World of Warcraft: "Good" play versus "Bad" play

In a post on the World of Warcraft forums from 'Crawford', a level 85 Warlock, the player discusses the virulent attitudes encountered because of their chosen style of play. While the comments beneath his rant label him a 'troll' and laugh at him for people who won't want to play with him, I feel it justifies my saying that I wholeheartedly share his attitude. As someone who got in prior to BC, I've always wrestled with the "Good" and "Bad" styles of play. Good, as it's defined by other players, because I don't want to play alone. Bad because I want to use my character(s) as I see fit instead of using the latest and greatest builds as prescribed to me by Blizzard. 

As the thread has been locked, I wanted to save his rant for posterity and if for no other reason that to know that there is at least one other person out of the 10 million or so playing WoW that I can happily empathize with. 

I play this game. I pay the same $15 that everyone else does. I don't see why I should be expected to play the game in a way that the developers and community have arbitrarily deemed to be "good."

I'd like to bring to the community's attention several mechanics that prevent me from enjoying Cataclysm.

1. I don't like the idea that there is a spell rotation

I play a warlock. I, and many other warlocks, have been wanting green fire since vanilla. Maybe since before the game came out, we wanted to be wizards who could throw green fireballs. Now, finally, we have Fel Flame, and it is green. So the way I want to play is to only use Fel Flame, and to shoot green fireballs like a machine gun until things catch on green fire and green burn to death, screaming. I think Fel Flame is lots of fun.

But Blizzard says I'm not supposed to shoot green machine gun fire; there is a "rotation," which is a special order I am supposed to push buttons in, or else I am "bad" and the group I am in will "fail." Why is this the right order to push the buttons? Nobody knows. I feel like I am playing "Simon."

Anyway, in the last expansion, there was a different order I was supposed to push the buttons in. In the last expansion, the bad affliction warlocks liked to cast Soul Fire. In this expansion, the bad affliction warlocks are the ones who don't like to cast Soul Fire. How am I supposed to keep up with this? I heard about this site for jerks I am supposed to go to, but I am not going to do that. I am pretty sure it is a keylogger. 

2. Grinding is not fun

Also, maybe I don't want to gem and enchant my gear. Grinding for those things isn't worth the incremental upgrades to me, and I don't want to spend time grinding for those expensive ornaments. This game is supposed to be fun, and I don't see why I should have to do anything in it that I don't enjoy in order to be deemed "good" or successful. 

Anyway, why should my character look like a cheap dandy, bedecked in jeweled bling-bling and body-glitter? Don't gems and enchantments exist for the purpose of giving players choices? Why not support the choice for players to abstain from gems and enchantments?

And if I am not going to gem, I am certainly not going to grind rep or do daily quests. I mean, seriously, what's with making me wear special reputation tabards? I have my own tabard with a pink rabbit on it, and I want to wear that. I am not going to wear Therazane's tabard because she is unattractive, and I don't believe in the things she stands for. 

And don't even get me started on flasks. Has anyone ever enjoyed pointlessly grinding herbs? Blizzard should remove herbalism and alchemy from the game and just increase everyone's base stats by 300. 

3. People should not be punished for playing with me because I do not conform to arbitrary standards of "good play."

As soon as I zone into a heroic, people do an inspect on me, see my empty gem sockets, and immediately try to vote-kick me. But they can't because there's a cooldown on vote-kick. So they call me names and curse at me to try to get me to leave the party (what is the deal with this game's community?) 

When I don't leave, they pull trash monsters. I try to target the ones the rest of the party isn't paying attention to, so all of them die at the same time and we can finish the dungeon faster. But they just yell at me again for casting nothing but Fel Flame.

Sometimes they'll ask me to use Fear on one of the enemies. When I tell them I do not use fear as a weapon because I am not a terrorist, they get angry at me. I think some of the people who play this game are not very patriotic. 

Also, Mages seem to think it's funny to cast that spell that makes one of the monsters look like a penguin or a monkey. It was maybe cute once, but I am sick of it. That spell heals the thing they cast it on to full health. Why do group leaders tolerate this, but not the things I do? It is probably because they are all in the same guild and are rude to people they get from the dungeon-finder. But I say, if mages want to play with cute critters, they should buy companion pets. 

The point is, I am willing to put the same time into running the dungeons as anyone else, and I pay the same subscription fee, so I should get the same rewards. But the game punishes me for not wanting to push buttons in an arbitrary, designated order, and, further, because I play this way, the game punishes other people for playing with me. 

As a result, I am very lonely.

Maybe the game should automatically analyze the way I am playing, and stack a buff on the group that allows us to clear heroic dungeons no matter what buttons I press. They could call the buff "Independent Thinking" or "Creative Use of the Game Space." 

4. PvP needs a more level playing field

Since I have not been enjoying dungeons very much, some people suggested I should try PvP. So I found a guy in Trade Chat who was willing to play with me, and we went into the arena.

People say it's easy to earn the weekly conquest cap, because you only have to win five games. Win five games? You might as well ask me to climb a mountain! As soon as I zone into an arena match, the people on the other team kill me. How is that fair?

Apparently, before I can get my "easy" five wins, I have to get special "pvp" gear in "battlegrounds," which will make me "resilient." Why should that be? Who says I'm not resilient enough already? If I wasn't resilient, how could I have made it to level 85? I died repeatedly to all the quests, which were grossly over-tuned, but then I found out I could get experience by doing archaeology in low level zones. If that's not resilience and innovative problem-solving, I don't know what is!

Anyway, the battlegrounds are like another rep grind, except, apparently I don't have to actually be at the keyboard to do the grinding. What is the point of this? Instead of making me get this special gear, the game should compensate for the fact that I don't have "resilience" by giving me more health or making me do more damage.

Also, why do very high rated arena players get more conquest points than everyone else? They're already killing everyone! Why do they need to have better gear than the rest of us on top of that? If you ask me, you should get conquest points for losing games, and your cap should increase as the ratings get lower. That way, it's like a built-in handicap to players who exploit overpowered mechanics, and a buff to players who play the game in the way that they enjoy.

Thanks.

/rant

Well Crawford, if you ever happen to find yourself on Alleria, you can be my wingman any damn time.

First Flight of SpaceX Dragon

A Brief Look at Extra-Dimensional Theory

Apple is taking planned obsolescence to the next level.

It seems Apple continues down the warpath of screwing it's consumers at every possible twist and turn. Now instead of using standrard Phillips head screws, they've decided to opt for something much more sinister in an attempt to keep consumers from muddling with their personal property.

Apple is making it more difficult for iPhone 4 owners to perform simple DIY repairs by replacing common Phillps head screws with a rare "pentalobe" screws. While newer iPhone 4s have included the screws from the factory, it is also Apple policy to replace any Phillips head screws with the new pentalobe screws whenever an iPhone 4 is taken in for service.

"This screw head clearly has one purpose," iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens told Ars. "To keep you out."

News of the strange screw first started appearing last November, when users began noticing that serviced iPhone 4s had something other than Phillips head screws on them. 9to5Mac originally speculated that the screws were a form of Torx screw common to many Apple devices, but later noted that they were in fact some else entirely.

iFixit discovered the odd screws much earlier, as iPhone 4s shipped to Japan on launch had the strange new screw. A little investigation revealed that "it is not a standard Torx, and there are no readily available screwdrivers that can remove it," Wiens said.

The full article can be found at Ars, but this is definitely a case of Apple thinking different indeed.

First Collision in LHCb Experiment

Win 8 hits retail 01.13, Win 7 SP2 in 2012 and other info leaks.

Curious when we'll be seeing the next iteration of Windows? Of course you are, well thanks to Neowin via Wzor, now you can know:

For Windows 7, Wzor states, "Service Pack 2 is already actively underway since the autumn of 2010, and if all goes according to plan then the appearance of a second service pack, Service Pack 2 for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 is expected in mid-2012 " and looking forward to Windows 8, Wzor states, " Windows 8 is scheduled for the very end of 2012, so it really can be called: Microsoft Windows 2012 Apocalypse Edition, at least the server version will be named as Windows Server 2012."

Further, for more recent information, the site states that Microsoft is planning two betas for Windows 8 and states that at least one, if not both versions, will be for public consumption and three months after the RC is released, Windows 8 will go RTM. Specific dates were not mentioned.

By far the biggest bombshell is that "according to our information, Microsoft will plan to begin selling boxed retailversions of Microsoft Windows on Monday January 7, 2013!".

Again all this information comes from a reputable leaker but as with any information, its subject to verification. Hopefully the information is on track but as for Windows 8 leaks, Wzor states, " Possible leaks in the network of test assemblies may be expected only close to the appearance of the first beta version of Windows 8 Beta 1"

 

Haptics using Kinect

Counter-Strike World Championships

Download now or watch on posterous

1576-hq.mp4 (84755 KB)

Counter-Strike is still serious business.

Sony, I Wouldn't Mess with These Guys

Duke Nukem Forever Trailer

I'm still pretty on the fence about Duke coming back after all these years, it almost feels like a punchline to a joke we all stopped caring about a decade ago.

30 Years of First-Person Games

Apps. Apps. Apps.

Nintendo to Bieber: 'Hands off SMB Theme'

In what could be one of the greatest moves against a pop culture icon, Nintendo has blocked the use of one of their most iconic themes from being used in Bieber's currently in development film "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never". 

The full article can be found here.

New Portal 2 Preview Arrives

 

Edit the Sky

 

The dynamic sky in the Pheonix Engine. Yeah, that's a thing.

Double-Fine's Stacking Debuts

Final Fantaxy Versus XIII Debut Trailer

Well, here's hoping we get a great battle system and some dynamic exploration this time around.

Ben Goldacre at Nerdstock

It Takes Over a Month to Make One Memory Chip

Next time you bitch about ram, best think of this.

Solid Snake Drawn Live

There are some artists who can't perform if they have an audience, but then there are those who perform best with a crowd. This is one of those moments.

How Mario Really Feels

Can't say I blame him.

 

PSA

Mind your health. 

Pokemon Battle Theme gets Awesome Drum Cover

How much does John Watson love Pokemon, enough to do an awesome rendition of the Battle theme. 

Print. Frame. Doom.

I, for one, will happily be trying to get this image to a printer for enlargement and framing. That should bring back some fond memories.

Fans Give Life to World of Starcraft

According to the video description from CreationArtist25, the video is a pre-alpha proof of concept for a Ghost class character in a hypothetical World of Starcraft game, and for all intents and purposes, pretty cool overall.

From the video description:

This is a pre-alpha trailer for the unfinished Ghost class in World of Starcraft. By no means is this a finished product. This is merely a proof of concept and progression. No announced release Date. Game by RyanWin. Music by Maverlyn. Please visit www.worldofstarcraft.proboards.com for fruther details or inquiry. Winzen Productions is not directly affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment, we're merely using their engine and assets

Were Blizzard to get ahold of this, it would change life forever as we know it.

Wishing this is what Sonic 4 Was

I mean, really Sega. After everything, why does this seem so much cooler than Sonic 4: Episode I?

Mind-blowing Kinect Hack

Kinect Hadouken from Elliot Woods on Vimeo.

Via Created Digital Motion

Kinect hack + projection mapping = augmented reality +hadoukens): Using the kinect camera, we scan a 3D scene in realtime. Using a video projector, we project onto a 3D scene in realtime.By combining these, we can reproject onto geometry to directly overlay image data onto our surroundings which is contextual to their shape and position.

As seen in the video, we can create a virtual light source which casts light onto the surrounding surfaces as a real light source would.

At Kimchi and Chips we are developing new tools so we can create new experiences today. We share these new techniques and tools through open source code, installations and workshops.

 

Playstation 3 Emulates Commodore 64

One more reason to get my hands on a Playstation 3 again. Now if only one didn't cost me an arm and a leg.

This. Is. Star Wars!

Yes. Really.

Happy Martin Luther King Day

Still the Best Console Start-up Sound

I humbly accept all challenges.

One way of Playing Super Meat Boy

As if the game wasn't a bitch as it is. But, that being said, it's a fun bitch.

The most disturbing thing in Zelda. Ever.

I'm not even linking to this reference, pun intended. You're all on your own.

Buy Bob Omb, Support Child's Play

I'm not saying I have a weakness for charities, but I definitely have one for cute plush toys and Child's Play. Not bad, not bad at all.

Sims & Murder

Sims, real life, heck it's all the same sometimes, right?

The Periodic Table of Pokemon

This is just too cool to not post. Enjoy!

via Kuinala at DeviantArt

An Older Gamer's Take on Todays Games

For all that I want to disagree, I'm inclined not to just a bit.

via imgur

The Coolest Warhammer 40K Conversion You'll See All Day

Over at work in progress, there's a conversion project being done by user Caiin, converting a Tau kit to a Metal Gear Rex suffice to say, it'd give any player a ! kind of moment.

Art Amidst Red Ring

Xbox 360 dies of the feared Red Ring of Death - don't bitch or complain - make art. 

via imgur and one damn talented artist

Aurora arrives, Relax to some RTS

Aurora, an ambient RTS, is now available for people who enjoy games like Eufloria. If you haven't checked out any Indie games lately, you might want to change it up by trying this game out. 

Propose a Toast

That's one way of doing it.

via imgur

Chain Chomp beats Snowman

Nintendo: 1 Frosty the Snowman: 0

via imgur

A Gym I'd Attend

If this was my gym, I'd be there every day without fail.

Punch Trees, Get Wood

Minecraft has become a bit of a phenomenon in the short time it's been around and for good reason, because it's fun as hell. For those of you who recognized the t-shirt before even reading this, good on you. And if you weren't already aware, there's more Minecraft t-shirts. 

via imgur

Evolution of a Pokémon Trainer

From the earliest days to the games set to come out this March, it's been a long and winding road.

via imgur

The Main Reason I Avoid G4

It's awesome that someone out there tried to make a television network for gamers, except for all the crap in between that isn't relevant to video games.

via Imgur

Nerd Graffiti at its Finest

One man's graffiti is one man's code to actually beat a damn game.

Total Halibut Does DC Universe, Gets Surrounded by Wil Wheaton

In the first video from TotalHalibut in the world of the DC Universe, he executes his always spot-on appraisal and verbal eloquence that have made him the man many of us know and love. If you haven't checked out his World of Warcraft and Starcraft video commentary, you're definitely missing out. 

The Coolest Thing About DC Universe Online So Far

Yep, you can create a Duke Nukem like avatar. Cool, huh?

Mortal Kombat 9 - Mileena Trailer

This seemed to surface on youtube, illustrating what we can potentially expect from Mileena, the off-pink clad assassin with a bite worse than her bark. Anyone know if there's a word that combines the definitions of being terrified and aroused? Me neither.

This is how I try to approach any news I post

It may not be the angle you like, but it's one I can agree with.

Vuvuzela invades Garry's Mod

Use Vuvuzela, kill everyone. Yeah, that sounds pretty much spot on.

Where Tetris Blocks Come From

Are you really all that surprised?

Gamestop still gives female gamers no credit

For the uninitiated, that is definitely the inside of a Gamestop and yes, it is just that bad. I can understand wanting girls to get into gaming at their own pace, but is there really that much reason to insult their intelligence enough that they're discouraged from enjoying the medium?

Wanna See Some Breach in Action?

Download now or watch on posterous

Breach_Gameplay_01-14-11.mp4 (33065 KB)

De Blob 2 Coming Next Month

Yep, De Blob 2 is not only coming, it'll be here in time for the end of February. 

Directly from THQ:

In de Blob 2 Comrade Black and the Inkies are back with a whole new plot to rid the world of color. With all new help from Papa Blanc and his flock of followers the Blancs, Blob and his friends will have their work cut out for them bringing color back to the citizens of Prisma City. Set off on an action-packed color adventure where custom paints, patterns and music bring the world to life. de Blob 2 is a creative evolution driven by your imagination!

FEATURES

• Imagine.  Set off on an action packed color adventure with 12 new single player story levels where custom paints, patterns and music bring the world to life any way you want.

• Laugh.  Only the colorful prankster Blob can foil Papa Blanc’s evil hypno plot to steal all the color from Prisma City.

• Power.  Speed smash through walls, jet jump over skyscrapers and slam squash Inky’s with all new power-ups that turn you into a super Blob.

• Explore.  Paint your way past icy outposts, tropical bio domes and distant space stations to free the fair citizens of Prisma City.

• Transform.  Inside, outside, above the Earth and below it, Blob embarks on mini missions and epic boss battles to restore color and music back to this rich universe.

• Share.  Recruit your friends to join the color evolution in all new co-operative multiplayer modes.

De Blob 2 arrives February 22, 2011.

Battlefield Heroes Catches a Case of Dead Space 2

Click here to download:

bfh_deadspace2_pegi_eu_720p_h264_10mbps.mov (41791 KB)

With Dead Space 2 set to release at the end of the month, is anyone really all that surprised that EA is trying to get people geared up and excited by doing stuff like this? 

Mass Effect 2 Arrives Next Week, See the Launch Trailer today

Download now or watch on posterous

me2_ps3_launch_pegi_final.mov (72655 KB)

To the Xbox 360 owners who have had their time with this game for about a year now, good on you - try to be nice and let the Playstation 3 guys sink their teeth into it before shouting spoilers all over the internet. 

Break the 4th Wall with Sphero

 

Not going to lie, this is pretty damn awesome. And gives me all the reason in the world to keep my iPad around instead of ditching it for an Android tablet. For now.

From Singularity Hub:

Sphero from Orbotix. About the size of a baseball, Sphero is a rolling robot that you can control with your smart phone (iOS and Android) through an easy touchscreen interface, or simply by tilting. Sphero is much more than the successor to the remote controlled car, however.  It’s also a video game platform. Using Orbotix’s API, developers will be able to create Apps and games that take advantage of Sphero’s dual use of video phone and robot. Augmented reality will allow you to roll Sphero around in the real world, and have it destroying buildings or crushing monsters in the virtual reality you see on your iPhone screen. Currently on display at this year’s CES, Sphero is still just a robot with a cool control system – the games will come at the end of 2011 when the device hits market for around $100. You can watch Orbotix’s CEO Ian Berberian show off the Sphero at CES in the video below. This little robot ball is another example of how virtual experiences in the real world will be among the defining paradigms of gaming in the next decade.

 

In the wake of Arizona shooting, blame violent video games, films.

Over at Irish Central, there is an article about how violent video games and films played a role in the shooting of Gabbie Gifford and her staff. While this argument has been trumped up countless times in the past from Columbine to NIU, it is still nonetheless an example of the tried, true and tired example of reporting from people on the outside of the video game community looking in. 

Blaming the media is never the answer and it's exceptionally pathetic to try and play that card - almost makes me ashamed to be Irish. Just a little.

Zeit 2 arrives today on Xbox 360, PC accompanied by launch trailer

Your Warhammer: 40K Dawn of War 2 Retribution Box Art

If you're not a ridiculous Warhammer 40K junky like so many of my fellow tabletop gamers, then you wouldn't know the imposingly-badass woman on the cover of the box is a member of the Inquisition - who basically get up, eat breakfast and slay Deamons. All day, every day.

Like I said, Badass with a capital 'B'.

An Obsession I Can Get Behind

Crap, I thought WoW and EVE were bad enough. There's go the last shred of my freetime and massive props to whoever pulled these off.

 

via Imgur

Never tell'em you're out of metal

An Overdue Summation

Mystery solved: What I'm actually doing when not writing about or playing video games along with my day job. 

Just tossing that out there.

The Worst Game for Kinect. Ever.

I'm actually not sure which is more disturbing, the fact that someone labelled this as a "Wii Game" initially or that the people in the image are just that happy.

Old, inappropriate, yet oddly amusing

Valve Really Does Know Their Users

Well, at least we don't have to worry about being put under pressure to play DLC for games we haven't even run once anymore.

That's always refreshing.

via Imgur

Unlocking the full version of X-Men: The Arcade Game

Say what you will, it's nothing quite like the awesome that was the arcade vers...I see what you did there Magfest.

Pokémon Gets Risque Yet Again

Say what you will, there's no unseeing it.

via Halolz

Dead Space 2 Launch Trailer Explotastic

via Thumb Culture

Miyamoto drops some truth

Cats are like girls. Mostly. Well kinda.

Only the best bed ever.

 

No matter how old I get, I know deep down that I'm going to have my eye perpetually caught by stuff like this. Not because deep down I enjoy acting like a 10 year old, but because video games are always going to be just that cool as far as I'm concerned. 

Suffice to say, this is pretty damn awesome.

Top 10 Games of 2010

Every year beckons, if not demands, that somewhere, somehow, the top ten games of the year be tossed into a list in some sort of order so that we can all argue and debate about the particular choices until the end of the following year when the next lists hit the internet. Well, regardless of how many games you picked up last year, plan to pick up this year or simply follow gaming news after selling all your stuff, the lists are still there, taunting you. While 2010 was a pretty incredible year to be a gamer, it was incredibly difficult to narrow all the exceptional releases down to ten games. Nevertheless, the selections were made, the debate can begin and we can all then start looking forward to the metric ton of great games slated for 2011.

10. Alan Wake

Stephen King novels littering my teenage self’s floor, desk and bed probably won’t serve to dissuade anyone from believing that it was incredibly difficult to toss Alan Wake onto this list, because truthfully, it wasn’t. For a game that was initially shown off amidst the release of the Xbox 360 roughly half a decade ago, the final product proved not only to be competently made, but beyond so. In fact, it had the potential to appeal to action, survival-horror and people who just enjoy a good game, which for the most part it did. The characters were interesting and vivid amid the overwhelming circumstances with which they had been cast, causing them to be not only memorable, but likeable in an age when most people can’t seem to really care about the inhabitants of a game they’re playing. The driving and on-foot sequences, both of which utilize light in a plethora of ways to combat enemies, was easily some of the most fun I had in front of my television this year. Add to the mix that the DLC following the conclusion of the on-disc package is just as well done as the initial offering and that is enough to make any game of the year list.

The full list can be found here.

10 Franchises that need Next-Gen Revivals

There are always going to be titles from a previous generation, if not several, that a small following of gamers believe deserves to achieve triple-A status in the current iteration of video game consoles. While we all love Jungler, I’m sure we can agree that it doesn’t deserve a full fledged game on the 360, PS3 and Wii complete with a narrative that eventually gets rolled into a film that somehow, someway, stars George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio (Say what you will, but The Departed was awesome). Point being, there are franchises that publishers and developers are simply holding the rights to that we all couldn’t wait to get our hands on. After all, look at games like Prince of Persia! What started out as a game created for the Apple II became one of the greatest rebooted franchises of the last console generation. In the meantime, here are at least ten that if a new version isn’t in the works, then some time should certainly be devoted to bringing them back, one way or another.

10. Blast Corps.

Originally developed on the N64 by Rare, it’s not difficult to make the connection necessary to understand why this game would be awesome on Xbox Live, PSN or WiiWare. For the anabaptized in the art of complete and utter destruction, Blast Corps faces the player with a nigh impossible situation. A carrier transporting a disarmed, but not quite inert nuclear warhead for safe disposal, begins leaking and in the infinite wisdom of having an artificial intelligence transporting nuclear materials locks in the most direct route to the detonation site and goes. That's where the gameplay and inherent awesome that goes with it comes in. Utilizing an amalgamation of vehicles, explosives and even power armor, you make your way across the country and even to the Moon in your quest to destroy every structure that stands in your way. While the game consistently propels the player forward on a perpetual quest to clear the way for the nukes, there are still puzzle elements within the levels that keep the game consistently interesting throughout. Ultimately, for every puzzle level that makes your life a small, personal hell -- there will be several levels that seem like a playground as you destroy every last damn thing in sight.

My only question is why Rare has left this intellectual property remain dormant for so long?

The full list can be found here.

 

Review: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Impresses

There has always been a distinct amount of enjoyment to be had from playing through any of the various Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games since they were first introduced to Nintendo DS players. The ability to play both detective and prosecutor was as engrossing as it was at times puzzling, serving up a challenge embedded within a narrative that kept many players consistently coming back for more. However, the one catch with many of the Ace Attorney games was that players would often be proffered a case and be faced with solving it after the fact – never while it was in progress. This is where Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective comes in with all the welcome of a friendly ghost.

The full review can be found here.

 

Venn Daily – Motion Controls, Almost 100 Million Sold

Motion control is an interesting thing because it’s a beast that is still relatively in it’s infancy.

Yet while many of the old guard gamers, those who have been around since the first bleeps and bloops of Pong or the infallibly recognizable sounds of a Pac-Man machine, would just as eagerly scoff at such a thing amidst others who would thrillingly give it a shot – there are those who are just an anxious to call it nothing more than a passing phase on the same plateau as 3-D. Understandably, it goes without saying that since the beginning of 2011, all reports point to pretty much the same result – motion controls are not only here to stay – they’re expanding.

The full article can be found here.

Miscoded Confidence: Battletoads

Being the first to admit it, Battletoads is probably one of the most ridiculously, unforgiving video games in the history of the medium. Not that that single fact makes it a bad game, on the contrary, Battletoads has earned a legacy that is easily the equal of Sonic, Mario or Master Chief. Stretching beyond the multitude of levels that are packed onto the cartridge the data inhabits, the game undoubtedly purports an efficacy in level design that hasn’t really been seen in the last several years. Hence, sitting down with Battletoads this week wasn’t only a stroll down memory lane, it tossed in a beat-down for free.

The full article can be found here.

Contemporary Alternatives: 1.21 Gigawatts Edition

For everyone who grew up in the 1980’s, there are a few constants that are forever going to be apart of the very fabric of popular culture – films like Goonies and Breakfast Club – but nothing quite tops the list quite like Back to the Future. Certainly enough, I could go on about the whimsicality of going back in time and engaging in activities that range from just about everything; namely flirting with a younger version of a parent, putting a bully into their place or simply trying to avoid screwing up the rest of timeline via a viciously hilarious paradox. But, digressively, the series purported a significant amount of humor into a traditionally science-fiction trope of time travel. On the other hand, the early games created to cash in on the series didn’t necessarily do the franchise justice as much as later incarnations.

The full article can be found here.

The 10 Most Disappointing Games of 2010

Towards the end of every year we look back not just at the games that have thrilled us to our heart’s content, but also the titles that have built us up just to let us down. The games that unlike Rick Astley, we can easily give up to the bargain bin or angry videogame critics to tear apart years after the fact solely due to the lackluster quality that was ultimately presented despite the hype prior to the release. Sometimes, we know a game is more or less dead on arrival or even before it stumbles out of the gate before falling flat on its face, occasionally it might be during the demo or even after you’ve sunk thirty hours into it. Regardless, when a game disappoints, it usually serves its bad attitude up on a silver platter. So, prepare yourself for the ten games that really blew us away with the shock and awe of utter crap throughout the course of 2010.

10. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock: Activision continued to milk their dying Guitar Hero franchise to the content of the die-hard fans out there that were anxious to be served up the exact same thing all over again. While the career mode has been replaced by a quest narrated by Gene Simmons, who surely wasn’t being kept busy with his pitiful excuse of a reality show, the quest is still at it’s heart nothing more than what Guitar Hero fanatics and even those who only know the name of the franchise are intimately familiar with without introducing anything that really shakes the series or genre up. Pitifully so, it seems the only thing that might have been remotely different were the songs on the disc, but with every previous song being available, it kind of makes you wonder if the franchise has any additional music to tap that the significantly better Rock Band hasn’t already allocated. Ultimately, the game really failed to excite anyone, despite arriving a month before the much lauded Rock Band 3 and only illustrates that Guitar Hero is pretty much treading water at this point.

The full list can be found here.