E3 2008 - The Catchall Thread [FFXIII on the 360. FF7r on the PS3?]

[Fabricated]

I'm not sure if I give a shit about FF13 on the 360.

[pyi]

I'm not sure if I give a shit about FF13 on the 360.

Yeah but I want Sony to do well so the competition is stronger.  I feel if one console gets all the games quality may go down.

[Fabricated]

I'm not sure if I give a shit about FF13 on the 360.

Yeah but I want Sony to do well so the competition is stronger.  I feel if one console gets all the games quality may go down.

Um this is both consoles getting the games.

Even with the 360's library the PS3 has been outselling it in hardware for the last 5 months. Of course the $50 price drop is gonna probably rectify this for a month or two. I dunno how many people who own a 360 are really going to give a shit about FF13 since they let every single other JRPG on the system sit in dusty piles. Japan still isn't going to buy the 360 even if they gave away free body pillows with it.

As for me, I'm still not buying a defective piece of hardware.

[Margalis]

Mirror's Edge looks like a game designed specifically to torture me. An entire game dedicated to first-person platforming. Wow.

I like how the first level gameplay video they show repeats the same geometry at least 3 times.

[Fabricated]

Mirror's Edge looks like a game designed specifically to torture me. An entire game dedicated to first-person platforming. Wow.

I like how the first level gameplay video they show repeats the same geometry at least 3 times.

There's something about the art direction that I like a LOT. Just watching that first gameplay video makes me breathe better for some reason. Of course I imagine it's going to be incredibly "on rails" due to the super-simplified control scheme, and after you figure out how to ninja across all of the levels right you'll never wanna play it again.

[Sauced]

Sony needs a strong God of War 3 showing, some Kingdom Hearts 3 would be nice, and getting Bioware on the system would be nice.  This seems like a big deal, but I'm willing to give them their press conference to see if they can return fire.  Hopefully they have something up their sleeve.

[schild]

My theory is this:

Square went to Sony and said - "Microsoft has offered us $50M+ for FFXIII."

But they said it in Japanese so the Microsoft people wouldn't understand, rite?

Anyway, so Sony goes, ok, fine if you make this happen.

And then one of 3 things happened:

1. White Engine MMOG is a PS3 exclusive.
2. FF7r or FF6r is happening.
3. They get the next Dragon Quest after the DS one AND Kingdom Hearts.

There's no way Sony didn't make out good on this.

[Margalis]

Why would S-E have to negotiate with Sony and promise them anything?

[schild]

Why would S-E have to negotiate with Sony and promise them anything?

Because Square just fucked Sony and Sony has supported the shit out of them left and right for 10 years?

[Margalis]

My theory goes something like this:

S-E realized that selling FF13 only for the PS3 was in effect throwing away millions and millions of dollars.

[schild]

Team ICO's third game should be announced tomorrow.

[Velorath]

Why would S-E have to negotiate with Sony and promise them anything?

Because Square just fucked Sony and Sony has supported the shit out of them left and right for 10 years?

You make Sony sound so altruistic.  Any support they gave Square was mutually beneficial.  Now Sony's gaming division isn't pulling in the cash to give Square the kind of support to make keeping FFXIII exclusive worth Square's while.  Meanwhile, MS must be doing something right, because this is coming almost right on the heels of the announcements of Last Remnant's timed exclusivity and Star Ocean so far only being announced for the 360.

This isn't Square fucking Sony.  This is Square wanting to get the best return on their investment possible on what will likely be one of the most expensive to develop games this generation.

[schild]

Velorath, the Japanese don't really think like that. American shit right there. It is, however possible, that the US branch made all of this happen and Yoichi Wada isn't getting any younger.

[Velorath]

Velorath, the Japanese don't really think like that. American shit right there.

Bullshit.  Japanese businesses can be just as cutthroat as American ones when it comes down to it.  These guys all have shareholders to answer to and bills to pay.  It's nice to imagine Japan as some kind of magical land where giant companies care more about loyalty and helping each other out than they do about money, but that really just isn't the case.

[Velorath]

Left 4 Dead November 4th.

Took a bit of time for this to register.  Are they fucking crazy?

[NiX]

I honestly don't know why that would make them crazy. Please to be explaining.

[MisterNoisy]

I honestly don't know why that would make them crazy. Please to be explaining.

I think Gears 2 launches the same week.

[Sky]

Because I get to see Sky whine like a bitch with a skinned knee.

They did announce it as a pc exclusive. I guess I'll just go play BG2 again and pretend Bioware folded.

[fuser]

Nintendo is running now right?

[Margalis]

I never get tired of Nintendo gloating in their press conferences. It really must feel awesome for them to have been totally written off then come back and stomp throats.

Yes Nintendo is running now. I'm watching it here:

cc_girlsoftheolivegarden_05_allysa_720.mov 

So far announced Animal Crossing with a lot of connectivity stuff and voice chat.

[Nevermore]

I never get tired of Nintendo gloating in their press conferences. It really must feel awesome for them to have been totally written off then come back and stomp throats.

Yes Nintendo is running now. I'm watching it here:

cc_girlsoftheolivegarden_05_allysa_720.mov

So far announced Animal Crossing with a lot of connectivity stuff and voice chat.

Damn you, copy/paste! 

[Murgos]

Girls of the Olive Garden have a presence at E3?

I, sooo, want to google Girls of the Olive Garden Allysa right now, but I am guessing it's NSFWl.

[Margalis]

I totally did that on purpose.

Anyway Nintendo showed off Wii Sports 2, Wii Music, no hardcore games, not even something like Wario. That's Nintendo for you though. Also the girls of the Olive Garden? Not that hot. (And the food probably sucks.)

Wii Music looked like it could range anywhere from really fun to epic fail. I didn't really get how it is actually played at all. Seems like you have to press buttons / waggle to get notes, and you control the timing and volume while it handles the pitch for you. Which means to play a song well you have to learn it by ear? Dunno, was hard to tell.

Real URL for streaming conferences: girl_in_barn_with_goat.mov http://livewire.ign.com/2008/e3/index.html

[NiX]

Also the girls of the Olive Garden? Not that hot. And the food sucks.

Katie and Shannon are cute, but I agree otherwise.

[Teleku]

Velorath, the Japanese don't really think like that. American shit right there.

Bullshit.  Japanese businesses can be just as cutthroat as American ones when it comes down to it.  These guys all have shareholders to answer to and bills to pay.  It's nice to imagine Japan as some kind of magical land where giant companies care more about loyalty and helping each other out than they do about money, but that really just isn't the case.

What he said.  Your perception of Japanese business men is sorely lacking.

[Ingmar]

Because I get to see Sky whine like a bitch with a skinned knee.

They did announce it as a pc exclusive. I guess I'll just go play BG2 again and pretend Bioware folded.

The isometric screenshots are still up, I wouldn't be too concerned. This isn't like their other games where it was being developed for the console and just ported to the PC, it is the other way around for this one. I think that will make a difference.

[Velorath]

I honestly don't know why that would make them crazy. Please to be explaining.

I think Gears 2 launches the same week.

Gears 2 and Resistance 2 are both scheduled to launch around the same time.  Not sure why they'd bother porting Left 4 Dead to the 360 and then put it directly up against the launch of the the launch of two of the biggest console shooters.

[Margalis]

L4D for 360 reads like an afterthought, it's clearly a PC-centric title.

Sony conference has started. The opening speech was basically a bunch of excuse making. Sony has a long-term vision, it takes a while for good games to appear, the PS3 is fun for the whole family thanks to the ability to save pictures on it (seriously), it's a Blue-Ray player, blah blah blah.

[Sky]

The isometric screenshots are still up, I wouldn't be too concerned. This isn't like their other games where it was being developed for the console and just ported to the PC, it is the other way around for this one. I think that will make a difference.

Riiiight. Just like Oblivion. Because that's exactly what Bethesda said.

You can have some of that koolaid. Me, I'll go have a bourbon, a scotch and a beer.

Dragon Age on console means there is zero chance of it being BG3. Very good chance of it being the next progression of Bioware console-friendly titles, it's been a steady progression KotOR - Jade Empire - Mass Effect. It's pretty obviously a business decision, consoles are where the big money is at when you can sell copies at $60/ea. I hope NWN doesn't factor into it, since that wasn't really even a game, let alone a Bioware rpg.

Schild, you can mock all you want, but it does suck. This news basically means the death of another great pc rpg developer. I forget you like short, linear,  lobotomized video games since you play them by the hundred 

Hopefully some unknown Eastern Bloc dev will come out of obscurity and give us another BG2-style rpg some day.

[JWIV]

L4D for 360 reads like an afterthought, it's clearly a PC-centric title.

Sony conference has started. The opening speech was basically a bunch of excuse making. Sony has a long-term vision, it takes a while for good games to appear, the PS3 is fun for the whole family thanks to the ability to save pictures on it (seriously), it's a Blue-Ray player, blah blah blah.

Someone fucking grab a Sony rep and shake them until the stupid comes off.

[Sauced]

Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty - downloadable over PSN "this summer" for $15

[HaemishM]

L4D for 360 reads like an afterthought, it's clearly a PC-centric title.

Sony conference has started. The opening speech was basically a bunch of excuse making. Sony has a long-term vision, it takes a while for good games to appear, the PS3 is fun for the whole family thanks to the ability to save pictures on it (seriously), it's a Blue-Ray player, blah blah blah.

Someone fucking grab a Sony rep and shake them until the stupid comes off.

Wouldn't do any good. The stupid has been institutionalized.

[Margalis]

This is pretty pathetic, now they're pitching the PS2 as a Wii competitor, claiming it's a family-centric system. (Because it has uh...SingStar) LEGO BATMAN PS2 BUNDLE! - for $150. Lol.

This is grasping for directions and buzzwords. Family-oriented, community-centric, social-interaction, blah blah blah.

Sony has the same problem they've had for years, trying to be everything to everyone. It's a supercomputer! It's a photo album! It's for families! It's the new Facebook! It's a blue-ray player!

Edit: Gran Tourismo TV? What the fuck is going on here? "Best Motoring" - a show dedicated to car reviews. I am NOT making this up I swear! Best Motoring! Wow.

[Sauced]

They don't seem to have a singular focus, which looks especially bad after MS goes hard after "gamers" and Nintendo pushed the Wii and more DS content.

Oh boy, here comes Home.

[fuser]

Edit: Gran Tourismo TV? What the fuck is going on here? "Best Motoring" - a show dedicated to car reviews. I am NOT making this up I swear! Best Motoring! Wow.

Don't knock it too much, a segment of the fans of GT5 immediately know about Best Motoring and look forward to more content from the Japanese car show/film/mag producer.