Recently, I was invited to a service that I heard about a while ago, but for some reason I dismissed it. The service is called Empire Avenue, and I think it’s quite a bit of fun.

Empire Avenue is the Social Media Exchange, where you can invest in any social media profile by buying their shares, meet new people, unlock Achievement badges, and earn boatloads of virtual cash by being active and social online! Buy shares in your friends, your followers, people with similar interests, brands you love, celebrities – anyone! All using a virtual currency and all for free!

A long, long time ago, in an internet far, far away, I participated in a very similar site called Blogshares, which did similar techniques to promote websites. Empire Avenue (EAv for short) takes it a step further by throwing in achievements, and encourages you to contribute to your connected social networking services. Our community has started playing around with EAv, and quite a few of us are taken by how fun it is. I’ve been criticized by you all that I don’t communicate to my audience enough unless something is broken. I can’t say I disagree with you there, but something like EAv gives me a bit more motivation to tweet to everyone that I’m doing a show soon, or to communicate the latest promotion – You know, that thing called “social media”?

At any rate, I doubt the game is for everyone and I think a lot of you out there will probably dismiss it as a gimmick or a waste of time. As for me, I’m going to be buying some shares of (e)PIRILLO as soon as I get the chance. Perhaps I can convince (e)OREO to lower their prices a bit. If you wish to join, please visit http://bwna.me/empavenue to give me and you 10,000 “Eaves”, which is their virtual currency.

I’m listed as (e)BWANA on EAv. Surprised?

P.S. If you do decide to sign up, I highly recommend getting a cup of coffee and a few cookies. After you smile a bit, read Chris Pirillo’s THOROUGH EAv guide here. You’ll be glad you did

Related posts:

• Guest Host On TPN Weekly Episode 3

A while ago, I tried Raptr during the beta and I liked it since it combined gaming with the social web. Here’s my initial review from 2008:

It kind of fell off my radar since I was primarily using Xfire to track my gaming. I also had a problem with Adobe Air at the time since it was a memory hog. Since then, Adobe Air has improved a great deal (still pretty heavy) and Raptr has improved by leaps and bounds.

Some of the improvements I noticed right off are:

1. The site has grown tremendously and supports a lot more. Steam (achievements/history), Xfire (history), Playstation Network trophies and deeper integration into popular Flash games like Farmville.
2. The in-game overlay rivals Xfire. The new browser is actually quite snazzy. All it needs now is custom overlays and webcam support and Xfire is dead.
3. Many more customization options are available to make your profile your own. These come in the form of themes, twitter like status updates, and a small mini-blurb thing to introduce yourself to the community.
4. More granular tracking and snazzy flash applets to show who’s playing what… right now.
5. Overall better site design and easy to navigate.
6. The new iPhone app is actually quite decent and gives you Raptr on the go.

So if you tried Raptr back in 2008 like I did and it didn’t quite fit your needs, I suggest giving it another try now that they’ve been hard at work for the past 2 years. If you wish to add me, I’m Bwana on there at http://raptr.com/bwana

No related posts.

Real time strategy (RTS) games are something else.

These games tend to turn most off since they require quick thinking and analysis. They also require lots and lots of practice and patience. Many people are intimidated by these type of games since they seem so complicated. This is unavoidable, since most RTS communities are condescending and unforgiving to the newcomers, forcing them to completely avoid online play. Personally, I don’t blame new users, since I felt the same way for a great deal of time.

I reluctantly purchased StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty a while ago, and for good reason. This game can be VERY addictive. Let me describe the stages I’ve gone through with it.

Step 1 – Initial purchase and shelf. Yeah, it sat there for a good 2-3 weeks unplayed due to … Minecraft.
Step 2 – Began Single player campaign, and saw the appeal of the story. Shelved again for Minecraft.
Step 3 – Began watching more competitive play at GSL and IEM. Inspired and awed by professionals.
Step 4 – Began playing against the AI (computer player) to get the basics of the mechanics for the Zerg race.
Step 5 – Watched more and more GSL tournaments and began playing on official battle.net ladders. Placed in bronze league.
Step 6 (Now) – Played over 50 ladder matches, practicing hotkey mechanics against AI. Having dreams about “We require more minerals” voice.

Image courtesy of fuxorz@deviantart

It took a while, but I’ve been bitten by the StarCraft bug. Ow! I’m by no means a high level player like you’ll see on justin.tv often, but I’m having fun, and that’s the whole point. Lots of players take the game way too seriously, and end up frustrated in the end. My goal with every video game I play is to have fun. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth playing.

As a result of the newest craze, our Bwana.TV gaming community hosts friendly matches every Friday night to mainly help new players get better. We call it “StarCraft 2 community night”:

Our next one is scheduled for November 5th, 2010 at around 8PM EST at live.bwana.tv. If you’re a new StarCraft 2 player, and are intimidated by online play, this night is for you! Stop on by and participate.

Also, if you’re in the market for a strategy guide, try out Diamond Gamer. It’s a nifty in-game plugin for StarCraft 2 that guarantees (with money back guarantee) that you’ll be a Diamond Level StarCraft 2 player in no time.

No related posts.

It’s no secret that I stream video games live at http://justin.tv/bwana. I give my live input and receive live feedback from viewers. As a result, it has influenced a great many on their decision to purchase the game or not. Whether it be visuals, gameplay, interface, etc, a live stream of a game is a great way to get a glimpse of what the game is about.

This is why it saddens me to hear the news today from Justin.TV staff that Take 2 has issued DMCA takedowns for ALL live streams of Red Dead Redemption. Michael Siebel, JTV CEO, has been on the phone with Take 2 attempting to make a case for live streamers, but as of now, all live streams will be taken down using copyright holder tools provided by JTV to Take 2. Several live streams have already been banned. This is not JTV banning users, this is Take 2.

A company this stupid doesn’t deserve my business.

I regret buying the game. I highly encourage you to express your concern to take two by visiting this link if you disagree with their latest actions.

Dummehs.

UPDATE: Your comments mattered. Take 2 apparently listened. I’ve just got confirmation that the ban has been lifted. GREAT WORK!

Related posts:

• Red Dead Redemption: First Impressions
• iPhone Developer Agreement Bans Jailbreaking [Updated]
• XBox Live Marketplace: Get er done!

This game is ESRB Rated M for Mature. Parental discretion is advised.

If you love westerns like I do, then you probably couldn’t help but be interested in Rockstar’s new project, Red Dead Redemption. I stated in the past that I wouldn’t get the game simply because of it’s Grand Theft Auto ties, but after a bit more research, I felt I could give it a try. I’ll share with you some of my first impressions. I’ll try to keep it spoiler free. If you don’t mind spoilers, check out the first two hours of the game that I streamed live:

I put in about 2.5 hours in single player and an hour in multiplayer.

Single Player & Gameplay

The voice acting was up and down. There was some genius moments and there were some really dry moments. As you ride your horse with certain people, you have conversations about things ranging from general small talk to background story. Overall, I was satisfied, and judging by the genius moments I encountered, I believe the voice acting will get better.

Controls are average to decent. Horseback riding takes practice and shooting while on horseback takes even more practice. That didn’t surprise me. What DID surprise me was the awkward controls on the Playstation 3. I’m not sure if previous GTA games did this, but Rockstar decided to put aim and fire on the L2 and R2 buttons. Why!??! This was so frustrating and caused me to die or make mistakes many times. I didn’t investigate whether you could change these controls yet, but you bet I’m going to look very hard. (If you know how to do this, PLEASE let me know in the comments)

Graphics are typical for a next gen system. I wasn’t blown away like I was with Heavy Rain, but the subtle effects impressed me more than the obvious ones. The lighting to me was very well done. As you enter buildings at night, the ambience can be very convincing. I was riding to a mission and noticed a slow, subtle sunrise in the background. Very impressive.

The story line so far seemed very typical of a Western one. Good. That’s exactly why I bought it and was glad they didn’t do anything weird or stupid. I haven’t done many of the “side” missions, but I imagine they will not disappoint.

Multiplayer

My first impression of multiplayer was terrible. I don’t blame Rockstar, but as with many multiplayer games, the people you play with determine your fun factor. The first game I joined consisted of individuals with TERRIBLE microphones. Not only did they have bad mics, but they were constantly talking about nothing. I could not find the mute function in multiplayer and I hope I just overlooked it. It is absolutely essential to be able to mute the microphones of annoying individuals.

After I got past the bad mic posse, I got into some decent matches. The awkward control scheme really stood out here as I had to react quickly. Instead of aiming, I would bring up the weapon selection screen with L1, and would quickly die. Latency wise, it was an enjoyable experience and I actually had a lot of fun once I got the hang of the game modes and controls. Since I never played GTA4, I was at a disadvantage, but I heard many times on the mic that it was pretty much just like GTA multiplayer.

Conclusion

I’m glad I bought it. There’s a lot to this game that I didn’t get a chance to explore, but based on what I’ve seen so far, I think it’s a good buy. Some may want to dismiss it as “GTA in the Wild West” and I say to that: So what? I actually think their formula works better in the Wild West than it does in modern times. RDR is worth a rental if you’re in the fence. I think you’ll be impressed.

Related posts:

• Take2/Rockstar Bans Live Streaming Of Red Dead Redemption [Updated]
• xbox 360 very first impressions

Who would have thought we’d ever be uttering the words “Sony is making a comeback”? 5 years ago, we would have been laughed at.

Hard.

But this is our current reality: Nintendo is still winning in overall sales, Microsoft is second, and Sony is in third. Sony’s position is actually better than most perceive, but the competitive nature in human beings tend to ignore some of the supporting facts. I digress.

Recently Sony pleased the gaming community by announcing a much anticipated $100 price drop and a brand new, “PS3 Slim” model. Some analysts believed this wouldn’t change a thing in their warped scope of the console race, but like always, I took a “let’s wait and see” approach.

It’s been a few days and some of the sales estimates have been released:

• 999% sales increase (Week over Week) in the UK
• 150,000 units sold in Japan (1500% increase week over week) – Launch number was 90,000

Judging by the large percentage increases, it’s easy to assume that sales were pitiful to begin with, or lots of people were waiting for a price drop on the PS3. Either way, Sony is in a better position than before.

It’s not just sales, but Sony has launched a very successful new marketing campaign. The slogan of “It Only Does Everything” is sticking with gamers whether they like it or not. The witty advertisements are not only making the Sony faithful sigh with relief, but they’re also attracting the “curious” gamer crowd. These guys are thinking, “I wonder how those PS3 exclusives are”, “I wonder if I’ll like Blu-ray”, “Will my friends get one if I get one?” (Yes, there are kids who ask that last question, believe it or not)

It’s amazing what proper marketing and successful sales figures does to the public perception: Yesterday, I streamed gameplay of a popular PS3 exclusive game called Killzone 2. As users came and watched, I saw a lot of statements like:

“Wow, I’d get a PS3 for this”
“How much does it cost?”
“What does that/this/that do?”
“This is better than CoD4 ever was” [Yes, that's an actual quote]

Before the price drop/new SKU, I would see this:

“PS3 Sucks”
“No one plays online on KZ2″
“It’s a dead game”
“PS3 Sucks, I feel sorry for you guys”

I could go on and on. I still get these kinds of negative comments, but much less than before.

Public perception definitely influences opinions of the PS3. People who bashed the Playstation 3 before, are now looking closer at upcoming exclusives like “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” (My Game of the Year prediction), “MAG“, “Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time“, and “Heavy Rain“. Playstation Network exclusives like “Fat Princess” are also drawing a lot of attention (See my review here)

What does all this mean in the end? No one really knows. The fact is this: The PS3 is gaining incredible momentum and is shaping up to be the big shake-up story in the console war. I only wish my friends list weren’t full so I could play with all the new PS3 owners out there.

Related posts:

• Sony Hates Europe
• Sony: I Hate You So Much Right Now
• Sony attempts to save E3, but fails

This weekend, I put in a good amount of hours playing Killzone 2 on PS3. This was mostly due to the new DLC (which I don’t have yet) and Guerilla Game’s (GG) double experience points announcement. I’ve been having blast, but there is a glaring bug with their double xp weekend: it only works if you win the match. Killzone elitists are quick to respond “well, just win”, but I hope GG lets us know about their little snafu. As for Killzone 2 itself, I’ve unlocked all classes up to Saboteur and have pretty much gotten used to the unique controls (yes they are unique and don’t “stink” as a lot of haters claim) There’s a great deal more to the game than meets the eye, and if you’re on the fence about purchasing it, the multiplayer component alone is worth the purchase.

Before I went on this gaming tyrade, I asked my Twitter friends what they were playing, here are their responses:

Bwana: What video game are you currently playing? Me? I'm playing Killzone 2 for PS3.

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:00:27 +0000 2009

Bowlerguy92: MLB 09 The Show on the PS3 obviously, after another game or so I will be moving to NCAA Football 10 also on the #ps3

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:01:16 +0000 2009

wanyal: Red Faction: Guerilla on 360

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:01:27 +0000 2009

jcm28x: gears of war 2 on the xbox 360.

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:02:06 +0000 2009

FoamyFalcon: L4D on pc

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:02:30 +0000 2009

krisguy: Call of Duty: World at War for 360

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:02:41 +0000 2009

zackw29379: Battlefield: Bad Company for xbox 360

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:02:56 +0000 2009

Darkness383: street fighter 4

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:02:59 +0000 2009

_funkyboy: paper toss on the iPhone.

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:04:04 +0000 2009

danohart: I stick with Call Of Duty 4 until Modern Warfare 2 comes out. On the PC of course

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:05:37 +0000 2009

aaronmcdonald: im currently on Ghostbusters & now gone back to Uncharted too! Loving hanging out with pete,ray, winston & egon tho!

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:06:35 +0000 2009

petern: Killzone 2 and Super Stardust HD. PSN: kermit_swe

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:11:19 +0000 2009

premonition: fight night round 4 for me

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:18:34 +0000 2009

M4rck: Fight Night Round

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:18:38 +0000 2009

kev151: littlebigplanet

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:27:18 +0000 2009

RadioMacGuru: I decided to go for an oldie but a goodie: MGS3. I got frustrated with the series on 1st go round, I figure I'd give it another try

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:27:26 +0000 2009

Chillash: Fifa 09; ps3

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:33:23 +0000 2009

Jason_Diaz: SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:37:15 +0000 2009

markkemp: Am playing Resistance: Fall of Man (in preparation to play Resistance 2). Hanging out for CoD: Modern Warfare 2 though

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:39:33 +0000 2009

TekJunkie09: battlefield1943 thanx to you

about 5 days ago

Tue Jul 21 23:52:28 +0000 2009

Bxdaddy93: IM PLAYING BATTLEFIELD 1943 FOR XBOX 360 AT THE MOMENT. IM WAITING FOR THE LAUNCH OF NFL MADDEN 2010 NEXT MONTH.

about 5 days ago

Wed Jul 22 00:17:33 +0000 2009

dphyfer: I'm still on Gears of War for xbox 360. I hear Fight Night is sick!

about 5 days ago

Wed Jul 22 00:22:55 +0000 2009

lopez79: Call of duty W@W for ps3 & UFC

about 5 days ago

Wed Jul 22 00:55:31 +0000 2009

ChrisCAL96: GTA IV for PS3.

about 5 days ago

Wed Jul 22 02:16:06 +0000 2009

CoGMysterio: Gears of War 1 on the Xbox 360

about 4 days ago

Wed Jul 22 03:08:41 +0000 2009

Gregz0r: It's all about PS3 Fight Night Round 4 at the moment.

about 4 days ago

Wed Jul 22 05:58:25 +0000 2009

AppleIphoneMan: I'm currently playing UFC Undisputed 2009, Killzone, Call Of Duty 4 and 5. Waiting For Call Of Duty 6!! Add my PSN KylerRodgers

about 4 days ago

Wed Jul 22 17:04:18 +0000 2009

Taurus_500: i loooooooove killzone 2! i got the platinum trophy! :p right now im playin fight night round 4.

about 4 days ago

Wed Jul 22 19:43:42 +0000 2009

What about you? What are you currently playing and why? Have fun whatever it is!

Related posts:

• What Will The Playstation 3 Need To Survive?
• Rift Beta This Weekend

I have not made it a secret that I absolutely love my Sony Playstation 3 and that I actually use it more than my Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. This often confuses people why I seem to be “going against the grain” on this topic because it is the popular opinion to love the 360 or Wii over the PS3.

I believe the machine is the best hardware I have in the house easily, not only because of “Blu-Ray” technology but the whole experience in terms of entertainment. I also love the price of online play (being a PC gamer as well). Sony has been consistently falling short of expectations from the gaming community since they were #1 with their insanely successful Playstation 2. I asked Twitter what Sony needs to do to get their dollar:

SkiCat56: @Bwana There lot's of titles that are PS3 exclusive we would to play but we cannot fit another gaming console into our budget PS2,360 owner

about 5 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 13:50:37 +0000 2009

chokewho: @Bwana Cheaper price and probably some more original games.

about 7 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 11:49:18 +0000 2009

fochsenhirt: @Bwana drop the price under $200 for the hardware and $40 for the games. So basically, nothing. I already have a BD player.

about 7 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 11:34:42 +0000 2009

robraider78: @Bwana PS3 only good for blue ray. Not a good selection of games on PS3. No Halo. No Gears.

about 9 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 09:33:26 +0000 2009

TaoGao: @Bwana they are Amazing! Besides blue-ray compatible, it has great graphics

about 12 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 06:31:39 +0000 2009

powerspec: @Bwana I use mine only for Blu-ray, but i would use it more if it had some good games. I own 3 PS3 games and ~30 360 games.

about 12 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 06:15:35 +0000 2009

johnsensfan: @Bwana xbox360 vanishing of the face of the earth

about 12 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 06:06:37 +0000 2009

SWB: @Bwana They would have to make it better than the Nintendo DS, which we all know is impossible!

about 12 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 06:02:54 +0000 2009

murphysblues: @Bwana I don't have a PS3, and it would take a radical improvement of my hand/eye coordination before I would buy a PS3.

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:53:19 +0000 2009

dannyblaine: @Bwana a healthier economy?

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:49:14 +0000 2009

chrispirillo: @Bwana The PS3 is great for one thing: Blu-ray playback. Beyond that, it's not of much use to me. I don't have that many BDs yet, either.

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:48:23 +0000 2009

Leica1956: @Bwana a $150 or less base model would get me in.

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:47:19 +0000 2009

CannonGod: @Bwana Good games, ergonomic controller, the firing of all marketing staff involved with the PS3.

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:45:43 +0000 2009

mattbebich: @Bwana Halo, Left 4 Dead many others

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:40:25 +0000 2009

johnxkills: @Bwana the price alittle lower

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:32:29 +0000 2009

se7enjewels: @Bwana simple.price! price! price! The should have dropped the PS3 last christmas to $299. I would have been all over that.

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:32:01 +0000 2009

jercat: @Bwana… $249.99

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:31:25 +0000 2009

chrispugh: @Bwana lower price

about 13 hours ago

Mon Feb 09 05:31:18 +0000 2009

Without getting into a console war, I believe the price is often misunderstood when compared to the Xbox 360, since Microsoft has a done an excellent job with marketing. I have spent much less on my PS3 than I have on my Xbox 360, but the point is moot. The users want a price drop, but what then? Is price the only factor? Users also want *more* games, but if I’m not mistaken, a majority of new games are now cross platform. The handful of exclusives that are considered “must-haves” are dwindling in my opinion. (Case in point: Capcom just announced 360, PC and PS3 support for Dead Rising 2) I believe the games are there, but the mindset isn’t. The mantra of “PS3 has no games” will completely overwhelm the facts and user perception is all that will matter when it comes to a purchase.

What can Sony do about this? Well, in my opinion, they have to change the way they’re doing things now. What they’re doing right now is not working. In a tight market, where Nintendo is breaking records left and right (which I can’t understand honestly) Sony really is put in a tight situation since their hardware is truly next-gen, and a price-cut is a huge gamble. I have a suspicion that a majority of users who claim the price is the only issue, will back peddle if there is a price cut. I believe Sony realizes this every time they read user feedback regarding the price (Yes, Sony DOES read user feedback) I honestly don’t know what they can do win over the users, but they better come up with something quickly or the whole division will be a distant memory this time next year.

Agree, disagree? Let me know in the comments. You can also find me on the Playstation Network (PSN) under the handle, Nuvalo. Add me!

Related posts:

• Which Gaming Console Should You Buy This Holiday?
• Killzone 2 Pwnz My Weekend
• PS3 Slim Jolts The Sony Camp

My favorite game at the moment, Team Fortress 2 (TF2), is scheduled to be updated today. As I suggested in my TF2 video (sadly, my server is no more), the PC version is so much better than its console counterpart. Today’s patch is one reason why. The medic class has already received an update which includes new achievements which unlocks new weapons. Today’s update addresses the Pyro (flame thrower) class and does not disappoint.

The Pyro class is getting three new weapons:

• The Flare gun – The first Pyro unlockable is The Flare Gun, which replaces the shotgun. It allows the Pyro to ignite an enemy at long range, but does require careful aim on their part. It’s particularly useful for causing havoc on Snipers and Engineers who want to keep their distance.
• The Backburner – The second Pyro unlockable is The Backburner. This flamethrower is built for the Pyro who likes to ambush their opponents. It removes the compression blast capability, instead guaranteeing critical hits whenever it’s used on an opponent from behind. To aid in survivability, it grants the Pyro an extra fifty health.
• The Axtinguisher - The third Pyro unlockable is The Axtinguisher. This mighty axe guarantees critical hits on any enemy that’s currently on fire, although it’s significantly weaker against enemies who aren’t. A great combination with the The Flare Gun, or with another Pyro buddy riding alongside doing the igniting.

As with the medic patch, these new weapons will become available as you unlock the Pyro’s achievements. Along with these new weapons, two community maps are moving to official status: cp_fastlane and ctf_turbine. I’m glad to see a new capture map so fast since the new playmode was introduced in the medic patch. You poor Xbox 360 and PS3 owners of the Orange Box (which includes TF2) are not getting these yet. I’m sorry.

Got a computer that can handle Half Life 2? Well Valve is offering yet another free weekend of play for Team Fortress 2 (June 20 – June 22). The game is absolutely free to download and will be active on steam until June 22nd. I suggest downloading the game today since it’s pretty big, and you’ll be ready to play on June 20th. If you missed out on the last free weekend, now’s your chance to dive in and have some fun with Team Fortress 2. I guarantee, you’ll have a blast!

“Spy sappin’ my dispenser!” Well gotta go! Add me on steam (iobuffa) so you can help me burn these stupid spies!

No related posts.