Ben-DutkaThis month is looking crazy…lots of games to handle and at least one or two I want to play for myself.
Early PS3 games "tainted" by negative press?
Ninja Theory raised an interesting "theory" this past week, as the developer said Heavenly Sword and other early PS3 titles suffered from negative press . Not so much about the games themselves, but more about the console. Back in 2007, the general word-of-mouth wasn't exactly positive and Sony was still in need of several price drops and the growing exclusive lineup to push hardware units. But I'm a little confused as to why chief designer Tameem Antoniades even mentioned it…what difference does it make now? And is it even true, considering that Heavenly Sword sold 1.5 million copies? It almost sounds as if he's making an excuse for the studio's decision to go multiplatform. But the position of the PS3 has changed just a tad since then, so what's he saying? That going through the negativity back then somehow scarred them? I guess I just don't comprehend the point of the statement.
Look, you don't need an excuse to go multiplatform. Money is money. And a small developer stands to make a whole lot more greenbacks if they go multi. So in 2007, the negative propaganda likely impacted software sales for the PS3. But it clearly didn't hurt Ninja Theory's game and it doesn't matter now. So…?
Bungie's done with Halo. …sounds about right
So the big news is that Activision/Bungie deal, and I'll be interested to see what emerges from that relationship. It's obviously a multiplatform title of some kind, and it's a big ol' "action IP" of some sort. Bungie cleared things up by saying they're finished with the Halo franchise , so that's that. And while I am someone who has played and completed every last Halo offering – including the lackluster ODST – I really don't mind in the slightest. I have high hopes for Halo: Reach , which I'll certainly play, but unless it's light years ahead of Halo 3 , I'm not sure I'll care that much. Killzone 2 is a glimpse of what FPSs can be in the new generation; Halo 3 was Halo 2 with slightly spiffier visuals. So I've been bored with that for a while. However, that being said, I still think Bungie is a really talented team and they're fully capable of delivering something pretty darn special. I just wonder when we might see the announcement…
Personal gaming update
I'm right at the end of God of War III and I've also been playing a lot of Nier , which I find very entertaining and even relaxing in some ways. It has its fair share of problems – as I outlined in my review – but I'm willing to overlook them because this is just my type of game (sans the traditional combat). I just like the way it's set up, that's all. Beyond this, I have Red Dead Redemption , Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands , and 3D Dot Game Heroes on tap for this month. I'm hoping to get them all from the publishers. Arnold should be handling ModNation Racers and Lost Planet 2 . Like I said, it's another busy four weeks coming up.
By the way, I'm still really surprised at the behavior of that GameStop employee . I know that kind of stupidity exists but it really can't be out in public. If you want to act like that, stick to some sort of fanboy forum hellhole. You don't mislead customers because you're a biased idiot. The good news is that I went back to the GameStop I usually go to today and sort of refreshed myself; the guys there are pretty cool. They're totally on board with the idea that Call of Duty is entirely played out, too, as they were laughing about how bored they were with the series. They say they have to tell everyone about the new Black Ops , and they have to "put on an excited face." LOL
See, it's not all GameStops. That's probably important to understand.
I have ran into so many idiots who have these bias opinions about the PS3 and I have seen many of these Xbox lovers working in my local Best Buys. And as usual, most if not all these people lack the ability to be rational. One of these people was a sexist, so you get my point. What people must understand is opinions are subjective. I can still respect something I am not fond of. I love the 2010 Mustang GT, but I know the Camaro is still the better looking car and someone can argue the Mustang looks better. Everything is subjective, and people should be able to come to a common understanding because conflicting beliefs are the main reason people can not get along in this day and age. It is very dumb and people shouldn't be acting like gangsters when it comes to console, especially if you are a salesman. I hate Modern Warfare 2 and Just Cause 2, but if I am a salesman, I will definitely tell them what is great about the game or refer them to another better product. I have seen and heard many gamestop employees just say a game is weak and not try to find them something better. There is this one guy who I see all the time in gamestop and I am shocked he still works there because he is bad for business. There are these group of guys who act like BC2 doesn't exist because all they know is MW2. Funny enough another gamestop employee was trying to convince me to buy and Xbox 360 and I told him I don't need another console, PS3 is enough and he started talking about LIVE…I don't give a sh*t about LIVE and I told him and then he tried to tell me about ME2 and Halo and I was like, man just give me my GOWIII so I can go…LMAO
After I leave (not true)
Gamestop Employee: "Sir your forgot to pick up a Xbox"
Me: And you forgot to take Microsoft's d*ck out you a**