Not much that I need to post here but looking at the details below should paint a clear picture.
Gamespot: MLB 2K10 (PS3) – 7.0, MLB 2K10 (360) – 7.5 but Final Fantasy 13 (PS3) – 8.5. Final Fantasy 13 (360) – 8.5!
1up: Bayonetta (PS3) – (A-), Bayonetta (360) – (A) but Final Fantasy 13 (PS3) – (A-). Final Fantasy 13 (360) – (A-)!
IGN: Bayonetta (PS3) – (8.2), Bayonetta (360) – (9.5) but Final Fantasy 13 (PS3) – (8.9). Final Fantasy 13 (360) – (8.9)!
Let’s be honest over the past couple of years you’ve questioned every review score you’ve read and the grade it was given. You’ve thought to yourself that games that were given a 9.2 deserved a 10, a 10 should have been a 7 and so on. That’s the debate that fuels the gaming internet and blogs to no end, but this week behind closed doors there’s a new debate brewing. One that’s been getting stronger and stronger over the past few years.
The debate for developers to choose a lead platform, development with the 360 or optimize their projects by leading on the PS3. The debate to create the next best genre defining game or pale in comparison to what’s coming from Sony’s first party studios. Journalists won’t talk about it and they’ll never make it a front page article. Although Developers are beginning to speak out and become more vocal, because they see the trends changing but the media isn’t eager to swallow their pride and report anything that’s really newsworthy.
Hardware sales are in the PS3’s favor worldwide and while the NA gaming media may not be interested in talking about anything but US numbers (NPD) since it would completely crush their sales argument, the last battleground is software. For Third Party it’s gotten to the point, that if they don’t release games multiplatform they’re losing a large group of potential customers, games are no longer selling 2:1 in favor of the 360. Game sales are now dependent on the game type, and what other titles the system is releasing around that same time. BFBC2 was competing with MLB the Show, Heavy Rain and MAG on the PS3 which all sold well. When the numbers for BFBC2 release it’s my belief that the it won’t sell double on the 360 as was not the case with MW2. With that being said developers not only have to cater to the PS3 audience just as much as the 360 audience now, they are torn with being average amongst their peers if they’re unable to innovate. Mind you I say average but with this generation of games an average game is a very very good game.
This is where GDC, which I’m calling Game Developers Choice 2010 comes in. Are the third party studios going to be content to lose out on all the awards to Sony First Party Studios again? Uncharted 2 says BOOM! These games take an extremely long time to create and for the developers it’s not just about a business but it’s about recognition for their hardwork and ideas. If you’ve worked on something for a long time and it goes unnoticed, or just doesn’t have that special something to get recognition from your peers, it’s gonna hurt, and make all that hard work like it was wasted.
2010 has already started with a “BOOM” and you’ve seen Heavy Rain praised by gamers and developers alike, you’ve seen MAG push the boundries of what PC and console shooters can do, and it looks like God of War is getting more praise than most games from 2009 did already. A common theme you’re hearing about these titles is, “A new bar has been set!” and “It only does Everything!” is becoming the perfect tag line for anything the PS3 does.
So this GDC there will be some developers deciding weather they need to be a trendsetter, setting standards or hoping the confused gaming press will help hide they average projects. I’m a fan of those who push the boundries and develop beyond what gamers are used to, so I’m going to give you my best advice.
1. Embrace Blu-ray
2. Develop with the PS3 as your lead sku
3. Don’t worry about gaming press and reviews, we don’t base our purchasing decisions on them anymore
4. Don’t kid yourself thinking you can release a poorly ported game on a sony console and it won’t tarnish your image
5. Develop Good games and gamers will buy them
Follow these five rules and you’ll increase your chances of being nominated for Game of the Year awards and praise from other developers.
There are some games that are just so good, no matter what console they’re on the reviewers realize that giving an undeserving score would be suicide. God of War 3 reviews have gone live and no one has deared challenge Kratos, but instead have decided to rightfully bow to his gaming excellence. Funny thing about the reviews going live today and the news that has followed, wasn’t there another big game that’s getting released tomorrow? It would seem that the sense of scale which Sony Santa Monica has created has overshadowed what was supposed to be one of the greatest RPGs to grace this generation.
Unfortunately with every bit of good news comes the bad news, although the reviews can’t deny Kratos’ greatness some podcasters have stated this game is probably just a rental and that just cause would provide more bang for your buck. Let me set the record straight anyone who tells you that is smoking something the world has never known! This is wear people try to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, but the are sorely mistaken. We only have one week to wait and at Midnight, and at that time the spartan who made himself a God will have vengeance
This week many will be playing Final Fantasy 13, while others finish up Heavy Rain or continue their season of MLB the Show. I know some have been trying to play BFBC2 and are having a great time, and I’ll be giving that a go later today. So my question to all of you now that the reviews trickling out are which will you chose? Final Fantasy 13 or God of War 3 or both? Please leave your comments as to what reason you’ve decided to purchase it and why you’re not picking up the other.
Personally I’ll be ordering FF13 just to see what all the hubbub is about, I mean a game that can create such controversy and take so long to make should be amazing no? As for God of War I’m a big fan of the series, Kratos and the gameplay, and after replaying the Collection and the PSP prequel, I’m eagerly anticipating what the outcome of this Epic battle will be. It’s my hope that Kratos drop kicks Zues in Hades and shoves a lighting bolt up his MAG!
2010 went off with a big bang! First many gamers were able to battle it for the first time with 255 other players in a Massive First Person Shooter called MAG, selling over 500,000 copies. Then gamers showed their emotions playing games for the first time with the dramatic and suspensful Heavy Rain which also ran up the charts and sold well. Just recently The show graced us with the greatest representation of baseball know to consoles and PCs, improving upon the gameplay in every way.
We’ve recently been treated to a taste of what’s to come from Zipper with the announcement of Socom 4, and there are rumours of many good things to come from GDC, possibly Killzone 3, Infamous 2, Resistance 3 and who knows what else. It’s looking like the gamble for investing in First Part studios is really hitting it’s stride as we notice the increasing drawbacks of multiplatform games and the use of DVD. It seems that 3rd party are using blu-ray and starting to use PS3 as the lead platform. Although the some gamers might have no choice this week when experiencing Final Fantasy with Full HD, Video, Audio, Gameplay Resolution, and a single disc.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the gaming community Play Beyond!
To help celebrate with the 1 year status of Killzone 2, Guerrilla Games is putting on a DLC contest at Killzone.com.
For those of you who don’t own any of the DLC yet or simply want to pass it on to some friends, you can check out Killzone.com for the contest info. All you need is a Twitter account and some good luck.
Good on Guerrilla for having the contest open to the following countries:
Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.
With MAG being such a ball buster to get on GameFly considering it has been unavailable for over 3 weeks I had decided to rent a different game in the mean time. I got Bioshock2 in on Saturday and had it finished by Sunday. The game is fun,addictive, and has a special feel from any other game. Once I played the game and went through the entire story I had to right this review.
The original Bioshock was a story of a man who’s plane goes down in the Atlantic. While floating amongst the debris he finds a hatch in the middle of the ocean to an underwater utopia (Rapture). Rapture had been a place created be a man that was sick of the way government told its people what they could or couldn’t do. Needless to say under an anarchy policy the under water city of Rapture became corrupted by Genetic alterations and greed. With that said and as great as the reviews for it where i stopped playing through it and sent it back to Gamefly only an hour into the game.
We’re back with another episode of the Helcast. This week, Death555666 and LTM83 stop by as we talk DLC, one year of Killzone 2 and go on way too long about what we’ve been playing.
This week marks the first year of Killzone 2. Time sure has went by quickly, especially when considering that there was more than just Killzone 2 to squeeze into 2009’s busy videogame releases.
The official word from Killzone.com is that they’ll be running a few contests and special features to mark their first year of success. So be sure to check out the site for more info on that.
Overall, I felt that Killzone 2 lived up to it’s expectations and a bit more regardless of what the naysayers were hoping. Good job on Guerrilla Games for pulling it off. I also have to thank them for the headache that the game was to finish on the Elite difficulty mode.
xoiea: @john you don't need to cancel it., its less than a week away., unless you got the extra cash, heavy rain would be nice to fill that gap.
PantherX: if u can find a better game then GOW3 please lemme know what it is so i can play it.
johnrazor: I just preordered GOW3 but I may cancel it, is their any other good games I should buy first? I still don't have heavy rain.
LTM83: No lines crossed brudda! Never a truer word spoken.
xoiea: did i cross a line when i said Xbots. I didn't mean to offend.. won't happen again. I promise, it's just i don't know what ro call diluted fools.
Standard Podcast [67:19m]: 
