Xbox 360 Game News, Reviews, and Columns - XboxFocus

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The Xbox Guy

As the great Reggie of Nintendo would say "Hey, my name is Steve. I like kicking asses."

In case you didn't know, my name is Steve Wysowski, and my job is to run this site to the best of my ability, but my other job is also to maintain this column for your enjoyment. Here I will share my inner most thoughts about this wonderful world of gaming every few days; and hopefully give you all a few laughs as well. Besides my usual updating, once a week I'll throw you some links, some podcasts, and some other bits of information that I know you're gonna like. I'll also run review blogs as I'm reviewing a game, giving you some information for those specific games that you simply can't wait for a review to get some info on. If you have anything to say to me, send me a message to Steve@XboxFocus.com

Column Days: Monday/Tuesday and Friday

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Columns List

• An Xbox 360 Wiitmote is a bad idea

  by Steve Wysowski May 15th 2008 1:25 AM CDT3 Comments

  When Nintendo first revealed the Wii alongside its revolutionary controls and odd-sounding name (funny to think the word "Wii" is a household name in this society), the gaming community were all thinking the same thing: "what the hell is Nintendo smoking?". I remember quite vividly my thought process at the time:
  
  "Nintendo has just jumped the shark, grabbed it by it's fin, and punched it right in the nose. No next-generation graphics? No HD support? Not even a hard drive! Does Nintendo honestly expects to capture the globe with a sleeker version of the power glove? They don't even have one techincal leg to stand on! This is the dumbest decision Nintendo has made since giving Animation Magic the rights to produce the Wand of Gamelon. That Miyamoto poster on my wall is so out of here."
  
  When I look back at myself, I realize how much of a naive idiot I can be sometimes. I didn't realize it then, but Nintendo was the perfect company to make such a leap into this "new" generation of video games as I am calling it. If there ever was a company who has strived at gaming innovation; it's Nintendo. If there ever was a company that could convert the casual fans by the millions; it's Nintendo. If there was a company that could possibly break the social barriers created by the industry in the past two decades; it's Nintendo. So far, their plan is working, effectively flipping the bird to everyone who doubted them two years ago.
• Don't Worry About Nuts & Bolts

  by Steve Wysowski May 13th 2008 11:14 PM CDT2 Comments

  Why is it that gamers are so terrified of change? In every other entertainment industry (whether it be television, movies, books etc.), change is almost always welcomed, despite of the inherent risks that can emanate from it. Yet for one reason or another, gamers can't seem to grasp the concept of change when it involves any kind of alteration that can affect one of their favorite franchises, consoles, or companies. Whether it is due to the amount of reliability a gamer may have placed onto a speific series, or if it is the fact that gamers are becoming a little too close to their favorite franchises; it doesn't matter. It's time to realize that sometimes change can be for the better, and can only help progress the industry as a whole.
  
  I mention this in response to the tsunami of Banjo Kazooie 3 (well, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts) media, rumors, and leaks that have ravaged the blogosphere this week. As the information in regards to Rare's upcoming platformer started leaking bit by bit, a gradual wave of paranoia started sweeping the gaming community. Complaints, rants, tangents, and messages to Rare entitled "it r tiem dai!" have been surfacing all across the net. It is time to calm down, and truly analyze what is actually happening with the series before we jump to any conclusions pertaining to the possibility that Banjo and Rare may have finally "jumped the shark".
• Stop Overhyping Gears of War 2!

  by Steve Wysowski May 13th 2008 12:26 AM CDT4 Comments

  So; what did it take to temporarily steal GTAIV's two-week longer thunder? Why some Gears of War 2 footage, of course! And everyone knows what comes about when the media gets a wiff of Gears of War 2: so much hype that you may forget that there are other games besides it.
  
  So many journalists have been weighing in with their personal opinions on last week's Gears 2 exclusive that it's hard to not crown Epic's upcoming shooter as the pinnacle of civilized man. While by no means is it not wonderful to see an Xbox exclusive receive so much hype, I do believe some people are touting this game light years away from any sense of proportion. How long was Saturday night's video? One and a half minutes long? Two minutes, tops? If the game is suppose to be this multi-hour epic adventure, you really think that is substantial enough footage to come up with some solid opinions?
• Gears of War 2 Might Suck

  by Steve Wysowski April 21st 2008 9:19 PM CDT7 Comments

  Before you jump on my ass over this column's title, please know that the author of this column is a rabid Gears of War junkie. I've spent countless hours on the original Gears, and I still play the original game quite often. I played the game so intensely at one point, that I even got invited to a handful of MLG tournaments (yes, I'm bragging) and had some high spots on the game's online rankings. As you could have imagined, the announcement of Gears of War 2 initially had me absorbed with hype, but as the months have passed, I've become more and more skeptical of the upcoming mega shooter. Whether it's Epic's attitude towards the game, or the fact that a two-year development time frame renders expectations for a mind-blowing experience rather unrealistic. From my point of view, there are a lot of things to be worried about as far as Gears of War 2 is concerned.
  
  When a developer uses one word repeatedly to describe one of their upcoming titles, your entitled to assume that they aren't too sure themselves where the game is going to end up. That's nothing to truly panic about, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings trilogy as he went along. But when that word a developer is using to describe a game is as vague as "badass", you might want to start worrying. Mix that with a release date that is merely eight months away and you can expect there are some major uncertainties inside Epic's development rooms.
• YouTube's Best Video Game Music

  by Steve Wysowski April 3rd 2008 7:58 PM CDT5 Comments

  There are a lot of great videos one can find on YouTube, but video game music thrives there. I love listening to all kinds of video game music, and as I sat on my ass all of today, drinking beer and viewing numerous gaming clips, I decided to post up a top ten based around my favorite bits of video game music one can find on the internet. These vids can be anything as long as it blends music of some knd (whether original or not) with the wonderful world of video games. I mixed things up a bit, and while you may not agree with my order, I hope you enjoy the great selection of gaming music I have laid before you. Enjoy.
• Will Sonic Die If 'Unleashed' Fails?

  by Steve Wysowski March 26th 2008 1:03 AM CDT7 Comments

  There was only one game I owned for the Sega Genesis, merely one. I am not exactly certain if the reason for holding ownership of just one Genesis game was due to my family's lack of expenses at the time, or the fact I was only four and failed to even notice. But none the less, the fact I had only one Genesis cartridge thrown atop the large pile of Nintendo games I possessed shows how much I loved the game. I do not recall if I had any skill (I just received my motor skills a few meager months before), but I do retain memories of having large doses of fun with the title, and I want that feeling to come back.
  
  Needless to say, that game was the original Sonic the Hedgehog, the first game ever to boast the world's fastest hedgehog on the cover. The Sonic franchise thrived in the early 1990s, as the game's then "lightning speed" appealed to the maturing generation of gamers at the time (as well as kiddies like me). It had some rocking music, a mascot that could detract thousands of pre-teens from their Super Nintendos, and was faster than Mario on speed. The game and its sequels were nothing short of immaculate, and because of the franchise' excellence during this era, Sonic has a permanent spot for himself engraved in the history of video gaming.
• Five Features Xbox Live Needs

  by Steve Wysowski March 23rd 2008 10:09 PM CDT13 Comments

  For me, Xbox LIVE was the sole reason to purchase an Xbox 360 in November of 2005. As launch swiftly approached, my ambivalence towards Microsoft's new, creamy system wasn't finding any answers. I wasn't too interested in the launch games the system was releasing with, and I wasn't too faithful to the original Xbox at all (nor did I own one at the time). However, when I saw all the features that the 360's new online service was expected to boast, I was convinced.

  Two and a quarter years later, I can easily say I made a good investment. I have spent a good thousand hours with my 360 (yeah, an RROD is on its way no doubt), and I have never spent as much time on any other system as I have with my  box. While the Xbox 360 has been awesome, and the games have been great, it is Microsoft's LIVE service that has kept me playing for so long. Xbox LIVE is truly Microsoft's air and water, and without it I doubt the Xbox brand would be half of what it is. It was my original reasoning for purchasing the system, and it has paid off in every way possible.

  While Xbox LIVE is far and beyond a better service than its competitors, there are still some problems that can be fixed and some additions that can be added to put LIVE in a separate universe (although its annual fee would probably pull it back in anyway). So, I have listed the top five additions I believe Microsoft should consider to add to Xbox LIVE when its spring update rolls around.
• Ignorance to "Kid" Games = Stupidity

  by Steve Wysowski March 11th 2008 1:04 AM CDT3 Comments

  

  For the past two days, my life has been dominated by two things: getting this bitch of a site up and running, and Super Smash Bros Brawl. Since Sunday morning, I've been smashing my brains out. This game is frickin' amazing, and anyone who has at least some kind of love for Nitnendo needs to pick this game up immediately. It's a testament to being a Nintendo fan, and just being a fan of gaming in general. And yeah, it's pretty kickass to beat the crap out of Mario with Sonic.
  
  However, something happened yesterday that I figured you'd guys would like to hear (and if you don't, piss off). While I was smashing away, my buddy (who will we refer to as Tard in this column) walked into my apartment (without knocking) to come pick something up. He glanced at my television, saw me (as Kirby) beating the crap out of some Japanese dude 5000 miles away, and asked me what I was playing. I told him it was Brawl, and he gaveme one of those "that's kinda gay" smirks on his face. Here's how the convo went down:

  TXG: Why are you smirking? You know you look like a rapist when you do that.

  Tard: Oh no, its just that, well...aren't you a little old to be playing that game?

  TXG: What, Brawl? You play video games don't you

  Tard: Yeah, but I play games that suit my age. Like Call of Duty or Halo. You're like, 19 man. What are you doing play a Kirby game.

  TXG: This isn't a Kirby game, read a book. It's called Super Smash Bros- know what, I'm not explaining it. If you actually played it, you'd love it. Want to play a quick stock match?

  Tard: Nah it's okay. I don't play games for kids.
• The State of the Xbox 360

  by Steve Wysowski March 5th 2008 7:02 PM CST7 Comments

  

  The Xbox 360's current standing in this generation isn't something I'm too confident in.
  
  Don't be mistaken, I bleed green and white through and through, and will be with the console 'til its last dieing breath. Still, I'm concerned about the console's present, and more importantly, its future. I've been playing my Wii more and more, and with Smash Bros. Brawl coming out this weekend, I don't think I'll be playing my 360 outside of review purposes for a while. So that means, if I were an average non-employed gamer I wouldn't be playing my 360 at all. If someone would have told me I'd be playing my Wii more than my 360 a year ago, I'd probably break my balls in painstaking laughter.

  Right now, the Wii is crushing our silky white box in all markets. Japan has been on the verge of pulling an Luisitania on any ship carrying Xbox 360s for quite some time now, but no one expected Microsoft to have such a limited hold on its home market of North America.
  
  The Wii isn't the "fad" console as many fanboys are making it out to be. It is simply the better console, and the pie charts show it. Innovation is something Microsoft has always been lacking, and something Nintendo strives upon. Innovation is the difference between the two companies; and the gap is becoming wider each day.

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