B3yond the Report 12.09.08

Posted by Derek Robbins on 12.09.2008

Street Fighter IV Collector's Edition content, the top 5 selling PS3 games overseas, and Midway in trouble? All of this and your weekly PSN update! It's all in the latest edition of B3yond the Report!

Hello and welcome to B3yond the Report. As always, this is your host with the most Derek Robbins. Now, let's see what's going on inside the world of Sony, shall we?



B3yond the News of the Week

Top-5 selling PS3 games

Can you believe that the Playstation 3 is already two years old? Time just flies when you're having fun, right? It's not always been the most pleasant ride, but we're still here and dammit we still have games that we like to play. To honor this occasion, Famitsu magazine lists the top-5 highest selling Playstation 3 games in Japan. Unfortunately, I don't have the US stats, because I'm quite positive they would look differently than this, so you'll just have to make do. I think it says a bit about the industry at the very least.

1-) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots -- 671,706
2-) Minna no Golf 5 (Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds) -- 408,175
3-) Shin Sangoku Musou 5 (Dynasty Warriors 6) -- 371,443
4-) Gundam Musou (Dynasty Warriors: Gundam) -- 317,580
5-) World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2008) -- 316,533

The very first thing that you may notice about this list is that there are no "new" IPs on this list. These are all sequels. This is kind of the trend of this generation. There aren't that many new IPs and whenever one is released, it usually fails to sell (except out here. Over here it has to be a shooter though). I assume this is because, well, why would you go in a new, risky direction when you have the same old reliable thing to fall back on?

So, let's break down how I feel about these? First of all, Metal Gear Solid 4 is going to be the most obvious one. I know several people who jumped onto the Playstation bandwagon just to experience this title. The fact that it's the highest selling PS3 title is hardly surprising. It offers a conclusion to the story of Solid Snake, and that's something a lot of us have been interested in since seeing the conclusion of Metal Gear Solid 2. I also enjoy that this game is different. It has a lot of the same basic gameplay elements of Metal Gear Solids of old, but it revamps the combat and stealthing a bit so it at least feels like you're playing a new game. This game would probably be the highest selling game over here as well. I have no complaints, nor should I, about this topping the list.

Hot Shots Golf 5 is seriously one of the highest selling games on the PS3? Hasn't that series not evolved at all? I understand that you're supposed to play to your character's swing in this game, but really…if you've played one Hot Shots Golf, you've played them all. Why is this game selling so well? Do the Japanese just like playing the same game over and over again?

I was about to go into a rant about how the Dynasty Warriors series never changes. You know, how many times can you retell the Romance of the Three Kingdoms? It's got to be the Japanese equivelant of Western Games re-telling World War II. Reading about it though, I found that it at least differed from past Dynasty Warriors a little bit. Now instead of your combos being determined by the strength of your weapon, the combos – the power and longevity of them – is determined by the renbu system. In order to move up in the system, you just attack. It fills up a bar and when that bar fills up you move up a rank. I think there's three, including an infinite I'm not for sure. Still though, apparently you can still do infinite combos without using the system…so is it really that different? Probably not.

Dynasty Warriors Gundam at least shifts focus from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story, but it still pretty much plays the same as every Dynasty Warriors game ever released. The difference is that there are more long-range attacks for you to use. I'm surprised this game didn't sell better than Dynasty Warriors 6. After all, it combines Dynasty Warriors AND Gundam. That's sure to make it a smash success, right?

Winning Eleven is like Madden for the East. Ignore it.

So what have we learned? If you're a sequel, you're going to appeal to the Japanese market. If not? …It could be rough waters, my friend. I don't know what I would suggest as what "should" be the top-5 selling games for the console – since that matter's purely opinion based – but I'm pretty sure neither of the Dynasty Warriors games will be on the list. This just further bolsters the point that IPs have a long, long battle to go through if they want to legitimize themselves and sell well.

Source: Famitsu



Killzone 2 not close to maxing out the PS3's power

Killzone 2 is an absolutely gorgeous game. It may not be my cup of tea – I'm still skeptical given that the first Killzone was absolute trash – but there's no denying that it's a graphically impressive title. After all, a single model from the trailer shown back at E3 in 2007 contains the same number of polygons as a whole level in the original Resistance title. Surely, this would be the Playstation 3's magnum opus. Nothing could top this, right? Well, not if you believe IGN's Jeff Haynes. He says that the game only uses about 60% of the Cell Processor's SPUs, even during the game's particularly active bits:

It's incredible to see huge levels and see the deferred rendering and note that on all the SPU's, even on the heaviest load were coming up to about 60%. They weren't coming close to maxing out. They had about 40% of space before they started tripping or saw slow down on some of the processes.

Wow. You'd have to wonder what game would bring the full potential of this title out? Is it like the Younger Toguro brother, waiting for that one fighter (in this case, game) that can bring out its full potential? It's hard to believe that this game isn't it. After all, the BBC said that the realism in this game is so immersive that it could bring about a whole new debate regarding video game violence. I'm wondering just how impressive this looks though? I wasn't one of the lucky people to get into the beta for the game. I've seen trailers, but I think it'd be a whole different thing to play it for yourself.

Usually for this kind of game I would be skeptical about whether the gameplay can match up with the graphics. We've seen it time and time again, where a game will look absolutely stunning but will lack that certain "oomph" that makes it a memorable experience. If the beta testers are to be believed, this game is pretty damn fun. "Pretty damn fun" is a big improvement over the original Killzone's "Pretty damn disappointing". I'm officially looking forward to this game, to say the least.

Speaking of graphics, I'm wondering if the new God of War title will push it beyond what Killzone 2 does? Everyone who has seen God of War III in motion has mentioned how beautiful it was. We'll finally be getting a chance to see it at Spike's VGA's this year…and word on the street is that the game footage will be all real time. It's what the executives saw when they made those crazy claims. If it's half-as-impressive as what I've heard – Including Mr. Jaffe saying the game was a work of art – maybe it will be.

I don't consider myself a guy who places much emphasis on graphics, but it's hard to deny their draw. If a game looks really amazing, odds are it'll draw in a gamer easier than an ugly game. So these titles not only have the advantage of being sequels in a market that craves sequels, but also are extraordinarily good looking. I really can't wait to see how these things turn out, and I'm not even a fan of the franchises!

Beauty works in strange ways…You too can experience the beauty of Killzone 2 on February 27, 2009!

Source: IGN



Economy to Midway: FINISH HIM

Midway is, historically, one of the most important video game developers ever. They were responsible for classics such as Ms. Pacman, NBA Jam, and Mortal Kombat. It's hard to imagine where the video game industry would be without them. Like many things though, they've aged poorly and lately they just haven't been themselves. Stocks have plummeted, game quality has gone down, it's just not been a pretty time. Perhaps the final blow is about to be dealt to them as the US Securities and Exchange commission lets us know that Midway is in some real financial trouble. How much? They owe $150 million dollars and only have about $10 million at their disposal.

Shares for Midway as of December 4th are at an all-time low of twenty-three cents and Midway is also facing the risk of being de-listed from the NYSE. That's right. You can buy two shares of Midway stock for LESS than a can of soda. Hell, in some places you may be able to buy three for that much. Isn't that insane? Mark Thomas, who paid a hundred grand for controlling stake in the company (yes, that's right. One Hundred Grand. For the guys who brought us NBA Jam. Oy vey.), is believed to be paying $70 million to cover some of the debt.

Even with the $10 million in the bank plus this, it would only equal $80 million which is just a bit more than half of Midway's total debt. $70 million isn't exactly chump change, and they need that much in 50 days in order to avoid declaring bankruptcy. As surprisingly tolerable as MK v. DC Universe may be, it's not going to gross that much by the time 50 days are up. I guess they could just release a bunch of classic games over X-Box LIVE and PSN and hope to make some quick cash? …I just don't know.

Escape from this seems absolutely impossible barring a miracle. I'm talking a company swooping in and paying for all of Midway's debt while absorbing their talent. I don't really see that happening. Square Enix has been expanding lately and are looking for western talents, but I can't really see them snapping up all of Midway for this. I couldn't see EA doing it either. I imagine it's certainly possible, they have the money. From what I've seen though, EA seems more interested in the "larger" companies, and as sad as it is to say Midway just isn't one of those anymore.

My assumption is that nobody is going to do anything about this. Not a soul. The economy is too poor and most of Midway's quality IPs and projects have been bought up already. They're pretty much just a husk of what they once were. Sure, you can have the rights to the TNA Impact and Mortal Kombat franchises, but in the world today that can only take you so far.

So it looks like bankruptcy is a sure thing for this company. I'm not sure they got the memo as the pretty mediocre selling TNA Impact is officially getting a sequel that's on track for next year. Seriously? You guys need 140 million dollars and your next big hit game is the sequel to the absolutely horrendous TNA Impact? Alright. If this game gets released – and who is to say it's going to? I think it may take a miracle – it damn well better be a success. I have no desire to see Midway go under.

Maybe you can pay Capcom to do a quicky SF v. MK title where you can receive all the profits and pay them back later? I mean, that's sure to sell isn't it? …Bah. I don't know. The whole thing kinda has me depressed.

Source: Yahoo Biz



YOUR WEEKLY PSN UPDATE

Hoo boy, let's see what those crazy guys over at PSN have unveiled for us this week

Qore Annual Subscription - US$ 24.99 (1.34MB)
Qore Episode 07 - free (1.34MB)
Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer- US$ 9.99 (845MB)


Game content
• LittleBigPlanet Kabuki actor - free (1.04MB)
• Age of Booty Map Packs - free (100KB each)
o Map Pack 1 (for 2v2, 3v3, 4v4)
 Oasis
 Slow and Stead
o Map Pack 2 (for 2v2, 3v3, 4v4)
 Tight Passage
 Tug of War
o Map Pack 3 (for 2v2v2v2)
 Bombs and Whirlpools
 Unlocks Battle Royal gameplay mode
• Far Cry 2 Fortunes Pack - US$ 9.99 (61MB)
o New weapons and vehicles
 Silenced Shotgun
 Craftsman Shotgun
 Crossbow (with explosive bolts)
 All-terrain Vehicle
 Heavy-duty Utility Truck
o New multiplayer maps
 Last Resort
 Cheap Labour
 Lake Smear
 Fort Fury
• GRID 8-Ball Additional Content - US$ 9.99 (171MB)
o McLaren F1 GTR
o TVR Cerbera Speed 12
o Mitsubishi 2.0 Turbo Lance Evo X
o Honda s2000
o Nissan GTR GT500
o Volkswagen Nardo
o Pontiac Firebird Trans AM
o Volvo C30 Green Racing
• Guitar Hero World Tour Smashing Pumpkins Track pack- US$ 5.49 for the pack (121MB); but you can get them individually for US$ 1.99 each (36 - 45MB)
o 1979
o G.L.O.W.
o The Everlasting Gaze
• Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2 - US$ 1.49 each
o Don't You (Forget About Me)
o For You I Will
o Friends in Low Places
o Knockin' On Heaven's Door
o Midnight Train to Georgia
o Unwritten
• Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Pack 4 - free
o Get Asuma as your support character
o Ultimate mission
• Rock Band - US$ 0.99 each (17-40MB)
o Real World - All-American Rejects
o Ready, Set, Go! - Tokio Hotel
o I Don't Want To Go To School - Naked Brothers
o Headphones On - Miranda Cosgrove
o Hay Poco Rock N Roll - Platero y Tu
o Body I Occupy - Naked Brothers
o Are you Dead Yet? - Children of Bodom
o Tutto E Possibile - Finley
o Tempted - Squeeze
• Soul Calibur IV Customization Equipment US$ 1.99 (3.1MB)
• Game Videos - free; all these vids are in HD
o Soldner-X Himmelssturner trailer (63MB)
o Prince of Persia Diary 2 and 3 (221 and 214MB)
o Mercenaries 2 Blow It Up Again trailer (43MB)
o Facebreaker Audition Video #4 and #5 (83 and 82MB)
o BAJA: Edge of Control - Launch trailer (190MB)
o Savage Moon trailer (52MB)
o Resistance 2 - Last hours (91MB)
o Life in LittleBigPlanet: Episode 4 (180MB)
o LittleBigPlanet Welcome to my world (103MB)
o Ben 10 Alien Force
• PS3 Themes
o Lingerie Girls - US$ 1.49 (6.77MB)
o University of Florida - US$ 1.99 (5.15MB)
o European Highlands - US$ 1.49 (6.25MB)
o Bloodwork Theme - US$ 1.49 (5.71MB)
o Atomic Acid - US$ 1.49 (5.4MB)
o Metal Battalion Maidens - US$ 0.99 (3.38MB)
PSP:
• Archer Maclean's Mercury - US$ 9.99
• Brain Challenge - US$ 9.99
• Super Stardust Portable - US$ 9.99
• Everyday Shooter - US$ 9.99


Thank you Sony for releasing PSP games this week. I was wondering when you would start taking advantage of the store. Honestly, this is a pretty impressive launch list for the PSP store. Mercury is a good game, Super Stardust is a really fun, addicting game, and Everyday Shooter is pretty fun and seems more appropriate for a handeld anyhow. Plus, Brain Challenge is like Big Brain Academy…so you may even enjoy that. These aren't exactly the most well known titles, but they are good games at the very least which is really all you can ask for.

As for the PS3 stuff. I'm simply ignoring Qore. It's nice that they are releasing a free issue for those of us not exactly enthused about the service, but I still couldn't care less about it. As for Soldner-X…it looks fun! It's a horizontal shooter that looks pretty. I'm not expecting anything that's going to blow me out of the water, but it actually looks enjoyable and could be worth your $9.99. It doesn't quite top last week's Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, but it easily tops what we get most weeks. So, again Sony, bravo.

The DLC is usually where we have some slip ups, but it looks like they did a couple of cool things this week. First, the LBP costume is free. I hate the idea of paying for costumes, so it's cool that they're giving away a free one. It actually looks pretty neat too, so if you own the game you should download it. Age of Booty also so nicely included three free map packs which include five new levels and a battle royal mode. This is cool, because for most other games we'd be paying a premium for that kind of content. Of course, they kind of owe us considering it took way too long to get Age of Booty over to the PSN. Whatever though.

Also free is the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm DLC. Of course, every DLC pack for that is free, so it's not too much of a surprise. If you are still putting off playing the game due to the license, you may want to re-evaluate it. It's a fun game that is also jaw-droppingly beautiful. It's certainly worth at least a rental. Plus, you can even get DLC for it! Now ain't that nice?

The rest of the DLC is for pay though. Farcry 2 brings us several weapons and maps for $9.99. Call me crazy, but I really don't like them introducing these sorts of things into the game as DLC. A lot of this seems like stuff they could have included on the disk, so I'm not crazy about paying money for it. At least all of these things can be accessed in both single player and multiplayer.

The music DLC is music. The Guitar Hero DLC is still way too much, the American Idol DLC is still over a dollar which is too much, and…wow, the Rock Band DLC is at a decent price this week. $.99 a song. For the price of a McChicken you can rock out to songs by Tokio Hotel and the Naked Brothers Band! …Oh, I guess I know why this week's DLC was only ninety-nine cents.

You also have GRID DLC which is just cars. I mean, I guess if you are interested in the game and wanted more vehicles this would do ya good, I'm just not sure that I'd want to pay 9.99 for all of that stuff. Ask yourself: "Are these cars worth the equivelant of Megaman 9?" The answer is most likely no, so you can leave it be. We also have Soul Calibur DLC. It's just more equipment, so you can call this one a scam. Release some useful DLC Namco and I'll get back to you.

This week was looking pretty good until I got to the themes section. I am lead to believe that every theme on X-Box LIVE is charged for. That's…good for them, but this is Sony! We have free themes for actual games! If Metal Gear Solid 4's theme can cost me $0.00, I think most other themes should cost me that much. This week we just get a bunch of non-game related junk. I mean, I guess if you're desperate enough to want a lingerie girls theme, this isn't bad for you…but really? You can do better.

As a whole, this week's updates were pretty good. Certain things ticked me off, as usual, but I found that a lot of the updates were interesting and worthy of praise. The last two weeks of PSN have been above average and I'd like to see more like it from Sony. I'm hoping next week includes more demos though. Their demo of Valkyria Chronicles sold me on the game, so I'm sure there are some other high tier holiday titles I need to play in demo form before I am sold on them as well.

Yep. Kudos Sony. Two good weeks in a row.



B3yond the Tabloids

TIME magazine recently released their top-10 games of this year. What in the world could top their list? Let's see…

1-) Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, 360, PC)
2-) Braid (XBLA)
3-) LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
4-) Rock Band 2 (PS3, 360)
5-) Gears of War 2 (360)
6-) Dead Space (PS3, 360, PC)
7-) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, mobile)
8-) Hunted Forever (Flash)
9-) Fieldrunners (iPhone)
10-) Spore (PC, Mac, DS)

This list is…unique. You most likely won't see another list like this anywhere on the internet. Unique isn't always good though, as I do take exception to a few of these. Braid is too high on the list. I get it, it's unique, it's new, it's fresh…but it's not one of the top-two games this year. It has innovation, but I honestly think people are going a bit crazy over it. Also, The Force Unleashed does not belong here. What it's doing here I have no clue, but it needs to get off this list. Same with Spore. That game is pure trash. Same with Fieldrunners, too. It's a fun game, but it's not a top-10 title for this year. Other than that, I guess the rest of the choices have some validity. It's nice to see them consider Flash games into the equation.

Where are Fallout 3 and MGS 4 though? Come onnnnnn.

Brash Entertainment apparently dropped the rights to their SAW game. It's pretty close to completion so expect another publisher to come swoop it up. So yes, yes, if you still WANT TO PLAY A GAME…you probably can. Just don't be brash enough to assume that Brash will deliver it to ya'.

Apparently the start of Home's Open Beta will be coming in ten days. The news of this came eight days ago, so expect the Home Open Beta within eight days. This is just a rumor at the moment, but…it could happen. So if you're waiting to play Myspace: The game, you won't have to wait that much longer. Lucky you.

As has been pounded into your head for several weeks now, I am a Street Fighter junkie. So of course I have to report on the news that Europe and Australia will both be getting collector's edition of the game with lots of neat Street Fighter goodies. What will this entail? Well, let's see…

• Limited edition figurines of all time favorite character Ryu and the all new character Crimson Viper, positioned within the familiar settings of the 'crowded Chinese downtown'.
• A bonus disc containing a feature length HD quality anime movie, created specially for the launch of Street Fighter IV and a selection of the best game trailers to date.
• A mini strategy guide created in the style of a comic art book detailing the moves and biographies of four of the new characters to the series; Viper, Abel, El Fuerte and Rufus
• Exclusive downloadable game content


Alright Toddo, I will buy this (assuming it comes out here). I absolutely want all of those extras. I actually thought that the new anime was just going to be coming with the game anyhow. So it's kind of a drag that people must pay extra to see it but…it is a full-length anime movie so I guess I can't complain too much. Also, Udon style strategy guide for the new characters? FUCK YES! Exclusive DLC and figurines sweeten the deal and make this a package I won't pass up on. Damn am I a hypocrite.

Apparently some benchmark tests for BLU-Ray players still show the PS3 as the fastest Blu-Ray player. It was first in two-of-the-three tests with the LG player clearly beating it in the one it lost. So, again, if you don't necessarily want a PS3 but want to play BLU-Ray movies…the system may be for you. It has the added benefit of being able to play video games (!!), so it's probably the over-all best deal as well. Plus, the 40 gig disc eject time is two seconds while Panasonic's is 17! Come on, you can't beat that.

Activision-Blizzard continue to deliver nothing new to the forefront as Tony Hawk, Guitar Hero 5 (guh), and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have all been confirmed. It should be noted that Activision claims that the new Tony Hawk won't be played with your hands. Will they be releasing a new foot pad for the PS3 and 360 releases? Obviously, the Wii's balance board is the choice for that system.

EA is working on a 3-on-3 NHL game for PSN with no rules. So think: NHL HITZ. The game will feature online play and forty NHL stars. As one of two sports that I think make swell games, I actually am quite looking forward to this. I wonder if Sean Avery will have an ability that has him spout off random stuff about his sloppy seconds to the other players?

If you enjoy country music, these music games may not exactly be your bag. They seem to focus more on rock and roll. (After all, the word rock tends to be in the titles). Not to worry though! They want your cash too! Country music is confirmed to be coming to Rock Band. These country tracks will be up on December 16th and include artists such as the Dixie Chicks and Brooks and Dunn.

Square Enix is looking to acquire Eidos. Yes, seriously. You can now picture Lara Croft facing off against Tifa Lockhart in Dissidia. Ah yeah. (Even if Tifa isn't in Dissidia as is =\)

Oh, were you expecting PS3 price-cuts in Europe? HAHAHAHA Not happening!



B3yond the Cinema

Be mindful of this game trailer, NSFW



This is a trailer for the new Afro Samurai game. I understand what it intends to do now as it combines some of the ugliest darn next gen graphics I've seen with nudity and violence. Your character fights these stripper ninjas who fight in, well, nothing. Alrighty then. I'm expecting this to be a controversial title…and as we all know, Controversy Creates Cash.



Cloud versus Sephiroth in Dissidia. I know you want this, even I kind of want this. So, I'm just going to leave this here and let you do with it what you will.



Here's some gameplay from the first level of Resident Evil 5. It looks fun at the very least.



Some Killzone 2 gameplay for you. How nice am I?



Your weekly Street Fighter IV this week features a showdown between Bison and Dhalsim. Yep, still sticking with this weekly and I will do so until the release of the game. Aren't I just a consistent young man?

The One-Man Watercooler



Let the gag continue!

I don't pick up games on impulse very often. Before the year 2007, the last game I picked up on an impulse was Sudeki. If you've played Sudeki you know what a mistake that was. Of course, I said: "before 2007". There was a game that came out that year which was getting stellar reviews, but I really didn't know much about. I didn't research the intricacies of the game, I just knew it was supposed to be good. I ended up purchasing it and it instantly became one of my favorite games on the Playstation 2, a console that I consider to be the greatest of all time. What game was that? Persona 3. Persona 3 totally came out of nowhere to uppercut me and delivered an experience I wasn't prepared for. I became addicted, and during the month of October last year (while mourning the sweep of the Cubs, something that would happen again this year) there wasn't another game I played.

The thing was though, Persona 3 was garnering eights and nines from everyone. People were sort of un-expecting of this title to be so good. From what I read, nobody was expecting this to be as big a hit as it was, and I felt that was reflected in the scores. I felt that it was higher than an "8" or a "9"…honestly, they could have gotten away with given it a 10. It was unique, it was fresh, it was different, it was a kick in the pants that the JRPG genre really needed.

Persona 4 appears to be a return to that formula and they have made some minor changes, or so I hear. I can't comment a whole lot on the new features of the game because I have not been reading information on it. I want this experience to surprise me much like the last. It surprises me though that, 10 reviews in, it has an absurdly high metacritic score and has been gathering 10's from somewhat reliable websites. My brother is the sort of person who believes a ten should be delivered only when a game is absolutely perfect…is Persona 4 perfect?

Well, in my definition a 10 should only be given out to a game that defines perfection in a genre. For instance, let's look at Fallout 3, a game that many people would consider the game of the year in 2008. It's a fantastic game by every standard and even a WRPG snob such as myself can enjoy it. That said, does it change the way we look at WRPGs? For the next five years, will people be saying: "Yeah, this game is good…but it's no Fallout 3?" Honestly, as much as I like the game, it really won't be looked at like this. Fallout 3 is a great game, but I wouldn't' call it genre defining. From me, it would get a 9.5

Persona 3 was also a great game and it changed things. I'm not sure I would have given it a 10 though. It was damn close to being that way, though. I have wondered whether JRPGs I've played this year are as good as Persona 3, but I really don't see that going on for long. I have played Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne recently, and I can assure you that Persona 3 isn't a genre defining game worthy of a 10. Nocturne is a better game in several ways and is, arguably, the best RPG of the last generation. In order for Persona 4 to truly be worth the score of "10", it has to best that game. If it can do it, if it can make me feel "ways about stuff", I think it can do it. I'll have to wait and see though. Persona 3, from my judgement, would have to be a 9.6 or 9.7. So it's hard to improve on from there.

I figure I should give you an example of some games I would give a 10/10. There aren't that many of them that I have played. In my youth, I would go to sites and pretty much rate any game that I liked as a 10/10. It was a foolish thing to do, but I did it anyhow. Would you believe me if I told you I gave the original Dragonball Z: Budokai a 10/10 on gamers.com? I said that it replaced Capcom vs. SNK 2 as my ‘can play at any time fighter. This turned out to be complete bullshit as I went back to CvSNK 2 about a month later, but my views on things have really changed.

From the fighting genre, Street Fighter III would be a 10/10 worthy game. Everything about it is perfect in my eyes. The animation is absolutely phenomenal, it comes off as fairly balanced, and the fighting system is intuitive. The parry system is one of my favorites to ever come out of a game. I think that tournament-caliber matches in Street Fighter III are amazingly fun to watch. It's like art in motion. Try watching Daigo's comeback and tell me you aren't captivated. Whether you're watching it or playing it, SF III is a masterpiece. Every single fighter I've played since SF III, I've wondered if it could compare to SF III and every time I've said: "No." It should be noted that Virtua Fighter 5 comes close to my standard of perfection, but isn't quite there.

From the platforming genre, Prince of Persia Sands of Time is definitely at the top of the class. Everything about this title is amazing. The gameplay, the story, the music, it's just a high caliber experience that's hard to replicate. There was a lot of inventive platforming to find and the ability to manipulate time was nice and original. I didn't believe the hype about this game when I first read review for it. The Prince of Persia games were titles I never really enjoyed that much. They were good, but they weren't THAT good. Sands of Time changed that. It was just flat out excellent. Super Mario Galaxy is about where Sands of Time is, but it just didn't quite milk a 10/10 out of me.

One final example is from a genre that will draw me much ire. Every role playing fan has their opinions about this game. They either absolutely love it or they absolutely hate it. For me, it's better than its source material in just about every way imaginable. What game is this? Chrono Cross for the Playstation. I'm telling you, no game has ever drawn me in as much as this one has. Not only is the fighting system unique, but the story is also interesting. Yes, the characterization isn't the best – only about 10 of the 40 or so Playable characters are characterized – but the story is phenomenal. It's slow to develop but once it gets going it's damn hard to put down. Combined with phenomenal art and the best soundtrack in video game history, I think Chrono Cross is a definitive game in the roleplaying genre.

That's just three though. I have other examples I could go to as well, but I'm sure you get my point. In order for a game to be perfect in my eyes, it has to be at the very tip of the genre. Persona 3 wasn't quite there…but if the reviews are to be believed about Persona 4, it could be there. Will it be? Time will tell. I assure you though, once I play it I'll let you know if Persona 4 is that genre defining game that the magazines claim it to be.



B3yond the Mail

Gadge wants to know why SF II: Turbo HD Remix has been delayed in PAL territories.

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?

I am. It was certainly worth the way. I still suck ass at it, but it's fun. Apparently the game was delayed in Europe for PSN, but not for X-Box LIVE. There was no reason given for it…so perhaps Microsoft was able to ink a deal with Capcom over the European release? It seems awfully weird to me, so I can't come up with a good excuse. You guys always get games way later than you should, so I feel the need to apologize.

Bell hates Home!

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.

Wow…this seems like World of Warcraft. You know how it is. A bunch of lonely guy playing and suddenly…a girl! And she plays games! You absolutely must shower her with attention because she has a vagina! This is why girl gamers get such a bad rap…because a lot of them are attention whores. If they were gamers first and girls second, that would just be great. Of course, guys are moronic so even then they would still fawn over any female who can handle a joypad. Nobody would care. I'm kind of neutral on the subject, because I just don't care. If you play games, you play games. Simple as that. I see a lot of people diss the ever loving hell out of girl gamers though.

Even though you can't say much about it, I assume my assumption that this is a waste of everyone's time and money is correct. Thanks for re-affirming that.

To wrap up this week, Ebben has a very well thought out post for you to dig through:

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.

That makes sense. From a financial standpoint it absolutely makes sense to just stick with what they're doing. Why develop code across multiple consoles when it takes such time and money? My thing is though, couldn't they release the game on PC or 360 a little earlier (if they must), and try harder to work the code in for the PS3 port of the game? It may be hard as hell to make games for, but I'm sure if the proper time and resources were put in we could have something neat.

That's the problem though, if they're receiving the same game across multiple systems why not just get the one that comes out first? People who own multiple consoles will be more inclined just to buy the 360 version. So the sales for a PS3 version of the game could be so minimal that there would be no reason for actually releasing them. Since a game maker's primary goal is to make money, as is any organization, it just makes sense to let a specific version of the game be less polished. I assume FF XIII for the 360 will suffer more of the same, but that's business.

Thanks for checking in. You made a lot of sense with your points. I wish cross-platforming was a better deal for Sony…but it can't be helped. Sony made their console hard to develop for, so they just have to deal with it.

As always, I thank you all for your comments. They help me become a better writer. So feel free to comment down below or send me an e-mail at [e-mail]. Your choice.

The 411mania Empire!



Joe Roche writes The Full-Circle News Report

Chris Vicari writes The PC-Spotlight

Drew writes The PC-Centric Extravaganza

Vincent Chiucchi wrote last week's Select and Start News Report

I write The 10th Hour

AJ and Mike Minotti voice the Exploding Barrel Podcast. They have a nice Fallout 3 special you should listen to this week.

Rod Oracheski writes Achievement Unlocked

Well, that's it for this week. I'm out.

'til the crossroads