Video Games

@SouthTexGopher wrote:

A few random thoughts/questions...

- Anyone playing Battlefield 3? If so, is anyone interested in forming a GPL platoon on PS3? It'd be kind of fun to have a team made up of Gopher Hockey fans.

- If you are interested, my PS3 identity is the same as the one I have here...southtexgopher.

- If you're a BF3 fan, have you seen this video (and his others)? Simply genius.

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That would be an awesome idea but I play on 360 :anger:

Went to lunch today only to see an incredibly good looking chick wearing a MW3 shirt. I almost fell over.

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

Went to lunch today only to see an incredibly good looking chick wearing a MW3 shirt. I almost fell over.

Did you ask if she wanted to play with you?

@GrandForksGopher wrote:

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

Went to lunch today only to see an incredibly good looking chick wearing a MW3 shirt. I almost fell over.

Did you ask if she wanted to play with you?

I don't have MW3...

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

@GrandForksGopher wrote:

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

Went to lunch today only to see an incredibly good looking chick wearing a MW3 shirt. I almost fell over.

Did you ask if she wanted to play with you?

I don't have MW3...

I can't tell if I'm looking at typical dx misdirection or a genuine "whoosh" here.

I'm offended you would even think I had a whoosh moment there.

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

I'm offended you would even think I had a whoosh moment there.

Hey, I know how hard engineers work, and how swiss-cheesey your brains can get. I did marry one.

Former [fired] Rockstar employee reportedly spills the beans on GTA V details

Here are a couple of the major ones:

3. The game is due in May 2013. A more specific date has not been decided because the game is still needing 6 months to be fully developed. They will have a playable demo at E3.

3. The map is about 5x as large as the GTA IV map and the City of Los Santos takes up just under half of this area (so it’s a bit bigger than 2 GTA IV Liberty Cities). The map is (like most GTAs) seperated into three different sections.

1. The protagonist will be one character, and one character alone. His name is (as some rumours said) Albert De Silva. He’s a half hispanic man who was once part of a crime family in Vice City. He decided to settle down and have kids in Los Santos. He has one son called Kevin De Silva who is your stereotypical CoD player. He’s lazy, useless and shouts racial abuse online and is really into FPS games. Kevin does admire his Dad though.

@Armadillo wrote:

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

I'm offended you would even think I had a whoosh moment there.

Hey, I know how hard engineers work, and how swiss-cheesey your brains can get. I did marry one.

An engineer was walking by a pond and came upon a talking frog. The frog told the engineer "I'm a beautiful woman that was cursed. If you kiss me and break the curse ill be yours forever." The engineer said "No thanks". "Why not?" said the beautiful woman. Said DX, "I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend. But a talking frog? Now that's cool"

@Orion wrote:

@Armadillo wrote:

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

I'm offended you would even think I had a whoosh moment there.

Hey, I know how hard engineers work, and how swiss-cheesey your brains can get. I did marry one.

An engineer was walking by a pond and came upon a talking frog. The frog told the engineer "I'm a beautiful woman that was cursed. If you kiss me and break the curse ill be yours forever." The engineer said "No thanks". "Why not?" said the beautiful woman. Said DX, "I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend. But a talking frog? Now that's cool"

Sounds about right.

I am officially stoked for NHL 13 :good2:

Here's a preview from Game Informer

A few weeks ago we had a chance to lace up our skates and take to the ice with NHL 13. Can the series regain its balance after slipping slightly last year? Here is what we learned.

GAMEPLAY

1. Previous NHL entries featured speed differentiation between players, but the developer is the first to admit the skaters lacked explosiveness. For NHL 13, EA Canada has completely reworked the skating engine, which its marketing team is dubbing True Performance Skating. This year speedy wingers like Marian Gaborik have the ability to fly by defenders. Players reach their top speed by either reaching full stride in a straightaway or by the user pressing the L3 button. Giving players control of their speed bursts allows them to time when they want to turn on the afterburners, which can be extremely advantageous when splitting defensemen or accelerating alongside the boards to avoid a check.

2. Going fast has its limitations. Players will get fatigued faster, and only elite players like Sidney Crosby are able to stickhandle and take accurate shots while skating at top speed. If you are flying down the wing as fast as your player can skate and you try to make an aggressive turn toward the net, your player may lose his footing and wipe out. The controller will give players feedback by rumbling when they are pressing too hard.

3. EA Canada conduced a study and found that NHL players glide nearly 40 percent of their time on the ice. In NHL 12, players glided less than one percent of the time. With the limitations imposed by moving at top speed, most players are better off accelerating and then using their momentum to glide into position to take a shot or make a pass. "We wanted to capture why Henrik Sedin rarely goes at his top-end speed," says producer Sean Ramjagsingh. "He's always in control and it seems like he slows down the entire flow of the game."

4. To build the new skating system, EA Canada has added over 1,000 new animations. Players will dig their skates hard into the ice when making abrupt changes in direction, and it takes them a second to gather their momentum when quickly stopping and skating in the opposite direction. You will also see skaters subtly dodge defenders who mis-time their checks.

5. Pressing and holding the left trigger activates back skating. This can be extremely useful when positioned along the blue line in the offensive zone, opening up new shooting angles. Being able to turn and skate with forwards or pivot into a back skate is also a boon on defense, but mis-timing your pivot could leave you flat footed and create an opening for an offensive player to blow past with a well-timed speed burst. In our limited time with NHL 13, this dynamic created an interesting cat and mouse game between defenders and forwards. Since you can't skate backward as fast as attacking players skate forward anymore, Knowing when to back off, when to turn and skate, when to close the gap, and when to attempt a check requires much more awareness than in past games.

6. The real-time physics introduced a couple years back are being tweaked to account for the new sense of speed and momentum on the ice and to add more fidelity. Ramjagsingh says they are starting to see more subtle behaviors like knee-on-knee collisions.

7. EA has tweaked goaltender performance to open up the five hole for more scoring opportunities.

8. For the first time in the series, goalies now have individual limb control, which introduces more save possibilities and could also result in more deflection goals off their arms and legs.

9. Last year many fans complained that the CPU didn't take enough penalties. EA Canada plans to make this a focus this year.

EA SPORTS HOCKEY IQ

10. For several years, users have questioned the sketchy player AI. This year the development team hopes to dispel this complaint once and for all with EA Sports Hockey IQ. "This year we've invested more effort in AI than in the last three years combined in terms of effort," Ramjagsingh says.

11. The new AI system helps players understand situations as they develop on the ice and react to them accordingly. For example, thanks to the new EA Sports Hockey IQ, goalies are much more aware of situations like odd-man rushes. Before, goalies only knew where the puck was. Now, they anticipate player positioning and react realistically to 2-on-1s, 3-on-1s, and 2-on-0s. They may cheat and play more out of the net to challenge a shooter, or sit back to avoid giving a trailing player an open net. Now that they are willing to cheat, desperation saves and scrambling goaltenders are much more common.

12. EA is also working on making sure teammate AI knows what to do when you have an odd-man rush on offense. If you cross over into their lane, they will know that they should criss cross and position themselves for a scoring opportunity.

13. Part of the AI work includes making sure there is better player differentiation on the ice. Fourth liners will go into corners more aggressively and finish their checks.

14. If you're not happy how your lines are performing you can tweak their behaviors with a new set of strategy sliders. On offense, you can control your players tendencies to carry vs. dump the puck, cycle vs. shoot, skate with efficiency or energy, or go down to block shots or not. On defense, you can use the sliders to determine whether or not your defensemen should pinch or hold the line and whether they should cycle the puck or shoot. If you want to create a fourth line that dumps and chases 100 percent of the time, you now have that option.

15. When the CPU AI employs the dump and chase, it's smart enough to try different types of dumps. Their options include ringing the puck around the boards, attempting a cross-ice dump, or shooting the puck off the back wall.

16. EA has redone every single forecheck in the game so teams employ their real-life strategies. This includes aggressive or passive 1-2-2, 1-3-1, and even the 1-4 the Tampa Bay Lightning used against the Boston Bruins during last year's Stanley Cup playoffs.

17. In addition to selecting your team's forecheck, you can also tweak their bias between hanging back in the neutral zone and a more aggressive trapping game.

18. Each team has its own custom AI template to start. You can create a new system or adopt any of the 30 templates for your own team.

PRESENTATION

19. Much to the dismay of some fans, both Gary Thorne and Bill Clement return to the broadcasting booth. EA recorded commentary for the new features like True Performance Skating and some league information that will keep their comments up to date.

20. NHL 13 has a completely redone the lighting engine. New light maps replicate the look of each of the arenas in the game, and the developers also added more colored light. You will now notice light bouncing off objects and self-shadowing.

21. The developers upgraded the rendering for skates, socks, pants, jerseys, gloves, helmets, etc. so they are much more detailed. You can see the stitching in breezers, and gloves will have scuff marks. Visors also properly reflect light.

22. EA has moved away from non-interactive cutscenes. NHL 13 now uses the AI to drive the players after the whistle and the developers implemented true broadcast camera angles to capture their activity.

We saw a lot more of NHL 13, but that's all we can share right now. Look for more updates on how EA plans to improve the Be A GM mode in a couple weeks.

Link to the article that I quoted in full above

i wish there was a college hockey add on for the NHL games

@YoungEagle wrote:

i wish there was a college hockey add on for the NHL games

I should ban you just for saying that....

@Greyeagle wrote:

@YoungEagle wrote:

i wish there was a college hockey add on for the NHL games

I should ban you just for saying that....

Now now, this isn't USCHO. Let him get some air under his wings before you stuff and roast him.

EDIT: I get it. How's things, Son of Jackbag?

@YoungEagle wrote:

i wish there was a college hockey add on for the NHL games

Could be the best first post ever.

@YoungEagle wrote:

i wish there was a college hockey add on for the NHL games

They were talking about doing it in NHL 12, but it didn't happen. I'm still holding out hope that they will be added this year.

The game is still in the Alpha build, so there is plenty of information to be released yet.

@gopherguy13 wrote:

@YoungEagle wrote:

i wish there was a college hockey add on for the NHL games

They were talking about doing it in NHL 12, but it didn't happen. I'm still holding out hope that they will be added this year.

The game is still in the Alpha build, so there is plenty of information to be released yet.

If that happened, I'd break down and get an Xbox and ignore my family.

@Tee09 wrote:

@gopherguy13 wrote:

@YoungEagle wrote:

i wish there was a college hockey add on for the NHL games

They were talking about doing it in NHL 12, but it didn't happen. I'm still holding out hope that they will be added this year.

The game is still in the Alpha build, so there is plenty of information to be released yet.

If that happened, I'd break down and get an Xbox and ignore my family.

Sub NHL 13 for LoL

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

@Tee09 wrote:

@gopherguy13 wrote:

@YoungEagle wrote:

i wish there was a college hockey add on for the NHL games

They were talking about doing it in NHL 12, but it didn't happen. I'm still holding out hope that they will be added this year.

The game is still in the Alpha build, so there is plenty of information to be released yet.

If that happened, I'd break down and get an Xbox and ignore my family.

Sub NHL 13 for LoL

Oh come on, don't make me crack another "you've never had relations with a woman" crack ALREADY.

Timing is important in comedy, you know.

Just downloaded and currently playing the NHL 13 demo.

It's going to be the best NHL video game ever, no doubt.

College teams? I've vowed I won't spend more than $4 on a hockey video game until they include the college teams in there. I just spent $4 on NHL '09 and spent a night adding all the former Gophers in the Free Agent pool onto Houston

@Chris Eckes wrote:

College teams? I've vowed I won't spend more than $4 on a hockey video game until they include the college teams in there. I just spent $4 on NHL '09 and spent a night adding all the former Gophers in the Free Agent pool onto Houston

Nope. I doubt NCAA teams will be included any time soon.

They said that they were going to put them in the new game last year... but they didn't make it in the final cut

@Chris Eckes wrote:

They said that they were going to put them in the new game last year... but they didn't make it in the final cut

It's all about the licensing. NHL doesn't have the budget of Madden or FIFA, so I think the rights are just to expensive for EAC to justify spending.

It's concerning that they haven't said ANYTHING about it in NHL 13. I literally have not seen 'NHL' (as in the game series) and 'NCAA/college' in the same sentence since before NHL 12.

But you should definitely consider getting it, even without NCAA teams. It's going to blow any of their past games out of the water.

The cost for licensing NCAA hockey would be next to nothing. In fact, it wouldn't shock me to see the NCAA paying to get some coverage in a game. (Probably wouldn't happen, but it wouldn't be surprising.)

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

The cost for licensing NCAA hockey would be next to nothing.

That's not what I've heard. If that was the case, I think NCAA teams would have been in the game a while ago.

(Obvious statement alert)

Then the NCAA is horrifically stupid. They're trying to compete with the OHL et. al. and they have an opportunity for one of the best forms of marketing available to the sport. The NHL series is one of the best sports series out there if not the best currently.

@gopherguy13 wrote:

Just downloaded and currently playing the NHL 13 demo.

It's going to be the best NHL video game ever, no doubt.

Any truth to the rumor that once you buy the game you have to wait until 2014 to play it? I thought the bits and bytes from the game were in some kind of dispute and are refusing the work together.

@gopheritall wrote:

@gopherguy13 wrote:

Just downloaded and currently playing the NHL 13 demo.

It's going to be the best NHL video game ever, no doubt.

Any truth to the rumor that once you buy the game you have to wait until 2014 to play it? I thought the bits and bytes from the game were in some kind of dispute and are refusing the work together.

I've heard the problem with getting NCAA teams in the game is that EA wants to have the players real names in the game, as they do with every other team in the NHL games, and the NCAA won't allow it

@GrandForksGopher wrote:

I've heard the problem with getting NCAA teams in the game is that EA wants to have the players real names in the game, as they do with every other team in the NHL games, and the NCAA won't allow it

I wish NHL had a roster vault so the community could make more correct rosters for download. Then they could just give the NCAA players generic names, and just download someone's named rosters.

NHL 13 out today! I've been playing the early release and the game is much improved from last year. Much more realistic and strategy plays a huge role.

@mjarz02 wrote:

NHL 13 out today! I've been playing the early release and the game is much improved from last year. Much more realistic and strategy plays a huge role.

How many penalties are you seeing on average per game? I'm reading a lot online saying that the penalty issue is still in the game, but I am always hesitant to believe what I read on some of those message boards.

Gotta wait until this weekend to actually get the game :anger:

@gopherguy13 wrote:

@mjarz02 wrote:

NHL 13 out today! I've been playing the early release and the game is much improved from last year. Much more realistic and strategy plays a huge role.

How many penalties are you seeing on average per game? I'm reading a lot online saying that the penalty issue is still in the game, but I am always hesitant to believe what I read on some of those message boards.

Gotta wait until this weekend to actually get the game :anger:

I play 10 min periods and I'm seeing about 2-3 penalties per team. You have to turn the penalty sliders all the way up, except for ai teammates.

I have been playing Super Mario Bro 3 on my Samsung Galaxy S3 with my WiiMote recently. Every time I play that game I remember how fun it is.

Plus I added Summer Games from my Commodore 64 days. It is like a trip down memory lane. A pixelized trip, but a fun trip nonetheless.

Let me know how it is as far as online goes. From what it sounds like defensive positioning actually matters now which is nice because before it seemed like they'd constantly let passes go right through their legs or sticks etc.

I'll be picking up NHL 13 after work today. Really looking forward to seeing how the "explosive" first few steps for certain players looks.

I think I bought something like NHL 09, 10, and 11. I'm going to be very hard pressed to buy this unless I hear it's worth the money.

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

I think I bought something like NHL 09, 10, and 11. I'm going to be very hard pressed to buy this unless I hear it's worth the money.

It's going to be the best hockey game ever. Definitely worth the $

The new skating engine makes the game MUCH less arcade-y. Actually looks/feels very close to real hockey.

I haven't played it yet, but my buddy text me last night and said he could not find Granlund anywhere in the game....hope they have an update ASAP and figure it out

@GopherPete wrote:

I haven't played it yet, but my buddy text me last night and said he could not find Granlund anywhere in the game....hope they have an update ASAP and figure it out

Granlund is on his fin club team but if you start gm mode he shows up on Houston.
However Borodin is nowhere to be found. They do have one recent roster update that has the Nash trade. Granlund is vastly underrated but thank god for player editor.

If you have a PS3, you need to pick up Uncharted 3 at Best Buy for $19.99. Quite possibly the coolest game I have ever played.

@mjarz02 wrote:

@GopherPete wrote:

I haven't played it yet, but my buddy text me last night and said he could not find Granlund anywhere in the game....hope they have an update ASAP and figure it out

Granlund is on his fin club team but if you start gm mode he shows up on Houston.
However Borodin is nowhere to be found. They do have one recent roster update that has the Nash trade. Granlund is vastly underrated but thank god for player editor.

Here is what EA has said about Brodin:

"Jonas Brodin has been removed for now from the game due to he will be in the AHL or NHL next year and we will have to wait for him to sign his PHPA form or be an NHLPA member when he plays his first game in the NHL.

We remove him and as soon as he does either of those he will be brought back into the game. We didn’t leave him on Farjestads as we had more than enough players to cover the team’s positions. We do a full pass of the rosters prior to shipping the product and he will be returned to the game as soon as we can."

So I'm assuming once the lockout is over he will be put in the game.

Nice engrish EA...

@dxmnkd316 wrote:

Nice engrish EA...

Well, it is EA Canada, so maybe they hired a French Canadian to answer questions on message boards :biggrin2:

@Zwak wrote:

If you have a PS3, you need to pick up Uncharted 3 at Best Buy for $19.99. Quite possibly the coolest game I have ever played.

All 3 of the Uncharted games are awesome

No one has mentioned this Wii U scheduled release Nov 18. I think Nintendo is going to release there lastconsole here. Others have caught up with the motion control. The tablet controller will cost $150 -$200 and the console is about as fast as the current Sony or Microsoft versions. Still no Dvd support either

@Orion wrote:

No one has mentioned this Wii U scheduled release Nov 18. I think Nintendo is going to release there lastconsole here. Others have caught up with the motion control. The tablet controller will cost $150 -$200 and the console is about as fast as the current Sony or Microsoft versions. Still no Dvd support either

What they need to do is trash the damn gimmicks and just go back to making good video games...

@rowshkex wrote:

@Orion wrote:

No one has mentioned this Wii U scheduled release Nov 18. I think Nintendo is going to release there lastconsole here. Others have caught up with the motion control. The tablet controller will cost $150 -$200 and the console is about as fast as the current Sony or Microsoft versions. Still no Dvd support either

What they need to do is trash the damn gimmicks and just go back to making good video games...

Agreed. 3rd party developers have ditched them

Sega made the smart decision many, many years ago.