23. November 2007 by Costas Taliadoros.

I just got back from lunch and need to finish up some pending issues here at the office. But before i do that i thought i would just give you this Friday’s Click the Link. Maybe some people have already “shut down” for the week.

Gabe Newell Interview - Rock Paper Shotgun
Massive UK Personal data lost - BBC
Amazon Kindle sells out on launch - BBC
Santa gets axe for euro in Cyprus finance ministry - Reuters
Interview with Gearbox President Randy Pitchford (Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway) - Eurogamer

Jeff Minter can’t stop bitching about poor reception of Space Giraffe - Stinkygoat.livejournal

I was one of the few apparently who purchased his game on XBLA and regretted it as it is a game that is only enjoyable to a minority of people. It’s not a bad game as such but it is not accessible to the vast majority of gamers. And for me XBLA games must be able to appeal to the average gamer especially if the creator demands it to be a commercial success. I just hope that Mr Minter who is clearly a talented developer just stops whining and learns from this and comes back with something new.

Have a good weekend and I will see you on Monday.

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23. November 2007 by Costas Taliadoros.

This is the first Pure Vs Uber article in the series which will be co-written with my main gaming partner and Uber Otaku Mardas. In these articles we will be discussing and debating specific games and other game related issues. This article will be a 2 round piece where we will talk about Call of Duty 4 and its credentials for being a strong candidate for Game of the Year. It will be published here, in this blog, and also at our Forevergamers site.

From: Pure Otaku Costas
To: Uber Otaku Mardas
Date: 21/11/2007

Dear Uber Otaku Mardas,

I will go first my friend starting with the Campaign mode.

First of all, let me ask you this? How many joypads have you thrown at the wall in frustration? Did your 360 really go down the ring of death way or was it thrown out the window? I know you have been playing it on Veteran and i just wanted to know. Myself, I chose the normal way. The average Joe gamer’s way. I wanted to enjoy the cinematic experience without having to die a million times before each checkpoint.

Off I went with my mates in the SAS and boarded the ship in the storm. We hit the bridge first. I took out that lazy bastard sitting on the chair. You know the one I am talking about. All was going well until the ship was struck by a MIG’s missile. Rushing out of that sinking ship I almost missed a turn but my Captain’s voice helped me find the right way out. He saved my life twice that night in the space of a few minutes.

Why this intro of the game you might ask. I wanted you to know that I really felt I was actually part of what was going on. Although the events in Call of Duty 4 are scripted and always triggered when you kill enough of the respawning enemies or after you have moved to a specific location Infinity Ward have masterfully ensured that it never, ever feels scripted. I was totally immersed.

Read the rest of this entry »

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23. November 2007 by Costas Taliadoros.

Rock Band is now out in the US (early next year in Europe) and as i expected home made videos are starting to find their way to youtube. This is a video of a guy playing the drums on expert and getting 98% of the notes right. This game is going to be huge and together with Guitar Hero III it’s going to boost music sales too. Click the Link for more on that story but don’t forget to play the video (with sound on!).

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