Four Player Co-op 01.25.12: Resident Evil 6, Diablo III, SOPA, More

Posted by Stephen Randle on 01.25.2012

Is Blizzard making a wise move by delaying Diablo III once again? Are we excited for Resident Evil 6? How relieved are we that SOPA and PROTECT IP were shelved? The 411 staff answers these questions and more in the latest 4PC!


Todd Vote has joined the game.
Dan Watson has joined the game.
Sean Garmer has joined the game.
Trace Aber has joined the game.

Quizmaster

Greetings, and welcome once again to Four Player Co-op, the game where the points are like Jinder Mahal being one of the announced participants in the Royal Rumble: they just don't matter. I am the Quizmaster, among my many duties are keeping track of the 90-second intervals between entries in the Royal Rumble. Shut up, it's harder than you think.

Start the game!

QUESTION ONE: One of the most anticipated titles of 2012 is, without a doubt, Diablo III. Although there were rumours that the game could see release as early as February, an official statement last week that also showed off some big changes to the game, has apparently pushed back release an undetermined date. I know, they do this every game, and have since time immemorial, but how do you feel about Blizzard's "when it's done" approach to their game releases?

Todd Vote

Honestly, I believe it is a nice breath of fresh air to see a developer more worried about putting it out when it is ready as opposed to rushing to meet a release date. To be honest, as much as it sucks to see a game you have been waiting for get delayed, I wish more companies would follow this practice. It is far better to have a delay by a couple of months than to have them put out a game that has severe game breaking issues, or server problems (ahem, WWE '12). As long as the delays do not enter Duke Nukem territory, things should be fine.

Dan Watson

I am behind Blizzard doing this. If they see something in the game that is an issue, fix it. Look at games like Fallout and Elder Scrolls from Bethesda, the games get rushed out and are filled with glitches and bugs. The reason that Blizzard games are so popular (or at least one of the reasons) is because the games have that finished feel. Sure there are updates just like any other game but the out of box product feels so complete that you know the company tried. So, yes, in the end I am okay with this, plus it gives me more time to play other games before this consumes my life.

Sean Garmer

Whatever they feel needs to be done to enhance the game, I'm all for it. I do not play PC games and I do not care about Blizzard's games either. They delay all of their titles because they know they have rabid fans that will fait forever for their games. The Blizzard representative that is quoted in the article said it best "no one will remember if the game is late, only if it is great." At the end of the day, isn't that what we care about the most?

Trace Aber

I for one like it, if only because of their track record. Yes, it's painful when you have to wait this long for the next "must have" game, but I think the payoff is worth it in the end with Blizzard. I can't think of a single Blizzard title I've purchased and been disappointed in. They could release the game now, but it wouldn't be what the fans want, nor what Blizzard wants, and to me that's far more disappointing than anything else. As long as the games are good, I say let them take their time.

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Quizmaster

As someone who waited an extra year for Diablo II, I have to say…it was worth the wait. Everyone's pretty much in agreement on this one and will split 524 points because of it. I have to add, to those who point out that Blizzard's games still get patched after release, I say to you, if they work that long to get a game to what they feel is "release quality" and still have mistakes, maybe that's just an added reason for other game companies to follow the same pattern instead of trying to hit an overly optimistic release date.

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QUESTION TWO: Resident Evil 6 has been officially announced, joining Operation Raccoon City as upcoming RE games in 2012 (although Raccoon City may be shelved in favour of RE6). The survival horror series has somehow been a long-running hit for Capcom, ever since the first game was a release title for the original PlayStation. How much, if any, of this series have you played? Are you hyped for the sixth edition of the main series?

Todd Vote

OH HELL YEAH! I am a huge RE fan. I think I have played nearly every game, only missing out on RE 3 (Where is the HD re-release of this game Capcom, you double dippers?), and a couple others. Hell, I even bought a light gun for the PS2 so I could play Resident Evil: Dead Aim, which I feel is extremely under-rated. The main series has always been my favorite zombie games. RE6 looks like things might be going back to the roots, and having actual undead zombies in the game instead of just having people infected with the Las Plagas virus. Plus, we are getting Chris Redfield, and Leon S. Kennedy in the same game, albeit apparently separate campaigns. I don't see any reason for an RE fan not to be excited about this game.

Dan Watson

I have loved the Resident Evil franchise. I have played all of the main games (RE 1-5) as well as a few of the side games. While I would be okay with the idea of Raccoon City being cancelled in favor of RE 6, I would prefer both games to be released. I am all for more horror action games. I am not really sure I am as big of a fan of the way the series has been going, as I would prefer to continue to fight zombies and other mutated creatures over just screwed up humans but either way I am happy and excited for this game to release.

Sean Garmer

It is always nice to see a new Resident Evil game coming out. Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield are also seeing returns to the franchise too. I have played the first Resident Evil through number three and also played Resident Evil 4 a little bit as well. I am not the biggest fan of the RE series but I have always respected what it did for gaming. I am sure RE fans are hyped to the moon to see this come out, and November 2012 is not that far away either.

Trace Aber

I have only played the first and second Resident Evil games. I missed out on the third, and despite what everybody tells me, the fourth one doesn't interest me. I understand it has great gameplay and storyline and I'm not a true gamer and all that, but I REALLY hate escort missions and everything I've seen of four consists of escort missions. That being said, I was actually looking forward to Raccoon City more, though it seems like they're going back to their roots with the sixth edition. I'm certainly more interested in this than I was 3, 4, or 5, but that's not saying much.

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Quizmaster

Well, I've played none of the Resident Evil games, so even Trace is up on me in this case. I was just surprised that the game has been around and successful for so long, but then, they are still making those crappy movies too, so I guess I always knew they were making some amount of money.

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QUESTION THREE: And in a rare display of actually paying attention and plain good sense, both SOPA and PIPA were shelved this past week, with the ESA finally joining with pretty much everyone else who had dropped their support. Obviously, the bills needed a lot of reworking so the next version might not suddenly give the United States the ability to censor half of the Internet in an attempt to combat piracy. And hey, we're as against piracy as the next person. Especially Todd. Anyway, while we have time between government agencies telling us what to do, tell me, how relieved are you at how things turned out this time around?

Todd Vote

SOPA was a serious case of right intention, completely wrong execution. I'm glad it is not getting passed in the current form it is in, even if I do not fully understand what all it was capable. I understood enough of it to know it was a bad hat.

Dan Watson

You know that a bill is doomed when people on Facebook are talking about how bad it is going to be. Listen, this bill caught a lot of attention because of the idea of censoring the internet and taking away freedoms that people apparently really care about. Imagine if everything you did was censored and just shut down or changed without your permission. There are plenty of ways to combat priacy, the first step isn't shutting the internet down.

Sean Garmer

I am very relieved that this did not pass. Censorship on the internet would be a terrible thing and would make the internet less fun if it was sanctioned. I do not know what I would do without youtube being around to show me all the awesome music in the world, plus it would be the most useless app on the Xbox 360. I think it would make it difficult to do almost anything on the internet because the government would not need much to shut down any website. Google Images not being free would really affect a lot of columns and news reports around the internet as well. Just be aware this is not the end folks, people need to be aware of the ACTA that is closing to passing. ACTA has even bigger effects than just the internet and does not only affect Europe either. So, people need to rally and try to get this stopped as well folks.

Trace Aber

I'm not relieved at all. SOPA and PIPA may have been stopped, but it's only a matter of time before they either get brought back up or another bill just like them pops up. The problem with the fight against piracy is the people who might be able to actually do something about it (the government) lack the expertise and knowledge required to find a fair and balanced way of combating it. And that's implying that there even IS a way to fairly fight piracy without indicting nearly everybody. For one, the punishments for uploading copyrighted material needs to be reworked dramatically, in both financial fees and time spent jailed. It honestly feels like they pulled random numbers out of a hat and called it a day. We also need to take the movement from the internet and into the real, physical world. We need to get the people out of office who supported the bill because they either don't respect our freedoms and common logic or they agreed upon a bill that they knew nothing about. I'm not saying either one is shocking, but they need to get out of there and get out fast.

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Quizmaster

Trace is appropriate amounts of paranoid about the bills resurging, which we all know they will in time, and scores 12642 points. And I should reiterate, we're all in favour of punishing those who deserve it, but not at the cost of everything that makes the Internet a haven for freedom of expression. At what point do the people involved in politics get young enough that they actually understand how the Internet works? Can it be soon?

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QUESTION FOUR: So we had a downloadable version of NFL Blitz released last week, which got me to thinking about how sports games have evolved into near-total simulations of realistic play, after humble beginnings where realism took a back seat and you were lucky if a game even had a professional sports league's license in order to use real teams and players. Still, I remember putting a lot of hours into games like Bad News Baseball, Blades of Steel, NBA Jam, and the like, far more than I ever put into MLB 11: The Show, NHL 12, or Madden. And on a similar track, there's Gran Turismo, the most realistic racing game ever, vs racing/car-combat games like Mario Kart. I know we don't all play sports/racing games, but you've got to have an opinion on this, right? Which do you prefer, realism/simulation or cartoonish/"looser rules"-based?

Todd Vote

I definitely lean towards the more looser rules, over the top arcade style of gaming as opposed to the straight up sims. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional game of Madden, but if my opponent scores a touchdown on me, is there really any reason I shouldn't be allowed into his end zone celebration to hand out some Kurt Angle suplexes? My tasted have always skewed to the more unrealistic games. I prefer Mortal Kombat to the more grounded Virtua Fighter style games, I prefer Need For Speed to Gran Turismo, or Forza. I'll choose NFL Blitz nine times out of ten over Madden. But hey, that's just this guys opinion.

Dan Watson

I'm a bit different than you Stephen. Sure I get some joy out of playing the arcade versions of sports, but the real fun to me is in the simulations. NHL 12 is better than any arcade hockey game out there. Blades of Steel used to be an awesome game though. As for racing though, I do prefer the arcade feel. Gran Turismo and Forza are fun games but unless you know a bit about cars you tend to not get a full feel for the game. I am all for both types of games co-exsisting but just feel that in the sports world it is better to have a sim over an arcade title.

Sean Garmer

I am not trying to be an ass or anything, but I should mention that NFL Blitz (2012) came out on January 4, 2012. So, it has been more than a week ago that it released on Xbox Live and PSN. I did review the game for this website and if anyone did not read it, the game is flat out awesome. I'll start out by saying that as sports games go, I love both types. I am a huge sports fan and love to feel like I am playing a true simulation of soccer with FIFA 12 or basketball with NBA 2K12. I also enjoy the hell out of NFL Blitz and NBA Jam because they bring me back to my younger years when I would spend hours trying to beat every team in the game. As for driving games, I am more of the arcade type. I can get in my real car and drive anywhere I want to go, I do not need to play a game to get that feeling. I would rather play Midnight Club or Need for Speed, and trick out my car, race it around the streets, and know I can run from the police with no consequences. Mario Kart is also one of my favorite racing titles because it is just so much fun. Arcade racers are much better because they let you do things you can't get away with in real life. Forza and Gran Turismo is not much different than NASCAR. You drive fancy cars but they are done in such a realistic fashion that it takes a lot of fun out of the game for me.

Trace Aber

I personally prefer a combination of arcade and simulation, but if I had to pick just one it'd be arcade for sure. I think most of that has to do with the fact that I don't follow most sports, meaning I don't understand the intricate rules within each one, nor the ability to use those rules to my advantage. Sure, with UFC Undisputed or WWE 12, yeah, I can work with those since I enjoy both MMA and pro wrestling, but put me in front of NBA 2k12 or Madden 12 and I'm pretty much a fish out of water. I was able to play more sports simulations just fine up until the current generation, when things just got too real. Same with racing simulations too - I just want to play a game and have fun with something I don't enjoy in real life. Much like how Mario makes plumbing fun (that's the point, right?).

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Quizmaster

In deference to my release date error and not actually initially reading Sean's review of the game, I give him both 92346 points and even put a link to his excellent review in his answer. Sound good?

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BONUS QUESTION: Okay, only a little more sports, I promise. Super Bowl's in a couple weeks, have you got a winner picked? Or, at least, plans for the event? Come on, it's fun even if you hate football. Well, not as fun, but…

Todd Vote

My buddy Earl has been calling the Giants over the Patriots with a score of, I think, 31-28 or something like that. Me, I don't have a preference for a winner, as this year, like every year my pathetic Vikings don't make it, I'll be watching for the commercials.

Dan Watson

I am going with a revenge win here for Tom Brady and the Patriots. Sure the Giants are hot and have beaten some really good teams. Both teams got "lucky" this past weekend but with the Super Bowl I expect Brady to be much better. I am going to go on a limb here and say that Brady will break or tie at least one record for a QB other than most Super Bowls started. Final Score 35-21 Patriots.

Sean Garmer

I was really hoping for a Harbaugh brothers rematch in the Super Bowl, but alas we get a rematch of the Pats vs. Giants. I'll admit that game was great but I can't stand the Patriots and being a Dallas Cowboys diehard fan, I cannot cheer for the Giants at all. I was rooting for the 49ers to make it because they had been the most consistent throughout the season. However, this is the game we got and I am still going to watch it at least for the commercials. I am probably going to go to my friend's house or wherever my church is planning a big get together to watch it. I am going to pick the Patriots because they are looking for revenge from a few years ago. This should be a shootout because both defenses have not been able to stop better than average offensive teams. The Giants have the much better pass rush and possibly even offense. However, I think Bill Belichek has a plan to make sure history doesn't repeat itself and Tom Brady will get his fourth Super Bowl ring.

Trace Aber

I don't even know who's going to be in it this year. Typically I know at least that much, but I've somehow avoided it this year. I do plan on watching it, however, as it's the only football game I watch of the year. I plan on drinking massive amounts of alcohol during that time, though, so I'm not sure if that counts. I pick the team that YOU want to win.

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Please wait…Host is calculating scores…

HIGH SCORE

BRETT FAVRE WINS
WHADDYA MEAN, HE'S RETIRED?
I'M NOT FALLING FOR THAT AGAIN
COME BACK NEXT WEEK TO TRY AGAIN

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