12 posts tagged “playstation 3”

When the Xbox 360 launched, there wasn't a much to be excited about. The hype train for Perfect Dark Zero was derailed fairly quickly and while Project Gotham Racing 3 ushered us all into this magical HD era, it was sleeper hits like Condemned: Criminal Origins that kept us up late at night. Though for as great (or not so great) as these games were, only one title garners unanimous praise, even to this day. A four dollar title by the name of Geometry Wars. It was Xbox Live Arcade that carried the 360 through its inevitable post-launch slump and while lacking content even then, the combination of technology and convenience instilled nothing but confidence in the user base.

This was, however, the second time that Microsoft had launched the Xbox Live Arcade. Back in November of 2004, folks could waltz into just about any Gamestop in the country and pick up a free Xbox Live Arcade starter disc. Also on the disc was a free copy of Ms. Pac-Man for Arcade.

The last time I checked, this was 2007. Yesterday, Ms. Pac-Man was released on Xbox Live Arcade and so have the floodgates for my unbridled frustration over the service. For about four bucks you may download a 26 year old game that was released on the exact same service three years ago and for free at that. Why consumers have not requested the head of whoever thinks that this is what people want, I do not know.

Microsoft has had more than a year to build up the arcade empire and have stumbled in just about every way imaginable. The promise of "a new game every wednesday" during the Summer failed once they had to start kicking out Uno decks. The promotion, so obviously flawed, is no longer even promoted on their website. Not doing anyone any favors is a PR blockade so incredibly bad at their job of controlling damage that they make their rabid, blank-filling fanboy nation look almost capable by comparison.

With Nintendo kicking out a few games a week and Sony showing promise with titles such as Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection and their recent deal with Midway, Microsoft may have already lost their chance to grab the digital download market by the throat. The only thing saving them at this point is a lack of hardware from their competitors and Nintendo thinking it's an awesome idea to sell you Genesis games for eight bucks a pop. Is it harder to make a game for XBLA than it is for Virtual Console? Hell yes it is. This is reengineering an entire game to retrofit it with online play, leaderboards, achievements and more versus a simple cut and paste emulation job.

The problem is that all games on Xbox Live Arcade have to live up to the same standards that your typical Xbox 360 game does. The problem is that even after this rigorous testing and production process, most of them do not. See: the Contra debacle. See: the Texas Hold-Em patch. See: my patience going out the window.

While I wish that I could make a bold statement such as my New Years resolution being that I will not buy another Xbox Live Arcade title, but that would actually be an injustice to myself. The service is still an incredible one despite how intent Microsoft seems to be on screwing it up. There are still a handful of gems on their and more to come. That is if I still care by the time they finally get here.

As I awake early this morning to go see Armored Core 4, I look down upon my floor and notice a peculiar oddity. A copy of Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution. If you've spoken to me about fighting games before, you'll know that I really don't like Virtua Fighter. Though in my youth, it was Virtua Fighter 2 that made me, at one point, own a Sega Saturn. With all the hype concerning Virtua Fighter 5 (not to mention it being, quite literally, the only new fighting game next year), I was thinking about finally learning the beast proper in order to compete. With Sunnyvale Golfland having already bombed out on a dedicated cabinet before, I knew that my hopes of actually playing it in the arcade were slim to none.

I was thinking that maybe, I would try and get a Playstation 3 early. Like a whole 2 years early.

Let today be a lesson to everyone who does not yet own a Playstation 3, or is planning on getting one down the line. If there is an "exclusive" game that you're holding out for, be patient. Behold, the press release from Sega.

SEGA ANNOUNCES VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 FOR XBOX 360

Premiere Fighting Game Franchise Makes First Appearance on Microsoft’s Next Generation Videogame Console

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (December 21, 2006) – SEGA of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced that the highly anticipated arcade fighting game, Virtua Fighter™ 5, will make its way onto the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system. Virtua Fighter™ 5 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360™ in North America and in Europe during late summer 2007. The game will also be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system on February 20th, 2007 in North America and will be available in Europe simultaneously with the system’s launch in March 2007.

“Those people lucky enough to have already played Virtua Fighter™ 5 will know that it’s laid the foundations to become the clear benchmark for fighting games on all next generation consoles”, said Matt Woodley, Creative Director, SEGA Publishing Europe Ltd. “Bringing Virtua Fighter™ 5 to the Xbox 360™ offers us a platform with power to handle the astonishing visuals, the complex and varied fighting styles of all the customisable characters and will undoubtedly put Virtua Fighter™ 5 into the hands of a gaming audience craving for a highly polished and credible fighting game.”

Virtua Fighter™ 5 features beautifully detailed stages from around the world where players face off in fast-moving martial arts battles against one of 17 characters. Two lively new characters join the elite group of fighters, adding two new unique fighting styles for players to try and master. With more skill and strategy than ever before, players are also given the opportunity to learn and employ the new “Offensive Move” technique to take down their opponents from different angles, adding a new dimension to the game and something for both new and old fans to master. Virtua Fighter™ 5 also includes the ability to customise characters by selecting from four base costumes and a wide range of unlockable accessories and earnable items. As players win more tournaments they will not only earn costumes and accessories, but also prizes and in-game money that will allow them to buy items from the in-game shop.

“The Virtua Fighter™ series from SEGA has one of the most prestigious histories in video games,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “It’s a franchise that has grown an army of loyal fans both in arcades and on consoles worldwide, and is consistently rated extremely high by the media. Fighting game fans have been hungry for Virtua Fighter™ 5 and we can now proudly deliver this game with SEGA to Xbox 360 gamers around the world.”

Developed by the highly renowned Tokyo based development team, AM R&D Development No.2, Virtua Fighter™ 5 for the Xbox 360™ will be available across Europe and North America during late summer 2007.

[Link]

I said that Sega was dead to me and I'll stick to that the best I can. But the moment they wave an arcade perfect port of Virtua Fighter 5 in my face, I'm going to crack. I can now honestly only think of two exclusive (this time with no quotes) titles for the Playstation 3. Final Fantasy XIII and "that game by Naughty Dog".

Now we all get to smile, twiddle our thumbs and wait on the official Metal Gear Solid 4 announcement.

Now that the shock and "Aww, I can't believe Zelda didn't get anything" is over, it's time for the main event! There are a few new awards this year along with all the old favorites. Let's do this!

The Beyond Good and Evil Award
This highly prestigious award is given to the title which excelled in its field this year, yet managed to do it without gaining any profitable attention. Previous winners of this award include the namesake Beyond Good and Evil, Rallisport Challenge 2 and Stubbs the Zombie.

Viva Pinata (360)
Runner-Up: Every Extend Extra (PSP)

This is the second time in which the game of the year winner was also a complete and utter commercial failure (Beyond Good and Evil). While the nature of Viva Pinata means that it can have longer legs than most, its first month on the shelves was extremely disappointing and everyones loss.

The P.N.03 Award for Worst Game Ever
The P.N.03 award is handed to the worst game of the year. Be it plagued by shoddy development, a terrible idea or just being an overall mess, this title strived to be the absolute worst of the worst. P.N.03 may not have been the worst game of all time, but boy did it sure suck. Previous winners of this award include the namesake P.N.03, Fight Club and Psychotoxic.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire (PS3)
Runner-Up: Sonic the Hedgehog (360), Far Cry Vengeance (Wii)

It was a neck to neck race between Gundam and Sonic the Hedgehog, but nothing brought people together in both laughter and tears quite like Mobile Suit Gundam. The first time it was booted up within the 1UP offices, folks gathered around to witness it's sheer baditude. My head nearly popped from laughing so hard. There are epic games and then there are epic games. This one is the latter.

The Sin and Punishment Award
Named after the hideous, boring N64 shooter from Tresure, the Sin and Punishment award is reserved for the the title which claimed the hearts of "hardcore" fanboys around the world, despite the game being utter garbage or quite frankly, nothing special. Previous winners of this award include Ikaruga, Katamari Damacy and Shadow of the Colossus.

God Hand (PS2)

This is typically the manchild award -- reserved for games that pseudo-intellectual Japanophile basement dwellers lavish with praise despite the games' mediocre trappings, but this year was different. There was no game for this group of people to latch on to and declare "art". Instead, I just had to go with a game that was so awful, yet still highly praised by the kids who like anything Japanese for the sake of it being Japanese. Congratulations, God Hand. You're a 3 out of 10 hero!

Best Game That Rocked and Was Supposed to Suck

Here we have a game where you're the most useless character ever -- a woman, who is armed with a magical umbrella and must rely on a chemical imbalance in order to conquer evil. Wait, why was this supposed to suck again? This sounds great! And it was!

Best Game That Sucked and Was Supposed to Rock

Completely unlike this piece of trash! The "New" in New Super Mario Bros is a misnomer. Were there anything new or particularly interesting about it, I wouldn't have fallen asleep with the DS in my lap. Not once, but twice. And I don't recall ever having fallen asleep due to a game before. Quite possibly, the most safe game ever created.

Most Worthless Game in 2006

This one boggled my mind. For the first time since Tekken 3, the King of Iron Fist Tournament had become a media darling once more. The press loved it, the players loved it and by god, the upgrade to Dark Resurrection was awesome. Instead of rushing it to a console audience quick to gobble it up, they instead stuck it on the PSP. Words can not rationalize that logic. It was an unbelievably solid port. . but why the Hell did Namco-Bandai do this? The future Playstation Network release of Dark Resurrection helped push it over the content challenged Phantasy Star Universe.

Dead in 2006

"Wii check out Nintendo's latest!"

"This game is Wiily fresh!"

"C'mon everybody! It's a Wiikend!"

The second the sign over the urinal, instructing people where to Wii went down, the jokes should have stopped. It has gotten out of control and not only has it made the press gone retarded, but now the creepy Nintnendo fans (see: above) have an even creepier way to force the gospel down everyones throat. The dream is dead, folks. Go back to talking like normal human beings now.

Mr. and Mrs. 2006

He is the new President of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and is known for such fabulous lines as, "The essence of the Playstation DNA is real change and the consumers are ready." She taught the world that the kitchen isn't just for women, but gamers as well! Together, they can probably whip up a great RIIIIIIDGE RACER themed cake. Mr. and Mrs. 2006!

Best WTF of 2006
Dragon Quest IX Goes Portable
Runner-Up: Halo 3 Beta Announced

Aside from the knowledge that we'll be playing Halo 3 months ahead of time, the announcement that the Dragon Quest series will be moving to a portable platform was without a doubt, the biggest story of the year. Minds were blown. Pitchforks were raised. And the future of gaming was changed. . FOREVER!

In Japan, anyways.

Worst WTF of 2006
The Sony E3 Conference
Runner-Up: Sega, officially dead to me.

RIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RACER!

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I leave you with your quote of the year by Mr. Ken Kutaragi.

See you next match!

This past week has had me working on a very Playstation 3 centric feature for 1UP. One that has allowed for much more time to fiddle around with the system beyond popping in a game and letting loose. While the good news for the recently launched console is that it does not in fact play host to the worst launch lineup in history (according to metacritic. Cough.), the bad news is that it is still a huge pain in the ass to deal with beyond the aforementioned use. Only because I feel like venting, here are three of my newly discovered technical grievances with Sony's latest console.

The Playstation 3 can not adjust to new video input
According to Sony, the PS3 is not a video game system, but a super computer that can be harnessed by your average consumer. You know, to install Linux and pirate your games. I'm confused, as the PS3's inability to correct itself to changes in video format is like some twisted PC from the early 90's.

Let's say your PS3 at home is hooked up using component cables for a 720p signal. Your rich, bastard friend with the 1080p set wants you to bring over your new PS3 to show off that HDMI action. So you take it on over and plug it in using HDMI.

I hope you remembered to bring your component cables, otherwise you're going to be staring at a blank screen.

Unlike the XBOX 360 or, come to think of it, any other console ever manufactured, the Playstation 3 can not adapt to these sorts of changes. If you turned it off, set to one input and resolution then it will only be able to display that. Which means that in the event you want to switch inputs, you need to go to the display settings, change all your options, turn it off and then plug in your new cables. This technical oversight cost me about an hours worth of time as a fellow editor and I could not for the life of us understand why the PS3 wouldn't display a signal when switching out TV's.

The Cross Media Bar is an abomination
Everything concerning the user interface of the Playstation 3 is taken directly from the UI utilized on the Playstation Portable. That means, of course, the god awful Cross Media Bar has made a return, complete with the inability to see any options two apart from one another.

The entire reason why the blades on the 360, or even channels on the Wii work so well is that you can see all the options presented to you at all times. If I need to adjust my network settings on my 360, I know that I can look at my system blade and find the option immediately. This is just about impossible on the Playstation 3 which leads you to scrolling horizontally until you figure out which menu holds what options, and then vertically, two options at a time until you stumble upon what it was you were looking for.

And then you get to type everything you need utilizing the same, crappy, cell phone, text messaging bullshit we used on the PSP. Aces!

The Sixaxis does not like you
This one started out as a mild inconvenience until hours later when it turned into a hugely frustrating oversight. Turn on your Playstation 3 and then turn on your controller. Now go select your game. Hey! The controller turned itself off! Better yet, use the guide button to quit out back to the UI. It turned off again! Now swap games and -- it turned off again!

The media bar not withstanding, these are all extremely basic, yet vastly overlooked problems that continued to annoy me to the point where I didn't even want to be around it anymore. Thankfully, I'm done with my research and I can build up some sort of temporary immunity to it for the next time I need to be inflicted with such backwards design.

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. That is the stance I choose to take when concerning the two hardware launches we just witnessed. When there were folks sitting outside in the bitter cold, waiting to either get shot or gain a Playstation 3, I was at home, fiddling around with my virtual pinata. Instead of waking up at the crack of noon to go procure myself a Nintendo Wii, I was in bed, getting some much needed rest.

Even my parents are wondering just whats wrong with me. Sorry folks, but I found it extremely difficult to muster any semblance of excitement concerning these two launches. Having played both the launch and extended library of the two, I'd much rather just sit on the sidelines and do with what I got for now.

And what I got is classic Bungie goodness.

I should really thank Dan for doing what I only failed at in the past -- compiling the Marathon Trilogy for PPC Macs. With the Halo 3 hype in full swing and Halo 2 simply unplayable online thanks to the misanthropic community it still plays host to, I decided to go back and play through Marathon. I've lost count how many times I've done this, but it never seems to get old.

More comparable to fellow classic System Shock than anything else, I still continue to draw comparisons to Doom when speaking of Marathon due to both the chronological order in which I played them and the polar opposites that they represent. Aside from being the more cerebral experience, what I enjoy most about the Marathon Trilogy is that like it's future predecessor, Halo, the world in which you explore is as deep or as shallow as you allow. Depending on your style, it's very much possible to rush through Marathon, guns blazing and generally ignore the system terminals that feed you the story and still feel plenty of satisfaction.

Or you can take your time, relax, and let the timeless ambiance crafted by Bungie take hold. You, along with your AI cohorts can slowly unravel the mysteries of the Pfhor and become self-involved in the ongoing drama of yourself versus Durandal versus whomever -- or whatever decides to cross paths with fate.

Games like Marathon could not exist in this day and age due to the amount of personal investment involved by the player to get the full picture, but this type of storytelling can still be seen today in both the Metroid Prime and Elder Scrolls series -- the latter of which being a particularly extreme case. Modern gaming practically dictates that story be hand fed to the player by means of beating them over the head with cut-scenes and paint-by-numbers direction. Even Bungie's own Halo series is guilty of this. Though, in typical fashion, the layers can be easily peeled back through novels, comic books and even alternate-reality games.

As technology and design continue to evolve by leaps and bounds, the slice of humanity injected into each project seems to become smaller and smaller. Thank goodness for sarcastic, hate mongering artificial intelligence to remind us what humanity in gaming is all about.

On my desk lies a notepad, flipped to a page that contains a list of articles that need to be written up. Mainly consisting of Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii launch reviews, the list is a venerable gauntlet of this holiday season, some of which still require a trip into the office. The problem lies not in getting off my butt and into the city, but in what I picked up this past Friday night. While I was up and out of bed early everyday this weekend, I immediately gravitated towards the television and proceeded to be lulled into a vegetable-like, euphoric state.

Viva Pinata is simply that addicting.

I had already managed to dump a good twenty hours into Viva Pinata a few weeks ago and I had thought that would have prevented me from having a weekend long pinata binge. Once I got the game in my hand, however, the real achievements started to roll in, friends got online and I was done for. It had become impossible to say, "Well, I'll breed these two over here and be done for now." due to the chain reaction nature of design which can easily trap you into playing for much, much longer then you had ever intended. Right now, My XBOX 360 sits idle, because I was foolish enough to turn it on upon awaking -- Shelby already online and working on her garden.

Since I'm now on the EGM review for Viva Pinata, I don't want to say too much as to spoil it. John Davison, who is also on the review, has been blogging about it throughout the weekend. I planned to do that as well, but unfortunately, playing almost literally nonstop for the past two days prevented me from doing this. As someone with kids to try it out on, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Johns final word on the matter.

As for myself, I'd better pull out of the garden at some point today and get some work done. There is something to be said about a game that, for the first time in what feels like forever, I actually want to play for this long, regardless of how many hours I've already poured into it.

Since Viva Pinata has arrived, nothing else has entered my 360. Take that, bald space marines!

Not to be confused with the abyssal XBOX launch title, but I need to be wide awake and physical come 3:30AM in order to catch a flight down to Southern California. Whats down there, I can't really say, but should it go well I will have some very interesting Vox updates coming in the near future. What is standing between myself and the whopping three hours of sleep I can procure in the mean time is just that -- the future. This is a day after hapless eBay scalpers and confused gamers camped overnight at Gamestops for the privilege to pre-order a Playstation 3 and I for one am scared of exactly what the future holds for us.

This is where you should step away from your computer and go pick up the latest issue of EGM. The atrocious looking one with the bald, space marine on the cover. Inside, you will find a feature called Control Issues which spotlights a few games for the Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii for their new control schemes. It is without question, the single most depressing article I have read all year when it comes to the state of video games.

I have gone from practically dying to get my hands on a Wii at launch to holding off until, well, that is to be decided. The reason for this sudden change in heart? I played more Wii games. On the Playstation 3 tip, I have gone from simply not caring about it for the first year to being positively ill at the thought of what developers are cooking up for it. The reason? I played more Playstation 3 games.

Developers are attempting to shoehorn these gimmicks into titles where the fit is obviously of no use. There are two widely known excuses for this thought process -- added immersion and ease of use for new gamers. With very few exceptions have I seen these two ideals play nice with each other.

There is no reason for me to be playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance and suddenly whip my PS3 controller up in the air, or to the side in order to access a special power. That is what shoulder buttons are for. There is no reason why I need to utilize my controller in a racing game the same way my 60 year old aunt played Nintendo. That is what actual steering wheels are for.

These complaints are not from one who is fearing the change in the air. On the contrary. I want this to work. These complaints are from someone who understands proper game design and it seems as if a vast majority of the industry has completely lost it.

The greatest argument for the new generation of waggle technology comes from the most unlikely source of Madden NFL 07 for the Nintendo Wii. Unlike other Wii titles I have played recently (Dragon Ball Z being one of them), I have never actually looked at the controls. Both times I've gotten to check it out, the controls were laid out in front of me, readily available during say, load times. I never had to look because everything about it was entirely natural. When I want to throw the ball, I motion the remote overhand. When I want to juke, I take my hand that is controlling my receiver and I thrust it in that direction.

When I wanted to hike the ball, I wasn't thrusting both dongles towards the screen or holding a sequence of buttons. It was natural. Exactly how it should be.

Squirreling your controller around like a six year old having a fit is not natural.

"Don't forget to put your strap on!"

Oh, the Nintendo Wii hilarity never stops.

I hadn't been back from my week long vacation for 24 hours even before I was right back to work. My only appointment of the day was with Atari to check out Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 for the Nintendo Wii. Being no stranger to the waggle wand at this point, I've come to accept that nothing is ever as intuitive as Nintendo would like anyone to believe. What I did not expect, however, was to come out of the experience wishing there was actually more waggling to be had. Thats really all I can say on the subject for now. The Wii dev unit is really cute though. Makes me wish the system actually came that way.

As per usual, I went out to lunch with previews editor and all around good friend of mine, Matt Leone. Aside from the typical assortment of industry shaking secrets that most sites would kill to overhear, what struck me most was the feeling that yes, we will be seeing two hardware launches next month. Neither of which I'm terribly excited about. I finally decided a week ago that I wouldn't be getting a Wii at launch due to a few key games missing from the launch lineup, but also because its not worth the investment considering the titles both the 360 and the DS will be recieving at the same time. As for the Playstation 3, I don't see myself owning one for a good, long while.

And unless the flailing truly catches on -- and I mean truly catches on, the XBOX 360 has become the safest bet for those who simply just want to play a video game the good ol' fashioned way. While the Nintendo Wii will surely have a place of its own, Sony and their "Sixaxis" controller is in a much more peculiar position. Just listening to developers detail their plans for the tilt function gives me the creeps. Seeing them in action makes me cringe. Actually attempting to play a game utilizing it makes me to jump out the window. The simple notion of the 360 being the only typical gaming machine left on the market will become a very appealing option once the mass market realizes that companies trying to cash in on the way your Mom used to play any video game ever just isn't that fun, regardless of how badly we want it to be so.

The rest of the week is going to be quite hectic from the looks of it. With 1UP previews and EGM reviews to be written and an online service that simply won't cooperate, I'm going to be doing plenty of the work style of gaming. Hopefully the critters of my town in Animal Crossing won't hate me too much for neglecting them. They'll just have to understand that its back business as usual.