B3yond the Report 01.13.09

Posted by Derek Robbins on 01.13.2009

This week, Sony brings the smack talk, the PSN update returns, and new FF XIII info is revealed. All of that, plus an expressed hatred of the PS3's shoulder buttons this week on B3yond the Report.

Hello and welcome to B3yond the Report. I started college back up today and what's the first thing I do when I get home? Well, after watching the Office I decided to go ahead and write this! Aren't you special! Well, let's see what Sony has got going for them this week, eh?



B3yond the News of the Week

New FF XIII information, demo news

You've probably all read by now about the absurdly long FF XIII demo. You know, 90+ minutes of FF XIII action to tide us over until the game is actually released? Well, I've got some bad new to deliver to you on this lonesome Monday: That demo will not be released outside of Japan. Now, the actual wording from a Square Enix rep was this:

At present the FINAL FANTASY

XIII demo will only be available in Japan with the Blu Ray release of Advent Children
Complete. We hope to have further news in the coming months.


I think there is plenty of time for Square to release the demo or some form of it over here. After all, you may recall that a Final Fantasy XII demo was released with Dragon Quest VIII, so perhaps they will release some sort of demo with one of their games released later this year? Or maybe there will be a massive fan uproar for an English version of Advent Children: Complete (God forbid. That movie is putrid) and we'll see it in that form?

Well, whatever the case I suppose it's a shame that there is no official word on whether the demo will be here or not. I would love to be able to play FF XIII prior to its release. After all, we only know that the release date is "At some point, maybe 2009? Probably 2010" in America. So, for those of us who consider ourselves Final Fantasy fans, an early dose would be nice. Whatever though.

Luckily though, that's not where the news this week ends! Apparently Famitsu has some information on the battle system. According to them, from the time you get on the map and wind up in a battle, you won't really notice a difference. So, familiar battle transition screens such as the glass shattering appear to be totally absent. I guess this'll help the more seamless feel of running around and fighting enemies that you can actually see. This should come as no surprise though, since this feature in XII was absent as well. Glad it's gone.

Also, FF XIII's star Lightning's name isn't actually Lightning. Like Vanilla, it's just a codename. According to Computer and Videogames, that name is Dia Walruva. You normally assume this is correct, but Vanilla's name is translated to Dia Oerba. It's very unlikely that two main characters would have the same first name…so there's a chance that the translation was off. Oh well. I assume that they got it half-right. Lightning IS a code-name, but it's not Dia Walruva.

So, err, what have we learned? Battles are seamless in FF XIII, Lightning is a code-name, and we probably won't be getting the 90-minute demo. Ah well.



Killzone 2 first review

Well, well, well…one of the most anticipated Playstation 3 games to come out in 2009 happens to be one of the first ones to come out as well. Killzone 2, if you believe Sony, is supposed to be one of the PS3's highest selling titles and they hype for it couldn't be any higher. Swedish site GP hosts the first review of the game in which they give it a 4/5. They say that it's "great enough", but it's not really innovative in any way whatsoever. Is that really surprising to you? No. Well, don't take it from me though. Here's a translation of what the Swedish site had to say about Killzone 2:

The controls are good and the environments feel natural, raw and uncouth and that's where Killzone 2 succeeds compared to many other shooters; it feels more personal, it's easier to identify with your character and to feel connected with your teammates. Co-op is noticeably missing, which is odd, and Killzone 2 isn't doing much new with the genre but is great enough to succeed without launching for the Christmas Sale period.

Well first, I am glad that the environments are nice. If the game allows you to easily identify with your character, consider me sold. One of my least favorite portions of a shooting title is the fact that I always feel dis-connected with my character. I just feel like I'm controlling some dude shooting other dudes. If I can really get into my character, maybe Killzone 2 will be the sort of game that I can enjoy. If I can feel a bond with my squadmates…maybe this will be a PS3 exclusive title that I had no planned on buying that I change my mind on. Of course, the insane multiplayer may have factored in on that as well.

What bothers me is that the reviewer claims co-op is missing? I always play the single player mode in a shooter and can have a decent time with it…but the real meat and bones is working through that mode with a friend. Without that, a lot of people really can't stomach the single player content. So, it's not there in Killzone 2? Seriously? After Resistance 2 featured some of the best co-op gameplay of the year? I just don't know what the hell they were thinking. Brain dead.

As far as defining the genre: No shock. The game didn't look revolutionary, it just looked like a game that was pretty and fun. When I play a shooter, I guess I don't need revolution because I'm not expecting it. Are games like Resistance 2 or Gears 2 or Halo 3 particularly innovative? No. They don't need that though. They are fun games that are worthy of your attention for other reasons. Killzone 2's reason appears to be solely soaked in Multiplayer which is good enough. I'm sure after the first week, Killzone 2 online will be fun.

I'm glad they say it's great enough to sell well. Then again, the game is coming out in February and comes out around the time that Street Fighter IV comes out and shortly before Resident Evil 5 comes out. There's a chance that it could get over-shadowed. I can't see shooting enthusiasts who own a PS3 passing up on it though. If you asked me right now, I will say that sales will disappoint at first, but by the end of the year it will have moved a decent amount of product. We'll see though.

4/5, not a bad start. It's not the stream of 10's that we saw for GTA IV or Persona 4 (FUCK YEAH!), but it'll do.



Sony being Sony

I have taken the decision to don Sony's black cape and cover them. Speaking from the bottom of my cold, icy heart I love several of the games that Sony unveils to us. Generally speaking, I love video games, but this story doesn't concern them (well, totally). I have to cover Sony in the good and the bad, and well…I have to say this story is bad. Not only is it bad, but honestly? It's a little moronic. It's basically them coming out and saying: "We're losing, but we're still the best." Yeah, okay. A loss is a loss, guys. It would be different if this was done in an interview, but instead Sony comes out and issues a press release. Good going guys:

The Xbox 360 requires additional money, multiple upgrades and additional external devices, putting a burden on the wallet and adds clutter to the entertainment center

And the Wii's lack of enhanced features comes at the expense of a comprehensive entertainment solution.
So as PS3 continues to evolve without the need for additional parts or expenses, expect the competition to continue peddling add-ons in an effort to keep up with the Jones'
As I have mentioned time and time again, even though the 360 is more expensive than it appears, it's just that: It appears to not be as expensive! Yeah, there are a lot of add-ons for people to buy, but it's appealing to people to have an OPTION to buy that stuff. They can just buy the $200 arcade bundle and call it a day if they want. A lot of casual gamers may find that the best option. Sony would benefit from COPYING this strategy, because even though it gives a lot of "out of the box" stuff, how many casual gamers are going to use all those features? Sony has the hardcore market, but they could do a lot more to appeal to casual gamers and the 360 does just that. Do you see the PS3 ever marketed at children? Hell, the 360 had a Kung-Fu Panda/Lego INDY bundle this Christmas. The PS3 had nothing like that. It may end up being as expensive as the PS3 in the end, but that's only if you want it to be a system like the PS3. Simple as that.

As for the Wii, look, I think the Wii is worthy of mockery myself. I am just some guy who writes a column on the internet that has a very limited reader-base. I have no merit, I have no national voice, I just give what I think. For Sony to come out and insult the Wii though is kind of silly. Yeah, they aren't a comprehensive entertainment solution, but look at the sales chart guys! The Wii is KILLING you. They aren't just beating you like the 360 is doing, they are KILLING you. Yeah, it may not be an entertainment machine like the PS3 is, but Sony! Listen to the public! Look at the sales! Maybe the public as a whole doesn't want that entertainment machine!

The bold part of the statement? That wasn't done by me. Yeah, I added the HTML code to make it bold, but Sony, in their press release, bolded this part. So they must really want you to read it. I agree with you Sony! I think your system IS the best system long-term, but here's the thing: Not a lot of people do. Your system is always evolving and if Sony really wanted to they could stick with this thing for several more years, but a lot of people buy into Microsoft's ideas. A lot of people like the Wii.

I know Sony is trying to come from behind, but attacking the competition and calling them such things comes off as desperate to me. It just screams tacky and like they reached their last resort. "WE'RE LOSING FOR THESE REASONS. IT'S NOT OUR FAULT, IT'S THEIR'S" Look guys, just fucking lower your prices, stop passing the buck, or things will not get better. Period. That little chart you released is nice and all, just leave it alone okay?

So yeah, Sony was wrong in doing this. This is coming from the Sony reporter. I mean, I love Sony as a whole. I think they deliver excellent games that go under-appreciated. That said, I still really dislike this. I wonder how the public as a whole feels about this? This strategy…I couldn't dislike it any more than I do.



Your Weekly PSN Update

Man, I missed this last week. THE PSN UPDATE. What does Sony have going for us this week, eh?

• Qore Episode 08: January, 2009 (US$ 2.99)
Price Update
• Mercenaries 2: World in Flames - Blow It Up Again DLC Pack (US$ 1.99)
• Rock Band
tracks (US$ 1.99)
o "Are You Dead Yet"
o "Hay Poco Rock n Roll"
o "Ready, Set, Go!"
o "The Real World"
o "Tempted"
o "Tutto E Possible"
Downloadable Games

• Cuboid (US$ 9.99)
• Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom (US$ 9.99)
Add-on Game Content
• NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM Pack 6 (free)
• Tom Clancy's EndWar Faction Elite Pack (US$ 3.75)
• WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 Roster Update (US$ 4.99)
• Guitar Hero World Tour
o "Por La Boca Vive El Pez" by Fito & Fitipaldis (US$ 1.99)
o "Johnny" by Di-Rect (US$ 1.99)
o "Degenerated" by Backyard Babies (US$ 1.99)
o European Track Pack 02 (US$ 5.49)
• Rock Band
o "Hymn 43" - Jethro Tull (US$ 1.99)
o "Space Truckin'" - Deep Purple (US$ 1.99)
o "Funk #49" - James Gang (US$ 1.99)
o "Take Back the City" - Snow Patrol (US$ 1.99)
• Rock Revolution
o "Cemetery Gates" (US$ 1.50)
o "Mouth For War" (US$ 1.50)
o "This Love" (US$ 1.50)
o "5 Minutes Alone" (US$ 1.50)
o "I'm Broken" (US$ 1.50)
o Pantera Pack Track Pack (US$ 5.50)
I'm still not terribly interested in Qore. It's a bunch of features I can probably find for free on the internet, but I may end up buying one just to see how the whole thing works so I can start critically talking about it instead of saying: "Well, I think it sucks so it probably does?" Ah, well, whatever. If Qore is your bag, go for it. If not, hell, I can't blame you.

As for the Price updates…I know the Mercs 2 update was going to happen. It was free, but that was for a limited time only. To be totally fair, I think that anyone who wanted that content probably has it by now. So if you're having to pay, I guess it's your own fault for waiting. Regarding the Rock Band price changes…those games better not have been .99 cents or free before. They have so many songs on that service that losing out on a dollar a download shouldn't kill them. Maybe it was more than that though? From what I read, Tutto E Possible was 99 cents…so, egh, a price increase. Yeah, no. Thanks though.

The downloadable games don't look to be anything special. Cuboid might be alright if you enjoy puzzle games – especially considering that Sony promises custom user levels later on – but the other game is what? Mahjong? Yeah, I think you can probably skip out on that one.

Gotta love that the Naruto packs are always free. They don't really add a lot of new content, but you know what? They're free. So I support that. I believe the update this week includes Anko and a new Ultimate mission. I'm hoping they eventually add a new character or something via DLC, but the odds of that happening seem fairly low to me since Ultimate Ninja storm pretty much covers all of Naruto's main storyline that's been covered in America. Unless they decide to bring in a Shippuden character or something.

The Smackdown v. Raw Update isn't REALLY worth the cash. As has been mentioned here, it's pretty much just on-disk content that you're paying for. Later on, I assume that they'll have legit DLC but for the time, this is on-disc content. I know this because I saw video footage of all the new characters before the game even came out. So, if you wanna hold off on getting this, it's fine. If you really like the game though, the ability to play as Evan Bourne or Ted DiBiase Jr. may be worth the price-tag. I think the diva costumes are a bit silly, but someone may want to rock the Santa Kelly Kelly in June.

The music download stuff is as you would expect: pointless and over-priced. I'm SHOCKED Rock Revolution has the guts to charge $1.50 for their songs. You do know that like two or three people bought your game right? I think $.50 to $.99 would have been a more reasonable asking price. $1.50 though! Konami! That's enough to buy a Snack Wrap, and honestly? I'd rather have my insides rot due to McDonald's food than pay for Rock Rev songs so…yeah.

This wasn't a good week in my humble opinion, but it's the first post-holiday PSN release so I have to give them some slack. It's not like we're expecting a ton of news this time of year, so...whatever. You still have a couple of bye weeks going due to the strong late-November and December PSN had.



B3yond the Tabloids

I didn't mention it in a main news story because I know Vince has it covered in the Select and Start News Report. The news doesn't have anything to do with Sony, but I do wanna touch on it for a second. 1up being acquired by UGO was sad. It was sad to see so many capable writers and personalities fired. I was never a big fan of 1up.com but they had some talented people there, and a lot of them just…got let go from the site. That's pretty sad. I also am saddened by EGM going under. The writing had been on the wall for a long time coming, but it was still part of my childhood, so I will miss them. They'll always be my favorite gaming magazine and to be totally honest it was a dream of mine to be published by them some day. It's sad for me knowing that, barring a resurrection, that dream will never come true and that is a darn shame.

Everyone has bought a Madcatz controller at some time. And by everyone, I usually mean our parents when we are younger. "Gee Mom, I really need another controller." Later that night you see a brand new Madcatz controller and lament: "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM IT WASN'T THE RIGHT ONE!" Well, those very same guys are working on some neat looking SF IV controllers. They have two different arcade fighting sticks coming out, a classic arcade pad for those of us who prefer the console feel (will the R2 and L2 buttons suck on it?), custom skins for the PS3 and 360, and a special wall scroll. It's cool to see them go all out for a game that's very high on my wish-list this February. And by very high, I mean it's going to be the game that forces me to drop out of college.

Sony's keynote speaker at CES 2009 has some pretty positive Sony news for all the doubters out there. The PSP and PS3 combined user-base has reached the 61-million mark with 17 million total PSN accounts. Now, it's unknown whether the speaker was talking about individual user accounts or actual hardware numbers, but that's still a lot of people and a number to be proud of at that. It doesn't have the sales the other consoles do, but ya' know what? I'm damn happy with my PS3 and I'm glad that a lot of other people feel the same way.

Congress Bill H.R. 231 wants a cigarette style warning to be placed on video game boxes proclaiming that violent games are known to have been linked to aggressive behavior. This label is to be displayed prominently on packages so parents don't, you know, miss it. I think this is a good idea, honestly. I know it hampers the artwork you'll see on packages, but this could go a long way to stop parents from bitching about games ruining their kids. I mean, if they don't want their children playing those kinds of games in their households, they really don't have to!

Oh, wow, breaking news. The first review of Killzone 2 broke the embargo so it was taken down. Err, well, it got a 4/5 from them. So, there you go. Etched in history.

Aaron Greenberg of Microsoft stated in an interview with G4 that he expects Sony prices to be cut sometime this year. He said that it's hard to sell a console at double the price of their competition and that, most likely, a cut is coming. Well, I hope so. If they quit blaming other people for their less-than-the-competition sales (the sales weren't even that bad – they were even an improvement! - they were just less. Simple as that) and just lower their prices, it'll be alright.

Nobody will be questioning the PS3's sound quality anymore. Two guys were arrested on suspicion of SHOOTING someone. A concerned neighbor called the police because he heard some weird noises coming from the house. So what was happening? The two men were playing a game on their flat screen TV with the volume blasting. Apparently it was so realistic and convincing that an entire SWAT team was sent out to sort this out. Their apartment was searched and no actual weapons were found, so they were let go. That's gonna be an interesting story to tell their family, eh? PS3: SO REALISTIC, YOU'LL GET ARRESTED.

There is going to be a Killzone 2 bundle released in Europe. It is supposed to be a system seller after all. That bundle will not be coming to the United States. This comes as no surprise to me because LBP's bundle was not released here. Speaking of LBP, the game has sold something like 1.3 million copies which is a very good number. It wasn't the flop a lot of us thought it was, eh?

Well, we now have our very first $1 billion dollar game and…you may not like what it was. While Guitar Hero 1 and 2 were superior games with superior soundtracks, Guitar Hero 3 has breached the 1 billion world-wide sales figure, a fact that was confirmed by Activision's CEO. Well, that explains why there are now a billion different Guitar Hero titles coming out this year.

MLB The Show 09's cover athlete is…Dustin Pedoria. Pretty good pick. He did win the AL MVP after all. The Show has been the only playable 3D baseball game as of late due to the fact that 2K studios has ran the MLB 2K franchise into the ground. You won't hear this much, but EA Sports had it 100% perfect with MVP 2005. That's a franchise that needs to come back. Also, what's the deal with sports games using the right analogue stick? That stick fucking sucks.

News from CES 2009 states that, well, Rock Band 3 will not come out this year. Instead, the only Rock Band title slated for 2009 is the Beatles game. Thank God. This is why I support Rock Band and not Guitar Hero. If you're going to release a million DLC songs a year, do you really need eight 50-dollar games? No. Thank you Rock Band. I am so excited for the Beatles game. I love the Beatles! Fuck yeah.

Sony Online Entertainment expects their up-coming MMO-type games to account for more than half of their sales. Those two MMOs (that are being released this year) are DC Universe and The Agency. Listen, far be it from me to judge…but the MMO market is a two-pony race and in my opinion it's going to be a bit hard for a console MMO to compete with that. WoW has the lion's share, FF XI has the more hardcore people and EVE Online has the super hardcore people. The rest is…kinda vacant. Good luck though, I'll definitely be rooting for the Agency's success.

Did you hear that Europe is actually getting a game sooner than the United States? Killzone 2 comes out in PAL regions first! That's amazing news! Congrats to you guys, you deserve an early high-profile release.

Oh, also for you European gamers: Disgaea 3 will be coming out there soon. I'm sure those of you who really wanted the title have imported it (due to the PS3 being region free), but if you were waiting for something more official, well, here it is! The game is a pretty good one, but if you're looking for something new and radically different from the second Disgaea, well, you're probably barking up the wrong tree.

Lastly, the amazing looking Ghost Busters game finally has a release date. June 16th to coincide with the Blu Ray release of the original film. The movie will have several neat features and I assume the game will do a lot to advertise those new features. Whatever the case, what looks like the most awesome Ghost Busters title ever isn't too far off and is being released at a GREAT time. Why a great time? What the hell comes out during the summer this year? Good move. Very good move.



B3yond the Cinema



Here's the CES 09 walkthrough for fat princess. It's only the first part. You can find the others on Gametrailers if you really want. This game looks really fun and will wind up being PSN's solution to Castle Crashers. I hope that the long wait will be worth it for this unique little title. It's not every day you get to roll a fat princess around. This is definitely one of the must own PSN titles of '09.



Here's more CES 09 footage. This one depicts the upcoming title Infamous. Looks pretty good in my opinion, but some people seem under-whelmed. Well, whatever. Different strokes I guess.



Here's a Flock trailer from CES 09. Man, they're getting a lot of video, aren't they? Well, I had to cover the event SOMEHOW, so I'm doing it via videos! Pretty smart, ain't I? Anyhow, the game looks pretty fun in my opinion. You can actually get a demo of this with Qore, so if you were looking for an excuse to try it out, your excuse might be right there. Another fun PSN title. Nice.



Your weekly dose of Street Fighter IV gameplay. This is Sakura v. Ryu. This is actually the first bit of "official gameplay footage" (as opposed to user) from Gametrailers since November, so like enjoy it. I know I did. This game cannot come out soon enough. Sega and Capcom owe me money for the pimping I do for their products, man.



Here's DC Universe online. It looks like a FUN MMO, but is that enough to draw in a new audience? After all, it's very easy to draw comparisons to this and City of Heroes. That game was, in general, a failure. I probably won't get it because WoW currently dominates my MMO time, but if the game continues to look this promising I may end up giving it a more sincere look. I'm glad this game is also coming out on PC though. I'm not sold on playing an MMO on my console.

The One Man Watercooler



Well, let's keep this thinga' going. I was thinking about naming each water cooler individually, but thought that seemed kind of gimmicky so I dropped it. I even had a Dr. Strangelove parody title all planned out! Well, eh, maybe I'll go with it later…but for now I'll just stick to the plain jane cooler. Ho hum, I am just a boring individual.

The shoulder button. A fancy way to add new buttons to your controller allowing new and interesting maneuvers to happen. For instance, can you imagine a world where your characters in Street Fighter could only Medium Punch and Light Punch!? Well thanks to the innovation of the shoulder button, your characters can finally hit people with the HEAVY punch. Don't like that? Well, play Smash Brothers Brawl and try to guard. Oh you can't? Why not? OH NO SHOULDER BUTTON!? WHAT A SHAME.

So why, in this generation, has such a sacred set of buttons been sent behind the shed and shot? I mean, sure, the PS3 has the R1 and L1 buttons and the X-Box 360 has the two bumpers, but what about the other two buttons? They are called "L1 and R1" for a reason. They aren't just going to name them that and not have a sequel to them. Well, unfortunately, like most sequels…on the Playstation 3, the R2 and L2 buttons fall flat and fail to live up to the lofty expectations that the originals left in our mouths.

"What's wrong with those button?" you may find yourself asking. The solution is quite simple. For whatever reason, both the 360 and the PS3 have fallen in love with the idea that shooters absolutely need to have trigger buttons. If you aren't pulling a trigger, you aren't getting the most accurate experience. Right, because holding onto a controller and pressing a button to fire a gun with absolutely no kick is the height of realism. Seriously, if I wanted triggers, I would buy a light gun.

That said, the idea of having trigger buttons for use in only one genre really doesn't anger me much. Actually, the trigger buttons on the 360 are nice and responsive. If I press down on the right trigger, by golly the game can tell that I wanted to shoot something. The Playstation 3's R2 button on the other hand…well, to say that it doesn't measure up is a bit of an understatement.

What I don't understand is what exactly was wrong with the R2 and L2 buttons on the dualshock 2? They were quite functional buttons with relatively limited uses. I mean, yes, I may have used them once every blue moon but at least when I wanted to press them they would register. They were quality buttons and went well with the great R1 and L1 buttons. Now, at least with the X-Box 360, the original X-Box had trigger buttons. Sure, the original iteration of that controller may have been a mess but they ALWAYS had those buttons.

Sony decides to cash in on this trigger trend by turning their lovely R2 and L2 buttons into R2 and L2 triggers. This could have been interesting, but instead Sony decided to make their two triggers the least responsive buttons ever. Usually when I shoot a gun by pulling a trigger, I assume that a bullet will be fired. I mean, it's natural. When I press a button, I expect there to be a reaction. With the R2 and L2 buttons, you don't always get that. Yeah, sure, it works most of the time…but at other times it just decides that, you know what? No dice.

I wish the PS3 had Dualshock ports, I really do. Honestly, I don't understand why people hate wires so much. I've been fooling around with them for as long as I can remember. When I played the NES, I tooled around with wires. When I played the SNES? Wires. Genesis? Wires. There have always been wires. Perhaps it bothers neat freaks like my brother who hate anything that lacks order, but for me…I like the mess. I like being connected to something. I like not having to worry about my controllers being charged. Is that so weird?

Okay, maybe a little. Also, that's off the point. I wish there were dualshock ports because I HATE using those buttons. I know not many games use them, but I'd like to know that when a game takes me to task and says: "Use those buttons, damn it!" that I can use them without fear. You want an example? Well, as you all know I am an avid Street Fighter fan. To say that it is my favorite franchise of all time is a bit of an understatement. It's like saying: "Golly, RPG coverage sure has gone up since Derek took over B3yond the Report." We get it.

So, like, I have been playing Street Fighters on the Playstation for a long time. Alpha 3 is one of my favorite games of all time. On that game, heavy kick is the R2 button. When I press heavy kick, I god damn want to heavy kick some suckers. Ken's hurricane kick just has less, err, kick when it is used with a different button. You need that extra MMPH. So because I am used to this and because I hate change, I decided to switch Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix's Heavy kick button to R2.

Let me tell you what, I sure do love pressing the kick button and being confused as to why I didn't kick. I will look at the screen and go: "I think I pressed a button. Did I press a button?" I know I pressed the button, but Ken just sits and looks at me with a look that says: "I'm dead. You killed me." The R2 button killed Ken, are you happy Sony? Now, I thought for sure this might just be a one game problem. I hadn't notice it en masse before. So, given that my PS3 can play PS1 games…I decided to try Alpha 3 again.

SAME PROBLEM! DAAAAAMN YOU. I tried using Rose this time, hoping that my beloved fortune teller would change my, er, fortune…and no dice. This is a problem that I want to see fixed. This is a problem that NEEDS to be fixed. Is it sad that a simple trigger button might force me to spend money on an arcade pad for a game that I desperately need? Bah.

You want the reason why Sony is losing this console war. It's not because of price cuts, it's not because of exclusive titles, it's not because of who each company targets…it's because the trigger buttons on the PS3 don't function well. The casual gamer knows this, it feels them with rage, and they don't buy the system. I implore you Sony, do away with the triggers! For my sake! For Ken's sake!



B3yond the Mailbag

Well, last week I got some harsh feedback for disliking LEGO Batman. I replied to most of that in the comments section, so let's get to some other bits of feedback eh?

Guest says:

Wow. This is quite a long column. There's a chance you need a life.

Yep. Spending two and a half hours one day a week on something that could get me ahead in the future sure does mean I need to get a life.

FDuk200k has an interesting comment regarding Sony's sales

There seems to be to many people, especially written in this column that if Sony reduce the price of the console then it will sell better and beat the Xbox (not the Wii, it really doesnt have a chance of catching that now). But truthfully, if Sony reduce it, yes, there will be a spike in sales (like there was MGS4 came out) but then it will just go back down to normal. The damage has already been done for the console and the best they could hope for is 2nd place, but with Microsoft doing EXACTLY what Song were doing during the N64 - PS1 wars, it doesnt seem like its going to happen.

Let me use some examples. When the N64 was launched, the day before it came out, Sony reduced the price of the PS1 & reaped HUGE profits becaue of it. Microsoft has done the same and reaped the profits. Sony snapped up the Final Fantasy Series and the GTA series & reaped the rewards. Now, Microsoft have gotten a hand in these franchises & look what its doing to their console sales. To me, Sony showed a huge arrogence in not protecting these game franchises. They really seemed to believe that people would buy the PS3, regardless of price or games, but would buy it simply because it had Playstation writen on it. A console needs its exclusives to survive and Sony allowed 2 of its biggest to go multi format.

Next games. People are saying Sony need to release some great games on the console. Exactly what will that do? History shows the N64 had some of the greatest games EVER and was the cheapest superconsole, yet no one really bought it.

Mario 64, Banjo 1 and 2, Goldeneye, Mario Kart 64, Legend of Zelda (Ocarina and Mask) Conkers Bad Fur Day, Jet Force Gemini, Body Harvest, Blast Corps, Wave Race, Lylat Wars, Mischief Makers, Pilotwings 64, No Mercy...

to name but a few.

These games are still played today, still downloaded on the VC system, but it didnt stop the N64 being a failure. Why? Because by the time the 64 was hitting its stride Sony had put to much distance between them. The PS1 was now the console to own. Its the same now. The Wii has waaaaay to much distance, its the console to own. The PS3 has had way to many problems and one thing they cant compete with Microsoft on is the online gaming asspect. Xbox Live is the best online format for console gaming online at the moment.

Sony could usually fall back on the cool image, but thats been tarnished now, thanks to the way theyve handled the PS3. They could rely on their games, but with GTA and FF going multiformat, why buy a PS3 when you can buy the cheaper and more reliable Xbox? At this point in time, it wouldnt matter about price or games. The damage has already been done to the console and its image and Sony only stand to lose more money from it.

I don't expect people to agree with this but what the hey.

I totally understand what you're saying. It may be too late to catch the 360 this generation because it already has its stable of fanboys and there are only so many videogame investors out there. I mean, yeah, obviously some people are going to buy a PS3 when the price drops…but it could very well be too little too late. A lot of people have it in their mind right now that Sony is the inferior machine, regardless of price. There's literally nothing I could say in this column to the contrary that will change their opinion.

I also agree with the point you make regarding the Nintendo 64. It had some classic titles, but due to the strong lead of the PS1 it could have released pretty much anything and nothing would have come out of it. The PS3, this year at least, received several games that I know I will be playing or re-playing years from now. I think if these games appeared on the 360 or especially the wii, more people would be interested in these things. The deal is though, those games aren't…and no matter what happens, there's a chance that the PS3 just can't catch up.

That said, a price cut WOULD spike sales, and it's better to try something than just stand back and let events occur or, err, blame everyone but yourself. I think that what you say has a high probability, but you also need to remember that it's not necessarily absolute. The 360 is ahead right now, but it's absolutely within reach and if Sony plays its cards right in 2009 perhaps it can close the gap. I mean, I'm not going to be brash enough to say that by the end of the year things will be different. That Sony fanboys and 360 fanboys will be of equal number. I will say though that perhaps, if done right, the gap will be smaller.

I do not like what they've done so far this year. It's just started but I just do not like it one bit. It's also just flat-out pointless to insult the Wii, for Sony at least. They are so far ahead that it's ridiculous. It just seems like an envious nerd pining to be a jock. He can whine all he wants, but it just isn't going to happen.

So yeah. The Wii is out of reach and is totally the winner. Sony's moves in this year will most likely determine who, as far as sales are concerned, will finish second.

I was going to reply to more, but it looks like I replied to most of them in the comment section last week, so I'll just leave it at that. If you wish to leave a comment, simply do so below or send me an e-mail at [e-mail] No matter what you have to say, positive or negative, I appreciate your feedback and feel that it helps me become a better writer. I take what you say to heart and will try to continue improving this column.

The 411mania empire


Vincent Chiucchi writes The Select and Start News Report

Joe Roche writes the Full Circle 360 News Report

I write the 10th Hour

Tommy Coloma writes The Release List

Theo Fraser writes the Nintendophiles

Chris Vicari writes The PC-Spotlight

Mark Salmela writes Games only a mother could love

AJ and Mike Minotti orate The Exploding Barrel Podcast

Well, that's that. I'm out.

'til the crossroads