Sleepy Gamer » Van

God of War III First Impressions

Van — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:10:45 +0000

I know the Net is already saturated with God of War III info, but I thought that I should share my 2 cents. Being a huge fan of the God of War franchise myself, you can probably take my opinion with a grain of salt. But when you have tight controls, beautiful graphics, and the hi-def boobies … who isn’t a fan of that? Show me a game with all those qualities that didn’t make your top 10 list. Garret and I waited well over an hour just to play this game at E3, so was it worth the wait? Hell yeah it was.

Story
If you’ve completed part 2 of the series, you must have wanted to kill yourself after witnessing that disappointing cliffhanger. Seeing Kratos leading the Titans to Mount Olympus for the climactic battle with the Gods sure was exhilarating. Until you were abruptly left with: “The end begins…” It might as well have said, “Please reserve God of War 3 at your local Gamestop”. Unfortunately, this 20 minute demo doesn’t reveal anything new about the story either. As soon as you press the Start button, you’re immediately thrown into the heat of the battle with no where to go, but forward. You only see the fire Titan in the background throwing fireballs and wrecking havock in the city below. But other than that, the entire demo doesn’t explain where your other Titan buddies went.
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What’s up with OnLive?

Van — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:52:01 +0000

Although most of the announcements at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) were a bit boring, there was one that peaked everyone’s interest: OnLive. Why is it such a hot topic? Well, if they are successful, it could possibly lead to a unified game console future and put all of the Xboxes, Playstations, and Wiis into the gutter. With all the debate regarding digital distribution vs. disks, could OnLive prove the deciding victor?

So what exactly is OnLive? Think NetFlix movie streaming, but for video games. OnLive is a video game on-demand subscription service that allows you to instantly buy and rent titles in the comfort of your own home. What’s so special about this service is that all of the games are hosted on OnLive’s powerful servers, while the game content is streamed to you over the Internet. Unlike services like Xbox Live, which requires you to have a the software and hardware locally, everything is executed online. Anything you see on the screen, every button you push is transmitted back and forth to you via the Internet. Since the games are streamed, you no longer have to deal with discs, lengthy downloads, software installations, or annoying driver updates to enjoy your favorite games. The best part about this is that you can play high-end games on basically any entry-level hardware. Since all of the processing are done on the remote OnLive servers, you can play power hungry games like Crysis in full 720p resolution on any old Pentium II desktop. There’s no longer a need to drop a pretty penny for the top of the line video card. Not only is it compatible with your PC, it will also work with your television and even Macs.
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Street Fighter IV Review

Van — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:02:57 +0000

So why am I excited about this release? Well… it’s Street Fighter 4, duh. Even though the number 4 suggests that this the 4th game in the series, it’s really the 12th if you count all the iterations of SFI, SFII, SF Alpha, and SFIII. Don’t get me started on that crappy Street Fighter 2010. History aside, this entry proves to be just as epic as its previous legacies. Let’s just hope that Capcom doesn’t repeat history and release a Street Fighter 4 Ultra Special Hyper Championship Edition to further confuse the hell out of us.

To be honest, when the first SFIV teasers were unveiled, it really wasn’t my cup of tea. What was the deal with all the ink swirls and why did they keep Chun Li’s thunder thighs? But as you play the final game, you start to realize how genius this art style really is. For the first time, you can vividly see and feel all the pain induced from every punch, kick, and fireball. From their over-the-top facial expressions, to the contorting bodies, you know that they’re in for a world of hurt. In previous games, the 2-D character models seemed very copied and pasted into each level. But because of the new 3-D engine, each character appears more dynamic and is more well integrated into the scenery. Literally adding a new dimension to the visuals. If you preferred the more gritty 2-D nature of SFIII, you might be disappointed. But I can assure you that the game-play will surely change your mind.

The Digital Signal is Coming

Van — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 06:06:26 +0000

You may have heard that the federal deadline for the digital television transition has been postponed until June 2009. However, a lot of the local channels are still beginning their digital only transmissions in just a little less than a week from now. So what does this mean to you? Starting Feb. 17th, you may start seeing static on your favorite television channels if you don’t have the right equipment. If you’re a bit worried about the digital conversion read on to see what you can do to save yourself from the the white fuzz.

Digital to Analog Converter Box

If you are currently watching your beloved shows through an old tube TV hooked up to antennae, you’ll definitely need to look into purchasing a digital converter box. These boxes essentially take the incoming digital signals and converts it to an analog output so that your old TV can view it. This is by far the most cost effective choice since these boxes are quite affordable and typically rang from $30-$60. On top of that, the federal government is offering two $40 rebates towards the purchase of a digital converter box. You have until March 31^st to apply for these rebates, so do it soon. If the struggling economy isn’t treating you very well, this is the way to go.

Cable/Satellite TV

Believe it or not, cable TV subscribers will be affected by this transition as well. If you have a standard cable subscription without a digital cable box, you’ll need to pony up the extra cash and upgrade to the digital service. Fear not though since this digital upgrade can enhance your TV watching pleasures if you tack on features like DVR and movies on demand. The digital service is typically $10-$15 more than your standard cable service depending on your provider. Satellite subscribers shouldn’t need to worry about upgrading anything since most, if not all satellite receivers accept digital signals anyway.

© van for Sleepy Gamer, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cable, digital transition, hdtv, satellite

What Sony Needs to Do in 2009

Van — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:44:47 +0000

With the phenomenal sales of the original PS1 and PS2, Sony was once way ahead of the curve. So it’s come to be quite a disappointment to see the PS3 limping along this generation. When Ken Kuturagi unveiled the PS3 back in 2005, it was touted as the most powerful and revolutionary gaming system ever made. Apparently, all that power and revolution didn’t mean squat. Looking at the December 2008 sales figures, we can see that the Wii completely outsold the PS3 almost 3:1, with the Xbox 360 outselling almost 2:1.

* Wii — 2,150,000
* Xbox 360 — 1,440,000
* PlayStation 3 — 726,000

Sony needs to do some damage control, and they need to do it fast. Here are some suggestions to make 2009, the year of the Playstation.

PS3 Price Drop
Since there’s no way for the PS3 to compete with the Wii, the best that they can do right now is fight for 2nd place. With the current recession, it’s obviously not a good idea to be the most expensive system on the market. With the PS3 models retailing at $399 and $499, it’s much more expensive than the Xbox 360 at $199, $299, and $399. Sony justifies this price difference due to the built-in blu-ray player capabilities, but it appears the general public is still quite happy with their DVDs and can’t justify paying the extra premium for this feature. To top it off, most PS3 versions of a game often look worse than its Xbox counterpart. So why pay more when its competitor is providing a better gaming experience at a lower price? Sony needs to drop the price to $299 to simply compete with the Xbox 360.
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Super Street Fighter II Turbo: HD Remix Review

Van — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:54:45 +0000

Out of all the games out this holiday season, this is what I’ve been pouring most of my hours into. It’s gotten to the point in which other epics, like Fallout 3 and Little Big Planet, are simply neglected and collecting dust. There’s something about the original Street Fighter II formula that makes it so fun and addicting. Capcom must have an entire division that is solely dedicated to appeal to our nostalgic appetites. These re-releases are certainly easy money for Capcom, but at least they know how to do them right.

HD Remix is the same game from 14 years ago except with a major face lift. The original fighting game engine are still intact while all of the graphics have been redone with gorgeous high resolution sprites. Udon Comics has done an extraordinary job recreating the characters in beautiful Hi Def. The once pixelated and blocky textures are now smooth and extremely detailed. Nothing is left to the imagination anymore since all of the character models are finely illustrated with minute detail. There is an option to play the game with the classic visuals, but it’s definitely an eye sore to view those outdated graphics on the HD screen.

Although the detail in the character models and backgrounds are superb, the animation department is not up to par. Because Capcom wanted to keep the core mechanics of the original game, all of the animation frame counts have been preserved. Unfortunately, this results with every move looking jerky and abrupt when performed. With the low resolution sprites, this problem was not nearly as noticeable in the original game. But the upgraded visuals expose holes in the animation that doesn’t look as smooth as it should be.
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© van for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: capcom, hdremix, psn, sf2, xboxlive

Initial Impressions: Playstation Home Beta

Van — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:49:46 +0000

When Home was first announced, Sony had built up a lot of hype for this service. First of all, it’s absolutely free and it provided a full 3-D interactive experience to online gaming. Also, did I mention it was free? However, after the long delay, it seemed that Home’s momentum has slowed down. It has definitely lost its steam that it gained a couple years ago. Plus, with the recent release of the new Xbox experience, will Home provide the revolutionary gaming experience that Sony promised?

So what is PlayStation Home? Home is essentially a virtual online 3-D space that allows you to meet up and socialize with other PS3 users. You can chat, dance, flirt, and also play games with them. It’s basically the Sims meet Second Life, in which you create a personal avatar to traverse through the virtual realm. Like Second Life, Home also serves as a breeding ground for advertisements. Everywhere you go, there are large monitors that constantly loops movie and video game trailers. There’s even a movie theater that you can enter just to watch game trailers. Since its a free service, I suppose this is how Sony had to find some way to make money back.

Starting Home, you are immediately introduced to create an avatar. The avatar creation tool is much more robust than the Xbox 360’s, but I’m not convinced if that it’s a good thing. For a beginner, Home provides so many options that it can be quite intimidating for a non-core player. Just customizing the face alone has hundreds of possibilities if you factor things like cheeks, forehead, and chin structures. On top of that, all of these features can be adjusted with a grid that allows you to adjust the dimensions of your head. Call me lazy, but it got to the point where I stopped caring and just picked a preset character model.
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Games to shave off those turkey pounds

Van — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:21:52 +0000

Your gut is probably bulging the size of a bowling ball after stuffing yourself with turkey the last few days. Don’t worry, there’s help. I can show you plenty of games that can help you lose the holiday weight right in the comfort of your home. Just make sure that you’re not pounding down donuts and hamburgers while playing these games.

Wii Sports
The ever popular Wii Sports comes bundled with a number of mini-games that include Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. These mini-games feel more like tech-demos, but is very fun and intuitive for first time Wii players. Most newcomers will burn a lot of calories since they will be standing and exerting all of their energy in every swing. However, once you learn the gameplay nuances, you’ll end up slouching in your couch and lazily flicking your wrist effortlessly to get the same results. Hopefully Wii Sports will be used as a template for other Mario Sports games. Give use Mario Tennis already!

Wii Fit
This is the pinnacle of all fitness games. Do not…I repeat…do not buy Wii Fit expecting it to be a game. It’s more like a fitness program than anything else. The main thing that stands Wii fit apart from other fitness games is the balance board. Not only is the board used for exercising, it also measures your weight, balance, and body mass index (BMI). Typically, BMI tells you if you’re underweight, normal, or obese. However, if Wii Fit calls you a fat-ass, keep in mind that it doesn’t count other factors like your body type and muscle mass so it’s very misleading. I only found that the Yoga and Strength training to be particularly useful since it does a good job working out your core. However, the Aerobic exercises are pure garbage since running in one place doesn’t make your blood pumping enough to be effective. The beauty of Wii Fit is that it keeps track of all your progress, so you can clearly see how much improvement you’ve made. Just keep in mind that the balance board only works if you weigh less than 350lbs. If you weigh more than that… it’s probably a good idea to get a gym pass.
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101: Buying a Surround Sound Stereo Pt. 1 – HTIB

Van — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:17:57 +0000

You just got yourself a 50″ HDTV and you’re thinking, man … isn’t life grand? You never felt so good watching Miss Congeniality on your crisp 1080p display until… you raise the volume. As good as the picture looks, most tvs have really crappy speakers. It is time, my friend, to look into getting a home theater system.

Surround Sound Basics
Surround sound can be a very confusing purchase. Just looking at the specifications can be a daunting task. Here’s a quick glossary guide that explains some typical terms that you’ll need to know when buying a home theater system.

Receiver – Unit that decodes and amplifies the sound coming out of your speakers.
Satellite Speakers – These are the speakers that are connected to your receiver. There are actually 3 types of speaker drivers: tweeters, mid-range, and subwoofer.
Tweeter – Produces the high frequency sounds. Think how Mickey Mouse sounds like.
Subwoofer – Produces low frequency sounds. Think Barry White.
Mid-Range – Produces all the sounds in between the tweeter and subwoofer.
Surround Channels – This refers to the number of speakers your surround sound system is capable of. So a 5.1 system supports 5 satellite speakers with an additional subwoofer. The .1 refers to the subwoofer.
Watts – Refers to the measurement of power that the receiver is capable to produce. More watts usually equates to a louder sound system.
Ohms – Measures the resistance in the flow of electricity. The more ohms, the more resistance it will cause. You want this number to be low.

© van for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 101, home theater, sound, speakers

Tribute to the Sega Dreamcast

Van — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:35:21 +0000

Just thinking about the Dreamcast brings back lots of fond memories. Witnessing the red swirl as you powered it on, you knew that there was something special about it. This was the first system that truly felt “next gen”. The thought of playing an arcade-perfect Marvel vs. Capcom at the comfort of your home was simply marvelous. Resident Evil sent chills down my spine as I was blasting zombies away in beautiful real-time graphics. So, where did it all go wrong?

History in the Making
Towards the later part of the 90s, Sega was in a rut. With the previous blunders of the Sega CD and 32X, Sega’s current console, the Saturn, was on the verge of yet another failure. Despite some modest success in Japan, the Saturn only sold a mere 9 million units worldwide. In comparison, the original Sony PlayStation dominated the sales charts with over 100 million units sold. The public was starting to lose faith in Sega, and they needed a way to revitalize the Sega name. Towards the end of the Saturn lifecycle, Sega had a secret project with 2 of their internal groups. With one group in Japan, and the other in the U.S, they would be competing against each other to develop a new console system. In the end, Sega crowned the Japanese team the victor, and thus the Dreamcast was born.

Revolutionary Specs
At the time, the Dreamcast specs were unparalleled. Powered by a powerful 200MHz 128-bit Hitachi SH4 processor, 16MB of RAM, and a 12x GD-ROM drive, it was capable of crunching a whopping 7 million polygons per second. To provide a different perspective, the original PlayStation only featured a 33MHz 32-bit MIPS processor, 2MB of RAM, and a 2x CD-ROM drive only capable of processing 360,000 polygons per second. Clearly, nothing came close to the Dreamcast power. What’s even more impressive was that it came boxed with a 56k modem. You may scoff at the thought of dial-up Internet, but back then, playing games online was something simply ahead of its time. Online game play was always a PC commodity up until the Dreamcast, since no prior consoles offered anything like it. Contrary to prior beliefs, it was actually Sega who pioneered console online gameplay, not Microsoft.
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© van for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: dreamcast, Features, Flashback, sega

4 Scary Moments in Video Gaming

Van — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:53:06 +0000

In the spirits of Halloween, this post is dedicated to 4 scary video game moments that I’ve experienced. I was originally going to do 5, but I couldn’t think of a 5th moment that scared the crap out of me without listing the same game franchise twice. Plus, it’s Friday, so I deserve to be lazy. =) Enjoy and have a safe, and happy Halloween!

Resident Evil 2

You are trapped all alone in a police station. It’s infested with zombies, mutated dogs, and practically anything else that wants you dead. After long hours of fleeing for your life, you take refuge in a room that appears safe… at least for now. There’s a golden cogwheel embedded into the wall that you must retrieve, but how do you get it? Looking around for a solution, you see a furnace and 3 adjacent faucets. You decide to light up the furnace, and turn each of the faucets. Immediately, a faint clang in the distance signals that the cogwheel dropped to the floor. As you approach the cogwheel… BOOM! A hulking monster in a trench coat bursts through the walls. It looks at you with one goal… kill. Immediately taking aim, you empty countless clips into this beast, but it’s still inching nearer and nearer, trapping you in a corner. Finally, as you fire your last shot, he falls down motionless. You let out a sigh of relief, and retrieve the cogwheel that you came for. Leaving the room, things appear peaceful again as you are walking into the hallway. Until…. BOOM! The walls come crashing down. Through the smoke appears the same monster you just put down. It’s staring you right in the face… yet again.

Eternal Darkness
It has been hours since you last saved your game. You’ve slain countless undead foes, traveled thousands of years, and gathered all of the Ancient’s artifacts. The only thing’s left is to defeat Pious, the maniacal guardian who’s bent on ending all of humanity as we know it. Moments before reaching the final boss and saving the world, you encounter… “Disc Read Error”. At this point, you’re screaming out loud, “This can’t be happening!” Just when you’re about to throw your Gamecube out the window, it resumes like nothing happened. You then realized that the game was messing with you all along. Good one Nintendo… bravo.
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© van for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bioshock, eternal darkness, feature, halloween, resident evil, scary, silent hill, survival horror

First Impressions: Resistance 2 Multiplayer Beta

Van — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:02:55 +0000

Upon receiving a beta key for Resistance 2, I was really eager to rush home and download the beta. However, after 3.5 hours for 2GB download, in addition to the 10 minute install, plus another 15 minutes for an update, I was finally ready to play. So is this game worth that 4 hour wait? Read on.

Beta Basics
Just to clarify, this beta only provides the multi-player feature. You won’t get a sneak peak at the single player campaign until you buy it. Starting the beta, you’re introduced to 2 game play options: Cooperative and Competitive. In the cooperative mode, you have the choice to play online or offline with friends. This mode allows casual fun play without affecting your ranking stats. The competitive mode is where the meat of the game is focused on. Similar to Call of Duty’s “Perks”, Resistance 2 has the “Berserks/Loadout” system. As you gain more experience and rank up, you can unlock additional “Berserks/Loadout” that enhance your abilities. The default beserks/loadouts provide small enhancements like upgraded radar or electric burst shots. But leveling up will provide much better abilities, such as force fields or healing rings, that will help keep you alive longer.

The main appeal that Resistance 2 has over other shooters are the 60 player skirmishes. When you jump into a 60 player battle, things can get really chaotic. The first time I jumped in, my average lifespan was less than 10 seconds. However, as you get more accustomed to the map layout, you’ll realize how grand and epic these matches are. It’s quite exhilarating when there’s a stand-off between the two factions fighting on opposite sides of the ravine. One side is desperately defending the beacon, while the other is trying to overtake it. The whole beauty of this is that this grand experience is practically lag-free, so any deaths that you encounter is because of your own noob skills.

© van for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: beta, first impressions, ps3, resistance 2

Retro Review: Mega Man X

Van — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:48:53 +0000

If you’ve never played this game before, it’s Mega Man “X”, not 10. Ironically, this game was released before Mega Man 7, but confusions aside, it was Capcom’s first Mega Man entry on the SNES. With the X series, Capcom decided to reinvent the Mega Man franchise towards a more mature trend when entering the the 16-bit arena. It’s no Resident Evil, but it did venture into themes of death, revenge, and salvation. Did it dissapoint? Does it still stand to today’s standard? Read on.

Story

If you cared to read the manual, you’ll find that this game takes place in the year 21xx (whenever that is). It starts as an archaeologist/scientist stumbled upon the remains of a robotic research facility. From this excavation, he discovered X (the main protagonist) and brought him back to life. With X’s help, they were able to develop a new generation of androids dubbed “Reploids” who can learn, adapt, and pretty much has all human traits. But what happens when robots start thinking on their own? Shenanigans! Led by the sinister Sigma, now there are evil robots who’ve gone “maverick” and it’s your job to stop them. Not the greatest story in the world, but this shouldn’t be what you should be focusing on.
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Playstation 3.5? Xbox540? Wii HD?

Van — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:26:49 +0000

Console revisions are nothing new to the gaming industry. A look in history will show us that most successful systems has gone through at least 3 console revisions. Take a look at the Genesis, Gameboy, PS2, and the list goes on. This generation is no different. These changes are made to either reach a new markets, introduce better security, or just to save a couple of bucks. Here’s a general look at what we’ll be expecting this generation.

20GB, 40GB, 60GB, 80GB, 160GB, what next?

Since its November 2006 release, there has been a total of 5 PS3 model changes. Initially, you had the choice of a 20GB or 60GB model retailing at $499 and $599 respectively. Despite the enormous price tag, Sony was still taking a $300 loss for each console sold. They needed a way to bring the price down fast if they wanted more consumers to purchase their platform. In late 2007, Sony introduced the 40GB and 80GB models for $399 and $499. Although that seemed like a much better deal, one key feature was lost… backwards compatibility. The older 20GB and 60GB models, included the PS2 “Emotion Engine” CPU that allowed it to natively play PS2 games. To save manufacturing costs, this CPU was removed from the later models. Thus, the 80GB model only provided limited PS2 backwards compatibility through software emulation, while the 40GB cannot play PS2 games at all. Just recently, Sony announced a newer 80GB and 160GB models to replace the current ones. Like the 40GB model, the new revisions will completely remove PS2 backwards compatibility as well. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to play your old PSOne games.

© van for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: DS, Features, ps3, PSP, wii, xbox360

To Blu-ray or Not Blu-ray

Van — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:07:47 +0000

Ever popped in a DVD lately? I bet you’ve already seen those annoying Blu-ray commercials. Blu-ray, the ultimate hi-def blah blah blah. We’re constantly reminded that Blu-ray is so much better than DVD. But is it really?

First off, what is Blu-ray? Blu-ray is a proprietary media format produced by a little company named Sony. These are the same folks who introduced us to the failed UMD, mini-discs, and even Beta tapes. This format is called Blu-ray since these discs are literally made using a blue laser. DVDs on the other hand, are produced with a red laser. Because blue has a much shorter wave length than red, a blue laser can burn more data onto a disc. Imagine writing with a fine-tipped pen vs. writing with a highlighter marker.

From the naked eye, there isn’t much distinction between Blu-ray and DVD discs. But what makes Blu-ray so special is that it can hold about 6x more data than DVD. Dual-layer Blu-ray discs can hold up to 50 GB while a dual-layer DVD can only hold up to 8.5 GB. With DVDs, movie studios need to compress and reduce the video quality so that it can fit onto the disc. Watch a DVD movie on an HD display and you will notice quite a bit of pixilation and artifacts that degrade the picture quality. Blu-ray movies are clear as day since the video looks extremely vibrant and crisp. That’s because it also provides 6x the resolution of a standard DVD movie. The higher the resolution, the better the picture will look.
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© van for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blu-ray, Features, Media, Technology

101: Learnin’ Them Cables

Van — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:40:38 +0000

Based on Michael J’s request, I’ve decided to write this 101 on video cables. You’re probably thinking, wtf, why do I want to read about cables? Well, let’s all blame Mr. Michael J for that. =) Hopefully this will help clear up some of your long dying questions about cables.

Composite
Composite cables are denoted by the yellow, white, and red connectors, also known as RCA cables. Practically every device that plugs into your TV are compatible with them. The yellow connector outputs video while the white and red carries audio. These cables often come bundled with your DVD player or game console and they very affordable. However, these are the worst cables that you can buy. You can’t really notice the low quality visuals from SD televisions, but the quality is much diminished when viewed from HD displays. With composite cables, your television can only view 480i resolution.

S-Video
S-Video is the next step up from the crappy composite cables. In addition to the yellow, white, and red cables, there’s a fourth pin connector that provides substantial video enhancement. This fourth connector allows higher video bandwidth and carries 2 separate signals for color and luminance. This provides greater video quality when compared to the composite cables. You should see a noticeable increased in sharpness when using S-Video. Although S-Video is a step up from composite, you’re still only limited to 480i resolution. A lot of the older DVD players support S-Video, but this cable is definitely being phased out. Only buy this cable if you do not have a HD display.
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101: Buying Your HDTV

Van — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:49:37 +0000

So you’ve bought yourself a PS3 or XBox 360. But you have it hooked up to that old 19″ Sony Trinitron television that was handed down from your brother’s girlfriend. The yellow, white, and red cables are plugged into your tv and you say to yourself, “What’s the big deal? The graphics look just as good as my PS2.” Hate to break it to you, but it’s time for a new television. Here are some general tips and guidelines that you should look into when buying a tv.

Plasma or LCD

Any of these television types would be fine for gaming. They provide excellent picture quality, and both of which are pretty affordable now. There are lots of misconceptions that plasmas don’t last as long as LCDs, or that burn-in is a rampant problem with the plasmas. It’s true that first generation plasmas were plagued with these problems, but the latest plasmas have implemented ways to get around that issue. Current plasmas and LCD televisions are rated with a lifespan of about 60,000 hours, and a lot of plasmas have built in screen savers that help prevent burn-ins that may occur. So you’ll be fine going either way.

Welcome to Sleepy Gamer!

Garret — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:59:50 +0000

Just wanted to take this time to welcome you to the site. Obviously, it’s a work in progress, but what site isn’t these days, right? Above all else, we’re just gamers who love to talk gaming. So if you love gaming, stick around.. we’ve got plenty more to share! Feel free to leave us any comments or constructive compliments.