The Good, The Bad and The Ugly News Report 08.03.09: PS3 Costs Down, Guitar Hero 5 Set List Revealed, Tony Hawk Ride's Full Roster, More

Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 08.03.2009

Plus, Gearbox is NOT working on the next Halo, Trine PSN delayed and another edition of The Random Rant!

It is that time of the week again folks! Welcome to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly News Report! I am your host Armando Rodríguez ready to bring you this week's top news items. Before I delve deep into this week's news, let me lead off this article with one single statement:

Fat Princess Rocks!

Now without further ado, these are your news!

Biggest News of the Week: PS3 Development Costs Down 70%

During Sony's conference call following this week's earnings report, CFO Nobuyuki Oneda stated that PS3 development costs are down "About 70% roughly speaking". Although Sony did not release a specific number, an independent research company that has been following the development of the PS3 since the console launched estimates that the current price for developing a PS3 unit is $252.10 for a console that sells for $399, meaning that Sony is making profit on PS3 sales.

This number is not official and seems to contradict Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer's statement that "I lose money on every PS3 I make- how's that for logic?" Stringer's statement was released earlier this year when Activision called for a PS3 price cut.

This bit of news has sparked the rumors about a PS3 Slim again. Sony could be losing money on the current 80GB model, but the 70% decrease in development costs could come from the reduction in materials caused by a shrinking on the console's model. Pictures of the PS3 Slim where widely distributed across the internet earlier this year, but Sony denied the existence of such a model. However, a Taiwan-based law firm quietly filed cease and desist letters against various websites that apparently distributed the screenshots.
[Credit: Gamespot.com]


GOOD, BAD, UGLY: Wow, this is the first time I talk about a bit of news that has good, bad and ugly parts. The GOOD part is that if Sony is finally profitable on the development of the system they could be preparing themselves for the much rumored price cut. God knows that they need one and quick! The BAD part is that if they are being profitable and they don't cut the price, people are going to look at Sony as the Evil Empire, taking that tag away from Microsoft and the New York Yankees. When the alleged main reason for the lack of a price cut was that they where losing money on the development of the system and then it is proven that they are being profitable, there is really no justifiable excuse they can come up with to explain the lack of a price cut. The UGLY part is that, as seen with the PSP-Go, Sony seems to have a tendency to sell new models at a higher price point than older models. Who says the PS3 Slim won't go down that same road? This is pure speculation on my part, but like I said, I am just commenting on the current trend Sony has shown.

Before I am entirely done with this bit of news, I want to explain one of the principles of economics and something Sony seems to be unaware of. It is something so simple that it gives me a headache just to think NO ONE at Sony seems to understand it. Let's say Sony is losing money on the current PS3 model. Let's say that they invest $488 to make the current 80GB PS3 that sells for $400 as rumored in another bit of news that came out earlier this year. Those $400 models are not selling. That means Sony's real loss is not the $88 difference between development costs and sales price. Sony's real loss is $488 because the system didn't sell! Now let's imagine Sony cuts the price of said model to $300 and the system starts selling again. Sony's real loss would be the $188 difference between development costs and sales price. Do you see where I am going? Don't tell me that they can't recover the $188 difference on software sales, because they can. It is better to get SOMETHING in return for the console than nothing at all.

Guitar Hero 5 Full Track List

Here is the complete track listing for Guitar Hero 5:

Artist - Song
3 Doors Down - "Kryptonite"
Arctic Monkeys - "Brianstorm"
Blink-182 - "The Rock Show"
Dire Straits - "Sultans of Swing"
Jimmy Eat World - "Bleed American"
Johnny Cash - "Ring of Fire"
Megadeth - "Sweating Bullets"
Motley Crue - "Looks That Kill"
Muse - "Plug in Baby"
Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Queen & David Bowie - "Under Pressure"
Stevie Wonder - "Superstition"
The Killers - "All the Pretty Faces"
The Raconteurs - "Steady as She Goes"
TV On The Radio - "Wolf Like Me"

Previously confirmed titles for the game include the following:

A Perfect Circle - "Judith"
AFI - "Medicate"
Attack! Attack! UK - "You and Me"
Band Of Horses - "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands"
Beastie Boys - "Gratitude"
Beck - "Gamma Ray"
Billy Idol - "Dancing With Myself"
Billy Squier - "Lonely Is the Night"
Blur - "Song 2"
Bob Dylan - "All Along the Watchtower"
Bon Jovi - "You Give Love a Bad Name"
Brand New - "Sowing Season (Yeah)"
The Bronx - "Six Days A Week"
Bush - "Comedown"
Children Of Bodom - "Done With Everything, Die for Nothing"
Coldplay - "In My Place"
Darker My Love - "Blue Day"
Darkest Hour - "Demon(s)"
David Bowie - "Fame"
Deep Purple - "Woman From Tokyo ('99 Remix)"
The Derek Trucks Band - "Younk Funk"
The Duke Spirit - "Send a Little Love Token"
Duran Duran - "Hungry Like the Wolf"
Eagles of Death Metal - "Wannabe in L.A."
Elliott Smith - "L.A."
Elton John - "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)"
Face to Face - "Disconnected"
Garbage - "Only Happy When It Rains"
Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."
Gov't Mule - "Streamline Woman"
Grand Funk Railroad - "We're an American Band"
Iggy Pop - "Lust for Life (Live)"
Iron Maiden - "2 Minutes to Midnight"
Jeff Beck - "Scatterbrain (Live)"
John Mellencamp - "Hurts So Good"
Kaiser Chiefs - "Never Miss a Beat"
King Crimson - "21st Century Schizoid Man"
Kings of Leon - "Sex On Fire"
Kiss - "Shout It Out Loud"
Love and Rockets - "Mirror People"
My Morning Jacket - "One Big Holiday"
Nirvana - "Lithium (Live)"
No Doubt - "Ex-Girlfriend"
Peter Frampton - "Do You Feel Like We Do? (Live)"
The Police - "So Lonely"
Public Enemy Featuring Zakk Wylde - "Bring the Noise 20XX"
Queens of the Stone Age - "Make It Wit Chu"
Rammstein - "Du Hast"
The Rolling Stones - "Sympathy for the Devil"
Rose Hill Drive - "Sneak Out"
Rush - "The Spirit of Radio (Live)"
Santana - "No One to Depend On (Live)"
Scars on Broadway - "They Say"
Screaming Trees - "Nearly Lost You"
Smashing Pumpkins - "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
Sonic Youth - "Incinerate"
Spacehog - "In the Meantime"
Sublime - "What I Got"
Sunny Day Real Estate - "Seven"
T. Rex - "20th Century Boy"
The Sword - "Maiden, Mother & Crone"
Thin Lizzy - "Jailbreak"
Thrice - "Deadbolt"
Tom Petty - "Runnin' Down A Dream"
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "American Girl"
Vampire Weekend - "A-Punk"
Weezer - "Why Bother?"
The White Stripes - "Blue Orchid"
Wild Cherry - "Play That Funky Music"
Wolfmother - "Back Round"
[Credit: Gamespot.com]


GOOD: I believe there is going to be a lot of mixed opinions on this list. Personally I think there is too much pop and not enough hardcore rock, but for each their own. I do like about 1/3 of the songs in this list and to me that is enough to warrant a purchase. The lack of Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Metallica and Disturbed among others truly hurts the list for me. Still, like I said, music is something very unique for each individual and a Guitar Hero video game always aims for a little bit of everything so that they can reach the biggest market possible. Just to comment on some of the songs, I would have liked to see any other Megadeth song. I like "Sweating Bullets" but I would have preferred something more iconic like "Symphony of Destruction". Also we are finally getting something from Bob Dylan, which makes me really happy.

Tony Hawk's Ride Full Roster

Here is the full roster for Tony Hawk's Ride:

• Alex Olson
• Cara Beth Burnside
• Christian Hosoi
• Daewon Song
• Dustin Dollin
• Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins
• Mike Mo Capaldi
• Mike Vallely
• Nyjah Huston
• Paul Rodriguez
• Rodney Mullen
• Ryan Sheckler
• Steve Nesser
• Stevie Williams
• Tony Hawk
[Credit: Gamespot.com]


GOOD: Wow, it really saddens me that I know only three names from this list: Hawk, Mullen and Rodriguez. During the best years of the Tony Hawk franchise I was a big fan of skateboarding (watching it, I could never ride myself) and knew everyone that was somebody. But after high school I lost touch with the sport until just a few days ago watching the X Games for the first time in years. After doing some research to see who's who (Wikipedia is your friend) I have come to the conclusion that this is a very good roster indeed. I would have loved to see some of the bigger names from Hawk's heyday (Chad Muska, Bob Burnquist and Andy McDonald come to mind) but beggars can't be choosers. As much as I like the roster and the attempts to make something different out of the franchise, I have a gut feeling Ride won't be a good game. I hope I am proven wrong.

Trine For PSN Delayed

Originally released for the PC on July 9th, Trine was supposed to be released on the Playstation Network this past Thursday, July 30th. However, an unexpected software bug has caused the game to be delayed. There is no new release date set for Trine as of this time. Trine is a 2D platformer that was released for the PC and garnered positive reviews.
[Credit: Gamespot.com]


BAD: Trine was released for the PC and attained several positive reviews. It was Gamespot's Best Downloadable Game of E3 2009 and after seeing some videos of the PC version I eagerly awaited the PSN release thinking this could be our Braid. Now I am sad to report we don't know when the game is coming out. In Trine you can play solo switching between three different characters at will, or with two friends in cooperative gameplay. The three characters are a wizard, knight and thief and the game seemed to combine solid 2D platforming gameplay with puzzle solving. It has me very intrigued, especially the 3 character concept that reminds me of The Lost Vikings.

Gearbox Not Working On New Halo

One of the rumors that spread like wildfire a few weeks ago was that Gearbox Software, currently working on Borderlands, was taking over for Bungie and working on the next installment of Halo (after Halo: Reach of course). That rumor was shot down by Microsoft this week, first on their Halo Waypoint Twitter account where they posted the following statement: "For the record, Gearbox is NOT working on a new Halo title for Microsoft".

Later on a Microsoft representative confirmed that Gearbox Software is not working on a new Halo project, stating that they "are focusing on Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo Legends and our new Xbox Live destination Halo Waypoint".
[Credit: Gamespot.com]


GOOD: At least good for now. I think Gearbox is an excellent choice to take over Halo once Bungie is done. But there are way too many Halo projects being worked on right now and with Gearbox being successful with new IP's (Borderlands looks like a must have) I believe this is not the right time for such a move to take place. The perfect time in my opinion would be right after (or close to) the release of Halo: Reach when Bungie is done with the franchise. I still believe Gearbox could be involved in the future, the statement said that they are not working on a Halo project RIGHT NOW, not that they won't work on a Halo project in the future. The door was left open for such a scenario to take place.

Brutal Legend Decision Still On Hold

The judge handling the Activision/Double Fine lawsuit has put off making an official decision on the case until August 6th 2009. The lawsuit and subsequent decision will decide the fate of Brutal Legend, Double Fine's action game starring Jack Black. The game is tentatively scheduled to be released on October 13th of this year, pending on the judge's decision.

Activision sued Double Fine for partnering with EA to release Brutal Legend. Activision claimed that even when they passed on publishing the game after merging with Vivendi Games (Brutal Legend's original publisher) they still retained the rights to the game and that Double Fine wasn't free to shop the game around to other publishers. Double Fine later countersued Activision, accusing them of unlawful business practices in an attempt to prevent Brutal Legend from competing with Guitar Hero. In the countersuit, Double Fine mentioned a failed attempt from Activision to make Brutal Legend an extension of the Guitar Hero franchise.
[Credit: Gamespot.com]


BAD: I just hope a decision comes quickly, especially a decision that is positive for Double Fine and allows this game to be released on time. I am not that familiar with the inner workings of the industry, but what Activision is doing is dirty indeed. They passed on this game, they didn't want it. Now because someone else is about to make money from it, they have decided that they want it back, or at least want to prevent it from being sold. I think in a previous edition of this column I stated that it was like divorcing your wife and then wanting her back when she started dating someone half your age. I believe the judge will side with Double Fine in this and that we will get to play this title later on this year.

Wet Release Date Confirmed

In line with Brutal Legend news, another of the titles cut from the Activision/Vivendi Games merger, Wet, is finally getting a release date. The title was picked up by Bethesda Softworks and will be released on September 15th in North America and September 18th in Europe. The title is a third-person shooter that looks like it follows the Devil May Cry model of non-stop action, combining third-person shooting action with acrobatic gameplay.
[Credit: Gamespot.com]


GOOD: I am happy that another of the titles that was cut from the Activision/Vivendi Games merger is getting published. Wet might be risky, combining insane amounts of blood, fast-paced action and the typical sexy heroine from these type of games, but the difference is that this one actually looks like it will be a good game. How long until Activision sues them to prevent the release of this game?

The Random Rant:

I had nothing for this week's Random Rant. My original idea was to talk about the decay of the Need for Speed franchise and how I have stopped believing in the Need for Speed name to provide me a good racing experience. But I felt it could turn offensive and decided instead to list the five upcoming games I am most hyped about.

5. Brutal Legend

That's why I really want it to come out this year. Jack Black is one of my favorite comedy actors and I love the concept of a Metal game that has nothing to do with playing a plastic instrument. The premise is original and the game looks great (from the videos I have seen). The main character has to be living one of the biggest male fantasies of all time: One half Rock N' Roll star, One half ass-kicking machine.

4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

I spent so much time online playing Modern Warfare that there is no way I am missing on the second installment. I found the single-player experience to be just right, fun to play, but not long enough to keep you away from multiplayer. I expect the second installment to live up to that same premise. I hope we get enough new maps, weapons and perks to keep me hooked on the multiplayer aspect until Modern Warfare 3 rolls around. Still, I am not as hyped for this game as I am for #3 on my list.

3. MAG

256-player online action! That is enough to have me sold on this game. I just hope connections are stable enough and servers good enough to prevent lag, disconnection issues and all those game-breaking problems that usually appear in multiplayer titles. That's why I am not picking it up at launch; maybe I will wait a month or two. But 256 players? People actually trying to work together instead of acting like Rambo? These things have me pumped up for this title. Also, did I mention we are talking about 128 players vs 128 players? Now that sounds like a real battlefield!

2. Uncharted 2

I loved Uncharted. Now you are giving me a full-fledged sequel that looks absolutely amazing and includes multiplayer? I am so there! I had the opportunity to play the beta after buying InFamous and I loved the multiplayer of this game. It played smoothly and I felt it involved a lot more strategy than your typical multiplayer shooter. The good thing is that the multiplayer mode is not even going to be the best part! Uncharted's single player mode was amazing and I am convinced this one will be even better. Plus, the graphics are jaw-dropping.

1. Alpha Protocol

Until a few weeks ago Uncharted was my #1 and this game was probably #3 behind Uncharted and MAG. After seeing all the developer diaries that have been released on PSN and reading more about the game I am convinced Sega CAN'T screw this up. Obsidian RPG's are great (am I the only one that liked KOTOR 2 more than KOTOR?) and the premise of a modern RPG that involves guns, gadgets and spies is too much for me to pass up.

The Reader's Voice

Last Week We Asked:What games would you like to see make the transition to anime?

HDJ360 Said:"I want to see a resistance or god of war anime! That would be sweet!"

Oh yes, God of War is my pick as well. Just because you and I think alike I gave you the number one spot. Although I didn't consider it myself, I have to admit Resistance would be a kick-ass anime as well. The backstory is there and maybe we can explore some of the events that transpired in between the two games.

Doom Said:"Dead rising would make a cool anime. That or left 4 dead."

Left 4 Dead would be a cool anime movie, but I don't think there is enough material there for a full-fledged sequel. Dead Rising would be sweet as well.

Leo Said: How about a mass effect anime with saren or 1 of your squadmates as the main character. Or that black guy who was voiced by Keith David.

Although I am not that familiar with Mass Effect myself, I know that the game boasts one of the best interactive stories of any game and I would love to see an anime series based on that.

This Week's Question: What subject would you like to see in the next edition of The Top 5?

Yes, I have decided to help my buddy Todd Vote out and hold an unofficial poll to determine the next subject for The Top 5. We have been scrambling for ideas lately and it is always nice to see what our readers want to see us list. Just nominate something that we have not discussed before.

Goodbye:

Well, no Target Terror promotion this week. Vince is in jail (stop calling me! I won't bail you out!) and Mark and Shaqy are still running from the Big Show. They where last seen dressed as hookers while asking for a ride near Canada. I guess they ran out of gas. Also I didn't get my payment because Hornswoggle ate all of Shaqy's donuts. Until next week!