KoolEaze said:

Hey Dave, what are your favorite games? And if you have any, what are the ones that you often go back to, and what are the ones that you used to like, but don´t play anymore?

My favorite will always be the GTA series, most of all the GTA IV trilogy but I also like San Andreas, GTA V and of course Vice City. I wish they´d make an updated version of the old ones...with better graphics.

One of the games I used to like and play a lot is the Half Life series but for some reason I can´t really get into it anymore because I start feeling dizzy after a few minutes, to the point of feeling really, really sick. I googled that phenomenon and it seems there are thousands of other , similar cases. But I´ll give it another try because it´s a great game.

DaveT said:

I don't think anyone is debating whether e-sport players have skill or not. I'm a big gamer myself so I know the effort you'd need to go to in order to become great at a game ... its no mean feat.

But I still don't think you could class it as a sport. Its not the sort of thing that will make it in to the Olympics.

Wow, where to start!! I started on the Spectrum in the late 80s. NES and SNES were my consoles as a kid, PS1 in my teens, original Xbox in to adulthood, and back to PS3 and PS4 after that.

Fave of all time has to be Resident Evil. Being a horror fan it blew me away back in '96 ... it was like taking part in a great horror film. Anything with Resident Evil on the box I'm all over.

Super Mario Kart and Super Mario World are up there. Halo 1 and 2, brilliant. Castlevania III, Alien 3 (SNES), the Madden series, Streetfighter II, Sim City 4, NHL Hitz ... its a long list

I loved GTA1 on the PS1, but didn't touch a GTA game until GTA4 on the PS3 and that was stunning, in my top five all time. I've got GTA5 on PS4 but have only played the first mission so far.

I've yet to be blown away by anything on this generation of console. I missed Skyrim on PS3 so got the recent PS4 re-release and that's been brilliant but its still a previous generation game. Resi 7 is very good. Other than that I haven't seen anything on the shelves that's looked like a must have, Witcher III maybe but haven't got that yet. I'm not a fan of the way game industry is going to be honest, locked content, games released half finished which you have to pay for additional DLC (don't get me started on Star Wars: Battlefront ... an absolute debacle of a release), more focus on multi-player over single player...

DaveT said:

I used to play video games back in the '80's. I was really good at Ms. Pac Man. My father-in-law bought a couple Ms. Pac-Man machines and we used to play all the time. We'd call it "Pac-ing off". Let's go Pac off!

The only computer games I've ever played are the original Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, and Top Gun. Top Gun was fun, because I like to fly and we had the throttle control and all that.

One time I got to fly the flight simulator at an Air Force base, so that might count. You'll sleep better knowing that if we are ever attacked by Russians flying their Tu-95 Bear bombers, if I have access to an F-16 I can blow them all to hell!

EmmaMcG said:

DaveT said:

Wow, where to start!! I started on the Spectrum in the late 80s. NES and SNES were my consoles as a kid, PS1 in my teens, original Xbox in to adulthood, and back to PS3 and PS4 after that.

Fave of all time has to be Resident Evil. Being a horror fan it blew me away back in '96 ... it was like taking part in a great horror film. Anything with Resident Evil on the box I'm all over.

Super Mario Kart and Super Mario World are up there. Halo 1 and 2, brilliant. Castlevania III, Alien 3 (SNES), the Madden series, Streetfighter II, Sim City 4, NHL Hitz ... its a long list

I loved GTA1 on the PS1, but didn't touch a GTA game until GTA4 on the PS3 and that was stunning, in my top five all time. I've got GTA5 on PS4 but have only played the first mission so far.

I've yet to be blown away by anything on this generation of console. I missed Skyrim on PS3 so got the recent PS4 re-release and that's been brilliant but its still a previous generation game. Resi 7 is very good. Other than that I haven't seen anything on the shelves that's looked like a must have, Witcher III maybe but haven't got that yet. I'm not a fan of the way game industry is going to be honest, locked content, games released half finished which you have to pay for additional DLC (don't get me started on Star Wars: Battlefront ... an absolute debacle of a release), more focus on multi-player over single player...

You MUST try The Witcher 3! It is easily the BEST game I've ever played. Ever! I've never played any of the previous games in the series so if you haven't either, you don't need to worry. The story is told in such a way that they fill you in on important plot points as you go so you'll never feel lost. Now, this isn't a necessity either, but I would recommend reading the book The Last Wish before you play the game. It's the first book in the Witcher series and it does a great job of giving the characters some backstory. It's not really long either so you could get through it pretty quickly. But like I said, it's not necessary if you just want to get stuck into the game. But definitely try to get the complete edition of the game. It comes with two big story expansions that are basically whole games by themselves. Plus, it's pretty cheap in argos (in Ireland anyway, not sure about UK prices). If you're looking for something a little different, try Yakuza 0. My brother has been a fan of the series for years and he finally convinced me to try it. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the main series so it's a great starting point. And it's absolutely brilliant. Gameplay-wise, it's kind of like GTA crossed with Streets of Rage with rpg elements. And it's packed with things to do. Arcades, bars, pool, darts, karaoke, disco dancing, fight clubs, gambling on everything from dice to women's wrestling and there's even porno theatres featuring live action videos of women in various states of undress, if that's your thing. The story is impeccable though. Literally had me tears at the end and for a good while afterwards. Anyway, those are two recommendations I would make. Personally, I'm waiting (im)patiently for the Nintendo Switch and Zelda and Mass Effect Andromeda. Expensive bloody hobby, this, isn't it?

Expensive indeed!! I'm in to my retro gaming as much as the modern stuff. I've got a converted arcade machine packed with emulators that I really should use more. Have just invested in a little Raspberry Pi machine for the downstairs TV to.

Worse than the expense though is the time ... I just can't find the hours to get in the really big games (I do a lot of writing outside of work) and its depressing because I know I'm probably missing some fantastic titles. I keep telling myself I'll get time later in life but I'm four years off forty now and will probably be working full time for most of my life.

I'd be the best lottery winner ever, as I'd just pay off the mortgage and spend my week gaming!! We can dream...

Thanks for the tips though. I hadn't even considered the Yakuza series so I'll look at that. I think its time to have a serious look at Witcher III as well. I'd heard the book series was a good lead in for the game so thanks for the book tip to ... I'll pop in to Waterstones tomorrow

Have you got a fave all time game?

DaveT said:

EmmaMcG said:

uPtoWnNY said:

I challenge any and ALL of you to Mortal Kombat IX on PS3.

TEST YOUR MIGHT!

PS3?? Come on, get with the times. Even I have a PS4!

No PS4 for me.....don't need it. PS3 is backwards compatible, and most of my games are PS2. I rock the PS2 GTAs more than GTA IV & V. The older ones are more fun.

I probably spend the most time playing PS3 Unreal Tournament.

uPtoWnNY said:

uPtoWnNY said:

EmmaMcG said:

uPtoWnNY said: PS3?? Come on, get with the times. Even I have a PS4!

No PS4 for me.....don't need it. PS3 is backwards compatible, and most of my games are PS2. I rock the PS2 GTAs more than GTA IV & V. The older ones are more fun.

I probably spend the most time playing PS3 Unreal Tournament.

You've still got a PS3 that's backwards compatible with PS2? Those were the initial release 60GB ones if I remember. I thought they would have all died off by now.

My original 'fat' PS3 died a year or so ago. Was gutted as aesthetically it looked so much better than the redesigned ones that followed. I can't stand that sliding top one they released.

EmmaMcG said:

uPtoWnNY said:

No PS4 for me.....don't need it. PS3 is backwards compatible, and most of my games are PS2. I rock the PS2 GTAs more than GTA IV & V. The older ones are more fun.

I probably spend the most time playing PS3 Unreal Tournament.

I never even heard of unreal tournament. I just can't get on-board with the ps2 GTA games. I bought the trilogy for PS4 in a sale for €5 and I just don't like them. San Andreas was ok but despite Vice City having an interesting setting it doesn't seem to have aged well. And GTA 3 was terrible. Maybe I'd think differently if I played them when they were new but revisiting old games is seldom a good idea. Mind you, I didn't much like GTA IV either. V is the only one I enjoyed and even then I thought it was overrated. Nostalgia can't half play tricks on the mind. I recently went back and played one of my favourite games as a kid, Captain Planet on the NES, and I couldn't believe how bad it was. If you do decide to ever get a PS4 or Xbox One, but can only get one or the other, I'd recommend the Xbox One. Most new games are out for both but the Xbox One is backwards compatible with 360 games and it's controller is a hell of a lot more comfortable. And this might just be personal taste, but there are more good games exclusive to the xbox than PS4, especially if you never had an Xbox 360.

The PS2 GTA games looked empty to me ... they were meant to be cities but there just wasn't enough life in them to be real. I enjoyed Vice City a bit because of the 80s setting and soundtrack. GTA4 changed that though, it felt more like an actual living city.

I know what you mean about the rose tinted glasses thing. I've gone back to some old games I remember being great and they've been almost unplayable. Its nice to find an old classic that lives up to the memories though.

Mass Effect is another series I've never found time for. I'll add it to the list

DaveT said:

No.

EmmaMcG said:

DaveT said:

The PS2 GTA games looked empty to me ... they were meant to be cities but there just wasn't enough life in them to be real. I enjoyed Vice City a bit because of the 80s setting and soundtrack. GTA4 changed that though, it felt more like an actual living city.

I know what you mean about the rose tinted glasses thing. I've gone back to some old games I remember being great and they've been almost unplayable. Its nice to find an old classic that lives up to the memories though.

Mass Effect is another series I've never found time for. I'll add it to the list

The only games that live up to my memory of them are the Mario games. Even the game boy one is still great. Whereas a lot of other older games are very much of their time, Mario still feels fresh, especially Mario World, which is still my favourite Mario game (though Mario Galaxy pushes it VERY close). Double Dragon is still pretty decent too. I used to play co-op with my brother when we were younger but it seems a lot harder now. Back then I could finish it but now I can't get past the third level.

On that note, I never got Mario 64, don't know about you. I know everyone holds it up as a huge leap in gaming, and I can appreciate what it did technically, but compared to the rich, life packed levels in Super Mario World, Mario 64 felt empty and dull. And I never got in to 3D platform games ... its too hard to see where you're jumping to.

And yeah, totally agree with you re. older games being much tougher. Contra III, Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts, the Mega Man series ... I don't think younger gamers would have the patience for them today. Gaming kicked your arse alot more frequently back in the day!

DaveT said:

uPtoWnNY said:

No PS4 for me.....don't need it. PS3 is backwards compatible, and most of my games are PS2. I rock the PS2 GTAs more than GTA IV & V. The older ones are more fun.

I probably spend the most time playing PS3 Unreal Tournament.

You've still got a PS3 that's backwards compatible with PS2? Those were the initial release 60GB ones if I remember. I thought they would have all died off by now.

My original 'fat' PS3 died a year or so ago. Was gutted as aesthetically it looked so much better than the redesigned ones that followed. I can't stand that sliding top one they released.

Yep, still have my original FAT PS3. I've only had t repair it twice over the years.

uPtoWnNY said:

DaveT said:

You've still got a PS3 that's backwards compatible with PS2? Those were the initial release 60GB ones if I remember. I thought they would have all died off by now.

My original 'fat' PS3 died a year or so ago. Was gutted as aesthetically it looked so much better than the redesigned ones that followed. I can't stand that sliding top one they released.

Yep, still have my original FAT PS3. I've only had t repair it twice over the years.

That's awesome!

Any tips for fixing a FAT PS3? My old one that died is still in the loft, and if I can find a way of fixing it to get my Resident Evil 5 game save back I'll be one happy bunny

DaveT said:

DaveT said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Yep, still have my original FAT PS3. I've only had t repair it twice over the years.

That's awesome!

Any tips for fixing a FAT PS3? My old one that died is still in the loft, and if I can find a way of fixing it to get my Resident Evil 5 game save back I'll be one happy bunny

I found a cat in Manhattan who fixes PS3s & PS4s out of his apartment. Repaired mine for 80 bucks. Are you in NYC?

As for GTA, I like the next-gen ones, but as nice as they look, they lack the fun/wacky factor that made the PS2 GTAs so great (although The Ballad of Gay Tony brought some of the wackiness back).

As far as storyline/ music/ characters/ map, San Andreas is still the KING. Thirteen years after it came out, I play it more than ever, with GTA 3 a close second.

KoolEaze said:

Fair enough, but fishing? Why is fishing considered a sport? Because you need to be able to stand in the cold water, outdoors? Do you need stamina for fishing? I really don´t know.

And dancing is definitely a sport , isn´t it? You need skills, stamina, a fit body, and it is very competitive.

AsylumUtopia said:

Sport: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

I guess the key word here is atheletic: of or relating to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina.

So I guess if you want to interpret the definition of athelete differently to it's intended meaning then computer gaming is sport.

However, I would say that if you're going to do that then you also have to accept that the following are also sport: knitting, chess, drinking, masturbation.

I love gaming, I've spent part of my career writing games, but I do not believe it to be sport. Why is there any requirement for gaming to be classified as sport? We all know that it requires dexterity, skill and stamina, that it's competitive and fun, but so are a myriad of other activities that we do not consider sport. Moreover, nobody involved in the design of computer games considers them sport.

Also, just because an activity is or was once included in the Olympic Games does not automatically make it a sport (e.g. Ballroom Dancing - it's not sport, it's dancing, a completely separate physical activity) - it's called the Olympic Games, not the Olympic Sports.

[Edited 2/23/17 4:30am]

Good question, why is fishing considered a sport? And who considers it to be a sport? I think possibly only those who partake in or have a vested interest in competitive fishing. There’s no getting away from the fact that the sole aim of fishing is to catch fish, and that generally in competitive fishing the fish is returned to the water, which makes it a largely pointless activity. Labelling it as sport helps them justify standing around doing nothing useful for hours.

But then I guess the definition of what is and isn't sport really does depend on individual interpretation.

My interpretation of sport is something that is done predominantly competitively rather than for leisure.

By that definition I can’t consider fishing to be sport because for the vast majority it's either a navel-gazing activity or it's their job - I doubt there's many trawler men who'd describe what they do as sport.

As for dancing, no I don’t consider that to be sport either, for the same reason. The vast majority of dancing is not competitive, it's a leisure activity, or if you're so inclined: fun. Don't let all that Strictly Come Dancing With The Stars horseshit fool you either. That's not sport, it's not properly competitive, it's not even about dancing; it's about ratings. But I know that’s not what you’re talking about and yes, some dancing is fiercely competitive but it often depends more on who you know than how good you are.

I just don’t see the requirement for things that are largely leisure activities to be considered sports.

[Edited 2/24/17 16:27pm]

DaveT said:

AsylumUtopia said:

Sport: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

I guess the key word here is atheletic: of or relating to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina.

So I guess if you want to interpret the definition of athelete differently to it's intended meaning then computer gaming is sport.

However, I would say that if you're going to do that then you also have to accept that the following are also sport: knitting, chess, drinking, masturbation.

I love gaming, I've spent part of my career writing games, but I do not believe it to be sport. Why is there any requirement for gaming to be classified as sport? We all know that it requires dexterity, skill and stamina, that it's competitive and fun, but so are a myriad of other activities that we do not consider sport. Moreover, nobody involved in the design of computer games considers them sport.

Also, just because an activity is or was once included in the Olympic Games does not automatically make it a sport (e.g. Ballroom Dancing - it's not sport, it's dancing, a completely separate physical activity) - it's called the Olympic Games, not the Olympic Sports.

[Edited 2/23/17 4:30am]

Sign me up ... I reckon I've got a good shot at Heavyweight Champion of the World

There aren't enough trophies to go around for that particular sport, and there's so many categories too.

uPtoWnNY said:

DaveT said:

That's awesome!

Any tips for fixing a FAT PS3? My old one that died is still in the loft, and if I can find a way of fixing it to get my Resident Evil 5 game save back I'll be one happy bunny

I found a cat in Manhattan who fixes PS3s & PS4s out of his apartment. Repaired mine for 80 bucks. Are you in NYC?

As for GTA, I like the next-gen ones, but as nice as they look, they lack the fun/wacky factor that made the PS2 GTAs so great (although The Ballad of Gay Tony brought some of the wackiness back).

As far as storyline/ music/ characters/ map, San Andreas is still the KING. Thirteen years after it came out, I play it more than ever, with GTA 3 a close second.

Alas, I'm in the UK.

Someone did tell me ages ago if you take a hairdryer to your knackered PS3 and heat it up it might work again for a day or two. Something about the solder on the circuit boards melting back together ... sounds a bit dubious to me but I might try it.

EmmaMcG said:

uPtoWnNY said:

No PS4 for me.....don't need it. PS3 is backwards compatible, and most of my games are PS2. I rock the PS2 GTAs more than GTA IV & V. The older ones are more fun.

I probably spend the most time playing PS3 Unreal Tournament.

I never even heard of unreal tournament. I just can't get on-board with the ps2 GTA games. I bought the trilogy for PS4 in a sale for €5 and I just don't like them. San Andreas was ok but despite Vice City having an interesting setting it doesn't seem to have aged well. And GTA 3 was terrible. Maybe I'd think differently if I played them when they were new but revisiting old games is seldom a good idea. Mind you, I didn't much like GTA IV either. V is the only one I enjoyed and even then I thought it was overrated. Nostalgia can't half play tricks on the mind. I recently went back and played one of my favourite games as a kid, Captain Planet on the NES, and I couldn't believe how bad it was. If you do decide to ever get a PS4 or Xbox One, but can only get one or the other, I'd recommend the Xbox One. Most new games are out for both but the Xbox One is backwards compatible with 360 games and it's controller is a hell of a lot more comfortable. And this might just be personal taste, but there are more good games exclusive to the xbox than PS4, especially if you never had an Xbox 360.

I've stuck with Sony since the original PSX came out in 1995. I'm more comfortable with the Playstation controllers the Xbox.

I never get tired of classic games. Sometimes I'll whip out my Atari 7800 or ColecoVision and rock Defender, Zaxxon, Turbo, Donkey Kong, etc.

uPtoWnNY said:

EmmaMcG said:

uPtoWnNY said:

I've stuck with Sony since the original PSX came out in 1995. I'm more comfortable with the Playstation controllers the Xbox.

I never get tired of classic games. Sometimes I'll whip out my Atari 7800 or ColecoVision and rock Defender, Zaxxon, Turbo, Donkey Kong, etc.

Yeah I like the old classics too. Well, some of them. My friend got me a NES Classic for Christmas. It's basically a mini NES with 30 games built in. It's pretty cool. I never owned an Atari or anything. I was strictly NES, SNES and Mega Drive. My mum used to get them really cheap. You know, ones that fell off the back of a truck.

I still can't believe you're not familiar with the Unreal Tournament series. IMO, one of the best PC games ever, right up there with DOOM. The weapons, maps, the different modes (deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, assault, etc.) - UT is highly addictive.

uPtoWnNY said:

no

MoBettaBliss said:

no

I believe that if you are competing against/using stuff that is make-believe, it can't be a sport.

What losers do.

2freaky4church1 said:

What losers do.

I'm sure your hobbies are way cooler ...

DaveT said:

2freaky4church1 said:

What losers do.

I'm sure your hobbies are way cooler ...

If you want to see what his hobby is, venture into the Politics and Religion forum.

RodeoSchro said:

DaveT said:

I'm sure your hobbies are way cooler ...

If you want to see what his hobby is, venture into the Politics and Religion forum.

Think I'll give it a miss ... Mario won't get himself round this track on his own ...

DaveT said:

RodeoSchro said:

If you want to see what his hobby is, venture into the Politics and Religion forum.

Think I'll give it a miss ... Mario won't get himself round this track on his own ...

You are very wise.