I agree with you 100%. I'd love to see the Stargate universe continue for many years using a rotating cast. It's working for original Law & Order; there aren't _any_ of the original actors left on that show.
They've even started it early on Atlantis, and I like the change a lot. Ronon is a much more interesting chaaracter than Ford was (although his current situation is very interesting to me).
If you're developing a game, and you've only got so much money to go around, story is the right thing to cut some corners on.
How many of us play Super Mario for the story? Or Sly Cooper? Or Ikaruga? I'd much rather see fun games with crappy or non-existant stories than great stories with a crappy game wrapped around it.
I've shelved quite a few games due to control problems or difficulty frustrations, but I've never put down a game that was fun to play because the story was sub-par.
By that logic, Richard Dean Anderson hasn't left either. I didn't say that the character died, I just said that they aren't an integral part of the show anymore.
*Spoiler* Since they guested on a recent ep, should we also say that the actors who portray Dr. Fraser and Martouf didn't leave? No, they're not regulars anymore. */Spoiler*
Even if you come back as a guest, you've left the show. They're still part of the Stargate universe and will probably continue to come back in small guest spots, but Don Davis was replaced (Beau Bridges is his third replacement (Dr. Weir, Gen. O'Neill, Gen. Landry)). I think it's safe to say he's not really a regular anymore.
Don Davis, the man that played General Hammond was also an original cast member, and he has left the show as well.
It's not a big deal though. Atlantis proved that a Stargate television program doesn't need a big name to make a profitable show, and I like the newer characters (Beau Bridges, Ben Browder, and Lexa Doig all do a good job). My only complaint is that Mitchell (Ben Browder) looks an awful lot like Dr. Jackson (Michael Shanks).
And anything that gets me more Lexa Doig on television is a good thing.
Since the article summary posed the question: Do leaks of upcoming products really hurt sales of those products?
You've got to compare similar things. A leaked image of what a new Magic card looks like will get people talking and strategizing and whatnot. A leaked version of a complete game gets people downloading and playing.
For one thing, you can't play a tournament with cards you printed yourself. You'll get laughed out of any serious match I can think of, too. Hell, my friends would laugh at me if I tried to play with Xeroxed cards. If I fire up a leaked version of a single-player game, nobody knows but me. Assuming the game is complete, I could play through the whole thing. Magic is a game that is played in person with tangible, physical things. That changes everything.
GameWorks, for one. The selection is a little better there, too. I like both though. D&B is better when you want to actually be able to talk to the group you're with while GameWorks is better when you and your group are just there to play some games.
I'm familiar with 2 games on your list: Area 51 and Red Faction. How can you claim that these two games borrow from Halo when both of them were released first? Hell, Area 51 predates Halo by SIX years!
First release dates:
Halo - 11/14/2001 ref
Red Faction - 5/21/2001 ref
Area 51 - 1995 ref
The question I have is if they will be replacing discs for those people without the HD. Because the HD is an option and not manditory, I don't think a patch should be the only fix they implement. And if people can't return the game, then they are stuck having to spend another hundred bucks on a HD. (Not like any real gamer would get a core system but... heh)
Those with a core system and/or those without broadband still have access to patches. Just take your memory unit to a kiosk, download what you need, and plug it into your 360. Also, wouldn't game patches be burnable to CD-R the same way that backward compatibility updates are? Those are patches that core owners and those without broadband have access to.
Sometimes a little reimagining can be a good thing. Ubisoft's new Prince of Persia games are great. The feeling isn't exactly the same, but I've got to admit that I've had more fun playing through Sands of Time and Warrior Within (and The Two Thrones once the price drops) than I ever did with the originals. They were great in their day, but resurrecting an IP isn't always a bad thing.
As a matter of fact, I'd like to see a new R.C. Pro Am. Man, Rare games were great even on the NES.
Which Popcap do you play games at. This Popcap's game demos last for 60 minutes. You can play the watered-down web versions forever, but the deluxe version demos have a time limit on them.
Mega Man Anniversary Collection is good for the reason you stated: it comes with all eight games, but it screws up the last two pretty well.
All the Mode 7 stuff from MM7 is missing, and two bosses are missing from MM8 because Capcom used the PlayStation version instead of the Saturn version.
That's the crux of my question though. I know that's what wiped out the Atari, but is the US gaming market still viewed as being a fragile flower will crumble if you look at it the wrong way?
These games were already released in Japan so Sony must have approved them once (unless they operate way differently in Japan, which I doubt).
If a game good enough for Japanese gamers and somebody is willing to port it and do a good job of it, why isn't that same game good enough for US gamers?
As long as people are putting out games, why does Sony care? Even if they're not all winners and huge sellers, a variety of games is great for a console.
So Sony doesn't make as much from Working Designs as they do from Take 2. Why does it matter? They made a hell of a lot more from Working Designs when they were still publishing games than they make from WD now.
Hell, every game released here can just pad the number of games available in a commercial. Buy a PS2! We've got a library of over X games! Less is not more when it comes to game selection. People have varied taste, and if it was approved for Japanese release, why is it an issue for somebody else to do the work and release it in the US?
Once again, I mean this in all seriousness. Microsoft is a business. They're out to make money.
If they can give you a nifty gamercard and track your progress in games (which I think is a cool idea), and let you compare how you're doing in Kong with how PA's Gage is doing in it, why shouldn't they also be able to use that data to figure out better metrics?
Sales numbers tell you how many moved, but now Microsoft has access to which games stayed popular. How many hours have you logged in Kameo or PGR3? In theory, sequels or more games of that genre would be produced. Not only were they purchased, but they were played continuously after purchase.
I'm not advocating wiretaps or anything, but what business wouldn't want information about what its customers do with its products?
I'm genuinely curious here. My post was serious. Why is it a problem that other users can see what you do on Live? Why is it a problem that Microsoft knows what you're doing with their service that you paid for (either month to month for Gold, or implicitly by buying a 360 for silver)?
The article called out games like "The Legend of Zelda." People looking for a good story and good gameplay aren't asking a whole lot out of the games industry.
Zelda sells because it's easy to learn. KotOR sells because it's got a good story, and it's not too hard to learn. The Sims succeeded because it's easy to learn, and you write the story. Morrowind and Fable succeeded because you wrote the story you wanted.
Yeah, boys and girls are different, but wanting a decent story and an intuitive interface aren't reserved to one gender. I don't care how pretty the game is and fun it _looks_, if I can't figure out how to control the thing, I'm going to set it down. Boys don't inherently like complicated things.
Anybody in games for the story (which some guys are, myself included) is going to prefer games with a good story. Hell, I was addicted to The Sims for a while, too. It was fun. But I'll sit down to a game of Civ III, as well. You can't help but have not only a story, but the history of an entire planet there.
The article isn't listing things that makes gaming better for females. It's listing things that make gaming better for people in general.
Who would've thought that if you make an accessible game with a good story that develops an active community that other people (women included) will want to play it!
I am truly astounded at GamaSutra's grasp of the obvious.
1up.com reports on a Sony release stating they've shipping 100 Million PS2 consoles
I know the occasional spelling error gets by, but proofread your submissions. You aren't even using a consistent tense in this sentence! "...they have shipping...." Your English teachers would be ashamed.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree with you 100%. I'd love to see the Stargate universe continue for many years using a rotating cast. It's working for original Law & Order; there aren't _any_ of the original actors left on that show.
They've even started it early on Atlantis, and I like the change a lot. Ronon is a much more interesting chaaracter than Ford was (although his current situation is very interesting to me).
If you're developing a game, and you've only got so much money to go around, story is the right thing to cut some corners on.
How many of us play Super Mario for the story? Or Sly Cooper? Or Ikaruga? I'd much rather see fun games with crappy or non-existant stories than great stories with a crappy game wrapped around it.
I've shelved quite a few games due to control problems or difficulty frustrations, but I've never put down a game that was fun to play because the story was sub-par.
By that logic, Richard Dean Anderson hasn't left either. I didn't say that the character died, I just said that they aren't an integral part of the show anymore.
*Spoiler*
Since they guested on a recent ep, should we also say that the actors who portray Dr. Fraser and Martouf didn't leave? No, they're not regulars anymore.
*/Spoiler*
Even if you come back as a guest, you've left the show. They're still part of the Stargate universe and will probably continue to come back in small guest spots, but Don Davis was replaced (Beau Bridges is his third replacement (Dr. Weir, Gen. O'Neill, Gen. Landry)). I think it's safe to say he's not really a regular anymore.
In a related story, flying turtle things the world over are calling for a ban on all Super Mario games.
Don Davis, the man that played General Hammond was also an original cast member, and he has left the show as well.
It's not a big deal though. Atlantis proved that a Stargate television program doesn't need a big name to make a profitable show, and I like the newer characters (Beau Bridges, Ben Browder, and Lexa Doig all do a good job). My only complaint is that Mitchell (Ben Browder) looks an awful lot like Dr. Jackson (Michael Shanks).
And anything that gets me more Lexa Doig on television is a good thing.
Heh. You've got me there (and if I had mod points, you'd get a +1 Funny).
But if you think Magic is dorky, check out Cthulhu 500. They've managed to combine Cthulhu, a card game, and racing into one little package!
Since the article summary posed the question: Do leaks of upcoming products really hurt sales of those products?
You've got to compare similar things. A leaked image of what a new Magic card looks like will get people talking and strategizing and whatnot. A leaked version of a complete game gets people downloading and playing.
For one thing, you can't play a tournament with cards you printed yourself. You'll get laughed out of any serious match I can think of, too. Hell, my friends would laugh at me if I tried to play with Xeroxed cards. If I fire up a leaked version of a single-player game, nobody knows but me. Assuming the game is complete, I could play through the whole thing. Magic is a game that is played in person with tangible, physical things. That changes everything.
GameWorks, for one. The selection is a little better there, too. I like both though. D&B is better when you want to actually be able to talk to the group you're with while GameWorks is better when you and your group are just there to play some games.
I'm familiar with 2 games on your list: Area 51 and Red Faction. How can you claim that these two games borrow from Halo when both of them were released first? Hell, Area 51 predates Halo by SIX years!
First release dates:
Halo - 11/14/2001 ref
Red Faction - 5/21/2001 ref
Area 51 - 1995 ref
Knight of Lodis is a GBA game. The n64 one is Person of Lordly Caliber. Both very good games, if you can find them that is.
The question I have is if they will be replacing discs for those people without the HD. Because the HD is an option and not manditory, I don't think a patch should be the only fix they implement. And if people can't return the game, then they are stuck having to spend another hundred bucks on a HD. (Not like any real gamer would get a core system but... heh)
Those with a core system and/or those without broadband still have access to patches. Just take your memory unit to a kiosk, download what you need, and plug it into your 360. Also, wouldn't game patches be burnable to CD-R the same way that backward compatibility updates are? Those are patches that core owners and those without broadband have access to.
Sometimes a little reimagining can be a good thing. Ubisoft's new Prince of Persia games are great. The feeling isn't exactly the same, but I've got to admit that I've had more fun playing through Sands of Time and Warrior Within (and The Two Thrones once the price drops) than I ever did with the originals. They were great in their day, but resurrecting an IP isn't always a bad thing.
As a matter of fact, I'd like to see a new R.C. Pro Am. Man, Rare games were great even on the NES.
Brackets in a quote mean that the words have been changed from what the author wrote but the meaning is the same.
Which Popcap do you play games at. This Popcap's game demos last for 60 minutes. You can play the watered-down web versions forever, but the deluxe version demos have a time limit on them.
Mega Man Anniversary Collection is good for the reason you stated: it comes with all eight games, but it screws up the last two pretty well.
All the Mode 7 stuff from MM7 is missing, and two bosses are missing from MM8 because Capcom used the PlayStation version instead of the Saturn version.
The author, Matt Green, assuredly has the GameCube version. He doesn't own either a PS2 or an XBOX.
That's the crux of my question though. I know that's what wiped out the Atari, but is the US gaming market still viewed as being a fragile flower will crumble if you look at it the wrong way?
These games were already released in Japan so Sony must have approved them once (unless they operate way differently in Japan, which I doubt).
If a game good enough for Japanese gamers and somebody is willing to port it and do a good job of it, why isn't that same game good enough for US gamers?
As long as people are putting out games, why does Sony care? Even if they're not all winners and huge sellers, a variety of games is great for a console.
So Sony doesn't make as much from Working Designs as they do from Take 2. Why does it matter? They made a hell of a lot more from Working Designs when they were still publishing games than they make from WD now.
Hell, every game released here can just pad the number of games available in a commercial. Buy a PS2! We've got a library of over X games! Less is not more when it comes to game selection. People have varied taste, and if it was approved for Japanese release, why is it an issue for somebody else to do the work and release it in the US?
Once again, I mean this in all seriousness. Microsoft is a business. They're out to make money.
If they can give you a nifty gamercard and track your progress in games (which I think is a cool idea), and let you compare how you're doing in Kong with how PA's Gage is doing in it, why shouldn't they also be able to use that data to figure out better metrics?
Sales numbers tell you how many moved, but now Microsoft has access to which games stayed popular. How many hours have you logged in Kameo or PGR3? In theory, sequels or more games of that genre would be produced. Not only were they purchased, but they were played continuously after purchase.
I'm not advocating wiretaps or anything, but what business wouldn't want information about what its customers do with its products?
I'm genuinely curious here. My post was serious. Why is it a problem that other users can see what you do on Live? Why is it a problem that Microsoft knows what you're doing with their service that you paid for (either month to month for Gold, or implicitly by buying a 360 for silver)?
XBOX 360s are produced by Microsoft. Live is a service provided by Microsoft.
Why do we seem to think it's wrong for them to monitor how their subscribers use their service?
And when it comes down to it, do you really care that any random Live user knows that you're looking at pictures instead of playing Kong?
The article called out games like "The Legend of Zelda." People looking for a good story and good gameplay aren't asking a whole lot out of the games industry.
Zelda sells because it's easy to learn. KotOR sells because it's got a good story, and it's not too hard to learn. The Sims succeeded because it's easy to learn, and you write the story. Morrowind and Fable succeeded because you wrote the story you wanted.
Yeah, boys and girls are different, but wanting a decent story and an intuitive interface aren't reserved to one gender. I don't care how pretty the game is and fun it _looks_, if I can't figure out how to control the thing, I'm going to set it down. Boys don't inherently like complicated things.
Anybody in games for the story (which some guys are, myself included) is going to prefer games with a good story. Hell, I was addicted to The Sims for a while, too. It was fun. But I'll sit down to a game of Civ III, as well. You can't help but have not only a story, but the history of an entire planet there.
The article isn't listing things that makes gaming better for females. It's listing things that make gaming better for people in general.
Who would've thought that if you make an accessible game with a good story that develops an active community that other people (women included) will want to play it!
I am truly astounded at GamaSutra's grasp of the obvious.
1up.com reports on a Sony release stating they've shipping 100 Million PS2 consoles
I know the occasional spelling error gets by, but proofread your submissions. You aren't even using a consistent tense in this sentence! "...they have shipping...." Your English teachers would be ashamed.
Nope. It seems to me.