Slashdot Mirror

They don't just give the fans freedom, they very actively encourage fans to use their IP (not for profit, of course). They hold regular contests for Warcraft comic strips, feature fan art on the website which ranges from decent amateur to professional quality, they encourage machinima, and of course they're always giving out loads of references to the community. For example, there's a gnome named Breanni in Dalaran who runs a pet store, and she's a direct reference to the founder and maintainer of warcraftpets.com.

And who can forget their response to the complaints that early Diablo 3 screenshots didn't look dark and gritty enough?

It's kind of like Idiocracy.

Take this brand new game, Bayonetta. It looked like a pretty bad-assed title; I recently found out that they added a "one handed gameplay mode". You can watch a video of it over there.

There aren't many games that allow you to play one-handed. You might be able to get by with one hand on certain RPGs -- leaving the other hand free to grab some popcorn during those really long cutscenes -- but, for the most part, it just doesn't work. Of all the upcoming games we wouldn't expect to play one-handed, Bayonetta sits right at the top of the list. As an action game from Hideki Kamiya, the mind behind Devil May Cry, we can't even imagine trying to play it without two hands sweatily clamped around the controller.

Or how about the Nintendo trend of games "playing themselves"?: New Super Mario Bros. Wii, future titles will play themselves

Are games too hard for you, Johnny? Don't worry -- Shiggy's got your back. Starting with upcoming New Super Mario Bros. Wii, future Nintendo Wii titles will be shipping with the ability to, well, play themselves. In an interview with USA Today, the man who birthed Mario confirmed the existence of "demo play" for the next Mario game and "future games, too" -- essentially an option to allow the game to play itself when the player encounters an area too difficult for them to handle.

Or take a look at the trends in console sales. VGChartz. The new world gaming order is here, and it only cares about the casual gamer.

The casual gamer has money, and he'll gladly take part in microtransactions to buff his character out.

A YouTube video has surfaced displaying the megaton of content that will be offered when the game hits retail in a few days. Most of it only affects Franchise Mode. You can download advanced trainers, staff, and scouts as well as a plethora of game-breakers such as temporary boosts to player and coaching statistics.

So, yes. New graphics are in, new gameplay is out. Small studios can die, nickel and dime-ing is in. Damn it. Where'd all the gamers go.

Oh, that's right. I'll let VGcatz sum it up for me: Nerd Rage

End Transmission.

Yesterday we were all freaking out over the announcement of Project Needlemouse, a codenamed game that promised to be a brand new 2D Sonic the Hedgehog due for release in 2010. Don't worry, the game itself and the trailer we posted is genuine. However, a Project Needlemouse site featuring Green Hill-esque artwork has been confirmed as false.

I assume that they're talking about modifying the hardware. A bad solder job, a short circuit, and your modded console fries. No one around to notice, and it burns down your house.

Of course, even the un-modded hardware does that occasionally...

Ah ha ha... the "Activator"
The facial expressions of the guys in the video is almost equally as funny;

http://www.destructoid.com/sega-activator-the-crappiest-game-peripheral-26148.phtml

Probably what Namco, EA and Capcom have learned. Namely, you don't have to actually let the user access the full game they bought for full price anymore. You're free to lock content on their disc, then charge them for it again later (or even on release day) via DLC. Best of all, after basically spitting in the faces of your biggest fans, they'll fall over themselves to defend you for it on the Interwebs.

Resident Evil has always had this control scheme. If it were changed and they still called it Resident Evil, I'd be pretty upset.

It seems like they changed the camera, but didn't change the controls. Why aren't you complaining about the camera?

Anyway, RTFA. The whole thing is a fucking advertisement for hubris. Let me summarize:

Q: It seems like people want to use the whole screen in co-op, instead of the black bars on the sides. It's hard to see what's going on in co-op even on a 34" HDTV.
A: Fuck 'em! We spent a lot of effort on this visual effect, which we have decided makes the game easier to play. At least, on our 52" DLP.

Q: People were underwhelmed with your control scheme, which you changed but apparently not in a good way. What's up?
A: Fuck 'em! It just doesn't make sense to shoot at Zombies while you run! That can mess up your alignment and then you need to go to the chiropractor!

Q: Are you guys racist?
A: When the game comes out, you'll see just how racist we are.

Q: Ouch, the loading times suck. Can you fix it?
A: Fuck 'em! We're going to make the game we want to make.

Q: Why no Wii support?
A: Because it wouldn't look Mahvelous enough. Supporting the world's most popular console might make business sense, but we're in it for art, baby!

1) Definitely agree, why cut your prices when your system is still selling out and the holidays are approaching? Even if it is the "technically" lesser system.

1b) I disagree, the $200 (USD) 360 now lets you upgrade with a free 512 MB card or a 20 GB drive for $20. First link I could find. Also, the Core has been pretty much discontinued with the Arcade taking its spot. The Arcade comes with the wireless controller, HDMI, and now you can upgrade to a 20 GB HD for 20 bucks more. Definitely the better deal at the moment. Although with larger downloadable games and demos, and HD install option on the next dashboard update, Elite or the larger HD upgrade might be the way to go. Too damn bad that you can't just throw in a standard 2.5" drive instead of paying out the ass for the Microsoft model.

And it would be a lot more broken if folks actually used it. Not trying to flame,but for 99.999% of the public DVD is just fine. There are millions of players out there,they are dirt cheap,and most of your average users can't really tell the difference between BD and an upscaled DVD anyway.

And as other posters have pointed out but I think bears repeating so folks don't lose sight of the big picture,this is NOT about piracy. I repeat: This has NOTHING to do with piracy,and they are simply using piracy as an excuse. They are really trying to take away YOUR right to first sale because like greedy little hogs they think making money once per sale isn't enough. They want to get paid OVER and OVER and OVER again for the same game,nothing less.

That is why I urge everyone to avoid EA games like the clap until they reverse their position on the limited activations COMPLETELY. Otherwise the other big game companies will go "Why should EA get to triple profit and we don't? Lets limit our games too!" and we'll all be boned.

A red crowbar has been sent to CERN in anticipation of the LHC particle accelerator going online.

http://www.destructoid.com/reddit-sends-crowbar-to-scientists-to-protect-against-headcrabs-98281.phtml

I didn't find it a letdown at all. Quite enjoyed it, actually.

Wii - $250 Wii Play w/Wiimote - $50, Two more Wiimotes - $80, An extra Nunchuk - $20, Component Video Cable - $20

Wii Play and remote bundle, sure. Extra nunchuck? Yeah, if you want to to box against a human.

But two extra remotes? And a component cable? Sorry, dude, not necessary. If you can find two extra friends to share your Wii-xperience, they can buy their own damn remotes. :-j And there's plenty of returned component cables out there since many many people can't even detect the difference between 480i and 470p; I got a good deal on a used one at a Game Stop.

People who buy the Wii want it for the innovative game play, and nothing else satisfies that demand.

Spot on. I am in the key Wii-mographic. I'm a formumble-something who has never owned a video game; there has been little point since I've already spent thousands of dollars on computers over the years -- plus I'm really lousy at shoot 'em ups. Hell, I'm having trouble to find one person to come play Wii with me... my wife can't even handle Wii Sports tennis . After all, the only way I could convince her to let me [cough] buy one is to get my butt off the chair in front of the computer and get some exercise. (It worked too until I got a cold and got sucked into Paper Mario , a great game for people like me who have... less than nimble fingers.. make that much less.)

Uh... where was I? Oh yeah; what I'm saying is that key Wii-mographic Wii-ple will buy just enough extras to get started and get more if they become sucked into the Wii-xperience. Take me for example. I bought the Wii Play when I got the unit. A month or so later I bought a component. Another few weeks and I've downloaded a few virtual console games. Now I have my eyes on Rayman Raving Rabbids . If it wasn't for the fact that I already have a bunch of rechargable batteries I'd have sunk more money into my new addic... er, pastime.

Difficult to say if it is related to the events described above, but the editor Tim Tracy appears to be leaving Gamespot as well.

His (exceedingly brief) post on the site blog: http://www.gamespot.com/users/TimT/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-25233420

A comment or two on destructiod.com http://www.destructoid.com/gamespot-drops-reviewer-to-appease-eidos-w-r-hearst-rolls-in-his-grave-56683.phtml

For those who haven't seen the poster.

The only problem is that the marketing department isn't the major problem. The problems seem to arise from a level higher, the Sony Execs. From Ken Kutaragi's "It's probably too cheap...", Jack Tretton's "If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1200 bucks for it." and Phil Harrison's "Nobody will ever use 100% of PS3's capability", as well as the recent interview with David Reeves, you've pretty much got all of the major execs aiming at each other's feet.

By the way, if you want a bit of mild amusement, here is a list of Sony quotes:
http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Snaileb/sony-s-gr eatest-quotes-laugh-for-a-week--33323.phtml

I guess Gabe Newell (head honcho at Valve) had it right all along.

Xbox Live? Xbox Dead more like..

Xbox 360 Guitar Hero 2 Xbox Live patch bricking many consoles.

http://forums.xbox.com/ShowPost.aspx...ostID=11717 177

http://www.destructoid.com/red-octan...se-30996.ph tml

http://forum.guitarherogame.com/Defa...=posts&t=17 747

Surely all these are not isolated cases...

I think a good analogy would be, while the PS3, 360, and PC are all comparing dick sizes, Wii is walking around in a string bikini and DD size braw... ...I know which one I'D rather play with!

Unfortunately, it's not just Disney who are throwing their IP at MMO games in an attempt to cash in on the market. There's been a fair few announcements over the last couple months about various groups also developing MMO games. Battlestar Galactica, Firefly and are just someo f the TV shows / movies that are crossing over to become virtual worlds.

I'm sure Disney think that, with the success of the current slather of MMO games, they'd be able to get a piece of the action themselves, and what better way to do it than to use one of their biggest cash cows at the moment - Pirates of the Caribbean. While I don't necessarily think it will flop (I know a lot of people who'd love to be online pirates... and even IRL), I don't believe that Disney will have the necessary know-how to be able to keep players interested in the game, or to draw them away from any other MMO game (WoW, I'm looking at you...).

Unfortunately, it's not just Disney who are throwing their IP at MMO games in an attempt to cash in on the market. There's been a fair few announcements over the last couple months about various groups also developing MMO games. Battlestar Galactica, Firefly and are just someo f the TV shows / movies that are crossing over to become virtual worlds.

I'm sure Disney think that, with the success of the current slather of MMO games, they'd be able to get a piece of the action themselves, and what better way to do it than to use one of their biggest cash cows at the moment - Pirates of the Caribbean. While I don't necessarily think it will flop (I know a lot of people who'd love to be online pirates... and even IRL), I don't believe that Disney will have the necessary know-how to be able to keep players interested in the game, or to draw them away from any other MMO game (WoW, I'm looking at you...).

Not that anybody will use it...

http://www.destructoid.com/playstation-3-kiosks-fr eezing-up-on-purpose--28860.phtml

If I thought that these groups had any traction at all-I'd likely be more open to this, but the industry has a 9-and-0 record against the censors. That is a very strong precedent. Now I wasn't alive when the movie and comic book industries went through this process, but to use a canned phrase, "this too shall pass" and 10 years from now, politicians will be looking at some other scapegoat.

Citing their constitutional rights is what Federal judges are most concerned about-the decisions they provide are well reasoned and are pretty much free of the emotion that was used to draft the faulty "laws" in the first place.

I don't like to cite this name as he's an attention whore by default, but the anti-video game activist, John Bruce Thompson reflects EXACTLY what I think is going on now and what will happen in the near future-just at a faster, more personalized pace. A complete replay of "Seduction Of The Innocent" all over again. He was initially very loud and had an unproven record trying to link video game violence to murder among other things back when the Columbine incident hit. John Carmack ignored the accusations without commenting on them, which was the appropriate response-now, only a very few even remember that detail. Fast forward to the present, he's still on the war path, but he isn't getting much press and after his most recent failure, he did manage to finally get a bar complaint against him. He's not yet been successful as an ambulance chaser, but like Caldera International, as the failures mount, less and less people pay attention, ultimately forgetting the situation entirely.

The representatives of DICE (the developers, EA is the publisher) have now clarified on the forums that it only records what ads you look at and for how long you look at them - it does not monitor your browsing habits, your cookies, or your hard drive.

Or so they say...

But even if it's not spying on my pr0n, I still have problems with paying full price for a game and having it be supported by ads. If they want to knock off $10 and give me in-game ads, that's fine by me. I consider it a fair trade. But the recent ad craze in the video game industry is not lowering prices, it's just creating more revenue for the game publisher.

And since EA is not only charging for cheat codes and adopting **AA tactics on torrents I've decided to stop buying EA products - even Spore.

Unfortunately, you did miss something. Jack Thompson was present, along with T2 employees, when the judge was viewing the game. The judge watched about 2 hours of different parts of the game, accessed through cheat codes provided by the T2 employees.

The "you don't even know what it was you saw" comment was in regards to the cheat codes. Jack Thompson is complaining that the judge didn't view the game in its entirety, played through from beginning to end.

Gamepolitics.com has full coverage of the case.
http://www.gamepolitics.com/
http://gamepolitics.com/2006/10/13/bully-case-docu ment-dump/
http://gamepolitics.com/2006/10/13/breaking-jack-t hompson-reacts-to-court-defeat-in-bully-case/
http://www.destructoid.com/today-in-court-the-bull y-verdict-blow-by-blow

Cheers,
Jim

Found my quote. Had to watch a 20 minute video to get it.

Robert Summa of Destructoid asked Perrin Kaplan, "Is everything region free." Kaplan replied, "Yes. Yeah. Which is a good thing. I've actually had several people ask that of me today."

Here's the video. The quote is near the end. The quote is about 18 minutes in.

Found my quote. Had to watch a 20 minute video to get it.

Robert Summa of Destructoid asked Perrin Kaplan, "Is everything region free." Kaplan replied, "Yes. Yeah. Which is a good thing. I've actually had several people ask that of me today."

Here's the video. The quote is near the end. The quote is about 18 minutes in.

I almost threw up when I saw the 10k pricetag on the Dell, and Alienware's 7k quad SLI system wasn't that great either. I took it upon myself to price out all these components and show gamers that they can build a just as good system for $4500 in phases, with the core system just around $2000 if you don't get the huge processor and the 3 other video cards. This is the real way to do it!!!! http://www.destructoid.com/build-your-own-damn-qua d-sli-pc-for-60-less