Deal of the Day (Nov. 17th)

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Video Game Deal of the Day (Nov. 15th)

Video Game Deal of the Day

Need for Speed Shift for PS3 or XBOX360
Originally $59.99 on Sale for $39.98 until Sunday, Nov. 15th
while supplies last For more information click here

Madden 2010 - The best mobile game ever?

by Tiberius Jonez

I recently got a new phone; an LG Dare. I decided to buy a game to see what it could do, and after scouring the entire library of available games on the Verizon network (and reading some reviews) I settled on Madden 2010. At $10, Madden is one of the more expensive games on the Verizon network. Is it worth it? Read on.

After quickly downloading the game, it was installed and I was looking at the menu screen. There are three pretty standard modes of play; Play Now, Exhibition and Season. They are all exactly what you'd expect.

What you might not expect is just how fun and satisfying a football game can be on a touch screen phone.

When the initial kickoff takes flight, you are immediately struck by the graphics - Madden 2010 is essentially a N64 game squeezed into a cell phone. The motion is very smooth for the most part and the animations are quite good. The hit and tackle animations in particular are exceptional. Of course, Madden is fully licensed so all 32 NFL teams are represented.

The control scheme is a combination of a standard 8-direction digital pad located on the lower-left corner of the touch screen (directional toggle on non touch screens) and an "OK" circle that becomes visible in the lower-right anytime an action is available.

So here's how it plays out:

Touch the screen and the ball is snapped. The QB automatically drops back and starts surveying the field. Circles pop up on screen to represent your receivers and the "OK" circle is visible in the lower-right. The circles representing your receivers change colors depending on the action on screen. The colors are: green for uncovered, yellow for partly covered, and red for completely covered.

As a receiver comes open, you tap the "OK" circle, followed by the icon of the receiver you wish to throw to; on this play it was Adrian Peterson. A.P. catches the ball and starts up field. The "OK" icon pops up again, Tap it and the action freezes (actually slows down to a near stop) and a series of icons pop up representing different moves available to your ball carrier, such as spin move, hurdle, dive, change of direction, speed burst, stiff arm and others. I select spin move and Peterson spins, splitting two defenders and continuing up field.

As the "OK" circle refills another defender approaches from the side. The "OK" button fills up...I tap it and select stiff arm. A.P. sticks his hand in the defenseless defender's face and knocks him to the ground. As he resumes his upfield assault, the "OK" meter fills up again - I select celebrate inside the 10 yard line and A.P. holds the ball out behind him, taunting the defense as he struts into the endzone for six.

The controls are very well designed and give the action a very cohesive feel that is rare in mobile games. I have played nothing but this game for three straight days. If a cell phone game can keep me away from my Xbox 360 or PC, it must be pretty damn good.

One of the game's best features is the save system. If you exit the game for any reason - to take a call, text message or because you need to stop playing, your game progress is automatically saved at the moment following your last completed play. This save feature makes it very convenient for playing in short bursts.

Madden 2010 mobile is a fantastic game - the best I've ever played on a mobile device. It is fun, deep, and offers super tight controls. If you love football or just good games, you can't go wrong with this one. Pick it up.

PS3 Slim is a game changer?

by Tiberius Jonez

The worst kept secret in gaming is now officially outed. Sony announced the PS3 Slim to day; a smaller, lighter, more efficient and cooler PS3 with all the same features as it's predecessor. Using a third less power is a good thing, let's hope they improved the blu ray drive's reliability.

Does a smaller box and a much needed price drop make this a game changer for Sony? I doubt it. It certainly will boost sales this year, especially during the all-important holiday shopping season.

Microsoft needs to get Project Natal named and released sooner rather than later. From what I've read and seen, Natal is legit and if used properly, it could render the Wii obsolete overnight; at least in the minds of those gamers falling into the "XBox or PS3 for sure, and a Wii if it was a gift" crowd.

Blu Ray is becoming less of a draw for Sony as standalone Blu Ray players continue to come down in price. There have been no announcements of release dates for any Natal titles but all indications point towards a late 2010 release - holidays 2010?

If that is the case, Sony needs this year to prove most fruitful for PS3 sales. They could fuel that success by releasing more games designed to draw on the 360's success like Mag and Infamous.

I've been pondering a new PS3. This makes it more likely I'll have it sooner rather than later. I am super excited about Project Natal and a slew of good games coming to stores over the next 12 months. Next up, Forza Motorsports 3 and Modern Warfare 2.

This next year is going to be a good one for gamers everywhere.

A salty Brit's take on E3

by Brendan Rose

With E3 wrapping up, I thought I'd talk about some of the new games I think looked cool, as well as the games I think seem crap or that I'm indifferent towards as well as the new motion controls for the PS3 and Xbox.

Okay first up, Mass Effect 2, now I think this looks really cool. You can bring your old character over to the new game, and if you die you don't get to bring them over into the third game. It's supposed to be darker than the first Mass Effect, which is cool because it was kind of lame. I just sat around waiting the entire game for the lesbian sex scene with the blue alien girl, but it was a lot of fun, and I really liked the psychic powers. They've revamped the graphics and the combat, and you can now wound and cripple the enemy. It looks cool

Alright next we've got Bioshock 2, it seems really neat from the footage I've seen. Everybody knows this time around you get to play as a big daddy, with the proper drill. Slower this time, more lumbering, more powerful, and they've got the big sisters there to set up some good dynamics. It looks ok.

Heavy Rain, seems really cool. It's got the branching plot lines. If you die as one character you just switch to one of the others and the plot adjusts, and it just looks like it's got a lot of potential. I'm not a fan of those stupid quick-time events where you have to press a certain button fast enough to keep the scene going. I hate that. But it seems interesting enough for that not to matter.

Dead Rising 2 is going to be awesome. God of War III seems pretty good from the footage I saw. Everyone's pretty hyped about that game. I never played the God of War games, but I'll definitely try it out. Then there's Final Fantasy XIII and now XIV which will be online. Not much to say about that. I like the look of the new game, and VS sounds awesome.

Flashpoint 2 seems to be rolling along well and looks cool, if they ever release it. Left 4 Dead 2, looks exactly like the first game, which isn't exactly bad, I'll buy it, and some new maps would be fun. Then there's Halo ODST, I'd like to play another Halo. Looks ok.

Assassin's creed 2 seems neat with some new features, better assassinations. It looks like it could be fun. Brutal Legend seems kind of funny. Jack Black... Probably a stupid game, but I'll buy it just to have a look. New AVP, could be fun, if they get it right. Batman Archam Asylum is something I will take a look at later along with Crackdown 2.

Now moving onto the intermediate games there's MAG which seems interesting with 250 or so players. Dark Void just keeps floating around. Some Knights of the old republic game, others liked the earlier one. And then Lost Planet 2 which has fancy graphics and lots of neat action and open areas and big scary monsters to fight but I just look at it and I feel nothing. I feel dead inside.

Then the games that just look like festering shit. First, Uncharted 2. My god, can someone please kill the hype surrounding this miserable looking tomb raider thing. It looks so boring and stupid it makes me want to barf on a child. Modern Warfare 2, I have no interest in...none. I understand people love the first Modern Warfare, but I've never understood it. So, go ahead and let the flaming begin.

The Beatles Rockband will probably sell a lot of copies, but not to me. No way in Hell. And then there's some fucking Metal Gear thing going on... Some stupid shit... Looks like Metal Gear on Xbox. I really don't care

Then finally, these new motion controls, which I hope will strangle the last gulps of life out of the Wii like a boa constrictor on a stray duckling. First the PS3 has a motion controller set for 2010 release that looks at least as good as the Wii motion plus. And then the Xbox has this.... Magic thing....Project Natal. They just showed a weird trailer. If it lives up to the trailer it could be cool. No controller required. It scans your body with two cameras and tracks your movements in 3D, and it responds to voice commands. Could be cool if it works I guess. So the Wii has no power and no games at all, and whatever the Wii control once offered, is now available on a better system with real graphics, If they get it right.

So anyway that's what I thought of E3. Kind of cool. Like a nerd mecca.

TJ's Flashback : Xbox 360 vs PS3

by Tiberius Jonez

TJ's Flashback is a look back at unedited comments I've made online about gaming over the past decade. Sometimes they are amusing, sometimes I take pride in their accuracy, and once in a while they are a bit embarrassing.

What I thought at the time...

May, 2007 on 1UP.com

I liked it (my PS3) the first couple weeks I had it. The GT demo and Resistance kept me occupied for a little while. But then they got old, Motorstorm was utterly disappointing and anything else worth having (LAIR? blech!) won't be out until at LEAST 2008.

At that point it actually made me angry to look at the PS3 console everyday. This mammoth black box sitting on my desk taking up space without delivering anything to make it worthy of it's place next to my Xbox 360. I bought one Blu-Ray movie - Invinceable. Honestly it didn't look much better than regular DVD. Not enough so to make it a selling point, that's for sure. So, I listed on EBAY, sold it for $800 with the games and movie and put the money towards a new gaming PC.

Holidays 2008, when (if) the PS3 finally has some compelling software AND a significant price drop, I will consider buying one then.

But right now, you have to be a major Sony Fanboy or Sony Drone or just plain stupid to think the PS3 is a better gaming system than the Xbox 360 RIGHT NOW and for the remainder of 2007.

Beyond that we'll see. But right now Xbox 360 is the clear best of class. The Wii doesn't even count...it's not in the same class as either the PS3 or 360..

What I think now...

April 2009

If a friend asked me today which console to buy if he can only buy one, my answer is still Xbox360. When it comes right down to it, it's about the games, and in that respect Xbox has it hands down on the PS3. While Killzone 2 helps to give the PS3 some legitimacy, Sony has a long long way to run to catch Microsoft in terms of quality game library.

E3 2009 - PS3 fighting Xbox at home

by Tiberius Jonez

It's that time of the year again, when, fueled by energy drinks, gamers gorge themselves on reams of hype and participate in reckless speculation about everything and anything related to video games..it's E3 time.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is arguably the Superbowl of the gaming industry. If you're a developer introducing a new IP or a sequel to a beloved franchise, then E3 is where you want to make that presentation...and the stakes are high. Succeed, and you're guaranteed six months to a year or more of passionate free publicity from game magazines and bloggers from all over the internet. Blow it, and you're guaranteed at least that much negative press and badmouthing, a marketing blow too damaging for many to overcome.

Leading up to E3, I will be looking for interesting tidbits of news and information pertinent to E3 and all that it represents.

So, I was thinking to myself after reading some previews of Sony's upcoming games, that they were games I would expect to see on the 360. Then I stumbled upon an excellent article on how Sony is taking the development game to Microsoft on the PC giant's home turf.

If Sony would come to grips with their need to emulate Xbox Live, they could potentially swing market momentum in their favor. The timing is good for such a move as Microsoft is presently waging war in Europe, possibly leaving themselves vulnerable to a flanking maneuver by Sony.

InFamous and MAG both show a lot of early promise, but it remains to be seen which they will end up being compared to more, Killzone 2 or Stormrise. Read the full story here.

PS3 losing UK race vs Xbox 360

Slow and steady wins the race, right? Sony hopes so, as the PS3 continues to struggle in the UK.

According to UK retailer Game, Nintendo's Wii remains number one in terms of console sales with 4.9 million units sold. The Xbox 360 is a strong second, having moved 3.2 million units, while Sony continues to pull up the rear with 1.9 million PS3's sold in the UK since it's release a little more than two years ago.

Those numbers absolutely pale in comparison with those of Nintendo's DS. The big "N" continues to print money with the touch screen sensation, having sold a staggering 8.8 million units.

The PS2 is still alive and kicking in the UK as well, having just passed the 10 million mark in the UK.

These numbers lend credence to Microsoft's declarations earlier this week that they intend to once again turn their strategic focus to Europe, following up on an earlier UK push back in 2007. Microsoft this week declared victory over the PS3 in the U.S. and said it was time to focus resources and regionally targeted marketing strategies in an effort to essentially end the battle for the UK market.

Springing Gaming Forward

By Tiberius Jonez

It's April. The birds are chirping, warm breezes are blowing and here in Minnesota, people are spending more time outdoors and less time on their couches playing video games. Of course I'm not most people. Sure, I'm enjoying the Spring weather with plenty of time on the basketball court or playing softball, but I'm still getting my daily recommended allowance of gaming. With its predictable lack of new releases, Spring is a good time to catch up on games you've missed previously, and like a good multivitamin, your daily gaming diet should include a variety of nourishing ingredients.

I've been playing a smorgasbord of different games lately. I recently started playing Call of Duty 4 again after my best buddy recently bought an Xbox 360. He is addicted, and I am happy to feed his addiction with a steady diet of Headquarters and Hardcore Search and Destroy matches via Xbox Live. After a six month hiatus from the game, the truth that there is no better first person shooter on the market has been reaffirmed in my mind.

The Last Remnant has seen considerable time in my PC-DVD Rom drive and I am thoroughly enjoying it's beautiful scenery and lively combat. TLR's story is quite enjoyable too, but I really keep playing just so I can see the beauty of the next unexplored area. Honestly, this is the most fun I've ever had with a Japanese style RPG.


Fable II rounds out my big three of the Spring so far. I know the game's been out for a while, but when you play as many games as I do, you don't always get to try EVERY new release right away. In truth, I'm glad I had to wait this long to play Fable II. While I've been looking forward to playing it for a while, I did have some reservations about it. I have a long and star-crossed relationship with Peter Molyneux games, beginning with the original Black and White and continuing with Black and White 2 and the first Fable. Prior to their respective releases, I had huge expectations for these games, partly due to Molyneux's own marketing promises, and partly due to the hype propogated by my fellow game journalists. While I enjoyed all of them to differing degrees, I was also disappointed by each of them in different ways. So, while I was sure I would enjoy Fable II, I expected to be disappointed by it
on some level.

After five days of playing it, I can honestly say I've thoroughly enjoyed Fable II with very few downer moments. My only real complaint with the game is the menu system. Some actions require too many repeat trips into the menus, which tend to open a bit slowly. Other than that, the action, story, graphics and music of Fable II are all top notch.

The graphics deserve an extra mention. Walking through the world of Albion is a treat for the eyes at every moment. Aside from the occasional drab cave, the environment is stunning. I love that the game features day/night cycles, I only wish they were longer. An Albion day passes in five real world minutes, which is too short when you are enjoying a particularly beautiful sunset over Bower Lake.

The combat is greatly improved over Fable I, as is the overall story. If you haven't checked out Fable II, you owe to it yourself to play it.

I have other games on the back burner biding their time to get some time in my 360 or PC and I recently got Metal Gear Solid mobile which I've only played long enough to get through the VR training. I will have an update, and full review posted in the next couple weeks for MGS mobile.

Enjoy the warm weather and keep on gaming!

Two Years of GameJonez Blog and gaming in 2011

By Tiberius Jonez

A couple of weeks ago, GameJonez Blog passed its second birthday. During our first two years in existence, there’s been quite a bit of change in the world of interactive gaming. GameJonez Blog launched near the beginning of this current cycle of “Next Generation” console hardware, and since then we’ve witnessed the Wii-fueled resurrection of Nintendo, the evolution of Microsoft from underappreciated neophyte to legitimate industry powerhouse, and a seemingly endless series of missteps transforming Sony from overwhelming market leader to last place embarrassment and sometimes laughingstock.

We’ve seen premature declarations of the death of PC gaming, and the transition of computer and televisions displays from 4:3 full-screens to eye-popping 16:9 high definition. Technology advances quickly for those of us living on its “bleeding edge”, but nowhere is this more true than the world of PC gaming. In a mere two years, we’ve gone from the death of the Pentium 4 processor to the birth of dual core and now the latest Intel i7 quad core processors that are revolutionizing processor architecture. A $200 graphics card today is more powerful than an entire top of the line desktop PC built just five years ago.

Our consoles are now really just multimedia PCs running proprietary operating systems camouflaged in stylish cases. The Xbox 360 features three dual core processors and a very powerful ATI graphics processor that has proven to have plenty of headroom for growth, allowing for greater and greater levels of graphics splendor. The PS3 sports its much-hyped phalanx of cell processors, which has recently begun to show its promise in games like Killzone 2 and MLB ’09.

Microsoft legitimized online console gaming with the original Xbox, and since the release of the Xbox 360 they have taken the online experience to new levels. By offering Xbox Live Arcade games via download, movies and television shows via their partnership with Netflix, and games demos from the Live Marketplace, MS has shown that online console gaming can be both profitable and exciting when properly executed.

Sony continues taking painfully small baby steps with the Sony Online Network, constantly bumping into the furniture and stumbling around the room in the process. HOME remains MIA and I believe Sony will remain in catch-up mode in the online space until they swallow their collective pride and accept the need to charge for the service so they can invest the kind of capital needed to provide a truly unified online entertainment experience. It may be cliché at this point, but Sony needs to copy Microsoft’s online playbook, and then augment it with some new plays of their own making.

I’m purposely ignoring Nintendo in the online discussion, because that is pretty much what they’ve chosen to do themselves. Between clunky friend codes and a lack of online software, Nintendo has clearly eschewed the online space in favor of kid-centric single player experiences and offline multiplayer experiences like Wii Sports.

The ways we experience games and entertainment have changed so much in these two short years, it is difficult to predict what the interactive gaming landscape will look like two years from now. But the whole point of a blog is to speculate…so, here we go.

Here are some predictions I’ll make for 2011.

Aided by a second significant price drop, Sony’s PS3 will finally be hitting its stride, surpassing the Xbox 360 in annual hardware and software sales and finally realizing the potential of HOME as a valid alternative to Xbox Live.

Microsoft, un-phased by the PS3s new found success, will have already announced the next iteration of Xbox, simply called the X3. Microsoft’s next console, releasing on Friday, November 11, 2011, will attempt to capitalize on lessons learned with the Xbox 360 by hitting the ground running ahead of the competition with new technology, a 3 year replacement warranty and formidable launch lineups tailored to individual markets. North America’s X3 launch lineup will feature Call of Duty X-Patriot as an X3 exclusive, and Japan will be treated to an all-new entry in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XTC. Those titles would be enough for anyone, but the nuclear sized bombshell will be the X3’s crown jewel, an exclusive worldwide release of Hideo Kojima’s Magnus Opus, Metal Gear X.

Nintendo will release the Wii-2 three weeks after Microsoft’s new console, and it will feature high-def graphics, wireless DS/Wii-2 integration and will lose the motion sensing bar in favor of a sensor built into the console itself. Though the Wii-2 will remain inferior to the X3 in terms of raw horsepower, it will be bundled with a treasure chest of accessories, including an all-new balance board and light gun…the first from Nintendo since the original NES. Bundled games will be Time Crisis N, and Wii Fit 2. Thankfully, Nintendo will finally put their infamous friend codes out to pasture in favor of a unified online experience. It may not rival Xbox Live, but it will be a huge improvement over any online gaming experience Nintendo has offered previously.

Now, think about what you’ve just read and take a deep breath, and let the commenting begin. Share your predictions, and we’ll revisit this topic when GameJonez Blog turns 4. As always, thanks for supporting GameJonez Blog. Game on!