Sony Announces New System

[EvilNeil]

what (http://cgi.ebay.com/PLAYSTATION-3-PS3-60GB-PRE-SALE-SHIPS-OVERNIGHT-11-17_W0QQitemZ140052208802QQihZ004QQcategoryZ62054QQ tcZphotoQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

christ

Good chance he won't actually make the payment, but stilll!
Winning bidder: intellectguy777
Well quite.

[Minx]

I think all this nonsense is starting to make me want one. I feel like I'm missing out.

[Heero]

The number of false bids plaguing this PS3 hawkers is amusing. I saw one yesterday that upped it to $99 million.

[Reset]

PS3 = Shittiest U.S. Console Launch in Years.

[Izanami]

PS3 won't launch til March :smalltran

[Mike]

And that girl does nothing and can blow $600 on a whim? It's GEL's perfect mate! I wonder if she likes busty slime crab lolis, too?

She was really there to sell it, another one of the 38 our of 40 in line that were planning to. Out of the 40 consoles bought, SIX games were bought, total. Outstanding.

[Destroyman]

And if she's female, she would be into hung slime crab shotas.

[cka]

http://www.highervoltage.net/misc/mikey.jpg


Mike lives in pixellationville

[CITY!]

They haven't invented 480p in Texas yet

[cka]

lollin

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280050635902&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fse arch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26satitle%3D280050635902%26f vi%3D1

[Izanami]

Well, he's payin' for potential! :bigtran:

[Hit Parade]

lollin

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280050635902&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fse arch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26satitle%3D280050635902%26f vi%3D1
You have GOT to be kidding.

[Vincent]

LOL, eBay. (Seriously, that's just absolutely fucking ridiculous)

[Hit Parade]

I just showed my roommate and he's dazed and confused. I know it's some kind of joke, like that douchebag who got money for selling nothing, but my sanity is still shaken.

[Spidey]

http://gamepolitics.com/2006/11/18/bill-oreilly-slams-playstation-3-launch-gamers-ipods-tech-not-in-that-order

Apparently sparked by the PlayStation 3 launch, conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly took off after video game culture and digital technology generally in yesterday’s Radio Factor.

The controversial talk show host, who advertises his program as a “no spin zone” offered the following spin on gamers and much of their favorite gear:

Bill: American society is changing for the worse because of the machines… In the past to flee the real world people usually chose drugs or alcohol… now you don’t have to do that, Now all you have to do is have enough money to buy a machine…

Bill: Basically what you have is a large portion of the population, mostly younger people under the age of 45, who don’t deal with reality - ever. So they don’t know what day it is; they don’t know temperature it is; they don’t know what their neighbor looks like. They don’t know anything… because they are constantly diverted by a machine. Now what this does is it takes a person away from reality because they’ve created their own reality…

GP: Here comes the PS3 rant:

Bill" The newest thing is the PlayStation 3. Now this is a machine that allows you to play games in hi-def and all this other stuff… It’s the newest state of the art system from Sony…. It has a video game console, plays DVDs, connects you to the Internet, tells you how handsome you are. It’s six-hundred bucks. Now people lined up for hours to get this thing. Hours!

GP: Next, O’Reilly recounts some of the various, well-publicized incidents that took place on PS3 lines around the country, before launching into:

Bill: The problem with this stuff is that some people can deal with it constructively… but other people get addicted to it, just like opium, just like drugs and alcohol… So this is a big, big problem. It’s going to change every single thing in this country.

GP: At about this point, O’Reilly has Blois Olson of the National Institute on Media & the Family on as a guest. Olson talked about some issues regarding video game addiction, but was quite reasonable. As for O’Reilly? He thinks your video gaming may well doom you to a life of poverty:

Bill: The have-nots are growing. Why are they growing? Because the skill set that is necessary to earn a decent living is being deemphasized in a fantasy world of football games and shooting zombies and all that…. Now you have the “knows” and the “know-nots”, because if you spend all your youth being prisoners of machines….. you’re not going to know anything…. You’re gonna fail.

GP: And, even though O’Reilly’s pay site offers a podcast, the pundit rather curiously disses the iPod and seems to equate video gaming with national collapse:

Bill: I don’t own an iPod. I would never wear an iPod… If this is your primary focus in life - the machines… it’s going to have a staggeringly negative effect, all of this, for America… did you ever talk to these computer geeks? I mean, can you carry on a conversation with them? …I really fear for the United States because, believe me, the jihadists? They’re not playing the video games. They’re killing real people over there.

GP: A big, huge shout-out to reader Jim for the tip… Even if GP did have to shell out $4.95 in order to listen to O’Reilly’s rant. Hey, we spare no expense for our readers.

[StriderM]

Anybody figure out how to use Ps2 peripherals on the system yet? Like arcade sticks?

[Spidey]

Also this: http://video.ap.org/v/en-ap/fv/fv.htm??g=62c69998-957e-4c61-808e-d9bcdea65015&t=s60&p=enapus_enapus&&f=kywam

[Heero]

O'Reily's fucking loony. Though it's a bit funny to imagine a long line of terrorist outside a run-down Walmart waiting for a PS3.

[EvilNeil]

Does he read, I wonder, or watch television or films? Drink, perhaps? I suspect he does all four, which makes him a prime candidate Real World Flee-er.

[bonertown]

i'd buy it (http://www.therealps3grill.com/ps3grillpics.htm)

[Vincent]

I wonder what color the sky is in that little world of O’Reilly's.

[Hit Parade]

i'd buy it (http://www.therealps3grill.com/ps3grillpics.htm)
He can't get the cool points he's desparately looking for because it's not the 60GB version. Only once you've wasted FULL PRICE in a piss poor attempt at comedy that was driven in the dirt by 4Channers months ago, can you even begin to ask for kudos.

[Jigsaw]

Anybody figure out how to use Ps2 peripherals on the system yet? Like arcade sticks?

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/744/744271p1.html

[Hit Parade]

Awesome. I got one already, so I'm good.

[Holden]

Controller ports on the back of a machine sounds like a sexxxcelent way to drag your expensive piece of hardware to the floor with great force during a nasty level of Whatever The Fuck.

[CITY!]

Holy shit.

[Internet]

:o

[Holden]

"MAN THIS DOOM 3 SURE HAS SOME NICE GRAPHICS HOLY SHIT WHAT WAS THAT *CRASH*"

Has the real ObiJay been seen at any point in modern history? I lost track of that fucker ages ago.

[Mr. Rottweiler]

*CLENCH*

[EvilNeil]

Has the real ObiJay been seen at any point in modern history? I lost track of that fucker ages ago.
He's here on and off during the week - he posts from work. He'll be thrilled to see you, I'm sure. :)
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/744/744271p1.html
Well that's ace, right off the bat, too. I suppose there is more reason for a PS3 DS adaptor than a 360 version of the same. But still... :(

[Hit Parade]

Fuck, there went my chances of taking the post lead under H.

[TODE]

Does he read, I wonder, or watch television or films? Drink, perhaps? I suspect he does all four, which makes him a prime candidate Real World Flee-er.The world as presented on his show is definitely not a real one. Did you know there is a War on Christmas? and it's up to us to take it back? (meaning the 1-million viewers BOR gets every night)

[Spidey]

It's the beginning of a new era, now.

[TODE]

Fuck, there went my chances of taking the post lead under H.I got "T" all locked up, but we could see Tori-Atama get a good 5000 post run anyday now.

[APNki]

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/5755/ps3launchonlyonxbox360lfe9.jpg

:smalltran

[Cherrn]

Controller ports on the back of a machine sounds like a sexxxcelent way to drag your expensive piece of hardware to the floor with great force during a nasty level of Whatever The Fuck.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e385/lynnosler/godzilla.jpg

[EvilNeil]

The world as presented on his show is definitely not a real one. Did you know there is a War on Christmas? and it's up to us to take it back? (meaning the 1-million viewers BOR gets every night)
Oh, oh, I know this one! You mean, like the evil liberal leftist queers are trying to ban anything Christmas-related for fear of offending minorities?

We get that one too. Hysterical press, ho!

[TODE]

I bet you never got the leader of your country to say "if the opposing party wins the election this November, the terrorists will win"!

[Spidey]

I got "T" all locked up, but we could see Tori-Atama get a good 5000 post run anyday now.

No one is taking my reign of S without a name change.

[TODE]

Actually, you have to defer to me since I am the (posting) Champion of Champions.

[Spidey]

Actually, you have to defer to me since I am the (posting) Champion of Champions.

How many times have you reset your post count as opposed to Neil?

[TODE]

Mine: Three times, in May 2003, June 2004, then again in August of 2005... every time I hit 20,000.

Neil: Never reset once.

[TODE]

Spidey: Will fall for it.

[Izanami]

I believe Neil has reset his post count once.

[ObiJay]

Servbot lives? Hory shit run for the hills.

Sidenote, the lack of product caused my #11 on the preorder list to be too low, still waiting on my system.

[Holden]

jay is still alive on the intertron how can this be :0

[TODE]

I believe Neil has reset his post count once.Yes, at least once, not counting the 2002 reboot. I was just trying to see how little Spidey thinks of me.:smalltran

[ObiJay]

jay is still alive on the intertron how can this be :0

I can't play WoW at work :bigtran:

[EvilNeil]

You know all staffers are banner from touching that thing!
I bet you never got the leader of your country to say "if the opposing party wins the election this November, the terrorists will win"!
Very true. Give it five years.

[Spidey]

Yes, at least once, not counting the 2002 reboot. I was just trying to see how little Spidey thinks of me.:smalltran

You'd be surprised.

Edit: Fuck, I can't stare at TODEs avatar anymore, it makes me think I'm posting instead.

[Redux]

Selling 2 ps3s for $5,000. Uhm, make that pepperspray
http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_324085857.html

[StriderM]

Was this posted already?

http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/CompatibleStatus

[cka]

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300051023981

I'd so totally buy this if I had the money

[Hit Parade]

If I'm not mistaken, Microsoft wants to shorten the hardware cycle from about 5 years to 3 years, since they're the ones best equipped to absorb the enormous costs of such a thing ocurring. (i.e. winning the console war, possibly for good, by forcing Nintendo and Sony out of the hardware race since they wouldn't be able to keep up, a la Sega).

Microsoft said Xbox 360's life-span should be longer than Xbox. The original Xbox was only 4 years at the market before Xbox 360 was introduced, but Xbox 360 was built with the updatable services and firmware via Xbox Live, so it should be in the market for much longer.
Ya, you were mistaken. Even though Microsoft would be able to bear the brunt of that financial loss, there will be consumers who wouldn't jump on that bandwagon. Also add in that they may still be pushing consoles with large price tags on them for what's under the hood, and you've just basically shot yourself in the foot, wealthy company or not.

I honestly would not buy an expensive console every three years. The only way it could possibly work is if Microsoft just made it strictly a gaming console. No bells and whistles, just games, thereby making the consoles cheaper to manufacture and actually justify buying it, knowing that it's going to be in your closet in basically no time.

[Ultima]

Perhaps they've changed their minds. I definitely think it was a plan at first though - why else would they introduce the X360 so soon? Simply to try and get the jump on Sony? They should know that going first into a console generation is almost never a good thing.

[MuD]

Genesis made out pretty good cuz of an early start. With a decent head start, a lower price, and a good online strategy in place, they could think they have the makings for an upset. If they had anything other than Halo to fall back on, they'd be champs...

[Redux]

Jesus wants to give you a ps3
http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news1206/ps3.html

[Ultima]

MuD:

Genesis was the exception though. And even then, they never won the 16-bit war - they had a lead which I think evaporated when SF2 was released, they tied for a long period, and then fell off as time went on. Sega jumped to the Saturn roughly around the time that Nintendo could claim victory I think. And I can't think of any other machine that hjas come even that close to winning any type of console war by coming out first.

[Spidey]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aPGd5E.YlTR8&refer=japan

Sony Replaces PlayStation Chief Kutaragi After Delays (Update4)

By Pavel Alpeyev

Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Ken Kutaragi, the developer of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation game console, stepped aside from day-to-day management of the unit after production delays forced the company to slash shipment targets.

Kaz Hirai, head of the U.S. game division, will take over as president of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., the Tokyo-based company said in a statement today. Kutaragi, 56, will become chairman of the unit.

Sony Chief Executive Officer Howard Stringer is counting on the PlayStation 3 to revive a company that has lost almost half its market value in the past six years. Kutaragi, a 30-year Sony veteran, in September cut 2006 shipment targets by half because of parts shortages.

``Given that PlayStation 3's main market may be overseas, turning to people who know that business is understandable,'' said Naoki Fujiwara, who manages $720 million at Shinkin Asset Management Co. in Tokyo.

Sony cut the Japan price of the PlayStation 3 by 20 percent to help lure buyers from Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii consoles, which sell for about half as much. The PlayStation 3 went on sale earlier this month and the company aims to ship 2 million units this year.

$20 Billion Business

Kutaragi led the team that developed the PlayStation brand in 1994, giving Sony the biggest share of a $20 billion industry.

``Kutaragi will focus on overseeing the entire operation rather than day-to-day business,'' said Nanako Kato, Sony Computer Entertainment's spokeswoman. His position at ``the top of the management doesn't change.''

The company probably missed its goal of having 400,000 players in the U.S. when it went on sale Nov. 17, analysts including Merrill Lynch & Co.'s Justin Post and Paul-Jon McNealy at American Technology Research said this month.

Hirai, whose full name is Kazuo, will start his new job tomorrow, the company said. The 45-year-old joined CBS/Sony Inc., now Sony Music Entertainment Japan, in 1984, at the same time that Stringer was an executive producer at CBS News.

After joining Sony Computer in 1995, Hirai oversaw the U.S. introduction of the PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and the PlayStation Portable game players. He also led Sony into online game-playing in 2002, gaining more than 2 million users, according to Sony Computer's Web site. Hirai has been president of Sony Computer America Inc. since 2003.

Declining Outlook

Sony on Oct. 20 cut its full-year net income forecast to a five-year low of 80 billion yen ($688 million), from an earlier estimate of 130 billion yen. The reduction was caused by the PlayStation 3 price cut and a battery recall that was the largest in the history of consumer electronics.

The games division had an operating loss of 43.5 billion yen as sales dropped 21 percent in the three months ended Sept. 30.

[Shin ATproof]

I wonder if they now wished they sold their wine at a beer price:smalltran

[Vic Viper]

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/744/744271p1.html

I wonder if my old Radio Shack one will work with the PS3?

Also, I noticed the SixAxis controller only has lights for 4 players. But a 7 player offline game, NBA 2K7, just got released. So is it 4 players wireless and 3 wired? If its 7 wireless, then what will happen to those lights if there's no 5, 6, or 7 player light?

[CITY!]

It doesn't matter, because seven players on a TV is stupid.

[Spidey]

It doesn't matter, because seven players on a TV is stupid.

Four is pushing it. Although I may change my mind if there was a madden game released where everyone was being controlled by a human character.

[Magitek]

http://www.destructoid.com/ps3-burns-down-guys-house-28254.phtml

It will burn down your house!

[Ultima]

Burning down your house = more manly than smashing your TV.

[Destroyman]

http://www.got-next.com/news_read.php?id=1033

[Hit Parade]

Just because experts "think" doesn't necessarily mean they'll be right.
http://www.gametrailers.com/viewnews.php?id=3874
Rumors debunked. Sony seems determined to make good on their promise of the PS3 being a 10 year console.

[Spidey]

Just because experts "think" doesn't necessarily mean they'll be right.
http://www.gametrailers.com/viewnews.php?id=3874
Rumors debunked. Sony seems determined to make good on their promise of the PS3 being a 10 year console.

It won't be a ten year console, simply because the X360 and the Wii won't be ten year consoles. For the PS3 to be a 6 year console would basically mean until 2012, which, according to my sentiments on time, is way after the 2010 date set in that article. New consoles have been getting six, seven years tops out of them, which is about what a pc that is meant for gaming gets(if you keep up with hardware). Typical console length has been about five or six years anyway, so this is fine to me.

[Shin ATproof]

Just because experts "think" doesn't necessarily mean they'll be right.
http://www.gametrailers.com/viewnews.php?id=3874
Rumors debunked. Sony seems determined to make good on their promise of the PS3 being a 10 year console.

Ya know, Sega had plans for another system after the Dreamcast...so yeah.

Sony could very well have long plans for the PS3 and be confident in their current system to put plans on the PS4 on the backburner...but they could start to fall like Sega did a couple years after the Dreamcast. Or worse yet, the PS3 could be like the Saturn, a powerful piece of hardware with floundering sales due to high price and complaints by developers saying its too hard to work on...if the system starts to lose its exclusive 3rdparty franchise holdings (that are apparently contracts written in blood) Sony will be lucky if the system makes it past 5 years and if fans are willing to shell out anything more than what the PS3 currently costs for the next system. Especially if the competition starts to release their next systems in roughly 5 years from now at a cheaper price. Sony won't be able to "stay the course" with the PS3 past 5 years in what will basically be the 8th generation console era by then.

Edit: Sony is going to need a new strategy soon because the current "we've been #1 for over 10 years, so buy our $600 video game system, its the deal of the century and it will last over 10 years" humbug isn't going to work much longer.

[Izanami]

A reminder that the PS2 is going to be 7 years old come March 2007.

[Shin ATproof]

Yup and the PS2 will probably have games till like '08 (probably Japan only) but its pretty much already dead to Sony. The PS2 will still be relevant because there are going to be a few big name titles coming to the system in like the 1st quarter like Rogue Galaxy. Also there are going to be a bunch of games that wouldn't have been released prior to the PS3 release like the Metal Slug Anthology...which probably means we can expect some other SNKP games. Maybe Atlus will get the PS2 SRWOG out here.

[Mediocrity]

Maybe Atlus will get the PS2 SRWOG out here.
That would be nice (the GBA games have made me fall in love with the OG stuff). I'd like a concrete word from them about Persona 3, though.

[DarkPriest]

Also there are going to be a bunch of games that wouldn't have been released prior to the PS3 release like the Metal Slug Anthology...which probably means we can expect some other SNKP games. Maybe Atlus will get the PS2 SRWOG out here.

I completly expect a cancellation of the MS Anthology. Since SNK is going to do that live download thing for all their games for the PS3.

I really hope it still comes to the PS2 cause I want it badly but yeah I don't see it happening honestly.

[Shin ATproof]

Well, the PS2 version will be out in 2 weeks...don't you think that it would be very strange and sudden if it were to be shitcanned?

[DarkPriest]

Given SNK's/SCEA's stubborness and repeated idiocy? Naw not strange at all.

[TODE]

A reminder that the PS2 is going to be 7 years old come March 2007.And you know what, I still have fun playing DOA2hc on it.

I even turn on the English voices :o

Even if Sony stops making new PS2 games there's still tons of great ones I've never played out there. So a PS3 can wait (until New Tekken comes out).

[high fructose corn syrup]

And you know what, I still have fun playing DOA2hc on it.

I even turn on the English voices :o

Even if Sony stops making new PS2 games there's still tons of great ones I've never played out there. So a PS3 can wait (until New Tekken comes out).
A system's death throes are always the best time to catch up, every game is $20!

[TODE]

Is your usertext addressing the new Beck album or the new Janet Jackson album?

[Hit Parade]

Ya know, Sega had plans for another system after the Dreamcast...so yeah.

Sony could very well have long plans for the PS3 and be confident in their current system to put plans on the PS4 on the backburner...but they could start to fall like Sega did a couple years after the Dreamcast. Or worse yet, the PS3 could be like the Saturn, a powerful piece of hardware with floundering sales due to high price and complaints by developers saying its too hard to work on...if the system starts to lose its exclusive 3rdparty franchise holdings (that are apparently contracts written in blood) Sony will be lucky if the system makes it past 5 years and if fans are willing to shell out anything more than what the PS3 currently costs for the next system. Especially if the competition starts to release their next systems in roughly 5 years from now at a cheaper price. Sony won't be able to "stay the course" with the PS3 past 5 years in what will basically be the 8th generation console era by then.

Edit: Sony is going to need a new strategy soon because the current "we've been #1 for over 10 years, so buy our $600 video game system, its the deal of the century and it will last over 10 years" humbug isn't going to work much longer.
We'll have to see. I don't recall Sega having any future plans after the Dreamcast was released, but Sony actually does. And they don't have their plans for the PS4 on the backburner. Yeah, developers are having a hard time devloping games for the PS3. But since the Cell will be the processor for the next console, the problem with programming woes shouldn't be an issue, so developers would be able to hop on with alot less problems, theoretically. Again, we'll just have to wait and see.

[high fructose corn syrup]

Is your usertext addressing the new Beck album or the new Janet Jackson album?
My usertext is from Nanny Nanny Boo Boo by Le Tigre. (http://elfbot.info/temp/05%20Nanny%20Nanny%20Boo%20Boo.mp3)

edit: uploaded it for you :)

[Magitek]

http://www.destructoid.com/liar-liar-ps3-didn-t-create-any-fire-28388.phtml

Guy who claimed his PS3 burned his house lied. In fact, he doesn't even have one.

[Vincent]

http://www.destructoid.com/liar-liar-ps3-didn-t-create-any-fire-28388.phtml

Guy who claimed his PS3 burned his house lied. In fact, he doesn't even have one.
From his confession post: "It was all just a joke! Sorry sony!"
I wouldn't even waste a legal team to sue such a fucking chode.

[Hit Parade]

The image the site has probably reflects what a couple of Sony execs DO think.

[Mr. Pointy]

Tekken 5 DR will be downloadable on the PS3 Online Store with HD graphics and playable Jinpachi.

[DarkPriest]

!

[high fructose corn syrup]

Tekken 5 DR will be downloadable on the PS3 Online Store with HD graphics and playable Jinpachi.
:O link please

[Mr. Pointy]

It's apparently in the latest Famitsu according to duckroll on GAF. You should see it pop up on the net soon.

[DarkPriest]

When can we expect Soul Calibur 3 Arcade Edition? AKA the FIXED version of the game.

[Mr. Pointy]

Probably never. Or on the PS3 in the future. Same thing really.

[DarkPriest]

Still pretty interesting, I can only imagine the faggotry Jinpachi is gonna spawn now. :\

[Shin ATproof]

I don't recall Sega having any future plans after the Dreamcast was released, but Sony actually does.

Some time between '00 and '01 Sega was starting to announce expansions for the Dreamcast like DVD and MP3 players and even stuff like a Sega Saturn expansion to compete with Sony in the backwards compatible feature found the PS2. Near the end of the Dreamcast there was talk of new Sega system but then Sega had to not only directly compete Sony, they had to deal with Nintendo and Microsoft with their new systems. Since they knew a DVD and MP3 wouldn't be effective enough and the fact that to jump to another system too quick like the Sega CD->32x->Saturn would put them in an even worse financial situation, Sega just said "fuck it, we're doing sofware and Arcades only." So yeah.

And they don't have their plans for the PS4 on the backburner. Yeah, developers are having a hard time devloping games for the PS3. But since the Cell will be the processor for the next console, the problem with programming woes shouldn't be an issue, so developers would be able to hop on with alot less problems, theoretically.

Its pretty well known that since the PS2, developers don't like working on Sony consoles. The reason I hear is although the hardware is very sophisticated, it is extremely tiresome to work with. The only reason 3rdParty developers bother with Sony is because they know the games will sell more on Sony systems compared to the competition, which have systems that are easier to work with. The PS2 was actually the most inferior system in terms of hardware during the last console gen era (not counting the DC) so the fact there were more PS2s sold than the Xbox or GC speaks volumes on that issue...which kinda leads to my next point:

If Sony's plans to have the PS3 go for a 10+ year run, I expect that in like 5+ years 3rdParty developers will be comfortable with the system and pump out some really A+ titles like the PS2 has seen. Although the longer it takes Sony to get PS3s out of the factory and in the homes of consumers, Sony won't have that vulcan neck pinch they had with the PS2. 3rdParty developers won't be so compelled to put their best selling franchises exclusively on the PS3...they'll start to have equal or more focus with the other systems that are supposed to be easier to work with, even if this time they happen to be the inferior systems in terms of hardware.

[Hit Parade]

I don't see the drought of PS3s going longer than a couple more months. Sony switched their shipment style from boats to chartered planes, so that's why I say that. And once that's been addressed, it's been announced that Sony plans on foregoing retail stores and selling units, peripherals, and games themselves through an online store that's to be set up in the near future. They're taking steps to prevent the losses you mention.

[Racewing]

Foregoing retail stores?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA they're dead.

[Shin ATproof]

A couple of months?
Foregoing retail stores?
...
Wait, isn't Sony losing like a ton of cash per PS3? They're insane. They need to do shit the old fashioned way but with more systems, immediately. That is the answer to their current problem.

The longer it takes Sony to get their PS3s on store shelves and online outlets, it only makes it harder for Sony to get the strong jump in the market they wanted and expected. The hype of the dog & pony shows that Sony has been putting on the for the system will continue to lose their appeal every day they can't get systems into the homes of consumers. That means potential PS3 owners will be compelled to get 360s and Wiis instead since they are cheaper, available with a good library of games. If there contine to be more 360 and Wii owners than PS3 owners the 3rdParty companys will go to where the most action is.

[Hit Parade]

I misquoted. They'll still put units in stores, but they will also have an online store available because sales from it will save them money.
http://ps3.net/newsboard/view.php?id=625

[Shin ATproof]

I know I'm sleepy but from what I can tell, that news blurb seems to be about software and firmware not hardware.

[Hit Parade]

You're right. They still want to have 1 million units out by the end of this year. I'm sure they'll announce how many more units they will have to ship for the beginning of next year soon. I still don't see them continue to falter with sales during the first months of the new year.

[Shin ATproof]

Even so, they've fucked themselves pretty good by missing the holidays.

[Hit Parade]

I won't dispute that, but it shouldn't be hard for them to sell units once the better games come out. But it was a matter of playing catch up anyway, so I never saw them eclipsing Microsoft since they had the head start.

[Shin ATproof]

Well...actually Sony has to play "catch up" twice. I recall reading that there are least twice more 360s and Wiis sold than PS3s. With Sony missing the holidays it only makes it harder to play "catch up"...and that can only go on for so long until they have to rethink their marketing strategy. One thing they can do is maybe like stop pretending the system is a video game machine and more like an all-in-one discount Bluray player and then market it as such.

[Dante]

They should've just called it the fucking DualShock 3 and been done with it, even if they (ridiculously) booted the rumble feature.

And, here's Wikipedia to the rescue concerning the design of the Sixaxis. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/PS3_controllers_at_CES_2006.jpg)

Stubbornly, not ridiculously. Someone made it before them and sued Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony.

Nintendo settled.
Microsoft settled and bought stock in the company.
Sony fought court battle after court battle and just quit.

A couple of months?
Foregoing retail stores?
...
Wait, isn't Sony losing like a ton of cash per PS3? They're insane. They need to do shit the old fashioned way but with more systems, immediately. That is the answer to their current problem.

The longer it takes Sony to get their PS3s on store shelves and online outlets, it only makes it harder for Sony to get the strong jump in the market they wanted and expected. The hype of the dog & pony shows that Sony has been putting on the for the system will continue to lose their appeal every day they can't get systems into the homes of consumers. That means potential PS3 owners will be compelled to get 360s and Wiis instead since they are cheaper, available with a good library of games. If there contine to be more 360 and Wii owners than PS3 owners the 3rdParty companys will go to where the most action is.

Most sytstems are a money lose for awhile. Though the Wii actually profits per unit. Currently there is a little over 7 mill 360s, Wii has already broken a mill, PS3 is under 400k.

I've witnessed stores with PS3's in stock and no one seems to care. Could it be the lack of games that plagues all new systems (360 just started putting out some must have titles, and the Wii is nothing to write home about)? Perhaps it's the fact that most store display units are frozen or buggy in terms of menu navigation? Or have the two problems Voltroned up to with the high price. $600 for buggy hardware with no good software! SWEET! Regardless, it's clear that few people bought the system to play. A quick trip through their online system (which they so cleverly decided to let gamespy design) shows only a handful of people on at any given time.

Whatever it may be, things are certainly looking bad for them. The wide circulating rumor that MS will be buying Capcom. Namco expressing their concerns about making profit and hinting at taking Tekken to other consoles. Or Konami trying to bring MG4 to other systems (Kojima is being stubborn) because figures simply aren't adding up to a profit (projections estimated through Sony's ability to produce systems and existing hardware sales).

[Viewtiful]

Nintendo didn't settle, their technology was different than Immersion's.

[Spidey]

Nintendo didn't settle, their technology was different than Immersion's.

Right. Nintendo used single motor rumble technology, the patent was over dual-rumble.

[Holden]

A couple of months?
Foregoing retail stores?
...
Wait, isn't Sony losing like a ton of cash per PS3?

In the neighborhood of $200 per unit according to some analysts.

[Holden]

Well...actually Sony has to play "catch up" twice. I recall reading that there are least twice more 360s and Wiis sold than PS3s. With Sony missing the holidays it only makes it harder to play "catch up"...and that can only go on for so long until they have to rethink their marketing strategy. One thing they can do is maybe like stop pretending the system is a video game machine and more like an all-in-one discount Bluray player and then market it as such.

The problem with that is that nobody on earth wants a Blu-ray player, discount or otherwise.

[Minx]

The wide circulating rumor that MS will be buying Capcom

If this ever happens I'm going home.

[Ham]

If this ever happens I'm going home.

Why? You'll get all the RE you could ever want. I wouldn't particularly mind said scenario at all, if we luck out maybe big Bill likes his Streetfighter and he could tell those Capcom shmucks to make SF4 on the double. Highly unlikely, but possible, which is probably vaguely better odds than we have with Capcom on their own.

[D.Knight]

If we luck out maybe big Bill likes his Streetfighter and he could tell those Capcom shmucks to make SF4 on the double. Highly unlikely, but possible, which is probably vaguely better odds than we have with Capcom on their own.
That indeed sounds great :)

[Holden]

If this ever happens I'm going home.

Me too.

To fap until I collapse from exhaustion.

Microsoft, you see, actually has a very significant investment in bringing more games to their console which revolve around head-to-head competition between players, such as, yes, fighting games. Not only that, they actually have the fucking brains to make a big deal about the first new Street Fighter game in forever, touting it as some massive re-launch of a beloved, classic, legendary franchise, rather than HEY GUYS LOOK, HERE'S SAKURA'S SPRITE FROM 1993 AGAIN!

I've been convinced for a while now that the continued death of Street Fighter has a lot more to do with Capcom's ineptitude than any market inviability.

[TODE]

Microsoft would not have released Capcom Fighting Evolution, that's for sure.

[Holden]

Microsoft would not have released Capcom Fighting Evolution, that's for sure.

I imagine we'd have maybe a 30% chance of getting a 2D blowout Street Fighter 4, and more like a 70% chance of getting a step into 3D with next-gen character models and somewhat classic physics (think KOF MI2, but uh, better-looking), probably billed as a massive series relaunch with a non-sequential title like "The World Warriors: Street Fighter," also probably with a mixture of returning (70%) and new (30%) characters, with vague placement within the timeline-- probably containing Bison for recognition value but featuring a new boss.

[TODE]

That would be great.

I popped in MI1 recently and it's just CRAP now compared to MI2/2006.

[Redux]

Shouldn't there first be A SF3: Fourth Fight? :smalltran

[Holden]

I don't get the MI hate. I was bowled over when it went in the PS2 here and nobody got cancer during the first round (I had to have a kidney removed because Blaine bought Street Fighter EX3 back in '01). The new characters other than Alba kind of sucked, but the combat engine felt like KoF, and a lot of old moves had been integrated into the 3D combat engine in an intelligent manner (Terry's projectile Ground Wave being a straight line attack, for example, while the burst version will hit a character trying to sidestep)... hell, most of my old combos and tactics still worked, and Pink Bunny was delighted that he could still use most of his rushdown Athena tactics, and was able to innovate devastating new tricks.

Of course, MI2 is better in every way, and the Another Day OVA really helped the new cast from MI1 grow on me-- it even kind of de-queerified Soiree. But going off of what we saw in MI1, we snapped up MI2 with no hesitation whatsoever.

[Ham]

I can't say I understand any real negativity towards MI either, I wasn't really reading up on it or on any forums when it came out so I missed out on any sort of fan feelings to influence my own, and I found it a really quite enjoyable fighter. Haven't played MI2 yet though, don't know if it's out here.

[Holden]

I can't say I understand any real negativity towards MI either, I wasn't really reading up on it or on any forums when it came out so I missed out on any sort of fan feelings to influence my own, and I found it a really quite enjoyable fighter. Haven't played MI2 yet though, don't know if it's out here.

It got released stateside as "King of Fighters 2006," dunno what it's titled over there in the Old World, but it's pretty much a massive step up in every regard: new characters are better, gameplay's much tighter, graphics are better, everything. Plus you can now kick Hyena in the face.

[Ultima]

I imagine we'd have maybe a 30% chance of getting a 2D blowout Street Fighter 4, and more like a 70% chance of getting a step into 3D with next-gen character models and somewhat classic physics (think KOF MI2, but uh, better-looking), probably billed as a massive series relaunch with a non-sequential title like "The World Warriors: Street Fighter," also probably with a mixture of returning (70%) and new (30%) characters, with vague placement within the timeline-- probably containing Bison for recognition value but featuring a new boss.

Sounds familiar (http://uramble.com/sfp) :bigtran:

And while a part of me detests the notion of MS buying out Capcom, I admit that the idea of a new SF product from them becomes far far more likely. It's also the only thing that would make me sign up for a MS system.

[Cherrn]

It's MI 2 over here, and it won't be released until March (!!!!!)

[Holden]

Sounds familiar (http://uramble.com/sfp) :bigtran:

And while a part of me detests the notion of MS buying out Capcom

Why?

Aside from RE4, Capcom hasn't done anything competent in, fuck, ages. Microsoft at least knows how to develop a property and is willing to throw HUGE wads of money at a property to brute-force establish it as a long-time investment return franchise.

[EvilNeil]

and is willing to throw HUGE wads of money at a property to brute-force establish it as a long-time investment return franchise.
I would enjoy very much seeing that happen. Adverts for Street Fighter on television and everything!

[Holden]

I would enjoy very much seeing that happen. Adverts for Street Fighter on television and everything!

It's really not that far-fetched. Street Fighter II was as big as Mario at one point, it was the flashpoint of an entire generation on the SNES, and that primes it perfectly for the nostalgia dollar right now— not dedicated fans like you and me, but people who played SFII, maybe up to SSF2T, when the craze started dying off, and remember their arcade memories fondly, or beating the shit out of their little brother on a Saturday afternoon in the living room: and now here it is again, all repackaged and revitalized for the next generation like Prince of Persia :O!

I feel like a whore just writing that, but fuck: reinventing/repackaging himself worked for Megaman several times, and Castlevania, and Metroid. And, shit, even Metal Gear.

[Fenix]

Why?

Aside from RE4, Capcom hasn't done anything competent in, fuck, ages. Microsoft at least knows how to develop a property and is willing to throw HUGE wads of money at a property to brute-force establish it as a long-time investment return franchise.

Not to derail but Dead Rising? DMC3? (special edition at least if normal is too hard for you) UGhosts and Goblins?

They've abandoned fighting games, run onimusha and megaman into the ground and for no reason allowed Streetwise to happen instead of Maximo 3 but they're still a competent (if not misguided) development house.

-F.

[Ham]

Exactly, Streetfighter 2 was a genuine gaming phenomena, my Mum even knows stuff about Streetfighter and aside from that her gaming knowledge extends to 2D Mario and Sonic games, Tetris and a GB version of Shanghai I got as a kid, there was a proper, childrens toy-line, that they sold in shops like Woolworths, T-shirts, pyjamas, and Capcom just sort of let it slip. You've actually got to hand it to Midway, even as their games got worse and worse, they have at least kept Mortal Kombat in the public or 'casual' eye, whereas Capcom just seemed to be content selling to it's hardcore fanbase. As I mentioned in another thread, for years I wasn't aware there was a Streetfighter 3, I really doubt if MS got their hands on Capcom, and a license like SF, any SF game would get released and anyone with even remote interest in games could miss it's release.

Thing is, how many people who are against the idea of MS buying Capcom would be so if it were Sony or Nintendo and not MS?

[Holden]

Not to derail but Dead Rising?

My impression of that so far has been that it is a fun game (more because of the scenario-- MAN TRAPPED IN MALL WITH FUCK-TONS OF ZOMBIES!-- than the gameplay) you have to chew through a huge wall of annoyance to get at.

DMC3? (special edition at least if normal is too hard for you) UGhosts and Goblins?

Not terrible. Did not set my world on fire.

They've abandoned fighting games, run onimusha and megaman into the ground and for no reason allowed Streetwise to happen instead of Maximo 3 but they're still a competent (if not misguided) development house.

-F.

They're probably the laziest big-name company in the market today, is what they are. Capcom's defining characteristic for me, these days, is sheer criminal sloth.

Of course, I never liked Onimusha, not even the first one, controls felt stiff and shitty to me, so I may not be the one to talk to.

Let's look at some of their other big-name titles, though. Do you remember their BIG FOUR epic plan to revitalize sales on the GC? Viewtiful Joe (kitchy and clunky), Killer 7 (wretched), PN03 (daemonic), and RE4 (playable despite all odds! immediately ported and upgraded and re-sold four times).

[Holden]

Thing is, how many people who are against the idea of MS buying Capcom would be so if it were Sony or Nintendo and not MS?

People knee-jerk at the notion of Microsoft buying anything because they're the Evil Empire and/or they don't own an X-Box.

But if anybody's going to buy Capcom, please let it be the guys whose console's big selling point is its robust online competitive play service.

[blockhead]

Viewtiful Joe (kitchy and clunky)

BZZT

VJ might not be for everyone, but it's definitely a great (and not at all clunky) game. I just replayed a bit of it the other day, and during this suddenly realized it's probably one of the best 2D games Capcom's ever done.

I agree Capcom's a bunch of lazy, redundant fucks though.

[Cherrn]

I'm not gonna argue about the quality of Viewtiful Joe, as I know many people love it, and I thought it was good for what it was. However, all other VJ games after the first one have been absolute horseshit.

Oh, and Holden, you forgot about Okami. I haven't played it, but apparently a lot of people consider it GotY material.

[EvilNeil]

My impression of that so far has been that it is a fun game (more because of the scenario-- MAN TRAPPED IN MALL WITH FUCK-TONS OF ZOMBIES!-- than the gameplay) you have to chew through a huge wall of annoyance to get at.
In hindsight I'd say DR was shit. Gorgeous shit none the less, but take away the ten-billion-characters-on-screen-at-once technology and you've got a very very average and repetitive escort/mission-based action game with crap AI, far too many fetch quests and truly dreadful armed combat.

I did have fun with it, for a while, and I suppose I'm glad I bought it, but it's definitely a case of tech first, game sixth or seventh. Certainly not a company high point by any means.
Killer 7 (wretched),
Lies (http://www.highervoltage.net/mb/showpost.php?p=631081&postcount=10)!

[carbonater]

But if anybody's going to buy Capcom, please let it be the guys whose console's big selling point is its robust online competitive play service.This would be great. I just don't know what to say about Capcom now. Is their time truly over? Surely one of their employees surfs the web and knows of the love that exist for Street Fighter? I secrectly hope that one day that very employee will storm into one of the board meetings and show the suits the proof(HVO) that Street Fighter is worth putting way more effort than they've been into it.

[Top Tier Neckbreaker!]

Capcom being bought by anyone would be shit, IMO. Not only Microsoft, anyone. Shit, if companies keep being absorbed like this I guess we will have three companies in a few years.

BTW, I don't think Capcom would stop being lazy if they are bought by a bigger company, it's more likely that they would go the Megaman way with all their successful franchises.

[EvilNeil]

Are we still using the word 'lazy' in the 'isn't ploughing huge amounts of time and money into provenly unprofitable, unsuccessful markets' sense, btw?

[Top Tier Neckbreaker!]

I guess in the "releasing 10 sequels of a successful franchise in a short period of time with small or no noticeable changes while not doing anything original at all" sense, but I used it because I've read it in the thread, I don't think Capcom were lazy since they overexploited some franchises but did original things, like RE4 and the Clover (was it dissolved?) games.

[D.Knight]

i like the megaman zero series ;_;

[MuD]

I feel like a whore just writing that, but fuck: reinventing/repackaging himself worked for Megaman several times, and Castlevania, and Metroid. And, shit, even Metal Gear.


Shinobi?

[MuD]

Speaking of repackaging, ive always thought Alex Kidd (i know, no one knows who he is) could be brought back into the new world. Update the graphics, make him a lil kid with a big head and smart mouth, make him play Rock Paper Scissors for crap... buy some Super Power Wheels and just do stuff... i dont know, save the neighborhood for developers or search for legendary gold? Discover a plot to dump toxic waste under the city and take down the evil corporation responsible?

[Holden]

Are we still using the word 'lazy' in the 'isn't ploughing huge amounts of time and money into provenly unprofitable, unsuccessful markets' sense, btw?

More in the 'declares a giant year of celebration for street fighter and gives us a halfassed compilation disc to commemorate it' sense and more importantly the 'releases a game, which may or may not be broken, then releases a series of $25-30 upgrades to it over the course of three years rather than creating a new fucking game' sense, and of course the 'creates a Megaman engine and then rolls off nine games in four years which are basically interchangable with one another' sense. Also the 'doesn't bother to hire someone who actually speaks English fluently to localize their games' sense, the 'cuts every last bonus feature out of American releases because really, why bother' sense, and the 'hey, Resident Evil's control scheme was good enough, we'll keep it with only the most minimal changes imaginable for 5 more games, plus it'll be fine for Dino Crisis, right?' sense.

[Holden]

Oh, and Holden, you forgot about Okami. I haven't played it, but apparently a lot of people consider it GotY material.

You're right, I did forget Okami is Capcom. They must only be able to channel their talent into one game at a time now.

[Holden]

In hindsight I'd say DR was shit. Gorgeous shit none the less, but take away the ten-billion-characters-on-screen-at-once technology and you've got a very very average and repetitive escort/mission-based action game with crap AI, far too many fetch quests and truly dreadful armed combat.

That was exactly my impression when I first got a look at it. I have a very strong suspicion that most of its positive reviews are from people who see the premise and badly want a good game to be there, because man, it could be so great!, so they suffer through the goddamn ocean of bullshit it throws at you and then praise the good moments they came for to the skies.

God knows, I've been there.

[Holden]

Shinobi?

That's another good example. Ninja Gaiden, too.

[Magitek]

You're right, I did forget Okami is Capcom. They must only be able to channel their talent into one game at a time now.

Actually Okami was made by Clover. And Capcom dissolved Clover after releasing Okami.

[Racewing]

In hindsight I'd say DR was shit. Gorgeous shit none the less, but take away the ten-billion-characters-on-screen-at-once technology and you've got a very very average and repetitive escort/mission-based action game with crap AI, far too many fetch quests and truly dreadful armed combat.
When it comes to video games, I tend not to put too much stock in hindsight.

Take away Sonic's speed and what do you get?

Take away Street Fighter's special moves, and aren't you you're hitting people?

Take away Mortal Kombat's fatalities, and... wait--dammit, killed myself >_<

[Kenji]

Holden's got a damn-good point. MS reputation aside, Capcom's got some stories, games, etc that they've just been...sleeping on. Generally ignoring. Hell, they'd likely have an RPG series that could rival and be superior to Final Fantasy if the development teams gave it half a chance. I've wanted a big-face Breath of Fire game for the longest. Legends still had at least another fantastic title within its midsts to release to the public (not to mention one good sidestory game--or at least two or three handheld spinoffs). Street Fighter could definitely use the fresh air and decent backing.

Not to mention online play version of Megaman X (ie, co-op/vs/etc play, custom reploids, unlock characters, weapons, etc).

The promise of any of that if Bill eats Capcom will sell me a 360, no questions asked.

[Holden]

Actually Okami was made by Clover. And Capcom dissolved Clover after releasing Okami.

Was I saying something about them being incompetent? Could have sworn I was.

[blockhead]

Take away Sonic's speed and what do you get?

Sonic 1 / Sonic CD. :smalltran

[Shin ATproof]

RE: Capcom and Microsoft discussion.

Yes Capcom is a lameduck company. However, if we can get the occasional gems like Okami, God Hand, Biohazard 4, Dead Rising, Devil May Cry 3, Rockman ZX, Viewtiful Joe 1&2,etc...and the upcoming Lost Planet (which will kick all kinds of ass) I think it makes the tirade of mediocre and shit games and stupid business moves (dissolving Clover, giving Street Fighter to USA branch, etc) a little bearable...kinda like how Sega has been for the last 6-7 years, lots of downs with a few ups that make it all A-OK. This is why I'd still like Capcom to remain a standalone 3rdParty developer. I would like to see their games on all sorts of platforms, not just one. Which is why I hope if a company merges or buys out Capcom, its some company like Sammy (I want them to get SNKP but thats another story) or Bandai/Namco.


Actually Okami was made by Clover. And Capcom dissolved Clover after releasing Okami.

...pretty sure God Hand was the last Clover title. Either way, I still hate the Capcom got rid of Clover after all the fantastic games the group made. I hope that Mikami will leave Capcom and join the other guys that left. That seems to be a trend that is working pretty well for a lot of developers.

[Izanami]

Sonic 1

I can understand, but:

Sonic CD

? :o

[blockhead]

? :o

Well, you can go fast in Sonic CD, but usually only in certain small areas, and for time travel. Otherwise you end up in a time period you didn't want to be in or the funky level design just leads you into a wall or onto a different section of the stage. Where you end up repeating the above.

S2 and S3 were really the speedier Sonic games.

[Kenji]

...I think it makes the tirade of mediocre and shit games and stupid business moves (dissolving Clover, giving Street Fighter to USA branch, etc) a little bearable...kinda like how Sega has been for the last 6-7 years, lots of downs with a few ups that make it all A-OK.

I disagree. If for no other reason, then because it's just logical to aim for the best they can give. I could only say "it's okay for you to shoot yourselves in the foot" if it were a scenario where they were obviously working to improve (X6 yields the Zero series, X7 was much-improved upon with X8, and I've heard good things about the PSP releases. Hell, ZX is just awesome, end of story). But that's not what they're apparently doing. At least, as only I can speculate--I haven't found a way to sneak into all the important board/development/project meetings (but my kunoichi are working on it as we speak).

We likely sacrifice all non-confirmed contract titles to other system companies if such a merger comes to pass, but I think it would yield greater return in the long run. For one, it would net Microsoft a better set of mascotts (no offense Master Chief). :smalltran

[DarkPriest]

Of course, I never liked Onimusha, not even the first one, controls felt stiff and shitty to me, so I may not be the one to talk to.

They're enjoyable games so I learned to bear with the controls the way RE fans learned to deal with em. The thing is they changed this in Onimusha 3 and Onimusha Dawn of Dreams which both use normal 3D control schemes so you no longer move like a tank. The only gripes I've ever had was Capcom trying to make Onimusha DoD into an RPG of sorts with it's shitty experiance system and character LVs. Keep RPG shit out of games that aren't RPGs! >:(

[Holden]

They're enjoyable games so I learned to bear with the controls the way RE fans learned to deal with em.

What a great way to design games.

[Cherrn]

Actually Okami was made by Clover. And Capcom dissolved Clover after releasing Okami.

So was Viewtiful Joe, but it still counts as a Capcom game. If we're gonna list all the substudios and development teams, I think you'll find Capcom makes very few games.

[EvilNeil]

That was exactly my impression when I first got a look at it. I have a very strong suspicion that most of its positive reviews are from people who see the premise and badly want a good game to be there, because man, it could be so great!, so they suffer through the goddamn ocean of bullshit it throws at you and then praise the good moments they came for to the skies.
Towards the end, the bomb-defusing van sequence is trial and error shit of the highest order, but the crowning glory comes right at the climax, with the 'look for ten zombies that are moving differently to the rest' mission. That was when I decided I didn't really give a shit what happened to the mall, Frank and the hot latina broad after all.

Truth be told when the credits rolled I was genuinely surprised to find out it was a CoJ game - it had all the repetition, grinding and tedium in the name of 'fun' I've come to expect from Western games.
When it comes to video games, I tend not to put too much stock in hindsight.
Well, maybe when you're talking decades, yes - but the week after you've given up playing it?
Take away Sonic's speed and what do you get?

Take away Street Fighter's special moves, and aren't you you're hitting people?
Neither would have been the epoch-making genre legends they turned out to be, but they'd have still been good, and comparing them that way just makes DR sound even weaker - that its fame and success is nothing to do with the game itself, just the 3D engine it uses.

[Holden]

Neither would have been the epoch-making genre legends they turned out to be, but they'd have still been good,

Sonic without the zoom sequences is just Mario with recalcitrant jump control.

[Minx]

if we luck out maybe big Bill likes his Streetfighter and he could tell those Capcom shmucks to make SF4 on the double.

I don't want anyone telling Capcom what to do, even if it's to do the things I want them to.

I could maybe live with MS owing Capcom in a strictly hands-off outsider 'stockholders what?' way, but MS is going to want something in return for the millions they'd be throwing around.

ie don't make Dino Crisis 3 again.

[Ham]

To be fair to MS, they haven't exactly compromised Rare's way of working, a game every eon or so, and they paid money for them.

[Minx]

How would we know? It's not like they had anything to compromise in the first place.

[Ham]

Thats what I meant, I remember when they bought Rare, people got all "OH NO Their gonna force Rare to speed up game production and lose their magic!!" When in fact they seem to have left them alone, which is a shame because Rare need a foot up the arse.

[Magitek]

Was I saying something about them being incompetent? Could have sworn I was.

Yeah you were. I was just clarifying in case somebody want to nitpick. Not like I disagree with the fact that Capcom's level of ineptitude is pretty high.

[Magitek]

...pretty sure God Hand was the last Clover title

Oh, yeah I completely forgot. For a moment there I thought God Hand came before Okami.

[I've now been raped twice! :o]

I have watched the consoles evolve over and over, wondering when we would end up with a system that has Zero BS flaws, and although it hasnt come along, We know that eventually they will merge everything together . Every company has somthing majorly innovative on their side at the moment. Nintendo has a dual part controller that allows for sensory imput to the screen, as does PS3, but people are praising Wii for it and Bitching Sony out for it. Understandible. MS has come out with a solid Online play engine with Live, but on occassion we have to grumble about the fact we have ( or had, I buried my X-crate long ago so I dontknow what the paystructure is now) to pay for it. In time, hopefully before we think games are a waste of money, Companies will learn to join up technoligies and give us somthing totally new and completely original instead of a re-hash of old ideas and hardware.

then again, console curse has claimed more victims than the plague.

[Trucutru]

My head hurts, I shouldn't have read that post.

Also:

fuck totally new and completely original, I want totally fun and completely awesome.

[Holden]

I second that emotion.

[Mr. Pointy]

Dead Rising was boring.

[Racewing]

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/3466/servheadzh9.jpg

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/6866/megaman2yv1.jpg

I disagree.

[EvilNeil]

'Hehe look, references to other Capcom games*! Neat'

So that's 30 seconds' entertainment there. :D



*but not a single mention of Street Fighter whatsoever anywhere

[Mr. Pointy]

Megaman ZX > Dead Rising.

MS should pay Capcom a fat bunch of money to port the PSP remakes of Megaman 1 and MMX to XBLA.

[Cherrn]

*but not a single mention of Street Fighter whatsoever anywhere

There's a shoe store called "Shoekins", which I guess is some warped version of shoryken, but that's basically it, yeah.

[Mr. Pointy]

Jill's Sandwiches was worth a chuckle though.

[Destroyman]

Any screencaps of that?

[Racewing]

'Hehe look, references to other Capcom games*! Neat'

So that's 30 seconds' entertainment there. :D

My, this place has gotten even more cynical since I left!

I didn't think that was possible. Shows what I know.

[Holden]

I believe Neil is trying to suggest that maybe they should have made that game not a painful aggravation to play before they concentrated on filling it full of references to much better games.

[Racewing]

While I easily found it frustrating (http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=36489), I've soldiered through far worse lapses in design that proved to be far less fun overall than DR was. I think it's a quality game, though a lot of people (myself included) were burned because it wasn't what they were expecting.

I plan to finish and enjoy it--but not until I have vacation time coming. :P

[EvilNeil]

I'm not being cynical at all, Racey, Capcom were, when they released a game that expected you to be so wowed by the engine that you wouldn't be bothered by the fact the game itself veered between 'average' and 'awful' whilst appealing to the very worst sort of 'collect-em-up' mindset.

[Holden]

At least it had Megaman references in it!

[Mr. Pointy]

Not all games need Megaman references in them for Racewing to like them; Sonic for X360 for example.

[Holden]

Just a resounding lack of quality, I guess.

[Hayabusa]

Dead Rising was great fun, moronic survivors be damned.

[EvilNeil]

Seeing as I just spent an hour and a half unlocking all eight poledance clips on the Christie slot machine in DOAX2, I think I've just forfeited my right to complain about boredom and repetition in games from now until the end of the century.

It was well worth it, though.

[Hayabusa]

You're doing it for England and the gloriously proportioned, snowy haired women that hail from it lad. Stand tall!* Stand proud!**

*Ha ha!

**Tee hee!

[Racewing]

I'm not being cynical at all, Racey, Capcom were, when they released a game that expected you to be so wowed by the engine that you wouldn't be bothered by the fact the game itself veered between 'average' and 'awful' whilst appealing to the very worst sort of 'collect-em-up' mindset.
We just ended up looking at it two different ways, I guess. Like the whole "glass is half empty/half full" kind of thing.Not all games need Megaman references in them for Racewing to like them; Sonic for X360 for example.
Bingo.

When it comes to finding fun in games that clearly don't want you to have any, I am king.

[Spidey]

When it comes to finding fun in games that clearly don't want you to have any, I am king.

I'm all for having fun in shitty games, but sometimes you just take it to some really obnoxious extreme and focus on one single element while completely ignoring the rest of the game and how horrible it is.

I can't say I've not admired that, but at the same time, I can see you playing a game with that element and going, "Oh shit, do I REALLY have to play the rest of the game right now?".

[Racewing]

EDIT: (My GOD, the typos. I need breakfast.)
I'm all for having fun in shitty games, but sometimes you just take it to some really obnoxious extreme and focus on one single element while completely ignoring the rest of the game and how horrible it is.

I can't say I've not admired that, but at the same time, I can see you playing a game with that element and going, "Oh shit, do I REALLY have to play the rest of the game right now?".
You know, that has happened. I'm going through a second playthrough of Sonic 360 (it's so much better once you're used to it) and this has happened repeatedly.

Hmm. I see your point, and will give this some thought and try to curb it. See, as a reviewer, I'm always sort of stuck at a crossroads regarding this sort of thing.

My one and only all-standing criteria for reviewing a game is "is it possible to have fun?" Or, more to the point, "was it possible for me to have fun in this game?" Sometimes I take others into account, other times I don't. I feel that it's my duty to point out where I had fun, and where I didn't.

Speaking of which, BlazeHedgehog and I had a discussion about the new Sonic over on HGM's board--my (and his, for that matter) final word on it is there (http://www.hardcoregamer.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=206&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15). Not sure if you have to sign up to see it. I don't think so.

In the Dead Rising review I linked, I acknowledge that the game is quite shitty in respects; howver, my honest thoughts were that the game was quality and fun despite those hiccups. Kinda like when Goku faces a hopeless battle, and is all happy because he wants to overcome the challenge anyway.

The time where I used to go into huge arguments trying to defend my tastes, of all things, is past. I left HerV back in June(?) partially because I didn't have the energy to do that anymore, and now that I'm back, I don't plan to do that now. It's fucking wasteful. Of course, I have to catch myself every now and then--Pointy almost had me with Sonic Riders--but I'm kicking the habit.

Of course, I will always have my own personal biases. It will be impossible, for example, to convince me that Super Mario Sunshine is anything but sub-par. Hence, I don't spend long and winding tirades trying to convince the world that it is.

But you see my point. I refuse to be provoked or take any more baits. Even with Holden around. Not everyone will like what I liked, so I can only focus on what I like.

While I'll try to be less GEL-ish in my game enjoyment around here, I'll still leave you with this: much like it perplexes you to see me always focus on the positive of gaming, it depresses me to see the Internet always focus on the negative. (After all, you can't make snarky positive comments, or something.) So I try to point out fun wherever I can.

all hail shadow

[EvilNeil]

I dislike even the suggestion that there's an 'ideal' opinion that everybody in every community should be striving to reach, and that anybody who dissents needs to be shouted down until their outlook, enthusiams etc. have been dulled to what can be considered an acceptable level. It's an ugly target to be shooting for, make no mistake.

Now it has to be said that both you and GEL do sometimes engage in gratuitous anti-populism, and I'd be lying to say it hasn't annoyed me in the past, but at the same time I'd much rather see you doing that than I would you joining in the received cynical bland generic super-opinion that is embraced and defended (even here) with what sometimes approaches zealotry.

It's why I'm GEL's number one fan. Because his positivity is both refreshing and infectious to the extreme, and reading about the joys of some obscure shit console/game is always a great time. I'm not one of those people who gets upset when Crap Game X is praised nor when Great Game Y is criticised. I'll argue it, because it's fun and I'm a huge egotist when it comes to the thought of 'converting' people, but you'll never see me getting mad and joining the YEAH BUT YOU LIKE CHILD PORN witch-hunts. At the end of the day it's games. Toys.
The time where I used to go into huge arguments trying to defend my tastes, of all things, is past. I left HerV back in June(?) partially because I didn't have the energy to do that anymore, and now that I'm back, I don't plan to do that now. It's fucking wasteful.
Of course it is! The sooner you learn to laugh in the face of any perceived 'taste police' the better. Just watch them scurrying around the next time someone posts something controversial, you'll soon see what I mean.

Anyway, back to massively contradicting myself
We just ended up looking at it two different ways, I guess. Like the whole "glass is half empty/half full" kind of thing.
Half full of what, exactly?

I suppose the worst thing I could do right now is turn the glass empty/full thing into a statement on how I've been raising my standards while you've clearly been lowering yours.

This past few months I've really been on something of an anti-grinding kick. See I've decided, I've only got X amount of time to play games, and that's not going to change. Also, I like fighting games/90's games/Japanese games more than anything else.

So with this in mind I've decided I'm going to be spending as much of my time as I can engaging in what I find really, truly fun. No more tech demo prettiness (Doom3, DR) or occaisional bursts of freedom and style (GTA) - my grim 8 and 16-bit computer past, and discussions of it here have left me hyper-sensitive to any sort of 'why am I playing this again?' doubts, hence this whole DR debate, as it's a game that had me wondering after about an hours' play.

I agree it does have its positives, but they're few and far between, too far for me to honestly say they met my newly-revised criteria for fun and frolics.

So I guess this is where we swill our last drop of brandy and extinguish our cigars and blunder off our seperate ways until the next Invalid Personal Opinion Xtreme Showdown. :smalltran

[Ultima]

Neil:

> So with this in mind I've decided I'm going to be spending as much of my time as I can engaging in what I find really, truly fun.

Heh. I came to this conclusion, oh, about 15 years ago with the SNES.

Back then, it wasn't a time issue. It was a cost issue, though time is probably more important now. I felt bad for making my dad hunt for games that I ended up not particularly enjoying, or only half-finishing. When I got my SNES, I decided I would only stick to games I had a 95% chance of actually wanting to play over and over. That's why I only had 6 games for the SNES and since that time, I've bought maybe 3 or 4 games a year, tops.

I like Street Fighter and Final Fantasy, plus a few other random titles from the 2D fighters and JRPG genres. I also have a slight soft spot for shooters and run ' gun games, but not enough to make me consider buying them regularly even if they were being made in great numbers. I have neither the time nor the interest to play all the great games out there. And I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm terminally uncurious.

Concerning PS3, I find this story to be rather sad:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16042423/?GT1=8816

The dog was probably holding a game controller as well.

[D.Knight]

Shooting him was really extreme even tought i can kinda understand why the cops did it, still, asuming he was the rober, he beated the crap out of another person just to steal something, i can't say i feel that sorry for him.

[EvilNeil]

Heh. I came to this conclusion, oh, about 15 years ago with the SNES.
I seem to go through phases - my 'core' games are fighters and Nintendo franchise big hitters, and that'll never change, but every so often I'll branch out and play Vice City or Halo or something as well, mostly because they're shiny, big, new and popular, but also because I hear stuff about them from other people and get curious. After all, they're usually only a day or two's download away.

This year I've played HL2:Ep1, Oblivion (!, albeit briefly) KOTORII (ditto) and even had an abortive attempt at FFX-2, and now I'm regretting it and am retreating hastily back into my shell for comfort.

I bet I still end up getting Halo 3 next year, though. :o

[Holden]

It's why I'm GEL's number one fan. Because his positivity is both refreshing and infectious to the extreme, and reading about the joys of some obscure shit console/game is always a great time. I'm not one of those people who gets upset when Crap Game X is praised nor when Great Game Y is criticised. I'll argue it, because it's fun and I'm a huge egotist when it comes to the thought of 'converting' people, but you'll never see me getting mad and joining the YEAH BUT YOU LIKE CHILD PORN witch-hunts. At the end of the day it's games. Toys.

As long as it's not SvC. SvC is serious business.

[Hayabusa]

While I don't have time to go into an exhaustive discussion on my gaming habits, I play pretty much everything. If I enjoy it I'll go back, if I don't, I won't.

I can't just limit myself to big titles - many of the smaller efforts can be more fun than ERA-SHATTERING ones with a lot of frothing hype swirling around their nether regions. A friend of mine purchased Shadow Hearts more or less on a whim and it took me months to finally bother getting a loan of it from him. Bang it in the tray and I'm soon totally and absolutely in love - it had fantastic design, an incredibly compelling story, some of the best characters ever written and truly shit graphics.

I'm glad that I'll always be willing to try something new in gaming. Not playing Ouendan or EBA is the moral equivalent of selotaping a child to a jet engine.

[Hit Parade]

Posted up some PS3 site. These are 420p vids for Motorstorm. Haven't viewed them all, but the first one looks great.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KZ5EIK2B
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B5LP423R
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=40WFRKFF
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FISKLKFJ

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GC15N1CD
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=769SJ3T6

[The Million Dollar Street Fighter Fan]

I have seen the Motorstorm demo and I got to say, on HDTV, the game looks like total sex! I can't wait to pick it up.

Yeah, I got myself a PS3, suck on it

[Spidey]

Yeah, I got myself a PS3, suck on it

Sometimes I have to wonder how many people said that to you before you could afford it.

Have fun with your PS3 while no good games are out until, well, god only knows.

[Hit Parade]

Heavenly Sword, Killzone, MGS4, Motorstorm, FFXIII are all slated to be released in 2007. A couple 1st Qtr, and the rest in the latter half of the year, unless unforseen circumstances force a few developers to delay their releases, but that hasn't happened yet.

[Spidey]

Heavenly Sword, Killzone, MGS4, Motorstorm, FFXIII are all slated to be released in 2007. A couple 1st Qtr, and the rest in the latter half of the year, unless unforseen circumstances force a few developers to delay their releases, but that hasn't happened yet.

I doubt FFXII will be out in 2007. If it is, it'll be Winter 07, but most likely Mid 08 at the earliest. Between all the games Square-Enix is developing lately, it just doesn't seem feasible.

[Hit Parade]

What's being developed by Square-Enix in-house other than FFXIII and Versus XIII right now?

[Cherrn]

Crystal Chronicles (both DS and Wii), It's A Wonderful World, FFVI remake (though I guess it's mostly a port), and, according to Wikipedia, an unnamed MMO and a bunch of other unnamed games, that I'm sure will pop up over the next year.

If FFXIII is released in America before '08, I will eat a kitten. Considering it took them 7 months to localize FFXII, I can only assume this will take much longer. And we don't even know anything about the game aside from what little info there are in the press releases, and a short tech-demo.

I wouldn't expect a big Famitsu spread with info before Q2 '07, and I think a Japan Q3/4 release is most likely (though a '08 release is more likely, given their track record), so I wouldn't expect to see it in America before Q3/4 '08, unless they handle localization in a different way than they usually do.

[Spidey]

What's being developed by Square-Enix in-house other than FFXIII and Versus XIII right now?

I may be wrong here, but the DS FF12, the PSP FFT, DS FF Crystal Chronicles, Wii FF Crystal Chronicles, and a couple of others that don't really come to mind with a name.

Edit: Thanks Cherrn.

Also holding you to that kitten thing.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/company/10815.html

[CITY!]

People want to play Motorstorm? :/

[Cherrn]

To be fair, it does look entertaining - like a modern Super Off-Road, or something.

But I don't think it's one of the main reasons to get a PS3 or anything like that. I don't know why it's being touted as such. Excitetruck looks a lot more appealing, to be quite honest.

[CITY!]

I've played the demo. Motorstorm is weak. It's just like those crappy ATV games, but with a dash of "wreck the other vehicles!"

Lame :/

[Minx]

People are shockingly unrealistic with development times on other formats, but with PS3 it seems more so. You wanted 30+ hour marathons with graphics like these (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xct7VrBOJuc)? Hell, you paid for it, you got it. But expect plausible human endeavour. Expect SquareEnix to prioritise other games/formats. Expect it in 2008 or possibly 2009 (my money's on early 2009) at the earliest.

[Jigsaw]

Hey now, you're all forgetting about VF5 coming out in about a month and a half. But apart from that, no, there's not really much on the horizon.


As for FF13's localization, I'm fairly sure standard procedure for PS3 games is to include the full English version on the Japanese version disc (IE the exact same disc content on the two versions), but I'm not 100% sure it applies to all games. If that's how they'll do FF13 I would guess it'd just take a couple of months longer for it to be released anywhere. But yeah, expecting FF13 in English during '07 sounds naive to me. For the record, I'd say the same goes for MGS4.

[Racewing]

I'm not holding my breath for VF5 to be a Q1 title. :P

Oh, speaking of which, GStop's computers show PS3 Sonic to be pushed back to the end of January, at the least. Sonic Team going back to fix their problems, perhaps?

God, I'm dreading the day I have to say that Sonic is better on a Sony system. -_-

[Riskbreaker]

Relax.

The PS3's just hard to code for, that's all.

[Hayabusa]

I'll buy one when Ninja Gaiden Rac... Sigma comes out. Even the biggest and brightest of all the other titles isn't going to make me spend that much money on a console.

[Internet]

Oh, speaking of which, GStop's computers show PS3 Sonic to be pushed back to the end of January, at the least. Sonic Team going back to fix their problems, perhaps?

Let's hope so.

[Cherrn]

I wouldn't count on it.

[Jigsaw]

But, uh, Sega announced VF5's release date and retail price (http://virtuafighter5.jp/) like the other week. I don't see any reason to expect a sudden 2-month delay.

[Ultima]

Someone call me when FFXIII comes out (did I say this already in this thread?). So, I expect a call no sooner than 3rd quarter 2008.

[Doc]

I've played the demo. Motorstorm is weak. It's just like those crappy ATV games, but with a dash of "wreck the other vehicles!"

Lame :/

After playing the demo at a friends house, I thought this game is pretty good. Then after reading Cheapy D's comments about how incomplete the game feels, I think I'll pass.

Motorstorm is a great looking off-road racing game that plays well too. Unfortunately, this solid racing and graphics engine is wrapped in a package so bare bones, it makes Lindsay Lohan appear obese and the game difficult to recommend.

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/archives/cheapyds-motorstorm-ps3-review.php#more

[Izanami]

If you have Ridge 7, there's no need to get Motor Storm. If you want to look at silly crashes all day, then yeah, get Motor Storm.

[Hit Parade]

I can't argue against buying Ridge Racer 7, but that's the Japanese retail version of Motorstorm being reviewed there, and Evolution has already been quoted saying that they're making some more adjustments to the game for the US release. Then there's also the downloadable content that's been announced as well. But yeah, Ridge Racer Fucking 7.

[Reset]

Isnt 7 like, 6 minus the sharp textures the 360 version had in some spots? At least, thats what I *think* I saw.

[Izanami]

I think Ridge 7 looks amazing on PS3, but I must admit, I haven't personally seen Ridge 6 on the 360.

[Hit Parade]

A few texture changes are there, but the online is more fleshed out, and car customization was added. New decals were just put up for free download at the Playstation Store for JP players.

[Shadowless]

New decals? Fucking sign me up.

[Hit Parade]

I'm sure there'll be more in terms of downloadable content for the game in the future. I'm guessing you were being sarcastic.

[EvilNeil]

I've seen RR7 running in person and I have to say it looks fucking gorgeous. Maybe because I've never seen RR6 running in hi-def, and probably because I've only played it for about an hour (sacrilege) - not enough time to really come to appreciate it, but the PS3 version looked considerably better - faster, more detailed. I can't remember the last time I stared longingly at some unattainable super-powered games hardware. 1996 maybe?

[Hit Parade]

I played it on a non-HDMI TV and it still looked incredible. And the drifting is just like RV cept with stronger cars. OMG those cars drift HARD in this game. It took me a couple of tries to get used to them, but once I did, I was having a blast. I'm going back to my friend's house for the holidays to see if I can get in some more games. He was killing me with Ultimate Charge shenanigans.

EDIT: I'm downloading this Ridge Racer Sampler in hopes of getting a listen of a few tracks for the new game. If they have any, I'll upload to mediafire or rapidshare.

[Hit Parade]

http://rapidshare.com/files/8335876/GTHD_Concept_Digest_Movie_1080.mp4
Hi-res trailer for GTHD. I'm guessing it's like the one on Gametrailers, but I can't watch it cuz my graphics card is ass. I'll be able to once I go home and pull it up on my mother's comp.

[Vincent]

Reuploaded for RapidShare haters (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L7ETXXUQ)

Anyway, there's nothing overly impressive about the clip, other than some sharp visuals.

[Hit Parade]

It's more of the anticipation of what a final build of GT5 will look like in light of these visuals.

[Racewing]

...wasn't GTHD cancelled?

[Mr. Pointy]

A GT5 demo will be on PSN.

[Hit Parade]

From themagicbox
P L A Y S T A T I O N 3

- Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden Sigma director Yosuke Hayashi revealed new details for the game:

* The game is currently 35% completed, user can run around all levels
* The developers studied beyond the PS3 hardware, now they understand how everything functioned and how to use each desired characteristic
* In order to use the hardware fully, one has to program the 7 SPUs (Synergistic Processing Units) in the cell chip.
* It's important to find out how to use SPUs for graphics completely, they are seeing daily graphic improvements
* The build from today looks noticeably better than the TGS version
* Currently 50% of their new ideas are put into the game, and the other 50% are things that were not realized in the predecessors
* For example there is a scene where helicopters circle in the sky and throwing bombs toward the city, it was not realized in the Xbox version due to hardware restriction
* It is possible to use projectile weapons like bow and arrows in mid-air
* All textures used in the PS3 version are completely new
* Some existing puzzles are revised to be more intuitive and natural
* You play about 20% of time with Rachel
* The game is a completely new generation and no extra games like the NES Ninja Gaiden Trilogy were added
* The game will support 720p, this is the most optimal resolution, because there are too much borders in 1080p.
In terms of developing for this console, that's good news to hear how they're working with the CELL. Daily graphical updates just sounds neat.

[boing!!]

...wasn't GTHD cancelled?
from what I know, the beta or whatever is going to be offered on the PS3 online service

[cka]

...wasn't GTHD cancelled?

gthd is available on the playstation network as a free download

[The Million Dollar Street Fighter Fan]

gthd is available on the playstation network as a free download

Yeah, but you have to remember they are hiding the fact that the game was supposed to be a fucking demo to GTHD, but since they cancelled the damn game, they are saying "Fuck it, it's not a demo anymore, it's now a full game, enjoy losers"

[cka]

yes and?

I'd rather take a free GTHD download over what they were promising before

[Minx]

LOL PS3

[Destroyman]

http://www.got-next.com/news_read.php?id=1049

[brutha man]

tekken 6 is all i care about

[Magitek]

From themagicbox
* You play about 20% of time with Rachel



Fail.

[Shin ATproof]

http://www.got-next.com/news_read.php?id=1049

Interesting read there...but I have a question about the commentary on that piece:

How are the crappy sales of the PS3 universally bad news?

I don't get that. Worst case scenario, 3rdParty developers move once PS3 exclusive projects to the 360 and Wii.

[Ham]

The dude who wrote it evidently only owns a PS3.

[high fructose corn syrup]

It's not good news for any of us who believe in a competitive market leading to better goods. And financial strikes toward Electronic Arts and Take-Two sure isn't good news for anyone, as that means tightening the belt throughout the entire company leading to less innovative chances on all consoles.

Or hell, maybe he is a fanboy who only owns a PS3, whatever (I doubt that from this line "too high a price and too few great games (heck, we could have told him that a month ago)"). If this is true it could lead to a production recession away from the PS3, leaving it dead in the water, and thats just fucked up to anyone who DID buy it.

This is bad for the market as a whole, and if you don't see that...

[Shin ATproof]

Ya know, I'm not a sports sim person so I don't care about EA, they could tank for all I care...and what the hell does Take-Two do anyway?

As for innovation and competition in the market...with the current console generation (at least with the PS3 and 360), there are hardly any new/innovative games, just a bunch of sequels. Also, the only systems that are really competing in the market right now are Sony and Microsoft with the PS3 and the 360...Nintendo is off on their own campaign since they don't consider the Wii to be truly Next-Gen. So I fail to see how the market would could get more stagnant without the PS3. If the console market crashes then it won't be because of lack of competition, it will be because of companies like Sony and Microsoft that try to market video game machines as all-in-one home entertainment devices with prices too high for the average gamer. Like Icarus flying too close to the Sun...

Maybe, just maybe...if there are less competing systems maybe gamers will have to stop caring about system loyalty and exclusive titles and developers will have to try harder to make better quality games since they will be directly in competition with other A-list developers.

Another thing, I have no sympathy for Early Adopters of technology. None. Like recently I've heard that the Porn industry is going to use HD-DVD and IIRC whatever the Porno industry adopts is usually an early indicator of what the mainstream format will be. Tough Titty for BluRay (and or PS3) owners. So if people think Sony is vital to video games (or the entertainment industry) then Sony needs to start cutting the price/cost of the PS3 and the BluRay and just accept their losses in order to get a larger user-base...because if Sony thinks we should really see Talladega Nights or Blazing Saddles in "true" HD then they need to seriously put on their A-Game.

[Tiamat]

Fail.

Only 20% is absolute shit, and I'm not even a Rachel fan.

[Ham]

It's not good news for any of us who believe in a competitive market leading to better goods. And financial strikes toward Electronic Arts and Take-Two sure isn't good news for anyone, as that means tightening the belt throughout the entire company leading to less innovative chances on all consoles.

Or hell, maybe he is a fanboy who only owns a PS3, whatever (I doubt that from this line "too high a price and too few great games (heck, we could have told him that a month ago)"). If this is true it could lead to a production recession away from the PS3, leaving it dead in the water, and thats just fucked up to anyone who DID buy it.

This is bad for the market as a whole, and if you don't see that...

Betamax going tits up didn't destroy the home video market. Plenty of consoles have been left dead in the water early doors, I don't really see how it being a Sony one should make any difference. While I sympathise, to a degree, with folk who spent all that money on one...it's not any more than I sympathise with people who payed full price on release for any Sega system post-MD or any of those 1990s 'Me-too' consoles like the 3DO or whatever. If it does go that way, which I doubt it will, it wouldn't be the first time Sony have fucked up, MiniDiscs anyone? And probably wouldn't be the last.

[Holden]

From themagicbox

In terms of developing for this console, that's good news to hear how they're working with the CELL. Daily graphical updates just sounds neat.

wait, the Magic Box still exists?

[Holden]

Maybe, just maybe...if there are less competing systems maybe gamers will have to stop caring about system loyalty and exclusive titles and developers will have to try harder to make better quality games since they will be directly in competition with other A-list developers.

Welllllllll the problem there is that with only one guy on the field, you're left with only one choice, and that is bad. F'r'ex, if Microsoft had gotten raped off the field and into an early grave, rather than Sony starting the race by shooting themselves in the head-- you could forget about seeing any 2D fighters in this country at all for the next five years. SCEA doesn't like them.

And Japan doesn't like the X-Box. The Japanese are, all other things being even, disinclined to work on it, essentially because to them it is Whitey Box and a sign of national failure for one of their big showcase industries. So if the PS3 were to tank, Japan would primarily transition to the Wii and handhelds (which is what's already happening, frankly; a lot of Japanese companies seem to be shifting primary attention to handheld games, witness DQ9).

That said, I do take a certain visceral pleasure in watching Sony hoist on their own petard.

[high fructose corn syrup]

Yeah, thats kinda how I feel, I don't think it's good for the industry, but I still laugh at articles like this (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070116/tc_nm/videogames_ps3_dc).

The invisible hand is pimp-slapping Sony. :(

[Shin ATproof]

Holden:
With Sony moving to a format with no region coding, then it wouldn't matter if there were US or Japan only games. Its all compatible. That said, even if say SCEA didn't allow for 2D fighters and there were region lockouts, I'm sure within a few years there would be some company coming up for a method of playing imported games on region specific systems...like there has been for years. Also the reason the Xbox failed in Japan is because the system mostly had games that appealed to Western gamers and lacked exclusive titles (from Japanese developers) that made it a worthwhile purchase. If the Xbox had a Super Robot Wars (or 3) and some A-List Japanese RPGs and had more games like Ninja Gaiden or DoA then the system would have sold better.

[Holden]

Holden:
With Sony moving to a format with no region coding, then it wouldn't matter if there were US or Japan only games. Its all compatible. That said, even if say SCEA didn't allow for 2D fighters and there were region lockouts, I'm sure within a few years there would be some company coming up for a method of playing imported games on region specific systems...like there has been for years.

Upgradable firmware worries me on that front, and believe it or wut, I like my games in English. : |

Also the reason the Xbox failed in Japan is because the system mostly had games that appealed to Western gamers and lacked exclusive titles that made it a worthwhile purchase. If the Xbox had a Super Robot Wars (or 3) and some A-List Japanese RPGs and had more games like Ninja Gaiden or DoA then the system would have sold better.

And the reason no Japanese games outside of Team Ninja ever seemed to materialize for the damn thing was........................

[high fructose corn syrup]

Also the reason the Xbox failed in Japan is because the system mostly had games that appealed to Western gamers and lacked exclusive titles that made it a worthwhile purchase. If the Xbox had a Super Robot Wars (or 3) and some A-List Japanese RPGs and had more games like Ninja Gaiden or DoA then the system would have sold better.
Thats a Chicken and Egg problem, the Japanese developers won't create while Japanese customers don't buy X-boxes. The customers won't buy X-boxes while the developers aren't making games for them.

[Shin ATproof]

The 360 is doing better than its predecessor because its doing exactly what the Xbox should have done. Make games that didn't mainly appeal to the mainstream American gamer that goes gaga for titles like Halo, Madden and GTA. Games sell the system...and the fact that the Xbox360 is getting Japanese RPGs and Moe games where people are standing in lines for proves that point.

[high fructose corn syrup]

Yeah.... so?

[Here's Johnny]

Thats a Chicken and Egg problem, the Japanese developers won't create while Japanese customers don't buy X-boxes. The customers won't buy X-boxes while the developers aren't making games for them.
That's a problem every American VG console has faced. If it doesn't come from Japan, it doesn't get Japan's support. Personally, I don't mind it. I'd rather see Americans making PC games, while Japanese make console games. That way, you get the best both worlds have to offer. Yes, this is an ignorant way of thinking, but it would make things terribly simpler.

[Shin ATproof]

Yeah.... so?
So? SO!? It solves your chicken<->egg question. Its pretty common knowledge that Microsoft acknowledged and learned from their mistake with the Xbox in Japan. Their solution was to sign exclusive deals with Japanese developers for games that appeal to Japanese gamers. Japanese gamers now feel a reason to buy the 360 and rightfully so. Blue Dragon, Lost Planet, DoAX2, Idol Master, SRWXO...the 360 will sell a lot better than its predecessor.

[Minx]

big-time financial pain for Sony, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two.

*prays to baby jesus*

[Internet]

Only 20% is absolute shit, and I'm not even a Rachel fan.
She's also going to have her own missions in mission mode.

I don't know what you're talking about about it being absolute shit though. It's not her game, and 20% is still quite a bit of time, especially if she is going to have free reign through the city like Hayabusa does, because that probably doesn't equate to actual time, just 20% of the story-involved time.

Not only that, but I don't know what the fuck you expected, because that's 1/5 of the game, that's a sizeable chunk no matter how you look at it.

But then, you're one of those people that I never agree with on the internets, so I'll just write it off as I'm always right and you're always wrong like a true web champion.