The Gaming 5 & 1: The Return of the First One Edition
Posted by Sean Garmer on 12.22.2011
Brooklyn Decker is your "& 1" Model of the Week, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword battles Uncharted 3 in the Game of the Year Vs, several apps hit Xbox Live, the PS Vita Launches in Japan, the Stop Online Piracy Act gets delayed and more!
Hello everyone, I'm fully aware that Chris Lansdell had this before me, so this may not be the first attempt at having this column on the website, but I plan on keeping this version around for a long time on Thursdays. So let's hope I didn't do too bad on the first try.
Some of you may know who I am and some of you may not. My name is Sean Garmer and I've actually been around this site in various capacities since April 2006. I started in the Wrestling zone and brought along my friends David Martell and Alex Mattis to take the Triple Threat Column from a MySpace blog onto 411. I did the first 50 columns with them, and then 411 announced they were bringing back the Video Games Zone. I felt I couldn't do both, so I gave the column to David and he has done a wonderful job of running it ever since, he's since added Zachary Brown and Jacob San Antonio to the mix, who are two cool people in their own right. I also was part of the now dead Sports Zone, I wrote a soccer column there, wrote news articles, covered Soccer tournaments, and contributed to NBA, NFL, and Soccer roundtables. I even did a sports podcast with two other zone writers Randy Isbelle and Ken Schmidt. I contribute to WWE roundtables and I am a regular on the Music Top 5 since I've returned as well.
As far as the Video Games Zone goes I started as a game reviewer and I am the only one besides Jordan Williams, that's a video game zone original. I went on later to do some news articles and spearheaded the Games Roundtables that were around for a little while. I even got to go to E3 2009 with some of 411's writers and it's an experience I'll never forget because I made some friends that week. Mark Salmela and Jeffery Harris are the only ones left out of the crew that went with me, so I've noticed there's a lot of new blood around here. John De Large still contributes but he also has another website called New Game Plus that he is the founder of, Drew Robbins is a writer and the editor there, and I'm the other writer there as well, so go check it out. I had to take about a year off from 411 around last year into this year, because of personal issues and my ex-girlfriend becoming pregnant, I have a beautiful eight-month-old girl now as a result.
So now that I'm back, I wanted to do something different this time. I still love doing reviews and such, but I wanted something to call my own. So since no one was doing a 5 & 1 for the Games section currently, I decided to bring it back to the website. I apologize for the Lo-Fi of my banners, I'm using a Windows XP computer and it has issues. I also don't have the money to buy Photoshop or even Microsoft Office either. This 5 & 1 is going to cotton pick things from each of the others to try to get the best column out there.
Versus will not be scantily clad related, I'm sorry if i just offended some readers. For one, this zone is about the games and not about artists, celebrities, or wrestlers where those women are part of whatever entertainment field you are discussing. For one, there are only a few female media personalities in the industry such as: Felicia Day, Olivia Munn (who's now moved on to other stuff) and Morgan Webb. This is still a very male dominated medium. I just don't see the point of just using a bunch of booth babes sprinkled in, with the few female gaming personalities we have either. Unlike the celebrities and divas, the women we see on G4 or Electric Playground have nothing to do with the actual games themselves. They are just members of the gaming media that happen to be females. It's similar to why Stewart Lange has to do MMA tournaments for his versus because there aren't enough female personalities in MMA, and they also don't have much to do with the actual fights either. Anyone that's attracted to 3D models of a fake video game character; more power to you, but I'm not, so we can't do a versus that way either.
If I can't find a picture or a video that makes sense for something I've written, I'll try to find a way to throw a girl picture in there somewhere because that's what makes it the Games 5 & 1, but I'm not going to do it for every topic either. I'm still keeping the & 1 Model of the Week because it is a fabric of this column, I mean that's what the & 1 is for right?
My versus will pit: a game series, individual games, or game characters against each other week after week until one enters the Hall of Fame. I'm also going to include a video of the week, a reviews panel where I give a shout-out to other writers in the games zone, and a new release section where I talk about some of the games coming out this week. I'll also have an off-topic section where I pick one thing in the world to talk about outside of games. Of course I'll have the five news items that strike my fancy for the week too. So let's get this thing started shall we, without further ado here is the revamped Games 5 & 1.
Before We get started I'd like to link up my other Gaming 5 & 1 Brethern. We have officially taken over the site now that this column is up. However here are the others to follow around as well. First on Monday's we have the ever busy Jeremy Thomas with the Music 5 & 1 Then we have my gaming zone buddy Stewart Lange coming from down under with his MMA 5 & 1 This column comes out on Thursdays. And then on Saturdays we get a double dip of Steve Gustafson with the Hollywood 5 & 1 And Greg DeMarco with the Wrestling 5 & 1 Man that's a lot of gossip and girls for one website to hold.
Versus: Game of the Year Edition
So for the first month I'm gonna be doing a versus to let 411 readers decide which game is in fact "Game of the Year." So here is the first poll and the winning game moves on to next week to face Portal 2. After this I'll start pitting series against each other until we can crown the first game that should go into the Games 5 & 1 Hall of Fame.
A Look Back At Some Games
The 411 Games writers work hard each week to give you reviews and previews of your favorite titles. So why don't we take a look back and see what they had to say...
Call of Duty: Hardened Edition is the perfect gift for the most hardcore of hardcore gamers and especially first-person shooters and Call of Duty fans. It comes with a ton of extra duties and some extra special online access. It does cost over $100, but it gives a lot of bang for your buck if you are so inclined. Rating: 9.4
By Jeffery Harris (411 Games Reviewer and Features Guy)
"Overall, Apples to Apples on XBLA is a pretty bare-bones presentation of the game, but presents it nicely. Besides the single-player, a lot of fun can be had with multiplayer. If you have some friends online looking for something to do, definitely keep this game at the top of the list. Rating: 7.2"
By: Adam Larck (411 Games Editor, The Bossman if ya will)
"Bottom line, Saints Row is a blast to play, and isn't that really what it should all boil down to? From an awesome arsenal of weapons, to fun mini-games, to a great, if somewhat short story. Saints Row is well worth the investment, and a fine alternative to some of the more serious sandbox games out there." Rating: 8.8
By: Todd Vote (Reviewer, Organizer of the Top 5 each week, and regular participant on the Four Player Co-op.)
"Pretty much any flaw you'll find with this collection is simply a statement on the era of gaming for which these games took place. The collection promises little else than updated graphics, and in that sense they knocked it out of the park. All three games look absolutely beautiful, and if you regardless of your Metal Gear Solid knowledge, this is one collection that is worth picking up. It might just be the best deal of 2011." Rating: 9.0
By: Trace Aber (Writer of the Living Live News Report and Reviewer)
"Tekken Hybrid is a must own for hardcore Tekken fans. Tekken Tag Tournament holds up pretty well after 11 years and looks good in HD. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue is a great demo for the upcoming game. Tekken: Blood Vengeance isn't a very good movie but I'm sure there's an audience of Tekken fans that will enjoy it for what it is." Rating: 7.0
By: Mark Salmela (Reviewer, Savant and Resident Funny Man of the 411 Games Zone)
"This game is still a great pick-up for any WWE fan out there, especially for those that love to create, post those creations online, and then use them forever in universe mode. There is plenty they can do to continue to improve the game in the future and I think that's a good thing. But for now, WWE 12 is what it is, providing the closest thing you can get to WWE TV possible, while also sharing with you some of the company's flaws as well." Rating: 8.0
By: Sean Garmer (Reviewer, Writer of the Games 5 & 1)
Video-A-Go-Go
This is how you use a video game for good promotion....
I know plenty of veterans that need jobs and I think this is a great way for them to use a popular video game. My Grandfather was a World War II Bomber for the Air Force so I'm a big supporter of anything that helps the troops. I'm also glad that this holiday season means a big homecoming for them.
This next video however is called shameful promotion of a product...
Really? The toughest car in the world. This is just a dumb way to make COD 3 seem cool because it's the series all those casual players are playing right now. Some people may think this is "the coolest thing ever" cause COD is on a commercial, but this doesn't help the game industry at all. This is more like "Activision once again tries to drive a game series down our throats."
I'm into a lot of different things and I've probably contributed to almost every zone since I've comeback (I don't care for politics or MMA.) I'm an avid fan of "That Metal Show" that airs on VH1 Classic on Saturday nights. If you've never watched the show, Eddie Trunk often has plenty to say about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and it's lack of, some of rock's big time older acts. I tend to agree with the man, and our own Music Fact or Fiction had a question about this, last week as well.
Here is the list of 2012 performer inductees:
Guns N Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, Donavan, The Faces, Laura Nyro, Freddie King.
There are no complaints from me about any of these artists as they each have had careers that warrant them being selected into the hall. I actually know a lot about everybody here except Laura Nyro. I love me some RHCP, GNR, and Beasties as much as anybody. I'm not going to bitch about the selection process, as it's a crime how they go about it. Honestly, I understand that everything is a business but just like Metallica said in 2009 "we hope this will open the door for other's who have come before us." Something that the HOF people have been hit or miss on over the years.
I also understand that this is kinda like the WWE Hall of Fame or the Basketball one, where it's about the entire spectrum of music, not just rock & roll either. If I went into other spectrum there are plenty of people missing from Jazz, Pop, Funk, and others too. However, to exclude such bands as RUSH, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, KISS, Judas Priest, Kansas, Cheap Trick, The Scorpions, Def Leppard, and there are many more I could list, is sad. It just seems that they care more about starting up possible reunions or causing controversy at their shows than honoring bands that haven't had a billion issues. Come on man! You know they are putting GNR in this year because they want to start up all this press about who is gonna show up, will they perform together, and is there gonna be bad blood. This really isn't about honoring the band at all. They have gone back in previous years and added in Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Genesis, The Stooges, and Alice Cooper. So maybe the trend will continue, but they should honor these pioneers of rock and heavy metal while they are still around.
All Hall of Fame's have similar issues of missing key people but I think it's stupid that you want to omit complete sides of rock music in general because they aren't perceived as "cool." I just hope we don't see more bands like Motley Crue, Poison, Anthrax, and Megadeth (which I actually like all these bands except Anthrax) before these other bands that should be in there already. Especially because all the "Grunge" bands are gonna be inductable in a few years and then who knows when we could see those older bands get in there. (Which I love most of the big grunge bands, Pearl Jam is one of my all-time favorites.) It's very hard to take the R&R HOF seriously when those bands that are big reasons why a lot of these younger bands even exist, are not in the hall. However, I digress and I guess we could all use a little of what Guns N Roses would call...
Now it's time for... The 5 Buttons (News Items) of the Week
5. Videos and Radio Music on XBL, Yey!...
A week or so ago Major Nelson posted this on twitter.
You can watch YouTube videos on your Xbox now
On his blog he later posted all of the video applications that hit XBL Tuesday December 13, More were added on December 20 as well.
YouTube, Verizon FIOS TV, IHeartRadio, MSNBC, TMZ, SYFY and the U.K. got Blinkbox along with Rogers on Demand in Canada
Update: Vudu HD, Daily Motion, and UFC were added this week.
I know for a lot of people this is not that big a deal because "don't we all have computer's for this stuff." Yes we do, but this is a big deal to me because my computer is an old laptop with a broken screen (so I use a monitor), that's using Windows XP. Not to mention, it's either I have a crappy internet provider (AT&T with only High Speed DSL), or my laptop sucks. But anything with Flash (including this website) breaks my computer. So it's nice that I can go to my room (which is on the other side of the house, so I can't use my computer while being in there) and watch stuff on YouTube and listen to music on IHeartRadio. It really makes handwriting this column or reading a book more fun. I use Netflix, ESPN, and Hulu Plus on it a lot, so I welcome more usable apps. It's also very nice to watch stuff on my big plasma TV and not on my dinky computer monitor. I'm excited that VEVO (Youtube's official music video service) is coming early in 2012 because YouTube feels stripped down without it. I like it better as an app as well because the wireless that comes from my ISP is not very good. The app prevents the constant buffering issues I experience on the PC or when watching Inside Xbox videos. Now it's more like Netflix or Hulu that once it sets the quality everything loads very smoothly. Overall, I don't see the harm in this. People are complaining that they should focus more on games than this stuff, I say it's always good to have your system do as many as things as possible. People need to stop complaining about not getting a web browser. Seriously, do you think the people in charge at Microsoft are going to encourage the use of Xbox's instead of PC's to surf the internet? It's not going to happen.
I don't watch the UFC so the app doesn't concern me much, but I think it's cool they are letting people compete on leaderboards to see who gets the most predictions correct. Also allowing access to special UFC stuff and old matches is a pretty cool thing to have on Xbox Live. Vudu let's you watch HD movies a little faster than on the Xbox Marketplace, and because Dailymotion's family filter is ON I don't see what it adds to Xbox Live that YouTube doesn't already have.
Apparently Xbox also wants to bring us original content whenever they start-up their live TV service. As long as you are providing known commodities with the "Live TV" service, I don't see why not. If anything they could start out by nabbing a few series that have been cancelled and decide to renew them for another season. If they become hits on Xbox Live then can try some original shows. Web series are gaining popularity nowadays and if Xbox can get one hit, that's all they need to justify the move.
I have further evidence that supports why this console generation has been big on video streaming stuff. Using just statistics from Netflix, ESPN 3, and Hulu Plus a company found out the following about all three consoles use of streaming.
A study released recently says: home console use was up 7% over last year. Nintendo Wii's video streaming went up 33%, PlayStation 3 went up six percentage points to 15% for the year, and Xbox 360 went up four percentage points to 14% for the year. Xbox 360 was the only system to go up in online gaming use year-over-year.
So really what this proves is that the prevalent family system, the Wii, was used a lot for other things besides gaming. The other two systems that are more hardcore gamer centric didn't get used for streaming services too much. I don't see how having these apps hurts anything. Besides, if we are using that logic, why do we have these similar apps on portable devices as well.
As far as the other stuff goes, the more things that a console offers and bigger games that come out is going lead to a rise in console use. The 360 does have the best online service, but probably the reason online didn't go up for the PS3 was due to the PSN hack earlier in the year. I'm sure this did scare off some more casual folks. Since both of those consoles get relatively the same games on each, it doesn't seem right that for a gaming reason, people played online less on the PS3.
So now you can watch things like this on your Xbox 360.... Even though you won't be able to play this on the system when it releases because it's a PS3 exclusive.
4. It's All About the Kids Anyway
Proceeds from the Sixth Annual Gala and Auction raised $351,000 for Child's Play an initiative to help sick children around the country, bringing the charity's donation total to $1.95 million for the year. This figure is just shy of the year's donation goal of $2 million and $250,000 short of last year's total.
This is absolutely great stuff to hear. I've worked in hospitals before (my dad is a doctor and my sister is soon to enter medical school, I guess I was the weird one that wanted to be a journalist.) I've worked with young adults and kids at my church in the past as well, so anything that helps those children that are sick is a great cause. Even though it came off silly at the VGA's, I'm glad they promoted the charity on the show. Don't forget to spread the word and donate if ya can.
This has already passed but I thought it was a funny way to promote the charity.
Well, Felicia Day helped promote Child's Play on the VGA's, so this works.
3. Why did I miss the boat on being a 3DS Early Adopter
When Nintendo cut the price of the 3DS from 249.99 to 169.99 within six months of launching the handheld, it offered consolation for early adopters by promising they would be able to download 20 free games for the system by year's end. The company made good on that promise today, launching the second wave of 10 titles on the 3DS eShop, they focus on the Gameboy Advance.
The 10 NES titles ran the gambit of well known games from Super Mario Bros and Legend of Zelda to some off-the-wall selections. However with the Gameboy Advance Titles they went for straight awesome games.
F-Zero Maximum Velocity, Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Mario Kart Advance, Mario vs. DK, Metroid Fusion, Super Mario Bros. 3, Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Wario Land 4, and Wario Ware Inc. Mega Microgames.
Supposedly they don't plan on putting these up for sale in the E-Shop either, so it looks like these early adopters are getting one heck of a deal. After the lackluster NES games announcement, Nintendo really outdid themselves here. I seriously can't complain about the selection of a single game on here, maybe putting Pokemon: Emerald in there instead of Wario Ware would be my only knock. If anything, the chance for a kid to play a free Pokemon game they may not have played, could have led to many downloads. I think you have to give props to Nintendo to give away 10 big games for free like that.
In honor of Super Mario 3 being selected, let's go back in time to 1989...
2. So is this another tease? Or do we finally have the correct year here
longtime Microsoft general manager of design Don Coyner has been replaced by Emma Williams in leading the design and experience group for the Xbox.
Emma Williams is one of the leaders of the recent switch to the new 360 dashboard that uses the same look as the Windows Phone. This streamline of design is also what helped the recent upload of applications (that I talked about in # 5,) not require another system update as well. I'm guessing the people in charge probably felt it was time for a change before we get to the new Xbox system. Williams will be in charge of design and brand strategy for the new system.
So when can we expect the system to hit store shelves? Well CNET says they talked to a Xbox team official that confirmed reports of a 2013 release date for the new Xbox.
Microsoft may have wanted to be the first to market in this generation but it seems that they've learned you don't need to rush things. The last thing Microsoft needs is another red ring of death situation. If this is the plan in place I don't see anything wrong with it. I think we were all surprised by how the Nintendo Wii did, but as many of us expected the gimmick would get old after a while. Microsoft has taken it to Nintendo with the Kinect and I think they need to continue to improve on that before they head into their next system. They need to make the Kinect 2 another big step forward for gaming and not just a small upgrade to the original, so planning is necessary here. Nintendo decided to go in a little different direction with their tablet controllers and I think both Sony and Microsoft need to let the Wii U settle a year. Let's see how this "new" system does, will it turn out like the GameCube? Where it winds up as a middle of the road console that doesn't do anything new, or will it revolutionize the industry like the Wii did. I think it's going to be interesting to see how the casual market reacts to the Wii U and does it go after it like they did the Wii. The big question will be how they improve online and those tablet controllers. That's why I think it is best for Microsoft to take this model and come out in 2013. You know what the market is like and also you are better prepared to prevent what happened with the 360 launch if you wait.
I Love the Sarcasm there!
1. The Stop Online Piracy Act is on Hold Until after the New Year
Between both of the sites that I write for I think everybody has talked about this. I personally don't care if they want to take down these foreign sites but we all know they aren't going to stop there. At least we get a reprieve of the possible impending doom of the internet until after 2012 begins, but seriously this could be bad for the freedom of internet information as we know it.
Here is what CNN wrote on the subject...
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Stop Online Piracy Act, which would force social media platforms to pro-actively monitor and censor users to prevent them from posting words or images that might violate copyright. Website operators who fail to do so could be blacklisted and prosecuted. The bill and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act, would empower the attorney general to block allegedly infringing websites based anywhere on Earth.
The drafters of both bills do not mean to stifle online dissent and activism. Their goal is to protect intellectual property, especially from piracy by websites overseas. The problem is that the bills' legal and technical solutions are very similar to mechanisms that authoritarian regimes use to censor and spy on their citizens. Our organization, Global Voices Online, is an international network for citizen media. We support the protection of intellectual property; many members of our community earn all or part of their living by creating copyrighted work. We worry, though, that the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act will inflict broad unintended damage on digital activists living under repressive regimes as well as restrict speech freedoms at home.
I'm hoping that if you read what was in italics, you understand that this is a big deal. Do you like the freedom you have on Facebook, twitter, four square, and all these other places to post links, YouTube videos, and pics of whatever you want? Well, that's going to be taken away if these acts are enacted into laws. Virtually the attorney general only has to get a letter from whatever corporation has an issue with something that was posted on a website and he can blacklist it without much reason. This is worse than eminent domain folks, we could see the termination of YouTube completely and who knows what the total implications of this will be on social media. For people like me that work in this industry it is just not a good thing. I know for one, all of the columns and news reports on 411 would be awful because they would be complete walls of text. Not to mention just simple things like me posting a picture of Olivia Munn would get us in trouble if this law was real.
I really loved her in "Perfect Couples" that aired over the summer on NBC. The whole cast was great to be honest, if you have time go to Hulu and watch an episode. I bet if this show was on a cable network or even on ABC, the show is probably still on the air right now.
Here Are A Few More Newsbits to Hit the Internet This Week
Japan Likes Sony's New Portable Toy
"The number of PlayStation Vitas sold in the handheld's first two days on sale was 321,000, according to the latest figures from Japanese retail tracking firm Enterbrain.
"with PS Vita we are working on this huge range titles and planning ahead for a constant supply of excellent games." Said a Sony Worldwide Studios representative
Well this is good news for Sony, especially considering the backlash they received for the high prices of memory cards and the fact that PS One Classics wouldn't be playable from the start in Japan. They sold only 50,000 less than the 3DS did during their Japanese launch. The Japanese will also buy anything Sony or Nintendo put out, so I think what's going to be more important is what happens on February 22, 2012 when the system hits North America and Europe. We've already heard this week that you can't have multiple logins unless you do a factory reset, and the high prices of the memory cards will be a bigger deal on this side of the pond as well. I think it's still going to sell well over here regardless though. As the second quote suggests it is still about the games, and if they are going to supply excellent titles before the US launch then I think that will be the telling thing. The hottest selling game for the Vita right now in Japan is "Hot Shots Golf." I wonder which game will be the top seller when it hits our shores early in 2012.
I do think the high prices of memory cards will be an issue for the system because gamers can easily circumvent the issue and they may lose money on accessories. The fact that you can't have multiple logins is going to hurt family's that have more than one child and buy a portable system to so they can share it. Kids love unlocking things and being first to do stuff, so you know they aren't going to like that big brother gets to unlock a trophy, but he doesn't.
I'm Glad People Still Like to Play Games Because I wouldn't have a Job Without Them
"According to the market research firm's US Games Market Dynamics report, US consumers spent a total of $4.2 billion on games in the third quarter, down 11 percent year-over-year."
"New sales of physical games totaled $1.3 billion for the quarter, with nontraditional gaming sources like used games, downloadable add-ons, subscriptions, and social game revenues combined to reach an estimated $1.64 billion. The remaining amount was accounted for by hardware and accessory sales."
Most of this decrease is due to everybody deciding to put all the big game releases into the holiday season. NPD didn't confirm it, but they said that it already looks like Q4 will make the yearly numbers look good, so I don't think we have much to worry about here. I think the fact that we have so many big games coming out now all the time is a bigger reason why we see this decline. Not to mention the economy is still on the downtrend, people just don't have the money to buy every big game that comes out nowadays. I'm glad to see that used games, DLC, and that stuff was only .3 better than new game sales. I don't think the industry needs to go totally digital yet, and if trends like this continue I think it proves that the gaming people are inflating the effect all this stuff has on new game sales. I know EA hates Gamestop, but if it wasn't for Gamestop, most of these games wouldn't get played. We sure as hell wouldn't have the market flooded with sequels of all these titles if Gamestop wasn't around either.
I love that we as gamers have the ability to go into our local Gamestop's and pick up a few games on the cheap, six months to a year after release. I know I wouldn't have played half the games I've played if I didn't see a discounted price on them at Gamestop. I don't have 40 to 50 bucks to shell out for games more than maybe once every three months. I know sales are important, but game makers should be happy people are at least purchasing their games somewhere and not pirating them.
What? You were expecting me to put some numbers here or something. That's just not sexy. Hey, she was the original voice of Kairi in Kingdom Hearts and they have a new game hitting the 3DS next year. That's fair right?
Coming Attractions
Here are some of the games that came out this week
Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC Only, Release Dec 20, 2011)
One of the most anticipated games of the year finally hit store shelves this week. I like Star Wars, but I don't love it, and I don't have a PC to play it on either. My brother is a big PC gamer though, so I may be able to give you some thoughts on this game next week. My buddy David Martell already has this game and he called "just as addicting as WOW." He says that it didn't take him forever to get into a server like the internet is claiming. Maybe it just depends on where you live?
I'm sure this is going to sell like nobody's business for the first couple of months. Personally, I don't like MMO's but I want to see this do well because Bioware has been fantastic with their handling of the Star Wars franchise and I think they should be rewarded for their hard work. I think MMO's are starting to run their course and it's probably why you see many of them going to the free-to-play model now. This could be the only game left that could make a dent in Blizzard's domain.
Trine 2 (XBLA, PSN, PC, Release Dec 20, 2011)
I actually got to play the first one at E3 in 2009 and I loved the feeling that I was playing a modern version of Gauntlet. I also liked that it was similar to Marvel Ultimate Alliance because all three characters had to be used to get through the level. The design of the first game was fantastic considering it is a downloadable title. I heard through the grapevine that one our writer's got a review code, so we should have a review of the game on the website pretty soon.
Actually here it is, from reviewer Vince Osorio. Trine 2 Review
All the faults, however, still can't hold back Trine 2. It's a tough but rewarding puzzle-platform game that looks absolutely gorgeous. It nails the feel of a living, breathing fairy tale world better than any game, movie, or TV show I've seen this generation. Rating: 9.0
So, Here We Go Everybody's Favorite...
For the first one, I picked Brooklyn Decker because she was gracious enough to show up at a sort of video game event. She was at the VGA's 2011 where she presented an award and bobbed for cupcakes against Felicia Day for the Child's Play charity.
The 411 Games Section and other sections of the site have some magnificent writers and it is time to honor them here. There are many other great columns on 411, if I didn't link your favorite writer, it means right now I don't read their column or news report because I probably don't have time. There are a lot of damn columns on this site. But, if you want to explain to me why I should read more 411 stuff, by all means go right ahead.
Sundays:
My buddy David Martell and the guys at the Triple Threat
A female wrestler has her own column on this website, her name is Terra Calaway and it's all about the Hot Stuff
I'm usually on this, but this week I'm not. Check out the Music Top 5 Christmas Songs organized by Ben Czajkowski
Wednesdays:
Lee Price going retro with Retronomicon This week he looks at Space Channel 5 that was on the Dreamcast, man I loved that console.
Stephen Randle also organizes the Four Player Co-op every week and as a person that knows what that's like, I'll tell ya it is a doozy to produce. They talk Zynga stock, PS Vita stuff, and their thoughts on catching some pirates.
Music Fact or Fiction this week touches on Muse's musical direction, Katy Perry being "MTV Artist of the Year," And even on Britney Spear's marriage odds. Starring Mark Radulich and Jeremy Wilson, organized by Joseph Lee.
TV's Rants and Raves is great! And usually stars Ben Piper. This week Dimitri Dorlis is filling in for him talking about two of my favorite shows Glee and New Girl. He also mentions a little bit about Saturday Night Live as well.
Matthew Sforcina also does Ask 411 Wrestling Which is always an interesting read and he also has one of the coolest banners out there.
James Wright Brings You The Heel Report Ranking the Heels in wrestling is a hard thing, but you know he does it in style.
Thursdays:
Of course you have to read the Games Top 5 I mean seriously it's all about 2011's best console games for goodness sakes.
Besides this column, you also have Wrestling Fact or Fiction And it has Me vs. Larry Csonka in it. Good Lord! I might as well just quit now I'm going against the boss.
I'm a big music guy so I'm always interested to know the next great thing Ron Martin will uncover for us in Ask 411 Music
Jeremy Thomas is a very busy guy around here, he does a ton of stuff like organizing 411 Music Buy Or Sell Kelly Clarkson doing a Christmas song, Korn, Justin Beiber doing a Christmas song and more hit the dial this week.
I love Joseph Lee's look at Horror Movies in A Bloody Good Time Read as he previews 2012 in horror.
Steve Gustafson has a special interview with Chyna this week that was a very interesting read.
Fridays:
Jordan Williams brings you his other half of the Working Title Awards in his column this week.
Dan Watson also brings you more awards in Average Gamer
The 10th Hour is done by a guy named Armando Rodriguez and I just figured out he lives near me lol. Well I hope you like being cold in the snow for his Top 10 Snow Levels.
Al Norton has one of my favorite columns on all of 411 with his Two Tivos to Paradise I would know nothing about the ratings on TV if it wasn't for him. Here are his end of the year awards.
Movies/TV Fact or Fiction is always fun, The one that hit 411 this Friday has Me vs. Ron Martin for one half and then it's Me against Larry Csonka once again for the other half. I just can't escape Larry this week.
Larry Csonka makes a special appearance with his Take On Top 10 Wrestlers of 2011
Saturdays:
Shawn Lealos is a really good writer and he makes my weekends with Alternate Takes This time it's about The Ultimates.
Don't forget to check out my friends and co-writers out over at New Game Plus as well. Drew Robbins, John De Large, and myself do some awesome stuff over there.
Well I think that's all for this week. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I'm hoping to get some cool gifts this holiday season, but I'm more glad to spend time with family. Hopefully my Dallas Mavs put on a good showing on Christmas Day against those blasted Heat. Once again, happy holidays and I'll see ya next week. Don't forget to follow me on twitter @SeanGarmer and check out my facebook page Sean Garmer
Not scantily clad related...except for all the chicks. Classy.
Posted By: lol (Guest) on December 22, 2011 at 12:39 AM
In response to what you said about the Old Republic servers, the internet says it takes forever because it does depending on your server. My guild got put on The Swiftsure which is by far the most populated server. Last Friday I waited almost 4 hours. A good night is ONLY an hour. Yes, its just launch, but its the fucking lack of Oceanic servers and Aussies making that one the "unofficial Oceanic" server that is fucking it up. I'm only here saying this because of more server downtime, probably creating more population increases. The game still kicks major ass when you can get in and play though!!! Better than WoW!!
Posted By: Guest#4778 (Guest) on December 22, 2011 at 03:22 AM
Thanks for that update on the Star Wars servers, I was wondering how that was working out for people around the world. I just know it seems to be a bigger deal depending on where you live.
Posted By: Sean Garmer (Registered) on December 22, 2011 at 08:52 AM
Good Work Sean. For the record, I was here when you guys went to E3 in 2009, I just wasn't able to go to the show.
Good to see the 5&1 return to the games zone.
Posted By: Todd Vote (Guest) on December 22, 2011 at 10:25 AM
"So now you can watch things like this on your Xbox 360.... Even though you won't be able to play this on the system when it releases because it's a PS3 exclusive."
As a PS3-only owner, I have to say that this made me chuckle.
Nice column Sean.
Posted By: comment (Guest) on December 22, 2011 at 11:46 AM
the new Xbox Live menus SUCK. I hate them.
Posted By: Guest#2347 (Guest) on December 22, 2011 at 12:52 PM
Umm Sean... it's actually Super Mario ADVANCE 3 (Yoshi's Island) not SMB3.
Posted By: Guest#9857 (Guest) on December 22, 2011 at 01:54 PM
SOPA is intended to shut down communication when our corporate-owned government wages war on us, much like what has happened in Iran.
On a much lighter note, I highly recommend a pic of Veronica Belmont here every week. She may not do a lot of bikini modeling but for my taste she's hotter clothed than Brooklyn Decker is above.
Posted By: Jason Douglas (Registered) on December 22, 2011 at 07:08 PM
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