Owner: Classy Gamer URL:http://classygamer.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:36:58 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: In a world in wich good games with good plots and well developed chatacters are more and more dificult to find, as they're drowned by tons of trash, a decently mature gamer shares his very personal point of view. Site statistics:Click here
Do you still own a Dreamcast? Oh yes, I do! But... 2008-03-08 21:13:00 Dreamcast
Uploaded by Abriael SEGA updated their "Dreamcast" trademark back in august 2007, and that stirred up a lot of rumors. Now, the Dreamcast.com website has been updated with a fairly mysterious blank page and a question "Do you still own a Dreamcast?"Clicking on it opened a registration service and a questionnaire (that asked, between the other things, the Dreamcast's serial number). Almost immediately after the begining of this "initiative" the service was discontinued and now brings up a "Due the high volume of account requests, the service will be temporally suspended" Notice.That's not so surrprising considering that the popularity of the Dreamcast is still quite thriving between it's fans, and that it seems that each submission was manually checked and confirmed. Actua
Soulstorm released. Iron Lore shuts down 2008-03-05 18:34:00 Soulstorm's Intro Uploaded by Abriael It's sad to see a player of the gaming industry shut down, and it's even more sad to see one do it just a few days before the release of their latest production. That's the case of Iron Lore, that just brought to us the last expansion for Relic's beautiful RTS Dawn of War. Unfortunately a last week Iron Lore announced that the company was being shut down, and their personnel relocated. I hope they will all find a good place to work next.Moving on to the new DVD in my hands, I have to say, as a Warhammer 40000 player, that i'm pretty much in love. Even if i never shared (as most 40k players) much love for the Dark Eldar (I think almost everyone would have preferred Tyranids as the "evil" race), the Sisters of Battle shine brighter than ever on t
The Odyssey begins. 2008-03-04 19:24:00 Lost Odyssey
Uploaded by Abriael As I'm still a bit shaken by the passing of the Dungeon Master, this will be a brief post, and I'm not sure if it'll make much sense.Today I finally managed to find some time to begin playing Lost Odyssey. And goodness, this was a long wait (given that here in Italy we had to wait one month longer than in the US, as usual). Even if i was a bit disappointed by the packaginge (Three CD's squashed in the room for one and a fourth CD slapped in a paper sleeve? Come on Microsoft, you can do MUCH better), I just set the thought aside and happily proceeded to load the game on my faithful first generation 360 pro (no RROD here, thankfully).Goodness, you have no idea about how much I love playing games that include the Japanese language. Playing a JRPG with
An heart-felt farewell to the Dungeon Master... 2008-03-04 14:31:00 Farewell, DungeonMaster
! Uploaded by Abriael A shadow descended today upon the world of Gaming. At the age of 69, Gary Gygax,one of the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons passed away this morning.Dungeons & Dragons has revolutioned the concept of gaming, and we can easily say that the whole gaming scene, including videogames, wouldn't be the same without the work of Gary Gygax.We all owe him an immense debt of gratitude and respect. As a Dungeons & Dragon player since when i was a kid and as a gamer, i honestly feel shaken by the news of his death. It's almost as, in a way, he guided me and many other gamers trough our whole lifes. Call me emotive, but I feel like a close friend or a relative just passed away, and yeah, I cried.Raise the swords of your imagination, gamers from the
SEGA taking the wrong path again? 2008-03-03 22:20:00 The SEGA logo Uploaded by Abriael Three days ago Game Daily published a rather disturbing interview to Simon Jeffery, president of Sega of America. After the announcement of the US and european release of Valkyria Chronicles, I thought that SEGA finally stepped on the right way. Maybe I was wrong. In the aforementioned interview, Jeffery brought up a few points that I honestly find quite dangerous at best, and pretty much disastrous if we consider the worst scenario: he basically said that he can't wait to get into the mobile and casual gaming market (like we need more party games at the moment), but this isn't even the worst thing: what sounds absolutely terrifying, is the following part of the article:Jeffery has also been able to convince Sega's management in Japan that games so
Wii in, Mario out 2008-03-03 20:42:00 Wii
in, Mario
out Uploaded by Abriael In the end I had to give in. Despite my absolute despise for the wave of casual gamers' pride coming from the success of the Wii, in the end I had to get one. No More heroes will be released here in little more than a week (since here in Europe we get everything later), and the Wii will be sold out by then, so here i am, with a new console finding it's place between the others plugged to my TV. Luckily enough I got Lost Odyssey (again, since here in Eruope we get everything later) as well, to atone for my sin. This new purchase (besides getting on my nerves with reiterated, unwanted and absolutely excessive warnings about the dangers of videogaming and parental control) actually gave me a chance to think about what are my current feelings towar
Ten golden rules of JRPGs... O rly? 2008-03-02 10:05:00 Final Fantasy XIII Inserito originariamente da Abriael Once upon a time (long, long time ago), someone wrote a list of cliches about JRPGs, and to be honest at that time it was quite funny. Since then, such cliches have been repeated and elaborated in countless ways on every blog, forum and portal that has any kind of gaming-related audience.This said, i would add an eleventh rule to the list (replace 11 with the first subsequent available number for longer lists):11th: At least once every week, a blogger or forum user lacking inspiration, whose highest intellectual involvement in gaming is probably Halo 3, will post the above rules on his blog or on some forum, trying to persuade his peers that such rules are his original creation. The worst thing is that many will even believe su
Is Racing Gaming On Its Last Lap? Maybe not 2008-03-01 21:46:00 Forza Motorsport 2 Uploaded by Abriael A couple days ago Next-Gen published a feature in wich some of the developers of Project Gotham Racing
, MotorStorm, Sega Rally and Dirt (Nigel Kershaw, Gareth Wilson, Gerard Talbot, Guy Wilday and Gavin Raeburn) were interviewed about the future of racing games. The point of the whole interview is that racing games didn't really evolve in the last years, and as such they were kind of left behind by the rest of the gaming scene. The whole read was pretty interesting, and even if I didn't find myself agreeing to all of it (I REALLY liked some of the latest racing titles, as Forza Motorsport 2 on my 360 and Burnout Paradise on my PS3), I think that looking for some new ways to innovate the genre definately can't hurt.As always the developers were Read more:Gaming
, Maybe
Brothers in Arms. The joys of RvR 2008-02-28 23:17:00 Chosen vs Bright Wizard Uploaded by Abriael Some argue that Realm vs Realm (shortened RvR) is just a catchphrase with no real meaning invented by Mythic (now EA Mythic) to better market their games. While it certainly is a catchprase, it's lack of meaning is at the very least extremely debatable. First of all: What is RvR? Most MMORPGs that include Player vs Player combat do that in a fairly small-to-medium scale, pitching single players against each other, or at most a guild against another guild. In the end the rest of the server normally couldn't care the less about what happens to such individuals of such guilds, and those fights, even while giving some often good rewards, don't really influence the environment.In such games communities form under the flag of guilds, and the ga Read more:Brothers
A Jeanne d’Arc that will never see Europe 2008-02-28 05:24:00 The cover of Jeanne
d'Arc Uploaded by Abriael As some already know, Level-5's tactical JRPG Jeanne d'Arc, already released in the US a few months ago, doesn't have an european release date and according to Sony of Europe
it will nevver see release this side of the pond.That's, I have to say, an absolute shame. Not only Jeanne d'arc is one of the best JRPGs ever gameplay-wise, but it even sports a moving and complex story, perfect for any classy gamer to enjoy on his sleek portable console.In addition to this, it has many beautiful animated cutscenes that fully exploit the storage space of the UMD format.If you're american and you still didn't get it, just get to your favourite shop and bring this little pearl home, because it's worth every dollar. If you're european, then things
Warhammer and videogames, an alliance of steel 2008-02-27 19:12:00 The Ultramarines Uploaded by Abriael The last few years have been quite interesting for Warhammer
and Warhammer 40000 fans playing videogames
. After a few shacky attempts in the early years of gaming (that Warhammer fans still loved, but left the rest of the audience cold due to lack of overall quality to pair with the incredible setting), Games Workshop finally found some very solid partners to produce their games. Relic and THQ did an awesome job with Dawn of War (the last Expansion of which, Soulstorm, will be released next week, with Sisters of Battle and Dark Eldar goodness) and earned the right to be the exclusive producerf of further Warhammer 40000 related titles. Rumors are already spreading about the Relic team being working on DOW's Sequel, while an extremely alluring MM
Rapture: Speculation explodes over the new Square-Enix MMORPG. 2008-02-26 19:54:00 Crystal Tools logo Inserito originariamente da Abriael Two days ago an article on the japanese website GameWatch caused an explosion of speculation on the new Square
-Enix MMORPG
currently in development. The project, codenamed "Rapture
" (it's probable that this won't be the final name, but just a pre-release code name) is still absolutely top secret. The only detail we know is that it's being developed using Crystal Tools, Square-Enix' own engine previously named White Engine, and that now supports every platform in the gaming scene (even if the Wii is supported with limited features).The cross-platform nature of the game has been the main topic of controversy and speculation. The original news piece reads as follows "Wii support has been added for the engine, in addition to PC, PS
Rohan online news: closed beta to start in March 2008-02-26 03:17:00 Rohan Online Uploaded by Abriael Yesterday YNK announced that the closed beta phase for the english version of Rohan Online will start in march, and will last for about a week. Also, from the wording of the message, it seems that closed beta won't be followed by an open beta, but by the actual official release.They also added that the english server will be open to everyone (in any nation) and that the game will be free to play, with the usual cash shop business model.Source: Rohan Blood Feud official forumsOn a different note, having been playing on the Japanse server, I have to say that the game is really enjoyable (confirming my earlier impressions), expecially the art of characters and non player characters It's definately a step above all other free to play games. You can chec Read more:March
, online
Valkyrie on the Battlefield announced in Europe and in the US 2008-02-25 15:36:00 Valkyrie on the Battlefield Inserito originariamente da Abriael Almost to respond to my plea two days ago, two european sites, Gamefront.de (Germany) and Nextgame.it (Italy) announced that SEGA finally set the release period in the US and in Europe
for Valkyrie on the Battlefield: Gallian Chronicles (PS3) for fall 2008. Also, according to Nextgame.it the title will be changed in the west to Valkyria Chronicles.I have to say that i'm absolutely overjoyed to hear this, because Valkyie of the Battlefield is one of my most awaited titles for this year. Thankfully SEGA realized that this game can definately appeal to a western audience, expecially the PS3 audience, that is absolutely hungry for Japanese games, which are still sparse on their console.Hopefully they'll soon announce thei
Miyazaki on the PS3? Valkyrie of the Battlefield 2008-02-23 18:52:00 Valkyrie of the Battlefield Inserito originariamente da Abriael Unfortunately the answer to the question in the title is no. Miyazaki still didn't debout with a game of his own on the PS3, but still, the game I'll introduce today definately reminds his art style.Valkyrie of the Battlefield: Gallian Chronicles is the upcoming title by the acclaimed game designer Toshihiro Nagoshi and Sega, scheduled to be released in Japan on April the 24th, 2008 (unfortunately a date for the US and European market hasn't been set yet). In addition to the incredible art style, wich for both gameplay and full motion video cutscenes, reminds a beautiful sketchy cel shading, it takes a quite innovative approach to combat. The player will first move his troops on an overhead map, and then will control t
New Armor on RF-Online by Masamune Shirow 2008-02-23 01:01:00 Shirow's Cora Warrior Inserito originariamente da Abriael Many probably know Codemaster's free2play MMORPG RF-Online. What most probably don't know, is that part of the concept design for that game has been done by no one else than Masamune Shirow, the incredibly talented mangaka and illustrator that drawn, between the other things, Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed.Well known for his incredible art as well as for drawing at his own pace (wich is normally much slower than the rest of the industry), Shirow has done it again (well, not exactly "again" since the illustrations date back to 2005 as proven by this article). The new goodies include two sets of armor (one male and one female) for each class/race combination of the game: you can see them all on this RF-Online forum page.Ther Read more:Armor
It's Alive! Rohan online has a new website 2008-02-22 09:18:00 Rohan's website
Inserito originariamente da Abriael Breaking news today. WIth all the gaming news from the GDC and the long wait many actually forgot about it, but, as you can see from a couple of the previous posts, I didn't. And surprise surprise, Rohan Online (named for the english audience Rohan: Blood Feud) suddenly opened the new website, and a great looking one I might add. The art is absolutely stunning!It's now possible to register for the newsletter and a (pretty limited at the moment) message board. It's not MUCH, but at least it shows that the project is alive and that the closed beta could be around the corner.See you there! Read more:Alive
, online
Some news on R.O.H.A.N. Online? 2008-02-20 14:58:00 Rohan Online Inserito originariamente da Abriael Rohan Fansite reported today that YNK released a few news on Rohan online. The PC MMORPG I talked about a few days ago. Unfortunately they don't specify their source, so please take it as an interesting rumor.According to Rohan Fansite the official beginning date for the closed beta isn't yet set in stone, but they're going to make an official announcement about it between the 10th and the 25th of march.Also, as we already know, the official site is being completely rebuilt, and (this is new) it'll include a forums for fans to discuss and bitch at release delays :DIt's nice to see (if you believe the source) that something is eventually moving. Personally i'm waiting quite anxiously (to the point of loosing a small fraction of my usu
Games I’d love to see part of the next-gen (Part 2: Wing Commander) 2008-02-20 00:19:00 Wing Commander
IV Inserito originariamente da Abriael It was 1990 when a game that was set to become an absolute revolution in PC gaming was released: Wing Commander
.The game, produced by Origins, put the player in the shoes of an Earth Federation pilot during the war with the brutal Kilrathi alien race (younger gamers might be familiar with the story due to the move with the same title, loosely based on Wing Commander's story) and featured absolutely stunning graphics for that time, but even more than that, it introduced a quite new concept: Between missions the player was presented with a beautiful and complex story trough a long sequence of cutscenes (more or less like in the Ace Combat Franchise). The war against the Kilrathi continued trough three main installment of the serie Read more:Games
Hardcore gaming to become a niche? 2008-02-19 18:41:00 During the Casual Games Summit 2008 (part of the GDC), Mr. John Welch (PlayFirst's CEO, in the picture) said that: "We have the opportunity to elevate video games to become a first-tier form of entertainment, like TV. We will have succeeded when 'casual games' goes away as a category and 'hardcore games' is the niche
." as reported by Gamespot UK. Mr. Welch's boastful speech, sounds de facto like a declaration of war to games for dedicated fans, including those that include deep and meaningful stories, interesting characters and complex character interaction. Games that, for sure, aren't meant for "casuals", but for the classy gamer to which this blog is dedicated.Several hints have shown, lately, that the average depth of games is declining. Even M rated games (wich are by no means an inde
A classy accessory: the FragFX 2008-03-11 22:10:00 The FragFX Inserito originariamente da Abriael Many that try to play FPS and TPS games on their consoles find their fun spoiled by the horrible aim control offered by joypads. Even the best game becomes frustrating if you can't hit an elephant from a meter away, and that's what many console gamers experience everyday, expecially in this period, in which FPSs form the majority of the market. Luckily some hardware developers are beginning to release a few accessories that let you plug a mouse and a keyboard to your consoles and use them to replace your joypad in all games. One of such accessories, and by far the most advanced, in my opinion, is the FragFX for the PS3. Basically it's a plug and play controller that works with all games without any further configuration (even if advanc
Soul Calibur IV box art revealed. Is Playstation 3 the dark side of the force? 2008-03-10 06:26:00 Soul Calibur IV Box art Uploaded by Abriael I just felt a disturbance in the force... The first pictures of the box art for Soul Calibur IV have become available on the web. Looks like that, returning the title to cross-platform status, Namco-Bandai went back to the style of the covers they had for Soul Calibur II, with an added quirk: the PS3 version of the box art is definately oriented towards the dark side (Darth Vader, Ivy, Nightmare and the Soul Edge, all bathed in darkness), while the Xbox 360 box art is the embodyment of the light side (Yoda, Siegfried, the new entry Hilde and the Soul Calibur itself).Besides the jokes this will create between the fanboys ("The PS3 is evil!"), it dos actually bring up a question. Since many rumors have been heard about Yoda and Vader actual
Rohan Online closed beta to start on monday. Invites sent. 2008-03-15 10:17:00 Rohan Online JP - Abriael Inserito originariamente da Abriael If you followed this blog long enough, you probably know that i'm keeping Rohan Online under a watchful eye while playing the japanese version. Well, it's almost time. The closed beta for the english servers will start on monday (March the 17th) and the beta invites have just been sent out.To check if you're invited into the closed beta just access your account on the Rohan Online website (if you registered, of course) and if you've been lucky you'll get a noitice telling that you're in and providing a client download torrent link.As an added bonus, YNK announced that WASD control has been added to the english version of the game, to appeal the western audience, eliminating the main cripe many people have against asian g
My favourite Wii game: No More Heroes 2008-03-14 22:49:00 No More Heroes Uploaded by Abriael So many people bought their wiis for the usual overused Nintendo characters that, after tens of years of being shown in basically every possible situation, share the charisma of a shovel. It's unfortunate that many of such gamers are overlooking what, at least in my opinion, is the best title that saw release on the Wii
so far: No more heroes, that after the usual unsightly delay, has seen release in Europe today. First off, the game is not violent, it's EXTREMELY violent, and the scipt is often quite vulgar. Does this make No More Heroes an unclassy game? Not one bit. Violence and profanity fit in the story perfectly and never feel overused or out of place. The story itself is extremely interesting, sporting awesomely conceived and deep character
Happy White Day to all the gamer-Ladies out there! 2008-03-14 13:44:00 Happy
white day! Inserito originariamente da Abriael Today is march the 13th, and as such, in Japan it's White
Day!You don't know what white day is?Many probably know that, in Japan (as in other countries in the world), on Valentine's day, girls gift their friends and loved ones with chocolate candies. What many don't know, though, is that one month later, men get to return the favor by giving gifts to their lovely ladies, often consisting of white chocolate.This said, here's some yummy virtual white chocolate for all the gamer-Ladies out there, please do continue to make our world a better one :D
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