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Video Game Industry Thread: Time for a new thread
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Honestly Microsoft dropped the ball bigtime in that respect.
Here's now the 3DS is doing in Japan:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6319251/3ds-sales-top-1-million-in-japan-report?tag=newstop%3Btitle%3B2
Meanwhile, Majesco is riding the Zumba train something fierce.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6319255/majesco-nearly-triples-quarterly-revenues?tag=newstop%3Btitle%3B3
Microsoft constantly repeating that it's for "the hardcore" too (or whatever term is being used these days) is kind of deluded. Personally even if I wanted a Kinect my setup is completely unsuitable for it: I have a 26" screen that is eye level when I sit down. In all the PR material you see 40" wall mounted head height screens in a sizeable room that they can jump around in and in my experience most gamers don't have a gaming setup like that.
Source: http://www.nintendo.fr/NOE/fr_FR/gam...General_May_11
ARZEST Corporation (http://www.arzest.jp/en/origin.html)
CHUNSOFT Co., Ltd. (999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, Shiren the Wanderer series, Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon games, Dragon Quest I - V)
Good-Feel Co.,Ltd (Kirby's Epic Yarn, Warioland: Shake It!, Looksley's Line Up)
MITCHELL CORPORATION (Polarium series, Magnetica series, Suujin Taisen: Number Battles)
PROPE, Ltd. -- Yuji Naka's studio (Let's Tap, Let's Catch, Ivy the Kiwi? titles, Rodea the Sky Knight)
SKIP Ltd. (Chibi-Robo series, -art style- series, Giftpia, LOL, Snowpack Park, bit generations series)
NdCUBE Co.,Ltd. (F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Wii Party, Mario Party 9)
VANPOOL,INC. (Tingle series of DS games, see other titles here: http://www.vanpool.co.jp/work.html)
There are some top shelf developers here. Interesting, I wonder which of the games each one is responsible for.
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
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Blow only brought it up because they were there and were XBL guys (who'd been shilling for at least 45 minutes by that point). If they hadn't been there, maybe the discussion would've actually been interesting during that segment. Instead we got over an hour of Microsoft employees telling us how awesome Microsoft is and how great their conference was.
As for Kinect, that's what I was saying back when they first announced it two years ago. It was painfully obvious that all Microsoft were going to do was copy what Nintendo, Sony and others had done beforehand because that's what they do and, for the most part, have done since they entered the console market. Blinx, Forza, Lost Odyssey, Lips, etc.
Also I'm not sure how much you can say they "copy" - unless "making a game in a genre that exists" constitutes copying. I know Lost Odyssey alone has some pretty significant differences from Final Fantasy, dispite being developed by the father of Final Fantasy in the first place. But it's still an RPG so obviously there are many similarities too, just based on the fact that... well, that's the genre.
http://hassonybeenhackedthisweek.com/
And Microsoft have given us Halo and Gears, which crap all over everything.
And Kinect Sports curls up a fat turd all over Wii Sports, despite how people like to dismiss that as a clone.
So comparisons and claims of plagarism are pointless. Basically, Microsoft look at something and then improve it, like the Borg or some shit. But they still have plenty of other examples where they have been more experimental. Take the Rare stuff like Viva Pinata and Banjo N&B, both great games (however much Rare haters like to pretend otherwise) and pretty unique experiences this gen.
As for all the people still going on about Kinect being for kids and casuals but not for the hardcore - Child of Eden reviews are out, and state you are all silly geese. But given how many positive reviews and previews have done the rounds for Kinect while the same people keep saying the same things, I don't expect it to change much.
No, they're not third party titles. Turn 10 is an internal Microsoft studio and the others were developed by third parties but still published (and owned) by Microsoft.
And yes, I think Microsoft told those developers what kind of game they wanted them to make. I don't think it's a coincidence at all that they suddenly came up with their own franchises when they were lacking the equivalent leader in their genre. No Gran Turismo? Lets make Forza. No Mario, Jak, etc? Let's make Blinx. Square Enix have shown no sign of coming to the 360? Let's hire Sakaguchi to make us our own Final Fantasy and we'll finally be popular in Japan! Oh Singstar's actually pretty popular? Lips! Our motion control device is coming out? I know let's come up with the incredibly innovative Kinect Sports.
They're not the only ones that do it (Sony had their own Move sports game after all and there were countless ripoffs on the Wii of Nintendo's casual games) but they're pretty blatant about it and have only gotten worse in recent years.
And how the hell is Lost Odyssey significantly different from Final Fantasy?
Also, Microsoft publishing the titles doesn't really mean anything. They threw money at the developers for exclusives. That's really all it means. You are confusing Microsoft securing exclusives in a wide variety of genres with "copying."
P.S. Microsoft also published Mass Effect. And the stuff fraggle mentioned.
While I'm looking forward to Child of Eden, one game doesn't change the reputation of an entire system. The existence of Madworld didn't suddenly make the Wii a hardcore paradise. And I'll be surprised if Child of Eden sells well, given how Rez did (unfortunately). Also it's perfectly playable without Kinect.
Also: you seriously get surprised when people call you the Kinect guy?
I am a big Rez fan but that's just one game (if I bought hardware for just one game I'd own a Jaguar) and it's coming to PS3 too. I think there's a COE temporary shop in Soho so I might go play it there.
On the list of Microsoft rip offs, there's their versions of the Buzz controller and Eyetoy too. They are not a company you go to for innovation that's for sure.
I <3 U Fraggle....these boards wouldn't be the same without you.
As for Children of Eden, that one I want to try, as it looks pretty sweet. Hopefully my brother in law who has Kinect will get it.
Also Wii Sports is awesome, and yea, I prefer it to the Kinect version.
I hate shooters so I wouldn't know about Gears or Halo other than the fact that they look as bland as CoD or any other shooter game.
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
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No I never get surprised about that, but still, given the amount of negativity and miss-information which keeps being repeatedeatedeatedeatedeated despite evidence to the contrary someone needs to point out the positive news.
I happen to think the technology is a) progressive b) fun to use c) a differentiator and d) damned cool so I might as well be the one to vocally support it.
Hey, it's five days and counting. That's good!
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
I like Kinect and I think it'll do respectable business this holiday but I was pretty disappointed by the playability of the software so far. E3 did show lots of improvements, though.
I don't think you giving positive feedback is an issue, I do think that you go as overboard as some of the haters do around here. There is a way to love a product and still see it's flaws.
The Wii is pretty much my favorite system this generation, and it has attracted haters the which has never been seen before, but I can still see the flaws in the system and what it could do better, and I say as much.
That doesn't mean that we can't still enjoy our games, flaws and all. Heck I still think Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 are two of the greatest games this generation and beat out most everything in innovation, imagination, and design.
In other words: Be one with the flaws, embrace them, only then can you truly reach zen.
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Being the sole voice does not make you the disseminator of truth either, though. Extreme positivity and misinformation is just as bad as the alternative, and the Kudo quote from a few pages ago is a prime example of that.
Nintendo Network ID: unclesporky
But like I said, it's worked well in some casual games, and they've tended to sell pretty well. (Speaking of which, I wonder if sales for Dance Central have finally tailed off, or if they're still simmering beneath the surface?)
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-14-new-xbox-will-be-at-e3-2012-report
Why Microsoft? You could likely pad this bad boy out for another two years or so.
http://www.usgamer.net/
I write news and stuff. It is fun.
Frags is right about Forza though.
If that's true, way to throw Kinect under the bus Microsoft
Burnout Paradise destroys all other racing games. (mind you I don't like Sim racers
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Eh, the current consoles are getting old. I mean, they're still fine graphically, but you can always make them faster and add more RAM.
But still, it'll probably be a year+ from the announcement before it's on the store shelves, so they'll get another couple of years out of the current Xbox.
Also, announcing a next gen console will put a hole or two in Nintendo's plan to release a console that's roughly on par PS360, power-wise.
edit: Also, I'd be surprised if the new console wasn't Kinect compatible.
Eh, if it is shown at next year's E3 for release in 2013, that wouldn't be too unreasonable. And it wouldn't have really detracted from Kinect's success--its release caused the only significant and sustained positive change in sales so late in a console's life that I can think of.
At any rate, looks like Wii U really was the trigger for the next gen.
"Alright guys, Nintendo has shown their hand. Can we do that?"
"Screen in the controller and a small hardware bump? Sure, why not?"
"Ok. Clone the controller but make it multitouch and full analog, triple their rumored CPU/GPU and send those specs off to third parties, we're set for next gen."
Nintendo Network ID: unclesporky
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
So I can't help but think targetting EVE online was a mistake for them considering some of the people that play that game.
I am disappointed that I live in a world where Forza and GT sell millions of copies while nobody cares about a port of Sega Rally 3.
http://www.1up.com/news/minecraft-eve-online-hit-by-hackers
I dunno, I've been pretty open about the fact that Dance Central just isn't for me.
The problem is, so many of the games get insta-dismissed despite their various merits.
I've spent most time with Your Shape : Fitness Evolved. Really like it. However, most forum-dwelling posters wouldn't even register such a title in their peripheral vision as a source of entertainment, let alone accept it may actually be any good or represent innovation in such diverse fields as interface design, human / tool / videogame interaction, social media, sponsorship and DLC experimentation. Instead, and a far cry from that genre, when presented with something like Child of Eden; a genuinely excellent game with a tangible USP which can be found to harness the strengths of the system in ways people have been requesting since launch, we see; See what I mean? Good job there is more than just that game on the system then, not to mention the other applications for the device. So yeah, for such reasons, I tend to go overboard and overemphasize the positive.
I'm fully aware of Kinects flaws, moreso than most since I've spent so much time using the thing. Knowing and experiencing those flaws also allows you to more clearly observe where genuine potential resides and where even lousy-looking videos can translate into decent gameplay experiences.
And man, you don't want to be within earshot when I have trouble getting a certain excercise routine to register correctly during a 'Your Shape' session...
FWIW I bought both Wii Fit and EA Sports Active. Great, the Kinect is doing stuff the Wii did a few years ago. *golfclap*
The hackers are part of an internet culture that consists of a bunch of stupid memes repeated to the point where they have lost all meaning.
Cooking sim from Ubisoft?
But you're totally going overboard again here again. He's not wrong. Yes, there are more Kinect games out there. But he (and I and a lot of other people) don't give a shit about Kinect Sports or Kinect Adventures or whatever other Wii-ripoff titles they've released. They have ONE game that really appeals to the "hardcore" audience, and that isn't even Kinect-required. And as others have mentioned, a lot of the Kinect support they've been adding to other more hardcore titles is really, really incidental stuff like the voice commands in ME3 (which really does not require Kinect at all)
I'm not trying to shit on Kinect here, I'm just saying - I've yet to see anything that actually makes me want to spend $150 on the thing (this is again assuming I could even use it - which I can't given my TV setup and Kinect's large space requirements)
ujelly = Are you jealous?
Yes, we get that, but that phrase is just as infantile and annoying as, well, this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkvPVGcpthc
So it's a cheat-on-your-partner sim from Ubisoft?
Opening closing your hand or grouping an invisible breast to fire weapons, kids flailing their arms around constantly to make a ball roll in a Monkey Ball ripoff, most of the other people looking like mentally challenged people playing a sort of Pictionary game (oh, you're pretending to play football!). Its just really bad. I do appreciate that its trying something different, however I don't see it amounting to anything more then a decent dance/fitness simulation product in its current form. The recent Cracked article that highlighted it and the Star Wars game that was demonstrated as being examples of backwards technology in a lot of ways only echoes what a lot of people have been saying for some time.