GoldenEye 007's Black Box Online Multi-Player Mode Glitch?

Coffee Beans:
     I have been playing more GoldenEye 007 online multi-player in the last 2 days, trying to get some gaming in before school starts back and finals.
     Before yesterday and today, I had basically been playing the Team Conflict multi-player mode, in GoldenEye 007's online.  Well, last night I tried the Heroes mode, and tonight I tried Black Box mode.  They are both very interesting additions to the typical Team Conflict mode, and I'll be providing more coverage of both in a future post.
     This post though, is about the Black Box mode, and if there is a glitch in it.  Basically the idea of Black Box mode, is one team is designated to destroy the "black box", that is actually orange(don't ask me why); while the other team's objective is to download intelligence from the "black box", by having a person on the team carry/hold it.
     Now, I was able to get a good idea for how long it takes to download the intel, and win the match; if that's your objective.  The issue I have, is shown in the following video:


     What's the issue?  Well, the slowest time shown in the video to destroy the black box, 34 seconds; it takes more than DOUBLE that time, to download the data from the "black box".

Questions:
     So, is GoldenEye 007's Black Box mode not balanced properly?  Was the player, Kplmondo, just really well equiped at level 33, and I have to get there first to destroy it that fast(again, a balance issue)?  Or, is this a glitch that he knows and is somehow exploiting, that perhaps Eurocom can fix?  If you have experienced this, leave a comment and let me know what you think the issue may be.  If you have played Black Box and never seen this, leave a comment letting us know also.

If anybody is interested in GoldenEye 007 for the Wii, you can see prices for both versions on Amazon.com linked below:
 

Getting Destroyed Online & The Conduit's Game-Play Hours Report

Coffee Beans:
     We last looked at The Conduit's game-play data back on September 24.  The Conduit was developed by High-Voltage Software(HVS), and published by Sega.  If you didn't know, it was announced earlier this year that HVS is working on a sequel for The Conduit, Conduit 2.  HVS and Sega have been releasing more screens, trailers, and information on Conduit 2 since the last report I did on The Conduit; and here's a trailer showing off some quick game-play footage from Conduit 2.


     With 525 days of reported play-time data, how many hours have Wii owners spent playing The Conduit and helping rid Washington D.C. of its alien invasion?  Let's take a look!

The hours shown above are for the United States of America Wii owners, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     The Conduit now has 83,682 Wii owners reporting their game-play data, through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Player Increase Since Last Report:
     The Conduit has seen an increase of about 5,133 Wii owners reporting game-play data, since the September 24 report.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     The Conduit has 1,935,754 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 133,641 reported game-play hours since September 20.
     The Conduit's average play-time "Per person" is 23 Hours 8 Minutes; and its average play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 50 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     In the report I posted back on September 24, I stated, "Amazon.com has been out-of-stock of The Conduit, basically every day I have checked, since July."  The situation is still the same with The Conduit not being sold "new" directly from Amazon.com, but some orders for the game are being "fulfilled by Amazon.com" for third party vendors; with that in mind, here is the Amazon.com sales information currently for The Conduit.
     The Conduit's Amazon.com sale rank is #2,653, and is currently selling for $33.28 from an Amazon.com third party vendor.
     (Sale rank & advertised price captured around 8:30PM on 12-3-10)

Review Score Average:
     The Conduit's review score average is 72.37%, based on 64 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.  Its review score is the same as it was in September.
     (Review score average recorded around 8:30PM on 12-3-10)

Thoughts:
     The Conduit was a game I was really excited for, and I purchased it the day it released.  I became annoyed with the game's online play, mainly due to the glitches, and soon the lack of people playing on my friends' list; so I traded it off in October 2009.
     Well, fast-forward to October 2010, and I ended up getting The Conduit back.  I hopped online and was able to play a few matches without any problems.  Then, one night, I played a fellow reader of the site, GoNintendo.com, and I had a major issue with the game's online multi-player.  
     What does, "Getting Destroyed Online" have to do with this post?  Well, the issue I had wasn't glitching; no, the issue was getting handily destroyed by Wiggymaster.  You can watch the destruction for yourself in the video here:


     Destruction aside, I think The Conduit's reported game-play hours are really good for a third party Wii game; though I think they would be a lot higher than they are now, if the game didn't have the online glitches/hackers that ruined the online experience for many.
     I think HVS probably learned from some of the mistakes that slipped through in The Conduit, and I'm hopeful Conduit 2 will be a great FPS experience Wii owners can experience when it's released in February 2011.

Questions:
     If you own The Conduit, do you find yourself still playing it often?  If you do/don't own the original, are any of you planning on purchasing Conduit 2 when it releases in February?


If you are interested in The Conduit, you can see prices on Amazon.com linked below, as well as Conduit 2's Amazon.com page:
  

James Bond's Hours of Espionage! GoldenEye 007 Report

Coffee Beans:
     GoldenEye 007 was released on November 2, 2010; already one month ago!  Last week, we looked at the debut game-play hours for James Bond's latest Wii game, and the initial game-play data looked encouraging.  If you missed GoldenEye 007's Wii play-time data debut, you can read the report, HERE!
     Like last week, I'm including another GoldenEye 007 online multi-player match video, with this week's data report in the "Thoughts" section.

     How many hours of espionage have gamers participated in James Bond's GoldenEye 007 universe, since last week's report?  Let's take a look!

The hours shown above are for the United States of America Wii owners, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     GoldenEye 007 now has 9,164 Wii owners reporting their play-time data, through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Player Increase Since Last Report:
     GoldenEye 007 has seen an increase of about 2,585 Wii owners reporting game-play data, since last week.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     GoldenEye 007 has 118,078 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 43,632 reported game-play hours since last week.
     GoldenEye 007 currently has an average play-time "Per person" of 12 Hours 53 Minutes, and a average play-time per session of just over 2 Hours 27 Minutes.

Sale Ranks & Advertised Prices:
     GoldenEye 007's, software only, Amazon.com sale rank is #43, and it's currently selling for $35.99.
     GoldenEye 007's Golden Classic Controller Pro bundle Amazon.com sale rank is #47, and it is currently selling for $49.99.
     (Sale ranks and advertised prices captured around 12:30AM, on 12-3-10)

Review Score Averages:
      GoldenEye 007's review score average is now 83.98%, based on 46 "professional" review scores on GameRankings.com.  The current review score average for GoldenEye 007 has slightly increased over last week's, which was 83.58% based on 40 reviews.

     Amazon.com's customer review score averages are still showing a 4 out of 5 Star rating, for both versions of GoldenEye 007.  The software version only has increased by four customer reviews, and the Golden Classic Controller Pro version has increased by five customer reviews, since last week.  You can see the Amazon.com customer review scores breakdown below:

     (GameRankings.com and Amazon.com review score averages captured around 12:30AM on 12-3-10)

Thoughts:

     I think it's really interesting that Amazon.com is already discounting GoldenEye 007 pretty significantly for a newly released title.  The Golden Classic Controller Pro version is currently discounted by 29%, from its MSRP; while software version only of the game is discounted 28% from its MSRP.

     Amazon.com is known for having great deals, but I just find it a little odd for both versions of GoldenEye 007 to be discounted this much, so soon.  The game-play data reported for the game has been solid for a third party Wii game, and I think sales for the game will be pretty decent through the Christmas holiday; which is why I think the price cut is a little odd right now.

     If you are interested in purchasing GoldenEye 007 for yourself, or as Christmas gift for somebody you know, now is probably a good time to watch the prices on Amazon, and get it is discounted.

     As for my play-time with GoldenEye 007, my "Game-Play Records" show I have played 48 Hours 20 Minutes.  All of that probably isn't straight game-play though, as sometimes I'll leave the game running on the menu screen, and I have spent some time just recording footage of different things in the game.

     My reported online multi-player "Time Played" is currently 17 Hours 54 Minutes, and that is a close reflection to my actual time playing the online multi-player.  Speaking of the online multi-player, below is a video from GoldenEye 007's multi-player map, "Industrial".  In the video, I was playing with TheButcher, from WhoBurnedMyToast.Blogspot.com, and we were communicating via GMail voice-chat, and it worked pretty well:

     I am still playing and enjoying GoldenEye's online multi-player, and I have started working my way back through the single-player campaign on the "Agent" difficulty setting.  I like that the added objectives on "Agent" have already let me see a few different areas of the levels, that I didn't notice or go through my first time playing it.

     Anyway, if anybody has any questions about GoldenEye 007 on the Wii, feel free to ask in the comments below, or send an email to Scott(@)CoffeewithGames.com.  If you already own GoldenEye 007 for the Wii and are playing it online, my GoldenEye 007 friend code is 2043-7355-3797, and my in-game name is Coffee.  Feel free to add me and leave your friend code in the comments, or you can email it to me.

Questions:

     If you own GoldenEye 007, about how many hours have you played the game so far?

If anybody is interested in either GoldenEye 007 version, you can see prices for both on Amazon.com linked below:

  

November Brewed, December Roasting

     Well, the 30 days of November have disappeared, like coffee does from my cup on a daily basis!  November was another busy month, with a lot of craziness happening.  I was sick, again, for about 2-weeks during the month; and as soon as I was feeling better, our son got an infection.  On Monday, November 29, I took my car(nicknamed Oreo) in for a "free" oil change, and it ended up being a very expensive car repair day.  The good news is November ended with everybody in the family feeling well, and the car running better than it was.  We also had a great Thanksgiving together as a family, and again, I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving as well.
     If you have been reading the site for a few months now, you may have noticed(or not) the "Coffee with Games Monthly Reader Points" tab listed at the top.  The page is currently updated through November.
     I really do appreciate the participation by everybody in the comments, and the feedback you all give on the different stories and the games you have played; and I'm hoping the "Reader Points" will end up working as an encouragement for you to continue, and others, to participate as well in the future.

     Another site note: when I wrote my article, "Should There Be Game Review Standards?" back in August, I had posted a poll on the site, to get feedback on the subject.  I have kept the poll results on the sidebar since it closed, but will be removing it now.  If you didn't see the poll results, I'm including the image of the poll question and results here:

     Now, let's take a look at the different coffees I had in November, and how many video games I found time to play during the month:

Coffees Consumed in November:

• Maxwell House Coffee Master Blend - This was another large 34.5 oz container of coffee Mrs. CwG found at the store.  It's a 270 cup container, and we have a little left to finish off in December.  The description on the coffee container labels it as "mild", and I think that's a pretty good description for the strength of it.
• Three Cups of Starbucks Regular House Blend Coffee - These cups of coffee were all purchased using a Starbucks gift-card I found in my wallet, that I had received last Christmas!  I drink my coffee black, 95%+ of the time.  I used to think Starbucks Regular House Blend from the stores, had a burnt taste; and about two years ago, it was basically the only coffee I would "leave room for cream".  I noticed in November though, as I was drinking my first cup black, that the coffee didn't have the burnt taste anymore, at least like I remembered it having.  I don't know if Starbucks has changed their "House" blend, or if my taste-buds have lost their tasting power, but I enjoyed all three cups of Starbucks House Blend black.
• Community Coffee Ground Medium Roast - This coffee was left over from October, when Mrs. CoffeewithGames' mom and grandma visited us, and had brought this up with them.  I enjoyed the blend, and if you are ever in Louisiana, you can find Community Coffee pretty easily, as it is a Louisiana based coffee company.
• Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Cafe Pajaro Blend (Extra Dark Roast) - If you missed my recent post, "Nicodemus_at_Nite and Coffee by Mail, Again!", you can read it HERE.  If you don't read it, long-time reader Nicodemus_at_Nite, mailed me the Trader Joe's Cafe Pajaro coffee blend, like he has mailed me several Trader Joe's coffee blends in the past.  I still have about half of the container left, and will be enjoying more of the Cafe Pajaro blend throughout December.
• Nescafe Taster's Choice Colombian Instant Coffee - My first "instant coffee" experiment in November, and I'm not really sure how to describe it.  I like my coffee strong, and I like my coffee black.  While I drank this "black", I can't say it was strong.  For me, it was like a watered coffee.  If you enjoy Nescafe Taster's Choice Instant Coffee, any blend, please leave a comment and let me know which blend you prefer.
• Folgers Classic Roast Coffee Singles - This is basically coffee in a tea bag, or at least that's the attempt.  Like the Nescafe Taster's Choice Colombian Instant Coffee, I think the Folgers Classic Roast Coffee Singles is a little on the "watered down" side.  Even after adjusting the amount of water used with each coffee bag, I still couldn't get a strong enough flavor; like my regular brewed coffee.
• One Cup of Starbucks Christmas Blend Coffee - This blend was purchased on November 29.  When my car was getting "repaired, I walked down the street and found a Starbucks to sit in and use their WiFi for a bit. This coffee blend was described to me as being "extremely strong, with a smoky flavor", and I think it applied well.  I ended up sitting in the Starbucks for about 2.5 hours, and heard and saw a lot.  A barista there named Charlie, seemed to know his regular customers well, and would call them by name as they entered the cafe; and I was extremely impressed by the customer service there.
• Whole Bean Dunkin' Donuts Original Coffee Blend - This is some whole been Dunkin' Donuts that we had left from October.  We still have another full bag, that will probably be used some in December.  I think this is a very mild blend of coffee.

Games Played in November:

• The Conduit - I had traded The Conduit off in October 2009 through the website Goozex.com, and in October 2010, I was able to get The Conduit back again.  I played a few online matches with a fellow reader of the site, GoNintendo.com.  I was destroyed handily by him, and a video of one match will be up shortly.  I did play a few missions in the single-player again, and I think it will be interesting to see how HVS has improved(hopefully) Conduit 2.
• James Bond: GoldenEye 007 - I purchased this the day it released, November 2, using birthday money I had saved up.  I completed the single-player campaign on the default difficulty setting on November 4, and have been enjoying the online multi-player since then.  You should be seeing a few of my online multi-player matches posted here on the site in the next few days, and if you subscribe to my YouTube Channel, some are already posted there.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops - I purchased this from Amazon.com, again with birthday money, and received it the day it released.  I purchased the PS3 version of Black Ops, and have played online Team Deathmatch and the online Zombie Mode as well, a good bit.  I haven't completed the game's single-player campaign, but I have started it.  Hopefully I will finish the campaign in the next week.
• Rage of the Gladiator - I ended up playing this late one night, after seeing a discussions pop back up on the message boards on NintendoLife.com about the game.  I still enjoy the game, and I may be uploading some more videos from it this month, to show off more special attacks in the game.
• Jett Rocket Demo - I'm glad Nintendo has finally brought back WiiWare demos.  I downloaded the Jett Rocket demo when it was released, and I played through the entire demo level.  I had fun with my play-time with the demo; and if you enjoy platforming games, you would probably enjoy this one.  Jett Rocket can be downloaded off the Wii's Shop Channel for just $10, or 1,000 Wii Points.
• Greg Hastings' Paintball 2 - I'm still working my way through the single-player events in this game, and didn't play any online during November.  The game's singler-player "campaign" has a lot of events to participate in, so this game will probably be a slow burn title I continue to enjoy through the holidays.  If you are a parent, looking for a non-violent FPS game for your kids, I would suggest giving Greg Hastings Paintball 2 a look.

Thoughts/Questions:

     If anybody has any questions about any of the coffees I consumed, or the video games I played in November, please feel free to leave a question in the comments, or by sending me an email at, Scott(@)CoffeewithGames.com.
     Also, if anybody has any of the games I listed above with online play, I have my friend codes and PSN information on my "Contact Information & System Tags" page.

     What games did you all play during November, and did you find yourself consuming more coffee with the Thanksgiving holiday and crazy shopping days during the month?

Metroid: Other M's Reported Game-Play Hours

Coffee Beans:
We last looked at the game-play hours for Samus' latest adventure, Metroid: Other M, on October 18.  Metroid: Other M's play-time data debuted on the Nintendo Channel on September 13, and you can see the debut play-time data HERE.

In the last 43 days, how many hours have Wii owners spent playing Samus' new adventure, and what are the average hours of game-play reported for Metroid: Other M?  Let's take a look!

The hours shown above are for the United States of America Wii owners, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
Metroid: Other M now has 37,552 Wii owners reporting their play-time data, through the Nintendo Channel.

Player Increase Since Last Report:
Metroid: Other M has seen an increase of about 11,826 more players reporting their game-play data, in the 43 days since the last report.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
Metroid: Other M has 575,949 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 208,351 game-play hours in the last 43 days reported.

Metroid: Other M's average play-time "Per person" is now 15 Hours 20 Minutes, an increase of 1 Hour 3 Minutes of average game-play time, "Per person" reporting data. The average Metroid: Other M play session is now just over 2 Hours 20 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
Metroid: Other M's Amazon.com sale rank is currently #115, and is selling for $24.99.
(Captured around 12:00AM on 12-1-10)

Review Score Averages:
Metroid: Other M's review score average is now 79.17%, based on 49 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.  This is a slight increase since the last report, which had 47 reviews reported for an average of 79.38%.
(Captured around 12:00AM on 12-1-10)

Thoughts:
News broke about 2 weeks ago, that Metroid: Other M has not met sales expectations in North America, and Nintendo is trying to figure out why. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's president, told Kotaku.com, "We believe that it could be, should be a million unit title."  Reggie stated he didn't think the title would reach that number through the holidays, and the title was close to half-a-million units sold so far.

Just in the last week or so, Amazon.com has consistently had the sale price of Metroid: Other M under $30.  I wonder if perhaps Nintendo's new strategy to get Metroid: Other M to one million units, is by allowing retailers to slash its price during the holidays?

I still haven't played Metroid: Other M, but the new lower price on Amazon.com has made me interested; though I will probably just end up renting it in the future.

Questions:
If you purchased Metroid: Other M when it first released, and perhaps some Wii owners(like myself) have been on the fence about the title, would you suggest they purchase it while they can for under $30?  Or, do you think Samus' latest adventure is more of a rental?

If anybody is interested in Metroid: Other M, you can see it priced on Amazon.com linked directly below:














Link to Kotaku's full interview with Reggie: http://kotaku.com/5688617/nintendo-trying-to-figure-out-what-went-wrong-with-newest-metroid