○ Video Games ○ Humanity ○ Individuality ○ True Freedom ○ Be Free ○
Every single time you visit this site, you directly support my efforts and spread my message - Thank you!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Rift for $9.99?!

Today, Steam is offering the massively multiplayer online role playing game Rift for only $9.99! All I can say to this is no... No Loner... Don't do it... Think of your spouse... Think about your other games... Think about all the other delicious things you can do with that kind of cash... Don't do it!

Cheaper than the game's monthly subscription fee? Maybe it is about to go free to play?

Harder Than the Years Past

Video gaming is a fascinating hobby that seems to become more and more demanding as it progressively matures into the future. There used to be a golden age when there were only two platforms that you have to worry but these days, there are about six of them. Thanks to the ever increasing rate of improved gaming technology, it seems like there is always something new around the corner when it comes to the hardware and of course, the never-ending list of potentials they bring encourage much creativity which then resulted into new games that come in huge numbers every year.

Before the "Wii U" was announced at E3 a month ago, when rumors of its pending arrival permeated the gaming universe, I remember a feeling of dread in my heart. As someone who is so keen about the hobby, that reaction was certainly unexpected and unhealthy. I remember telling a friend that I really don't feel like I want to chase any more new gaming platforms because I am happy with what I have right now. But such a point of view is certainly regressive and it is so against my own take on life. We shouldn't stop things from evolving because it is natural for them to keep changing for the better. I know the real reason why I just want things to slow down a bit when it comes to the constant jump from one platform generation to the next and it all has something to do with money - you know, it is that insignificant thing that makes the world round and gives it its glow.

I have made a lot of sacrifices in my life to accommodate my gaming hobby. I don't make much but I have spent a majority of what I have on it. Then a new game or machine is announced, and like a mass-produced industrial robot specifically created to do menial tasks, I would add them neatly into my Purchase List with that anticipation that I would still be alive when they finally become available so that I could happily pick them up to call them my own. Every so often, I would look at that long list and realize that for whatever good that the list was accomplishing, I was actually feeling defeated. The list is mocking me because in truth, it will never get shorter. At the end of the day, the list becomes a reminder of things that I potentially cannot have instead of the things that I potentially can touch. But I understand. I am greedy. Too greedy for the pleasures of this world, this life. I like this one exquisite flavor in particular and ever since I tasted it, I have been unwilling to let go. I have so much yet I have so little. So many others would love to be in my shoes but I know that they wouldn't wear my cap. I have created a meaning in my life through a collage of cartridges, circular discs, plastic cases, and saved data and they occupy the most significant portions of my memory. I throw away everything else... Almost everything else because they hold little value to me. I do feel that I am already there sometimes at that place where all is right with this existence that I have created for myself. I look at the walls around me and I do see the cracks and crevasses. Yes, there are days when I just feel tired and lost. It's time to hit that reset button.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Fireworks After the 4th of July

Yes, things got a bit crazy with the game inductions today as I added four new games into my Game Library - alongside a bunch of downloadable add-ons for pre-existing games that I got from Steam, which will not be mentioned here. The first two are PlayStation 3 games: Portal 2 - the sequel to the ever popular game that involves manipulating 2 inter-connected portals to solve mind-bending situations - and Shadows of the Damned - a so-called "Suda51 Trip" where you take the role of Garcia Hotspur who is trying to save his girlfriend who is kidnapped by some hellish demon. The reason why I got the PS3 version of Portal 2 is simple: it includes the Personal Computer version of the game and players between the two platforms can play with each other! I did link up my Steam account with my PlayStation Network ID but let's be honest here, I will not be playing this game on the PS3 at all and play the PC version instead. The X-Box 360 owners of the game were completely shafted by Valve for sure. Accessing the Steam overlay on the PS3 was a strange experience by the way because of the limited amount of things you can do with it compared to the actual Steam client on the PC. Still, it is great to be able to see your Steam friends while you are in this game on the PS3 - I am still in the process of downloading the game from the client at the moment so I am not sure how the PSN information will show up in the PC version.

Update Note: 07/06/2011 - I forgot that everything is tied to the Steam account so no PSN-exclusive information will show up on the PC version. This will not deter me from playing it exclusively on the PC of course.

More Steam-PS3 integration please!

The other two games are PC Steam titles: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky - this Chernobyl-inspired alternate universe first person shooter is a part of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy in which I already got the other two games in the series - and Wings of Prey - an aerial shooter set in World War II. Well, the good thing about the Steam Summer Sale is that there are a lot of good deals on games and the bad news here is that I am having a difficult time getting to these games to test them out because the download server is a bit slow right now. And there are 5 more days to this sale event... It's a bit overwhelming.

June 2011 Gaming Analysis

The results shown below are of course based on the combined data from the Daily Game Log which should provide a clear indication of a game's usage frequency. Bear in mind that even if a game is played twice or more during a particular day, it would still register as 1 in the Day Count column below. In a sense, "merits" are given based on how often a particular game can make me play it again throughout the entire period of the month on a daily basis. A game that makes a gamer play it over and over again or at least spend a lot of time with it... Isn't that what we mostly want from a great game? I don't think it's really fair to count all the way down to the number of hours played since some games only require a short amount of time to properly serve their purposes.

OVERALL BREAKDOWN:


Total Games Played: 31

It is the same story again for last month with League of Legends for the Personal Computer and Yourself!Fitness dominating the top of the chart. It is hard to stop playing LoL, even with the occasional encounters of people with unsavory attitude - at this point I am really used to them now. I am however still looking for a solid group of 4 regular teammates to play with and that is the only thing missing from my LoL experience. As for Yourself!Fitness, I have been using the program for 70+ days this time around and now my appetite is also changing alongside my physical appearance: I get hungry faster but I get full by eating very little food. I remember looking at a very recent picture that was taken of me and I was really surprised to see just how fit I look now. I do look at myself in the mirror everyday but seeing myself from top to toe actually made the difference there. I must say though, the belly bulge is one tough son of a fat to get rid of but it has taken quite a beating.

A surprise performer last month was Titan Quest for the PC, which nabbed the third place of most played game. For the first time in my Titan Quest life, I have finally reached the Immortal Thrones expansion content - fighting that last boss from the first game alone took forever however. I was really horny for some massively multiplayer online role playing game last month and though Titan Quest isn't one, the loot frenzy and level-up goodness did manage to steer me away from actually buying Rift when it was offered for some ridiculously low price. Well, the discovery of the fact that the epic armor sets for Rift look horrible probably helped me out somewhat as well...

Best New Game of the Month:
Child of Eden - X-Box 360

Unexpectedly Forgotten New Game of the Month:
None!

I Missed You, I Want You game of the Month:
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 - PlayStation 3

Monday, July 4, 2011

Games Played 06/27/2011 - 07/03/2011

- 06/27/2011 -

- 06/28/2011 -
League of Legends - PC
Yourself!Fitness - X-Box

- 06/29/2011 -
League of Legends - PC
Yourself!Fitness - X-Box

- 06/30/2011 -
League of Legends - PC
Yourself!Fitness - X-Box

- 07/01/2011 -
League of Legends - PC
Yourself!Fitness - X-Box

- 07/02/2011 -
Borderlands - PC
League of Legends - PC
Magicka - PC
Super Meat Boy - PC
Team Fotress 2 - PC

- 07/03/2011 -
Borderlands - PC
Fable III - PC
Yourself!Fitness - X-Box