The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
For those that don't know, DVD is already becoming outdated. Already you can get view high definition TV, that even surpasses that of DVD. In other words you can be watching Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and it'll look better than the latest Star Wars DVD's.
Does this seem right to you? No indeed it doesn't and 2 major companies also agree this. These 2 major companies have developed 2 new forms of movie media, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.
Sony, along with a whole host of other top names, back the Blu-Ray medium to be the next big thing in home entertainment. It is a massive 50GB in size, looks pretty funky and with it being included in the Playstation 3 will autmatically put Blu-Ray in millions and millions of homes worldwide. Hollywood would almost have to support the Blu-Ray system simply because the popularity of the Playstation brand will mean millions will have the ability to play them already. Sony will add pressure with their Tri-star, Columbia and MGM studios... Spiderman, Terminator and Bond already on Blu-Ray. Watch the new system fly.
Unless something incredibly unlikely happens, such as the PSP flops and the PSTwo fails to start then it is likely Sony will be looking at a steam rolling win for the next generation of consoles.
There is one negative aspect of Blu-Ray. Because it doesn't use the simple red laser system for DVD's (something that is now very cheap to implement) and uses Blue laser, it'll mean the cost of the system will be jacked up. Either Sony will have to release it at a high price, wait an extra amount of time or just suffer a loss on the system. The latter isn't something Sony have ever been willing to do.
It is this PS3 decision that makes the Blu-Ray's competitor, the HD-DVD, look bad. Although the system is cheaper to implement the size of the medium is a mere 22GB, under half that of Blu-Ray.
But hope may remain. It is possible that Microsoft's next system, codenamed Xenon, will use it. Microsoft are desperate to release a cheap system out of the box and not to suffer the price point themselves like they are with the X-box. Already they are removing the Hard drive and to incorperate something like Blu-Ray will mean the Xenon will launch at a very high price. In fact Microsoft are hoping to get a years head start (late 2005) on the competiton and Blu-Ray will be even more expensive to use. If Microsoft want a competitive medium HD-DVD may be the only way.
Microsoft with the weaker system is almost a complete role reversal from the current generation.
What of Nintendo? Who honestly knows. No one. Rumours persist that Nintendo will continue to go their own way and buck the trend of the industry. It persists that Nintendo will play down third party support and stick to first party software, that Nintendo will use a totally new system and won't offer movie playback at all.
These rumours are counteracted with the DS almost entirely. Nintendo now base more emphesis on third parties especially with the latest system and the recent GBA Videos indicate Nintendo willingness to develop video viewing means.
But it is also likely that Nintendo will want to fight piracy in such a way that games will be on a totally different form of medium (A.K.A Gamecube/DS) but it is also likely Nintendo will offer a "second medium". Already confirmed is that the Revolution will be backwards compatible. Which points to the inclusion of either very cheap to implement DVD system or slightly more expensive "HD-DVD".
If both Nintendo and Microsoft use "HD-DVD" then there maybe trouble ahead for Blu-Ray after all. Sure Sony may have the sales advantage, but with Nintendo set to launch simultaneously with Sony and Microsoft a year early. It already kick starts a proper war between the two mediums.
On the other hand, with DVD gaining a firm position in society how likely is it that Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will be replacing it by 2006? Surly it'll take a good 5 years to properly take off? Is Nintendo likely to just stick with DVD movies? Especially as they lack the experience of it. But launching the system next to the Playstation 3 indicates that Nintendo are being really competitive this time, and they will want that to right down to the specifications and what the system offers.
Sony have a brilliant stratagy in place. Something Nintendo and Microsoft will have to be very clever to counteract. Recent reports indicate Nintendo are on the offensive, and it is likely we will see a far more agressive stance from the legendary developer... with the added bonus of brilliant and innovative "DS style" features. Microsoft are stripping down their system and offering in advance of the competiton. It is a surprise risk from Microsoft, hoping that releasing the system early will mean they get a stranglehold on the industry.
Didn't work for the Dreamcast did it.
What annoyed me is when I wanted to just get on with it and I had to wait for a bit...
It also annoyed me when (and this wasn't as regular as people are making out) we had to travel a long distance without seeing a thing.
I think the sailing was a nice idea that was just overused.
I don't see many people complaining that, in Ocarina of Time, that explanation about the 3 Goddesses of the tri-force was explained twice. I was just yelling at Zelda, "THE DEKU TREE JUST FUNKING TOLD ME!!!"
Anyway. That in my eyes, was just as annoying.
One review said it was slightly, and I mean SLIGHTLY tiresome... many agreed (including myself) and then people run around declaring how annoying it was.
Sailing was never all that bad, there was the odd occasion where you'd get bored.... but in reality it was rather fun.
You are looking back at it wrong, it was never all that bad.
They didn't want it delayed while they made it longer, but a few cracks do show.. like the pointlessness of travelling to Greatfish Isle to find that sea monster, you could see that was going to be a dungeon.
Which wasn't so bad, but instead of beautifully weaving the peices together, they just clumpted what WAS there in a huge sea of blu tac!
> How can two dungeons missing be 90% complete?
The windwaker was mainly made up of interacting, mini-games etc... etc... and the dungeons were rather small.
I'd say 90%...
Yeah 90%... maybe 88 if ya gonna push it.
But 2 dungeons and maybe an extra cut scene is hardly 50% of a game.
Shush you :P
> How can two dungeons missing be 90% complete?
I know, dungeons only take up 1 square on the map, and there were 49!
That's 96% complete!
> Q4 worldwide release.
We'll see. If it's out before October 2005 in Japan, you'll owe me a cookie.
> Wind Waker wasn't a half finished game, don't overexaggerate. 90%
> finished I'd say. Although for a Zelda game that is pratically
> murder!
How can two dungeons missing be 90% complete?
Therefore even the thought the game will be out by the end of June in Japan is laughable.
Q4 worldwide release. Giving the game 3 years of development time...
Note: the engine is already in place.
Wind Waker wasn't a half finished game, don't overexaggerate. 90% finished I'd say. Although for a Zelda game that is pratically murder!