Four Player Co-Op 07.01.09: PS3 Price Cut, The Falcon, Luchadores and The King of Pop, Michael Jackson

Posted by John De Large on 07.01.2009

Is the Falcon worth $150? Are Luchadores interesting? Has Sony justified the PS3's price? And will four game journalists eulogize Michael Jackson? Come on in and find out!



John De Large has joined the game
Chris Lansdell has joined the game
Rod Oracheski has joined the game
Marcos Aranda has joined the game

The Godfather, Ramon Aranda: Alright ladies and gents, here we go with this week's Three Four Player Co-op. We welcome this week, Rod Oracheski of Achievement Unlocked, Chris Lansdell, whom you all see in our Wrestling zone as well, also newcomer Marcos Aranda (my younger brother) and lastly The Man With The Coolest Name Ever, John De Large. Now let's get it on!

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1. There's a new wrestling game in town, AAA: El Videojuego. Even though a bulk of the American fans might not be familiar with these Mexican wrestlers, the game will be popular because it will be perceived as something original and exciting.



John De Large: This all depends on the create-a-player option. I've noticed that the better a create-a-player option is, the better the game does. I don't know if it's because people like interjecting themselves into a game to live out fantasies of wrestling stardom, if it's because people like to make wrestlers not included in the game and live out fantasies of wrestling stardom through them, or if it's because people just like to make funny shaped CAW's. Whatever the case, I'm convinced that the game will sink or swim depending on it's CAW option, NOT originality or because the wrestlers are luchadores.

Chris Lansdell: I dunno man, I'm torn like a mother whose baby came out sideways on this one. Games like Fire Pro Wrestling, which also featured largely unknown (in the US at least) wrestlers, achieved something of a cult status in North America. Probably because the game kicks all sorts of ass. With a large Mexican population in the States, I can see this game surpassing Fire Pro just because the wrestling geeks will buy it and the Mexican gamers will too. Whether it's perceived as original and exciting remains to be seen. Wrestling games do pretty well even with non-wrestling fans, but to unseat the reigning champ (Smackdown vs Raw) this will have to offer something extra. Masks might not be enough to get mainstream popularity. Rumble Roses didn't do it, and that had scantily clad females.

Excuse me. I need to go play Rumble Roses.

Rod Oracheski: I think it'll be yet another hotly anticipated title for all those who still worship the N64 games as the pinnacle of console-based wrestling, but I'm not sure that the anticipation will pay off in sales. I liked what little they've shown, but we still haven't seen much for actual gameplay from the title, so I'll hold judgment on how 'popular' it's going to be until then.

Marcos Aranda: Hmm, that's a tough one to predict how gamers will react to this one. Could be something new and exciting for gamers or this could just end up being another Red Steel.

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2. The European President of Sony says: "Not to harp on about it, but the PlayStation 3 has a ten-year life cycle and there are issues of cost and profitability. We will make that move on price when all those factors are aligned." Considering Microsoft charges $50 a year for Xbox LIVE (whereas Sony doesn't charge to use the PSN) and the fact that Xbox 360 tend to break if you breathe on them hard, you're starting to believe that the pricey PS3 has a reason to be so pricey.

John De Large: PS3. Console (includes online services and blu-ray player) = $400. One time repair cost (assuming it breaks down even though it's guaranteed for 10 years) = $150. Total cost is $550.

Chris Lansdell: Ignoring the relative size and quality of the two libraries, I have to agree with this one. Bottom line is that a Sony Blu-Ray player is gonna set you back about $200 for a bare bones one with no WiFi or streaming NetFlix. So when you add in a huge hard drive, WiFi and, oh you know the ability to play KICK ASS GAMES...it's no wonder the PS3 is more expensive than the 360. The thing is that Sony aren't taking this angle, all they're harping on about is life cycle and profit. Not what the average consumer wants to hear.

Rod Oracheski:What does the 10 year life cycle have to do with what a console costs right now? It's $400 and that's too much money for the mass-market consumer who's struggling to make ends meet in a down economy. That's the problem, not that consumers don't see the 'perceived value' in free online and Blu Ray playback - it just costs too damn much to get that 'value' in the first place. When your competition is $200 and $250, you can't be sitting at $400 and think your machine should be selling like hotcakes.

And as someone who's had both a RRoD (360) and a YLoD (PS3) I'd say the free repair beats the $150 dollar one any day of the week. Come on Sony, it seems to be becoming common enough that you should do 'the right thing' and make that a covered repair the same way Microsoft did for RRoD and E74 errors.

Marcos Aranda: NOPE. I'm still a big supporter of the Xbox and its prices. Nothing about the PS3 has really ever caught my attention, and I can definitely deal with paying 50 bucks a year for what I believe is the best online experience out there period!

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3. Lawrence Kasanoff is suing Midway for the rights to the Mortal Kombat franchise. Among other things, the guy claims he made the Mortal Kombat franchise what it is today. Your thoughts?

John De Large: Hahahaha! What a tool! For him to lay claim to the popularity of one of history's most iconic game (it is, even if I HATE Mortal Kombat) would be like any of the 411 writers proclaiming that they are the secret to 411's success. You know what made Mortal Kombat a success? Lots of teenagers and tweens with lots of quarters, lots of lust for blood, guts and violence and lots of pent up frustration and aggression.

Chris Lansdell: Clearly more lucid than this guy's. The first MK movie was all sorts of fun, the second...not so much. I seem to remember leaving the cinema muttering something about the rectal regions of various domestic beats of burden. At least the soundtrack rocked. OK let me get my chronology straight here: Mortal Kombat the movie came out in 1995, around the same time as MK3 (arguably the best of the series). So we're to believe that a game series that challenged then-undisputed king of 2D fighters, Street Fighter II, and had reached 2 sequels already, was nothing without the movies. And that the characters, which already had a plot AROUND WHICH THE MOVIE WAS FUCKING BASED IN THE FIRST PLACE, had no backstory without the movies. Dude, the methadone clinic is that way. Say hi to Britney for us.

Rod Oracheski:It seems like he has a point on the fleshing out of the characters and world, but does he really believe that work entitles him the rights to the franchise as a whole? You were contracted to do work, you did it and got paid...now you want more? Sorry, that's just not how it works.

Marcos Aranda: Lawrence Kasanoff? He made Mortal Kombat what it is today? No way man! Ed Boon and his awesome cast of game creators made Mortal Kombat what it is today, if you ask me, lol.

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4. MVC 2 has been held up by a month. What could be the reason?

John De Large: Spiders. Lots and lots of spiders.

Chris Lansdell: Thor had a yeast infection?

Rod Oracheski: The voice actors needed more time to learn to say Tatsumaki Senpukyaku?

Marcos Aranda: It could be do to little bugs here and there but even the smallest bug could ruin the highly anticipated sequel to one of the best fighter games out of all times. It sucks but damn it its worth the wait.

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5. Valve games are going to start supporting a gun shaped controller called the Falcon. You want it.

John De Large: I'm all for new peripherals, but I'll wait until this thing doesn't cost an arm and a leg. $150?! I could use that money to go to PAX or TGS!

Chris Lansdell: I'll be honest, I've haven't seen this yet. Hey look, Google! Gimme a minute, will ya?

"Keep Holdin' On" by Syleena Johnson plays

Google Image Search: Here's the image you requested, Lansdelicious One:


What. The. Hell. Is. That?!

Did I fall asleep and wake up in the Millennium Falcon with a creepy old man, a cocky smuggler, 2 droids and a walking carpet? Is the creepy old man trying to get me to use a fluorescent light tube to deflect bolts from that thing? Like seriously, that is UGLY. I don't care how gadget-astic it is, I would not be caught dead using it. And if that's "gun-shaped" then I'm an albino zebra.

Rod Oracheski: Not really, it doesn't seem to function at all like I'd want a gun controller to. You don't aim at the screen at all, which is strike number one, and the functionality seems very twitchy - strike two. At $150 to pick it up, that's strike three.

Check this video of a guy playing while using it:


Do people really want to pay $150 to have poor control over their gun in a FPS?

Marcos Aranda: Hell yeah! Knowing me and how I'm all about shooter games, any little upgrade to shooter games will be a big plus to any shooter gamers.

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6. If the Wii offered Netflix support would you use it?

John De Large: I got Netflix free for a month (thanks, Morgan!) but it's just not my thing (sorry, Morgan!). I don't use it on the 360 (or rather I wouldn't since my 360 is broken) where I can watch movies in HD and I'm not a fan of mailing movies back and forth, so why would I watch movies on the Wii with regular or grainy resolution? Sorry, no buys here.

Chris Lansdell: No.

Oh you wanted more? OK. I don't rent movies. I don't even buy movies. I wait for them to be free on the Movie Network on Demand and watch them there. Occasionally I will buy a movie if it was awesome. I will not pay to download a movie to my Wii and watch it a handful of times.

Rod Oracheski: I don't see how anyone with a decent computer or a 360 would use the Wii version, which can't support HD content playback. Like I said in the news story, Netflix has been focusing more and more on HD content - so I don't see the point of going to the Wii on that front, the PS3 would have been a better choice. The Wii should handle SD content fine, but is the Wii market really going to be interested in using a 'for pay' service for streaming TV and movies?

Marcos Aranda: I most definitely will! These are those "little big things" that Nintendo needs to grab the attention of more gamers.

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BONUS: Do you have any thoughts about Michael Jackson? Would you like to share them right now?



John De Large: No, but this is what 411 reader Scott Rutherford has said and I agree with him: "Just because he had the money to get himself off those charges doesn't make him any less guilty. (see, Simpson, O.J) I will refuse to eulogize this man regardless of how good his music was. Just because he made astounding music doesn't make him a good person. Also, considering he's been the punch line to about a million jokes WE HAVE ALL MADE, all the grief and outpouring of sympathy is extremely hollow.

I didn't like the man when he was alive and I'll be damned if I'm going to change my mind now."

Chris Lansdell: Yes. Yes I do. The man was the greatest performer of all time. There has never been, and likely never will be, anyone that can match his singing, dancing, songwriting, stage presence and creativity. Ever. No matter how weird he was, or how bizarre he looked, or how many things he was falsely accused of (some of you commenters calling him various names for pedophile need to look up the terms "libel" and "slander", he was found not guilty on all counts), you can NEVER deny his ridiculous amount of talent and his desire to do good. Plus Moonwalker the game AND the movie kicked all sorts of ass, and I will fight anyone who says different. C'MON! WHO WANTS SOME?

Rod Oracheski: He made great music, way back in the day, but consider me one of the people who isn't willing to overlook all the child molestation accusations (and settlements) just because he's no longer with us. I don't care if a performer is a drug addict or abuses cosmetic surgery, but some stuff is just a little over the line.

Marcos Aranda: For the first time in my life, I was actually speechless about the loss of a celebrity. Michael Jackson is more then just a singer or an Icon; he was an inspiration to millions of people around the world with his wonderful music which he took to a whole other level. I feel as a part of me left with him. Although it saddens me that he has gone from us but his music will always live on. Michael Jackson, The King Of Pop!!!!

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UNTIL NEXT TIME



Peace!