Civilization 5 LAN fix

As you can probably tell from the lack of live updates, I am enjoying Civilization 5. Posts coming soon about things I liked and don't like. However, in this post I am going to explain what I had to do to get LAN play working with one copy of the game licensed to one Steam account. My copy was from Amazon but I believe this will work with Steam versions as well.

I am not sure if this counts as piracy but I don't think anyone would buy more than one copy of the game to play the occasional game at a LAN party so it isn't costing anyone any sales...

The problems I had were:

• Game not showing up in the LAN screen
• Game stopping on the "Retrieving Host Information" screen

Solution: To solve the first problem, make sure Civ is allowed through all of your firewalls (no special ports, just add an exception.

If you are having the second problem, each computer needs the Steam account to have a different nick name (read below for details)

First you need to choose a host computer and put your steam account on this computer in to offline mode. Then with each extra computer do the following

1. In Steam, open up the friends window and change your nickname to a unique name/name of the player on that computer
2. Switch Steam in to offline mode (Steam>Go offline...)
3. Start Civilization and go to LAN (in Multiplayer)
4. Hopefully at this point, Windows will ask you if you want to allow Civilization 5 through the firewall, click allow (this should resolve the first issue). If it doesn't prompt you, just add the exception through the Windows Firewall exceptions list
   

Do this for each computer setting them to a different name each time. Now go online on the host computer and change the nickname to another name. Open Civ, add Civ to the exceptions list and host the game. All players should now be able to join.

Nb, there doesn't appear to be a save option in LAN at the moment. Fortunately the game appears to auto-save every turn so just make sure you end your turn before quitting. I am assuming this is a mistake and will be patched.

Stop the Press: Correction

I have just been alerted to a factual error in my (very) recent review of Blue Toad Investigation Files for the PS3. I have updated the review with the correct information, but in the interest of on-line journalistic integrity please find the updates summaries here along with my apologies at the error.

I initially stated that one episode would cost £6.29 and that all six would be £9.99. This is not the case. Episodes 1 and 2 will cost £9.99. Episode 3 is currently free. Episode 4, 5 & 6 will also be bundled for £9.99. All six can be purchased for £19.98. See my updated review.

On a totally unrelated note, I forgot to mention that John Cleese, from Monty Python and Fawlty Towers will be performing for Fable 3. How awesome is that?

The perception of games and why it needs to change

Hello, just a quick post. I just posted on my sister blog, Botworks, a article on the public perception of games and why I think it needs to change. It is a topic that means a lot to me and I would really appreciate you guys to have a read and let me know what you think.

(Normal posting to return soon hopefully with a review of Forza 3, which I am still digging)

Wordle

Posting hiatus continues, but, I had to quickly show you this:




Sorry about the size, click on it to see it full size. Basically it searches my RSS feed and finds the most common words. Based on their popularity it assigns a size. I may try and use it more frequently on a separate page. I am planning on introducing a couple of new pages to Veteran Gamer anyway, so stay tuned for that. Don't ask me how it can do that, I've got no idea... Check it out out @ wordle.net

Childs Play Charity

Penny Arcade is hosting it's annual charity event: Child's Play. It gives money to help children in hospital enjoy the wonders of video games. You can either donate through paypal/bank etc, or you can choose to buy them something off their Amazon wish-list.

Although PA is expecting less this year, due to the economic crisis, as even the video game industry is, surprise surprise, not "recession proof", please give where you can for an honourable cause.

Follow this link to Child's Play Charity

Botworks

Just thought I would give a quick shout out to my new blog: Botwork Studios. For those who are unaware, this is game development company (I love making myself sound important!) Here you will be able to find out the latest developments from the RTS I am working on: Frozen Kangaroo. I will also be posting game design topics, programming techniques and other stuff in that vein. I will try to keep it updated, there should be a mixture of posts for all interests relating to video game development.

The link again: http://botworkstudio.blogspot.com/

The full website is currently in development.

The End of the World is Nigh

The world will end 8AM tommorow morning. Well, maybe. Well, actually definitely not, but it is still fun to say it is. Yes, that is right tomorrow at 8AM BST (7AM GMT) the worlds largest Atom Accelerator will be turned on. The particles will be going round the giant doughnut at something approaching the speed of light. Then, they will smash in to each other, revealing the secrets of the universe... or creating a black hole.

Technically, the black hole, if it is ever created will collapse on itself so quickly it will have no effect, still, nice to pretend to the uninformed. The actual result will be we can find out about the particles that make up quarks, which make up protons and neutrons, which make up atoms, which make us and everything. The main one is called the Higgs Boson, or the "God" particle, that is meant to breath life in to everything to make it work. It may take until 2010 to find all this out though. But, after that, we should understand a lot more. This will probably be the first really big break through in science since we created the atomic bomb. Hopefully, nothing like that will come out of this.

Well that is your physics interlude. Assuming we don't all die tommorow, I will have continued first impressions of Spore and maybe a review of Brawl coming up.

Pre-3, Brawl Tourney and Other News

Well, I am going to France this weekend until next week, so it is looking like I am going to miss E3 this year, which is a shame as I was looking forward to finding out what Nintendo had to say. And Microsoft and Sony of course. Obviously, I will catch up on it when I get back, but here are my predictions for the big 3.

Nintendo:
I wish I knew. Seriously, they said they had 3 big announcements a while back, and we haven't heard anything since. It could be anything. I think we will hear about additional storage and voice chat, but on the game front, people are saying it could be Star Fox, Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing (that is where my money is) or perhaps a new FPS IP(Intellectual Property). (Talking of which, read below if you are interested in FPS's on the Wii... ) Hopefully there will be some news about the Forces Unleashed as well...

Micrsoft:
Big long speech about how amazing the 360 is. Then a big old price drop about the aforementioned amazing 360. Then they will talk about all the great games coming out. Namely Fable 2, Gears of War 2 (that's a big one) Fallout 3, EndWar, I could keep listing to be honest. Then they could shock everyone and announce a hand-held console. Or they might not.

Sony:
Brag about Blu-Ray, talk about MGS sales, have a big old demonstration of LittleBig planet, mention Home, drop the price significantly, again, talk about PSP 2. Which will have motion sensing, mutli-point touch screen and hey, maybe even 2 screens.

What am I looking forward to? Mainly Fable 2, Fallout 3 and Forces Unleashed, and a FPS that I will talk about below. Obviously, should be good to see Gears 2, but I think I know what to expect from that. I am also looking forward to what Nintendo's big announcements are going to be.

What is this FPS I have been talking about then? It goes by the name Conduit and it is not being released on the PS2, making it a Wii game built for the Wii. So obviously, this means better graphics, but when the developers start to say things like

"feels a lot more like they're making a 360/PS3 title than a Wii title"

It is difficult not to get excited. And then they release gameplay footage:

It's damn near impossible. And there will be a playable demo at E3.This, in their words, will revolutionize development for the Wii. 16 player online is the target, they also said they have taken inspiration from the best parts of uber successful shooters, like Halo, hopefully that means match making, party options, playlists, everything. The best part is, they are working with Nintendo to bring the best online experience possible. Stay tuned for more details.

A couple of posts ago I mentioned doing a massive Brawl tourney. Now the aim is to get 64 or 128 people signed up. Let me explain what this tourney is about:

I had this idea ages back when Brawl was coming out in the US, it has now finally arrived in the UK, so now is the time to do it.

It is basically a giant online tournament. We would get as many people as possible (64 or maybe even 128) and set out fixtures for each of the games. All of the games would abide by some set rules. We make sure that everyone can make the dates they need to at the start for the first round, then organise the next round based on who gets through.

Here is where it gets cool however. The matches would be Stock, but with a time limit of 3 minutes. Then, at the start, the most well equipped person to do this, films the match (saving the replay and then recording it with whatever means they have) Now while I know this is a Nintendo forum, I am assuming that some of you have played Halo 3. It would be similar to the service that Bungie offer. Each game would be recorded with the replay available, screen shots taken by the participants and all the data that is presented at the end of the match.

So like Halo, each match would have a page with all this information. Then each registered player would have a page which includes all of their stats (ie. total damage done over the whole tourney) as well as their screen shots, maybe some information about them and there current status in the tourney.

So obviously, this is going to need loads of people (64/128) so if you are interested, there is almost definitely space. You can sign up with a comment on this page (include your Brawl Code and Wii code), or on this forum or you can email me @thekileyenator@gmail.com

By pooling all my brawl contacts and some eariler registers, I have got a total 7 people, so we still have a long way to go, but I do believe this can happen.

Viva Pinata on Ebay

Just a quick post. Thought I would let you know, in a kind of VG reader exclusive, that I am selling Viva Pinata on ebay. You can bid on this item here. If you are interested please bid, or if you know anyone else who may be interested, please send the link to them. Any questions, you can always leave a comment!

Also, if anyone is interested, I am also selling a Rock Tumbler- Turns stones in to little gems. You can view that here.

Cloverfield and 28 Weeks Later

I went to go see Cloverfield at the weekend and wow, what a film it is. This film is amazing. As a testimony to this, when I went in, before the film started, it was quite a boisterous audience, however, when I left, when there is normally chat about the film, it was deadly silent. Cloverfield leads you into a false sense of security by showing a gentle humour 10 minute introduction about a party before throwing you in to the deep end. The deep end, as I will refer to it as, is amazing. The film takes elements out of so many great films and combines them perfectly. Obviously, the Hand-Cam comes from The Blair Witch Project, but "the Deep End" takes inspiration from films like Alien, 28 Days Later, King Kong and Godzilla among others. My only criticism is that the ending well, lacks ending. There was a place where I thought it was going to end, however, it didn't and the remaining 5 minutes of the film actually detracted from the entire film. However, considering there presence, I thought there was going to be something such as a mock CNN report on it "Ten Years On" to offer an explanation; which there wasn't. Despite that, I still highly recommend going to see it, although do suspend disbelief, because the camera they are using is amazing, the sound quality, picture quality and battery lift are absolutly outstanding!

Also last month, I managed to see 28 Weeks Later, a film I have wanted to see for quite some time. Is it any good, well, my comment for this film is much the same as it was to 28 Days Later. It starts fantastically, but then gradually degrades to senseless violence. Once again, the shots of an empty London are both creepy and effective, as are the panning shots showing people running away from "the Infected". The story is a little predictable. A highlight in the film for me was when you see an overgrown football pitch as it really adds to the sense of desertion. If you enjoyed 28 Days Later you should enjoy this, if you didn't you won't and if you haven't seen 28 Days Later, do so first as it is better.

Bonus Review!!!
No purchase necessary

I finished watching Green Wing for free on Virgin Media on demand; a fantastic service without a doubt. If you have VM, you can watch all of S1+2 of Green Wing on demand for free (under TV Choice>Comedy>G) If you can, do. It is probably my favourite comedy, out ranking even the Peep Show, and the ending so simply poetic and beautiful you could almost forget it is a bizarre comedy. If after watching the first episode you just thought it was weird, watch another one, because yes, it is weird, but you will get in to it. I would recommend this to anyone who isn't offended by a little nudity.

Brawl is Mental

This has gone beyond a joke, anyone who thought Halo was big, should see the amount of stuff being put on to Brawl. The size of anticipation for this game is literally only rivalled by the sheer amount of content going in to it. In case you haven't been keeping up with Dojo updates, I suggest you read the latest post:Vault.

They filled up a huge post with one section of the menu. Also, on Friday, they announced the game would include Virtual Console demos (including Super Metroid!!!) I genuinely do no know how they can fit all this on one disk, or how I am going to be able to wait for this games, as of yet, unannounced release. Super Smash Bros' Brawl comes out in Japan on the 31st.

Also, just read a preview of The Forces Unleashed, mainly focusing on the 360 and PS3 versions. I don't know which console I am going to get this game on, as all the cool graphical and technical stuff on the 360 sounds awesome, but Wii Remote light-sabering sounds UNMISSABLE. I might actually end up getting both; ridiculous.

On a completly irrelevant note, I just finished my first proper website, a driving school in Thame. If you are considering learning to drive, I suggest you go with the Drive Masters: www.mgschoolofmotoring.co.uk If you have any suggestions or are interested in a website, email me @ thekileyenator@gmail.com

Moving Wallpaper and Long Road out of Eden

Sorry about not posting earlier as I have been...revising? Definitely not playing on Halo 3.

Moving Wallpaper - ITV 9:00PM Friday


Moving Wallpaper (and Echo Beach after) is a new ITV (?!) comedy. The idea is that Moving Wallpaper, on at 9:00pm every Friday, is a comedy about making a soap, and then Echo Beach, 9:30pm every Friday, is the soap they have created. Apart from the fact this is a refreshingly original idea, it is actually brilliantly executed. The comedy is genuinely funny, quite apart from "The Vivian Vyle Show" a BBC comedy that just wasn't funny. Also, as you would expect, there are little jokes in Moving Wallpaper which you notice in Echo Beach. Fortunately, these are not over used and really enhance the program. I don't watch a huge number of Soaps as I find them predictable, and while this is no different, I am enjoying watching it. As you can tell, I don't normally review TV programs, which is why that review isn't very good, but I do recommend watching this and, if you can, catch up on the previous episodes.



Long Road out of Eden - The Eagles
Once again, I don't normally review music CDs, but deal with it. The Eagles have recently got back together to produce this album and while no track is going to replace Hotel California, the album is surprisingly good. The music is very mixed, with some tracks being reminiscent of classic Eagles, others sound like country folk songs, some sound like charity singles and some are more boyband-esque. Highlights of the album are: "Long Road out of Eden" and "Busy Being Fabulous"

Brawl Delayed

The US and Japanese sites have stated that Brawl, the much anticipated forthcoming game for the Wii has been delayed. For Japan, the game will now come out in Jan 31st and for the US to March 9th. While there has been no mention of the UK release date, I imagine that we will get Brawl at the end of March. The notice says:

Due to delays in the completion of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we’ve had to change the release date of the game to Sunday, March 9th.

I deeply apologize to the people who have looked forward to playing the game for so long and ask that you hold on just a little longer. Thank you for your patience.

On a side note, today's update features some breath taking graphics. The game has looked good up until now, but when I saw these, it made me think of LittleBig Planet, the graphically stunning and Nintendoesque PS3 exclusive coming out some time this year.

Also, Medal of Honour 2: Heroes, is coming out Feb 7th in the UK, after I have finished my first web design contract so I will hopefully getting that, as it will be after my Xbox Live subscription runs out.

Finally, I will be posting an unusual post in the coming days, it will contain a review of, get this, the new Eagles album, Long Road out of Eden. Even more unusual, a brief review of, get this too, an ITV comedy. Anyone who knows me, will know that I never watch ITV, so this has got to be pretty special. If I don't get it done by Friday, all I can say is, watch "Moving Wallpaper" and then "Echo Beach" afterwards.

On a side note, I emailed EA about my A levels I am going to take. Unfortunately, I was at first very frustrated by their website as it required me to first create an account, then specify System, Game, Issue, Sub issue and even more specific sub issue. Also, because my question was so obscure and nothing to do with Billing information on Alpha Centurai, I was expecting a reply saying this is not relevant. However, I have already got my email back and the person, who apparently didn't know, and gone to find out. On top of this, the answer was very infomative and has genuinely helped me. So EA, thumbs up!

2007 Christmas Guide

Christmas is fast looming, so here is my guide on what you games you should get for your relative/friend. I will be giving my top 3 recommendations for each console for the differnt age groups. First, if you are choosing a console, read the bit below. If you have already chosen/bought a console, scroll down for the games and make sure you don't have to go to Game the next day.
Which console?

Wii
I own a Wii, however, I am not going to straight out recommend it to everyone. If your relative friend, who hence forth will be known as the receiver, is under 12, then without a doubt, this is a safe choice. If it is going to be a family console, once again, full recommendations, if the receiver missed gaming when they were a kid, Wii is the answer. However, if the receiver is a "core" gamer, such as myself, you should think a little first. Providing they enjoy a bit of thinking as well as just action, then I will still recommend this console. If, however, they prefer instant and simple run'n'gun gameplay, the Wii's choice of games becomes a little restricted, with my favourite games on the Wii all requiring at least some pause. If you are sure that this won't be a problem, I once again, recommend the Wii.

Xbox 360
This is a rock steady console, I am hoping to pick one up after Christmas. The range of games covers all ages and their is no age group which I specifically wouldn't recommend it to. The younger age group's choice of games is a little limited, with many of the big blockbuster titles carrying heavy age ratings, however, there are games such as Viva Pinta and if they are in to driving games, a plethora of them exist. One thing I should point out is beware of the hidden charges. One of the main reasons for getting a 360 is the online, Xbox Live. However, this comes with a subscription charge of £40 a year, plus you will need to connect your 360 to the internet, which can also be quite expensive. If you want to use a wireless internet connection, you will be required to pay £60 to buy a wireless adaptor. The 360 comes with many of these charges to get everything out of it, but these can be added as and when needed.

PS3
I do not recommend the PS3 at this time. It has limited library of games and a low install base (meaning fewer games to come) Also, for younger audiences, there is virtually nothing. However, if you own a full 1080i HD TV, the PS3 does come with a built in Blu-ray player and is currently much cheaper than all other Blu-ray players. Unlike the 360, you pay for everything up front with the PS3, and I am not going to lie to you, if you buy a PS3, it will still be technologically impressive in 5 years time. If nothing else, it is the best media centre on the market. Despite this, if you are looking for a games console, look else where, as it does come down to the games, which there are next to none on the PS3.

Wii
Under 9s

• Super Mario Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy (3+, £35, not available from Amazon, but in Game stores) received fantastic reviews from just about everywhere. The games difficulty is said to rise gradually, meaning it will be accessible to younger audiences and still a challenge for the elder. Also, the game features a drop in/out co-op allowing for you, if you have 5 minutes spare from the turkey, drop in, help a little, and then go back to the dinner.
  

• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz - SMB:BB(7+, £25, not available from Amazon, but in Game stores) is a fun game that uses the Wiimote fantastically. The single player will entertain most, providing they have a little patience, and the multiplayer contains a wide variety of games. Read my review

• Second Wii Remote - 2nd Wii Remote(3+, £32, not available from Amazon, but in game stores) will allow you to play games in Multiplayer. For games such as Super Monkey Ball, this is almost compulsory and I highly recommend this product to anyone, as multiplayer really does enhance enjoyment. Also, I advise you to get a Nunchuck(3+, £15, not available from Amazon, but in Game store) as it is required for some multiplayer games

9-14

• Super Mario Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy (3+, £35, not available from Amazon, but in Game stores) received fantastic reviews from just about everywhere. The games difficulty is said to rise gradually, meaning it will be accessible to younger audiences and still a challenge for the elder. Also, the game features a drop in/out co-op allowing for you, if you have 5 minutes spare from the turkey, drop in, help a little, and then go back to the dinner.

• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - The epic conclusion(12+, £32.98, available at Amazon) to the Metroid Prime series. I loved this game. The controls are great, use the Wiimote, but doesn't over use it. The story is great, there is, unfortunately, next to no replayability as there s no multiplayer. Despite this, I recommend this to all gamers (not non gamers, as the game can be a little complicated) You can read my first impressions.

• Legend of Zelda: Twighlight Princess - This launch game (12+, £32.48, if bought from Amazon it will not be dispatched for Christmas)still stands strong. While the game might not utilise the Wii remote to its full potential, the puzzles are brilliantly designed and the plot is gripping. Some people will find this game quite tricky and if the reviver doesn't like puzzle solving, steer clear. Read my review

15+

• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - The epic conclusion(12+, £32.98, available at Amazon) to the Metroid Prime series. I loved this game. The controls are great, use the Wiimote, but doesn't over use it. The story is great, there is, unfortunately, next to no replayability as there s no multiplayer. Despite this, I recommend this to all gamers (not non gamers, as the game can be a little complicated) You can read my first impressions.

• Resident Evil 4 - Resident Evil 4(15, £25, available at Amazon, but will not be delivered by Christmas) has quite a confusing control scheme, but once you get past that you have a thrilling and tense story that will take most people quite a long time to get through. Once you have done that, there is even more. Arguably the best graphics on the Wii to boot.

• Super Mario Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy (3+, £35, not available from Amazon, but in Game stores) received fantastic reviews from just about everywhere. The games difficulty is said to rise gradually, meaning it will be accessible to younger audiences and still a challenge for the elder. Also, the game features a drop in/out co-op allowing for you, if you have 5 minutes spare from the turkey, drop in, help a little, and then go back to the dinner.

Xbox 360

Under 9

• Viva Pinata - I am not entirely sure what this game (3+, £39.98, available from Amazon) is about. All I know is it is kid friendly, fun and was received very well by the press. The limited time I did have with it, it seemed to be about nurturing a garden and filling it with fun creatures.

• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga - This Lego game (3+, 29.99, available from Amazon but will not be dispatched by Christmas) is great fun. While I haven't personally been on this game, I have played on the previous instalment and it has kept my 8 year old brother for over 85 hours and this game includes that game and another 1, so this will occupy them for quite a long time...

• PGR 4 - This is a fun, arcadeish racing game(3+, £37,.98, available from Amazon) is fantastic racing game. It even features motorbikes! However, some less able reciverers may find this game too trick (my 8 year old brother handles it fine)

9-15

• Forza Motor Sport - This ultra-realistic racer (3+, £17.98, available from Amazon, but will not be dispatched by Christmas) is not for the feint of heart. This game is great if you are prepared to put the dedication in. The driving is hard to master and you are going to have to spend some time customising your car to get the best possible ride for the lowest cost. However, if Forza 1 is anything to go by, it is well worth it.
  

• Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock - This game (12+, 64.98, available from Amazon, but will not be dispatched by Christmas) is expensive, that is largely due to the fact it comes with a wireless guitar to play the game. I played on this game for a bit and I loved it. It is amazing fun and if you are prepared to, I would recommend getting two guitars, as the MP is said to be very good.

• PGR 4 - This is a fun, arcadeish racing game(3+, £37,.98, available from Amazon) is fantastic racing game. It even features motorbikes! However, some less able reciverers may find this game too trick (my 8 year old brother handles it fine)

15+

• Halo 3 - This is the blockbuster movie of games (15+, £37.96, available from Amazon) is amazing. I was never a huge fan of Halo 2, so take my word, this game is great. I would only have some slight reservations if you do not intend to get live as that is where the mean of the game lies. Read my first impressions here

• Elder Scrolls: Oblivion - This is possibly my favourite game (15+, £40, not available from Amazon) Now I could go in to great lengths about why I think this game is amazing, but this customer review on Amazon sums it up:

"Anyways, Once you've past the first mission, you exit through this tunnel and all you see in front of you is a open world. You can go anywhere,do anything, go north, south, east or west, over rocks, swim in the waters, fight people camping out, nick their stuff, hunt for deer, lions, bears, fish, go to towns, talk to the people, get missions, do or do not do the missions, follow the main quest, don't follow it, do side quests, join guilds, large guilds, secret guilds or smaller clans, fight in the arena, become a champion, or don't, hunt out monsters, hunt out vampires, become a vampire, collect different herbs for recipies, make potions, sell potions, find weapons, use weapons, sell weapons, enchant/enchance weapons, cast spells on yourself, cast spells on others, fight with fists, swords, bows or magic.... IT'S ENDLESS!"

Read my quick review of Oblivion here

• Gears of War - This game (18+, £37.98, available from Amazon) This game is great, it won GotY (Game of the Year) last year, which speaks a great volume considering that is the same year as Oblivion. The single player is fun, the co-op is fun, the multiplayer is intense. There isn't much wrong with this game, unless you don't like the site of blood. Read my review.
  

PS3
Unfortunately, there insufficient games for me to break down in the 3 categories, so I will just do my top 5 PS3 games with ratings and leave it up to you to decide which suits your reciver, *sorry*

• Resistance: Fall of Man - This looks to be a fantastic shooter (15+, £29.99, available from Amazon) I have heard nothing but praise for it. The single player is meant to be great, as is the multiplayer and the game's visuals look amazing to boot. PS3 exclusive and a PS3 must have

• Elder Scrolls: Oblivion - This is possibly my favourite game (15+, £40, not available from Amazon) Now I could go in to great lengths about why I think this game is amazing, but this customer review on Amazon sums it up:

"Anyways, Once you've past the first mission, you exit through this tunnel and all you see in front of you is a open world. You can go anywhere,do anything, go north, south, east or west, over rocks, swim in the waters, fight people camping out, nick their stuff, hunt for deer, lions, bears, fish, go to towns, talk to the people, get missions, do or do not do the missions, follow the main quest, don't follow it, do side quests, join guilds, large guilds, secret guilds or smaller clans, fight in the arena, become a champion, or don't, hunt out monsters, hunt out vampires, become a vampire, collect different herbs for recipies, make potions, sell potions, find weapons, use weapons, sell weapons, enchant/enchance weapons, cast spells on yourself, cast spells on others, fight with fists, swords, bows or magic.... IT'S ENDLESS!"

Read my quick review of Oblivion here

• Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction - Although this game (7+, £2.98, available from Amazon) hasn't been as well received as previous PS2 entries, it still stands to be a great game and might have had the potential to move consoles if the consoles price was just a little lower and the range of games a little higher

• Call of Duty 4: Modern - This game (15+, £39.99, available from Amazon) got amazing reviews. The single player looks, from what I have seen, amazing. However, it is supposed to be short and so I would recommend making sure you have online before choosing this game.

• Assassin's Creed - This free roaming (16+, £39.48, available at Amazon) game features heavy amounts of Parkour. The game does feature some annoying issues (such as un-skipable, dull speeches) which detract from the polished graphics and fun free-running system, but a fun game none the less.

I hope this was helpful. For most games I have provided links to Amazon, but you may have also noticed that a lot of the time Amazon will not deliver by Christmas. I recommend using play.com and local Game and HMV stores may have the products in stock. Also, remember that most shops offer gift cards, so if you can't get what you or the receiver wants, get them this and allow them to choose it themselves. Have a very happy Christmas and spread the good word (of this site!)

7 Most Import Things in a Game

Following a post by Juuso on Gameproducer.net on the 7 most important things to include a game, (although I heard it from Troy Goodfellows post on the 8 most important things) I decided to create a list for there is nothing man likes more than creating lists.

1. Online Multiplayer

This is true for every type of game (except maybe puzzle games) A good online mode can triple a games value. A good multiplayer can make up for an average single player (in the case of Delta Force 2), good muiltplayer can keep players playing a game and thus more interested in sequels and most importantly, multiplayer can extend the games longevity and thus value ad infinitum. Wii Sports is a game that is missing in online multiplayer.

2. Map Editor

Where Troy put random maps in his list, which are undoubtedly important, I think an editor can replace random maps, and improve on their ability. No matter how clever a designer is, the world as a whole is cleverer and will thus make better maps than them. Map editors can keep people tied to a game like multiplayer, on top of the fact it adds to value with out any extra effort on the developer. Map editors need to be well made and easy to use, but with lots of depth, unlike the Civ 4 World Builder. Also in this point is the ability to Mod stuff, this ironically, has been done excellently on Civ 4.

3. Customisation

Customisation should be added wherever it can. I may be alone in this, but I love customisation. From painting cars in Forza, to spending hours creating a character in Oblivion to just changing colour schemes in Dawn of War. Everyone wants to be unique and where online is present, customisation becomes even more important. I get frustrated when customisation is limited when it dosen't need to be(as with Miis) EA is currently leading the way with character development although Forza and Oblivion both need a nod of the hat.

4. Brink of Death

In any action game, you must always be on the brink of death. You must always be checking your health and finding it on one, reloading you gun to find it is the final magazine. At no point should you be comfortable in your position. RE4 does this excellently. Terror can incorporate you in a game like nothing else. This way you are breathing heavily and thank the heavens when you find a pause. Zelda always feels a little safe. You have loads of life and lose it rarely, you always have your trusty sword and enemies never seem to pose much more than a nuisance. Fortunately, Zelda isn't about combat.

5. No locked content

I don't know why developers do this. Why force you to unlock content? You have paid for the game, surely that should give you the right to play with all of it. Ok, I accept that some things should be kept as a reward, such as peripherals and costumes, but completing whatever the goal is should be a reward in its self in a well designed game. It frustrates me when entire modes are locked. For people like me, who often don't complete games, it means that when we review them we can only mark half the content, which will effect the score.

6. Save whenever

Something which is often over looked in anything except long strategy games for PC is the ability to save anywhere. Now I appreciate that developers don't want people saving every 5 minutes so they don't have to go back far, but what if you need to go out. Once again, it comes back to the point that you have bought the game. Yes the game will be more fun if you limit your saving, but that option should reside with the player, who can choose to only save when they quite, rather than the developer who clearly don't have the tasks of real life or know about the individual habits. What does it matter to them if you get less enjoyment from the game because you just want to beat it.

7. Custom Music

A feature often overlooked for people developing for the Orginal Xbox was the ability to use a custom soundtrack. This issue has been fixed with the 360 as music is operated separately from the game. I thought this feature was great. Obviously some games need the tense music to create an atmosphere, but there are some games when their is no reason to have it. Civ 4 does have it, but is quite unique in this. It can't be hard to implement in a game for computers and makes a lot of sense as, thanks to the rise of MP3 players, most people have their music collection on their computer. Not being able to listen to music can often put me off playing a game because I want to listen to some music.

Most of these are small gripes but they really do irritate me when they aren't there. The majority of them their is no excuse not to include them. You can post y0ur 7 in the comments section if you wish.

On a side note, a went on Stealth at Thorpe Park a couple of days, ago, it was terrifying. Go to youtube and type in "Stealth Thorpe Park" and watch the second and third videos for some idea of what it is like. It is absolutely mental, I can tell you that for nothing.

Life on Mars

The best TV program :Life on Mars, is about to end. It is on in 5 minutes time BB2 9:00pm. Watch it, it has the blend of comedy and action just right. The attention to detail is very good.

We need to establish if this is a hate crime

As opposed to one of those I really really like you ones

Very funny

Climate Change

Summer is here. It is a nice sunny day with warmish temperatures, there is a new KC album out and I am in to the Beach Boys again. Thus proving it is summer. But, it is only early March. Now, when it comes to global warming I would like to think I'm not naive about the whole issue. However, I always thought the change would be gradual and other the years it would be severe, but not much change from the year before. For example, we would just grow accustomed to the fact some summers it would be too hot to physically leave the house in say Italy. This is NOT the case. This year, the UK has had two bouts of snow, one closed schools all over the country. This has never happened in my life. In the same year, record temperatures in seas were recorded. And now, its March, and we are already discussing having classes outside!

Because of my age, this DOES concern me a lot. If it only takes you half an hour to walk somewhere, walk it. And don't use land rovers unless your a farmer and you actually need it. So, want to do a little bit more. Well enter stage left "Bloggers for the World!" Now I am going to make a little logo, but until then, if you want to join, just put a link to this post in the side bar (or post if you have to) and leave a comment here with your blog address. This should raise awareness at the very least.

George Bush Cartoon

Drew this cartoon this afternoon:


The labels on the buttons are names of countries and the depressed one is "Twin Towers" (OOOOh, thats lair!) Feel free to put it on your website providing it links to this blog. Should of singed it. I have another one lined up, don't worry this craze won't last long. If you want to read the lables click on the image for full size version.

Restaurant, people, quote and a book

I haven't posted in a while but I will be posting tomorrow. But here is a less normal post that bears no real relevance to absolutely anything. I am currently enjoying my half term and last weekend I went to Beaminster for my grand-fathers 80th birthday. To celebrate, we went to a posh restaurant. The food was lovely, I have momentarily forgotten the name, but Beaminster isn't very big, so if you happen to be there, it is down the road from the high street. However, like every other restaurant, the best bit isn't the food, but the fellow customers. About half way through our meal a group of six old people turned up. One of them had a very high pitched voice and started bellowing orders about where they should sit. One of the others said, in a suitable cheesy voice, "oh, I'm between the girls am I?". Once they had managed to sit down, they had a heated discussion about...hedge trimmers :"Is it rotary?!" Later on in the meal the leader talked about how we get pears or something from New Zealand, and how shops claim that people want it all year round. She said that "if they weren't there, people would just get by." As true as this is, she did get a little too animated.

I found this quote on my Google home page today and I needed somewhere to dump it it was so good.

The dead might as well try to speak to the living as the old to the young.

Finally, I have just finished reading Bill Bryson's Notes from a small island. It was very funny and if your English makes you heart swell with pride.

Wake me up when we're at E3

Check out this funny flash movie on newgrounds. It is a paradoy on the Greenday song: Wake me up when september ends . This is what the author says:

E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) is tomorrow! Woo!
Celebrate with this musical parody!

Two quick things: 1) I know I can't sing. You don't have to tell me. I am fully aware. My job is animation. =)
2) I appriciate reviews and try to respond to them. But I will be at E3 this year, so please don't be discouraged if it takes a few weeks for me to reply. Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!

Ok - go watch: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/311913

Xbox 360 analysis coming soon.