Found some interesting news so far today.
1) There will be a downloadable game to coincide with the release of Scott Pilgrim. It seems that you essentially fight as Billy against the evil ex's. However, it is going to be kinda 8-bit. Woohoo! The screens look pretty cool.
2) There will also be a downloadable prologue to Dead Rising 2. You play as Chuck, but 3 years before the events of the main game. Somehow, the creator has said that this will serve as a demo for the retail game as well. Intrigued.
3) Kinect has officially been priced at $149.99. Way to go Microsoft. You have priced your motion control peripheral at $50 under the Wii. So, to have motion control gaming on the 360, consumers need to spend a minimum of $200-$300 for the console and the peripheral. Smooth move. Here's hoping that controller-free motion control is worth it.
4) EA is cooking up a new, open world RPG. The names attached to this alone are reason enough to keep it on your radar: NY Times bestselling author R. A. Salvatore, legendary artist Todd McFarlane, and Morrowind and Oblivion lead designer Ken Rolston. There really aren't many details about it available yet, but just the announcement got a "GOO!" out of me.
Gnome, out
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
There's Something About Motion Controls: Part 4 -- Kinect
Kinect. Possibly the most over-hyped, yet largest game changer.
I have no delusions that what Microsoft is trying to do could possibly change motion controls, if not a large portion of gaming altogether, but I am still unimpressed.
Motion controls without an actual controller is intriguing, definitely. However, the buy-in price is quite steep at $150. As X-Play's Adam Sessler put it recently, people who are interested in motion controls are generally quite happy with their Wii, an initial $200 investment plus accessories. But, it is the lack of a controller which will attract people over Move and Wii together.
Kinect could change everything, or it could be one of the biggest disappointments ever. I, for one, am not excited at all. One of the most ambitious "games" demoed for Kinect when it was still Project Natal was Peter Molyneux's "Milo." He's still showing this off, despite having said that it will not be commercially released. What a tease. At least Fable 3 will have Kinect capability, which goes *cough* hand-in-hand with it's emphasis on touch.
So, yeah. I don't mind gaming with a controller. I guess in a way, it is one more way for me to keep in mind that what I'm doing on screen is separate from reality; that my game is just that. However, I look forward to seeing people make bigger fools of themselves with Kinect than they do on the Wii.
Gnome, out.
I have no delusions that what Microsoft is trying to do could possibly change motion controls, if not a large portion of gaming altogether, but I am still unimpressed.
Motion controls without an actual controller is intriguing, definitely. However, the buy-in price is quite steep at $150. As X-Play's Adam Sessler put it recently, people who are interested in motion controls are generally quite happy with their Wii, an initial $200 investment plus accessories. But, it is the lack of a controller which will attract people over Move and Wii together.
Kinect could change everything, or it could be one of the biggest disappointments ever. I, for one, am not excited at all. One of the most ambitious "games" demoed for Kinect when it was still Project Natal was Peter Molyneux's "Milo." He's still showing this off, despite having said that it will not be commercially released. What a tease. At least Fable 3 will have Kinect capability, which goes *cough* hand-in-hand with it's emphasis on touch.
So, yeah. I don't mind gaming with a controller. I guess in a way, it is one more way for me to keep in mind that what I'm doing on screen is separate from reality; that my game is just that. However, I look forward to seeing people make bigger fools of themselves with Kinect than they do on the Wii.
Gnome, out.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
There's Something About Motion Controls: Part 3 -- Playstation Move
Just a quick recap: Motion controls were everywhere at E3 this year. We all know that the Wii really popularized the idea, but hasn't been that successful, mostly due to lack of truly great games that utilized what the Wii could have done.
Next on the list is the Playstation Move. My thoughts on this one are pretty simple: This is what the Wii should have been. The PS3 already has HD graphics, which was one of the Wii's worst downfalls. But, to be honest, the Move simply looks like Wii HD.
However, I will say this much: I think Sony may be able to succeed in this a little bit better than Nintendo has. Nintendo, because of the Gamecube, does not have as much hardcore games or developers making such games for the Wii. During the Gamecube's lifespan, Nintendo gained a "casual" or "family-friendly" stigma. This carried over to the Wii. Sony, on the other hand, has never had that misfortune. I think the PS3 still lacks in sales compared to the 360, but generally speaking, most games are released on both.
Here's where Move's best selling point enters the picture. Sony keeps saying how existing "hardcore" games as well as future titles will have Move support. This isn't a big thing, but it just show me that Sony is getting the third-party development that Nintendo wasn't getting. Partner that with HD graphics, the superior online capability, and a Blu-ray drive and that adds up to a great Wii competitor, if not a Wii killer.
I'm still underwhelmed, though. When you boil it down, Move just sounds like a high-tech Wii. I just don't know if the increased performance will be a game-changer.
Next on the list is the Playstation Move. My thoughts on this one are pretty simple: This is what the Wii should have been. The PS3 already has HD graphics, which was one of the Wii's worst downfalls. But, to be honest, the Move simply looks like Wii HD.
However, I will say this much: I think Sony may be able to succeed in this a little bit better than Nintendo has. Nintendo, because of the Gamecube, does not have as much hardcore games or developers making such games for the Wii. During the Gamecube's lifespan, Nintendo gained a "casual" or "family-friendly" stigma. This carried over to the Wii. Sony, on the other hand, has never had that misfortune. I think the PS3 still lacks in sales compared to the 360, but generally speaking, most games are released on both.
Here's where Move's best selling point enters the picture. Sony keeps saying how existing "hardcore" games as well as future titles will have Move support. This isn't a big thing, but it just show me that Sony is getting the third-party development that Nintendo wasn't getting. Partner that with HD graphics, the superior online capability, and a Blu-ray drive and that adds up to a great Wii competitor, if not a Wii killer.
I'm still underwhelmed, though. When you boil it down, Move just sounds like a high-tech Wii. I just don't know if the increased performance will be a game-changer.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
There's Something About Motion Controls: Part 2 -- The Wii
The Wii was my first console of the current generation. I first got my hands on it when my college's library got one and let the students play around with it. My girlfriend (now my wife) and I actually rented MarioParty 8 and smuggled it into the library just to try something other than Wii Sports. I, as a gamer, was VERY intrigued by the motion controls. I could tell they weren't perfect, yet I thought they were close enough for typical gaming. My imagination went wild with the possibilities.
Then we got one. We were pretty hard pressed to find great games to play on it that weren't just a collection of minigames. Mario Party is fun and all, but I don't want a console for just that. Besides, aside from pointing at the screen for aiming or tilting the Wiimote for steering, there wasn't much motion control to that game. We did, however, find a few gems. We found out that we liked Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn so much we even played it's prequel on the GameCube. We also played and beat Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy, and Twilight Princess. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was also excellent. Beyond that, however, was a mire of minigame collection discs that utterly pointless and annoying.
To this day, few games have been added to the Wii that really stand out. Now we have New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2. There was The Conduit, but I doubt many people really played that. (In my opinion, the people who wanted to play hardcore FPS titles already had PS3 or 360 and didn't want to lose the visual quality just to play with motion controls.) Then there is Wii Sports Resort and Wii Motion Plus.
I have a big problem with Wii Motion Plus. It's great. It's great, but this level of motion control accuracy should have been integral with the system from the start. This should not have been added years after launch. However, I'm glad its here, relatively cheap to upgrade, and it seems that it is adding a new depth to what the console can do. Red Steel 2 got some good praise for its use of the new motion contols, and Skyward Sword shows some great potential.
While the Wii may not the prettiest girl at the ball, it certainly was the first to break ground on motion controls. It may not lead this field for much longer, but it just goes to show one thing: Nintendo, to this day, is always finding a way to change gaming. They may not always get it right the first time, but they always have new ideas. For that, I say kudos.
Gnome, out.
Then we got one. We were pretty hard pressed to find great games to play on it that weren't just a collection of minigames. Mario Party is fun and all, but I don't want a console for just that. Besides, aside from pointing at the screen for aiming or tilting the Wiimote for steering, there wasn't much motion control to that game. We did, however, find a few gems. We found out that we liked Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn so much we even played it's prequel on the GameCube. We also played and beat Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy, and Twilight Princess. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was also excellent. Beyond that, however, was a mire of minigame collection discs that utterly pointless and annoying.
To this day, few games have been added to the Wii that really stand out. Now we have New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2. There was The Conduit, but I doubt many people really played that. (In my opinion, the people who wanted to play hardcore FPS titles already had PS3 or 360 and didn't want to lose the visual quality just to play with motion controls.) Then there is Wii Sports Resort and Wii Motion Plus.
I have a big problem with Wii Motion Plus. It's great. It's great, but this level of motion control accuracy should have been integral with the system from the start. This should not have been added years after launch. However, I'm glad its here, relatively cheap to upgrade, and it seems that it is adding a new depth to what the console can do. Red Steel 2 got some good praise for its use of the new motion contols, and Skyward Sword shows some great potential.
While the Wii may not the prettiest girl at the ball, it certainly was the first to break ground on motion controls. It may not lead this field for much longer, but it just goes to show one thing: Nintendo, to this day, is always finding a way to change gaming. They may not always get it right the first time, but they always have new ideas. For that, I say kudos.
Gnome, out.
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