Messages

16

Site Feedback / Lengthen Name Field on Submission Page?

« on: February 12, 2015, 06:20:49 am »

As the subject line suggests, why not make the name field box larger on the "Submit New Item" page? When you can see the complete title at a single time it is easier to spot any possible spelling or capitalization errors. It's shorter on the page after too and you can't really see the full title you've typed until after the item is submitted. The edit page has the short box as well but it does line up with the rest of the boxes so maybe there is a programming aspect to this I am unaware of.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Any Ways to Have Custom Platforms

« on: February 12, 2015, 06:12:28 am »

I'm bumping this old topic because I just added a PC/Mac hybrid and wasn't sure if there was a hybrid platform. I was just going to put it on PC when I couldn't find one on the platform page but decided to see if this has come up before and there are likely many already in the database (I checked some others and they are in PC with no indication of being a hybrid). I wouldn't have thought to add (PC+Mac) to the title and I don't see this in the Style Guide so you might want to add it. On the other hand, you might also want to reconsider how you handle hybrids because there are a lot of them. For the database I work on we have more than 2,800 PC/Mac hybrid releases. I know there are a few other types of hybrids from the '80s too that would contain diskettes for Apple II, Commodore 64, and IBM PC in the same box (example: http://pics.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1299585039-00.jpg). Those would be a pain to make hybrid platforms for of course and there probably aren't too many so in those cases I think you'd just enter one for each platform even though they'd be duplicates.

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Off Topic / Re: first person shooter guide

« on: February 11, 2015, 12:37:14 pm »

Interesting. That can become a very broad topic. Would you be going game/series specific, or are you looking for more of a general rule of thumb approach?

I was looking for a general approach. I would talk about Perfect Dark and Golden Eye 007 because those paved the road for pretty much all modern shooters today. The only one available wasn't good, so I know I can out do it.

I don't know about that. Are you only discussing console shooters? Only multi-player? It does seem too broad of a guide to really get good tips for. I've played a lot of single-player shooters, and some multi-player but mostly on PC and primarily in the Tribes series. Tribes itself would be a huge undertaking to write a guide for which is probably one of the reasons it isn't as successful as games like Quake, Unreal, Battlefield, etc. It's just a lot more difficult to learn, especially without a single-player element to practice with. As others joked, you basically aim, shoot and keep moving to succeed in first-person shooters. Perhaps you have a great idea I'm not seeing. When I think of tips for a FPS I'd start breaking them down for each individual game and then from mode to mode and then map to map.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Duplicate Listings 2015

« on: February 11, 2015, 05:43:12 am »

Sorry if I sidetracked the thread a bit. Here is the latest duplicate:

NHL 15 for Xbox One: http://vgcollect.com/item/77579
The original entry is quite weak though: http://vgcollect.com/item/71066

Neither one has a UPC, I'd submit an edit but I don't know which ID number stays when you combine them, the best or the original. So here is the UPC if you want to drop it in when you combine them: 014633367591. Also, publisher is EA Sports and developer is EA Canada.

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Modern Video Games / Re: Amiibo Selling Out So Quickly

« on: February 10, 2015, 06:18:11 am »

Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but they must know they are losing tons of money with limited quantities selling out so I'm guessing they are either forcing market prices to go up and selling in online markets for gross markups or doing reprints eventually like gamestop has done with xenoblade, the calling, one piece, and probably others I didn't pick up on.

Is it all amiibos that are hard to find or only some? It's likely marketing made bad decisions to start with and then they probably were not prepared to manufacture enough to meet demand. If you ever collected action figures you know it can be a pain to find specific characters simply because there are never an equal number of each figure made. The hero or lead protagonist of a series always gets produced in the greatest quantities so I'd guess Mario figures get at least 25% of a case if not 50% or more. When I worked in a toy store way back in the '90s we'd get cases of Batman: The Animated Series figures. There would be 20 Batman in a case, 2 Robin, and 2 villains. Of course, demand for villains was high because kids wanted someone for Batman to fight and collectors loved the villains too, for value and because the show was great. You'd think they'd be smart enough to produce more villains but they never did. They simply assume if people are going to buy anything they'll buy Batman first so make the most Batman. There would also be full cases of just Batman, typically in a silly outfit like Lightning Strike Batman.

Power Rangers hit the scene at that time too, and they were not prepared at all for demand. Bandai was making the figures I believe and they didn't have enough factories. The figures were junky too so they'd break and people would want replacements leading to even less stock. Over time they expanded and increased production but it took some time. Power Rangers is also a good example of male characters being more widely available than female. I wouldn't really expect that for amiibo but this is the video game industry, and too many fools in marketing still believe most customers prefer male characters. So in Power Rangers you'd get lots of Red Ranger, plenty of Blue and Black, and then maybe one Pink and one Yellow per case.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Duplicate Listings 2015

« on: February 10, 2015, 05:55:57 am »

Hey look, another new LittleBigPlanet entry  http://vgcollect.com/item/77490

That game sure gets duplicated often. I know there have been discussions about trying to reduce duplicates but maybe also come up with a better way of reporting them? In under two weeks there are already nearly three pages of dupes. Perhaps something like a button on each game page, similar to the edit button or maybe under the edit button you can check a box to label the game as a duplicate allowing a moderator to just pull up a list of all games marked as a duplicate. Or a button that sends an email (probably get a crazy amount of email). I don't know, but you're fortunate a lot of people take the time to report the duplicates on the forums 

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General / Re: To flip the other thread, Games that are hated but you love

« on: February 06, 2015, 12:25:13 pm »

This thread is about the same as the one in Modern Video Games: http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,5115.0.html. And based on the first post there I guess there was another thread similar to the reverse one that is currently active. I'm sure stuff gets repeated all the time though, it can be tough to keep track of every topic 

23

Modern Video Games / Re: Club Nintendo February Rewards!

« on: February 06, 2015, 05:57:01 am »

Is anyone actually paying those prices for the puzzle or are sellers just asking a lot? I considered the puzzle just because I like doing puzzles. Nintendo still has them in stock and there is no way to know how many were really ever produced to believe they have that much value. I think puzzles are generally overpriced at $10-20 at a retailer and the Zelda one isn't all that big. I ordered the messenger bag and the Animal Crossing cards but still have enough points for a couple of items unless I just get some digital games for the Wii. 

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General / Re: Games that are universally loved....but you hate them

« on: February 06, 2015, 05:46:31 am »

I could probably come up with a huge list, though part of that is many mainstream video game websites rate the majority of games too high which leads me to think most games are overrated by the media. User reviews on most websites aren't any good either. Also, I play a lot of games single-player so if a game is loved because of multi-player that's often lost on me. The one game I've played a lot of multi-player of is the Tribes series which was made for online play. Just about any other shooter I've tried online pales in comparison; I simply cannot comprehend the love for Halo or Call of Duty's multi-player modes. Even the worst Tribes game puts all console online multi-player shooters to shame and many PC ones as well.

As someone else mentioned, Kratos is a jerk and it's hard playing a game where you don't care for the character you're controlling. I tried a few God of War games but never got too far. I feel similar to The Witcher games. Geralt may not be a jerk but I don't like him much and that makes it difficult to get into those games.

Someone else mentioned Metal Gear Solid as well. I got the original game on PlayStation because of all of the 9 and 10 magazine review scores, and that's probably when I stopped trusting review scores. The game is okay and I can appreciate a well-made game even if it doesn't appeal to me, but why do people love it so much that is has spawned numerous sequels? I felt obligated to keep playing since money had been spent on it and I did reach the final battle. My lack of skills prevented me from ever finishing it though  I suppose if my memory cards still work then I've got a save file at the end of the game.

Super Smash Bros. might be the one that throws me the most. I know it is meant for local multi-player so perhaps I cannot fairly judge it at all. I've tried a few of them, once with others. It was so hectic though that I just mashed buttons and hoped for the best  The last one I played was on Wii and that single-player campaign portion to unlock characters is very boring. I suppose since I grew up playing Sega games and not Nintendo games the character appeal isn't too great either. However, I feel like even replacing all of the characters with ones I like wouldn't help.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Developer/Publisher Requests

« on: February 05, 2015, 12:30:33 pm »

Please add ZeniMax Online Studios. Also, I'm not sure if you're ready to clean up what's already in there but I think an edit I just submitted might have had a misspelled publisher. I grabbed the first one to come up on the list but then when I submitted the same edit on another edition I noticed there was a correctly spelled Electronic Arts and a misspelled version (Electornic Arts).

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Off Topic / Re: Anyone here filed a complain with their local post office?

« on: February 02, 2015, 06:35:11 am »

Sadly, USPS does not give a shit and all your screaming, complaining and frustration will fall upon def, non-empathetic ears. I've had packages (with tracking numbers mind you) that mysteriously vanished and was pretty much told "better luck next time." Matter of fact, I currently have a package I'm waiting on that was supposed to arrive on Friday of last week, but the tracking info mysteriously stopped updating last Thursday??? I am still going to my post office to find out what the hell is going on if I don't receive my item soon, but i'll probably be given the same song and dance with no sort of accountability from my Post Office :/

Please tell me the package you are referring to is not the memory card I sent back...

it is . It departed SanFran on 1/21 and has not updated since.

Dammit. They have problems in San Fran. I have lost a couple of packages (being sent to me) there also. It's like a black hole or something. It was supposed to reach you in no more than a week. Even paid extra for the tracking. It was over $5 to ship it back. Grrrrrrr.

I'd say wait a bit longer because you're correct about the SF problems. My sister's friend sent an item from the SF area (not sure if it was from the city itself) to the Phoenix Arizona area which isn't far at all. However, it took 15 days to go one state over. I've had items go from Michigan to Arizona in two days so two weeks to go such a short distance is ridiculous.

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General / Re: Recently completed/finished

« on: January 28, 2015, 05:51:40 am »

This month I finished Far Cry 4, The Wolf Among Us, Plants vs. Zombies (adventure mode), Railroad Tycoon 3, and my second play through of Dragon Age: Inquisition. Most of Dragon Age was played in December though and the first episode of The Wolf Among Us I played a year ago when it was given away for free on XBLA. I'm trying to cut back on gaming this year but I sunk quite a bit of time into some of those games. Even Railroad Tycoon's campaign took me 21 hours. I picked that one up in the recent Steam holiday sale. I had never played Plants vs. Zombies before and was just browsing my Steam library Saturday and decided to try it. Steam says I played that 7.9 hours though some of that was playing the mini-games.

Which system did you play Wolf Among Us on (I've got the PS4 version), and how did you like it?

thoughts on it being playable one-handed?

I played it on the 360 though I assume it plays the same on all of them. Telltale retail discs are always a little buggy though, especially when they do the recaps before each episode. They tend to be choppy, have audio issues, and take a very long time to load. The game itself tells a good story I thought. I've never read the Fables comic book though so I can't say how similar it is. Playing one-handed is probably not too difficult. There are quick-timer events but less than The Walking Dead, or at least a lot less life and death situations, and they seem more forgiving. I've died a number of times in the two seasons of The Walking Dead and didn't die a single time in The Wolf Among Us. Each episode is only about 90 minutes and most of that is conversations, not as many scenes with general looking around as The Walking Dead had. Hopefully you've played The Walking Dead or these comparisons aren't of any help 

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Off Topic / Re: Anyone here filed a complain with their local post office?

« on: January 28, 2015, 05:40:46 am »

They probably can't fire him for his weight, though the job really does require someone to be fit. I worked for the post office very briefly, and I mean briefly, like two weeks on the job. I quit but you probably don't want to hear how the whole hiring process works or how tough it can be to get a full time position  I was surprised at how the packages were handled at the facility I worked at though. I was in Arizona and was a part-time mail carrier, and while I had to get my mail in order (some was machine pre-sorted in advance), the packages were handled by a few other employees. They weren't carriers, they actually are the people who worked the counter when the post office opened but early in the morning they sorted packages.  They had to place them in large bins, there was one for each route. I say place but what I should say is throw. They literally throw the packages across the room as they have a couple long rows of bins and just know which one goes to each route. Sometimes they miss and the package slides across the floor. That's a good way to break things so make sure you pack stuff tight. I couldn't say if every office works like this, that was just my experience.

However, that doesn't explain packages getting smashed entirely, though I guess if it's at the bottom of the bin a heavy one could land on top of it. I suspect they don't really throw the heavy ones, probably don't have the strength for that    I'm not entirely sure how you go about filing a complaint. You could try talking to the mail carrier but then he'd know who is complaining if you need to go beyond him. For other issues though, don't bother venting on a carrier; I had to take some of that and I was just a back up, meaning I had no regular route and couldn't exactly fix reoccurring problems, I just went where I was needed. My office did have two managers so you could try calling and asking for a manager, though I suspect they might defend their employee. The other option is getting in contact with the local postmaster. It's probably not that easy to get their attention as they oversee many offices and are generally very busy. They must have a primary office though, probably at the HQ for the region. I had to do all of my training in Phoenix even though I was working in a town on the outskirts about 45 minutes away. If you live near a major city that's likely where they'll have the main facility.

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General / Re: Recently completed/finished

« on: January 27, 2015, 12:30:56 pm »

This month I finished Far Cry 4, The Wolf Among Us, Plants vs. Zombies (adventure mode), Railroad Tycoon 3, and my second play through of Dragon Age: Inquisition. Most of Dragon Age was played in December though and the first episode of The Wolf Among Us I played a year ago when it was given away for free on XBLA. I'm trying to cut back on gaming this year but I sunk quite a bit of time into some of those games. Even Railroad Tycoon's campaign took me 21 hours. I picked that one up in the recent Steam holiday sale. I had never played Plants vs. Zombies before and was just browsing my Steam library Saturday and decided to try it. Steam says I played that 7.9 hours though some of that was playing the mini-games.

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General / Re: Round 3: What is your fondest gaming memory of all?

« on: January 27, 2015, 05:47:52 am »

Mine is a bit of a repeat memory. Growing up in the hills of a small town in Connecticut I rarely went to an arcade, but my parents had a timeshare in Laconia, New Hampshire. Laconia happens to be the home of the Funspot arcade (as seen in the documentary King of Kong) and I'd always look forward to that almost annual vacation just to go to Funspot. I haven't been back in more than 20 years so other than what I saw in the King of Kong, I can't really say how much different it is today. I do remember the original though: walk in the front door and the counter was on the left, directly in front of the door were the crane games, behind them were the bathrooms, and to the right was one giant room of arcade games. I'd bring my report card with me and get free tokens based on how good my grades were. A few times when we vacationed we'd arrive to see Funspot closed due to renovations which of course would ruin my vacation  :'(

They kept adding onto the place over the 10 or so years we visited and eventually it became two floors, and they added a bowling alley. I remember playing the original Star Wars arcade game there among others, and they have great collection of pinball. I'd play plenty of the skill games like Skee-Ball too to win tickets so I could get prizes. Sure, the prizes were mostly plastic trinkets and such but it was still fun to peruse the large collection of stuff, and I still have some of the items I got with my tickets (a Coca-Cola plastic mug, a tall Funspot cup, and a deck of Funspot playing cards). I'd enjoy the miniature golf course as well which they recently took down to build an indoor course with. I follow them on Facebook so I get to see a bit of what's going on there. Hopefully I will be able to get back there at least once more in my lifetime. Unfortunately, despite my father always carrying a camera, I can't find any pictures from our visits to Funspot. Although it's rare to see him playing video games I think he actually played games (likely pinball) while we were there and thus was too preoccupied to take pictures.