Ben-DutkaJust the first of many busy weeks in a row…
When is early too early?
Sony says they probably announced The Last Guardian much too early and the difficulties of that game's development aside, it got me thinking: When is the appropriate time? When is early too early? You want to build hype and excitement and anticipation, but you don't want to get people all psyched for something that may change significantly. Nor do you want to excite gamers for a title that's simply too far off. That's just irritating, no matter how promising the project might be. Then you've got to consider the power of big game announcements and how they can impact other aspects of your business, like hardware. I can almost guarantee the announcement of Guardian had at least a few people more seriously considering a PS3 purchase.
I wouldn't want to be in charge of picking an announcement time, I can tell you that. There seem to be pros and cons for all possibilities, and you're always dealing with the unknown as well. If you hold off and development goes smoothly, you may not be able to build up the appropriate hype before it comes out. If you announce it as soon as bare details are established, just to get everyone excited, and the project hits a few snags…disappointment and disillusionment will reign. In short- Not easy. I'm no marketer and I don't want to be. I'd be terrible.
That Date a Gamer thing actually pissed me off
I'm usually too laid-back to care about such things, and I know old-fashioned gamer stereotypes still prevail. That may never change and I've accepted that. But those videos of the Date a Gamer girls giving advice was beyond painful; they were downright insulting. I'm all for a bit of satire and poking fun at ourselves, and I'm not one of those people who freak out every time there's a half-naked chick in front of a camera. That being said, the scam of a website that is Date a Gamer (and the spin-off, Shag a Gamer) better die. Based on what I've heard whispered through the grapevine, they deserve to die and gamers everywhere should applaud it when that happens. We're not only incapable of talking to girls, we also have seriously below-average IQs, is that it? Or we're just so immature that any pretty girl who says anything about video games is automatically a goddess?
And you know, they're not even that pretty. So just shut up, stop setting gamers back several decades, and just go away . I'm hoping that sh** doesn't get any bigger because if it hits the mainstream media in any way, that'll be enough ammunition for the anti-gaming dopes to go, "Yeah, I knew all gamers were like that."
Personal gaming update
It's certainly true that Borderlands 2 got me. I just love the idea of collecting loot like a madman and exploring to my heart's content. I also had a lot of fun with Double Dragon: Neon , but it's not a lasting, enduring fun; I'm quite sure I'm done with it. However, oddly enough, Rock Band Blitz is taking up a lot of my time now, even though Borderlands 2 continues to beckon. RBB is just so much like Amplitude , which I loved forever , and despite my problems with it being so focused on social stuff, it's just wicked fun to play. Bad time to have two mini-addictions.
This week, you can expect a Dead or Alive 5 review ASAP, as well as that Blitz review. Also, thanks to everyone for bearing with us while we made a speedy server transition earlier in the week. But that downtime also resulted in the PSX Extreme Facebook page , which just had to happen. Like us if you haven't already, and be automatically eligible to win a free game ! I've got Tekken Tag Tournament 2 now, so add that to the available prize list.
By the way, I'll give that away some time this week. So contributing on Facebook and on our Twitter page gives you a better shot at winning. More giveaways will come this fall, too…gotta get rid of all this stuff somehow. 🙂
The delay for The Last Guardian can be really frustrating for those who are looking forward to it. I know a lot of folks who bought a PS3 just to play that game. More than 6 years into the console's lifecycle and the game still a no-show, it can really be quite the issue.
Some might say that it is no different from the situation with FF Versus XIII. I could get pissed with Sony for announcing TLG way too early like how pissed I am with S-E for the constant delay of Versus XIII, but I am not. The reason is that The Last Guardian is not being delayed because it kept being relegated to the backburner for some other game, which is the exact opposite of what's actually happening withe Versus XIII.
It seems to me that Ueda-san's team encountered a very difficult technical issue with the game that they needed the assistance of the engineers from Sony's other internal development teams. At least the team is solely working on that project.
But for Versus XIII? It's not a secret that S-E kept moving people around to Help with their sequels for FF XIII. The fact that it delays the release of a game I'm more excited about is enough for me to get really annoyed at them.
I'm sure once they are done with the XIII sequels they get everyone hard at work on Versus… hard at work changing it into something lame nobody wants.
If S-E manages to mess up the only remaining NEW game that I'm looking out for, then that's it for me. Sorry but it'll take a lot for the redeem themselves after the series of terribly disappointing stuff they did this generation.
Announcement of games should be 1 year ahead of projected release, that way it never gets pushed any further off than 2 years. Though Square Enix should be extra careful.
It's going to be very sad to watch as companies try to cash in on the gamer demographic without knowing much of anything about us, and of course these scams are the first to try to capitalize.
I'm just playing Mass Effect 3 now and then while I wait for DOA and Dishonored. Very disappointed DOA5 doesn't seem to have free day 1 delivery from Amazon.
If you're ever gonna play ME3 online and you'd rather play it with folks from here, let me know. Haha!
Will do.
I don't know about the best time to announce to new games myself. I think if the game was given a ETC from the onset it would be safe to promote it, but perhaps the more ambitious and experimental, artsy games aren't something that can always go as planned and certainly not rushed.
PGU: Battfield 3, Double Dragon Neon, and GT5
So I got BF3 for $10 this week from Origin. It was like a franchise anniversary sale of sorts. Anyhow it just looks drop dead insane. THe most realistic feeling visuals I've seen on a game. Anyhow, for those who want the definitive comparison between a high end PC and the PS3 need only check this comparison video out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGbo50Ar420&feature=player_embedded
While they both look pretty similar in content the PC does appear to command a lead in realism; though, I will say the PS3 version does appear to have brighter, more vibrant, colors.
Other than that I'm about finished with DD Neon on hardest difficulty. So fun stuff there.
Gran Turismo 5 has been attracting me again. It's one of those types I can always come back to. I'm so impressed by it's realism and attention to detail. The handling is second to none.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 9/22/2012 10:54:44 PM
I got GT5 and the official wheel & pedals and everything back in december and have barely touched it since then. I just can't get used to any of the high powered cars; it's like "Okay, 45 degree turn at 60mph. Easy now, only a lit– GODDAMIT I'VE SPUN OUT FOR THE 100TH TIME NOW!"…and that happens like everytime I try a Ferrari. Maybe I need to get my license in real life first xD
We should make a lobby and practice together. I know I sure need it lol.
@Ludicrous_Liam
You should look into some help online. Look at forums and ps3trophiesdotorg. I think you can change your tires for the track type to keep you on the road. Also, there are so many things you can change to help yourself stay on the track. GT5 is so amazing and realistic! Sorry, if you know all of this just trying to help 🙂
Yay, GT5 players. I'd love to play with you guys, but I'm a late gamer now.
Thanks Crusader, but it's the putting it into practice bit that I have trouble doing.
daus26, I don't play GT5 regulary (yet), but my PSN is liamdaniels, if you wanna add me. How do you mean by late gamer? Like, you play late at night, or your old? xD
yah, ludricris, make certain you have soft racing tires. But the problem could also be how youre handling the car when entering and exiting a turn.
I try to do all of my braking BEFORE entering the turn. I also DON'T use ABS brakes. You'll brake faster without them. After reaching the apex of the turn I begin SLOWLY applying the gas. I re-assigned the gas to a pressurized shoulder button to help give me more of a range of motion. ALso, if your car is just acting really squirly due to accelerating, go into your gear ratios and broaden out the lower gears some.
That's the thing though – I like to keep the cars in the same condition I bought them in, using the normal tire selection and what-not. It feels like your cheating if you use racing softs :p
I'm slugging away at Borderlands 2, I just got bit by the addiction bug and am having a hard time putting it down.
I'm playing a bit of Torchlight 2 which is what diablo 3 only wishes it could be, and I still am cranking away at guild wars 2 here and there although I lost some motivation to play it with the slew of new games coming out.
I'm looking forward to dead or alive 5 even more after pulling out DOA2 for my dreamcast and playing tag matches with my friends over the weekend.
We also had a game blitz where we played all my dreamcast multiplayer games and had a 15 minute time going and we just went through about 15 games and it was brilliant fun. I forgot how much fun some of those dreamcast games still are to this day. Just good old fashioned arcadey fun.
Totally fun home arcade action right there.
Great to hear that Torchlight II has turned out great! The first one was really fun. To bad Diablo III failed but I feel they could fix it with patches. How can you remove manual skill point allocation!!!!
Yeah world, it was amazing. Me and my friend were like this is nice to just play a game without thinking about it without any real goals. It was super refreshing. I highly recommend it, it is such a blast.
I dont know Crusader but I do know that Torchlight 2 has all the things Diablo 3 should have had. It plays better in my opinion, the controls are tighter and it just oozes charm, not to mention is polished to hell.
I'm hoping with the success of this one they will port it to the consoles. I think the first one got on XBLA but a PSN release of number 2 would be stellar. It would work super well with a controller.
Yes, a port for the PSN would be D1P! There was a rumor long ago about TL1 getting the PSN treatment but that never happened. Hopefully like you said it will happen with TLII.
I say the announcement for games should start about 6 months prior to their release, & then they can build on any additional info/hype from there.
As for the those 2 fake "gamer" sites, I already said my piece against them, and had included an investigative article that lends much credence that they have nothing whatsoever to do with gamers or gaming at all. Or once someone's suckered in, that it will be like "molasses in January" trying to get your money back.
My own PGU….
Finished Dead Space 1, but I've gotten stuck near the end(I think)of Dead Space 2 for over a week, so I stopped & put away for a spell.
The way I am is if I get entirely stuck in a game for too a long while, I'll stop & wait until I can come back later with a more refreshed mind to re-tackle it again.
So since then, I've played through Fear3 5 times, 3 as Pointman, & 2 times as Fettel. Damned way cool series but IMO, not quite as scary as the 1st Fear game was.
And after I finished Fear3, I decided to go back to some of the few games I had gotten stuck in earlier while playing too, so I'm now back playing Resistance:Fall of Man right now. The 1st damned Widowmaker in the game had me stumped for a bit, but right off the bat last night, I hammered it's poisoned bubble, blowing butt to smithereens & I've already taken down a bunch of mechs since, & I'm now in their tower.
Once I'm done R1, I'll move on to R2 & R3(I hate to play games out of sequence & will often wait till I get all in the series before playing them all).
Then it's back on to Uncharted:Drakes Fortune(where I was stuck trying to row that 2nd set of rapids while killing everyone on both sides of the banks).
Then it's on to Uncharted 2 GOTY, but unfortunately, I don't have U3 yet & no money to get it anytime soon either.
Then it's back to Enslaved again(which I had stopped to play another game I wanted more at the time).
And I've also seriously eyeballing Singularity lately since it keeps beckoning me from it's shelf space.
And then I also need to get back to MGS4 & finish it(right where I was seriously stuck trying to kill Vamp in that Rex room).
Then on to another 100+ other PS3 games in my huge backlog, but I won't be thinking about them till I've finished all of the games above first.
Singularity is a sweet game in the tradition of Bioshock.
I've set games aside before. I got really irritated at one game when I got stuck. I left it alone for about a month and when I decided to pick it up again, I breezed right through my problem spot on the first try. I think mental fatigue was the culprit.
tes37,
Yeah, I believe you're right about the mental fatigue part, plus I'm usually playing well over 8-10 hours so I think for me it's a combo of that, along with my focus turning into tunnel vision, plus probably over-thinking the scenario too much.
Once I go back to it later, I find it was an earlier "duhh" moment, & I wind up whizzing right through it the 2nd time(except for Vamp in MGS4, cause no matter what I frigging do, I can wrestle him down but then when I'm supposed to stick him, my damned syringe never shows up).
Maybe I should think about snatching the Drano filled needle out of Demon Dog's mouth that's in my sig pic above.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 9/23/2012 5:55:04 AM
biker,
I finished Dead Space but didn't get the Peng treasure, but I think it's on the room that I didn't open because I don't have any nodes and can't backtrack anymore. I'll play the impossible mode after I'm finish with Mass Effect 2 and Eternal Sonata. By the way, the fight with Vamp, it forced me to take a look at cheats in the internet just to finish him, never knew I have to talk to otacon 3 times, I only did it twice, that's the only time I used the cheat to beat MGS4, but in my second playthrough I did used it to unlock items and the Easter eggs.
Knock him down, equip syringe, get close.
Last edited by Killa Tequilla on 9/23/2012 7:09:14 AM
Man BikerSaint what a great post!!! You have some of this gens greatest games in that post. I however have not played FEAR 3 yet 🙁 I am a FEAR fan, just got lost in the huge backlog. Great to hear you loved it.
Resistance is amazing as well. I have taken down R1, R2, R3 and RBS so you know I am sad to read recently on the PSBlog preview of R&C Full Frontal Assault that Insomniac is truly done with the series.
I am too going to go back to get every Platinum for the Uncharted games. I going to start playing Uncharted Drakes Fortune after Borderlands 2. It's been a while so it will be a great experience again. Getting Platinum on Uncharted Golden Abyss opened my eyes. Not sure why I didn't try to get Platinum on the other Uncharted games (Scratches Head on this one).
Enslaved was so amazing! Got the Platinum on that and was so sad for it to be over. Just remember to use your blocking when playing the hardest difficulty!!!
Never played Singularity but will one of these days.
Can't tell you how many times I have been stumped in a game only to come back the next day or a few hours later and beat that difficult area! Demon's Souls was notorious for this! Good luck with Dead Space 2 as that was very overwhelming towards the end!
Last edited by CrusaderForever on 9/23/2012 11:04:59 AM
World,
Cool, finished R:FoM a couple secs ago, so maybe I just might start Singularity sooner, after I'm done R2 & 3.
But then again, I SO do want to see the end of MGS4(if I can ever %#^&%$# destroy Vamp, that is)
Last edited by BikerSaint on 9/23/2012 2:53:18 AM
You have to equip the syringe.
World,
Oh BTW, Bioshock 1 & 2 are also in my to do list above. Seems I started B1 but I had stopped when something with my club came up & I never did get back to it
homura,
I missed the Peng trophy in D2 also, but I believe I know where it it's hidden so if I can ever get through the part where I'm stuck at & finish it, I'll go back & try for it.
Right now I'm totally stuck with 1 yellow bar of health, and only about 3 shots left in only 1 gun, while that regenerating Necromorh, 3 spitters, & a host of other Necro's, including those back-hugging starfish looking thingies have me completely surrounded in a narrow hallway & I can't make any move what-so-ever before I'm killed, & killed, & killed again. I've tried everything for 2 weeks, but I've come to the conclusion that the only way I'll get out of that predicament alive is to go back & re-start of that chapter & do do some of it much differently.
Now about MGS4… the last time I tried to re-play Chapter 4 to needle Vamp(about 15 play-throughs overall so far), the needle still didn't show up even though I had equipt it & pressed the circle button as I had Vamp down.
Anyway thanks for that tip & I guess I'll have to re-do chapter 4 again & listen for Octocon this time. I'll put that tip in my MGS4 case so I don't forget it.
Killa Tequilla,
Many times already, I had my needle equiped & had gotten Vamp down, but when I presssed the circle button(or square, cause I don't remember which one it is)to stick him, the needle wouldn't show up.
I got so frustrated that I went to every site I could find(which I almost never do) to find out what was wrong, but no help.
I even went as far as going to GameStop & getting the manager to lend me the official MGS4 strategy guide for 10 minutes just so I could photo copy Chapter 4's vamp fight, & that didn't help either.
So I've been at a loss to figure out what's wrong, whether it's me not doing something right, or if it's some weird glitch on my disc.
CrusaderForever,
Thanks man,
Just finished R1 last night & since it was a while since I last got stuck in it, I decided to go back & re-play it all over again, this time with the weapons unlocked that Insomniac rewards you with at the end, for finishing it. Then I'll move on to R2, probably some time late tonight.
I've never been gung-ho for trophies, especially since almost all games include the MP mode trophies too(which I don't do), so I doubt I' be getting any Platinum's. Plus I can't be bothered to try for a few of hardest, or a couple of the more silly ones.
BTW, the only game I even got a 100% Platinum in was Infamous: Festival of Blood…..
….and wouldn't you friggin' know it, there is "NO" Platinum for that.
"Dammit, I've been screwed I tell ya….royally screwed" (LOL)
Last edited by BikerSaint on 9/23/2012 8:19:04 PM
Actually I think after he stands up you have to grapple him. Try that. Just remember to hold him. I doubt your bluray is defective.
Last edited by Killa Tequilla on 9/23/2012 9:03:52 PM
Biker,
Wow, you are really stuck, I think you're right to redo the chapter. About Vamp, just like Killa said, when vamp is knocked down quickly stand behind him then when he is going to get up use CQC, hold him, then use the syringe(the syringe must be equipped) it should show up in the equipped item when you scroll, remember it's in the equip item not in the equip weapon, press triangle. If it still doesn't work, I will redo the vamp just to make sure if you're copy has a bug.
Last edited by homura on 9/23/2012 11:57:18 PM
Biker,
check out page 31 of the game manual of MGS4, it's under the FIGHT CQC page. Hope it helps.
Killa Tequilla & homura,
I haven't done back & re-played MGS4 in a while, but I'm pretty much positive I did all those things you guys suggested. Plus page 31 of the guide was done exactly as printed, but still no needle.
But I will cut & paste your suggestions & include them into my game case for when I do go back to it, just to make sure.
Anyway, thanks guys, you rock!
PGU: Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is the mutts nuts & has been eating away at my time like a cancer. I've been testing out a few characters i haven't used before instead of my usual duo, crusty old arthritic cornflake Heihachi & serious faced blonde, Nina. Game never gets old & i am fighting it out to the music of my choice as i fist punch the air like an elite dweeb.
Rad game & one of the best Tekken's in a long time imo.
I am also super pumped for Dead or Alive 5. It looks amazing in motion with a pretty deep story mode for a fighter from what I've seen of spoiler videos thus far & it's looking to play even smoother. I can't wait to test out the counter system, i hope it is still as tight as DOA4.
The only early negatives from DOA players so far is the netcode which evidently sucks the left sagger. But i am predicting a patch on day one from Team Ninja to get this fixed. Not that i care as online play usually takes a backseat but it would be good for the support of the game if it's fanbase is going to grow.
Hopefully when fighting fans get their mitts on the game instead of froth-lipped, crotch-rubbing, attic-children it will be taken more seriously like it deserves to be other than being labelled as nothing more than a fighter with implants. Sure, she is an attractive lass but she also has brains if you explore hard enough.
Get hype!!
Last edited by Kevin555 on 9/23/2012 5:41:45 AM
I dribbled so much to myself i forgot to mention the Resident Evil 6 demo. I've played it extensively through the three campaigns available & love it. Leon's scenario feels like the best one of the campaigns so far with great atmosphere & a slow build-up type feel to it.
The action is intense, the zombies look darker & more gorier & the aiming & camera can be tweaked if you don't like the default set-up.
My only complaints with the demo thus far is your character on-screen actually feels way too close to the camera & the game also looks abit too dark even with brightness level on full 40 & my TV screen mode on Game instead of Cinema. Other than that just going by what i played it is looking to be a huge game with epic moments, intense scenes & loads of bosses.
It could be my personal GOTY quite frankly, i love it. Looking forward to the games release & big juicy review from this site too 😉
Last edited by Kevin555 on 9/23/2012 6:02:39 AM
Great to hear you enjoyed RE6 demo. Will have to give this a try if I can fit it in.
Playing slowly through Siren: Blood Curse still. I like the game, but I'm having trouble enjoying it because I can't experience it the way I want to courtesy of people constantly breaking in when I try to play it. Unfortunately, I can't stay up until the dead of night most nights due to early mornings… and it leaves the experience feeling kind of hollow. I'm disappointed. I think I'll set it aside in the coming week. Not sure what to play in its stead, though I think I'm getting Sherlock Holmes. Yay!
Not doing much besides. Still reading Paradise Lost and having trouble with my writing endeavours. I just feel kind of… lackadaisical about life in general of late. Really can't wait for next year to roll around and mark a real change 🙂
I'm not sure but I think a year before release is a right time to announce a game.
PGU:
I'm still on Mass Effect 2, favorite planet so far is Tuchanka. And when I'm done with Mass Effect 2, it will be Eternal Sonata. So much backlog.
So thoroughly enjoyed Mass Effect 2! I really loved every Mass Effect but 2 was very special.
I felt the same way about the date-a-gamer thing
I really think it is possible to announce a game to early. With games like Daikatana and DNF you have to be careful about your masterpiece being put in this group. Jokes ensue and people lose interest. Thankfully this isn't your normal game and everyone in the know are highly anticipating it. Sounds like they are doing something different so take all the time you need as this one is going to be extra special. Also, with Remote Play working for the Vita I will be able to finish the first 2 games.
PGU
Just got my 15th Platinum by thoroughly dissecting Uncharted Golden Abyss! Really had a great time exploring and using the Black Market with Near. I gained like 30 new friends trying to get this Platinum. So glad I was able to get their help with Near. If Near didn't exist it would have been 150 hour grindfest for the Gems, Silver, Gold, Arcana Major and Cadiz bounties since they are random drops. This was my most thoroughly enjoyable Uncharted experience with all the cool Vita controls and exploring. PS3 Uncharted have GA beat with their cinematic set pieces though. I hope they are making another Uncharted for the Vita.
I have been engrossed with Borderlands 2. My step-son and I are having a blast! The game is really fun and it's hard to stop playing. Before you know it the time is 3am!! Found this Awesome Shotgun last night that started taking down the Arctic Bullymong with one shot at close range! Also, when I went to reload it my Commando would throw the shotgun forward and it would blow up like a grenade but I would still have another shotgun just like it fully loaded after!!!! So you could shoot one shell reload to throw a free grenade! My step-son and I were very impressed with a "That is very COOL!" awe moment :). So happy!
Getting Little Big Planet Vita on Tuesday, cannot wait to play that when I am not Borderlanding!
Yeah, The date a gamer thing is pretty insulting. It still makes me laugh when I hear some idiots talking about people who play games, and they tick off all the foolish misconceptions: Loners, can't get a date, losers with no friends, no attention span, immature etc, etc. They also still associate games with little kids and Mario Brothers. I personally don't let it bother me as much as it used to. I'm a 40ish professional with a full time job for the last 20 years and am married now. I will say that If I were to do it over again, I wouldn't even mention that I play games to anyone. Just because people start to think you don't do anything but play games every spare minute of your life! It also starts aggravating me at times when I'm having a light conversation with someone else about a new game and someone overhears the conversation (Which they're not even a part of) and says something to the effect of, "Well, I don't have time for stupid games, I'm too busy taking care of my kids". I understand that, I'm not a kid myself, and I guess it makes them feel more validated and superior or something. BTW, they never make those comments if they overhear us speaking about a movie or book, only games! LOL!! Oh well!!
I can't stop playing Borderlands 2
Yeah, that happens.
Anyone hear anything about Metro: Last Light?
No, but the first one was amazing. I hope the second one makes it out. Last I heard it was coming out early next year I think?
Scares me when good games go quiet. This site doesn't cover enough projects.
World,
It seems to me that the xbox sites have done more of the news & info on it.
Anyway, there's been a couple vid's done for it, but not much more about it in the last few months.
BTW, if you want, I'll send you something if & when I come across it.
World: Pretty sure we cover any all projects that are in the news and related to PlayStation. Metro: Last Light has had zero headlines, from what I can tell.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 9/23/2012 8:30:02 PM
Toki To Tawa.
Ben,
I hope you didn't think that I meant to imply PSXE doesn't or wouldn't cover it.
I might have phrased it a bit wrong, but I just meant that some xbox-leaning sites have been making their own comments, thoughts, &/or editorials on it.