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JASON GIRARD

COMMUNITY WRITER

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XBL Gears Gnasher

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COMMENTS BY THIS AUTHOR (7)

On Adam Dorsey's Why I love the Gears of War 3 campaign

"I didn't read all of your article to avoid any spoilers (I've been playing the multiplayer since Monday night and won't play the campaign until next week when I travel for work). That said, I do agree with you in regards to Gears' pacing and the way it makes you feel as though you've earned every kill. Epic has always gotten this right since Gears 1. When you die, its usually due to something stupid you did and not something cheap in the AI. That said, there is a learning curve to the game like no other. Back when Gears 1 first came out, there was no way I could handle Insane difficulty. Now, it provides a good challenge, but is very doable. "

Thursday, September 22, 2011

On Rus McLaughlin's ROUNDTABLE'D! Second-hand games = second-class gamers

"To me, the biggest reason for the popularity of the used game market is the stubborness/unwillingness of the publishers and retail outlets to adjust the price of new games. There are games that will still be selling at $59.99 almost a year after release at these retailers when the same game is available at GameStop for $34.99. You can't blame anyone for going with the used copy at that point, no matter how much the industry cries about it.

To GameStop's credit, they do a very good job of pricing games post-release. If a game is still popular, then it sells at $59.99 new and $54.99 used. If no one is buying it, or everyone is trading it in, then the price drops accordingly. Throw on top of this all of the extra credit they hand out for trade-ins and they have a good business model that works for them. The rest of the gaming industry needs to adjust their strategies accordingly. Charging for online passes and extra content seems like a good counter to the used market. However, with this could come the backlash of turning off consumers who are in the mindset of buying and trading used games. "

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

On Louis Garcia's The rising cost of downloadable map packs is out of hand

"But you are implying that they did the retail maps and the DLC maps at different times. I am saying that they do ALL of the maps at the same time (develop, test, etc.) and then just set 12 of them to the side to release at three later dates. I do agree that the retail game will be worth the $60, I just feel that for my $60 I should get all of the content that has been developed for the game at the point of retail release. I know this isn't how it works, it's just how I feel."

Monday, September 12, 2011

On Louis Garcia's The rising cost of downloadable map packs is out of hand

"Agree with the post. I used to not mind at all paying for DLC maps when it was genuine that the developer made the maps after the release of the game. Nowadays, the DLC maps are being developed right along side the retail maps and just set to the side for a later date (Rod Fergussen recently Tweeted that the Gears 3 DLC maps have been through play testing along with the retail maps) To me, this is fundamentally wrong. I know they want to make their money, but it just stems of greed and taking advantage of their fan bases. These practices will eventually come back to bite them as they continue to turn-off gamers, fragment the online community, and treat us like sheep all for the mighty dollar.

Map packs used to be a "gift" to loyal fans. Now, its a way to milk us for more money."

Monday, September 12, 2011

On Frank Anderson's Magazine cover advertisements: A necessary evil...or just evil?

"I don't have a huge issue with the on-cover advertisement. They are usually clearly marked and detachable. What I hate are the multi-page game previews that you see in these mags (which typically are the front-page graphic) that wax poetically about how great the game is going to be, get quotes from the developers about how they've incorporated this feature, or tweaked the gameplay, etc. to make an awesome gaming experience --- only to have the final product suck. The most recent case in point was the multipage article in GamePro on SW:TFU2 with Hayden Blackman. The preview itself was detailed and made me very excited for both the story and the gameplay improvements. What could go wrong? Well, according to GamePro - lots. They gave it a 2.5 out of 5. So what the heck happened?

To me, this is the biggest failure of the gaming press/media. There is NO accountability when it comes to what a gaming media site (or mag) reports in regards to previewing a game. Hype it up as much as possible - why not? Doing so only benefits the media site as well as the designer/publisher. Things then change (well, for most sites - right, Shoe?) when it comes to reviewing the game. Most sites strive to review games with consistency, integrity, and accountability. Why not do so with your reviews as well?

This is what brought me to bitmob.com. Loved Shoe's recent article about playing DNF and the feedback he gave to Gearbox. Not what they wanted to hear - and probably too late for them to do anything about it - but it is this type of feedback that developers need in order to make better games."

Thursday, February 10, 2011

On Dan "Shoe" Hsu's Duke Nukem Forever: 5 reasons it will succeed...and 5 reasons it will fail

"now Gearbox is trying to replicate the feel of the old Duke games, but you can't take steps backwards when it comes to visuals (COD: BO), controls (GTA:IV, RE), or gameplay/hit detection (Kane and Lynch) compared to other big titles. (games in parenthesis took steps back in those departments IMO). Same thing for AI. You could get away with endless waves of mindless enemies back in the '90s, but not"

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

On Dan "Shoe" Hsu's Duke Nukem Forever: 5 reasons it will succeed...and 5 reasons it will fail

"How was the AI? From the vids I've seen, it just looks like waves and waves of different creatures coming at you, but nothing that is going to have to make you think about how to outsmart them. Looked like an updated Serious Sam to me."

Wednesday, February 09, 2011