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Was Blue Dragon What X360 Needed In Japan?

Posted by Zonk on from the blue-dragon-rising dept.

simoniker writes "Have major RPG Blue Dragon and other Microsoft efforts paved the way for Japanese Xbox 360 success? 8-4 Ltd's John Ricciardi and Kotaku's Japanese correspondent Brian Ashcraft have been talking about the issue, with Ricciardi commenting on Gears Of War's recent appearance in the Japanese Top 10 game chart, with 33,000 units sold in one week: 'I mean, granted, everything is relative — so yes, in a market where the average 360 game sells around 5,000 copies, 30,000 or so may seem like a big deal, but at the end of the day, their userbase is not expanding. The week Gears came out they only sold a little over 7,000 pieces of hardware. It's not enough.'"

73 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. the next Xbox 360 by User+956 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    'I mean, granted, everything is relative -- so yes, in a market where the average 360 game sells around 5,000 copies, 30,000 or so may seem like a big deal, but at the end of the day, their userbase is not expanding. The week Gears came out they only sold a little over 7,000 pieces of hardware. It's not enough.'

    Microsoft needs to get on the ball and release their Zephyr hardware revision, with HDMI, 120GB drive, and integrated HD-DVD. People know it's coming, and so they're probably waiting for it.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    1. Re:the next Xbox 360 by SpryGuy · · Score: 1

      That is, in fact, precisely what I'm waiting for. The moment they come out with something like that, I'm buying it. I've already decided. I'd get an XBox360 today, except I really want the integrated HD-DVD drive (not an add-on), with proper HDMI.

      I'm presuming it's going to be released in time for the Holiday Season 2007. I hope I'm not wrong.

      --

      - Spryguy
      There are three kinds of people in this world: those that can count and those that can't
    2. Re:the next Xbox 360 by sl3xd · · Score: 2, Interesting

      These supposed 'Upgrades' are laregly fanboy dreams. There is no *need* for HDMI -- at all, ever, period.

      The Component video the 360 uses is quite capable of full 1080p @60 Hz. The Optical out can handle the 5.1 surround the 360 cranks out.

      There simply is no reason that HDMI is a 'must-have'; those who believe otherwise have been drinking too much of Sony's HD kool-aid. Adding HDMI will add absolutely nothing to the consumer experience, but will add quite a bit to the cost of the unit.

      The 120 GB drive is, quite frankly, overkill. Some fanboy must've decided that twice what Sony is offering is worth bragging rights. If you want more space, get another drive. You can swap drives in a few seconds flat -- try that with a PS3. Moreover, I've got some-odd 20 games, played all of 'em. I've downloaded movies from Xbox live, as well as demos. I've only used about 70% of the current drive -- and most of that is the movie rental I downloaded and haven't watched. Drive space is a non-issue with the 360, as you can replace the hard drive almost as easily as swapping a memory unit.

      Last, HD-DVD. I never watched DVD's on my original Xbox. I never knew anybody who watched them on a Playstation. It's not because they weren't capable players: It's that stand-alone DVD players were already plentiful and cheap.

      The HD DVD drive is probably the most successful add-on drive on any console. I bought one, and I can't complain abot it. The HD DVD drive lets Xbox owners get a high definition player at a modest price.

      But with the cost of stand-alone HD DVD players dropping rapidly (Down to about $300 now, IIRC), the real advantage of having HD DVD on the 360 just isn't going to be there for much longer. You're never going to see games that use the HD DVD disc-- it would be suicide, as you'd piss off legions of customers who don't have an HD DVD drive. There's also the false belief that you can actually play games from the HD DVD Drive-- the truth is, when you put a game into the HD DVD drive, the result is exactly the same as if you put the game in a standalone DVD player (try it sometime).

      In every one of these three cases, you're adding a substantial amount of cost that does nothing to benefit the customer; HDMI is marketing puffery, with no real benefit to consumers (unless, that is, you see DRM as a good thing). More hard disc space would be useless to most users (I didn't even get *close* to filling my original Xbox's drive, and the 360 isn't faring much worse). HD DVD players are dropping in price rapidly enough that six months from now, it will be cheaper to just get a standalone HD DVD player. Forcing an HD DVD drive on the consumer will drive up the cost of the 360, and make it less able to compete with the PS3 and Wii. History tells us that people don't use game consoles to play movies; and adding a substantial amount to the price for a feature that few will really use is insane. Like I said earlier -- a very small fraction of console owners used their Xbox or PS2 to play DVD's; there's no reason to expect some magical change this time around.

      Stop buying into the Playstation marketing madness; Sony threw Blu-ray into the PS3 to try to tilt the 'format war' in its favor, and it added a couple hundred bucks to the console's price. The PS3 needs more hard disk space, as the games install substantial amounts of code to the hard drive-- something the 360 doesn't to. They made design decisions that are a gamble, and may well backfire on Sony quite thoroughly. Where there's opprotunity, there's also risk.

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
    3. Re:the next Xbox 360 by ookaze · · Score: 1

      People know it's coming, and so they're probably waiting for it

      You mean japanese gamers are waiting for these improvements since the XB360 launch in Japan ?
      That doesn't make any sense.

    4. Re:the next Xbox 360 by ookaze · · Score: 1

      These supposed 'Upgrades' are laregly fanboy dreams. There is no *need* for HDMI -- at all, ever, period

      That's BS, of course there's a need for that. Most HDTV sets, the true 1080 ones, comes with at least 2 HDMI ports, but only one component entry.
      HDMI will give you the best quality at 1080p, unless you buy ungodly priced component cables with enough bandwidth from the connectors to the cable.

      The Component video the 360 uses is quite capable of full 1080p @60 Hz. The Optical out can handle the 5.1 surround the 360 cranks out

      Yes, theoretically. Now, we don't even know if the games can be output at true 1080p on the 360. This information seems very hard to get.
      Is the 1080p games from XB360 true 1080p, or just 720p scaled up to 1080p ?

      There simply is no reason that HDMI is a 'must-have'; those who believe otherwise have been drinking too much of Sony's HD kool-aid. Adding HDMI will add absolutely nothing to the consumer experience, but will add quite a bit to the cost of the unit

      Like saying 1080p will add nothing to the consumer experience. Accept it or not, but HDMI seems to have won the connectors' war. Unless the PC HD connectors (UDI, DisplayPort) can make a come back, but I highly doubt it, given who is behind HDMI (mainly HDTV display makers).

      The 120 GB drive is, quite frankly, overkill. Some fanboy must've decided that twice what Sony is offering is worth bragging rights. If you want more space, get another drive. You can swap drives in a few seconds flat -- try that with a PS3

      First time I heard any of that. Every time I discussed with XB360 owners, it was the other way around : the current size of XB360 HDD is not enough, and that's on PS3 you can swap drives in a few seconds, not on XB360. Do you have a source for what you're saying ?

      I never knew anybody who watched them on a Playstation. It's not because they weren't capable players: It's that stand-alone DVD players were already plentiful and cheap

      Except that currently, BD or HD-DVD players aren't cheap or plentiful.

      The HD DVD drive is probably the most successful add-on drive on any console. I bought one, and I can't complain abot it. The HD DVD drive lets Xbox owners get a high definition player at a modest price.

    5. Re:the next Xbox 360 by Mark+Maughan · · Score: 1

      I'm not buying an XBox360 'till there is a model with DVI/HDMI and HD-DVD built in.

      Does the XBox need it? No, and they don't need my $500 either.

    6. Re:the next Xbox 360 by Archimagus · · Score: 1

      The reason the Sony is so much more is just that, it's a "Sony". They think they are better than everyone else and that people will pay more just because it says Sony on the side.

    7. Re:the next Xbox 360 by twistedsymphony · · Score: 2, Informative

      That's BS, of course there's a need for that. Most HDTV sets, the true 1080 ones, comes with at least 2 HDMI ports, but only one component entry. HDMI will give you the best quality at 1080p, unless you buy ungodly priced component cables with enough bandwidth from the connectors to the cable.

      HDMI delivering the best quality is debatable. Having delivered the Pepsi Challenge to close to 50 or so people who've visited my home theater over the last year I haven't found a single solitary person who could tell the difference. besides DLPs are the only true digital display format available today (LCDs and Plasmas are still technically analog) and most scaler chips in TVs are analog as well meaning the whole keeping the signal digital is crap, not to mention decoding DRM adds a few milliseconds to the signal processing which is bad for any hardcore gaming. And if you really need more inputs buy a switcher. It will probably cost less then the costs added to the console for an HDMI out, not to mention you can use it for other things as well.

      Yes, theoretically. Now, we don't even know if the games can be output at true 1080p on the 360. This information seems very hard to get. Is the 1080p games from XB360 true 1080p, or just 720p scaled up to 1080p ?

      Have you tried... reading the box? most will have the natively supported resolutions printed right on it. Even still does it matter? They all support at least 720p and the ones that don't can scale (and scale very well) to whatever you want. I suppose it matters on the PS3 but not on the 360.

      Like saying 1080p will add nothing to the consumer experience. Accept it or not, but HDMI seems to have won the connectors' war. Unless the PC HD connectors (UDI, DisplayPort) can make a come back, but I highly doubt it, given who is behind HDMI (mainly HDTV display makers).

      1080p doesn't add much to the consumer experience in gaming... actually I'd argue that on a console it can actually take away from it... significantly. Why? Because it's being used as a marketing buzzword. If a game has trouble rendering in 1080p they drop FSAA, drop the poly count on the 3D models, go with lower resolutions textures, drop the FPS, etc etc etc. IMO those do a whole lot more for the image quality then 1080p over 720p. All things equal of course I'd prefer 1080p over 720p but when you're pushing these consoles to their limits... you can rarely get 1080p without something else suffering significantly for it.

      First time I heard any of that. Every time I discussed with XB360 owners, it was the other way around : the current size of XB360 HDD is not enough, and that's on PS3 you can swap drives in a few seconds, not on XB360. Do you have a source for what you're saying ?

      I'd appreciate some more space or the ability to use my own drive, but at the same time I've never hit the limit of my drive, nor do I know anyone who has. I've currently got about 5 or 6 demos, 10 or so game trailers, 20 or so XBLA games, an HD movie, install files for the FFXI beta as well as game saves and updates for over 50 titles. AFAIK there are only 2 games that install data on the HDD on the Xbox 360 and quite a few PS3 titles that do already to keep loading times at a reasonable speed. The PS3 has a screw to remove a door then the drive can be pulled out and there are 4 more screws to remove the drive from the caddy (which you'll need to do because you can't get extra caddys), if you stand it vertically then you have to put the console back horizontally to get the drive out (and if you're storing it vertically it's probably because you don't have the space for that) the 360's HDD can be removed with the push of 1 button, it has no screws or extra parts and requires no tools at all. You don't need a reference link there at some 10 million people that own them.. ask any one of them. But just incase you still need instruction:

      --
      Collector's Edition
    8. Re:the next Xbox 360 by sl3xd · · Score: 1

      That's BS, of course there's a need for that. Most HDTV sets, the true 1080 ones, comes with at least 2 HDMI ports, but only one component entry. HDMI will give you the best quality at 1080p, unless you buy ungodly priced component cables with enough bandwidth from the connectors to the cable.

      Considering I have a true 1080p TV (brand new), I can look at it: 2 HDMI, 2 component. Do they look any different (even with the stock 360 cables)? Nope (I do have devices that can use both, and I connected both up as an experiment). Expensive cables are largely marketing as well. As long as you have a wide enough gauge wire (ie. lower resistence) it's not going to matter.

      I'm an electrical engineer; I'm not so easily swayed by advertising claims made by Monster and the like. Most of their 'independant tests' are of thin-gauge wire vs (their) thick-gauge wire. When you compare an el cheapo wire with the same gauge as Monster's cable, there is no difference. Quite a profitable marketing ploy on the "premium" cable makers, though.

      Bandwidth is a red herring; until you're to the point where signals start to 'mush' together (into the GHz range), there's not going to be an issue. Considering an analog TV signal has a vertical bandwidth of Now, we don't even know if the games can be output at true 1080p on the 360. This information seems very hard to get. Is the 1080p games from XB360 true 1080p, or just 720p scaled up to 1080p ?

      The signal is 1080p, but I know your point. Some games are 1080, but most are 720 and scaled up (just like the PS3). But 720 games make an even stronger case that HDMI is not necessary.

      Accept it or not, but HDMI seems to have won the connectors' war.
      Partially true; HDMI's virtue is that it is compliant with HDCP DRM-- something every movie studio have stated they won't use for fear of angering customers. HDMI is the digital cable of choice, and Component is the analog. Both can output a full 1080p signal at 60Hz.

      First time I heard any of that. Every time I discussed with XB360 owners, it was the other way around : the current size of XB360 HDD is not enough, and that's on PS3 you can swap drives in a few seconds, not on XB360. Do you have a source for what you're saying ?
      I thought I mentioned in my original post that I have a 360. I have all kinds of dashboard themes, gamer pics, downloaded demos, videos, live marketplace movie 'rentals', music, and savegames. I still have 8 GB free.

      To replace the drive, you pull back on the catch, and lift the drive off. Then you just snap the new drive in place. It's about as hard as changing the battery pack in the 360's wireless controller, and uses a similar set of motions.

      Except that currently, BD or HD-DVD players aren't cheap or plentiful.
      Neither are plentiful; but that's the nature of being less than a year old. To be honest, the 'next-gen' consoles aren't plentiful either; not compared to stand-alone DVD players, at least.

      Stand-alone BD players aren't currently that cheap ($700-1200); but HD DVD players are much cheaper ($375). In six months, the price of both will have dropped. The point is that it doesn't make sense to make the HD DVD drive a standard offering when the advantage of having it is evaporating quickly- just as the built-in DVD player rapidly became more of a footnote with the PS2 and Xbox.

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
    9. Re:the next Xbox 360 by sl3xd · · Score: 1

      That's OK. I design products for customers. If a company can't make money in the end, it's better off not having your 'business.' I've seen multi-million dollar deals turned down because the customer more or less said "I'm not buying until you give me _____." We would have lost money on it, so we told the customer to take a flying leap.

      Adding HDMI, HD DVD, and a bigger HD will raise 360's the price to $600 (the same as the PS3.) Sony's reputation in consumer electronics will carry it much farther than Microsoft's reputation ever could. Sony is seen as a top brand; Microsoft is seen as an exploitive monopoly. Being lower in price is one of the biggest things the 360 (and the Wii, to an even greater extent) have over the PS3. Microsoft knows full well that they simply cannot beat Sony on its own terms.

      When the PS2 costed the same as the Xbox, the PS2 sold better. With a lower price point, the 360 has a chance against the PS3. But at the same cost, that advantage is gone.

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
    10. Re:the next Xbox 360 by sl3xd · · Score: 1

      You just nailed why Microsoft isn't going to add unnecessary fluff that will just make it cost more.

      Price matters.

      It's why the Wii is the top seller, and why the 360 is outselling the PS3.

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
    11. Re:the next Xbox 360 by ookaze · · Score: 1

      HDMI delivering the best quality is debatable

      No it's not, especially with 1080p. You mean component can attain the same quality. It's sure at 720p, not at 1080p. I don't say it will make a huge difference, but it's noticeable.

      besides DLPs are the only true digital display format available today (LCDs and Plasmas are still technically analog) and most scaler chips in TVs are analog as well meaning the whole keeping the signal digital is crap

      Nonsense ! True HDTV use digital signals, and there are some among Plasma and LCD.
      And do you mean these make a digital-analog conversion, scale the image, then a analog-digital conversion ? That is even more nonsense, there's just no point in doing that, when digital scalers are cheaper to make.

      not to mention decoding DRM adds a few milliseconds to the signal processing which is bad for any hardcore gaming

      Huh ? So you say DRM is negociated at each frame ?

      And if you really need more inputs buy a switcher. It will probably cost less then the costs added to the console for an HDMI out, not to mention you can use it for other things as well

      Not if you want as good quality as the HDMI. And what's the point of buying a switcher, whose quality is again one point of failure, when you have two unused connectors on your TV ? That doesn't make sense.

    12. Re:the next Xbox 360 by ookaze · · Score: 1

      I'm an electrical engineer; I'm not so easily swayed by advertising claims made by Monster and the like. Most of their 'independant tests' are of thin-gauge wire vs (their) thick-gauge wire. When you compare an el cheapo wire with the same gauge as Monster's cable, there is no difference. Quite a profitable marketing ploy on the "premium" cable makers, though

      I agree, but still, you won't get enough bandwidth with an el-cheapo cable with thin wires, even at 720p.

      Bandwidth is a red herring; until you're to the point where signals start to 'mush' together (into the GHz range), there's not going to be an issue

      OK. Isn't it the case at 1080p ?

      The signal is 1080p, but I know your point. Some games are 1080, but most are 720 and scaled up (just like the PS3). But 720 games make an even stronger case that HDMI is not necessary

      They aren't, as people with HDTV sets say they prefer playing the game in 720p, because the 1080 looks worse.

      HDMI's virtue is that it is compliant with HDCP DRM-- something every movie studio have stated they won't use for fear of angering customers. HDMI is the digital cable of choice, and Component is the analog. Both can output a full 1080p signal at 60Hz

      If ICT won't be used, then what's the problem exactly with using these HDMI ports you paid for ? And yes, both can output at 1080p at 60Hz, but in the case of component, two different cables won't give you the same quality at 1080p, and most of the time, it's worse than HDMI. With HDMI, you're sure it will be the best, which is the point of HDTV : image quality.

      To replace the drive, you pull back on the catch, and lift the drive off. Then you just snap the new drive in place

      I've not made myself clear. i was talking of buying a cheaper generic HDD, and replace the official XB360 one with this cheaper, larger drive.

    13. Re:the next Xbox 360 by sl3xd · · Score: 1

      Let's do some bandwidth calculations:

      1080p60 works out to:
      * 1080 Lines
      * 60 Hz
      * 1920 pixels/line

      = 124.416 MHz, if you are using one clock tick per pixel. (At best you can get two pixels/clock, which would bump it down to ~62 MHz of bandwidth, but I'll be pessimistic and user the higher number) Bytes/second doesn't apply, because it's an analog signal; the amplitude of the signal on each cycle is what determines the color.

      124.416 MHz is well below the level where signal smearing becomes a problem, even with 24 gauge wire (which is pretty thin stuff;).

      Keep in mind that a high-res VGA signal is very close to an HDTV signal in terms of bandwidth: 1600x1280@75Hz has a bandwidth of 153.6 MHz; more than a 1080p60 signal.

      On an LCD screen, the (analog) VGA signal is indistinguishable (to human eyes) from the equivalent (digital) DVI signal at that resolution; the picture is sharp, clear, with rich colors.

      I have devices that output both HDMI and component. It's not hard for me to look for differences; it is hard to find any differences.

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
    14. Re:the next Xbox 360 by ookaze · · Score: 1

      I agree with you entirely on this.
      That's why I don't understand why there are differences. And I hoped you'd be able to tell me.
      Because VGA cables, though expensive, are not so expensive (I know the marketing plays a role, my video equipment was always more expensive).
      Actually, I know one of the differences is simply caused by the conversions. The conversions (analog-digital) induce a loss of quality, which should be unnoticeable at 720p, but that you can see at 1080p, even at my 1600x1200 resolution (perhaps because it's 85Hz). I always used 1600x1200x85Hz resolution. Well, it's not a problem at all really, but as HDTV is about quality, I would be mad at paying so much to not have what was advertised.

    15. Re:the next Xbox 360 by sl3xd · · Score: 2, Informative

      You're right about conversions-- at least where it applies. On paper, with perfect electronics (which don't exist), a CD is enough to satisfy the most sensitive ears. But because we don't have perfect electronics, we've moved to 96 kHz/24 bit audio -- able to reproduce frequencies dogs can't hear at volumes that virtually no audio equipment can reach (and certainly not with any level of fidelity) The same can apply to video.

      Quantization error (technical jargon for conversion problems) can arise if you have cheap hardware (by which I don't refer to price...) Some TV's won't be noticible at all, others might be very apparent. Which is why it's important to get a good TV first.

      I've got an 1080p LCD HDTV; it has to digitize any analog signal it gets for display.

      My brother, OTOH, has a 1080i CRT HDTV.

      Both have Component and HDMI. Interesingly enough, HDMI looks slightly worse on my brother's CRT. (A CRT's 'native' signal is the component video... in fact, component video's signal describes what the TV has to do to aim and fire the electron beam that makes a CRT work. When HDMI is used, the signal has to be converted to analog first.) On my LCD, they're not distinguishable.

      As far as why you get a bad picture at 1600x1200 on your PC: There are a number of possible reasons. Your video card is one of them, the monitor itself is another. If you are using one of those DVI->VGA adapters to connect the monitor, that is a pretty big red flag.

      If you're using a DVI->VGA adapter, it's going to look bad; I've had more than a few video cards that had both DVI and VGA outputs, and I've tried the quality of the adapters. My advice-- use the native VGA output; the adapters just plain suck.

      I used to have my Mac Mini hooked to a KVM (sharing the monitor with a PC), the Mac Mini had noticible 'banding' scrolling up the screen constantly. At 1600x1280, it was intolerable; at 1280x1024, it was at least livable. When I switched the KVM to display from the PC, the picture was gorgeous with the same settings. Swapping the KVM cable around didn't do anything, nor did removing it entirely-- the Mini just couldn't output a VGA signal that looked as good as the video card in my PC (no suprise considering the only choice I had was to use one of those lame DVI->VGA adapters)

      Last but not least is the cable. VGA cables differ quite a bit from TV cables-- much thinner wire, much smaller surface area on the connector. A Component cable has the ability to push a far more powerful signal; this also means that you can get a higher quality signal.

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
    16. Re:the next Xbox 360 by tbannist · · Score: 1

      I always find it amusing when fan bois fight other fan bois. It's a win-win situation for everyone else...

      As long as we don't have to listen to them.

      --
      Fanatically anti-fanatical
  2. Short answer No, long answer no with a but ... by HappySqurriel · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The obvious answer is no, Blue-Dragon was not what the XBox 360 needed in japan being that the XBox 360 is still the worst selling videogame system in the country ...

    At the same time it should be noted that there are more pieces of XBox 360 software being sold than PS3 software which implies the PS3 "aint doin so hot" ...

    1. Re:Short answer No, long answer no with a but ... by Rycross · · Score: 1

      One game isn't going to suddenly turn around a dying system. Blue Dragon did sell systems, just not enough. If they can deliver a good selection of Japanese style games, then they might still be able to turn things around, especially considering how poorly PS3 is doing.

    2. Re:Short answer No, long answer no with a but ... by Mark+Maughan · · Score: 2, Informative

      Right now the PS3 console is outselling the XBox360 console at about a 3:1 ratio in Japan. Gears of War is not something to extrapolate from. Right before it, I don't think there was a single XBox360 game in the top 30 in Japan.

    3. Re:Short answer No, long answer no with a but ... by HappySqurriel · · Score: 1

      My point wasn't that "The XBox 360 is doing great" ... I just think that it is interesting that the sales for the systems (for 2007) are as follows ...

      Wii 447,500 Systems and 1,070,000 pieces of software
      PS3 144,250 Systems and 147,000 pieces of software
      360 46,250 Systems and 100,250 pieces of software

      Also for the past 2 weeks (according to vgcharts.org) the XBox 360 has sold more software than the PS3 ...

    4. Re:Short answer No, long answer no with a but ... by Mark+Maughan · · Score: 1

      Also for the past 2 weeks (according to vgcharts.org) the XBox 360 has sold more software than the PS3 ...
      You didn't finish reading my post.
    5. Re:Short answer No, long answer no with a but ... by EvilIdler · · Score: 1

      Dead Rising. Lost Planet. Japanese style, japanese developers. Dead Rising IS a system-seller :)

    6. Re:Short answer No, long answer no with a but ... by Rycross · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They aren't jRPGs. jRPGs are what sell systems in Japan. Well, those and dating games.

      Dead Rising and Lost Planet are much more American style than Japanese anyway. Just because they have Japanese developers, doesn't necessarily mean they cater to Japanese tastes. That being said, I am severely tempted to get a 360 for those two games, plus GoW and XNA, so I agree with you that they are system sellers.

  3. ::shrug:: by Pojut · · Score: 1

    The first Xbox did horribly in Japan too...why should we have expected the 360 to be much different?

    --
    Living With a Nerd
    1. Re:::shrug:: by Geek_3.3 · · Score: 1

      Well, the PS1 and PS2 did pretty good, so that means that the PS3 should be doing fantastic now.

      OKOK, bad example. the jury's still out on the PS3....

      The Sega Master System and Genesis did pretty good,so that means that the Sega CD and Dreamcast should.... oh right....

    2. Re:::shrug:: by Pojut · · Score: 1

      lol oh come on you know what I meant...as others have said, the Xbox was a very western-oriented system...many of the games had a very "western" feel to them, hell even the interface of the dashboard felt like something right at home here in north america...granted while american culture has it's places in japan, it isn't going to overtake japan's own culture (just like although "americanized" chinese food is popular here, does not mean it will be MORE popular than our own food) If you compare the majority of the games for the xbox (and the 360 for that matter) to those of the ps1 and 2, the ps1 and 2 had MANY more titles available that would appeal to a traditional japanese gamers taste...

      That being said, so far, the PS3 ironically doesn't actually seem to be targeting japan nearly as much as it seems to be targeting North America...which is, in my eyes, a huge mistake.

      Standard "this is only my own opinion" boilerplate applies.

      --
      Living With a Nerd
    3. Re:::shrug:: by Geek_3.3 · · Score: 1

      I know, I know--just giving you a hard time. ;-) M$ *seems* to be trying a little harder to catch the Japanese market this time. Something of a good start--now if they can keep hammering it in, they can break the single digit marketshare in Japan... MAYBE.

      And yeah--Sony is completely arsing it up pretty good somehow. Somehow, in all the rush to crank out a rather nice 10 yr console, they forgot to, I don't know, GET A FEW GAMES TO GO WITH IT THAT DIDN'T SUCK. I personally won't buy a PS3 unless it a) drops about $200, b) get the probable disc or power supply problems out of the way, c) Final Fantasy XIII, Gran Turismo, or some other "killer app". ... 0 in 3 so far...

    4. Re:::shrug:: by Pojut · · Score: 1

      See, even though I would say I liked the Xbox over the PS2 by a VERY large margin, in retrospect there were more PS2 exclusives that I enjoyed than Xbox exclusives....

      God of War, Shadow of the Collossus, Ico, Okami, Final Fantasy Series...there really were some amazing games for the PS2.

      The EXACT opposite is happening now. Final Fantasy and Lair aside, there is not one single PS3 exclusive title that has been announced that I am looking forward to...the 360 already has exclusives that are out and have more on the way that I am VERY excited about.

      I really want to like the PS3. I really do. It has a lot of power under the hood, and it looks decent....but I don't know man. I never try to shoehorn myself into a single console fanboy, I generally try to either own or borrow every console in each generation...as of yet though, I cannot find a reason to even look at a PS3.

      --
      Living With a Nerd
    5. Re:::shrug:: by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      Funnily GTA San Andreas just topped the weekly charts in Japan by a fair margin.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    6. Re:::shrug:: by mgblst · · Score: 1

      Because we are not all idiots.

  4. Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes, a high-quality exclusive game that appeals to the Japanese market was what they needed, and desperately.

    Was Blue Dragon sufficient?

    No, obviously not. One game is never going to turn a console from an abject failure into a success all by itself. Few people will buy a console when only one game out of the entire library interests them, and so it is with the 360.

    Blue dragon is what MS needed, past tense, to show they had a chance at all in Japan. What they need, present tense, is another Blue Dragon, and another, so that people will have multiple reasons to want one, and to hope that more games they'll like will come out. Even still MS being successfull in Japan is very iffy, but without this, failure is guaranteed. Sort of like when a paramedic needs a defribulator, even though it may not save the patient -- their other option is to sit by and note the time of death.

    --

    The enemies of Democracy are
    1. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Mark+Maughan · · Score: 2, Informative

      That's pretty much sums it up. Look at the 20 most anticipated games in Japan.

      http://the-magicbox.com/topten3.htm

      6 DS games
      3 Wii games

      6 PS3 games
      3 PS2 games
      1 PSP game

      1 360 game

      Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey simply aren't enough. They need 3-6 times this many Blue Dragon's and Lost Odyssey's.

    2. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by AKAImBatman · · Score: 1

      What they need, present tense, is another Blue Dragon, and another, so that people will have multiple reasons to want one, and to hope that more games they'll like will come out.
      What they need is a Japanese development studio staffed by some of the hottest Japanese talent. Combine that with a free hand for the team to develop games that are appropriate to the culture, and the XBox 360 will do much better.
      --
      Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
    3. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Rycross · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And even with Blue Dragon, you have a console chart that looks like this: http://the-magicbox.com/toptenlast.htm/. You're not going to a lot of growth in Japan unless you have a sizable cache of jRPGs.

    4. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by ProppaT · · Score: 4, Interesting

      "One game is never going to turn a console from an abject failure into a success all by itself."

      Halo. It saved the original X-Box from failure in the US.

      --
      Wise men say, "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
    5. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Rycross · · Score: 1

      On another note, do you know how the most-wanted list is generated? I can't seem to find info on that.

    6. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Rycross · · Score: 1

      That's pretty much what they have with Mistwalker, which is who put out Blue Dragon. They have Lost Odyssey comming too, but I think they need more than token support from Square, and some of the other RPG developing studios out there.

    7. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Babbster · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You mean like Mistwalker?

      No, what Microsoft needs is for companies like Konami and Square to say something like this: "Yes, we are going to put [Metal Gear Solid 4|Final Fantasy XIII] on the Xbox 360 because so many people [outside Japan] own that console." There have already been indications from both those companies of interest in the 360 (and both companies already have titles available for the console), but if they made a real commitment to developing their top titles for the 360, then both other developers and the Japanese gamers would follow.

    8. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Xymor · · Score: 1

      It's taken from Famitsu. Not sure how they get the data.

    9. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Blimey85 · · Score: 1

      We've been hearing this pretty much since Halo landed but has there been any stats to back up the claim? I bought my xbox not long before Halo 2 came out and Halo was one of the first games I bought, and Halo 2 the day it came out. Both are great games but they weren't the only games I liked on the xbox, just as Gears isn't the only game I play on my 360 but was the reason I bought a 360. That and knowing that Halo 3 is just around the corner. I'm not disputing the cliam that Halo made the xbox but I'm just wondering if there was an actual surge in hardware units sold following it's release that could be directly attributed to that one game.

      --
      How is it that one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
    10. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by The-Bus · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'll have to mostly agree with you. When Halo and its sequel are the top two selling games on the console, it's hard to argue that they were central to the success. But: look a bit further. The rest of the Top 20 Xbox Games list shares a lot of entries with the Top 20 PS2 Games list: a racing game, Madden, some EA games, Tony Hawk, etc.

      And here's where the differences appear. There's a lot more overlap in software in the US and Europe. Don't have a PS2? Don't worry, the Xbox has some stuff that might be as good or slightly worse/better. This is true again this generation with the PS3. The most overlap between consoles is between the PS3 and the 360. Here, in the US.

      In Japan? Not as much. Their equivalents of the GTA series, Madden and the like are not out on both consoles.

      So that has something to do with it. The Xbox had more equivalents (or like substitutions) for the North American and European markets.

      --

      Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.

    11. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      "I love my Xbox, Halo is sweet!"
      "Cool. What other fun games are there?"
      "Halo is totally awesome!"

      Heh, so yeah, I'll grant that Halo saved the xbox *but* the main difference here is that there were other games that interest a north american audience, and certainly no lack of faith that more FPS would be coming out for Xbox. If Halo was truly the only game on the system for U.S. audiences, I'd say they'd have "succeeded" in the U.S. just as much as they have in Japan based solely on Blue Dragon.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    12. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by atomicstrawberry · · Score: 1

      Famitsu's 'data' correlates directly to how much money they're paid by the publisher to promote it. You should always take anything in Famitsu with a significant grain of salt, they're not exactly a bastion of journalistic integrity.

    13. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by chill · · Score: 1

      Actually, I purchased a PlayStation 2 just to play God of War. No, I never purchased another PS2 game. Yes, it was worth it. (And yes, I know I'm in the serios minority here.)

      --
      Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
    14. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Rycross · · Score: 1

      Probably because thats an accurate description of game journalism, if you can call it that, in America. Its sad, but in most game magazines, all a high score means is that the company that made it coughed up enough advertising dollars. /cynic

    15. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by Rycross · · Score: 1

      I was under the impression that, when Halo game out, XBox was just starting to get some worthwhile games. Now, I couldn't name them for you, since I didn't really pay attention to the first XBox, but I do remember hearing this from XBox fans.

      XBox did have KOTOR, Jade Empire, and Panzer Dragoon Orta, amongst some other gems. None that I would buy a system for though.

    16. Re:Is Blue Dragon what they needed? by PixelScuba · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Someone answer me, I'm not trolling here I want some sort of answer that makes sense to me... Why the fuck AREN'T these companies doing that?!? The Playstation 3 has been selling abysmally in the States and from the sound of other articles, not so well in Japan either. The 360 has positioned itself as a huge demographic outside Japan, and any company looking to make serious money on a product is going to have to release software for this platform. We know that Square has a raging hard on for the most sophisticated and gaudy visuals possible, and only the 360 and PS3 can offer that capability this generation. Is Square intentionally trying to sell very few games outside of Japan? What possible reasoning could the company have for being so foolish as to pass on releasing their product for the 360? Same goes for Metal Gear Solid 4... but that's more likely since, I believe, in the past all the MGS games came out for the XBOX... just later (I could be mistaken).

  5. MS and Japan by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 4, Insightful

    MS just doesn't get that they just don't get Japan. The Xbox games are all very Western and Japan just doesn't enjoy them. I mean look at where 90% of FPS games come from, then look where 90% of RPGs come from, there is a very clear difference between the two markets and MS need to understand this.

    --
    I like muppets.
    1. Re:MS and Japan by Kuukai · · Score: 1

      I don't think it's really about them not understanding the market in Japan. The MSX was a pretty big deal, and they really could have tapped into that if they had actually cared about gaming at the time. The Xbox line was pretty much created to tie into their whole "media center" idea, and so they came into the party at a pretty dumb time (when PS2 was at its peak), and made a sort of half-hearted effort to gather Japanese developers. The failure of the first system in Japan has made it extremely hard to resuscitate their image there (where a used Dreamcast costs more than an Xbox), no matter what they do. Nothing is impossible, but they'd need to change their priorities if they want to do better there, and I don't think they're doing that.

      --
      Sendou Wave Kick!!
    2. Re:MS and Japan by Babbster · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh, get off it. It's not a question of MS "understanding" Japanese gamers, unless you really think that you're more capable of understanding the gaming business better than the professionals in the field. It's a question of getting Japanese developers to make their games for the 360, and right now the chicken is waiting for the egg: Developers want to make games for hardware accepted by gamers and gamers want hardware for which developers are making games. Believe me, if the companies developing the big franchises (such as MGS, FF and DQ) announced that they were making those franchises available on the 360, that console would get a lot more interest from both Japanese gamers and other Japanese game developers. Unfortunately for MS, the success of the PS2 made the PS3 look extremely desirable to game developers and some assumed that the PS3 would be a similar crazy success.

    3. Re:MS and Japan by EmperorKagato · · Score: 1

      I believe they are trying to appeal more to developers by pushing XNA for the Xbox 360.

      You may not see an impact soon, however this is how innovative games became popular on the PS1 (Parrapa the Rappa) because of the development kits being easier to get a hold of.

      --
      ----- You know you have ego issues when you register a domain in your name.
  6. Re:Games aside, the console is awfully bulky by AKAImBatman · · Score: 2, Informative

    The 360 has about the same footprint as the PS3. Especially since the lastest craze is to flip the consoles on their sides.

    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  7. Re:Games aside, the console is awfully bulky by dopaz · · Score: 1

    It fits slightly better than a PS3.

  8. Re:Proof that "free trade" is overrated by HappySqurriel · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Xbox 360 is a high quality game system at least on par with the PS3. The fact that the Japanese public won't buy it is basically proof in my eyes that they won't buy ANY American products. There's always some excuse about how the product isn't marketed right or built to their tastes, but the bottom line is they are biased against American products at the same time they are killing many of our industries.

    How many Americans spend a lot of money buying Japaneese Music, Movies, or Books?

    There are some, but they are a pretty small minority of the population. Do most American's ignore it because these Music, Movies and Books are poor quality? No! American culture is drastically different than Japaneese culture and they have completely different views on what makes good entertainment and what doesn't.

    The XBox has never taken off largely because it lacks the type of games Japaneese gamers like ...

  9. Re:Games aside, the console is awfully bulky by fistfullast33l · · Score: 1

    PC's started out flat as well, now they're all effectively on their side. Only difference here is the disc drive on the PC's usually aren't flipped. Speaking of which, can you load a disk in the 360 sideways?

  10. Re:Proof that "free trade" is overrated by Rycross · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Of course, your conjecture is bullshit. Above and beyond the Levis and IPods, there are plenty of American products they consume. Music and movies were especially popular. The women liked french fashion. Yeah, the Japanese are somewhat isolationist, but they'll still buy it if you market it to them appropriately.

    In case you hadn't noticed, XBox360, while a good system, has jack and shit in the way of Japanese RPGs. These are the types of games that are most popular over there. No, there isn't some grand conspiricy to lock Microsoft out of the market.

    Lets try to keep the bigotry in check, shall we?

  11. Is it possible to merge the two mentalities? by 7Prime · · Score: 1

    Gaming culture has expanded drastically, that is for certain, in fact, once it left its base of nerds fiddling around in the basement, it's become fragmented into a number of very opposing sub units. Maybe Microsoft's thinking is that they're doing really well with the whole frat-boy image. If they were to start also catering to the jRock crowd, you might get a lot of 15 year olds and frat boys starting to say, "The XBox360 is for faggots!" So they've been picking and chosing their games carefully in which to maintain their rough-neck image.

    --
    Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
  12. Re:Proof that "free trade" is overrated by Erwos · · Score: 1

    "In case you hadn't noticed, XBox360, while a good system, has jack and shit in the way of Japanese RPGs. These are the types of games that are most popular over there. No, there isn't some grand conspiricy to lock Microsoft out of the market."

    Except that this isn't true. They've got Phantasy Star Universe. They've got Blue Dragon. They've got Enchanted Arms. And there's more. Right now, the Xbox 360 apparently has _more_ JRPGs than the PS3 or the Wii. That's what makes this so baffling. Microsoft really isn't doing that bad of a job in terms of library, and, certainly, their pricing is at least competitive. Maybe the Idolm@ker will drive sales. Who knows?

    I would theorize that perhaps _video games_ in Japan might show more nationalized buying habits. Most Americans don't think twice about where their shoes come from, yet a good bit of them are damned picky about their cars coming from an American company.

    --
    Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
  13. Re:American gaming market has the momentum by realityfighter · · Score: 2, Informative

    Japan's population is roughly equal to half that of the United States. Last year, Japanese consumers bought almost twice as many DS units (the best-selling handheld on the market) as American consumers did. And when I say American consumers, I mean the US and Canada. So your answer would be, no.

    --
    A strain of paranoid prevention can be worse than the disease, whate'er the intention.
  14. Re:Proof that "free trade" is overrated by Erwos · · Score: 1

    PSU is popular in Japan, and did MUCH better in terms of reviews.

    Enchanted Arms is good, not mediocre. It didn't advance the genre, but do you really think all those JRPGs that made the PS2 popular did?

    --
    Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
  15. Re:Proof that "free trade" is overrated by Shadow99_1 · · Score: 1

    What they really lack is Bishojou games (or Ero games depending on what name you choose to use to describe them), such things are common in japan on consoles (even the 'family friendly' wii), but no japanese console maker allows those games to be brought out in other countries... Those games however make up a very large market in Japan (with good Bishojou games making the top 10 games list and even being the number one game at times). I can't see MS gaining any marketshare in that market however...

    --
    we are all invisible unless we choose otherwise
  16. Re:Proof that "free trade" is overrated by Guppy06 · · Score: 1

    "There are some, but they are a pretty small minority of the population."

    Never underestimate the spending power of fourteen-year-old girls.

  17. Re:American gaming market has the momentum by SSCGWLB · · Score: 1

    Yes, Japan does love their handhelds. However, lets consider the PS2 sales numbers.

    Cumulative Production Shipments of Hardware / PlayStation®2
    ...
    2006/12/31 115.36 million units (Japan: 24.76 million/ USA: 46.53 million/ Europe: 44.07 million)
    So, the US purchased ~2x PS2s as Japan, US and Europe accounted for ~79% of all PS2s sold. So, the answer is neither yes or no. No market is small enough to be easily ignored, however Japan is far from the big tuna in this particular pond.

  18. Yes I want HDMI, Bigger HD and HD-DVD by bigdady92 · · Score: 1

    "Oh HDMI is overkill component is just fine!" Yes component is just fine for some people but I don't want 5 cables hooked into my reciever I want 1. I want everything centralized and instead of running tons of wires everywhere I want 1 cables that does 1 thing and can plug into all my devices and not require a bajillion cables to do it. Simplicity at it's finest. "120 GB is ridiculously big! Why do you need it?" HD shows which you can now download are peaking over 4GB each for 30-45min. Now that you can download HD content right to your box AND use your xbox as a soon to be DVR you will be filling up that XBOX's meager HD in no time. I for one want to watch 6 episodes of 24 in HD with maybe a few movies stored on it with all the details all on my XBOX. If you haven't seen what HD does to your storage capacity then you don't understand why more is better. "HD-DVD is a waste! my regular DVD is just fine" Regular DVD's don't do 1080p, regular dvd's don't have features that I think are neat and interesting like skinning or frame replacing that HD-DVD offers. I want something for the future that is coming out NOW rather than be limited by something my old xbox does well i.e. play regular dvd's. Hi definition content is NOW, not tommorow, not next year, it's here NOW. IF Microsoft wants my money, wants me to own a piece of their equipment they need to move to the future and not the analog past. 1 Device, 1 Plug, 1 single setup to run all my HD-Content. The only thing holding me back is MS.

    --
    Wheel of Time: Book by Book and Sumview (summary review) Bigdady92 style: http://bigdady92.blogspot.com/
    1. Re:Yes I want HDMI, Bigger HD and HD-DVD by bigdady92 · · Score: 1

      EDIT:NOW WITH EASY TO READ SECTIONS!

      "Oh HDMI is overkill component is just fine!"
      Yes component is just fine for some people but I don't want 5 cables hooked into my reciever I want 1. I want everything centralized and instead of running tons of wires everywhere I want 1 cables that does 1 thing and can plug into all my devices and not require a bajillion cables to do it. Simplicity at it's finest.

      "120 GB is ridiculously big! Why do you need it?"
      HD shows which you can now download are peaking over 4GB each for 30-45min. Now that you can download HD content right to your box AND use your xbox as a soon to be DVR you will be filling up that XBOX's meager HD in no time. I for one want to watch 6 episodes of 24 in HD with maybe a few movies stored on it with all the details all on my XBOX. If you haven't seen what HD does to your storage capacity then you don't understand why more is better.

      "HD-DVD is a waste! my regular DVD is just fine" Regular DVD's don't do 1080p, regular dvd's don't have features that I think are neat and interesting like skinning or frame replacing that HD-DVD offers. I want something for the future that is coming out NOW rather than be limited by something my old xbox does well i.e. play regular dvd's.

      Hi definition content is NOW, not tommorow, not next year, it's here NOW. IF Microsoft wants my money, wants me to own a piece of their equipment they need to move to the future and not the analog past. 1 Device, 1 Plug, 1 single setup to run all my HD-Content. The only thing holding me back is MS.

      --
      Wheel of Time: Book by Book and Sumview (summary review) Bigdady92 style: http://bigdady92.blogspot.com/
  19. Why would I want a Bigger HDD in my 360? by trdrstv · · Score: 1
    Simplicity at it's finest. "120 GB is ridiculously big! Why do you need it?" HD shows which you can now download are peaking over 4GB each for 30-45min. Now that you can download HD content right to your box AND use your xbox as a soon to be DVR you will be filling up that XBOX's meager HD in no time.

    Ok, I will admit that once you add in HD video that free space magically disappears off the Drive. Hell Superman Returns is 7 gigs by itself in 720p. My Issue though is that for most things the 20 gig HDD is more than enough space. However, for those who do need more space why not throw a bone to the 360 owners (Even Core System owners) and let us stream it from our PC?

    If MS added a free download that lets a user's home PC (XP, or Vista) work as a NAS (even if it required the Windows Genuine Annoyance check) many users (including myself) would applaud them. It would allow me to increase my available capacity at no extra charge.

    The files are DRM'ed anyway, so why not?

    1. Re:Why would I want a Bigger HDD in my 360? by sl3xd · · Score: 1

      However, for those who do need more space why not throw a bone to the 360 owners (Even Core System owners) and let us stream it from our PC?

      They do. http://www.xbox.com/en-US/pcsetup/alldownloads.htm

      (Alternatively, if you have a 'Media Center PC', you don't need to download anything.)

      And the 'core system' can have a Hard drive snapped into it; takes about as much time as changing the battery pack on the 360 controller (seconds). Since the drive is trivially replaceable, it's no big deal to swap disks, or to offer a bigger replacement drive.

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
    2. Re:Why would I want a Bigger HDD in my 360? by trdrstv · · Score: 1
      And the 'core system' can have a Hard drive snapped into it; takes about as much time as changing the battery pack on the 360 controller (seconds). Since the drive is trivially replaceable, it's no big deal to swap disks, or to offer a bigger replacement drive.

      I understand how quick it is to replace the HDD on the 360, however I don't want to do it for a larger drive. I have plenty of space on my Home pc and would rather a solution that lets me utilize the vacant space there.

      It was my impression that the Xbox 360 Media Download Center was only for media I already had on my PC that is in the approved formats. Does it allow me to say 'Rent a movie' from Live marketplace, store it on my computer and stream it from there when I want to watch it? or download a game demo and store it there? (The functionality of having it natively on the x-box hard drive.)

    3. Re:Why would I want a Bigger HDD in my 360? by sl3xd · · Score: 1

      Does it allow me to say 'Rent a movie' from Live marketplace, store it on my computer and stream it from there when I want to watch it? or download a game demo and store it there?

      I don't really know for certain; I don't use Windows on a PC (I use Linux & Mac -- unix variants). Wintendo's only virtue is games, and that's what I have an Xbox for.

      It would score points for MS to do let Windows users download & stream Live Marketplace content.

      It would be bonus if they'd allow non-windows boxen to stream content to the 360 (yeah, I know... I'll be shoveling snow in hell before Microsoft does it.)

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
  20. Re:Games aside, the console is awfully bulky by Kelbear · · Score: 1

    Yes, when placed on the side, the slot's edge has a cradle to hold the DVD upright and in place.

  21. Re:Proof that "free trade" is overrated by Rycross · · Score: 1

    PSU is mainly an online game, its not traditional style, and as the ac said, its also available on PC and PS2, which means that there's no incentive to buy a 360 for the game.

    As far as mediocre rpgs go, yes PS2 had a ton, but those weren't the ones that sold systems. FFX, FFXII, Dragon Quest VIII... those were the ones that sold systems.

    You need more than 3, one of which is mediocre, and one of which is available on much more widespread platforms. Lets also not forget that the XBox360 has to overcome the bad precedence set by the original.

    My point still stands.

  22. A comment and an OT by BenEnglishAtHome · · Score: 1

    And I bought a Dreamcast just to play Tetris on a big screen. Somehow, your purchase seems leet and mine seems more than a little tragic. :-)

    OT - I notice that you've stuck by the decision to keep the occulus index page as low-key as possible. :-) I never took you up on your kind offer of an account for testing but I would be willing to buy access. I'll drop you an email requesting sign-up particulars.