Mom's Minute

Rent-A-Center

Can you think of any circumstances where you may rent a video game system?  Suppose you are out of town, visiting friends and there is an epic video game that you would like to play on a video console system vice a mobile device, maybe to show the game off.  Would you choose to rent a system for this purpose? 

The above is a hypothetical example of why you may want to rent a video game system, even though there may be others.  If you are thinking of renting a system, I would caution you that doing so can be an expensive proposition.  In fact, renting other items, such as furniture, appliances, etc. can prove to cost a lot more than you bargained for.  Instead, you may want to to either lay- away the item, or even use financincing instead of renting.   Rent-A-Center has an option to rent to own, which still, in my opinion could cost more than just paying for the item outright at a retail establishment.

Video game system rentals at Rent-A-Center

Based on my visit to Rent-A-Center as part of my video game field trip for Mom's Minute Video Game Show -- here's what involved in renting -- in this case a video game system, the PlayStation 3.

--You need to provide at least four references

--There is no credit check

--You will be asked to provide proof of income as well as how often you get paid

-- Your rental payments has to be made at the specific rental store where you made your rental 

Regarding  the price of renting a video game system -- the initial quote given to me was $24.99 per week -- which was reduced to $19.99 a week, maybe in an effort to lure me to rent a system.  Of course, rental rates may differ at other rental stores.  In my opinion, the $19.99 price is still a lot to pay -- especially when the rental costs increase as the weeks go by.

Renting can drain the funds in your wallet quickly.

Of course there are other rental centers other than Rent-A-Center, who may have different policies; however, the similarity, in my opinion, is the overall high cost of renting.

Also at this particular Rent-A-Center, you could rent a video game system; however, interesting enough, there were no actual video games at the establishment to rent along with the system.  So if you rented what could be a very expensive video game system, you would either have to already have video games in your possession or go elsewhere to obtain video games to play on the system.

I strongly advise you not to go the rental route for a video game system, due to the cost as well as all the personal information you have to divulge.   However, if you are contemplating renting a video game system for whatever reason, remember to read all the fine print and follow this axiom:  "Buyer beware."

WarFrame Video Game

Of the photos provided by Allgames.com of the E3  2013 video games and events, the ones that peeked my interest included a WarFrame exhibit.  Being a war/battle video game fan, I was understandaly curious as to just what this WarFrame game was all about.  If you too, would like to find out more about WarFrame -- then you are at the right place.

WarFrame video game characters

Although I do not recall this game being featured during the Sony press conference, WarFrame is free to play third person shooter  PC game, developed by Digital Extremes that will also be playable on the PS4 when it is released.  The current game is playable in both the single player and the multiplayer modes.

If you play the multi-player, during gameplay you will team up with your friends to complete missions such as destroying enemies and retrieving data.  As with most video games, as you level up, you will receive different abilities -- depending on how you play the game.

Scene from WarFrame

This game is predicated loosely on the video game, Dark Sector, with the exception that WarFrame is not based upon a science fiction premise.

The PC game was released on March 25, 2013. The PlayStation 4 version of  WarFrame will be available at the console's launch timeframe -- which has been reported to be around the holiday season, 2013.

Xbox Live 2013 Update

If you would like to take an active role in Microsoft's Xbox Live 2013 update, you may be interested to know that the company has begun inviting video game players worldwide to participate in its 2013 live beta update for the Xbox 360.   included in the update will be overall improvements to the system, as well as conducting transactions using money and other payment methods, instead of Microsoft points.  As you may know,  Microsoft plans to retire or eliminate the usage of Microsoft points some time in the near future.  If you decide to sign up and are selected, I caution you to be extra careful with any information you give out, given the sketchy reliability of some of Microsoft's security features.

Xbox Live Beta Testing

If you are interested, you can sign up directly via your Xbox 360.  According to Larry Hryb, the emphasis was to streamline this experience by having you to access the programs via your Xbox 360. More information will be posted on the Xbox 360 dashboard.  You will also be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. 

Remember to read the non-disclosure  in its entirety and that these agreements are to protect the company -- instead of you.  That being said, participating in this beta testing may be a way to get your voice heard if you have any recommendations about improvements to Xbox live.

PlayStation 4 vs. Xbox One controller

Is it just me, or did you notice that both Sony and Microsoft did not spend much time, if any, talking about their video game system's controllers during their respective E3 press conferences on June 10, 2013  Maybe they did not want to  repeat themselves since the controllers were mentioned at their previous press conferences.  However, I, for one, would have liked to hear more indepth details about the new controllers and why they are (or are not)  considered to be an improvement over the current ones.

The Xbox One and PS4 battle continues with the video game controllers

Of course, the meat of the new gaming systems are the consoles themselves; however, is it  possible that a controller could sway you more toward buying either the PS4 or the Xbox One.

Here's information to help you choose between the PS4 or the Xbox One controllers. 

The PS4 controller is referred to as Dual Shock 4.  Unfortunately, the current PS3 (Dual Shock 3) controller is not compatible with the PS4. This controller will have a touchpad, a headphone jack and a built in speaker.  The controller will support motion detection via gyroscope sensors.

Additionally, the PS4 controller will feature a light bar that will display different colors to alert you regarding your status while playing a video game, i.e. low health, etc.  The controller will have a motion sensor similar to the PS move.  The existing PS move for the PS3 will be supported on the PS4.

The Xbox One's controller basically keeps it current design.  The battery compartment is slimmer and the directional pad on the controller has a four way design.  Each trigger will have independent rumble motors, called impulse triggers where the trigger will vibrate when performiing an action -- for example firing a weapon.

The best way to find out you like either the PS4 or the Xbox One controller is to actually hold it and better yet -- to play your favorite video game with it.

Is a video game more enjoyable if you like the controller?

In just a few months you will be able to do just that with either the Xbox one or the PS4 controller when the next generation systems, Xbox One and the PS4, are released during the 2013 holiday season.

Microsoft Xbox One Conference May 21, 2013 Read More

Sony PS4 Press Conference February 20, 2013 Read More 

Company of Heroes 2 Collector's Edition

If you are a fan of the Company of Heroes 2 video game and wished for additional characters to help you win your battles in this game, your wish has just come true.  In the newly released Collector's Edition of the PC game, Company of Heroes 2, you will get additional characters and more.

Company of Heroes 2 Collector's Edition

When Company of Heroes 2 Collector's Edition was initially released, Relic promised five additonal new characters or commanders within a week of the release date.  Relic has delivered on its promise.

The five new commanders are --

1. Soviet Commander:  Armored Assault Tactics
2. Soviet Commander:  Mechanized Support Tactics
3. German Commander:  Storm Doctrine
4. German Commander:  Fortified Armor Doctrine
5. German Commander:  Lightning War Doctrine

Company of Herores 2 Collector's Edition

These new commanders are available on the newly released Digital Collector's Edition of Company of Heroes 2.  If you already own the standard edition of this game, you may upgrade to the digital collector's edition on Steam in order to get access to the new Commanders.