This is one of the best articles on inFamous I have found to date. My sincere thanks to Michael Thomsen over at IGN for such an incredible in-depth analysis.
This is the kind of material I really wish IGN would publish more often. At the time inFamous was released, I wondered if the initial review was somewhat tainted by all of the preview time the reviewer received before the game's release date. Don't get me wrong, inFamous is a really good game, but I haven't given any serious time to it since I finished it; that was three weeks ago. When I don't go back to a game after I finish it, it clues me in to the fact said game may not be as good as I thought it was when in the middle of it.
Posting an opposing viewpoint to reviews is not done often enough at IGN. I don't know if that's a result of not devoting two writers to the same title when the possibility exists both will have the same opinion, or if it is another reason altogether, but IGN needs to provide a second opinion on major titles. Game Informer does it, and it's something I appreciate. When I see two seperate people agree agree on the quality of a game, it emboldens me to play/purchase that game.
So Jerry Jones has been building a new stadium for the Cowboys down in the Big D. The place is huge: capable of holding up to 100,00 for Super Bowls, somehting like 2,000 toilets, and the largest screen capable of producing a 1080p image in the world.
For the longest time now, I thought I would never purchase a portable platform such as the PSP or the DS. I never saw the need for it. Why play on a cramped little device and squint my eyes to see the 2.5 inch screen when I can hold an incredibly comfortable controller in my hands and watch my progress on a gorgeous 47 inch LCD TV? It's never made sense to me.
Until now.
Scribblenauts is a title coming for Nintendo's DS platform sometime at the end of the year. The basic premise is simple: you play as a character named Maxwell, and you must collect what are called "starites." Why do you need these starites? Sounds a little like Mario or something, right?
Who. CARES.
The shining point of this game is also incredibly simple, but amazingly deep: you type in the objects you need/want to appear on screen. Yes, you read that right. You type in words, and the objects they represent actually appear on the game screen.
This is why I love Nintendo: somehow, they continue to acquire these phenomenal IPs that are completely unique and fun. Playing a mini version of God of War or Resistance doesn't hold any appeal to me; playing a game where I can introduce literally anything I want into the game itself? Definitely.
In the video below, you'll see Scribblenauts creator Jeremiah Slaczka type in everything from an axe to God riding on a skateboard. I could go on about how incredible this looks, but I'll just let you watch the video below, courtesy of IGN.com.
Needless to say, I may just be asking for a DS for Christmas just so I can get this game.
So I'm sitting here watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, surfing the good ol' interwebs, when I stumble across this little article of Sam Kennedy's with 1UP.com. Apparently the rumor is that Microsoft is planning for Natal to be its next iteration of the Xbox platform; he even goes so far to say that Microsoft could be releasing a new Xbox console and packaging the Natal camera with it for Fall 2010. He elaborates:
"[W]e wouldn't be talking about the sort of hardware leap we've seen with Xbox (or most other) platforms in the past, and we're not talking about Microsoft ending one console cycle and starting another. We're talking about an evolution of the Xbox 360; similar hardware but upgraded, repackaged, and rebranded. It's actually not that unlike what Nintendo did with the Wii, where it essentially took the GameCube hardware, stuck in motion controls, and successfully relaunched it."
He concludes by stating that the timeframe Microsoft would be releasing this new system in could conceivably beat Nintendo's all-but-confirmed Wii HD to the market.
If this is true, Microsoft is signaling that they're coming after Nintendo. I've read speculation that some people are viewing the 360 as the winner of the hardcore console war with Sony; if Microsoft holds this view as well (and why wouldn't they?) this would seem to make sense.
It needs to be noted that this is all speculation (although Kennedy several time mentions "inside sources"). Even with that being said, it's very, very intriguing.
Currently playing: Fallout 3 (360) ----------------------- After I finally posted my review of inFamous last Friday, I had hoped to get finished with Hakuna Matata and post my review of it by today. Unfortunately, that is obviously not the case. There are, however, several things I have been working on that have completely enveloped my time these past seven days; all of them I am very excited about.
(1) Gamers With Jobs writing call- If you read this blog, you can probably tell that I would love to be a gaming journalist; it's something I am passionate and very knowledgeable about. One of the sites I follow regularly is called Gamers With Jobs, and they recently put out a call for a new writer or two. I'm sure there are hundreds of people submitting material, but I decided to take a shot at it anyway. The composition and editing of that piece has taken the majority of my time this work week.
(2) Five Top Games transcription- On my way back from Manchester, TN last Saturday, my three buddies and I had a discussion of what we each thought were the five best games ever created. It just so happened that I had my voice recorder on hand and got the whole conversation on tape... all 72 minutes of it. Needless to say, it's a long and arduous process transcribing all of it, but its something that I really enjoyed and think will be a great contribution to the site.
(3) New Mac!! Yes, I bought my MacBook a week ago today, and it's been a blast getting to know it. Part of the iLife software package that comes with it is a web publishing program called iWeb. It fascinated me greatly, and after fiddling around with it for some time, I decided to make a serious effort in upgrading the site. Blogger has been a great place to start out, but I grow bored of this bland layout and have been unable to find any templates that satsify me. Concordingly, I have been slowly (but surely) creating a new layout that is more vibrant and exciting, one that recalls the excitement of video games. No, it won't be an IGN or 1up.com, but it will be a significant improvement over what I have now.
That covers all that is going on for the time being. No new content as of right now, but hopefully that will change by the end of next week. If my piece doesn't make it in the writers' call, I will definitely post it here.
It's one I've poured a lot of time into, and am incredibly proud of it.
I'm going to be totally honest here: after taking a day to mull over Sony's keynote presentation, and re-watching the broadcast of it, I can't decide if Sony had the Ace up their sleeve or not.
As expected, they formally announced the leaked-long-ago PSP Go, the next iteration of their Playstation Portable platform. The PSP Go sticks out because of its download-only feature; Sony removed the UMD drive, so players will have to buy PSP Go games online and download them straight to the platform's hard drive, which tops out at 16GB. Along with the announcement of the PSP Go was announced Gran Turismo PSP, Resident Eveil Portable, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which Hideo Kojima stated is a true sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3.
I was a little surprised to see the Go priced at 249.99 USD; a Wii can be brought for the same price! Toss in the three games for the Go mentioned above and you'll be topping 300.00 USD. Sony said that they see the Go as being the upper end of the PSP line, with the PSP-3000 catering towards the lower income teen end of the line. Even with that being the case, the high price-point of the Go seems somewhat prohibitive for it to have a decent run at success on the market.
On the software side, Sony definitely nailed it, displaying demos of Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed 2, MAG (Massive Action Game), and Mod Nation Racers, to name a few. MNR is the next game in Sony's "Play.Create.Share" line, as it offers palyers the ability to create their own tracks from scratch and share them with the online community. Also announced was Sony's placing fifty PSOne titles to download on the Playstation Network, including Final Fantasy VII; some have even spotted clues in the PSN that Metal Gear Solid will see a release date as a downloadable title sometime in the next few months.
Also announced were Agent, a new IP (intellectual property) from Grand Theft Auto creator Rockstar North, and Final Fantasy XIV, a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) which was announced as being exclusive to the PS3 for consoles (which would imply that will make its way to PC). However, Square Enix later stated that it was exploring "all options at [the] time," hinting at the possibility that XIV could make its way to the 360 as well.
However, the top software titles shown at Sony's keynote were Team ICO's The Last Guardian, Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 5, Final Fantasy XIII and Sony Santa Monica's God of War III. All these titles received a warm reception from the audience, and it was good for Sony to reveal more of three of their biggest franchises (GT, God of War, and FF). The Last Guardian, in particular, looked absolutely gorgeous. The trailer alone was almost enough to make me tear up. To say that Team ICO is the master of creating an emotional connection between gamer and game is an understatement, and I'm sure The Last Guardian will be no different.
What truly intrigued me, though, was the reveal of Sony's motion controller. Basically, it is two handheld wands, each the size of a microphone, with a glowing, color-changing sphere at the end. Based on the demo shown during the keynote, it appears to create a true 1:1 translation of motion control, as well as providing at least one different input (an analog trigger). The wands work in conjunction with the Playstation Eye.
What's interesting here is that Sony might just have created a motion device that could cater to the core gamer. Nintendo has yet to do it because they simply do not have the hardware (MotionPlus could change that) or the hardware (there really only seems to be two or three titles on the horizon that could alter that issue). For the reasons I listed in my previous entry, I question whether or not Microsoft's Natal could do it as well. For a short summary, I wrote that core franchises such as Halo and Gears of War have so many control commands (shooting, reloading, walking, running, ducking, aiming, jumping) that I doubted whether developers would be able to create that kind of hardcore gaming experience (aside from the almost-guaranteed casual audience success) that will appeal to core gamers with Natal's motion sensing capabilities. Some games just need a manual input (buttons and triggers). However, just as I wrote in my previous piece, it truly will depend on the software that hits the market at the same time as Sony's motion controller and whether or not their team of first-oarty developers embrace it as well.
Just as surprising as some of the announcements Sony made in their keynote were the announcements that didn't come. A price drop was not announced for the PS3, much to chagrin of many gamers. 399.99 USD is still to high a price point to remain viable and competitive. Many thought the answer to it might be the rumored PS3 Slim (images of this leaked approximately three or four weeks ago). However, no mention of the Slim was made either. I anticipate Sony making an announcement around September or October for a price drop. As for the Slim, only Sony knows if that's real or not.
The more I consider it, I don't think Sony bombed as I initially thought they had. Even with that being said, I do not feel it is an exaggeration to say they still have a good deal of ground to make up on Microsoft.
It seems to me that there are still too many unanswered questions to be able to judge Natal a complete success capable of revolutionizing the industry, or a joke that will fall by the wayside. Personally, I have major concerns about it. What games will utilize the technology? Will Natal work with Microsoft's "core" franchises, such as Halo 3 or Gears of War? How can these "hardcore" games make the transition to full motion control? Think about it. I'm pretty sure that the majority of players will not want to run in place for two hours at a time to get through a couple of Halo's campaign levels. With that being said, how else would a player get Master Chief to move forward? How would a player be able to look to the left or right in-game without having to take their eyes off the screen to actually look left or right?! What about jumping? I specifically remember several tips the salesperson gave me in order to make sure my 360 had as little a chance as possible of showing the three red lights of death, and one of them was to always keep the 360 off the floor. The reasoning behind this was that the tray in the system was incredibly delicate and finely balanced; any sudden movement could throw the disc out of the tray and into the laser eye, thereby scratching the eye and ruining the machine. I'm not saying this will definitely happen, but if a game comes along for Natal that at some point would require more than one person to jump at the same time, there's a potential problem.
Also, major developers might not really understand how to properly create enticing games for it. We've seen it happen with the Wii. It's been out for over two years and decent games that make a worthwhile utilization with its motion controls are just now starting to pop up. If that's the case, that would create a scenario where Natal starts to take off right around the time the next Xbox is coming out. Then, developers will be trying to learn how to work with a new system as well as new technology (Natal), and that just seems a massive headache waiting in the wings.
In addition, Microsoft has a history of releasing a product before it's fully ready for the public; examples include Windows Vista and the 360 itself. Both did not receive an appropriate amount of quality assurance testing and as a result neither received a warm welcome into the marketplace (although the 360 fared considerably better than Vista) Both had horrendous customer support issues. Microsoft lost over $1 billion on repairs for the 360's three red lights error alone. Will the Natal be capable of fending for itself when it's released into the wild of the consumer base?
Microsoft might very well capture the casual audience it has pursued for so long, but will this audience be a repeat customer? It's all about the software support that comes out with this peripheral. Third-party developers have had a difficult time creating a steady revenue stream from Wii products. Why? Well, accordingly to Doug Creutz of Cowen & Company, "...Nintendo is the dominant publisher on the Wii with over one-third of software market share on its platform. Guitar Hero and Rock Band account for one-sixth of sales. So the addressable market for third-party Wii titles is only about half of what the installed base would imply." First-party support has been the driving force in sales on the Wii; can Microsoft do a better job? It seems that the public's fascination and exuberance over the Wii is starting to subside, and it will be interesting to see if Nintendo can continue to remain the industry leader over the next couple of years.
All of the above is relevant because it's not difficult to understand that Microsoft is aiming straight for Nintendo's Golden Goose (the "casual" gaming audience) with this move. They want to capture those who have yet purchase a 360 or PS3 because, as Steven Spielberg termed it during Microsoft's keynote presentation, "...the majority of people are just too intimidated to pick up a game controller." With that in mind, if they accomplish exactly that, will the casual audience become a returning consumer for Microsoft? Or will it simply be similar to the Wii, where a vast number of people, both casual and hardcore gamers alike, purchase the product out of sheer excitement and novelty, only to then find a severe shortage of quality software for it? For the months of March and April, the Playstation 3 actually outsold the Wii in Japan (gaming trends in Japan are usually a precursor to upcoming trends elsewhere in the world). The appeal of this casual machine wore down over those two months (to be fair, however, the Wii regained its place atop the mountain in May). It will take more than just three or four games to make Natal a true, long-term game-changer for the industry. Yes, it will undoubtedly sell such numbers as to make Micorsoft's executives wet their pants, but will it still be a mainstay in ten years if it takes off like so many think it will?
That's the real question. No one is denying it will be a hit. Whether it can remain long enough to earn its place among historic gaming innovations, though, lies in the midst of uncertainty.
To sum up, lots and LOTS of questions for me. Natal's success and viability, in my opinion, will depend heavily on if (1) Microsoft actually insures it is ready for public distribution, and (2) what software will be released for it within its first eighteen months.
To put it concisely, Microsoft knocked their E3 keynote presentation out of the park. Not only did they provide updates on titles that the public already knew about, such as Mass Effect 2, Rock Band: The Beatles Edition, Modern Warfare 2, Halo: ODST, and Alan Wake., they also revealed previously unannounced titles such as Crackdown 2, Halo: Reach, and Metal Gear Solid: Rising.
With the software portion covered, they turned towards new features for the Xbox Live online service. In addition to movies now capable of streaming at 1080p resolution, Microsoft announced an integration of Xbox Live with the ultra-popular social sites Facebook and Twitter. Basically, players will now be able to write "tweets" straight from their console, as well as connect with all of their friends on Facebook. This portion of the Microsoft's keynote seems to have flown under the radar quite a bit, but it seems to me that it is a significant step towards the goal that Microsoft laid out when they introduced the 360: make their console not only for gaming, but also a hub of entertainment and social interactivity. When these updates hit XBL in the fall, players will now be able to put names to the gamertags they have never met on their friend lists, and then put those faces to names. They'll be able to see who among their Facebook friends are active XBL users. It is an incredibly horizon-broadening melding of three monster services that, in my opinion, will absolutely take off when it goes live.
Despite all of the above, the announcement that really stole the show was, of course, Project Natal (nuh-TALL). For those who haven't heard about this potentially ground-breaking technology, here goes: Natal is a motion-sensing camera that connects to the Xbox 360 (it reportedly will be compatible with all versions of the console released to date) and sits in front of the TV. It is capable of sensing any motion you make and converting that into actual controls for a racing game. So, for example, you hold your hands in front of you as if gripping a steering wheel and the game will sense that; there is no controller whatsoever. You drive the car in the game just as you would in real life, except there's no wheel you're holding on to.
Additionally, Natal is capable of facial recognition. One feature showcased during its unveiling at E3 was the ability to automatically sign in a player to their profile/gamertag simply by the player walking in front of the television. It is also capable of voice recognition. You can flip through your Netflix cue simply by moving your hand to one side or the other and when you find a film to watch, you say, "Play movie," and Natal will do so.
To be blunt: Nintendo underwhelmed and baffled, and Sony just flat-out fell flat on its face when compared to its main competitor, Microsoft. Neither company's keynote today had anywhere near the impact that Microsoft did yesterday, and Sony had nowhere near the Ace that they needed to one-up Microsoft.
Here's a quick recap of the highlights from what each company revealed during their presentations today:
Nintendo -Super Mario Bros. Wii: Basically seems to be a re-imagining of the first Super Mario Bros. for the original Nintendo Entertainment System, but more focused on multiplayer and competitive play. Up to four players can traverse through the familiar levels and fight for coins and various power-ups found throughout the levels. Played with the Wiimote turned on its side like a classic Nintendo controller. -Wii Fit Plus announced: From what I could gather, basically a sequel to Wii Fit, with more games than the original. It will come in a bundle with the Balance Board or on its own as a game, and will be available in the fall.
-Wii Motion Plus: It wasn't really so much revealed as demonstrated at the keynote. Basically all you need to know is that it will come with Wii Sports Resort (the sequel to the monumental best-seller Wii Sports) and Red Steel 2, and several upcoming sports games will be compatible with it along with Red Steel 2 (Ubisoft), which will only be playable if you have MotionPlus.
-DS/DSi: Several titles were announced for Nintendo's hugely-successful portable platform, including Golden Sun DS, COP: The Recruit (another Ubisoft title), and Warioware:DIY (a platformer with LittleBigPlanet-esque level-creation toolset). Also, the DSi will soon be getting the ability to upload images straight to Facebook. Another platform integrating itself with the mega-social network. Interesting.
-Wii Vitality Sensor: This was probably the most head-scratching part of the show. They spent at least five minutes building this thing up, and it turns to just be a bio-rhythm clip you attach on your finger, and that plugs into the bottom of the Wiimote. Looks almost pointless, especially when they offered no details on when it would be released, or what games would use it.
-Two major titles announced: Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M were shown for the first time. Other M was especially a shock considering that the entire Metroid Prime trilogy is getting boxed together and shipped for the price of one game this fall. Both look really good (again, especially Other M); I'll try to get links up to both of the videos later on.
Sony -Updates to PSN: Over fifty new PSX titles are coming to the download service, the most notable being Final Fantasy VII.
-PSP Go officially unveiled: It appears a little larger than the iPhone, has no UMD drive, and will integrate with the PSN to download games. Comes in 16GB and will run 249.99 USD at retail. Its full front face is the screen, which slides up to reveal a d-pad, joystick, and facebuttons beneath. Also announced were two new PSP titles, Gran Turismo PSP, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (although rumors of both for the PSP had surfaced before E3).
-Playstation Motion Controller unveiled: From descriptions I've read, it is comprised of two handheld devices, each approximately the size of a small microphone, with what look like colored balls atop each one. Basically the way that it works is that the Playstation EyeToy tracks the colored ball movement, and that produces, from all accounts I've seen, a very accurate 1:1 movement translation. Available sometime Spring 2010.
-Final Fantasy news: Big surprise here. Final Fantasy XIV was announced, exclusively for the PS3 and PC. It appears to be a MMORPG. An extended trailer dubbed in English of Final Fantasy XIII was also shown.
-Major titles exhibited: Team ICO's latest, now officially entitled "The Last Guardian," was shown, as well as Gran Turismo 5 (which one account described as the most realistic game they had ever seen), and God of War III. "Last Guardian" and "Gran Turismo 5" have no definitive releases date, and God of War III will hit shelves March 2010. ----------------------- FYI, I'll write a couple of posts in the next day or so discussing my thoughts on the various happenings from the first two days of E3.
Currently playing: inFamous (PS3), Hakuna Matata (PS3) ----------------------- Well it's official: Metal Gear Solid is coming to Bill's Big Green Machine. While I'm sure it is not what many gamers were hoping for (MGS4 for the 360), it is still a promising and major announcement. Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima unveiled his latest project as "Metal Gear Solid: Rising," and while he didn't say it was an exclusive for the Xbox (possibly implying it will be a multiplatform title) it is still a major blow to Sony. Here's why.
Metal Gear Solid have been to Sony what the Legend of Zelda and Metroid series have been to Nintendo. They've been there for Sony since the beginning. They helped catapult the first Playstation to the level of success that it and its successors have today. Imagine if Microsoft announced the next Zelda or Metroid game would be coming to the 360. That's what we're talking about here.
(Note: Just to clarify, I'm very much aware of the fact that both of those games are first party games for Nintendo and that, as such, Nintendo would never, EVER, license them to a rival. That being said, the impact those franchises have had for Nintendo is comparable to the impact Sony has had from the Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy franchises.)
It's very understandable that Konami would make this move. Sony has remained incredibly bullish about keeping the PS3 at its current price point of 399.99 USD, and the only way that a developer can put pressure on a company like Sony is to do exactly what Kojima and Co. have done: take the business elsewhere. The Playstation 3 has approximately 25% less hardware on the market as Microsoft does, and it makes financial sense for Konami to take its biggest franchise to the platform that has the most consumers, yet also possesses the technology to remain true to their vision. Microsoft and the 360 fit both criteria.
In addition, exclusive franchises are what tend to drive hardware sales in this industry. Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid are as big as they come. These two each have as rabid a fan base as you could hope for, and any fan that hadn't bought a PS3 up to now would, in all likelihood, strongly consider going that route if the next installments of each were announced exclusively for the PS3. Now that isn't the case, and hardware sales for the PS3 will very likely suffer for it, especially as long as Sony holds out on a price cut for its big black behemoth.
At E3 2008, when Square Enix announced Final Fantasy XIII would arrive on the Xbox 360. Now, a year later, Microsoft has scored what could possibly be considered a major coup against Sony. In a span of twelve months, Sony lost exclusivity rights to the next installments of its two biggest franchises, and there's no reason to think it would go back to the way it was before.
Where do they (Sony) go from here? Basically, they had better have the absolute best showing of any developer as well as the Big Three this week. Personally, I don't think that an announcement of a PS3 Slim or a major price cut (read: $100) for the PS3 overall will do it.
Sony had better have the Ace of all aces up their collective sleeve. If not, I cannot help but wonder if this will mark the beginning of the end of Sony's reign atop the gaming mountain.
