All Things Videogame Related: EXTREME VS!!

[anime52k8]

Koch media bought Volition Inc in it's entirety. that means everything including all of it's employees were included with the sale. The only thing that didn't go with the company were the rights to Red faction and Summoner which were both held separately by THQ and sold to some Swedish company.

Edited September 6, 2014 by anime52k8

[Gerli]

[anime52k8]

Are the heists there yet?

[Kicker773]

Crap bit the bullet and got a division combo ps4.

[JB0]

If I recall, they actually kept Volition intact, with most of the employees. Which is notably strange in these deals.

Occasionally someone recognizes they have a team of creative talent and not monkeys banging on typewriters.

So no, it's not like Maxis or Atari.

[frothymug]

Dammit, Volition! Get started making Freespace 3!

[Gerli]

Dammit, Volition! Get started making Freespace 3!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7. etc.....

[GU-11]

Just finished playing Watch Dogs for the PS3.

Damn those car chases! Evading cops is a nightmare, especially in the Act IV mission, "In Plain Sight." Doing it the usual way won't work, and you have to resort to some clever "sneakery" on either the L-Train tracks or out at sea to outsmart the AI.

And how is it that a high-end performance sports car can't outrun a few heavy-ass police SUV's and patrol cars? Even on a freeway with the accelerator floored, the damn cops will managed to keep up.

But that's nothing compared to the final mission. Cops chasing Aiden around town while he has to upload 3 separate viruses in 3 different locations in town, and STAY CLOSE to the CTos boxes while it uploads, all the while surrounded by fricking cops! And successfully escaping won't do any good, as the CTOS scans will pop up a few seconds later and find you again. Oh, and the GPS is now corrupted, generating random objective markers with only 3 that are real. But that's easily solved by memorizing the locations before the GPS gets hacked.

The best piece of advice I got from a tutorial is to use a boat. It keeps cop cars away and you can easily stop the boat as a helicopter approaches and disable it to make your getaway. It's still an effing difficult mission, as you still have to return to solid ground to upload each virus. But, at least if Aiden dies after uploading a virus, they don't make you do it all over again--you respawn at the point right after the virus was uploaded.

All in all, if you managed to complete it, you've earned yourself a pat on the back. I haven't been so pissed off by a final mission since Ace Combat 5.

But all that aside, it was a really fun game. Although it was a slow start, I quickly got addicted to the crime detection side missions and gang hideouts. Spent a whole week just on side missions before moving on to the second main story mission.

Edited September 7, 2014 by GU-11

[anime52k8]

Here's a far left field question: I haven't played Pokemon in a LONG time. Like, I played red and blue back in the day, and the last one I ever played was—oddly enough—a Japanese copy of gold. similarly, I haven't owned a handheld since the Gameboy Color. Now, there's an extremely slim chance that I might still have one or both of my old GBC's somewhere and they might still work. Barring that though, where's a good place to start?

[mikeszekely]

Here's a far left field question: I haven't played Pokemon in a LONG time. Like, I played red and blue back in the day, and the last one I ever played was—oddly enough—a Japanese copy of gold. similarly, I haven't owned a handheld since the Gameboy Color. Now, there's an extremely slim chance that I might still have one or both of my old GBC's somewhere and they might still work. Barring that though, where's a good place to start?

I guess it'd start with what handhelds you have. The gameplay hasn't changed really at all since Red and Blue, and it's not like there's a huge connected story or anything. Each generation has added more Pokemon, occasionally new types, and generally made balance tweaks.

If you have a 3DS, maybe start with X/Y, with the main version differences being that Charizard's Mega Evolution in X is cooler and you get some kind of shiny deer for a legendary, while Y has the less-cooler evolution but a cool bird that looks like bacon for a legendary. It's one of the better ones, and even people who have grown stale on the series were pretty into it.

Unless you're asking where's a good place to start looking for you old ones? I dunno, did you look in your closet?

[JB0]

You could also get a GameBoy Advance or compatible platform and play FireRed/LeafGreen, which were heavily updated versions of the original duo, if you just wanna get your bulbasaur on.

The DS had HeartGold and SoulSilver as remakes of, yes, Gold and Silver.

[anime52k8]

Unless you're asking where's a good place to start looking for you old ones? I dunno, did you look in your closet?

I'm pretty sure it's in the same storage box as my old N64, now if only I could remember where that is.

Well, if I can't find that, maybe I'll just join the 21st century and buy a 3DS.

Edited September 9, 2014 by anime52k8

[mikeszekely]

You could also get a GameBoy Advance or compatible platform and play FireRed/LeafGreen, which were heavily updated versions of the original duo, if you just wanna get your bulbasaur on.

The DS had HeartGold and SoulSilver as remakes of, yes, Gold and Silver.

You can still get your Bulbasaur on in X/Y, which are more readily available than FR/LG.

[renegadeleader1]

Wow! NHL15 just sucks... They gave it the same treatment as Bamco gave Soul Calibur V, ripping out features from previous versions so much that its a glorified demo.

[mikeszekely]

Wow! NHL15 just sucks... They gave it the same treatment as Bamco gave Soul Calibur V, ripping out features from previous versions so much that its a glorified demo.

SCV was just a rip. With NHL15, it's a rebuild year. EA wanted the game rebuilt from the ground up, and they wanted it done and ready to ship. I think it was either ship the game we got, or take a year off. At least some of the missing features will be patched back in. If one of your favorite modes is currently missing, though, I can empathize with your disappointment. My mode of choice, Be A Pro, is just a little stripped down, fortunately.

What they put their effort in, they really put their effort in. Presentation is much better, and gameplay feels much less floaty.

I dunno. It's a tough thing. Like I said, if one of your favorite modes is missing/gimped, of course you're going to be upset, and I don't like the idea of publishers taking advantage of fans by releasing games that are half done and missing basic features. At the same time, I've moved on from the PS3 to the PS4, and I've been wanting to play hockey on the PS4 since I got it in January. I don't think that EA Canada had enough time to rebuild the game and include all the features we had in NHL 14, but I I think I'd be kind of upset if there was no hockey game this year, too.

Maybe as a compromise EA should have charged less for it? I don't know. I don't regret buying it, though.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

xone didn't do so well in JYP...

http://www.polygon.com/2014/9/10/6130445/xbox-one-japan-release

oh well, no difference, that was to be expected. it's the US market that counts.

[Old_Nash]

If someone have one key Invite for the Smash bros 3DS please, send me one XD

Thx^^

[kanedaestes]

My friend gave me a code. The demo has 5 characters, 2 of which are new, and one stage but man is this game perfect. I can't wait for the full release, especially since most of my co-workers have 3DSs and have been dying for this game. It will make the break room utter choas and a great way to relieve stress.

[Old_Nash]

I don't know what happend here, I signed all pins (games and consoles) and the coins count don't go up 590...

Man, I hate iti -.-

[mikeszekely]

I haven't really heard anything to indicate any real differences (besides graphics) between the Wii U and 3DS versions, so I'm going to skip the 3DS version.

[kanedaestes]

I just like the ability to play on the go, especially during my commutes

[mikeszekely]

I just like the ability to play on the go, especially during my commutes

Yeah, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with that. I drive my commute, so either way I'd be playing it at home, and I'm more likely to have friends play it locally in my living room, so Wii U is a better choice for me personally.

What I mean is, I don't see a big enough difference in the 3DS version and the Wii U version to compel me to get both.

[MacrossJunkie]

Has anyone played any of the dogfighting in the upcoming Star Citizen? I'm hesitant to jump in because there are so many promises that are being made for this game and I am skeptical that they will all be fulfilled by launch. What do you guys think of SC?

I'm not sure who has been able to play it besides early subscribers and larger donors but that module of the game is complete (or as complete as it's going to get) so there might not be that many people who have played it.

I've tried some, but I'm waiting until the keybinding is built into the game itself instead of having to mess with xml configs to really get into it more (which should be in the upcoming 1.0 version of the Arena Commander). It's still going through a lot of play and input balancing iterations as well. There is still much for them to put in and refine.

I think they should have at least most of their promised features at launch, which at the current rate, I'm guessing is still about 2 years out. A lot of the past dev time spent has been on getting the ground work and backend stuff built. If you follow their "Around the Verse" show and posts, they mention a lot about how they were making the tools to that make generating content or automating certain tasks much faster so progress should accelerate as more of their tools are built out. They've already got a lot more they were/will be able to show this year than they were able to last year.

As for investment into the game at this point in time, you really don't need to put much more than $45 into it if you want a ship, beta access, and an arena commander pass which is comparable to spending money on other computer games these days anyway. You could even do $35 ($30 base package + $5 arena commander pass) if you don't care about the beta access. The only thing anyone is missing out on if only just doing a pledge now is the alpha access. You can still do the arena commander with the pass as much as you'd like and includes several dogfighting modes as well as racing which was just added in the 0.9 release.

I've been a big space sim fan since the days of WC1 and X-Wing, so I am highly anticipating when most of the core features including the persistent universe are in for people to test with.

My cockpit is almost complete.

I just need to get some rudder pedals and am awaiting the eventual consumer release of the oculus rift. I may get Elite: Dangerous as well when it is released to hold me over as it will be released a lot sooner than SC.

Dammit, Volition! Get started making Freespace 3!

I know, right? Stupid cliff hanger at the end of Freespace 2...

[anime52k8]

So I had another headset die on me. the left ear went dead on my 3 month old pare of turtle beach XO4's. I'm not even sure if I want to bother trying to get it fixed/replaced by turtle beach. Any suggestions on how to proceed?

[Mommar]

Yeah, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with that. I drive my commute, so either way I'd be playing it at home, and I'm more likely to have friends play it locally in my living room, so Wii U is a better choice for me personally.

What I mean is, I don't see a big enough difference in the 3DS version and the Wii U version to compel me to get both.

There's an entire multiplayer mode on the 3DS version that isn't in the WiiU version. Plus levels are different, which can make proceedings feel different too.

[MacrossJunkie]

So I had another headset die on me. the left ear went dead on my 3 month old pare of turtle beach XO4's. I'm not even sure if I want to bother trying to get it fixed/replaced by turtle beach. Any suggestions on how to proceed?

At 3 months, it should still be under warranty, right? I would have them replace it just out of principle. If it dies again after that then I would consider a different set or another brand entirely. I've read that the X04's were uncomfortable to wear though (like a vice on your head). If that's true, you may want to just get a different pair and keep the replacement X04's as a backup.

I have had a pair of TB EarForce Spectres myself since May. I initially felt they were tight on my head, but I don't know if I'm just breaking them in or if I'm getting used to it, but it doesn't seem to feel so bad now. So far no problems and the sound is pretty good (though somewhat strong in the bass department).

I would avoid Logitech. Everything I've seen about their gaming headsets is that they are cheap quality and break easily as well. Possibly consider Audio Technica or Sennheiser for your next headset. Also, while not a brand I associate with audio, Kingston seems to have a HyperX Cloud headset that has pretty high average reviews on Amazon for $80, that could be worth considering too.

Edited September 17, 2014 by MacrossJunkie

[mikeszekely]

There's an entire multiplayer mode on the 3DS version that isn't in the WiiU version. Plus levels are different, which can make proceedings feel different too.

I don't know about the levels but "multiplayer mode" has never sold me on anything (and has, on occasion, actually turned me off of a product).

Me and three buddies in my living room is the only multiplayer for me, and since none of my friends own a 3DS, that's out.

[frothymug]

I've tried some, but I'm waiting until the keybinding is built into the game itself instead of having to mess with xml configs to really get into it more (which should be in the upcoming 1.0 version of the Arena Commander). It's still going through a lot of play and input balancing iterations as well. There is still much for them to put in and refine.

I think they should have at least most of their promised features at launch, which at the current rate, I'm guessing is still about 2 years out. A lot of the past dev time spent has been on getting the ground work and backend stuff built. If you follow their "Around the Verse" show and posts, they mention a lot about how they were making the tools to that make generating content or automating certain tasks much faster so progress should accelerate as more of their tools are built out. They've already got a lot more they were/will be able to show this year than they were able to last year.

As for investment into the game at this point in time, you really don't need to put much more than $45 into it if you want a ship, beta access, and an arena commander pass which is comparable to spending money on other computer games these days anyway. You could even do $35 ($30 base package + $5 arena commander pass) if you don't care about the beta access. The only thing anyone is missing out on if only just doing a pledge now is the alpha access. You can still do the arena commander with the pass as much as you'd like and includes several dogfighting modes as well as racing which was just added in the 0.9 release.

I've been a big space sim fan since the days of WC1 and X-Wing, so I am highly anticipating when most of the core features including the persistent universe are in for people to test with.

My cockpit is almost complete.

I just need to get some rudder pedals and am awaiting the eventual consumer release of the oculus rift. I may get Elite: Dangerous as well when it is released to hold me over as it will be released a lot sooner than SC.

I know, right? Stupid cliff hanger at the end of Freespace 2...

I hope to, someday, be able to spend that kind of money on a boss gaming setup like yours. For now, I'll be happy with a good flight stick (Possibly HOTAS) and a set of rudders.

I read an article that said that the guys at Volition would almost commit murder to be able to work on Freespace 3. Seems that there are some serious legal issues with the now-defunct Interplay and who exactly owns the IP rights to Freespace.

So I had another headset die on me. the left ear went dead on my 3 month old pare of turtle beach XO4's. I'm not even sure if I want to bother trying to get it fixed/replaced by turtle beach. Any suggestions on how to proceed?

My suggestion: stop buying Turtle Beach. I had a set of 7.1s that started falling apart after a few months. I kept using them, but it seemed like something was breaking on them every few weeks. Looked online and saw that many other users were complaining of shoddy materials and durability issues.

I now have a set of Corsair Vengeance 1500s that have been top-notch since I got them over a year ago. The cord even survived a brutal ravaging when my gf ran it over with the vacuum cleaner.

Edited September 17, 2014 by frothymug

[anime52k8]

I would avoid Logitech. Everything I've seen about their gaming headsets is that they are cheap quality and break easily as well. Possibly consider Audio Technica or Sennheiser for your next headset. Also, while not a brand I associate with audio, Kingston seems to have a HyperX Cloud headset that has pretty high average reviews on Amazon for $80, that could be worth considering too.

The X04's were a little tight at first, but after wearing them for a while the foam in the ear cups started to soften up and they were getting really comfortable. If TB will pay to ship them back and forth I'll send them in for repairs, if not I don't think it'll be worth sinking any more money into.

My suggestion: stop buying Turtle Beach. I had a set of 7.1s that started falling apart after a few months. I kept using them, but it seemed like something was breaking on them every few weeks. Looked online and saw that many other users were complaining of shoddy materials and durability issues.

I now have a set of Corsair Vengeance 1500s that have been top-notch since I got them over a year ago. The cord even survived a brutal ravaging when my gf ran it over with the vacuum cleaner.

No kidding, I bought this current pair to replace a broken pair of X12's. they still work but part of the headband cracked, so they don't sit right on my head anymore and fall off constantly. I decided to give the XO4's a shot since they felt sturdier and better constructed than the X12's. Stupid me I guess.

Anyways, I was thinking either a pair of stand alone A40's (no mixamp) or pair of Sennheiser PC350's. BTW, is the astro mixamp really worth the $130 and the stupid amount of cables? I kind of prefer just having a headset with a single 4pole 3.5mm headset jack that I can plug into my controller and nothing else, but if the sound quality is just that amazing...

[technoblue]

I've been a big space sim fan since the days of WC1 and X-Wing, so I am highly anticipating when most of the core features including the persistent universe are in for people to test with.

My cockpit is almost complete.

<snip>

That is impressive, MacrossJunkie. Does that cockpit do double duty as your regular desktop too or is it specific for simulations? I've been into sims about as long as you, and I started with CH gear and then moved to a Thrustmaster HOTAS. I have a modded Cougar now which I adore and will probably keep as my main controller for all space and flight sims until it falls to pieces. The only problem with my set up is my desk, which is very utilitarian compared to the components I use.

At the moment, my favorite simulations are Rise of Flight and FreeSpace 1 and 2, which I'm playing again using the mods over at Hard Light Productions. It's funny. I still have to finish my FreeSpace 2 campaign.

And now for something completely different...

Is anyone still following Alien Isolation? Blues News posted this press release:

http://www.bluesnews.com/s/155057/alien-isolation-survivor-mode-dlc-plans

Extra DLC was expected by critics of the game, but getting it so soon is something of a concern for me. This has gone from a must-have preorder to a wait and see Steam sale purchase.

Edited September 18, 2014 by technoblue

[MacrossJunkie]

That is impressive, MacrossJunkie. Does that cockpit do double duty as your regular desktop too or is it specific for simulations? I've been into sims about as long as you, and I started with CH gear and then moved to a Thrustmaster HOTAS. I have a modded Cougar now which I adore and will probably keep as my main controller for all space and flight sims until it falls to pieces. The only problem with my set up is my desk, which is very utilitarian compared to the components I use.

At the moment, my favorite simulations are Rise of Flight and FreeSpace 1 and 2, which I'm playing again using the mods over at Hard Light Productions. It's funny. I still have to finish my FreeSpace 2 campaign.

And now for something completely different...

Is anyone still following Alien Isolation? Blues News posted this press release:

http://www.bluesnews.com/s/155057/alien-isolation-survivor-mode-dlc-plans

Extra DLC was expected by critics of the game, but getting it so soon is something of a concern for me. This has gone from a must-have preorder to a wait and see Steam sale purchase.

It doubles as my normal desk as well as my driving sim cockpit as well using my Logitech G25. So it does triple duty I guess. When I got it, I was looking to replace my old chair and desk anyway for something that was more ergonomic as my old desk was a bit high for the keyboard and mouse and set the monitors too high as well which was causing me headaches and neck pain. The chair sucked too as it made my butt hurt after less than an hour of sitting in it. I figured if I was going to spend money on a new desk, chair and a triple monitor stand, I might as well find a solution that gave me everything I wanted, including a place to mount my driving and flight sim stuff.

I ended up finding these simpit type setups and narrowed it down to the VolairSim and the Obutto R3volution. My first choice was the R3volution because it had a larger keyboard and mouse tray plus it supported these additional desktop panels mounted on swing arms that you could swing around for use, but the base model already cost more than the VolairSim and didn't even include stuff like the triple monitor support or the desktop arms. If I added everything I needed, it would have ended up costing almost double the VolairSim. On top of all that, VolairSim was running a 10% discount for the pre-orders at the time, so my choice became obvious in the end.

I really liked the Diaspora mod from Hard Light. The idea of zipping around in a Colonial Viper and blasting Cylons was enough to get me to re-install FreeSpace 2.

[technoblue]

Thanks for the extra info, MacrossJunkie! This gives me something to ponder since I'm also struggling with ergonomics.

I'm a taller guy at 6'3" with long arms and legs, and getting desks and chairs to fit me right is always a game of constant fiddling. If I'm lucky, I can get my wrists at a comfortable angle for typing (which helps in the office at my day job), but I have to watch out for most arm rests when using normal desks because an average sized seat will nip at my elbows—this can get annoying fast when writing.

For me, using a HOTAS at home is another lesson in muscle strain. After a decent sim session my arms are spent with my normal desk. And I have also caught myself using bad posture during intense dogfights. My set up is just too cramped the way it is.

[Mommar]

Holy hell, has anybody seen the trailer for Final Fantasy XV? The art direction... where is it? It looks like such an awful clash of popular games. Grand Theft Blade Runner Monster Hunter. Ugh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT3dyanB3pk#t=14

[azrael]

Holy hell, has anybody seen the trailer for Final Fantasy XV? The art direction... where is it? It looks like such an awful clash of popular games. Grand Theft Blade Runner Monster Hunter. Ugh.

They probably should have just made a cinematic trailer instead of that mix of cinematic and gameplay teaser.

[MacrossJunkie]

Thanks for the extra info, MacrossJunkie! This gives me something to ponder since I'm also struggling with ergonomics.

I'm a taller guy at 6'3" with long arms and legs, and getting desks and chairs to fit me right is always a game of constant fiddling. If I'm lucky, I can get my wrists at a comfortable angle for typing (which helps in the office at my day job), but I have to watch out for most arm rests when using normal desks because an average sized seat will nip at my elbows—this can get annoying fast when writing.

For me, using a HOTAS at home is another lesson in muscle strain. After a decent sim session my arms are spent with my normal desk. And I have also caught myself using bad posture during intense dogfights. My set up is just too cramped the way it is.

It definitely is a whole lot more ergonomic. Everything is easily adjustable; Monitor height and spacing, desktop height. frame length, how far back or forward and how high the side mounts are, the angle of the pedal base. The seat is an actual car bucket seat, complete with the lever underneath the seat to pull and slide the seat back and forth along the rails and a reclining lever on the side. There's also a center stick mount included for people who prefer it old school and have the stick positioned between their legs.

Overall I feel it was money very well spent. With my old setup, my wrists would hurt while typing, arms would be stiff using a HOTAS or steering wheel in less than ideal positions, or even just playing games on a mouse and keyboard was not very comfortable. Now everything is where I want it to be.