I am just waiting so I don't buy the equivilent of a VCR/Laser Disc player/walkman. I wish one of them would win already!
Though I understand the thinking, when the Toshiba HD DVD players hit the $100 mark they were very competitive than the regular upscaling DVD players, so effectively you get the HD DVD playing functionality for free or damn cheap at that point. If you do Netflix they carry a wide variety of HD DVD including new releases, so you never have to worry about getting "stuck with" a dead format, and you still have an upconverting DVD player. The only HD DVD's you would get "stuck with" would be the 5 free HD DVD's that come with it.
The only game that's worse is Pac Man. I have played that game, in total, for hundreds of hours, but I never managed to reach the end. I've talked to others, and no one has reached the end of Pac Man. What's the point in making a game so difficult that no one can beat it?
You did reach the end. You died. Many games simply get progressively harder until you simply can't continue and die. In that regard, it's a lot like life.
I think the basic value would be "how much work will it take to get back to where I was, and how motivated am I to do it?" I sold my PS2 and Guitar Hero II & I got GH2 for the 360. I put a lot of time into the PS2 version, but the value of the save file was still pretty low as I had no issue with playing the songs/ modes again. I didn't think twice about it.
However, I put countless hours into F-Zero GX (which you can't back up the save file), and I would be very distraught if it got corrupted because the game is So blissfully, delightfully, mind numbingly fucking hard at times (most of the time) that having to do it all again just to get back to where I was would be crushing. There are other games that have a definitive "Value cycle" as the game save in the beginning isn't very valuable, gets more valuable in the middle, becomes Extremely valuable as you approach the end, then goes back to little/ no value after you beat the game.
Even then the value changes based on the game length. If I lost my "almost at the end" save file in Zelda I would be much more upset about it than if I lost my save file for say... Max Payne.
I am one of those low-price (sub-$200) HD DVD player buyers. I'm putting my money on HD DVD being cheaper, and also throwing my hat in with the less-restrictive DRM.
Also have you noticed the BluRay discs are more expensive too? Unless you're forced to get an HD DVD "combo disc" both the players and movies are less expensive. Throw in the fact that HD DVD is Region free and output 1080p... Why (besides exclusive studios) would you pay the premium? What's the real benefit to the consumer?
I've often wondered...I understand that folks such as yourself get paid to bash the competition, but does your employer (Sony, I'm assuming) really believe that by bashing potential customers that they will win over more buisness?
I don't understand the mentality either, but it is big in political campaigns as well. Personally I've never been a fan of voting for someone who's platform is based on "I'm better than so and so, because they do ___". It tells me they have nothing to offer but criticism. This however must work on some level otherwise people wouldn't still do it, right?
In my experience, the parents who would be responsible enough to use such a feature don't need it anyways. The problem is the parents who want their kids lifeless in front of the Xbox (or the TV) so they'll be "out of their hair".
Some parents may use this to prevent their kids from playing into the Wee hours of the night, and negatively affecting their schooling. Hell, I'm 30 single and have no kids but STILL might use the feature so I don't "accidentally" play Oblivion until 5 am anymore.
Keep in mind that the PS2 is still way outselling the PS3.
Right, but Strategically for Sony it would be better if they had a system seller available when the system launched or early in its life, to promote adoption of the console. The PS3 has some good games now, but none that are system sellers in the way that MGS4, or God of War would be.
Actualy, the ps3 wasn't in response to the 360. Sony got screwed by hardware shortages that forced a launch delay.
Right, that's why they had all this great software just waiting for the hardware to hit market. Oh wait...
On the other hand, the 360 was a direct response to the success of the ps2 over the Xbox. Thats why MS cut the release cycle so short, they hoped to beat the ps3 to market, fearful that it woudl be another ps2.
Yup and it worked out for MS. Is there any reason to believe that Sony wasn't planning on the PS2 having a longer life? Their previous year reaks of being forced to market earlier than they wanted. If MS launched in 2006/ 2007 like they "were supposed to" based on traditional cycles, Sony would have been competitive with a Christmas 2007 launch and would have had enough of the pieces ready. Unfortunately, if they announced a 2007 launch with MS launching in 2005 they would have lost even more traction. They arrived over-priced and ill prepared, but at least they arrived with something...
Nintendo has had the habit of short console-lives if you start with the NES (Yes, consoles do predate it, but this is a simplified view.) It was released in 1983, overtaken by the Super Nintendo in 1990 (Lasting 7 years). Next was the N64 in 1996 (making the Super Nintendo last 6 years), next was the Gamecube in 2001 (N64 life span: 5 years). And finally the Wii in 2006 (Gcube life: 5 years).
However if you look at Sony, the original playstation was released in 1994, not overtaken by the PS2 untill 2000 (6 year life). And then by the PS3 in 2007 (7 year life).
First off I need to correct something. The Playstation was released in 1994. The PS2 was released in 2000. The PS3 was released in 2006. So Sony's sticking to a 6 year console cycle.
I don't get what you are referring to by "overtaking". If, by "overtaking" you mean selling more units (either hardware or software) the PS3 still hasn't overtaken the PS2 in new purchases, either way you cut it.
If you want to Talk "Short Life Cycles" Sega would be the shortest. The Master System was released in 1986, then (only 2 years later) the Genesis was released in 1988. The Genesis enjoyed a LOOooooooong Cycle (by comparison) of 6 years when they launched the Saturn in 1994, and then the Dreamcast in 1998.
I believe part of its popularity was the fact that it became so cheap, with no changes, that anybody could have one, and play games together.
Isn't that the basic console vs. PC argument in a nutshell?
Although technically, Metroid Prime wasn't an FPS, although I'm not sure why not, it's first person perspective, and I'm shooting, apparently it's some action adventure that happens to be from the first person point of view, I enjoyed it a lot. My major problem with it, (and the reason I never beat it) was the save system. There was one point that was really far between save points, and I could never make it to the next one. Playing for 1/2 an hour, only to be killed and having to replay that section over again is extremely frustrating. Especially the 15th time you do it.
Yeah, that's why I never beat Metroid Prime. The above scenario is even less attractive after you beat a boss, then search for 10 minutes for a save spot, only to die, and have to beat the boss again. However Metroid Prime 3 fixed that with a checkpoint system that saved progress after every major event. In addition to that it has the best FPS controls to date. (it beats all console shooters and PC shooters controls, mostly because WASD blows.)
They're simply not my cup of tea, but to slam some really good single player games (Bioshock comes to mind) about not having good (or any) multiplayer content is a waste of my time. Perhaps splitting up the rating into different categories would solve this. My 2 cents, YMMV.
Not having multiplayer isn't a big deal. In fact some games (like Stranglehold) it would be better to not include it (If it sucks, as a rule it should be left out). I agree that Bioshock shouldn't have been slammed for lack of multiplayer, but IT SHOULD have been slammed on a number of things, like being piss easy (on the hardest setting) for one.
If you'd rather use dual analog sticks than the remote for Prime 3, you're insane. Turn the sensitivity up to expert and try to tell me that's not the closet anyone has ever come to a mouse and keyboard on a console FPS.
Agreed. With one exception, Metroid Prime 3 IMHO, is much better than Keyboard and Mouse gameplay. The Wiimote on Advanced still isn't "quite" as sensitive as a mouse (close though), but the analog stick kicks the shit out of WASD (Which I always feel like I'm driving my character around like a golf cart). Add in the viseral immersion of the motion controls for the Grapple gun, and you end up with superior control.
That said, so far we haven't found any really drop-dead awesome games other than Wii sports. We rented Rockstar Games' table-tennis game, thinking it would be like a continued/advanced version of Wii Tennis, but it was much more of a skill/twitch game than something you could pick up and have fun with immediately. And frankly, spending an hour learning how to hit a ball in a table-tennis videogame does not strike me as a productive use of my time.
Did you try Tiger Woods 08 ? It's far more indepth, and option crazy than WiiSports golf, but extremely accessable and fun to play. I actually straitened out my swing in real golf (not completely, but noticably improved).
ExciteTruck is very "Arcadey" in that it's easy to pickup and play and good fun. You can also change your music by addding MP3's on the SD card (The game magically improved when I added "The Offspring" to it.)
Also Harry Potter despite being Single player only is worth a Rent. Using motion controls to cast spells is really fun (leviosa by itself got me to buy the game).
The wii attracted a lot of casual gamers and converted a lot of non gamers into casual gamers. NPD did studies and found casual gamers aren't willing to spend as much of their budget as hardcore gamers.
Yup, that's part of what makes them "casual".
In fact hardcore gamers spend so much that the total estimate dollar amount the non hardcore were willing to spend was dwarfed by what the hardcore was willing to spend. so if a hardcore is willing to spend 15x more then a casual gamer and there is less then 15 times as many casual gamers then the hardcore have more total buying power.
That would be true, however everything I have read leads me to believe otherwise (IE, casual gamers buy fewer games, but there are simply a hell of a lot more of them which makes them a more profitable segment). Do you have a link?
Metroid may be better but I haven't had time ot pick it up.
If you haven't you should. The controls are Awesome, and the Art direction is stellar. The entire game comes together beautifully, and is easilly one of the best games for Wii. So far it's my Game of the Year (Likely to be dethroned by Mario Galaxy, or Rock Band for the 360).
You're a damned fool. Wii's audience is casual gamers. Does a $200 game sound casual to you? I love the Wii too, but you're just being ridiculous.
Casual games are defined by the type of game rather than the price. The type of people that the Wii attracts, fits right in with are largely the same demographic that would buy a Guitar Hero, DDR, or Karaoke game.
Wii fans completely disregards graphics. That's nonsense. Why can't they see that graphics DO make a game better as well as gameplay?
I believe the argument goes "If I had to pick one, the interface is more important than the aesthetic." Which I agree. Then again I came from the camp that played the Atari 2600 when it was "current gen", so needless to say, graphic fidelity was a secondary concern.
I played the latest Metroid Prime on the Wii. I dug the control interface using the Wiimote but I can only imagine how great the game *could* be on HD.
Yes, graphically it's a stunner, but more Pixels != better graphics. I would argue that Metroid Prime 3 looks a hell of a lot better than Halo 3 despite only being "teh 480p". The Art direction is better. They do more with less, and very much like Gears of War, or Bioshock they focus (mostly) on smaller environments so they can can be stunning. The claustrophobic nature of the Metroid series lends to that, the Halo series (with big sweeping landscapes, lots of characters, long draw distances etc...) does not.
If you use native resolution as the only criteria to measure graphics (hence 480p graphics are inherently worse than 720p) Then I suppose Uno on XBLA trumps all Wii games past, present and future in the graphics category as it outputs in 720p.
Wii = "last-gen.5" because they would be truly next gen with HD graphics.
The Wii is now "Current Gen", just like the X-box 360 and PS3. I think it's a little early to speculate about "next gen" machines.
i don't remember anything frustrating in either god of war, that has to be one of the most thought out games ever, and i will be saddened if the 3rd is PS3 only....
Sorry, but that's a given. If Sony had any sense God of War 2 should have been a PS3 exclusive , as they desperately need(ed) AAA games to move the system, and that is a game that would.
I keep my 360 in a cabinet under the TV to dull the noise of its massive fans. And since it raises the temperature in there high enough to bake a small cake, I can't imagine having it sitting out so I can actually use the IR remote. Anybody actually have a good experience keeping these things in the living room? Much less trying to watch a movie/show with dialog?
Has anyone had a good experience? Well, count me for one. I bought a 360 last Christmas, and keep it on a glass shelf entertainment center with nothing to muffle the sound, and I can barely hear it. Perhaps I got lucky and got one from a good batch, but even with the 360's DVD drive running full bore, it's still quieter than the PS3 while folding (The system fan is noticeably loud), though to be fair neither of them can be heard while watching TV, or playing a game at a reasonable volume.
So despite disagreeing with me...you agree with me in the end when you say that it isn't guaranteed that they will be #1. That is the only point I was trying to make. Being a leader in one gen doesn't mean you get a free pass the next gen.
I agree that it isn't a guarantee, but historically there is the same market leader for 2 generations, then in the third generation they (market leader) will do something stupid, and a new contender will do something smart and dethrone them. The writing is already on the wall this gen, the Wii will retain market leader position. I'm betting (based on historical trends) that they will take this gen & next gen with their Backwords compatible HD (even if only 720p) system and enhanced function wiimote.
Then they hit the retard button and a purging fire will clear the forest for renewal.
Currect. It's now "Current Gen" along with the 360 and PS3.
Given a choice between a Wii version of a game and a 360 version the consumer will pick the better looking one. Nintendo knows this and is encouraging wii exclusive games with motion control. Unfortunately they are getting a lot of ports. Which brings us to b2.
b2) wii has no franchise market. By nature the wii specific games are mostly new IP. All the big franchises are multi-platform and consumers will go with the real next-gen version.
Not true. Consumers will gravitate to "the best version"; to some that is "teh Pretty", to some that's "Need control". I owned a Wii since launch (November 19th). On November 20th I put my former tennis and golf games on ebay as I wasn't going back to "teh buttons", when superior control is available.
I own all 3 "current gen systems", and already the Wii has stripped away the Sports genre entirely from the competition. Tiger Woods on the Wii is superior to the other versions . I'm playing it on a 96" screen (from an HD projector) and despite the graphics being "PS2-Tastic", the game is far more immersive and enjoyable than the others. Hell I took a few strokes off my regular golf game because it helped me straiten out my swing!
When done correctly, the motion controls add a new element that makes it better despite better looking versions elsewhere.
A few more examples... Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix - The Wii-mote is Harry's wand and you cast spells using motion controls.
The Godfather - Physically throttle, or stab someone with the motion controls. They work well and can be crazy fun.
Madden - Far closer to a simulation than any other Madden to date. You simulate a game a game of "double touch" football in your living room.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually it can. The issue is (using the VC-1 Codec) it can only contain ~83 minutes of it, which discounts most "non-animated made for TV movies".
Though I understand the thinking, when the Toshiba HD DVD players hit the $100 mark they were very competitive than the regular upscaling DVD players, so effectively you get the HD DVD playing functionality for free or damn cheap at that point. If you do Netflix they carry a wide variety of HD DVD including new releases, so you never have to worry about getting "stuck with" a dead format, and you still have an upconverting DVD player. The only HD DVD's you would get "stuck with" would be the 5 free HD DVD's that come with it.
So at $100... why not?
You did reach the end. You died. Many games simply get progressively harder until you simply can't continue and die. In that regard, it's a lot like life.
However, I put countless hours into F-Zero GX (which you can't back up the save file), and I would be very distraught if it got corrupted because the game is So blissfully, delightfully, mind numbingly fucking hard at times (most of the time) that having to do it all again just to get back to where I was would be crushing. There are other games that have a definitive "Value cycle" as the game save in the beginning isn't very valuable, gets more valuable in the middle, becomes Extremely valuable as you approach the end, then goes back to little/ no value after you beat the game.
Even then the value changes based on the game length. If I lost my "almost at the end" save file in Zelda I would be much more upset about it than if I lost my save file for say... Max Payne.
Also have you noticed the BluRay discs are more expensive too? Unless you're forced to get an HD DVD "combo disc" both the players and movies are less expensive. Throw in the fact that HD DVD is Region free and output 1080p... Why (besides exclusive studios) would you pay the premium? What's the real benefit to the consumer?
Did they add an "auto off setting" for an inactive controller, or do I still have to manually turn off the controller every time?
I don't understand the mentality either, but it is big in political campaigns as well. Personally I've never been a fan of voting for someone who's platform is based on "I'm better than so and so, because they do ___". It tells me they have nothing to offer but criticism. This however must work on some level otherwise people wouldn't still do it, right?
Some parents may use this to prevent their kids from playing into the Wee hours of the night, and negatively affecting their schooling. Hell, I'm 30 single and have no kids but STILL might use the feature so I don't "accidentally" play Oblivion until 5 am anymore.
Right, but Strategically for Sony it would be better if they had a system seller available when the system launched or early in its life, to promote adoption of the console. The PS3 has some good games now, but none that are system sellers in the way that MGS4, or God of War would be.
Right, that's why they had all this great software just waiting for the hardware to hit market. Oh wait...
Yup and it worked out for MS. Is there any reason to believe that Sony wasn't planning on the PS2 having a longer life? Their previous year reaks of being forced to market earlier than they wanted. If MS launched in 2006/ 2007 like they "were supposed to" based on traditional cycles, Sony would have been competitive with a Christmas 2007 launch and would have had enough of the pieces ready. Unfortunately, if they announced a 2007 launch with MS launching in 2005 they would have lost even more traction. They arrived over-priced and ill prepared, but at least they arrived with something...
First off I need to correct something. The Playstation was released in 1994. The PS2 was released in 2000. The PS3 was released in 2006. So Sony's sticking to a 6 year console cycle.
I don't get what you are referring to by "overtaking". If, by "overtaking" you mean selling more units (either hardware or software) the PS3 still hasn't overtaken the PS2 in new purchases, either way you cut it.
If you want to Talk "Short Life Cycles" Sega would be the shortest. The Master System was released in 1986, then (only 2 years later) the Genesis was released in 1988. The Genesis enjoyed a LOOooooooong Cycle (by comparison) of 6 years when they launched the Saturn in 1994, and then the Dreamcast in 1998.
Isn't that the basic console vs. PC argument in a nutshell?
Isn't that what Bioshock was? Oh right they also turned the difficulty setting from "Challenging" to "Off".
Yeah, that's why I never beat Metroid Prime. The above scenario is even less attractive after you beat a boss, then search for 10 minutes for a save spot, only to die, and have to beat the boss again. However Metroid Prime 3 fixed that with a checkpoint system that saved progress after every major event. In addition to that it has the best FPS controls to date. (it beats all console shooters and PC shooters controls, mostly because WASD blows.)
Yes, actually I would. That would be a game for "Adults". What constitutes a "Mature" or "Adult" game currently means there is violence, and tits.
Apparently, the AO rating exists to prevent Adults (those 18 and over) from playing it as well.
Not having multiplayer isn't a big deal. In fact some games (like Stranglehold) it would be better to not include it (If it sucks, as a rule it should be left out). I agree that Bioshock shouldn't have been slammed for lack of multiplayer, but IT SHOULD have been slammed on a number of things, like being piss easy (on the hardest setting) for one.
Agreed. With one exception, Metroid Prime 3 IMHO, is much better than Keyboard and Mouse gameplay. The Wiimote on Advanced still isn't "quite" as sensitive as a mouse (close though), but the analog stick kicks the shit out of WASD (Which I always feel like I'm driving my character around like a golf cart). Add in the viseral immersion of the motion controls for the Grapple gun, and you end up with superior control.
Did you try Tiger Woods 08 ? It's far more indepth, and option crazy than WiiSports golf, but extremely accessable and fun to play. I actually straitened out my swing in real golf (not completely, but noticably improved).
ExciteTruck is very "Arcadey" in that it's easy to pickup and play and good fun. You can also change your music by addding MP3's on the SD card (The game magically improved when I added "The Offspring" to it.)
Also Harry Potter despite being Single player only is worth a Rent. Using motion controls to cast spells is really fun (leviosa by itself got me to buy the game).
Yup, that's part of what makes them "casual".
That would be true, however everything I have read leads me to believe otherwise (IE, casual gamers buy fewer games, but there are simply a hell of a lot more of them which makes them a more profitable segment). Do you have a link?
If you haven't you should. The controls are Awesome, and the Art direction is stellar. The entire game comes together beautifully, and is easilly one of the best games for Wii. So far it's my Game of the Year (Likely to be dethroned by Mario Galaxy, or Rock Band for the 360).
Casual games are defined by the type of game rather than the price. The type of people that the Wii attracts, fits right in with are largely the same demographic that would buy a Guitar Hero, DDR, or Karaoke game.
I believe the argument goes "If I had to pick one, the interface is more important than the aesthetic." Which I agree. Then again I came from the camp that played the Atari 2600 when it was "current gen", so needless to say, graphic fidelity was a secondary concern.
Yes, graphically it's a stunner, but more Pixels != better graphics. I would argue that Metroid Prime 3 looks a hell of a lot better than Halo 3 despite only being "teh 480p". The Art direction is better. They do more with less, and very much like Gears of War, or Bioshock they focus (mostly) on smaller environments so they can can be stunning. The claustrophobic nature of the Metroid series lends to that, the Halo series (with big sweeping landscapes, lots of characters, long draw distances etc...) does not.
If you use native resolution as the only criteria to measure graphics (hence 480p graphics are inherently worse than 720p) Then I suppose Uno on XBLA trumps all Wii games past, present and future in the graphics category as it outputs in 720p.
The Wii is now "Current Gen", just like the X-box 360 and PS3. I think it's a little early to speculate about "next gen" machines.
Sorry, but that's a given. If Sony had any sense God of War 2 should have been a PS3 exclusive , as they desperately need(ed) AAA games to move the system, and that is a game that would.
I can only hope the game channel is as stable as the rest of MySpace.
Has anyone had a good experience? Well, count me for one. I bought a 360 last Christmas, and keep it on a glass shelf entertainment center with nothing to muffle the sound, and I can barely hear it. Perhaps I got lucky and got one from a good batch, but even with the 360's DVD drive running full bore, it's still quieter than the PS3 while folding (The system fan is noticeably loud), though to be fair neither of them can be heard while watching TV, or playing a game at a reasonable volume.
I agree that it isn't a guarantee, but historically there is the same market leader for 2 generations, then in the third generation they (market leader) will do something stupid, and a new contender will do something smart and dethrone them. The writing is already on the wall this gen, the Wii will retain market leader position. I'm betting (based on historical trends) that they will take this gen & next gen with their Backwords compatible HD (even if only 720p) system and enhanced function wiimote.
Then they hit the retard button and a purging fire will clear the forest for renewal.
Currect. It's now "Current Gen" along with the 360 and PS3.
Not true. Consumers will gravitate to "the best version"; to some that is "teh Pretty", to some that's "Need control". I owned a Wii since launch (November 19th). On November 20th I put my former tennis and golf games on ebay as I wasn't going back to "teh buttons", when superior control is available.
I own all 3 "current gen systems", and already the Wii has stripped away the Sports genre entirely from the competition. Tiger Woods on the Wii is superior to the other versions . I'm playing it on a 96" screen (from an HD projector) and despite the graphics being "PS2-Tastic", the game is far more immersive and enjoyable than the others. Hell I took a few strokes off my regular golf game because it helped me straiten out my swing!
When done correctly, the motion controls add a new element that makes it better despite better looking versions elsewhere.
A few more examples... Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix - The Wii-mote is Harry's wand and you cast spells using motion controls.
The Godfather - Physically throttle, or stab someone with the motion controls. They work well and can be crazy fun.
Madden - Far closer to a simulation than any other Madden to date. You simulate a game a game of "double touch" football in your living room.