Ben-DutkaAbnormally warm this past week but it's cooling back down now. And that's good, 'cuz I haven't installed the A/C in the bedroom yet.
Still confused about that "Uncharted 2 isn't revolutionary" comment…
There aren't many complaints about Uncharted 2 but one of the few legitimate complaints may actually center on a lack of "innovation." I suppose one could claim that it doesn't do anything "new" and so, that argument would mean that Naughty Dog's fantastic title actually isn't "revolutionary." But to say it isn't revolutionary because it's only on one platform ? Could someone explain that statement to me, please? I haven't the slightest idea what that could mean. First of all, a game can redefine a genre even if it sells twelve damn copies on some random, unheard-of platform; the revolutionary aspect has no bearing on sales or popularity. It's all about the quality. Secondly, I'm really starting to hate this general emphasis on innovation and that if a game doesn't do something entirely new these days, we critics should be taking points off. Never mind that Uncharted 2 manages to do about a dozen elements of video games better than most any other game before it. Never mind that it's a masterful production. We have to give it an 8 because it isn't "new."
Got just one reply to that- 'middle finger UP' As for this "can't be revolutionary when limited to one platform" thing, I've given up trying to understand it. I guess that means that sales and popularity is relevant and in fact, crucial. I guess that means that only if everyone responds can it be deemed "revolutionary." And maybe you can view it that way. But I'll be an annoying purist on the matter and stick to quality as the only determining factor. And has anyone considered that Uncharted 2 might be revolutionary simply because it's now a measuring stick for all developers who wish to make a game in the action genre…?
Heavy Rain's a hit…that makes my day
As most of our regular readers know, I'm a huge fan of Heavy Rain and I've often voiced my concern that the general gaming populace isn't mature enough to embrace it. At the end of my review, I said I was very worried because if the game flopped, it meant that the designers have grown up faster than the gamers. But obviously, that isn't the case, although I know some people were swayed by the glowing reviews. Quantic Dream has announced that Heavy Rain has now sold over a million copies and it should hit 1.5 million by year's end . That's just fantastic news and it got me to wondering…I know it would've sold more as a multiplatform game but would the Xbox 360 version have sold as many? There has been many accusations leveled against the 360 crowd; i.e., they're more immature than the PS3 owners (and if you spend any time on Live, you might have to agree). But perhaps Alan Wake will help us determine that. It should be fairly intellectual and I'll be interested to see how well it sells…
Anyway, if you haven't played "The Taxidermist" DLC yet and you loved Heavy Rain , make sure to nab it. I'll be playing all the DLC for this one; that's for damn sure.
Personal gaming update
Yup, it's still all about Final Fantasy XIII , although I've spent a good chunk of time over the past week with Yakuza 3 . The review is up now and I do apologize for the delay, but we're still trying to catch up after a silly March. Sega's third entry in that popular franchise really is pretty great and I do recommend it. But I just have to push forward in FFXIII and when I'm done, it's on to God of War III and then, Splinter Cell: Conviction . I've always loved that franchise and I've played every game so I'm not about to miss this one. And please, MGS fans, don't go nutty on me; as far as I'm concerned, you really can't compare the two. I play MGS and SC for two very different reasons. And later, I really want to get involved in Red Dead Redemption and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands .
By the way, feel free to contribute to the official FFXIII discussion thread I started in the forums.
