The great 2007 roundup
With little over a week until a new year begins many of us will no doubt be looking forward to the Christmas festivities. I on the other hand having been thinking back over 2007 & what it has brought.
Sweet Flag
In June I began writing Sweet Flag. It’s been a great 6 months that has introduced me to many other bloggers & new gaming experiences. At first I struggled with finding a style of writing that suited me & originally I tried to diverse maybe a little too much in topic but I have to thank my stars that I went through that process as without it, Sweet Flag wouldn’t be what it is today.
Readership has organically increased over the months with a couple of spikes, the most notable being a Q&A with CuppaJo that was linked on the official Tabula Rasa site on the 17th December. On the 18th December the number of views rose to 326 for that day, which is the new record for Sweet Flag, the Q&A post itself has had 438 views to date & is currently the second highest viewed post in December.
I can’t be more pleased with how things are going for Sweet Flag. It has some very good readers & attracts new ones each month. I am proud to have them come back & comment some good ideas of their own that have made a number of posts recommended reads for newcomers to the blog. My thanks to you all!
Other concerns
Highlights of 2007 seem a little thin to the gaming eye.
A few MMORPGs tried their hand at chipping a corner from the WoW mantle, most notable was LotRO. My initial thoughts aren’t on Sweet Flag but I did play it for a two month period when it was first released. I liked what I saw but within that two month playing cycle something seemed amiss with the experience. I haven’t been back to observe how things are there but both Sean & mbp played extended periods in Middle-Earth & enjoyed what it had to offer.
Maybe the idea of an MMORPG that has a storyline that has been completed in novel form effects the shape of gameplay too much that stops the MMORPG to develop fully & without restraints?
What 2008 holds for the Star Trek & Stargate MMORPGs, both having defined storylines via TV & film, is anyone’s guess just now but you will see more stories on those two games at Sweet Flag in the new year as they are my MMORPGs to watch for.
Other gaming has been exciting with both Bioshock & Call of Duty 4 being the truly magnificent games of 2007. I am currently playing through Act II of the single player in CoD4, which is a new gaming experience for me.
Not since Quake have I played a FPS & really enjoyed the experience. I never tried any previous CoD titles but as 4 is set in modern warfare I had to take the plunge after I gave World in Conflict a miss earlier in the year.
Bioshock suffered from my full reinstall of my PC that I documented in September. Since then I have yet to place it back onto my hardrive but I will return to it once I have completed all 3 Acts of CoD4’s single player mode. Look out for further posts on these two games in 2008. Also I hope to see SPORE arrive in the early part of 2008…we hold our breath on that one!
Onto football gaming & I am enjoying my first year involved with the LFC Reds Prediction League & am currently laying in 11th place with a 3W12D11L record. Anyone knowing what a prediction league is like will know how hard it is to get a correct scoreline!
2008?
Will be the first full year of blogging with Sweet Flag & I can see a lot more gaming being discussed as well as some off topic posting with regards to CSI & Heroes TV shows that both return next year. I am hoping to get Lost season 3 on DVD for Christmas & may have a thing or two to say about that in January.
You’ll also see a greater rate of Liverpool FC posts in 2008, something which I have underdeveloped in 2007. I’d like to hear from more football fans from all clubs not just LFC fans.
As always I am open to new gaming, thoughts & ideas I expect that 2008 will throw many Sweet Flag’s way. I am also interested in what you readers are playing & your thoughts on gaming too. You can drop me a line here at Sweet Flag as a comment or alternatively if you wish it to be a more one to one discussion, then email me at davidmosbon@gmail.com.
Not all games are covered here at Sweet Flag & if you think I am missing something good then I would like to know about it!
Well I’ll sign off now with what I expect to be my last 2007 post.
All it takes for me now is to thank all my readers for your invaluable support, comments & ideas. Keep them coming!
I wish you all a great Christmas & a Happy New Year! Let’s all make 2008 a better year in anyway we can!
Salute!
Tags: 2007 roundup, Blog announcements, Fantasy Football, Heroes, TV Shows
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December 23, 2007 at 5:05 pm
You liked BioShock? How far did you get? I really ought to be playing that again.
I can’t believe I’m at the point that I have far too many games to play and can’t decide!
December 23, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Hey Cat!
I didn’t get far in level 2 I think before any encounters with Little Sisters & Big Daddies…looking forward to getting back into it once CoD4 complete.
I find that people worry too much over the amount of games they have still to try & that can be a silly pressure to put on oneself. Games are for the sheer entertainment first & foremost, if it’s not fun then why bother?
Btw I like the red Christmas hat!
December 23, 2007 at 10:16 pm
I very much liked BioShock, definitley one of my top games this year. It did take me a good couple hours to get into it though.
I more mean that there are soo many games I want to play or want to play again and I just don’t have the time! Like BioShock, I always wanted to do it again, especially as the hints the game gives in regards to the story would be so much more obvious.
Thanks!
December 23, 2007 at 10:45 pm
I agree that Bioshock is very much a ‘head-doer’ with it’s atmospherics & ethical choices with what to do with the Little Sisters once you find them.
Time management is always a fact with gaming now & I kid of like that CoD4 has short sharp missions that keep you hooked into story. I feel MMORPGs are suffering in this department but I hope that both Star Trek Online & Stargate Worlds are feed on the huge story archives that each have to create something just that bit more story driven.
Have you tried out Crysis or heard much about it?
December 23, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Crysis is PC only, sadly. I remember watching videos of it a year back or so when they were showing how to destroy trees by shooting, leaves effects, realistic collapsing of a hut.. To be honest it seems much more like a shinier Far Cry, but then again I’ve not paid much attention in the last few months.
Star Trek online sounds like an MMO I want to try, just for the inner Star Trek geek. Same with Galaxies, but i feel it’s about two years too late for that.
Here’s hoping for Bioware’s MMO that has no info about it whatsoever yet….
December 23, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Bioware’s MMO?! Haven’t caught wind of that yet…has there been rumour only on this?
Never tried Far Cry & doubt I’ll look at Crysis, all very much of a sameness. 2008 looks to be a better year for gaming than 2007? Are you looking forward to SPORE?
December 24, 2007 at 12:39 am
There’s not much been mentioned yet and it’ll still be a loooong time. I love Bioware’s stuff. KotOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect…
http://uk.pc.ign.com/objects/816/816935.html
You have to remember, I’m a console gamer! Spore is PC only as well… My [ex] housemate kept going on and on and on about it. It looks awesome.
Far Cry was good at the time. Just a bit samey I guess.
As for 2008, we’ll see. I can’t think of any big games that I really want at the moment. I guess Alan Wake, but considering how much that’s been delayed I reckon it’ll be 2010 til it’s coming out! 2007 was pretty good though, at least for me.
December 25, 2007 at 12:57 am
[...] The great 2007 roundup [...]
December 25, 2007 at 10:11 am
Cat!
I keep forgetting your a console gamer but I am sure that Spore is due a multi platform release & it’s not just a PC game.
Was there rumours that the MMO by Bioware was going to be set in KotOR universe? What MMOs have you tried in the past?
December 25, 2007 at 10:30 am
Nope, Spore is PC only. A current gen console wouldn’t be able to handle it, plus porting it would be impossible. And playing a game like Spore on a controller isn’t ideal.
As far as I know Bioware are currently working on two super secret projects.
1. Bioware and LucasArts [who hold all the Star Wars and Indiana Jones rights]
LucasArts/BioWare Interactive Product
2.
Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
But no info yet, so I’d say it’s about two years off. If we’re lucky..
I tried a bit of WoW and a bit of GuildWars. By try I mean around a few days max. I just felt it was too late to get into it plus Wow bored me and Guildwars annoyed me. Galaxies I felt I was too late to the party for and none of the others have interested me much.
But I lived with an obsessive MMO player for two years, so I’ve seen him play all the MMO’s of the last two years..
December 26, 2007 at 10:25 am
[...] sides with the Wii? Discussing Spore with Cat on a recent post, the topic of cross platform releases for the game cropped up & if Spore would appear on [...]