While I find him unbelieveably deplorable, you've got to hand it to Karl Rove and the Bush campaign.
I thought there was no way that this country would re-elect a president who had the worst attack on this country ever happen on his watch, presided over a terrible economy, mismanaged a war that was waged for questionable reasons to begin with and was soundly defeated in three consecutive debates with his opponent.
I think the answer was, make this election about God. Take the extremely divisive social issues in this country (stem cell research, abortion, gay rights) and make the election about them rather than the economy. While outwardly, the Bush campaign was all about the War on Terror, I think he owes his victory to the social issues. He's made no secret about his faith, and while that is somewhat noble, it also overshadowed his record for lots of people.
Coming out of mass two Sundays ago, I found an Ohio Right to Life flyer in my windshield telling me how Bush fairs on four "Pro-Life" issues compared to Kerry. While abortion issues were the top two, the third was "Faith Based Initiatives" and the fourth was a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. While neither of these are pro-life issues, they were included on a Right to Life flyer, while another true pro-life issue, the death penalty (not to mention just and unjust wars) was conspicuously absent.
If there is one thing this election has proven, it is that Americans no longer desire a separation of church and state. And that frightens me more as a Catholic.
While I'll admit that there are a few preachy moments in MGS that don't seem to fit, I'm a huge fan of the games' storylines. Granted, the gameplay is probably the best aspect of a MGS game, but the stories are what truly separate the game from everything else.
I wonder, will this actually allow me to find ESPN games in the friggin' stores? Seriously, I've been a fan of the Sega franchises for sports since the DC and it gets annoying not being able to find copies in the major stores. Sometimes, places like Target won't even have the ESPN sports game, but rather EA (natch), Sony and Acclaim.
Maybe Take Two/Rockstar can provide a distribution boost that will actually help.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the DS a side project, and NOT Nintendo's actual follow up to the GBA?
Calling it Nintendo's "next generation handheld" implies that it's a replacement for the GBA, which I'm pretty sure is not what it is intended to be.
"You know, it sells better in the United States. There are more people who buy the game and are waiting for the game."
If that's the case, then why not release those sweet limited edition packages in the U.S.? I realize that LE packages for games are considered something for the eastern market only, but why? I would buy a Limited Edition Metal Gear Solid 3 package for sure if it came with the U.S. version of MGS3.
Sounds like Space Ghost's "Famous Story"
on
Robot Stories Movie
·
· Score: 1
Space Ghost: The race war had begun. Machines were building robot babies to replace other babies. Everyone knows what happened next. The End.
Off topic, but Shade by Andrew Plotkin is the craziest IF game I've ever played. Unbelieveable. I couldn't stop playing it while my head was exploding. Follow the link in the blurb on Andrew's name and then click on his name on the next page to find it. It's just... spooky.
I've had the Gamefly 1-Game plan for quite a while now (I think 6 months or more) and I've been very pleased. Their selection really is top-notch. They always have plenty of the big releases and never skip the smaller ones. They package well and I've always gotten the correct game.
I've talked with their customer service after a credit card problem at signup (it was a problem on my end that they helped me resolve). They were friendly and helpful. I've also emailed a few times with suggestions and questions and was responded to promptly and politely. One of my suggestions (instructions for games) is now being used on the site (although I obviously wasn't the only one, at least they listen to what the customers want).
The turnaround time is around 6 days to Cleveland, OH. For me, I'm ALWAYS getting late fees so the time doesn't bother me. It's still cheaper in the long run.
Well, it would be hard to sum up the articles of various different people that wrote the 11 articles, but the basic theme is similar:
Gaming journalism is very stale across the board (stale screens that everyone has, the egg-shell approach with previews that could endanger ad monies) and could use a more literary approach at points.
Also, on the topic gaming reviews, the articles all seem to be tired of the idea of rating a game objectively, when the very action of playing a game is very subjective. I see this as less of a replacement of standard number rating reviews (which still have a valid use), but as sort of an alternate source similar to a video game New Yorker, as Tim Rogers said in his article.
That's a very condensed summary of a general theme of the articles.
Great set of articles. I've only recently come to looking at InsertCredit and Video-Fenky for insight into the Japan gaming world from an American prospective, but they've already both become a daily routine for me.
These articles (especially Tim Rogers longer one) really do bring to light an aspect of gaming journalism that I've recently started searching for. I get four game magazines and have a subscription to a website's "premium" service as well. They all seem to say the same things in regards to reviewing games, but then the scores usually vary quite a bit. I'm not saying that all scores should be uniform, but quite the opposite, the writer's personal experience of the game should become a more integral part of the review.
This is something that I've found in InsertCredit's different features and have really enjoyed their viewpoints and style. This is something that I would like to see implemented more in the journalism regarding the industry. This shouldn't be in place of some standard technical, "objective" reviews, which still have their place, but sort of an aside for those of us looking for something more.
Oh yeah, just like after the almost 10 year development life of the NES? Or do you mean the 6 year lifespan of the SNES? Even the N64 lasted well over 4 years.
Sega was the hardware company with the shifting consoles. Get your snide remarks correct.
A quote from Tim Schafer, creator and director of the original Full Throttle, from mixnmojo.com (THE Lucasarts Adventure Fansite):
"I heard they just couldn't go on without the emotional support of Tom Sarris. I mean, Tom was the person Ben Throttle was based on. Not a lot of people know that. So I guess they finally just realized there was no way to do it with out him."
Skies of Arcadia is not only one of my favorite RPGs, but one of my favorite games of all time. It's not an action-RPG, but it still takes quite a few spins on a genre that's getting a little stale:
-The discovery element is a great system (the map is only revealed as you discover it and you're also encouraged to search for landmarks and receive fame and money from the Adventurer's Guild). -The ship-to-ship battles, although a little redundant late in the game, are very fun. -The "Sky Pirates" theme is just flat out awesome. It takes a story that otherwise would seem cliched and gives it a real identity.
Pure fun, top to bottom. Gotta go whip out my DC and play it again!
I've been a Gamefly subscriber for a few months now. I've got to say, I've been very impressed. They have a very good selection of games and the site is quite easy to use (pretty much just like Netflix). Every game I've gotten from them has arrived quickly, worked, and was packaged very well. Customer support answered my emails fast. No complaints here.
Now, if I could only get them to restock Rez for the PS2...
While Vice City was an awesome game, I do agree with Spook above that a game like that sets the standard for what people are willing to play with.
It is a truly epic game, but it does have quite a lot of bugs. I realize, it's to be expected in such a huge world, but it hardly justified everyone's giving it perfect scores. The consitency of the "little falling" bug that drips away the life alone bugged the hell out of me during the game.
I see your point, but once those evil uses are happening, isn't it harder to stop?
Shouldn't people know the possible consequences of technology?
Besides, that sounds like exactly something our government would do. The next Patriot Act could very well include something you knew nothing about (hell, the first one did). Maybe we're paranoid, but I think we've come to the point where it is much more reasonable to be that way.
A single disk to include all games, while awesome, would have delayed the project until right about now (considering that's how long it took most of the other projects to get to the level they're at). They did what they could under tremendous legal pressure and not nearly enough funds.
Personally, I've got Bleemcast for MGS and I've gotta say, it looks quite a bit better. The controls aren't awkward (if you're decent with the DC controller) and it's not that hard to do a simple disk swap at the beginning of the game.
To sum it all up as you did, I think slights the programmers a little bit, considering the legal problems, the technical limitations etc. I'll admit, Bleem! was far from perfect, but certainly had a good idea and valiantly tried to implement it despite certain legal doom.
I don't know about Halo possibly making more money on the PC...
I mean, think about it. X-Box piracy, while gaining speed, still is waaay behind PC piracy. While it probably wouldn't kill sales, it would keep them around the X-Box figures, for the most part.
Well, if you're trying to incorporate this "Uber-gaming" philosophy like they are, you're probably going to want the OS that most PC titles are geared for. Since we haven't heard a peep about any software being "Phantom-Exclusive", I've got to assume that most of the content is going to be ported from current PC titles.
Why try and make an already daunting task (porting the hundreds of games that they claim they'll have to their own network specs) harder by having to switch OS's as well?
If I'm the father of MODERN game design and one of the most successful game makers to boot, I think I would have the right to tell it like I see it on the gaming scene.
Fact is, Miyamoto's not only been around, but he's been quite successful and his opinion is well-respected in the industry (not just by Nintendo fanboys which I certainly am not). He didn't put anyone down. He just stated his opinion. Which, as much as you might not like to hear it, carries just a little bit of weight considering his history.
Heck, I hope instead of him shutting up, that some American gaming companies actually listen to him.
Man, the more I read what Mr. Miyamoto has to say, the more I want to pick up a 'Cube. If some other software companies took a cue from him, we'd have a lot more truly great games for next-gen systems. Even when he commented on the American gaming public, he made comments about taste that didn't make Americans out to be uneducated gamers like some other industry-types.
No wonder this guy's got so many games in the top 25 of IGN's recent list. I mean, how many game designers today would answer the question "What's the most important element in a video game today" with "Is it fun?"
BTW: What's the Super Mario Club that he referred to? Some kind of beta testers for Nintendo?
Actually, I think it's really important. I mean, look at it this way:
The EFF has a tough time defending stuff like deCSS because the first thought of many is pirating. However, software to edit out violence and sex would ALSO need to have this knowledge. I think they're using it to gain some leverage in the battle of "what are the positives of having the CSS out there."
This also would help cement the idea of DVDs as belonging to the consumer. The consumer can do what they choose to they're own property (within reason). This is a point that EFF is trying to make on other fronts, but has trouble since, right now, it's linked directly to piracy.
This gives them something to fight for that maybe more people will see as a positive example of "fair use", etc.
Slashdot Mirror
That Q&A aren't what they sound like - ANYBODY can contribute patches. It's only "by invitation" to get your own CVS account or become a reviewer.
And few reviewers is exactly the problem mentioned in the article.
While I find him unbelieveably deplorable, you've got to hand it to Karl Rove and the Bush campaign.
I thought there was no way that this country would re-elect a president who had the worst attack on this country ever happen on his watch, presided over a terrible economy, mismanaged a war that was waged for questionable reasons to begin with and was soundly defeated in three consecutive debates with his opponent.
I think the answer was, make this election about God. Take the extremely divisive social issues in this country (stem cell research, abortion, gay rights) and make the election about them rather than the economy. While outwardly, the Bush campaign was all about the War on Terror, I think he owes his victory to the social issues. He's made no secret about his faith, and while that is somewhat noble, it also overshadowed his record for lots of people.
Coming out of mass two Sundays ago, I found an Ohio Right to Life flyer in my windshield telling me how Bush fairs on four "Pro-Life" issues compared to Kerry. While abortion issues were the top two, the third was "Faith Based Initiatives" and the fourth was a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. While neither of these are pro-life issues, they were included on a Right to Life flyer, while another true pro-life issue, the death penalty (not to mention just and unjust wars) was conspicuously absent.
If there is one thing this election has proven, it is that Americans no longer desire a separation of church and state. And that frightens me more as a Catholic.
While I'll admit that there are a few preachy moments in MGS that don't seem to fit, I'm a huge fan of the games' storylines. Granted, the gameplay is probably the best aspect of a MGS game, but the stories are what truly separate the game from everything else.
I wonder, will this actually allow me to find ESPN games in the friggin' stores? Seriously, I've been a fan of the Sega franchises for sports since the DC and it gets annoying not being able to find copies in the major stores. Sometimes, places like Target won't even have the ESPN sports game, but rather EA (natch), Sony and Acclaim. Maybe Take Two/Rockstar can provide a distribution boost that will actually help.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the DS a side project, and NOT Nintendo's actual follow up to the GBA? Calling it Nintendo's "next generation handheld" implies that it's a replacement for the GBA, which I'm pretty sure is not what it is intended to be.
"You know, it sells better in the United States. There are more people who buy the game and are waiting for the game."
If that's the case, then why not release those sweet limited edition packages in the U.S.? I realize that LE packages for games are considered something for the eastern market only, but why? I would buy a Limited Edition Metal Gear Solid 3 package for sure if it came with the U.S. version of MGS3.
Space Ghost: The race war had begun. Machines were building robot babies to replace other babies. Everyone knows what happened next. The End.
Off topic, but Shade by Andrew Plotkin is the craziest IF game I've ever played. Unbelieveable. I couldn't stop playing it while my head was exploding. Follow the link in the blurb on Andrew's name and then click on his name on the next page to find it. It's just... spooky.
I've had the Gamefly 1-Game plan for quite a while now (I think 6 months or more) and I've been very pleased. Their selection really is top-notch. They always have plenty of the big releases and never skip the smaller ones. They package well and I've always gotten the correct game.
I've talked with their customer service after a credit card problem at signup (it was a problem on my end that they helped me resolve). They were friendly and helpful. I've also emailed a few times with suggestions and questions and was responded to promptly and politely. One of my suggestions (instructions for games) is now being used on the site (although I obviously wasn't the only one, at least they listen to what the customers want).
The turnaround time is around 6 days to Cleveland, OH. For me, I'm ALWAYS getting late fees so the time doesn't bother me. It's still cheaper in the long run.
Um, yeah, preview is a good thing...
The first sentence should probably read:
It would be hard to summarize the basic theme of 11 articles written by diffrent people, but there is a general theme that links them all.
My bad.
Well, it would be hard to sum up the articles of various different people that wrote the 11 articles, but the basic theme is similar:
Gaming journalism is very stale across the board (stale screens that everyone has, the egg-shell approach with previews that could endanger ad monies) and could use a more literary approach at points.
Also, on the topic gaming reviews, the articles all seem to be tired of the idea of rating a game objectively, when the very action of playing a game is very subjective. I see this as less of a replacement of standard number rating reviews (which still have a valid use), but as sort of an alternate source similar to a video game New Yorker, as Tim Rogers said in his article.
That's a very condensed summary of a general theme of the articles.
Great set of articles. I've only recently come to looking at InsertCredit and Video-Fenky for insight into the Japan gaming world from an American prospective, but they've already both become a daily routine for me.
These articles (especially Tim Rogers longer one) really do bring to light an aspect of gaming journalism that I've recently started searching for. I get four game magazines and have a subscription to a website's "premium" service as well. They all seem to say the same things in regards to reviewing games, but then the scores usually vary quite a bit. I'm not saying that all scores should be uniform, but quite the opposite, the writer's personal experience of the game should become a more integral part of the review.
This is something that I've found in InsertCredit's different features and have really enjoyed their viewpoints and style. This is something that I would like to see implemented more in the journalism regarding the industry. This shouldn't be in place of some standard technical, "objective" reviews, which still have their place, but sort of an aside for those of us looking for something more.
Oh yeah, just like after the almost 10 year development life of the NES?
Or do you mean the 6 year lifespan of the SNES?
Even the N64 lasted well over 4 years.
Sega was the hardware company with the shifting consoles. Get your snide remarks correct.
A quote from Tim Schafer, creator and director of the original Full Throttle, from mixnmojo.com (THE Lucasarts Adventure Fansite):
"I heard they just couldn't go on without the emotional support of Tom Sarris. I mean, Tom was the person Ben Throttle was based on. Not a lot of people know that. So I guess they finally just realized there was no way to do it with out him."
Skies of Arcadia is not only one of my favorite RPGs, but one of my favorite games of all time. It's not an action-RPG, but it still takes quite a few spins on a genre that's getting a little stale:
-The discovery element is a great system (the map is only revealed as you discover it and you're also encouraged to search for landmarks and receive fame and money from the Adventurer's Guild).
-The ship-to-ship battles, although a little redundant late in the game, are very fun.
-The "Sky Pirates" theme is just flat out awesome. It takes a story that otherwise would seem cliched and gives it a real identity.
Pure fun, top to bottom. Gotta go whip out my DC and play it again!
I've been a Gamefly subscriber for a few months now. I've got to say, I've been very impressed. They have a very good selection of games and the site is quite easy to use (pretty much just like Netflix). Every game I've gotten from them has arrived quickly, worked, and was packaged very well. Customer support answered my emails fast. No complaints here.
Now, if I could only get them to restock Rez for the PS2...
While Vice City was an awesome game, I do agree with Spook above that a game like that sets the standard for what people are willing to play with.
It is a truly epic game, but it does have quite a lot of bugs. I realize, it's to be expected in such a huge world, but it hardly justified everyone's giving it perfect scores. The consitency of the "little falling" bug that drips away the life alone bugged the hell out of me during the game.
I see your point, but once those evil uses are happening, isn't it harder to stop?
Shouldn't people know the possible consequences of technology?
Besides, that sounds like exactly something our government would do. The next Patriot Act could very well include something you knew nothing about (hell, the first one did). Maybe we're paranoid, but I think we've come to the point where it is much more reasonable to be that way.
A single disk to include all games, while awesome, would have delayed the project until right about now (considering that's how long it took most of the other projects to get to the level they're at). They did what they could under tremendous legal pressure and not nearly enough funds. Personally, I've got Bleemcast for MGS and I've gotta say, it looks quite a bit better. The controls aren't awkward (if you're decent with the DC controller) and it's not that hard to do a simple disk swap at the beginning of the game. To sum it all up as you did, I think slights the programmers a little bit, considering the legal problems, the technical limitations etc. I'll admit, Bleem! was far from perfect, but certainly had a good idea and valiantly tried to implement it despite certain legal doom.
I don't know about Halo possibly making more money on the PC...
I mean, think about it. X-Box piracy, while gaining speed, still is waaay behind PC piracy. While it probably wouldn't kill sales, it would keep them around the X-Box figures, for the most part.
Well, if you're trying to incorporate this "Uber-gaming" philosophy like they are, you're probably going to want the OS that most PC titles are geared for. Since we haven't heard a peep about any software being "Phantom-Exclusive", I've got to assume that most of the content is going to be ported from current PC titles.
Why try and make an already daunting task (porting the hundreds of games that they claim they'll have to their own network specs) harder by having to switch OS's as well?
If I'm the father of MODERN game design and one of the most successful game makers to boot, I think I would have the right to tell it like I see it on the gaming scene.
Fact is, Miyamoto's not only been around, but he's been quite successful and his opinion is well-respected in the industry (not just by Nintendo fanboys which I certainly am not). He didn't put anyone down. He just stated his opinion. Which, as much as you might not like to hear it, carries just a little bit of weight considering his history.
Heck, I hope instead of him shutting up, that some American gaming companies actually listen to him.
Man, the more I read what Mr. Miyamoto has to say, the more I want to pick up a 'Cube. If some other software companies took a cue from him, we'd have a lot more truly great games for next-gen systems. Even when he commented on the American gaming public, he made comments about taste that didn't make Americans out to be uneducated gamers like some other industry-types.
No wonder this guy's got so many games in the top 25 of IGN's recent list. I mean, how many game designers today would answer the question "What's the most important element in a video game today" with "Is it fun?"
BTW: What's the Super Mario Club that he referred to? Some kind of beta testers for Nintendo?
A good idea - maybe A chance at success - hardly Did I sign up for the beta - hell yes I did :)
Actually, I think it's really important. I mean, look at it this way:
The EFF has a tough time defending stuff like deCSS because the first thought of many is pirating. However, software to edit out violence and sex would ALSO need to have this knowledge. I think they're using it to gain some leverage in the battle of "what are the positives of having the CSS out there."
This also would help cement the idea of DVDs as belonging to the consumer. The consumer can do what they choose to they're own property (within reason). This is a point that EFF is trying to make on other fronts, but has trouble since, right now, it's linked directly to piracy.
This gives them something to fight for that maybe more people will see as a positive example of "fair use", etc.