More games completed

I've been a busy guy and have completed 3 more games in the last 2 weeks. Now Red Faction guerrilla, Call of Duty black ops and split/second velocity can be added to the "done" pile


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Gamification so far... MyTown

Right. First up is MyTown, the monopoly style game that allows you to get points for checking in to locations and charging rent to visitors. At present I own my place of work and a subsidiary company, my girlfriends dads business, the local pub and a supermarket. I thought it best to own these as I actually visit them quite often.

The app does depend on google for business information so can be frustrating to check in to some places. I was standing outside of Tesco but no amount of refreshes would have allowed me to check in there. It does not allow you to check in when you get home either which would be a nice way of ending your MyTown day.

I have no friends that play MyTown so who I am charging rent to I have no idea, and when being told that I have had x amount of visitors to MyTown this figure is somewhat meaningless. Also, for someone that works 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and takes the same route to and from work every day the opportunity to "check in" to new places is scarce. As a result I decided on one walk home to just see which businesses could be checked in to as I passed and ended up going up several levels.

For the most part it is "fun" to pass the time walking to work by using MyTown but as the week has passed it has become more about seeing what the next level of building upgrade looks like, and no other mechanic in the game that has kept me going. With no variation to the types of rewards received in game (and no real world reason to do anything) I have a feeling this app may be short-lived in my use. Especially so as it requires an internet connection on 3G or wifi.

Next time you see "gamification" Do Some Good will be under the spotlight.


sent from iPhone

Gamification

So... Gamification?!?

Turns out life is becoming a game and we can get rewards for it!

Two apps have come to my attention, MyTown and Do Some Good. Both these apps provide users with either a game reason to check in (to own places and charge rent to others that check in - MyTown) or real world rewards for game like activity in doing good deeds.

They are now on my iPhone and further comments will follow once I see how gamification affects my life...


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Gun weight

Reviewers often talk about gun weight and other movement parameters when dealing with FPS games. Until recently I had never paid too much attention to it, however in the last few days it has become very apparent how different this can make the immersion in games.

I've played the demo for Killzone 3, and played several other FPS's (Black-Ops, Battlefield, Medal of Honor) in the past week and am greatly impressed with Guerilla studios latest output. The weighty weapons feel heavy and the pistols feel whip-able creating a great sense of reality in how the player moves about the virtual world.

I have yet to try the game with Move and a sharpshooter but that coupling may well further increase that feeling.


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DLC Prices

Just this February the sequel to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was released, shortly followed by DLC. The price of each... £0.79!!!

Amazing value considering the size of the files. Just 20p more than an average iPhone game for an extension of gameplay and some extra costumes.

My gripe however comes from the fact that the DLC for the older game still remains at £7.99 for each mission (of which there are three), and 2 costume packs @ £3.99!!! In all that is the price of a new game at RRP!

Surely there should come a point where DLC should be permanently reduced!

Who is with me!

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Homefront: The Voice of Freedom

After 4 nights in a lab and a few minutes today I have just finished reading the accompanying book to the upcoming THQ shooter set in Korean occupied USA from the year 2025.

The read was good, though lacking in the kind of action one would expect from a book accompanying an FPS. This book is not an adaptation but rather a human story based in world that frames the game. There is action but it is somewhat pedestrian, however this does play to the books strength as it follows the journey of a normal guys rise to being a prominent Resistance force and general pain in the Korean occupiers ass.

It will be interesting to play through Homefront and see if anything from The Voice of Freedom permeates into the narrative. With so little known about the locations, protagonist and antagonist (aside from a unified Korea) of Homefront it is a release that is high on my intrigue list.

I would certainly recommend the book to anyone that enjoys a good story, and especially a good human story. The plot is easy to follow and the structure is standard (3 acts), and this makes for an enjoyable experience. The climax was a little predictable and you had a myriad of stereotypes thrown in throughout but as I said before it does leave a lot to be found out by playing the game.

So... With that in mind I look forward to THAT experience very shortly!

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Playstation Trophy Limits???

Hmm... Just noticed that some of my games aren't showing online when I sign into the PS3 app or on the uk.playstation.com account pages.

They still exist on my account when I look on my PS3 however... weird!

I can only assume that because I haven't played them in a while they aren't showing up, or that therer is a limit on the number of games you can have displaying on the account pages/ app and that this is limited to the games most recently played.

Thankfully it does mean that I can't see Street Fighter IV anymore but the likes of Dead Space and Mirrors Edge are sorely missed.