Daily Filter: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition, MLB 12: The Show
Cradle trailer shows off Russian indie adventure game
WoW Monopoly, StarCraft RISK announced at Toy Fair
Jersey Shore's 'The Situation' signs App deal
Blacklight: Retribution open beta begins Feb 27
Super Stardust Delta free with Vita 3G activation
Chronovolt announced for PS Vita
Ms. Splosion Man challenge to give away steaks
The Last of Us avoids regen health
Closure takes $100K Grand Prize at IGC 2012
Late Night Consoling
by Alec Matias, Jul 08, 2005 8:00pm PDTI'm ready to make a public confession: Final Fantasy X is my all-time favorite game. I understand that of all the Final Fantasys, it has the least amount of exploration and the combat can be quite lame at times, but even with those glaring flaws, the story, characters, and presentation made up for it completely. I picked it up on a whim when it became a Greatest Hit, not expecting too much out of it, but it immediately sucked me in and for the next two weeks I spent huge chunks of my day with it. It's hard to elaborate with such little space here, but I emotionally connected with the game and when it was all over, it was pretty depressing that I wouldn't be able to see those guys anymore. Auron, by far, was the star of the story. There were so many pivotal moments throughout the game, moments that have left unforgettable memories with me, but nothing tops the epic moment where, when faced with two paths with radically different directions, Auron offers the battle cry, "Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!"
- Every gamers' favorite politician (no, not Arnold), Tem Leland Yee, is once again at the forefront of a videogame political scandal. Since it was discovered that users can unlock a sex mini-game in the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Yee now wants the ESRB to give the game an Adults-Only rating. "Once again, ESRB has failed our parents," he said. " Plain and simple, parents cannot trust the ESRB to rate games appropriately or the industry to look out for our children's best interests. The ESRB and the video game industry cannot police themselves and this is yet another example of why we need legislation to limit these types of games to children." The ESRB has responded by saying it will conduct a "thorough and objective investigation."
Politician Wants AO Rating for San Andreas
[ps2] [xbox] - Bizarre Creations revealed new details on how tournaments will work in the Xbox 360 game Project Gotham Racing 3. Multiple tourneys will be held each month over Xbox Live that include a qualifying and a knockout phase. The first two weeks of the month are all the qualifying races; then Gotham TV takes over and sorts out everything for the knockout round, telling players when to play. The finals can be viewed through Gotham TV, which is pretty damn cool if you ask me! Live gaming events!
PGR3 Tournament Details
[xbox] - Those sleuths over at GameGossip have discovered what could possibly be a new bundle from Microsoft that packages the Xbox with Halo 2. Over on their official site, the Canadian product catalog shows "Halo 2 Edition" priced at $259.99. The link doesn't go anywhere, but one could assume a new bundle is on the horizon. Now the question is.. is this bundle for Canada only?
Halo 2 Xbox Bundle?
[xbox] - Okay, so Microsoft decided to port Fable over to the PC and gave it the sub-title of The Lost Chapters, adding in new regions, quests, and story elements. Well, today, Microsoft will be porting the port back over to the Xbox this fall. Fable: The Lost Chapters will have everything the PC version has but it'll sell for the low price of $19.99.
Xbox to Get Fable's Lost Chapters
[xbox] - IGN had a recent discussion with a few peeps over at Square Enix and came away with some interesting details regarding the Xbox 360 port of Final Fantasy XI. All graphics work is done with the entire process at about 55% completion. Porting started this past February and they're basing the content off the Windows version. It was actually supposed to release on the original Xbox and be part of the Xbox Live launch, but it just didn't happen. No worries; Square Enix is confident FFXI will be ready for the launch of the Xbox 360.
Square Enix Talks FFXI for 360
[xbox] - A European market research group announced their findings on their study that tried to tap the pulse of gamers to see which new handheld they preferred. The results were a landslide in favor of the Nintendo DS. It beat out Sony's PSP in all the major categories: screen, games, quality, and value. Still, there were plenty of complaints for both handhelds; gamers don't like the huge amount of puzzle games for the DS but they also dislike the long drought of new games for the PSP. Check out the full details inside the link.
Survey Says... DS pwns PSP!
[ds] [psp] - The upcoming Xbox version of Sid Meier's Pirates! will come bundled with new goodies not found in the original release. New to the version are 200 unlockable items that show off behind-the-scenes media and a new party game featuring ship battles. On top of that, downloadable content will be possible through Xbox Live and there'll be an online leaderboard.
Extras Revealed for Xbox Pirates!
[xbox] - I think it goes without saying that the vast majority of cable news channel pundits are the scum of the earth, but here comes Donny Deutsch to outdo them all. His program lured journalist John Davison, former chief of EGM and current editor at 1UP, to talk about a wide range of gaming topics, including clans, tournaments, and also violence. However, Davison quickly discovered that he was lured into a trap to paint him as the evil defender of videogame violence. Read the whole tale from Davison himself here at his blog. Thanks to Kotaku.
Donny Deutsch is a Douche
- Tecmo announced their first PSP game the other day and it's called Tokobot. "Players will take on the role of the young hero "Bolt", a quick thinking agent who has discovered some friendly, highly advanced robots called "Tokobots" during his explorations of ancient ruins. With the help of the loyal Tokobots, Bolt will reveal mysteries and save the world, as the Tokobots faithfully follow him on his journey, helping him on his way." Sounds a bit like Pikmin!
Tecmo Announces Tokobot
[psp] - Sony Computer Entertainment performed a ton of housekeeping maneuvers that shifted around personnel and created new divisions. The two new areas of SCE are Sony Computer Entertainment Asia and Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Studio, with the latter overseeing all first-party games. Phil Harrison, who was the prez over in Europe, now is in charge of all SCE game developments. Also, Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of Gran Turismo, has been given a new executive position.
Sony Computer Entertainment Undergoes Reorg
[ps2] - The "offline MMORPG" series, .hack//, will continue with .hack//fragment. However, with this baby, you can actually play online with it! It'll have a BBS, mail, and guild system and there'll be a matching server to make it easy to find people to play with. It won't require the PS2 HDD nor will there be a monthly fee.
Another .hack// on Its Way
[ps2] - Ubisoft has tipped off gamers to expect some of those promised Chaos Theory maps within the next couple weeks. In that time frame, the versus map Street Squat will be released. Not long after, two more versus maps will become available with the summer wrapping up with one last final map.
New Chaos Theory Maps Coming Soon
[xbox] - The Japanese-style MMORPG that was canceled near its completion, True Fantasy Live Online, may not be as dead as we all thought. 1UP has learned that Microsoft has renewed the trademark on the game. This may not be saying much; I mean, really, it's not that expensive to renew the trademark, but it gives a glimmer of hope to its fans.
True Fantasy Live Online Trademark Renewed
[xbox] - This country definitely has caught poker fever and now fans of ESPN's World Series of Poker can play against the greats right from the comfort of their living room couch. Activision has announced they'll publish a game based on the TV series and it'll feature the likenesses of players that were at the 2005 tournament. Expect this one later in the summer for the consoles indicated above.
Poker on Your Consoles
[ps2] [xbox] [psp] [gamecube] - Take-Two Interactive announced that it has signed the goalie of the Dallas Stars, Marty Turco, to grace the cover of NHL 2K6. Turco has been voted twice to the All-Star game and won a couple championships in college. The game is slated for release this fall. I forget; will there even be a season this year?
NHL 2K6 Cover Athlete Revealed
[ps2] [xbox] - Don't steal the spotlight, Turco! The Phoenix Suns' Amare Stoudamire was also revealed to grace the cover of a sports game: NBA 06 for the PSP. The All-Star power forward was an integral part of his team reaching the NBA Western Conference Finals this past season. The game, however, is still slated to suck.
Stoudamire on NBA 06 PSP Cover
[psp] - It has been an on-going saga that the 82-year old Viacom CEO, Summer Redstone, has been wanting to gobble up Midway. Slowly but surely, he's been buying large chunks of Midway stock. Over the past week alone, he's made nine stock purchases worth nearly $7 million. With the recent agreement of Midway to partner with Viacom-owned MTV, it doesn't appear long before the two are one.
Viacom CEO Stocks Up on Midway
- ABC's megahit series, Lost, will have its own UMD release on the PSP later this year. Launching alongside the Season One DVD set on September 6, the two-part pilot will be available on UMD for an unspecified price. Considering the $38.99 DVD set contains about 26 episodes, I'm hoping the UMD is coming out at a bargain price.
"Lost" Coming to UMD
[psp] - Planning to go to the big San Diego Comic-Con International this weekend? If so, you'll get the opportunity to see Backbone Entertainment's Death, Jr. The game will be playable and the staff working on the comic series will be on-hand. Check the link for event details.
Death, Jr. at Comic-Con
[psp] - A new version of the EyeToy will be hitting store shelves in the near future. Sony Europe has signed Nam Tai Electronics, the original manufacturers, to build a new EyeToy that is smaller in size than the original. It will be made to sit alongside the upcoming satin silver PS2.
EyeToy Mini Coming Soon
[ps2] - Take a deep breath; it's not as bad as it sounds. Nintendo isn't pimpin' Mario in a yet another oddball sports game. Instead, the Big N is sponsoring the Rip Curl's GromSearch 2005, a national surfing contest. Surfers can win Nintendo prizes, such as GBA games. Also at the beaches will be Nintendo kiosks to try out their games. Cowabunga, dude! Radical!
Mario to Ride Some Waves
[nintendo] - TeamXbox looks at the A.I. of Far Cry Instincts. 1UP briefly runs down what to expect at this year's Tokyo Game Show. Want to truly understand the interface of the new Xbox Live? Then click that link!
Misc. Q&As/Features
[ps2] [xbox]
Comments
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Fucking nuts.
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But Final Fantasy X is all about the story. Everything behind a spoiler tag 'cos I'm going to go in DEPTH.
The real story is not about Tidus, even though he's the main character. It's about Auron. And how he manipulates Yuna to fall in love with Tidus to such a degree where she refuses to sacrifice him to Yunalesca. To the degree where she's willing to give up her religion. She's willing to die to protect Spira..but not willing for Tidus to die. Man is that just STRONG.
You also have the duality of the story. You have this whiny Tidus talking in the story, but you also have this uber-serious guy talking in a flash back. The first 3/4ths of the game is a flashback, of course. I loved that.
The linear nature of the story helps the story flow along. I don't think I'd like it for every game, but for FFX, because it felt new and original, it worked. I like that for a large part of the game it was the pilgramage. So it felt natural and completly NON-contrived.
FFX-2...I've only played that for a bit. I find it WAY too depressing. The tone is too much. It's the most devistating game I've ever played...Yuna..this girl who you've learned so much about..to see her in so much pain..it damn well hurts.
Oh..one last thing. The music for FFX is great. The Zanarkand theme and how they incorporate it into quite a few of the other songs. Auron's Theme as well rocks.
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Holy crap that's a huge LNC. Some good info on it though.
I'm just dying for some more Nintendogs info... can't wait for it to hit the shelves here next month.
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Oh and for a console that is supposbly being replaced this christmas, still has heck of a lot of life left in it!
Xbox this summer/fall - Half-life 2, Frycry, Painkiller, Fable: Lost chapters, and I'm sure there are others I've missed!
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Also, Jecht is probably the hardest boss fight I've met with in a game.
Loved FFX.
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it was a BT file i think, can somebody revive it?
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I loved FFX, and found FFX-2 to be different enough to be fun, but connected to FFX in enough ways to bring me right back in. I loved how crazy fast the combat was.
If you haven't, you should give it a shot, I think it's a GH now too, so, you can get it cheap.
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I'm playing it again because I didn't do any of the sidequests the first time around.. I didn't own a ps2 at the time of release so I had to finish it in one (extended) weekend otherwise I'd have had to wait months to play it again.
The combat system was really the best part of ffx for me though, visible turn order makes for nice tactical battles, and character switching with no turn penalty is great because it makes characters other than your "chosen 3" actually have a purpose to existing (something I wish more rpg's would pick up on).
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so nice to see this soooo big! TY ALEC YOU ROCK!
I mean, cmon. Nice reporting. You basically made the article seem legit, when the article itself says things are fishy. I mean, it shows this image with lists of games divided down between PSP and DS, split into "Positive" and "Negative" sections. This text follows the image:
So...the point of that article was to say "Hey, look how screwy this report is!", not "Hey, lol the ds pwned the psp!!!!". I mean, people dislike Ridge Racer because of the graphics? Name one game on either portable that looks as good as Ridge Racer...you really can't. Oh, and Coded Arms made the "Negative" list, but it's only been out for a day. When the heck was this study done? Last night?
Besides the sales of the devices speak volumes. Any marketing professional will tell you two things about the PSP vs. the DS:
1) One is priced at almost double (166%) what the other is. This fact alone almost puts them in separate markets.
2) Given a the price increase of 66% from the DS to the PSP, the fact that the sales numbers are as close as they are indicates the units are well liked (dare I say "equally" liked?) in their respective markets. There are very few cases where you can sell on product at 166% the price of another and compete on an even playing field. Especially considering the price of games on top of that - DS games are 29.99 at the bottom prices, and PSP games are 39.99 at the bottom prices. That is a 33% difference for media.
Anyway, rant mode off. I just dislike this portable-wars BS. It's almost as bad the the emacs vs. vi crap in the OSS community.
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You should be fired.
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Oh yeah this came out like 4 months ago...
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Oh and props to ya Alec!
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...If that foolish overeducated woman could point out ONE game sold on US store shelves that promoted rape as a gameplay element, I'll sell every game I have and give the money to a rape crisis center...
While I certainly can't think of a current game that does this, I actually remember an Atari 2600 game that did.
Anyone else here play the absolutely abysmal Custer's Revenge for the 2600?
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Quite a departure from one of the masters of Japanese horror gaming- it's going to be like pikmin, except the tiny robots have the capability of assembling themselves in useful things, like a bridge to get over a gap or even into one giant robot to fight bosses with. It's actually one of the few really unusual sounding PSP games so far...
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I just found out that my PS2 does in fact play PS1 games again - it didn't for the longest time - so I've already got FFVIII queued up after I get done with this one.
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hope you get paid overtime for that
X_X
I got to the end boss in 23 hours and spent an additional 40 hours just trying to level up and get those super-weapons. By the time I finished, I got zero super-weapons and I was already powerful enough to the last guy in 4 hits.
I was kind of disapointed with the whole game being so short (I beat FF7 and FF9 in 50 hours without doing sidequests/leveling) and most of it spent on mindless mini-games.
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I would love to see it turned into a "real" MMORPG though... Seriously. The portals with keywords system would kick ass. No painful travel time!
I will be looking forward to this!