quote:Originally posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick: I don't see why one excludes the other here.
Excludes? I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. It seemed to me that C3PO's preferences tended away from story-driven games because of the games he listed as his favourites and most anticipated upcoming titles. I definitely don't think that liking story driven games means you can't like storyless games, though.
I think I see where you're coming from on that, but I'm going to have to disagree, specifically with this part:
quote: Though I guess if you're playing Metroid Prime 3 (don't get me wrong, I love Prime and Prime 2, but story-driven they are not) and anticipating Mario Galaxy and Smash Bros, you probably aren't as into games with strong and/or compelling narrative as I am.
You implied here that because someone is looking forward to a game with minimal to no story, that they probably aren't as interested in games that contain those narrative elements. I disagree that any such corelation exists.
It's possible that I misunderstood you. If so, could you please clarify?
Posts: 1594 | Registered: Apr 2006
| IP: Logged |
There has to be some way to see the progress of this generation's consoles on even a quarterly basis.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick: It's possible that I misunderstood you. If so, could you please clarify?
I can try. If we were talking about fiction and I gave you a few examples of my favourite novels and most anticipated upcoming novels, and every single one of them was science fiction, wouldn't it be reasonable for you to guess that sci-fi is my preferred genre?
I wasn't speaking generally, I was speaking specifically about C3PO.
Added: Lyrhawn, the companies will still release their quarterly reports, but IIRC most of them report units shipped rather than units sold.
posted
I have a Wii and a 360...and I play my 360 far more than the Wii.
There are just are not many games for the Wii that I want. I already had twilight princes for the game cube, and I was never a fan of metroid or the mario party games.
That will change if Mario Galaxy is good...and I will also get mario kart when it comes out...but the Wii was just very slow in releasing games that I want.
For the 360, I have been playing gears of war, Halo 3, Rainbow 6, and several of the arcade games. I really love live...particularly for Halo 3. The achievement system is a lot of fun. I find myself playing Halo 3 long after I beat it because I want to get the achievements and all the skulls.
I am very eager for Assassin's Creed to come out next week, and I am excited for Fable 2 which is due out next year.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I just got the last rockband preorder in all of Boston (at least I think so). Now I need to sell my PS2 and my telescope (6" Dobsonian, $150, can be yours!) to fund it all
posted
this is a great time to be a gamer....to bad I don't have anything time to play My Xbox 360 is sitting packed up...unused...By the time I'll have free time GTA 4 will be out.
Posts: 796 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by erosomniac: I picked up SMG today...but can't open it because it's a present for the girlfriend.
HURRY UP, SQUISH.
eh? how? I went to the store today and they said it does not come out until tomorrow, IGN had it listed as coming out today. I am not sure if I should expend the $50 for it, maybe I'd do better to just rent it and play through it within 2 weeks time.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Apparently there is some confusion over the Canadian release date of SMG. Most retailers are saying the 14th (Best-Buy, Future Shop, Toys R Us) but EB says today. EB will probably be selling it for $60 though so I'll probably pick it up tomorrow at Best-Buy for $50. (Though I just checked the Best-Buy site again and one of their Edmonton stores is saying it is in stock so maybe I'll get it today after all).
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm having the same problem with Assassin's Creed. It's out today in some places, but Future Shop says the release date is Friday.
For that matter, the release date of Rock Band in Canada has been moved back to December 19th, presumably so that EA can divert units to the U.S. in preparation for Black Friday.
Added: Both of those things are annoying, but if this happens to the Canadian-developed Mass Effect I'm going to be extremely unimpressed.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
IGN gave Assassin's Creed 7.5/10 and Gamespot gave it 9/10. Overall, it's getting strong reviews. Metacritic reviews.
I bought SMG at Future Shop today, even though they showed the release date as tomorrow. Future Shop and Best Buy both have the release date for Mass Effect as November 22nd, though as far as I know it's supposed to come out on the 20th.
Posts: 1855 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I just checked the Future Shop site and they appear to have SMG in at most of the Edmonton stores (the one close to me too, yea!) so I'll probably pick it up this evening. The Best Buy nearest me is still showing as unavailable which is annoying since they would be a little more convenient.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I grabbed SMG last night at Future Shop and they gave me the pre-order coin (I didn't pre-order). It's a pretty lame bonus item but I probably would have thought it was cool when I was a kid (my kids seemed to think it was pretty neat).
I'm loving the game so far (I played for about an hour last night). I enjoyed Mario 64 and I've been playing Sunshine for the past few weeks and it's been pretty cool but this just blows them away.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Without further ado, October NPD figures, courtesy of 1up:
quote:October 2007 Hardware Sales * PlayStation 2 -- 184,000 * PlayStation 3 -- 121,000 * PlayStation Portable -- 286,000 * Xbox 360 -- 366,000 * Wii -- 519,000 * Nintendo DS -- 458,000
October 2007 Top Ten Software Sales 1. Halo 3 (Xbox 360) -- 433,800 2. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/ guitar (Xbox 360) -- 383, 200 3. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/ guitar (Wii) -- 286,300 4. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/ guitar (PlayStation 2) -- 271,100 5. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS) -- 262,800 6. Wii Play w/ remote (Wii) -- 239,700 7. The Orange Box (Xbox 360) -- 238,400 8. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/o guitar (PlayStation 2) -- 231,700 9. FIFA Soccer 08 (PlayStation 2) -- 129,700 10. Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day (Nintendo DS) -- 116,900
The Halo 3 juggernaut continues to top the charts, and the Wii and DS just keep on selling half a million units each month regardless of what's being released.
October is a 4-week reporting period for NPD, keep that in mind when looking over historical data (some of which is reported over 5-week periods).
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I got Super Mario Galaxy on Wednesday. My opinion of Nintendo's game design has forever changed.
That is to say, my ratings jumped from 9 out of 10 to about 20 out of 10.
This game goes above and beyond. It's the joy of Super Mario 64 (which I played for months on end on the DS) with the added bonus of finally being able to play video games with my brother and not have it end in a fit of a sore loser AND the ability to long jump off of tiny planetoids and semi-orbit it for half a circuit -- can't begin to describe how thrilling it is! And I'm not even sure why...
This game is everything Nintendo does right. Awesome design, clever courses, cute characters, huge galaxies, missions that require clever use of the snazzy new controller, and constant surprises! This is not a cliche Mario 3D platformer: This is Mario as he's never been before. And I can't believe the graphics are really Nintendo, they're comparable to Metroid Prime 3's.
I have absolutely no more doubt about whether this game will hold me over until Super Smash Bros. Brawl anymore.
Posts: 1029 | Registered: Apr 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
if this kind of question has already been answered earlier in the thread please just yell at me and tell me so but:
As someone considering getting a Wii in the near future for myself, how would you suggest doing so? i.e. I'm not pressed enough that I want to spend 50% over sticker at Amazon or Ebay... So I just keep checking in on local stores (i.e. Target and BestBuy) and hope I can catch them on a delivery day? will these stores accept reservations for their next shipment etc? I'm asking here so I can avoid getting laughed at if I ask a silly question of them. (already stopped into some local stores and while there are literally piles of PS3's about, no Wiis to be found)
Posts: 1038 | Registered: Feb 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
No, stores don't take rain checks on Wii's. I know Target gets their shipments on Sat to sell on Sunday Morning. Normally they get around 50-70 per store. You'd have to get there pretty early to get it though.
I work at sears, every other person I talk to is looking for a Wii. The long and short and is, no Sears is probably the last place to look. We get around 3 or 4 at a time.A rule of thumb, if the wii is advertised in a stores respective Sunday circ that usually means they have/had at least some wii's in stock but you have to get their early.
Posts: 796 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Grimace, I think it depends a bit on what you mean by near future, specifically whether or not you want it before christmas. Many (if not most) stores getting shipments in right now are probably going to hold onto them until black friday. I don't know if there's going to be lines again this year, but it seems likely (just not to the same degree as last year).
If you're going to try to get one, I recommend a specialty store that just says games & software, like GameStop or EB Games. That way you avoid the crowds of people who are there for whatever other holiday sales are going on. If you don't want to get in line early or aren't able to be at the store as shipments are coming in each day (most places don't know which day they'll get more of a given item, but can tell you what time of day the shipments come) then you're probably better off waiting until after christmas.
posted
An unlikely route is through Amazon's Customers Vote promotion. If you vote for the Wii, you have the chance of getting selected to be allowed to buy it for $79, assuming you are one of the first 1,000 people to check and be selected.
Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Most stores in your area should have Wiis in stock fairly routinely. I've been able to find a Wii every time I walk into a Target/Best Buy/etc. for months now.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by twinky: The Halo 3 juggernaut continues to top the charts...[/QB]
Well, actually Guitar Hero III for the PS2 outsold Halo 3 but they report the game alone separately from the bundle. GHIII totalled 502,800 for the PS2 (something like 1.4 million over all formats) and it was only out for 6 days of this period.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
NYT article on the Wii's second Christmas includes an estimate that Nintendo is leaving [Dr. Evil]1.3 billion dollars[/Dr. Evil] worth of holiday sales on the table by not meeting demand. Not really sure if that estimate is sticker price or actual profit, though.
One interesting thing is where the analyst says “They could easily sell double what they’re selling,” but that's followed by the fact that Nintendo's upped production from 1 million a month to 1.8 million, almost doubling it. To me it seems like one of those 20/20 hindsight things, since nobody's saying something precise like "They could sell 2.35 times what they're selling." Earlier in the year everyone says "Come on, you could sell double this!" and they do double production, only to be told "Come on, you could sell double this!"
Something I'm looking forward to when we get the December NPD software sales though, is how 3rd party titles are doing on the Wii. Now that Zelda, Metroid, and Mario are all available are Wii owners getting many games made by anyone other than Nintendo? I don't want 3rd-party support for the Wii to dry up, because that was one of the main things that sucked with the Gamecube.
posted
My brother's Guitar Hero that he got for the Wii is really disturbing to watch, and I'd only heard of one of the songs before. He plays it anyway because he has OCD and he loves to press the buttons. I also know that when you are playing you don't see what's going on in the background. I just found that very odd. (I should add that my brother doesn't listen to hard rock any more than I do).
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, somewhat the band members. The women are scantily clad, but there seems to be just as many complaints about the guys being really creepy looking. Also, the big minotaur with the hammer stage dressing. I think it's actually a devil in some of the "performances" or sometimes an armored knight, which is not as disturbing, but definitely dumb.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
If your concern is about the devil appearing in the game, I can tell you that he most definitely does. The final stage is "Lou's Inferno" in which the band is battling for their souls because their agent was actually the devil. The last duel song is The Devil went to Georgia which you play against Lou; horns, hooves, and all. After you win the band members ride out of hell on motorcycles with huge bat-wings. Lou is also an unlockable playable character after you defeat him.
There's a different level that has an armored night you may be thinking of too, with a robotic dragon or something. But I don't think the game makes any bones over the fact that Lou is Lucifer and the band is playing in hell.
quote:Originally posted by pooka: Well, somewhat the band members. The women are scantily clad, but there seems to be just as many complaints about the guys being really creepy looking. Also, the big minotaur with the hammer stage dressing. I think it's actually a devil in some of the "performances" or sometimes an armored knight, which is not as disturbing, but definitely dumb.
Wait, so the game accurately portrays rock bands?
Posts: 3275 | Registered: May 2007
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by pooka: Well, somewhat the band members. The women are scantily clad, but there seems to be just as many complaints about the guys being really creepy looking. Also, the big minotaur with the hammer stage dressing. I think it's actually a devil in some of the "performances" or sometimes an armored knight, which is not as disturbing, but definitely dumb.
posted
Brawl basically destroyed the world in March. Not as big as Halo 3, but not all that far off.
The Wii and DS completely destroyed everything else. The Wii outsold the PS3 and 360 combined, even though the PS3 and 360 both increased their sales year-over-year. (Added: Note that March is a 5 week month for NPD, if you want to compare numbers to February.)
Mar-07 Mar-08 CHG Total Video Games $1.1B $1.7B 57% Video Games Hardware $377.9M $551.3M 46% Video Games Software $579.1M $945.6M 63% Video Game Accessories $139.5M $220M 58%
HW Sales
Wii 721K Nintendo DS 698K PSP 297K Xbox 360 262K PlayStation 3 257K PlayStation 2 216K
SW Sales
WII SUPER SMASH BROS:BRAWL 2700.0K 360 RAINBOW SIX:VEGAS 2 752.3K 360 ARMY OF TWO 606.1K WII PLAY W/ REMOTE 409.8K PSP GOD OF WAR: COO 340.5K PSP FINAL FANTASY VII:CC 301.6K WII GUITAR HERO III 264.1K 360 MLB 2K8 237.1K 360 COD4 237.0K PS3 ARMY OF TWO 224.9K
posted
Slight digression- it seems like a lot of next-gen games are finally being ported to the PC... But putting dual-core processors in the requirements.
...I mean, I understand these are next-gen games and all. But, c'mon... Dual-core for Guitar Hero? This game came out for the PS2!
Praying that Mass Effect will have more reasonable system requirements.
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
On the other hand, I'm really glad that there are some games that actually have the ability to use more than one processor. Multi-core CPUs have up to now been generally useless for gaming, except by making it slightly less necessary to avoid running competing programs.
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ooh, is Rock Band scheduled to be ported to the PC? If so, I'm going to have to invest in a huge monitor.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: Ooh, is Rock Band scheduled to be ported to the PC? If so, I'm going to have to invest in a huge monitor.
Not to my knowledge. Harmonix games don't have a history of PC ports. Guitar Hero was the first (and only, so far), and the PC port was done by another company.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Grumble]](graemlins/grumble.gif)
