B3yond the Report 11.04.08

Posted by Derek Robbins on 11.04.2008

This week on B3yond the Report, 411's Derek Robbins discusses PS3 multi-platform games, motion controls, plus...games coming out of vending machines? All of that plus your weekly PSN store Update!

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of B3yond the Report! We've got a busy November ahead of us, so let's see what kind of news we have at the very start of the month:



B3yond the News of the Week

UK: "I'm gonna POP you one."

Let us pretend for a moment that you're attending a university, you're in class, and you aren't really focusing on what the professor has to say. I know, I know, THIS is a shocker. You're thinking to yourself: "God, I sure do wish I had Uncharted. That was a good game!" Of course, turns out you're dangerously low on gas and don't really feel like going to the local games store. Oh, well, I guess I'll just go home and try to torrent that bad boy WHATEVER WILL YOU DO!? Well, luckily, assuming you live in the UK, this kind of scenario will never happen to you! Sony has teamed up with Universal to release the PoP Entertainment vending machines. You can now spend tons of money without having to interact with anyone else!

PoPs promise to sell all sorts of electronic entertainment from movies (both BLU ray and DVD) to PS3 games. If you're the sort who doesn't have a conventional DVD player or a Playstation 3, don't worry! Sony still wants your money as well! You can also download movies and music from the machine onto your flash drive. I suppose this would be a rather handy service if you didn't have access to the internet…but other than that, I really fail to see the point. I guess it's for convenience and impulse shoppers (well, I guess that's kind of the gimmick of vending machines)…but still, even if I did live in the UK, I don't see myself getting too excited over this.

I wouldn't be too shocked if they were to bring the same system over to America – for those of you actually interested – considering Sony HAS tried to bring vending machines with games over here before. After all, if you wanted to burn two hundred dollars quickly, you can buy a PSP and accessories from a vending machine! Assumedly, if it does exceptionally well over there, it'll probably wind up here. It's worth a try at least, right? It'd eliminate the need for lousy EB Games clerks perhaps, so there's always a plus.

PoP is expected to launch with 150 different movies. These of course cover a plethora of tastes because you have stuff like Hellboy 2 mixed with Mama Mia. Good decision to do this, I would say…you never know who this sort of thing is going to catch on with. I'm still wondering what kind of PS3 games will launch with it though? If I had to take an educated guess, I'd say…probably cheaper ones that come out to 30 US dollars? The reduced price may get people to hop on board, right? I also wouldn't be surprised if they incorporated PSP games into this mix.

You can expect to find these PoP machines at "cinemas, gyms, universities and travel stations". So the next time you want to buy a game but you don't want to deal with anybody pestering you for a reservation? Turn to cold hard technology and try out a PoP!

Source: Stuff (Click here to see a video with an example of how to use PoP)



Burn Out Paradise DLC information

As you may be aware, Criterion Games had promised four new DLC packs for Burnout Paradise that would be available in 2009. For those of you who did not know, Burnout Paradise is an open-world racer…the description may not be terribly appealing, but I can assure you that if you like Burnout, you'll probably at least enjoy the game. To be honest, Burnout, Mario Kart, and F-Zero are about the only racing games I ever find myself playing.

So, you might be wondering…what does this DLC entail? Well, Criterion announced that the first pack will be called "The Party Pack". This is an 8-player pass-the-controller mode. Yes, you read that right, you pass the controller. So if you want to have multiple people over and the biggest thing keeping you from playing the PS3 is, in fact, the number of controllers you have…well, fear no more!

In the party mode, a player is randomly dropped into the game and is told to complete the challenge. Obviously when that player passes (or doesn't) the challenge, they pass the pad to the next person. There are three different challenge types. You have the stunt type which focuses on the trick parts of the game primarily. Think of this like…the trick challenge mode from SSX. You also have the speed challenge which is very clearly a race. Finally, there is the skill challenge which gauges how players drive through incoming traffic and drift.

Not only does the pack offer you a new gameplay mode, but it also updates the visuals of the game to go more with the theme. So you won't necessarily be getting the same experience out of the party mode as you would the rest of the game. This first batch of Burnout DLC (again, out of four) is expected to hit sometime in February of next year.

Wait though! What if you don't own Burnout Paradise yet? What if this "pass-the-controller" style gameplay perfected in the game "Worms: ARMAGEDDON" is right up your alley? Well, do I have some good news for you! To coincide with the release, Criterion is also releasing a new version of Burnout Paradise entitled: "Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box." The box set will include a copy of Burnout Paradise, the Cagney and Bikes content updates, and the Party pack. So basically, if you were interested in the game, this would be the version for you to buy.

The PS3 version also carries an exclusive. BOY it sure is refreshing isn't it? X-Box 360 gets Fallout 3 exclusive DLC and we get neato Burnout Paradise exclusive content. Seems fair, doesn't it? …Well, okay, not even close to fair, but at least we get something. Exclusive to the game is the Burnout Paradise Network, which if I'm reading this right, is essentially X-Box LIVE for online Burnout for people who own Playstations. That's cool I guess. Also kind of explains why the PS3 version is the only one to get it. BOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Look for all the new Burnout stuff to come out in February. Try not to get too burned out on racing by then, okay?



Source: Criterion Games

Playstation 3 getting a leg-up on multiplatform titles?

I may be a Sony News Reporter, but I will absolutely not lie to you. The Playstation 3's cross-platform ports usually don't measure up to their X-Box 360 cousins. This is sort of confusing to me because the PS3 is the most powerful system. Shouldn't the more powerful one have the better playing game? I mean, obviously, there are exceptions…but just look at (perhaps the GOTY) Fallout 3. It's an exceptional game that you want as part of your library, but if you have the choice between the PS3 and the 360 versions of the game, you'll probably choose the 360 version. It doesn't have as many glitches as the PS3 version and it also has exclusive DLC.

The reason for this, many people assume, is because the X-Box 360 has a pretty broad user base. Companies just make games designed to work on that system and then port them over to the PS3 with hardly any upgrades because, well, it's already good enough for the more popular system. This may be coming to an end soon…if you believe what SCEE UK's Ray Maguire has to say. Behold!

I think we now have an install base which is big enough for any third party to want to develop for. Now the decision making part of development is which do you lead your development on?

Is it easier to lead with the most powerful, both in terms of AI and graphics, i.e. PS3 and then just remove part of the functionality for the processors that aren't quite as strong? I would imagine that's very much part of the thought process now from a studio development point of view.

So basically, now that the PS3 has a larger userbase, companies may consider working on our version of the game first. I would like to point out Mirror's Edge as an example of perhaps this idea in practice. The game was being made for the Playstation 3, and many people figure that the ideal place to play the game will indeed be on that console because of it. It will be ported over to the 360, which by all means looks like a good version of the game, but it's not expected to be superior to the PS3 version. FF XIII – a game originally expected to be a PS3 exclusive – also is similar in this regard. Perhaps he has a point here?

Maybe not though, the X-Box 360 is apparently a LOT easier to develop for, so wouldn't it make sense for developers just to continue doing what they have been doing? It's probably cheaper on them and most likely involves less work. You can't always have picture perfect ports like Bioshock, Eternal Sonata, or the X-Box 360's version of Virtua Fighter 5 (All three arrived on the other systems much later though).

It's nice though that the guy in charge over at SCEE UK thinks that the trend could be changing. I'm really tired of those comparison videos after all!

Source: VideoGamer



Weekly PSN Update

OH BOY, IT'S THAT TIME OF WEEK GUYS! Man, whenever I make my B3yond the Big Planet level…I've totally got to find a way to incorporate the PSN Update. It'll be every bit as unreadable as the real thing! Letsa' go!

Price Promotion
• Siren: Blood Curse Halloween 1-week sale (from 10/30 - 11/6) - Full downloadable game for US$ 29.99, or chapter bundles for US$ 10.99/each.
Add-on Game Content
• Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution Artifact/Wonder Pack: The Mythic (US$ 3.75)
• Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution Artifact/Wonder Pack: The Iconic (US$ 3.75)
• Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution Artifact/Wonder Pack: The Eternal (US$ 3.75)
• Guitar Hero World Tour
o "No Rain" by Blind Melon (US$ 1.99)
• Rock Band
o "Hong Kong Garden" - Siouxsie and The Banshees (US$ 1.99)
o "Kiss Them For Me" - Siouxsie and The Banshees (US$ 1.99)
o "The Killing Jar" - Siouxsie and The Banshees (US$ 1.99)
o Siouxsie and The Banshees Pack 01 (US$ 5.49) - this track pack includes all of the above singles.
o "Melatonin" - Silversun Pickups (US$ 1.99)
o "Well Thought Out Twinkles" - Silversun Pickups (US$ 1.99)
o "Pretty in Pink" - The Psychedelic Furs (US$ 1.99)
o "Dammit" - Blink-182 (US$ 1.99)
Game Demos (free)
• Mirror's Edge Demo (842 MB)
• Tom Clancy's EndWar Demo (1.67 GB)
• WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 Demo (976 MB)
• Alone In The Dark: Inferno Demo (1.51 GB)
Game Videos (free)
• Life in LittleBigPlanet: Ep 3
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift Stormer Trailer
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift TV spot (60 sec)
• SOCOM: Confrontation Behind the SEALs - Part 2
• SOCOM: Confrontation Behind the SEALs - Part 3
• SOCOM: Confrontation Behind the SEALs - Part 4
• Far Cry 2 Anything Goes Trailer
• Far Cry 2 African Swim
• Guitar Hero World Tour Ozzy Osbourne Vignette
• Guitar Hero World Tour Sting Vignette
• Midnight Club: Los Angeles Trailer #4
• Midnight Club: Los Angeles Cops Trailer
• Stormrise: Echelon Snipers Engage Trailer
• Stormrise: You Are In Command Trailer
Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers
• You Don't Mess With The Zohan Trailer
• Casino Royale Collector's Edition Trailer
PlayStation Store for PSP

Game Videos (free)
• Super Stardust Portable Trailer (also downloadable via PS3)


I'm a big fan of price promotions, I mean…who wouldn't want to pay less money to play a game? So I'm naturally a fan of the Halloween week cheaper version of SIREN. Plus, it's really not a bad game. I mean, it's not your ideal SCARY game but it's far from bad. 1up's crazy A+ may be taking things a little bit too fat, but seriously…you could do far worse. If you don't want to shell out the big bucks for Dead Space and are in need of a scare, this game will do you just fine.

I really can't comment on Civ Rev's DLC. I'm sure the console version of the game is just swell…but I don't care what you try to tell me, that game should just be played on the PC. Also, we have the usual Rockband/Guitar Hero songs. This week, honestly, shit doesn't look too hot. I'm not inclined to spend $1.99 to play a song, especially when each company will be releasing several more games for years to come.

Now as for the demos…let me tell you what, Mirror's Edge caught me off guard. I honestly wasn't all THAT hyped up for the game but once I actually played it…I can see why the gaming media was orgasming itself. To say the very least, there was a lot of effort put into this. It kind of feels like a first person Prince of Persia, if I had to be frank. From the presentation to the gameplay, this really looks like it'll be a smash hit. Honestly, I'm gaining so much more respect for EA. Used to be, I would see something of theirs come out and go: "Oh, I've played this before." Lately though, they've been releasing some rather neat unique intelligent properties. Bully to them.

I haven't played the EndWar demo because I really don't like Tom Clancy games. If you do, that's good on you…but they're not for me. I haven't tried the Alone in the Dark demo yet either. This is the same game that was released earlier in the year for the 360 and the PC…so I'm pretty sure it's safe to avoid it. THOUGH, I hear, there are several enhancements for the PS3 version so you neeeeever know! I did play the Smackdown demo though, and basically…if you played last year's Smackdown you know what you're getting into. It's going to be better than Impact, I can tell you that much already!

Skipping over the pointless game videos section like always. Seriously Sony! One of these days I'm just going to post links to every one of these movies. I mean, I guess it's nice that they're in one convenient place…but I just fail to see the point. Same with the BLUray movie trailer section. Wow, MOVIE trailers? It's like I'm really on youtube! Bleah.

Also, as for that fancy PSP store…gee, glad to see Sony cares about that as much as most of us do: Not at all. One update this week and it's simply a trailer? Nice try, Sony. I do have this shiny new copy of Star Ocean: First Departure in my hand though…so I guess I can at least play my PSP now. So, uhm, good job? You owe Square! (And Atlus. The last game I played on my PSP before that was Yggdra Union)



B3yond the Tabloids

Are you still holding out on a PS3? Not sure if the games are that great? Well, perhaps I can interest you in its ability to play BLU ray movies? It was time tested against several other BLU ray players on the market, and the PS3 had the fastest disc loading time by about 20 seconds. So, as of right now, as has been reported many times…as far as BLU ray is concerned, the Playstation 3 is without a doubt your best current option. It's good to know that whenever I get an HDTV, I'll be able to enjoy these fancy new movies in style.

Man, there sure are a lot of Guitar Hero band games coming out. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: Metalica, Guitar Hero: Dethklok? Well, HAVE I GOT SOME NEWS FOR YOU! MTV has signed a deal with the god damn Beatles and will be releasing a game based on them sometime next year, presumably in the Holiday season. Now look, I know it's another BAND game…but it's the beatles, baby! All you need is LOVE. BAD DUH BAD DUH BUUUUUH. I am ashamed to say that I'll be a massive hypocrite and most likely purchase this title. For the record, this game is not under the Rock Band label. So this isn't some expansion pack, this isn't DLC…it's an entirely different game. Harmonix says that this will be totally different than Rockband. Yeah, totally, I'm sure.

So were you one of the millions (and millions) of people to purchase Metal Gear Solid 4? Well good news, apparently your support has helped Konami almost double their profits over the same sales period last year. That's over US$ 50 million more than last year's US$ 63.7 million. Konami, not wanting Solid Snake to have ALL the credit, also figured their arcade and card game products were to thank for this. Yeah, yeah, sure. Metal Gear Solid 4 has shipped about three million copies worldwide as of August.

It kind of sucks that you can't import images onto Little Big Planet without the Playstation Eye. It kind of really sucks because not all of us find them totally necessary to own. Well, soon you won't need them! Sony plans to create an image importing patch for LBP before Christmas. The reason you couldn't do so at the beginning? Because Sony didn't want to release the game too much later than it was already doing. Makes sense, after all, the sooner it comes out the more copies it can sell and LBP is supposed to be Sony's BIG thing this year.

Dante's Inferno might be the best epic poem ever written. It was a fascinating read, and soon – if EA has anything to say about it – it will be a fascinating game as well. Apparently EA isn't the only company out there that thinks this game will be a smash hit, though. Several movie studios are currently in a bidding war over the movie rights to the game. These studios are Paramount, Universal, MGM and New Regency. I suppose having a movie based on your license doesn't make it quality though. I mean, apparently Army of Two is getting a movie.

The wait is over. Capcom has submitted Street Fighter II HD to Sony and it is expected to be released THIS month. That's right folks, in a couple of weeks you too could be playing a game that was released over a decade ago in multiple incarnations…again! The game was also submitted to Microsoft for approval. There is no word on whether there will be a simultaneous release, but I am very happy the game is finally coming out. It just looks beautiful…and I am willing to pay to experience one of the best 2D fighters of all time again. Just because it looks so damn nice.

So here's a pleasant surprise. In a world where games get delayed all the damn time, apparently Skate 2's release date has been bumped up. No, it's still not getting released this year, but instead of a March 2009 release, it'll be released in January of 2009. That's pretty cool. It reminds me of last year when No More Heroes launched two weeks early to avoid selling no copies due to the impending release of Smash Brothers Brawl (Though I would have bought it anyhow. The game was fantastic) because they were feeling nice.

The PSP 3000 is STILL kicking ass in Japan and once again, it out-paced everything else in regards to sales. The PSP accounted for almost 50% of all console sales in Japan last week. That's pretty impressive. The PS3, on the other hand, had a pretty rough week. They only accounted for 3.11% of total console sales in Japan. Look, I'm not going to be critical of the Japanese here, but seriously…this shiny new PSP 3000 is simply gilding the turd known as the Playstation Portable. Yeah, sure, it may look nicer now but it's still a piece of shit.

I wasn't really looking forward to Brutal Legends. I mean, sure, it's being developed by the mastermind behind Grim Fandango, Tim Schaefer, but it just didn't rub me as anything special. Apparently Activision Blizzard doesn't see it this way. During the merge, Brutal Legends was dropped…and now they are actively blocking publishers from picking the game back up. Why the hell would Activision-Blizzard do this? That's so rage inducing…were they worried that some people may not buy "Guitar Hero: Miley Cyrus" due to this game? Please. If you're so god damn scared of someone making a profit off of it, why not just make the game yourself?

Playstation 3 photography game, Afrika – essentially the closest we'll get to a new pokemon snap…for now – is still not confirmed for a North American release. Kind of a drag, but apparently the Chinese version of the game will be complete with English subtitles. So if you absolutely must play the game in your native tongue, PlayAsia can hook you up. That's pretty neat actually…I'm not sure why Sony wouldn't release the game over stateside, but at least now there is an option for those of us who do want to play it.

Bioshock PS3 DLC has been priced! The add-on pack will run 9.99 and include three challenge rooms for you to tool around. Also included with the DLC is a plethora of new trophies for those of you who actually care about that sort of thing. I'm not really a fan of such pricy DLC, but for you Bioshock nuts (and who could blame you for being one? It's arguably the best game of this generation)…it's probably worth it.



B3yond the Cinema



Your daily dose of Street Fighter IV. This week, it's Dhalsim vs. EDMUND Honda. Edmund is such an interesting name for a Sumo Wrestler, but I suppose, you know, if you're born with it, you're born with it.



I'm not sure, but this may be the best gaming "infomercial" ever. Hasslehoff? Red Alert 3? My goodness, I can't express how awesome this is. Red Alert 3 is another one of those games I would not play on anything besides the PC but like…if you really wanna get it on PS3, listen to the Hoff and buy it.



A Sonic Unleashed Trailer. Okay, like…Regular Sonic's levels are STILL very much "Press-right-to-win" in appearance. This is not a good thing. Were-Sonic appears to be just a generic beat-em-up. Though, I suppose…I could be speaking too soon? Couldn't they just make regular Sonic's levels similar to his levels in Sonic Adventures 1 and 2? They aren't ideal games, but they were at least fun.



Call of Duty meets zombies? YES!



Here's some Mirror's Edge gameplay. Doesn't the user know that you're not supposed to use guns!? Other than that though, it shows how fun the game can be. I can't emphasize this enough, it's a unique game you really need to try out.

The One Man Water Cooler~!



I hope by now you realize that this is some kind of running gag. Drew actually went as far to create a new banner with a new name for me, but I haven't actually seen it yet. Until I DO see it, I'll have to assume he was not telling the truth.

You may be reading this report and wondering where the news on Sony's new patented motion controller would be? After all, it is an interesting piece of news. Sony intends to go mano a mano with the big N regarding their crazy motion control ideas. It seems like a good idea, doesn't it? After all, Nintendo is pretty much leading the console race right now…so why not copy them? You could even generate a few extra sales! Win all around, right?

Absolutely wrong. I cannot stress how much I oppose the idea that Sony is going BACK to motion sensing. Do you remember the six axis? How it was supposed to be a copy of the wii gaming revolution? It wasn't. Most games that implemented six axis control was a complete joke. You know those segments in the Playstation 3 Ratchet title that forced you to use the six axis? Weren't those excruciating? Wouldn't it have been a lot more fun if the motion hadn't gotten in the way and you could just control those moments like you normally would?

That's the big problem with motion controls. Unless they are implemented properly, they just come off as entirely too gimmicky. That's the problem with these consoles that are built on this sort of control though. Companies are far more tempted to make games that use the gimmick than actually make games. Listen, the Nintendo Wii has a lot of great exclusive titles. Nobody is disputing that, and if they are? They're a blind fanboy. What makes those great exclusives so great though? They often times don't over-use the motion sensing to an extreme. Play Mario Galaxy and yeah, there is a bit of waggle…but it's nothing that detracts from the experience. You are still having fun. Many people, including myself, argued that Mario Galaxy was the game of the year last year.

Even then, there are games that are primarily focused on these gimmicks that are still pretty damn good. If you look at shooters, for example, that genre seems to be made for motion controls. Aiming the gun, shooting, all of that…it seems very natural. Metroid Prime 3 (I know this isn't a shooter, but hang with me) introduced new controls that actually allowed for better control than its Gamecube forefathers.

So yes, in some ways motion control is good. However, more often than not…it's just a pain in the ass. Zack and Wiki, for instance, is a fantastic adventure game. It would have been an even better game though if they didn't fill it with un-necessary movements. Do I really need to manually pull a lever? Do I need to put in a key and twist? It seems kind of much. No offense to game developers, but short of virtua reality…if I wanted to imitate opening a door, I'd go open my own door. It's just pointless.

I'm not saying that I am fearful of the Playstation 3 becoming a primarily motion controlled console. The prospect just seems silly. I could definitely see it becoming a viable source of programming though, and you just KNOW that early shit will be horrible. It seems that just now companies FINALLY understand how to deal with it on the wii, but perhaps some companies don't understand how they would go about it on the Playstation 3. We would be forced to endure months and months of garbage bin shit designed exclusively for the PS3 motion. Big marquee titles could conceivably offer a motion control option. Perhaps I am being old school, perhaps I am a dope and don't wish to "evolve"…but just give me a fucking control pad and none of this gimmicky bullshit.

If you want a good example of what this early stuff will look like, let's shift away from the Wii for a moment and look at Nintendo's other big console – the Nintendo DS. Without a doubt, it's the most successful console of any today. For goodness sakes, I know people who own like three different DS Lites. Something about it is appealing. I will admit that the DS is probably the most must-own thing of this generation.

The thing is though, it wasn't always like this. When the DS first came out, other than Mario 64…it seemed that EVERY SINGLE game that came out was simply making use of some sort of gimmick. Really, you'd be hard pressed to find any game that was actually a game. Obviously, that turned around after a while but…for a little bit it was just a pain in the butt. The biggest example of this to me would have to be Yoshi's Touch and Go. Yoshi is a very marketable figure for Nintendo and they can easily make money off of his name. Instead of releasing an actual game though, they released something that had *MAYBE* 15 minutes of gameplay. It was a disgrace and not worthy of your thirty dollars. If they had included it with Mario 64? Would have been great. They didn't do this though. It was typical of the times though. Developers seemed more focused on gimmicks than on gameplay.

That's my primary concern I guess. I don't want the medium of entertainment that I enjoy to become simply a place of gimmicks. I don't come to the game industry to flail my arms around, I don't come to act like I'm opening a door…I come because I actually want to play games. So please Sony, leave this motion fad at the door and just focus on gameplay. Lord knows that you could use this focus.

- This is an example of the things motion control can bring.

B3yond the Mail

Swami corrects me:

Dude, you know that CivRev and Civ 4 aren't the same game, right? CivRev is a faster paced, bastardized version of Civ. That being said, it's still kinda fun. And the updates were cool.

I actually did not know. I made a similar mistake in this column so, err, ignore it! Thanks for the heads up though, I may actually check out the console version now because that's the only reason I was avoiding it. Glad to hear that it's fun at least.

Drew hypothesizes on Killer Instinct 3?

Rare is teasing KI: 3? Expect it to debut with a promising trailer, and then a month later, they will update with a complete revamp of the series...and will base it around creating vehicles to fight in.

That Banjo Kazooie incident still makes me just want to...punch someone...excessively hard.

Dude, you didn't hear? Killer Instinct is now a turn-based RPG much akin to the Final Fantasy series. Jago and Fulgore team up to take down the evil Queen Orchid who is teaming up with Spinal. It's due out next year.

Toddotells me about the SVR 09 collector's edition.

On SvR09 collectors edition: Not that it will make a difference, but I believe the blu-ray DVD that comes with the game's collectors edition will feature matches of the three brands clashing with each other. But again it happens so often these days, that it's not like you are getting anything special for your $20...

As far as new fighting franchises go... We do not need a new one... What the world needs now... is love, sweet love... No seriously... If Rare was to ever get their shit together we could have Killer Instinct 3!! I know it is not new, but it would certainly be enough for me.

So I suppose that means we're guaranteed a Triple H vs. Umaga match on there right? OH MAN, TOTALLY SPENDING THAT TWENTY DOLLARS NOW. I am getting this game, that's for sure. I can't wait to make my own signatures and what not, but that deal seems bad and I am glad you agree. Will you be with me in buying the HIAC DVD package with your game instead? I think you'd end up spending the same amount, but also have many more hours of watchable enjoyment.

I guess we could use a new KI…but I still would rather have something new. Then again, I'm such a fan of the genre that I don't really mind the same ‘ol shit time and time again.

Steve 307 closes out the comments this week.

Got ahold of LBP today on my lunch break, and yeah, when it's connected to the online servers, things go sloooooow right now. I assume it'll get better in the next few days.

Your suggestion for buying the HitC DVD along with Smackdown Vs. Raw 2009 is a good one. I was on the fence about the game until I played the demo. One question, though. This is what, the ninth version of Smackdown? WHY can't Yukes STILL not get wrestlers with long hair right? It still looks like straw sticking out the back of their heads, just like it did in 2000.

I've decided that I'm going to keep supporting Rock Band, and maybe rent GH: WT, simply to play the Tool songs that are on the disc. I have wayyy too many DLC songs for RB to buy another game that has half the same songs, and won't let me use my RB guitars. (To my knowledge, you can use GH guitars on RB, but not the other way around. RB guitars won't work on GH3, so...)

Good column as always.

That's kind of bullshit on Sony though. With a game like LBP, their biggest game of the year, you'd expect everything would be up and running. Could you seriously imagine Microsoft's servers having problems when Halo 3 came out? No, I couldn't. It just…it's kind of embarrassing. I'm glad servers are great now, but it should never have been a problem in the first place.

They have the long hair problem still going and they also have the same damn announcing problems. I think it's not so much that they can't fix it, it's more so that they just don't care enough to do so.

I probably will support Rock Band simply because I prefer Rock Band's soundtrack. I haven't bought any DLC for rock band because I am a cheap loser…but, like, as was the case with last year's game...I will probably get the game based on the strength of the soundtrack.

Also, thank you!

The 411mania Empire!



We have a game's podcast up on the site (not up at the time of this post, otherwise I would have linked it). It's actually where I came up with the idea for the Watercooler this week. Would you please listen to it? I think it'd be a good use of your time!

Vincent Chiucchi writes The Select and Start News Report

Joe Roche writes The Full Circle 360 Report

Theo Fraser writes the Nintendophiles

Tommy Coloma moderates Fact or Fiction

I write The 10th Hour

Joe Roche filled in for Drew this week on Coming Attractions. There were some bad commenters this week. He did a good job writing. It was ridiculous what some of the people had to say. The Game of the Week was a tossup and he would have been called biased no matter which way he went.

AJ and Mike Minotti voice The Exploding Barrel Podcast.

'til the crossroads