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Member of the Moment: MightyMango

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

For this rounds Member of the Moment, we had to stop and ask ourselves a few questions. "Can you know the mighty ocean? Can you lasso a star from the sky? Can you say to a rainbow… ‘Hey, stop being a rainbow for a second’? No! such is Mango!"

MightyMango, that is. He certainly does have a mighty gamerscore to go along with his name, at an amazing 80,619 at the time of this interview! He is in the top 1% after all. He also plays well with others, and has a mighty forum presence, including helping people out in support threads. Not bad for a fruit! Some people may also know him as Ryan, and he resides in my home state of Minnesota!

Let’s see what the good word is from the fruit bowl today!

Q: So here goes… How long have you been gaming?

A: My wife tells me all my life, but probably since about 1982. I started on an Apple IIe of all things. I didn’t actually play on a console until 1983 and my first console was an Atari 5200. I actually still own it.

Q: What was the first game that you played and what drew you into gaming in general?

A: Well, if you want to call it a game it was "Turtle". You basically had to "command" the "Turtle" which was nothing more then a triangle through a maze. My first console game that I really remember was the awful Pac-Man port on the 2600. The game that really sucked me in though was Dig Dug on my 5200.

Q: What brought you to 360voice, and what do you think is the best feature of the site?

A: Well my friend Sothy kept posting in a IRC channel about his blog on 360v. So I signed up and kinda forgot that I did until around August of last summer. The I discovered the forums and was instantly hooked. It is a friendly forum and I felt right at home. ZeroDesolation was the first person I really started to talk to and then I joined the Order. I guess the rest is history.

Between the forums and the blogs I don’t think I can really pick out one feature that I really think is the best. There are so many things that the site and the community do so well. The one feature that I know I obsess about the most though is the streaks. Yeah, I know I’m just over 100 days right now but the lengths that I go to to keep it going are just silly. I just moved and I was having problems getting my internet up and running, I was just about ready to take my 360 to my work to use the internet on my day off.

Q: Speaking of streaks… your current streak is 105 days, but you had 167 at one point, wow! Do you plan to keep going past your record this time?

A: Well I have 3 systems now as well as my PC so I think my streak will be safe. It all depends on my wife going into labor. I looked and the hospital looks like it has wireless so I may be bringing a 360 with.

Q: We need video if you’re sitting there playing the 360 while your wife is in labor! Is there anything that you would like to see on 3v that isn’t already here?

A: One thing I would like to see is the time that you played a game recorded like it was over on Liveeye. Other then that the guys in charge seem to be doing an excellent job adding features all the time so by the time I think of something to add its already there.

Q: Who would win in a fight, Syndelin or Mr. Achievement?

A: Syndelin because she is from Minnesota, women from here are fighters, mainly because of the 6 months of winter we have to deal with.

Q: Good answer, and too true!! When did you sign up for live?

A: Well, I signed up when live was available over 5 years ago. That was on a different gamertag that I haven’t used since the 360 launch. So I’ve been on live since the beginning.

Q: What is your game setup?

A: Well, right now its mostly in cardboard boxes pretty SWEET. It will be two 360’s on a 63inch DLP, one US system and one Japanese system. The 3rd xbox will be in my bedroom on a 50inch or on a 42 inch plasma in my new family room. Though the cardboard boxes do look pretty sweet.

Q: I think I’ll have that setup in a week or so (The boxes that is)! What other systems, if any, do you own?

A: This is a funny question. I’m a video game collector and have systems from the PS3 back to the RCA Studio II (Yes thats a system). I currently am pushing close to 3000 total titles and my 360 collection is at 214 US retail titles as well as all the arcade games and a few imports as well. I will say that my favorite older system is the NES with about 491 titles.

Q: No wonder you have so many boxes for your setup! What’s your favorite feature on Xbox LIVE?

A: Other the achievement points, the voice chat. I like that I can talk to a friend who is playing a completely different title than I am.

Q: You have played 250 games! That’s amazing. What new ones coming up are you looking forward to?

A: Gears 2 has my interest. Bionic Commando looks interesting as well. Grid, Haze, and Lego Indiana Jones all look fun as well.

Q: Do you own or rent games for the most part?

A: Own, but I do have an account on Gamefly. I end up buying a lot of games through them because the games are complete and in really good shape. I have been know to "rent" games to people though

Q: You have enough, you could be your own gamefly! Are there any genres that you prefer over the others, or do you just like to game, no matter what type it is?

A: I just like to play games pure and simple. FPS and Race titles tend to be my favorite genres but hack and slash games tend to be ones I play the most.

Q: Any must-have titles for 2008, or ones that you have played already this year that you think will take the title of "game of the year" for you?

A: I think Grid could end up being my game of the year. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is another excellent title as well, I just haven’t had enough time to really get into it.

Q: You do seem pretty busy lately. You have a 3 star challenge badge, but not the HTTK badge yet? Do you play for points… or fun?

A: Well, every challenge that I really tried in someone tried harder. I had the first chance to get the viral badge and Fatty and Disbron walked all over me. So now I play for fun, if I get the HTTK badge thats just an added bonus.

Q: You have a badge that everyone seems to be after! What contest did you win?

A: I got randomly picked on a contest that was on the front page. I won "The Simpsons Video Game" and its actually a game that my kids request me to play all the time.

Q: I see that you’re one of the members of the race to 100 completed retail games as well. How is that going and who do you think will be the first to pull it off?

A: I think Tynstar will do it, but it depends on his future schooling. I think I still have a chance now that I’ve finally moved. Its going to be interesting to see in the end, everyone of the people that are in it have a good chance of pulling it off.

Q:What is the one Achievement you are most proud of?

A: Beating COD2 on Veteran. People say its a fast 1000 points, but its a VERY hard 1000 points. That is one that I will remain proud of. Closely behind that would be the score 50,000 in Discs of Tron.

Q: Is there a feature you would like to see in the next Xbox 360 System Update?

A: Group voice chat is greatly needed. It would make the 360 enviroment in gaming more like PC gaming.

Q: Is there anything else that you would like to add, or that you would like the community to know about you?

A: Well, most of the things I say are just to egg people on. It was fun to pick on Fatty a few months ago that I was going to catch his gamer score. I would like to think that I’m a helpful member of the community that is willing to help out other gamers achieve their gaming goals. I would also like people to check out Rfgeneration.com if they are into collecting as its an excellent database for collectors to keep track of their games. Thanks to 360 voice for choosing me to be the Member of the Moment, its a pretty sweet honor. Thanks Everyone, you are what makes this site great!!

Congrats Ryan, on the new house, the future hospital visit for the birth of your new baby, and also congrats on them having wireless internet there! Oh yeah, and the whole Member of the Moment 15 seconds of fame on the front page thing too. Thank you so much for your time, and contributions to 360voice. Community Members like you make 360voice the wonderful place that it is!

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EA’s Wants Take-Two But Can’t Handle Itself?

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

The last few months has been riddled with news about Electronic Arts and its bid to own Take-Two while Take-Two battles for control of itself. Why was EA so aggressive about controlling Take-Two prior to GTAIV’s release?

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Joystiq hands-on: Spore Creature Creator and the birth of Sporky

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

Filed under: Mac, PC, Simulations

click to get up close with “sporky”

We dropped by Maxis’ offices today to get our feet wet in the stand-alone “Creature Creator” component of The Sims architect Will Wright’s epic cell-to-galactic-civilization sim, Spore (which hits in September). Set to launch on June 17 in two flavors (a $9.99 “full version” and free downloadable demo, also included with The SimCity Box) the creator could be incorrectly described as a “utility” – in fact, as we found while tinkering with it, the Creature Creator could very well have a life of its own. Read our full impressions after the break.

Gallery: Spore

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: Spore Creature Creator and the birth of Sporky

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Zaga Mission

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

In the world of computer assisted helicopter fun, a few names stand out proud from the rest. Airwolf, of course was the first great title, an 8-bit classic, Maxis’ Simcopter, another obvious choice. the Comanche series…

And then there was Zaga Mission….

Now, in true Speccy head fandom fashion, I’ve never played this C64 title, so I can’t draw too many comparisons here, but what I CAN tell you is that Gernot has put together a great looking early WIP demo of his proposed remake of said game.

The aim, at the moment at least, is to fly your helicopter through a maze of walls Zaxxon style getting from point A to B taking as little damage as possible.

The controls, it must be said, are interesting, your standard mouse control takes a LOT of getting used to, but once you are used to it, it seems to get quite natural. There are also options for joystick and even the ‘now-supported-in-GLBasic’ Wii remote.

4 person multi player support is in so you can avoid walls as a team and the game is also non-violent so it’s good for the kiddies too.

There’s still loads to do to get this one fully playable but there’s enough in the WIP to get you interested.

Links

Take a whirl by playing the WIP

Give Gernot your feedback on the forum

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Penny Arcade Adventures Rain-Slick Precipice Episode One: A Startling Development on Desperation Street

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One is an introduction to the gritty metropolis of New Arcadia, circa 1922. From a bird's eye view perspective you catch a glimpse inside the window of the the Startling Developments Detective Agency, where the protagonists of Penny Arcade are seen in their Depression era threads. Gabe is practicing jabs on a dangling punching bag, while Tycho is seated in a leather armchair, turning the pages of an antique manuscript. The view shifts to a gargoyles perched on the side of the brownstone building, the camera descending into a grime-streaked alleyway. There you are invited to create your custom-made character. Choosing gender, body-type, facial features and various articles of clothing, your avatar will appear in the game's flash animation sequences exhibiting the characteristics you just selected.

You start off in a sleepy suburban neighborhood outside the black heart of New Arcadia, dubbed Desperation Street. Dusk is setting in and the autumn trees are shedding rust-colored leaves. A mysterious, genteel narrator welcomes you to your bleak surroundings, begging you kindly not to dwell too deeply on his mysterious identity. He importunes you to to rake yon leave-strewn front lawn so as to bring Desperation's cul-de-sac into closer alignment with modern civilization.

Clicking on the rake, your character takes it up and heads over do some gardening, but before the unruly foliage can be brought under any semblance of order, your activities are interrupted by a sudden roar. A towering iron giant appears and mercilessly stomps on your house, smashing it to smithereens. The robot as it heads down Desperation Street is pursued by two strange men. You are urged by the mysterious narrator to follow the monstrosity. Your character, shrugging off the shock, responds "Alright disembodied voice, let's do this."

Finding a wood crate in the road, you can smash it with your gardening implement to gain a bandage, which will heal a quarter of your HP in battle. A clanking sound becomes audible nearby as you make your way down the road. The narrator informs you that the small metal creatures in your path are a new phenomenon in New Arcadia–their carnal urge for fresh fruit leads them to tiny acts of vulgarity. The "fruit fuckers," as they are known, will bark angry strings of binary code at you as you approach. The screen splits, the upper frame showing a still shot of the 3D computer graphics, while the bottom frame depicts a 2D artistic rendering of the characters more closely resembling the webcomic.

Upon encountering the enemy, evocative words in huge font like "PERIL!" or "MAYHEM!" or "HUGE TEXT!" will pop up on the screen, alerting you to the oncoming rush of enemies. The robots will hobble up to you and assault your character with dealy bobber attacks or send a stream of searing citric acid shooting from their fruit-juicing nether regions. If you hit the space bar at just the right time, you can block their attacks, or even counter without taking any damage. You'll know when to hit the space bar by keeping an eye on the enemy's hitpoint gauge, which will flash at the precise moment when you should make your move. Once your attack bar has filled up, you can swat one of the robots over the head with your rake. After a couple hits, each metallic foe explodes into a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a cylindrical piece of scrap metal. These spare parts can be collected to upgrade your weapons.

Following the giant robot treads in the dirt road, you can knock over trash cans to retrieve items like bottles of weak sauce, a condiment so mediocre that when used in battle it will render your opponents harmless. By one of the houses you find a curled up cat, which you can recruit as a support character. At first it seems not to know what to make of you, but by selecting the option of purring at it gently, "T. Kemper" will rub your calf cheerfully. The cat appears to be useless in these initial phases of the game, lazy even by cat standards, but will likely be of some use further along in the quest.

Passing by the park you encounter a tree surrounded by a ring of pink flowers, which has hanging from its branches some oranges you can collect. Once a battle with the robots has been initiated, you can toss one of the fruits to the side of the screen, and the machines will be positively haunted by its ripeness. So preoccupied with juicing their find are the robots, you can walk right up and swat them with impunity. Having succeeded in using the oranges as a clever ruse, you will be treated to a Grand Slam attack, which can be initiated by pressing the space bar four times in sequence during battle. Properly timed, you will use the rake baseball bat style to deal a powerful blow against enemies.

Outside Desperation Elementary you will meet the two strangers following the robot. You can gain their attention by waving your arms, as they are deeply engaged in speculating as to whether or not the strange creature they are pursuing is a yeti. You discover that these two specialize in tracking down tainted artifacts and thwarting ancient, evil Gods. "Sometimes both!" they claim, cheerfully. The two introduce themselves as Tycho Erasmus Brahe and John Gabriel of the Startling Developments Detective Agency. You declare that you will be coming along, since the monstrosity they are pursuing trashed your house. Gabe and Tycho are willing to let you in on the vengeance, and even offer you a robot-free place to crash in their office.

Gabe immediately gains the Unsporting Conduct special attack, which is initiated by rapidly pressing the spacebar to fill up a red meter, then tapping it again as a falling white bar passes over the target zone. Gabe and Tycho also have a special combo attack called "What Goes Up," which involves Tycho hoisting his partner into the air so the brawler falls upon the enemy while delivering a potent dose of the fisticuffs. Tycho, for his part, has a tommy gun in one hand and a hardcover tome in the other. When it is time for him to attack, he throws the book up in the air, plugs the enemy with hot lead, and deftly catches his reading material on the way down.

At the end of the road you encounter a pack of robots by a derelict gasoline stand. The machines creepily contend that you are on their to-do list. Combat begins with the players rolling a 20-sided D&D dice roller for initiative. Once the enemies have been dispatched, their leader, discernible by the red light bulb on top his head, shows up firing nuts and bolts from his barrel. The boss will also make lascivious use of your leg if you let it. Now might be a good time to make use of the extra orange found on the ground outside the Desperation park. A few hits and a special attack are enough to deactivate the villainous automaton and cause it to explode. The narrator bids you adieu, sending you like mewling babes on your way toward the rain-slick precipice of darkness. At this point you can click the Startling Developments icon in the upper right corner, unlocking a new case, called "Up From the Ashes."

Images courtesy of Hothead Games.

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SCEA calls the PSP a “Gateway Drug” To Consoles

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

One nice thing about living in Canada is that nobody really uses ridiculous buzz words like “gateway drug.” That leaves me to wonder how Sony intends to market the PSP over here, since SCEA’s Senior Marketing Manager, John Koller, used up his A-list comparisons for the US market.

I always got the impression that North American audiences adopted handheld gaming as a secondary form of entertainment—and that console ownership led to handheld ownership, not vice-versa. Granted, the times are a-changing, but comparing your handheld to drugs might not be the best way to spread awareness.

(Or if you must use the drug metaphor, go for broke and consider: “The PSP is better than horse crack,” or, “better than heroin-fueled sex with Kool-Aid spokeswomen from A&P.”)

Tags: John Koller, SCEA

Castle Crashers is Complete

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

No release date yet, but soon… very soon (okay, just kinda soon). Also, bears.

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Funcom Celebrates Age of Conan Launch With New Trailer

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

To celebrate Tuesday’s launch of Age of Conan, Funcom has released the game’s official launch trailer to the teeming internet masses.

Tuesday’s launch was especially notable as it marked the first major MMO launch in recent history that didn’t result in the game’s servers collapsing under the initial player rush.

Though Funcom hasn’t released information on how many players the game has so far accrued, or how many people logged onto the game this week, the performance of AoC during its first few days of life was remarkably smooth. In a genre where massive server failures and horrible, gamebreaking glitches are the expectation, Age of Conan remained solid and playable.

It’s still too early for Funcom to claim victory over its competitors, but it’s certainly doing an excellent job so far.

See Also:

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The9: Confident to get WoW license again

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

I know, World of Warcraft isn’t exactly an Asian-made MMORPG, but the fact that China-based online games publisher The9 is operating the massive franchise is enough for MMOtaku to include it in any story lineup.

World of Warcraft China In 17173.com article entitled “The9 in Negotiation with Blizzard on Renewing WoW License,” the new president of The9, the beautiful Chen Xiaowei, said they were confident to get the deal.

Here’s an excerpt of the story:

As confirmed by The9, the company is now conducting a negotiation with Blizzard Entertainment to renew the license of World of Warcraft … The result of the negotiation is critical to The9, since WoW earnings ~~took~~ comprise 90 percent of the company’s total revenues … Chen Xiaowei, new president of The9, told the press that they were now discussing with Blizzard on continuing the licensing of WoW. With the latest announcement of Wrath of The Lich King and the long-term cooperation of Blizzard, The9 will try its best to speed up the negotiation.

PS3 is “Greenest” of the Three Consoles (But Don’t Eat It)

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

Selecting a console for its library or processing power is so yesterday. Now it’s all about backing the company that makes the most effort to heal our Mother Earth, right?

Congratulations to Playstation 3 owners for making the right choice. When Greenpeace dissected The Wii, the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, Sony’s console contains the fewest hazardous chemicals by far.

Ah, but all’s not well.

Sony scored a 7.3 out of 10—very good compared to Microsoft’s rating of 2.7 out of 10 and Nintendo’s score of el zlicho out of 10. Still, not perfect.

Greenpeace’s International Toxic Campaign co-ordinator Zeina Al-Hajj explains the findings:

“Sony has a very good record in our ranking guide. They have committed to eliminating these chemicals from mobile devices. But why are we finding them in such high percentages in a console? This is a tool used by children in our homes. None of these chemicals exist in Sony’s Vaio laptop. So if they can do it for a laptop, why can’t they push this for the console also?”

It’s a fair question, even if the obvious answer from Sony is, “Well, it already costs us the equivalent of a human life to manufacture one of these things. Is that what you want? To pay those inflated grey market prices just because their slaves aren’t infected with syphilis? Er, I mean—do you want to pay more for an environmentally friendly Playstation 3?”

I sort of believe that if we can afford fancy toys and a society of excess, we may as well dish out a bit more to be responsible about it. Yeah, I’ll go back to hugging my tree now.

(Possum pic is from Wikimedia Commons. Lookit those cute lil’ ears.)

Tags: Environment, Retail

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Member of the Moment: MightyMango

EA’s Wants Take-Two But Can’t Handle Itself?

Joystiq hands-on: Spore Creature Creator and the birth of Sporky

Zaga Mission

Links

Penny Arcade Adventures Rain-Slick Precipice Episode One: A Startling Development on Desperation Street

SCEA calls the PSP a “Gateway Drug” To Consoles

Castle Crashers is Complete

Funcom Celebrates Age of Conan Launch With New Trailer

The9: Confident to get WoW license again

PS3 is “Greenest” of the Three Consoles (But Don’t Eat It)

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