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"“The current generation isn’t maxed-out,” say fans. Others chime in with the common, “fancy graphics don’t make games better, gameplay does,” argument.
Are these assertions true? Absolutely. Do they offer up a reasonable argument to delay the next inevitable generation of consoles? No, and here is why:"
Gears of War has, literally, the worst writing in gaming?
Well it's easy to argue that it's far from the best, but the worst? Lindsay Bell Chambers digs deeper into the fray and churns out some interesting information on Chuck Beaver's verbal vomit earlier in the week.
"Somebody needs to stop a crazy warlord from getting his hands on an ancient magic that will make him invincible. Who better than all around bad-boy-with-a-good-heart, Nathan Drake?"
"There’s something about certain games that naturally draw me in. This is considerably easier with any sort of RPG that involves decisions and progression that allow you to influence not only your character, but the actual game itself. I’ve spent so much time with these games because I’m able to make the character my own, affect the environment, and play the game almost exactly how I want to play it."
Jason Trent with GoozerNation writes: "When big titles are releasing as often as they do, it can be pretty tough to find the time to really invest in a multiplayer experience. Every now and then there’s a short lull, usually lasting only a week or two, when I can play something in my back catalog. Normally I opt to go with a single player experience, because that’s more of my play style, but ever since the Gears of War 3 beta, I’ve had an itch for more, and since that’s not really a possibili...
"I had the pleasure to meet the man who voices not only Dom from the Gears of War series, but also from the Assassin’s Creed’s Leonardo Da Vinci, Carlos Ferro. A voice actor, DJ, performer, and all around great guy, Ferro was the guest of honor at the Gamers Gone Wild Party hosted by the awesome gaming communities 2 Old 2 Play and SFX-360."
"George Lucus struck gold when he cast Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy but today Mark Hamill could be known best as the brilliant Emmy Award winning voice behind The Joker in Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: The animated series. Mark Hamill has an amazing career as a voice actor and has contributed to numerous animated TV shows such as Batman, The Hulk, Fantastic 4 just to name a few. Marks voice is well known for multiple video game characters none more so tha..."
The seventh generation of gaming has caused gamers to go crazy on message boards and blogs as they argue about which system is best. Newsflash: They're all pretty awesome, and they're all a lot of fun to play.
"So it has been a few months since the first few comparisons that we did in Part 1, so it is once again time to compare a few sequels and their respective predecessors – some new and some not so new.
As previously discussed, games do have it a little easier than films in that they can rely on game play to make a game better, not simply the characters and plot line.
If a games plot and characters are weak, it is still possible for it to be a successful and even good game – if the plot an..."
"Gears of War 3 is still a year away. I’m expecting great things, but you know my thoughts on the relationship between skepticism and faith. So, I’ll still have to see it to believe it when it comes to this game. But knowing that Epic has been listening to us all along gives me this sense that, when it comes to GoW3, we’re all in this together. And there’s something comforting in that."
"In the world of Gears of War 2 multiplayer, earning your "wings" means you've reached the maximum rank of 100 after playing many matches online. This achievement has been diluted a bit with the multiple double, triple and even 20x XP events hosted for the game but Gears of War Executive Producer Rod Ferguson has revealed a little incentive for those who have yet to max out their online experience."
"Just last week I conducted a little experiment. We all have that X gamer on our friends list that will stop at nothing to get that one Achievement or rank within a game. So I thought I'd see what the fuss is all about and to find out how far some gamers will go to reach the promise land that is in there heads and to be call the great one by no one for having that crazy high rank or achievement."
"1. My prison number was 098356-GX. But, you can call me Marcus.
2. I preferred jail. At least I was getting three squares.
3. Those circles on my chest are actually speakers. Kind of a weird design huh?"
"The saga of the COGs that has played out over the course of the last 4 years has been a wild ride as we have followed Marcus and co. above and below ground in their final stands against the Locust. After the conclusion of GoW2 it became quite obvious that we would be seeing our ragtag group of heroes once more, most likely in a stunning conclusion and the final, final…final stand of the citizens of Sera. Sure enough, our main man Cliff Bleszinski will no doubt be announcing that we won’t have..."
"You’re standing in a dank dungeon, looking for a door that doesn’t exist. The lights flicker, and you hear the raging scream of a distant enemy. Flump, flump – the steps are getting closer. Arming yourself with your favourite weapon, you peer around a corner in the low light and you see him: the Big Daddy. By this time in the game, you have crossed over a mysterious threshold – your brain has mapped itself into the undersea world of Rapture and all you care about is saving your own skin. An i..."
"Unfortunately, this type of sequel success isn’t always a given. Even some of the biggest franchises out there have stumbled on their second tries, leaving a plethora of heartbroken fans in the wake of an either flawed or drastically different than expected sequel. As testament to this all too common phenomenon, here are five of the most notable examples of sequels throughout the years bearing the number 2, or the significantly more stylish Roman numeral II, that sadly couldn’t manage to li..."
"We all have massive amounts of games we haven't played yet. You might have a brand new game sitting on your shelf right NOW that hasn't been touched. Might still be sealed too! Even worse, you might've paid FULL PRICE on launch day to play this game, and you still haven't done anything more than open it to check out the manual on the crapper.
I'm that guy too"
Gears of War is no doubt one of the biggest titles on the Xbox 360. With the first being an absolute smash hit and the second, whilst selling like hotcakes, being slightly disappointing, the third game in the series, which some expect to be announced at this years E3, has huge expectations on it. Can it be the definitive Gears of War experience? We hope so. In this article, John from All Age Gaming looks at his wants, expectations and possible surprises for Gears of War 3.
"Well, congratulations Playstation 3 owners, MAG has finally been out for a bit and admittedly, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. The prospect of games totaling 256 players is intriguing, but should we as 360 owners catch a case of the Green-Eyed Monster and feel some kind of envy? The short answer is no, at least for now."
There's been some talk going around lately about the relationship between Nintendo and third party developers. An example being difficulty with hardcore third party titles. Lee Evans has posted a blog entry going over some facts and figures in an effort to shed some light on the matter and the severity of the situation.
"Every so often I hear people talk about how they miss the days when Japan ran the game industry. I don't think they so much miss the days when Japanese developers were on top of the world as much as they miss the days when Japanese developers/publishers actually worked in large to promote creativity rather than just follow trends. Those days have faded. While many great games still come out of Japan, thanks mostly to their always shrinking console market and a lack of knowledge on how to revi..."
"When a phrase catches on, it really catches on. You can't turn a corner in the internet gaming community without seeing an article complaining about Nintendo's laziness. IGN is already plagued with two of them.
But the sheer mind-crushing irony of these articles almost makes them too funny to complain. The pot really is calling the kettle black. Has anyone ever taken their crosshairs off of Nintendo to aim at the same old song and dance that other developers are cashing in on? Apparently n..."
"During the development of a game, there are numerous ideas and concepts that either get left on the cutting room floor, or go unnoticed by the general public. Just as interesting as these are the stories and rumors that surround a game after its release, ranging from developer inside info, to random tabloid mentionings. In this series, we pick five random, little-known facts about a game franchise and present them to you for your brain's consumption."
Neoseeker editor Lydia Sung returns to the fray today with an editorial about the Xbox LIVE Avatar Marketplace, which, like many gamers out there, she feels is disrespectful to customers.
Not usually just one to rant though, she offers up three major suggestions Microsoft can make use of to please (mostly) everyone.
Check it out at the source, where you can also find a fashion show of sorts -- this may be your only chance to see our fearless editor in a storm trooper outfit.
While the Gears of War series has been a massive success on the Xbox 360, is it time for Microsoft to make the decision that the 3rd game in the trilogy will NOT be released on the Xbox 360, but on the next Xbox?
"2nd August 2009 - Welcome readers to this week’s All Age Gaming "The Week That Was".This week we talk more about Games on Demand, slim PS3 rumours and the Wii’s software domination. There weren’t any new game releases for the three major consoles this week, so let’s move straight into the news."
Anyone that plays games knows that receiving demos via Xbox live or PSN is never a bad thing. Consumers play the game then go out and buy it right?, but what if playing that demo that someone was excited about changed their feeling about the game in a negative way. At this point was the demo a good idea to even release knowing they just lost a sale? Here are a few reasons why demo's can either help or hurt game releases.
"In the Gears of War games, civilization has been decimated by the Locust Horde and small faction of elite soldiers are engaged in a desperate battle to prevent the extinction of the dwindling human race.
It’s hardly an uplifting premise.
Fortunately, a little levity to this miserable situation is provided courtesy of the vast assortment of comical, entertaining and often cheesy lines that are consistently delivered by Marcus and company."
With Epic disappointing many Gears of War fans with the multiplayer mode in Gears of War 2, should they re-release the original Gears of War as a stand alone multiplayer game with updated Graphics and new maps? It would certainly be a good seller!
If you haven't noticed yet, most recent games have a certain look to them. That dark, grey brown look, where everything looks dead and old. Well it seems to be a trend in most shooters and some non-shooters this generation. Many of us would think that this is just a new art style that the developers are into, gamasutra thinks there is more behind it. And that is the technology of the consoles.
"Cover systems aren’t exactly something that have been there since the start for the shooter genre. My own first experience of the cover systems are the snap-on cover mechanics used in Metal Gear Solid, and also the flawless chunky cover system in Gears of War for the Xbox 360. I am a huge fan of developers implementing cover systems into any shooting games, but then again I may be outspoken. For example, a massive number of gamers may play Gears 2 online which may suggest that covers systems ..."
Major Nelson has posted up the Live Activity for the week of May 11th, and with that comes some regulars, along with some .. weirdness... such as the fact that the UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo has made it's way on the top ten for the fourth week in a row! I played it, I don't get it, how is this on the list.. *shrugs shoulders*. Though being out a year and a half, as well as having a sequel, Call of Duty 4 continues to carry a high rank on the list :D
"Shooters truly are a haven for folks that enjoy inflicting massive amounts of pain on the enemies they encounter in games (read: not in real life). It’s good, harmless fun and a nice way to release some pent-up frustration without causing any property damage (or doing anything else you shouldn’t do that would land you in hot water).
Of course, there are certain weapons that are much more adept than others for this purpose. So here is a look at some of the most sinister weapons that we’ve c..."
"We may live at the “arse end of the world“, as former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating infamously said, but we deserve better than half-arsed matchmaking.
Multiplayer is one of the main reasons that many gamers purchase Gold Xbox Live membership; to gain the ability to face off against their friends and many other gamers around the world in the game of their choice.
Many games have come and gone, all featuring different methods in handling multiplayer, but so far none have come cl..."
"So the Game Developers Conference’s 09 (GDC’s) brought a couple of surprises so far. A new Zelda for the DS, third party motion controls for 360, a new Ratchet & Clank for our PS3 comrades, and the entry of Warner Bros to the fray that may well have had fanboys disorientated and asking “Errr… what’s up doc?”
But where’s the goods from Microsoft? Some would lead you to believe that Microsoft has announced its full line up just like they had this time last year… oh yeah, that’s the problem…
..."
"While the Xbox360 and Wii have a considerably lower price and larger install base than the PLAYSTATION3, the console isn’t all that far behind the competition. However, since 2006 Sony has been taken a good pummeling by the media (especially in North America) because of the high-price and gaudy promotional campaign for the third-generation PlayStation console. It’s still not uncommon for a lot of journalists and gamers alike to rant on Sony, claiming that their console is “dying” or “failing”..."
"It is unfortunate that in the real world, there are certain types of people who just look like sex offenders. Whether they are or not. Peter Jackson, for example, wouldn't look out of place with his trousers round his ankles, running through a nursery and being sick all over himself. Same goes for Geoffrey out of Rainbow. There are certain people that, should it come to light that they've been arrested for some hideous sexual misdemeanor, we wouldn't be surprised. This is why it's so easy for..."
Neoseeker's Lydia Sung aka RabidChinaGirl has a special Special up today in light of everyone's favourite holiday invented by greeting card companies...
Consider it a retort of sorts to GG's earlier article Top Ten Games To Play With Your Valentine -- this one's got breasts and guns and explosions and stuff.
Enjoy!
"I am sure that everybody, at some point in their lives, has been playing a videogame and suddenly found themselves questioning the sexual preferences of the characters involved. Ultimately, one finds one's self asking the final and most pressing question of all -- is that character a dom or a sub?"
"One is a pure, bubbly and pretty-as-pink princess who rarely reveals even the skin of her ankle. The other is a sassy, sexy and no-nonsense computer program who has spent her entire existence in the nude. Within the tightly linked and extraordinarily small world of videogame voice acting, however, these two women are the exact same person."
"Fanboys have been plaguing the Internet for quite some time with their silly propaganda, heinous slander, & a laggard intellect that leaves the rest of us sane humans flabbergasted at the fact that these are the type of people we not only have to deal with on forums or blogs, but also in person typically at retailers where I purchase my games from. I just don't understand the logic behind being a fanboy, I mean the way I see it it's a lose lose situation. These companies do not compensate you..."
"For a classic multiplayer game, Perfect Dark suffers from a fairly major fault. Its nigh-on unplayable. Those sleek offices and twisting tunnels have morphed into poorly textured geometric mazes. The explosions and effects, brilliant in memory, are muted. Most of all, the always-suspect framerate is now a convicted murderer. None of these reasons justify a return."
"Lets not forget about the console wars! There are sale charts, there are fanboys slamming other fanboys data, there are all sorts of ways to decide the winner of the console wars One of them is, of course, checking the exclusive games and thats exactly what were planning to do now. So, the battle is on: PS3 vs. Xbox 360 vs. Wii which console has the best exclusives?"
Patrick Klepek of multiplayerblog.mtv.com blogs about his unfortunate tale. He packed himself ready these Christmas holidays, he was ready to spend two weeks destroying his wrists, but he ended up doing absolutely no gaming at all! With this he poses the question, is he the only one?
I don't own either game in the franchise, but from I've heard Gears of War and its sequel both had large amounts of problems with their online modes, and Saul Berenbaum has had enough. He recounts his own experiences with laggers, glitchers and just down right cheaters and wants it to stop. As he quite welly sums up "For the love of God, men, you should be in control here, not 12-year-olds and quarter-assed wannabe hackers"
"So here's the thing, Wii Fit has mass-market appeal, and Wii Sports comes packed in with the Wii, so it's understandable for them to outsell AAA titles from the other consoles. Wii Play, however, isn't even a GOOD GAME. No one will tell you that it is. Yet the fact that it comes with a Wiimote for only $10 more has encouraged nearly 20 MILLION PEOPLE to drop down their precious cash for the thing. More people own this game than Halo 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Gears of War COMBINED.
I think..."
"After 12 months of playing and enjoying as many games as possible, its time to take a break, look back and choose the best of the best - the best 10 games of the year 2008. As you can imagine, its a really tough mission, especially because the overall quality of the games released this year was pretty high (there were exceptions, of course), but we must choose the game of the year here, at the Unigamesity!"
2008 had tons of crazy moments in the world of gaming, and EuroGamer has decided to run through the events that happened from July all the way to December. They include the E3 conferences, the new 160 GB PS3, and Wii Music.
To check out the months before, click here.
"There was a time when I started my 360, jumped online, and messaged a friend to get out of Gears and pop in Halo. He would be greeted by the other people in our party ready to bullshit and kick ass while doing so. With the uprising of the Xbox Live Party Chat, those friends are leaving me with the choice of talking with them or trying to enjoy my game.
Initially I think that chatting with people who aren't playing the same game as me would be quite asinine, and it is, but I still found mys..."
Yes, it happens to be true, in the highly anticipated showdown between Soulja boy and MTV's Stephen Totilo the winner is..
Soulja boy?!
Afterwards, Soulja Boy offered Stephen a rematch, which he promptly accepted without hesitation.
The two started off the competition with Stephens choice, Geometry Wars, Then Soulja boy's game, Gears of War 2.
The Tiebreaker was decided between them, Street Fighter 2.
OXCGN writer looks at the current situation with Xbox 360 sales and the declining current sales of the PS3. Focusing on the need for all 3 major platforms if we are to see the market move ahead.
What does this mean? how will it affect sales this Christmas?, will there be continual slip in PS3 sales?
Slip over to the site and check out the article, not a XBox fanboi PS3 bashing, jy=ust an honest look at the current situation.
"With Christmas just around the corner (a fortnight is the measurement for around the corner. A month being down the road) and with the many Australian families given a government bonus to inject straight back into the veins of our dying economy, those ridiculously unaffordable consoles little Billy has been pestering you for may not be so far out of your reach any more. The question however is what makes the right Christmas present?
OXCGN isnt just about breathing life into the Xbox any m..."
FPS players play FPS games for a reason, they like to get stuck in hard and fast! This is why tutorials have always been a bit of an annoyance. The gamers would much prefer to just leap into the thick of it and learn as they go.
This is because spending ages learning all the controls is boring and can lose a lot of gamers fast. If the tutorial isn't really engaging, players will just let the game go as they want to immerse themselves in that world as soon as they can. Ghost Recon Advanced ...
David Jeffe is a man I feel I could like, dignified and smart when he needs to be, but blunt as a sledgehammer when he's passionate about something. In this case the cancellation of the Philadelphian Video Game Expo in without any notice, despite him meant to be making an appearance via Skype. And God of War 3, which he says he has seen and its graphics top absolutely anything he has ever seen, even Gears of War 2, which he is a big fan of apparently.
Take this as you will. Our lead Games Channel Editor sounds off on the final boss of Gears of War 2. I must admit, 2 days after the release of GoW2, I finally got around to beating the original and was utterly disappointed with Raam. I am only in Chapter 3 of Gears 2 now, and was really looking forward to the fight with the new general that was supposed to "make Raam look like a pushover". I wish I had not read this story from my editor. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Also, if you disagree please resp...
One fan is super happy Epic Games have included BOTS in the latest iteration of Gears Of War 2.
It seems the sentiment is shared by almost all Gears Of War 2 players, so slip over to the site and read an interesting article about the issue and how it does help those gamers who suffer terrible lag with Gears 2 (i.e. anyone outside North America).
"Just as Tom Cruise became weird and embarrassing, Cliffy B. has managed to emulate Toms annoying and obtuse approach to product promotion. Plain and simple, these antics arent going to help sell Gears of War 2. The game was already poised to break records, and its already been promoted enough. What Cliff is doing will only prove to be overkill for an already over-hyped game."
At the end of each DLC week, Videogamer gives their opinion on which system delivered the best content. This week, the PS3 got a NBA Live 09 demo, to go long with Rock Band songs.
Xbox Live got Destroy All Humans!, a Gears of War 2 trailer, and bikes added to Burnout Paradise. Last and least, the Wii only got three things: All VC games, with Sonic the Hedgehog leading the way.
So who won the DLC war? Hit the source to find out.
We all know Resistance 2 and Gears of War 2 are shaping up to be big titles that are both set to release in early November.
Blend Games, who writes reviews, previews, and other things about gaming, have decided to let us decide which game has the more "appealing" features between the two games for their face-off (Round 2). All you have to do is read through the current list of features for the games, and vote at the bottom!
You can check out Round 1 here.
Most would agree that the Xbox360 has the best online system on the market today with their Xbox Live service. However, with the continuing improvement of rival online systems on both PC's and the Playstation 3, is the annual fee of Xbox Live Gold Membership truly worth it, and what does it offer that the PSN and Steam don't? Read on to find out.
![Box shot of Gears of War 2 [North America]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvWGJveF8zNjAvQWN0aW9uL1Nob290ZXI=/gears_of_war_2_frontcover_small_VTpP8OUlJjcLSpZ.jpg)