The Lazy Gamers

Going Underground

2008-01-16T16:46:00.000+13:00

I have got 4 new games over xmas Lego StarWars, Commemded, Project Sylpheed and Assassins Creed. I have been enjoing Sylpheed the most tho.

Anyway I will not posting for a while as I have other things that I need to sort.

More Mass Effect

2007-12-10T08:47:00.000+13:00

I have finished Mass Effect again with a Paragon character and I have to say that I was happier that ending it had more of a si-fi movie feel, it does raise some questions on how they are going to start the next game with the different ending tho.

I also got the M4 Part II by Faunts(The song from the credits) from iTunes and I have to say that i like it and might even get there whole album.

Completed Mass Effect

2007-11-30T10:02:00.000+13:00

Last night I managed to complete Mass Effect with the renegade ending and it was great tonight I start it trying to be nice.

If you do not have mass effect then go out right now and buy it quick.

Shame on you NZ Herald

2007-11-30T09:30:00.000+13:00

The NZ Herald ignores expert and focuses of a police officers opinion.

Yet again I am using this blog as a soap box to fight censorship, but I guess it is a good a place as any to try and stop it. Recently a New Zealand police officer Bill Harrison watched his kid play a computer game and decided that it was too violent and are a major cause of crime.

I know if you have been interested in games that this is getting out but there was one but of absolute crap reporting here, If you read the the whole story you will find three lines at the bottom that pretty much make when whole story invalid here they are:

But Auckland University psychologist Dr Ian Lambie said violent video games had no effect on most people.
"There is a subset of the population that is far more likely to be affected," he said.
"But we know that the problems are far more complex. It's learning issues, it's a whole range of other developmental problems."

Thats right the NZ Herald decided that is was much better news to say games are bad and offer the opinion of someone with no knowledge on how games effect children, as apposed to someone who has done research on Child and adolescent mental health and adolescent offending.

Mass Effect

2007-11-26T10:38:00.000+13:00

I have spent 16 hours playing Mass Effect for about 16 hours now and I have to say that is kicks arse. If you don't have a copy go and get one right now, I mean it, it is my game of the year.

There is no need for the decoder tho.

A use for the Decoder!

2007-11-19T15:56:00.000+13:00

Microsoft has opened up a new mass effect site and there is even new stuff that you have to use the Mass Effect decoder to read yay!!!.

Stop the Censorship

2007-11-13T17:06:00.000+13:00

Its time for the real parents and adults to stand up and put a stop to constitutive groups like Family First who are too busy trying to censor things that will "damage" their children instead of parenting their children and controlling what they watch themselves.

As of last Friday the Christian lobby group Family first has been pressuring advisers to remove there advertising during a show TV3 show called Californication this show is on at 9-30 pm on Thursday that contains content that the people at family first deem bad for the New Zealand Family.

Now I can understand how some people might not want to watch a show with sex, nudity etc in it and if you don't like it just don't watch it. But what about the children I hear you saying well have two children and I would not be happy with them watching it either, so guess what I make sure that my kids don't watch it and are in bed by 9-30. As with all forms of entertainment it is not that responsibility of the government to decide what your children watch/do it is your responsibility so stop wasting your time ringing/emailing advertisers and start paying attention to your children and what they are watching and doing.

Here's what I would like you to consider doing:

Would you consider sending a quick email to these advertisers(Cadbury, Ferrit, Burger King, CRC and Finish) saying that you are happy they are willing to support freedom of expression in New Zealand and that you will be boycott their product if remove there association with this program because of a small group of individuals that want to censor your entrainment.
Right now please call TV3 and tell them that you are taking this action (09) 377-9730 (hold for an operator). Tell them (politely) that you would like to commend that for giving you the choice to watch adult ordinated programming on at an appropriate time slot.

"Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide." ~Napoleon Bonaparte

Have your say leave a comment.

P.s. Just in case you care Family First is also trying to;

Stop Easter trading
Remove The Anti-smacking Bill (apparently its not assault if its done by a parent)
Boycott Hell's Pizza because they do not like there advtising
Cancel the 'Boobs on Bikes' Parade

Get the Mass Effect Decoder Outside the US

2007-11-12T09:51:00.000+13:00

For anyone who cares you can download the Mass Effect decoder from Microsoft(even if you are not from the US). I don't know if they are planning to do anything with it but for now you can make messages like this:

324 58727300 4 926293 13 70 39 27257250321795380 49027356093351 20393800 20 63 87 3 22925 75736612

Why do they not release "great" stuff like this in New Zealand, maybe its because we just don't care enough? I know I don't.

Gamers in the Media

2007-10-04T11:04:00.000+13:00

Today when I was listening to the radio they had a skit about the Halo 3 Launch. Let me sum it up for you.

Nerds talking about halo.
Woman(slut) turns up and show them her puter.
None of the nerds know what it is (honey puff? I don't think so).
Woman(slut) calls them virgins leaved unsatisfied.

Clearly the people at the radio station think that if anyone plays a computer/video game they are hideous shut-ins that have no social life and will never spend any time with a woman. I play computer games and I'm married and have 2 kids so it is safe to say that I am not a virgin, but this made me think why does the media, and the public in general, think that games are for hideous shut-ins? I turned to Google in a search of answers (some people prefer Jesus- but I find Google faster).

The photo above is from the Halo 3 launch right here in New Zealand. Jesus- look at the pink goggles! Yes they are pink and that is very sad, but the saddest thing is that they have goggles to protect themselves from a water gun, yes a FUCKING WATER GUN. Oh My God you might get your eyes wet! Just in case anyone is wondering- most gamers do not need to wear goggles in a shower.

Next we look at people making costumes that look like game characters sometime this can be good but lets face it, most of the time it is just sad. Just follow this basic rule; If you are a hot chick - good. If you are an ugly(or extremely skinny) dude - it is a very bad thing.

Hardcore gamers- Now I know that most people who play games will not be considered as hardcore gamers, but when you ask the average Jo about video games they all tend to think of the type of person who is in his 30's lives in his parents basement and plays World of Warcraft. So if you are that person, please god please move out. In fact anyone who is over 30 and lives with their parents who is not disabled or mentally deficient- start looking for a flat now, because lets face it by the time a child is 30 the parent deserves a break.

Game related porn- Now this use to be mainly a Japanese thing. Those crazy Japanese love there porn, but now it is starting to trickle more and more into western culture, with recent examples being Whorecraft and the Spartan 3 on suicide girls. I get it you like games and you like boobies (who doesn't) but mixing them just make you look sick, sick damn it. Ok the chick from suicide girls is pretty hot.

I think the biggest problem with the media's view on games is the gamers themselves not the crazy nerds or hardcore games. The "normal" people who have jobs/families are ashamed of admitting that they play games. If you are ashamed, don't be. There are some people who play games that are "cool"! Well actually I only know of one but you can start the trend.

The IT Crowd already have Assassin's Creed

2007-10-01T12:42:00.001+13:00

I was watching episode four of the second season of the IT Crowd and guess what I spotted Assassin's Creed. It looks like the writers of the IT Crowd are not quite up to the play with release dates.

Im back

2007-09-30T15:04:00.001+13:00

I have finally caught up on all my lost gaming and I have even bought a HD TV so I can finally review the games as they are supposed to be played expect Bioshock and Tomb Raider reviews here shortly.

Back Home at Last

2007-09-06T09:15:00.000+12:00

My xbox has returned home and it is working fine.

After some extensive tests I have discovered that not only does my xbox have a new heatsink but also a new DVD drive that now sounds less like a jet trying to take off.

Now it is time for me to go dark and only return when I have caught up on my 3 weeks of missed gaming, Bioshock here I come!!!!!!

IT ARRIVED at the repair center

2007-08-30T20:00:00.000+12:00

After only 13 days my 360 has arrived at the repair center, fast huh.

This is Waiting

2007-08-30T16:01:00.000+12:00

Well it has almost been two weeks and service.xbox.com still says "Empty Box Shipped to Customer" which is strange because they don't send out boxes in New Zealand maybe it is code for "the xbox is lost".

Not Exactly Rubbish

2007-08-29T15:10:00.000+12:00

Here are two photos I got from the dominion post, form the filming done at the Lower Hutt landfill for latest halo videos.

Oh and here is where the land fill is if you want to go and look at rubbish and some such.

Bioshock Today

2007-08-24T15:35:00.001+12:00

Today I got Bioshock which is sweet, what is not sweet is the fact that my xbox 360 still hasn't arrived at the repair center which probably means it is going to be ages before I can play it.

If only I had got the consumer whore edition I could be at least playing with the toy Big Daddy it looks like I'm going to have to dress Connor up like a big daddy and chase him around the house with a water gun(what are kids for).

I will try and put up a RROD Bioshock review some time in the weekend.

Oh No

2007-08-19T05:00:00.000+12:00

Now my decline into madness about is begin, hopefully it won't be to far in the next 3 weeks. But you never know.

Sega Classics are they worth it?

2007-07-24T20:53:00.000+12:00

At the E3 Press conference Microsoft announced that two SEGA classic games (Sonic the Hedgehog, and Golden Axe) were available on xbox live arcade for the low price of 400 MS Points. Everyone on the interweb seemed to be pretty happy with this news and why not, they are both good games albeit games that most people have played before a bunch of times.

I was thinking about buying Golden Axe when I realised that I had played both Sonic and Golden Axe recently on my PSP in the SEGA Mega Drive Collection that came with 25 other games for only $70, this made me question the value of buying them form Live Arcade.

So I stared to do some Math;

If can buy a 1500 MS points card for $29.95 that works out to be about 2¢ a point so a 400 Point costs about $8 per game.
Now if we work out the cost per game on the SEGA Mega Drive Collection if you pay $69.95 for 27 games that works out to be about $2.60 per game.

Now I know you will say that there are crap games in the SEGA collection and you don't get achievements on PSP, but lets face it even if only half the games are they still only $5.20 per game which is still a lot cheaper.

So there you have the Math, I will let you make up your own mind but I won't be wasting my MS Points on classic SEGA games anytime soon. There is always the option of going the ROM way but that is not completly legal so we won't talk about that.

Note : prices are all in $NZ

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters - sux

2007-07-22T13:40:00.002+12:00

I had heard good things about Ratchet and Clank(R&C) so I thought it would be worth a try on the PSP, as I don't own a PS2/3. It seems like a good use for my PSP, apart form playing mp3's and movies that is.

Gameplay
R&C is for the most part a platform game mixed with a third person shooter, with a bunch of mini-games added for good measure. The shooting in R&C is surprisingly good and there are a good variety of weapons to use. Unlike other 3rd/1st person shooters on the PSP the shooting is easy to control and after you get used to the controls it feels almost natural. The platforming started out fun but quickly got boring for me after the third level and became more of a grind than platforming fun as it was designed. The mini-games can be mostly avoided but in some sad cases you have to complete them to get a mission item. It was one such game that made me give up altogether as playing one race level over and over and not winning gets really boring fast.

There were a few major flaws that stopped me from having fun and eventually stopped me from finishing the game at all. The camera was good for most of the game as long as the monsters you are fighting are all on one side of you. As soon as you are surrounded its is almost impossible to fight them all off as you end up being attacked off camera over and over again. My other major problem was the mini-games, espically the hoverboard races. More often than not you will end up racing and not being completly sure which way to go. This got so annoying in one race that i gave up on the game altogether.

Graphics
The graphics are excelent for the PSP, nice colors and bright locations for the most part that are on par or even better than PS2 games, in fact they are better than a PS3 game(Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire).

Sound
That sound was good. The music got annoying, but lets face it there are not many games where the music doesn't

Extra Crap
There are several minigames and some of the Clank levels you get to play with robots that look suprising like Tokobots, apart for that there was nothing else I noticed.

Overall
If you like action platformers this game might be for you, but if you are like me and are looking for a good game to play on the go I would stick to SSX or Pirates.

What Didn't Suck

Fun to play, to start with.
Great Graphics for the PSP.
Tokobots.

What sucked

Bad Camera in places espically the firefights.
Gets old fast.

Gamerscore Whores Rejoyce (TMNT Review)

2007-06-15T11:52:00.000+12:00

I got TMNT for the long weekend as I heard it was a quick 1,000 achievements and the Ninja Turtles rock! After taking my daughter to the movies, which kicked arse, I thought it might be fun to have a go at the game.

Gameplay
It took me all of six and a half hours to complete and over all it was an enjoyable platform game with some interesting fights.

The platforming looks very cool when you are doing it right (which is easy for the most part) but the camera in some parts makes it almost impossible to know where you are meant to go, which is a real pain as you loose time when you fall to your doom, which makes it hard to get an A+ the first time through a level.

The fights normally involve being swarmed by a large group of bad guys that you have to kill (make fall asleep and go invisible) using your ninja skills. Each of the turtles have a slightly different fighting style and a special move that you can do with another ninja turtle. For the most part the fighting is fun but can get pretty repetitive throughout the game. There are also some boss fights but they aren't particularly great.

Graphics
The game very much looks like the standard fair for any multi-system port. The graphics are nice, albeit not up to the usual standard of a 360 exclusive game. It has nice animations but nothing really special.

Sound
The sound is OK but nothing special.

Online/Muntiplayer
This game has not muntiplayer options.

Extra Crap
As you pass levels depending on how well you do you get coins that you can trade for scenes from the movie, pictures and outtakes etc. Sadly all of the movies are very short and not worth the extra effort to complete.

Overall
TMNT is a great rental, you will have fun and even get 1,000 gamerscore for your efforts. My daughter loved watching it but didn't play it as it is a little hard for a eight year old to play with some of the jumping levels (even I was considering giving up on the last level.).

What Didn't Suck

Fun to play.
An Easy 1000 gamerscore.
The whole family can watch.

What sucked

Bad Camera in places that let me fall to my doom.
Does not follow the story from the movie at all.