(no subject)
I was just reading about Retro Consoles on Wikipedia, as I do every few weeks. I like them - they give me hope that in the next couple of years a "new challenger will arrive" to shake up the console business and bring us back to the dynamic world of a all out four-console war. But right now, that's looking grim. It looks like the PS3 is going to die (as it should, for it could have been so much more than what it is if Sony hadn't been so fucking arrogant), the Wii is going to take the cake for obvious reasons, and the 360 will be a close second because of it's mainstream appeal as an easy-to-use media hub (DVD, DVR, gaming, music, and now content-on-demand service).
And the good news is that whatever people were saying about Xbox 360 being the next Dreamcast (god i'm feening for a dreamcast) is bullshit, because it's sold over 10 million units in just a year. Original Xbox sold 24 million in 5 years.
but the fact remains that with Sony gone (as they will be), it leaves no competition. Because, in reality, most Xbox gamers are Nintendo or Sega gamers who A) thought the Gamecube was kinda dumb; or B) had nothing to play after DC died.
Having said that, most of them will probably own a Wii in addition to their 360. Meanwhile, all the hardcore Angry Nintendo nerds will refrain from getting a 'Box, and that's where M$ will fall behind a wee bit, but that's to be expected.
I also found something else of interest while searching the Wiki. It was a list of all the major video game flops (games and consoles) of all time. There were the usuals, like Daikatana and E.T., but there were two that caught my eye, because they were recent, critically acclaimed, and because I KNEW THEY SUCKED FROM THE START.
Among many, many games in recent years that have failed for a multitude of reasons, there are a long list of ones that were critically acclaimed.
Beyond Good and Evil and Psychonauts are both in this family of games, and they share another thing: they're adventury platformers made for a home console. And you know what? The vast majority of gamers don't like those anymore. They have games with better storylines, more action, more intrigue, better graphics, and better development that they can play. No one wants to run around some obscure made-up place on Earth and solve a bunch of dumbass puzzles so they can "get enough money to buy a ticket, to go on the stupid Disney train, to go to the fuckin fun part of the game".
And I can remember others, such as Advent Rising, Stolen, and Grabbed by the Ghoulies (why, Rare, why!?). And these are just Xbox games I'm mentioning. If I were a PS2 owner I would probably be able to fill a page worth, since there are over twice as many as Xbox games.
The surest bet right now for platform games seems to be on Handhelds, because no one really has the time anymore to play these games on a console. That's why Nintendo's racking up the RPGs on the DS and Advance - no one has time to sit down for 6 hours at a time and play through an RPG, but when you've got 20 minutes of waiting to do at the Doctor's office, or you're in the back seat on a long drive, or you're out of the house but have nothing to do, then you'll go ahead and kill a few monsters and find the gold key. Even if it's Saturday morning and you feel like laying on your bed and playing with your DS, it makes sense! I just know, though, that it no longer makes sense to make most 30-hour-plus games on a console (unless it's a shooter), because it gets tedious, and boring as hell. Even 3rd-person beatem'-ups shouldn't be longer than 20 hours, because there are only so many different types of enemies to kill, and only so many things to do. With shooters, though, the possibilities are endless, because every room, every hallway, every doorway, everything is a new battle with a new dynamic, with enemies you can't see or number.
For the record, legacied franchises don't need to worry. We'll be seeing the 200-hour Final Fantasy XVIII soon enough, and the 1500-hour GTA5 as well (San Andreas was apparently 300 hours to do everything). I don't agree with rabid fan-loving, but it happens, and it's inescable in this industry moreso than any other (okay..anime takes it, but gamers are still more willing to kill each other over PS3).
While there is such a thing as a Rabid Halo Fan, members of the Bungie-styled "Halo Nation" who get in fights with each other and whomever decides to badmouth 'their' game; I am not one of them. Furthermore, I think that the majority of us Halo fans are not them either. We like this game because it has a rich storyline, realistic universe, and an iconic hero to boot. Humanity is fighting for surivival and we're doing in a way that's not all too different from the way we'd do it now - we just have a few really cool spaceships to fly around in, that's all.
Finally, I've just gotta say how cool it is to finally turn on the Dreamcast VMU I got last week. I feel like a Digimon Tamer or something!
Now I just have to get the console. I hope I can find one that has a box. I was lucky to get my used PSone with its original box so I'll keep my fingers crossed.
And the good news is that whatever people were saying about Xbox 360 being the next Dreamcast (god i'm feening for a dreamcast) is bullshit, because it's sold over 10 million units in just a year. Original Xbox sold 24 million in 5 years.
but the fact remains that with Sony gone (as they will be), it leaves no competition. Because, in reality, most Xbox gamers are Nintendo or Sega gamers who A) thought the Gamecube was kinda dumb; or B) had nothing to play after DC died.
Having said that, most of them will probably own a Wii in addition to their 360. Meanwhile, all the hardcore Angry Nintendo nerds will refrain from getting a 'Box, and that's where M$ will fall behind a wee bit, but that's to be expected.
I also found something else of interest while searching the Wiki. It was a list of all the major video game flops (games and consoles) of all time. There were the usuals, like Daikatana and E.T., but there were two that caught my eye, because they were recent, critically acclaimed, and because I KNEW THEY SUCKED FROM THE START.
Among many, many games in recent years that have failed for a multitude of reasons, there are a long list of ones that were critically acclaimed.
Beyond Good and Evil and Psychonauts are both in this family of games, and they share another thing: they're adventury platformers made for a home console. And you know what? The vast majority of gamers don't like those anymore. They have games with better storylines, more action, more intrigue, better graphics, and better development that they can play. No one wants to run around some obscure made-up place on Earth and solve a bunch of dumbass puzzles so they can "get enough money to buy a ticket, to go on the stupid Disney train, to go to the fuckin fun part of the game".
And I can remember others, such as Advent Rising, Stolen, and Grabbed by the Ghoulies (why, Rare, why!?). And these are just Xbox games I'm mentioning. If I were a PS2 owner I would probably be able to fill a page worth, since there are over twice as many as Xbox games.
The surest bet right now for platform games seems to be on Handhelds, because no one really has the time anymore to play these games on a console. That's why Nintendo's racking up the RPGs on the DS and Advance - no one has time to sit down for 6 hours at a time and play through an RPG, but when you've got 20 minutes of waiting to do at the Doctor's office, or you're in the back seat on a long drive, or you're out of the house but have nothing to do, then you'll go ahead and kill a few monsters and find the gold key. Even if it's Saturday morning and you feel like laying on your bed and playing with your DS, it makes sense! I just know, though, that it no longer makes sense to make most 30-hour-plus games on a console (unless it's a shooter), because it gets tedious, and boring as hell. Even 3rd-person beatem'-ups shouldn't be longer than 20 hours, because there are only so many different types of enemies to kill, and only so many things to do. With shooters, though, the possibilities are endless, because every room, every hallway, every doorway, everything is a new battle with a new dynamic, with enemies you can't see or number.
For the record, legacied franchises don't need to worry. We'll be seeing the 200-hour Final Fantasy XVIII soon enough, and the 1500-hour GTA5 as well (San Andreas was apparently 300 hours to do everything). I don't agree with rabid fan-loving, but it happens, and it's inescable in this industry moreso than any other (okay..anime takes it, but gamers are still more willing to kill each other over PS3).
While there is such a thing as a Rabid Halo Fan, members of the Bungie-styled "Halo Nation" who get in fights with each other and whomever decides to badmouth 'their' game; I am not one of them. Furthermore, I think that the majority of us Halo fans are not them either. We like this game because it has a rich storyline, realistic universe, and an iconic hero to boot. Humanity is fighting for surivival and we're doing in a way that's not all too different from the way we'd do it now - we just have a few really cool spaceships to fly around in, that's all.
Finally, I've just gotta say how cool it is to finally turn on the Dreamcast VMU I got last week. I feel like a Digimon Tamer or something!
Now I just have to get the console. I hope I can find one that has a box. I was lucky to get my used PSone with its original box so I'll keep my fingers crossed.