Why I won’t be buying Shattered Horizon
by ZombieSkittles on February 20, 2010
in Gaming
Shattered Horizon is supposed to be a first person shooter set in space. Zero gravity, space stations, and all that amazing stuff we dream of blowing up. I was given a guest pass to it by a friend on Twitter, and decided to give it a go a while ago. Then I got to attempt to play it again today, as the game is currently having a free weekend. After loading it today, I can say that I’m not interested in the slightest in ever purchasing this game.
I borrowed this screenshot from the main site. I’d take my own, but I can’t get into a game.
During the guest pass period, I logged on twice, and out of those two times, the busiest was when there was a whole seven people playing, spread out over five servers. I’ve never been interested in playing small games, least of all when I’m new to it, so I let it go.
This weekend, since the free weekend is on and the game is already preloaded on my computer, I logged in half an hour ago to give it another go. This time, most servers were full. However, not only were there no servers under 200 ping for me, but whenever I connected to a server, I was disconnected before I was actually able to play, with no reason supplied. How can I try a game when they won’t let me play?
This experience has killed any desire I have to play it.
Demo discs
by ZombieSkittles on February 13, 2010
in Gaming, Opinion
When I was a kid, playing the demos contained on magazine discs, or in other games themselves was a thrill I had to have. There was nothing like buying a brand new copy of Playstation Magazine and feasting on the one playable level goodies inside. Hours were spent playing one level of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 with friends, boasting about how we’d accomplished tricks reaching 10,000 points. I remember playing the shareware version of Quake in awe, scared of the scene on the spiral bridge where the lights turn off, but you can still hear the grunts of your concealed enemies. I remember the glee I had when it turned out there was a full demo of Spyro The Dragon 2 concealed on my copy of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, and played it almost as much as the actual game the disc was marketed as.
I treated demos not only like the trailer for the game it was intended, but as actual games. They provided variety when one couldn’t afford to buy lots of games, and when they weren’t readily available at our fingertips. Over time demo discs have stood the test of time, but I have to admit, lack the appeal that they used to. Nowadays they’re packed with full freeware games, mods for games you may already have, reviews, videos, and even more. Despite this, I’m finding I’ve grown less and less interested. I attribute this partly to the cheapness and availability of games online nowadays (I picked up Left 4 Dead on special for $7.50, and I gifted someone the original Aliens Vs Predators for $5), which means it’s not such a hassle if I buy a game and don’t like it. Demos were meant like movie trailers, in that they are meant to give us a taste of the game, to entice us to buy it by seeing how good it is. With prices being so low when purchased through Steam and the like, I’ve stopped looking at them.
This isn’t to say they don’t have a place in today’s world though. I did buy a copy of one of the many Xbox 360 magazines around, and it came with a demo for Ghostbusters, and Splosion Man. The single level of Ghostbusters was quite stunning, and if it weren’t for the fact that the game is a little expensive, I’d probably own it (the fact it’s single player is a bit of a downer too). Splosion Man looks like an addictive side scroller too, and the only thing stopping me getting that is an Xbox Live account.
What’s your standing in the world of demos? Do you play them still? Do you buy magazines with them still? I’m curious.
Out of Office
by ZombieSkittles on February 13, 2010
in Internet, Random
As part of a post on NotGamers, I sent a question to Robin Walker at Valve Software, only to receive an out of office email saying to contact Gabe Newell about anything TF2 related. I sent the same email to him, to get this reply:
I am out of the office starting Feb. 12th (but on email). For general issues, e-mail scott@valvesoftware.com. For marketing or press issues, e-mail lombardi@valvesoftware.com. To complain about HL-2 Ep 3 taking too long, email laidlaw@valvesoftware.com. To complain about L4D2 not taking long enough, email toml@valvesoftware.com. To complain about the crafting/lack of crafting in TF2, email robin@valvesoftware.com To compliment the writers of Valve for creating funny out of office replies, email lazygadabouts@valvesoftware.com. I’ll be back in Seattle Feb. 21st.
I couldn’t help but laugh. Seems they have their fan base pretty much covered.
Healthy competition in TF2
by ZombieSkittles on December 11, 2009
in Gaming
Team Fortress 2 has released a teaser update prior to the it’s next set of class upgrades. Only three classes haven’t had an update complete with unlockables yet, and now Valve are rolling out two of them; Soldier and Demoman.
To do this, they’ve set up a story about the RED team’s demoman and the BLU soldier forming a strong bond of friendship, and the admin behind the scenes of the war don’t like it. To separate them, some healthy competition is unveiled.
The storyline directly impacts gameplay, as how soldiers and demomen perform in game will decide how the update pans out. As a soldier, the more demomen you kill, the more likely the soldier update will be better (and vice versa). There’ll be more achievements, weapons and sounds for both classes, but in the end the one with the most kills will get an extra weapons.
Now, I’ve never played much of either class, if any (seriously, only about 5 minutes for the demoman, but hours and hours on other classes), but I’d been thinking that I should try getting better at either of them and this update gives me that final shove.
I can’t wait until the final update comes out; I’d love to see what comes of this.
Update: Ok I just gave the game an hour of my time, and well, it is interesting. As I should of realized, now that this is out; everyone is spamming as these classes. Going onto my usual servers, teams were made up almost completely of soldiers and demomen, with maybe one or two medics. The gameplay is a flurry of grenade and rocket spam, and no-one cares about the actual objectives. “Get the briefcase? FUCK OFF, throwing random grenades over this wall in hopes of killing a soldier is much more invigorating.”
Kind of sucks, but it’s a little funny at the same time. If you play Team Fortress 2, what do YOU think of the new updates that are rolling out? Good or bad?
Evil gnome is evil.
by ZombieSkittles on December 10, 2009
in Gaming
This bastard of a gnome is making Half Life 2 so hard. All this for a goddamn achievement.
Because he’s just SO LETHAL
by ZombieSkittles on November 12, 2009
in Gaming, Images
It proves just how bad I am at Team Fortress 2 when I am apparently killed by a bloody decapitated head.
GENTLEPEOPLE
by ZombieSkittles on November 11, 2009
in Gaming, Images
Lunchtime on the Team Fortress 2.
I’m addicted
by ZombieSkittles on October 30, 2009
in Internet
Being the whore I am, I’m going to start posting random achievements on the blog. I’ve really fallen in love with Team Fortress 2 thanks to Brittany, so this is a logical thing for me. It basically serves as something fun for me to throw into it.
In game screenshot from Brittany’s view. We did it for the lulz (Check the kill notification)
Team Fortress 2 has done nothing short of reignite my love for class based gaming. I used to play Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, but over time that game lost it’s appeal, since there was only one mode of play (Axis vs. Allies, completing missions), and only so much you could do. In TF2 though, there’s various game types, lots of servers (many Australian ones too, which is a plus), and plenty of reasons to keep playing. Like on Xbox, you can win achievements for doing certain things, and win new weapons and items to use IN the game.
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, and in fact many other FPS games take themselves too seriously. Team Fortress 2 is designed to be about fun. Lots of little jokes and giggles fill the game, giving it an awesome bright feel.
And you know, I’d keep talking about it, but doing so has made me really want to just play. So, into the game I go. I promise to give this a better go around next time. Just…the urge is too great.
Also, I’ll be throwing said achievements into a page accessible via the sidebar, strictly because I can.
Time Remaining: ETERNITY
by ZombieSkittles on October 13, 2009
in Gaming
Today, the world’s best thing ever happened to me. This thing surpasses all subsequent amazing thing
by ZombieSkittles on October 12, 2009 Of course, I have no friends on there yet. Look at that screenshot; surprisingly bare. EMBARASSINGLY bare. So, if you have Xfire, you should totally add me. Especially if you play such amazing games as STALKER, Quake 4, or Wolf: ET. Also, I’m a nerd.Xfire
in Gaming, Internet
So, I got Xfire again. Xfire is, as you can see from the screenshot, an Instant Messaging program for gamers. While it’s probably not as great as Steam, I used to use it all the time back when I’d spend hours and hours a day playing Star Wars: Jedi Academy and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. I figured since I suddenly want to play ET again (and am downloading it as we speak), I may as well reinstall this lovely program.
The program tracks the games you’re playing, counts hours, displays stats, allows for in game messaging (I hate having to exit my game to answer MSN chats), and bookmarks servers you’ve been playing on. It also displays what game your friend is playing as well, and allows you to jump straight into the server they’re playing on.
