lost me. I haven't even played the last TWO Zelda games.
I wish Nintendo had toned done the controller's screen and made it more like the small, less expensive non-touchscreen LCD screen you could get on a memory card for the Dreamcast. Since Sega's last console, an LCD screen built into a controller has always seemed like a good idea to me, especially for playing games against friends in person, so you could have information displayed or select plays for sports games that they can't see.

I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to Zelda. I really liked Wind Waker but haven't been interested in the following titles. With all the dark and gritty games that I play, the whimsical artwork of WW really made it stand out and it stroked me the right way. I also like nautical stuff, because nautical nonsense is something I wish. The sequel, to me, looked like just another Tolkienesque 3rd-person rpg/platformer, and so did the sequel after it.

Posted by: Thulsa Doom at November 25, 2012 05:14 PM (yEPg5)

102 Apparently, I suck at the blockquoting.

Posted by: Thulsa Doom at November 25, 2012 05:15 PM (yEPg5)

103 Block quoting doesn't work in the comments. That comes with AoSHQ Prime

Posted by: Zakn at November 25, 2012 05:18 PM (zyaZ1)

104

I picked up Dance Central 3 for $24.99, then saw the MS store price went back in stock, canceled my amazon order and then ordered from MS for $14.99. I'm happy.

Also I picked up Assassin's Creed: Revelations. I was trying to find "Brotherhood" somewhere on sale, but couldn't. I need to go searching the used stores (or I guess just pay the $20 it is new.)

I thought about getting DE:HR, but with 2 assassin's creeds and eventually a Halo to get through (plus that damned paper I have to wrap up in 3 weeks*) it seemed like a bad Idea.

*I'm out of stalling time folks, my I becomes an F at the end of this semester. Clock is ticking!

Posted by: tsrblke at November 25, 2012 05:19 PM (GaqMa)

105 """Ignore what I just said and level the heck out of smithing. You can in theory make better armor types sooner than the appear as loot or for purchase, and in any case, the ability to improve them puts you far ahead of what's otherwise available.""

I used my usual methods with skyrim that I used in other games. Do whatever it takes to be bad ass quick with the most intense weapons and armor coupled with maxed out weapons skills. I focused on smithing, weapons, and armor skills, and before I knew it I was wearing full daedric enchanted armor and using a full arsenal of enchanted daedric or ebony weapons. Then I switched to bow skills and maxed those all out too. I had sets of daedric gauntlets enchanted for big weapons damage, and had a set for bows, greats swords, and war axes and would change them depending what weapon I was using. I made jewelry for the same purpose.

Taking out frost trolls in 1-2 shots from way far away with a daedric bow doing 175 base damage with 35 pts fire damage was beddy beddy good to me.

Posted by: Berserker at November 25, 2012 05:20 PM (FMbng)

106 I always end up building a butch Legolas. Awesome.

Yeah, you can get pretty far with Sneak + Archery if you're so inclined.

In my current game, I actually have no perks for any weapon types (beyond the conjuration perks), because improved daedric gear is so overpowering, but it'll take a while to hack away at things before you get to that point.

You definitely want to have a bow and adequate arrow supply (the arrows don't weigh anything, so keep a couple hundred of the best you can find) so you have the option to fight at a distance. If for no other reason that dragons will generally attack from the air until they're down to half their HP.

Posted by: Methos at November 25, 2012 05:20 PM (hO9ad)

107 Safe storage means your crap won't get swept away. The chests in Helgen Keep for example. When buying houses in Skyrim if you put your gold in a container after buying a house it's free.

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 05:20 PM (NIZHJ)

108 Thanks for letting me know, Zakn. It looked like I could do it from the editor, so I thought I messed something up somehow.

Posted by: Thulsa Doom at November 25, 2012 05:20 PM (yEPg5)

109 PS2 is PC also.

Posted by: KG at November 25, 2012 05:21 PM (IPz9m)

110 Taking out frost trolls in 1-2 shots from way far away with a daedric bow doing 175 base damage with 35 pts fire damage was beddy beddy good to me.

What that does to giants is pretty satisfying, too.

I'm a big fan of the daedric dagger/x15 backstab, myself.

Posted by: Methos at November 25, 2012 05:25 PM (hO9ad)

111

Posted by: Methos at November 25, 2012 09:25 PM (hO9ad)

Sword and Board baby! Granted I can't take out any Giants, but that's only because the physics engine autokills me if I get within striking distance. But my Skyrim character is sitting at Level 50, (I stopped playing right before the end boss) so perhaps I need to spend some time leveling up my bow. (Given my smithing abilites, making a bad ass bow shouldn't be that hard.)

Posted by: tsrblke at November 25, 2012 05:30 PM (GaqMa)

112 Wii U is more capable than people give it credit for. The big budge exclusives will look better than anything put out on 360 or ps3. It's modern tech, just not with much horsepower. And the Miiverse is a home run, IMO. Btw, I've head the reputation that a lot of Nintendo fans are politically conservative. True?

Posted by: Serious Cat at November 25, 2012 05:30 PM (opMWG)

113 The wii u will be fine. They will turn out one billion minigame compilations, each will sell one hundred copies, and children everywhere will be happy. Don't ask it to do something it isn't meant to do- appeal to people who consider themselves mature game connoseurs. I have the wii and the ps3 and they both get a lot of use. Sure beats television.

Posted by: Truman North at November 25, 2012 05:37 PM (I2LwF)

114

The big budge exclusives will look better than anything put out on 360 or ps3.

Huh? Really? Have you seen what's coming out on the PS3 and Xbox? We're approaching the uncanny valley on those systems. I don't think the WiiU can approach that.

Posted by: tsrblke at November 25, 2012 05:38 PM (GaqMa)

115

@Truman North,

We had a Wii, it got a fair amount of use. Then we got a Kinect, haven't even unpacked the wii since we moved.

Posted by: tsrblke at November 25, 2012 05:39 PM (GaqMa)

116 But there's also a ton of bugs (over 1000 have been *fixed* on the PC, mostly by modders NOT Bethesda, but there are hundreds more). In fact I couldn't play the game for five months after I bought it because of the bugs.

If they got your money, then the game works just fine.

Posted by: Winston Smith (Islam edition) at November 25, 2012 05:39 PM (IwZQw)

117 Sure beats television.

The US needs more topless newsreaders. Ratings would soar.

Posted by: Winston Smith (Islam edition) at November 25, 2012 05:42 PM (IwZQw)

118 The US needs more topless newsreaders.

I couldn't agree more! Where do I sign up?

Posted by: Helen Thomas at November 25, 2012 05:44 PM (d/5qf)

119 I think I've played over 1000 of NCAA 13... Never online. Always local.

Posted by: Truman North at November 25, 2012 05:46 PM (I2LwF)

120 How to convert EBT to Microsoft Points?

Posted by: Butters at November 25, 2012 05:48 PM (NIZHJ)

121 Torchlight II. FTW. There's a mod called Synergies that makes it twice as good as it already was... and Runic haven't even released the powerful dev-kit yet for modders. It's like crack. The dealers made it so they could sell it in their neighborhoods, where the folks (and the people, natch) couldn't really afford cocaine like rich white devils in the '80's, and it was cheaper and twice as addictive. That"s what Torchlight 2 is. ARPG Crack. People will be modding and playing it for 10 more years, provided we aren't meteored by then, by a just God.

Posted by: Taqiyyotomist at November 25, 2012 05:49 PM (e7KZr)

122 There is no truth to the rumor that we are approaching the uncanny valley. That's marketing speak. You will always be able to tell the difference, at least in this gen and next. Our brains have spent millions of years recognizing faces. It's going to take a lot more processing power to overcome that. OTOH, everything looks so beautiful in AAA releases on the PC Xbox and PS3... It's irrelevant to me that they don't look like real life. They look better in many cases.

Posted by: Truman North at November 25, 2012 05:50 PM (I2LwF)

123 "Sure beats television."

Posted by: Truman North at November 25, 2012 09:37 PM (I2LwF)

Watch Game of Thrones and you will change your tune.

I am a reflexive hater of everything that comes out of our entertainment industry for the television market, but there is a small amount of stunningly good stuff out there.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 25, 2012 05:50 PM (GsoHv)

124 Black Ops 2 sucks horrible, god-awful smelling cocks

Posted by: skinnydipinacid at November 25, 2012 05:55 PM (WuCLB)

125

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sdildo at November 25, 2012 06:03 PM (GsoHv)

126 Thulsa Doom: Wind Waker is my second-favorite Zelda game, after Ocarina of Time. Also, nice subtle Spongebob reference in there

I also hate that the Wii U is getting an updated Majora's Mask, not OOT. Yes, I know, the 3DS got an updated OOT, but it wasn't THAT updated.

Posted by: Viridian at November 25, 2012 06:13 PM (y5LXw)

127 I downloaded the free version of Unity4, 4 days ago in fact, and although it is geared toward the use of JS and C#, the ability to get some simple things done, and some complex things, has been a revelation. It is such a hoot. I am used to grunting through the API's of DirectX, and all of the nasty changes from my comfort zone of DX9 to the 10 and 11 versions, so you can imagine what a "vacation" I have had over this holiday period. Balls bouncing, explosions occurring, teleporters working, FPS working better than anticipated, animations working for walking and running, hell what's not to like, importing of Blender models without a hitch. Just a real pleasure (except for the frequent looking up of how to do things in JS and C# that are second nature in "real" languages. lol!! no fights please!!!). I would recommend that anyone interested in game development, ... at the advanced hobby level at any rate ..., take the plunge. The Pro version is $1500, so yes!, do get the free version and see how far that takes you. One pissy thing is that the forums do not email you back that someone has answered your new-guy questions. I would think that like-everybody-man should have that implemented in a forum! What, you want me to keep checking back on my whines, or what?!! In fact, why doesn't the AOSHQ send me a note every time someone steps on my neck!!!

Posted by: and irresolute at November 25, 2012 06:22 PM (DBH1h)

128 No real game deals that I noticed, but I stumbled across a whole lot of DVD movies for $3.99 or less at Best Buy on Black Friday. I grabbed six movies, two of them impulse buys while waiting in line, for $24.81.

Nothing really objectively good, except RED and Office Space. The others were Semi-Pro, Road Trip, No Strings Attached and Hall Pass. Decent films, at least; worth the average $4 apiece, I'd say. They were already sold out of several other movies I'd have liked to buy at that price.

I considered adding Sucker Punch for another $4, but I watched that in the theatre and felt like I'd seen enough of it. If I hadn't already seen it, I'd have bought it and felt satisfied with the purchase.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler (@ProthonotaryW) at November 25, 2012 07:07 PM (RLZvP)

129 Tru managed to suck some more money out of me after I thought it was over. They had a sale of any 3 games priced at $19.99 or less for $35. I didn't expect to find much but then it turned out they had just dropped the price of Heroes of Ruin on the 3DS to $19.99, down from $39.99.

So now I was intrigued. Also found the Jak and Daxter: Final Frontier game for PSP, a title that got really poor distribution, within the price range. Just needed one more. Ah, the Off The Record entry of Dead Rising 2. Put it all on the TRU MC for free shipping and all three games came in at about $12 each.

Sometimes I think I get more fun from the shopping than the playing.

Posted by: epobirs at November 25, 2012 07:33 PM (kcfmt)

130 I love the Wii U. Other than the long firmware update and an ocassional freeze with Assassin's Creed 3, the Wii U is tits. Give it time. The issues will be ironed out with future updates. The Xbox and PS3 had issues at launch too.

Posted by: Jawknee at November 25, 2012 10:56 PM (wSd4f)

131 @Thulsa Doom Dude, you need to play Skyward Sword. It's the best Zelda yet.

Posted by: Jawknee at November 25, 2012 10:59 PM (wSd4f)

132 Yeah, you can get pretty far with Sneak + Archery if you're so inclined. I'd advise against it if you actually want some challenge and some sense of accomplishment from the game. Skyrim is flat-out busted by maxed-out Sneak and Archery. I don't know who beta tested this game (oh, who am I kidding -- it's Bethesda, and I'm the beta tester), and I know it's a bighuge game and it isn't going to be balanced perfectly, but when the biggest bads in the entire universe can be routinely one-hit without any risk to your character whatsoever, there's a problem. Loved the storytelling and quest variety (and played the game all the way through to its disappointing, way-too-easy ending). Just felt the combat mechanics were weak and the skill trees were unbalanced.

Posted by: VJay at November 26, 2012 02:10 AM (q5NFp)

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