Jon_Mattarocchia's Blog

NHL 2K9

The same old NHL 2K title or can we expect something new?

At first look you will notice that NHL 2K9 is the same game as past years, no real new features have been added to the single player portion of the game. The only new thing you will notice in single player is the Zamboni race during intermissions which can be missed very easy if you don’t pay attention during the break.

Online on the other hand has been completely overhauled. You can now play with up to 11 of your friends in full six-on-six games and take part in online leagues and tournaments. All the online features seem to run very smoothly and online play seems to run lag free, which I was kind of nervous about after all MLB 2K9 wasn’t the best online experience and it’s nice to see that the online issues from MLB 2K9 did not carry over.  The control scheme is great for a hockey game very easy to learn for any new hockey fans playing NHL 2K9 for the first time, and with small changes to the controllers layout can add a challenge for veteran hockey fans to the series.

I do have some issues with this game though. Scoring goals can be very easy at times no matter what the difficulty level is set at, the goalies seem to be very cardboard like and will not block easy goals; they will in fact just watch the puke go right by their arm and into the net, which don’t get me wrong it does happen in real NHL games but doesn’t happen as often as it does in NHL 2K9, Some of the star goalies in the NHL seem to have issues blocking goals. The AI lacks realism, you hardly ever catch the computer player pass the puke on offense, and if you just bully the puke carrier you will normally force a turnover. NHL 2K9 plays more like an arcade style hockey game then a realistic  hockey game like its competitor.   

One thing that feels real to NHL is the fights that will happen, once you hear “Bad Boys“(the theme from cops) you know you are in for some good old hockey fighting.

Overall the game is what you would expect for a 2K Hockey game, if you like an arcade style Hockey game then right out of the box you will be happy, If you are like me and like your sports games to feel realistic then you will have to do a lot of tweaking to the game, but it can be done. If you tweak the game enough you can get the players to play like their real-life versions pulling off outstanding plays.

The lack of new content and no big changes in graphics makes 2K9 feel like 2K8. If you like online league, tournament play and out of the box arcade style hockey then you will find NHL 2K9 the hockey game for you.  Even for the hardcore sports gamers out there like me then you will find this game enjoyable, but if you are looking for the ultimate hockey game then this game may not be for you.

 

7.5 out of 10

I was able to attend this year’s Mayhem Festival that took place at the Comcast Center (Tweeter Center) in Mansfield, MA this past Tuesday. Where 40 lucky contest winners from local WBCN were able to hang-out backstage in the Gears of War 2 tent and get some hands on time fragging each other on three different multiplayer maps. The event was hosted by Microsoft, Live Nation and Cornerstone Promotions who were on hand to make sure everything ran smoothly.

Out of the 40 lucky contest winners a majority of them had played the original Gears of War and could not wait till the second installment was released. Some of the 40 contest winners did not even leave the Gears of War tent all day. They wanted to get every second of gameplay in as they could. The people who did not play the original Gears of War enjoyed playing Gears of War 2 just as much. The people I talked to all said they would be getting  Gears of War 2 when it comes out. One of those people was John Green Sales Manager from local WBCN who just could not get enough of the game.

If you were lucky enough to attend the event you were not only gaming with your fellow gamers but you were also gaming with some of the bands from the Mayhem Festival itself. If you looked closely you would find the lead singer from Dragonforce ZP Theart taking some time off to try out the new game, Along with the band Walls of Jericho, and the guys from SlipKnot.

The Lead Singer from Drangonforce ZP Theart told me that he never really got into the original Gears of War but was enjoying playing Gears of War 2.

(Lead Singer of Dragonforce, ZP Theart getting ready to chainsaw someone in Gears of War 2)

The man of the hour was Chris Fehn from Slipknot who came down to the Gears of War 2 tent to get some time in on the game. You could hear people behind him giving him tips and pointing out enemies on the screen for him to chainsaw. I had the opportunity to ask him a question after he finished playing.

Jon: What is one game that you guys have played while being on tour that if someone challenged you to it you would absolutely school them?

Chris: Frontlines!

Jon: So they wouldn’t have a chance?

Chris: It would be over before it started.

So you frontlines people out there may want to watch out! If you get your ass wiped by one guy then it was probably Chris from Slipknot.

For the people out there that did not get a chance to play Gears of War 2, I will give you my first impression of the game. One of the first things I noticed while being blown to little pieces was that the environments interact when being shot at, If you shoot at a sand bag you will start to see sand come pouring out of the bag, if you shoot a pillar you will start to see it crumble apart. The other new feature to Gears o War is the different finishing moves. I did not get to try all of them but the ones I did try were just great. The meat shield was one of my favorite. The new chainsaw duals look amazing. Your character will also react to being shot at, if you get shot too much and are near death your character will start to spit up blood leaving a nice trail behind you for the guy that is coming around that corner to finish you off.

Now on to the music part of my coverage, you didn’t think it was all going to be about Gears of War did you? The Mayhem Festival was everything you would expect it be. I was able to catch Disturbed and Slipknot on the main stage and I must say that both bands put on one of the best shows I have seen. Disturbed played a solid set that ended with “Down with the sickness”

Slipknot finished off the night hard. They came out strong and never let up on your ears. Their pyrotechnics display was something to watch along with seeing the drummer play drums while being off the ground 20 feet and tipped almost upside down along with his drum set.

This year’s Mayhem Festival was one to remember.

People have been emailing me asking me to do interviews with people in the gaming Industry. For the first interview I decided to interview someone in the Public Relations field. Public Relations people within the gaming industry do not always get the credit that is rightfully deserved. I had the chance to Interview the one and only Scott Fry publicist for One PR who handles the bulk of SEGA’s public relation needs. Some of the titles Scott Fry has worked on include Condemned 2, The Club, and The Golden Compass to name a few and is currently working on Space Chimps with Bash Entertainment.

Game Flak: How long have you worked in the Gaming industry as a Public Relations person?

Scott Fry: I'm relatively new to Public Relations actually. I have been working in the video game industry for about 14 years, with 2 of them being in Public Relations.

GF: Let’s take a stroll down memory lane. What made you decided to work in the gaming industry? What other Jobs if any have you had in the gaming industry? Have you always worked for SEGA?

SF: I have held quite a few positions in the industry. I got my start at a game/entertainment company called Sanctuary Woods that had a few titles older gamers will remember. The Journeyman Project and The Journeyman Project: Buried in Time. I took a customer service, entry level position there because I wanted to work at a game company. I had always played games and had an interest in the industry, so I took that job. While working at Sanctuary Woods, I developed an interest in manufacturing and operations. A lot of people don't realize what happens after a game is finished and "goes gold". There are materials that need to be purchased (manuals, boxes for PC games, cover sheets for Playstation and Xbox games, discs need to be manufactured etc) and then those games need to be turned into a finished product. This process is very involved and you need to be very organized and follow strict schedules and deadlines to make sure that you are meeting your goals on a daily basis. After doing this job at Sanctuary Woods, I took a materials and worldwide manufacturing position at LucasArts where I worked for 7 years. This really gave me a whole new level of work in my career since I was building games for Europe with different languages and well as games for Asia. And not only many different versions, but I was dealing with larger numbers.

While working at Lucas, I developed a very strong interest in Public Relations because I was always intrigued how the PR dept was touting the next big Star Wars title. I was interested in their campaigns from beginning to end, and always had my ear tuned to what they were doing. I became friends with a lot of the PR people, and in doing so, began to work large press events such as E3 and Gamer's Days when the PR dept needed extra help. I got to a point where I began to know the press very well and looked forward to seeing them every year. The Director of PR at Lucas kept mentioning to me that I was a natural and that I should consider working in PR on a full time basis. At the time I didn't picture that for myself but thought about it more and more. When she left Lucas to start her own PR company, ONE PR Studio, she offered me a job. I decided to give it a shot because I loved the work, but also because I was fearful of the future of my job in Operations and Manufacturing. With digital downloads of games becoming more and more part of everyday life, there will be a day when we don't buy a physical product sitting on a shelf. I didn't want to find myself out of work down the road. After all, most companies have PR departments so there is a lot of work out there. I have been at ONE PR Studio for 2 years now, and I can safely say that I'm glad I made the switch!

GF: What is it like in the normal day of a Public Relation person for SEGA?

SF: Since ONE PR Studio works with SEGA on a regular basis, it can be very hectic at times. SEGA is usually working on anywhere between 5 or more titles at a time, which is why they use the help of an outside PR agency like ONE PR. We take the time to collaborate with their internal publicists to develop intriguing PR campaigns, which need to be very detailed and time driven. Because SEGA is also in Japan and Europe the PR campaigns need to be aligned very closely. This way, you can make sure that news is going out at the same time on a worldwide basis. This helps to ensure that news is disseminated in a more organized fashion. Sometimes it doesn't always happen this way, but it's important to do your best to make sure it does. The one thing that is crucial for any PR campaign is having access to assets. It can be very difficult to have assets that you need on a daily basis, and for many reasons. You have to keep in mind that screen shots need to be taken, they need to go through an internal approval process and if you are working on a licensed product, the screens also need to be approved by the other company you are working with. This is very time intensive, which is why you need to have your needs mapped out ahead of time, to allow for these kinds of possible delays.

GF: Where do you see the gaming industry in the future?

SF: That's a good question and it's one of the biggest reasons why I love working in this industry. It is ever evolving and changing, and you don't quite know what's around the next corner. I love the challenge that presents and that it keeps us industry people on our toes. I think it’s great that people now think of video games as a serious form of entertainment, and it’s not just for “kids” anymore. I can remember a day when I first started working with video games and when people asked what I did, they thought I was just some flaky guy that had no motivation or direction. But now, when people learn about what I do, they are genuinely excited and ask “how do I get a job in the industry?” That was something that I didn’t expect to happen for a long time. I would like to see a day when our industry and gamers in general are respected even more. With places like the ECA forming (the Entertainment Consumers Association) to protect video gamers rights, I know our industry is on the right track! And when I can ride the train to work, or take a plane somewhere, and see other adults playing with PSP and DS’, it makes me feel good!

GF: I can relate to that, when I first started out in this industry I would tell people what I did and there response was “you are wasting your time!” including the girl I was seeing at the time, needless to say it didn’t work out between us. Not everyone knows how to break into this industry. For all those people out there looking to get into the Gaming industry as a PR person what advice would you give them?

SF: If someone is looking to get into the industry, there are a few things that I recommend. First and foremost, you have to not just have an interest in games, but you need passion as well. We can work long hours during crunch time on a title as it gets close to release, and when you are working 12 hour days you need to find that passion and love you have for what you do. That can be a challenge! You should also have knowledge about games in general. A broad knowledge of titles and genres (worldwide), different game companies, developers, all of this helps people to know that you are serious and that you know what you’re talking about. If you are already a gamer, it’s probably safe to say you have a lot of that knowledge already. A good simple way to “break into” the industry is to enter a company as a game tester. You need the desire to play the same game or level day after day, looking for bugs that you can report to production. You’ll work extremely long hours, but it can be a rewarding way to get into a company. After you’ve been there for a while, that’s when you can think about other areas in the company that you may be interested in, such as marketing, PR, sales, production etc;

GF: From gamers to journalist, we all have had our memorable games that we’ve played or reviewed. What are some of the memorable titles you have worked on? And why were they memorable to you?

SF: I’ve enjoyed working on every title that I’ve had something to do with, but one in particular always stands out for me when I think back. Star Wars Battlefront II was anticipated as the biggest title in LucasArts’ history at the time, so the challenge was immense. We had prepared for more than a year getting that title ready, buying the materials, approving artwork for countries worldwide, and working with manufacturers around the world so that we would be prepared when the game went gold. But, as you get closer to launch time, things happen that are completely out of your control. When a title doesn’t pass first party (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) approval, it throws a wrench into the whole process. In manufacturing, you then have to start working backwards with new dates and you find you have less and less time to build and get products into shipping and distribution. This becomes difficult because those companies have time lines set in stone that you need to adhere to. That’s when you need to start calling the big shots and asking for favors. I can say that I had many late nights at Lucas, working 12-16 hour days to get that game out, but in the end, it was all worth it.

GF: Many people think being a Game Tester is the dream job, being able to play video games all day long and getting paid for it. Do you get any time during your work day to play any of the games you are handling?

SF: Yes, I do get some time to play the games that I’m working on. I actually love this part of my job in PR. I have the opportunity to see and play games before anyone else. You can see a game in it’s most raw form, before all of the artwork and sound is put in, but at least you can get an idea for what the producer and the dev teams are going for. I love to see the game start to look better and better as the builds come further along, and once you have the finished product, you can remember how it looked when you first saw it. It’s amazing to see a game actually come to life and I appreciate having that opportunity.

GF: Some games can be very controversial, take the “Hot Coffee” incident in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, if you were the PR person for a game that ended up being controversial in nature like that of the “Hot Coffee” Incident how would you handle something like that?

SF: I actually just worked on a title with SEGA called Condemned 2: Bloodshot and we were very concerned about many things in that game which were going to be considered controversial. It’s important to keep in mind that first and foremost, it’s a game. We have a rating system that people need to follow so that they can understand there are and will be games out there that are not appropriate for kids or younger audiences. Just like with movies! The ratings systems were created for a specific reason and honestly, I think it’s on the right track. I have actually been in game stores and have seen parents buy M rated games for their kids because they don’t understand how the system works. Parents need to be educated and realize that games supply different content and they aren’t just for “kids”. However, when thinking about a PR campaign for an M rated game, it creates a whole set of challenges that need to be addressed for the production team, marketing people and PR people. In the case of Condemned 2, we were very concerned about the role alcohol played in the game. We had meetings on a weekly basis to discuss how we were going to handle that issue with press, and to make sure that we weren’t going to stumble into any issues that would bring negativity to the game. Those things have to be carefully thought out and everyone has to be in agreement.

GF: So why do you think that sex in video games causes huge controversy but games like Gears of War which are very bloody and violent get an easier pass.

SF: That’s a great question and honestly I’ve never been able to understand that myself. My overall feeling is that sex is viewed sometimes as being taboo and no one wants to talk about it which is crazy. I can remember when I played God of War for the first time and saw that mini game where you needed to have sex to gain health. I was ecstatic about that and it made me laugh out loud! I’m an adult….if I want to play a game that has sexual content or bloody gore, then I’ll play it. I think a lot of people still have the idea that games are for kids and having sexual content is not allowed. I can’t imagine what an adult game title would be like, but I have to say I think it would be fun to see what it would be like. You can do everything else in a game, why not that?

GF: We all know the Xbox Live headset has the magical powers to give everyone with one Xbox live balls, allowing them to say stuff to people over live that they would never say to that persons face. Have you ever been playing online after a release of a game you were the lead PR person for and have heard people trashing your game or your “gaming skills” over live? Did you say anything back to the person? If so what?

SF: Funny that you should ask this question because I have been asked this before. I have never heard anyone trash me or my gaming skills. But, one time after getting some early copies of a game out, the people that were playing were actually thanking me over XBL for sending them games! I thought that was pretty cool, especially since they didn't know I was playing. That made me feel good because I knew they were happy getting the game early for review and, they took the time to thank me! That was an unexpected surprise

GF: Well you definitely have had a more enjoyable time over XBL then I have! My time online usually ends with a 10 year old kid screaming into the headset obnoxiously and or telling me how much I stink in may colorfully ways.

GF: Well Scott I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with me about the Public Relations field in the gaming industry! Hopefully this interview will answer any question anyone has about this field.

SF: Thanks for the opportunity to do this!

If you would like to see other interviews please email me at interviews@gameflak.com with who you would like to see interviewed next.

Welcome to The Club gamer!
1st rule of The Club is that you do not talk about The Club.
2nd rule: If someone says “Stop” or goes limp you shoot them to make sure they are dead. Is The Club worth joining and shelling out 60 dollars of your hard earned money to be a part of?

At first glance you may think to yourself that this game looks very familiar, maybe to a game that came out in 1990. If so then you are probably thinking of a game by the name of Smash TV. There are a few similarities to these two games. The Club is… well I am not too sure what The Club is other then it’s an underground organization. If you don’t read the manual under the section titled “about The Club” then you really won’t know much about what The Club is, the game doesn’t do much in the way of explaining what “The Club” is nor does it tell you why you are playing in this tournament. It lacks story all around. There is zero character development you just know all these people are part of The Club but you don’t really know why. If you don’t care about storylines in a shooter and only care about the action and mayhem then you will be pleased with this game.

The tournament is the single player part of the game there are 8 stages you have to fight through 6 rounds on each stage. Each stage can be anything from Sprinting, Survival, Siege, Gauntlet or timed attack. Survival is my favorite you have to stay within your designative area and fend off tons of enemies with an arsenal of weapons from Rocket launchers to pistols. If you leave you’re coned in area you are given 4 seconds to return to your area and if you don’t the bomb that is in your body will blow you up. Each round you fight to accumulate the highest possible amount of points till the time runs out or you get to the exit. To do this you must kill as many people as you can to keep your combo at its max, the higher your combo is the more points you earn for a kill. Another way to keep your combo up and earn points is to perform stylish Combos. Doing a dive and then immediately jumping up to kill someone will gain you higher points. There are 12 ways to boost your score, great shot, Crackshot, Snapshot, Gatecrasher, death roll, and last bullet to name just some of them.

The In game environments are pretty well done and some walls and pillars are destructible. The games handling is similar to Gears of War. Instead of Smash TV when you entered a stage and had to fend off hordes of mutants and weapon-toting maniacs with the club you fight through groups of minorities. There are 20 High powered assault rifles that can be found to help you fight your way to the end.
There are a few other game modes other than just the tournament. There is also single event, and Gunplay. In single event you can play any one round in a stage that you have already been to. In Gunplay you can make your own custom playlists you can pick any map, any game mode, any weapon group, and any difficulty.
Multiplayer is probably the best feature out of The Club. You can play with up to 8 people in an all out battle to the death. You can play in 3 different free for all games and up to 5 different team base games ranging from team capture, team siege, team skullshots, team kill match, and team fox hunt. You can play as any of the 8 single player characters online. Each character has its own straights and weaknesses. One of the good features to multiplayer is the non-camper system as I like to call it. You can be spawned anywhere on the map even behind someone who is trying to camp, so moving around at all times is the best offense and defense.

I have 3 complaints with the game. The lack of story mode and seeing as this game is a shooter it’s a very little complaint. The other complaint I have with the game is that it can get repetitive very quickly during the tournament there is only 5 different single player game modes over 8 stages and 6 rounds per stage, can you do the math? You see the same modes ever stage sometimes twice. Once you get to the 4 stage you are already getting sick of the modes. In the game you can collect Secret Skullshots which adds nothing to the gameplay it’s almost as if the developers added them in but forgot what to do with them. Once you get past those issues its overall a good game and enjoyable. The addition of single event, gunplay and the different multiplayer modes to The Club adds fairly good replay value to it.

3rd Rule: No rules, No witnesses.
4th Rule: If this is your first night in The Club, you have to fight!
Gameplay: 7.5 - Good
Graphics: 8 - Good
Multiplayer: 8.5 – Enjoyable
Overall: 8.5 - Good

 NBA 2K8

NBA 2K8 gets one step closer to the best basketball sim ever.

A lot of people out there say developers of sports games never do anything to update the games quality from one year to the next, for the most part they are correct but not with NBA 2K8.  The new NBA 2K8 brings a ton of new content and gameplay.  A menu system that makes you frustrated, missing simple layups, three point shots under double coverage and lack of documentation does hurt the overall package but even with these issues 2K8 is still a very fun and entertaining basketball sim out there.

One of the new improvements to NBA 2K8 Series is the street ball component which they have had for years and its back again this time it is called NBA Blacktop. NBA Blacktop has been completely improved upon and revamped (No more silly storylines).  You can play street ball with real NBA players or put your skills at the three-point line and participate in a shootout. The big addition to NBA Blacktop is the new Dunk Contest. Up to four players can choose from current players to former NBA Legends and compete in a three-round dunk competition that takes place in the streets of Las Vegas.

 

In the Dunk contest you are graded on three parts of each dunk: the setup, In-air style, and of course the finish. Each one has to be timed correctly to get a good score. The setup is how you start your dunk. You can toss the ball in the air, Bounce it off the ground, leap off one foot, and many more depending on what direction you rotate the right analog stick. In-air style is determined the same way. In this step of the dunk you can spin, pump fake, windmill, and even live out a air Jordan commercial by spreading your legs, and a bunch more. To finish the dunk off you need to time it just right by pressing R2 or the right trigger when the bar gets to the highlighted area of the meter the closer you are to the center of the meter the better your finish will be.  It doesn’t stop there though; you can also place props, such as benches, ball racks, barrels and even a car to add just a little extra style to your dunk. It does take some practice on getting the hang of dunking and this is where the game lacks on letting you know what to do. It will tell you what you did wrong but won’t tell you what you need to do. It took me a good 20 minutes to figure it out but once you get the hang of it you can pull off some amazing looking dunks. The other issue with this mode is the scoring; you can pull off the best dunk over a car and still lose to a computer controlled character that does very simple dunks or misses the first two attempts. I would recommend this mode to be played online where you can trash talk or offline with friends where you can show off your after dunk celebrations in their living room.

The other issue with the game that can be a bit frustrating is 3-point shots. Sometimes when shooting a 3 pointer and being covered with 3 hands in your face you can still shoot the 3 point shot perfect. Which can get very annoying  very quickly if the person you’re playing with knows how to shoot 3-pointers that’s all they will do all day and no matter how many people you have covering him 7 out of 10 times he’ll make the shot.

One other small issue with the game is after dunking the ball in the game you sometimes lose control of the player as he takes his sweet time finishing off his after dunk celebration, leaving plenty of time for the other team to throw the ball down the court and get the miss- match in coverage due to the other player still on the opposite court.

Overall the game is very enjoyable the graphics and unique player dunks are crispy and right on. Once you get past these little issues with the game you start to enjoy it.

I give the game a 8.0

What does hundreds of man coming after you at once, matrix effects, and doves have to do with one another? They are all things you see in a John Woo movie but this time he takes it to your Next-Gen console.

“John Woo Presents: Stranglehold” is a action packed game by Midway featuring destructible environments, Bullets wiping by your head, and the whole Japanese population trying to take you down. All with a John Woo feel to it.

 If you have ever watched a John Woo movie and said to yourself “Man I wish I could do that.” Well here’s your chance. You are given everything at your fingertips from doing stylish moves, slowing down time, spinning, and even making doves appear.

The game encourages you to kill your enemies in the most stylish ways
possible. The more style points you get gives you the chance to unlock special abilities. When you start out you get the ability to heal yourself and from there you can get the ability to precession aim, barrage attack, and spin attack featuring a cameo from the doves. Precession aim is probably by far the most entertaining, aim at different parts of the body and you will understand what I mean. You can trigger slow motion (called "Tequila Time") at any time during the game to give you the opportunity to unleash hell John Woo style.

If this game seams to remind you of a movie that you saw that would because it is virtually a follow-up to John Woo's “Hard Boiled” that came out in 1992 in which Chow Yun-Fat plays inspector Tequila

Stranglehold presents a new way of telling gamers they suck. Its one thing when your friend tells you, you suck at a game but when the game asks you if you want to change the level of difficulty after you died on the same level multiple times is just not right.

This game can get particularly hard at times my suggestion is to play the game on normal before you make the mistake I did and play it on hard your first time through only to get stuck at one point for two hours, which ended up costing me a controller and my sanity, R.I.P controller.

The game is relatively short topping out at about 5-6 hours.

I give the game a 4 out of 5 stars.