Author Bio
Caley RoarkHome Town: Lancaster, PA
Sports: Football, Baseball
Games: NFL 2K5, MVP 05, NBA 2k series, Civilization
Teams: Phillies, Eagles, Sixers
OS Username: CPRoark
Tags: Live: Mr Rockit
Friday, April 12, 2013
02:58 PM - April 12, 2013. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Learning to drive doesn’t require any real knowledge of how a car works. That said, many people take real pleasure in learning the intricacies of the combustion engine anyways. From there, they can tinker and tweak, with the end result being greater (or at least more personalized) performance.
The same can be said about Dynasty League Baseball Online. You can jump in with only a basic understanding of how the game works, and still find success. But with a little bit of study, you’ll unearth the complexities of the game; in doing so, you’ll set yourself up for a great--and very deep--game of baseball.
Read More - Dynasty League Baseball Online Review (PC)
Friday, March 15, 2013
12:01 PM - March 15, 2013. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
During the spring of 2003, console owners had a wealth of choices when it came to choosing a baseball title: All-Star Baseball 2004, High Heat MLB 2004, Inside Pitch 2003, World Series Baseball 2K3, MLB Slugfest 20-04, and MVP 2003. While not all are considered classics today, most offered something unique for gamers, or, at the very least, helped to launch several different classic baseball series.
Ten years later, the well has seemingly run dry on MLB baseball games. Xbox owners have only one choice, save for a few arcade releases--the best (MLB Bobblehead Pros) was just recently pulled from sale and is no longer available. PS3 owners have it a bit better, but current reviews of MLB 2K13 probably reduce the amount of viable choices in half as well.
The question now becomes, who is going to develop baseball games on the XBox platform and when can we expect to hear from them?
Read More - Where Does Major League Baseball Go From Here?
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
12:56 PM - March 6, 2013. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Your opinion of MLB 13 The Show is going to depend, in large part, on what kind of consumer you are. If you embrace “the new” and thrive off of flashiness, or drool over revealed feature-sets, you are probably going to feel slightly disappointed with what The Show offers this year. Those feelings are completely understandable.
However, if you simply appreciate quality titles, regardless of how much they’ve changed, you will almost certainly come to see MLB 13 The Show as the best console baseball game to date.
I have.
Read More - MLB 13 The Show Review (PS3)
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
10:53 AM - December 18, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
The debut of the Wii U signals that the end of a (rather long) console generation will soon be upon us. And, while neither Sony or Microsoft has released firm details regarding what’s next, the end of a year seems like a good time for reflecting on what has been, and looking at what’s to come.
I’ve was recently given a unique opportunity to interview representatives from both Microsoft, as console maker and first-party publisher, and Majesco, a third party publisher; mainly to evaluate how the Xbox has performed as a console for sports games.
Kudo Tsunoda (General Manager of Microsoft Studios),Tony Chien (Majesco Senior Project Manager), and Jon Black (Majesco Producer) answer my questions, and help reflect on the relationship between sports gaming and the 360.
Read More - A Sporting Look At the Xbox 360 (Interview)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
11:41 AM - November 27, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Like Wii Sports, Sports Champions was a “throw in” game, coming bundled with the Playstation Move controller. And like Wii Sports on the Wii, Sports Champions may just be the best Move game--meaning both systems started strong, but failed to live up to initial offerings.
Sports Champions 2 looks to break that slide, with six sports and increased single and multiplayer options.
Read More - Sports Champions 2 Review (PS3 Move)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
05:45 PM - November 20, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
I’m not a hunter, though I have many friends who are. And while sitting in the cold waiting for an unlucky animal doesn’t appeal to me, the actual hunting part--the self-reliance, careful aiming, stalking prey--does seem exciting.
So it would stand to reason that a hunting video game would be thrilling without the physical and ethical messiness. Enter Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013, the newest in a long line of branded hunting games. Does this game capture the thrill of trailing an animal, carefully aiming your shot, and bagging the big kill?
Read More - Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 Review (360/PS3)
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
02:50 PM - October 16, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
I think because it come out early in the year, MLB: The Show is often overlooked and/or underrated come “game of the year” voting time. The rapid fire releases of Madden, NHL, FIFA, and NBA games, not to mention this year’s late slate of racing titles, can overshadow a game that typically drops in the first quarter.
However, I think MLB: The Show is, and has been, the best virtual representation of a sport on the market today. Its quality and improvements aren’t necessarily flashy, but, like baseball itself, the game is full of nuances and details that make it a deep and strategic experience.
That said, it has never been perfect either. Gameplay issues, like too many comebackers to the pitcher, can mar the proceedings. The modes are deep, but not always accessible or exciting. Online has certainly been a mixed bag.
Assuming we all want these well-known quirks to be fixed, here are my top five wishes for MLB: The Show...either next year or next generation.
Read More - Top Five Wishes for MLB 13: The Show
Monday, October 1, 2012
02:07 PM - October 1, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Is it possible for a game to be enjoyable, innovative and completely functional, yet nearly unplayable all at the same time? I wouldn’t have thought so, until I played NBA Baller Beats.
Read More - NBA Baller Beats Review (360 Kinect)
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
11:51 AM - September 25, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
I was in college when I first bought a console with my own hard-earned cash: the very popular (at the time) Nintendo 64. And while I could show off Goldeneye 64 to my dormmates with a Playstation, they typically made fun of my sports game options.
For a number of reasons, recent Nintendo consoles haven’t been the best platforms for sports gaming. For every exclusive gem (Home Run King, Wii Sports, Power Pros), there’s a bad port or worse: an empty space on the shelf.
With the Wii U now priced and dated, here’s a quick look at how Nintendo’s new offering is shaping up for sports gamers.
Read More - Sports Gaming on the Wii-U
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
11:46 AM - August 29, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Last summer, I found out that the World Boardgaming Championships were held about 15 minutes from my house. Intrigued, I stopped in to see what exactly drew 1500 people to this week long convention.
I found out that this boardgaming community is not unlike our own video gaming group. In particular, there is a small but passionate group of sports gamers. These (mostly) guys engage in games that replicate the intricacies of baseball, football, NCAA basketball, and racing. Truly, the only major difference is the medium in which the games are delivered. We push buttons; they roll dice.
One of the games demoed at the convention this year is called “Lords of Baseball,” a GM simulator that replicates the same things many of us love about Out of the Park or MLB: The Show’s franchise mode. I got to ask the developer, Max Jamelli, a few questions about the game, since I felt it would appeal to a large segment of users.
Read More - Lords of Baseball: Board Game Baseball GM Simulator
Thursday, August 16, 2012
01:08 PM - August 16, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
The Madden NFL 13 demo is out and our staff has some impressions of this year's Madden to share in our traditional roundtable format. Is Madden going to be worth $60 this year on gameplay and presentation alone? Read on to find out our opinion on the matter.
Read More - OS Roundtable: Madden NFL 13 Demo Impressions
Read More - OS Roundtable: Madden NFL 13 Demo Impressions
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
12:47 PM - August 14, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
You would think a game based on the games of the Summer Olympiad would release with a bit more fanfare, but Summer Stars 2012 seems to have slipped in under the radar. Perhaps it is the lack of any official licensing -- or, you know, “Stars” -- that has driven the game into oblivion. I had trouble finding it in any local stores.
But, regardless of lack of press or publicity, if you enjoy track and field games, this one may be one to try.
Read More - Summer Stars Review (Wii)
Friday, August 10, 2012
03:11 PM - August 10, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, with some notable players switching teams. Sportswriters and armchair GMs across the internet have voiced their opinion on the trades, often with no clear consensus.
For fun, the following players have been run through Out of the Park 13's “Shop Player” feature, to see what the game’s AI GM's would have given up in exchange for these traded players.
To be clear, this pseudo-simulation is using OOTP’s base roster set, and was executed at the trading deadline of a simmed season. Yes, not having the same standings or statistics eliminates a lot of the context of these trades, but hoping/waiting for completely mirrored results isn’t practical. Also, the shop around feature doesn’t group packages; the players mentioned would individually seal the deal for the computer AI.
Read More - The MLB Trade Deadline as Executed in OOTP Baseball 13
Thursday, August 2, 2012
01:01 PM - August 2, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
It’s been a while since we’ve covered a Wii game; it seems the platform has truly become the lame duck we expected after the announcement of the Wii U. However, there occasionally comes a sports game that is truly unique to the platform, and therefore, deserves at least a passing look.
One of these, and perhaps my favorite, was Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. This title featured some decent mini-games, as well as an impressive Festival Mode which reproduced the entire Olympiad.
Released last winter was the sequel, Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Does this game hold up to its predecessor, and does it capture that certain Olympic “magic?”
Read More - Mario and Sonic at the 2012 London Olympics Review (Wii)
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
11:54 AM - July 18, 2012. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
The All-Star Game represents the mid-point of the current MLB season, but often signals the end of gamers' time with current MLB games. The facts are that these games are nearly six months old and football tends to dominate the late summer scene. Here are some tips to keep your current MLB game fresh...
Read More - Five Ways to Avoid the All-Star Slump With Baseball Games
Working...