411 Games Fact or Fiction 01.17.12: Call of Duty, Dark Souls, Fallout and More
Posted by Adam Larck on 01.17.2012
Will Bethesda try making a Fallout MMO? Will Microsoft announce a new console this year? Will Dark Souls come to PC? 411’s Stewart Lange and Justin Weinblatt debate these topics and more in this week’s 411 Fact or Fiction: Games!
Welcome to Fact or Fiction. I'm Adam Larck, and I'm hosting Fact or Fiction for a week while Stewart jumps in as a competitor.
I've been playing a bit of Dungeon Defenders on 360 (hit me up if you play at Vengeful Rain) along with getting back into Skyrim. I've also finished up Saints Row: The Third.
This week, we have Stewart Lange and Justin Weinblatt going head-to-head. Let's see how these two do. Time for banner!
1.) With a reported 20 DLC packs coming for Call of Duty Elite users this year, many of them will seem worthless compared to map packs.
Justin Weinblatt - Fiction: The mind of a consumer works in strange ways. I bought the 3DS when it was $250 and was part of the ambassador program. When Nintendo started rolling out their free ambassador games, I was excited. I felt like I was getting something for free, even though I knew in the back of my mind that I had basically paid 80 dollars for the games. I think Elite Users will have the same "free" feeling as I got.
Stewart Lange - Fact: The problem with doing THAT many new downloads for COD, there is not going to be any chance of all of them being good. I think more importantly it does prove the Elite upgrade to have been worthwhile, as I'm sure the aficionados will be equally please with a couple of new guns one fortnight, followed by a new map later.
Score: 0 for 1 - I think besides new levels, new missions for the Spec Ops mode and a few other things can be pretty nice. But, with 20 packs, I'm guessing a few may seem a bit bland to gamers.
2.) Namco Bandai will really listen to a petition to bring Dark Souls to PC.
Justin Weinblatt - Fact: Namco has a history with fan campaigns. Nearly every time a new Tales game is released, fans beg for a localization. After waiting an obnoxiously long time, Namco eventually complies with fan demands. I'm beginning to think that Namco does these things just to build hype. Eventually the game will make it to PC, but it may take longer than fans expect.
Stewart Lange - Fact: They'd be pretty stupid not to, considering that they'd make a good bit of money from it. What I've noticed is that while console gamers, for the most part are much happier to go hardcore with a game so they'd certainly be a great market for a game like Dark Souls. A guy I work with is a PC exclusive kinda guy and he's clamoring for a port so if it's wanted so much that a petition has been started, then they should go for it.
Score: 1 for 2 - We've already had Nintendo give in with the release of Xenoblade Chronicles stateside, it's nice to see that petitions may actually have an effect sometimes.
3.) Now that Bethesda has complete control over the Fallout license, they'll try their hand at making a Fallout MMO.
Justin Weinblatt - Fiction: I don't really want to, but I'll have to agree with Stewart on this one. Launching an MMO is a risky proposition, and there have only been a hand full of success stories in that field. Considering that most MMO players stick to one particular game, it's a tough market to break into. The fate of The Old Republic will have huge ramifications on the MMO market, and Bethesda will likely wait to see how this plays out.
Stewart Lange - Fiction: At least, for the foreseeable future. I'm a complete Fallout nerd, but I'm actually not too interested in the MMO at all. It's like the multiplayer in Mass Effect 3. It's not what I want from that particular gaming universe. Back to point, I think that control on the license was the main thing for Bethesda, but realistically, I think they may wait and see just HOW successful the Old Republic is over a slightly longer period because if; and that's a BIG if; TOR fails with a Star Wars tie-in, I can't see a Fallout one making it very far at all, unless it's free-to-play. Which it almost invariably won't be.
Score: 2 for 3 - I think Bethesda is coasting with Skyrim right now, but it'd be nice to possibly see at least a multiplayer Fallout in the future.
4.) "Komplete Editions," or games that add all DLC in after release, shouldn't sell for cheaper than the original game, so gamers that bought early don't feel cheated.
Stewart Lange - Fact: I think they should cost the standard retail of a new game, frankly. While Justin is bang on the money about everything depreciating, these "Game of the Year" it does make sense they come out at the same value as a new title. The only downside is that generally, if somebody is going to spend £40 (UK RRP) on a game, they will have already done it when the title was first released.
Justin Weinblatt - Fiction: I don't know if this is some kind of secret or something, but virtually everything goes down in price over time. Whether it's a cell phone, TV, a computer, or a car, if you wait, it will go down in price. The same is true with videogames, including the retail game itself and its DLC. Buy the games that you absolutely can't wait to play at launch, wait for the rest to go down in price, and don't act shocked and offended when prices go down.
Score: 2 for 4 - I don't mind the complete or GOTY editions that come out with the content for the same price as the original, but I question it when games like Homefront start trying to do it.
5.) With the 360 now having sold over 66 million units, there's no question we'll see Microsoft announce its next console this year.
Stewart Lange - Fiction: But I wouldn't be surprised. The new title update for the 360 dashboard finally feels "right", with the Kinect compatibility (although, it doesn't understand the Scottish accent) and I still think there is a lot more they could do with the console. I actually don't think I'd be particularly thrilled with a new Microsoft console coming out, I've become awfully attached to this one.
Justin Weinblatt - Fiction: I don't think there is a magical number that a console has to pass before its successor is launched. The X-box is still selling at a very fast rate. Furthermore, I don't think Microsoft has given up on the Kinect. Considering the Kinect's launch campaign budget was as big as that for the 360 itself, Microsoft clearly hoped that the Kinect would lengthen the 360's life span.
I think that Microsoft will probably tease the successor for the 360, but I don't think it will be a full reveal. The "no question" part of the question forces me to say fiction.
Score: 3 for 5 - I think Microsoft will at least mention it at E3, but I'm not sold that it will be a full release.
6.) Meanwhile, Kaz Hirai says the PS4 won't be announced at E3 this year. You believe him.
Stewart Lange - Fact: Yeah, but Justin is dead on with the point that IF Microsoft announce anything, Sony may be forced to give away whatever details they may have on the "PS4". The only reason I think that might not happen is the way they were prepared to let Microsoft go first with this console generation, leading me to believe that if a new XBox release is announced, Sony will be happy to spend a bit more time making a "better" machine.
Justin Weinblatt - Fact: Sure, why not? The PS3 bled money for a while after its launch, and it's only been on steady ground for the past couple of years. Sony is facing a huge uphill battle with the Vita in Japan, and I don't foresee its American launch going any smoother. To top it all off, Sony is going through some rough financial times. Its credit rating has just been downgraded, which could make it hard to gather capital.
With the PS3, Sony made a very powerful console, but took a huge hit with each system they sold. If they want to use a similar strategy for the PS4 (or whatever they call it), then they would likely want to keep on riding with the PS3 for as long as possible. Of course, Microsoft's actions, and the reception to the Wii U can force Sony's hand.
Score: 4 for 6 - I don't know about this. With Vita out, they could hold off for a few more years, but if Microsoft does announce a system Sony may try to compete as well.
Bonus Question) It's a smart move by N-Control to publicize its Childs Play donation after the PR fiasco they had.
Stewart Lange - Fact: Absolutely. I think that's what they call Damage Control. It's not exactly morally right, but it's business and they had to make themselves look better.
Justin Weinblatt - Fact: It was certainly the right decision, but the company was left with virtually no other options, so I hesitate to use the word smart. The only other way to help save their battered image would have been a public hanging, and I don't believe those are legal anymore. In the end, a douchebag got fired and a deserving charity got money. All's well that ends well.
Adam Larck - Fact: N-Control needed something positive to get fans back on its side. The Avenger controller is really a nice feature for gamers with handicaps, but the trouble they had with Ocean Marketing really hurt them. Sure, it wouldn't have gotten found out if things had happened differently in the email conversation, but the end result is it made N-Control guilty by association, which wasn't right. Now, by donating money and controller attachments to gamers in need, maybe they can change the public opinion of them again.
The pair finish this week going 4-for-6. What do you think? Agree or disagree with their answers? Let us know. See you in seven!
Posted By: Not Jimmy Chavez (Guest) on January 17, 2012 at 10:09 AM
3.) Now that Bethesda has complete control over the Fallout license, they'll try their hand at making a Fallout MMO.
I guess I'm the only person that hates multiplayer? I just got Fallout a few days ago. I foresee months of playtime on it and have no interest what-so-ever in a multiplayer version of it.
4.) "Komplete Editions," or games that add all DLC in after release, shouldn't sell for cheaper than the original game, so gamers that bought early don't feel cheated.
Sell it for whatever you want. I'll wait until I can pick it up for $2-$5 on Amazon.
6.) Meanwhile, Kaz Hirai says the PS4 won't be announced at E3 this year. You believe him.
Hope they don't come out with a PS4 soon. I just got a PS3 a few days ago.
Posted By: Comment Board Poster (Guest) on January 17, 2012 at 10:17 AM
I personally don't think Bethesda should even think about an MMO and just spend all their time on a next one in the Fallout series (that's not multiplayer lol)
There needs to be a Fallout 4 (unless you think that's New Vegas) using the engine from Skyrim.
Posted By: goodolsscutup (Guest) on January 17, 2012 at 01:52 PM
While I would love to see a fallout MMO IMO it should be nothing like the standard mmo that WoW/Rift/Star wars follow.
It really should be different like a complete open world that is living, people can make and join factions, clans etc with different focus on them. Like one person could make a faction based on caravan trading, another could be conquest of areas and kill anyone that comes close. Perhaps one for trolls that like to mess people up there is always factions that like to attack traders and be slavers.
Posted By: Guest#1568 (Guest) on January 17, 2012 at 10:11 PM
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