Granted on the rock scissors paper comment, there is usually an achilllies heel type weakenss that a clever foe can exploit, but while skill CAN trump stats, the way these games are designed is so they dont. Think WoW or Eve and how often does a level 50 beat a level 70 or a tech I a tech II?
With regard to playing the market that comes back to the time vs skill. I'm going to guess this is based around Eve because that has the deepest market I know. But again, to compete in any real terms with an experienced player is almost impossible if they have spent a few months 'investing' points in skills to help them playing the market. A new player can only buy and sell in their local station, an excperienced one from an adjacent sector, a new player can only put on five orders, an old one god knows how many. A new player pays 1% tax, because an older one has clicked 'train' he has to pay 0.5% tax.
It is all these arbitrary ceilings and barriers that ruin games like MMO's. Let the player be the barrier and not some bullshit counter to drip feed me false reward.
If your game is fun players will keep coming back, look at counterstrike, even though its old, people still play it because its fun. new player against an old typically means the old wins due to knowledge of game mechanics, wit and personal experience. But that old player, armed with skill and grit can still pull off a lucky headshot because.
With regards to guildwars, its one i've thought about giving a try and very well might once summer is nearing an end and the nights are getting cold and dark again.
The problem is that everytime a game is made with the first three letters above, the last three always seem to be RPG and this is always the problem. I am a gamer who spends a lot of time and money on gaming. I have a young family so going out socialising isnt a real possibility like it was 10 or even 5 years ago. I've tried WoW and i've tried Eve, whilst both seem initially interesting they fall foul (to me) in one key area - gameplay. In short there isnt really that much.
All of these MMO(rpg's) seem to make their money and selling point around what's round the corner. You might have a Thorax or a +5 shield now, but in one more month you could have a Deimos and a +9 shield AND a new hammer! Its also this point that raises my next.
Skill
Alot of these MMO's have painted themselves into a corner with regard to creating a level playing field between established players and new players. You could have two players of equal skill squaring off but because one has been feeding his habit for a few months or even years longer they win in the random number generator fight that occurs.
I am hoping that the new jumpgate game chages this a bit with its reliance on player piloting skill for combat if the read-ups are to be believed but in the meantime I rely on games like Left4Dead to provide my social gaming fix. The number of hours I have got in on it are absurd. Its a class based game, with a social setting - especially if you play vs mode and best of all you dont get your ass handed to you by someone Jonesing bad for a fix from a 3 year habit, getting the kill simply because the developer is giving them an I win button for their money.
To me games are about skill with a little bit of luck and that is what alot of these MMO's with their endless levelling seem to forget, I have money and am willing to give it to a developer who can figure that out.
...a film does well and they start looking for the next easy cashin. Think back to how the recent comic adaptions were kick started by the likes of Xmen, one does well and all of a sudden there is a bandwagon trundling down the hill.
Now a giant robot film has done well so the bandwagon looks for the next passenger it can send down. Personally I think voltron will tank. Hardly anyone knows what it is and it lacked that 'cool' factor when I was a kid growing up, even my father knew what transformers were then and wanted to see the film now. But Voltron?
Its over reaching and says straight to dvd.
I know I know, flamebait, troll, whatever you want but this is just my opinion from the UK, in the US it might be different.
I first read Your Sinclair and Sinclair user. I then discovered crash and never looked back.
If your in the UK then pick up GamesTM, I think a number of the crash writers work on it and it regularly features some of the crash feautures as articles in the retro section.
While im at it, to all those who remember the good old days and want a trip down memory lane, check out http://www2.b3ta.com/heyhey16k/ . Yes thats how games used to look and we were glad for it. Uphill to school, in the snow, both ways with no shoes...kids today dont know theyre born...
I had the day off today due to the dryer at home deciding to stop working. This took me on a tour of Comet, Curry's, Woolworths and Big W.
All stores had huge signs outside saying "PS3 stock available inside". This was from 12 oclock through till 2pm. Everywhere had huge stands and what looked like large amounts of stock, I also only saw one person show interest.
Later this afternoon I decided to take a trip into Cardiff (S.Wales vally boy just so you know). Gamestation, Virgin, Game, HMV and more all had signs saying "stock available".
I think at this point that I should note that in all stores the Wii was totally sold out. Supply chain problems,lack of interest whatever. I think it speaks for itself that at £425 just for a base unit console the numbers are going to suck. People want value not extra's and to put a long story short, if you really do need that PS3 get to Newport and Cardiff in S.Wales.
I do PvP and amd in effect a 1yr+ char. From everything I see, yes in a pack, some 6 monthchars can take down a 4 yr player, but when it comes down to 1 on 1, the 4 year player basically has an I win button on his screen.
Its a case of a reward for paying a sub rather than rewarding skill, but its not simply Eve, its what I see as the main fault in all games. Yes, give older players a slight advantage - but bing skill back into onine gaming.
I play the game, I was an ardent FPS fan but a friend reccomended me to this game and I now play.
BUT
The inherent problem with MMORPG's is that they reward players for time spent in game rather than player skill. For instance, no matter how skilled a player, a 6 month player will always perish to a 4 year player. Are there any real idea's to create a level playing field and bring skill into the game rather than grind?
this is a site for nerds and others who are possesive of esoteric knowlege! yet no one has put forward the 7 player, Saturn only (perhaps thats why,) easter egg game - Death Tanx (or even Death Tanx Zwei)
The game is quite simply a 7 on 7 real time worms. Thats right, 7 player worms with no waiting for a turn. There are a gang of 9 of us locally and most of us have a Sega Saturn, a mutli tap and about 10 pads (they aint getting any younger and they are a btich to come across these days so spares are a must).
We noticed that locally we had driven up the pices of Saturn pads by about 400%. At our local gamesytation store the pads were going from £8 - £12. A 50 mile trip and the pads were going for about £3
To play the game you do need a save game of quake and duke nukem. But as far as party games go this is by far and away the best there is.
Granted Korea has a large market for this sort of televised event with particular emphasis on games (if memory serves correct) as Starcraft and its vein being one of them.
There is also the possible connection to real life sports. But that is what I base this on. Real life sports can be an entertaining event to watch with people physically battling it out on a real life arena.
When the entire event is virtual it loses alot of the lure to be an enticing live event. Sure in one country it has a following but is this more of a cultural event or is merely a sign of things to come?
Does anyone see a market for this sort of event? Gaming - a predominantly solo event (yes we can argue that it is 'social' when gaming online but thats another discussions) does not lend itself well to passive viewing. Isnt this one of the main arguements as to why gamers (myself included) claim that it takes consumer entertainment to a different level? Because unlike television where the viewer sits there; the gamer is immersing him (or her) self in the game world and experience and is the catalyst rather than the recepticle.
Look at LAN parties, do you see people sat back watching the action in large numbers? No, instead everyone sees that Dust is on and jumps into the action. Games just arent fun to watch.
To me it just doesnt seem like entertainment, I dont want to watch other people play games I want to play it myself - thats what games are for.
...but more like reading a PR release from what I have seen.
A while back I used to read PC Zone and Gamer (im a UK gamer). It was becoming more and more the case that big name / cover games used to automatically get an extra 'few' % points and it came to the point where I just could not rely on them to be impartial anymore.
If I remember correctly Doom3 recieved a score in the 90's yet its sister mag Edge gave it a modest but deserving 7/10. What was even more peculiar was that the reviewers were usually the same. Allright - the reviews never had a name tied to them but the staff writers were always listed in the front of the magazine.
It was almost as though the staff writers knew they had to pander to the advertisers to make sure that various companies kept their page orders up so they would whore a score in the top selling mag and then write a more honest review in Edge. For instance look at Driv3r and the backlash that followed from the public after its 9/10's.
To me it has become the case that paper mags in the UK are no longer credible and as sales go down they tend to become even less so as those advertisers become a more vital source of revenue. Its a pity because I used to base alot of my purchases on what some of the above mags used to say, now its more on word of mouth from friends about what is a good game worthy of my time.
...into making Shenmue 3.
There is a waiting market and it might just show that a wholly American based company is willing to play to all markets rather than just the North American $
actually consoles DO sell on the graphics it tends to be the main point of them and the chief focus. If you look at the blurb being spouted about the cell processor it is all about how it will render graphics and water and everything else up and including the kitchen sink.
The chief reason the PS1 was a success was due to its prowess over the Sega Saturn, which was designed from the ground up as the ultimate 2D machine, it was only when the power of the PS was seen that 3D was bolted on as an afterthought.
The PS2 sold because people were told, no scratch that, people were yelled at by Sony that the "emotion engine" would render Toy Story esque graphics in real time. By the time the paying public found out the truth a userbase was installed in playgrounds across the world. And if little Jimmy's best friend has a PS2 then he wants one too.
Graphics sell a console (to 9/10 users)when they are all side by side and new. Everything else comes afterwards.
...not onlyfor him but for the precedent it will create. we are all watching this case and you can bet that the RIAA and MPAA are watching this and rubbing their hands. If you can prosecute a citizen of a foreign country its only a small step to start extraditing users of PTP.
As fair as I am concerned, he is a citizen of the UK, he accessed the servers from his physical connection from the UK, he should do his time in the UK.
Its in no-ones interest if he is sent to the US, ours as well as his.
...this looks like the golden oppotuninty Microsoft will use to relase the HD-DVD enabled version of the Xbox360 "that was never coming out!". It gives them carte blanche to release it with a "valid" excuse. Expect in about 3 months or just before the PS3 to be rereleased with a new "protected AND upgraded machine, for your benefit"
It might also be a way to increase sales, correct me if im wrong but dont easily piratable machines seems to enjoy a larger machine market share which is just what MS want?
I cant believe bow negative alot of people are about this thing. Ok The Sun made a number of mistakes in the article - the sun is on a par with the national enquirer, if it doesnt invole some b list celebrity with their tits out or following some half arsed sports personality then the sun is incapable of getting even the slightest fact right. But im more surprised at the hostility alot of people have shown towards the clip.
This is the first creative thing I have seen on The Simpsons in years so relax people, its a live action parody and I thought it was fun. Its not accurate, its not trying to bring the simpsons to life its just trying to give a little parody to an otherwise tired opening segment (My current fave is where it pans out of Homers head, through the universe and back out of Homers head!).
3 cheers for trying something new - now all you writers got to do is make the show entertaining again
(I am not trying to flame or troll so please do not take as such)
When a game is in development and he's meeting with the press he will always talk about every idea he has as if it is nailed down and already a fact of the game.
When said game comes out we realise that we've been bullshitted, again.
I thought black and white, while enjoyable was just a bit too ambitious for the available hardware at the time, Fable was a superb little romp, black and white 2 - the jury's still out and the movies - whilst being told by pre-release news that you could run your own movie studio and take it through the ages - it trned out you got to run your own movie studio but you didnt get to do any of the fun stuff!
I'd hate to see the studio close but I would like to see them become a little bit more realistic, dont aim lower Lionhead - just get yourselves a little closer to the target.
Years ago I was hooked, like a crack addict to Civ2. each game was different from the last but I could still settle old scores. I knew how the game played yet it also gave me something different every time.
Rome Total War is superb. Its gotten more game time than all my recent FPS's put together. You can go through quake or fear the first time and see pretty much all the best parts. With these open ended games they give you something slightly different every time.
The first game left me a bit cold (not flaming or trolling so calm down:) ) because I just couldnt get into the battle system - Im a typical FPS shooter and tried a different genre. I am tempted to try this again but is it a case of more of the same which I know a hell of alot of people are waiting would be happy with, or is it another refinement and a step to once again try the rpg format? Comments please from anyone who has played. Thanks
with the friendly NPC's suchs as the ones who regularly fight alongside you - THEY NEVER KILL THE ENEMY (apart from the crazy ravenholm priest). For isntacen when fighting the striders, no matter how many rockets your comrades fire they will NEVER take one of them down. This is the same when fighting the combine. Its as if they wanted to rush in the illusion of fighting as a part of a resistance in a dystopian landscape but for some reason they just couldnt nail it. Then rather than have you as a lone hero, they instead decided to place the player into an environment with the illusion of cooperation. Its a bug that would really add to the enjoyment. Its eye candy that could be so much more. Most people havent noticed it so maybe I was just expecting too much. Apart from that this game blows Halo 2 and doo3 out of the water, far cry is a close second in terms of quality.
Just my $0.02
Re:Other record: Best reviewed game ever?
on
Halo 2 Released
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
there is the "emporers new clothes" syndrome though. And I dont belive that halo is being reviewed fairly ala fable. Its a good game, not a great one.
Slashdot Mirror
...when a sinking ship like Zynga looks good to a rat like Mattrick you know Microsoft are in trouble.
Granted on the rock scissors paper comment, there is usually an achilllies heel type weakenss that a clever foe can exploit, but while skill CAN trump stats, the way these games are designed is so they dont. Think WoW or Eve and how often does a level 50 beat a level 70 or a tech I a tech II?
With regard to playing the market that comes back to the time vs skill. I'm going to guess this is based around Eve because that has the deepest market I know. But again, to compete in any real terms with an experienced player is almost impossible if they have spent a few months 'investing' points in skills to help them playing the market. A new player can only buy and sell in their local station, an excperienced one from an adjacent sector, a new player can only put on five orders, an old one god knows how many. A new player pays 1% tax, because an older one has clicked 'train' he has to pay 0.5% tax.
It is all these arbitrary ceilings and barriers that ruin games like MMO's. Let the player be the barrier and not some bullshit counter to drip feed me false reward.
If your game is fun players will keep coming back, look at counterstrike, even though its old, people still play it because its fun. new player against an old typically means the old wins due to knowledge of game mechanics, wit and personal experience. But that old player, armed with skill and grit can still pull off a lucky headshot because.
With regards to guildwars, its one i've thought about giving a try and very well might once summer is nearing an end and the nights are getting cold and dark again.
The problem is that everytime a game is made with the first three letters above, the last three always seem to be RPG and this is always the problem. I am a gamer who spends a lot of time and money on gaming. I have a young family so going out socialising isnt a real possibility like it was 10 or even 5 years ago. I've tried WoW and i've tried Eve, whilst both seem initially interesting they fall foul (to me) in one key area - gameplay. In short there isnt really that much.
All of these MMO(rpg's) seem to make their money and selling point around what's round the corner. You might have a Thorax or a +5 shield now, but in one more month you could have a Deimos and a +9 shield AND a new hammer! Its also this point that raises my next.
Skill
Alot of these MMO's have painted themselves into a corner with regard to creating a level playing field between established players and new players. You could have two players of equal skill squaring off but because one has been feeding his habit for a few months or even years longer they win in the random number generator fight that occurs.
I am hoping that the new jumpgate game chages this a bit with its reliance on player piloting skill for combat if the read-ups are to be believed but in the meantime I rely on games like Left4Dead to provide my social gaming fix. The number of hours I have got in on it are absurd. Its a class based game, with a social setting - especially if you play vs mode and best of all you dont get your ass handed to you by someone Jonesing bad for a fix from a 3 year habit, getting the kill simply because the developer is giving them an I win button for their money.
To me games are about skill with a little bit of luck and that is what alot of these MMO's with their endless levelling seem to forget, I have money and am willing to give it to a developer who can figure that out.
...a film does well and they start looking for the next easy cashin. Think back to how the recent comic adaptions were kick started by the likes of Xmen, one does well and all of a sudden there is a bandwagon trundling down the hill.
Now a giant robot film has done well so the bandwagon looks for the next passenger it can send down. Personally I think voltron will tank. Hardly anyone knows what it is and it lacked that 'cool' factor when I was a kid growing up, even my father knew what transformers were then and wanted to see the film now. But Voltron?
Its over reaching and says straight to dvd.
I know I know, flamebait, troll, whatever you want but this is just my opinion from the UK, in the US it might be different.
I first read Your Sinclair and Sinclair user. I then discovered crash and never looked back.
If your in the UK then pick up GamesTM, I think a number of the crash writers work on it and it regularly features some of the crash feautures as articles in the retro section.
While im at it, to all those who remember the good old days and want a trip down memory lane, check out http://www2.b3ta.com/heyhey16k/ .
Yes thats how games used to look and we were glad for it. Uphill to school, in the snow, both ways with no shoes...kids today dont know theyre born...
I had the day off today due to the dryer at home deciding to stop working. This took me on a tour of Comet, Curry's, Woolworths and Big W.
All stores had huge signs outside saying "PS3 stock available inside". This was from 12 oclock through till 2pm. Everywhere had huge stands and what looked like large amounts of stock, I also only saw one person show interest.
Later this afternoon I decided to take a trip into Cardiff (S.Wales vally boy just so you know). Gamestation, Virgin, Game, HMV and more all had signs saying "stock available".
I think at this point that I should note that in all stores the Wii was totally sold out. Supply chain problems,lack of interest whatever. I think it speaks for itself that at £425 just for a base unit console the numbers are going to suck. People want value not extra's and to put a long story short, if you really do need that PS3 get to Newport and Cardiff in S.Wales.
Pete
I do PvP and amd in effect a 1yr+ char. From everything I see, yes in a pack, some 6 monthchars can take down a 4 yr player, but when it comes down to 1 on 1, the 4 year player basically has an I win button on his screen.
Its a case of a reward for paying a sub rather than rewarding skill, but its not simply Eve, its what I see as the main fault in all games. Yes, give older players a slight advantage - but bing skill back into onine gaming.
I play the game, I was an ardent FPS fan but a friend reccomended me to this game and I now play.
BUT
The inherent problem with MMORPG's is that they reward players for time spent in game rather than player skill. For instance, no matter how skilled a player, a 6 month player will always perish to a 4 year player. Are there any real idea's to create a level playing field and bring skill into the game rather than grind?
this is a site for nerds and others who are possesive of esoteric knowlege! yet no one has put forward the 7 player, Saturn only (perhaps thats why,) easter egg game - Death Tanx (or even Death Tanx Zwei)
The game is quite simply a 7 on 7 real time worms. Thats right, 7 player worms with no waiting for a turn. There are a gang of 9 of us locally and most of us have a Sega Saturn, a mutli tap and about 10 pads (they aint getting any younger and they are a btich to come across these days so spares are a must).
We noticed that locally we had driven up the pices of Saturn pads by about 400%. At our local gamesytation store the pads were going from £8 - £12. A 50 mile trip and the pads were going for about £3
To play the game you do need a save game of quake and duke nukem. But as far as party games go this is by far and away the best there is.
Granted Korea has a large market for this sort of televised event with particular emphasis on games (if memory serves correct) as Starcraft and its vein being one of them.
There is also the possible connection to real life sports. But that is what I base this on. Real life sports can be an entertaining event to watch with people physically battling it out on a real life arena.
When the entire event is virtual it loses alot of the lure to be an enticing live event. Sure in one country it has a following but is this more of a cultural event or is merely a sign of things to come?
Does anyone see a market for this sort of event? Gaming - a predominantly solo event (yes we can argue that it is 'social' when gaming online but thats another discussions) does not lend itself well to passive viewing. Isnt this one of the main arguements as to why gamers (myself included) claim that it takes consumer entertainment to a different level? Because unlike television where the viewer sits there; the gamer is immersing him (or her) self in the game world and experience and is the catalyst rather than the recepticle.
Look at LAN parties, do you see people sat back watching the action in large numbers? No, instead everyone sees that Dust is on and jumps into the action. Games just arent fun to watch.
To me it just doesnt seem like entertainment, I dont want to watch other people play games I want to play it myself - thats what games are for.
...but more like reading a PR release from what I have seen.
A while back I used to read PC Zone and Gamer (im a UK gamer). It was becoming more and more the case that big name / cover games used to automatically get an extra 'few' % points and it came to the point where I just could not rely on them to be impartial anymore.
If I remember correctly Doom3 recieved a score in the 90's yet its sister mag Edge gave it a modest but deserving 7/10. What was even more peculiar was that the reviewers were usually the same. Allright - the reviews never had a name tied to them but the staff writers were always listed in the front of the magazine.
It was almost as though the staff writers knew they had to pander to the advertisers to make sure that various companies kept their page orders up so they would whore a score in the top selling mag and then write a more honest review in Edge. For instance look at Driv3r and the backlash that followed from the public after its 9/10's.
To me it has become the case that paper mags in the UK are no longer credible and as sales go down they tend to become even less so as those advertisers become a more vital source of revenue. Its a pity because I used to base alot of my purchases on what some of the above mags used to say, now its more on word of mouth from friends about what is a good game worthy of my time.
...into making Shenmue 3. There is a waiting market and it might just show that a wholly American based company is willing to play to all markets rather than just the North American $
actually consoles DO sell on the graphics it tends to be the main point of them and the chief focus. If you look at the blurb being spouted about the cell processor it is all about how it will render graphics and water and everything else up and including the kitchen sink.
The chief reason the PS1 was a success was due to its prowess over the Sega Saturn, which was designed from the ground up as the ultimate 2D machine, it was only when the power of the PS was seen that 3D was bolted on as an afterthought.
The PS2 sold because people were told, no scratch that, people were yelled at by Sony that the "emotion engine" would render Toy Story esque graphics in real time. By the time the paying public found out the truth a userbase was installed in playgrounds across the world. And if little Jimmy's best friend has a PS2 then he wants one too.
Graphics sell a console (to 9/10 users)when they are all side by side and new. Everything else comes afterwards.
...not onlyfor him but for the precedent it will create. we are all watching this case and you can bet that the RIAA and MPAA are watching this and rubbing their hands. If you can prosecute a citizen of a foreign country its only a small step to start extraditing users of PTP.
As fair as I am concerned, he is a citizen of the UK, he accessed the servers from his physical connection from the UK, he should do his time in the UK.
Its in no-ones interest if he is sent to the US, ours as well as his.
...this looks like the golden oppotuninty Microsoft will use to relase the HD-DVD enabled version of the Xbox360 "that was never coming out!". It gives them carte blanche to release it with a "valid" excuse. Expect in about 3 months or just before the PS3 to be rereleased with a new "protected AND upgraded machine, for your benefit"
It might also be a way to increase sales, correct me if im wrong but dont easily piratable machines seems to enjoy a larger machine market share which is just what MS want?
I cant believe bow negative alot of people are about this thing. Ok The Sun made a number of mistakes in the article - the sun is on a par with the national enquirer, if it doesnt invole some b list celebrity with their tits out or following some half arsed sports personality then the sun is incapable of getting even the slightest fact right. But im more surprised at the hostility alot of people have shown towards the clip. This is the first creative thing I have seen on The Simpsons in years so relax people, its a live action parody and I thought it was fun. Its not accurate, its not trying to bring the simpsons to life its just trying to give a little parody to an otherwise tired opening segment (My current fave is where it pans out of Homers head, through the universe and back out of Homers head!). 3 cheers for trying something new - now all you writers got to do is make the show entertaining again (I am not trying to flame or troll so please do not take as such)
When a game is in development and he's meeting with the press he will always talk about every idea he has as if it is nailed down and already a fact of the game. When said game comes out we realise that we've been bullshitted, again. I thought black and white, while enjoyable was just a bit too ambitious for the available hardware at the time, Fable was a superb little romp, black and white 2 - the jury's still out and the movies - whilst being told by pre-release news that you could run your own movie studio and take it through the ages - it trned out you got to run your own movie studio but you didnt get to do any of the fun stuff! I'd hate to see the studio close but I would like to see them become a little bit more realistic, dont aim lower Lionhead - just get yourselves a little closer to the target.
Years ago I was hooked, like a crack addict to Civ2. each game was different from the last but I could still settle old scores. I knew how the game played yet it also gave me something different every time. Rome Total War is superb. Its gotten more game time than all my recent FPS's put together. You can go through quake or fear the first time and see pretty much all the best parts. With these open ended games they give you something slightly different every time.
...Foot, Gun, Shoot!
I can see the title now "Revenge of the seventh inch"
...great beer buttoo many geeks and some guy with a birdcage on his head.
The first game left me a bit cold (not flaming or trolling so calm down :) ) because I just couldnt get into the battle system - Im a typical FPS shooter and tried a different genre. I am tempted to try this again but is it a case of more of the same which I know a hell of alot of people are waiting would be happy with, or is it another refinement and a step to once again try the rpg format? Comments please from anyone who has played. Thanks
with the friendly NPC's suchs as the ones who regularly fight alongside you - THEY NEVER KILL THE ENEMY (apart from the crazy ravenholm priest). For isntacen when fighting the striders, no matter how many rockets your comrades fire they will NEVER take one of them down. This is the same when fighting the combine. Its as if they wanted to rush in the illusion of fighting as a part of a resistance in a dystopian landscape but for some reason they just couldnt nail it. Then rather than have you as a lone hero, they instead decided to place the player into an environment with the illusion of cooperation. Its a bug that would really add to the enjoyment. Its eye candy that could be so much more. Most people havent noticed it so maybe I was just expecting too much. Apart from that this game blows Halo 2 and doo3 out of the water, far cry is a close second in terms of quality. Just my $0.02
there is the "emporers new clothes" syndrome though. And I dont belive that halo is being reviewed fairly ala fable. Its a good game, not a great one.