Forum - View topicANNCast - Game Show with Todd 'n Dave
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3 Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
|
|||
Ouch. Okay. Sorry to have let you down. To be honest the chief topic of the show was E3, which by most accounts - at least my own and the ones I tend to listen to - it wasn't a particularly exciting or inspiring year. I didn't really see much of anything that lit my hair on fire and that was the general impression I got from pretty much everyone else, including Dave and Todd. "Shrug" was the chief emotion being expressed, I think. We really don't talk about games that much on the show - Justin isn't a gamer and I try to keep the show focused on whatever the topic at hand is, so outside of a couple short discussions in the first segment when I have a guest cohost, it never really comes up. So I suppose my personal take on this stuff isn't very clear and when I do an entire episode about E3 that's mostly "shrug", it comes across differently than intended. At any rate we'll likely do another show on gaming maybe in 6 months or so, and I'll broaden the focus of the show to allow more generally positive discussion rather than simply talking about how E3 was really underwhelming. |
||||
|
||||
MeggieMay
 Posts: 607 |
|
|||
I'm sorry I didn't realize the episode was specifically about E3. I have to admit I skipped almost everything to do with E3 this year because I A) don't usually follow it to being with and B) I spent most of last week trying to get my PS3 Welcome Back package stuff figured out [which I finally have worked out, though I had a power outage earlier tonight that just made things go wonky around here. I've never had the power go out (we had a bad thunderstorm with hail) and come back on "kind of" before - as in some lights came back up, but at half power, and the TV and some clocks were OK but the microwave was out and the refrigerator was sounded like it was straining to get power?! Then the power went totally out again for 10 minute and when it came back up, all seems to be OK. I'd have said "brown out" or tripped breakers but it seemed to be only effecting part of the house and then it all went back to normal without my even going to check the breaker box? So part of me is still a bit worried about what exactly happened, because I've lived in this house since I was ten and I've have never, ever, seen anything like that happen before  ) However, to get back on topic, I found my PS3 recovered what I was downloading without a hitch, which was nice.]
Anyway, I have to admit the only thing I picked up from E3 coverage is what I saw of the Wii U didn't impress me at all (it looked like an expensive add on that wasn't necessary). The PS Vita didn't catch my attention yet (it's noted but that's about it) and did Xbox even show up?  j/k but yes, I understand why you were just going "meh" now, if this was suppose to be about E3 specifically (for some reason I didn't pick up on that part of it - I guess I thought it was about video games in general using E3 as a jumping in place??).
Well I'd love to hear you do another show about the topic in the future. There does seem to be a clear link between Anime fans and Video Gaming fans having a shared interest, so discussions on the topic aren't really out of the sphere of interest for ANNCast, in my opinion (though it shouldn't be the main focus but I never felt you were suggesting that was ever going to be the case). |
||||
|
||||
Ranma824
 Posts: 456 |
|
|||
|
I'm sorry, but if you think cellphones are going to replace actual portable game systems; that's just delusional.
Yes, there are games on phones now that will/have satisfied a certain segment of people. But I hesitate to call that segment "gamers" in the first place. I honestly never had a problem with "slowdown" in Wander. |
||||
|
||||
Charred Knight
 Posts: 3085 |
|
|||
It depends, the PSP was heavily pirated and so sales where abysmal, you would have millions of people download it, and maybe 400,000 sales if they where lucky. The only thing that saved the PSP where the Japanese who actually bought the games. |
||||
|
||||
Greed1914
 Posts: 4421 |
|
|||
|
I have to disagree with what they said about Twin Snakes. Yes, those action sequences are something you would see in Metal Gear, but you wouldn't see them from Solid Snake, who was always considered a normal human being. Someone with the various types of enhancements or powers that some characters have in the games could do it, but not Snake. It also doesn't help that the game was really just Metal Gear Solid using MGS2's engine and trappings with little that changed so it took away from the challenge.
Don't feel bad, Zac. I had the same reaction this year and last year. With as many gaming sites as there are and as much hype as companies try to generate because they can sink millions into just one game, the PR departments push out trailers and gameplay footage year-round. E3 used to be about big reveals, but much of the info about the new hardware was known or leaked prior to the show. Companies get so worried about their game being lost that they will make announcements just before E3 and then the excitement is over by the time the show starts. For example, Rocksteady revealed the Catwoman is a playable character in Batman: Arkham City in a trailer the week before E3. So, while it was interesting to see the gameplay footage during E3, the whole "Oh wow, Catwoman!" excitement had worn off for me by then. |
||||
|
||||
daveriley
 Posts: 117 Location: Philadelphia |
|
|||
|
I'm surprised so many thought I wasn't enthusiastic! I didn't feel unenthused. Maybe I should've talked more about transfarring? Because I am super psyched about transfarring. To elaborate on what I said on the show, if I can transfarr the things I want from the Vita to the PS3 I am there day one. I don't expect them to start giving away free copies of one game for one system when buying the other immediately, but I'm sure it'll happen with time when, inevitably, it doesn't perform as well as they'd like. That's when I'll be there to snap it up! I want to transfarr everything. Even if this is not the technical term for Sony's transfarring versus Konami's transfarring SCREW IT. EVERYTHING IS TRANSFARRING. I hope they rerelease Symphony of the Night so I can transfarr that too! How about Suikoden? Transfarr everything up in this piece!
I wouldn't say I was let down by E3. The general topic of the podcast was the press conferences. I could've been more excited about the Wii U, but I'm surprised my statement of 'if this is a machine where you can play Pacman Versus I will buy it' didn't come over as overwhelmingly positive. In this age of online multiplayer, couch gaming with friends still holds a special place in my heart. Asymmetrical multiplayer? Yes please! I want to be one of four jerks chasing a guy around a maze, having to coordinate with the other three jerks while the guy with the screen in his controller narrowly evades it at every turn. I will likely buy this system day one simply to play Catch Mii. The other games I'm excited/interested in didn't come up. Dead Island looks pretty neat! It looks like the co-op concepts of Left 4 Dead with the vague gameplay ideas (leveling up, weapon collection) of Dead Rising. Yes please! Those are two of my favorite games of all time! Plus I get to play as a rapper who breaks stuff! You know what else was one of my favorite games of all time? 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand! "Yo 50, jump over that big ass ramp!" We learn, in retrospect, that the ramp was not really that "big ass" at all, and Tony Yayo may have been compensating for something. But we jump it still, because otherwise we fear it may hurt his feelings. I also forgot to sneak in something about that 3D television they're putting out that'll allow for two completely separate images to be displayed. Co-op on the couch without requiring two TVs and two consoles! Yes please! If they put that in many/most games I would happily make the PS3 and its successor our lead console where right now it's the 360. I know this will sound incredibly bougie, so please disregard if possible, but having two consoles and two TVs (or a TV and a computer monitor) and buying two copies of a game (or buying one and renting one, as we usually do) is a pain in the ass. Also, as the sage said, my wallet is too small for my 50s and my diamond shoes are too tight. And let's not forget about Deus Ex: Human Revolution AKA OH MY GOD CAN SOMEONE PLEASE INVENT A TIME MACHINE AND MAKE IT AUGUST RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THAT GAME LOOKS SO GOOD! I can't wait to sneak around in vents and turn invisible and leap tall buildings in a single bound and talk to people about the Illuminati and if it's not too hard would you PLEASE include a young Tracer Tong talking about how we're all gonna live in hamlets. God, I hope that game is good. All indications are that it's gonna be excellent, but I'm allowing my hopes to soar over this title in a way that I do not normally do and I'm feelin' like Sean Bean in Equilibrium when Christian Bale discovers he's sense offending. All I gotta say is "tread softly, because you tread on my dreams." And Dead Rising 2! They're rereleasing it and I've proven that I'll buy any game Capcom rereleases if I like it even marginally. That's why I own copies of Resident Evil 2 and 3 on PS1, Dreamcast, Gamecube and PSN. So too will I buy this. I hope they manage to sneak a Segway into this one because that was the most fun of Case West! Also, it is co-op right? Because I'm really gonna hate it if my girlfriend and I can't "cover wars yannow" together. Actually, can one of us just play as Chuck Greene? He shouldn't be there, probably, but the way that lovable Canuck says "ZOOMBIES" in his lovable Canucky sort of way never fails to charm me. And to avoid taking up too much space, because I have already written an absurd amount, and there are miles to go before I sleep, here are other things that look awesome/I have hopes for/I really want to be good but probably won't be (Resident Evil Racoon City): Ninja Gaiden 3, Bioshock Infinite (OMG KEN LEVINE PLEASE JUST MAKE ANOTHER SYSTEM SHOCK 2. Also I really wish I hadn't had that part about the tears in space spoiled because that would've been the best thing ever and I usually don't care about spoilers at all!!), and there's this little game called Monaco that sounds -crazy- fun! I wish I could get my hands on it and smother it in kisses! But on to comments in this thread: I don't think anyone said DSes and PSPs are going away immediately, but you'd have to be blind not to avoid seeing the marketshare smartphones are gobbling up. I see maybe one DS or PSP on the subway a day, but I see dozens of people looking at their smart phones. The fact of the matter is that the general populace is not very discerning, and would rather pay $1 for Angry Birds than $40 for Final Fantasy, regardless of the quality of either. This is anecdotal, but I live in one of the most populous cities in the US and I've had a 3DS since almost day one. My job involves a lot of walking around and occassionally riding the subway, and in these many months I've gotten all of four street passes and seen a grand total of one person actually holding a 3DS. That's worrisome numbers, even anecdotally. I'm not saying that this is the final generation for handhelds. I hope it isn't, because I find touch controls to be pretty miserable pretty much across the board. But don't be surprised if the iPhone continues to gobble up more mindshare. People don't like carrying a ton of shit around. They'd rather have a phone that's a camera and a voice recorder and can play Angry Birds than carry around that, and their wallet, and their keys, and their PSP, and whatever else they need. And on the topic of Odin Sphere, I've spent a lot of time while writing this post mulling over whether "you didn't get it" or "you just suck at it" is the most immature response possible. Indeed, to reply in kind I have crafted my own immaturity: you are correct, I did not 'get' the game that relies on all of two buttons without even so much as a rhythmic requirement, a game that could not, in any sane way, expect its single button combat to hold its luster through forty hours of gameplay even IF it didn't recycle bosses and areas almost -immediately-. Seriously guys? The first boss of the second chapter is exactly the same as the last boss of the first chapter. This does not set off a warning bell in your head? I feel like I am taking crazy pills here. Trust me, the simple joy and charm of growing a pair of sheep from a seed nourished by the souls of your enemies is not lost on me. However, that charm does not persist for the length of a forty hour game, and to label any opinion that dissents with your own as 'not getting it' is childish. If I were to take that tack, I could say you "just don't get" good game design, or "you just suck at" big boy games that require you to do more than senselessly spam the attack button while using super OP potions that, frankly, thank god alchemy exists because at least it trivializes most of the repeated boss fights to the point where you can just sleepwalk through them. If that makes you mad, I apologize, my intent is only to put a mirror to your arguments. I humbly request that if you want to defend Odin Sphere you attack my arguments instead of attacking me. In fact, if you want to send bilious screeds about Odin Sphere and my lack of understanding thereof to [email protected] we'll do a whole Fast Karate episode about it.  At the very least, it'll give me good reading material!
One thing I do appreciate Odin Sphere for is that its names for vegetables supplanted the actual names for vegetables in our vocabulary, such that any time an onion was in close proximity my roommate and I would shout "ONIONNE!!" That's persisted to this day, and every time I say "Onionne" it reminds me of that time in my life, a very happy time, and it makes me smile. So in the end, I do have something nice to say about Odin Sphere.
Still, if Twin Snakes was a person's only access to the game, which it very well may have been in that console generation, I wouldn't have said avoid it just because it doesn't explicitly adhere to "Kojima's vision." If you read all the things I wrote, I apologize. That was probably poorly advised. This is what you get when I've taken a sick day. I would like to thank the ANN forums for giving me thirty minutes where I could think about something other than nausea. You're the best! |
||||
|
||||
|
HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
|
|||
To be fair, the first person to volunteer to help was German (and I think they do a good job of showing that support comes from ALL OVER THE WORLD, so TECHNICALLY their "Americans are jerks" bit COULD be consistent, altho I took that as more of a shot at our government/military rather than explicitly at our nation). I also think MOST (not all) people that have an issue with Summer Wars seem intent on putting it in this box that requires laser like focus on the motivations of Natsuki and Kenji. Summer Wars is a true ENSEMBLE piece. To be honest, once they put in the pseudo-incestuous take on Natsuki and the uncle I checked out on her character, and Kenji is pretty much a spectator for most of the film. If I had to choose a "heroine" it'd be the grandmother, and King Kazuma is more the "hero". But it seems like people keep complaining that the movie doesn't do enough to either develop or utilize the two people they think are SUPPOSED to be the main characters. |
||||
|
||||
|
Greed1914
Posts: 4421 |
|
|||
Transfarring is a very interesting bit of technology. The idea of mobility when you want it, and a bigger screen when you don't is great. The thing I wonder about it is how will trophy support work. As it stands now, a save file doesn't retroactively give trophies, for example Fallout 3 had them patched in for the PS3 version and you had to play it again to get the trophies. Now the Vita will have trophy support, so I'd really like Sony to find a way to transfer trophies so I don't have to do the same things twice. Then again, that isn't a huge deal since trophies are largely meaningless. I might love having over 1100 trophies, nine of which are platinum, but I acknowledge that it really doesn't matter. |
||||
|
||||
doctordoom85
 Posts: 2092 |
|
|||
|
I think what helps keep most of the Zelda fanbase intact is that even if most of the series is very similar to one another, it helps that it's part of a genre (adventure) that the video game industry isn't constantly shoving down our throats (*COUGH* FPS *COUGH*). It's not like a Zelda game comes out every year so I can't really notice the repetition, and since adventure games aren't that common nowadays it doesn't feel too familiar.
Am I hearing Tenchi hate here?  I've grown numb to the Key hate, but now Tenchi? Though while I'd sorta agree with Kanon's protagonist being "flat", I'd hardly call the protagonist of Air "flat" since he had an actual story. Of course, the Key trilogy are actually anime adapted well from visual novels, so I guess the only reason they're brought up is no one can remember off the top of their head actual bad anime based on visual novels (oh, they definitely exist, but you kinda forget about them).
Oh, IT FIGURES, I saw that Lupin game at my Gamespot and considered getting it, but my friend was with me and said, "dude, it'll probably suck", so I passed on it. It better still be there this weekend, that's all I can say. I certainly consider anime to be a bigger hobby for me than gaming. The problem with gaming is that most of the games I enjoy (RPG, adventure) require a decent-long time to complete, and I like to have plenty of time to play them all the way through with week/month-long hiatuses that might arise due to school/work. Anime has no such problem, I can watch 1-2 episodes of any series per day and keep following it no problem. Also, the convention thing doesn't really prove gaming is a bigger hobby for most anime fans, just that playing a video game with other people is a more rewarding experience than watching an anime with the other people as one doesn't really gain much by doing the latter with others. |
||||
|
||||
I listen to Fast Karate because someone listed it as a worthy podcast to check out on ANNCast (it's been a while ago now), so I realize Dave is kind of laid back in general and I don't think he was really un-interested during this podcast verse it just being who he is. The problem I had was Dave is usually a bit more excited than this and Zac and Todd weren't helping out at all, so all three of them came off like they'd been taking allergy medication that made them drowsy 
. I don't mind discussions about gaming at all (most Anime podcasts do it) but when you manage to make video gaming sound less interesting than say Olympic Curling, you've really missed the mark with the topic 
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group