Sugar Gamers

Sony’s Playstation Network has been down for six days due to a high level security breach.  By high level I mean hackers may very well have accessed names, locations, emails, date of birth and possibly even credit card information from the 77 million PSN subscribers.  The staggering number of accounts can be attributed to the fact they’re free compared to Xbox Live.  Needless to say, we’ve got a problem.  This could be one of the largest data ransacks we’ve ever seen. 

Sony has been accused of being too lax with it’s security measures and rushing to release the network software without proper testing.  Sony did however handle the situation properly by not hesitating to release the severity of the breach allowing subscribers to preapre.  I feel it is important to remember that Sony is not the only company with data security snafus, nor will it be the last.  Federal regulation of personal information given to companies is practically non-existent.  With any luck, companies holding personal information, Sony included, will learn from this incident.  

I understand that XBL gamers may feel the need to gloat but personally, I don’t wish identity theft on anyone.  Besides, some of my favorite gamin’ pals are on PSN. 

The GOW3 beta is in full swing and naturally I’ve been getting my Gears on since early access.  After a few sleepless, but thoroughly enjoyable nights I can give you the full monty low down.  

To start, this is a whole new multiplayer, it’s smooth, it’s balanced but still feels like Gears.  Not bad for a beta.  You’ll feel very at home when you look around at the maps and scenery with a nice upgrade in graphic quality.

 The controls should feel familiar too as there’s very little change to them from the previous Gears installment.  So enjoy your rolling and sprinting, you’re gonna need it because there’s some new weapons on board.  One in particular that’s proving to be quite a menace on the beta is the sawed off shotgun, this weapon is good for nothing except getting right in your enemy’s face and blowing them away at point blank range.  If you can’t see the whites of their eyes, no dice.  Also on the weapon menu, the retro Lancer, if you can stomach the recoil it’s a fantastic mid-range weapon.  Of course the Lancer and Hammerburst are back along with the Gnasher and other classics.

You know who makes the weapons look even better? The new bad chicks on the block Anya and Sam, the lady Cogs.  They’re deadly, they talk trash, and they stand toe to toe with the boys.  For fans reading the books, it’s about time the ladies stomped their way into the game.  Thus far I’ve only gotten my hands on Anya and so far, not to anyone’s surprise, she’s fabulous.

 The beta is currently featuring team death match, you get a map, and you’re either a team of Cogs or Locusts and you knock each other off until one team runs out of lives.  Respawn time varies and sometimes can be a little lengthy.  A great new feature to help kill the time is you can change your loadout right there in the middle of the game while you’re waiting to respawn.

So far I’m having a real problem putting it down, and this coming from someone who typically only played gears for the horde mode.  We’ll keep you posted on new developments as they come.  If you’re not on the beta let’s just hope you can hold out until September.           

Playstation is making their move once again on the FPS market with the Playstation exclusive SOCOM 4.  

There are few jobs tougher than that of our own United States Navy Seals.  Movies and TV give us a taste, but SOCOM 4 will put you knee deep in it, thanks to the compelling storyline, and I think the 3D helps out a bit too.  

Sugar Gamers was lucky enough to head over to Chicago’s Brickyard Gamestop for a little quality time with the game before its release.  We got a glance at the story where high stakes and tough guys (and gal) collide.  Looks like Zipper Interactive did their homework and took notice that ladies like to shoot it up too as SOCOM 4 gives us Park Yoon-Hee, a rough and tumble Korean woman not afraid to give you a piece of her mind.  The character lineup is strong and well developed.  I don’t want to give too much away but let’s just say this family of soldiers isn’t what you call “functional.”

Playing anything in 3D takes some adjustment to get comfy, and you’re going to want to be comfy for SOCOM because the hits don’t stop coming.  Slide on the sharp looking 3D glasses and get thrown into a gritty battlefield.  Try not to take cover under your coffee table as debris and bullets whiz past your head.  

To take your SOCOM experience to the next level, you should opt for the Move sharpshooter controller to get your party started. 

SOCOM 4’s 3D adventure is yet another building block in Sony’s plan to make 3D a household must have for everything from your TV, to your Vaio laptop, and of course gaming console.

SOCOM 4 releases April 19th. 

With the huge success of Shogun 2 came spoilers of all the achievements and unlockables from the blogosphere.  One in particular caught my eye, the Onna Bushi, once you’ve gained some serious XP you can unlock a unit of female samurai.  I was immediately intrigued as I had thought the Samurai to be strictly a boys club.  However, Total War games are always steeped in historical fact, and the Onna Bushi are no myth.  

After extensive research, I learned the term “female samurai” isn’t technically correct but for the sake of explanation I’m gonna go ahead and keep it.  Armor clad samurai women certainly did exist.  Japanese women took on the role of defending their homes while their men were away at war. Not a bad idea as Sun Tzu says, “Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack.”  Onna Bushi were trained in the same elaborate Samurai tradition and discipline as the men.  Often armed with a naginata (the weapon in the above picture) or on occasion a bow these ladies were ready to rock should anyone dare attempt to assault their home or kingdom.

It was a very rare occurrence that these women saw battlefield action, but there is heavy documentation of a certain Onna Bushi said to be “worth a thousand (soldiers)” on the battlefield.  Her name was Tomoe Gozen, said to have a gorgeous porcelain face and long black hair.  She was a skilled and revered archer said to be fearless and elegant.  

I had a feeling our Sugar Gamer ladies who weren’t aware of this little historical tidbit would be elated.  It’s a great reminder that a warrior spirit can reside within anyone be it male or female. 

The hype is high with cute commercials, billboards across the country and massive universal appeal, Portal 2 is a media monster.  After hitting the spot with the first title there was no doubt Portal would be back for more.  Portal has set the standard for originality with its abstract world, challenging puzzles and engrossing storyline complete with bouts of hilarious dark humor.

When it comes to record breaking video game sales the title usually belongs to the mega FPS games but Portal has the potential to change that.  It has great appeal for young and old, male and female and will be available on Xbox360, PS3 and PC.  So far so good as pre-orders are already through the roof across the globe.  It would be a refreshing upset to see Portal stand toe to toe with Call of Duty’s numbers.   

Portal 2 promises to expand the the environment and up the challenge.  And as you can see, the graphics got a little tune up as well.

 A big part of the excitement is the cooperative mode.  From the looks of the previews and trailers, Portal 2 could only be improved by playing with a friend.

The game is coming out this month and we’ll see if it lives up to the hype.  

Some of the loudest buzz coming from Wondercon is coming from those who attended the Thundercats panel.  A reboot ten years in the making, Thundercats is getting a full on facelift with a whole new look and some noticeable changes.

The animation is cleaner and the overall theme is darker.  The new series is said to have grown up with it’s fans.  The animation has had an anime makeover making it cleaner and allowing the action to be very fluid and fast.  As you’ll notice Lion-O starts off a wee bit older than we remember meanwhile Cheetara is looking a bit more youthful.  Panthro is beefed up and aged quite a bit and Tygra pretty much maintains his figure.  Most interesting of all is the far more adorable Snarf who speaks his own language that we won’t understand but the Thundercats won’t have a problem with translation.

 Leotards have been replaced with separates of armor and utility clothing.

 Even the Thundertank gets an upgrade with a hot new look and some great new features.  It’s gonna look more modular and will have the ability to break off into motorcycles.  Panthro’s gonna have his work cut out for him.  Meanwhile, resident bad mummy himself Mumm-ra pretty much looks the same, very old and crabby.  

Thundera itself gets a little more camera time, we get to see the elaborate and regal Thundercat society in full swing as they prepare for the ultimate battle.  

 Cartoon Network will have the honor of premiering the new series this July.   

16th century Japan was laden with handsome samurai armor, stealthy ninja, and powerful clans butting heads.  This was a time where the more power you had the more likely you slept with one eye open.  Loyalty is king in the battle to conquer and thrive, and now you can experience it first hand on your PC (provided you’re running the proper requirements).

Creative Assembly revived its gorgeous PC chapter in the Total War series with Shogun 2.  The new state of the art AI for this game abides by Sun Tzu’s Art of War and reacts accordingly which makes for a deadly and challenging PC opponent.  And if that’s not challenge enough head online for a one of a kind multi-player experience.

The game’s interface is entirely three dimensional with a dynamic blend of soft hues and shadowing.  You are the clan leader aka the Daimyo.  Build up cities and military and gain experience for yourself, your generals, and other agents such as ninja’s and geisha (historical fun fact: Geisha were some of the most successful assassins in history).  Orchestrate 3D real time battles between armies of die hard loyal samurai, engage in a massive naval battle on water or send out your ninja to assassinate a rival lord (be careful! If not well trained you’ll have to sit back and watch him fail bringing shame to your name).

The graphics are simply breath taking and the camera  play is methodical and dramatic.  During time between battles the game creates a mood of quiet calm that’s almost too quiet creating tension and suspiciousness and then in battle you listen to a chorus of folded steel clanging while soldiers howl.  As with any Total War game, a great deal of historical research was implemented in the game making the experience like an interactive historical novel.

The game has already scored high marks with critics and fans and is available for download and retail purchase now.