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Retailers getting more strict about which DS/Wii
Natural selection at work people
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travo (8m)
The mini naked juggernaught is finished.
*watches Dead Space Xbox 1 footage* LOL what?
So we could have been playing this 4 years ago on Xbox with marginally worse graphics?
What I mean is. Damn that looks good and pretty much the same as what I'm playing now. Same animation, gameplay system, quality visuals.
Better than GTA IV drunk?
I refuse to even go to the site.
Thanks for the impressions, still not that interested in getting it. Not for a long while till I try a lot of other stuff. Game will struggle, THQ is refusing to TV advertise this game and faceless insects are characterless. This will be a hard sell for a really niche looking game.
Well that's fine, I get where you are coming from. You want the best graphics, online modes AI etc. You're very happy, you're a true HD gamer of the blockbuster age. Nothing wrong with that. But I'm not talking about where you personally -where I personally- want games. Just saying that there is a huge imbalance and that there are twice as many Wii owners compared to say 360 owners or PS3 owners. So its almost like a minority is getting extreme satisfaction whilst a majority suffers. I see gamers out there, especially on the Capcom boards demanding better content and not getting that satisfaction. What about gamers who only own a Wii, who can't play bigger brother versions or exclusives? You already saw Beaver questioning my stance on a RE5 wii port at the weekend. What about the gamers who didn't buy Wii as a secondary console only for first party games?
At the end of the day I think that given the success of the system, it deserves -its consumers that have made the console a success, deserve - better content. I don't see what's so wrong with that. Like I said, there is no problem with next gen consoles getting Dead Rising 2, but there is a big f-ing problem when Capcom try and pass off CTYD as some sort of original, ground up project, especially with the amount of ports they are passing off: Monster Hunter G from PS2, Okami from PS2, RE4 from GC, REmake and RE0 from GC. Dead Rising from 360 - how old is that game now?
I certainly appreciate your stance, you're happy with the way things are. But just for a moment imagine if the situation were reversed and your 360 was getting bottom scraps support? You wouldn't be too happy. You'd be annoyed that developers weren't taking advantage of the system, of the success, of the features, of the graphics. And personally you wouldn't get satisfaction out of playing games with inferior graphics on another system. If you were in another persons shoes?
I'm not demanding that companies stop making HD epics, I'm just asking that they improve their content across the board and not shit on a userbase.
Read your post over again and then think for a moment.
That's the whole point, in that Wii editions of big franchises can do things on Wii that can only be done on Wii. And that's the whole point of putting big franchise material on the system, so it doesn't go stale. What if Force Unleashed had Ninja Gaiden Black graphics, used motionplus and not been farmed out to the developer of Kao the Kangaroo? What if RE UC had been the RE4 type game and used IR aiming and Elebits physics too? What if Valve did a FPS that used head tracking? Again I'm not saying put RE5 on Wii and DONT put it on other systems. I'm saying that if you are doing RE5 then RE UC should have been the RE4 game it was originally intended to be.
And then there are pointless technologies, Fracture's deforming landscape? WTF? Game sucked, Euphoria which can only be done with next gen processing power has minimal impact on games so far. Advances in design can bring about effects as big as, or bigger than technological improvement. Case in point, REmake, then RE4. Huge design change. Hardware didn't change at all. Super mario Sunshine vs Super mario Galaxy? Huge design change, hardware barely changed.
If a game feels likes it's stuck in time it's because its designers haven't forwarded the design. You can even look at Killzone 2 reviews which say that we've seen it all before but it does its stuff well. If if weren't for the hyper graphics what would it be in design terms? If it weren't for the better graphics, what would RE5 be in design terms? It's not enough for developers to rely on huge environments (which can be detrimental to gameplay in some cases - the recent Far Cry?) or putting hundreds of NPCs on screen at the same time (Dead Rising).
But if the supposition from the start is "why even bother?" on Wii. Of course you're going to see games stuck in time. What do you expect when only C teams are assigned and developers can't even get publishers to fund development of proper games? We are in this situation now because publishers - executives in boardrooms have decided what content there will be. They haven't tested, they haven't supported, they haven't created a market receptive to more core games. They've thrown their hands up in the air.
There is no good reason why SF IV isn't on Wii, the producer of the game himself has said so and the same can go for SC4. If there were a genuine case for a design that wouldn't work on the system fine, but the supposition from the start that it wont work and should never be attempted is what bothers people. (Don't bring up the controls when Monster Hunter G comes bundled with a classic controller in Japan)
KILLZONE 2 PICS
MARIO AND SONIC WINTER GAMES
GHOSTBUSTERS
Midway Bankrupty
Midway's U.S. operations filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today, as the Mortal Kombat publisher runs out of time to pay its debts.
The publisher owes $150 million to its bond owners because of a buyback obligation triggered when media mogul Sumner Redstone sold his controlling stake in the company on December 1.
Midway managed to gain a month's time to buy back the senior notes through two separate agreements it reached with its bond owners. The first of these, which accounts for half the notes, expires today, and the other $75 million expires on February 19th.
Today's bankruptcy filing suggests that Midway was unable to either find a source of credit or gain additional time from the bond owners, and the company says it "anticipated it would be unable to satisfy" both classes of debt.
And unless Midway pays back the $150 million in notes by February 19, it will end up owing Redstone's National Amusements Inc. an additional $90 million, compounding its total debt to $240 million.
"This was a difficult but necessary decision," Midway president, CEO and newly-appointed Board chairman Matt Booty said.
"This filing will relieve the immediate pressure from our creditors and provide us time for an orderly exploration of our strategic alternatives," he said.
Filing for Chapter 11 is the "next logical step" in Midway's reorganization process, Booty adds. According to the company, it will be able to keep doing business as usual, and it's seeking court permission to go on managing its own operations.
That's just too bad. I've always enjoyed a good deal of what Midway put out, they had managed to continue to infuse their games with an arcade sensibility.
Notice that this was all brought on from complicated financial trickery and not their core business.
For non-US members, Chapter 11 doesn't mean lights out for Midway (liek BK does in AU), it's just temporary relief where a judge is put in charge of the company and decides who gets paid and who doesn't (and also has the power to reduce debts). It's still doesn't look promising though.
Yeah, it's sad about Midway. I've always enjoyed their games.
I just wish they would release more VC games. I doubt it would be enough to help them with their financial troubles, but it could be an inexpensive way to bring in some more cash. I'd love to get the SNES MK2 and MK3. I'd also buy most of their N64 library, especially their SF Rush series; I loved playing those games.
Of course, the way Nintendo is handling the North American VC now, it would take 10 years before all of those games made it out.
Midways cheif technical officer is now at Retro Studios by the way, replaced a position left by the big three.
I just completed Sam and Max Episode 1. Seriously this is more convoluted than old graphic adventures ever used to be. There is some obscure linking between dialogue lines to achieve success. I had to use gamefaqs several times. Pointless BS.
Well really good point GG, still lets take RE5 as an example. Sure the wiimote is better and controlling, you said add stuff like elebits, not sure how that will work with RE, even with a great physics model that model will be done better on one of the more powerful systems. They can add more enemies on screen (and they did) for RE5 on the new systems. They have online co-op something the wii would not do well. Its not just graphics, there all sorts of multimedia features that the wii is missing that helps the game. Hell just the fact that RE5 is in HD makes a world of difference. The hardware needs an update, the innovation is cool but they created this hole when they put out a GC again. They have half the equation, the other consoles have the other half, they need to come together.
Anyway saw Dead Space on Xbox, holy hell that looks amazing. GG you are correct, its basically the same game.
Midway bankrupt, awww.... who cares.
What?
Why not? I see no reason why it wouldn't work well.
Well GG if it were a perfect world then every console would get the same quality of attention but it's not. Unfortunately developers don't have infinite resources so they get allocated to where they see fit so if Capcom is satisfied with how they are allocating their resources to do the games they want to make then that's their right so I go to where I see the games I want and that was the 360. If they had made different choices then I would have either gone to a different system or done without, at least until I could get that system.
The thing is is that it's basically been like this all along in that one console usually gets the lion share of developer support. Developers have always typically wanted one thing and that's more powerful hardware whether that be more RAM, more processing power, etc. so things going like they are going should be no surprise. Sure the Wii may have surprised people by becoming so popular but that shouldn't mean developers have to throw more support to it.
This should have been quite clear when the specs and info for the Wii were first laid out. Nintendo's goal was to reach out to a new audience and they have been very successful with that. It wasn't only a gamble for Nintendo but it was also a gamble for gamers who picked up the system. If the Wii isn't satisfying someone's gaming style then frankly I think they should look to get another system that does. A 360 now is only $200 and sometimes you can get a deal to get it even cheaper. Also it will most likely see another price-cut sometime this year. When one picks up a system they always have to make choices and sacrifices because typically one system won't satisfy every gaming need they have.
Who cares, RE5 with less enemies and no parther following your around is a better Resident Evil. Case in point RE4 > RE5.
So you go to the console with the bigger userbase, and you do not make BS PR excuses. Capcom is screwing over the Wii fanbase, by basically saying that Wii-owners should not complain. And least Epic is honest about it. They hate the Wii end of story.
Developers care about money. That's the reason they went to the PS1 and PS2. If developers really cared about power, they would develop exclusively for the PC. Besides Wii is gaining in support, especially Japanese support.
It is sad that the Wii doesn't get pushed to its potential...I'd like to see what it can truly do. You look at the games on the PS2, Xbox, or Gamecube that had FULL effort behind them to try and get the absolute most out of those machines----stuff like God of War 2, Far Cry Instincts, etc....then you think of how the Wii could very easily outclass these games with some effort put into it. It goes to show how a system's image can easily change based on the types of software put on it, and the effort put into them.
If the Wii had a whole portfolio of games beyond that level from all developers nobody would be complaining, and I don't think the smaller horsepower would even seem to matter much.
Speaking of Wii games with some effort, I dabbled with Tenchu earlier. Can't say much so far as I only had a half hour to mess with it and the beginning is basically a tutorial, but I can tell already it has more more than most 3rd-party Wii games.
Even here though, there's so much more that could have been done to it graphically. It looks really nice, but it looks like a really nice PS2 game. It probably would have helped if they used 480p instead of barebones 480i. The menu's are very slick and well done, nice production values. The soundtrack is awesome, possibly my favorite thing about it so far. Some great guitar pieces in here.
The voice is done in cheesy English, which usually I don't mind but for a game set in feudal Japan I would have liked to have had Japanese voice work. The controls take some getting used to. Its kind of a mix of inventive Wii controls and really dated digital controls....an odd mix. Obviously you all know what kind of stealth game it is...very similar to Splinter Cell or Theif in that you want to stay in the shadows as much as possible. When you're hidden, you're whole body has a black outline around it which is a nice touch.
I'll try to play more later.
DEAD SPACE Xbox----Wow, I didn't even know DS dated that far back. I had no idea it was originally designed on the 180. Probably good news for the Wii as that's probably the engine they'll base it on.
Well of course they care about money as well. I said that they're typically interested in more powerful hardware but it's not necessarily 'the most powerful' hardware, it also must have a suitable size userbase so they know their games will sell. I'm sure the Wii will probably get more support but apparently a number of developers still want to focus on the HD systems. Yeah maybe Capcom shouldn't string Wii users along in getting there hopes up. Maybe they simply don't care for making games on the Wii as well. I still don't think that they 'have' to support the Wii more just because it's sold the most systems. I'm not a stockholder so if they're satisfied with where they put their games I'll be satisfied by picking them up.
If developers cared that much about power, the N64 would have crushed the PS1. The Gamecube and Xbox both would have crushed the PS2. And now the PS3 would be getting 100% effort and quality from everyone.
The one genration where Sony and Nintendo reversed their horsepower stance (remember, this is the ONLY time Nintendo has ever had a weaker console than Sony) and look at the reversal of popularity.
The general public doesn't know their ass from their elbow when it comes to horsepower, either. Most people SAY they want lots of power, yet these same people usually don't know why that is, and they usually end up buying the weaker console. If I had a dime for every person who owned a PS2 and thought it was more advanced than Cube and Xbox...
I also think most people, when it comes to anything, just buy what the COOL thing to buy is, at the time. PS1 and PS2 were the COOL systems, and now the Wii is the big thing to have yet the software has been slow to follow.
I still think many people didn't expect Wii to do anything at all in the industry, and many probably expected it to be Nintendo's most short-lived system. Plus, looking at the 10 previous years of Nintendo getting their ass kicked in popularity and 3rd-party support, I think that's hard to recoup from. Probably the ONLY way to recoup from that, is to have a system be a runaway success like the Wii. If nothing else, it sets them up beautifully for the next machine unless they blow it.
The fact that the N64 used cartridges along with Nintendo's treatment of third-parties are why the PS1 beat the N64. Developers always want more powerful hardware to work with but there are certainly other parameters that play into things as well. The reason why the PS3 isn't the system of choice is because when it first came out it was very expensive for consumers so the userbase didn't build up quickly enough to satisfy developer's fears of being able to sell enough games plus it was difficult to program on.
Good point, Iga.
After owning Mario And Sonic At The Olmypic Games, I somehow both want it yet know it will be crappy.
And the reason Gamecube and Xbox didn't beat the PS2? You conveniently left that one out because there's no easy excuse.
Anyway, in other news:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6204564.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;3
Square Enix to buy....EIDOS?!
Didn't see that one coming....there's some odd mergers and buyouts coming out of the current game industry woes. In all honesty I think its a good move because Eidos do have some good developers and IP's, but their management sucks.
The PS2 beat out Gamecube and Xbox because it was out first, it was affordable, and it had DVD support which the GC did not plus the proprietary discs Nintendo used were relatively small in size. The Xbox was not only late to the party but was also Microsoft's first system so speculation about what kind of impact they could have in the console gaming sector was decidely and expectedly one of doubt.
EDIT: Also Nintendo's relationships with third-party developers was still pretty sour.
LOL, lots of assumptions in your words Arch. All your doing is listing a bunch of crap that really has no impact on anything. As I said, assumptions. DVD playback? Yes because developers love the idea of people buying a machine for movies instead of the games they're making.
By the time Cube and Xbox came out, the PS2's base was not that big yet. The Dreamcast was out first, actually. But I guess that doesn't count. That's only an advantage for Sony.