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The fact that you're reading this makes you one of two things:
Either you're a spammer looking for another opportunity to increase your post count in an effort to fill that gaping hole in your life or
You're a discerning gamer, at least one rung above the everyday joe public games buyer, in that you at least do a little research before you purchase another quality title to pass the time with (or fill that gaping hole in your life, whichever, not important).
Recently, I've been getting niggled. Halo started it off, followed shortly afterwards by Splinter Cell. More recently, Metroid Prime started niggling, along with Eternal Darkness and of course Legend of Zelda. Closer to home, MGS: Substance getting ported to the XBox without any problems and receiving critical acclaim from reviewers, Sony's European online strategy and the fact that Suikoden 3 got canned by Konami when it came to a PAL version all lumped together to make me feel that I'm:
a) living in the wrong country
b) playing on the wrong console
There are three issues I need to be addressed by the publishers/developers of games before I'm content again. They're quite simple really:
I just want a PAL1 region invented so that games released in America can have a NTSC>PAL conversion done on them without all the European languages having to be translated as well. The rest of Europe would then become PAL2 region. With over 2 million PS2's in the UK this should be a financially viable proposition. Big thankyou to 'revisedGenocide' who came up with that idea on another forum.
I just want ports from PC/XBox/Gamecube to PS2 to be built from the ground up, not ported and then stripped of some of their most valuable elements in an effort to get them working. (Ghost Recon's 3 teams down to 2, Splinter Cells lighting effects being reduced, Wreckless's graphical slendour being removed being recent cases in point).
I just want games to be finished, i.e. tested, bug free, complete before getting released.
All these issues, of course, involve copious amounts of money being injected into the gaming industry by someone, probably the games buying public when it comes down to the nitty gritty, but personally I am prepared to pay for a good gaming experience. I would rather play Splinter Cell as the developers originally intended rather than a squashed version with the lighting effects toned down. I would rather have Ghost Recon in all it's original glory rather than a dumbed down version because "managing more than 2 teams was discovered to be difficult for many console users", to quote the developers. Given another year, just think what The Getaway could have been capable of.
These issues need addressing, and fast, before I start drifting away from my PS2 and start looking at the XBox seriously as a viable alternative, especially since XBox Live is on the horizon. Even the Gamecube was knocking at the door of my wallet the other day, until Nintendo's shareprice plummetted yet again and I realised that I'd already played Resident Evil on the Saturn years ago. Still, if I get desperate I can always borrow the one I gave to my nephew for Christmas.
However, all is not doom and gloom. The PS2 has a bright future and plenty of great AAA titles to be getting on with in the meantime. Their Online Network Adaptor testing phase is imminent, sources indicate that more will be occuring on that front in the next few days, possibly as late as early March before we actually start shooting each other in a broadband arena.
Upcoming titles that you should be getting somewhat excited about are Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (if you haven't seen the video for it on the latest OPSM2 demo disc then you can't comment), the Mark of Kri, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Sly Raccoonus, Primal, Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, Metal Gear Solid: Substance, Devil May Cry 2, Moto GP3, Final Fantasy X-2 and a host of others due to be released later this year.
If all that is mentioned in the previous two paragraphs comes to pass as well as expected, then my future with the PS2 is secured. If Konami finally change their mind about Suikoden 3, then I'll shutup altogether.
Either you're a spammer looking for another opportunity to increase your post count in an effort to fill that gaping hole in your life or
You're a discerning gamer, at least one rung above the everyday joe public games buyer, in that you at least do a little research before you purchase another quality title to pass the time with (or fill that gaping hole in your life, whichever, not important).
Recently, I've been getting niggled. Halo started it off, followed shortly afterwards by Splinter Cell. More recently, Metroid Prime started niggling, along with Eternal Darkness and of course Legend of Zelda. Closer to home, MGS: Substance getting ported to the XBox without any problems and receiving critical acclaim from reviewers, Sony's European online strategy and the fact that Suikoden 3 got canned by Konami when it came to a PAL version all lumped together to make me feel that I'm:
a) living in the wrong country
b) playing on the wrong console
There are three issues I need to be addressed by the publishers/developers of games before I'm content again. They're quite simple really:
I just want a PAL1 region invented so that games released in America can have a NTSC>PAL conversion done on them without all the European languages having to be translated as well. The rest of Europe would then become PAL2 region. With over 2 million PS2's in the UK this should be a financially viable proposition. Big thankyou to 'revisedGenocide' who came up with that idea on another forum.
I just want ports from PC/XBox/Gamecube to PS2 to be built from the ground up, not ported and then stripped of some of their most valuable elements in an effort to get them working. (Ghost Recon's 3 teams down to 2, Splinter Cells lighting effects being reduced, Wreckless's graphical slendour being removed being recent cases in point).
I just want games to be finished, i.e. tested, bug free, complete before getting released.
All these issues, of course, involve copious amounts of money being injected into the gaming industry by someone, probably the games buying public when it comes down to the nitty gritty, but personally I am prepared to pay for a good gaming experience. I would rather play Splinter Cell as the developers originally intended rather than a squashed version with the lighting effects toned down. I would rather have Ghost Recon in all it's original glory rather than a dumbed down version because "managing more than 2 teams was discovered to be difficult for many console users", to quote the developers. Given another year, just think what The Getaway could have been capable of.
These issues need addressing, and fast, before I start drifting away from my PS2 and start looking at the XBox seriously as a viable alternative, especially since XBox Live is on the horizon. Even the Gamecube was knocking at the door of my wallet the other day, until Nintendo's shareprice plummetted yet again and I realised that I'd already played Resident Evil on the Saturn years ago. Still, if I get desperate I can always borrow the one I gave to my nephew for Christmas.
However, all is not doom and gloom. The PS2 has a bright future and plenty of great AAA titles to be getting on with in the meantime. Their Online Network Adaptor testing phase is imminent, sources indicate that more will be occuring on that front in the next few days, possibly as late as early March before we actually start shooting each other in a broadband arena.
Upcoming titles that you should be getting somewhat excited about are Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (if you haven't seen the video for it on the latest OPSM2 demo disc then you can't comment), the Mark of Kri, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Sly Raccoonus, Primal, Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, Metal Gear Solid: Substance, Devil May Cry 2, Moto GP3, Final Fantasy X-2 and a host of others due to be released later this year.
If all that is mentioned in the previous two paragraphs comes to pass as well as expected, then my future with the PS2 is secured. If Konami finally change their mind about Suikoden 3, then I'll shutup altogether.
FantasyMeister wrote:
> Everyone still waiting to get in on the trials (like me) are still
> waiting to hear from Sony.
Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I know that they were trialling with Telewest in some areas as early as March 2002.
Can't explain any more than that! :-)
> Everyone still waiting to get in on the trials (like me) are still
> waiting to hear from Sony.
Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I know that they were trialling with Telewest in some areas as early as March 2002.
Can't explain any more than that! :-)
I was reading just this morning that Sony and Nintendo are both planning to get their online services up and running round about the same time as x box live - so as not to lose too much ground - I must say I was suprised at the Nintendo bit because they have been quite quiet about it up till now.
I have to agree with Wookiee here though - as I sadi earlier , the majority of console players don't want the grief of loading games and then going through all the dial up issues ( though broadband should solve most of that ) and all the other bits and bobs that will come with online gaming, most console gamers want to shove in the disc and play, though I agree there is an initial novelty factor involved in going online and playing against somebody who could be anywhere in the world - I feel that it will soon wear thin - especially if the experiences I have had on DC and PC and Wookiees experiences on X Box are the norm.
The type of games that you prefer (FM that is) generally appeal to more mature (in attitude not neccesarily age) gamer and consequently they are less likely to just quit out if losing or just not doing very well or even getting frustrated at other players inexperience or lack of ability.
I have to agree with Wookiee here though - as I sadi earlier , the majority of console players don't want the grief of loading games and then going through all the dial up issues ( though broadband should solve most of that ) and all the other bits and bobs that will come with online gaming, most console gamers want to shove in the disc and play, though I agree there is an initial novelty factor involved in going online and playing against somebody who could be anywhere in the world - I feel that it will soon wear thin - especially if the experiences I have had on DC and PC and Wookiees experiences on X Box are the norm.
The type of games that you prefer (FM that is) generally appeal to more mature (in attitude not neccesarily age) gamer and consequently they are less likely to just quit out if losing or just not doing very well or even getting frustrated at other players inexperience or lack of ability.
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> Sony have been trialling since early 2002, and the service will be
> going live around the same time as Xbox.
Everyone still waiting to get in on the trials (like me) are still waiting to hear from Sony. The latest we heard is that we'll be getting an acknowledgement that we've applied for beta tester status sometime after 7th February.
I've seen the joint Sony/Telewest press releases from last year saying that they were starting trials last year, but as yet nothing has shown to have come from that. We're still waiting as far as I know.
> Sony have been trialling since early 2002, and the service will be
> going live around the same time as Xbox.
Everyone still waiting to get in on the trials (like me) are still waiting to hear from Sony. The latest we heard is that we'll be getting an acknowledgement that we've applied for beta tester status sometime after 7th February.
I've seen the joint Sony/Telewest press releases from last year saying that they were starting trials last year, but as yet nothing has shown to have come from that. We're still waiting as far as I know.
FantasyMeister wrote:
> but because the UK rollout of the PS2's network adaptor is for
> broadband only I can't really see that being a problem
Xbox Live is also broadband-only, but some people are clearly getting online through dial-up, as I mentioned earlier. Someone will always manage to drag it down! :-)
> The next generation of gamers are going to be expecting online
> functions as the norm not as the exception
Personally, I'm not so sure about that. I still think online gaming is a passing phase for many console gamers. At the moment it's a new thing for consoles, so many people (but by no means everyone) is interested. I - and most of the gamers I know - are more interested in social get-togethers for gaming, rather than brief online encounters with kids who just want to mess around and p!ss people off.
> My only worry is that Sony left it too late in Europe, XBox is going
> to go live just as Sony start their Network Adaptor trials over here
No, Sony have been trialling since early 2002, and the service will be going live around the same time as Xbox.
> but because the UK rollout of the PS2's network adaptor is for
> broadband only I can't really see that being a problem
Xbox Live is also broadband-only, but some people are clearly getting online through dial-up, as I mentioned earlier. Someone will always manage to drag it down! :-)
> The next generation of gamers are going to be expecting online
> functions as the norm not as the exception
Personally, I'm not so sure about that. I still think online gaming is a passing phase for many console gamers. At the moment it's a new thing for consoles, so many people (but by no means everyone) is interested. I - and most of the gamers I know - are more interested in social get-togethers for gaming, rather than brief online encounters with kids who just want to mess around and p!ss people off.
> My only worry is that Sony left it too late in Europe, XBox is going
> to go live just as Sony start their Network Adaptor trials over here
No, Sony have been trialling since early 2002, and the service will be going live around the same time as Xbox.
With regards to concerns about online gaming, I've never had any really except for latency issues, but because the UK rollout of the PS2's network adaptor is for broadband only I can't really see that being a problem unless you're up against someone with a T3 connection in a game that requires fast reactions, like FPS genre.
For me, being an RPG gamer, latency doesn't really come into the equation, because RPGs are, on the whole, slow paced. Plus having always been a solo gamer for the most part, online gaming is really the only time I get to 'compete' with other players.
I do miss the mad afternoons when I was younger thrashing and getting thrashed at FIFA '98 on the PSX with my mates, but there are more alternatives online, plus it's a lot easier to make buddies in cyberspace than it is in real life. (I was trying to make a list of everyone I knew online so I could compile a proper address book, I gave up, too many).
I think online gaming performance between the XBox and the PS2 is vital, particularly in XBox's case, for securing a larger userbase for when the next gen consoles are released. The next generation of gamers are going to be expecting online functions as the norm not as the exception, so whoever offers the best service in the meantime is going to reap the benefits later.
My only worry is that Sony left it too late in Europe, XBox is going to go live just as Sony start their Network Adaptor trials over here, and if there isn't a large enough online userbase in Europe Sony might decide to pull out of the region altogether and just stick with Japan and the US.
(In which case I'll probably get an XBox, because it's got Morrowind on it).
For me, being an RPG gamer, latency doesn't really come into the equation, because RPGs are, on the whole, slow paced. Plus having always been a solo gamer for the most part, online gaming is really the only time I get to 'compete' with other players.
I do miss the mad afternoons when I was younger thrashing and getting thrashed at FIFA '98 on the PSX with my mates, but there are more alternatives online, plus it's a lot easier to make buddies in cyberspace than it is in real life. (I was trying to make a list of everyone I knew online so I could compile a proper address book, I gave up, too many).
I think online gaming performance between the XBox and the PS2 is vital, particularly in XBox's case, for securing a larger userbase for when the next gen consoles are released. The next generation of gamers are going to be expecting online functions as the norm not as the exception, so whoever offers the best service in the meantime is going to reap the benefits later.
My only worry is that Sony left it too late in Europe, XBox is going to go live just as Sony start their Network Adaptor trials over here, and if there isn't a large enough online userbase in Europe Sony might decide to pull out of the region altogether and just stick with Japan and the US.
(In which case I'll probably get an XBox, because it's got Morrowind on it).
Flanders wrote:
> what really got to me was that you would be playing a game against say
> four or five people and one would be losing and they just quit out.
Glad you mentioned that, as I'd forgotten about it. While on Xbox Live, the host of one of the Moto GP races had finished, and just quit the game while I was about half a lap from finishing myself. Bloody infuriating, as there's nothing you can do - you just get dumped back to the lobby of the game.
I've been kicked out of PC games on the net before for being not good enough or too good, and that's why I really can't be bothered with it. It's better with friends (oo-er missus!), as you are patient with each other while one 'learns the ropes' as it were. If people can't be patient with other gamers online, then they really shouldn't be playing online games as far as I'm concerned - they may as well just be playing single-player on their own, because I'm sure they end up doing that anyway!
As it is, only two of my friends have broadband, and only one of them has an Xbox and spends as much time gaming/on the net as I do. Consequently, for me, Xbox Live isn't worth the money. And in truth, nor will Sony's offering be worth it for me, UNLESS they offer far more than online gaming.
> what really got to me was that you would be playing a game against say
> four or five people and one would be losing and they just quit out.
Glad you mentioned that, as I'd forgotten about it. While on Xbox Live, the host of one of the Moto GP races had finished, and just quit the game while I was about half a lap from finishing myself. Bloody infuriating, as there's nothing you can do - you just get dumped back to the lobby of the game.
I've been kicked out of PC games on the net before for being not good enough or too good, and that's why I really can't be bothered with it. It's better with friends (oo-er missus!), as you are patient with each other while one 'learns the ropes' as it were. If people can't be patient with other gamers online, then they really shouldn't be playing online games as far as I'm concerned - they may as well just be playing single-player on their own, because I'm sure they end up doing that anyway!
As it is, only two of my friends have broadband, and only one of them has an Xbox and spends as much time gaming/on the net as I do. Consequently, for me, Xbox Live isn't worth the money. And in truth, nor will Sony's offering be worth it for me, UNLESS they offer far more than online gaming.
Some good points in there FM.
The strange thing is for me - recenlty the Gamecube seems to have taken over - after Vice City and the Getaway there doesn't appear to have been much that has appealed and I am catching up with some of the GC releases taht I had been hankering for - though I am thinking about getting Tiger Woods soon !
As far as multi player gaming is concerned - I did try a few years back on some of the MSN games but what really got to me was that you would be playing a game against say four or five people and one would be losing and they just quit out. The same thing happened to me later with the Dreamcast and it really does sour your taste as it ruins the whole thing.
The only way I like Multiplayer gaming is when you are in the same room with mates / family playing together.
I work in a small office and many a lunchtime have been spent ( As people on here already know ) with three of us linking up for a game of Duke Nukem - we have been playing it on or off for the best part of 7 years now and it still as much fun playing in this kind of environment and playing the same game as it was when we first started - though generally the kill counts are much higher nowadays as we know instincively how to play the game - the other good thing about a game like that is that it is so easy to set up and play and there are still loads of websites where people are uploading new maps to use.
I still believe that Sony made a big mistake in only putting two controller ports on the front of the PS2 for multiplayer gaming. We have - as I said - a gamecube and that is what tends to get used for the multiplayers - I bought Timesplitters 2 for the GC rather than the PS2 for that sole reason as I don't want to go and get a multitap as well as additional controllers.
As Wookiee mentioned - I think one of the big problems with the upcoming onine services could be games developers becomming lazy and issuing bug ridden software assuming that we can all download patches ala PC. I hope that doesn't happen and I also hope that we don't end up with online exclusive downloadable content being issued for all and sundry as this will pee people off considerably in the future.
I hope developers and publishers will continue to see the console market for what it is - the majority of us play on consoles rather than PC's mainly for the ease and simplicity that console gaming offers. Open cover - insert disc - play game - that's it - that's all that the majority of us want.
The strange thing is for me - recenlty the Gamecube seems to have taken over - after Vice City and the Getaway there doesn't appear to have been much that has appealed and I am catching up with some of the GC releases taht I had been hankering for - though I am thinking about getting Tiger Woods soon !
As far as multi player gaming is concerned - I did try a few years back on some of the MSN games but what really got to me was that you would be playing a game against say four or five people and one would be losing and they just quit out. The same thing happened to me later with the Dreamcast and it really does sour your taste as it ruins the whole thing.
The only way I like Multiplayer gaming is when you are in the same room with mates / family playing together.
I work in a small office and many a lunchtime have been spent ( As people on here already know ) with three of us linking up for a game of Duke Nukem - we have been playing it on or off for the best part of 7 years now and it still as much fun playing in this kind of environment and playing the same game as it was when we first started - though generally the kill counts are much higher nowadays as we know instincively how to play the game - the other good thing about a game like that is that it is so easy to set up and play and there are still loads of websites where people are uploading new maps to use.
I still believe that Sony made a big mistake in only putting two controller ports on the front of the PS2 for multiplayer gaming. We have - as I said - a gamecube and that is what tends to get used for the multiplayers - I bought Timesplitters 2 for the GC rather than the PS2 for that sole reason as I don't want to go and get a multitap as well as additional controllers.
As Wookiee mentioned - I think one of the big problems with the upcoming onine services could be games developers becomming lazy and issuing bug ridden software assuming that we can all download patches ala PC. I hope that doesn't happen and I also hope that we don't end up with online exclusive downloadable content being issued for all and sundry as this will pee people off considerably in the future.
I hope developers and publishers will continue to see the console market for what it is - the majority of us play on consoles rather than PC's mainly for the ease and simplicity that console gaming offers. Open cover - insert disc - play game - that's it - that's all that the majority of us want.
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> But I have never been a great fan of online gaming, and while Live is
> unlikely to change my mind, I can understand that it will appeal to
> some people.
I've never really played online games and would prefer to play against mates in the same room. The only game I played multiplayer on was Duke Nukem on PS1 when we linked two PS2's and two TV's via Link cable and played that. It was alright, but lately (over past year or so) I dont play multiplayer games at all that much, just the single player on my own. I find it better, no brother to shout at or people to blame, can play better on my own...
> The other function is of course downloadable content. This is a good
> thing, but again I think we need to be careful that gamers aren't
> taken for a ride.
>
> Splinter Cell, for example, will have new downloadable content soon.
> But - at least initially - much of that content will be included in
> the PS2 version on the game disc. If Xbox users want that content,
> they'll need to pay the £40 or so (practically the price of
> another game) for the Xbox Live hardware and subscription. They
> obviously have the extra levels designed, so why not put them in the
> original game?
> My point, basically, is how much content will be deliberately left out
> of future games to 'encourage' people to take up Xbox Live?
Exactly, publishers and developers will end up leaving out certain aspects of the game i.e. extra levels and options so that you have to download them later. Not a good idea if you ain't got the connection yet!
_____________________________
Why?
> But I have never been a great fan of online gaming, and while Live is
> unlikely to change my mind, I can understand that it will appeal to
> some people.
I've never really played online games and would prefer to play against mates in the same room. The only game I played multiplayer on was Duke Nukem on PS1 when we linked two PS2's and two TV's via Link cable and played that. It was alright, but lately (over past year or so) I dont play multiplayer games at all that much, just the single player on my own. I find it better, no brother to shout at or people to blame, can play better on my own...
> The other function is of course downloadable content. This is a good
> thing, but again I think we need to be careful that gamers aren't
> taken for a ride.
>
> Splinter Cell, for example, will have new downloadable content soon.
> But - at least initially - much of that content will be included in
> the PS2 version on the game disc. If Xbox users want that content,
> they'll need to pay the £40 or so (practically the price of
> another game) for the Xbox Live hardware and subscription. They
> obviously have the extra levels designed, so why not put them in the
> original game?
> My point, basically, is how much content will be deliberately left out
> of future games to 'encourage' people to take up Xbox Live?
Exactly, publishers and developers will end up leaving out certain aspects of the game i.e. extra levels and options so that you have to download them later. Not a good idea if you ain't got the connection yet!
_____________________________
Why?
Don't be too concerned about Halo. I bought my Xbox specifically to play that game, but it was (for me) a disappointment. To this day, I haven't bothered to finish it, so repetitive did it get.
Splinter Cell is coming to PS2, but I don't know where you read about the lighting effects - as far as I know, it's all in there. From the screenshots, it certainly doesn't look much different - just slightly lower resolution.
MGS Substance - well, for Xbox owners who didn't have the opportunity, it's great - but for those of us who played the original many months ago, I see it as a very limited-appeal title.
Xbox Live I have mixed feelings about. I played on it at a friends on Friday night, and it's not without its problems. Specifically, it doesn't offer much more than conventional PC multiplayer gaming, except for the voice option - which many PC games come with now anyway.
We played Moto GP, and there was at least one person who had managed to connect via a dial-up line. How did we know? Lag! The track indicator for his bike was jumping around all over the place, and if his bike was in your view, he'd disappear, reappear, disappear... and so on.
Also, the people are still faceless non-entities. You can hear the people ahead of and behind you on the track, and that's it. Personally, I still prefer having real friends sitting around me who I can not only speak to at will, but also gesture to accordingly.
But I have never been a great fan of online gaming, and while Live is unlikely to change my mind, I can understand that it will appeal to some people.
The other function is of course downloadable content. This is a good thing, but again I think we need to be careful that gamers aren't taken for a ride.
Splinter Cell, for example, will have new downloadable content soon. But - at least initially - much of that content will be included in the PS2 version on the game disc. If Xbox users want that content, they'll need to pay the £40 or so (practically the price of another game) for the Xbox Live hardware and subscription. They obviously have the extra levels designed, so why not put them in the original game?
Okay, it is only a one-off payment for a years use of the Live service, and you get access to all the other online games too. But what of people like myself (and there are plenty of them, I'm sure) who aren't interested in the service for online gaming?
My point, basically, is how much content will be deliberately left out of future games to 'encourage' people to take up Xbox Live?
I personally don't see the point in signing up to the service just to download bug-fix patches (a la Unreal Tournament) and the occasional bit of extra content.
Splinter Cell is coming to PS2, but I don't know where you read about the lighting effects - as far as I know, it's all in there. From the screenshots, it certainly doesn't look much different - just slightly lower resolution.
MGS Substance - well, for Xbox owners who didn't have the opportunity, it's great - but for those of us who played the original many months ago, I see it as a very limited-appeal title.
Xbox Live I have mixed feelings about. I played on it at a friends on Friday night, and it's not without its problems. Specifically, it doesn't offer much more than conventional PC multiplayer gaming, except for the voice option - which many PC games come with now anyway.
We played Moto GP, and there was at least one person who had managed to connect via a dial-up line. How did we know? Lag! The track indicator for his bike was jumping around all over the place, and if his bike was in your view, he'd disappear, reappear, disappear... and so on.
Also, the people are still faceless non-entities. You can hear the people ahead of and behind you on the track, and that's it. Personally, I still prefer having real friends sitting around me who I can not only speak to at will, but also gesture to accordingly.
But I have never been a great fan of online gaming, and while Live is unlikely to change my mind, I can understand that it will appeal to some people.
The other function is of course downloadable content. This is a good thing, but again I think we need to be careful that gamers aren't taken for a ride.
Splinter Cell, for example, will have new downloadable content soon. But - at least initially - much of that content will be included in the PS2 version on the game disc. If Xbox users want that content, they'll need to pay the £40 or so (practically the price of another game) for the Xbox Live hardware and subscription. They obviously have the extra levels designed, so why not put them in the original game?
Okay, it is only a one-off payment for a years use of the Live service, and you get access to all the other online games too. But what of people like myself (and there are plenty of them, I'm sure) who aren't interested in the service for online gaming?
My point, basically, is how much content will be deliberately left out of future games to 'encourage' people to take up Xbox Live?
I personally don't see the point in signing up to the service just to download bug-fix patches (a la Unreal Tournament) and the occasional bit of extra content.
The fact that you're reading this makes you one of two things:
Either you're a spammer looking for another opportunity to increase your post count in an effort to fill that gaping hole in your life or
You're a discerning gamer, at least one rung above the everyday joe public games buyer, in that you at least do a little research before you purchase another quality title to pass the time with (or fill that gaping hole in your life, whichever, not important).
Recently, I've been getting niggled. Halo started it off, followed shortly afterwards by Splinter Cell. More recently, Metroid Prime started niggling, along with Eternal Darkness and of course Legend of Zelda. Closer to home, MGS: Substance getting ported to the XBox without any problems and receiving critical acclaim from reviewers, Sony's European online strategy and the fact that Suikoden 3 got canned by Konami when it came to a PAL version all lumped together to make me feel that I'm:
a) living in the wrong country
b) playing on the wrong console
There are three issues I need to be addressed by the publishers/developers of games before I'm content again. They're quite simple really:
I just want a PAL1 region invented so that games released in America can have a NTSC>PAL conversion done on them without all the European languages having to be translated as well. The rest of Europe would then become PAL2 region. With over 2 million PS2's in the UK this should be a financially viable proposition. Big thankyou to 'revisedGenocide' who came up with that idea on another forum.
I just want ports from PC/XBox/Gamecube to PS2 to be built from the ground up, not ported and then stripped of some of their most valuable elements in an effort to get them working. (Ghost Recon's 3 teams down to 2, Splinter Cells lighting effects being reduced, Wreckless's graphical slendour being removed being recent cases in point).
I just want games to be finished, i.e. tested, bug free, complete before getting released.
All these issues, of course, involve copious amounts of money being injected into the gaming industry by someone, probably the games buying public when it comes down to the nitty gritty, but personally I am prepared to pay for a good gaming experience. I would rather play Splinter Cell as the developers originally intended rather than a squashed version with the lighting effects toned down. I would rather have Ghost Recon in all it's original glory rather than a dumbed down version because "managing more than 2 teams was discovered to be difficult for many console users", to quote the developers. Given another year, just think what The Getaway could have been capable of.
These issues need addressing, and fast, before I start drifting away from my PS2 and start looking at the XBox seriously as a viable alternative, especially since XBox Live is on the horizon. Even the Gamecube was knocking at the door of my wallet the other day, until Nintendo's shareprice plummetted yet again and I realised that I'd already played Resident Evil on the Saturn years ago. Still, if I get desperate I can always borrow the one I gave to my nephew for Christmas.
However, all is not doom and gloom. The PS2 has a bright future and plenty of great AAA titles to be getting on with in the meantime. Their Online Network Adaptor testing phase is imminent, sources indicate that more will be occuring on that front in the next few days, possibly as late as early March before we actually start shooting each other in a broadband arena.
Upcoming titles that you should be getting somewhat excited about are Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (if you haven't seen the video for it on the latest OPSM2 demo disc then you can't comment), the Mark of Kri, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Sly Raccoonus, Primal, Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, Metal Gear Solid: Substance, Devil May Cry 2, Moto GP3, Final Fantasy X-2 and a host of others due to be released later this year.
If all that is mentioned in the previous two paragraphs comes to pass as well as expected, then my future with the PS2 is secured. If Konami finally change their mind about Suikoden 3, then I'll shutup altogether.
Either you're a spammer looking for another opportunity to increase your post count in an effort to fill that gaping hole in your life or
You're a discerning gamer, at least one rung above the everyday joe public games buyer, in that you at least do a little research before you purchase another quality title to pass the time with (or fill that gaping hole in your life, whichever, not important).
Recently, I've been getting niggled. Halo started it off, followed shortly afterwards by Splinter Cell. More recently, Metroid Prime started niggling, along with Eternal Darkness and of course Legend of Zelda. Closer to home, MGS: Substance getting ported to the XBox without any problems and receiving critical acclaim from reviewers, Sony's European online strategy and the fact that Suikoden 3 got canned by Konami when it came to a PAL version all lumped together to make me feel that I'm:
a) living in the wrong country
b) playing on the wrong console
There are three issues I need to be addressed by the publishers/developers of games before I'm content again. They're quite simple really:
I just want a PAL1 region invented so that games released in America can have a NTSC>PAL conversion done on them without all the European languages having to be translated as well. The rest of Europe would then become PAL2 region. With over 2 million PS2's in the UK this should be a financially viable proposition. Big thankyou to 'revisedGenocide' who came up with that idea on another forum.
I just want ports from PC/XBox/Gamecube to PS2 to be built from the ground up, not ported and then stripped of some of their most valuable elements in an effort to get them working. (Ghost Recon's 3 teams down to 2, Splinter Cells lighting effects being reduced, Wreckless's graphical slendour being removed being recent cases in point).
I just want games to be finished, i.e. tested, bug free, complete before getting released.
All these issues, of course, involve copious amounts of money being injected into the gaming industry by someone, probably the games buying public when it comes down to the nitty gritty, but personally I am prepared to pay for a good gaming experience. I would rather play Splinter Cell as the developers originally intended rather than a squashed version with the lighting effects toned down. I would rather have Ghost Recon in all it's original glory rather than a dumbed down version because "managing more than 2 teams was discovered to be difficult for many console users", to quote the developers. Given another year, just think what The Getaway could have been capable of.
These issues need addressing, and fast, before I start drifting away from my PS2 and start looking at the XBox seriously as a viable alternative, especially since XBox Live is on the horizon. Even the Gamecube was knocking at the door of my wallet the other day, until Nintendo's shareprice plummetted yet again and I realised that I'd already played Resident Evil on the Saturn years ago. Still, if I get desperate I can always borrow the one I gave to my nephew for Christmas.
However, all is not doom and gloom. The PS2 has a bright future and plenty of great AAA titles to be getting on with in the meantime. Their Online Network Adaptor testing phase is imminent, sources indicate that more will be occuring on that front in the next few days, possibly as late as early March before we actually start shooting each other in a broadband arena.
Upcoming titles that you should be getting somewhat excited about are Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (if you haven't seen the video for it on the latest OPSM2 demo disc then you can't comment), the Mark of Kri, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Sly Raccoonus, Primal, Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, Metal Gear Solid: Substance, Devil May Cry 2, Moto GP3, Final Fantasy X-2 and a host of others due to be released later this year.
If all that is mentioned in the previous two paragraphs comes to pass as well as expected, then my future with the PS2 is secured. If Konami finally change their mind about Suikoden 3, then I'll shutup altogether.