Friday, June 27, 2008

When Technology Attacks

Podcasting sucks - Ugh! Once again technology bites me in the ass. Thursday night I finished a 3-part podcast with Achievement Junkie's Natalie Sousa. It was good, everything went well and we had a nice conversation on a wide variety of topics. I was pretty pleased. Then I loaded things up and only about half the recorded time ended up being downloaded. I have no damn idea what the problem is. Was it the mp3 recorder? Is it the webhost (podbean)? I have no clue but I'm pissed. What's the frickin' point of doing a podcast if it doesn't work?!?
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In better news, on www.gameproarcade.com I've been working on a new segment on called the Arcade Game Developer Questionnaire. Its where I ask questions of developers who create downloadable games. Earlier in the week I interviewed Denis Bourdain of Load Inc (Mad Tracks, Things on Wheels) and recently I put up a post with Scott March of SpiderMonk. Check'em out when you get a chance.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

NCAA Football 09 Achievements


1. Create Stadium Sound - Create a custom Stadium Sound event. (20 points)
2. Break The Ice - Make a Field Goal when "Iced". (10 points)
3. QB Quiz Success - Successfully Complete a Quiz the QB Challenge. (10 points)
4. Sick 'Em Smokey - While playing as the Tennessee Volunteers, celebrate a touchdown by running to your mascot. (10 points)
5. Don't Mess With Texas - While playing as the Texas Longhorns, celebrate a touchdown by running to your mascot (10 points)
6. Got Gator Bait? - While playing as the Florida Gators, celebrate a touchdown by running to your mascot. (10 points)
7. Play a Mascot GamePlay a Mascot Game with any mascot teams. (15 points)
8. Let The Air Out - As the away team, get into the endzone in the first 30 seconds of the game. (15 points)
9. Triple Threat - Score a receiving, rushing, and passing touchdown with one player. (20 points)
10. Pick-Free - Do not throw any interceptions in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (15 points)
11. Cue the Fat Lady - Win a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game by 21 points or more. (10 points)
12. Tippy Toe! Lemon Tree! - Score a touchdown with your receiver by performing a toe-drag animation. (30 points)
13. Get Creative - On a non-option play, score a TD with at least one lateral. (30 points)
14. That Just Happened! - Score a rushing touchdown with your punter in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (25 points)
15. Go Deep for 50+ - Complete a pass for 50 or more yards in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
16. Breaker Breaker 4-9 - Break a run for 49 or more yards in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
17. Ice In Your Veins - Be the hero and win a game by taking the lead as time expires. (20 points)
18. HIT STUCK - Jar the ball loose with a User-Controlled Hit Stick tackle. (10 points)
19. Pick Two - Intercept 2 passes in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (15 points)
20. Record Breaker - Interceptions - Break the game record for interceptions with one player (5) in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (25 points)
21. Pick 6! - Take an interception back to the house in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
22. Scoop and Score! - Scoop a fumble on defense and take it to the house in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
23. Take Control In The Clutch - Sack the QB with a user-controlled defender on 3rd down to force a punt situation. (10 points)
24. On Lockdown - Hold the opposition to under 100 total yards in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
25. Up and Over - Take it up the middle in a goalline situation and dive into the endzone. (10 points)
26. Safety And Sound - Force a safety in Play Now or Dynasty Mode. (30 points)
27. Mmmmm.....Donut - Pitch a shutout by holding your opponent to zero points. Valid only in Play Now or Dynasty Mode. (30 points)
28. Is That Even Legal? - Return a missed field goal for a touchdown. Only valid in Play Now or Dynasty Mode. (20 points)
29. I'm Special! - Take a punt or kickoff back to the house for a touchdown. Valid only in Play Now or Dynasty Mode. (20 points)
30. A/V Club President - Upload a Video or Photo Highlight. (20 points)
31. Join the Ranks - Play a ranked game. (10 points)
32. Reach Out and Crush Someone - Join or Host an Online Dynasty. (30 points)
33. BCS Conference Invite - Get an invite to a BCS conference in single team Dynasty Mode.(25 points)
34. Conference Champs! - Play and win a conference championship game in single team Dynasty Mode or Campus Legend Mode. (10 points)
35. Heisman Memorial Trophy - Win the Heisman Memorial Trophy® in single team Dynasty Mode or Campus Legend Mode. (25 points)
36. Out On a High Note - Play and win a bowl game in single team Dynasty Mode or Campus Legend Mode. (10 points)
37. National Champions! - Play and win a BCS championship in single team Dynasty Mode or Campus Legend Mode. (30 points)
38. Oil Tycoon - Develop a new pipeline state in single team Dynasty Mode. (25 points)
39. Mr. February - Have the #1 ranked recruiting class in a season in single team Dynasty Mode. (30 points)
40. Win at H _ _ _ _ - Win the H.O.R.S.E mini-game. (20 points)
41. Special Teams Challenge Winner - Win the Special Teams Challenge Mini-Game. (20 points)
42. Russell High School Champ - Win the Russell High School Championship Game in any state. (40 points)
43. The Legend of Campus Legend - Earn More Than 1,000 Points in Campus Legend Mode. (100 points)
44. Place at the Table! - Become a Starter in Campus Legend Mode. (10 points)
45. High School Hero - Become a 5-star legend prospect. (20 points)
46. Pontiac G8 4th Quarter Comeback - Win a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game when down by 14 to start the 4th qtr. Min Difficulty: Varsity (30 points)
47. Old Spice Red Zone Perfection - Complete a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game with a Red Zone Efficiency rating of 100%. (15 points)
48. Old Spice Red Zone Shutout - Complete a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game without allowing a Touchdown from the Red Zone. (5 points)
49. Secret Achievement (5 points)
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Monday, June 23, 2008

Don King Presents: Prizefighter First Impressions


Living up to the hype - I have to be honest, I wasn't sure quite what to expect when I cracked open Prizefighter. EA's Fight Night series seems to be handling the boxing genre quite well. But just like every other sports franchise, 2K isn't afraid to get in EA's face and throw some punches, an appropriate response considering 2K Sports first boxing title lands plenty of them. I'm not quite finished with the game yet, my work on GamePro Arcade is keeping me pretty busy (What!?! You haven't been to GamePro Arcade yet?!?! What are you waiting for?) but here are my first impressions on Prizefighter, a title I'm enjoying quite a bit so far.
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The Good
Plot -The most pleasant surprise in Prizefighter so far has been its storyline. Its filled with live-actions clips that show your rise ("The Kid") rise to the top. Actors portray some of the people who help you on your way up but there are plenty of cameos by real boxing insiders. You'd think a storyline in a boxing title would be completely unnecessary but it really works.
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Choices -Most people are well aware that many fighters end up leading lives of excess. Prizefighter gives you these same temptations. Do you skip training to - play in a celebrity poker tournament? Go to a magazine photo shoot? Head out on a quick vacation with your girlfriend? The more successful you get, the more people want to take up your time. If you do these things your media profile rises but your skills decrease.
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Controls - Some people will struggle with the controls in Prizefighter, especially if you're used to the Fight Night series pick-up-and-play style, but with a little time they're not hard to master and add some realism.
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Fight Strategy - There's a surprising amount of technicality involved in boxing and gamers get a feel for that in Prizefighter. Opponents come at you in different ways, so you can't always beat someone the same way. Make sure to listen to your trainers advice, its actually useful.
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Random Stuff - I enjoyed the commentary by Jim Lampley and Emmanuel Stewart, which you don't get until you've made a bit of a name for yourself...The sepia tone classic fights are a nice touch, kind of like a boxing history lesson...the soundtrack (which includes "Eye of the Tiger") is pretty good
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The Not So Good
Unresponsive controls - Sometimes in fights, particularly when you're going up against a tougher opponent, there's a short delay between hitting the button and your character throwing the punch. It leaves you awfully vulnerable to counter punching and is pretty annoying.
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The graphics - While the character models look fine and the damage they take is reflected over time, the graphics overall are pretty average. Some collision detection issues (punches going through parts of an opponent) are also disappointing.
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Online play - I fought a couple of online matches and found the above problems to be even more noticeable. A lot of lag and clipping issues.
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The controls - Yeah, yeah I know. I listed this as a positive but with 30+ controls, the learning curve is pretty high. If you don't have the patience, the controls will frustrate you.
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So does Prizefighter have what it takes to knockout the Fight Night franchise? No, not yet. But it certainly is a step in the right direction. I can't really give a grade to a game I haven't yet finished but as of right now, Prizfighter is a solid B-.
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

GamePro Arcade Launches

I'm looking for a few good writers - Well, I can finally let the cat out its proverbial bag. I've been hinting for months about something I've been involved with but couldn't really discuss because it was ready yet, but it is now. GamePro's new arcade gaming website has just launched and I'm proud to say I'm heavily involved. GamePro Arcade is a satellite site for GamePro.com that covers arcade and casual games, features op-ed pieces, top 5/10 lists and anything else that relates to casual/downloadable games. Its a great place to go for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, and mobile arcade gaming coverage.
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Running this site is going to be a blast but a ton of work, here's where you come in. I'm searching for a few good writers. I'm on the lookout for 2-3 consistent, solid contributors to the site. If you're looking for some experience and a foot in the door to the gaming journalism industry, send me an email. The bad news is that I can't really pay you anything but a free game and maybe some gaming schwag here and there, my budget is pretty small. But again, its a great way to get some experience and some exposure.
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Check out the site when you get a chance and if you're interested in working with me, my email address is below.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com
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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Natalie Sousa Interview

Everybody appreciates a good success story. A person who follows their dream and realizes it is an inspiration to everybody. In the gaming biz, one of the best examples of this is the husband and wife duo of Natalie Sousa and Nelson Rodriguez. The Achievement Junkie couple started out just like many other gamers (myself included), a member of the video game community with something to say. They started off with a podcast that gradually grew in popularity and now Nelson works for Microsoft and Natalie is the webmaster for talkingaboutgames. Besides their podcast, you can also catch them on Pick Up & Play, a weekly videocast on Xbox Live Marketplace.
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Recently I spoke with Natalie about her success and what its like to be behind the gaming curtain. As you would expect if you listen to her podcast, she was very easy to talk to and has a great sense of humor. I even managed to talk her into being a guest on the coloradojoe podcast in the near future so look for that soon (a Father's Day Gaming Gift Guide podcast will be available tomorrow). Here are a few of the things we discussed.
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You are the webmaster for the Talking About Games website. Its mentioned in your profile that you are a trained photographer. How did a photographer end up so involved in the gaming community?
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There's no direct link to photography and video games. Both just happen to be things I enjoy. Photography is somewhat tech-y and gaming connects to my geeky side a bit. There's also a creative, imaginative side to both. I ended up in the gaming community simply through podcasting. I started podcasting about photography at first, then decided to jump into the podcast-gaming scene.
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When I first started listening to Achievement Junkie (two summers ago if memory serves) I was confused about your relationship with your partner Nelson Rodriguez. There were moments when I thought you were a couple and other times I thought otherwise. I now know that the two of you are married. How did you two meet and was your mutual love of gaming the impetus for you to get together? Please tell me you fell for each other while taking turns playing Ms. Pac Man in a Pizza Hut.
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Haha! I wish I could say that! Nelson and I worked for the same company years back. He was located in their NJ office, and I worked from their headquarters office in Boston. They had a company wide meeting in Montreal one summer, and we fell in love with Montreal. We started a long distance, email/phone relationship a few months later.
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What is it like working with your spouse? Do you ever have differing views about games you should focus on and if so how do you handle that? Do you play co-op games together or are you interested in completely different titles?
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Working together is fun, but it can also be a bit stressful. Its easy to blend personal feelings with work and we have to try hard to separate the two. (I'm not saying I do that well, btw) The types of games we enjoy are pretty similar though I have a higher tolerance for cutesy little arcade games, like Eets Chowdown & Boogie Bunnies. We love playing games together: Gears of War, Commanders: Attack of the Genos, Puzzle Quest, Poker Smash, etc. Co-op games are preferred (I wish every game had a co-op campaign), but versus will do.
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Tell me about the genesis of the Achievement Junkie podcast. What motivated you to start podcasting and why did you make it Xbox 360 specific? What is the process you and Nelson go through when you create a podcast?
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Our podcast developed a few months after Nelson started writing for a gaming blog. It happened to be Xbox 360 specific, simply because that was the only next-gen console that we owned (at that time). The show has changed a lot since our first episode, including a name change, going from weekly to daily episodes, then back to weekly and even a few vid-casts sprinkled in between. We wanted to create a gaming podcast where we were engaging with our audience, and not talking down to them or assuming they knew all of the insider-gaming terms.
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Achievement Junkie's popularity seems to have led to a lot of other opportunities for the both of you. Did Nelson end up at Microsoft as a result of his work at Achievement Junkie and was your involvement in Talking About Games before or after AJ?
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Achievement Junkie had everything to do with Nelson getting hired by Microsoft. Looking back, we can identify some of the turning points that had a big impact. The first was meeting Microsofts community team at a Lost Planet launch party (that we almost didn't attend). John Porcaro, Director of Online Communities at Microsoft, pulled out his Zune and Achievement Junkie was on his play list! It was awesome to find out that a major player in the gaming industry listened to our show! It was exciting and encouraged us to experiment with the podcast. A few weeks after launching a daily vid-cast, another turning point, Nelson got a call from Microsofts community team. The idea for Talking About Games developed shortly after Nelson started his role as a Community Manager for Gamerscore Blog. We realized that the time needed to maintain our original site was going to be difficult as a result, but we still had ideas for launching an even larger site; one that focused on a strong community presence while still bringing people reliable gaming news, reviews, and content. So we connected with our podcasting buddies: Jay Van Beveren (he's our Editor in Chief), Parris Lilly (he's our PR guy) and Jose Betancourt (he's our Community Manager). We pooled our creative and technical talents, and from that, TalkingAboutGames.com was born.
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How did you and Nelson get involved in the Pick Up and Play videos on Xbox Live?
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When we started doing our vid-cast, we did it every day for a few weeks, which was incredibly stressful, at times, but it was fun, too. We wanted to prove to ourselves that we could do it. In the back of our minds we thought 'wouldn't it be cool to put something like this on Xbox LIVE?' We always have crazy ideas like that. When Nelson joined the community team, the idea of us doing a video for them came up. This was at least a year ago. And they said 'now, we can't promise anything, and we don't want to get your hopes up... but, we'd love to explore the possibility down the road.' So, for the first few months of Nelson being at Microsoft it was put on the backburner. Then, Inside Xbox was launched, and they were looking for new content. We ended up spending MONTHS submitting proposals and shooting demos and re-shooting demos, until finally, we got included as one of the programs on there. We've been shaping it the whole time, and are still trying to improve it, but we're thrilled that we are now working on something we only vaguely wished about a year ago.
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As a former gaming community member who is now a gaming insider, what do you think the average gamers biggest misconception/s is/are about the gaming industry?
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What I realized since sneaking behind the curtain of this industry, is that its easy to look at the gaming industry as a whole and assume that its an expert - it does it everything right, every step is calculated and it's a huge, well-oiled machine. When you get a little closer, you see that its just a bunch of individual people who are trying to create something exciting, or offer a different experience with a console or a game or an accessory. They all have to take chances, not always knowing how its going to turn out, and not always getting it right but hoping for the best every time.
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You've mentioned in podcasts that its sometimes tough being in the spotlight. What are the positives and negatives of being a public figure in an industry that can have such harsh critics?
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When we started the podcast we were excited to learn that we had 200 people listening to us. We now have thousands of viewers every week, which is amazing and fortunate and lucky AND intimidating. The challenge is that the internet is a safe, distant layer that makes it easy for people to say things that they wouldn't normally say to you if you were face to face. We've had to learn to grow a thicker skin when it comes to that stuff, and its something we have to work on all of the time. The positive stuff makes it all worth it - having an interaction with our audience, learning about games that they play with their friends and family, and having that connection keeps us motivated.
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What does the future hold (career wise) for Nelson and Natalie? Will you continue to do the Achievement Junkie podcast? Will Nelson try and team up with his crush Olivia Munn? Will you drop Nelson like a hot potato to work with pretty boy Geoff Keighley? The two of you have had incredible success, where do you go from here?
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Haha! Olivia Munn is the only gamer chick that Nelson has my OK to team up with. I haven't had a chance to meet with or work with Geoff Kieghley, but I'm sure Nelson would be ok with it. I want to be able to create an experience that people can relate to, that they are inspired by and learn from and have fun with. I want the audience to feel like they can connect with the shows that we produce and that they are part of it too! All of this feels a little dream-like... I want to share that with our audience and have them feel like they are along for the ride.
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And finally...what three games are taking up most of you time right now and what are your top 3 all time favorite titles?
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Top 3 favorite games of all time? I love them equally, but for different reasons: Gears of War - they say you'll never forget your first shooter. It opened up the shooter genre for me and gave me an incredible, movie-like experience. Pac-Man CE - totally addictive and fun! Its the only game on the 360 that I continue to play even though I unlocked every achievement. Super Mario Bros. - an all time favorite platformer. When I was growing up I was limited to 3 hours of video gaming during the school week (it was SOOO unfair!) and I'd spend it playing Super Mario Brothers every time. New Super Mario Bros on the DS is amazing.
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At the moment, I'm spending time with Boogie Bunnies - I'm trying to unlock a silly achievement where I loose NO bunnies in a beach scene (its harder than you think!). Lumines Live, which I enjoy playing against Nelson. Sadly, he beats me 9 out of 10 times!! Those are terrible stats and I'm trying to change that, I've got a way to go. Another game I'm playing at the moment is embargoed. If you are willing to honor the embargo on it, I can tell you the game. I'm really loving it... its an awesome co-op experience. (She told me but I'm not sharing, sorry. TT)
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Too Much Gaming Bad For Your Eyes

Not enough gaming bad for your soul - This post on Yahoo! Games warns about the dangers your eyes face if you play games for too long. Maybe this is why I wear glasses. Who can I sue about that?
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According to the Minnesota Optometric Association, hardcore gamers are at heightened risk for Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), a condition marked by a variety of symptoms including "eye irritation, dry eyes, headaches, pain in the eyes or surrounding facial muscles, squinting, excessive blinking, increased sensitivity to light and difficulty focusing."
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Alas, CVS is caused by strain from constant eye movements, often due to long hours in front of a monitor or television screen. By way of lengthy gaming sessions, gamers in particular are susceptible to developing problems, but non-gamers should also be wary of how long they watch. A survey by the American Optometric Association found that 82 percent of Americans frequently work at a computer and that 41 percent of its respondents have suffered from eyestrain.

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Well, this isn't good news. When I'm not staring at my TV playing a game, I'm staring at it while watching the many programs my TiVo records for me while playing games. I also watch a lot of movies. Looks like I'll soon be going blind, no more Playboy channel for me. To be honest I'm absolutely shocked that staring at your TV for too long is bad for you. You mean that experts suggest that too much booze, food, smoking, work and even exercise could be bad for me? Contrary to the old adage, "too much of a good thing is a great thing", isn't that always the case (except for sex, you can never have too much of that)? What do doctors take us for, morons? Thank goodness I have guys with lots of letters after their name who can tell me what to do.
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Looking for an arcade game? - If you're in the market for an Xbox Live Arcade or PSN game, take a look at some of my reviews of recent arcade releases on GamePro to see if you can find something worth your money.
- Aces of the Galaxy (Xbox 360)
- Warlords (Xbox 360)
- Roogoo (Xbox 360)
- Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 (PSN)
- Echochrome (PSN)
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Saturday, June 07, 2008

The Podcast is Back

Sort Of - You might have noticed a new edition to the As the Gaming World Turns front page. On the right side, below my gamertag and GTA IV youtube videos are the first two new coloradojoe podcasts. I kind of buried it because its still a work in progress and to be honest, hitting the link to listen to it is a pain in the ass. I recommend subscribing to it through iTunes. If you type in coloradojoe in the iTunes Store power search you'll see it. Actually you'll see two, the one from last year and the new one. You'll want the one that's marked "explicit" (finally I can curse all I want!) and with the picture of me and my brother sitting on a lion at Trafalgar Square. On the iTunes menu it'll only list one episode but when you subcribe it'll download the two I've recently recorded. So what do you get in these two podcasts? Not a whole hell of lot to be honest. The first one is just a reintroduction and some ideas of what I have planned for the podcast, the second is mostly me cursing about podcasting. I've been off for a year so try and cut me some slack.
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So after whining in a post about podcast problems how did it get resolved? My brother suggested doing 3-4 mini-podcasts to deal with our upload issue and it worked. This means that instead of downloading one 30 minute podcast, you'll have to download 3 or 4 but I do it with my Adam Corolla podcasts so its really no big deal. Its still early and my usual sidekick is out of the country for the next 2 weeks but I do plan on doing the podcasts regularly. Since they're going to be in short 5-10 minute bursts the format will probably be a little more streamlined but I still plan on talking about the same stuff I did before (and did I mention there'll be cursing?) - videogames will be the focus with music, TV, films, and sports filling out the rest. Interviews, always a personal favorite, will happen as often as possible and I plan on offering some giveaways (games, game guides, faceplates, etc.) through the podcasts as well. So if you're a frequent reader of the site, go to iTunes and subscribe. If you don't like it, I'll give you double your money back.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Bourne Conspiracy First Impressions

I (Jason Bourne) am a badass - Like most Jason Bourne fights, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. The Bourne Conspiracy is a cool game and you should buy it. What? I'm supposed to elaborate?!? Didn't you read the title of this post? First impressions are usually brief. Still not good enough? Fine here are the highs and lows after the first four levels.
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The Good
- The fighting mechanics are excellent. They're relatively simple yet effective and truly give the feeling that you are Jason Bourne. This game was made for 95-pound weaklings to feel good about themselves.
- The story, which is expanded upon greatly if you've only watched the movies, is well told. The flashbacks stay honest to the feel of the films. I read the first Bourne book a long time ago so I don't know if that's where the extra story comes from but it sure works.
- The overall game presentation is superb. The character models and backgrounds are all detailed and the weather effects are a nice touch. The in-game music adds plenty of tension.
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The Not So Good
- The shooting mechanics are pretty lame. It reminds me a little of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Thankfully you spend more time fighting than shooting in the game. At least I have through the first four levels.
- There are some collision detection issues - an enemy's head going through a dumpster on a melee attack, getting stuck behind boxes while still running. Its not a major problem yet, but it gives the game an unpolished feel.
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Its early but I'm really enjoying this game. I haven't tried any driving missions and the shooting mechanics should be better but as an unabashed Bourne fan I'm pretty pleased. At this point I'd give it a solid B+.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Coldplay on Guitar Hero III? Oh yeah!

Eli will be overjoyed - I wasn't planning on putting up another post until Thursday, when I was going to give my Bourne Conspiracy first impressions, but then I read this. According to a post on hollywoodinsider.com a few days ago, Coldplay will be in Guitar Hero III. You read that right, COLDPLAY. You might have seen the band sing their new song Viva La Vida at the MTV movie awards a couple of days ago (but more likely you didn't because winning an MTV movie award is the equivalent of winning a Dundie...scratch that, I'd rather win a Dundie). The bands new album comes out in a few weeks and as part of their promotion the song Violet Hill will be available as a download on Guitar Hero III.
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Personally I'm a huge Coldplay fan (and I've taken a ton of crap for it but that's cool...haters) but since I don't own GH III anymore I could care less about the news. But even if Coldplay was coming out on Rock Band I wouldn't be that excited. I'd certainly buy it but I'm not sure how their style of music fits into these kind of games. I'd rather have music from my all-time favorite band, The Beatles, but it'll be a cold day in Phoenix when that happens. Still, the release of Coldplay music on GHIII is an interesting experiment. If gamers are willing to buy Coldplay songs, will they be willing to buy other songs that don't quite fit the rockin' genre of Guitar Hero and Rock Band? What about hip hop? Rap? Country? Showtunes? What about Peter Griffin's man-crush Barry Manilow? Sales of Violet Hill could lead to some interesting results. In the meantime, enjoy jammin' to Coldplay Eli.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Jason Bourne is in the Hizzy



Treadstone training not included - A slew of titles come out this week (Ninja Gaiden II, Grid, Lego Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda, The Incredible Hulk) but the one most worthy of your time is The Bourne Consipiracy, which you can pick up tomorrow. The very lengthy demo has been available for download for PS3 and 360 gamers for awhile so if you're even remotely considering picking up Bourne you should take a look at it. And if you're a fan of the Bourne movies and books, Conspiracy is a must own, even though Matt Damon wasn't kind enough to grace the game with his voice or likeness.
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My review copy came by FedEx today and looked like something out of a Black Briar debriefing at CIA headquarters. The binder/attache case had the Bourne Conspiracy logo on the outside and when opened up sported a notepad, a 360 copy of the game and assets in the guise of a debriefing report. As press packages go its not on the same level as the mini-pinata that came with Viva Pinata, but its pretty cool. I haven't had a chance to put the game disc in but as a long time Bourne fan, I'm looking forward to it.
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Monday, June 02, 2008

Podcast Podshmast

Where's the technical manual? - I thought I had it all figured out. After looking all over the internet for free podcast hosting I found what I was looking for, or so I thought. Its been almost a year since the last coloradojoe podcast ended due to technical difficulties (stupid Odeo). I've been working on trying to get the podcast up and running but after trying a number of different free sites (podbean, gabcast, my podcast recorder, odeo again) I ended up with nothing. My brother came down to visit this weekend and we recorded a short 30-minute podcast using the Mymp3 recorder, which works fine.
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I felt pretty good about what we recorded. Phil and I discussed the Michael Hollick situation, GTA IV, Metal Gear Solid and threw in a little NBA Finals just for kicks. It was a lot of fun and I was looking forward to getting back into the routine of doing a weekly podcast. The problem was that none of the free hosts listed above would load it up. Its infuriating as hell. Maybe I don't have a good enough computer, maybe I'm not as technically savvy as I thought, I have no clue what's going wrong. I'm tempted to use a pay site and I'm willing to pay a small monthly amount, but I'm concerned I'm just going to end up having the same problems anyway. If anyone has any tips on how I can get the coloradojoe podcast up and running, let me know. Otherwise the podcast is as dead as Britney Spears career.
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