Video Game Pulse

Welcome to Video Game Pulse. This may only be the start of something great to come, but I invite you to read on … wait a minute… this all sounds very familiar! Now I remember, We’ve already said all this introduction crap before. It’s been four years since my last post and there is a VERY good reason why.

Four years ago my domain expired and I wasn’t paying attention and it got sold in an auction and when I requested the domain back, the person wanted $20,000 for it; Who knew my domain was so valuable. Well, I finally got the domain back after that user let it expire; I guess it’s not all that valuable. Bottom line is this. If someone wants to buy this domain for $25,000 (inflation included) just shoot me an email.

I kid though, I am very excited to get back into writing video games news and I’m going to start off by reporting on myself! While I was importing all the old articles one by one I was reading some of the crazy things I was saying back in the day … heck, one article is even called “A Look into The Year 2010“. I’m also really excited to go back and review more of Uwe Boll’s movies now that more have been released; here is my take on House of the Dead.

Sad news is something that can strike anywhere, Be it your favorite football team losing, or you not getting that promotion, or even … a death! Death is something that is enevitable, it can and will happen to everyone, and the game industry is no exception. Games like Burnout Revenge are dedicated to people like Dr. Rabin Ezra who created the technology that makes Burnout so great!

Recently Mark “Chip” VanDeVelde, vice president of Crave Entertainment passed away. No information on his death has been confirmed so far. Mark is a person who has been in the industry for a long time and with Crave since 1998. Before Chip joined Crave, he was the national sales manager for Konami. The only solid information that I could pull up on Mark VanDeVelde was that he also worked at Dart Management Ltd., and had been invited to an Oxford event.

Visitation will be held at the McDonald-Allen-Grennan Funeral Home on Thursday, February 23rd from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and the Funeral service will be held on Friday, February 24th – 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Mark “Chip” VanDeVelde was also a father of an 11 year old daugher, Callahan. SVG Distribution / Crave Entertainment will be starting a scholarship fund for Chip’s daughter. Below you will find the info you need to donate to this fund.

If by check make check payable to:

Crave Entertainment Group, Inc. FBO Callahan N. VanDeVelde

Please mail check to:

Crave Entertainment Group, Inc.
Attn: Lynda Broderick
4 San Joaquin Plaza Drive, Suite 200
Newport Beach California 92660

If by wire please send to:

Crave Entertainment Group, Inc.
For the benefit of (FBO): Callahan N. VanDeVelde

ABA # 121100782
Account number: 751-000373
Bank of the West
300 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071.

Anyone who owns a PSP and knows what DVD’s are probably was excited to hear that movies would soon be available on a format called UMD. Soon after the hype ended we realized a problem, and it wasn’t anything small. These UMD Video’s don’t come with any extras, they can’t play on a regular DVD, and you are paying more for it then you would a DVD. Anyone who has a 2GB Pro Duo card is lucky enough to be able to just purchase the DVD and put it on the card for viewing later on.

In a not so rash and completely predicted move by Sony, they have decided to cut back on production of UMD Videos. It really makes a lot of sense, these companies aren’t selling enough of these things, and it costs to much to make them. Later on down the road when the format is cheaper to make, it will probably be more feasible. Articles such as that on Defunct Games reported on this when the system launched, their feature is titled “How the DVD killed the UMD“.

This news should not be a surprise to anyone, but what is news is that Sony wants to make the format playable on a TV, and what a better time to do it then with an addition to the PS3. Nothing has been confirmed about this speculation, but it makes enough sense. There was early rumor of a UMD burner inside the PS3, but when E3 2005 hit, and we didn’t see it that rumor kind of died off. If Sony wanted, they still may unveil a UMD player for the PS3, or a stand-alone unit.

Eventually it will become so cheap to manufacture these UMDs that the cost won’t matter. No more then 4 years ago, a DVD-R for a consumer cost anywhere between $2-5, now you can get them for pennies. A 1x DVD Burner In 2001 cost $600, a 4x in 2003 cost $300, and my brand new 16x DL-DVD Burner from 2005 cost me $30. Times change fast, and things get cheap, UMD Videos will probably be a logical step in two to three years.

As you can tell, January was a month full of updates, almost daily from the very first post. This month hasn’t really been the pillar of success when it comes to having something topical everyday. I’m still thinking of taking the weekends off, since there isn’t really any news then, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have something to say on the weekends.

Anyhow let me account for my time away from the Video Game Pulse post. I have been doing some side work programming for a wonderful gaming website called Defunct Games. As you will recall from previous posts and the expanded links section, this is a site I really like, they have fun and informative news about the gaming industry. They aren’t afraid to rip apart and correct a person, company, or magazine.

Defunct Games also has a blog which they have asked for me to make seldom posts on from time to time. I can’t argue, exposure is exposure. So don’t think someone is stealing my posts if you see some of my writing on there from time to time. Their blog is called Defunct Thoughts (also in the links section*). The blog essentially does some of the stuff I do here, but is more focused on Defunct Games main goal, which is to make the gaming industry fair and balanced.

So by now you are wondering, what is this mystery work I have been doing that has taken me away from you. I recently helped piece together a new archive over there, and a new navi which can be found on every page of Defunct Games, Check it out, roll over the buttons, have fun… let loose!

UPDATE:
*Defunct Thoughts has closed its doors and is no longer available

MMORPG is probably one of the longest and most tongue twisting acronyms in the gaming industry. This word may strike fear in the hearts of many, and may strike happiness in others. Personally, I have never had a great MMORPG experience to justify the expense of a monthly subscription. Many of my friends; even the ones without jobs, play World of Warcraft and they constantly try to suck me into their realm. Members of my own family have gotten so addicted to these types of games that they spend hundreds a month on the game.

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game’s are something that has had roots since the early days of Phantasy Star Online and Everquest. The question you need to ask your self is simple though, have you heard of SoG? Well, from the acronym I haven’t a clue what it is. SoG is the prequel to Dark and Light. The game takes place in the land of Ganareth, where you will be part of the first territorial conquest to build the fortresses of Ysatis and Agnar. Settlers of Ganareth (SoG) is not only the prequel of Dark and Light, but it also doesn’t cost a dime!

Don’t get the wrong idea though, just because it is free doesn’t mean that it is going to suck. Many fun and great MMORPG’s start out free, many made by the Koreans. This game could suck, but it could rock, the real thing many may have to worry about is if this will eventually got to a pay service like all the other MMORPG’s of its kind.

“Settlers of Ganareth is a cost-free prelude to the most anticipated MMORPG game of 2006, Dark and Light.” said Jason Ovitt of SSPR. I’ll let you ponder that quote for a second. They are stating that it is the prelude to a game that hasn’t even been released yet. Are they going to get people hooked to the free prequel and then pull it, forcing people to continue their fix playing Dark and Light? Can this game really be called a prequel when it is coming out before Dark and Light? Wouldn’t that make Dark and Light a sequel? Maybe I’m just reading too much into it, I’m sure it will be a great baiter…. err… game.

Last week there was apparently something foul about as they tried to rebuild the Ostarian Bridge, which links players from English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian countries. It was a failed attempt to reclaim it as a free territory of Ganareth. With that, I will leave it to you to keep and eye out to see who wins the race to release. Will SoG be a prequel, or will Dark and Light be a sequel? All this and more in the wacky and wild world of miss-reporting!

Sorry for the lack of writing, I have been really busy with big projects that require sleepless nights and lots of PHP coding, When I am finished with the project, I shall show you my results, they are quite spectacular so far. I will be back on Monday to bring you more spectacular news. Stay Tuned and Dont Touch That Dial!

All the good stuff is coming out next month, so you better gear your self up for what may be the most expensive month of the year so far. If you have a PSP, then you are going to be in bliss playing some long awaited and well deserved good games. You may have noticed my very first preview on this site was for a game called Pursuit Force. Pursuit Force is a game that even the most hardened Nintendo fan will want to play. Some may shunt this off as yet another racer, but I assure you it is not, it is more of an arcade shooter then anything else, and since when could you get out of a car in a racer? Expect this game March 7.

Pursuit Force isn’t the only game hitting the block come March, you can expect to see Daxter on March 21, which may be and so far from the demo, looks to be the very first solid and very enjoyable 3D Platformer on the PSP. If that isn’t your bag, then you may want to pick up Metal Gear Ac!d 2 on March 28, it is one of the very first sequels to hit the PSP. Hell, if you don’t want any of these games, then maybe some senseless sticky ball rolling will do you some good. Me & My Katamari is the very first appearance of the Katamari Series to hit the PSP set to release March 21 along side Daxter. Some may ponder about the lack of two joysticks as did I, according to the people who played it TGS they thought it was awkward. A few months ago the game was actually released in Japan, and people changed their tune and now praise the control.

If you are looking for some good FPS action, then maybe the new Splinter Cell Essentials is for you, which releases the same day as Pursuit Force on March 7. If it is some puzzle/adventure games you are looking for, then the wonderful Worms series is what you are looking for, Worms: Open Warfare may be one of the best things to hit the PSP yet, coming March 13. If it’s sports that is up your alley, you can pick up MLB 06: The Show on February 28, which really isn’t in March at all, but its pretty damn close!

Well, that is about it for the exciting releases coming up next month, some others that you can look forward to are listed below.

Bounty Hounds, Payout Poker and Casino, World Poker Tour, Ys: The Ark of Napishtim, Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai, Untold Legends: The Warrior’s Code, Samurai Warriors: State of War, From Russia With Love, Stacked with Daniel Negreanu, Neopets Petpet Adventure: The Wand of Wishing, Astonishia Story, Mega Man Powered Up, Brothers in Arms, Capcom Classics Collection Remixed, Def Jam: Fight for NY: The Takeover, Mortal Kombat: Deception Unchained, Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble, Pilot Academy, OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror

The people who come to this blog often (you know who you are) will notice from time to time that I publish press releases that I receive from various companies, Most notably, I-Play’s Anna Brog, and SNK’s Michael Meyers. I have no bias however when I post press releases, as long as it is topical to gaming. So it seemed odd when I received an email from a learning software company by the name of Fogware. “Thank you for taking the time to review our press release.” says Mike Rothstein, Fogware’s co-founder and president.

I immediately started thinking, “hmm, well I’m glad that my PR work has been noticed”. I decided to hunt down the post where I talked about whatever product they e-mailed me about, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I looked through my email and still, I could not find any traces from Fogware. To suffice, I am either reading this wrong, or they are out and out lying to me. Either way, I have a few choice words about the product they are trying to push off onto me.

STUDENT HOME LEARNING SYSTEM is the newest from Fogware, set to release on February 27, 2006. The Student Home Learning System is comprised of 200 educational software titles, 20 hours of DVD video, over 200 hours of audio books, a total of over 20,000 lessons, activities and Q&As, as well as an array of top reference materials, all meant for grades 2-12 and at an affordable price of under $150, it is everything needed to provide a full range of educational materials.

Mike Rothstein, Fogware’s co-founder and president goes on to state that, “The Fogware Learning System contains everything the student will ever need, without having to go on-line at all.”. This is where I am a little biased in this area, I used the internet for everything when I was in grade school. Everything from Math to Science to Literature, the internet had the answers I was looking for. I’m not saying that this software is bad or anything, or isn’t very informative, But the reasoning why you should use it is illogical, there is no way that any piece of software can contain the expansive knowledge of the internet. Consider this, Fogware wants people to buy this product by having people advertise it on their websites and blogs, but you give the parents good enough reason not to have internet, and you just cut your self off from them.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it, the internet can be a wild and dangerous place, full of graphic images, violent depictions, and crude language. The same can be said about TV and Magazines and Video Games. That is why there is content blockers, be it the MPAA, ESRB, or AOL, or Parents themselves. I suggest that if you have children, you should buy them this software, because I believe that every child deserves the opportunity at learning all they can at a young age, but don’t buy it to replace the internet. Until next time, when I rip apart Game On, yet another piece of controversial software from Fogware.

Lately we have been pretty harsh with Sony, and the fact that they are letting their PSP fall in with the likes of many handheld consoles of the past. We bitch and gripe about them not putting out first-party games, and buying up the people putting the good games out. Well, none of that has changed as of yet, but good games are on their way.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is one of the best games for this little portable, even people that aren’t fans of the series can’t debate how well it controls, and how much depth it has; especially for a portable game. We have just survived decades of 2D graphics, and wonderful console counterparts, that is all going to change, and already has begun.

The PSP had a pretty lack luster year in 2005, its key big releases being Wipeout Pure, GTA: LS, and Burnout Legends. Mind you there were other good games, but nothing as spectacular as those previously mentioned. In March of 2006 you can add Pursuit Force to the list of must-own games.

Pursuit Force is such an action-packed game, that it will soon become the best PSP game you own on your PlayStation Portable. It’s got some of the elements of racing if any, and a lot more elements of a rail shooter. Pursuit Force will have your adrenaline pumping, waiting to take on the next perp.

The game starts as simple as any other racing game, you are in a police car, and you must track down the targets on your radar. Once you track down your target, you can either lean out the side of your window and shoot at them, or jump into their car and take it over! There are no finish lines, and technically there is no timer, you must stop the criminals before they reach their destination; most of the time it’s a city, or a specific building.

Some of you may have miss-understood my original intentions when I spoke of jumping into their car. I’m not talking about just getting out of your car and hi-jacking another like in a GTA game, I’m talking about jumping from you car and onto their car while shooting out the driver and passengers while going 100+ miles per hour!

The control involved in doing such feats as jumping between cars and attacking the enemy at the same time is quite stunning. Once you get close enough to an enemy vehicle or any vehicle for that matter a icon will pop-up, all you do is press the circle button and your matrix like jump begins. If you don’t kill all the perps while in mid-air, you will still be able to take them out while hanging onto their car for dear life!

Take special consideration, you aren’t the only one with a gun. While driving next to the enemy, or while hanging on their car, you will start to take damage. If you’re taking too much hits, you can always move to other parts of their vehicle, all of which makes for a kick-ass fire fight. This kind of action is what Pursuit Force is all about, and will play a major part into the gameplay.

The preview copy of Pursuit Force only includes three diverse levels, but enough to get a fell of the game. In the first level you must take out some bad guys who have loaded their trucks with toxic gas and are headed towards the city. You have a couple miles to take out all the trucks, all while power sliding and flying through the air over huge jumps. Make it and you will get a snide comment from your commander and a harsh grade.

The second level is a little different; it takes place on a river in a high-speed boat chase. The boats controlled a lot better then I originally gave them credit, taking turns beautifully. The same rules apply here also, you must “capture or destroy” the enemy; not that it ever gives you the option to capture! The third and last level is a boss fight with the crazy Wilde’s boys, this is where the game goes from Sea and Land and straight into Air! You start off chasing and taking out some enemies like usually, and eventually lead up to a roadblock in which you jump out of your crashing vehicle Sin City style and into a helicopter. While in the helicopter, you must use a rail gun to rain bullets upon the convict who all the while is throwing Molotov cocktails at you. This is where the game takes all the wonderful aspects of arcade shooters and puts it into a portable experience. It was a unique change to the rest of the gameplay and the first time something like this has been done.

Most of the levels in the demo involved you solving the case by taking out a certain amount of enemies, but don’t fret, this isn’t the only mission type in Pursuit Force. The video’s that are available at GameSpot.com specifically show different game types, including some that don’t take place in a vehicle at all!! Keep in mind however, this isn’t the first release of this game, it came out in Europe, welcomed to a mixed reaction. The controls and difficulty of the game made this not such a hot title. Big Big Studios obviously didn’t want to drop the ball on this one, so we will be introduced to a completely reworked game with new voice acting and even more upgrades.

If you have a PSP and you don’t get Pursuit Force, then you are wasting technology, this is a very addictive racer/shooter that all must own on the PlayStation Portable. You can expect to see Pursuit Force in stores at the beginning of March 2006. I’ll bring you my final thoughts on the full version of the game at that time.

Many have contemplated if websites like Gamespot.com and IGN.com would replace the need for magazines like Gamepro and Electronic Gaming Monthly. The simple fact is that nothing will replace the felling of a good (or bad) magazine in your hands, you can’t take your computer into the bathroom with you, or on the road, or in a plane, or in a boat going to Spain. Maybe if you have a laptop and a wireless connection you can do some of these things, but how mundane would that be? I think both can co-exist.

However, what about a magazine that you can subscribe to on your computer? And read on your computer? With digital advertising? This is the very thing that Computer Games Magazine plans on doing in the near future! I’m not sure I really like this idea my self, if I wanted gaming news on a computer, I would go get the most recent up-to-date info off a website, not read a monthly magazine on my desktop. I really think that Computer Games Magazine missed the ball on this one, I’m not too sure they understand what the vantage point of a magazine is and what its limitations are.

Apparently they will be publishing it through an online company named Zinio; who specializes in this exact thing. I’m not to sure how popular or useful this service is, but subscribers will have to download the Zinio Reader to be able to read the magazine. Interestingly enough this company also publishes quite a handful of other popular magazines, including Penthouse and Playboy. Now, when I am looking for pictures of girls that get my goat, I usually head over to Vivid.com, Google Image Search, or some other place that is a hotbed of nude photos of women, Heck even Penthouse.com! They are all updated more often then a monthly magazine, and need I mention the necessity of taking a Penthouse in the bathroom??

Yet another publication available from Zinio is Business Week, now I guess I must have missed the point of this one, Business Week is one of those magazines stock traders and the like in the big NY read while in a cab or on the subway, right? I mean, head over to money.cnn.com, or any other outlet that will tell you minute by minute what is going on in the business industry!

Keep in mind, I don’t plan to rip apart every publication they offer, even though I could easily. There is however a few that just stands out from the crowd. How many times have you been in an auto repair shop, or a friends garage and they have had a stack of dusty, oil soaked Popular Mechanics magazines? Well, now they can get it on a computer, far away from the car!

I’m not sure what crowd this technology is marketed for, but it is over my head why you would get a digital subscription to a magazine that is outdated minutes after it hits your desktop. Blogs, game sites and more get updated more then half an hour a day, making what you are reading in your digital subscription to EGM a complete waste of technology.