Living Room Hero

So it's about a week ago and the 30yoRoomie and I are just finishing up a four hour tour on Rock Band. He was playing lead guitar and I was lead vocals. Our band name appropriately titled "Gin & Juice". And as I'm standing there in my living room, sweating, barely able to speak, and swigging down a beer, two thoughts came to my mind.

1. Jon Bon Jovi has to be a woman
2. I am a Rock God!!!!

Rock Band is now my third dive into the world of rock. The whole thing started over a year ago when Guitar Hero 2 came out for the Xbox 360, and with knowing no one who had ever played the game before, I bought the game because I thought it looked cool. Man, I had no idea. Now just like every other Living Room Hero who first picked up the guitar, I had no idea how to play. The idea of using all four of my fingers on Medium difficulty while still strumming in time seemed just impossible at first. But after making a complete fool of myself for a good long while, I finally got the hang of it and started rocking out like a God.
Then came this past holiday season with the famous Rock Band vs Guitar Hero 3 battle. Just so you know where I stood on that battle, I basically gave everyone I've ever met Guitar Hero 3 for Christmas. I had nothing personal against Rock Band. But it just seemed ridiculous to me to spend $170 on a single video game, regardless of the cool toys that came with it.

And for the next five months, the 30yoGF and 30yoRoomie and I have had a great time rocking out to both Guitar Hero 2 & 3. In fact, the final battle at the end of Guitar Hero 3 against the devil playing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is still one of the greatest video game final bosses ever!

So now we are in the Dog Days of Summer, and my friend "The Paperboy" agreed to lend me Rock Band. I've heard great things about this game and so I had to give it a shot. Sadly, he doesn't have the drum set, which I'm still dying to play. But let me tell you, even with just the guitar and the mic, the game is intense.

Here I am thinking that the hardest part of this game is going to be the guitar, but in fact, singing is really, really hard. Now, I'm absolutely no vocalist. I have a hard time carrying a tune in the shower, let alone belt out some of the notes in some of these songs. But damn, if it isn't fun trying. And for those of you out there like me, who can't hit a note with a sledgehammer, the only way to play this game is to give it everything you got. If you sing half-assed, you'll quickly find yourself booed off stage and your guitarist pissed off that he has to save you yet again.

So now I sit here reflecting on all of those three games and my overall thoughts on them. First, the Guitar Hero games are much harder. There are many songs that are shared on both GH3 and Rock Band, such as "Mississippi Queen" and the guitar part on Rock Band is stupid easy compared to GH3. Also, I'm not a huge fan of the way that on the World Tour part of Rock Band, you keep playing the same songs over and over again. I've pretty much had my fill of "Blitzkrieg Bop." But all of that is outweighed by the sheer fun of playing together in a band in Rock Band. I can't even imagine the joy of playing with four buddies in the same room together. Also, talk about a family game night. Dad on the drums, Mom on the bass, and the kids on lead guitar and vocals. That's what I'm talking about.

But looking toward the horizon, not all is roses for the Guitar Hero / Rock Band series. They are quickly going to burn themselves out. If this isn't a fad, I don't know what is. First let's look at the sheer volume of games.
1. Guitar Hero (PS2)
2. Guitar Hero 2 (PS2, Xbox 360)
3. Guitar Hero: Rock the 80s (PS2)
4. Guitar Hero 3 (PS2, PS3, 360, Wii)
5. Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS)
6. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (PS3, 360, Wii)
7. Guitar Hero: World Tour (PS3, 360, Wii)
8. Rock Band (PS2, PS3, 360, Wii)
9. Rock Band: Rock Revolution (PS3, 360)

On top of that is all of the constant downloadable content, that's available for all games, and you can see that the market could get tired of this real fast. It may quickly get to the point where people will have spent more money on these franchises then they did for their systems. I mean if this keeps up then they will run out of quality songs, won't they?

But in the meantime, I'm going to take my guitar and my mic. I'm going to move the tables in my living room and set up my mini stage. And then I'm going to rock out like I've never rocked out before. Because nothing says badass quite like a 30 year old gamer with a plastic toy covered in stickers playing a cover song from Weezer! Oh Yeah!

Until next time,

- The 30 Year Old Gamer

Portable Potential

So I was just checking through some of my video game blogs the other day when I came across this quick little statistic. Here are the video game console sales for the month of April, according to NPD Research group:

1. Nintendo Wii - 714,000 units
2. Nintendo DS - 414,000 units
3. Sony PSP - 192,000 units
4. XBox 360 - 188,000 units
5. Sony PS3 - 187,100 units

I found this statistic amazing. Not only did the Sony PSP outsell both the Xbox 360 and Sony PS3, but the Nintendo DS sold more units in April than both the 360 and PS3 combined! Wow! That's an amazing statistic. Now I know that there are a lot of kids out there with a Nintendo DS. In fact, I believe that every single kid in the US has one, if not two. But I had no idea it was this large! And how about the Sony PSP? I would never in my wild imagination think that they would outsell either the 360 or the PS3, let alone both of them.This made me think a little bit about my own PSP and how much I use it. Now, I've owned my PSP for what seems like forever. I have probably 15 games for it, ranging from the original Lumines to brand new Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core. And for most of the games I have, I love each and every one of them. I even have a bunch of movies that I can watch on my PSP and when it comes to travelling, there really isn't a better portable entertainment system. I absolutely love it!

And I've seen how many kids play their Nintendo DS's, and its obvious that they love them as well. so here is my question. Why isn't portable gaming getting the press that it deserves?

Seriously. It looks to me as if this is truly where the money is being made in the video game industry. The systems are selling like hotcakes and the users seem to love the systems that they use, so what gives? I think the answer is the stigma of portable gaming. Think about where you have seen people playing video games in public. Is there any situation where that is looked at favorably?

For the Nintendo DS, the only times I've seen that played in public is with kids under the age of 13. Despite what Nintendo is trying to tell us in the commercials, I don't know anyone who owns a Nintendo DS and is over the age of 15. For the PSP, I've seen definitely older gamers, but no one over the age of 25, and it's always either on a bus or on a train. Have you ever seen anyone pull out a PSP in a restaurant or waiting for an oil change? Uh no.

Personally, I only play my PSP in my bedroom behind a closed locked door. A couple months ago I actually started carrying my PSP with me to work and out on the town to see if I could actually find times to play. The result was that I could actually find a time to play, but it would look ridiculous. Can you just imagine the scene? I'm sitting at a bar having a few drinks with the 30yoGF and she goes up to go to the bathroom. While she's gone I turn on my PSP and when she returns I'm half way through the 1st quarter of a game of Madden. Uh, I don't think so. The 30yoGF is very understanding when it comes to my video game playing, but she isn't that forgiving.

Recently, Apple has announced downloadable software for their Iphone, which includes games. There really hasn't been a lot of talk about this, but I believe that this is going to be huge. If the games are comparable to the PSP or DS and you can actually play the games without actually looking like you are playing the games, I think people will jump all over it. If I was Sony, I would be particularly worried, because they are going directly after the Sony PSP customers.

Will it be a Sony PSP killer? I don't think so. But if the games are good enough, you will definitely see those console sales numbers fall dramatically. And then maybe I might be able to get in a couple snaps with Tom Brady while the 30yoGF is in the restroom. "Oh sorry Sweetie. I was just checking my email."

Until next time,

- The 30 Year Old Gamer

The Dog Days of Summer

I've never truly been a summer person. I have very fair Irish skin, so believe me when I tell you that the sun and I have never been the closest of friends. But a crazy thing happened to me about two years ago. I found myself outside playing softball two days a week, and then golf two days a week, and then going to a BBQ every other week, and before I knew it, I was really enjoying summer. I was having a blast playing softball for a couple hours and then gulping down draft beers for a couple hours after that. It was just the time of my life.

I was trying to remind myself of this fact yesterday afternoon during the third inning of a 28-15 drubbing, as I was burning from the inside out in a balmy 103 degree humid afternoon. As I was sitting there slowly getting skin cancer, all I could think about was going home and sitting in my air conditioned apartment, drinking a very cold alcoholic beverage, and continuing my adventure through Liberty City, in Grand Theft Auto 4. At this point I'm about 2/3rds of the way through the game when it occurred to me...

What am I going to play when I beat this game? Oh that's right...nothing.

That's right folks, we are in the dreaded Dog Days of Summer. In the video game world that means there is going to be absolutely nothing coming out for months. There will be nothing to play, and even less to talk about. You think I'm kidding? I just took a quick browse through GameStop.com and here is what is coming up on their hit list.June 23rd: Battlefield: Bad Company

"Battlefield: Bad Company drops gamers behind enemy lines with a squad of renegade soldiers who risk it all on a personal quest for gold and revenge!"

Nice, I sure haven't played this game ever before. I'm sure this isn't like any other standard war game. You might as well have called it, Clone of Duty 4. June 24th: Alone in the Dark

"Players control Edward Carnby, the main character from the original Alone in the Dark, on a thrilling journey through a dark and terrifying re-creation of New York’s Central Park where Carnby must discover the truth behind a dark conspiracy."

This game looks a little cool with the idea of each stage being it's own 30 minute TV show-like horror episode. But this is more of a rental than anything else. I mean when you tear through this game in like 6-10 hours, what are you going to do with it? Play it again? You know where all of the scares are. June 29th: Guitar Hero - Aerosmith

"Gamers will experience Aerosmith’s GRAMMY winning career, from their first gig to becoming rock royalty, in a way that no other entertainment vehicle offers. "

I love Guitar Hero, and I'll get into more detail on that in another blog, and I was initially really excited about this title. However I took a look at it again and this is a little ridiculous. The graphics are the exact same as Guitar Hero 3. And for $60, you get 12 Aerosmith songs and 8 other songs. You get classic Aerosmith songs such as, "Mr Salty", "Moving Out", "Make It", and "Draw the Line." I'm from Boston and I don't even recognize these songs. I'm starting to think the Guitar Hero franchise is starting to be whored out just like Nintendo whores out Mario. July 29th: Soul Caliber 4

"Swords and Lightsabers will be drawn as NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. and LucasArts today announced that iconic Star Wars characters will appear in Soulcalibur® IV."

Speaking whored out, here comes Yoda and Darth Vader in a middle ages type fighting game. The original Soul Caliber was released over 10 years ago for the original Playstation and it was ground breaking. Now, this is a game that is released during the Dog Days of Summer and will be soon forgotten.

This doesn't even mention all of the other Summer Movie Video Games including Wall-E, Hellboy 2, and The Incredible Hulk which will all suck, as all movie video games do. And don't even get me started on the Nintendo Wii, which has literally NOTHING coming out for it. I mean if all you own is a Nintendo Wii, I would jump all over the opportunity to buy Rock Band or GH: Aerosmith. Seriously, what else is there? With the huge sales in video game consoles over the past 12 months, and everyone's interest at an all-time high, this could be the most disappointing season ever for video games.

And to be honest, I don't know why. The gamers now who are mostly playing these games are older than they have ever been, and they don't need the seasons to judge when they can and can't play games. I understand that people like myself tend to spend more time outside during the summer, but on days like yesterday when I'm on fire, I really would like the opportunity to spend a few hours indoors enjoying the new hot video game release.

So instead of looking forward this summer, I plan on looking backward, and I suggest you do the same. I'm going to take these next couple of months and I'm going to catch up on some of the big video games that I just didn't get time to play over the winter. I'm looking forward to a little Rock Band, Call of Duty 4, and maybe the Orange Box. So you can go ahead and spend your $60 on rarely heard Aerosmith tracks, I'm going to use that money for a drum kit and rock out to Rock Band. That is if my sunburn goes away first.

Until next time,

- The 30 Year Old Gamer

All The Snakes I've Loved Before

This past weekend The 30Yo GF and I went to the movies to see the new Indiana Jones film. I've heard from many people that they either loved it or hated it. And while I won't get into the details of why I liked the film, I can see both sides of this arguement. However, there was a scene early in the film where Indy is stuck in quick sand and the only way to help him out was to throw him a very large snake to grab onto. I basically freaked out in the theather to the delight of everyone around me.

See, I'm very afraid of snakes. If I see one in real life I basically shut down. I can't even see a snake on TV without getting crazy heebee jeebees. But that's not to say that I don't like all snakes. There is one snake that I have been in love with for ten years, and that snake's name is Solid Snake. He's the main character in the video game series Metal Gear Solid. Next week is the PS3 release of the next installment of this series, Metal Gear Solid 4. Next Thursday, for the first time in forever, I will not be in line to get my copy, and this is a very sad fact. You see, I used to be a die hard Sony lover. I had the original Playstation and then Playstation 2. But now because of the sub-par way that Sony handled the launch of the PS3, I was forced to change my colors and became a die-hard Microsoft Xbox lover. And for the most part this has been a fantastic decision. I've been able to enjoy great games like Halo 3, Gears of War, and Bioshock. Yes, I know that Bioshock is now coming to the PS3. Congrats PS3 fans. Get excited to play a game that I beat the shit out of over 6 months ago. Never has there been ever a slight bit of regret in my decision...until now.

I sort of feel like I just broke up with a good friend or a girlfriend. It's like they have decided to move on in their life and have left me behind. When something like that happens, I feel a little nostalgic. I like to look back at all of the good times that we had together, and I think I'll do that here.

About ten years ago, I was in college and I had just graduated from a Nintendo 64 to my first Playstation. It was right around that time when a brand new game was released that had a lot of hype surrounding it. That game was Metal Gear Solid. Metal Gear Solid and I hit it off immediately. The main character of the game gets dropped off in a military base that's completely controlled by terrorists and the only weapon he has on him is a pack of cigarettes. Oh fuck yeah! You spend a majority of the beginning of the game sneaking around the enemies trying not to get noticed. It's like the movie Die Hard on crack. The game play was innovative and engaging and very smart. No run and gun here. You jump out from your hiding spot, and your dead. It's that simple. Quickly you start to see that this is just not some simple terrorist occupation. There is more to this than meets the eye, and the same is true with the game as well. It's more than just sneaking around and killing enemies quietly. Oh no. The head terrorists are American elite super soldiers and each one of them has a deep rich back story and special abilities. As Snake gets deeper into the game, he confronts each one of these bosses, and each battle could be a final battle of the game. They are that memorable.

Fast forward to the end of the game and Snake realizes that the terrorists are led by his engineered half brother, called Liquid Snake. They have taken this base to capture it's main prize, a bi-pedal walking tank with the ability to launch nuclear weapons. This monster, is called Metal Gear...hence the name of the game.

The ending was fantastic with a great battle and a great twist. I played and beat the game at least 4 times during my college years. And sitting here thinking about it, makes me want to go back and play the game again. It is definitely one of my favorite 5 games all time.

Then came the sequel...
This was a huge let down. There's really not much else to say. It was for the Playstation 2, so the graphics were much better. But this time instead of focusing on the main character, Solid Snake, you play this wimp of a character, Rayden, who just sucks in every way a main character could suck. It's like walking into Die Hard 4 thinking you get be Bruce Willis, but instead you play the wimpy kid from the Apple computer commercials. What a rip off.

Add on top of that there were so many plot twists and confusing story lines that when the game ends you are left sitting there wondering what the hell happend. "Did I just win? Is that it? That is how it ends?"At least the entire series was redeemed with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater which came out about two years later. Now calling this Metal Gear Solid 3 is a little bit of a mistake. It actually should be called Metal Gear Solid Zero, because it actually takes place long before the events of the first game. It takes place during the Cold War around the Cuban Missle Crisis and the character you play is Solid Snake's dad, the original Snake. In this game he finds himself in an Asain jungle and he's has to stop Russain extremists from stealing the original prototype for Metal Gear and launching a nuclear strike against the United States and starting World War 3.

They reverted back to all of the great things about the original game here. You start in the jungle with no weapons and a pack of smokes. But they added a whole new element here. You need health, but also energy. What's the difference? Well, if you get shot, you lose health. If you run around the jungle for hours, you lose energy. Once all of your energy is depleted, you lose health. You can get medpacks to get your health back, but the only way to get energy is to hunt in the jungle. The most common prey...snakes. You kill a snake, you eat it, you get energy. Awesome. That's right my slimy evil friends, it's fucking pay back time!

The game ended with a fantastic battle between Snake and his mentor, Big Boss, who had switched sides to join the Russians. During the battle I remember her telling Snake about the roles of soldier. And how there are never really any allegances for a solider, just another battle. Politicians determine who is good and who is bad, but for a soldier it's always just the mission. It was a fantastic ending to a great journey...and it's the last Metal Gear Solid game I will ever play.

The upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid 4 is just another example of how Sony has really lost touch. First of all, this game should have been released over a year ago. This game should have been a launch title for the PS3. Give people a reason to buy the system. Instead, they have endlessly delayed the game to the point that it's now being released in the summer and the game is almost irrelevant, which is disappointing.

I've also been reading that Konami has been telling Video Game reviewers that in order to recieve an advanced copy of the game to review, they are not allowed to tell about how long cut scenes are (rumored to be over 90 mins), and how long the initial update download takes. That's rediculous! And lots of reviewers are refusing to review the game in response. Well done I say.

The game looks great though. I've put the trailer up on the left for you to take a look at. The game takes place well after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2. Snake looks much older, but he's the same old Solid Snake. I really hope this game is successful. In fact, I really hope the game gets ported over to the Xbox 360. Think of it as a thanks for us sending over Bioshock. I doubt it will happen, but if it does, you can bet I'll be first in line to buy it.

Until that day comes though, I'll still have my memories of one of the best video game franchises ever. Good luck Snake, hopefully you will grow old gracefully, much like the 30 Year Old Gamer.

Until next time,

- The 30 Year Old Gamer