E3

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kndy
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E3

Post by kndy »

I'll be going to E3 this coming week. Not sure if Nintendo will change the name of the Wii-U but I don't know...there is this feeling that I have low expectations this time around. Mainly because a lot of the press releases I've received are more about cloud gaming, I get a feeling that we are starting to see a shift to more casual gaming...gaming on cell phones and tablets and while the consoles will continue to play an importance, there is more of a divergence to mobile gaming primarily on cell phone or tablets.

Curious...are many of you still playing console games, mobile via DS/3DS or PSP/Vita or do you play more gaming on your cell, iPad (or table)?
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greg
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Re: E3

Post by greg »

I attended the Tokyo Game Show in October of 2001. That was still a cool time for video games: the Dreamcast, although officially retired, was still alive and kicking to an extent; the Gameboy Advance was keeping 2D gaming strong and the Gradius Galaxies game was a great hit; Final Fantasy I and II was being introduced to the world of handheld gaming on the Wonderswan; and the Xbox was the first thing you'd see upon entering the showroom.

Nowadays, I am just as grumpy of an old geezer when it comes to modern video games as I am about modern anime. When Marvel vs Capcom 2 was released on the Dreamcast, the most annoying thing was that you'd have to take your VMU to the game center to save up points to unlock characters. This feature was fortunately disabled for the domestic North American release (although Capcom still calls Vega "M. Bison" to this day), and this is still worked around by downloading a game save that has everything unlocked.

Nowadays, look at Marvel vs Capcom 3. It's released, but your favorite character isn't included. So in order to get him/her, you have to pay for the download. Then later, an updated version of the game comes out, with more characters for a better price, and you feel cheated. Having to pay for DLC ensures that you don't just buy the game; you are still paying for that same game over and over again. Then look at the Cave shmups for the 360. If you want the game with the voice acting, you must first have preordered the game when it was released x number of years ago, because preorders came with an exclusive DLC card that enabled you to download the voice acting and such. This ensures that anybody buying the game used, unless they have the unused DLC card with it, will not be getting the whole enchilada. It used to be that preorders for a game would come with a snazzy mousepad, a neat-o keychain, or perhaps a CD soundtrack. Basically, peripheral goodies you can do without. Now, preorders come with DLC cards to make sure that those who do not get the game upon first release will always be lacking the full experience.

When I pay for a game, I expect it to be complete. If they offer any DLC, it should be free of charge because I have already paid for the damn game. Skies of Arcadia on the Dreamcast had some free DLC, and you could download some bonus dungeons and weapons onto your VMU. I don't mind having a game enhanced after it is released. Especially if it fixes any bugs. But making me pay for something I've already bought is stupid and unfair. At least Wii games don't seem to be guilty of this, AFAIK.

Moreover, the focus on games is slowly moving away from playing games to waving your hands at your TV. (It reminds me of how my Dad would shake his fists at Dan Rather on the nightly news at the dinnertable.) If video games can now be played by my parents (Mom, R.I.P.), then that just isn't cool. I enjoy Dance Dance Revolution, Taiko no Tatsujin, and Samba de Amigo, but the gameplay for those games madates the involvement of your limbs and it makes sense. The good thing is that these games are making kids more active, but still, I liked video games the way they were.

Additionally, the hardware does not seem very sturdy. The Wii is made of Nintendium, the indestructable element and therefore I've not heard any complaints from people about their Wii breaking. However, I have heard from plenty of people online about their 360's "Red Ring of Death" ("I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.") or their PS3 similarly breaking suddenly. This lack of reliability in the hardware due to overheating or the DVD drive breaking is rather disconcerting.

Lastly, I prefer classic gaming. I love 2D, sprite-based games. For the past 10 years, those were only mainly found on the GBA, DS, and PSP. That's not to say that any 2D games aren't being released on consoles, but many more games on the handhelds really harken back to the glorious 16-bit days, of which I am the fondest.

For the past year or so, I have mainly played games on my DS or PSP. My bossy wife (who dislikes video games to begin with), always gets on my case whenever I'd play video games on my TV consoles in front of our toddler, but since the little girl usually goes to bed later at night, I'm usually ready for bed myself by then and not too interested in playing console games in the living room. I can therefore be sneakier about games on my handhelds, where such a small screen is not the center of attention. (Also, if I can further gripe about my wife, she is still convinced that sitting "too close" in front of a TV is bad for your eyes. I've explained to her over and over again that TVs have evolved greatly since the '70s, but she just doesn't get along well with technology.)

For the time being, I can only play games on my handhelds because I have not yet been able to budget for a new TV set. When I do, I'd like to start playing games, especially on my four favorite consoles: the SNES/Super Famicom, PC Engine, Saturn, and Dreamcast.

So I can't speak for everyone, but that is why I prefer handhelds to any of the current game consoles. Obnoxious charges for DLC, games incomplete as-is, a focus on 3D games as well as lame motion sensor inputs, and unreliable hardware has kept me out of this current generation of home consoles.
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kndy
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Re: E3

Post by kndy »

I'm actually in the same boat. It's easier for me to play PSP or DS games than console games. My wife also has a problem with video games...mainly because she wants more family time...although sometimes her version of family time is...father and son time, and her doing whatever she wants..lol..
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Re: E3

Post by greg »

Ha! That sounds like my wife, too. I really don't get my wife's aversion to video games. She swore she would play games with me if I were to buy her a Spongebob PS2 controller. I told her that it was crappy quality, but she wanted it badly. So I bought it for her. I got her to play Pac Man, and after two tries, she calls it quits, saying that it's too hard. Yeah, that's great. Just give up on something because it's difficult. Yet she was in the tennis club in junior high. Why didn't she give up on that? So even though her younger sister has a passing interest in Super Mario Bros and such, my wife doesn't like video games and gets upset if I play them "too much." However, she usually softens up when I play Japanese games and tell her that I am using them to study Japanese. Then they aren't so bad.

My daughter shows a keen interest in video games, being a child, naturally. Video games aren't all bad, especially when they teach children hand-eye coordination, along with puzzle and problem solving.
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Re: E3

Post by Armblessed »

Not quite answering what the question asked, but... video games! I game almost exclusively on the PC. I do not even own a cell phone or tablet capable of running a game, nor do I have much interest in owning such.

I haven't owned a console since the Super Nintendo. Once I got my PC, I never really saw the point of buying a gaming system when I can game on the same machine that I can use to do a bunch of other things. I do still play consoles every so often while mooching off friends, but I don't have much interest in most console games these days, because it seems like they are basically the same game I've played a bunch already and there's not much originality.

I have a DS that I really like (thanks Nortavlag!), but I don't play it that often. The reason being when I was younger, I'd buy games for my Game Gear (Ha ha!) with the intent of playing them on long trips, but I'd sit around the house and play them so much that by the time it was actually time for a long trip, I was completely bored with it. So now I force myself not to play unless I'm on a trip or something, but when I do play it, I like it. I feel like there are more original games on portable systems than there are on the consoles.
Nowadays, look at Marvel vs Capcom 3. It's released, but your favorite character isn't included. So in order to get him/her, you have to pay for the download. Then later, an updated version of the game comes out, with more characters for a better price, and you feel cheated. Having to pay for DLC ensures that you don't just buy the game; you are still paying for that same game over and over again.
You're right about this. Its definitely annoying and I've never paid for any DLC just because the idea of it is kind of offensive. That being said, it seems that a lot of new and upcoming games are going towards a free-to-play system, where you can then buy optional DLC for money, which I can appreciate.
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Re: E3

Post by greg »

Armblessed wrote:Once I got my PC, I never really saw the point of buying a gaming system when I can game on the same machine that I can use to do a bunch of other things.
Interesting. I dislike PC gaming for the same reason why you prefer it. I may work on a computer at work all day, surf the Net on my home computer and do other stuff on it too. But when I want to play games, it is nice to get away from the computer and at least relax on the sofa or something. Moreover, I find that PC gaming and console gaming to be rather different forms of gaming altogether. A strategy game on the PC would be something like Starcraft, while a console strategy game would be more like Disgaea. On top of that, being an anime nerd, I am drawn more to Japanese-y game styles than Western style games. Additionally, I am more interested in retro gaming than anything modern. PC gaming tends to push gamers to buying newer equipment, whereas an older retro console will take up much less space than storing an old 286 computer just to play Starflight again. I guess I can try downloading some emulator that would play DOS games, but again, there's the factor of not wanting to sit on an uncomfortable office chair in the den rather than relaxing on the sofa in front of the TV.
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Re: E3

Post by Armblessed »

I guess I can try downloading some emulator that would play DOS games, but again, there's the factor of not wanting to sit on an uncomfortable office chair in the den rather than relaxing on the sofa in front of the TV.
You probably know this, but depending on your PC, TV, and if you have the right cable to connect the two, it's possible to output from the PC to the TV. I bought a few console-style controllers for the PC and then I use emulators to play arcade, SNES, and Genesis games on the TV. Old multi-player arcade games are great for getting a few friends together and blasting/punching things.
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Re: E3

Post by Heero »

Armblessed wrote:You probably know this, but depending on your PC, TV, and if you have the right cable to connect the two, it's possible to output from the PC to the TV.
Just to support your point, I think most HDTVs nowadays have an RGB port or are otherwise configured to be a big computer monitor. I know mine does. One day I need to get a projector with HDMI and I'll be all set with my tablet. :) (tablets are REALLY convenient if you travel a lot or are often mobile, mine is WiFi only, but still has numerous features that are very useful in transit. I bought one of the Comiket catalog on Android apps and used it at Comiket last summer (phone would definitely hit this, but even a tablet is lighter than the actual catalog :lol: )
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greg
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Re: E3

Post by greg »

Yeah, I know of that sort of thing, but up until I moved to Japan, I owned a regular CRT television. I've never made the move to HD TV, but I guess now that I am now in the market for a new TV, I may as well buy one.

I had a Toshiba TV I'd bought when I lived in Himeji in 2000, and that thing had RIDICULOUSLY HIGH S-Video filtering. I loved that TV so much that I took it with me when I moved back to America in 2002. When people saw it, they asked me if it was hi-def! The picture was beautiful, way better than the Made-In-Mexico Toshiba TVs that were available in America at the time. So, I never really felt the need to upgrade to a HD TV, especially since I am primarily a retro gamer, and oldschool game systems tend to look crappy on HD TVs.
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