411 Games Fact or Fiction 05.10.11 PSN, Gears of War 3, Too Human and More
Posted by Adam Larck on 05.10.2011
Should Halo's Master Chief have been in Gears of War 3? Is Portal 2's free DLC a great idea? Will Sony be hit hard by lawsuits over its PSN outage? Was it wise to push Mass Effect out of the holiday season? 411’s Mark Salmela and Mathew Sforcina debate these questions and more in this week’s 411 Fact or Fiction: Games!
Welcome back to another week of 411 Games Fact or Fiction. I'm Adam Larck, and I've perfected Portal 2. Debating picking up Brink this week, but I've been playing Mortal Kombat and a few other various games in the meantime.
This week, we have Mark Salmela going up against Mathew Sforcina. Let's see how these two do. Time for banner!
1.) None of the lawsuits against Sony will succeed regarding the PSN intrusion.
Mark Salmela - Fact: Sony should have been more prepared for this intrusion, but I don't see how anyone gets money out of Sony because Sony was hacked. People get hacked, it happens. They should have been more prepared and been more responsive in this whole process, but hacks can happen to anyone. I think Sony's legal team will hold off any lawsuits.
Mathew Sforcina - Fact: In that I think that this is Anonymous, and Anonymous aren't into actual criminal activity. I think, I dunno, if I was a hacker with evil intention I would leave files saying I was Anonymous and then do what I like... But all it needs is for ONE person to be able to show that they got robbed or defrauded or something after this, and they're screwed. But I don't think anyone WILL be able to prove beyond reasonable doubt, that Sony directly led to them losing money. But one can hope...
Score: 1 for 1 - I see a lot of threats happening, but many will be dropped. Who knows, you may still see one succeed possibly.
2.) Given the file found by Sony in the intrusion, it really was Anonymous behind the hack.
Mark Salmela - Fact: I don't buy the whole "we didn't do it thing". They were making threats against Sony for quite some time, and while it may not have been all members of "Anonymous", I bet the hack came from a group that considers themselves part of "Anonymous".
Mathew Sforcina - Fact: But a very weak one, on the basis that it's someone/s who does visit the board that Anonymous started on and believes themselves to be part of the group. The idea that Anonymous is developed enough to be good enough to target a major company at will is a little way off, it's still mostly a loose group of peoples who share vaguely similar ideas. If they were focused, then Scientology would be broke right now. I don't think it's a major, controlled hit as it is a few people in the group doing it.
Score: 2 for 2 - Anonymous is a rouge group. I have a feeling at least a few members were involved.
3.) It's a good call to push Mass Effect 3 out of the holiday season.
Mark Salmela - Fact: From the second I saw the release date at the VGA's I was always anticipating the game getting delayed to Q1 2012. It just sounded too soon for a game as large as Mass Effect 3 to be launched less than two years after Mass Effect 2. Delays are temporary, bad games are forever. Let BioWare perfect Mass Effect 3 and release it when it's ready. Skyrim will hold over the RPG crowd.
Mathew Sforcina - Fact: It's gonna be a mega seller anyway, but why not release it with no other competition and thus devote ALL the media's attention on it, why even risk it? Release it solo, and enjoy the entire Video Game Internet Broadcast Journalism spotlight on yourself. Makes sense to me.
Score: 3 for 3 - At least it frees up some more time with Skyrim for me.
4.) Master Chief would have made a good fit in Gears of War 3 as a cameo.
Mathew Sforcina - Fiction: I'm sorry, but you cannot let your main iconic mascot be chopped in half with a chainsaw. It's just giving the internet a silver platter to make fun of you. Even if the games aren't THAT dissimilar, it's too risky to do. Having one Spartan get beat up in DOA4 is fine. Having Master Chief decapitated in GOW3? No, just no.
Mark Salmela - Fact: Why not? I don't have a problem with cameo appearances. I'm fine with Kratos in Mortal Kombat, and I think Marcus would have fit well for the 360 version of MK. The only reason I can see Microsoft not wanting Master Chief in Gears 3 is that they'd have had to reveal a skin color for the character since people get decapitated all the time in Gears, especially multiplayer.
Score: 3 for 4 - It would have been interesting to see him get decapitated, but I agree with Sforcina here.
5.) It's good that Silicon Knights is finishing the Too Human Trilogy.
Mathew Sforcina - Fact: Hey, we all need a good laugh.
Mark Salmela - Fiction: Too Human wasn't very good. The controls were dumb and didn't work. The game was a critical and financial failure. Just cut your loses and move on. Speaking of which what the hell has Silicon Knights been doing all this time? If they've just been making Too Human 2 the game better be almost finished.
Score: 4 for 5 - I liked the last game, but I never thought the series would continue being made.
6.) Offering free DLC for Portal 2 is a smart move by Valve.
Mathew Sforcina - Fact: In that by releasing the meaty stuff as free and forcing people to pay for the meaningless appearance DLC, they get the cash from the hardcore while keeping everyone happy with free DLC. Everyone wins! It's smart. Charging for it wouldn't be stupid however, but this is a smart move overall.
Mark Salmela - Fact: Who doesn't love free? Besides, free DLC is an incentive to prevent people from selling the game. It's a win-win situation.
Score: 5 for 6 - An E3 release window would be great for fans that can't go to the convention to entertain themselves with.
Bonus Question.) Sony's Welcome Back Program is enough to make up for losing your information.
Mathew Sforcina - Fiction: Assuming I had info on there (I think I do, but not my credit card or anything) then even if I got a couple of free games and a month of access to the Gold network is kinda lame compared to possibly opening up to fraud and me losing all my money. I don't think they could have done much more, however, I mean they can't offer a blow job from the video game character of your choice or anything, but I dunno, it does seem a little... weak. But again, I don't know what more they can do, so I'm clearly being too hard on them...
Mark Salmela - Fiction: I'm really not that interested in PlayStation Plus, so other than a month trial to PSN+ I don't see much of an incentive for someone like me. I lost online capabilities for weeks and had my personal information compromised, give us more than a month trial to your paid service.
Adam Larck - Ficiton: I could care less about their Plus service. You've compromised gamer data. Thankfully, they've added identity theft protection for a year, but that was announced almost a week after the Welcome Back program, and really isn't tied to it. As far as the program goes, it seems to be a dud, and something better needs to be organized for supporters of the system.
The pair finish this week 5-for-6. What do you think? Agree or disagree with their answers? Let us know. See you in seven!
Seems Sony is trying to turn a potiental bad situation with the PSN hack into a way of getting more people to sign up on Playstation Plus. Can we say shamless self promotion here Sony?
Posted By: Ace of Spades (Guest) on May 09, 2011 at 11:41 PM
It's not the fact that Sony was hacked into. It's the fact that Sony had outdated server security programs, and no firewall to protect sensitive information. This is an outrage! Sony is a multi-billion dollar corporation, where was the proper security?
And what about all the lies about ETA's that Patrick Seybold was telling his "valued customers"? He had NO clue what was going on (obviously), and still gave ETA's that were unattainable. 1st lie: 1-2 days, 2nd lie: a week from yesterday, 3rd lie: within the week. It's a shame when the HEAD OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS has no clue about his own company. Where did they find this guy?
Sony is the laughing stock of the gaming market. Can't wait untill the new consoles come out, consider me a Microsoft man then.
Posted By: PRAY_4_WAR (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 01:30 AM
Seems Sony is trying to turn a potiental bad situation with the PSN hack into a way of getting more people to sign up on Playstation Plus. Can we say shamless self promotion here Sony?
Posted By: Ace of Spades (Guest) on May 09, 2011 at 11:41 PM
Yeah I'm with you dude. That sounds like a move out of the Directv playbook. "You get 3 months of HBO for free, but you have to remember to cancel it afterwards, and we're not going to remind you."
Posted By: JWestmoreland (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 01:43 AM
As far as their Welcome Back program goes, I say that it's sufficient. I agree that there isn't really anything more that they could REASONABLY do. Already being PSN+, it's good to know that I didn't get some of my money wasted because they are reimbursing my time. For non-members, it is a good chance to try out the service for free, and at least get in on some of the DISCOUNTS that you get by being a member. Free content is only available while you're a member, discount items stay yours forever. The free games I'll get for my PS3/PSP will be nice. Especially if I get 2 for each. As mentioned in the article, "Who doesn't love free?" The identity theft protection is rather interesting. A very expensive move for Sony, but one that I think is a good capper to the plan. It's hard to argue that they didn't do enough. THEY get hacked, and then THEY have to pay through their orifices so that everyone else can feel better about being inconvenienced by Sony's efforts to avoid customer damage. It's not like it's the only hack in history. Besides, this gives them the chance to work with outside agencies to make a new, secure network from the ground up. I can honestly say that I think the odds of it happening again are slim... unless some person(s) with insane skills and too much free time come(s) along with the express purpose of making Sony miserable. It can happen. Any lock can be picked, but at least now I know that they probably won't be able to get away with less than state-of-the-art security. Not if government agencies and politicians have anything to say about it. If I can't trust a company that is willing to spend so much to ensure that my identity is (now) safe, then I should give up buying anything online. I guess the way I see it is that they spent A LOT of money and get to take all the hate, but it was done so that their customers could avoid further damage. They simply lose money by trying to do what is best for their customers. They could have said nothing, let it go, and we would all be getting screwed by hackers, but at least we could still play CoD(not me. I dislike the game.) We'd be happy, but not safe. It's not like PSN is a pay-only service. if it was THEN I could DEMAND things. It's not, and any actions done to avoid further damage, and to make up for lost service only benefit me. How can I rationally complain? Ultimately, my lost gaming time is gone, but Sony were doing what it can to try to make it up to me. What more can I ask?
Posted By: CeeJ Mantis (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 02:08 AM
4-for-6, not 5-for-6
Posted By: S24-7 (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 02:15 AM
Fact: Matthew/Mark have a poor understanding of the law. First, proof beyond reasonable doubt isn't required. It is a balance of probabilities. Sony's legal team "may" be able to hold off against law suits within the US, but lawsuits from gamers within EU countries have a decent chance - and this is regardless of whether any credit card information was compromised or thereafter used for fraud. Companies that acquire personal data have a legal obligation to comply with EU data protection laws. It can (and should) be argued that they failed.
Lawsuits will serve as a deterrent to future negligent behaviour toward data privacy of consumers.
It's laughable that the claim "people get hacked, it happens" was even made. That's neither here nor there. Financial compensation occurs, not only to bring the wronged entity back to the state they were in, but also as punishment.
Posted By: Solicitor (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 03:16 AM
Too Human was a pretty bad game to be honest. The best part is that I have a signed copy kicking around some where that may be worth a little extra.
The problem with the company is that they make a game, fire everyone who worked on it, tell the government they are losing money, receive more bailout, hire inexperienced devs for less, make a game, fire them all and so on. Silicon Knights is failing as a company over all. So while it is nice for them to say they are going to make it, to actually do so may be a surprise.
Posted By: BrairMoss (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 07:45 AM
"6.) Offering free DLC for Portal 2 is a smart move by Valve. "
I'm not sure why you asked this, as EVERYONE in the world complains about paying for DLC
Posted By: Guest#8075 (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 09:05 AM
I for one enjoyed Too Human and welcome a finished trilogy.
Posted By: chAd_b (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 11:01 AM
Half of the gaming community is using their mom’s credit card anyway because they’re underage. They want more than a month of free PSN+ cause they want to stay in their mom’s basement instead of getting off their asses and mowing additional lawns on Saturdays. Make the jump to the 360 already and don’t bitch about paying the $60 annual fee…
Posted By: CryptoBiz (Registered) on May 10, 2011 at 02:30 PM
Their welcome back program sucks. Am I supposed to just give them my credit card info again after this happened. My days of buying DLC are over.
Posted By: Guest#4750 (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 03:01 PM
I am glad i stick with the PC games but i did play XBOX live for 2 years and had so many friends try to convince me to move to PSN and i told them no because i knew this exact thing would happen sucks to be a PSN guy now don't it?
Posted By: Crazywhitedude (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 03:53 PM
Bonus Question.) Sony's Welcome Back Program is enough to make up for losing your information.
What more can I ask?
Posted By: CeeJ Mantis (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 02:08 AM
I agree. The PS+ members get compensated for the downtime. The PS members get to try out what they don't have access to. Anyone who had their info on PSN get ID Theft Protection for a year. Seems fair.
I have to admit that I've been looking at my games lately (Socom 4, Crysis 2 and Killzone 3) becoming a little restless that I am unable to jump online for a quick game or two. I am more than understanding of the complexities of code writing don't get me wrong. But I can't help but feel like some members whose patience is wearing thin.
I find myself almost stalling to play a game because I don't feel like tying myself into it. I'll spend a good chunk of time once I get started. Would rather have the option of a quick few matches.
Btw, If you haven't played Killzone 3 with the Move sharpshooter you truly are missing out. It will make you think, "How did I ever play a shooter without this?" Not saying it will turn you away from the controller but it just feels right.
Socom 4 feels pretty solid too. But the 8 missions I've completed so far have been too short and not challenging enough. Imagine each mission shows your map (satellite view) and each have been around 1-3 cityblocks long each (so far). Haven't necessarily left room for imagination or real skill management.
Maybe it's because of the dynamic environments and more open levels of Killzone 3 that have spoiled me ^_^
Posted By: Josh@Work (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 04:23 PM
I'm sorry, but you cannot let your main iconic mascot be chopped in half with a chainsaw
Why not? How exactly would having your iconic Mascot being chopped in half with a chainsaw effect the mascot or the franchise? This is just like car companies not letting their cars take damage in videogames. I dont get it
Posted By: natedoggcata (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 06:47 PM
"Anonymous is a rouge group."
What, they're communists? You just said that they were a red group. :P
Also, offering free Playstation Plus access as an apology is rubbish. After the free month expires, you have to keep paying for the service to keep using the stuff you downloaded during the free month! It's just a way to sucker people in to a service that requires a lifetime obligation.
If Microsoft got hacked, and they gave you free access to Xbox Live Gold for a while, you could download a bunch of games with the service and then keep using the games even if you choose not to renew the service. They give you free stuff, but they give you a choice of opting out if you don't like the service. Playstation Plus holds your content to ransom (even if you payed money to download it) and forces you to keep paying for the service in order to keep using it. It's a joke!
Posted By: Guest#7149 (Guest) on May 10, 2011 at 11:00 PM
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