I spent some time cleaning my living room this afternoon, and saw my old Xbox (I never got a 360 and doubt I will), and just for fun, I plugged it in and fired up an old game. Long story short- my living room is still dirty, and I just lost three hours to Jade Empire.
At any rate, what was the best Xbox game ever- my money is on Jade Empire, Ninja Gaiden, or KOTOR. KOTOR may simply be the greatest console game ever, now that I think about it.
Oh, yeah- I tried out Second Life and it is just bizarre. Hopefully, some of the ladies here will make some clothes for my avatar, as I was wearing boxer shorts and a Cowboy hat for a while.
Dave Ruddell
I don’t know what it’s like on the console, but KOTOR and KOTOR 2 are both great PC games. Dual wielding those light sabers is tons of fun, but using the force lightening is even better.
demimondian
KOTOR rulez, dude. KOTOR 2? Meh…not so much.
Dave
Like I told you the other day John, Second Life is just boring and a waste of time. You’re better off blogging and sticking with the XBox.
david
“Hopefully, some of the ladies here will make some clothes” ??
WTF?
After the whole “HIS WIFE HAS BREASTS AND THEY SHOWED UP ON FILM” deal I’m still tasting vomit in the back of my mouth…
(Do you really imagine there are “ladies” reading this blog?)
This woman-lover is outa here…
Buh-bye, high school boys.
tBone
KOTOR 2 was great, right up until they ran out of time and Lucasarts made them release it anyway.
If you loved KOTOR, John, you may want to rethink picking up a 360. The developers have a new game, Mass Effect, coming out, and it looks amazing – a lot like a next-generation KOTOR minus the Star Wars license. I know between that and Halo 3 I’m going to have a hard time holding out.
TenguPhule
Thermal Detonators for the Win!
KOTOR would have been the perfect game except for 2 things.
1. The spacewalk.
2. The Deepsea walk.
Worst-Ideas-Ever.
tBone
This guy has to be a college freshman. No one else would be self-righteous/clueless enough to actually use a line like that, would they?
Sirkowski
FIXED!
jake
Ah yes, a lame-ass attempt to score points with the women. “I think patriarchal sexual mores are so…confining. Don’t you?” Snore.
Although I must say that if there is a way to dress another person’s avatar John will soon be walking around in a baby bonnet and diapers. If the women who do read this blog are feeling merciful.
Face
1) WTF?
2) what the hell is an “avatar”?
3) See 1)
I’ve come to realize there’s a hell of a lot of shit online that I ever imagined. Where do y’all get the time?
Krista
Yes, there are “ladies” reading this blog. I’m one of them, and am not particularly impressed by your attitude.
Jane Finch and I are getting John all sorted out, and we will be very kind.
demimondian
I have a XBOX 360, and, frankly, the graphics are freaking awesome. Problem is — all the best games for it would have run just fine on the XBOX.
Andrew
I am shocked, shocked that david’s self-righteousness is accompanied by total failure in his sarcasm detection system.
Krista
And by the way, the boxer shorts/cowboy hat ensemble was quite fetching.
rachel
What the hell was that?
demimondian
Oh, rachel, don’t worry your pretty head about it. “david” had it under control; he was protecting you from the patriarchy. (Since, after all, neither you, nor Krista, nor Rome, nor capelza, nor Jane have what it takes to defend yourselves rhetorically.)
Cyrus
An avatar is your character in a game. A 3D person who walks around and does stuff in the game world. They vary a lot, but in Second Life, it seems they’re very customizable. You can design clothes and, for all I know, body parts, or wear stuff designed by other people.
I can’t speak for John or Krista or whoever else, but it’s not that hard. First, get a job with short and/or flexible hours. Second, let your friendships IRL (in real life) wither and die. Simple!
Krista
Is it unladylike to tell David that he’s being a douche?
raff
Jade Empire is a great game — strong storyline, great graphics & any game with John Cleese in it is OK by me…
Krista
Nonsense. My amount of time online hasn’t changed, just where I choose to spend it. Can any of you honestly say that you don’t spend at least one to two hours on the internet during the course of an evening?
capelza
I will forever have this image of John Cole in boxers and a cowboy hat, with Hola Fruta, throwing things at Steely McBeem on the T.V. screen.
Oh and david, this lady sweetly and helplessly tells you to go…well I’ll be nice. New rules and stuff.
grumpy realist
I read John’s comment, thought “yeah, I can run up something on the sewing machine”, and THEN did a double-take.
Sewing in virtual reality?
John, um, I don’t think my 4H classes covered this….
(And to all ye protectors-of-me-from-the-patriarchy, SHADDUP already–I like to sew, especially complex patchwork pieces.)
grumpy realist
John, you really ought to post a picture of your avatar and see what “the ladies” here can do with Photoshop…..heh heh heh…
IanY77
And Nathan “Captain Malcolm Reynolds” Fillion (Gao the Lessor). I played that game through three times. Once on good, once on bad, once as I pleased (I ended up about 50% into the bad side). When I started the fourth time through, I realized I had to sell that game. Loved KOTOR, the Brothers in Arms games, Halo, and of course Madden and NCAA. I’m a Notre Dame (bite me, haters) fan, but WVU is so much fun to play. Same thing there: after my fourth national championship, I had to sell that puppy.
jnfr
I’d be happy to send you some links for newbie goodies (including clothes) if you email me. Or just check out the YearlyKos People (I think Jane2 posted in your other thread that mentioned SL). We all shared a bunch of links around that will at least find you something better than underwear.
Jimitha
World of Warcraft: +12 longsword of dork.
Second Life: +12 inches of dork.
Face
2 hours online every nite? Oh my. Not only that, but I’m way too wrapped up in sports to attempt online games.
That said, I always liked Sim City.
Jane
Boy, what a bunch of unnecessarily sour commenters. Talk about people who need RLs…what about SL has gotten so far up your asses that you are so negative?
The irony of people coming to an on-line blog to complain about how other people spend time on-line is a whole other category of hypocrisy. No one here who comments on this blog is going to tell me they don’t waste time on the internet. What the heck do you think this is, quality time with your friends and family?
As one of the “ladies” who was present when JC was in-world, I can only say that once Krista and I have finished with the shape, skin, hair and clothes, JC will be the hottest avatar in or out of the blogosphere. Unless TimF is of course. :)
David Schraub
I loved Jade Empire, but I could never play it as an adherent of the “Closed Fist.” They go through all this trouble of telling you how it isn’t “evil”, per se, just making people help themselves. But every “closed fist” choice was always like “Do you help the orphaned ghost girl cross the river so she can finally rest in peace, or do you insult her and then abandon her to suffer for all eternity?” Plus, whenever I could finally get past the guilt of being an awful person and select “eternal damnation,” my party members would lecture me all shocked about how evil I am. Usually, that was enough to swing me back over.
Still, great game.
Dave
I’m voting for assless chaps to go with that Cowboy hat.
TenguPhule
I can safely say that most of us don’t pretend to *Live* here either.
Nor do we spend real dollars to have virtual sex with creatures who have too many limbs and way too much body hair.
At least, I hope not….
Shaolin
Offhand, I’d add in Morrowind, Otogi, Hitman: Silent Assassin,
and Psy-Ops. You gotta play Psy-Ops. :)
I finished KOTOR, loved the smartass remarks they come up with for your character. Jade Empire is great too.
Royston Vasey
i dug out my old copy of Myst last week on my WinXP laptop.
OK, it crashes more than it should, but it works And its still good fun.
Moving onto Riven when I complete Myst (I’ve clearly forgotten EVERYTHING from the last time I played it, so this may be some time).
=)
over_educated
“KOTOR 2 was great, right up until they ran out of time and Lucasarts made them release it anyway.”
True that, the game was outstanding until you got to the ending, which was totally disjointed. It was obvious someone made a “release for Christmas!!!!!” decision and I think it really hurt the franchise.
Of course KOTOR has the best Star Wars cahracter of all time (far better thn any movie character): HK-47.
“Statement: Just when I believe my photoreceptors have recorded the last potential aspect of your cruelty to my memory core, you commit a new atrocity that leaves me analyzing its impact for days. You are like a delightful random cruelty generator, master, poisoning all you touch with your presence. You are a testament to all organic meatbags everywhere.”
“Definition: ‘Love’ is making a shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope.
Statement: This definition, I am told, is subject to interpretation. Obviously, love is a matter of odds. Not many meatbags could make such a shot, and fewer would derive love from it. Yet for me, love is knowing your target, putting them in your targeting reticle, and together, achieving a singular purpose, against statistically long odds.”
Punchy
It costs money to play? Whaaaa?
Keith
Ninja Gaiden’s my favorite Xbox game. Absolustely massive and amazingly difficult. I never got into KOTOR…something about the dice rolling with combat didn’t do it for me. I do love the 360, in spite of having to send one of them (I’ve got one in my living room & one in my office) in twice for the ring of death. The Media Center extender functionality of the 360 rocks.
Currently stuck with Oblivion and Guitar Hero II on those (I’ve had a numb index finger for a week due to GHII). The size of Oblivion is incredible (and the engine really shows it off), but the number of side quests does make it a bit monotonous (as in the “Hey, we need 80 hours of gameplay in this thing but only have about 50.” “Well add some quests where you have to kill some orcs in a field, then add another where you follow people for days, then add one where you have to steal a book for someone”
MNPundit
Heh, that’s easy. Halo I and Halo II.
Jade Empire, I liked that one but my game always froze at a certain point about 3/4s of the way through it and I never finished it.
Mercenaries was also quite fun.
The Other Steve
Karl Rove is gone.
Krista
Nor do I. Nor does Jane. You can purchase currency there, with which you can buy stuff, but there’s so much free stuff around that it’s really not necessary. And there’s been no sex for me, thank you very much. I have a boyfriend, so the thought of getting my jollies online with a stranger doesn’t really do it for me, thanks. Yes, sex is around, and readily available, but it’s also compartmentalized and easily avoided.
Anyway, like I said, I can understand if it’s not for everybody, but I just find it hilarious (and a little sad) that you guys think that the whole thing is about sex, just because a certain segment of it is. You remind me of my 87-year-old grandfather when I was telling him about email, and he refused to entertain the idea that the internet contained anything other than a bunch of “sex perverts” looking at “smut”.
Tim and I actually went to an aerospace museum yesterday, and he was explaining some of the stuff to me, and it was really cool to be able to chat with him one-on-one and have him show me these things. Later, I went to an art gallery. There are a lot of undiscovered artists who upload and display (and sell!) their works on Second Life, and it’s nice to be able to take in something that wouldn’t necessarily be available to me in the real world — not without spending a lot on airfare, anyway.
Anyway, I’m not going to keep on, ’cause you guys obviously have your minds made up, and that’s your prerogative. But it is something that I enjoy, so I’d appreciate it if you respected that.
capelza
Jerks head sharply. WHaT?!?//
rachel
Trufax. CNN’s got it on their site. He says he wasn’t “driven out of town,” though, so I guess he probably just wants to spend more time with his family.
The Other Steve
He needs to cash out before 2009.
Punchy
By “actually”, do you mean literally? Physcially, or on-line? So where’s the chat part come in?
I’m so confused by this stuff. Gimmie Peavy v. Zambrano and I’m straight.
Krista
No, Tim and I didn’t go there physically, but virtually. The virtual museum was set up by Caltech, though, so it was very realistic-looking and very accurate. His avatar and mine could run around and look at the various displays and we were able to chat with each other (via IM) while we were there.
Punchy
Interesting. But this costs money?
Krista
Didn’t cost me anything. Didn’t cost Tim anything. If you want, you can buy currency if you want to buy bigger things, like virtual land on which you can set up your own business (or virtual playground). But for just farting around, changing your look, and exploring places, you don’t need a dime.
Dave Ruddell
Dammit TenguPhule, why did you have to remind me of that deep sea walk. What, don’t you like shooting sharks while moving walking 2 m/s?
Zifnab
This, of course, implies that your XBox didn’t overheat and catch fire when your roommate threw a shirt behind the heat vent in back. I can assure you that my current XBox does not run any games – much less the best of them – better than my XBox 360. That, combined with the fact that 360 is an HD Movie player and has a nice fat honkin’ hard drive and wireless controls, makes it worth the investment.
Also, Halo Series for the win. Definitely the best console shooter I’ve ever played. KOTOR was alright, I guess. But I still prefer the Final Fantasy genre. I’ve been playing/reading/watching various incarnations of Star Wars since I was a year old, and I suffer something of Jedi Fatigue. That works out well, because the 360 will be hosting FFXIII sometime in 2027 when its finally released. Elder Scrolls: Oblivion was also a personal favorite of mine. And Medal of Honor speaks for itself.
If the past system’s history is any trackrecord worth following, there’s no reason not to get a 360.
Tim F.
Punchy, so far 2nd Life has cost me zilch except for time. NASA did an impressive job on the spaceflight museum, for example flying around the pantheon of space rockets arranged by country or the various tutorials with embedded movies. The JPL presentation by CalTech was also about as cool as you can get in a 3D game with subpar graphics.
2L also seems like a great idea if under-the-radar art or music is your thing, since setting up a virtual gallery or performance space is cake. I have not yet visited the popular areas full of furry pervs and griefers so I can’t comment on those. My processor has a hard enough time already.
Worth a look, but you do need to know what you’re looking for. Wandering around aimlessly can feel like an aggravating waste of time.
demimondian
I thought the contrast between shooting sharks — AKA fish in a barrel — and my subsequent encounter with Calo Nord (due to the order in which I did the planets) was all the better.
I don’t think anything competes with the space walk in KOTOR 2 for Pewr Stewpid, though…
Tlaloc
Jade empire had a great story but game play (specifically combat) got pretty tedious fast.
KOTOR was fantastic.
KOTOR 2 would have been better if they’d taken the time to finish it. So many broken quest, nonsensical cutscenes and the ending was hacked to hell. It’s a great shame because the stuff theydid finish was great but you can;t play half a game.
I’d recommend Psychonauts. It has a great sense of style and humor. The very last level frustrated the hell out of me (the difficulty basically ramps from 4 to 9 just for the last level) but the rest of the game is so sweet it is totally worth the time.
For multiplayer the Hunter games (“the Reckoning,” “Redeemer,” and “Wayward,” although I think Wayward only came out for PS2) can be a lot of fun. Basically a bunch of people whacking zombies, werewolves, vampires with chainsaws, shotguns, and so on.
Normally I hate FPS on consoles (controllers just suck compared to mice and keyboards, deal with it Halo fans) but the Timesplitter games manage to be cute and quirky enough to get my interest.
Dreggas
Amen. Just the introduction of the term “Meatbag” made that guy my favorite.
Dreggas
As for 2L, I have heard about it and have friends that hang out there, I remember when it first came out and I had thought about trying it but I have enough on my hands with the NWN PW I help run and play in.
Dreggas
Oh and WRT VR:
http://www.imvu.com/
I use this for VR instant messaging, really kinda cool in that you can customize your avatar and build your own “place”. Mine of course looks like a dungeon on a rocky island at the bottom of a volcano and my avatar is wearing quite fashionable goth attire.
Of course you can pay for “credits” which can be used to buy new things and furnish your “place” etc.
Jake
?? What else is there ?? I only came here because of a link to “BJ.”
Jane Finch
Krista, give it up and admit it…it’s all about the sex. Thank heavens we finally found a place on an internet previously bereft of porn and on-line sex opportunities…I was wondering when one would come along!
Meet you by the virtual gate to the tri-sexual furry, many-appendaged hooker-for-USD-hire spot. You know the one…it’s right beside the NASA space museum. Who did you and TimF think you were fooling?
demimondian
And the back story behind the term is priceless, too.
tBone
You’re lucky, then – as far as overheating problems go, the 360 blows away the original Xbox. Witness the extended warranty and billion+ of red ink Microsoft recently had to spill because of the infamous Red Rings of Doom.
Hopefully recent hardware revisions and the upcoming switch to 65nm chips will correct the overheating problems, but if your 360 was purchased more than a couple of months ago, I would pray over it each time I turn it on.
Dreggas
Ya know, I have to admit I’d prolly go watch just for shits and giggles, it would be amusing as hell that’s for sure.
HyperIon
i’m surprised no one has commented on this…
my mental image is of JC shoveling out tons of shit and uncovering the moldering Xboz. “what’s this? hmmm.”
yet another jeff
I was thinking that…I’m hoping it was in a cabinet or something, not buried in a corner under a snowdrift of shed Tunch fur.
yet another jeff
BTW, that mental image is sort of a geeky Jeff Foxworthy routine, isn’t it? “If you’ve ever cleaned your living room and found an Xbox, you might be a blogger”
Dreggas
How appropo
yet another jeff
Guess you should look for that Union Label when buying virtual genitalia.
Dreggas
*starts singing* Detachable penis…
Krista
Maybe they’ll be more interested when we tell them that they can watch us when we make sweet, sweet virtual lesbian love.
Tlaloc
“Maybe they’ll be more interested when we tell them that they can watch us when we make sweet, sweet virtual lesbian love.”
Seen it.
Dreggas
been there, seen that, participated twice.
Jane Finch
Or so you say…according to the majority around here, such a thing has never even been imagined before SL, much less between JC’s hot loyal liberal ladies.
Dreggas
I wouldn’t say that, I believe I have opened a few eyes around here to a lot of things they never imagined. Basically the old addage “If you think it we can kink it”.
Krista
What a jaded bunch. :)
Dreggas
LOL you’re telling me I mean c’mon TENS units are good for so many other things besides back pain. :D
dagon
random console thoughts.
x-box 360 is the bees knees: sure the game developers haven’t caught up with it’s graphic capability yet but that’s coming (mass effect, bioshock, area 51) but the sheer elegance of it’s online interface and sensible peripherals is allowing it to dole out an immeasureable amount of pwnage on the playstation 3 (i don’t know ANYONE who has actually bought one of those).
best original x-box games in order (imo):
1. KOTOR (Knights of the Old Republic for the uninitiated): actually better than the most recent trilogy of star wars movies, clone wars exempted.
2. Dreamfall The Longest Journey.
3. Jade Empire.
4. The Chronicles of Riddick Escape From Butcher Bay: trust me.
5. Deus Ex: if you’re into cyber punk, look no further. also check out the above Dreamfall.
6. Morrowing.
7. Ninja Gaiden.
i have spoken
peace
Krista
My boyfriend went to uni with a guy who made use of a TENS unit. He was all by himself, though, so it seemed more sad than deliciously pervy.
Dreggas
Yeah, that does actually kinda sound sad. Never had the urge to use one all by myself, I mean where’s the fun in that? Of course toys are always fun in pairs, or even groups.
mmm
take your xbox and a portable tv and go sit outside pp’s office….
YellowJournalism
Hmmm…I’m a Sims 2 freak, myself. I prefer not to have others getting in the way of how I play God with my virtual people.
jake
Warning: Features footage of … well, read the friggin’ song title.
What is wrong with me that this song makes me laugh until I cry?
Krista
Not a thing. I first heard it in grade 10 and just adored it.
PeterJ
One more reason why one should stay away from Second Life.
yet another jeff
Oh hell, now this is starting to sound like the Reefer Madness-style Dungeons and Dragons panic of the 80’s…remember the Tom Hanks movie “Mazes and Monsters?”
Jane Finch
PeterJ,, by all means please stay away…SL is for those who read beyond WSJ. You’ll be in a happier place.
jake
That’s right, a cartoon named Tenaj Jackalope.
Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today…
And I can’t help but notice the article is written by someone named Alexandra Alter. If I find out I’m living in some sort of Matrix style alternate universe I’m going to find Keanu Reeves and beat him with a telephone pole.
yet another jeff
If you can pick up a telephone pole…then that will be your answer.
bago
BioShock. An FPS set in a randian dystopia, underwater.
Genetic modifications and hacking. And the morality of harvesting from the dead.
bago
.
Aww, the only friendly voice yet. He means the world to me.
Dreggas
LOL. I still play D&D in fact the controversy made me want to play even more. Of course I have yet to meet satan…