Gears of War 3

            The video game that I decided to review is none other than Gears of War 3.This game is a hot new title that just dropped in the past month. Gears of war 3 is a game for the next generation gaming platform specifically created and rights restricted to the XBOX 360. Now because this is a video game there are a multitude of aspects that went into creating it along with mass numbers of bodies that spent tireless man hours turning a concept into reality. With that being said I want to focus on the game designer, graphics engine, control configurations, level design, and sound/audio.

          

  The first section that I wanted to touch on was who ultimately was responsible for creating the game. The answer to that is a company called Epic Games out of North Carolina. Because of the Gears of War series or “GOW” they were put on the map by being declared the designers of the year when the original came out. Hopefully they will have the honors again when every household has a copy of GOW 3 this year. Besides Gears Epic Games is responsible for a multitude of other titles. One of these titles being the Unreal line which includes Unreal Tournament. The reason I mentioned this is so that we can transition into my next topic which is the engine that was used on Gears of War 3, which just happened to be taken from the engine created to sustain the Unreal games.

           

The engine used in the Gears of War 3 game is called the Unreal 3.5 engine. (Wiki GOW3)  In the past two games the graphics have always been good but in the latest installment they are great. With the update to the 3.5 they were now able to have a crisper picture and a better feel for making the environment come to life. On the web page Games Thirst they said that because they wanted to bring up the quality of the images they had to sacrifice their 60 frames per second in order to make the improvement. (Game Thirst) Although in my opinion the best part about an Unreal engine is the fact that the game has what gamers call rag doll physics. This means that when a character gets shot or blown up it is like they are a limp rag doll and they slink to the ground or fall from where they are hiding. It’s just an extra perk in my eyes and to gamers like myself. Now that we know why the game looks so good we should look at why it feels good as well. This leads us to controller configuration.

           

 When it comes to video games the bottom line is always how it plays. You could have the best sound, graphics, and even story line but if it has clunky controls the enjoy ability factor goes out the window. Gears of war has always had seamless controls and the newest installation doesn’t disappoint. With the basics still the same they have also added in a few new features. As the old saying goes if it aint broke don’t fix it.

           

      Once the graphics and the controls were taken care of the next thing that had to be addressed was the need for somewhere to use these features. That’s where level design comes in. Quinn DelHoyo is a level designer for Epic Games and it was said that he found that  the levels in this game come together very streamline and that it is a nice one-two punch when couples with the graphics and the narrative. This game has a multitude of levels though they call them chapters. While I played this game it took me roughly four days on and off to complete this game from start to finish. However, with the replay ability factor and multiplayer online capability there is a limitless factor to how much this game can be played thanks to mapping and level design coupled with the interactive environment. The only thing that could make it better would be to have a great score or audio to go with it. Oh but wait a minute it does.

           

          The last technical element that is needed in a great video game like in a move is sound and background music. Have you ever tried to play a game with the sound off? If you have you know it’s not the same and the game with its fun factor get scaled down. The audio allows for you to put yourself in the game and let your imagination believe that you are in the situation with your favorite playable character. For Gears of War 3 the composer was the same as in the second game. His name is Steven Jablonsky and he has done music for a lot of well known things. For example he was the composer of the Texas chainsaw massacre and most recently the Transformers movies. That may have been a different outlet but shows he’s been in the game so to speak for a long time.

                                     

            All and all as an assessment for Gears of War 3 for the XBOX360 this game would have to be given a solid 10 out of 10. I do not say this because of just the storyline and because I have been playing since the first gears but because when you put in all the technical elements that I have just discussed this game makes for one heck of a ride. The visuals put you inside the game while the controls let you feel like you’re actually making a difference in the fight. Once in the fight you as the player and as the avatar you use the audio to immerse yourself deeper into this virtual world. These games were designed to let people escape reality and be someone else. This game hits the nail on the head and it was able to do so because of the advancements in technology such as the Unreal 3.5 engine used in this game. I would suggest it to any and everyone.

           

Links of sites used

http://www.unrealengine.com/showcase/gears_of_war_series

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gears_of_War_3

http://www.gamesthirst.com/2010/05/25/gears-of-war-3-vs-gears-of-war-2-battle-of-the-engines/

"Gears of War 3 VS Gears of War 2 – Battle of the Engines." Game Thirst. N.p., 5/25/2011. Web. 26 Oct 2011. http://www.gamesthirst.com/2010/05/25/gears-of-war-3-vs-gears-of-war-2-battle-of-the-engines/

"Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Gears of War 3. N.p., 10/26/2011. Web. 26 Oct 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gears_of_War_3.

OFFICAL GEARS OF WAR 3

http://youtu.be/Wysw2tlB5i4

How Technology Secretly Rules our way of life

Part B. Tech diary day

On a day to day basis the majority of the world’s population uses technology more than they actually realize, I myself am an example of this statement. When the task of creating a tech diary was purposed in class I personally felt that I would not have very much to put into it besides a few texts here and a call there. However, after yesterday I will never underestimate my technological daily uses again. On October 23, 2011 my tech diary day began. I split this journal up into three sections in order to capture every element of technology that was used from the time I wake up until I return to sleep.

                                                                  

To start the diary I will begin in the morning. When I first woke up at 9am I saw that I had a text message waiting for me. This is a normal everyday thing because it is my girlfriend saying good morning. So right at the start of my day technology is already a part of my life. From there it was time to eat breakfast and get ready for class. When I got in my car to go to class that was when I noticed a bulk of technology I use. Recently I purchased a 2010 Camaro and it’s fully loaded. That means heated seats satellite radio, USB port for my IPod, and a GPS with on star. During my trip that averages forty- five minutes to class I use my cell phone, CD player, Sirius radio and most likely my IPod. Before getting out of my car I needed to call my mother to ask her a question and because I was still in my vehicle my hands free feature in my car came on and my call was filtered through the car speakers. Once at school and in class I text on and off for the majority of the class which lasts roughly an hour and forty eight minutes. While in that class the professor uses a projector to teach so I wanted to add that in because it is effecting my day. The next section of my documented day would be my afternoon.

               

In this next section of my tech diary I will focus on my tech uses during the bulk of my day. Going from my first class I have a few minutes to get to my second. While on the way to that next class I throw my IPOD on and listen to some of my favorite music to pass the time. Once in the next class I pull out my laptop and pull up the slides for that class in order to better follow along. Again in this class like the next my attention isn’t being held so I text on and off for the next hour. When I get to the point where I can’t take it anymore it’s time for FaceBook or a computer game. Once class is over my IPOD goes back in my ears and I listen to music until the bus has taken me back to where I parked on the other side of campus. The car ride to work is the same as the trip described on the way to school. Once I get to work I have to be signed into my cash register at Meijer by 3:30 pm. The cash register alone is a form of technology that I use for eight hours a day a majority of the days during the week. While at work when I do not have any customers my cell phone is on and I will text or play games until a customer comes to me. That covers the afternoon portion of my day and it’s time to move onto the last part or the evening.

When my night is beginning to wind down my texting becomes slowed and more spaced out. After work is over I get back into my car and go back to my house for the night. After dinner is when the newest piece of technology comes into play. With my girlfriend going to school almost three hours away Skype has become a great way to get face time during the week. After that we exchange a few texts and then go to sleep. That concludes my summery of my tech diary day.

After looking back on my day I can say that I use technology far more than I ever thought I did. From when I get up to when I go to bed technology plays a key role in my life. I would say that my time is well spent for the most part. However, I do think that at a few points in my day putting down the technology would prove to be more beneficial. With that being said I can see why in this technological era people grown more dependent on their devices by the day.

As far as totals and tallies for my technology use it was very shocking

1.      Text sent                             178

2.      Text received                     152

3.      IPOD                                  1 Hour

4.      Satellite radio                      90 Min

5.      Cell Phone                          16 Hours

6.      Electronic Cash register      8 Hours

7.      Laptop                                  2 Hours

8.      Skype                                    2 Hours 38 Min

I would say that I am an early adopter. I do like to grab the newest technology as it comes out however, not only because I don’t want to be the last one to have it but because with every advancement in technology it gives more room for growth as a culture. I would also say that I am dependent on this technology but not on an unhealthy level. Technology is a way of life and today’s diary proves that.