Microsoft reveals Droid-themed Xbox 360 bundle for Star Wars Kinect -- Engadget

Microsoft reveals Droid-themed Xbox 360 bundle for Star Wars Kinect -- Engadget

This is unbelievably cool! As an owner of the special Halo:Reach 360, I can tell you that having a customised Xbox like this is pretty darn awesome. I really like knowing that I don't just have a generic, run-of-the-mill 360 anymore! But what if MS released a DIY kit?

This wouldn't have to just be stickers...it could be the actual 'chassis', in bits...a bit like a Kit Car? I'm not sure how it would work warranty-wise, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it!

Until then, I ask you guys this...if you could choose any game/film for your Xbox to be themed as, which would it be? Maybe an awesome Covenant theme? Of course, there's always the ironic Mario theme too!

Post your comments below,

Racoon

Google+

Woah, it's been 2 and a half MONTHS since I last blogged...this is unacceptable! From now, it'll be at least 1 a week, aiming for around 1 every 2 days...promise! Anyway, onto the important matters at hand...

Google Plus! To anyone that doesn't know, Google Plus is Google's 'take' on Facebook. I know what you're thinking, "We don't need another Facebook, what's the point?!". Well, you're kinda right. I've found that it's pretty annoying to have to simultaneously update Facebook and Google Plus...and when I have to choose one, I go with Facebook simply for the bigger demographic...I simply have more friends on there!

It does bring some nice new ideas to the table however, one of which is in the form of Google 'Circles'. These are basically separate Friend List's, and you can advertise your posts/updates to certain Circles. Let's say you have 3 circles...Friends, Family and Workmates...you find something that's funny, but it's also kinda rude and you don't think your boss/mother would appreciate it. On Facebook, if you posted it, they'd be able to see it, which could prove to be a nightmare! On Google Plus though, you can choose to just advertise that post to your 'Friends' Circle...people in your Family and Workmates Circle's won't have any knowledge of it! Not only will it not show up in their 'News Feed' (Facebook term! Aargh!), it won't even show up if they view your profile. A brilliant idea, privacy-wise, and something which Facebook has needed for a while.

All in all, Google Plus looks like it could really take off. Amassing 4.5 million users in it's first week, it's got incredible potential for growth...and I think that it's then, when a lot more people have 'converted', that it'll become a part of daily life like Facebook is now...until then? It's a great looking, intuitive, fresh 'nice-to-have'.

To see what all the fuss is about, get on over to http://bit.ly/o1KA5P

If you want an invite, throw a message my way on here and I'll get one on it's way to you!

Racoon out!

Monday Musing

It's Monday...I hate Mondays!

This morning, on my way to work, I was thinking about HD remakes...

Every company at the moment are making HD remakes and HD 'Re-imaginations' of old classics that we all remember playing on the NES, SNES, PS1, Dreamcast etc...this would be fine, if they were remaking decent games!

 Where's Abe's Odyssey? How about the original 3 Crash Bandicoots? Final Fantasy VII? Just because a game is old doesn't mean it's a golden, timeless classic that needs remaking with more polygons! The amount of crap that developers are pumping out onto the shelves is...well, it's crazy! If they spent their time remaking the
'real' classics, we'd spend the time buying them, instead of moaning about the lack of new IP's…

 Sort it out!

Apology from Sony...

Sony's Apology

So, what does this
mean? Well, he's clearly pissed the Sony Fanboy's off, but that was obvious. Sony have already apologised (countless times), but for Howard Stringer to pull his finger out? They know they're in the wrong…

All the harsh words from the fans aren't undeserved, mind you...after all, Sony knew about the attack a full 5 days before they announced what was going on! Ok, they say they did it so they could "gather all the relevant information", but a little heads-up would have been nice.

At the end of the day, what's done is done...but Sony went about it in the wrong way, and this press release just proves that they know it. A $1m Insurance Policy against any Identity Theft caused by the incident? That might soften the blow, but it won't solve everything!

My advice? Pay the £40 (RRP) annual fee for Xbox Live, and stick with the 360...Microsoft actually seem to know what they're doing.

Why...hmm?

So as I'm sitting here in this Black-Ops lobby, I'm thinking to
myself...why do people play games?

I know why I do...I play games as a
hobby...it's something I do to pass some of the time I spend at home, when the
weather is wet, or when I just don't feel like going out and doing something. I
also play games, online especially, as a way of keeping in touch with some of
the people I rarely see anymore...it's good to play, just as it's good to meet
up with them to play football or something...the point is, I play it with mates
mainly...something to do.

But everybody has a different reason for
playing, right?

Some play games (such as runescape) because they're
dissapointed with their lives...earning exp and money in game gives them the
sense of achievement that their real lives lack somewhat! Others play as a form
of escapism, wanting nothing more than to be a hero! And some play only
Movie/Book licenses, simply wanting to be involved with their favourite
films...

The question is...why do you play your games?

A short break...

I've had a fortnight's break from blogging, mainly due to owning Portal 2!
This game is fricking addictive! Aside from being crazily clever, it's bloody good fun too!

The physics are nigh-on perfect, the dialogue is delightfully witty and the little details
really make the game worth multiple playthroughs…

The only real issue I've found with the game is the effect it can have on your
confidence...sometimes, you'll be stuck on a puzzle for a good half an hour,
only to find out that the solution was painfully simple!

I know for a fact I'll still be dipping into this a year from now...there are
so many little hidden Easter Eggs and so much hidden dialogue, it'll take eons
to find them all! This'll also no doubt be the third game I get 1000/1000
gamerpoints from...not from whoring, but from wanting to find everything!

I'll be posting a full review of Portal 2 on Bitmob later in the week, so make sure to check it out.

What-If Wednesday #1

This is the first in a series of features that I'll be calling 'What-If Wednesday'. In case you hadn't guessed from the title, this'll be a weekly feature that poses a hypothetical, game-related question which I will then answer (and request your responses too!). The question for the next week's feature can be suggested by you, down in the comments section, as you guys will no doubt come up with much more interesting and varied questions than I can.
To start the ball rolling, I pose you this: What if a machine was created which allowed you to be PERMANENTLY transported into a videogame? You would have to live by that game's rules and restrictions, as well as suffering the game's consequences. Pick your top 3 and explain why...

1. My first choice would be The Elder Scrolls Universe. Personally, I love the idea of being a bit of a traveller, wandering from city to city picking up jobs (or quests) along the way. Rising through the ranks of the Mage's and Fighter's Guild would be epic...heck, just perfecting your Archery skill would appeal to me! I wouldn't, however, want to be the Player Character (either the Nerevarine from Morrowind, or the Champion of Cyrodil from Oblivion). That kinda stress would end up killing me. Instead, I'd want to be one of the quieter NPC's...still a Mage/Archer/Warrior, but I wouldn't want to be at the center of all the action I don't think.

2. My second choice would have to be the Grand Theft Auto Universe...just to run around, with no rules bar the ones you make for yourself. Unable to die, provided you have money to pay the hospital. Not sent to jail, provided you have money to bribe your local Police Station. Honestly, this would be so much fun I think, and a great test of character...put somebody who's quite well-respected in real life and give them Grand Theft Auto...you'll see what I mean? They're the first to kill the hookers, go on shooting rampages and just generally cause havoc.

3. My third and final choice would have to be the Universe in Fable. When it's not at it's darkest and grimmest, Albion is a stunning place! Again, I don't think I'd want to be the Player Character, but perhaps a guard or one of the shopkeepers? Maybe own a town? Somebody important, but not somebody who everybody is out to get...and definitely not the dog!

So those were my choices, now it's your turn...share with us the Universe that you'd most like to be transported to, given the oppertunity...let us know what you'd do there, either good or bad!

Also, if you have any suggestions for next week's 'What-If' scenario, please comment below...

The Sound of Music

'Next-gen'... a term we've all become familiar with since the Xbox
360's release back in late 2005. It seems to have become synonymous with
a leap in visual fidelity, with most developers utilising the new
technology by cramming more and more polygons onto your screen.
Artificial Intelligence has seen a major improvement too, with enemies
able to react almost as if they're real, living human beings. And let us
not forget how much the online side of gaming has evolved these past 5
years. Around this time last year, MAG was released on the PS3, which let 256 people
play simultaneously...a huge feat of online network engineering! But what about
the music?

A game's soundtrack is, in my opinion, the thing that defines the game
itself. Looking back to 16-bit gaming, where memory constraints were
tight, music tended to be simple keyboard melodies, nothing more than an
archaic 'ringtone' today. But as the size of storage mediums is
increasing, soundtracks are becoming a much greater part in the overall
feel of the game. No longer is it just title-screen music, but instead
full blown, context sensitive ballads! The music ebbs and flows just as
you do, complementing your experience brilliantly. Of course, not all
games do it well, so I've decided to focus on my favourite soundtrack of
all...

Halo. Say what you like about the game, story progression,
graphics...it's a mixed bunch of reviews. But one common praise of Halo
is it's music. The composer, Marty O'Donnell, is a complete genius! He
has scored an epic masterpiece, and one which has evolved with each new
game. Halo 1 was all about the classical side, with the strings and
monks singing etc. This really went with the story, as the religious
side was revealed. In Halo 2, the tone changed slightly...whilst the
strings were still there, so too were the power riffs blasting from an
electric guitar, alongside external contributions from the likes of
Breaking Benjamin and Incubus. Gone were the monks, and although it
didn't please everybody, being a metal fan myself I welcomed the new
direction. Then Halo 3 came along...the end of the fight. Again, he
changed the musical style, ditching the electric guitar in favour of
heavier drums, a grand piano and...a return for the monks! All this, and
it still managed to retain the original tune. If that seems a lot,
that's because it is! It's rare that a game's musical adventure is
almost as exciting and varied as the adventure itself...but that it
was...and I for one feel priviliged to have laid ears on that
soundtrack.

Also worth a mention is the Elder Scrolls series, most notably
Morrowind and Oblivion. It creates a completely unique feel for the
game, and goes so well with the sword/magic style gameplay. Oblivion in
particular uses context-sensitive music to it's fullest. Get near an
enemy and the music changes from a light, beautiful ditty to a dark,
gritty and sombre piece. It can almost scare you at times!

Many games obviously throw in the music at the end of the mix, once the
rest of the game is built and working, but Bungie (Halo developers) and
Bethesda (Elder Scrolls) did it differently. The music was a big part
of the process from the very beginning, and I think it really paid off.
If more developers realised what a big part of gaming the music is, we
would all notice for sure! Maybe it's just me who appreciates a decent
soundtrack, I don't know...maybe I'm crazy? Feel free to let me know
down below...

Crysis 2 Review

Like the majority of Xbox 360 gamers, I was majorly excited for Crysis 2. The trailers made it look awesome, as did the hype created by Cevat Yerli and the guys over at Crytek. I really enjoyed the original on the PC, so to have it coming to a console was like the best news ever! So, did it deliver? Hell no!

I really didn't enjoy the single-player Campaign...I found it slow and annoying. Pretty visuals, cool moves and the ability to go invisible can't save the game from it's boring enemies, miniscule amount of weapons and samey environments. There is one nice idea in there...you customise your weapons and abilities in real-time. No pause menu, no terminal...it just focusses on the weapon and you edit the relevant parts (silencer, laser/reflex sight, etc) or your hand (for abilities). It's a brilliant idea, but completely ruined by how shoddy the rest of the game is.

You replay the same areas of the city, which look pretty much identical...there aren't any breathtaking scenes like the first game, it's just go here, do this, do that...very boring! Still, a lot of games nowadays focus on the multiplayer side of things, so that should be good...right? Wrong!

Unfortunately, the multiplayer is even worse than the single player...and that's saying something! The moment you start playing the game, you're at a disadvantage to anybody who's played it before. You might argue that this happens with any game, due to their previous playing experience, but Crysis takes it to a whole new level (no pun intended).

It tries to mimic CoD's 'perk' system, yet fails dramatically. The reason CoD's system worked well is because each perk was decent in it's own right, depending on how you wanted to use it...no matter what perk/weapon somebody else on the map had, you could just as easily have a perk to counteract it. Sure, people with a more XP would have access to better weapons, but again, it wasn't unfair...in the Hardcore playlist, for instance, it's basically 1-3 hit kill...doesn't technically matter which weapon you're using, it's all just down to preference. In Crysis, however, the perks give you more health...more armour...longer camoflauge...I mean, come on, how is somebody new to the game supposed to compete against people who have more health?!

The point I'm trying to make is this...in other games (like CoD and Reach), you're given the oppertunity to customise your class, your weapons, your abilities...but none of them actually give you a solid advantage over anybody else. It's all to do with what you feel comfortable using, not about what's better! With Crysis, however, it gives you more health and armour as you level up...who isn't going to like that? It's majorly unfair to new players, it's a ridiculous idea and it's the reason why I won't play it...oh, the maps are terribly designed too. The graphics are stunning, but you can only pump so many polygons into a the same generic wall before people get bored!

In short, Crysis 2 had a lot to live up to. It's reputation from the original, the hype brought on by the trailers...it's a lot of pressure! Crytek screwed up though...not only did they fail to deliver on what was promised, but they've actually tarnished the Crysis name. Not a great second outing for them then...

I'll end with a joke, inspired by this review;

What do you get if you cross a seriously dull single-player campaign, a ridiculously unfair multiplayer mode and a horrendous looking box that says Crysis 2 on the cover?

The biggest waste of £40 I've ever seen!

The beginning...

Hey hey!

This is my new blog...been meaning to start one for a while. Unlike my old blog(http://mightyracoon.blogspot.com/) which focussed mainly on the Xbox 360, this one will be much more generalised...so you can expect Xbox 360, PS3, Phones, Computing, Films and Music to pop up at any time.
Boring welcome post complete =]

Racoon