Well, make it official...videogames have entered into the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a preparation tool for an athelete who is favored to win his event.

This man:


This is Reese Hoffa, Olympic shot putter and avid gamer. He has admitted that he plays videogames while training as they keep him indoors and not injured. His hopes are high for Metal Gear 4 and he waits longingly for it to come out. His jump to PS3 will not occur until said game has been released.

The link to the blog I saw on him is here in full:
http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/04/olympic-hopeful.html

He goes on to say how he is glad he has a hobby that doesn't run the risk of him being hurt and he also plugs the Beijing 2008 game which is slotted to come out.

I have to slightly disagree with Mr. Hoffa in the respect that gaming does hurt. Just in your soul. I spell this soulhurting out with one word: Ikaruga. The game drives you to drink, literally. Here's proof: http://www.the-nextlevel.com/features/promos/ikaruga-sake-set-040224/

And for those who want instant gratification:



Ikaruga sake set, ftw.

~RL

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps2-news/4394.html


"Hot Anime Nazi Chicks Coming To PS2/PSP"

Now, this is a game that to me looks like it could possibly be another exciting romp through an acid trip. I am of course currently still coming down from the high that is "Earth Defense Force 2017" which I just played yesterday. I am just upset that it doesn't seem to cross the minds of people in countries besides Japan to try and invent ridiculous ideas like this in their games.

Instead of having a dark, brooding antihero...Why not a giant technicolor scorpion that shoots cake from it's eyes and does the macarena? I mean, just look at the success Katamari had over here in the states. Just take a step back from being so serious all the time and stop making me pay obscene amounts of money to procure games like this as they are not released here in the states.

~RL

Well, as I stated earlier I would eventually get my first post up here. This one is mildly videogame related. I am a little upset at AI so far in "next gen" games that have been released. It seems as though "next gen" refers to the game being shiny and on a blu-ray disc or a DVD. I haven't seen any AI better than anything on a PS2 or a Gamecube in any next gen games I have played thus far. Army of Two, Rainbow Six Vegas and Vegas 2, Dark Sector, Gears of War, Mass Effect..etc.. It seems that the AI is still the run of the mill "stand in the open and pour bullets at you so you have to work at least a little to kill me" type.

When I play a next gen game I am looking for improvement in every aspect of gaming. Sure, the game looks excellent and the controls are as smooth as butter covered in molasses. But the AI is still just as dumb as the AI in "The World Is Not Enough" for original Playstation. And when I say I want more challenging AI that doesn't mean that the AI should be a dick. There is a difference between challenging and Anubis from "Zone of the Enders: Second Runner".

Basically, my plea is for developers to not put in rag doll physics and gorgeous environments and call it good. I don't want my enemies to simply fall like blades of grass to me on the next to hardest difficulty. If I wanted that I would play "Goldeneye" or "Perfect Dark". When I can play through a game that was made 10 years after aforementioned games and have an easier time beating it there is a problem.

~RL