Halo Music Video Hell

Quite an old one this but I thought it was worth bringing back for anyone that hasn't already seen it.



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Down on your knees and...

...PREY?

If you have a 360, like FPS games, and have yet to experience PREY, where have you been? You may have been in the same place I was. I was on Planet Yysiab. No that's not one of the planets from Geometry Wars Galaxies, it's Planet Yea Yea Seen It All Before. I was so completely nonplussed by 3D Realms offering that despite buying it because it was cheap I still didn't play it. That is until about 4 weeks ago when, inspired by a returning interested in FPS games, I decided to give it some of my attention.

If Venom Games decided that PREY was going to get into training for the Beijing Olympic Games it's chosen event would be high diving. PREY would go straight for the highest board and it's first attempt at a flying forward one-and-a-half somersaults pike would earn it straight 9's. Easily.

Vertigo is not something that PREY has a problem with. Prey prefers to stand at great heights, play with gravity and generally mess with your head. I was in awe of this game's use of gravity when I first walked up a wall and then stood on the ceiling firing round after round at the alien invaders. Certain large rooms contain new born planets, very Magrathea, and once you get yourself onto one the gravity changes, relative to the size of the sphere you're on. It's very elegant and seeing the main chamber from all angles while you run around the baby planet blasting aliens is a lot of fun.

The main character, Tommy, has the special ability to Spirit Walk and to visit the Spirit World. He is a Cherokee after all. Ok, so it's a bit cheesy but it works incredibly well and adds a fresh element to the game. When Spirit walking you are separated from Tommy's body and can go where Tommy normally couldn't go. This adds plenty of opportunity for puzzles and little bit of thinking outside the box for the player. If Tommy loses all his energy he's returned to the spirit world where you play a mini game shooting red and blue spirit wraiths to try to return your health and spirit levels before returning to the real world. This all keeps the story flowing along nicely and I personally enjoyed it far more that just restarting at the last check point.

Built on Unreal technology the levels are both gorgeous to look at and superbly designed. If you've ever looked at one of M.C. Escher's' impossible pictures you'll know what to expect with PREY's levels. The only difference is that there are more aliens that you have to destroy in Prey.

PREY isn't particularly challenging if you're into FPS games but it's a gaming experience well worth playing. The only area that seems to cause players difficulty is the cube puzzle on level 16. I can honestly say I was out of the cube and back to adventuring and blasting within minutes. It's really not difficult at all and just requires a bit of spatial awareness.

There are moments in this game so awesome that you will stop playing and stare goggle eyed at what's happening on screen. The rest of the time you'll be adventuring and blasting and loving every minute.

I've seen PREY in Gamestation for £7.99 so, while you wait for GEARS 2, do yourself a favour and walk the spirit walk. You won't regret it.

Nintendo Why? Fi

As people should be aware it is illegal to use your mobile phone while driving. That's no talking and certainly no texting at the wheel. Nintendo being the law abiding citizens that they are have implemented this into the forth coming Mario Kart Wii. There will be no texting and most definately no chatting during races, but you can text your friends before the race using either a USB keyboard or the Wii remote. If you opt for the latter the race may well be over before you can type 'I'll pwn your face at this noob!' however.

Nintendo say they did toy with the idea of not only including a plastic wheel with the game but also a small bundle of sticks. Using these, players could rub them together vigorously to create smoke signals to organise online matches and chat to friends in a more reliable way than the Nintendo Wifi connection. The only reason these were removed from the final boxed version was that sending friend codes via this method proved even more time consuming than using the Wii remote. Well, that and the fact that players were winning races in a very real 'blaze' of glory!

So here's a plea to Nintendo. If you really are serious about charging to play certain games online, sort out the basics first. You only have to scan through the forum quickly to see the constant problems people are having trying to play any DS or Wii game online. The Geometry Wars online scoreboard is still an annoyance for me too, being something close to useless. Extensive was the word used on the box I believe, so why can't I choose to see my friends scores? And isn't it called Wii Connect 24? I assumed this meant 24hr and not the average number of times I would have to connect and disconnect from Nintendo Wifi to upload and view the scores. Still a great game though.

Update: Reading through a preview from people who have played the actual game it's said that the chat feature is even more limited than originally thought, consisting of a few preset phrases you can send to each other. The preview rated the game extremely highly but did say the plastic wheel control was rubbish and to stick with the other methods available.

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One console to rule them all.

While Nintendo and Sony's plans for the current generation consoles couldn't have looked more different it now seems that they were both going for the same market share but from completely different ends.

Nintendo were going for the casual gamer and none gamer using the Wii's all new, now all conquering, control method as the hook. Coupled with a large array of casual style games, some massive first party games and a sprinkling of games to please the fans, Nintendo's plan is working better than anyone ever thought it would. The Wii is a massive seller all over the world and even now, more than a year after release, it can be hard to find a Wii for sale on the high street. Nintendo are enjoying a new golden era.

Sony on the other hand went for hi-tech. REALLY hi-tech. So hi-tech that people began to question the sanity of the decision to be quite so hi-tech, not least because of the price that the console was going to cost. Were PS2 owners really going to upgrade to a PS3 at launch? We all now know the answer to that, as do Microsoft and Nintendo who both must have smirked as Sony plummeted into third place in the console war. The PS3 is the powerhouse of the current generation but history shows that this alone is not enough. Sony must have been aware of this as they decided to go even more hi-tech and added another expensive, and unproven at the time, piece of hardware. The Blu-Ray drive

So like the fat kid in the 1500m race on sports day the PS3 is a lap behind in last place. But this isn't a sprint and, just like the tortoise, the fat kid could cross the finishing line first.

With the announcement last week from Toshiba that HD-DVD has gone the way of the Dodo, Blu-Ray is set to be the new DVD. Sony's plan all along was to have a PS3 in every house to play, not just games, but films too. D'oh! How could we have doubted them!? Sony, like Nintendo, targeted the casual gamer and none gamer but they thought they'd lure them in with the only way to buy high definition films and it's worked. Blu-Ray has punted HD-DVD into touch. For good.

Compared to Blu-Ray player prices the PS3 is now a very attractive option for anyone wanting to watch high definition films and PS3 sales will very likely overtake both the 360 and Wii sales very soon. It's only a matter of time for Joe Public to think "Hey, this monstrosity plays games too? I gotta get me some of that!" and it'll have the most software support just like it's predecessor.

Maybe I'll be temped with a PS3 one day. Hopefully Sony will release a slimline PS3 before that day. At least that way it will fit through my front door.

Does Blu-Ray interest you? Does it interest anyone? Could downloadable movies yet usurp Sony's plans? Most PS3 owners are a bit scared of Gameov3r and they don't stick around for long. It could be his flatulence but the rest of us forgive him that. And use pegs. So come and shout for the PS3 on the GAMEOV3R Forum.

Vick's Monday Blues (Legoshire)

'Ey uup! Tha lad's gone all emo like.



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:) Vick :)

So Close...

95% is all I need. That shouldn't be too hard should it?

Get a 95% shot down percentage in all five areas to unlock 'boss rush' mode. One and two are complete. Area three, score attack, Rez HD.

I've decided on my tactic. Don't worry about getting a good score, just make sure I shoot everything I see, and it's working well. By the time I meet the boss it's a formality, and in a couple of minutes it explodes in an expanding ball of bright light that leaves me squinting at the screen.

It's not my best score, but I sure did shoot a huge amount of abstract objects, I think to myself. A few escaped I know but I can afford a few. The screen fades and the couple of seconds before the scoreboard shows up seem to just hang there. I'm sure I've done it, almost positive in fact, I probably don't even need to look. But I do, and it's there in bright frickin orange... 94.85%... 94.85%?! What did I miss that was worth 0.15%?! I don't know yet, but I'm sure gonna shoot the b@****d later!

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Anya. Berserker. Satellite? Take 2

Oh yes! Microsoft and Epic have now confirmed, yes CONFIRMED, that in the month of November this year Xbox 360 owners will once again be feasting all of their senses on glorious Locust destruction. I, for one, can't wait.

There's no exact date yet and no news if Gears 2 will see a synchronised worldwide release but it sounds like everywhere will have the game before the end of November. I think we now know that this years number one best selling game won't be on the Wii.

And looking backwards for a moment, it looks like Amazon did get it right. Someone somewhere knew something the rest of the world was desperate to know. BLOG

There's a short trailer and a couple of desk top pictures, one of them, slightly altered, you can see at the top of this blog, available HERE

Marcus and the boys can't get here quick enough.

EDIT: Some more footage to get you drooling...



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Mario Kart Wii

So Mario Kart Wii is just around the corner and will launch across Europe on April 11th 2008.

I'm starting to look forward to this one a bit now and I actually think the little wheel to slot your remote in that will come bundled with it could be quite effective. I expect an initial learning curve similar to how Excite Truck felt at first. Once mastered though that game shone and I'm hoping this one will too with all its online trimmings and the fact I can play as my Mii!

It seems Nintendo are pulling out all the stops with the online functionality as a new Wii Channel, the Mario Kart Channel, will also be launched with Mario Kart Wii. Players will be able to monitor their ranking against others with data compiled from races completed online as well as also access and share Ghost Data to download. Why not see if your friends are playing by checking their status or even better still set up a room in which you can chat to them before a race starts? Players even have the possibility to join in on their friends races in progress as a spectator and jump into the race when the next course launches. Through this channel, users will be exposed to a host of new online features allowing them to join a community of racing fans from all over the world as well as participate in special worldwide events organised by Nintendo.

It seems the Wii is starting to live up to its online potential. Just make sure you've got enough servers backing it all up before the launch Nintendo!

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Little Rocker

Ok I'm a Guitar Hero addict. There, I said it. Even I don't think I need a version to take while I'm on the move... although it doubles as a carabiner which would be useful when I find myself rock climbing... and it has a fold down fret board so you won't get any funny looks when it's in your pocket...



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Scouting for Orcs

Orcs are the scum of any fantasy world and when you come across one you should kill it first and ask questions later. Orcs usually carry weapons, are heavily armoured, ugly and always stink. They live only to drain the blood from anyone or anything that fights for light and good. I have put many Orcs to the sword this week thanks to the DS game Orcs and Elves from id Software.

Orcs and Elves places you in the green pixie boots of a half-elf, called Eol. Playing as Eol you find yourself in the middle of a war in the mountain citadel of Zharrkarag, King Brahms’s massive Dwarven fortress. You’re accompanied in your adventure by a talking wand, Ellon, who likes to comment on your swordplay and interact with characters that you meet. You use Ellon to deal doom, in the form or killer spells, to the Orcs, Vampire Rats, Slime things, Wraiths and all manner of other evil creatures that have invaded the fortress. You’re also equipped with a sword, armour, a map, a quest log, a bag for items, rings that give you different powers, potions and some ale. Mustn’t forget to mention the ale.

O&E is a pretty standard action and adventure RPG game. You collect items, buy and level up weapons and magic enabling you to take on the tougher enemies as you progress through the dungeons. There's nothing particularly new but don't let that fool you. The physical puzzles are well thought out, if not too challenging, and the action based combat system is involving and fun. The grid based gameplay feels old school but perfectly suited to the D&D style of the game and adds to the overall experience.

The game looks old school too and is not too far removed from the look of Doom or Wolfenstein 3D. The 3D environment in O&E is well crafted, detailed and solid looking, Carmack has clearly been at work here, with nice use of dynamic lighting. The characters and monsters you meet are all sprite based and, although they would look at home on the Commodore Amiga, add to the atmosphere and charm of the game.

I've played through the game once at the normal difficulty level and it took about 10 hours. I did try to explore as much as I could of the 12 levels so O&E isn’t a particularly long game. There are two more difficulty levels and I’m sure "Nightmare" will present a stiffer challenge and take me bit more time to get through.

To me it's obvious that Orcs and Elves, despite the short development time - John Carmack states 6 months, is a labour of love. Carmack has been a fan of Dungeons and Dragons since before the days of Doom so there is probably no one more committed to releasing quality D&D titles.

So although Orcs and Elves isn’t perfect it is far more than just the sum of its various parts. It’s a lot of fun to play, has a charm all of it's own and it will keep you coming back for more. There's nothing else like it on the DS.

Elvish isn’t dead.

Love Your Console

St Valentine's Day is upon us and at this very moment couples across the land are preparing for an evening of romance. No one’s too old for romance you know. The young will be going to McDonalds and then to watch a film before finding a quiet spot in the park where the parents would never look for them. Couples that are still trying to impress one another will have sent slushy cards oodles of red roses and chocolates and will be going out for a meal at a flashy restaurant tonight. Tomorrow morning they’ll be going to see the bank manager about and re-mortgage. The happily married will be staying at home, opening a bottle of wine and watching a film. Even the older generation get in on the romance and will happily give each other Valentines cards and be going for an early night. Because that’s what old people do.

Suckers! Gamers don't need romance! All we need is a games console, the greatest games on the planet and the time to play them. That time, Gameov3r readers, is tonight!

Don't be predictable and commercial. Text your partner and apologetically explain that you just have to spend some quality time tonight with your beloved games console. If you don't think that'll go down too well text and say the car won't start or something. It doesn't matter what you do because it'll be wrong anyway. Embrace St Valentines Day and you are just a slave to commercialism and you are not being spontaneous enough. Flowers? What are you apologising for? Chocolates? You'll make her fat. Ignore St Valentines Day and we're not being romantic. It’s a lose lose situation.

So sod it! Quality time with your games is where it's at.

Now I wouldn't suggest that you give your console a bear hug, well you could but if it's a 360 it'll probably overheat and blow up. Just go and dim the lights, light a candle or two, pour a glass of coke and get a bowl of snacks. Now select a couple of your favourite games and settle back for a night of gaming bliss. Just you and your console partner.

GAMEOV3R accepts no responsibility for the break up of any relationships. He's too busy down in the cellar to care. As for me, well excuse me but I have to dash off. I’m having a quiet dinner with my wife. Just the two of us. :)

Whatever you’re doing tonight have a great time!

It was going to happen sometime

Now as far as I know this has happened to only one other Gameov3r member but sooner or later it was going to happen again.

We read all about it on gaming websites and in magazines. Wii fans mock, but, while they do, they wonder if their little white box of joy will make a few more of those clunky noises and then melt beneath a fuzzy, electric blue, cloud of static. 360 owners talk about it in hushed whispers wondering if they'll be next. Sony fan boys join the Wii fans in the mockery but they forget that it is unwise to throw stones if you have a glass console.

Surprisingly I didn't greet the red glow, that was beaming at me from the front of my 360, with a torrent of foul language. It was more of a “oh well, I guess I better phone Xbox Support then.” And even then I only thought it. I was not annoyed or distressed in the slightest. I didn't feel a thing. Well actually, I did feel a bit disappointed. I’d always assumed that I’d be beside myself with rage, jumping up and down and making indecipherable bleeping noises, should my 360 eye me like it was possessed. But it all felt a bit flat.

I phoned Microsoft to complain. No hats required this time. The guy at the call centre checked my details and, after confirming that the problem was a general hardware failure, he booked my 360 in for repair . I was told that this would all be done under the Extended 3 Year Warranty, so would cost me nothing, and that it would take between 2 and 3 weeks. That's not all. To sweeten the situation Microsoft will add an extra month to my gold membership to cover the repair time.

A UPS packing slip arrived in my inbox a few hours after I made the phone call. All I have to do now is phone and arrange collection and then wait. I'll let you know how the whole process works out when I get my repaired 360 back. Full marks so far Microsoft.

So another 360 bites the dust and it's made me curious to know how many of you Gameov3r blog readers and Forum members have experienced the RROD? Comments below, join the Forum or email me. I want to know!

Mark Watson

I saw this guy just last week at the Glee Club in Birmingham and he's well worth seeing if he's in your area.

WARNING: Language



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Guinness World Record

I remember when I was just a little lad I always used to get a copy of the Guinness World Records book each year but it's been a long while now since I looked at one. This release therefore managed to slip right past me until it flashed up on TV.

Today saw the UK release of the very first Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition containing obscure and sometimes humorous facts plus trivia about all kinds of games. Ever wondered what the most downloaded demo is on Xbox LIVE? Bioshock, with over 1 million downloads in its first month. Longest ban on LIVE? The gamertag 'Scar' is apparently banned until 31st December 9999! Mario's first love interest? Pauline in the original Donkey Kong game, although they are just friends now. Best selling handheld racing game? Of course it's Mario Kart DS with 7.83 million copies sold. Wipeout Pure on the PSP as a comparison has sold 1 million.

It actually doesn't look like a bad little book and you can get a sneak peak here. Anyone buying this?

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Car For The Elderly

It's been widely reported in the gaming news that Dr Kawashima turned down $11 million in royalties from his part in the DS Brain Training games, deciding instead to put it into funding more research. Apparently his family isn't too pleased with his decision, but as Dr Kawashima says "if you want money, go out and earn it".

The bit that caught my eye however was that he's now working with Toyota on developing a car more suitable for elderly drivers. So what exactly is the problem with current cars that we struggle with once we get past a certain age? Well for one, temperature regulation. Old people need to be kept alert while driving and having the heat up too high, although tempting, can result in drowsiness. I'm guessing the way this will work is to give the buggers a quick blast of ice cold air every few minutes, that should do the trick nicely.

Another problem we will face as we get old is 'hitting the gas pedal for no reason'. The car will learn your driving patterns and prevent any dangerous activity. Whether this will also apply to braking isn't clear but I'm not sure I'd like the car to decide whether I actually meant to brake or not. Apparently this would also cut in when driving past bingo halls and carpet bowls sites.

These are just two of the features we could be seeing in the next five years... but only if you're a southerner. As part of an on going campaign of discrimination against northerners shockingly uncovered by Watch Dog this week, (see video below) the car won't be available in Scotland or northern regions of England. It's also rumoured to come in any colour except for blue or 'yeller' due to a misunderstanding with the manufacturers.



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Something for free?

You never get anything for free. Just try getting the free half of a 100% extra free piece of mature cheddar out of the door of your local supermarket without paying for the other half and you'll be accosted by the security guard who, despite your best efforts, will neither understand nor believe you.

Microsoft offering Undertow to Xbox Live subscribers for free wasn't really for free. It was Microsoft apologising for the lousy online service that, for me, began on 25th December 2007, and still isn't as good as it used to be.

I was certainly going to take advantage of Microsoft's peace offering as, unlike Lee, I hadn't downloaded the full version of Undertow. At least that was my plan. To my dismay when Microsoft offered Undertow I was on vacation. I checked the download as soon as I got home but it was back at 800 points. Bugger.

I decided to phone Microsoft and explain my tale of woe. I'd already read how Lee had successfully squeezed 800 "free" points out of Microsoft, because he already had the game, and thought I'd have a go too. Surely I would at least manage to get Undertow if not 800 points. Before I phoned I put my Mr Angry baseball cap next to my Mr Stroppy trilby on the table next to the phone. Depending on the reaction I received I thought I would have to don one of the hats. After all Microsoft had offered the game for a period of time and I didn't download it. My fault not theirs. They could simply turn around and say "tough luck pal!" and I wanted to be ready for them.

I needn't have worried about donning either hat. Microsoft customer service, although a bit cold, is very, very good. My complaint was dealt with efficiently and I was told I would receive a call back. 36 hours later I received a call back, as promised, and the saga was resolved. The customer Service representative couldn't have been more helpful and Microsoft were surprisingly generous.

So there you go. Although my LIVE connection isn't quite as quick as it was I'm a pretty satisfied Microsoft customer. Thank you and good night.



Oh ok I'll tell you what I got. I was given a choice of any item I wanted from a list of retail games and hardware. It wasn't a list full of crap either. I decided on a wireless controller which, here in the UK, has an RRP of £32.99. Not bad for a customer that would've been happy with 800 Microsoft Points. I think on this occasion I can safely say I got something for free.

Did you ever manage to scrounge something for free? Gameov3r regularly get's everyone on the forum to do his jobs for him. There's even a rota to change the litter tray. Free labour he says. Slave labour I say!

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Thanks to the DAVE tv channel I'm currently enjoying this show all over again...



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Take A Break

It's been a good gaming week this week. I finally finished Guitar Hero II on the hard level and also thrashed my Geometry Wars top score on the 360. It's still pretty weak but good for me!

Not such a big deal you might well say, but both of those were targets I'd tried countless times to achieve and just couldn't. I'd semi given up on them really and just accepted that I was at the limit of my gaming abilities. As most of us do from time to time though, I decided to look through my game collection for something I hadn't picked up in a while. Coming back to them with no real expectations or pressures on my performance worked wonders. I was in the zone, I was on the ball and experiencing the mental state known simply as 'flow'.

An example of this was given by Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna, who during qualifying for the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix felt like he was driving the car beyond his limits. "I was already on pole and I just kept going. Suddenly I was nearly two seconds faster than anybody else, including my team mate with the same car. And suddenly I realised that I was no longer driving the car consciously. I was driving it by a kind of instinct". Musicians, especially improvisational soloists can often experience a similar state of mind while playing their instrument.

The same concept of flow can be applied to video games.

"After mastering a game's learning curve or sometimes completely at random, the player may experience an increase in skill for no determined amount of time"

I've since tried many many times to better that score on Geometry Wars but I can't even get close. I'm back to my normal self for now at least. It's a strange phenomenon though and it's not the first time it's happened to me. Maybe it was because I was relaxed and not trying so hard. Whatever it is that causes it, it seems practice makes perfect but simply taking a break can work just as well.

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