[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a 

Actually i think it's only fools who are preoccupied with 'hype', and im not one of them. i guess that's all some 'gamers' can hold onto now.

You're not preoccupied with it.... yet you still find the time to make an ignorant post that calls the entire article into question. That makes loads of sense.

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a 

Thanks for the compliment on the smiley.

I'm beginning suspect most of your ignorance is an act.

Originally Posted by exca1ibur 

It's no more a risk than Microsoft and Sony releasing motions control right now. Nintendo had the arcade stick out as well should even the motion control idea tanked. With their brand and games for their market they had not much to loose either way. It's pretty much just a peripheral. The benefit of having it bundle just guaranteed that it would be developed for as a primary than say WiFit, or Guitar Hero which nothing outside of their own software supports it.

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Nintendo didn't put all its eggs in the motion control basket. Nintendo has more baskets, controller-wise, than any other company out there.

Here's my thing guys: They didn't support use of the classic controller in the new Wii games. They basically said its my way or the highway when it comes to motion control (I chose the highway). They have become more lax regarding that requirement now that they have the marketshare (See: Punch-Out!), but initially. Not that I recall.

[exca1ibur]

So true. Lack of games towards what I like and yester-year technology is what turned me off, personally. I feel like I'd been there done that, when I tried it.

[Dakar V]

Following in yesterday's footsteps, a graph on the MS Conference (Big Image alert)
Kotaku - Tracking The Ups And Downs Of Microsoft's E3 Press Conference - Microsoft



A few observations:
• People hate Yoko (lulz)
• Despite all the crap he takes Cliffy B fared well (Better than Modern Warfare, for perspective)
• Crackdown 2 & Alan Wake got the most positive interest
• Project Natal & Milo make up two of the lowest points (Tony Haw and his peripheral is the other huge dip interestingly)

[Hawkeye_a]

Brutal Legend. I heard some game show mention it was being directed by Tim Schafer..... the same guy who was the writer(or just worked on?) on Maniac Mansion, Day of the Tentacle, Monkey Islands, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango(which i still have not played).

Brutal Legend could have some very entertaining writing, i guess.

Cheers

[starman]

What bothers me about some of these new controller technologies is that there's no force feedback. For example, certain Nintendo fanboys might LOVE the new controller and call it revolutionary, but you're still using it in a virtual space. When you swing with your Wiimote, you don't FEEL anything. It's phony. Oh sure you get some sh!t audio from the tinny speaker, but if you can't feel what you're doing, what difference does it make if you're doing it with a Wiimote or a standard controller? The end result is the same - you're not really DOING anything.

[Dakar V]

Forza 3 to provide access to players of all skill levels - Ars Technica

"The six year-old with the Lamborghini poster on his wall, I want him to be playing," the Turn 10 representative said during our demo with the game. To that end, there will be a whole new series of assists available for players. You can turn autobrake on, for instance, and only worry about following the line. The new combination of assists and options will mean that anyone, from the age of six to 60, will be able to play the game.

There will also be a rewind feature, so if you mess up on a long race you can go back in time and try a turn again. "If you're at the end of a five-lap race, and you make one mistake, that's when you decide to turn the game off and go to bed," he explained. "I don't want to lose people at that point." The rewind function will end those gut-wrenching moments when you blow your perfect run.

I realize some of these features will probably turn off the purists, but as someone who gave up on the GT franchise because of stuff like blowing a race in one mistake, its enough to get me to consider giving simulation driving another try.

[Dakar V]

Ars does their breakdown of E3.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

I realize some of these features will probably turn off the purists, but as someone who gave up on the GT franchise because of stuff like blowing a race in one mistake, its enough to get me to consider giving simulation driving another try.

GT4 was far more forgiving with the absence of vehicle damage.

Try being in 1st for the Endurance Race of the Nuremberg Ring (where each lap is about 7 minutes, I believe there were 7 laps) and then on one of the last turns you slide off the road and wreck your car so bad you end up in 5th.

Though, as a purist, thats what makes the game enjoyable for me, there's no nitrous-boosting over buildings and finding hidden Mountain Dew cans or some sh!t (San Fran Rush) just making it from start to finish in one piece. The new settings don't bother me, I'd imagine the amount of money you win with these handicaps on is significantly less.

[Dakar V]

GT3 was the last one I bothered with. It was incredibly sterile. I'd use cars a good deal better than my competitors and barely win races, and after a certain point it became clear difficulty was being equated with the number of laps you had to do. Sorry, but doing 25 laps on Track A with a car is not more interesting than when I did only 10 a few races earlier.

Honestly, if you're going to do a format like that, I'd enjoy a version that was made-up entirely of online racing. Now when you blow a corner on lap 7, you know you're not screwed because you've got 7 other human opponents who could do the same at any time. Career progression against real people.


It's odd, I really, really loved GT2. I just can't figure out what the difference was between the two.

[Dakar V]

Wednesday Morning News Bukkake

Some trash talking from Nintendo
Kotaku - Nintendo Expected Rival Motion Control Last Year - Microsoft

According to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, "To tell the truth, I expected them to come up with stuff like this last year. So in my mind they're later than expected." But that doesn't mean he's against his competitors entering this new realm — instead Iwata says he's happy that it's now an industry standard. "I'd like to say to them, 'Welcome to the motion-control world!'"

Kotaku - Why Valve Don't Develop For The PS3 - Valve

The PC and the 360 are just more straightforward. We can focus on what we want to do, which is make game experiences, instead of sweating bullets over obscure architectural decisions they make with their platform. [...] I didn't come into this business in the 90s because of some technical fetish. I came in because I wanted to give people experiences that made them have fun.

A little more of that tired old chestnut
Kotaku - Sony: Any Regrets On Blu-Ray, PS3 Launch? - PS3

"For other consoles which have a five year life cycle it is much easier to judge performance after two years," said Hirai. "But for us, with the 10 year life cycle we have, it is premature to judge after such a short time."

Here's a good way to get me to look at your game:
Kotaku - Crackdown 2 To Feature 4-Player Co-Op - Crackdown 2

Apparently the game will allow for up to 16 players in multiplayer, which is nice, but it will also feature 4-player co-op. Which is nicer. Of course, how it'll allow for 4-player co-op is anyone's guess. And an Xbox.com product page can't be relied on as gospel, especially so far out from the game's release. But still, looks promising!

EA exec: 360 has already been 'maxed out'

So it gives us pause when we hear someone like senior vice president of EA Games Europe, Patrick Soderlund say something like "I do think that we'll see developers inside the organization getting to understand the PS3 better and I think that we're getting more power out of PS3 right now... I think that we've maxed out the 360 but we haven't maxed out the PS3."

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

GT3 was the last one I bothered with. It was incredibly sterile. I'd use cars a good deal better than my competitors and barely win races, and after a certain point it became clear difficulty was being equated with the number of laps you had to do. Sorry, but doing 25 laps on Track A with a car is not more interesting than when I did only 10 a few races earlier.

Honestly, if you're going to do a format like that, I'd enjoy a version that was made-up entirely of online racing. Now when you blow a corner on lap 7, you know you're not screwed because you've got 7 other human opponents who could do the same at any time. Career progression against real people.


It's odd, I really, really loved GT2. I just can't figure out what the difference was between the two.

To Forza 2 and GT4s defense the AI cars would crash and spin off the track, although not as often as a human driver, instead of putting up constant flawless laps.

[Dakar V]

Well, I hope they release a demo on to XBL.

In the meantime, just for you: Kotaku - Forza 3: Car Porn in Motion - E3

[sek929]

Man, that game looks absolutely gorgeous.

[is not]

There are no rewind moments in real driving.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by is not 

There are no rewind moments in real driving.

Thankfully hardcore players can choose not to use that feature.

[carolina17]

Honestly, Nintendo did a great job because the Wii is suitable for everyone. Even my parents like to play with it. They used to hate video games.
Nintendo reached a broader audience from kids to seniors. Do you think kids or seniors are inclined to download video games illegally ? I am not surprised competitors like Sony and Microsoft plan to release motion sensor gadgets.
Check this article to understand the idea behind project Natal.

[Hawkeye_a]

*nevermind*

[Dakar V]

The final conference graph:
Kotaku - Tracking The Ups And Downs Of Sony's E3 Press Conference - Sony

[Dakar V]

NPD Numbers! (For May 2009)

01. UFC 2009 Undisputed (Xbox 360) - 679,600
02. Wii Fit (Wii) - 352,800
03. EA Sports Active (Wii) - 345,800
04. UFC 2009 Undisputed (PS3) - 334,400
05. inFamous (PS3) - 175,900
06. Pokemon Platinum (DS) - 168,900
07. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 158,300
08. Punch-Out!! (Wii) - 156,900
09. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Xbox 360) - 120,700
10. Wii Play (Wii) - 109,800

• So UFC Undisputed absolutely destroyed the competition. To underscore its popularity, the week it came out it held two spots on the XBOX Live most played Top Ten list, one for the retail version, and one for the demo.

• I'm sure no one is surprised that the much hyped and discussed EA Sports Active comes in at number three.

• InFamous, another PS3 exclusive, leaves the gates slower than Killzone 2.

• My pick for year best-seller (Punch-Out!) is already on the mat trying to get up.

[jokell82]

That represents less than a week of sales for inFamous, though.

[Dakar V]

I think Killzone had a whole 2 days to itself.

[Dakar V]

Killzone 2 sold 323K copies, becoming the fifth best-selling game of the month. Depending on your fanboy bias, this is either a disaster considering the incredible hype surrounding the title, or this is a terrific accomplishment, considering the game's two-day availability in February.

SCEA responds to February NPD, praises Killzone 2 sales

Wow, things are never that quick or easy to find.

[Dakar V]

Friday Morning Round-Up

Xbox Live: 'Community Games' become 'Indie Games'

Kotaku - "Small Team" Working On Mirror's Edge 2 - EA Dice

For sek: Hands-on: Forza Motorsport 3

Kotaku - Nintendo Tops U.S. May Hardware Sales Once Again As Sales Drop - Sales

Kotaku - NPD Instant Analysis: Things You Should Note - Sales

[mattyb]

This thread is better than RSS feeds.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

This thread is better than RSS feeds.

It actually is.

[Dakar V]

So apparently I missed this earlier in the week. It's interesting mostly because it's about the only time I've heard an analyst so critical of a company.

...That analyst is Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter, who commented on the most recent episode of GameTrailers' Bonus Round that "$249 is too much. Period." Pachter agreed with host Geoff Keighley that Sony is "ripping off the consumer" at that price point, claiming that the PSPgo costs less to make than the already profitable PSP-3000. Sony, on the other hand, thinks it's priced appropriately.

...

"The PSP Go has a better gaming architecture and better games, but lacks many of the features that the iPod Touch has," he said via e-mail. "In my view, its price should be compared to the PSP 3000, which does pretty much all the same things and is $80 cheaper."

Pachter said during his Bonus Round screen time that pricing the new PSP at a price above the Xbox 360 Arcade and at the Wii's price point was reflective of the handheld costing too much.

"I just am not going to pull punches and say that the price of the PSP Go is justified, since I don't think it will work at that level," the analyst said. "If it cost them $80 more, I would not have answered Keighley the same way. However, I think it costs the same or less to produce, so the increase in price means an increase in profit at the expense of the consumer. I think that Apple rips off consumers as well (look at THEIR profits), but wasn't asked that question."

Amazing, right? Today...

Michael Pachter has stated he "sincerely" regrets commenting that Sony is ripping off consumers with the PSP Go's $250 price point. In an interview with IndustryGamers, Pachter takes the opportunity at the end to say that he doesn't believe Sony is doing anything nefarious and has "the right to price its products at a point that they think is competitive." He states the company is pricing the handheld to be competitive with the iPod Touch and that the PSP Go "arguably has much more value than the Apple product."

Hmm, as much as we respect Present Pachter's opinion, Past Pachter was a little more on the ball with the consumer's perspective of the PSP Go's pricing. Past Pachter noted, "The $169 PSP-3000 is a profitable device -- the disc assembly, for a UMD, costs more than 16 gigs of flash does. So this new device doesn't cost them as much as the PSP-3000 and they jack the price up $80?" It seems Past Pachter was viewing the product through consumer eyes, while Present Pachter is in business mode and wearing the glasses of the Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter.

[jokell82]

Pachter had it right the first time and is a spineless jackass to backpedal.

In other news, the Wii is now the fastest console to hit 20 million sales in the US:
Nintendo Wii sets US sales record

[Dakar V]

Weekend Round-up

Kotaku - Burnout Dev: No One's Ever "Maxed" a Console - PS3

The technical director for Criterion (Burnout Paradise) wants to put a stop to a persistent cliché in development: The idea that some game or project is maxing out a console's capabilities.

Such a claim is "proof that you're not the best," Richard Parr said to Eurogamer. "It means you're out of ideas."

New Super Mario Bros. Wii, future titles will play themselves

Starting with upcoming New Super Mario Bros. Wii, future Nintendo Wii titles will be shipping with the ability to, well, play themselves. In an interview with USA Today, the man who birthed Mario confirmed the existence of "demo play" for the next Mario game and "future games, too" -- essentially an option to allow the game to play itself when the player encounters an area too difficult for them to handle.

Rumor: Natal part of new Xbox console, due Fall 2010

Lest you think this is going to be a simple bundle, Natal camera included, 1UP "heard it will be considered a new platform and carry a new name (Xbox Natal?)." Suddenly, we're reminded of the rumored Valhalla chipset, which would combine the 65nm CPU and 65nm GPU into one superchip, with reduced cooling and power demands. With that, Microsoft could make a smaller – more Wii-esque if you will – Xbox console, perfect for the mainstream consumer.

I'm too tired to discuss the final rumor at the moment.

[jokell82]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

New Super Mario Bros. Wii, future titles will play themselves

What a horrible idea. It reminds me of how the concept of winning is being erased from kids these days (all competitive sports taken out of PE, losers getting trophies in little league, etc.).

[Dakar V]

I don't think its aimed at kids, though, I think it's aimed at old people.

Edit: Nevermind, you didn't say it was aimed at kids.

[Chuckit]

I think it's aimed at anyone who doesn't care that much about games. I used to do this for my sister — she'd hand me the controller and just say, "Beat this part for me." So I'd kill whatever was giving her trouble and then she could go on her merry way.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

I think it's aimed at anyone who doesn't care that much about games. I used to do this for my sister — she'd hand me the controller and just say, "Beat this part for me." So I'd kill whatever was giving her trouble and then she could go on her merry way.

Maybe the next NXE update will allow us to remote in to our friends' 360s so we can beat that trouble spot for them. (Har)

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

I'm too tired to discuss the final rumor at the moment.

I don't think there is much to discuss anyway, was I interested on it I would prefer it that way instead of selling it as a 'seasonable' add-on. This way the buyer might suppose the developers would be keen to develop for it instead of hum, let see how well it sells cause it is an expensive add-on… After all, that thing is supposed to be aimed to people that didn't care about the "hardcore" 360 before, right?

As for hardware GPUs, CPUs… I don't know sh!t cause I don't give a damn about it, funny has to be measured beyond teraflops…

[Hawkeye_a]

New XBox in 2010 ? Sounds about right... the XB360 came out in late 2005, right ? I think it'll be a 'slim' version of the 360 with the camera stuff in there. i wonder what the cost of natal will be...although im sure Microsoft will give it away for chips as no one will pay cost-price for it . They really need to simplify their offerings...too many SKUs...too confusing for the market they are courting(casual).

Cheers

[Brien]

I agree. Replace all current SKUs with a new slimline one and bundle Natal with it. The newer chipset should be cheaper, so I could potentially seeing this SKU go for $199.

[jokell82]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a 

New XBox in 2010 ? Sounds about right... the XB360 came out in late 2005, right ? I think it'll be a 'slim' version of the 360 with the camera stuff in there. i wonder what the cost of natal will be...although im sure Microsoft will give it away for chips as no one will pay cost-price for it . They really need to simplify their offerings...too many SKUs...too confusing for the market they are courting(casual).

Cheers

They really only have one too many SKUs - the Arcade. MS needs to drop that one completely.

[Dakar V]

Kotaku - Microsoft Respond To "New Xbox" Rumors - Microsoft

Over the weekend, 1UP ran a rumour that a new Xbox console would be launching next year, to coincide with the release of Microsoft's Project Natal motion-sensing camera. Today, Microsoft responds.

Xbox director of product management Aaron Greenberg has told Eurogamer "I think part of the excitement about this announcement is that in many ways we are delivering a next generation experience this generation. With that said, I can confirm that Natal will run on Xbox 360 so no new console investment will be necessary."

Seems to pour cold water on the suggestion that it would be an all-new console. But you know what? With these PR statements, the devil is in the detail.

On Friday we toned down the speculation a dial, and figured that were a new console to launch next year alongside the camera, it would simply be a rebranded, repackaged Xbox 360. A 360 slim, if you will. Greenberg's vague statement leaves that possibility wide open.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by jokell82 

They really only have one too many SKUs - the Arcade. MS needs to drop that one completely.

Only if it isn't selling, and I bet it's not the one in dead last.

[jokell82]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

Only if it isn't selling, and I bet it's not the one in dead last.

Oh I bet it's the sales leader, but it should be dropped anyway. Every 360 should come with a hard drive.

[Dakar V]

Every console should come with a hard drive (I've been saying that since 2004), but I can't blame MS for using the Arcade as a trojan horse. I will blame them for their positively ludicrous standalone HDD prices, though.

[jokell82]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

Query:

Brutal Legend – Does anyone here give a sh¡t?

In the time I spend on gaming news sites the past few months it seems like its getting a crapton of coverage.
Honestly, I don't even know what its actually about. Something about music and an annoying looking lead.

FYI, Brutal Legend is up for the "Best of Show" award:
Kotaku - And The Game Critics Best Of E3 2009 Award Nominees Are... - Best of E3 Awards

Best of Show
- Brütal Legend (Double Fine Productions/EAP for PS3, Xbox 360)
- Mass Effect 2 (BioWare/Electronic Arts for Xbox 360, PC)
- Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward/Activision for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
- Splinter Cell Conviction (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for Xbox 360)
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PS3)

Winners are announced next week.

[Dakar V]

For sek: Jalopnik - Forza Motorsport 3: Le Mans Screen Shots, Partial Car List - Forza Motorsport 3

Forza Motorsport 3 Confirmed (Partial) Car List:

Road Cars:
Corvette Z06
Corvette ZR1
Alfa Romeo 8C
Aston Martin DBS
Audi R8 4.2L V8
Audi R8 5.2L V10
BMW 135i
BMW E92 M3
Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR
Ferrari F430 Scuderia
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Ford GT
Jaguar XKR
Lamborghini LP640-4
Maserati Gran Turismo
Mercedes-McLaren SLR
Nissan 370Z

Race Cars:
#2 Audi Sport North America R8
#7 Team Bentley Speed 8
#8 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R10 TDI
#15 BMW Motorsport V12 LMR
# 6 Team Cadillac Northstar LMP-02
#30 MOMO Doran Racing F333 SP
#3 Peugeot Talbot Sport 905 Evo 1C
#8 Peugeot Sport 908
#3 Toyota Motorsports GT-ONE TS020
#2 Audi Sport North America R10 TDI

I have to admit the thumbnails on some the new pics could damn well be confused for reality if you're not paying attention.

[sek929]

Screw the thumbnails, that first pic had me double-take.

[Dakar V]

**** you, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, and Vermont!

[Dakar V]

Just because video game studies usually don't go this way...
Gamasutra - News - Research: 'Prosocial' Games Have Strong Correlation With Good Behavior

---

Gamasutra - News - Report: Nielsen Says Halo: ODST Has Biggest Purchase Intent Post-E3

Twelve games captured 30% or greater purchase intent, which Nielsen defines as "definitely or probably interested in buying the title", as follows:

1. Halo ODST - 53%
2. God of War III - 49%
3. Wii Sports Resort - 45%
4. Guitar Hero 5 - 42%
5. Final Fantasy XIII - 37%
6. Madden 2010 - 35%
7. Guitar Hero: Van Halen - 34%
=8. Assassins Creed 2 - 32%
=8. Need for Speed: Shift - 32%
=8. Need for Speed: Nitro - 32%
=8. NCAA Football 10 - 32%
12. Beatles Rock Band - 30%

That's a pretty awful, but I guess unsurprising (or uninspired), list.

The first commenter astutely noted that Modern Warfare 2 is conspicuously absent.
I'll note that Brutal Legend is too, thankfully.

[Dakar V]

I think I owe you guys some news.

It appears more likely the "rumored" console will be a Natal/Slim 360 bundle
Kotaku - Microsoft: There Will Be "No New Console" - Microsoft

And really, that's all I could have asked for.

Bad News, Everyone:
Kotaku - Hollywood Attempting Video Game Comedy With 'Alt-Delete' - Movies

It'll probably air on the CW.

---

Activision CEO not content with 2nd most hated company status.
Kotick questions continued Activision support of Sony platforms

"I'm getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don't make it easy for me to support the platform. It's expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better."

Kotick openly called for a price cut on the PS3, citing a probable drop in attach rates. We can only imagine how Sony feels about being told its prices are too high by the CEO of the company behind (according to retailers) the $200 Band Hero box.

As entertaining as the Sony ripping is, this guy essentially runs a sequel factory which is quickly becoming, in my opinion, a worse nickel and dime operation than EA. This is only exacerbated by the fact that he's essentially telling a hardware company to take a [bigger] loss so he can make more money on the franchises he's milking to death. Personally, I don't buy his threat. Activision is so frenzied for every last $ it can get they won't drop a system they're even mildly profitable on, especially when it only requires a port.

[Dakar V]

So I'm bored and I found a fantastic show of how much of a d-bag this guy is.
Activision: if we can't run a game into the ground, we don't want it - Ars Technica

On a conference call, Activision Blizzard CEO was pretty open about his thought process. Unless he can beat a horse into tatters, he doesn't want to ride it. MTV Multiplayer has the story:

Kotick responded not by addressing any of the games by name, but by talking about Activision’s publishing philosophy. The games Activision Blizzard didn't pick up, he said, "don't have the potential to be exploited every year on every platform with clear sequel potential and have the potential to become $100 million franchises. … I think, generally, our strategy has been to focus… on the products that have those attributes and characteristics, the products that we know [that] if we release them today, we'll be working on them 10 years from now."

Bolded emphasis mine.

[Stogieman]

I guess this means we'll never see another Lost Vikings sequel with this d-bag at the helm.

[Chuckit]

What the heck does "alt-delete" mean?

[Aegis]

Perhaps I'm giving them too much credit, but I bet they'd say "It's comedy, but it's out of control!"