New video game releases of 2/13-2/19
Indie Jeff's Weekly Pick: Gunpoint
Daily Filter: Mass Effect 3, Alan Wake's American Nightmare
Blizzard files opposition to Valve's Dota trademark
Twisted Metal promotion blows up Sweet Tooth's truck
Demon's Souls 'underestimated' by Sony
Shack PSA: Skyrim PS3 players should create new manual save
Star Trek to be co-published by Namco Bandai in 2013
MobyGames Classic: Syndicate community stories
Steam hack exposed 2004-2008 transactions
Weekend Confirmed Episode 24
by Garnett Lee, Sep 03, 2010 9:00am PDTMan Down! Brian misses his first episode with a summer cold leaving Jeff and Garnett to do their morning show duo impersonation for this week's show. They don't miss a beat getting right into Whatcha Been Playin? with Shogun 2, Mafia 2, Sonic Riders for kinect, and F1 2010. Last week's topic of shooting as the dominant mechanic in modern videogames struck a chord with the community and gets the Warning off to a flying start. Whether "gamey" elements break serious games and how we feel about game developers becoming movie makers takes the discussion to this week's music break featuring "Over" produced by So Flawless. And yes, Microsoft's decision to raise the price on its Live service gets into the Front Page along with loads of other news like a price drop on Nintendo's handhelds and the end of the ATI era.
Weekend Confirmed Ep. 24 - 09/03/2010
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Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. [Sorry, our usual production schedule was thrown off this week and we don't have the timing marks for this show.]
Music Break this week features "Over" produced by So Flawless. The track Features Rapper: AZAEL and Singer: Erika Anderson. So Flawless has been in the game around 6 years. Been on DJ Green Lantern's mixtape back in 2006 with a song called "All I Think About" which featured the artist Noah Jones. An Australian, So Flawless also spends a lot of time in LA to write and produce up and coming artists such as Alex Boyd. So Flawless is currently seeking new artists and management, if that's you, get in touch! Check out more on So Flawless's Reverbnation page.
Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes and check out more at his Facebook page.
Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. New episodes come out weekly on Tuesday.
Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.
Weekend Confirmed will be taping live at PAX! Hope you can join us Saturday, Sep 4 at 2pm in the Serpent Theatre.
Comments
It's unfortunate that the WC crew can't be more upfront about leaning toward the 360---millions do---for one very simple reason: XBox 360. It's a game-changer that Sony has never understood and is still stumbling to come to grips with through their Plus option.
As a 39-year old gamer who owns all three systems, I consider myself above the fray when it comes to console fan wars and my use of them comes down to quite practical reasons.
Wii Sits collecting dust and the last game I enjoyed on it was Super Paper Mario. I daydream
about selling it all the time but Warren Spector through a big monkey wrench with
Epic Mickey.
PS3 The second most used console in the house is used largely as a Blu-Ray player, Netflix instant watch device, and occasionally for gaming (Yakuza 3 & Singularity most recently) but to be honest if given a choice, I avoid buying the PS3 version in favor of the 360. Playing on the PS3, I feel like I'm off-line even when on, the trophy system is meaningless and confusing to me---and I have no interest to learn more about it, the installs are lengthy (for Yakuza 3 I took out a book and read quite a few chapters), frequently takes lengthy confusing/vague updates, and is just generally an unfriendly system. BUT it's heavenly quiet.
360 Elite Hands down, Live is better than both Nintendo or Sony's attempts, and makes me
feel like I'm part of a community. I'm no achievement whore (22k since release) but I love
seeing them pop up, love comparing them with others, and love how they pop
up relatively quickly compared to watching a spinning arrow on my PS3 as it tries
to sync with my brother's console. Patches are quick, the format is clear unlike the XMB bar,
and just all around friendly. The only thing I can't stand about the 360 is the noise and
I can't dump a working system just for the fan.
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In any case, the discussion around trying to put more into games than hallways full of stuff to kill was great.
Really for me, it's all about the discussion happening instead of this sense that not only are shooters in the spotlight, but much worse, that nobody is even questioning that this is the case...
I feel Jeff stated my own perception on this best: "It's all about innovation. Innovate!"
What I want is over 20 hours of engaging and fairly NON-repetitive game play, that doesn't involve gratuitious violence as filler. I actually do agree that this is a lot to ask, but enough games pull it off that so long as this is held up as the standard, and the "room full of stuff to kill" isn't swallowd as normal or inevitable, we'll work this out over the next several years.
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Out of all of those the two biggest deciding factors for me to usually choose 360 over PS3 games. The first is the fact that I love me some achievements. I want all the games I play to show up in my list and so I can show off what I have accomplished in any game. And then there's the online, I have played both quite a bit and I just have to say I prefer Live over PSN. I am not saying it's a fact that PSN is not as good, it's just my opinion that Live is a better service.
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#1. Add a 3G connection into every system in the next generation.
#2. Drop the price of new games down to somewhere between $20 to $40.
#3. Charge a $10 fee to buy a license to activate a copy of a game on a console.
#4. Put a code for one license in every new video game.
This plan would help stem the sales of used games in a few ways: it would lower the price of games, making it more feasible for people to buy new and also keep their games rather than trading them. It would also raise the price on both buying used games and renting games. This would also funnel more dollars to publishers and developers.
The addition of a 3G connection might be a source of debate for people who would ask why they would bother adding such a feature in when they could just go to an all digital delivery system. And while I do see great benefits to digital delivery, it does have one major flaw; it makes games less accessible rather than more accessible. I firmly believe that going digital only would be the equivalent of the gaming industry cutting off its nose to spite its face. Using a 3G connection only to activate licenses for games should not be a tremendous drain, since most people will probably only have to use it a few times a year and it would be rendered unnecessary for the customer base that does have their console online. One major downside to this inclusion is that it would raise the initial cost of consoles, but by how much is hard to determine.
I am of the mind that games should become more of an impulse-purchase product, rather than being the rather large investment that they are presently.
I believe this plan would benefit both publishers and developers, and would also be good for gamers as well. If a game was traded and bought again as a used product, that game would become a source of revenue for the publishers and developers rather than a monetary drain. Retail chains that sell used product would potentially be hurt, but they may also experience a rise in customer base if this plan did help the industry grow.
Many people think that retail is going to go all digital sometime in the near future, but I question the validity of this notion and if it is wise. I believe my plan offers up a better solution for all involved in the games industry.
What do you think?
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Like I said not sure if it's the truth or not, but I think it's an interesting way to explain it. Only the designers can tell us for sure = )
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what you said about alan wake
WAS THE MOST HORRIBLE EVIL THING YOU COULD HAVE SAID.
i was planing on buying alan wake and i thought i looked really awsome and fun but you have ruined it for me its a thriller the best thing about a thriller is the suspense and there is no suspense if YOU KNOW THE ENDING!!!
that was not cool at all and if you do do a spoiler like that you need to at least give people time to lower the volume or rip there headphones out of there ears or something. i used to like listening to weekend confirmed alot but if you guys are going to keep ruining the endings of awsome games then i think you will lose lots of listeners (including myself) so please either give us more time to rip are headphones from our ears or just dont do spoilers at all
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Too bad there wasn't much grist for the mill to talk about in it. :(
Can't wait for the next full show!
The least they could have done with that additional $10.00 was keep "1 Vs. 100" on xBox Live. Just saying...
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Just wanted to add my thoughts, love the podcast, I am a relatively new fan of it, only been listening for about 8 or 9 episodes, but I really enjoy it, keep up the great work.
Eric (gamertag bluedemon82384)
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I think it's fine if these publishers put these codes in the new copies of the games or whatever, but I don't think it's fair that they expire, and pretty quickly really.
Any game with a time limit is hard for me to swallow. Like Jeff, I also love loving stuff and Dead Rising 1 was really appealing to me but I couldn't enjoy myself due to the time limit. This is a shame because I REALLY wanted to get into that game.
When I recently played the demo for Dead Rising 2 the game opens up by explaining that you have to be on a time limit. Seeing the watch on your wrist and the entire feeling of tailoring my experience to a time limit immediately turned me off the game.
I really love to wander around a world at my own pace, enjoy the setting and marvel at the graphics etc and I feel like I can't do this when I can subconsciously hear: 'tick ... tock ... tick ... tock'
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Let me introduce you to a little thing called "inflation":
From out favorite wiki:
"In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.[1] When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation is also an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a loss of real value in the internal medium of exchange and unit of account in the economy.[2][3] A chief measure of price inflation is the inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general price index (normally the Consumer Price Index) over time."
In other words, things are constantly getting cheaper due to inflation. If you don't have a price raise every few years, you are actually lower the price. to keep the price the same, requires price raises.
As for this idea that "hey, the stuff is paid for so why should they keep charging for it" I suppose I should have used that argument on my landlord when I used to rent.
"Hey! You've already paid this building off, so why should I have to keep paying rent." Uh... right...
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just one comment
PlayStation Move. It's going to do two things. HD Wii experiences and hardcore games with motion controls. Sony is coming out with a Wii HD alternative...oh wait there is no Wii HD (yet).
Now people don't have to say "that game looks good for a Wii game, and the motion controls work!"
It will just be "this game works as good or better than the Wii in controls, and the graphics are beyond better"
And to be honest, that's enough for most people. They bought an HDTV for a reason. "Oh, my PS3 does blu ray, and now does HD motion control gaming, whats so special about the Wii again?"
Wii has its first party titles going for it, and that's really it. Move isn't Sony changing the game, its them offering a better solution to a great idea that Nintendo began. The added benefit of Sony focusing also on more "hardcore" experiences is a plus for more serious gamers interested in motion control.
Yes, to have the full Move "experience" its going to cost you. But the same could be said about having the full experience for the Wii.
Jeff, you went way overboard on the Sony exec's comments.
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I kind of look back on the ps2 generation with fondness now, because while a lot of japanese development revolved around institutionalised, 'old boy' dynastys, it at least meant there were a lot of games whose development was headed by singular, creative individuals who were afforded the ability to design something 'from the ground up' - mechanically and creatively. Aside from a few (Molyneaux, Cage) it seems like developers now are just a bunch of programmers who have about as much vision as the average joe.
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My first thought was that it's a shame that there are so few games made from good and interesting movies while we get pumped full of substandard games made from generic movies and/or substandard sequels.
So, what games made from movie IPs do you like and if you should pick one movie (or movie concept) to be made into a game which one would it be?
Liked: Blade Runner (from '97) and GoldenEye 007 (from '97)
Would like: The concept of Memento as an adventure puzzler
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Dominion and Cutthroat Caverns, both great games. Would love to see board games become a regular part of the show :)
what you said about alan wake
WAS THE MOST HORRIBLE EVIL THING YOU COULD HAVE SAID.
i was planing on buying alan wake and i thought i looked really awsome and fun but you have ruined it for me its a thriller the best thing about a thriller is the suspense and there is no suspense if YOU KNOW THE ENDING!!!
that was not cool at all and if you do do a spoiler like that you need to at least give people time to lower the volume or rip there headphones out of there ears or something. i used to like listening to weekend confirmed alot but if you guys are going to keep ruining the endings of awsome games then i think you will lose lots of listeners (including myself) so please either give us more time to rip are headphones from our ears or just dont do spoilers at all
Anyone else have similar stories with other games?
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Great show as always! Avid listener since episode 3.
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BioShock mechanically speaking is pretty much System Shock 2 but simplified a bit with fewer options for how to resolve situations. You could choose to focus on shooting or certain RPG elements like hacking robots or using telekinetic powers. You didn't always have enough supplies to directly confront enemies and would often have to "outsmart" them, which often meant avoiding them.
Only trouble is, that's probably what made System Shock 2 hard as hell.
In every simulation racer I play, and a majority of the arcade style racing games, I use the front bumper cam. It seems like most people have a hard time getting used to it, but after about 5 minutes of practice I can guarantee you will notice a difference in your racing game experience, steering wheel or not.
When you use the 3rd person, above-the-car camera, you focus too much on what it "looks like" the car is doing, and not what it's actually doing. I'm sure there's a much more interesting, scientific explanation for this, but either way, I think it will help you enjoy Gran Turismo 5 a little more when it comes out in November
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Is it possible that the reason shooting has become the most "natural" way to interact with a game world, at least partially due to the fact that controllers have become significantly more gun-like? The Wii's B button, the Xbox and PS3's top buttons, all fit into your hand very much like a gun trigger does. While a certain amount of this has to do with comfortability, it also significantly caters the experience on consoles to shooters.
I think possibly the best use of Kinect will be the fact that the controller will be human-shaped, hopefully allowing for very different methods of interaction.
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I remembered being addicted to TMNT on the NES. I got it for Christmas and played it to death.
One day I was reading the instruction manual at school and in the turtle's biography section it lists Donatello's weapon like this:
Weapon: Bo (not to be confused with everyone's favourite 10).
I was about 8 at the time and I asked my father what it meant and he had a little smirk and he said he'd tell me when I was older. He even showed my mother and she wanted to know why that was written in a kids video game instruction manual.
Now I'm 30, I get the joke, I get the reference. But wasn't that a strange thing to put in the instruction manual for a NES game?
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I am a proud Xbox Live Beta tester who subscribed for a couple of years at the beginning, realized that the types of connections I was paying for were offered for free everywhere else and I've been a silver member ever since.
I own all of the current gen consoles and handhelds but most of all I'm spoiled rotten by Steam. I'll never pay for Xbox Live because Microsoft isn't just charging me for access to the multiplayer, they are the ONLY ones charging me for that access. (outside of MMOs of course)
People always say that Live is paid and PSN is free when really it's Live is paid and every other multiplayer gaming service out there is free.
$50, $60, $100 it doesn't matter. If you are paying one dime over your already $40+/month to your ISP for peer-to-peer gaming then you are a sucker. You have already paid to use that bandwidth as you see fit so don't let Microsoft add an additional fee on top of that.
Once you expand your gaming platform options you soon realize that Live is a colossal rip-off that people only pay for because they have to. All of that bonus stuff is useless and nearly no one would pay for it if Microsoft made the online multiplayer free like every other service.
I love all of my consoles but if this trend of paying for access to multiplayer continues then I'll either stick to Steam only next gen or expect to be able to purchase console games without the multiplayer content for a lesser price. That BS just don't fly when I can purchase something like Borderlands on Steam for $10. Sorry.
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Maybe games need to break out of that box where gameplays are served up as fillers between story points, but go back to the roots and be about the gameplays themselves? The best example I can think of, albeit some shortcomings, is EVE Online. It provides a world where the rules allow players to do whatever they want to do that are not trivial, but are meaningful and persistent. It has background stories, factions, short stories and what not to compliment the game itself, not the other way around.
It's called Kendo, and as a kendo practitioner, you guys just raised the game's hype immensely for me! OMG can't wait!
It surprises me that so few developers make use of a true ensemble cast. Most games assign the player to a specific character and tell the whole story from that one perspective. It is an extremely limiting technique from a narrative standpoint. I understand that developers want to give the player a central character to identify with, but it is also a wasted opportunity when you think about all the avenues that could be opened up if the player was allowed to experience a different perspective. Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain made effective use of an ensemble cast and I feel like many other games could be enriched in a similar manner.
Games contain a lot of potential as a storytelling medium. If a few more big developers start taking chances with their storytelling techniques, I think we’ll start to see some really interesting concepts work their way into the industry.
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I mean MGS is on the surface a really kooky game. A grown man running around in a cardboard box . Having a entire level where you naked cartwheel around the base as Raiden. Not to mention all the other craziness that goes on in the game. And to hit the point that Jeff and Garnett kept going back to with the thermoses yes... MGS has collectibles in the way of Dog Tags.
On the other hand MGS is also about the horrors of war, the threat and realization of what nuclear war could do to the planet. There are also themes of the moral right or wrong in gene tampering and human cloning. MGS4 dives deeper with themes of Big Brother like networks controlling our very existence. Not to mention the monologues of the bosses particularity Psycho Mantis and Sniper Wolf both who have chilling stories.
I mean after Psycho Mantis' loathing rant about how he hated humankind and his history with his father. Going forward to MGS3 the complexity of the relationship between Naked Snake (Big Boss) and The Boss was incredible.
If you didn't at least tear up a bit when you pulled the trigger and the camera did that sweeping pan out as the flowers in the field all turned red. Well, I just don't know what to say.
I think by far MGS is a genius game on so many levels even going back to the "guns" issue. This game actively rewards players for NOT killing people. And often rewards you further for completely avoiding confrontation altogether.
Having "gamey" elements along with a serious story can very well be done. Its just a matter of knowing what the balance between all of the elements need to be.
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I've played Cutthroat Caverns, and I enjoyed it fairly much. I looking at my stack of about 60 "German-style" or "Eurogame" sorts of games by my desk here, and really understand the joy you find in these kinds of games.
With that in mind, I wanted to share a rare gem I uncovered recently along these lines (at least for my taste).
The company is Cryptic Comet, the game is Solium Infernum. What this tiny indie developer did is essentially try to distill the very best of Eurogame formula (taking actions, technology trees, bidding, etc.) and combine it with a competitive feel somewhat similar to Cutthroat Caverns, but one HELL of a lot better (pun intended).
The game can be played vs. some fairly competent AI's (not amazing though) or, much better, can be played either via a Play by Email system or in fairly real time online by using a free tool such as Dropbox and Skype to keep the player's moves syncronized.
Up to 6 players can play and I cannot recommend the game more for those who enjoy this kind of "thinking man's game".
Crypic also does a game called Armageddon Empires that I enjoy also. But it is single player and not at all in the Eurogame category. Instead, it is an exploration (which I know you enjoy as much as I) and hex-based combat game with tons of dice rolling. This is another popular board game genre in what is sometimes called the "bucket-full-of-dice" game. A bit like Warhammer tabletop, for an example, but with exploration, and a real organic-story-that's-different-every-game sort of thing going for it.
Just wanted to share, since we do seem to have somewhat similar tastes along these lines, and I'm so happy to have uncovered these gems recently.
Also Garnett, please don't say when you're playing Devil's advocate. It's far more fun when you play it up 100% and don't let on ;)