Xbox Live Turns 60

Sixty dollars American that is.

Today Microsoft announced the Xbox Live Gold membership will be seeing a price increase November 1st.

Why the hike? According to an email I was sent. "Over the past seven years, Xbox LIVE has evolved from an online gaming platform to an all-in-one gaming and entertainment service."

Old Xbox Live UI

Xbox Live has come a long way since the days of Return to Castle Wolfenstein and MechAssault. The service really didn't get much attention until Halo 2. Since then Netflixs, LasFM, Facebook, Twitter, and Xbox Live Arcade have been added to the Gold Member subscription. This is in addition to exclusive previews, demos, and access to on-line multiplayer. I cannot ding Microsoft for increasing the yearly price by ten dollars. That's not ridiculous from a business perspective. (Besides you can get the subscription at a reduce price via Newegg.com and Amazon.com.)

From a consumer point of view I have one concern. Advertising. Recently I became employed because of an ad firm. The ads on Xbox Live employees someone, and in this economy more jobs can't hurt. On the flip side I don't want to be bothered or bombarded with ads if I'm paying for a yearly subscription. I've seen a significant increase in advertisements, and I can easily imagine a Facebook like ad interface on Xbox Live.

Even Earthworm Jim likes Xbox Live.

The easy pipe dream solution. Allow for a free, or at least cheaper, Gold membership that plays commercials each time the system starts. Hell even throw it before the game boots. The ad revenue will supplement the subscription fee, and maybe even exceeded it.

I know one thing is for sure. I will end up paying for a Gold membership because I enjoy multiplayer. It's kinda of like a tax on each game I purchase, but it's worth it.

Call of Battlefield: Bad Duty 2

Game: Battlefield Bad Company 2

System: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

Release: March 2010



The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Hide for the hills because the Russians are coming!

Here we go again. A rag tag team of misfits take on a special ops mission that can turn the tide of the Russian Invasion. Along the way they are double crossed (bum bum baaaaa), and some friends are lost (nooooooo not the hippie). In the end, however, they save the day by watching each others back and making the player do all the work. The U.S. General comes out of left field (literally), and tells you "The Russians are coming. Through Alaska." Looks like we'll get another Bad Company game (shockingly disappointed).

The single player experience is pretty much the same as the first game. The characters fulfill their stereotypes. Some cool action occurs. A few areas will kill you over and over again. Nothing too exciting here, but a decent FPS experience.

Multiplayer is the bread and butter for the Battlefield series. There is everything you would expect. A limited number of maps, but each one is gigantic. Vehicles with horrible handling. Sniping and explosions. Oh and a melee systems that is unresponsive. Add to this mix destructible environments and you have a very unique package. There is also a leveling system that is used to unlock new weapons and equipment. Halo and CoD do not have destructible environments, and I believe that is one of the reasons this game has an on-line following.

The Battlefield series has been around for along time. It is known for large maps, vehicles, and sniping. The Bad Company series added destructible environments to the mix. There is a decent on-line following, but don't expect to be in full games on the five maps. The single player is action packed, and contains some humor. It is also boring, filled with cheap deaths, and the plot just keeps getting stupider. I'm not thrilled with the gameplay either. Everything feels clunky. This is yet another game I enjoyed only because I rented it from Gamefly. Snerts Snazzy Score grants Bad Company 2 a 4 out of 5.

Don't Be Scared!

Game: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Release: February 2009


On the surface F.E.A.R. appears to be an excellent FPS franchise. There is bullet time, crazy guns, and spooky stuff. The gameplay is solid. The graphics are polished. The AI acts intelligent, and there is some environmental damage for shits and giggles. Yet whenever I play through a F.E.A.R. game I'm overcome with a sense of indifference. I'm knee deep in blood as some mystical bitch tears apart my squad and I just don't care. Some geek I've been tracking down gets his head ripped off, and I barely bat an eye. The ending cinematic for the sequel brought about a sense of joy because I could get the next title from my Gamefly account.

The single player game is fun. I enjoy the overpowered bullet time. The nail gun is back in all it's glory, and there is even an awesome disintegration gun. The armored mech segments are a good idea, and some of the scary moments gave me chills. Especially during the ghost sections where it is unclear who is a threat. The majority of plot points, however, are your typical set up. Teammates do something stupid. They die, and you have to push on despite the "tragic" losses. Some chick keeps barking orders, and in the end you impregnate a telekinetic super being? At least I think that's what the ending is all about.

Multiplayer....well I didn't even bother. Why waste my time on low population games when I still enjoy fantastic franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, and Left 4 Dead? DLC content keeps the big three fresh enough for me.

Should you play F.E.A.R.? Only if your a die hard FPS fan, or your in need of something a bit different during the summer lull. There really isn't anything special. Snerts Snazzy Score is a 3 out of 5.