OPEN THREAD THURSDAY
Every Thursday, LYRC opens up to you. Tell us what's on your mind.
Enjoy. [THIS IS AN AUTOMATED POST.]
Thursday, March 15, 2007
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20 Comments:
Anal
For game console buyers: do you purchase XBox or Playstation?
Neither. I want a Wii.
I second that. When do the premod Wiis start selling??????
Why Wii?
Cheap: yes. Cool interface: yes. Extensive game library: ummm...? The Wii's very innovative, but I've never been sold on Sonic, Zelda, and Mario.
Depends on what you want to play and what you want to spend.
Wii – for the retro gamer. Old titles from NES and beyond are being made available slowly through their online component. Also, they just added support for the Opera web browser. New titles use the Wii-mote, motion sensing wand. It is useful for sports games and other party novelty games but has been proven to totally suck for most if not all First Person Shooters. Price tag: 250 bucks.
Xbox 360 – multiple use platform. The 360 is considered to be the First Person Shooter console of choice. Backwards compatibility for old xbox titles is at about 75%. Online mode (XBL) is considered to be the best in the market. Through the XBL interface you can download demos, trailers, movies and TV shows. Movie downloads are just like On Demand where you have x amount of time to watch it. TV shows are yours to own for ever and ever. Delete them? No problem, just download them again for no charge. Add on HD-DVD periph available. And is the only platform where you will be able to play Halo 3. They have also secured several exclusive contracts and have been breaking many previously PS Exclusive titles (Like Grand Theft Auto 4). 400 Bucks.
PS3 – Is considered very difficult to code for (the guy behind Half-Life was quoted as saying that Sony should scrap the PS3 and start over). So far there are no must have titles for the PS3. The cell processor inside is state of the art however and it comes bundled with the Blu-Ray hi def movie player. They removed the rumble feature from their controller and added a motion device which has not been utilized very well by developers. Rumors are now on the net that Sony is going to put the rumble back in after all the complaints. Their online service is considered to be generally bad, though they are adding in a new service called “Home”. It is a virtual world where you can interact with up to 64 people at a time. This was just announced so the launch is a ways away. They did not bundle a mic with their service, so even though their online supports voice, very few have adopted the use of a mic so far. 600 Bucks.
So…you real choice is between a Wii and a 360. Right now, the PS3 just isn’t worth the 600 bucks. That could change in a year, but for right now – get a Wii or a 360.
The 360 is going to have the must have killer aps for 2007.
Mass Effect (from the makers of KOTR
and Halo 3 of course. The Halo 3 public beta starts soon by the way.
Very interesting. Thanks for the extensive info. You do know you stuff.
Would one be considered unhip and a cheap bastard if one was to purchase a PS2 since they're almost 100 bucks less than even a Wii and most of the games can be bought new for 20 bucks?
Halo 3 looks sweeter than words can express.
Right now the PS2 is your best value. And God of War II comes out soon, and Guitar Hero II just came out. Those two games will keep you happy for quite a while.
Fock's right. It's about what you want to play.
I'm what the industry calls a "casual gamer." I prefer games as an occasional diversion, not a way of life. I like puzzle games and games that are quick and simple. Just about the only game I've seen on the Xbox 360 that I would play with any regularity is Geometry Wars. The only game for PS2 that ever got me truly sucked in was Katamari Damacy. And I'm dying to try Guitar Hero.
Which is why the Wii would be perfect for me. I want to just be distracted from everything for a while when I play a game, not totally immersed in some violent or mythical experience.
When I do want to feel immersed in a story or a world, I typically don't want to be a space marine killing aliens. I don't want to be a criminal stealing cars. I don't want to be a warrior in a loincloth seeking coins and magical treasure. Dammit, I want to be a fat Italian plumber on shrooms.
I've just always appreciated the typical Nintendo approach -- it's not about hyperrealism or polygons per second. Sometimes, it's just about being clever and having fun.
And as for Sean's comment about the Wiimote being bad for first person shooters, he's probably right. But for an FPS, even the Xbox controller is no match for a mouse and a keyboard.
The Wii has also proven to be the 'party' console of choice. It's perfect because nearly anyone can pick up the Wiimote and use it intuitively. As for the Keyboard/Mouse vs. Gamepad, the argument is mostly moot since up till now there has been no crossplatform online gaming between consoles and a PC. That is changing in June however with the realease of Shadowrun - a FPS that is going cross platform on the 360 and Games for Windows. It's the first time that players using a PC and a Console will be able to square off on line. So far the reviews are saying they are evenly matched since the game was designed with both in mind, so they've made a level playing field for the two.
City Council Wins Lawsuit Against...Itself?
That link you posted wasn't working on my browser, Focker. I'd be interested to read it.
Guitar Hero II is a good time; a friend of mine let me try it for about 20 mintues. It takes some coordination, but it's addictive and enjoyable. I admire its simplicity and the free license to rock. Supposedly, Guitar Hero II will be coming out with supplementary material that will add more Hair Metal songs from the '80s to play. I probably wouldn't be able to resist that pull.
Is Lost Planet any good? I'm looking for a new game and am generally pissed off with the options out there (XBox 360). The top FSPs, while decent, leave much to be desired when it comes to open environments (GTA) or puzzle stuff (like the old Tomb Raider). The main thing I'm looking for, however, is a game wherein I won't have to repeat the same goddamn sequence like, 87 times because of godddamn checkpoints. Oh, and boss fights. I HATE boss fights.
Recently played: GRAW, Gears, RB6 Vegas.
Is Gears of War as good as everyone says?
With the exception of the goddamn boss fight at the end (and the goofy gigantisms of the characters' muscles and armor), yeah... I think Gears of War is pretty sweet. It's certainly easier to learn than most FSPs. The clean screen (without any HUD bullshit) is terrific and ads realism. XBL in Gears is truly awesome. It's a little repetitive, but otherwise plays very smoothly and is quite addictive.
Here's an uplifting story.
I found Tomb Rader Legends to be a lot of fun, back to the original. I haven't played Lost Planet, but it has gotten mixed reviews. Definitely stay away from Dead Rising, that's hard as hell. Crackdown is pretty good for sandbox play and the boss fights are a breeze. Also, I recommend to everyone every chance I get to play Psychonauts. Love that game. Kelly might even like it.
Other games that I find addictive as hell: Burnout Revenge and Oblivion are a lot of fun. But defenitely go for Tombraider Legend.
http://www.tombraider.com/legend/
I bought a Wii because the Wiimote is the killer app for this console. It's great and it's a lot of fun. I'm not a first person shooter kind of guy and clearly, if you want to kill, the Xbox seems to be the way to go. On the other hand, Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Rayman Raving Rabbids, all of which me and my kids (14, 9, and 7) have all played and loved. And, the Wii is backwards compatible with all the Game Cube games. Added value, the Wii games make you get off your ass so it's less couch potato friendly and keeps my kids from thinking the more sedentary, the better.
Instead of high-end sound or video, the Wii just goes for fun and, in my opinion, succeeds. I'll have to see how Tiger Woods '07 works. The Nintendo games are fun but can be a little too rough around the edges. I want to try something that fully makes use of the capabilities of the Wii and it's remote.
While I love my Wii, it goes through batteries for the wireless remotes as if Nintendo bought stock in Everready or Duracell. I need rechargeables, fast!!
I hope this helps. Nintendo definitely is a great choice if you want less violent games for young kids who have to get up to play.
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