What started off as a “relatively” harmless appeal to stability and battery life turned ugly when Apple, along with its preview of the new iPhone OS 4.0, revised its developer agreement to specifically disallow development outside of the iPhone’s core tools and languages.

Many took this as a shrewd cut at Adobe, whose Flash CS5 software (just released) comes packaged with a tool allowing Flash developers, who write some of our favorite casual games, to easily compile their wares into something the iPhone OS can understand.

Some argue it’s well within Apple’s right to control who develops what and how for its closed platform. Some argue technical issues surrounding the long-awaited multitasking feature available in OS 4.0 this summer. Most argue, however, that what Apple has done is deeply anticompetitive and downright cruel.

Since most of what Flash has to offer the iPhone comes in the way of gaming, this begs the question: if you’re a hardcore gamer, are you really missing out? Do Flash-based, or any other casual iPhone games truly matter in scope of your favorite console or PC game and, you know, real buttons? Won’t the already deluged App Store be flooded with even more junk?

We look forward to your thoughts.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “…but Checkpoint, how does this benefit me?” Checkpoint will be giving away a shirt of your choice for every ten unique comments/suggestions on our blog post. The giveaway will end on February 26. Thanks for your support!

Gaming (6/10)

The Turtle Beach headphones are a must for the casual and hardcore gamer. Not only do they allow you to hear crazy sounds like I mentioned above, but I could even hear my enemy’s footsteps. Once I became used to the different sounds of the maps, I could easily determine the location of my enemy. The X31 headphones easily saved me from being knifed in Call of Duty multiple times. The only problem I found was that the microphone cord is very sensitive. I found that if it’s not plugged in tightly to your controller and headphones, it will occasionally cause static which can get pretty loud. Over time I haven’t noticed it as much, so I don’t tend to have as many problems. The microphone that is attached to the headphones is perfect for communicating with your friends. Unlike regular headsets for the 360, you don’t have to put this microphone in your mouth for people to actually hear you. Another plus is the separate controls for the volume of the mic. and your games. You can easily turn down the volume of your teammates and maintain the perfect sound quality of the game.

Comfort (8/10)

The X31’s are closed ear headphones that come with a surprising amount of comfort. The pads that cover the ears actually cover my ears, unlike most headphones that I have worn. This allows me to play for several hours without my ears hurting afterward.

Music (6/10

When testing the X31, I didn’t notice any particular performance improvements for listening to music. I tested them out by listening to several different stations on last.fm through the 360. I felt that my Skull Candy headphones I bought four years ago sounded relatively the same. Only real difference is the X31’ is better with acoustic music. A cool feature is the bass booster and stereo expander. These two functions can be turned on separately or at the same time to change the quality of the sound.

Battery life (5/10)

Regular batteries last around 3 to 5 day. I haven’t purchased any rechargeable batteries, but I will soon.

Overall(7/10)

The X31 headphones are great for gaming. Even though the headphones do not include support for Dolby Digital, the use of the RF signal gives surprisingly great sound quality. These are well worth the $99 price tag.

“COIN-OP TV LIVE is a weekly talk show about the video game industry, people and events with hosts, Robert Welkner and Hailey Bright. The show utilizes new media and technology to update the talk show formula by incorporating a live chat room audience, live video interviews across the world via Skype and trivia with viewers using Twitter.”

To watch the rest of the December 17th episode of COIN-OP TV, visit http://www.thestream.tv/watch.php?v=1856

“Since 2003, we’ve set up and organized Child’s Play, a game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 60 hospitals worldwide. In five short years, you as a community have answered the call and come together to raise millions of dollars.

That was awesome. You guys have proven over and over again that you are an overwhelming force, and you really came through and made a real difference to the millions of kids that children’s hospitals care for each year. So we’re doing it again this year, only this time we’ve expanded Child’s Play to more hospitals around US and the globe so you can send toys to a hospital a little closer to home.

Child’s Play works the same as last year. With the help of hospital staff, we’ve set up gift wish lists full of video games, toys, and movies. You can go to each hospital’s list and buy a toy, and that toy will be sent to the hospital. Some of these kids are in pretty bad shape. Imagine being stuck alone in a hospital over the holidays, getting something from a fellow gamer would really raise their spirits. Some of the stuff the hospital will give away for kids to keep, while other gifts (like consoles) will be kept by the hospital for patients to use throughout the year.

We are arguably the largest community of gamers on the internet. The important word there being community. We are not a faceless corporation and you are not just a number tracked by a database and then relayed to hungry advertisers. You guys have proven yourselves to be a powerful force when stirred into action. Here is your opportunity to use that power to do some real good.”

This is an awesome opportunity to not only buy a sweet shirt but give back as well!!! To learn more about Child’s Play, check out their website at www.childsplaycharity.org

“GamingAngels.com is the premier online community for women and men who love to talk about all things geek. That includes video games, role-playing, anime and manga, tabletop gaming, technology, gadgets, comic books, Japanese culture and novels.  We offer a female perspective on video games and encourage women to go into the tech and gaming industry. Gaming Angels is run by an all female staff who are avid enthusiasts of what’s considered geeky. At GamingAngels.com we run many contests where our readers can win free stuff ranging from t-shirts to games. We also host a variety of community game nights. Come by GamingAngels.com and prepare to have fun!”

The year’s most anticipated game has finally reached store shelves. Needless to say, the public welcomed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with open arms. First day sales are estimated at 4.7 million copies with a cash value upwards of $310 million. Do you have your copy yet? No? Then allow me to break the game down for you.

Story 7/10

Taking place five years after the events of the first game, Modern Warfare 2 is staged all over the globe. The campaign itself is fairly short, and takes between five to six hours to complete depending on the difficulty level. It plays like a great action film. Most missions are very intense. From stealth missions, to snowmobile chases, to all out war on an airplane junkyard, this game has it all. Intense missions are separated at intervals with slower missions to allow for a smoother play through. Difficulty does not progressively increase in MW2 like most games. Obviously they do not thrust you into the action without the obligatory tutorial, but some early missions are harder than some later missions. The difficulty is fairly cohesive which allows for fairly non frustrating game play. **Please note that I intentionally left out any information regarding the story. I feel that because it is so short, if I were to give any information, there would surely be spoilers.**

Sound 8/10

The sound is done well. Dramatic pieces are placed strategically and allow the gamer to be immersed in each scenario. Successfully done, but not over the top.

Graphics 9/10

The graphics in MW2 are superb. I have yet to see a texture that does not immediately load. The cinematics of the campaign are simply amazing. Dramatic music only adds to the graphics. Simply WIN. The graphics of multiplayer are the same as campaign play; featuring richly detailed levels with a high level of interactivity. The backdrops of many campaign levels are quite intricate and give the feeling of being on the field of battle. The character models are what keep me from scoring graphics any higher. Facial features are quite possibly the hardest part to get right on character models. MW2 gets close; however I feel that they appear to be a bit on the goofy side. This argument, while true, may be nitpicking on my part.

Game play 10/10

Game play must be broken into its respective components for this game because the different modes do not play the same. As such, multiplayer will be addressed in its own section. Spec. Ops. (a series of challenges you can play alone or with a friend) and campaign play the same way. Auto aim is traded in for quick scoping. If you center your gun near an enemy then look down your sights, the gun will automatically move to where it is centered on that enemy. This allows for quick target acquisition and dispersion of multiple targets fairly quickly. A diverse array of weapons may be found, many of which are used by military forces across the globe today. Campaign features frequent checkpoints that keep you from pulling your hair out on higher difficulties. Using the surroundings to your advantage will make the campaign much easier. It is also wise to stay in formation with your squad as they will draw fire and provide support. Spec. Ops. Features many missions similar to those faced in campaign. These missions however, do not have checkpoints. They are also tweaked to provide a more challenging, but shorter, version. Two missions require a partner, however I advise grabbing a buddy when you tackle these because they get progressively harder the farther you get. By the time you reach the last set of missions, they are pretty tough.

Multiplayer 9/10

If you enjoyed previous COD multiplayer, you will love MW2. Game types include: Team Deathmatch, FFA, Capture the flag, Demolition (bomb arming and defense), 3^rd person game types, as well as several others.  There are challenges like the previous Call of Duty games that you can complete to earn experience. Experience counts towards levels. Levels in turn unlock guns, perks (used to enhance a certain aspect of game play I.E. extra bullet damage), and explosives. Modern Warfare 2 offers an unseen level of customization. Titles and Emblems are unlockables that allow players to showcase their greatest gaming achievements. Furthermore, you may now choose between a wide list of killstreak rewards ranging from sentry guns to a nuke. There is a slight level of auto aim that was unseen in previous games. I believe that this was done to simplify game play for newer players. The auto aim is not as drastic as campaign, and does not water down play very much. Multiplayer maps are well built. Each map features strategic choke points, as well as an environment that is highly interactive. Cars or drums may be shot (which in turn explode) to kill nearby enemies. While multiplayer is extremely fun, there are a few reasons why it cannot currently score a 10. Firstly, party chat is not allowed in some playlists. This was done by Infinity Ward in an attempt to encourage team play. However good the intention, this is a mistake. Younger players (and some older) often fill game chat with annoying banter that forces me to mute everyone except the people I already know. Lastly, the matchmaking system is anything but graceful. When teaming up with multiple friends, players are frequently dropped. This forces everyone to leave the pre-game lobby to recover the lost teammate. Leaving pre-game lobbies even become an issue because the option to bring the whole party is not available.

Overall 9.3/10

CoD:MW2 is a game of monumental proportions. Combining awesome game play with graphics and sounds, this game offers the complete FPS package. Hopefully Infinity Ward will resolve the current issues with multiplayer, and make this a flawless game.

“The FPS and RPG made a baby.” One sentence sums up Borderlands. This statement however, may actually create more questions than it answers. RPG: “Will I be grinding to reach that next area, or will I be doing gathering that are monotonous to say the least?”. FPS: “I don’t know about this RPG thing, is it a disease? I just want to shoot stuff!” Fear not my fellow gamers, all these questions and more are soon to be answered.

Story     6/10

The game begins by introducing the “vault” and the planet of Pandora. It is rumored that the “vault” contains treasure, fame, and possibly even enemies. Soon you are introduced to the selectable characters that you are allowed to choose from. After picking a character, your “guardian angel” introduces herself and you begin to explore the world of Pandora. Your ultimate goal is to reach the vault and open it. The story itself isn’t all that original, and suffice it to say that most gamers have seen some variation of this story line. Characters you encounter along the way offer witty rhetoric that should keep you entertained.  Gearbox obviously has a sense of humor as well, citing multiple pop-culture references throughout the game (with various easter eggs).

Sound     4/10

The sound quality of this game is mediocre. While sound placement (where a shot came from, where that screaming enemy is) is done right, epic scores found in most console RPGs are nowhere to be found. The only time I ever recall even hearing music is during boss fights. This did add to the ambiance, however I feel that it was just a little too little a little too late.

Graphics     9/10

While at first I was turned off by the cell-shading, it soon began to grow on me. Borderlands is by no means the first to use this technique, however it is certainly done right. The art lends itself very well to the feel of the game, emphasizing moments where light is scarce. This also makes the comical moments even more so. Cell shading also serves another purpose in Borderlands (even if unintended). The astute gamer will notice that when first entering an area it takes perhaps half a second or so for the textures to fully render.  Because cell shading is used in place of the more traditional style, this is harder to notice. The dull shade allows less contrast between the backdrop and the actual texture itself. There is also significantly less dead areas (by dead areas I mean that If I force myself into a corner, or ease against a wall, the texture will glitch and a void will be where it the texture should remain) which shows a thoroughness by the graphic designers that I rarely see.

Game play     9/10

The game play of Borderlands makes it among my favorite games of all time. It brings the best elements of both FPS and RPG together to form a fantastically fun game. Elements such as skill trees (seen in many MMORPGS), levels, quests, and even critical hits are taken from classical RPGs and applied to the FPS. Choice of four different classes allows players to choose what weapons they will be best with, and what ability they will use. All of the traditional FPS weapons are available including: pistols, snipers, Rockets, SMGs, and Rifles. In addition to class choice, skill trees allow each player to customize their character to the way they play. While selection of guns in most FPSs is limited to say the least, this is not the case in Borderlands. There is essentially an endless array of guns. Everyone who plays is almost guaranteed to not receive the same identical weapons in terms of stats. While many are obviously similar, variations of the same weapon allow for some to be better than others. Doing quests in Borderlands (story or optional) is a refreshing experience. While there are a couple exceptions, there are no monotonous quests. The gather quests that do exist are fairly easy, and most quests can be completed in a couple of minutes. Quests should be a players main source of experience, however a player may choose to grind if they so wish.  Critical hits are scored by either scoring a headshot (on humanoid opponents) or by hitting a “weak” spot on an enemy. All of these elements combined form a game that is thoroughly engrossing, and I believe (after two play throughs) that I could play through again at least twice more. My experience with the game play of Borderlands is nothing but extremely positive, however it should be noted that many players experience glitching of quests and/or achievements. It is for this sole reason that game play has been docked a point and positioned 9 out of 10.

Multiplayer 6/10

The multiplayer of Borderlands leaves something to be desired.  Many feel that having only a Co-op mode (with no versus) is a drawback. I feel that this allows players to immerse themselves into the story and experience it together. You may duel your friends, or other online players, once you join a game. The arena allows for a versus mode that is similar to many online versus FPS games. The biggest hindrance of co-op is the matchmaking system. Higher players (and people past the first play through) may have a very hard time finding games with similar progression. The matchmaking list is flooded with people on the first play through, and on the first half of the game. I found myself posting on forums to find people around my level because the matchmaking system was so horrendous.

Overall  7/10

Borderlands have been a delightful game to play, however I cannot rightfully give it a higher score for a couple reasons. Firstly, mediocre story, sound, and a terrible matchmaking system leave something to be desired. Lastly the sheer audacity of a game developer to release a game with many known glitches and problems is a sad day for the gaming industry. A patch is already in work (so soon after the release date may I add) so hopefully these issues may soon be resolved.

We have a couple of awesome updates for today. One of Checkpoints followers, CkP Blitz, has dominated the world of Operation Flashpoint. He has risen to the top of the leader boards for infiltration. Not only does he rep our clothing, but he reps Checkpoint in his name (CkP). To learn more about Operation Flashpoint, Gamespot gives an awesome review with videos and pictures here.

In apparel news, we will be releasing a design in a few weeks for the Gaming Angels, an amazing community of women journalists and hardcore gamers. This design will be our first shirt that is specifically for women. To learn more about the Gaming Angels, you can visit their website at www.gamingangels.com.