Total Gaming Network Podcast

We as gamers are bombarded with more MMO games these days, than ever before. The marketing campaigns consume our favorite magazines, web sites and stores, as they battle it out for our hard earned dollars.  We are in the Greatest MMO war of our generation, but fear not my friends, because I’m here to help, at least when it comes to   Warhammer Online vs. World of Warcraft.

Are your long time friends disowning you for playing WAR and not WoW?

I’ve played WoW since it’s release and I’ve loved every minute of it, because it is a phenomenal game, but it is no longer the only MMO in it’s class, enter Warhammer Online.  From one gamer to another, this is a WoW players review of WAR and I’m hear to tell you don’t be afraid to give the competition a try, because you just might like it.

What’s not to like?

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Yeah, OK so corny title I know, but hey ever since I was just a tike running around I always wanted to play the drums. Then my parents unbeknownst to me register me for soccer at 5 years old, then baseball, and basketball. That athletic cycle would continue all the way through college. After that, what do I do? Do I buy drums and live the bachelor life for awhile? No way, I get a steady girlfriend and then a few years later I go and get married and buy a small house with no place for a drum set. Then another few years down the road I have a kid! NOW where are drums supposed to fit into that picture? I will tell you where they fit in, they fit in by buying Guitar Hero World Tour! That’s where baby!

That’s right, I am a proud new owner of Guitar Hero World Tour. I gotta say I am a fan. I already finished the career mode on medium playing the drums to get familiar with the songs and now I am going back through and bumping the difficulty level to hard and even expert level on the easier songs. The career mode is the standard mode we are all used to. Playing gigs, getting money, and unlocking different apparel, instruments, and rock stars. A good time, but nothing out of the ordinary.

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There are way too many games coming out, or have come out, to play before the end of the year.  I bought Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead this week (demo for L4D is awesome).  Fallout 3 is quite compelling given the expanse that you have to look around.  L4D has that teamwork component that is missing from many FPS games.  I don’t think my wallet can take another $50-60 hit, but there are bunch of games coming out that I want to get a review of and pass it along to everyone.

Mirror’s Edge - console only in 2008, but very intriguing concept
Call of Duty: World At War - WWII game, but its co-op and based on a great series (all except CoD3)
Gears of War 2 - Curb-stomping good time… if you can keep your cursor on the enemy

And of course, the 800-lb. gorilla - WoW: Wrath of the Lich King - geeks everywhere setting their calculator watches to 12:01am Thursday

We’ll see what the holiday brings.  There is a definite list forming in my head based on priority (need now, can wait, don’t want) for the ol’ Christmas list.

In the meantime, I still have a season of NHL09 to finish up.

Looks like our friends in Redmond are trying to keep things simple (you’re thinking I was going to add stupid to that sentence weren’t you?) when it comes to Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows 7.

Our pals at Tom’s Hardware have an interesting article regarding the upcoming Service Pack 2 for Vista as well as Windows Server 2008.  It seems that they are going to release SP2 for Vista prior to Windows 7 in order to “lessen confusion about whether to deploy Vista or Windows 7″.  The other side of this is to firm up the Vista/Server 2008 combo before the release of Windows 7 and Server 2008 SP2 so the companies and individuals that are on the fence about moving from Server 2003/Windows XP to the next version of Windows can decide whether that move includes Vista or not, despite Vista’s horrendous adoption rate within corporate entities.

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Microsoft is doing a survey around their consumer-level Surface product, codenamed ‘Oahu’.  This device would employ the characteristics of Surface, but in a much smaller form-factor that allows for home usage as a small table or potentially even something that could rest on your lap, based on the drawing released.

Surface created a lot of buzz when first release for its potential capability to integrate with any electronic device placed on it such as a cellphone or a camera, basically splashing the photos or phone content on to the surface of the device allowing others to see and interact using Multi-touch capabilities.  Some large companies like Sheraton Hotels were the first to implement these new devices in allowing people to check in or use it to find information out about where they were staying. 

Where this ‘Oahu’ prototype seems to hit is in the home market.  Kind of a central point for a family to gather around and interact with it as static device – a table or a picture hanging on a wall.  And I will admit, the technology is very cool, I don’t know if we will see it come to the home near you in the next 5-10 years.  The home-building industry should jump all over these and start offering them up to new home builders, but sadly the economical situation we are in with home building at a significant low makes it available for only those with a spare $1,499.99 laying around.

Still, finding a use for this technology will make it more readily available to the general public.  If there is a “killer app” that ‘Oahu’ would run or make it a central talking point amongst the neighbors who try to outdo each other in the gadget department, this might be the gadget to win out the fight – at least until androids and holograms get mainstreamed.

Stu

It appears Microsoft has decided on the name for their next OS, and Windows 7 it is.  As someone who has always been a fan of code names (I loved the name Longhorn), I think the name Windows 7 is perfect.  It is still unclear what changes Microsoft has in store for Windows 7; however, an incremental release and a new name could be just the thing Microsoft needs to get everyone to forget about Vista.  Do not get me wrong, I am not one of those sheep that bash Vista for sport.  I use Windows Vista 64 bit as my primary OS and it is the best computing experience I have ever had.  However, with the success of Apple’s campaign against Vista, it is difficult to convince friends and family to give Vista a shot.  Microsoft plans to give out pre-betas of Windows 7 to developers at PDC later this month, so expect to see plenty of reviews and maybe the rebirth of Microsoft’s reputation in the OS market.

Dré

As reported here by Shacknews, Cryptic’s new superhero-based MMO, Champions Online, is now taking applications for closed beta.  So, I decided to give it a twirl and see what comes of it.

In the past, I never have been a big beta player, but recently I have had the chance to play on several betas for both Xbox360 and PC and enjoyed it immensely.  Besides, I loved City of Heroes/Villians and have high hopes for this game to meet and exceed those experiences.

Granted, I have never been huge into MMOs, but when I do get to play them, it’s typically with friends I know and not solo or with random PUGs.  I like to know that the guy on my left or my right is going to pick me up when I need it and to do the same in return.  Plus, it’s more fun playing with guys you know and can relate with.

So, we’ll see how it goes.  I don’t hold too much hope out, but if I do get it, I’ll be sure to share impressions as I can.

Stu

I have to be upfront here. I am not a huge fan of the horror/shock genre of video games. Frankly, games like Resident Evil (on the original Playstation), Silent Hill, Doom 3, and on and on, don’t really interest me all that much. You move from dark place to dark place waiting for something to jump out at you so you can empty a clip or magazine of bullets into it, change your shorts, and repeat. But in the end, it becomes quite monotonous and boring.

Then comes along EA’s new shocker – Dead Space – which is due out this week on consoles and on PCs October 20^th. I was part of an interview with Dead Space Art Director, Ian Milham, last week for Total Gaming Network and I have to admit, I am intrigued now to play. Adding some human elements to a genre that is typically going for the “big scare” is an interesting step. Instead of plodding along through a level listening intently for the next baddie to jump out of the ceiling or through a window, Dead Space has added touches of what really scares people – tight spaces, moving shadows, far off noises – which add to the overall feel of creepiness to the game.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not about to wait in line to pick it up on day one, but the previews of the game have been very good and the ancillary content – an animated comic as well as a forthcoming collection of comic books – has been excellent. The immersion concept has become a big platform for not only the storytellers of video game development, but for the marketing of the game. People expect these types of things now when being introduced to a character and a storyline that they are not familiar with. Of course, don’t forget the extra green that gets laid out for these things helping the cause as well…

In the end, I have not played Dead Space yet, but after having a chance to talk with Ian and hearing the passion for his product in his voice, it only helps you to root these guys on to have a product that is well-received and in the end give them a just reward for their years of hard work. I’ll just have to suck it up and buy a new 4-pack of boxers before I get the game.

Stu

I was really looking forward to the HTC Touch HD possibly coming to Sprint some time next year.  A touch screen phone with the same physical dimensions as the iPhone, but with a 480×800 WVGA screen and 5 megapixel camera.  However, when I learned this week that HTC had no plans to bring the Touch HD to the US market, I was not disappointed.

I have always loved HTC’s hardware, but HTC phones have typically shipped with various versions of the Windows Mobile OS, which I currently have a love/hate relationship with.  There is no doubt Windows Mobile is a powerful handset operating system, but it leaves a lot to be desired with it comes to usability.  HTC has done the best they could to hide Windows Mobile 6.1 under their new TouchFlo 3D interface, however, WinMo still rears its ugly head throughout the interface.  This week I had an opportunity to demo the sister version of the Touch HD, the Touch Diamond. I found the TouchFlo 3D interface somewhat appealing, but  could feel it being dragged down by the engine underneath the hood (WinMo 6.1).  So no matter how much I long for the Touch HD form factor, HTC can keep it overseas until it ships with a mobile OS that is worthy of Touch HD hardware.

Dré