well, it's friday. i'm bored. fridays are the worst for me. i work an alternative shift. so everyone i email with leaves around 4-5pm. and i'm stuck here till 9pm. normally i might still get some responses. but when it's friday... no one's lookin at their email.
digging around online i found somethin interesting that was announced at this year's E3 last month.
here's what it is -- a Kinect Fable game.
now, i don't understand why ppl are so upset. if this was a series that i'm a big fan of... i can definitely understand wanting to preserve it's quality. but i don't see how this will change anything really.
i am a Fable fan. it's a good game. a good series so far.
but come on, having one game on kinect doesn't kill the series. it doesn't effect it at all. it might follow the story. it might continue the story. but if it's a crappy game they'll make Fable IV and bam, back to normal. what's the big effin deal.
this was bound to happen. and yes, it's gonna suck for a while. but what's the surprise?? it's new technology. only way to make it better is to ... use it. duh.
personally, i'm never going to really want to play competitive or hardcore games on kinect or move. casual party games are fine. but you never know right? it's not until something comes along that makes you say "omg, that actually works" then everyone has to have it.
apple revolutionized the touch screen. it's not like it didn't exist before.
avatar revolutionized realD (3d). we definitely had that before.
nintendo revolutionized motion gaming. the playstation eye has been out since ps2. but it wasn't a hit like the wii.
so come on. give it a chance, or at least leave it alone. seriously.
oh, and on a final note... xbox has announced that all first party (microsoft-made) games made after some cutoff date will offer kinect support. not sure when that date was, but it's passed. so some questions to ask are:
1)did gears 3 and the next halo make this cut off date? will they be included in this? they're definitely first party games
2)if so, then how in the hell will we play gears, or halo using kinect. i think that's too much of a stretch right now.
i think the best way to approach this is to make games that work for it first. cuz i don't think there are any "must play/experience" kinect/move games. then you work that technology into games that fit the description.
the wii came with wii sports for free. a loooooootta of ppl played it. it was pretty much a must play, whether you were "into" that or not, i mean if you didn't, you were a nobody (kind of like the music craze with guitar hero/rock band). they didn't have great success with the hardcore market, but some games were successful, no more heroes, mad world... point is, ppl got used to the technology, it was embraced. and... it worked. it was simple and fun.
motion gaming will continue to develop. i just hope they figure out a way to make it work, make it fun, and market it the right way. actually i don't care about that last part so much.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Yet Another Consumer Report
ok so the fact that i've been posting so many consumer posts... means that i've been spending more money than i usually do!! but fun times fun times, great deals, and in the end, saving money for later!!
today, i'm here to discuss the new evo3d with sprint.
i ordered it from that deal i posted below on wirefly. and have been playing with it pretty much nonstop since. i love it. but it could be because i'm coming from my crappy htc hero.
yes, the hero was awesome when i first got that... but that's cuz i was coming from the outdated htc mogul... lol. i see the trend. but i've never owned a phone at launch, so that's new. when i bought the hero it'd been out for 6+ months.
and quickly became outdated. i DO plan on keeping this phone through the 2 yr contract... at least.
it's fast! the specs are pretty spiffy:
weight: 170g
battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 1730 mAh
cpu: 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, Adreno 220 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8660 chipset
mem: 1G RAM
OS: Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
screen: 540 x 960 pixels, 4.3 inches
storage: internal 1G/SD 8G
more detailed version found on this site
has all the new standard stuff, like front facing camera... the obvious thing that sets this phone apart is the 3d aspect.
you can watch videos in 3d, play games in 3d... yippee. this pretty much works like the 3ds. which, in my opinion, is not that great. it's cool to have on a phone... but frankly, i'd enjoy the phone just as much without it. you can check out what the 3ds screenshots and some video looks like here on this site.
i will say this tho. it's mad fun. i mean MAD fun, to take pictures and videos in 3d. oh yeah, it does that. hence the dual cameras on the back. i mean i'm sure i'll get bored of real quick, and it surely is just a gimmick. i wouldn't pay premium, or extra, for it. i'd rather do without it if that would help the price. but having it anyway is a plus. i've taken more pictures and videos with this phone in the first week than i have with all my phones ever combined.
video chatting isn't super, yet. eventually i'm sure it'll become more prevalent. but it works.
the big knock on htc phones has always been battery life. if you see on the back, they removed the kickstand. a very popular feature. why? bigger battery. of course, htc is making an official case with kickstand.
here's an overview of some more accessories htc is coming out with soon.
all in all. yes i love the phone. it's awesome, it's fast. so fast. i love it. did i mention that?
the one gripe i have... is that the battery cover. on the back, is IMPOSSIBLE to remove. i feel like i'm going to snap it off every time. so yeah i avoid it like the plague.
that's it for now!
today, i'm here to discuss the new evo3d with sprint.
 |
| pretty? |
i ordered it from that deal i posted below on wirefly. and have been playing with it pretty much nonstop since. i love it. but it could be because i'm coming from my crappy htc hero.
yes, the hero was awesome when i first got that... but that's cuz i was coming from the outdated htc mogul... lol. i see the trend. but i've never owned a phone at launch, so that's new. when i bought the hero it'd been out for 6+ months.
and quickly became outdated. i DO plan on keeping this phone through the 2 yr contract... at least.
it's fast! the specs are pretty spiffy:
weight: 170g
battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 1730 mAh
cpu: 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, Adreno 220 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8660 chipset
mem: 1G RAM
OS: Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
screen: 540 x 960 pixels, 4.3 inches
storage: internal 1G/SD 8G
more detailed version found on this site
has all the new standard stuff, like front facing camera... the obvious thing that sets this phone apart is the 3d aspect.
you can watch videos in 3d, play games in 3d... yippee. this pretty much works like the 3ds. which, in my opinion, is not that great. it's cool to have on a phone... but frankly, i'd enjoy the phone just as much without it. you can check out what the 3ds screenshots and some video looks like here on this site.
i will say this tho. it's mad fun. i mean MAD fun, to take pictures and videos in 3d. oh yeah, it does that. hence the dual cameras on the back. i mean i'm sure i'll get bored of real quick, and it surely is just a gimmick. i wouldn't pay premium, or extra, for it. i'd rather do without it if that would help the price. but having it anyway is a plus. i've taken more pictures and videos with this phone in the first week than i have with all my phones ever combined.
video chatting isn't super, yet. eventually i'm sure it'll become more prevalent. but it works.
the big knock on htc phones has always been battery life. if you see on the back, they removed the kickstand. a very popular feature. why? bigger battery. of course, htc is making an official case with kickstand.
| "Gimme more money" - htc |
all in all. yes i love the phone. it's awesome, it's fast. so fast. i love it. did i mention that?
the one gripe i have... is that the battery cover. on the back, is IMPOSSIBLE to remove. i feel like i'm going to snap it off every time. so yeah i avoid it like the plague.
that's it for now!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Some Words In a Certain Order
i was asked to write these... so i thought i'd share:
=== === ===
Erosion
With a roll of the dice we are left
Trusting fate
A mistake
Through the rubble and ash we find hope
We see faith
We may open our eyes once again
The warmth of light
The soft of snow
In the aftermath of chaos there is birth
It was I
Thrust upon the earth to blossom
Rooted deep
With giant dreams
On clouds of endless longing
I stood tall
We wear the praise with rapture
Dripping strength
The ashes rise
To an anthology of anthems
I was proud
Crossing the violent riverbeds
The sharp piercing
The perilous abyss
Traversing the waters of deception
So I fell
Conflicted
I am able to see the brightest of days go by outside my window
The drapes occasionally flutter granting the sun momentary entry
Only to escort darkness back in moments later
As I sit and I watch and I sit and I think
In my refuge
I have no affinity to either
And I only have confidence in my indecision
So I sit idly by allowing the struggle of darkness and light to persist
Prolonging until it ebbs and flows into existence
Today I am quiet and without a word to utter
Solemnly entrenched in the noise of nothingness
Tomorrow I will pay attention to the songbird
He perches high above even beyond the clouds
His notes are soft and lift the heaviest of hearts
Yesterday I was able to decipher a puzzle
And I called out from atop the cliffs of mountains
I was leading the march of triumph and celebration across the ravine
Listening as the echoes rang throughout the gorge and into the sky
Climbing out of bed everyday is a voyage of discovery
The sheets are my satin sanctuary where I wish to stay
Inevitably I am unable to resist the temptations of greater desires
Over and over I open doors never knowing what I’ll find on the other side
Inquisitive yet indifferent because I never like the answer
It is possible that I’ve never asked the right questions
And so I am filled with empty promises and unreached potential
Looking around I find unlimited passages from which to choose
But my hands are blistered and my fingers calloused from grasping at wonders
All of the world looks down on me waiting to see my resolve
Today I sit and I watch and I sit and I think
Unable to leave the comfort of the foot of my bed
Unable to distinguish my reality from fantasies
Unable to realize which thoughts are my own
I am paralyzed here as time transpires and all that happens
Is nothing
Today I sit and think of tomorrow
Tomorrow is when I will walk out this door
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Video Game Stock Up - $250 worth for $100
More Consumerisms
so i'm probably good on buying video games this year (exception: Madden 12, Gears of War 3, Uncharted 3, Call of Duty: MW3)
lemme start by telling you what i got in the past week:
LA Noire
Mortal Kombat
NBA2k11
Crackdown 2
Vanquish
Dante's Inferno
Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands
and i renewed my gamestop pro membership
in the same order this is the full retail current value :
$60 (new)
$60 (new)
$40 (new)
$18 (used) $20 (new)
$18 (used) $20 (new)
$18 (used) $20 (new)
$18 (used) $20 (new)
$15
~ $250
what did i spend?
...
$100 !!
how'd i do it? ok well some of it can still be done some of it can't due to expired sales and what not. nonetheless, this is what happened:
i bought LA Noire at best buy full price $60. i'm not in the habit of paying full price anymore so i didn't open it for 3 weeks thinking i might return it (busy playing other games anyway)
saw the amazon sale for $45... so was gonna return and get the amazon one. so i ordered it, and noticed NBA2k11 on sale for $28 and got that too. you never pay taxes and shipping was free so that's always a plus ordering from amazon.
so you can keep up, at this point: i've bought LA Noire twice, $60 and $45. NBA2k11, $28.
i brought the copy i already had of LA Noire to gamestop... told them i got it as a gift and wanted to exchange it for store credit. they're "technically" not supposed to do it. but it doesn't really hurt the company. it's not like they don't sell the game. and it wasn't opened. but i didn't call ahead cuz they'll just say no.
i went to one gamestop, got shot down. figured i'll try one more before i end up returning it to best buy. the guy was nice and said he'd do it if i exchanged it today, and could not give me store credit to take with me, like a gift card or something.
so i did, i got Prince of Persia, Dante's, Crackdown2, and Vanquish, AND renewed my gamestop pro membership...
i did all this because i get 10% off all pre-owned games with the pro membership, and there was a buy 2 pre-owned games get 1 free deal last weekend. i ended up with about a $66 balance. so i had the $63 credit from the LA Noire, and paid about $3 out of pocket.
next, i found out Best Buy was having a sale for LA Noire this week (still ongoing) for $40. i brought my receipt in for price adjustment, they didn't even need me to bring the game in...
so already, i turned a $40 purchase, into a $60 purchase... and got all that stuff from gamestop for it.
this is where it gets a lil hairy. Toys R Us had a misprint in their weekly ad... 2 games for $50. games like LA Noire, Mortal Kombat, Brink, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Fear 3. all new games. all $60 full retail.
the ad meant to say buy 2 of these games and get a $50 gift card. but they messed up. so by the time i found out about it, Toys R Us had caught on and pulled the deal from the website, and pulled the ads from their stores. i dug around online till i found a pdf of the ad, and took it to walmart for a price match...
it took a lil bit of nudging and waiting around, and they were hesitant... but they did it. so i got LA Noire again! for $25, and this is where i picked up Mortal Kombat for $25. can't beat that.
so now i have another extra copy of LA Noire, no more other games i want right now. so i took the extra copy to target for $60 store credit for groceries and what not.
hard to follow i'm sure. in the end i spent exactly $166 with $60 in store credit to target, or $106 if you want to count the credit as cash. if anyone cares here's the breakdown:
(here's the link to the pdf for the Toys R Us ad if anyone else wants to try for a price match:)
the $106 is from -- best buy$60 --> $40
gamestop $3 -- spent $60 worth of store credit
so here, i spent $40 at best buy, got $60 worth at gamestop...
in the end i spent $43 at this point
amazon$45/$28 --> -$15 ($60 store credit to target)
so at this point i've spent $71, but if you count the store credit, then it's $56
walmart $50
which totals to $106...
still winning
so i'm probably good on buying video games this year (exception: Madden 12, Gears of War 3, Uncharted 3, Call of Duty: MW3)
lemme start by telling you what i got in the past week:
LA Noire
Mortal Kombat
NBA2k11
Crackdown 2
Vanquish
Dante's Inferno
Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands
and i renewed my gamestop pro membership
in the same order this is the full retail current value :
$60 (new)
$60 (new)
$40 (new)
$18 (used) $20 (new)
$18 (used) $20 (new)
$18 (used) $20 (new)
$18 (used) $20 (new)
$15
~ $250
what did i spend?
...
$100 !!
how'd i do it? ok well some of it can still be done some of it can't due to expired sales and what not. nonetheless, this is what happened:
i bought LA Noire at best buy full price $60. i'm not in the habit of paying full price anymore so i didn't open it for 3 weeks thinking i might return it (busy playing other games anyway)
saw the amazon sale for $45... so was gonna return and get the amazon one. so i ordered it, and noticed NBA2k11 on sale for $28 and got that too. you never pay taxes and shipping was free so that's always a plus ordering from amazon.
so you can keep up, at this point: i've bought LA Noire twice, $60 and $45. NBA2k11, $28.
i brought the copy i already had of LA Noire to gamestop... told them i got it as a gift and wanted to exchange it for store credit. they're "technically" not supposed to do it. but it doesn't really hurt the company. it's not like they don't sell the game. and it wasn't opened. but i didn't call ahead cuz they'll just say no.
i went to one gamestop, got shot down. figured i'll try one more before i end up returning it to best buy. the guy was nice and said he'd do it if i exchanged it today, and could not give me store credit to take with me, like a gift card or something.
so i did, i got Prince of Persia, Dante's, Crackdown2, and Vanquish, AND renewed my gamestop pro membership...
i did all this because i get 10% off all pre-owned games with the pro membership, and there was a buy 2 pre-owned games get 1 free deal last weekend. i ended up with about a $66 balance. so i had the $63 credit from the LA Noire, and paid about $3 out of pocket.
next, i found out Best Buy was having a sale for LA Noire this week (still ongoing) for $40. i brought my receipt in for price adjustment, they didn't even need me to bring the game in...
so already, i turned a $40 purchase, into a $60 purchase... and got all that stuff from gamestop for it.
this is where it gets a lil hairy. Toys R Us had a misprint in their weekly ad... 2 games for $50. games like LA Noire, Mortal Kombat, Brink, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Fear 3. all new games. all $60 full retail.
the ad meant to say buy 2 of these games and get a $50 gift card. but they messed up. so by the time i found out about it, Toys R Us had caught on and pulled the deal from the website, and pulled the ads from their stores. i dug around online till i found a pdf of the ad, and took it to walmart for a price match...
it took a lil bit of nudging and waiting around, and they were hesitant... but they did it. so i got LA Noire again! for $25, and this is where i picked up Mortal Kombat for $25. can't beat that.
so now i have another extra copy of LA Noire, no more other games i want right now. so i took the extra copy to target for $60 store credit for groceries and what not.
hard to follow i'm sure. in the end i spent exactly $166 with $60 in store credit to target, or $106 if you want to count the credit as cash. if anyone cares here's the breakdown:
(here's the link to the pdf for the Toys R Us ad if anyone else wants to try for a price match:)
the $106 is from -- best buy
gamestop $3 -- spent $60 worth of store credit
so here, i spent $40 at best buy, got $60 worth at gamestop...
in the end i spent $43 at this point
amazon
so at this point i've spent $71, but if you count the store credit, then it's $56
walmart $50
which totals to $106...
still winning
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
consumer report
just wanted to be fair and follow up. regarding the comcast posts below, they eventually pushed my issue up to corporate, after a lot of hootin and hollerin from my end (and i mean A LOT).
the rep from corporate was much much friendlier and way more helpful.
i ended up getting thoroughly compensated.
i'm more than satisfied with their response to the situation.
i ended up getting:
1. $50 one-time credit on next bill (the most they can give)
2. $14 off ongoing monthly credit for next 12 months
3. free HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz for 12 months
the $14 was sort of on accident. it's because that jerk from before got me to sign up for the Cinemax for $1 a month. the rep from corporate agreed i shouldn't be "paying" for compensation.
the way the $1 worked was we were charged $6 and credited $5 each month. i guess that's the only way he could do it. the rep from corporate even said it was strange.
she just gave me a $20 monthly credit because that was the least amount of credit she could give. and she wanted to make sure i wasn't paying the $1. so i ended up with a $14 positive credit. and she said she would leave it that way.
therefore, long story short. in the end they did make up for their mistakes, but not without a lot of work on my end.
i think what made the difference out of the emails i sent, the phone calls i made, was posting on their customer care forum... you can see where i kinda bogarted these two other customer complaint posts here, and here...
and this is my own thread.
dramatic? yes. overly? probably. but hey i was angry, didn't feel like spending the time figuring out the right way to say things. i was just trying to get noticed.
as you can see i went back and set things straight, and gave due credit
--
 |
lately as a consumer i feel like i've been winning pretty regularly.
1) comcast -- look above
2) sprint -- got our upgrade status bumped up to full upgrade ($150 credit towards a new phone) instead of having to wait till December, credited the account $50 a line for each line renewed ($200) one-time for next bill, and waived all of our activation (upgrade) fees for the new phones ($18 a phone), all i did was call the cancellations/retention department and ask if we could get any kind of credits for early renewal. and since we've been long time customers, they usually comply to keep our business. this is the only company on the list that gave me something without messing up.
3) amazon -- they sent me a refurbished item when i ordered a new item (i triple checked this before, and again after), not only that, it didn't work, wouldn't even turn on. it was a digital photo frame as a father's day gift... which is this sunday. so i was understandably upset, i called, complained, they offered a full refund even tho the item isn't refund eligible, and that they would send prepaid labels for return. again, i always want compensation for my time/troubles/energy/upsetness. i asked, and was offered $5. i wasn't satisfied with that. #1 i've ordered hundreds of dollars worth of stuff over the years from amazon
#2 i had to shop for it online, wait for it, and now i have to go to the store, and send it back, and go look for another gift -- this was the main thing, i felt as if they were valuing my time at $5, i disagreed
she assured me this was the most she could offer. i asked for a manager. she said that would be fine. i wasn't angry with her, i just said i was disappointed with the situation. she comes back with an offer of $10, and again says this is the most she can offer, and the manager too. now, i know they're just an online retail company, they must have policies, but if anyone makes enough noise, they can do whatever they want.
so i say i just want to voice my disappointment to the manager. she gets me to her eventually. the manager apologizes, explains what they've provided so far, and stops. so i say, is $10 all they can really do? she says ok, i can make it $15, but that's the most i can offer... i said, are you sure? she goes, well, we're going to refund you right away, normally we have to wait for the item to return, but we understand you have to buy another gift. so i was like, well i don't care about getting the refund right away, i'd rather get more credit. so she bumps it to $20, and again, says this is the absolute most she can give me.
at this point, i'm happy. i know i could have pushed it further, but it's all about feeling satisfied. i had $20 in mind from the beginning as a fair compensation. so i let it alone and accepted.
ps. clearly amazon outsources their customer care call center because they all (i spoke with 3 ppl) had pretty obvious accents. and their english was pretty poor. this is an assumption on my part, but i think it's a pretty good chance, considering amazon is an online retail store and would probably opt to save the money. they were giving me scripted lines, this was very very obvious. so i felt bad for them too, they're only doing their job. they probably get whipped once for every $1 in credit they give away by an amazon rep, because they were by far the stingiest company i've ever dealt with (when having made a mistake). i will say amazon is always great with response time, and in terms of helping you return items, taking back items if you just don't like it... they're very good.
4) west elm -- my brother bought my wife and i a headboard from west elm as a housewarming gift (nice! right?) i won't get into the details here, but it took way too long to arrive, over 4 months i think. and there were issues with the actual delivery. so i wrote an angry email, vowed i was so angry that i wouldn't shop there anymore. they wrote back and gave us $150+ in store credit for our inconvenience. i didn't even ask for anything, but i figured being a "high-end" furniture store they would be more than generous when they clearly made mistakes. and they gave us more than i expected.
all in all -- sprint, comcast, west elm.. they all gave me more than i was hoping for
amazon.. i had to beg for it. i didn't like that feeling, but i also don't like feeling gipped. in the end, i was happy.
so yeah, count all that up. that's some serious dough because other ppl have been messing up (minus sprint). companies will always mess up at some point. it's how they respond, how they treat their customers, admit they were wrong, instead of saving a few bucks. it's not like i don't shell out tons of cash to these companies on a regular basis. i'm a great consumer. so yeah, i feel entitled and deserving of attention when needed. i'm also a loyal customer too tho, i've been with sprint almost 10 years, comcast almost 10 too, and i shop at amazon all the time...
i'll leave my first consumer report at that. don't forget to complain! or i'll do it for you just cut me in ;)
 |
LA Noire / EVO 3D Discount Deal
Amazon deal is expired. Please see below!! Best Buy has a better deal!!
 |
that's pretty good for a brand spanking new critically acclaimed/adored by the fans/already touted as revolutionary game!
also if you go to their game deals page they are selling Mortal Kombat for $40 and Portal 2 on PC for $30
not bad prices either, and these deals go on till the end of the week
some other notable deals but not so great...
inFamous 2 for $55
Just Cause 2 for $17
Final Fantasy XIII for $17
Halo Reach $25
Medal of Honor $20 <-- i'd pass
NBA 2K11 $28
EDIT: Best Buy has LA Noire on sale for $40
Check the weekly ad for week of (6/19 - 6/25)
I got this information early from Cheap Ass Gamer
--
 |
you can order the htc evo 3d coming out June 24th here (wirefly) for $150 with a new 2 yr contract with sprint.
there are also deals on other phones too. obviously they all require a new/renewed contract. but it's worth a look cuz there are some pretty dang good prices.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Underrated and/or Value Priced Games
 |
| Enslaved |
 |
| Splinter Cell |
so i've had a little more free time on my hands lately and i decided to put it to good use. here are the video games i've beaten in the past two months, and games i'm playin now:
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
$18 used $20 new
Darksiders
$18 used $20 new
Prince of Persia
$8 used
Batman: Arkham Asylum
$25 used $28 new
Splinter Cell: Conviction
$18 used $20 new
WHAT THIS IS AND WHO SHOULD READ --
and this is what i thought of each, with a focus on the current price point in relation to when it came out, and the quality of the game today. so the real question is, is it worth the price of admission? should i buy should i not? i write this mostly for casual gamers who don't have the time to read reviews, and don't keep up to date with games. for the gamers who fell out for whatever reason. time, family, overwhelmed by the list of quality games... so if you haven't played it, it's new to you. anyway here we go:
(if you want just final thoughts and my "ratings" skip on down to the summary section)
GAME DESCRIPTIONS --
Enslaved - OCT 2010
i played this on the ps3. it was fun. for the price. i say play it. like a lotta games do nowadays, the game presents itself like a movie. the graphics hold up decently. there was some choppiness and it's not the smoothest in terms of controls. but for what it is, it works. the story isn't bad, but nothing special. it's about a brute of a man and a fiesty girl trying to get her home. the characters are based on an old chinese fable, the monkey king. the game takes place in the future when humans have become "enslaved" by some robots or other being. the voice acting is superb. the fighting can get repetitive as many of these types of games usually do. there is a good amount of platforming, which i didn't mind cuz the fighting was pretty dull. and it's a little different having to interact/use the girl to help you or having to protect her.
the game wasn't very long and the replay value isn't that great. so to me, i'm glad i only paid $18 for it. on the flipside, for $18, it was well worth it.
genre - story/adventure
----
Darksiders - JAN 2010
i played this on the ps3 too. it's regarded by many as one of the biggest sleeper games of 2010, along with games like Demon Souls. choosing between the two i decided to play Darksiders because i read on many occasions that Demon Souls is hard as balls. my sentiment toward this game is very much in line with how i felt about Enslaved. it was a fun play. for the price. this game was pretty long tho, almost 30 hours. and the format was very interesting to me. story-wise, nothing special. you're one of the four horsemen and it's your duty to protect some sacred code. to be honest i didn't follow it that closely. but the game is laid out in front of you in simple terms. you have to beat four mini bosses to get to the final boss. back to the format, each mini boss is in a dungeon-type setup similar to Zelda games. and obviously you have to traverse through a variety of lands, platforming along the way, to get to each. you find a map and pick up a new weapon in each "dungeon", just like in a Zelda game. complete with hookshot, it's too much of a ripoff not to be an intentional ripoff. even down to the music you hear when you discover a secret passage. the puzzle solving isn't too hard. this aspect of the game, along with the fighting is a copy of God of War. the fighting again, gets repetitive, but there are plenty of moves and weapons to learn and upgrade. you even get a horse to ride. cheesy story with cheesy characters with cheesy voices. but serves purpose. not a story driven game.
i've said a lot about this game. and it's because i had a lotta fun with it. especially for $18. again, the replay value isn't so great. but i rarely play a game thru twice. which is why paying full price $60 can be so frustrating when i beat the game in two weeks. soooo, yeah, play this game.
genre - um, a zelda game with god of war style play
----
Prince of Persia - DEC 2008
played this one on 360. ok. i could go on and on about this game too. i did read a lot that this game received a good amount of critical acclaim. the graphics aren't the best, and choppy during cut scenes, the voice acting is pretty strong. this game is pretty much 90% platforming. if you haven't picked up on it yet, i enjoy platforming. which is why i'm a huge assassins creed fan. i can run around all day in that game. this game is close. you run off walls jumping from one to another, swinging from objects and climbing and falling. the controls are decent, but i will say i died a lot when he didn't do what i wanted him to do. sometimes it was a timing thing, which is part of the games difficulty. but a lot of times it was just because the controls were stiff. there is some fighting, but this is the part of the game that i would say is serviceable. the strength of the game is the characters, the environments, the puzzles, the platforming. it's a simple game, not hard to play... you can't die... so it's pretty easy to pick up and play, without having to break from any relaxation. and like Enslaved a girl follows you around, and similarly their relationship benefits the game. once more i say play it!
genre - platforming, collecting items, puzzle solving... basically like old prince of persias, but on the 360/ps3
----
Batman - AUG 2009
played on xbox. not gonna get too deep into this one. my friend wanted me to play it. it was fun. controls were good. graphics good. storyline not bad. playing the game makes you "feel" like batman. some stealth involved. fighting isn't bad. can get somewhat repetitive, but learning new moves helps. and counter system is fun. much like how i enjoyed Wolverine: Origins, but this game is much better. personally, i thought it was ok. but i know a lot of ppl loved this game. cuz it's widely regarded as the best comic book game to date. again, personally, i'd wait until it was in the $15 - $20 range. it's almost there. fun game! but i say wait on it. especially when the sequel, Arkham City comes out, the price will plummet.
genre - ummm, you're batman
----
Splinter Cell - APR 2010
quality quality game. xbox exclusive. lives up to previous Splinter Cells. but this one's different. still stealth is required, but not as religiously as the old ones. you get to run around and kick a little ass semi-pseudo-metal gear style. controls take getting used to cuz they're pretty different from most other standard third person shooters. but for the purpose of this game, they work great. plays like a movie. with a solid story. nothing mind blowing. but entertaining for sure. a little short, when i beat it i wasn't even close to wanting it to end yet. but eh, it was long enough. i dunno why the price on this game dropped so fast. one year, and it was $18-$20 already. i guess it didn't sell well. but for this price? it's a steal. there are side missions and multiplayer missions separate from the single player campaign. i want to go back and play those. i really liked the stealth system, and the execution ability, where you could mark enemies and take them out all at once. but you have to hand to hand someone to earn the capability. the only thing i would say needed improvement was the weapons. there would be weapon stash areas for you to upgrade and equip different guns. there wasn't nearly enough to do. and i never really had any reason to change my guns after like halfway thru. but all in all. play it!
genre - metal gear solid type game but realistic
----
SUMMARY & VERDICTS --
so you might have noticed i liked em all and suggested em all. well yeah that's because i researched these games. these are the good ones =p i guess i'm just confirming it. plus you can't really beat these prices.
here's the order i'd suggest em in:
(keep in mind this is my personal preference)
1: Splinter Cell
2: Darksiders/Prince of Persia
4: Batman
5: Enslaved
in terms of quality. if i had to play any of them over again, that's the order i'd play them in. if you think about it. i think it's awesome that these days graphics can really stay relevant for a few years. all of these games still looked great if not good enough to compare with the games coming out right now. in my opinion that's the hardest thing to get over when playing an old game. if it just looks horrible. i mean the only other reasons to get games right away is #1 you can't wait to play it #2 you play it with your friends #3 you don't wanna miss out on all the hoopla, reviewing, critiquing, complaining, sharing, talking, etc. so my point is, graphics matter the most when looking at the dusty games on the shelves. and thankfully all the games were impressive in this element.
***Splinter Cell isn't all that old, about exactly one year. and it's been a consistently quality series so it's no wonder it's the best game on this list.
----
 |
| Darksiders |
----
***Prince of Persia also comes from a long line of real good fun and classic games so i expected nothing less, but the fact that it's held up so well from 2008 is pretty impressive. i was almost tempted to get the other Prince of Persia next gen game... but decided against it. it seems to be more action oriented tho, so if that's your cup of tea you might want to try that one: Forgotten Sands multiplatform $18-$20 released MAY 2010. took me some research to clear it all up... but the "trilogy" (comprised of sands of time, warrior within, two thrones) is just a remastered bundle pack of those ps2 games in "HD". they're all good games, and the bundles cheap. but i think that would be wayy too dated for me to play.
----
***Batman was actually a relatively older game on the list. the game is still good, but frankly, the price has stayed at a higher-than-normal-price-for-the-amount-of-time-on-shelves... for too long. but it has held up amazingly in terms of overall (graphics, gameplay, story, controls, etc) and it's because it's critically acclaimed. it sold well. and i guess ppl are still buying it. it's finally coming down to a "proper" price by my standards. but like i said before. the sequel is coming out soon this year. once that happens, the price will immediately adjust accordingly.
----
***Enslaved was at the bottom of my list even tho it was the most recently released. well, there's a reason it's already selling at $20. and i think that's the right price for it. so like i said, my reviews are price sensitive. despite a few commercials on tv and a cover story on GameInformer, this game remains relatively unknown. i could say the same for Darksiders, cuz i do remember seeing a couple commercials for that game too. the difference being Darksiders exceeded my mediocre expectations i have for these (either older or just plain priced reduced) games.
----
but it's not like they were developed by complete unknowns. Enslaved was made by ninja theory while Darksiders, vigil games (THQ). ninja theory was behind Heavenly Sword, which was a ps3 launch title. it's still selling for $20 buuuuut... i'd pass. i never spent money on it but i played it thru, wasn't a bad game, but no thanks, maybe for $5-$10. it's funny tho because if you look at the girl character "Trip" in Enslaved, they used the same model cuz she looks just like the Heavenly Sword girl. vigil games, who was bought by THQ in 2006, made the Warhammer series. THQ has games such as Saints Row, Homefront, inSane, UFC Undisputed on its roster.
the metacritic score Enslaved currently has is an 82/100, while the users gave it a 7.9/10. so i don't want to make it sound like it's a bad game. those scores are on par with my feelings towards the game. but i'm gonna give you a number rating considering the current price and how well the game has held up since release. the time aspect hasn't started to hurt any of these games yet. and obviously paying less is always a good thing, it's weighing the two against each other - saving the money vs. the game losing it's fun/quality over time.
they're all playable, they're all fun, and they're all at pretty good prices. some other questions to ask when deciding which to buy is: how hard you want to try (how much you have to focus to play) and what kind of game you want to play. i tried to describe the types of game these titles are in the above section. below i'll provide two lists. my number's rating (rating brand new $60/rating current price and time) on a scale out of 10, and how "difficult" the games are, or in other words, how much you need to pay attention, again on a scale out of 10 (1 being easy). this is another obvious point, but the difficulty rating is based on my skill level which is basically a judgment call because it'd be too difficult to describe that. so i'm guessing the difficulty level for your average fan, not what it was for me.
1.Splinter Cell - 9.0 / 9.3 -- 7.0
2.Prince of Persia - 9.1 / 9.3 -- 5.0
3.Darksiders - 8.0 / 8.6 -- 6.5
4.Batman - 9.1 / 9.2 -- 5.5
5.Enslaved - 7.0 / 7.9 -- 6.0
CURRENTLY --
right now i'm working on Bayonetta for the ps3. so far, my impression is ehhhh. it's underrated sure. but it got a good amount of hype as an underrated game... again, for the price, it's not bad. but it's basically a Devil May Cry with a chick, and in my opinion... not as cool.
also working thru Army of Two: 40th Day. so far what i expected. just like the first one. if you liked that, you'll like this. everything's basically the same except you have way more options to customize your guns with. which to me is what makes the game fun anyway. that, and running around and shooting ppl up with a friend. obviously that part of the game isn't too different. they tried to throw in more story, and "consequences" to "choices". but these are gimmicks like none other. for me, they add a lil fun to the game. but they're not game changers or anything.
in the queue i have Alan Wake and Dead Space (which should reduce again soon now the sequel is out) waiting. i also went against my code of patience and bought LA Noire. i also borrowed Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood from someone. yeah, i just didn't want to wait. =p
ANOTHER WORTHY MENTION --
and finally i'll leave you with this: The Darkness $5 JUN 2007
this game is only $5-$8 used (can't really find it new anymore- unless you resort to craigslist/ebay/amazon). and from what i've briefly read, fans have enjoyed it. a lot. i think i might check that out next. for a game that came out in 2007 this will be in danger of being too dated for me to play. but if i can play thru it, at least a decent amount, i'm of course gonna say it's worth it... for $5? as long as i don't turn it off after 5 minutes and already know i never want to go back. good chances are it'll be "good enough" for a four yr old game. and hey, that's the point of what i do. so that i'm always satisfied with my purchases and never feel "gipped", by the industry, or thru sell backs like Gamestop.
** edit** == i just read a couple online reviews for The Darkness and what i didn't realize is that it's a 1st person shooter. the screenshots i've seen do make me think the graphics are ever so slightly dated (depending on how picky you are). the baseline is this: you're in the mob and you start hearing voices in your head. based on the pictures i'm guessing as the game goes on you become less human and more "demon-like". as you can see below, you have "alien tendrils" where your hands and guns would normally be in a first person shooter... it sure sounds fun. hopefully i can stand the graphics... if you can't tell i'm pretty worried about that ==**edit**
---
HOW I'M GAMING WITHOUT IT MAKIN ME BROKE --
man do i hate paying $60 and beating a game in a week, then realizing i'm never gonna touch it again... in my opinion, $60 should be entertainment that lasts at least 2-3 months. bare minimum. that's if it's blow your socks off fun. i pay $10 a month for the gym. that's a good barometer. $10 of fun for 1 month at a time. $60, 6 months. <--- **** personal ranting/tangent ****
lemme put it this way. i've gotten to play quality games all year long so far... and i've spent $16 out of pocket for a total of:
 |
| Alan Wake |
Alan Wake
Bayonetta
Army of Two: 40th Day
Enslaved
Darksiders
Prince of Persia
 |
| Bayonetta |
how? i used my 10% off used games (Gamestop powercard), some buy-two-used-games-get-one-free coupons (they have this all the time), and gift cards (i take surveys while i'm at work to get $25 gift cards to gamestop). without the gift cards i would have paid a total of $66. that's six quality games for the price of one new game's worth. and that's in the span of six months: jan - jun. so imagine if i was buying full price new games... i'd have already spent $360+ dollars this yrs on games alone... that's close to $400 for 6 months of
^^^**** more personal ranting/tangent ****
oh, and revisit the old list i posted a while back. a lot of those games are dropping even more in price, like fable III, red dead redemption, ...
till next time!!!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Comcast's Continued Incompetence
So.
after sending that email last night. i called this morning. i informed their collections dept of the letter i had received. i was furious because it was supposed to have been handled before the date on the letter. somehow, yet again, miscommunication and disconnect within the company. somehow this "outstanding debt" was sent to collections.
#1 i was never notifed i owed this amount -- i did receive several (inconvenient) calls asking me if i returned the equipment. i moved from one address to another within the same county... i kept their services... why would i be "stealing" equipment? wouldn't they see if i was using this equipment? as for the modem. it's not that fancy, and they should be able to tell that i'm not using their modem.
i did as i was told each time. and each of those phone calls ended with the rep on the other saying "oh ok". this month i get a $80 charge on my bill for "transfer fees" - unreturned equipment. but the collections letter is for $290? and i just realized they were still looking for this equipment when i saw the $80 charge on this month's bill. yet, the collections letter states that it is SERIOUSLY OVERDUE.
yeah right. my credit is immaculate. thanks for ruining it comcast. i pay every bill on time. i have auto pay set up for crying out loud.
no benefit of the doubt. and every time they called me they i was under the impression my answer of "yes i gave it to the tech" was sufficient.
i've called over ten times now about this issue. ridiculous. i've gotten different info. when i moved i was told "give it to the installation tech". when i called to complain about the extra charge on my bill i get "oh no you should NEVER give it to the tech, they're contractors. they shouldn't even take it"
then i call back again to make sure it was taken care of. i get "of course you can do that. and oh by the way, there is STILL no ticket to look for the equipment" WOW WOW
horrible. what kind of people are they hiring? no one cares at all?
the issue obviously is that i MOVED. and apparently that's too much for their employees and/or systems to handle.
they were looking under my old address. when they should have looked under my new (CURRENT) address. ummm, what kind of no common sense does it take not to check my old account and match it up with my new one. and maybe it's not obvious. but they're both under the same names and phone numbers. what kind of system wouldn't show that i MOVED? i'm pretty sure ppl MOVE sometimes.
shame on me for keeping comcast. transferring service has only cost me time, energy, and now financially! if not anything i have to now dispute this charge on my credit.
it would have been much easier to cancel. pick another company, or renew. transferring service should NOT be this hard.
i call back this morning. telling comcast i received this collections notice. and that it was ridiculous that this was sent given that i had called 10 times in the last month about this issue. they couldn't see that? or the notes? i had at least 3 reps tell me that the issue would now be resolved and i wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. and the $80 charge on my bill had been removed about two weeks ago. the letter is dated as of last week.
not only did she try and argue with me for about five minutes telling me that they didn't send it to collections. she sees the $80 charge reversed. but nothing for the amount of $290. i had to tell her repeatedly, "HELLO, i have a letter with your company's name on it from a collections agency"
she finally found it after putting me on hold for about 7 minutes. then, i asked her if anything could be done for my inconvenience. and this part is laughable...
she says, "well, we are already compensating you by believing you. because you are a loyal long time customer, we are taking you for your word. because we still have not found the equipment."
i was like "WOW, are you trying to tell me you're doing ME a favor? i did everything i was supposed to. don't take my word for it then. i have the receipt from the tech showing that i gave it to back to him. is it MY fault you lost it? but thanks. thanks for hassling me to this point, ruining my credit, and wasting hours of my time. THANKS"
ok i didn't say all that. i work in a call center too. i can empathize with these ppl. i never yell, sometimes i try to make a point by talking angry. but i always direct it at the company and not the employees. but who knows, it does seem like some of them aren't top grade. what do you expect tho. comes with the territory.
aaaaaaand now here we are. i've emailed them in all the ways the internet tells me i can. i've received nothing satisfactory in terms of a response or apology. in fact, one of the responses basically says "we don't understand your inquiry. please check our faqs."
thanks.
::update::
so i just spoke with another rep in retention who says to me that "it's not that time consuming to call in and manage the situation" because it's my responsibility to call in and check to make sure they're taking care of everything... and apparently he's aware of how valuable my time is. what a jerk.
after sending that email last night. i called this morning. i informed their collections dept of the letter i had received. i was furious because it was supposed to have been handled before the date on the letter. somehow, yet again, miscommunication and disconnect within the company. somehow this "outstanding debt" was sent to collections.
#1 i was never notifed i owed this amount -- i did receive several (inconvenient) calls asking me if i returned the equipment. i moved from one address to another within the same county... i kept their services... why would i be "stealing" equipment? wouldn't they see if i was using this equipment? as for the modem. it's not that fancy, and they should be able to tell that i'm not using their modem.
i did as i was told each time. and each of those phone calls ended with the rep on the other saying "oh ok". this month i get a $80 charge on my bill for "transfer fees" - unreturned equipment. but the collections letter is for $290? and i just realized they were still looking for this equipment when i saw the $80 charge on this month's bill. yet, the collections letter states that it is SERIOUSLY OVERDUE.
yeah right. my credit is immaculate. thanks for ruining it comcast. i pay every bill on time. i have auto pay set up for crying out loud.
no benefit of the doubt. and every time they called me they i was under the impression my answer of "yes i gave it to the tech" was sufficient.
i've called over ten times now about this issue. ridiculous. i've gotten different info. when i moved i was told "give it to the installation tech". when i called to complain about the extra charge on my bill i get "oh no you should NEVER give it to the tech, they're contractors. they shouldn't even take it"
then i call back again to make sure it was taken care of. i get "of course you can do that. and oh by the way, there is STILL no ticket to look for the equipment" WOW WOW
horrible. what kind of people are they hiring? no one cares at all?
the issue obviously is that i MOVED. and apparently that's too much for their employees and/or systems to handle.
they were looking under my old address. when they should have looked under my new (CURRENT) address. ummm, what kind of no common sense does it take not to check my old account and match it up with my new one. and maybe it's not obvious. but they're both under the same names and phone numbers. what kind of system wouldn't show that i MOVED? i'm pretty sure ppl MOVE sometimes.
shame on me for keeping comcast. transferring service has only cost me time, energy, and now financially! if not anything i have to now dispute this charge on my credit.
it would have been much easier to cancel. pick another company, or renew. transferring service should NOT be this hard.
i call back this morning. telling comcast i received this collections notice. and that it was ridiculous that this was sent given that i had called 10 times in the last month about this issue. they couldn't see that? or the notes? i had at least 3 reps tell me that the issue would now be resolved and i wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. and the $80 charge on my bill had been removed about two weeks ago. the letter is dated as of last week.
not only did she try and argue with me for about five minutes telling me that they didn't send it to collections. she sees the $80 charge reversed. but nothing for the amount of $290. i had to tell her repeatedly, "HELLO, i have a letter with your company's name on it from a collections agency"
she finally found it after putting me on hold for about 7 minutes. then, i asked her if anything could be done for my inconvenience. and this part is laughable...
she says, "well, we are already compensating you by believing you. because you are a loyal long time customer, we are taking you for your word. because we still have not found the equipment."
i was like "WOW, are you trying to tell me you're doing ME a favor? i did everything i was supposed to. don't take my word for it then. i have the receipt from the tech showing that i gave it to back to him. is it MY fault you lost it? but thanks. thanks for hassling me to this point, ruining my credit, and wasting hours of my time. THANKS"
ok i didn't say all that. i work in a call center too. i can empathize with these ppl. i never yell, sometimes i try to make a point by talking angry. but i always direct it at the company and not the employees. but who knows, it does seem like some of them aren't top grade. what do you expect tho. comes with the territory.
aaaaaaand now here we are. i've emailed them in all the ways the internet tells me i can. i've received nothing satisfactory in terms of a response or apology. in fact, one of the responses basically says "we don't understand your inquiry. please check our faqs."
thanks.
::update::
so i just spoke with another rep in retention who says to me that "it's not that time consuming to call in and manage the situation" because it's my responsibility to call in and check to make sure they're taking care of everything... and apparently he's aware of how valuable my time is. what a jerk.
Horrible Horrible experience with Comcast
I'll just paste the email I sent to them, tell me if you'd be pissed or not.
---
I had an erroneous debt sent to collections. It's ruined my credit. This is unacceptable. I've been dealing with this issue for months. Spoken with numerous reps and every single time was told that there was a mistake and it would be corrected. For it to have gotten to this point is ridiculous.
I moved services within the county and when I moved was told that I could bring the equipment with me. I had one cable box and one modem. I bought my own modem when I moved, also I had a faulty cable box that didn't respond well to the remote. There was a lag occasionally and sometimes would do something different then I selected, like randomly open on demand. So I called and explained that I'd like to return the modem and switch a box and a remote.
I was told I could give the installation tech the equipment. So I did.
Not long after I received a call asking me if I returned my equipment. I said yes. I received this call two or three times. Each time they accepted my answer and hung up. I just dealt with receiving those calls and let it go thinking there were some record keeping issues. But no one had informed me what the issue was.
This past month, my bill had an extra $80 charge for unreturned equipment. I called and complained that I had no unreturned equipment. The rep was only trying to argue with me and explained that if I paid or didn't pay it would be sent to collections. She said repeatedly that i would need to bring a receipt to my local office. Also, she kept telling me that I should not have, and should never give the tech the equipment. After stating three times that I gave it to the installing tech she responded by saying that this information helped her locate the necessary information. According to her she didn't see it because she was looking at the wrong account and there was a disconnect. What it sounded like to me was nobody bothered to look at my new address to realize that I brought the equipment with me. And that I had given the tech the modem and a box. The rep then said she would put in a ticket to locate the equipment and have the charge removed.
I called back two days later to ensure the charge had been removed. I was then told that I was not in the wrong when I gave the equipment to the tech. Somebody here is wrong. And as a customer, not knowing who I should trust or what I should do in the future so this doesn't happen again is unacceptable. Then, the rep explained that there was still no ticket to locate the equipment and it was good that I called. But that the charge had been reversed. This was absolutely ludicrous to hear. It seems there is constant miscommunication within the business, no accountability, and inconsistencies. I was told I would receive a phone call when they found the equipment and from a manager. I asked explicitly if I was to receive two calls within three business days. He said yes.
A week passed and I received no phone call. I called back and was informed everything was taken care of. I put the issue out of my mind and assumed everything had been resolved.
Today I received the letter that the outstanding debt of $290 has been sent to collections for unreturned equipment. My credit is ruined. This has been a complete inconvenience and hassle. Basically keeping comcast and transferring service to my new residence has cost me dearly, in time, energy, and now financially.
A once happy customer,
Teddy Weng
---
I had an erroneous debt sent to collections. It's ruined my credit. This is unacceptable. I've been dealing with this issue for months. Spoken with numerous reps and every single time was told that there was a mistake and it would be corrected. For it to have gotten to this point is ridiculous.
I moved services within the county and when I moved was told that I could bring the equipment with me. I had one cable box and one modem. I bought my own modem when I moved, also I had a faulty cable box that didn't respond well to the remote. There was a lag occasionally and sometimes would do something different then I selected, like randomly open on demand. So I called and explained that I'd like to return the modem and switch a box and a remote.
I was told I could give the installation tech the equipment. So I did.
Not long after I received a call asking me if I returned my equipment. I said yes. I received this call two or three times. Each time they accepted my answer and hung up. I just dealt with receiving those calls and let it go thinking there were some record keeping issues. But no one had informed me what the issue was.
This past month, my bill had an extra $80 charge for unreturned equipment. I called and complained that I had no unreturned equipment. The rep was only trying to argue with me and explained that if I paid or didn't pay it would be sent to collections. She said repeatedly that i would need to bring a receipt to my local office. Also, she kept telling me that I should not have, and should never give the tech the equipment. After stating three times that I gave it to the installing tech she responded by saying that this information helped her locate the necessary information. According to her she didn't see it because she was looking at the wrong account and there was a disconnect. What it sounded like to me was nobody bothered to look at my new address to realize that I brought the equipment with me. And that I had given the tech the modem and a box. The rep then said she would put in a ticket to locate the equipment and have the charge removed.
I called back two days later to ensure the charge had been removed. I was then told that I was not in the wrong when I gave the equipment to the tech. Somebody here is wrong. And as a customer, not knowing who I should trust or what I should do in the future so this doesn't happen again is unacceptable. Then, the rep explained that there was still no ticket to locate the equipment and it was good that I called. But that the charge had been reversed. This was absolutely ludicrous to hear. It seems there is constant miscommunication within the business, no accountability, and inconsistencies. I was told I would receive a phone call when they found the equipment and from a manager. I asked explicitly if I was to receive two calls within three business days. He said yes.
A week passed and I received no phone call. I called back and was informed everything was taken care of. I put the issue out of my mind and assumed everything had been resolved.
Today I received the letter that the outstanding debt of $290 has been sent to collections for unreturned equipment. My credit is ruined. This has been a complete inconvenience and hassle. Basically keeping comcast and transferring service to my new residence has cost me dearly, in time, energy, and now financially.
A once happy customer,
Teddy Weng
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
adolescent progression
i confess...
growin up i was obsessed with success
but lately
i've been upset cause my life is a mess
i told myself
to accept nothing less than the best
but in the end
you were gone
i was left
i digress
growin up all we see on tv-drugs&sex
it's no wonder
that we stress and stress about what comes next
day after day
we move on taking step after step
but in the end
do we know
if we passed the test?
i regret
having spent all the time that i've slept
no exceptions
till i've met expectations i have set
i press on
put everything at risk till there's silence in my chest
'cause in the end
when i die
i'll have plenty time to rest
growin up i was obsessed with success
but lately
i've been upset cause my life is a mess
i told myself
to accept nothing less than the best
but in the end
you were gone
i was left
i digress
growin up all we see on tv-drugs&sex
it's no wonder
that we stress and stress about what comes next
day after day
we move on taking step after step
but in the end
do we know
if we passed the test?
i regret
having spent all the time that i've slept
no exceptions
till i've met expectations i have set
i press on
put everything at risk till there's silence in my chest
'cause in the end
when i die
i'll have plenty time to rest
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Racist Rant
So I just feel the need to comment on this topic.
First, watch this video
Read this article for some history.
Here's the summary:
-- white girl goes to UCLA (which is predominantly asian, like 30 or 40 %, I forget)
-- white girl gets annoyed by asians
-- white girl goes on YouTube to blast said asians
-- UCLA says they will not take any disciplinary actions
-- white girl receives lots of death threats, and she apologizes
-- white girl feels uncomfortable and stops going to class
-- white girl drops out of UCLA
this blog, Angry Asian Man also gives another summary of events.
the reason I'm writing about it? well, first of all, I'm an APA (asian pacific american) myself. secondly, these things really tick me off.
most ppl don't care too much. it's easy to see why. it doesn't effect me directly. it doesn't change my daily routine. but what most ppl don't realize is that it does prove how some ppl still view me.
and yes, I agree, as a society, we've come a long way. but I despise when ppl say we've become "too PC". it might seem like issues are being made into issues. or that some ppl are just "too sensitive" now. but the fact is, without giving attention to the little things, then change on the greater scale will never be possible. therefore, it is important to bring these issues to light. for the general public to scrutinize, laugh at, make fun of, criticize, or ignore.
this blog here highlights a few reasons why we should care about this girl and her ignorance.
summary:
--White Privilege: Each time an incident like that happens, it reinforces the notion of White supremacy — that Whites can say and do whatever they want toward anybody at any time without facing any negative repercussions. Ultimately, suggesting to us that we should just “get over it” only serves as another clear illustration of White privilege — of those with in an institutionally superior position telling those below them what to do and what they should think.
--Colorblindness: Suffice it to say, and as this video shows, race and racial differences are clearly still very important today. They are still relevant because inequalities still exist and discrimination still takes place, and because colorblindness still provides a crucial foundation upon which White privilege can exist. In other words, if everybody is the same and on an equal playing field, it’s perfectly fine to joke about them however we want, right?
--Model Minority: In this particular case, I will hypothesize that Alexandra Wallace (and many others like her) presume that almost all Asian Americans are smart and successful but also passive and therefore, won’t care if she complains and mocks them. Also, I cannot rule out some degree of resentment about the success of Asian Americans as well, particularly at a university where 40% of the student population is Asian American.
--Yellow Peril: When people feel that their standard of living or “way of life” is being threatened, they are likely to get defensive, consciously and unconsciously. In that situation, one way to react is to draw a more rigid cultural boundary between “us” and “them.” In this case, Alexandra Wallace invoked this nativist sentiment clearly when she said, “In America, we don’t talk in the library.”
but besides that mumbo jumbo. I care. because the fact that these perceptions exist can really effect me and my future children. I'm american. I'm from maryland. sure, I was born in Taiwan. sure, I was raised by immigrant parents who instilled asian culture into my way of life, my method of thinking. but funny thing is, asians (not asian americans) make fun of me for being american.
I've taken my fair share of racist jokes. jokes about being different. about being asian. whatever. I've let it go. for the sake of not being the angry minority all the time. but fact is, these views about me do matter. why? let's see, if I'm ever up for a promotion at work and I'm competing with others who are equally as qualified, will my race be the deciding factor? it could be... whether or not that decision is made consciously, it certainly could be. this is when the "innocent" jokes about my vision or bad driving or can't speak right or having a weird name can turn into, well, not so innocent. jokes are funny cuz they're true. so if we're all laughing at them it's because somewhere deep down we actually think those things. who's to say if we can control who we think those things about, and when we think them?
well, you might say being asian could work in my favor. my boss might think I'm good at math, hard working, won't cause trouble... but I'm actually none of those things. so in fact it could create unfair expectations. either way, judging ppl based on how they look will always factor in. and so when it's done in a negative way about my ppl. about the way I look. I take offense.
I hope and pray that whenever my kids grow up... they can be viewed as plain ol american. they don't have to ditch the asian part. but hopefully they won't get the same jokes that I got. hopefully they won't be viewed differently just because they're my kid. hopefully they can be proud of who they are in this country. hopefully they never have to feel ashamed for having my genes. my parents genes. my ancestors genes. things don't change unless we change em. so the least I could do was write about it here...
the sad part. the part that really made me want to write it on here. is that if she was making racial slurs and jokes about blacks, she would have been kicked out of that school so fast. in fact, she would have been probably too scared to even post the video. and this is what I mean. I hate that asian americans have this reputation for being passive. I hate that asian americans aren't more active and vocal about our rights in this country. where's our NAACP? I'm not hating on blacks. I'm envious of what they have in terms of representation and civil rights. again, more proof that racial inequities still exist and matter oh so much.
First, watch this video
Read this article for some history.
Here's the summary:
-- white girl goes to UCLA (which is predominantly asian, like 30 or 40 %, I forget)
-- white girl gets annoyed by asians
-- white girl goes on YouTube to blast said asians
-- UCLA says they will not take any disciplinary actions
-- white girl receives lots of death threats, and she apologizes
-- white girl feels uncomfortable and stops going to class
-- white girl drops out of UCLA
this blog, Angry Asian Man also gives another summary of events.
the reason I'm writing about it? well, first of all, I'm an APA (asian pacific american) myself. secondly, these things really tick me off.
most ppl don't care too much. it's easy to see why. it doesn't effect me directly. it doesn't change my daily routine. but what most ppl don't realize is that it does prove how some ppl still view me.
and yes, I agree, as a society, we've come a long way. but I despise when ppl say we've become "too PC". it might seem like issues are being made into issues. or that some ppl are just "too sensitive" now. but the fact is, without giving attention to the little things, then change on the greater scale will never be possible. therefore, it is important to bring these issues to light. for the general public to scrutinize, laugh at, make fun of, criticize, or ignore.
this blog here highlights a few reasons why we should care about this girl and her ignorance.
summary:
--White Privilege: Each time an incident like that happens, it reinforces the notion of White supremacy — that Whites can say and do whatever they want toward anybody at any time without facing any negative repercussions. Ultimately, suggesting to us that we should just “get over it” only serves as another clear illustration of White privilege — of those with in an institutionally superior position telling those below them what to do and what they should think.
--Colorblindness: Suffice it to say, and as this video shows, race and racial differences are clearly still very important today. They are still relevant because inequalities still exist and discrimination still takes place, and because colorblindness still provides a crucial foundation upon which White privilege can exist. In other words, if everybody is the same and on an equal playing field, it’s perfectly fine to joke about them however we want, right?
--Model Minority: In this particular case, I will hypothesize that Alexandra Wallace (and many others like her) presume that almost all Asian Americans are smart and successful but also passive and therefore, won’t care if she complains and mocks them. Also, I cannot rule out some degree of resentment about the success of Asian Americans as well, particularly at a university where 40% of the student population is Asian American.
--Yellow Peril: When people feel that their standard of living or “way of life” is being threatened, they are likely to get defensive, consciously and unconsciously. In that situation, one way to react is to draw a more rigid cultural boundary between “us” and “them.” In this case, Alexandra Wallace invoked this nativist sentiment clearly when she said, “In America, we don’t talk in the library.”
but besides that mumbo jumbo. I care. because the fact that these perceptions exist can really effect me and my future children. I'm american. I'm from maryland. sure, I was born in Taiwan. sure, I was raised by immigrant parents who instilled asian culture into my way of life, my method of thinking. but funny thing is, asians (not asian americans) make fun of me for being american.
I've taken my fair share of racist jokes. jokes about being different. about being asian. whatever. I've let it go. for the sake of not being the angry minority all the time. but fact is, these views about me do matter. why? let's see, if I'm ever up for a promotion at work and I'm competing with others who are equally as qualified, will my race be the deciding factor? it could be... whether or not that decision is made consciously, it certainly could be. this is when the "innocent" jokes about my vision or bad driving or can't speak right or having a weird name can turn into, well, not so innocent. jokes are funny cuz they're true. so if we're all laughing at them it's because somewhere deep down we actually think those things. who's to say if we can control who we think those things about, and when we think them?
well, you might say being asian could work in my favor. my boss might think I'm good at math, hard working, won't cause trouble... but I'm actually none of those things. so in fact it could create unfair expectations. either way, judging ppl based on how they look will always factor in. and so when it's done in a negative way about my ppl. about the way I look. I take offense.
I hope and pray that whenever my kids grow up... they can be viewed as plain ol american. they don't have to ditch the asian part. but hopefully they won't get the same jokes that I got. hopefully they won't be viewed differently just because they're my kid. hopefully they can be proud of who they are in this country. hopefully they never have to feel ashamed for having my genes. my parents genes. my ancestors genes. things don't change unless we change em. so the least I could do was write about it here...
the sad part. the part that really made me want to write it on here. is that if she was making racial slurs and jokes about blacks, she would have been kicked out of that school so fast. in fact, she would have been probably too scared to even post the video. and this is what I mean. I hate that asian americans have this reputation for being passive. I hate that asian americans aren't more active and vocal about our rights in this country. where's our NAACP? I'm not hating on blacks. I'm envious of what they have in terms of representation and civil rights. again, more proof that racial inequities still exist and matter oh so much.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Hard Times
I recently found out that a close friend of mine has been going through hard times. I've definitely had my fair share. I wanted to dedicate this piece to him:
Dark clouds and grey skies
floating in my bathtub
Waves of raindrops
falling on my open hands
As I bathe in God's tears
soaked in regret
dripping with remorse
Heavy is the pain
engulfed by secret burdens
overwhelmed and defeated
Drifting in oblivion
spinning into the abyss
drained of motivation
Left with no hope
searching for a rainbow
And even so
I lather up
And grab my towel
Not to throw in
but to wrap around my waist
Dark clouds and grey skies
floating in my bathtub
Waves of raindrops
falling on my open hands
As I bathe in God's tears
soaked in regret
dripping with remorse
Heavy is the pain
engulfed by secret burdens
overwhelmed and defeated
Drifting in oblivion
spinning into the abyss
drained of motivation
Left with no hope
searching for a rainbow
And even so
I lather up
And grab my towel
Not to throw in
but to wrap around my waist
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Smithsonian Exhibit
Just thought this was interesting and relevant to the 5 part piece I recently wrote - Are Video Games Art? Which you can read by clicking the page on top.
The Smithsonian exhibit is set for March 16 to September 30, 2012.
They're asking YOU to help decide which video games to display. They're choosing 80 in total.
Go here to vote. Here's an excerpt from the website:
The Smithsonian exhibit is set for March 16 to September 30, 2012.
They're asking YOU to help decide which video games to display. They're choosing 80 in total.
Go here to vote. Here's an excerpt from the website:
The Art of Video Games exhibition will explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects, the creative use of new technologies, and the most influential artists and designers. We want you to help us select the eighty video games that will be represented in the exhibition. Remember, this is an art exhibition, so be sure to vote for games that you think are visually spectacular or boast innovative design!
Please please please vote for Chrono Trigger in the 3rd era!!!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Reviews for the Recession
If you haven't noticed. I love my video games. In fact, I love my entertainment. I very much so enjoy having the latest technologies. But my choice of entertainment is definitely video gaming, with tv shows coming a very close second.
I'm not by any means a video game "expert". Not by choice, but simply, I haven't played enough games to think of myself as one.
This is mostly due to the fact that I don't have the time or money to keep up. Especially these days, when interesting and worthwhile titles are being released every few months.
A lot of my friends buy games, only to trade them in to GameStop for half, or even less value in return. I've never really liked doing that. I like to see my collection, show it off, and reflect on all of the great (and sometimes bad) games I've played.
Now that I'm married and a homeowner, games have become a luxury. Even though I'm a proud owner of all three next generation consoles.. PS3, Xbox, and Wii.. with plans of having kids in the near future, money has certainly become an issue. But even more so, I find I no longer have the time to finish most of the games I buy.
I remember (and really really miss) the days when I was able to sit down and play games for hours and hours on end. Sometimes skipping meals, sometimes foregoing sleep, and sometimes brushing off friends.. I used to beat a game in no time. I took pride in it. I remember when I skipped a full week of classes in college and finished GTA: San Andreas in a week. That was no easy feat. But it was awesome.
Right now I'm currently working through Final Fantasy XIII, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dead Space (the first one), Mass Effect (the first one), Fallout 3, Splinter Cell: Conviction, with Madden and Black Ops sprinkled in.
Looking at that list above... I can honestly say I plain lost interest in Mass Effect and Fallout 3. I'm forcing myself to finish Final Fantasy, Batman, Dead Space, and Splinter Cell before I buy anymore games. I hate that. I never used to have a problem beating games in a "timely" manner. And always used to buy games I wanted either on or close to the release date.
There are plenty of games I've wanted to play, but have passed up on (so far anyway). Like Fable III, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, God of War III, to name a few.
Anyway, my point is. If you're like me, you like gaming, and you want to game. But for whatever reason you can't. Especially in these economically trying times, that's understandable. The industry might not appreciate my new approach (which I will get into shortly), but hey, at least I'm still gaming. Just now, I'm doing it my pace. Which, frankly, is saving me a ton of cash.
Let's break it down. Games are now $60 a piece brand new (not considering any kind of collector's edition or anything). Generally, a solid game will provide somewhere from 20 - 30 hours of gameplay. So you're basically paying (a very very rough estimate) an average of $3 an hour of fun. Doesn't sound like much right? Right. Unless you beat that 20 hour game in three days and start looking for another one on day four. Then you do that again and you've spent $180 in a week or two. Obviously this only applies to action/adventure type games. Games nowadays try to increase replay value through downloadable content or online play. But if you're like me, you still want to play other games. Like I said, I still play Madden and COD on a continual basis. But a game like Uncharted for example, I want to play for the single player campaign, and though the multiplayer is fun.. I'd rather play COD, and like I said I don't have time to be playing all these damn games!!! AGH.
::takes deep breath::
So, I've come up with a solution. It's not ingenious or anything. I've just decided to exercise something that seemed to have been lost on me before: Patience.
It all started when my roommate and I, upon beating Army of Two, started looking for a similar co-op type experience. So we went to GameStop and found this piece of crap: Kane & Lynch. It was a couple of years old, and was going for $12. We bought it. We beat it. We felt good about it.
The game wasn't very good. Not very good at all. But for $12 it was fine. At least playable. A good time to be had with no guilt for having spent a measly $6 a piece. And so, we tried to repeat this feat, but ended up with Mercenaries 2... which for the life of us, we could not bring ourselves to play...
But nonetheless, this is what I've started to do. Even for highly anticipated games... I wait. I wait for a price drop. I paid $15 for Metal Gear Solid 4. It was a great game. And I felt like it was even more enjoyable because I only paid $15 for it. Especially cause I beat it in four days. But the thought process goes like this...
'Hey, if you haven't played it, it's new to you!' ... I mean, a lot of these games aren't that old. Graphics-wise, gameplay-wise, fun-wise, a lot of them still hold up.
The obvious downside is that you don't get to play it before everyone else does. Or if you have a bunch of friends that play games... you can't necessarily stay in the convos. But, I'm old. So I'm ok with that. The only two games I don't wait for.. are Madden and COD. Only because 1) Madden comes out every year, so I try to get the most of it. And, it doesn't really price drop until the next one is coming out. 2) I only enjoy playing COD with friends online, and COD just doesn't price drop until it's like.. 4 years old.. (ridiculous).
But mostly, I'm referring to those games that I'll play once, and never touch it again. You know which ones I'm talking about.
Anyway, so instead of paying attention to new release games. I've followed "value" games, or price-reduced games much more closely. I thought I'd share them with you. You could sift through all the crazy amount of reviews on IGN, Gamespot, etc... but how would you know which ones to look for? GameStop's website has options in the search to filter for price-reduced, or value games... but they include all kinds of crap along with it...
Therefore, consider me another filter. I'm here to provide games worth a look at a specific price point. I've looked. I can't find anyone who provides reviews with current price in consideration. Perhaps a game got a C (or 70) rating. But maybe for $10 it's not so bad. That's what I'm here to do.
Now, because I haven't had the time to play most of these games. I'll just begin by sharing my watchlist. These are the games currently on my radar at their respective price points.. I've played some, but most of them I haven't gotten around to yet..
(eventually I'll actually review some games I promise... but for now this will have to do...)
(I included the IGN rating)
(not in any specific order)
(I focused only on PS3/XBOX360 games)
(in bold are games I'm definitely getting, either soon, or when the price drops more...)
***Keep in mind prices are subject to change... I pulled these prices off of GameStop's website. Most are for used games. But some prices are for new games. Some prices might only be for Xbox or PS3, but not for the other.. I tried my best to note them
I'm not by any means a video game "expert". Not by choice, but simply, I haven't played enough games to think of myself as one.
This is mostly due to the fact that I don't have the time or money to keep up. Especially these days, when interesting and worthwhile titles are being released every few months.
A lot of my friends buy games, only to trade them in to GameStop for half, or even less value in return. I've never really liked doing that. I like to see my collection, show it off, and reflect on all of the great (and sometimes bad) games I've played.
Now that I'm married and a homeowner, games have become a luxury. Even though I'm a proud owner of all three next generation consoles.. PS3, Xbox, and Wii.. with plans of having kids in the near future, money has certainly become an issue. But even more so, I find I no longer have the time to finish most of the games I buy.
I remember (and really really miss) the days when I was able to sit down and play games for hours and hours on end. Sometimes skipping meals, sometimes foregoing sleep, and sometimes brushing off friends.. I used to beat a game in no time. I took pride in it. I remember when I skipped a full week of classes in college and finished GTA: San Andreas in a week. That was no easy feat. But it was awesome.
Right now I'm currently working through Final Fantasy XIII, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dead Space (the first one), Mass Effect (the first one), Fallout 3, Splinter Cell: Conviction, with Madden and Black Ops sprinkled in.
Looking at that list above... I can honestly say I plain lost interest in Mass Effect and Fallout 3. I'm forcing myself to finish Final Fantasy, Batman, Dead Space, and Splinter Cell before I buy anymore games. I hate that. I never used to have a problem beating games in a "timely" manner. And always used to buy games I wanted either on or close to the release date.
There are plenty of games I've wanted to play, but have passed up on (so far anyway). Like Fable III, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, God of War III, to name a few.
Anyway, my point is. If you're like me, you like gaming, and you want to game. But for whatever reason you can't. Especially in these economically trying times, that's understandable. The industry might not appreciate my new approach (which I will get into shortly), but hey, at least I'm still gaming. Just now, I'm doing it my pace. Which, frankly, is saving me a ton of cash.
Let's break it down. Games are now $60 a piece brand new (not considering any kind of collector's edition or anything). Generally, a solid game will provide somewhere from 20 - 30 hours of gameplay. So you're basically paying (a very very rough estimate) an average of $3 an hour of fun. Doesn't sound like much right? Right. Unless you beat that 20 hour game in three days and start looking for another one on day four. Then you do that again and you've spent $180 in a week or two. Obviously this only applies to action/adventure type games. Games nowadays try to increase replay value through downloadable content or online play. But if you're like me, you still want to play other games. Like I said, I still play Madden and COD on a continual basis. But a game like Uncharted for example, I want to play for the single player campaign, and though the multiplayer is fun.. I'd rather play COD, and like I said I don't have time to be playing all these damn games!!! AGH.
::takes deep breath::
So, I've come up with a solution. It's not ingenious or anything. I've just decided to exercise something that seemed to have been lost on me before: Patience.
It all started when my roommate and I, upon beating Army of Two, started looking for a similar co-op type experience. So we went to GameStop and found this piece of crap: Kane & Lynch. It was a couple of years old, and was going for $12. We bought it. We beat it. We felt good about it.
The game wasn't very good. Not very good at all. But for $12 it was fine. At least playable. A good time to be had with no guilt for having spent a measly $6 a piece. And so, we tried to repeat this feat, but ended up with Mercenaries 2... which for the life of us, we could not bring ourselves to play...
But nonetheless, this is what I've started to do. Even for highly anticipated games... I wait. I wait for a price drop. I paid $15 for Metal Gear Solid 4. It was a great game. And I felt like it was even more enjoyable because I only paid $15 for it. Especially cause I beat it in four days. But the thought process goes like this...
'Hey, if you haven't played it, it's new to you!' ... I mean, a lot of these games aren't that old. Graphics-wise, gameplay-wise, fun-wise, a lot of them still hold up.
The obvious downside is that you don't get to play it before everyone else does. Or if you have a bunch of friends that play games... you can't necessarily stay in the convos. But, I'm old. So I'm ok with that. The only two games I don't wait for.. are Madden and COD. Only because 1) Madden comes out every year, so I try to get the most of it. And, it doesn't really price drop until the next one is coming out. 2) I only enjoy playing COD with friends online, and COD just doesn't price drop until it's like.. 4 years old.. (ridiculous).
But mostly, I'm referring to those games that I'll play once, and never touch it again. You know which ones I'm talking about.
Anyway, so instead of paying attention to new release games. I've followed "value" games, or price-reduced games much more closely. I thought I'd share them with you. You could sift through all the crazy amount of reviews on IGN, Gamespot, etc... but how would you know which ones to look for? GameStop's website has options in the search to filter for price-reduced, or value games... but they include all kinds of crap along with it...
Therefore, consider me another filter. I'm here to provide games worth a look at a specific price point. I've looked. I can't find anyone who provides reviews with current price in consideration. Perhaps a game got a C (or 70) rating. But maybe for $10 it's not so bad. That's what I'm here to do.
Now, because I haven't had the time to play most of these games. I'll just begin by sharing my watchlist. These are the games currently on my radar at their respective price points.. I've played some, but most of them I haven't gotten around to yet..
(eventually I'll actually review some games I promise... but for now this will have to do...)
(I included the IGN rating)
(not in any specific order)
(I focused only on PS3/XBOX360 games)
(in bold are games I'm definitely getting, either soon, or when the price drops more...)
***Keep in mind prices are subject to change... I pulled these prices off of GameStop's website. Most are for used games. But some prices are for new games. Some prices might only be for Xbox or PS3, but not for the other.. I tried my best to note them
(Rating: xbox/ps3) (Game) (Price)
Multiplatform:
9.5/8.2 Bayonetta $18
10 Grand Theft Auto IV $15
8.9 Final Fantasy XIII $25
9.6/9.4 Fallout 3 $10
8.7 Devil May Cry 4 $10
9/7.9 Splinter Cell: Double Agent $10
9 Need for Speed: Shift $18
7.7 Dark Sector $5
7.5 Dante's Inferno $18
8 Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands $20
9.3 Prince of Persia $10
9.3 Batman: Arkham Asylum $23
8.5 Vanquish $33
8 Enslaved $33
7.8 Darksiders $20
7 Singularity $33
9.4 Call of Duty 4 $10
9.2 Call of Duty: World at War $20
8.9 Madden 2010 $10
8.5 NBA 2k10 $13
9 Resident Evil 5 $10
8.8 Borderlands $18
9.7/9.4 BioShock $10
9.1 BioShock 2 $18
8.7 Dead Space $20
7.7/7.5 Assassins Creed $10
9.2 Assassins Creed 2 $20
9.6/9.5 Mass Effect 2 $20 (Xbox Price Only)
8.8 Just Cause 2 $18
9.2/9.3 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion $13
9.3/8.7 Rainbow Six: Vegas $4
8.4/8.2 Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 $10
8.2 Saints Row 2 $18
7.5 Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe $20
8.5/5.5 Lost Planet $10
6/5.5 Lost Planet 2 $25
7.9 Army of Two $10
8.5 Army of Two: The 40th Day $18
9.3 Street Fighter IV $10 (PS3 Price Only)
9 Super Street Fighter IV $25
9.1/8.3 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 $10 (Xbox Price Only)
8/8.5 Star Ocean: The Last Hope $18
8.7 Dragon Age: Origins $20
8.2/7.9 Marvel Ultimate Alliance $5
7.7 Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 $25
7.6 Timeshift $5
8 Condemned 2: Bloodshot $10
7.3 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed $15
8.1 Stranglehold $7
8.6 Battlefield: Bad Company $10 (Xbox Price Only)
8.9 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 $23 (Xbox Price Only)
7 Nier $15
7.5 Prototype $20
7.3/7 Turok $8
8.8 Far Cry 2 $15
XBOX Exclusive:
8.2 Lost Odyssey $20
7.9 Blue Dragon $10
7.1 Infinite Undiscovery $9
9.5 Halo 3 $10
9 Halo 3: ODST $15
9.4 Gears of War $5
9.5 Gears of War 2 $10
8.8 Fable II $10
8.3 Dead Rising $10
9.3 Splinter Cell: Conviction $18
9 Alan Wake $25
9.4 Mass Effect $20
9 Left 4 Dead $10
8.5 Saints Row $7
9.2 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter $5
8.7 Condemned: Criminal Origins $7
8.7 Ninja Gaiden 2 $10
PS3 Exclusive:
9.4 Demon Souls $20
9.3 Ninja Gaiden Sigma $13
8.4 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 $18
9.2 Infamous $25
SKIP IT but give it a whirl if you wish:
(Xbox Only) 6 Darkstar One - Broken Alliance
(Xbox Only) 4 Samurai Shodown Sen $13
(Xbox Only) 6.4 Blood Bowl $10
7.9 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames $10
6 Spider-Man 3 $10
6.7 Conan $5
6.3 Alpha Protocol $25
This list isn't comprehensive by any means. But it's a good start. There are plenty of other games that didn't get the deserved coverage, hype, advertising in the media and hence, are underpriced.. for example Yakuza 3 is often mentioned. I just couldn't possibly list everything.
These games are obviously all price reduced for a reason. Some, it's because they're predominantly online play, and people don't really play it anymore. So be careful and do a little research before you buy. Some are really a good price for the quality of game. But I guess that all depends on what kind of game you're looking for, or like to play. I tried my best to include various genres.
I'll be posting a review on a few of these as soon as I get around to beating them.. Don't hold your breath..
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