Sorry. Rock Band IS good, and possibly the RYTHYM game of the year, or MULTIPLAYER game of the year, but between barriers to entry (price), the fact that in order to have the full experience you need to get together a large sized group of people, and more hardware issues than the 360, giving Rock Band game of the year is ABSURD.
I disagree. It's the only game this year that has departed wildly from what (home) video games have accomplished in the past and delivered an amazing experience that you can ONLY get with Rock Band. I don't care what sales numbers or technical feats you come up with, this is my GOTY hands-down. Every other game I might consider is just 'similar to other games but better for this reason'. That's fine most years, but Rock Band definitely takes the cake this time around.
You know, it's funny, but to me Rock Band IS "the same as it ever was".
I mean, it just feels like a next-gen guitar hero. Yes, it has drums too, and karaoke, but at the end of the day, it is still just a combination of things that have been done before. It is a WONDERFUL combination of things that have been done before, granted, but it doesn't seem so unique to me.
I own four sets of bongos for donkey konga. I've played more than my fair share of co-op on GH2. I've don plenty of karaoke in my time, both solo and in groups. Being able to combine this stuff DOES make for a fun time, but it it really doesn't seem like anything brand new to me, and the fact that, without a group to play it with, it just becomes another same old rythym game, takes it out of the running for me.
To me, heavy reliance on multiplayer is a strike against any game. Everyone thinks differently, or course, but while I do enjoy getting together and gaming with my buddies, for a game to be GotY material to me, I need to be able to have just as good an experience when I sit down to play by myself.
Normally, I say the same about heavy reliance on multiplayer. I generally play my games solo. Games I play aren't the games my friends are interested in, if my friends are even gamers.
But now?
Rock Band sessions, every Sunday. Gamer and non-gamers alike. It transcends the "everybody can and wants to play" gap, much more so than even the Wii, in my opinion.
Rock Band sessions, every Sunday. Gamer and non-gamers alike. It transcends the "everybody can and wants to play" gap, much more so than even the Wii, in my opinion.
We used to do the same for Crystal Chronicles. Those were good times, but in the end things broke down when some people couldn't make it at certain times, and I never did end up beating that game, since it just wasn't the same by myself.
That's part of it for me, I guess. My schedule is constrained, which means that having to schedule time to play a particular game is not at all an easy or prefferable thing to do. Added to that, of course, is the fact that I have to make a new character on each console that I play on, and even for each instument I want to play, and the game loses any sense of progress, which is another strike from my perspective.
I can EASILY see how it might be an individual's personal Game of the Year, but in my opinion it is just too niche, overall, to be considered a general Game of the Year. The same way I'd have an issue with an MMO being bestowed that title.
Let's just say your downer attitude isn't exactly welcome amongst the happy sunshine that is this thread.
Exactly this. We've gone through like five threads without like any negativity, and it's been glorious. An experience. Even people doing the RMA thing seem to be having a wonderful time.
I finally got around to playing some expert guitar over the last week; finally beat GG&HT. It's the first time I've actually "beat" a Guitar Hero/Rock Band game on expert so I'm proud of myself for that. But is it just me, or am I the only one who didn't find GG&HT that bad (with the massive HO/POs going on near the end of solo 2 and what not)?
Splash.Frog on
0
ZephosClimbin in yo ski lifts, snatchin your people up.MichiganRegistered Userregular
edited December 2007
I'm gonna have to side with evander on this one. I don't really feel its overall game of the year material for pretty much the exact same reasons.
Zephos on
Xbox One/360: Penguin McCool
0
LegacyStuck Somewhere In CyberspaceThe Grid(Seattle)Registered User, ClubPAregular
edited December 2007
I went to try some online matches a couple of minutes ago and got my ass handed to me thrice in tug of war.
Goddamn. Didn't think I sucked that much. Bleh.
Legacy on
Can we get the chemicals in. 'Cause anything's better than this.
I went to try some online matches a couple of minutes ago and got my ass handed to me thrice in tug of war.
Goddamn. Didn't think I sucked that much. Bleh.
What instrument and difficulty were you on?
Also, I tried out My Iron Lung.
Vocals are medium difficult, lots of pitch changes - and I have no idea how to properly say the spoken section so that it registers.
Bass is rather straightforward.
Guitar is engaging but not overly complex... until the ending section with a huge HO/PO that I'll have to learn.
Drums aren't too complicated. Hard mode adds some staggered R/B beats like the staggered R/G in Dani California, only they come at you faster and you have kicks you have to worry about after them. On Expert they throw in a few quick-timed double-kicks and the increased speed makes the staggering even more difficult. But I'm pretty sure I can 100% it within a day or two.
LegacyStuck Somewhere In CyberspaceThe Grid(Seattle)Registered User, ClubPAregular
edited December 2007
Expert guitar. I guess I need to practice more.
The game chose Outside as one of the tracks to play and fuck that song. I almost just put my guitar down about halfway through that song. It's just annoying.
I'll try it again tomorrow.
Legacy on
Can we get the chemicals in. 'Cause anything's better than this.
NEWS FLASH: While on a trip to the official Rock Band forums, it appears that they're upgrading the community website. I'm not sure if that means they're just changing the forums around or if we're getting some whole new website that'll have some neat features. It only comes up if you go into the community tab.
Let's just say your downer attitude isn't exactly welcome amongst the happy sunshine that is this thread.
Exactly this. We've gone through like five threads without like any negativity, and it's been glorious. An experience. Even people doing the RMA thing seem to be having a wonderful time.
I could care less what everyone else thinks of the game, and I ain't told anyone to think different; just that I disagree with the decisions made by Wired Magazine.
Really, though, the idea that any product should be immune to criticism is assinine. There ARE issues with the game, and where am I supposed to talk about them, if not the game thread?
Regarding GOTY year stuff... Speaking as a gamer rather than defending RB... Any GOTY designation is going to be the opinion of that particular publication/person/group/etc. When was it ever not? Or when did a GOTY award ever change the intrinsic artistry or entertainment value of a game? Never.
Not unless the clouds part and the angels descend and the voice of God from on high speaks out to the multitudes, "Yea, verily, Rock Band is most righteous in mine eyes, in this year two thousand seven of myself." And with trumpet blasts and as the angels return through the clouds, all copies of Rock Band on earth turn to pure blocks of gold.
*THEN* I would suggest that GOTY award does make Rock Band even more awesome.
Otherwise, consider any GOTY award a measure of some percentage of the populace whose interests and likes happen to align with the publication that presented such GOTY. And if multiple publications do, that speaks to a larger percentage of people, in general, but not all. (And in that case, offhand, I think Bioshock has us beat. But I haven't really been keeping track.)
In the end, if it's not worthy of your game of the year, then make your own blog and declare which game it is. But apparently it *is* worthy of Wired's GOTY, so there.
Regarding GOTY year stuff... Speaking as a gamer rather than defending RB... Any GOTY designation is going to be the opinion of that particular publication/person/group/etc. When was it ever not? Or when did a GOTY award ever change the intrinsic artistry or entertainment value of a game? Never.
I dunno, I guess I've always just been of the camp that felt that an "official" GotY designation, as in coming from more than just an individual dude, should take into account a wide range of factors beyond just personal prefference. There should be some ammount of thought put in to just how likely it is for the individual to recreate the scenario needed to take optimal advantage of the game.
And, technically, plenty of games that recieve awards DO put out GotY editions, sometimes with extra content, so that DOES improve their fun. :P
Regarding GOTY year stuff... Speaking as a gamer rather than defending RB... Any GOTY designation is going to be the opinion of that particular publication/person/group/etc. When was it ever not? Or when did a GOTY award ever change the intrinsic artistry or entertainment value of a game? Never.
I dunno, I guess I've always just been of the camp that felt that an "official" GotY designation, as in coming from more than just an individual dude, should take into account a wide range of factors beyond just personal prefference. There should be some ammount of thought put in to just how likely it is for the individual to recreate the scenario needed to take optimal advantage of the game.
Perhaps, but there is a lot of subjectiveness in what you just said, which makes any official GOTY designation an opinion, whether from one person or by committee. I highly doubt one person at Wired just said, "Hey, RB 4 GOTY, kthx" and it was in. Besides, the qualifications for what makes a GOTY is subjective on their own.
And, technically, plenty of games that recieve awards DO put out GotY editions, sometimes with extra content, so that DOES improve their fun. :P
Yeah, but thank goodness time travel isn't possible, because that would create a paradox in which the GOTY Edition wins GOTY, except now they either have to create a GOTY GOTY edition, or realize that the original edition didn't win GOTY because the GOTY edition won GOTY, so why have a GOTY edition in the first place...???
From the latter: "Viacom will work with Microsoft on opportunities to become a preferred
publishing partner across Microsoft's casual gaming platforms."
NEWS FLASH: While on a trip to the official Rock Band forums, it appears that they're upgrading the community website. I'm not sure if that means they're just changing the forums around or if we're getting some whole new website that'll have some neat features. It only comes up if you go into the community tab.
It's more than just forums.
That's it? You put that out there and just leave us hanging? Brutal...
Has anyone ever told you you're a huge cocktease? :P
Omeks on
Online Info (Click Spoiler for More): |Xbox Live Tag: Omeks |PSN Tag:Omeks_R7 |Rock Band:Profile|DLC Collection
Regarding GOTY year stuff... Speaking as a gamer rather than defending RB... Any GOTY designation is going to be the opinion of that particular publication/person/group/etc. When was it ever not? Or when did a GOTY award ever change the intrinsic artistry or entertainment value of a game? Never.
I dunno, I guess I've always just been of the camp that felt that an "official" GotY designation, as in coming from more than just an individual dude, should take into account a wide range of factors beyond just personal prefference. There should be some ammount of thought put in to just how likely it is for the individual to recreate the scenario needed to take optimal advantage of the game.
Perhaps, but there is a lot of subjectiveness in what you just said, which makes any official GOTY designation an opinion, whether from one person or by committee. I highly doubt one person at Wired just said, "Hey, RB 4 GOTY, kthx" and it was in. Besides, the qualifications for what makes a GOTY is subjective on their own.
Sure. I'm not voicing my opinion in order to get Wired to change, or anything. I am voicing my opinion in order to saythat I disagree with Wired. I guess there is also a bit of a larger statement that I am making about GotY awards in and of themselves, that I think there is something more to them, or at least should be, than just making a list of the most hyped games of the year and/or the writer's favorite games. I personally loved both Beautiful Katamari and Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, but neither of them will be making an appearance on the GotY list I'm currently writing up for my secret blog project. The irony there is that, in theory, they SHOULD, since the whole premise of the blog is that reviewer bias is clearly outlined, so you know how to take what you are reading, but I STILL can't bring myself to corolate My Favorite Game = Game of the Year.
And, technically, plenty of games that recieve awards DO put out GotY editions, sometimes with extra content, so that DOES improve their fun. :P
Yeah, but thank goodness time travel isn't possible, because that would create a paradox in which the GOTY Edition wins GOTY, except now they either have to create a GOTY GOTY edition, or realize that the original edition didn't win GOTY because the GOTY edition won GOTY, so why have a GOTY edition in the first place...???
DAmn, my head hurts now.
Not being on the "inside", like yourself, I may be entire off base here, but I imagine that winning awards like GotY prompts the creation of additional content that may not have been previously in the works (or at least solidifies plans that were still up in the air.) In this day and age, this means not just GotY editions, but more DLC.
I mean, let's be honest here, doesn't a GotY label make it easier for a higher ammount of DLC to be released for Rock Band, potentially? I know that, from what I've heard, most artists seem pretty ready to jump on board once they've seen the game, but if there are any hold-ups with individual record labels, or anything, showing them that the game is critically acclaimed could be the type of thing that might go a long way. Not to mention that it would help to encourage your backers (Viacom, I guess) to invest the dollars in the creation of this content.
From the latter: "Viacom will work with Microsoft on opportunities to become a preferred
publishing partner across Microsoft's casual gaming platforms."
Anyone know how to decipher that? I don't...
Most of that appears to deal with Viacom's television, and possibly movie, properties.
That last bit, though, seems to me more that Viacom is easily looking for way to publish their properties on their own, rather than going through a middle-man, like EA. I know that Valve self-published the Orange Box on the 360 (as opposed to EA doing it on the PS3) so it may be that Microsoft has some sort of plans available for companies to take advantage of, to make publishing on their system more acessable, and part of the whole arrangement involves Viacom taking advantage of this.
Finished solo tour drums on easy and solo guitar on mediums.
Guitar was really easy, much easier than Guitar Hero 3 in the upper tiers. The difference between the two games really becomes clear during the endgame songs - GH3 is about how awesome you are at hitting crazy amounts of buttons as quickly as possible. RB isn't.
I FC'd Cherub Rock on medium, which was kind of neat. I can't FC it in GH3, even on medium.
Drums - this is the first time I've ever played anything remotely like a drum in my life, and it's a fucking blast. I'm going to start up on medium tonight. When I was done playing last night (I did all 44 songs on the easy tour, plus a few replays for fun) I could actually feel it in my arms and shoulders. I actually was sweating by about halfway through GGaHT. I'm just proud I managed to 4 star that song on my first ever attempt, even if it was easy. As a total novice, it feels like an accomplishment.
Regarding GoTY: I have no idea how you can put titles like RB, SMG, Mass Effect, Portal (and the rest of TOB) and Bioshock next to each other and say "Yes, this is the best of all of them." First, they're all so different from each other. Second, they're all so goddamned good. This has really been a banner year for games. My personal GoTY is Mass Effect, because it's a game I've wanted to exist for years and it came through in spectacular fashion. But without that personal preference being factored in, I really don't see a way that one could put any of these on a pedestal over the others.
Equipment durability and quality - I don't think my pedal is going to last. I'm trying to be delicate with it, but even so it just feels like it's not going to hold up very long. Especially once I improve enough at the game to get into the advanced difficulties. The strat - It's a neat concept, but I think I hate it. I don't like the solo buttons, I can solo better with the regular buttons. And the tilt sensor in my strat doesn't work for shit, which really annoys me enough to where I start failing songs because I'm busy shaking the thing to get it to work. I've been playing with my wireless LP almost exclusively, which is a shame because I want to like the strat. Is a bad tilt sensor enough to get an RMA?
I saw Moss in the credits. I want his autograph! I want to stroke the beard and absorb its power.
Oh and btw - It's possible to make convincing replicas of the GH characters like Judy Nails and Clive Winston in the RB creator.
Regarding GOTY year stuff... Speaking as a gamer rather than defending RB... Any GOTY designation is going to be the opinion of that particular publication/person/group/etc. When was it ever not? Or when did a GOTY award ever change the intrinsic artistry or entertainment value of a game? Never.
I dunno, I guess I've always just been of the camp that felt that an "official" GotY designation, as in coming from more than just an individual dude, should take into account a wide range of factors beyond just personal prefference. There should be some ammount of thought put in to just how likely it is for the individual to recreate the scenario needed to take optimal advantage of the game.
Perhaps, but there is a lot of subjectiveness in what you just said, which makes any official GOTY designation an opinion, whether from one person or by committee. I highly doubt one person at Wired just said, "Hey, RB 4 GOTY, kthx" and it was in. Besides, the qualifications for what makes a GOTY is subjective on their own.
This is kind of funny, because Chris Kohler at Wired's Game|Life has been one of the most vocal supporters of the game since its announcement, so as soon as I saw the title designation I figured "I guess Chris arm-wrestled everyone into giving it the GOTY." But Chris has also documented several evening-long Rock Band parties, so maybe indirectly he's swayed the rest of the mag's deciders over to The Way.
I agree with you -- no "X of the Year" title is ever objective fact that can be directly correlated to other awards from other publications or bodies. The artist that wins the Grammy for Recording of the Year is likely going to be vastly different from, say, Pitchfork's pick for best of the year. Hell, my picks for best games of the year would likely put Pac-Man CE and Mario Strikers over Halo 3 and Metroid Prime 3.
Sure. I'm not voicing my opinion in order to get Wired to change, or anything. I am voicing my opinion in order to saythat I disagree with Wired. I guess there is also a bit of a larger statement that I am making about GotY awards in and of themselves, that I think there is something more to them, or at least should be, than just making a list of the most hyped games of the year and/or the writer's favorite games. I personally loved both Beautiful Katamari and Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, but neither of them will be making an appearance on the GotY list I'm currently writing up for my secret blog project. The irony there is that, in theory, they SHOULD, since the whole premise of the blog is that reviewer bias is clearly outlined, so you know how to take what you are reading, but I STILL can't bring myself to corolate My Favorite Game = Game of the Year.
I can kind of see where you're coming from. I think the biggest problem is that "Game of the Year" says very little by itself because the criteria isn't well-defined -- and even if you do end up defining it, odds are people won't read it and will just take the game or list out of context anyway. For example, I've always directly related "My Favorite Game" with "Game of the Year" because if it's the game that you say stood out the most that year, it should be the one that you enjoyed the most or got the most out of.
It's hard for me to pit Rock Band against BioShock or Mario Galaxy because they're all wildly different experiences, so trying to rank them is like trying to rank whether you like an excellent hamburger better than an excellent plate of sushi ... it depends on what you're in the mood for, you know?
Equipment durability and quality - I don't think my pedal is going to last.
My friend's pedal broke. While waiting for hisreplacement, his solution is to tape a magnet to the bottom of his shoe (because that is how the pedal works.) It is not fool proof, because your foot won't ALWAYS line up right, but it is better than nothing.
I mean, let's be honest here, doesn't a GotY label make it easier for a higher ammount of DLC to be released for Rock Band, potentially? I know that, from what I've heard, most artists seem pretty ready to jump on board once they've seen the game, but if there are any hold-ups with individual record labels, or anything, showing them that the game is critically acclaimed could be the type of thing that might go a long way. Not to mention that it would help to encourage your backers (Viacom, I guess) to invest the dollars in the creation of this content.
Honestly, I doubt it changes much at all. I mean, there was a lot of showing the game off to artists and labels and publishers and such all throughout the process... and dollars were spent to make things happen, otherwise you wouldn't be seeing the game. One GOTY status from one rag doesn't really change much, to the best of my experience.
Now, if you see Rock Band winning *all* of the GOTY awards, that might have some effect.
I mean, let's be honest here, doesn't a GotY label make it easier for a higher ammount of DLC to be released for Rock Band, potentially? I know that, from what I've heard, most artists seem pretty ready to jump on board once they've seen the game, but if there are any hold-ups with individual record labels, or anything, showing them that the game is critically acclaimed could be the type of thing that might go a long way. Not to mention that it would help to encourage your backers (Viacom, I guess) to invest the dollars in the creation of this content.
Honestly, I doubt it changes much at all. I mean, there was a lot of showing the game off to artists and labels and publishers and such all throughout the process... and dollars were spent to make things happen, otherwise you wouldn't be seeing the game. One GOTY status from one rag doesn't really change much, to the best of my experience.
Now, if you see Rock Band winning *all* of the GOTY awards, that might have some effect.
That was kinda what I was getting at, actually. I may not have stated it very well.
What I wonder, though, is whether it makes a difference if all the rags give it GotY, versus all of the rags giving it Rhythm GotY.
Posts
PSN: JPBrowncoat Xbox: BamSaidTheLaday Also on Steam! Streaming games!
You know, it's funny, but to me Rock Band IS "the same as it ever was".
I mean, it just feels like a next-gen guitar hero. Yes, it has drums too, and karaoke, but at the end of the day, it is still just a combination of things that have been done before. It is a WONDERFUL combination of things that have been done before, granted, but it doesn't seem so unique to me.
I own four sets of bongos for donkey konga. I've played more than my fair share of co-op on GH2. I've don plenty of karaoke in my time, both solo and in groups. Being able to combine this stuff DOES make for a fun time, but it it really doesn't seem like anything brand new to me, and the fact that, without a group to play it with, it just becomes another same old rythym game, takes it out of the running for me.
To me, heavy reliance on multiplayer is a strike against any game. Everyone thinks differently, or course, but while I do enjoy getting together and gaming with my buddies, for a game to be GotY material to me, I need to be able to have just as good an experience when I sit down to play by myself.
But now?
Rock Band sessions, every Sunday. Gamer and non-gamers alike. It transcends the "everybody can and wants to play" gap, much more so than even the Wii, in my opinion.
WOO XKCD
RAWK
SniperGuyGaming on PSN / SniperGuy710 on Xbone Live
Because that's how it works in real life.
We used to do the same for Crystal Chronicles. Those were good times, but in the end things broke down when some people couldn't make it at certain times, and I never did end up beating that game, since it just wasn't the same by myself.
That's part of it for me, I guess. My schedule is constrained, which means that having to schedule time to play a particular game is not at all an easy or prefferable thing to do. Added to that, of course, is the fact that I have to make a new character on each console that I play on, and even for each instument I want to play, and the game loses any sense of progress, which is another strike from my perspective.
I can EASILY see how it might be an individual's personal Game of the Year, but in my opinion it is just too niche, overall, to be considered a general Game of the Year. The same way I'd have an issue with an MMO being bestowed that title.
Fixed
For the record, Bass is my default position.
Because I bring my own guitar (Xplorer)
Did you miss the part where I said that it is a good game that I enjoy, and just skip to where I said it wasn't Game of the Year?
I have to admit, that same switch activated in my brain.
Better?
Who did I tell to stop having fun?
Let's just say your downer attitude isn't exactly welcome amongst the happy sunshine that is this thread.
It's annoying.
Stop it.
SniperGuyGaming on PSN / SniperGuy710 on Xbone Live
Exactly this. We've gone through like five threads without like any negativity, and it's been glorious. An experience. Even people doing the RMA thing seem to be having a wonderful time.
This is probably because I don't own it.
Damned Christmas come sooner!
Goddamn. Didn't think I sucked that much.
What instrument and difficulty were you on?
Also, I tried out My Iron Lung.
Vocals are medium difficult, lots of pitch changes - and I have no idea how to properly say the spoken section so that it registers.
Bass is rather straightforward.
Guitar is engaging but not overly complex... until the ending section with a huge HO/PO that I'll have to learn.
Drums aren't too complicated. Hard mode adds some staggered R/B beats like the staggered R/G in Dani California, only they come at you faster and you have kicks you have to worry about after them. On Expert they throw in a few quick-timed double-kicks and the increased speed makes the staggering even more difficult. But I'm pretty sure I can 100% it within a day or two.
Gamertag: PrimusD | Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
The game chose Outside as one of the tracks to play and fuck that song. I almost just put my guitar down about halfway through that song. It's just annoying.
I'll try it again tomorrow.
I'm lucky to get a partner to play score duel or tug-of-war with on Hard drums past midnight.
Stupid everyone playing guitar...
Gamertag: PrimusD | Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Maybe tomorrow.
Some Drive Shaft.
You all everybody...
you all everybody!
*looks around*
Hooraydiation wrote: And I don't care how distraught you are. It's just impolite to shoot yourself when someone has their dick inside you.
It's more than just forums.
I could care less what everyone else thinks of the game, and I ain't told anyone to think different; just that I disagree with the decisions made by Wired Magazine.
Really, though, the idea that any product should be immune to criticism is assinine. There ARE issues with the game, and where am I supposed to talk about them, if not the game thread?
Not unless the clouds part and the angels descend and the voice of God from on high speaks out to the multitudes, "Yea, verily, Rock Band is most righteous in mine eyes, in this year two thousand seven of myself." And with trumpet blasts and as the angels return through the clouds, all copies of Rock Band on earth turn to pure blocks of gold.
*THEN* I would suggest that GOTY award does make Rock Band even more awesome.
Otherwise, consider any GOTY award a measure of some percentage of the populace whose interests and likes happen to align with the publication that presented such GOTY. And if multiple publications do, that speaks to a larger percentage of people, in general, but not all. (And in that case, offhand, I think Bioshock has us beat. But I haven't really been keeping track.)
In the end, if it's not worthy of your game of the year, then make your own blog and declare which game it is. But apparently it *is* worthy of Wired's GOTY, so there.
I dunno, I guess I've always just been of the camp that felt that an "official" GotY designation, as in coming from more than just an individual dude, should take into account a wide range of factors beyond just personal prefference. There should be some ammount of thought put in to just how likely it is for the individual to recreate the scenario needed to take optimal advantage of the game.
And, technically, plenty of games that recieve awards DO put out GotY editions, sometimes with extra content, so that DOES improve their fun. :P
Perhaps, but there is a lot of subjectiveness in what you just said, which makes any official GOTY designation an opinion, whether from one person or by committee. I highly doubt one person at Wired just said, "Hey, RB 4 GOTY, kthx" and it was in. Besides, the qualifications for what makes a GOTY is subjective on their own.
Yeah, but thank goodness time travel isn't possible, because that would create a paradox in which the GOTY Edition wins GOTY, except now they either have to create a GOTY GOTY edition, or realize that the original edition didn't win GOTY because the GOTY edition won GOTY, so why have a GOTY edition in the first place...???
DAmn, my head hurts now.
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/mtvs-next-big-thing-bruckheimer-teams-up-for-game-studio/
and:
http://www.viacom.com/NEWS/NewsText.aspx?RID=1088634
From the latter: "Viacom will work with Microsoft on opportunities to become a preferred
publishing partner across Microsoft's casual gaming platforms."
Anyone know how to decipher that? I don't...
That's it? You put that out there and just leave us hanging? Brutal...
Has anyone ever told you you're a huge cocktease? :P
|Xbox Live Tag: Omeks
|PSN Tag: Omeks_R7
|Rock Band: Profile|DLC Collection
Sure. I'm not voicing my opinion in order to get Wired to change, or anything. I am voicing my opinion in order to saythat I disagree with Wired. I guess there is also a bit of a larger statement that I am making about GotY awards in and of themselves, that I think there is something more to them, or at least should be, than just making a list of the most hyped games of the year and/or the writer's favorite games. I personally loved both Beautiful Katamari and Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, but neither of them will be making an appearance on the GotY list I'm currently writing up for my secret blog project. The irony there is that, in theory, they SHOULD, since the whole premise of the blog is that reviewer bias is clearly outlined, so you know how to take what you are reading, but I STILL can't bring myself to corolate My Favorite Game = Game of the Year.
Not being on the "inside", like yourself, I may be entire off base here, but I imagine that winning awards like GotY prompts the creation of additional content that may not have been previously in the works (or at least solidifies plans that were still up in the air.) In this day and age, this means not just GotY editions, but more DLC.
I mean, let's be honest here, doesn't a GotY label make it easier for a higher ammount of DLC to be released for Rock Band, potentially? I know that, from what I've heard, most artists seem pretty ready to jump on board once they've seen the game, but if there are any hold-ups with individual record labels, or anything, showing them that the game is critically acclaimed could be the type of thing that might go a long way. Not to mention that it would help to encourage your backers (Viacom, I guess) to invest the dollars in the creation of this content.
Most of that appears to deal with Viacom's television, and possibly movie, properties.
That last bit, though, seems to me more that Viacom is easily looking for way to publish their properties on their own, rather than going through a middle-man, like EA. I know that Valve self-published the Orange Box on the 360 (as opposed to EA doing it on the PS3) so it may be that Microsoft has some sort of plans available for companies to take advantage of, to make publishing on their system more acessable, and part of the whole arrangement involves Viacom taking advantage of this.
Hopefully this means Pimp My Ride 2.
Guitar was really easy, much easier than Guitar Hero 3 in the upper tiers. The difference between the two games really becomes clear during the endgame songs - GH3 is about how awesome you are at hitting crazy amounts of buttons as quickly as possible. RB isn't.
I FC'd Cherub Rock on medium, which was kind of neat. I can't FC it in GH3, even on medium.
Drums - this is the first time I've ever played anything remotely like a drum in my life, and it's a fucking blast. I'm going to start up on medium tonight. When I was done playing last night (I did all 44 songs on the easy tour, plus a few replays for fun) I could actually feel it in my arms and shoulders. I actually was sweating by about halfway through GGaHT. I'm just proud I managed to 4 star that song on my first ever attempt, even if it was easy. As a total novice, it feels like an accomplishment.
Regarding GoTY: I have no idea how you can put titles like RB, SMG, Mass Effect, Portal (and the rest of TOB) and Bioshock next to each other and say "Yes, this is the best of all of them." First, they're all so different from each other. Second, they're all so goddamned good. This has really been a banner year for games. My personal GoTY is Mass Effect, because it's a game I've wanted to exist for years and it came through in spectacular fashion. But without that personal preference being factored in, I really don't see a way that one could put any of these on a pedestal over the others.
Equipment durability and quality - I don't think my pedal is going to last. I'm trying to be delicate with it, but even so it just feels like it's not going to hold up very long. Especially once I improve enough at the game to get into the advanced difficulties. The strat - It's a neat concept, but I think I hate it. I don't like the solo buttons, I can solo better with the regular buttons. And the tilt sensor in my strat doesn't work for shit, which really annoys me enough to where I start failing songs because I'm busy shaking the thing to get it to work. I've been playing with my wireless LP almost exclusively, which is a shame because I want to like the strat. Is a bad tilt sensor enough to get an RMA?
I saw Moss in the credits. I want his autograph! I want to stroke the beard and absorb its power.
Oh and btw - It's possible to make convincing replicas of the GH characters like Judy Nails and Clive Winston in the RB creator.
This is kind of funny, because Chris Kohler at Wired's Game|Life has been one of the most vocal supporters of the game since its announcement, so as soon as I saw the title designation I figured "I guess Chris arm-wrestled everyone into giving it the GOTY."
I agree with you -- no "X of the Year" title is ever objective fact that can be directly correlated to other awards from other publications or bodies. The artist that wins the Grammy for Recording of the Year is likely going to be vastly different from, say, Pitchfork's pick for best of the year. Hell, my picks for best games of the year would likely put Pac-Man CE and Mario Strikers over Halo 3 and Metroid Prime 3.
I can kind of see where you're coming from. I think the biggest problem is that "Game of the Year" says very little by itself because the criteria isn't well-defined -- and even if you do end up defining it, odds are people won't read it and will just take the game or list out of context anyway. For example, I've always directly related "My Favorite Game" with "Game of the Year" because if it's the game that you say stood out the most that year, it should be the one that you enjoyed the most or got the most out of.
It's hard for me to pit Rock Band against BioShock or Mario Galaxy because they're all wildly different experiences, so trying to rank them is like trying to rank whether you like an excellent hamburger better than an excellent plate of sushi ... it depends on what you're in the mood for, you know?
My friend's pedal broke. While waiting for hisreplacement, his solution is to tape a magnet to the bottom of his shoe (because that is how the pedal works.) It is not fool proof, because your foot won't ALWAYS line up right, but it is better than nothing.
Honestly, I doubt it changes much at all. I mean, there was a lot of showing the game off to artists and labels and publishers and such all throughout the process... and dollars were spent to make things happen, otherwise you wouldn't be seeing the game. One GOTY status from one rag doesn't really change much, to the best of my experience.
Now, if you see Rock Band winning *all* of the GOTY awards, that might have some effect.
That was kinda what I was getting at, actually. I may not have stated it very well.
What I wonder, though, is whether it makes a difference if all the rags give it GotY, versus all of the rags giving it Rhythm GotY.