thoughthead

I’m finding it difficult to really like the Wii. Maybe I’m too much of a video game snob or maybe I’m spoiled by the extra year I spent with my Xbox 360 but beyond the initial excitement I’m bored to tears with the console right now. Heck since purchasing the Wii I’ve actually played more of my Dreamcast then the Wii. The console just doesn’t have the substance yet. It seems that most games either offer a really well built control mechanism but fall short in terms of Substance or they have the necessary substance but fall short in terms of a well built control mechanism. (more…)

          

Those who know me well know I’m not much of a shooter fan. I’ll play though the occasional shooter that I think has an interesting story and unique gameplay elements (like Prey) or has just flat out fantastic and addictive gameplay (like COD2) but for the most part I don’t get all that excited about them. I never buy a console based on it’s shooters, they’re the kind of game I’ll pickup and play if I’m bored with whatever else I’ve got. There are a few shooters that I do play if for no other reason then that’s what 90% of my friends want to play, so if I want to play online with my friends that’s the game I have to play. Gears of War is such a game, as is the Halo series. Don’t get me wrong they’re quality games, just not my cup of tea. I usually have more fun conversing with my friends then I do actually playing these games. (more…)

          

It’s that time again. Rockstar is gearing up to release the next version of their flagship Grand Theft Auto franchise, and Jack Thompson is gearing up to start more frivolous lawsuits and draft more unconstitutional laws. The whole video game rating system has been a bone of contention for quite some time now. Anyone who has paid attention to mass media for a length of time now will realize that video games are just the latest in a long line of art forms that have been pegged by the US government as unfit for minors. Comic Books, Music, and Movies have all had their share of the spotlight, they’ve all also dealt with it differently be it the Comic Book code, explicit content labels and radio edits or a rating system. (more…)

          

In part 1 of this two part series I covered five of the 10 Xbox 360 titles that every Xbox 360 owner owes it to themselves to play. Part 1 covered some fantastic older titles that currently have greatly discounted MSRPs making for some great gaming on the cheap. Part 2 covers more recent titles that still fetch full or near full retail value. The requirements were more stringent for this second half as the games needed to prove their worth with the $60 sticker most of them still carry. Here is the better half of the 10 Games every Xbox 360 owner needs to play: (more…)

          

The Xbox 360 has been out over a year now, and after seeing two holiday seasons it’s got a good collection of games here. I know quite a few people who received Xbox 360′s this holiday and I’ve seen some questions as to which games people recommend. I decided to compile a list of 10 games every serious Xbox 360 owner should have in their collection, if you’ve never played some of these titles you owe it to yourself to at least give them a rental. Half of these titles are from 2005 and as such can now be found on the cheap be it from the discount rack or the used bin. There’s a lot to cover so this article will be delivered in two parts; the part 1 covers the budget games released early in the Xbox 360′s life. (more…)