Wednesday, August 30, 2006
# 79 Death from above news post...
Before I get on to the big news I’ll just gloss over today’s comic. It’s referencing the upcoming 360 game “Just cause”, the demo is available on XBL now so go and play it, its freaking sweet. Now the big news that’s been published on Joystiq essentially as I type this is that according to Playstation Magazine, a redesign of the PSP will be hitting Japanese stores within the first quarter of 2007. The redesign will supposedly…
• have 8GB flash memory chips which will be built in according to industry reports
• be streamlined and thinner and lighter
• and Sony is still expected to include a still/video camera of undetermined resolution as a built-in feature of the new PSP
If this is true I suspect they may have shot themselves in the foot for Christmas. With news like this many would be PSP owners may decide to hold out for this new iteration. I’m still not sold on the PSP yet and with my console gaming to handheld gaming ratio on the rise I find myself holding my DS less and less.
This evening I downloaded the demo version of Geometry Wars on XBL and was pleasantly surprised to find the demo version is in fact the full version only you can’t unlock achievements and it doesn’t record your high scores. For me this is freaking fantastic as I’m not too bothered by the gamer score system and I don’t care much about high score beating anyway! I just hit the arcade tab on my 360 when I feel the need for a quick blast of gaming rather than an extended session. And besides If I got a really high score I could always jot it down on a Post-it!
For those of you that attend Keele University like myself, I look forward to seeing y’all soon! I can’t wait, James and I have some plans for RPG-TV events this year so keep your eyes on the Union!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
# 78 "Correspondence" news post...
At first I wasn’t sure whether It would be cool to start a news post with a swear word but I think I’m just going to go ahead and do it anyway because, well, we pay for this so we’ll do as we please!
The Just Cause demo available on XBL Marketplace is a fucking mandatory download. Go now and procure it for your selves (plural, we have multiple readers these days oh yes). If you have yet to hear much about this upcoming game I shall fill you in. It’s a sandbox design set on a huge island (really, HUGE) that resembles Cuba. You play as Rico an assassin/revolutionary (I can’t exactly figure out which) tasked with completing various missions ala GTA. However throw in a healthy dose of some of the finer features from Mercenaries and then imagine the game has fantastically exaggerated action taken from all the best movies (parasailing by grappling hook attached to a car for instance). The package is wrapped up with beautifully lush scenery complimented with excellent blurring effects and plenty of light bloom. Oh and did I mention there is no loading once you get passed the initial load. The game streams straight from the disc and its damn near seamless.
Today’s comic is pretty subtle, see we have two things going on at once, I bet you’re thinking that’s some pretty impressive shit, well, you’re right! My girlfriend (hereafter referred to by her name) went through a pretty serious phase of living in Animal Crossing. Peanut was our neighbour (and perhaps the most popular of all the NPC’s aside from K.K.) and Tasha adored that little pink puff of half baked A.I. Then one day when the DS was in my care and I ignored the game for too long Peanut left our town and I left the bed for the sofa. Actually I’m exaggerating but Tasha was pissed. The lesson is, getting your girlfriends interested in games isn’t all smiles and candy… Although she did recently complete a section of Phoenix Wright I was seriously stuck on.
Small snippet of Nintendo gossip, rumour has it that Nintendo have been holding back the Wii’s true power to surprise us with lush graphics nearer to launch. This means all demo units to this point will have had purposely lowered graphical capabilities. I’m not sure how believable this story really is but I hope to heaven its true because what I’ve been reading lately has me slightly less aroused by the prospect of the consoles launch.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
"The perfect crime" News post...
The Imperial guards that co-exist with me in Oblivion have an incredible ability! You see they always manage to apprehend me for crimes that nobody could ever EVER know about. No matter how desolate, no matter how devoid of life the location and no matter how stealthy I am, my thieving antics never go unheard of. It may just be me but the bounty on my head accrues with such a ferocious speed and frequency that it’s not uncommon for me to leave one town having served a jail sentence only to arrive at another town and get thrown in the slammer for crimes anew. This of course is stunting the growth of my Khajit assassin thief but hey such is the price of being the worlds worst burglar (although I am rather handy with a lockpick it must be said).
I caught wind of a sequel in the works that Is generating trepid excitement in my lower loins. The original Lost in Blue trailer was a huge deal for me. It looked like Ico meets Lost and then meets all sorts of (then) new touch screen elements. Of course we all know the final product lost its charm and was bogged down in a heavy handed stat tracking gameplay mechanic. And so it is that I once again lay awake at night in anticipation hoping with all my might that the problems of old are remedied for Lost In Blue 2. While on the subject of DS news I would like to point out that all of my white DS Lite owning friends are sporting hinge cracks. That’s an alarming 4 out of 4 or 100% for those of you who are a little more shaky at maths. Quite scary I’m sure you’ll agree, and, irrefutable proof that Nintendo fucked up its production. I think I may turn black and never go back sometime in the future. One last thing to you 360 owners or stakeholders, if you have yet to try out XBL, do so now, if only for a month because the Lost Planet demo is worth the 360’s weight in gold (maybe).
Sunday, August 20, 2006
# 76 "It's like free phone calls" ...
My experiences with the 360 have broadened considerably since last we spoke, as exemplified by the fusion of doodles and speech craft you see above. My premium pack of course came with the headset so it seemed foolish to leave it unwrapped and in the box… naturally it has been adhered to my head with some kind of space glue.
I imagine the above situation coming to pass in *gasp* real life in a month or so when James and I are reunited once more like two halves of a broken heart pendant, able to enjoy each others company without the NEED for electronic equipment. And when such a time reaches us you can also expect another high quality pseudo Podcast to make its way to the ON AIR section of our website. Only a fool would miss out on such a treat I think you’ll agree! Now that we link these news posts to our personal blogs allowing us near infinite space with which to ramble I feel pressured to make them exceedingly lengthy. On this occasion I shall resist said temptation and leave you with these browsing suggestions. 1) F@NBOY$ online, a relatively new gaming webcomic that’s head and shoulders better than 98.6% of new gaming webcomics. Go there or be a square or some other shape that has little to no respect in the shape Kingdom. And 2) Check out our forums if you’re a returning reader, some people have been adding me to XBL and I have no idea who you guys are, it would be great to chat and I can think of no better medium than our beloved Interforum!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
#75 "The shadow that games in the night" news post...
There is much to discuss with this news post so I give thanks to my blog for providing me with infinite space with which to ramble. First things first, the comic, the reason I presume you people keep returning to this humble corner, or nook, of the Interweb if you will. Infinium Labs, the psycho’s behind the aptly titled Phantom games system have, as we delicately scripted; shit canned the project. The product no longer exists… if it even did to begin with?! Anyway I found this old news article from the “Beeb” which I found quite amusing, especially some comments made on record by Infinium lab staffers, “"We think it will appeal to the hardcore gamer and the casual gamer,"… or … you know… no-one.
We can’t get upset over the loss since we don’t know what we’re missing however an educated guess by an elderly scholar might suggest what we’re missing is “probably not very much”.
Lately I’ve been getting to know my 360. Like I would on a date with a woman perhaps, easing in the conversation not wanting to get too deep into any particular topic before I snare the trap and take her to my bed (generally for the trap I like to use industry standard bear traps placed covertly under the dining table but each to their own, experiment to find what works best for you!).
The E3 Lost Planet demo is something I’d heard very little about (although I hasten to add neither of my ears has been to the ground lately so much has slipped me by), so playing through the demo was a delightful surprise. The animation and control was as tight and responsive as I could ask for, the effects (explosions) were superb and the whole experience just really excited me. Perhaps it was all the explosions? Regardless I was on the phone to a M’$oft rep the other day sorting out some XBL account issues and he informed me it would be multiplayer. Because I’m lazy I have yet to stop by gamespot and see if this is correct but if it is I find this a very erotic prospect to say the least. All the game needs is a melee attack. Seriously, Capcom, I beg you.
Before I go may I encourage any readers on XBL who wish to add me to their friends, to do so? My tag is Chrysis.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Appologies...
... for a delayed comic update. My work hours have increased lately meaning some nights I don't get home until gone 9pm! The end result is im way too shatered to even think about drawing up a new comic. On the plus side it means I have cash to buy stuff for my 360 (which I love). Anyway the new comic will go up tonight probably at around 9 or 9pm GMT. Thanks for your patience gang :) xxx
Sunday, August 13, 2006
# 74 "A special heritage" news post...
I finally became sick of my own whinging and bought a 360. Everyday I would pine on, randomly asking relatives, friends, hell even strangers, if they would buy me one. But no more. My bundle included Oblivion IV and Dead or Alive 4, the former being a franchise I have never played and the latter being a game I possess almost God-like abilities at. Seriously. So I’ve been playing my new hardware for about 3 hours at this point, Oblivion seems to be almost infinite in scope, I feel completely overwhelmed. The first thing I did after escaping the sewers was visit the peaceful looking monks to whom you must deliver a royal object of some description. After a brief conversation with the fellow I deemed it appropriate to engage the side of his head in fisticuffs whilst he sat at his desk… Big mistake. For the next 10 minutes I was chased by the guy who was now violently wielding a katana trying to kill me with an apparent bloodlust the likes of which I have never seen.
Anyway I feel the purchase was made just in the nick of time with great content on the horizon in the form of Saints Row, Gears of War etc. I await the coming months eagerly. Oh, Superman freaking rocked my world.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Kevin Smith on the would be Superman V
Essential watching guys, please view...
Reader buys hoodie, smiles lots...
There it is, the evidence that buying merch makes you happy and us rich(er). Beloved reader Thaila invested £18 of her English pounds for some warm winter wear proudly displaying the fictional University she attends. Excellent work, MMmmmwa!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
#73 "Say cheese" news post...
Today’s comic is about 360 lawnmower-‘em up “Dead Rising” by the zombie fanboys at Capcom. I’m sure you guessed anyway but… you know… just to be sure. I’ll leave James to talk you through the game as he’s the writer and M’$oft fanboy. More importantly I wish to warn you all from shopping online with Forbidden Planet. I made an order an entire month ago for a Final Fantasy themed necklace for my brothers birthday present and it still hasn’t arrived and upon ringing their “helpline” I found out that the item isn’t in stock and may never be in stock “uhh sorry man”. How incredibly awful. Worst. Service. Ever.
As the days tick by I’m noticing more and more 360 content that catches my attention. My Wii anticipation is decreasing slightly as well. I wonder if perhaps the gaming lobe of my brain can only divide up so much interest to a platform like stat points to be assigned. I’m contemplating buying a 360 soon, perhaps a Saints Row bundle should one make itself available AND if the game receives an exemplary gold star from the many reviewers that will no doubt pick it up. Gamespot seem excited in their hands on time although whether that’s indicative of the games quality is somewhat ambiguous to say the least. I don’t know why previews are consistently so positively skewed but hey that’s just the way of the world I guess.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
#72 "An executive decision" News post...
I’m not entirely clued up on this Gears of War price point but I understand they are selling it for more than a regular X-Box 360 game. This kind of action is indicative of Epics confidence in the game (and maybe franchise) but of course from here it looks like they’re being mercenary jack asses. I’m sure the game is as solid as the hype suggests but wouldn’t it just be a pleasant act of good will on their behalf to not take the consumer to the cleaners? In any case James being the resident X-Box nut I’ll leave the rantifesto to him and instead focus my new posting energies on something altogether more distressing… on a personal level at least. I am sad to say that my DS Lite has fallen victim to the viral hinge cracking disease. Not just mine but my girlfriend’s also has the crack of doom which leads me to believe (or at least confirms for me) that it is a design problem and not just wear and tear. For starters both of us are anal to the point of being sycophants as far as keeping our machines pristine. The way I found my crack (stop laughing what’re you 12?) was an unpleasant experience at best. The phone conversation went something like this…
Natasha: “The worst thing has happened… My DS has a crack in the hinge”
Chris: “Shit really? That sucks. I guess your not treating it properly”
Natasha: “Shut up I look after it like a child!”
Chris: “Well so do I and mine doesn’t have… FUCK!”
Some slight paraphrasing may just have taken place but be assured that is the jist. My damn DS is an import as well so whether I can get another for the princely sum of free is looking pretty slim. Shit.
EDIT: By the way, the Grand Theft Autobot T shirt is no longer for sale because of copyright infringement or some such beaurocratic bullshit. Regardless I'll take it down when I get the chance and replace it with something even more dazzlemazing.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Im in love with GBA movie's...
Did you know that it's possible to watch Movies on your GBA or DS? It turns out many of you arn't aware of this magical cart. Did you know this same cart also lets you listen to music, read word documents, view images and play NES roms? Well for those millions of you that arn't already doing this and making PSP fanboys red in the face, heres a little how to from Uncle Chris.
1)This will cost you about $25 or £15 (depending where you're from). Go here and purchase the GBA movie player cart in either SD or CF flavours. This will depend on your storage medium preference. I myself have the CF version but I bought it before the SD one is available. Note: The SD one is preferable, the cart is smaller and sticks out less.
2) If you don't already own an SD card or CF card go buy one, may I suggest Amazon, they're generaly cheap, you'll want a minimum of at least 1 Gig (this is what I have) 1 Gig will let you hold a full length movie, about 6 half hour episodes of something and a couple albums and of course miniscule files like NES roms, word documents and plenty of images. Double these up for 2GB and so on sized cards! Expect to be roughly £20 - £40 dpending on the card size and type you buy!
3) You'll probably need a card reader, these are USB devices, mine set me back about £5 (say about $10)
4) Now your all set! You can fanny around converting your own movies but it generaly takes a very long time so I suggest going to THIS FORUM where other GBA movie player users upload content theyve already converted! Don't forget to be polite and say thanks and if you get the time upload some of your own stuff for them to download, nobody likes a leacher!
5) Once you've got it all working you may want to customise the Movie players skins and so forth so go here where you can download new backgrounds, also you can download more movies and stuff here but beware, the downloads are SLLLLOOOOOOW.
TA DA! Now you have just exploded a whole bunch of new functionality out of your DS or GBA for about £50 or so! Movies, music, images, emulation! Now thats a great deal.
ENJOY!