...is there any possibility that Sony might be able relax region restrictions on PS1 and PS2 games?
While this is a good and reasonable question, consider this: I can buy an audio CD anywhere and be confident that it will play in any CD player, no questions asked. If, for instnace, audio CDs purchased in Europe were unplayable in CD players sold in the United States, customers would be outraged.
One cannot help but ask, then: why are reigon restictions allowed for games?
The PS3 has three major problems as I see it; lack of software, price, and lack of availability. The latter two of these three issues have been blamed on the fact that the PS3's Blu-Ray drive requires an expensive and scarce blue laser.
With respect to the first problem cited above: it is my understanding that a major disadvantage for the PS3 is the simple fact of its 'killer apps' - for example, MGS4 - not being available until this summer. Which brings me to my question:
Between this, and the manufacturing issues which were almost certainly known of well before launch, was there any consideration given to going for a 'Summer 2007' date?
This, I believe, would have had the following benefits:
there would have been time to hash out the manufacturing issues;
the aforesaid 'killer apps' would be available from the word go to help move the system; and
the launch might well have coincided with summer vacation - lots of students with plenty of time on their hands, and all that
Games like Gran Turismo? Same thing. You don't play with made-up cars. You play with officially licensed replicas of real cars sold by real auto-makers, who get to put their name badges proudly up on your screen.
Contrast with the Ridge Racer games. That development team, for whatever reason, opted not to use licensed replicas; this decision gave them freedom to come up with some... interesting... concepts. Here's a list of the rides making up Ridge Racer 6's 'Special' class.
I am curious as to whether a game with a good mix of licensed vehicles and original creations does in fact exist.
Again, they even get to dictate things like "No virtual car damage is allowed when you wreck!" - despite it making the games less fun to play.
Yet, on the other hand, they'd want the car's performance to be as true-to-life as the game engine permits... which leaves an amusing possible comeback for a game company: "we'll not include virtual damage if and only if the actual car can 'wreck' without suffering real damage." Exception: Need for Speed Carbon, wherein the appearance of such 'visual damage effects' is left up to the player's choice.
I'll have to agree with the AC; the Punisher is decent (based on its appearance, I thought it was a suppressed pistol - it isn't). Whether or not it's better than the Master is something for further investigation, but I can see cleaning up La Mugre using only pistols to be quite the self-imposed challenge. Which brings us to another achievement they could've added: Gunslinger (kill 200 tangos with a pistol).
natpoor's comments about diversity in the GTAs are also noted (I have come to appreciate the value and fun of stealth in San Andreas); the variety of ops therein makes me wonder why Rockstar hasn't tried 'reversing' the GTA premise (that is, put you behind the badge) - surely they would have done a much better job than Eidos did with their True Crime titles.
Give it 30 minutes of you're time and all of a sudden you'll realize you've been playing it for 6 hours.
I know exactly what you mean; there's a Virgin I pass by every so often that has this on one of their demo 360s.
One of the things I like about the way firearms are handled is that limb shots actually mean something. Shoot someone in the arm, and they'll drop their weapon (and run to grab a nearby one); wing a leg, and they'll be no immediate threat for a short time (rolling around clutching at the wound) as well as easy prey for grenades. Pity the devs didn't use that as an excuse to add achievements like this:
Justice Shot: disarm 200 tangos with arm shots (a nod to the old Virtua Cop games, which actually track this);
No Escape: immobilize 200 tangos with leg shots;
Brain Surgeon: kill 200 tangos with headshots;
Scrounger: add every enemy weapon to your armory;
Cruel and Unusual: use the same 200 tangos to score Justice Shot, No Escape, and Brain Surgeon. In other words: for a given tango, shoot an arm; when they recover, shoot a leg (or vice versa; and finish off with a headshot
One thing I find strange is that you can't grab and toss around tangos who're still alive and kicking...
Most url shortening sites allow you to add/blah.jpg to the shortened url without grumbling, and they will just append/blah.jpg to the final expanded URL.
Question: what purpose, exactly, do these 'URL shortening sites' serve? It seems to me that the length of a URL is pretty much irrelevant, given that you can copy and paste the things. Bonus for Opera users: said browser semi-automates the process of copying a URL from, say, an email and opening it in a new window: highlight URL, right-click, choose 'Go to URL...' from the context menu.
Black wasn't meant to be realistic, it was an arcade-ish shooter that was really all about headshots (notice that it had very distinct audio feedback for headshots, the sharp clink of a helmet getting shot off, at the same volume regardless of the distance of the enemy). The pistols kicked ass. I loved it; every level was memorable, and its one of the only shooters I've bothered to clear every difficulty on in years.
Have it, enjoyed playing, took a break from it after getting smeared many many times in a row in the very final battle... and got sidetracked by (among other things) Ace Combat Zero, Naval Ops: Warship Gunner, and Scarface: The World is Yours. Thanks for reminding me; I'll have to take another stab at it sometime soon.
That said, I agree that it's all about the headshots (and, by extrapolation, fire discipline). As far as I can recall, the only times someone has needed more than one bullet to the head to be removed from consideration are the result of one of two things: either they're wearing a helmet, and the angle was wrong for a bullet to the face; or they're a shock trooper (they wear those ballistic masks for precisely this reason - have you ever caught one from behind?).
On another note: whatever other issues it might have, Crackdown does earn some kudos for the simple fact of enemies reacting sensibly to fire (with a few exceptions). Wing someone in the arm? They'll drop their weapon and scramble to recover it. Legshot? They'll drop and roll around for a bit, clutching at that leg.
Basically, the bigger the magnitude of the killing, destruction, and carnage, the more acceptable. The smaller the scale, the more freaked out people get.
You might be interested to know that there is at least one study that corroborates your statement, according to this article. See also the famous quote oft attributed to Stalin: "One death is a tragedy, but a million deaths are a statistic."
...and Everything Or Nothing is the best Bond game to date.
Which makes one wonder why the lessons learned there (read, 'what was done right') were apparently not applied to things like Rogue Agent. My only real gripe with EoN is that it would've been nice if there was more than one usable environment for the survival challenge...
The problem is, Hot Coffee wouldn't have been discovered even if the ESRB did play the entire game. Rockstar are the ones who fucked up, and the ESRB couldn't have done anything to prevent the Hot Coffee controversy short of hacking the game, something that goes way beyond the call of duty.
Okay, so they 'fucked up' and didn't eliminate the code instead of simply orphaning it. If one take the game and plays it 'clean' - that is, with zero patches, mods, what-have-you - there is no way to invoke said code, so for all practical purposes, it doesn't exist. Never mind that 'Hot Coffee' is no more graphic than what one might find in a R-rated movie... which, like an M-rated game, is specifically noted as not being suitable for minors. What was the problem again?
As for Oblivion... the problem there, as I understand it, wasn't a lack of disclosure, but one of someone at the ESRB not really understanding the disclosure. The details escape me at present; I would appreciate someone clearing this up.
I'd rather see experience points given based on how often you use a skill and when the last time you used it was...
This reminds me of the 'RPG lite' elements which are included in GTA: San Andreas, Advent Rising, and Crackdown. None of these three, though, really address the idea of skills 'rusting' through disuse (unless you count the 'muscle' stat in San Andreas). Which brings us back to the question you are apparently asking: why aren't we seeing more of this in actual RPGs?
Aside from needing line breaks (maybe you forgot to choose 'HTML Formatted' from the pulldown menu), this was good for a few chuckles. I thank you, sir.
"24" is a good example. It is quite amazingly good propaganda for Islamic fundamentalists, because it portrays extreme violence as being appropriate in dealing with any perceived threat...
You raise a very good point; see also the saying about fighting monsters. Interestingly, according to this iteration of Olbermann's 'Worst Person in the World' Brigadier-General Patrick Finnegan, the dean of West Point, has very similar concerns. As he told New Yorker magazine, "I would like them to stop. They should do a show where torture backfires. The kids see it and say if torture is wrong, what about '24'?" Apparently the show's executive producer does not consider such concerns important; he blew off the meeting on grounds that he couldn't sit still for that long, and had a conference call at the time...
..."is there room for storyline in gaming?"
And the answer is 'yes'. I seem to recall the KOTOR titles, as well as Deus Ex and System Shock 2, being regularly held up as examples of engaging storytelling as well as good gameplay.
And for the record, we need a next-gen X-Wing/TIE game with all the ships from the EU and all six movies.
I agree wholeheartedly, and have quite a few ideas for this game...
First, engine. I'm not sure anyone's topped Freespace 2, so that'd be a good basis.
Yes, we want the unfolding campaign(s); bonus points for branching missions, as well as success or failure in a given mission (or optional objective therein - see Tiberian Sun), or choice of mission branch, affecting subsequent missions (Ace Combat X does this). Hypothetical example: a mission tasks you with reconnoitering a space station's defenses. If you do so without being spotted, a later mission entailing the actual attack is somewhat easier (fewer fighters initially 'airborne', and so on).
Next: cooperative play. Aside from the specially-written set-piece missions, why not allow us to replay any mission we've completed with our friends? Heck, this also represents the perfect vehicle for team-vs-team objective-based play...
Now, with respect to the multiplayer scenarios - whether cooperative or adversarial - they can borrow some pages from the Ace Combat and Need for Speed families. Specifically: you start your 'career' with your choice of basic craft (Z-95 or TIE Fighter, for instance); everything else you'd have to work for. In many cases, it's a matter of accruing enough 'requisition points' (for lack of a better term); for others, satisfying certain criteria (example: passing a challenge mission requiring you to defeat Vader and his wingmen in a close time limit gives you the Dark Lord's unique TIE as a prize).
In addition to various craft, there would also be an assortment of upgrades to consider. Examples include passive stealth (see also: F-117, B-2, storm commandos), SLAM ('afterburners'), and fast-cycling cannon.
I remember wishing, back in the day when I used to watch cartoons like GI Joe, Transformers, and Thundercats - I believe this was last Thursday, that the bad guys would win one - if only to mix things up a bit.
I never followed Thundercats that closely, but I believe 'Worlds Without End' - a two-part episode involving a paralell universe - should at least partially sate that why-can't-Cobra-carry-the-day-for-once? hankering. To this day, I still would not mind seeing how said paralell world got the way it was.
As far as Transformers, I think the episode you'd want is 'Transport to Oblivion' - another two-parter wherein the Decepticons pull off an impressive frame-up job.
Re:They want a hit? I'll give them a freebie.
on
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I've seen a couple of these about... now imagine an RC plane with a tiny rotating camera in the cockpit; this camera feeds to a computer running the appropriate control software (flight sim lite) and sporting the necessary transceiver array (USB peripheral?) Think any flight simulator, with no external views and the scenery being provided by the abovementioned camera... so if you look to the left in the virtual cockpit, the tiny camera rotates to show you what's on the aircraft's left, and so on.
The folks who star in these movies are nervous about all the imperfections that are showing up now that resolution is so high.
Hmmm... instead of 'softening', perhaps these movies might be run through one or more passes of image-retouching. This seems to be the norm in modeling already - as is noted in this MSNBC article, "often not even the models themselves can compare to their portfolios. Increasingly, photos for print are enhanced and perfected to an astonishing degree..."; reference is made to another article, elsewhere.
Which makes me wonder how interested the studios would be in systems capable of generating lifelike fully-virtual actors (remember S1m0ne?) and environments (Danger Room/holodeck, anyone?)...
One of the solutions? Use software packages to 'soften' the images. In other words, film the movie in HD format then turn down the resolution so it is similar to that of what is on video tape or film.
Then one could reasonably ask, 'then why would the adult video industry bother with HD formats in the first place?' One possible answer suggested elsewhere in this thread is that of space; I suppose an HD- or BR-DVD could hold 2 or 3 full-length standard-resolution movies, or a goodly quantity of 'extra' material.
I also think you need to have dedicated "camera men" that can go anywhere to help capture the action with an editor dictating which action to follow.
This reminds me of the spectator mode you get dropped into when you die in Counter-Strike, and does not strike me as being all that hard to incorporate from a design standpoint. Now imagine if this mode not only allowed you to 'follow so-and-so', but take control of an aerial 'ghost drone' (thanks, GRAW) so you could get those overviews of key areas of the map and so on.
In the RTS realm, it is my understanding that C&C3 will incorporate a spectator mode complete with commentary (I'll have to read up more on this), and Dawn of War replays (and probably those from Company of Heroes) can be lots of fun to watch...
Collecting heat and weapons is useless, as when you transition, you will more often than not be reset to 1000 heat and a machine gun.
I am surely not alone in wanting to know how the developers rationalized this. Contrast with Rainbow Six: Vegas, or Crackdown, both of which reward 'on-site procurement'. Found a nice piece of enemy ordnance? Bring it to a supply point, and it'll be added to the menu of items you can requisition from that time on.
Another tip I ran across: the energy gun (not to be confused with the plasma rifle) is perhaps the most effective anti-vehicle weapon in the game - a fully-charged blast will eject most any mech pilot or turret gunner. Interestingly, I seem to recall at least one instance of an emptied turret being remanned, but have yet to observe this with any of the mechs.
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One cannot help but ask, then: why are reigon restictions allowed for games?
Between this, and the manufacturing issues which were almost certainly known of well before launch, was there any consideration given to going for a 'Summer 2007' date?
This, I believe, would have had the following benefits:
I am curious as to whether a game with a good mix of licensed vehicles and original creations does in fact exist. Yet, on the other hand, they'd want the car's performance to be as true-to-life as the game engine permits... which leaves an amusing possible comeback for a game company: "we'll not include virtual damage if and only if the actual car can 'wreck' without suffering real damage." Exception: Need for Speed Carbon, wherein the appearance of such 'visual damage effects' is left up to the player's choice.
I'll have to agree with the AC; the Punisher is decent (based on its appearance, I thought it was a suppressed pistol - it isn't). Whether or not it's better than the Master is something for further investigation, but I can see cleaning up La Mugre using only pistols to be quite the self-imposed challenge. Which brings us to another achievement they could've added: Gunslinger (kill 200 tangos with a pistol).
natpoor's comments about diversity in the GTAs are also noted (I have come to appreciate the value and fun of stealth in San Andreas); the variety of ops therein makes me wonder why Rockstar hasn't tried 'reversing' the GTA premise (that is, put you behind the badge) - surely they would have done a much better job than Eidos did with their True Crime titles.
Ah, that explains it. With examples like this, and another cited therein, it's no wonder many think politicians seem to be in a race to the bottom.
- Justice Shot: disarm 200 tangos with arm shots (a nod to the old Virtua Cop games, which actually track this);
- No Escape: immobilize 200 tangos with leg shots;
- Brain Surgeon: kill 200 tangos with headshots;
- Scrounger: add every enemy weapon to your armory;
- Cruel and Unusual: use the same 200 tangos to score Justice Shot, No Escape, and Brain Surgeon. In other words: for a given tango, shoot an arm; when they recover, shoot a leg (or vice versa; and finish off with a headshot
One thing I find strange is that you can't grab and toss around tangos who're still alive and kicking...That said, I agree that it's all about the headshots (and, by extrapolation, fire discipline). As far as I can recall, the only times someone has needed more than one bullet to the head to be removed from consideration are the result of one of two things: either they're wearing a helmet, and the angle was wrong for a bullet to the face; or they're a shock trooper (they wear those ballistic masks for precisely this reason - have you ever caught one from behind?). On another note: whatever other issues it might have, Crackdown does earn some kudos for the simple fact of enemies reacting sensibly to fire (with a few exceptions). Wing someone in the arm? They'll drop their weapon and scramble to recover it. Legshot? They'll drop and roll around for a bit, clutching at that leg.
As for Oblivion... the problem there, as I understand it, wasn't a lack of disclosure, but one of someone at the ESRB not really understanding the disclosure. The details escape me at present; I would appreciate someone clearing this up.
Aside from needing line breaks (maybe you forgot to choose 'HTML Formatted' from the pulldown menu), this was good for a few chuckles. I thank you, sir.
Ah, thanks for clearing up that bit about KOTOR 2. Would I be correct in assuming that the first was not subject to such 'surgery'?
..."is there room for storyline in gaming?"
And the answer is 'yes'. I seem to recall the KOTOR titles, as well as Deus Ex and System Shock 2, being regularly held up as examples of engaging storytelling as well as good gameplay.
First, engine. I'm not sure anyone's topped Freespace 2, so that'd be a good basis.
Yes, we want the unfolding campaign(s); bonus points for branching missions, as well as success or failure in a given mission (or optional objective therein - see Tiberian Sun), or choice of mission branch, affecting subsequent missions (Ace Combat X does this). Hypothetical example: a mission tasks you with reconnoitering a space station's defenses. If you do so without being spotted, a later mission entailing the actual attack is somewhat easier (fewer fighters initially 'airborne', and so on).
Next: cooperative play. Aside from the specially-written set-piece missions, why not allow us to replay any mission we've completed with our friends? Heck, this also represents the perfect vehicle for team-vs-team objective-based play...
Now, with respect to the multiplayer scenarios - whether cooperative or adversarial - they can borrow some pages from the Ace Combat and Need for Speed families. Specifically: you start your 'career' with your choice of basic craft (Z-95 or TIE Fighter, for instance); everything else you'd have to work for. In many cases, it's a matter of accruing enough 'requisition points' (for lack of a better term); for others, satisfying certain criteria (example: passing a challenge mission requiring you to defeat Vader and his wingmen in a close time limit gives you the Dark Lord's unique TIE as a prize).
In addition to various craft, there would also be an assortment of upgrades to consider. Examples include passive stealth (see also: F-117, B-2, storm commandos), SLAM ('afterburners'), and fast-cycling cannon.
As far as Transformers, I think the episode you'd want is 'Transport to Oblivion' - another two-parter wherein the Decepticons pull off an impressive frame-up job.
I've seen a couple of these about... now imagine an RC plane with a tiny rotating camera in the cockpit; this camera feeds to a computer running the appropriate control software (flight sim lite) and sporting the necessary transceiver array (USB peripheral?) Think any flight simulator, with no external views and the scenery being provided by the abovementioned camera... so if you look to the left in the virtual cockpit, the tiny camera rotates to show you what's on the aircraft's left, and so on.
Which makes me wonder how interested the studios would be in systems capable of generating lifelike fully-virtual actors (remember S1m0ne?) and environments (Danger Room/holodeck, anyone?)...
In the RTS realm, it is my understanding that C&C3 will incorporate a spectator mode complete with commentary (I'll have to read up more on this), and Dawn of War replays (and probably those from Company of Heroes) can be lots of fun to watch...
Another tip I ran across: the energy gun (not to be confused with the plasma rifle) is perhaps the most effective anti-vehicle weapon in the game - a fully-charged blast will eject most any mech pilot or turret gunner. Interestingly, I seem to recall at least one instance of an emptied turret being remanned, but have yet to observe this with any of the mechs.