What we’ve never had though, in games as a media format as well the musical talent that graces our pastime, is recognition of the talent involved in creating an atmosphere that stands up to the best of the best in other media formats, including film and music.  There is, however,  a group who wants to change that very thing and as some music in games can be considered classical, this ever growing group have endeavoured to try and get video games music into the Classic FM hall of fame and with your help they may well achieve it.

Voting for the Classic FM 2012 Hall of Fame is now open – every year this run down of the 300 greatest pieces of classical music features amazing compositions from the greatest composers in history along with fantastic movie scores, BUT, to anybody’s knowledge it’s never featured any orchestral tracks from video games.

This MUST change!!

From now until voting closes on Feb 29th I’m asking all fans of video games and video games music to visit the voting site at http://www.classicfmhalloffame.co.uk/ and vote for classical interpretations of their favourite bits of video game music.

To make a real splash though, I’m hoping that everybody who does vote chooses Nobuo Uematsu’s “Aerith’s Theme” from Final Fantasy VII for at least one of their choices so we can really push it up the chart – and for anybody who wants a reminder of what that sounds like, here’s a link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TXO5CO/ref=dm_dp_trk3

This is a UK radio station, but voting appears to be open worldwide so please let everybody you know who loves video game music to come “like” this page and vote. Let’s get video game music the recognition it deserves.

For more information, please head across to their official Facebook page or follow @ClassicVGMusic and keep up to date with what’s going on.

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2. Square Enix announces PSP exclusive games for 2011
3. Mad Maestro reborn for the DS

We will produce a little gaming quiz for you to add a little spice to your week.  There are no prizes unfortunately and it is just for fun but will create something a little challenging and if you feel as though you would like to share your scores then please feel free to post them up onto our Facebook page.  We will also reveal the answers on Fridays so that gives you a few days to get the quiz completed.

So without further ado, let’s introduce you to 20 sumptuous questions to whet the appetite.

Who distributes Turtle Beach headsets and Gunnar Eyewear in the U.K.? Lygo International

Max Payne 3 has been held back to which date? May 18th 2012

Dead Island’s soon to be released DLC will feature which character? Ryder White

The original version of Syndicate was released in which year? 1993

What position did the GT Academy drivers place in their class at the Dubai 24hr race? 3rd

Soul Calibur V releases on what date? February 3rd 2012

The cover athlete for UFC Undisputed 3 will be? Anderson “The Spider” Silva

Prototype 2 is getting the comic book treatment from which company? Dark Horse Comics

PS Vita will be released in the U.K. on which date? 22nd February 2012

Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy were created by who? Matthew Smith

What is the name of the main protagonist in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood? Ezio Auditore de Firenze

Ratchet’s sidekick is called what? Clank

In the Medal Of Honour series name the characters’ surname that has appeared in every game in the franchise? Patterson

The Dead Space franchise sees you experience space horror through the eyes of which character? Isaac Clarke

Name the company who created the Angry Birds games? Rovio

What Atari 2600 game did the company famously “bury” in the deserts of New Mexico? E.T.

Mario first appeared in which game? Donkey Kong

What ZX81 game is considered the “first 3D game”? 3D Monster Maze

Name the Gears Of War 3 map pack released this week? Fenix Rising

The Forza Motorsport franchise is created by which studio? Turn 10

As usual we will add the answers on Friday.  Good luck!

Related posts:

1. MG Manic Mondays Quiz

So with this in mind we will produce a little gaming quiz for you to add a little spice to your week.  There are no prizes unfortunately and it is just for fun but will create something a little challenging and if you feel as though you would like to share your scores then please feel free to post them up onto our Facebook page.  We will also reveal the answers on Fridays so that gives you a few days to get the quiz completed.

So, without further ado let’s get started and see how well you know your gaming.

Name the character that “sold a million megadrives”? Sonic The Hedgehog

Which American company officially records all gaming world records? Twin Galaxies

Halo was originally developed by which studio? Bungie

Space Invaders was officially released in which year? 1978

What is the highest score obtainable in Pacman? 3,333,360

What was the first Sinclair computer called? Sinclair ZX80

Operation Flashpoint was originally developed by which studio? Bohemia Interactive Studios

Who is the current CEO of Activision Publishing? Bobby Kotick

Which well know retro egg celebrated its 25th anniversary last year with a mobile gaming release? Dizzy

Which twins created this character and went on to create the Blitz studio? Oliver Twins

What was the last console released by Sega called? Dreamcast

Metal Gear Solid 2′s full title is called? Metal Gear Solid: Sons Of Liberty

Solid Snake’s surname is? Pliskin

In which year was the original Playstation released? 1994

Dante’s Inferno was based on which epic poem? Divine Comedy

Who PUBLISHED All Zombies Must Die for DoubleSix Studios? Square Enix

Modern Warfare’s Captain John Price was loosely based on which real life ex SAS soldier? John McAleese

Playstation 3′s online community area is called what? Home

The Gran Turismo series was created by which famous Japanese producer? Kazunori Yamauchi

What does the acronym MLG stand for? Major League Gaming

We will add the answers to this quiz on Friday and also transfer the answers onto our Facebook page too so you can check your answers.  Good luck all and have fun!

No related posts.

As one might imagine, amidst the volatile disparity of towering wealth and profound, desperate poverty in São Paulo, this new job turns out to be not quite as cushy as hoped…

In addition to all of the intense technical development and meticulous game design being poured into Max Payne 3 to create an advanced and cutting-edge action-shooter gameplay experience – as always, painstaking effort has also been made by our development teams and internal Rockstar Research department to ensure that the vibe and presentation of São Paulo – touchstones like Paulistano culture, police, weaponry and other elements that will not only contribute to the game’s single-player narrative, but also the single and multiplayer environments and characters – are as authentic as possible.

Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be offering a glimpse into just some of the behind-the-scenes research and production design done over the course of Max Payne 3′s development, from information and asset-gathering trips down to São Paulo, to local casting for pedestrian types in all the game’s levels, to extensive study of municipal law-enforcement wings, weaponry and much more.

(Left: São Paulo’s own ‘elite squad’ of special forces, the GATE [Grupo de Acões Táticas Especiais] in action. [Photo via Wikimedia Commons]; Right: One of Max Payne 3′s fictionalized special force commandos from the UFE [Unidade de Forças Especiais].)

Fighting against the criminals, thugs and kidnappers in Max Payne 3’s São Paulo are the Unidade de Forças Especiais (UFE), a fictional special forces police unit much like similar counterparts featured in the documentaries Favela Rising and Bus 174, and feature films like Carandiru, Elite Squad (Tropa de Elite) and its wildly successful sequel Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (Tropa de Elite 2). Real-life Brazilian teams include the GATE (Grupo de Ações Táticas Especiais, or Special Actions and Tactics), GARRA (Grupo Armado de Repressão a Roubos e Assaltos, or Robbery and Assault Repression) and GOE (Grupamento de Operações Especiais, or Special Operations Group) teams in São Paulo, and the feared BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais) squad of Rio de Janeiro. Great care was taken to obtain research on the uniforms, equipment and weaponry favored by these Brazilian police—including domestically-manufactured assault rifles and a wide array of exotic firepower imported from the US, Germany, Italy and other gun-manufacturing countries.

Facing off against the city’s elite police squads are well-armed and highly organized gangs who rule São Paulo’s favelas. Even though Brazil has very strict laws on civilian gun ownership, the gangs benefit from a stream of illegal weapons traffic flowing across the country’s massive, almost unpoliceable shared borders with ten other South American countries. With access facilitated to some of the most powerful assault rifles dirty money can buy, the favela gangs boast intimidating firepower to wage war against rival drug gangs, special police forces, or anyone else brave or foolhardy enough to provoke them.

(Left: Rockstar developers tour the favelas of São Paulo to gather level design inspiration; Right: Max Payne descends into the game world’s re-creation.)

Gathering assets to help accurately inform and create faithful game level environments set in São Paulo, Rockstar game developers and designers took several trips to the area to extensively document everything from the glamour and exclusivity of posh spots like Avenida Morumbi, Avenida Paulista and the Jardins district, to harsh high-crime locales like Favela Japiaçu (Favela do Nove) and the infamous Edificio São Vito (aka Treme Treme or the Vertical Favela). Thousands of pictures were taken for mood and texture, local fashions and outfits were scanned for reference, and a diverse array of Paulistanos from all walks of life — from bossa nova singers to jujitsu champions to favela gang members — were consulted and interviewed to provide thorough background on the dazzling and dangerous world in which the game is set.

Look for this continuing series on the research behind Max Payne 3 in the weeks and months leading up to the game’s release including a look at the casting of São Paulo’s residents, what inspired some of the unique levels you’ll find yourself shooting your way out of and much more…

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2. Max Payne 3 dated
3. Max Payne 3 – first trailer!

The air flow controller.

These are about £22.99 and will help with excesses sweatage when playing for an extended period on PS3. Although not to everyone’s tastes the flow can become essential during extended periods of play.  These controller are cool ( ing).

Soul CaliburVArcade fight stick

Not ready for xmas but it could be a late one, Mad Catz have announced that this gaming peripheral for both Xbox and PS3. It is due to be released in January just in time for the launch of Soul Calibur V which now has Ezio from Assassins Creed. There isn’t a price as yet.

Boom Chair Pulse

This bad boy features a pair of 3″ 2-way speakers, a 4″ subwoofer, interactive vibration motors, a wireless connection, a rugged canvas surface with breathable padded mesh comfort zones, and a headrest. It includes adjustable volume, vibration and bass/treble and easily hooks up to any video game system, DVD or CD player, or any portable MP3 device. The current retail is around £130.

Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5 Programmable Wireless Headset + Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound – headset

OMG!!!! What gamer in their right mind wouldn’t want a pair of these under the tree!! They can be programmed to emphasise sounds such as reloading and footsteps and a full review can be found here. They also work on xbox and Ps3 and are prettier than the baby jebus. The retail price is around £199 but you may find them around the interweb slightly cheaper. I want , I want , I want!!!!

Logitech Driving Force GT Steering Wheel & Pedals (PC / PS2 / PS3)

This stunning piece of kit retails for around £110 and has a force feedback system, true life responsive accelerator and brake pedals, together with a sequential gear change. It also comes with a disc to make it PC friendly but alas is not compatible for all you Forza nuts.

Wii Sing Microphone

For you lucky singers out there with Wii sing and two microphones already , why not increase your enjoyment by buying extra ones to take the pleasure from 2 player 3 to 4 people. They retail at about £9.99.

Xbox Kinect

If you haven’t already got a kinect, WHY NOT!!! I wouldn’t be without mine. This piece of Kit has single handily ( in my humble opinion) changed the face of gaming as we know it and it has so much potential. I can only see the games available for this getting better!

Band hero Complete set PS3.

Why not treat the rocker (s) in your life to this set. It comes with Drum sticks, guitar straps and all you see here . Unleash the inner Rock God and totally annoy the neighbours!! Usually retails at around £80.00 but as Activision have sort of disbanded the whole thing now it can be picked up a lot cheaper and it still has major support.

Clothing

Why not get some gaming themed t-shirts . These are available from various sites . www.Insertcoinclothing.com do various gaming themed shirts but why would you go there when we have our own t-shirt shop!!!! Check us out.

Last but not least a cuddly toy!!!

Sack Boy plush toys

If your man is a big softy or needs some form of comfort toy why not invest in Sack boy. The iconic creation in the game Little Big Planet has now been made into plush toys and come as single or double packs. The singles retail at around £14 with the double packs around £27.

I bet after reading this you wish you’d brought some of these!!! I hope Santa brings you all you wanted and not just a lump of coal and a Satsuma!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you.  I hope you’re gaming is great for 2012.

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1. MG guide to Christmas presents – Turtle Beach PX21 Headset
2. MG’s Guide to Christmas presents – Battlefield: Bad Company 2
3. MG guide to Christmas presents – Kinect

I would just like to say that I’ve not been too well these last few weeks and I had intended to write about something else but medication (both prescription and self) rendered my skills……….below par. I couldn’t articulate myself properly and, if I’m honest, wasn’t really in the mood. It’s all good though so January will see the return of the rant but right now I’m in an altogether different mood.

Ahhh, Christmas. I love Christmas. Not the horrible, cynical monetisation of it by the global retail sector. No, nobody loves that side of it unless they have problems upstairs. I’m talking about the soft, dreamlike quality that the sights and sounds elicit. Tastes and smells that trigger strong childhood memories of excitement and wonder. Rubber and pine anyone? Maybe that one’s just me but I’m really talking about the atmosphere of Christmas. I loved it as a child and because of that I still love it as an adult. I have many fond memories and a handful involve video games, which is good if you were starting to wonder about relevance. I grew up in a town called Lewes and it was a town that did Christmas very well indeed, in the old times, classical sense, compared to where I live right now…….which doesn’t (Brighton is about as festive as watching a loved one flat line). The annual late night shopping was a proper event that would bleed mulled wine if you could cut it. Lewes also had the Rotary Club Santa (a charity event) that spent most of December visiting various areas of the town. It would always visit my area on the 18^th or 19^th and this would be the true beginning of Christmas for me: The seven day build-up. It is, at the time of writing, the 18^th. Seven days to go then and I’m writing this in a dark room lit by the twinkling of my rather shaggy-looking fibre-optic tree. It’s nice, it feels retro………and I’m getting misty. I have one or two memories from the Eighties involving games (I remember spending most of one Christmas Day trying to complete Double Dragon on the Master System……..and failing), when I was still pretty young, but the strongest ones come from the Nineties when I was a teenager and I was absolutely and totally in love with games. This was the Golden Era as far as I’m concerned and nearly all my fondest memories of gaming come from this decade.

1990: Early November had seen me part with my beloved Master System in favour of the Mega Drive. I got it for my birthday with Altered Beast free and a copy of Revenge of Shinobi. I thought it was the best thing ever and was after a game for Christmas. When my dad asked it was a total no-brainer; Castle of Illusion. I’d read the review in Mean Machines and was chomping at the bit to play it. I remember staring at that review for hours on Christmas Eve, I literally couldn’t wait. I think I must have at least entertained the idea of breaching the unwritten festive contract and stealing it from under the tree during the night. I didn’t but I was desperate. The game came out a few weeks before so a couple of friends already had it so I had that shit to contend with during the build up too, and for the life of me I can’t remember anything else I got that year but Mickey Mouse was all consuming. So, the morning came and I was up early, too early. I had to wait and wait until the others were ready to open stuff. Finally the time came and the rest of the day is a bit of a blur to be honest but I do remember this: The game was absolutely brilliant and I played it all day (except for the eating parts). To this day whenever I hear the level one soundtrack I get a flood of festive memories and a big smile. It’s still the tune I whistle when I’m in a good mood……which is a little weird but it’s an automatic response. If you’re reading this and you’ve never played it then make it happen, it’s the perfect time of year for it. Trust me.

1992: On a particularly rainy Saturday in December a shopping trip resulted in the purchase of my most sought after game of the year: Contra 3: The Alien Wars. Released in late November in the U.K Contra suffered a bizarre name change to Super Probotector, which sounds like a kinky, mech-themed Japanese dildo. Still, I had it and before I got home and it vanished into the gift cupboard for two weeks I got a glimpse of the box, the screenshots taunting me through the sheen of the shrink-wrap. It was going to be awesome. Sadly, I got the sickness that year and spent most of Christmas day feeling like warm turds, sweating under a duvet. My memory of this is getting out of bed later in the evening and forcing myself to play it in spite of the feverish haze…….but I can’t be too sure if that actually happened. What I do remember is feeling better on Boxing Day and getting up early to play it and it was indeed awesome. So awesome that I called my friend and got him over in the afternoon and we spent many hours playing and having a great time. But it’s the anticipation that counts. A game that I had spent months lusting after, talking about, reading about, to get it for Christmas really was the icing on the cake and why I have such fond, vivid memories of playing it. Guess what I spent New Year’s Eve doing? That’s right, I was a total nerd.

1996: I saved the best for last, although I will admit that I was 20 years old and my childhood was over but………still young. Anyway, by now I had a Saturn and was smitten. What a great machine but truly great games had been a bit thin on the ground. I already had the brilliant Nights into Dreams but decided to treat myself to a game a couple of weeks before Christmas, Daytona USA I believe. That game was okay but it came with a free game: Christmas Nights, which was a two level demo of Nights but with a Christmas theme. If memory serves correct it also reacted to the internal clock inside the console and became Winter Nights in January. Absolutely everything that I loved about Christmas was fully embodied in this game; the music (a version of Jingle Bells I believe), the visuals, the cold feeling, all supremely atmospheric and festive. I don’t believe that there has ever been a game that has captured the essence of Christmas quite like this did and, given today’s technology, that’s a bit weak. If you have a Saturn that still works and you have this disc then I urge you to dig it out now and play it again, at night…..with the Christmas lights on. If you’re feeling a bit Scrooge right now then I promise it will help. If you still have a Saturn and you don’t have this game, there’s still time and e-bay. If you doubt my words then have a look at a YouTube video of the game and then see if you still feel the same. It’s all I’ve got these days. I spent that Christmas Eve playing this until the early hours with a big grin on my face, but that might have had something to do with the amount of mulled wine and other assorted booze that had gone down my neck that night too. It is one of my fondest festive memories……and it’s because of a video game. If anyone reading this has a spare copy that they would like to donate to me ( and a working Saturn that they would like to sell to me) then get your people to call my people, it would make my Christmas.

Now, the Diazepam is starting to kick in and my misty eyes are moving towards bleary, but before I stop and have a play on Castle of Illusion I would like to make a suggestion. I don’t have any kids, I don’t plan on having any kids either but I imagine that Christmas can be more special to those of you older gamers that do because you can help create great memories for your kids, like the ones you might have. So, if the young ‘un is restless on Christmas Eve and can’t wait until morning maybe blow the dust off the old Mega Drive/NES/PSone and share with them a festive gaming memory from your childhood, tell them the story behind it. I know that games have changed a lot since my childhood and the advances in technology have replaced much of the childlike wonder and imagination with high definition realism, and the kid will probably have forgotten all about it by the time morning has broken, but I bet you won’t. I guess what I’m trying to say is…….

………Merry Christmas!

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2. Fear and Loathing in Gamesville – Playing with yourself!
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I was therefore very happy to be invited to the preview/hands on of Ezio Auditore Da Firenze’s admission to Namco Bandai’s Soul Calibur 5 which is due to launch in Feb 2012.

The venue for this preview deserves a mention all of its own. It was in the Masonic Lodge at the Andaz Hotel in London. A century old room that was only discovered 7 years ago. It is a grand masonic hall with marble columns and a zodiac ceiling which with the addition of candles all around the room made for an eerie, but very apt experience.

On entry to the room we were greeted by 16 + games consuls ½ of which had soul calibur 5 and the others had Assasins creed Revelations on line. There were 360’s and ps3’s with both standard controllers and other with arcade pads which just added another dimention of confusion for an old boy like me.

We were first shown the animated short “assassins Creed embers” – the final chapter of the epic story that has spanned 40 yrs. We were shown Ezio in retirement on his farm with his family, when he is visited by a new assisin from a eastern land, I would like to say more on the matter but I do not want to spoil it for others.

It was then hands on time.  I picked up the controller with more excitement than could be bottled up. I was back in my youth and didn’t it feel good. But who to choose?  There were not all of the characters available to play on the night but here are just a few :-

Astaroth

Ezio Auditore Da Firenze ( Assasins Creed)

Isabella “ivy” Valentine

Leixia ( Xianghua’s daughter)

Nightmare

Voldo

Z.W.E.I Fighter who can summon E.I.N a werewolf

Viola

Siegfried Schtauffen

Nightmare

Patroklos Alexandra

So who should i choose to use first ? Well it had to be Ezio.

It wasn’t long before i was getting to grips with his moves. He has smoke bombs and a cross bow to name but a few and although I was getting schooled early on I began to get a lock on to his strengths. He doesnt look too much out of place in such a great fighting game either and is a great addition to an already stellar lineup.

I then moved on to my old favourite Voldo . His outfits have got more gimpy and his moves more strange but he still kicks behind!  But with time at a premuim it was time to test out another character, this time the orb wielding viola. She has the ability to throw the orb past you and then pulls it through you with deadly accuracy and is definitely one of the gems to look out for.

Soul Calibur 5 is no longer just a game in which you have get the combos to win battles as there is now the “Critical Edge”.  As you fight you build up a power gauge and once it is built up you can trigger it to unleash a furious attack that will pummle your opponent as you get the game winning kill in dramatic slow motion and close up.

The inclusion of the “critical edge” feature now makes the game a fast paced game with a mix of combos and meter combinations to help determine the outcome of the fight.  After playing it for a few hours i can say it will be worth waiting for in 2012.

Later that evening we went on to have a tournament and whilst most of us were delirious on free alcohol by then I managed to stay the course to start off by losing the first couple of rounds. I was good but others were better and needless to say i didnt find the right button to win and lost 5-4 in the 1st round!!

Related posts:

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2. Original Assassin’s Creed to come bundled with PS3 version of Revelations
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Maybe its due to the fact that is is animated. But the strange thing is that I don’t really like some Manga films. Now they are quite disturbing in many ways. Explicit violence and sex in cartoons. Probably because they can get away drawing it, than making it with real actors.

Maybe I need to take a look at how I see these games…Maybe I need to start buying games without killing in.. Not really many of them about. But saying that there are limits for games, and I make the choice about not buying them.

Do you know what the real problem is?

It becomes censorship. And society will always buck against censorship. We had Mary Whitehouse in the 80′s going to extremes, about anything she didn’t like. Now she is parodied and we are going the opposite way where practically anything goes.

I have major issues with the way society acts, but as an adult I can make a decision on whether or not to buy a game. Or if I do and I don’t like it. I will take it back. Same with films. I don’t watch really gory films. Don’t see the point. I like zombies, and a good psychological horror. but gore and mess for the hell of it… no thanks. Like today, in the local chippie, and 4 children about 8 years old walked in, smoking a joint. What the ……!!! I am sorry but society really needs to get a grip on its self and start sorting itself out. Other day, outside the Magistrates court 2 lads rolling a joint!. maybe I am wrong, but its still an illegal drug. Shiney, I know where you are coming from. I am a parent of 2 teenage girls.

I agree with you that things are going to extreme, and if its too bad then I won’t buy the game. But games are just one sign of the way society is heading. People accepting violence and sex everywhere. Papers, TV, Movies, Games..

Can’t stop one without the other. And if you try to stop it then it will go underground and become uncontrolled.

Remember a couple of years ago there was a game called Manhunter? Never played it, but I remember the fuss over that game?
There is also that Kinect game called Rise of Nightmares. Hand to Hand fighting. One thing using the controller, but to actually fight using your hands…

Do you categorise film makers the same? When they make a film with gratuitous violence or sex in it? Would you feel the same then? There have been some quite bad films recently and special effects make them more and more realistic all the time.

What about books? The written word can be most explicit.

I like being able to make the decision on whether or not I purchase a game, in exactly the same way I don’t stop people watching films etc.

I know where you are coming from, and agree with you. I do feel that it is just an unfortunate statement of the current state of society. But I also feel that censorship is not the way to go against games.  It will have to be the whole hog. Then you will get the back-lash.

You cant win. Its either too graphic and going too far, or it’s censorship and stopping you from playing a game/watching a film etc.

I feel that reality needs to be fixed in society first. Then gaming and other entertainment will correct its self.

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2. Fear and Loathing in Gamesville – Playing with yourself!
3. ITV shows naivety on violent videogames argument

Saints Row The Third, Volition’s, well third, journey into the sandbox crime franchise see the Saints rise to even more fame and journey into the city of Steelport and after playing a Bobblehead character,balls deep in a bank heist, the introduction of your journey into your new funland, you can immediately see that Saints Row The Third promises to be bigger, badder and more outrageous than its predecessors.

Customisation has always been a big draw for the Saints Row series and the surface of this is scratched on when creating your character for the first time.  Various options and sliders will provide enough variation to create thousands of different looking characters and with the added “Sex Appeal” slider adds another dimension to an already bulky package!

My initial impressions of the game are one of glee as I find a lot of aspects of the it more refined than before.  From the control system, to the hustle and bustle of the city itself, there seems to be a lot more going on under the hood without the game chugging to a standstill when things get too busy.  The city now breathes more life as NPC’s go around and do their business whilst you go and do yours.

The gameplay itself still remains the same also has an air of familiarity to it as you follow your main story whilst escaping into side missions that see you and the Saints take over areas of the city and wrestle territory away from rival gangs as well as escape into the heady realms of Professor Genki’s Super Ethical Relaity Climax, a crazy game show where you kill for points to exit the other side,amongst others.  These actions gain respect points which can then be used to unlock a wealth of different costumes, animations, skill points and opens the game up to being able to play how you want.

Volition have also upped the ante on what transportation can now be used which includes planes, helicopters to name a few which adds to the exploration factor of the game.  Simply being able to use a chopper to land on the tallest building and base jump from it unleashes a whole host of mad ideas which I am sure will be filmed and see on youtube upon release.

As large as the single player story and additional side missions can be it is a pleasure to hear and also experience the whole thing as a co-operative mode too.  Seamlessly being able to jump in and jump out of a co-op will have a massive effect on how friends will play the game.  Of course, the game will still have Saints Row’s standard multiplayer offering but throw this into the mix too and you have a recipe for a game that will not only suck away a fair few hundred hours but also suck away a friends too.  The icing on the cake, however, has to be Whored Mode, yup, pronounced Horde and is Saints Row’s take on the ever popular mode that is taking gaming by storm.  Three different maps with 30 levels of crazed loons and only certain weapons to attack them with, Whored Mode provides an extra amount of fun and a good distraction from the main course.

Overall, from what I have witnessed so far in my extended hands on of the final build was a game that not only draws inspiration and comedy from the original two games but also refines the game, crafting an insatiable experience that allows you to be as creative as you like without the fear of being restricted.  The left bumper on the 360 pad was testament to just how simple a little tweak can be.  A press of the now christened “Awesome” button will initially allow you to run, but pressing it near an enemy or some random citizen will turn your combat moves into a load of crazy moves that will have you going, well, “That was Awesome!”.  Seriously, getting into a car will never be the same and with small things like this creating huge and memorable set pieces makes Saints Row The Third, released on November 18th in the U.K. the go to sandbox experience there is.  We will wait for the final review but from what we experienced it is definitely one for the collection.

Related posts:

1. Saints Row The Third gets character creation tool
2. Saints Row The Third Initiation Station beta begins
3. Saints Row 2: Reviewed (360, PS3)

Once, if memory serves me correctly, some wee came out and I had to go home. Proper fun times. Yes, I know that I was a child and things are different when you’re young, but fun’s fun regardless of age. It didn’t end there, for there were four more generations of consoles that catered for the two to four player fun times. In the time honoured tradition of video games most of the attempts were crap but I have equally fond memories of the likes of Micro Machines 2, Goldeneye, Bomberman and those bizarre wrestling games on the Nintendo 64 that were a travesty on your own, but the stuff of legend with three or four players. There’s nothing quite like giving your friend a dead leg if he or she beat you. Instant payback. So, I have to ask; what the fuck happened?

Yes, I got old, I’ve got shit to do and most of my friends don’t really play games anymore, but it’s not like the local multiplayer game has disappeared, they’re still around. Nintendo got my support by basing their last console on the very idea of four way fun in the same room. Mind you, they quickly lost it (the horror of Monkey Ball……..the horror). XBLA is a good place for these, thanks to the retro styling of many titles, but ninety percent of the time I have a pad in my hand it’s just me, playing with myself. It’s not just me. Excluding those who are still stubbornly partying on with the Wii (give it up folks) most gamers these days do play with many others…..from all over the world. That’s right people, the party’s over thanks to the Internet. Online gaming has been around for a while but, in my view, really took hold with the current generation of consoles and the higher broadband speeds.

Now millions of gamers all over the world get to enjoy the online gaming experience: Beat total strangers, top the world rankings, earn some random achievements, quit mid-game because you’re a tool, kick people out of the lobby you’re hosting just because you can or because they might be black….or foreign…..or better than you, and let’s not forget the freedom to highlight your staggering lack of intellect and real world experience simply by opening your mouth.

Ah yes, the wonderful, wonderful Internet. For all of its amazing uses (and there are many) it’s also a stinking, fetid cesspool. Just as Godwin’s Law (Google it) covers the inevitable outcome of most, if not all, online forum debates the online gaming community follows a similar, as yet unnamed, law: Nearly every online multiplayer game that includes eight or more players will, over a long enough time frame, end up with one player calling another player a n****r, and meaning it.

It’s true and it’s a law that needs a name. It’s bad enough just listening to some of the brain dead lunacy that exits the mouths of many online gamers but throw racism in and….well, it will ruin any party. It only takes one. If there is one thing that the internet has done for sure is help to show someone’s true colours. Just read the comments under most YouTube videos; true colours being splashed around like a Jackson Pollock. Casual xenophobia is one thing, but I’ve experienced enough aggressive racism online to last many lifetimes, and I’m a casual gamer who racks up maybe six hours a week at best. This is nothing new to most of you I’m sure, but if you haven’t really experienced it before then you’re lucky.

I can’t speak for the PC or PS3 crowd either but Xbox Live is teeming with assholes, ready and willing to put a dark cloud over a bright pastime. I know that you can unplug the headset. I know that you can mute people. I know that you can report them or kick them out of the game. I know that you can have private groups with friends and other like-minded gamers……….but you shouldn’t have to. Just because there are ways of maybe avoiding some of these people doesn’t excuse or solve the problem.

It isn’t just the racism though. There is another particular breed of player who likes to sully the experience: The serious gamer. I don’t know about you but I play games to unwind, or just to help me forget I exist for an hour or so, not to actually compete for real and then go monkeyshit when I lose. I mostly lose anyway due to a moderate skill level across most games, but it’s the taking part that’s supposed to be fun, right?

Does anyone actually care about winning or getting achievements? The kids might, but any adult that does seriously needs to grow up and get a life. Occasionally you read about some sad individual who died after several days straight playing World of Warcraft, bottles found filled with urine, empty cans of Red Bull littering the scene and a porn filled hard drive. Anyone else think that they got what they deserved? Probably not, I tend not to think like most.

Do me a favour though: If I’m found lifeless, slumped over my Xbox, pad still in one hand, limp cock in the other, blood poisoned by lack of food and too many energy drinks, please make jokes about it. I’d do the same for you. I’m not tarring every gamer with the same brush. I know that at least fifty percent of gamers are good people but it really does only take one loser to ruin a good time…….or an annoying child that won’t shut the hell up (fat kids that breath like the Alien queen doesn’t help either).

So, what can be done for gamers like me to help us get back into online gaming with strangers, the new multi-player experience? Muting? Quitting? Playing without the headset on? Defeats the point of playing doesn’t it? Maybe I can start a clan, just me and other like minded people? Shit, I’m thirty five years old, I don’t have the time. I could do what I’m guessing most other lone gamers do and that’s simply put up with all the bullshit and accept that it is the norm. Accept genuine racism, xenophobia and homophobia? Accept ignorance and stupidity? No, I’m pretty sure that’s not the right thing to do.

Blame the parents? Nope, too easy. Recently I’ve been playing Driver online and I noticed that nearly all the players, whether their mic is switched on or not, stays completely silent and gets on with playing the game and having fun. Just the occasional jovial expletive ringing out followed by some giggles. Maybe some are learning, maybe this is the way forward? Stop being part of the cesspool. It’s a little difficult to be optimistic. People are once again at the heart of the problem and it’s not going to get any better any time soon. Spend thirty minutes watching BBC News 24 and see what I mean. Particularly as, like I mentioned in my previous article, many of the mainstream retail games thematically encourage the ape inside the sapiens. I have a dream though, a dream which has all of the bad gamers switch off the headsets and play in silence while better, more secure folks get to engage in conversation and harmless trash talk. Those who are disliked online are probably equally disliked in real life so they have an obligation to do this, it is payment due the rest of us. Never going to happen though. Modern society does not know how to breed equality and fairness.

I don’t have a solution for this problem. I don’t know how to stop people from sucking major ass. As online gaming features seem to take more priority over the quality of the product these days, encouraging more spurious human beings to play online, I can see my interest in video games slipping away as the years pass, the reasons that I used to love playing with friends disappearing in the online fog of war. Once, many years ago, after a fierce Bomberman match, my friend hit me so hard in the balls it broke one of the legs on my bed. The bed collapsed and we all slid into a heap of arms and legs and wires. My balls hurt but it was damn funny, none of us could move for a whole minute because of the laughing. That wouldn’t happen playing online. The loser would just call me a “fucking gay n****r”……….and then quit. That’s not the same kind of funny. That’s not any kind of funny.

It’s a sad truth but the only kind of real fun to be had when it comes to playing video games is to play with myself, and that’s what I’ll be doing later for sure. Until next time.

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3. Are we spoilt with games?