Nintendo DSi is it an Industry improvement or just a classic case of one step forward and two steps back?

*UPDATE- DSi Seems to be in fact an improvement over the DS Lite

I posted with simply pictures before because I wanted them to do the talking but after about three months with the unit and watching as my perfectly healthy Lite gather dust I have decided that the DSi is a worthy replacement for the handheld (even if Nintendo claims it wont replace the lite...sure). The cameras at frist were a mixed bag but after I got the idea to use that camera for a flash game I'm developing, it's showing promise. While yes it's not the best pixel (front cam: 3 megapixel /inside cam: .03 megapixel) for your money it nice to have them and opens up the unit for game to tap into their use. Now the system is a bit more the the standard Ds Lite (DSi 169.99 USD) but I got it for twenty bucks so I feel it was my moneys worth. The DSi has a shop channel, which takes a page right from the Wii shop channel which isn't offering a whole lot as of right now. There are a few nintendo staples such as a Mario vs. Donkey Kong and a rehashing of Dr. Mario which isn't awful and if you got your DSi early they gave you 1000 points (equal to 10.00 USD) so thats nice. Gameloft and Activision have a few games up showing their suport and they arent copy and paste games either Mixed Messages by Activision is a great tool if you have a ton of friends and Gameloft has provided a 4th installment to Assphalt GT series with/o touch controls which is a plus over Namco's Ridge Racer which forced you to play a rehashed N64 game with touch only controls. So that's a start to the game content and I would be foolish to think games wont wow us later on with the service. The Web broswer wouldn't be as much fun if it weren't free. Now yes you may view pron (no I wanted to spell it that way) but parents can block all that should this system be for the little ones. Don't want little johny learning about what he can do when no ones around and forget to hang out with real girls now do we? So in final fasion I will say if you have the money and do not own any DS of any kind at this point ( you really should by now the library of titles is great...shame on you if you haven't) You should pick up the newest member of the handheld family because there is a little bit for everyone in this system from the games to the apps.

Overall: 4/5

April 5, 2009

*Download Content* The selling of incomplete and broken games!?

Now more then ever "DLC" or Downloadable Content as it were, has taken the gaming market by storm (mainly on X-box 360) and is showing no sign of slowing down. It has gotten to the point now that companies are including this content as a long term plan to draw out the life or replay value of their games so that they are being played longer after their release. But what if this isn't just a plan to stretch out the life of a game but more a fall back for when a game releases with bugs and glitches due to short production schedules? So if a game gets a poor review...they will say "wait!", there's more! and if you pay the additional 800 ms points (=10 USD) you can have what we meant to give you but were in a hurry to complete! thus making a USD 59.99 game into a USD 69.99 game plus local tax from when you first bought it. But this trend shows little sign of stopping from both sides the game companies love it and they have the users now looking forward to the next quick update and additional level to play that's about 3 dollars an hour if you think that's your moneys worth... Sound off your opinion in the comments section! Happy DLC day!




*UPDATE- Another major point is the pricing of this content and what happens when you are left with an overage. For example I will preform simple math to illustrate my point. Lets say you have purchased the new fallout 3 (which this games quality is not in question 10/10) and it's either one of the two standard price tags 59.99 or 79.99 (limited edition lunchbox) and lets add local Vermont sales tax to this purchase. So, you have 59.99, which already is a false asking price and add 7% sales tax, with 6% of it being state tax and 1% Burlington tax and this game at it's cheapest comes in at $64.19. The point system is different in retail and on the Microsoft Market place. Retail a point card comes in two flavors 1600 points and 4000 points (19.99 and 49.99 respectively) and on the site is ranges from 1000 points up to 7500 or something, I'm starting to skip steps to hurry my point sorry, and Fallout 3's DLC is 800 ms points. Well either way you have to get the points from either a retail chain or the site both will cost you more then the needed 800 points which leaves you with an overage and with nothing but pictures and themes to try your luck at spending the rest of your points on, which is a sad way to keep your points at bay or generally wasted or leave you with a 80 point gamer pic!! while you now have 70 ms points left thus returning you to buy more point cards should you want another Fallout 3 DLC and this would put you around over 80 dollars total for a game that was already costing you more then half a hundred from the start...I am not upset I just really wish I was apart of that financial pie!

March 5, 2009

*New Projects*

I hope you like the new layout, it's nice. I have been on a 3 month break from my site and work but now I'm back and Ready to finish a few projects and have them up to playtest soon. I hope you find it as fun as I had making it and if not let me know so I can fix it cause when you deal with a game for so long you forget the little things in the code others might pick up on right away.

Buryford Junction : The Movie! Please enjoy!

I present to you a Billy Bob Thompson Film: BURYFORD JUNCTION

Filmed in 2004, this was to be the great combination of talent and friends coming together to create not only a full length film but have a blast doing it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it. Follow the link below to watch the movie!~

X-Metric

Watch the Movie

November 30, 2008

RPG Maker VX

I have been to Bulgaria to see the love of my life and it opened up a few things inside me about what's important and really it's being happy, but we all know that is not as easy as it once was but that got me thinking will people 20 years from now claim the same thing? That it was always so much better before? And in doing so claim to stop pissing and moaning and start living for the time we have. I will make my own games cause clearly my talent is yet to be taken advantage of, so screw it. You want something done go and do it yourslef and maybe that's all it takes to get noticed. (oh and yeah I walked to the mountain from where I was standing)

I have traveled far and long to find myself back where I started but do not fret my followers I have a demo from the world of (insert place) and think you could be it's savior! dare you try it?

PLAY DEMO (comming soon)

November 14, 2008