TNA Impact - Sin count

Starting episode with Kurt Angle - 1 gold medalist sin
EC3 ensuring TNA keep clinging onto Sting - 1 sin
"Ring rust" - 1 sin
Velvet Sky winning (as it was predictable. Good storyline though, I'll give it that) - 1 sin
Alleged live episode, however backstage links are/seem prerecorded - 2 sins
Mohawk guy in audience - 1 sin
Chair vs chair smash - 4 sins
Suicide dives by The Wolves - 2 sins
Compulsory win for The Dirty
Eric Young's piledriver - 1 sin
Kurt Angle making Natt Hardy tap out - 1 sin

Total: 15 sins

E3 2015 - Watch list

My personal reference point for games that have interested me following E3 2015.

In no particular order.

Unravel

MirrorsEdge Catalyst

For Honor

The Division

TrackMania Turbo

GhostRecon Wildlands

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Dreams

Horizon Zero Dawn

Firewatch

Possible - (will wait for gameplay footage)

Hitman

EU PlayStation Plus - June 2015

First off, at least the line-up was announced a week before the games are due. I mean, we were promised that would happen. Just for the past couple of months that hasn't, regardless of any circumstances.

Anyway, as I am sure you know by now the line-up is as follows:

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (PS4) - £15.99

Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide Edition (PS4) - £TBA
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (PS3) - £11.99
Cloudberry Kingdom (PS3) - £7.99
Futuridium (PS4 & PS Vita) - £7.99
Super Exploding Zoo (PS4 & PS Vita) - £TBA

So excluding the two prices TBA, it would cost you £43.96 to buy these titles. Therefore taking into account it costs £39.99 for a year, you're already saving! (As I have said in a previous post.)

Now for my opinion of each title!

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes: Do not get me started. I'm all for PlayStation Plus, but this being a title has made me lose trust (slightly).
I also want to know if anything I've "recruited" does transfer over to The Phantom Pain. And here's hoping that MGS V: TPP is better than GZ, so bring it on!

That's all I'm going to say, especially as the length of this title is ridiculous. It feels as if PS4 owners are being cheated for this month. (Or if you only own a PS4.) (Also I brought the physical copy of this title.)

Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide Edition: So ANOTHER title that was previously on another console and we get it with a few added features? Don't you love developers sometimes?
This is one of those titles where I'll have in my backlog for an age. Play it for half hour and then never go back to it. Hack and slash? More like mack and stash! (I might change my mind once I've played it.)

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger: LADDERGOAT!
Oh, that's from another title in the series. But surely I'm not the only one who thought of that? Please don't tell me I am all alone in remembering meme's?
But this should be fun, a wild west FPS? Although from a game play video I've seen, the main character talks to himself? Or is he narrating the story? I'm not sure, but that feels to me it's bringing aspects from Duke Nukem. I could be wrong.
Also I might find the various game modes interesting (not that there is that many mind!)
So I when I get round to going through June 2015 backlog, I'll be playing this title first.

Cloudberry Kingdom: Never heard about this title before. Does that mean I should be put off by it? Sure!
Seems to me this is one of those titles that should have been on a HTML internet game. Rather than being a console release. Again, perhaps a little harsh to say before I've played the title myself. But who is going to sue me?
I'll probably put off playing this title until I've completed my physical PS3 titles. (click it!)

Futuridium: Initial thought upon viewing a YouTube video: "Wipeout! WHYYYYY! Why did you disappear into the abyss?!"
Ahem, I couldn't tell what you're meant to be doing in this title. Just a lot of bright colours and flying it seems. So I'll get this title for my PS Vita.

Super Exploding Zoo: That seems to be the most ridiculous sounding title, EVER! (That I have heard at least.)
Also I have a sudden urge to watch old Disney movies for some reason. No idea why!
Going to get this for my PS Vita as well. But upon watching a YouTube video, I am not sure I want to.

Conclusion: Not too sure how I feel about this month's offerings to be honest. On one hand, I see it as I'm saving money. Whilst on the other hand I don't feel like I'm getting my money's worth. On the whole grand scheme of things, I am. Let's see how PS Plus goes from here! 

"Why do you bother?" - Why I collect previous generation games

   Although my wife has never said the above quote directly, I can see it in her eyes when I talk about or purchase games from "previous generations."

   I've also asked myself that question as well. Not because I'm going to give up, but when I'm outbid on an eBay item at the last minute for example.

   One of the main reasons for me (but I imagine it's the same for others) is firstly the nostalgia associated with these games. I admit it, I haven't always (yeah right) been into videogames as much as I am now.

   I think I was roughly 10 or younger when a PlayStation console first entered my childhood home. Myself and my brother were taken aback by it the most, although my sisters were slightly interested initially.
   We acquired the standard games everyone had back then, Tekken games, Tomb Raider games, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Fifa 98 and endless amounts of Official PlayStation Magazine demo discs.

   The Official PlayStation Magazine demo discs were the best. They allowed us to have a taste of games that we could also buy but.... didn't for various reasons.

   That's where my need and obsession to have and build my videogame collection comes in. For example I remember the countless times I would play the T'ai Fu: Wrath of the Tiger demo or Populous: The Beginning. And I would never bore of them. Nevertheless 16 years later, I now want to know what I missed.
   I want to know if T'ai Fu ever got what he wanted, I want to know what powers I missed for my people of Populous and I want to know if Spyro the Dragon did whatever he was on a quest for.

   The second reason I buy games from "previous generations" (I keep placing those words in quotation marks as they're still current generation to me! Dammit!) is because certain games are not on the European PlayStation store.

   I know and understand that not all games will ever be available on the store due to various reasons.

   So I'm, on a small scale, wanting to try and make sure those games aren't forgotten about.
   Be it by sending a single Tweet (@iamdark1988) or multiple Tweets! Sure, there is a possibility no one will read these Tweets. But at least I tried by spamming the Tweet with various hashtags.

   That's about it really. Plus I'm working to obtaining a rare game..... one day!

My Personal Gaming Rules

1) When given the option, always play as a female character.
2) Always go for a difficulty higher than you were initially going for.
3) Always play (and complete) solo campaign before playing multi-player.
4) If playing a game that doesn't have auto-save, then always save at all and any save points you come across.
5) Actually even if the game has an auto-save feature, see if you can also manually save on a regular basis.
6) Always upgrade attributes equally.
7) Always try newly acquired weapons/shields etc at least once, even if you end up resorting to the base items again.
8) If the game is from a third person prospective, always spin the character several times and judge the game upon results.
9) If the game is from a side scroll prospective, always make the character "head bang" and judge the game upon results.
10) Never underestimate the importance of tutorials, even if you're a regular to a series.

Note: perhaps I should keep a record for points 8/9.

The Rise of Procedurally Generated games?

No Man's Sky.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth.
Tower of Guns.
Spelunky.
Daylight (to an extent).
Minecraft.
Road Not Taken.

What do all of the above have in common?
Well if you haven't guessed from the title, they're all procedurally generated games.

For me, games of this category have become more noticeable the last 12 months compared to a few years ago. Not sure if I'm paying attention more or if there is a genuine increase.

Yes, I have done some research and there are games which are procedurally generated which were released years ago. But it seems as if a revival of sorts is currently happening.

I can see the appeal of such a game. Being able to replay the games countless times is obviously the first. I mean, in this day and age if you're going to part with your money then you'll want it's worth. Secondly these games can appeal to those who stream or upload to YouTube. I cannot wait for Tower of Guns, I can see myself uploading countless videos to YouTube.

A personal negative to procedurally generated games is being a perfectionist. (Although I suspect everyone that plays videogames is a perfectionist to some degree.) For example, I'm getting frustrated as Hell (no pun intended) with The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and Spelunky as I cannot get pass the early levels. Whereas if those games weren't procedurally generated, I could evaluate the same level 100 times and come up with a plan of attack.

I've lost track of where I was going with this..... I guess this is a plea to videogames and the industry.

In essence procedurally generated games are needed within the videogame community. However I think they need to be more original in both the genre and what elements of the games are actually procedurally generated.

FPS control layout

I hate how the CoD control layout (L2 = aim, R2 = fire) is the default for 99% of other FPS.

Developer 1: "Control layout?"
Developer 2: "EVERYONE loves CoD, so let's use that layout."
Developer 1: "I love your way of thinking! 🐑"

But then again, that layout has probably existed Pre-CoD. It's just been made popular by CoD and everyone is familiar with it.

Not only that but it does feel.. natural playing FPS' with that layout.

Hmm, I think I just went 360 and became a hypocrite in the process.