411 Games Fact or Fiction 04.28.08: Another Halo Without Master Chief, Brett Favre on the Cover of Madden, the Release of Mario Kart Wii Right Before GTA IV, & More!

Posted by Tommy Coloma on 04.29.2008

411's Dan Hirsch and John Curry give us their thoughts on Grand Theft Auto IV's sales figures, competitive games that give advantages to those that are losing, minor graphical differences between the same games on different systems, Halo games without Master Chief, Brett Favre as the next Madden cover model, and Nintendo's decision to release Mario Kart Wii right before GTA IV in this edition of Fact or Fiction Games.

Welcome to another edition of Fact or Fiction. Once again we were able to get two newcomers to come in to tell us what they think about some of today's most important video game news and issues. Dan Hirsch is one of the Games section's newest reviewers. He is currently working on a review for Universe at War for the Xbox 360. John Curry currently gives us his views on a wide range of topics in The Checkpoint. Recent ones include a look at why the Fatal Frame series should make its way to current-gen consoles, things that really piss him off about games, and why there should be more Heaven vs. Hell games. He also writes The Ground and Pound for the MMA section where he's covered topics such as why the UFC is a monopoly, his prototype for a fight league, and why children should/shouldn't train fom MMA. John has also done interviews with several fighters, including Brad Imes, TUF 7's Amir Sadollah, Drew McFedries, and Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis.

Let's go -


1. It is obvious which version of Grand Theft Auto IV will sell more units.

Dan Hirsch: Fact

I think it's a safe bet that the 360 version of GTA IV will do more sales than the PS3 version in the US. The last US sales numbers had the PS3 at about 3.5 million units sold with the 360 having around 9.5 million sold. Logistically, you have more people with Xboxes in the position to buy the game. Plus, with Microsoft having the ability to offer confirmed downloadable content, it makes the 360 version more appealing for those who are into downloadable add-ons.

John Curry: Fact

I have to go with Dan on this one. Let's just take the numbers provided by Mr. Hirsch as an example. If there are 3.5 million units sold of the PS3 and 9.5 million units sold of the Xbox 360 and only 1/4 of each of those owners buys GTA IV, that means that the PS3 will push 875,000 units of the game while the 360 will push 2.375 million units. This doesn't take into account all of those who have both systems who will have to make the decision as to which system they will buy it for. It's going to be a simple argument. The 360 offers the downloadable content which everyone including myself will be buying and the PS3 doesn't. Why spend the money on the PS3 version when for the same cost I get the same game plus the ability to expand my gameplay?

Score: 1 for 1


2. There is nothing wrong with competitive games that make it easy for players who are behind to catch up for that out-of-nowhere win.

Dan Hirsch: Fiction

I have to disagree with that statement. I understand developers like to make the games playable for anyone who picks it up, but this kind of unfavorable balancing is ridiculous. I played a 4-person game of Mario Kart Wii and was in 12th place for most of the game. On the third and final lap I got the Bullet Bill item and proceeded to bulldoze my way to 3rd place. Was this finish an accurate depiction of my atrocious Mario Kart skills? No, it was the Wii feeling sorry for my pathetic driving and making me feel better by giving me the best item in the game. I appreciate the attempt at handicapping on the fly, but not at the expense of fair and balanced game play.

John Curry: Fiction

110% Total Fiction. There is nothing worse than a game that handicaps itself in order to create "competition." I haven't played Mario Kart Wii yet but from what I have heard about it, the game is awesome. I do remember another game that did the same thing that Dan described above and that was Crash Team Racing. This does nothing to allow us as gamers to show our dominance or weakness against other players when playing this game. If this kind of crap happened in other games such as Halo or Gears of War online, how good would the game really be?

Score: 2 for 2


3. It still matters if the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the same game have slight graphical differences.

Dan Hirsch: Fiction

Slight graphical differences should hardly merit any uproar over a game if they are exactly that, slight. I have played Call of Duty 4 on both a PS3 and a 360 on a 720p HDTV and can honestly say there is no tangible difference as far as I can tell. The environments look the same, the guns look the same, the explosions look the same, and so on and so forth. To the naked eye, these minute variations will hardly be noticed in the thick of the action. Anything more than a slight graphical difference (loading times, frame rate issues, etc.) will warrant my attention when choosing between a game available on both systems.

John Curry: Fiction

Can anyone on a regular television really tell you the difference between the graphics? No. Can anyone on an LCD or HDTV tell you the difference between the graphics in the same game? No. You would have to get really nitpicky to find out which system has the better graphics when analyzing the same game. This isn't a question such as "do graphics matter between the Wii and the 360 or PS3?" That's an obvious difference that can be seen by three year olds, but between the 360 and PS3, it is such a small difference it might as well be no difference. The fact is the only real uproar between the two comes from hardcore fans of each system.

Score: 3 for 3



4. A Halo game without Master chief as the main character is destined to disappoint.

John Curry: Fiction

I am kind of torn on this one. In one way Master Chief is the main focus of Halo. Is this like taking Mario out of Super Mario Bros.? No. Many games have been successful simply based on their actual gameplay rather than the continuation of a main character (eg. the Resident Evil series). Halo has too many fans to disappoint. Now, if they try to completely change the quality of the game or story, then that is a whole different question and answer.

Dan Hirsch: Fiction

Any game based in a Halo-based universe is bound to succeed based on name value alone. The Halo IP is worth more than most Hollywood franchises and has a rabid fan base. It's a safe assumption that a new Halo game would be gobbled up by gamers regardless of whether or not Chief is the focus. Even though most gamers have identified Master Chief as the main character to the central story, there's a whole universe waiting to be explored. Plus, the series could use a shot in the arm with a new character to focus a story on. Why should Bungie not make a prequel with Sgt. Johnson as the main protagonist? Plus, groundwork has already been set for a Halo game without Chief. Just take a look at the preview of Halo Wars made by the real time strategy masters over at Ensemble Studios. The game shows promise and is sure to be much hyped as it nears its release date.

Score: 4 for 4


5. Brett Favre should not be on the cover of Madden NFL 09.

John Curry: Fiction

100% total fiction. The NFL just lost one of the greatest and gutsiest players in the history of the sport. It's a wonderful homage to Favre to be featured on the cover of Madden and it makes me wonder why it didn't happen sooner. Furthermore, who the hell cares who is on the cover of the game? At least this way there is no curse that can be fulfilled on the field.

Dan Hirsch: Fact

In early March, football great Brett Favre retired from professional football. Recently, the Packers placed him on the reserve-retired list. With that said, I feel that since he is not an active playing member of an NFL team, he should not be on the cover. I respect the man and his many accomplishments over the years and what he means to football. But the cover of Madden should be reserved for an up and comer or popular all-star who can help sell the game. Why not put someone like the NY Giants Superbowl Champion quarterback Eli Manning. He played a vital role in their championship run and played huge in the big game. I could understand wanting to put Farve on the cover as a show of respect, but I think his legacy is pretty well cemented. But with the Madden franchise cemented as the industry leader in football gaming, the name Madden pretty much sells itself. You could put Michael Vick or Pacman Jones on the front and the game would still move 8 million copies.

Score: 4 for 5


6. Releasing Mario Kart Wii right before Grand Theft Auto IV got released was a smart move on Nintendo's part.

John Curry: Fact

While I don't think that the two really share the same audiences, I do think it was smart for Nintendo to grab the money out of the pockets of those who planned on buying GTA IV. This is like asking if it was smart for Disney to release Aladdin before Deep Throat was released. Two different audiences who will buy two different games. Either way, GTA IV's sales will double Mario Cart Wii's.

Dan Hirsch: Fiction

I don't think releasing Mario Kart Wii before GTA IV is as big of a move as people may make it out to be. The games have completely different target demographics, are on different systems, and are completely different games. If it was the difference between releasing something like Gears of War 2 before GTA IV, then you would have a case. The main consumers going out to spend their cash on GTA IV are more than likely not the same people who will be buying Mario Kart Wii. Aside from hardcore gamers and little kids who con their mothers into buying both games, I don't see the same people buying both games. If you boil down the game play elements, one is a Nintendo character group party racer while the other is a mature-themed, single-player game with online elements. I can understand wanting to release this game before a huge title like GTA, but since the games are marketed for different audiences, I think their competition will not directly affect each others' sales figures. So by releasing Mario Kart earlier, Nintendo really hasn't done anything other than show a fear for any form of competition, even if it's non-existent.

Score: 4 for 6



We have a final score of 4 for 6. Don't forget to join us next time for more Fact or Fiction!

Now, we were somehow transported to a dark land while trying to rescue our dog. Unfortunately, our only gun was eaten by a heartless giant. If we can make it through the darkness without giving in to fear, we'll be back next week.