B3yond the Report 12.02.08
Posted by Derek Robbins on 12.02.2008
Home details, Shinji Mikami not liking Resident Evil 5, Agency to not have monthly fees, plus the weekly PSN update. All of that and more this week in B3yond the Report!
Hello and welcome to B3yond the Report. As always, this is your host Derek Robbins. I'm just waiting for my copy of Valkyria Chronicles to arrive in the mail so I can talk about it, but until then I'll just mention how damn much I want to play this game. It looks awesome! Enough about me and my desires though, let's get onto the news this week!
B3yond the News of the Week!
Sony not to charge monthly for The Agency?
Coming from an avid WoW fanatic – I spent most all of my week off of school to play the World of Warcraft, how embarrassing is that? – I can assure you that one of the worst things about any sort of Massively Multiplayer game is the monthly fee. Sure, you can excuse it because most likely it'll be the only game you play that month and theoretically save you a little bit of money, but really? For someone like me, I'll always have time for something else…and plus! I'm cheap as hell! I hate paying for something that I already own!
So, it pleased me to hear that for Sony's Pseudo-MMO shooter, the Agency, Sony didn't plan to implement monthly transactions in any sort of way. That's great news! Of course…that doesn't mean they don't want to make more money every month. So how will they manage to keep servers running if they don't want to pin us down and force us to pay every month? Take it away, Sony Online Entertainment's Kevin O'hara:
We're acutely aware that shooter players are not used to playing monthly fees, so I doubt we'll go for an outright US$15 a month, which works on some of our other projects.
So we're checking out Free Realms to see how they're going to do with their microtransactions, and we might incorporate some of that. We'll definitely have some ad revenue models. The Agency's the perfect place for some in-game product placement.
So really, while we're not (though he doesn't say it's 100% for sure) going to be paying every month, they'll get our money one way or another. Microtransactions are probably something I'll never be on board with. I don't care for paying for weapons or little-tiny additions. If I'm forking over my hard-earned cash I demand a significant upgrade. The word microtransactions brings to mind "micro" additions. So unless they convince me that these updates are the best thing since sliced bread, there's no way they'll get my money this way.
The other way doesn't directly take our money, but I mean if we see advertisements on a billboard in game, we may be more apt to purchase whatever product is being advertised. Let's say I'm really enjoying the agency. Like, it's become my new favorite game. Every week in the 10th hour, I reference the Agency in some form. Instead of cute pictures of Kumatora to wrap up every week, I bring up rugged pictures of the Agency. I suppose if I saw something in-game at that point, perhaps I would be me more interested in it because it's endorsing my new favorite game of all time.
Of course, uhm, that's a rather extreme example and I don't really know anyone who would do something like that…but I'm sure there's at least one out there. Otherwise people wouldn't pay for in-game advertisement. I hope game designers and advertisers don't think we're gullible enough to go out and buy some McDonald's just because we see it referenced in a game. Hey, look, that kind of shit only works for Burger King in the movie Iron Man. That's it.
I figure they'll probably do both, but with any luck the Agency will sell like wildfire and they can just thrive on in-game advertising. I really, really don't want to have to pay microtransactions in order to keep up with my other people in the game. My major fear is that the people who actually pay for these will be dominating with these weapons or whatever making a microtransaction payment mandatory. Bah, whatever…at least we don't have to pay monthly. I guess they still needed to make money, so I'm cool.
Resident Evil 5 is pretty much a guaranteed hit. Everyone who has played it has mentioned how high quality the title is. It's part of Capcom's big lineup for next year, part of the reason that they are the developer to beat in the year 2009. Shinji Mikami, creator of the franchise (and also worked on pretty much every Resident Evil game), is less than optimistic about it. A matter of fact, he may not even play it! He had the following to say in an interview with OPM:
I probably won't play it. I won't like it, because it's not going to be the game I would have made. It'll just cause me stress if I play it. I think it could be fun for gamers to play it, but not for someone who has developed Resident Evil games. If I see anything in Resident Evil 5 that isn't done well, I'll be angry!
[The similarities between RE4 and RE5...] that's fine, isn't it? I think Resident Evil 5 doesn't need to change the series, but Resident Evil 6 will have to reinvent the series with another full model change or else it won't be able to keep on going.
Now, look, you can look at this one of two ways. The first way seems relatively logical. This is the first Resident Evil title that Mr. Mikami hasn't worked on, and he's afraid to see how it turns out in someone else's hands. Imagine if you were the creator of a popular series of books and turned over the reigns to another to do the next installment. It'd be a scary experience to see what this new person would do with your original creation. Would they do it well? Would they drag the name through the dirt? These sorts of things probably would drive a guy mad.
On the other hand, he could also be talking about how the series is aimed more at shooting fans and casual gamers for this installment. Resident Evil 5 even comes with a new "Gears-like" control style. It doesn't even look like a scary game, just an action game. Resident Evil 4 started the movement in this direction, but it at least attempted to scare you. Did he not want this to move forward? Afterall, he was responsible for RE 4. Or is he not pleased with the more Army of Two meets Gears of War promise that the game makes?
Whatever the case, it's hard to not be concerned. For a big title like this, it's always good to have the guy behind the rest of the franchise behind it as well. Shinji Mikami, whether he is bitter or not, does not appear to be behind it. So as a guy who wasn't sure whether he wanted Resident Evil 5 or not, I have to say that this is kind of questionable news. I suppose I should wait until gamers actually get ahold of it – or play the X-Box LIVE demo (where is ours, eh?) – but I can't help but be a little bit skeptical now.
Boy, I couldn't be any less excited for Home. When I see coverage on the game, the first thing I think of is "Myspace: The Game". It doesn't seem like something I would be interested in, but for whatever reason there are a lot of people interested in how this thing will turn out, so I figured I may as well report on it, you know…so you can know more about the bloody mess that you're getting into.
There was a little Q&A between Home Developers and Beta testers. Sony hasn't personally confirmed all of the information that I am about to give you, but considering the source is the developers themselves, I'm lead to believe this is all fairly legit. So, like, what is up? Here are some features for Home they said would be in the final game:
• Open Beta will hit either on December 15 or 30
• Open Beta will be restricted to 18+
• Censor on swearing will be lifted in the Full Beta
• A random weather system
• A money system
So a fifteen-day swing? Great. Let's just hope you send a big notice so we know when to check, alright? It's also interesting that the open beta is for 18+ only. I figured this game had a pretty wide-branching appeal. I guess they want to see how older people will act maybe? That may explain why the censoring on swears is turned off – though that's also thanks to the age of the open beta testers. I wonder if you can turn swear filters on and off during the actual game? I mean, if WoW can have an option for it, I'm sure Home can too.
I think the weather system could be neat. I just hope it isn't too ridiculous. I don't want to be accessing the game and in the same day have it be super ridiculously hot and sunny only to log in later to see a city ravaged by snow. Random weather has to make me believe that this could actually happen. I hope that they are able to balance it well. After all, the Myspace kiddies need realism to go with their trendy avatars.
Now, the money system. Let's delve into that a bit as I have additional information about that. Apparently you earn money from collecting trophies and you also get money for trophies that you already have. So, remember when I suggested that Sony could be rewarding gamers with little rewards for having trophies? Could this be the payoff that I was talking about? I have to be honest, if this is that…I'll be disappointed. I have no intention of getting Home. It seems like a waste of hard drive space. It'd be a shame if the only reason to collect trophies, other than showing them to people online, is to buffer your stupid Home.
That said, if you're actually looking forward to this game, you have to like that news. You can have the swankest Home in the land if you're particularly good at games. Now all those minutes wasted grinding LBP achievements on the achievement levels will not go to waste! Aren't you a lucky one!? I wonder what kind of things you could buy though? I suppose you'll just have to wait to see.
Your weekly PSN Update
AHHHHH YEAH! It's that time of the week boys and girls, your weekly PSN update. What could they crank out for us this week? WILL THE PSP STORE FINALLY GET SOMETHING!? Let's see what they have!
Downloadable Games
• Brain Challenge - US$ 9.99
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix - US$ 14.99
Add-on Game Content
• LittleBigPlanet Turkey Head Costume (free)
• LittleBigPlanet Chimera Sackboy Costume - US$ 1.99
• Guitar Hero World Tour
o Human (The Killers) - US$ 1.99
o Losing Touch (The Killers) - US$ 1.99
o Mr Brightside (The Killers) - US$ 1.99
o The Killers Track Pack
• Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2
o Unfaithful - US$ 1.49
o Are You Happy Now? - US$ 1.49
o Heartbreaker - US$ 1.49
o All My Life - US$ 1.49
• Rock Band
o Mr. Brightside (The Killers) - US$ 1.99
o Smile Like You Mean It (The Killers) - - US$ 1.99
o Spaceman (The Killers) - US$ 1.99
o The Killers Pack 01 - US$ 5.49
o Caprici Di Diablo (Yngwie Malmsteen) - US$ 1.99
o Red Devil (Yngwie Malmsteen) - US$ 1.99
o Yngwie Malmsteen Pack 01 - US$ 5.49
o Pretty Nose (Soundgarden) - US$ 1.99
o Laid to Rest (Lamb of God) - US$ 1.99 Game Demos (free)
• Dead Space Dismemberment Demo Movie and Blu-Ray Disc Trailers (free)
• Punisher: War Zone
• Lost: The Complete Fourth Season
The updates actually came a bit early this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, but to Sony's credit they released an update anyhow. First, obviously, is the release of Street Fighter II Turbo HD, which came out a day earlier than the 360 version. Could this have led to more sales? I'm not sure. I figure the PS3 version of the game is the preferred one anyhow. The d-pad on the PS3 is much preferable to the 360 d-pad. You might think it'd be easier to play with a joy-stick (it is), but a lot of people like to have nostalgia rushes about playing the game on the SNES and with the d-pad you can have an experience shockingly similar to that one.
Brain Challenge, which I had to look up information on because I've never heard about it before, appears to be a game very similar to Big Brain Academy or Brain Age. Essentially one of those TRAIN YOUR BRAIN EVERY DAY sorts of things. I really don't see a reason to buy this…but if you absolutely need your brain fix and don't have a DS, I suppose you could do worse. Let's be fair though, given the other downloadable game it was going up against this title had almost no chance.
The LBP add-on so far has been restricted to…costumes. Yippy. I can't wait until they start charging us for user created levels that are exceptionally excellent! I don't really know what the chimera outfit looks like, but I did download the other one (it's free!)…and it was a turkey. Whoopie. I think I'll stick with my neato custom sackboy that shows some personality. I'll never buy premium sackboys. Of course, with the rumor of Street Fighter sackboys I better shut my mouth…or else I'll look like a bigger hypocrite than I already am.
More music DLC. This week both of the major games feature songs from The Killers. That's cool and all, but I'm still not paying $1.99 to play a song on a video game. Still too rich for my blood. The Karaoke Revolution music is cheaper. Unfortunately, it's also worse. I guess you get what you pay for. You know how a new music/rhythm game could make its way into the market? If they promised 50 cent DLC. I'd buy song for 50 cents. That's four songs I get while Rock Band people only get one. SEEMS GOOD. Of course, this will never happen.
I still need to play Dead Space. I'm glad there's a demo available for my perusal. The thing is, I'm fairly sure how this game plays. Resident Evil 4 in space is what I hear. I liked Resident Evil 4 so I know I'll like this game. That said, I still really want to try this game and probably need to so I can accurately gauge what my top games of the year are. The demo is probably for someone on the fence about a purchase, so I would give it a download. Really, EA should be rewarded for whipping out the IPs. Even if they jam DLC up our ass with it.
Not even touching the trailer stuff. Whoopdie doo.
B3yond the Tabloids!
PC-cult hit The Witcher is coming to consoles apparently. I have to be honest, while the game is pretty decent…it's nothing that special. Apparently the game is getting revamped for consoles so maybe it'll be worth checking out again. Unfortunately, I read about the special PS3 feature: Six-Axis support. NO! NO! Don't try this again! Leave it dead! DEEEEEEEAD! Well, any money this game may have had out of me due to a rental is now safely stashed back into my wallet.
Vice magazine had an article on sackboy which featured him striking several poses in various pieces of clothing. This includes a picture of sackboy wearing nothing but his tighty-whiteys. I suppose if they're trying to reach a new audience, this would be a pretty effective way of doing it. Vice magazine though? Seriously? Okay…I guess.
So do you like getting onto forums and bashing games? I mean, who doesn't, the art of trolling games you haven't even played is a sacred art. I do it all the time! Seriously though, you may want to watch out as Digi-guy studios took legal action against a forum slanderer. The slanderer, who turned out to be an ex-employee of the company, claimed that their upcoming PS3 exclusive Wardevil: Unleash the Beast Within was vaporware. He even said that the guys developing the title were rotten. It's hard to take him seriously, especially considering he's a former employee. It just goes to show ya', game developers can read your stuff! And sue you!
As if it wasn't weird enough that Destroy All Humans was cancelled just a week before it was supposed to be released for the PS3, it's also weird that the title is still on schedule to be released in Europe. So, uh, why is it that we can't get the version over here as well? THQ said that given that the title was to be released earlier in the states, they decided to simply release the 360 version. I guess this is another case of a game being developed for the 360 originally and the PS3 version being an afterthought. Whatever. I guess if you really want this game, you can import it. Remember: The PS3 is region free!
I hate spending a ton of money on controllers. It's a well-known fact that I'm cheap, but the fact that controllers are about as expensive as actual games has always turned me off. Well, apparently Radio Shack is selling Dual Shock 3's for 29.99. That's a pretty good deal. Given the quality of the dual shock 3, I would go out and buy one at this price. I still don't think the R2/L2 buttons are anything special, but hey! 29.99! For a non-mad catz controller!
This is why I hate Black Friday and humanity in general. A 34-year old man was trampled to death while performing maintenance in a Wal-Mart branch in Long Island, New York. I mean, couldn't any of these shoppers tell they were stepping on some guy? Jesus Christ, is the desire to save money that intense? Ugh. Look, it's one thing to have a really good deal, but these black Friday shoppers are the dredge of humanity. Generally, stores have deals throughout the holiday seasons. I'm comfortable with deals that are slightly less insane but way less crowded. I am sorry for the guy who died. This is a terrible story.
You know what I really love? Free stuff. OC-Remix has released the entire Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix soundtrack for free. I have to say, this is awesome because the entire soundtrack is really awesome. I even prefer several of the remix songs to their originals. Ken's theme is a song that I thought would be hard to top, but it turns out the remix of the song is better than the original. That's insane. You have to have Bit Torrent to download the whole thing at once. You'll want to do that. Here's where you go to get it.
D-Dub software wishes to bypass the ESRB and all the major console manufacturers in order to start a new game industry. An adult game industry. Don't take my word for it, listen to what the CEO has to say:
It doesn't make sense. The ratings boards are not telling us that these games aren't for kids. We know that already. What they're telling us is that adult games shouldn't exist at all. We don't agree, and neither does our customer base of adults who are interested in games that might include themes like sex, drugs, and language. Since they've made it so that games like ours can't be marketed and distributed through the channels other video games use, we are starting a new industry to get this game out to our customers.
I've always thought it was pretty weird to have an AO rating, considering we never actually use it. Well, whatever, these guys plan to release games for the major consoles over their website. So if you want sex and what not and don't feel like downloading video-forms of porn…you can go for one of D-Dub's games Yeah boy!
If you live in Australia and like playing Resistance 2…you're lucky. OPM in Australia is giving away free DLC for Resistance 2 and guess what? It's Australian only. I suspect the DLC will be released here at some point, but for free? Probably not. To be fair, Aussies pay out the ass for games as it is, so I suppose they deserve a break.
Edge Online, the ultimate troll magazine/website, asks us what reviews are for. They say that today, reviews aren't used in decisions to purchase but rather used as justifications to purchase. This explains why people are so quick to hop on metacritic and rate games like Gears of War 2 way lower than they should. All of this is in response to their 6/10 review for Resistance 2. Let's see what they had to say:
[...] Common sense would dictate that a review is something prospective consumers may use to inform their own judgement of a title before making a decision on whether to invest or not. [...] The reality, it seems, is far more complex.
[...] Glossing over the comments left by readers of the ‘Resistance 2' review many of the most hostile are from those who have already played the title.
[...] It isn't too much to assume that PS3 owners would have a lot invested emotionally in the success of the title. As such, reading positive reviews could very well be one way in which consumers can justify their choice of brand and product.
To be fair, they did give Halo 3 a 3/10. 6 out of 10 for Resistance 2 seems oddly low though, but to be honest…Edge has always given out weird review scores. So, I dunno, I guess it's just par for the course for them.
B3yond the Cinema!
Here's some gameplay from the upcoming Prince of Persia. I really can't wait to play this title. If it can be anywhere near as good as Sands of Time, I'll be pleased.
Here's a Dissidia video featuring a showdown of Cloud and Sephiroth. Yep, this is the match a lot of fanboys will relive time and time again. The game looks kind of fun. Yay! Finally! An original title for PSP I could enjoy!
Your weekly Street Fighter IV video. Sometimes I'm not sure if I've posted some of these already. Whatever. This week we have Balrog fighting Sagat. Yeah boy.
Here's a Yakuza 3 trailer. It's called the "strip trailer"…but there's only about a second of any stripping, so it's okay to watch around other people. As expected, the third Yakuza is shaping up nicely.
The running joke continues another week When will it stop? Nobody knows. I guess it can't be any worse of a running gag than that one Family Guy does with the fighting chicken. I don't think anybody finds that humorous anymore. Then again, perhaps I am over-estimating the Family Guy faithful.
It's amazing that Street Fighter II, one of the most popular games of all time, came out in the year 1991. '91! I was four years old when the game came out. I have fond memories of playing it time and time again in the arcades. Truly, Street Fighter II is a game that ruled my childhood. My days of playing it as a youth have probably carried over to me today because, still, the franchise is one of my favorites. 3D fighters may claim to be better all around, but nothing will every top Street Fighter for me.
So you can probably imagine how excited I was for Street Fighter II Turbo HD's launch. To say that it was one of the more hyped up games for me over this holiday season would be a bit of an under-statement. Other than Persona 4, this is the one game I had to have before the year 2008 ended and I'm glad that I finally own it. Does it live up to the hype though? You bet it does. The game looks beautiful, it's well balanced…and while it hasn't aged sensationally well, it's still pretty fun to play.
The most important thing to notice with this game is that, on default, the strong punch button is L1 and the strong kick button is R2. If you've been playing Street Fighter games on the PS2 or PS1 for the past several years this can seem pretty disorienting. It's been Strong Punch R1 and Strong kick R2 for a while now. You can edit it to be more suitable to your needs – a feature more games need by the way – but once you do that it becomes immediately obvious as to why they elected to go with a more classic, SNES control style. The R2 button sucks ass. I feel it only reacts to my button presses 80-85% of the time which is inexcusable. Begrudgingly, I changed my buttons back to the game's default and found that it only took a short amount of time to adjust. So, yes, even that feels nice.
So what's my problem with the game? …I suck. I mean, I really, really suck. I can more than hold my own in the Street Fighter Alpha series and kick serious ass in Street Fighter III and Capcom vs. SNK 2, but when it comes to this game? I am terrible! I can never quite adjust to the speed, I blatantly walk into moves all the time, and those bloody charge moves are my kryptonite. I can only use the quarter-circle characters to any effectiveness – though recently I became passable as the charge-character Guile – and even then I'm weak. I seem to always forget Air blocking is not in the equation and I jump around willy nilly. Not a good idea.
Do you want to know how bad I am? I was playing leaderboard matches the other day and I lost about ten in a row. I mean, there was a streak going where I wasn't even able to pick up a round on anybody. It was getting embarrassing and I wanted to throw my controller. Eventually though, I won a match and it felt great. Then I won three more in a row. I felt on top of the world! Even though I went on to lose my next match, I felt rejuvenated and back on top of the world. At that moment, I realized why Street Fighter II held such a special place in my heart, even if I am terrible at it.
I always, always get my ass kicked at it. I can practice for hours and it never seems to help (though I think I have gotten a bit better lately). Whenever I can squeak out a win though, it's always so exciting. I can feel my blood pump up, I can feel my pulse quicken, it's exciting! It takes me back to when I was a kid in the arcades, losing to the Blanka. I would shout, I would curse, I would be generally un-pleasant to be around. When I beat Blanka though? When I finally overcame the odds and put away the opponent? It felt so good. It was like all that time I wasted away losing was worth it because I was able to come out on top with a win.
It's amazing that an online fighter can make me feel so nostalgic though. Think about it, the last time Street Fighter II went online, I believe it was roundly criticized as being too laggy. I remember reading a Penny-Arcade about it. It wasn't a pretty experience. This time though, SF II runs like an absolute dream online. I want to say that it replicates the cabinet feeling incredibly well. There is some lag here and there, but that can't be helped. You're going to run into people with shitty connections. It's the internet, it's inevitable. Starcraft taught us this. Even when you run into these blokes though, SF II is still playable which more than what can be said for a lot of other online fighters.
I also really love the new music they used for the game. I know my love for gaming music is often over-stated, but I think they did a really good job with the game's sound. The very first time I turned on the game and heard the familiar start up music…I knew I'd be in for a treat. They even manage to top a couple of my favorite video game songs ever this go around. I never though Ken and Guile's music could be better, but here we are. I'm just enamored with this title. When Drew plays the game and I'm playing WoW, I'm often more interested in what he's doing because WoW is so damn boring, what a grind fest because the music is so ensnaring.
SF II: Turbo HD Remix is a game that plays like it came out of the 90's. I complain a lot about re-hashes and buying the same game multiple times, but in this case…I really can't get enough. The game really takes me back. I may be horrible at it, but I think more games should be remade like this. A love letter to the fans who played the hell out of these games when they were younger. I may be worse at this game than I am at any other fighter (though I am getting better. Slowly. I'm trying to get good as Guile. I'll take on any challengers. My PSN is Croix22), but the whole package this game delivers is enjoyable enough for me.
Now if only Capcom could release a Street Fighter III HD…
- Now if only they would make an HD version of this...
B3yond the Mail!
Outlaw agrees with me about console exclusives:
I completely agree with your rant about 360 getting the better versions of games. I thought the same thing playing Smackdown VS. RAW 2009...it's just ridiculous. I think they should be treating games the way they used to - Smackdown on Playstation, RAW on XBOX, No Mercy on N64, Day of Reckoning on GC. Console exclusive titles = quality titles. It also gives the consumer a variety of choice, and gives people incentive to buy YOUR console JUST to get that sweet new game you can't play otherwise.
Either way, I'm just as frustrated as you are and I'd love to see them do something - ANYTHING - about it.
Console exclusivity has died though, and that's a shame. You can be rest assured that games developed exclusively for a console will be pretty good (generally speaking), but developers have realized that developing for multiple platforms is more profitable. It seems that for whatever reason, the PS3 always gets the shit-end of the stick regarding cross-platforming which isn't cool. I really wish developers would take more pride in their PS3 product, but there really isn't much I can do about it.
Guest makes a fair point:
"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."
That "not at all" could have Sony putting that same foot in their mouth... AGAIN. Some of the develpers are probably frustrated enough trying to work with the PS3 and being given an ultimatum could really frustrate some developers.
Very fair point, but Sony needs to do some sort of quality control. It really gives our country a bad name in my opinion. Fan boys tend to close their eyes on this point, but it's time we complain to Sony about it. My brother claims a lot of the differences are tiny things, and this is true…but isn't it un-fair that another console gets everything while we get, well, a little less? No matter how little that is?
It's fair though what you say, because Sony doesn't want to lose out on those devs either.
Toddo catches me at my most hypocritical:
I thought you didn't like Collector's editions? I'm just giving you a hard time. If it offers something you want, buy it man. I know I would if the MK Kollector's edition would have included Scorpions spear, Or Raiden's hat. That would be pimp.
Well, you know how it is. If it's Mortal Kombat I'll always be against it, but Street Fighter man? Come on now. That game is golden. Plus, you know, I'm a sucker for Ryu's headband. Also that chun-li figurine. I would kill for one of those collector kits, but odds are I'll never see one. Such a shame.
Also, yeah, even I would be into the MK collector's edition if it came with Scorpion's spear. I bet you'd be loath to find someone who wouldn't. That would be awesome.
I move off the topic of Sony for a second to talk with David about Chrono Trigger.
I know this is a Sony-centric column, but you should do yourself a favor and pick up Chrono Trigger DS. Hell, I know that you would love it.
It is kind of sad when I think about it. It actually makes me want Final Fantasy XIII less! Considering that Chrono Trigger is a 14 year old game and still revolutionary, it tells you that Square-Enix has been lazy for over a decade. Even if it is a re-release, it may help the design choices for future JRPGs, don't you think?
Thinking about it, Chrono Trigger DS is vastly superior to any recent SE, MW, or Atlus game. If Mistwalker wanted to tred an old path, they should have tried to update (or copy) Chrono Trigger. Truly, a game ahead of its time.
I'm at the end of the game. I'm at the point where you can either do a bunch of mini-quests or Fight Lavos. It's still a very good game and it holds up well. They made some changes to the script, such as the lack of Frog's old English, but as a whole I like the changes. It feels like a more accurate version of the game. Really, my only complaint about CT: DS is that it should have included more extra content. I've played CT to death, and at the end of the day there isn't a whole lot that's new. I am pleased that it's essentially the PS version of the game without load times though, that's good.
Regarding it being vastly superior to any recent Atlus game? I dunno, I reallllly liked Persona 3. I'm getting Persona 4 on launch for sure, so we'll have to see. I'd say if someone hasn't played the game before, they really need to pick this title up. Hell, even if you have, get it. You can play one of the best games of all time on the road. Everybody wins!
Thanks for the comments everyone. I truly do believe they help me become a better writer. If you wish to comment, simply do so below or send me an e-mail at Dragonmaster_Alex_158@hotmail.com. It will be greatly appreciated.
Hey Derek, I hope you're enjoying SF2T HD Remix in the PS3.
Do you have any idea why it was pulled from European release and when it's finally scheduled to come out over here?
Posted By: Gadge (Guest) on December 02, 2008 at 02:47 AM
Wishing more people were Home-less for the holidays...So I've been in the beta for awhile now and just am not seeing what the fuss is about. Saying it's myspace the game is a huge stretch, I have yet to see K-fed on anyones friends list. As far as people on Home, what a bunch of fucksticks. As soon as a girl avatar is present every guy within the area is on her. I think you have to hold down L3 as the grope button. Because I abide by rules I can't give you too many details about what goes on in the secret society, I just don't have anything great to say and don't want to be sued. From my point of view you're not missing much. Depends what floats your boat. What will I be able to purchase with Home dollars...hopefully a weapon of some sort. Mace would be nice, a gun would be better.
Posted By: Bell (Guest) on December 02, 2008 at 11:14 AM
That's why you never see single girl gamers, even if they're 400 pounds, toothless, and bald. There will always be some desperate nerdy guy for them.
Also, total agreement on the Wal-Mart thing. After watching some of the YouTube videos that had been posted, including one cellphone vid from the people in line outside, it's very easy to start thinking some racist thoughts, because every single person that I saw in those videos were black, and acting thug ghetto as hell. I'm really trying to keep an open mind, but those people TRAMPLED a guy to death. For doorbusters at Wal-Mart. Slipknot has it right...People = Shit.
Finally, I'll be getting SF2 HD this week. I'll challenge you to a match if I see you online.
Posted By: Steve307 (Guest) on December 02, 2008 at 02:44 PM
Bell, is there a NDA on Home, I thought the beta was open to all with a PSN?
Posted By: Drew Robbins (Registered) on December 02, 2008 at 05:19 PM
Just want to touch on something in there.
"Console exclusivity has died though, and that's a shame. You can be rest assured that games developed exclusively for a console will be pretty good (generally speaking), but developers have realized that developing for multiple platforms is more profitable. It seems that for whatever reason, the PS3 always gets the shit-end of the stick regarding cross-platforming which isn't cool. I really wish developers would take more pride in their PS3 product, but there really isn't much I can do about it."
Exclusivity has died a death because of how much more money there is to develop software across multiple platforms. Unless the cash for the exclusive is worth more than the projected return of the conversion to other consoles then it makes more sense to make the other version(s) and get the money.
PS3 get's the shit end of the stick because it's an absolute arse to develop for. The company I work for has a procedure in place now to minimise work on multiple platforms. We develop on PC and port out to whichever consoles the software is to be released on. The 360 takes to PC code very easily, as is to be expected, with minimal changes required. The PS3 and Wii versions generaly require alot more work and suffer for it. The 360 is just the easier console to develop for so gets better results on average.
If the program was exclusive to a single machine it would be developed specificaly for that machine's capabilities and be a superior product. With developers wanting/needing cash like any other buisnesses don't hold your breath for too many exclusives unless MS or Sony own the developing studio.
Posted By: Ebben (Guest) on December 03, 2008 at 07:03 AM
- Now if only they would make an HD version of this...
