Judging games by numbers

Grand Theft Auto 4 has started an ugly trend in a year that has some of the biggest games scheduled to release. It takes about an hour of playing GTA4 to realise that, as good as it is, it comes nowhere close to meriting the perfect scores that it has received across the board. The hype gets to all of us, and I’m sure it got to the reviewers too, who a few months from now will probably be scratching their heads and wondering what possessed them to give it a 10.

But before they can get around to the head-scratching, there’s Metal Gear Solid 4 to contend with. All hell is gonna break loose even if it gets a 9.9; its inevitable. Nothing but a perfect score will satisfy MGS4 and PlayStation 3 fanboys now. But surely they can’t give two 10/10 reviews in the space of two months, can they? And what happens when Gears of War 2 gets anything less than 10? Prepubescent teenagers the world over will commit mass-suicide.

Japan to the rescue of fat America

The United States of America, the land of opportunity and the home of the fatties, finally sees a ray of hope in its struggle to stop its youth from having to pay for two airline tickets each. And as much as they may hate it, it is the quirky Japanese that they must thank for getting their kids to break a sweat.

For all the hullabaloo (I love that word) over how video games are corrupting the youth, it’s ironic that the state of West Virginia is actually bringing video games into its schools. Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution is now part of the physical education program in schools across the state. And the parents don’t seem to be complaining anymore. Why would they? Now, if their little drop of sunshine grows up to become the next generation Michael Flatley, society can blame their kid’s fruity disposition on the education system rather than their lack of parenting skills.

2008: A great year to burn some virtual rubber!

2007 was a good year for racing games. Fans weren’t exactly spoilt for choice, but it was more a case of quality over quantity. There was something for everyone; Forza Motorsport 2 for the purists and car enthusiasts, DiRT for some off-road escapades and the best car damage ever, and the highly underrated and overlooked PGR4 with its addictive pick-up-and-play approach.

Like in most other genres in 2007, the Xbox 360 came out on top here was well. Forza 2 and PGR4 were exclusive to Microsoft’s console, while DiRT came to the PlayStation 3 months after it did on the 360.

But 2008 is a new year, and it’s already off to a smashing start – literally. Here’s a look at what racing fans can look forward to in 2008. Once again, there’s something for everyone – simulation, arcade and even some combat racing. And Sony fanboys can finally stop sulking now, because from the looks like it, the PS3 has got some heavy-hitters lining up on the grid.

Press Play: DJ Quik is BACK!

DJ Quik has probably had more musical ups and downs in his career than any other artist/producer in Hip-Hop. Each of his albums has had a different sound. From Quik is The Name to Trauma, I loved them all; some more than others.

Then came his group with AMG -The Fixxers. And to most DJ Quik fans that may have seemed like the end; the end of DJ Quik. As a DJ Quik fan I wish I had never heard ‘Can U Werk Wit Dat’. I wish I could unhear it, erase it from my memory; the horror and disbelief at how DJ Quik could have come up with a beat like that.

Fast-forward to 6-9 months later, and today I was pleasantly surprised to see DJ Quik on the production credits of Snoop’s new album. I didn’t even bother with any other track on there – straight to Track 2 – Press Play.

It just took 30 seconds of listening to the track to realise – DJ Quik is back – and thank God for that!

Listen to ‘Press Play’

Sometimes, war can be good

So Blu-Ray won the format war; what next? What can we expect now that the HD DVD is all but beaten? Toshiba is abandoning the format; there are rumours of Microsoft employing Blu-Ray technology in the Xbox 360. Even Hitler has no answer to Blu-Ray.

One way to look at it is that consumers who were on the fence, uncertain about the HD leap, can now rest easy and adopt Blu-Ray.

I’m not a fanboy….but I prefer the PS3

I just bought Guitar Hero 3 and I was in two minds about which platform to get it for. I ended up getting the Xbox 360 version so I could play Guitar Hero 2 as well. While it was the right decision, every now and then I wish I had bought the PS3 version instead. I don’t know why. Both versions play the same. The Xbox 360 has better multiplayer (subjective) and achievements (I don’t care), so I should be happier getting the 360 version; but for some reason I’m not.

The same happened with skate. It’s a game I’ve been looking forward to ever since it was announced. After reading reviews and user feedback, it turned out the 360 version was superior (as with all other EA games). So I ended up getting the Xbox 360 version. The game is sitting on a shelf. I feel like playing it, just not on an Xbox 360.

The ANGRY Pixel and GamingIndians Game of the Year 2007

Well it’s the yearend and like every other gaming site on the interweb, a site I’m associated with – GamingIndians.com – has collaborated with The ANGRY Pixel to hold our very own GOTY contest in association with Tech2.

What started as a small initiative has snowballed into a gaming giveaway the likes of which has never been seen in India before, thanks to our generous sponsors.

We’re giving away Rs 70,000 (that’s almost $1,800) worth of games, accessories, and hardware. All you have to do is vote for your favourite games and submit your personal information in our sweepstakes form, which will be sold to the highest bidder, and you never know, one of the several prizes could be headed your way (India residents only).

Click here to vote for your favourite games and fill out the sweepstakes form to enter yourself into the contest.

Click here to post your thoughts in the Game of the Year discussion over at GamingIndians.

Happy Holidays!

Blu-ray screws India over!

After a lot of contemplation, I finally bought a PS3. I got a Region 3 NTSC-J one, not because it was cheaper than the Indian one, but because of the shortcomings of the Indian one. I would’ve willingly paid 34,990 for the Indian PS3 with warranty if it wasn’t for the Blu-ray region coding.

One look at the Blu-ray regions and the first thing you’ll realise is that India probably got the short end of the stick. While DVD region codes are such that Europe, Australia and India were grouped together as PAL regions, for Blu-ray, India is grouped with China and Russia, so we’re basically screwed and we’ll have to rely on Indian companies to launch BDs officially here.

Thinspiration – an epidemic

As I was browsing through a five-day old copy of British newspaper ‘The Times’ today, an article with the picture of an attractive model and the mention of social networking websites in the headline, caught my eye. Ok I admit, it was the model more than the headline, but by the time I was done reading the article, I almost felt guilty for finding that model attractive.

The write-up was about how social networking websites such as MySpace and YouTube were promoting a phenomenon that I hadn’t previously heard of – thinspiration. An intriguing term. I had to read on. It went on to talk about how these sites offer pictures, videos and motivational material to inspire women, mostly teenagers, to go thin; hence the name.

My dilemma

Ever since the PS3 was announced, I knew I was gonna get one; it was only a mater of when. Then came the surprise of an Indian launch and I had decided then that I would buy the Indian version even though it was priced at a ridiculous Rs 40,000. I was scared shitless with the shocking lack of reliability of my Xbox 360 and the horror stories of others, so I decided that even the 40,000 price tag was alright, as long as it came with the assurance of a one-year warranty.