Frothing Demand

Rabid commentary on video games, movies and television.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Don’t skimp on the chair

The root of my back pain was discovered moments ago by Charly when she sat on my office chair. It appears that the padding inside has disappeared, and I’ve been sitting on leather covered metal for months. Ouch. A temporary cushion is in place.

Spent far too much time on Oblivion this week, but the deed is done – 1250/1250 GP. While I got the Warp Pipe in on time for the first time in months, my About.com work was not done, so I’ve got today and tomorrow to wrap it up before he announces who moves on to stage 2. I’m trying to get it all done today.

Scored a bunch of cheap PSX games from Charly’s work, including an almost mint condition Metal Gear Solid to complete my collection. Well, technically I don’t have an original Sons of Liberty, but that is easily rectified.

Reviews
Secret Agent Clank (PSP) at Internode Games Network
Beijing 2008: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games (Xbox 360) at Internode Games Network

Features
The Warp Pipe – Building a Better Sports Game at Internode Games Network

posted by Matthew Keller at 11:59 am  

Monday, July 21, 2008

Catching up

Completely forgot last week’s entry.

Been busy keeping an eye on things for E3. Didn’t actually write anything more than an editorial in the end, but it did help me plan for review coverage. At this stage, I’m looking at over 50 reviews to write before the year is over. In comparison, I did 40 in the first 6 months, though I only started full paced reviewing for Internode in March.

Currently in training with About.com to take over the Nintendo DS guide. It’s tougher than I thought writing for a less informed audience; shorter reviews and simpler, clearer language. Feedback has been positive, so let’s hope it all works out.

Been struggling with an Alone in the Dark review for over two weeks now. I do not know why this is, but I’m doing my best to wrap it up today, come hell or high water.

Going to see The Dark Knight tomorrow, don’t have my hopes up for it.

Reviews
Top Spin 3 (Xbox 360) at Strategy Informer
Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 (Xbox Live Arcade) at Internode Games Network
The Incredible Hulk (Xbox 360) at Internode Games Network

Previews
Super Street Fighter II HD Remix (Xbox Live Arcade) at Internode Games Network

Features
The Warp Pipe – History of Batman Video Games at Internode Games Network
The Warp Pipe – E3 2008: The Aftermath at Internode Games Network

posted by Matthew Keller at 1:58 pm  

Sunday, July 6, 2008

The calm before the storm

Next week is the E3 show, so it’ll be back to newswriting for a week or so for me. Decent money, but no sleep since everything seems to happen around 2-3am.

Trying to finish Alone in the Dark at the moment for a review early this week. Also coming is a review on Beijing 2008, a game that will cause more injuries/lawsuits than the original Mario Party. Secret Agent Clank also has to be done, woo. Everything needs to be done early in the week so I can take a short breather and bum around for a bit. Haven’t been taking weekends lately.

Spent Thursday running around the Eastern Suburbs like a headless chook trying to find games on sale at Dick Smith. Unfortunately for Charly, some little shit bought up every copy of Harvest Moon DS to trade at JB before we got there (JB don’t take multiples of the one game from the one person, so maybe that story was wrong). We ended up heading back and forth between stores, but eventually got just about everything we were looking for. Some of the games I bought were marked down by as much as 75-95%.

I’m hoping to see more Wii games at this year’s E3. When the system was revealed, there was a lot of hooplah about new game concepts, blah blah, but very few studios delivered. I think that there will need to be an injection of new blood before the Wii’s potential is fully realised in the West – current developers are too set in their “pretty graphics, big worlds and bald space marines” design ways to try and think about developing something smaller and more gameplay-centric. I had a good idea for a small Wii project, though that’ll be shelved alongside every other creative idea I’ve had this year.

Reviews
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Xbox 360) review at Internode Games Network
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) review at Internode Games Network
Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy (Xbox 360/PS3) review at Internode Games Network

Features
The Warp Pipe – Games of Q3, 2008 at Internode Games Network

posted by Matthew Keller at 10:53 am  

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