Quote:AQ Interactive today announced 3 new games for Xbox 360, 2 of them exclusive. The first one is named Cry On, and is developed by Cavia for Mistwalker. Sakaguchi is the game Producer, and Uematsu is doing the music. It's an Action-RPG, exclusive for Xbox 360. First artworks inside.
Quote:Bullet Witch was also announced today. This is an action game developed by Cavia, exclusive for Xbox 360.<SCRIPT>function openimagepopup(param){ lien = "pop_image.html?G=2446&N="+param; PW = window.open(lien,"Image_Popup","toolbar=0,location=0,top=0,left=0,status=0,menubar=0,scrollbars=1,resizable=1,width=760,height=560");}</SCRIPT>
First off I think we should note why Microsoft chose to launch this holiday season as opposed to waiting. Simply, they wanted a headstart on the competition to avoid what they believed was the reason the original Xbox did not sell as well as PS2. That is, Sony came out first.
Now I know what you're saying, the Dreamcast came out first, and Sony killed it. Well, I don't want to take up that arguement because I don't see any of the underlying problems of Sega during their Dreamcast era (or before for that matter) plaguing Microsoft at this time. Specifically, scarce funds and waning developer support aren't an issue with the Xbox 360. Microsoft has more money than Sony and Nintendo combined, and every developer is on board in one way or another, so let's not go down that road. Besides the superficial comparisons of the similar logo and console color there really is no comparison. I think the jury is still out as to how much of an effect Blu-Ray equipped PS3 will have against the non-HD-movie-ready Xbox 360. I don't care to dust off my crystal ball and I don't trust any of yours so let's just leave it alone.
What does releasing first mean for Microsoft? If Microsoft could establish a solid userbase before the competition ever launched then developers would be more inclined to work on it. Seeing as how the Playstation 3 is guaranteed to be a success, Microsoft needs to get a respectable userbase in order to reel developers in and keep them around. Every developer has said they are on board, and many of them have announced multiple game titles. As of now there are over 200 games in development for the 360, and I'm sure there is more to be announced.
Another reason would be to get off the sinking ship of their first outting, the Xbox. The Xbox was a success in a couple regards: developer support has been continually growing and much of the rivals' third party offerings are available on the Xbox as well. Two is that the Xbox brand image has been on a steadily growing wave of momentum, enough to propel it to the number two position as far as sales go. 22+ million consoles sold is nothing to scoff at, especially seeing as how Xbox was the new kid against two longtime giants. The problem lies with the hardware and that Microsoft, to this day, doesn't make a profit with it. This has mostly to do with Microsoft's hasty decision to jump into the video game arena and launch some 18 months later. There was no time for Microsoft's research and development meaning that MS did not own anything that went into the Xbox. They had to pay royalties for every part and have been paying ever since. Probably needless to say, this is no longer the issue as Microsoft owns just about everything inside the 360 and this will definitely pay off in the long run. Anyway, financial issues aside, Microsoft needed to ride that wave of momentum in to the next generation, with both developers and consumers on board.
You may or may not agree, but that is how I see things.
Now with the 360 leading up to launch...
I don't want to go back as far the first showing of the 360 (the MTV event), E3, or TGS. They're distant memories and the only thing to gather from them is that they managed to generate interest. Good or bad, many people knew the 360 was coming months and months ago. Pre-orders filled up rather quickly at most game retail stores (in the U.S. anyway). It looked like Microsoft would be off to a heady start, and the Microsoft executives seemed overly confident that the launch would be nothing short of a success with plenty of units to go around for their global launch. I suppose you could say it was a success in that there was a solid launch lineup of games and a great demand for Microsoft's new baby, but a very big problem that the supply is nothing short of pathetic compared to other launches.
The Kiosks. I really liked being able to walk into Best Buy and Wal-Mart to play some 360 demos a few weeks before launch, and on a HD TV no less. I gawked at Project Gotham Racing 3, lit up when I saw Kameo, and was almost stunned when I played King Kong. It left a great impression on me, but I couldn't help but wonder where Perfect Dark Zero was, the supposed flagship title.
The Advertising. Color me not impressed. On one hand there were the jump rope and water balloon fight commercials which were great, I loved them, and on the other hand were some Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo, and Project Gotham Racing 3 commercials that I can't even remember as of now. The Dead or Alive 4 commercial is really nice, it's just too bad none of it's gameplay. Microsoft, take some notes from Sony about advertising. Seriously, just ask if you could sit in with them on one of their meetings and jot down whatever comes out of their mouths. This is where Sony and Nintendo walk all over you.
The launch games. I think it's a very solid lineup of games, one of the best I've seen and one of the best reviewed. The problem is that there isn't one game that stands out as the must-have, the all important system seller. I suppose it's okay considering that the PS2 launch didn't have one either, rather they had some 26 games that mostly fell into the good and great category, with SSX, a snowboarding game, getting the best reviews. The supposed flagship title, Perfect Dark Zero, was met with admirable impressions but not one claimed it as a must have.
Was the global launch a good idea? Launching globally in a three week window sounds amazing and would be a first in the video game world, and Microsoft did just that. However, they weren't very well prepared on all fronts.
I believe the U.S. sales numbers for the Xbox 360 in the month of November, between the launch day of the 22nd to the last day, the 30th, were 300,000-400,000. Sold out within in mintues at most major retail stores, leaving some who waited in line with nothing, and worse is that many of the pre-orders didn't get filled. In fact, most didn't get filled until this past week and there are still more people waiting. It's obvious that the 360 is in high demand, a very hot item for the holiday season, clearly Microsoft didn't make a bad decision about jumping into next gen too early as some people said, but was it really that good of an idea to release some units rather than none at all and simply wait? I know Microsoft couldn't just delay the the launch, that would piss off alot of consumers and publishers, plus they would miss the all important holiday season, but will this have an effect on the 360's success? They could have sold ALOT more. Will there be a lasting effect? I say no, it will be forgotten in time and only dragged up on internet forums as a major debacle when the next Xbox launch is underway. No doubt it pissed off some consumers who will just wait for Sony or Nintendo's new console, but I believe that will be a very small group of people.
I'm not sure about the sales numbers in Europe but I predict it sold out as well, and I believe they were alloted the same amount of consoles. Japan is a different story. I think they sold 62,000 360's on launch day (or launch week, I'm not sure), and I believe that Japan got some 250,000 consoles. One problem is that the Japanese just don't care for the American born Xbox and thought similarily for the successor. It's true that there is more Japanese developer support, which has surprised me, but there were no high-profile Japanese made games at launch. I'm not even sure Dead or Alive 4 is out yet, nevermind that other games like Blue Dragon (was on the Famitsu most-wanted list), Lost Odyssey, Every Party, Ninety Nine Nights, Enchant Arm, and others won't be available until sometime in 2006.
Like I said, it's a great idea and it could have been astonishing to have all the peices fall into place for Microsoft. Better luck next time, I suppose.
The faulty hardware. I don't know all the facts, and I'm not sure what the actual failure rate is but I do know that this has been one of the worst launches in the regard of faulty hardware. Overheating, crashing, scratching discs...I'm actually quite surprised that people are still buying them over ebay for multiple times what they're worth just to have it now.
It's not all bad. The Xbox 360 is out and building a fanbase as we speak while the competition is still being developed in a lab somewhere. There are some really great looking games on the not-so-distant horizon. Things can only get better, right? Unless there's some massive recall due to 360's starting fires.;)
I've probably over looked some facet of the launch but I said everything I wanted to. It was handled poorly and I can honestly say that I don't regret not buying one. I hope Microsoft pulls out of this okay and that there is much success with the 360, because I've had quite a bit of fun with my Xbox and I want to see Rare make a ginormous comeback in the coming years. Here's to a brighter tomorrow, Microsoft. Cheers.
After a long hard day working at Wal-Mart I was going to go off on a wild decay of urban society tangent. However instead I just decided to wish every one at TC a happy holidays or, for you Christians a merry Christmas (Even though I was recently shocked to learn that Christmas is originally a pagan holiday), anyway I wanted to give a personal shout out to everyone at TC one by one, and please forgive me if I forget anyone.
Ryan, with out a doubt you have created my most favorite place on the web. You once told me you came from and now long to return to a place where big city life in Richmond hasn’t influenced the attitude of the individual. The values of where you once were defiantly reflect on you, it shows in how you run the website and how you treat individuals such as my self, I look at you and long to go to such a place myself.
Lazy, you have a sense of humor balanced with an unmatched wit that I can defiantly relate to, envy, and is like none other I have ever seen. Some of your posts make me laugh so hard by eyes water for days, some make me reflect for hours, others make me want to join the debate, however all of them I have enjoyed.
Dark Jaguar, your like the Ying to Lazy’s Yang, but like all halves they our required to make the whole picture complete. You offer insightful argument, and perspective, and defiantly have a lot to contribute to the discussion.
Edenmaster, you put a lot of thought and consideration into the wording of your posts taking careful consideration on how your wording affects people. You’re always the first to hop on or create the happy birthday thread, and the first to post on one. Your kindness is defiantly remembered on the holidays.
Great Rumbler, you have started to most fascinating threads this place has to offer. You bring a natural geographic like since of discovery to the unexplored areas of humanity, the arts, and the web in general. In a way you helped mold Tendo Citys, appeal and popularity.
N-Man, even though your avatar scares the hell out of me, you look like a logical and well grounded person. You bring a since of stability to TC, and I wish you well in your VB and IT studies. As a prudent member of the IT community let me know if I can help in your studies in any way, by the way I replied with a solution to your VB thread.
Sacred Jellybean and Laser link. SJB, your aviator scares me even more that N-Mans but, you and LL are both ready at any given time to dive head first into the discussion even where lesser men fear to tread. Both of you have your part in making the discussion complete.
Darunia, your reply to my post entirely in French really impressed me, and I’ve debugged com suraget server. The intelligent thoughts in each of your posts really contribute to this site and I look forward to reading more.
Dax, even though you’re a new comer to TC, I hope you will continue to come back again and again. You have a lot to offer a discussion, even though it’s some times does not seam apparent by some of the replies. People are always hardest on the newbes but I feel we all reconize you worth here at TC. Keep at it!
To rest of the Tendonights I wish you the best of holidays, you all have something to contribute, and forgive me if I failed to address you personally, I hope you to have a happy holidays.
To all of you, (Especially those of you in retail), try to have a wonderful holiday season!
It was Ryan or his subsidiary lazy who had the quotable quote:[indent]“I don’t agree with you but I respect your opinion. [/indent]As his signature line, apparently poking fun at supposedly stupid this comment was.
So what? You can’t agree and respect an opinion at the same time? Or maybe you think that doing so is one in the same?
Respecting an opinion simply acknowledges its existence. No one is required to agree with that opinion. One is just request to respect the others feelings and that fact that he to is entitled to an opinion.
Quote:Do you think you have what it takes to beat me at Mario Kart DS? Prove it! Challenge me this Monday at 4:00pm Pacific Time at the Bellevue Square McDonald's in Bellevue, Washington. I'll be connecting to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection at the McDonald's hotspot, so even if you don't live nearby I encourage you to connect at a McDonald's hotspot near you for a chance to compete against me on Monday afternoon.
If you live in the area, stop by the Bellevue Square McDonald's to meet me and get your hands on some great Nintendo giveaways. If you don't own a Nintendo DS, don't worry -- we'll have some on-hand for you to use. You'll also have a chance to win one of four Nintendo DS systems autographed by me or the Grammy nominated band Fall Out Boy.
Event Details
What: Race Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo's Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing at the Bellevue Square McDonald's or at a McDonald's hotspot near you.
When: Monday, December 19, 4:00 -- 5:30pm Pacific Time
Where: Bellevue Square McDonald's, Bellevue WA
If you can't make it to Bellevue Square, you can still take part in the fun. Connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection beginning at 4:00pm Pacific Time. I'll be racing in "Worldwide" mode, so be sure to select the same Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode for your chance to race me. Bring your A game, because I've been practicing.
Quote:Witnessing the Revolution
Hands on time with Nintendo's next generation system. Will it change gaming?
December 15, 2005: 9:46 AM EST
Game Over is a weekly column by Chris Morris
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – Interesting factoid about the Nintendo Revolution controller: It's smaller and lighter than you might think.
I recently had the chance to get some hands-on time with the company's next generation console to see whether the Revolution was, in fact, revolutionary. While the controller I used was still a prototype (the final one will be a bit larger and will include a button to power the machine on and off), it gave me a good chance to see what to expect when the system launches next year.
Shaped like a television remote control, the Revolution controller uses internal sensors to translate your wrist, arm and hand movements on screen. It's easy to use, but takes a few minutes to adjust your playing style. (I initially found myself waving my arms wildly, resulting in the onscreen pointer whizzing back and forth at blinding speeds.)
Nintendo wasn't kidding when it said it wanted to change the way people play, though. Once I figured out that subtle movements made for simple gameplay, I went through eight demos demonstrating a variety of features and possible uses. A simple point and shoot demo (like any of the thousands of Web-based Flash games) was more fun than I expected. I effortlessly pulled off loops and flight stunts I've never been able to manage with today's standard controller in a flying demo, simply by holding the controller as I might a paper airplane. ("Star Fox" fans should start getting excited.)
Other demos allowed me to telescopically zoom in and out on the screen, simply by moving the controller forward and backward and try some fishing by 'feeling' fish nibble on the line (via a rumble effect), then yanking the controller up in the air to hook them. ("Animal Crossing" fans, you might want to get excited, too.)
By adding an auxiliary thumbstick controller, I was able to play through a level of a retrofitted "Metroid Prime 2" (a GameCube game). Confession time: When it comes to console shooters, I'm terrible. I can finish them, but I'm nowhere near as competent as I am with my mouse/keyboard setup for the PC. In the early stages of the "Metroid" demo, it looked like this trend would continue, as I was all over the screen. By mid-way, though, I was better able to move and aim – and enjoyed the game far more than I did with the GameCube controller. ("Metroid" fans... well, you're probably already pretty excited.)
It turns out I'm not the only one who has this problem with standard controllers.
"I was a developer for many years before my current role, but I've never been a very good gamer," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told me. "I've never been able to control a first-person shooter, but as soon as I used the Revolution controller, I found it very easy to control the game. So, I think that's a genre that's particularly well suited for the controller."
Reggie Fils-Aime, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America, said he hopes to see another type of game really take off with the Revolution.
"I hope [massively multiplayer online games] are really explored on this system," he said. "That's a genre, from the home console standpoint, that really hasn't been explored very well."
One of the problems the Revolution faces is dislodging the idea of the standard controller from people's minds. Mention home video games to most people and they'll conjure a mental image of someone sitting on a couch, both hands gripping one of today's standard controllers and not moving much. So the idea of moving your arm in a virtual sword fight or taking virtual aim at onscreen monsters might be hard to get across.
"When we first watched it, we thought, frankly, 'what the hell is this?'," said Jack Sorensen, executive vice president of worldwide studios for THQ. "The main thing is getting it in your hands. Once you do that, it's pretty intuitive. It's not about more buttons. It's about ease of use for consumers. ... I'm surprised and happy with the direction Nintendo is going."
Nintendo was in a similar situation a year ago when it launched the Nintendo DS. Explaining to people that a touch screen would be used to play games wasn't easy. The DS was something that had to be experienced to fully understand. Iwata said the company is better prepared this time around.
"It's going to be a challenge to take something that's a new concept and new idea and convey to the public ... how to understand it, but honestly I think the Revolution controller is going to be a lot easier to convey to the public than the DS was as a system," he said. "We've learned a lot in terms of how to communicate to people these new and different ideas and because of the experience we had with the DS, we're much more prepared."
The company has high hopes for its next console (Revolution, it should be noted, is just a code name – the system's official name will be announced next year). Iwata has previously said if sales do not surpass the GameCube's, it will be considered a failure.
It goes beyond that, though.
"Until now, within a single household, we've had family members who play video games and family members who don't play video games - and they've been very separate," said Iwata. "Gradually, the barriers between those two have gotten stronger. ... Today, if you don't understand the controller, you're not able to enjoy video games. ... We expect [the Revolution controller] to become the standard in video game controls."
That's a tall order, especially amongst an audience that tends to be resistant to change. (The DS was often scorned by core gamers when it was initially announced. Some of those same gamers now regularly sing its praises. Others continue to argue it's a gimmick.)
The Revolution is scheduled to launch next year, most likely in the same time frame as Sony's (Research) PlayStation 3. Nintendo, which has already hinted it might offer the console at a lower price, has already promised to reveal all the details at a May press conference preceding the E3 trade show (the annual gathering of the video game industry).
That doesn't mean it will retreat behind a veil of silence until that point, however.
"It's fair to say that we have a number of things that we will begin unveiling all next year, leading up to E3," said Fils-Aime.
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