Posted via web from Jeff’s Preposterous Posterous

Anybody heard of Entropia Universe? It’s a competitor to Second Life, except with a real life currency exchange rate.

A few years back, an enterprising cyber-freak named Jon Jacobs mortgaged his house and bought an asteroid in Entropia for about $100k. Crazy right? Not so much. He has since made his money back 10 times over (at about 250k per year) with a marketplace, virtual manufacturing, and trade tax.

Now, in honor of the name he gave his virtual property (Club Neverdie), he’s started Neverdie Studios in Los Angeles, and created a new world in Entropia for us all to enjoy.

The new universe is reminiscent of what Brutal Legend was trying to do, creating rock and pop music inspired zones that cater to the musically charged.  Put in the cash, and buy a guitar axe to destroy your enemies with.  Or choose from an array of guns as well.  In addition, dress like a rock star and hang with actual rock stars (explained below).

The instant you join the world, you get logged into the radio.  It’s governed by where you are, so you could go to a virtual rock concert, or dance to club music if you’re down. I’ll admit, the first time you log in, you’re hit with the likes of Souljaboy, Mandy Moore, Ludacris, and Parachute, so if you’re not into that kind of music… there is an option to turn the radio volume to mute (but not off).

The greatest, and possibly the worst part about this game is the incredible simplicity.  Download the game client for free, and create a character.  Within about 10 minutes, you’re off and running around.

Unfortunately, if you don’t spend any cash, you can expect long and tedious hours harvesting “Sweat” (on average you can expect to get about 100 per hour).  1000 Sweat = about 5 PED (Project Entropia Dollars) which in turn exchanges to about $0.50 real dollars.  And if you imagine that you’ll be spending PED on everything from weapon ammunition to clothes…etc.  Don’t expect to go anywhere fast without putting in some real dough.

The environments are vivid and huge.  The engine is using CryTek 2 technology, which is pretty stellar for an MMO.  While the styling is great, expect to run for miles without seeing anyone.  It’s a fairly quiet and lonely landscape (understandable for how new it is).  The server currently runs about 1000 people on one server at a time, but rumor has it they’ll be upgrading to 50,000 soon.

Motorhead’s Lemmy and Singer/Songwriter Kevin Rudolph partnered with Neverdie to create personal realms within Rocktropia.  Go kill Zombies in ZOMHattan or battle monsters in Lemmy’s Castle.  Apparently they like to hang around and terrorize the unsuspecting themselves, so be careful in those areas.

Well, overall, it’s definitely a game for people who want to combine love for music with gaming and virtual world building.  This definitely isn’t World of Warcraft.  It’s property management, business, and marketing while running around and killing monsters in a virtual world.  Rocktropia is largely unclaimed, property-wise, so if you’re into it, I’d get in there and start investing!

By the way, there is a jump button, but you have to figure out how to map it.  I got stuck for a half-hour before I figured out there was a way to jump out.  Don’t let it happen to you.

Rocktropia

Today, the sequel to one of the most creative, unique, and simply adorable games I’ve ever played was “formally” announced, alongside the trailer above.

So what makes this announcement momentous?

Little Big Planet 2 will feature full integration with all 2 million player created levels from LittleBigPlanet 2. This news is HUGE, especially from a developer who has gone on the record in the past to dismiss a sequel as “counterproductive” to building and improving upon the player run community. The added features: namely player created AI, are really just icing on the cake.

LittleBigPlanet wasn’t a perfect game. I had a few issues with several aspects of the game that I am excited to see resolved in the sequel. These include:

• Multiplayer support without sharing the screen. This would allow for greater flexibility, especially in large levels, and help eliminate some of the frustration when one player getting stuck offscreen.
• A better level/user search engine. Sometimes I’d play a great level, but forget to favorite it, and would never be able to find it again.
• Better navigation and interface. sometimes the sheer number of items and tools available to the user were daunting, especially within the simplistic GUI that they were forced to fit in.
• Better precision with the creation tools. The amount of time required to achieve the level of precision necessary in building mechanical devices or large set pieces was often overwhelming. The snap-to grids were helpful in the first game, but they didn’t always suit the need of the situation.

What new features/fixes would you like to see in LittleBigPlanet 2?

The newest level in the Left 4 Dead saga is a 3-chapter kill-a-thon entitled The Passing. This level is situated between L4D2’s first two acts, Dead Center and Dark Carnival. If you’re at all familiar with the campaigns, you know that Dead Center ends with our four heroes gallantly omitting themselves from a zombie-infested shopping mall, with the help of a NASCAR-ish stock car. The Passing attempts to create a bridge between the mall and the Dark Carnival levels, with middling success.

The level itself is pretty awesome. It’s a very short ride (as I stated earlier, only 3 chapters instead of the expected 4 or 5), but it’s never a boring one. The action is nonstop, and the finale is among the series’ most intense. (i.e. more than one occurrence of the rare sentence “OH MY GOD HERE COME TWO MORE TANKS.”) The Passing also sports some cool set pieces (zombie wedding, anyone?). But overall, this level brings very little new content to an already bloated title.

The foot lockers, which can be easily uncovered and contain a TON of one specific item (i.e. pipe bombs, pills, or molotovs), are pleasing on an aesthetic level, but in terms of usage are damn near pointless. Why would I care about a box of 90 bottles of pills, when I can only carry one bottle at a time? These lockers are completely useless, no matter how you spin it.

Another addition to the game with this DLC is the M60 machine gun. Granted, it is awesome to be able to carry around a giant gun in the zombie apocalypse. But this gun is worthless. It is among the most inaccurate weapons in the game, comes with a limited amount of ammo, and it fires WAY too fast. This gun is cool for coolness sake alone, but I constantly found myself passing up the chance to wield it.

All in all, we (Jeff and I) had a blast playing through The Passing. And it was nice to see the survivors from the first game making cameos in the finale. It’s a fun level, but nowhere near as memorable as Dark Carnival or Hard Rain. If you’re a die-hard Left 4 Dead fan (like yours truly), it’s definitely worth your 7 bucks. And the new set of achievements might reel in a couple of you stragglers. But to the casual Left 4 Dead player, this DLC can simply be considered Dead on Arrival.

I’ve been playing the Halo: Reach Beta for a few days now, and it’s definite change from the past.  Or…maybe they’re returning to the past.  Or maybe they’re bringing the past into the future.  Now my head hurts.

Here’re some impressions–without any appearances by Michael J. Fox.  

There are a few things they definitely need to fix (read: “beta”), but overall, this game is a better representative of the Halo canon than even Halo 3 was–from a playability standpoint.  Reach is a grittier and more ‘realistic’ game, despite still being set in a science fiction world.  It almost seems like they decided to take a few pages from the Call of Duty playbook, which I’m not totally against, especially in areas like movement and shooting.

Overall Feel: The feel of the game is an extension of the original Halo: featuring shorter jump height, the return of health bars, and a wider FOV.  Grenade tossing is a little more of a direct throw than a lob.  Animation also plays a huge role in the ‘throwback’ feel of the game, featuring some animation motions in grenade tossing and pistol-whipping from CE.

Some big changes include the introduction of a “Reticule Bloom” which shows the accuracy of your shooting for a split second after each shot.  Also, we have a few different loadout abilities or classes: each player can choose between sprint, jetpack, invincibility, or invisibility.  All of these abilities have a time limit with a recharge.

It’s growing on me.  At first, the jump height was one of the biggest things I had to adjust to, along with the reticule bloom.  But neither detract from gameplay.  It’s really tough to imagine this being a beta, being how polished it is already.  I think I only ran into one little frustrating glitch, which even could be considered a personal preference issue.

Here is one thing I LOVE: Most of you out there have heard me rant calmly point out specific ways in which recent FPS games have failed to provide a real feature supported learning progression for skilled players as they continue to play.  Games like Halo 3 and Call of Duty were milktoast in offering a set of features that could really diversify the level of competition.  BUT, Halo: Reach is finally addressing the issue with the new loadout abilities.  The ways in which each ability can be used is diverse and flexible, and no ability is overwhelmingly overpowered.

Also, one feature that I found interesting was melee countering.  For instance, if you melee at someone who is in mid-charge with a sword–with the right timing, they will bounce off you without killing you.

Multiplayer Rating: The old Halo 3 rating system has been scrapped for another experiment.  This time they actually give you a number from 1 to 2000 (although I doubt anyone is rated below 1000 at the moment).  Also, the multiplayer roundup features “Seasons” in which you play until the end of the season when all ratings reset.  All I can think is, great, more gimmicks to make me even more addicted.  Screw you Bungie.  Nevermind.  I love you.

Background: There isn’t much background to the game yet, but the levels are pretty fantastic looking.  I’m still a little interested to see how they reconcile the Mark III Spartans with the lore from The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund.  Also, being that since this is supposed to be a prequel to the original Halo… will they completely do away with Brute weapons?

So, if you haven’t picked up ODST yet because of complaints about how short the game was reported to be, don’t worry.  Now it’s worth it.  The beta is fun, and it evolves the Halo multiplayer experience far enough without totally losing authenticity.

If you bought Mass Effect 2 new, then you are already familiar with the slew of free DLC via the Cerberus Network that has been released in the relatively short time the game has been out. Most games that even see DLC only get one  or two installments at most, and rarely are they ever free. While the ME2 Cerberus Network DLC has been a little hit or miss, lets be honest: its free. Being such a huge fan of Mass Effect 2, and the first game as well, I was more than happy to shell out a few bucks for the Kasumi DLC pack.

The DLC is basically a new team member’s  loyalty mission merged with their introductory/acquisiton mission. Just like the Zaeed content, but with a bit more substance. Kasumi is the most proficient thief in the galaxy, and has agreed to join your team on one condition: you help her in one last heist.

The mission itself has you attending a party full of the worst villains and scum in the galaxy (more of a wretched hive, really).Despite being the onetime savior of the Citadel, and likely having one of the most recognizable faces in the galaxy, Simple putting on a nice coat is a apparently a sufficient disguise for Shephard. The mission has you wandering the party to acquire access to a high security vault. It actually reminded me a lot of the embassy party mission in Mission Impossible 64 (sans facemaker and explosive bubblegum), which was arguably the only moderately enjoyable part of that game. The second part of the mission is your typical run and gun, but the boss fight is surprisingly tough.  Kasumi, like Zaeed, is a pretty forgettable character, especially compared to the main team members. She has some pretty cool abilities though, but it remains to be seen if you’d use her much outside of this mission.

The odds are weighed, and the burning question is: Should you pay for this DLC pack when the rest so far have been free? The easy answer is–no. It introduces nothing new, and is only about an hour or so worth of new content. But if you are a big Mass Effect nerd like me, then you probably already bought it. Its not a total waste of time, but I don’t know if it merits the price point ( ~$7) when compared to to the free DLC. Have you played the Kasumi DLC? What were your thoughts on it? Leave a comment below!

It’s been about six months since one of the most difficult and innovative singleplayer experiences I’ve ever played went live. This is an aftermath review of one of my most hated and revered games.

The Experience

Demon’s Souls is one of the first games I’ve ever played that blurs the line between singleplayer and multiplayer. This isn’t your typical coop experience either. It has a natural feel to it, without pressuring players to navigate invites and game connections. As you play normally, you see the ghosts of other players running in and out of your field of vision–each doing the same thing you are. It’s almost reassuring to know (in real time) that other players out there are struggling through the same problems. It’s almost a support group, which is needed, because the game itself is harder than balls.

Difficult

I’ve never been accused of getting angry enough to break a controller, but I almost ate PS3 plastic with this game. The frustration lies in this game’s flippant disregard for the norm in game design standards–that is, consequence-free gaming. Demon’s souls is not a game which allows you instant restarts and lives. It hurts when you die. You lose hard-earned souls (money) and you have to find a way to regain your body (which you don’t get back except by very strict and difficult methods). The enemies in Demon’s Souls are unforgiving and ruthless, so this is not a game for the impatient.

Saving Grace

We do have help, however–in the form of dead people looking to regain their bodies. If you die, you get to put yourself out there to be summoned by someone else. If you manage to succeed in helping them through the level, you will regain your body, and can start back where you left off. Course, all this sounds easy, but the rub is in “helping them through the level.” Did I mention this game is hard as balls? Even 2 or 5 people working together to beat a level isn’t a guaranteed thing.

Also, you have the ability to decipher glowing messages that people leave for you–warning of troubles ahead, or strategies to beat a level boss, etc. You can touch bloodstains to see how people died (which isn’t all that informative.) The biggest limitation here are the pre-fabbed messages you have to use. If your message isn’t in the list of choices, you’re out of luck.

Story

The story has a unique context for the setting, but it’s easy to lose track of what’s going on. There are extremely rich and amazing environments to explore, but interactivity is really at a minimum. In other words, you can’t do anything except break shit. Other than the interesting multiplayer component…this is a pretty straightforward RPG with light support from the story and NPC’s. Without a “mission tracker” or map, it’s easy to forget who you’re talking to or where to go.

This really isn’t the driving force behind the game anyway, however.

Mechanics

The mechanics of the game are its biggest drawback. One expects that a tough game so reliant on individual skill and accuracy would have a clean and accurate fighting system and animation set. Wrong. Animations in this game are rough around the edges, and the visual cues for attacks/damage/parry/etc. seem like an afterthought. Parrying is a joke, especially when missing means instant death. They should take some lessons from action RPG’s like Assassin’s Creed or Prince of Persia.

Other People

So, while I mentioned that you can summon other people to help you through the level, there is a flip side.  People can invade your game to kill you too.  I didn’t even know about this until I got a big menacing message on my screen saying, “ASSHOLE99 HAS ENTERED YOUR GAME” and then a red glowing guy came out of nowhere and backstabbed me.  The second time it happened, I was better prepared, and managed to send the guy back to the grave.  This made for interesting breaks in the gameplay.

Overall

This game is worth every cent, and probably has the best replay value of any singleplayer RPG I’ve ever played. It is incredibly satisfying when you finally get through to the next stage, and the rewards are not skimpy. I really appreciate the design in

Fair warning: this game is not for chumps. It’s difficult and unforgiving. I would almost suggest looking up the Demon’s Souls wiki online for some strategy tips.

Vince Zampella and Jason West, the former heads of Infinity Ward, announced the formation of a brand new studio: Respawn Entertainment.  Respawn will be doing publishing through Activision chief rival, EA, whom is also providing them with unprecedented full IP rights and ownership.  OMFG. This is totally insane.  But, it foretells a new trend in the video game world in which companies are starting to invest in individual talent, much like the movie industry does.

Seeing as how Vince and Jason are the creators of one of the most successful entertainment titles ever–EA probably isn’t taking that big of a risk.

Rumor also has it that people have started to bleed out from Infinity Ward to join them–including Todd Alderman, who is one of the designers largely responsible for CoD 4 and MW2’s groundbreaking multiplayer systems.

That said, God of War III largely makes up for this with its simply stunning visuals. Lighting, animations, and blood splatter are all some of the best I’ve seen. I’m not the kind of gamer that buys a game simply for its graphics, but GOW3’s visuals certainly do not disappoint. Voice acting is disappointing, and its obvious the budget was not spent here. I think we can all agree that voice acting in games is usually pretty abysmal, so its hardly worth crying over (I think Uncharted just has me a little spoiled). Finally The core gameplay received some welcome interface and functionality changes, such as the dedicated power bar, and the magic/special weapon pairings. Though of the four new special weapons, the cestus is the only one that you are likely to use much. One issue that plagued the first two games, the fixed camera, remains disappointingly unresolved.

For the most part, I really enjoyed God of War III, and I think you probably will too. But If you missed the original two games, do yourself a favor and pick them up first (via the God of War Collection).  Canon aside, they both feature some truly memorably gameplay that still holds up in the current generation. Then grab God of War 3 for the impressive visuals, and a semi-satisfying conclusion to a great franchise.

Also, check out Zack’s thoughts on the game in the Comments section below.

Ok. I’m back after a bit of a hiatus, and I have a confession. My gamertag is “NewtonsLaww” and I have an addictive personality — (everyone: Helloo newtonsla…nevermind). But it’s this personality that has led me to certain television shows over the years like Joe Millionaire, the old Jerry Springer, and even a little Jersey Shore.

So–what do they do? They go and create a Gamer reality show called WCG Ultimate Gamer. Reality show about GAMES?!?! Great. Just great.

I’m already a gamer with a weakness for bad reality TV. Why. WHY DID YOU MAKE THIS?

This isn’t that other lame reality show that’s still on at the moment. Let me tell you–spending weeks competing for the chance to get a testing job is some of the biggest BS ever. Do these people know how bad testing is for a job? Soul-wrenching. (I’ve done it).

By the way, open auditions are on April 7th in Los Angeles, 10th in New York and Atlanta. Or you can submit a video.