Author Topic: Video Game Discussion Thread  (Read 192699 times)

Lennis

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2250 on: June 28, 2012, 06:17:29 am »
Well Versus is pretty much so hyped that it will probably sell as much ...

When was the last time we heard anything about Versus?  It's been so long that I have to wonder just how committed S/E is to that project.

X4220

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2251 on: June 28, 2012, 07:57:04 am »
I don't care what he said, I refuse to buy any game with SE logo, even when game is good (Deus Ex: Human Revolution).

Mr Bekkler

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2252 on: June 28, 2012, 04:23:26 pm »
I thought Versus is now being marketed as FFXV?

Never mind I guess that was a bogus video.
« Last Edit: June 28, 2012, 04:25:21 pm by Mr Bekkler »

Lennis

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2253 on: June 29, 2012, 07:36:59 am »
Right on the coattails of that last article I posted, there is more depressing news on the Square/Enix front - maybe the most depressing news we've yet heard.

Motomu Toriyama, director of Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2, has been quoted to say that Square/Enix may no longer do large-scale internal development of games.

"We have a lot of great creators in Square Enix, but for larger-scale development we will be doing more distributed and outsourced development to reach our targets on time."

Read the whole article here: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/173093/Square_Enix_to_avoid_largescale_internal_development_after_Final_Fantasy_XIII2.php


What's stunning to me is the defeatist attitude that has descended upon this once great company.  There was a time when Square couldn't do anything wrong.  Now they're basically saying they no longer know how to create a quality product on their own.  It's "can't, can't, can't" all the time.  What does it say about a company when they have not only lost touch with their customers, but lost touch with themselves?  How does that happen?  It's a complete and utter lack of leadership.  They've allowed the difficulties of the industry to define them instead of blazing their own path, as they once did.  It's really painful to watch.

(It's funny.  Awhile back I predicted that Square/Enix would be getting out of the game-development business to focus more on publishing.  If this interview is any indication, they are taking their first steps in that direction.)

chi_z

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2254 on: June 29, 2012, 10:43:45 am »
how does it happen?? when your fuckin ceo wada listens to a fortune teller, alienating one of the greatest vgm composers and countless other staff members, thats how it happens.

ZealKnight

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2255 on: June 29, 2012, 11:38:14 am »
how does it happen?? when your fuckin ceo wada listens to a fortune teller, alienating one of the greatest vgm composers and countless other staff members, thats how it happens.

No, I actually have a new respect for Wada. He knows he's hated for what FF has become and he wants the staff to fix it. But somehow I don't think his idea for outsourcing grunt work is bad. It might make games faster. Think about 12, it took 4 years to make on PS2. I'm fine with that move. What actually confuses me, is his decision to fire the director of FF14. The game was released prematurely, I don't think by the director's decision. He did in fact make 11, which I personally love, and produced Cross and Xenogears. I think he was smart enough to not do that stupidity. Now I know 14 did terribly and he was in charge of it, leaving him ultimately responsible, but isn't toriyama responsible for both 13 and 13-2? Both are critically infamous, yet he gets to keep his job. Even having 13-3 in the works. I don't think Wada is the problem anymore, i think Kitase is TOO powerful at Square. He doesn't like CT, I believe he said so in an interview. He doesn't get along with Ito. (the only man that deserves to be in charge of FF in place of Sakaguchi) His entire view on video games, is that the story is the only thing that should matter. (yet he still to this day doesnt understand that excellent directing is what made 7 and 10 good, not the story or gameplay, thats why 8 is bad) The only problem is Wada can't do anything about Kitase. He has too much power. If they let him go, think of the backlash Square would get from fans. I think Kitase is protecting Toriyama, holding FF7 over everyone elses head at the corporation. However, we will never know considering how japanese PR works. After all both Takana and Matsuno both "stepped down for health reasons" it must suck to be a director at Square with all the health risks.

Lennis

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2256 on: July 04, 2012, 07:30:01 am »
Why would anyone want to be a AAA game developer?  This is a long overdue editorial on the working conditions of the video-game industry.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/why-would-anyone-ever-want-to-be-a-aaa-game-developer-6384982/?tag=Topslot;BeingAAaaGameDeveloper;WhoWantsToBeAAaaGam;ReadMore

tushantin

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2257 on: July 05, 2012, 08:53:33 am »
Why would anyone want to be a AAA game developer?  This is a long overdue editorial on the working conditions of the video-game industry.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/why-would-anyone-ever-want-to-be-a-aaa-game-developer-6384982/?tag=Topslot;BeingAAaaGameDeveloper;WhoWantsToBeAAaaGam;ReadMore
And here I thought it would be my dream to develop games via our grandest ideas. So much for happiness...

tushantin

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2258 on: July 06, 2012, 08:40:53 am »
Why would anyone want to be a AAA game developer?  This is a long overdue editorial on the working conditions of the video-game industry.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/why-would-anyone-ever-want-to-be-a-aaa-game-developer-6384982/?tag=Topslot;BeingAAaaGameDeveloper;WhoWantsToBeAAaaGam;ReadMore
And here I thought it would be my dream to develop games via our grandest ideas. So much for happiness...

I just remembered something. (I'm thinking predaciously here)

(Yes, I just invented an adverb "Predaciously", based on the adjective "Predacious".)

If I curb my Gandhism slightly in the field of ideals in order to prey on these businesses, the harsh realities of game production and the severity of the seniors actually would, theoretically, give me an open window to climb into financial success as a more visionary director (simply because the work-field devastates everyone else's motivations in employment). Meaning, in order to prey on the desires of my employers I'll have to first feed their desires and goals, but I'll have to be cunning and creative enough to not only satisfy the profits of the declining corporation but make sure I get my deserved credit (meaning, making sure nothing eclipses my value to the company).

Although, that's just theory anyway, and I have still to see how I can practically pull it off. Perhaps the added frustration "might" be worth it. Charm the ignorant, as they say -- "They will believe any superstition so long as they can profit."

Satoh

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2259 on: July 06, 2012, 08:37:10 pm »
Lets think for a moment... Squenix doesn't want a 7 remake until they can top 7 to begin with... There are multiple levels to this, but here's what I think...

The way Squenix is now, I don't WANT them to touch 7 ever again. I've liked most of the Compilation... but the fact is, Squenix pretty much is a laughing stock among its own fans anymore.

13 sucked and had WAAAAAAY too many restrictions (Like this whole anti-save-sharing thing? WTF SERIOUSLY. My PS3 died after abouy 24 solid hours of gameplay.. I was almost done with the tutorial portion of 13...) I regret every cent I paid on 13, and I bought it cheap from a friend, and I couldn't even play it in the end since the whole it-killed-my-console thing.

... and that HORRIBLE Australian-something-mixed accent... Nothing against Aussie accents, mind you, I quite like them, but there was something really off about that one...
And of course the one character I actually liked in 13 died about 20 seconds after showing up, and instead I have to babysit her sheltered, pansy-ass son...
I'm not sure whether it was on purpose or accidental that they allowed us to 'ride' the Ice Queen... but amusing as that entendre is, it still ruined the whole concept of summons...

13-2 I haven't played, but it looks pretentious and stupid.

11 was likewise disappointing, and I'm a huge FF fan AND MMORPG fan... It suited neither of those tastes.

12... likewise... didn't enjoy it at all. The dude was entirely too girly... The girliest dude in a video game ever, and I count Flea in the list.

10, as much flack as it gets, was the best of the FF's in full 3D. Oh sure it had any number of things I loathe and I could go either way on whether it's terrible or enjoyable just on my mood... but the fact is, it DID have some redeeming qualities and there was some replay value.

Lets face it, the last decent game in the FF series was Final Fantasy IX which I will list in full name out of respect. It and it's 3 immediate predecessors were all appropriately fantastic.

I could really say the same about any RPG since the PS3 came out... while not immediately as bad as Squenix's they're all getting steadily more restrictive, less interesting, and generally not as fun to play.

Even Star Ocean: The Last Hope, which I thoroughly enjoyed, (at least until my PS3 died for a second time), was a disappointment in comparison to it's predecessors.

The big draw to Role-Playing Games was originally interaction... right? You saw an odd pixel on the screen you could check it out and maybe it actually WAS something. But that is a thing of the past. Now there are invisible barriers that stop us from even approaching the water's edge that we originally could sometimes even swim in... Now we can't even pretend to get our feet wet. Where once there were houses, or even locked doors... now there is only the building's wall, covered in some sort of impassable debris like a small cat or a tin can that can never be scaled, bounded, or sidestepped.

Even talking to other characters has changed... Once it was just stepping in front of someone and reading text... Then it evolved into a much more interesting system with the occasional animation and sometimes voice acting..... and now they've devolved into text with a very finite number of character face images and an annoying beep every time I advance the speech... (Why does everything have to beep now?)

Realtime animations for generic events? Nah we don't do that anymore because our gameplay is robust... except we didn't have time to add gameplay with all the fancy graphics we were making.

For years people made fun of how RPGs were all the same... well I guess we got what we wished for. Unfortunately, they're not just the same, they're also bad.


Even remakes of good games made shortly after the original are generally terrible...

Cave Story (freeware) versus Cave Story (Paid, Steam) and worse still, Cave Story DS.
The first was the perfect retro. The second was a downgrade, still somewhat fun... the third is nigh unanimously noted as horrible.

Why is it that only the indie developers are paying attention to the basics of what is fun?

Ramsus

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2260 on: July 07, 2012, 08:47:15 pm »
I recently played Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and despite its flaws (namely the unavoidable boss fights, awkward character animations, and overall brevity), I'm willing to consider it the best game I've ever played.

I'm so tired of games that force you to wade through countless hours of consistently mundane gameplay mowing down enemy after enemy in the same exact manner and following linear level designs that discourage exploration except to gain more items or money. Having the choice to talk your way through a situation, to sneak by, or to go ahead and use lethal force, and then have your success based on your actual skill in playing the game and not a bunch of character stats is refreshing. It let's you mix things up and define the game's genre based on how you choose to play the game.

I liked the new Fallout games for similar reasons and even spent 60+ hours playing through Fallout New Vegas, but those games suffer from rather generic characters and bland storytelling, mostly as a result of you playing a generic avatar and not an actual fleshed-out story character.


Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2261 on: July 07, 2012, 09:18:21 pm »
I am playing through Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light and loving it. It has such a simplified, refreshing JRPG approach. Fun combat, interesting class-based system, good music. The storytelling is simple, the menu system is practically non-existent, and the graphics are absolutely gorgeous. This game along makes me think that Squeenix can successfully hand out the game production to affiliated entities. Matrix Software made this game (and was their first Squeenix non-remake for the DS) and they really did do an outstanding job. I'm not saying this game is epic, but it really has captured me in a way that hasn't happened since Final Fantasy IX.

They have Bravely Default: Flying Fairy coming out on the 3DS and this game alone makes me want a 3DS. The graphics are absolutely beautiful and have me completely entranced. I wish the name was a little less wacko, but this game is one of my most-wanted games right now. This one trailer alone doesn't do it justice.

[youtube]zgcpkFB2Qjo[/youtube]

Satoh

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2262 on: July 07, 2012, 11:28:30 pm »
The nonsensical name makes me think of past Indie games I've played, and thus does intrigue me slightly, however the choice of platform immediately revokes my interest.

If there's one company that has wronged me in more ways than Squenix, it would be Nintendo. It is a constant feeling of contempt that some of my favorite series are Nintendo exclusive... or nearly so. There was a time when I was ok with it, being that they'd largely fallen as far as Nintendo itself had in terms of satisfaction... but then, every once in a while, a good game comes along... it all fills me with so much rage.

I mean... I used to like video games... I used to want to work for Square... now I can think of nothing more torturous than having to acknowledge my former business-heroes...

But I suppose that's what drives me forward even still... I have to prove my point that modern video games can still be GOOD, despite all evidence to the contrary.

I think the number one thing that causes  games to fail... is money. The moment gaming became more about sales than satisfaction... was the moment gaming died... some people just haven't realized it yet.

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2263 on: July 08, 2012, 08:03:50 pm »
Quote
The moment gaming became more about sales than satisfaction... was the moment gaming died... some people just haven't realized it yet.

This is true for many different industries. Movies and music are included. More money is often translated as quality, but unfortunately this is far from the truth. More money definitely means that more staff can be utilized, which may result in gameplay mechanics, better graphics, etc. Unfortunately, however, money does not translate to gameplay or "heart." Many video games lack this "heart" mechanic, which indie games have seemed to harness recently.

Corporate control ruins many things. It is for this reason I left a thriving career in the banking industry. Just compare banks versus credit unions as a perfect case-in-point.

I do believe that the Super Mario franchise has done a stellar job remaining fun and innovative without sacrificing the quality of the product. Super Mario 64 progressed things, just as Super Mario Galaxy progressed things even further. Unfortunately, this can't be said for many franchises.

Kodokami

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Re: Video Game Discussion Thread
« Reply #2264 on: July 09, 2012, 01:27:08 pm »
Seems like Square Enix is getting a beating here--for good reason, of course. May I take a moment to point out something they have done well recently?

Imaginary Range. A marriage of comic and gameplay, with Final Fantasy thrown in for good measure. It has actually been released for a while now, but I only discovered it yesterday. It's really quite innovative; I don't know if merging gameplay with comics is truly unique, but Square Enix has done well in my opinion. I can see other developers following suit.

The kicker? Imaginary Range is completely free.

~~~

They have Bravely Default: Flying Fairy coming out on the 3DS and this game alone makes me want a 3DS. The graphics are absolutely beautiful and have me completely entranced.
I can agree to this statement completely. Probably not worth it alone to buy a 3DS, but I can definitely see the appeal. With painted backgrounds like Chrono Cross (which will look gorgeous in 3D, I'm sure) and writing done by Naotaka Hayashi, it's a game I want to try. Maybe my friend will lend me his 3DS.

I never got around to finishing Four Heroes of Light, however...