A4TECH: "A" Grade Products for PC Gaming

What am I thinking about?

How can I improve my PC gaming skills.

Truth be told, I stink at PC gaming.  Over the years, I've gravitated to the game consoles.  I don't know why that happened, but that said, I do like to clear the cobwebs every once in a while and get back to the keyboard.  And what would help me?  A gaming mouse from A4TECH.

These guys sent me this model:  A V-Series Wired Gaming Mouse that's part of A4TECH's Bloody Ultra Gaming Gear.  At first, it looks a bit intimidating, like it's ready to burst out of the box and bite your hand off.  I wanted to put it to the test.

I'm currently involved in the beta for "Sir, You Are Being Hunted", a survival FPS from Big Robot that's in the works.  Initially, I played the game with my old mouse.  As usual, I was wobbly, having trouble firing, etc..  Then I made the switch.

Not only did A4TECH send over the mouse, they also provided a Bloody Gaming Mouse Pad that provides more gaming precision.  Long story short:  What…a difference!  I love the way this mouse handles.

I feel like I can stop on a dime as I'm moving/looking around, which I was never really great at doing.  The mouse has what's called "Metal Feet" for better control.  Combine that with the mousepad, it did the trick.  It also has 8 different buttons, which made a lot of my actions much easier to complete.  it's also great to have for a first-person shooter game in which you NEED precision to take down enemies.  Usually, I'm all over the place with aiming.  Not with this baby.  Tight control is the name of the game in an FPS…and this V-Series gaming mouse is the ticket, that's for sure.

During a period when my laptop was undergoing maintenance, I also gave my brother a shot at this.  He's a World of Warcraft expert/longtime player.  He loves the functionality when it comes to WoW, especially the ability to toggle through inventory menus more quickly during battle.

Some other subtle things I like about the Bloody series of products are simple, like the fact that now I have a mousepad that's more than 2 times larger than the conventional one.  It's so helpful to be able to spread out and not be in fear of running out of, well, mousepad space.  Even when I wasn't using the mouse, I simply loved staring at its intermittent Bloody breathing light, like an eye that keeps opening and closing to check and see if anyone is coming around to play.  It's like a living, breathing dragon connected to your hardware waiting to mix it up.  SO…cool.

If you're a diehard PC gamer, look up A4TECH & check out their products.  This mouse is a cut above the rest & will IMMEDIATELY make your PC gaming more enjoyable.  Take from a guy like me who needs all the help he can get.


The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
TwitterL  @thebgamerreview
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

What Makes a Good Video Game Great?

What am I thinking about?

What makes a video game better than the rest.

I was literally awake almost all night debating with myself about it.  It's a simple question with a complex answer.  In this day and age, there's so much that goes into a title.  Developers take years to produce a game that requires a large team of writers and designers to come up with titles that play out like feature films.  To me, it boils down to this:  Balancing gameplay with storyline and presentation.

Thinking back to the early days of gaming, the story didn't matter as much as it did today (in my opinion).  From Super Mario Brothers to Metroid, the story was ancillary to the side-scrolling, platform gameplay that kept a gamer's interest.  A basic plot was tossed in that, typically, was wrapped up in the long-awaited finish of the game.  To me, the longer, extended "beat the game" scene gave rise to the expansion of present-day cut scenes throughout video games.  While there was certainly pressure to produce fantastic game titles back in the day, I doubt there was much intensity or scrutiny placed on the story surrounding characters.  Why?  Because we were more fascinated with the gameplay itself...not the story.

Since those days during the '80's and '90's, a lot has changed.  Advances in graphics brought gaming to new heights. Action-adventure, first person shooters, massively multiplayer online (MMO) ushered in a new age of broad chronicling of characters and places.   It became more essential to have top-notch writing, scripts, actors and dialogue to go hand-in-hand with your gaming experience.
 
Back to the main question:  What makes a good video game great?  I believe striking the right balance between gameplay, presentation and story is key to a good game...and it's a delicate dance.

Take, for example, some of the games released so far this year.

Remember Me, an action-adventure cyberpunk title from Capcom certainly nailed down the presentation, especially its music, but was relatively weak on story.  Gameplay was also laborious.  It was a game with potential and a strong main character/personality, Nilin, that ended up suffering from its confusing, tedious moves, as players tried to figure out how to precisely carry out combinations.

Deadpool is another game that missed the mark.  While the story and writing was stupendous with humorous Marvel Comic book lines thrown in, the gameplay was shoddy and formulaic.  The presentation wasn't bad, but the hilarious jokes stole the show from the simplistic gameplay that only improved at the very end.  However, by that time, you've beaten it!

The only title I've seen so far that's achieved this balance is The Last of Us.  From the smooth gameplay to the above-average cut-scenes, the story written up by Naughty Dog is the best I've seen so far.  It's a game that's not only fun to play, but fun to even watch, say, if you have someone in the room who isn't exactly a gamer but enjoys watching a good show.

It's not an easy subject to tackle, nor is there an easy answer to what makes a game great.  I guess that's why I was up all night.

The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerreview
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

Big News at Gamecom 2013...Listen here!

Microsoft and Sony make headlines at Gamescom 2013

Sir, You Are Being Hunted, And Sir, I Can't Wait

What am I thinking about?

When I can get my hands on 'Sir, You Are Being Hunted'

It's a single-player survival game that's currently in the closed alpha stage, set to be released August 19th.  Very few screenshots and game trailers are available to the public, but from the little we've all gathered so far, this looks like a big PC gaming hit in the making.

The so-named 'tweedpunk' game is styled like an FPS.  Your sole objective is to stay alive and escape an island, as you're tracked down by robotic Victorian-dressed 'gentlemen' in top hats, complete with creepy horizontal, red laser slits for eyes.  Why?  I don't know and who cares.

The imagery reminds me a lot of  the smash hit 'Slender:  The Eight Pages', in which you're stalked by the infamous Slender Man.  It makes sense because they're both technically categorized as survival genre titles.  Both appear to be similar in their stealthy styles, but "Sir, You Are Being Hunted" goes well beyond that by allowing a player to have more control of their fate, by collecting weapons, food, and rune stones to make your way off the island.

Again, little is known about this game thus far.  Information is shared in spades, but I've already put in my pre-order.  In my mind, it's a sharp-looking indie game that's making the hardcore gamer's head turn.  Just look at the numbers.  Last year, the game's developer Big Robot looked for £40,000 with a crowd-funded Kickstarter campaign.  They more than doubled that amount at £92,551 (that would be...let's see... $140,915.38 U.S. dollars to be exact.  Nice bank).

I've seen write-ups about SYABH, but some might argue that this game doesn't have a ton of buzz outside the U.K..

Here's my part in creating some...Sir

The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerreview
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

The Gaming Analyst & The Gaming Market

What am I thinking about?

Game sales

I'm not talking about discounts.  I'm talking about overall console game sales for 2013.

I write this post after reading an article on GamesBeat about dismal summer sales, quoting an analyst from Cowen & Company who believes an upcoming title like Grand Theft Auto V could save sales this year, as well as other games and the release of the big name consoles.

Yeah?  No kidding.

Sometimes I wonder what these video game analysts get paid.  It's common sense among gamers that the summertime is always the down period, followed by an upsurge in the release of more highly-anticipated titles in the fall and winter season.  There's a reason for that:  it's called the HOLIDAY season.  Sony's 'The Last of Us' is one of the exceptions when it hit store shelves in June.  It was widely talked about & so it was the top-selling game for that month & also exceeded estimates (according to the Cowen & Company dude).

Let me get back to my point.  I don't understand these 'analysts' and their...'analysis' of the gaming market. Honestly, it's something you and I could simply do ourselves.  The motives are in question.  Are they trying to implant hints in our heads to get us to go out there and buy when they tell us to do it?  I believe that's partially true.

It bothers me.  It bothers me because I believe they're trying to build up the hype for certain games or set the tone for sales, like GTA5, which really doesn't need a whole lot of advertising.  Its reputation speaks for itself.  It bothers me because I don't like seeing the power of the analyst making or breaking games or company sales.  There's a symbiotic relationship between the expert and the gaming company, IMO.  I harken back to my blog post in response to an analyst assessment of Nintendo and how I don't think they're done by any means.

Maybe I'm being a little too harsh when it comes to analyst predictions. Maybe I'm speaking in too many generalities.  Maybe it's the conspiracy theorist in me.  Maybe I'm the one who doesn't know what I'm talking about.

But it's something to think about.


The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerpod
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

Titanfall: Is It 2014 Yet?

What am I thinking about?

Next year's game of the year.  Possibly.

Titanfall made huge headlines last month at E3 in Los Angeles.  The multiplayer first person shooter walked away with a half dozen Best of E3 Awards handed out by the Game Critcs Awards, from Best of Show, Best Originial Game and Best Console Game.  In case you're not familiar with Titanfall, players fight on a futuristic battlefield as either a foot soldier, or inside a mecha-like machine known as a "titan" likened to ones found in films like The Matrix or Avatar.

Not only did I see the live demo at the EA press conference, I went back a second time to Respawn Entertainment's booth where they held the private multiplayer demos with developers.  While we all had our eyes transfixed on the machines firing away at each other on screen, a curtain was pulled back to my right (I was probably a foot away) showing a dozen people crammed in a room playing each other online.  Loved it!

It's hard to believe this is Respawn's FIRST game.  Well, maybe not.

Jason West and Vince Zampella, co-founders of Respawn, were fired a few years ago by Activision.  They were the ones behind development of the Call of Duty franchise through Infinity Ward.  The published reasons for their termination include breach of contract and insubordination.

While I was watching the Titanfall demo, I couldn't help but notice its raw nature and pure edginess.  It's tough to define it.  It's multiplayer, but not a traditional FPS that some could loosely call a massively multiplayer online (MMO) title.  Whatever the case, it's intense, and it is INTENDED to be from start to finish.  There's absolutely no time to breathe.  It was almost as if the game itself was trying to overpower your imagination, purposefully intending to blow you away with imagery.  Like it was saying "Yeah, F an A, you KNOW this is the shit".  Sending a message.  Sending a message to who?  Then it made sense (at least this is my theory).

Developers, IMO, are sending this message to Activision.  They're out to make a game that says "See what you're missing?"  Maybe these guys ARE on a mission.  A group of guys hoping to have their small company make a big splash to stick it to a big corporation.  Activision might've had their reasons for firing West and Zampella, but maybe these guys are out to make them pay.

As we could all tell at E3, they already nailed the presentation.  Out of all the titles unveiled at the expo, Titanfall personally made the greatest impression on me.  I think it's going to look fantastic using with the Source game engine.  That means Titanfall in 60 fps on a console.  Wow.

So I'll wait until the spring of 2014 for its release.  Until then, I'll stare at my Titanfall t-shirt.

The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerpod
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

Candy Crush Saga: Why Why Why?

What am I thinking about?

Why Candy Crush

Look, I don't play ALL the time, but I admit dabbling with the smartphone/tablet game.  I'm terrible at it.  In fact, I've been stuck on Level 33 for weeks.  I play it once a day riding the subway to work.  

It's not so much that my meager Candy Crush Saga skills irk me.  It's the mere fact that I actually consider punching it up on my screen.  This leads me to my next existential question:  WHY DO we play this "match three" variation game?

There's nothing spectacular-looking or eye-popping, that's for sure, but it keeps the interest of almost everyone I know.  You see people constantly begging/asking their friends to give them new lives to keep playing.  I know one friend (you know who you are) who's gone beyond level 200.  If you saw a group of people with their heads down tapping away at their phone, you could put Vegas odds on how many of those folks are sliding and swiping those little pieces of candy on a screen.

 

Ok, so there's that unanswerable question, and then there's this one:  Where does it end?  You could say that about any video game.  However, there's something unexplained that, like I said, annoys me about Candy Crush Saga.  (By the way, Star Wars was a saga.  Candy Crush?  Meh).

It's not a bad thing, and give credit to King for striking a chord with, quite frankly, the entire human race.  It's something about society, social media or the collective gaming culture that bugs me.

Here's an even better question:  Why did I even write this blog post?  I have no answers to any of this.  Will I ever?  I still can't figure it out.  I'll still have nightmares about Level 33.  I'll wait for my new turns/lives to play another day on the train.

Maybe one day it'll hit me, just like an exploding piece of candy.

  
The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City

Twitter:  @thebgamerpod

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

Is Nintendo Really Disappearing?

What am I thinking about?

The future of Nintendo

I watched the ABC interview with Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, who predicts the Nintendo Wii U will finish a distant third in this year's game console war.  Patcher also thinks Nintendo's longevity looks bleak, referring to a dwindling amount of third-party game software support.

Pachter might be right in the short term, but then I looked at my old Wii.

Yeah, remember that system when it first came out?  It was almost seven years ago, November 2006, when the Wii grabbed the gaming world's attention with its revolutionary Wii remote (its appeal, which, quite honestly, still hasn't been matched by any other console IMO).  It was a HUGE hit at the time.  Even to this day, during the first quarter of last year, worldwide sales of the Wii continued to lead PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Then I looked at another box sitting in the corner.  Yup, here's a game I fondly played for hours on end.

Mario Kart is a cross-generational game franchise that anyone can play, from the little guys at home to the oldest of the old gamers.  It's truly an entertaining family-type game that everyone can play & watch.  To this day, I head home and play Mario Kart during the holidays with family.

In turn, I thought about what I saw at the Nintendo E3 booth last month in Los Angeles.

Nintendo was showing off their coming game titles, and of course, one of them is Mario Kart 8 out next spring.  The demos booths were jammed.

What's my point here?  Pachter is wrong & being a bit unfair.  Granted, Nintendo might not do all that well during the holidays because of the buzz behind Microsoft, Sony AND Google consoles (yup, can't forget about the Google-dee-goo), but when you're talking longevity, Nintendo isn't finished by any means.  Pachter thinks the end of third-party game support and development from the likes of Electronic Arts spell doom, but that's not how Nintendo got here.

They have some of the all-time giants in gaming:  Mario, Zelda, Metroid, to name a few.  Plus, their exclusive games are appealing to families with young kids at home; games that kids and adults can play and enjoy.  I think it was wise for Nintendo to keep quiet and let their games do the talking at E3.  THEY ARE looking at the future.  In particular, 2014, when I believe Nintendo is coming back with a vengeance.  And hey, the Wii U might surprise some folks come the holidays.

Bottom line:  How could we ever count these guys out?  There's a reason they've been around for three decades.

Don't count out a legend like Nintendo.  They're here to stay.

The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City

Twitter:  @thebgamerpd

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

Top 5 Games of 2013 (So Far)

Ok, so we're halfway through the year, and I'd like to take a look back at the best games thus far:


5)  Company of Heroes 2  (PC/Relic Entertainment)

The sequel to the breakthrough 2006 real-time strategy game proves to be its predecessor's equal, be it in a different setting.  It's a legendary franchise series among the PC gaming community, and rightfully so.  Set in World War II, players can now click away and strategize on the Eastern Front as the Soviet Red Army battles German forces.  You'll have your hands full all summer with this title, that's for sure.

4)  Tomb Raider  (PC, Xbox360, PS3/Square Enix)

The reboot of one of the most famous video games in history proves to be a success.  Crystal Dynamics was wise to develop a new title in the series.  The game breaks away from the original story, digging deep into the roots of lead character Lara Croft, who has to save her friends from a vicious cult.  The cut-ins are classic, and the gameplay is top notch, as always.

3)  Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition (Mojang/Microsoft)

Hey gamers, don't laugh:  Minecraft is kicking some major ass in the gaming world, and it's only offered on ONE game console platform.  Since the spring of last year, more than 7 million copies have been sold.  It's SO good for Microsoft that it's coming to Xbox One.  Personally, I love the fact that an indie title has made it so big like this.  The number don't lie.  People love this.

2)  Bioshock Infinite (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, OS X/Irrational Games/2K Games)

I had a blast with this first person shooter.  The Bioshock Series is high quality gaming.  While Infinite might not have the been the best in the series (IMO), there aren't many games that come close to its quality and gameplay.  Infinite keeps your interest with its mysterious plot, and it certainly has an intriguing ending that still has me thinking.  There's nothing like battling a freakish, frightening cultural faction that Bioshock provides.  I THOUGHT this was the game of the year...until another came along...

1)  The Last of Us  (PS3/Naughty Dog)

You won't find a finer, new title out there.  Yes, it's only offered on the PS3 platform, and if you don't have it...GET it for this game alone.  Not only is the gameplay smooth and thrilling, so are the cut scenes that grab your attention and, quite frankly, your emotions as you're taken on a Walking Dead-like post-apocalyptic journey with Joel and Ellie.  Even if you're not a gamer, you could literally watch someone else's gameplay and still get the same enjoyment and satisfaction as you would with a feature film.  Yes, it's that good.


It's been a good year...and there's more to come


The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerpd
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

Garfield Gets Off the Couch...And Gets Into Gaming

What am I thinking about?

Lasagna

Why?  Because I just played an entertaining smartphone/tablet game starring a cat whose very existence DEPENDS on that Italian dish.

"Garfield's Wild Ride" from NAMCO BANDI Games Europe is a straight-forward side-scroller with the laziest cat of them all probably doing the most exercise he's ever seen in his cartoon life.

It's simple to play:  Tap & hold to make Garfield jump.  Hold longer for higher leaps.  In fact, the name of the game is tapping and holding to suspend his "orange greatness" in midair to collect coins and, oh yes, little lasagnas.  Avoid obstacles, witches on broomsticks, flying saucers, while picking up Mario-esque question mark boxes to turn him into "Super Garfield" Or "Skate Garfield", to name a couple.

There are 45 mission levels that include manageable objectives like running 100 meters, or using Garfield's trusted stuffed animal companion Pooky, or riding Big Odie (the dog, remember?)

It's a great game to pass the time.  Adult fans of the old Garfield cartoon from the 70's and 80's will get a kick out of this.  It's also fantastic for kids.  It's not free ($0.99) but if you have little children at home, a niece or a nephew, Garfield's Wild Ride might be a game to keep in the back of your mind even for the holiday season.

And hey, you can never go wrong with Garfield...and he's never looked better!

The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerpod
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

Console Versus Console...Versus a Third...and a Fourth

What am I thinking about?

This year's game console war.

Who would've thought we'd have so many companies competing for your attention this year?  Seriously, didn't you think we've have our hands full with the battle between Sony and Microsoft alone?  It's already an interesting duel between PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.  (Photo courtesy:  James Martin CNET)

I'm basing the contest using the E3 expo as a "starting" point, although word about the consoles came much earlier.  Sony took the wind out of Microsoft's sails by not only allowing disc-based games on the PS4, but undercutting the Xbox One price by a hundred dollars.

Microsoft was hoping their flurry of exclusive Xbox One game titles (mostly coming next year) would captivate the audience, but Sony certainly upstaged them with more to offer with the console itself.  Soon after E3, Microsoft saw the writing on the wall, backing off its requirement to have users check in once a day online and dropped the DRM policy.

So, ok, this "Clash of the Titans" is now much more interesting thanks to the addition of some new players.

I remember walking to the Los Angeles Convention Center and being stopped by a couple of folks on the street passing out flyers about the OUYA system.  I had heard about it before I arrived.

It's a low-cost console ($99.99 US) running on the Android operating system that boasts of 200 game titles.  OUYA, a Kickstarter-funded project, features some 2D, 8-bit appearing games like TowerFall, trying to entice hard core gamers who long for the days of old (I guess). 

Google is also in the mix.  The internet giant, surprising everyone by reportedly introducing their OWN game console this fall (not yet named).  Who knows what they're coming up with, but I'm curious to find out.  How much experience do they have over with gaming?  Development?  Publishing?  New territory for them.

Oh, and don't forget Nintendo.  The Wii U system that came out last year might be a good option, especially for parents with little kids at home.  Nintendo games are right up their ally.  A friend of mine thinks Nintendo will drop the console price soon.  I agree.

So, long story short:  We have an interesting holiday season ahead.  Can you remember the last time we had THIS many consoles competing at one time?

Take a look at the calender.  It's early July.  The heat is turning up in the gaming world, and I would bet the farm that more surprises lie ahead.


The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerpod
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer