Shooting for Realism: How Accurate are Video-Game Weapons?

With a spate of new military shooter titles hitting the market, PM’s resident geek gets the inside story on gaming’s next-gen guns from top developers, who have to balance coolness with correctness for every M-16 they recreate.

 

The main gun developer for the new Rainbow Six Vegas 2 says Ubisoft’s team “could make it as anally realistic as possible” but that gameplay concerns are paramount.

By Erik Sofge

Published on: March 25, 2008

In real life, people rarely want to get into a firefight. But in many video games, particularly military-themed first-person shooters (FPS) like the just-released Rainbow Six Vegas 2, you can’t wait to step into the line of fire. After all, you’re an elite commando, and there’s no way not to fight—no button to press to call your nervous wreck of a wife or go hang out with the kids. It doesn’t matter how many bullets you take while gunning down whole platoons of terrorists and mercenaries, because this is red-blooded escapism at its geekiest. So shut up and starting shooting guys.

But unlike sci-fi FPS games such as Halo or Doom, military shooters have a tradition of so-called realism. Most of the in-game weapons are available now—or at least loosely based on designs that could eventually reach the likes of Iraq and Afghanistan. In other words, as optimistic as game developers might be about a high-tech replacement for the M-16 assault rifle, there are no plasma rifles or rail guns in your arsenal. Firefights look and sound like something out of Blackhawk Down, with that unnerving, staccato crackle of modern-day warfare. And the damage inflicted feels more accurate, too: In games like Call of Duty 4 or Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, most enemies are vulnerable to a single burst, and a few incoming rounds can kill you easily. So as this successful genre continues to deliver best-selling titles, will increasingly powerful PCs and game consoles allow military shooters to become more realistic than ever?

If Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is any indication, the answer is a big, fat “sort of.” The hugely anticipated sequel, which came out last week, has a relatively standard techno-thriller story line. It’s a gung-ho fantasy of special-ops heroism, complete with weapons of mass destruction and a seemingly endless supply of well-equipped bad guys. Like the plot, the gameplay for RSV2 picks up where its predecessor left off, as players navigate an array of ambushes and hostage situations in Las Vegas and Mexico. Cover is still crucial to most engagements, and squad-level tactics (i.e., when to use smoke grenades) will usually prevail over run-and-gun action-hero stunts. Aside from a new “sprint” button, little has changed in couch-potato combat here. But when it comes to the guns, the developers seem to have pushed the Tom Clancy series closer to the battlefield.

Or does it just seem that way? In this installment, bullets can penetrate a variety of materials. This isn’t an industry first—in Call of Duty 4, for example, bullets can veer off into different trajectories. But according to Philippe Theiren, an RSV2 designer at Ubisoft Montreal and the team’s self-described “gun guy,” bullet penetration now takes into account incredibly fine details, like whether the target is wearing leather or cloth. “It’s actually an excessively complex formula,” Theiren says. “If someone shoots through a plant, then a car door, then it hits Level 3 body armor, all of that effects the force of the round.” Actual ballistic data associated with the guns in RSV2, then, determine whether you can fire a burst through a wooden table and take someone out.

Except, of course, when the developers feel the need to cheat. All of the guns in RSV2 start out extremely accurate, based on factory stats and more, before game balance and player expectations come into play. A shotgun firing buckshot, for example, has significantly more penetration in RSV2 than it should. Why? “People associate shotguns with powerful, close-range weapons,” Theiren says. So a shotgun blast will punch through walls and armor just fine, even though buckshot is known for its lack of penetration in the real world.

“I take these weapons, and look at what defines them, or what people think defines them,” Theiren explains. “For an Uzi, people think it fires lots of bullets, and it’s really inaccurate.” That, he knows, has nothing to do with reality—if anything, Uzis are considered some of the most reliable and accurate submachine guns around. But the 80s (and Miami Vice in particular) offered us the Uzi as a low-life villain’s weapon, spit-fire and out-of-control. “So I make it fire faster than it should. It’s about taking the personality of a weapon, and making it shine in the game,” Theiren says.

With 200 unique variables for each weapon, including the damage it inflicts at various ranges, how fast it reloads and when bullets tend to start dropping off, a gun in RSV2 could perform precisely like the real thing. “These consoles are so powerful, when you fire a bullet we could factor all of it in: windfall, range, everything about the history of that specific weapon, friction values for the barrel, how many times it’s been fired since it was last cleaned,” says Theiren. “We could make it as anally realistic as possible. But we’re not trying to make a live simulator.”

Even America’s Army, the military’s self-described recruitment tool, must balance hardware concerns with not making gameplay too much like an action movie.

 

Full-on simulation, to some extent, is the job of America’s Army (AA). The incredibly popular PC game (and not so successful console port) is officially sanctioned by the United States Army, and the PC editions are available for download at no cost. In this unapologetic recruiting tool, you spend time qualifying with individual weapons on the firing range, take part in nonlethal war games, and get chewed out for so much as wandering a few yards away from your unit. Adhering to realism is something of a sticking point for AA, since the last thing the Army wants to do is to present modern warfare as a series of high-octane action-movie scenes.

With consistent access to actual weapon systems and insight from current and former soldiers, you would think that AA’s guns would come out 100 percent accurate. “We can actually implement many more characteristics than the game-play Frames Per Second can handle,” notes AA executive producer Phil Bossant. “This means we need to either pick and choose carefully which particular characteristics are meaningful to the game play and environment—or come up with an average estimated compensation.”

In other words, these are two completely different versions of the same story. In Rainbow Six Vegas 2, the reason for scaling back on realism isn’t the hardware, but the drive to make guns feel like the ones we’ve seen in movies. And in America’s Army, the limitation is hardware, since accuracy is a key goal for the development team. Whatever role the hardware is playing, it’s safe to say that the standard for realism in military shooters is hewing closer to the Rainbow Six school of play than that of America’s Army.

When you’re hit in nearly any war-themed FPS, whether its Call of Duty 4 or Ghost Recon, surviving means finding cover, then jumping back into the fight. This regenerative health system has no bearing on the story line or on reality. In America’s Army, injuries don’t evaporate into the ether, but subsequent hits are more likely to kill you. It could be more punishing and grisly, but recruiting tools shouldn’t necessarily be complete buzzkills. While Bossant says that AA 3.0, which should be out this year, will include even more detailed mechanics for medical treatment, the rest of the military shooters aren’t likely to follow suit. “The majority of the community wants to get back in the action,” says Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling, the community manager for Call of Duty 4. “We still favor gameplay and fun value over making it 100 percent realistic.”

The dev team for Call of Duty 4 also starts out with hyper-realistic weapons, then tweaks them for balance and personality. The AK-47 might start out with significantly more recoil than the M-16, which is then gradually dialed down to more manageable levels. Realism, in other words, is almost always about the flavor of the game, and it’s as subjective as any element of genre. Bowling claims that all of the gunshots in Call of Duty 4 are based on unique audio recordings, while Theiren insists there wasn’t enough room on a DVD to avoid repeating some sound effects in Rainbow Six. So why do the rifles sound so much more blistering in the RSV2 audio mix? “There’s more echo,” he says. “When you’re firing outside, there’s a much nicer sound.”

By ramping up that rolling, reverberating roar that some of the larger-caliber guns produce in outdoor environments, the weapons in this game feel more realistic than their counterparts in Call of Duty 4. As for how much damage that same assault rifle dishes out in both games, or whether you can turn a corner and fire it more accurately than a larger weapon, the realism quotient is the same. If it feels like the real thing, game on. If not, there’s a free game that might be a little slower-paced, but a little closer to reality. And if none of this is real enough, you can even visit a virtual recruiting station in America’s Army to find out how to sign up for the real real thing. A word of warning: Regenerative health is definitely not part of that equation.

 

G4 network tries a new game plan to get more guys

By Gary Levin, USA TODAY

It’s game on for cable’s G4 network.

Launched by Comcast in 2002 as a channel for video gamers, G4 has broadened its focus to young men of all stripes and carved a distinctive niche airing Japanese stunt shows in prime time.

Helped by a merger with Tech TV, the channel now reaches 64 million homes. And though its audience is still tiny, averaging 138,000 viewers in prime time last year, it has had 15 consecutive months of growth among its target audience of men ages 18 to 34.

In hindsight, the focus on TV about video games was “a strategy that was flawed, because guys are spending so much time doing the gaming themselves,” says Comcast Entertainment Group president Ted Harbert, who also oversees E! and Style. “And these guys are online, not in front of the set like they used to be.”

Last month, G4 filled out Duty Free TV, a prime-time block of Japanese stunt shows led by Ninja Warrior, its top-rated series; Unbeatable Banzuke, a precursor; and Big Super Product Fun Show, a goofy mix of Jackass and weird product showcase.

This summer, look for more humor aimed at the Maxim set: Hurl, an original U.S.-made eating-and-regurgitating competition that will gorge contestants on chicken pot pies or clam chowder, then strap them into spinning rides. “Whoever hurls last wins,” says G4 president Neal Tiles. And on June 1, the channel will premiere animated series Spaceballs, based on the Mel Brooks movie, along with the TV premiere of The King of Kong, a documentary about the quest for high-scoring stardom in Donkey Kong.

G4 is also supplementing syndicated staple Cops with same-week repeats of NBC’s Heroes, and this fall begins airing ABC’s Lost, starting with the series pilot, each weeknight. Other fixtures: Attack of the Show, a magazine series, and X-Play, a video-game review series.

Unlike Spike’s imported Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, which features dubbed commentary from jokey American announcers, G4 has preserved its series’ antic Japanese narration, opting for subtitles with only recaps in English.

“There’s so much great television content in native languages around the world, and no one in the USA is going after it,” Tiles says. “The network is heavily influenced by Japanese culture, (which is) setting so many trends, in video games, electronics, animation. Their TV is insane,” he says.

Ninja Warrior, known as Sasuke (SAS-kay) in Japan, is a twice-yearly tournament that began in 1997. A hundred contestants are pitted against a grueling four-stage outdoor obstacle course; only a few have ever beaten the entire course. The latest edition, taped last week outside Yokohama, features two American contest winners of a makeshift course G4 set up at Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base in California. It will air as a special in May.

“Sasuke is huge” in Japan, says Greg Bellon, the U.S. representative for producer Tokyo Broadcasting System. Contestants, often costumed to illustrate their line of work, are “national TV heroes because of what they have accomplished.”

Tiles says G4 will still cater to its core viewers, “the early adopter who’s incessantly looking for information,” by covering Comic-Con, the Consumer Electronics Show and E3 conventions.

But Harbert concedes that the channel needs to invest in marketing if it hopes to come near the likes of Comedy Central or Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block, which target the same elusive audience of young men. He says just 53% of homes who receive the channel know it exists.

“I don’t think they have a lot of brand-name awareness,” says SNL Kagan analyst Derek Baine. “They’re a very low-profile network, and that’s always dangerous” when cable systems are asked to renew contracts.

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Hurl, an original U.S.-made eating-and-regurgitating competition that will gorge contestants on chicken pot pies or clam chowder, then strap them into spinning rides. “Whoever hurls last wins,” says G4 president Neal Tiles.  

Wow! That’s Classy! What’s next Melvin’s and Nose Picking? Just because the desired age of the audience is 18-34 and male doesn’t mean that you have to lose all semblance of intelligence. I’ve seen G4 before and the Video Review program X-Play is interesting. But G4 is going through that period of adjustment. Hopefully they will grow into a Vomit-less Network and hopefully focus more on the Games themselves… It would take some real creative muscle to fill up a schedule with the actual might of Games and Gamers.

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Sounds Of The Snow

[In this article, Finnish game sound designer Tapio Liukkonen (Broken Alliance) writes passionately about the need for authentic winter sound recording in games. While we're on the cusp of spring in North America, Western Europe and Asia, it's a good exercise to stop and think about how sound recording could be accomplished in games -- with field recording an invigorating technique.]

This article will focus on winter recording. You may ask why. I have lived almost all my life in Finland where we have four totally different seasons. Summer temperature can be as high as 104F (40C) and winter as low as -40F (-40C). Weather changes between these boundaries are huge. Snow, rain, slush, heat — you name it.

To me, winter means a lot. I like winter and everything that you can do then. It also has extremely wide and specific soundscapes. Lots of things affect the soundscape, like temperature, quality of snow, location, etc.

I prefer the real sound of snow instead of Foley sounds, because you can’t create as unique a sound with Foley as with real field recording. My goal is to explain why, and introduce general problems of winter field recording in this article.

Studio or Field?

There are two places to record sound effects — the studio and the field. Both places have their own strengths. The studio is always quiet, easy to control and you can collect your Foley material near to you. Work can be done fast.

On the other hand, a studio can be too small, sometimes hard to control, and presents a lack of surprises. In the field you can try new things, and you always have space to do things — but sometimes they can be too noisy, the location can be too remote, or work may happen too slowly.

Everybody talks a lot about Foley work. I feel that field recording is underestimated — there are so many stories about the sound design of Hollywood blockbuster movies and how similar sounds have been created in big game studios.

Maybe it is more glamorous if you work in a nice, big studio — but you can create quality sounds in the field, too. You can easily find realistic sounds and you don’t have to find good material for the Foley. There is also something “extreme” about going to nature and recording things. It is more rewarding than just sitting in the studio with mic and recording.

Lots of games and movies try to be loudest product of the year. I have to admit that this is cool. You can crank your volume up and shoot those alien freaks back to space! But I also like soundtracks which have some kind of idea — details in the sound, something unique. One way to create something unique is field recording. There are lots of sounds which wait for recording. They can be good as how they sound or something new when you edit them.

It is faster to work in a studio because everything is close and there aren’t any unwanted noises. In the field things can go badly, and it can take time. But if you know how to record sounds and you are aware what you need, you can save time in the editing and mixing processes. Real sound can fit as it is — but studio recordings probably need editing.

For example, if you record footsteps in 5F (-15C) weather, you can record it from the right distance, you get the right surface and quality of snow, and you’ll have the natural ambience.

Creating the same sound in a studio environment can be tricky. You have to eliminate room tone, you have to have the right items to make a sound which sounds like snow, and you have to get the right ambience. By ambience I don’t mean background noises and whatever — I mean the ambience which characterizes the sound itself, so that it isn’t too “dry”.

So if you can’t easily create it in the studio, or you can’t find the sound in commercial sound effects libraries, then you have to go to field and record it! For that matter, why to bother to even check out libraries? Nobody can blame you repeating sounds or similarity to others’ work, if you build your own sounds.

Of course there are money and timetable issues, but people should know that if they want something original and unique then they might have to be patient, and aware of the value of sounds.

Lately, I have been working with winter sounds and especially with snow footsteps. A pretty typical mistake in movies and games is snow footstep sounds. You can create those in your studio. People use salt, cornstarch, potato flour, and other substances. They are great tools for snow footsteps, but not in as many cases as you’d like.

That stuff will work if you have to do something like dry and crunchy sounds — many of movies use those. Believe me, there’s a pretty big difference if weather is 32F (0C), 14F (-10C) or -22F (-30C). And that is not all. Different types of snow have their own sounds. New snow, old snow, powder, snow on the ice — each has its own unique sound.

That’s why it is hard to make good snow sounds in the studio. You have to have the right temperature and right quality of snow. If you want to make fresh snow sounds that you can’t make in a typical studio, you have to have a really large studio because if you step in same place on fresh snow, it doesn’t sound as good as it should the second time. And how you can collect fresh snow to studio?

“Normal Foley” snow footstep sounds will bluff people who don’t know winter sounds. But people who have that knowledge will be pretty stunned if you make a mistake. Lately I watched a movie. It had scene where two people speak to each other outside. They are acting like they’re freezing.

They also wore winter jackets and their breath is freezing. Amazingly, the footstep sounds were something that you’d expect to hear in 32F (0C) which sounds like it has snowed and it is still wet.

Temperature is everything. Snow changes with it, and it definitely will change surrounding sounds. For example in -4F (-20C) snow will be icy and hard. Footstep sounds are very bright and light. The ambience is very echoing. You can hear cars, planes, runners, dogs from far away. In 32F (0C) everything is different. Footsteps are crunchy, wet and heavy. The same goes with ambience — there’s not so much echoing. It seems that wet snow “sucks” all the sounds.

And you also have to remember that vegetation and other surfaces freeze too. Sand and gravel will get wet and freeze. They become crispy; the same happens to grass and leafs too. These will affect sounds when there isn’t so much snow. You can hear snow and the surfaces under it. The possibilities are endless. When there is more snow things go a little easier because you don’t have think surfaces — just the quality of snow.

I think that best way to record snow footsteps is record it in the real material. It will sound the best, and most realistic. I am aware that sounds don’t have to be realistic, but they have to be unnoticeable. Of course, many people don’t know how they should sound — but to me it is pretty irritating. And why have to do everything same way every time?

Let’s think about this another way. A nature film might have a night scene with a bird singing. To me, that is just a typical bird singing. To birdwatchers, that same song could mean something totally different. Maybe he or she knows that bird doesn’t make that kind of sound in the night but it does it in the morning. Again, realistic sounds communicate more than fake ones do.

Preparation for the Field Recording

Preparation is everything in all work. That is where you save time, money, extra work and nerves. Harder and more demanding work needs more preparation. Preparation can be done in many different ways. Everyone has his own style, but I think it should include at least these:

1. Check that you have all needed equipment
2. Check that all equipment works
3. Charge all batteries
4. Make an organized and well-planned task list
5. Eliminate all unwanted sound sources. For example, tape bag straps, shoelaces, etc.
6. Double check!
7. Take enough clothes and maybe some snack with you

It is good to make every little adjustment when you are still inside because, when you go to out in -40F (-40C) weather, I think you may want go to back inside and repair that broken cable in there… instead of outdoors.

Clothes

The most important thing in recording in winter is definitely clothing. There are two important things about your clothes, in fact. Firstly, clothes keep you warm. Usually best way is to wear three different layers which have their own important task to keep you warm and dry. You can read more about it from trekking websites or Wikipedia. I could easily write another article about it — but let’s stay focused.

Secondly, your clothes should be made of something which doesn’t make unwanted rustling. It can affect your recordings. The bad news is that if you follow instructions on what your three layers of clothes should be, you may not get your desired results. Yes, you might keep warm and dry, but almost all technical winter clothes are really noisy.

Of course, what you’re wearing should be fitted to what you’re doing. If you are recording something which doesn’t include moving, then you can wear whatever you want. But if you have to move at the same time as you record, then you have to think twice about what you wear. If you want to record natural snow footsteps, for example, then you have to wear clothes that don’t rustle.

I have been using one or two layers of underwear — something which fits perfectly and keeps you dry. Fleece is good mid-layer material. It keeps you warm. The important outer layer should be something which protects you from wind, because wind will multiply freezing situations.

I have been using a jogging suit because it doesn’t make any unwanted sounds. It is not warm, but it will keep you warm if you move. It is important to keep in your mind that it is bad to wear too much clothing. You will get sweaty, and you will feel cold after a few minutes.

Equipment

New digital hi-tech equipment has lots of extra functions and looks fancy. Unfortunately most of them are not built for hard conditions, so technical problems might arise. For example, LCD screens freeze, memory cards don’t work, or the battery goes low extremely quickly.

I solve this problem with a heat cable which works with a small battery. I wrap my recording equipment with towels and wrap this heating cable in it. This system keeps recording device warm for about three to five hours.

If you don’t want to build your own heating system, then you can save your battery with the power button, though this may not work with all devices. Some of them will not restart before you have warmed them again. I’d rather keep power on all the time. Of course it depends what you’re doing, but I think it is the better way. That’s why you need extra batteries.

One of the most irritating things is that microphone cables will go stiff. If you coil your cable up, it will freeze in that shape. When you untie it, it will be hard to get straight. The easiest way to avoid this problem is take a few different lengths of extra cables to your bag. If you need a shorter cable, you can just change it.

 

Other Considerations

Changing weather can be tricky. If you go out to record some nice wet snow, be aware that the weather can change significantly in two hours. You may find that snow doesn’t sound like it sounded two hours ago. It might be more crispy, because the temperature got lower.

Good recording locations may also be hard to find. It should be silent. No animals, traffic, or people can be near in the recording place. Freezing weather will make sounds audible from a longer distance. For example, I once thought that I found a perfect place.

It was near a lake, with no traffic, people or anything else near me. I started to record. It didn’t take a long when I noticed that something weird was going on. It was the lake. It made a low frequency rumbling noise because it was 14F (-10C) and the ice was moving and changing its shape.

After Recording

Work is not done when you record your last sound. You have to take care of your equipment. When you bring your equipment back indoors they will get damp. It is very important to open all battery covers, cases, unplug cables, put wind shield to dry, etc. This will not take a long time but it will keep your equipment in good condition. I have seen too many people undervalue their equipment.

Conclusion

Everything doesn’t have to be as loud as it can. More nuance, details, dynamics, crazy ideas, and hard work will raise the quality of game audio. Games get more interesting and unique soundtracks when you try novel techniques.

The play experience will be better, because the player won’t hear typical snow sounds — they’ll hear real sounds with real surfaces. Suddenly, your games feel fresh. The player might never realize what’s different, but the game will feel fresh and new.

After all, I think that winter sounds can be amazingly hard to get, but it’s worth it. The versatility of winter sounds is huge, so I really think that they should be taken seriously. I’m not saying that I recommend field recording only for the winter sounds, either. Many things can be done in studio with Foley, but sometimes you have to go outside and make it real.

To me, winter is near to my heart, and I also really love to work in hard conditions. Is there anything more pleasant than coming from freezing weather to your home after four or eight hours, and making coffee? Nothing! And outdoor living is good for you anyway.

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Apparently Netflix is wanting to ride the Xbox into your bedroom. Netflix has been polling it’s clientèle if they’d like their Movies Streamed into their EX - Boxes and popped up on the HDTV. It’s more of that heady mix of companies trying to put the pieces together for bigger and bigger shares of Media Dollars. We’ll have to wait to see if this wedding between Microsoft and Netflix produces Profit or Divorce!

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Microsoft added to the buzz leading up to the anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto IV by dropping a limited run of 500 GTA-branded Xbox 360 Elite systems and a briefcase full of peripherals today. We got our hands on number 170 out of 500. More pics after the jump.

The guys at Xbox took an Elite system and, using automotive-quality paint, touched up the sides of the 360 with the GTA IV box art and a serial number. Not a bad way to welcome the first title in the franchise that didn’t drop as a Sony exclusive. Rockstar is also producing exclusive episodes for 360 users available for download this fall. Hopefully it involves Bill Gates and Warren Buffet rolling up on GTA IV’s featured hitter Niko Bellic. The game finally drops on April 29. Unfortunately, the limited run of GTA IV 360s ain’t available in stores.

I’ve never made a bigger mistake in my life than playing Silent Hill Origins. Just now looking over at Google Images you’d see a number of cool monsters in Origins which would lead you to think that the game is cool and fun. But nothing could be further from the truth! With the 80 Meg Playstation 3 able to ‘backtrack’ (play ps2 games) I thought that I’d try to get a fast one in from Game Fly.

Cool Monster from Silent Hill Origins.

 

But it didn’t work out that way. The game starts out with some real ‘Chicken Talk’ from two white southern lickin’ cowboy types over the cb radio… that right there is enough to give you pause! One of these “Heroes” is our main character, a truck driver. Well that could set up a number of cool tough white guy stunts! And in this era where Barack Obama is King we’d best watch ourselves! Still the Southern slang element is a sure strong one in our backwoods nation. Yet as I was maneuvering, “Travis” down the blacktop and into Silent Hill at the beginning of the game I couldn’t help but worry about his very stiff stance. He is literally tree like in his stiffness! He brings to my mind the cool Reverend in the much better than reviewed Jericho by Clive Barker. In that one the Reverend doesn’t bend at all but because he’s a killer and a christian that makes it cool. Which gave that character a sort of devil may care vibe.

“Travis” our Truck Driver and Hero from Silent Hill Origins

 

Then all of a sudden as the screen slowly, very, very slowly takes you down the road as Travis enters Silent Hill there begins the patented “Chick Moment”. Which means that one of those weepy type women will start singing and sure enough we’re supposed to then be primed for this mystery. Well then Travis finds a house burning in Silent Hill and rescues a little burnt girl in a Pentagram, yet by this time you realize that there isn’t a universal camera. That’s right you just walk through and you can’t choose what to see or where to look. Which is fine if you can actually tie the story and surroundings into the video game.. but here everything was really very hard to see! And the lack of mobility of Travis had me visualizing hours of moving his slow witted butt everywhere in this latest Silent Hill. I was getting pretty discouraged with the 90’s visuals… yet as a certified ‘Gamer’ I sure had to press on, right?

Another Silent Hill Monster

 

As the game progresses, Travis rescues the little burnt girl then faints. He awakens on a bench in Silent Hill and from there he has to get to the Hospital. It’s pretty slow going again, and after playing so many cool shooters where it’s kill, kill, kill it is becoming more difficult to play these 90’s retreads. Believe me I’m up to a good Role Playing Game, they are very rare these days, but to me, they are the real reason for gaming. My goodness I remember playing text based Lord Of The Rings on D.O.S. if that’s any proof! Still, with the advancements of the day one best put everything and the kitchen sink into a gaming prospect! Origins should have stayed on the PSP, I can see that on that this game might have found its element… it would look and feel cool with the limited abilities of PSP. That you can play it on something about as big as a cell phone does bring some wonder into the world! But on the Big Boy Systems, Wii, XBox and PS3 and 2 you really should have it together! Origins is embarrassingly poor in this regard.

Onward then. So now Travis is in the hospital and I’m thinking that maybe it will pick up, even though everything is really hard to see, let’s see what happens. So he walks into a number of rooms and then goes to this mirror. Well after a view or two the mirror changes the entire game scene from muddy and slow to unseeable and dead! I mean really, really hard to see anything darkness! I must admit that I was losing all hope for the game at that point and began to make excuses to myself for returning it the next day to Gamefly, which I hate, hate to do! It’s that ‘couldn’t finish or play a game’ feel that was upon me! So I rummagged around some more propelling Travis, stiff and slow through a number of rooms in the hospital. Here he picked up a sledgehammer then there was this box that wouldn’t open it need some numbers, then there was some wax figures on the floor, you get the picture. That these things would be solved in some way by playing through the game. But by that time I had returned to the Hospitals first floor again and was still having trouble seeing anything in front of me. It was then that I simply exited the game and ejected it from the PS3. The next day I mailed it away.

I feel better now though because I just found out that Gamefly is sending me Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 so my timing turned out okay. Still I do dislike a game that I can’t even get into like Silent Hill Origins. This kind of thing upsets me nearly as much as when a game gets to hard for me to continue with. Sometimes monsters in games are just too hard to kill.

Silent Hill Origins… well I didn’t really play the game then. It wasn’t worthy of my attention because of its immense designing flaws. Still I’d best rate it.

I give this game a 3 out of 10

Only a total Silent Hill Nut could find anything worth playing here.

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AROUND THE BEND
Why I play games
Gideon Nieuwoudt

Faced with trying to convince my family during the past holidays that gaming is not a waste of time, I realised once again what a misconception there is about games and those who play it.

Yes, it is entertainment and, yes, it might not contribute to world peace (well, not directly, at any rate), so trying to explain to a non-gamer why I enjoy gaming so much is as difficult as trying to explain colour to the blind. But one can try.

The general impression among the non-gamer population of our little corner of the universe seems to be that gamers are (a) lazy, (b) nerds, and (c) rather weird, among other things.

Although I must admit that there is certainly enough supporting evidence for this impression, I’ve got a different picture that I’d like to show: generally speaking, gamers are (a) highly intelligent, (b) have active imaginations, and (c) are actually quite sociable in our own way.

To fully understand why I say this, you need to do some exploring of the gaming world yourself. It’s one of those onion things: the more layers you peel away, the more you discover beneath. But no, it won’t bring you to tears.

A little known fact is that the global gaming industry rivals the movie industry in annual revenue. And everybody watches movies, right? So if you don’t play games, then you might even be in the minority.

Some play games as a form of escapism, sure enough, and yes, there is a lot that can be said against this. But so is reading books or watching movies. In fact, reading books is deemed an intelligent way to spend your leisure time.

In a lot of ways, games have a lot more to add to a person’s skill-development and even intellect, than books.

Reading a good book opens up fountains of emotion and unlocks one’s imagination, true enough. But a very good game can do this as well, while also adding skills like analytical thinking, deductive reasoning, increased reflexes and general heightened brain activity.

Fair enough, not all games do this, but neither do all books or movies. For the sake of this article, I’m focussing on those that do.

Personally, the biggest reason why I play games, however, is imagination. When faced with an imaginary world that is so rich in detail, brilliantly executed and heart-achingly beautiful to look at, my imagination explodes. And when the gameplay is creative and the storyline engrossing, it’s like being bombarded by visual, aural and brain stimulation all rolled into one.

And then there’s the human element. Computer gaming has become an increasingly social and interactive experience, where playing against your friends and developing new friendships around games is a very common occurrence. This is even more so with multiplayer events where people come together to play games against each other and socialise. It’s the same as hanging out with your mates for any other reason.

In fact, playing a good game is actually the best way to spend your leisure time, because it supplies entertainment, while also stimulating your brain and imagination and improving your people skills (believe it or not).

So the next time that “special” person in your life invites you to a join them in a gaming session, why not take them up on the offer?

You might just discover a world that will blow your mind.

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Sony Celebrates 120 Percent PS3 Sales Increase

Sony has released its own comments following the release of February’s NPD sales figures, noting a 120 percent year over year increase in PS3 sales and the continued strength of its PlayStation 2.

The PlayStation Portable also saw a 38 percent jump in year over year sales. Sony says its PlayStation 2 sold “more software units than any other console on the market” for the third consecutive month.

Its PlayStation Network has seen growth as well, with more than 3.3 million current users and 56 million life-to-date downloads. Sony says that in February there were 6.3 million downloads, just shy of the holiday-high 6.6 million in December.

Said SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton, “Consumers are recognizing the tremendous value of PS3 and we believe that Blu-ray becoming the high-def format of choice was the tipping point for many consumers. With monster titles like Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and Grand Theft Auto IV launching in April and Metal Gear Solid 4 in June, we’re demonstrating this is the year for PS3.”

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VideoGameCentral - New Cheapass Gamer Deals - Low Game Prices

So your a total cheapass gamer? Your looking for a deal everyday, no matter what it is. So everyday low prices don’t do justice for you? Then here is where you will find the absolute lowest price on a featured game or accessory for your cheapass woot self.

XBOX 360 Premium System Console Refurbished - Warranty Included XBOX 360 Premium System Console Refurbished - Warranty Included xbox360refurbished Compare Lowest Price on the Web at:$349.99 Your Best Price On This Item Now:

We couldn’t resist this deal of the day over at Video Game Central especially after that Cheapass Gamer Crack. Besides we simply love Advertising in every form and fashion! I know that we are a Minority but we can’t help it… if you buy or not doesn’t much matter here at Lost Planet we’ll simply keep trying, it’s like an obsession I suppose like you and your Games! And besides you might just want an X-Box and that’s a pretty low price… blah, blah, blah… here we go again…

Army of Two by Electronic Arts.

Army of Two is a ‘Shooter’ is what they are calling games these days where it is necessary to shoot people, animals or aliens. The way in which Army of Two does it though is pretty good actually. I don’t see this Game being anything new on the game scene but I did like its Tone. The banter between the two main characters Ruiz and Snow was really kind of cool with Ruiz treating Snow as a kind of ‘little brother’ type.

The game itself revolves around a number of specifics. And yes, there is the usual ‘terrorist’ bad guys, all comically done of course. Islam steps in for the Nazi’s these days in the minds of game makers and their fans. All to the good I suppose in that it’s just entertainment and not the politics of real life. Black and White is very important these days in creative endevours. Which side am I on is for some not even considered, a sort of follow may care attitude that does intersect in real life as well! So, getting the adrenaline flowing with the Hate of the Day Club isn’t such a bad idea especially in a Video Game.

All to say that Army of Two handles itself very well as just two Mercenaries of War killing those they’ve been hired to kill. When they are Blackmailed by another more high level “Scout” a loose wire named Cole things get interesting. The gun battles can be pretty maddening in Army of Two. Chasing down the various mixtures of terrorist’s isn’t as easy as you would think. They are very hard to run after and shoot! They move up wind quite a lot and actually have a large roaming area! Ten minutes ago you came down from that hill and there is a shooting terrorist on it! So, in Army of Two the antagonists are not stupid as we are used to. They do go down nicely though, as they should!

Ruiz and Snow have some primary missions and I must say now that don’t expect Army of Two to be the longest game you’ve ever played. It is short! You get a pre-mo at the beginning of Army of Two… a simulation of battle where you test out the controls. More and more games are doing this and it can be fun, but in Army Of Two it is really sort of weak. I think the makers needed to add some story time because it takes quite a while to get out of training and onto the actual missions, which, in fact your not sure your on until the second mission. These missions begin with drug runners and end with Iraq and the aforementioned turncoat Cole. The missions aren’t very difficult and the game does keep you going. I’m known to dislike a hard game. I’ve encountered ‘Game Making Teams’ who need to put everything to the test. A sort of ‘How Smart are You’ test that is maddening to the player. So it is nice to see some games that aren’t so amazingly difficult! Army of Two is good this way, I suggest you play it as a Recruit as I did all the way through. Every advantage is necessary when battling evil, right? Is how I look at it. I hope someday that games simply put in a ‘Solution Key or Screen’ that will actually do the damn thing for you. That would be very nice. I can’t tell you how many games I’ve abandoned because they got too hard or unreasonable. After all I’m just playing a game I’m not curing World Hunger!

The missions in Army of Two really don’t bring about much of a story. Yet the characters in Army of Two are pretty vivid for a Video Game. The Voice’s here don’t grate and are pretty good in the voice acting category. There is a nice tie in between Ruiz and Snow with Vickie their Chick Assistant. She’s intelligent and fairly good looking if you like girls. Actually the best thing about Army of Two is the general atmosphere. It’s low key in a cool way and the military “Brass” are ‘over the top’ like everyone likes. You won’t find a Dr. Strangelove in here, but Ruiz and Snows’ Nemisis, Cole is pretty funny in the way he changes. He’s like Batman’s Joker in a way, in the manner in which he goes from one persona and look on into another. Levels of insanity that are enjoyable for all to see! At the end your not sure if Cole is actually dead Ruiz and Snow think so, but in the sequel, if there is one, it would be interesting to see the game revolve around these three again… making Cole even more dangerous perhaps… you could tie in a Military for Hire senario with this Cole trouble as a means to keep the action exciting and do away with the dreaded ‘Down Time’… weepy love scenes and searches for ‘depth’ that so many ‘creative’ types long for.

Army of Two ends rather abruptly, in fact I didn’t know it was over until all of a sudden there were the credits! I didn’t bother with the Online part as I have to get it back to Game Spy! The funny thing about this is that I only had time to update my Magnum 44 to the limit for one mission! Luckily I even Pimped it out for 10,000 Gs… lol… and I didn’t think that it was nearly shiny enough in the game for that price! Kind of like a Big Mac in a commercial and the actual thing. The other thing is that you have the ability to swap weapons with your partner in crime, in this case, Snow. I was going to give him my Primary Weapon that I’d built up nicely and then I was going to go for the 200,000 dollar model… but the game only gives you a little time before a mission to swap weapons before the mission actually begins… you can’t go back and forth is what I mean… as in Devil May Cry 4 where you have an actual spot to upgrade etc.

I can see a good future for Army of Two though… it’s a pleasant diversion that could become something much better the next time around. We will just have to wait and see.

I give this game a 5... out of 10….

Worth playing I’d say.

 

Army of Two

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Googads! Amazon Store

 

Grand Theft Auto IV From Rockstar Games Price: $59.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details Availability: Not yet released Ships from and sold by Amazon.com Average customer review:

 

 

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Rockstar Games
• Released on: 2008-04-29
• ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
• Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
• Dimensions: 2.00 pounds

Features

• For Play on Your PlayStation 3
• Published by Rockstar
• Game Genre: Action/Adventure, Game Sub-Genre: Crime

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Beginning with the 1997 release of the original Grand Theft Auto, the GTA series has been one of the most prolific, controversial and down right entertaining franchises in video games history. This pedigree of success guarantees that the highly anticipated eleventh game in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV, will garner at least as much attention if not more.

Niko’s American Dream. View larger.

Get behind the wheel with Niko. View larger.

Liberty City is your for the taking. View larger.

The Plot
Grand Theft Auto IV is a brand new adventure in the GTA universe following the experiences of Nikolai “Niko” Bellic, a new immigrant from an undisclosed eastern European! country whose troubled past and the persuasion of his cousin Roman have brought him to the fictional Liberty City. Unfortunately, Niko’s search of the American Dream and a much needed fresh start hits an immediate snag when the rags to riches story Roman spun to pique Niko’s interest is exposed as not only a complete fabrication, but a ploy to enlist Niko’s well-known skills as a tough guy against the ample list of enemies clamoring for Roman’s debt-ridden blood.

Because Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City he begrudgingly accepts his role as Roman’s protector despite the deception. But as time goes on Niko comes into his own, and his experience on the wrong side of the tracks proves more valuable than he could have ever imagined as he fights for survival and later supremacy on the crime ridden streets of Liberty City.

Game Environments
Based on several of the boroughs of New York City and parts of New Jersey, Liberty City, familiar to players of previous games in the series, has been entirely redesigned for GTA IV. Players can expect visible detail down to the weeds growing in the cracks in the sidewalk, cars and buildings of visibly different ages and a much greater level if verticality in the buildings and bridges that they are able to explore as Niko moves through the city streets. In addition, pedestrians in GTA IV are much more realistic. No longer simply moving cardboard cutouts, these NPCs are intelligent, modern, human representations that laugh, cry, eat, drink, use cell phones and ATMs, and talking amongst themselves regardless of Niko’s interaction with them.

Gameplay
Historically GTA games have focused heavily on mission-based play, requiring successful completion of fixed tasks in order for players to progress through the game, but this has changed in to a ! great extent in GTA IV. Players will experience an entirely new and exciting emphasis centered on the blending of on-mission and off-mission play, resulting not only in an increased sense of realism, but more interesting and unrestricted gameplay.

Features
Official features for GTA IV have yet to be released. Stay tuned for more information as the game’s release in early ‘08 draws nearer.

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Customer Reviews

The King of all Kings has come back
Yes, GTA is coming and it will blow away all the competition. This game will redifine the open-world genre. Finally the greatest franchise of all time will take its throne once again.

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Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV The smash hit that made free-roaming, open world games popular is back for a ninth installment in the form of Grand Theft Auto IV. For the first time ever, experience the series in stunning High Definition on your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3! The Story So Far GTA IV takes you to a vastly upgraded Liberty City where you will follow European immigrant Nikolai Niko Bellic in his pursuit of the American Dream. Lured to the States by his shady cousin Roman, he quickly finds that things are not as he expected. As it turns out, Roman is heavily in debt to the wrong people, and Niko is now left to bail him out of trouble by any means necessary. Truly Next-Generation Traditionally, the GTA series has required the completion of fixed missions before advancing in the game. However, GTA IV adopts a format where the line between main and side missions is blurred. Niko is now armed with a cell phone and his phone could ring at any time. Who knows who or what will be on the other end? Details, Details, Details A fully customizable Niko means you will be able to pull up to a boutique, enter the shop, choose out your clothes, and purchase them just like in real life. Also, remember when carjacking was made easy? Well not anymore. In Grand Theft Auto IV, you will be asked to hotwire cars, meaning time is of the essence. One slip up could land you a night in the slammer. These are just some of the detailed improvements in gameplay for the latest installment of the game.

Grand Theft Auto IV previewWelcome back to Liberty City…

The final countdown…

The latest addition to the ever-popular Grand Theft Auto series will be hurtling into shops in a couple of months. It’s set to take the familar GTA action, humour, terrible driving and tabloid-baiting controversy to a whole new level and will be the first time the franchise has landed on next-generation consoles.

Virgin Media was treated to a sneak preview of Grand Theft Auto IV, and we were blown away by how impressive it’s shaping up to be. Here’s why…

 

Fans speculated for years on where GTA IV would be set. Japan? Europe? Somewhere we hadn’t thought of? In fact, it’s back to basics, for the action takes place in Liberty City, setting for the original overhead-view GTA games as well as Grand Theft Auto III. But Liberty City has never been quite like this before.

Whereas previous versions of Liberty City paid the odd homage to New York, this time around the place is closely modelled on the Big Apple, with five familiar regions making up the gameplay area. There’s the main island of Algonquin (bearing many a resemblance to Manhattan), Alderney (to the west, where New Jersey should be), Dukes (instead of Queens), Broker (sound a bit like Brooklyn?) and Bohan (the Bronx). Best of all, historic NY suburb Brighton Beach becomes Hove Beach.

Into these mean streets steps our new hero, Nikolai “Niko” Bellic. Let’s meet him…

Nikolai “Niko” Bellic (on the right here) has come to Liberty City from somewhere in Eastern Europe, persuaded by his cousin Roman to come over and join him in experiencing all the fabulous trappings of the American dream, complete with hot tubs and girls in bikinis. As it turns out, Roman is in fact running a cab firm in a dingy part of town, so Niko is going to have to make his own way.

As the game’s trailer reveals, Niko has a somewhat shady past. “I’ve killed people, smuggled people, sold people.” Before long, he’s drawn into more criminal goings on, running errands for local crooks and building up status and wealth in the Liberty City underworld.

The basic gameplay mechanics stick with the series’ tried-and-trusted formula. Your main means of getting around town are walking / running and driving. All vehicles are there to be pinched; you can haul unfortunate drivers out of their seats or hot-wire a parked car.

If you’d rather stay the right side of the law, you can also hail a cab and let someone else do the driving.

Vehicle physics feel much improved since the last GTA outing, and you have a greater choice of camera views as you tear up the road. One cool new addition is the ability to cycle through the cinematic cameras by holding down a button on the keypad. Turn up the music on the in-game radio and let the game pick out dramatic camera angles, and you’ll feel even more like you’re part of an epic crime movie.

As with previous games, you’ll spend lots of time fleeing from the police, who will have every reason to take you into custody. There’s now a superb new mechanism involved when it comes to dodging the boys in blue. As soon as your latest criminal act is detected by the cops, your radar on the bottom-left of the screen pops up a circle to represent the distance they can detect you; sneak out of the circle and you’re in the clear.

Evading capture is also more scientific, based now on lines of sight. If the police lose sight of you, they can’t catch you, so sneak down an alleyway as patrol cars go by and you will be free to continue your crime rampage undisturbed.

The souped-up radar is handy also for simply navigating the streets. Whereas previous games just gave you dots to drive towards, GTA IV actually suggests routes to drive along, and if the car you’ve comandeered is a posh one, there’ll be a sat-nav to tell you where to turn right.

We all know that next-gen consoles are a real cut above when it comes to graphics, but GTA IV looks even better than you’ll have hoped.

Graphical realism is far higher than what we saw in 2004’s GTA: San Andreas, both during the game and in the regular cut-scene animations. There are neat extra touches like breath coming out of Niko’s mouth and chimneys churning out realistic smoke. Water - of which there is lots - is convincingly rendered and splatters onto the “camera” when you’re captaining a boat at speed.

Weather effects like burning orange sunsets and downpours of rain make the city look even more striking and help ensure that you’ll never get bored of looking at Liberty City. Without much doubt, GTA IV will be as easy on the eye as any other game this year.

In previous GTA outings, the fun often came more from the driving escapades than the on-foot battles, but the balance has now shifted. Gunfights are now far more fluid, realistic, exciting and bloody. You’re still helped out by a lock-on targetting system but that doesn’t make it too easy.

We were shown a couple of massive gunfights that were more akin to the blistering street firefights of the film Heat than the sometimes-underwhelming shootouts of earlier games. You can crouch behind scenery and blind-fire, Gears of War-style, or go all out and attack with an even more devastating set of weaponry then before. Explosions are as big, loud and damaging as they should be.

With greater realism and even more violence and blood than we’re used to, GTA IV should logically be a much darker affair than its predecessors - but we didn’t see much evidence of that. In fact, it’s packed with even more hilarious moments than other GTA games.

The in-game radio stations continue to be a source of constant laughs, cut-scenes are full of humour and throwaway gags don’t let up. The character of Little Jacob is a one-man comedy show himself; this Jamaican gunrunner sports the thickest patois you’ve ever hear and, thanks to the giant spliff he carries, generates an entire cloud of marijuana smoke whenever he gets into your car.

Grand Theft Auto IV has more than it’s fair share of humour. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll shoot people in the face.

 

Powering GTA IV is the spanking new euphoria game animation engine, which adds a new dimension to gameplay.

It’s hard to over-state just how exciting a development euphoria could be for the gaming world. It generates animations on-the-fly, and character movements and reactions are different every time, depending on their position and the events going on around them rather than being pre-canned animations..

For the first few hours you play GTA IV, you’ll regularly lose concentration as you stop to marvel at euphoria in action, whether it’s a pedestrian cowering spontaneously from a speeding car, a hand-to-hand punch up in which the combatants dodge and respond to each other’s motion, or Niko clinging realistically to the back of a vehicle and being hurled around in ultra-realistic fashion.

When you stop consciously noticing it at work, euphoria adds an entire new level of realism to the game and means that even when you are annoyed to have to retry a mission, there’s every chance that it will feel completely fresh on each attempt.

The good people of Liberty City go about their business with a sense of purpose you won’t have seen before in the series. They don’t just shuffle aimlessly, but all seem to be doing something, whether it’s pausing for a smoke, sweeping the street, chatting on the phone, or loitering with intent in a shady alleyway. The city feels like a living, breathing place rather than being populated by zombie passers-by.

 

In 2004’s GTA: San Andreas, you could customise your character no end, and even make them fitter of fatter by sending them to fried chicken restaurants or the gym. It was amusing but rather pointless, and you won’t be wasting time supersizing Niko with greasy food or changing his attire.

You will, however, be getting him to interact with his friends and accomplices across Liberty City more elaborately and realistically than before. It’s handy having people on-side; using your mobile phone you can get cousin Roman to arrange you a cab to get around town faster, or call up a gunrunner to deliver you an arsenal of weapons as required.

But you’ll need to keep associates happy, not only by completing missions for them but by keeping appointments that you make and even socialising with them. You can call up a mate and suggest you go bowling, meet for a beer, even go to a strip joint. Cultivate those friendships, and you’ll be rewarded.

That mobile is one key device for running your life in the GTA IV world. Another is the police computer, accessible from any patrol car you nick, which is a useful database that you can tap into to track people down. You can also find out about what’s going on by tuning in to the police radio channels, and if you commit a big crime you might hear it reported on a radio news station.

GTA IV addresses some of the niggles that detracted from the experience in previous games. There’s an auto-save feature so you don’t any longer have to be in a safe-house to secure your progress.

When you fail a mission, you are sent a text message asking if you want to restart it straight away. That saves you having to get all the way back to the start point and repeat the introductory cut-scene.

Another annoyance that has been eliminated is loading time: there simply isn’t any. That means no let-ups in gameplay when Niko enters or exits a building.

We can say with some certainty that Grand Theft Auto IV is going to sell gazillions of copies. If you want to make sure you get your mits on it on the day of release.

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Googads! Amazon Store

 

Shopping Cart

Product Details

Grand Theft Auto IV From Rockstar Games Price: $59.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details Availability: Not yet released Ships from and sold by Amazon.com Average customer review:

 

 

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Rockstar Games
• Released on: 2008-04-29
• ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
• Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
• Dimensions: 2.00 pounds

Features

• For Play on Your PlayStation 3
• Published by Rockstar
• Game Genre: Action/Adventure, Game Sub-Genre: Crime

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Beginning with the 1997 release of the original Grand Theft Auto, the GTA series has been one of the most prolific, controversial and down right entertaining franchises in video games history. This pedigree of success guarantees that the highly anticipated eleventh game in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV, will garner at least as much attention if not more.

Niko’s American Dream. View larger.

Get behind the wheel with Niko. View larger.

Liberty City is your for the taking. View larger.

The Plot
Grand Theft Auto IV is a brand new adventure in the GTA universe following the experiences of Nikolai “Niko” Bellic, a new immigrant from an undisclosed eastern European! country whose troubled past and the persuasion of his cousin Roman have brought him to the fictional Liberty City. Unfortunately, Niko’s search of the American Dream and a much needed fresh start hits an immediate snag when the rags to riches story Roman spun to pique Niko’s interest is exposed as not only a complete fabrication, but a ploy to enlist Niko’s well-known skills as a tough guy against the ample list of enemies clamoring for Roman’s debt-ridden blood.

Because Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City he begrudgingly accepts his role as Roman’s protector despite the deception. But as time goes on Niko comes into his own, and his experience on the wrong side of the tracks proves more valuable than he could have ever imagined as he fights for survival and later supremacy on the crime ridden streets of Liberty City.

Game Environments
Based on several of the boroughs of New York City and parts of New Jersey, Liberty City, familiar to players of previous games in the series, has been entirely redesigned for GTA IV. Players can expect visible detail down to the weeds growing in the cracks in the sidewalk, cars and buildings of visibly different ages and a much greater level if verticality in the buildings and bridges that they are able to explore as Niko moves through the city streets. In addition, pedestrians in GTA IV are much more realistic. No longer simply moving cardboard cutouts, these NPCs are intelligent, modern, human representations that laugh, cry, eat, drink, use cell phones and ATMs, and talking amongst themselves regardless of Niko’s interaction with them.

Gameplay
Historically GTA games have focused heavily on mission-based play, requiring successful completion of fixed tasks in order for players to progress through the game, but this has changed in to a ! great extent in GTA IV. Players will experience an entirely new and exciting emphasis centered on the blending of on-mission and off-mission play, resulting not only in an increased sense of realism, but more interesting and unrestricted gameplay.

Features
Official features for GTA IV have yet to be released. Stay tuned for more information as the game’s release in early ‘08 draws nearer.

---

Customer Reviews

The King of all Kings has come back
Yes, GTA is coming and it will blow away all the competition. This game will redifine the open-world genre. Finally the greatest franchise of all time will take its throne once again.

---

 

 

Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV The smash hit that made free-roaming, open world games popular is back for a ninth installment in the form of Grand Theft Auto IV. For the first time ever, experience the series in stunning High Definition on your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3! The Story So Far GTA IV takes you to a vastly upgraded Liberty City where you will follow European immigrant Nikolai Niko Bellic in his pursuit of the American Dream. Lured to the States by his shady cousin Roman, he quickly finds that things are not as he expected. As it turns out, Roman is heavily in debt to the wrong people, and Niko is now left to bail him out of trouble by any means necessary. Truly Next-Generation Traditionally, the GTA series has required the completion of fixed missions before advancing in the game. However, GTA IV adopts a format where the line between main and side missions is blurred. Niko is now armed with a cell phone and his phone could ring at any time. Who knows who or what will be on the other end? Details, Details, Details A fully customizable Niko means you will be able to pull up to a boutique, enter the shop, choose out your clothes, and purchase them just like in real life. Also, remember when carjacking was made easy? Well not anymore. In Grand Theft Auto IV, you will be asked to hotwire cars, meaning time is of the essence. One slip up could land you a night in the slammer. These are just some of the detailed improvements in gameplay for the latest installment of the game.

 

I Was looking through a few things on the Internet in terms of Games that is and found this very interesting article from Virgin Media. Added them to our blogroll. I found it interesting that each ‘offending game’ in the article was capped with a Click Here To Buy This Game from Virgin. So I suppose Virgin isn’t all that worried after all… I guess the “Virginity” Whore off somewhere’s…

 

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Controversial video games

 

Ban this filth!

The debate over controversial video games rumbles on, with the continued ban on the release of Manhunt 2 and likely tabloid outrage when Grand Theft Auto IV arrives in shops. Here’s a look back at the games that have upset the moral guardians over the years…

 

 

Manhunt (2003) and Manhunt 2 (2007 in US, unreleased in UK)

The plot: In Manhunt, you play a condemned criminal who is signed up by a depraved film-maker to go on a rampage of slaughter, which is to be captured on screen and made into a snuff movie. Manhunt 2 has you taking charge of Danny, whose quest is to escape from a mental institution, leaving a trail of murder in his wake.

The more you prolong a victim’s killing, the more points you score. Baseball bats, meat cleavers and random shards of glass are among the murderous accessories you can grab.

The controversy: Both games involve plenty of graphic and unsettling scenes of killing; this one really lived up to its dark reputation. However, tabloid claims that the game had directly inspired a real-life murderer in the UK turned out to be based on the most dubious of facts.

Is it any good? Surprisingly, yes. Manhunt was a polished game, carefully executed and with plenty of depth. It received very decent reviews, although its sequel was gorier and scored lower ratings from the critics.

Click here to buy

Mercenaries (2005) and Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (2008)

The plot: Mercenaries took the free-roaming, pick-your-own-mission setup of Grand Theft Auto and applied it to a futuristic combat scenario, wherein a planned reunification of North and South Korea goes wrong and leads to war. You get a lot of freedom to choose your character and carve your own path through the battle, making use of a wide array of vehicles and weapons.

The controversy: Perhaps inevitably, South Korea took umbrage at the storyline and banned the game outright. Meanwhile, the sequel has upset the country of Venezuela, where it is set, before the game has even got close to its release date. The Venezuelan government reckons the game is a ploy to muster support for the overthrow of its controversial President.

Is it any good? We’ll have to reserve judgement on part two, but the original Mercenaries was a superb blast, which boasted some of the finest battles and biggest explosions the Xbox and PS2 had ever seen.

 

 

Canis Canem Edit, aka Bully (2006)

The plot: This is a sandbox-style game set in Bullworth Academy, a New England boarding school where lead character Jimmy has to settle in, make friends and influence people, fall in love and gain power and respect.

All the staple characters, cliques and traumas of school life are there to be experienced…

The controversy: Sure, there’s some fighting, improvised weaponry and sharp grown-up gags, but this is hardly the “bullying simulator” that the tabloids went crazy about. But people who’d never played it - like anti-video game MP Keith Vaz - kicked up a monumental level of controversy. Several big chains in the UK caved in and refused to stock the game, and anti-bullying campaigners called for it to be banned outright.

Is it any good? Most definitely. This witty, addictive game added some originality to a tired genre and many reviewers named it their top title of the year for ‘06.

 

 

The Sims 2 (2004)

The plot: You get to control lots of little Sims people, building them houses, feeding them, sending them to work and generally trying to make them happy and productive.

It’s a lot like The Sims, but with much better graphics, more depth and even more add-on packs.

The controversy: Surely, those cute and wholesome Sims characters are the very epitome of family-friendly fun? Not quite. The little folks’ private bits are blurred out when they’re naked, but Florida lawyer Jack Thompson - a long-time critic of risque video games - claimed that mods were available to make the Sims’ genitals appear, and that the game was therefore unsuitable for minors.

Is it any good? Millions of worldwide fans think so. The Sims 2’s broad, gun-free appeal means that gamers of all kinds go crazy for it, and the continual stream of add-on packs means it never gets repetitive.

 

 

The Punisher (2004)

The plot: This was the video game tie-in for the rubbish 2004 movie, based on the Marvel comics character. Our hero is Frank Castle, a shady ex-law enforcement vigilante type whose life is devoted to ridding the world of underworld hoods.

When he captures a bad guy there’s an option to “press” them for valuable information or finish them off with a creative means of killing - stuffing them into a woodchipper, for example. Like you do.

The controversy: This one failed to whip up the firestorm that might have been, since the actual depictions of killings themselves were toned down, leaving bloodthirsty gamers frustrated.

Is it any good? It’s no classic but The Punisher offered plenty of solid shoot-em-up action and was by no means boring. It’s a seven-out-of-ten sort of a game.

 

 

The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

The plot: You’re a low-level footsoldier on the streets of San Andreas (a thinly-disguised California), where you have to build your status in three cities and sort out your wayward family, whilst tracking down your mother’s killers.

The controversy: The violence, criminal anti-hero and bad language weren’t the problem. What really got the anti-games lobby in a spin was a mod called Hot Coffee; installing this softward patch unlocked hidden sex scenes in the game. Since these hadn’t been viewed by the censors when the game got its certificate, all kinds of anger ensued.

Is it any good? Although many GTA fans preferred its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, there was no doubting that San Andreas was another masterpiece and a worthy addition to the series.

Stand by for fresh outrage when the red-tops find out about Grand Theft Auto IV’s drunk-driving feature…

 

 

Leisure Suit Larry series (1987-2005)

The plot: Larry Laffer is a geeky would-be lothario whose quest in life is to bed as many ladies as he possibly can. You have to guide him through a succession of seedy bars, hotels and, in the most recent game, a college campus, as he attempts to get some lovin’.

The controversy: Outrage at Larry has only ever been low-level, but his adult antics did cause the odd stir during the 80s and 90s. Still, it’s smut rather than soft porn; actual rude scenes are very thin on the ground.

Is it any good? There have been about a dozen Leisure Suit Larry titles, some of them more fun than others. The gags are of a high quality though, so game fans with a dirty sense of humour should enjoy them. A new addition to the series, subtitled Box Office Bust, is on its way soon.

 

 

Soldier of Fortune (2000), Soldier of Fortune II (2002), Soldier of Fortune: Payback (2007)

The plot: Professional merceneray John Mullins trots around international conflict zones (Iraq, Columbia) to defeat local warlords and battle terrorists. The late Saddam Hussein even pops up at one point.

The controversy: These first-person-shooters are probably the most violent examples of the genre ever; a special game engine allows you to shoot or hack off bits of enemies’ bodies, and direct hits result in rivers of spewing blood.

Censors in Germany and Canada decided the first game was just not nice, and took measures to restrict the game’s availability. Part three, meanwhile, was vetoed in Australia and had to have its violence toned down.

Is it any good? The first two games were hugely entertaining and well put-together, but the third outing felt dull and outdated in the wake of the latest batch of FPS big guns like Crysis. Soldier of Fortune was great fun while it lasted.

 

 

Dead Rising (2006)

The plot: Photo-journalist Frank West is dropped by helicopter into a suburban shopping mall to try and snap some odd goings-on. When he gets there he finds thousands of zombified shoppers wreaking havoc. Using an impressive array of improvised weapons (golf club, lawnmower, pot plant, etc) he sets out to find survivors, figure out what has happened, and kill off thousands and thousands of the undead bargain-hunters.

The controversy: Quite simply, Dead Rising is phenomenally violent and fairly bloody. Germany’s game censors refused to give it a certificate, effectively banning it from sale.

Things got worse for Dead Rising in 2008 when the film-makers behind the movie Dawn of the Dead - also featuring zombies in a shopping mall - decided to sue the game’s producers for copying their handiwork.

Is it any good? Dead Rising is a technical marvel and often loads of fun -and if you like slaying zombies, it’s the game you’ve always wanted. But gameplay niggles like a poor saving setup can make it annoying.

 

 

Postal (1997) and Postal 2 (2003)

The plot: Players take on the role of “Postal Dude”, who is basically in a bad mood and decides to shoot lots of innocent passers-by. The more victims you blow away, the higher your score. Much blood is shed and many a wisecrack is unleashed.

The controversy: This one upset absolutely everyone - and is it really a surprise? Many countries banned Postal outright, and its makers even got sued by the US Postal Service who claimed that the game had darkened their good name.

Is it any good? Not hugely. Apart from the novelty value of its controversy, there wasn’t much here to keep gamers entertained. Maybe the upcoming Postal III (above) - set for release soon on next-gen consoles - will be an improvement.

 

The Dead Or Alive series (1996 - 2008)

The plot: With its origins in the arcades, the Dead Or Alive series is made up mostly of conventional fighting games, with the twist that many key characters are females, who aren’t wearing much and tend to er…”jiggle” quite a bit during combat. Spin-off games included 2007’s preposterous Dead Or Alive Xtreme 2, which saw those same lithe ladies in bikinis indulging in beach sports like volleyball and jetskiing.
The controversy: Many critics have commented that the game’s shameless use of female bodies is often ridiculous at best, and some have found it downright offensive. Teenage boys across the globe thought it was absolutely brilliant.

Is it any good? Beat-’em-up fans have given a resounding thumbs-up to many of the fighting games in the DOA series, including the recent Dead Or Alive 4. But the aforementioned Xtreme 2 spin-off was pretty diabolical.

 

Carmageddon (1997), Carmageddon II (1998)

The plot: This is a racing game with a difference: as well as beating other drivers, it’s in your interests to gain extra time by mowing down innocent pedestrians.

The controversy: Many complaints were raised, and the game made it past censors in some countries only after changing the pedestrians to robots or zombies. Its sequel, a year later, had to swap victims’ blood for green slime to make it less realistic, although the freely-flowing red stuff was reinstated in later versions.

Is it any good? No. Even the most ardent of fans would have to call it diverting rather than particularly good fun.

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Video Game Critic Spitzer Caught in Prostitution Ring

 

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, a video game critic that has worked actively against violence in games, has been caught engaging in a prostitution Ring.

Federal prosecutors nailed Spitzer by wire tap for ordering an escort to come from New York to Washington D.C. Transfering a person across state lines for the purpose of prostitution is a Federal offense.

Ironically, Spitzer came out against the video game industry in 2006 calling for governmental regulation of media content to protect America’s children from excessive sex and violence in games.

Like all parents, I know it is increasingly difficult to protect our children from negative influences… we have learned that when self-regulation fails, government must step in… we must do more to protect our children from excessive sex and violence in the media…

Media content has gotten more graphic, more violent and more sex-based… Currently, nothing under New York State law prohibits a fourteen-year old from walking into a video store and buying… a game like ‘Grand Theft Auto,’ which rewards a player for stealing cars and beating people up. Children can even simulate having sex with a prostitute…

Spitzer has made an official apology, but hasn’t owned up to being an expert in having sex with a prostitute.
via GamePolitics

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Sleeping with the enemy? MS embraces Blu-Ray…http://wakobi.livejournal.com/20962.html
In perhaps blowing the top of the industy’s worst kept secret, IGN and various other sources this afternoon have confirmed that Microsoft are in talks with rival Sony in regards to the Redmond giant supporting the dominant HD format.

“We’ve already been working on, for example, in Windows, device driver support for Blu-ray drives and the like, and I think the world moves on. Toshiba has moved on. We’ve moved on, and we’ll support Blu-ray in ways that make sense,”

Yup, that little bit of humble pie eating comes from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer who at the Mix08 internet conference which was held in Las Vegas, let it slip that Microsoft was courting Sony for a partnership on Blu-Ray integration into future MS products.

From the gaming perspective this really isn’t such a great deal as people would think?

The reason? Have a whole bunch:

- The integration of a Blu-Ray drive into the 360 hardware would create a diliemma for MS - the cost of inclusion would make the machine higher priced than that of the PS3 (