this article about how Mass Effect 2 players will have to change discs at some point in the gameplay

Sucks for those guys.

Then again, since Mass Effect 2 isn’t even coming to the PS3 [despite earlier rumors] I guess it actually sucks for PS3 players.

But will I still laugh at the disc change?

You betcha.

Since I’m all about time wasting on the internet, I figured I might as well look around and see if any other games are going to require the dreaded disc change like Mass Effect 2.

Guess what I found?

Final Fantasy XIII on THREE discs if you buy the game for Xbox 360.

I don’t remember the last time I played a game that required multiple discs but I’m pretty certain it was a PS2 game.

So I can’t help but wonder, if you have both systems, will you be buying Final Fantasy XIII for PS3 to get out of the dreaded disc switch or do you not care and for you future Mass Effect 2 owners out there, do you think the disc switch is going to annoy you?

Image|Bioware

Post from: EveryJoe

Mass Effect 2 Includes Dreaded Disc Change

You can race as Casey Stoner in the newest MotoGP video game

Pulling their chairs up to the screen and turning on the game, they quickly discovered that they could race as any of the current racers competing in the MotoGP and a total of 17 circuits were available for them to race on and the newest video game even has a new feature for this year, an all new Arcade mode. In this mode they were able to take part in different types of race challenges, before giving the Career mode a try. In this mode you can compete in all of the races and manage your team as you try to build up your reputation as a two-wheeled racer both on and off the track. They were even told that when the game releases later in the year, players would be able to access free downloadable content from the real 2010 MotoGP season as it unfolds in real time, and keep their virtual 2010 season up to date with the happenings in the real season. You’ll even be able to compete in the different classes of the MotoGP, the 125 cc, 250 cc, and even the Premier class, and take your bike online to compete around the world against the best virtual two-wheeled racers on the planet. This game will be realised later in 2010, probably about March and is being developed by Monumental Games and published by Capcom, and should be a riot for any fan of the MotoGP.

In other news, the Moto2 prototype bike of Monster Tech3 is being tested for the up coming 2010 MotoGP season, and apparently the first tests have been going pretty good for the team and they expect to compete for the 2010 MotoGP title. French rider Florian Marino was testing the bike this week, before the real racer Raffaele de Rosa gets on the bike later in the week in Valencia.

The testing of the bike went pretty well and they ran some pretty good times, despite just taking the bike through its first test run, and if they can get it running a little better, this sportbike might have enough speed to compete. Of course tests don’t always tell you everything you need to know about a bike and its ability to run fast and win. The bike will have to be tested under all different weather conditions and running conditions yet, but so far, things are looking good for the team.

“Image: Zuma Press”

Post from: EveryJoe

MotoGP 2010 is a Virtual Adventure

I don’t feel the need to act impartial since we all have our favorites and it’s best for people to know where you stand.

Because of this, I get a lot of questions about why I love my PS3 or if I think someone should buy a PS3.

I got one of those questions last week from a friend who wanted to know if he should get a Wii or a PS3 and if there were any “kid friendly” games for the PS3.

Of course, I told my friend that the PS3 was a better buy. Though there aren’t all of the Wii Sports games for the PS3 [duh], the PS3 does double as a Blu-Ray/DVD player [great if you have kids] and there are tons of “casual games” available for download or just to play if you go into PlayStation Home.

Add to that the fact that you now have Twitter and Facebook functionality and Netflix…well…I told my friend to get a Wii as a “complementary” system but not as his primary system.

What made me write this today was this piece I found that’s from back in 2006 from a writer at RPG Site: 5 Reasons Why I’m Buying a PS3. This led me to start looking for a more recent take on why a PS3 is the best system to buy which led me to another self-professed PS3 fan: Roger Altizer from About.com. Like the RPG Site piece, Altizer gives some compelling reasons to buy a PS3 over the other systems.

I know why I paid a premium for my 20GB PS3, but with so many people considering buying gaming systems for Christmas, I’m wondering what system you bought [or are going to buy] and your reasons?

Image|Sony

Post from: EveryJoe

I Love the PS3 But What System Do You Love?

At the time of me writing this, there are 5,753 360s for sale on eBay alone and I’m sure the number is only going to grow since Microsoft’s announcement of 600k+ system bans for modding and violations of terms of service. Adjusted numbers according to Daily Tech and CNN/CNET, put the ban at about a million.

The reason for this influx of systems to Craig’s List and eBay is consoles are being banned from Xbox Live but not GamerTags – not yet anyway. So, if your current console gets banned from Xbox Live, you can buy a new console and get back to Xbox Live fun. What this means for you as the deal hunter-gatherer is that some of those consoles on eBay and Craig’s List are probably banned consoles.

Imagine the hilarity that would ensue if you unknowingly bought a banned console off of eBay with every intention of playing on Xbox Live and then you discovered that your console was banned. Fun times.

So, the moral of the story is two-fold: don’t buy a used Xbox 360 from someone you don’t trust if you want on Xbox Live for fear it might be banned and don’t download pirated games on your Xbox 360. Not only is that illegal, but you’ll end up banned and stuck with a console that can’t got on Xbox Live.

Image|Microsoft

Post from: EveryJoe

Buy Your Xbox 360s Somewhere Else

The November ‘10 release date lines up with information that’s been making the rounds since the device was first announced, but this is the first time a price has been mentioned.

This information comes from a spy report published by gaming trade mag MCV. The report goes on to say that Microsoft is readying 5 million units to meet the demand when Natal goes on sale November 2010, and that at least 14 game titles are in the works for launch. Publishers committed to Natal-based games include Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney, EA, Ubisoft, and more. And that doesn’t include Microsoft’s own first-party publishers, like Rare, Lionhead, and Epic.

The real news here is that jaw-dropping price tag. When I was at E3 earlier this year, where Natal was first unveiled, the most common speculation was that Natal would be priced at at least $200, if not more. Because Microsoft has made no secret of the fact that it sees Natal as a way of lengthening the life span of the 360, and avoiding a whole new console launch. Now normally I might be inclined to be cynical of MS for trying to “wring more money out of a current-gen console” while its competitors move forward… But in the current economy, a bargain-priced device that transforms your existing console experience into something revolutionary sounds like a pretty darn good idea.

MCV claims that Microsoft wants to make Natal an ultra-affordable “impulse buy” add-on for your 360, and right now, gamers everywhere are on their knees praying that this is true. One of MCV’s sources says the price might even go as low as $50.

Such a move would not be without precedent on Microsoft’s part. Both the first Xbox and the 360 have famously been sold for higher-than-manufacturing-cost prices, out of the gate, because of an intentional strategy from MS to recoup its hardware investment through game sales. And it’s a strategy that’s worked for them.

Whether or not any of this is true remains to be seen, so don’t count it as “fact” yet. In the meantime, Sony’s motion-tracking “want” controller for the PS3 will be launched in Spring 2010 — at least 6 months before Natal. And rumors persist that Nintendo is already at work on a next-gen Wii with heftier processing power.

The console war is far from over.

Image: Microsoft Corporation.

Post from: EveryJoe

Leak details Project Natal launch plans

One smart scientist has come up with a way to use the console to help detect heart defects and prevent heart attacks.  In order to accomplish this, a modified chip was placed in the console so that it will display data about damaged cardiac cells so that doctors can spot problems like arrhythmia (which I actually have).

“This is a clever use of a processing chip … to speed up calculations of heart rhythm. What used to take hours can be calculated in seconds, without having to employ an extremely expensive, high-performance computer,” said Denis Noble, the director of Computational Physiology at Oxford University.

While it’s true that actually playing games isn’t linked to detecting heart problems, the scientist who developed this program had a unique background as a gaming software engineer which led to him creating a “little shooter game” for Microsoft which, ultimately, gave him the idea for this new use for the Xbox.

“These game consoles aren’t just glorified toys. [They] are pieces of very powerful computing hardware,” he says. “I can see this … being most useful for students and early-career scientists to just quickly and cheaply grab that extra bit of computing power they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get… I did a game-ified version of my old cardiac code. I could actually present some ‘proper’ science [based on] the cool things us game developers do.”

See?  The skills we develop playing video games really can be put to good use in a million other ways!

Post from: EveryJoe

Is The Xbox Good For Your Heart?

But, with the announcement of the addition of Johnny Cash and Ring of Fire to Guitar Hero 5, I just might consider grabbing up a guitar and giving the game another go.

New to the game is the Electric Honky Tonk Bar venue which gives you the chance to use any instrument controller to rock out to Ring of Fire and if you’re good enough, you can unlock the ability to sing as Johnny Cash himself.

The game will hit store shelves in September on the PS3, Wii, PS2 and Xbox 360 with plenty of time to get the game, play it yourself and then wrap it up and put it under the Christmas tree.

Not that I condone that kind of thing…

Image|Activision

Post from: EveryJoe

Johnny Cash Comes to Guitar Hero 5

One company called TrickleStar is aware of this saving or standby power issue to come up with the TV TrickleSaver which is to stop the flow of standby power when electrical appliances such as TV and your gaming console are in ’standby’ mode.

PS3 is the primary target for such usage while Microsoft Xbox 360 comes in as a close second. Device @ $34.95.

Image: TrickleStar
Via: Slipperybrick

Post from: EveryJoe

TV TrickleSaver To Save Gaming Power & $

Yes. Yes, he will.

This game looks downright sick.

The basic premise is that you play “War”, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The world came to an end too soon [oops] and now you have to find out who’s behind it.

Darksiders: Wrath of War is set for an early 2010 release and will be available for PS3 and 360.

Post from: EveryJoe

Darksiders:Wrath of War Trailer

It’s being released for the PS3, PSP and 360 and looks like it will be a hell of a lot of fun.

Post from: EveryJoe

Tekken 6 Atari Trailer