2011 Video Games Thread

[tyketime]

I think this whole 3D idea (games, TV's, etc) is a complete fad and waste. So yeah - they should be worried (as are 3D TV makers). Way overpriced + low demand = oops!

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by jeff061

I'm still crushed by how much the second one sucked, I refuse to get my hopes up. Thus I doubt the game will be 1/4 as good as this trailer, but nonetheless the trailer is well done.

I just saw a few more screenshots on this (probably not new but the first time I've seen them) and they all seemed to emphasize the "shoot-em-up" side of the game with almost none displaying any sort of RPG or strategy element that the first one had. Combine that with the way the game market seems to be going in the last 5 years (graphics over substance, poorly thought out single player campaigns, less "thinking" as a whole) and I have very, very low expectations of this being more like the first than the second. Let's keep our fingers crossed, because the first is still the greatest game ever made IMO.

[JediKooter]

I have to agree that 3D is nothing more than a fad as opposed to something that is sustainable. It's a gimmick that has a technobable name and once the consumers get to the "that's it, that's all it is?" point, the ooh ahh factor is gone forever and there's no reason to pay it a visit again.

Until they come out with the Holo Deck or something where you actually feel like you're part of that environment, 3D is only going to be 1950s technology wrapped in new packaging.

[mckerney]

Announcing “The International” | Dota 2

Dota 2 Championships: First Public Showing at Gamescom

Valve today announced The International. This tournament will be the first time Dota 2 is shown in public, and will take place August 17th -21st at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.

The International features the 16 best Dota teams in the world competing in the Dota 2 Championships through a group stage, double elimination playoff format over the course of Cologne’s five-day trade show.

The tournament will be broadcast in four languages (Chinese, German, Russian, and English) free of charge. The winning team will receive $1 million.

“The International is the first public Dota 2 event and will give the tens of millions of gamers playing Dota around the world their first look at the new game,” said Gabe Newell, president and founder of Valve. “I have had the good fortune to watch the competitors as they prepare for the tournament, and the level of play is extraordinary.”

In addition to the cash prizes awarded by Valve, NVidia is providing all the hardware for the event.

Dota 2 will be available for the PC and Mac later this year.

Awesome, cannot wait for this one.

[spleen1015]

So, Diablo 3.....

Blizz is going to set up an in game Auction House for you to sell the ultra super hot sexy gear. You can put it up for in game gold or real money. They will charge a fee for each auction put up.

I don't know what to think.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Announcing “The International” | Dota 2



Awesome, cannot wait for this one.

Umm...what's DOTA?

[DataKing]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

So, Diablo 3.....

Blizz is going to set up an in game Auction House for you to sell the ultra super hot sexy gear. You can put it up for in game gold or real money. They will charge a fee for each auction put up.

I don't know what to think.

I could see charging a free for transactions involving real money (a game trend which I personally despise and avoid like the plague), but for transactions only involving in-game currency? This I cannot get behind. While I still have every intention of playing Diablo III when(ever) it arrives, Blizzard won't be leeching any money off of me in this manner.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Umm...what's DOTA?

It's a Warcraft 3 mod that lead to clones like League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth. It's like an RTS, but you only control a single, very powerful unit. You're one a team of five people and your goal is to destroy the other teams base with help of AI controlled mobs.



This video should explain the genre, but has some times that are specific to LoL.

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by DataKing

I could see charging a free for transactions involving real money (a game trend which I personally despise and avoid like the plague), but for transactions only involving in-game currency? This I cannot get behind. While I still have every intention of playing Diablo III when(ever) it arrives, Blizzard won't be leeching any money off of me in this manner.

I've been reading all the "controversy". Namely requiring an internet connection, forbidding MODs and the auction house.

Frankly people like to get upset. Only thing that bothers me is the internet connection, simply because I travel a lot, more than probably 99% of their user base. And even then it's not nearly enough of a problem to piss me off. People have active connections to the internet in 2011.

Lack of mods, as an ideology it sucks. But I never used mods for 1+2, I doubt most have beyond duping items. Probably the majority of the people complaining about this haven't. It's a security thing that's really required now that they support an auction house..

On that point...don't like it then don't use it. Or hell, use it but only use it to sell. At least you have the option now.

People like to be pissed off at things. I'm more interested in the actual gameplay and to me the videos don't look so hot. I'm not sure they pulled off the transition to 3D.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

So, Diablo 3.....

Blizz is going to set up an in game Auction House for you to sell the ultra super hot sexy gear. You can put it up for in game gold or real money. They will charge a fee for each auction put up.

I don't know what to think.

I have zero interest in "Diablo 3".

I had fun with the first one. I bought "Diablo 2" when it came out, played it for a few hours and just became bored with it. The magic was gone. I found it dull and repetitive.

Actually, looking at Blizzard's products, I really don't have any interest in any of their games. I don't play "WoW" and never will. I had no interest in "Starcraft 2".

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Announcing “The International” | Dota 2



Awesome, cannot wait for this one.

Definitely excited to see DOTA 2 in action. The leaked game modes and features sound interesting.

LoL is fun and everything, but Riot moves at a snail's pace to add new features. I don't like HoN's art style so it's hard for me to get into it. Hopefully DOTA can strike a balance between the two.

[mckerney]

Limbo is out on PC today, though word is that it's a poor port to PC. Will wait until there's a sale and hope it's improved by then.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Definitely excited to see DOTA 2 in action. The leaked game modes and features sound interesting.

LoL is fun and everything, but Riot moves at a snail's pace to add new features. I don't like HoN's art style so it's hard for me to get into it. Hopefully DOTA can strike a balance between the two.

I didn't get into LoL the first couple times I tried it, though have picked it up again recently and been playing it quite a bit. I've been having fun with it but still prefer the gameplay of DotA and don't really things like summoner abilities and runes, so I'm really looking forward to see what Valve can do.

[tyketime]

Originally Posted by mckerney

I didn't get into LoL the first couple times I tried it, though have picked it up again recently and been playing it quite a bit. I've been having fun with it but still prefer the gameplay of DotA and don't really things like summoner abilities and runes, so I'm really looking forward to see what Valve can do.

Based on the advice of a couple FOFCers, and TotalBiscuit, I've been playing League of Legends for about a week now. I'm definitely having fun with it. It's free-to-play. There are microtransactions. There are 10 free champions that rotate on a weekly basis. I never played DOTA or HoN. This whole MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) is a genre I think will continue to grow.

What level are you at now Mckerney? I'm just at Level 6.

[tyketime]

Anybody taking a look at or purchasing Catherine? Sounds like a very interesting and unique RPG/Puzzle game. Reviews seem to be fairly promising so far (Metacritic score of 82 which includes 1 score of 40 with the other 16 ranking a 70 or higher).

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by tyketime

Based on the advice of a couple FOFCers, and TotalBiscuit, I've been playing League of Legends for about a week now. I'm definitely having fun with it. It's free-to-play. There are microtransactions. There are 10 free champions that rotate on a weekly basis. I never played DOTA or HoN. This whole MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) is a genre I think will continue to grow.

What level are you at now Mckerney? I'm just at Level 6.

The community is improving since the Tribunal was introduced, but it's still not for those those that get pissed easily.

Gabe from Penny Arcade summed up the community pretty well:

Last night in lol I was so good i was told i was op. Today I was told I suck so much I should uninstall the game.

MOBAs are the next big thing in online gaming and will probably make their way to consoles at some point. LoL is the closest thing there's been to a "WoW Killer" as it's the first game to surpass it in hours played according to XFire. If Dota 2 is as good as it could be then you'll probably see E-Sports in the US explode. LoL's season 1 championships were consistently hitting 200k viewers on their stream.

[cartman]

Interesting move from EA Sports. They are offering something called "Season Ticket" for $25. One of the things this will allow you to do is DL a full version of a game 3 days before release. You will be able to play it over the 3 days until it times out upon the game's release date. Other parts of the offer are a discount on downloadable content as well as deeper customization offerings. The 3 day demo might be worth the price itself, if you plan to rent the games anyway to try out.

EA's $25 "Season Ticket" offers prerelease games, cheaper DLC

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cartman

Interesting move from EA Sports.

Well, that's one word for it.

will allow you to do is DL a full version of a game 3 days before release. You will be able to play it over the 3 days until it times out upon the game's release date.

At which time it self-destructs & you still have to go out and buy it.

as well as deeper customization offerings.

OMG, you can now create-a-player on the interwebz instead of having to use that complicated console.

if you plan to rent the games anyway to try out.

Okay, sarcasm aside, in all seriousness: there's still people who do that? SRSLY?

But you left out the best part, beautifully described earlier today by a comment someone posted on pastapadre's story

And finally, a big glowing badge next to your user name telling everyone how much of a tool you are for buying this membership!

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by tyketime

Based on the advice of a couple FOFCers, and TotalBiscuit, I've been playing League of Legends for about a week now. I'm definitely having fun with it. It's free-to-play. There are microtransactions. There are 10 free champions that rotate on a weekly basis. I never played DOTA or HoN. This whole MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) is a genre I think will continue to grow.

What level are you at now Mckerney? I'm just at Level 6.

I'm level 22. My name in LoL is if you want to add me.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by tyketime

What level are you at now Mckerney? I'm just at Level 6.

I have a level 30 Rhiow, and a level 16ish smurf, Jarana, that only gets used to play with some lower level friends. I could create another smurf if you wanted to play normals sometime so as not to completely screw up your matchmaking for games. I don't think it would matter for bot or co-op vs AI games if you're still playing those to learn things. Anyway feel free to add me and ask all the questions you want while you're learning, the learning curve is huge, anything i could do to help i'd be happy to!

[rowech]

Originally Posted by cartman

Interesting move from EA Sports. They are offering something called "Season Ticket" for $25. One of the things this will allow you to do is DL a full version of a game 3 days before release. You will be able to play it over the 3 days until it times out upon the game's release date. Other parts of the offer are a discount on downloadable content as well as deeper customization offerings. The 3 day demo might be worth the price itself, if you plan to rent the games anyway to try out.

EA's $25 "Season Ticket" offers prerelease games, cheaper DLC

Trying to work their way back into the group of people who are done buying EA games. Hoping that those people will ante up for this.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Okay, sarcasm aside, in all seriousness: there's still people who do that? SRSLY?

I can't think of any game for myself that I rented before deciding to buy, but I do it for my girls all the time. We'll rent a Wii game to see if it is something that they can play (ie: if it is too complicated for the younger ones), and if the content is ok for them.

Some games end up being bombs with them and we save ourselves the money. Other games end up surprise hits (like for instance they all loved Rio for some unknown reason on the Wii) so we end up buying it.

[DeToxRox]

http://www.destructoid.com/deus-ex-h...e-207848.phtml

Cannot fucking wait for this.

[StLee]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

http://www.destructoid.com/deus-ex-h...e-207848.phtml

Cannot fucking wait for this.

Wow! I hope the story lives up to the trailer. I want it, too.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Another pirates game, seems promising. Anyone know much about it?

The Wargamer | For All Your Strategy Gaming on the 'Net

I figure this is a better place to respond with my impressions after a couple hours of play than the My Top Ten thread.

I played about two hours of Pirates of Black Cove tonight and have enjoyed it so far. You start by choosing a character from three options, with the options being the Streets of Rage style options of balanced, more power with less speed, and more speed with less power. The bulk of the action takes place controlling your ship on the seas of the Caribbean and I've found the ship controls quite reasonable. They move enough like real ships while still being arcadey enough to make the handling and combat enjoyable. In addition to combat there's also simple exploration, you can search for supplies that you can use for crafting at an alchemist, and also blueprints which can be traded to unlock ships (which you still have to then buy with gold) from the ship yard. You can fast travel to locations provided you remember to pick up the port's wind chime though for some reason wind chimes are single use items. After one use you'll lose the item and you have to pick up a new one while visiting the port. They're not hard to find, it just seems like it would be better if you just had to pick them up once when as it is there's always one available. So far I've only used them once, preferring to look for items in the sea, though I could definitely see myself using them more often later on in the game.

Combat hasn't been too difficult yet. There have been a few times where I've taken a lot of damage to larger ships, though you are able to find or buy tools which will instantly repair your ship. You can also try to capture ships if you have a human catapult, but it's difficult to actually land a hit with it. Most battles are optional, you can chose to attack any ship, though I have had one non mission encounter so far where I was attacked for being a pirate.

On land the combat plays it plays like a sub-par RTS, though those segments so far have been relatively short and work well enough to offer a break from the sailing missions. I don't know if it gets any more complex after you get additional units, but so far the combat hasn't been anything more than swarming the enemy units. I have found it kind of annoying that the friendly port towns you visit are laid out as part of the RTS portion. I'd rather not have to walk my main character around to get a quest, visit the shipyard, recruit units and then return to the ship. I'd personally rather have a menu to chose them as options. I'm not sure if you have combat encounters later on in some of your visits, but even then it seems like it'd be less of a hassle to just bring up the city RTS map in those situations. Another annoyance is that you can set groups of units to hot keys, though it doesn't save your groups after you leave an area. Each time you dock you have to reset them.

The missions have had a decent variety so far and I'm hoping that it stays that way. I don't know anything about the developer Nitro Games so I'm not sure what to expect from them, but this seems like the kind of game that under some poor developers would see you doing a lot of repetitive quests. I haven't seen anything to indicate that this is the case in Pirates of Black Cove so far, but it's something I'm looking out for. I am looking forward to doing the mission I just picked up where I have to destroy a ship that's faster than mine by watching the route it sails and intercepting it along the way.

The games voice acting is pretty bad, though at least it works with the campy and funny atmosphere that the game is going for. Stability seems to be an issue also. I've had one crash to desktop in my play so far, and I've read about others having similar issues, and RPS reports there may be a bug which prevents progressing in the story. Thankfully when I experience a crash the game had autosaved the last time I left a port, which was good because I hadn't saved at all and it left me without losing much progress.

As far as how it compares to Pirates! the open seas part is the same sort of game but other than that it's much simpler. You don't have to worry about keeping your crew happy, and there's no trade or diplomacy either. If you're looking for something as complex as Sid Meier's Pirates! this doesn't look like it is it, though so far I've found it to be a fun game that is in the same genre which hasn't seen many new games lately.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Okay, sarcasm aside, in all seriousness: there's still people who do that? SRSLY?

Gamefly's got a business model, so clearly there is.

I prefer the 'downloadable demo' method, but not every game gets those.

I don't actually RENT much, but I rented Rock Band 3 when it came out so I could take advantage of the launch Doors freebie tracks. Also, so I could futz with it some for a day or two when I didn't have the money to buy it.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by mckerney

As far as how it compares to Pirates! the open seas part is the same sort of game but other than that it's much simpler. You don't have to worry about keeping your crew happy, and there's no trade or diplomacy either. If you're looking for something as complex as Sid Meier's Pirates! this doesn't look like it is it, though so far I've found it to be a fun game that is in the same genre which hasn't seen many new games lately.

Thanks for the review. I may just have to spend the $20 (I think) and get it.

I wish Sid would come up with a dlc to Pirates. Not a new game, just add more fun stuff and maybe upgrade the graphics. I'd pay $50 for that.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Thanks for the review. I may just have to spend the $20 (I think) and get it.

I wish Sid would come up with a dlc to Pirates. Not a new game, just add more fun stuff and maybe upgrade the graphics. I'd pay $50 for that.

I wouldn't say I could give it a full review at this point, but I've certainly enjoyed the first couple hours so far. Based on my early impressions I think if you like Pirates! and are fine with playing a simplified version of it I think you should probably enjoy it. I've read that another patch is coming soon which will hopefully reduce some of the crashes, and also I've had some occasional stuttering during combat that's had me worried it would lead to a crash.

I think the biggest issue that will determine to how much I ultimately like this game is how much variety there is in the missions. As I mentioned in my last post, this seems like the kind of game that could end getting a bit boring and tedious if it has a bunch of repetitive quests. I don't think Pirates of Black Cove is destined to be one of my favorites, but if the storyline quests can stay fun and fresh it could end up being an enjoyable game.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I've had some speed issues with Pirates of Black Cove, but I'm guessing that an optimization patch or two should resolve it. Enjoyed it thus far. The free game that is included on Steam is fun as well.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Apparently Nintendo is actually a bit scared that no one is buying the 3DS with the Vita a few months away.

The 3DS is getting a 30% price drop to $170 on August 12th. Those that bought a 3DS before then are getting 10 free NES virtual console games along with 10 free GBA virtual console games.

The DS outsold the 3DS 2 to 1 over the last quarter worldwide.

Nintendo 3DS Gets Sudden, Massive Price Drop

Looks like you might be able to get the price drop and the 20 free games from WalMart if you buy on August 9th.

Walmart to Offer $170 3DS Early, Letting You Get the Best of Both Worlds - Report

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

I've had some speed issues with Pirates of Black Cove, but I'm guessing that an optimization patch or two should resolve it. Enjoyed it thus far. The free game that is included on Steam is fun as well.

My issue has been during naval combat the game has frozen for one or two seconds a few times, which has always worried me because that's what happened before the CTD I had. Hopefully most of the issue will be fixed like with Magicka, the other recent and buggy Paradox release.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by mckerney

My issue has been during naval combat the game has frozen for one or two seconds a few times, which has always worried me because that's what happened before the CTD I had. Hopefully most of the issue will be fixed like with Magicka, the other recent and buggy Paradox release.

Yep, that was my experience as well.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Just played the Bastion demo via xbox arcade, going to purchase it right now.

The game is beautiful and the narration as you play is freaking awesome.

Very addicting.. going to be up late tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TptJHeWngJs

Will be out on PC in 11 days.

Bastion Looks Set for August 16th Date | Rock, Paper, Shotgun

[Edward64]

Another review

The Wargamer | For All Your Strategy Gaming on the 'Net

The Good: Variety of character skills and ship abilities, some scripted item crafting, nice waves

The Not So Good: Land and naval battles lack tactics, tedious movement at sea and on land through sparse game worlds, superfluous town management, loot magically reappears in the same locations, repetitive quests, no difficulty settings, questionable enemy AI, little difference between starting character choices, some technical issues

What say you? This pirate adventure is boring and tiresome with little reward

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Looks like you might be able to get the price drop and the 20 free games from WalMart if you buy on August 9th.

Walmart to Offer $170 3DS Early, Letting You Get the Best of Both Worlds - Report

Possible elsewhere if you take advantage of the price match guarantees offered by various retailers also, I'd imagine.

[JediKooter]

Ok, I know this isn't a 2011 game, but, as a fan of the movie, I thought this looked interesting.

[Atocep]

I've been looking forward to Colonial Marines for a couple years now. At this point I'm just happy it didn't turn into vaporware.

[JediKooter]

I believe this is different than the one that was supposed to come out in the early 2000s? Gearbox is doing this one (Borderlands & just announced...Borderlands 2).

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

I believe this is different than the one that was supposed to come out in the early 2000s? Gearbox is doing this one (Borderlands & just announced...Borderlands 2).

Gearbox announced this one before Borderlands was announced and released a couple of screenshots. Then Borderlands became their focus and you didn't hear much about it. I know Game Informer did an article on it sometime in '08 and it had been announced over a year before that.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Gearbox announced this one before Borderlands was announced and released a couple of screenshots. Then Borderlands became their focus and you didn't hear much about it. I know Game Informer did an article on it sometime in '08 and it had been announced over a year before that.

Ah ok cool. I know there was one supposed to be one released around 2001 and that never materialized, but, that's about all I know about it. Hopefully, this Colonial Marines is as fun as Borderlands. I think the newest Game Informer has a write up about this version.

[DeToxRox]

12 more days until Deus Ex. Easily has become my most anticipated game of 2011 which is saying a lot.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

12 more days until Deus Ex. Easily has become my most anticipated game of 2011 which is saying a lot.

Just preordered and have been reading up on it. Glad they offered the option to turn off the orange glow on items and have a different HUD on PC after seeing a wheel on preview videos. Should be a no brainer for games, but sadly isn't always the case.

[mckerney]

Valve is expected to announce Counter Strike: Global Offensive tomorrow. I'm not a big Counter Strike fan, but it could be worth checking out. It'll be curious to see if they're planning to do anything with it on consoles or if they're just trying to bring 1.6 and Source players together. I've wondered if Valve would try to do anything with Counter Strike to see if they could compete with Call of Duty or Battlefield on 360 and PS3.

[spleen1015]

I know some of you guys have played the Disgaea series of games.

Do I need to play 1 & 2 to enjoy 3 & 4? Is the story continuous between the 4 games?

[cartman]

These threads where parents ask why their kid's accounts got suspended sometimes are awesome.

http://forums.xbox.com/xbox_forums/x...10/299871.aspx

Originally Posted by Parent

My sons account was suspended, and I would like to know why. His gamertag is GoD Ii HaDeS iI

xboxlive.com states there was an email sent stating reasons, but no such email was received. I would appreciate any insight with this matter.

Thank You

Originally Posted by XBox Live Admin

You really should have a word with your son regarding what is and is not appropriate, not just on Xbox LIVE but in general society. The profile content for the account GoD Ii HaDeS iI was informing users that he was going to force them into unwanted sexual congress. The account had previously been suspended for threatening to shove his anatomy into the reader's backside, demanding the oral satiation of said anatomy and blatant sexism. While we apologize for any frustration this suspension may have caused, the content of his account's profile is blatantly in violation of the Code of Conduct and thus a suspension was issued. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cartman

These threads where parents ask why their kid's accounts got suspended sometimes are awesome.

I never even knew those threads existed until a couple of weeks ago when I stumbled across them. I was amazed at how many of them XB staff actually responded to, and it was clear they were looking into the details behind most of their replies.

[lighthousekeeper]

lol

[Kodos]

Any news on a new Left 4 Dead installment?

[tyketime]

Just saw this:

As many of you speculated, it seems that the retail version of Battlefield 3 will indeed require Origin to be installed on your computer in order to play it.

I don't think I like the direction these companies are taking now. I own the game, there should be relatively few restrictions...

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Any news on a new Left 4 Dead installment?

I'd be surprised if there was another Left 4 Dead game coming out soon. I'd expect something closer to Valve's normal development cycle after only a year between 1 and 2. Plus the Left 4 Dead team seems to be spending their time on porting the Left 4 Dead campaigns into Left 4 Dead 2. At least with they longer wait for sequels of Valve games they also release free content updates.