Gadgets Blog » Xbox

Some days, it must be hard to be number one. Undoubtedly Rockstar Games, developers of the critically-acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series, feels the continual pressure that goes hand in hand with their past success. While the company has several different studios spread throughout the United States, each is expected to put forth a quality product worthy of the Rockstar brand name. Rockstar San Diego, the studio behind Red Dead Redemption, hadn’t previously attempted a game of this magnitude. Known primarily for the Midnight Club street racing games, something along the lines of the newest Rockstar title had never come from the jewel of the west coast.

Red Dead Redemption, however, is a triumph of a video game, one of the best available on this generation of consoles. While comparisons with GTA are perhaps inevitable, the originality and atmosphere of the Wild West are present within Red Dead Redemption in an all-encompassing sandbox. Never before has the western genre played out so well in a video game. You play as a rugged and gun-toting cowboy, returning to the West for reasons that aren’t clear in the game’s steadily-paced opening act. While some might fault the title for starting a bit slow, this patient story telling brings out the true star of the game: the vivid world itself.

I have an ongoing FIFA soccer rivalry with my friend Sam. It’s entirely possible, if you were to speak with him, that he would create an elaborate lie in which I lose on a regular basis and that our rivalry consists primarily of him winning. This, of course, would be complete falsehood. I’m the Cristiano Ronaldo of FIFA soccer, whereas Sam, despite his best efforts, plays a lot like Kansas City striker Kei Kamara. FIFA Soccer 2010 was an excellent video game, with polished graphics and great competitive multiplayer. Now, just in time for the World Cup, we get a bonus edition of the game tailored to the international stage.

FIFA soccer games are excellent for a variety of reasons. While a real-life soccer game lasts for 90 minutes, complete with plenty of downtime, FIFA soccer can be enjoyed in six minute halves, making a game last not much longer than 15 minutes. The game play, however, is balanced so that the scores and statistics are realistic. Players move fluidly throughout the pitch, and the level of detail in animation is quite impressive. Players look uncannily like their real counterparts, each boasting statistics in several categories to tailor their playing style as well.

While the World Cup edition of FIFA doesn’t make many drastic changes to the core game play, it does come with a host of content especially for the international tournament. Almost 200 FIFA international teams are presented in the game with their real-world roster. In single-player mode, you can either jump straight into the championship itself, or play through the qualifying matches with any of the players. There’s the option to create your own player and jump into the mix as well, rising to prominence before leading your team to the title round. The commentary as well, provided by Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend, has been expanded, providing insight not only into the game play itself, but also the greater impact upon Cup play.

Gamers and Tom Clancy fans everywhere can finally rejoice: Sam Fisher is back in a blaze of silent and lethal glory.

This Tuesday marks the release of Splinter Cell Conviction, the latest entry into one of the most innovative video game franchises in recent memory. Ever since the release of the original Splinter Cell on the XBox, the folks at UbiSoft have utilized the Tom Clancy brandname to create some fo the most gripping and intense gameplay on the market. While games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto specialize in the realm of over-the-top violence, the thrills to be found in the Splinter Cell series are of an entirely different breed. The name of the game is stealth, as you step into the shoes of a highly trained NSA agent capable of all sorts of daring infiltration and covert operations.

The latest entry in the series, due out this Tuesday, expands upon that formula with innovations that are technically and thematically impressive. “Projection Storytelling” is amongst the most interesting. While not altering the gameplay in any way, Fisher’s thoughts and objectives appear on objects in the environment itself. There’s no glaring mood-breaking text glaring across the screen. This unique approach to plot development will be interesting to explore throughout the intense twists and turns Conviction has planned for us. The plot is supposed to hinge upon Fisher’s family and an underground organization.

With the modern era of game consoles, it seems that great innovation and technology unfortunately comes with increases in price as well. While all three systems, the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3, have become more affordable as they’ve become older, there has sadly been no corresponding drop in price for the games. A brand new Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 game can cost $60, which is a serious chunk of change (especially for me, being a college student and whatnot). Wii owners are graced with a slightly lower price tag, but even $40 can be expensive for a brand new title. Luckily, today we’ll seek out some great video games available for less than $20, and also include some strategies for finding games on the cheap.

Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 (Rated M for Mature).
This science fiction action game is getting a sequel next week, but that doesn’t mean that the original isn’t still entertaining. Mass Effect combines numerous gaming elements into an engaging complete package. The game has exciting shooting action, space exploration, and a deep involved storyline that is determined largely by the player’s actions. If you’re a role-playing fan, this title will offer hours of action on many diverse and hostile planets. It’s also a great example of how to find games for under $20. If a sequel has come out recently, or is in the works, the original title will often be available for significantly less than its successor. Just because a game is older doesn’t mean it’s less fun to play. After all, other titles like BioShock and Assassin’s Creed thrilled audiences to the point they triggered sequels!

MLB: The Bigs for the Playstation 3 (Rated E for Everyone).
With sports games, there sometimes are minimal improvements from year to year. A classic example is the storied Madden NFL franchise from EA sports. The games look and feel very similar to each other in consecutive years. If you can live without up-to-date rosters, older sports games are often inexpensive compared to their newer brethren. Or, as is the case with MLB: The Bigs, look for sports games that are slightly outside the normal scope of sports titles. Here, the developers took a steroids-be-damned approach to the game, with fast-paced and accessible pitching and batting, oftentimes with bursts of fire errupting from the bats and balls. The result is a game that remains engaging compared to other, simulation type baseball games. For similar alternative sporting games, check out Blitz: The League or Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground.

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for the Nintendo Wii (Rated E for Everyone).
While it may seem like a bizarre combination of ideas, the Lego video game series has had some great titles, with the familiar Lego characters enacting all types of familiar adventures in their block-constructed world. The original Lego Indiana Jones title is made less expensive by having a successful sequel out on the market, but this old-school title is a lot of fun for all ages. The quirky level designs and bright colors make this a great game for kids, but gamers of any age will appreciate the recreation of the classic Indiana Jones films. A final great tip is to look for undiscovered, quirky games like this Lego title. These more “underground” games oftentimes fall in price before titles from larger publishers. Other great games like this are Viva Pinata! and titles from the Katamari Damacy series.

Investing in a new electronic can be expensive, and oftentimes its a difficult decision if your current gadget works well. Instead of opting for a new device, look into making a purchase that extends both the life and functionality of something you already have. You’re likely to save money in the process, and you can open up some exciting new abilities in your home, office, or living room.

XBOX 360 20 GB Hard Drive
A great asset of the Xbox 360 is that it can serve as far more than a video game console. The 360 is capable of playing movies, music, and storing pictures, but most of these other media options require a significant amount of storage space. If you don’t already have one, the addition of a hard drive to your Xbox 360 enables some great new functions. The unit simply snaps onto the top of the game console and then it’s ready to use. Files can easily be transported through the USB ports found on the front of the console, making it easy to move movies over for viewing on the big screen. Finally, the 360 has some great built-in programs for music and photo organization, and the addition of a hard drive can make the Xbox a great home media center in your living room.

Deals on Computer Servers
An upgrade to your computer server can be a great benefit to the networking capabilities of your company. These servers, available at some great prices through Smarter, have the ability to increase both the speed of your network computing as well as the amount of traffic your network can handle. While businesses with larger networking needs might be best to look for upper-end models, a smaller company will find more than enough in some of these budget servers. Whether you’re working on a local network or looking for the hardware to support an overhaul to your company’s website, Smarter has a server that can fit both your business and budgetary needs.

HP USB TV Tuner
If you have a PC desktop or laptop that runs Windows Vista, this gadget is a great way and inexpensive way to bring television to your computer. The device lets you watch, record, and pause live TV, and also features a built-in FM radio receiver as well. If you’re on the go, this unit can be a great way to keep on top of your favorite television shows, and its strong reception power means you’ll have access to signals regardless of where you are. As an added bonus, there’s no additional software to install for the model to work; you can simply plug it into a USB port, and it’s ready to go. This is a great device for a frequent traveler and an inexpensive way to increase the media functionality of your PC laptop.