I fear for the future of the Xbox.
As it stands now, they are, in my eyes, the top of the gaming mountain. Yes, the Wii is surpassing their sale numbers, but the Microsoft Machine has a slew of great games available and a bunch of them are exclusives. And therein lies the problem: their Exclusive franchises appear to have dried up.
For the past few months, there have been endless whining from Sony lovers about many of their games jumping ship to release simultaneously on the 360 (Devil May Cry, Resident Evil & Grand Theft Auto being the most discussed), but while the Xbox will be sharing many of these lucrative properties, there are few titles coming out that require anyone to own the 360.
Halo has ended (Halo Wars is coming, but with the genre switch, it will see a fraction of the hype and sales). Saints Row, Mercenaries & Lost Planet will have dual consoles sequels. And with Bioware being sucked up by EA, their RPGs will likely be spread around to any and every system that will have them.
Sony, despite the fanboy whinings, still has a closet full of personal properties. Ratchet & Clank, Metal Gear Solid, Grand Turismo, Tekken & Final Fantasy... as well as promising upcoming titles such as Littlebigplanet and Infamous.
Meanwhile, Nintendo has a wazoo-full of exclusives, but mostly out of necessity. 85% of the third-party Wii games just wouldn't work without the gimmicky controls.
Ninja Gaiden 2 may be the last chance for Microsoft to demand an audience. And that's if a PS3 port hasn't been announced by the time of the game's release. With Ninja Gaiden Sigma already on the PS3, it's hard to imagine the sequel not following eventually.
But perhaps a little reverse psychology might help out. If only Microsoft could convince Sony to take Fuzion Frenzy 3 as an exclusive, that would even the playing field.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
An Open Letter To Them High-Ups
Dear Microsoft (Attn: Xbox Live People):
Wanna make something useful for the next dashboard update?
How about giving me control over the scrolling text when I am looking to purchase something from the marketplace? I have a right analog stick on my controller, you know. I could be using that to scroll up and down through the item descriptions so that I may read at my own pace. If I doze off while waiting to read about your latest Arcade title, I probably won't be making the purchase.
And another handy-dandy idea would be to let me truly customize my dashboard themes. Sure, you tease me with that "customize" option, but that only lets me change two rather minor details. I've purchased these fancy-dan themes... let me choose where and how to use them. It would be awesome to pick-and-choose individual backgrounds from different theme packs... would I be hoping beyond hope for that? I would even be happy to settle with the ability to decide which background goes on which blade within the single theme selection. And I do like being happy. You want me to be happy, dontcha Mr. Microsoft Man Who Takes My Money?
Sincerely With Sincere Sincerity,
me
***
Since I'm feeling too lazy for a separate post...
I downloaded the new Grand Theft Auto 4 trailer (off of the Xbox Marketplace... see, it all ties in!) and I have to say, I am not impressed. It still looks like a PS2 game. Same stiff, blocky characters; no hair or clothing animation to speak of; an overall lack of texture; general unimpressiveness.
And the story department also seems to be eating at the same Rehash Diner. Generic Career Criminal dealing with Generic Underworld Types in old Scorsese plotlines.
Maybe they're intentionally trying to kill the hype, and then when the game comes out it can easily exceed the lowered expectations.
Right.
Maybe they should just not release any press materials before the game comes out.
Wanna make something useful for the next dashboard update?
How about giving me control over the scrolling text when I am looking to purchase something from the marketplace? I have a right analog stick on my controller, you know. I could be using that to scroll up and down through the item descriptions so that I may read at my own pace. If I doze off while waiting to read about your latest Arcade title, I probably won't be making the purchase.
And another handy-dandy idea would be to let me truly customize my dashboard themes. Sure, you tease me with that "customize" option, but that only lets me change two rather minor details. I've purchased these fancy-dan themes... let me choose where and how to use them. It would be awesome to pick-and-choose individual backgrounds from different theme packs... would I be hoping beyond hope for that? I would even be happy to settle with the ability to decide which background goes on which blade within the single theme selection. And I do like being happy. You want me to be happy, dontcha Mr. Microsoft Man Who Takes My Money?
Sincerely With Sincere Sincerity,
me
***
Since I'm feeling too lazy for a separate post...
I downloaded the new Grand Theft Auto 4 trailer (off of the Xbox Marketplace... see, it all ties in!) and I have to say, I am not impressed. It still looks like a PS2 game. Same stiff, blocky characters; no hair or clothing animation to speak of; an overall lack of texture; general unimpressiveness.
And the story department also seems to be eating at the same Rehash Diner. Generic Career Criminal dealing with Generic Underworld Types in old Scorsese plotlines.
Maybe they're intentionally trying to kill the hype, and then when the game comes out it can easily exceed the lowered expectations.
Right.
Maybe they should just not release any press materials before the game comes out.
Monday, December 10, 2007
GamePro Strikes Again!
I think I'll be sad when my GamePro subscription runs out, for I'll have less to read (though not much less.. is there a page minimum that must be achieved to officially be a magazine and not a pamphlet?) and definitely less to gripe about here. I think my last issue will be the May 2008 one, but with the renewal notices that have been bombarding me, you'd think it was much closer. I fear for my mailbox when the real end is near.
So, in the Jan 2008 issue (Do they need to date periodicals so far in advance these days? I'm sure the post-dating had something to do with slower delivery times of the past. Nowadays, it makes magazines look even worse because it's already older than info online the date it hits the stands.) GamePro gives their top rating of 5-out-of-5 to several games, such as Call of Duty 4 and Super Mario Galaxy... how to break this tie to choose their game of the month award? By giving it to a game they only rate 4.75, of course!
Mass Effect wins Game Of The Month in GamePro, despite them complaints from the review about the terrible A.I. problems. And they don't even mention the frequent loading and sparse interactivity that has brought down the enjoyment for me. Not to mention it's seems like "just another" one of Bioware's RPG titles. Sure, it is a great game, with a huge amount of things to do... but in light of other games out there: not GOTM material. Especially since the reviewer of Call Of Duty 4 literally writes, "There is really nothing bad I can say about this game."
Someone explain this to me?
So, in the Jan 2008 issue (Do they need to date periodicals so far in advance these days? I'm sure the post-dating had something to do with slower delivery times of the past. Nowadays, it makes magazines look even worse because it's already older than info online the date it hits the stands.) GamePro gives their top rating of 5-out-of-5 to several games, such as Call of Duty 4 and Super Mario Galaxy... how to break this tie to choose their game of the month award? By giving it to a game they only rate 4.75, of course!
Mass Effect wins Game Of The Month in GamePro, despite them complaints from the review about the terrible A.I. problems. And they don't even mention the frequent loading and sparse interactivity that has brought down the enjoyment for me. Not to mention it's seems like "just another" one of Bioware's RPG titles. Sure, it is a great game, with a huge amount of things to do... but in light of other games out there: not GOTM material. Especially since the reviewer of Call Of Duty 4 literally writes, "There is really nothing bad I can say about this game."
Someone explain this to me?
Friday, December 7, 2007
Stacking The Favs
If you've always wondered why media outlets compile their annual lists of "Best Of" before the year actually ends... take a look at the sparse list of new games that we have to fill shelves the next three weeks. In fact, I only found a few of any note.
March Madness 08 for the 360 and PS3... because nothing says Christmas like March.
And for the Wii: a very possible contender for some prizes... Nights: Journey Into Dreams, the long awaited sequel to the Sega Saturn original. The hype hasn't been too big, but hope is high that this game could be mesmerizing. Also coming: Super Swing Golf Season 2. Not a particularly award winning franchise, but I enjoyed the first one with all the stuff you could buy, and decent controls. Oh, and M&M Kart Racing was delayed from last month. That ought to put some sparkle under your tree, right?
So, excluding Nights for now, this is how I see Best Of lists shaping up for each major console (I'm no longer including the PS2 as a major console. I'll put my support behind the PS3 and hope Sony does the same.).
Nintendo DS:
Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - an obvious choice.
Picross DS - A well liked game, but is there enough content to win top honors?
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl - These games built well onto the solid Pokemon foundation, but will the media embrace the aging franchise?
Other DS contenders: Brain Age 2, Worms: Open Warfare 2, Puzzle Quest
Sony PSP:
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters - That was this year, right? It seemed so long ago.
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness - Just a port of a PS game, but that's what most PSP games are, but this is actually quality gaming.
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow - PSP shooters aren't my thing, but people seem to approve of this one.
Other DS contenders: Honestly, I stretched to find those three games. The PSP could use some more support.
Nintendo Wii:
Super Mario Galaxy - Very polished and smooth. If only all Wii games we like this.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - A grand step forward for 1st person shooter controls on the Wii.
Super Paper Mario - Aside from too much text, this game added some nice elements to the franchise.
Other Wii Contenders: Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure, Resident Evil 4
PS3:
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction - Two Ratchet & Clank titles up for honors in one year should be a testament to their quality gameplay.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - Still being so new might give this adventure game the edge.
Heavenly Sword - If it wasn't so short, it'd probably be a shoo-in just for its incredible animation.
Other PS3 Contenders: Folklore, Lair, Ninja Gaiden Sigma
Xbox 360:
Mass Effect - The massive size of this RPG might work against the game, if people are still too immersed in it to vote.
Bioshock - This polished HypeWagon had pretty much everything most people were expecting, except multiplayer.
Halo 3 - The biggest bang for your multiplayer dollar.
Other 360 Contenders: Virtua Fighter 5 Online, Forza Motorsport 2, Eternal Sonata
Multi-platform Games:
The Orange Box - If anything, the fact that there's so much different content may work against the title. It might be split into different genres, but looked upon as an outsider in each of those categories.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - To me, the graphics don't look much more realistic than Call of Duty 3... but the multiplayer mayhem is undeniable.
Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock - I personally found this one a bit disappointing and unable to hold my interest for long. However, the wireless guitar was well worth the price.
Rock Band - All the wires and the difficulty perfecting the singing and drumming may keep this one out of the top spot, but it has drummed up interest unlike any game since the Wii itself launched.
Assassin's Creed - A contentious pick, it may either be the top of the list, or completely left off. The graphics and animation are the superstar here... half the story could have been left on the cutting room floor.
Madden 08 - An uninspired game, but I'll still be unsurprised to see this on the standard list. When it wins Sports Game of the Year, it's time for everyone else to reevaluate the games they're making.
So those are what games I predict will be appearing on any given critic's website/magazine awards banquet. My personal picks, as I always grade games, are directly tied to the fun factor, so they're a slightly different bunch:
Rock Band - Friends I hadn't seen in month keep showing up wanting to play this game. And I often curse other games that get in the way of my Rock Band time.
MLB Power Pros - Cartoony Graphics and a goofy college story mode are featured in this game, which is the best baseball game I've played in years... if not ever? And find me another game with this many stats analyzing each game. It's just too bad the Miis and motion controlled portion of the game wasn't fully integrated.
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 - Not a perfect game, but some of the best wackiest minigames ever assembled. If they'd just dump the over-long music portion, this would be even better. Fun to play in a group, and even fun to watch those crazy, crazy rabbids.
I didn't post any downloadable game awards, though I'm sure gaming sites will try to throw out as many awards as possible. Since the Wii Virtual Console is all old games... would they compete with brand new Xbox Live Arcade titles? I dunno. But a few of my favorite titles this year are: Super Mario Bros 3, Metroid, Super Puzzle Fighter Turbo HD Remix, and Bomberman Live.
Here's to next year, when I hope they add Game Boy & Game Gear titles to the virtual console... at three bucks a piece.
March Madness 08 for the 360 and PS3... because nothing says Christmas like March.
And for the Wii: a very possible contender for some prizes... Nights: Journey Into Dreams, the long awaited sequel to the Sega Saturn original. The hype hasn't been too big, but hope is high that this game could be mesmerizing. Also coming: Super Swing Golf Season 2. Not a particularly award winning franchise, but I enjoyed the first one with all the stuff you could buy, and decent controls. Oh, and M&M Kart Racing was delayed from last month. That ought to put some sparkle under your tree, right?
So, excluding Nights for now, this is how I see Best Of lists shaping up for each major console (I'm no longer including the PS2 as a major console. I'll put my support behind the PS3 and hope Sony does the same.).
Nintendo DS:
Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - an obvious choice.
Picross DS - A well liked game, but is there enough content to win top honors?
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl - These games built well onto the solid Pokemon foundation, but will the media embrace the aging franchise?
Other DS contenders: Brain Age 2, Worms: Open Warfare 2, Puzzle Quest
Sony PSP:
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters - That was this year, right? It seemed so long ago.
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness - Just a port of a PS game, but that's what most PSP games are, but this is actually quality gaming.
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow - PSP shooters aren't my thing, but people seem to approve of this one.
Other DS contenders: Honestly, I stretched to find those three games. The PSP could use some more support.
Nintendo Wii:
Super Mario Galaxy - Very polished and smooth. If only all Wii games we like this.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - A grand step forward for 1st person shooter controls on the Wii.
Super Paper Mario - Aside from too much text, this game added some nice elements to the franchise.
Other Wii Contenders: Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure, Resident Evil 4
PS3:
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction - Two Ratchet & Clank titles up for honors in one year should be a testament to their quality gameplay.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - Still being so new might give this adventure game the edge.
Heavenly Sword - If it wasn't so short, it'd probably be a shoo-in just for its incredible animation.
Other PS3 Contenders: Folklore, Lair, Ninja Gaiden Sigma
Xbox 360:
Mass Effect - The massive size of this RPG might work against the game, if people are still too immersed in it to vote.
Bioshock - This polished HypeWagon had pretty much everything most people were expecting, except multiplayer.
Halo 3 - The biggest bang for your multiplayer dollar.
Other 360 Contenders: Virtua Fighter 5 Online, Forza Motorsport 2, Eternal Sonata
Multi-platform Games:
The Orange Box - If anything, the fact that there's so much different content may work against the title. It might be split into different genres, but looked upon as an outsider in each of those categories.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - To me, the graphics don't look much more realistic than Call of Duty 3... but the multiplayer mayhem is undeniable.
Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock - I personally found this one a bit disappointing and unable to hold my interest for long. However, the wireless guitar was well worth the price.
Rock Band - All the wires and the difficulty perfecting the singing and drumming may keep this one out of the top spot, but it has drummed up interest unlike any game since the Wii itself launched.
Assassin's Creed - A contentious pick, it may either be the top of the list, or completely left off. The graphics and animation are the superstar here... half the story could have been left on the cutting room floor.
Madden 08 - An uninspired game, but I'll still be unsurprised to see this on the standard list. When it wins Sports Game of the Year, it's time for everyone else to reevaluate the games they're making.
So those are what games I predict will be appearing on any given critic's website/magazine awards banquet. My personal picks, as I always grade games, are directly tied to the fun factor, so they're a slightly different bunch:
Rock Band - Friends I hadn't seen in month keep showing up wanting to play this game. And I often curse other games that get in the way of my Rock Band time.
MLB Power Pros - Cartoony Graphics and a goofy college story mode are featured in this game, which is the best baseball game I've played in years... if not ever? And find me another game with this many stats analyzing each game. It's just too bad the Miis and motion controlled portion of the game wasn't fully integrated.
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 - Not a perfect game, but some of the best wackiest minigames ever assembled. If they'd just dump the over-long music portion, this would be even better. Fun to play in a group, and even fun to watch those crazy, crazy rabbids.
I didn't post any downloadable game awards, though I'm sure gaming sites will try to throw out as many awards as possible. Since the Wii Virtual Console is all old games... would they compete with brand new Xbox Live Arcade titles? I dunno. But a few of my favorite titles this year are: Super Mario Bros 3, Metroid, Super Puzzle Fighter Turbo HD Remix, and Bomberman Live.
Here's to next year, when I hope they add Game Boy & Game Gear titles to the virtual console... at three bucks a piece.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Just Talkin' 'Bout the Wii
I saw an interesting screenshot of Super Smash Bros Brawl today. I normally don't care about screenshots of video games. They do nothing to capture the gameplay and often bring down the expected quality of the graphics. Have you ever looked at the gameplay pictures on a video game box? It's shocking that anyone would buy a game after seeing those indecipherable little colored squares.
Anyhoo, this particular image was focused on Bowser, doing whatever powerful attack he does. But it didn't quite look like Bowser. I realized they made him look like a combination of familiar ol' Bowser and of Ganondorf from the previous Smash Bros game. Look at the head... the hair and the face look like Ganondorf. Did I just never notice the resemblance before?
Now, it's just wishful thinking, but I thought that it would be an amazing new aspect to the standard gameplay if they actually allowed character combinations. They've had similar features before: It's basically Kirby's whole shtick. But what if any character could merge with another? Maybe even a level where the goal is to "absorb" all the others into yourself, or conversely, where you have to free the others from an already-formed combo-monster? (That would allow different story paths, depending on playing a good or evil character.) Perhaps even an odd two-player aspect where the merged characters fight for control of the body, or have to cooperate to fight?
It may sound a little weird, but it's just an idea to add to the formula. I worry about how many new characters and items they can add to the same foundation before the series just collapses on itself. They need to put out some new gameplay legs to support itself. We'll see if they've added anything really new when the game comes out next month. Oh, and online play doesn't count. I said something new.
While I was at IGN's Wii site vainly looking for that screenshot (I gave up 3 pages into the 60-plus pages of dull images... quality, not quantity,please!), I noticed the story of a third-party developer coming out with a wireless nunchuck controller. Finally! I've dislike how half-assed consoles are about implementing wireless operation. Nintendo is the worst offender since it has so far required that annoying floppy cord. There are wired peripherals for the 360 and the PS3, but they're optional or from third-party developers. While I'm at it: the long, thin cord for the Wii's sensor bar is annoying too!
To sum up... Future: Yay. Now: Meh.
Anyhoo, this particular image was focused on Bowser, doing whatever powerful attack he does. But it didn't quite look like Bowser. I realized they made him look like a combination of familiar ol' Bowser and of Ganondorf from the previous Smash Bros game. Look at the head... the hair and the face look like Ganondorf. Did I just never notice the resemblance before?
Now, it's just wishful thinking, but I thought that it would be an amazing new aspect to the standard gameplay if they actually allowed character combinations. They've had similar features before: It's basically Kirby's whole shtick. But what if any character could merge with another? Maybe even a level where the goal is to "absorb" all the others into yourself, or conversely, where you have to free the others from an already-formed combo-monster? (That would allow different story paths, depending on playing a good or evil character.) Perhaps even an odd two-player aspect where the merged characters fight for control of the body, or have to cooperate to fight?
It may sound a little weird, but it's just an idea to add to the formula. I worry about how many new characters and items they can add to the same foundation before the series just collapses on itself. They need to put out some new gameplay legs to support itself. We'll see if they've added anything really new when the game comes out next month. Oh, and online play doesn't count. I said something new.
While I was at IGN's Wii site vainly looking for that screenshot (I gave up 3 pages into the 60-plus pages of dull images... quality, not quantity,please!), I noticed the story of a third-party developer coming out with a wireless nunchuck controller. Finally! I've dislike how half-assed consoles are about implementing wireless operation. Nintendo is the worst offender since it has so far required that annoying floppy cord. There are wired peripherals for the 360 and the PS3, but they're optional or from third-party developers. While I'm at it: the long, thin cord for the Wii's sensor bar is annoying too!
To sum up... Future: Yay. Now: Meh.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Tweak It Til It Hurts!
Xbox put out a new dashboard update today. So far, all it's done is make my life more difficult.
It only took a minute to download, but after the system restarted, I got to stare at the "Xbox thinking" icon for at least six minutes. The icon prevented me from viewing anything on the Marketplace, Xbox Live or Games dashboard blades. I could still access features in the music and system settings. It's been quite a while since I intentionally cycled over that far.
After waiting around the aforementioned six minutes, I wandered off to do some laundry. So I'm not sure how long the update really took to resolve itself. But things eventually came back to a state of workingness.
So now you can view the friends list of your friends, to help bring out the stalker in those too lazy to stake out real homes. Or you can opt to block the list from public access. If most people turn on the list blocking, will Microsoft do away with the feature?
And at first I thought they did away with the demos I had downloaded, as the selection was no longer on the Games blade. But actually they just mixed the demos in with the Arcade games I have on my system, make them bothersome to find. I went ahead and deleted all the demos I had because I have enough games to scroll through already.
That's all I've expressly noticed so far. I hope some people are enjoying these lifestyle upgrades!
It only took a minute to download, but after the system restarted, I got to stare at the "Xbox thinking" icon for at least six minutes. The icon prevented me from viewing anything on the Marketplace, Xbox Live or Games dashboard blades. I could still access features in the music and system settings. It's been quite a while since I intentionally cycled over that far.
After waiting around the aforementioned six minutes, I wandered off to do some laundry. So I'm not sure how long the update really took to resolve itself. But things eventually came back to a state of workingness.
So now you can view the friends list of your friends, to help bring out the stalker in those too lazy to stake out real homes. Or you can opt to block the list from public access. If most people turn on the list blocking, will Microsoft do away with the feature?
And at first I thought they did away with the demos I had downloaded, as the selection was no longer on the Games blade. But actually they just mixed the demos in with the Arcade games I have on my system, make them bothersome to find. I went ahead and deleted all the demos I had because I have enough games to scroll through already.
That's all I've expressly noticed so far. I hope some people are enjoying these lifestyle upgrades!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)