Question: What Huge Open World Game May Finally Arrive on Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and MAC?

RAGE!

Perhaps, maybe, are we there yet?  Don't know, but I recently read an article that covers some developements coming out of id Software's office in Mesquite, Texas$ of all places.  Those not familiar with id's heritage, do the words Doom, Wolfenstein, or Quake ring a bell?  

id's using Rage to showcase it's new id Tech 5 engine.  From what I gather, id plans on making this game huge, but solid.  In my own words, I'd say take GTA IV and cross it with a top of the line first person shooter like Quake, or maybe even Halo 3.  For those of you that have played GTA IV multiplayer with it's choppy antics, think bigger and smoother, like Halo 3 campaign smooth.  This will surely make for a huge online community and if you're a campaign kinda person, they say don't worry, there will be plenty to do after you beat the game.

 

This looks to be a 9.8.  I mean, most raters gave GTA a 9+, bahhhhh.  I know this game will outclass that by a mile.  Get your GhostGrip ready, I think you'll want nice dry paws for this masterpiece. 

Release dates in one spot, awesome!

 

So here it is for all of you gamers out there waiting to put your controllers and your GhostGrip into action.  The dates and prices are anticipated and my vary.  Typically they are on store shelves the day of or the day after the release date.

 

Here they are for the 2009 year, Xbox 360!

Release Date       Title/Description                                                

02/24               50 Cent: Blood on the Sand                                   

01/27               Afro Samurai                                                          

06/01               Aliens:  Colonial Marines                                   

06/15               Alpha Protocol                                                       

05/01               Batman: Arkham Asylum  

04/29               Battlestations Pacific

09/01               Bayonetta

02/10               Bionic Commando

09/01               Borderlands

03/02               Brave: A Warrior's Tale

11/17               Brutal Legend

03/02               Damnation

12/01               Dante's Inferno

08/25               Darksiders: Wrath of War

11/03               Dragon Age Origins

02/24               Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires

03/24               Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2

03/03               Eat Lead: Return of Matt Hazard

02/10               FEAR 2: Project Origin

07/01               Fight Night Round 4

05/01               Fuel

06/16               Ghostbusters

02/10               Godfather 2

02/17               Grand Theft Auto IV:  Lost & Damned

03/20               Guitar Hero: Metallica  

02/23               Halo Wars

02/23               Halo Wars Limited Edition

07/14               Harry Potter Half Blood Prince

03/02               Heist

03/17               Heros Over Europe

06/24               IL 2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

03/10               Legends of Wrestlemania

01/13               Lord of the Rings: Conquest

03/02               Major League Baseball 2K9

01/26               MLB Front Office Manager

03/24               Ninja Blade

02/10               OperationChanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad

07/01               Operation Flash Point 2

06/01               Overlord 2

04/01               Prototype

02/17               Race Pro

06/01               Raven Squad: Hidden Dagger

06/02               Red Faction: Guerrilla

03/06               Resident Evil 5

04/07               Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

03/02               Rogue Warrior

07/01               Saboteur

03/24               Sacred 2: Fallen Angel

03/02               Shellshock 2: Blood Trails

01/21               Skate 2

02/10               Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

06/16               Splatterhouse

06/30               Splinter Cell: Conviction

03/03               Star Ocean: The Last Hope

03/24               Stormrise

02/17               Street Fighter 4

03/02               This is Vegas

03/03               Tom Clancy's HAWX

03/10               Trivial Pursuit

09/01               Two Worlds: The Temptation

05/19               UFC 2009: Undisputed

03/31               Velvet Assassin

03/24               Wanted: Weapons of Fate

02/16               Wheelman

02/10               X Blades

 

                                        

 

 

 

Game Console Controller Comparison

Whether you play with a Nintendo Wii controller, an Xbox 360 controller, a Playstarion 3 controller, or a host of other controllers that are out there; chances are you have run into a common situation that we all face from time to time and some of us more frequently than others, if not always; it's the sweaty clammy hands we get when we're really grinding it out trying to top our opponent.  So, let's talk about our options here.  If you play the Wii, one obvious option is to use the factory installed leash (go figure right) that comes with the Wii controller.  While this is handy for keeping the thing from flying out of your grip and smacking your little sister in the grill, it's not gonna help much when she returns your volley and you're sitting there with a contoller doing a hoola hoop dance around your wrist piece. 

Nintendo Wii Controller

So Nintendo and some aftermarket suppliers came up with a gel type sleave thing that fits over the controller so you can keep your nasty paw intact and in play.  Well, to be honest, although this may work, this may be the only controller set up it has hopes of working on.  Why, because on the Wii controller, you're doing big bulky movements with it, there's not a lot of precise button play involved in most Wii games.  Even so, if you don't like the feel of a bulky jellified controller, there are other things you can do, like ask your hockey buddy for some stick tape.  Barring taping up your controller, which may or may not t-off the other peeps in your crew that wanna use it, it's a fairly permanent and messy solution.  Why not just curb you hands from sweating to begin with?  No need for jelly grips or hockey tape. That's just one controller type, can those two methods work on an xbox or a playstation controller?  I've seen it attempted.  There are products out there, like controller gloves that fit over the handle of your controller.  There again, I feel they just make the controller bulky, more or less they just get in the way.  I've tried using athletic tape on my controllers, although my grip on the controller vastly improved, I got blisters from the added friction.  You see, when you play, you want your hand to be able to have a natural and very slightly tacky feel with the controller. 

Improving Your Game Grip

That brings us to another attempt at getting better controller grip, the gamer glove.  I tried to play with a set once, again, just didn't feel right, didn't have the same connection with the controller that I am used to.  Not to mention, can you imagine going to play some heads up at your friends house and you whip out a pair of gloves?  The words tool and shed come to mind.  The other thing the controller makers have tried is to put a set of fans inside vented handles on a game controller.  What???  I picked one of these up once when it was being demoed, not only were the vents in the controller handle extremely annoying, the fan noise itself going off in the unit was brutal, not to mention the fact that it just didn't work.  So, that brings me full circle to the very beginning of the problem.  If your hands are sweating and annoying while you're engaged in some instense action, why not just go to the root of the problem, rub on some Ghost Grip, and you're good for 3-4 hours of sweat free gameplay.  

When it comes to handling a sweaty controller, GhostGrip has you covered, no sweat!

Until next time, keep your hands dry and your room a pig sty.  What is a pig sty anyway, I may need to google that one.  

 

Gotta play Bio Shock

If you have an Xbox 360 and you haven't played BioShock, your mommy didn't want to buy it for you, you're already turning tricks in a downtown alley to feed yourself so you just can't afford it, or you're in denial.  Ofcourse there is the possibility that you could be one of those people that don't play open market releases, you like to stick to independant labels and underground stuff, or games your friends made.  If the latter is the case, BioShock has something in it for you too. 

 

The Medevil series

 

Having said that, this is one of the funnest games I have played.  The story line is excellent, the artwork and gameplay, fantastic.  The game just sucks you in and doesn't let go.  I like to recommend and I think I've mentioned this already, a game called MedEvil on the PS1, and MedEvil2, equally as good as the original.  These two titles weren't huge block buster hits, but they were two of the best games to come out on the PS1.  Sir. Daniel Fortesque would bitch slap Lara Croft any day, but we all still liked Tomb Raider, fine, Tomb Raider was good for it's time and she was hot, but MedEvil kicks it.

 

Why not a bigger hit?

 

The same can be said about BioShock, it was a good hit, but I think it should have been a bigger hit.  Bottom line on BioShock is, get it and play it if you haven't.  It's one of those rare games, I call them keepers.  I've played tons of games on my 360, and only have a handfull that I'm not taking back to the store for trade in credits,,, ever.  Just like my copies of MedEvil 1 and 2, heck, now that I'm thinking about it, I may as well sledghammer some zombies tonight.  Oh yeah, one more thing, for you PS3 people, I think you can get this game on your network, you sure as hell aren't getting your hands on my copies.

Console Wars

You've got two major players in the console wars (not counting Nintendo of course, we're not going to talk about that right now, totally different issue), on one hand you have Sony, a huge manufacturer of electronics equipment, on the other is Microsoft, not generally viewed as a manufacturer of hardware.  The difference between these two powerhouses can be reflected as the differences between the people that buy their consoles.  It's rare these days to know someone that has both a Playstation 3 and an Xbox 360, unless they are some kind of spoiled rich kid that gets whatever they want or they'll go crying to their mommy (dude's 25 and living in the guest house for free, hah).  Generally, I've noticed that there are differences in the Playstation people and Xbox people. 

 

Brand loyalty

 

Most people that I know that have a Playstation have it for one reason, brand loyalty.  When the Playstation one came out, it left such a good impression, that these guys didn't want to try anything else.  Dude, at some point you gotta leave your highschool sweetheart behind and go to college. Here's an anology, when the Playstation hit the market, it was to competitors like Kimbo Slice is to some random schmoe on the street.  However, while the Playstation was busy beating the crap out of everyone, the Xbox snuck up from behind with a baseball bat and took a Barry Bonds rip,,, it could be,, back back back back back,,, gone! 

 

Online gaming changes the landscape

 

Microsoft's online community with a little help from a franchise some of us know (eeehhheemmm,,,, Halo), pretty much outclassed the competition, and in my humble opinion, still does handily.  What was Sony's answer?  Well, you gotta admit, the Plastation 3 is an impressive looking piece of hardware and,, whoaaaaaaaa, it's got a blue ray player,,pbbbbbbbbbbbbbhhhhhhhhhh,,,whatever dude.  That's what they decided on to set them apart?  Jacking up the price and forcing gamers to pay for a blue ray player?  Anyway, not trying to bag on something before I've tried it, so recently I went to a friends house to play the much anticipated Metal Gear Solid on his PS3. 

 

Some off the cuff remarks on the PS3, but it's definately becoming a respectable online platform

It was like playing the original Metal Gear Solid on my PSone, but with better graphics.  To put it simply, the game play sucked a$$ by todays standards, and the controller still hasn't changed, what's up with that?  So, to be fair to everyone and not dis to bad on PS3, they are getting better, and it definately has a very bright future.  I look forward to it, and hopefully they'll be an aftermarket controller (if there is one let me know) that is shaped like an Xbox 360 one and not like a wooden back massager.  Who knows, someday, I'll be the guy that's got both systems at my house, subscribing to both online services.