A Life Ordinary

Apologies

2009-03-15T14:09:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with industry news, or gaming in general, but it's been a busy month or so. Working on my classwork, mainly, is the motivation that I have at the moment. A second job might be in sight soon, and tonight is a Killzone 2 multiplayer event that I'm participating in with the folks over at Gamervision.

Aside from that I've simply been a little stressed due to school and outside activities. I'm currently the Treasurer of the Science Club on campus and have a few more things than I anticipated to bang out this coming week. Yay bureaucracy! Today is a fun-filled day of late homework.

Wish me luck! I'll have another site topic to share within the next week or so. Have a great week, everybody!

Gillette Targets Gaming Market

2009-03-02T13:34:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the lack of postings in recent weeks. I've been really busy with school work and job hunting. More importantly I've been trying to play as much of Valkyria Chronicles as possible so that I could make my own review. I know it will be later than many other reviews, but I still want to do it.

Today's news, however, is nothing about video games; It's about video gamers. With the global economy the way it is at the moment companies are trying to pull out all the stops and are, probably, trying to appeal to as many target markets as possible.

With that in mind let me share with you the Gillette Razor Power, Fusion Gamer. The new razor is not even a new product. They didn't doll it up in any way that would be marketable for children, if I were to compare to another target market, and there is minimal effort other than their website for a glimpse into the product. It's the same exact thing as their other new razors. Both the regular Fusion and the Power Fusion razors have had nothing done to them at all. The only new thing is that they posted the word Gamer on the packaging.

Although this is targeted at both sports players and video game players, it doesn't lend itself to anything but saying "We need money. Pay us!" and "We support the gaming community." I don't find this good at all. It's not even justifiable to me. You don't see Schick doing this, do you? I sure don't. I'm sure that some day there will be a product that takes care of facial hair while doing other activities, but this isn't the Jetson's futuristic cartoon setting. This is the real world and I truly don't like how they're going about the sale of their product.

With that said, here are the links to my sources.
Gillette. Com
Penny Arcade
Amazon.com

I even cross-posted this on Gamervision.com

Hidden Fees For All Gamestop Employees Critiqeued

2009-02-16T00:53:00.002-05:00

Recently there was a study performed on Gamestop's payroll. The company uses either direct deposit, which is usually a good thing for many people, or they use a prepaid debit card from this company named Comdata. Comdata is a banking company for those companies to whom would rather avoid a paper-trail payroll system.

The company offers its services to a few industries. The ones listed on the Comdata website are as follows:

Fleet: Complete Fuel and Maintenance Solutions
Retail: Payroll & electronic funds distribution solutions and more
Government: To government agencies, which are increasingly expected to operate more like businesses
Aviation: Spending control plus flexibility for smarter management of corporate aviation expenses
Construction: Comdata addresses some of the most important financial obstacles facing construction managers
Restaurants & Hospitality: Payroll & electronic funds distribution solutions for the hospitality industry

Although their site is well made [and well maintained] it has an overwhelming message of intent. They are there to take your hard earned money. I feel nothing for the employees that are dealing with the issue of this Comdata card but I know where they're coming from. They're being charged bank fees [and other hidden fees] from the company. Getting ripped off stinks a lot. Glad I never got a job for Gamestop. I would be in the same position.

Sources: Company Scrip, Comdata

Red Dead Revolver Sequel Announced

2009-02-04T19:55:00.003-05:00

That's what I'm hoping for when the new IP Red Dead Redemption. This is a sequel to Red Dead Revolver on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game is a shooter, if you didn't figure that out from the title, that took place in the Wild West. Players take on the role of former outlaw John Marston as they explore frontier towns and battle against other gunslingers.

This new title will be developed by the team at Rockstar San Diego that brought you Red Dead Revolver and Midnight Club: Los Angeles. The game is slated to be released in the Fall of 2009.

"The team at San Diego has massively exceeded our expectations with the sheer depth of experiences in Red Dead Redemption," says Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser. "The seamless combination of breathtaking beauty and intense action, all woven together with strong plotlines in a massive vibrant, rural environment is mind-blowing. We think this game helps to push the limits of what an open-world gaming experience can be."

Let's just say that this will be a well-received title due to its predecessor.

Source: Gamasutra

Pennies on the DLC Dollar

2009-01-28T10:56:00.001-05:00

I don't find it hard to believe that any government agency would want a piece of the gaming pie. I also don't find it hard to believe that game developers would go along with this so that they don't get fined for tax evasion, or any other tool of the government.
In an article posted today on the Game Politics website, North Carolina is looking to tax any online purchases. With the proposition of this bill comes a heavy decision on the economy. The state of North Carolina --as stated in the original article-- stated that DLC taxes would bring $12 million annually, as opposed to the current deficit of $2 billion the state is already in at the moment.
In my opinion I don't believe that this would be the most effective way of obtaining funds through taxation. I think that the system should stay the same. Someone buying an item from an out of state store should not have to pay taxes because there is no location in their particular state. That's how it's been for years. However, if an online retailer happens to have a store (no matter how remote) in the state the purchase was made in, sales tax definitely applies.
In the end it will come down to another controversial meeting in the government and it will bounce between committees.

Source: Game Politics, News 14-Carolina

Firmware v2.60 To Hit PlayStation 3

2009-01-20T12:51:00.002-05:00

Soon, that is. The Firmware 2.60 update will enhance multimedia on the PlayStation 3. There will be a new Photo Gallery application, to which you will have to install after the update, and the console will have DivX 3.11 support. This means that it will, hopefully, be easier to watch those converted DivX files you have on your computer with the Media Server connect feature. Along with those you can sign onto the PlayStation Store as a guest. This will enable you to browse the store and, upon finding something you might want to purchase, you will have to sign up for the PlayStation Network to make any purchases.

Source: PlayStation.Blog

Cicuit City Closing March 31, 2009

2009-01-16T17:13:00.004-05:00

Just announced about an hour ago; Circuit City announced its closing of all of their remaining 567 locations nationwide. Another 30,000 people unemployed within this recession (depression, to me) is something I can't stand seeing. Circuit City is now liquidating its remaining stores after failing to secure a buyer to help the company refinance. This, coupled with economic woes, has brought the company to this path.

"This is the only possible path for our company," Circuit City's acting Chief Executive James A. Marcum said in a statement. "We are extremely disappointed by this outcome."

So, needless to say, Circuit City is now done. The only other thing I can say about the company is that, starting tomorrow, all 567 stores will begin a liquidation sale. I would suggest getting the extended manufacturers' warranties if you intend on buying a major electronic device. I completely intend on purchasing an HDTV from them once the prices get lower. And I will be following my own advice about the warranty, too.

Source: Game Daily, Gamervision

Crime Goes Down As Video Games Rise

2009-01-14T13:19:00.004-05:00

I must have missed this article yesterday due to not paying attention to ANY of the new links I've started to follow recently.
According to the FBI crime went down 3.8% in the first half of 2008. Apparently revenues jumped from $6.1 billion to $8.3 billion during the same January-June period reported on by the FBI. This is a great thing, but will it last? Who knows? I'm just hoping that one day people are more accepting of interactive media that doesn't involve the word TiVo. Would be nice.

Source: Game Politics, Federal Bureau of Investigations

Petric Verdict Delivered

2009-01-12T14:30:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted about a teenager that shot his parents and tried to make it look like a murder-suicide. Daniel Petric, the teen in question, has been convicted of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, and other charges related to the crime. In the original article I posted, here, I shared what the family thought about what had happened. The family said that they wanted Petric back with the family. They stated that they "cannot heal as a family until they are a whole family." I still don't know what to think of that but they're not getting what they want.

Even after his lawyer tried to make a plea toward video game addiction, the judge found otherwise. Petric has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

I feel bad for the family but not for young Daniel Petric. I believe that he got what he deserved. It could have only been a matter of time before anything else happened.

Twittered

2009-01-11T15:59:00.005-05:00

Today I decided to see who was out there in the world of Twitter. I found quite a few interesting people and companies that I would like to be out on the watch for with news and interesting tidbits of information with the gaming and movie industries. Glad I did, or else I would be missing out on some really cool information. Here's the link to My Twitter Page. Hopefully you'll see someone on my "Following" list that interests you, too.

2009-01-07T01:00:00.003-05:00

Ziff Davis announced earlier today that EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly) has been purchased by UGO Entertainment. I've been reading EGM for about five years now and never thought that this day would ever come. I'm glad that I, at least, have the final issues and will put them into a safe place for nostalgia. I would like to wish good luck to the crew of the magazine. The website doesn't share the same fate as of yet. I hope it doesn't.

What's going to happen to the remaining issues of everyone's subscriptions? Are they going to start shipping UGO's magazine to me instead? That hasn't been announced yet.

I wish everyone over on EGM's staff good luck and I hope to see their work continue in the future.

Source: 1Up.com

Japanese Software Sales

2009-01-06T16:04:00.003-05:00

White Knight Chronicles and Dissidia: Final Fantasy at the top of the chart!

I'm glad to see that the two games that I've been watching, and waiting, patiently for a release date are at the top of the class in Japan. That means that they'll both have a warm reception in the North American market. I've always been a fan of J-RPG's, especially Final Fantasy games, and can't wait for these two to land on our shores. That aside; here's the complete listing for your reading pleasure. Bear in mind that this is the Japanese market.

01. White Knight Chronicles (PS3) - 207,000 / NEW
02. Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) - 176,000 / 666,000
03. Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii) - 144,000 / 876,000
04. Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS) - 141,000 / 920,000
05. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS) - 105,000 / 547,000
06. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS) - 85,000 / 1,445,000
07. Phantasy Star Zero (DS) - 84,000 / NEW
08. Pokemon Platinum (DS) - 79,000 / 2,231,000
09. Wii Fit (Wii) - 71,000 / 3,051,000
10. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 70,000 / 2,066,000
11. Momotarou Dentetsu: 20-Shuunen (DS)
12. Professor Layton and the Final Time Journey (DS)
13. Tongari Boushi to Mahou no 365 Nichi (DS)
14. Power Pro Kun Pocket 11 (DS)
15. Gundam Musou 2 (PS2)
16. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) (PSP)
17. Taiko no Tetsujin Wii (Wii)
18. Pikmin (Play on Wii) (Wii)
19. Tamagotchi Kira Kira Omisecchi (DS)
20. Gundam Musou 2 (PS3)
21. Karaoke Joysound Wii (Wii)
22. Wii Sports (Wii)
23. WIi Music (Wii)
24. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III (PS3)
25. Animal Crossing Wild World (DS)
26. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS)
27. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 (PS3)
28. Tales of Hearts - Anime Movie Edition (DS)
29. Gensou Suikoden Tierkreis (DS)
30. Inazuma Eleven (DS)

Source: Kotaku

Killzone 2 Demo to Release February Third

2009-01-06T15:19:00.004-05:00

As of yet there is not one extraordinary pre-order advantage for Killzone 2 until now, that is, thanks to Gamestop. When you pre-order with this retailer you get a code to download an exclusive demo for the game. Killzone 2 comes out on February 27^th.

If you didn't have access to the beta this is your chance to get in on the action before the game is released. Enjoy!

Source: GamePro

Hybrid Blu-Ray/DVD Coming..., Soon?

2008-12-22T11:54:00.003-05:00

Only in Japan, that is!
Yes! Yet again Japan gets all the cool stuff first. Infinity Storage House has recently announced a Blu-Ray/DVD Disc. This disc will be a dual-layer disc that can be read on both Blu-Ray players and DVD players. This is a great idea because it will create a universal disc that can be read by any player. Here's an image of how the hybrid disc works;

The top layer consists of the Blu-Ray and the lower layer is the DVD. Simple, right? In general terms a blue laser will read the bluray layer and the red laser will read the DVD layer. Simple as that!

Source: Read Write Web

Gamasutra Lists Their Top 5 Handheld Games of the Year

2008-12-18T16:28:00.002-05:00

This is actually a pretty good listing. I haven't played all the titles but I read what they posted about each title and can agree with them 100%.

5) The World Ends With You (Square Enix/Jupiter, DS)
4) Aurora Feint (Danielle Cassley/Jason Citron, iPhone)
3) Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer (Chunsoft, DS)
2) Patapon (Pyramid/Japan Studios, PSP)
1) Space Invaders Extreme (Taito/Gulti, DS/PSP)

I'm glad to see that the list made sense. I can't wait to see what they post for 2009's Top 5 Handheld Games!

Source: Gamasutra

Gaming Takes Part In Murder, Insanity Blamed

2008-12-18T13:34:00.003-05:00

We all remember my posting a few days ago about Daniel Petric, right? Well it seems that his lawyer wants to claim "Insanity due to video game addiction." I'm not sure if this is the correct route to go with this, but who am I in legalities and homicide. His lawyer got Petric's sister and a friend to witness on his behalf, stating that during the time he was home-ridden he became addicted to video games.

But wait, there's more!

According his family and friends, Daniel was kicked out of the house a week prior to the incident that killed his mother and injured his father due to playing video games. This shows that he and his father were already stressed due to Daniel's "addiction" to video games. Petric's friend was then cross-examined and was asked if Halo 3 was the reason why he tried to kill his parents. The answer was "No."

Daniel Petric told the adolescent forensic psychologist during a pre-trial mental health evaluation that he had thought about killing his parents weeks before the homicide took place. Between that and his attempt to make the crime scene look like a murder-suicide between his parents, I don't think the insanity plea is going to work.

With Daniel having waived the right to a trial by jury, it is now up to County Common Pleas Judge James Burge to render a verdict, which will be announced on January 7th.

To be honest I don't think that Daniel Petric is innocent. I also think that he should be tried as an adult due to it being contemplated before the act.

Souce: Kotaku

Metal Gear Sold Touch Coming Soon

2008-12-17T14:44:00.003-05:00

According to GamePro Metal Gear Solid Touch is coming to the iPhone sometime in the spring.
This is really good news for fans of the franchise. This is also good news for iPhone and iPod Touch owners. I'm just not sure where I stand on the matter. I'm not sure if motion and multi-touch surfaces will mix well with this game. Maybe Super Mario Bros. but not Metal Gear Solid. We will have to wait and see.

Source: GamePro, Kotaku

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots..., Sackboy's?

2008-12-16T23:49:00.002-05:00

For those who love to play Little Big Planet, there's now confirmation from the Japanese PlayStation store that has MGS:4 characters listed for download. There are no prices set, as of yet, but will hopefully be soon. Good tidings for all!

Source: Kotaku

Gaming Takes Part In Murder, For Real This Time

2008-12-16T13:45:00.004-05:00

When Halo 3 launched about a year ago the parents of Daniel Petric were shot for having taken away his copy of the game. This, for once, has concrete evidence to support the case of video game violence and adolescents.

Petric's parents, Mark and Susan, cared about their son and what games he played. They told Petric that he wasn't able to get the game and he decided to sneak out of the house to make the purchase, against his father's orders. His parents caught him with the game and took it from him. His father put the game in a lockbox in a closet where he also kept a 9mm handgun.

About a month later Petric got the game out of the lockbox. He also took the 9mm handgun with him to the living room and said, as he sat on the couch behind his parents, "Would you guys close your eyes? I have a surprise for you." With that moment at hand, young Daniel Petric shot his mother and his father in the head. His mother died instantly but his father survived. Mark, Daniel's father, said his son shoved the gun into his hand saying, "Hey Dad, here's your gun. Take it."

After the shooting young Petric's sister and her husband came to the door. Daniel said that his parents were in a big argument and said for them to not come in. As reported by the Northeast Ohio News section of Cleveland.com states;

"The couple, Heidi and Andrew Archer, testified they heard a moan - possibly their names being groaned - from inside the house, pushed their way in and found the elder Petric wounded and his wife dead. The elder Petric, through his shattered jaw, managed to say his son had shot him, while Daniel tried to blame his father.

Heidi Archer called 9-1-1 and then realized that Daniel had picked up the handgun that had been lying on the couch. Her husband took the gun from the boy, who gave it up without resistance.

The boy ran out of the house and fled in the family van. He was caught by Wellington police a short time later, the Halo 3 game still on the front seat."

Apparently Daniel had suffered from a snowboarding accident to where he was homebound for a year with nothing to do but watch television and play video games. During this time he grew to love the game series by playing it at his friends' homes. His father forbade these games in the house because they were too violent and sexually explicit.

I think it's clear to say that the parents made the right decision to enforce their belief of video game violence to protect their son. However, it backfired on the family. During the court proceedings his family stated that they want him to come home. They cannot heal as a family until they are a whole family. I'm not sure what to think of that. Maybe they don't want to lose another family member to violence.

Source: GamePro

Conviction Dated for PlayStation 3, too!

2008-12-12T15:17:00.008-05:00

Originally intended solely for the XBox360 and PC's, Splinter Cell Conviction is now coming to the PlayStation 3. This is good for PS3 owners that are fans of the popular game series. They've also dated it as a simultaneous release to arrive at retailers with the other systems, respectively.

According to retailers the release date for the game is,as of the moment, April 1^st, 2009. Bear in mind that whenever retailers make release dates known, some developers change release dates.

This is the original trailer created for the first release date in 2007.

Source: Computer and Videogames (CVG)
Game Trailers

White Knight Chronicles - New Screens

2008-12-11T10:07:00.007-05:00

I missed yesterdays update on White Knight Chronicles for the PlayStation 3. Level-5 revealed new screen shots. I'm sure they posted the pictures on their own site, but I'm linking to the first place I saw the screens posted. If you'd like to view all of the pictures on IGN's web site, simply click on the picture above.

Being that it's release date has yet to be announced I'm hoping that the release is within the first two quarters of 2009. I don't want to have to wait for the holiday season to get a copy of this game.

PlayStation 2 Downloadable Games

2008-12-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

Sony has revealed that they are interested in bringing downloadable games to the PlayStation 3. In the story at Kotaku, John Koller [of Sony] states "We've concentrated most of our efforts on our download service, both rentals and downloads of movies and TV shows," he says. "Our efforts will continue to be there, because our customers want to own the content."

Sony has little, to no, interest in bringing Netflix content to the PlayStation 3 any time soon. Netflix has already made mention that they would like to provide content and Sony hasn't taken it into consideration just yet. Koller explains that there are "positives" to the XBox360 experience, with Netflix, but he doesn't want to get involved in the confusion of "owning content."

Source: Kotaku, GamePro: Sony talks PlayStation 3, PSP success in 2009.

Barack Obama Criticizm Takes A Different Turn

2008-12-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

Throughout the election President Elect Barack Obama has fallen under scrutiny and speculation. Today's Yahoo Homepage (blurbs, links, etc.) has an article titled Court: No review of Obama's eligibility to serve. The article tells of a recent appeal to the Supreme Court that Obama wasn't born in America. He was born with a dual nationality. Leo Donofrio of East Brunswick, N.J. claims that this doesn't make Obama a "natural born citizen."

Here's a link to the article that I referenced above. Read it and understand it. Then tell me if President Elect Barack Obama isn't eligible to become the next President of the United States of America.

2008-12-08T13:30:00.000-05:00

Here's a little video preview of Level 5's White Knight Chronicles.

I've been watching this game ever since it's announcement a few years ago. This game is one of the primary reasons I bought a PlayStation 3. As of right now it's coming out towards the end of the calendar year in Japan. No word yet on a worldwide release.

Good Morning Neverland!

2008-12-08T13:20:00.001-05:00

Greetings and salutations to all!

Welcome to my new blog! I intend to make your stay as interesting as it is informative. Interesting in a way of "whoa that's cool" and informative as in "wow, I didn't know that." As I said. Interesting and informative.

My name is QMarc80. I'm a gamer. I'm an avid anime fan. I consider myself a well-informed person when it comes to my passions. Aside from video games and anime, there's also school. School is important for anyone. It doesn't matter if it's part-time, three-quarter-time, or full-time. Just as long as school is there. You never know how much you will learn about until you get there.

"I am a student of life."
-Kintaro Oe, Golden Boy