Video Game Discussion

[link 46]

sorry people i gave out the wrong gamertag its really spartan72995

[NINTENDOwii]

So in case anyone hadn't heard the Heroic Maps on Halo 3 become free tomorrow. I'll be downloading them tomorrow then. :biggrin:

On another Halo related note, is anyone here up for a night of Halo one day this week? I'm on Easter holidays atm, so time zone differences aren't a problem. I've played with some of you guys before and it was fun, so how about we get a team together and own some noobs.

My gamertag is ShadowSpartan12 for anyone interested. I'm free any night this week, apart from Thursday, and am free all of next week. Either reply here or PM me if you're interested.

I GOT HALO 3 BACk FROM MICROSOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It explains all(above). I also got Overkill, Triplekill, and The triplekill w/the swoard. All the achievemnts I have left are easy ones so I will Get some Security Helm/ Katana realllllllly soon. I was thinking of maybe an All-nighter this Friday since I got Halo 3 back. I was thinking That Me and Wallbreaker would play some rounds AND ANYBODY FROM THIS BOARD WHO HAS HALO 3 IS WELCOM TO JOIN. Peace out y'all! ( gamertag is below if u wanna add me)

GAMERTAG= Rustlegg

[Nestlé]

Thye legendary map pack will also include a remake of Lockout from H2.

They will be out April 15th.

I mioght take you up on that Dan.

When are you on Easter break til?

[Dan]

I go back on April 9th so plenty of time. Anyone else in?

Blackout (that's new Lockout) looks pretty cool, and basically an exact remake apart from with equipment and likely different weapon spawns.

[Nestlé]

Good deal.

I'll send you a freind request.

I won't be on much for a couple days, that's why I was making sure.

As for Blackout... I'm not sure. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE Lockout. I was just hoping they would change something about it. Instead it looks IDENTICAL, with the exception that it is better lit (which doesn't make sense on a map called Blackout).

Finally, for thos following Nathaniel's story. WOW.

Link:

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3167089

[Dan]

So are we still on for tonight Nestle? I didn't get your friend request yet.

Wallbreaker, Nintendo wii, are you guys in too? Approximately what time will you be on, and how far is that from GMT?

Anybody else for a nights worth of Halo 3?

[Nestlé]

Sorry Dan, I must've been a little vague there.

I won't be online much until Sunday night since I'm working mornings (I have to get up @ 3am).

My weekend starts on Monday, so I'll be able to play then.

[Reideen1313]

I know this is, for all intents and purposes, the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii thread, but thought I'd mention Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a very fun game for the DS.

I've recently rediscovered my DS by trading in a crapload of old stuff and getting some fun titles to pass my free time. Prof Layton is one of those I've picked up. Very good story, great animation, music is not too annoying (like sometimes repetitive music can be) and it's challenging at times.

[Dan]

Alrighty, PM me on whatever day you're free and I'll be on that night.

[NINTENDOwii]

So are we still on for tonight Nestle? I didn't get your friend request yet.

Wallbreaker, Nintendo wii, are you guys in too? Approximately what time will you be on, and how far is that from GMT?

Anybody else for a nights worth of Halo 3?

I'll be up for it. I'll stay up for as long as I can an I will start around 4:00-5:00 Eastern.

If anyone is still doing achievments, then note that I only have to get "spartan officer" and then I will have every achievement in the game! Katana ans Security FTW!

[wallbreaker2.0]

I just have to eat then I'm in

[neolego]

I know this is, for all intents and purposes, the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii thread, but thought I'd mention Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a very fun game for the DS.

I know that is seems that way, but it is for all video game lovers. We just happen to have a lot of Wii60 owners in the house . As for the DS though, I probably play that more than my Wii and 360 combined. I recently just beat PokeMon Diamond and Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. I've been wanting to pick up a few new games, but haven't found much yet that I want. So, I've been replaying through Mario Kart . I do want to pick up Ninja Gaiden and I've been thinking about Professor Layton......but wasn't sure. I love the art style, but was sure about the gameplay. But, hearing from you, I may have to give it a try.

On another DS note, I'm really looking forward to Sonic: Dark Brotherhood and the new Final Fantasy Tactics. neo

[TM2 Dinobot]

I suppose I'll post this here, as it seems to be the logical (well, maybe not) place to put this.

Dead Fantasy I & II

An amazing video by an amazing gamer. I've watched it twice through and am constantly blown away.

[Nestlé]

I have to admit, I was impress.

Especially the tricks they did with the DOA girl's telpotation.

Clever.

[Dan]

A video for all you Halo fans.

Language Warning.

It's an ace vid though!

[TM2 Dinobot]

I have to admit, I was impress.

Especially the tricks they did with the DOA girl's telpotation.

Clever.

Kasumi can do that in the game a little bit./ She can teleport around to someone's backside. But she never uses her sword, and Anyae only uses her beam sword in a video, not the game. I wish they'd use weapons, That'd rock. I've never played Ninja Gaden, so I have no idea if Rachel can really use her ax or not.

10 to 1 odds says Spartan 353 or whatever (the girl) showsz up in part III to even the odds.

Over all though, an outstanding video. I love Hitomi. XD

[neolego]

Ok, this is a Discussion thread and I have something I want to Discuss:

The Future of Micro-Transactions

Quick definition for newcomers, Micro-Transactions is the title given to the downloadable content for games released on major consoles (Mainly, PS3 and Xbox360). This could be anything from new levels, maps, or content. For example, New Songs on Rock Band=Micro-Transaction. New Maps on Halo=Micro-Transactions. New Missions on Mass Effect=Micro-Transactions.

I'm not sure how everyone feels about Micro-Transactions. At first I was totally against them, but they are starting to grow on me. There are still things that I don't like, thus why I wanted to start the discussion. I'm interested in seeing where you would like Micro-Transactions to go?

What would you like to see? I would actually like to see LESS games and more Content! Explain! Well, don't mind if I do. Too many games=trash! There is no other way to look at it. The Wii Library is a perfect example. It probably has more titles than any of the other consoles, but 80% are garbage. What I'd like to see are companies spending more time on creating a Unbelievable game and then keep it going. I'm so sick of seeing the countless sequels released now days. Ninja Gaiden II, Mass Effect II, Gears of War II, Rainbow Six: Vegas II, Resistance II, Project Gotham 5 or 6 or 7 or wherever they left off, Smackdown 2009, or worst of all, Madden whatever! I'm getting really sick of companies taking the last game, old content, and adding fluff features and charging me another $60. RS:V2 is a perfect example. It's basically the same game. There is NOTHING in that game that makes you stand back and say, DANG this is WAY better than RS:V1. My answer, release all of that new content as a Micro (or mega) Transaction for around $20 or $30. I refuse to buy RS:V2 until I can get it for cheap. That is the same way with most games. I get sick of having to buy a new Madden every year for new players. Why not, instead of charging me another $60 for the same game and updated rosters, they just release a Mega-Transaction online for, say, $30 that includes all the new players, new stadiums, new jerseys, etc. Or, what about Project Gotham or Forza or any racer for that matter. Why release a game each year with new tracks and cars and again, it costs you $60. Instead, release a 2008 Update as a Mega Transaction for $20 or $30 bucks. Include several new cars, new tracks, etc. I think it's a great idea that would cause the market to make extrodinary games that you could play for a long time. It would cut down on shipping costs and production costs and the companies would still be making tons of money. Imagine, each new Generation of game would get an updated version of the same IPs everyone loves: GTA, Mario, Madden, etc. However, they only get one, and they get fed constant updated every year or a few times a year during the life cycle of that console. Think about it. Next month you pick up GTA IV. And, instead of Rockstar going right to work on V to milk you for even more money. They take what they've already mastered in IV and build new missions, new weapons, new areas, etc. Laster this year they release that Mega-Transaction for $30. It's basically like a sequal to an extrodinary game for half the price and less production time. It's win/win for everyone.

Now, will it happen? Heck now......and why not? Because we, as consumers, continue to buy these games. Every year Madden will be the top seller so EA will never make the change. And this goes for all companies. So, this is all talk, but I think it would be the way to go if we had the choice! Now, what do you guys think, let's discuss? neo

Edited March 31, 2008 by neolego

[handsomedevil]

You make some good points, neo, but I think the companies would probably make more money churning out sequels than releasing more downloadable content. I could be wrong, I really don't know. If it was that much more money to be made, they'd probably be doing it that way already.

The problems I have with downloadable content is:

1. If it's that good, it should have been in my $60 game from the beginning.

2. If you're hardware fails (at least on 360) you'll lose it.

I choose not to buy the DLC and encourage the manufacturers to hold back content to introduce later, but I think I'm in the minority on that one. And as far as Madden goes, how can it not be the top seller? It has and exclusive agreement with the NFL. It's pretty much the ONLY football game available!

[Dan]

I have to agree with you on many points neo. RBV2 is pointless, I played it the other night for about an hour, and wondered why my Xbox 360 could play a game that looked like and played like a PS1 game, yet people will buy it, because they think everyone else will. I don't bother with driving or sports games, not while they are new at the very least.

Mass Effect is an interesting one. I bought it a couple of weeks ago and have to say it is without doubt one of the best games I have ever played. I couldn't keep off it. What I loved about it was the vastness of it. I've been watching tons of interviews from the creators and you can see that they really care about this game and they are making it to be something epic, not something that will make them money I mean they spent 2 years making it, and it take around 40hours of gameplay to complete, and thats just the first time. I am currently deciding on a class to start my second playthrough on. You mention Mass Effect 2, but I wouldn't consider that a money-making sequel. Mass Effect was originally devised to be a trilogy, but spokespeople have said it 'will be a franchise for a very long time.' I am thrilled about Mass Effect 2 (incase you can't tell) and can't wait for it to come out.

I haven't gotten around to buying Bring Down the Skies just yet but I love the idea of it. I think bringing out extra missions as downloadable content is a great idea, and it will bridge the gap between the two games, and at only 300MP thats like what £2.50?

Onto Halo. Would you prefer to buy the game and have 20 maps on it for $80, or around £50, or buy it for $60,£40 with 10 maps and get the other ten over the course off a year or two and pay the extra later? Personally I prefer downloading them as when they come out, they breathe a breath of fresh air into the game. I was ready to give Halo a long break and buy a new game, but then I downloaded the Heroic map pack and it made Halo fun again, especially Foundry.

But yeah some games such as Madden, or Pro Evo, or Wrestling etc just don't warrant a new version every year with very slightly touched up graphics, but games like Mass Effect with a brand new selection of plots etc do warrant many sequels, so long as there is something new to offer.

Edited March 31, 2008 by Dan

[TM2 Dinobot]

Has any one here played Indigo Prophecy? I'm stuck. I can't get through the army base as a kid.

[neolego]

Good feedback guys, thanks for playing along! Let's keep this going .

To Handsome: First, I agree that companies make more money on new software shipped to the store, that is why this will never change. But, that doesn't make it good. As for your comments, 1: while I agree that a $60 game should include a bunch of content (See Smash Bros Brawl!), I am not saying add cheap content. I'm actually talking about a full sequel of sorts months or even a year later, so that couldn't be included with the original release. 2: true, the harddrive could crash, but it should be saved to your gamertag so once you got it fixed and got back online with your gamertag, if should have a saved record of what you've purchased before and you should be able to re-download it.

To Dan: I'm glad that you brought up Mass Effect as a defense for your stand. I would like to counter your stand with the same game. Let's be honest. As long as Mass Effect comes out on the Xbox 360, it's going to basically be the same design. The first game pushed the power of the Xbox and they are not going to reinvent the wheel with the Sequel. What they are going to do is build on the established story, world, and characters. With that being said, they will probably add another 40+ hours of gameplay, new missions, new aliens, new worlds, etc. Now, follow me here. Much like Bring Down the Sky is added content to a steller game, how would you feel if in November they released a full sequel to the game. Fixing some of the framerate issues and adding new features and 40+ more hours. Only, it was released on Xbox Live for around $30. The company has saved time because there is no production involved and they are able to get their product out sooner and more cost efficent.....and we get new, awesome content at a better price. I agree that some games are so great they warrant a sequel. I'm just saying I would rather pay on Live to download that content rather than pick it up at a store. I think a decent example of this is Tomb Raider: Anniversary. If you own Tomb Raider Legend, you are able to download all Episodes of Tomb Raider Anniversary from Live and play in through your Legend disc. That is what I would LOVE to see with all major releases. New, Full Game, Content to download!

Along this same lines, I was thinking about the "Next Generation" last night. And it got me thinking, what should the next gen look like. It came very clear to me, DOWNLOADABLE GAMING. Picture this. Playstation 4 and XboxNext comes out in 4 or 5 years. They each come with a 350gig harddrive (or whatever, pick a number) with the option of extendable harddrive support, even for USB External Hards. Everything that plays on the console is downloaded. No more mass production of gaming. Much like Xbox Originals or the Virtual Console, all new games would be released through the Online Store and able to be purchased. The advantages to this is wait time. Production costs. And, my personal favorite, everything being on the console. If I'm being honest, somethings I get tired of playing the game I'm playing on my Wii or Xbox and because some days I just feel lazy, I don't want to get up and switch out discs, etc. So, I go over the arcade and starting playing some arcade games. Just imagine if every game you played was accessed just like your arcade collection. Man, that would be awesome. I don't think the market is there right now because there are still a lot of people off-line, but by next generation I think this may be at least an option for games. I would love to never have to buy another game disc, EVER!

As you guys can see, I feel very strongly about this stuff and I get excited talking about it. Things are getting so advanced there is no telling where this industry can go. I am really just in total support of Downloadable Content and hope that more and more developers and companies pursuit as a primary option! neo

[Dan]

I can see where you are coming from but I don't entirely agree. Personally I like my games on disks for many reasons. I know it seems weird but I love seeing all my games lined up on my shelf. Makes all the money seem worthwhile. I like box artwork and reading about the game on the back. I always read the manual in great detail before I start a game. Yes, disks can get lost, or broken, but that is under your control as a gamer to look after them, whereas if you lose your hard-drive memory for whatever reason, everything is gone, and you have to buy everything back.

Also if there were no disks, yes games would be cheaper brand new, but that would eliminate the second-hand market. Most of the games I own are second-hand because I work on a tight budget and have to buy my games more cheaply. Also if you lose internet for whatever reasons, then you can't get any more games until you get that back, and thats gotta suck.

Personally I'd prefer to see games stick on disks for a long time, but thats just my opinion. At the end of the day there is no right answer, only opinion.

[neolego]

You are right Mr. Dan. These are all opinions, it's just fun to talk about things sometimes. I get bored .

Onto a sadder note...........I think my DS has finally had it! I bought my DS on launch day (6/11/06). It has been used probably more than any other console/handheld that I've owned. If I was to average it out, I'd say that I play my DS roughtly 2 hours a day. That's saying alot when you thing of the 2 years that I've owned it. I just recently got excited about Mario Kart Wii so I started playing a lot of Mario Kart DS to get my pumped. This morning, as I was turned my system on a fired up Mario Kart DS I didn't know what I was in store for. I timed my start just right and got a huge boost. Drifting into the first set of Question Cubes. At this point I was in 3rd place and landed the coveted Red Shell. Coming around the corner I passed up DK with my eyes on Wario running in First Place. I lined up perfectly to nail of Fart Head with my Red Shell............only my "L" button QUIT WORKING!!!! Thinking that maybe it just started wrong, I turned the DS off and back on, but it still didn't work. I did it several times but my "L" button has officially died.

Now, I'm not stupid. I know that the "X" button shoots the shells. But that's not the point.........the "L" button is shot. That's going to be bad eventually. So, now I have a shot system.....looks like I'm going to have to start saving again for a new one! neo

[Dan]

Yeah I know neo, it was an interesting discussion and would like to carry it on. Any other members have opinions on disks vs downloaded games?

And that really sucks about your DS. I've had mine a few years but haven't played it nearly as much as I should have or as much as it deserved. One part of my touch screen stopped working properly which made some games annoyingly hard to play, such as polarium, I know its not a great game but I like puzzles. I really should invest in a new one and many new games, but right now my Xbox 360 is coming first.

[handsomedevil]

I'm with Dan. I like the disc in my hand. I like looking at the artwork. I like thumbing through the manual. I like seeing my collection grow on my shelf for others to marvel at. That goes for music CDs as well.

I vow to fight the download-only movement tooth & nail!