New Pics of the PSN store revision

Eurogamer.net has the first pics of the new PSN.Looks pretty good.They keep the similar colors but change it to a more centralized designed.The upgrade should hit before the end of the month.

Weekend Ramblings

So I traded in Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Army of Two today.I tried to get Condemned 2,but it was sold out.So I picked up the PS3 eye camera. You can do videos and there are several neat games out there on the PSN for it.So I'll try those out. I also preordered GTA4 for the xbox 360.I've never really been a grand theft auto fan,but this looks appealing. Now,it looks like Sony will be updating Home with GTA features(kinda wish I had gotten it on PS3)

I also picked up a 50 dollar visa card to buy some items on the PSN,since Sony will not let my credit card work since its a PO box address.

Well of to watch I am Legend with the GF.Should be fun!

Socom Confrontation:Release date of Sept16th

1up is reporting that Socom Confrontation is going to be released Sept 16.A socom website will also go live soon.Check it out.
Should be a fun PSN game and from the pics I have seen,pretty too.

Army of Two/360 : Definitely Rental Material

I can't stand it.Sorry,but I'll be blunt about it. The game irritates me to no end.If you are looking to pick this up and play the single player campaign..Forget it! The AI is completely useless.For example,I was wounded and the AI decided to drag me around the entire board and I couldn't do anything until it decided to stop and heal me. I may try to play it some more,but this may be a trade-in.I usually can handle some problems,but it's just so frustrating. Also,when you switch the difficulty to Contractor..It's really really tough. The gun sounds are terrible,etc.
I guess the only saving grace in my mind is that you can play with a friend and that makes a much better game.But,so far I'm not impressed..Save your money folks.

Army of Two
Xbox 360
EA Games
Played through second level so far.
Grade: C-

2.20 PS3 update is out!!

Downloading it now..Pick it up
Includes some new BD functionality.

Gaming Website Review #1 PS3forums.com

This week we look at a favorite of mine and you dont have to be a PS3 owner only to enjoy it.They cover everything from old school consoles to the 360 to everything else under the Sony umbrella. The forum is moderated very well and they don't suffer from too much of the rampant fanboyism seen in other sites. You can get updated news(I've seen it pop up there faster than Kotaku),you can even get a custom signature made very quickly. Technically,the site loads slow on occassion,but it could be traffic issues.So check em out when you get a chance at www.ps3forums.com

My name over there is RMoore,so if you see this hit me up.

Star Trek gaming..

There really is a need for a game for Star Trek that is a RPG.Look at Oblivion,and you can imagine Trek in that scenario. I understand,most people don't like the starship battles(I like it)but,lets get a RPG. Come on!! Bethesda knows how to do a RPG,so it's not a problem...Fallout 3 is starting to get playable and is going tobe a great game.I know they have the abilty..It's just that the fanbase has a certain loyalty..I want a RPG..Let's get it going!!!~!

360/PS3 Random thoughts.

360 Thoughts

The new update for RockBand became available this week.The store is perfect.The worst part before was trying to see the songs available on Marketplace and now you have it together in a well designed setup.Great Job!

Call of Duty 4 continues to soak up most of my time.Looks like I'll be downloading the new map pack available on April 3rd. It's going to be 800MS points,but well worth it.

I have been playing some Army of Two and it's very fun with a buddy,but the AI partner is completely retarded.I play on professional level and I was wounded..Well the AI dragged me around the whole board before healing me.Yeah,I think I'm just playing for achievements now..

I'm going back to playing a little Star Trek Legacy. Some of the better players like (gamertag:)
XXTC,Surlaw the Mai,Terrabtyz are playing in a tournament.I'm definitely not good enough to play those guys,but the tips are very helpful.

Xbox Live Arcade has been sucking majorly lately.Nothing really I want to play. Come on Bionic Commando!!!

Burnout Paradise has been fun,but it's a major time sucker trying to find all of the jumps and billboards.I continue to play it and it's a ton of fun.Pick it up if you get a chance.

Be sure to check out pick and play on Xbox Live.It's on the inside Xbox channel .Interesting little show.I listen to achievement junkie podcast and I love it!

PS3 Thoughts
If you aren't playing Uncharted Drakes Fortune,then you should. It really is a great game.

The Warhawk 1.3update should be available soon if it isn't already.Using a wrench to blow up a tank??? How can you not love that shit...really

PSN cards??? Where are you?
I'm having to use a generic credit card that you buy from walmart to buy games.Looking forward to getting SuperStardust HD.The demo is fun.

Downloaded Condemned 2,but haven't tried it yet.Maybe today.

GT5 Prolouge should be out soon.Not sure,if I'm getting it,but I'll be looking at the community opinion first.

PS3 update 2.20 very soon

According to press releases Sony will dropping 2.20 very soon.Maybe as early as today.
Here is some of what is in the update.I expect some hidden stuff too to get it up to snuff for Home/XMB(which I think will be Sony's announcement at E3)


See below:


The ability to copy PS3 Music and Photo playlists to a PSP system. We introduced the ability to create Music and Photo playlists on the PS3 in firmware update v2.0. Now you can easily export your playlists to your PSP.

You can now play DivX and WMV format files that are over 2 GB.

Resume Play - begin playing a DVD or BD disc from the point where you previously stopped it, even if you eject the disc and insert a different movie or game.

Use your PSP as a remote control to play back your music files on your PS3 without turning on your TV.

The Internet browser now displays some web pages faster.

Game Giveaway: Star Trek Conquest

With the start of the new blog we want to have a contest and give away a game.
First off,this is a relatively new game from Bethesda(I purchased this one) and I will give it away to the person who has some graphics talent.What we need is a new logo and a banner for the top of the blog.It needs to be in HTML for the blog and incorporate Well Rounded Gamer as the title.
So send me what you have to gnewton@nc.rr.com. Put Game giveaway as your subject thread.
I know the trek fans will probably go for it,but anyone is welcome.
Thanks

Review of Pain/PSN

Pain is one of those games that you either love or hate (like a relative).Even though the game is out in the US,it should be hitting Europe this week or next (hopefully and according to gossip).First the bad things. It is lacking in content and value.The game costs $9.99 and you get basically one section of a city to send your guy flying into objects ala The Greatest American Hero.If the game was say $5.99 I could understand it,but nonetheless I still enjoy it. It's a good family game also,but don't expect to play it for hours on end. Three levels and the game would have been golden,but this feels setup to burn your for extra content on PSN. You can also buy extra characters,but I still feel ripped off at this point.
Well,you ask what are the good things? It's damn fun. You have got to laugh at someone falling into a smokestake or getting their nuts smashed into a pole. Yes,it is a test of what the Havok engine can do and it does have a lot of failings. But,I think if you have the extra coin and want a little time waster,then why not. Although,don't blame me when you say "That's it?"
There are extra modes such as Mime Toss,Spank the Monkey and the free dlc fun with explosives which adds some extra play time.There is also a mp selection to the game,but I rarely play that much. So is it worth your money?

Yes,if your money was 5-6 bucks,but at the current price point I don't think so.



Sony PS3 PSN game
Pain
Cost:$9.99
Grade: B-

Army of Two Co-op

EA's Army of Two Co-op is very,very fun. I played this with my girlfriend's brother Saturday and it rocks. I can't say anything about the single player yet,but if you have some friends then this game is for you. So go buy it and ignore your family for a while.

Burnout Paradise/xbox 360

I have been playing this game for a while now and it's quite fun.I'm just trying to figure out
the perfect park achievements and how to do showtime.It's hard to get 1.5m on showtime.Any hints? I need about 15 more events to make it to A license.With all the games to review and play how will I make the time.

Burnout Paradise/xbox 360

EA: Army of Two

Just picked this up so we'll see if it's any good.Probably
play a little tonight and tomorrow.Just need to see who's
online and what the co-op is all about.Look for a review
down the road.

Call of Duty 4:New Chinatown map

Gametrailers has a new video up with the release of the new map for call of duty 4.
Enjoy

Podcast Review Central #1

This is the first in a little review of my favorite podcasts. So go to itunes and download achievement junkie.It's only about 30 minutes long,but it's quite enjoyable. Nelson and Natalie are the hosts and you feel like your listening to regular people talking about their favorite games.The podcast is 360 specific so dont' plan on hearing any playstation discussion,but it's worth a download.
You won't hear anything new or amazing,but if you want to hear some relaxing talk about games.You found the right podcast

Burnout DLC free??

I really enjoy Burnout Paradise so any content that is free is good..Keep it coming
Story below from shacknews.







Some of the upcoming downloadable content for Criterion Games' open-world racer Burnout Paradise (PS3, X360) will be free, creative director Alex Ward has revealed.
"The [new] islands will all be free," Ward wrote on the developer's official forum. The island environments are expected to provide owners with new challenges and tracks.
"That's not to say all of the downloadable content we are working on will be free," he later told videogaming247. "We will charge (price TBC) for some stuff."

Ward remained tight-lipped on the specifics of the content that could incur a charge, noting that the company sees DLC as a way of "continuing to develop the game which we worked on....almost to the point of making a new game.
"New game modes are very important to us, but it's about more than that," he teased

GTA4: New MP modes.

Some new info popping up on gta4.net. I'm not really interested in GTA4,but I might still pick it up based on its popularity..Now which platform to go with..hmmm
Copied and pasted below for easy reading.






The latest issue of PSM Spain has a new article on Grand Theft Auto IV, with 20 new screenshots and the first details on GTA IV's multiplayer system. Here is a list of the new information, which is being updated constantly:
There are 15 multiplayer game modes in GTA IV. PSM had an opportunity to play 7 of them. The rules of each game are determined by the host.
Multiplayer supports upto 16 players.
Your online character is fully customizable. You can alter his race, sex, hair, clothing etc.
PSM Spain has all the first details on GTA IV's multiplayer system.
The game modes featured are as follows:
Hangman's NOOSE
Car Jack City
Bomb da Base
Bomb da Base II
Mafia Work
Team Mafia Work
Deathmatch
Team Deathmatch
Turf War
Cops n Crooks
Race
GTA Race
Deal Breaker
Free Mode
In Race and GTA Race, the host gets to decide which vehicles are involved, and the number of laps to be played. You can shoot and throw molotovs from the window, and even steal your rivals' car.
In Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, the host gets to decide whether the police can intervene or not. The host also gets to decide the number of pedestrians, the amount of traffic, and the type of weapons.
In Cops n Crooks, one team play as cops and the other play as criminals. The cops must stop the criminals from escaping. They can monitor the locations of the criminals on their GPS systems, while the criminals have no idea where the cops are.
In Mafia Work and Team Mafia Work, you play as one of Kenny Petrovic's mafia henchmen. You must complete hits ordered by the boss (via the cellphone) before your rivals are able to do so.
A single-player mission called "Hangman's NOOSE" features co-op. You and your friends will be able to escort a mobster, while being pursused by a SWAT team.
The map used in multiplayer is the same map that is used for single player.

What I'm playing this weekend. 3/14 edition

Proably not going to be doing much tonight,but I hope to get in some Rock Band this weekend with my friends.Sunday will be some COD4 on 360 and I'm going back and playing what I didn't finish on Uncharted:Drakes Fortune. It's still the best looking game on the PS3. Reminds me of Indiana Jones if he only wore better clothes.

US PSN Store Update 3/13/08

Yesterdays store update was unremarkable,but I did download a few themes and videos.I also got the Wipeout Pulse demo.It seems pretty fun,but here's the list of what is on the store.
It's a slow time in terms of new games,so I didn't expect a lot of demos.

Add-on Game Content
Toy Home Expansion Pack ($6.99)The Toy Home Expansion Pack adds even more racing fun to the miniature universe. This pack includes 6 new vehicles and 2 new playrooms, each with 3 separate configurations. Players will now be able to engage in 4-player battle both offline and online and check out their rankings online. Also included are a new set of courses in the single player mode and a free-run mode.File size: 100 KB
PAIN Character: Nurse, Ginger ($0.99)PAIN can hurt, but be careful - Sometimes your medical professional is really the one who needs help. Case in point, downloadable character Ginger, our on-site PAIN Nurse.File size: 7.42 MB
PAIN Character: Cheerleader, Muffy ($0.99)“Gimme a ‘P’! Gimme an ‘A’! Gimme an ‘I’! Gimme an ‘N’! What does it spell!?!?? Umm…Can someone tell me what that spells, please?” Yeah, that’s Muffy, our new downloadable Cheerleader for PAIN.File size: 4.68 MB
GUITAR HERO III: Dropkick Murphy’s Track Pack (free)“Famous for Nothing”, “Flannigans Ball”, “Johnny”, “I Hardly Knew Ya”, as performed by Dropkick Murphy’s. For all song credits please visit www.redoctane.comFile size: 41.7 MB
Rock BandBuild your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.
“Shockwave” - Black Tide ($0.99)
“Beethoven’s C***” - Serj Tankian ($0.99)
“CrushCrushCrush” - Paramore ($0.99)
File sizes: 20.3 MB - 23.7 MB
Demos (free)
Major League Baseball 2K8 DemoThis is a 3 inning demo of baseball gameplay from Major League Baseball 2K8. It features 2 teams (Boston and Colorado) and 1 stadium (Fenway Park).ESRB Rated EFile size: 952 MB
Game Videos (free)
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds - Characters & CoursesSlip on the golf shoes, step out on the course and tee it up on the PlayStation 3 with Hot Shots Golf Out Of Bounds.File size: 41.6 MB (HD)
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds - New Shot SystemSlip on the golf shoes, step out on the course and tee it up on the PlayStation 3 with Hot Shots Golf Out Of Bounds.File size: 64.5 MB (HD)
Viking: Battle for Asgard Teaser TrailerYou are Skarin, a rage-fueled Viking warrior hell-bent on revenge. The goddess of death has resurrected a legion of demon warriors to overrun mankind and begin the apocalypse. Wage all-out war to annihilate the enemy and free the Earth from the grip of the Underworld.File size: 70.3 MB (HD)
Viking Episode 1 - Skarin’s Calling TrailerThe invasion of Hel’s Dread Legion. Midgard is brought to its knees, its sons and daughters murdered or imprisoned. Is there no one to stand against her? Have the gods deserted us?File size: 84.7 MB (HD)
Viking Episode 2 - Siege of Caldburg TrailerCaldburg, The Jewel of Galcliff, now overrun by Hel’s monsters and corrupted by the horrors committed within its walls. Skarin knew its importance to our people, and we marched on the city with a grim determination.File size: 76.5 MB (HD)
PS3 Themes (free)
God of War: Chains of Olympus ThemeCustomize your PS3 system with a cool God of War: Chains of Olympus theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons.File size: 8.19 MB
PAIN: Ginger ThemeCustomize your PS3 system with a cool PAIN: Ginger theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons.File size: 2.53 MB
PAIN: Muffy ThemeCustomize your PS3 system with a cool PAIN: Muffy theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons.File size: 2.58 MB
Condemned 2: Bloodshot Theme 1Customize your PS3 system with a cool Condemned 2: Bloodshot theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons.File size: 25.5 MB
Condemned 2: Bloodshot Theme 2Customize your PS3 system with a cool Condemned 2: Bloodshot theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons.File size: 14.2 MB
Here is this week’s content release for the PLAYSTATION Store for PC. To download these games to your PSP, navigate to http://store.playstation.com. There, you’ll find descriptions of the content and directions on how to get started. For more on the PLAYSTATION Store for PC, please click here.
Demos (free)
* WipEout Pulse Demo
PSP Themes (free)
* God of War: Chains of Olympus Theme
PSP Wallpaper (free)
* God of War: Chains of Olympus Wallpaper (x4)
Hope you enjoy!

Enewtabie's review: Call of Duty 4/Xbox 360

I wanted to start my reviews with a game that really has taken a hold of my personal time. First off,let me give you a disclamer.I'm not a professional reviewer,but I will give you a straight opinion.

The single player campaign will rock your ass from beginning to end.Although,the plotline feels like a Michael Bay movie(which isn't a bad thing or is it?) you can't help,but be sucked in. I won't spoil the ending,but it's one of the best in modern video games. Listen up Infinity Ward and make a few more single player missions as DLC.I will spend the money. The SP missions are well rounded and vary from locations all over Europe and the Middle East and Russia. You will spend your time playing as either a British SAS commando or USMC Marine.I personally would have liked more time with the Marines. The graphics are also very impressive and I only suffered slight framerate slowdown,but that could be the 360s fault.

Now to the bread and butter. The multiplayer slaps you in the face like a cheap prostitute. From the perks to the challenges to the wide variety of maps. The level system maxes out at rank 55,but you can go over to prestige levels 1-10. I'm on level 45,but I will be stopping at 55 so I can keep all of my weapons. I've played most of the types of games and I find Headquarters to be my favorite.Probably the combination of high scores , unified goal and I like stabbing people in the neck who are protecting the HQ. The multiplayer will definitely pull you away from other things. Just don't forget to dump the trash or wash dishes(hmrph)

Infinity Ward will be releasing 4 maps as a part of a pack this spring/summer.No idea about price yet,but many are hoping for free. I'll gladly pay up to 800 MS points myself. I also think downloadable missions and weapons would be a good idea. Listen up fourzerotwo..

So in Conclusion,if you don't have this game. Go buy it. You'll thank me. You wife,partner or significant other will curse me to no end. You'll be smiling while singing "Frag out!"

Call of Duty 4
Publisher:Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward
Platform version reviewed:Xbox 360
Single Player played to completion on Normal, just started Veteran
Multiplayer: Currently on Level 45


Grade:
A+