Gamersledge

Gamersledge is a podcast and website. The website is http://www.gamersledge.com The podcast RSS feed is http://www.gamersledge.com/rssfeed.xml

Podcast links need to have "http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?" in front of them

Game Reviews Format:

1. Explanation of game 2. Graphics
 * 1. Interfaces
 * 2. In-game graphics

3. Sound
 * Sound effects
 * Music

4. Gameplay
 * 1. Single Player
 * 2. Multiplayer and modes of Multiplayer

5. Summation and Score

The area below is for podcast members to share show notes/timelines. Please do not edit if you aren't a podcast ok member. Thank you!

Show 061 -  03.18.08 -

01. Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) will report to Kazuo Hirai http://www.gametab.com/news/2532324/--Mark

02. --YJ

03. So Sony is pretty pumped this week as NPD's February report shows the PS3 sales surpassing the 360 for two months is a row for the North American market. In fact it is up 120%(280.8 K in Feb) from last year. Both PS3 and PSP have seen quite a bit of growth recently and according to Jack Trenton “Consumers are recognizing the tremendous value of PS3 and we believe that Blu-ray becoming the high-def format of choice was the tipping point for many consumers. With monster titles like Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and Grand Theft Auto IV launching in April and Metal Gear Solid 4 in June, we’re demonstrating this is the year for PS3.” Of course the PS3 is still trailing it's elder brother, the Wii and king of the hill, the DS. Poor little PSP comes in last. --Neo

04. Marveltcg 1 year anniversary gala. --Mark

05. --YJ

06. Discount Bin Stuff:

Best Buy has a free copy of Brain Age, Brain Age 2 or Big Brain Academy with the purchase of a DS lite. Also you can get $100 off a 40Gig PS3 when you buy a HDTV at $1000+. Just don't buy the HDMI cable there.

Target is selling Smackdown vs Raw 2008, Assassin's Creed, GHIII(360 only) and teh Haloz 3 for $40. They also have a large array of games for $20 and below. If you are looking for some older titles take a look.

Toys R Us is giving you buy on get $20 off on all Wii games $20+ and buy one get $10 off all DS games $10+.

Buy.com is giving $5 off if you spend $75 or more on games, movies and music. http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.asp?prid=83125283#

Amazon has the PS Eye for $33 or you can get Eye of Judgment for $42. While not really games related, Amazon is giving you a pretty good deal on a lot of Blu-Ray movie titles. See the show notes for hte direct link. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?ie=UTF8&rs=387547011&rh=n%3A130%2Cp%5Fn%5Fbinding%5Fbrowse-bin%3A387547011&page=1

So I have to ask, does everyone consider the gift card thing most retailers are doing as a deal? Personally I am getting a little annoyed with it. Granted these are stores I will probably be buying something from soon anyway, and I WILL use them. I just find it annoying. Thoughts?

--Neo

07. I have maintained that ActiBlizziVisionard are... well they are a bunch of money grubbing bags of cleansing apparati, but now it seems like it's actually really legally true. See, there's this little game called Guitar Hero III, #1 selling game for 2007, developed by EA-owned Harmonix. Yeah, so if Red Octane, purchasers of the IP (that's intellectual property for all you copyright newbs), developed their own 'from-scratch' software and just used the Guitar Hero name, then they'd only owe Harmonix X dollars. But if they DIDN'T develop their own, then they'd owe Harmonix 2x. Well, they DIDN'T develop their own game, but only paid Harmonix X. Harmonix said: We're not messing around with you collective bags of cleansing apparati anymore, and filed a lawsuit. Activisiblizzardvision said "Guys, guys, come on, let's not drag the courts into this." And Harmonix said fine. The two are negotiating out of court. It looks like we may have GH3 controller use yet, PS3 Rock Band fans. --Mark

08. --YJ

09. So for this story I was trying to decide if I should cover Boston's Mayor Tom Menino backing MA "games as porn" style bill, or the reason Capcom only has the SFIIHD beta on 360 being to get the game out quicker or the leaked PSN release list that has a Ratchet game (Quest for booty??) and Home listed for July, I decided to instead go with an article from GameSetWatch on how little niche titles that may have not otherwise made it to our western shores are now making it because of the extended life of the PS2 into the "next Gen". When the PS2 was in its prime, there were statements about extremely stringent restrictions on what was being brought over based on style and graphics. The list included but is not limited to:"

Arcana Heart (PS2, Atlus, April 2008) "A 2D arcade fighting game developed by Examu (formerly Yuki Enterprise)... the game features an original all-female cast (each a variation of the moe Anime-Girl archetype), and after choosing a character the player chooses an "elemental alignment" which determines the character's special moves."

- Taito Legends 2 (Destineer, May 2007) "Taito Legends 2 is a follow-up collection of... Taito arcade games for the PlayStation 2 [including Cameltry, Cleopatra Fortune, Elevator Action Returns, and a host of others]... Bonus content includes hints, cheats and tips for most games, original game flyers, and one interview with Taito."

- King Of Fighters XI (SNK, November 2007) "The latest installment of The King of Fighters series. The game continues the story of The King of Fighters 2003." But also see a host of others, including Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, World Heroes Anthology, Fatal Fury Battle Archives, and more. SCEA sometimes allowed compilations of SNK 2D titles before, but it definitely seems like they are getting more friendly as resources shift to Wii and next-gen consoles.

- Heavenly Guardian (UFO Interactive, February 2008) "The successor to the cult favorite Kiki KaiKai series, known more commonly as Pocky & Rocky in North America. It is not precisely the Kiki KaiKai 2 sequel that had previously been announced and canceled - however it is developed by the same company, Starfish SD, and has been described as a "spiritual successor" and is allegedly "very similar" to the cancelled game according to Kiki Kai World's publisher, UFO Entertainment."

Some alternatives might include Baroque, Mana Khemia, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, Persona 3 FES and a host of others. Again, it's not as if these titles all wouldnt have been released before. But in a time that a lot of people are concentrating on the 'next-gen experiences', it's great to see some exquisitely niche PlayStation 2 titles - often with wonderfully crafted gameplay - flowing into the West. "

It is a true testament to the PS2's success that we are still talking about it and that I am still buying PS2 titles.

--Neo

10. Alphabet Soup/DLC/Microtransactions/Draining Your Wallet Dry

Last Week's PS3:

Add-on Game Content
 * Toy Home™ Expansion Pack -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. $6.99
 * Pain Characters Nurse Ginger and Cheerleader Muffy. 99 cents apiece Whoopideedoo.
 * GHIII Dropkick Murphy pack (Free)

PS3 Demo
 * Major League Baseball 2K8

Game Videos
 * Hot Shot and 3 Vikings videos

Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers

PS3 Themes
 * Pain Character themes

PS3 Wallpaper

PSP Downloadable Games
 * Demo for Wipeoue Pure

Game Videos (free)

PSP Wallpaper (free)

This Weds 360: First, the good: two decent games, Assault Heroes and Doom, are dropping in cost from 800 Microsoft Points down to 400 ($10->$5). The bad news, however, is that there are no new games planned for release on Wednesday.

Monday's Wii VC: From the NES days, Nintendo brings back a game that sounds like a sexual position. Spelunker (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) is an adventure game where you explore caves in your goal to find an underground pyramid for treasures. You collect items along the way while avoiding dangers such as bats taking shits on you. Oh, and the game can be beaten in around five minutes.

Second Virtual Console release of this week is Super R-Type (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points). It's R-Type, I don't need to say a damn thing about this game. Just buy it. You'll thank me. 

Rock Band: This week for DLC we have the much awaited Earache Thrash Pack. We have "Blinded By Fear" by At the Gates (master), "Thrasher" by Evile (master) and "D.O.A." by The Haunted (master). All tracks are $1.99 (160 Mystery Points) or $5.49 (440 Mystery Points) for the pack. --YJ

Discussion of the Week:

Review: 

Meet Destructoid Segment:

Ending comments:

In further efforts to spread the music I like, I present the Sick Puppies. It's kinda a Fuel meets Puddle of Mudd and a little something else tossed in. See the show notes for a link to their "breakout" hit All The Same http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okjxe8VWQPo

Outro: Mashup of the Week: