I hope you all had a great holiday season. Sorry for the lack of posts lately; it’s been quite a busy month. I’ve inadvertently been exposed to many video games. I just can’t escape the fact that my world seems to equate holidays to video games. I saw the almost legendary tactical nuke in Modern Warfare 2, which automatically ends the multiplayer match. This feat is only achievable after 25 kills in a row with no deaths, aka a 25 kill streak. (I also saw my gamer practically in tears when he was killed after a 20 kill streak. So close, yet so far.) My best friend even got an XBOX 360 for Christmas because she’s developed a recent addiction to playing Halo!! All this video game madness and I didn’t even get my gamer any game related gifts this Christmas. (Although I did buy a few for my cousins.) I’ve played some interesting games and got some great post ideas, so check back soon for regular updates!
Zero Punctuation
Zero Punctuation is the name of a video game review site from Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw on The Escapist Magazine website. As the site says, “Every Wednesday Zero Punctuation picks apart the games so you don’t have to. Called ‘hilariously cutting … first legitimate breakout hit from the gaming community in recent memory’ by Boing Boing, see why gamers love it and developers fear it.”[1] The reviews are generally cynical, hilarious, and often times spot on. It’s called Zero Punctuation for a reason. He talks very fast, and sometimes his accent makes him difficult to understand (and I’ve lived in England for almost 3 years!), but I rarely watch a review without laughing.
Check out his review of Wii Sports Resort here for a good introduction to Zero Punctuation and insight into why many gamers hate the Wii. (I’m having trouble trying to imbed the image.)
If your gamer has been playing new releases like Left 4 Dead 2, Assassin’s Creed II, or Modern Warfare 2 (hmm, all sequels. Nothing new and original?!) you may want to check out his most recent reviews of these games in his video library. Just a side note, most of his reviews contain explicit language and/or content, so they are not for younger viewers.
[1] http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation
Gamer Gift – XBOX Live Gold Membership
Item Name: XBOX Live Gold Membership
Item price: There are various subscriptions available. The basics are $49.99 for a one year subscription, $19.99 for a 3 month subscription, or $7.99 for a one month subscription. Check the shop for special subscription packages.
What it does: The XBOX Live membership is similar to facebook in that members have profiles, can message and chat with friends and have avatars of themselves. Members can also redeem Microsoft Points to purchase game extras, movies, TV shows, etc. The main function is the online gaming community where members can virtually meet up with other members for online multiplayer games. If you’re dating a gamer odds are that he or she already has a membership, but they must be renewed yearly.
Where to buy it: Anywhere video games are sold, xbox.com, amazon.com, etc.
Who to buy this for: Your absent-minded gamer who might forget to renew his or her subscription, or your gamer who has a monthly subscription as opposed to yearly.
Review: An XBOX Live membership is sort of like buying a gift card because it’s not a very personal gift. However, it does make a great stocking stuffer or a cool add-on. Something to keep in mind though, if your gamer is anything like mine and can’t live a day without XBOX Live do some probing to make sure he or she doesn’t have automatic renewal.
Call of Duty Eye Candy?
Any Glee fans out there could have a bit more to keep their minds occupied while watching their gamer’s play Call of Duty. Puck looks just like Soap (the main character from COD 4: Modern Warfare)! 
see more Celeb Look-A-Likes
Gamer Gifts – Razer Mamba
I think this was the first year where I have actually surprised my gamer with a gift that he was genuinely excited about once he opened it. I’m not saying that he isn’t thankful for other presents I’ve given him, but as I’ve said before it’s not easy to buy a present for him, and it is certainly not easy to surprise him. This year my gift rocked; I bought him the Razer Mamba, a wireless gaming mouse.
Item Name: Razer Mamba
Item price: $129.99 [£99.99]
What it does: It’s a wireless computer mouse designed especially “for gamers by gamers” (that’s the Razer tagline.) The Razer Mamba has a very cool looking design and a glowing blue light, but more importantly it’s ergonomically friendly with a long battery life, so the gamer can play for hours. I’ve heard lots of the technical stuff behind the design, but I’m not that computer savvy so if you care about the 5600 dpi laser sensor, or the 1 millisecond polling rate and other techie info check out the website here.
The gist behind it is that most of us normal point-and-click mouse users don’t need a very specific dpi sensor because we’re clicking on very large icons compared to gamers. We also don’t need the response between clicks to be that fast because we aren’t constantly clicking. But if you’re virtually aiming a gun at an enemy’s throat you want to be as accurate and as fast as possible so you can kick some serious video game ass. That’s why the 5600 dpi laser sensor and 1ms polling rate features are so important for gamers
Where to buy it: I got mine from Best Buy, but I would assume any place you can buy computer & video game equipment. You can also buy directly from razerzone.com.
Who to buy this for: Your serious PC gamer, or your gamer who has to have the latest and the greatest of everything.
Review: For PC gamers this mouse is absolutely awesome. It’s expensive, but apparently totally worth it and arguably the best mouse ever. My boyfriend was so excited about this mouse when the trailer first came out. (Yes, that’s right this mouse has a trailer just like a blockbuster movie.) He would talk about the design as if it was an Aston Martin DB9.
If you plan to buy this in the shops be aware that it comes in an elaborate clear display case. I made a bit of an ass out of myself after trying to explain to the guy at the store that there were no more Mamba’s in the mouse section while he was showing me the Mamba in a plastic display case between two computers. I didn’t realize that what he was showing me wasn’t a special display, but the actual packaging, and that he was trying to give it to me. This mouse is that cool.
Gamer Glossary Term of the Week – Cutscene
A cutscene, or a cutscene movie, is a break in the gameplay usually used to further develop the story. They typcially follow a completed level and explain where the character will go next.
Play This – LittleBigPlanet
I absolutely love this game! If you are dating a gamer and looking for a game to play together, or just one to play by yourself to see what all the gaming hype is about LittleBigPlanet is it. For months my boyfriend kept saying that we had to play this game together. It was recommended to him by a friend who was also playing it with his girlfriend, and she was really enjoying it. We finally gave it a shot. After a few weeks of nonstop LittleBigPlanet, my boyfriend begged me to stop playing so he could get some “proper gaming time” in.
This platform game has a very whimsical, yet mad feeling to it. The hero or heroine is an adorable sackboy or sackgirl, who is fully customizable. 
You can choose your hair, eyes, clothes, and accessories. As you progress through the game you pick up different stickers, fabrics, costumes, & accessories to customize your sack person and your pod (where you navigate through the game) and even the levels if you want. The game itself starts out very novice-friendly with the main gameplay centering on basic skills like running, jumping & grabbing. As the game progresses, the skills required to complete each level also increase, mainly through testing your timing at performing tasks while running, jumping or grabbing. (This is the basis for platform games.)
All of the levels are vibrant, creative, and colorful, but the crazy costumes and fun stickers aren’t the only reason I think this is a great game for gamers and their girlfriends or boyfriends. This game is ideal for couples to play together. 
Throughout the game there are many tasks, signposted “x2“, which require both players in order to reap rewards. Also, both players must remain on screen at the same time or else the off screen character will die. These aspects create a great camaraderie between players, while the race levels add a fun sense of competition. And if your gamer gets too annoying with the competitiveness you can always backhand slap him or her with your sackperson. (With your controller use L2 or R2 while moving the joystick to quickly move your hand.) I wouldn’t recommend slapping him or her in real life though, people look down on that.
The game’s official website describes the game as “a unique game combining amazing platform adventure with a huge social community enabling consumers to play, create and share their gaming.” [1] Like most games today there is an online aspect, but unlike most games players can actually create their own levels and share them online. So it’s a bit like Super Mario Bros. meets Facebook. This gives the game limitless replayability.
We’re over halfway through the game and my boyfriend is a little sick of it (undoubtedly a result of the lack of guns and opportunities to kill people), but I’m addicted.
Game: LittleBigPlanet
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE for short)
Available on what consoles: Sony PS3 and new on Sony PSP
Type of Game: Platform
Where to buy it: Anywhere video games are sold
[1] http://www.littlebigplanet.com/en_GB/
Video Games, Obama and Education
The Obama administration is trying to encourage student interest in math, engineering and technology utilizing video games. The Game Changer Challenge will encourage kids to create levels for the Sony video game LittleBigPlanet. Supported by Sony, Microsoft and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA for short) the project should excite a lot of young gamers and potential future game designers. Read more on the competition here and here.
Gamer Gifts – Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Throat Communicator
It seems like you can’t step into a store these days without a reminder that Christmas is right around the corner. (Whatever happened to waiting until after Thanksgiving?!) I have double gift dilemma at this time of the year because my gamer’s birthday is in the middle of November. Now my boyfriend loves gadgets and basically all things geeky so it should be easy to buy him a present, except when he wants something he buys it right away. I’ve resorted to frantically writing down any item he mentions he might want and then threatening him under penalty of death not to buy it.
Nevertheless, I’m always trying to find the next great present, thus, the birth of a new section to this blog – Gamer Gifts. I will try to post great gift ideas for your gamer here. This week’s gift, a specialized XBOX 360 headset & microphone.
Gift: Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Throat Communicator in Camo or Snow (shown below in Camo)
Item price: $29.99 [£24.99]
Which console is it available for: XBOX 360
What it does: The throat communicator works like most 360 headsets and allows the player to chat with other gamers online. The difference is that this mic wraps around the back of the throat instead of having the traditional mouthpiece.
Where to buy it: Video game retailers such as Gamestop, amazon.com [In the UK you can buy it from Play.com]
Why it’s cool: The design is military inspired, so gamers can feel like they’re in the real front line action. Not only that, but it’s officially licensed for Modern Warfare 2.
Who to buy this for: Your die hard first person shooter fan who secretly wants to play a little military dress up.
Review: I haven’t actually used this item, so I can’t endorse it. The reviews I’ve read are mixed saying that it is a cool item, but slightly overpriced, and there are definitely better mics out there. The real reason to buy this is for its novelty. You can check out reviews at Gizmodo or Amazon.
Just Released – Assassin’s Creed II
Assassin’s Creed II was released today on XBOX 360 and PS3. It is an action-adventure game (like Zelda), following a betrayed nobleman on his quest for revenge through Italy during the Renaissance. There are even cameos by Leonardo da Vinci. Check out the E3 trailer below. There is some very impressive CG work in it.
And here’s a link to the (in my opinion less exciting) Launch Trailer. It looks more like actual gameplay than cut scenes though, so it’s probably more exciting for gamers.
Metacritic (an average of all the major reviews) has given it 90 out of 100. Most of the reviews are saying that this sequel is much better than its predecessor, which was a bit of a disappoint for a lot of reviewers and gamers. The Metacritic summary says the game has an “epic story that offers more variety in missions, surprising and engaging new gameplay elements, diverse weapons and a profound character progression that appeal to fans of the original Assassin’s Creed as well as entice players new to the brand.”1 See what all the reviewers are saying here.
I hope now that the game has been released they will stop playing so many of the commercials on TV because I hate them. They are just creepy, always starting with a dead old guy staring blankly into the camera. That kind of stuff will give you nightmares.
(P.S. I’ll be updating the underlined terms and adding them to the glossary soon.)
[1] Metacritic. Assassin’s Creed II. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps3/assassinscreed2
