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Some of my most memorable moments in shooters, primarily FPS’, date back to the N64 and original Playstation. Perfect Dark, GoldenEye, and Medal of Honor Underground were the ones that truly resonated with me. I must have spent 40+ hours each week playing through those titles. Then, at the turn of the century, we were introduced to new hardware such as the PS2 and Xbox which supported online functionality, although the latter was the obvious choice for it. Now I’m sure you’ve made this assumption already, but I spent almost 99.9% of my gaming time on the PS2. Considering I spent so much time playing PS2, I had yet to experience the ever-growing online multiplayer that was so popular on Xbox. This made the transition to the Playstation 3 in 2006 even more new and exciting to me. The Playstation Network introduced me to popular online shooters such as Call of Duty, Killzone, and Battlefield, among others. Now that I have had over three years to partake in the growing phenomenon of online shooters, I gotta say, I’m pretty dissapointed.

Airstrikes, Tanks, UAV’s, mortars, grenade launchers, RPG’s, claymores, AC-130’s, Snipers, helicopters, turrets, and heartbeat sensors are some of the elements that are incorporated into popular online FPS’s today. Now, I dont have a problem with any of these concepts, but I do have a problem with how they are executed. For example, Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer was essentially built around “Killstreaks.” Not only that, but MW2 provided less health to players, meaning they couldnt endure as much as they could in MW1. Ultimately, this provided many players with incentive to camp. So, not only would campers be safe from deadly gunfire, but would be rewarded for dishonorably picking off unsuspecting players. After all, nothing says skill like hiding in a corner, killing 7 people, then calling in a helicopter to get you another easy 10 kills.

I just had the oppertunity to play Bad Company 2 a lot this week and was relieved to be playing a game where I didnt have to hide in a house because an AC-130 was raining hell from above. Unfortunately, Bad Company 2 found a way frustrate the bejesus out of me as well. First of all, who thought it would be a good idea to include tanks? Let me rephrase that… Who thought it would be a good idea to include tanks and not include adequate weapons that can destroy them? The submachine gunner class, oddly, is the only class that is equipped with weapons that can destroy a tank. What I found interesting was that rather than use these weapons (such as the RPG), on a tank, they choose to use it against on-foot players. Another aspect of the game that I am having a hard time wrapping my head around is the sniper class. It seems as though this game was made with snipers in mind. Of all the matches I played, I would estimate that out of the 24 players, 12 were off in the distance sniping. I encourage those of you who play BC2 to look at your radar on occasion and count how many of your teammates are at the edge of the map sitting still. Why is this a problem? Well, for starters, it discourages the people who are actually contributing to their team, from exposing themselves. If I have to disarm or charge a bomb at objective A and there are 6 people sniping at me, well, the outcome is self explanitory. Oh, and did I mention that snipers have access to mortars? Yep! Because the players who are off in the distance doing absolutely nothing totally deserve an artillary barrage.

I guess what I am trying to say with this rant is that online shooters are progressively requiring less and less legitimate skill. Developers are constantly looking for new ways to reinvigorate and redefine the genre but are instead including a bunch of nonsensical garbage that promotes cowardice. I dont know about you guys, but I truly miss the days where a players skill was determined by how they used their gun, not their airstrike or tank.

God of War III is undoubtedly one of, if not the, most anticipated title this year. Considering its release date is near, many have had the oppertunity to play the final build. Evan Wells, co-president at Naughty Dog, got the chance to play it and said it was undoubtedly THE reason to buy a PS3. David Jaffe, creator of the the God of War and Twisted Metal franchises was quoted saying “God of War III, best game I’ve played in years.” Not only that, leaked images of the upcoming GameInformer give the title a perfect 10/10. I dont know about you guys, but March 16 is going to be one busy day for me!

Could Just Cause 2 finally be the open-world game to make up for the recent dissapointments of GTA IV and Mercenaries 2? After playing the demo, it sure as hell seems like it. It combines the fun aspects of old GTA titles (which GTA IV was unfortunately lacking) with the destruction and mayhem present in Mercenaries (without the abundance of glithces). With that said, the dialogue and cutscenes are pretty poor, but regardless, it should be a blast. But dont take my word for it! Go check out the demo on the Playstation Store! Just Cause 2 releases on March 23. (That should leave you plenty of time to finish FFXIII, Yakuza 3, and God of War III…maybe)

I have always wondered how development studios and giant publishers get along. Judging by last weeks events, they dont. Activision and Infinity Ward recently touted MW2 as the largest entertainment launch in history following its November 2009 release, but not all is peachy. Following an early morning meeting between Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella, and Activison CEO Bobby Kotick, the two IW execs went MIA. Turns out, the two were fired after requesting compensation for their studios’ work on MW2. According to a lawsuit filed by West and Zampella, IW was bought out by Activision for $5M, which would ultimately earn $3B thanks to the CoD franchise. Despite this healthy profit, Activision didnt see fit to pay $36M in royalties to IW.

I absolutely despise everything about Activision today. From the CEO to the software, the whole company reeks of exploitation. Consider, for a moment, all of Activ’s games. They have ruined Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero has been milked dry causing Red Octane had to close its doors recently. Call of Duty is really all the company has going for it, at least, it was before they ousted the heads, disgruntled the employees, and formed two other studios to make CoD games as well.

Anyways, good luck to West and Zampella in their lawsuit and for the unlucky ones still at IW, keep your heads down.

2010 and 2011 are looking to be exciting years for gamers across all platforms. While the 360 lineup looks pretty solid, I personally feel that it pales in comparison to upcoming plethora of PS3 exclusives. For example:

-God Of War III (Santa Monica Studios)
-Killzone 3 (Guerilla Games)
-Resistance 3 (Insomniac)
-InFAMOUS 2 (Sucker Punch)
-AGENT (Rockstar North)
-The Last Guardian (Team Ico)
-Gran Turismo 5 (Polyphony Digital)
-Motorstorm 3 (Evolution Studios)
-Socom 4 (Zipper Interactive)
-ModNation Racers (United Front Games)
-Uncharted 3 (Naughty Dog)
-Twisted Metal (EatSleepPlay)

Some of these have already been inadvertantly confirmed. Resistance 3 was featured on a billboard for an upcoming Sony Pictures film. InFAMOUS 2 info was leaked after a voice actor confirmed he was casted for the role of Cole McGrath. Twisted Metal was teased in TM:Head On for PS2. Killzone 3 and Motorstorm 3, despite a lack of evidence, are surely on the horizon. And yea, perhaps I got carried away with Uncharted 3. Its roughly two years off, but U3 will exist. No doubt about it.

A list like this reminds me of why I love this industry. More specifically, why I love my PS3.

Well, not the one shown above! But below, you can find a plethora of pictures I took to flaunt this momentus achievement!

FHE COVER
STRATEGY GUIDE
FHE AND STRATEGY GUIDE
BEHIND COVER
AUTOGRAPHS
SOUNDTRACK
DLC COVER
DLC LIST
FIRST PAGE
SECOND PAGE
THIRD PAGE
FOURTH PAGE
FIFTH PAGE
BOTTOM OF BOX
COPY OF GAME
DAGGER
DAGGER IN HAND
ALL CONTENT

I just want to point out that there were a few more pages inside the Fortune Hunter, but I want to take smaller photos so that you guys can actually read it, because there is some pretty interesting stuff! Also, I realize some of the images are a little blurry, so I will take a few more shots later.

This was the first tournament I have ever participated in and I’m glad I didnt pass this up like other ones I considered entering! I just want to thank my four randomly selected team memebers from the Chicago (Rosemont) tournament. Team Drake, YOU GUYS KEPT YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL! I also want to thank Sony Computer Entertainment America and Marketing Werks for hosting and sponsoring the tournament. It was truly a night to remember! Lastly I would like to give a shout out to Naughty Dog for making yet another killer title. Uncharted 2 has found itself among MGS4 and LittleBigPlanet as my favorite game of this generation! You guys are pros! Now get to work on Uncharted 3 already! Sheesh! : )

UPDATE: It looks as though PSN Operations have heard us loud and clear. After over 1500 angry comments, and a rating average dip from 4.92 to 2.48, Chris Morell of the Playstation Blog, shut down the comments section.

Geez… What happened to my XMB last night? It used to be such a sleek, and elegant interface, but all that has changed now thanks to 3.00. Here are some things that PS3 owners were greeted with upon installing the 3.00 update:

-Larger images and lettering on the cross media bar. Right when I saw my XMB, I thought the update had set my PS3 back to its default settings. It looked like it was set to 480p! PSN Operations obviously thinks that the majority of PS3 gamers are eighty years old.

-Advertisements everywhere. The playstation store icons underneath the Game and Video sections are just ridiculous. I understand the need to raise awareness of the Playstation Store and its offerings, but if it compromises the simple and concise movie/game sections, then it needs to go.

-Lack of new avatars. Now this has been a feature that I have been clamoring for since Novemeber 2006. When Eric Lempel announced 3.00 would support new avatars, he failed to mention that there would be absolutely none at launch. Who knows when we will start to see new premium, let alone generic avatars. I am sick of having the same Calling All Cars avatar as four other people on my buddy list.

-Horrid friends list. This is when I knew this update would not sit well with others. It looks as if someone wiped bird shit straight down my buddy list. Who could have possibly thought this was a good idea? In all fairness, it does look like they are getting to something with this redesigned section. The first idea that came to mind(other than bird shit) was that they are trying to replicate the gamer card. It looks as if these grey rectangles could replace the trophy and profile cards all together. They could easily fit all that information into these rectangles, which makes me wonder, why cant we? If these rectangles are a new, and faster way to see someones trophy prowess, then why is that not possible in this update? This means that it was thrown in for cosmetic purposes only. Unbeknownst to PSN Operations it makes the XMB look awful and totally covers your background.

-News ticker. To be honest, I think this is perfectly fine. I dont mind the rectangle surrounding it as well as the new mail/buddy notifications. Not only that but they resolved the battery/clock issue when pressing the PS button. With that said, I can understand how some dislike the new feature. I for one do like it and I think the “Whats New” section is a welcome substitute for the RSS feed of the past XMB. Sure, its nothing to write home about, but at least it isnt scattered under each category of the XMB like the store icon is.

As you may very well know, I am far from the only person who dislikes this update. Just check out the official Playstation Blog and take a gander at the comments section of the 3.00 post.

Now, I understand that most of the things that I mentioned above can be remedied, but if they were fixed, what would that leave us with? The majority of the new “features” were either strongly despised or simply unnecessary. If they were to take those out, 3.00 would consist of dynamic themes, and thats it about it. Hardly justifies the jump from 2.8 to 3.00, no?

Unfortunately, I think PSN Operations is managed poorly and fail to use their time in a constructive manner. We have yet to have a substantial update to the PS3 for roughly six months, and this is what they have for us? Is 3.00 really the answer to the ever expanding Xbox Live? Just this season, Xbox Live has introduced downloadable retail 360 titles, as well as twitter/facebook integration. Not only that but the 360 was in the market a year prior to the PS3, giving PSN Operations the advantage as far as what to impliment before the PS3 hit store shelves. They chose to do absolutely nothing. You could not even change the background to the XMB! We had to wait two years for in-game XMB, just imagine how much longer it will take for them to finally introduce cross game voice chat.

I suppose the point I am trying to make is that Sony should strongly consider replacing much of the PSN Operations staff, especially the director, Eric Lempel. I love trophies and love in-game XMB, but were two years really necessary for features that should have been included in the PS3 from day one? Personally, I am sick of these worthless and ill conceived concepts that make it into PS3 updates. Perhaps SCE should take a look at PSN Operations and clean house.

And while theyre at it, get rid of the Playstation Home team as well. I mean, wtf have they been doing.

Very sorry if I have come off as rude, but this is starting to get obnoxious.

I understand that many of you wont initially find this site to be credible, but I assure you, I would never mislead or lie to any of you guys. With that said, I can confirm that God of War I and II will, in fact, be remastered on Bluray and will hit sometime before the holiday season. There is a convention going on currently in Las Vegas for GameStop managers and directors to promote and raise awareness for upcoming software and hardware. I just recieved a text from a close friend of mine who was in attendance. He told me that while details are still a bit unclear, both games will be on one bluray disc and trophies will be supported. The only thing that has not been confirmed is the God of War III demo, which some SCE higher up from Mexico had announced previously. I am going to have to go ahead and assume that this gentleman from Mexico is on to something considering he was spot on about GoW I and II on bluray, so expect a God of War III demo bundled in there as well. This is definitely a GamesCom caliber announcement, which begs the question, why on earth would Sony unveil something like this at a Gamestop convention? Regardless, this is exciting news for PS3 gamers, especially TROPHY HUNTERS! Expect some official announcemens shortly.

Remember when the PSP Go was leaked just prior to its official announcement at E3 2009? It was the June episode of Qore on the Playstation Network. Episode 13 to be exact. For those of you who subscribe to Qore, you may have noticed that something was missing when the episode hit the PSN store that week: The PSP Go interview between John Koller and Vernonica Belmont had vanished. Does anyone have any idea as to why it was removed? Its been bugging me!

The picture is hardly related, but is Veronica Belmont not the best reason to subscribe to Qore? I mean the beta invitations and exclusive content are great, but is there anything better than getting to see her talk about games on the first Thursday of each month?

It has been over a year since my last post but a recent argument on Twitter stole my attention away from Batman: Arkham Asylum (Is anyone else having trouble on the Shock and Awe Extreme challenge map?). For those who are unfamiliar with these recent events, numerous Twitter members engaged in a heated debate about used game sales. More specifically, are developers and publishers entitled to a percentage of these used game profits. Among the debaters was David Jaffe, a renowned developer who is best known for his work on Calling All Cars, God Of War, and the Twisted Metal franchise (which will most likely have a future on PS3, yay!). In the other corner is an interesting fellow by the name of Les Jenkins. Now Les had some very valid points, and to be honest, he may be the sole reason for me coming out of my hibernation from video game journalism. Basically, Jaffe insinuated that if vendors fail to throw some green at a used games respective developer/publisher, then that developer/publisher may drop support for that retail partner. The retail partner that came up quite often in the discussion was obviously Gamestop, given that the majority of their profits come from used game sales. Hell, if you sell a game for $59.99, buy it for $20, and proceed to sell it back as “pre-owned” at $54.99 and are not making a profit, then you might as well close up shop. Here are some of the back and fourths between Les and David on Twitter:

Les: @djaffe What you say is a possibility. If it comes to pass then I may stop being a game consumer.
Les: If enough others do the same then Devs still lose.
Jaffe: if the main reason you game is to own a cd, then you prob should stop gaming, yes?
Les: That’s a helluva assumption to make. There are select few games I’ve bought digital. Only things I know I’ll play continuously.
Les: Most games do not fall into that category, God of War was one of them. I played it once, it was great, I’ve not touched it since.
Les: Luckily, I can sell it. Can’t do that with digital so if that was only format it was in you’d be out a sale.
Jaffe: Ah well, c’est la vie. If not being able to sell games keeps you from playing, don’t let door hit u on way out….

Some more back and fourths…

Les: I’ll be sure to remember that when you announce your next title. Thanks for making my decision easier.
Jaffe: dont buy it- you’d just resell the fucker anyway.
Les: So you think getting no cash at all is better than some cash even if I resell it? It’s your own wrist you’re cutting there. Smart.
Jaffe: I think ur philosophy&unwillingness 2 Cthe bigger picture implies that all games- mine included- can fuck off. It is what it is.
Les: I see the big picture just fine. I see is a dev who wants to limit people’s freedom to resell stuff they no longer have a use for
Jaffe: then u do not see big pic. I am always customer first. Resell all u like, I support it. I am saying stores need to cut in pubs

And here is where shit really hits the fan…

Les: For the record I should point out that I’ve never sold to Gamestop myself, but I have sold stuff I didn’t need anymore.
Les: [This is in response to his Customer FIrst claim] Except you just stated that you’d rather I fuck off than buy your game if I’m going to sell it. Contradict yourself much?
Jaffe: No I mean YOU should fuck off- not the concept. You simply seem like an asshole.
Les: Why, because I disagreed with you and had the audacity to say so? You don’t even know me. Great way to treat your customers.
Jaffe: No, not that u disagreed. The language you used and the attitude you used

Now this is where I take sides. If David Jaffe thinks that retailers such as Gamestop will ever give EatSleepPlay or SCEA a cut of those used game sales, he is greatly mistaken. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The way I see it, once a game goes gold and is given to a publishing partner to distribute to retail partners, which in turn goes to consumers, it has gone through enough filters for it to have virtually nothing to do with its original developer/publisher. At that time, it is entirely up to the consumer what she or he wants to do with the product. The same rules apply for Gamestop. If someone decides to trade in a game, that game belongs to Gamestop and can be resold for whatever price they desire. Why? BECAUSE THEY NOW OWN IT! If David Jaffe has a problem with not seeing any compensation for used games, then perhaps he should talk to SCEA about raising the prices of PS3 titles from $59.99 to $69.99 (JK! Please dont). With that said, I understand David Jaffe’s frustration. Being a video game designer has to be one of the most tedious and difficult things to do. I cant even begin to fathom what you guys have to go through between a games initial concept on paper, to a final retail product. Not only that, but Gamestop takes the outcome of nearly three years of your hard work and dedication, and sells it without showing you a cent. Your opposition to such policies are duly noted, but unfortunately, it is entirely out of your hands. Not only that, but I would have thought that a video game developer such as yourself would be perfectly fine with used game sale practices. After all, there are people all over who can and will buy a copy of Twisted Metal or God of War at a discounted price. Isnt that something good? Gamestop is helping to broaden the demographic of people who can buy YOUR titles. It is my dream to become as involved and as acclaimed as you in this industry Mr. Jaffe. It appears that you and I share different priorities however. If more people were able to play my games because retailers like Gamestop sold them for discounted prices, then great! I would die a happy man knowing that more people got to experince my product. I leave you with these last words: You need retailers like Gamestop more than they need you Mr. Jaffe. I dont think you are in any place to make demands. After all, they dont give a shit about Twisted Metal or God of War. As long as they have a Call of Duty title every year and the occasional Wii game thats bundled with a worthless peripheral, Gamestop should be just fine without your sir.

P.S. I apologize for the lack of paragraphs. As I said before, it has been a long time since I have posted anything so forgive my inability to figure out how to use paragraphs on word press. : )

Also I would like to thank PREREQUiSiTE, who brought this article to the attention of N4G.com. I appreciate it, even if you did manage to misspell debacle!

Love,
Charles .W.