Ron’s game shop
The Game Shop is open for business once again. Last time, we talked about Madden and NCAA Football. This time we’ll be discussing the current and next generation of consoles, and what I expect from the next generation, along with any up-to-date rumored information.
The current generation of consoles (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii) has been around for a while now. The Xbox 360 was launched on November 16, 2005. The PlayStation 3 was released on November 11, 2006. The Wii released on November 19, 2006. So for about five or six years, we’ve been playing the same console. That hardware is seriously out of date compared to the current generation of hardware. Because of the constant upgrades in technology, the PC can always be ahead of consoles. And most of the great looking games coming out today are being limited by the consoles, due to having to downgrade to the lower hardware.
The Microsoft Xbox 360 was released in November 2005. From a hardware standpoint, it featured a tri-core processor. From the get-go, it was deemed the better console. It had many more launch titles than its main competitor, the PlayStation 3. It also had an astounding online community that Microsoft built on from the original Xbox: Xbox LIVE.
The Sony PlayStation 3 was unleashed to the world in November 2006. It had very few launch titles, due to its complicated Cell architecture. The Cell Broadband Engine Architecture was designed between Sony, IBM, and Toshiba for about 4 years starting from March 2001. It featured eight cores, and it had much different architecture than a standard processor, which Microsoft used in its console. Because of this new processor and the new architecture, games were few and far between on the PlayStation 3 for quite some years. Developers finally started understanding and designing for the PlayStation 3 in late 2008, early 2009. It featured Sony’s online portion, the PlayStation Network. It is free to play, compared to Xbox LIVE’s pay-per-month system.
The Wii was released in 2006 as well. The other current generation consoles wowed audiences and critics alike for the amazing graphics they were capable of. However, the Wii ditched graphics for a more intuitive and revolutionary way to play. The industry standard controller was replaced with the Wii’s motion sensing nunchuck-type controllers.
The next generation of consoles has been highly awaited by consumers for many years now, but companies can’t just release a new console every year. This would cause confusion for consumers, and would lose money insanely quick, seeing as how a new console is usually around $400 (the PS3 was $600 on launch).
Sony is committed to what they call a “ten year life span” for each of their consoles. Microsoft never had a specific release pattern, so nobody really knows when the next Xbox could be released. Nintendo has a long history of video game consoles (dating back to 1985), and their newest, the Wii U, has already been announced for a holiday 2012 release. So aside from Nintendo’s newest console, we’re a long way away from seeing the next generation of consoles. I wouldn’t expect any announcements until 2013 or 2014. Then again, there could be a hidden announcement at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)…
The rumors going around are that the new PlayStation will be called the PlayStation Orbis. At this point, Orbis is only a codename, so the real name of the console is unknown. Supposedly it will use anti-used games technology, to stop companies like GameStop, as well as people letting their friends borrow a game to try it before they buy it. It is also speculated that the PlayStation Orbis will have a 2.9 Gh/z quad core processor, along with a low-mid range graphics card, the Radeon HD 7670. More information can be found here: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2012/03/ps3-successor-orbis-rumored-for-late-2013-ties-retail-games-to-online-accounts.ars
The new Xbox doesn’t have much information out yet. This console is usually called the Xbox 720 by the community, although there are no official codenames as of yet. There are rumors surrounding this new Xbox that also involve the use of anti-used games technology. The rumored specifications for the new Xbox are similar to that of the PlayStation Orbis, more specifically with the graphics card. More information can be found here: http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/xbox-720-release-date-news-and-rumours-937167
The Wii U has much more information available to check out around the Internet, since it was announced last year at E3, which was in June. It will have a 6.2 inch touch screen on the controllers, in case you can’t use a TV. It will also feature current generation-capable graphics abilities, so Nintendo is still a little behind.
Personally, I expect so much out of the next generation of consoles. The current generation is so far behind that developers have to “dumb down” so much of their game just to get it to run at a stable pace. With the new generation, developers should have the freedom to use all of their content on their masterpieces. We will be able to see much bigger and more detailed game worlds, more exciting features, and greatness for many years to come.
Thank you for checking out the Game Shop! Next time, we will talk about violent video games. I expect a good blog for that one.
Blog by Ron Comton
Ron’s Game Shop
Welcome back to the Game Shop. On your last visit, we discussed my new computer and the new parts in it. This time around, I’ve got to talk about NCAA Football 12. This will be coming from the perspective of someone who never really understood the inner workings of football, so most of the time I do not know what I’m talking about. But that’s what makes it entertaining, right?
When you speak of football games, two major series come to mind; Madden, and NCAA Football. There used to be the ESPN 2k football games, until EA Sports bought out the contract with the NFL, and now we’re doomed to annual sequels that rarely change more than little details.
I started my video game football “career” with Madden NFL 11. I had a really fun time playing this game while it was all that I had. However, over the course of time, I discovered many flaws.
A defender being “suctioned” in to tackle your receiver or running back from around three yards away is just one of many examples. It was my first entry into the football video game genre, but it left a sort of sour taste on my video game taste buds (like what I did there?).
Madden NFL 12 was released in early August 2011. I had played the demo that came out in mid-July, and it just blew me away. Because I wanted something different from the experience that Madden 11 has, I really wanted Madden 12. However, I did not end up getting it until some time in January. When I did get it, I was in love. It was something completely different I had not seen before, plus it had addressed many issues from the previous year’s game.
Suction tackles were removed, as well as the horrid tackling. Gang tackles are now more realistic, and momentum is a big factor in making a big hit on an offensive player. However, this one still had flaws. Linebackers being able to jump five yards in the air to one-handed intercept a ball is the main problem I have. But overall, it is still better than Madden 11.
The NFL is what I’m really interested in. I honestly have no concern about college football. But in hearing that NCAA Football 12 is the better football game, I knew I had to check it out.
In early March, I got NCAA 12. I have not looked back since. This game is such an improvement to Madden, in both gameplay and visuals. When you play this game, you can tell that NCAA 12 is the superior football game. I don’t think I have found a flaw in this game yet. It has better visuals than the Madden series, and better gameplay. How can you beat that? However, I cannot get around the fact that it’s a college football game. I just don’t really like college football. But there is an AMAZING feature in NCAA 12 that I took a liking to: Team Builder.
Team Builder allows you to go to EA Sports’ website and design your own team. It is so detailed; it even gets down to naming the coach, and uploading primary/secondary logos. You can individually name players, and type in stats one-by-one. Once you save your team, you have the option of making it public or private. Once you save it, you can go to the main menu of NCAA 12, and go to the Team Builder option. You have multiple searching options, like team and city name, school type, author, etc. If you want to download and test a private team, search for your own user ID, which would be your gamertag on Xbox 360, or your PlayStation Network ID on PS3.
With the ability that Team Builder gives you (compared to Madden’s pathetic custom team creator), I was able to create a somewhat true-to-life Paoli Rams team from this past season (2011-2012). I still need to edit stats to reflect true skill, but the uniforms and the field are mostly good. I actually had fun doing it too, and I got a little help from freshman Todd Osborn.
Thank you for stopping by the Game Shop. The next time you come back, we will be talking about my thoughts on the current generation of video game consoles, and what I expect from the next generation. Until then, stay classy.
Blog by Ron Compton
Compton’s Game Shop
Welcome back to the Game Shop. Last time around, I reviewed Modern Warfare 3. I had a lot to say about that subject, and I think there’s even more in store for this one. We’re going to talk about my new computer.
I’ve been in need of a good computer for a very long time. My very first computer was a very old Windows 98 machine that couldn’t do anything that I wanted to do. I didn’t have this computer for long. Back in the day, I didn’t know a single thing about computers. I ended up getting a virus that killed it, pretty much.
Shortly after that, I upgraded to a computer that was, at the time, below average (that’s saying something). I had that computer for about three years, from 2006 to 2009. There’s nothing special to say about it, so I’ll just leave it at that. I got my newer computer in early January 2009. The only reason I remember that is because I got that computer the day President Obama was inaugurated. That’s a true story. Anyway, that computer was the best one that I’ve had at that point, but again it definitely wasn’t anything to be proud of.
In today’s day where all the latest games and video editing software, etc. run so slow on older computers, I felt like it was time to upgrade. I have done a LOT of combined research, starting back in July 2011. So anyway, upgrading is exactly what I did.
The computer (on around January 31) I got was almost $2000. I was gearing up to do some long-term gaming and video editing, since I make YouTube videos, and Sony Vegas renders really slow on anything below a quad core processor. Gaming is my first priority (have you read this blog before?), YouTube comes second.
The parts I purchased in my computer leave me room to possibly upgrade this computer’s components down the line when things start to get a bit slow, which probably won’t be for a while. That’s what I’m hoping for at least, technology is always rapidly changing…
The processor I got is still one of the best out there, coming in at around $300. It’s an Intel Core i7-2600K. Now if you don’t get around with computer parts, let me explain. Core i7 is (and has been since 2008 or so) one of the fastest and best chipsets out there. The processor has great architecture that makes it fast, and it’s built for anything you need it to do. 2600K is the model number. The “K” means that it’s unlocked for “overclocking,” which is making it run at a higher frequency than factory settings. So if I need to render videos faster, or just boost my performance a little bit overall, I can increase the frequency the CPU (Central Processing Unit) runs at.
The video card that I purchased is still the second-fastest single GPU (Graphical Processing Unit) card on the market right now. Coming in at roughly $500 is the nVidia GeForce GTX 580. All you need to know is that nVidia is the company, GeForce is the product line it’s in, and GTX 580 is the card’s name. The 580 was first introduced in November 2010. It’s been known for its amazing performance in games, as well as anything else it needs to do. It can handle current games with a breeze—running Crysis 2 at 1080p with ultra settings, and not stuttering in the slightest bit. The same goes for Battlefield 3 (it’s a million times better on PC). I’m very happy with this graphics card. Later on if a single one just isn’t cutting it, I can buy a second one and use them in SLI mode, giving me potentially double performance.
I didn’t skimp on RAM (Random Access Memory) here. I got 8GB (2 sticks of 4GB) of memory installed in the beast. Everything that runs on a computer nowadays is most likely going to take a LOT of memory. So to counter that, I got a respectable amount of memory put in this thing. I have to say, it runs really fast and it’s a lot of memory for what I do.
Everything else isn’t really necessary to know, or it gets too geeky for people to understand. Kind of ironic saying that, seeing as how if you made it this far, you’re probably thinking, “… what did I just read…?” However, the case is something to note. It’s a fantastic case for air cooling, having multiple places to have a case-mounted fan installed. I have two spots open on the top of my case that I’m going to fill whenever I get some fans. That should help cut down on some of the heat. It does get somewhat hot in there, but I expected it to be hotter than it is actually. My graphics card runs at 65o Celsius when I’m playing an intense game, and that’s a low temperature for GTX 580 cards! I’ve also got some blue LEDs in the case, and it looks awesome with the side window on it. It lights up my room when it’s on and the lights are off.
I think I’ve covered everything that needs to be covered about my new computer. Next time around, I’ll be talking about NCAA Football 12 from the perspective of a player who started football games with Madden NFL 11, and possibly my project to create the 2011-2012 Paoli Rams in NCAA 12. Hopefully that will be an interesting one. Until next time, stay classy my friends.
Blog by Ron Compton
The Game Shop
Welcome back, shoppers. In this installment of The Game Shop, I will talk about Battlefield 3. I mentioned the war between Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 in my previous post. I got a chance to play the Battlefield 3 Beta from September 29 to October 10, 2011. Then, I got the game a few days after it came out. I have had plenty of time to play it and formulate an idea on it, so let’s get right to it!
Comparing the open beta to the final game isn’t a good comparison; they’re two completely different games essentially. The open beta was released to iron out any bugs and glitches in the multiplayer part of the game before the release date. If there weren’t an open beta, the multiplayer would probably be very bad.
First impressions: it is much smoother. The last Battlefield game in the series, Bad Company 2, was sluggish. This time around, they’ve definitely nailed the smoothness. The Xbox 360 controls are the same as Bad Company 2, so anyone looking for Call of Duty controls shouldn’t come here. HOWEVER, the controls are really smooth, and that’s definitely a plus.
The gameplay is very smooth. In this game, they were gunning for Call of Duty. And they definitely gave it a run for its money. Call of Duty is known for its 60 frames per second, which means it runs really fast. Battlefield runs at 30 on consoles, but it’s got a lot more diverse gameplay. You can fly a jet, fly helicopters, play infantry, even drive tanks and blow some buildings up if you feel like it. Can you do that in Call of Duty?
The single player campaign will take you across the world to different locations on a realistic-feeling mission. The game is told in flashback-form, and you’re being interrogated. You play as Staff Sergeant Henry “Black” Blackburn, a soldier who finds himself a part of an unfortunate terrorist plot to bomb major cities across the world. It’s a very fun experience you won’t want to miss out on.
In the category of multiplayer unlocks, I can only simply say there are a lot. Over 100 hours are needed to unlock everything in each kit. There are 4 kits. So that means that, in theory, you will have to spend over 400 hours of your time playing Battlefield 3 to unlock every single thing for every single kit, and to rank up through every single rank (there are over 150 ranks). Isn’t that amazing?
In conclusion, this game is amazing. No other words can be spoken to describe how satisfied I am with this game. I give it two thumbs up. The nerd approves! In the next installment, I believe I will be talking about Modern Warfare 3. Look forward to that, and have a nice day shoppers.
The Game Shop
Good day, readers. Welcome to my introduction post. I was very happy that I got offered a spot on the online Paolite by Mrs. Nichols. She pitched the idea to me using a kind of tech thing; movies, video games, music, anything. I decided to review, preview, and rant about tech stuff like that.
If you don’t know who I am, I am Ron Compton. I very much enjoy playing video games. I own a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and a fairly decent computer. I plan on upgrading my computer as soon as possible because I’ve had it for a few years now, but I’m not going to definitely state that I’m going to upgrade.
I’ve got some big plans for this spot; I’m definitely going to be reviewing the two big video games that are hitting shelves later this year: Battlefield 3, and Modern Warfare 3.
Since I’m a human being, I’m obviously biased for one side.
In this case, I’m biased for Battlefield 3. I really do hope that Battlefield 3 emerges as the superior game, but that’s a different post for a different day. Trust me, I really want to get into this topic.
I have been called a nerd multiple times. For me, that’s not an insult. I love being a nerd, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
You can say I have no life, I’ll say that I’m having fun in my own way. Video games are my favorite.
Do you want to know how big of a nerd I am? On my class ring, I have “Gaming” on one side, and a computer monitor in the stone.
Yeah, let it all soak in.
That’s awesome.
I can’t wait to get started on the main posts for this column. I guarantee it’s going to be a great read that you don’t want to miss, especially if you’re a tech person.
