[steven spielberg talks about making games more 'approachable' by removing controllers]As a longtime core gamer accustomed to a certain kind of culture and feel to my hobby, I was one of those who strongly resisted and resented Microsoft's entry into the console market. They stumbled in a bit ignorantly at first, didn't they? The face they showed the consumer was aggressive and obnoxiously fratboyish; behind the scenes, they were your regular plodding Big Corporate Blue Chip.
To me, first a Sega loyalist and then a PlayStation devotee, they just didn't fit in. In the era of Japanese design dominance, the console that had the FMV-driven RPGs and pretty thinkpieces was the only one worth considering. I never even bought a first-gen Xbox, on principle.
I gave the company like, five years before they gave up on running a hardware platform for video games. When the Xbox 360 came out with an avalanche of hardware failures, I was even more certain that the big Western company with the smug attitude wouldn't make it.
As a journalist, I had to learn to see the merits and shortcomings in all the current platforms, of course, and as an industry-watcher, I slowly began to come around to the wisdom of the company's strategy when I saw the strength of Xbox Live, even though I'm not a multiplayer gamer or even remotely social about gaming.
As a consumer, I found myself electing the platform more and more over the past year or so, being more willing to choose the platform for the major releases I buy on a case by case basis, rather than defaulting to PS3 on principle.
I love my PS3. And hey, I'll always have Final Fantasy to make me feel like it's worth it -- oh, wait, no. Well, okay, Metal Gear Solid.
Not anymore[*].
[an 'alert!' noise heralds the arrival of kojima on microsoft's stage.]As a writer, an industry watcher and a gamer, I have to say that I was more genuinely excited, impressed and enthusiastic about Microsoft's E3 press conference than anything I've seen in a long time. Doubtless you've heard by now about Project Natal -- even still largely in an imperfect prototype phase, Molyneux's concept video of what might be possible down the line with tech like that made my hair stand up on end.
When Microsoft entered the console space, I didn't like the idea that they'd try change the paradigm, the culture, tone and language of my beloved medium as I knew it. I was skeptical that they could. Like many of you, I was also the sort to feel an initial, irrational jerk of resentment when Nintendo did that a few years ago with the Wii.
But things've changed. Much of what the company showed today made my hands shake a little bit at the idea of what the future for games could hold. Part of this is due to the blistering quality of the third-party titles they showed -- I didn't think I'd be into Splinter Cell: Conviction at all, but it looks really amazing! I mean, what I'm saying is I was genuinely impressed, even with a little bit of nostalgic diassociation thinking of "the old days."
I rounded up the important events of Microsoft's press conference and what they might mean over at Gamasutra -- and I'll ask you guys the same question that I heard on everyone's lips as I exited the briefing theater.
What can Sony do, now?
[*still not letting go of wild theory that xbox 360 gets raiden game, ps3 gets big boss game, we'll see tomorrow]
29 comments:
Well, as far as Metal Gear Goes, I sort of feel weird that they're brining in new game, and not porting over MGS4. Seems like it'd make sense to at least introduce xbox players to MGS through 4, which is like a compilation story of everything so far. But, if Rising is about introducing fans to Metal Gear, that'd be nice, but I think some people will be dissapointed that it's not "TEH HARCOREZ!" I have no doubt it'll be awesome, but... what's up with Big Boss then? maybe He'll show up at Sony...
Re: Everything else, you're pretty spot on with what I was thinking. Skeptical in, shaken out. I was SUPER-skeptical at Natal, but if it works the way they show it, it might change a thing or two. Not totally change everything forever about games, (I think some people will still cling to controllers no matter what), but it's exactly what they need to make the Wii sweat.
Lastly, I'm also now interested in Splinter Cell, but, having never played one, I hope I'm not jumping into the deep side of the pool, storywise.
Great Stuff! Do keep it up.
"What can Sony do now?"
Drop the price and wait. For all the cheerleading there wasn't a whole lot of exclusive content on show.
I found the Milo demo to be, at the very least, creepy and sad. I mean, reacting like a human being and all was weird. But that the demoer responded to it the way she would a human being was really sad. We're talking about the possibility of never having to contact another human being, not even through the internet, for our emotional needs. That's just my opinion, though.
As to what expression detection could bring to the table game-wise, it could make for some cool twists in games where plot branches out according to responses to NPCs and events. I mean, would you really need to select a text option for something your face is already showing? It could evolve the way games affect us emotionally. To create something other media can't achieve, due to their lack of interactivity with their public.
The new Splinter Cell does look amazing - looking forward to it!
Curbsidebandit
I agree with some of the above: with respect to the actual software, there wasn't all that much in the way of exclusive new games announced. In fact, with a couple of already known exceptions (Halo / Alan Wake), I'm not sure that any were at all.
The new MGS game, given its subtitle of "Lightning Bolt Action" rather than "Tactical Espionage Action" would seem like it may well not be a typical MGS stealth game; and in fact that subtitle makes me think much more of a traditional action title. It's also so very clearly going to be released on PS3 (given that they didn't once say "You'll be able to play this /exclusively/ on 360", which you'd have expected them to do at least 50 times), that in all, there was nothing in the conference as a whole that encouraged me to invest in a 360.
Nadal? Cool technology, but like Eyetoy before it, will only be made or broken by the software which likely won't appear for another couple of years.
What can Sony do? Stick to their guns, their already announced first and third party exclusives, which personally excite me much more than the 360's, and lower the price to appeal to a wider audience.
Nadal? I'm pretty sure that I meant Natal. Though admittedly, the introduction of a world class tennis player to the 360 would likely prove a good selling point. Of a sort.
Not sure how people think there wasn't a lot of exclusive content. Two Halo games, Alan Wake, Splinter Cell (which looks better and more stylish than it has any right to), Crackdown 2 and Forza 3. Thats a fair amount.
As to Natal, the biggest benefit is that we have a mouse replacement if it works correctly meaning everything that made games better with the mouse can be put in consoles and since everyone can use a mouse we get rid of the controller barrier.
What can Sony do now?
They can announce Kingdom Hearts III.
That would certainly level the playing field at this point.
Alan Wake and Splinter Cell are both being released for PC, and are therefore, as far as I'm concerned, not exclusives.
I guess I was more thinking that there were no /new/ exclusive game announcements anyway. Nothing surprising.
Actually i think the real question is. What will Nintendo do now with the Xbox 360 and this new thing. You see Nintendo was to early with its motion controls I think. Now that Microsoft seems to out classed it in the "New Controller stakes" (Or gimmicky controller, still not to sure if controllers would ever not be used since what happened with the Wii and what looks to be a gimmicky Natal as well) which means that Nintendo could be purched off the top spot and be shown as the casual rubbish system as it is.
Do they have to do anything? Nintendo have the image which accompanies the Wii: a family friendly image which sells millions of units. I don't see how that will change simply though the release of a new peripheral for the eternally "geeky" xbox.
Robert, not everyone can use a mouse. As far as peripherals go the mouse is probably the worst for causing repetetive stress injuries.
If Sony gets a Big Boss game instead, life will be awesome. I'd much rather play as Naked Snake than Raiden. I didn't mind him in MGS2, but strongly disliked him in MGS4
@Nathan
Yes they will have to do something, because those same families could see the much better technology of the Xbox 360s Project Natal and may switch over. Thus taking out Nintendo.
@ Gauntlet
Why? The vast majority of the market don't give a damn about the technology behind it. If you're in the demographic of being vaguely interested in gaming but are turned off by traditional controllers, you'll most likely already have a Wii. In my opinion, you'll most likely also see Nintendo as a nice, safe, family-friendly brand with games which are, largely, charming, simple and easy.
You'd also see Microsoft as being very much a console for adolescent boys, a console with lots of violent, difficult games that you have no interest in and don't want your children and/or grandmother to be exposed to. So what that it can see where you're moving? You have a Wii that you're happy to use every other week for a bout of boxing, and perhaps keep up with Wii fit. It's a good product that fills your current need for some "game thing".
Microsoft need to do a lot on top of introducing Natal in order to position themselves in the market against the Wii.
Lowering the PS3 price is not the solution for Sony, this is an easy tactic for corporations when a product isn’t selling that doesn’t work in the long run. It may increase revenues but will decrease profits. There are plenty of options that Sony, has here are some examples:
1)Convert the PS2 to a Wii-like device with motion controls and family friendly/party games. Most people have a PS2, and sell them a cheap conversion kit and new units to include the conversion kits
2)More PSN exclusives, the PS3 may cost more but it should have a wider selection of great innovative cheaper games
3)More PS3 exclusives that are excellent and amazing, more LBP and inFamous and less Home and Haze; also think about a sequel to Shadow of the Colossus (Microsoft is getting weaker in this area)
4)Partner with Netflix and eMusic (was there a reason for the recent eMusic partnership?)
5)Add Satellite radio capability
6)Improvements to Home (if Sony is going to stick with it), think about adding paintball, go-cart racing, whirly ball, etc… make Home a hub of free simple games
7)And the near-impossible partnership with Apple integrating iTunes with the PS3, this would be Sony’s homerun
Sony need to take a more core gamer approach, seeing that Microsoft is now going for the whole social-network-I-Know-What-you-Do-Every-Second-of-the-day connectivity.
I don't think there will be a lot of huzzah during the Sony Conference, except for the obvious God of War 3 stuff.
But seeing that there was no show for Mass Effect 2 during Microsoft's soap box moment, I think we may get a surprise announcement for the PS3.
Who knows really...they might have come up with a way to use the Greatest Controller Ever Made: YOUr Mind.
Core gamers are too small of a segment to be viable, what the big three are doing are trying to expand beyond that small segment. Sony needs to expand beyond core gamers without doing what Nintendo did and alienating them.
@DarkTori
What alienation? Nintendo is promising 4 rehashes featuring mario, a metroid game, and what appears to be an action rpg style Final Fantasy title.
Of course my comments was before the Nintendo presentation… I was disappointed with the two new Mario games, Mario Galaxy 2 looks to be the same game as Mario Galaxy 1 w/Yoshi. I believe that the hard core gaming market wants more innovation and not rehashing of the same old games.
@DarkTori
Lemmings Mario, Mario & Yoshi Galaxy, Co-op Super Mario Brothers, Dr. Mario never-going-to-live-up-to-seven-stars RPG.
I do believe there were four.
To be honest, I'm not sure if they're still alienating core gamers or mocking them at this point. They seemed to be saying that they're leaving the entire demographic to third party developers near the end.
That is, of course, a rough paraphrase.
I've never bought a 360, on the basis that all the interesting games come to PC eventually anyway. But I might have to rethink that attitude on the basis of Natal. It's going to be many years before there's a combination of hardware and software support that can deliver that kind of functionality on the PC. I'm not just talking about Milo. There's no way Molyneux can deliver on what he appeared to show, 'cause however good Milo's facial recognition is, he can still only have a limited range of responses. I'm thinking of the potential for 3D, and movement tracking in 3D worlds. I'm not at all surprised to see from Jonny Lee's Procrastineering blog that this is what he's been working on at Microsoft and, from the brief description he gives of the sensors, it'll easily do way more than the amazing Wiimote demos he posted in the past.
I find myself more in league with Michael Abbott’s (of Brainy Gamer) blog post regarding Mircosoft's keynote. I felt disappointed because it seem as though the same macho, male power fantasies are the only type of game developed and encouraged; where spins-off or squeals only tout more “‘splosions” and more shiny, and what’s neglected are rich, colorful, diverse characters and a more interesting way to tell a narrative. That’s not to say I’m not excited about the likes of Alan Wake and Splinter Cell: Conviction (My God, it looked fantabulous!) and I’ll believe Project Natal when I see it, but I feel as though there was a missed opportunity to step outside the puberty box or take off the beer hat, and put the Western audiences onto something they never knew they liked. Like you, Leigh, I find that by principle I default to PlayStation, but I also feel as though PlayStation is willing to take more chances to bring something new to the people.
With that said, I do realize the financial security in sticking to an already established genre. The economy is looking grim and that it dictates the types of products produced for an already monetarily strained consumer. Safe bets are easy but I think there is something to be said for taking a shot in the dark and seeing what the outcome is, like, for example, Heavy Rain, even if PS is only playing to its audience as well.
Call me archaic, but I still look at M$ as the drunken fratboy who crashed the party, with his backwards baseball cap, his "new haircut", and shouting "bros" to everyone. Somehow he became the center of the party.... pissin' me off.
And that Wii guy… don’t get me started on him….
@Ian
"Rich, colorful, diverse characters and a more interesting way to tell a narrative" are absolutely not what we find in any of the xbox rpg franchises either.
Fable 2, for example, was just so monochromatic, filled with monotone characters and absolutely no narrative.
1 vs 100 and Milo are two major examples of beer hat games, huh?
@Anon
I'm speaking in a VERY general sense and I'm wasn't speaking about the ENTIRE 360 line up. I was factual in citing the types of game that Microsoft tends to promote because of their user base. I don't think I'm wrong in my assessment. Was I a little harsh in my language? Yes, but I don't believe it was without merit. I was being colorful to make a point, so please don't be too offended in case you were.
Then again, I'm only speaking about my very subjective experience and my jaded, cynical sense that western development and design philosophy, while extremely helpful in pushing the industry forward, is not the answer most believe it to be.
As for Milo, I'll believe it when I see it.
It's kind of crazy, so many of your sentiments here could have come right out of my own mouth. Things like being a big SEGA fan, then moving on to Sony, and not expecting much from Microsoft at first... and thinking they would be out of the videogame console market rather quickly.
Again, at first I had the strict mindset of "If it is multi-platform, I will get it for PS3, no questions asked". Now, as with you, I am evaluating each game separately to see where it will best fit. For me, this is mostly due to the 360's abilities in the online gaming realm. At first, I hated Live and the fact you had to pay for it, just to play the same games you have always played for free online on the PC. I was outraged. But, the fact that all my friends were on Live, and how Live makes it oh so easy to get together with your friends and jump into a game, Live has slowly won me over.
Now, if the game is something I can see myself playing online with friends, it is a 360 purchase. Single player multi-platform titles are usually still PS3. And there is no way in hell I could ever see myself popping in a Final Fantasy game with a green 'X' booting up before it. I'll give you the Tales series and the other JRPGs Microsoft has somehow won over... but not Final Fantasy.
(I guess we will see if Microsoft can ever wear away that sentiment...)
Yes that is a nice idea but have you ever thought of going up to the biggest guy on the subway and telling him your thoughts on this. I wonder what he might do, or would you even do it.
Sara
wow gold
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