SoreThumbGames Blog

Gears Of War 2 Players Review- by Stuart Peck

2008-11-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting with bated breath for over 12 months for this game, and its been worth the wait.........

If you have not played Gears of War then I suggest you buy it now!! Gears of War 2 follow on from the story of the first but 6 months later, with the Locust Horde more aggressive and invasive than ever. You play as Marcus Fenix head of Delta Squad, and join the action right away. The main features from the first game have been improved, you now hug cover in a more realistic way. Melee combat has been improved as you now have 4 way to finish a downed enemy with the most satisfying being the chainsaw bayonet!!!

The graphics are simply some of the best I have seen on any console and once again set the standard for HD gaming. The environments seem more impressive and its easy to get completely immersed in these highly this highly detailed world.

The storyline is impressive- however I felt personally something was missing- that made the first story mode so engrossing, but that small detail aside GOW 2 is still one of the few games I have played that you can compare to a Hollywood blockbuster.

I highly recommend this game for the mulitplayer, single player and many other features I don;t want to spoil- the first game is better in terms of story but the second game improves every other aspect.

5/5

www.sorethumbgames.com- Pinching pounds off games.

Left 4 Dead not on the PS3????!!

2008-11-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

It seems that the never-ending story between Left 4 Dead and the PlayStation 3 is close to an end, according to what was confirmed by Valve’s Chet Faliszek according to Destructoid.
“Many people say that they heard rumors that Left 4 Dead is coming to PS3, however despite telling them this isn’t true they still don’t believe us, what more can we say than it is not”, says Faliszek.
So that seems enough confirmation that in fact, the game will NOT be making its way to the PlayStation 3. At least for the moment, as it’s usual on the video-gaming industry

More news as it develops..........

www.sorethumbgames.com- Pinching pounds off games.

2008-11-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

www.sorethumbgames.com- Pinching pounds off games.

2008-11-06T02:30:00.000-08:00

Although my blog is about games I would just like to offer my heart felt congratulations to Barack Obama - a well deserved victory!!!

I wish him luck........

Now back to games!!!!

www.sorethumbgames.com- Pinching pounds off games.

"Sega have announced they will be teaming up with High Voltage Software to publish The Conduit on the Nintendo Wii

2008-10-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

"Sega have announced they will be teaming up with High Voltage Software to publish The Conduit on the Nintendo Wii.

The Conduit pits players against a scary alien race known as "The Drudge", who must be taken down with futuristic weaponry and an intelligence-gathering device known as the "All-Seeing Eye".
The game will use the full range of Wii inputs, including the recently announced Wii Speak peripheral, which will allow secret service agents to chat away whilst blasting extraterrestrials in online multiplayer games, and that is one reason why this game could be something very special indeed.

This is encouraging news as the Wii desperately needs fresh new titles, if its going to compete in the future with Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
Allthough people are hailing "The Conduit" as the new benchmark for first person shooters, we'll have to wait until next year to find out if it delivers to all the hype.
The Conduit is due for release in Spring 2009, exclusively on the Wii. All of us at Sorethumbgames recon this is one to watch out, more updates in Jan

www.sorethumbgames.com- Pinching pounds off games.

Tekken 6 is coming to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in Q3 2009.

2008-10-10T02:33:00.000-07:00

Namco Bandai Games used TGS 2008 to formally announced Tekken 6 is coming to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in Q3 2009.
As with most new entries in the series, you can expect a blend of returning and new characters comprising the most extensive lineup in a Tekken Game yet. A deeper character customization feature will further expand character uniqueness.
Also available are Online modes and new environments, though no further details are available at this time.
In conjunction with the announcement, Namco Bandai released the first screenshots of Tekken 6, all of which we have below for you to check out.

http://www.sorethumbgames.com/- Pinching pounds off games.

Is the Credit Crunch going to effect Christmas sales?

2008-10-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Reading the paper this morning made me think long and hard, is the credit crunch going to effect Christmas retail sales?
How can it not? People use their credit card to buy elaborate gifts for Christmas, typically its the busiest time of year for loan firms and creditcard companies whom give loans out on a whim.

So with the credit well drying up- are people going to spend or use the credit crunch as an excuse?

Being an online retailer I was really looking forward to the christmas rush, now I'm waiting with a degree of anticipation of what could lie ahead. If Bush does not push through his proposal to bail out the banks we're all in for a very tough time indeed- and we could see some of the major retailers struggle- and some major rounds of redundancies.

What do you think?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that's for sure.

http://www.sorethumbgames.com/- Pinching more pounds off games for Christmas.

Question time- again.

2008-09-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

We had a big debate in the office today. It is fascinating the sheer number of choices we have to make to entertain ourselves today, all of which are competing for not only our time but our money. Obviously many of us play games in our spare time, but that is a choice amongst..... listening to Ipods, watching tv, going to the movies, watching a DVD, surfing the internet, social networking with friends, watching videos on YouTube, talking on the phone, texting friends, socialising down the pub, etc Be great to hear how you priortise your entertainment and how that has changed in the last 5 years. What is your premier choice of entertainment?

www.sorethumbgames.com- Pinching pounds off games.

PS3 Vision of the future, be patient- its going to be a long wait!!!!

2008-09-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

"SCEA's VP of product marketing Scott Steinberg outlines his vision for PS3's future, and the benefits he believes will drive it to market dominance
In a Keynote, he covers the benefits Sony will be promoting to consumers this Holiday season. They include PS3's Blu-ray drive, first party games, PSN's increasingly diverse product portfolio and community features.Steinberg writes, "In the next few years, you're going to start to see us separate from the herd. Some of the other platforms are going to look very dated because their life spans are so much shorter than ours."He adds, "If you're a competitor I've got bad news for you because we've got some absolute blockbusters that are in the works, some of them new IP, some of them existing IP, that we're building specifically for the PS3"From a competitive standpoint our competitors are going to have a tougher road now then even in 2008. But for PlayStation 3 consumers, it means more quality and more choice."
-Source Computerandvideogames.com

If you look at the launch of the Xbox 360 there were some really poor launch titles (apart from Gears of war and oblivion two of my favourite games) - however now they now have the upperhand. Sony know they have dropped the ball with some fairly sub standard games, heavenly sword, Uncharted- Drakes Fortune (not too bad), Risistance (pretty sub standard), MGS4 (the only reason to buy a PS3).

What does the future bring for Playstation? Well if Scott Steinberg means what he says then ladies and gentlemen- its probably worth holding on your blue ray player and occasional games, console we like to call the PS3 if you can wait that long.

SorethumbGames over and out!!!!

http://www.sorethumbgames.com/- Pinching pounds off games.

Xbox 360 Price Drop!!!!

2008-09-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

Microsoft lowers its prices again, making it officially the lowest next generation console on the market.

Will it now take more of the casual gaming market from Christmas with its Arcade console? Retailing at £129.99 vs Wii £179.99 and PS3 £299.99 is it enough to Regine supreme and dominate the Christmas markets?

I'm not so sure, however with tough times ahead its a safe bet that parents will opt for the arcade machine over the more expensive Xbox machines..........

http://www.sorethumbgames.com/- Pinching pounds off games.

Games good for you? Surley not?

2008-09-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

"A daily dose of computer games can boost maths attainment, according to a study carried out in Scottish schools.
Learning and Teaching Scotland - the main organisation for the development of the curriculum - analysed the effect of a "brain training" game.
It also found improvements in pupils' concentration and behaviour.
The study involved more than 600 pupils in 32 schools across Scotland using the Brain Training from Dr Kawashima game on the Nintendo DS every day.
The project followed a pilot study in Dundee last year.
LTS worked with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education and the University of Dundee to see if the pilot results were replicated on a wider scale.
Improved scores
A group of pupils played the game, which included reading tests, problem-solving exercises and memory puzzles, for 20 minutes at the start of their class for nine weeks. A control group continued their lessons in a more traditional manner.
The pupils were tested at the beginning and then the end of the study.
Researchers found that while all groups had improved their scores, the group using the game had improved by a further 50%.
The time taken to complete the tests also dropped by five minutes, from 18.5 minutes to 13.5 minutes. The improvement in the games group was double that of the control group.
Less able children were found to be more likely to improve than the highest attainers and almost all pupils had an increased perception of their own ability.
The study also found that it made no difference if the children had the game at home and noted no difference in ability between girls or boys.
It found improvements in absence and lateness in some classes.
Derek Robertson, LTS's national adviser for emerging technologies and learning, said the results offered the first independent, academic evidence that this type of computer game could improve attainment when used in an educational context.
He said: "Computer games help flatten out the hierarchy that exists in schools - they are in the domain of the learner as opposed to the domain of the school.
"This intervention encouraged all children to engage and get success in a different contextual framework; one in which they don't know their place."

-Source BBC News

Well its conclusive evidence, playing games is good for you after all!!! So if you get moaned at for playing games (I do, every time I turn my Wii, or PS3 on), then you can use this article as some leverage.

http://www.sorethumbgames.com/- Pinching pounds off games.

Mercanaries 2- Quick Review

2008-09-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

Mercenaries 2: Review

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is an explosive open-world action game set in a massive, highly reactive, war-torn world. A power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply, sparking an invasion that turns the country into a war zone. But for you, international crisis is all upside: You are a mercenary, and you profit from chaos. These are world powers with deep pockets, deep grudges, and enough arms and ammo to start World War III. This is your kind of environment. Mercenaries 2 features the latest and most dangerous in civilian and military tech, everything from shiny new sports cars, to the future-tech satellite-guided bunker-busting mini-nuke. Tanks, APCs, boats, luxury automobiles -- you name it, you can have it delivered to you in real time. And if you run out of cash you can always 'acquire' the gear you need in the field. You are not a soldier. You don't have to play by anyone's rules. You have your own code: you will fulfill the terms of the contract, no matter what.

Rating:

The Good

Lots of freedom

Highly destructible environments

Some nice graphics

Its Fun to play

Longevity

The Bad

Some Repetitive missions

Some poor AI at times

Overall 4.2/5

http://www.sorethumbgames.com/- Pinching pounds off games.

New Look website

2008-09-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

This week I will be unveiling plans of my new service- Games Trade in service and Games Swap service. Both services are very exciting.

I am also upgrading the look of my web site and increasing the stock, and product line levels............ looks like I've got my work cut out.

Watch this space......

www.sorethumbgames.com- Pinching pounds off games.

I'm offically a blogger- what now?

2008-09-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

..................I was thinking about this the other day- I've now joined the millions of people who write about their lives, or specialist subject. The only question is what do I write about now!!!!!? Games? Maybe- but its such a broad subject! What is the sucessful blog recipie? What to people want to know- what I had for breakfast? No probalbly not, how about latest news and reviews- they probably could go to GameSpot for that I do.

I know how to set up successful businesses, I know how to run large sales teams, but writing about games its hard without sounding boring!!!! Thats something I know little about and something I am going to have to learn the hard way.......

So any suggestions on a postcard to.........

http://www.sorethumbgames.com/- Pinching pounds off games.

Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions

2008-09-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hi there everyone!!!

We would really like to find out your thoughts on our website http://www.sorethumbgames.com/ .

We are always looking for ways to improve your shopping expereince- or change any faults you may have.

We really want to know your thoughts good or bad.

The best feedback will be entitled to special discount off their first purchase!!!!!

All the best the Sorethumbgames team.

http://www.sorethumbgames.com/- Pinching pounds off games.

DS- Accesories

2008-09-12T08:12:00.001-07:00

DS- Accesories

SoreThumbGames Launches blog - Its offical

2008-09-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

SoreThumbGames- the home of Cheap Games and Consoles has now launched its new extensive range of products and solutions.

Its our aim not to only provide you with the lowest prices but the most up to date reviews and news.

If you bought a game from our website write your own review and get discount when you make your next purchase.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Wii, Nintendo DS, Playstation 3, Xbox 360