Initially I had thought that I should try to think of my all-time favorite movie and have that be the first inductee into the brand new Hall of Fame, but I decided against that for two reasons. First, I have trouble deciding my all-time favorite movie. Second, it's nice to pick a movie that's topical, and with the baseball season getting revved up, a baseball movie fits the bill perfectly.
Now, some of you (specifically those of you who are Indians fans) might suggest that Major League is a better baseball movie, and I'll concede one point to you: Major League is much more focused on baseball than Field of Dreams. But Field of Dreams blows Major League out of the water when it comes to simple movie quality. Also, there's a specific aspect of how Field of Dreams treats the sport of baseball that makes it, I think, a better baseball movie (I'll expand on this in a minute).
Back to the movie itself, Field of Dreams stars Kevin Costner as a farmer who hears a voice telling him to build a baseball field in his field of corn. People mostly think he's crazy, but he does it anyways, and magic ensues. For the twelve of you on the planet who haven't seen the movie, I won't ruin it, but there's a lot of traveling, some more voices, and very interesting and well-played characters. Obviously, the movie has a fantastic quality that requires you to let go of the logic centers in your brain, but if you're able to enjoy Disney World or the Super Smash Brothers video games, you shouldn't have any trouble enjoying the film.
The aspect of the movie that sets it apart for me, though, is its treatment of baseball. Throughout the movie (and particularly at the end), baseball is appreciated as something greater than just a game, but a part of American culture, and something that has contributed to the identity of Americans. Is baseball some kind of holy concept? No, but it's certainly more than just the game. It's become an institution, and Field of Dreams highlights the great parts of it, the stuff that has nothing to do with steroids or contract negotiations.
The movie also does a great job of including baseball stories that highlight the particularly dramatic nature of so many baseball situations. That's what makes baseball so appealing, and so American: the drama. Soccer is a fine sport, but the vast majority of soccer games are minimally dramatic, pushing passes through midfield, clearing balls lobbed deep into the defensive territory, and the ball just coasting along, waiting for someone to get to it. In baseball (and football, the two huge American sports), drama is never in short supply.
The last piece of the puzzle for this movie is a story about Kevin Costner's character and his relationship with his now deceased father. It adds an emotional storyline that gets highlighted occasionally throughout the movie but doesn't really get fully addressed until very late. When I was younger, I didn't really care for this part very much, but after losing my own father, I now understand what my mom/uncles/aunts appreciated so much about the end of the movie. I'm a total sap, so I get weepy at most sad moments in movies, but I can usually tell which parts are legitimately heart-wrenching, and which are just standard fare, and this one, though completely understated, is the real deal.
So there you have it, your first member of the House Housington Media Hall of Fame: Field of Dreams. Look forward to a new inductee on March 20th, which will be our first video game member. It's a great PC game by one of the strongest game developing companies ever.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
A New Hall of Fame
As I've mentioned to many people in the past, I think most Halls of Fame are innately flawed. The choices of inductees lend themselves heavily to emotional biases, since voters are all human, and we are naturally emotional creatures. It's not that this emotional characteristic of humans is bad; it just means that personal likes and dislikes are going to come into play when deciding who's worthy of induction.
And I'm not just talking about sports halls of fame here. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in fact the most recent institution I've evaluated, and it seems like they induct pretty much anybody who's even mildly influential. You can look forward to future Hall of Fame members No Doubt, Barenaked Ladies, Korn, and Rob Thomas. Listen, I like some music by each of those artists, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. But the Hall of Fame should be less about likes and dislikes and popularity, and more about transcendence. Members of any hall of fame should be those that are clearly a cut above, those whose work makes most others in their category seem insignificant.
So, since I can't affect any changes in the way halls of fame choose their members, or take action to remove those I feel are unworthy, I'm starting my own: The House Housington Media Hall of Fame, with inductees in the categories of albums, movies, and video games. (I intentionally chose three categories without widely acknowledged halls of fame, because I don't necessarily want to kick dirt on the shoes of those who vote for, work for, or respect other halls; I just want to establish and share my own, correct opinion).
Inductees will be announced once a month on the following schedule:
And I'm not just talking about sports halls of fame here. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in fact the most recent institution I've evaluated, and it seems like they induct pretty much anybody who's even mildly influential. You can look forward to future Hall of Fame members No Doubt, Barenaked Ladies, Korn, and Rob Thomas. Listen, I like some music by each of those artists, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. But the Hall of Fame should be less about likes and dislikes and popularity, and more about transcendence. Members of any hall of fame should be those that are clearly a cut above, those whose work makes most others in their category seem insignificant.
So, since I can't affect any changes in the way halls of fame choose their members, or take action to remove those I feel are unworthy, I'm starting my own: The House Housington Media Hall of Fame, with inductees in the categories of albums, movies, and video games. (I intentionally chose three categories without widely acknowledged halls of fame, because I don't necessarily want to kick dirt on the shoes of those who vote for, work for, or respect other halls; I just want to establish and share my own, correct opinion).
Inductees will be announced once a month on the following schedule:
- Albums - 1st of each month
- Movies - 10th of each month
- Video Games - 20th of each month
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Pizza Hut Online Is A Joke
Alright, the basic idea behind ordering a pizza online is twofold, at least to my understanding:
- Ordering online prevents the customer from having to actually talk to another human being, reducing potential interpersonal tension from the equation (if you don't think this can be a problem, the next time you're hanging out, nominate someone else to order the food, and you see if they don't squirm just a little bit).
- Ordering online creates a digital ticket that should result in fewer problems resulting from human error, miscommunication, or general malaise by the order taker.
That's why you order online; you don't have to talk to anyone and the place is more likely to get your order exactly correct. I'm a fan of ordering online. I think most businesses should offer online ordering, especially food delivery places. If I didn't have to call up for Chinese food and could instead order it online, I'd be up to my eyeballs in General Tso's chicken.
But Pizza Hut seems to miss a piece of this puzzle. Allow me to elaborate.
I have ordered from the local Altoona, PA Pizza Hut near me a number of times, almost always through their website. If my memory serves me correctly, the first few times were pleasantly uneventful and involved approximately zero effort on my part. Then, one time, I placed the order online and received a phone call soon after from my local Pizza Hut. They were wondering where I found the coupon that I had used for my order. I explained that it was on the PizzaHut.com website, and that seemed to satisfy their inquiry. Though not exactly. When the driver arrived, he said, "That'll be $16.41 and a coupon." I explained that it was one of the coupons available to click on the website, and whether by the merit of my explanation or his own distaste for human interaction (which I certainly share), he accepted it and left.
My hope was that my experience was a result of a kink in the Pizza Hut online ordering system that would be worked out on the corporate side. Bzzzt! Incorrect.
I received another phone call after my next online purchase, this time asking me to print out the coupon I used. What? Just print it out and give it to the driver. I don't understand that, but again, I believed the problem to be a system-based problem that would get worked out soon enough.
Months later, after a hiatus from pizza, I ordered from Pizza Hut again, just recently. No call this time, thankfully, and I waited with baited breath for my warm Stuffed Crust pizza and boneless buffalo wings. The driver arrived at the door, and said what I ought to have expected: "There's your receipt to sign, and you have a coupon?" No, sir, I ordered it online and do not have a coupon. "Okay, they'd like you to print out the coupon and give it to the driver in the future." Really? "Yeah, just print it out and give it to the driver." Okay, I'll do that the next time I order from you guys.
I will never order from them again.
What exactly is the point of a complex online ordering system if not to eliminate the need for paper coupons? When you order stuff on sale at Amazon, do they make you give the USPS guy a printout of the item description from the day you ordered it? I mean, the coupon is on your site and in your computer system. I clicked it and the system already knew what I was ordering, and took me to a page to make whatever decisions I needed to make concerning this dish. Your system told you that the pizza was ordered online, and gave you a total price for the order. I didn't hack your damn system to save four bucks on a large pizza.
I haven't decided yet how much swearing I'm going to do on this blog, but rest assured, if I had decided to go all out, this post would've been chock full of expletives. More than anything else, I hate when people make me waste my time or my resources; Pizza Hut was asking me to do both.
In fairness, I've ordered Pizza Hut pizza online at my mother's house and had no such problems. It's possible that the Altoona branch isn't sophisticated enough to fully integrate itself into the online ordering system. But if that's the case, then just don't offer online orders. Papa John's has never even suggested that I provide a coupon for my online order. They've got a fully integrated system, and they understand that if you're going to allow online ordering, you'd better do it right. I prefer Pizza Hut pizza, and I believe Pizza Hut pizza is generally less expensive. But that little tweak of convenience is worth it to me to downgrade to Papa John's for the foreseeable future.
I should write Pizza Hut a letter, or at least an email. But I'd rather just complain about it.
Monday, February 25, 2008
We actually shot a satellite out of the sky?
Listen, I've always had all the respect in the world for the United States when it comes to science and military operations. Part of that I'm sure comes from a "home field" bias, a standard feeling of patriotism, but I've always felt pretty confident in the ability of Americans to execute plans.
But I've got to say, this business about the satellite has got me really wowed about where we are scientifically. Word is, we've successfully targeted and destroyed the fuel tank on the satellite, which had posed something of a threat to life were it to come crashing down to Earth. Now, granted, these satellites are pretty large, but the main body of the device was a paltry 15 feet long. This object, with a decaying orbit, was targeted by an SM-3 missile and, according to all reports thus far, successfully destroyed to the point that the debris poses no immediate threat.
If it were a stationary object, it'd be pretty impressive to hit the fuel component squarely from hundreds of miles away. But we're talking about shooting a moving satellite out of the sky whose orbit is decaying. Out of the sky! Do you know how ridiculously large the sky is?
Alright, that's enough gushing for now, especially since there's still a chance that the mission was a failure. But it looks good, and I think that speaks volumes towards what science can accomplish. So be nice to your local nerds; they may be able to pinpoint your bedroom from a missile silo.
But I've got to say, this business about the satellite has got me really wowed about where we are scientifically. Word is, we've successfully targeted and destroyed the fuel tank on the satellite, which had posed something of a threat to life were it to come crashing down to Earth. Now, granted, these satellites are pretty large, but the main body of the device was a paltry 15 feet long. This object, with a decaying orbit, was targeted by an SM-3 missile and, according to all reports thus far, successfully destroyed to the point that the debris poses no immediate threat.
If it were a stationary object, it'd be pretty impressive to hit the fuel component squarely from hundreds of miles away. But we're talking about shooting a moving satellite out of the sky whose orbit is decaying. Out of the sky! Do you know how ridiculously large the sky is?
Alright, that's enough gushing for now, especially since there's still a chance that the mission was a failure. But it looks good, and I think that speaks volumes towards what science can accomplish. So be nice to your local nerds; they may be able to pinpoint your bedroom from a missile silo.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Blog Reborn
I've changed the URL of this blog, as well as its title, and you can look forward to a more diverse set of discussion topics going forward. I'll still talk about video games, because that's something I really enjoy talking about. But we'll make it a wider array of topics, for those of you who might not be very interested in the next Final Fantasy game (though I have to wonder why the hell not).
So expect posts on TV, movies, video games, music, food, travel, and my painfully uneventful life. And the occasional sweet online deal.
So expect posts on TV, movies, video games, music, food, travel, and my painfully uneventful life. And the occasional sweet online deal.
N
I'm sure a lot of you have already played this game, as I remember playing it way back when I was a 25-year-old in the dorm in Altoona (which was perhaps the most awful experience I've ever had). Anyways, it's called N, where you're a ninja hopping around, grabbing gold coins, flipping switches, and trying to escape levels or something. There's a story, but really, it's just a puzzle game. Anyways, it's sweet ass fun, so check it out if you're bored and want to kill some time.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Video Game Blog?
I've honestly been checking back here on this blog at least once a week, sometimes many times a week, and thinking to myself, "Alright, let's write something up for a blog post." And try as I might, I just can't think of what to "blog" about. I think part of my problem is that I'm not at all on the cutting edge of anything having to do with video games. I don't buy all the newest games (not having a job impedes that), I don't get out there and check out all the little Flash games online, and I don't read a particularly large number of articles concerning video games. I just like playing video games.
I could talk about how my brother, cousin, and I have recently gotten back into Diablo II, but what is there to say about Diablo II that hasn't been said? That I like listening to albums by The Police when I'm playing it? While I'm sure there are a lot of Police fans out there, I don't know that they'd find a blog about that particularly engaging.
I check out one video game "blog," though it's as much for the comics as anything else (http://www.penny-arcade.com). I read what they have to say, and I find it interesting, often humorous, and sometimes compelling. I really believe that I've got that kind of writing ability, and perhaps with a subscription to GameFly (if that site still exists) I'd have enough experience with new games (and thus a reason to be interested in the upcoming titles) to compose those kind of lovely blogs. As is, I just keep playing the old games. Is there a way to make playing old Nintendo/SNES/PC games exciting?
Well, I intend to find out. There have got to be some good blogs out there that tend to focus on older games, and I'm devoting the next week or ten to finding and analyzing them. In the meantime, I'll pray I'm struck with inspiration on a game-related topic for you, the readers. That's what it's all about, you know. The readers.
And stroking my massive, massive ego.
I could talk about how my brother, cousin, and I have recently gotten back into Diablo II, but what is there to say about Diablo II that hasn't been said? That I like listening to albums by The Police when I'm playing it? While I'm sure there are a lot of Police fans out there, I don't know that they'd find a blog about that particularly engaging.
I check out one video game "blog," though it's as much for the comics as anything else (http://www.penny-arcade.com). I read what they have to say, and I find it interesting, often humorous, and sometimes compelling. I really believe that I've got that kind of writing ability, and perhaps with a subscription to GameFly (if that site still exists) I'd have enough experience with new games (and thus a reason to be interested in the upcoming titles) to compose those kind of lovely blogs. As is, I just keep playing the old games. Is there a way to make playing old Nintendo/SNES/PC games exciting?
Well, I intend to find out. There have got to be some good blogs out there that tend to focus on older games, and I'm devoting the next week or ten to finding and analyzing them. In the meantime, I'll pray I'm struck with inspiration on a game-related topic for you, the readers. That's what it's all about, you know. The readers.
And stroking my massive, massive ego.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Star Trek Online
Listen, I'm gonna go ahead and come right out and say it: I'm a nerd. I like all the stuff nerds like: Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, computers, video games, and the like. So when I heard that there would be a massive online multiplayer Star Trek game, I was obviously delighted. The concept of crewing a starship in the Star Trek universe was very appealing, and, barring some foul-up, should be a lot of fun.
See this article:
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50065
For those of you who aren't fans of reading, the article says that a new company has taken over the development of the game, and is planning on setting it up to be a more casual (their word, not mine) experience.
Vomit.
Are you kidding me? The most enjoyable games are those that are in fact too complex. I don't want a game that has been dumbed down for the masses; I want the game that every gaming company wants to make: easy to learn, hard to master. When I hear that they want to make it a "casual" game, I'm thinking it's going to be more like the Sims online or something.
Also mentioned in the article is that the company is exploring a different payment structure, where there wouldn't be a month-to-month fee, but you would have to pay for extra features inside the game. Apparently this strategy has been very successful in Korea. Well that's great, except this isn't Korea. What exactly am I going to have to pay for inside the game? Flight school? Engineering lessons? Transportation? Food? I don't like this, not one bit.
I play World of Warcraft. I've tried out Star Wars: Galaxies, Final Fantasy XI, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Lord of the Rings online, and I found all of them to be seriously lacking when compared to WoW. I was disappointed, but not surprised. The Star Wars universe has its own flaws and foibles, so it's only fitting that its video game counterparts have some of the same problems.
But when it comes to complexities and fanship, Star Trek blows Star Wars out of the water. You can't give "Trekkies" a subpar effort; they'll lose their shit. The one thing I like about that is that, in those vehement supporters of the Star Trek universe, I've got a group of dedicated advocates who will do their best to ensure the game lives up to the standard of Star Trek. Many previous Star Trek games have disappointed, but an MMO should be held to a higher standard. You're not just creating an adventure. You're regenerating the entire Star Trek universe that thousands of people already know cover-to-cover, so to speak. You can't mess this up; they won't stand for it.
The main difference is that the average Star Wars fan is a casual fan, often young, and not necessarily a critical thinker. The average Star Trek fan expects a high level of discourse when they talk about their show, and certainly will expect a genuine representation of their universe from a game purported to offer gamers the true "Trek" experience.
Maybe this is all for nothing, and it'll end up being awesome, and everyone will go home happy. But I'm not holding out hope.
See this article:
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50065
For those of you who aren't fans of reading, the article says that a new company has taken over the development of the game, and is planning on setting it up to be a more casual (their word, not mine) experience.
Vomit.
Are you kidding me? The most enjoyable games are those that are in fact too complex. I don't want a game that has been dumbed down for the masses; I want the game that every gaming company wants to make: easy to learn, hard to master. When I hear that they want to make it a "casual" game, I'm thinking it's going to be more like the Sims online or something.
Also mentioned in the article is that the company is exploring a different payment structure, where there wouldn't be a month-to-month fee, but you would have to pay for extra features inside the game. Apparently this strategy has been very successful in Korea. Well that's great, except this isn't Korea. What exactly am I going to have to pay for inside the game? Flight school? Engineering lessons? Transportation? Food? I don't like this, not one bit.
I play World of Warcraft. I've tried out Star Wars: Galaxies, Final Fantasy XI, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Lord of the Rings online, and I found all of them to be seriously lacking when compared to WoW. I was disappointed, but not surprised. The Star Wars universe has its own flaws and foibles, so it's only fitting that its video game counterparts have some of the same problems.
But when it comes to complexities and fanship, Star Trek blows Star Wars out of the water. You can't give "Trekkies" a subpar effort; they'll lose their shit. The one thing I like about that is that, in those vehement supporters of the Star Trek universe, I've got a group of dedicated advocates who will do their best to ensure the game lives up to the standard of Star Trek. Many previous Star Trek games have disappointed, but an MMO should be held to a higher standard. You're not just creating an adventure. You're regenerating the entire Star Trek universe that thousands of people already know cover-to-cover, so to speak. You can't mess this up; they won't stand for it.
The main difference is that the average Star Wars fan is a casual fan, often young, and not necessarily a critical thinker. The average Star Trek fan expects a high level of discourse when they talk about their show, and certainly will expect a genuine representation of their universe from a game purported to offer gamers the true "Trek" experience.
Maybe this is all for nothing, and it'll end up being awesome, and everyone will go home happy. But I'm not holding out hope.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Beowulf: The Game
GameStop has Beowulf: The Game on a massive price drop from $59.99 down to $19.99 for both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. I've heard good things about it so far in limited reviews, and for twenty bucks, it's not that much of a risk to take a chance on it.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Used Games Holiday Deals
Gamestop has a ton of used games on sale leading up to the holiday season. Additionally, they've got a couple of coupons you can use (though only one coupon per order):
- AFF25 gives you 25% off all used games
- SAVER gives you free shipping
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Expansion Packs
When I was a kid, I hated expansion packs. I felt like the game company was robbing me, asking for more money just so that I could have a few more levels, a few more features, a little more functionality. And as a video game kid, I couldn't help but comply. Thirty dollars more for the Lord of Destruction expansion for Diablo II? You're an ass, Blizzard. Why didn't you just include this in the original game?
But I was wrong. Dead wrong, in fact, 95% of the time. It's true, a lot of the stuff included in the Diablo II expansion probably could've been included in the original game, though it obviously would've taken some time to get it resolved and programmed and tested and produced. But hey, what's a few more months when you're talking about thirty whole dollars? Well, it's time for the next game to come out, like Dungeon Siege for example.
But more than that, how about the fact that it is thirty dollars? Expansion packs very rarely rival the original game in price, and often, shortly after the expansion comes out, a full package include the game, expansion, and occasionally a strategy guide becomes available for $50. The "Battle Chest," as it's sometimes called. Take that into consideration the next time you pay full price for the newest Tiger Woods, or Madden, or 2K game. Expansion packs offer about the same amount of new content as the annual iteration of the popular sports games, but are available for substantially less money than the original game.
Let's cite a few examples of particularly impressive expansion franchises (Blizzard will dominate the list, but they dominate gaming, so it's reasonable).
World of Warcraft - The Burning Crusade expansion offered a brand new continent, two new races, a new profession, hundreds of new items, monsters, and skills, and a few more "instances," or dungeons, to those unfamiliar with the game. The next expansion, set for this winter, will add another continent, another new profession, a new class (far more interesting than a new race), siege weapons and destructible buildings, and another bevy of new items, monsters, skills, etc. The new expansion, in fact, is the main reason I'm continuing to play and pay for World of Warcraft. I've always wanted to be a death knight.
Starcraft - The Brood War expansion was one of the earliest expansions in my gaming career. It offered a few new units (not too impressive), but also offered completely new campaigns, with a full compliment of missions to undertake that rivaled and perhaps even surpassed the original campaigns, at least in terms of difficulty. That shit was hard.
Half-Life - Not along the same conventional expansion pack lines, but Half-Life spawned a number of expansions, such as Opposing Force, Blue Shift, and Team Fortress. On top of that is the immensely popular Counter-Strike, which started as an independent mod of Half-Life, but was developed into an official release. All of these games were relative successes on some level, and they're all built on the same framework of the original Half-Life. Chip, I promise, someday I'll play that set you bought me for my birthday a few years ago.
However, to be completely fair, there is one game franchise that has completely murdered the concept of an expansion pack to the point of obscenity: The Sims. The Sims came out with seven total expansion packs from August 2000 to October 2003, and while each was available for a reasonable price of $20-$30, the rapidity with which they were released suggests that they were not delayed by coding or testing constraints, but rather in an attempt to generate as much revenue as possible from each set of added features. While Maxis and Electronic Arts are entitled to take whatever path they choose to released their product, it has made me wary of purchasing new games, knowing that the potential for several expansion packs in the near future exists.
But The Sims is the exception and not the rule. For the most part, expansion packs offer game companies the opportunity to respond to requests and suggestions from their respective gaming communities, and expand and enhance their video game experiences. As a sincere gamer, I'm all for the production of top-quality titles, and I like the idea that, if enough people think a certain new feature or game change is a good idea, the company has the chance to integrate it into the game through an expansion pack.
And now you know part of the reason I refuse to buy brand new sports games.
But I was wrong. Dead wrong, in fact, 95% of the time. It's true, a lot of the stuff included in the Diablo II expansion probably could've been included in the original game, though it obviously would've taken some time to get it resolved and programmed and tested and produced. But hey, what's a few more months when you're talking about thirty whole dollars? Well, it's time for the next game to come out, like Dungeon Siege for example.
But more than that, how about the fact that it is thirty dollars? Expansion packs very rarely rival the original game in price, and often, shortly after the expansion comes out, a full package include the game, expansion, and occasionally a strategy guide becomes available for $50. The "Battle Chest," as it's sometimes called. Take that into consideration the next time you pay full price for the newest Tiger Woods, or Madden, or 2K game. Expansion packs offer about the same amount of new content as the annual iteration of the popular sports games, but are available for substantially less money than the original game.
Let's cite a few examples of particularly impressive expansion franchises (Blizzard will dominate the list, but they dominate gaming, so it's reasonable).
World of Warcraft - The Burning Crusade expansion offered a brand new continent, two new races, a new profession, hundreds of new items, monsters, and skills, and a few more "instances," or dungeons, to those unfamiliar with the game. The next expansion, set for this winter, will add another continent, another new profession, a new class (far more interesting than a new race), siege weapons and destructible buildings, and another bevy of new items, monsters, skills, etc. The new expansion, in fact, is the main reason I'm continuing to play and pay for World of Warcraft. I've always wanted to be a death knight.
Starcraft - The Brood War expansion was one of the earliest expansions in my gaming career. It offered a few new units (not too impressive), but also offered completely new campaigns, with a full compliment of missions to undertake that rivaled and perhaps even surpassed the original campaigns, at least in terms of difficulty. That shit was hard.
Half-Life - Not along the same conventional expansion pack lines, but Half-Life spawned a number of expansions, such as Opposing Force, Blue Shift, and Team Fortress. On top of that is the immensely popular Counter-Strike, which started as an independent mod of Half-Life, but was developed into an official release. All of these games were relative successes on some level, and they're all built on the same framework of the original Half-Life. Chip, I promise, someday I'll play that set you bought me for my birthday a few years ago.
However, to be completely fair, there is one game franchise that has completely murdered the concept of an expansion pack to the point of obscenity: The Sims. The Sims came out with seven total expansion packs from August 2000 to October 2003, and while each was available for a reasonable price of $20-$30, the rapidity with which they were released suggests that they were not delayed by coding or testing constraints, but rather in an attempt to generate as much revenue as possible from each set of added features. While Maxis and Electronic Arts are entitled to take whatever path they choose to released their product, it has made me wary of purchasing new games, knowing that the potential for several expansion packs in the near future exists.
But The Sims is the exception and not the rule. For the most part, expansion packs offer game companies the opportunity to respond to requests and suggestions from their respective gaming communities, and expand and enhance their video game experiences. As a sincere gamer, I'm all for the production of top-quality titles, and I like the idea that, if enough people think a certain new feature or game change is a good idea, the company has the chance to integrate it into the game through an expansion pack.
And now you know part of the reason I refuse to buy brand new sports games.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Tiger Woods 08 - Wii
Nothing beats a good golf game. Any sports enthusiast, whether they play golf or not, should own at least one golf game for their video game console. I have Tiger Woods 2004 for my PC, then I got an Xbox and got Tiger Woods 07 for the Xbox. Now that I have a Wii, it was only natural to get Tiger Woods 08.
Here's the lowdown:
Gameplay: The Tiger Woods series are all pretty typical as far as game play is concerned. From one year to another, the only major differences are the addition and subtraction of golf courses and EA's addition of a "new feature." The one thing that makes this game unique is the controls that allow the Wii to create a more realistic golfing experience. Its not perfect, but its good.
The controls, which is my first concern that I research before purchasing a Wii game, are fairly intuitive. You swing the Wii remote like you would a golf club. You have the option of practicing your swing as much as you like too, which is almost a necessity when trying to finesse a shot. I have noticed that the swing can not be too large. If your back swing brings the Wii Remote over your head and points at the TV, it probably will not pick up on the rest of the down swing. I have also found it to be a little tricky to make a swing that is not 100% or greater. You really have to slow down your motion. This could be the game telling me that my golf technique needs a lot of work (and it probably does), but I doubt that is the case. Putting is a little different. You still make a natural putting motion (and its probably a more realistic swing than you make during a typical swing), however the practice mode is a little different. They call it "Putt Preview" and when you enter the Putt Preview mode, a timer starts to count down. You only have so much time to preview your putt. There is a lot of time for previewing your putt, however, the timer is shared for the entire round. If you spend a lot of time on one green previewing your putts, you will want to conserve your time on another green or risk running out of time and losing the ability to preview putts.
All this talk about the Normal Swing Mode, and I have nearly forgotten the other swing modes. There are two other swing modes. One allows you to swing the remote in any direction as long as you go one way, then the other. This allows people to swing while sitting down. I tried it once and did not care for it too much. The other swing mode requires the Nunchuk and is the traditional swing moving the joystick down for the back swing and forward for the down swing.
Getting back into the game, the player creation remains to be as specialized as its always been. Every little detail can be included. I have heard about the Xbox 360 and PS3 having a automatic player creation with the use of a digital photo or two. Unfortunately, that did not make it to the Wii. I was looking forward to it and it did not make the jump.
Taunts are back, which were in a previous Tiger Woods, but not 07. I'm not sure exactly how efficient they are because I have not yet tried any of them, but that was always fun. There is also a confidence meter for your individual golfer. Depending on the course, the type of shot, the difficulty of the shot, and your abilities, a meter shows your confidence in making the shot. Its a pretty interesting feature. If you play one course a lot and you are in a similar situation attempting a particular shot that you have attempted before, your confidence meter is higher than it would be on a native course, attempting a rare shot, and it increases your chances of making the shot.
The game modes are extremely similar to Tiger Woods 07. They include the Tiger Challenge (though with a LOT more content), the PGA Tour season mode, all the different round options (stroke play, match play, etc.). The Mini Games are similar as Tiger Woods 07 too. I think there is a new putt-putt mini game, however, I have yet to try it out.
Graphics: The graphics could use some work. There is a great deal of realism, but I think it could use a little work and attention. I believe the graphics look cleaner on Tiger Woods 07 for the regular Xbox. They look alright, I just think there should be a smoother transition when things move following shots and previewing holes. The animals that are occasionally seen on courses are extremely unrealistic and incredibly disappointing. They should not have been included.
Sound: EA sports has always done a decent job with sounds. Its nothing too special. The occasional chirp or the sound of wind blowing through a tree. The soundtrack is always something to admire with EA sports games too. They did not miss a beat here either.
Replay-ability: Despite the graphics, this game has a lot of replay-ability. There is always something to do, whether its following the PGA Tour season or taking on another Tiger Challenge, there is a LOT of content here to keep players coming back.
Wrap-up: A great game for the Wii. I have read this in a few reviews and I will repeat it here because it stands true: If you own Tiger Woods 07, its probably not worth getting Tiger Woods 08. EA Sports will have to come up with something radically different to get people hopping on 09. The past couple years have produced extremely similar games. Regardless, any Tiger Woods game is worth owning on whichever system you currently own.
Here's the lowdown:
Gameplay: The Tiger Woods series are all pretty typical as far as game play is concerned. From one year to another, the only major differences are the addition and subtraction of golf courses and EA's addition of a "new feature." The one thing that makes this game unique is the controls that allow the Wii to create a more realistic golfing experience. Its not perfect, but its good.
The controls, which is my first concern that I research before purchasing a Wii game, are fairly intuitive. You swing the Wii remote like you would a golf club. You have the option of practicing your swing as much as you like too, which is almost a necessity when trying to finesse a shot. I have noticed that the swing can not be too large. If your back swing brings the Wii Remote over your head and points at the TV, it probably will not pick up on the rest of the down swing. I have also found it to be a little tricky to make a swing that is not 100% or greater. You really have to slow down your motion. This could be the game telling me that my golf technique needs a lot of work (and it probably does), but I doubt that is the case. Putting is a little different. You still make a natural putting motion (and its probably a more realistic swing than you make during a typical swing), however the practice mode is a little different. They call it "Putt Preview" and when you enter the Putt Preview mode, a timer starts to count down. You only have so much time to preview your putt. There is a lot of time for previewing your putt, however, the timer is shared for the entire round. If you spend a lot of time on one green previewing your putts, you will want to conserve your time on another green or risk running out of time and losing the ability to preview putts.
All this talk about the Normal Swing Mode, and I have nearly forgotten the other swing modes. There are two other swing modes. One allows you to swing the remote in any direction as long as you go one way, then the other. This allows people to swing while sitting down. I tried it once and did not care for it too much. The other swing mode requires the Nunchuk and is the traditional swing moving the joystick down for the back swing and forward for the down swing.
Getting back into the game, the player creation remains to be as specialized as its always been. Every little detail can be included. I have heard about the Xbox 360 and PS3 having a automatic player creation with the use of a digital photo or two. Unfortunately, that did not make it to the Wii. I was looking forward to it and it did not make the jump.
Taunts are back, which were in a previous Tiger Woods, but not 07. I'm not sure exactly how efficient they are because I have not yet tried any of them, but that was always fun. There is also a confidence meter for your individual golfer. Depending on the course, the type of shot, the difficulty of the shot, and your abilities, a meter shows your confidence in making the shot. Its a pretty interesting feature. If you play one course a lot and you are in a similar situation attempting a particular shot that you have attempted before, your confidence meter is higher than it would be on a native course, attempting a rare shot, and it increases your chances of making the shot.
The game modes are extremely similar to Tiger Woods 07. They include the Tiger Challenge (though with a LOT more content), the PGA Tour season mode, all the different round options (stroke play, match play, etc.). The Mini Games are similar as Tiger Woods 07 too. I think there is a new putt-putt mini game, however, I have yet to try it out.
Graphics: The graphics could use some work. There is a great deal of realism, but I think it could use a little work and attention. I believe the graphics look cleaner on Tiger Woods 07 for the regular Xbox. They look alright, I just think there should be a smoother transition when things move following shots and previewing holes. The animals that are occasionally seen on courses are extremely unrealistic and incredibly disappointing. They should not have been included.
Sound: EA sports has always done a decent job with sounds. Its nothing too special. The occasional chirp or the sound of wind blowing through a tree. The soundtrack is always something to admire with EA sports games too. They did not miss a beat here either.
Replay-ability: Despite the graphics, this game has a lot of replay-ability. There is always something to do, whether its following the PGA Tour season or taking on another Tiger Challenge, there is a LOT of content here to keep players coming back.
Wrap-up: A great game for the Wii. I have read this in a few reviews and I will repeat it here because it stands true: If you own Tiger Woods 07, its probably not worth getting Tiger Woods 08. EA Sports will have to come up with something radically different to get people hopping on 09. The past couple years have produced extremely similar games. Regardless, any Tiger Woods game is worth owning on whichever system you currently own.
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