Fallout New Vegas is now backwards compatible with Xbox One
Build-A-Bear has Star Trek
Star Trek Beyond trailer 3 just released
Torbjorn is getting his turrets nerfed on Consoles by 30% in mid to late July
Darth Vader original voice actor for Rogue One, James Earl Jones
Mighty No. 9 end credits are over 4 hours long, credits every backer from kickstarter
R-Rated BatvSup will be in 12 theatres across the US on June 27 only
Zelda producer would like to make a multiplayer game next
Animated Spider-Man movie December 2018 Phil Lord writing
– (Lego Movie, Jump Street, Han Solo Solo)
Activision CEO aren’t changing a single thing about Infinite Warfare Fan Reaction
Collectible card game for mobile featuring Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Futurama, King of the Hill, and American Dad.
More Fast and Furious on the way. 2017, 2019, 2021. Spinoffs in writing stages. Consider Tokyo Drift as a spin off for Han.
Titan Books is publishing Mass Effect stories to bridge gap between 3 and Andromeda
DareDevil for the PS2
Cancelled, 5,000 ft, Inc., Encore Publisher, Marvel and Sony disagree, Microsoft
More of a brawler than acrobatic, no jumps and flips
Billy club is used for melee combat, throwing, and swinging around the city
Grinding feature a la THPS, telephone wires, not cannon, pushed by Sony
“World on fire” vision, 3rd Person “Radar Vision” Detective Mode
Elektra, Bullseye, and Kingpin
Spider-Man 1 game released mid development, not open world
Billy Club swinging would lock onto buildings when Spider-man would not
Tensions rise as new employees succumb to drug abuse
STORY: Kingpin is assassinated so local gangs try to secure control. Foggy Nelson is kidnapped so he has to be found and Elektra is newly resurrected. Being blamed for the assassination, DD has to clear Elektra’s name.
Characters: Stick, Ben Urich, Josie. Punisher has an extended cameo, Black widow. Sewer King, the Hand ninjas, Silvermane, Hammerhead
PLOT TWIST: Kingpin is alive and pulling the strings on everything!
In the end, 5kFt leaned too much in Sony’s direction so Marvel pulled the license
Maybe I’m looking back with rose-colored glasses, but I seem to be one of the only 7 people in the world that liked the original Watch_Dogs. I watched the preview trailer at E3 and was excited for it, as most people were. I picked up the game on release day, but unlike most people, I wasn’t immediately disappointed with the game because of the lack of incredible visuals. That is one of the flaws of Watch_Dogs. They showed it at E3 with incredible visuals and then when the game didn’t meet those expectations, people were up in arms. Soon they were finding other problems with the game, other reasons not to like it. I for one, enjoyed the game and enjoyed my experience with the game throughout most of the campaign and for a couple days after on the online multiplayer.
The main character, Aiden Pierce, is mostly forgettable. I actually had to Google his name to make sure it was correct. And the story is even more forgettable. I can’t remember anything that happened other than the end was a let down. I think there was a mercenary, but I can’t be sure. What I really enjoyed about the game was the setting and the mechanics. As someone originally from the Midwest, it was nice to see Chicago represented in a big budget video game. And while Chicago isn’t the only city to feature an above-ground train system, it felt like Watch_Dogs used it in a way that other games have been trying to for a long time. Once upgraded enough, Aiden could use his hacking abilities to stop and start the train from on top, which makes for some pretty entertaining evasions from the police. He could also control security cameras, manhole covers, ATMs, stoplights. Anything connected to the fictional ctOS system, which essentially is a city-wide communication array (easily hackable).
Unlike other games, there was no mini-game when you needed to hack something. It was just point and click. You wanted it done and it was done. Along with access to ctOS you would have a way to monitor random NPC’s. You would be able to look into their bank records and see their annual income, their occupations, age, and hobbies. Most people on the street were pretty mundane but occasionally you would find someone with a hilarious background. Kotaku has a page with some of the best.
So the city of Chicago was a good place to start. It wasn’t LA or NYC or Miami, places that I have been to before. It was a familiar place to me. While the city as a whole was great, it was the minor set pieces that really stick out.
One of my favorite things to do was drive some fast car through a tunnel with a draw bridge on the other side. Once the bridge was in sight, I hit the hack button and raised it, giving myself a makeshift ramp. Then, while driving at full speed, I would launch myself onto the aforementioned railway system and ride that for as long as I could. If I ever was chased by the police, my main goal was to get to that part of the city and use that exact escape route, leaving the in-game police in awe of my hacking and driving capabilities.
Along the same vein as that, there is a mission where you go to scrapyard and can activate all of these mechanical contraptions to defend the position. I had a lot of fun controlling the fire-breathing dragon machine while lobbing grenades to lure people into the inferno zone.
Another zone that I fondly remember is an enemy controlled tower. You had to assault the thing floor by floor, imagine the movie The Raid, fighting increasingly difficult enemies as you go. It was awesome, I had so much fun. Also (Spoilers) at the end, you can kill someone by hacking into their pacemaker and turning it off, so that was fun.
Anyway, Watch_Dogs 2 was announced with an 18-minute trailer/ behind the scenes look. New character, new city (San Fran), new hacking tools. Ubisoft is notorious for having good sequels (Assassin’s Creed to Assassin’s Creed 2, Far Cry 2 to Far Cry 3, Rayman to whatever Rayman is out now). But even without that track record, if they released Watch_Dogs 2 with an updated story, some new mechanics and a likeable character I would buy it in a heartbeat. I don’t need to see anything other than what’s in this trailer as I am already sold. Come November 15, I’ll be in line waiting to plunge back into the world controlled by Deadsec.
P.S. Watch_Dogs and Assassin’s Creed share the same universe, as Abstergo and Templars and Assassin’s are mentioned. So think of Watch_Dogs as a modern-day take on Assassin’s Creed, but without all the coming back to present time BS because you are already there.
In this episode, Justin and Tony talk about their experience with X-Men Apocalypse. Also, news of No Man’s Sky being delayed has an emotional effect on one of the cast. There are rumors that Pokemon is having translation issues and the question is posed if Assassin’s Creed would have originally made a better movie than a videogame.
Thanks for listening!
Notes:
Episode 42: Sex-Men Apocalypse
Prof. X and Apoc fight reminded me of Gandalf and Saruman
Forgot about Wolverine and was pleasantly surprised to see him even though he had bad hair and a stupid thing on his face/chest
I like Sansa Stark in everything
I would have preferred more time with each new character
Scott (Cyclops) is useless as always
Essex Company/ Mr. Sinister/ Cable/ Deadpool/ Clones/ Jean Grey/ Scott Summers
Better than I expected
Quicksilver scene was fun but maybe too humorous for the tone
Too many jokes break the tension
Where’s Psylocke going?
Why did Strom change sides at the end?
No Man’s Sky releasing August 9
Infinite Warfare most liked and disliked COD trailer of all time
First Episode of ELeague
Nintendo changing the names of Pokemon on China
Record Breaking: EVO now biggest tournament ever for Smash Wii U
Ragnarok will include elements of Planet Hulk
Xbox One back down to $299 before E3
Would Assassin’s Creed originally be better as a movie than a game?
In this episode of Underpaid Gamers Podcast Tony and Justin discuss Gamespot’s game of the year award for the last 20 years. Additional topics include No Man’s Sky delay, Captain America, Netflix, and Nintendo’s rumored new handheld. Listen in for a good time! Check out our youtube page!
Notes:
No Man’s Sky delayed until July or August, originally scheduled for June
It seems to me that though I’ve been mentioned on the podcast and even in a video or two, I haven’t been properly introduced. I’ll take this opportunity to do just that. This post is going to be more of an introduction to my lifestyle, rather than about any one particular game. I hope you enjoy it, even with the shoehorned bits intended to expose my interests.
Me and my boy Justin (and my blurrier friend Kurt)
I’ve been playing video games ever since I can remember. My older brother had a Nintendo 64, and I played it non-stop while he was at school. My parents, wanting the best for me, only ever got me Nintendo consoles after my brother borrowed a friend’s PS2 and GTA3. Nintendo didn’t carry such violent titles, so that’s what I got, and in retrospect, I’m happy with that. I guess the worst part about that, and it really isn’t so bad, is that I’m pretty lousy at first-person shooters, or any shooters really.
High school wasn’t too difficult for me, so I still had plenty of time for games. I’d only had one girlfriend by the time I graduated, so I was free to spend most of my time as I saw fit. I spent lots of nights at Justin’s house playing games and watching him play games (after all, Twitch wasn’t a thing yet.)
Photographic evidence
I met a girl named Emily during my first semester of college. We started dating, but lived about an hour away from each other, so I still had plenty of time to myself for the Minecraft beta, Eve Online, and League of Legends.
Emily and I are married now, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that time is more precious than I had previously thought. I still enjoy playing video games, but free time just isn’t as abundant anymore. I’m pulled in several directions. After work and sleep, I’ve only got about 8 hours left in the day. Cut out one of those for daily hygiene and travel, another for food consumption, and you’ve got to start spending time more intentionally.
I like video games, but I also like spending time with my wife, reading books, going to parks, going out with friends, painting miniatures, yada yada yada. The point is, the more interests you have, the sparser your free time will seem. That’s when you have to start prioritizing not just time, but money. That can lead to hard questions. Do I buy game X for $60 or take my wife on 2 $30 dates? I care about my wife more, but those dates will be 6 hours a piece maximum, and game X has 20+ hours of gameplay. But I still haven’t beaten game Y, so do I really need game X right now? I won’t assume everyone has these kinds of internal dialogues, but I do. That’s why I advocate for actually taking the time to prioritize different aspects of your life.
I still get to enjoy my single player games like Fire Emblem,Star Fox, Windwaker HD, The Long Dark, Transistor, and other games I won’t take the time to plug, but I’ve made it a focus of mine to introduce Emily to the gaming part of my life with multiplayer games. At times it’s a balancing act. If I let myself focus only on what makes me happy, I’m liable to push too hard and make her resent games. I’ve done it before. It needs to be something that we can just play every now and then, can both enjoy, are both interested in, and is easy enough to pick up.
We’ve got a D&D campaign that meets up every couple of weeks that Emily is already a part of, and she loves it. She’s familiar with the setting, the general mechanics, and the general feel of the game. Plus we both read about the Forgotten Realms, making it seem like a good place to start. So I got us both copies of Sword Coast Legends and we’ve enjoyed playing it once or twice a week together.
A picture of my cat named Drizzt, a Forgotten Realms reference. Also, keeps you engaged.
It’s been interesting to guide her through things that I did so many years ago. Making a username/game tag, teaching her how the number keys are mapped to her abilities, and the things along those lines that I take for granted. It is now more apparent to me how entering the gaming community can be intimidating. You can’t set the expectation that someone new to games can just pick everything up at once.
I’ve really enjoyed playing with her. It gives us another thing to laugh and talk about. We play games like Hammerwatch and Mario Party with our friends and have a good time. I’ve always been a fan of couch multiplayer and co-op games anyway, so I’m happy as can be when I can get people to play with me. In the future, there’s a potential for those sessions to end up on the internet. No promises though.
I guess the net result and real take away here is that I enjoy and value my game time more than I ever have before. Even with the lens of nostalgia, which allows me to look back on my youth when I was free of responsibility and life was simpler, I still enjoy the time I spend gaming with my wife and my friends more than I did then. I don’t say that to cheapen those memories. I’ll cherish the late night memories of Mario Kart and Melee all the way into senility. I think I’ve just learned to savor the moment better, much like how I now savor the flavor of finely roasted coffee. I love my wife and my friends, and am thankful I have someone to share my interests with. It’s critical to have people that are willing to invest their time in something you care about. So if you see one of those shirts with the bride and groom that says game over, just know that it doesn’t have to be that way.
One of the hardest decisions I ever face when I finish a game is whether or not to keep it, or sell it. I generally view myself as a video game collector, though hoarder is more appropriate. My rule of thumb is to keep a game unless I didn’t enjoy the game. Needless to say I have only traded in a handful of games. Here I will discuss a few valid reasons to trade in a game.
1. You didn’t enjoy the game.
The first, and most obvious, reason to sell a game is if you did not enjoy it or are generally unhappy with it. I have sold a few games based on this logic. The most recent in memory is Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeros. When I purchased the game I expected it to be a full size Metal Gear game; what I received was a game with one mission that would do over and over again with different challenges. I was sorely disappointed. I promptly traded in the game, upset that I had spent money on a game with very little content.
2. There is little or no replay value.
Replay value is an important factor for me when I weigh the price of a game. If a game has a high replay value (meaning I can play it over-and-over again without it getting old) than I will be more willing to spend a high price on the game. If the game is a one-and-done type then it makes more sense to do one of two things. Either buy, beat, and quickly sell the game to maximize its trade in value, or wait for the price to bottom out before purchasing.
3. You need cash now
Sometimes life gets you. You know, it gets you right where it hurts- your car breaks down, your furnace goes out, you owe taxes, etc. The last acceptable reason, in my mind, for selling games is for the cash. Emergencies happen and sometimes you just have to make ends meet.
4. The new iteration of the franchise is out (Credited to Wolfe Stedro)
There are a few game franchises that reboot their old games and franchises with HD remakes and newer versions of the old games. I really see this in two ways.
First, in regard to HD remakes where the game is the same just with updated graphics. For instance the release of The Last of Us on the PS4. If you purchase the newer version, why keep the PS3 copy?
Second, franchises like Call of Duty release a game yearly. If you are into the competitive multiplayer these games offer than you’ll generally want to stay up-to-date on the newest version. If you’re following the competitive crowd, then there is no reason to keep the old version.
Do you have other valid reason’s to sell a game? Is my list missing something? Leave a comment or tweet at us @UPgamerspodcast
Here at Underpaid Gamers Podcast we like to tout the virtues of gaming. We support E-Sports and revel in our gaming addiction. One of the least emphasized benefits of gaming is its potential for being a cost effective form of entertainment. The following are two major reasons why I believe gaming is one of the most cost-effective forms of entertainment today.
Gaming can give you an amazing bang for your buck.
I recently purchased the Uncharted Collection for $35 used from Gamestop. For those of you who don’t know what that entails, I essentially bought three separate games from one of my favorite developers – Naughty Dog. Now if we divide this out I spent about $11.66 for each of those games. So far I’ve beaten the first and second games putting anywhere from 15 to 20 hours into each. So my cost per hour for each game (we’ll low ball it and use the 15 hours) is about $.77.
We can compare this to going to the movies or attending a sporting event. What we find is that the cost per hour is significantly lower to play video games. A movie ticket costs at least $10 and professional sporting events can cost anywhere from $10 to $60, assuming your not trying to sit court-side or close. We can see that the cost per hour of these two examples can range from about $4 an hour to $20 (assuming a movie is 2.5 hours long and a professional sporting event is 3 hours). It is clear, when we compare cost per hour, that video games are king.
The prevalence and ease of buying used games.
There are many ways to purchase video games. With the combination of the internet and used game stores there really is no excuse for buying a video game at full price. Now I know some of you will say, “Justin, I gotta have that game right now!”, well honestly you don’t. Many games don’t lose their play value over time. For instance, The Witcher 3 will still have the same experience for players a year from now. If you wait a year you could save 2o or 30 bucks! Not to mention if a game of the year edition comes out with all the dlc included! Overtime making a habit of buying used games can save you hundreds!
To be honest I am definitely a hypocrite when it comes to buying used games. I have payed full price for a new copy before. Especially for the games that focus on multiplayer. With many multiplayer games the most competitive atmosphere is only within the first few months.
That being said, if your goal is to save money, video gaming can be a great hobby! Do you have anything you’d like to add? If so, leave a comment!
UnderpaidGamers 