What Game Are You Currently Playing?

[KiLaSix9+ 398]

Well, I must say I didn't expect them to give us TWO free games. 3 of those titles are top games too. That plus a free month of the Plus service and I'd say I'm satisfied.

[BucD+ 648]

Sweeet!

 

 

Free is always nice.

[Turry 755]

Grand Theft Auto 4

[Duck Fallas 209]

I will be on my way to pick up LA Noire in the next half-hour or so, I may disappear for a while playing it.

[Krawnka 282]

Sweet, I've been thinking of trying out Infamous anyway.

[Duck Fallas 209]

LA Noire. My immediate thought was "These faces are fucking creepily realistic". The game is actually quite gorgeous and they seem to have captured what I would expect 1940's LA perfectly. I love film noire and old school pulp fiction novels, so this game really seems to have a shit ton of potential.

[RazorStar 4,025]

I dunno, from the commercials they seem to sit right in the uncanny valley.

 

[Vin+ 3,121]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1169235p1.html

 

 

Update 2: Sony and Rockstar Games have issued the following joint statement.

 

"We have received a very small number of customer support questions about PS3s overheating or shutting down while playing L.A. Noire. At this time, Rockstar Games and Sony can confirm that neither L.A. Noire or firmware update 3.61 are causing the PS3 hardware to overheat. We are both committed to working hard to find solutions to this and any issues that may arise. If you are experiencing any issues with L.A. Noire or your PS3 hardware, please contact technical support using any of the means provided below:

 

Rockstar Support

Rockstar Support on Twitter

PlayStation 3 Support"

 

Update 1: A Sony spokesperson has told EDGE that the firmware 3.61 is not responsible for L.A. Noire overheating issues. Sony also went on to say that "Rockstar have now updated their FAQ on the matter, have admitted that it is a fault with their latest title LA Noire and have offered a work around. It should also be noted that the issue with this title is not PS3 specific and is also affecting other consoles."

 

Rockstar Support is advising affected users to delete their game data (not their save data) from their PS3 or clear their cache on Xbox 360. Rockstar are currently describing such incidents as "isolated crashes."

 

Original Story: Sony's 3.61 firmware patch for the PS3, which attempted to secure consoles after the PSN breach, could be making older machines freeze or switch off.

 

This claim originated on an official Rockstar support page. However, this page has since been taken down, and Rockstar have stressed that this was not an official statement. The information was sourced by a member of their customer support team from the European PlayStation boards.

 

When the page was active, Rockstar support detailed "reports of PS3s overheating while playing L.A. Noire or beeping three times before shutting down/turning themselves off, mostly on older 60GB and 80GB fat models."

 

And that it was "confirmed locally that multiple games (Rockstar and non-Rockstar) overheat or freeze only when 3.61 is installed."

 

Again, Rockstar have stressed that this was not an official statement. When contacted for comment, Sony said, "We don't comment on rumours or speculation about our products."

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

In what can only be described as a complete debacle, Sony has pulled access to its PlayStation Network password page after yet another security exploit has been discovered. It’s the latest embarrassment to the company, which has experienced more than its share of shameful moments in recent weeks.

 

Sony took the PSN password changing system down for “maintenance” after the Web site Nylevia offered details of how PlayStation Network accounts could still be compromised, even after Sony recently restored service with improved security.

 

According to Nylevia, a hacker could take over a PlayStation Network account by knowing the user’s account name and date of birth - two pieces of information stolen by data thieves in the April break-in.

 

Nylevia has confirmed the hack works, and has notified Sony of the problem. Sony has responded by taking the Web page for PlayStation Network passwords offline - users attempting to visit the site are getting a “maintenance notice.”

[KiLaSix9+ 398]

Yeah basically they overlooked the fact that one of these hackers with a persons info could access the website and change a persons password again, accessing their account. It doesn't really have anything to do with their actual network being hacked again.

[badgers 380]

I didn't feel like sorting through a bunch of the recent posts in this thread but did anybody get (or try) Homefront?

 

I heard it was like a hybrid Medal of Honor/Call of Duty and was really good. I was thinking about getting it soon, and was wondering if anybody here had any opinions about it.

[Vin+ 3,121]

Interesting article.

 

 

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1169579p1.html

 

 

Playing Dragon Age II for the first time was an eye-opening experience. I'm a big proponent of not spoiling anything to do with the games that I'm excited about – I couldn't, for instance, tell you a single thing about Portal 2 leading up to its release last month. The less I know about a game before I play it, the better the surprise when I finally get my greasy mitts on it for the first time.

 

 

It's therefore easy to understand the shock I experienced the first time I placed Dragon Age II into my Xbox 360. Dragon Age II is a jarringly different game to that of its predecessor, both mechanically and thematically. It is not an unenjoyable experience for the most part, but is alarmingly different from that of its forefather. If Dragon Age II had been the first entry of a new series, I would have praised its strong combat system, wonderful cast of characters and Mass Effect-style conversation wheel, however, it was not. Dragon Age II was a sequel to a title that specifically sold itself on its classic RPG bloodline, and for me its deviation from this path was an ultimately disappointing realisation.

I generally prefer my art to be a little more naked, but this is pretty stylish.

Back in the halcyon days of 2008, just prior to the launch of Dragon Age: Origins, Bioware was quick to tout the impressive lineage the title was succeeding, and its continuance of the classic PC RPG. Upon release, it was clear that the game was not without fault; combining an unrelenting level of difficulty, dense storytelling and old-fashioned conversation system, living up to the tropes of its lineage. In the end, it was the parts of the game that I found so challenging that I adored. Whilst the game was far from perfect, its imperfections were what gave it beauty. It was like Billie Piper – adorable for its faults, beautiful for its mistakes.

 

This is what makes Dragon Age II such a mystifying game. By conventional wisdom, it is a vastly improved sequel – gameplay is far more fluid and dynamic, conversations are much more in-depth and the plotline is intriguing and engaging. But somehow by fixing the "problems" of the first title, Bioware removed the soul and the heritage of the Dragon Age namesake, making it nothing more than another middling RPG. Without the features that made Dragon Age: Origins so unique, the title felt featureless in a cluttered, yet dying genre.

What's most disappointing is that it is perfectly clear why the decision was made to make the changes. As development costs skyrocket and the aggregate prices of video games remains constant, developers and publishers are forced to walk the line between art and profiteering that the film industry has been doing for years. Unlike the film industry, however, there is no economically feasible way to make an "indie" 120-hour dungeon crawler. Creating a video game is an extraordinarily expensive business venture, so expanding the potential market appeal of a single title is an important investment. Sure, Dragon Age: Origins might have remained true to the spirit of the traditional RPG, but at what cost? While it was a wonderful case of nostalgia, my enjoyment must have come at the cost of huge segments of the market.

 

According to an Xbox 360 achievement aggregator, only an estimated 52% of players received the achievement for witnessing the end of the game; whilst as many as 10% of total players earned fewer than five achievements. Whilst these statistics are fairly vague, they are representative of the hardcore audience. With such low completion numbers and a sharp loss of players early in the game, it implies a systematic problem exists within its core design. Further, these statistics were from a website for core gamers, dedicated to obtaining as many achievements as possible. If even the hardcore market was turning off in the early stages, something must have been fundamentally wrong. You can't fault EA for getting cold feet and pulling back from the RPG influences.

Dragons it promised and dragons it delivered. BAM!

Nowadays, it seems that gaming is experiencing somewhat of a RPG renaissance. The infamous addition of the perk system to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's competitive multiplayer came as a great surprise and, ultimately, a welcome addition. The ability to level up and unlock better, stronger gear was a critically-praised decision that won the admiration of gamers and critics alike. It enticed players away from the Halos and Gears of Wars that inhabited the gaming world back to Call of Duty, paving the way for it to become the biggest franchise in the world.

Following its success, the classic saying, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" was never truer. All of a sudden the floodgates were opened and every man and his dog were racing to add RPG elements to their titles. Racers (Blur, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit), re-imagined classics (Hard Corps: Uprising) – hell, even the franchises Call of Duty 4 usurped (Halo: Reach, Gears of War 3) rushed to implement the classic ideals of the RPG genre.

 

At the same time, however, traditional RPGs (Final Fantasy XIII and Alpha Protocol) were subject to critical scorn and divisive sales figures. It seemed that players wanted the elements of the genre, but not the games themselves. As it stands, on average the only games that achieved critical and commercial acclaim within the genre were those that diluted the classical role-playing elements to incredible extremes, such as Mass Effect 2. This is not a bad thing, as Mass Effect 2 is still arguably the greatest game of its generation. It is simply representative of a shift in the industry and consumer tastes.

 

Somewhere during the two-year regeneration of Shepard between the first and second titles, the Mass Effect universe gave up on item-carrying and huge skill-trees in favour of simplified, dynamic levelling and looting. By reducing the choice players had in regards to levelling or loot selection, BioWare was able to create a more cohesive and uniform storyline for all players. While this shift worked for Mass Effect, it rang hollow when applied to Dragon Age II. After being sold as the modern re-imagining of the classic PC games of yore, its 180-degree refocus away from the elements that made it so special in the first case made the game feel empty and cold by comparison.

What worked for Shepard wasn't as neat a fit for the Hero of Ferelden.

So what's the final death toll? As it stands currently, it seems that consumers emerge from Dragon Age II as the ultimate winners. Even with its changes to gameplay and presentation, Dragon Age II is a great game worthy of your time. Further, with RPG elements being used in more and more titles, it seems that an evolution of sorts has been undertaken. The RPG is not self sufficient anymore. It serves as a complementary offering in tandem with another genre – the sauce upon a dish, as opposed to the meal itself.

 

And so, with a heavy heart, it appears we should say goodbye to the RPG genre of old. It's sad to see it go, but its impact is something that will permeate throughout gaming for the rest of eternity, and we can celebrate its rebirth as the ultimate add-on. Nathaniel Crouch is a freelance writer based in Canberra, Australia. That's our capital city, you know. No, I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it.

 

 

 

Also,

 

 

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1169574p1.html

 

It won't really come as much surprise, but a tweet from Bioware developer Alistair McNally today has spilled the beans on the next installment of the Dragon Age series.

 

The tweet confirms Bioware is looking for new talent to work on Dragon Age III, stating 'I'm looking for exceptional environment artists to join me at #BioWare Edmonton, Canada to work on #DragonAge3 #gamejobs #jobs #3D #artists'.

 

This was further retweeted by Christina Norman of the Mass Effect team, lending further veracity.

 

This is the first official confirmation that the sequel is underway.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Wooo DAIII!!!

 

And...

 

LA Noire

 

Definitely an interesting game. Love the story, love the character development. There isn't as much hardcore, shooting / fighting as I thought there might be (granted, I am still VERY early into the game)... But I am liking it a lot. It's a milder Grand Theft Auto meets Dick Tracey.

[Duck Fallas 209]

Wooo DAIII!!!

 

And...

 

LA Noire

 

Definitely an interesting game. Love the story, love the character development. There isn't as much hardcore, shooting / fighting as I thought there might be (granted, I am still VERY early into the game)... But I am liking it a lot. It's a milder Grand Theft Auto meets Dick Tracey.

I am guessing that I am about halfway through the game. I have come to realize that reading the faces, regardless of eerily realistic they are, is a pain in the ass. Until the last 3 cases, I had not gotten more than 2 questions correct in a single interview.

 

There is really very little shooting/fighting/car chases in the game to this point. But to the games major credit (in my book), the story is phenomenal, even if I don't know where it is going yet. I love the fact that they are tying in a real-life murder case from the 1940's, The Black Dahlia murder, into the game. I am eager to see how it all plays out in the end.

[rzb+ 367]

I didn't feel like sorting through a bunch of the recent posts in this thread but did anybody get (or try) Homefront?

 

I heard it was like a hybrid Medal of Honor/Call of Duty and was really good. I was thinking about getting it soon, and was wondering if anybody here had any opinions about it.

I heard the Campaign was fun but really short. As for the Multiplayer, their servers were down for over 24 hours so I had plenty of friends who said to not even bother getting it. They all traded it back in within a week, lol. Just wait on Battlefield 3.

 

Bioshock. Playing through again so I can move on to BS2. I love this game.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

I talked with someone today who has LA Noire, and they said they beat it in 7 hours. I am still really early in the game, so I am unsure... But I have to think there is probably at least 7 hours of dialogue and cutscenes alone . I mean, the game is split onto three discs (Xbox), and the current case I am working on has lasted a full hour already and I am probably half to 2/3 done with it. Add in the 40 dispatch calls (sidequests) and I HAVE to believe that the game is longer than 7 hours.

[Vin+ 3,121]

I talked with someone today who has LA Noire, and they said they beat it in 7 hours. I am still really early in the game, so I am unsure... But I have to think there is probably at least 7 hours of dialogue and cutscenes alone . I mean, the game is split onto three discs (Xbox), and the current case I am working on has lasted a full hour already and I am probably half to 2/3 done with it. Add in the 40 dispatch calls (sidequests) and I HAVE to believe that the game is longer than 7 hours.

 

Per IGN:

 

Lasting Appeal

Depending on how much time you devote to exploring the city, it will take anywhere from 12 to 20 hours to beat.

[Duck Fallas 209]

I talked with someone today who has LA Noire, and they said they beat it in 7 hours. I am still really early in the game, so I am unsure... But I have to think there is probably at least 7 hours of dialogue and cutscenes alone . I mean, the game is split onto three discs (Xbox), and the current case I am working on has lasted a full hour already and I am probably half to 2/3 done with it. Add in the 40 dispatch calls (sidequests) and I HAVE to believe that the game is longer than 7 hours.

I beat it last night and it took me a total of about 22 hours. I really think that it was spread over 3 discs is because the technology that the used to create the insanely realistic faces took up so much damn memory. I will also call major bullshit on whomever told you they beat it in 7 hours. The only way that is possible is if they were using a strategy guide to gather all of the evidence and get all of the interview questions correct on the first try. The first disc took me almost 4 hours by its self.

 

I am going to be starting Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood later on tonight (after Monday Night Raw).

Edited May 24, 2011 by Chiabone

[Turry 755]

So for LA Noire would you bros recommend buying it ?

Edited May 24, 2011 by monstersofthemidway

[Duck Fallas 209]

So for LA Noire would you bros recommend buying it ?

I would absolutely recommend buying it. For once I feel as though a game was well worth the 5 year wait from announcement to the release.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

I beat it last night and it took me a total of about 22 hours. I really think that it was spread over 3 discs is because the technology that the used to create the insanely realistic faces took up so much damn memory. I will also call major bullshit on whomever told you they beat it in 7 hours. The only way that is possible is if they were using a strategy guide to gather all of the evidence and get all of the interview questions correct on the first try. The first disc took me almost 4 hours by its self.

 

I am going to be starting Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood later on tonight (after Monday Night Raw).

 

Strategy guide would make sense. And I feel sorry for them if that's the case. Now, don't get me wrong, I have gotten guides before for other games (namely GTA or FF games), but to me... It feels like a guide would ruin LA Noire more than most games.

[Duck Fallas 209]

Strategy guide would make sense. And I feel sorry for them if that's the case. Now, don't get me wrong, I have gotten guides before for other games (namely GTA or FF games), but to me... It feels like a guide would ruin LA Noire more than most games.

I have absolutely nothing against strategy guides, walk through or even cheat codes. Heck, I have used them many times in the past. I, however, only use them after I have beaten a game. There are a few games where I have needed to use them (the boss fight with Seymour in FFX, for example), but as a rule, I won't even consider it until the game is beaten. You are correct in that using a guide on LA Noire would ruin the experience. The whole enjoyment of the game is to try and figure out how to read the characters and take the journey to the completion of the case.

[WindyCitySports 407]

Need 4 Speed

[JetsFan4Life 542]

Metal Gear Solid 4

 

I've been waiting 3 years to play this game. Got a PS3 for Christmas and my friend let me borrow it over a month ago. Never really had time though but now I do. Everything I expected, just got done with Act I, going to get started on Act 2 later tonight!

[Vin+ 3,121]

I'm going to be pissed if this game turns out to suck.