GameShot

Is Next-Gen Here?

Now that I have been playing the Xbox 360 for almost a year I have to pause and ask myself....."Is this truly the next generation of gaming".  So far all I have seen are prettier graphics and incrementally faster load times.  The game mechanics are the same, the music is the same, the gameplay is the same, the AI seems only minimally better.

I thought next-gen was supposed to be this immersive experience with NPC's that actually cared if they lived or died.  I thought the graphics were supposed to be CGI movie quality.  Maybe I am just being impatient but this seems just like the "current-gen" with a glossier coat of paint.

Playstation 3 European Launch Delayed Until March 2007

 

It seems that the problems keep mounting for Sony.  Today they announced that the European launch has been delayed citing production issues related to the Blu-Ray Drive. http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/06/european-launch-of-playstation-3-delayed-until-march-2007/

It will be interesting to see what if any impact this will have on the North America release.

Madden 07 Thoughts

I've been playing Madden 07 on the Xbox 360 and it is a good game, and that's the problem since it should be a GREAT game.  If you're like me you have noticed a significant downgrade in innovation in the Madden franchise since EA locked up the rights to the NFL and killed NFL2K.

- The gameplay is solid even though the running game is a little too easy (I like the lead blocking feature).

- The graphics are good but it really bugs me that most of the player faces are inaccurate.  Most players don't look anything like their real-life counterparts and I really hope EA fixes this for 08.

Overall the presentation is sorely lacking compared to the 2K series which is unacceptable since the last 2K football game was released 2 years ago.  This years commentary is a radio announcer?  Are you kidding me?  It seems as if the guys at EA where halfway through development before they remembered they needed commentary.  No halftime show or recap....what's going on.  The 2K series had a fantastic halftime show and post game analysis.  I know these are not critical elements to the game but it seems like a huge step backward.  And can someone tell me why the ESPN brand is almost nonexistent?  Here's to hoping that EA gets it right next year because this effort is second-string at best!

Looking for cheap games!

If you are looking for cheap games check out ValueGamez (www.valuegamez.com).  This is a new store that one of my friends has just opened.