Results tagged “editorials”

Treasure Hunter - Now With More Anime Swag!

By Angela Moseley on July 2, 2010 2:09 PM

With much consideration I've decided to expand Treasure Hunter to include the swag found with premium and limited edition anime box sets. Collectible toys and figures will be eventually added as well.

After a fairly packed June this month has a lot less in store for avid video game swag collectors. Considering how busy 2010 has been with the steady release of high profile games a quiet July may not be such a bad thing for the wallet. If you're more into collecting anime sets (as opposed to video games), July is a decent month for bonus swag in addition to all of the lovely budget box sets releasing this month. Either way, now is a good time to rest because the holiday season promises to be packed with "I want it now!" releases on all fronts.

First up, we have the long anticipated Persona 3: Portable hitting store shelves on July 6th. Fans who've played the original Persona 3 and even Persona 3: FES will find something new to like about P3:P. With updated gameplay a la Persona 4, a new female protagonist, and new social link elements, what's not to get excited about? This time around Atlus has even included an interesting pre-order bonus. Pre-order Persona 3: Portable and you'll receive a replica of Junpei's hat with your purchase. While some fans may have preferred a replica of the protagonist's headphones or even a soundtrack, a hat is a fairly interesting spoil. At the very least Junpei fans should be pleased.

Arc Rise Fantasia is another highly anticipated JRPG releasing later this month. While the English voice acting is questionable the rest of the game looks fantastic. Compared to the handheld scene RPGs (especially JRPGS), have not been so plentiful on the Wii. Arc Rise Fantasia looks to be a decent third-party offering until first-party games start hitting the console starting late next month. (Granted, none of those releases are RPGs but Nintendo games are always bound to please.) Pre-order from GameStop and a free cell (pictured above) will be included with your purchase. The game itself will be released on July 20th.

Harvest Moon Grand Bazaar is a DS game that has definitely slipped under the radar, unless you're a big fan of the series. With Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky releasing in the same month there's no doubt most DS owners have their attention on that game instead. Anyone who pre-orders Grand Bazaar from GameStop automatically gets a cute horse pushie with their purchase. Oddly enough, GameStop recently (as of today) pushed back the release date from July 27th to August 17th. Amazon.com still lists the game as coming out on the 27th. I'm not sure who made the mistake, but if Harvest Moon is pushed back to August it'll receive a brief mention in next month's Treasure Hunter.

Unlike video game bonuses, anime swag isn't usually limited to pre-orders. That is a good thing because three special/premium edition box sets are all releasing on July 6th. If all three series hold your interest there's plenty of time to grab them at a later date. Although I wouldn't suggest waiting too long for NIS America's releases, as they are in limited quantities. First up is the special edition of Gundam 00 Season 2 Part 2. Included with this two-DVD set is a copy of the season 2, volume 2 manga. Order from Rightstuf.com and you'll get the set for $23.99 instead of the MSRP price of $44.98 which is quite a value.

Without asking Atlus or NIS America directly it is impossible to know if Persona 3: Portable and Persona - Trinity Soul were meant to release in North America on the same day. If a popular game and an anime based on the same game just happen to be coincidentally hitting store shelves on July 6th it is one hell of an accidental tie-in. (Keep in mind that both the game and the anime are being published by two rival niche companies.) Persona - Trinity Soul was released in Japan roughly two years ago and NIS America licensed it as part of a foray into the world of anime distribution. The set itself will be released in two halves, with the first part including 13 episodes, a 40-page hardcover art book, a smaller picture book and a premium box. Fans of dubs will probably want to note that Trinity Soul will only be released with English subtitles (no English dubbing at all) and still retails for $59.99. Fortunately, MSRP prices are just a suggestion and savvy shoppers can easily find this premium set for less than $45 dollars. As for Trinity Soul itself, I've not seen a single episode of the anime but I hear it actually undermines some well established Persona lore at times. Fans who have viewed this series have rated it as average at best. Your own mileage on Trinity Soul may vary.

Toradora! is another series NIS America is offering on July 6th. Like Persona - Trinity Soul, I've yet to view a single episode of this anime but the fan buzz is way more encouraging. Toradora! is a high school romance comedy centering around two juniors (Ryuji and Taiga) who both have secret crushes on each other's best friend. It promises to be an entertaining slice of life romance comedy, and seems to be a good choice for NIS America. The premium set contains the first 13 episodes, a 30-page art book, interviews with the Japanese voice actors, and a special box. Toradora! is also being released as a subtitle-only series at the price of $59.99. Rightstuf has this on sale for under $45 for anyone hoping to save a few dollars. Even as a Persona fan I'd probably choose Toradora! over Trinity Soul as it looks to be the better series. Still, if you're a fan of either series or you simply want to support NIS America both premium sets could be worth a buy.

If you do grab one or both series just make sure you visit NIS America's web site for free replacement DVDs. Video issues have been reported with the premium editions.

Persona - Trinity Soul and Toradora! images are courtesy of Mania.com.

Geek Babble - Another Year, Another E3 (Part 2 of 2)

By Angela Moseley on June 26, 2010 11:21 PM

And the pointless babble continues with where I left off yesterday.

Sony on the Move (continued)

Complaining aside, there are quite a few things that interested me about Sony's offerings. While the push for exclusive content and exclusive limited editions were actually nice I was ultimately indifferent toward them. What really interested me was the PlayStation Move which can be summed up by the words, "Wii HD." As with Kinect, Move didn't really show off anything that hadn't already been done on the Wii. Unlike its competitors Move is taking a more visually realistic approach to motion control gaming. The results were gorgeous titles like Sports Champions, The Fight: Lights Out, and Sorcery, all of which look pretty fun and already seem to appeal to core gamers turned off by the cuteness of Miis and Avatars.

The Fight: Lights Out actually looks pretty interesting. However, early reports suggests the game isn't as responsive as it could be...

The Move has already been priced but at its most expensive it will cost around $130 for the camera, the Move controller, and the navigation controller. Although gamers can avoid paying $30 for the navigation controller by using the Dualshock 3 instead. For the gamers who want a solo experience with the Move it is a better value over Kinect. If the Move becomes a family affair it can quickly become expensive at $50 per Move controller and $30 per Navigation controller. It'll be some time before we found out if Sony's bid for the casual fans pay off, but unlike the competition the Move seems to be generating buzz among many core PS3 owners.

As for the PSP no new hardware was announced. Considering the massive effort initially put behind the PSP Go the lack of a PSP successor is not surprising. However, it was nice to see that Sony is still supporting the PSP. Perhaps a more aggressive ad campaign and a steady release of new PSP games will help counter slow sales. But with the upcoming 3DS ready to dethrone the PSP as the more powerful handheld one can only hope that Sony has a proper PSP successor in the works.

Nintendo's Core

For the last few years Nintendo catered to the casual gaming audience and the move literally paid off. With a huge influx of revenue from new gamers many longtime core gamers felt ignored by Nintendo. For years fans begged for more franchise games as well as revivals of older games. As the games were slow to come many longtime fans began to feel jaded. All of that changed this year with the announcement of no less than six first party titles announced or further detailed at Nintendo's press conference. Additionally, several more third party titles were announced or detailed. And despite Microsoft and Sony's best efforts the biggest news coming from E3 is the 3DS and how it really works.

If Nintendo can be faulted for anything this year it would be a stunning lack of new IPs. Just about everything in their line-up consisted of sequels and remakes of familiar titles. The barrage of game announcements and live demos felt like a "take that" aimed at disgruntled Nintendo fans at worst. At best it can be said that Nintendo finally gave longtime fans what they wanted for several years now. Only a nitpicker or hardcore Sony/Microsoft fan could find serious fault with Nintendo's offerings.

A return to a 2D-style of platforming seems to be all the rage these days. Not that I mind one bit.

Since Geoff has gone into detail about Nintendo's upcoming line-up I'm going to focus on what caught my attention. I was actually very surprised to discover a new Donkey Kong Country game is due out later this year. I actually cut my teeth on the series starting with the Donkey Kong Land games on the original Game Boy, and later moved onto the Donkey Kong Country series on the SNES. The games themselves were extremely challenging but rewarded the tenacious player. So when Donkey Country Returns was announced I found myself happily surprised. Retro Studios is now handling the franchise but video and reports suggest the game captures the feeling of Rare's work quite well. And the addition of two player co-op should be an interesting feature.

Disney Epic Mickey looks like it'll be quite the third party game! Hopefully this game lives up to its epic title.

I was also pleased to see gameplay footage from Disney Epic Mickey, which is shaping up nicely. I haven't played a Disney game since the Sega Genesis days and everything since then (excluding Kingdom Hearts) hasn't really been worth a second look. My habit of abstaining from Disney games will change when Epic Mickey is released later this year. Another game I'm looking forward to is Kirby Epic Yarn. I can't say that I'm a Kirby fan because I've never really bothered to play the games since owning a Game Boy. Epic Yarn seems like a good place to start. As for the DS I'm looking forward to Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, and Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. All and all, it's going to be a pretty busy end of the year for Nintendo fans.

While Nintendo had a pretty good press conference this little guy was the real star of E3. It never ceases to amaze me on how Nintendo continues to make big waves with little devices.

The biggest buzz generator to come out of E3 was the Nintendo 3DS. The device itself wasn't the surprise as it was announced months beforehand by Nintendo. The big surprise lies in the fact that the handheld works as intended (affordable 3D without having to wear special glasses), and how much support third party developers have announced for the 3DS. Twenty two publishers have vowed to support the 3DS, and at least 50 games have been announced in some form. Of those 50 planned games, about 20 of them already have titles, early screen shots, and some were even demoed at E3. Even if half of those are launch titles the 3DS is bound to enjoy a variety of gamer support. With graphics as powerful as the GameCube, the ability to turn to scale down or turn off 3D effects, downloads in sleep mode, improved WiFi support, backwards compatibility with DS games, and 3D movie support, the 3DS seems poised to be one hell of a Nintendo handheld. As of this writing a price and release date have not been given for the 3DS, nor does it have a final look. I'm sure the handheld will cost $250 at the most, but here's to hoping it isn't priced higher than $200. Either way, it would be surprising if the 3DS doesn't sell well at launch and beyond.

E3 2010 will most likely be a memorable show. Microsoft and Sony catered to the causal gamers with their answers to the Wii. Conversely, Nintendo focused on more serious gamers by announcing or further detailing games to appeal to all fans. There's also no doubt that Nintendo's 3DS stole lots of momentum away from Sony's PlayStation Move and Microsoft's Kinect. It'll be interesting to see how all of this new hardware fairs once it hits the market. On a final note I'm sure gamers everywhere have one last thought for Microsoft and its pre-E3 show: We can all do without bizarre Cirque Du Soleil performances at future E3 shows, thanks.

Geek Babble - Another Year, Another E3 (Part 1 of 2)

By Angela Moseley on June 25, 2010 3:14 PM

My apologies, the last week and a half has been a busy one for me. If things had gone my way this would have been posted alongside Geoff's excellent E3 articles last week. But better late than never, as E3 is still fresh on the minds of many people. This column will be broken down into two parts with part two going up tomorrow.

So E3 2010 is officially over but the announcements and unveils will probably generate commentary for months to come, or at least until we're all ready to focus on the Tokyo Game Show in September. E3 2010 will most likely be remembered for Microsoft and Sony's continued push for motion controls aimed at casual gamers. This is in sharp contrast to their usual core gamer offerings. To be fair, they actually did both at E3 but some might find the contrast a little jarring. There's nothing quite like watching a demo of a hyper-violent game with bullets tearing into a target, and then seeing cute family games on display mere moments later. Nintendo took a different route by returning to its core gamers and giving them the show they've wanted for years now. Having a show-stealing reveal of new hardware certainly didn't hurt either. Anyway, on the press conferences and my own commentary.

Microsoft Kinects

Cirque Du Soleil at E3. Weirdest. Pre-show. Ever.

I'm actually glad Microsoft's press conference was aired on TV before the official Kinect unveiling. As for the name it probably has do with "kin" as in family and "connection," thus "Kinecting" the entire family. Clever? Maybe. While the press conference itself was moderately interesting (still falling behind Nintendo and Sony), Cirque Du Soleil's Kinect unveil was almost painful to watch. After watching the show on TV the first thought to come to mind was, "Wow, Microsoft how MUCH did that cost to put together?" I'd imagine it might have been more painful to watch live before Microsoft's keynote as the entire show felt like one big gimmick. I'm not sure what was the worst offender was. There was the oddly suspended couch in the air with a family sitting on it the entire show, the numerous shiny ponchos the audience had to wear, and Microsoft's bravado on claiming that Kinect would free us from the complexities of technology. At best the show was a needless exercise in extravagance, at worst it was total pandering to the media in order to create buzz for Kinect. It was an expensively tasteless way to kick off E3 and only built up skepticism regarding the former Project Natal.

Microsoft's actual press conference on the other hand wasn't so bad. Outside of some cringe worthy Kinect demonstrations there was a decent amount of excitement to be found. While gamer reaction to Kinect has been mixed at best (understandable as core gamers weren't Microsoft's target audience), some of Kinect's applications may have potential. Motion controls without the need for a controller is certainly note worthy but the addition of voice controls could be a deal maker if used in interesting ways. The idea of simply telling the Xbox to do something via Kinect without having to reach for a controller is appealing. Unfortunately, not much was shown outside of dashboard navigation demonstration and the ability pause and start movies with simple voice commands. If voice control technology is applied in smart ways Kinect could be a winner for Microsoft.

Wholesome gaming fun for the entire family-- sans the clunky controller! Take that, Nintendo and Sony!

The same could be said for Kinect as a whole. If developed and marketed smartly for both casual and core players the technology could be a gamer changer instead of a gimmick. Already titles such as Your Shape: Fitness Evolved ( Wii Fit without the balance board), Dance Central (DDR without the dance pad), and Kinect Adventures look like they could be (key words: "could be") lots of fun. Have they been done already on the Wii? Sure. But well done imitation isn't necessarily a deal breaker. Microsoft has not announced a price but retailers are already pricing Kinect at $150. On the surface it seems very expensive until you factor in the multiplayer aspects. Kinect doesn't need additional add-ons (like Wii peripherals) and supports two players at a time, giving the price some value as you'll only need one Kinect peripheral. Unless of course you only play video games alone-- then Microsoft's motion control is too expensive. I honestly won't be grabbing a Kinect at launch but I will be curious to see how it sells, and how both causal and open-minded core gamers take to the new technology. At the very least the hands on previews from the gaming press at E3 seem mostly positive.

The new 360 is available now. Microsoft has ceased production of the original 360 and once the all of the original stock is gone the new 360 will be the only 360 for sale. Hmm. Just like Sony did last year with the PS3.

Speaking of technology, the other big news to come out of Microsoft's press conference is the new Xbox 360 S, (i.e. the new Xbox 360). Rumors of a 360 redesign had been circulating around for months now but Microsoft confirmed it and surprised everyone by announcing it would be available in stores almost immediately. While the surface redesign really catches the eye it is the new features that make it noteworthy. Built-in wireless (WiFi N no less), quiet fans, more airflow, more USB ports, an internal removable hard drive, smaller chips, and less power consumption are all exciting features. And taking a note from Sony's original PS3 design all of the buttons are touch sensitive. (Amusingly enough Sony actually dropped that feature from new PS3 models.) Excitement aside, Microsoft should have come out with this new 360 at least a year ago. And it's hard to really feel excited about built-in wireless as Sony and Nintendo offered it with their respective consoles from the start. Way to finally introduce a feature that should have been incorporated into the first 360 Elite years ago. As for Blu-ray I can't really see Microsoft adopting it this generation because of Sony's direct hand in developing the technology. Still, a redesign is better late than never and at $299 it is a decent deal. If I didn't already own a 360 Elite I'd probably have my eye on the new 360.

Sony on the Move

This year Sony is seeing lots of momentum with the PS3 and the company hopes to keep up the trend with the PlayStation Move and 3D gaming. Sony's overall press conference was marginally better than Microsoft's but it occasionally ventured into mediocre territory. Like Microsoft, Sony hopes to steal casual gamers away from Nintendo with its own brand of motion controls. The PlayStation Move has a setup similar to the Wii, yet it promises a more comprehensive gaming experience with true 1:1 motion. Sony was also careful to balance its new emphasis on motion control with the expectations of its core gamers. The final result was arguably something for everyone at the press conference, though I could have done without Sony's swagger.

I hope you have your expensive new TV and glasses at the ready. You'll need them to enjoy the 3D gaming experience Sony is touting.

First I'll start with what I didn't like about Sony's offerings. To be honest, I'm not sold on the idea of 3D gaming as it stands with Sony. HDTVs are just starting to become affordable and the technology hasn't even reached the levels of penetration that standard TVs have. Many people are just upgrading to new TVs that cost between $300 and $2200, and are now being asked to replace their HD sets with 3D that cost at least $1400. Still, Sony is content to push the idea of 3D gaming on their expensive 3D TVs following the success of 3D movies. Sure, it's great that games like Killzone 3, Gran Turismo 5, The Sly Collection, Crysis 2, and Mortal Kombat will be playable in 3D. Yet, Sony didn't bother to mention the price of the TVs and special glasses. Add to the mix a prolonged recession and only the really well-off can afford such a venture. Call me a skeptic but 3D gaming still isn't ready to become mainstream for quite some time, not until the technology becomes more affordable. If you have a spare $2200 to $5200 to pony up for a Bravia line 3D TV and another $100 plus for each pair of glasses I'm sure the idea of 3D as it now stands is exciting.

wipEout HD is one of the first free games you'll get when you subscribe to PlayStation Plus. Sign up for a year and you'll also get three months free. Europe gets LittleBigPlanet instead. The value of the deal will depend on your personal tastes.

I also found myself unimpressed with PlayStation Plus. On one hand it is completely optional and online multiplayer will continue to be free. On the other hand, free games (which only last for the duration of the subscription), full game trials, and automatic downloads feels underwhelming. Other than the addition of automatic downloads there doesn't seem to be a mention of streamlining PSN's multiplayer service to put it on par with what Microsoft currently offers. The biggest rub would be the games themselves, four free PSN games a month (according the EU PlayStation Blog) is a nice deal as long as you continue to pay Sony $50 per year. Yet, up to 50-percent discounts on select PSN titles could make the subscription worth it if those games are desirable. Unlike the free titles which you essentially lease, you own the discounted games. Until the service itself is rolled out later this month I'm taking a wait and see approach on Sony's answer to Xbox Live Gold. Although I can't imagine the many gamers who own both systems giving up Xbox Live Gold in favor of PlayStation Plus, nor can I see many of them paying essentially $100 a year for both. PS3-only gamers might be willing to pay for this new service if the rewards are worth it. At the very least here's to hoping that Sony gives discounts on an annual PlayStation Plus subscriptions, much like Microsoft does with Xbox Live Gold. (I've yet to ever pay a full $50 per year for my Gold membership.)

Tomorrow I'll continue with what I liked about what Sony had to offer, Nintendo's press conference, and give my final thoughts on E3 2010.

Treasure Hunter - Multiple Bundles, Multiple Choices

By Angela Moseley on June 7, 2010 2:55 PM

This month the drought of pre-order bonuses and bundles is effectively over. June alone offers six different chances to acquire some free swag and interesting deals along with your video game purchases. Three of those six center around one game and your selection may depend on how long you've waited to pre-order certain bundles. Hint: if this editorial is your main source of information for pre-order goodies you may already be out of luck. Some information was relevant a week ago, as opposed to today. Of course this editorial is a week overdue, as I was sidetracked by technical blog issues. My apologies!

June seems to be an excellent month for Metal Gear Solid fans. As of tomorrow, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker will release almost exactly two years after Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots released on the PS3. This PSP release comes in a variety of bundles giving hardcore fans multiple ways to collect swag. For the gamers without PSPs but who love Metal Gear Solid there are two bundles. The first is the GameStop "Exclusive Big Boss Bundle for Metal Gear Solid." This bundle ships with a camouflage colored PSP-3000, a 4GB memory stick, a voucher for in-game unlockable content, and a PSP carrying case, all for $199. Interestingly enough, a day before the game's release all information regarding this bundle has been completely removed from GameStop.com and is only available through Google's cache feature. It could be due to the fact that the release was only available for a limited amount of time and only limited quantities of the bundle were produced. Either way, if you didn't pre-order the Big Boss Bundle (the better of the two bundles) you've probably missed your chance. For the gamers who slept on the chance to grab the Big Boss Bundle there's the standard Entertainment Pack option.

This entertainment pack ships with a green PSP, a 2GB memory stick, and codes to unlock in-game items. At $199 it is still a good deal for anyone looking to buy a PSP bundled with Peace Walker, but the Big Boss Bundle is much more impressive for the same amount of money. If you absolutely must fulfill your Metal Gear Solid PSP fix and waited to the last minute this bundle should work for you. If you already own a PSP and you still want special swag the Collector's Edition bundle is a good option. The collector's edition ships with the game and a 40-page art book. Gamers who ordered this edition from GameStop can also look forward to receiving a special camouflage themed bandana. Like the Big Boss Bundle all information regarding the collector's edition has been removed from GameStop.com, and is only accessible through a cached page. Fortunately, the special edition is still available on other shopping sites, minus the bandana. If you're a Metal Gear Solid fan hopefully you didn't wait to the very last minute to snap up all of the available extras. If you did you've probably just learned a very valuable lesson in pre-ordering special merchandise as soon as possible.

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is a sequel to the Nintendo 64 3D shoot 'em up, Sin & Punishment. Previously, Sin & Punishment had only been released in Japan, until the game was released in North America via Nintendo's virtual console. Since then the game has developed a cult following and fans of the original can look forward to the sequel on June 27th. Fans that pre-order online at GameStop will not only receive a Sin & Punishment: Star Successor themed Nintendo Points card (pre-loaded with 500 points), but will also get a free poster. While the points card is available in stores the poster is only available through an online purchase. If you're a fan of the series a purchase from GameStop for the bonus art may be worth it despite having to pay both taxes and shipping.

If you own a 360 and you're a fan of gorgeous 2D shoot 'em ups no doubt Deathsmiles is already on your radar. Geoffrey already talked comprehensively about the game in April. If you're a regular reader of this blog you already know that the bundle will be hitting store shelves on June 29th, and the said bundle is a limited edition. The limited edition of Deathsmiles will include a premium box, a soundtrack, and a 360 faceplate. If you're interested in Deathsmiles it's probably not too late to pre-order a limited edition copy. Between Sin & Punishment and Deathsmiles, shoot 'em up fans have plenty to look forward to at the end of June.

If shoot 'em ups aren't your thing but you do enjoy first person shooters, no doubt you're looking forward to Singularity on either the 360 or the PS3. The main draw of Singularity is the ability to manipulate time and space within a limited area, thereby altering an encounter, object or even an enemy. Fans that pre-order the game from Amazon.com can select the option of adding a free graphic novel to their order, in addition to a credit of $20 dollars toward a future video game purchase. Sure, it isn't as impressive as some of the bonuses included with other first person shooters (i.e. Halo Reach), but a free graphic novel is a decent bonus for those interested in the game's back story.

Final Fantasy XIII: Gimme 100CPs of Magic, Stat!

By Joseph Daniels on March 19, 2010 10:42 PM

"...the idea behind FFXIII is to streamline the RPG experience and remove the fat that's so plagued it for years." -Geoff

When playing through Final Fantasy XIII, I get a definite feeling that there's something missing. But the game's so good that it's hardly noticeable unless you're actually looking for it, and when you realize what's going on, it seems like the most obvious thing in the world: where have all my stats gone? I have my Attack, my Magic, and my HP, but that's it.

About a day after Final Fantasy XIII was released, Geoff spoke about his early impressions of the game, and it was implied that a lot of the stuff that has cluttered the RPG experience was removed. Part of what was cut was the stat system. Sure, physical and magical attack remain, as well as your hit points, but MP was removed; the battle system might not have worked otherwise. Removal of MP also granted Square-Enix the license to give monsters enough HP that a fight with even one of them would easily deplete your MP if you had it in the first place. The Adamantoise, for instance, has very close to 3.7 million HP to whittle down, something that would make even a maxed out Cloud with HP<-->MP materia cry.

In a way, the removal of stats is a very good thing, for it lets gamers concentrate on what matters the most in a fight: how hard can I hit the monster, and how much damage can I endure before I hit him again? In the past, it seemed like stats available to the player multiplied with each Final Fantasy as the developers thought of more things that could influence the outcome of a fight. Luck was the kind of stat that no two games could agree upon, even outside the Final Fantasy series. Some games don't even tell you what the Luck stat is for, but just includes it. The most extreme case of how useless the Luck stat really is occurs in the Tales series, where Luck randomly changes when you stay at an inn.

Then there was Accuracy and Evasion, two stats that measure the possibility of hitting and dodging in a battle. In other words, two more ways of saying "Luck". After all, let's say you have a weapon that only has a 1% chance of hitting the enemy, but instantly kills whatever it does hit. You'd have to be pretty lucky to kill the final boss with that weapon, should you choose to use it. In the end, most gamers will just use a weapon with a higher accuracy rating, since there's nothing more annoying in a battle than seeing "Miss" pop up above an enemy every time you try to use something.

Evasion wasn't that bad as long as you're talking about the physical kind. Someone swings their fist at you, you're going to want to dodge it. Sometimes you will be able to dodge it, and this stat generally controls how often you can do that. A 1% chance of dodging means you'll be getting hit a lot, and a 99% chance means you might as well be insubstantial. On the other hand, Magic Evasion was broken: let's say you've got a very good magic evasion stat, somewhere around a 75-90% chance of dodging a magic spell, and the enemy uses a spell with a large area of effect, pretty much covering the entire battlefield. Suddenly, "Miss" appears above your head. What? I'm sorry, but that would be like standing naked in the middle of a rainstorm without an umbrella but staying dry since you have a high enough ability to dodge water. You can't stand in the middle of a magical firestorm and say that you dodged it.

But that is not to say that the stats are gone for good. Certain accessories can simulate some of the former stats, like the Royal Armlet, which increases physical and magic resistance by a certain percentage (which hints that the stats are present, but hidden). Another piece of evidence that there is a hidden defense stat and/or defense algorithm is the presence of the aforementioned Adamantoises. The first time I tried to face them, I was dealt over 16000 HP in damage. After a decent amount of time earning and spending CP, I found that although I hadn't increased anyone's defense capabilities with accessories at the time, I was now being dealt a little under 9000HP damage. Still a one hit kill, but I might not need to advance my HP to five digits to stand a chance against the colossal monsters.

Chances are, the hidden stats have been discovered and are discussed on message boards and in FAQs, but I haven't been reading them, for fear of being spoiled. TV Tropes is borderline, but they've been hiding the spoilers anyway. I'm sure I'll go and find out everything I need to know about how everything works as soon as I finish the game.

Final Fantasy XIII - In the Break Zone

By Angela Moseley on March 17, 2010 3:45 PM

Staggering an enemy in this game is very satisfying experience.

As if there wasn't enough Final Fantasy XIII banter around here I've decided to add my own two cents to the mix.

I've finally been able to sink a few hours into Final Fantasy XIII, not as many as Geoff or Joseph mind you, but enough start forming an opinion of the game thus far. Going into FFXIII I didn't have many expectations beyond a game with pretty graphics. I just hoped the game would be good, the story would be interesting, and it wouldn't feel like an HD rehash of Final Fantasy VII. So far I'm impressed with the game overall-- naysayers who've already judged the game only based on what they've heard from others should really shut it. Anyway, as I play through the game I'm finding that it is in fact linear compared to its predecessor Final Fantasy XII, but that linearity isn't a problem at all. Sure, dungeons are more or less a straight path compared to FFXII where you can explore just about any area in the game at any time, and low levels and/or incomplete skill sets are your only hindrance. I know as I get further into the game I'll be able to make more comparisons to XII, but for now I'm superficially reminded of another JRPG. Namely, the sci-fi epic Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose.

When I scratched the surface of FFXIII's battle system and the concept of staggering foes (i.e. striking the same enemy multiple times in order to force it into a state where more damage can be inflicted), I was partially reminded of Xenosaga II's break system. In Xenosaga II enemies have multiple zones ranging from high, medium, and low which correspond to the letters A, B, and C. By exploiting these zones a foe can either be given the "air" or "down" status which allows the party to deal extra damage. On side note, unlike XIII where just enemies are staggered, party members in Xenosaga II can also be broken and given an "air" or "down" status.

As you'd expect finding and breaking zones in boss fight can become a real pain in the ass. Being broken by enemies can be a nightmare scenario.

Breaking an enemy's zone is crucial to finishing a fight quickly, although finding the said zone is fairly difficult, especially in boss battles. Not only do you have to guess to find the correct combination of zones (A, B or C) in order to break a foe, but much of it is done in trial and error unless you have a strategy guide on hand. Even then battles can take five to ten minutes to complete depending on the enemies. Staggering foes in XIII is so much easier and the battle system isn't needlessly complex. XIII's fast paced system actually rewards you for dispatching a foe quickly. Hitting an enemy multiple times to "break" it immediately made me declare, "This is how they should have done it in Xenosaga II!" Naturally, staggering and breaking enemies is where the battle system similarities end.

Nonetheless, the games share some other superficial aspects including enemy encounters and limited exploration. Final Fantasy XII did away with random encounters as have many JRPGs in recent years. (To be fair, the first Xenosaga did away with random encounters long before FFXII saw a retail release.) Getting back to XIII comparisons, the way enemies are encountered along linear paths has more in common with Xenosaga II than FFXII. In XII it's possible to run away from just about any fight except bosses, but enemies will relentlessly chase you. In Xenosaga II enemies standing in your way can be avoided and they'll stop chasing you rather quickly. The same can be said for XIII. Xenosaga II's dungeons are more or less straight paths without the opportunity to deviate from that said path, save to find a hidden treasure chest much like XIII. There's also the ability to save in FFXIII just after or sometimes during a series of longer cut scenes. Of course the Xenosaga series as a whole takes the prize for some of the longest cut scenes in video games. The joke about Xenosaga being more of an interactive movie than a game at times is well-earned.

Even with their similarities Final Fantasy XIII and the Xenosaga episodes are vastly different games. I suspect that the likenesses I feel are simply an example of convergent evolution in gameplay and a few analogous themes. With that said, I wouldn't be surprised if I felt like jumping back into the Xenosaga series to finish the final game after XIII. For now I'm content with playing the latest numbered Final Fantasy and delving much deeper into the gameplay and story.

I promise my next post will be something completely unrelated to XIII. Honest.

Treasure Hunter: The Real March Madness

By Angela Moseley on March 1, 2010 2:10 PM

March is already upon us and for fans that only means one thing-- March Madness. And no, I'm not talking about sports fans or college basketball. The real March madness lies in the sheer number of high profile video game releases coming out this month. From Final Fantasy XIII on the PS3 and 360 down to Pokémon HeartGold on the DS and everything in between, March promises to be an insanely awesome month. Included with so many awesome games is a fair amount of bonus items or swag, ripe for collecting. If you're interested in keeping track of all of the games coming out this month a complete listing can be found at VGRleases.

First up is the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XIII release. As Joseph mentioned in a news roundup Microsoft is releasing a special FFXIII 360 Elite Bundle which includes the new 250GB model and two wireless controllers (ironic for a single-player game). All and all, the bundle is pretty lackluster until you toss in the free bonus faceplate featuring Lighting. If you're a fan of Final Fantasy and you haven't already bought a PS3 for the game and you currently don't own a 360 (or you want one with more hard drive space) this bundle could be for you.

If you already own a 360 and you're interested in the FFXIII branded faceplate Microsoft is releasing a standalone faceplate for a whopping $49.99. I chalk the price up to Microsoft being well, Microsoft! Personally, I think Lighting would look good on my black Xbox but not for $50. Sure the price isn't unheard of just look at the MadCatz Gears of War special edition faceplate, but the average price of $19.95 is a tad more reasonable. Hopefully these FFXIII special edition faceplates will eventually make their way out to Amazon's Marketplace and eBay for sane prices. Until then, if you pre-ordered your game with GameStop there's always the free 32-page mini strategy guide. The guide is included with both versions of the game.

Normally a new numbered Final Fantasy game is more than enough to steal the gaming spotlight for the month but FFXIII also has to share with another highly anticipated Triple A title, God of War III. Unlike the RPG, this action game sports an impressive collector's edition. The God of War III Ultimate Edition ships with a sculpted replica of Pandora's Box, a collector's edition art book with interviews, and downloadable items. Downloadable swag includes the game trilogy soundtrack, a documentary of the God of War franchise, a combat arena, a Dominus skin, and "God of War: Blood and Metal EP," an MP3 song of a heavy metal tribute to the series. The GoW III Ultimate Edition retails for $99.99, but is sold out or unavailable at many retailers. To put it simply, if you waited until now to reserve a copy of the Ultimate Edition you may be out of luck, unless you're willing to pay up to $300 on Amazon or you're willing to try your luck on eBay.

If you're a fan of Pokemon and portable RPGs no doubt you already have your eyes on the upcoming Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver games. A pokéwalker, or pedometer is already included with every new copy of the games and is no doubt a must have. The ability to transfer pokémon to the pokéwalker and then level them up is a bonus in a game that requires lots of grinding. In addition to leveling up monsters the Pokéwalker can be used to find special items and pokémon and to receive gifts from other players also using the pedometer. The pedometer alone is reason enough to buy the game new. However, every GameStop pre-order of HeartGold comes with a special Ho Oh figure. While figure isn't a deal maker or breaker it is nice to have one. Unfortunately there no longer appears to be a special Lugia figure included with SoulSilver, so the best a collector can do is hope that their local GameStop employees will include a Ho Oh figure with their pre-order of SoulSilver.

According to the early reviews Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is an awesome DS game. If you enjoyed Nocturne on the PS2 you should feel right at home with this title. Even if you're unfamiliar with the SMT games but you love RPGs Strange Journey should still be an enjoyable experience. As with Persona on the PSP Atlus is releasing the soundtrack together with every new copy of the game. If you pre-order the game at GameStop you'll also receive a mini-poster (pictured above). The gorgeous sci-fi themed artwork alone is enough to make the trek down to a local GameStop to pre-order. If GameStop isn't your thing this poster will undoubtedly make its way to eBay and Amazon's Marketplace.

The GameStop exclusives for March continue with the exclusive soundtrack to Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon. Unfortunately with a release date of March 16th Fragile Dreams is already on shaky ground with God of War III, Dragon Age Origins: Awaking, and Resonance of Fate all releasing on the same day. Fragile Dreams promises to be a dark RPG that is character and plot driven. Exploration and emotion provide a break from the average combat driven RPG titles. Fragile Dreams could be worth looking into for RPG fans who are not interested in the big RPG title of the month or who simply want to support XSEED. If I wasn't already tapped out on games this month I'd certainly try this title on the Wii.

And if you're looking for Lunar: Silver Star Harmony which releases tomorrow Geoff already wrote about it here.

Geek Babble: No Seriously, I'm Still Alive

By Angela Moseley on January 7, 2010 3:20 PM

It has been quite a while since I posted anything here, hasn't it? Normally when a person stops posting blog content it either means he or she has moved on or has died. Fortunately neither scenario is true in my case. My time at VGXPO in October ended on a frantic note as I had to prepare to move. Despite months of packing the move was still disorganized and I was left without enough time to write up a final post. My November was spent unpacking and December was dedicated to overtime at my two part-time jobs. Some work weeks dragged on for more than 50 hours. I'm thankful for the work but it made blogging all but impossible. But enough about my sudden leave of absence; let's talk about some video games.

Last month I bought a used Wii from a co-worker, and because the console belonged to children the included copy of Wii Sports was long gone. So a friend was kind enough to let me borrow his copy of Wii Sports and Muramasa: The Demon Blade to get me started until I could buy a few games of my own. Despite having the games I couldn't help but browse though Virtual Console, being a fan of older games and all. I was impressed with the selection of games available-- although there's always room for more games to be added considering Nintendo's extensive library. Still, there are a ton of old games I never had a chance to try as a child. Suddenly, podcasts such as Retronauts are more relevant than ever. Even with the extensive catalog of existing games on the Wii and Virtual Console there are a number of new games I'm looking forward to this year (actually playing them is another matter) on various consoles and handhelds. On a quick note these are just some of the games I'm personally interested in, many hotly anticipated titles aren't listed because I simply don't want to play them.

On the Wii I'm looking forward to Arc Rise Fantasia, Epic Mickey, and Trauma Team. Sure there's Mario Galaxy 2 and No More Heroes 2 to look forward to but I have yet to try the original games. Arc Rise Fantasia looks as if it'll be a solid RPG, and at worse a merely competent RPG. After reading Game Informer's cover story on Epic Mickey and being a fan of Disney I've decided the game is at least worth a try. The surprisingly dark take on Mickey is a welcome change to what the iconic mouse has become over the years. As for Team Trauma, I've wanted to try the Trauma Center series out for years and a more accessible game feels like a good starting point. Besides, the art style is amazing and the story looks as if it'll be quite entertaining.

On the DS there's Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (there's no such thing as too much MegaTen), and Pokémon Soul Silver. There's also Ghost Trick (from the creator of the Ace Attorney series) and Okamiden: Chiisaki Taiyo to look forward to, but neither game has a confirmed US release, much less an actual release date. The Ace Attorney series is easily one of my favorite DS series and while I'm not a huge fan of Miles Edgeworth this game looks too awesome to pass up. And who wouldn't want to play the role of prosecutor and investigator for a change? As I said earlier, one can never have too much MegaTen, especially when the said SMT game is actually a mainline game in the series. Pokémon Silver was easily one of my favorite games in the Pokémon series, and even allowed players to revisit the world of the Red and Blue series. It was almost like having two games in one, and sadly the feature was never used again in later games. I have no doubt that revisiting a remake of one of my favorite games will be a deeply satisfying experience.

2010 looks like it'll be a fantastic year for RPG gamers on the PSP, and several titles have already caught my eye. Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, Valkyria Chronicles 2, and Persona 3 Portable are several games that I don't want to be without. I already have the PS1 collector's edition of Lunar. Like any good gamer I'm more than ready to part with my hard earned cash in order to buy an enhanced port of the game. Besides, it'll be interesting to see how Xseed handles the translation given Working Designs excellent work in the past. It's always possible to have too much Persona but P3:P is just too tempting to pass up when Atlus finally gives it a US release date. As for Valkyria Chronicles, I currently don't own a PS3 but I saw enough of the anime adaptation to play the sequel before getting my hands on the original.

If I had a PS3 I'd definitely be anticipating God of War 3, 3D Dot Game Heroes, The Last Guardian, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy XIV (if it actually releases this year).

However, I do have an Xbox 360 and I will be grabbing Final Fantasy XIII. Bayonetta is a maybe at this point, and Mass Effect 2 will only come if I ever get around to playing the original Mass Effect. The same can be said for BioShock 2, if I can ever get over my dislike of first person shooters. At the very least FFXIII is all but guaranteed in March. For his part, I'm certain that Geoffrey will be grabbing the PS3 version of the game, leaving me as the lone 360 hold out. If I had both systems I'd probably still grab FFXIII on the 360 for novelty's sake.

Speaking of numbered Final Fantasy games, I've decided to actually finish (or at least try to finish) Final Fantasy XII before March. Considering the fact that I've been playing the game off and on since December of 2006, I don't have high hopes for my lofty goal. For one reason or another I've had a time hard putting a serious dent in FFXII. Three years into the game and less than 50 hours to show for it is pretty sad, as I actually like the game itself a lot. Yet, I don't like the infrequent save points and large sprawling maps, as it makes the game all but impossible to play in short bursts. My complaints about infrequent save points aside, I'm convinced my copy of Final Fantasy XII is cursed.

Every time I seriously get into FFXII my controller begins to malfunction or simply stops working. The first incident occurred in early 2007. I was navigating the license board and the right direction on the d-pad only responded with aggressive mashing and ultimately stopped working. At the time I was foolishly convinced it was the stupid license board system until I asked a friend of mine who was also playing the game. He wasn't having the problem at all and gave me one of his spare controllers. Later that year I took FFXII with me to Otakon 2007 and while playing the game the controller died on the spot. The said friend purchased a new controller during the convention and I borrowed it for nearly two years. I continued to play FFXII off and on but eventually moved onto games such as Xenosaga II, the first two Bloody Roar games, and King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2 (i.e. King of Fighters 2006).

In early 2009 I finally bought a wireless PS2 Katana controller and returned the borrowed controller. Using the controller I finished Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 in July without problems. Then I decided to finally return to Final Fantasy XII and not long after playing the game the right direction on my d-pad stopped working while navigating the license board. Later in the day the triangle button stopped working and a few hours after that the controller completely died. That night I drove to the store and purchased a used Pelican controller (pictured above) which seems to be holding up quite well. Only time will tell if the FFXII curse strikes down a forth PS2 controller. Sure it could be a huge coincidence, but I can't help but feel a touch of superstition when going through three gently used controllers in three years. I don't even want to think about the possibility of a cursed copy of Final Fantasy XIII striking down that many Xbox 360 controllers. At least I'll have plenty of games on other systems to play.

Game images courtesy of GameSpot.

Geek Babble - Farewell to Backwards Capability

By Angela Moseley on September 1, 2009 4:40 PM

A few months ago I was adamant on eventually getting a PS3 with backwards capability even if I had to pay a slight premium. When the PS3 slim was announced and information began to circulate on the internet I quickly began to change my mind. It turns out a smaller console that consumes one third less power, and costs about $300 easily change the mind of a budget conscious gamer. Still the loss of backwards capability is hard to accept given the feature was once available. On one hand the move makes financial sense for Sony, on the other hand it's just frustrating to see the company turn its back on a feature it touted so proudly a few years ago.

When rumors of a new PS3 model were leaked many fans had hoped for the return of backwards capability with the PS2. Instead Sony insisted that backwards capability will never return in current and future PS3 models. We've all come to except baffling moves from Sony but a few years ago such a prospect would have been unthinkable. In 2007 Sony assuaged fears about rumors of the PS2 backwards capability being removed from future PS3 consoles. A few months later backwards capability was removed in newer consoles and Sony gave fans half-baked reasons as to why the move was made. Was it to spur consumers to purchase more PS3 games? Or was it to save costs? It turned out to be a bit of both, and then some. It became clear that the older PS2 outsold the PS3 by considerable margins. With such a profitable previous generation console and the prospect of cutting production costs with a more expensive current console Sony took the obvious route. Sure including backwards capability would entice a few hold outs to take a look at the PS3 again. Or maybe not, according to Sony.

In this upcoming ad Sony does a good job at poking fun at all of the internet rumors and not taking itself too seriously.

With the price of the PS2 now at $99 and the new PS3 at $299 consumers are in fact getting a great deal over the original $599 launch price of 2006. In fact, the gaming community itself is torn on the issue. Many gamers and industry officials have stated if people want to play PS2 games again they should just play them on a PS2. Why bother buying an expensive PS3 if you only plan to play PS2 games on it? In addition to that, there's a decent line of PS3 games and lots of Blu-ray movies to choose from. But if you enjoy playing older games as much as newer games, this argument doesn't sit well.

Sony set a precedent with the PS2 having PS1 backwards capability. If the electronics giant removed backwards capability a generation ago everyone would have cried foul. When my PS1 finally broke years ago I decided to buy a new PS2 over a PS1. It was a year or more before I started playing PS2 games but the decision to upgrade was well worth it. Had Sony not removed the feature from newer PS3 consoles I probably would have followed the same route. The convenience of being able to play a PS1, PS2 or PS3 disc on the same machine is amazing, and the ability to upscale PS2 games on an HDTV is also pretty nice. Not having your gaming cabinets cluttered with consoles and wires is always a plus.

When your media center consists of a bookshelf mostly filled with books, suddenly space is everything. At the least I see a PS2 slim in my future.

Finally, and this is big, the PS3 lacks a strong lineup of exclusive games in the RPG genre. In fact, many RPG gamers rushed out to buy a PS3 in anticipation of titles to hold them over until Final Fantasy XIII arrived only to have a serious dearth of games almost three years into the console's life. The sheer amount of exclusive RPGs available on the PS3 isn't even a fraction of what's available on the PS2, so why not play an abundance of older games on the latest and greatest system while waiting on those new games? Valkryia Chronicles, Demon's Souls, Disgaea 3, Cross Edge, Final Fantasy versus XII, White Knight Chronicles, and Final Fantasy XIV (which will probably see a 360 release in 2011) simply aren't enough as far as exclusives go. Ironically, I find it is this very argument that compels me to hold on to my PS2 rather than spend $330 on a backwards capable PS3. Why bother with the latest and greatest console if the games aren't there, and the newest iteration offers a few advantages over the original?

First of all, a lower price point of $299 is huge. Even though I have no interest in Blu-ray or having a graphics powerhouse (yet), I'll be able to follow my favorite franchises and my favorite genre to the newest generation when I'm ready to. Between my large PS2 game backlog and the lack of backwards capability I can really take my time in getting a PS3. However, the biggest factor is the new PS3's reduction in size, power consumption and heat output. All of those factors with the original PS3 were a major turn off for me, but a smaller, cooler PS3 is suddenly very appealing. I actually prefer Sony's slimmed down electronics over their bulky originals. If the console itself had not been overhauled and the price was simply dropped, I probably would have hunted down an increasingly rare backwards capable 60GB PS3. Though many who insist on backwards capability may feel differently, anyone who wants a PS3 slim will probably come to a similar conclusion. If high pre-order sales on Amazon.com are any indication, fans prefer a price drop over having the ability to play all PlayStation games on the same console.

While it's not a huge difference, like the original PS2 and the PS2 slim were, the difference in size is still significant.

In the end removing backwards capability was a good move in terms of profitability for Sony-- public relations is another matter entirely. Consumers have shown again and again they were willing to purchase the PS2 over a PS3 capable of playing PS2 games. In other words, if the majority of consumers are willing to pay for a PS2 and a PS3, or trade in their PS2 for a PS3 knowing it wouldn't play their old games, why stop them? In addition to that, many consumers were driven by the prospect of having an affordable Blu-ray player capable of also playing video games. If the PS3 did as well as the PS2 (which Sony arrogantly expected in the early days), PS2 capability would most likely still be present in new consoles. If gamers and the gaming industry were united in the insistence of backwards capability, much like Dualshock 3 and a lower price, backwards capability would still be around. But as far as the PS3 goes backwards capability is dead. Nothing changes for current PS3 owners who bought the console while backwards capability was widely available. And perhaps not much will change for the gamers determined to find an older backwards capable PS3 even if it costs slightly more. For those of us who decided to wait, hoping we'd get the best of a redesigned PS3 with PS2 capability for half the original price, we're just out of luck. Maybe the next console generation won't be as confusing and frustrating. In the meantime, my old PS2 still works quite well.

PS3 and PS3 Commercial images courtesy of Engadget and Industry Gamers.

Geek Babble: Convention Panels Apathy

By Angela Moseley on August 1, 2009 3:42 AM

Otakon 2009 came and went pretty quickly for me. Without a doubt it was probably one of my laziest convention trips ever. Normally I would have taken lots of pictures, visited the gaming room, attended few panels, and sat in on a few anime showings. With the exception of attending Otakon's closing ceremonies and con feedback panel, I only took pictures. For the past two weeks I've been brooding over why I was so lazy this year and came to an important conclusion; it was easier to relax at the hotel than to stay at the convention center all day. However, going to the con feedback panel more than made up for not attending the other panels for several reasons I'll soon get into. But first, my entire collection of Otakon 2009 picture can be found here. And for good measure, here are my Wizard World Philadelphia 2009 pictures, only a month or so late.

Thankfully my friend did not drive with the mask on for the entire trip. The t-shirt on the other hand...

When my friends and I arrived in Baltimore on Thursday afternoon I was certain that I'd attended a few industry panels. My morale quickly went down hill as I saw the pre-registration line that evening. It was almost as bad the registration line that usually forms on Friday morning. In other words, it wrapped around the convention center and we had to wait in line for over an hour before we picked up our badges. Our only saving graces were that the sun had set, making the weather comfortable, and we got our badges just before the fire department showed up to clear away the crowds. Actually, that last bit was a more a moment of amusement.

After getting back to the hotel I found myself exhausted and slept. When I woke up I flipped through the con schedule and saw some panels of interest, but most them took place in the morning. So instead of attending panels I fell into a habit of roaming the dealer's room for hours on end buying stuff, taking pictures of awesome cosplayers, navigating through the 27,000 people at the convention, walking several blocks back to the hotel room, playing video games, returning to take more pictures, then retiring to the room for the night. Occasionally there were trips to the rave, but I passed on them. So yes, that was how my time was spent at Otakon.

At 27,000 attendees Otakon was crowded to say the least.

I noticed that when I attend conventions as a commuter (rather than staying at a hotel), I attend more panels. The reason is simple, when commuting to a convention each day you are limited to what you can do and where you can go. When you need a time out you're confined to the spaces of the convention's location until it's time to go home. To pass the time you attend panels and events of interest. Between events time can be passed via handheld gaming, reading, or meeting new people. When a hotel is involved alleviating boredom can be as easy as returning to your room, especially if the convention is crowded. Of course not everyone does this, and even I don't do it all of the time but I've been doing it more and more lately. Luckily, I did attend the con feedback panel and had a great time for all of the wrong reasons.

The only reason my friends and I attended the con feedback panel was to learn when Otakon 2010 would take place. Of course that information was saved until the end of the panel, so we had to sit through everything. While there I was sure I'd be bored senseless, but I quickly learned that con feedback is code word for "bitch-fest." Yes, I really do mean that. For every good suggestion that was made (like mailing out con badges instead of long pre-registration lines), two or three complaints were made. People lined up behind a microphone and spent a few minutes making their complaints known.

One guy had to decide between going to the rave and attending some of the hentai related panels instead of being able to do both in one night, so he blamed the Otakon staff. One fan run panel consisted of Japanese history and some of the names weren't expertly pronounced, all Otakon's fault for a lack of quality control. Japanese/Asian influenced cartoons such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Avatar: The Last Airbender were discussed at some fan panels leading Otakon down a dangerous path away from all things Japanese. All the fault of, yep you guessed it, the Otakon staff. And heaven forbid if the staff does actually does their jobs. One all-ages panel was shut down because the fans running it thought it would be cool to surprise everyone by inserting a few seconds of hentai and children were present. Also the fault of the staff for enforcing their own rules. Never mind the fact the panel would have been okay if it had an 18+ warning on it. And never mind the fact that the Otakon staff could have gotten in trouble for the actions of a few self-centered jerks.

As incredulous as some of the complaints were the audience was with the staff. For the woman who complained about a lack of quality in pronunciation at one panel the staff suggested she create a panel herself. The audience then cut her protests off with cheering and clapping at the staff's words, forcing her to quietly return to her seat. The guy outraged over people being (rightfully) offended at the event where adult content was purposely mixed into a panel with children attending was booed off the floor. Everyone else who complained were jeered by the audience as they returned to their seats and one of my friends made "waahh, waaahh!" (as in "call the wahmbulance") sounds. In short, 2 The Ranting Gryphon was exactly right when he described con complaints in one of his older rants. Just replace furry with any con related event and you have a pretty funny description of a con feedback panel. Still, it was great feeling to be among an audience who knew people were complaining needlessly and to let our voices be heard. In the end, the event was as entertaining as watching a train wreck where pride was the only thing injured. It turns out that mocking those who deserve it at a con feedback panel is the perfect cure for apathy.

A Gaming Adventure Continued-- Sort of.

By Angela Moseley on June 26, 2009 3:39 PM

Regarding my entry yesterday, I managed to chat with a sales associate today at my local GameStop. When I asked about my copy of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (which had been purchased at Game Crazy) he informed me that all of the copies had bilingual box art. Furthermore, he went on to tell me that Japanese games on the DS had become popular among French Canadians and they had demanded bilingual box art and manuals. In the future seeing multilingual box art and instructions will become more common in the States as more companies cater to French speaking fans. (Additionally, smaller companies like Atlus and even NIS would probably benefit from not having to print two separate versions for the box art and manuals.)

I also asked for more examples of games with multilingual box art and Geoff kindly pointed out a few examples he had. So here they are:

Tales of Vesperia (Namco Bandai)
Trauma Center 2 (Atlus)
Orcs & Elves (Electronic Arts)
Dark Sector (D3Publisher of America)
Soul Calibur IV (Namco Bandai)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Konami)

A good friend of mine at work also mentioned the PS3 timed exclusive, Cross Edge (published by NIS America) also contains box art with a multilingual description. That is more than can be said about the game itself, since it has been so poorly received by many reviewers. But I digress, I'm talking about box art, not a poorly received niche title that may or may not be worth your time.

Anyway, multilingual box art while not extremely common is here to stay and more of it will probably been seen in the future. Right now the trend is a combination of English and French, but I can easily see the addition of Spanish, much like what Konami did with Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. So enjoy a multilingual future, I guess.

A Massively Square Post

By Angela Moseley on May 22, 2009 2:53 PM

Some very vocal Final Fantasy fans most certainly feel betrayed by Square Enix's decision to bring Final Fantasy XIII to multiple platforms outside of Japan. In fact, many of them rushed off to buy a PlayStation 3 years before the title even had a confirmed release date (it still doesn't as if this writing). But with last week's news of FFXIII most likely being monolingual on the Xbox 360, PS3 owning Final Fantasy are a little happier now. In an interview with IGN UK, Square Enix Producer Yoshinori Kitase brought up the possibility of having multiple languages on the PS3 version of the game. As for the 360, the producer said "...when we talk about XIII it's for PS3 and Xbox - with PS3 being on Blu ray there would be enough memory, but on Xbox probably not." Such a move would definitely give the PS3 version of the game another one-up over the 360 version. It works out fine for the PS3 owners who prefer subtitles over dubs. In other words, the majority fans who'd want a multiple language release of FFXIII probably already own a PS3. Not to say there aren't 360 owners out there who care about multilingual options. Square Enix's reason for a probable monolingual release for the 360 version is baffling at best. All fans deserve a multilingual option if it is technologically and economically feasible.

It is interesting to note that Mistwalker was able release two RPGs on the 360 (Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey) with multiple languages. Sure those games were released over multiple discs, but Final Fantasy XIII is already speculated to be a multiple disc release on the 360-- what's an extra disc or two? Additionally, many game developers and publishers also make language packs available as downloadable content through Xbox Live. It's a bit surprising that a company with so many resources such as Square Enix can't or won't when a smaller studio like Mistwalker can. The company has multiple options when it comes to the 360 console, why not take the time to utilize them? With the North American release more than a year away it's still too early to say what Square will ultimately do, as nothing has been solidly confirmed or denied. But at this point the company once again seems out of touch with North American fans.

Check out the video of the fan project, Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes. The original trailer is available here.

Square Enix also didn't help matters last week when it sent a Cease and Desist letter to the team behind Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes. Crimson Echoes was a promising five-year fan project that centered around the modification of the Chrono Trigger ROM to create a new derivative game. The fan-made game is roughly 35 hours long, has 23 chapters, and 10 multiple endings. The game was designed to be a sequel and a bridge between Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. It would have been distributed to fans via an emulator on May 29th. The game was 98% complete when Square Enix delivered the C&D letter. The letter itself threatens the team with legal action and fines up to $150,000 dollars. Similar legal threats were made against the fan site Chrono Compendium, because it demonstrated how to hack and modify ROMs.

On one hand it is amazing to see the lawyers at Square admit they saw the Crimson Echoes project as a threat, considering how little they've done with the Chrono Trigger franchise. Yes, we've had multiple ports and a messy sequel, but none of it even remotely compares to the company's flagship series, Final Fantasy. Given the fact that small modified ROM projects have been released in the past without objections from Square, and that Crimson Echoes had been worked on for five years already is frustrating. Does the company really see the new game as a major threat to Chrono Trigger DS, or do they have something more planned for the franchise in the future?

On the other hand, despite Square Enix sometimes looking the other way on fan projects, it isn't difficult to see why the company would want to protect its intellectual property. After all, the argument that Chrono Trigger is hard to find, or no longer in print (and therefore has been completely neglected), no longer works as it did five years ago. Even if the Crimson Echoes team had the money to mount a Fair Use defense by arguing the game has transformative value there would be no guarantee they would win such a case. The fact that game itself is a modified ROM is the biggest strike against it, even if it could be likened to an interactive fan story. It is a shame that Square does not seem interested in working out something with the team, because the dedicated CT fans who crave new material for the franchise are the ones who really suffer.

To end this post on a positive note Sony announced via its blog, that Dissidia Final Fantasy will be released on August 25th with a GameStop exclusive bundle. If you were hoping that this bundle would include the Limited 20th Anniversary Special Edition PSP Japan got back in December you're going to be disappointed. There is no special edition PSP, but the bundle itself is still pretty impressive from an economical standpoint. The bundle includes a mystic silver PSP-3000, a 2GB memory stick, Dissidia Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, although most fans have probably already seen or own Advent Children. Nonetheless, a bundle is better than no bundle, especially if you've been holding out for a PSP, or you're looking to upgrade to the newest PSP. For fans who are not impressed with this PSP bundle it is interesting to note that Amazon.com is running their own special. Every order of Dissidia ships with a bonus soundtrack CD. The CDs are in limited supply but no one else seems to be offering the CD. So unless you want or need a new PSP, Amazon.com might be the best way to go.

Square has been both wonderful and frustrating lately. I'm happy that Dissidia has a release date, but I am unhappy with the fact that Square can't seem to figure out how to utilize the consoles of this generation three to four years in. Not to belittle the hard work of the Chrono Trigger fans, but Square's C&D letter is not surprising. It's just stupid they let the project go on for so long if they had no intention of looking the other way. Still, if the company were to give Sigma Harmonics a domestic release I could easily overlook their recent flaws.

My picks from the spring 2009 anime lineup

By Angela Moseley on April 11, 2009 11:07 PM

Spring is here and I find myself participating in the newest spring 2009 anime premiers. In the past I wouldn't have been able to do so because of school, but having graduated nearly a year ago I find the lack of homework to be refreshing. What better way to spend my free time than to enjoy watching the newest series airing in Japan? It beats waiting nearly a year for them to be released domestically, if at all. So far four shows have caught my eye, although Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was an automatic given since it was announced last August. So without further ramble I give you four shows from this season's anime lineup that I plan to follow until completion.

At Damage Control we like to push the envelope a bit. Or that's what I'd like all of you now turned off male viewers to believe.

Eden of the East:
Saki Morimi is visiting Washington D.C. while on a trip with her college class and decides to visit the White House. Once Saki reaches her destination she is disappointed by how far away from the White House the tourist gate is. She tosses a few coins over the gate causing nearby police officers to question her. Before the officers can reach her a naked man- holding only a gun and a cell phone- asks if she needs help. The officers turn their attention to him but he disappears when a passing truck obscures their view of him. They proceed to chase after him leaving the scene but hid really hid behind a bush. The naked man then approaches Saki and horrified she recoils a little, before giving him her coat, scarf and hat to wear. They then go separate ways until Saki forgets she left her passport and wallet in her coat pocket. The man, however has no memory of who is he, why he's in D.C. and, why he's naked.

I'll admit right now that I only watched the show is because a preview on Random Curiosity. To specify, I saw a naked guy and decided to read more about the series. I then saw the opening intro and the fact that Production I.G. did the animation, it was enough to get me to watch an entire episode. I believe my initial reason wanting to see the show is simple, it's because I'm an open-minded person and the animation was gorgeous. Ahem.

All and all, I liked the first episode of the show. The fact that Akira (the guy's alias) purposely had his memory erased but seems to have ties to a major organization, whether it be military or terroristic in nature is pretty intriguing. Given how he a Japanese guy, was dumped naked in Washington D.C. near the White House of all places can't bode well. As for Saki she's just caught up in the middle of everything, but I'd like to see how she fits into the plot. And yes, there was quite a bit of humor surrounding Akira's nudity. I just hope that this 11-episode series will end on a satisfying note.

Where's Roy Mustang when you really need him to melt ice? Probably slacking off somewhere, as usual.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood:
Given that this series a is redo of the original anime and aims to follow the manga closely it'll be hard not to make comparisons between the two. I personally have only read some of the manga, albeit out of order. So I was a bit surprised to see the series starting off in Central. Ed and Al are chasing after a rouge alchemist known as the Freezing Alchemist (or Ice Alchemist depending on the translation). On orders from Roy Mustang, Ed and Al must apprehend Issac McDougall, who proves to be adept at escaping the authorities. The Ice Alchemist's ultimate plan is to take revenge on Führer Bradley for all of the atrocities he was forced to commit during the Ishbalian War as a solider.

Because I've watched the original FMA to completion I am completely unable to watch Brotherhood with a fresh outlook. I suspect that for much of the early parts of the show nothing will come as a huge surprise or revelation to me, except for where the manga and original anime series drastically diverge. As one who experienced FMA only in its anime form I already know who's who, so now the question is how different is everything going to be in this faithful manga adaption. To a certain degree I'm a little envious of those who will be watching FMA for the first time. Still, this new FMA feels just like watching another season of the original and it is definitely worth any fan's time. My only gripe with this new series would be the lack of inspiring music this time around, but then again it's only the first episode.

Elite knights or not, it's best not to take on an angry man wearing a leopard head. As if leopards by themselves weren't fearsome enough.

Guin Saga:
One day the Kingdom of Palo is invaded by the Mongohlian army, and the king and queen are slain. The two twin heirs to the Palo Kingdom, Linda and Lemus are spirited away to safety before they are cut down by the Mongohls. While escaping with the use of magic they are accidentally sent to the Forest of Lude in Mongohl. There they are once again pursued by Mongohlian Black Knights until a mysterious man wearing a leopard mask (an entire head actually), intervenes. The man manages to kill the entire squad with his bare hands before crying out in anguish and collapsing. Lemus wants to take the opportunity to escape but Linda refuses to leave the man's side. When he comes to the twins discover that his name is Guin, he doesn't know why he's wearing a leopard mask he can't remove, and he only remembers the word "Aura."

It could be due to the fact that the music is composed by Nobuo Uematsu, the high quality of the animation, or the fact that the plot is already wrapped up in so much mystery, but Guin Saga has an epic feel to it. If I had to compare it to another anime it reminds me of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit or even Princess Mononoke, sans the strong female leads, although Linda is pretty brave. I know some reviewers like to compare the source materials (124 light novels- not manga) to Lord of the Rings, but since I haven't watched the movies or read the books I'm not going to make that comparison. Right now the questions about who or what Guin is, why Palo was invaded and why the twins are so important are swirling around. In many ways I'm glad this anime was adapted from a series of light novels instead of the usual manga, it breaks the typical anime mode quite nicely. Other than FMA I'm looking forward to following this series the most.

Because real ladies carry a big gun and speak softly. Though not in Alicia's case...

Valkyria Chronicles:
The citizens of the small country of Gallia are being evacuated from the town of Bruhl as they prepare for an attack by the Empire. Alicia Melchiott is a member of the town patrol and is overseeing the evacuation efforts. All is going well until she receives the news that a spy has been spotted near the edge of town. With two young members of the patrol on hand as backup, she finds the man accused of being a spy and arrests him. Although the man insists that he was only drawing trout Alicia refuses to believe him. When he gives her his name, Welkin Gunther, she becomes all the more suspicious. She states that Gunther was a war hero and that Welkin can't possibly be his son before locking him up in a barn. She then attends an emergency meeting with the rest of the town patrol only to learn that Empire soldiers are on their way to Bruhl and the main Federation Army won't reach the town in time.

Valkyria Chronicles is based on a PlayStation 3 strategy RPG of the same title. Unable to afford a PS3 for myself (I went with a 360 instead), but still having an interest in the game I decided to try this anime as a poor man's substitute. I'm not a big fan of the texture used for the shadows, but otherwise I love the animation and the vivid colors. As far as the story goes an anime set in alternative World War II Europe should be an interesting change of pace. I find myself intrigued by just who Welkin really is and why he doesn't seem to want to fight despite his military knowledge. There's also the larger of picture of what the Empire is and for that matter, the Federation as well. Everything said, this promises to be an interesting video game-to-anime adaption, I just hope it doesn't fall apart like Star Ocean EX did.

Images courtesy of Random Curiosity, save the Guin Saga image. I'd like to thank VideoLAN for that one.

Geek Babble: Social Networking for Anime Geeks

By Angela Moseley on April 10, 2009 1:14 PM

Making the statement that social networking is "all the rage" would be quite an understatement these days. Chances are if you don't have a Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, LinkedIn, LiveJournal or Twitter account you certainly know someone who does. Whether you have an account at one these services to keep in touch with friends, to network, or to remain trendy, there is little doubt that anime geeks will find them lacking in some respects. Wouldn't it be nice to have a social networking site just for anime geeks?

That is one of the many core concepts behind MyAnimeList.net, an aptly named social networking site that was started in 2006. I joined MAL a few weeks ago and found it to be one of the most addicting social networking places I've come across, besides LiveJournal. If I had to compare it to a major networking site it would be Facebook in terms of its initial look and interface. But unlike Facebook which I mostly use to keep in touch with old and new friends, MAL genuinely interests me as a geek.

My secret is out, I'm a big fan of BLEACH and I probably watch too much anime for my own good. What's a girl to do?

I've discovered that MyAnimeList.net's real strength is the ability to allow users to easily catalog, rate, and share their anime and manga collections. Additionally, users can also list whatever they plan to watch or read, what they've put on hold or dropped altogether. It was one of the reasons why I ultimately joined nearly a year after a few friends told me about the site. I initially wanted to find out just how much anime I've watched over the years (101 titles and still cataloging), but I wasn't expecting MAL to be so comprehensive in terms of social networking. I'm quickly learning that the site is what you make of it. It can be just a way to list all of the anime and manga titles that you're interested in, or it can be an entire smorgasbord of different ways to connect with other anime fans.

The simplest way to connect would be through friending others, just like other social networking sites. Once you are friends with someone you can keep track of updates to changes in their anime lists. For example if someone adds, edits or drops a show that they're interested in these updates show up via the a user panel, a la Facebook. There is also the compatibility list which ranks how compatible you and another person are based on your shared anime and manga. The more titles you share the higher your compatibility is. Thankfully, this feature isn't limited to just friends but anyone can see how compatible they are with other users.

My compatibility with Geoff. Yes, I managed to talk him into getting an account. Because it is geek related it wasn't difficult to do so.

For some this may be enough, but for others looking for a more complete experience there are forums, clubs (again a la Facebook or LiveJournal), individual information pages for anime and manga titles (with their own discussion boards), personal reviews, recommendations, blogs (with privacy controls) and much more. In short, MAL is essentially the jack of all social networking trades. Granted, the site isn't without problems. Bugs that keep the site from working as smoothly as it should and annoying users are common, but such things are always a part of the internet. If you want an easy way to list all of your anime/manga, or you're interested in connecting with others on a large scale MyAnimeList.net is worth your time.

On a final note if you'd like to add me as friend or you're curious to see what I'm up to, my profile can be found here.

A brief addendum to my last editorial...

By Angela Moseley on March 22, 2009 11:40 PM

It looks like quite a few things have changed since I made that last post about anime on U.S. TV. By now you probably already know that Code Geass R2 has gone into reruns on Adult Swim. New episodes aren't scheduled to air until May 2nd, which probably means that Bandai needs more time to finish the dub. When season two of Code Geass originally began to air in the States the series was still airing in Japan. The turnaround time for a dub is significantly longer than subtitles so the delays aren't a big surprise. Admittedly, I found it surprising that Adult Swim aired Code Geass R2 almost immediately after season one ended for the reason stated above. Although May 2nd isn't a long wait, the move could ultimately drive some people to seek out the rest of the series online, via fansubs. I've been tempted to do so several times during periods of reruns, but I've decided to stick with the dub for now. Thankfully Gurren Lagann on the Sci Fi Channel is holding me over nicely.

In exactly two weeks on April 5th, the remake of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime will air in Japan. It was confirmed at the Tokyo Anime Fair that in addition to being a faithful adaptation of the manga, the new series will not have a set number of episodes. In other words the new Fullmetal Alchemist series will end when the manga does. With 21 volumes of the manga and counting, the anime will have plenty of source material to draw from, i.e. filler episodes shouldn't be an issue for quite some time-- if at all. The series' English title has been confirmed as Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood by Animax Asia, who plans to broadcast episodes of the show in various Asian countries six days after the original air date in Japan. As for what the final title will be when the series is licensed for distribution in the U.S. is currently unknown. On an amusing note, volume 13 of the original FMA series on DVD carries the same title in North America. Though I'd be surprised if the title of the U.S. version of the new FMA was changed because one little DVD.

Image courtesy of the Anime News Network.

PSP RPG Ports Are All The Rage

By Angela Moseley on February 6, 2009 2:45 PM

In case you haven't heard the news Atlus is releasing the original Revelations: Persona and Growlanser games on the PSP. These games are not full remakes but enhanced ports. Currently the games have only been announced for release in Japan, but it is likely that one or both titles will make their way to North America. If Growlanser doesn't hit our shores, I'm certain that Persona will, given the popularity of the third and forth titles, in addition to Persona's original U.S. release in 1996. For the number of PSP owners who will welcome this news there are certainly some who will roll their eyes in disgust. I can visualize the comments going something like, "Another port for the PSP? Who wants to play the same game again? Give us some brand new games already!" This argument is valid if you've managed to play a number of these games already, but what about the people who haven't?

The first look at the enhanced Revelations: Persona on the PSP via Famitsu.

As much as I'd love to try out new intellectual properties on the PSP, I find ports of older, and/or rarer games to be just as appealing. The fact that enhanced ports often receive new cut scenes, reworked translations, and even improved graphics, only sweetens the deal. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, Star Ocean: First Departure, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and even Riviera: The Promised Land are just some of the enhanced ports released on the PSP. As a gamer who came late into the RPG genre (only about ten years ago), I've discovered a ton of games that I have yet to play as well as the newest game releases. With each passing year I find that older games become harder to locate, or less desirable to play on their original consoles. A re-release on the PSP clears up both of those problems at once.

While the original versions of some ported games are still easy enough to find, others have become incredibly difficult to find at reasonable prices. Take the very rare Persona for instance. If you're lucky you may come across an eBay auction under $40 dollars, with other bidding on it. However the average of the game's prices is about $145, but in reality it ranges from $80 to $325 on copies that no one has bothered to bid on. A game like the original Final Fantasy Tactics is dirt cheap by comparison, but in this day and age I really don't want to play an RPG (or any other game) with a subpar translation. I feel if I'm going to shell out money for an older game it might as well have a good translation and include slightly updated graphics.

Star Ocean: First Deperature on the PSP. A good looking but old school RPG, luckily it's still fun to play.

Granted, the argument can always be made for putting the games on the PlayStation Network in their original forms for a fraction of the price. That argument would work if publishers were willing to do so, but some are not. Publishers usually make more money by repacking a very popular older title and charging full price for it, rather than going the PSN route. (A favorite tactic of Square Enix.) A title that can be sold for $40 is obviously going to bring in more of a profit over a title that is only sold for around $5 to $15. Making a title available for download on the PlayStation Network may cost next to nothing for publishers, but releasing a port of a title still costs significantly less than developing a new game for an existing franchise, or a new IP altogether. And going back to the PSN argument, PS1 game releases in North America pale in comparison to what the Japanese have available. Xenogears, anyone?

The new cut scenes added to FFT:WoL are gorgeous. Rumor has it that the same studio did the anime cut scenes for the PSP version of Persona.

Finally, if enhanced ports are currently the only way to get decent RPG releases for the PSP outside of the occasional new franchise or IP, then I'm all for it. One of the reasons why I wasn't interested in a PSP at its launch was the noticeable lack of RPG titles. Now, there are more titles than my wallet can keep up with, even if many of them are ports. Besides, as a gamer who missed out on many of the RPGs released in the 1990s and the early part of this decade, many of the games are new to me, even if the gameplay isn't. Now if you'll excuse me, I have tons more grinding to do in FFT:WoL while I wait for that eventual U.S. release date for Revelations: Persona.

Images courtesty of RPGamer, GameFAQs and this video game blog.

DIY: Toss Those Old Electronics Without Making the Enviroment Emo

By Angela Moseley on December 30, 2008 1:49 PM

Sometimes a writer may rarely practice what he or she "preaches" when tedious tasks are involved. In my case, I wrote an article about the need to recycle old electronics in a day and age where people don't recycle--especially in Philadelphia. Roughly a year later, I find myself with an old CRT monitor that I no longer need, a busted cell phone, and an iPod Nano with no battery life. Being busy and all I could easily go the hypocritical route and toss them on the curb for trash collection-- but I won't. Instead I have loftier plans for my old wares, donation and perhaps some recycling. If you find yourself in a similar position here are some relatively painless ways to get rid of those electronics without sending them to a landfill. Besides, who wants to be responsible for sending off hazardous waste that may end up back in the environment?

When it comes to electronics, you only need to be concerned with reuse and recycling. In fact, it's best to reuse old electronics rather than recycling them first. Reuse of an old item guarantees that it will make it to the end of its life cycle before being reduced to raw materials. After all, if it's not broken and can be fixed, why not use it again? If you're looking to make a bit of profit, selling your old working monitor, cell phone, or gaming console on places like Craigslist and eBay may be best. However, if those items are just too old to sell quickly (or at all), donation is another option.

Non-profit technology groups can be found just about everywhere. They will often accept old computers, and monitors for use in community centers, training, thrift stores and other opportunities for low income communities. If the computers are simply too old to be reused, they'll be recycled instead. Helping out others and finding use for your old computers is always a win-win situation.

If your electronics are too old to be reused or don't work anymore then recycling is your best option. Broken electronics are demanufactured for their parts and are used in the production of new products. Doing so cuts down on the amount of raw materials needed for new electronics. Many manufacturers and retailers have extensive recycling programs where you drop-off or even mail your unwanted electronics to be disposed of. Even Apple will take back broken iPods, cell phones and computers free of charge. If going to the store to recycle old electronics isn't your style, your city or town government should have its own hazardous waste removal program in place.

No matter how you choose to get rid of your junk, doing so needn't be a waste. So the next time you have a computer, iPod, cell phone or whatever, that you no longer need or want, think twice before trashing it. Not only will you do the environment a favor, but you may do someone else or even your wallet a favor. Captain Planet will certainly thank you by not ramming his foot into your crotch.

Images courtesy of the Basel Action Network and the DrunkenBlog.

Continue reading DIY: Toss Those Old Electronics Without Making the Enviroment Emo.

And Now We Live Up To Our Name

By Joseph Daniels on December 18, 2008 4:30 AM

Having just watched the pilot for Game Damage (which you'd think we'd have been involved in, given our name, but we weren't), I must say... I want to like it, but I can't quite bring myself to do so. It has potential, it does. I kinda sorta liked it, but it seems to me like I just attended one of those fancy restaurants where you order your food and then you get your courses sequentially and in small portions, with a small break in between each while you ponder the flavour of the morsel you just had. There wasn't enough to really judge what was going on just yet. It seems like they only stayed on any one topic for a short little while (and inevitably went off on their own tangents), as if they were aware that they were on the clock during the entire show. I know they were trying to cover all the markets, like the independent games and the MMO market, but unless they're willing to talk about World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XI every week, the MMORPGs will have to go. If they're devoting a segment of their show to one genre, they might as well devote another segment to first person shooters and another to puzzle games, etc.

If you ask me, the problem comes from their need to add little vignettes between each segment. The vignettes included in the pilot make fun of the phone in the Metal Gear Solid series, and the rather lengthy development process of Duke Nukem Forever, and show the Master Chief running around Australia doing... I'm not entirely sure what Master Chief was doing. If you ask me, Duke Nukem Forever is an easy target these days, and showing three guys sitting there staring into space for a few seconds felt like needless filler that they could've used to pace themselves better with.

Many viewers of Game Damage were like me and followed the link at the end of the latest Zero Punctuation review ("Sonic Unleashed"), and so both them and I had no idea who Yug and Matt were, other than a couple of people who knew Yahtzee. Apparently they're part of the Australian Gamer scene, and myself being Canadian, I naturally had no way of knowing who they were unless I cared about what went on Down Under as opposed to my own backyard. I suppose that's my own fault, since I'm too busy playing my own games in seclusion in my cave up here in the frozen north to venture out of my den for even a moment to investigate what's going on in other markets. It is hibernation season, after all.

The episode ends with a request for interested television stations to contact them, but I seriously hope they find an audience on the Internet instead. I mean, look what happened to X-Play during the transition period from Tech TV to G4. I'm told it's better these days, but I prefer to get my gaming knowledge from sources other than television. Also, with their show being geared for the Australian market, they won't be able to cover many of the big name games that unfortunately never get a release in Australia, or are delayed. They made a joke that World of Warcraft was only released in Australia a few weeks ago, but with how often the Land Down Under gets shafted when it comes to games, I wouldn't have been surprised if it was indeed true.

It seems to me that Game Damage might be better off as a podcast, but from what I gather, Yug and Matt already podcast, and if not for Yahtzee's zany videos that he makes to go with his four and a half minute weekly reviews, he might as well be podcasting as well. In that sense, Game Damage may not even be necessary unless the visual medium can do what the audio medium can't. So far, the only things I've seen them do with the visual medium is present a few examples of game play for the various games they talk about, and create the largely unnecessary Duke Nukem, Master Chief and Metal Gear vignettes that they peppered throughout the show.

In all, I would probably watch again, simply because this is only the pilot, and they certainly have time to iron out a few things. As of this writing, there isn't any mention of when another episode would be made. The Party Mix might grow stale by the time they get around to it, so I hope they weren't being serious about offering it up as a prize. Anyway, after a few episodes, I'll probably know better if this is a show I want to continue watching, or if perhaps this Game Damage needs to be controlled a little.

Results tagged “editorials”

Treasure Hunter - Now With More Anime Swag!

Geek Babble - Another Year, Another E3 (Part 2 of 2)

Geek Babble - Another Year, Another E3 (Part 1 of 2)

Treasure Hunter - Multiple Bundles, Multiple Choices

Final Fantasy XIII: Gimme 100CPs of Magic, Stat!

Final Fantasy XIII - In the Break Zone

Treasure Hunter: The Real March Madness

Geek Babble: No Seriously, I'm Still Alive

Geek Babble - Farewell to Backwards Capability

Geek Babble: Convention Panels Apathy

A Gaming Adventure Continued-- Sort of.

A Massively Square Post

My picks from the spring 2009 anime lineup

Geek Babble: Social Networking for Anime Geeks

A brief addendum to my last editorial...

PSP RPG Ports Are All The Rage

DIY: Toss Those Old Electronics Without Making the Enviroment Emo

And Now We Live Up To Our Name

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