Video Gaming Blog

It’s getting closer and closer to Christmas, but don’t fret; The massive amount of highly anticipated games coming out this Holiday season can make your Christmas shopping this year all too easy. Moreover, most of these games are sequels to their insanely popular predecessors.

With the release of Left 4 Dead 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2 all just around the corner, gamers are tense with the excitement of getting their hands on each title. Even though most of you have probably heard of if not played each games’ first installment, let’s take a look at each one.

Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360, PC) is Valve’s hit survival horror game. While Valve is a company that has made a name for itself with franchises like Half-Life, Team Fortress, Portal, and Counter-Strike, it’s no surprise that their newest endeavor is just as, if not more, successful than the previous projects.
Left 4 Dead 2 definitely has a lot of expectations to live up to; Hopefully Valve will be able to keep up with the players’ demands. The release date is set for November 17th, so mark your calendars.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) is probably the most popular online game for the Xbox 360 to-date, despite it being released almost two years ago. As far as first person shooters go, the amount of customization and skills to be acquired is first-rate. Not to mention the gameplay, which is almost always fast-paced and smooth.
CoD 4: Modern Warfare and its sequel were developed by Infinity Ward, who also created the first three and CoD 5: World at War. CoD 4: Modern Warfare 2 goes on shelves on November 10th. With it, the original Call of Duty 4 is coming out for the Nintendo Wii, so that will be something for Nintendo fans to look forward to.

Assassin’s Creed (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) was one of the most story-heavy games this author has ever played. I say that in the best way possible, however, as there is no point in the story that bored me. The actual mechanics were a bit boring, unfortunately. Hopefully that will be fixed by Ubisoft’s next installment in the series, Assassin’s Creed 2. This game will also see its release on the 17th of November. There were a lot of questions raised at the end of the first game, and I for one expect some answers in the second.

And if none of that interests you, there’s still more on the way. Crackdown 2 is expected a little later in 2010 and Halo 3: ODST is out now, fresh off the presses. Both titles are available on the Xbox 360. Final Fantasy XIII is going to be released in Japan on December 17th this year for the PS3, with an international release hopefully not too far behind it. With so many great titles in sight, it’s hard not to find something that everyone will like!

It looks like an Exciting New Year to Come!

Eric Hudson

Microsoft’s Project Natal has been the subject of much speculation since its first announcement at E3 2009. The technology is being developed with hopes that it will eliminate the need for a controller in future generations of consoles. Bits and pieces of information being released occasionally reveal that, in addition to removing controllers from games completely, Project Natal is also working to blur the line between the games and real life.
With the eventual release of Project Natal the Xbox itself will take a completely new turn as well, adding features such as “Image Importing,” where you can scan an object onto the Xbox for use in certain applications and games. Facial and voice recognition create a more personal link between you and your system, revolutionizing the way we look at our Xbox Live accounts.

Outside the gaming spectrum, the new Xbox 360 is shown with other perks that are sure to please anyone. Among these features is a communication channel, complete with voice and video. Many smaller software is included that will turn your Xbox from a gaming console into an advanced networking hub.

This is all made possible with the Project Natal sensor bar, a piece of hardware that includes an RGB camera and depth sensor for motion capturing and a multi-array microphone for voice recognition. The technology is powerful enough to track four people simultaneously, keeping the multiplayer experience at its best.

The hardware, according to Microsoft, will be compatible with all preexisting Xboxes, so there is no cause for worry about having to buy an entire new console. Microsoft VP Shane Kim asserted that Microsoft believes that Project Natal will extend the Xbox 360’s lifespan well past its Sony and Nintendo counterparts, expecting the next full console release in 2015, if not later. Hopefully Microsoft’s expectations are met and Project Natal will be more than enough in lieu of a brand new system.

Project Natal is believed to be released sometime in late 2010. However, Microsoft has given no official release date for the new hardware.
For more information, visit Xbox’s official Project Natal page: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/projectnatal/,
or Project Natal’s Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/xboxprojectnatal.

Eric Hudson