Another Thank You

Thanks to my friend Kaz who has posted this blog on his Twitter page. Thanks for supporting my blog and helping me find a bigger audience.

He can be found here: https://twitter.com/Kaz_zia

EA Starts New Year By Shutting Down Services for Games

Come January 11th 2013, EA will shut down the online capabilities for their entire 2011 sports line-up.

The games that are affected include: FIFA 11, Madden NFL 11, NBA Jam, NBA Live 10, and NHL 11 among others. Seeing as EA have not released an NBA game since 2011, this will mean that there is no EA Sports NBA game that is online come January 11th. This would mean that rival 2K games’ NBA 2K13 will be the only NBA game on the market, giving them a massive advantage in the basketball games market.

Another notable game included in the service shut down is The Sims 2, the long running life simulator game which was hugely popular upon release in 2004. It spawned eight expansions and many other packs with items for the game. This shut down leaves the sequel, The Sims 3, the only Sims game currently online.

This continues a long line of games that have been or are going to have their service stopped. If you want to find out more about which games are getting the cut, check out EA Service Updates here.

http://invalidopinions.com/2013/01/01/ea-starts-new-year-by-shutting-down-services/

Black Ops 2 DLC ‘Revolution’ Leaked (Updated)

The first piece of downloadable content for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has been leaked.

 The leaked picture clearly shows the name of the map pack, Revolution, while, assuming the current format for CoD DLC, four multiplayer maps and one map for zombie mode.

Added to this, the poster also says the pack includes a new bonus SMG weapon called ‘Peacekeeper’. This is a first for a CoD game to include a weapon in the DLC, however there is no word if this is for multiplayer only, zombies only or both.

Expect this within a few months, first on Xbox 360 and a month after that for Playstation 3.

Click here for the enlarged image.

Update: Pictures of the top section of this poster have been revealed, outing the release date for the new map pack. Apparently it is to be released January 29th 2013. The pictures are here and here.

http://invalidopinions.com/2012/12/30/black-ops-2-dlc-revolution-leaked/

A Quick Thank You

Thanks to Alex - MrAlex1578 (YouTube) for mentioning me on one of his videos! Your help and support is appreciated!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrAlex1578?feature=watch

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct First Gameplay

The first gameplay footage of The Walking Dead first person shooter has been released.

The game details how Merle and Daryl Dixon survived the zombie apocalypse before the events of the show, with the player controlling Daryl. The voices are being recorded by the actors who play the characters in the television show, Michael Rooker and Norman Reedus.

The footage shows a look at Merle at the start, continuing on to show some of enemies and the weapons which you can use on them, including an axe! The video also shows off some of the stealth used in the game which includes hiding behind cars and bins to see if the way is clear, however there is not much audio throughout the video.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is being developed by Terminal Reality and is to release in 2013.

http://invalidopinions.com/2012/12/30/the-walking-dead-survival-instinct-first-gameplay/

A Year in Review: Andy’s Best Games of the Year

Tons of games have been released in the last year many of them good, many of them bad and even more of them are COD-clones! My experiences this year with games have been a mixed bag, from the best like Mass Effect 3 to games like Resident Evil 6, which sucked me dry of hope for the franchise. Below are my top three video games for the past year:

Dishonored

This game changed the way games are played. Do you sneak up and silently take out your target? Do you run in guns and magic blazing, killing all in sight? Or do you search around, finding ways to get rid of your targets in a non-lethal fashion? I have played the game through over four times and never got the same outcome at the end as my different actions affected the story, the city and it’s citizens. My most memorable moment of the game was attending a masquerade ball and, rather than killing the target, I met a man willing to take them away with him if I just delivered them to a boat in the cellar. I did this by just possessing the target and walking to the cellar past all of their bodyguards and knocking the target out after I had separated from them. The freedom to do whatever you want in whatever way you want makes this game stand out as a shining example of where games should head in future.

Borderlands 2

The first game was one of the few that I would still play again and again. The second game added better characters with more detailed skill trees, various new enemies, diverse environments and more guns. The guys over at Gearbox also created one of my favourite characters of this generation, Handsome Jack, a character who swings from being calm to being completely insane in a second. Added to this, I admire the campaign that Gearbox have done to advertise this game online, they have created retro games ,online skill trees and mini games. If a third game in this series is released, it shall be a day one purchase for me as this series looks to be getting better and better.

Skyrim

Despite being released in 2011, I played this game well into 2012 and was one game that I spent 120+ hours mastering all that I could in the game and as the abilities and the quests are so varied, from joining the different guilds to an assassination mission on the Emperor, there never tends to be boring moment. I have still not found all there possibly is to find and it astounds me how Bethesda can fit a living, breathing world into the game and still keep it looking, for the most part, beautiful. Taking the time to just explore through this game affords you views and adventures that you rarely see in other games and the vast history that has been created through the first four games in addition to this one gives the game a depth better than many other mainstream games.

http://invalidopinions.com/2012/12/29/a-year-in-review-ands-favorite-games-of-2012/

Tomb Raider Reboot Gets Multiplayer

The new Tomb Raider has been an interesting game to follow. It has seen many discussions and arguments surrounding the new direction, although the largest impact on the industry has been the whirlwind of anger over the alleged “rape scene”. But now it has been revealed that multiplayer will be included in the game. A decision which is sure to split fans of the series.

It was first revealed on Twitter by Karl Stewart, Crystal Dynamics Global brand director, where he had this to say:

Then, on the Official Tomb Raider Blog, it says the multiplayer segment has been “a long-time in the making” and is in development at “sister studio Eidos Montreal”. It also says that more details on the multiplayer will be revealed in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, while the cover of OXM suggests it will have more details on ”new modes and info on who you’ll be playing as”.

This is the latest game which has been single-player focused in the past that has added a multiplayer mode, following in the footsteps of such games series as Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed, which have caused had mixed reactions.

Tomb Raider is set for a March 5th 2013 release date.

http://invalidopinions.com/2012/12/29/tomb-raider-reboot-multiplayer/

Aliens: Colonial Marines Story Trailer Released

Sega has released a trailer for their upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines game which outlines the plot of the game.

The story continues on from the events of the film Aliens and features a new group of marines who intercept a distress call from one of the characters from the film. Your character is one of these marines and your mission is to find out what happened LV-426, the main planet of the Xenemorphs. Being a first person shooter, expect many different action scenarios and, having Aliens in the game, expect numerous tense and jumpy moments as they burst from the walls.

Aliens: Colonial Marines is set for February 12th 2013 and available to pre-order now.

http://invalidopinions.com/2012/12/27/colonial-marines-trailer/

Slender: Arrival Trailer Released

The debut trailer to Slender: Arrival, the follow-up to Slender: The Eight Pages, has been released publicly.

The first game was praised soon after release for its simplistic take on the horror genre and, as a free download, quickly went viral. Set in the woods of an unnamed forest, your character must walk through the trees and find eight pages scattered across the map. The catch being that a supernatural creature, a tall man in a suit with no face called Slender, follows you as soon as you collect your first page and progressively gains pace in his pursuit as you collect more pages.

The studio who created the first game have now been working to a release date of “early 2013″ for the new game which significantly improves the graphics while fleshing out story elements which were hinted at but never explored in the first game. According to the game’s official website, there will be more than just collecting pages and the game will also be a paid-for experience.

The trailer retains the creepy nature of the first game and looks graphically sumptuous. More will follow when we get it.

http://invalidopinions.com/2012/12/26/slender-arrival-trailer/

Dead Space 3 Demo Set for January

EA announced today that the demo for Dead Space 3 will be released 22nd of January 2013 on both the Playstation Network and Xbox Live to give you a taste of the game before release.

Xbox Live users who cannot wait for the opportunity to play the demo can sign up to get the demo a week earlier than the official date, January 15th. EA have set up a web page, which includes all the details to get a code. This offer ends on January 14th.

Dead Space 3 is to be released February 5th for North America and February 8th for Europe and follows series protagonist Isaac Clarke and his continued struggle against the Necromorphs. This game adds Co-op play and a new setting, a planet called Tau Volantis, a snowy environment which will change the dynamics of the scares found in the first and second games which focused on cramped indoor areas.

http://invalidopinions.com/2012/12/26/dead-space-3-demo/

Review: FIFA 13

Each year, EA Sports brings the world their footballing game, FIFA. The last installment  FIFA 12, brought in a raft of changes with the biggest being a brand new engine called the “impact engine”. This was trumpeted as the next generation of realistic movement and collisions. The results were less than brilliant, angering many people and creating more than a few videos that showed the players inunflattering positions. The New Year brings the next game, FIFA 13 and promises to bring in new features while improving on the previous ones.

Straight from start-up screen, it looks like last year’s version. The menus, the arena mode (a place to practice your skills, shooting, crossing and many other things with a player of your choice) are all reminiscent of the older games. This is no bad thing, these allow easy access to all the features of the game while showing off some of the (minor) graphical increases. With a new deal for the world’s best player Lionel Messi having been done this year, it means he is everywhere in the game, from the box to the default player in arena mode which is also a clever idea as he is the most skillful and easy to use player in the game, great for new comers.

Game-play wise there are some issues unfortunately. The impact engine has not really been improved all that much as it still creates problems if the players get tangled, leaving them stuck on the floor for an annoying length of time. A rather humorous issue occurred while playing with friends, David Silva picking up the ball for a throw-in only to have been tackled and got stuck in between trying to throw the ball and get into position, leading to the player, ball in hand, running aimlessly across the pitch, unable to carry on the game. Needless to say, it made us cry with laughter, but after the fifth or sixth time or online in a competitive game, it becomes a distinct annoyance. Another feature of this game is the first touch control. This means that, depending on the skill level of players, speed that the ball was passed and the direction it has been passed the player will either control the ball or in many cases tap it too far ahead or kick it out randomly. A point for realistic game-play but means you want to throw your controller at the wall with lower level players.

The game features many game modes, each fleshed out enough to keep you busy for weeks. The career mode features options to make your own player and when it is time to retire, become a manager or to just start out as a manager from the off. The manager mode has its own transfers and calendar and now includes the option for international management if you become a high profile manager. Other modes include kick-off, which is for quick games or party games, choosing any team you want against anyone you want and online season, where you play in divisions and get enough points to move up to a harder division or get relegated. The main pull of the game is Ultimate team. Introduced as a DLC to the last few games, it has been integrated into the game for release and it is brilliant. Buying and selling player or manager cards for in game money to build the best team or your own dream team is great and is neatly done. A version of the online season mode has been put in while the ability to compete offline and online for trophies or playing against friends really makes this mode more deep and addictive than the career mode. Added to this are auction apps for player cards on the app store and an online app to build your team and then show it off on Facebook make it easier to be more mobile with the game.

Unfortunately the game suffers greatly from server problems and regular “maintenance” from EA meaning that entering a game and staying in one is an effort, this would be the main thing that I would want improved on in the next game as it has been a running problem throughout the series.

In terms of game-modes and the layout, EA have excelled yet again, pushing themselves further ahead of the rival football game Pro Evolution. But the game will continue to be hampered by niggling online and offline problems. Once these are sorted, nothing can stop the rise and rise of the series.

http://invalidopinions.com/2012/12/24/review-fifa-13/

Ubisoft to buy THQ assets?

In an earlier post, we reported THQ has filed for bankruptcy. But now an interesting rumour regarding THQ and the sale of their assets have been unearthed.

Ubisoft has reportedly had “lengthy” discussions about possible interest in taking over the THQ’s games and studios, which include major series such as Darksiders, Red Faction and Saints Row. However, Ubisoft seem to be trying to get a bargain price for all of these different properties, with sources at MCV saying Ubisoft “is prepared to hold-out until THQ is forced to sell off specific assets, as happened to… Midway when it went into bankruptcy.” CEO Yves Guillemot had said in November, ”We are always interested in good brands. For sure, it’s something we can consider, but I can’t tell you more.”

If the French publisher does in fact buy the assets, it would make them an even bigger powerhouse in the industry than at present, joining THQ’s four studios (THQ Wireless, THQ Digital Studios Phoenix, Volition Inc and Vigil Games) with Ubisoft’s global range of studios and with the massive games franchises such as Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance.

Source: Gamesindustry.biz, MCVUK

http://invalidopinions.com/2012/12/23/ubisoft-to-buy-thq/