Update: I am an idiot

The title says it all.  I am an idiot.

 

After speaking to Microsoft today for the 3rd time in four days, they advise me that they cannot send me a replacement disc if the disc was never in the case to begin with, that it is up to the retailer to give me another copy (why the first two guys couldn't tell me this is beyond me).  So, I call Gamestop back, tell them what Microsoft told me and they advised me to bring it back with my receipt, but that the Limited Edition was released, well, in limited quantities, and if they ran out of copies I would be out of luck.  Since I had something to do today after work and probably not be able to make it to Gamestop until tomorrow, I did not want to risk it and used my lunch hour to go home and grab my game and return it.

 

When I get home I decide to give it all one more good look over, so that I don't embarrass myself.  As it turns out . . . the back of the Limited Edition case opens up to reveal - wait for it - the Limited Edition Bonus Disc!  Duh!

 

Ok, in my defense, I mentioned in the previous post how the bottom of the metal case is bent.  Because of this, the rear flap was very, very difficult to open.  In fact, when I first noticed that the bonus disc was missing, I "attempted" to open the rear of the case and since it did not budge I figured that section did not open.  I do not like the look and feel of this metal case either.  Halo 2's Limited Edition casing was much nicer.  So was Perfect Dark's.  This one feels kinda cheap.

 

Anyway, enough babbling, I am still an idiot.  Impressions of the actual game to follow shortly.

Halo 3 launch . . .

I arrived at my local Gamestop on Monday night, around 10:50pm and there were already about 40 people in line.  Great.  Luckily I brought my PSP.  Gamespot employees began taking everyone in to pay off their copies so that once 12:00am came around, you just had to present your receipt, ID, and you were out of there.

 

It worked out great because I was in my car driving back home at 12:10am.  Not bad considering my place in line.  If I remember correctly, it took me more than ½ an hour to get Halo 2.

 

I had it all planned out.  I would get home and play some multiplayer with my friend (who was also getting at midnight) and then concentrate on the single-player the next day.  While I am far more interested in Halo's single-player campaign (I am one of the few people who enjoy it more than multiplayer), it was late, my girlfriend was sleeping and I am going to need my first experience with the campaign to be with the surround-sound volume on 11.

 

So, I tear open the game (I bought the Limited Edition) and get with the Slaying.  Fun times.  I go to bed at 5am.  Not a big problem since I did not work the following day.

 

I get about five hours of sleep, wake up at 10am and get ready for a whole day of Halo 3 single-player.  But first, I take a look at all the goodies that came with the Limited Edition Set (in my haste to play last night, I didn't give it a second glance).

 

I see an instruction booklet, a poster, a few flyers, a nice hard cover art book, a bonus disc . . . wait, where is my bonus disc?!

 

Turns out, my copy of the Limited Edition HAD NO BONUS DISC!

 

Just my luck.  I probably got the only copy of the game from Gamestop that had no bonus disc.  Upon close inspection, my Limited Edition is all messed up.  The bottom of the tin casing is bent in, no bonus disc, and of course, like many others who got this edition, when I opened the case last night my game disc was dislodged from the holder and flapping all around the case.  It has a few small scratches but nothing too severe.  It is playing fine.

 

So, after playing a good amount of the solo campaign (impressions will be added to another post) I call Gamestop to see what the deal is with my missing bonus disc.  They advise me that it is a Microsoft issue and there is nothing they could do.  Great.  I dread calling Microsoft support.

 

I bite the bullet and call Microsoft.  After going through a ton of options, I manage to speak to a live operator.  He is very friendly, yet has to put me on hold every 30 seconds (for about 5 minutes each time) because he has to find out information about what to do.  After about ½ an hour, he advises that they can send me a copy of the bonus disc, but that their computers are going crazy so he has to give me a reference number and tells me that he put all of my notes in the system and that if I call back in 2 days they will be able to finish the transaction.

 

So, 2 days later I call, speak to someone else, give them my reference number, and get put on hold again for about 10 minutes.  The guy comes back, gives me a new reference number, mumbles something that I barely understand, says something about calling back with this new number, and the conversation ends.  I do not know if I have to call with this new number if I don't receive the bonus disc, or if I have to call again today to do something else, I am in the dark (my fault for not inquiring further, but this guy was definitely not as friendly as the one I spoke to previously).

 

Anyway, Halo 3 is awesome, I just wish something didn't always have to go wrong!!!  Argh!  I want my bonus disc!

Believe

Normally, when I see a commercial for a video game, I care about one thing.  I want to see gameplay.  I do not want to see the game's CG cinematics, I want to see what the game really looks like.  That is my criteria.

 

I think I may have to revise that criteria.

 

Halo 3's "Believe" ad campaign is freakin' awesome.  I was just commenting to Powerpuff the other day via e-mail that almost a week away from Halo 3's release I have not been paricularly excited about the game.  Not like I was prior to Halo 2.  Or Bioshock.  Or countless other games before.

 

Then I watched the three Halo 3 "Believe" commercials available on the marketplace.  They certainly are not your typical videogame commercials.  After watching them, I cannot wait to "finish the fight"!!!

 

If you haven't already done so, download them from the Marketplace and give them a watch.

Miami Dolphins

Wow, the Dolphins suck. Our running game is non-existant, our defense seems to give up many big plays and we can't tackle for crap. It is going to be another long season. Joy.

Ninja Gaiden II

Tomonobu Itagaki showed off a live demo of Ninja Gaiden II at Microsoft's TGS press conference.

You can see the footage over at Gametrailers.com. Here is a LINK

Being the big Ninja Gaiden fan that I am, I was ecstatic when I heard there was a live demo. After watching the footage . . . umm, I not so sure how excited I am for this game anymore.

The game looks . . well, similar to say the least. Yes, it is prettier than the original Xbox game. I am sure it is prettier than Sigma on the PS3 as well. But still, it all looks very, very familiar. Gameplay looks the same, graphics and animation (while faster and prettier) also looks the same. I guess I was expecting a bigger jump for next gen Ninja Gaiden. Oh well, I don't doubt the game will play exceptionally well . . . but after playing through about 3 versions of the last Ninja Gaiden with minimal improvements for each iteration, I was hoping for a pretty drastic change for the true sequel.