Sorry About The Silence

School can complicate things.

"Michael Pacheco" dropped a comment on the previous post today so I just want to say thanks. He is an editor for The Xbox Domain (in case you can't click on links that's thexboxdomain.net), which is a really cool site I just found out about after he commented. So go check that out and thanks for the support, Michael.

The Fall Update is finally out, and I wouldn't have known had it not been for Major Nelson's blog, seeing as my console is still not back from the repair center.

That's it from me for today and I hope to catch up on all the news I missed from the last couple of days.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

A Challenger Has Appeared! ...I Hope

If this is true, then

1) I'm buying it.

2) The current top 3 consoles will have to make room on the couch for this thing.

One short of a billion is a CRAZY number of games for one system to hold. What would really make this a huge success would be if the price was really low and the games were separated into categories so you don't have to scroll through literally millions of games till you find one you want to play. This thing has may praying it's not a joke. The thing comes with a little pistol so I'm thinking Time Crisis. I'm a huge fan of that game; I'll play it till I have no cash left in my pocket at the arcades- the co-op is insanely fun.

I came across this really interesting review for Assassin's Creed that really sums up how good the game is with a balance of positive and negative. It really shows how cheap the game is at heart, and I have resolved not to buy this game. The guy makes some very strong points about the game's mechanics and how boring the game is. You should take a look- it could save you $60 that you could use to buy something good.

Speaking of that, I think I might have changed my mind about Mass Effect. There's a a chance I'll buy it. Not because it looks good but because I'm curious and I can't find anyone to convince me that it sucks- on the contrary everyone says it's great. I don't believe them but I'll take a look anyways.

Well that wraps it up.
Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

The Forums Are Still There...

There's a link at the top of the sidebar that takes you to the blog's forum. I know it's not an online community waiting to bloom, but it is a good way to post concerns, feedback and other good stuff for me to see. Comments are good too, but posts eventually disappear down the list and I might not even notice them sometimes; but I always check the forums. So if there's any feedback you want to give, the forums is the best place and it's a quick registration process.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

Happy Thanksgiving!

And this year, us gamers have alot to be thankful for. We have a couple news stories today.

Sorry I couldn't update the blog for 2 days; I spent time with my family up in the mountains for Thanksgiving and never got a chance to even touch a computer. I don't think I would want to even if I had the chance. I encourage gamers to always turn the box off on holidays. Your family deserves your attention all the time, but even more so on holidays.

The Halo theme music was made a downloadable song for Guitar Hero 3 yesterday, and free. Read up, here.

And Ubisoft announced Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. Not much is being said about it besides better graphics, new gameplay features and new settings (still in Vegas). Read more here.

That's it from me; thanks for reading.
Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

Nevermind!!! This Just In!

It turns out we have a whole lotta shiny new features coming in the Fall Update. This is all rumor, but if this article is true, I hope to god it's all real!

And could your 360 qualify for Microsoft's new ban list? Read this article on how Microsoft is cracking down on modified DVD firmwares and discs.

That last post was so pathetic I had to make one last check on the gamingnews. Good thing I caught these.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

Today Was A Drag

Still no 360. I need to buy a spare. Nothing to post on, and I'm tired.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

A Downloadable Halo 3 Map-Pack Headed Our Way

It's says it here. We will have new maps like "Standoff," "Rat's Nest" and "Foundry." Check them out, they'll be 800 MS points ($10), but will be free in Spring 2008. Be sure to get this; I recommend waiting till Spring. You can rest assured that there will be tons of new map packs. Bungie needs something to distract us from the next Halo game, right?

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

More Problems Headed AC's Way?

This is fairly new news; the PS3 version of Assassin's Creed is freezing, making it difficult to play for alot of people. The same has been happening for 360 owners with the game, but in lower numbers. As if this game didn't take a good enough hit with it's 7 on several prominent gaming sites. And this game has been in developement for 4 or 5 years, so how is this even a possibilty? Is Assassin's Creed a failure? Here's an interesting thread on this topic. Check it out.

Oh and while we are on the Assassin's Creed topic, gamers all over are reporting in great numbers that Assassin's Creed is a great, fun and innovative game. So who is right, the gamers or the gaming sites?


Take care and have fun gaming,


-ProjektWikked

Missing My 360

It's been about a week since I mailed my console to Microsoft to get it fixed and I'm really missing it...

Not to sound like a no-lifer or anything but it gets pretty boring around here without it.

I can't find anything worth posting about on the web or in my head, so I guess this is all I have to say today.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

Achievements And Why We Love 'Em

I'd like to make a post on achievements. Alot of people I meet and talk with take the Achievement system for granted. They'll say something like "Buying all these games is such a waste of money, you don't get anything out of it. You don't get Microsoft Points for playing games." And then I'll say, "Well you get achievements and they give you a good gamerscore." And the usual response to that would be, "Who cares about Gamerscore? Pfft."
Well Gamerscore is one of the reasons alot of people buy Xbox 360s. A new way to play a game. Deep down it's the feeling that you conquered a game that fuels your want to play video-games. This is natural. But let's say I beat the same game hundreds of times on my PS2. Sure I can brag, but it's only word-of-mouth. I don't have proof; there's no stamp on my forehead saying I beat it. Well the 360 has done that. The Xbox 360 has made it possible to brag without words. A quick glance at a card and a number will tell you how much that person has achieved in their gaming life. And that does have value in my opinion. Well that's really I have to say today. Here's the article I read that made me want to post this. It has some great ideas on how Microsoft can make achievements even more meaningful.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

New DS Model And The Real Deal On The Xbox Originals

I know it's weird to post about the DS on an Xbox 360 blog, but this is important; especially because a huge chunk of Xbox 360 gamers are also DS fans- and I don't blame them. It's a nice piece of hardware and Nintendo has released a lengthy list of third party games for it, along with the Wii and Assassin's Creed is among the games on that list. Yeah, I was surprised too, and hey- it might be better on the DS. So if you haven't got a DS yet I recommend getting this new model that Nintendo has just finished designing. It has some snazzy new features. Check it out here.

Oh, and it turns out that the ability to download Xbox Original games from Marketplace when the Fall Update is released isn't anything to get excited about. If I wasn't turned off enough by the fact that they were $15.oo each (1200 Microsoft Points- I can get these titles used for $8.99 at GameStop), I am now that they aren't being re-vamped with achievements or any Gamerscore value whatsoever. So really, you're at loss if you download these games over buying them used at GameStop. They will max-out your hard drives and they have no advantage over buying the disks, so I would recommend ignoring them; just another money-making ploy by our friends at Microsoft (sounds harsh but it's the truth). More info on Major Nelson's blog.
Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

What's Up With Assassin's Creed?

I heard this first from a friend during school yesterday; that Assassin's Creed received a 7 for a rating by several gaming sites. I couldn't believe it. I had already expected I wouldn't like it, but I also expected I would be the only person that felt that way. Now sites are saying it's top 5 most disappointing games of all time material. IGN is in the spotlight for being the harshest towards the game, and GameSpy and 1Up seem to second their opinion. My fears of Assassin's Creed not living up to the hype it generated at E3 2007 have been confirmed. I, for one, am not getting this game- or atleast not until more reviews come out. This goes to show how you can't always trust a game to live up to it's hype. In the past all it took was a really cool trailer at E3 and emphasis on an awesome new feature to save it a spot on most gamers' Games To Buy lists. But we've seen so many games that were hyped like crazy, only to crash and burn once they were released. Shadowrun, RedSteel for the Wii, and Dirge of Cerberus for instance. All that remains to be seen is the truth on this game and how good it is, now that it's hit retailer shelves. More info here.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

(Thanks to Nick and Covertbike for the comments on the last post. You can read my responses at the forum; my browser isn't letting me post comments. There's a link to the forums in the sidebar of the blog.)

XBL's 5th Birthday Is Good For All Of Us - And A Fall Update Secret Revealed

This is the latest news on Xbox Live- it just came out today. For 48 hours after 12:01 a.m. EST on Nov. 15th, Carcassone will be available to download for free. And if you live in Korea you get Hexic 2.

Plus Microsoft announced that with the Fall Update, Xbox Original games will be available for download on Marketplace for 1200 points ($15) each. Among these titles, Microsoft has confirmed the following:
Halo, Psychonauts, Crimson Skies and Fable.
Plus there have been reports saying Indigo Prophecy, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath Of Cortex and Burnout 3 will be available as well.
Halo is definitely on my list.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

I Was Reluctant To Give My Input On This...

...But I guess this is a big deal, even if I don't care about Mass Effect.

If you can't wait for Mass Effect, there's a chance you could get one early. Call your local Kmart and see if they have any copies of Mass Effect in stock. And try online at Toys R Us, NewEgg and Walmart; they all list the game as in-stock! More info here.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

(Shoutout & thank you to GamertagRadio for hooking me up with a free copy of Beautiful Katamari, which I can't play.)

Safety Cones: How Safe Are They?

If you take a look at the aramdon's page on Bungie.net, and scroll down to the bottom of the list of weapons he used to kill other players, you will notice an innocent looking traffic cone at the bottom. It's hilarious that this background item has proved itself lethal. Here's a video showing how dangerous a cone can be.

This has been a ridiculously short post by,

-ProjektWikked

(Take care and have fun gaming.)

"Will you be my teammate for life?" (and a cure for the lefty flip- thank god!)

So while my internet connection was being repaired for the umpteenth time (it's still acting up so I have no idea if I can consistently post again yet) a pretty big pile of gaming news piled up. So much, in fact, that I don't think I'll have much room for my own doomsday and/or sarcastic wisecracks.

An Xbox 360 gamer by the gamertag "Moviesign" proposed to his girlfriend "furtive penguin"- over a Halo 3 match! He got her to play a two on two match with him on a map he edited with Forge., and then pretended to lead her to the location of an energy sword. What she found was his proposal: "MARRY ME?" written in weapons on the ground. Alot of people commented on this saying it was lame and that they should "get a life." Well a guy can propose to a girl any way he wants, and seeing as they're both gamers this was totally appropriate. I think it was original of Moviesign and I'm sure furtive penguin loved it. Anyone who hates on them about this is just stupid. Congratz to Moviesign and furtive penguin. Click here for more on this.

Oh, just throwing this out to anyone that cares: Check out how much I'm enjoying my 360, as of recently!

Alot of people (not all) are complaining about how the whole lefty flip deal on Guitar Hero 3 is too much to ask, and shouldn't be required to get all the GH3 achievements. Alot of people have a hard time using ther other hand and asking someone to complete all the songs this way is a bit much. Luckily, if you don't want to you don't have to. And here's how. I think it's a good quick fix. Props to the guys at HijiNKS ENSUE that figured this out and thanks for sharing.

As weird as this sounds, I'm not getting Assassin's Creed. But I don't want to rain on everyone else's parade and will continue to pretend I love this game and think everyone should go buy it. So along those lines, I have double the Assassin's Creed love for the readers. New screenshots from Assassin's Creed are out and ripe for the drooling-upon, so check them out here.
And a review is already out at GamePro.com, and they are very optimistic about it. Check out what they have to say about this highly anticipated game right here.

We are currently living in the messy aftermath of the "console wars." And I must say the Wii schooled Microsoft and yes- they did learn something: appealing to the family is a good thing after all! Who would have known??? So to make up for lost customers, a new SKU- or "bundle" of the Xbox 360 console has been released. I'm sure everyone knows this already but I'm putting this out there for those that don't, or just want to hear it from me (yeah, that was a joke). The new bundle, called "Xbox 360 Arcade" will be replacing the "Core" bundle. It will include:

• An Xbox 360 Arcade console
• A wireless controller
• An HDMI port (no cable)
• A 256 MB memory unit
• A disk containing 5 full Xbox Live Arcade games including PAC-MAN Championship Edition, Uno, Luxor 2, Boom Boom Rocket and Feeding Frenzy

All five of those games are the real thing, not demos. And they are all included to appeal to casual gamers and families. I think this a solid step in a new direction for Microsoft. And I'm glad. I believe the Xbox 360 has alot of potential for attracting everyday people to the gaming world.

Well, that's all from me for now, thanks for reading. Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

Making it to Microsoft

A new thing has been happening in the gaming community. Companies like Microsoft and Sony are opening the gates of heaven so that the regular gamers like myself, that have original and interesting ideas for good games, can voice their ideas and see their plans come to fruition. Microsoft has provided people with XNA- the tool to create Windows and Xbox 360 games. One thing I've always dreamed of is creating Xbox Live Arcade games. The simple but incredibly original kind that become huge hits. Like Geometry Wars, Hexic or Alien Hominid. Everyone who believes they have an idea that would make a really great game, I encourage them to take steps toward making it a reality. Microsoft has given us the tools. Depriving the world of your game would be a moral crime.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

Something to blog about...

Well, again the gaming scene is too a bit too quiet to post on anything important so I'll just talk about a game I played.

I finally found time to play Saint's Row, and I must say it's too much like GTA- only the missions are alot lamer. I mean, the Snatch missions are just stupid. You kill ridiculous caricatures of pimps and then run around with their prostitutes, taking them to a friend's brothel. As I watched myself perform these tasks, I felt lame just for doing them. The cops are totally useless, the cut-scenes are corny. The game is over-all a sad and phony depiction of gang lifestyle. It was probably made by people who only know the stereotypical version of gang life, iconized by the words "crib" and "turf." GTA is a much better way to go, with a much more accurate and realistic gang-life experience.

Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

Nothing On The Horizon

Readers of the blog know that I like to write about whatever is going on in the gaming industry, and then mix it up with my own opinions. But for a while now nothing interesting has come up on the radar. So I'm going to take this opportunity where there are no big headlines to drown out my input to guive two quick announcements.



1) I have switched from Rockband supporter to Guitar Hero 3 supporter. Here's why. During the holiday season, Rockband instruments are coming bundled. So forget how you wanted to concentrate on one instrument and join together with other friends that play the other instruments so they can make a "band" where each person pays for their own, single instrument so everyone saves money? Forget that, now everyone has to buy the whole set, pik one and leave the rest to collect dust. Waste of money. Plus, I don't even think that a game like Rockband should be made. Games keep getting more and more realistic to the point where you're paying big bucks to do something you could do in real life for less. Like learning a real instrument and being in a real band with skill.

Guitar Hero 3 is more of a casual guitar imitating game, no huge costs, no trying to form a band of people with equally non-existant skill. It's all about fun. Guitar Hero 3 may charge around $2 bucks per extra song, but the game comes with 70 songs, and that's plenty for me, I won't buy the extra song packs.


2) Because of school and other responsibilities, I won't always be able to post once a day. I try to, but it's not always possible. So if once every few weeks I skip a day, please don't hold it against me, things pop-up and get in the way.

All that being said, take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked

Kid B-Buttons His Own Mom! And other headlines.

Major Nelson posted this article on his blog an I would like t say that I completely agree and support what he has to say, and to make sure the message gets out, I'm going to post this for all to see on my blog as well.

"I have mentioned this a couple of times on my podcasts, but I want to make sure those that don't listen to the show get the message. Specifically, don't share your account information. If you run into that person in Halo 3 who claims if they could have your LIVE ID name and password to recover your Xbox LIVE account to their Xbox and they'll rank you up or find you all the hidden skulls in Halo 3, I urge you not to fall to temptation. While it may be appealing, in addition to violating the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use it can also result in you permanently losing your account. If that 'friend' of yours decides not return your account and buys a bunch of Arcade titles and movies on your account, there is nothing we can do except cancel the account since you willingly shared your information.
Cancelled.
As in you can never get it back.
In addition to losing your Gamertag, you'll also lose your Gamerscore, saved games and any points you have on the account.
While I am on the subject of things you should not do, I strongly urge you not to tamper with your Gamerscore and Achievements. If you decide to employ some nefarious techniques to artificially increase your Gamerscore or obtain achievements by manipulating the Xbox software without playing the game, bad things will happen. What type of bad things? For one thing we may remove the entire Gamerscore for an account that contains manipulated gamerscore. Let me be more clear: If you use tampered gamesaves to boost your Achievements and Gamerscore, you may sign in to Xbox LIVE one day and discover that we have removed your Gamerscore. Once we do that, you will never be able to re-earn those achievements on that account. Even worse, you might have your account and/or console banned from Xbox Live.
As you can imagine, we know how to find out if you do this and we do take action. And we'll continue to do so.
The best way to increase your Gamerscore or gain that Achievement is to earn it like a real gamer; play the game. Then you can rightly be proud of your Gamerscore as you earned it yourself and not have to worry about anything. I imagine that the majority of you earn your Gamerscore honorably, but I know there are some people out there are may not be as honest. In short: Don't do it. It's not worth it."

And now on to the headline story:

A kid that was playing too much Halo 3 had his wireless network adaptor confiscated. His response was to punch his mother in the face, after searching for it. The local authorities were called and had to arrest the juvenile, who had locked himself in his room. One of the officers was also punched. This is a bad case of addiction and I'm sorry for the kid, the parents and the police officer that was attacked. I doubt we will see this guy on XBL anymore...

Alot of people look at me in surprise when I tell them that a Halo movie is on the way. So just to make sure all the readers know, it is on the way, just be patient. Microsoft, as of now, is getting the movie's production back on its feet. I will definitly be watching this.

That's it from me. Take care and have fun gaming,

-ProjektWikked