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Showing posts from December, 2008

My First 24 Hours with the Playstation 3

Just some quick bullet points on my first 'REAL' Playstation 3 experience. Note that, yes, I did borrow my friend's PS3 a few months ago, but I never really delved into it (didn't make a PSN account, didn't go through patching, etc). So here's some impressions of the PS3 from an Xbox 360 veteran: 1. First time you start up is a bit different from the Xbox 360. Apparently Sony doesn't associate your 'game profile' with your Playstation Network profile. So when you first make a profile on the PS3, you have to make another profile on PSN and associate them with each other. 2. Getting my PS3 to play nice with my local network setup gave me a slight headache. For one thing, it seems I can't assign a static IP address to the PS3 when it's wireless. I think I can't, anyway. Well, it's hard to navigate the settings on the PS3 since there's so many options. And as I was trying to get it to play well with my local network, a bit later on it

The Philippines Wins 1st International Tekken 6 Tournament!

Congratulations to Carlo Racela and Daniel Chua for winning the 1st International Tekken 6 Tournament, which was held here in the Philippines in Trinoma Mall last Saturday (December 13) The Philippines' very own Carlo Racela won 1ST PLACE and was the overall champion, winning against Australia, while Daniel Chua won 4TH PLACE. Both of them got some really great prizes for the effort, too! For more information, check out the original news post I found in http://www.hackenslash.net/ . Here's the direct link to the news article, with a video as well: http://blogs.inquirer.net/hackenslash/2008/12/15/filipinos-win-international-tekken-tilt/#comments Just an excerpt, below : Filipinos win international Tekken tilt 12/15/08 Posted under Competition, Gaming Scene, Tekken THIS recent win proves again that Filipinos are at par with international players of video games. Filipino players Carlo Racela and Daniel Chua both placed high among the players in the International Tekken 6 Champi

Just Bought A Playstation 3

Just bought a Playstation 3 this afternoon. I had a lot of trouble configuring it to fit in our household local computer network; it took a lot of effort to configure the local router to allow the Playstation 3 to access the Playstation Network and create an account. The process was much, much smoother with the Xbox 360; granted, I started with this generation on the Xbox 360 so I can imagine anyone who buys the PS3 as their first console probably won't feel any headaches when setting it up. Most people will probably plug this in directly to their modem; if you have a special setup with a router that connects other systems in your house, that's where you'll have problems setting up the Playstation 3, like I did. The Playstation 3 also pulled this nasty stunt on me where it reconfigured my router's settings, and I had to reset the router just to get the local network up and running again. After that, I had to put customized settings for the PS3's IP on the router jus

An exercise in futility.

These days there are a lot of topics calling out to ‘Save the PS3’ or ‘Save Sony’. While I won’t deny this blog leans heavily towards the XBOX 360, both me and my husband owned Playstation consoles before. We recognize the milestones that the Playstation brand has brought upon in gaming, particularly in helping eradicate the expensive cartridge based medium popularized by Nintendo in the 80s by introducing the compact disc based media for videogames. In turn this new storage allowed for greater content and capacity for games compared to the old cartridges. Sony Computer Entertainment has also brought about so many new intellectual properties. And while I do understand that Sony had their share of wonderful contributions, I am confused that there is a call to ‘Save the Playstation’ platform from apparent doom. Okay...now isn’t that going a little bit too overboard. Sure times are hard these days but I don’t think Sony will chuck away one of their most popular products. Sony didn’t trash

White Knight Chronicles Doesn't Go Over Well with Famitsu - 29/40

Famitsu's reviews generally don't sit well with me; it has long been speculated that reviews in Famitsu are easily bought with advertising money. Final Fantasy XII comes to mind.... Anyway, it surprised me to find out today that the Playstation 3's Great White Hope, "White Knight Chronicles" was flunked by Famitsu in their latest issue. White Knight Chronicles: 7/7/8/7 --lots of optional content --big boss battles --simplistic combat --customizable combos --is basically like every other Level 5 RPG. Sadness befalls the land. --Online has chat issues and a reviewer "hopes it will be patched in the future" Now, let's pretend for just a split-second that Famitsu does post honest, critical reviews...it's still a wonder that they'd score the game so low. Being a magazine that caters to Japanese tastes, they must know what makes a good Japanese RPG and what doesn't. Reading the Western press to figure out what makes a good JRPG is generally a

CNN Money - Sony's PS3 A Sinking Ship: Sales Plummet

Source: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/siliconalley/personal-tech/2008_12_sonys_ps3_a_sinking_ship_sales_plummet_sne.html Sony's PS3 A Sinking Ship: Sales Plummet By Eric Krangel December 12, 2008: 09:21 AM ET (alleyinsider.com) -- Sony's (SNE) PS3 is dying on the shelves. Alone among the three major videogame consoles, sales of the PS3 are down about 19% from November 2007, according to the latest stats from the NPD Group. Sony was only able to sell 378,000 PS3s this November, compared to 466,000 last year. And the problem for Sony isn't the recession, it's the PS3. Microsoft (MSFT) put up respectable numbers with its Xbox 360, selling 836,000 units vs 777,000 in November 2007. And Nintendo's (NTDOY) Wii continues to dominate the market, more than doubling sales from 981,000 to 2.04 million. So why is the PS3 flopping so badly? It's the most expensive console on the market, $150 - $200 more than its rivals. Even if you believe the video game industry is &q

Sonic Unleashed Speedruns : Game Reviewers Don't Have This Level Of Skill

Surfing online can find you some really great gameplay videos. Originally I recall finding videos of Guitar Hero / Rock Band songs being played on Expert difficulty, with players achieving high scores without missing a single note. On nicovideo.jp we found a couple of videos of Sonic Unleashed Speedruns. Apparently some Japanese gamers couldn't wait for the release of the game in Japan (where it will be retitled 'Sonic World Adventure' - a more fitting name!), and they're already making videos of their incredible speedruns through the game's massive levels. Here are just a few of the more impressive ones we've seen: Original source: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm5503340 Credit goes to the Japanese player who posted the video at the link provided. This Empire City video is most impressive when you see how the player just drops down at point blank range on one of the rails to effectively shorten his trip around the level: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm5

Sonic Unleashed: The Non-Reactionary Review (from an old Sonic fan)

I really didn't think it was a good idea to buy this game, originally. At the time of the release of Sonic Unleashed, there was also Prince of Persia, and that game was already getting a lot of accolades and praise even before coming out to market. The upcoming Sonic Unleashed, on the other hand, was usually met by questions like "Since the last next-gen Sonic game was no good, how can this be any different?", and "Why did they change the gameplay mechanic with Sonic's 'Werehog' form?" Granted, I'll be honest and straightforward with you here---I really had my doubts and I didn't expect much. As a player completely disappointed by the first next-generation Sonic game, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), I didn't think Sega/Sonic Team was even CAPABLE of making good games for today's latest consoles. I just thought they could never figure out the hardware. The only team that I thought could make good games for next-gen at Sega was AM2, and they

November NPD Sales Figures Posted on NEOGAF

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=345152 Playstation 2 206k Playstation 3 378k PSP 421k Xbox 360 836k Wii 2.04M DS 1.57M GEARS OF WAR 2* (360) 1.56 million CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR* (360) 1.41 million WII PLAY W/ REMOTE (WII) 796K WII FIT (WII) 697K MARIO KART (WII) 637K CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR (PS3) 597K GUITAR HERO WORLD TOUR* (WII) 475K LEFT 4 DEAD (360) 410K RESISTANCE 2* (PS3) 385K WII MUSIC (WII) 297K Top 20: **** Hardware LTD's: PS2: 42.948.000 NDS: 24.463.000 WII: 15.391.000 PSP: 13.227.000 360: 12.449.000 PS3: 6.062.000 **** Some other figures were posted on NEOGAF today: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=13992167&postcount=3001 These include sales data on games that weren't listed in the top 20 of the November 2008 NPD Sales Figures. November 08: 360 FABLE II: ~185K PS3 LITTLE BIG PLANET: ~140K PS3 VALKYRIA CHRONICLES: ~35K ----- Rough LTDs: WII MARIO KART WII: ~4.0 million WII WII FIT W/BALANCE BOARD NINTENDO OF AMERICA: ~3.5 million WII

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

How could I be having such a good time with a game that's rated a 3.0/10 (or worse) in some review sites? Have I lost my mind? Or is it that gaming review sites have COMPLETELY lost touch with what their audience wants? Sonic Unleashed, perhaps....had it been released for a Sega console, or perhaps had Sega sent more freebies to reviewers, maybe it would have received the coveted "OSCAR AWARD WINNING PLOT!" quote for its review. I just don't understand it. Are my standards just lower? Or do I just know how to have fun with a game and look at the BIG PICTURE? The Sonic sections of the game are just mind-blowing. They're exactly how I pictured Sonic 1 / Sonic 2/ Sonic 3 / Sonic and Knuckles should play like in the next generation of consoles. And the Werehog sections; I'll admit not initially liking it at first, but then it only took figuring out that you could level up the Werehog to make those sections more enjoyable for me. Surely it's no Devil May Cry,

PXB Grand EB : Another Reminder

To all the PXB Grand EB/Christmas Party Attendees, in addition to paying the P300 Entrance Fee, you must send your REAL NAME to me via Private Message at Pinoyxbox.com. The building security at the venue will ask for your REAL NAME before you are allowed to enter. ATTENDEES WHOSE REAL NAME IS NOT PROVIDED IN THE LIST I WILL BE GIVING TO THE BUILDING SECURITY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE PARTY. Note that to be on the list, you also have to pay the Entrance fee earlier before December 11. So, to be clear, the requirements for the party are: 1. Entrance fee of P300.00 paid before December 11. 2. Send a private message with your real name to Scytherage at Pinoyxbox.com.

PinoyXBOX Grand EB and Christmas Party 2008 Payment Deadline December 11

The Pinoyxbox Grand EB and Christmas Party 2008 is on DECEMBER 20, 2008. In order to join the party, attendees must pay the P300.00 Entrance Fee. The money is going to be used to pay for the catering for the food. THE LAST DAY FOR PAYMENTS FOR THE PINOYXBOX GRAND EB/CHRISTMAS PARTY IS ON DECEMBER 11, 2008 (THURSDAY, THIS WEEK). Signing up to attend the party is not enough to allow you to join the party. You must provide the payment so we can take care of paying for the food. The people who signed up for the party but do not pay the entrance fee will NOT be allowed to join the party. This is in fairness to the ones who do pay the entrance fee. Once again, please pay the entrance fee of P300.00 on or before Thursday, December 11, this week. For more details on how you can pay for the entrance fee, please see the Pinoyxbox Events forum thread for the party here.

Sonic Unleashed: The Counterpoint

I wrote this on Pinoyxbox in reaction to all the negative press this well-polished SEGA game is getting. ****** Based on what I've read, the low scores for Sonic Unleashed are because a lot of the critics don't want to play as the Werehog, they want to play as Sonic. But judging from what I've actually seen of the game, the Werehog sections aren't so bad. SEGA probably added those in to add variety to the gameplay; they probably didn't anticipate it would have the opposite effect (with people looking for Sonic half the time). SEGA even gave the Werehog some cool bits like being able to string together moves to create combos (DMC4 style? perhaps a 'lite' version of it). You can also level up your Werehog to unlock even more moves. Another thing which is debatable as either an issue or a gameplay mechanic is the game's camera, which is stuck in a certain angle and can't be spun 360 degrees when you're playing the werehog sections. This makes some

RESIDENT EVIL 5 DEMO Playable at Playground Launch Party (Dec 19th) and PXB Grand EB (Dec 20th)!

The Pinoyxbox Community is giving players a rare glimpse at one of next year's BIGGEST releases: RESIDENT EVIL 5! At the Playground Magazine event "Playground On Air Launch Party" on December 19th, at Eastwood City, from 4:00PM onwards, the Pinoyxbox Community will have not one but TWO booths for Resident Evil 5, where gamers can get an exclusive chance to try out the game for the Xbox 360! Players can also be a part of a GEARS OF WAR 2 HORDE MODE CHALLENGE Tournament where they can get a chance to win some prizes courtesy of Playground Magazine! Can't make it on December 19th? You can get another chance to sample RESIDENT EVIL 5 at the PINOYXBOX GRAND EB and CHRISTMAS PARTY 2008 on December 20th , where the Pinoyxbox community will gather to celebrate yet another great year in Xbox gaming! At the Grand EB, there will be a huge raffle where one lucky Gamehopper subscriber can get to win a BRICO 32" HIGH DEFINITION LCD TV courtesy of GAMEHOPPER ! For more inf

BIOHAZARD 5 Demo Now on Xbox Live Marketplace (Japan)!

Sure to sell millions of copies worldwide, BIOHAZARD 5 (Resident Evil 5 in the US) now has a demo on the Xbox Live Japan Marketplace, downloadable exclusively by XBL Japan Gold members. It's about 476 MB . It should be available in other XBL regions soon.

Sonic Unleashed Extremely Early Impression - "This game got a 6?!"

The graphics in this game sure are mindblowing. And the sense of speed on Sonic is exhilirating! Tried the Werehog level and got owned by the first boss....that was hard! Then realized you could level up the Werehog, hmm, that might work.... So far, seems like a good game. Impressions are early so take these as you will ^_^

Pinoyxbox Grand EB and Christmas Party 2008 Gears of War 2 Multiplayer Tournament!

The following will be the game type and map for Gears of War 2 at the Pinoyxbox Grand EB and Christmas Party on December 20, 2008! Gametype: Wingman Map: Jacinto More details will be posted soon, including mechanics, rules and prizes. Stay tuned! To sign up for the Gears of War 2 Multiplayer Tournament, go to this thread here on Pinoyxbox.com.

Pinoy Gamers 1st Episode - Gamers' Battle! Details

The schedule for the Gamers' Battle taping is FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008 at 1:00PM. Venue: Makisig Network 89 Timog Avenue South Triangle Kamuning 1103 Quezon City For the volunteers, who among you can go, and what is your preferred game? Again, these are the choices: 1. Guitar Hero World Tour (pls bring your own instruments, specify if guitar or drum.) 2. Rock Band 2 (pls bring your own instruments, specify if guitar or drum.) 3. Gears of War 2 4. Soulcalibur IV Based on who is able to go on the date given, we will determine the game to play for the gamers' battle. If any other details are needed, please let me know. Thanks! Please visit this thread for more updates: http://www.pinoyxbox.com/phpnuke/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=21733&start=0

Update on Playground Event (December 19, Eastwood City) - Gears of War 2 Horde Mode Tournament!

Playground On Air Pinoyxbox Tournament – Gears of War 2 Horde Mode Challenge - Rules / Mechanics Date: December 19 2008 Time: 5PM-6PM Venue: Eastwood Central Plaza Requirements: 2 Xbox 360 consoles, networked Mechanics: Maximum Number of Players: 8 Brackets for players are generated at random; players draw lots with numbers 1-8 written on them. The brackets will be 1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, 5 vs. 6, 7 vs. 8. For the first set of brackets, each set of two players will play Gears of War 2 – Horde Mode on a set map for one wave. This should take about 2-5 minutes depending on the skill level of the players. The goal of each player is to score more POINTS than the other player by killing as many Locust monsters as possible. The player with the most points by the end of the wave wins the round. First set of brackets, ROUND 1: 8 Players Map: Hail Difficulty: Hardcore Wave: 5 If a player is killed during that wave, he just has to wait it out until the other player either finishes the wave, or also ge