The Italian Job
May 30, 2002
It’s almost hard to believe that this game only costs ten dollars. Back in 1999, brand-new racing/driving games retailed for as much as $50 (at best, you could buy a new racer for $40). Now you can buy a really, really good one for only ten bucks. Most decent music CDs cost more than that. Magazine subscriptions cost more than that. Heck, I paid more than that for a Star Wars baseball cap! Read more
Operation Flashpoint: Gold Edition
May 29, 2002
I can truly say that the developers went out of their way to research and produce a game worthy of a realistic first person shooter. The game is set in 1985, at a point many could consider the height of the Cold War. The game drops you as an American soldier in midst of a brewing conflict in Europe with the Soviet Union. After some quick training exercises at camp, your squad is sent on a variety of missions where the story begins to unfold. With Gold Edition, the player gets to explore many more of the story lines as they develop. Your success in the field also has an outcome on your career and the war itself. Read more
Xbox Live: MS Savior or Console Destroyer?
May 29, 2002
Ever since the first Xbox announcement from Bill Gates at GDC, I began to imagine what developers would do with the mighty hardware Microsoft was giving them. With the inclusion of items like a built in Ethernet card, four controller ports, and a 8 GB hard drive, developers would have access to all the tools they would need to create worlds for up to four people at home and for players across the Internet. At E3 2002, Microsoft officially released details about their online plans for the Xbox. “Xbox Live� was born as the online gaming network for all Xbox players. Read more
E3 2002 Wrap-Up
May 26, 2002
E3 2002 is finally over and gaming is moving rapidly into a dangerous place… ports. Everywhere you looked, there was a port. Developers are porting their games on to as many systems as possible. While at first glance this may appear as a good thing, it leaves only a few exclusive titles. For example, TimeSplitters 2 is coming over to the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox. When I spoke to developer Free Radical Design and asked them if they felt porting the title over to every system ruined the gaming industry, the told me that “…just because a person buys a Playstation 2 and not an Xbox or GameCube doesn’t mean we should punish him and not release the game on his system. I say, let the console manufacturers worry about the problem and developers will continue to make sure our games are played by as many people as possible.” Read more
WaveBird Wireless Controller
May 23, 2002
The WaveBird is an amazing wireless controller. In the past, 3rd party wireless controllers have been somewhat frustrating. The sometimes interfere and the many gamers complain that the response time isn’t good and that the transmitter is sometimes a little slow. Some say that they just don’t feel right. In steps Nintendo do get it right. Read more
Xbox Live at E3 2002
May 21, 2002
Today at E3 2002 Microsoft became the first video game company ever to announce a comprehensive online game service fully dedicated to fast-action, always-connected broadband gaming experiences. The online console gaming service, named Xbox Live, launches in North America, Japan, and Europe this fall for the Xbox video game system and ramps up with consumer beta programs starting this summer. Read more
E3 2002: Here we come!
May 20, 2002
Each year a select few get the opportunity to put their hands on the hottest upcoming titles. The whole gaming industry joins these select few in downtown LA during the E3 show. While the Lakers are next door at the Staples Center vying to win the NBA Championship for the third consecutive time, a few journalists will be struggling to win readers over to their publication. People like you have many choices on the Internet and in print publications to get your E3 news. While searching the Internet to discover the latest E3 news, be sure to stop by CV-Games. We will be covering the show each day–giving you the inside information on all the latest games coming out. Read more
Triple Play 2002
May 18, 2002
To fans of video games and especially sports video games, you know that over the years there has been one dominating company that has successfully launched title after title, turning out nothing but hits. That company (in case you didn’t already know) is EA Sports and not only have they sold a lot of titles over the years but also they improve games to a level that no one ever thought possible. EA Sports is the company responsible for such games as Madden, NHL and, of course, the great Tiger Woods Series. Their games are so addictive that they can take days if not weeks out of your free time if you let them. Ask any serious gamer about his/her best EA Sports moment and you are sure to hear a tale that you can more then likely relate to. Read more
Warrior Kings
May 17, 2002
The fine line between strategy and RPG has always been a delicate one. Although some games have merged the two with moderate success, this has always been a difficult goal for any developer. Warrior Kings is a driven by a plot, but drops out to a strategy environment. In a way, it gives us the best of both worlds in a well defined world. It does lack the flair of a game specific to each genre. Read more
Console Watch 2002: Playstation 2
May 17, 2002
It’s an undeniable fact that for the time being, the PS2 is the system to own. Most PS2 owners found themselves being overwhelmed in a flood of great games over the last holiday season. Several huge titles launched near the end of the year, including Devil May Cry, Grand Theft Auto 3, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Square’s masterpiece Final Fantasy X. However, since then there really hasn’t been a “must have” title released for the system, but we are in the middle of the yearly game drought. This happens almost every year right around March. The months leading up to E3 are always slow in terms of game releases, but as you look further down the road, I’m sure you’ll see something you like. Read more