[img align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-044/bf/U-044-S-01500-A.jpg&sizex=200[/img] I am a huge Earthbound Fan, and each passing week where Mother 3 is not released makes me a sad panda. If you are interested as to how much I enjoyed Earthbound, why not check out its game page? Feel the love, and I hope that you've played the game.
What? You say that you have not? That's okay, many other people have not played this amazing game. Fortunately for you, Nintendo has apparently decided to release it for the Virtual Console, at least that's what the ESRB says. Personally, that makes me excited. Perhaps Nintendo will not be a whore and release Mother 3. I don't know, but I'll be content knowing that a new group of people will have the opportunity to try this amazing game.
[img align=right width=250]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/116598339947f01bc0747fdwifi_failure.gif[/img]Nintendo. They like making money. They could make so much more money if they had a viable online system. Microtransactions also print money, so it boggles my mind that Nintendo has opted for the castrated Online Plan. To Nintendo, it's better to assume that everyone is 6 than their actual age, and for that reason most people would call the system... subpar. Not exactly a fun experience to play online, especially if you want to try to hook up with your friends.
Slate decided, in its infinite wisdom, that it needed to tell the world that Nintendo's Online Plan is in fact, "a smashing failure." So, yeah, good job there Slate, where have you been for the last 3 years. I could have said that back when the DS was going online. Friend Codes are in fact, absolute rubbish. Poorly executed Smash Bros. with anyone online games is in fact, absolute rubbish. Tantalizing Wii owners with the prospect of only one Wii Friend Code only to find out that every damn game still has its own way of doing online, is rubbish.
So, where have you been, Slate? I conject that you must have been really far away not to realize this cold reality years ago. How was the stay on the third rock from Alpha Centari, Slate, because clearly for the last few years you were nowhere near Earth.
Oh, you say that you were? Perhaps then you just are late to the obvious, or you're just out of touch with gaming in general. The only reason I've heard of you is because Kotaku mentions you. Perhaps you should just... um... keep quiet about games.
Some of you may be die hard haters of other game consoles besides the ones that you own. For others, you might be such a fanboy that you need be reminded of reasons why you should curb your enthusiasm. Fortunately for you, Gamesradar wishes to fan the flames of console bashing during its hate week, where they harp about why you should hate everything. Thank God for that too, because I certainly could not think of my own reasons to be spiteful about the console manufacturers.
Shall we check out these videos? Because I am a nice guy, I'll start out with the company I tend to support heavily (aside from my latest Cynical Gamer piece), Nintendo. You can find Sony and Microsoft after the Jump.
[img align=right width=200]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/180407488746fd6a4042c40Rock_band_cover.jpg[/img]Let's not kid ourselves. I really like music / rhythm games. As such, I really like games like Guitar Hero. So, when the next Harmonix game was announced and it was Rock Band, it was pretty damn exciting. Then, there was the revelation that the game was only coming out for the 360 and PS3, which made baby Jesus cry. I myself, was one sad panda. The pain was lessened a bit when I saw the associated price tag, but the game still was amazing, and deep down, I still wanted it.
Fortunately, Harmonix announced that eventually Rock Band would be coming to the Wii, and that was about it. No price, no release date... nothing other than that the game was coming to the Wii. Well, that's nice, but I want more concrete information. The Wii owners want more information. Would it be expensive like its brethren, or would it be slightly more affordable? Would it be a quick cash in like Guitar Hero / PS2 Rock Band, or would the content be more like the 360 / PS3 versions? Most importantly, when would it be coming out?
Well, there is a release data and price for the Wii version. June 22, 2008. $170. Price, not too surprising, but hey! We now have a date. Additionally, it will be a "Special Edition", with 63 songs, including 5 bonus songs. Oh boy, I can barely contain myself. Yay. Seriously.
So, the burning question of will this game be a gimped version like the PS2 version, or will the game be like the 360 / PS3 version has yet to be answered. Certainly, my excitement will either fall or rise with that announcement, and I can't wait to hear more about this version of the game.
[img align=right width=250]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/89805237447e2a8683ef7cjack_thompson_attorney.jpg[/img]Poor old Jack. Man gets a law degree, starts making frivolous lawsuits bordering the absurdity realm of Hot Coffee Cup Warnings, and then eventually gets referred to the Florida Bar. While the Bar Trial is still in process, we do have an interesting development that did occur today.
Apparently the Florida Supreme Court doesn't enjoy constantly receiving lots of frivolous cases from certain people. Recently, they sent Jack an order demanding why they should not place sanctions against him. Well, apparently Jack's reasons either were not good enough or he just flat out did not provide them with any. Well, the Florida Supreme Court has just decided to set sanctions against good ol' Jack. These sanctions now make it so that Jack can not submit any cases directly to them. That means now that he needs to find an equally crazy person to submit his cases, and I honestly doubt that anyone would be stupid enough to join him in his quest for frivolous lawsuits.
We wish Jack the best of luck in his future endeavors, and hope that the Florida Bar makes an expedient solution soon enough.
[img align=right width=200]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/202850710747ae286024acdBBFC-Big-Brother.jpg[/img] Britons! We Oceanians celebrate your recent triumph, for it was today that your country realized the intrinsic value of incredibly violent games. We have for so long known the value of these games, and now you'll get to experience a game that has been training our kids for your own perusal. We feel that this game will only make your people more prepared for the atrocities that will be part of the unending war, which we are sure that you'll soon enter. Where we're numb to the atrocities of the unending war, you people have no concept of the atrocities that you will soon experience and see. Thankfully, your government has officially decided to make Manhunt 2 available for purchase. Praise to your government.
Minipeace approves of this development, and we certainly hope that more games like Manhunt will be approved for purchase within your country. Perhaps your country will be the first to realize the masterpiece that is Thrill Kill. We personally so close to realizing that game; however, Big Brother felt that Oceania was not ready for this masterpiece. Hail Big Brother. His wisdom is unending, and with his leadership we're certain to prosper for years on end. May we remind you of his wisdom:
WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
The Author of this Post assumes no responsibility for any thoughtcrime that may have occurred while reading this article. Hail Big Brother. That is all.
Greetings Capitalist Pigs and Eastern European brethren. Live starting today is our radio station just for you - Radio Vladivostok. Broadcasting from Hove Beach, Radio Vladivostok is what you need to remember those better times in Eastern Europe. Sure, you can't read English well, but you certainly can have excellent Eastern European Musik to listen to, da?
This wonderful advertisement is brought to you by our friends at the Liberty City Police Department. A wonderful group of comrades. Check out their pitch after the jump.
Christmas is supposed to be a happy time when you are a kid. It doesn't become faceless until you're older, but as a kid, it's quite the magical time, normally. Unfortunately, there is the Grinch. You know the being. Green, evil, that guy. Well, apparently, the grinch struck this Christmas, and it wasn't very nice.
See, the video? The kid's name is Jonathan. He got a box for Christmas. Upon taking off the wrapping, he found that it was a 360 Arcade box. Most people, including Jonathan, would be elated that they were getting a new gaming system to play on, but there seemed to be something wrong with the picture. Upon opening the box Jonathan found that there was in fact no 360 in the box but rather CLOTHES! How evil. Dreadfully evil. Certainly, someone in this story has no heart.
Thankfully, lots of people do, and have contacted the family to get the kid a 360. Kudos to Microsoft for offering to help, but it looks as though Engadget has this debacle covered.
What a mean thing to do to a kid on Christmas. I hope the Grinch in this story grows a heart.
[img width=150 align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/163238371547c70bd77c7e9Porteous-OP804.jpg[/img]See this man to the right? His name is Julian Porteous, and he has something to say about video games. Clearly, being the auxiliary bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Australia just doesn't fancy all of his time. Never mind striving for that "Just Community" and other Catholic mumbo jumbo*, for now is the time to talk about video games.
See, Australia currently has a maximum rating of R15 on video games. As you know, the age 15 generally doesn't correlate to mature audiences. As such, there are quite a few games that just don't get released in Australia. I don't know what I'd do if I could not play Manhunt, Postal, or Marc Ecko's Getting Up. I'd probably go crazy. Regardless, that is how it is in Australia. Clearly, video games are a subversion where any game intended for people over the age of 15 should be banned.
Recently, it was mentioned by sometime in the Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification that they may consider adding the R18 rating to the game ratings. Currently, the R18 rating exists for film, but not games. Certainly, there are a couple prudes that think that it is their God given right to think what other people should or should not do. Take for example Julian Porteous. As a ranking member of the Catholic clergy shouldn't he be worrying about something more important than what games are rated, such as clergy abuse, or is that strictly an American thing? Either way, the auxiliary bishop of Sydney opposes the proposal to add R18 to the Australian Classification system. Why? He thinks that video game violence can desensitize people into performing acts of violence. Hogwash. If that was the case, I would have gone out killing lots of people with a beam katana that I obtained at the local flea market. Thanks No More Heroes! Thankfully for everyone, I would never make such an absurd connection and my rationality and morality would keep me from performing such a heinous action. God knows though what would happen if I was subjected to sitting through one of Julian's homilies. Now that's desensitizing.
Julian, bugger off. Convince your congregation to perform acts of charity and see God in all things. Stay the hell off of our modes of entertainment, and I'll be less inclined to criticize the work that you and your cohorts do.
*David Murnan is a raised Catholic kid who was subjected to 12 years of Catholic education, of which four of those years were in an amazing Jesuit Institution. As such, he is allowed to be openly critical of his own faith.
[img align=right width=250]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/107411104447bf29c519367NintendoWifi.gif[/img] So, Nintendo Wifi Connection. It sucks, really, really hard. Don't kid yourself, if you are looking for a competent online service you certainly will not find it in the land of Nintendo. Just hearing the words "Friend Code" is like listening to a teacher use her fingernails against a blackboard. It simply is not a nice thing, I tell ya. For a company leading the pack in sales, they certainly have no idea how to capitalize on the burgeoning market of digitally distributed content.
So, what is this I am hearing about Wii Pay and Play? An upcharge for online? Perhaps, but right now we just don't know. What we do know is that Wii Pay and Play will be collecting money for "services that will adapt flexibility". What the hell does that mean? Kotaku speculated, so will I. It sounds as though Nintendo wants to print more money. More money that it does not need. So, perhaps they want to screw you, John Q. Consumer. Do you enjoy getting screwed? Personally, the thought of being raped by Nintendo does not entice me.
Perhaps Nintendo will wow us with something that is truly amazing. Show us what you mean, Nintendo, rather than being ultra cryptic about things. Show us that you are going to use this "system" for something awesome. Given your track record in the world of digital distribution and online gaming, I somehow seriously doubt it.
[img align=right width=250]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/187074676547b9edbd5a478GDC2008Logo.JPG[/img]GDC. Also known as the Game Developer's Conference, it is now one of the more, if not the most important gaming expo / conference now that E3 is a shell of its former self. All the major gaming outlets cover it intensely. We here at RF Generation wish to be just like those other outlets, and that is why we'll be posting news and information that we deem worthy. Certainly, no one on our staff is at GDC, but that doesn't mean we can't post the news as we hear it.
So, it is likely that there will be plenty of news to come out of this year's GDC. Is there anything you want to hear? Is there anything you expect to hear? Certainly, for me there is, and perhaps there is for you as well.
Check it out. Activision comes through. Did you find yourself ticked off by your Mono Experience known as Guitar Hero III for the Wii? Did you fill out the pre-claim form on Activision's Website? If you did, start checking your mail. You might be getting the above form and a prepaid, address envelope in the mail. Send in the disc and the form (click the above image to see it in its full glory) and you'll have a not so mono experience in 3-4 weeks.
Have not yet filed a claim? Do so here. Kudos to Activision for staying true to their word.
[img width=250 align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/171605600847b5f52c93a4dIcarus.jpg[/img]You may have noticed that the average Wii game tends to... suck in the graphics department. How the hell is it that the most graphically taxing game for the Wii is Super Mario Galaxy? Certainly, that games looks nice, but they can do better. Too bad then that the Wii is land of shovelware and crap. Fortunately for those us that do own the system, there are a few diamonds in the rough. While they might not be the most graphically amazing thing out there, they do excel at one key thing - they are fun.
So, yes, Factor 5. They are working on [SECRET UNNAMED PROJECT NAME GOES HERE]. Some people think that it might be a new Kid Icarus. That would be pretty damn cool. Others though, think it might be on the level of Lair, which from what I heard is a graphically amazing, yet horrible experience. Things didn't turn out too well on their first outing on the PS3, but hey, perhaps could be better with their Wii outing, right? Right?!
Anyways, Julian Eggebrecht, the president of Factor 5, had a little chat with IGN. Turns out, we have some new, interesting information. Sure, it has nothing to do with what the game is, but everything to do with the graphics:
Quote
Whatever we're working on will at least blow you away in a lot of the technical aspects. We're really trying to do everything to squeeze the maximum out of the machine
My my yes, better graphics, better technical aspects? Neat, but what does that mean? Face it, from a technical standpoint, the bar is rather low. Will they blow the bar away, or will their technical advancements just surpass the current technical marvel, also known as Mario? Time will tell, but there is also this fun tidbit from Julian:
Quote
Although we're going to use everything for what we have in development, I think the pointing stuff is probably the biggest innovation which we're working on right now.
Again, the bar is quite low, but who knows, Factor 5 in the past made great games, perhaps they can pull off something amazing. Certainly time shall tell, and if we're lucky we'll know something more next week with GDC about to ramp up.
[img align=right width=225]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/202478642447b26a8b77893Red_Alert3.jpg[/img]It's possible that you may enjoy the Command and Conquer series. If you do, it's even more possible that you think that Red Alert is the best game in the series, like myself. Seriously, who didn't have fun playing as the Red Army, killing people with massive amounts of Tesla Coils and MiGs? Certainly, I did, it was a blast to play that game. Oh how better times have passed. Since that game was released EA has become an evil empire, and killed Westwood Studios. But fear not! I have good news! Red Alert 3 has been officially announced.
Unfortunately, not much is known at this time about the game, other than it has been announced via PC Gamer, but hopefully by the time March 4 hits, we'll know a bit more. Between this and a official release date for Spore, this has been a good day provided by the Evil Empire.
[img align=right width=225]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/202850710747ae286024acdBBFC-Big-Brother.jpg[/img]Bravo, Britain! We Oceanians approve of some of the latest developments regarding your suppression of video games! What our Minitrue did over 30 years ago in its infinite foresight, your government is now trying to replicate. They realize that like in Oceania, Britons are too stupid to be let to make their own decisions. Hence, Britons need an organization similar to our Minitrue to assist in making you informational and media based decisions. Luckily for you, Britain, you have your own beginnings of our Minitrue in the BBFC. These amazing folks do everything possible to ensure that what you all experience is in line with your party. Similar, the Party of Oceania approves of the recent moves made by your Party.
We see that your Party wishes to impose the same trials and tribulations levied against movies in your country against games. We certainly approve of this idea. In fact, we feel that your government should go one step farther and censor every form of media, just like our own Minitrue. Such actions will only prepare you for your inevitable entry into the unending war.
Proper censorship will ensure that only the most violent of games will be available to the populous. Your future Minipeace will certainly appreciate that. You don't need games like Barbie or I Can Remember. Your evolving Minitrue can censor those unnecessary titles out. You need proper exercises like Call of Duty 4 or Manhunt 2. Such games are guaranteed to prepare Britons for their entry into the unending war, a war we've fought in for very long.
You need training exercises for the unending war. Eventually war will find you. And when it does, you need to be ready. Lest we not remind you of the mantra of Oceania's own Party:
WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
Blindly accept what your government thinks is right for you. You certainly do not have the mental capacity to make that decision for yourself. Your Party knows what they are doing, and will do everything in their power to ensure that your county's into the unending war is as seamless as possible. Hail Big Brother. That is all.
The Author of this Post assumes no responsibility for any thoughtcrime that may have occurred while reading this article. Hail Big Brother. That is all.
This is where my thoughts go and are never heard from again.
Well, maybe not, but this is the repository for all of my published thoughts and rantings. It'll make my day if you find at least 10% of it amusing and enjoyable to read.
