So I just made a forum post about this, but just as I expected its being mostly overlooked, so I figured I would blog about it too.

I know that everyone loves Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but I think it is time for a Hip-Hop themed game from these developers, or a developer who truly cares about hip-hop music...

Let me just make a point right here: I want an actual GAME! Beatmania was not up to the same level of polished as these more recent music games (nor was it a good game in general). Nor do I want something that is just sent to stereotypically satiate the Hip-Hop audience (B-Boy, I'm looking at you!) What I'm talking about is a music-rhythm game in the same vein as Rock Band/Guitar Hero, but with Hip-Hop music and peripherals in mind.

I've talked to alot of people about this, and most of them write it off with a few short sighted ignorant arguments: (1) Hip-Hop doesn't use instruments. (2)The music is repetitive. (3) Rap is Crap (My personal favorite immature comment!).  Anyway, I think that if developers put some time and effort into coming up with some good ideas, a great game could come out of it. I mean, Harmonix and Red Octane (or whoever they both are now) both say they love music, so I'm sure that exploring more music would be exciting to them.

Now I'm sure many people ask "How would the game play work?" Well that I'm not 100% sure on, but I have thought of a few ideas in just a short time, some more fleshed out than others.

Here is ONE of my ideas for a Hip-Hop Themed Music Game:

The game could use a beat-machine/turntable hybrid for a peripheral, as well as a mic for vocals. The beat-machine (a simple 4 button set-up) could be used to play out notes that come across the screen, much like the Rockband/Guitar Hero drum sets, without the kick pedal. And the turntable (a separate smaller  turntable-like peripheral that can be attached to the beat-machine) could be used as a modifier to make different variations to the base melody. Also, the turntable could be used to send a song back a short while for additional points sort of like "bonus points", but only a few times, not indefinitely (to avoid having "infinite" scores) and of course the mic would be used for vocals.

This is just one of the many Hip-Hop themed game ideas I have come up with. And I know that if I can come up with these basic ideas in just a few hours, I know that a developer full of people who SAY they love music should be able to come up with something great! That is what I say to those nay-sayers that I hip-hop themed game wouldn't work. I'm sure that many people said the same thing about a Rock themed game before it came to fruition...

So what do you all think?

Well, honestly, I think that people love to feel like part of a group, especially when it is a competitive group. This explains the Neogaf haters, and those saying this is best game of all time, and etc....

I think that it is unfortunate that things happened the way it did, because people (mainly fanboys and crazies) won't give this game a fair shake. I have yet to play the game, so I'm not able to comment on the quality of the game (the demo was good in my opinion). That is how people who haven't played it should react. Instead, many people just simply fall into their respective camp of pissing contests and have at it:

"This is an Xbox exclusive? Well then I must not like it then since I love my PS3!" (Apparently Sony has a lot more employees than they think.)

OR

"I don't like Silicon Knights, so I will not like this game!" (I love how gamers say they judge games on a game-by-game basis, yet fall victim to cheering for everything besides the game such as developer, personalities, consoles, etc.)

OR

"My group named [insert group name here] is opposed to the view of [insert rival group name], thus I will disagree with their views until I die!!! (It's called maturity people, now without a prescription).

Anyway, I just think it is unfortunate that the game can't get a fair shake, because I know if I developed a game, I would want people to just try it and see if they liked it. 

I am starting to see that the gaming world is filled with alot more biases than a lot of other media cultures. There are things that are accepted as being "right" and things that people say don't belong because of what they feel a game is.  Don't believe me, whenever a Hip-Hop themed music game is announced, see how many stereotypical, ignorant , and disrepectful forum posts come out of the seemingly mature gaming crowd. Still think it isn't a possibility? Find a thred or story about Def Jam: Icon that allows comments, and look at how about half are the comments are something bashing the game, the music genre, or etc...  I rest my case.

Anyway, I hope to play Too Human soon...

And I Ikaruga was hard...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQZuidKexBQ&feature=related

I am playing on Xbox 360.

Here are my quick impressions from the Red Faction Guerrilla Beta:

The game is basically a fun shooter. Not too serious. Allows you to take a few shots and react by taking cover or whatever, so you aren't dead as soon as you recognize you are being shot.

I'm not sold on the character designs. Hopefully they change something, but I doubt they will.

The matchmaking system is a good idea, and it borrows a lot of ideas from Halo 3, which is definitely not a bad thing.

I still don't know what/if they XP system unlocks anything.

The movement speed is a little off, but it depends on the game.  Sometimes it is way too slow, but that is primarily due to the matchmaking setting the speed to 90% on some games (I guess to gauge how people respond it).

All the weapons seem balanced, which is great! (The sledgehammer's range is little too long though in my opinion).

The character animations a little....funny. It's hard to explain.

All in all its fun, I played it for a while at first, and thought I wouldn't go back to it, but then I found myself having the urge to get back in and keep playing. We'll see if they update the beta though...

(Oh, and Bionic Commando in 3 days!!!)

Just a wake up call.  This doesn't relate to the whole "Racist Resident Evil 5" thing, but it just goes to show that yes, there are those people out there who not only think this way, it's their life in its entirety. Basically, just because it may SEEM like something isn't intentionally racist, doesn't mean it isn't racist... Click HERE, or there...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZccnGspog0

So I've been playing a bunch of games this week: Call of Duty 4, Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2, as well as some original xbox games Unreal Championship 2 (which I found for 5 bucks!!) SSX3, and Crimson Skies. here is my quick impressions of each.

Call of Duty 4: Just as I remember it, fast and very very very quick.  After playing this game some more, I can start to understand why people can be so into this game, but thats not saying i like it anymore. Actually the thing that I find most attractive is not any of the shooting or the feel or anything, it's the "rpg light" elements of upgrading weapons. Unfortunately nothing else really grabbed me.  Also, I;m realizing that this game is very nerd-core exclusive...basically its not for people who want to just have fun...people play this game as a sport and take it too serious, much like the game takes itself too serious.

Geometry Wars 2: I was a little skeptical when I first bought this game, but now I am completely addicted. Actually, playing this right after COD4, I came to realize that both are pretty similar. They are both arcade shooters with completely unrealistic shooting mechanics. The difference is that Geometry wars embraces its style, while Call of Duty 4 tries to slap this super realistic coat of paint over its mechanics, which just make it feel fake.  So am I saying I like Geometry Wars 2 more than COD4: Yes! But am saying that Geometry Wars takes more skill and is a better shooter overall....oh well, Yes to that too.

 It's an article on GameDaily that talks about games that they feel won't be too good. It's an interesting mix in there, with games I agree with (Little Big Planet, Sonic Unleashed) and games I don't (Brothers in Arms, Silent Hill: Homecoming). Either way, it's a good read, and it is sure to get a few fanboys mad, which is always a plus!!!

Just click here, or up about where it says article.

So yeah, racism is just getting out of hand on the internet!  I shouldn't have to be attacked verbally every time I want to play a game online with racial slurs left and right. It's just sad at this point, and there needs to be some system in place to FURTHER get this situation handled. Fine them, implement some kind of voice recognition software. I don't care. At this point, any and everything to keep these scumbag people saying every racial term out of their mouth is the most I could hope for when it comes to video games. 

Many people say that I should just "play with people I know". Well, for starters, next-gen systems are STILL expensive, so when I am

Just for starters, I'm one of those people who always feels a little confused when things change formats. So as soon as I was falling in Love with the Pre-Giantbomb site, they go and try to make a website out of it! Sheesh!!!

Anyway, I like the format and the overall set-up. I'm not huge person when it comes to the community adding and submitting content to a website (mostly because people are stupid), so I hoping that the site has structure and unique content from those whose job it is to make that content in addition to the user content. Not to say I won't write a review or two or submit things, but I trust those who get a paycheck to do so, they have incentive to make it great, and other people...well, like I said, just aren't that smart (see: internet petitions).

Anyway, for the site, starting with the bad I guess. I'm having some navigating issues, but hopefully that is just the Beta doing what it does, whatever that is. Also for some reason I can't add games the "Collection" list. Again, maybe I just missed where they said that you can't do that yet, but it still frustrated me a little.  And other than a few other little quirks, that's about it.

But like I said before, I enjoy the overall site.  It will take time for me to get used to for sure, but I trust (or hope rather) that things will come together.  one thing I think is genius is listing games by the game themselves and not by console. It's a little thing that will hopefully keep the people who feel that they are somehow employed by the various companies at bay, and hopefully will make things better in the end.  I don't think it's an idea the general public would have implemented. (again, people are stupid.)

Other than that I'm still getting to know the site, so we will see where it goes from here...

PS: One thing I just realized while about to post this, I hope that there is some sort of basic level of communication on here for people who don't live 24/7 on "hardcore" websites. What I mean is that, sometimes terminology for certain things can become so exclusive that it is impossible for people who may not know what an RSS feed is (me) or a Wiki is (again me). Just something that came to mind.