The New Comic Thread for Monday, August 1, 2011

Uriel · August 2011

I actually don't even own a DS because I never much cared for it.

It was never really comfortable to use and I didn't like any of the games that were on it.

The Geebs That Is A Pony · August 2011

if they make a 3D picross 3D I will buy a 3DS in a fucking heartbeat

Captain K · August 2011

Blake T wrote:

I don't think it's fair to say they didn't recognise what their product was. It's more that the lifecycle for their product was over.

I think this might be the most important distinction made in the entire thread.

IS the 3DS meant to fill a niche that no longer exists? I think only time will really tell, but it's interesting to think that it might be the case, considering how recently the DS was such a monstrous success.

Peter Ebel · August 2011

My face was once stabbed with a DS stylus over a game of Meteos.

Antimatter · August 2011

to be fair Meteos is a very intense game

and you likely had it coming

Umaro · August 2011

I paid full price for a 3DS and played pokemon on it for like a week and now it's gathering dust.

Nergy · August 2011

So many people have been way over negative with the 3DS. The thing has basically just been born. It's like saying a baby isn't worthwhile because it isn't a lawyer/doctor/Pie maker.

You know games (first party and third) that are coming out this year and early next year. We all thought the DS would be gathering dust with no games to show for itself. But its library is like that of the GBA and the PS2. Hell, even the PSP gained enough titles for me to warrant a purchase. Can we please learn from earlier consoles and be patient for goodness sake?

Look up a list of games coming for the 3DS and tell me there isn't a single game on there you wouldn't want to play.

To answer the question in the comic; No i'd rather have a $30 game i know i'll be spending countless joyful hours with than 30 $1 games i'll probably play for no more than 5 "good enough" minutes. For me, fun is measured in the rich experience that come from games that are deliberately designed to be sold for $30-$40. Games have faced ridicule for offering $1 - $5 dollar experiences at a $40 price tag, there is a reason for that, we want full experiences, as much fun as you find iphone or android games, there is still a part of us that wants to pour 40+ hours into a rich and varied experience.

Langly · August 2011

except that the opposing arguments have been "if I want a fuller experience I will do it at home on a full console, there is no part of my life that accommodates something else in my pocket."

Blake T · August 2011

Nergy.

Be honest, you own all three home consoles and like eight handhelds don't you?

Nergy · August 2011

Blake T wrote:

Nergy.

Be honest, you own all three home consoles and like eight handhelds don't you?

Nope, only Wii, PS2 and Dreamcast (poor thing). As for handhelds i have a DS and PSP.

Nergy · August 2011

Langly wrote:

except that the opposing arguments have been "if I want a fuller experience I will do it at home on a full console, there is no part of my life that accommodates something else in my pocket."

Why not have (or indeed expect) a full experience on handhelds too? We know it's possible. We can and have had full experiences on handheld. And be honest, having a dedicated gaming console on your person isn't exactly like dragging a ball and chain. Don't you have a bag of some sort?

Ivar · August 2011

I use my DS Lite almost every day on my way to/from work, and also while pooping at home. I have a bag of some sort, and it contains a phone charger, a DS charger, the DS itself, and an umbrella.

Ivar · August 2011

edit: wrong button

Speed Racer · August 2011

Nergy wrote:

Langly wrote:

except that the opposing arguments have been "if I want a fuller experience I will do it at home on a full console, there is no part of my life that accommodates something else in my pocket."

Why not have (or indeed expect) a full experience on handhelds too? We know it's possible. We can and have had full experiences on handheld. And be honest, having a dedicated gaming console on your person isn't exactly like dragging a ball and chain. Don't you have a bag of some sort?

what does a handheld bring to the table that makes playing a fuller experience on it better in some ways than playing one on a television

Enlong · August 2011

You don't have to play it in your living room? I know that I enjoy bringing my DS wherever I could bring my laptop.

And (and this only applies to the DS and PSP) having an on-demand sleep mode?

Druhim · August 2011

Obviously you feel differently, but as many in here have said, they don't want an extra piece of equipment to lug around when it can only play games. If I can bring a laptop, why not just play games on that?

Mike Fehlauer · August 2011

YaYa wrote:

can anyone else tell me some good iOS games to buy

Current
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/current/id435863055?mt=8&ls=1
It's made by Lane, also known as "the guy whose pants fell down during the bachelor party episode."

The game starts off simply, but once new enemy types/spawn behaviors roll in it quickly ramps up to a fun level of challenge.

Donkey Kong · August 2011

I own an 3DS and I have not been thrilled with it. Not only was it expensive, it's bulky, the battery life is poor, the onboard cameras suck really, really badly, and the games, none of which are worth buying, retail for FOURTY dollars as Gabe mentioned in the comic. The fact that the 3D is unusable most of the time is just another nail in the coffin.

So it's not just that smartphone gaming ate Nintendo's lunch (which it did). At the same time, they failed to produce a compelling product.

Squall · August 2011

apparently they added some new content to battleheart so i should play that again i think

Langly · August 2011

oh neat there's a staff badge

Nergy · August 2011

Speed Racer wrote:

Nergy wrote:

Langly wrote:

except that the opposing arguments have been "if I want a fuller experience I will do it at home on a full console, there is no part of my life that accommodates something else in my pocket."

Why not have (or indeed expect) a full experience on handhelds too? We know it's possible. We can and have had full experiences on handheld. And be honest, having a dedicated gaming console on your person isn't exactly like dragging a ball and chain. Don't you have a bag of some sort?

what does a handheld bring to the table that makes playing a fuller experience on it better in some ways than playing one on a television

Well of course portability, plus there is something nice about a game just being there, ready for when you want to play. As much as i love consoles and will still spend hours on one, it's a little more of a chore. Multiplayer also becomes a different ballgame too, all involved have their own screen with their own perspective, something you don't get with consoles. Take Mario Kart for example, the reason people found it more fun on a handheld than a console is because you don't have people peering at what is supposed to be your view of the screen.

I'm not saying handhelds are better, consoles have their purpose and handhelds have theirs. You can't really compare them.

Skelly B · August 2011

Speed Racer wrote:

what does a handheld bring to the table that makes playing a fuller experience on it better in some ways than playing one on a television

For me it's much easier to just pick up and play a handheld because it's not connected to a tv. It can be a slightly more intimate experience because of the proximity and because I can sit wherever/however I want. Kind of like relaxing with a good book. Handhelds also tend to get some pretty interesting games because of the lower cost.

The iPhone is fine, but it is a throw away experience. My 3-year-old device is becoming more obsolete as I write this post on it. Even angry birds is laggy. I'm not sure saves will even transfer when I choose to upgrade. It's fine if you just want a distraction on the go but it's not desgined for much more.

Candymancer · August 2011

I might be in the minority here, but I would rather have a device do one thing well, rather than many things in a so-so manner.

The mentality of this thread really surprised me. It's the opposite of console mentality, where people get mad when companies try to turn gaming systems into multimedia systems. But I guess you can only carry so many things with you.

Speed Racer · August 2011

do people get mad when companies try to turn their consoles into multimedia devices?

why

Candymancer · August 2011

Because it costs more when your ps3 is also a blu ray player.

Javen · August 2011

Aside from straight up Internet browsers on a console/handheld I can't think of many other stuff that they do in a 'so-so manner'. The ps3 is a blu ray player, and it plays those rays as well as any other dedicated machine has done. Microsoft does Netflix on the xbox as well as anyone could hope, it's not like it's particularly demanding.

I like my consoles being a sort of one stop shop for whatever I might want to do when it comes to absorbing media. Now they just need to make every game available for every console and we'll be set

Abracadaniel · August 2011

Squall wrote:

apparently they added some new content to battleheart so i should play that again i think

Paladin and a Ranger!

The Ranger gets a little animal companion

Spoiler:

Abracadaniel · August 2011

I'd play the heck out of Link to the Past on my phone.

Squall · August 2011

Smart Hero wrote:

Squall wrote:

apparently they added some new content to battleheart so i should play that again i think

Paladin and a Ranger!

The Ranger gets a little animal companion

Spoiler:

IT'S A CUTE LITTLE TERRIER

oh my goodness

Gaslight · August 2011

Smart Hero wrote:

Squall wrote:

apparently they added some new content to battleheart so i should play that again i think

Paladin and a Ranger!

The Ranger gets a little animal companion

Spoiler:

IT'S A CUTE LITTLE TERRIER

Well fuck.

Abracadaniel · August 2011

plus he's got some cool AoE and like a poison shot and stuff like that

Paladin has a lay on hands power, does an auto-heal on whoever has the lowest HP

the Barbarian got some improvements to his buffs

Enemy healer/casters no longer have infinite mana, so you don't wind up in a stalemate

Lady SH has been playing the fuck out of the arena to get all the crazy powerful weapons and armor

Durkhanus · August 2011

I bought my PS3 when my cheap DVD player began refusing to play the discs I wanted to watch. It made sense for me, since there were also some games I wanted to play, and I liked being able to have my entire music collection stored on its hard drive and pumped through my big speakers. Plus, it had been price-dropped, as they were coming out with the new models that weren't backward compatible. Frankly, I like having those extra features, though I really wish that the web browser wasn't crap.

Rolo · August 2011

To Those Customers Who Bought A Nintendo 3DS Before The Price Change

Greetings, everyone. This is Satoru Iwata from Nintendo.

Thank you very much for purchasing a Nintendo 3DS.

We have just announced a price drop for the Nintendo 3DS system effective on August 11 [August 12 in North America].

In the past, there have been price drops for video game systems some time after their release in order to broaden the user base further. However, never before has Nintendo chosen to issue such a dramatic price drop less than 6 months after a system release.

We are all too keenly aware that those of you who supported us by purchasing the 3DS in the beginning may feel betrayed and criticize this decision.

This unprecedented timing for a price cut is because the situation has changed greatly since we originally launched the 3DS. We decided it was necessary to take this drastic step in order to ensure that large numbers of users will continue to enjoy the 3DS in the future.

If the software creators and those on the retail side are not confident that the Nintendo 3DS is a worthy successor to the DS and will achieve a similarly broad (user) base, it will be impossible for the 3DS to gain popularity, acquire a wide range of software, and eventually create the product cycle necessary for everyone to be satisfied with the system.

Those customers who purchased the 3DS at the very beginning are extremely important to us. We know that there is nothing we can do to completely make up for the feeling that you are being punished for buying the system early. Still, we would like to offer the following as a sign of our appreciation to you.

[3DS Ambassador program details]

We feel a strong responsibility to develop the 3DS as a platform -- to ensure that, in the end, everyone is satisfied; we will make every effort to do so.

Additionally, we know everyone is waiting for Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. They are scheduled for release in November and December, respectively, so we ask for your patience until then.

Thank you again, and we look forward to your continued support.

http://www.giantbomb.com/news/read-satoru-iwatas-apologetic-letter-to-existing-3ds-owners/3546/

LTM · August 2011

And somewhere, Steve Jobs cackles with delight...

Speed Racer · August 2011

weren't they doing something like giving early adopters nintendo funbucks equal to the amount of the price drop

Speed Racer · August 2011

and has there seriously been seven dang mario kart games

Blake T · August 2011

Candymancer wrote:

Because it costs more when your ps3 is also a blu ray player.

Nah it's starting to pay off.

It is now not too uncommon for 360 games to span multiple discs.

Munkus Beaver · August 2011

Nergy wrote:

So many people have been way over negative with the 3DS. The thing has basically just been born. It's like saying a baby isn't worthwhile because it isn't a lawyer/doctor/Pie maker.

The thing's "Selling Point" is 3D. Let me tell you something about 3D: it's stupid. It's a gimmick. It's terrible on the 3DS and I'd end up playing almost any game with that aspect off. I can envision no future in which I would look at the 3DS and say, "I am sure glad they invested in adding 3D technology to that, my funbucks are investing heavily into 3D."

Anybody remember the Virtual Boy?

SabreMau · August 2011

I remember it back when it was in stores, but the first thing that pops to mind when I think of it nowadays is Acts of Gord.

At the store there are a couple Virtual Boys set up to look all cool on top of a high display case. And people being people, they just know if it's on a six foot display case, not plugged in and no controller around, it must be there for playing for free. And that sign on the one facing forward that says "Warning! Do Not Play!" means "Hook me up boy!"

So one day the Gord puts a sign in the Virtual Boy that was spun around so the display was facing away from people, and he stuffed a sign in there that read "Hey Jackass! How about you show some manners and put me back!"

One day a guy brought the unit to the counter and asked what the sign meant.

ARGH!

Penny Arcade

The New Comic Thread for Monday, August 1, 2011

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