Thank You ZCalibur

Our chatter ZCalibur was kind enough to send me a Christmas gift. I was notified via emailed that he had sent me a copy of Aquaria on Steam. This indie darling is often considered a high quality underwater Metroid type game. I never played this game, but have been curious ever since clips of it were first making the rounds. I will try to get this up and running on the feed.

Here is the trailer:




Thanks again,

Brad

New Years Greeting

Watch 4PlayerPodcast or Else Matt Get's It.

First Hand The Zunepocalypse

Today was the biggest WTF of my life. I don't know what is up with today but I'll leave it all with 2008. I tried to edit a New Year's video this morning and my program has been having problems syncing up.

Later I turned on my Zune 30, it tried to load up but stopped suddenly. I turned on my other one, same thing. So, uh, did I mention I bought another one? I have three Zune 30's, a black, a brown, and a white. Anyways, I turned the third one on, same thing. Three Zune's all "bricked."

Apparently I'm not the only one. Every Zune 30 which was turned on today is stuck in limbo. I've heard it's an internal clock error and we're waiting to hear from Microsoft. Just thought you'd like to know.

I have a picture to post as proof, but keeping in line with my WTF Day, it won't send to my email from Mike's iPhone. Photo Delivery Failed. Data Server Error.

WTF,
David

*Update* - Here's The Photo

Check out this Wii game.

Yes, this is a game.

And it got a 40/40 in Famitsu.


Brad

A Message From Jack Saladin

I am a man. I have no special powers. My body is just as fragile as anyone else's. My heart can be broken just as easy. As many mistakes as you have made, I have made twice that number. The same goes for friends lost and God Knows what else.

My message for you today is One Step at A Time. When you get knocked down, don't think about the journey you have yet to start. The impossible road ahead that you can't even seen the end to. The overwhelming odds that have you pinned up against the wall struggling for breath. Focus on taking the next step. What can you do to make things just a little bit closer to where you need to be? Even if it's only an insignificant amount of increase, it is still an increase. Be better than you were yesterday. Take the thing that you fear most. Absolutely terrified of. Somehow face it. Win or Lose, it doesn't matter. After that, what else is there?

Sure, it is easy to say these things. Expressing these feelings and Accomplishing them are two completely separate things. That's why, I say Let's see which is stronger.

Then we shall see if I am worthy of the title "Jack Saladin."

A Christmas Tale

So Christmas has come and gone once more and I am gleeful as I spend the days after playing multitudes of games. It is always fun to find out what people received for Christmas so go ahead and tell us what game related gifts you received for Christmas or if you just have a game related Christmas story that might warm my heart or make me laugh out loud, tell us! No... tell the world!

It was kind of a small, uneventful Christmas for my family. I am currently visiting family in California but am using any free time to play my new games. For Christmas, I finally got a new DS Lite along with Final Fantasy IV so I am now about 3 or 4 hours into that. I received a few gift cards as well that I will be using to get my hands on Chrono Trigger as well. So go ahead and tell us what games you finally got your hands on!

Merry Christmas!

-Nick

Japanese Art, Eternal Sonata

I was excited about Eternal Sonata. For the longest time before it's release I watched the trailer. I watched Polka fall off the cliff as Allegretto screamed her name. I got goosebumps. I was so ready for the game to come out. The demo came out and while the backgrounds looked amazing, I wasn't a big fan of the enemy and character designs. As detailed and intricate as their costumes were, they all seemed to resemble each other too much.

What is it about them? Their clothes definitely look unique and different. They've all got different jackets, boots, dresses, and hats. But I think it's the color scheme that makes them less discernible from each other. There's too many browns, yellows, greys, and oranges. When used together those colors tend to blend in too much.

I also think the big similarity between characters is the eyes. I know it's cheesy but I'm a sucker for eyes. I like a girl to have big kinda round glossy eyes. It's attention grabbing and you can read a lot of people's emotions from their eyes. Which you can't really do in this game. Everyone has the same generic eye shape. They're small enough where you can't really tell eye movement. You look at anime's or Windwaker style. They're able to show more subtle expression that way.

I'm not an artist. These are just my feelings from looking at this game while playing it. Does anyone else have any input?

David

And then he rested...

250 levels of some of the most satisfying hell ever.

N+ might be the hardest game I have ever beaten.


Brad

Bring your Guns!

To join requires you going through a very delicate process..... follow carefully.

The IP address we will be found at is at the following: 71.9.75.144:27015;password tacos

If you are aware of the vent location, feel free to join us there. If not, we will be active in chat.

-Travis

P.S. Keep on the look out for a Diablo II play date.

P.S.S Server will be up shortly

Podcast 94 - The Early But Still Late Show

094 - The Early But Still Late Show [download]

Impressions:
Brad - World End With You, Oddworld Munch's Oddysee, Castlevania Chronicles
David - Valkyria Chronicles, Sonic Unleashed
Sandra - Kingdom for Keflings, Age of Booty, Persona 4
Nick - Far Cry 2

News: EA Layoffs, Free Radical, Take 2 on Wii, MGS iPhone, Midway Closed
Post of the Week: Achievements vs Trophies
Community Segment:
4Player Minute:

Thanks,
David

Also avaliable on iTunes.

Guess who Namco still owns the rights to!

...my favorite hot bot, KOS-MOS!!! I was worried that Namco didn't own the character anymore, and I'm glad to see they still do. Not only am I excited about this cameo, but I'm keeping hope alive for custom items for the android, Alisa, in Tekken 6. I'd kill for a full on pallete swap though. Oh my god. I'm freaking out just thinking about it. Do it Namco!

Here she is in Tales of Hearts for the Nintendo DS:



BTW... I really want this game now.


Brad

A Thing of Beauty

So Christmas is over. I hope you guys spent time with family and all got good gifts from your loved ones. I'm a little too old for presents from my parents, but that doesn't mean I didn't get anything nice.

I found a crazy deal so I bought myself another Zune 30. So here's a picture of my two daughters, the joys of my life. I could never have been more proud.


I'll be working on my third this summer,
David

Nick's Final Laundry List Update of 2008!

OK so it is Christmas day officially and I am preparing for my journey to California where I will spend time with family and relax as I escape from the stress of school or work. Of course, this is also a prime opportunity for me to catch up on some gaming and prepare myself for the new year which is going to be absolutely crazy for me. My family already opened gifts and I am now the proud owner of a new Cobalt Blue DS Lite! O How I have missed thee! I can finally start playing DS games again and hopefully get sucked back into the joy that is handheld gaming. Anywho, here is my plan for the end of the year:


The majority of my flying will be spent diving head long into Final Fantasy IV for the DS, a game that I also received for Christmas. I hope that it is able to draw me in better than FFIII did because I just couldn't stick with that game. I hear the story and presentation is handled much better in this game so I don't think I have much to worry about. I also have not spent an extended period playing through a hardcore RPG in a very long time so I hope this one holds my attention. Expect me to get a few hours into this and expect my impressions on next week's show.


My PSP will also be joining me so perhaps I will find time to finish this game off as well. I was really getting into it before I got distracted by something else. I should be very close to the ending so hopefully I can tie up this loose end before the new year hits. I hear the ending is great... I hope I can remember what the hell was going on.


As soon as I return on the 29th, I plan to dive right back into Far Cry 2 and hopefully get that finished with as well. I have made the decision to simply press on through the story missions and to ignore the side missions unless they are easily accessible or relevant to my primary mission. I am 58% complete and have about 14 more missions to complete before I kill the Jackal. May not finish this one before the 1st....


Last but not least, I fully intend to plow through "Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath" as soon as the credits start rolling on FC2. Of course, this is in preparation for our first "Game Club [Working Title]" podcast to be recorded in January. We will be discussing the game in detail on the show and we will be responding to viewer comments and questions about the game live on the show. I encourage everyone who owns an Xbox to pick up the game (it's only about $14) and play through it with us. If you would like to leave us a comment or question to be read on the show, please send me an email with your name and your question to:

Nickhenderson@4playerpodcast.com

or visit the thread at our FORUMS and leave a comment in the thread: Official "Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath" Thread

That pretty much sums up my last few days of 2008. Once I knock this stuff out, I will kick off the new year by playing:
Fallout 3
Persona 4
Kingdom Hearts: Re Chain of Memories
Chrono Trigger DS

That's all for now!

-Nick

Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays to everyone. I'm about to go into work and who knows when's the next time I'll be able to get to a computer. So in case I don't see you. You know the rest.

For everyone who see's this message, thanks for checking the blog. To reward you, I have an idolm@ster video for you. It's fan made so it has subtitles and uses some creative editing.



You guys stay safe,
David

More terrible news from Capcom: "Okami won't make us rich."

From 1up:

1UP: Regarding the former Clover Studio's properties -- Viewtiful Joe, God Hand, Okami -- what will you do with them?

KI: At this time, we have no plans of making sequels to any of those properties. I can't say we won't, for certain, but it's not very likely or appealing. If we had no other properties to depend on for making new games, we might be desperate enough to create sequels to those titles, but that's not the case. We have a lot of titles that we want to make and other sequels that are waiting to be made. So, there's no interest at the moment.

1UP: But Capcom owns the rights to Clover Studios' intellectual properties, right?

KI: Yes. But, we're just not interested in them.

Source

What the fuck Capcom? I was ok with revivals of old franchises like Street Fighter, Bionic Commando, and Mega Man. The new stuff like Dead Rising and Lost Planet was solid. And I still love the mainstays like Devil May Cry and Resident Evil.

But why in the fuck would you write off some of these great IPs? Do they honestly just hold a grudge against Clover Studios?? Capcom can't say that they are not willing to hand these franchises over to another team, because they have done that with DMC, Resident Evil, and countless other franchises they own.

How can you not be interested in Okami??? In my eyes this WAS the Zelda killer. What the fuck!?!?

This shitty decision from Capcom has to be purely fucking financially driven. The first game did sell poorly. The sad part is, I honestly think that a sequel could have sold really well. A lot of times new IP that is critically acclaimed will sell infinitely better the second time around.

If you don't want Okami, Crapcom. Give it the fuck to Platinum Games. Give them Godhand as well.


Brad

How Japanese Am I?

I've never claimed to be Japanese. I'm in love with the culture. I'm in love with the women. I'm in love with the food. I'm in love with the language. I'm in love with the games. I'm in love with the anime. I'm in love with a lot of things Japanese. But I've never claimed to be Japanese. I am Chinese. My mother was born in China and my father in Taiwan. I speak Mandarin Chinese but can't read or write it. I'm not ashamed of my background. I know where I come from, being born a Chinese-American. I think some may get offended when I so strongly and proudly proclaim my love for a country other than the one I was born and live in.

Recently, I've felt some hostility because I've been playing games with Japanese voice options. That coupled with the Idolm@ster videos I play has some people confused. Why does David act this way? Is he doing this just to be different? I get all sorts of arguments about the things I like and the legitimacy behind them. I won't ever sit here and argue. Because of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan my grandmother speaks Japanese and my father grew up enjoying aspects of Japanese life. I don't know what it's like to live in Japan. Grow up and go to school there. To ride the subway every morning to get to where I need to go. To date a Japanese girl and fall in love with her. I have yet to get married and have a family, so even more I can't understand what kind of feeling that is, here or in Japan. All I've known of my life is what I've experienced. So I'm not going to argue that this is my true self.

When encountered with something different and unknown, it is very easy to dismiss or ridicule it. I've been met with lots of skepticism when people find out about my fascination with Japan. Heck, I used to be that way too. I dismissed my friend with they started listening to Korean music. I didn't understand how they could enjoy it when they didn't speak the language. It wasn't until later when I myself started listening to Korean Artists that I realized the mistakes in my ways.

I want to say that there is no wrong way to like something. That it is enough just to enjoy it. But I'm sure there are exceptions to that statement. Through my experiences, I've just decided that I'm not going to be the person who goes around pointing the finger deciding whether something is real or not. I just prefer to let it be and enjoy what I enjoy.

So in the end, nothing has changed. There will be those understand my side and there will be those who don't. There will never be one correct answer or a clear cut "winner." Brad hates onions and Nick doesn't like chocolate. I'll never understand why, but that's just how it is. I think the best way I look at my love of Japanese is that it's something different. It's not something I can find here. You find something interesting and you just want to learn more about it. I think that I'll end this post by saying that there are things that I do not like about Japan. There are things that annoy me, that I don't agree with, and that I make me sick to my stomach. At those times, it makes me proud that I grew up in America and that I don't have to act or see things in that way. I get to choose the best of the two worlds and incorporate them into my life according to which I see as correct. And that's something everyone can do.

Thanks,
David

I am looking for some good games with Japanese Voice options. Please make suggestions.

Cover Art Comparison: Farewell to a Franchise?

Guess which cover is from the US and which one is from Japan. Uh... I guess both are awesome in their own way.


From Kenji Inafune in a recent interview with 1up:

"There are currently no plans on making a new Breath of Fire game. Apart from that, regarding RPG titles, they are very popular in Japan, but only certain RPG titles sell so Capcom doesn't really need to even consider making these titles as an option. There's a low possibility that we'll be making one in the near future."

I think the current console climate means developers are less willing to put out a traditional series like Breath of Fire. If it isn't a Tales of... or Square Enix game, what's the point these days?

Last console generation all of these Japanese developers had the PS2 to rely on to sale copies of more niche titles in both Japan and the rest of the world. What do you put a game like Breath of Fire out on now? The PS3 and Xbox360 both under perform in Japan. The Wii audience seems more interested in first party casual titles. Honestly, the best place for something like this is sadly on a hand-held. Konami certainly realized this with their latest Suikoden game they just released for the DS in Japan.

The sad thing is, their last Breath of Fire game on the PS2 was ballsy and innovative. Oh well.


Brad

Who the hell is that guy in the middle???

Silent heroes are terrible. Stop please.

Seriously. It's never a good idea. Especially in Japanese RPGs when every other character has an interesting personality and talks their ass off. No one will remember the main character in Persona 4 like they remember the supporting roles.

I can let this slide in some Western RPGs. It would be certainly weird if my character from Oblivion was throwing around snarky comments as I was rolling bears down mountains. But honestly, Mass Effect has proven that a main character can have a voice and a personality while still giving the player complete control over the actions that character takes.

But in most Japanese RPGs, the fate of the characters are usually already planned out. Main characters will interact with their supporting characters the same way every time in most Japanese games. Events in the story will pretty much always play out the same way. In most of these JRPGs with silent heroes, the player is often given dialogue choices as the form of communication. The problem is, most of these dialogue options have no real impact on the story or how the character will turn out in the grand scheme of things. So why not just give this character some lines. After all... they are sort of playing the biggest part.


I'm gonna say it...

Gordon Freeman is a shit character.


Brad

The Future of Dead or Alive

It's been a while since we've seen a Dead or Alive game. DOA 4 came out a little bit after the Xbox 360 launch and Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2, which was horrible compared to the first, a year later. Ninja Gaiden 2 has now since come out, and Itagaki has left Tecmo due to payment disputes. Tecmo looks to be a former shell of itself as one would infer from their Holiday offerings and TGS showing. I asked the question before, what's in store for the future of Tecmo?

This time I'd like to focus more on the future of Tecmo's Dead or Alive franchise. Some would like to think that Tecmo and DOA are dead in the water. It may look that way. But I see this as a great opportunity to create something new. With Itagaki gone, this opens up door to changes and possibly fixes.

One problem I've always had with DOA is that each game really never feels like a completely new game. Character animations, game menus, and overall presentation never feel worth the cost of admission. I'd like to see them ditch the Aerosmith, redesign the characters. Put more detail in them. Look how the Tekken series has changed from each game. There's dramatic visual improvement in each iteration. Besides the background details, you cannot say the same for the DOA series. The characters just aren't designed in a way for graphical improvement. They're created in an anime style with limited detail. Here's the chance to improve that. Make a new character selection interface. Redo character animations. Make it feel like a different series.

While we're on the subject of looks, Change the ribbon hair physics! They look like crap. They're unnatural and should be one of the first things changed.

Let's be honest, too. Why do we play Dead or Alive? We play it because of the ladies. You can call a donkey a horse all you want, but everyone just knows you're being a jackass. So give people what they want. Costumes. I'm talking about a massive amount of unlockable costumes for everyone, but especially for the girls. I'm not even asking for a customize feature where you could make your own costumes for your character. That would be awesome though. DOA 2 Ultimate had like 15 for the more popular of the girls. Dead or Alive 4 had like two characters with the most of 6 costumes. I want at least 30. AT LEAST! As for the unlock method. Come up with something creative. Enough with this beat the game, unlock a costume. Beat it again to unlock another one, so that you end up beating the game 30 times to get all 30 costumes. That's just retarded. Come up with something new, make it like Smash Bros where you spend coins on a capsule machine. Shit, even that's better than the old method, and I just thought of that sitting on my ass eating Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. One more thing about the costumes, make them unique and classy. None of that color palate swap shit.

So combat. This one is tricky. People argue all the time. Dead or Alive is a good game. It really has depth. I'm not just mashing. I don't care how DOA was in the past. This is a new DOA. So the reversal system needs to be refined more. Less of this guesswork and random spamming of reversals. Any competitive play I saw tons of just throwing out random reversals hoping to get lucky. Online play, I saw even more of that. If you leave yourself open like that, you should get punished. Maybe even slow down the game a little. Also I think hit detection desperately needs to be cleaned up. When someone blocks, it should look like they blocked. You should feel it too. Juggles shouldn't look like a character being poked in the air by a series of quick slaps. It should follow suit with the moves they are being hit with. I've always hated knock back system in DOA. I feel like it moves your opponent back taking away from the action and wake up games. Mostly I think it has been done to allow people chances to use the environment damage. I've never liked environmental damage, but it is something that makes Dead or Alive unique. So let's keep it. Just be clever about it. Make it not so gimmicky or too cheap.

Online play? Hmm, I don't know about this one. It's not worked with a lot of fighters and DOA being one of the fastest, it's not going to be pretty. I'll get back to you on this one.

Story wise, blah blah blah. It's another tournament. I'd like something realistic with deep story making me care about the characters, but I'm not asking for Tecmo to change the world either. Just make some good ending cutscenes without that cheesy music they used for DOA 4 and I'll be happy.

Team Ninja is still around. Tecmo, I'm pretty sure, still own the rights and likenesses to DOA. I even remember DOA 5 and DOA: Code Cronos were already in the works. Itagaki, the father of DOA is gone. With all respect to him and what he's done, sometimes you need a change in perspective to breathe new life into something. With all these hardcore deep fighters trying to appeal to more mainstream audiences, Dead or alive could go the other way. They've always had the appeal and look. This time they could finally silence all the critics. Dead or Alive saved Tecmo from bankruptcy once. Here's the chance to do it again.

Actually, let's see less of the above. And more of the below.
David

Wait, not this.


Close...

Closer...

Too Close...

There we go. This is what we need.

Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii)

There was a good three or four months when things were a little shaky. I couldn't get excited about any games. Brad was beginning to worry a little about my interest in pursing the site. I honestly just could find any games that looked interesting. Recently I began being a little lenient with my money. Buying games just because I wanted to play and own them, not always thinking about the consequences. This spark helped me to start thinking about games I was excited about. Nobi Nobi Boy. Oboromuramasa. Flower, Sun, And Rain.

And now Fragile: Sayonara Tsuki no Haikyo

I think I saw a few posters at TGS 2008, but of course with everything being in Japanese, you kind of just overlook it. This is not supposed to be a survivial horror game. It is being dubbed a human drama, which both excites and worries me. The game is set in a destroyed world, a young boy Seto is searching for survivors and answers. Of course the animation looks fantastic, which is one of the reasons I'm excited. And being something unique and different for the Wii, it's something for the starving system. It's being developed by tri-Crecendo, who's most recent work was Eternal Sonata for the Xbox 360. Here's the translated trailer, the theme song for the game is "Hikari" by Aoi Teshima.



Please visit the Official Site, listen to the music. [Link]
David

Brad's Little Big Planet Contest (Update)

It's simple really. You have exactly one week to make the best level you possibly can in Little Big Planet. I am the judge. The goal is simply to entertain me. The level I have the most fun with wins. I will play the levels on Saturday, December 26th. Prize is a 20 dollar PSN Store points card (or just the code).

Update: The contest was extended a week to better set up how you guys will submit your levels. If you are interested in entering the contest, send me an email at bradsimons@4playerpodcast.com. Title the email: "Little Big Planet Contest". In the email, simply leave your PSN tag. I will go from there.


Brad

Who is Street Fighter IV?

Seriously, who is Street Fighter for? I love the characters, especially Sakura and Chun-Li. I love everything Capcom does. But I can't see Street Fighter IV doing well here. I'm just a little puzzled at who will get excited about this game.

Personally, as a person who's always trying to be deeply involved in games, I'm dissapointed that I've never been able to really get into fighting games. I've always wanted to. It's not that I'm not a fan of the genre. But I think that it's gotten to a point that it's incredibly difficult to break into those types of games. There are three basic types for fighting game players. Those that don't play. Those who somewhat play. And those who play competitively. Of course there's some spill over into each and some people don't exactly fit into one or the other. But overall that's what the breakdown is.

My question is of course, who is Street Fighter for? Who is going to get excited about this game? I am moderately excited. More so than I was for Soul Calibur IV earlier this year. Seeing the cover with Chun-Li makes me want to buy it. There's no question about it. Out of respect and support, I will pay for this game day one. But will I play it? That is the real question.

Thanks to Brad I got introduced to the world of Tekken. I really enjoyed learning the game and while I never got to the level I wanted, I am confident enough to where I could play the game against most players and enjoy it . Other fighting games are different though. I've tried/wanted to pick up other games. They had things to draw me in. The character design of Arcana Heart. The art of Guilty Gear. The uniqueness of Battle Fantasia. King of Fighters, Melty Blood, Third Strike, Project Justice, Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter. They all had something to get me interested. But to keep me interested, I need something more.

First off, I think a lot has to do with having someone to play with. Playing the CPU is only fun for so long and a lot of the draw of these games is learning from other people. That is the second reason my experience with Tekken lasted as long as it did. These games can be very frustrating when you don't know what you're doing. I'm not content with just hitting buttons hoping things will work out. I want to know what I'm doing. Trying to learn a fighting game by yourself is a huge bummer and online is still not yet up to speed.

I can't find the time or determination to get into these types of games. Will others? I think there are very few fighting games that can survive now. You see fighting games have these tie ins. MK vs DC, perfect example. Soul Calibur with Star Wars. Is that the only way a fighting game can come out be reach an audience? Hardcore players took it to another level. Competetively there's just too much of a gap in skill. It's like how it is in Dragon Ball. The power level is just too great. So you find games aimed for the casual players and you find some for the hardcore. The latter does not sell well because honestly, there's not that many players in that category. Bridging the two to make a game appeal to the both is near impossible. I don't want a game to be too hardcore but I also don't want it to be dumbed down so that it's too easy. It's a very difficult balance to try maintain. Honestly, I think they have the best chance. The name is there, it basically popularized the genre. Other's have tried to bridge the gap before. They're were never really on one side or the other, so they never really garnered the success towards either side. And with Street Fighter IV, I'm worried it will be the same way. Hence the question, Who is Street Fighter IV?


Thanks,
David

Help Wanted: Best Moments of the Year

So we've had a lot of stuff happen over the last 10 months since we started broadcasting. I'm trying to put something together for the end of the year special but I need your help thinking of your favorite moments.

If you're a forum member, you can help us out at the forums in the help wanted section.
[Link]

Thanks,
David

Trophies vs Achievements

Last week I chose to play Mirror's Edge on the Xbox 360 over the PS3. Nick was somewhat shocked because he claimed Trophies and Achievements are essentially the same. They are set to unlock dependent on what you are able to do in the game. You get something that really adds no physical value to your game purchase. Feeling of accomplishment aside, I say Achievements are worth more than just trophies.

The primary reason that Achievements are superior to Trophies is that they have an overall way to compare one player vs another player. It's arbitrary to assign points to each accomplishment, but because Microsoft has chosen to do so, there is now a way to compare not only game to game but also player to player. Everything adds up to a total. So no matter what games a player has tried, they are able to be measured up against another. With the Trophy system there is no easy way to do this. You could compare games individually, trophy by trophy. Certain ones are worth more because of the gold, silver, or bronze rankings. There is no easy way to compare across the board.

Whether it was a good move or a bad move, Achievements have sparked a competitiveness among game players and is the much better "points" system.

David

Top 5 Podcast Recording Tomorrow Night

Top 5 features or mechanics within games that we hope will(or would have) catch on with the rest of the industry. These can also be from older games long gone.

Example of something that did: Shield recharging from Halo. Everyone has that now.

Example of something we might want: Dead Space's HUD integration or Prince of Persia 2008's failure masking.


Leave you ideas for a shorter title name to the show in the comments section.

Thanks,

Brad

Look guys. We laughed Free Radical out of business!

So Haze was easy to make fun of. I mean the game was fucking awful. But prior to me playing the demo, I was willing to give the game the benefit of the doubt. I was on record of saying the game would probably be good.

This was because the game was being developed by the Free Radical. Never heard of them? Last generation that made the Timeplitters series. I consider is one of the most underrated FPS franchises around. I absolutely adore the second game in that series. They also made the surprisingly good Second Sight. Oh yeah, and the generation before that? Well, the studio was created by the guys that left Rare who worked on Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. Which is why Timesplitters feels so much like those games. And most likely why the Perfect Dark sequel was shit.

So they are gone now. Is this okay because Haze was a bad game? Larger companies are allowed to make mistakes. Square has the Saga games and Ubisoft has Prince of Persia 2008. I dunno, it just doesn't seem fair.


Brad

New Star Ocean 4 trailer looks shitty, then awesome, and then shitty again. Fine by me.

So in my eyes, everything I've seen outside of battle in this game looks pretty bad. Character designs get special mention of being amazingly fecal. But keep watching and about half way in you will see 20 or 30 seconds of battle gameplay. And it looks fucking awesome. I love me some completely over-the-fucking-top special attacks.

I just hope this controls a hell of a lot better than Star Ocean 3.

Brad

MGS4 Lives to See Another Day as a PS3 Exclusive

Remember that teaser trailer that went up a few weeks ago. The one that everyone assumed was leading up to the announcement of MGS4 on the Xbox 360. Yeah... it has been confirmed that this is no more than MGS Touch.... an iphone game based off of the story and characters of MGS4. I know this will probably annoy alot of you (including Brad) but color me excited... MGS4 remains an exclusive for now. Since I don't have an iPhone, don't expect any thoughts or impressions from me. However, it is nice to see that the iPhone is creeping closer to becoming a legitimate gaming portable device.

-Nick

How to Evolve a Genre: Far Cry 2

Every year seems to be getting better and better in regards to the number of triple A game titles being released, 2008 is no exception. However, it seems like as the years go by, there are more and more redundant games being released, only to be met by mediocre press coverage and review scores. It seems like we are beginning to see the decline of various gaming genres because developers seem reluctant to take chances or spend the time and effort to polish their games. Japanese RPG's have been on the decline recently because westerners are getting tired of the same old cliche story elements and game mechanics. In the past year, there has only been a handful of exceptions like Persona 4 and.... well that's about it. The genre that has got me thinking this week is first person shooters. The industry is absolutely overrun with FPS's and 60-70% of them are trash. The number of mediocre shooters released in the last year is astounding. Developers continue to send shallow, short, and dull shooters down the pipeline and we stand here helpless as they spoon feed us this crap. I have spend a lot of time this week playing Far Cry 2 for the PS3 and while the game is not perfect, it does some really ambitious things that many developers could benefit from. I will try to save my overall impressions of the game for this week's podcast but there are some key things that I think Far Cry 2 has done that should be acknowledged.

Story presentation is an aspect of FPS's that has been handled rather poorly for the most part. Infinity Ward set the bar for telling a great story in an FPS but the length and the linearity of the game suffered because of it. The challenge is finding a way to tell a compelling story and still provide the players with hours of gaming. Ubisoft Montreal had an idea and ran with it and the game is better because of it. Rather than being totally convoluted with cut-scenes and linear event sequences, they chose to present players with a single, underlying mission statement that acts a constant motivation for every action taken throughout the game. This mission of course is to kill the "Jackal", a rogue arms dealer who is fueling a brutal civil war. While their various missions taken throughout the game, players are constantly reminded of their primary mission. This simplicity fits the games design and scope perfectly and proves that stories don't need to be complex or deep to be good.
I am fairly certain that many gamers would agree with me when I say that the FPS genre has become rather uninspired. Each game seems to be a rehash of the same point and shoot game play mechanic with little or no depth beyond that. Developers need to expand beyond basic shooting and give players more mechanics that support the basic game play. Far Cry 2 does this by providing a rewarding method of collecting money and purchasing new weapons and forces players to make key decisions on which aspects of each gun they desire to enhance. In addition to a vast arsenal of weapons to collect and upgrade, players must also maintain their Malaria fever by taking pills and physically address their worst wounds in the heat of battle by removing bullets or relocating a dislocated finger or arm. The team also implemented an intriguing buddy system that can get you out of tough situations but relies solely on decisions you make throughout the game. Basically, shooters should not rely on just one mechanic to sell copies when there is obvious room for improvement through innovation.

Last but not least, I'm sick and tired of shooters taking place in uninspired locales such as office buildings or alien battlefields. A great setting can make the difference between a good shooter and a forgettable 4 or 5 hour investment. thing that made Call of Duty 4 so good was its incredible set pieces. Despite the fact that I have never played Crysis, the main reason I want to play that game is to experience the lush and lively environment. On the other end of the spectrum is Call of Duty: World at War, a game that I know is fun but has not given me enough incentive to pick it up because of its rehashed setting. When Ubisoft Montreal chose to set the new Far Cry in an open world African environment, they were not only advancing the FPS genre but also revitalizing a dying franchise. I applaud that team for making some incredibly risky but rewarding decisions in the past few years.

While Far Cry 2 doesn't necessarily execute all of these ideas perfectly, it is definitely not a "one trick pony" like so many other shooters that have come before it. FPS is a genre that can be deeper than what it has become if the developer is willing to apply themselves. I hope this becomes a trend in the coming years and I hope that the team at Ubisoft is acknowledged for taking steps to further the genre.

(Expect details regarding all of these mechanics and my full impressions of Far Cry 2 on this week's podcast)

-Nick

Wha tha hell?.... Here is the new game from the creator of Katamari Damacy.

All I know about the controls is that each stick controls an end to his body. Also there is a button to make him eat shit. There is supposed to be way more to the controls too. I dunno, Katamari seemed pretty simple. This looks insane.

Good news is I hear it's a 4.99 PSN release. I think they are starting off the franchise with a budget price again. Hopefully so people get on board with the project early on.

There are some more clips over at GameVideos.com.

Brad

This Sucks Ball Sacks

Oh my god, when will it end. Each day I check some video game blog, I see some announcement of new Little Big Planet Costumes. The DLC for this game is becoming one of the most frustrating things for me this year. The costumes look nice, but the designs for the sack boys are so cookie cutter it feels just like a cheap coat of paint slapped on.

When the game came out, Nariko and Kratos were a nice touch. I went out and hunted down pre-order codes for both of them. I used to be somewhat of a collector so sometimes when I see something interesting or neat, I feel the need to get them. Since the release, they've released so many different costume packs, I can't even begin to keep track of them. Not to mention that the costumes themselves run about a buck or two each.

For a game that prides itself so much on customization and freedom for the player, I see the costume packs as a huge set of shackles. I think it would have been awesome to create a costume maker program. Charge money for that. And then allow people to create their own costumes according to how they wanted their level to be themed. This would be better suited for their needs and keep from players having to wait for a costume that hasn't released yet. Better yet, players could share these costumes. Someone could allow a player of their creation to have the costume ready so when they run through their level they could tailor the experience a bit better. Let's say I wanted to make a windwaker level. I could make the crawfish shirt and let the player download it to run through the level. I realize this of course would bring up all sorts of copyright questions, but I don't think that's the reason why it's not an available feature.

Thanks for listening,
David

My PSN is down right now. Can someone help me find a list of LPB DLC packs there are and what else is planned?

As promised, with a touch of WBW

Here is the promised story of my First Grade.... issue without a tissue.

The Divine Comedy
As a child I was quiet and well behaved. I would never cry, never speak unless spoken to, and never do anything silly for attention. I was content being by myself and being normal. I did not want to stick out ever and for any reason. So this day, out of all days, my commitment to being such a kid was pushed to the limits.
First grade, Mrs. Brown, lecture of sorts, twenty minutes before recess, I had to use the restroom… bad. The rules are simple if you need to go to the restroom, put two fingers up when you raise your hand. The teacher, knowing that you are a child and can’t really control your bodily functions, should let you go without much question. They are able to keep a pretty good eye on you for the restroom is in the room even! Unfortunately for me, this day in particular Mrs. Brown thought I was older than I really was. What she didn’t really understand about me was I would not put my fingers up unless I honest to god had to go to the restroom. Its embarrassing enough showing the whole world you are about to go do something in the restroom. Well I braved it.
So I put my fingers up, expecting the answer that any sensible teacher of children under ten would give.
“No Travis, you can wait twenty minutes.” She said to me, thinking she was taking a stand against your stereotypical child trying to get out of class. Well my thoughts went a little something like this, “But….. ok.”
Like I said, I didn’t want to stand out in any shape or form when I was a kid. To do so would assure me the pleasure of being called some silly name which might stick for a whole recess! The consequences would undoubtedly be horrible.
So I wait ten minutes, and now I know that I not just have to go, but need to go. Now. There wasn’t any other option in my mind. If I didn’t go in the next thirty seconds something seriously bad would happen. So I raised my hand.
“Travis I said no.”
Big mistake. I knew what was going to happen and it was happening now.
I, for the lack of a better word to describe such a situation, Shit My Britches. I did so quietly and without a change of facial expression. I knew how to do my business, for when you are a kid who is forced to use stalls when you have to go number two, you will never ever let that evil come out of you if you know someone else will hear it. Once again, the consequences would undoubtedly be horrible.
Oh! If could of only waited ten more minutes. The bell rang and I went to the restroom to inspect the damage. Pants down, pants up. I was not going to even bother. I left that restroom scared, literally, shitless. I knew what I smelled like, what I looked like, and how foolish the back of my pants probably seemed. I sat back down in my seat and was going to wait out recess.
“Travis go outside.”
“Yes mam”
If only I could have, just this once, said no. Well I was a kid, I didn’t understand. Yes the room was empty and I could trust my teacher to take care of the situation appropriately. How was I supposed to know that? Why would I even show her!? Never in a million years. I went to recess.
Recess was dull. I sat the whole time, never letting anyone see my back side or come in smelling distance. I would have never been able to live that down. People don’t forget. Recess ends and finally the dripping stops (by the way, that’s even nasty to write. Sorry.). I could now sit down somewhat comfortably. I went on the rest of the day like this, occasionally getting nasty looks, but without anything seriously life changing happening to me and my buttocks.
It’s the end of the day! Finally, the never ending itch that is my cheek will end soon enough. I can go home and take care of business. Only have music class left and we will probably play those stupid recorders that no one ever actually plays outside of third grade. Of course the day wouldn’t end like this though. What good would this story be if I didn’t have one more problem?
Before I describe the class straight from Satan himself, I want to make a quick note. While we were walking through the halls in our single file line, in which of course I was way, way, way in the back, we walked past a cute brunette. I do not remember who she was or ever seeing her again. I do remember though what she did to me. She bent down to tie her shoe, and as we walked past I looked back. She was cute and I have always been into girls, even at the tender age of 7. As I looked back our eyes met! It was a magic in which I could never have created otherwise. As soon as I smiled in gratitude for her gracing me with her smile… she, almost casually, raised her right hand and flipped me the bird. I was stricken with fear as I walked into my music room, still staring at her sweet, little surprise. I knew this class was going to be bad.
Today the gym teacher was in the music room. I could almost feel my cheeks begin to rub together in agony. We got into lines, and as I walked towards the very back of the room I hoped we were just going to do some simple stretches.
Nope, today we do jazzercise. I specifically remember using this very same phrase in my thoughts, “What the hell God!?” So we jam out to some music, doing steps and what not. I am fine because we really don’t have to move too much. We are just kids and they can’t expect me to really want to break a sweat. Everything was going smoothly until the music teacher took all the steps away.
Time for jumping jacks. You have to be kidding me. I was scared for my life, literally. There was no way I could get away with this. Someone will have to notice the way my ass moves slightly different than every other tiny little seven year olds. We began, and I could feel the giant being in my pants being suspended in midair as I jumped up and down. My heart was racing. I could have sworn you could hear the whoosh of my tiny, brown issue breaking air as it moved. I was going to get caught.
“Ok now everyone turn around!”
Excuse me? I am sorry; I don’t think I heard what you said… exactly. Do what? She said turn around. Well now this is where I take a stand. I will never turn around for twenty of my peers to look at me and the stain that is my broken heart. Too bad, so sad. Everyone turns around to look at me, but they only see my face for I will never show my dark side. The teacher begins to tell me to turn, the students tell me to turn, my good nature tells me to turn. But the saint that is my conscious told me to screw that and keep my dignity. I listened to him.
Thank God the bell rang. Everyone walks out to go back to home room to get their bags. Single filed line. I am last of course, and also the only one sweating. I get behind a boy named Luke Noxon. We walk about twenty feet while I am thinking, “I made it? No one knows? I’m free!”
And then, without any reason behind it or anything, Luke turns around.
“Dude… Did you shit your pants?”


(If that story is at all odd in terms of Paragraph structure, its the fault of blogspot.)

Also, WayBack wednesday tomorrow. Not sure when, so stay tuned all day till I get there.

We will be playing Shenmue most importantly, with a side dish of Strangers Wrath.

Hope to see you there!

-Travis

Podcast 093 - The Ghosthunters Show

The newest show is available for download here or off of iTunes.

Podcast 093 - The Ghosthunters Show [download]

Impressions: Sonic Unleashed (Travis), Prince of Persia (Brad), Mirror's Edge (Nick), Silent Hill 5 (Brad), Persona 4 (Brad)
News: Final Fantasy XIII, Dragon Quest X, EGM/ZIff Davis, NPDs
Post of the Week: Spyro
Community Segment
Viewer Questions
4Player Minute

Thanks,
David

It Ain't Over, Until You Call It Quits

As Commander Peter Quincy Taggart would say,
"Never Give Up! Never Surrender!"

I didn't want to have to come out and post this publicly. I thought about just leaving it as a comment on Brad's previous post, but I wanted to make sure He and all of you would be Quitters saw this.

First off, it is never over until you decide it is. I don't care how bad it looks, what the odds are, what you're going up against, or more importantly how many times you failed. The moment you give up and sell your video game systems, then will this kind of talk be acceptable.

First off, instead of talking about how poorly the game sold, let's examine the poor decision it was for Sega to release this on the PS3. The system is struggling. While the Xbox 360 may not have been the best choice for Japan, all I heard from responses was, "I wish I had a PS3." I'd like to not point fingers, but I think Sega could have planned the game better including advertising and marketing. We are no longer the majority. The kids grew up. The friends I played games with while growing up, don't have the same passions anymore. They have girlfriends, wives, jobs, and quote unquote lives. Young people don't find the same things as interesting as we do. I don't even think they have the same imaginations as we do. I think they've lost that talent.

For those of you who don't have a PS3, I don't want to say you're at fault. Sony released a console that was and still is way too expensive. I'm not sure if I agree with the economy is bad arguement, but it's plausible. But specifically for Brad I ask the question, Would you have paid the price of a PS3 just to play this game? You've been fortunate enough to not have to buy a PS3. Plus, there was a time where you chose to buy a 360 over a PS3, for the games. A valid decision. Straight up, this isn't Metal Gear Solid nor is it Grand Theft Auto. Is Valkyria Chronicles a game that someone would/should pay 460 dollars to play?

If anything this Sony's failure for not getting enough consoles out there into people's hands is more of a deciding factor. To make a console successful, you have to get people to buy it. People have to be interested. It sucks but that's how life is. We can take this experience from the Microsoft/Sony consoles. Sometimes you can make all the right/wrong choices, but still end up on the losing/winning side. It's unfair, no one will argue that. So I ask for everyone to stop the bitching.

As much as we like for something to be popular and be accepted, sometimes it's the rare niche items we treasure the most. They mean the most to us because we're in the select group. While everyone else walks by oblivious, we see something for it's true worth. While that may not be the answer you're looking for, it is something. Don't dismiss it. Pass the word along. Share it with as many people as you can. One by one is how we can make a change.

I can't tell you how we're going to get through this. I can't begin to draw you a diagram or plan the skematics. But I can try to give you hope. I've got an abundance of that. Sometime's I feel that it may even be my curse. Sega has been around a while. They've failed before. They've declined from being a console maker to now just a developer/publisher. But somehow they got back up. I was always worried that they'd just resort to pumping out sonic titles. And yes, they've done that. But with moves they've made this past year, I've never been more excited about what they are doing as I am right now. They've taken the role of the underdog trying to make a difference. There will always be someone rising up to face an seemingly insurmountable challenge.

Wander vs Colossi.
The Fellowship vs The Ring.
Rebel Alliance vs Empire.

That's just how we're built, to fight for what we believe in.
So pick a side.

In case that all wasn't enough....

First Shenmue. Then Yakuza. Now I'm going to kill you all. Seriously. I'm right behind you... with a knife.

Valkyria Chronicles did not even make the top 100 games sold in this country during the month of November. The game was released on November 4th.

Source

Assuming everyone bought the game at 60 dollars (which they didn't because it was floating around for much cheaper), then the game brought in less than 2 million dollars.

Meaning...

Nintendo sold more UNITS of Wii hardware than Sega made dollar bills off Valkyria Chronicles.

Are we supposed to be proud of ourselves? Proud of the industry?

Let's all do something productive now like laugh at Sony. Or laugh at Sega. Or laugh at the Japanese developers who just wanted to make something great. Let's laugh at the fact that we will never see a sequel to this game or probably even Skies of Arcadia.

You see, Valkyria Chronicles bombed in Japan as well. My guess is the game seemed like a shooter to them and they ignored it. Sega made an amazing game and tried to appeal to both sides of the world. It seems no one wanted it. My fears have been realized, and I don't think there is a home for this kind of game any more.

Is this the video game industry everyone wants?

Not me. This is making me sick.


You win. Go buy your shooter. Go buy your guitar game. Go buy your mini game collection.


Brad

Play with me!

I am planning on playing this for awhile tonight. So if anyone wants to join, we will be in the USA west server in the 4pp Channel.

Play with us!

-Travis

Uncharted 2 Has a Perty Mouth

Gotta give Naughty Dog some points for making a beautiful game.... I give you Uncharted 2: Among Theives.




-Nick

Where do we go?

So what's next for Rock Band? There's no doubt in my mind that it's the better of the two guitar simulation games. Character animations are smooth. The download content is always updated. I've recently tried out the new drums, the bass pedal is much better than the original. The accessory support from Mad Catz has been phenomenal. Rock Band has now reached a point where I could see them being happy and just relaxing. They could coast and release a new collection of songs each year. But as with anything in life, you should never just stand still. You should always be moving forward, always changing, always improving.

So here you go Harmonix/MTV, I will now tell you what improvements to make for the next game. You don't even have to pay me for it. I just want a better game next time because while Rock Band 2 was more streamlined and the instruments were improved, by far was the first game a better overall experience.

So first off, from my experience with playing music games, the golden rule: The Music Makes the Game. I'd like to see the song selection grow but not just with songs that are easily obtained. I think a big problem with music games is the licensing involved. What song you're able to secure due to cost and availability is the biggest hurdle any music game has to overcome. My biggest disappointment with RB2 has to be the song selection. While it's amazing that they are getting full albums for download. Honestly most of us aren't crazy enough to buy a video game pack of songs that cost more than the album itself. On top of that, it's very hard to pick albums in which all the songs are fun to play. You'll run into a random slow song or too easy song, and the experience will suffer. Too many songs have I seen a person sitting around not doing anything or song something waaay to easy. It's a very difficult balance. Try to keep everyone in the band happy and involved, I guess that's the reason so many real bands have problems trying to stick together. I'm never apposed to a particular type of music, but some songs just don't fit. Beastie Boys, as much as I loved them, So What'cha Want is a horrible song to play in a band, especially on Bass. The easy track should be the same as the expert one. I dare you to play that all the way through on Bass Expert and then play it on Easy. It is up to Harmonix to find the best songs from a band that best suits the experience.

Also it's impossible that a person would know all the songs from the game. That should be expected. So song should also be selected where a vocalist is able to learn the song as you go. Picking an incredibly hard song to play on guitar vs picking an incredibly hard song to sing/rap are two completely different things. I think that should be taken into consideration a little better in the next game.

The best thing to happen to Rock Band is the A La Carte song selection for download. I'm able to pick the music and more importantly, difficulty I want to play. While I do believe that playing songs that you normally wouldn't play helps you get better at reading the music and learning rhythm, Rock Band is a game and having fun means you get to play songs that you can really get into and full get involved in the experience. The problem here is what's been offered vs the possibility of what could be offered. There's this huge chasm of desire that hasn't and probably won't ever be filled. It'll be impossible to keep everyone happy. They've done a good job with the support behind the DLC that keeps coming out. It's been constant since RB's release, but a lot of times I feel that it's not about picking content that is necessarily best for the game but the most cost efficient. I'm not sure if that's a problem on the side of the music industry or the video game industry, but it's a problem they need to quickly get over themselves about. They've got people, no wait. They have FANS who love the music and will pay money to play these songs, and they want to nickel and dime them for as much as possible. That ain't right.

They're trying to make a game for everyone. By the song list you can tell, there's something for everyone, which is good for a lot but great for few. I'd like to see for Rock Band 3, it be on a disc, but you select which songs from the library that you would want for your game. I'd pick mostly 90's stuff and then some of the better stuff I've heard in the last few years. In thinking about this post I got to talking with Mike about Guitar Hero. The original game and how it was formed and who it was aimed at. You look at it. It almost feels like music sold out again. It's sponsored now and got huge corporate bucks behind it. It's licensed with authenic brands and instruments. There's all sorts of new fangled unnecessary accessories like stage kits and cymbal packs. I remember the time when it was just about playing the music. It didn't matter that the songs were original recordings. They were just fun to play and aimed just for us. The first Guitar Hero was made for video game players with a specific music taste. It was because of that exclusiveness that it caught on and is still considered by me to be one of the best music games.

For the next game, let's make improvements. Polish up the graphics. Fix up the instruments where they need them. Streamline the experience. Just let people play what they want to play. Give them what they want. People never feel bad for spending money if they feel they got their money's worth. Find a way to do it for the fans.

Also, what's up with the stereotypes in the game?

Oh and Rock Band with just Japanese Music....

David

What would you like to see? Improvements or Songs Added?