NEXT GEN CONSOLES

[Uncle Liam]

The Skyrim DLC is on sale on Xbox Live.

Is it worth getting? I haven't had proper chance to play the main game yet but happy to buy it and 'bank' it for six months down the line.

[Paul ™]

Been playing a bit of Killzone Shadow Fall today, the graphics are pretty amazing especially on my 50" Samsung LED telly and even the background noises etc coming through the 5.1 surround is amazing.

So yeah loving the PS4 so far, will have a bit more of KZ tonight and maybe some Fifa... keeping COD : Ghosts till a bit later on in month I reckon.

PSN ID is paultrademark if anyone wants to add me, drop me a message

[Purple Monkey]

The Charlie Brooker thing was quite good (not up to his usual standard, but still nice to sit and nod and agree about some classics).

I'd really recommend watching Indie game - the movie, it gives fascinating insight into the characters of some of the more famous indie games of the last 5 years as well as introducing us to the legend that is Tommy.

That Brooker thing was interesting but it smacked of inferiority complex. We do not need celebrities, comedians abd journalists using comparisons such as TWITTER! to legitimise the medium in some way. Games are doing a damn fine job of being the biggest medium without the approval of cultural dinosaurs who look down their nose at the mere mention of them. You will never win their approval, we don't need approval, games are better than this grovelling.

Indie Game: The Movie is brilliant.

Everyone seems to have it in for Phil Fish (creator of Fez) but I find his whole story rather tragic. Now he's out of games for all the hate he got. People are awful and so utterly entitled. No creator of a videogame, no matter how childish he might have been, deserves that amount of shit for spending a chunk of his life making something that is just a bit of art. Sad.

Edited December 3, 2013 by Purple Monkey

[MrZigster]

That Brooker thing was interesting...

I still don't get the idea that Twatter is some kind of GAME!??? Why was that No.1?

Maybe if you're a vacuous sleb who counts retweets and followers and being favourited as a score of some kind. But to normal people? A game?

Anyway, apart from that particular piece of bafflement, the most enjoyable TV programme I have watched for a long time.

Edited December 3, 2013 by MrZigster

[Spindles]

I was also unhappy about that, but accept that the gamefication of our lives through social media is a major force, however twitter is a pile of useless w*nk for self indulgent, self centred wannabes. If they had mentioned facebook, which has both been a major platform over the last decade but also actually has moved forwards social and casual gaming I could understand.

TBH I am tired of hearing about twitter, it has no value to me and I don't expect it to survive "the next big thing", expecting it to go the way of myspace and other flash in the pan hits.

Indie game the movie is a classic, Tommy is my hero. To see someone as socially awkward and basically the antithesis of american males today succeed (and cry and rage and cope) was a beautiful thing to me. I bought Super meat boy 3 times (once for myself, twice as gifts) just on the basis that I wanted to see my money go to people who I genuinely believe deserve success.

[Paul ™]

Watched it last night too, really enjoyed it.

[t8yman]

I kind of enjoyed the Brooker thing, but did find it all very dumbed down. I know Brooker knows his onions when it comes to games, but twitter isnt a game - I understand the point he was trying to make, but twitter is only a game for famous people. most people neither know, nor care how many followers they have got.

[kaosmark2]

I was also unhappy about that, but accept that the gamefication of our lives through social media is a major force, however twitter is a pile of useless w*nk for self indulgent, self centred wannabes. If they had mentioned facebook, which has both been a major platform over the last decade but also actually has moved forwards social and casual gaming I could understand.

TBH I am tired of hearing about twitter, it has no value to me and I don't expect it to survive "the next big thing", expecting it to go the way of myspace and other flash in the pan hits.

Not really relevant to games, but I do prefer twitter to facebook. Its simplicity and transience makes the interactions on it more real and sharper. Everything on Facebook is so fake and diluted, while people tweet and then try to delete, rather than overly censor beforehand.

And it's fairly easy to avoid the worst of it.

[Spindles]

Ah, I can't stand either really. Both are a platform for self-promotion and encourage people to believe in an inflated sense of self importance, with some of the worst throbbers I know thinking that their every word on Twitter is being devoured by hungry masses in their thrall, whereas of course everyone I know greets their self-important statements with a shake of the head and the reality is the exact opposite of their belief, with their personal image being more and more a figure of ridicule. I suppose at least Twitter keeps it short

Like I say, I don't think that any of these services have any sort of lifespan that will see them lasting any longer than many of the dotcom era's short term success stories that we have since forgotten. The only way their names will survive is if they adapt beyond all recognition and manage to retain the brand.

[MrZigster]

Back to the Brooker thing, I really think a certain Eugene Jarvis should have got a mention. The inventor of Defender, Stargate and Robotron 2084. Forget your Space Invaders and Pacmans and Street Fighters. His games just ruled.

Nice to see Jeff Minter though. Made me want to dig out my trusty old Amiga and boot up Llamatron. Too much hassle though. It'll have to be Robotron on the PS2 (they buggered up the controls for Defender and Stargate in the conversions imo).

Sorry for not being very next gen.

[kaosmark2]

Ah, I can't stand either really. Both are a platform for self-promotion and encourage people to believe in an inflated sense of self importance, with some of the worst throbbers I know thinking that their every word on Twitter is being devoured by hungry masses in their thrall, whereas of course everyone I know greets their self-important statements with a shake of the head and the reality is the exact opposite of their belief, with their personal image being more and more a figure of ridicule. I suppose at least Twitter keeps it short

Like I say, I don't think that any of these services have any sort of lifespan that will see them lasting any longer than many of the dotcom era's short term success stories that we have since forgotten. The only way their names will survive is if they adapt beyond all recognition and manage to retain the brand.

Oh absolutely. What I've found though, is its easier to not follow and ignore twats on twitter than on Facebook, where people complain if you delete them as a friend, or say "oh, I updated my facebook, didn't you realise xxx about me?" There's not the expectation around twitter, while Facebook not only has that self-importance and twattishness, but the idea that it HAS to mean something.

I feel twitter is something I can use to communicate with though, Facebook is something I have to have in order to let people contact me through the retarded way they prefer.

[luckysalt]

I just read about Gran Turismo 6.

Comes out Friday, it has micro transactions, some of the in game cars cost... get this.... EACH - £119.95! Yup 5p short of a £120!!!! You can not pay anything and grind your way to the cars but to get them straight away they're £120 EACH!!! I mean WTF!!!

[jump]

I just read about Gran Turismo 6.

Comes out Friday, it has micro transactions, some of the in game cars cost... get this.... EACH - £119.95! Yup 5p short of a £120!!!! You can not pay anything and grind your way to the cars but to get them straight away they're £120 EACH!!! I mean WTF!!!

That can't be fucking true. Is there anyone stupid enough to pay £120 for a car in a game?

[LondonTom]

That can't be fucking true. Is there anyone stupid enough to pay £120 for a car in a game?

Have you seen the cost of stuff in Simpsons Untapped and that? I think last time I had a look out of curiosity, it was around £60 for 2000 doughnuts which would get you a couple of "special" buildings. Companies are taking the right piss with in game purchases on mobile already so I presume people are purchasing them (of course the plus side is most of them are free/ a couple of quid and your not shelling out 50 quid then expected to pay more.)

My copy of FIFA14 finally came yesterday (thanks amazon prime!). Only played a couple of games, but the UI and crowd seems a decent upgrade on '13. Game play does feel a bit more real I guess but same basics as always really . (Sprinting with the ball feels alot harder!)

[luckysalt]

Amazon are mad at the moment mate ordered stuff last Weds that only went to despatch yesterday. 8 days just to go to despatch when in says in stock? Not good enough

It was amazon as the seller as well not independent through amazon

[zero000]

I realise I'm about 10 years late to the party, but I borrowed my brothers orange box and played Portal yesterday. What a stunning game, I'd never have thought I'd be so compelled by what is essentially a puzzle game. Brilliant.

[kaosmark2]

I realise I'm about 10 years late to the party, but I borrowed my brothers orange box and played Portal yesterday. What a stunning game, I'd never have thought I'd be so compelled by what is essentially a puzzle game. Brilliant.

Really great isn't it? Make sure you get Portal 2 as well.

[t8yman]

I'm convinced these microtransactions are purely designed to catch out kids. My lad came down the other day (he's 9) and said "dad I'm gonna need to buy some microsoft points" so I asked him why and he told me he could no longer play fifa ultimate team because he had too many injuries and couldnt buy any more players without more credits. I havent checked, but I'm fairly sure he can grind to get them? For this younger generation - its the norm now, and trying to convince him that its a scam is both frustrating and makes me look either "tight" or an idiot.

Its so fucking annoying.

[kaosmark2]

could no longer play fifa ultimate team because he had too many injuries and couldnt buy any more players without more credits. I havent checked, but I'm fairly sure he can grind to get them?

Unless it's changed dramatically for the new FIFA which I doubt, yeah, you can grind for ultimate team credits. Microtransactions are the biggest gaming ripoffs imaginable, games create systems of grinding for some in-game aspect sheerly so they can charge people to skip it. Any game with gameplay worth its salt is good enough that the grinding is enjoyable and satisfying in its own right, unfortunately that's far too rare now.

[LondonTom]

Amazon are mad at the moment mate ordered stuff last Weds that only went to despatch yesterday. 8 days just to go to despatch when in says in stock? Not good enough

It was amazon as the seller as well not independent through amazon

Yep, it's odd I had a free trial of prime a month or so ago to and the same thing happened, took a week to deliver Rocksmith! (And that was pre-ordered!)

I realise I'm about 10 years late to the party, but I borrowed my brothers orange box and played Portal yesterday. What a stunning game, I'd never have thought I'd be so compelled by what is essentially a puzzle game. Brilliant.

Stunning game really enjoyable.

It's a shame but I had to give up on portal 2 as I couldn't play it for to long without getting motion sickness though . (Same thing happened with Borderlands!)

I'm convinced these microtransactions are purely designed to catch out kids. My lad came down the other day (he's 9) and said "dad I'm gonna need to buy some microsoft points" so I asked him why and he told me he could no longer play fifa ultimate team because he had too many injuries and couldnt buy any more players without more credits.

Yup, pretty much it works, you need to earn cards for their contracts to which only let them play a certain amount of games. It''s actually a pretty cool game mode without the purchases needed, so it makes it a real shame to lose that but I really cba collecting cards just to be able to play my players.

I could live without having the rarest players, but when you need to grind games just to play the damn mode properly it's annoying. (Though I might give a little bit of a go, this year as I got the ultimate edition as that was the version on offer).

I'll stick to seasons and career mode mostly once my cards have run out.

[windy_miller]

I still don't get the idea that Twatter is some kind of GAME!??? Why was that No.1?

I finally got round to watching the Charlie Brooker thing last night. I don't think it was no 1 as such. The games were in chronological order, and it was the gamiification of everyday life that is the latest "game". Yeah it was a bit of a cop out, but he wasn't saying that Twitter is the best game ever made.

Back to the Brooker thing, I really think a certain Eugene Jarvis should have got a mention. The inventor of Defender, Stargate and Robotron 2084. Forget your Space Invaders and Pacmans and Street Fighters. His games just ruled.

Nice to see Jeff Minter though. Made me want to dig out my trusty old Amiga and boot up Llamatron. Too much hassle though. It'll have to be Robotron on the PS2 (they buggered up the controls for Defender and Stargate in the conversions imo).

Sorry for not being very next gen.

Robotron is an absolutely brutal game. Awsome, but completely intense.

I just read about Gran Turismo 6.

Comes out Friday, it has micro transactions, some of the in game cars cost... get this.... EACH - £119.95! Yup 5p short of a £120!!!! You can not pay anything and grind your way to the cars but to get them straight away they're £120 EACH!!! I mean WTF!!!

Is £120 considered a "micro" transaction now is it?! As long as stupid people keep paying these ridiculous sums of money for crap add-ons for games, companies will keep churning out shit pay to play games. My advice is to just ignore them and pretend they don't exist.

[zero000]

Stunning game really enjoyable.

It's a shame but I had to give up on portal 2 as I couldn't play it for to long without getting motion sickness though . (Same thing happened with Borderlands!)

Yep the same thing happened to me last night as well. I had to stop for a bit as I thought I was going to vom, I've never had that with a game before.

[Paul ™]

Anyone know why GT6 is only out for the PS3?

[jump]

Anyone know why GT6 is only out for the PS3?

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2013/05/23/gran-turismo-6-being-ps3-only-explained-still-lots-of-potential-that-polyphony-digital-can-really-exploit/

"

You had GT1 and GT2 on PS one, GT3 and GT4 on PS2, then there’s GT5 on PS3 and a space next to it. The difference between Gran Turismo and GT2 is unbelievable, but they’re both on the same platform. The difference between GT3 and GT4 is huge. We’re absolutely confident when GT6 comes, you’ll see a big step change up from GT5 too. There’s still a lot of potential on PS3 that a developer like Polyphony can really exploit.

And the other factor is that on PS3 we have an install base of 70 million units. On PS4 on launch day we’ll have an install base of zero units. There’ll be plenty of games to help drive PS4 – not least DriveClub in the racing genre from Evolution Studios, a studio with a fantastic pedigree."

[Paul ™]

Drive Club, that is now not out till at least April