Thursday, 31 December 2009

Happy New Year!

Just a quick post to say Happy New Year to all of SFN’s readers. Thank you for visiting the site and reading the posts on here, I really do appreciate it ^__^

Also, as a little update, I thought that I should tell you about what’s happening with the site in the new year, are you ready?

Well first things first, I am launching a couple on new types of articles, the first is called “Say What?!” and will answer some questions (random or otherwise) about video games. For full details on how to submit a question see the widget in the sidebar titled “Got A Scoop?”. Using the e-mail in that widget I seriously encourage you all to send me any feedback or questions about the site (you must put SFN in the subject line of all of your e-mails)

The second post type that I will be creating is called “7 Questions” – which is where I will ask 7 Questions about a game to review it. For example with Assassin’s Creed 2 I might ask Worst Feature? or  Biggest Improvement? and Is it worth buying? and questions that evaluate the games quality etc.

Those are the new post types that you can look forward to however, without the support of the ads on the site SFN wouldn’t exist so please take a look at the ad at the top of the site, please do click on it if it interests you because that’s what it’s there for!


And lastly, to finish off, please check out the poll in the sidebar asking you what games you're looking forward to in this new year. It runs from now through till February so go check it out :D

I hope that you will come back and visit SFN soon, please feel free to look at all of the posts that are already on the site. Have a Happy New Year!

And remember,

Keep On Gaming!

From Jasmino924 (Jasmine H.) : D

5 (More) Modern Warfare 2 Online Gameplay Tips

Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Screenshot 2

I wrote a post last month giving you 5 tips to getting a high killstreak in Modern Warfare 2’s online modes,which you can find (here) and so, to help you out even more and because I know that you all want to deploy a tactical nuke (!), I have put together another wonderful list of “5 Tips” to kill even more people in MW2 online.

1.Cross the Road

I’ve decided to start you off with something simple and easy to remember : “Cross the Road”. Crossing the road is something that most of us do everyday (though many have not left their houses since MW2’s release!) When you cross the road, you look left and right, this is a tactic that you should employ in MW2 as well. While looking left & right in the real-life is to watch for passing cars, in both the real and MW2 worlds, the general purpose is not to get killed. Not only should you do it to save your skin, you should also do it to look out for crazy enemies sprinting like panthers around the course. The chances are that they won’t see you in their haste and bang! a glorious kill, could be yours.

2.Reload,reload,reload.

To unlock the extended mag attachment in the game, in most cases you have to complete 10 challenges all requiring you to kill between 5 – 40 people (approx.) with a bunch of different attachments all of which, in turn require their own separate challenges to unlock them! As if killing people wasn't hard enough, you have limited bullets too! So until you unlock the extended mag attachment for your gun, it’s important to reload! That one reload could mean that for your opponent, the line between life and death is crossed. No one wants to hear the dreaded ‘click’ signalling an empty mag, especially in the midst of a potentially fatal fire fight. Just make sure that you reload at every available opportunity to ensure that you get a few extra kills.

3. Know the Map

If you’re not familiar with a particular map in the game, then the 30 seconds (maximum a minute) at the beginning of a game, where everyone is spreading out in the map, are a perfect time for you to explore, to have a look around and to find your nook or cranny (see here for a definition). Knowing your way around a map can give you the upper hand in any game type, for example if you look around and find a few spots where the enemy might hide, then you’ll be able to ‘extinguish’ them when they wander  into said, prime hiding spot and like 3 strikes in baseball, they’ll be out!

4.Stay Still

This tip’s  good, particularly if  you’re a sniper, but it generally works for whatever type of soldier that you are. Me,personally prefer to run around wielding an assault rifle. A funny example of this tip in action is a personal experience, that happened to me yesterday—> I was playing domination in the High Rise map, I sprinted to Area B, which gets a lot of foot traffic, from both teams, I shot the enemy player who was guarding the base and promptly lay down next to the aforementioned enemy’s lifeless corpse (disgusting I know!). Anyway so there I was laying still capturing the base, as you do, when an enemy soldier sprinted towards me, I thought for sure that they would kill me, but no, laying their still as a doormat, I survived. I had gone undetected, successfully capturing the area! Staying still helps you to blend in with the scenery (or the dead bodies and can cause the enemy not to spot you, but if that doesn’t work : RUN!!!

5.Be Invisible

I’ve already talked about staying still and laying prone but being  invisible’s a little different. If there’s an enemy near you, who hasn’t noticed you yet, add “another one to the pile” by stabbing them in the back. Literally. Unless you’re using a silencer, your bullets will show-up the mini-map (as little orange/red dots). Other player could see this, get suspicious and come and pwn you! Gasp! Shock! The horror! Another way to be “invisible is to stay low, I mentioned it in the other pwn n00bs post but as extra I’ll give you this advice – crouch as much as possible and get prone behind low walls because a) it makes it harder for them to see you and b) you can move without being seen and you can’t pwn any n00bs if you’re dead!

*BONUS TIP*

Get a headset! Even if no one else has one, at least let the rest of the team know about that pesky sniper up in the second floor window. And plus, you never know, if some one returns the favour you could be the one to kill that guy who just pwned your team-mate and start the beginning of a blossoming killstreak.

Related Post

5 Top Tips To pwn n00bs in MW2

Like the sound of this game but don’t own it yet? Check out the sidebar –> –> –> for a link to Amazon where you can buy it ^__^

Alternatively, if you do have the game you can add your top tips for the game below, in the comments box! No profanity please!!!!!

Friday, 25 December 2009

Merry Christmas

It's that time of the year again ; the air is filled with happiness and joy and freshly fallen snow lays crisp and undisturbed on the ground. It must be Christmas! To all of the System Fail News readers, I, Jasmine, wish you all a Merry Christmas! I hope you all got what you asked for from Santa, I know I did! While I'm off to play some Assassin's Creed 2 (a present from my loving parents ^__^ ) I am warning you NOT too eat too much turkey ,your bowels will pay for it later (if you know what I mean!) The blog is going on hiatus till the new year to give all of you readers (and myself) a chance to sleep and rest off all of that turkey and chocolate! See you in the new year but for now, Keep On Gaming!

From Jasmine :D

P.S if you're wondering why I'm posting this via my phone it's because I can't physically get up to fetch my laptop because I'm so full, lay off the turkey!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, 23 December 2009

What On Earth Is Sodium?

image

Screenshot of SodiumOne.com

So you wanna know what Sodium One is do ya? Well,I have the answer…

If you’re unaware, Sony set up a social-gaming hybrid called PlayStation Home on PS3. Home allows PS3 users from all over the world to meet-up , interact and play games together. Up until about 6 months ago, there wasn’t much to do besides chess,bowling and doing the running man like nobodies business  and so, to combat the boredom, Sony launched Xi , an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) that required users to use their brains as well as their gaming prowess to take part. It involved real world places and events as a result , Xi was a huge hit.

That was some time ago.  Now, the boredom is slowly creeping its way back into Home and so once again Sony have come up with a way to fight back : by starting up a brand new MMO called Sodium.

There are set to be many stages to the Sodium game, this first one being aptly titled ‘Sodium One’. To get involved you have to download & enter the Sodium space in PlayStation Home where there are many things you can do. As of now, you can read what Twitter is saying about Sodium, order virtual drinks ,  blow up spaceships (in a game called Salt Shooter) and most importantly, you can take part.

Once you’re in the Sodium Home Space go and speak to VICKIE (the big robot chick) at the entrance for more details and tasks to complete for the much needed Sodium points. Also you can get you special 4 digit code which can be entered in the just released Sodium Website.

One more thing – Salt Shooter is actually a demo. The game in the Sodium Space only offers 5 levels and to unlock all 50 levels you have to buy ‘the jacket’ (in PS Home) for £4.99 (UK).

Tuesday, 22 December 2009

Slow News Day

So guys, today has been a really slow news day like jumping in a sack race sorta slow! This update is just to say that you can all follow me on Twitter here > Jasmino924 (that’s my username). Also I’m running a poll over in the sidebar –> 

asking you what games you are most looking forward too next year.

I’ll post something as soon as I can but for now,

Keep On Gaming!

Jasmine :D

Monday, 21 December 2009

Random Ramblings : Is The Avatar Game Actually Quite Good?

Avatar Gameplay Screenshot

Avatar Gameplay screenshot via jeuxvideo.com

Movie games. Blergh! They are by definition : games that are based on or around a specific box office film, that’s the general idea anyway but most of these games are generic pieces of fluff that have been put together by developers who seem to be incapable of conjuring up any creativity whatsoever! James Cameron’s Avatar is the latest blockbuster smash to get its own ‘movie-game’ and by George! I think it may be quite good!

I know what you’re thinking “Jasmine, how much were you paid to say that?” well, the answer my friend is absolutely nothing. I genuinely like the game. What we find most intriguing about our games is that they find a way to be different, even if it’s only in a small way from other things that are out there which is why we might choose Tony Hawk’s Ride over EA’s Skate games (or vice versa) ; they’re both the same game in theory but in reality they’re completely different.

The reason I say that the Avatar video game is quite good is that it is, by all means, extremely different. For example, it’s the very first game to use 3D, ever! Sure, you’ll have to spend a few thousand dollars (or pounds if you’re in the UK like me ^__^ ) on a 3D TV but the point is that it’s there. The developers wanted to make the game just like the film by allowing players to experience it in all of its fabulous 3 Dimensional glory.

As I said, a movie-game is, by definition a game that is based on or around a specific box office movie and it seems that between the awe-inspiring 3D specs and the literally breath-taking graphics, this is a true movie-game executed the way it should be.

*By the way* – the 3D version of the game is only available on PS3 because Sony’s Blu-Ray allows the 3D specs to work. However you can pick up a copy of the game for either PS3 or Xbox 360 (or both????? if you really want to) form Amazon today. (Also availabe on Wii,DS and all the typical others!)

Sunday, 20 December 2009

Army of 2 :The 40th Day TVGB Update

That Video Game Blog logo

TVGB Logo courtesy of That Video Game Blog

 Since I relaunched the site approximately a month ago, I have made it my goal to provide you with the most up to date news,features and trailers of video games that’s out there and in my role as the only writer and founder of the site my duties sometimes include sending you along to other sites *sniffle* , but only if they have some really exclusive stuff.

TVGB has a couple of posts on Army of 2 : 40th Day which are an interview and a preview of the game’s multiplayer modes. Because my blog is not as well-known as that site I don’t get offers like that to do interviews but they do so go check their posts out!

Army of 2 : 40th Day Preview of Multiplayer Modes – That Video Game Blog (TVGB)

Interview of Eric Chartrand, Lead Multiplayer Designer, Army of 2 : 40th Day – That Video Game Blog (TVGB)

 

System Fail News – Keep On Gaming!

From Jasmine :D

Packed With Action : Red Dead Redemption Screenshots, In HD

Apache Explosion Carriage Wreck Screenshot HD Classic Western Screenshot HD

Go! Team Go! Screenshot HD  Killing Fools Screenshot HD Over the Balcony Screenshot HD

Click on the pictures for the bigger, HD image.

 

In the last post that I wrote about Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption I said that the developer is known for keeping relatively ‘hush-hush’ about their games, recent release Grand Theft Auto IV being a prime example of this. Well, with this new production of theirs it seems that they have pulled the ol’ switcheroo on us (!) as they seem to be pulling out all of the stops on the publicity front to show off their game, not that I’m complaining though! With two trailers already out I guess that releasing these fantastic HD screenshots was the next logical step, unless they wanna let me do a hands-on (hehe, so not gonna happen)….

Anyway, take a look at the images above if you want to see some screenshots of Red Dead Redemption in action.

Check out the Official Red Dead Redemption website for more HD screenshots (I only picked a few of the “action-filled” images)

If you like the look of the game you can pre-order it today at Amazon ready for its April 27th release date next year. (Available for PS3 & Xbox 360)

Thursday, 17 December 2009

This Army of 2 : 40th Day Video Exhibits What You Can Do With A HUGE Explosion!

Army of 2 : 40th Day video via me (!) on YouTube.

When you’re trying to publicise a game, what better way to do it than with a big explosion? That way you can really kick-off with a bang. EA’s Army of 2: 40th Day, sequel to the original game, Army of 2, is the latest game to get the “trailer treatment” which isn’t as trashy as it sounds. This little video shows off what EA does best, going BIG! with their game and while this video doesn’t really tell you much about the game’s story (besides the fact that it’s set in Shanghai) it does however, pack one hell of a powerful punch!

 

Watched the video and want to pre-order the game? Pre-order it now from Amazon

Sunday, 13 December 2009

Random Ramblings of a Video Game Blogger : Do Video Game Developers Need to be More Interactive?

FIFA 10 Screenshot 

FIFA 10 Screenshot via Google

The Yanks (USA) have American Idol while us in the UK have X Factor. Every Saturday night everyone tunes into iTV 1 in preparation for the talent show to air. The cell phones (mobile phones) come out and people log onto Twitter to chat with their friends for free, about the show’s events. Aah Twitter. Most of us have a Twitter page (including me) because they’re a great way to communicate with people all over the world. So it really is no surprise that the show, X Factor, has one too. Right now it’s a Saturday night, the latest X Factor episode has been and gone and like always I’m looking at the official Twitter for the show and it makes me think : Do Video Games Need to be More Interactive? Seriously, if one person can communicate with millions of people all over the world, why can’t  developers and publishers, some with hundreds of employees, stay connected to the fans?

Developers proclaim it all the time that it’s the “fans feedback” that helped them to make such an excellent game, for example, in the latest issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine (on sale now ; D ) David Rutter from the team behind FIFA 10 says that the game is “something that resonates with fans and delivers the experience that they want” but it is enough?

When GTA IV was released, the Rockstar team could be found in the online modes running around pwning n00bs with the rest of us and there was even a trophy (PS3) or an achievement (Xbox 360) available if you killed a Rockstar employee. It’s nice to see that quite often developers and publishers stay connected with players long after their game’s release such as with Little Big Planet team Media Molecule and their blog. The PlayStation Blog regularly features guest posts from members of development teams with upcoming games and it’s a marvellous way to interact with video gamers everywhere. Now, not to sound like a Sony Fan Girl (which I’m not) but when I get corporate/automated e-mails from the Xbox website I think to myself “how many people visit the site?”.

So, once again I’m doing my bit for the gaming community ; I say this to developers and publishers alike – start interacting with gamers before your user-base drops off entirely!

Saturday, 12 December 2009

Question Time! #1

QuestionMark

As I mentioned, quite a few posts ago now, I have recently relaunched the site as I (whisper it) neglected it. One of the reasons that I did so was because I had too much to handle with school work etc. but now I’m a little older and can handle the pressure! The other problem was that the site just wasn’t interactive enough, I had a fair amount of readers, great,great readers in fact, but I just wasn’t interactive enough with them. However, with the “sort-of new (ish) site I have chosen to be interactive so that I don’t fall back in to my old ways. So with a big boost of 2 am energy (the current time here in the UK) I will ask my first question :

“What Games Are You Looking Forward to

in 2010?”

I have posted a poll box over there----------------------> in the sidebar with a few suggestions for your answers but if you want to choose something else just post a comment in the box below. Also, please click on the Share This widget underneath so that you can share this post with your friends and we can get a real discussion going!

That’s all for today but I’ll have a new post for your sometime this weekend (maybe today :D)

From Jasmine

 

Thursday, 10 December 2009

New Modnation Racers Dev Diary Shows Us How To Get Sticky

Modnation Racers video courtesy of Me (Jasmine) on YouTube.

 

You know when you’re a kid, and you’re running around and just mucking about,being silly? Well, when you’re young you get that chance to just get really creative, fir example when you’re a toddler no-one will yell at you for colouring over the lines and more often than not you’ll be commended for just having a go! The team behind Modnation Racers understands that not everyone can paint like Picasso or draw shapes like Matisse and so, as you can see, in the video above, they have made it unbelievably simple to customise pretty much everything. While this game has been categorised as the “Little Big Planet Racer”  the game is much more than that. However this video does show us how to get creative with the stickers!. But, you know what they say, if you like it then you should’a slapped a sticker on it!

 ModNation Racers will be available on PS3 sometime next year but you can pre-order your copy from Amazon today.


Tuesday, 8 December 2009

Random Ramblings of a Video Game Blogger : Ads In Video Games, How Far Is Too Far?

Burnout Paradise Obama Ad

As I mentioned on Twitter earlier (for you planks who aren’t following me !) , today I was off sick from school (AKA the educational prison). So, I’m sat on the sofa all ill and tired, just watching T.V when an ad pops up and for some reason it irritates the heck out of me! I spent hours trying to figure out why it had annoyed me so much, when it hit me ; I’d seen that ad before, many times before in fact. This scenario from earlier made me think about how many gamers have complained about advertising in video games and why nothing is changing. The image above (via blogs.indystar.com ) is an example of in-game advertising that has caused an uproar (in 2008) but more recently Joystiq featured a post stating that there are plans for A LOT (trust me, I meant the capital letters) of ads to be put all over the in-game world of the new Splinter Cell video game. So I ask “How Far Is Too Far?”.

While us gamers realise that sometimes ads are used to cover the expensive developments costs and in this futuristic day and age they are generally guite high, but like many of you reading this, I played through Call Of Duty : Modern Warfare 2  , a game which cost approx. $150 million (!!!!!) to develop by the way, and I didn’t find a single advertisement in the game ! So to any money-hungry video game companies *cough* Activision *cough* EA *cough*  out there who are reading this, consider us, the consumers and the avid video gamers and our hatred of ads in the games that we love because one day, when your average game consists of 10 Coca-Cola banners and a McDonalds mini-game , no one will be buying your games anymore.

Are you for or against in-game ads? Post your thoughts below via the comment box.

Monday, 7 December 2009

Dead Space 2 Confirmed!

At the mo' I'm working on a new "Random Ramblings of a Video Games Blogger" post but for now here's a little tidbit of gaming news.

Dead Space 2 confirmed!

At tweet (with a link) via the @opm_uk Twitter page said

Dead Space 2 just got real. http://bit.ly/7cqLUj Guess we can confirm it's on our next cover, on sale 22 Dec. @leonHurley went to see it

So, there you have it!

Hmm Funny That….

Read this article on That Video Game Blog (TVGB) about EA’s Plan to Create More Original IPs

Hmmm funny that, didn’t I say just a few days ago  that developers would continue to make new IPs?

I guess I was right!

Saturday, 5 December 2009

Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption Rears Its (Rather Attractive) Head



Red Dead Redemption "My Name Is John Marston" trailer via Me!(Jasmine) on YouTube

The team behind the Grand Theft Auto games, Rockstar, are renowned for keeping hush,hush about the game that they happen to be working on. But now ("!), after seeing just a trailer, which was to announce the game, like a cowardly prisoner prisoner in questioning, they’ve sung like a sweet,sweet songbird with the release of this brand new trailer “My Name Is John Marston” , that shows us a bit of what the game is about.

In other Red Dead Redemption news, the Official PlayStation (UK) Podcast (available on iTunes now) discussed which wildlife would feature in the game, revealing that : bears,coyotes & rattlesnakes would all be present.

Will you be getting a copy of the game? Pre-order it from Amazon now to ensure that you get your copy on release, April 27, 2010


Deals of The Day (4/12/09)

So I’m sorry that I haven’t posted anything in a little bit, I guess I’ve been a busy. And, I know that you may be looking for the latest in video game news etc. but for me at least, it has been a slow news week and so instead I’m gonna help you out by posting these video game deals (via Amazon) that I’ve found so that you can treat yourself at Christmas by buying these bargain priced games (that are totally worth it). Cheaper than GameStop! (GAME).

 

UK – In the UK? Don’t worry, me too, I got ya’ covered!

Today’s game is the brotherly Western shooter Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood (Xbox 360) for just under  £15

 

Also see that the PS3 version (Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood (PS3)) is on offer for round about the same price : D

USA – There are some good deals for you guys across the pond too!

The game for you today is the exclusive to Xbox 360 racer Forza Motorsport 3 for under $35!

 

Have fun searching for more deals! Be sure to e-mail me at GamingLowdown@hotmail.co.uk with “SFN” in the subject line with any good deals that you find.

By the way here in the UK it’s 1am so I’m about to go to sleep but when I wake up (later this afternoon) I will be posting the new trailer for Red Dead Redemption AND I will be featuring some brand new gameplay footage of Splash Damage's new game, Brink.

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

Random Ramblings of a Video Games Blogger : Are New Games All The Same?

 Mirror's Edge Screenshot

Being 14, I am still in full time education and when I'm travelling to and from the place I've nicknamed "Beelzebub's Lair", I have a lot of time to ponder random thoughts (much like Russell Brand's Ponderland but with less euphemisms and WAY less hair!). Today, I was sat on the epically slow bus that I catch to school everyday and I was staring out of the window (with a blank look on my face of course!) when I happened to see 3 of the same make of car zoom past. All 3were different colours but it did get me thinking, "are we seeing the same video games all the time but with miniscule variations?". There's a reason that Call of Duty: World At War was such a commercial flop in comparison to its predecessor, it was because developers Treyarch didn't bring anything new to the table. Modern Warfare was innovative and imaginative and that's why it was so successful. The likes of DICE's Mirror's Edge really pushed the boundaries of video game development as a "first-person free-running combat" concept had never been made before. While the game didn't do as well as DICE and publishers EA had hoped it did give many other developers the courage to create original IP's. So, as gamers we can only hope that more of there "out-there" games are produced in the future.

 
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