GTA Online Shutdown: 7th Gen

I look at GTA V as the last really huge title for the seventh generation of gaming before the new PlayStation and Xbox systems came about. This was a showcase of the 360 and PS3's power and would get online not too long after it released in September 2013. The trend of online shutdowns has continued the last couple of years. Rockstar is intending to shut GTA Online for 360 and PS3 in mid December with currency not being allowed to be bought in September.

It's not a shocker, but I am a little surprised. I would have figured another year. Then again, Halo on 360 is shutting down at the end of the year for all of its games. I am struggling to think of games that aren't Call of Duty that still would have online. But I'm sure there still is a decent amount. It brings together a large discussion on what happens with games once the online is gone. GTA would be fine given its single player content. Offline modes for other games. Then you have something like Destiny or Titanfall. I'll be curious about backlash if it gets really high on criticism.

Rockstar is also shutting down online for Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire. For Max, that did have online multiplayer. Tried it in 2015 with no success in finding a game. L.A. Noire's stuff is related to Social Club, which all three games will lose. Keeping track of stats in accomplishing cases and finding collectibles. The numbers could still be decent on other games and apps. I just question if stuff will be done by 2022 or 2023. It's not like PS3 or 360 were abandoned that quickly. 

What do you think? How much longer until online ceases on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3? The inevitable will happen. Like I said, GTA V online is not a huge shock. Enjoy what you can before it is gone in December for those two systems.

Halo 360 Services Shut Down Preparation

This shouldn't be a surprise. Halo's first game on the Xbox 360 came in the fall of 2007 with Halo 3. After that were at least five more with the last one being Halo: Spartan Assault in 2013. These all have single player stuff, multiplayer that drives huge interest. Always has been since at least the second game. But plans have been set for the 360 games to be losing their servers. These will be taken off serves effective December 2021.

I've probably mentioned it in other blogs, but it bears repeating. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are consoles that still get a bit of play out of them. There's been updates for these two systems over the last two years or so. Beyond the games, some might still use them for Netflix machines. You got apps for certain products like YouTube and Amazon. With the exception of one PS3 game back in August, both haven't had games in about two years. You're still able to buy games through the digital stores. Over 1000 titles on 360 with mostly 360 and some original Xbox titles. PlayStation 3 is roughly the same number, maybe a little higher with a combo of games for that, PS2, and PS1. It's also the only way to buy PSP games digitally since you can't on a computer anymore.

People do still cling to older releases. That will never die out at any point. You'll have the followers who dedicate to playing an older title.  Think of some of the older Call of Duty games. That logic can be applied to Halo. Not everyone moves on to newer hardware and if some do, it might be well late into the generation. Even with backwards compatibility, that doesn't mean some were going to jump to Xbox One just to play certain 360 games along with the limited list of games.

The TL:DR of what I'm saying is, you have to get used to it. PlayStation has had over the course of the last couple of years, had servers shut off for a number of games. This is going to happen with 360 games if some of it hasn't happened already. The likelihood of 360 servers shutting down altogether, I don't know. There isn't a good prediction for it. I'd figure 2020 or 2021. I'm not sure anymore. But get your play out of it while you can for the online aspect. Inevitably, the two systems will be bowing out in terms of everything getting shut down. One day, it will happen. 

Xbox 360 at 15 Thoughts

I'm not big into Microsoft's home consoles like I am with their computers. But I do have some good memories of playing the Xbox 360 for a good seven years or so. It was a push to a new generation when it came out around the end of November 2005. Easy to develop games for, smoother playability, lots of digital stuff. You get the good with the bad that includes the Red Ring of Death, scratched discs, squandering what they had in 2010. However, you can't deny it being a great system to have.

My first experience with it was in 2009. I was not too familiar with the Xbox brand. My older brother had an original Xbox, but didn't play it except once or twice. I do remember commercials for 360 within the first couple years, especially the Game Fuel Mountain Dew ads and Halo 3.That game was the first title I experienced on 360 with the multiplayer via system link. Seven of us played and I was not good. About a year later, my younger brother and myself get our own 360. Get a handful of titles, including some Call of Duty games and GTA IV, 2010 was pretty good.

With being away at college, my opportunities of playing it were on specific weekends I came home for a couple years. Played a lot of The Simpsons Game, Dead Rising, Call of Duty single player from Modern Warfare to Black Ops. Little bit of Forza. Played a lot of GTA IV for about six months going through the single player. Invested until 2016 into other games, especially when I got my own 360 in 2014. Fallout, The Orange Box, Sonic Unleashed and many more. I haven't played much of it since due to playing more PlayStation 3 and 4, but it was still a great experience.

You look at it, and it paved the way for online being what it is with its pros and cons. Extra content, various apps, multiple things. But I do wonder if it could have kept the same pace from 2011 to 2015/16 like it did its first five years and continued with bringing big exclusives of their own. It's still hard to believe that it has reached 15 years old. And it still gets support from Microsoft despite no one making titles for it since 2017. The legacy will still go on and people have not given up on it being their main machine. Still plenty of practical use for a lot of ways besides gaming.

Hardest Xbox Achievement I've Gotten

As the title suggests. My first experience with Xbox fully was in May of 2010 when my younger brother and I got a 360. My older bro had an original Xbox, and I tried it once. My first 360 experience was in mid 2009. That first year of owning it, we had some titles here and there. But the reason for this blog is for Dead Rising. I found it at a yard sale a little more than a year after getting the system. My quick thoughts are that it's a good game, but a few tweaks could have made it better.

A mode that you have to unlock is the infinity mode. I'm sure there are much more difficult achievements for other games, but these two could hurt your 360. In the mode, you have to survive with depleting health. There is strategy and that includes grabbing a few food books and trying to get the best foods that can replenish your health without wasting too many slots in your inventory. An hour in real life equates to 12 hours in the game.. The two achievements require to survive five days and seven days in the mall. In real life, 10 and 14 hours. And that can be very taxing. I don't believe you can pause at any point, either, but it's been a long time since I attempted it. that I can't remember.

I accomplished this back around the summer of 2012. My younger brother hanged out with his friends for a night and I was alone. I had attempted Infinity a couple times, but didn't get far. It was the one time I could get a real shot of completing these two achievements. This went from about I think five in the afternoon to about seven in the morning. It took a long time. But with the strategies, I was able to get through it. And this was on a black model 360 with the original design that had been around since its launch in 2005. Needless to say, my brother wasn't too pleased, but it still runs. Up until 2015 or 2016, it started to have issues opening up the disc drive and the power brick getting really hot.

It's probably easier on PS4 and Xbox One, but I'd like to give it a test. But that's the hardest achievements I got on Xbox. If you want it, plan your time on getting it. A little practice and patience can go a long way. There is a glitch with the food court during the fourth day, so avoid it. The wiki says avoid between 4 days, 5 hours and 4 days, 23 hours and 59 minutes. If you're in there, stay. If you're not, avoid going in there. Happy achievement hunting.

Console Buyer's Guide 2019

Black Friday and the holiday season begins very soon, so there is the look of what game systems are out on the market. For 2019, it may mark one of the last big years for the current ones out there.

Starting with the dead systems, it's safe to say you can't find many PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and Vita games on store shelves. Your best bet is going to be the used local stores or having to use online to get the games. Everything but the Vita can still be found easily at a GameStop, but how much longer they will have these games, I'm not sure. Until PS3 and 360 stop using servers for good would be my guess or when the new systems come out in November.

I'm surprised to still see the 3DS on store shelves. Nintendo stated that it will still be supported heading into 2020, but I don't buy into it fully. Not any big releases and being eight years old is not healthy. I guess milk it until the cows come home. For what it was able to do, it stabilized and did very well following a disastrous launch due to the high price. You can find 2DS XL's and some games, but the selection is not the greatest at most stores. Used local stores and online may be the ultimate way to get the titles you may want that aren't the usual suspects.

This year will be the last very huge year for PS4 and Xbox One. I don't think there's one advantage over the other except in exclusives. It comes down to what you like more. Do you like Halo, Gears of War, and a couple others? Uncharted, MLB, Ratchet and Clank? I still think the edge goes to PlayStation, but I don't think either one is a bad choice. They're cheap and you can get games at good prices everywhere. Not much else to say.

Last is the Switch. The Lite model should entice some for the holiday season, but will they like that it's portable only? That I'd ask because it being a hybrid prior to the release may be the only incentive. I think there should be a price cut for the original model. Beyond the first party games, there is relatively good support still and plenty of releases from older games and new ones. It's a way to make up for some of Nintendo's blunders. How well this does beyond this year and 2020 is a question in itself and if the novelty sticks or fades away.

Shop safe. Shop smart. And shop carefully for these systems and games.

YouTube Videos: Aug 23-29

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled

I wish this game would come out now, but alas,we'll have to wait. There was a rumor floating around this week of a Crash Team Racing game. Of course, speculation comes into play and it became true. A remaster of the game is slated for late June on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

The original was the last Naughty Dog game for the original PlayStation way back in the fall of 1999. To a number of people, this is better than Mario Kart. The single player feels well done. There's nothing cheap about it. It's fair. No bullshit weapons that bombard you at the last second. An adventure mode similar to Diddy Kong Racing. Tournaments and split screen racing. It did everything right. Only thing that it doesn't have over Mario Kart is multiplayer, but the single player is more than satisfying.

I think it's a bit of a shocker that CTR is coming back. How it will handle 90s designs for the modern day will be a question in itself. With N. Sane Trilogy, outside of some controls for the first game, it played rather well. But this isn't a platformer. If it can perform good speeds on your own, the multiplayer and the new online mode, I'll be pleased. Until then, get hyped. When June comes, I'm definitely getting a copy.

Investing in Last Generation Consoles

No doubt, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are about finished. There might still be a couple titles coming out for each of those systems, but when, I don't know. Most stores will try to get whatever remaining stock they have of the older systems software, so with that in mind, let's get into the main discussion. Should you be going after the last generation consoles?

Personally, I would get into it now. There are a lot of titles that you can find for relatively low prices, especially for some of the base games. One of these examples is Grand Theft Auto IV. Not every store will be like this, but I saw it at GameStop for practically nothing. You can find a lot for PS3 and 360 for 20 dollars and under. There are exceptions like Ghostbusters from Atari and even kids games like Toy Story 3. For the most part however, the local stores and some GameStops should be fair enough with these two systems, both hardware and software.

What about Nintendo systems? To be honest, it's hard to discuss this company. The systems they have are the hardest to deal with due to expensive prices. No average person is going to waste 60 dollars on an N64 Mario Kart or a GameCube Smash Bros. Melee. For the Wii, it might be an exception for now. If you're dead set on getting that system, invest now on those games that are coveted. Odds are most of the shovelware and certain ports will stay very low, while something like a Zack and Wiki or Metroid Prime Trilogy will get higher prices. I wish I would recommend getting the system purely on the Virtual Console and its physical library, but with Nintendo shutting down the ability to add Wii Points in March, I can't put it high on the must buy list.

With handhelds, it shouldn't be too bad. The problem is finding all sorts of licensed junk. That is one of my gripes with the Game Boy Advance. It seemed like the later half of its life was littered with just about every Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network show getting a game adaptation if it weren't a 16-bit port. The DS still has that problem, but there's still a rich library that you can have. Outside of some Nintendo games, it shouldn't be cost prohibitive. Try finding them at the local used stores. Finding them in the cases is critical.

In regards to the PSP, it's going to be very tough. Despite 70 million in hardware sold, it's library had a tough time finding audiences. Your best bet is seeing if the local used stores have them. Even then, it could be slim pickings with some baseball titles, a Syphon Filter game, and maybe some UMD movies typically seen in a small section. I'm not sure if price will be a huge problem as much as finding any games. You can still download some games, but not on a PSP. More so with a Vita or maybe PS3 if you can find anything or if they are compatible such as PS1 Classics.

South Park: The Stick of Truth Review (Xbox 360)

I've never been a huge fan of South Park. I find it funny but not as great as most people do. Yet, in it's 20 years since debuting in 1997, it has only had a handful of video games, starting with the original on the Nintendo 64. After two years with three titles, the series didn't see anything until 2009 with Microsoft publishing Let's Go Tower Defense with huge involvement from creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone under their South Park Digital Studios label and Doublesix. While that and Tenorman's Revenge from 2012 were being made, Parker and Stone began work on another game for the then current generation of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

South Park: The Stick of Truth went through a lengthy development run. It started in 2009 with Obsidian Entertainment making it. Originally, the publisher involved was THQ, who had their hands on various licensed games since the 90s going back to NES. The list goes on for the movies and TV shows they had. Home Alone, Wayne's World, Ren and Stimpy, Rugrats, Power Rangers, SpongeBob SquarePants, WWF/WWE, and various Disney and Scooby Doo games. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, they went bankrupt in late 2012 and a little battle for the IP came into play when game assets were being sold. The game would get picked up by Ubisoft and endured a lengthy delay that included some changes before releasing in March 2014.

The idea of this game is done really well. If you're familiar with the Paper Mario games on the N64 and GameCube, you will feel right at home with Stick of Truth. You are a new kid who has moved from somewhere to South Park. Something happened that caused the move, and your parents want to keep that a secret from you. They tell you to make friends, and so you are put onto the front lines of a battle that the town's boys are doing to protect or get the Stick of Truth. With the script penned by Parker and Stone, it is like a lengthy three episode airing, only much longer. It feels very faithful to the show.

What was seen with The Simpsons and Family Guy on this kind of hardware, the people involved with those programs have made the games on 360 look like the actual shows. (more so The Simpsons. Family Guy is too cel shaded) Stick of Truth sticks to the cheap paper looking approach of the show. The animations, backgrounds and areas all breathe faithfulness. There are a few special effects, but otherwise, it looks the same as watching an episode on Comedy Central. A little warning, though. This is a pretty graphic game, and I'm talking beyond the violence and cursing. There are some graphic nudity that seems out of place, even for the show.

This brings up one of the things regarding Stick of Truth. A lot of areas faced severe censorship Anybody in Europe (particularly Germany, but the entire continent) and Australia will know that their copies have censored scenes with stuff written by Parker and Stone explaining the scenes in their own way. Some of the material was done on the show, but there was no crusade from the European rating board, PEGI. It had no problems with the content, but Ubisoft brought in a censored version. You can't be too careful, especially when other games in the past like Manhunt 2 were banned until changes were made.

Getting past that and creating what you envision the new kid, how does it play? As I said, Stick of Truth will make you feel right at home if you've played Paper Mario. There is not as much space compared to that style of game, but you do get to explore all of South Park. From the other side of the tracks where Kenny is to Jimbo's Guns, you will be visiting every place at least once. Outside of the combat battles, the controls are a little complex but easy to grasp You can interact with stuff, hit things with a weapon and run. There is the ability to fart and you are give special fart moves and a few non-fart specialties once you get through certain parts.

Like any role playing game, you will have a number of things to do as you take care of things for Cartman and many others. The quests and side quests take you to various places in South Park following some training tutorials. Most places can be entered through their doors. It is very similar to The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, which helped Obsidian since they helped Bethesda in making New Vegas. You loot through various houses and locations looking for a lot of things in places like drawers and cupboards. Most of the time, it's junk, but there will be stuff that will help out in the adventures like weapons and equipment. There's bound to be money in places since some of the stuff you'll be needing is required to survive those battles that wage between the humans and elves.  You don't want to be seen empty handed or without something more powerful.

Despite the fantasy type approach, the game plays in tune with the use of modern technology. This is where the Internet menu comes in. It keeps track of a lot things. Case in point is the friends aspect. While you make friends with literally most, if not, all the named characters, it may seem worthless, but it is not. You can customize the new kid with any weapon and costume and choose some upgrades and perks. There was also the ability to use a map, check out the various collectibles you've obtained, and choose a buddy to help out. Even some of the cut scenes mention stuff like Twitter.

Leveling up means getting into battles and completing quests. The battles are fought against many adversaries. They range from one to six bad guys. You and a buddy take a turn as do the others. Depending on who attacked first, the one who started the first hit gets the first attack. Your weapons are in the form of melee and ranged attacks. Everybody has one to nine opportunities to attack depending on the weapon and deliver simple or powerful attacks. Farts can also be used with weapons or magic. Then there is the ability method. You pick a class and are given a unique set of abilities. Defeating enemies gives you experience points and leveling up gives you upgrades to make the abilities more powerful and punishing.

The enemies are not forgiving. Most battles are usually fought in groups. and have their own stuff like what the new kid has to emerge victorious. They have their own special abilities, magic, and weapons. Both sides will have armor depending on the equipment that is being used at the moment. It helps ease the worry of getting killed or how tough the battle is going to be. Various amounts of damage vary on the armor and whether they are immune or show weakness to certain attacks via the examine feature. An item feature allows you and your buddy to heal, refill power points, or fill magic via mana to use farts as the new kid. After a winning battle, you can loot whatever the enemies have.

Another way of battling is using stuff in the environment to avoid a turn based battle. Let's say I don't want to waste any items or power points. Someone is standing with a lighting fixture above them. You can shoot at the wiring to have the fixture crash onto them. Depending on how many, you might still have to go into a turned base fight to get the experience points. When looting, you might be full on some items. Stick of Truth keeps track of where they are, regardless of how into the game you are, similar to Fallout and Elder Scrolls.

Quests, for the most part, are pretty simple objectives. Typically they involve getting something for someone, battling someone that has an important item for a person, or taking care of a few things for others who are busy doing something else. Some of them can't be completed until certain events occur. Completing these give experience points, money, and possibly friends. You can also interact with the named characters, but some of them can only be talked to at certain points. This is where the perks system comes in. The amount of friends needed is small, but increases as you get more of them. It's like the ability upgrades. Choices for perks are for the battles, mostly with how you deal attacks to and items. Overall, they give you just enough for perks and quests so that it doesn't get monotonous.

Very early in the game, you will have a buddy accompany you through various quests and fights. As the story progresses, more will be given and the choice is up to individual anytime they go to the party section of the Internet menu. They vary on what they can do depending on the ability, attacks, and experience level. An example is having Butters help you. He can heal non-playable characters and provoke more enemies to attack him in battle. There is a command feature where you can instruct whoever you have beside you to perform a task when there is a command icon to keep the quest going. Who you have may help or detract from certain battles, especially against some of the bosses that have much stronger abilities.

Not much can be said for the cash flow you will receive. Other than the quests, you can earn some money by breaking parking meters and newspaper boxes in the city limits. You can buy certain things at certain locations. Some places will also allow you to sell anything from your weapons to the various junk that is collected throughout the game. The design of Stick of Truth is phenomenally well made. Parker and Stone along with the developers do a good job of making the progression go smoothly and show off and use the abilities that are given as the plot thickens.

Options are limited. It's down to audio toggling and the difficulty. There is a help a meter in the pause menu in-game. Really, I don't have too many complaints. It is a bit on the short side with 13 to 17 hours of a playthrough the first time. However, the classes will make you wonder what you can do with the other choices if given the chance to play again, so it's a minor nitpick. Another nitpick is the load and save feature. The autosave is a little weird since it saves in specific areas, but it's not much and doesn't ruin the game. My only big complaint is the audio, mostly the music. Parker and Stone did a great job of making the script funny and staying in tune with an actual episode of South Park. However, there isn't too many tracks in the game and the main track only lasts a few minutes. Outside of it, it's a well made game that will entertain the fans since there are so many callbacks and references to the show. From it's early roots to the modern day episodes, it will feel spectacular. People that may grow weary of the severely outdated references will still get enjoyment out of it.

Definitely check out Stick of Truth. It's still somewhat common and shouldn't be too expensive. You're getting a 1st class package if you are a big fan of South Park. A lot of thought was put into it and showed. This will be hard to top whenever The Fractured But Whole comes. Whatever Parker and Stone have up their sleeves will be well worth the wait.

Score: 8 out of 10