Ben-DutkaIt's my birthday tonight (August 2). How old I am is irrelevant. 😉
Square Enix finally gets it? I doubt it
As if I couldn't start with this story.
Firstly, thanks to the tipster who sent this to me; I was in a rush at the time (I was out of town working in a hotel lobby), so I neglected to mention it when I posted the article . Secondly, I'm sorry, but I don't believe it for one second.
I mean, I don't doubt the accuracy of the quotes – VentureBeat knows what they're doing – but I doubt that Square Enix will act on them. What can they really do at this point? Even if they acknowledge that Bravely Default did better than anticipated, and even if they admit they made mistakes, will that actually impact Final Fantasy going forward? Would they change FFXV? It was previously described as a "stylish action game" (which is almost too disgusting to type), so if they really wanted to appeal to the fans they've lost, the game would have to be significantly overhauled. Hell, it'd probably have to be scrapped at this point.
I just don't see that happening. I don't believe the company will second-guess their FF approach, despite what the president says. I think they might attempt to appease the true franchise followers with more remasters (like Final Fantasy XII ) and more traditional RPGs on handhelds or something, but that's about it. They fervently believe their flagship role-playing franchise is better with more action for the sake of the mainstream masses. And that's that.
A female conveniently shows up in Assassin's Creed: Unity
I really don't think it's coincidence: Weeks after the gaming world exploded, slamming Ubisoft for how they responded to a lack of a female characters in the new Assassin's Creed , they suddenly reveal a woman . Many will claim that she had to be part of the story all along, as the developers didn't have enough time to prepare. I have two problems with that: First, that's just a trailer. We haven't seen any gameplay. It doesn't take long at all to prep a great video like that with enough resources (resources Ubisoft most definitely has). Second, if she existed at the time of the backlash, why not just confirm it? Why make the claim that it'd be "too hard" to put in a female at this stage?
This is also the first time we get any hint that Arno is anything but a lone wolf. One might also notice the vagueness of the Elise's description: She's a noblewoman who will establish an "unlikely bond" with the protagonist. Well, that leaves a ton of room for creativity and interpretation, doesn't it? And why? Because I believe the writers are still scrambling to give her a script.
Personal gaming update
I'm playing The Last Of Us: Remastered but I don't think I'll finish it again. Admittedly, it's difficult to stop playing, but I've still got to play catch-up. I'd also like to clarify again: The only reason this updated version got a 10 is because TLoU clearly remains head-and-shoulders ahead of anything else available, in terms of the entire package (production, polish, cinematography, gameplay, acting, audio, pacing, balance, etc.) If the next generation of consoles had produced something better, the score would've been lower. I'd also like to remind everyone that Remastered won't be up for any end-of-year awards at PSXE, as it's technically a 2013 title.
I'm not looking forward to anything until Assassin's Creed: Unity in October, although I'm mildly interested in Destiny . We'll see.
Metal gear rising all week, mixed in with some dark souls and dark souls 2. Last of us as well of course.
One thing, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN! Hope you had a great day!
Yeah, its too damn convinient that square all of sudden claims to "understand" I won't believe anything until they prove me otherwise.
Ubisoft is a copout. Stupid bastards need to stop giving into the crybabies. Imagine if every kid was a spoiled entitled douchbag? Yeah, thats not a good world to be living in.
Something happened today which bothered me. I was sitting in a TLOU lobby for the multiplayer of course, and I heard these kids talking on the mics. They were sitting there making fun of ps3 players calling them the P word and the F word (not PUCK) and acted as if the ps3 was a different brand all together. It bothers me because the new kids who are coming over to the playstation family are trying to split it up, like its ps3 vs 360 all over again. But this time its ps3 vs ps4. It bothered me enough to sit there and think about it for awhile, trying to understand the logic of that. As I sat there thinking, I realized that these are the kids of the next generation.
Talks to much Bloodborne?
Last edited by Corvo on 8/2/2014 10:47:27 PM
Yeah it would have been cool if UBiSoft had stood their ground.
S-E definitely aren't going to change the ethos of FFXV. The game has been in development for about eight years now; to implement the changes that would be necessitated by this realisation would require the scrapping of a ridiculous amount of work. So, it won't be reflected in FFXV, but any other RPG properties, and FFXVI, I certainly wouldn't write off the possibility.
As for AC: Unity, the thing with Elise is that she's not a playable protagonist, which is what everyone was losing the plot over. She's a part of the story, but I'm guessing not a huge part. Ubisoft may have ramped up her role as a result of the backlash. Whatever the case, she technically doesn't fit the description of what everyone was clamouring about when it was announced that players only ever had control of Arno, so it's understandable that Ubisoft waited until now to unveil her.
Happy birthday Ben. 🙂
I reckon Final Fantasy will make a comeback. I have faith.
I just have this hunch that XVI will be a return to greatness.
Are you insinuating that Final Fantasy XV can't be great just because it's an action rpg?
Last edited by wildstriker on 8/4/2014 1:35:09 PM
PGU: Just been growing real fond of the Injustice PS4 remaster (no really, first thing when the credits roll it states it's the PS4 remaster by High Voltage Software). I've been spending the most time with Solomon Grundy. He's one mean mo-fo'
I also finished the story mode. It was pretty darn entertaining. I like how Superman went dark and melted a brain with his laser eyes but first froze the victim's mouth with ice so he couldn't scream. yea, never thought Superman could be so evil. Much more so than the semi-lame evil purple Superman from the third movie. But he gets props for breaking the good Superman's glasses. That's always a low blow in my book. ( and Christopher Reeves will always be my Superman =)
I really hope they make a sequel too…. to the Injustice game that is. I'm fine with a SUperman movie sequel too =)
Last edited by Temjin001 on 8/3/2014 1:13:17 AM
I don't understand this talk about lack of female characters in Assassin's Creed, what about the whore leader from ACIIs trilogy, Aveline from Liberation, even Kidd from Black Flag, the people crying about this need to get laid or just not play video games all together.
Last edited by souljah92 on 8/3/2014 1:39:25 AM
S-E is dead to me. Dead. Bang. Done. I hold no hope for their future ventures and that includes the FF franchise. They've flat out killed what magic it once had for me.
AC looks amazing. All this playable female character jazz is quite annoying. Here's my take: Don't like it? Don't buy it. Not good enough? Make your own freaking game. If ubisoft chose to make a female the main character OR made a game with a roster of female only characters, I wouldn't say a word. It's not that female polygons make me tickle… It's because a developer produced what they wanted to create as an expression of their artistry. Bam!
PGU: TLoU saved me from shoving anymore Watchdogs down my own throat. I have grown keen of the characters and enjoy the tricks to demolishing opponents. I will say that I'm going to get into it once I'm done with TLoU.
Speaking of which… Man, this game is immersive! I actually enjoy Joel and think about the reactions/decisions they make. It's truly incredible. The dialogue, interactions, and emotions are so well thought out and executed. Love this game. I'll say it again though… Ellie needs to stay put when I'm trying to sneak around. It really kills the moment. Fortunately, her behavior doesn't end up getting me killed (whereas I end up getting me killed quite a bit). Beyond that gripe, holy moly is this a great game! Hats off to naughty dog for making it possible on the PS4.
It's been a sad week. More time spent creating invoice registers in excel and a the fun lingo that goes with it. Data validation is one topic that I won't forget anytime soon… Hah! That and the new car needs some work. Like a LOT of work. All part of owning a SHO…
In regards to the Assassins Creed issue:
I don't think this lady will be playable, and since the backlash, as far as I understand, is about not having a playable female character in AC this doesn't really address any of that.
No, here's what I think happened: There's always been females of various sorts found during the AC adventures, so this really is nothing new, nor surprising.
This lady is just one of many storyline characters that the main protagonist will meet during the adventure. She was always there. But this *trailer* was done in the wake of the turbulence.
Still there's no playable female characters in Assassins Creed so nothing has changed.
really disappointed in TLoU "remastered".
i put the quotation marks because the definition of remastered is remade, redone, everything improved.
but its not, its not redone at all, its taken yesterdays dinner chucked it in the microwave and added some garnish on top.
thats not remade.
technical features aside, which were pretty disappointing in themselves, all the little niggles and faults from the ps3 version are still there.
one thing that REALLY bugs me in pretty much every game these days is magical AI, and TLoU is as big a culprit as any!
so many times ive thrown a bottle to distract a enemy, and instead of them going where the bottle landed they magically turn around and sprint towards me and kill me.
so because a noise happened in the other room, that tells you im behind you?
when the noise was in front of you?
WTF!?
just makes you not want to play anymore because its so f*cking cheap!
AI patterns as well.
so many times ive thrown a bottle or distracted a enemy for them to shriek to indicate a reaction then thats it they continue their daily business.
so many times ive snuck my way through a level to the final part i can see the exit and of course the exit just happens to have a door guard.
coincidence much?
scripted much?
anyway you try distract that final clicker and suddenly clickers are deaf he could not care less!
one thing i HATE about stealth games, how scripted the AI feels.
predetermined path and its so difficult to break that path, then when you finally do there instantly back on that path within a few moments.
if your a guard guarding an area do you guard the whole area or stand there like a f*cking statue!?
or guard just a small area, hey im hired to guard this house so im just going to guard the kitchen f*ck every other room.
sigh.
one other thing i HATE about stealth games is how the levels are designed.
the game forces you to do something, but then makes it nigh on impossible to do so!
for instance im up to the school right at the start now and you have so many clickers funnel into such a small area making it impossible to sneak past.
where you start you should be able to continue down the corridoor instead of going left towards the stair case and where the clickers are.
but you cant because theres another clicker down the corridor, so wherever you go your still f*cked!
and you cant go down the corridor because at the stair case theres a runner who will see you if you go down there and dare get so close to the clicker.
that level would be nowhere near as hard if it was set in a open courtyard like the bit before it around the houses.
many many more infected but so manageable because of the space.
im so sick of games using cheapness as filler, to add artificial difficulty.
the difficulty should be in the tension, in the make 1 mistake you die, like in the subway level that was PERFECT!
tight confined space but still very manageable and more than enough space to walk around your enemies to get out safely.
you try to use the same tactics in the school level but you just cant, unlike the subway level there is no side rooms and ways to make your way around the infected without them seeing you.
thats a perfect example of how important level design and AI are.
done well it makes the game, done poorly well it just destroys it!
and case in point with TLoU, such an amazing experience spoiled because of cheap frustrating cheating AI and lazy level design!
exactly why im so disappointed in this, i really expected it to be the ps3 version but perfected fixing all the little faults, and truly turning it into a ps4 game technologically wise.
and ND has done neither.
all the frustrating little faults are if anything amplified in the "remastered" version, and technological wise, well, this is hardly the most impressive looking ps4 game!
especially particle effects wise, something infamous SS and KZSF excelled in, i really expected more from ND on that front especially!
all ill say is if TLoU "remastered" is a window into what we have to look forward to with uncharted 4, well then i can see why half the studio, and 2 more members yesterday, have left!
Last edited by ___________ on 8/3/2014 5:12:25 AM
I should have warned you bro dont talk bad about the last of us on this site you will be forever hated. Me and you see how that game is far from perfect but its a 10 lol, keep your opinion about anything ND to yourself unless you want to be stoned to death….
NDextreme keep that in mind next time lol
Hheheh Happy birthday,
Speaking of Square. My friend sent me a text the other day mentioning how he stopped caring for the end outcomes of games. The lore of level grinding and side quest was all he had left. He's missed out on a lot games, but with only a text sized response at my hands. I reminded him of TLoU remastered. I'm really hoping he picks it up, along with a PS4 to I guess.
If you want a not so old school game that makes you feel compelled to finish it it's TLoU more than anything. For a brief time last summer I think I cared more for Joel and Ellie than I did for people in real life 🙂
PGU: no more Destiny, Just started the Deja Vu on Ground Zeros, still always lots of Skyrim and I picked up Jurassic Park 3D and Lost World in blue ray. What better way to use that last PS4 update? JP3 can be discounted from the series as far as I'm concerned. Can't wait to see William Defoe in JP4
Tekken 7 nuff said. hyped over that trailer now just want to see some gameplay using the unreal engine. Better not put any rag doll bs in the KO animations.
Happy Late B-day Ben.
Ha! if Square gets it i well jump off a House into a freezing cold river butt freaking naked.
This whole female conveniently with assassins creed unity is bullcrap in my eyes. first people complain then ubisoft gives in and make a non-playable female character. you know what i hope happens next either ubisoft makes the female character a play character though either pre-order DLC though gamestop or as a DLC character. that well shut the cry babies up.
also why dont developers stand up for them self and not cave in. first Mass Effect 3 when people complained about the ending then bioware caved in changed it though DLC. Now Ubisoft does this.
happy birthday ben i just wish you a good day which is all anyone wants on their birthday cos u don't want it to suck for one day a year.
anyways i hope for y'all sake they get FF right eventually it's not really my thing.
and as for what game i'll eventually get on the ps4 next idk but it'll be either LBP3 watch dogs infamous SS or destiny unless i find something else i like.
i'm not sure i get the crap about female characters i mean i know more girls play games and i mean console or PC cos mobile for this sorta thing doesn't count more than ever before.
so sure have 1 or 2 characters playable as girls and i'm not saying that i wouldn't play as a girl i finish tomb raider so i don't mind but i have to say for a game like AC i prefer the males but i'm open to a female if they are good oh and AC liberation finished that too.
so don't say ur sexist i've played and finished and enjoy games with female leads and the TLOU with ellie was great. so well put more girls in games seems to be the popular consensis not that i care about that its like this if it can fit with the game got for it but don't just push it in there for the sake of appeasing everyone, if theres one thing i've learned this year is that you can't do that all the time so just do it when it fits which i thin is fair enough
happy gaming
Last edited by Rachet_JC_FTW on 8/3/2014 6:08:15 PM
Thanks for the birthday wishes all. 🙂
Ben, I keep seeing all this "New" Final Fantasy angst.
While I don't necessarily disagree, I don't feel like you're giving A Realm Reborn a chance. It's about as nostalgic and "for the fans" as it gets.
Don't let the MMO aspect be a hindrance. It's a game Final Fantasy fans should experience.