My Next Gen Anxiety

The palpitating delirium that is often associated with the announcement of a new console has subsided for me, with irregular consequence and certain undesirable repercussions. It’s with unexpected resignation, that I have to confess that the assertive ambition placed upon my own expectant shoulders, collaborating with such grandeurs unveiling’s is always laced with a degree of nervous anxiety. It signifies change, a metamorphosis that I never entirely desired, though I know it’s a compulsory passage of progression. Alterations to my gaming isn’t always conducive to my somewhat nomadic existence, with prolonged exposure to anything resembling education, or the broadening of cognitive exertion is aptly disregarded with explicit, dismissive gestures, which is a glaring inditement of my ignorance. The future of the gaming doesn’t necessarily intimidate me, nor can my emotive reactions be conveyed with words of scepticism, but more of a fear of the unknown, and the absorbing sensation that no matter how exceptional the prospects are, something is going to go wrong. It’s obtuse reasoning I know, but I’ll endeavour to expand and dutifully elaborate, with comprehensive transparency, to my rather speculative irrationality.

It’s admittedly premature to express such pessimistic irritations to such hypothetical’s, but I cant help but express a wilful desire for the PS4 to be the most exceptional, resilient console, receptive to every technological advance and conforming to my every conceivable, albeit ambitious expectations. But there’s the far more conflicting transitional period that mentally propositions me with subversive malice, as you become tediously associated with the constricting monotony of collaborating with both the PS3 and PS4, due to the veritable wealth of gregarious titles at the formers disposal, and the latter’s impudent adolescence, fortified with an innocuous cause for your gaming requirements. Being sheltered by the foreboding shadow of the PS4 has aroused such apathy, because it just seems negligent to abandon such an extensive catalogue of quality assets in favour of tedium. The PS3 still provides ample sustenance to alleviate the necessity to embrace gaming abstinence, in favour of other recreational stimulants, frequenting the exiguous confinement of the PS4’s condensed, initial titles, or to a more drastic extent; complete gaming celibacy.

Perhaps what has truly incited my anxiety, is the notion of bidding fair well to that which has afforded many happy connotations, and conversely,  sanctioning the occasional, but distinctly audible vocal confrontations. The PlayStation 3 has been the instrument that has bestowed me with the culpability to swoop with malignant severity, into the faces of bewildered thugs in Arkham Asylum, the receptacle that allowed a world as immersive as Skyrim, to become vividly captivating, and the indispensable tool to initiate a jovial jig on-line in Uncharted 3. I feel as though I’m bidding fair well to a collapsing relationship due to some prospective infidelity. As we begin dividing up the expansive assets during collaborative divorce proceedings, perhaps visiting games and peripherals on the on bi-weekly router and assuring them that they are the most significant commodity in my life, with favourable contributions to insure that I’m the sole beneficiary of their collective affection (this analogy sounded better in my head?). Suffice to say that my time with the PS3, though occasionally frustrating and at times vexing, it has been my deliverance from normality. My solace, my muse and my patient, overworked confederate, and I look accordingly for further prosperous gaming with the PS4.

How has your experience been with this generation of consoles? And are you looking forward to the future? Let me know what you think. Cheers.

All You Need Is Love…And A PlayStation

Relationships are difficult interactions to maintain, real ones I mean, not the fabricated imaginings of some eccentric, with delusions of his manufactured correspondence with Scarlett Johansson. Often soliciting huge self-sacrifice by both participants to prevent courtship stagnation, and voluntary degree of understanding for one another’s recreational activities. For over 5 years my girlfriend has continually tolerated my profusely deranged inhibitions to engage in simulated activities, and almost always accepted with great solidarity and the humorous furrowing of her brow. This level of acceptance, with such equal cordiality is one of her most auspicious traits, and something of an inspiration that soothes my rampant cynicism. Of course such acceptances are usually tainted by attributed attachments, usually forcing me to consult with her shopping purchases, for attires that will be donned with little regularity, and are purely instigated as punishment for my hours of wandering the barren wastes of Skyrims inhospitable reaches (cynicism successfully retained I think). It goes without saying that integration for my recreational inclinations, is a typical recourse when attempting to successfully maintain healthy relations, which has been successfully achieved to a degree.

To her credit, with no former prior investment into virtual interactivity, she has ascended and accumulated hours of successful accolades; completing both Uncharted 2 and 3 with minor interspersed assistance, as well as Batman Arkham Asylum, which admittedly required some persuasion to adapt to the unfamiliar controls, but attaining or perhaps imitating the same determined (stubborn) qualities that I have adopted. Her fortitude was imminently rewarded which, I iterate with some trepidation, bestowed a subtle, yet pronounced smile of satisfied accumulation upon her rather rosy, somewhat disgruntled features.   Communication was paramount for her to achieve these goals, and as laboriously redundant that certain distinct solutions to simple problems, that are obvious for many accomplished gamers, were less evident to her. But the same sense of fragmented happiness that I feel from games, was there.

Education has certainly aided me in my continued pursuit for gaming stimulation, and suppressing these desires is like preventing yourself from inhaling oxygen, or containing laughter when recollecting the moment you witnessed Goofy tripping over a bin at Disneyland (which is still as vivid now as it was then). There is a deceptive responsibility with gaming that requires constant evaluation, planning and permission from my life evaluator (girlfriend), as you sympathise that your precious allotted time could be spent in more productive environments, such as learning a new language for instance, constructing furnishings for your newly acquired home or fixing various irritable parts of your vehicle. But blowing up terrorists in a shower of misty blood is instantly more gratifying than the alternatives, and far more realistic.

The issue of social integration is never forced, nor the squandering of my free time is never brought into disrepute, even when I expressed to her my distancing relations come May, as I highlighted that she will undoubtedly become a GTA widow for an extended, if not permanent extent of time, which was received with the rather deceptive look of scepticism and a worryingly deprived, verbal response. But deep below the dejected facial contortions of abject confirmation, I know there’s a rich sense of sincerity and a cathartic appreciation of my simple desirable request…. I hope?

Do you and your partner share the same passion for gaming? Or do you have to make sacrifices to indulge? Let me hear your opinions.

Don’t Shoot The Messanger, Or Me!

The internet is a wonderous creation, granting unrestrained capabilities where an infinite profusion of knowledge is at your disposal, financial transactions are instantaneously simple, and where any sleep depraved, self-indulgent degenerate can publish their irrelevant musings or inconsequential scientific findings, like myself. Everything imaginable is spontaneously accessible, but if only the world operated with such tender intentions, when so many dangers lurk on this comprehensive, edifying interface. Glimpses into terrifying reality of deprecating magnitudes, parasitic provoking suffering that afflicts you, and leaves you envious of anyone suffering with cataracts; and this is just the copious amount of rather rotund, follicular challenged individuals singing and frolicking to generic pop songs on YouTube. But the same level of sophistication, charm, as well as the all too audible miscreants with the vocabulary dexterity of brain-damaged gold-fish, can’t be applied to the minority of online gamers.

I’ve been shot, blown up, out maneuvered, sustained consistent fractured diaphragms and impaired decision-making, some of which has resulted in unsolicited abuse from disgruntled team mates. Ok my skills on games like Uncharted 3 may not live up to certain diligent requirements of my associates, and I’m more likely to perish than a one-legged hedgehog on the M25, but have an objective sense of reasoning when participating. I can only conceive that selected individuals are sat comfortably in a pool of translucent goo that was formerly their cognitive sense of principles, and are participating in a cardinal relationship with their mother? Leaving an already developed campaign in a moment of ignorant indiscretion, in favour of possible prosperity somewhere else, just because I didn’t arrive quick enough when aid was required, doesn’t necessitate that you solicit an unwarranted bombardment, of petty abuse due to my momentary absence.

But as I previously stated, this is a very small, petty demographic consisting of pathetic,  self-preserving anomalies, obsessed with increased statistical prowess to compensate for non-existent genitalia ( or whatever the female equivalent is), the majority of my supplementary excursions has allowed me to converse with many equally enthusiastic gamers, fully prepared to co-operate and sacrifice their own safety for your benefit. With many tightly poised confrontations, it’s always satisfying to know that someone, on a separate section of the globe, who you’ve had no prior exchanges with is prepared to aid you, whether intentionally or for affluence, it’s still humbling. The transient, blissful moment of victory as you and your comrades begin alternating between elaborate air guitaring, initiating the “Carlton” or thrusting your crutch in your accomplices vicinity like an excitable teen, is a sensation few outside the figurative walls of the Uncharted multiplayer will begin to fathom, though it’s not as sexually explicit as it sounds!

What is your general experience been like online? Or do you just avoid it all together? Let me know what  you think.

Gaming Is A Business, Deal With It!

First off, let me apologise for the hostile reception implied above, and emphasise that this seemingly rude introduction is more for my benefit than yours. Self indulgent? Yeah probably, but it’s an intrinsic title that I needed to clarify solely for my own selfish needs. My fundamental problem, bar my immaculately attractive visage, politically endorsed and widely approved musical taste, as well as my ruthlessly savage gaming skills, that would make Jack Bauer wince, (and if you believe that fabricated statement, your more delusional than I am), is that my peripheral as well as my central vision, is continuously obscured by my many (emphasis on many!) opinions.

There’s always something to grumble about, the price of games, the crippling glitches that we have all encountered after 30 or so hours in Skyrim, rendering progress supplementary, as I receded deeper into a precipice of cumulative despair and frustration, as well as harbouring bitter resentment to the developers who knew of these……*clears throat of lingering profanities*, problems. But by far my #1 gripe has always been the industries lack of originality. For instance, the PS3’s top 5 best-selling games of 2011, in descending order are:

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warefare 3

2. FIFA 12

3. Battlefield 3

4. Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception

5. Assassins Creed:Revelations

Hardly a surprise, nor a testament to originality, but it’s still a list brimming with quality. You can’t blame the developer’s for saturating the industry with sequels, their merely pandering to popular demand. Fans desire Call of Duty 13, despite the game likely retaining 90% of the thirds characteristics, so why give fans games they simply don’t need? The inconvenient truth is that money will always take precedence over substance, ingenuity and originality. They say actions speak louder than words, unfortunately money bellows substantially more, and in times of financial strain, specific aspects have to be sacrificed no matter how difficult that is for some of us to comprehend *Gingerly raises hand*. Never underestimate the predictability of consumers *regrettably raises hand, again*.

Do you think the industry lacks creativity? Let me know your thoughts.

Is LA Noir Really That Impressive?

L.A Noir was hailed as one of 2011’s most innovative games, combining intuitive interrogating techniques to aid you in your pursuit for justice, as well as exhilarating chases through a 40’s style Los Angeles, but personally, despite it’s obvious inventive positive’s, it almost felt stifled by its own sense of grandeur. Your initial reaction to LA Noir, is one of wonder, “Wow! Look how realistic they look, he’s defiantly lying”, but after a handful of cases you begin to understand just how repetitive Noir is. You get a case, investigate, interrogate, chase down a reluctant perp, interrogate some more, and repeat, and although successfully cross-examining criminals that leads to a conviction is gratifying, it soon becomes tiresome. But my main gripe with Noir is with the facial responses of characters.

As I previously stated, it’s initially difficult not to be impressed by the technology involved, but it never felt truly organic. Where as in Uncharted 3, Drake’s Reactions to his vastly exaggerated scenarios, felt more akin to his character and a more natural experience, which helped you sympathise with Nate’s increasingly arduous plight, than those perceived in LA Noir. It truly does sully the overall immersive experience, when criminals faces appear to distort in all manner of unrealistic posses, or appear more suspicious than one particular political figure, attempting to persuade us that “He’s not a crook”.

LA Noir is a good game, with many intriguing cases and an affectionate, if not flawed lead, but one that suffers under its own “very” high standards. But can you really consider the technology that was involved to create the rather “mechanical” facial contortions, as impressive let alone the future?

 P.S I respect Rockstar for attempting something different, and I hope they continue to do so.

Were you impressed by LA Noir? Or were the facial animations too forced? Let me know what you think.