That's right, Sony has announced that the new PlayStation 4 game console will be coming out in the 2013 Holiday season. Although there is no set cost or pictures released of what the console will look like, this is still a major deal to the gaming community. It is confirmed that it will be called the PlayStation 4 or Ps4 though.
The Ps4 offers new features that allow interaction between tablets, smartphones, and the PlayStation Vita, also called the Ps Vita. According to Venturebeat, you will even be able to stream games from the Ps4 to the Ps Vita. There will also be the option to play games while they are still downloading. This feature is just ridiculously awesome as downloading games from the Playstation Store onto your Playstations hard drive may take around 30 minutes or more and when the game is downloading you obviously want something to do to kill the time between you and playing the game you just got so what better why than to play the game itself. As for the specs, this console will be as powerful as modern PC's, which is pretty impressive for a console, it also comes with a Blu-Ray player, like it's previous version, the PlayStation 3. Even though there was no reveal of what the console will look like, a picture of the new DualShock 4, the PlayStation 4's control was released.
Sony has been second bested by Microsoft in the gaming industry by their Xbox 360, outselling Sony's PlayStation 3. Sony has high hopes for their PlayStation 4 with it's new features and hopes it trumps over whatever console Microsoft puts out.
Sources;
"Sony finally reveals the PlayStation 4 for the holiday 2013- but not the console or price." venturebeat.com web. 20 February 2013. <http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/20/playstation-4-announced/>.
"PlayStation Cloud streaming tech the 'fastest gaming network in the world' - and promises PS4 games on Vita." venturebeat.com 20 February 2013. <http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/20/playstation-cloud-streaming/>/
Friday, February 22, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Borderlands 2 Expansion
Borderlands 2, a First Person Role Playing Shooter has been out for quite awhile now and I was browsing a few websites and stumbled across some articles talking about raising the level cap with "consequences," says Randy Pitchford, one of Borderlands developers and the President of Gearbox Software. Interested in what those consequences may be the little fan-boy inside me started to get scared but I had to muster up the courage to find out. Myself and my other Borderlands lovers were extremely disappointed when we found out what exactly Randy was about.
As of right now, the highest level achievable is level 50, and previously Randy had stated that there would be an increase from 50-69, just like in the first Borderlands. Sadly, there have already been 3 different expansions added and the level cap has yet to be raised. Not only has this not been released yet but Randy Pitchford stated "We designed the skills really well this time, but we did, for better or for worse, make a lot of the decisions with the knowledge that there will be no more skill points available to put into any trees after you reach level 50" (Level Cap Increase). Now Randy and other developers are worried that if they try to add in some sort of code that it may take up too much memory on game Consoles and computers, or even "break" them. Randy also believes that adding more skill points to the game would take certain configurations that the Xbox 360 simply could not handle.
Now the demand for the level increase is so important to us players because we want to gain more points to spend on our Skill Trees and become the strong character we desire to be. As you can see for one of the characters here, although there are 50 levels, you only get 46 skill points to spend on your skill tree in an attempt to make him or her the strongest they can be. That's where the major problem lies with this level cap, if it does get increased all the time and experience spent leveling up from 50-69 will be for nothing because you won't get any skill points to spend.
Luckily, the development for the level cap increase is still underway so maybe, just maybe the developers will figure something out and be able to implement an increase in levels along with skill points to spend on the skill trees. Fingers crossed.
Sources;
"Gearbox Prez: Increasing 'Boderlands 2' Level Cap Could Break The Game and Melt your Xbox (But We're Doing It Anyway)." multiplayerblog.mtv.com web. 13 February 2013. <http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2013/02/11/borderlands-2-level-cap-increase-will-explode-xboxs/>.
"UPDATE: Borderlands 2 developer: Raising the level cap could break our game (interview)." venturebeat.com web. 13 February 2013. <http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/07/borderlands-2-level-cap-increase/>.
As of right now, the highest level achievable is level 50, and previously Randy had stated that there would be an increase from 50-69, just like in the first Borderlands. Sadly, there have already been 3 different expansions added and the level cap has yet to be raised. Not only has this not been released yet but Randy Pitchford stated "We designed the skills really well this time, but we did, for better or for worse, make a lot of the decisions with the knowledge that there will be no more skill points available to put into any trees after you reach level 50" (Level Cap Increase). Now Randy and other developers are worried that if they try to add in some sort of code that it may take up too much memory on game Consoles and computers, or even "break" them. Randy also believes that adding more skill points to the game would take certain configurations that the Xbox 360 simply could not handle.
Now the demand for the level increase is so important to us players because we want to gain more points to spend on our Skill Trees and become the strong character we desire to be. As you can see for one of the characters here, although there are 50 levels, you only get 46 skill points to spend on your skill tree in an attempt to make him or her the strongest they can be. That's where the major problem lies with this level cap, if it does get increased all the time and experience spent leveling up from 50-69 will be for nothing because you won't get any skill points to spend.
Luckily, the development for the level cap increase is still underway so maybe, just maybe the developers will figure something out and be able to implement an increase in levels along with skill points to spend on the skill trees. Fingers crossed.
Sources;
"Gearbox Prez: Increasing 'Boderlands 2' Level Cap Could Break The Game and Melt your Xbox (But We're Doing It Anyway)." multiplayerblog.mtv.com web. 13 February 2013. <http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2013/02/11/borderlands-2-level-cap-increase-will-explode-xboxs/>.
"UPDATE: Borderlands 2 developer: Raising the level cap could break our game (interview)." venturebeat.com web. 13 February 2013. <http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/07/borderlands-2-level-cap-increase/>.
Friday, February 8, 2013
For the Non-Gamers.
For those of you who aren't an avid gamer, are new to gaming, or have been gaming for awhile but don't quite have the nerd language down yet then this post may be helpful. I will almost always link back to this post in my future posts just so all of you are caught up in the action and know what's going on, although I probably should have done this sooner. I may also continue to add to this list as I maintain the blog and find more words to define.
A
AOE - This stands for Area of Effect. These are spells or attacks which affect more than one target within a predetermined radius set by the game's mechanics.
Alpha - General software term; This is the first phase of testing software. The structure and most of the content has been developed but not all the intended features may be present. Alpha tests are typically run in-house or by specialist testing agencies.
ARTS or Action RTS - This is an Action Real Time Strategy game. In this game type all of your moves take real time to complete and some have waiting periods in real time. Games like DotA 2 are ARTS'.
B
Beta - General software term; This is the second phase of testing software (not exclusively games) and last development phase prior to release. Most features have been implemented but some of these may be removed during the beta phase if they turn out to be too problematic to fix.There are two types of this, Open and Closed. Open Betas are open to the general public anyone who signs up for the Open Beta or just downloads the game is guaranteed access to the game. Closed Betas however require an invitation, most of which will be sent via email after completing a survey of why you should be selected to play the game, other times you can simply be invited by a friend and you will recieve a code that you have to activate.
Bots - Faults in the programming which cause unintended effects both good and bad. Some examples are crashes, unintentionally high character advancement, stretching of a players body or clothing, etc.
Bug(s) - AI players in an online game. Bots are used as computer opponents for practice, fun or when human opponents are unavailable.
C
Camp - To remain in one place and repeatedly kill people or mobs.
Crash - When your game console or computer stops responding, this also can happen to game clients and servers sometimes causes people to lose hours of progress. Very frustrating.
D
DPS - Damage Per Second, amount of damage a skill, ability or attack does per second.
DOT - Damage Over Time, a prolonged effect that causes ongoing health degeneration.
E
Eat - the act of consuming a food item or potion to regain health.
Exp - Experience or Experience points. Generally gained from killing monsters, players, or completing quests. Required to level up.
Expansion or Expansion Pack - Additional content for a game normally created by the same developers.
F
FPS (1) - First Person Shooter. A game genre in where you view the world in a first person perspective.
FPS (2) - Frames Per Second or Frame Rate. A measure in which images are produced on a screen.
Fed - A term usually used in RTS' for when a player obtains a substantial amount of gold and can buy great gear and becomes an unstoppable killing machine.
G
Gank - Derived from the word Gang-Kill, where a gang of players would trap another group of players, usually of a lesser number, and rush them from multiple sides resulting in a quick kill.
GG - An acronym for Good Game.
GL - An acronym for Good Luck.
Gold - A form of currency. Often referred to as Coins, GP - Gold Points or Game Points depending on the game.
Grind - To preform repetitive tasks in order to reach a certain level.
Glitch - incorrectly displayed graphics, collision detection errors, game crashes or freezes, sound skipping, or other inconsistencies. This is also used as an excuse for dieing/losing. For example players could complain they lost because of a 'lag glitch' another would be 'game froze' or 'stuck' when the game is operating normally and the player is not familiar with the mechanics.
H
HP or Hitpoints - Also referred to as LP or Life points. This is the amount of damage a player can take before dying.
I
J
K
Kite or Kiting - To take advantage of having more range to attack your opponent than they have, allowing you to attack from a distance they can't harm you at.
L
Lag - Time delay between sending a command to the game and your character actually performing the action. A slow computer or very low FPS can contribute to lag.
Lure - To lead an unexpecting player into a pre-planned trap.
M
MMORPG - Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game.
Mob - A NPC, monster, or opponent.
N
NPC - Non-Playable Character.
Nerf - Generally used when there is an update to certain characters, weapons, or armor making them less powerful. Doing the damage that somewhat resembles a Nerf gun.
O
OP - Over Powered, something that is fairly strong and does quite a bit of damage.
P
Pk or Pking - Player Killing, this term is usually used when killing other players isn't the main focus of the game.
Q
R
RPG - Role-Playing Game, a game genre where you assume the role of a specific character.
RTS - Real Time Strategy. A game where the actions take real time to execute.
S
T
Tank - A player or monster who can take a substantial amount of damage without dying.
U
V
W
X
XP - See Exp, above.
Y
Z
Sources;
"Gaming Terminology." programingtours.net web. 8 February 2013. <http://www.progamingtours.net/index.php?/Gaming-101/GamingTerminology.html>.
"Gaming Terminology." theaveragegame.com web. 8 February 2013. <http://www.theaveragegamer.com/terminology/>.
"Game Terms." wowwiki.com web. 8 February 2013. <http://www.wowwiki.com/Category:Game_terms>.
A
AOE - This stands for Area of Effect. These are spells or attacks which affect more than one target within a predetermined radius set by the game's mechanics.
Alpha - General software term; This is the first phase of testing software. The structure and most of the content has been developed but not all the intended features may be present. Alpha tests are typically run in-house or by specialist testing agencies.
ARTS or Action RTS - This is an Action Real Time Strategy game. In this game type all of your moves take real time to complete and some have waiting periods in real time. Games like DotA 2 are ARTS'.
B
Beta - General software term; This is the second phase of testing software (not exclusively games) and last development phase prior to release. Most features have been implemented but some of these may be removed during the beta phase if they turn out to be too problematic to fix.There are two types of this, Open and Closed. Open Betas are open to the general public anyone who signs up for the Open Beta or just downloads the game is guaranteed access to the game. Closed Betas however require an invitation, most of which will be sent via email after completing a survey of why you should be selected to play the game, other times you can simply be invited by a friend and you will recieve a code that you have to activate.
Bots - Faults in the programming which cause unintended effects both good and bad. Some examples are crashes, unintentionally high character advancement, stretching of a players body or clothing, etc.
Bug(s) - AI players in an online game. Bots are used as computer opponents for practice, fun or when human opponents are unavailable.
C
Camp - To remain in one place and repeatedly kill people or mobs.
Crash - When your game console or computer stops responding, this also can happen to game clients and servers sometimes causes people to lose hours of progress. Very frustrating.
D
DPS - Damage Per Second, amount of damage a skill, ability or attack does per second.
DOT - Damage Over Time, a prolonged effect that causes ongoing health degeneration.
E
Eat - the act of consuming a food item or potion to regain health.
Exp - Experience or Experience points. Generally gained from killing monsters, players, or completing quests. Required to level up.
Expansion or Expansion Pack - Additional content for a game normally created by the same developers.
F
FPS (1) - First Person Shooter. A game genre in where you view the world in a first person perspective.
FPS (2) - Frames Per Second or Frame Rate. A measure in which images are produced on a screen.
Fed - A term usually used in RTS' for when a player obtains a substantial amount of gold and can buy great gear and becomes an unstoppable killing machine.
G
Gank - Derived from the word Gang-Kill, where a gang of players would trap another group of players, usually of a lesser number, and rush them from multiple sides resulting in a quick kill.
GG - An acronym for Good Game.
GL - An acronym for Good Luck.
Gold - A form of currency. Often referred to as Coins, GP - Gold Points or Game Points depending on the game.
Grind - To preform repetitive tasks in order to reach a certain level.
Glitch - incorrectly displayed graphics, collision detection errors, game crashes or freezes, sound skipping, or other inconsistencies. This is also used as an excuse for dieing/losing. For example players could complain they lost because of a 'lag glitch' another would be 'game froze' or 'stuck' when the game is operating normally and the player is not familiar with the mechanics.
H
HP or Hitpoints - Also referred to as LP or Life points. This is the amount of damage a player can take before dying.
I
J
K
Kite or Kiting - To take advantage of having more range to attack your opponent than they have, allowing you to attack from a distance they can't harm you at.
L
Lag - Time delay between sending a command to the game and your character actually performing the action. A slow computer or very low FPS can contribute to lag.
Lure - To lead an unexpecting player into a pre-planned trap.
M
MMORPG - Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game.
Mob - A NPC, monster, or opponent.
N
NPC - Non-Playable Character.
Nerf - Generally used when there is an update to certain characters, weapons, or armor making them less powerful. Doing the damage that somewhat resembles a Nerf gun.
O
OP - Over Powered, something that is fairly strong and does quite a bit of damage.
P
Pk or Pking - Player Killing, this term is usually used when killing other players isn't the main focus of the game.
Q
R
RPG - Role-Playing Game, a game genre where you assume the role of a specific character.
RTS - Real Time Strategy. A game where the actions take real time to execute.
S
T
Tank - A player or monster who can take a substantial amount of damage without dying.
U
V
W
X
XP - See Exp, above.
Y
Z
Sources;
"Gaming Terminology." programingtours.net web. 8 February 2013. <http://www.progamingtours.net/index.php?/Gaming-101/GamingTerminology.html>.
"Gaming Terminology." theaveragegame.com web. 8 February 2013. <http://www.theaveragegamer.com/terminology/>.
"Game Terms." wowwiki.com web. 8 February 2013. <http://www.wowwiki.com/Category:Game_terms>.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Path of Exile, The Final Review.
After a few days worth of game play I can safely say that Path of Exile is a fun game, for a few hours. Once you get the hang of the game it becomes pretty simple. Unfortunately the quests that they have you complete are very similar to one another: Go find the bad guy, kill the bad guy, come back to me for your reward. Hey, there's nothing wrong with a few quests like that, but having almost all of them or having quests that lead you into "Go kill this monster for us" kind of quest gets very redundant and boring after awhile, especially if you're playing alone which most of the time I was because not everyone is on the same quest as me and joining random peoples parties can be difficult and frustrating so it's easier in my opinion, to set off solo.
Although I haven't completed the third, and final chapter, I just have a feeling of redundancy of quests just in a new area. Either I'm forging my way to find something somebody lost and they need me to retrieve it, I'm finding a new way to a city, or I'm defeating some sort of evil monster. The story of the game tied in to the quests somewhat, but I would have liked to see it done a little better. The story also made Wraeclast seem like a terrible, dark, horrifying place, but when I got to Act two I was in this jungle that was flourishing with trees and life. I don't know about the gaming community as a whole, but I'm a huge quest dork. I love it when other quests intertwine and have amazing stories, same goes for the main story.
On the bright side, this game offers a massive skill tree, where each time you level up you gain a skill point that you can invest into one spot on the skill tree. I personally am a huge fan of skill trees and this one still blows my mind at how big it is. Another thing that is pretty interesting are the skill gems, these little guys can be placed into your weapons and armor giving you certain abilities from raising zombies from corpses of already slain enemies to raining fireballs down onto your foes from the sky.
The graphics in Path of Exile are like I stated in my earlier post, not the best but they are far better than I could ever do. I would have to say I did like the attention to detail on the small things and applaud the game designers for that one.
I guess I can't bash this game too hard since it is still in it's beta stage, not fully complete, and free to play even though you can donate and get in game items for it, but my gosh are all the disconnects, freezes, and other miscellaneous issues annoying. For about 3 days straight that had a server issue where it'd log you out and freeze up, then when you fired it up again you were at the beginning of whatever you previously just started. You have no idea how many times I did the same quest over and over. But that's expected in a beta.
Graphics: B
Gameplay: C Overall: C+
Story: C
Replayability: B+
Although I haven't completed the third, and final chapter, I just have a feeling of redundancy of quests just in a new area. Either I'm forging my way to find something somebody lost and they need me to retrieve it, I'm finding a new way to a city, or I'm defeating some sort of evil monster. The story of the game tied in to the quests somewhat, but I would have liked to see it done a little better. The story also made Wraeclast seem like a terrible, dark, horrifying place, but when I got to Act two I was in this jungle that was flourishing with trees and life. I don't know about the gaming community as a whole, but I'm a huge quest dork. I love it when other quests intertwine and have amazing stories, same goes for the main story.
 |
| Flourishing jungles in Exile |
On the bright side, this game offers a massive skill tree, where each time you level up you gain a skill point that you can invest into one spot on the skill tree. I personally am a huge fan of skill trees and this one still blows my mind at how big it is. Another thing that is pretty interesting are the skill gems, these little guys can be placed into your weapons and armor giving you certain abilities from raising zombies from corpses of already slain enemies to raining fireballs down onto your foes from the sky.
 |
| Massive Skill Tree |
 |
| I enjoy the little things |
Graphics: B
Gameplay: C Overall: C+
Story: C
Replayability: B+
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)