You have a lot of interesting ideas. Unfortunately, the world is full of assholes that ruin it for everyone else.
Open-ended skills system - Something Ultima Online had, but it quickly turned into a tank mage-fest (plate wearing magician).
Perma-death - As someone has already mentioned, what if your network gets disconnected in the middle of a fight? Doesn't seem fair for your character to permamently die because of that. Also, if you want to add in real PvP with perma-death, all it takes is one asshole to ruin your day.
Player-created content - I really don't feel like walking around a city, seeing pictures of testicles everywhere from some joker. Or being in a PvP battle with foes that all carry swords of uber-leetness that they created.
A lot of your ideas would work great in an MMO that's really restrictive on who they allow into the game. And that's why some games with many of these features (like NetHack) do so well... not because they're restrictive, but they're not popular enough to attract the script kiddies and griefers. They'll always gravitate to the most popular games.
Ehh, it's semantics. To MS, a worldwide launch actually meant launching in the US, Europe, and Japan, within a few weeks of each other. Not literally worldwide, nor even on the same day. Obviously it's a lot easier to just claim "worldwide launch", since MOST folk won't notice the difference.
To be fair, though, most console launches don't come close to what MS just did. They typically release in Japan a few months before going out to the US. Then Europe gets shafted even more. I think handheld console launches tend to be a bit better about this though.
Just reading back the Wikipedia entry brings back good memories of the game. It'd be great if they ever did a remake of that game, or maybe create another game set in that universe. Grim Fandango is also well worth playing through once. Not sure about Starship Titanic though.
He's responsible for one of the great games rarely played... Planescape: Torment. I did play that and have to agree it had a wonderful, intruiging storyline, and was just a great game all around. From TFA, it also had an amazing amount of dialogue too.
Most of the examples you have cited are very linear RPGs, meaning there's a lot of control as to where the main character is, what they're doing, etc. There's little conversation choice, so it's a lot easier to craft a decent storyline out of it. That's one reason why I like many "old school" or Japanese-style RPGs. The stories, while not amazingly great (I'm sure a lot is lost in translation), can still be surprisingly deep and entertaining.
However more open-ended games like Knights of the Old Republic, Fable, or Morrowind have a lot of the problems that the grandparent mentioned. I find those games do suffer a lot in the storyline angle. (Not that it's always bad, but it's much harder to succeed)
I think the Baldur's Gate games are a good example of an open-ended game with great writing, but it can take a LONG time to develop, with a LOT of dedication.
Look it up. Movie revenues have been off, year to year. Hollywood likes to blame growing piracy as the problem. I happen to think that many of the movies are crap, which is why I don't go to as many anymore.
In fact, I've heard that some producers are trying to change the system so that the DVD comes out at the SAME TIME the movie is released. The idea is that you build all this tremendous buzz all at the same time. There will always be folks who go see the movie in theatres for all the added benefits (big screen, better sound, etc.). Now you can entice people to buy the DVD immediately afterwards (while it's fresh in their minds), or convince people who wouldn't see it in theatres to at least get the DVD while there is all this buzz. Otherwise, the problem that exists now is that if the movie isn't that great in the first place, by the time the DVD comes out, there's this negative vibe about the movie and NO ONE buys it. Or just waits till it comes out On Demand or on HBO/Showtime.
I heard about it on NPR a few months ago, so I don't know if any movie has since tried this model yet, but I do know a few people were thinking about it.
If you find yourself paying $50-60 for a game that you only enjoy for a few days or so, then I'd argue that you're doing a bad job of picking games to own.:)
I know what games I like... typically RPGs and strategy games. Games like Civ IV, Dragon Quest VIII, WoW, Rise of Nations, are those that I'll either play for several months straight, or pick up again every so often, for the next few YEARS.
I used to be a big fan of FPS titles back in college, but I know better than to buy them now, for the exact reasons you mentioned. I'll beat them in a weekend or two, and I don't feel like playing online anymore. Hence, I don't get suckered into spending $50-60 for them. (Instead, I'll leech off a friend, or buy them when they're bargain bin material)
Buying video games should be like purchasing any other sort of entertainment. Do some research beforehand, or at least know what you're getting into. If you've been burned by watching Uwe Boll movies, then you'll know better to walk into any more movies that he's made.
*phew* Just had to make sure, you know. There are a surprising amount of FF7 "fanbois" out there.
BTW, your ranking is pretty good. I have to agree that FFIV and FFVI are at/near the top of my list. (And there have been times I think FFIV was better than FFVI). However, I did like FFIX and would probably rank it above FFVIII. FFX was alright, but X-2 was just horrible. I only played a beta of FFXI and didn't like it at all (although it's unfair since I've played WoW and much prefer it, and it came out after FFXI).
Okay, that's enough roman numerals for me.
As for non-FF RPGs, I actually liked Baldur's Gate a lot. Same with Neverwinter Nights and especially Planescape:Torment. Then there's also titles like Vagrant Story, Kingdom Hearts (surprisingly), Xenosaga I & II, Disgaea, and Phantom Brave.
Good lord, that's a lot of RPGs. No wonder my PS2 gets so much playtime.
It's not just a matter of re-licensing, but the testing of all these titles too. I don't want to spend X dollars on the original Final Fantasy game, only for it to bomb out right before I get to the last boss. That's a lot of work.
But you do bring a good point... it's hard to turn down free money. Besides, a lot of those companies are already relicensing and working on retro titles on the 360 Live Arcade, so I imagine you may see the same ones on the Revolution. (I wonder, will Nintendo also offer newer indie titles as well?)
Somehow I don't see spending $300+ dollars a good investment at all to play generic old games that can be found at just about every Shockwave/Flash gaming website on the Internet.
I don't need some uber powerful "next-gen" system to play the games you mentioned. I just need to blow the dust off the SNES. Using a super computer (relative to the games) to play Joust, Smash TV, or Street Fighter II and then claiming it's a selling point is just stupid. Are the new super-duper, next-gen games really that much crap that you're tired of playing them already?
I totally agree that spending $300+ on a console JUST so you can play retro titles is pretty stupid. However, I wasn't saying the Live Arcade is the ONLY reason to get a 360, or that the Nintendo-library was the ONLY reason to get the Revolution. It's a very nice additional feature to have. Besides, not EVERYONE has a copy of those games for a working console anymore. (I don't know about you, but my SNES and NES are thousands of miles away) Sure, I could spend X amount of time and money to try to find those titles, either original copies or some clone for free on the Internet. Or I could just spend $5-10 to play Zelda within a few minutes. I have a job, so I'm not above paying a bit for the convenience. (I'm hoping Nintendo sticks to prices like that, I don't think I'd pay much above that though)
That said, apparently a lot of people are hooked to the Live Arcade games (especially Geometry Wars). I think it's silly too, since some of the games (Bejeweled 2 and Zuma) have been on the web for years, but to each his own. I'm not going to argue with what people enjoy playing. I don't know about you, but once the Revolution comes out, I'll probably be spending quite a bit of dough on the old Zelda games.
I happen to like DQ8, although I can easily see many folks turned off by the "old school" aspect of it. I happen to think it has a lot of polish (voice acting is quite good, and I was surprised by how much I ended up liking the character design... cell-shading can be so much better than 3D). However, I haven't played any of the other DQ games, so I can't comment on them.
I just think games like DQ8 are made and designed for a different "niche" of RPG fans. In Japan, that niche is pretty huge (probably the majority), which is why we see still see a lot of "old school" games like Grandia III, Wild Arms 4, and Disgaea. Unfortunately, the US has a lot of "Final Fantasy VII" fanbois. To them, FF7 was their first RPG and Square can never do better. All they want and see is Final Fantasy games. Everything is, as you mention, uninteresting. Which is too bad, since I think there are far better RPGs than just FF7. (That also happens to be the ONLY FF game I have never played)
Sony made a huge mistake with the PSP, thinking that "better graphics" was going to make them the automatic winner in the handheld business. Wrong. All you need to do is take a look at the mobile gaming market to realize this.
There are a ton of stupid PC/console ports to mobile phones with "great graphics". Games like Tony Hawk, Splinter Cell, Need For Speed, etc. Yeah, those graphics look great, but gee whiz, the games cost a small fortune and I don't really care about graphics when I just need to play something quick to pass 5 minutes of time. That's why the best sellers for the mobile space are titles like: Tetris, Bejeweled, Zuma, Bowling, Mini-golf. You don't need killer 3D graphics to sell games, just something nice and bite-size.
At first I was hesitant towards the DS, since the touchscreen seemed too gimmicky, and I was annoyed at having to buy a new handheld every year it seems (GBA, GBA SP, and now the DS). But I bit anyway, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the games: Advance Wars, Castlevania, Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, just to name a few. You don't need outstanding 3D graphics, and many of these titles can be played for a short time and then quick-saved as needed.
The only thing I'd like is an "SP-like" form factor improvement for the DS. (I say "SP-like" because the SP upgrade was incredible for the original GBA) I still hit the power button accidentally on the DS, from time to time, and it just feels too heavy after a while. But it's still my platform of choice whenever I go travelling or need to kill some time (jury duty, yay).
Those who forecast doom and gloom for the 360 in Japan need to wait a little bit longer. Wait until the Mistwalker games come out (Blue Dragon and Lost Oddysey). For those who don't know, Mistwalker Studios is head by one of the guys that left Square-Enix. There are a couple of other Japanese RPGs on the horizon too. Those are what the Japanese gamers (and myself) really enjoy, which explains why Dragon Quest VIII did so well in Japan but did so poorly in the US. Finally, there's the wildcard of what Square-Enix is going to do for the 360. I can only imagine that FFXI for the 360 is just the beginning...
Now, if all those games tank, then yes, doom and gloom it is.:)
(Yes, I have my 360, but I'm playing DQVIII on the PS2. And I'm trying to finish that up before Grandia III comes out, again on the PS2)
The backwards compatibility story with the Revolution is very interesting, but we need more details to know what it entails. Here's my guess as to what it will be: all Gamecube games are backwards compatible, no matter who the published (just stick in the disc). However, for the N64/SNES/NES, only Nintendo-published titles will be available for purchase via download. I highly doubt it's the "every N64/SNES/NES game ever made!" scenario that a lot of folks think it'll be, because of all the re-licensing that would need to be done. Still, that's a LOT of games, and would instantly bring a lot of attention to the console for old-time Nintendo fanbois (like myself).
As for console innovation, a lot of folks seem to forget all of the added Live functionality that the 360 brings to the table. You know the thing about being able to play old games on new consoles? The 360 is doing that NOW, thanks to the Live Arcade. At CES, they just announced that Street Fighter II will be on its way. The arcade is already home to many indie games (Wik: Fable of Souls, Mutant Storm, etc.) and retro titles (Gauntlet, Joust, Smash TV). Heck, IGN had a poll of users clamoring for what they want to see next: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/681/681415p1.html/.
It's good to see two out of the three console companies realizing that there's a growing demand for retro gaming. One wonders if there's some Sony exec running around like his head's cut off because there's nothing like that in mind for the PS3, and it's a bit too late to get started on it.
So, I have to have a nickname on my resume to be considered for jobs? Gee, maybe I should just change my name to "Bob", that would certainly solve things!:)
Yes, I could do that, but it just doesn't seem fair for minorities to have to do something like that. Does my name really have anything to do with how I'm going to perform at my job?
If you hint at the Revolution-will-flop-because-its-controller-i s-too-"out-there" argument, then you must, in fairness, address the obvious counter-arguments:
Sorry if I didn't make myself clear initially, but I'm actually one of the optimistic fans for Nintendo. I grew up as a Nintendo "fanboi" myself, arguing the merits of the N64 over the PSX in forums and such. I don't think it is going to flop because of the controller, because of many of the things you've already pointed out, but I have to admit I'm a *little* bit worried at the same time.
I was the same way with the DS. It just seemed too gimmicky for me at first, and I really despised Nintendo launching yet another handheld form-factor, since it seems like I was upgrading every year (GBA to GBA SP and now to a DS?). However the games are really solid, and it's my platform of choice for any travelling I do. (PSP = glorified media machine)
1) Yes, the design is drastically different from what we have now, but that fact alone doesn't even hint at whether it's going to result in games that are better or worse; you're going to have to actually *play* Revolution games before you can pass judgement on that. Besides, how many times have you seen people move their arms and tilt their torsos while playing a game? I think they're tapping into an innate human desire to have body movement translate into action on the screen, and I think they're on to something. For a lot of people, being able to use the whole upper body to play a game is going to make the game more fun. This theory, when applied to the lower body, has already paid off immensely: just look at Dance Dance Revolution.
2) You will be able to use conventional GameCube controllers. If the new controller feels awkward, you'll probably be able to fall back on the old ones most of the time. So even if the controller sucks -- and this supposition counters the enthusiasm of many outspoken third-party game developers -- the platform will still do well enough if there are good games for it.
3) Most people will not buy more than one console if the second console doesn't give you something that isn't in the first. So they're compelled to create something that's so different that even non-gamers will take notice.
I totally agree on all of these points. It's way too early to tell how good or bad the controller is until more people actually get their hands on one. And Nintendo can always fall back on a "normal" controller, since it's been heavily hinted that the "remote" one can be inserted into a traditional controller.
And #3 is exactly why I never got a Gamecube, unfortunately. There was the distinction that the GC was the "less powerful" of the other consoles, so for any multiplatform titles, I could just nab the Xbox or PS2 version. The thing that made the GC stand out were all the Nintendo titles, but I've become less of a fan for their games (see my next comment), so that wasn't intriguing enough for me. Plus, you have a killer exclusive like Resident Evil 4... and then it gets ported to the PS2.
4) The company's success is in part a result of actions that broke from convention. Nintendo is the largest "indie" game developer in the world. Think how boring offerings from id and EA have become in comparison. Those one-dimensional peddlers can be relied upon to release the next "innovative" FPS and the next true-to-life Madden NFL game. Nintendo is the company that's going to show you something you've never seen before. If they *didn't* take "risks" like this periodically I'd be disappointed.
I disagree. True, Nintendo does do some really wacky "out there" stuff (like any of the Wario-ware games), but they are just as guilty as EA and other developers for sequel-itis. How many Mario Party games do we
Woe to those with ethnic names! Here's my story... and I'm probably not the only one to experience racism like this. My parents, being the "funny" folks they are, decided not to give me an American name when they immigrated from Taiwan. (Funny thing, they took on American names themselves, and when my brother was born, decided to name him Kenneth)
Anyway, I speak perfect English (better than most, I would argue), did very well in school (3.9 GPA in CS), and had lots of experience, thanks to many summer internships at a consulting firm nearby (got the job through a friend of the family), and one internship at a government contractor (thanks to a scholarship I won at high school).
So, when I started interviewing for real jobs in college, I expected to do pretty well. Being from the Northern Virginia area, I submitted my resume to many of the government contractors in the area. Lo and behold, I didn't get very many responses. However, most of my caucasian friends, who had about the same amount of experience and grades as I did (or lower), were flooded with interview opportunities. Whenever I DID get an interview, the first question out of their mouths was usually, "Do you speak English?". After explaining to them that, yes, I spoke perfect English, their next question was inevitably, "Are you a citizen? Cleared to work in this country?" My answer again was yes, and in fact, I even held Secret clearance at one point (thanks to a previous internship).
To me, that's just an awful start to an interview. Now for the rest of it, I always did well (or so it seemed), and developed a good rapport with the interviewer, who promised I was a top choice, thanks to my grades, skills, and experience, and that I should hear back from them soon. I never did. My guess is that when they later had to make a decision, all someone saw was my ethnic sounding name, and if they weren't the one to talk to me, may have made many of the same assumptions as before (must not speak English very well, or has a thick accent, heck may be an illegal!).
Eventually I DID get hired, by a company that is quite racially diverse (see my profile for who it is). I've done an outstanding job at my position (at least according to my bosses and my reviews), so tough luck to all those former companies I interviewed for.
That's easy. Because the X Box will continue to have the popular games like it always has, and this time they're not latecomers to the race. Games like Madden will continue to dominate in sales, and the gaming industry will remain much the same as it is now to the dismay of that small group of gamers always complaining about the current crop of titles being released. It still won't matter though because that small group of gamers are not the ones making the gaming industry as profitable as it is.
I completely agree... and it sucks. I hate seeing great games getting poor sales, simply because most gamers seem to like crap. Know why we keep seeing half-assed sequels? Because they still sell millions of copies, whereas more innovative games (like Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, etc.) get screwed. I could do without the ump-teenth WWII game, thank-you-very-much.
Then again, I'm probably a hypocrite, since my favorite titles are Japanese RPGs like Dragon Quest VIII (which sold horribly in the US but was a #1 selling title in Japan)... and arguably many of those games aren't very innovative at all (same combat system, same storyline cliches, same random battles, etc.). To each his own, I guess...
It appears that the 360 is getting pushed off the mind of the public and everything is turning into Nintendo Revolution and Sony PS3.
That's definately to be expected. The public and press are always going to be interested in the next, newest things. That's what happened with the Gamecube and Xbox. There was an enormous amount of press about those two consoles, yet the PS2 obviously reigned supreme in the end.
Wait until 2007 rolls around, when all consoles have (presumably) launched, and then see what the press/public cares about to see what has ultimately grabbed mindshare.
Can anyone give a plausible scenario where Microsoft can remain relevant to the next gen race?
I am looking at the release list of games for the 360 over the next year and it looks like all the same type of games that the first xbox had. There doesn't seem any reason for anyone to buy a 360 who didn't already buy the first xbox.
It's all about the games. I'm a big Japanese RPG fan, so my PS2 got far more play than my Xbox. However, there are a couple of interesting J-RPGs in development (Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey to name a few). If they do well, and Square continues to make more titles for the 360 (FFXI is now in beta), then the 360 may actually be relevant in Japan. If that happens, then that could definately reduce the market share of the PS3. If not, then yeah, the 360 will essentially be the same as the first Xbox... lots of ports, a few exclusives (Halo), and arguablly the best online support/features. That isn't bad, per say, but could be better.
What I'm really worried about is Nintendo. After talking to my friends (who have been Nintendo fanbois in the past), they are surprisingly pessimistic about the Revolution. It seems people are either really excited about the new control scheme, or think it's going to fall flat on their face. I'm all for controller improvements, and Nintendo has shown it is fully capable of performing here (we have them to thank for analog sticks and the trigger button), but this is a pretty drastic thing. I'm hoping its more like the DS and less like the Virtual Boy.
Yup. One reason why casual games do so well (Bejeweled, Zuma, Astropop, etc.) is because they're not targeted towards any niche audience in particular. I do have one interesting story to tell...
I was at the Casual Games Conference last year, and it was interesting hearing some of the development houses talk about the way they create their games. Many of the developers themselves are guys, big into "hardcore" games like MMOs and FPSes, but the games they make themselves are for a much broader audience. Initially, they were shocked to find that the biggest audience for their casual games were actually older (35+) women, who ended up playing their casual games during lunch time or in small breaks throughout the day. One guy in particular mentioned that his team thought about maybe targeting their games for that audience (older women), but realizes that was silly. He compares their work to G and PG movies from Hollywood. Not all of those movies are made for kids, and they suit a very wide and broad audience. It's just a good bit of entertainment... that happens to be popular for the older women, but it's not necessarily tailored to them.
... and 100 whiners on their forums, claiming to represent the entire playerbase.;)
My wife and I are both WoW addicts. Blizzard has done a great job of making MMOs approachable to "casual gamers", so much so that we're probably not considered "casual" anymore by most standards. Not only do they bring some innovation to the genre, they just know how to POLISH their games so well.
Good lord, I disagree. I have a 360 and had LOTS of problems with Kameo. Granted, I'm not a huge platform fan, but I think I know a good one when I see one (Zelda). Some of the issues I had with Kameo:
1. Awkward control scheme - Four words: Deep Blue, under water
2. Bad camera control (or lack thereof) - I was surprised that there was rarely any auto-camera in this game, whereas many platformers do. I had the problem where I constantly had to move AND manipulate the camera at the same time, which was do-able, but annoying. With good platformers, you don't have to worry about the camera... it just "works". You do have manual control over it, when needed, but most of the time, it knows where it should be. The times there WAS an auto-camera in Kameo, it did really stupid things.
3. Inconsistent difficulty - Some bosses were insanely easy (like the last one). Other bosses were almost "controller throwing" difficult. It doesn't seem very kid friendly to me, unlike all the Zelda and Mario titles.
Really, the only reason I played it to completion was so I could unlock the achievements and boost my gamerscore (which happens to be an addicting 360 feature for me now).
For me, the best launch title hands down is PGR3. Yeah, it's a sequel, but it's done so well, and I love the integrated-ness with Xbox Live. If anyone is in doubt of whether the 360 is truly a "next gen" experience, do the following: log onto Live, pick a Gotham TV game, select a car, go to Dashboard view mode... and watch/experience the race from there. Feel free to move the camera around, so you can look out the side windows while the person is driving. Then exit out and play a game like that.:)
That is called price-fixing, and is quite illegal in the US. Some smaller companies may be able to "get away with it", but certainly not Microsoft. That said, I'm not sure how Apple is able is able to do it. My guess is that they're not enforcing anything either.
There are so many retailers selling iPods and 360s (or least attempting to). If one store tried to sell the iPod for higher, they'd simply not get any business. That's not the case with the 360, so we HAVE seen some stores price it for much higher (I believe JCPenney did this).
Then again, I have it well ventilated. My entertainment system has an open back, and the power-brick is on the floor, where it's not too hot. I suspect a lot of people that are having problems, have the console and/or power brick inside an enclosed unit. I even saw a picture of some guy's 360 on top of a TV. I don't know about you, but the top of some TVs can get rather warm.
Sony will most likely run into the same issue with their PS3, unless they can learn from Microsoft. They should re-architecture the PS3 so that it doesn't run so hot, if possible. Or slap a TON more warning labels on their product, so that users know what they're doing WILL cause problems.
'cmon now, you can't be THAT dim-witted. The systems being sold on eBay are not by Microsoft, but by individuals that somehow scored a system, and have decided to sell it on eBay for an enormous profit. That extra profit goes to THEM, not to MS. No matter what, they still take the loss on the original system.
There are a couple of rumors going around of Target/Walmart employees "securing" systems immediately as they come off the truck, just so they can buy it themselves and sell it to eBay for huge gain. Big Xmas present for them, but it screws over gamers who don't want to pay obscene eBay prices, AND it makes MS look bad to boot. Makes sense to me... I almost did the same thing for the PS2 launch. (No doubt that Sony and the PS3 will go through the same problem, just as the PS2 did)
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You have a lot of interesting ideas. Unfortunately, the world is full of assholes that ruin it for everyone else.
... not because they're restrictive, but they're not popular enough to attract the script kiddies and griefers. They'll always gravitate to the most popular games.
Open-ended skills system - Something Ultima Online had, but it quickly turned into a tank mage-fest (plate wearing magician).
Perma-death - As someone has already mentioned, what if your network gets disconnected in the middle of a fight? Doesn't seem fair for your character to permamently die because of that. Also, if you want to add in real PvP with perma-death, all it takes is one asshole to ruin your day.
Player-created content - I really don't feel like walking around a city, seeing pictures of testicles everywhere from some joker. Or being in a PvP battle with foes that all carry swords of uber-leetness that they created.
A lot of your ideas would work great in an MMO that's really restrictive on who they allow into the game. And that's why some games with many of these features (like NetHack) do so well
Ehh, it's semantics. To MS, a worldwide launch actually meant launching in the US, Europe, and Japan, within a few weeks of each other. Not literally worldwide, nor even on the same day. Obviously it's a lot easier to just claim "worldwide launch", since MOST folk won't notice the difference.
To be fair, though, most console launches don't come close to what MS just did. They typically release in Japan a few months before going out to the US. Then Europe gets shafted even more. I think handheld console launches tend to be a bit better about this though.
Just reading back the Wikipedia entry brings back good memories of the game. It'd be great if they ever did a remake of that game, or maybe create another game set in that universe. Grim Fandango is also well worth playing through once. Not sure about Starship Titanic though.
I had to look this one up too ... Google is your friend: http://www.rpgcodex.com/peopledetails.php?id=41/. For those lazy to check the link, Chris Avellone also goes by the alias "MCA".
... Planescape: Torment. I did play that and have to agree it had a wonderful, intruiging storyline, and was just a great game all around. From TFA, it also had an amazing amount of dialogue too.
He's responsible for one of the great games rarely played
Most of the examples you have cited are very linear RPGs, meaning there's a lot of control as to where the main character is, what they're doing, etc. There's little conversation choice, so it's a lot easier to craft a decent storyline out of it. That's one reason why I like many "old school" or Japanese-style RPGs. The stories, while not amazingly great (I'm sure a lot is lost in translation), can still be surprisingly deep and entertaining.
However more open-ended games like Knights of the Old Republic, Fable, or Morrowind have a lot of the problems that the grandparent mentioned. I find those games do suffer a lot in the storyline angle. (Not that it's always bad, but it's much harder to succeed)
I think the Baldur's Gate games are a good example of an open-ended game with great writing, but it can take a LONG time to develop, with a LOT of dedication.
Look it up. Movie revenues have been off, year to year. Hollywood likes to blame growing piracy as the problem. I happen to think that many of the movies are crap, which is why I don't go to as many anymore.
In fact, I've heard that some producers are trying to change the system so that the DVD comes out at the SAME TIME the movie is released. The idea is that you build all this tremendous buzz all at the same time. There will always be folks who go see the movie in theatres for all the added benefits (big screen, better sound, etc.). Now you can entice people to buy the DVD immediately afterwards (while it's fresh in their minds), or convince people who wouldn't see it in theatres to at least get the DVD while there is all this buzz. Otherwise, the problem that exists now is that if the movie isn't that great in the first place, by the time the DVD comes out, there's this negative vibe about the movie and NO ONE buys it. Or just waits till it comes out On Demand or on HBO/Showtime.
I heard about it on NPR a few months ago, so I don't know if any movie has since tried this model yet, but I do know a few people were thinking about it.
If you find yourself paying $50-60 for a game that you only enjoy for a few days or so, then I'd argue that you're doing a bad job of picking games to own. :)
... typically RPGs and strategy games. Games like Civ IV, Dragon Quest VIII, WoW, Rise of Nations, are those that I'll either play for several months straight, or pick up again every so often, for the next few YEARS.
I know what games I like
I used to be a big fan of FPS titles back in college, but I know better than to buy them now, for the exact reasons you mentioned. I'll beat them in a weekend or two, and I don't feel like playing online anymore. Hence, I don't get suckered into spending $50-60 for them. (Instead, I'll leech off a friend, or buy them when they're bargain bin material)
Buying video games should be like purchasing any other sort of entertainment. Do some research beforehand, or at least know what you're getting into. If you've been burned by watching Uwe Boll movies, then you'll know better to walk into any more movies that he's made.
*phew* Just had to make sure, you know. There are a surprising amount of FF7 "fanbois" out there.
BTW, your ranking is pretty good. I have to agree that FFIV and FFVI are at/near the top of my list. (And there have been times I think FFIV was better than FFVI). However, I did like FFIX and would probably rank it above FFVIII. FFX was alright, but X-2 was just horrible. I only played a beta of FFXI and didn't like it at all (although it's unfair since I've played WoW and much prefer it, and it came out after FFXI).
Okay, that's enough roman numerals for me.
As for non-FF RPGs, I actually liked Baldur's Gate a lot. Same with Neverwinter Nights and especially Planescape:Torment. Then there's also titles like Vagrant Story, Kingdom Hearts (surprisingly), Xenosaga I & II, Disgaea, and Phantom Brave.
Good lord, that's a lot of RPGs. No wonder my PS2 gets so much playtime.
It's not just a matter of re-licensing, but the testing of all these titles too. I don't want to spend X dollars on the original Final Fantasy game, only for it to bomb out right before I get to the last boss. That's a lot of work.
... it's hard to turn down free money. Besides, a lot of those companies are already relicensing and working on retro titles on the 360 Live Arcade, so I imagine you may see the same ones on the Revolution. (I wonder, will Nintendo also offer newer indie titles as well?)
But you do bring a good point
I totally agree that spending $300+ on a console JUST so you can play retro titles is pretty stupid. However, I wasn't saying the Live Arcade is the ONLY reason to get a 360, or that the Nintendo-library was the ONLY reason to get the Revolution. It's a very nice additional feature to have. Besides, not EVERYONE has a copy of those games for a working console anymore. (I don't know about you, but my SNES and NES are thousands of miles away) Sure, I could spend X amount of time and money to try to find those titles, either original copies or some clone for free on the Internet. Or I could just spend $5-10 to play Zelda within a few minutes. I have a job, so I'm not above paying a bit for the convenience. (I'm hoping Nintendo sticks to prices like that, I don't think I'd pay much above that though)
That said, apparently a lot of people are hooked to the Live Arcade games (especially Geometry Wars). I think it's silly too, since some of the games (Bejeweled 2 and Zuma) have been on the web for years, but to each his own. I'm not going to argue with what people enjoy playing. I don't know about you, but once the Revolution comes out, I'll probably be spending quite a bit of dough on the old Zelda games.
I happen to like DQ8, although I can easily see many folks turned off by the "old school" aspect of it. I happen to think it has a lot of polish (voice acting is quite good, and I was surprised by how much I ended up liking the character design ... cell-shading can be so much better than 3D). However, I haven't played any of the other DQ games, so I can't comment on them.
I just think games like DQ8 are made and designed for a different "niche" of RPG fans. In Japan, that niche is pretty huge (probably the majority), which is why we see still see a lot of "old school" games like Grandia III, Wild Arms 4, and Disgaea. Unfortunately, the US has a lot of "Final Fantasy VII" fanbois. To them, FF7 was their first RPG and Square can never do better. All they want and see is Final Fantasy games. Everything is, as you mention, uninteresting. Which is too bad, since I think there are far better RPGs than just FF7. (That also happens to be the ONLY FF game I have never played)
Sony made a huge mistake with the PSP, thinking that "better graphics" was going to make them the automatic winner in the handheld business. Wrong. All you need to do is take a look at the mobile gaming market to realize this.
There are a ton of stupid PC/console ports to mobile phones with "great graphics". Games like Tony Hawk, Splinter Cell, Need For Speed, etc. Yeah, those graphics look great, but gee whiz, the games cost a small fortune and I don't really care about graphics when I just need to play something quick to pass 5 minutes of time. That's why the best sellers for the mobile space are titles like: Tetris, Bejeweled, Zuma, Bowling, Mini-golf. You don't need killer 3D graphics to sell games, just something nice and bite-size.
At first I was hesitant towards the DS, since the touchscreen seemed too gimmicky, and I was annoyed at having to buy a new handheld every year it seems (GBA, GBA SP, and now the DS). But I bit anyway, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the games: Advance Wars, Castlevania, Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, just to name a few. You don't need outstanding 3D graphics, and many of these titles can be played for a short time and then quick-saved as needed.
The only thing I'd like is an "SP-like" form factor improvement for the DS. (I say "SP-like" because the SP upgrade was incredible for the original GBA) I still hit the power button accidentally on the DS, from time to time, and it just feels too heavy after a while. But it's still my platform of choice whenever I go travelling or need to kill some time (jury duty, yay).
Those who forecast doom and gloom for the 360 in Japan need to wait a little bit longer. Wait until the Mistwalker games come out (Blue Dragon and Lost Oddysey). For those who don't know, Mistwalker Studios is head by one of the guys that left Square-Enix. There are a couple of other Japanese RPGs on the horizon too. Those are what the Japanese gamers (and myself) really enjoy, which explains why Dragon Quest VIII did so well in Japan but did so poorly in the US. Finally, there's the wildcard of what Square-Enix is going to do for the 360. I can only imagine that FFXI for the 360 is just the beginning ...
:)
Now, if all those games tank, then yes, doom and gloom it is.
(Yes, I have my 360, but I'm playing DQVIII on the PS2. And I'm trying to finish that up before Grandia III comes out, again on the PS2)
The backwards compatibility story with the Revolution is very interesting, but we need more details to know what it entails. Here's my guess as to what it will be: all Gamecube games are backwards compatible, no matter who the published (just stick in the disc). However, for the N64/SNES/NES, only Nintendo-published titles will be available for purchase via download. I highly doubt it's the "every N64/SNES/NES game ever made!" scenario that a lot of folks think it'll be, because of all the re-licensing that would need to be done. Still, that's a LOT of games, and would instantly bring a lot of attention to the console for old-time Nintendo fanbois (like myself).
/ .
As for console innovation, a lot of folks seem to forget all of the added Live functionality that the 360 brings to the table. You know the thing about being able to play old games on new consoles? The 360 is doing that NOW, thanks to the Live Arcade. At CES, they just announced that Street Fighter II will be on its way. The arcade is already home to many indie games (Wik: Fable of Souls, Mutant Storm, etc.) and retro titles (Gauntlet, Joust, Smash TV). Heck, IGN had a poll of users clamoring for what they want to see next: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/681/681415p1.html
It's good to see two out of the three console companies realizing that there's a growing demand for retro gaming. One wonders if there's some Sony exec running around like his head's cut off because there's nothing like that in mind for the PS3, and it's a bit too late to get started on it.
So, I have to have a nickname on my resume to be considered for jobs? Gee, maybe I should just change my name to "Bob", that would certainly solve things! :)
Yes, I could do that, but it just doesn't seem fair for minorities to have to do something like that. Does my name really have anything to do with how I'm going to perform at my job?
Sorry if I didn't make myself clear initially, but I'm actually one of the optimistic fans for Nintendo. I grew up as a Nintendo "fanboi" myself, arguing the merits of the N64 over the PSX in forums and such. I don't think it is going to flop because of the controller, because of many of the things you've already pointed out, but I have to admit I'm a *little* bit worried at the same time.
I was the same way with the DS. It just seemed too gimmicky for me at first, and I really despised Nintendo launching yet another handheld form-factor, since it seems like I was upgrading every year (GBA to GBA SP and now to a DS?). However the games are really solid, and it's my platform of choice for any travelling I do. (PSP = glorified media machine)
I totally agree on all of these points. It's way too early to tell how good or bad the controller is until more people actually get their hands on one. And Nintendo can always fall back on a "normal" controller, since it's been heavily hinted that the "remote" one can be inserted into a traditional controller.
... and then it gets ported to the PS2.
And #3 is exactly why I never got a Gamecube, unfortunately. There was the distinction that the GC was the "less powerful" of the other consoles, so for any multiplatform titles, I could just nab the Xbox or PS2 version. The thing that made the GC stand out were all the Nintendo titles, but I've become less of a fan for their games (see my next comment), so that wasn't intriguing enough for me. Plus, you have a killer exclusive like Resident Evil 4
I disagree. True, Nintendo does do some really wacky "out there" stuff (like any of the Wario-ware games), but they are just as guilty as EA and other developers for sequel-itis. How many Mario Party games do we
Woe to those with ethnic names! Here's my story ... and I'm probably not the only one to experience racism like this. My parents, being the "funny" folks they are, decided not to give me an American name when they immigrated from Taiwan. (Funny thing, they took on American names themselves, and when my brother was born, decided to name him Kenneth)
Anyway, I speak perfect English (better than most, I would argue), did very well in school (3.9 GPA in CS), and had lots of experience, thanks to many summer internships at a consulting firm nearby (got the job through a friend of the family), and one internship at a government contractor (thanks to a scholarship I won at high school).
So, when I started interviewing for real jobs in college, I expected to do pretty well. Being from the Northern Virginia area, I submitted my resume to many of the government contractors in the area. Lo and behold, I didn't get very many responses. However, most of my caucasian friends, who had about the same amount of experience and grades as I did (or lower), were flooded with interview opportunities. Whenever I DID get an interview, the first question out of their mouths was usually, "Do you speak English?". After explaining to them that, yes, I spoke perfect English, their next question was inevitably, "Are you a citizen? Cleared to work in this country?" My answer again was yes, and in fact, I even held Secret clearance at one point (thanks to a previous internship).
To me, that's just an awful start to an interview. Now for the rest of it, I always did well (or so it seemed), and developed a good rapport with the interviewer, who promised I was a top choice, thanks to my grades, skills, and experience, and that I should hear back from them soon. I never did. My guess is that when they later had to make a decision, all someone saw was my ethnic sounding name, and if they weren't the one to talk to me, may have made many of the same assumptions as before (must not speak English very well, or has a thick accent, heck may be an illegal!).
Eventually I DID get hired, by a company that is quite racially diverse (see my profile for who it is). I've done an outstanding job at my position (at least according to my bosses and my reviews), so tough luck to all those former companies I interviewed for.
I completely agree
Then again, I'm probably a hypocrite, since my favorite titles are Japanese RPGs like Dragon Quest VIII (which sold horribly in the US but was a #1 selling title in Japan)
That's definately to be expected. The public and press are always going to be interested in the next, newest things. That's what happened with the Gamecube and Xbox. There was an enormous amount of press about those two consoles, yet the PS2 obviously reigned supreme in the end.
Wait until 2007 rolls around, when all consoles have (presumably) launched, and then see what the press/public cares about to see what has ultimately grabbed mindshare.
It's all about the games. I'm a big Japanese RPG fan, so my PS2 got far more play than my Xbox. However, there are a couple of interesting J-RPGs in development (Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey to name a few). If they do well, and Square continues to make more titles for the 360 (FFXI is now in beta), then the 360 may actually be relevant in Japan. If that happens, then that could definately reduce the market share of the PS3. If not, then yeah, the 360 will essentially be the same as the first Xbox
What I'm really worried about is Nintendo. After talking to my friends (who have been Nintendo fanbois in the past), they are surprisingly pessimistic about the Revolution. It seems people are either really excited about the new control scheme, or think it's going to fall flat on their face. I'm all for controller improvements, and Nintendo has shown it is fully capable of performing here (we have them to thank for analog sticks and the trigger button), but this is a pretty drastic thing. I'm hoping its more like the DS and less like the Virtual Boy.
Yup. One reason why casual games do so well (Bejeweled, Zuma, Astropop, etc.) is because they're not targeted towards any niche audience in particular. I do have one interesting story to tell ...
... that happens to be popular for the older women, but it's not necessarily tailored to them.
I was at the Casual Games Conference last year, and it was interesting hearing some of the development houses talk about the way they create their games. Many of the developers themselves are guys, big into "hardcore" games like MMOs and FPSes, but the games they make themselves are for a much broader audience. Initially, they were shocked to find that the biggest audience for their casual games were actually older (35+) women, who ended up playing their casual games during lunch time or in small breaks throughout the day. One guy in particular mentioned that his team thought about maybe targeting their games for that audience (older women), but realizes that was silly. He compares their work to G and PG movies from Hollywood. Not all of those movies are made for kids, and they suit a very wide and broad audience. It's just a good bit of entertainment
... and 100 whiners on their forums, claiming to represent the entire playerbase. ;)
My wife and I are both WoW addicts. Blizzard has done a great job of making MMOs approachable to "casual gamers", so much so that we're probably not considered "casual" anymore by most standards. Not only do they bring some innovation to the genre, they just know how to POLISH their games so well.
Congrats to Blizzard!
Good lord, I disagree. I have a 360 and had LOTS of problems with Kameo. Granted, I'm not a huge platform fan, but I think I know a good one when I see one (Zelda). Some of the issues I had with Kameo:
... it just "works". You do have manual control over it, when needed, but most of the time, it knows where it should be. The times there WAS an auto-camera in Kameo, it did really stupid things.
... and watch/experience the race from there. Feel free to move the camera around, so you can look out the side windows while the person is driving. Then exit out and play a game like that. :)
1. Awkward control scheme - Four words: Deep Blue, under water
2. Bad camera control (or lack thereof) - I was surprised that there was rarely any auto-camera in this game, whereas many platformers do. I had the problem where I constantly had to move AND manipulate the camera at the same time, which was do-able, but annoying. With good platformers, you don't have to worry about the camera
3. Inconsistent difficulty - Some bosses were insanely easy (like the last one). Other bosses were almost "controller throwing" difficult. It doesn't seem very kid friendly to me, unlike all the Zelda and Mario titles.
Really, the only reason I played it to completion was so I could unlock the achievements and boost my gamerscore (which happens to be an addicting 360 feature for me now).
For me, the best launch title hands down is PGR3. Yeah, it's a sequel, but it's done so well, and I love the integrated-ness with Xbox Live. If anyone is in doubt of whether the 360 is truly a "next gen" experience, do the following: log onto Live, pick a Gotham TV game, select a car, go to Dashboard view mode
That is called price-fixing, and is quite illegal in the US. Some smaller companies may be able to "get away with it", but certainly not Microsoft. That said, I'm not sure how Apple is able is able to do it. My guess is that they're not enforcing anything either.
There are so many retailers selling iPods and 360s (or least attempting to). If one store tried to sell the iPod for higher, they'd simply not get any business. That's not the case with the 360, so we HAVE seen some stores price it for much higher (I believe JCPenney did this).
Mine's working fine. I'm loving Geometry Wars. :)
Then again, I have it well ventilated. My entertainment system has an open back, and the power-brick is on the floor, where it's not too hot. I suspect a lot of people that are having problems, have the console and/or power brick inside an enclosed unit. I even saw a picture of some guy's 360 on top of a TV. I don't know about you, but the top of some TVs can get rather warm.
Sony will most likely run into the same issue with their PS3, unless they can learn from Microsoft. They should re-architecture the PS3 so that it doesn't run so hot, if possible. Or slap a TON more warning labels on their product, so that users know what they're doing WILL cause problems.
Troll?
... I almost did the same thing for the PS2 launch. (No doubt that Sony and the PS3 will go through the same problem, just as the PS2 did)
'cmon now, you can't be THAT dim-witted. The systems being sold on eBay are not by Microsoft, but by individuals that somehow scored a system, and have decided to sell it on eBay for an enormous profit. That extra profit goes to THEM, not to MS. No matter what, they still take the loss on the original system.
There are a couple of rumors going around of Target/Walmart employees "securing" systems immediately as they come off the truck, just so they can buy it themselves and sell it to eBay for huge gain. Big Xmas present for them, but it screws over gamers who don't want to pay obscene eBay prices, AND it makes MS look bad to boot. Makes sense to me