B3yond the Report 11.25.08

Posted by Derek Robbins on 11.25.2008

This week on Beyond the Report David Jaffe calls God of War III a work of art, trophies are mandatory over PSN, Hideo Kojima receives a lifetime achievement reward, all of that and your weekly PSN Updates.

Hello and welcome to B3yond the Report! I'm out of college all week thanks to Thanksgiving Break and it feels pretty nice. I slept ‘til 11:00 on a MONDAY! The reason I was absent last week was because I was pretty damn sick. So, sorry…I know you desperately wanted all of your RPG PS3 news and PSN updates. Ahh, but you don't care about that, let's get to the latest in Sony news, shall we?



Information from Sony Staff Meeting – God of War 3 looks "awesome"

One of the most hyped games for our beloved monolith is the third entry into the God of War franchise. This is mainly due to the high quality of the past two increments of the game, but what exactly do we know about God of War 3? Next to nothing, actually. Outside of a few bits of story that may or may not have leaked, we still don't know very much. Still though, at a recent Sony staff meeting they unveiled a new trailer for the game.

What takes place in this trailer? Essentially Kratos killing shit. He kills Cyclopes, he kills skeletons, he hitches a ride on a bird and kills it as soon as he reaches his destination. It seems like more of the same, doesn't it? Well, you know, considering how popular the God of War franchise is, there really is no reason to deviate from the formula. What's this though? The trailer is garnering a lot of praise? (Please note, the trailer in question isn't up on the internet as of the time of this writing)

That's right, people watching the video had a hard time telling whether it was in-game action or CG. So, apparently it was really nice looking. History has told us that whenever we're not sure, we should just assume CG because it probably is. Remember the first look we had at Madden on the 360? There's no way they ever got the game to look that good in playable form. Hey though, don't take my word for it though. From someone who was in attendance:

Some of it looked like it could be in-game action because of the camera angles, but it all looked so good that it couldn't be. CGI or not, everyone was pumped up by this. The anticipation is growing. God of War 3 could be amazing.

Camera angles eh? Color me skeptical. There's no doubt in my mind that it will be a pretty good looking game – we're at a point where every game has good graphics – but having it be anywhere near as good as they're making it out to be? I'm just not sure. Leading credence to this report is a very dubious source. I say dubious because he may just be a tad biased. Ladies and gentlemen, former director of the God of War franchise, mister David Jaffe:

I thought GEARS OF WARS 2 looked about as good as a next-gen game could look.... and that game is currently - and will probably remain- my game of the year.

[But] Dudes and dudettes, [...] WAIT till you see the amazing graphics [of God of War 3].
[...] I ain't no fan boy but this [...] game looks like nothing you've ever played...and you can hold me to that when this thing hits and when they start showing gameplay footage.

It looks like a painting come to life- it's THAT good looking.

I'm not sure I can believe this given who is saying it, but if GoW III really does look like a painting come to life, consider me excited for this game. It's been well-documented through the 10th hour that I am not the biggest God of War honk…but if they threw amazing visuals into the mix they could have me hook, line, and sinker. Killzone 2 is still gonna be a hard sell though…but if it's as improved as beta players are letting on, maybe I need to loosen up a bit.

I mentioned there was other news from the meeting in my title and indeed there is. Uncharted 2 was shown for the first time and apparently it looks about the same as the first Uncharted. That doesn't really bother me, honestly. Uncharted was a pretty good game, so if they want to rehash it they may as well. Hopefully they improve on the gameplay a bit though, and maybe add a few new things. I really have a problem with paying for essentially the same game twice.

Oh, there's also a chance of a price cut. David Reeves apparently said that Sony intended to become more competitive (as far as price is concerned) by March of 2009. So hey, you guys who haven't jumped on board yet…you may want to wait just a little while longer. Price cuts may be a pain in the ass when it comes to those of us who adapted earlier, but hey, if it draws more people in then whatever.

Source: DavidJaffe.biz and dpad



Trophies are now mandatory

I once got a message from David R. over PSN asking me about my appalling trophy score. He asked me whether I actually cared about them or not and my response was: "No, not really." I have no desire to show people online that I am amazingly good at the single player of a game. Of course, that didn't stop me from tooling around in the trophy levels on LBP…but still! Trophies just never seemed like that big of a deal to me. Apparently I can't avoid them anymore as Sony has made trophies a mandatory feature in Playstation 3 released games starting January 1st, 2009. So, if any of you game developers are keeping track you better get cranking on getting those trophies on disk.

This seems like such a mind-numbingly obvious move to me. Whether I care for them or not, achievement points are a pretty popular trend right now. It was pretty weird seeing some games include trophy support while others simply left them out. It's like Sony couldn't figure out whether they wanted to jump fully onto the achievement ship. It's a damn good thing they are getting on board though. This promotes replayability among those who may not normally replay a game. Plus, you know, Street Fucking Fighter IV will have trophies and you know damn well I'm hopping on that train.

Yes, all games need to have trophies on the disks. Not as downloadable patches. This; however, does not count games that have already been released. So, let's say a company has a lot of people bugging them to put trophies into their game. It is up to that company to do what they want to. Sony will not force these games to implement trophies. So, for all of us who were hoping that finally Metal Gear Solid 4 would include Trophy support…too bad so sad.

If those games do indeed get trophy support though, apparently retroactive trophies won't be something that's possible. Remember when the Uncharted trophies came out and you had to replay the game to unlock everything? Yeah, pretty much every game is going to be like that. So, sorry fans of Metal Gear Solid 4 – if trophies are released for that game, your heroic exploits will have to be replicated if you want the trophies. The source of my source has this to say:

Also, as far as I am aware, any games that do patch in Trophies have to be started from scratch. We can't check a save game for stats and unlock Trophies accordingly.
Well, let's hope they find a way, huh?

Trophy support came about in July of last year and it took half of a year to get trophies to be a mandatory part of the Playstation experience? That's kind of a joke. What does that say to the other new features that we've been introduced to? Will it take half of a year for us to get in-game screenshots? I'd hope not…but whatever the case, I'm really happy that this is finally a forced issue. Way to put your foot down, Sony!

Source: VG247



Street Fighter II: Turbo HD Remix – Super Turbo Hyper Champion Edition Collector's pack

Those are some pretty long, wacky names eh? Well hey, Capcom wants to stand out so how can you blame them? It's not every day that a game that came out in 1991 is re-released with new graphics! To be totally fair, the new graphics are pretty damn impressive and I couldn't be more hyped for the game's launch THIS WEEK. X-Box LIVE folks may be getting the game a day earlier than I, but I assure you…I'll enjoy it more than any of those guys combined.

It's fitting then that, just like with Megaman 9, a special edition of sorts is being released. What does this special edition include? Well, it's not just your typical willy nilly DVD/BLU ray featuring making of features. No, it's something much cooler…something those of us who are truly Street Fighter nerds can appreciate. Get your saliva glands ready folks, it's a pretty neat deal:

• Ryu's head band
• Rare Chun Li figurine (only 1,000 made)
• Magnetic Background with two sheets of Static Cling Characters
• Street Fighter Remix Comic
• Asset Disc


Well, let's see. The Ryu's headband? That's something I'll be wearing when I kick ass on Street Fighter IV online. I don't care if I'll look like a total tool, nobody can see me (I think…). This is something that I'd be pretty pleased in owning, even if I can probably just pick up a cheap ‘ol cosplayers headband somewhere on eBay. This one is made by Capcom baby, Capcom

You also get a pretty neat Chun Li figurine. My brother is a pretty big Chun Li guy – which is weird, because last time I checked he hasn't made it through puberty yet – so he'd probably be interested in something like this. I assume this is one of those inch high figures similar to the kind I got of Kasumi when I pre-ordered Dead or Alive Ultimate. I have a picture of it, and unless it's zoomed the hell out this is probably right. It's probably a little higher quality [than the Kasumi one] since alledgedly 1,000 of them exist. So, there ya' go, a collector's item.

The magnetic background seems like something…kind of pointless, honestly. I don't usually put that kind of thing on a magnetic surface. I guess if you're super hardcore about your Street Fighter though and you so desperately need to put a background up and place your favorite street fighters on your fridge now you can.

The remix comic looks pretty cool, but the REAL crown jewel of this collection would be the asset disk which is packed with artwork from the game. This artwork you can probably just find on the internet, but now you can actually own it (in disk form!) and have it all in one convenient place, so bully for you.

That's a lot of stuff though, and unfortunately Capcom doesn't plan on releasing a whole load of these. You want to know how many? About 300. You know what would be just swell Ramon? You hook me up with one of these for the review copy of the game and I'll be just the happiest little writer you've ever seen. Just keep your eyes peeled on the Capcom store if you're interested in this. Mine certainly will be.

Donations of this special edition to me will be accepted. *cough*



PSN Update time

Sup bitches, it's time for the PSN weekly update. You ready? I'm ready. Let our drilling of this subject pierce the heavens.

Add-on Game Content
• BioShock PS3 Challenge Rooms ($9.99)
• LittleBigPlanet
o Sack in the Box Costume (free)
o LocoRoco Costumes ($2.99)
• Dead Space
o Astronaut Pack ($2.99)
o Big Gun Pack ($0.99)
o Heavy Damage Pack ($2.99)
o Hot Rod Pack ($0.99)
o Military Pack ($3.99)
o Obsidian Pack ($1.49)
o Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack ($1.49)
o Pedestrian Pack ($1.49)
o Scorpion Pack ($3.99)
o Scorpion Weapon Pack ($2.25)
o Speed Kills Pack ($2.25)
o Tank Pack ($3.99)
• Guitar Hero World Tour
o "Consoler of the Lonely" by The Raconteurs ($1.99)
o "Hold Up" by The Raconteurs ($1.99)
o "Salute Your Solution" by The Raconteurs ($1.99)
o The Raconteurs Track Pack ($5.49) - includes "Consoler of the Lonely", "Hold Up", and "Salute Your Solution" by The Raconteurs.
• Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol
Encore 2
o (I Just) Died In Your Arms ($1.49)
o All You Wanted ($1.49)
o Black Hole Sun ($1.49)
o It's Not Unusual ($1.49)
o September ($1.49)
• Rock Band
o "That's When I Reach for my Revolver" - Mission of Burma ($1.99)
o "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate" - Mission of Burma ($1.99)
o "Mica" - Mission of Burma ($1.99)
o Mission of Burma Pack 01 ($5.49) - this track pack includes all of the above Mission of Burma singles.
o "Police Truck" - Dead Kennedys ($1.99)
o "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys ($1.99)
o "California Über Alles" - Dead Kennedys ($1.99)
o Dead Kennedys Pack 01 ($5.49) - this track pack includes all of the above Dead Kennedys singles.
o "Gone" - Crooked X ($0.99)
o "Swamped" - Lacuna Coil ($1.99)
o "Forever" - In This Moment ($1.99)
o "Closer" - Lacuna Coil ($1.99)
o Century Media Girls of Metal Pack 01 ($5.49)
Game Demos (free)
• MotoGP 08 Demo
Game Videos (free)
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift Features and Strategy Trailer
• Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe: Kreating the Comic
Trailer
• Lord of the Rings: Conquest Trailer
• NBA 2K9 Momentous #1 Trailer
• NBA 2K9 Momentous Trailer 2
• Tom Clancy's EndWar Launch Trailer
• FIFA 09 "In The Game" Part 8 - Online Team Play
• Dew Tour: Orlando - Chad Kagy
• Dew Tour: Orlando - Adam Jones
• Dew Tour: Orlando - From Flow to Pro
• Dew Tour: Orlando - BMX Dirt Dew Cup Race
Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers
• Hancock Trailer
• This Christmas Trailer (Blu-ray)
• Tenacious D - The Complete Masterworks Trailer
• Sara Bareilles - Between The Lines Trailer
• Incbus "Look Alive" Trailer
PS3 Themes
• NBA 2K9 Theme (free)
• Hancock Theme (free)
• Timea Mojorova Theme ($1.99)
• University of California Theme ($1.99)
• Shadowy Graves Theme ($1.49)
• Darklight Fractais Theme ($1.49)
• Mrs. Claus Theme ($1.49)
• GunGirls Theme ($0.99)


Okay, first, where the hell are the PSP PSN store updates? I thought you were going to make a big deal out of this…but so far we've seen one release (which I think was a video). So, are you going to pick up on this six months after it's been released? And you wonder why the majority of people think the PSP is a joke.

Anyhoo, wow, this is looking like a pretty low week. The Bioshock challenge rooms are interesting and if you're a fan of the game who really wants more to do this is probably a good investment. I would complain about the price tag, but it seems like they are adding a decent amount and I figure that if you're a big fan of the game, it's really a small price to pay. I'm just…having problems justifying this purchase when you can buy Megaman 9 and the remade Bionic Commando for the same price. Whatever.

Well, LBP DLC. Glad to see you come to the show. 2.99 for a costume? (I think there's five that come with the purchase) A Loco Roco costume? You want me to pay to advertise your game? Yeah, no thanks. Sack in the Box is free though, I suppose I'll get that. I really hope that Sony doesn't expect me to pay money to wear costumes in Little Big Planet because if they do, they'll be sorely disappointed.

I really don't have much to say about the Dead Space DLC. I don't have the game just yet, but from everything I've read this DLC pack is apparently…not that great, and not worth the money. Well, hey, EA did a good job by making new IPs this year so who can fault them by kind of sticking to their DLC guns? Seriously though, that's a lot of content. $28.90 worth of it. Call me a skeptic, but it looks like a lot of this could have been thrown into the game. Would it really have hurt you? $28.90 is faaaarrrr too much DLC for my taste.

Good to see that another music game joined Rock Band and Guitar Hero for the weekly: "Way too much for a song" roundup. Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol? Oh fuck that. I know the idea is that most people won't get every song, but just the ones they want…I just think that maybe every song should be reduced to a .99 price tag. That way if I wanted to blow five bucks, I'd have five songs instead of two. Whatever, they make a killing anyhow.

MotoGP 08 had a demo released this week, and what can I say? It's racing. Have you played a racing game before? You steer around a course and try to win. I'm not sure you need a demo to know what you're getting into here guys. I may download this later just to see if I'll soften my stance towards the genre.

Movie/Game/BLUray Trailers are absolutely pointless and I have no idea why they throw them on PSN, but there they are if you're wondering about them. I guess if you're into MK v DC Universe that "Kreating the Comic" trailer might be worth a gander. Otherwise, it's complete shit and you should just pass over the section.

The theme section this week is looking pretty weak. I love NBA 2K9, it's a fantastic game that is a blast multiplayer, but uhm…I don't really see myself rocking a theme of it. Hancock was a pretty subpar movie, but I'm still surprised this theme is free. It seems they like to charge for that kind of thing, so bully for them. The rest are premium, so I don't really care. I don't see the point in purchasing a theme, but obviously people do because they keep releasing premium themes. I see a Gun Girl theme there? How about you release a Burst Angel theme, and then we can talk about premium themes. I'll be all over that one.

As a whole, this was a pretty sorry week. Which is okay, because next week god damn Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix will be on PSN. They could release nothing but LBP costume DLC for 3.99 a piece and next week would still be golden. You best be thanking Capcom Sony!

And as for the rest of you, see you online. SF 2: Turbo HD Remix will be the meeting ground for my likely demise. I'm just really bad at SF II, while I'm really good at SF III. Whatever I suppose.



B3yond the Tabloids

Game of the year candidate Disgaea 3 (okay, not really, but I still love this game) is apparently having some DLC crossover with the PSP game Prinny: Can I really be a hero? You can download the protagonist of the PSP title, Prinny, and use him in your party. The new Prinny has a red muffler to distinguish himself from the other Prinnys. They are also working on DLC specific levels for the PSP game which means that, YES, the Sony PSP PSN store will finally get some love. I hope Disgaea 3 DLC doesn't cost too much, because I don't want to look like a fucking hypocrite when I buy it. I'm a mindless fanboy for the series after all.

Speaking of the PSN store, you may have noticed that it appears the US store is a little slim on PS1 titles. Not to worry though, according to Sony we'll be seeing new PS1 titles on PSN very soon. They already have several PS1 titles available on PSN over in Japan, so I'm expecting we'll probably be getting a load of those. PS1 titles will certainly freshen up the weekly PSN update.

DLC has been confirmed for the new Prince of Persia. While it will probably include simple stuff like new costumes, it's been hinted at that a new storyline may be available for download at some point. A sequel, a prequel, something new. Now that is the kind of DLC that I can endorse!

So does paying $59.99 for the amazing Bioshock just rub you the wrong way? Do you not want to pay full price for year-old ports of astounding games? Well, apparently Costco is selling brand new copies of the game for, get this, $27.99. Yes, $27.99 for a pretty new Playstation 3 game. This goes without saying, but if you haven't experienced Bioshock yet…this is something you may want to consider. A relatively low price tag for an amazing game. Go for it!

The EA logo may be scaring some people away from the fantastic Dead Space. So, if you're fearful towards those crazy big market games, you may want to check out the demo which is coming to PSN this week.

It seems like I'm listing a new offer for the Playstation 3, but this one seems particularly sweet. On November 28th (Assumedly as part of Black Friday), Best Buy will be getting a brand new 80 gig PS3 bundle. For $400 dollars you'll get the console, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and the BLU ray movie Casino Royale. While this may not seem like the best bundle in the world, look at the price tag. Four hundred dollars, which means these things are essentially free. So if you feel like braving the crowds at Best Buy this Black Friday, this could be for you. Of course, I couldn't blame you if you didn't want to. I used to work at Toys R Us, and I can say first hand that Black Friday is FUCKING NUTS and you'd have to be insane to take part in it.

In part of an interview for an upcoming documentary, beloved comedian had this to say about Grand Theft Auto: [It] Costs your mother $250 to buy that for you so you can practice your entrance exam (to prison). Well Mr. Cosby, GTA is a pretty violent game so I could see why you would think that. I don't need to make a defense on the game though, because anyone who plays it wants to stay out of jail for one reason: A cold, frothing desire to digest JELL-O pudding. I thought about going on a rampage last week, but instead I ate JELL-O. It was good.

So did you want to learn about the Farcry 2 DLC? Of course you did. In the pack you get three new weapons: a silenced shotgun, a sawed off shotgun, and a regular shotgun crossbow. You also get two new vehicles in the Unimog and the Quad. These features will be available in both the Single and Multiplayer games. Joining them in the multiplayer field are four new maps. Cheap Labor, Last Resort, Lake Smear, and Fort Fury. This will run you 9.99 which is about four bucks too much in my opinion, but hey…if you really like Farcry Multiplayer, it seems like a good deal.

Did you find your journey through Fallout 3 to be buggy? Well, if you're reading this I assumed you played on the Playstation 3 (so the answer would be yes). Personally, I've been playing it on the PC – which makes me a BLOOD TRAITOR – but that's besides the point. Bethesda is making a patch to help put these bugs to rest. Good job guys. They never really bothered me all that much, but enough people are complaining that I'm willing to admit that I may just be lucky.

You know how you can tell that a franchise is fucking huge? If they get a DVD/magazine released of it, for sale, that just shows preview footage of the game. Famitsu publisher Enterbrain will be releasing this DVD/magazine combo. It will feature interviews, gameplay footage, and various things that can probably be found on the internet for free. I doubt an English version of this will be made available, so expect some fan-subbing group to deliver the goods.

This is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. Honestly, I had Duke Nukem Forever coming out before this happened. Apparently the new Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe game has been deemed family friendly by The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. They say that it can be fun for the whole family. That it is, indeed, Family Friendly. Wha…what?

So, don't you think there are enough Dragon Ball Z games on the market? I mean, look, isn't it time to just move on? Well, don't tell Atari that because they've got a couple new ones in development. Few details have been revealed on the story so far, but we can assume that at some point the "Z-Fighters" will be left on Namek for seemingly an eternity. Also, everyone will quit caring once Cell goes down. And Krillin grows hair.

PS3 keyboard controllers are now available. "Yay". If it makes you feel any better, here's some good news: The new Prince of Persia has gone gold. YEAH BOY! Why didn't I mention this when I spoke of the Prince earlier? Well, I mean, I figured it would make you forget that I even mentioned that keyboard controller if I mentioned it right here.

At the MTV Game Awards 2008, Hideo Kojima received a lifetime achievement award for his work on the Metal Gear series. Good call there. At the event, Kojima said he will not retire and he will continue to make games for as long as he lives. Yay! Hideo you're the "greetest." Now the tabloids section is finished off for no raisin.



B3yond the Cinema



This is some Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix footage to whet your appetite for the impending release of the game. This video features some badass YOU'RE THE BEST AROUND (from Karate Kid) as well as Ryu versus Akuma. You really can't go wrong.



This is the debut trailer for the game Wanted. It looks alright I do imagine.



I was seriously considering not giving you your weekly dose of Street Fighter IV, but then I saw an Akuma vs. Gouken video and I couldn't resist. Which one of the ancient masters comes out on top? I guess you'll have to watch.



This is a short film entitled Night of the Werehog. It's designed to hype up Sonic Unleashed I would imagine. Check it out.



Here's some footage from Tomb Raider Underworld. You know, the game that they won't let people post bad scores of it until after it's released?

The One Man Water Cooler~!



I'm thinking of switching over to the logo Drew made for B3yond the Report next week for this section, but until then the running joke continues.

Playing through Smackdown vs. Raw on the PS3 made something really stick out in my mind. It's something we've all known for quite some time, but very few of us ardent Playstation 3 fanboys really admit it. When it comes to ports of popular cross-platform games often times we get totally screwed. The premium experience is almost always on the X-Box 360. This isn't because the X-Box 360 is a superior console – technologically it's inferior – instead, it's because most games that are crossplatform appear to be developed first for the 360 and then are simply ported over. It's a messy way of doing things, but it's apparently efficient.

Why did Smackdown vs.Raw 2009 stick out in my mind though? If you've noticed the ad campaigns for the game…I'd say the PS3 version is the focal point of said ads. Watch Monday Night Raw and when they mention that Raw is brought to us by SvR 2009, which version of the game is featured? It's the PS3 version! Which version of the game got a special collector's edition? The PS3 version! So why is it that the PS3 version of the game is, once again, the inferior version?

"Inferior version?" you may ask, "Aren't they just the same game?" Well yeah, essentially, but there are some issues that really shouldn't be there. The PS3 version of SvR 2009 has HALF the CAW layers that the 360 version does. Half. Are you telling me that the PS3 hard-drive couldn't handle 32 extra layers? This makes for less complex design and the inability to create some wrestlers you find online at CAW sites.

That's not really even the big offender though. I know the 360 version of the game plays pretty well when you've got six different wrestlers on the screen, but why does the PS3 version chug along? You get used to it, of course…but there's no excuse for the game to have noticeable slowdown like that during an otherwise smooth experience. If you own the game on Playstation 3, try playing a four-man match and then a six-man match and tell me if you can spot a difference. Unless you absolutely close your eyes, you will spot one. It's a shame.

So what can developers do to change this? What can happen so that we can start getting ports that stand up to the 360 version of the game? Well, for starters, developers could actually start making games from the ground up using our hardware. This may seem like a daunting task, but if you want to deliver a product that can stand up to the 360 version of the same product I would recommend doing something like that. If you're un-willing, do something like Bioshock and Eternal Sonata did. They released later than the original versions did, but both games played absolutely excellently on the Playstation 3. So much so, you couldn't even tell they were ports.

You might think I'm over-blowing this "developing for a console" business, but let's take a look at an up-coming title that is quite popular and is cross-platform: Final Fantasy XIII. We all know that FF XIII is coming to the 360 at some point, but the game is being designed ground up on the PS3, for the PS3. Most people expect the Playstation 3 version of the game to be vastly superior. Will they tinker with the 360 version of the game to get it respectable? Sure, probably. Nobody expects the PS3 version of that game to suck though because they know where it's being developed primarily.

It's pretty un-realistic for me to think this though. From a business standpoint, it's a good idea to release all versions of the game at the same time and as soon as possible. If it's easier to develop on the 360 why not just do that and port the PS3 version over? For the most part, the game's perform serviceably and as long as it's a good game…people tend to not complain. Very rarely is a game released that is so vastly superior on the 360 (or the PS3) that it makes the other version of the game simply pointless to buy.

The thing is though, I'm an idealist. I hope that developers take a look at the Playstation 3 gamers and see that they are getting the shit end of the stick for the most part. We want smoother experiences, we want online launches that aren't fucking sucky, we want what we see on the other console which is quite frankly smoother execution at this juncture. Are there exceptions to this rule? "You bet'cha." I'd say that the PS3 version of GTA IV is the superior one (even if the 360 version has all the DLC). If MGS 4 were to be released on the 360, I'd also assume the PS3 version of that game would be better. (You know, because it was released here first). For the most part though, we're not getting the same experience those X-Bot's are and that's a shame.

So Sony, maybe you should start quality testing the products that are released on your system to see if they measure up with the same thing being released on the 360. It's kind of embarrassing to get out-performed all the time, so you really should have some sort of quality control. Once this happens, once Sony steps its foot down and demands cross-platform games be treated equally (or not at all), I truly believe the PS3 will be taken more seriously as a console.

I truly believe that the PS3 is the better of the two systems as far as exclusive titles are concerned. Others may disagree but this is how I feel. For cross-platform games though? We need to improve. Period.



B3yond the Mailbag!



There's nothing this week because last week I didn't POST ANYTHING. ARGH. If it makes you feel any better, I was pretty ill at the time. I'm led to believe it was stress related because I had two pretty huge assignments to finish up that week and I was working pretty hard to get them done. Luckily by the time the 10th hour was written, I was completely done with my homework and was totally better. Yippee!

If you have anything to say this week though, it'll totally go in this section. You can mail me at [e-mail] or simply comment down below. I appreciate everything you have to say and I feel that it helps me become a better writer. I mean, dude, I love giving you guys the latest RPG news! Duh!

As an aside, I kind of wanted to write the One-Man Watercooler on N64 platformers because, well, for the past week that's all I've been playing. That and World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. (Melthalynn on Dark Iron, Alliance of course.) Since this is a Sony colum though, I decided to back off of this because, well, talking about old-school Nintendo and WoW just doesn't fit in. Unless I mindlessly bash them, which I have done before. Bashing shit is fun.

Hurr ,hurr, enough stalling though.

The 411mania Empire~!



Vincent Chiucchi writes The Select and Start News Report

Joe Roche writes The Full Circle 360 News Report

Theo Fraser writes The Nintendophiles.

Chris Evans writes his final PC-Centric Extravaganza. You did a great job Chris, I wish you luck! Make sure to send him your support.

Chris Vicari writes the PC-Spotlight

I write the 10th hour. I wrote on the top-10 games of this generation…and someone actually got onto my case for including games that were released one or two years ago. Hilarious.

Drew wrote his final Coming Attractions. He's taking Evans' spot while Coloma is taking Drew's spot at Coming Attractions.

AJ and Mike Minotti voice The Exploding Barrel Podcast. They spoke about great games that had the number three in them and didn't mention SF III!? Oh well…good job anyway guys.

Well. That's it for this week. I'm out.

'til the crossroads