Xbox 360, Bundles, and Delayed Releases.

[Signe]

8 of us live in Phoenix. Yet we've never gamed together. Ironic that. If shockeye would get his bitchass over here, we'd get some Mario Power Tennis Golf Baseball going.

Give it a chance!  You've lived there like ten minutes!  I'm sure you guys will get sick of the sight of each other soon enough.

[ahoythematey]

Nintendo really needs to offer an olive branch to devs. Lower the price of the dev setups, make it easier to get them, etc. The game making side of Nintendo absolutely kicks ass. (I would say it is the best console game maker, by far) It's really the biz-dev side that is the problem.

Aren't God of War and ICO inhouse SCE/A products? Sorry, but those are better than anything Nintendo has put out in a decade. Also, Capcom continues to impress nonstop - and they have since the days of NES. Nintendo's stuff is top-tier definately, but they haven't made anything on the level of the previously mentioned games since the Super Nintendo.

ICO is awesome, but I've only played through it all the way twice.  I have played Super Metroid, all the way through, at least once every year.  I admit I am totally biased, but still, Sony's best shit still sits in the shadow of Nintendo's best.  They are improving, though.

I'm afraid I cannot comment on God of War, I will not pay full price for a game that may cause me to break yet another controller.

[Nija]

Why would you break a controller over god of war? Normal difficulty is perfect.

The game is perfect as well. And people laughed when I said it was game of the year in April.

[ahoythematey]

I broke two controllers over Metal Gear Solid.

I have anger issues, I guess.

[Trippy]

Wal-Mart was feeling left out

[Sky]

It's really heavy. (Strazos' crt tv)

My 61" hdtv is only 105lbs.

Anyway, minority or no, I'd think one would have to consider the full lifespan of the console. a couple years from now, a whole lot of people will have hdtvs, even if it's a cheapy set. A lot more will have walmart edtvs, so widescreen support is going to be more important in the short term, but ultimately, not having hd is going to bite them in the ass.

I wouldn't consider a non-hd gaming platform, but again, I'm a bit ahead of the curve as I've been hd gaming for a couple years now. I think I may have mentioned how much I love it once or twice ;)

On Nintendo: Eternal Darkness and the Resident Evils were pretty much worth the console imo, but I won't buy another console for a couple of games, and neither of those games looks any good on my hdtv, though I admit it's partially my fault for not buying the component cable (for a couple games that aren't progressive scan nor widescreen anyway).

[dusematic]

Your avatar makes me hate you.

[Sky]

Just don't get your blood on my new clown suit or go around asking jackassy questions.

[HaemishM]

Nintendo really needs to offer an olive branch to devs. Lower the price of the dev setups, make it easier to get them, etc.

There is no excuse for a console manufacturer to not provide legitimate game developers complete dev setups at no cost.

[Roac]

Nintendo really needs to offer an olive branch to devs. Lower the price of the dev setups, make it easier to get them, etc.

There is no excuse for a console manufacturer to not provide legitimate game developers complete dev setups at no cost.

I'd think it would be easier to charge some amount of money for dev kits rather than try to determine who is legit or not - legit ones will pay the fee because they know they can recoup it.

[schild]

The game is perfect as well. And people laughed when I said it was game of the year in April.

I don't remember anyone laughing. I was saying the same thing, though I think RE4 is up there as well.

[voodoolily]

I got my GC that included Super MArio SUnshine for $100, and got a free game for preordering Wind Waker. I think I ended up getting 3 games plus WW plus the console for under $200, with all the coupons and registration and shit. Pick something up after the holidays and they usually have leftover bargain shit.

Eternal Darkness is highly worth it, but I got mine for the Zelda shit. Metroid PRime is fun if you just wanna blow shit up. And of course all the Mario multi-player fun so you can rebuff any accusations that you're antisocial.

NiNteNd0 4 Life, ninja!

[schild]

Like I said, 5-10 games in the life of the system.

[ahoythematey]

Xbox is no different, perhaps even worse in terms of Great games.  I don't see 360 being much different.  In retrospect, actually, quite a few systems suffer from the 5-10 games syndrome, at least from my perspective.  If one doesn't resort to picking nits, I can only think of the PSX and SNES as having been different, with PS2 coming close.  I guess it depends on what you are looking for in a game.  For what I want, Nintendo always provides.  Sony comes close.  Microsoft couldn't come close in it's wildest dreams, and the whole xbox culture turns me off to even thinking of picking up their garbage.  I don't play games because it's now acceptable in the mainstream, the trendy and hip thing to do, nor do I have the time to play a hundred "okay" games with extra shiney.  I'll take those 5-10, thank you, and any extra is pure bonus for me.

[Rasix]

Like I said, 5-10 games in the life of the system.

Yah, but she brought up an important point: Eternal Darkness.  I think whatever system gets the sequel (PLEASE MAKE ONE), I'm forced to buy.

[schild]

Here's how I look at it:

Nintendo: RE4 & Eternal Darkness. Upcoming: Uhhhh, Fire Emblem (which apparently sucks). While, technically, I was impressed by Mario Sunshine, Melee, and Windwaker - they bored me to tears. I probably would have liked Metroid Prime if it weren't surrounded by games I was more interested in (2d metroid plz). Baten Kaitos' voice acting ruined it.

Xbox: Ninja Gaiden, Phantom Dust, Links, the online capabilities, and the best cross-platform ports. Upcoming: Stubbs the Zombie,  Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, and the 360.

PS2: Disgaea, God of War, REZ, ICO, Shadow of Rome, Stella Deus, Atelier Iris, Shadow Hearts, Katmari Damacy 1, Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland, Upcoming: Katamari 2, Radiata Stories, Magna Carta, Genji, Trapt, Suikoden Tactics, Fatal Frame III, Gitaroo Man, Wild Arms Alter Code F, Drakengard II, Resident Evil IV, and of course, Dragon Quest VIII.

The Xboxen I own were bought for media center capabilities and my inability to not buy special editions. My gamecube was bought to play Naruto 2 and then I started playing American stuff. The PS2 in my house probably has 4-5 times the games the GC has and about 2-3 times the amount of the xbox.

[ahoythematey]

So your personal taste is a preference of third-party games, generally those that find their way to Sony's systems.  You listed RE4 twice, and Isn't Wild Arms Alter Code F a remake of the original on the PSX?

[schild]

So your personal taste is a preference of third-party games, generally those that find their way to Sony's systems.

Coincidental. I didn't list that many of the games I had. I just listed decent reasons for me to own systems. Nintendo being the weakest because...

You listed RE4 twice

The PS2 version of RE4 has an assload more content. Assload.

and Isn't Wild Arms Alter Code F a remake of the original on the PSX?

Yes.

[Calantus]

Internet forums for dummies: How to quote and "Sir Bruce" a poster using BBCode - An example.

So your personal taste is a preference of third-party games, generally those that find their way to Sony's systems.

Coincidental. I didn't list that many of the games I had. I just listed decent reasons for me to own systems. Nintendo being the weakest because...

You listed RE4 twice

The PS2 version of RE4 has an assload more content. Assload.

and Isn't Wild Arms Alter Code F a remake of the original on the PSX?

Yes.

[Strazos]

I don't care which particular style you use to reply, but doing it that way is annoying.

[schild]

BBCode is my arch nemesis.

[ahoythematey]

It's not a coincidence, a lot of the more impressive third party games find their way on Sony's box.  I myself prefer first-party games of Nintendo and Sony over a lot of the third-party games, except for Square-Enix and perhaps Capcom.

So the PS2 RE4 has assloads more content?  Cool.  Too bad I myself have never been interested in Capcoms "extras" that they like to tack onto the RE rereleases.

I hope they are going to fix Wild Arms ridiculous random battle rate and maybe tweak that game's status effects for the remake, otherwise I just couldn't find myself enduring that game again even if the graphics are great.  If they pull it off as well as was done with MGS:Twin Snakes, then I will probably pick that up as well.  I had fond memories of playing an early PSX rpg that was not complete and total fucking ass(I'm looking at YOU, Beyond the Beyond).

[Jain Zar]

What, you never played King's Field, which was pretty cool for its time or Vandal Hearts?

For shame!

[ahoythematey]

Actually, I own Vandal Hearts.  Fantastic game.  However, in the early days I was on the lookout for a traditional RPG to hold me over till FF7 came out, and failed to notice the awesome Suikoden then because of the hideous box art.

King's Field made me angry, in many of the same ways that Morrowind does, but I admit it was quite ambitious and could have been one of the greatest games ever, if you ignore the simplistic graphics.  Plus, at the time my friends and I were still happily fighting each other in Toshinden.

[Yegolev]

It's got to be personal taste or some shit.  The awesome N titles are done at least with outside help, though.  The 3D Metroids are awesome and not to be confused with a FPS.  I love me some Super Metroid, and I love me some Primes for the same reasons.  You have to at least respect a team that can implement the Screw Attack in 3D and have it not suck.  There's also Paper Mario which fixes all that is broken with console RPGs.  Wind Waker was the next best thing to Ocarina.

I like Baten Kaitos, but I have +5 to my save vs bad voiceover.

Nintendo needs to open up to the 3rd parties, no doubt, but their quality control needs to stay in place.  A fine line to walk.  The library is all that is wrong with Nintendo, and is exactly why I take the PS2 with me when I travel instead of the Cube.

The Xbox... Ninja Gaiden, Azurik (hey, it was a release title), Phantom Dust, Jade Empire, maybe some more I forgot but not too many must-have exclusives there.  I can get Butcher Bay, Armed-N-Dangerous, the "good" Fable, etc for PC now (or soon).  It's got the best online setup and the console FPS crap all the kids are playing, but otherwise it's way behind the PS2 but in a different way.  It's just an alternate-universe GameCube, except I can't think of one big redeeming factor to make me choose it over either competitor.

[schild]

Azurik was good? It boggles the mind.

[Yegolev]

Azurik, yes.  Adjust for time of release, blah blah, excuses, backtracking....

I did like the elemental combination system but compared to modern games the controls are crap.  On the other hand, it had relatively painless loading times compared to modern games (eat me Bioware).  The ending credits are the Best Ever, however; they are unmatched by any game I have ever completed.

[voodoolily]

Nintendo fans, myself included, are loyal to a fault. I will buy any console they produce as long as Zelda and Mario are there. Anything decent they do besides those two franchises is just gravy. Baten KAitos, bless its heart, had so much potential for a turn-based, card battle RPG (pick a genre plzkthx). I was SO excited for it, but then yes, the voice acting. The horrible, horrible voice acting. And the blatant FFX ripoff was a little tough to take.

[Jain Zar]

  The ending credits are the Best Ever, however; they are unmatched by any game I have ever completed.

Star Control 2.  Game.  Set.  Match.

And if you haven't played and completed SC2, why the fuck not?  Its free now!

[stray]

I don't remember if I beat that one. I had it long, long ago (downloaded the abandonware recently though).

[Strazos]

I played the battle mode of SC2 at a museum once, it was fun.

I just downloaded a version of it. It is not decidedly less fun.

[Jain Zar]

Get the cluebook which is available in PDF form online, and DEFINATELY get the map.  It really makes the game great.
Don't feel like goofing around so much?  Just visit every point of interest on the map, and keep a notepad and markers so you know where you have gone.

Its what I did back in the day with the original map and the game.  (No cluebook though.)

Pkunk armada defeated all in my original play.  But I was wierd that way.  Not enough Arilou ships for me to bring in I think.  (Played ENTIRELY too much SC1 on the Sega Genesis.  Became a near god with the Arilou Skiff, especially when I had to play this guy who was an absolute DEMON with the Spathi.  It was more like ballet then a duel.  BEST MULTIPLAYER EXPERIENCE EVER.)

[Shockeye]

Meanwhile, Microsoft today announced that Perfect Dark Zero, which has been until now as close to the flagship title of the Xbox 360 as the console has had, will not be seen on launch in November but rather it will be ready in time for Giftmas. We can tell marketing folks at Xbox HQ are going to have to get their skates on and doll up some other game to take centre stage on launch.

You can read the original story here.

Yet another reason to avoid the launch pricing of the 360.

[Margalis]

I think I already mentioned this, I don't see a lot of these games are going to ship on time. The schedule is just too tight. 9/10 launch games are just going to be normal XBox games with some higher res textures and some last minute shaders hacked in.

[Yegolev]

  The ending credits are the Best Ever, however; they are unmatched by any game I have ever completed.

Star Control 2.  Game.  Set.  Match.

And if you haven't played and completed SC2, why the fuck not?  Its free now!

If you have completed Azurik, I'll go get SC2 this evening.