Time is Running Out for Deadman's Cross - 3³ Gaming NEWSday

Welcome to 3³ Gaming NEWSday!  In this revamped edition of NEWSday, I will present a piece of gaming news and my thoughts about it.  So, let's begin!

As a Square Enix game fan, I try to stay up-to-date with news concerning Square Enix games.  Unfortunately, I found out this little tidbit a bit later than I would have liked.  It seems that the Vita game Deadman's Cross is losing its Vita support at the end of the month.  I really like the game, and it sucks that it will be a mobile-only game after September 30, 2015.  I don't know which is worse though; not finishing the story of the game, or not earning every PSN trophy the game has.  Anyway, here is the official announcement:

Thank you for playing Deadman's Cross (PlayStation Vita cersion). 

After careful consideration, service for the PlayStation Vita version of Deadman's Cross will come to an end on Sept. 30, 2015.  As the Deadman's Cross dev team and staff, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for your patronage of our game. 

The smartphone version of Deadman's Cross continues to enjoy popularity, and service will continue for that version.  Since it is possible to transfer the save data from your PlayStation Vita version over to the smartphone version, it is out hope that you will continue to enjoy Deadman's Cross, this time on a smartphone. 

We are preparing bonuses for players who transfer their data to the smartphone version and continue to play, so see the "Notice of Migration to Smartphone Version Campaign" for details.  

The end-of-service schedule for the PlayStation Vita version is as follows:  

• Halt of any new purchases of Deadman's Coins - Aug. 31, 2015 at the time of maintenance
• End of Service
• Sept. 30, 2015 12:00 a.m. (PDT)
• Sept. 30, 2015 3:00 a.m. (EDT)
• Sept. 30, 2015 7:00 a.m. (GMT)
• Sept. 30, 2015 4:00 p.m. (JST)

Once again we thank you for your patronage, and though there is but a short time remaining until the end of service, we hope you will continue to enjoy the PlayStation Vita version of Deadman's Cross. 

The Deadman's Cross Team

After reading this announcement, it really lit a fire under me to try and finish this game before the service ends.  As much as I want to finish the story, its the PSN trophy list that I am worried about.  I don't have it completed!   At the time of reading the announcement, I had 9 of the 14 trophies earned.  Since then I have brought that amount up to 12 of the 14 trophies.  The two trophies I still need are probably the most difficult to earn.

The 1% - You earned a total of 1,000,000 hardware.

I Am a Generous God - Completed 1000 hunts. A virtual rekilling machine.

The problem here is that I have no way of knowing how close (or far) I am from earning these trophies.  The game doesn't show the amount of hunts or how much I have earned in terms of hardware.  All I know is that I have around 100,000 hardware, and usually stay at around that amount because I like to feed my horde the deadmen I capture.

Oh well, I have just over three weeks to finish the list.  I will try my best to get the trophies, and I know that if I don't, it will be a great effort.  I also know that it will be yet another game that will prevent me from getting back to a respectable completion percentage.

So, how is that for the startup of 3³ Gaming NEWSday?  I hope you enjoyed reading it, and that it makes you want to come back for more on Thursday when I post a ThursD.I.D.  Well, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Welcome to this eighth edition of 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  It was a slow week for me in terms of writing articles.  I only have two new ones.  So, here they are.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 game features, What to Expect
In this article, I talk about what new things are in store for those who will be playing Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster.  Those of us in North America played a different set of games than some of the rest of the world, so it will be nice to play the full game.

Square Enix's Thief Mod Contest
This article is about the contest that AMD and Square Enix are having for those who like to make mods of games.  And with Thief coming out today, it is a great chance to win some great prizes.  And you don't even have to know how to mod games.  You can simply make a video with your mod idea pitch, and you may be one of the lucky winners to receive the prizes I list in this article.

Well, that's all for this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  I hope you enjoy the articles.  Until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Madness in February - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #7

Welcome once again to 3³ Gaming NEWSday!  It's been another busy week for me with writing articles for Enix Origin, that I will once again simply link you to the articles, and provide a brief description of their contents.  For further information on the topics I present to you, I ask that you click on the links and read to your heart's content.  So, let's begin!

Thief - GameStop Pre-Order Bonuses
In this article, I write about the bonuses available when you pre-order from GameStop.  I also went into some detail about the game, as well as provide a teaser trailer for viewing.

Drakengard 3 Collector's Edition
There are only going to be five thousand copies of this game's Collector's Edition made, and this article talks about how you can purchase one of them.  It also talks about the game's story.

Deadman's Cross - Square Enix's New Mobile Game
Square Enix just launched a new mobile game a few days ago.  This article talks about how to get the free-to-play game and also it's unique theme.

Hitman GO, the first mobile Hitman Game
Hitman is joining the mobile market with this soon to be released game for smartphones and tablets.  It takes what you know about the franchise, and replaces a lot of the pieces needed to make a great game with some new pieces they hope will fit.

Enix Origin's February Madness Event
Enix Origin is having a big contest, with a brand new copy of the upcoming release of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster.  This article has all the details to enter, and lists how you can win one of several prizes.

Final Fantast XIV now on Steam
Steam has announced that the MMO is on sale on their site for a limited time.  With the cost for the standard edition only $14.99 USD, it is a great time to get in on the action in Eorzea.  And if you purchase the Collector's Edition, there are exclusive bonuses in doing so.  The article lists these extras as well.

And with that, we've come to the end of another edition of 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  I hope you enjoy the articles, as I enjoyed writing them.  Make sure to check back in on Thursday for either a Review Thursday or something else.  I am still working on titles for Thursday stuff.  It's hard, though.  Anyway, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

So much Lightning, it's practically a thunderstorm! - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #6

Welcome to this week's Lightning Returns-themed 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  The world is buzzing with Lightning Returns news.  The game came out today, and I have been on a newsie high for all of the articles I have written in the last week.  Actually now that I look at it, it's only five articles.  Funny, it feels like more than that.  Anyway, as there are more articles than my usual amount (which is a good, no, great thing) I am going to do this blog post differently than normal.  Instead of posting the entire article, I will just post the links of the individual articles and maybe a little bit about each one.

Lightning Returns newest Garb - Lara Croft

Okay, so one of the DLC garb choices available at the launch day of Lightning Returns is the Lara Croft outfit from Tomb Raider.  Lightning's weapon is the survival axe, and includes a riot shield to top off the ensemble.  It is available for download online for $3.99USD on PSN (I don't know about XBOX Live).

A Valentine's Day Themed X/X-2 Trailer

Square Enix released a video on its North American YouTube channel with a focus on the romantic side of Final Fantasy X.  It features scenes with the enhanced graphics and music from the game.  It looked very nice and culminates with the famous Underwater Kiss scene near lake Macalania.

Retrospective Take on Final Fantasy XIII series

This one's news bit is somewhat old, but I just got around to writing about it yesterday.  It is a recap video of Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 done in the old-school style of Final Fantasy VI.  It was probably one of the best videos used to bring more hype to the upcoming game that I have seen in all my time as a writer for enixorigin.com.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Launch Trailer

So the game came out today, and Square Enix made a trailer video to advertise the new game.  The video itself features some of the review quotes received by the big names in gaming critics.  It was a pretty simple article to write.

Deviantart and Square Enix LR Contest

Now this one is about the just announced contest from Square Enix and Deviantart.  The prize is a custom-made XBOX 360 and controller, copies of the three games in the XIII series, a special LR shirt and keychain, $1000USD, and a signed sketch from Tetsuya Nomura.  Nomura will also be judging the art contest.

So, there you have it.  I hope you enjoy the articles, and feel free to leave comments as to what you think.  Be sure to check back in on Thursday for this week's review.  So, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

DLC - 3³ Gaming NEWSday

Welcome to 3³ Gaming NEWSday, where I  talk about what's happening in the gaming world.  And sometimes I talk about something about gaming in general.  This week I want to write my thoughts on downloadable content, also known as DLC.  So, let's begin.

I am of the mind that if a company is going to make a game, it should be made available to every person at the time they purchase it.  The whole point of DLC is for the companies to get more money, right?  They withhold levels or weapons or characters so people can get the full game experience at an extra price.  I don't think this is fair, and yet I have succumbed to the temptation of DLC several times in my gaming life.

The first time I paid for DLC that was separate from the game itself (the Game of the Year editions of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or Fallout 3 don't count) was for Ubisoft's Prince of Persia.  I purchased the Epilogue several years after finishing the game.  You see, when I first bought the game, I didn't have PSN; so I had no clue that there was extra content.  The trophy list was full of trophies I could get without any extra content.  When I played the game after getting a PSN account, I noticed that there were more trophies that I hadn't seen or earned before.  That was when I paid for the Epilogue.

Since then, I have spent time and money at the PSN store; either looking at DLC I want for my games, or buying DLC for my games.  Recently, I went and bought all of the DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2.  Why?  Because I wanted the full game experience, with all of the characters that I can use and all of the outfits and all of the weapons (except the Xbox exclusive one).  Well here, take a look at what I have bought on PSN.

• Eufloria (it's a really nice game, so no complaints)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC
• Prince of Persia Epilogue
• Jetpack Joyride (the game was free, the coins were not - because I didn't want to spend any more time playing it)
• Back to the Future - Episode 1 (I think it was free)
• BUZZ! Quiz Player (another free one, I think)
• And all of the free DLC for...
• Need for Speed Most Wanted
• The Sims 3
• Portal 2
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
• And one avatar from Mugen Souls

The point is, I have spent money on something I truly feel should have already been given to me for free when I purchased the game.  Games already cost so much as it is, that we now have to pay more to get everything that was made for a game; and if this was 10-15 years ago, would be included in the game.

Don't get me wrong, there are some games whose DLC are so expansive that it seems like a completely new game in terms of content.  I would gladly give more money to Bethesda for DLC for Fallout: New Vegas and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; and I fully plan on it one day.  But I can't see myself paying for more cars in Need for Speed Most Wanted or more design choices in The Sims 3.  I think that the cars or extra chair types should be included.

As I have probably said before here, I am getting Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.  I am worried that I will be tempted to purchase an outfit on PSN because it will seem really neat or be of a job class I like.  I will have six extra outfits at startup because of

1. Pre-Ordering
2. Purchasing the Collector's Edition
3. Downloading the free demo
4. Posting battle score to outerworld, and
5. having save files of both Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2

Now, that should be enough to get me by, but I don't know how many of the 80 outfits will actually be available without purchasing them.  For all I know, the six that were featured in the demo are the only six available for free with the game.  The point of this rant is, if you are going to sell a game, it should have 100% of the game in the data on the disc.  I shouldn't have to pay ninety-nine cents for something that should have been there from the beginning.

Well, that's the end of this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  make sure to check back in on Thursday for the weekly review.  I haven't finished anything recently, so I may have to dig deep for a Review topic.  Oh well.  Until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Demo - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #3

Welcome to 3³ Gaming NEWSday!  I have a couple articles that I have written recently to share.  First, is the article I wrote about Final fantasy VI coming to Android.  And the second is what I wrote on the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo that was released today.  So, let's begin!

Final Fantasy VI now available for Android

Smartphone users, the wait has ended! Final Fantasy VI is no longer solely for iOS devices. Square Enix has uploaded two videos (one each in English and Japanese) today on its Japanese language YouTube channel announcing the Android availablility of this classic Final Fantasy title. To watch the video and for more information, continue reading.

After nearly one month since the release of Final Fantasy VI for iOS, the 1994 game is finally available for the Android market. Now you can play as Locke, Edgar, and Terra on the go and without an iOS device or portable gaming unit. This comes to relief of a huge group of gamers who have been asking "When does it come out for Android?" and "Why not Android?" since the iOS release. The game will be playable in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXUKWzcy33M[/youtube]

Lightning Returns Demo Released Today

As the days continue to count down on the release date for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the demo of the game featured at E3 was released through PSN and Xbox Live today. And there is also a free outfit for Lightning if you choose to download the demo. For more information, continue reading.
As posted by PlayStation Blog earlier today, the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo that had been featured in places like E3 and PAX is now available for download through PSN. The demo's content features Lightning as she looks for Snow Villiers, her former traveling companion during their quest to save Cocoon. He is somewhere in Yusnaan, one of the cities in the game, and it's up to you as Lightning to find out why and what's happening there.

One of the perks of downloading Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, beside getting a piece of the story before the game comes out, is that you get one of the costumes that Lightning can wear during the main game. For PlayStation 3 users, you obtain the Utsusemi Samurai costume (shown below). And for both Xbox 360 and PS3 users, if you activate the Outerworld functions and post your score after defeating Zaltys, you will receive the Siegfried costume. Outerworld is where you and thousands of other players communicate with things like posting battle scores, buying items, and selling items.



The download itself is 2.04 GB for the PS3 version, and it's 1.14 GB for the Xbox 360 version. From what I have heard from those who have played it, it is a nice demo. Here are what some EnixOrigin members have to say about the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo.


Well to me, it feels a lot different than the first two games. I know game sites kept saying the system is just a revamp of the first two, but doesnt feel like that to me. This is how the first two should have been. - Tev

The battle is more in the players hands this time around. Whereas before it felt like a scripted battle at times, because the game held your hand. -Vox

Needless to say, it sounds like the full game will be highly entertaining if the opinions on this demo are like this. So, don't forget to download the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo on either PSN or Xbox Live if you get the chance.

Well, that's all for this week's NEWSday.  Make sure to stop back on Thursday for the next Gaming Review.  And I hope no Game Over Screens are what you see!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Competition - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #2

As I was trying to find newsworthy material for this entry, I became curious about gaming tournaments.  Gaming competitions are newsworthy, so I found some dates for some tournaments.

GNEsports 2013 Championship
Registration: Closed
Event Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Start Date: Friday, Jan 17th, 2014 at 12:00 am
End Date: Sunday, Jan 19th, 2014 at 12:00 amGame Divisions:
Call of Duty: Ghosts (4v4) $175.00 / Team
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (4v4) $200.00 / Team

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Tournament
Registration: Open
Event Location: Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Start Date: Saturday, Jan 25th, 2014 at 12:00 pm
End Date: Saturday, Jan 25th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
Registration: Closes Saturday, Jan 25th, 2014Game Divisions:
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (4v4) $160.00 / Team

Welcome to THE K/D EMPIRE BATTLE GROUND
Registration: Open
Event Location: Sparks, Nevada, United States
Start Date: Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
End Date: Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014 at 8:30 pm
Registration: Closes Monday, Jan 20th, 2014Game Divisions:
Call of Duty: Ghosts (2v2) $20.00 / Team Details

Call Of Duty Ghost Search and Rescue and Team Deathmatch tournament
Registration: Not yet open
Event Location: Ridgecrest, California, United States
Start Date: Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014 at 11:00 am
End Date: Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014 at 11:30 pm
Registration: Opens Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014Game Divisions:
Call of Duty: Ghosts (4v4) $5.00 / Team Details

I searched for some tournaments over in Europe, because I know that there is quite a few reading this from there, but my search didn't come back as fruitful as it did when searching for some in America. In fact, it seems that most of the sanctioned tournaments with sponsors and whatnot are ending soon.  In Europe especially, a majority of the tournaments are ending on January 15, 2014.  However, that is for the traditional tournament style where you go to a big location and go against other teams/players head on.  The online games, like Hearthstone, are still going.  There is a tournament for Hearthstone starting on January 19, 2014.  For information about the Hearthstone tournament, and other European Tournaments, click here.

I guess while I am talking about gaming tournaments, I could discuss my experience in tournaments.  I have been in only one gaming tournament.  In December 2013, I competed in the Osu! Challengers Tournament in the Beginner's Level.  I am not really accustomed with osu!standard, but I wanted to try it out in a competitive setting.  I ended up finishing in 2nd Place.  It was fun, but it also reaffirmed the fact that I should remain an osu!mania player.  While training for the tournament, my rank in osu!mania dropped significantly.

I am thinking of changing the format for Tuesday entries.  Sometimes there isn't a lot of news that is fresh enough for me to show you here.  I mean, I will still link you to the stories and whatnot, but I would mainly just offer my opinions on the articles.  Anyway, I want to also talk about gaming experiences and other gaming related information as well, not just current news articles.  I will figure something out.

Well, that's all for this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  Make sure to stop back in on Thursday for the next Review Post.  I still haven't decided what it will be.  I am leaning toward Grand Theft Auto III, but I have finished a few games so far this year that I have a few to choose to from.  Anyway, I hope you see no Game Over Screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Free Login Weekend, Free Games, and More - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #1

Welcome to this first istallment of 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  I have a few news items I'd like to bring to all of your attention.  As I am just starting this whole news thing here on the blog, I figured I would start out slow and just share with you what I have reported on EnixOrigin.  I will also make sure to link you to the actual articles themselves, because it gives our site the hit, and hits are good. And don't worry, I will only use articles that I wrote for the site.  Maybe in time if I require more writers on this blog I will allow for articles authored by others.  But for now, what I write for the site is what I will post here.

Destiny VIII Teaser Site

Square Enix and mobile game  company gloops, Inc. are teaming up for what is rumored to beDestiny VIII.  The pair have released a teaser site giving that more will be known on January 8, 2014.  Continue reading for speculation on what it could be.Among Square Enix’s most famous titles, are a group of equally famous mobile games.  gloops, Inc. is similar known for its social games.  So, one can speculate that this Destiny VIII will be a role-playing game with social game aspects.  Some other sites are thinking it might be a game that incorporates characters from Final Fantasy VIII.  Square Enix has dabbled in social games before.  One of my favorites was Knights of the Crystals back at the end of 2011, a card battling game that made use of of Facebook friends also playing.

2 Square Enix Games Free With "Games with Gold"

XBOX Gold members get a treat this January by getting the opportunity to download and permanently own two Square Enix titles with their Games with Gold program. It is a great way to pick up these titles if you don’t already have them. Read more to find out which ones you can play for free for life.

The game Sleeping Dogs, a Square Enix title set in Hong Kong, is available for free with Games with Gold from January 1 through January 15, 2014 on XBOX Live. In Sleeping Dogs, you play as an undercover cop who is trying to take down the Triads. Normally priced at $19.99, it is an excellent opportunity to pick up this game.




And starting on January 16, and running until the end of January, you can get Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light for free with the Games with Gold program as well. In this game, you can either trek alone or with a friend as you face undead enemies while dodging deadly traps and collecting artifacts. You can nab this Games with Gold game for free instead of the $14.99 you would normally pay.

You only have a limited time to download each of these titles, so be sure to get your free downloadable copy. And unlike PS+ games you get for free; with Games with Gold, the free games are yours forever. Remember, Sleeping Dogs from January 1-15, and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light from January 16-31.

Final Fantasy XIV: ARR Free Login Weekend

With the recent release of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Version 2.1 Patch titled A Realm Awoken, there will be a Free Login Weekend starting January 11, 2014, and ending January 13, 2014. This is a great opportunity to explore the world of Eorzea if you haven't done so in a while, as there have been quite a few changes since the game first came out. For more information on if you qualify for this free login, and some thoughts about the game from one of EnixOrigin's staff members who's also an avid player of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, continue reading.




The recent patch 2.1 for Final Fantasy XIV brought the new Crystal Tower 24-man raid, more difficult encounters with primals, PvP battles in the Wolves' Den, and more. In order to let players who maybe haven't played in a while a chance to get back into it and experience all of these changes. the Final Fantasy XIV team has announced a Free Login Weekend for players that may have stopped for whatever reason.
In order to qualify for this Free Login Weekend, you must have previously purchased and registered Final Fantasy XIV and whose service account is set as inactive during the campaign period. *Please visit the “FINAL FANTASY XIV: Mog Station” to confirm the status of your service account.

The campaign period lasts from January 11, 2014 at 08:00 GMT to January 13, 2014 at 08:00 GMT. And if you need to download the client software, you may do so here.

Vox, a staff member of the EnixOrigin forum, has been playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn since the Summer of 2013 during the beta phase. He was kind enough to talk with me about his experiences in Eorzea and what he likes about Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. When asked about the changes the recent patch brought, Vox had this to say:

The game itself feels like a whole new world. Once you hit end game before you were pretty much left with only 2 dungeons to do over and over again. That became extremely boring and you had to do these to get the proper currency to get better gear. But with the new patch they have installed tons of new dungeons and multiple more engaging ways to receive said currency. Making the overall experience just fresh again. 

Before patch 2.1, leveling up to 50 was very tasking on a player; and in between major quests where you did not meet the level requirement, you had to do what was called " Fate Grinding", where you join other players in the open world and do the open world events as a team over, and over, and over again to get exp. But with 2.1, they have added more missions and more features to the Dungeon system, including increased experience. 

Before if you were a damage class, you'd be sitting in the waiting queue for a dungeon for 40 minutes up to an hour or more! But they added the new Duty Roulette system where any player can join any dungeon at random and they receive rewards for it as well. This adds a bigger player pool for people to play with, which means the queues aren't as long anymore. Not to mention you get a ton more exp from them now. So if there were any classes you wanted to try out that you never had the chance to because leveling up seemed far to tasking , it's been made achievable. 

Also they added PVP to the game and if you are the type to instead of fighting kobolds and dullahans you want to fight another player or challenge 4 players to a match, that new option is available to you. I personally haven't played much of it but its like a entire other community waiting for people to jump head first. There are so many new things to try out, learn, and experience with this new patch; and I'd strongly suggest any old players to at least give it a chance and come see it.

One particular new feature in patch 2.1 is the Crystal Tower. It is a 24-man raid that focuses more on the teamwork side of the game, rather than solo dungeon crawling. As Vox told me...

Upon walking in it may seem intimidating at first due to it's large size. It's very challenging to both the new player and the more hardcore player depending on what class they chose to use. Each class has a role they are responsible for in the raid. It's really heavy on team work and communication.

Vox himself has quite a few characters in Eorzea, including a Level 50 Summoner named Edward Elric and a Level 50 Tank called SonicThe'hedgehog. He even taught me a few things about the different kinds of characters. I had no idea that there were non-battling character classes in Final Fantasy XIV's world; like the Culinarian, that cooks food to gives players certain boosts and increases; Blacksmiths that make weapons and armor; Miners that mine crystals needed for item crafting, and Alchemists that make potions and magewear.

I asked Vox what his personal experience has been like playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and how it compares to other MMOs because he has been a MMO player for a long time. His response was

...it has been rare where I actually genuinely care about the story and progression of the world around me. A majority of MMO stories are just fodder to get you into the world. You really don't care much. You're only focused on getting stronger, and buying the bigger sword money can buy. But Final Fantasy XIV is just amazing at the core. The story is entertaining, it has plot twists and I actually couldn't wait to do the next mission to find out what happened next. Comparing it to any other MMOs I've played, they are lackluster at best. I can tell that Square Enix has taken a lot of time to get this game right. They put in tons of hard work and it shows.

And as for his favorite part about the game, his reason on staying with the game for this long, the reason is clear.

It's a combination of all the aspects of the game really, but if I had to pinpoint one thing it would have to be the world itself. I enjoy being inside the world with my characters, leveling them up alongside the story with the NPCs, watching how my actions impacted the world and what changed because of the missions I took on and how powerful I've become from where I started. I'm the type of player to just love watching my progression and comparing to where I am now to where I came from.

And if that wasn't enough to get you interested in playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, whether during the Free Login Weekend or anytime, Vox told me that the story of the game really gives players "the feels". There are characters from all throughout the Final Fantasy Universe, including Lightning, Cid, and others. Finally, Vox said that if you are the Midgarsomr server, feel free to add his characters SoncThe'hedgehog and Edward Elric if you need tips and tricks of the trade while playing. He is more than happy to help out anyone, and is willing to play along with any who ask him to join their party.

So get out there and take this Free Login Weekend opportunity to reacquaint yourself with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. With these recent patch 2.1 additions to the game, it is definitely worth another play.

And that's all of the gaming news I have for you this week.  I hope some of you take advantage of these opportunities for free gaming experiences.  If you want, leave a comment below telling me how the games are.  I like hearing about gameplay experiences almost as much as I like playing myself.  Well, that's all for this week's NEWSday.  Come back on Thursday for the first Gaming Review.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Psy, I, I! - SaturPLAY #1

I am going to first try and explain the sort of schedule I hopefully will have in 3³ Gaming.  Every Tuesday, I hope to have some gaming news stories.  Now, whether this will just be reprints of the articles I write for EnixOrigin, I don't know.  As much as I wouldn't mind that, because I love Square Enix games; it doesn't really serve the other genres of games well.  If I were to get news on the basic genres (RPG, shooter, sports, etc.), then I would be pleased.  I will be calling it 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  Lame, I know; but NEWSday rhymes with Tuesday, so it works.

On Thursdays, I want to post reviews of games I play.  Now, most of the games I play are at least five years old.  I figure that if I review older games, it may inspire other gamers to dust off their copies of these games, and also introduce older titles to newer gamers.

And on Saturdays, I will update readers on what I am playing.  Saturday entries will be called SaturPLAY.  Basically, what I am playing at the moment, what I have played in the last week, and what I am planning on playing.  Pretty simple concept, I think.  Anyway, it's Saturday here; so let's have the first SaturPLAY!

The first game I played this year was Spyro the Dragon.  It is a classic game that I have practically mastered in my years of owning the game.  Although, the first time I finished it, I didn't own it.  My brother's friend brought his copy of it one night that he stayed over.  He said I could play it, and I had it complete by the time my brother and his friend woke up the next morning.  I like platform games.  Most of them are easy for me to finish.  Anyway, since that first time finishing the game, I have played it maybe 20-30 times.  When I played it on January 1, 2013, I had the whole game finished within a few hours.

After that was finished, I brought out Atari Anthology.  It is a collection of 85 classic games from the Atari age of gaming.  I chose to play Double Dunk, a basketball-esque game.  In it, you play as a team of 2.  The characters are Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside.  I don't really understand the mechanics of the game, because basketball itself doesn't interest me.  I enjoy the statistical information of sports more than the actual sports themselves.  Anyway, it was all luck that I won.  I played three games total, and stopped playing when I finally won once.  The first game I lost with a score 2 to the other team's 10.  Then in the second game, I lost 3-11.  Finally, I won the third game 10-9.  Again, it was all luck, because I had never played that particular Atari game before in my life.  It was okay as a game.  However, it is painful to play games like that, because everything is all so...old.  But, games had to start somewhere.  I am sure if I had grown up playing Atari games, I would probably still love them to this day.  But I was raised on the Nintendo Entertainment System, so I will probably never know the appeal of Atari games.

It only took me fifteen minutes to play and win a game in Double Dunk, so I decided to play another classic game that I could finish quickly.  That game was Rugrats: Search for Reptar.  It was one of the first PlayStation game I had ever owned.  That, Crash Bandicoot, Disc 2 of Metal Gear Solid, and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces were the first games I ever owned on PlayStation.  Anyway, I managed to find all of the puzzle pieces for Tommy's puzzle within one hour.  I played the training level to get a boost in Reptar Bars, then completed the mini-games within the main game for some added Reptar Bars.  Sadly, the disc has had some major wear-and-tear over the years, and some of the levels are unplayable.  One of my favorites is Chuckie's Glasses, and I can't play it now because the disc is so scratched up.  So now I have to play only the levels that I know will work for me.

Normally, I leave Ice Cream Mountain for when I have someone playing with me, but I did the single player version when I played the main game this time around.  Other levels I played were Grandpa's Teeth, the Mr. Friend level, Mirror Land, the level in the Toy Store, the level in the Supermarket, and the one where Tommy has to get the light out of the refrigerator.  Each level I played reminded me of the episodes of the show that I would watch when I was younger.

And just today, I finished playing Katamari Damacy.  I wanted to play something fun and would keep me from being bored as I spent the day wrapped in a blanket because it was so cold outside.  I had to go to the store this morning, and I was really cold when I got back home (I ride a bike everywhere though, so I'm used to it).  This game was perfect for that, because I could just roll up my cares and worries and not think about the cold weather.

I was really skeptical when I first bought this game.  I saw it on the shelf at the store a few years ago, and I didn't know what to think.  The clerk working in the video games section was fangirling about it, saying that it was such a good game and highly addictive to play.  I can see why, because it is such a great game.  You can't help but be smiling as you roll up animals, people and buildings onto your katamari.  And the constellation levels are especially fun because they have a theme associated with them, rather than the regular levels in which you can just roll up any object.

And now I have two games I am currently playing.  I try to have a handheld game and a console game in my lineup.  The console game this week is Grand Theft Auto III.

I have only ever finished this game one time before today.  It is probably one of the hardest Grand Theft Auto games I have ever played, and it isn't really that hard to complete.  Right now, I have completed "Pump-Action Pimp".  I am only 4 missions into the game.  I am hoping to get all of the Hidden Packages this time around.  Right now I haven't found any of them.  But just so you know, I am not above using the Internet to help me in situations when I need help with a video game.  That is how I found forums and whatnot.

The handheld game I am playing is Pokémon Black 2.  I have owned the game for several months, but I never played it because I had been working on Pokémon White (and still haven't finished).  Right now in Black 2, I am at Floccesy Ranch.  I have caught six Pokémon so far in the game, but I have only spent time making Oshawott stronger.  I want to try and play through the game using only Oshawott, but I still want to try and do the whole PokéDex thing and catch them all.  I normally train a specific type of Pokémon when I play any of the games in the franchise.  This time I want to train water types, especially after seeing that Psyduck is in this game.  I haven't caught one yet, but I hope to catch one.  But the only training I will do with Pokémon other than Oshawott will occur once I have an Exp. Share, if there is one in this game.  But you know, I just caught an Azurill, and I have never had an Azurill in any of the games I have played before.  I think I want to play with it and make it stronger.  I still want that Psyduck as well.  I'd bring all of the water types from the different generations together and be a better Water trainer than even Misty.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this first edition of SaturPLAY.  I know I am going to enjoy writing it each week.  Make sure you come back on Tuesday for the first edition of 3³ Gaming NEWSday, where I will come up with some gaming news for you to sink your teeth into.  And expect a review on Spyro the Dragon this upcoming Thursday.  I hope that by then I have a catchy (and cheesy) title for Thursday entries.  So, I guess that's all from me for now.  Again, thanks for stopping over here and reading this.

I hope that you see no Game Over screens while we are apart!

Michael, me3lingual