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When this debate comes up I notice hard headed advocates on both sides. I usually find that very little critical reason or thought goes along with their opinions. So I decided to examine my own opinion further, and try to come about the complexities of the topic. It certainly is a debate that is ever-changing, just as the graphics in the video game industry increases. The violence for the most part remains steady. Games from years in the past featured brutally killing each other and such, but now it looks more real. Is concern over this correlation valid?

Firstly, the advocates that say it is no problem at all cite that as adults, they see a clear separation of video games and real life. While they may chainsaw someone in Gears of War they assure us those same impulses are silenced when they are chopping wood at their construction site. An interesting topic to examine is why we enjoy killing someone in a game. Why we enjoy running away from cops in Grand Theft Auto IV, or even killing them. Perhaps we will not like the results of such a study, but such an examination is crucial. Maybe it excites some inner desire in us, some exotic foreign evil desire that is chained and netted by society. Perhaps it is helpful that these restricted desires find some harmless release. Nevertheless, the advocates of video game violence cite that they can tell the difference. This is an obvious fact, for the vast majority of the people that play violent video games live everyday family oriented lives. The social conservatives lashing out for restrictions would not even be able to recognize those they are against.

However, I see the debate growing in complexity when the distinction the advocates for video game violence cite diminishes. I mean this by the increase in the graphical capacity we have seen in video games as of late. Certainly, the realism is not there yet as we clearly see characters that are not up to par with even 1995 CGI standards. However, let’s take a step in the future for a second. What if, just as CGI has grown, video game graphics grow to the point where we can’t see the difference between it and real life? How does the distinction between the game and real life change then? Would an advocate of video game violence be fine blasting off the head of an all too real innocent civilian? The complexity grows. You may cite the violence in movies (real looking gore) that already exist today and perhaps do not show a problem. The difference is we are observers of that violence and receive correlating emotions; it does not excite the same drives as doing the violence.

I think it’s obvious as the graphics continue to increase in video games the complexity of the debate will grow as the distinction between video games and real life will diminish. As an avid video game, I of course enjoy games such as Gears of War and the soon Gears of War 2. I just hope that my fellow gamers will relinquish their hard headed opinions and think about the complexities of the debate.

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For some reason this mission was causing me some difficulty. Then I realized even after I completed it I had to do it again because I turned auto save off. This time going through it I found it a lot easier so I will give some tips on completing the mission.

It starts out pretty standard, you have to drive Playboy X to an alleyway with a car that has grenades and a sniper in it. It’s a long drive so you want to make sure you do it right the first time. You will be equipped with a sniper rifle and Playboy X instructs you to enter the lift and ride to the top of the building. From the top of the building you need to snipe three guys, take your time they won’t see you. Stay close to the edge when you are taking out the right guy so you can see the one closest to you.

After this you have to take out the union workers on foot. Equip the Ak-47 it is essential to taking the guys out the quickest (I turned auto aim on as well). Enter the site and take out the singular fat man on the first level. After this nothing will happen until you approach the site, approach it cautiously and once you hear shouting or see more union workers run back and take cover behind a box. From the cover eliminate all of the union workers you see. After this you need to advance further, do this cautiously while taking cover in places that are convenient. As you approach under the work site you will see a wooden ramp. Aim your scope all around the ramp and on the above platform and take out any union men necessary before continuing. You will need to go up the ramp and a cut scene will come. In the cut scene you take cover and equip your grenade. Use this grenade to chuck it at the union workers in front of you. Then take out your Ak-47 and finish them off.

After this you will wind around the building and meet with re-enforcement union men (from a helicopter - just like in real life). This is the biggest lot you will face so far so don’t forget to take cover especially if you are at low health. After this lot you can now run recklessly to get to the last union worker. He is easy enough to kill and you can even kill him as he’s climbing a ladder. Mission Complete.

Grand Theft Auto IV was just one of tremendous lineup to come in 2008. Yes, we have not seen it all - not even close. Among these highly anticipated titles are Gears of War 2, Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Fable 2: Too Human, and Ninja Gaiden II.

Gears of War 2 - A highly anticipated 3rd person shooter properly set to be released this holiday season. This will be the game of the season, too. It’s predecessor still holds it’s own in the 360’s graphical department, so any advancement should be truly stunning. Gears of War 2 apparently will have a more compelling storyline than last time (then again… who needed a storyline?) and will feature more intense battles with Reavers, Brumacks, and any other alien creature that decides to attempt destroying earth.

a bigger game: “Gears of War 2 builds upon the gameplay of the first title in every way. First, the scope of the action is bigger—new characters, more weapons, nastier enemies, bigger vehicles, and grander locales offer more action, more emotion, and more thrills. Next, every major aspect of the game has been refined to create heightened, more immersive experiences. Finally, the overall tone of Gears of War 2 is more badass—replete with new weapon-specific executions, chainsaw duels, and shocking boss fights.”

stunning visuals: “Gears of War 2 raises the graphics bar for next-generation games through its breathtaking visual effects, which are made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3. New visual effects include ambient occlusion, dynamic shadows, improved character lighting, the ability to render hundreds of on-screen characters simultaneously, improved water physics, additional blood and bullet decals, advanced destructible environments, new weather effects, and the introduction of fluid objects. When combined with the sweeping vistas and evocative locales in the world of Sera where the Gears of War 2 story unfolds, these additions help make this the most gorgeous game available this generation.”

a compelling story: “Gears of War 2 continues to push deep, immersive storytelling in video games to greater heights. Humanity’s epic battle for survival is felt on both the personal and epic levels as you explore multiple story arcs that introduce new characters and flesh out the histories of familiar ones. A new in-game conversational camera system also helps bring the compelling story to life in a cinematic fashion.”

enhanced xbox live action: “Gears of War 2 takes full advantage of the industry-leading Xbox LIVE® service. Home to 10 million gamers, Xbox LIVE is a robust online entertainment network and allows you to experience Gears of War 2 either competitively or cooperatively. Enhanced competitive multiplayer gameplay over Xbox LIVE introduces new modes, weapons, and a multitude of new maps. Also new to Gears of War 2 is the ability to drop in and drop out of the co-op campaign at anytime, while allowing you to play at their own difficulty setting. Enjoying the visceral thrills of Gears of War has never been easier.”

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise - Has a schedules release date for September. It will build upon the innovative gameplay of the original allowing you to:

customize your guarden & pinatas: “Plant flowers, dig ponds, even place sand and snow in your garden to make exotic species of piñata feel at home. Buy objects to change the weather, or get new toys for your piñata. And nurture the thirty-two new species of piñata, including sour piñatas that infiltrate and wreak havoc in the garden. Choose to tame the sours, or feed them candy to keep them sweet.”

play with a friend: “Family members and friends can now share in the joy of creating a garden by plugging in an extra controller. The second player has access to all tools, actions, activities, and can help by collecting magic. It’s an entirely new way to play.”

play multiple game modes: “Use the Player Guide System to master the fundamental aspects of the game. Then, try the Standard Mode where sour piñatas, feuding species, and limited money call for you to exercise problem solving and creativity to build and maintain your garden. Or enjoy Just for Fun Mode, which allows you to build a garden full of colorful creatures without worries.”

experience pinata vision: “Plug in an Xbox LIVE® Vision camera and interact with the game through the use of printed cards featuring a unique barcode. Flash a piñata card up to the Vision camera, and the content will drop directly into the game.”

show off to friends: “Use the new photo mode to snap, print, and upload pictures of your unique garden or customized piñatas to show to friends. Photograph your piñata and turn it into a piñata card, then share it with your friends so they can scan it and put it into their own garden.”

and teach your pinata tricks: “Piñatas can perform dazzling tricks, if you teach them with the new trick stick tool. Watch as piñatas play together, perch on each other, and interact in new ways to make them even more appealing.”

Banzo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts: Banzo-Kazooie is one of the most successful franchises in that everyone loves it. I certainly have many childhood memories of playing through the creative assortment of levels. And if I really think back I can still hear a repeated, constant, clucking of a bird. What’s new in this revived franchise?

Adventure & Imagination: “If you can imagine it, you can build it in the Mumbo’s Motors easy-to-use workshop. Then put your creation to the test as you take on Grunty in your quest for Spiral Mountain. Unlike other games, where you progressively pick up new skills or abilities at points pre-determined by the game’s creator, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts puts the power of improving Banjo’s abilities into your hands as you build vehicles that allow Banjo to progress through the game. Vehicle parts include a wide variety of body panels, engines, wheels, wings, propellers, fuel, and weapons, plus many more weird and wonderful gadgets such as floaters, Mumbo Bombos, and the versatile sticky ball, from which you can design and create anything from a simple object-carrying truck to a space-age flying saucer. Once you’ve designed your creation, give it the finishing touch by painting it and choosing a suitable name before Banjo jumps in and pilots it into action.”

Customization & Experience: “With more than 100 contraption parts and unlimited combinations possible, no two players will have the same experience in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. By exploring the vast game worlds, discovering hidden secrets, and solving puzzles to win rewards, you will continually find more and more ways to customize and improve your contraptions, creating an unprecedented level of user-generated content for a 3-D platform adventure game.”

Engaging Storyline: “Two of Rare’s most beloved characters return from retirement, making their debut on Xbox 360. To win the deed to their homeland and prevent the evil witch Gruntilda from developing it into tower blocks and malls, Banjo and his best friend Kazooie battle over land, sea, and air against their longtime rival. Familiar faces such as Mumbo Jumbo, Bottles, Captain Blubber, and the Jinjos are also back to lend a hand, along with an equally colorful cast of new friends and foes. Look out for Trophy Thomas, Piddles, Lord of the Games, and Grunty’s mechanically menacing army of Gruntbots.”

Fable 2 - This is the only title out of the that I’m skeptical of. With all of the failed promises of the original Fable you should probably give this a rent - while the others on the list are most certainly worthy of a purchase. Well, that said, let’s see what they promise this time…

Choices & Consequences: “Fable 2 expands upon the scope and depth of the Xbox® classic by creating a wider, more complex kingdom of limitless choices and consequences. Players can play as a man or woman, get married, have children, and live a life of their own design—all leading to different consequences.”

Vast Landscapes: “Revisit the newly expanded world of Albion more than 500 years after the events of the original, where you are free to openly roam the countryside. For the right price, every house, hut, dungeon, and castle is for sale. See how the world grows and changes in incredible and unique ways in response to your decisions, as you rediscover Albion as if for the first time.”

Improved Fighting: “The new combat system allows players to truly master hand weapons such as swords and maces, ranged combat weapons including crossbows and guns, and an entirely new magic system. Mix combat styles and become everything from a master swordsman to a skilled ranger to an evil magic wielder, each utilizing a different single button on the Xbox 360® controller.”

A hero’s best friend: “Your canine companion acts as friend, compass and protector. Feed your pooch and he will love you unconditionally, creating a bond that sets up emotion-filled journeys throughout the magical world.”

External mini-games earn in-game gold: “Lionhead Studios Ltd. provides an unprecedented experience to gamers through Xbox LIVE® Arcade. Start earning in-game currency for Fable 2 later this year, even before the game’s release to retail, by downloading and playing an Xbox LIVE Arcade title consisting of three mini-games. The Xbox LIVE Arcade title will allow gamers to purchase weapons, armor, and more for their hero. This first-of-its-kind experience can only be found on Xbox LIVE Arcade.”

Ninja Gaiden 2 - the original was an instant classic. It features classic arcade gameplay, grueling difficulty with a rewarding finish to each challenge. It is almost certain that the sequel will live up to this unique, frustrating, and mostly addicting gameplay

source of quotes: xbox.com

Cumulative sales of Nintendo’s Wii have overtaken those of the Xbox 360, making it the world’s best-selling next-generation games console in spite of having been on the market a year less than Microsoft’s machine.

The move puts Nintendo, a quirky Kyoto-based company dwarfed in size by Microsoft, back squarely at the top of the console market, a position it last held 17 years ago with the Nintendo and Super Nintendo consoles.

After more than a decade of dominance by Sony’s PlayStation consoles, Nintendo has turned the tables on its rivals with the easy-to-use Wii, which has captured the hearts and wallets of many consumers who have never before bought a games console.

Analysts said the Wii was boosted by steady sales through the summer while sales of the Xbox and the PlayStation3 lagged behind due to a dearth of new software titles.

According to sales data from each console’s launch through to the end of July (or the end of August in Japan), consumers have bought 9m Wiis, 8.9m Xbox units and 3.7m PS3s.

The data is based on sales figures from Enterbrain in Japan, NPD Group of the US and GfK of Germany, which tracks European sales.

After failing miserably with its GameCube console, which was positioned directly against the PS2 and the Xbox, Nintendo shifted gears and aimed at casual gamers with the Wii.

Nintendo’s reclaimed supremacy was underlined in July when it leapfrogged consumer electronics giant Sony in market capitalisation for the first time. “The fact of the matter is that, despite the Xbox’s earlier launch in November 2005, it only sells in two markets – Europe and the US,” said one analyst in Tokyo. “Japan is home turf to Sony and Nintendo, so the Xbox is not a player at all. In contrast, Nintendo has been selling well in all three major markets.”

source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/51df0c84-6154-11dc-bf25-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

so perhaps my incoherent ramblings about the Wii currently falling into a small niche market were ignorant. Nevertheless, I still believe it is inevitable despite the clear horizons Nintendo now sees. One thing is for sure - the competition is fierce this round which will certainly benefit the consumer.

When and Where

“It’s six months after the events of Gears 1, and the Locusts have actually returned. We’re right at the onset of winter; it’s the last day of fall as we open the game. Basically the Locusts have returned with a force that’s capable of sinking entire cities.”

“When we were building this level [Act One, Chapter Three: Assault], we wanted to create a scenario where it was just one thing after another - to build the ultimate watercooler level. So many of the levels in Gears 2 are like that, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I think people are responding really nicely.”

Bleszinski was also quick to point out that while Gears sort of got a name for itself through it’s many underground levels, the sequel will only spend about 30 percent of the game underground.

Cover System

“I believe that hands-down, in Gears 2, we will have the best cover system ever seen in the videogame industry. I’d say about 90 percent of the time, it worked exactly how gamers wanted it to work. About 10 percent of the time, players were going into cover when they didn’t want to. We put some of those tweaks in a patch for Gears 1, we iterated on them for Gears PC, and now we’re bringing it full circle for Gears 2. I think players are really going to love the system this time around.”

Locust

“You’ll see where the Locust live, you’ll see where humanity lives, you’ll see a darker story with more intimate violence and more executions. And a whole lot more ass-kicking.”

“They’re meaner, they’re nastier. The Locust have been in the underground for a while, and there are a lot of indigenous creatures down there they’ve essentially mastered through various means. So you see Brumaks return and other nefarious creatures. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I’ve been quoted as saying we have creatures that make the Brumaks look like baby panda bears. Very, very large.”

“I don’t want to go into too much detail in regards to how we leverage that, but there are plenty of scenes in the game in which the player is dealing with hundreds of Locusts and there’s also other scenes in which he’s dealing with a number that’s more than Gears 1 but not quite as much as that crowd. Honestly, it just depends on that scenario, it depends on what’s called for, and it depends on pacing. If you were on the ground, by yourself, with hundreds of Locusts coming, they’d look stupid if they weren’t all shooting at you, or they wouldn’t be taking cover anD that wouldn’t be Gears gameplay. There’s so many factors we have to take in mind as creatives, so it’s a delicate delicate balance of gameplay.”

Multiplayer

“The whole ‘bigger, better and more badass’ thing continues in multiplayer as far as we actually have five on five now. We are shipping with more multiplayer maps out of the box, that are new, than what we shipped in Gears 1. And we are going to have many more multiplayer modes, as well as greatly expanded online functionality. Can’t go into much detail right now, but what is going to be, rest assured, it’ll be very competitive with others titles in this space”

“I think that if we were not to have a feature like that [party system], it would probably be a pretty big fuckup.”

“As far as the multiplayer goes, we’re shipping with at least … well, I don’t know what the embargo is … but we’re shipping with a lot more fucking multiplayer maps this time time around. A lot more multiplayer modes. So when you look at the matrix of maps to modes, it’s literally hundreds of hours of gameplay. And there’s also some fun stuff that we haven’t announced yet in regards to co-op.”

Chainsaw Duels

“You can chainsaw somebody from behind, from their taint to their throats; there’s so many more executions now; weapon-specific executions. There’s [also] people crawling when they are down, but not out, trying to get away and you can hit them and they start crawling faster. The curbstomp is of course back. Take somebody hostage and watch the bodies explode as your enemies are shooting at it and the arms are gone flying. And one thing after another really kind of adds up to this big bucket full of blood.”

“Players who engage in a chainsaw duel are locked into the duel to win or to loose. There is an occasional draw scenario, but keep in mind that while players are into that, there’re not in a god mode, so if you chainsaw somebody there’s a certain amount of risk involved, so you wanna try to make sure you kind of catch them at the right moment before you get away with it.”

“The chainsaw duel itself, moment for moment, takes about as long as the old chainsaw action does because what we do we actually make the actual act of chainsawing somebody at the end of the duel extremely quick.”

Whether the regular chainsaw digs through and takes that time, the majority of that time in the duel is spent in the duel and then the regular saw takes the same amount of time.

November and Beyond

The developer said that the game will be running at over 30 frames per a second when it ships and that it will come with more new multiplayer maps than before. He added that they haven’t decided how they will introduce new DLC maps to the game, but both the concept of early adopter tax and sponsored maps are being explored.

“We never announced a trilogy, I don’t know why everybody’s cramming those words into my mouth. They’re like, ‘You said Gears would be a trilogy.’ I’m like, ‘I didn’t say sh**! That wasn’t me! You’re putting words in my mouth, journalists!’ But I love this universe, and if Gears 2 has a wonderful ship-in, if gamers buy it, then we’ll consider a sequel.”

These quotes were taken from Joystiq, Eurogamer, GameTrailers and Kotaku.

source: http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/16515/Gears-of-War-2-Spring-Showcase-2008-Metadata/

Microsoft released a press release yesterday giving the (not so surprising) news:

Xbox 360 First Gaming System to Reach 10 Million in U.S. Console Sales This Generation

Xbox LIVE tops 12 million members globally as Xbox 360 console sales hit more than 19 million worldwide

REDMOND, Wash. — May 14, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system has sold over 10 million units in the U.S., making it the first current-generation gaming console to break the 10 million mark in the U.S. The U.S. install base contributes to global sales of over 19 million, more than any other current-generation console.

“This year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry, with Xbox 360 leading the charge in the U.S. and abroad,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry.”

This announcement comes on the heels of one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, “Grand Theft Auto IV,” on April 29, 2008. Gamers eager to experience “Grand Theft Auto IV” online helped boost Xbox LIVE global membership to over 12 million this month. Fueled by an unparalleled combination of access to friends and family, the best online gaming features, and the best entertainment content, the Xbox LIVE service has doubled in membership in only one year’s time.

“Reaching an installed base of 10 million consoles in the U.S. is a significant achievement and an essential milestone on the road to market leadership,” said Billy Pidgeon, research manager at IDC. “Perhaps more important is the Xbox 360 worldwide online base — 12 million Xbox LIVE gamers is the largest community in the connected console games sector, which represents the greatest growth opportunity in the console market and where Microsoft has been the leader for two generations.”

Xbox 360 leads with the industry’s highest software attach rate, more than any other console this generation, and is home to the best-selling games. With the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV in April, Xbox 360 is now the home to more than 16 platinum titles that have sold through one million units or more including hits like “Halo 3,” “Madden NFL 07” and “Madden NFL 08,” “Gears of War,” “Guitar Hero II” and “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” and “Call of Duty®2, Call of Duty®3 and Call of Duty®4: Modern Warfare™,” giving Xbox 360 two times more platinum-selling titles than the Wii and a 16:2 lead over the PlayStation 3 in game titles topping one million in sales.Games not only sell better on the Xbox 360, they play better, too: Xbox 360 has 91 titles with a Metacritic review score of 80 or higher, compared with just 22 titles for Wii and 50 titles for PlayStation 3.

Why was it predictable? The competition this round. The Wii has inevitably fallen into a niche. There is only so much a game is capable of with the limited motion sensor. Indeed, even the highly anticipated Smash Bros. did not handle it so well - it’s much more enjoyable to play with an old Gamecube controller. So due to the limited amount of games Nintendo can utilize with it’s controller - it will find a limited (yet different) audience. The hardware does not hold up to the Playstation 3 & Xbox 360. That being said, it is a step in the right direction - the direction of the technology that games will wield in the future. Yet it is not a big enough step - yet - into the future of virtual reality that is sure to come. When it comes to Sony, they obviously blew the launch of the Playstation 3 with their high price which even managed to become a running internet joke. I think they will recover due to the victory of Blue Ray, but as of now it is understandable why the Xbox 360 has a commanding lead over the other two systems.

This may be nothing more than speculation or rumor

source:
http://kotaku.com/5008939/rumored-xb…-game-installs

There is some neat stuff on there including being able to install game data to a hard drive for faster loading times which is one of my bigger complaints about the 360. Also if this is true it will expand the function of the Xbox Live Vision camera so that it can be used with hotmail and the msn connection available. Both are things that I would dig as it would be easier to send video to grandparents who would want to see my kid.

Will see more content in the near future.