Check out the announcement from the BBN blog in case you haven’t:
We’re looking for a blogger for Space Invaded, the gaming blog of The Bayanihan Blog Network. I’ve been handling the blog over the past few weeks, but I’m sure someone else can continue where I will eventually leave off, and take the blog to the next level.
Applicants must be passionate about gaming, willing to write about the topic with a Filipino perspective. Aside from commenting on international developments and writing reviews, the blogger must also cover local gaming events and experiences. Proposing an interesting theme related to the blog’s name is a plus.
Everything’s pretty much setup. We’ll handle all of the nitty-gritty technical details. All you have to do is blog.
Interested? Or know someone who is? Please contact us.
Update: We’ve already found a blogger. Visit his first post and give him your love. Or else…
My nephew’s really lucky. It’s his birthday this Sunday and my parents decided to get him a Nintendo DS Lite. Aside from kiddy games like Pokemon Diamond and Mario Kart—none of that gory stuff—an R4 was of course included in the package.
The reason why the R4 is such a great companion for the Nintendo DS is because it lets you place all of your games in one microSD card. A 1GB microSD card was part of the bundle, which means I can put tens, if not hundreds, of games on it. Placing all your games into the microSD and plugging it into the R4 has benefits.
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In Star Wolves 2, your dreams of becoming a fleet admiral come true. Like the prequel, Star Wolves 2 puts you in control of a frigate—complete with its own supporting cast of fighters! You’re the leader of a space-faring mercenary group (known of course as the Star Wolves) traveling around the universe looking for and accomplishing freelance missions for money. Eventually you’ll get involved in a galaxy-wide conflict, casting your lot with one of the major factions. The choice you’ll make determines how the story develop, and what the ending will be.From a production value standpoint, Star Wolves 2 is a mixed bag.
The graphics are obviously inspired by Homeworld, but there’s nothing wrong with copying what works. The explosions are big and beautiful. Laser beams cut through space. Missiles streak towards their target. A big part of Star Wolves 2 is space combat, and it’s great to see how it’s believably and interestingly presented. The cool rock soundtrack kicks in when you encounter hostiles, pumping you up for the battle ahead.
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If you’ve always wanted to be the centerpiece of a courtroom drama, in that quirky Japanese way, then Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is tailor-made for you.
You play a young defense lawyer named Phoenix Wright, who always works to prove his clients’ innocence by exposing the flaws in the witnesses’ testimony. Between court sessions, you play detective, surveying the crime scene and interrogating people for any clues or evidence you can use later.
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Over at a friend’s office, 12:30 is a special time indeed. That’s because after everyone’s eaten a quick lunch, they all rush to their workstations and play a few rounds of Counter-Strike.
That’s right. And it’s all legit. In fact, his HR personnel and even an executive sometimes join in on the fun. And yes, the gals are getting better at fragging their male counterparts. Games usually involve two teams of more than ten people each. How’s that for participation? Of course, everything ends at 1 pm.
As you may know, after lunch can be a very sleepy time. With stomachs full of food, dozing off becomes a very enticing prospect. But thanks to Counter-Strike, my friend says, this is no longer a problem. The adrenaline rush derived from letting loose with virtual guns and riddling virtual opponents with bullets keeps everyone awake.
My friend and his workmates are more productive, having enough energy to get working immediately after lunch. The post-lunch sleepiness does kick in after a few hours. By that time however, the work day is almost over. He also tells me that they’re planning to try out StarCraft soon. They also welcome the daily deathmatch as a needed break from the monotony of work.
Maybe this is something you can propose to your boss? You’ll need something more definite than the anecdotal evidence outlined here though. Case studies? A controlled experiment?
Third world countries suffer from weak economies. That much is true. But for those who can afford gaming goodness, third world countries can be quite a paradise.
Take the Nintendo Wii for example. Thanks to its high demand in the US, even the so-called tracker sites list stores with empty stocks. Here in the Philippines however, over half the populace can barely afford to live, much less buy a Nintendo Wii and a TV to play it on. This means demand is for the console is very low, the Wii financially considered as a luxury item.
Even the avid, but low-budget, local gaming community stayed away. Oh, they badly wanted a Wii for themselves, but in the beginning it was simply priced out of their reach (around Php 30,000, or $600!). Simply because the Philippines is a low-cost economy; some high-class families would only be middle-class in the US. So stores slowly but surely lowered the price…
Now you can get the Wii over here for about Php 14,000 ($300), console only. A unit bundled with two controllers and some games goes for Php 17,000 ($370). Definitely a reasonable price, especially at first-world standards. Even better, supply remains high. That’s because if retailers raise the prices, they’ll lose the few buyers they have.
In short, we’ve got the best of both worlds here. Thanks to the relatively poor economic conditions of my country, the Nintendo Wii is available at a low price and is plentiful in supply. Which means its a good option for those who can’t afford the more expensive consoles like the PS3 and the XBox 360.
Photo by Jayvee.
I’ve played with a Wii on a large 40″ HDTV. And on a 13″ CRT (talk about old-school!). Can you guess which TV provided a better Wii experience?
No trick question here folks. Playing on the HDTV was a much more enjoyable experience, simply because there was more visual real estate to work with. Many Wii games, such as the Ubisoft shooter Red Steel, require precision with the Wii-mote. Not being able to aim at the right place at the right time and right away literally means your dead.
It’s definitely easier to aim at a particular pixel on the big 40-incher than on the puny 13″ TV. The HDTV’s higher resolution had nothing to do with it. Rather, it’s the bigger screen size that made the experience much more enjoyable. It’ll be easier to make minor adjustments, until your Wii-mote is right on the spot.
It’s been a while since my last XBox night at a friend’s house. But the lessons learned from playing NBA 2K7 are still with me. Read on and see what they are.
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I’m currently reviewing a Nokia 5700 for Mobile Philippines. And one of the first things I check out on a new phone are the pre-installed games.
Marble Cannon is a Zuma clone of no consequence. The other game, City Bloxx, is highly addictive for some reason. Simplify SimCity into a challenge of attaining the highest population. Put in an action element that requires great hand-eye coordination. This is the formula for City Bloxx.
Basically, you’re given a 5×5 city grid with empty blocks to populate with buildings of different sizes and population capacities. The more advanced structures become available as your progress, and need to be placed adjacent to the more basic ones. When you pick a building type, the game shifts to the tower stacking mode.
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A recent study shows that gaming isn’t the socially-destructive habit some people like to characterize it as:
Gaming did not seem to affect time spent doing homework among boys or reading among girls, the study found.
Also, gamers did not spend less time with friends and parents.
“These findings do not support the notion that adolescents who play video games are socially isolated,” the authors wrote.
They also said the findings indicate that gameplay can be a distraction from school-related activities, but that may not hurt grades.
Granted, the sample of 1,491 is too small to be really conclusive. Yet this study supports my belief that gaming, like any other passion, isn’t unhealthy. Ultimately, the effect on gamers’ lives depends on the people themselves. If they sacrifice too much for it, then it becomes a bad habit. But there’s nothing wrong with games when enjoyed in moderation.
What do you think?
