The Full Circle: 360 News Report 09.11.09

Posted by Dan Owen on 09.11.2009

This week features lots of news on Natal, including news that could mean big changes in which company dominates the video game market. Also this week we get our first look at Bioshock 2 and Crackdown 2. Finally, why is Microsoft being sued over Halo 3?



Well hello there faithful readers. I have to apologize for the lack of a column last week, it was written but due to some extenuating circumstances didn't get posted. Anyway, just to catch you up with me and my life, I just moved in to a new apartment over the weekend and am now settled in comfortably here at the University of Minnesota. I am a huge fan of sports and gambling, and over the course of my time writing this article I'm sure you'll hear me gloat about my great bets and wallow in the sorrows of my losses. I also love talking about gambling, so if you get tired of commenting about video games hit me up with a hot tip you have! Enough about sports betting, though, this is a video game column, so let's get to it.

Headlines


Natal Games On The Way?

In a conference call with investors Take-Two CEO Ben Feder mentioned that the company has developer kits for the Natal motion sensor in "just about all of our studios" and that they were in fact working with them to develop new games. Feder would not comment on anything specific, but did say that Take-Two was working with system trying to see different ways they could utilize the tool.

I won't lie about this, I'm not that big a fan of Natal as a project for the 360. I think that the technology has exceptional potential for the future, but as it is right now I have serious doubts about how much Microsoft can do with Natal while trying to build off of the 360. At best I envision them being able to make simple games for Natal that might fall in line with Wii Sports, but that's really not something the 360's core gamer's are going to be clamoring for. It's also too late to try and grab the casual gamer base that the Wii has captured in this generation of systems. Microsoft would be better served to let developers monkey around with Natal and come up with some ideas, but wait on it and implement Natal with their next platform which might be able to do a lot more with motion gaming. This project has the potential to be Microsoft's next big thing, but if they try to rush it out onto the market before they can develop the right kind of games for it I fear they could kill it.

EA Sports President Peter Moore also weighed in on Natal, saying that he envisions using Natal to create motion-controlled mini-games within a regularly-controlled game like FIFA. He doesn't believe that we'll see full games, just "bite-size types of games that are instantly fun". He also speculated that in a game like FIFA he might like to have gamers use Natal for taking penalty kicks, having the gamer set the controller aside.

Essentially he is agreeing with my take above that, at best, we'll see Wii Sports-esque games, and doesn't even think they will be released as full games but rather only as mini games within games. I have to wonder how many gamers will be willing to pony up the money just so they can play some mini-games.

One more tidbit about Natal came out just recently, as well. Developers are saying that Sony's motion-control hardware is easier to develop for. While the hardware itself is extremely complex, Sony has done a good job providing developers with an easy-to-use programming interface. While Natal isn't faced with the some of the complex (and perhaps more precise) movements of a piece of hardware, it has a whole slew of complex calculations it needs to make based on movements a camera detects. Some of the biggest problems Natal faces, though, is knowing what to do if, say, a friend walks into the camera's field of vision. Does it ignore that motion? How do you tell it to ignore that movement but make sure it doesn't ignore the movements of the person actually playing the game? All of these are hurdles that developers need to get over before they can begin to make working games for Natal.

Normally I wouldn't necessarily want to share a story that is more focused on Sony in this column, but this tidbit could have huge implications later on down the road. As we've seen over the past few years, the PS3 can play some amazing games that are developed exclusively for it but multi-platform games seem to do better (or at least not any worse) on the 360. I haven't read this specifically (I don't read that much), but I would have to assume that is because the PS3 software is more difficult to program with. If these motion controls are to become part of the next generation of gaming and Microsoft's controls are that much harder to program with, this could be Sony's chance to take back what they have lost in market share.




Call of Duty Crisis

Infinity Ward released a patch for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare that may not have been executed too well. The long-awaited patch finally blocks the use of modded controllers. For those of you who aren't familiar with modded controllers, they have a button on the back of them which allows the player to fire a semi-automatic weapon at automatic weapon speeds. Normally you would have to tap the trigger every time you wanted to fire a shot, but with the modded controller you can just hold the special button and blast away. However, there's a wee bit of a problem with the patch. The way it works is that semi-automatic weapons now have a "cool-down" time of .5 second between shots. The problem is that many of the better Call of Duty players can pull the trigger on their controllers faster than the .5 seconds allow. Now all semi-automatic guns have become useless for the "elite" players, and some have even left the COD4 online community altogether.

This is a problem that has needed to be patched for a while. I always felt like one of the few things that was wrong with COD4 was that a guy could whip out a handgun and blast you to pieces before you could turn around. It really didn't seem like something that would have been that hard to fix, and this issue doesn't seem like it should be too hard to fix, just flip the .5 second buffer time to something like .3 or .35, that should be good enough I think. Not that it matters that much, the game is almost two years old now and the fact that Infinity Ward is even supporting the game at this point in time is surprising. In a few short months Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be out and COD4 will be a distant memory.




Halo 3 Doesn't Work On Xbox 360's...Wait, What?

This may very well be the bizarre story of the week. Randy Nunez has filed a class action lawsuit against Microsoft and Bungie alleging that their mega-blockbuster game, Halo 3, doesn't work on the 360. Yes, I typed that right, the 360. The game that millions have played on Xbox Live. The suit states that, "Although faced with repeated and mounting consumer complaints and inquiries concerning the operational flaw in Halo 3, Defendants have failed to recall Halo 3 or otherwise remedy its failure to function on the Xbox 360."

Alright, at first glance this story makes no sense. We all know Halo 3 does in fact work on a 360. From reading more about the story, the suit appears to be more centered on some problem of Halo 3 causing systems to fail or the game not working properly, with the plaintiff alleging that Microsoft and Bungie knew about the problem and did nothing to remedy the issue. I'm curious to see where this goes, because it could send shockwaves through the gaming community if the plaintiff wins. Honestly, though, it just sounds like a money grab by someone who has nothing better to do with his time.




Nier To Be A 360 Exclusive?

There are some conflicting reports coming out of Japan about whether or not Square Enix will be publishing the game Nier exclusively on the 360. The reports are apparently stemming from a recent batch of screenshots that were published that bear no mention of the PS3, only talking about the 360. However, there was apparently a second Nier game that also had screenshots released. Speculation is that Square Enix may be planning on releasing one 360 exclusive game and one PS3. For Square Enix's part, all they've said is that the advertisements and screenshots that have been coming out, "do not affect the North American version."

What this story may amount to is essentially nothing, but we'll see. I really have to question Square Enix's decision to make an RPG 360 exclusive. I don't think the console is quite as weak on the RPG as some would lead you to believe, but it really isn't strong enough in that demographic to carry a game by itself. Either which way, I'll keep you posted as more details come out.


First Details Released On Crackdown 2

The first details on Crackdown 2 have come out via Game Informer. The story is that a new zombie-esque virus has hit the city and the Agency was unable to contain it, which led to a revolt by the civilians. Some of the key points about the new game is more refined graphics (though they keep their cartoonish style), more weapon variants, four player co-op, 16 player multiplayer with a progression system similar to the COD4 system, and a more precise targeting system that rewards skill. But the thing that has me most excited is that the zombies evolve over the course of the game, making them much tougher enemies as you get deeper in the game. You will also see the city decay as due to the infection as the game progresses, and the time of day which you attempt missions has a big impact on what happens as the zombies come out during the night.

This has my interest piqued, to say the least. I didn't play the first game, but I've heard that it was decent from a few friends. I'll be interested to see how this game looks as more and more info comes out so I can see a trailer.

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Quick Hits

• Final Fantasy XIII has officially been given a release date in Japan, with the game set to hit stores on December 17, 2009.
  
  
• In an interview with NowGamer.com, an employee of Infinity Ward (makers of Call of Duty 4 and the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2) heaped praise on rival game developer Bethesda for what they did with the game Fallout 3, saying "Fallout 3 was a renaissance for single-player mentality and proved that multiplayer isn't the end of great single-player experiences."
  
  
• Rockstar Games released a patch to Grand Theft Auto IV that prevents players from using cheat codes in multi player matches. It should go without saying that this is a welcome move.
  
  
• In news related to the Call of Duty item posted above, Microsoft has said that they have no problem with the modded, or "turbo", controllers being used on Live.
  
  
• EA has released a demo for FIFA 10, though it's currently only available Xbox Live Gold Members.
  
  
• Microsoft has said they will only do a Natal version of Halo "when it makes sense". As you should know, I'm a Natal pessimist, so I'm going to say that you shouldn't hold your breath for this one.
  
  
• Warner Bros. is looking to do more in video games with their DC license to combat what Disney will do with Marvel. With the success of Batman: Arkham Asylum, I would expect to see several more DC games come down the pipe in the next couple of years.
  
  
• Halo RC vehicles are on their way! At a MSRP of between $25 and $35 each, you can nab a Warthog, Mongoose, and Hornet.

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Deal of the Week

One thing that I'm all about is finding great deals on anything technology related. Each week I'm going to do what I can to find you, my loyal readers, a great deal that has something to do with the 360 (this could get to be a bit of a stretch, we'll see).

This week we've got a great deal for 360 owners, and I didn't even have to reach on this one. Amazon.com is running a deal on a few different accessories at up 44% off. You'll be able to pick up a White Wireless Controller for $27.99 or grab a Black Wireless Controller for two bucks more. Also on sale are Wireless Network Adapters for $72.99 and 120GB Hard Drives for $119.97.

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Trailer Park

Our first trailer shows a little bit of Capture the Flag multiplayer action. One word: awesome.

Video Games | Modern Warfare 2 | Flag Runner Multiplayer Gameplay Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

The second trailer is a peak at Lost Planet 2. It's only in standard def, but I'm liking the ways things are looking so far.

Video Games | Lost Planet 2 | GC 09: Tropical Forest Gameplay Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Just a few short weeks away, here's the very cool Halo 3:ODST live action trailer.

Video Games | Halo 3: ODST | Full-Length Exclusive Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Oh, and last but certainly not least is a little game called Bioshock 2! We've got the debut multiplayer trailer for one of the most anticipated games of next year:

Video Games | BioShock 2 | Exclusive Multiplayer Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

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The Hot Button

Today's Topic: Hello, My Name Is...


I figured I should take time in my first article to tell you a little bit about myself. I've been a gamer for roughly 8 years or so. I'm currently a college student at the University of Minnesota and I'm a massive sports fan for all teams Minnesotan. I love to cook, and one of my favorite channels is in fact the food network. At some point down the road for this column I would like to add a section where I provide you guys with recipes for snacks to have while gaming but my recipe index is a far cry from where it needs to be to support that kind of endeavor.

I read some of the feedback you guys had for Joe in his farewell column two weeks ago, and I have high hopes that you'll also enjoy this column as I would consider myself a relatively positive guy. I'm not a blind fanboy by any means, but I generally avoid bashing something unless I really feel like it has earned the bashing. The 360 is my favorite system without a doubt; I also own a DS and a Wii, though neither get played that much.

The two games I am most anticipating for the coming months are Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed II. Assassin's Creed was probably my favorite game when it came out, and I also have fond memories of staying up late after work (we're talking 4,5, even 6 in the morning) playing the Beta of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, then sleeping for a couple of hours, and of course repeating the next night.

What I'd like to hear from you guys are your general thought's on the 360, the games coming out this fall/winter, and things you'd like to see in this column. Enjoy boys, hopefully I'll still have more than 4 readers in a couple of weeks!