I'm very excited for Mass Effect 3. I think its the first time I'm reading news article every night before I go to bed and replaying my second playthrough this time with a female Shepard.
But recently there has been an ongoing debate that has appeared on my newsfeed. It started when a friend of mine showed me a Youtube video informing what EA and Bioware has done. A link to the video is here
In short, Bioware has decided to release a day one downloadable content (DLC). While Bioware has done it before in the form of Zaeed through the Cerberus key network, this time Bioware has insisted we pay for the new DLC.
So what's the problem? The problem to many people its that the DLC was completed before the launch date and it was essentially stripped from the game apparently. To Bioware's defence, the content was created by a different team who so happened manage to finish it before the game went gold.
*Spoilers Ahead*
The content? An extra character who is a Prothean character who happen to somehow survive 50,000 years. While I'm excited to find out how the character survived and how he/she would impact the game. I hardly feel impacted by it. An extra character, new sidequest, new weapon and different appearance for your squad will not make a huge difference to me. And oh, the price is $10 and those who got the Collector's Edition will get it for free.
While the gaming community debates over this, I think its one the stupidest debate to talk about. There isn't any great philosophical topics nor some huge ethical debate. Yes, if Bioware & EA deliberately cut out content that is supposed to be in the final game, then I have to say it's unethical. But, in the past DLC that Bioware has done for Mass Effect 2, the characters are not even interesting to talk to. So, do I hold my hopes up for the new DLC character? No, I don't.
It was my intention to get the Collector's Edition from the start. In fact, when Amazon sold out their Collector's Edition, I still didn't go running to get a standard version. I waited till another opportunity presented itself and I'm getting the Collector's Edition through BestBuy. Reason being, I told myself, if this is the last game of the trilogy. I better go all out because I enjoy and love what Bioware has done to Mass Effect.
For $10, I feel that almost everyone can pay for it now. As for the matter of EA & Bioware; there are a business and in the business world if a profit can be made, why not? Sorry gamers, but its high time we learned that game companies won't hold our hands anymore and give nice little gifts.
In conclusion, the solution is very simple, either you buy the game or don't support it. If you think that Bioware & EA has become another scumbag game developers then stop buying games. Invest the time and money into something else. I'll always have photography to lean back on to and there's always something to do besides gaming.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Singapore Toys Games Comics Convention
Last night, just finished editing my photos for Singapore Toys Games Comics Convention. Its quite a huge project for me seeing I had about 250++ pictures when I started out. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with my work on it.
This is because the previous year I haven't purchased my DSLR before visiting STGCC and some of the pictures are not great quality. Here are some examples below:
These are a few selected are the good ones I shot. For the full album you can visit here
This is because the previous year I haven't purchased my DSLR before visiting STGCC and some of the pictures are not great quality. Here are some examples below:
These are a few selected are the good ones I shot. For the full album you can visit here
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Modern Warfare 3
I recently finish playing MW3 singleplayer & spent quite a few hours on the multiplpayer experience. And how did I like it? Fairly be warned, spoilers alert. If you want to skip it just don't read the entire post and I give MW3 a 3/5.
The singleplayer experience is what every Modern Warfare has done. Engaging and exciting because we all love a good shooting experience and we are looking forward to the ending of the trilogy that it was built upon in the first Modern Warfare. I personally find it entertaining but there are several issues I come across.
First I felt the story while engaging and enjoying, it lack the closure I want. For starters, you don't get to play with the characters from Modern Warfare 2 I.E. the U.S. Rangers who orders you to do everything under the sun but instead you get a brand spanking new team to play with.
It just seem like an offhanded throw at us gamers because I'm sure we all spent a great number of time on the Modern Warfare games and by then you would have be familiar with most of the characters. Granted by now, if you haven't play the game, Modern Warfare does a great job of killing of people left and right.
While I examine the storyline closely, there are several parts which makes you go "why didn't he do this in MW2?" or "why show a BA survivor who dies in the end because of some flesh wound?"
But of course this to milk the franchise as much as it can with stupid plot holes that just makes you wonder why did you buy the game in the first place? Of course the destruction of several key places in the world is just plain awesome to see. But I'm sorry, nothing comes close to seeing that nuke go off in MW. That still tops my list in one of the most WTF moments in all my gaming experience.
While it was fun to see Russia invading U.S., I just wish it that storyline was slightly longer because its always fun to see two of biggest superpower nations in the world go head to head. Maybe one or two extra missions along the side because I'm having issues that Russia was kicked out of U.S. soil in 1 mission. Whereas in MW2, we clearly see the U.S. army in total disarray and chaos and victory seems far.
But at the end, yes it was satisfying to finally finish the trilogy. And Infinity Ward did asloppy great job of simply just killing everyone which means almost no loose end to be bothered with. The last mission allows you to get really personal with Markarov and I enjoy that a lot.
On the music front, we have Brian Tyler who did several notable movies such as Fast Five, Battle For L.A. and several others which Wikipedia can help provide. As I listen to it, I recognize his style was more heavy rock theme which tells you that its time to kick ass and finish this game. I feel the music is divided in two different styles. One which is the rock style of military fighting and the heavy percussion emotional drive like what Lorne Balfe & Hans Zimmer did in Modern Warfare 2.
Then we have graphics. I really cannot give a good one seeing I'm playing using a laptop but from what I can seen, I still see some of the graphic that were being reused in Modern Warfare 2 again. That being said, it still feels like the same thing I played on Modern Warfare 2 with maybe a slightly higher graphic but nothing really stands out to me.
Moving onto the multiplayer, I still feel saddened its still not like Modern Warfare. I miss playing with 24 players on a long set limit of score and time rather than being confided to maybe 10 minutes max or 7500 score limit. Clearly it's a depart from Modern Warfare and still going back to Modern Warfare 2 all over again with only fancier weapons and perks and new killing spree unlocks.
I was for one glad the removal of certain perks *cough* Commando *cough*. Some of the new ones are equally annoying. For example, Stalker: you strafe faster when aiming. Or even Steady Aim which allows you to aim faster after sprinting. This little additional added perks which are added onto the perk system makes it such different game that it just frustrates me.
The maps are just like Modern Warfare 2 and it feels equally frustrating. I love the Modern Warfare maps where you can hide out in some places and people can never find you. Gone all the days when sniping was so much easier because the potential of being backstab has increase threefold. I personally still enjoy the maps in Modern Warfare and the ability to customize matches then forced to be dictated by a new set of rules.
Now that all has been said and done, seeing everyone is talking about BF3 vs MW3. I find BF3 more interesting than MW3. I mean 64 players on a huge map? Heck yeah, I'll play that. Squad spawns? Yes please. MW3 multiplayer gives more of a quick shooter without much way to be a team player except the perks. So if you love VERY fast-paced games then MW3 is for you. But if you prefer team-work and huge maps, pure destruction go with BF3.
I mean you can't just beat this:
And on a random note, I find more immature players on MW3 than BF3.
The singleplayer experience is what every Modern Warfare has done. Engaging and exciting because we all love a good shooting experience and we are looking forward to the ending of the trilogy that it was built upon in the first Modern Warfare. I personally find it entertaining but there are several issues I come across.
First I felt the story while engaging and enjoying, it lack the closure I want. For starters, you don't get to play with the characters from Modern Warfare 2 I.E. the U.S. Rangers who orders you to do everything under the sun but instead you get a brand spanking new team to play with.
It just seem like an offhanded throw at us gamers because I'm sure we all spent a great number of time on the Modern Warfare games and by then you would have be familiar with most of the characters. Granted by now, if you haven't play the game, Modern Warfare does a great job of killing of people left and right.
While I examine the storyline closely, there are several parts which makes you go "why didn't he do this in MW2?" or "why show a BA survivor who dies in the end because of some flesh wound?"
But of course this to milk the franchise as much as it can with stupid plot holes that just makes you wonder why did you buy the game in the first place? Of course the destruction of several key places in the world is just plain awesome to see. But I'm sorry, nothing comes close to seeing that nuke go off in MW. That still tops my list in one of the most WTF moments in all my gaming experience.
While it was fun to see Russia invading U.S., I just wish it that storyline was slightly longer because its always fun to see two of biggest superpower nations in the world go head to head. Maybe one or two extra missions along the side because I'm having issues that Russia was kicked out of U.S. soil in 1 mission. Whereas in MW2, we clearly see the U.S. army in total disarray and chaos and victory seems far.
But at the end, yes it was satisfying to finally finish the trilogy. And Infinity Ward did a
On the music front, we have Brian Tyler who did several notable movies such as Fast Five, Battle For L.A. and several others which Wikipedia can help provide. As I listen to it, I recognize his style was more heavy rock theme which tells you that its time to kick ass and finish this game. I feel the music is divided in two different styles. One which is the rock style of military fighting and the heavy percussion emotional drive like what Lorne Balfe & Hans Zimmer did in Modern Warfare 2.
Then we have graphics. I really cannot give a good one seeing I'm playing using a laptop but from what I can seen, I still see some of the graphic that were being reused in Modern Warfare 2 again. That being said, it still feels like the same thing I played on Modern Warfare 2 with maybe a slightly higher graphic but nothing really stands out to me.
Moving onto the multiplayer, I still feel saddened its still not like Modern Warfare. I miss playing with 24 players on a long set limit of score and time rather than being confided to maybe 10 minutes max or 7500 score limit. Clearly it's a depart from Modern Warfare and still going back to Modern Warfare 2 all over again with only fancier weapons and perks and new killing spree unlocks.
I was for one glad the removal of certain perks *cough* Commando *cough*. Some of the new ones are equally annoying. For example, Stalker: you strafe faster when aiming. Or even Steady Aim which allows you to aim faster after sprinting. This little additional added perks which are added onto the perk system makes it such different game that it just frustrates me.
The maps are just like Modern Warfare 2 and it feels equally frustrating. I love the Modern Warfare maps where you can hide out in some places and people can never find you. Gone all the days when sniping was so much easier because the potential of being backstab has increase threefold. I personally still enjoy the maps in Modern Warfare and the ability to customize matches then forced to be dictated by a new set of rules.
Now that all has been said and done, seeing everyone is talking about BF3 vs MW3. I find BF3 more interesting than MW3. I mean 64 players on a huge map? Heck yeah, I'll play that. Squad spawns? Yes please. MW3 multiplayer gives more of a quick shooter without much way to be a team player except the perks. So if you love VERY fast-paced games then MW3 is for you. But if you prefer team-work and huge maps, pure destruction go with BF3.
I mean you can't just beat this:
And on a random note, I find more immature players on MW3 than BF3.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
New Year
The New Year has come and gone and though I wish I spent it back at home with friends and suffocating family.
Nevertheless, I just recently finished Modern Warfare 3 singleplayer experience. I will get to that sometime down the road about it. But a quick update to myloyal readers, its the New Year and I have to plan out what should I do about this blog.
Primarily I want to make this a review blog for anything I find interesting and worth talking about to me. And I know it says through a lens which means I will have to get to the point of taking pictures again and posting them. I have a few albums to finish doing but I just can't bring myself to do them at the moment. Call it a photographer's block at the moment and I should really get my butt on it.
My Picasa Web album can be viewed any time and most of the photos I done are always on my Facebook account. Twitter updates for those days without a blog post. Could be an article or some random quirks.
Oh well, here's to the New Year with a post every week or so on this blog or the other.
Minum!!!
Nevertheless, I just recently finished Modern Warfare 3 singleplayer experience. I will get to that sometime down the road about it. But a quick update to my
Primarily I want to make this a review blog for anything I find interesting and worth talking about to me. And I know it says through a lens which means I will have to get to the point of taking pictures again and posting them. I have a few albums to finish doing but I just can't bring myself to do them at the moment. Call it a photographer's block at the moment and I should really get my butt on it.
My Picasa Web album can be viewed any time and most of the photos I done are always on my Facebook account. Twitter updates for those days without a blog post. Could be an article or some random quirks.
Oh well, here's to the New Year with a post every week or so on this blog or the other.
Minum!!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)