Archive for the ‘Video Games’ Category
World of Warcraft: EQ of Today?
I used to be an Everquest player - back in my days at MIT. I was an officer in a guild, and my gnomish enchanter was an absolute badass. Of course, I was hyper-sensitive to the proverbial addiction risk, and bailed on EQ when I started working full time.
I’m now braving the temptations and taunts of WoW…and having a blast. The truth is that I was level 6 before I finished playing for the first time, and found myself right at home in WoW; it was just like being back in EQ.
It’s my goal to document my experiences over the next few weeks here. Sure, there are thousands and thousands of places you can read more about WoW - but I’m hoping to bring you the MG perspective. In other words: how is WoW for the casual player? How does a person with a full-time job fare in this world of addicts? We’ll see.
By the way: I just hit level 7.
Click here for the full screenshot.
Technorati Tags: everquest, world of warcraft, wow
eBay Blocks "Virtual Goods”
CNet’s news.com.com.com.com has an article today where they point out eBay’s recent decision to block the sale of virtual goods like platinum pieces in Everquest, and swords in World of Warcraft…but surprisingly, not land in Second Life.
Initially, I was floored. Hell, I’ll admit to selling pp back in my Evercrack days (grad school). It seems crazy to me that eBay would turn money away…after all, they’re in the business of helping people sell stuff.
Apparently, eBay is concerned about swindlers taking your money, then not meeting up with you in Greater Faydark; if you’re not selling anything tangible, you might have no recourse.
I suppose that’s logical. But still - what about selling services for webdesign, or other non-tangible, dificult-to-verify transactions? How about Second Life? What’s up with the Second Lifers? While the residents of Second Lifeonia (or whatever the hell it’s called) will argue, there is absolutely NOTHING tangible there.
It’s done, regardless. You n00bs are going to have to buy your characters at IGE instead.
technorati tags:ebay, wow, everquest
Wii Impressions: Number 1
We got a Wii.
Yes, for all of you who have been lusting after Nintendo’s most recent addition to the console market, you’ll understand our excitement.
There’s a lot to this little box, and most of it’s been covered elsewhere (here, and here, for instance)…but I’d like to highlight a few of the things that we find particularly cool - and that might take a few different posts.
First, the controllers work like magic. As a long-time fan of video games, I was initially very skeptical about the much-hyped control system of the Wii. I envisioned a somewhat spotty arrangement, with the controls working responsively maybe 80% of the time, depending on your location. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The controls work. Seriously. Play a couple of rounds of Wii Boxing, and you’ll see what I mean. They’re responsive, sensitive, consistent, easy to use, and intuitive. Bravo.
Second, the system is easy to get the hang of (please don’t email me about the dangling participle in that sentence; I’m taking creative license). My wife - who is as much of a gamer as the fruit bowl on our kitchen counter - had no trouble digging into a bowling round. She just grabbed the controller, and started bowling. Just like she was in the bowling alley down the street (but without the shoe spray).
Third, and thank goodness for this one, the system connects to the network wirelessly. This is such a great addition, I can’t even begin to explain my excitement. One of the first things we did after unboxing was start figuring out how to split the CAT-5 signal to the 360 so that it could also feed the Wii. After we’d cleared that hurdle, it became clear that there was nowhere to plug the CAT-5 in…and that’s when we opened the manual. Wireless! Woohoo!
There’s much more to this console, and we’re still forming opinions (read: playing until we’re too sore to play anymore)…so we’ll keep you posted.
In the meantime, consider getting your family a Wii. If this short article hasn’t convinced you, stay tuned for the rest of the series. You’ll want one.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
I’m an RPG fan - which means that I spent my obligatory half a year entrenched in Everquest, and the next several years trying to find something to replace it.
For whatever reason, the video game industry seems to have a difficult time delineating between role-playing games and adventure games. There are lots of great action games released as RPG’s (see Fable, Jade Empire, etc.), but it’s been a while since a real RPG hit the streets.
Thank you for relieving our misery, Bethesda.
My daugher and I have now logged over 50 hours in Oblivion, and recently reached level 9. We’ve taken two or three steps along the main quest…but that doesn’t much matter. Sure, we want to save the world, and shut down the Oblivion Gates, but there are lots of little tasks that we need to help people with along the way.
We’re members of the Fighters Guild, the Mages Guild, and the Thieves Guild. While we’ve achieved a fairly high rank in the Fighters Guild, we still need to get recommendations from a few guild leaders to advance in the Mages Guild (we ask for one every time we’re in a new city). The Thieves Guild quests also prove to be a great time, as they don’t seem to involve fighting…but quite a bit of trickery.
Even though one of the friars near Chorrol gave us a horse early in the game, we found him to be a little too slow…and eventually upgraded to a speedy black horse from Cheydinhal. Our house is going to need upgrade soon as well, as the little shack we bought in the Imperial City is something of a dump (the rent’s free, though).
All told, this game is awesome. The fighting engine could be better, but that’s about where the constructive criticism stops and becomes impractical whining.
This is a serious hit, and almost reason - in itself - to own a 360.