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Another Xbox 360 MMOG
Microsoft seems to be adopting the attitude that MMOGs, popular as they are nowadays, are a worthwhile investment for the 360. With FFXI already slated to show up on the console, Gamespot has word that Webzen's thugs and cops MMOG All Points Bulletin will be making an appearance on the system as well. From the article: "While APB was originally announced solely for the PC, rumors of a console version sprang up last week. That's when Jones sealed a deal with Microsoft to develop games for its next-gen console, the Xbox 360. Seeing how APB was Real Time Worlds' sole project, many suspected it would be only a matter of time until a 360 version was announced."
With multiple MMOGs now announced for the X-Box, can we take this as an indication that a keyboard will either be included in some of the launch bundles, or will be widely available in mainstream gaming stores within a few weeks of release? Playing a MMOG without a keyboard is not a pleasant experience.
Plus a widely-used and well-publicised keyboard would be instrumental in encouraging many PC fps gamers to swallow their reservations and make the transition to a console.
Where are the wild west mmorpgs where you can choose to be a gunslinger, a cowboy, a card sharp, a cattle rustler, sherriff, indian, etc. Same basic idea, but more historical/realistic setting. Just like APB looks like it will be.
Stuff based in reality is more interesting IMHO.
Microsoft seems to be adopting the attitude that MMOGs, popular as they are nowadays, are a worthwhile investment for the 360.
No, no, NO! MMOGs are not popular, you'll never need more than 640K RAM, Bob and ME are the best things since sliced bread, and the Internet is just a fad. Let's hear it for the best minds in Redmond.
Joypad control is also better for third person/driving, which a GTA clone surely is.
Okay, you get your x-box with a keyboard, I'll take my duel core PC with 1gb graphics card and a MOUSE. We will play the FPS of your choice. Saying you would be pwn3d is putting it lightly... and mine would look better.
Thumbsticks make terrible control devices for FPSs. Put anyone mildly skilled with a mouse against someone mildly skilled with a thumbstick and it won't even be a contest. To me, playing with a thumb stick gives me flashbacks of FPS on the computer back when you could only use a keyboard and no mouse. It sucks, to say the least.
Personally, none of these consoles excite me. People are absolutely right when they say a dedicated consol has the potential to make a better game platform. Standard parts, dedicated processing to the game, mass market appeal... this are all good things. There is still one thing that makes me keep my computer and not bother buying a consol until its price is next to nothing; the shitty input devices. That consol controller is great for playing Mario or driving a car in GTA, but it is close to worthless compared to a mouse when fine and/or quick movements are required. FPS demand both fine AND quick movements with the control device.
If the next gen platforms really want to impress me, they will not revolutionize graphics, storage space, or anything of that nature. They will revolutionize their input devices. I don't want a novel input device (like the Donkey Kong drums). I want useful input devices. Namely, I want an input device that is at least the equal of a mouse. Until consoles get that, I have only a marginal interest in them.
Personally, I dream of the day when I can play X-box live users in a FPS with my PC. The unimaginable pwn4g3 that I could unleash on those poor little X-box bastards... Sadly, I imagine it will never happen. I doubt any console makers would let PC users have their way with the console users, as it would make the massive deficiencies in control scheme of consoles painfully clear.
If APB is just another MMORPG with the setting swapped out, it will suck. Period. The problem with MMOPRGs is NOT the lack of original settings. The problem is they fail to have even mildly creative gameplay. You couldn't pay me enough to play another leveling treadmill game. I tried EQ, AC, DAoC, WoW, and MO. Thanks, I am full now. You can take your shitty level treadmill and shove it, m'kay?
APB has the potential to explode because it has the potential to take the stupid 'leveling up' gameplay and do away with it. If this game is worth a damn it won't have epic raids - or if they are epic, they will be epic in that you got 40 of your bodies to go thrash the shit out of the some other gang, not because you spent 9 hours fighting your way into a dungeon and killing an NPC with 6 billion HP for ph4t l00t.
I rarely say this, these days when it comes to MMORPGs, but I actually have a little faith. I have had a number of gaming fantasies since I first unwrapped Doom. After seeing the original GTA (the 2d one), I had a gaming fantasy about a game where I could run amok in a completely open 3d city, stealing cars, shooting people, or stopping at every single red light. GTA3 came pretty fucking close to fulfilling all of those fantasies. If they can fulfill my fantasy for an MMORPG that isn't about leveling and has shit to do other then mindlessly kill NPCs for ph4t l00t, well, I will bow before their awesome power.
It is a shame few other gaming companies have even an once of the guts that Rockstar has. I don't want the evolutionary boring crap Blizzard shits out. I am glad they are the masters of taking an established genera and refining it, but I want a company that boldly tries new things. There are plenty of spineless companies like Blizzards out there producing more of the same. The Rockstar's are few and far in between. Hell, even to this day no one has had the guts to try and imitate GTA with anything more then half hearted lobtimized imitations.
Rockstar, you pw4n my w0rld.
This game is getting released in 2008. That means, wow, the Xbox360 will have an MMORPG in _3_ years.
This is the kind of crappy hype I hate, where they announce how awesome their console is because it'll have some game no one has reviewed or tested yet, oh and which won't be released even on PC for the next two years.
"With FFXI already slated to show up on the console, Gamespot has word that Rockstar's thugs and cops MMOG All Points Bulletin will be making an appearance on the system as well."
Um Rockstars? Nope sorry, try again. As much as the publisher/developer wishes, this (APB) is certainly not, nor will ever be a Rockstar Game.
Can we get an edit for facts?
What a horrible thing the ESRB just did to the game industry.
Didn't see this one coming with the massive talk about Eba...Microsoft's new real money for virtual item support. Throw out a bunch of MMO's, support the real sale of items for said titles, and collect a tidy sum on commissions. Microsoft ain't no dummy, and the 360 is a marketing ploy and quick money maker after the trouncing they experienced with their freshman effort. Do people really not see through these things like tissue paper?
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
Bruce
Have you ever played any DS FPS games like Metroid or Golden Eye?
It's seemed really weird at first, but once I figured out the correct way to use the pen and touch screen it plays just as good as a mouse sans the extra WASD setup. The left four way pad seems to be lacking a bit since you can't hit secondary button ands have to use your left index finger to shoot, but it feels like it works.
From what I've heard on the Nintendo rumor mill, you are going to be (or supposed to be) able to interface your DS with the new Nintendo system. It might be a problem with DS required games, but it would be one hell of a great wireless controller for RTS or FPS games.
Maybe Sony or Microsoft could come up with something similar and controller like?
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-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
I remember playing the game APB a long time ago in the arcades! Are you saying that all those litterbugs that I arrested were actually other players?
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