I got this the day it came out and I absolutely loved it. Despite the game being somewhat lengthy, its just no long enough. MUST HAVE MOAR!!!! lol I do hope this game does well enough that they bring over any future games or even begin localizing prior games in the series (for the Wii, if at all possible)
I love how the whole thing is basically Samurai Pizza Cats but with humans.
The article does not say that only 8.8% of gamers want the 3DS. That's 8.8% of the people polled. Also, argus was not making up numbers. Everything he mentions is right in the article. Just throw it into Google translate and you'll see.
The percentage of the polled population were 16% in their teens, 18% in their 20s, 22% in their 30s, 16% in their 40s, and 28% in their 50s (I did some rounding which is why the numbers don't add up to 100%). The polled population is slanted to a large degree to the older demographic so its not surprising that we'd see incredibly diminished interest in the 3DS.
So no, this poll is not entirely indicative of the future of the 3DS. And like has been mentioned, the device has not even been revealed to the public, and I'm sure a large percentage of those polled hadn't even heard of the thing before they answered the question.
I wonder how many of the people polled actually know all there is currently available about the 3DS. Honestly, those of us that follow the industry enough to have caught wind of a rushed, midnight press release make up a tiny portion of the handheld buying public. By and large, I'm certain most people learned about the DSi XL when the ads started showing up on tv.
I wonder if the poll was simply asking people "do you want a Nintendo 3DS?" or if it actually gave them what little details are known, or mentioned anything about the rumored features that it could possibly include?
I think that until Nintendo gives the 3DS a proper reveal it'll be difficult to get an idea of the demand.
I'm Darklinkinfinite and I approve this message...and the porting of classic PC games to WiiWare.
crosses fingers for Doom, Hexen, Duke Nukem, Heretic, X-com, Leisure Suit Larry, etc etc
or at the very least release Doom 64, Hexen, Duke Nukem 64/Zero Hour, etc on the Virtual Console. I never got to spend enough time with those when they were new.
I really enjoyed the first game and the sequel is looking great as well. My biggest complaint from the first game was simply the storytelling aspect. All the storytelling seemed to happen off screen, either in another location and you hear about it over your comm or during the pre-mission briefings. Also, I think the lack of any real supporting cast hurt the story and made it feel a bit too rudimentary. If they can pull together a well-rounded cast plus do a little more with the storytelling, I'll be one happy buyer.
Also, I do hope they decide to include motion plus support. Even if the game doesn't support melee weapons, motion plus can help solve that problem a lot of Wii FPSes have when you aim off screen and the game either goes crazy or the camera just stops. I think Red Steel 2 used it for that same purpose as well.
For some reason, I doubt this'll come to the Wii even if it is true.
According to VGChartz (take your grain of salt accordingly), Tatsunoko vs Capcom has sold roughly 220k units so far, which is about 1/3 of what each port of Street Fighter IV sold on the PS3 and 360 after the same amount of time on the market.
I wish I knew how Capcom would take sales figures like that. I mean, the game has at least outsold BlazBlue (which I compare to only because BB is a new IP and most people haven't heard of half of TvC's roster) and Mortal Kombat Armageddon on the Wii (which sold roughly half as many copies, which probably explains why MKvsDCU wasn't released on Wii) after the same amount of time on the market.
Damn, how long has this game been out and they're already calling it a failure?
I have to wait until my financial aid refund comes in before I pick this up but I'm definitely getting it, probably in a couple of weeks. Although by then I'm sure the news of this game's "failure" will have trickled down to the masses. _
I personally love this game. For one, its only $30. Second, the director of the film this is based on and the author of the books the film was based on were apparently consultants on this game. Even if that's just a fancy way of saying the played the game once, this is perhaps the best licensed, movie-based game I've ever played.
The graphics may not be the prettiest on the system but the rest of the production values do the film justice. Although many people may not like the film (I personally did and I usually hate anime), the game is a perfect companion to the movie. The themes in each compliment each other so beautifully. Although I played the game before watching the movie, I honestly believe my appreciation of the film was enhanced after playing the game and I certainly believe there's an argument that the game would be enhanced after watching the movie.
The music is astounding, and the gameplay with the motion controls works incredibly well. I think this game has a touch of brilliance, its just unfortunate that it went under so many people's radars and will be completely forgotten by just about everyone seeing as everybody knows "The only has Brawl and Galaxy" _
Ogre Battle will be a pruchase. I'm getting my refund from my school loans next week so I'll definitely pick this up then, and possibly the actual cartridge off of ebay
Man, my first weapon break made for about an hour of unenjoyment with this game. After I got my first bamboo sword I sold off my stick. When it broke, I didn't have the cash to buy a new weapon so I spent a while whacking ghosts for 11 damage a strike (with a proper weapon I'd be doing 40-50) until they dropped enough frozen dinners for me to afford a new bamboo sword.
After that, I made sure to stockpile swords by buying one or two from the Merchant every time he showed up and keeping a spare on me at all times. After that, I was able to get along with the amazing experience this game provides.
I haven't played this myself but it seems far from an "avoid at all costs" type of situation. Still, its queer that the games would have such problems considering that these games have been ported ad nauseum to just about every platform imaginable, not the least of all, Nintendo's own Virtual Console service, which, as far as I can tell, is about as perfect an emulation as you can get, going so far as including the Lock-On enhancements for Sonic & Knuckles.
This game is worth it just to watch Bowser breakdance.
While the song selection isn't the best, there are still some enjoyable tracks in the game. Minna de Party Time is probably my favorite track. I really wish Nintendo would stop being so cheap and use more licensed music in their music games or if Konami could've volunteered some of their in-house tracks for the game.
Regardless, I found the dance mat to have been of pretty good quality. The game is not brilliant but its also not a total waste. And as others have mentioned, it could definitely stand to be a bit tougher.
I'm more inclined to believe that they got mixed up and that this is referring to a virtual console release of the original Rogue Squadron. Granted, the original Rogue Squadron was publish by LucasArts and all N64 games currently on the Virtual Console were published by Nintendo, but the two were supposedly getting really chummy recently so I still think its a possibility.
If I were to speculate, I'd want to know who could possibly develop it. Factor 5 is closed and LucasArts works more as publisher lately than a developer.
The listing also says Activision/Blizzard as the publisher. I do elieve they published the last two Jedi Knight games so who knows if they could still be in a publishing relationship with LucasArts.
Maybe Nintendo approves these bad games because they know it won't sell above the threshold where they begin paying money back to the developers so they get to keep what little cash there is for the few copies sold.
I personally loved the game but at the same time, probably moreso than the original Dead Space if only because Extraction's focus on the story doesn't leave me feeling like an errand boy 75% of the game. As much as I liked Extraction, there's some definite room for improvement as an overall package.
As short as the story was, I felt it was a good length because it was well paced and nothing seemed thrown in there to pad the length. Still, there should've been more to do on the game disc overall. Side missions would definitely have made the game more interesting and still kept the converging/diverging stories feel of the Dead Space franchise. They could have added a few short bonus missions following Weller's security guards as they made their way to the shuttle bay or following Vincent's team (who made a brief appearance in Extraction) as they fought their way through the Ishimura (maybe re-enacting some scenes from Downfall), or maybe even a short segment playing as Nicole.
As it is now, the only thing to do after the storyline is some shooting in the challenge maps or read the original Dead Space comic which was released before the first game and was included twice over with the Limited Edition of Dead Space and available for free online. Extraction could've, at the very least, included the Dead Space Extraction comic that came out a few months before the game.
I'm wondering why there aren't more Arcade releases in general. I personally want to play the original arcade Punch-Out and Super Punch-Out. Its bad enough that we have to beg for THOSE (Nintendo arcade games in genral) titles that you'd imagine would've been some of the first up on the system let alone begin wondering about more recent arcade games like say, Mortal Kombat, Afterburner, or anything after 1990.
I honestly wouldn't mind if Sonic was playable in Galaxy 2 but I really don't see it happening.
What would really have me foaming at the mouth would be an actual crossover game that incorporates each character's own gameplay styles as opposed to trying to fit one into the other's world.
I mean, maybe Eggman made a portal into the mushroom kingdom, bringing in his whole fleet and making an Alliance with Bowser. And Sonic (JUST Sonic) follows him through the portal and teams up with Mario to save little animals, Princess Peach, the Mushroom Kingdom, and find the Chaos Emeralds.
And at the end there will be a big battle with you as Super Sonic and Super Mario (haha, I made a funny!) fighting against Bowser's Castle merged with Eggman's flagship.
This could go either way for High Voltage, actually. I thought the Conduit was a good game but I don't think it really raised the bar on first-person shooters on the platform outside of the control scheme and that is a luxury they won't really have on the HD consoles since FPS controls on the gamepad have been refined after years and years of games.
Also, by going multiplat they are risking losing a good amount of support from the Wii crowd for this game. Even if everyone that bought the Conduit chose to buy one of the HD versions instead, 350k units sold on the PS3 or 360 alone is not the same as 350k sold on the Wii. Development costs are far higher on the HD consoles and considering that development time is being extended a whole year in order to produce the assets to even be competitive in the HD market, that's even more money sunk in. And if they want to use Natal or Sony's Wand, that's even more money they or their publisher will have to invest.
As others have noted, it won't be as easy for The Grinder to become a relative success on the HD consoles due in large part to its competition. Some would expect a sequel to Left 4 Dead by then or if not, at least continued support for the game via DLC. There are also far more FPS titles on the HD consoles being developed by more experienced developers with deeper pockets.
At this point I also doubt that the two versions (Wii/HD) will have identical feature sets. As I noted above, the bar is simply set higher for HD games. People will expect full 4 player support which is not currently planned on the Wii. If the Wii version does indeed include Motion Plus support, I suspect that would be considered the trade-off for the more in-depth networking features found on the HD systems. It also will not help the Wii version any when its being graphically compared to its HD counterpart.
Some have said that since development started on the Wii, its version will still be a solid game. Which I agree with. However, that's still not to say that the Wii version will be the "best" version. The difference here is that when you're trying to fit a game developed for the HD systems on the Wii, you struggle trying to fit the content and the tech into the system's hardware capabilities. However, if we're going the other way around, things aren't so restrictive. Instead the developers find themselves more empowered to do new things and explore new tech. Whereas High Voltage may be pushing the Wii to get 100 enemies on screen, that'd be relatively easy to do on the HD systems and then we be begin to consider not 100, but hundreds, of enemies on screen. With better support for textures and maps, why not go ahead and add those elements in?
For what its worth, I'll still be picking up the Wii version, but I sure hope High Voltage and whatever publisher picks up the game that simply releasing a game on the HD consoles does not equate to a commercial success. It still requires a great deal of marketing and rapport with the audience, which is what most companies marketing a Wii-only game tend to forget.
lol, well, if you're right, then people should probably jump on them.
Amazon, one of the very few if only outlets to carry the Cursed Mountain LE, currently has them for $30. Even if they aren't worth something, at least they'll bolster Cursed Mountain's sales. Too little too late, perhaps but still.
I pre-ordered this from Amazon a few weeks ago. For only $30, the MSRP for the game, they are (at least at the time I ordered) also throwing in a free WiiSpeak with the game, which will soon see further use in games like Monster Hunter and The Grinder.
Sad news indeed. Cursed Mountain's a pretty good game so far (I bought it, started it, but not through it) and its a shame it was written off as "just another bad horror/wii game" because it got reviews in the 7s. Sad also because for the team's first Wii game, they showed a lot of potential that I could only see them rising to meet in future games (not unlike High Voltage Software).
Its also surprising that Cursed Mountain was one of the few Wii games to get a Limited/collector's/special edition release, aside from Rock Band bundles.
Awesome! Now they can finally release this and we can move on to crave other titles...like Castlevania Bloodlines and Legacy of Darkness (I know the last one is a near impossibility, but a man can dream, damn it!)
Well, if DLC does somehow become possible then I'll still blindly hold out hope for Samurai Pizza Cat characters and maybe the Supreme Catatonic as another oversized character
I'm glad this game is looking good so far. I'm really surprised that the Wii has become such a hub for horror titles. So far it has gotten games like Cursed Mountain, the two Resident Evil Chronicles games, RE4, the two Resident Evil Archives games, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Dead Space Extraction, The Grudge, Obscure: the Aftermath, Dead Rising, House of the Dead 2&3, HotD: Overkill, Fatal Frame IV (Jpn), Imabikisou (Jpn), the never-found-a-publisher Winter, Manhunt 2, Alone in the Dark, and coughescapefrombugislandcough.
Quality may be all over the place but that's still quite a pretty big list of games in a genre you wouldn't expect a lot of development for on Nintendo's white box.
My rationale was more that people that have been with Nintendo since at least the SNES probably have the same mentality that is required to enjoy the 16-bit Sonics.
Then a few generations later, the Gamecube became Sonic's escape pod after the Dreamcast sank with Sonic Adventure DX, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Sonic Mega Collection, and Sonic Gems Collection released for the system. Then the Gamecube was also the lead system for Sonic Heroes' development. The console also became home to other Sonic Team games like two versions of Phantasy Star Online Episodes 1 & 2, and PSO Episode 3. The Wii after that became home to Sonic Team's own NiGHTs: Journey of Dreams. On the handheld front, after the Dreamcast, Sonic appeared In top form on the GBA and later the DS.
When Sonic did move primarily off Nintendo with Sonic the Hedgehog in 2006, he had his worst outing ever.
I figure that Nintendo loyalists, despite being Nintendo loyalists, still have a long history with the blue guy.
As others have mentioned, it makes a lot of sense to release this game on Nintendo's console. I don't know, maybe its because Sonic comes from the days when Sega and Nintendo were both very similar, but Sonic just seems at home on Nintendo's console. After all, Sonic did appear in Brawl and has since teamed up with Mario on two Wii games. Sonic and the Secret Rings is the best reviewed 3D Sonic game in a long time, and if you ask me, actually does 3D Sonic right (Only Sonic is playable, no real gimmicks, yes it has an Arabian Nights theme, but it doesn't affect gameplay, some minor character customization, fast, reflex-heavy gameplay, etc), unfortunately Sonic and the Black Knight was pretty bland and undid a lot where Secret Rings had succeeded.
Beyond that, Sonic Unleashed on the Wii was reviewed higher than either the PS3 or 360 versions and as many have pointed out, Sonic simply sells better on the Wii. Unleashed outsold the two HD systems combined on the Wii, Sonic and the Secret Rings did even better than that. And in terms of sales, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games has sold nearly as many copies as Call of Duty 4 on the 360 (and moreso than the PS3 version). Sonic and the Black Knight was released in the shadow of Sonic Unleashed and so had greatly reduced sales, but even then it sold about as well as the PS3/360 versions of Sonic Unleashed.
Someone earlier proposed that Sega's rationale could be that they figure all the classic gamers have moved on past the Wii and are now playing the PS3 and 360, which is definitely plausable. However, I'm more inclined to think that while the PS3 and 360 may have their share of classic gamers, their demographic also includes an even larger number of gamers who got into gaming with the rapid expansion brough on by the original Playstation, or the further market expansion by the PS2, hardly classic gamers. The Wii, while definitely being predominantly new non-gamers, still has as large, if not larger number of classic gamers and loyalists that have stuck with Nintendo consoles since the old days. Even if the games are bought mostly for children, I wonder how exactly children would've been exposed to Sonic to make them want Sonic games in the first place. The animated show, Sonic X, could definitely contribute, but I highly doubt its enough to push Sonic to the success its had on the Wii. If anything, I'd say its the gamers that have grown up and moved on that are buying Sonic for their kids because they remember him from 15 years ago (man that makes me feel old).
I wouldn't be surprised if Sega did release Needlemouse on everything but the Wii, though I definitely would not agree with it. After all, thrid parties seem to have convinced themselves that releasing a game for the PS3 and 360 means an automatic million-seller because their Wii titles haven't sold that well despite the fact that they neither put the best development resources behind their Wii games, nor promote them in any significant way. Or they just have unrealistic sales expectations.
Well, the thing in a 12-player online deathmatch, they have 12 players to keep track of. In The Grinder, they'd have 4 players, plus dozens of enemies (last I heard they were pushing the engine towards like 50 onscreen enemies or something) and that's no small feat nor is High Voltage a big name developer.
While I to find the 2-player co-op a tad disappointing, I understand completely why they would have to go with it. I'm still looking forward to it since High Voltage seems to want to use every tool in the Wii's arsenal from online, to WiiSpeak, and Motion Plus.
I'm not really troubled by the name. I always see two types of franchises in terms of naming. Those that continue the same story and characters like we're all used to and those that cary similar themes but not necessarily characters and setting. The latter includes games like Manhunt, Grand Theft Auto (to an extent), and Final Fantasy.
Sure each entry is an entirely different entity, but the gameplay elements are so powerful from game to game that its not difficult to identify them as a single series. It looks like Red Steel is focusing on the sword/gun gameplay as opposed to the same aesthetic elements.
Also, its not as illogical to stick with the name as most of us seem to think. The first game did sell over a million copies, granted that's partially because it was a launch title, and despite the overwhelming disappointment across the internet, we need to remember that the internet community is often just a vocal minority. Every corner you turn you'll find a comment or a forum thread about how the Wii sucks, how Wii Sports is stupid, or how they can't believe people like Carnival games. But all of these keep selling, so there's a large contingent of people out there whose gaming opinions differ greatly with those you're likely to hear around the internet. And then there's thos of us that genuinely enjoyed the first game and are eager to pick up the sequel.
I'd heard good things about Nyko's previous wand controller so I'm not too wary of this. Granted I have five wii remotes between my two Wiis so this would be a good way to fill up the last 3 slots without having to pay extra for Motion+.
I do hope they either release this in one of their "Action Packs" or make the Perfect Shot with Wand compatibility (the controller digitally maps the buttons of the wand to the trigger on the gun so its not like all other Wii guns that simply press the B-button via lever action) available on its own.
I personally hope this is true. Granted, I do own every Castlevania game except Ecclesia and Judgement, but I'm a sucker for a good compilation. I also hope that if it does happen that the two N64 games are included since they're my two favorites in the series.
And shortly afterward, I hope to hear Square announce a Final Fantasy collection with all its 8 and 16-bit iterations (including Mystic Quest >_>)
I can't help but think that everyone (news outlets) is blowing this news out of proportion.
First off, this is an exec from Capcom France and I highly doubt that his opinion is representative of Capcom HQ which most likely is calling the shots.
Second. No one (again news outlets) seem to be questioning the numbers he's thrown out. 16k sold in three weeks? Where are those numbers from? Worldwide? Hell no. Europe? VGChartz lists 16k units sold in the third week of Darkside Chronicles' release. That's JUST in that third week, not including the first or second weeks. VGChartz traks over 70k units sold in its first week in the states and the game hasn't even been released in Japan yet. I would believe him if he said 16k units in three weeks in France alone.
Third, in the interview he seems upset that the only way to get big sales on the Wii is to support the games with massive ad campaigns like the campaigns for NSMBWii and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Really? No ... Yes you have to put huge marketing dollars behind your Wii games just like you do for Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter 4 or that EA put behind the original Dead Space, or the year of hype Activision kicked off before Modern Warfare 2.
Fourth, I fail to believe that Capcom as a whole could be upset about Darkside Chronicles' sales since it seems to be selling about as much as Umbrella Chronicles, whose success lead to the development of Darkside Chronicles in the first place. In the United States, Darkside Chronicles' sales are maybe half a week behind Umbrella Chronicles' and about a week and a half behind in Europe. Four weeks behind worldwide, but like I said, the game hasn't even been released in Japan yet.
Lastly, no, just because he's an executive doesn't mean his interpretation of the facts, or even the "facts" themselves, are accurate. We have enough crazy quotes from Sony execs to prove that their position within the company in the industry in no way make them incapable of making ill-informed and illogical statements.
There's really more to Dead Space's sales than what's immediately obvious just by looking at the numbers. Here's an interesting article I found that talks about it.
Its based on VGChartz sales figures but its an interesting read nonetheless.
I just got Dead Space Extraction myself and I loved it. The story wasn't brilliant but it was well-made and I liked that you had several characters with you throughout the game to bounce dialogue off of. I also thought the ending was pretty intense, with one part in particular perhaps surpassing the CoD4 nuke scene in my opinion, and left me shaking for a few minutes afterward.
Still, it does seem particularly short and devoid of content and I'm rarely one to complain about length. Maybe its because I enjoyed the game so much that I really wanted more. Aside from the short story there are some challenge levels, which are just sections of the story-mode levels, with a few waves of enemies. The game also includes the original 6-part Dead Space motion comic that had come out with the original game so it wasn't much of a bonus. They could have at least included the Dead Space Extraction comic that came out the summer before the game.
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles was just as good as Extraction (though without the brilliant bright spot Extraction had) but it looked better, was longer, and had more things to do. It included a bunch of unlockable content, weapons to upgrade (in a more replay-friendly fashion than Extraction), online leaderbords to compare high scores (Extraction also has a scoring system, but only local leaderboards), and had more (not necessarily better) story since it covered three seperate storylines.
Again, I loved Extraction and its at least worth a rent, but Darkside Chronicles is simply a better overall package so its not surprising that Extraction would have lower sales than its incredibly similar, far more established competition. Still, if they made another rail-shooter Dead Space game like Extraction and simply made "more" I would be all over it because it may be short, but its still damn good.
I consider myself something of a collector, though I don't have the money these days to really indulge my vices, but I get by.
I personally think re-releases only hurt those that like to hoarde games simply to have something expensive they can resell later. I bought Final Fantasy Tactics on the Playstation for $80 before it was reprinted as a Greatest Hits and the price plummetted. Other than the fact that I could've gotten the game for less, I really don't mind. For me, I collect the originals moreso because I want to own an original game and keep it moreso, because of their contributions to gaming history, than I do because they're worth more.
Am I going to complain that I can get an SNES copy of Chrono Trigger for under $50? Of course not. Am I going to complain that my original copy of Final Fantasy Tactics, Symphony of the Night, or Dracula X aren't worth as much? Again no, because I have no plans to sell them. Its always nice to have something that's worth a lot, but it doesn't matter if something you have is worth a million dollars if you're not going to part with it.
If you have a Fry's Electronics nearby, that's probably one of the best place to shop for Wii games. I got Klonoa there for $13 not too long ago as well as ExciteBots for $15, a WiiSpeak accessory for $10(I know its pretty much useless but its only $10), and they hadHarvey Birdman for $5, NiGHTS and Sonic and the secret rings for $12, Trauma Center: New Blood for $10, and The Conduit for $15. Their DS games can also be pretty flexible as I was able to pick up Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for $5.
Their prices on PS3 and 360 games are a little more stable but you can still find good deals (I was able to nab Lair for $30 while every retailer was still selling it for $60) and they often have surpluses of premium edition stuff that they discount after a while like Halo 3 Legendary editions for $50 about a year ago.
The difference between renting/used games and piracy is that there is a legal transfer of ownership of the product instead of rampant duplicates.
Also, I do believe the law allows you to make a personal back-up of your music/movies/etc. But it has to be you that makes it and you can make one.
That MPAA lawsuit I believe you're referring to is the RealNetworks/MPAA lawsuit. The lawsuit did involve a dvd copying program but RealNetworks was not singled out simply because the program copies dvd but because of the way RealDVD circumvents copy protection measures. This was a specific issue with RealDVD not a dvd copying issue in general. If it were, there are many other programs the MPAA could easily have gone after that have been on the market for ages but they have no legal grounds on which to do so.
Well, I'm glad this didn't devolve into the typical forum flame war and I thank you for that, I know I might've pushed it a little.
It might be helpful if next time you made it a little clearer that you were simply presenting an alternate point of view because your post just felt a little too first-person and it made it difficult to separate you from the opinion you were expressing.
And I know pirating isn't going to lead to the downfall of society I was merely pointing out that when we begin to choose what laws we wish to follow or not, even when it begins with something minor, we're on a slippery slope where it begins to get easier and easier to justify ignoring others laws.
@Ren I debated a moment whether or not I should respond to your comment because quite honestly, it made me laugh when I read it.
Just because a law is not "right" doesn't mean its okay for you to break it. No we may not be mechanically bound by laws but laws, written or not, are what make us civilized. When we can pick and choose which laws we will or will not follow we are only paving the way for chaos.
Yes video games are expensive. as DarkEdi said, you can buy them legally used or when they're on sale and get them on the cheap. If you still can't afford them, then maybe you shouldn't get them at all. Like I said, just because you want something doesn't give you the right to have it.
Not buying something sends a more positive message than stealing it. When you don't buy something you're denying them profits, not stealing them. When you pirate something, you make yourself an enemy that they have to combat and you give them fuel for enacting whatever rules or policies they deem fit. By pirating, you're doing your own cause more harm than good. Why should they bother releasing something if people are just going to pirate it? Why ship something with zero copy protection and make it easier on the pirates? Why let you install a game on multiple computers if people are just going to abuse it?
If you don't buy it then you're a consumer that they have failed to capture. If they notice that their product sells more the minute they drop the price maybe they'll start releasing games at a cheaper price. That's why certain games drop in price so quickly, because people are not willing to spend $50 on a certain game and the retailers feel it and they drop the price.
I personally think the sense of entitlement of most pirates is definitely the problem.
To think things logically and legally, if something is not released in your region, that in no way gives you the right to go download it. Just because something costs more than you think it should doesn't give you the right to pirate it. Just because a demo wasn't for a game doesn't give you the right to pirate it. Just because a game is old and hard to find doesn't give you the right to pirate it. Just because something has piracy protection that keeps it from playing on your system doesn't give you the right to pirate it.
Yes these sorts of things are frustrating but people need to realize that just because they want something doesn't mean they're given a free pass to pirate a copy. Instead it would be more intelligent to pursue your objections via legal means instead of making yourself an enemy that the publishers feel they have to fight against instead of a consumer that they have to please. No fighting a legal fight won't get you what you want right away but it will get you there legally and if you don't get there, well then suck it up, life isn't fair. When you pirate a copy publishers just see you as a thief that they have to stop.
Yes, it can be argued that not every pirated copy equates in a lost sale but that doesn't change the fact that people obtained copies without paying for them. What people don't seem to understand is that is, in fact theft. I see people all the time with banners in their sigs saying piracy isn't stealing because it leaves the original copy intact whereas piracy simply creates a duplicate. That's just blueberries and they are fooling themselves. Sure that leaves the original copy but the fact is a second copy exists, one that the creators of the original are not getting paid for. So you may leave the original copy of the game, but you are taking money away from the people that would have gained from that second copy.
And then of course there's pirates that justify their actions by saying the creators already have enough money. That's another stupid excuse because how much money the creators have isn't the point. The point is you're still stealing their material and its just as wrong if you did it to an indie developer of 10 guys than it is a multi-billion dollar publisher. People just try to fool themselves into thinking its completely different.
I'm really loving this game. I had a tear in my simply from seeing the classic Castlevania logo instead of the stupid crescent moon logo they use now. The last game to use the classic logo was Circle of the Moon, which was the last game before IGA took over the series and drove it into the ground (as far as I'm concerned), so I was glad to see it back for this return to classic gameplay.
I do miss a save/suspend play feature since I've never been one to finish a game in one sitting, I don't care how much "hardcore" cred it gives a person.
My only other major gripe is that sub-weapons don't fall out when you pick a new one, allowing you to decide which one you want to keep. The fact that keys also use up a sub-weapon slot is a bit annoying as well, but I'd suffer that if I had the option to choose what I wanted to keep when I picked up a new subweapon (on accident for example).
I actually have this game for the Turbografx, though I don't own the console myself. Its just in my Castlevania collection along with Bloodlines (I've never owned a genesis) which I'd also love to see on the Virtual Console.
While Rondo is definitely a great game, I think I much prefer Super Castlevania IV on the SNES because of stuff like the eight-way whip controls, the moonwalking, and the fact that it didn't lead the series down the Medroidvania path (I know Rondo isn't, but its direct sequel, SotN was, which is what I mean with my comment).
My personal favorite Castlevania of all time has to be Legacy of Darkness, though. I loved that despite it being 3D, it still had more in common with the classic Castlevanias (1-Rondo/Dracula X) than the 2D RPG Metroidvanias that started with SotN. I also thought it had the best told story. Unlike Symphony which is oddly applauded for its story despite it being just two character portraits having conversations that don't really connect with anything else, Legacy had great characters like Malus, Ortega, and Actrise, and a great twist that connects Cornell's game with Reinhardt and Carrie's instead of just "here's the castle again, except upside down," or "yeah just play as Richter just cuz."
Thank god, I'm a huge old-school Castlevania fan and I've been waiting for this forever! Granted I do have the original Rondo for the TGCD (But not Turbo Duo to play it on) and I have Castlevania Chronicles on the PSP, but for some reason i really want to give the game a home on the virtual console with the rest of the Castlevania series.
Now we just need Bloodlines, the US version of Dracula X, and I would personally love to see Legacy of Darkness (my personal favorite Castlevania game) on the Virtual Console. Though for that last one it'd have to be some weird thing where they take the Japanese version (which allowed you to save your game onto the cart) with the English localization (which had you using an N64 memory card, which isn't supported on the VC for some reason).
I've already beaten the game once and started a new game. You definitely won't be lost if you haven't played the original Silent Hill but at the same time know that this game isn't meant to replace the original Silent Hill in the canon. The game has its own place in the chronology and I really can't say anything more without giving anything away.
If this is your first Silent Hill, its a great game. If you're a huge fan of the series then you will have strong feelings about this game. Good or bad, but strong emotions nonetheless. For those that think the series has gotten stagnant trying to repeat the same formula over and over again and thinks it needs something new to invigorate the series much in the way RE4 did for that series, then you'll probably love it.
If you're one of those fans that thinks and forever will think Silent Hill 2 was the greatest game ever, then you'd do well to tread lightly. The game does not follow most of the conventions of a typical Silent Hill in either gameplay, storyline, or aesthetics.
I personally loved the game. I felt the gameplay was unique, not just for the series but for video games in general. The story, while not sticking to the established conventions, is very human and relatable. The psychological profiling doesn't make it a completely different game every time, but there are probably more changes in the game than in other games with morality systems such as Mass Effect or Knights of the Old Republic.
If you're an adventurous gamer, that is, you buy games beyond only what has a metacritic rating of 90% and higher, I urge you to at least play this game, be it purchase or rental, and see if its for you. There are few other experiences in video games similar to this and I hope it gets the attention and the appreciation it deserves. Not just in sales but in public perception.
I say God created cargo pants for a reason and that reason is finally here! lol j/k
Anyways, I really doubt Nintendo expects people to replace their current DSis with this system, which is probably why they released it so soon, before the DSi completely penetrates the market and while most people still have the option of going with the regular or the larger screens. Also, as others have mentioned, Nintendo is also marketing this more towrads the elderly, which is a brilliant move considering they're a market that didn't exist to video games until this generation, and whole families.
I still haven't picked up a DSi yet and if they release a Black or White XL in the states, I'd definitely pick it up if I had the money.
That's a real shame. Looking at the screenshots it could easily have been a poor man's Panzer Dragoon or something. Not brilliant, but at least entertaining.
I was kind of bummed that it didn't come out today. They're going to miss Halloween if they release it next week. Not that Halloween is of any real importance, but the theme kind of makes sense.
this game makes me wonder why Nintendo doesn't release game demos via WiiWare. Oh well, I'm just waiting for this to be released so I can destroy Doc Louis.
I just picked this up today and I'm up to the start of Chapter 2 and I'm enjoying it so far. The Characters are fun and I'm hoping the storyline can hold its own as My Life as a King was able to do in its own way.
The sheer amount of DLC is mind boggling, For the total cost, they should've made it a retail game, or maybe they can release a retail version with all the DLC. Still, when/if I get the money I can see myself buying a lot of t; probably everything except for the costume stuff, though I haven't discounted it quite yet.
As for pointer control, if they had allowed it on the map screen it'd be great, but I'm glad they kept the battles themselves button-driven.
Comments 250
Re: Review: Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (Wii)
I got this the day it came out and I absolutely loved it. Despite the game being somewhat lengthy, its just no long enough. MUST HAVE MOAR!!!! lol I do hope this game does well enough that they bring over any future games or even begin localizing prior games in the series (for the Wii, if at all possible)
I love how the whole thing is basically Samurai Pizza Cats but with humans.
Re: Only 8.8% of Japanese Consumers Want to Buy a 3DS
@slapshot
The article does not say that only 8.8% of gamers want the 3DS. That's 8.8% of the people polled. Also, argus was not making up numbers. Everything he mentions is right in the article. Just throw it into Google translate and you'll see.
The percentage of the polled population were 16% in their teens, 18% in their 20s, 22% in their 30s, 16% in their 40s, and 28% in their 50s (I did some rounding which is why the numbers don't add up to 100%). The polled population is slanted to a large degree to the older demographic so its not surprising that we'd see incredibly diminished interest in the 3DS.
So no, this poll is not entirely indicative of the future of the 3DS. And like has been mentioned, the device has not even been revealed to the public, and I'm sure a large percentage of those polled hadn't even heard of the thing before they answered the question.
Re: Only 8.8% of Japanese Consumers Want to Buy a 3DS
I wonder how many of the people polled actually know all there is currently available about the 3DS. Honestly, those of us that follow the industry enough to have caught wind of a rushed, midnight press release make up a tiny portion of the handheld buying public. By and large, I'm certain most people learned about the DSi XL when the ads started showing up on tv.
I wonder if the poll was simply asking people "do you want a Nintendo 3DS?" or if it actually gave them what little details are known, or mentioned anything about the rumored features that it could possibly include?
I think that until Nintendo gives the 3DS a proper reveal it'll be difficult to get an idea of the demand.
Re: Interplay Straps In with Descent for WiiWare
I'm Darklinkinfinite and I approve this message...and the porting of classic PC games to WiiWare.
crosses fingers for Doom, Hexen, Duke Nukem, Heretic, X-com, Leisure Suit Larry, etc etc
or at the very least release Doom 64, Hexen, Duke Nukem 64/Zero Hour, etc on the Virtual Console. I never got to spend enough time with those when they were new.
Re: Interviews: High Voltage Software - Conduit 2
I really enjoyed the first game and the sequel is looking great as well. My biggest complaint from the first game was simply the storytelling aspect. All the storytelling seemed to happen off screen, either in another location and you hear about it over your comm or during the pre-mission briefings. Also, I think the lack of any real supporting cast hurt the story and made it feel a bit too rudimentary. If they can pull together a well-rounded cast plus do a little more with the storytelling, I'll be one happy buyer.
Also, I do hope they decide to include motion plus support. Even if the game doesn't support melee weapons, motion plus can help solve that problem a lot of Wii FPSes have when you aim off screen and the game either goes crazy or the camera just stops. I think Red Steel 2 used it for that same purpose as well.
Re: Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Could Be On Its Way
For some reason, I doubt this'll come to the Wii even if it is true.
According to VGChartz (take your grain of salt accordingly), Tatsunoko vs Capcom has sold roughly 220k units so far, which is about 1/3 of what each port of Street Fighter IV sold on the PS3 and 360 after the same amount of time on the market.
I wish I knew how Capcom would take sales figures like that. I mean, the game has at least outsold BlazBlue (which I compare to only because BB is a new IP and most people haven't heard of half of TvC's roster) and Mortal Kombat Armageddon on the Wii (which sold roughly half as many copies, which probably explains why MKvsDCU wasn't released on Wii) after the same amount of time on the market.
Re: Red Steel 2 Blunted After Poor UK Chart Debut
Damn, how long has this game been out and they're already calling it a failure?
I have to wait until my financial aid refund comes in before I pick this up but I'm definitely getting it, probably in a couple of weeks. Although by then I'm sure the news of this game's "failure" will have trickled down to the masses.
_Re: Review: Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces (Wii)
I personally love this game. For one, its only $30. Second, the director of the film this is based on and the author of the books the film was based on were apparently consultants on this game. Even if that's just a fancy way of saying the played the game once, this is perhaps the best licensed, movie-based game I've ever played.
The graphics may not be the prettiest on the system but the rest of the production values do the film justice. Although many people may not like the film (I personally did and I usually hate anime), the game is a perfect companion to the movie. The themes in each compliment each other so beautifully. Although I played the game before watching the movie, I honestly believe my appreciation of the film was enhanced after playing the game and I certainly believe there's an argument that the game would be enhanced after watching the movie.
The music is astounding, and the gameplay with the motion controls works incredibly well.
I think this game has a touch of brilliance, its just unfortunate that it went under so many people's radars and will be completely forgotten by just about everyone seeing as everybody knows "The only has Brawl and Galaxy"
_Anyways, here's my own full review of the game if anyone's interested:
http://www.gameobserver.com/review/inside/all-platforms/sky-crawlers-innocent-aces-the--the-sky-crawlers-rolls-through-license-stereotypes-442/
Re: Nintendo Download: 29th March 2010 (North America)
Ogre Battle will be a pruchase. I'm getting my refund from my school loans next week so I'll definitely pick this up then, and possibly the actual cartridge off of ebay
Re: Review: Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii)
Man, my first weapon break made for about an hour of unenjoyment with this game. After I got my first bamboo sword I sold off my stick. When it broke, I didn't have the cash to buy a new weapon so I spent a while whacking ghosts for 11 damage a strike (with a proper weapon I'd be doing 40-50) until they dropped enough frozen dinners for me to afford a new bamboo sword.
After that, I made sure to stockpile swords by buying one or two from the Merchant every time he showed up and keeping a spare on me at all times. After that, I was able to get along with the amazing experience this game provides.
Re: Review: Sonic Classic Collection (DS)
I haven't played this myself but it seems far from an "avoid at all costs" type of situation. Still, its queer that the games would have such problems considering that these games have been ported ad nauseum to just about every platform imaginable, not the least of all, Nintendo's own Virtual Console service, which, as far as I can tell, is about as perfect an emulation as you can get, going so far as including the Lock-On enhancements for Sonic & Knuckles.
Re: Review: Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (GameCube)
This game is worth it just to watch Bowser breakdance.
While the song selection isn't the best, there are still some enjoyable tracks in the game. Minna de Party Time is probably my favorite track. I really wish Nintendo would stop being so cheap and use more licensed music in their music games or if Konami could've volunteered some of their in-house tracks for the game.
Regardless, I found the dance mat to have been of pretty good quality. The game is not brilliant but its also not a total waste. And as others have mentioned, it could definitely stand to be a bit tougher.
Re: Rogue Listing On Retailer Website
I'm more inclined to believe that they got mixed up and that this is referring to a virtual console release of the original Rogue Squadron. Granted, the original Rogue Squadron was publish by LucasArts and all N64 games currently on the Virtual Console were published by Nintendo, but the two were supposedly getting really chummy recently so I still think its a possibility.
If I were to speculate, I'd want to know who could possibly develop it. Factor 5 is closed and LucasArts works more as publisher lately than a developer.
The listing also says Activision/Blizzard as the publisher. I do elieve they published the last two Jedi Knight games so who knows if they could still be in a publishing relationship with LucasArts.
Re: Review: WarMen Tactics (WiiWare)
Maybe Nintendo approves these bad games because they know it won't sell above the threshold where they begin paying money back to the developers so they get to keep what little cash there is for the few copies sold.
Re: Dead Space Extracted From Wii?
Dead Space Extraction definitely deserves better than what its gotten but at the same time, I really don't know how EA came up with their target figures. From what I've read, the sales figures for Extraction are right in line with what they should be for the console and genre. Take a look: http://www.gameobserver.com/features/inside/all-platforms/positive-dead-space-extraction-sales-206/
I personally loved the game but at the same time, probably moreso than the original Dead Space if only because Extraction's focus on the story doesn't leave me feeling like an errand boy 75% of the game. As much as I liked Extraction, there's some definite room for improvement as an overall package.
As short as the story was, I felt it was a good length because it was well paced and nothing seemed thrown in there to pad the length. Still, there should've been more to do on the game disc overall. Side missions would definitely have made the game more interesting and still kept the converging/diverging stories feel of the Dead Space franchise. They could have added a few short bonus missions following Weller's security guards as they made their way to the shuttle bay or following Vincent's team (who made a brief appearance in Extraction) as they fought their way through the Ishimura (maybe re-enacting some scenes from Downfall), or maybe even a short segment playing as Nicole.
As it is now, the only thing to do after the storyline is some shooting in the challenge maps or read the original Dead Space comic which was released before the first game and was included twice over with the Limited Edition of Dead Space and available for free online. Extraction could've, at the very least, included the Dead Space Extraction comic that came out a few months before the game.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Arcade Games on Virtual Console?
I'm wondering why there aren't more Arcade releases in general. I personally want to play the original arcade Punch-Out and Super Punch-Out. Its bad enough that we have to beg for THOSE (Nintendo arcade games in genral) titles that you'd imagine would've been some of the first up on the system let alone begin wondering about more recent arcade games like say, Mortal Kombat, Afterburner, or anything after 1990.
Re: Sonic Playable in Super Mario Galaxy 2?
I honestly wouldn't mind if Sonic was playable in Galaxy 2 but I really don't see it happening.
What would really have me foaming at the mouth would be an actual crossover game that incorporates each character's own gameplay styles as opposed to trying to fit one into the other's world.
I mean, maybe Eggman made a portal into the mushroom kingdom, bringing in his whole fleet and making an Alliance with Bowser. And Sonic (JUST Sonic) follows him through the portal and teams up with Mario to save little animals, Princess Peach, the Mushroom Kingdom, and find the Chaos Emeralds.
And at the end there will be a big battle with you as Super Sonic and Super Mario (haha, I made a funny!) fighting against Bowser's Castle merged with Eggman's flagship.
Re: The Grinder Gets a Release Date; Goes Multi-Platform
This could go either way for High Voltage, actually. I thought the Conduit was a good game but I don't think it really raised the bar on first-person shooters on the platform outside of the control scheme and that is a luxury they won't really have on the HD consoles since FPS controls on the gamepad have been refined after years and years of games.
Also, by going multiplat they are risking losing a good amount of support from the Wii crowd for this game. Even if everyone that bought the Conduit chose to buy one of the HD versions instead, 350k units sold on the PS3 or 360 alone is not the same as 350k sold on the Wii. Development costs are far higher on the HD consoles and considering that development time is being extended a whole year in order to produce the assets to even be competitive in the HD market, that's even more money sunk in. And if they want to use Natal or Sony's Wand, that's even more money they or their publisher will have to invest.
As others have noted, it won't be as easy for The Grinder to become a relative success on the HD consoles due in large part to its competition. Some would expect a sequel to Left 4 Dead by then or if not, at least continued support for the game via DLC. There are also far more FPS titles on the HD consoles being developed by more experienced developers with deeper pockets.
At this point I also doubt that the two versions (Wii/HD) will have identical feature sets. As I noted above, the bar is simply set higher for HD games. People will expect full 4 player support which is not currently planned on the Wii. If the Wii version does indeed include Motion Plus support, I suspect that would be considered the trade-off for the more in-depth networking features found on the HD systems. It also will not help the Wii version any when its being graphically compared to its HD counterpart.
Some have said that since development started on the Wii, its version will still be a solid game. Which I agree with. However, that's still not to say that the Wii version will be the "best" version. The difference here is that when you're trying to fit a game developed for the HD systems on the Wii, you struggle trying to fit the content and the tech into the system's hardware capabilities. However, if we're going the other way around, things aren't so restrictive. Instead the developers find themselves more empowered to do new things and explore new tech. Whereas High Voltage may be pushing the Wii to get 100 enemies on screen, that'd be relatively easy to do on the HD systems and then we be begin to consider not 100, but hundreds, of enemies on screen. With better support for textures and maps, why not go ahead and add those elements in?
For what its worth, I'll still be picking up the Wii version, but I sure hope High Voltage and whatever publisher picks up the game that simply releasing a game on the HD consoles does not equate to a commercial success. It still requires a great deal of marketing and rapport with the audience, which is what most companies marketing a Wii-only game tend to forget.
Re: Cursed Mountain Developer Closed
lol, well, if you're right, then people should probably jump on them.
Amazon, one of the very few if only outlets to carry the Cursed Mountain LE, currently has them for $30. Even if they aren't worth something, at least they'll bolster Cursed Mountain's sales. Too little too late, perhaps but still.
Re: Review: Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep (Wii)
I pre-ordered this from Amazon a few weeks ago. For only $30, the MSRP for the game, they are (at least at the time I ordered) also throwing in a free WiiSpeak with the game, which will soon see further use in games like Monster Hunter and The Grinder.
Re: Cursed Mountain Developer Closed
Sad news indeed. Cursed Mountain's a pretty good game so far (I bought it, started it, but not through it) and its a shame it was written off as "just another bad horror/wii game" because it got reviews in the 7s. Sad also because for the team's first Wii game, they showed a lot of potential that I could only see them rising to meet in future games (not unlike High Voltage Software).
Its also surprising that Cursed Mountain was one of the few Wii games to get a Limited/collector's/special edition release, aside from Rock Band bundles.
Re: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood ESRB Rated
Awesome! Now they can finally release this and we can move on to crave other titles...like Castlevania Bloodlines and Legacy of Darkness (I know the last one is a near impossibility, but a man can dream, damn it!)
Re: Phoenix Wright May Still Appear in Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom
Well, if DLC does somehow become possible then I'll still blindly hold out hope for Samurai Pizza Cat characters and maybe the Supreme Catatonic as another oversized character
Re: First Impressions: Calling
I'm glad this game is looking good so far. I'm really surprised that the Wii has become such a hub for horror titles. So far it has gotten games like Cursed Mountain, the two Resident Evil Chronicles games, RE4, the two Resident Evil Archives games, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Dead Space Extraction, The Grudge, Obscure: the Aftermath, Dead Rising, House of the Dead 2&3, HotD: Overkill, Fatal Frame IV (Jpn), Imabikisou (Jpn), the never-found-a-publisher Winter, Manhunt 2, Alone in the Dark, and coughescapefrombugislandcough.
Quality may be all over the place but that's still quite a pretty big list of games in a genre you wouldn't expect a lot of development for on Nintendo's white box.
Re: Project Needlemouse Stories Come and Go
@Stuffgamer1
My rationale was more that people that have been with Nintendo since at least the SNES probably have the same mentality that is required to enjoy the 16-bit Sonics.
Then a few generations later, the Gamecube became Sonic's escape pod after the Dreamcast sank with Sonic Adventure DX, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Sonic Mega Collection, and Sonic Gems Collection released for the system. Then the Gamecube was also the lead system for Sonic Heroes' development. The console also became home to other Sonic Team games like two versions of Phantasy Star Online Episodes 1 & 2, and PSO Episode 3. The Wii after that became home to Sonic Team's own NiGHTs: Journey of Dreams. On the handheld front, after the Dreamcast, Sonic appeared In top form on the GBA and later the DS.
When Sonic did move primarily off Nintendo with Sonic the Hedgehog in 2006, he had his worst outing ever.
I figure that Nintendo loyalists, despite being Nintendo loyalists, still have a long history with the blue guy.
Re: Project Needlemouse Stories Come and Go
As others have mentioned, it makes a lot of sense to release this game on Nintendo's console. I don't know, maybe its because Sonic comes from the days when Sega and Nintendo were both very similar, but Sonic just seems at home on Nintendo's console. After all, Sonic did appear in Brawl and has since teamed up with Mario on two Wii games. Sonic and the Secret Rings is the best reviewed 3D Sonic game in a long time, and if you ask me, actually does 3D Sonic right (Only Sonic is playable, no real gimmicks, yes it has an Arabian Nights theme, but it doesn't affect gameplay, some minor character customization, fast, reflex-heavy gameplay, etc), unfortunately Sonic and the Black Knight was pretty bland and undid a lot where Secret Rings had succeeded.
Beyond that, Sonic Unleashed on the Wii was reviewed higher than either the PS3 or 360 versions and as many have pointed out, Sonic simply sells better on the Wii. Unleashed outsold the two HD systems combined on the Wii, Sonic and the Secret Rings did even better than that. And in terms of sales, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games has sold nearly as many copies as Call of Duty 4 on the 360 (and moreso than the PS3 version). Sonic and the Black Knight was released in the shadow of Sonic Unleashed and so had greatly reduced sales, but even then it sold about as well as the PS3/360 versions of Sonic Unleashed.
Someone earlier proposed that Sega's rationale could be that they figure all the classic gamers have moved on past the Wii and are now playing the PS3 and 360, which is definitely plausable. However, I'm more inclined to think that while the PS3 and 360 may have their share of classic gamers, their demographic also includes an even larger number of gamers who got into gaming with the rapid expansion brough on by the original Playstation, or the further market expansion by the PS2, hardly classic gamers. The Wii, while definitely being predominantly new non-gamers, still has as large, if not larger number of classic gamers and loyalists that have stuck with Nintendo consoles since the old days. Even if the games are bought mostly for children, I wonder how exactly children would've been exposed to Sonic to make them want Sonic games in the first place. The animated show, Sonic X, could definitely contribute, but I highly doubt its enough to push Sonic to the success its had on the Wii. If anything, I'd say its the gamers that have grown up and moved on that are buying Sonic for their kids because they remember him from 15 years ago (man that makes me feel old).
I wouldn't be surprised if Sega did release Needlemouse on everything but the Wii, though I definitely would not agree with it. After all, thrid parties seem to have convinced themselves that releasing a game for the PS3 and 360 means an automatic million-seller because their Wii titles haven't sold that well despite the fact that they neither put the best development resources behind their Wii games, nor promote them in any significant way. Or they just have unrealistic sales expectations.
Re: New Grinder Details Claw Their Way Out
@logins4life
Well, the thing in a 12-player online deathmatch, they have 12 players to keep track of. In The Grinder, they'd have 4 players, plus dozens of enemies (last I heard they were pushing the engine towards like 50 onscreen enemies or something) and that's no small feat nor is High Voltage a big name developer.
While I to find the 2-player co-op a tad disappointing, I understand completely why they would have to go with it. I'm still looking forward to it since High Voltage seems to want to use every tool in the Wii's arsenal from online, to WiiSpeak, and Motion Plus.
Re: Ubisoft Slices Sales Predictions for Red Steel 2 in Two
I'm not really troubled by the name. I always see two types of franchises in terms of naming. Those that continue the same story and characters like we're all used to and those that cary similar themes but not necessarily characters and setting. The latter includes games like Manhunt, Grand Theft Auto (to an extent), and Final Fantasy.
Sure each entry is an entirely different entity, but the gameplay elements are so powerful from game to game that its not difficult to identify them as a single series. It looks like Red Steel is focusing on the sword/gun gameplay as opposed to the same aesthetic elements.
Also, its not as illogical to stick with the name as most of us seem to think. The first game did sell over a million copies, granted that's partially because it was a launch title, and despite the overwhelming disappointment across the internet, we need to remember that the internet community is often just a vocal minority. Every corner you turn you'll find a comment or a forum thread about how the Wii sucks, how Wii Sports is stupid, or how they can't believe people like Carnival games. But all of these keep selling, so there's a large contingent of people out there whose gaming opinions differ greatly with those you're likely to hear around the internet. And then there's thos of us that genuinely enjoyed the first game and are eager to pick up the sequel.
Re: Nyko Bringing Wii MotionPlus to Wand+
I'd heard good things about Nyko's previous wand controller so I'm not too wary of this. Granted I have five wii remotes between my two Wiis so this would be a good way to fill up the last 3 slots without having to pay extra for Motion+.
I do hope they either release this in one of their "Action Packs" or make the Perfect Shot with Wand compatibility (the controller digitally maps the buttons of the wand to the trigger on the gun so its not like all other Wii guns that simply press the B-button via lever action) available on its own.
Re: Capcom Growing Less Keen on Wii?
And just like that, Capcom Europe backs away from this guy's comments.
http://kotaku.com/5442443/capcom-try-to-back-away-from-anti+wii-comments
Re: Konami Readying Castlevania Collection For Wii?
I personally hope this is true. Granted, I do own every Castlevania game except Ecclesia and Judgement, but I'm a sucker for a good compilation. I also hope that if it does happen that the two N64 games are included since they're my two favorites in the series.
And shortly afterward, I hope to hear Square announce a Final Fantasy collection with all its 8 and 16-bit iterations (including Mystic Quest >_>)
Re: Capcom Growing Less Keen on Wii?
I can't help but think that everyone (news outlets) is blowing this news out of proportion.
First off, this is an exec from Capcom France and I highly doubt that his opinion is representative of Capcom HQ which most likely is calling the shots.
Second. No one (again news outlets) seem to be questioning the numbers he's thrown out. 16k sold in three weeks? Where are those numbers from? Worldwide? Hell no. Europe? VGChartz lists 16k units sold in the third week of Darkside Chronicles' release. That's JUST in that third week, not including the first or second weeks. VGChartz traks over 70k units sold in its first week in the states and the game hasn't even been released in Japan yet. I would believe him if he said 16k units in three weeks in France alone.
Third, in the interview he seems upset that the only way to get big sales on the Wii is to support the games with massive ad campaigns like the campaigns for NSMBWii and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Really? No ... Yes you have to put huge marketing dollars behind your Wii games just like you do for Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter 4 or that EA put behind the original Dead Space, or the year of hype Activision kicked off before Modern Warfare 2.
Fourth, I fail to believe that Capcom as a whole could be upset about Darkside Chronicles' sales since it seems to be selling about as much as Umbrella Chronicles, whose success lead to the development of Darkside Chronicles in the first place. In the United States, Darkside Chronicles' sales are maybe half a week behind Umbrella Chronicles' and about a week and a half behind in Europe. Four weeks behind worldwide, but like I said, the game hasn't even been released in Japan yet.
Lastly, no, just because he's an executive doesn't mean his interpretation of the facts, or even the "facts" themselves, are accurate. We have enough crazy quotes from Sony execs to prove that their position within the company in the industry in no way make them incapable of making ill-informed and illogical statements.
Re: Sega to Abandon Mature Wii Audience?
There's really more to Dead Space's sales than what's immediately obvious just by looking at the numbers. Here's an interesting article I found that talks about it.
http://www.gameobserver.com/features/inside/all-platforms/positive-dead-space-extraction-sales-206/
Its based on VGChartz sales figures but its an interesting read nonetheless.
I just got Dead Space Extraction myself and I loved it. The story wasn't brilliant but it was well-made and I liked that you had several characters with you throughout the game to bounce dialogue off of. I also thought the ending was pretty intense, with one part in particular perhaps surpassing the CoD4 nuke scene in my opinion, and left me shaking for a few minutes afterward.
Still, it does seem particularly short and devoid of content and I'm rarely one to complain about length. Maybe its because I enjoyed the game so much that I really wanted more. Aside from the short story there are some challenge levels, which are just sections of the story-mode levels, with a few waves of enemies. The game also includes the original 6-part Dead Space motion comic that had come out with the original game so it wasn't much of a bonus. They could have at least included the Dead Space Extraction comic that came out the summer before the game.
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles was just as good as Extraction (though without the brilliant bright spot Extraction had) but it looked better, was longer, and had more things to do. It included a bunch of unlockable content, weapons to upgrade (in a more replay-friendly fashion than Extraction), online leaderbords to compare high scores (Extraction also has a scoring system, but only local leaderboards), and had more (not necessarily better) story since it covered three seperate storylines.
Again, I loved Extraction and its at least worth a rent, but Darkside Chronicles is simply a better overall package so its not surprising that Extraction would have lower sales than its incredibly similar, far more established competition. Still, if they made another rail-shooter Dead Space game like Extraction and simply made "more" I would be all over it because it may be short, but its still damn good.
Re: Talking Point: Are Rereleases Killing the Retro Market?
I consider myself something of a collector, though I don't have the money these days to really indulge my vices, but I get by.
I personally think re-releases only hurt those that like to hoarde games simply to have something expensive they can resell later. I bought Final Fantasy Tactics on the Playstation for $80 before it was reprinted as a Greatest Hits and the price plummetted. Other than the fact that I could've gotten the game for less, I really don't mind. For me, I collect the originals moreso because I want to own an original game and keep it moreso, because of their contributions to gaming history, than I do because they're worth more.
Am I going to complain that I can get an SNES copy of Chrono Trigger for under $50? Of course not. Am I going to complain that my original copy of Final Fantasy Tactics, Symphony of the Night, or Dracula X aren't worth as much? Again no, because I have no plans to sell them. Its always nice to have something that's worth a lot, but it doesn't matter if something you have is worth a million dollars if you're not going to part with it.
Re: And The Most Pirated Wii Games Of 2009 Are...
If you have a Fry's Electronics nearby, that's probably one of the best place to shop for Wii games. I got Klonoa there for $13 not too long ago as well as ExciteBots for $15, a WiiSpeak accessory for $10(I know its pretty much useless but its only $10), and they hadHarvey Birdman for $5, NiGHTS and Sonic and the secret rings for $12, Trauma Center: New Blood for $10, and The Conduit for $15. Their DS games can also be pretty flexible as I was able to pick up Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for $5.
Their prices on PS3 and 360 games are a little more stable but you can still find good deals (I was able to nab Lair for $30 while every retailer was still selling it for $60) and they often have surpluses of premium edition stuff that they discount after a while like Halo 3 Legendary editions for $50 about a year ago.
Re: And The Most Pirated Wii Games Of 2009 Are...
The difference between renting/used games and piracy is that there is a legal transfer of ownership of the product instead of rampant duplicates.
Also, I do believe the law allows you to make a personal back-up of your music/movies/etc. But it has to be you that makes it and you can make one.
That MPAA lawsuit I believe you're referring to is the RealNetworks/MPAA lawsuit. The lawsuit did involve a dvd copying program but RealNetworks was not singled out simply because the program copies dvd but because of the way RealDVD circumvents copy protection measures. This was a specific issue with RealDVD not a dvd copying issue in general. If it were, there are many other programs the MPAA could easily have gone after that have been on the market for ages but they have no legal grounds on which to do so.
Re: Review: The Magic Obelisk (WiiWare)
I'm definitely picking this up. It has that adorable quality similar to A Boy and His Blob that's refreshing to see.
Re: And The Most Pirated Wii Games Of 2009 Are...
@Ren
Well, I'm glad this didn't devolve into the typical forum flame war and I thank you for that, I know I might've pushed it a little.
It might be helpful if next time you made it a little clearer that you were simply presenting an alternate point of view because your post just felt a little too first-person and it made it difficult to separate you from the opinion you were expressing.
And I know pirating isn't going to lead to the downfall of society I was merely pointing out that when we begin to choose what laws we wish to follow or not, even when it begins with something minor, we're on a slippery slope where it begins to get easier and easier to justify ignoring others laws.
Re: And The Most Pirated Wii Games Of 2009 Are...
@Ren
I debated a moment whether or not I should respond to your comment because quite honestly, it made me laugh when I read it.
Just because a law is not "right" doesn't mean its okay for you to break it. No we may not be mechanically bound by laws but laws, written or not, are what make us civilized. When we can pick and choose which laws we will or will not follow we are only paving the way for chaos.
Yes video games are expensive. as DarkEdi said, you can buy them legally used or when they're on sale and get them on the cheap. If you still can't afford them, then maybe you shouldn't get them at all. Like I said, just because you want something doesn't give you the right to have it.
Not buying something sends a more positive message than stealing it. When you don't buy something you're denying them profits, not stealing them. When you pirate something, you make yourself an enemy that they have to combat and you give them fuel for enacting whatever rules or policies they deem fit. By pirating, you're doing your own cause more harm than good. Why should they bother releasing something if people are just going to pirate it? Why ship something with zero copy protection and make it easier on the pirates? Why let you install a game on multiple computers if people are just going to abuse it?
If you don't buy it then you're a consumer that they have failed to capture. If they notice that their product sells more the minute they drop the price maybe they'll start releasing games at a cheaper price. That's why certain games drop in price so quickly, because people are not willing to spend $50 on a certain game and the retailers feel it and they drop the price.
Re: And The Most Pirated Wii Games Of 2009 Are...
I personally think the sense of entitlement of most pirates is definitely the problem.
To think things logically and legally, if something is not released in your region, that in no way gives you the right to go download it. Just because something costs more than you think it should doesn't give you the right to pirate it. Just because a demo wasn't for a game doesn't give you the right to pirate it. Just because a game is old and hard to find doesn't give you the right to pirate it. Just because something has piracy protection that keeps it from playing on your system doesn't give you the right to pirate it.
Yes these sorts of things are frustrating but people need to realize that just because they want something doesn't mean they're given a free pass to pirate a copy. Instead it would be more intelligent to pursue your objections via legal means instead of making yourself an enemy that the publishers feel they have to fight against instead of a consumer that they have to please. No fighting a legal fight won't get you what you want right away but it will get you there legally and if you don't get there, well then suck it up, life isn't fair. When you pirate a copy publishers just see you as a thief that they have to stop.
Yes, it can be argued that not every pirated copy equates in a lost sale but that doesn't change the fact that people obtained copies without paying for them. What people don't seem to understand is that is, in fact theft. I see people all the time with banners in their sigs saying piracy isn't stealing because it leaves the original copy intact whereas piracy simply creates a duplicate. That's just blueberries and they are fooling themselves. Sure that leaves the original copy but the fact is a second copy exists, one that the creators of the original are not getting paid for. So you may leave the original copy of the game, but you are taking money away from the people that would have gained from that second copy.
And then of course there's pirates that justify their actions by saying the creators already have enough money. That's another stupid excuse because how much money the creators have isn't the point. The point is you're still stealing their material and its just as wrong if you did it to an indie developer of 10 guys than it is a multi-billion dollar publisher. People just try to fool themselves into thinking its completely different.
Re: Review: Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare)
I'm really loving this game. I had a tear in my simply from seeing the classic Castlevania logo instead of the stupid crescent moon logo they use now. The last game to use the classic logo was Circle of the Moon, which was the last game before IGA took over the series and drove it into the ground (as far as I'm concerned), so I was glad to see it back for this return to classic gameplay.
I do miss a save/suspend play feature since I've never been one to finish a game in one sitting, I don't care how much "hardcore" cred it gives a person.
My only other major gripe is that sub-weapons don't fall out when you pick a new one, allowing you to decide which one you want to keep. The fact that keys also use up a sub-weapon slot is a bit annoying as well, but I'd suffer that if I had the option to choose what I wanted to keep when I picked up a new subweapon (on accident for example).
Re: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
I actually have this game for the Turbografx, though I don't own the console myself. Its just in my Castlevania collection along with Bloodlines (I've never owned a genesis) which I'd also love to see on the Virtual Console.
While Rondo is definitely a great game, I think I much prefer Super Castlevania IV on the SNES because of stuff like the eight-way whip controls, the moonwalking, and the fact that it didn't lead the series down the Medroidvania path (I know Rondo isn't, but its direct sequel, SotN was, which is what I mean with my comment).
My personal favorite Castlevania of all time has to be Legacy of Darkness, though. I loved that despite it being 3D, it still had more in common with the classic Castlevanias (1-Rondo/Dracula X) than the 2D RPG Metroidvanias that started with SotN. I also thought it had the best told story. Unlike Symphony which is oddly applauded for its story despite it being just two character portraits having conversations that don't really connect with anything else, Legacy had great characters like Malus, Ortega, and Actrise, and a great twist that connects Cornell's game with Reinhardt and Carrie's instead of just "here's the castle again, except upside down," or "yeah just play as Richter just cuz."
Re: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Getting Long Overdue Western Release
Thank god, I'm a huge old-school Castlevania fan and I've been waiting for this forever! Granted I do have the original Rondo for the TGCD (But not Turbo Duo to play it on) and I have Castlevania Chronicles on the PSP, but for some reason i really want to give the game a home on the virtual console with the rest of the Castlevania series.
Now we just need Bloodlines, the US version of Dracula X, and I would personally love to see Legacy of Darkness (my personal favorite Castlevania game) on the Virtual Console. Though for that last one it'd have to be some weird thing where they take the Japanese version (which allowed you to save your game onto the cart) with the English localization (which had you using an N64 memory card, which isn't supported on the VC for some reason).
Re: Review: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii)
@ Sneaker13
I've already beaten the game once and started a new game. You definitely won't be lost if you haven't played the original Silent Hill but at the same time know that this game isn't meant to replace the original Silent Hill in the canon. The game has its own place in the chronology and I really can't say anything more without giving anything away.
If this is your first Silent Hill, its a great game. If you're a huge fan of the series then you will have strong feelings about this game. Good or bad, but strong emotions nonetheless. For those that think the series has gotten stagnant trying to repeat the same formula over and over again and thinks it needs something new to invigorate the series much in the way RE4 did for that series, then you'll probably love it.
If you're one of those fans that thinks and forever will think Silent Hill 2 was the greatest game ever, then you'd do well to tread lightly. The game does not follow most of the conventions of a typical Silent Hill in either gameplay, storyline, or aesthetics.
I personally loved the game. I felt the gameplay was unique, not just for the series but for video games in general. The story, while not sticking to the established conventions, is very human and relatable. The psychological profiling doesn't make it a completely different game every time, but there are probably more changes in the game than in other games with morality systems such as Mass Effect or Knights of the Old Republic.
If you're an adventurous gamer, that is, you buy games beyond only what has a metacritic rating of 90% and higher, I urge you to at least play this game, be it purchase or rental, and see if its for you. There are few other experiences in video games similar to this and I hope it gets the attention and the appreciation it deserves. Not just in sales but in public perception.
Re: Hardware Impressions: Nintendo DSi LL
I say God created cargo pants for a reason and that reason is finally here! lol j/k
Anyways, I really doubt Nintendo expects people to replace their current DSis with this system, which is probably why they released it so soon, before the DSi completely penetrates the market and while most people still have the option of going with the regular or the larger screens. Also, as others have mentioned, Nintendo is also marketing this more towrads the elderly, which is a brilliant move considering they're a market that didn't exist to video games until this generation, and whole families.
I still haven't picked up a DSi yet and if they release a Black or White XL in the states, I'd definitely pick it up if I had the money.
Re: Review: Dragon Master Spell Caster (WiiWare)
That's a real shame. Looking at the screenshots it could easily have been a poor man's Panzer Dragoon or something. Not brilliant, but at least entertaining.
Re: More Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth Screenshots
I was kind of bummed that it didn't come out today. They're going to miss Halloween if they release it next week. Not that Halloween is of any real importance, but the theme kind of makes sense.
Re: Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!
this game makes me wonder why Nintendo doesn't release game demos via WiiWare. Oh well, I'm just waiting for this to be released so I can destroy Doc Louis.
Re: OVERTURN
the video makes it look a lot like Armored Core Lite
I hope its good enough to purchase when I get some cash
Re: Review: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord (WiiWare)
I just picked this up today and I'm up to the start of Chapter 2 and I'm enjoying it so far. The Characters are fun and I'm hoping the storyline can hold its own as My Life as a King was able to do in its own way.
The sheer amount of DLC is mind boggling, For the total cost, they should've made it a retail game, or maybe they can release a retail version with all the DLC. Still, when/if I get the money I can see myself buying a lot of t; probably everything except for the costume stuff, though I haven't discounted it quite yet.
As for pointer control, if they had allowed it on the map screen it'd be great, but I'm glad they kept the battles themselves button-driven.