Curmudgeon Gamer
08 May 2008
Chains of Olympus for PS2 for Xmas '08
This isn't an announcement, but a prediction. Provided the porting of Daxter from the PSP to the PS2 is true (see here, originally seen here), then Sony has to be seriously considering porting God of War: Chains of Olympus to the PS2 as well. Keep in mind that both Daxter and God of War on the PSP share some engine code, so a port of the former would accelerate a port of the latter.
According to NPD's figures, Chains of Olympus sold well over 300,000 copies in its first month on the market. A PS2 version would easily sell a million and would complement a $99 PS2 model quite well.
Given that I completed the PSP game twice (something I almost never do for long-form action games), I'd probably end up picking up the PS2 port. So make that a million copies, plus one.
In an ideal world, Sony would also get someone to port the game to the PS3 and sell it for $15 on PSN. But this is Sony we're talking about, so it will never happen.
According to NPD's figures, Chains of Olympus sold well over 300,000 copies in its first month on the market. A PS2 version would easily sell a million and would complement a $99 PS2 model quite well.
Given that I completed the PSP game twice (something I almost never do for long-form action games), I'd probably end up picking up the PS2 port. So make that a million copies, plus one.
In an ideal world, Sony would also get someone to port the game to the PS3 and sell it for $15 on PSN. But this is Sony we're talking about, so it will never happen.
--jvm at 09:24
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29 April 2008
GTA4 lockups: what did reviewers play?
I let my 60Gb PS3 install GTA4 tonight while I fixed dinner. When I checked on it later, it had run through the intro and locked up after giving control over to the player. (I wasn't there, so I didn't see it happen.) Apparently lockups are happening with some regularity to a lot of players and not just on PS3.
The whole situation reminds me of how Champions of Norrath on the PS2 locked up for a fair number of consumers, but no reviewers mentioned it. Seemed odd to me at the time and I did some asking around to find out why.
Turns out reviewers didn't review the same kind of disc sold in stores. One reviewer told me he reviewed Champs o' Norrath on two single-layer DVDs as opposed to the dual-layer DVDs sold to us commoners.
Makes me wonder if the same thing happened here. The reviews are pretty much all pegging the 10 on the review-o-meter, but I haven't heard about the reviews talking about lockups like folks are seeing on normal systems. If I had the time, I'd start asking around -- someone should.
Meanwhile, I hard reset my PS3 and played about 15 minutes up to the first save point. So far so good. Now if I only had time to play more, but real life has me elsewhere. Ah well.
The whole situation reminds me of how Champions of Norrath on the PS2 locked up for a fair number of consumers, but no reviewers mentioned it. Seemed odd to me at the time and I did some asking around to find out why.
Turns out reviewers didn't review the same kind of disc sold in stores. One reviewer told me he reviewed Champs o' Norrath on two single-layer DVDs as opposed to the dual-layer DVDs sold to us commoners.
Makes me wonder if the same thing happened here. The reviews are pretty much all pegging the 10 on the review-o-meter, but I haven't heard about the reviews talking about lockups like folks are seeing on normal systems. If I had the time, I'd start asking around -- someone should.
Meanwhile, I hard reset my PS3 and played about 15 minutes up to the first save point. So far so good. Now if I only had time to play more, but real life has me elsewhere. Ah well.
--jvm at 21:21
Comment
[ 5 ]
02 April 2008
Collecting sickness gone mad (or: Demo discs!)
Well, I've finally done it. I've officially started collecting demo discs.
I've always had a few demo discs around. For example, that's the only way I could play Intelligent Qube for years. (Cue people asking me for an Intelligent Qube ISO...) And my wife nearly killed me when I played the Parappa the Rapper demo for ages. I also picked up the Official PlayStation Magazine demo of Tomb Raider: Legend within the past couple of years.
But now they've gone beyond utility into that bizarre realm of "neat artifacts I'd like to buy just to own". Oh boy. This is like label variations of Atari 2600 games all over again.
Here's the best source of data I've found on them. I even made a spreadsheet of the PS2 demos so I could keep track of mine. I have 13 ... out of over 400 listed on this page. At least I'll have something to keep me busy. I also have 3 PS1 demo discs and a handful of PSP demo UMDs.
Incidentally, there is competition out there for these. On a lark, I bid $18 on a lot of 41 demo discs the other day on eBay. The final bid was $38 or so. Yow.
Anyway, if you've got some you'd like to ditch, give me a holler.
I've always had a few demo discs around. For example, that's the only way I could play Intelligent Qube for years. (Cue people asking me for an Intelligent Qube ISO...) And my wife nearly killed me when I played the Parappa the Rapper demo for ages. I also picked up the Official PlayStation Magazine demo of Tomb Raider: Legend within the past couple of years.
But now they've gone beyond utility into that bizarre realm of "neat artifacts I'd like to buy just to own". Oh boy. This is like label variations of Atari 2600 games all over again.
Here's the best source of data I've found on them. I even made a spreadsheet of the PS2 demos so I could keep track of mine. I have 13 ... out of over 400 listed on this page. At least I'll have something to keep me busy. I also have 3 PS1 demo discs and a handful of PSP demo UMDs.
Incidentally, there is competition out there for these. On a lark, I bid $18 on a lot of 41 demo discs the other day on eBay. The final bid was $38 or so. Yow.
Anyway, if you've got some you'd like to ditch, give me a holler.
Labels: collecting, demo, ps2, psone, psp
--jvm at 08:55
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[ 2 ]
13 January 2008
Hacking the PS3 (or: Sony is clever, for once)
A thread came up on NeoGAF about when it might be possible to play copied PlayStation 3 games, via modchip or hacked firmware or what have you. This reply pointed to this talk on YouTube, which is terribly interesting. Watch the introduction, which takes about five minutes.
I remember when it was announced that GNU/Linux would be permitted on the PlayStation 3 out-of-the-box and how this was a move to prevent piracy. These folks, who at least give the impression of being in touch with the hardware hacking scene, believe that making the PlayStation 3 open to other operating systems has kept it safe from the pirates. In a nutshell, the "smart" hackers open a system up and the "dumb" pirates then exploit the opening. By inviting the former group to play within some boundaries (certain PS3 hardware is still off limits from within PS3 Linux distributions) the latter group doesn't have a chance.
Now, that doesn't mean that the PS3 will never be hacked. All systems are hacked, eventually, I believe. But 14 months after the launch Sony is still secure. Every other system they've launched has been hacked to pieces, and they've lost out on at least some software licensing fees as a result. (I won't try to figure out how much, given how people argue that pirates would never have bought the games in the first place, that Sony might benefit from having more people playing software on its platforms, etc. etc. Perhaps we can all agree that it's at least greater than thr-- four dollars.)
Of course, the irony is that Sony finally had the right idea on the platform whose software fewer people actually want to play, much less pirate.
I remember when it was announced that GNU/Linux would be permitted on the PlayStation 3 out-of-the-box and how this was a move to prevent piracy. These folks, who at least give the impression of being in touch with the hardware hacking scene, believe that making the PlayStation 3 open to other operating systems has kept it safe from the pirates. In a nutshell, the "smart" hackers open a system up and the "dumb" pirates then exploit the opening. By inviting the former group to play within some boundaries (certain PS3 hardware is still off limits from within PS3 Linux distributions) the latter group doesn't have a chance.
Now, that doesn't mean that the PS3 will never be hacked. All systems are hacked, eventually, I believe. But 14 months after the launch Sony is still secure. Every other system they've launched has been hacked to pieces, and they've lost out on at least some software licensing fees as a result. (I won't try to figure out how much, given how people argue that pirates would never have bought the games in the first place, that Sony might benefit from having more people playing software on its platforms, etc. etc. Perhaps we can all agree that it's at least greater than thr-- four dollars.)
Of course, the irony is that Sony finally had the right idea on the platform whose software fewer people actually want to play, much less pirate.
--jvm at 18:00
Comment
[ 4 ]
02 November 2007
Hold on to your PS2, controllers, discs...
Last night Sony put a downloadable version of Twisted Metal 2 up on the PlayStation Store. I'd been meaning to check out one of these downloadable games, and TM2 is by far the best one they've made available. So I gave them my $6 and a few minutes later was enjoying frantic car combat in a fictional part of Los Angeles.
I liked having access to a PS1 game without having to extract it from the shelves of my library. Sony should put more games up on the store or -- my preference -- sell a downloadable software package that allows me to rip my existing PS1 games to my PS3 hard drive. Or, perhaps, charge me a small fee (say a dollar) for the service. Make me an offer, Sony, and I'll consider it. This $6-or-more-per-game racket isn't my thing, even if it is more convenient.
However, the real trouble I had with Twisted Metal 2 on the PS3 is that my preferred control scheme -- Run 'n Gun -- isn't really feasible with the SIXAXIS controller. The lower controller triggers now have a lot of analog throw, and so are not very useful as digital switches. Since PS1 games like Twisted Metal 2 don't need analog triggers, they suffer. I briefly wondered how I could hook up a PS1 or PS2 controller, and remembered that it involves some controller-to-USB dongle that I don't own (yet).
So, with rumors that a cheaper, smaller PS2 system will be out next year, this just reinforces how I think people should view playing Sony games from here on out: get two systems. Keep a PS2 around for PS2 and PS1 games and view the PS3 as purely for PS3 games and Blu-Ray movies.
I liked having access to a PS1 game without having to extract it from the shelves of my library. Sony should put more games up on the store or -- my preference -- sell a downloadable software package that allows me to rip my existing PS1 games to my PS3 hard drive. Or, perhaps, charge me a small fee (say a dollar) for the service. Make me an offer, Sony, and I'll consider it. This $6-or-more-per-game racket isn't my thing, even if it is more convenient.
However, the real trouble I had with Twisted Metal 2 on the PS3 is that my preferred control scheme -- Run 'n Gun -- isn't really feasible with the SIXAXIS controller. The lower controller triggers now have a lot of analog throw, and so are not very useful as digital switches. Since PS1 games like Twisted Metal 2 don't need analog triggers, they suffer. I briefly wondered how I could hook up a PS1 or PS2 controller, and remembered that it involves some controller-to-USB dongle that I don't own (yet).
So, with rumors that a cheaper, smaller PS2 system will be out next year, this just reinforces how I think people should view playing Sony games from here on out: get two systems. Keep a PS2 around for PS2 and PS1 games and view the PS3 as purely for PS3 games and Blu-Ray movies.
--jvm at 09:25
Comment
[ 4 ]
26 October 2007
Seven years ago today
I stood in line at a Best Buy at 5:00AM on 26 October 2000 and hoped I'd get an opportunity to buy a PlayStation 2. My friend Todd and I chatted with the people in line with us -- teenagers, college kids, parents picking up a special Christmas present. It was a lot of fun.
The store was due to open at 10:00AM and sometime between 8:00AM and 9:00AM the manager came out and gave out numbered tickets to the people in line. I got Ticket #55, if I recall correctly. Todd and I went to the McDonald's across the street with a few of our new acquaintances and had a nice warm breakfast. The chilly morning air had made us hungry and we stayed to talk until it was time to get back in line again.
Back at the store, the staff had set up stations to handle sales. Todd and I took our tickets to the station designated for our range of ticket numbers. Along with a PlayStation 2 I bought a copy of Ridge Racer V and a remote control kit that came with a copy of The Matrix, my first DVD.
While we all waited for our turn to check out, a guy started yelling and got escorted from the store by several Best Buy employees. I asked one of the employees later what had happened and was told that the guy had showed up with a Ticket #1. The problem was that they didn't give out a Ticket #1 -- they started the numbering with #2. He'd apparently made a facsimile of someone else's ticket and decided he might as well make himself #1 while he was at it.
I didn't get to play anything until that evening because I had to head to work. Ridge Racer V was neat, but ugly. Nowadays it's just ugly. Luckily, some friends gave me Driver soon after that and eventually I got my first good PS2 game, SSX. Still, that was a fun day, and not one I'll soon forget.
The store was due to open at 10:00AM and sometime between 8:00AM and 9:00AM the manager came out and gave out numbered tickets to the people in line. I got Ticket #55, if I recall correctly. Todd and I went to the McDonald's across the street with a few of our new acquaintances and had a nice warm breakfast. The chilly morning air had made us hungry and we stayed to talk until it was time to get back in line again.
Back at the store, the staff had set up stations to handle sales. Todd and I took our tickets to the station designated for our range of ticket numbers. Along with a PlayStation 2 I bought a copy of Ridge Racer V and a remote control kit that came with a copy of The Matrix, my first DVD.
While we all waited for our turn to check out, a guy started yelling and got escorted from the store by several Best Buy employees. I asked one of the employees later what had happened and was told that the guy had showed up with a Ticket #1. The problem was that they didn't give out a Ticket #1 -- they started the numbering with #2. He'd apparently made a facsimile of someone else's ticket and decided he might as well make himself #1 while he was at it.
I didn't get to play anything until that evening because I had to head to work. Ridge Racer V was neat, but ugly. Nowadays it's just ugly. Luckily, some friends gave me Driver soon after that and eventually I got my first good PS2 game, SSX. Still, that was a fun day, and not one I'll soon forget.
Labels: game stores, ps2, sony
--jvm at 09:44
Comment
[ 2 ]
11 October 2007
Game for lunch
Kyle Orland was gracious enough to invite me to do a guest post on his blog, Games for Lunch. Lots of people more important than I did the other posts. I played Escape from Monkey Island for the PS2 -- click here to read.
Labels: guestblogging, ps2
--jvm at 11:58
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[ 0 ]
08 October 2007
PS3 faring better than PS2, forget BC
I'm not talking about sales, mind you, just my experience. I spent about the first year of my PS2 ownership playing very few really impressive PS2 games. We had SSX and...right. By the time we got Metal Gear Solid 2 and Grand Theft Auto III in late 2001, many of us had spent a fairly barren year playing DVDs and PS1 games.
Here we are, coming up on 11 months into the PS3 life, and I've finally got a PS3. Despite what is literally a wall of unfinished PS2 games, I'm completely absorbed with PS3-specific games. Super Stardust HD is brilliant. The high score table is huge, but you can filter it to just show your friends. I've just squeaked by a friend's high score by a mere 20,000 points and he's vowed to get past me again. I presume this kind of feature is copied from Xbox Live, but it's just brilliant. Even if I don't get bested, I intend to increase the gap between my friend's score and my own, as soon as I find the time to play again.
On the other hand, flOw continues to engage me. I've discovered the third lifeform and will hopefully get another soon. I believe there are five. My elder son enjoys playing with the little creatures, even if he doesn't entirely understand the controls and lacks the fine motor skills to use the controller effectively sometimes.
I picked up Oblivion for a mere $30 and hope to grab both Warhawk and Resistance: Fall of Man before the end of the year.
And now Everyday Shooter is coming out this week.
So, I understand Josh's complaint about Sony completely dropping backward compatibility with PS2 software. I want it, and I'm glad I picked up a 60Gb model. On the other hand, I've found more than enough to keep me busy with just the PS3 parts of the system that I could have gotten a non-backward compatible model and really not have noticed very much.
That said, Sony really needs to get below $400 with their system. They're going to do ok this holiday, I suppose, but they better hope the 2008 software lineup doesn't get delayed any further and, most of all, delivers a compelling reason for Joe User to drop the money on a PS3.
Here we are, coming up on 11 months into the PS3 life, and I've finally got a PS3. Despite what is literally a wall of unfinished PS2 games, I'm completely absorbed with PS3-specific games. Super Stardust HD is brilliant. The high score table is huge, but you can filter it to just show your friends. I've just squeaked by a friend's high score by a mere 20,000 points and he's vowed to get past me again. I presume this kind of feature is copied from Xbox Live, but it's just brilliant. Even if I don't get bested, I intend to increase the gap between my friend's score and my own, as soon as I find the time to play again.
On the other hand, flOw continues to engage me. I've discovered the third lifeform and will hopefully get another soon. I believe there are five. My elder son enjoys playing with the little creatures, even if he doesn't entirely understand the controls and lacks the fine motor skills to use the controller effectively sometimes.
I picked up Oblivion for a mere $30 and hope to grab both Warhawk and Resistance: Fall of Man before the end of the year.
And now Everyday Shooter is coming out this week.
So, I understand Josh's complaint about Sony completely dropping backward compatibility with PS2 software. I want it, and I'm glad I picked up a 60Gb model. On the other hand, I've found more than enough to keep me busy with just the PS3 parts of the system that I could have gotten a non-backward compatible model and really not have noticed very much.
That said, Sony really needs to get below $400 with their system. They're going to do ok this holiday, I suppose, but they better hope the 2008 software lineup doesn't get delayed any further and, most of all, delivers a compelling reason for Joe User to drop the money on a PS3.
--jvm at 20:27
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[ 8 ]
25 September 2007
PS3
Writing this from the new 60Gb PS3 that arrived today. So far, a nice system.
I've downloaded and played a bit of fl0w, and it's a decent relaxing game. Blast Factor, the main Robotron-clone for PSN, is neat but I'm not upgrading from the demo just yet. I may wait until Christmas for any games on disc, but we'll see.
I've moved all my PS2 save data over, and the system worked just fine with Ace Combat 5. I've got a bunch of demos downloaded already and will get around to them eventually.
The USB keyboard driver and web browser could be a little more robust. Blame typos on that, please.
I'll probably watch Casino Royale on Blu-Ray with the wife this weekend. We'll see if she thinks there's any difference between DVD and an HD format.
When I have a vacation I'll probably look into backing up my data and installing GNU/Linux.
I've downloaded and played a bit of fl0w, and it's a decent relaxing game. Blast Factor, the main Robotron-clone for PSN, is neat but I'm not upgrading from the demo just yet. I may wait until Christmas for any games on disc, but we'll see.
I've moved all my PS2 save data over, and the system worked just fine with Ace Combat 5. I've got a bunch of demos downloaded already and will get around to them eventually.
The USB keyboard driver and web browser could be a little more robust. Blame typos on that, please.
I'll probably watch Casino Royale on Blu-Ray with the wife this weekend. We'll see if she thinks there's any difference between DVD and an HD format.
When I have a vacation I'll probably look into backing up my data and installing GNU/Linux.
Labels: linux, online distribution, ps2, ps3, sony
--jvm at 23:20
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[ 3 ]
23 September 2007
Cheapskate
For all the kvetching about prices (some on this very blog), this really is a decent time for finding cheap games. Just this weekend I found Shadow of the Colossus for $10 at Wal-mart and took advantage of the 3-for-2 deal at Toys R Us to pick up three PSP games (Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix, Lumines II, and EA Replay) for an average of less than $7.50 each. Heck, I even spotted Taito Legends Power-up for the PSP for $13 brand new in GameStop. After the other pickups, I couldn't really justify any other games, so I'll just have to wait on that one.
Labels: game stores, prices, ps2, psp
--jvm at 15:43
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[ 2 ]
10 September 2007
Deceived
I enjoyed the time I spent with Tecmo's Deception games on the PS1. I've spent about an hour with Trapt, a sequel of sorts on the PS2. I've seen exactly three features which distinguish it from the original trilogy:- Nice 3D graphics
- Decent sounding Japanese voice work
- Attractive women dressed in trashy leather clothing
Seriously, I am fairly sure that even the first few missions are exactly the same enemies in the same rooms that I played in Deception III: Dark Delusion.
Sad, Tecmo. Really, really sad. Then again...I did buy it.
--jvm at 21:54
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[ 2 ]
09 September 2007
PS3 Compatibility of My PS2 Library
To follow up on my post about how well my PS1 library will play on a PS3, here are the results with the 90 games in my PS2 library, which you can check out at MobyGames. The 60Gb wins.
The results for the software emulation of PS2 games...
Here are the graphs:
I intend to keep my old PS2 around, so most or all of these games should be available to play on that system even when they don't work on a PS3. Still, for out of the box compatibility the 60Gb really seems like the system to get. We'll see how well MonkeyKing's feelings about the software emulation pan out...
For the 60Gb:That works out to 89 out of 90, or 98.9%, being playable with minor inconvenient issues on a 60Gb PS3.
84 games work just fine (93%)
2 have video corruption (2D movies)
1 has graphics corruption (2D or 3D game graphics)
1 has some sort of audio problem (corrupted audio)
1 has a fatal hang
1 doesn't work with some sort of extra hardware
The results for the software emulation of PS2 games...
For the 80Gb:That works out to 76 out of 90, or 84%, which are documented playable with minor inconvenient issues.
50 games work just fine (57%)
7 have video corruption (2D movies)
12 have graphics corruption (2D or 3D graphics)
12 have a fatal hang
1 doesn't work with some sort of extra hardware
5 have speed problems (running slowly)
1 doesn't work online
1 is not in Sony's database
Here are the graphs:
I intend to keep my old PS2 around, so most or all of these games should be available to play on that system even when they don't work on a PS3. Still, for out of the box compatibility the 60Gb really seems like the system to get. We'll see how well MonkeyKing's feelings about the software emulation pan out...
--jvm at 00:31
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[ 8 ]
07 September 2007
Sometimes the 80 is better than the 60
I'm considering getting a 60Gb PS3 before the only way to get one is used, so I decided to hit up the new compatibility search engine Sony's put up just recently. In comparing the two models, I turned up one case where the 80Gb model (which uses software emulation for PS2 and PS1 games) does a better job: Atari Anthology for PlayStation 2. For the hardware emulation in the 60Gb, we get this:
Description: When the "Atari founder Nolan Bushnell" FMV plays, the audio plays approximately 1 second ahead of the video.For the 80Gb (software emulation), the report is
Description: No major problems for this title.Not a killer there, but it does leave me wondering what else will crop up in my collection. On balance, I'm seeing more issues with the 80Gb than with the 60Gb, so I haven't changed my plans. Still, it would be interesting to see a graphical comparison of some sort to visually evaluate how compatible each machine really is.
--jvm at 10:37
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[ 7 ]
21 August 2007
Review: Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PS2)
Crystal Dynamics stuck close to the source material for this remake of the original Tomb Raider. As she did over 10 years ago, Lara Croft ventures through tombs and learns the dark secrets of the Scion of Atlantis. Along the way she runs, jumps, and climbs past devilish traps and hungry wild animals.
The original levels have almost all been reimagined in Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and they often look quite good. Regrettably, some vistas lack the grandeur that this dedicated fan would have liked. Lara herself is generally responsive, but the precise controls of the original have been replaced with the less predictable control system from Tomb Raider: Legend. In brief, the game doesn't allow you to do whatever you want whenever you want. (See the bit about magic at the end of this journal entry.) And while the manual grab is an option, some difficult movement puzzles betray a developer's bias for automatic grab. The Quick-Timer Events are almost uniformly poor, as they were in Legend.
While the remade levels are fitting updates to the originals, I think that Crystal Dynamics should have taken more liberties with their material. What was brilliant 10 years ago simply isn't strong enough by today's standards and some completely new ideas would have served the game well. (If a Tomb Raider II remake is considered, Crystal Dynamics will have to indulge itself in rethinking huge sections of it, in particular the Venice levels. Too bad it wasn't done here.)
The outline of the plot is essentially unchanged, but the changes within that framework are welcome. Specifically, how Lara kills is treated with care, an issue I've raised many times before and which I'll tackle once more in a future post. What struck me, however, is that this is merely an improved story told in precisely the same manner used 10 years ago. It is revealing that the cutscene-action-cutscene loop is practically unchanged after a decade of new products from an industry that likes to tout its innovation.
The original levels have almost all been reimagined in Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and they often look quite good. Regrettably, some vistas lack the grandeur that this dedicated fan would have liked. Lara herself is generally responsive, but the precise controls of the original have been replaced with the less predictable control system from Tomb Raider: Legend. In brief, the game doesn't allow you to do whatever you want whenever you want. (See the bit about magic at the end of this journal entry.) And while the manual grab is an option, some difficult movement puzzles betray a developer's bias for automatic grab. The Quick-Timer Events are almost uniformly poor, as they were in Legend.
While the remade levels are fitting updates to the originals, I think that Crystal Dynamics should have taken more liberties with their material. What was brilliant 10 years ago simply isn't strong enough by today's standards and some completely new ideas would have served the game well. (If a Tomb Raider II remake is considered, Crystal Dynamics will have to indulge itself in rethinking huge sections of it, in particular the Venice levels. Too bad it wasn't done here.)
The outline of the plot is essentially unchanged, but the changes within that framework are welcome. Specifically, how Lara kills is treated with care, an issue I've raised many times before and which I'll tackle once more in a future post. What struck me, however, is that this is merely an improved story told in precisely the same manner used 10 years ago. It is revealing that the cutscene-action-cutscene loop is practically unchanged after a decade of new products from an industry that likes to tout its innovation.
Labels: ps2, reviews, tomb raider
--jvm at 20:36
Comment
[ 1 ]
12 August 2007
Review: God of War 2 (PS2)
I savored God of War over the course of several weeks. I ripped into God of War 2 and finished in less than seven days. I recommend them both, provided you at least tolerate glorified brutality and some female partial nudity.
All you'll ever need to know about the plot: Kratos is killed by a fearful Zeus, but the Titans save him and send him to find The Fates and change the past. Along the way he kills lots of things (mostly using a fun almost-button-mashing combat system) and earns new powers.
God of War 2 has a more refined control system, which means you'll want to play God of War first. The wider array of weapons in God of War 2 also permits more customization to suit your style and cover your weaknesses.
Regrettably the story in God of War 2 falls somewhat flat. In the original, Kratos played a classic underdog, a mortal taking on a God. While he's ostensibly mortal again, his plight seems far less compelling. His personal need for revenge grounds the character far less than his need to avenge his wife and child.
My biggest complaint with God of War 2 is, I regret to say, a purely technical one. I am distracted by the extent of image tearing, at least in progressive scan mode. I appreciate that Sony's team in Santa Monica pushed the PlayStation 2 further than anyone else has, but I wonder if they could have backed off just a hair and reduced the tearing almost entirely.
All you'll ever need to know about the plot: Kratos is killed by a fearful Zeus, but the Titans save him and send him to find The Fates and change the past. Along the way he kills lots of things (mostly using a fun almost-button-mashing combat system) and earns new powers.
God of War 2 has a more refined control system, which means you'll want to play God of War first. The wider array of weapons in God of War 2 also permits more customization to suit your style and cover your weaknesses.
Regrettably the story in God of War 2 falls somewhat flat. In the original, Kratos played a classic underdog, a mortal taking on a God. While he's ostensibly mortal again, his plight seems far less compelling. His personal need for revenge grounds the character far less than his need to avenge his wife and child.
My biggest complaint with God of War 2 is, I regret to say, a purely technical one. I am distracted by the extent of image tearing, at least in progressive scan mode. I appreciate that Sony's team in Santa Monica pushed the PlayStation 2 further than anyone else has, but I wonder if they could have backed off just a hair and reduced the tearing almost entirely.
--jvm at 22:09
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[ 0 ]
09 July 2007
The Race to Cut
Sony has announced a price drop. Other than "Do I buy in August or November?", my question is this:
Is Sony beginning the same kind or price war they started (and won) with Sega?
For context, see the text of this comment by MonkeyKing1969 on my post documenting price drops for the original PlayStation.
The blue laser diodes have reportedly dropped in cost. The Emotion Engine hardware has been dropped from the new 80Gb PlayStation 3. Sony has reported that they have nearly full capacity production of the PlayStation 3 systems. Ideally they should be able to drop prices as their costs change, and this $100 price drop seems to be part of that.
So what's different? Whereas I suspect that Sony controlled the production of almost everything in the original PlayStation and in the PlayStation 2 (except perhaps the RamBus stuff), they have a partnership with NVIDIA for the PlayStation 3's graphics chip, the RSX. That's an entanglement I bet they wish they didn't have. As I recall, NVIDIA and Microsoft didn't part on the best of terms from a similar relationship on the original Xbox.
Microsoft doesn't own everything in the Xbox 360, but it does own more than the original Xbox. Still, it does depend on IBM and ATI/AMD for parts. The Xbox 360 ain't no Saturn, so to speak, but I'd like to hear a professional's opinion on how quickly and deeply Sony and Microsoft will be able to reduce costs of their respective systems.
If Sony drops the price again in a year by another $100, I do wonder if Microsoft will be able to keep up. Perhaps at that point, Nintendo's Harrison will want to reconsider his bravado.
Is Sony beginning the same kind or price war they started (and won) with Sega?
For context, see the text of this comment by MonkeyKing1969 on my post documenting price drops for the original PlayStation.
The blue laser diodes have reportedly dropped in cost. The Emotion Engine hardware has been dropped from the new 80Gb PlayStation 3. Sony has reported that they have nearly full capacity production of the PlayStation 3 systems. Ideally they should be able to drop prices as their costs change, and this $100 price drop seems to be part of that.
So what's different? Whereas I suspect that Sony controlled the production of almost everything in the original PlayStation and in the PlayStation 2 (except perhaps the RamBus stuff), they have a partnership with NVIDIA for the PlayStation 3's graphics chip, the RSX. That's an entanglement I bet they wish they didn't have. As I recall, NVIDIA and Microsoft didn't part on the best of terms from a similar relationship on the original Xbox.
Microsoft doesn't own everything in the Xbox 360, but it does own more than the original Xbox. Still, it does depend on IBM and ATI/AMD for parts. The Xbox 360 ain't no Saturn, so to speak, but I'd like to hear a professional's opinion on how quickly and deeply Sony and Microsoft will be able to reduce costs of their respective systems.
If Sony drops the price again in a year by another $100, I do wonder if Microsoft will be able to keep up. Perhaps at that point, Nintendo's Harrison will want to reconsider his bravado.
--jvm at 23:53
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[ 2 ]
01 June 2007
Impressions: The Red Star
The Red Star for the PlayStation 2 plays like a variety of different games. Melee and projectile battles remind me most of the recent 3D dungeon crawlers like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, although Ruffin's earlier Metal Gear Solid comparison wasn't far off either. With a rigid, linear level structure, however, it's quite different from both of those games. Each level includes several boss encounters which have patterns and rhythms like traditional shmups. And the upgrading process at the end of each level reminds me of Xybots.Do these pieces make a fun game? So far, yes. I'm on level 6 of 21 and hope to finish this weekend.
As far as I can tell, however, the story is just as ludicrous as I originally thought last year. The license adds nothing.
Labels: firstimpressions, ps2
--jvm at 21:56
Comment
[ 1 ]
29 May 2007
Review: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (PS2)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is equal parts romance, time travel, and glassy smooth action sequences: a traceur prince seeks redemption, falls in love, and earns the power to bend time. Prince of Persia: Revelations, also known as The Warrior Within, was an ugly scar of a sequel, unplayable and buggy. The third game, The Two Thrones, was hailed by Ubisoft and reviewers as a return to the romance and action of the first game, with the improved combat of the second.They were wrong. It's just another soulless sequel whose misunderstanding of Sands of Time beggars the imagination.
It has but a mere glimmer of romance. Its plot hinges on timelines that are neither novel nor compelling. And the action -- while certainly an extension of the previous games -- frustrates almost as often as it entertains. Whoever designed that ridiculously cheap puzzle-to-chariot-race-to-boss-battle sequence in the middle of the game should be unceremoniously sacked. Nothing in this game justifies the time you'll spend fighting against its flaws, certainly not its perfunctory final sequences. Heck, the best line in the entire game isn't even original: it's borrowed from the very first game!
I should have taken heed when I saw that Jordan Mechner -- writer and designer of The Sands of Time and the creator of Prince of Persia and Karateka -- had no part in the latter two modern Prince of Persia games. Clearly he knew that the conceits of the first game would work once, but no more. Now I know better and so should you.
--jvm at 16:02
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[ 3 ]
26 May 2007
Tomb Raider Anniversary comparison shots
I am busy finishing up a couple of games (on which I hope to have short posts soon), so I've not been posting much. I have been keeping tabs on the Tomb Raider Anniversary news, and I think the images in this NeoGAF forum post (which in turn took images from this Tomb Raider Forums post) demonstrate the possibility that Crystal Dynamics has done a decent job of recreating the original game. I'm especially impressed with the shot from the Colosseum.
In less than two weeks, I'll be playing the full game -- the PlayStation 2 version. I've made up my mind that playing the game on an HDTV at 480p is probably a better experience than on the little PSP screen, especially if the translation diminishes the quality as happened with Tomb Raider: Legend. I'll do my best to give the game a thorough curmudgeoning. I know Ruffin will tell me if I'm slacking.
In the meantime, Windows users with a sufficiently strong machine can download a demo here. My one Windows machine has a 1.2GHz AMD processor without SSE instructions, so I'm out of luck.
In less than two weeks, I'll be playing the full game -- the PlayStation 2 version. I've made up my mind that playing the game on an HDTV at 480p is probably a better experience than on the little PSP screen, especially if the translation diminishes the quality as happened with Tomb Raider: Legend. I'll do my best to give the game a thorough curmudgeoning. I know Ruffin will tell me if I'm slacking.In the meantime, Windows users with a sufficiently strong machine can download a demo here. My one Windows machine has a 1.2GHz AMD processor without SSE instructions, so I'm out of luck.
Labels: ps2, tomb raider, windows
--jvm at 21:12
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[ 0 ]
28 April 2007
A bridge (of adapters) too far
When I mentioned that I could play light gun games with my one good hand I forgot an essential fact: I can't play traditional light gun games on the LCD HDTV I bought a couple of months ago. Oops.
There are newer guns that work with LCDs and plasma sets -- the RGT G1 and the LCD TopGun are two -- but they don't appear to work with older systems since they both use USB. (Aside: I'm told the RGT G1 is not very good. Their pages say there is a new model due soon, during Q2 2007.) Working with USB means that older systems like the Dreamcast and PSOne aren't really in the mix. Unless, of course, there is a way to hack together an adapter.
So here's my idea of how I might be able to play something like House of the Dead 2 on the Dreamcast using this newer gun:
LCD TopGun -> USB to PS/2 adapter -> Total Control 2 -> Dreamcast
That's PS/2 -- the keyboard and mouse interface -- not PS2 as in PlayStation 2. Anyone have ideas about whether this would work or not? Even better, anyone in a position to try it out?
Then again, I should be able to pick up a cheap CRT TV in a year or so as they're pushed out of the market, so maybe I should just wait.
There are newer guns that work with LCDs and plasma sets -- the RGT G1 and the LCD TopGun are two -- but they don't appear to work with older systems since they both use USB. (Aside: I'm told the RGT G1 is not very good. Their pages say there is a new model due soon, during Q2 2007.) Working with USB means that older systems like the Dreamcast and PSOne aren't really in the mix. Unless, of course, there is a way to hack together an adapter.
So here's my idea of how I might be able to play something like House of the Dead 2 on the Dreamcast using this newer gun:
LCD TopGun -> USB to PS/2 adapter -> Total Control 2 -> Dreamcast
That's PS/2 -- the keyboard and mouse interface -- not PS2 as in PlayStation 2. Anyone have ideas about whether this would work or not? Even better, anyone in a position to try it out?
Then again, I should be able to pick up a cheap CRT TV in a year or so as they're pushed out of the market, so maybe I should just wait.
--jvm at 22:19
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[ 4 ]
25 April 2007
Tomb Raider Anniversary's note to the fans
Over at NeoGAF I ran across some images from the current build of Tomb Raider Anniversary which show a note to the fans from Jason Botta, the game's creative director. Here are the parts of the note I felt were important. (You can read the rest in the screenshots.)
Still, I'm a little concerned by the wording on the controls. I suppose most people do find the newer controls -- the ones used in Tomb Raider: Legend -- more forgiving and natural, but calling them contemporary strikes me as dodging the real issue: they've taken away much of the sense of danger.
I used to refer to those high, dangerous locations and jumps in the original game as "unnecessarily vertiginous". The heights were literally dizzying and more than once I felt my stomach turn over at the feeling of being mere inches from a deadly fall. (The only time I've felt like that in real life was when I was atop one of the two World Trade Center towers in New York in the late 1980s. Even as far back from the edge as we were, I felt so dizzy I wanted to crawl back to the door or risk blowing off the side and into open space.)
With the controls in Legend they've taken away that sense. Lara can -- and does -- save herself if you go off a ledge. Timing a jump is easy since there is a broad "safe zone" near any ledge and any jump initiated in that zone will be good enough. Compare this with the original game where you really felt you needed to pace out your jumps ahead of time. Even then, a twitch at the wrong moment would send Lara plunging to her death.
On the other hand, I'm excited to hear that the story has been respected. I've always felt that the plot was really quite well-done. As long as they've not belabored it with too much contrived explanation, it should come across well.
Tomb Raiders,That's a pretty nice note, and quite a bit more personal than what I'm used to getting from games nowadays. In a way it reminds me of the developer pictures and notes on the back of the old Activision games for the Atari 2600.
It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since the original Tomb Raider game was released and the world got their first taste of Lara Croft. At that time, games had just really started moving into 3D and Tomb Raider was hailed as a landmark achievement from both a technical and gameplay standpoint. A powerful heroine, epic environments, and a world that players could really immerse themselves into were all elements that helped Tomb Raider stand out from the rest of the gaming landscape.
[snip]
We wanted to recreate all the parts that people remembered and then throw in some new areas to keep veterans on their toes. We strove hard to find the right balance of nostalgia and freshness and to create an experience that captured the sense of isolation so prevalent in the original. The story was simultaneously expanded and tightened up so as to realize the full potential of the tale and provide more insight into the various characters. And while we almost duplicated TR in some regards, we took this opportunity to update some aspects of gameplay -- like Lara's movement -- to something a bit more contemporary.
[snip]
Jason Botta
Creative Director, Tomb Raider: Anniversary
[Emphasis added. Errors, if any, are mine. -jvm]
Still, I'm a little concerned by the wording on the controls. I suppose most people do find the newer controls -- the ones used in Tomb Raider: Legend -- more forgiving and natural, but calling them contemporary strikes me as dodging the real issue: they've taken away much of the sense of danger.
I used to refer to those high, dangerous locations and jumps in the original game as "unnecessarily vertiginous". The heights were literally dizzying and more than once I felt my stomach turn over at the feeling of being mere inches from a deadly fall. (The only time I've felt like that in real life was when I was atop one of the two World Trade Center towers in New York in the late 1980s. Even as far back from the edge as we were, I felt so dizzy I wanted to crawl back to the door or risk blowing off the side and into open space.)
With the controls in Legend they've taken away that sense. Lara can -- and does -- save herself if you go off a ledge. Timing a jump is easy since there is a broad "safe zone" near any ledge and any jump initiated in that zone will be good enough. Compare this with the original game where you really felt you needed to pace out your jumps ahead of time. Even then, a twitch at the wrong moment would send Lara plunging to her death.
On the other hand, I'm excited to hear that the story has been respected. I've always felt that the plot was really quite well-done. As long as they've not belabored it with too much contrived explanation, it should come across well.
Labels: PC, ps2, psp, tomb raider
--jvm at 13:17
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[ 16 ]
22 April 2007
A loss of grand scale (and a whiff of adult themes)
A new trailer came out last week for the upcoming Tomb Raider Anniversary and I was dismayed by what appears to be the new Great Sphinx level. I found a picture on the Glidos site which conveys the sense of scale present in the original:
Here are a couple of shots from the new trailer:
It could be that the new Sphinx is just as big as the old one, relative to Lara's size, but I don't think so. It looks like they've scaled the Sphinx down, and I think that's a real shame. As I've stated previously, the original Tomb Raider conveyed the sense of being a small adventurer in a vast, unexplored space. (A similar feeling can be found in the more recent God of War, and reportedly in God of War 2.)
I hope that sense hasn't been lost completely, but this new evidence makes me pessimistic.
As the trailer ends it reveals that the ESRB has rated Tomb Raider Anniversary as T (for Teen), specifically for violence (expected) and mild suggestive themes (say what?). For all the hullabaloo surrounding Lara's attire and bust size, there was nothing remotely sexual in the original game. The first lurch in that direction came with Tomb Raider II. In particular, Lara does a quick clothing change from her usual outfit to a wetsuit which happens just out of view of the camera. Then after the game's climax, there is a brief coda with a voyeuristic camera view of Lara taking a shower. That bit ends with her saying "You've seen quite enough" and unceremoniously discharging a bullet right into the camera.
Everything I've seen says the remake is only the first game, not the second, so they've added something to earn that extra ESRB tag. I'll be curious to see just what that is.
Here are a couple of shots from the new trailer:
It could be that the new Sphinx is just as big as the old one, relative to Lara's size, but I don't think so. It looks like they've scaled the Sphinx down, and I think that's a real shame. As I've stated previously, the original Tomb Raider conveyed the sense of being a small adventurer in a vast, unexplored space. (A similar feeling can be found in the more recent God of War, and reportedly in God of War 2.)I hope that sense hasn't been lost completely, but this new evidence makes me pessimistic.
As the trailer ends it reveals that the ESRB has rated Tomb Raider Anniversary as T (for Teen), specifically for violence (expected) and mild suggestive themes (say what?). For all the hullabaloo surrounding Lara's attire and bust size, there was nothing remotely sexual in the original game. The first lurch in that direction came with Tomb Raider II. In particular, Lara does a quick clothing change from her usual outfit to a wetsuit which happens just out of view of the camera. Then after the game's climax, there is a brief coda with a voyeuristic camera view of Lara taking a shower. That bit ends with her saying "You've seen quite enough" and unceremoniously discharging a bullet right into the camera.
Everything I've seen says the remake is only the first game, not the second, so they've added something to earn that extra ESRB tag. I'll be curious to see just what that is.
Labels: ps2, psp, tomb raider
--jvm at 22:23
Comment
[ 7 ]
20 March 2007
Euro PS3 compatibility list
Via The Register, I see that Sony has published a database of how various games work on the new version of the PlayStation 3. Here's an interesting snapshot showing the situation with Metal Gear Solid 3:
One square means noticeable issues when played on a PS3 and three squares means no issues. I wonder how many people will have the one-square versions of MGS3? And I wonder if newer games have been made with libraries from Sony that are designed to increase compatibility. For example, God of War 2, a game which may tax the system about as hard as anything we've ever seen, just came out and has three squares. That could be the emulator, or it could be Sony making sure newer games pass a certain spec before they're released.
Anyway, I hope to pore over the list more later, especially the PSOne listing, since I expect that by the time I buy a North American PS3 I'll be dealing with the same software emulation.
One square means noticeable issues when played on a PS3 and three squares means no issues. I wonder how many people will have the one-square versions of MGS3? And I wonder if newer games have been made with libraries from Sony that are designed to increase compatibility. For example, God of War 2, a game which may tax the system about as hard as anything we've ever seen, just came out and has three squares. That could be the emulator, or it could be Sony making sure newer games pass a certain spec before they're released.Anyway, I hope to pore over the list more later, especially the PSOne listing, since I expect that by the time I buy a North American PS3 I'll be dealing with the same software emulation.
--jvm at 10:25
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[ 5 ]
07 March 2007
Three things PlayStation Home is *not*
Sony finally got around to announcing a grand online plan and it's called PlayStation Home. Go watch the trailer, if you haven't already. I took a quick peek around at reactions and people are definitely irrationally excited, so someone's got to be the adult around here. Sober up, people.
Addendum: MattG is skeptical of PlayStation Home for other reasons. And Ronald Diemicke at MobyGames is thinking along the same lines as my #3, calling it a "glorified marketing space, more like a big mall designed to suck up money".
- PlayStation Home is not final software - In fact, it is alpha software, so stop acting like this is what we will actually see launched in Fall 2007. Take a minute, remember your history, and go read this article from May 2000. Then ponder all the online goodness we've enjoyed on our PlayStation 2s for the past seven years:
More than just a games console, the PlayStation 2 will offer support for DVD Video, be able to function as a set-top box, Internet access device and also feature a PC-Card interface through which it can be connected to broadband networks.
Breathtaking, isn't it? Practically none of that happened. Not even close. There wasn't even a network adaptor until 2002, for crying out loud.
It is through these broadband networks that SCEI plans to deliver games, audio and video content from 2001.
History gives us no reason to believe Sony can bring its PlayStation Home dream to fruition, so just stop acting like the presentation today meant anything. It meant nothing.
Do yourself, and all of us, a favor: take a "show me" stance toward anything Sony announces. - PlayStation Home will not be simple - What I always liked about GameSpy was that I could fire it up, ping some Quake servers, and immediately jump into a game. The virtual reality interface on PlayStation Home looks like an awful way to get people together for matches or games. If I want to play a PS3 game online, the last thing I want to do is have to watch people fiddle with human-shaped cursors just to get to the "Start Game" location.
My only experience with trying to arrange virtual people was with another Sony property, Everquest Online Adventures, and I hated trying to get a party together in person to make plans for a quest. Now, I'm sure World of Warcraft people have this all figured out, but Sony's just bull-headed enough to come up with their own ridiculous solution to a previously solved problem. (See: ATRAC.) - PlayStation Home is not free - You heard me. It's only free in the sense that iTunes is free. It's actually a clever trap to bleed you dry of money.
Understand this: Sony is going to charge money for virtual property at every turn. Want a rug for your virtual house? A chair? A different color of wall paint? Then you better open your wallet, buster.
Microsoft pioneered downloadable content fees, and Sony will take it to completely new level. It will be glorious.
Addendum: MattG is skeptical of PlayStation Home for other reasons. And Ronald Diemicke at MobyGames is thinking along the same lines as my #3, calling it a "glorified marketing space, more like a big mall designed to suck up money".
--jvm at 19:53
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[ 11 ]
26 February 2007
Response to Next-Gen editorial on PS3 BC
Colin Campbell gives a spirited defense of Sony's decision to drop the hardware in the PlayStation 3 that provided near complete backward compatibility with PSOne and PlayStation 2 software. I'm a fan of such compatibility, and I'm of course distressed that we may see compatibility diminish from what we've come to expect from the original. Campbell's editorial has a link soliciting responses and here's how I replied.
Two key points are glossed over in your piece.In defense of your position, I would add:
- True, Nintendo is not providing backward compatibility to all its previous consoles. However, this misses the important point that Nintendo is providing GameCube compatibility in the Wii. While it does not necessarily imply that Nintendo sees great value in backward compatibility, if it felt that it weren't worth the effort it would not have spent the time and money to make it polished enough for consumers to use in the finished hardware.
- Sony knows that its most important PlayStation 3 software will not arrive until later in 2007. In fact, the most important software for Sony's console business in the next six months will probably be on the PlayStation 2: Guitar Hero II and God of War 2, among others.
Consequently, it would be foolish to limit PlayStation 2 backward compatibility on the PlayStation 3. Doing so would provide one more hurdle to the consumer considering a PlayStation 3.
While I can grant that PSOne compatibility is not critical, I cannot discount the importance of PlayStation 2 software as the PlayStation 3 gets up to speed.
- A frugal shopper can get full PlayStation 2 and PSOne compatibility for under $100. It's called a PlayStation 2, and they're on store shelves now. It's a minor price to pay for hardware that plays some of the best games from the past 12 years.
- Moreover a point I thought you might have made in your defense of Sony is that no one knows the extent of the compatibility offered yet. Perhaps they're playing it safe and it'll be higher than the pessimists expect. And, at the very least, there is the potential for it to significantly improve over time.
--jvm at 11:43
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[ 8 ]
25 February 2007
Review: God of War (PS2)
God of War for the PlayStation 2 does almost everything right. It tells the epic and memorable tale of Kratos, a Spartan, and his quest to kill Ares, the Greek god of war. The entertaining combat system is receptive to frantic button-mashing but rewards skilled, rhythmic tapping. It's about as graphically seamless as any game I've seen anywhere.
I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it for those who are willing to endure the unblinkingly violent images and occasional partial nudity.
That said, I still have some complaints. There is a section late in the game which overwhelmed me with a bunch of cheap tricks: conveyor belts, flame jets, archers, and harpies by the dozen. Even after I figured out the best way to optimize my limited resources in that battle, I had to endure several attempts before I got lucky and survived to the end. Even the last three battles, the climax of the game, were easy by comparison.
For a man broken up missing his wife and child, Kratos sure didn't mind hopping in the sack with a couple of pneumatic floozies at the beginning of the game. That bit strikes me as an exploitative stunt which mars an otherwise well-written story. It's particularly noticeable because of the two teenage fantasies the game glorifies, violence and sex, only the bloodshed persists beyond the first third of the game.
I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it for those who are willing to endure the unblinkingly violent images and occasional partial nudity.
That said, I still have some complaints. There is a section late in the game which overwhelmed me with a bunch of cheap tricks: conveyor belts, flame jets, archers, and harpies by the dozen. Even after I figured out the best way to optimize my limited resources in that battle, I had to endure several attempts before I got lucky and survived to the end. Even the last three battles, the climax of the game, were easy by comparison.
For a man broken up missing his wife and child, Kratos sure didn't mind hopping in the sack with a couple of pneumatic floozies at the beginning of the game. That bit strikes me as an exploitative stunt which mars an otherwise well-written story. It's particularly noticeable because of the two teenage fantasies the game glorifies, violence and sex, only the bloodshed persists beyond the first third of the game.
--jvm at 20:44
Comment
[ 2 ]
I don't think that means what you think it means
On the topic of Chulip (PS2) again, it appears that GameSpot reviewed it last night. Here's their introduction:
One might translate GameSpot's summary as:
There's something to be said for Chulip's abject weirdness and purposefully awkward structure, but they don't translate into a rewarding game experience.The problem is that abject always has a negative connotation. Abject poverty and utter poverty mean similar things, but abject joy is an oxymoron while utter joy makes sense. I can see the author meaning utter in the above, but not abject.
One might translate GameSpot's summary as:
There is something to be said for Chulip's negative qualities, but they don't translate into a rewarding game experience.Then again, maybe they meant it to be so witty?
--jvm at 01:02
Comment
[ 1 ]
23 February 2007
Why, yes, the GameStop/EB Games merger was a bad idea...
Chulip is a quirky PlayStation 2 title I've been watching and considering buying. It can currently only be bought in the United States through EB Games/GameStop. That is both surprising and dismaying.
Maybe the only way it could have been published was to secure a distribution deal with a huge retailer ahead of time, and EB Games/GameStop fits that description. However, it is precisely this kind of exclusivity crap that I fear will get out of control and lead to an even more consumer-hostile environment.
And Chulip isn't the only game. Settlers DS is getting the same treatment.
Maybe the only way it could have been published was to secure a distribution deal with a huge retailer ahead of time, and EB Games/GameStop fits that description. However, it is precisely this kind of exclusivity crap that I fear will get out of control and lead to an even more consumer-hostile environment.
And Chulip isn't the only game. Settlers DS is getting the same treatment.
Labels: business, ds, game stores, ps2
--jvm at 22:11
Comment
[ 4 ]
Exclusives for the new generation
Platform exclusive features will be the replacement for platform exclusive games. The latest case is Spider-Man 3 for the PlayStation 3 which will have a special New Goblin mini-game.
We saw the beginnings of this trend last generation: Splinter Cell (exclusives map on PS2, GBA connection on GameCube), Soul Calibur II (platform-exclusive characters), and Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (original Prince of Persia emulated on the PlayStation 2, the sequel Prince of Persia 2 on the Xbox). It will only get worse this generation.
It used to be that you could buy all three platforms and the exclusive games for each. Now, to get access to everything you not only need all three platforms but also all three versions of a particular game. Lovely.
And, yes, I did buy both versions of Pinball Hall of Fame, one for my PlayStation 2 and one for my PSP.
We saw the beginnings of this trend last generation: Splinter Cell (exclusives map on PS2, GBA connection on GameCube), Soul Calibur II (platform-exclusive characters), and Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (original Prince of Persia emulated on the PlayStation 2, the sequel Prince of Persia 2 on the Xbox). It will only get worse this generation.
It used to be that you could buy all three platforms and the exclusive games for each. Now, to get access to everything you not only need all three platforms but also all three versions of a particular game. Lovely.
And, yes, I did buy both versions of Pinball Hall of Fame, one for my PlayStation 2 and one for my PSP.
--jvm at 21:28
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[ 4 ]
The first PS3 hardware revision shipping next month?
Reports this morning like this one at Next-Gen.biz and this one at Reuters indicate that something has happened to the PlayStation 3 hardware. The result is reduced PlayStation 2 compatibility. If the Reuters report is to be believed then, it looks like an internal change (my emphasis):
So the first hardware revision of the PlayStation 3 may be to remove the PS2 chips that were inside to provide compatibility? I have no idea how much that costs, but perhaps it will save some dough. Then later this year there will be the move to a 65nm chip fabrication process for the Cell which will, supposedly, cut costs for Sony even more.
If the hardware has changed, I wonder when we'll see those systems on American shelves. As I've said before, initial console hardware often has its own bugs, but also has features that get cut from later revisions. Not that is was a particularly bold prediction, but I did say at the time:
Even these cost-cutting measures may not mean a cut in price for the PlayStation 3. As indicated in this Next-Gen.biz report, Sony may look at adding cheap bits to the package to make the current prices more acceptable. That didn't work for the PSP and it won't work for the PlayStation 3 either.
I think Sony is missing the point. The $500 and $600 prices are simply too high for most people, regardless of what kind of bonus junk you pack in the box. There's a mental barrier around $300 beyond which most people will simply stop paying attention. Sony needs a basic system at $400 to be on the periphery of consumer consciousness.
Software will take over some of the functionality that was originally taken care of by dedicated chips, which means far fewer PlayStation 2 (PS2) games can be played on a European PS3 compared with the Japanese and American PS3 models which play 98 percent of old games.
So the first hardware revision of the PlayStation 3 may be to remove the PS2 chips that were inside to provide compatibility? I have no idea how much that costs, but perhaps it will save some dough. Then later this year there will be the move to a 65nm chip fabrication process for the Cell which will, supposedly, cut costs for Sony even more.
If the hardware has changed, I wonder when we'll see those systems on American shelves. As I've said before, initial console hardware often has its own bugs, but also has features that get cut from later revisions. Not that is was a particularly bold prediction, but I did say at the time:
If/when they move to a software emulator I think it highly unlikely that they'll achieve the same compatibility they can with hardware. Then again, the mighty Cell is magick, so anything's possible.Looks like that's coming true.
Even these cost-cutting measures may not mean a cut in price for the PlayStation 3. As indicated in this Next-Gen.biz report, Sony may look at adding cheap bits to the package to make the current prices more acceptable. That didn't work for the PSP and it won't work for the PlayStation 3 either.
I think Sony is missing the point. The $500 and $600 prices are simply too high for most people, regardless of what kind of bonus junk you pack in the box. There's a mental barrier around $300 beyond which most people will simply stop paying attention. Sony needs a basic system at $400 to be on the periphery of consumer consciousness.
--jvm at 08:39
Comment
[ 5 ]
21 February 2007
How not to go to Hell
Remember going to Hell? In DooM that is. I thought it was kind of cool, fun, and unique that first time. It was just like the space marine base only more twisted and difficult.
Then I played Half-life and went to Xen. Sure, it was supposed to be an alien world, but it was really like going to Hell. Like everyone else, I hated the jumping puzzles, the annoying physics, the crazy evil fetus.
In God of War on the PlayStation 2 you also go to Hell, or rather Hades. Regrettably, it is less like DooM and more like Half-life. There are annoying jumping puzzle sections. There are ridiculously frustrating climbing sections. There's even a decent bit of horrible collision detection. Add in a complete inability to change the camera angle to mitigate the problems and I nearly put the game back on the library shelf. For a game that does many things quite well, it's a disappointing finale.
There's more to complain about, but you'll just have to wait.
Then I played Half-life and went to Xen. Sure, it was supposed to be an alien world, but it was really like going to Hell. Like everyone else, I hated the jumping puzzles, the annoying physics, the crazy evil fetus.
In God of War on the PlayStation 2 you also go to Hell, or rather Hades. Regrettably, it is less like DooM and more like Half-life. There are annoying jumping puzzle sections. There are ridiculously frustrating climbing sections. There's even a decent bit of horrible collision detection. Add in a complete inability to change the camera angle to mitigate the problems and I nearly put the game back on the library shelf. For a game that does many things quite well, it's a disappointing finale.
There's more to complain about, but you'll just have to wait.
--jvm at 22:19
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06 February 2007
Why Manhunt 2 may not appear on PS3 and Xbox 360
Today Rockstar announced that Manhunt 2, sequel to the sadistic original game from 2003, will be published for the PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, and Nintendo Wii. While I am dismayed that another sadistic piece of garbage will be published, the choice of platforms is very interesting. If Rockstar were to simply port the version from the PlayStation 2 to the more powerful Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, they would be skewered for the lazy effort. They may avoid a full version of Manhunt 2 for those newer platforms, one that takes full advantage of the next generation hardware, because the end result would tread a little too close to real not just for the likes of Jack Thompson or even the ESRB but for the general public.
The passing generation of console hardware can do some amazing things. One has merely to look at Halo 2 and God of War 2 to see what the hardware can accomplish in capable hands. Yet those games fall measurably short of photorealistic. Most average people can still tell that the images on the screen aren't real.
For the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, however, the gap has narrowed. Moreover, this is Rockstar, creators of Table Tennis for the Xbox 360, a game lauded for its realism. On these newer platforms, the expectation of photorealism -- or some close approximation -- will be intense. Were Rockstar to make a photorealistic Manhunt, they'd need to show all the gore that had previously been chunky and blurry in the lower polygon, muddy textured PlayStation 2 game.
Ma
The passing generation of console hardware can do some amazing things. One has merely to look at Halo 2 and God of War 2 to see what the hardware can accomplish in capable hands. Yet those games fall measurably short of photorealistic. Most average people can still tell that the images on the screen aren't real.
For the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, however, the gap has narrowed. Moreover, this is Rockstar, creators of Table Tennis for the Xbox 360, a game lauded for its realism. On these newer platforms, the expectation of photorealism -- or some close approximation -- will be intense. Were Rockstar to make a photorealistic Manhunt, they'd need to show all the gore that had previously been chunky and blurry in the lower polygon, muddy textured PlayStation 2 game.
Ma