OK, since you have stuck with this I will humor you. I did take your first and second comments to be just trolling/flamebaiting and thus my responses. Now this is not bragging or ego, let me 'splain myself.
I have worked in the videogame industry for over 4 years. I have worked my way from freelance to reviewer to QA/playtester to analyst. I hold two degrees in technology disciplines and have worked directly with Sony and a number of retail outlets in marketing and sales of games and gaming hardware and accessories. I also write and research the gaming industry on a personal level, such as my interest in the Nintendo Revolution. I am not paid by Nintendo, have never had an affiliation with them, nor do I plan to. I am not a fanboy, I am genuinely interested in the system and the innovation and possible disruption to the status quo that is holding this industry down.
Now onto the numbers you want so badly (I'm not reformatting the text for slashdot so it will have to do as is).
Source: Media Create Media Create Hardware Sales: 27 Mar - 2 Apr
platform this week last week 2006 total 02 - 06 LTD 1 DS Lite 149,371 119,986 532,037 532,037
Those are actual hard sales figures for hardware.
Let me show you Japanese sales figures now for games:
1 DS Motto Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training More Adult Brain Training Nintendo 80,972 1,815,818
All Nintendo DS and Sony PS2 titles for the most part and not only that but all 1 million plus sales just to date. Neither the PS2 or DS are "Next-Gen"
250,000 copies of brain trainer for the DS have sold on American soil since it was just released. This eclipses sales of almost everything except Oblivion when PC & 360 numbers are looked at.
I'm not going to pull all sales numbers and make pretty charts for you from the past two years, but I have them, and I can say with 100% certainty (as I stated before) that my statement is perfectly true and in fact sales have been STRONGER in some older systems than they had been BEFORe the next gen systems were announced! Media Create is an analysis firm that is widely used and produces realistic non-biased numbers. Search back in their data and you will find my comments are perfectly accurate.
I understand there are a lot of wanna-be analysts and complete bullshitters on slashdot, and that with the anonymity comes distrust. But what usually happens is after I spend my time to produce hard data for some other anonymous person that I will gain nothing from convinsing is that they just deflect it and stick to their own initial mindset and nothing has been accomplished. I hope that is not the case here, but if it is then no sweat off my back. Not only that but due to the Slashdot "Lameness Filter" I am unable to post the full data on here, I have tried many times. So ease up and realize I had my reasons for being a smartass.
Fuck you, and your attempt at a lame ass semi-intelligent comeback. The exact reason why me spending time digging up said links and info for you is useless. So, I guess that means I'm nobody and totally wrong and you win! OK? Great. You showed me up and I obviously can't respond properly to your demands so I'm a fucktard.
Puh-lease. "Wah, I can't be creative all the time or I can't feed my children, so I have to pump out crappy sequels and clones to keep driving my BMW." What a total load of bullshit.
Make one truly creative game, sell a million+ copies and sit back and cash the checks. Not only that, but take a gander at the greatest artists and creative minds of all time... most were poor and down and out for the majority of their lives. Sure, Einstein could have wasted time writing and selling 5th grade math books, or Van Gogh couls have sat in the square drawing cariactures, but they DIDN'T. They stayed true to their hearts, and their passion... something YOU obviously cannot do, or do not have the talent to do.
Do us all a favor and get out of the business. Rather than flood the shelves with derivitive crap to make a buck, go work a 9-5 and collect a steady paychek.
I can provide plenty, you can also use Google to "fact check" if you are so sure of yourself, and prove me wrong. I work in this industry, I am an analyst which makes me an authority on the issue... I cite myself. There, happy?
I have no desire nor the time to dig up link after link and monthly sales statistics for a Slashdot post, and even if I did waste the time and effort you would still not believe it because you do not want to.
G'day.
Not due to waiting for next gen...
on
LucasArts Aims for #1
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
I cringe every time I see this phrase uttered in the media. It appears on Slashdot in every single story of this nature, and it is completely FALSE.
Game sales have been down for the whole of 2005 and 2004 was a declining year too. The decline is not tied in any way shape or form to the next gen systems. Take a look at the actuale sales numbers for 04 and 05, and 06 even. The solid titles have sold as they should and at the same rate as most other games of their type from years before. The problem is how few 1 million+ selling games have been made in recent time.
This statement that sales are down due to gamer anticipation has been proven false a number of times by a number of analysts. Let's stop clinging to this falsehood. Call a spade a spade, game sales are down because most everything made is derivative and shallow as well as so similar to the next game that demand is not there. The innovative titles are doing fine.
Nintendogs, Brain Trainer, Oblivion, Guitar Hero, etc. Marc Ecko's "Getting Up" is not... because it sucks ass... not because people are waiting to play Marc Ecko's "Getting Up, Again" in HD on Blu-Ray in their PS3.
But, I see one of two things happening. Fear of using the system due to repercussions, or abuse of the system and a very large number of frivolous complaints.
In my daily life I am part of a 2 person IT department, and my manager has no background in computers or technology at all... I'd love a system like this but I'd just be submitting it directly to her and that most likely would be where it would end... along with my employment.
Ineptitude is the norm at most U.S. business and at all levels.
People stop buying games containing advertisements. licensed titles and product placement will happen, and that is about as far as I can support in any way and only then in games where it makes sense. Not clubbing a lvl 22 snow ettin while seeing ads for Quizno's new steak sub.
Just like the vocal outrage and refusal to buy games with Starforce DRM caused publishers to stop using it, the same can be done here. Advertising and the commercialization to Hollywood levels of gaming is the worst possible option.
I strongly disagree. While it is *nice* to be around like-minded folks with similar lifestyles, I feel no discomfort when I am a minority. I can properly relate, interact, and conduct myself without relying on others or feeling distress. That is all that is asked of here.
In my personal experience most GLBT individuals have mitigating factors that are traumatic or damaging to some extent and I believe that this is the root cause of the need to have built-in support groups and structures.
To break it down further, if you played with me in WoW in no way shape or form would my sexuality or personal beliefs be overtly recognizable. The players I play with should hold to that same level of discretion. I could care less if the entire party I am questing with is GBLTP(urple) If I have a solid healer and a good mage and we can work as a team, that is all I ask.
The majority of the "this is gay" and F-U-NOOB comments are coming from 13 year old kids without supervision and who are just beginning to approach their own sexuality and maturity... this is as common as anything with kids in this age range. To act as if these are 30-year-old players running around saying STFU Noob, and "you are so gay!" is just insane and silly. They want to get a rise out of people, be rebellious, and sadly these days words are given that much power that this is an acceptable form of rebellion. Maybe if people weren't so worried about political correctness, offending others by speech, etc. and stopped placing so much emphasis on it, it would cease to *be* a big deal.
How about this, just play the fuckin game? I could care less if you're a top or bottom in RL, just swing your sword or cast some spells, talk about the raid/quest you're on and leave it there.
I think Blizzard should have stuck to its guns and not allowed any of this. I don't talk about banging chicks and hooking up while in online games so why exactly does it need to be different for you?
Needing to be part of a sheltered GLBT guild... now, *that* is gay. I don't need a support system to be straight, maybe that is a sign of how lame you folks really are. Give it up, stop force feeding your lifestyle on the rest of us, and do whatever the hell you want to in your bedroom... but leave it there.
Very true, Katamari, Guitar Hero, Okami, Shadow of the Colossus, GoW, and a few others I can see... I'm just not sure how much a slight drop will do with the GC sitting right beside it for $99 with a bundled game.
Microsoft is moving into new territory with their $10 platinum favorites games... and I see that being more of a draw than anything. If Sony can do that as well with their player's choice line, they will sell millions. Even with the Revolution, 360, PS3, etc. on the shelf I could still see huge sales of a low priced PS2 with $10 top games.
Hardware-wise IBM is in a win-win, but they are only really prevalent in the dev tools with the PS3. IBM and a number of developers have already admitted the tools are lacking and are not utilizing the cell fully, and IBM is working hard at fixing that. The only problem is that the PS3 is only one small piece of the cell puzzle. The cell is going to be used in a number of devices going forward, and with arguably the most complex use being first in line does not bode well for having mature and full-fledged dev systems. There will be a massive lag where the technology is ahead of the tools most likely a year or even more after the PS3 drops... that ain't good.
I'm more interested in seeing how it all unfolds from the outside this time, I have zero plans of buying a PS3 and have no vested interest in it this time, so I can just be a passive observer and watch how it turns out. I actually don't have a lot of faith in the system as far as initial sales, and I think that will be one of the nails in the coffin.
Seriously, this is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. The market exists, companies capitalize on it. Now if a game maker would get their head out of their ass for a minute and create a MMO *NOT* based around gold and time grinds then there would be no need for any of this. Instead of relying on "gold" and 20+ year old concepts, GET CREATIVE, and implement a system without gold or other monetary forms and make the focus on the *game*... imagine that.
I personally hope gold farmers keep hosing up these poorly implemented and derivitive systems and dragging the game down with them. Force the developers hand and make them come up with a solution. FARM ON!
It is funny on a couple levels, but in reality it is BETA software and has never been made out to be any different. News outlets and the media in many places did make it out to be a final product and I can see where a lot of people could have been led to believe so... but in the end it is what it is.
I just like the fact that it gets stuck in Windows... I mean if you're going to have a bug at least make sure your users aren't stuck in the competitions OS!
Yes, Sony's dev systems employ many licensed bits that would be a nightmare to even think of opening. That is one of the biggest problems with Sony, the propriety of everything they do and the total reliance on outside tools. Just as they are so dependent on IBM right now to get a solid compiler and dev tools for the cell.
BTW: My site is back up and running: www.revolutioninsider.info
That is pretty much where Nintendo is heading with the Revolution, and with the much lower cost to develop for the GC (revo) it makes much more sense.
Sony will never be able to "open" up the dev tools for the PS2 due to the licensing issues. Nintendo is the only one in a position to make all or part of theirs open... or even the SNES toolkit. Mode 7 and other features offer a lot of room to work still.
With a total of 17 comments I can see the sheer exitement and fervor this will stir up! Honestly if I were buying a current gen system at this point, I and most others would buy a Gamecube. It is $59 used at most places or $99 with a $60 game like Mario Party 7 included new.
Sure the PS2 has some solid titles, but nothing that would make you jump on one if you didn't already own one by now and need a replacement. At least Zelda TP for GC is coming up soon. The only title would be Okami for PS2 that could possibly move some units after the drop in price.
Four. I don't even personally know anyone who has been in the game for 10. 2-3 is the norm, and I eeked out one last year.
It is a fast-paced, high-stress, thankless, low-paying, non-creative field. It didn;t used to be this way, bottom lines and the almighty dollar used to still play a big part in things but now it is just insanity.
I have personally witnessed more innovative and fun titles get axed to move the talented folks on the team to work on some budget title or licensed product to meet a deadline than anything else. It is disheartening for everyone involved, and crushing to many. Who wants to work like that? Not creative talented individuals, but code pushers who just work in the confines of some pre-built engine and collect a meager check.
I really want to see the Revolution make good on their claims of open/indie development for the system. Online distribution and a free/low cost accessible dev system would produce so many great and unique games. Xbox 360 is still too expensive and has too many barriers to really take off in this area and will just be a haven for ports and such, the Revolution has a rela chance to break into new territory and if they do I think a real revolution will begin.
The industry needs to collapse and come down off of this Hollywood emulation they so desperately cling to, it has become derivitive, immature, inaccessible, expensive... and for what?
Yes, and believe me I'm not so shortsighted to believe that just by ousting the Democratic regime that Pittsburgh would magically turn around. It wouldn't.
Massive changes need to happen, and I honestly thought that they were finally "getting it" when they began building the new PNC building in an otherwise run-down area of downtown, or with projects like the Southside or the Waterfront... but they have not. For a city with nothing but mile upon mile of waterways and riverfront and hundreds of bridges you have the best blank canvas to create a masterpiece from.
Instead of slot machines, get riverboat gambling. Incorporate the water and bridges into the actual fiber of the city, miles of riverfront shopping, Venice-like water traffic, and most importantly TECHNOLOGY. Pittsburgh has some of the lowest cost of living in the country, so wages can be lower. Instead of outsourcing overseas, outsource to Pittsburgh. People can live happily on $20-30k a year and it is a perfect compromise. If ever a city was ready to be "used" for cheap and plentiful labor this is it.
Now, if only it would happen... or just begin to happen.
Sure, this was covered a while back in the news as there were a number of media outlets in attendance. Basically it was a most certainly "beta" setup. It was a modified Gamecube and a large three sensor contraption strapped to the TV. In speaking with the reps there they had mentioned that the sensor issue had been the big one that they were working hard on to finalize. They made it quite clear that what they had on display was in no way indicative of the final product and that they wanted something small, unobtrusie, and sleek to match the system and not look out of place or even noticeable.
As for actual control it was mouselook with the controller and trigger, and movement with nunchaku controller. The time us small folks got with it was brief, but my impressions were that it was much smaller and lighter than I had thought. The actual amount of movement needed was minimal, totally the opposite of all the fanboys who keep saying that you will need herculean wrist strength and be at a constant risk of carpal tunnel. I could see sitting with your arm rested on your leg or a arm of a chair/couch and being able to navigate easily with small movements. Unless the game was set up to require larger motions, and then they would most likely be whole arm movements. The controller weighed less and was smaller than my DISH Netowrk DVR remote control.
I truly thought it would be a huge break-in period to get used to it... totally wrong. it is like slipping into a favorite pair of jeans. A minute or two and you are more immersed in the game than any control scheme ever. The movement was so fluid and natural that it was like playing an older style "VR" arcade game but not being strapped in with a headset, the funny thing is that I was more immersed *without* having the headset and being able to see my surroundings. Your focus is better centered on the action and you feel as if you are in the game.
I've tried countless times to describe it and I fail every time. Having written for 4 years, that is an odd position for me. It's hard to convey something totally unique and different to someone who has not used/seen it. It is like explaining sight to the blind... there is so much that it is hard to begin. I could probably write page after page on just small nuances, I think a few of the online "reviews" gave a good feel for the overall experience... google around you should find a fair bit.
I had the "wonderful" opportunity to work in the gaming industry for a number of years, and if this was the only case of stuff like this it would piss me off. The best part is that this is the norm and just about all facets of game creation are governed by some similar bullshit, and then the marketing kicks in and it gets even worse.
I totally lost my faith in the market and the big developers. Which is exactly why I am actually excited for once about a console in the Revolution. Not to say it isn't going to be affected just like the rest, but I will say that Nintendo is much less affected and more "real." Add to this the small/indie developer support and online distribution and Wal-Mart can piss off for all I care.
I think too many business are letting Wal-Mart dictate how they operate and I have to ask myself why?!? They bust their ass and bend over backwards just to sell a product at damn near a loss *just* so Wal-Mart will carry it. If enough companies stood up to this and said NO, Wal-Mart would only be receiving the lowest quality and no name products like a big dollar store and would have to change *their* ways. It is a two way street, and Wal-Mart has much more to lose than the suppliers... now if only more places would wake up to this fact and start resisting we could get somewhere.
Getting some is easier today than ever. No real effort needs to be made, no special grooming... nothing. If girls had been as easy as they are today, I never would have played videogames.
I'm 100% serious too, not just trying to be being funny on/.
Heh, I laughed at a number of those. And honestly that is part of what makes Pittsburgh unique. Stay invent PA, while not affecting me, is really a shame and many close friends are really hurting as a result.
Rendell is the one of the reasons the right-side of the state is "prosperous" all of our funding and money is next-dayed there while we get what fluttered down from the overstuffed suitcases. This city has had a love affair with some of the worst democratic politicians in history and even after years of being run into the ground no one here quite "gets it." They'd pull the Democrat lever even if it was blank in Pittsburgh, there are a number of very frustrating factors in living here... and honestly I may turn tail as soon as I am able to, but for now I'm stuck struggling even with two college graduates (my fiance is a teacher) top honors, and a healthy dose of skill.
To give you a laugh: I make about $36k as a netowrk admin for a decent sized bank where my job duties include: Web design, Cisco, 6am-11pm on call, Networking, firewalls, security, programming, help desk, break/fix, database design, backup, application support, phones, and much much more daily. Basically I am the IT dept. All for $36k/yr. and the sad thing it was the best of my choices a year ago when I graduated.
Absolutely, but I can understand and appreciate where Nintendo is coming from by demoing Metroid Prime and breaking with Red Steel. The Nintendo fans and people that "get it" will be onboard the first time they see it unveiled at E3 and in love the first time they use the new control method. The middle of the road crowd will most likely only see the Revolution as their only option due to pricing, genres, simplicity, family-friendliness, retro gaming, etc.
The only real crowd that Nintendo needs to win over in a magazine like Game Informer are the so-called "hardcore" gamers. You are going to win them with shiny graphics, hardware info, conventional games (FPS, RPG, etc.) so Red Steel is the angle they have to take. If they had led off with a Luigi's Mansion sequel, no matter how amazingly cool it would be, the gamer crowd would be furiously typing "see its just kiddie crap!!!11eleventy!!WTFBBQSAUCE!@" on their favorite forum of choice in nanoseconds.
I would have liked to see Nintendo give a big red middle finger to the so-called "hardcore" gamers and jump headlong into new markets. I have worked in gaming and have seen the marketing side first-hand and while I know it well I think it needs to go away. The "hardcore" market is miniscule in comparison to other markets, yet companies keep pandering to them in this narrowly focused range of titles. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is why I'm behind the Revo 100% more than anything... but whooping ass with a lightsaber wouldn't hurt either;)
Slashdot Mirror
Here is a link since the Lameness Filter of Slashdots mangled my data: http://www.m-create.com/eng/e_ranking.html
n /browse_frm/thread/6f7abfb48dd124c2/?hl=en#
/.
and
http://groups.google.com/group/Nintendo_Revolutio
Exactly why posting data is impossible on
OK, since you have stuck with this I will humor you. I did take your first and second comments to be just trolling/flamebaiting and thus my responses. Now this is not bragging or ego, let me 'splain myself.
I have worked in the videogame industry for over 4 years. I have worked my way from freelance to reviewer to QA/playtester to analyst. I hold two degrees in technology disciplines and have worked directly with Sony and a number of retail outlets in marketing and sales of games and gaming hardware and accessories. I also write and research the gaming industry on a personal level, such as my interest in the Nintendo Revolution. I am not paid by Nintendo, have never had an affiliation with them, nor do I plan to. I am not a fanboy, I am genuinely interested in the system and the innovation and possible disruption to the status quo that is holding this industry down.
Now onto the numbers you want so badly (I'm not reformatting the text for slashdot so it will have to do as is).
Source: Media Create
Media Create Hardware Sales: 27 Mar - 2 Apr
platform this week last week 2006 total 02 - 06 LTD
1 DS Lite 149,371 119,986 532,037 532,037
Those are actual hard sales figures for hardware.
Let me show you Japanese sales figures now for games:
1 DS Motto Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training More Adult Brain Training Nintendo 80,972 1,815,818
All Nintendo DS and Sony PS2 titles for the most part and not only that but all 1 million plus sales just to date. Neither the PS2 or DS are "Next-Gen"
250,000 copies of brain trainer for the DS have sold on American soil since it was just released. This eclipses sales of almost everything except Oblivion when PC & 360 numbers are looked at.
I'm not going to pull all sales numbers and make pretty charts for you from the past two years, but I have them, and I can say with 100% certainty (as I stated before) that my statement is perfectly true and in fact sales have been STRONGER in some older systems than they had been BEFORe the next gen systems were announced! Media Create is an analysis firm that is widely used and produces realistic non-biased numbers. Search back in their data and you will find my comments are perfectly accurate.
I understand there are a lot of wanna-be analysts and complete bullshitters on slashdot, and that with the anonymity comes distrust. But what usually happens is after I spend my time to produce hard data for some other anonymous person that I will gain nothing from convinsing is that they just deflect it and stick to their own initial mindset and nothing has been accomplished. I hope that is not the case here, but if it is then no sweat off my back. Not only that but due to the Slashdot "Lameness Filter" I am unable to post the full data on here, I have tried many times. So ease up and realize I had my reasons for being a smartass.
Take care.
Fuck you, and your attempt at a lame ass semi-intelligent comeback. The exact reason why me spending time digging up said links and info for you is useless. So, I guess that means I'm nobody and totally wrong and you win! OK? Great. You showed me up and I obviously can't respond properly to your demands so I'm a fucktard.
G'night.
Puh-lease. "Wah, I can't be creative all the time or I can't feed my children, so I have to pump out crappy sequels and clones to keep driving my BMW." What a total load of bullshit.
Make one truly creative game, sell a million+ copies and sit back and cash the checks. Not only that, but take a gander at the greatest artists and creative minds of all time... most were poor and down and out for the majority of their lives. Sure, Einstein could have wasted time writing and selling 5th grade math books, or Van Gogh couls have sat in the square drawing cariactures, but they DIDN'T. They stayed true to their hearts, and their passion... something YOU obviously cannot do, or do not have the talent to do.
Do us all a favor and get out of the business. Rather than flood the shelves with derivitive crap to make a buck, go work a 9-5 and collect a steady paychek.
KWITCHERBITCHEN.
I can provide plenty, you can also use Google to "fact check" if you are so sure of yourself, and prove me wrong. I work in this industry, I am an analyst which makes me an authority on the issue... I cite myself. There, happy?
I have no desire nor the time to dig up link after link and monthly sales statistics for a Slashdot post, and even if I did waste the time and effort you would still not believe it because you do not want to.
G'day.
I cringe every time I see this phrase uttered in the media. It appears on Slashdot in every single story of this nature, and it is completely FALSE.
Game sales have been down for the whole of 2005 and 2004 was a declining year too. The decline is not tied in any way shape or form to the next gen systems. Take a look at the actuale sales numbers for 04 and 05, and 06 even. The solid titles have sold as they should and at the same rate as most other games of their type from years before. The problem is how few 1 million+ selling games have been made in recent time.
This statement that sales are down due to gamer anticipation has been proven false a number of times by a number of analysts. Let's stop clinging to this falsehood. Call a spade a spade, game sales are down because most everything made is derivative and shallow as well as so similar to the next game that demand is not there. The innovative titles are doing fine.
Nintendogs, Brain Trainer, Oblivion, Guitar Hero, etc. Marc Ecko's "Getting Up" is not... because it sucks ass... not because people are waiting to play Marc Ecko's "Getting Up, Again" in HD on Blu-Ray in their PS3.
But, I see one of two things happening. Fear of using the system due to repercussions, or abuse of the system and a very large number of frivolous complaints.
In my daily life I am part of a 2 person IT department, and my manager has no background in computers or technology at all... I'd love a system like this but I'd just be submitting it directly to her and that most likely would be where it would end... along with my employment.
Ineptitude is the norm at most U.S. business and at all levels.
People stop buying games containing advertisements. licensed titles and product placement will happen, and that is about as far as I can support in any way and only then in games where it makes sense. Not clubbing a lvl 22 snow ettin while seeing ads for Quizno's new steak sub.
Just like the vocal outrage and refusal to buy games with Starforce DRM caused publishers to stop using it, the same can be done here. Advertising and the commercialization to Hollywood levels of gaming is the worst possible option.
I strongly disagree. While it is *nice* to be around like-minded folks with similar lifestyles, I feel no discomfort when I am a minority. I can properly relate, interact, and conduct myself without relying on others or feeling distress. That is all that is asked of here.
In my personal experience most GLBT individuals have mitigating factors that are traumatic or damaging to some extent and I believe that this is the root cause of the need to have built-in support groups and structures.
To break it down further, if you played with me in WoW in no way shape or form would my sexuality or personal beliefs be overtly recognizable. The players I play with should hold to that same level of discretion. I could care less if the entire party I am questing with is GBLTP(urple) If I have a solid healer and a good mage and we can work as a team, that is all I ask.
The majority of the "this is gay" and F-U-NOOB comments are coming from 13 year old kids without supervision and who are just beginning to approach their own sexuality and maturity... this is as common as anything with kids in this age range. To act as if these are 30-year-old players running around saying STFU Noob, and "you are so gay!" is just insane and silly. They want to get a rise out of people, be rebellious, and sadly these days words are given that much power that this is an acceptable form of rebellion. Maybe if people weren't so worried about political correctness, offending others by speech, etc. and stopped placing so much emphasis on it, it would cease to *be* a big deal.
How about this, just play the fuckin game? I could care less if you're a top or bottom in RL, just swing your sword or cast some spells, talk about the raid/quest you're on and leave it there.
I think Blizzard should have stuck to its guns and not allowed any of this. I don't talk about banging chicks and hooking up while in online games so why exactly does it need to be different for you?
Needing to be part of a sheltered GLBT guild... now, *that* is gay. I don't need a support system to be straight, maybe that is a sign of how lame you folks really are. Give it up, stop force feeding your lifestyle on the rest of us, and do whatever the hell you want to in your bedroom... but leave it there.
Very true, Katamari, Guitar Hero, Okami, Shadow of the Colossus, GoW, and a few others I can see... I'm just not sure how much a slight drop will do with the GC sitting right beside it for $99 with a bundled game.
Microsoft is moving into new territory with their $10 platinum favorites games... and I see that being more of a draw than anything. If Sony can do that as well with their player's choice line, they will sell millions. Even with the Revolution, 360, PS3, etc. on the shelf I could still see huge sales of a low priced PS2 with $10 top games.
We'll see how it turns out.
Hardware-wise IBM is in a win-win, but they are only really prevalent in the dev tools with the PS3. IBM and a number of developers have already admitted the tools are lacking and are not utilizing the cell fully, and IBM is working hard at fixing that. The only problem is that the PS3 is only one small piece of the cell puzzle. The cell is going to be used in a number of devices going forward, and with arguably the most complex use being first in line does not bode well for having mature and full-fledged dev systems. There will be a massive lag where the technology is ahead of the tools most likely a year or even more after the PS3 drops... that ain't good.
I'm more interested in seeing how it all unfolds from the outside this time, I have zero plans of buying a PS3 and have no vested interest in it this time, so I can just be a passive observer and watch how it turns out. I actually don't have a lot of faith in the system as far as initial sales, and I think that will be one of the nails in the coffin.
Seriously, this is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. The market exists, companies capitalize on it. Now if a game maker would get their head out of their ass for a minute and create a MMO *NOT* based around gold and time grinds then there would be no need for any of this. Instead of relying on "gold" and 20+ year old concepts, GET CREATIVE, and implement a system without gold or other monetary forms and make the focus on the *game*... imagine that.
I personally hope gold farmers keep hosing up these poorly implemented and derivitive systems and dragging the game down with them. Force the developers hand and make them come up with a solution. FARM ON!
It is funny on a couple levels, but in reality it is BETA software and has never been made out to be any different. News outlets and the media in many places did make it out to be a final product and I can see where a lot of people could have been led to believe so... but in the end it is what it is.
I just like the fact that it gets stuck in Windows... I mean if you're going to have a bug at least make sure your users aren't stuck in the competitions OS!
Yes, Sony's dev systems employ many licensed bits that would be a nightmare to even think of opening. That is one of the biggest problems with Sony, the propriety of everything they do and the total reliance on outside tools. Just as they are so dependent on IBM right now to get a solid compiler and dev tools for the cell.
BTW: My site is back up and running: www.revolutioninsider.info
That is pretty much where Nintendo is heading with the Revolution, and with the much lower cost to develop for the GC (revo) it makes much more sense.
Sony will never be able to "open" up the dev tools for the PS2 due to the licensing issues. Nintendo is the only one in a position to make all or part of theirs open... or even the SNES toolkit. Mode 7 and other features offer a lot of room to work still.
With a total of 17 comments I can see the sheer exitement and fervor this will stir up! Honestly if I were buying a current gen system at this point, I and most others would buy a Gamecube. It is $59 used at most places or $99 with a $60 game like Mario Party 7 included new.
Sure the PS2 has some solid titles, but nothing that would make you jump on one if you didn't already own one by now and need a replacement. At least Zelda TP for GC is coming up soon. The only title would be Okami for PS2 that could possibly move some units after the drop in price.
Four. I don't even personally know anyone who has been in the game for 10. 2-3 is the norm, and I eeked out one last year.
It is a fast-paced, high-stress, thankless, low-paying, non-creative field. It didn;t used to be this way, bottom lines and the almighty dollar used to still play a big part in things but now it is just insanity.
I have personally witnessed more innovative and fun titles get axed to move the talented folks on the team to work on some budget title or licensed product to meet a deadline than anything else. It is disheartening for everyone involved, and crushing to many. Who wants to work like that? Not creative talented individuals, but code pushers who just work in the confines of some pre-built engine and collect a meager check.
I really want to see the Revolution make good on their claims of open/indie development for the system. Online distribution and a free/low cost accessible dev system would produce so many great and unique games. Xbox 360 is still too expensive and has too many barriers to really take off in this area and will just be a haven for ports and such, the Revolution has a rela chance to break into new territory and if they do I think a real revolution will begin.
The industry needs to collapse and come down off of this Hollywood emulation they so desperately cling to, it has become derivitive, immature, inaccessible, expensive... and for what?
Yes, and believe me I'm not so shortsighted to believe that just by ousting the Democratic regime that Pittsburgh would magically turn around. It wouldn't.
Massive changes need to happen, and I honestly thought that they were finally "getting it" when they began building the new PNC building in an otherwise run-down area of downtown, or with projects like the Southside or the Waterfront... but they have not. For a city with nothing but mile upon mile of waterways and riverfront and hundreds of bridges you have the best blank canvas to create a masterpiece from.
Instead of slot machines, get riverboat gambling. Incorporate the water and bridges into the actual fiber of the city, miles of riverfront shopping, Venice-like water traffic, and most importantly TECHNOLOGY. Pittsburgh has some of the lowest cost of living in the country, so wages can be lower. Instead of outsourcing overseas, outsource to Pittsburgh. People can live happily on $20-30k a year and it is a perfect compromise. If ever a city was ready to be "used" for cheap and plentiful labor this is it.
Now, if only it would happen... or just begin to happen.
Sure, this was covered a while back in the news as there were a number of media outlets in attendance. Basically it was a most certainly "beta" setup. It was a modified Gamecube and a large three sensor contraption strapped to the TV. In speaking with the reps there they had mentioned that the sensor issue had been the big one that they were working hard on to finalize. They made it quite clear that what they had on display was in no way indicative of the final product and that they wanted something small, unobtrusie, and sleek to match the system and not look out of place or even noticeable.
As for actual control it was mouselook with the controller and trigger, and movement with nunchaku controller. The time us small folks got with it was brief, but my impressions were that it was much smaller and lighter than I had thought. The actual amount of movement needed was minimal, totally the opposite of all the fanboys who keep saying that you will need herculean wrist strength and be at a constant risk of carpal tunnel. I could see sitting with your arm rested on your leg or a arm of a chair/couch and being able to navigate easily with small movements. Unless the game was set up to require larger motions, and then they would most likely be whole arm movements. The controller weighed less and was smaller than my DISH Netowrk DVR remote control.
I truly thought it would be a huge break-in period to get used to it... totally wrong. it is like slipping into a favorite pair of jeans. A minute or two and you are more immersed in the game than any control scheme ever. The movement was so fluid and natural that it was like playing an older style "VR" arcade game but not being strapped in with a headset, the funny thing is that I was more immersed *without* having the headset and being able to see my surroundings. Your focus is better centered on the action and you feel as if you are in the game.
I've tried countless times to describe it and I fail every time. Having written for 4 years, that is an odd position for me. It's hard to convey something totally unique and different to someone who has not used/seen it. It is like explaining sight to the blind... there is so much that it is hard to begin. I could probably write page after page on just small nuances, I think a few of the online "reviews" gave a good feel for the overall experience... google around you should find a fair bit.
"A joint University of California, SFO/University of Pittsburgh study has been released which finds"
:)
Wait, wait, you lost me at "joint." What?!? you don't actually have a joint, well fuck you then I'll kill you!
Poor choice of wording? Subliminal message? You decide
I had the "wonderful" opportunity to work in the gaming industry for a number of years, and if this was the only case of stuff like this it would piss me off. The best part is that this is the norm and just about all facets of game creation are governed by some similar bullshit, and then the marketing kicks in and it gets even worse.
I totally lost my faith in the market and the big developers. Which is exactly why I am actually excited for once about a console in the Revolution. Not to say it isn't going to be affected just like the rest, but I will say that Nintendo is much less affected and more "real." Add to this the small/indie developer support and online distribution and Wal-Mart can piss off for all I care.
I think too many business are letting Wal-Mart dictate how they operate and I have to ask myself why?!? They bust their ass and bend over backwards just to sell a product at damn near a loss *just* so Wal-Mart will carry it. If enough companies stood up to this and said NO, Wal-Mart would only be receiving the lowest quality and no name products like a big dollar store and would have to change *their* ways. It is a two way street, and Wal-Mart has much more to lose than the suppliers... now if only more places would wake up to this fact and start resisting we could get somewhere.
Getting some is easier today than ever. No real effort needs to be made, no special grooming... nothing. If girls had been as easy as they are today, I never would have played videogames.
/.
I'm 100% serious too, not just trying to be being funny on
Heh, I laughed at a number of those. And honestly that is part of what makes Pittsburgh unique. Stay invent PA, while not affecting me, is really a shame and many close friends are really hurting as a result.
Rendell is the one of the reasons the right-side of the state is "prosperous" all of our funding and money is next-dayed there while we get what fluttered down from the overstuffed suitcases. This city has had a love affair with some of the worst democratic politicians in history and even after years of being run into the ground no one here quite "gets it." They'd pull the Democrat lever even if it was blank in Pittsburgh, there are a number of very frustrating factors in living here... and honestly I may turn tail as soon as I am able to, but for now I'm stuck struggling even with two college graduates (my fiance is a teacher) top honors, and a healthy dose of skill.
To give you a laugh: I make about $36k as a netowrk admin for a decent sized bank where my job duties include: Web design, Cisco, 6am-11pm on call, Networking, firewalls, security, programming, help desk, break/fix, database design, backup, application support, phones, and much much more daily. Basically I am the IT dept. All for $36k/yr. and the sad thing it was the best of my choices a year ago when I graduated.
Absolutely, but I can understand and appreciate where Nintendo is coming from by demoing Metroid Prime and breaking with Red Steel. The Nintendo fans and people that "get it" will be onboard the first time they see it unveiled at E3 and in love the first time they use the new control method. The middle of the road crowd will most likely only see the Revolution as their only option due to pricing, genres, simplicity, family-friendliness, retro gaming, etc.
;)
The only real crowd that Nintendo needs to win over in a magazine like Game Informer are the so-called "hardcore" gamers. You are going to win them with shiny graphics, hardware info, conventional games (FPS, RPG, etc.) so Red Steel is the angle they have to take. If they had led off with a Luigi's Mansion sequel, no matter how amazingly cool it would be, the gamer crowd would be furiously typing "see its just kiddie crap!!!11eleventy!!WTFBBQSAUCE!@" on their favorite forum of choice in nanoseconds.
I would have liked to see Nintendo give a big red middle finger to the so-called "hardcore" gamers and jump headlong into new markets. I have worked in gaming and have seen the marketing side first-hand and while I know it well I think it needs to go away. The "hardcore" market is miniscule in comparison to other markets, yet companies keep pandering to them in this narrowly focused range of titles. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is why I'm behind the Revo 100% more than anything... but whooping ass with a lightsaber wouldn't hurt either