GIKato Blog

2011 Sounds Roundup

Matthew Kato — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Recently Bertz collected and shared a bunch of the staff's favorite songs from 2011 on a Spotify playlist. I didn't think that I had heard a lot of good new music last year to make much of a contribution, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Although I love music, I don't keep tabs on a lot of new music beyond a new release here and there from a band I already like. It's not that I refuse to listen to new music, I just don't make it a priority to keep track of everything that's going on out there because most music these days simply doesn't move me enough. Thankfully, 2011 was a pretty good year by those standards.

Here are the songs I contributed to the list:

Fitz and the Tantrums – "MoneyGrabber" Pickin' Up the Pieces
I actually heard this first, believe it or not, watching HBO's 24/7 Flyers/Rangers: The Road to the Winter Classic documentary. It was during a Flyers practice segment, so I wondered if it was some kind of Philly soul song from back in the day (minus the drenched strings, though, I guess). I was pretty happy to learn they're a current-day outfit out of L.A. of all places. Hot soul-pop outfit with two great singers. Yes, the Daryl Hall comparison is there, and that's a good thing.

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Arctic Monkeys – "She's Thunderstorms" Suck It and See
I initially resisted the Arctic Monkeys when their early singles came out in 2005, but it wasn't long before Alex Turner's singing style and lyrics – reminiscent of Morrissey's damning idolization of regular British youth – had me hooked. I prefer the more twisted musical moments in Humbug to Suck It and See as a whole, but song-for-song I rate the Arctic Monkeys as one of the few current bands that consistently excites me.

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Ringo Deathstarr – "Imagine Hearts" Colour Trip
It's hard not to guffaw when you hear these guys due to their trained proximity to My Bloody Valentine and Jesus & Mary Chain, but it's also hard not to simply enjoy what you're hearing – begged, borrowed, and stolen or otherwise. It makes me wonder what the '90s music revival is going to sound/is sounding like, since that decade was formative for me.

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Booker T. Jones – "Everything is Everything" The Road From Memphis
I'd like to own and learn how to play a Hammond B3 or C3 (with a Leslie) sometime before I die, and my absolute love of the Hammond sound is represented in this song (a cover of a Lauryn Hill tune). Of course, Booker T. is the same from the seminal Stax band Booker T. & the MGs, and he's still grooving after all these years. Forever Mod!

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Brave Irene – "Tangled Line" Brave Irene
The latest from Rose Melberg, who I have loved since Tiger Trap way back in the day. I like her solo stuff that she's put out through the years, but it's cool to see her back with a full band.

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Deep Cut – "Something's Got to Give" Disorientation
Speaking of the '90s… This is a new band put together by Mat Flint from Revolver. I remember when they were around back then, but I never investigated them for no real reason. I wish I had, because Flint can write some tunes, and Deep Cut has a nice dense sound that anyone in love with that era will recognize. You should also check out "Dead Inside Your Heart," which is a great tune.

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Jessica Lea Mayfield – "I'll Be The One You Want Someday" Tell Me
Matt introduced this record to me, and although it has some moments where it tries a little too hard to be indie, I think it's great. I love the cymbal-crashing accents in the chorus for this song, as well as the accented monotone drawl in her voice that makes a difference.

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BTW, I intentionally left off Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds record from this list. It's not bad, it's just more of the same. Beady Eye? No way!

I'm sure there were plenty of other great stuff out in 2011 that I would have liked but just missed...

Nintendo's Iwata On The Hot Seat

Matthew Kato — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:24:00 GMT

I'm not a Nintendo shareholder, so I have no stake in the matter, nor am I a Wall Street expert. However, these two segments must be closely watching the performance of Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata. Even with the best-selling Wii console, a history of killer franchises, and plenty of products around the corner, I think that Iwata's on the hot seat – and if things don't go right when the Wii U launches in late 2012, I think he will be asked to step down.

When the Wii was flying high, it looked like no one could stop Nintendo, but even that can have its perils. When Wii sales didn't match its year-upon-year figures Nintendo's stock price dropped. Although it may seem unrealistic to think that the Wii could continue to sell at such a breakneck pace, some of the fault has to go to Nintendo for not supporting the system enough – and the console itself from being robust enough – to keep it from being more than a passing fad with consumers.

Nintendo's stock price also tumbled when the Wii U was announced at E3, and just recently with the announcement of the 3DS price drop. If your own shareholders are not confident after you come out of E3 with a new console and an exciting, consumer-friendly price drop, then something is definitely wrong. Despite the boost in 3DS sales the price cut could create, Nintendo is having to take a bath on each handheld it sells. The endeavor is a calculated gamble that shareholders aren't initially excited about.

And then there is Iwata's own admissions that he could have presented the debut of the Wii U better by showing the console itself instead of just the controller, as well as his and the company's rethinking on Nintendo's heavy handed online strategy and relationship with third-parties. While Iwata's candor and willingness to change the company's direction is good, I wonder if the hole he and Nintendo have dug for themselves is too deep. Iwata knows something is amiss, as he's just agreed to take a pay cut.

Of course, Iwata is a very successful executive who has deservedly built up a lot of equity at Nintendo and around the industry for his guidance of the company. There is also the fact that Nintendo is a Japanese company, and there are numerous cultural nuances to take into account other than just Nintendo's stock price that could protect Iwata.

The next year will be very interesting to watch. The Japanese are stereotypically known for their long-term thinking, but in this global business climate and the myriad pressures and questions facing Nintendo and its products, Nintendo and its shareholders might not wait for Iwata to right the ship.

L.A. Noire Gets Lost In The Shadows

Matthew Kato — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:16:00 GMT

Rockstar games are deservedly well known for their immersive worlds, but I think L.A. Noire missed an opportunity in this department.

Before the game came out I was excited to dive into and be surrounded by the L.A. of the period, which often goes hand-in-hand with the film noire genre. Developer Team Bondi certainly has done a lot of work (maybe too much!) into recreating the city and the period, but I think a lot of that work isn't highlighted enough or made enticing for the player.

First of all, the fact that the film noire collectible film reels are so hidden in the game is a wasted opportunity for players to explore the environment. Out of everyone I've talked to who's beat the game, the most film reels any of them have found is two. That's two out of a possible fifty. I haven't found any – and I've even gone out of my way to look for them. To me, that low number signifies that they're just too hard to find. You should at least find some of them without even trying in order to set up a breadcrumb trail to make players want to hunt for the rest of them. But since they're so hard to find, I – like some of the players I've talked to – gave up. In contrast, the game does a good job with the locations, which give you a great sense of the city and its history.

I love all the period props, store fronts, signs, etc. that are in the game, and it would be great if the player could really get a good look at them with a first-person camera. Now, I know that installing a first-person camera actually requires a lot of work for the developers, so this is more of a wish list item than a criticism. Still, I often find myself wanting to stop and look into store fronts or survey my surroundings to check out the detail, but instead have to make due with the normal camera.

I like L.A. Noire, but not as much as I wanted to. I actually had to give up on the film reels halfway through, and resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to really get to play the game the way I had hoped. I wanted to really spend time meaningfully exploring the environment (and be rewarded for it), but given the lack of enticing gameplay peripheral to the story itself, the city itself feels a little shallow. I guess that's L.A. for you.

[Note: Thanks to reader Andrew Toney who correctly pointed out that there are 50 reels in the game, not 100 as I originally wrote. Blog edited correctly on July 7, 5:30 pm]

The Not-So-Wonderful World Of Disney

Matthew Kato — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:16:00 GMT

It's been a tough few years for Disney Interactive Studios. What started out with the promising acquisition of Warren Spector's Junction Point Studios in 2007 for Epic Mickey has turned into a mass of firings, studio closings, and a philosophical shift for the entire Disney video games operation. What was once going to be an empire is now rubble.

Disney Interactive Studios acquired studios like Climax (who would become Pure and Split/Second developer Black Rock), Propaganda (the people behind the cancelled Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned), and Junction Point to form the backbone of its efforts to bring quality to its licenses and elevate the publisher into prominence.

While it seemed like Disney was going about its plan the right way, the cards just never seemed to fall right. Split/Second and Pure were liked, but the sales weren't there. Epic Mickey sold over a million copies, but it was clear that Disney wanted a much bigger splash from the Warren Spector/Junction Point title. Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned was promising, but by that time, Disney seemed to have suffered enough losses that it probably felt like it had no other choice but to pull the plug on the project.

In the end, the about-face was so sudden that the entire executive structure of the company was re-organized, Propaganda and Black Rock were closed, there were layoffs all around, and the company bought social gaming developers Playdom and declared that it was focusing on casual titles instead.

I imagine that the explanation for all of this is simple: Disney wasn't making money. While this seems a clear and valid enough reason to change course, I find Disney Interactive's response to its predicament troubling. While it's patently ludicrous for me to sit here and play armchair quarterback with millions of dollars of Disney's money, I think the company quit just when it had already done a lot of the hard work.

Disney had good studios putting out good games that had recognition with the public. With that kind of heavy lifting out of the way, it's not hard to imagine Pure 2, Split/Second 2, or another Junction Point Mickey title (this time for all the systems) building off its predecessors and selling well. I bet there are plenty of publishers out there who would have killed to have the portfolio and studios that Disney did.

It's also unfortunate that this sea change at Disney Interactive cost hundreds of people their jobs at studios around the world. It's an inevitable part of the industry, but it also shines a light on the cost the developers – the lifeblood of all games – have to pay for circumstances with a publisher that aren't necessarily their fault. It's hard for developers to be truly independent these days, but it's just as bad to see them have to be in this kind of position and absorb the collateral damage.

The situation at Disney is neither a mystery nor a surprise, but that doesn't make it any less unfortunate.

Missing the Plot: Story vs. Gameplay

Matthew Kato — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:30:00 GMT

It's a great time for video games. Open world titles and expansive RPGs in particular present imaginative game worlds and almost endless possibilities to gamers through sprawling stories and sheer selection of stuff to do. We've gotten used to and sometimes demand 40+ hour game experiences from some titles, but I often find that the need for a great story and tons of missions can take away from the overall narrative and the possible impact it can have.

I don't consider myself particularly forgetful or incapable of remember details. And yet, invariably when I play a big game with tons of side missions, at some point I lose the main story thread and forget exactly what I'm really supposed to be doing. My usual play through of a game – and I imagine it's similar for you too – is that I alternate between story and side missions. Oftentimes this results in hours or days doing nothing but running around doing relatively inconsequential things in the game world while the main story of saving the universe or the world is on hold.

Well, wouldn't you know it, but when I decide to get back to the story, I often forgot what it was I was doing to propel the story forward. At the very least, the drama and urgency has totally be sucked out of the story. How many times in a video game have you been told that time is of the essence and yet you know you can spend hours upon end simply roaming around doing side missions before you pick up the plot again? The tension, plot movement, and subtleties of a good story can be abused and obliterated by a 40+ gameplay marathon that lets you do whatever you want.

I'm not blaming developers on this. I know why the divide between story and non-critical side missions and exploration is the way it is: It's simply the easiest and least confusing way to let gamers experience as much of the game as possible. And I'm not suggesting that there constantly be obnoxious objective reminders or floating arrows in the environment so I don't lose my way. It just seems like letting players explore freely and having a tight story are fundamentally at odds with each other. Certainly, many games get around this with a more linear structure that excludes side missions, but for many games like the Mass Effect series, this isn't possible.

What's the solution? I don't think there is one for most games. Gameplay usually trumps story, and most of the time that's the way it should be. In the meantime, if I want a great story, I'll have to read a book.

I Have a Bad Feeling About The Cost Of Sony's NGP

Matthew Kato — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:04:00 GMT

Like most of you, my first question about any hardware is: "What does it cost?" Sony's not revealing that yet, and I have a bad feeling about that. Call me pessimistic, but my marketing instincts tell me that if Sony knew the price was great, they would have announced it already. Don't let the rumors fly, don't let Monday morning QB hacks like myself write blogs like this raising questions – just celebrate it as another great feature of the handheld.

But they haven't done that. In fact in an interview with our own Phil Kollar, president of Sony's worldwide studios, Shuhei Yoshida sounded like a man trying to brace the public for sticker shock. "Hopefully when we announce the price, people will see the proper value." So does he mean that he hopes people will understand that the great tech in the NGP is expensive and people should be mindful of that? I think this is exactly what Sony is thinking, and I venture to guess that they're using this initial announcement time period to get you salivating over the thing before they drop the bomb on you.

What would I pay for a NGP? I'd love it if the thing was $250. I hope it's under $300. If it's $350 there better be a great pack-in game (which I doubt, since Sony seems to like to wait and offer bundles later on). North of $350, and Sony is approaching dangerous territory. We've heard rumors that it could be $400, but one analyst has also said it'd be $300-$350. Unfortunately we just don't know yet.

Price aside, there are plenty of things I like about the NGP including:

Two analog sticks, of course.
Near PS3-level graphics (so they say)
The back touchscreen (since you can use it without ever having to take your thumbs off the sticks)
That it's games-focused, and not some gaming handheld/phone Franken-device

Next up for Sony? Give the thing a proper name already!

Kato Answers Your Questions!

Matthew Kato — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:23:00 GMT

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with their questions. Frankly, I was surprised nobody bothered to ask me, "Why are you so bad at your job?" etc. Kidding aside, I hope I covered the bases for you guys, and although I didn't get to all of the questions, I think you'll find plenty to chew on.

How did you get your job/how do I get a job in the industry? – Numerous readers
I personally got my foot in the door at Game Informer way back in 1999 because I knew someone who knew former editor Jay Fitzloff. GI happened to be looking for an online editor, and I somehow impressed Andy enough to get the job.

Honestly – I'd never read GI until I was actually driving to my interview... At the time I was working in a record store (Let it Be Records in downtown Minneapolis), and when Andy made me the offer, I was torn between the two jobs. I think I made the right choice in the end, especially since the record store doesn't even exist anymore.

As for video game journalism itself, my one piece of advice is: Start writing. Write a blog, pick up jobs for your local newspaper, whatever. Even if it's not about video games, the best way to start off is to practice writing as much as you can and get your name out there. There are lots of video game outlets these days, and going to them as a writer with published/public work is just as important as being passionate about video games.

As of late, I have noticed that the readability of Game Informer Magazine has taken a beating in the quest for fancier page layouts and design. Do you have any plans for the future to make sure that, while making a pretty page you are also putting together a readable format? – Carson
The balance between creativity in a layout and readability is something we're always trying to be conscious of. When we proof the magazine, we check how readable something is, and we've made changes to the layouts to make them easier to read in the past. Our production staff does a great job of combining their ideas with the articles' content, and, of course, we're always considering how readable something is.

What's the biggest disaster that has taken place at GI since you've been working there (beside the Lord of the Rings game deal going bad)? – Birch
I would say that's it, actually. The Lord of the Rings: White Council cover story on EA was big for a number of reasons. It was the cover, we were literally right about to walk out the door for our Christmas vacation, and we were totally blindsided by it. I had finished the feature not an hour before we got the call from EA that they were scrapping the game. Combine everyone's loss of getting to read about the game with the fact that the entire project was gone, and it was just a bad situation.

Honestly, there was so little time to process the news and start working on the replacement (we pushed up our Games of the Year feature planned for the subsequent issue), that I never felt angry or sorry for myself. If anything, I felt bad for the team on White Council. I had just spent an entire day with them down at EA, and they were so into what they were doing that I couldn't begin to imagine what they were feeling at that moment. After the movie-based LOTR games, this was going to be an RPG, Oblivion-style title, and I could tell that the team was stoked to be working on something that was outside of the traditional EA box at the time.

It's not unusual to get fewer screens or less information than we were expecting for a feature – and that's just something you have to work around – but you never expect an outright cancellation. The situation with The White Council was by far the craziest I've encountered.

About how long does a reviewer play the game for before they write their review? About how many days before a game releases to the general public does Game Informer receive a copy of the game? – Gilbert
Finishing a game is always the goal, but for some situations, that's not possible. I can't play 30 years of Madden's Franchise mode. In that case, I play the game for as long as humanly possible to make sure I'm familiar with the ins and outs of the game, take extensive notes, and even send in-depth questions to developers to make just to clarify my understanding of a feature. For instance, If I'm playing a shooter and can't find a control to lean out from cover, I'll ask the developer if that control is in the game just to make sure I didn't miss it.

When we get review copies of games all depends on each title. Sometimes they come a month before hand, other times it’s weeks.

Kato, as a long-time reader I know some of the other editors have moved on to the development side of things. Have you ever had any aspirations to make your own game? – Nick
I haven't, actually. Not only do I not know how to code, but I simply like where I'm at. While I have a deep respect and admiration for the teams that put their hearts into the games we play, I wouldn't want to get on that grind. I also think that – while knowing about the development process is helpful for my job – it's a little bit like, 'I don't want to know how they make the meat,' if you know what I mean.

My 2011 Gaming Resolutions

Matthew Kato — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:59:00 GMT

In the spirit of the new year (same as the old year), I've decided to make myself a better gamer. I don't think this will necessarily make me a better person – it's far, far too late for any of that nonsense – but at least I'll have some fun in the process. Without further ado, here's my 2011 New Year's Gaming Resolutions.

Buy More DLC
Usually when I get done with a game, I'm reticent to dive back in by the time the DLC comes out. But with some of the DLC offerings getting more substantial, I might look into extending the game experience. I was playing Mass Effect 2's Lair of the Shadow Broker recently, and was more into it than I thought I might be.

Check Out More Indie/Downloadable Games
All the different indie and smaller games out there make it a great time to be a gamer, and I'm excited to see what this year brings in terms of downloadable games (and maybe I'll go back and play some that I've already missed). Last year Limbo was a great adventure, and although I don't necessarily have a strong prejudice against indie games, it's easy to overlook them in favor of a steady diet of triple-A fare. Hopefully I won't do that anymore.

Play Online More
I've never been that interested in online play, but with everything from NHL 11's Ultimate Team mode to Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood tweaking the online experience for me personally, I'm starting to think that I'm really missing something by not playing online more. Of course, I don't ever think online FPS play is ever going to be my thing, but there's plenty of other online experiences out there – including co-op, as well.

Play As Different Character Classes
It's so easy for me to just pick the more soldier/gun-based/military guy whenever the opportunity presents itself, but perhaps I should explore other character classes in order to get a different experience.

Explore Different Game Genres
Believe it or not, I do play stuff other than sports games, but I could always stand to cast the net a little further. What about a hardcore RTS? Or even an MMO? Sure there are just some genres that aren't my bag, but maybe I'm missing something.

What kinds of things do you think you could do to change or tweak who you are as a gamer?

A Q&A With Kato

Matthew Kato — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 01:00:00 GMT

You've probably always wanted to grill a Game Informer editor about what it's like to work at the mag, why such-and-such a game got such a low/high score, and how did Ben manage to pass the mental screening portion of the job interview.

Well, in this Q&A you can ask me all the questions you want. Just send me an email at kato@gameinformer.com with the subject line: Q&A, and I'll post my answers in the near future.

They say there's no such thing as a dumb question, but they don't say that about dumb answers. We shall see...

Sports Gamers FTW

Matthew Kato — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:17:00 GMT

Some people put down sports gamers under the assumption that we're somehow not legitimate gamers. That's ***. I don't get where this comes from. Are these not games with goals, buttons, actions, rewards, and challenges? Like some alternate universe where the geeks are trying to exact their revenge on the jocks from high school, some gamers loves to crap on people who play sports games. First off, I can most certainly tell you that in high school I was as big of a geek as anyone, so you can take your angst out on someone else thank you very much. Secondly, I wonder if any of these sports game haters have even played one recently.

I'd argue that in some ways, the average sports gamer has to deal with stuff above and beyond what other gamers have to. Take football, for instance. There are no turn-based fights like those traditional RPG wimps (like Joe) get. You get about three seconds to hike the ball, drop back as the QB, and make the correct read of who to throw it to before you get plastered into the turf. There's also the bevy of pre-snap tactical commands you have to fly through before the play clock runs down and you get a delay of game penalty.

Funnily enough, I hear a lot of non-sports gamers complain about how complex the controls are, and they pine for the days of NHL '93 or the NFL Blitz arcade cabinet. Well, grab a controller and grow a pair. If anything, a sports gamer wants more controls at their fingertips so they can perform more feats on the virtual playing field. The controls are too difficult?! That's like complaining that a dragon punch in Street Fighter is too awesome. Perhaps we should go back to sports on the Atari 2600, then we'd all have a great ol' time.

And let's dispense with the dumb jock stereotype, shall we? All sports have their own tactical components during gameplay, and there's also the responsibility of having to run a multi-faceted organization in franchise mode. Four party members? Try dealing with a 53-man NFL roster every season and making sure the team is taken care of in free agency and the Draft for the next five years and beyond. I don't have the time to explain all the intricacies of building up a sports dynasty, but suffice it to say, it's more complex than trying to decide whether a +3 sword is better than a +1 sword.

I enjoy all kinds of games (even RPGs) beyond sports games – the chip on my shoulder isn't that big. I'm just having a little fun here. Besides, I don't need to ask for anyone's respect. I've already earned it on the virtual playing fields I've been dominating through the years.

Kinect's Launch Lineup Misses An Opportunity

Matthew Kato — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:49:00 GMT

I was trying like hell to play Kinect at E3, but with my already busy schedule at the convention I just couldn't see it. That's a real shame. While I'm not going to try and pretend I know what Kinect feels like to play, one thing I'm disappointed about regarding the system is the lineup of games that Microsoft showcased for the peripheral.

When the then-Project Natal was introduced at last year's E3, Microsoft talked about how already released games could be retro-fitted with the technology. Burnout Paradise was one of the games demoed at the time showing off this feature, and everyone who played it raved about it.

Since then, Microsoft has said that because of the technology required for Kinect, that it was no longer possible to retro-fit games with the tech. What happened? One minute Burnout Paradise is up and running with Natal and the next it's not possible? Maybe there was a technical reason for that which I wouldn't understand since I'm not a developer, but whatever the situation it's too bad.

I have no doubt that there will be good games that come out for Kinect. But the lack of backwards compatibility at launch is a missed opportunity to come out of the gate with a strong software lineup. Frankly, I'm not seeing that with the games that were touted at E3. Think of how much built-in momentum the peripheral could get if backwards compatibility was still possible.

If this were the case, even if you didn't see something you liked in the launch lineup you could at least point to a couple of titles you already own that would at least give you a taste of the experience – even if you had to bide your time before something really juicy came along. That's what Sony is doing by retro-fitting Move into games like Heavy Rain, Tiger Woods 11, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, and Toy Story 3.

I know some gamers who aren't convinced by Kinect and its games so far, but it didn't have to be this way.

3D Isn't What's Most Impressive About the 3DS

Matthew Kato — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:59:00 GMT

I was glad that I got to see the Nintendo 3D handheld at E3, and came away with mixed feelings about 3D on the unit.

I was actually surprised that 3D looked as well as it did on the unit -- and without needing glasses no less (or the need to buy a brand new, 3D TV like with Sony's offering). The 3D image was very sharp, even though I had to move my head or re-focus my eyes occasionally to bring out the 3D image. There was some depth to the image as well a little pop off the screen. I got to see a number of demos using the feature, and the most impressive was the Metal Gear Solid demo riffing off of Snake Eater. I didn't get to see the Star Fox 64 demo, which featured gameplay, unfortunately, as I heard a bunch of people raving about it.

Here's the thing, though: while 3D on the unit is a nice effect, it's just that -- something that looks cool but won't really change the way I play games. I saw the Paper Mario demo, and while it look really good, there was no doubt that Mario was hopping along in 2D like he always does. It's like when parallax scrolling came out: 3D gets us one step closer to the appearance of reality, but we're still a thousand steps away. And I'd say the same about Sony's Move controller. Sure, it can be better than using a traditional controller, but it's not like I actually think I'm holding a gun or whatever.

The thing that impressed me most about the handheld was just how great the top screen really was without 3D. The Metal Gear Solid demo looked every bit as good as Snake Eater on the PS2. In fact, there were times when I'd move the 3D slider down to 2D and while I'd lose the 3D effect, the image on the screen was pretty sweet and crisp. Maybe you'll get a 3DS because you're excited about 3D and what it can do for your gaming. And I hope the unit makes use of the feature in some awesome ways. But after the novelty wears off, you'll be thankful that the power of the top screen and the graphics it can deliver is what's at the heart of the handheld.

Blur vs. Split/Second

Matthew Kato — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:43:00 GMT

Racing fans lucked out this year with the release of two awesome arcade racers.

My review scores might speak for themselves (Blur: 8.5, Split/Second: 8.25), but when sizing up these two games it's not as simple as one being better than the other because it has the higher score. These two titles are slightly different, and I'm going to compare and break them down along a few categories.

Multiplayer: Here Blur gets the nod simply because of its addictive ranking system and 20-player mayhem-filled racing. At first, it's a little dis-heartening to find that you have to start your leveling and fan accumulation all over again from the single-player, but you'll earn it all back in no time. And let me say this again: 20. Player. Racing.

Blur's 20-player online sessions are epic

Boss Battles: Both games feature boss battles of sorts, but I prefer Split/Second's Air Revenge battles (where you deflect missiles coming down from a helicopter) and Survival mode (which has you dodging explosive kegs as they bounce off runaway trucks) over Blur's boss showdowns.

Both have some slight negatives, however, in that Split/Second's boss modes are repeated throughout the game, and the criteria by which you unlock Blur's bosses can sometimes lead you to grind and re-race events. Overall, though, both games are smart to include boss battles of any kind.

Air Survival, Air Revenge, and Survival modes in Split/Second change things up

Disconnected

Matthew Kato — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:51:00 GMT

Like most of you, I've suffered from the Red Ring of Death on my Xbox 360 not once, but multiple times. A less common occurrence, but no less unfortunate, is the fact that I've also had the additional misfortune of having two 360 wireless adapters crap out on me as well. This whole experience has made me think a little about playing online and how that fits into how I play games.

After my second adapter gave up the ghost, I sat back and assessed whether I should roll the dice a third time and plonk down $80 for another one. I didn't. For a while it wasn't an issue because I just plugged in an ethernet cord, but with the way my TV, 360, and modem is configured now, it was wireless adapter or nothing at all. So, for the past six months or so I lived without online on my 360.

At first it didn't make much of a difference since I don't play a lot of games online (and I've also got the PS3 versions of some titles), but recently I've been thinking again about what I've been missing and whether it would be worth it to pay for another adapter. For instance, the free Madden Ultimate Team mode is something I'd like to try out but can't. What about updates and patches, not to mention DLC? I'm starting to feel more isolated and like I'm not getting the most out of some of my games at home.

It's no use taking a pseudo-Luddite stand on console's increased reliance on an Internet connection, or grabbing my pitchfork instead of my controller to protest shoddy manufacturing, because in the end the joke is on me since I don't get to experience the content that I want. If I insist on getting all my games on PS3 where online is free and included in the system, I'm surely going to miss out on some cool 360 exclusives.

Frankly I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'm leaning towards just getting one, but I'm sure it'll be an internal argument all the way to the store.

Totally Random Stuff

Matthew Kato — Sat, 01 May 2010 03:40:00 GMT

Here's some random crap I've been thinking regarding games and other assorted stuff. Enjoy (I'm being sarcastic, by the way!).

Bungie & Activision

I know that Activision's considered the devil right now, and I'm as disappointed as anyone over the situation of Infinity Ward, Jason West, and Vince Zampella. But as far as the Bungie deal goes, let me offer a note of optimism. Let's hope that Activision has learned its lesson, and that the Bungie deal signals a new phase in how the publisher treats its talent. I'd be surprised if a developer as focused on its own brand as Bungie just walked into some kind of trap. After all, not five years ago everyone thought that EA was Satan, and that's changed with EA Partners.

Between the Pipes

As I was saying in this week's Weekend Warrior, I've started playing NHL 10 as a goalie in Be a Pro mode. Unlike my last stint as a defenseman for the Wild, I don't expect to be hoisting the Stanley Cup this time around. Being a goalie is hard work. It's a pretty unconventional way to experience the game since there are lulls in the action. But it's kind of cool knowing that winning and losing can come down to a few seconds or a few saves. I've gotten so used to playing in the Be A Pro mode with NHL that I don't think I'm any good in the old, top-down style. How you score is different between the two modes. Maybe in my third stint with NHL 10 I'll try and master that mode as well.

God of War III: You Go Straight To Hell!

I was playing God of War III the other day, and after a death or 12, the game difficulty screen popped up, kindly offering to bump me down a level. Please, how insulting. I'd rather die a thousand deaths than swallow my pride and go down a difficulty level.

Judging A Game By Its Cover

Never underestimate the power of good box art. When I was a kid I had a lot of stupid ideas. One was that I totally bought into Nintendo's Seal of Quality for NES titles. Not only that, but Konami's Ultra line also suckered me in. There was good reason for this: Metal Gear Solid was on the Ultra imprint, not to mention all the good Nintendo first-party stuff that had The Seal. So, naturally, other games in Konami's Ultra line must be as good as Metal Gear, right? Of course, Rush 'N Attack brought me to my senses. BTW, I also thought Snake on the box reminded me of Hicks from Aliens. Maybe that slightly influenced me buying Metal Gear in the first place...

My NASCAR Shame

It's sad to say, but I'm not watching enough NASCAR this year. Things got off to a bad start at the beginning of the year with all those washouts. And though they're racing with the new blade spoiler, I haven't been watching. Hopefully The Chase is competitive and not a ten-race early victory lap for Jimmie Johnson. Then I really won't be watching.

The Unkind Test of Time

Games are getting better all the time, and I was thinking about instances when a title simply doesn't stand up anymore. I was thinking of games I'd reviewed in the past like Gun or Mark of Kri. At the time I loved them, but now they seem antiquated. Gun because of the open world nature of Red Dead Redemption, and Mark of Kri because of how a series like God of War more eloquently handles group combat. This is nothing new, but I think those two games in particular are instances where it's not just graphics that can make a game outdated.

A Game-Changer!
Matt called me into his office the other day to share with Brian and I what I call a "game-changer." Take a good look at these record bins. I think I'm going to order two of these bad boys (and some alphabetical divider cards) and turn my record room into a freakin' record store! You can get them at http://lpbin.com/