What games are you currently playing?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

You say the online pass thing is unnecessary: I agree with you. It's silly and short-sighted. And yes, it's a small hindrance. What's your proposed alternative?

I already stated it: Add value to the product rather than diminish the content experience of the game.

If a small fry like Atlus can do it, EA has no excuse.

Amalur having a collector's edition when its an unproven franchise is nothing short of stupid, especially when gamer know a year down the road that there will probably be a complete edition. People will buy Skyrim, on the other hand, because its Elder Scrolls and they already know the value is there in content and the truly hardcore will buy the collector's edition with its massive artbooks and pewter figures.

I ran out and got Skyward Sword collectors edition for a golden Wiimote. People bought Gears of War 3 collectors edition because of the Lancer. But these are proven franchises. There is no risk in selling special editions of a proven series.

There's always a risk doing that with something unproven, which is why when Atlus has a new IP or game to publish there's usually a little something that comes with it at no extra cost. Fans respond to that good treatment, too. Its how Atlus USA has the customer loyalty it does. They're not going to just publish Gungnir or Growlancer without an incentive.

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Just got home with FFXIII-2 (decided to just rent it for a week in the end) and there's already an update for it rofl...


Well, I'll let ya'll know how it is after dinner.

[Nestama]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Isn't it all the way on the east side of the Spine in MeriMount? Just around the edge of it I believe.

I think that's after I get the egg. I have to excavate it in the Maze of Shakhrami first.

[Squiggs]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Oh yeah, you're right.

[Icemage]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

I already stated it: Add value to the product rather than diminish the content experience of the game.

You're dodging the question. How do you pay for the online servers for a game that features multiplayer?


Icemage

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

You're dodging the question. How do you pay for the online servers for a game that features multiplayer?


Icemage

Well, for one, I would not stick multiplayer in games where it clearly doesn't belong. We all know Mass Effect did not need multiplayer. Take away the story and you have a mediocre duck and cover shooter. The multiplayer exists to justify the online pass this time around. Same with Uncharted.

If you don't put online where its not needed, you don't have server upkeep to worry about. Problem solved.

Also, doesn't DLC exist as a revenue stream? Don't Mass Effect and Uncharted have DLC? If there's not enough money coming in from your players buying DLC, where is that money going? Activision doesn't seem to need online passes for Call of Duty and provide map packs on a near-quarterly basis.

And in the case of both games, I'd imagine they'd save a shitton of money if they weren't hiring all these expensive actors and just went with some talented start-ups instead. Again, I'm going to point to Atlus here. They get a lot of top-shelf talent but don't spend millions and millions of dollars on these people

I can't feel sorry for a big business that spends their money or allocate revenue so poorly. You don't need Nolan North, Jennifer Hale and Cam Clarke in everything, just like you don't need multiplayer in everything. Multiplayer is not a checkbox requirement every game must fill.

DXHR didn't need it. Skyrim doesn't. Zelda doesn't do it with main series entries, Zelda's multiplayer is a subseries. There's a thought - make a standalone multiplayer game if you want to sell multiplayer. With Halo or Gears of War multiplayer an expected part of the package because those games excel at multiplayer, but Uncharted and Mass Effect's best strengths lie in the single player experience and no one played the first games in those series thinking "Man this would be great with some other people" because its a pretty vanilla shooter.

------------

Got to try out a Vita for a few minutes.

Screen is pretty, but just as friendly to fingerprinting as the 3DS top screen is.
Anlalog sticks feel cheap and poorly placed, while playing Gravity Rush it was hard to hold on with the right thumb on the stick and use the right shoulder button at the same time.
Using the accelerometers was more practical than the second analog.
Load times... I almost gave up and walked away before Gravity Rush loaded after almost three minutes from starting up on the home screen.

[Raydeus]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Standalone multiplayer spin-offs of games with a F2P model sounds like a very good idea to me.

[Icemage]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

If you don't put online where its not needed, you don't have server upkeep to worry about. Problem solved.

So no one should attempt multiplayer at all, ever, unless they're as big as Call of Duty / Battlefield / Halo? I agree that some games don't really need it, and certainly more games add it as a bullet point than make an honest attempt at it, but Uncharted's multiplayer, while not "the best", is at least "decent", and does have some good design decisions buried under the lackluster gunplay.

Also, doesn't DLC exist as a revenue stream? Don't Mass Effect and Uncharted have DLC? If there's not enough money coming in from your players buying DLC, where is that money going? Activision doesn't seem to need online passes for Call of Duty and provide map packs on a near-quarterly basis.

Call of Duty Elite isn't an online pass? You could have fooled me.

And in the case of both games, I'd imagine they'd save a shitton of money if they weren't hiring all these expensive actors and just went with some talented start-ups instead. Again, I'm going to point to Atlus here. They get a lot of top-shelf talent but don't spend millions and millions of dollars on these people.

I can't feel sorry for a big business that spends their money or allocate revenue so poorly. You don't need Nolan North, Jennifer Hale and Cam Clarke in everything, just like you don't need multiplayer in everything. Multiplayer is not a checkbox requirement every game must fill.

Yes, every movie should be The Blair Witch Project too.

Do you honestly believe some of the things you type? Sure, "some" of the marketing is pretty over-the-top, but frankly, some of those people actually are pretty talented (see: Jennifer Hale), and their presence adds to the fanbase for the game, which is a desirable thing if you're a developer/publisher. Absolutely, some of the high-priced talent that gets called in gets wasted, or isn't nearly as much of a draw as a publisher might hope, but sometimes it's helpful.

Case in point: I bought the Back to the Future games as digital downloads primarily on the premise of having a chance to experience some more fun from Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox. That was worth the price of admission for me, and without them, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have bought the games.

---

Just got home with Soul Calibur V. Impressions will be posted soonish.


Icemage

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Eh, I wouldn't use COD as an example purely because COD is so popular that the moment they instituted online passes the inevitable shitstorm that would follow would be unprecedented. They have COD Elite now anyway so they are (and have been for some time now) making a killing off DLC.


On to FFXIII-2: Holy Jebus what a psycho opening, really just makes the rest of the game kind of... crappy... once you're in control of Serah. I mean honestly, you do NOT open the game with the settings cranked up to 10 and then dial it back to like, 4... wtf SE.


Otherwise it's just fine so far. I'm not very far in due to constant interruptions, only just reaching basically the demo's stage now. Pro-tip: For the medical kit sidequest in the beginning, you can't actually get it until you've found the first artefact (yes it's spelled that way on purpose, wtf SE) and then you'll find it near the first gate to the NW.

Also some of the boss fight music is just awful. The first boss against Gogmagog or w/e he's called sounds like a rejected track from Devil May Cry - it's so out of place it's not even funny.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Do you honestly believe some of the things you type? Sure, "some" of the marketing is pretty over-the-top, but frankly, some of those people actually are pretty talented (see: Jennifer Hale), and their presence adds to the fanbase for the game, which is a desirable thing if you're a developer/publisher. Absolutely, some of the high-priced talent that gets called in gets wasted, or isn't nearly as much of a draw as a publisher might hope, but sometimes it's helpful.

I assure you, 75% of the people playing don't even know who Jennifer Hale is, nor do they care. But does having Felicia Day help sell your DLC? Is having big actors on board for TOR expansions really a bright idea when story is all that's selling your MMO when it should be gameplay content?

Case in point: I bought the Back to the Future games as digital downloads primarily on the premise of having a chance to experience some more fun from Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox. That was worth the price of admission for me, and without them, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have bought the games.

AJ LoCascio voiced Marty McFly, not Micheal J. Fox, save for a bit part in Episode 5.

But hey, thanks for proving my point on that blind taste test.

I love that James Woods always reprises Hades for Kingdom Hearts, but I'm not exactly broken up that Danny Devito doesn't reprise Phil. In fact, you'd hardly know the difference. The fact that Woods comes out to reprise every time probably says more for his love for that character than the money he's getting paid.

You notice the difference on Genie, but then, the difference between Robin Williams and Dan Castellaneta is Dan makes millions on just doing Homer Simpson and the only way to get Williams to do anything for less than Dan likely takes is for him to already have named a child after it.

But in the end, they are all replaceable. Nice if you can get the big actors, but totally not needed or a deal breaker.

[Nestama]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Also some of the boss fight music is just awful. The first boss against Gogmagog or w/e he's called sounds like a rejected track from Devil May Cry - it's so out of place it's not even funny.

Which is why I'm going to take advantage of the 360's media player. When one of the terrible boss themes of FFXIII-2 start, I'll just pause, load up a random boss theme from another game and enjoy the battle (s'what I did when I played the demo for a third time. Since I only had Persona 4 music at the time, I wound up using "I'll face myself" against Atlas' hand and "The Almighty" against Atlas itself. It somehow made the battles feel... right?) :D

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Didn't have a problem with the music. Probably because I don't try to have problems with music. I find it funny people get all hopped up about games not having Japanese voices but absolutely detest any music suited to the tastes of the Japanese audience. You'd have to be as bad as Chibo Matto to get me to shut it off.

Read Joystiq's SC V review, it was exactly the review I was looking for, reviewed by a SC II fan. I'll probably be skipping it, Project Soul still seems to be making weird choices. Saying its the best one since SCII almost get it there, but then I read about the defense changes and single player is still a mess. You'd think after Square Enix and Team Ninja made good story modes that everyone else finally could at least make the effort to make a decent single player mode.

[Raydeus]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

What's wrong with the music? I haven't heard any of it but I was expecting at least the CS and music were going to be the game's saving graces. <_<;




Well... and Serah. <_<;

[Kailea]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

I still ahve to beat FFXIII before I can play FFXIII (that an not buying it till it drops to about 30ish) but before I play FFXIII I have to finish Enchanted Arms..... and well I just got Soul Calibur V

.....oh Soul Calibur V..... there is only one thing I can say to sum up all my feelings for that game.....

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Xehanort doesn't have feelings so I can only assume you mean you're pretending to like Soulcalibur V