Shadow of The Colossus Movie Adaptation

Fallout 3: Broken Steel DLC

In this DLC pack which gets released Tuesday (May 5), the player will join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel and rid the Capital Wasteland of the Enclave remnants once and for all.

In addition to amending the main quest to let players continue their adventures after the end of the main quest and raising the level cap to 30, Broken Steel's quest line is announced to be of the same length as the ones of Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt

Broken Steel will also add a couple of new side quests, most of which have to do with escorting freshly processed clean water across the Wasteland and protecting it from Raiders. Broken Steel will take about five hours to complete and side missions could take up to an hour to finish.

Are Games a Distraction from Real Life?

Sometimes I contemplate whether games distract us from what is happening in the real world. Games these days have very high budgets and are considered to be as important as the movie industry.

The only difference with games is that you are interacting with them. Watching a film for a few hours takes your mind off of what is happening in the world but after the movie is over, you go home and face reality. With games however, you play for as long as you want. The game becomes your 2^nd reality that you start to put your time and effort into playing.

Being engrossed in games helps to take your mind off of actual events and issues happening around the world such as the economy and politics. You may forget about your financial difficulties or the job you hate doing. Games are a good form of escape, but is it not important to know what is happening in the real world?

Obviously not all gamers are so absorbed with their gaming habits but there is a minority that really do not care and have no idea what is happening in their own back yard.

Do any of you keep up to date with current events and issues or are you too busy building up your XP in World of Warcraft?

Who Says Girls Cant Play Games?

I dont know how I managed to stumble upon this little gem but I was pleasantly surprised and entertained after watching some of Sadies reviews.

In a nutshell, Sadies Gaming Infection is brought to you by one person playing 2 roles. Doctor Sadie prescribes video games to her patient, UltraNeko. She plays the game for the first time and records it so the audience can see her genuine reaction to the game. She plays for about 10 mins then stops and reviews it.

It's a very interesting approach to say the least. Her mannerisms are cute, she is pretty sweet looking and very funny. Her humour would appeal to most guys along with her appearance. She has loads of videos on YouTube as well as a website and blog.

I would strongly suggest you guys take a look at her material if you are going to be writing about girl gamers.

She plays games better than some guys I know!

Anyway go to http://www.sadiesgaminginfection.com/index.html and check out her stuff.

Guaranteed to entertain and make you laugh!

Gaming Evolution

I was recently playing on my Xbox 360, thinking about how consoles have evolved. I was reflecting on the notion that today’s generation of gamers have it pretty easy when it comes to acquiring various media. They are spoilt for choice. Thanks to the internet, gamers can now download arcade games onto their hard drives as well as movies and game add-ons.

Back in the days before the internet, I had to go to a specialist import store to get my games. I used to pay around £60 for imported Japanese or American titles whereas games nowadays cost anywhere from £30-£40.

Thanks to the internet, gamers can use sites such as eBay, Amazon, Play and various other import sites to acquire games without having to wait for the official release dates for their respective territories. Not only do they save money, when compared to high street retail prices, the convenience of clicking and ordering makes it a more desirable shopping experience, provided that they have a debit card.

Gamers can download arcade classics straight to their hard drives for less than £10. Demo games are freely available to download without having to buy a games magazine. Users can order movies, chat to each other and even play online. When you look at what these consoles can achieve compared to 10 years ago, they have come a long way not just technically but socially as well. The games industry is an ever expanding business and even games studies are being taken more seriously.

The question is… where does it all go from here? Do the graphics get more real? Will we be interacting with consoles without the aid of controllers? Will we be plugging our minds into the games we play a la The Matrix?

Technology is moving at a fast rate and our imaginations are leading the way. Maybe one day we will be fighting on a virtual battlefield or flying a spaceship at neck breaking speeds from the comfort of our ‘virtual-booths’ in our living rooms.

The Gamer's Initiation

The other day I was sitting in my room playing on my Xbox 360, thinking about how I got my first ever console. My uncle loved video games and he was the first person who got me into gaming. He started out with a Commodore 64 before getting a Sega Mastersystem then the Megadrive. When I saw his home console, I was bewildered by the graphics, the sound and the way the games worked. I remember the first ever console I owned was a Super Nintendo with Street Fighter II and 2 controllers. My uncle bought it for me second hand from a swap shop in Accrington, Lancashire.

I was 13 years old.

In the 14 years that ensued, I have owned a Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo DS, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation, Sony Playstation 2, Sony Playstation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360.

Video games are now a huge part of my life. Not only do I play games but I also study them, as well as write about them. Certain people at some point in their lives grow out of playing video games, as did my uncle. For me however, games are an integral part of my life and so I don’t think I will ever grow out of playing them or stop being involved with in some way, shape or form.

Who got you into gaming and what was your first ever console?

A life without Video Games

I was just thinking the other day, what on earth I would be doing with my spare IF video games didnt exist?

How would I spend my free time?
What would I spend £40 on instead of games?
What other hobbies would I take up?
What would your life be like without Video Games?

Can I get an honest response from anyone?

From Helghan with Hate - Short review of Killzone 2

Killzone 2 has been a fervently anticipated game when it was unveiled at E3 four years ago. The game was hyped to such a point that it was perceived it wouldn’t live up to its high expectations. Four years later and an average score of 9 out of 10, Killzone 2 has delivered a ferocious masterpiece of a FPS.

No magnum opus comes without its flaws and Killzone 2 is no exception, although in the grander scheme these issues are negligible. The controller configuration is slightly awkward and does require some compromise. The AI can at times be anything but ‘Intelligent’. In heated fire fights the NPC’s occasionally get in your line of sight as well as constantly being in need of a medic. Some of the voice acting is weak which doesn’t add depth to its on screen character, the only exceptions being Brian Cox and Sean Pertwee as Emperor Visari and Genreal Radec.

However what Killzone 2 does get right amidst its beautiful graphics, excellent sound and jaw dropping set pieces, is an unrivalled FPS experience. Despite not bringing anything new to this genre, it does set the benchmark which future FPS games should aspire to. The game takes place on a war torn planet known as Helghan. The graphics beautifully capture the gritty essence of the brutality that unfolds on the screen. The washed out colours may seem bland and dull to some but this further highlights and portrays Helghan’s battle-damaged environment.

The orchestral score of Killzone 2 creates the atmosphere of the game whilst the 7.1 digital surround sound enhances it. Distant skirmishes can be heard in the rear speakers creating a feeling that you are a small part of something much bigger. All of the weapons have a realistic sound when fired and being fired upon which encourages you to take cover in the frantic fire fights.

The storyline is not compelling but it’s also not unconvincing. The narrative can be rewarding if you pay attention to it. On the contrary you could completely ignore it and just play the game. Whichever way you look at it, you’re not detracted from the gameplay elements. Killzone 2 has replay value thanks to the various difficulties, the trophies system and the hidden intel files. The multiplayer further adds to the games longevity which is welcomed by most FPS genre fans.

Killzone 2 delivers on all fronts and achieves what most games cannot, living up to and surpassing all expectations. You will not be disappointed with this game.

The Game of Greed: Game Content and Expansion Packs

How often do you re-visit a game that you have completed many times before? How frequently do you wish for a sequel to your favourite game?

In today’s games market you no longer have to wait years for a possible sequel or tirelessly replay a game over and over again. Game developers can now deliver game expansions to existing titles through the Xbox Live and the Playstation Store Network. Depending on the popularity of a title, certain games can be extended by additional levels and new storylines.

This is certainly a step towards the right direction; however it does come with its flaws. Game developers now have a tendency to churn out games at an alarming rate whilst relying on delivering patches and fixes via the network after its release. The games are made public in a hurry and have a lot of bugs and glitches which will require patches and fixes. Another problem with this approach is how much value for money consumers actually get. You pay around £50 for a game that you can finish under 10 hours. A few months later the developers release new levels, suits, and weapons etc for the game that you need to pay for.

My question is, shouldn’t these have been included in the game in the first place?

I can fully understand when developers like Bioware (Mass Effect, 50+ hours of gameplay) release new levels to intensify the longevity of their game. Not only do you get value for money but you can also enjoy newer levels and storylines. Contradictory to this approach, there are games that are very short in duration. After being released, new content that should have been included in the final product go live on the network and are available for purchase at around £10 on top of the original £40/50 already paid.

I find this not only disgraceful on the developer’s part but also inconsiderate towards gamers. I appreciate that creating games is a business but a line has to be drawn; otherwise consumers will be paying for games that last no longer than 6-7 hours. I do believe in quality over quantity but there needs to be a balance. I also think that gamers need to get value for money when they are paying around £4.00 for a suit that does nothing other than aesthetically look good.

Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are releasing new songs EVERY week for around £3.00 a song which is quiet steep when compared to iTunes store of £0.99p per song. If a game is built on this model, where you can purchase new content on a weekly basis, then at least make it more affordable. I strongly believe in supporting films and games that I like but when the costs are a little too vast, it makes me wonder whether my support is even needed.

How NOT to Teach a Non-Gamer Pt.1 - Guitar Hero

Today I’ve turned one side of my room into a gaming dojo. I’m going to attempt to teach my girlfriend how to play Guitar Hero. She has dyslexia which is going to make the task even harder. Her hand to eye co-ordination is rusty and she’s never played this type of game before.

I’m an optimist…

I don’t know it yet, but I’m in for one hell of a day!

I start by showing her how to grip the guitar controller before even turning the console on. I explain how the strum bar works and the easy way of playing the notes. I don’t even bother with the whammy bar or advanced techniques yet. I’m sticking to the basics for now.

One hour later.

Okay so I’ve made some progress teaching her how to play the first 3 notes, green, red and yellow. The only problem is that she is using the lefty flip which means instead of playing the notes with her left hand and strumming with her right, she is doing the opposite. This also means that the buttons have been mirrored as well. I am not familiar with this layout so it makes it harder for me to teach her.

I pick an easy song for her in the practice mode and select the slowest speed. I tell her to only focus on 2 colours at a time before attempting to play all 3. Her problem is her timing. She’s not too slow, she’s too fast. She keeps playing the notes before she is supposed to. I try to explain to her that she needs to listen to the music and ‘feel’ the beat. This would help her with the timing and get her to nail those notes on time.

She doesn’t listen.

She attempts all 3 notes and keeps missing them. Now I’m not a patient person at the best of times so this ordeal is frustrating me to the point that I just want to turn the console off. I promised myself that I wouldn’t lose my cool. Not this time. I had already made that mistake with Little Big Planet but that’s another story for another time. She keeps looking at her fingers and again missing the notes. She is butchering the song. I start chewing my inner lip to restrain myself from saying something stupid. I make a point that she is only using 3 notes/colours, so how can she keep forgetting which finger goes with which colour?

I start to sound very condescending and patronising which isn’t helping things. It’s easy to forget that non-gamers don’t think the way gamers do. They’re not used to the timing or ‘feel’ of a particular game. She now tells me to leave her and let her do it her way. I explain that her way isn’t working out well but she insists. She is very stubborn. I wave a dismissive hand and end up walking out the room with my book and leave her to it.

3 hours later…

I can actually hear music, good music. I step into the room to find her playing perfectly to Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger. She is nailing those notes. I am in total shock. She finishes the song and gets 98% and a note streak of 102 and looks at me with a smug look on her face.

WOW!

I turn on the 2nd guitar controller and select to play bass for the next song. I turn the amp volume and bass right up. She chooses to play Mr Brightside by The Killers. We both stand up and start rocking out.

By the end of the song I wonder to myself how much of this is down to me and how much of it is her. It doesn’t really matter. This is another trial that we have both overcome individually and as a couple. I now look forward to playing Guitar Hero with her more often.

Flowing Motion

Ever wondered what it would feel like to control the wind? In thatgamecompany's latest PS3 title Flower, you do exactly that. You control one of nature’s most powerful forces but in a majestic and constructive way.

You are a zephyr.

Utilizing the Sixaxis to its fullest potential, you start by controlling a single petal. All the buttons will do the same thing, blow your petal faster. You go from one flower to another collecting more petals until you end up with what looks like a long multi colored flower petal dragon.

Technically this can be seen as a third person point of view as the game uses the camera angles very cleverly and always focuses on one particular petal so you don’t lose your way.

The control is extraordinary and breathtaking.

Using the Sixaxis has never been so easy and responsive. All developers should take a leaf out of thatgamecompany's book before making a game that utilizes the use of the Sixaxis. The freedom of the 360° movement allows you to guide your petals effortlessly whilst being able to see your surroundings. You can negotiate around all of the obstacles in the game with relative ease and grace.

Flower has a very distinct and solid art direction as well as a responsive control system which collaborate to make this game a smooth and relaxing experience.

Clean, Play, Eat

It’s Saturday which means it’s my gaming day. I wake up to a messy gloomy room. Me and my girlfriend’s clothes are scattered all over the room from the night before. There’s two empty glasses of wine on my extremely large desk and an empty wine bottle. There are traces of melted wax from last night’s candles. I think I can even see some of the chocolate we ate off each other.

In essence, my desk is a mess, yet it’s supposed to be the central hub for all my digital media. I keep my PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Sony Amplifier and Ipod docking station on my desk as well as my Sony Bravia 40” LCD TV. This is supposed to be my shrine. I have been neglecting the one place where I can sit down and connect to the Internet, watch a film, write a blog or play a game.

I’m a very meticulous person and quiet surprised with myself for letting things get this bad. My girlfriend has already left for work so I get up and start cleaning up our room. I clear all the clothes and remove anything that doesn’t belong on my desk. I get the desk wipes out and polish it clean after dusting it. I vacuum the room and open the windows to air it. Once the room is spotless and my desk is gleaming, I can finally relax.

The thing is, I don’t really feel relaxed if my room is a mess. I find it hard to do anything, whether it’s playing a game, watching a film or doing my homework. My room needs to be clean and my desk organised for me to feel at ease.

Now I can sit down for a gaming session. My Xbox 360 sits to the left of my TV and the PS3 to the right. Beneath my desk I keep my Xbox and PS2. Between all of my consoles I have around 150 games.

What do I play?

It’s still morning time so I’m in the mood for a light, relaxing game. I put on Guitar Hero World Tour on the Xbox 360 and play that for a few hours. No one is home so I turn the 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound right up. The bass is making my insides shake. This is great!

After my fingers and my ear drums get sore I stop playing and go downstairs to the kitchen for some food. It’s just past noon so I make myself a nice and healthy light lunch. I prepare a delicious chicken pasta with plenty of vegetables and a rich tomato sauce. It takes me no more than 20 minutes to make. After enjoying my meal, my carbohydrate levels are up again and I’m ready for some more gaming.

The weather outside has got cloudy and dark so I play a game that reflects this. My choices are usually influenced by my environment. On dark, rainy days I like to play cosy games or watch cosy films. I decide to play Shadow of The Colossus, one of my favourite games of all time. The isolation, soundtrack and dark tones are perfect for a day like this. I play that for around 3 hours then decide to eat some more.

It’s around 15:30 so I make myself a cheese and salad sandwich and go back to my gaming. This time I put on Dark Sector on the Xbox 360 and play that for a few hours. I’m trying to play 3 games that I haven’t finished yet. Dark Sector, Tomb Raider: Underworld and the new Prince of Persia. Once these games have been completed I can focus my attention on other games. I usually prioritise what games I play.

Once I finish a game, I move to the next one. When my games have been completed, I go back and play them again, this time I try to achieve things I didn’t the first play through. These days the developers add more depth to games as well as bonuses which makes the games more replayable and enjoyable. They also include downloadable content which adds longevity to a game such as new levels or costumes.

It’s around 18:00 now so I stop playing and go downstairs to cook for me and my girlfriend for when she gets back. I decide to cook a nice Thai dish. If I have time in between the cooking, I think I will play some Rez on the Xbox 360.

Once my girlfriend gets home and we have finished eating I get my 2^nd PS3 controller out and we play some Little Big Planet so that she can unwind and relax. It’s one of the fewest games that she likes to play. I purposely bought that game so that we can play it together. She really enjoys it and is getting better at controlling her character. After a couple of hours of playing LBP we watch a film and then head off to bed. I get the DS and we play an hour of Professor Layton and the Curious Village. She is great at the puzzles and makes me look like an idiot. I’m only good at the visual puzzles whereas she is great with numbers and shapes.

It’s near 01:00am and we are tired and get ready to sleep. Once the lights are out I can’t help but feel that I’ve had a nice productive gaming day. It’s Sunday tomorrow; I think about what I’ll be playing then.

Before I fall asleep I put my Ipod headphones on and listen to the soundtrack for Shadow of the Colossus: Roar of the Earth and drift away to that magical land…

The Final Kill

Its 0130am and my girlfriend is sleeping across the other side of the room. I’ve plugged my Technics headphones into the amplifier, copied Call of Duty 4 onto my Xbox 360 hard drive to prevent the disc from spinning and making a loud humming noise and turned the contrast on my TV down to prevent the light from flickering which would have inevitably woken her up.

I MUST not wake her up.

All of the precautions have been taken and I’m ready for some fragging.

I’m playing as quietly as possible. The game randomly picks the container level. 16 players in total, 8vs8. I’m playing as one of the Russian terrorists. I’ve picked the Scorpion SMG with steady aim, 3 grenades and the eavesdrop capability which lets you listen to enemy chatter. It’s a small and intimate level where you die at least every 10 seconds if you’re lucky. The level is square shaped with only 3 posts to capture and a wire fence running around it. It has 4 big shipping containers in the middle of the level which creates a + shape path with a post in the middle of it.

As soon as the game begins, I throw all 3 grenades in random directions and get 2 kills without firing a single shot. As soon as I turn a corner I eat a bullet. This level is frantic and it’s every man for himself. The trick to this level is to keep moving and to watch your every angle. I respawn and frantically throw all 3 grenades again in all directions, 3 deaths, works every time. A 3 kill streak means I get to use radar for 30 seconds which shows all of the enemies on screen as big red dots.

I have to take advantage of this.

I don’t bother trying to catch any of the posts; instead I wait in one of the containers on the far end of the level that acts like a tunnel. You can run right through it which a lot of people do, but most players ignore one very important fact. At either end, you get a panoramic view of the level and can see so much happening if you pay attention.

I decide to stay on the open ended left side of this container and pick off the targets that I can see on my radar coming towards me. I shoot 2 dead in their tracks. A 5 kill streak means I can call in an air strike. With my radar still active I pick the most populated area with red dots and send the flyboys in. I turn and run to the right side of the container and see another 3 enemies. I empty an entire magazine and take them out in a hailstorm of bullets. Now I’ve exceeded a 7 kill streak which means I can call in a chopper. Now the real fun begins. Before that comes though, the air strike deals 7 more deaths from above to my enemies.

I keep a close eye on the left and right flank of this container. I can see that the enemy is trying to converge on my position. I reload quickly and take a few out on the right side near one of the posts. They’ll be back. I run to the other end of the container and come face to face with an opponent. Too close to use a gun. I’m the fastest to draw a knife. One fatal stab the chest later and he’s gone. He’ll also be back for revenge.

The grim reaper of the skies arrives.

All eyes are on the death dealer. The beautiful thing about the chopper is that it hovers above and rains down a storm of bullets to all of my enemies. The ones that are too busy trying to shoot it down get taken down by either me or my team mates. I stand my ground whilst my team mates capture the posts. Within a minute the chopper takes down 30 enemies whilst at the same time I’m taking out 4 to 5 at a time. Every single person I have killed is heading straight for the containers for some revenge, but not today. Thanks to the steady aim and eavesdrop ‘perks’ I can hear what the enemy is saying and without having to aim too accurately I simply point and shoot. They don’t realise that I can hear them so I’m pre-empting all of their attacks. 3 are coming from the left side but I’m already there and pick them off. 1 is coming from the right but I go out of the container from the left and as soon as he goes in, I head right behind him where my knife meets his back.

At this point I get a little too cocky and wonder out of the containers to hunt down anyone I can find. Within minutes I get fragged by a stray grenade. No matter though. I just scored a 78 kill streak before that death. As soon as I respawn I throw 2 grenades and cook the last one. No kills, so I run to the nearest enemy with the cooked grenade and blow the both of us up.

Martyrdom never tasted so good.

Before the game ends I manage to capture a post and rack up some extra points. We win. I rank first place on our team. I’m feeling euphoric. My adrenaline is pumping through my veins. I’m ecstatic. In the heat of the moment I scream out loud, “Come on you slags!”

Before I realise what I just did, I see my girlfriend get out of bed and walk toward me in the vein of one of George A. Romero’s creations. She comes right up to me with her bloodshot eyes and gives me the look of death. She turns her attention to my Xbox 360. She raises her hand and with her index finger turns off the console and heads back to bed without uttering a single word. I’m going to be sleeping on the floor tonight.

She gets the pleasure of the final kill.

As I rest in the dark, the adrenaline starts to wear off and I begin to recall every single frag. A large smile forms on my face as I exhale a very satisfying sigh. I’m delighted. I can sleep easy tonight as I bask in the glory of my victory.

What a triumph. What a sweet conquest. Winning never felt so good.

The Thousand Pieces of Humiliation

I love my brother. I’ve always looked out for him. We never argue or fight. We were both bought up well by my parents and were taught to respect and protect each other. However, when the two of us sit side by side and play Winning Eleven (Japanese version of Pro Evolution Soccer) on the PS2, a bitter rivalry creeps in between us. We both become monsters hungry for victory. We become the worst of enemies. We taunt each other. We humiliate the other. We only want to win in style.

In the end I always emerge the victor.

I became used to winning until one eventful day where my brother taught me a very important lesson. Nothing lasts forever, especially a winning streak.

Almost a month after my disgraceful defeat, I’m yet again reminded of that moment I would rather soon forget. I take another razor sharp multicoloured fragment out of my foot.

I guess its Karma.

Since that day, I’ve found hundreds of splinters. Sometimes it feels like they are hunting me or more specifically, my feet. Every time I walk around my room, my feet seem to stumble on another plastic landmine. Like a bad case of dandruff, no matter how much I clean, they always reappear.

They keep tormenting me until I can find closure. I need admit to myself that I’m no longer the best. My throne has been taken and there’s nothing I can do about it. I have to accept the painful truth that I am a sore loser. I lost dishonourably. If I was a Samurai, I would have committed hara-kiri.

I hate losing.

A month ago we decided to play a 10 minute match on Winning Eleven. I pick my masterleague team Roma and my brother picks his, Lazio. This is a classic Italian derby. The masterleague teams are customizable and start with fake generic players. You manage the team by buying and selling players until you end up with your dream team. We play different tactics and use different formations. I use the classic 4-4-2 where as my brother plays a 5-3-2 formation. We can each have 2 classic players so I buy Diego Maradona and Marco Van Basten. My brother buys Pele and Johan Cruyff.

This should be an interesting match.

We pick a neutral stadium, a neutral crowd who will cheer intermittently for both sides and we pick the weather conditions. We both agree on a dry sunny afternoon. I’m shooting from left to right in the first half.

After the formal national anthem singing and hand shaking, the whistle blows and the match begins as my two strikers Gabrielle Batistuta and Marco Van Basten kick off.

The two Japanese announcers have an over exaggerated and excited demeanour when commentating which makes me and my brother laugh every time they speak. After the first few near misses the laughs are replaced by pure concentration. As soon as I kicked off I knew this wasn’t going to be my game. I get 4 yellow cards and hit the post and cross bar 6 times in the first half. Every foul my brother commits doesn’t even register as a foul.

The game is on his side today.

I score 3 goals in the space of 4 minutes. I’m gloating. Every time I’m in his 6-yard box I keep saying “shambles”. This really pisses him off. It works perfectly and unsettles him. Little do I know that these are the only goals I’ll be scoring. The first half ends 3-0 to me but at the cost of my striker getting a red card.

Now I’m down to 10 men.

During the break neither of us makes any changes. I simply switch my team’s tactics to counter attack. The second half begins and I’m shooting from right to left, my favourite side. This makes no difference as within a minute my brother’s striker Pele dribbles my entire defence and scores a 20 yard screamer. This goal was glitched. I swear the ball just goes through my keepers hands. I instigated the taunting, unaware of how much of it I’m about to receive. My brother opens his taunting account by uttering a word he made up that pisses me off more than anything “skilachi”.

3-1

I try to retaliate to no avail. He gains possession of the ball and passes it around so fluidly. He’s been practising at night. Little basted! He scores again with Pele. Just walks through my defence and picks his spot and tucks it in.

3-2

As soon as I kick off I try to dribble his midfield to get near his 6-yard box to unleash a Van Basten special but I get fouled and the referee doesn’t blow his whistle. The play continues with the ball in my brother’s possession. He runs down the right wing and swings in a cross where the ball meets Cruyff’s head and into the back of my net, “Skilachi”, I cringe in anger.

3-3

I can’t believe what’s happening. He’s picking my team apart. I’m beginning to feel really hot under the collar. I kick off again and lose the ball within seconds. I foul his player and get a 2^nd yellow card subsequently followed by a red.

Now I’m down to 9 men.

He takes a long free kick right into my box. The ball falls to his midfielder Zidane who I accidentally foul. He’s awarded a penalty and I’m given another red card. I just lost my best defender, Roberto Carlos.

Now I’m down to 8 men.

He takes the penalty and easily slots it away. “Skilachi”. He keeps replaying the goal in slow motion and turning the camera a la Matrix.

3-4

Before I kick off, I pause the game and enter the menu where I substitute my attackers for defenders. I’m forced to change my formation and focus heavily on defending to limit the damage I’m taking. Once the game begins I take the ball and try to bide my time. I get slide tackled but no foul or card as usual and the game continues. One goal follows after another.

3-5

3-6

3-7

3-8

I have 4 defenders in my 6 yard box and only 3 midfielders. I barely keep the ball in my possession. I CANNOT believe this is happening. I’m in denial. No way is he beating me like this. I can hear him sniggering next to me. I finally get a break and the counter attack tactic works. I run forward with the ball and it’s just my midfielder and his keeper. I take the ball past his keeper and tap the ball where instead of going in the back of the net, it hits his side post and rolls straight to his keeper’s hands. Unbelievable! He boots the ball right out where it inexorably ends up in the back of my net.

3-9

This time he doesn’t say a word. I can still hear him sniggering but he now knows how pissed off I am. I just loose all focus on the game and try to foul any of his players within range. If I can get another red card and go down to 7 men the game will be stopped and I won’t suffer such a degrading defeat. He passes the ball through what’s left of my team and this time lobs my keeper. It’s a beautiful goal but I won’t tell him that.

3-10

I kick off for the tenth time and this time I run around in circles trying to keep the ball. That fails. He does a long pass into the box again where this time, his defender, Japp Stam, heads the ball into the goal. He tells me that shouldn’t have been a goal because it was offside. Condescending little shit. Naturally the offside wasn’t given.

3-11

I kick off and aimlessly kick the ball in any direction. The best goal is yet to come. He passes the ball down the left wing and runs down it with his midfielder. The ball is crossed into my box where Pele of all players performs a beautiful overhead kick and nearly tears the net out. For him that is the icing on the cake. For me that is the last nail in the coffin.

3-12

He jumps off the sofa in jubilation. My indignation gets the better of me. I throw my controller to the floor and pounce on the console and press the eject button. The tray opens and I take the shiny rainbow coloured disc out of the tray and with all my anger, shame and frustration snap it in my hand. The disc breaks into a thousand pieces of multicoloured light and scatters all over the room. Not only do I cut myself on the sharp shards of plastic but I just broke a £50 imported game. I strut out of the room and can’t look into my brother’s eyes because of the shame and the indignity, not to mention that I just broke one of my favourite games.

As always we hug afterwards and shake hands, no hard feelings between us after the game. He is my brother after all and despite losing to him so badly, I’m glad that it was him and not a stranger. We talk and joke about it to this day and as I find the last remaining shattered pieces of Winning Eleven, I finally find closure and a simple truth, it’s only a game, so just enjoy it!