411 Games Fact or Fiction 06.21.11: NPD, Psychonauts, Homefront and More

Posted by Adam Larck on 06.21.2011

Will a Gears of War game be made for the Kinect? Are May's NPD numbers surprising? Is Nintendo missing the boat by not including DVD or Blu-Ray with the Wii U? Will Homefront get a sequel? 411’s Dan Watson and Mathew Sforcina debate these topics and more on 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'm in the process of finishing up Red Faction: Armageddon for review. Also picked up Brink for cheap over the weekend, so checking that out as well.

With E3 out of the way, we get back to normal this week with Mathew Sforcina and Dan Watson pairing up. Let's see how these two do. Time for banner!





1.) The top five in the NPD list for May doesn't surprise you.

Dan Watson - Fiction: I am surprised with how high that Brink ended up after such sad reviews and what felt like a lack-luster opening week. I wouldn't have been surprised if Mortal Kombat or Portal would have been number two and three and Brink at four. For those that have not played Brink, I encourage you to form your own opinion by playing the game. I was not impressed and did not like the game, however, that is just my opinion. Also, how much longer will Call of Duty remain on these lists?

Mathew Sforcina - Fiction: If only for Brink. I honestly didn't expect that one, in that I assumed that the shooter crowd would get it into the top ten, but top 5? And SECOND? Really? That's the runner up to LA Noire? Frinking BRINK? I didn't call that. The rest is ok, although not even one Nin-tendo's a little bit of a shock, but still... Brink? 2? Really?

Score: 1 for 1 - I have to agree with both of them. I didn't think Brink would have the steam to push both MK and Portal 2 down.



2.) After the deals are done, Psychonauts will receive an HD-remake for XBLA and PSN.

Dan Watson - Fact: I am sure at some point we will see an HD remake of the game. It has a decent following and there is money to be made there I am sure. I am not sure if it is going to be right after the deals end or if we won't have to wait until next year at some point, probably Holiday season of 2012.

Mathew Sforcina - Fiction: The 'and' I have to disagree with. I get the feeling MS will buy this one out and get it exclusive. Or the other way around since MS already offer the original for download. I think both Sony and MS are going to start trying to get more exclusive games for their DL options, given that DLC is now, at best, timed, rather than exclusive. Psychonauts would be a coup just for the reviewer cred... But I might be wrong. Probably am.

Score: 1 for 2 - Maybe we'll finally be able to get a sequel if a HD-remake gets some good sales numbers.



3.) Nintendo ought to embrace free-to-play with their next console.

Dan Watson - Fiction: Nintendo needs to stay away from free to play games. They have already stated they will be avoiding them, but they need to stick to their guns. Sure, free to play is fun in the beginning, but after about 30 seconds of playing, they suck. I have never played a free game (minus Angry Birds) that kept my attention for longer than a few minutes before I said, eh, I'll go play that game I paid $60 for. If you start throwing these free to play games in, it only diminishes the console and company's value. STAY AWAY NINTENDO.

Mathew Sforcina - Fiction: Why? MS doesn't do it. Sony doesn't do it. Free To Play sounds like a good idea on paper, but it's just asking for trouble on a console, where you have that many more idiots who will complain when you bring in microtransactions even if it's just silly hats. F2P is a niche market plan that is nowhere near ready for a console. Nintendo has enough to worry about just getting an online system that works up and running, let alone bringing in microtransations...

Score: 2 for 3 - With Sony already supporting it and Microsoft rumored to be considering it, I would think Nintendo would be trying to join in here.

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4.) With Kaos Studios closed, Homefront won't be getting a sequel.

Mathew Sforcina - Fiction: It's sales were disappointing but not horrible, and THQ is still alive, so why wouldn't they flick it across to some other part of their empire and do it again? Just make it... I dunno, Russia this time reforming a pseudo USSR or something...

Dan Watson - Fact: Thank goodness, too. I luckily only rented this game and had it beat within a day. The story was interesting however, the online play felt more like a cheaper version of Battlefield than anything original or worth playing. I hope this game does not get a sequel and ends up just going down as a mediocre first person shooter that took place in the not-too distant future.

Score: 3 for 4 - Considering it topped the NPDs for a month, ,we may see at least one sequel of the game from another dev.



5.) You'll pick up Dead Rising 2: Off the Record at the discounted $40 price.

Mathew Sforcina - Fact: Taking the question's basic concept, given that I'm in Australia and thus my games cost twice as much for no Tara-damned reason. But if OTR is at a reduced price, then sure I'll pick it up. If only to explore the city without having to run back and give my daughter a shot despite a friendly, sane woman sitting there and/or a fricking paramedic there that could give the shot at the right time...

Dan Watson - Fiction: I am starting to feel real negative with all this fiction but I can't help it. Why would I pay $40 for this version of the same game? This is the biggest waste of money for any consumer. We are going to take the game, put you as the original hero (who didn't feel very different than the one in the game) and then re-package it as a great concept and sell for $40. Ya this is a big pass for me.

Score: 3 for 5 - Capcom really needs to release more information about the game if they want to drum up interest for another purchase.



6.) You agree with Nintendo that the Wii U doesn't need a DVD or Blu-ray player.

Mathew Sforcina - Fact: It doesn't 'need' it. It should have it, if only because it's another sales point you could add for a small cost and the touch screen would make a decent controller for it. From Nintendo's point of view, sure, everyone already has a DVD player and the Wii/Wii U is a games machine and nothing else, but come on, it's not that hard to add. But they won't, since they won't have to pay everyone else for the DVD rights. It's a cost cutting measure.

Dan Watson - Fiction: Again, its like Adam wants me to be pissed off and in a negative mood all day. WiiU does need to have the "entertainment center" experience if it wishes to be successful. I have never owned a standalone DVD player or Blu-Ray Player, the reason is because Sony and Microsoft have me covered. If I buy a WiiU, I now have to buy a PS4 and/or a Xbox 720 to be able to watch movies on disc. I guess if WiiU has some awesome concept in the wings that is going to kill off ever buying a disc again to watch movies, great, but if the internet hasn't killed off that technology yet, I don't think it is going to.

Score: 3 for 6 - I can understand trying to cut costs, especially since it sounds like the controller will be raising the price of the system.



Bonus Question) We'll eventually get a Gears of War Kinect game from Bleszinski.

Mathew Sforcina - Fact: Sadly. Unless the Kinect dies in the next year or so. But yeah, it won't be GOW4 or anything, but a side game, sure. It'll happen.

Dan Watson - Fiction: I am not sure if Gears fans have a huge outcry for the game and I don't think they want to tarnish something that has such a intense following. No other fans that I can think of for a console game would shell out $100 for a lancer replica and then $150 to reserve the game with a statue of the main character included. That is $250, for a $60 game. That shows that these fans are very much hardcore gamers and the Kinect really hasn't shown it has the ability to appeal to them.

Adam Larck - Fact: Microsoft is trying to find any way to utilize the Kinect to draw more gamers in, so why not? Gears is a popular franchise with the core crowd, so trying to integrate Kinect into the series probably isn't too far off. I don't think it will be a big integration, though. I could see it being something like what Mass Effect 3 is doing with voice recognition. Otherwise, you could see gamers flailing everywhere just to do a chainsaw kill.

The pair finish this week going 3-for-6. What do you think? Agree or disagree with their answers? Let us know. See you in seven!