MikeAntonucci
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Extended PSP battery gets positive review
Ready to fork out $100 on a new PSP battery? It appears that the recently revealed "15 hour" battery from Blue Raven seems to get the job done. Although the battery increases the size of the system, Mike Antonucci from The Mercury News, notes that it adds a great deal of comfort to the system: "The battery comes as part of a rubberized, five-ounce half-shell that the PSP slips into easily, leaving the back of the device encased in a manner that offers a comfortable, balanced grip."There are a few flaws with the battery. One, users must remember not to plug the AC adapter into the wrong port. Using the port on the system may be damaging. Also, $100 is still quite a sizable amount to spend. However, the peripheral comes with a great recommendation: "I'd buy [it] as a consumer."Those interested in purchasing the battery can visit Blue Raven.[Thanks, Joel!]
Hoping for better in-game stories next year
Mike Antonucci of the San Jose Mercury News posts three game wishes -- resolutions he hopes to impose on others -- for the new year, including a demand for games to have good stories. He estimates that 95 percent of games have no story compared to movies, books, or other kinds of entertainment. We strongly agree and disagree with his hope for more story; games that have plots should have strong stories within the gameplay, and games without plots should skip storytelling altogether.Too often, games try to behave as movies. We understand the urge to follow other established conventions; game design is still a young form of expression, and new mediums naturally emulate old ones. But games are unique. We want to play, not watch; unraveling a story within the gameplay is ideal, but waiting for cut-scenes gives us half of a game and half of a movie. Designers, if the story doesn't belong in the action, it doesn't belong in the game.
