Kindle Fire Review

 
   I've seen a lot of reviews of the Kindle Fire online, and most of them were done by highly tech savvy people who work for large online magazines and blogs. To be honest I didn't feel that those reviews were very relevant to the majority of this device's buyers. It seems that the people who are purchasing the Kindle Fire want a cheap way to browse the web, play tablet games and check email. This item appeals to those who aren't really interested in specs and performance. It appeals to older adults like my mother, whom I purchased this device for. I really think she just wanted to play "Bejeweled" and "Angry Birds" and read a book or two. In fact, the first thing she did when got the Kindle Fire was set up a wifi connection and download "Bejeweled 2".
   The Kindle Fire is perfect for people like my mom. Its cheap, simple, and lightweight. I don't think this tablet is anywhere near the iPad or that it should even be called a tablet. It's basically an e-reader that does a little more, but that's what a lot of people are looking for.
   For what it has (e-reader, browser, apps, video streaming) and its price of $200 I would recommend this to anyone looking for a tablet to give to their non-geeky parents or grandparents, or to anyone who is an older parent or grandparent just looking to do simple tasks.
   I will say that one downside is that the Kindle Fire doesn't include a camera, but buyers should also consider that today most people own a personal computer and if they don't have a webcam they can probably find one for a very low price. Of course, you could always give someone a netbook for about the same price as this tablet.

Cut to the chase:
Good for older and non-geeky people, not good for iPad geeks

Gears of War 3 Review

The "Gears of War" trilogy has spanned over nearly five years. "Gears of War" was one of the first big 360 exclusive titles. It's campaign became legendary as well as it's online multiplayer experience. Then came "Gears of War 2" which was one of the top games of 2008. No one will ever forget the moment when Dom found Maria. After playing "Gears of War 3" I have to say that it lived up to the legacy of it's two predecessors and exceeded it in some ways.

Campaign

Similar to the first two installments, the Gears of War 3 campaign is full of intense action, one-liners, and heart wrenching moments. There are a few new weapons, like the Vulcan machine gun and a sawed-off shotgun, and most of the old ones that players have come to love. Marcus and the rest of the gang must fight their way to a city protected by an artificial hurricane where Marcus' father, Adam, and his secret weapon are located. They must fight the Lambent as well as the Locust and there are many twists and turns along the way. The campaign's writing is phenomenal (the voice acting... not so much) and from the moment I started playing it I didn't want to put the controller down. This campaign was my favorite part of Gears of War 3 and probably my favorite campaign out of all three installments.

Horde

Gears of War 3 features an entirely revamped Horde mode with many similarities to survival modes from franchises like Halo and Call of Duty. Players now earn money by killing enemies and completing bonus challenges. They use that money to purchase barriers, weapons, turrets and decoys that will help the fight the horde. Every tenth round is a boss round where players have to fight a random pick of the strongest Lambent or Locust enemies such as Berserkers. These changes have made horde mode more interesting and strategic and can make the experience very entertaining in co-op mode

Multiplayer

I have never been quite as interested in the "Gears" mutilplayer as I was in other games like Modern Warfare 1 & 2 and Halo 3, but once in a while if I'm bored or my friends ask me I'll play it. The things I enjoyed about the multiplayer modes in the previous two games are all included and in some cases improved in Gears of War 3. The cover based system and controls have been improved and many of the maps are larger and more fun to play on. The only negative that really stands out when I play online multiplayer is the sawed-off shotgun. The Gnasher shotgun is already very powerful and deadly at short range, so I don't understand why the sawed-off was included in the multiplayer modes. It's overpowered and can make a match miserable. My biggest hope is that it's power is adjusted in the next update.

Overall

Gears of War 3 is a fantastic game and for players who enjoy shooters with substance it is definitely worth the money. If you're worried about playing online multiplayer, it might be wise to wait until the game is updated to see what changes are made.

Modern Warfare 3: Top 5 Multiplayer Features That Make Me Hopeful

5. No Nukes - If you've played MW2 online you've almost certainly earned a nuke with a 25 kill streak or been annihilated by one in the last few minutes of a match your team was winning. It would seem that getting 25 kills without a death takes great skill, and might even merit a game winning reward, but in MW2 it didn't. Using One Man Army, any jerk could sit in a corner shooting a grenade launcher until he/she had a Harrier, a Chopper Gunner, and finally a Nuke. But no more will players live in fear of noobs with nukes. They will not be a part of MW3's new kill/point streak system.

4. COD Elite - Although a lot of the features of the free version of Call of Duty Elite aren't original, they are pretty cool and will add to the already high replay value that MW3 will most likely have. Players won't have to use third party websites to start private clans with their friends or share videos. I'm still not sure if the paid version is worth $50 a year though. It is $10 less than buying all of the DLC would be, but I only bought the first Black Ops Map Pack. If you plan on purchasing every map pack the paid version is definitely the way to go though, and you would probably save the most money by purchasing the Hardened Edition of Modern Warfare 3.

3. Strike Packages - What makes me most excited about the new kill/point streak system isn't the rewards themselves or their division into three classes, but the fact that killing people won't be the sole objective of the multiplayer experience anymore. The biggest objective will be earning points for your team. Domination, headquarters, and capture the flag are constantly ruined by people camping at objectives just to get kills and not helping their teams win. Every multiplayer mode eventually turned into TDM. I know that there will always be greedy bimbos that just want to camp and get their KD's up, but I think this new system will encourage people to run around and actually work with teammates to win. Of course, I've been wrong many times before.






2. No One Man Army - Campers and Boosters loved this perk, but now they'll just have to find new ways to ruin matches. This is one of the worst perks in any Call of Duty game, but the next item on my list still beats it.







1. No Commando - Not much to say about this one. It allowed people to teleport and survive falls off of buildings even after they'd been shot. Yeah. This perk made me wanna toss my xbox out the window a few times, but fortunately I'm not crazy enough to destroy $300.

Biggest Fall Game Releases

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Release Date: 11/1/11


This was one of the biggest games at E3 this year and may be one of the biggest games of the year. The adventures of Nathan Drake continue in the Arabian Desert in this third addition to the Uncharted franchise. This title will be exclusive to the Playstation 3 just as the first two were.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Release Date: 11/11/11

Probably the most anticipated role-playing game of 2011, Skyrim is expected to be a contender for game of the year on many lists. Oblivion was hugely successful and this game is expected to follow in it's predecessor's footsteps. Battles with dragons and tons of weapons and customization await in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Release Date: 11/8/11

This addition to the bestselling Call of Duty franchise and follow up to Modern Warfare 2, which sold nearly 7.5 million copies worldwide, is expected to be just as popular. The shake-up in Infinity Ward and the addition of Sledgehammer Games have raised some questions about this game, but as long as the story continues loyal Modern Warfare fans will stick with the series.

Gears of War 3
Release Date: 9/20/11

This Xbox 360 exclusive continues Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad's battle against the Locust. Gears of War is one of the oldest and most popular Xbox 360 titles. The campaign and multiplayer modes could make Gears of War 3 just as exciting, emotional, and successful as 1 and 2.

Battlefield 3
Release Date: 10/25/11

Battlefield 2 was released over six-years ago. It did not include a single-player campaign, but the multiplayer experience alone made it a highly enjoyable and beloved game. Fans of the Battlefield franchise will be rewarded with a new addition which will include a single-player campaign as well as multiplayer modes. This game's amazing visuals are making it a real possible competitor to Modern Warfare 3.

Rage
Release Date: 10/4/11

From the publishers of Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and the developers behind Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein comes Rage. This apocalyptic FPS will include a vast variety of enemies, weapons, and vehicles. This is also expected to be a fantastic game and a sequel has already been planned.

Assassin's Creed Revelations
Release Date: 11/30/11

In Assassin's Creed Revelations players will be able to play as Ezio Auditore once again as Desmond continues to dive into his ancestor's memories. In addition to the single-player campaigns seen in Assassin's Creed 1 & 2, Revelations will also include the multiplayer experience seen in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.

Bioshock 2 Review

Now I know this game is over a year old and many people who had any interest in this game have played it now, but my experience with this game was so awesome that I'd like to share it with whom ever reads this blog.

I beat the first Bioshock almost two years ago. Before I even considered buying it people were saying it was one of the best games of the year, and some said it was the best of all time. After completing the game I can definitely say it lived up to the hype. Whenever I wasn't too scared to look at the screen I had a great time fighting Big Daddies and electrocuting splicers. It came off as a horrifying FPS with some RPG elements. (Spoiler Alert) I ended up harvesting a few Little Sisters and saw an ending where rapture was basically unleash upon the surface world. I really enjoyed the game's stunning visuals and deep story.

In Bioshock two the tables are turned; you play as something similar to a Big Daddy. In Bioshock, the hardest common enemies were Big Daddies, but now players have to face Big Sisters. They are stronger, faster,and have crazy psychic/plasmid powers. The story is just as amazing and twisted as that of the first Bioshock. There are more large and tougher enemies in the sequel though. Many of the plasmid abilities available in the first game are available in the second as well. Players can "steal" Little Sisters from other Big Daddies and use them to harvest Adam from corpses. If that sounds sick to you, you probably haven't played Bioshock. The multiplayer mode is a huge addition to the Bioshock. Playing games like "Capture the Sister"(a variation on capture the flag) with Bioshock style characters is loads of fun. The online gameplay may not on the level of Call of Duty or Halo, but it is still completely worth playing.

Overall considering the new story, enemies, characters, multiplayer and graphics I have to give this game a 10 out of 10. Something else to consider, it only costs about 9 bucks right now, so if you're on the fence that price tag should knock you down.

Resistance 3 E3 Demo

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Trailer - E3 2011

Games for the Wii U

Mario Kart 3D Trailer - E3 2011

Tags: GameTrailers.com, Mario Kart 3D - E3 2011: Announce Trailer (Stream), PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Nintendo Press Conference - E3 2011

I don't really want to, but I do have to mention the titles that Nintendo announced for the 3DS before I get into their crazy new "console." Nintendo announced that entirely new Mario Kart, Star Fox, Super Mario, Kid Icarus and Luigi's Mansion games would be coming to the 3DS as well as Resident Evil games, Cave Story 3D, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, Tekken 3D, and Tetris among other games. They also announced that a new Pokedex app would be available for free with the new system update.

For the big news, Nintendo announced their next console: the "Wii U." It basically consists of a controller with a 6.2 inch touch screen in the center. There will be a separate consoles but Nintendo didn't go into much detail about that. The words "a later date" were heard a lot.

Back to the controller. Images are wirelessly transmitted from the console to the controller. You will be able to switch from playing on the TV to playing on the controller itself in an instance, but there is also the capability to use the screen on the Wii U controller and images on a TV screen together while gaming, which could make playing shooters very interesting. The controller also features the following:
-Two analog pads
-Microphone
-Left and Right Speakers
-Accelerometer
-Gyroscope

Nintendo also stated that players would be able to play all Wii games and use all Wii controllers and accessories  with the Wii U. Top developers like EA and Ubisoft also announced that they will be working on titles and technology for the Wii U immediately. Nintendo clearly stated that the new console will not be available until after March 31st, 2012 though.

Wii U Presentation



Graphics Demonstration

Sony Press Conference - E3 2011

Sony's press conference was definitely the most exciting so far, Nintendo may overshadow it this morning, but it was way better than Microsoft's. The first games presented were Uncharted 3 and Resistance 3. It's always great when they show the games people are actually going to play first.

After those 2 games they revealed that they will be releasing 24" 3D displays branded with the Playstation name and bundled with Resistance 3 and a pair of 3D glasses. The monitor will be a LED lit LCD with two HDMI ports and the glasses will be charged via USB cable. The bundle will be available this fall at $499.

Other games like NBA 2k12, which Kobe came out to support, and Dust 514 were also a part of the conference. It was also announced that Bioshock: Infinite will be move enabled and there will be some type of Bioshock game released for Sony's new handheld. Sony also announced that there will be exclusive Playstation content for a few EA games like Need for Speed: The Run and Battlefield 3. The Battlefield 3 Blu-ray will actually have a copy of Battlefield 1943 onboard.

After that the show was all NGP, or Playstation Vita as it is now called. The PSVita will feature dual touch pads(front and back), front and rear cameras for augmented reality capabilities, dual analogs, and cross game party capabilities. There will be 2 different models. The WiFi model will start at $249 and the 3G model will start at $299. The 3G connection will be provided by AT&T.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss was one of the games presented for the PSVita. The graphics demonstrated why the PSVita is a level above current handhelds. The game utilized analog and touch screen controls. Little Big Planet and, a game I'm very excited about, Street Fighter x Tekken will available for the PSVita in which Cole from inFamous will be just one of the playable characters.

Far Cry 3 Gameplay - E3 2011

Ubisoft Press Conference - E3 2011

There wasn't much to be excited about at Ubisoft's. The focus was casual games like Just Dance 3 and Your Shape. The more non-casual or hardcore games were Brothers in Arms: Furious 4, Far Cry 3, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Ghost Recon Online and Assassin's Creed: Revelations.

The most exciting games were the Ghost Recons, Far Cry 3, Rayman: Origins, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations. They, of course, saved Assassin's Creed for last so viewers had to sit through other frankly crap game presentations.

Ghost Recon Online will be a free online shooter. You can apply to participate in the beta here:
http://ghostrecononline.us.ubi.com/agegate

Here is some gameplay from Rayman: Origins, which actually looks very fun.



Assassins Creed: Revelations Gameplay from E3 2011. MEGA FLAMETHROWER!!!

OverStrike Trailer - E3 2011

A brand new game from Insomniac with TF2-esque graphics.
More info at Insomniac's Website : Click Here

Need for Speed: The Run Gameplay Trailer - E3 2011

Mass Effect 3 Gameplay - E3 2011

Gameplay featuring Kinect capabilities from E3 2011.

EA Press Conference - E3 2011

EA showcased content from games of several different genres, like Need For Speed: The Run, SSX, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and The Sims Social, but we all know that the only games most people wanted to see were Madden, Mass Effect 3, and Battlefield 3.

The Madden 12 presentation was a disappointment. A trailer was shown but almost no gameplay. Hopefully that will change during the course of the expo because the game will be released in the next few months.

Mass Effect 3 is expected to be just as amazing as it's predecessors, and the footage shown at the EA Press Conference was not mind-blowing, but it added to the already amazing features that have been shown so far this year, before and during the expo.

Battlefield 3 was definitely the star of the show. A live demo of the PC version of the game demonstrated some of the features that will make this game hard to beta. The PC graphics were some of the best I've seen so far and the sound and motion were very realistic. This may be a result of Dice's new game engine which was also featured during the Battlefield 3 presentation.

Xbox Live Cloud Storage

Xbox Live users will be able to store their game saves in the cloud and access them from any Xbox 360, anywhere. It's strange that they choose to focus mainly on Kinect rather than announce this at the Press Conference. I personally would love to use this feature.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition

Kinect Star Wars - E3 2011

Tomb Raider Gameplay E3 2011

Fable: The Journey Trailer

The next addition to the Fable franchise will be a Kinect-enabled first-person rpg. It wasn't quite clear if this game could only be used with the Kinect, but hopefully that will be explained sometime during the expo.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Controls Video

E3 2011 - Microsoft Press Conference

All eyes were on the Kinect at this year's Microsoft Press Conference at E3. Dozens of upcoming games including Madden, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, UFC, Fable the Journey, and Forza Motorsport 4 will be Kinect enabled. Mass Effect 3 will also be Kinect enabled. Players will be able to control character reactions via voice commands. Xbox will also be the only console offering Minecraft, which will also be Kinect enabled.

Microsoft also unveiled the (new) New Xbox Experience which can be controlled by voice commands using the Kinect. Youtube, Bing, and Live TV are also coming to Xbox Live.

Other games including Modern Warfare 3, Tomb Raider, Gears of War 3, and Halo 4 (yes it's official) were shown during the Press Conference. MW3 DLC will be coming to Xbox Live first, as always. The new Tomb Raider reboot had amazing graphics and the "Horde" game mode will be returning in Gears of War 3. Halo 4 was also announced as a trilogy, leading me to believe there will definitely be a "Halo 5" and "Halo 6."

RAGE Trailer (Pre-E3)

Modern Warfare 3 Reveal Trailer

Mass Effect 3 Trailer (Pre-E3)

E3 2011 Schedule and Info

E3 2011 begins today, as most hardcore gamers and fanboys know, with the Microsoft press conference at 9:30 AM PDT. It will focus on the Xbox 360, upcoming games for the console, and "surprises."


 The EA press conference will begin at 12:30 PM PDT today. Battlefield 3, Madden 12, and FIFA 12 are just a few of the games expected to be featured in this year's press conference.

At 2:30 PM PDT the Ubisoft Briefing will begin. Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and Ghost Recon Online are some of the games expected to be showcased at this briefing.

The continually troubled Sony will hold a press conference at 5:00 PM PDT. The recent security breaches and PSN downtime will be unavoidable topics, but Uncharted 3, Resistance 3, and the NGP will also be featured.

Trailers, demos, and live gameplay footage from expected blockbuster games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Modern Warfare 3, Bioshock: Infinite, Batman: Arkham City, Twisted Metal, Rage, and Mass Effect 3 will also be premiered throughout the day.

Dead Space 2 Big Success for EA

Today, Electronic Arts released its Q3 financial results. It is no surprise that EA was the best selling publisher in nearly every market for 2010.  Last year five of their games "sold in more than five million units each." Those games wer FIFA 11, Medal of Honor, Madden NFL 11, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit and BF: Bad Company 2. EA is also the best selling publisher in most major App stores.

Dead Space 2, which was released last week,  reportedly outsold Dead Space "two-to-one."  EA has never had many problems selling its games.  Its yearly revenue blows plenty of other publishers out of the water, but the fact that Dead Space 2, a game that doesn't involve sports and isn't a FPS, has the potential to sell on the level of those games is interesting.

Dead Space 2 Demo Info and Trailer

For those of you who haven't been on XBL in a while, the Dead Space 2 Demo is now available, so go kick some alien butt! Here's a trailer that demonstrates some of the pure badassery that will go down in the hit-game's sequel.

The Masters will be featured in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12

The Masters, one of the most exclusive and prestigious tournaments in professional golf will be featured in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12. The newest addition to the franchise will include new features including "Masters Moments" and "The Caddie Experience," as well as over a dozen new players. The collector's edition, exclusive to the PS3, will also include five additional maps. For more information, click the link below:

EA SPORTS Collaborates with Augusta National Golf Club to Feature the Masters in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12

Source:  Electronic Arts Inc.