Archive for April, 2017

100 Solves. New 3×3 Record!

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Cubing, Cubing Records on April 28, 2017 by slateman

I don’t cube like I used to. My collection continues to grow, recently an Eitan’s Twist and a 2x2x4 entered the fold, but I don’t go for speed like the old days. (five years ago, heh) After seeing some people using an app called Twisty Timer which tracks your times and charts them, I figured I’d just see how I stood. 100 solves later and my average was just over 41 seconds. My old Average Of 5 record has remained unbroken for over four years, mainly because I don’t really ever challenge it. I was about half a second too slow to challenge that one but…what’s this? Oh right, a new personal best!!! I missed the elusive sub-30 claim by a mere quarter-second, but I’ll take it. 30.25 is my new 3×3 record. Maybe 100 more solves will give me the opportunity to shave off that elusive chunk of a second?

SFV: Giving Up Hope On Single-Player Content

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Street Fighter on April 22, 2017 by slateman

Had SFV launched with the full Story Mode, it likely would’ve gotten slightly better review scores. That would’ve led to better sales…but the game’s rush for CPT has been well-documented. It’s also known that Capcom underestimated the percentage of people who actually want an arcade mode/any single-player content. A majority of folks who own SFV would say that any developer time dedicated to single-player content is an utter waste.

So here we are with a few basic facts.

  • Capcom said they won’t repackage a Super SFV or anything. (I think it would be a good idea to refresh reviews and let people feel it’s a new start, but that’s a different discussion.)
  • Developer time is going to CFN, S2 re-balancing and four more S2 characters as well as another twelve Chun-Li costumes. Note that characters & costumes make Capcom money.
  • After that will hopefully come season 3 characters. And another dozen Cammy costumes.

Thus, I don’t see why Capcom would waste any more dev time on the small percentage of current owners who want single-player content. Without a repackaged SFV to draw in new buyers, I think it’s time to give up.

Time to give up on a basic arcade mode. Time to stop wishing they’d do anything with the dolls they already have mostly developed. Time to give up on anything but the Vs. CPU “feature” they gave us. There will be no Extra Battle. No Dramatic Battle. Nothing.

I get that I’m in the minority and I guess that’s what’s frustrating. I spent the same $120 as many of other gamers. But my import of Street Fighter Zero 3 for half the price almost 20 yrs ago gave me more replay value. (That’s unfair, I realize. The online component and continual development cannot be compared). But this is just the final acceptance that we won’t likely get any single-player content because it doesn’t make much sense financially for Capcom to work on it.

Horizon: Zero Dawn – Wow

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games with tags , on April 2, 2017 by slateman

I’m having troubles in Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. It’s not the game’s difficulty. It’s that I simply don’t care. The game looks dreadful. The entire world is fog and I haven’t a clue where to go. Despite wanting to like the game, I simply cannot.

After saving some pennies, I snatched up Horizon: Zero Dawn and OMFG it looks incredible! The gameplay is right up my alley, so that’s no surprise there. However, the lighting, the landscapes, the facial animations: all are top-notch and incredibly-detailed. I’m only a few hours in, likely already farther than I was in Zelda, but I cannot wait to play more…yet another thing Zelda fails to instill in me. Certainly it’s not fair to compare, but when Nintendo’s title wins GotY from every gaming outlet, compare they will. And for me, right now, it’s a no-brainer. I’m utterly impressed so far. Let’s hope this trend continues!!!