Wednesday 26 June 2013

Weekly PlayAsia Deals (June 25 - July 2)

Plenty of good deals this week!

Tomb Raider (US $24.90) - Buy Tomb Raider for PlayStation 3 (PS3) / Buy Tomb Raider for Xbox360 (360) /
Tomb Raider (US$21.90) Steam CodeBuy Tomb Raider (Code Only) for PC CD-ROM (PC)
Whether you like Lara Croft's new look or not, this game still is selling well. In fact, stocks for the sale ran out before I posted this but PlayAsia managed to secure more stocks. Don't let it slip again if you intend to get this game.

Far Cry 3 (US $24.90) - Buy Far Cry 3 for PlayStation 3 (PS3) / Buy Far Cry 3 for Xbox360 (360)

Awww damn, been thinking of getting this game if I find a good deal, after my sudden interest in the Far Cry Vaas figurine. Rishi, a friend of mine, has also gave game a thumbs up. But I have been buying stuff for my new Vita. So due to budget being stretched, will sadly have to pass on this for now.

Amazing Spiderman (US$18.90) - Buy Amazing Spiderman for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Hmm.. I haven't been following this game so I'm not sure how good this is. It seems to have Playstation Move features, web-slinging perhaps? Anyone played this game? Please do let me know what your opinion is about it, in the comments below.

Mortal Kombat - PS Vita (US$19.90) - Buy Mortal Kombat for PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita)
Ahh.. Just what I wanted.. If I didn't have store credit in my local store Qisahn, I would have definitely got this deal. I already bought this at Qisahn, so will be picking it up later after work. With the store credit, that deal was definitely better than PlayAsia's.

As usual, check the right side for more weekly and daily deals from PlayAsia!

Saturday 22 June 2013

Fashion Tips for the Haze in Singapore

So, if you are aware.. there is a major haze affecting Singapore and other countries in the region.
Of course, the air is polluted and everyone is urged to wear a mask if you are outdoors. While it is definitely advantageous to wear a mask, I still see many who don't wear it. 

Why? Of course, I wear it at times when the haze is really bad but I hate wearing it. Makes me look like a sick man, unfashionable as well and I'm sure many do feel the same. So I thought of some fashion tips for gamers in the region. Just some tips on how to look cool, show off your gaming sense and most of all, stay safe..

These are some of the N95 respiratory masks that are recommended to protection against the pollutants in the air..
Kinda ugly eh? Here are some games that you pick up some fashion tips from..

Mortal Kombat
If you are a Mortal Kombat fan, you can wear these masks over the respiratory masks.


  
They come in several colours and you can pull off that ninja look if you can get the whole costume.

For ladies, the masks are pretty much the same.

  
Of course, if you decide to go with the entire costume, then be ready for the extra attention. Whether that's a good or bad thing, you decide. ;)

If you are not intrigued by the klassic masks, you can get the new, more extravagant designs instead..

Watch Dogs
If Mortal Kombat is too abnormal for you, try getting something more "normal" that won't make you stand out in the crowd.
The Ultimate Hacker look will not get any heads turning but the cap and bandana will mask the respiratory mask just nice. You can put on a pair of shades and no one would recognise you. It definitely works, just ask any celebrity who wants to avoid the paparazzi.

Fallout / Borderlands
If you are really paranoid about the haze affecting your health, go all out. During chemical warfare, soldiers use gas masks with filter canisters to prevent any chance of getting contaminated air into their lungs. Be it a Borderlands bandit or like the guy in Fallout, you too can gear up as your favourite gaming characters while being absolutely safe from the haze. No N95 masks required underneath.

Army of Two
If you are out with your best buddy or bro, you can consider covering up with the Army of Two masks. While you are at that, you can get into character by fist-bumping every once in a while. You can borrow mine if you like.

Minecraft
If you are MineCraft fan, this may be more to your taste. Sure as hell, covers your entire head. No one will recognise you and no one will ever know you are wearing the respiratory mask.

Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed fans and history enthusiasts will know that in older times, doctors used this mask to protect themselves from diseases.
I'm not sure how well this will protect you from the haze so you might still want to wear the N95 masks under this one. Do be careful not to poke anyone with that long beak.

There you have it, some of my recommendations on how gamers can look cool while disguising the ugly respiratory masks. The haze is expected to stay on for a while, so everyone is definitely encouraged to wear a mask when going outdoors. With the PSI levels well into the hazardous levels, do not take chances

I have my gear, the Spec Ops Cap and Bandana..


So what do you think guys? Like my recommendations? Do you have any other games or characters that you would prefer to take inspiration from? Do let me know in the comments below and help your gamer friends in the region affected by the haze.

Late Birthday present from the wife!

Got a really cool present from the wife for my birthday. She had already told me she wanted to get it for me but I had told her to hold on in case of a price drop at E3.

So 1 month later, it's here!
She got the entire bundle, PS Vita Wifi Set, a 16GB Memory Card and a digital $50 PSN card. Awesome!

First game I downloaded was GTA: Vice City Stories. I was planning to play through the entire GTA series in chronological order as a build-up to GTA V but that seems to be a long shot. Technically, that's a PSP game so I'm looking out for some good PS Vita games. AC: Liberation and Mortal Kombat are my top priorities but the cross-play and cross-buy features, will be something to consider in other purchases.

Definitely a good time to get a PS Vita now as it will give me ample time to familiarize with the  features before I get a PS4. 
Awesome stuff, can't wait to check out the best that the Vita has to offer!

Wednesday 19 June 2013

PayDay 2 Collector's Edition Revealed?

Hmm.. Spotted this PayDay 2 Collector's Edition Details. Not sure if it's officially revealed yet since I haven't seen news of it on any of the major gaming sites.

There is no pic of the Collector's Edition either but I have seen on several sites that the contents of the CE will be: Latex mask of main character, Tyvek wallet that looks like roll of $100's, blue surgical gloves, Digital DLC loot bag with extra money, and DLC guns.

Edit: CollectorsEdition.org has found more info on this CE
The CE will be called PayDay 2 Career Criminal Edition and it will be be numbered and limited to 50K units (30K Xbox 360 and 20K PS3).

Edit: Found the pic!

US Retail price is at around US$60; $20 more than the standard edition which is at about US$40.


Many of the big online retailers don't seem to have it listed either but it's on Amazon and Play-Asia right now. I believe both retailers will ship this internationally, so you can pre-order yours at these sites if you like.

Play-Asia's Links
Buy Payday 2 (Collector's Edition) for PlayStation 3 (PS3)
Buy Payday 2 (Collector's Edition) for Xbox360 (360)

Amazon's Links
PayDay 2 (Collector's Edition) for PS3
PayDay 2 (Collector's Edition for Xbox 360

Here's a look at probably the coolest Bank Heist ever.

 

Edit: ~More info added~

Source: CollectorsEdition.org

Don't update today's PS3 4.45 patch yet!

Just a heads up guys! Looks like there is a problem with the latest PS3 update. After installing the update, some people's PS3s are getting stuck at the load-up screen and it seems they can't even do a system restore.

All the details here. So for those, who are unaffected, don't let your PS3 update the latest patch for now.

Here's a link to the Sony Official forums for those who are affected. Hopefully, a solution can be found soon.

Edit: Noted by someone on the forums, it seems the update is affecting upgraded HDDs, but it's still best for everyone to stay away.

Mortal Kombat Legacy Season 2 coming in September!

It has begun!



Oh well... not yet but it most probably might be releasing in September 2013. No official announcement yet but it was posted on Facebook by one of the actors after the cast attended a screening. 

Just in case, you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's my previous update.

Can't wait for the tournament to begin. Also hoping to hear some updates about the movie soon!

Source: Mortal Kombat Online

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Adding Instagram Feature on the Blog!

I was motivated recently to try instagram-ing a little more. I have been taking photos of my new additions previously via Instagram but I want to experiment a little more after seeing some really nice photos in Instagram from other collectors. 

The photos probably won't be fantastic but we all have to start somewhere. I have put up a widget on the right and I believe that it shows the 4 latest photos. For now, I will try to take a few pics every 2-3 days and see how it goes, probably more often later.

Some of my "better" pics..
Do feel free to check the blog for updates on my Instagram or you can "follow" me on Instagram itself. My ID is JVeron004. New additions to my collection are usually seen there first. ;) Oh and if you are a collector and take pics of your collection, do let me know as well. I love looking at other people's collections!

Chiku Chiku Enjoy!

Monday 17 June 2013

Army of Two The Devil's Cartel figures and mini-bust announced!

GameForged has announced 4-Inch figures of Alpha and Bravo from the Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel game. 

No actual pics of the figures have been released yet but here's a pic for now..

At 4-Inches, they are rather small. Wish they made the figures in 6-Inches so they would be in scale with the NECA's Army of Two figures. I have never heard of this company either so not sure on the quality of their figures. They are scheduled to be released on July 20 in New Zealand.

Here's a mini-bust from the same company as well, scheduled for release around September 2013.

Not bad, though a little small as well.

Not sure about this company, GameForged but they are doing several other video game figures and busts from Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell and Crysis.

Do check out the rest at the source links below!


Friday 14 June 2013

Got me some The Last of Us!

Just got back home from collecting these..

The Asia Collector's Edition and the Steelbook Edition of The Last of Us. Sadly, the Collector's Edition isn't mine. I'm helping someone get this. I'm a modest guy so I just pre-ordered the Steelbook Edition.

Some pics of the Collector's Edition..

The front..
The back with contents..
The side.
Other Side..
If I were a sealed collector, I would be quite disappointed with this. The full-sized artbook is literally attached to the side of the Collector's Edition. The difference between the Post Pandemic Edition (US Version) and the Asian Collector's Edition is the art-book. US version gets the mini-artbook and Asia gets the full-sized artbook. I'm guessing the full-sized artbook doesn't fit inside so they just attached it to the side. Come on man, make a bigger box!

Rather silly eh.. But of course if you are going to open them all up.. Who the fuck cares?!!

Of course, this isn't mine so you won't be getting to see pics of the contents inside.. I got some pics of the contents during the preview event so you can check them out here..

Anyway, here's a pic of my modest purchase..
Was actually thinking of holding on getting this but all the fantastic reviews and of course my own trial of the game during the preview event changed my mind. No way, I was going to miss out on all the excitement, with what could potentially be a Game of the Year. The reviews have really brought up the hype of this game, with many sites giving it a perfect 10 score. Thus far, I have tried to stay away from written reviews to avoid minor spoilers as much as possible. I don't want to know what I should be expecting from the game.

Multiplayer has also been a blur to me. Only saw 1 article talking about the online multiplayer and I ignored it  completely. Will be going into this game with little knowledge of what to expect to keep the game exciting. Can't wait to play later tonight!

Assassin's Creed IV Cel Arts

Got these Assassin's Creed IV Cel Arts a while back.


These were given out to Gamestop Employees in USA.. Similar to Lithographs, these Cel Arts come in a hard cardboard frame. The art is identical to the Gamestop Pre-Order bonus, only much smaller.

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity that shows they are limited to 31,500.
Ok.. At 31,500 copies, they aren't exactly limited but still nice to have an indication of how many of these were actually produced.

Cool stuff, but being exactly the same art as the posters, I kind of regret buying those. These ones look better but that's fine, I'm sure I can find a use for the posters.

I also bought the Watch_Dogs Cel Arts, those should be arriving any time soon. Looks like I'm losing the battle against the temptation of buying art pieces..

Thoughts on Sony's E3 Press Conference Part 2

Continued from Part 1..

After that, I was lost for a bit when they started showing the Indie Games and Japanese Stuff..

Then came the reveal of the Playstation 4..


All kinds of win during their reveal! 

The ability to play used games brought out a huge cheer of approval. Personally, I don't buy used games as I am very picky about having mint copies of my games. Don't want the hassle of keeping a look-out for scratched discs, mint cases etc. Call me old-school but the feeling of tearing off the plastic wrap off a brand new sealed copy and the smell of mintness still appeals to me.

However, allowing used games will give me the option of selling away some games that I might not want to keep. So, definitely good news for me here.

Playstation 4 owners would also not be required to login online every 24 hours to play games. This is in direct contrast to X-Box One's requirement. Definitely, +1 to PS4 here. Yea I know that it is the year 2013 and basically 99% of gamers would have a internet connection. So, what's the big fuss? While the huge majority of gamers would have an internet connection, not everyone would have access all the time. 

What if my Internet is down for a few days? What if I want to bring my console over on a holiday but there is no Internet access? Thankfully, I won't have any of these problems to worry about. However, to be fair to Microsoft, I think there is more to it. They have yet to talk about the benefits and address some of the issues about the 24-hour online requirement. Really should have done better with their Press Conference.

So, being a Playstation 3 owner and having owned a PS2 before that, I don't see any reasons to switch over now. The lower price of the PS4 console is another advantage! 

My preferred games like Infamous: Second Son are still exclusive to the Sony Console. Other favourites like Assassin's Creed IV, Watch_Dogs, Batman: Arkham Origins are all getting exclusive bonus content on the PS3/PS4. More is always better! I do have to mention Killer Instinct was pretty cool but disappointingly, it will be a X-Box One exclusive.



This game looks really cool and looks like my kind of a fighting game. Really hoping that it will come to the Playstation 4 in the future.

So, in a nutshell.. I'm pretty glad with Sony's Press Conference. The requirement to be a PS Plus suscriber to play online was a small downside but I'm fine with that. There will be plenty of advantages to cover the amount paid. Still hoping to hear more exclusive games for the PS Vita though. 

Other than that, I'm definitely excited an looking forward to owning a PS4. Habitually, I don't buy new hardware so early in the cycle so I won't be rushing to get one this time as well but time will tell. 

Some of my close friends have also been impressed by the PS4 over the X-Box One and while they currently are not convinced about the PS3 over the X-Box 360, they will be crossing over the fence for next-gen. Great news to have more friends on the console to play with.

So what do you guys think? Still sticking with Microsoft or are you a new convert? What about Playstation fans? Anything interesting you find with the X-Box One? Do feel free to share. 

I still have plenty to write about this year's E3 so do visit again!

Thursday 13 June 2013

Thoughts on Sony's E3 Press Conference Part 1

Just some thoughts on Sony's Press Conference at E3.. I'm sure you all have heard the news already so nothing new here..

Show started off with some PS Vita updates... Disappointingly, there was nothing much to talk about. It didn't seem like Sony wanted to spend too much time on it. Quite understandably, the focus of this year's conference was the PS4 but it was a concern that there was nothing outstanding to push more Vita sales.

They did say there would be over 85 games coming to the Vita but there were hardly any trailers or game demos on show. However, there was a mention about Dead Nation coming to the PS Vita, might be worth checking out. Oh and Walking Dead fans will be glad to know that there will be a Walking Dead bundle for the Vita with DLC and bonus content.

I am considering getting a PS Vita soon and was hoping for a price drop as well, so was also disappointed not to hear anything regarding a price drop.

Then the big game trailers started rolling in..


The Last of Us: Unless you have been living under a rock, TLOU is the big news apart from PS4 for Playstation fans. Reviews have been excellent and this might be the Game of the Year. Probably not.. there's still GTA V! I personally thought of passing on this for now and get it on a latter date but then.. decided I'm not going to miss out on the party. (Game is out this week and speaking of which, I wanna do a write-up before I get the game.. Something like a "looking forward to" post)



Batman Arkham Origins: The Arkham games have been fantastic so far. This one isn't done by Rocksteady studios like the first 2 games but should still be just as good. I'm not a Batman fan but the games have been really good so I won't want to miss out. Probably not a day one purchase but will definitely get it.


Several other games were mentioned.. some more interesting than others.

 
Beyond 2 Souls is a game worth checking out but will want to see more before I make my decision.


The Order: 1886 looks promising with co-op game-play quite possible from the looks of the trailer.


Transistor: Ok, got to admit I have no interest in this game but it got me excited for a second.. Why? The female character reminded me of Elika from the 2008 Prince of Persia game. (I'll talk about my infatuation with the Prince of Persia series another time.. Probably when I blog about my thoughts on the Ubisoft Conference)


Anyone else see the resemblance?

But my personal favourite of all the Playstation Exclusive games they showed was..


Infamous Second Son: Probably my most favourite PS Exclusive series. Really enjoyed the first 2 Infamous games and I wanted more. This game is looking great, gameplay-wise and visually. I can't wait to see more of this. Only downside is that I won't be getting a PS4 early so I might only get to play this later.

The press conference that lost me a while before the Ubisoft games showed up. Assassin's Creed IV and Watch_Dogs are at the top of my want list for this year so definitely great to see those. Will talk more about this later.


Mad Max: Mad Max! Haha while watching the trailer live, I was actually thinking to myself.. "This looks like Mad Max". It wasn't a guess, it was just a thought that crossed my mind so it was funny seeing that it was indeed Mad Max.. I knew I was good but I didn't know I was that good!

To be continued..

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Back from Holiday!

Just got back from a short holiday!

Had fun, been following E3 as I brought along a laptop but didn't have the time to blog. I'll be writing about my thoughts and comments from what I have seen so far... Assassin's Creed IV, Watch Dogs, Infamous: Second Son, The Last of Us and plenty more have made this year's E3 one of the most exciting in recent years, on a personal level. 

Of course, there is also the huge next-gen console war to talk about..What war you guys might be asking, after seeing the announcements.. *Chuckles*

Plenty of stuff to talk about but I need some rest now and would probably want to watch the conferences and game demos a couple more times first.. Updates coming soon, stay tuned! 

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Scorpion joins the Injustice Roster!

I don't have the Injustice game on console but I love Mortal Kombat and especially Scorpion..

Check out the trailer..


Very cool design and I like it. I think it fits well with the other characters in Injustice: Gods Among Us.. That said.. I wouldn't want to see this design in the next Mortal Kombat game. He looks great on his own but I don't think he fits well with the other MK characters.

Still very cool.. Perhaps a figurine of him in the works?

Tuesday 4 June 2013

Weekly PlayAsia Deals (June 4 - June 11)

New deals for this week!

Dead Island: Riptide (US $21.90) -  Buy Dead Island: Riptide (PS3) / Buy Dead Island: Riptide (Xbox360)
Relatively new game that is less than 2 months old so surprised to see this up on sale so early. Worth a buy if you are interested in this.

One Piece: Kaizoku Musou 2 (US $39.90) - Buy One Piece: Kaizoku Musou 2 (Japanese Version) (PS3)
Very popular game from what I have heard. The deal comes with a special Premium Costume.

Nothing much that interests me apart from Dead Island Riptide but you may have different tastes.. Do check out the bar on the right for more PlayAsia Deals this week.

Monday 3 June 2013

Late night Rant...

While waiting for my Marvel Heroes patch to finish downloading, I needed to rant..

If people are going to use the pics that I took from the Last of Us Event, I would think that it would be common courtesy to link back to the Original Post or at least say where it was taken from. Guess not everyone has the basic courtesy I guess.. 

I have already seen my pics on a Arabian site who just copied several of my pics, a eBay seller who is using the pics to sell his statue and some guy on a forum posting 1 of the pics as if it's his own. What a bunch of crap..!

Edit: Even Gamestop UK is using my pics now.. They better send me some commission for that..

Anyone else experienced this? I don't really like going to the extend of water-marking my pictures but is it a necessity? Or should I just let it slide.. I dunno, I'm just a little annoyed.. Tell me what you guys think..

Saturday 1 June 2013

Assassin's Creed IV Hidden Blade Replica Revealed!

The previously announced Hidden Blade Replica from McFarlane Toys has been revealed. Not to be confused with the NECA version which was a replica of Ezio's Hidden Blades.

This, of course, is of Edward Kenway who will be the Assassin protagonist in AC IV.

These are the features according to the listing at Gamestop:
- Realistic, intricately sculpted plastic blade
- Highly detailed simulated leather gauntlet
- Spring-loaded retractable plastic blade
- Blade trigger release and blade safety lock
- Includes Bonus Skull Buckle replica
- Item Dim: 16.5" H x 6"W X 4"D

The blade is made of plastic so.. Assassin-fanatics don't get any ideas.. It is listed at US$39.99 at Gamestop, fair price I guess.

So far, I have yet to see Edward using 2 hidden blades so yet to decide if I'll get one or 2 of these...That reminds me, I have yet to get the hidden blades from NECA. All these hidden blades in my home is going to get the family panicking..

Anyway. more pics.. (Click to enlarge)

 photo Edward_Kenway_Hidden_Blade_1_zpsbedfc185.jpg  photo Edward_Kenway_Hidden_Blade_3_zps8a09e793.jpg  photo Edward_Kenway_Hidden_Blade_6_zpsaa0c35a5.jpg
 photo Edward_Kenway_Hidden_Blade_2_zps6595724e.jpg  photo Edward_Kenway_Hidden_Blade_4_zps75f962bc.jpg  photo Edward_Kenway_Hidden_Blade_5_zpsade50526.jpg
 photo Edward_Kenway_Hidden_Blade_7_zps52756bf7.jpg  photo Edward_Kenway_Hidden_Blade_9_zps43b2c0d4.jpg  photo Edward_Kenway_Hidden_Blade_10_zps6cbb2de0.jpg

Source: Gamestop