Ben-DutkaAfter a week of Resistance 3 and Dead Island , we look forward to the autumn rush. Review coming for the ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection . 😉
If first-party devs don't want a PS4 right now…
We've heard it all before- most developers clearly aren't ready to embrace a new Sony console, but I always find it interesting when a designer like Insomniac echoes the sentiment . They're so familiar with the PlayStation brand and when they speak, I tend to listen. They say they can get more out of the PS3 and best of all, they really want to become masters. I get the feeling they think they've never had the opportunity to do that before, don't you? Like they got to the end of the PS2 generation and they were just starting to understand that console. It almost seems like we were a little shortchanged…
And let's not forget, many developers said something similar about Sony's last platform: it took them a while to understand it, and just when it was winding down and the PS3 was on the horizon, those game makers were finally getting a firm grasp of the system's architecture. Now, it seems like they all want a second chance; they want to have a chance to really master a console. Isn't that interesting?
I think we get mixed messages from Ninja Theory
Okay, they say the focus on creating huge, AAA titles that dominate the market is crippling innovation . I understand the point. But there are some extra factors that bug me: first off, there's a subtle implication that gamers only buy the "familiar." While I do agree that the more unique productions are riskier, and they'll never sell as well as popular, established franchises. At the same time, it has been proven that such risks can prove lucrative. Furthermore, there's another insinuation that only the popular sells when in fact, I still strongly believe that quality still sells.
Look, if you make a great game, it has a great chance of becoming a financial success. There's no guarantee but gamers tend to reward excellent efforts and that's a big part of the reason why I love this industry. And Ninja Theory, if you create a AAA game (and you've been close), I'm almost certain you will see the sales you want.
Personal gaming update
I'm right at the end of Resistance 3 and when done, I'll go back and finish Deus Ex: Human Revolution . I also want to finish Catherine but I'm not sure I'll get the opportunity. Also, I do intend to deliver a review for Bodycount at some point (although I wouldn't hold out hope for a high score), and you can also expect a review for Skydrift . I have the download code; I just have to use it and write the analysis.
Obviously, there's a lot more to come. I keep bugging the Level-5 people so we can get a Q&A done for White Knight Chronicles II , and I'll be speaking to Ian Bogost this week as well. And also look out for news concerning Episode #6 of the PSXE Home Show! We're gonna get up some PSX Extreme t-shirts for your avatars, too. 😉
Insomniac is great developer and if they say they can get more from the ps3 I believe them and I think they should get a few more years to really create something awesome.
PGU:
I finished Resistance 3 on Thursday so I'm back to Bulletstorm. I'm on the seventh act so basically almost done. After that I will be back to R&C:TOD. Then after that I want to get GOW collection and Fallout: New Vegas finished before Battlefield. Also, if I can get those done I plan on picking up Catherine or Deus Ex.
I just finished R3, graphics were great, story was good as usual, and the multiplier is now replacing my Black Ops (THANK GOD) cept for zombies.
Insomniac makes good stuff. And they've been more outspoken about the sort of power the PS3 provides. I look forward to see how much further they can stretch it's boundaries. R3 was an impressive feat, no doubt.
Hopefully Ninja Theory delivers with DmC. Because, I think they might be at the end of their line if they don't. I mean, they seemed to have two current gen lackluster sales responses already. Both were good games. Games falling short of elation, but worthwhile either way. But it would seem most devs who tank on two games in a row in this climate aren't around to make a third. Hopefully, for their sake, a third time is their charm.
PGU: I finished R3. I really liked this one. I think it actually made me understand what I like from games better. See, I don't see R2 and R3 being all that different, functionally. They both play similarly and they both have great guns and enemy design. But one game does atmosphere and environment a lot better. That's R3. So many times I got this, man, this is resonating Half Life feelings in me. Not like, rip-off, mimicry feelings. No, the emotions that come from feeling immersed within the world. It sold me. It sold me well. I also want to speak out against some reviews I read that label the game with a "B-movie like" feel. I just don't get that. It certainly doesn't feel B-movie to me. The acting is as good, if not better, than any other FPS I've played. So I don't get the subtle jab that demeans it's quality. It isn't cheesy original Resident Evil scripting. The story works and it's actually a lot more emotionally believable to me than most mechanical military games I've played.
Anyway, I fully recommend it to all who were sitting on the fence. I actually enjoyed it more than KZ3.
Enjoyed R3 more than kz3? That's putting it mildly imo.
I think R3 is a much better game, much better designed in every way possible.
Only way someone could argue that kz3 was better is by doing a pixel-by-pixel comparison of the graphics. The objects are more detailed in kz3, and at a higher resolution. But at what cost? Too small maps, no exploration, moving targets on a railed progression. That's a way too expensive trade-off.
Insomniac has stroke the perfect balance in R3.
Last edited by Beamboom on 9/11/2011 4:37:05 AM
What happened to the Deep Silver interview?
I think NT is right about AAAs for the most part. The standards are what sell more. Heavy Rain was a success, but still didn't see the sales it deserved.
I got Hunted: The Demon's Forge for some fantasy fun and Catherine (with art book). Catherine is hard, my brain just doesn't work that way but I really like it and will probably be hacking away at those puzzles for a long long time. For whatever reason I don't get as frustrated at them as others that befuddle me. And I like when it goes "edge".
I thought that that piece about Dead Island being for RPG lovers was basically what Ben walked away with from the roundtable, so I've sort of stopped expecting anything from there.
Aside from that, how is Hunted? And damn you, I can't wait to get Catherine.
Hunted is pretty good but clearly lacking polish, I like the characters and there's plenty of in game banter that keeps the adventure fresh. The controls can offer problems so I can see why it got 7s. It really is exactly what it says on the back of the box, which is basically a dungeon crawler grafted onto a Gears mechanic. Nick got fed up with it, says it started to really suck at some point but I haven't reached that yet so we'll see.
You're gonna like Catherine I think, what an original creation!
Yes, all the information included in the article Lawless cites is from that roundtable discussion. That's different than an interview, by the way; the process is different.
A bunch of journalists (I think about 7 or 8 in this case) get on a conference call with a PR person who heads the meeting, and one or two individuals who field the questions. Each person gets one or two questions of their own and of course, can listen to the other answers as well.
Straight interviews are different, of course, and will be labeled and formatted as such here at PSXE. Just to clarify. 🙂
Thanks Ben, that explains why I wasn't clear on that.
Its great to hear a respected developer like Insomniac say what the majority of the gaming community is thinking. I wish Kojima & a few others would say something as well. Just add in their 2 cents so we can stop talking about the next generation for a while. Its like beating a dead horse at this point for me. We dont want any new hardware for at least 2-3 years, ok? Thanks move on..
PGU: Im trying to get back into LA Noire after being sucked away by ME2. A little difficult because both games have a pretty drastic pacing from one another but Ill get there. I cant wait for the ICO collection later this month & Playing the demo of the God of War Origins pretty much has me buying it this week. But i dont know if I should wait for a sale though.
On a personal note. I broke up with my girlfriend a few weeks ago. Its a long story so I wont bore anyone, but ill leave you with this. She hated video games and always made condescending comments to her friends and family in front of me about it. Meet my 2 fingers..peace lady
Last edited by SoulController on 9/10/2011 11:18:51 PM
oh & I dont give a crap what Ninja theory has to say. Stop making excuses and make great games. Their biggest mistake was fooling with that poor of an excuse Unreal engine
Damn… I would hate that, but at the rate new people are getting sucked into gaming, in a few years, who wouldnt have a console or a gaming device?
Sorry to hear that, bro, but she sounds like a stuck up tart.
i am almost positive kojima wants more power and is probably foaming at the mouth for next round of consoles. he strikes me as the type that is very ambitous, and not afraid of embracing new technology.
next gen is right around the corner. that's why people keep talking about it.
Games b4 Dames.
@leatherface: rofl – omg – that's going *straight* to my psn status line. 😀
Ha!! Games before Dames! love it. Yea she could be stuck up at times. All the hot ones usually are.
It's not even the subject (video games) that makes it annoying.
It's just that regardless of your hobby, she didn't try to understand it and worse, she didn't accept it as being part of you. Instead, she makes snide comments about it behind your back.
That's just plain childish and insulting.
agree Ben. That was not the girl for u SC.
So right about that Ben, it really was insulting. Her & I got into too many fights about it, among other things.
I never knocked her for her hobbys & I was pretty open minded about her addiction to shopping & love of books. This breed of Carrie Bradshaw wannabes in NYC really are a trip. They think its healthy for them to complain all the time & waist their money in having too many clothes.
So excuse me for wanting to unwind every once in a while with my gaming brothers or a great gaming narrative.
IDK if I should read your ICO And Shadow… Review!!! Because im new to the game and I dont want spoilers!!!
I don't think there will be any real ones.
Insomniac are kind of confusing. They've made great games thus far, but nothing truly spectacular, even though R3 is very much on the brink of that. Their move away from the Playstation family exclusivity has saddened me, but I'm sure that they can still manage to do great things with Overstrike, and so their comments about not wanting a new console yet doesn't really surprise me. It seems that only the PC exclusive, or focussed, developers are calling for new consoles, and that's valid, but the limitations are almost purely graphical. I mean, PCs can maintain better AI in higher loads, but that isn't enough to spark a new generation, not unless they are on the verge of a breakthrough.
Ninja Theory are just as confusing. They've also made great games that have fallen short, and I think that that is where this idea of AAA game development crippling innovation comes from. They've tried to innovate through the strength of their storytelling, rather than gameplay mechanics, but it doesn't appear as though consumers want that nearly as much. I suppose that DmC really will be the kicker as to whether or not they can succeed.
PU:
Plugging away at Resistance 3, I'm on Chapter 17, and I don't think too far from the end. I also picked up KZ3 on the same day. Outside of that, nothing particularly new.
Peace.
At least two of the R&C games are widely considered to be spectacular.
you just wait. all these same developers will be singing a totally different tune when the next systems are announced. i am no game designer but i know i would always want more power to do more things and to build bigger worlds so to speak.
insomniac is a great developer, but i don't think they are the technical masters on the ps3 that nuaghty dog, gg, or sony santa montica are. r3 is easily their best game though.
i think ninja theory is feeling the pressure. they have yet to produce a triple a title, and probably won't get many more chances if dmc 5 does not suceed. la noire sold over 4 million copies and it was a new ip. that shows gamers don't always buy what is familar and will reward quality when they see it.
pgu
i have completed r3 and i enjoyed it very much. now i will pick up where i left off in deus ex.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 9/11/2011 1:25:47 AM
That's a good point Insomniac and you made, Ben. To think what kind of games we could get out of a system that is finally understood and familiar to the devs is really an intriguing notion. Feeling that the devs will put out games where they're able to use the system efficiently and, moreover, effectively really pushes those next-gen consoles further and further down the line. We've gotten all these already great years with the PS3 and loved it, just thinking about what they could do as masters of the system makes me riddled with excitement. Seriously, keep the PS4 at bay, we're just getting started!
PGU: Sadly not having any interest in Deus Ex, R3, or DI, I've gotten down to training on FF8. I finally beat a boss that I'd been stuck on ever since I first played the game about 10+ years ago… Only to encounter another boss. Such joy found there. Other than working the good old PS days, I've been spending time in Black Ops. I'm sadly one of those usual Black Ops players, but I don't play it like crazy. On another note, I tried the AC: Revelations multi beta and I was definitely not impressed by the continual long wait periods to be connected to a match. This is the only thing that really set me off of Brotherhood's multiplayer was because of the terrible waiting times for a match to be created. I felt really lucky when I was connected to a full room of players. So, it looks like I'll once again enjoy Revelations in its story format only.
On another note, my prayers and thoughts go out to those affected 10 years ago in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Can't believe it's already been 10 years. Time flies, huh?
Last edited by Gamer Girl Gemo on 9/11/2011 3:36:48 AM
Indeed, it definitely does fly by. :/
im not so sure will be seeing much more out of the consoles after this year.
look at uncharted 3 it looks almost the same as 2!
1 more year and will need a announcement of new consoles.
quality does not sell, if it did uncharted would be bringing in allot more then it is and COD would be doing allot worse!
some of the best games this gen have sold pretty poorly, i still cant believe enslaved has only sold 500K units!
im bashing my way through dead island now.
not as fun as i was hoping it would be, mainly because the weapons are so weak and rare it makes you spam your kick which is boring instead of using that sword to send a zombies head flying!
not to mention allot of the times it takes several hits thus making you more reluctant to use it, im constantly saying to myself no i wont use it because it may take 3 hits then it will almost be broken, then if i forget and accidentally use it again it will break.
i know this is suppose to be a RPG and such, but come on a damage system on the weapons just takes all of the fun out of it!
i want to be running around killing everything i see because thats whats fun!
not sprinting away from 100s of zombies because i dont want to damage my weapons.
Man your so lucky to have seen a finished retail copy of Uncharted 3, and were able to compare it to Uncharted 2.
PGU: This is probably the best gaming week I have had since Mass Effect 2, all thanks to two titles: DE Human Revolution and Resistance 3.
Deus Ex is the kind of game that *has* to be enjoyed in single player. Even a coop whore like me realize that campaign coop would simply not work in that game. Deus Ex Human Revolution is the single most important reminder to me this year of why single player games will always exist. Why they MUST always exist.
Resistance 3 on the other hand, now that is a good campaign coop game. It's conceptually simple enough for two buddies to small-talk our way through without missing much, at the same time it's entertaining enough for us to never lose focus. That stormy map right at the beginning will forever remain in my memory. Never has a game made me *feel* the weather more than this.
Together they make a perfect blend of everything that makes me love gaming. These are good times, friends.
Last edited by Beamboom on 9/11/2011 4:49:48 AM
i really couldnt get into human revolution. it was interesting but i cant play if for a long time because i got bored. although i did try the no alarm and pacifist on my playthrough. what annoyed me was the inventory system. most of the items you get takes up so much space. i barely carry any weapons except a taser and combat rifle. right at the beginning, i kinda could tell whats going to happen in the game plot wise, minus a few plot twists and revelations.
as for resistance 3, i want to play it. however, i'm waiting for a little drop in price before i buy it because i have no problem waiting. wkc2 releases in a few days so i'll have something to play till i get resistance 3.
I totally respect that, John. Deus Ex is not for everyone, and I can understand how some could find it a bit boring, cause there's loads of content here that one has to "bother" getting into.
As a matter of fact I salute games that are not designed to cater for "everyone". Once you do like that particular game they are more interesting, and much more fulfilling than a wider, general audience game can ever be. Much like movies, actually.
Last edited by Beamboom on 9/12/2011 5:16:11 AM
If you do get to do a Q&A with folks over WKC II, since the game lands on the 13th of this month, can you ask them when we can expect all of the DLC to arrive? Especially things like the guilds.
Yeah. I just need to try to get someone.
Overseas stuff for interviews is…complicated.
Thanks Ben, I understand completely about the overseas stuff, apart from language, there are timezones and schedules to work out. Not easy on the phone, or email.
No PGU. I'm still over seas. In Oviedo Spain. Two more days here than we head to the UK for five days then I go home! Woohoo!
you make it sound so bad.
"Awww man, I gotta go to the UK?"
You must be exhausted and fulfilled
man, if i was going to europe i'd be happy as hell. i just marathon watched top gear uk on netflix and damn theres fine women on there…..on basically a guys car tv show. but since you're married i guess that doesnt matter much to you, hahaha.
"You must be exhausted and fulfilled"
This! I'm loving my time out here. I especially loved the Czech Republic and Spain. We have never played those countries and the people at the shows knew our songs. We got to play with The Flatliners in Spain too. That was awesome. It's been great playing these shows. I just miss my wife, my baby and a clean bed. 🙁
I'm stoked for the UK too. Those shows should be great. I'm just ready to go home. Haha. When we're done, I'll have been on the road for a month. By the time we're done we will have played 25 shows in 30 days. Minus 5 days for travel time and two days off.
Last edited by Jawknee on 9/11/2011 3:54:32 PM
Nice there Rockstar!
Releasing a new console will be a commercial suicide right now. or even next year. there are
not so many people that are willing to spent $500
on a new console. only but those hardcore fans.
Why can't people understand this ?
Why are we still talking about a PS4?? Ready or not, it's not coming anytime soon.
PGU
DEAD ISLAND DEAD ISLAND DEAD ISLAND!!!
This game is sooo addicting. I love it. It has it's problems but who cares, its like dating a hot chick with a terrible laugh. The thing that bugs me the most is the physics or lack there of. Then the clipping. but too much good stuff going on to focus on or even really notice the bad.
Also, I read in the new issue of GI that RE:ORC will be boasting some CQC which is say ok, you're playing as a highly trained soldier hand to hand combat wouldn't be too farfetched, but then the article goes on to say that a single member of a team can single-handedly take out 36+ zombies effortlessly, no that's really stretching it. I guess I'll just have to watch this one closely.
Are you playing DI single or coop?
Both. But when I play co-op I won't go past where I am on my solo and I mostly just BS and explore.
Ah I see. Coop with a buddy or randoms? Is it good? Does it have any major flaws as a coop game?
See, I am seriously considering this game but only as a coop game. So I am gathering information these days 🙂
Last edited by Beamboom on 9/11/2011 12:20:01 PM
So far I've only played with a friend. No major flaws with the gameplay online and its actually really fun but i don't know if it's us or the game but every so often one of us would get disconnected. But other than that it was pretty cool. One thing to note though is that if you aren't careful you can easily overwrite your single player with your co-op.
I highly recommend you pick this up soon
Cool, thanks alot.
HEHE i played body count wow is it bad……saw some of r3 and it looks great love how story driven it is
I haven't played anything this week, will be waiting till my b-day (oct13) till I get anything new….R3 will have to wait, especially with WKC 2 around the corner.