One thing about long plane rides to Tokyo is that I get a lot of time to read. During this trip I read an interesting article about how "going viral on the Internet" is really just a myth. The article stated that popularity on the Internet is not about a lot of one-to-one shares of information but instead come from large corporations or celebrities. For the most part I have to agree with the article but then decided to do a little research.
First I plugged the title of the article into my favorite search engine and got several hits. Unfortunately you can't look at the article as it came from a print magazine and the only way to get to the article is to have a paid subscription. That doesn't help for links in blogs and so I won't reference it. The 3rd hit pointed out that the author of the article I read just released a book and while I thought the article was actual news, it turns out to be an ad for this book. I wondered how a print magazine with so few advertisements could remain in circulation. Now I know, a lot of the articles are really just advertisements. So much for journalistic integrity and trusted editors. For the record, that magazine just went in the garbage and I won't be reading it again.
Looking at my own blog and the traffic it receives, I have to agree with the article that "Going Viral" is a myth. I have kept at this since 2009 with 71 posts per year and only get about 10 or so readers per posting. Factor in the search engines that stumble across my pages and one is tempted to believe that nobody really reads anything I write. However there is one exception: my Photoshop-clone article. That one article from 2009 has hundreds of page views. No, I wouldn't consider it to have "Gone Viral" but it does help prove the point that in order for something to go viral, it has to be worth viewing.
I have a fairly recent post that surprised me by its popularity: a video game review of Sniper Ghost Warrior 2. For some reason, this review has become my most popular. I don't think I did a particularly better job of reviewing the game compared to other games. Instead I think the content set it apart. Perhaps the impending release of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 has a few people wondering if they should go back and play the 2nd game before starting the 3rd.
Personally I believe that "Going Viral" is a real phenomenon, it is just rare. Sort of like being struck by lightning or winning the lottery. The content has to be worth viewing, you have to sell it to everyone, and you need a bit of luck.
Showing posts with label Sniper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sniper. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Video Game Review: Sniper Ghost Warrior 2
Back in April I finished the Sniper: Ghost Warrior and wrote a review. I've had the second version for several months now and finally got around to playing it last week as I wanted a quick game to get through before the Thanksgiving holiday. The two games are very similar in that you are a US Marine sniper sent on a number of missions. Some of them involve sneaking around without getting caught while others require you to shoot people from a very long distance.
As I have mentioned before, I enjoy playing first-person shooters and so I had fun playing this game from City Interactive. As with the first version of this game, it is not a triple-A title and so don't expect a lengthy story or overly complex action. The maps are fairly simple and the 6 or so hours it takes to play the game feel about right for this title. They did do a great job on the scenery and the only glitch I noticed in the game engine is when it saves your progress to disk. That didn't interfere with the game play though. You should be able to find this for a very inexpensive price. I played it on my PlayStation 3 and most of those games can be found in the $5 bin at Walmart or Best Buy.
The game has an ESRB rating of M for Mature due to graphic violence and strong language. I played it alone on my boat and so nobody got offended by the language. However if I had tried to play this at home, headphones would probably have been a requirement. I recommend this game to any young adult that enjoys first-person shooter games and needs an inexpensive Christmas present. I paid next to nothing for my copy and would not recommend paying more than $7 for the game.
As I have mentioned before, I enjoy playing first-person shooters and so I had fun playing this game from City Interactive. As with the first version of this game, it is not a triple-A title and so don't expect a lengthy story or overly complex action. The maps are fairly simple and the 6 or so hours it takes to play the game feel about right for this title. They did do a great job on the scenery and the only glitch I noticed in the game engine is when it saves your progress to disk. That didn't interfere with the game play though. You should be able to find this for a very inexpensive price. I played it on my PlayStation 3 and most of those games can be found in the $5 bin at Walmart or Best Buy.
The game has an ESRB rating of M for Mature due to graphic violence and strong language. I played it alone on my boat and so nobody got offended by the language. However if I had tried to play this at home, headphones would probably have been a requirement. I recommend this game to any young adult that enjoys first-person shooter games and needs an inexpensive Christmas present. I paid next to nothing for my copy and would not recommend paying more than $7 for the game.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Video Games I have Been Playing
I am stuck at the airport yet again and so I thought I would add to my blog seeing as I have sort of neglected it over the past couple of months. I tried to think of an interesting topic and reread the last video game review I wrote. Since then I have completed some really great titles and so I thought I would write about what I have been playing. None of the games are very new and so including multiple games may help you select a very inexpensive game worth looking at if you have not already played it.
When I finished playing Sniper, I had a number of games to choose from. While Sniper played well, I wanted something a little more mainstream and popular. There are a number of PlayStation exclusives in my library and so I wanted to get through a few of them before sequels arrive on the PlayStation 4. I selected God of War as the next game. I had heard a lot of good things about it and have a copy of the remastered version for PlayStation 3. It originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2005 and has been around for a very long time. I have to note that I do have a copy for the PS2 as well.
I must confess that I have actually been to Santa Monica studios where they originally developed the God of War series. It is a great place to visit and the people that work there are awesome. Therefore I am probably not an impartial judge of their game and can't really write an unbiased review. What I can do is say that I really enjoyed the game. There are certain games that you cannot put down once you start playing them. I often found myself playing late into the evening when I should have been sleeping.
I enjoyed playing God of War but it is not a title I would recommend for children or teenagers. There is a lot of nudity and violence. The nudity is animated and cartoonish but I would not have wanted my son playing this game back when he was a teenager. Regarding the violence, at one point you have to BBQ a captured soldier. Even though it is just a video game, I thought that to be a bit over the top.
I finished God of War and thought about playing the sequel. Instead I chose to play a different sequel from another PlayStation exclusive: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. I provided a review of the first Uncharted game and want to complete 2 and 3 before starting 4. Of the first 3 games in the series, the second one is my youngest son's favorite. Once again I have to excuse myself from trying to write an unbiased review for this game. I love all things about the Uncharted series and own copies of the first 3 games for both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 consoles as well as Golden Abyss for the Vita. I also have a copy of Uncharted 4 still in the plastic waiting for me to finish the other titles before I play it.
As with God of War, I really enjoyed playing Uncharted 2. However I found it much easier to put down in the evenings and didn't try to continue playing late into the night. One reason for that is that Uncharted is divided into nice chapters that serve as great stopping points while God of War just keeps going in one long epic video game. When I would get to the end of a chapter, I looked at my watch and decide if I had time for another one or should head to bed. Don't get me wrong, I would have preferred continuing to play, I just found it easier to break away from the game.
As I mentioned, my youngest son really loves Uncharted 2 and took offense when I told him that it had a similar story to Uncharted 1. He scolded me and said they have different characters, different environments, and are nothing alike. I actually beg to differ. You run through a series of trials where you solve puzzles, kill bad guys, and ultimately lead the main bad guy to a special power that can be used to create immortal soldiers. Looking back on both games, you would have been better off sitting on a beach in the Caribbean or Hawaii. After all, the bad guys aren't smart enough to get to the supernatural power on their own.
Both God of War and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves are fairly old titles and can be found rather inexpensively. A quick Internet search revealed that you can purchase each of them used for less than $10. Considering their original selling price and how much fun I had playing them, they are real bargains. I played both on my PlayStation 3 even though Uncharted 2 is also available for the PlayStation 4. I just have a PlayStation 3 on my boat and that is where I play most of my video games. Soon I will replace it with a PlayStation 4 but until then I am trying to get through a huge backlog of PS3 games.
When I finished playing Sniper, I had a number of games to choose from. While Sniper played well, I wanted something a little more mainstream and popular. There are a number of PlayStation exclusives in my library and so I wanted to get through a few of them before sequels arrive on the PlayStation 4. I selected God of War as the next game. I had heard a lot of good things about it and have a copy of the remastered version for PlayStation 3. It originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2005 and has been around for a very long time. I have to note that I do have a copy for the PS2 as well.
I must confess that I have actually been to Santa Monica studios where they originally developed the God of War series. It is a great place to visit and the people that work there are awesome. Therefore I am probably not an impartial judge of their game and can't really write an unbiased review. What I can do is say that I really enjoyed the game. There are certain games that you cannot put down once you start playing them. I often found myself playing late into the evening when I should have been sleeping.
I enjoyed playing God of War but it is not a title I would recommend for children or teenagers. There is a lot of nudity and violence. The nudity is animated and cartoonish but I would not have wanted my son playing this game back when he was a teenager. Regarding the violence, at one point you have to BBQ a captured soldier. Even though it is just a video game, I thought that to be a bit over the top.
I finished God of War and thought about playing the sequel. Instead I chose to play a different sequel from another PlayStation exclusive: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. I provided a review of the first Uncharted game and want to complete 2 and 3 before starting 4. Of the first 3 games in the series, the second one is my youngest son's favorite. Once again I have to excuse myself from trying to write an unbiased review for this game. I love all things about the Uncharted series and own copies of the first 3 games for both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 consoles as well as Golden Abyss for the Vita. I also have a copy of Uncharted 4 still in the plastic waiting for me to finish the other titles before I play it.
As with God of War, I really enjoyed playing Uncharted 2. However I found it much easier to put down in the evenings and didn't try to continue playing late into the night. One reason for that is that Uncharted is divided into nice chapters that serve as great stopping points while God of War just keeps going in one long epic video game. When I would get to the end of a chapter, I looked at my watch and decide if I had time for another one or should head to bed. Don't get me wrong, I would have preferred continuing to play, I just found it easier to break away from the game.
As I mentioned, my youngest son really loves Uncharted 2 and took offense when I told him that it had a similar story to Uncharted 1. He scolded me and said they have different characters, different environments, and are nothing alike. I actually beg to differ. You run through a series of trials where you solve puzzles, kill bad guys, and ultimately lead the main bad guy to a special power that can be used to create immortal soldiers. Looking back on both games, you would have been better off sitting on a beach in the Caribbean or Hawaii. After all, the bad guys aren't smart enough to get to the supernatural power on their own.
Both God of War and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves are fairly old titles and can be found rather inexpensively. A quick Internet search revealed that you can purchase each of them used for less than $10. Considering their original selling price and how much fun I had playing them, they are real bargains. I played both on my PlayStation 3 even though Uncharted 2 is also available for the PlayStation 4. I just have a PlayStation 3 on my boat and that is where I play most of my video games. Soon I will replace it with a PlayStation 4 but until then I am trying to get through a huge backlog of PS3 games.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Video Game Review: Sniper: Ghost Warrior
Several years ago I started playing Sniper: Ghost Warrior from City Interactive. Somebody gave me the game for free and I played it for about an hour. I put it on the shelf and never got around to playing it again until recently. I felt the need to find a short game that I could complete in a few hours and so I picked it up again as it has an average completion time of five or six hours.
I am a fan of first-person shooters and so I had a lot of fun playing the game. One thing about a sniper-type game is that you can take your time and methodically move through it. You don't win points by rushing through the missions although there are times when you do need to hustle. I only have an hour or so in the evenings a couple of days a week and so it took me about two weeks to run through all of the missions. The first ones take a bit more time while the ones towards the end seem to go quickly. It is almost as if they wanted to make a ten-hour game and decided to cut it by four hours just to get it out.
Sniper is not a triple-A title and so I would not pay more than $15 for it. Especially since it released in 2010. Should you find the game to be a lot of fun, there is Sniper 2 and Sniper 3 also available. I have a copy of Sniper 2 that I picked up super cheap but have yet to break the plastic cover on the game.
Sniper is rated Mature (M) for violence and strong language. Some of the kill scenes are rather graphic. Fortunately you have the option to skip watching them in slow-motion. I would not recommend the game for young teenagers or children but think older teenagers and adults might enjoy it. I played it on my PlayStation 3 but the game is available for the X-Box 360 and PC.
I am a fan of first-person shooters and so I had a lot of fun playing the game. One thing about a sniper-type game is that you can take your time and methodically move through it. You don't win points by rushing through the missions although there are times when you do need to hustle. I only have an hour or so in the evenings a couple of days a week and so it took me about two weeks to run through all of the missions. The first ones take a bit more time while the ones towards the end seem to go quickly. It is almost as if they wanted to make a ten-hour game and decided to cut it by four hours just to get it out.
Sniper is not a triple-A title and so I would not pay more than $15 for it. Especially since it released in 2010. Should you find the game to be a lot of fun, there is Sniper 2 and Sniper 3 also available. I have a copy of Sniper 2 that I picked up super cheap but have yet to break the plastic cover on the game.
Sniper is rated Mature (M) for violence and strong language. Some of the kill scenes are rather graphic. Fortunately you have the option to skip watching them in slow-motion. I would not recommend the game for young teenagers or children but think older teenagers and adults might enjoy it. I played it on my PlayStation 3 but the game is available for the X-Box 360 and PC.
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