Four Player Co-Op 09.23.09: Delays, Defects, and Defections

Posted by Rod Oracheski on 09.23.2009

Are you surprised that already-delayed games might be delayed again? Should Sony step up on the Yellow Light of Death? Will Activision make their own Guitar Hero console? What figurehead will be the next to leave gaming? What's the one title this Fall that has you excited? 411's Todd Vote, Drew Robbins, and Rod Oracheski weigh in on these questions in the latest edition of Four Player Co-Op.

Todd Vote has joined the game.
Drew Robbins has joined the game.
Sean Garmer has joined the game.
Rod Oracheski has joined the game.

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1) With a staggering first-quarter 2010 lineup already in the cards, including Dark Void, Alan Wake, Aliens vs Predator, Bayonetta, Bioshock 2, Dante's Inferno, Darksiders, Dead Rising 2, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War 3, Gran Turismo 5, Lost Planet 2, Mass Effect 2, Red Steel 2, Singularity, Red Dead Redemption, Mafia II, and the recently-slipped racing game Blur, are you surprised to hear that some of those games are now expected to slide later into 2010?

Todd Vote

I am not surprised at all. As a matter of fact, I will pick out a couple that I expect to slide further into the year. The reason I am picking these titles? While they may be discovered to be great games when they are eventually released, I don't see them having a real big chance by staying in the frame with some of the better known titles.

Here are a couple of the games I expect to be moved again. Remember I am not noting the quality of the game as a reason for moving, but rather the mass appeal a game will have. On that premise I think it is safe to say that the following are more likely to be pushed back:

Dark Void. The game looks awesome, to be sure. But in such a crowded line-up, people are going to be less likely to take a chance on a completely new game. I think it would be for the best if Dark Void did push back a few months.

Darksiders. I chose this one because the gameplay I have seen is very remeniscent of God of War. Would you try to bring out a God of War style game at the same time God of War releases? But as it sits, this game looks completely badass, and GoW is the only reason I would want it pushed back.

Dante's Inferno: See Darksiders.

I'm sure there are others on the list that will be shuffled around before it is all said and done, but these three stand out to me as reeping the most benefits from moving release dates. For me anyways, while the three titles I mentioned are right up my alley gameplay wise, if I am able to get that PS3 before the end of the year, there is no way any of the titles I mentioned would sway me from God of War III.

Drew Robbins

Delays used to surprise me, back in the good old days when Nintendo was the only company I could count on to constantly push back hot new titles. But these days, it seems like I see a new delay at least once a week. This year in particular has been rough, as soon as Bioshock 2 got pushed it seemed like the proverbial flood gates were opened and publishers were rushing to ensure their games would also miss store shelves this holiday season. In an obvious attempt to avoid Modern Warfare 2, these publishers have caused another problem with early next year becoming fairly crowded in its own right.

Bioshock 2 is going to be a force to reckon with, and God of War 3 is looking like it will be the first big sales hit on the PS3 since Metal Gear Solid 4 (and hopefully Uncharted 2!). Both games are slotted for February and March, respectively, its probably in the best interest of some of the lesser hyped titles to push things back a little more.

A word of advice to developers: I would have no problem with you dropping one of these huge titles in the middle of the summer drought.

Sean Garmer

No, not at all. Mainly because I think they will want to move it so that their games don't get lost in the shuffle. With all those big names coming out around the same time there is bound to be a few of those games that people won't even know exist because of the oversaturation.

Also, I hate talking about this, but the economy is a factor because people do not have a lot of money to spend wildly right now. If the developers all take the chance to release these huge games at the same time, they are going to force people to pick and choose between too much. This may cause people to not ever buy some of the other games for about six to eight months when they go down in price. I wouldn't be surprised if its revealed that this is the reason you see some games get delayed.

Rod Oracheski

First off, it's not at all surprising that a game, once-delayed, is fair game for further delays. Once that stigma (such as it is) has been attached to the game, there's no point releasing it just to get it out there. Make it good or keep working.

That said, quality isn't the issue behind most of these delays - some, true, but not most. They just wanted to avoid being in the same quarter as monsters like Halo 3: ODST and Modern Warfare 2.

It should be a good lesson to publishers who were looking to avoid a crowded release schedule and just wound up making another logjam instead. If you really want to avoid the Fall rush why not release a game in June or July and then, when the hype has started to die down, do something big for the holidays - major downloadable content alongside a bit of a marketing push, perhaps?

Or just keep talking about how you want to move towards a 'full calendar' release schedule, then planning to release all your games in the last two months of the year - like you have been. Great planning, guys.

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2) Sony and the BBC are going at it over a report on the 'Yellow Light of Death' that aired recently. Do you think Sony should step up and extend the warranty for the issue or not, and why?

Todd Vote

Yellow Light of Death? If this is the case, Sony should absolutely be taking steps to fix the problem. Remember when how everybody is still up in arms about the RRoD problem the 360 suffers? Why should Sony be exempt from making the same fixes that Microsoft has implemented? Failure to do so is sure to burn up all that good will you just earned from the price drop.

In addition I seem to remember some people at Sony taking pot shots at Microsoft for this same problem. Sony has to now walk a fine line to avoid seeming hypocritical, or worse, start looking like a bunch of arrogant out of touch assholes.

Drew Robbins

I've never let it be any secret that I only own a PS3 in the current-gen "console wars" between Microsoft and Sony, which finds me jumping to Sony's defense a lot when it comes to the Yellow Light of Death.

No, not in a fanboyish matter, but using supposed facts to back my argument. The Yellow Light of Death isn't a huge problem for most people, but Sony's warranty has always been a big issue. When your Xbox gets an RRoD, it might be annoying, but you can pretty safely bet that Microsoft will have no problem sending you a new box, but Sony has always been an up-in-the-air kind of thing.

In the days of the PSP launch I remember hearing horror stories about people whose PSPs had busted pixels, and Sony pretty much refused to make themselves helpful and replace or just fix the device. If your PS3 eventually snaps, and your short warranty is up, its just tough cookies and now you have to shell out the big bucks to keep playing the monolith. Sony should definitely look into a three year warranty like Microsoft has had running since the big outbreak of RRoDs.

Sean Garmer

No I don't think they have to, until someone that is credible finds any information proving this is a huge issue. I don't have a PS3, but I know plenty of people that do and they've never had the YLoD.

Yes, I've heard of this happening but it is nowhere near the large issue that the 360's "RRoD" is. I'm on my second 360 and that second one has already been repaired once. While the PS3 may take longer to do repairs on average than Microsoft, maybe the reason the people at Microsoft are quicker about it is because they've had a lot more practice.

Plus, if you are going to do a report you can't possibly say that Sony doesn't want to fix a certain issue based off of a study of three PS3's? That is utterly ridiculous. It sounds like the BBC were just trying to find a gripe against the game industry while saying "we are doing our job to help out the community."

Rod Oracheski

The Yellow Light of Death problem has cropped up a lot on forums (and living rooms) in the last few months, but Sony denies there's a widespread issue.

Now either there is a problem and Sony's trying to deny their way out of it, the same tactic they used (and failed at) with the PS2's DRE problems, or the issue really isn't that widespread at all. Either way, the answer is the same - there should be a warranty extension issued.

If there's no real issue, a warranty extension won't cost Sony anything at all - especially compared to the goodwill it garners. If there is an issue, then it's past time to own up to it, stand behind your product, and do the right thing by consumers.

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3) Activision might be looking at taking Guitar Hero and making the game its own platform, separate from consoles. Good idea, or good riddance?

Todd Vote

This is a good thing for gamers, provided it means you just have to buy the instruments one time, and the rest comes as downloadable content. If it is the same thing where each new game brings a new set of instruments that you have to buy the why bother?

I really don't think people would be more apt to buy Guitar Hero minus the consoles unless there was a very solid reason for it such as no more instrument purchases.

Drew Robbins

Activision has a tendency of making me angry, furious, disgusted - any variety of these emotions. For once though, they've said something truly brilliant that I wholeheartedly endorse.

I know plenty of people who will just buy a console for the sole purpose of rocking out on a Guitar Hero or Rock Band game. In fact, just today, a friend of mine was telling me how he was going to pick up a $300 PS3 Slim just so he could play The Beatles: Rock Band. When all is said and done, he'll be set back a whopping $550. The scenario isn't much better if you just want Guitar Hero.

In my opinion, and in pretty much solid fact, a standalone Guitar Hero game, independent of any console, would sell like hotcakes...even more so than the series used to do.

Sean Garmer

At least he didn't say they were dropping the consoles after this slew of games. Usually I disagree with anything Mr. Kotick says about the entire genre, but I actually have to agree with his idea here. My concern is how much is this going to cost? Of course there are a lot of logistics here too. Are they going to make an adapter that allows you to use Guitar Hero instruments you may already have? I'm going to assume the buck stops here at the cross compatibility with the Rock Band instruments too, since Harmonix has already mentioned this idea before as well. If there is no adapter (which would be really dumb and cause people to take up more space with these plastic instruments.) How much are they going to charge to buy the entire package? If it's more than 80 bucks that is too much. Actually I think it should be lower (more like 50 or 60 bucks because it has to be cheaper than the console versions for people to buy it.) but I'm trying to be reasonable since I know these instruments never start out cheap.

I think the idea is good because music games do have the potential to be separate from consoles. However instrument wise, this can only work if there is some hub that can be connected to a television so that instruments remain wireless. I think parents especially will be annoyed if they have to navigate a bunch of wires to get through their living room. The only way this works gaming wise I think is, it has to be a "plug n play" type deal where you can buy the whole package plus a disc with 45 to 50 songs on it to start, then they can start releasing track packs like Rock Band does (that's if they can't figure out how to make a downloadable store fit on the disc.) Or they can make it like the karaoke microphones my dad has, where the songs are installed into a wired microphone and you press the buttons on it to pick songs, while the other mic remains wireless. They could program everything into a wired mic, and then all the instruments and extra mic's are wireless. If they make it like the new generation of Karaoke machines or Karaoke microphones that people can buy, except it includes fake instruments to play along with it, and you have a good deal.

Whoever starts this out, whether it be MTV/Harmonix or Activision needs to be very careful about the price and compatibility issues, because if you start having casuals (who this appeals to more than any other) have to go through some expensive and complicated process, you risk making it to where no one will buy this.

Rod Oracheski

Please, put it on your own platform so you can release a hundred games a year and I won't have to hear about it anymore.

Anyone else realize Activison has released somewhere around a dozen Guitar Hero games this generation? They completely killed my interest in the series, and even the revamped Guitar Hero 5 didn't bring me back for more than a day or two.

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4) Microsoft's Shane Kim is packing it in. Kutaragi, Phil Harrison, Jeff Bell, Peter Moore...it's been a tough generation for console figureheads. Who do you think is the next to find something else to do?

Todd Vote

It's got to be Reggie, right? The Nintendo head is due for a breakdown from peddling all that crap Nintendo is trying to pass off as hardcore, right? No I kid I kid. This is a hard question to answer, and one I really don't want to answer. So hypothetically, Reggie is the only one left right?

Drew Robbins

Despite being so engrossed in this industry - I honestly don't pay too much attention to who is at the helm of my favorite consoles or developers. Outside of Peter Moore at EA Sports, Satoru Iwata at Nintendo, and Wada (I can't recall his whole name) of Square. Oh yeah, and Bobby Kotick, but I'm too busy gaping in disbelief at the things he says to remember that he actually runs Activision. The only other figurehead I can think of is Kaz Hirai, so out of those five, I'd say Kotick is next in line to go. Not willingly, of course, but I can see him saying something that forces him to pack his bags.

Sean Garmer

Well technically Peter Moore is still in the industry. I don't know, this one is kind of tough because I don't pay much attention to the figureheads themselves, I just pay attention to the business of gaming without knowing the names that make up the companies unless they are the creators.

Some of these started big things, I wouldn't know what to tell ya with this question, sorry.

Rod Oracheski

To be honest I hadn't really considered Reggie until Todd mentioned him. Though the big guy is probably making money hand over fist, I'd guess he's the next to decide he doesn't really need all the abuse that comes with being a video game company's friendly face.

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Bonus: What Fall/Winter title has you the most excited? The all-out action of Modern Warfare 2? Sim racing your custom-painted car in Forza 3? Teaming up with friends in Borderlands? The realistic bent of Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising? Or is it something else entirely?

Todd Vote

Modern Warfare 2 is easily the game I am looking forward to most now that Marvel Ultimate Alliance is out. Borderlands is a close second, and I'm still holding my breath for the announcement of Killer Instinct to be released via the Xbox Live Arcade (note: I have no authority that this last item will happen, nor have I heard any rumors. It is strictly wishful thinking on my part.)

Given that, there is one thing we can all be happy in knowing this Winter... There is something for everyone on the horizon.

Drew Robbins

Out of the games you mentioned, the only one I'll probably even consider playing is Borderlands. No offense to Modern Warfare 2, but that game isn't exactly my style. I like my first-person shooters to be a bit more on the outlandish side, not stuck in a sort of parody of an occurring global conflict.

But the game I'm truly most looking forward to is Uncharted 2. Drake's Fortune is still my favorite PS3 exclusive, and every trailer I've seen seems to indicate that this one will be that much better. Unfortunately, I'm a little strapped for cash so I might not be one of the lucky first-day buyers for Among Thieves, but rest assured it will be in my PS3 at some point by year's end.

Sean Garmer

Right now I'm excited for FIFA 10, Brutal Legend, Lego Rock Band and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

But if I have to pick a game that comes out later, (if I had a PS3 it would be Uncharted 2), I think its the Saboteur. I got to watch a developer play this right in front of me and I was amazed at the graphical style, the gameplay, and the storyline that went with it. I wanted to play the game badly when I left the room.

Rod Oracheski

While I have no doubt that Modern Warfare 2 is going to be huge, the excitement over that has kind of died down lately. It's too much of a known property, I think. I've gone from eager anticipation down to being more resigned to my fate - enlisting in Modern Warfare 2's online war for the bulk of the winter months.

The upgrades to Forza 3's graphics, physics, and customization are appealing, and I plan to do a top-shelf Edmonton Oilers car as soon as I get the game and try out some three-screen racing action, there's another game that has my interest piqued right now.

Borderlands? No, once again that's more of a resigned feeling than excitement. Some friends are already planning times we can all play together, so I'll be exploring that cell-shaded wasteland soon at launch.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising has me the most excited right now. The recent video releases have really upped this one's stock, especially the multiplayer battles. A more slow-paced shooter with strategy required and suspense aplenty seems unusual enough to be really interesting right now...

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That's it for this week. If you have questions you want these suckers volunteers to answer feel free to drop it in the comments.