Really, who needs multiplayer?!

Let me preface this by saying I'm talking about console games. I rarely if ever game on my PC anymore so this rant is directed at my console brethren.

Okay, I know most people love 'em some multiplayer and I'm happy to admit that I on occasion find it enjoyable (especially when I can play with other adults instead of a room full of 13 years olds cussing and talking trash) but when I head to my local store to plunck down $59.99 on a game I expect to get an in-depth single-player campaign that'll keep my attention. Too often it seems the focus is on the multiplayer. Really, how much hype was there about the single player content of Halo 3 or Gears of War 2? Worse than that is the Xbox 360 achievements and soon to be PS3 Trophies associated with the games. I mean some are flat ridiculous! Gears of War's "Kill 10,000 people in Versus Ranked Matches" anyone? Really? I mean really? Who in the sweet mother of God even has the time to accomplish this? Not to mention how repetitive multiplayer gets. How much Capture the Flag or Deathmatch can you play before it gets boring?! Although I must give Gears of War 2 credit for giving me the option of playing "multiplayer" with bots.

I understand it ties into revenue streams. Downloadable content in the form of new multi-player maps is easy to do and a quick way to continue generating money on a game title. However, some games are just plain great and don't NEED multiplayer; God of War, Devil May Cry, Assassin's Creed, Marvel Ultimate Alliance just to name a few great stand alone-no multiplayer games.

But, remember the good old PC gaming days (before there was multiplayer) when the games we loved to play had expansion packs to buy or download every few months? What happened to that? Why has that practically disappeared? There are a few games that are experimenting with single player DLC. "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" and "Mass Effect" have offered single player DLC and the content was pretty darn good. Maybe its catching on since its been announced that we'll see single player DLC for Fable II and Fallout 3.

Developers please give us single player DLC. Come on, is it just me?

Now you AND you're PSP knows where you are. Well, at least your PSP will.

Now that we live in the age of dual, tri and quad-use gadgets it was only a matter of time until we saw someone add capability to our favorite gaming device the PSP.
Well the folks at Play-Asia (and wouldn't you know it was going to be an Asian company? Damned smart people and their robot babies) have come up with an add on devices and software that gives the PSP a GPS capability. The James Bond like gadget comes in at 45mm x 41mm x 17mm and slots into the top of the PSP. But to some, even more important is the minuscule $60 price tag. The device will have application in games like: Minna no Golf-jou, a golf game that will be pre-programmed with a number of courses allowing the player to see how many yards he or she is from the hole and Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops which will have a minigame requiring players to hunt down real-life locations. But the really cool stuff comes in more typical GPS software that allow the PSP to be used as a navigation device or even an astronomy tool.

Talk about a nerdgasm! You and your Cosplay honey are out in the woods navigating your domain by the stars and the glow of your PSP's screen. Ah, nerd love.

Microsoft admits error and gives us something free?"

If you've been playing Xbox live lately (or just trying to log in last month) you'll have notice either a huge lag or that you couldn't log on at all. Well, after lots of complaints (yes I too complained, like I was gonna miss the chance to send an "I'm unhappy" e-mail to Microsoft) and bad press the folks at Microsoft decided to give its subscribers a free game for their trouble.

At Xbox.com the General Manager of Xbox Live-Marc Whitten posted a letter "thanking subscribers for their patience with the service" and went on to say "we’ve implemented several improvements to the service, to help ensure ongoing reliability and performance. As the popularity of Xbox LIVE expands, we’ll continue to closely monitor the service and make adjustments". Um, yeah! I would hope so. You guys tout Xbox (as a Microsoft product) as the best but essentially lock out your customers for over a month.

So for our troubles it was announced that Wednesday the 23rd of January at 2:00 a.m. PST through Sunday the 27th at 11:59 p.m. PST, we Xbox Live members will be able to download the full version of the Xbox Live Arcade game, "Undertow". The game is would normally cost us 800 points (read $10) so not too shabby. The game gorgeous. Its built on the the Unreal Engine 3 and offers a pretty good single player campaign while also providing an online mode that supports up to 16-players. The objective is to kill as many enemies as possible while staying alive the longest all while doing it underwater. If you already own "Undertow" you can contact Xbox Live in order to get a different game.

So mark your calendar and make sure you download your free game. And remember, if you ever have Xbox 360 or Xbox Live problems call 1-800-4-MYXBOX to register your complaint.

Who knew brutally killing people could be so damn pretty (and so much fun)?!

No, I'm not referring to going off the deep end at some holiday family gathering (although the thought may have crossed my mind) rather the hours of gameplay logged on Assassin's Creed (AC).
Rarely has a game "wow-ed" me but this game will visually blow your mind. Halo 3 might have had great framerate and gameplay but its got nothing on AC. Not only are the environments detailed and lush but from your "eagle-eye" perches (which just also happen to be places you can take gorgeous swan dive-like "leaps of faith") are EXPANSIVE. You can literally see for miles and miles as well as all the inhabitants milling about through that distance. Trust me, this is what was meant by next-gen gaming.
Oh yeah, there is actually a story going on here. You're a Crusade-era ninja in charge of taking out important targets. The story is compelling and once you find out how we get to this place in time you'll see that there's plenty of sequels left in this story. How many of these missions have I completed thus far in my 14+ hours of gameplay? A mere 2. I spend time just walking, running, building climbing, swan diving (never get tired of that) and riding my horse around the HUGE environment. Yeah, if you think riding a horse in Zelda is cool, wait 'til you ride around on this steed.

Not to mention I have a crush on two women involved in this game. Jade Raymond, the game's producer (who knew geeks could be so hot?!) and Kristen Bell who is one of two scientists in the game working with you (she makes me feel funny like when I used to climb the rope in gym class).

Okay, everyone knows I'm a cheap bastard and I never buy games at retail. But.....if you got gift cards or money for Christmas, or just just crappy presents or whatever...you HAVE to go and buy this game. You'll thank me, I promise.