The Full Circle: 360 News Report 05.15.09

Posted by Joe Roche on 05.15.2009

It's a vacation shortened version of your favorite Friday guilty pleasure. This week we're going to talk about Hunter S. Thompson, Jimmy Buffett, EA Sports, and Lord of the Rings. This might be your only chance to hear all of those things referenced within a few paragraphs so enjoy the festivities as we go around The Full Circle.

It's a very special edition of The Full Circle because as you read this I am either en route to Sarasota or already in Sarasota, drinking a frozen something or other (preferably with tequila) at Siesta Key and forgetting all about the misery of Central Massachusetts for awhile. We'll get into my vacation in a bit but for now let's cover the news of the past few days on a little trip that I like to take around the Full Circle.

I should note before we start that the column will be unusually short this week – I honestly meant to have someone cover for me this week as I knew I'd be busy working and then going on vacation but I never got around to it so instead you must suffer. I promise that when I get back from vacation I'll get my head out of my – well you know, and we'll bring back what you all know and love…around The Full Circle.

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First Person Fighting
EA has announced that NHL 10, the next installment in the companies best selling hockey franchise will feature a first person view when players engage in fights (instead of the third person view in the current game). The change is one of 200 refinements that EA has said will be included in the new game.

This might not be a huge story but NHL 09 was probably my favorite sports game (and might have even been my favorite game) of 2008. I spent more time with NHL 09 then any other game last year besides maybe Gears of War 2, and frankly I wouldn't be able to tell you 10 things that I'd want EA to improve, let alone 200. That being said apparently the people at EA are not resting on their laurels and I appreciate that. I just hope that they don't make changes for the sake of making changes, and in turn ruin what is already a fantastic game.



New NCAA Modes
EA has announced two new modes for NCAA Football 10, Season Showdown where you will compete in a four month long competition by playing games online and offline with your chosen team, and answering trivia questions on EA's website, and TeamBuilder where you create your own team by importing logos, and customizing every aspect of the team down to the uniform and stadium.

With TeamBuilder you're going to be able to upload your creation to the EA Server which should open up a whole new world for people to create new divisions, new colleges, and even recreate some of the more obvious teams that will undoubtedly be left off the game. I brought this story up because where NHL 09 surprised and thrilled me, NCAA Football 09 left me feeling a bit deflated. I loved the 08 version of the game and I thought the 09 version was a step back. I'm not sure this news makes me feel like EA is making moves in the right direction, but I hope that they focus on improving the gameplay more then just add some fun mini game distractions to keep us tricked into thinking they made the game better.



Lord of the Rings Online Fees?
A recent online survey posted by GameDaily contained a question asking participants in the survey how likely they were to purchase the upcoming Lord of the Rings Online MMO for $59.99, and pay a $12.99 monthly subscription fee.

Let me just say that this idea will simply not work. I hope that someone from Turbine reads this column because I honestly could not possibly warn you against this idea more. Right now people are already paying a monthly subscription fee for Xbox Live Gold, and now you're going to try and get them to pay an additional $13/month to play a Lord of the Rings Online MMO? I honestly could not think of a worse idea then this unless you also told me that the game would be a full priced retail game --- oh wait you're also telling me that? Does Turbine want to find out what it feels like to release a game that less then 100 people actually purchase, and less then that ever play for more then a weekend? Please, if you're reading this Turbine check off the box that says – worst idea ever, on your survey and move along.

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The Viewing Room

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel launch trailer.



EA Fight Night Round 4's beautiful graphics



Modern Warfare 2 gameplay trailer with in-game footage



Dragon Age: Origins sex and violence trailer

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Reader Rants

Wyatt Beougher: When I'm in the middle of a game that I loathe (which is rare, because I generally only buy games that reviews tell me are right up my alley), I just tell myself that I can't buy any new games (or even DVDs/CDs, if it's really horrendous) until I finish it. 9 times out of 10, that's motivation enough, although with your requirements to 411, I don't know how effective it'll be for you. Of course, if I was tasked with playing through some godawful game and I knew I couldn't get the new Gears of War content until I finished it, I'd certainly suck it up and keep slogging through.

Just a thought.

This is my normal course of action Wyatt. I always try to finish the games that I have before picking up anything new. Obviously that never works for me because I'm an impulse buyer who likes to pick up every game that comes out if I'm not being sent new stuff on a regular basis. Instead of finishing anything, I tend to have unfinished games everywhere that I save for a very rainy day. At this point though my problem is that the game I'm not finishing it needs to be reviewed, and that's an issue. If it was a game that I thought would be done in 10 hours I think I could swing it, but knowing that the game could have upwards of 40 hours of game play left before I'm done really throws a wrench into my rush to the end mentality.

dogpound7832: Look at it from a comical prespective...say to yourself "can this game get ANY worse?" then start playing and find out, usually the answer will be "yes" unfortunately

The worst part of this statement is how true it is. When you find yourself playing a game that is simply bad, or difficult to play because it's not offering anything redeeming and you start looking for ways the game could get worse – it almost always delivers.

Todd Vote: Change the difficulty to easy and finish it that way. Thats what I do when I get bored with a crappy game, yet i want to finish it off anyway.

This would be my default reaction Todd if it was a game that might be over soon. Unfortunately when you're playing a terrible JRPG and you know you've got hours upon hours to go it isn't the difficulty level that slows things down it's the traveling, the walking through villages, the talking, the item collection and the other inane things that otherwise don't bother me but when the game sucks – it drives me crazy. It's not really the difficulty level slowing things down; it's simply the length of time it takes to get from Point A to point B through side quest 1 through 7.

Sam Pow: Usually when playing a terrible game for review purposes, I just stop and pop in LEGO Indiana Jones. (Its not actually a bad game, but I myself can't stand it) After playing that for a bit, whatever my other game is seems better. If all else fails, you must ask yourself one question: Will it blend?

I enjoy this theory the most new guy. Perhaps I just need to stop thinking about how bad the particular game that I'm playing it and just thank god that I'm not playing Deadliest Catch again. Life is all about perspective.

Lee:It's "Gass." Kyle Gass. Not Glass. I thought we were friends.

I am actually disgusted with myself after that mistake. Under normal circumstances I make mistakes and just shrug them off but that one is inexcusable. I turned one half of the greatest (just ask them) Rock Band in the history of the rock into one Little Mac's opponents in Punch Out. It's a sad day at TFC Towers, which is exactly why I'm now heading out to catch a plane for vacation.

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The Hot Button

Today's Topic: A-1-A

As you read this I am hopefully sitting in the sun somewhere in Sarasota, Florida drinking a margarita and preparing for the half a day long drive through the Sunshine State to Key West. In the same vein as Jimmy Buffett, Hunter S. Thompson and Ernest Hemingway before me I shall take my literary genius to the southern most tip of the continental United States for a week of debauchery that shall hopefully not end with me as a ward of the state. Oh and before anyone mentions it yes I understand that I just used myself in the same sentence as Buffett, Thompson and Hemingway.

I won't sit here and talk about how exciting it will be to leave Massachusetts behind for awhile, or how glorious it will be to not wear a suit for seven days, or see the inside of a court room (at least as an attorney). Instead I simply use this week's Hot Button to inform you that after a string of consecutive column appearances the likes of which Cal Ripken Jr. himself would be proud of – I will not be here next week.

I do not have the exact count in front of me – but other then the Christmas holiday that we all agreed to take off I believe that I've written at least one thing for 411mania per week since I returned from my honeymoon in August. It's been a better streak then anything that I've put together in my year plus of writing here and I think I've reached the point where taking next week off will be a good thing for me.

With that in mind I am leaving the decision of whether or not to post a version of The Full Circle under new management next week to the powers that be (see: Aranda, Ramon). However, do not fret my little children because after this mental relaxation week (see: brain numbing orgy of alcohol etc.) I will return with a vengeance.

So as you finish up reading this column at work, dreaming about the weekend ahead just think of how much fun I'm having not being at work reading your comments about how much I suck.

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Punching Out

Nintendophiles by Theo Fraser

Four Player Co-Op by John De Large

The Release List by Tommy Coloma

B3yond th3 R3port by Mark Salm3la

411Games Fact or Fiction by Ramon Aranda

411Games Top 5 by Todd Vote

Living LIVE by Trace Aber

Achievement Unlocked by Rod Oracheski