Category Archives: Industry

Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut: Was It Worth The Wait?


Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut: Was It Worth The Wait? (Opinion Article)

Discloser: This article is solely the opinion of this one writer and does not reflect the overall opinion of this entire site.

Spring Break 2012. Families, young, old, and everything in between flocked to the beaches of both the east and west coasts to revel in a short glimpse of the upcoming summer. Those unfortunate enough to not be able to participate in over-glorified tourism spent time at the pool and with their families and friends, enjoying this week of relaxation and freedom from school and for some, work. Though I did enjoy some of these endeavors, the thing I looked forward to the most was a game I had longed to play for four entire years, Mass Effect 3. Receiving the game at the beginning of Spring Break meant an entire week to spend playing the most anticipated game ever in my gaming career. The fanatic I am, I of course scourged eBay, having been too arrogant to pre-order the Collector’s Edition ahead of time and was treated to the punishment of them being sold out. Paying much more than I would have otherwise, I had invested in this game more than any other game in my entire life. And was it worth it? Of course! Now this is by no means a review of Mass Effect 3 (though I believe it to be one of the greatest of all time), but instead an insight into the infamous ending.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I got the game in the mail and started it on Monday of Spring Break, arriving to the conclusion that Saturday afternoon. Anticipating the inevitable defeat of the Reapers since the end of the first game, I knew it was coming. I woke up that morning knowing that today, the machines bent on destroying all life as we know it were going to be vanquished once and for all. The ending came and gone and alas many were disappointed in how the war ended but there was no true impact and result from all the decisions and choices made across three entire games. Bioware had attempted something no other franchise had done before in truly making your voice count in the game you played but when the final credits rolled, no matter what choices you made, you roughly had the same ending as everyone else.

But I liked the ending.

There I said it! I am apart of the staunch few that stand by Bioware’s original ending, praising the brave sacrifice of one man to save the galaxy. Normally, I would be on my soapbox demanding change just like the majority, but I didn’t simply because the ending Bioware gave, gave me closure on Shephard’s life and the Reapers’ lives for that matter. Peace and salvation for all those I cared for because of Bioware’s fantastic character development. So why does a few decisions matter? The ending left an air of mystery into where the series could possibly go next. The thought that the mass relays were completely destroyed, leaving many races and peoples stranded in their systems (many of which were presumed to be stranded on Earth) left me pondering about a new series where there is no racial discrimination but instead galactic unification. Against a new threat? Of course. Which is why I of course chose the Synthesis ending and still stick by that one, loving the idea of a unity and equality between organic and synthetic life, plus that was a sick green color! (no pun intended) I went onto Bioware’s Facebook page, praising the ending and overly excited for where the series was headed next. Whether that be continuing the story of the Normandy crew through the eyes of a new main character (more of my hypothesis about that at a later date) on an adventure across this strange new world they landed upon or somewhere completely different, I am ecstatic regardless! But now to the main event: Tuesday’s release of the Extended Cut. 

All I have to say is this is where I am now disappointed and in more ways than one. First of all, the download was an entire 1.85 GB (almost 2 GB’s!!!) for a 5 minute, that’s right 5 minute, additional cutscene/slideshow. Now yes that is 5 minutes for each ending including all new 4th ending, entitled “Refusal”, which by the way is not good at all except to amuse yourself to the idea that the cycle will continue (but actually inferring in the post-credit scene that the next race does in fact destroy the Reapers anyways). Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to the extended scenes. My second problem is a short and simple one. Yes, I did in fact enjoy the extra scenes (and humorous other ending) but why make us wait so long for this? Couldn’t have this been made much faster? Did Bioware even intend for all this to happen and if so, what was their goal? And finally, my third and biggest problem is the fact that Bioware did this in the first place. It is the battle between the consumer and the creator. But I personally think they should have stood by their original ending and not added anything because this decision has ultimately taken away some of the power a developer has in their own creation. From now on, who’s to say this whole community uprising won’t happen again and cause an entire game to be completely different than what it’s creator would have wanted it to be. Game is an art whether the main stream society wishes to believe so or not, it truly is and how would you like it if you spent a couple years putting your entire self into something you believed in and loved just for a person to hate it? And not only that, but they only hate something as small as your sculpture only has four fingers. Would you go to the trouble to completely remove the hands and spend months to rebuild them just for one pinky? Yes we are the consumers and yes we put the money in their pockets but does that give us the right to demand they change or even simply add to their creation? We wouldn’t have Mass Effect without them so don’t take them for granted. Don’t you trust them? I do. And that’s why I can’t wait for Bioware’s next game, be it Dragon Age 3 or a new Mass Effect, because when it comes down to it, I trust Bioware to deliver a rich, compelling storyline and truly immersive, choice and player driven experience that no other developer can do.

As always for walkthroughs for this game and/or tips (including videos) just comment or send me a message! I’m always willing to help!

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The Microsoft Surface Finally Surfaces


On Monday, June 19th at a press conference in Los Angeles, California, Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, finally unveiled Microsoft’s first ever tablet PC. Entitled the Microsoft Surface, this is Microsoft’s leap into the tablet industry in what they claim to be greater than Apple’s iPad. Standard competitor trash-talking aside, the specs of the Surface speak for itself (full list of both model’s spec as well as a comparison with the iPad 3 can be found here).

The Surface will be launching alongside  Windows 8 (currently expected to be released fall 2012) and will also be powered by the Windows 8 OS. In an industry filled with Apple and Android powered tablets, it will be interesting to see how this newbie does. This announcement also coincides with the previous announcement during Microsoft’s E3 press conference for SmartGlass. A new, innovative way of increasing connectivity across tablets, phone, Xbox, and more, expect the Surface to take full advantage of enhancing your entertainment experience.

But ultimately as a gamer, you’re most likely wondering what does this mean for you? Well, personally as a fan of both Microsoft and mobile gaming, I see this as a perfect marriage of the two. With the processing power the Surface boasts, you’ll be able to play any normal PC game without sacrificing anything all the while being able to do it on the go. However Microsoft would be foolish not to extend their own line of software to the tablet from first party exclusives to the Xbox Live Marketplace. The Surface is Microsoft’s best effort at establishing a foothold in the mobile gaming market, while innovating at the same time.

For more information on the Microsoft Surface, stay tuned with us here and we will keep you up to date as always!

The Ups & Downs of E3 2012


Like every gamer around the world I was thoroughly excited for this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, more commonly known as E3, but I found it be quite underwhelming for the most part. Let’s first take a look at some notable titles that were announced at last year’s show. They ranged everywhere from big name series such as Gears of War and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare unveiling their 3rd installments respectively to some brand new gems like Dead Island. Some others worth mentioning include the Uncharted, Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, and Resistance series, along with the introduction of the revolutionary concept of Nintendo’s next-generation console; the Wii U. Keep in mind I’m only naming a few things and that the list could go on and on.

Now let’s take a look at this year. It wasn’t necessarily awful by any means but it was certainly less than what most expected. I’ll start off with the bad side to keep this from straying into something depressing. As a big Nintendo fan I found myself pretty annoyed that there was absolutely no info on the 4th game in the Super Smash Bros. series after being announced last year. It was known that production wouldn’t have begun until Kid Icarus: Uprising had been released, which dropped this past March, but surely they would have some kind of information for the hungry fans? Unfortunately there was no such luck at 2012′s E3. Instead Nintendo revealed the title and release date (Holiday 2012) of Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the Nintendo 3DS along with some new gameplay footage. Normally this would be a good thing but based off of the direction they appear to be taking the series it doesn’t look too promising when compared to it’s predecessors. On another note, Skylanders: Giants, the sequel to Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, looks like a quick rehash of what we’ve already been playing with some bigger playable characters. Let me guess, more figurines to buy in order to play to the fullest potential? I hope not, but as a gamer I’ve learned that when it comes to video games, hoping never helps and you just have to live with it. The most impressive thing about it was the graphics of the cutscenes in the trailer and not exactly the actual game. However, we should wait for the games to be in our hands before we make a final judgement on them.

Game play of Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Definitely looks different than previous installments.

I’m an impatient person when it comes to release dates for video games and music. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one shaking my head in disbelief when I found out that some games and consoles we’ve been awaiting for awhile such as Bioshock: Infinite, Super Smash Bros. 4 and the Wii U itself were either pushed back, not mentioned or do not have a release date at this point in time. On the other hand it was nice to finally know when Halo 4 and Borderlands 2 are being released; fortunately this year.

Before our train of hope for the future of video games completely derails, we’ll take a look at the top 3 games to be announced this year in my personal opinion. First we have The Last Of Us brought to us by Sony. The game play footage we got to feast our eyes on looked amazing and it was entirely unexpected. I found it to be a breath of fresh air for a 3rd person survival action-adventure game to be so realistic compared to most other games of the same genre. One thing that definitely stuck out to me was the AI being aware of when the player is out of ammo and reacting accordingly to the situation; as they will continue to do for all kinds of different situations throughout the game. Be sure to check this one out next year. Next, there’s Resident Evil 6. If I had to make an educated guess I’d say that the series is taking the action of Resident Evil 5, spicing it up 100x and throwing in some of the survival horror aspects of Resident Evil 4. If this is what we end up receiving later on this fall, I, and many others, will be happy gamers. Lastly, I was excited to see a New Super Mario Bros. title being announced for the Wii U. The graphics look very modern and flashy coupled with some new power-ups for Mario and the gang. Nothing beats some good, old-fashioned, light-hearted platforming seeing as most games nowadays are leaning towards the darker side of things, whether they be survival horror or straight up first-person shooters.

Leon Kennedy as he appears in Resident Evil 6. Who’s ready to shoot some zombies?

All in all, E3 wasn’t too spectacular this year as a whole but there was enough variety to have at least one thing that caught your eye. Most of the highly anticipated titles will be released in 2013 but I’m sure that the few gems that are awaiting us this fall such as Halo 4, Resident Evil 6 and Borderlands 2 will be able to hold us over until then.

Video Games dubious Distribution


Videogames are a major medium in today’s buyer market. Major retailers nowadays value Video Game sales just as much as TV, BRD, DVD and CD’s. Yet in comparison to other types of media Video Game distribution is horrible. Personally I’ve never thought much of the matter yet putting myself into a situation this year to shop for older games has opened my eyes to how impossible it is to find these titles. First off by old I’m not talking about PS1 Chrono Trigger type games. I’m talking about critically acclaimed titles that are as new as Fall 2010. You look at TV shows on DVD, CD’s and Movies. You can still easily find classics of each genre even dating back to the 60′s and 70′s in your local big market store. The idea that you wouldn’t be able to buy Inception on DVD anywhere because they just stopped making it would widely be considered ludicrous. So why is it then that it’s naturally accepted that any game unless it holds god like status disappears in it’s terrible two’s?

To drive the point home of my struggle I wanted to connect this issue to a specific game that gave me extreme grief to obtain. Most games I semi-accecpted they were hard to find because they were dated as I searched for titles but this one personally baffled me. That game was Bioshock. Largely considered one of the best games of the modern console era it seemed very curious that it was no where to be found on store shelves.  For the purpose of critical acclaim IGN even ranked the game 2nd in there top 100 modern games. This game was released respectively in 2007 and 2008 for all major platforms so it’s no spring chicken yet even it’s oldest form is not even 5 years old. In my search to play Bioshock I personally either contacted or went to 14 separate major retailers looking for this game to no avail. Everyone said they no longer carried the title. This to me at least is unacceptable. Games are a medium where not everyone is able to play new titles on a budget and to now know I have a potential time window until a game disappears is extremely disheartening. For me as a gamer it’s important to support developers and I always try by talking with my wallet. In the current case I’m faced with it becomes extremely hard to show this though when my only option to buy new becomes ordering off of Ebay or Amazon. It’s not a win win situation for either the developer or the buyer as I’d rather not buy a used copy for the sake of supporting a company (and to avoid the ketchup stains) nor do I want to wait weeks for a package.

There are reasons for the current state of video game distribution that lend a little bit of understanding to why things are the way they are today. First off unlike a lot of other products Video Games are a 1 way street. Once shipped a game cannot be returned unless it’s a case of a defect. This is why many times you will see clearance prices on games as retailers are really just trying to get rid of them. Couple this fact with limited shelf space and you have a reason for store apprehension to order more copies in of an older game. New titles are the base of game store sales and this leads to those specific games dominating store space. Even Game centric retailers such as EB Games seem to lack the room to hold a library. In fairness to Sony, Microsoft and especially Nintendo there exclusive titles hold shelf life. Titles such as Gears of War, Halo 3, Resistance Fall of Man and Uncharted: Drakes Fortune have been named greatest hits after a couple years and haven’t left since. Meanwhile Wii first party titles are always stocked and rarely drop in price. It’s the 3rd party publisher that the issue lies with where game such as Assassins Creed, Bioshock, Dead Rising, Mirror’s Edge and Vanquish are impossible to find. These games if on store shelves would still sell strong yet they aren’t and likely won’t be as time doesn’t like to reverse often.

There’s no doubt that a vast majority of the gamer population could care less about games that are dated but for the rest of us there are a handful of games that will take the form of an archaeological dig to find.  It isn’t so much the fact that specific titles are hard to find it’s the issue that this is even a problem at all for the gaming industry. To be told that a extremely popular DVD or CD that was from 2009 is now unavailable would be considered unacceptable to most buyers.  Games shouldn’t be any different then any other major type of entertainment and it’s frustrating that they still are. Without better distribution for 3rd party titles game companies will continue to miss out on sales and gamers will continue to be burnt by lack of product choice. Both the consumer and the developer would benefit from an improvement so the question begs why not?

- Bryden

(Note this is from a Canadian perspective. Victoria, BC is the Capital of British Columbia and has a metro population of rougly 350,000 thousand people. There are roughly 16 or so stores that are major retailers of games in my proximity to base this on. (Futureshop, Bestbuy, EBGames (Gamespot), ToysRus, Walmart, Target and the Source) This obviously does not reflect all peoples situations but it would be great to hear other peoples stories in regards to game availability.)

E3 2012: What to Expect from the Major Players

e3

E3 is the biggest commercial video game convention in the world, and its coming back to the LA Convention Center on June 5. It’s not open to the public, as only those who work for games companies and the press are allowed in. E3 always focuses on the big announcements such as consoles and games. Other than that its almost a vacation for those who attend. The booths are worked by models instead of the companies employees, and all the big upcoming games have demos for attendees to play through.

This year’s convention should be interesting, as many big games are rumored to be announced along with the possibility of hearing a few tidbits about next generation consoles.

Every year the three console manufacturers (Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo) hold large shows at or near E3 to showcase their newest games and hardware. Here’s what to expect from each of them this year.

Sony:

Sony showcasing the Vita at E3 2011.

Sony is in an unusual predicament. Despite the broad success of the PS3, things aren’t looking good for Sony. Why? The Vita isn’t selling. The last few years Sony have had plenty of new bits of hardware to show off from the PlayStation Move to the Vita, but this year don’t expect anything like that. However, Sony has said that it plans on announcing 20 new gaming experiences this year, but has not hinted at what they will be. A few rumors have gone around saying that Sony is ready to announce the PS4, but don’t expect any of that to be true. The PS3 still has a lot of life left in it, and Sony isn’t going to spoil that profitability. Even though it is very unlikely to happen this year, the PS4 should be announced and sold before its competitors. Why? Because of the Xbox 360. Last time, Microsoft had their console release earlier than Sony’s and Sony lost out on a lot of customers that way, so don’t plan on them letting it happen again.

Nintendo:

Nintendo unveils the Wii U at E3 2011.

Nintendo is rarely much on surprises at E3. The Wii U will be put on a pedestal as Nintendo showcases both first and third-party software. The tablet will quite the workout as Nintendo shows off every bit of its design and possible uses. Also, don’t be surprised to hear more from third-party games for the Wii. Though the Wii isn’t the juggernaut it was a few years ago, it still holds a huge following and there are several franchises who could be showing up late to the party.

Also, many third-party developers will be present to show off what they’ve done with Wii U. These will be the games that are used in hardware demos showcasing the Wii U’s potential. Unfortunately, these games usually don’t see much success and are delayed for ages because of the ambition behind them. By the time they come out, the technology is dated and the console no longer feels new.

Microsoft:

Microsoft showing off the Kinect Hub at E3 2011.

Many believe that Microsoft will be unveiling their next console, but I find it highly unlikely. The 360 is just too popular. Many quality games are still in development and the Xbox 360 is living out its prime. However, don’t be surprised to hear the occasional hint at next-gen software. Halo 4 will be showcased along with many third-party games and new appearances from major franchises.

Microsoft will also be showcasing Kinect, and now that better Kinect games are being made, more franchises will be giving it a try in their next game. Whether it be through full Kinect compatibility, or simply using it for special abilities or many games, more developers are looking into the Kinect than ever before.

Sega: It’s Time to Adapt

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Sega Corporation is known as the home of Sonic the Hedgehog, Virtua Fighter, House of the Dead, and many more. Sega is also one of the greatest console manufacturers of the past, including creations like the Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Saturn and more.

After making the Dreamcast, Sega gracefully bowed out of the console contest, and began making games for former competitor’s consoles. Although there have been a few good games since then, lately reviews and support have plummeted. Currently Sega is holding on to fans with long running franchises and characters  with games such as Sonic, Phantasy Star Online, and Super Monkey Ball all having new additions in development right now.

Even though they still have a fairly fan base, Sega seems to believe that completely new ideas aren’t necessary anymore, and that remaking the same game over and over is good enough. Many companies who like Sega who used to be industry leaders often do the same thing by simply holding on to old franchises and fading away due to money issues, but Sega doesn’t exactly have many.

Sonic the Hedgehog, a once great franchise that seems to fall more with each new release.

In 2009 Sega reported having 2,600 employees, and in 2011 had a revenue of $4.9 billion. Personally, I don’t see why such a well to do corporation could possibly decide to stop manufacturing new franchises, characters, and creativity altogether.

Sega, it is time to adapt to the modern video game market. You no longer have any AAA franchises to compete with, and it’s time to start over. You certainly have the money to start a new franchise, or perhaps even buy a promising young studio to help bring fresh new ideas into development.

While it may sound like I don’t approve of Sega keeping older franchises, to be honest, I love many of them. I still own and occasionally play Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, and 3 on the Sega Genesis. My problem is how the games are being treated now, because they are not made at near the same level that they once were.

Sega brought us some of the greatest games of the past, but it seems they’ve called it quits. I wish Sega would try to once again reinvent the current game market, but for some reason they do not deem it fit to try, and that is why they will be forgotten.