Well, it’s February and it’s bloody cold. Love it or hate it, everyone’s talking about the snow. Except me: I’m undecided. Yes it’s a nuisance, but saying I hate the snow makes me feel so terribly old, and saying I love it means I end up making snow angels in the garden while wishing I was inside with dry feet and a huge mug of hot chocolate, reading something informative and entertaining, like, ohhh… I dunno… the best Character Select picks of last month, maybe…

Issue 16 of the Cane and Rinse podcast features an interview with Adam Capone, aka @petermolydeux.

Issue Sixteen: An interview with Adam Capone

“This week Leon and Tony interview the internet enigma that is Adam Capone, starting with his transatlantic career within the games industry and then about his extracurricular activities such as his Joypod shenanigans and the infamous @petermolydeux.”

In Darren’s Starcraft II Quick Rinse he takes a look at the game’s campaign and shows us there’s a lot more to Starcraft II than a daunting multiplayer mode.

Quick Rinse: Starcraft II

“Episode 9: Darren tries to put your fears at bay with a less intimidating view of Starcraft II, the worlds finest Real Time Strategy game.”

Undoubtedly the biggest fail of the year so far was the XBLA/PSN title Amy. Check out Console Arcade’s review if you want to see it get another well-deserved bashing.

Amy review

“VectorCell’s release of Amy for PSN and XBLA is a good reminder of just how far, in a technical sense, the download services have come in such a short space of time. It may not be the first time we’ve said this but it bears repeating,simply  because it’s incredible to think that on the services that started out giving us ports of Joust! and simple remakes of Marble Madness, we’re now seeing titles which are similar in scope to last generation retail titles. And just like last gen, VectorCell seem keen to keep the survival horror genre going.”

Jamie Davis writes about the announcement of Phoenix Wright 5 and the HD releases of the older games on iPad and iPhone, and asks why they aren’t also coming to consoles.

Why Capcom need to bring Phoenix Wright to XBLA and PSN

“Today Capcom made a little announcement that we’re finally getting Phoenix Wright: Ace Attourney 5. No more messing about playing Miles Edgeworth. No messing about with wannabe Apollo Justice. And no special guest starring from Professor Layton. They’re actually releasing an honest to goodness new adventure featuring everyone’s favourite shouty lawyer, Phoenix Wright. Hooray!”

GamerDork’s Onyersix has written an interesting blog on how the demands of gamers have changed over the years.

The Changing Demands of Gamers

“Try to imagine the life of a time gone by.  It was a time of people reading games magazines, sitting in their bedrooms watching loading screens, and hearing the screeching noise of cassette-tape decks playing code that would result in a race for the mute button.  These were the days before the behemoth publishers such as EA and Valve became commonly known.  Yes, the late 80s and early 90s are fondly remembered by some of us due to the simplicity of life, and generally low expectations of games.”

Ragman_KD’s blog gives an insight into board gaming; a world that can sometimes seem overwhelming to newcomers.

How To Rule the World from Your Kitchen Table

“As I’ve been told I’m the board game go-to guy for GamerDork, I thought I should write a kind of introduction to the world of gaming without electricity for anyone who’s interested in trying this type of game. Now I’m not saying I’m a guru on all things board games related, or know the answer to every question you may have.  Sorry — I’m not, and I don’t. What I am saying is I’m the dumb git who said he would write some articles about this strange world.”

At the beginning of the game we’re introduced to Amy and her apparent guardian Lana. There’s an awkward few moments with a ticket collector, a phone call with a bit of talk about a ‘center’ and how Amy is sick, and the impression is given that Lana has apparently ‘rescued’ Amy from this mysterious center. Amy draws a picture that hints at precognition and there’s suddenly an explosion in the distance that causes the train to crash. One blackout later and you, as Lana, wake up alone in a carriage rather worse for wear, step over a few gory dead bodies, and set out in search of Amy.

It’s acceptable. Mildly amusing. It makes you wonder what’s actually going on. The train station is dark, dirty and completely trashed, and mutated zombie-like creatures are roaming around trying to make you dead. The controls instantly feel clunky and combat is very basic but this is a survival horror stealth game and less responsive controls can add to panic levels and direct combat is less likely than sneaking and hiding. Always the optimist, me.

But optimism, and a ‘give it a chance’ attitude can only get you so far. Facial animation is poor, the voice acting kills any atmosphere the game could have had, the checkpoints are frustratingly far apart, puzzles are flat out boring and the one hit kills get old, fast, especially when they boot you back to one of the frustratingly far away checkpoints and you have to push all the buttons you just pushed, hide in all the cupboards you just hid in and collect all the key cards you just collected.

It seems like a good idea on the surface. The relationship between Lana and Amy had potential. Amy’s psychic abilities grow as glyphs are discovered on the walls and she gains powers that could add an element of fun were they not ridiculously irritating to select and aim. If Lana leaves Amy’s side she starts to become infected by the contaminated air and gets sick. Returning to Amy heals her completely. Interaction between the two seems genuinely caring at times and the chance for an absorbing, heartfelt story has unfortunately been crushed by flat, unimaginative gameplay, and repetitive dialogue and actions. Sitting and watching Lana slowly ‘click clack’ up a ladder or shimmy across a narrow ledge for what seems like the hundredth time is somehow mind-numbing and stressful all at once.

Head over to GamerDork to check out Dezm0nd’s fun interview with Croteam, the developers of Serious Sam.

Q&A with Serious Sam’s Croteam

Delb2k’s latest blog talks about game environments, and how they can be so very effective in helping to create atmosphere or interest in a game’s backstory, allowing players to become more immersed in the worlds they’re playing in.

Location, Location, Location

“Resistance 3 may not be the cleverest shooter to have appeared this year, but it is one that managed to create environments that succeeded in not only immersing the player, but also in adding to the fiction the game was trying to present. At various points of the adventure, there are deliberate pauses for thought, letting the player explore the remnants of humanity and see first-hand what impact this triple-title war has had on the USA and the characters within it.”

If you’re at all excited about the console version of Counter Strike being released soon you’ll want to check out Darren Garret’s ‘Quick Rinse’ gameplay video of the recent beta.

Quick Rinse: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

An interesting article on eSports, originally written by Scott Eunson a.k.a. Darth Cuddles and posted on the Character Select Network forum, was re-posted on Cane & Rinse (with permission) by Jay Taylor, and is a great read for anyone interested in competitive gaming.

eSports in Gaming

“People talk about furthering video games as a medium, But what do they mean by this? Better stories? More immersion? photorealistic graphics? How about the ability to fill a stadium with screaming fans cheering for their favourite player or team? Over the last year or so, I’ve gotten deeply immersed in the Starcraft II community and competitive scene. If you follow me on twitter you will often see me spamming my feed with my opinions on the latest events that are happening, or getting angry because of a certain thing I find imbalanced.”

Make sure you check in on Console Arcade to find out the latest news on VectorCell / Lexis Numérique’s survival horror title, Amy.

Amy coming to PSN and XBLA next week

Available now on PSN and XBLA, Trine 2 looks absolutely gorgeous. Take a look  at Jamie Davies’ full review.

Trine 2 review

“Just two short years after the launch of the original Trine on the PSN (and PC) back in 2009, Frozenbyte certainly aren’t ready to put the series to bed. In what seems like no time at all, they’ve returned with a sequel which, after consternation from XBLA users who missed out on a release of the first title, means this time they also get a piece of the fantasy-adventure action.”

Issue ten of the Cane and Rinse Podcast is up and features Leon, Jay, Josh and Sean who are joined by our editor in chief Dan. This issue focuses on Bastion, one of the highest rated downloadable titles of this year.

The Cane and Rinse Podcast: Issue ten

In James Carter’s feature ‘Slow and Steady Wins the Day’ he talks about how some of his favourite games have given him many, many hours of playtime because of his desire to explore every last inch of them.

Slow and Steady Wins the Day

“How do you play games? It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? The most facetious of answers I can think of is “With a controller, idiot!”. Moving swiftly along, let us also side-step any discussions about Harcore versus Casual; so often these terms are used to separate “real” partakers of digital, interactive & computerised knick-knacks (we’ll need an acronym for the sake of brevity and ease of categorisation) from the… imaginary gamers?”

Console Arcade’s latest reviews are Trouble Witches Neo, an SNK shmup on XBLA, by Keith Murray, and Okabu, an environmentally focused title on PSN, by Jamie Davies.

Trouble Witches Neo!

“The last time SNK Playmore released a shmup on Xbox Live Arcade, it was the abysmal King of Fighters: sky Stage, a game that provoked an outpouring of abuse in the comments thread of this very site. While those comments never saw the light of day, it did serve to illustrate just (and how can we put this delicately) `fanatical` some Shmup fans seem to be about the genre.”

Okabu

“At a time when we’re constantly being reminded how everything we do is seemingly destroying our environment, Okabu isn’t the first (and certainly won’t be the last) title to build on that theme.”

In Mattharrier’s latest blog he describes how in games where the characters he plays aren’t created by him, he still finds it possible to bring an element of his own personal choice and reasoning to the things they do.

Red Dead RPG

“Role Playing Games. RPGs. Games in which you develop a character over the course of the game, increasing attributes, learning new skills, and shaping the nature of your character. In many games, however, that character is, due to the open-ended nature that is required, often a mute, practically faceless person, with very little in the way of personality – otherwise, it would prove difficult to conform to one’s personal image of what that character should be.”

Cassandra “Sassy” Corgard has written up a rather entertaining piece on her experiences at a Skyrim midnight launch.

Skyrim Midnight Release – A Night to Remember

“It was around noon on Thursday that I started seeing tweets from Brits who had received their copies of Skyrim. I sat at work as the clock ticked by the time at a pace that would make a turtle seem like a speed demon. Seeing those tweets was not helping, but I couldn’t stop myself from reading them. I was actually enjoying the build up of anticipation.”

Thought I'd leave you with a Skyrim screenshot. Just because.

BOOM! ASPLOSION!

But now everything is calm and still. There’s music in the air. Fires crackle and winds rush over the mountains. Even the distant roar of a frost-breathing dragon is as soothing as the glow of a restoration spell being cast.

The nights are drawing in. It’s that time of year. The dark and and cold outside means there’s more of an excuse to stay in and play games. It feels ever so… cosy, and a little bit lazy, but in a good way; a very good way.

Notifications off. Slippers on. Blanket wrapped around me. I throw myself into Skyrim alongside the rest of my friends list. We’re all wandering the same world at the same time but we’ll never cross paths. We’re fighting the same battles using our own combat styles. We’re learning and training and crafting the things that are interesting to us. We’re warriors, thieves and mages; Elves, Nords and Kahjit; all on a unique journey to the same destination. My friends can’t assist me, they can’t tell me there’s a bear behind me, they can’t trade weapons with me or offer me a ballistic vest. Just like them, I’m on my own, and that’s the way I want it. The burdens are my own. The glory is my own. This story is my own.

GamerDork’s Delb2k has written a very interesting piece on superhero video games and discusses the ways the recent Batman titles got it right when so many others get it very wrong.

From Hero to Zero

“This October two superheroes have specific games being released in their name. One of those is Spiderman in the Beenox-developed Spiderman: Edge of Time the other is Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham City. One of these has a Metacritic score of 59, is criticized for its blandness, and shares many of the disappointing traits synonymous with attempts to adapt different media into a videogame format. The other sits higher up at a rating of 95, and has been declared as the greatest superhero game of all time by some journalists. As a hint, the good one has wings…”

Console Arcade’s most recent downloadable game review is Playbrain’s 2D platformer Sideway: New York for the PSN, by Keith Murray.

Sideway: New York Review

“There’s something incredibly heartening about the re-emergence of the 2D platformer, a genre that seemed doomed to obsolescence with the advent of polygonal 3D. The likes of Super Meat Boy and others have allowed the genre to reassert itself of late and now another fine example of this revival has appeared with PlayBrains’ PlayStation Network title, Sideway: New York.”

After the much hyped GTA V trailer was finally revealed, Thumb Culture’s Paul Collet put together a collection of all the previous games’s reveal trailers. Ahh memories.

Get in the mood for GTA V

“Unless you had been car jacked and left for dead, you’ll all know that today (around 4pm our time) is the day that Rockstar break the internet with their reveal trailer for Grand Theft Auto V. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a little excited (despite my loathing for the fourth game). With all the rumours abound that the game could be set in Los Angeles again, got me giddy with excitement of revisiting my favorite game of all time (San Andreas) with a nice lick of HD paint.”

And finally, a big warm welcome the newest member of the Character Select Network: Cane and Rinse. Check out the site for reviews, features and podcasts, and while you’re there, be sure to give James Carter’s feature on Japanese games a look!

How the East was Won

““Oh, Japan!” is a phrase that I hear far too often around the gaming industry, but it’s also one that I can sympathise with entirely. It wasn’t terribly long ago that Japanese game development and I eyed one-another from afar with an apprehension verging on disdain. 2011 has been a milestone in my relationship with all things Japan and gaming, and it has been a revelation.”

All this time I thought you weren’t for me. I thought you were too old. I presumed I wouldn’t enjoy you. I ignored you. I was uninspired by your existence. I heard people saying how great you were and thought little of it. I casually brushed you aside because you didn’t look like this:

I assumed I’d get bored of you because I’d be using one of these:

Instead of one of these:

Even after downloading you, you sat on my hard drive patiently as I ran through streets and buildings night after night with a blood-thirst only quenched by frequent killing. I’d try to spend time with you but it was always so forced. My heart was never in it. Your ways were not my ways, I told myself. I believed that because I had missed out on being able to play you at the right point in time, I couldn’t possibly appreciate you.

But then something changed. I don’t exactly know why, but I gave you a chance. A real one. Not a courtesy play before switching back to the mindless chaos but a proper sit down let’s see what you have to offer actual try. And then this happened:

Hmmm...

And I unlocked some of these:

Ooooooh...

And the whole time, stuff like this was playing:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Again; I’m sorry. I was wrong. Thanks for waiting.

Remember when the bathysphere first clunked to a stop and you peered out into the darkness wondering what the hell was going on? And while guided through the perilous, leaking, splicer-infested city by a stranger over the radio, the answers you received only provoked more questions. If, like me, you explored every inch of Rapture, opened every safe, every trash can, listened to every radio log, and still wanted to know more then you’d be pretty excited to hear about a prequel book that tells the story of the city as it changes from an idea into a reality, and even more excited about the fact that this book is being released today.

Andrew Ryan. One of the most memorable video game characters of recent years. Superbly scripted and voice-acted, his words can send shivers down the spine of anyone that cares enough to truly listen to them. Barely seen in person on screen, he manages to be a continuous presence throughout Rapture. A man with an empowering resolve and commitment to his ideals. So dedicated to his belief in a free-thinking, unrestricted, yet hard-working way of life that he creates his own city at the bottom of the ocean. Villain or hero. Crackpot or genius. You decide. BioShock: Rapture gives details on Ryan’s childhood, the moment the decision to build Rapture was made, and how it all went terribly wrong.

Written by Bram Stoker award winner, John Shirley, the book is not too heavy and not too simple. Definitely one of the better videogame novels I have read. BioShock: Rapture is a must read for anyone that was left intrigued by the game and curious about the story behind the story of BioShock.

Hugs!

I was also looking forward to the release of Chime Super Deluxe. I love Chime. I remember first hearing about it last year, and it being special because over half of the proceeds from each sale would be going to charity. As soon as I saw the trailer, I was intrigued and once downloaded, I fell in love with it almost instantly. I’ve probably played the XBLA version far too much and have attempted the Steam version, but that only served to remind me just how shite my laptop is as it runs frustratingly slowly on there. One day I will own a decent P.C. One day.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Probably the best part of the Steam version. If only I could run it…

Part of the reason I love Chime so much is that I can get very satisfying scores on there; I am pretty sure that the reason I’m 35th or thereabouts on some of the XBLA leaderboards is that not enough people are playing Chime.  More people should be playing Chime. If you’re not playing Chime, you’ll never know if you can beat my scores. And if you don’t try, I’ve beaten you by default, and I get to make an annoying smug face.

The other thing I love about Chime is that it gives me a chance to think. Yes I’m having to put pieces in the right places to make them disappear and score points but there’s something special about the way Chime plays – it’s all very relaxing. It’s pretty, and bright, and the music is trancey. It reminds me of being younger and out in clubs, where I’d get so into the music that I’d ignore what my body was doing and my mind could freely wander and wonder.

It’s not often in day to day life that one gets to truly detach from the physical world and become immersed in thought, but Chime allows me get very close to that feeling. I hadn’t even realised ’til recently how often I simply switch off and just think while playing it. From the weekly shopping list to life and the universe, there’s no telling what could run through my mind as I try to beat my high scores. Five tracks that accompany five levels have kept me happy for over a year, with me maybe playing a few hours once every couple of weeks. With Super Deluxe bringing five new tracks and a four-player versus mode, when PSN gets sorted, I think I’ll be busy for quite a while.

Tick tock, tick tock...

Right now it’s 11AM on Tuesday the 29th of March. I’m sat at my computer trying to waste away some time by reading random top ten articles, checking Facebook, and chatting shite on MSN. I’m barely concentrating; I keep getting distracted by Twitter. Each time I hear TweetDeck chirp my eyes flit instantly across to the message box. If it’s not AceyBongos announcing that Mass Effect 2: The Arrival is ready for download from Xbox LIVE marketplace I’m not interested one bit.

I heard about the last Mass Effect 2 DLC instalment months ago, and I squealed and clapped my hands with excitement. The Mass Effect games are some of my favourites of all time and each add-on I’ve bought, with the exception of Pinnacle Station, has managed to add to my Shepard’s story and universe in a way I’m very pleased with.

Thing is, all the love I have for Mass Effect didn’t stop me from actually forgetting all about the DLC ’til yesterday morning when I read an article about it. My face lit up as I grinned stupidly; it was almost as though it was a surprise release, with only one day to go before I got to jump back on the Normandy for a brand new adventure.

In the Arrival DLC the mystery of who shrunk Tali is solved

This never happens to me. I pine after games that aren’t finished all the time. In the back of my mind even now is the fact that Battlefield 3 isn’t out ’til autumn, Gears of War 3 has been delayed ’til next year, and Half-Life 2: Episode 3… well… :’(

New games in the works get announcements, teasers, trailers, and previews. They also get official and unofficial websites full of news and discussions from gamers hoping and speculating about something that they can only hope and speculate about. And while finding information about new features or storylines is more than interesting, it just makes the time ’til release day seem even longer! I am terrible for getting caught up in hype and love the thought that the next game I play could be something incredible, so I’m like a kid at Christmas when I finally get my hands on it. But the delight I felt at realising I wasn’t going to have to wait very long to play The Arrival makes me wish I could forget these things more often. It’s likely that the only way I could ensure I have this experience again would be to never look on the internet or T.V, stop talking to people, and stay out of any shops for as long as I live. No shopping; it just ain’t gonna happen.

There’s the tweet! Right, I’m off. No more waiting for me. Woo hoo!

Damn...

]]> http://ready-up.net/2011/03/31/the-waiting-game/feed/ 6 http://ready-up.net/features/rift-giveaway/ http://ready-up.net/features/rift-giveaway/#comments Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:32:29 +0000 Laura http://ready-up.net/?page_id=35499 Trion Worlds’ first title, Rift, is looking very promising. A fantasy MMO set in the stunning world of Telara where a battle for control of mysterious rifts that interfere with the magical Ward that protects the planet, allowing for invasion from other dimensions, rages on. You take on the role of an Ascended hero, brought back from the dead to fight the invaders that are tearing Telara apart.

Released in the UK on the 4th of March, Rift claims to set the new “gold-standard” in MMOs. one that is polished and complete, offering players an innovative and dynamic adventure that features elements already well-loved by gamers and enhances them, providing high levels of choice and freedom alongside an incredible social experience in an ever changing and vibrant world of conflict and magic.

To celebrate the game’s release, we have three goodie bags with a copy of the game, a mouse pad and t-shirt in them to give away. To enter just fill answer the question and fill out your details below:

Closing Date: 10th of March 2011

What is the name of the planet that Rift is set on?

A) Telara

B) Hoth

C) Omicron Persei 8

I’m ashamed that I am guilty of that kind of snobbery, every now and then. If you dislike Bioshock you are dead to me. If you don’t play any first-person shooters I will assume it is because you fail miserably at them and mock you for being shite. I’ll roll my eyes at a person who only owns a Wii calling themselves a gamer, I raise my eyebrow sceptically at teenagers who claim to be huge retro fans and I have completed Mass Effect so many times in so many different ways that no one, absolutely NO ONE can appreciate it the way I can, goddamnit… ahem, sorry.

"No one that thinks Call of Duty is better than Halo can be part of my crew. You're out, Garrus!"

I started gaming at the age of nine. Right now I own every current generation console and more and I spend around 25 hours each week playing games. I also write blogs and reviews for a videogames website and every now and then get to shmooze with industry types at events. But! I’ve never played a Metal Gear Solid game, or a Zelda one. I’m currently playing Final Fantasy VII through for the first time, I can’t stand Aeris and the combat bores me to death. I’ve never owned a fourth gen console. I can only grasp the basics when discussing graphics cards and I don’t know the name of every single game engine ever made.

This guy is Solid Snake... right?

I love videogames, they are my passion and I am nowhere near a gaming guru but I am no more or less ‘qualified’ than anyone in this world to decide what is or isn’t, quite simply, fun. We love games so much that they can make us act like assholes, however valid our point may be. We will fight like cats and dogs to prove or disprove claims of brilliance or ingenuity and revolutionary concepts. We are compelled to voice our feelings because the games we feel passionately about have had such a strong impact on our very souls. And that’s exactly why we shouldn’t argue about games. We’re misunderstood enough by non-gamers and labelled wrongly by the media far too often. We’re not all clued up on the mechanics of gameplay and design or always able to perfectly articulate why certain forms of entertainment appeal to us. ‘Because I love it’ or ‘I just really enjoyed playing it’ should be enough justification in any conversation as an explanation to why a person claims a game is the best they’ve ever tried. Whether it be an FPS, MMO or Barbie Horse Adventures, taste or preference should be irrelevant. Opinion matters and we are all, of course, entitled to our own but we gamers should at least be able to understand the enthusiasm, if not the reasoning behind any kind of adulation.

You adore some games with all your heart, geeks, and that’s why I adore you. Seeing your wide-eyes and frantic arm gestures and hearing the passion in your voices while you talk about moments you considered to be sheer brilliance brings a huge, silly grin to my face. Getting stupidly excited over something that you love is what being a geek is all about, and we should be sharing that with each other. Games weren’t made for you, or for me, games were made for us.

Spawn-killing is wrong but funny.

Have you tried the wager matches in Black Ops? They’re all kinds of brilliant. You can play low stakes matches with friends in a party of up to six players. The buy-in starts at 10 CoD points and the maximum win is 30 CoD points. You’re hardly going to make or lose a fortune in these games. It just adds an extra exciting element to an already fun few game types.

Sticks and Stones is the firm favourite among my mates and I. There are no perks or killstreaks; you get a crossbow with explosive darts, a ballistic knife, and a tomahawk; some parts of the maps are blocked off, making them smaller, and the Spy Plane is constant so there’s no chance of any one camping. You need  to place in the top three highest scores to earn CoD points, and even if you don’t, you’re only 10 points down, so no big deal, right?

There’s this one thing, though. This one little thing I need to explain, and that’s the tomahawk — much like MW2’s throwing knife — a one hit kill weapon that will ‘bankrupt’ anyone it hits, resetting their score to zero. It’s deliciously cruel and evil. I heart tomahawking people and laugh gleefully every time I land one, but if someone does it to me — me who doesn’t care about winning as long as I’m having fun with friends, etc. — it’s a very different story indeed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There is nothing in gaming, no, nothing in life that makes me swear as much as getting tomahawked in Sticks and Stones. I realise that I have not known true hatred and anger until now. When I hear the voice-over guy say, “HUMILIATED” and I see that word displayed across my screen, mocking me, taunting me, I cannot always contain my vicious contempt for the person that bumped me all the way down to the bottom of the leader board with one well-timed tap of RB. It doesn’t delete your kills, just your score, and it’s not all that difficult to make a comeback in Sticks and Stones. I still maintain the opinion that winning isn’t all that important; placing last isn’t all that painful, but oh my %$*#&?* god, I swear, if you tomahawk me, I’m not gonna rest ’til I hunt you down, find where you live, come to your actual house and RAAAAAAGE!

I’m not some well known, highly respected games journalist. I’m nobody. I’m a single mother of three from a tiny town in South Wales. Activision didn’t send me to some posh holiday resort and shower me with gifts while I previewed Black Ops so that I would leave with warm fuzzy feelings about them and gush all over the internet about how wonderful their new game is. I don’t even know if any PR types will ever get round to reading this one of hundreds of reviews and articles about their new release that are out there in the world, getting slated and defended by people who clearly take life far too seriously.

Writing a Black Ops review is probably one of the biggest wastes of my time that I can think of. What’s the point of putting a load of effort into detailing a game when every gamer out there has pretty much made up their mind on whether they’re going to buy it or not? Instead, I could be earning CoD points right now to save up for a shiny new gun.

Treyarch made CoD3, and it was shit: get over it. Then they made World at War, which was damn good, but nay-sayers and grudge holders wouldn’t even allow the thought that it was anything other than a pile of crap to enter their minds. The same goes for Black Ops. There was always going to be a blurry mess of strong opinions on this shooter, because of the history of the companies behind it.

If you like military shooters, interspersed with exciting yet cheesy, predictable, clichéd plot twists, where you play as a soldier, following orders to run down corridors towards an objective marker while dodging grenades and satisfyingly gunning down generic enemies; then running from cover to cover through a variety of wide open scenic levels, where explosions shake up your screen, flinging bodies through the air, as you run to your escape vehicle, get dramatically downed ten feet from it, then heroically dragged to safety by your allies, only to do it all over again – unless it’s a sniping level, there’s usually a sniping level – then you probably already have Black Ops. If you like the fact that Treyarch have taken fans’ comments into consideration and dealt with a lot of the problems that made Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer so unbalanced and frustrating on occasion and added challenging new game types, a theatre mode and detailed stat tracking, then you’re more than likely playing Black Ops online right now. But if you have a burning, undying love for Infinity Ward, that blinds you to anything the ‘other’ CoD makers turn out, then why not just go play MW2? And if you have a seething hatred of Activision that keeps you awake at night and cannot get over the fact that big companies like to make money then you probably shouldn’t buy anything, ever.

When I was growing up I wasn’t allowed to play games. We didn’t even have a TV in the house until I was seven years old. I spent most of my free time reading, which was great, I loved it. My first experience of gaming was on a family visit to friends of my the family who had two sons. One was a little older than me and he owned a Commodore 64. As I quietly stepped into his room and peered over his shoulder I realised he was typing commands into the computer and that the responses showing up on screen were relative to what he had just written. I recognised the characters’ names almost immediately; he was playing the text adventure, The Famous Five: Five on a Treasure Island. I’d read and loved all of The Famous Five books, they walked all over The Secret Seven, not least because of the fact that one of them was a dog.

A jolly good read!

Gaming instantly fascinated me. Over the next few years I would play games through friends, at their houses. Playing snippets of whatever games they owned. A level or two at most before having to go back home. I remember begging my mother for a Master System on many many occasions. I’d scour the second-hand ads and convince myself that I could save up enough of my pocket money to buy one. I had no chance, I was rarely allowed sweets so found it rather tough giving up my Saturday sugar rush.

Finally, when I was maybe ten years old, my mother relented and got us a Commodore 64 – the boy who had let me play The Famous Five game’s old one. By now my friends had all moved on to the Megadrive or the SNES but I didn’t care. The C64 came with a truckload of games and that was more than good enough for me.  It meant I could play games every single day, for 20 minutes… if they weren’t violent…

Despite having around 50 different titles I didn’t try many of them. I didn’t have enough time to waste. Games would have to hold my attention from the outset and when one did, I’d stick with it. Bubble Bobble was one of the first games I got hooked on. I just wanted to complete it. I had never completed a game before and just wanted to try it. Of course, with 20 minutes playtime a day, this was never going to happen, but I kept trying anyway, getting slightly further each time. When the C64 died, it was a sad day. But not as sad as it would have been if I hadn’t started to take notice of something just as fun as gaming – boys! This would be my distraction from my gaming-deprived life until I left home, got a job and started to be able to afford my own consoles.

Despite suddenly having as much freedom as I wanted to play whatever I liked I still never became very adventurous when trying games. I still to this day tend to stick to games I enjoy, playing them til I’m satisfied that I’ve finished with them. I find it hard to get drawn into a game early on and will give up on it far too quickly. I guess I still feel like I haven’t got time. Instead of giving blockbusters like Red Dead or Uncharted 2 more than a fleeting glance, I’ll play through one of the Mass Effects for the seventh time or clock up another few hours on Modern Warfare 2.

Captain 'Epic moustache of awesome' approves, though.

My list of games I have never played and most likely will never play is probably much longer than yours. And sometimes it makes me a little sad that I’ll never find out what happened to John Marsten’s family first-hand or see the Final Fantasy VII story unfold for myself. I can’t join in nostalgic conversations about getting a Megadrive for Christmas, the shock of finding out Samus was a chick or the frustration of a princess being in another castle. But of course, it’s to be expected, I’m not a real gamer. Phew! I’m rather glad I’ve gotten that off my chest. I feel like I need to unwind now, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go jump on Halo Reach for the next six hours. Laters, nubs.

Even though I’ve not yet played the game I am already Noble 6. Soon I’m going on an adventure. This is the down-time before my mission starts. The calm before the storm. I’m escaping real life to do something special, to go somewhere that doesn’t exist, where a desperate struggle againt a relentless foe rages on. That nameless, faceless shell that I will be controlling, already means more to me than any deep, complex character I’ve ever ‘become’.

I’m playing the game; I’m the hero; I’m going to defend Reach and fight for humanity against incredible, overwhelming odds ’til the credits roll. This is what the Halo games get just right for me. Master Chief – he barely speaks, and even when he does it’s only in cut-scenes. There are no cheeky quips at senior officers; there is no mocking or taunting as enemies get trashed and not one exclamation of self-congratulation after a headshot to be heard, unless I’m actually saying them out loud, as I play, which I usually tend to.

During gameplay, it’s me under that green Mark IV armour. I get to pretend I have lightning fast reflexes that can dodge bullets and plasma from alien weapons. I have super strength. I have the respect and admiration of those under my command. When I play Reach, it will be the same. I’ll be a super soldier. I’ll feel invincible, immortal, untouchable. For a short while I can can forget about bills and housework. I want to lose myself in this world, as this person, this version of me. I am a Spartan. I am Noble 6.

It’s just not the same, anymore. It’s not like it was in the beginning. I’ve over indulged. The excitement has faded, the shine has worn away; I’m barely trying anymore. I’m running and running; down corridors, through trees and past buildings, stopping, firing and running again. I’m searching for something and I’m being left unsatisfied. I’m chasing the dragon. It’s time for me to move on.

Yes I have the map packs... shush!

I’ve thought about trading them in. But I never trade, they’re my games. I pondered taking a break. For a week or a month, and saying so in this blog so that I couldn’t go back on it. But the more I try to put it into words the more I just want to give up typing and go play the game. My shooty sense is tingling. The lobby music slips into my head. I close my eyes and imagine white hot images of scurrying enemies, desperately fleeing to cover. I can almost hear the cries of fallen noobs, drawing me in, like a shark to a drop of blood. There’s no point trying to deny it, I’ve been consumed. There’s only one thing that can save me now:

Just over a month to go. Eeeeeeeeeeek!

]]> http://ready-up.net/2010/08/13/the-more-things-change-the-more-they-stay-the-same/feed/ 5 http://ready-up.net/2010/08/03/look-what-i-did/ http://ready-up.net/2010/08/03/look-what-i-did/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 07:00:21 +0000 Laura http://ready-up.net/?p=25605 It was a wet summer evening. The rain which had earlier in the day turned my hair into unmanageable frizz, was pitter-pattering nicely against my window as I played Super Street Fighter IV. I was playing with Cammy. We’d been getting on well in recent weeks. No longer throwing out reckless spiral arrows, basic combos were getting pulled off perfectly almost every time and the missed ultra opportunities had become few and far between.

There had been a good mix of opponents to fight. T-Hawk, Sakura and Cody each made an appearance, there was one horrible, fireball spamming Sagat that very nearly made me cry and maybe three or four Ryus which is a pretty low number for an hour’s worth of play. Then along comes Ken.

I’ve always had a lot trouble with Kens. It’s annoying, knowing how predictable the average Ken player can be, that I still get my ass kicked. Maybe it’s the hair, maybe I have a weakness for blondes. Maybe it’s the arrogant smile that I want to despise but can’t cause it’s just so cheeky and loveable. Whatever it is, I rarely beat even a flowchart Ken, and this Ken was particularly scary, he had four times my battle points, he was obviously gonna destroy me. I had no chance against this guy. He’d probably been playing Street Fighter since he was a nipper. He had an intimidating gamertag, title and icon. He was clearly mean and nasty, more than likely built like a shed and kicked puppies in real life.

"Target acquired"

With the game set to one round only, I knew it would be over quickly. Somehow at the beginning I managed to sneak in a panicked throw. “Stay focused”, Cammy reminded me as she flipped Ken over onto the ground. So I tried. I really did. The rain and the warmth of my living room helping me to relax more so than usual. I still made mistakes, but when my health was all but gone something clicked inside my head and I managed to think and exploit the cocky bastard’s mistakes all the way to a K.O.

First thing I did afterwards was get on the phone to my best mate. “I JUST HAD THE MOST AWESOME FIGHT EVER!”, I exclaimed before the poor guy had finished saying hello. I carried on, describing the game in detail and finished up with “Dude, I have got to show you the replay”.

Watching and sharing moments of sheer win, fail or silliness with my friends has definitely become one of my favourite parts of gaming. I absolutely love that games such as SSFIV and Halo 3 allow matches to be kept and saved to my console’s hard drive. There was many a time, playing, say… Gears Of War 2, that I’d sigh and wish that it were possible to save played games and view them afterwards. So many moments of carnage and awesomeness, random grenade multi-kills and unexpected chainsawings from behind that caused a whole party of players to burst out laughing that will forever be lost.

So the next item on my list of toys to buy is going to have to be a capture card. I can cram my laptop full of hilarious clips like Walter’s Crackdown 2 mag grenade shenaningans. Then I can relive gaming memories whenever I please. I’ll be able to, in theory, show off each and every headshot I make. And one day I can prove to my grandchildren that grandma used to have ‘mad skillz’ by showing them FFA MW2 games where I score 30 kills to one death – oh yes, it has happened… once.

I’ll leave you now with a short film of one of my favourite gaming moments of all time. An ingenious, twisted idea full of Ready Uppers, dreamed up by Tony.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What made you want to be transformed?

It’s not like people don’t get piercings and tattoos every day. I have often thought about getting tattoos, but have never had the time, money and bottle all at the same time. My hair will grow back. Piercings heal.

Did you have any doubts?

Of course. Most of my doubts were about myself. Whether I should put myself out on such an open forum as the web for such widespread scrutiny. Whether people would react well to me or not.

Are you pleased with the outcome?

I am really pleased with the tattoo, and I think it suits me and my lifestyle as a freerunner. Also, the whole process has given me a thicker skin.

Have you had any comments?

Yes. Someone thought I’d done it for the local football team which was unexpected. This cute girl with 2 lip piercings and purple hair told me I looked hot; also unexpected.

I have had a couple of negative comments, but if all it takes to upset your perception is a blue haircut and a bullring, you haven’t really been trying hard enough.

What was the first game you ever played?

‘Pong’. I got given a second hand home Pong when I was very young. My mum worked with computers and had access to that sort of thing. I had a second hand Atari too, so I had games like ‘Breakout’ and ‘Asteroids’ and ‘Soccer’ when I was young. I’ve grown up with second hand technology. The first new console I got was a Nintendo 64.

What’s your favourite game?

I’m a big fan of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at the moment. It’s intense, but I hate it as much as I love it. I am looking forward to Black Ops.

Which console(s) do you have now?

Playstation 3.

If you could be any other video game character who would you be and why?

Master Chief. He’s totally badass. And Prince of Persia, because I want to move like him.

Who is your gaming hero?

There is a guy called Azo. He’s a computer game animator who bases his character movements on moves that he learns himself. He mixes freerunning, martial arts, gymnastics and circus tricks into his everyday routines, and it gives him inspiration for his animations. Sometimes he invents moves so he can animate them. He’s got some videos on Youtube. I’m pretty sure he’s the coolest person in the world.

Do you have a message for our readers at Ready-up. net?

I want to say something really profound here, but years of gaming have stunted my creativity. Just don’t have any regrets, and always question authority.

You know what kind of games I like best? Well, let me tell you, just to make sure. I like first-person shooters. I prefer the multiplayer modes. I like stats, scoreboards and medals. I like space marines, aliens and lasers, and I love Halo.

So, in case you hadn’t heard (yeah right), there’s a new Halo game due out in September – Halo Reach. It tells the story of Noble Team, a squad of Spartans, battling the Covenant on the human planet of Reach. I was looking forward to the campaign, excited about more Firefight, absolutely dying to play the multiplayer, and then I saw this:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now this is something I never thought I’d hear myself say about a Halo game, but stuff the multiplayer! I wanna play in Forge World! I want to roam around, solo, just playing, doing anything or nothing. I’ll make myself a fort full of rocket launchers, spell out my gamertag in the sky using battle rifles and place a teleporter over a pit of fusion coils so that the only way to get out is spectacular, explosive suicide.

Then I’ll invite all my friends to jump in and marvel at the wonderful things I’ve created. Or jump into their world and marvel at the wonderful (likely penis-shaped) things they’ve created. We can fight it out using Scorpions and Banshees, play Grifball and drop Warthogs into killballs. We can discover the land together, stop to admire the view, quietly, until one of us throws a sneaky plasma grenade at another player’s head, starting a free for all that will last for hours. The only limit will be our imaginations.

Ranking up and destroying n00bs doesn’t seem like it’s gonna be half as much fun as carefully and lovingly, building and creating, then killing and blowing things up in my very own corner of the Halo universe.