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Next-Gen Updates From Leipzig

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the nintendonysoft dept.

The Leipzig Game Convention continues in Germany. Folks looking forward to the Wii should be happy to hear Nintendo has announced some new games. They announced the new titles at their press conference, an event which both Kotaku and 1up were on-hand for. Sony hasn't had a lot to say in the last few days. As promised, there are no playable PS3 games available; just the same, gamers can look forward to 27 playable PS3 titles at the Tokyo Game Show. Microsoft, meanwhile, spent time at the convention talking about Xbox Live, and showing off their new peripherals. 1up up was there for the Microsoft press conference as well.

6 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. Missing from the summary by JFMulder · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Microsoft apparently has grabbed exclusive license for the next iterations of FIFA from EA and Pro Evolution Soccer from Konami for Next-Gen consoles for at least a year. This deal doesn't prevent EA and Konami to release the games on current-generation consoles tough.

    I thought that was a pretty big blow to Sony, but then I realized, with the market share Sony will have this year, with the probable shortages and everything, there won't be that much people to buy the two games anyway, so it's probably simpler for these companies not to bother porting to the PS3 for this year. Unless this drives soccer (sorry "Rest of the world", I meant Football :p) fans to buy a 360 instead.

  2. Cataan on XBLA! by Saige · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm totally excited to hear that Settlers of Cataan (along with Carcassonne and Alhambra) is coming to Xbox Live Arcade! I absolutely love the board game, and if the XBLA version is decent, this is going to be a big, big time sink for me.

    --
    "You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do."
    1. Re:Cataan on XBLA! by ackthpt · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm totally excited to hear that Settlers of Catan (along with Carcassonne and Alhambra) is coming to Xbox Live Arcade! I absolutely love the board game, and if the XBLA version is decent, this is going to be a big, big time sink for me.

      Have you seen the Microsoft implementation of Settlers of Cataan? I gave it a try, but thought it sucked bad. If you want to play a decent online version, get this. It requires Java, so you may not be able to play on your XBox, unless the MS game dev kit for XBOX lets you sneak Java in. It's pretty decent game play and a simple, easy to read and use interface.

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  3. What I don't understand... by jizziknight · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...is why Sony doesn't have any playable titles yet. Are they not ready? Do they not want to show off an unfinished game? If they're not ready now, are they going to be ready for launch? This doesn't really speak well for their readiness for a November launch. At this point, the launch titles should at least be playable to a point, and the remaining development should be mostly finishing touches and bug fixes. I just don't get where Sony is going with this whole "no playable titles" thing. Anyone want to bet on if they'll actually be able to deliver playable titles at the Tokyo Game Show?

    --
    Everything I say is a lie. Except that... and that... and that, and that, and that, and that... and that.
    1. Re:What I don't understand... by Rallion · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Because it's too close to launch, and they know the graphics aren't nearly what they thought they should be by now


      I think you're right. I wouldn't argue that the PS3 can't deliver the visuals Sony is looking for. However, I don't expect developers do be able to make it spit them out, at least not yet. It's a new system based on a completely new type of processor. They get all excited about how it's different, when in fact this is a case where being different is bad.

      This is another thing that people don't seem to consider when thinking about the Wii's graphics. They say, it's just a more powerful Gamecube! And they're right. But they mistakenly think that's a BAD thing. Developers KNOW how to harness the Gamecube. That will translate over to the Wii.

      The PS3 will undoubtedly look much better in the long run -- once the actual battle is long over. It'l look some amount of better right off the bat, but not as much as some people seem to think.
  4. Re:Everything Is Wii And PS3 From Now On by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    What makes you believe the PS3 will fare any better?

    The XBox 360's biggest problems are that $400 is a lot to pay for a console (historically speaking $300 is more then most people spend on a gaming system), and all the games that are released for it are clones or rehashes of previous generation titles with prettier graphics; the problem isn't that the words Microsoft and XBox appear on the packaging as some fanboys would assume. Games on the XBox 360 don't play any differently then games on the XBox did, and the graphics when compared to Resident Evil 4 (which everyone knows "cheated") do not look revolutionary.

    All of this can also be said about the PS3.

    Basically, if you want to see what people are used to from a generational leap play a Playstation game followed by a PS2 game, or an N64 game followed by a Gamecube game, and you'll notice massive improvements in graphics, physics, AI, environment size and environment interactivity. Now play an Playstation 2 game followed by and XBox 360 game, you'll notice that the graphics became much prettier but that (overall) the game plays basically the same.

    What is keeping people away from the XBox 360 is that you're paying more for less of an improvement then they have had from every previous generation; people will avoid the PS3 for the same reason.