I don't think the report card is far from the truth. I think the only score I disagree with is the one given to the ESRB itself, which I think is doing a pretty good job.
As far as retailers and rentals, I think it's worth noting that movie ratings are probably enforced far less than game ratings. That's not to say both shouldn't be better monitored.
There are more than a few companies in the industry whose practices have really tarnished the industry as a whole. For that reason, I think their grade is deserved too.
I do think parents need to monitor their kids. However, as stated before, you can't monitor your kids 24/7.
I've been really quite impressed with Sony's advertising of late. It seems to be everywhere, and unlike their previous attempts and their irritating PSP ads, the new PS3 ads are actually "cool". It helps that even several multi-platform titles are appearing with ads showing the PS3 logo at the end.
On top of that, the good exclusives are starting to trickle out. I love my 360, but I think I may need to start making some room for a PS3 before the end of 2008. There still arn't enough games out yet for me to buy it right now, but the time is coming.
I was tempted to pick up a Mac last fall. I enjoyed using the one at work and much of what I do on the computer doesn't involve gaming. After hearing about the problems with Vista, I went through with the purchase.
For a couple months, I wondered if it really was the right thing to do. Now, however, I'm pretty much convinced that it was. I installed my old copy of Windows XP on it using Bootcamp so I can play Orange Box and Oblivion and it works quite well. For everything else, OSX just works.
I'm really surprised at how nice the Mac's default drivers are. My new printer was a snap to set up and network with the other mac in the house. My Logitech gaming mouse just worked the moment I plugged it in. The same can't be said of XP. It really isn't a bad alternative for those who want to try something different and easy to use.
I'm in the same boat. I know one day I'll own a PS3. There are plenty of good titles in the works for it that will make the system a must-have -- eventually.
Right now, however, the 360 suits my needs and I have enough trouble trying to jugle my game playing between the 360, PC and Wii as it is. The reality is that even if the PS3 had a couple really good exclusives, I just wouldn't have the time for it.:(
You've got to be kidding me. I live in Canada -- New Brunswick specifically -- and I've owned a Sony WEGA with component input since 2000 having purchased it for myself as a graduation gift. It was even a last-in-stock floor model!
I do agree that not having composite output is a bit of a drawback. As you said, many TVs have front component jacks which would have made plugging in your PSP a simple procedure. However, this is really a value-add feature that was not available on the old PSP, so if you can't use it, it's not really that big of a loss. It's a handheld gaming system first and formost, and as long as you arn't asked to pay for the extra unused features the rest is just icing.
Right now there just aren't enough exclusive games out there that I like to warrent the purchase -- yet. Meanwhile, the 360 has quite a library coming this fall and that's going to keep me far too busy to even consider another system.
Even at half the price, it's not a question of cost anymore for me. It's a question of time and good games. Once we get a few good Square titles released or maybe some good exclusives that I'm interested in then I'll make the jump.
I'm sure the purchase is inevitable, just not immediate.
They are already talking about indy games being added to the Virtual Console lineup, and they have a ton of systems to tap into (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis and TurboGraphx16) plus rumours that NEO GEO will be added to the lineup.
By the time they use up their AAA games, we'll have quite a selection onhand.
I'd be shocked if it did get a release next year. FFXII too forever it seems.
Square likes to polish their games, and why not. Once they release it, I'm sure it will be quite good.
The big problem I find with the 360 controller -- and honestly the only one -- is the D-Pad. It's a pain in the but to use. Very innacurate. I think for that reason alone I'd take a Dreamcast controller over the 360 one.
Still, D-Pad asside, it's an amazing piece of work.
I'm in the same boat -- especially right now. The local EB Games has a nice deal on -- trade in 10 games and you can get a PS3 for $399 Canadian. It's not a bad deal. In fact, it's similar to the deal they had for the XBox 360 before release.
The big problem is that while it's tempting to pick up the system at that price, as you said there are few games that I really want to play that won't available on another system. Even in the fall when new games start flooding in, there are too many good games on the way for the 360 and the Wii for me to want a third console.
It's a good problem for a gamer to have. Not so good for Sony. Even if the price did drop, I just simply don't have the free time anymore to juggle three solid systems.
Unfortunatly, I don't think this will be much more than a neat gadget, and it certainly won't live up to the needs of a serious artist. There's no mention of accuracy or pressure sensitivity, and I didn't see art/photoshop listed on the website.
I'd be keen on seeing some reviews of it, and the prospect of attaching it to a laptop screen sounds pretty interesting but for the price I'd rather just pick up a small Wacom tablet. The fact it's made mainly for a laptop monitor only and claims to work only for Windows makes it a pass for me.
A friend of mine had a similar experience with Dell.
After his $5000 Alienware laptop died on him a month after the warentee expired (the monitor went -- a known problem with that particular laptop), he had to fight tooth and nail to get any kind of support. Eventually he wrote a letter to the president of the company (using teh email from the website) and got the repair done free of charge.
I think the PSP is a great system -- wonderful visuals, nice look and feel to the system overall (although I don't know what they were thinking with the speakers).
Having said that though, I've been really shocked by the complete lack of decent RPGs for it. I figured a Sony system would be chock full of great RPGs like the PS2 was. Instead, there have been only a few decent RPGs and nothing that's really stood out for me.
The DS, on the other hand, has had many great RPGs released for it. Plus there's the huge library of Advance games to use as well.
Funny, while I was hunting down a Wii before Christmas I found DOZENS of PS3's in the city (Saint John, NB, Canada) and that trend still continues. I finally stumbled on a Wii a week after the new year, and have yet to see one since.
The PS2 is now very "family priced" with a huge library of games to choose from. Add to that the fact that I think this years new PS2 games are some of the best we've seen in at least a couple years makes for a great deal and a great system.
The PS3 is still a few years out of reach of most people anyway, giving the PS2 a comfortable bit of time before it's "dead".
As for the PSP, I prefer the DS, but the system is finally seeing some titles that make it worth the time, and the prices have dropped from "insane" to "worth consideration".
I can't believe that there aren't some hidden costs to Sony's online service. SOMEONE has to be paying for the infrastructure -- be it Sony or the software companies. In the end though, the consumer will be paying in one form or another -- either by increases in software costs or through other means.
Nothing is free and Sony is in certainly no position to be giving any services away when they are already bleeding all over the place from console costs.
It will be very interesting to sit back and watch how the PS3 and Wii fare.
The limited supply of PS3 systems and the vast reports of scalpers buying up systems for sale on eBay don't give a clear indication of the overall consumer acceptance of the product. It will take a bit yet to see how that pans out.
The Wii sales are interesting too though. I honestly did not expect that system to sell out so quickly.
I don't think the launch for either system will be indicative of their long term success. There are a few great exclusives in the works for the PS3 which will make it a must have for me once the price drops. The Wii looks like fun, so I think I may pick one up after Christmas.
Are you sure customizable soundtrack wasn't available out of the box on the 360? It was core functionality of the original XBox, and I know mine had customizable soundtrack when I picked it up in February. The only thing I needed to download was the optional iPod support.
I agree with you on the games part! It's the reason I'll eventually pick up a PS3. I enjoy the Final Fantasy series, so once XIII hits, I'll be taking the PS3 plunge. At that point, the price may have dropped a fair bit too.
I'd take gambits and no load times over "load-attack repeatedly-xp screen-load". It's only automating what was already a mindless robotic function and removes the load times.
And while VII was good, it the plot was riddled with gaping holes and nonsensical points. While the end game opened up to allow you to explore and do side quests, most of those quests broke game difficulty and offered nothing of a challenges short of defeating the various weapons.
At least XII does well in dispursing the sidequests throughout the game's entirety and the world is open to you from the start, allowing you to wander and explore and your own content and risk.
I'm over 40 hours into this game. It's amazing. Visually breathtaking, with a combat system taht suddenly feels fun. Grinding mobs doesn't feel tedious at all with several great incentives to do so (mob chains that raise drop rates and experience and licence point gain). It's executed far better than I had expected from my earlier dealings the DQ8 demo.
After playing the demo included in DQ8, I was actually very worried about the new style. My fiance didn't like the camera at all and was disinterested in the game. Now he manopolizes it and I'm stuck waiting for the opportunity to get more involved.
While a lot of the combat is pretty simplistic, this isn't anything different from previous FF games. In fact, even random mob combat is a bit more involved than before. Sure a lot of it is automated, but now you can use it as opportunity to experiment and tweak gambits. Gone is the repeatative process of "combat load, repeated attacks, money/exp screen, world map load".
The story is like crack for RPG fans. It feels huge. The characters are deep and involved. The villains are equally deep and involved. As stated in the review, none of the plot points are given half-arsed metaphysical/spiritual explanations.
It's an epic on the scale of original Star Wars trilogy, and in fact invokes a lot of the same feel.
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I'm not really surprised that the drugs are overperscribed. However, I do find that the subject heading is misleading.
I don't think the report card is far from the truth. I think the only score I disagree with is the one given to the ESRB itself, which I think is doing a pretty good job. As far as retailers and rentals, I think it's worth noting that movie ratings are probably enforced far less than game ratings. That's not to say both shouldn't be better monitored. There are more than a few companies in the industry whose practices have really tarnished the industry as a whole. For that reason, I think their grade is deserved too. I do think parents need to monitor their kids. However, as stated before, you can't monitor your kids 24/7.
I've been really quite impressed with Sony's advertising of late. It seems to be everywhere, and unlike their previous attempts and their irritating PSP ads, the new PS3 ads are actually "cool". It helps that even several multi-platform titles are appearing with ads showing the PS3 logo at the end. On top of that, the good exclusives are starting to trickle out. I love my 360, but I think I may need to start making some room for a PS3 before the end of 2008. There still arn't enough games out yet for me to buy it right now, but the time is coming.
I was tempted to pick up a Mac last fall. I enjoyed using the one at work and much of what I do on the computer doesn't involve gaming. After hearing about the problems with Vista, I went through with the purchase.
For a couple months, I wondered if it really was the right thing to do. Now, however, I'm pretty much convinced that it was. I installed my old copy of Windows XP on it using Bootcamp so I can play Orange Box and Oblivion and it works quite well. For everything else, OSX just works.
I'm really surprised at how nice the Mac's default drivers are. My new printer was a snap to set up and network with the other mac in the house. My Logitech gaming mouse just worked the moment I plugged it in. The same can't be said of XP. It really isn't a bad alternative for those who want to try something different and easy to use.
I'm in the same boat. I know one day I'll own a PS3. There are plenty of good titles in the works for it that will make the system a must-have -- eventually. Right now, however, the 360 suits my needs and I have enough trouble trying to jugle my game playing between the 360, PC and Wii as it is. The reality is that even if the PS3 had a couple really good exclusives, I just wouldn't have the time for it. :(
You've got to be kidding me. I live in Canada -- New Brunswick specifically -- and I've owned a Sony WEGA with component input since 2000 having purchased it for myself as a graduation gift. It was even a last-in-stock floor model!
I do agree that not having composite output is a bit of a drawback. As you said, many TVs have front component jacks which would have made plugging in your PSP a simple procedure. However, this is really a value-add feature that was not available on the old PSP, so if you can't use it, it's not really that big of a loss. It's a handheld gaming system first and formost, and as long as you arn't asked to pay for the extra unused features the rest is just icing.
Right now there just aren't enough exclusive games out there that I like to warrent the purchase -- yet. Meanwhile, the 360 has quite a library coming this fall and that's going to keep me far too busy to even consider another system. Even at half the price, it's not a question of cost anymore for me. It's a question of time and good games. Once we get a few good Square titles released or maybe some good exclusives that I'm interested in then I'll make the jump. I'm sure the purchase is inevitable, just not immediate.
They are already talking about indy games being added to the Virtual Console lineup, and they have a ton of systems to tap into (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis and TurboGraphx16) plus rumours that NEO GEO will be added to the lineup.
By the time they use up their AAA games, we'll have quite a selection onhand.
I'd be shocked if it did get a release next year. FFXII too forever it seems. Square likes to polish their games, and why not. Once they release it, I'm sure it will be quite good.
The big problem I find with the 360 controller -- and honestly the only one -- is the D-Pad. It's a pain in the but to use. Very innacurate. I think for that reason alone I'd take a Dreamcast controller over the 360 one. Still, D-Pad asside, it's an amazing piece of work.
I'm in the same boat -- especially right now. The local EB Games has a nice deal on -- trade in 10 games and you can get a PS3 for $399 Canadian. It's not a bad deal. In fact, it's similar to the deal they had for the XBox 360 before release.
The big problem is that while it's tempting to pick up the system at that price, as you said there are few games that I really want to play that won't available on another system. Even in the fall when new games start flooding in, there are too many good games on the way for the 360 and the Wii for me to want a third console.
It's a good problem for a gamer to have. Not so good for Sony. Even if the price did drop, I just simply don't have the free time anymore to juggle three solid systems.
I agree! I've had the urge to revisit Fallout for a while now. Really need to give it another go.
I did in fact see the 400DPI. I'm more referring to "if I put my pen at point x on the monitor, does my cursor accuratly reflect that point onscreen".
I'm curious to see how well it works, and I appologize if my comment came off as trollish.
Unfortunatly, I don't think this will be much more than a neat gadget, and it certainly won't live up to the needs of a serious artist. There's no mention of accuracy or pressure sensitivity, and I didn't see art/photoshop listed on the website. I'd be keen on seeing some reviews of it, and the prospect of attaching it to a laptop screen sounds pretty interesting but for the price I'd rather just pick up a small Wacom tablet. The fact it's made mainly for a laptop monitor only and claims to work only for Windows makes it a pass for me.
A friend of mine had a similar experience with Dell. After his $5000 Alienware laptop died on him a month after the warentee expired (the monitor went -- a known problem with that particular laptop), he had to fight tooth and nail to get any kind of support. Eventually he wrote a letter to the president of the company (using teh email from the website) and got the repair done free of charge.
I think the PSP is a great system -- wonderful visuals, nice look and feel to the system overall (although I don't know what they were thinking with the speakers). Having said that though, I've been really shocked by the complete lack of decent RPGs for it. I figured a Sony system would be chock full of great RPGs like the PS2 was. Instead, there have been only a few decent RPGs and nothing that's really stood out for me. The DS, on the other hand, has had many great RPGs released for it. Plus there's the huge library of Advance games to use as well.
Funny, while I was hunting down a Wii before Christmas I found DOZENS of PS3's in the city (Saint John, NB, Canada) and that trend still continues. I finally stumbled on a Wii a week after the new year, and have yet to see one since.
The PS2 is now very "family priced" with a huge library of games to choose from. Add to that the fact that I think this years new PS2 games are some of the best we've seen in at least a couple years makes for a great deal and a great system.
The PS3 is still a few years out of reach of most people anyway, giving the PS2 a comfortable bit of time before it's "dead".
As for the PSP, I prefer the DS, but the system is finally seeing some titles that make it worth the time, and the prices have dropped from "insane" to "worth consideration".
I can't believe that there aren't some hidden costs to Sony's online service. SOMEONE has to be paying for the infrastructure -- be it Sony or the software companies. In the end though, the consumer will be paying in one form or another -- either by increases in software costs or through other means. Nothing is free and Sony is in certainly no position to be giving any services away when they are already bleeding all over the place from console costs.
It will be very interesting to sit back and watch how the PS3 and Wii fare.
The limited supply of PS3 systems and the vast reports of scalpers buying up systems for sale on eBay don't give a clear indication of the overall consumer acceptance of the product. It will take a bit yet to see how that pans out.
The Wii sales are interesting too though. I honestly did not expect that system to sell out so quickly.
I don't think the launch for either system will be indicative of their long term success. There are a few great exclusives in the works for the PS3 which will make it a must have for me once the price drops. The Wii looks like fun, so I think I may pick one up after Christmas.
Are you sure customizable soundtrack wasn't available out of the box on the 360? It was core functionality of the original XBox, and I know mine had customizable soundtrack when I picked it up in February. The only thing I needed to download was the optional iPod support.
I agree with you on the games part! It's the reason I'll eventually pick up a PS3. I enjoy the Final Fantasy series, so once XIII hits, I'll be taking the PS3 plunge. At that point, the price may have dropped a fair bit too.
The 360 does me for everything else.
I'd take gambits and no load times over "load-attack repeatedly-xp screen-load". It's only automating what was already a mindless robotic function and removes the load times. And while VII was good, it the plot was riddled with gaping holes and nonsensical points. While the end game opened up to allow you to explore and do side quests, most of those quests broke game difficulty and offered nothing of a challenges short of defeating the various weapons. At least XII does well in dispursing the sidequests throughout the game's entirety and the world is open to you from the start, allowing you to wander and explore and your own content and risk.
I'm over 40 hours into this game. It's amazing. Visually breathtaking, with a combat system taht suddenly feels fun. Grinding mobs doesn't feel tedious at all with several great incentives to do so (mob chains that raise drop rates and experience and licence point gain). It's executed far better than I had expected from my earlier dealings the DQ8 demo.
After playing the demo included in DQ8, I was actually very worried about the new style. My fiance didn't like the camera at all and was disinterested in the game. Now he manopolizes it and I'm stuck waiting for the opportunity to get more involved.
While a lot of the combat is pretty simplistic, this isn't anything different from previous FF games. In fact, even random mob combat is a bit more involved than before. Sure a lot of it is automated, but now you can use it as opportunity to experiment and tweak gambits. Gone is the repeatative process of "combat load, repeated attacks, money/exp screen, world map load".
The story is like crack for RPG fans. It feels huge. The characters are deep and involved. The villains are equally deep and involved. As stated in the review, none of the plot points are given half-arsed metaphysical/spiritual explanations.
It's an epic on the scale of original Star Wars trilogy, and in fact invokes a lot of the same feel.
Bomberman is a classic multiplayer game, and it's appeared on practically every system!