Games Ahoy!

UMD movies a bust.

2006-03-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

Wal-Mart getting rid of UMD movies.

And generally Hollywood execs are saying its a big waste of money to support the format.

Well no shit Sherlock. I could have told you that.

You see, I'm going to school to learn to make games, but currently I sell games for a living. No one is buying UMD movies. They sit there collecting dust, and they keep sending them to us. I can't figure out why, because there is no way we're making any money off of these.

I wonder why they aren't selling? It may be because they are too expensive for such a format, or that it drains the PSP battery life like a thirsty elephant. There are a few reasons why it could be doing terrible.

I wanna know what Sony was trying to do with the UMD movies. From the word go it seemed like a big waste of time and money, at least to me anyway.

What I wonder now is what is my store is going to do with all these crappy movies? 'cause they certainly aren't going to sell any time soon.

Revolution specs revealed?

2006-03-30T00:06:00.000-08:00

IGN Leaks Nintendo Revolution Specs.

Your going to have to read it on your own, but basically the system is ridiculously under powered. It's barely twice as powerful as the Gamecube, if this even turns out to be true I mean.

Now, I know a lot of people are going "Oh well, power isn't important for the Gamecube! They aren't going for amazing graphics blah blah blah."
I disagree, power is still very important, just not for graphical reasons. You see, everything that happens in the game takes up processing power. The enemies walking around, physics, hell even jumping takes up at least a tiny bit of processing power.

As games get more intense, so do the worlds they exist in, and the amount of processing power needed is increased. A good example for this is Fable. While the game isn't exactly stellar, there are a lot of things going on that the user doesn't even know about. There is a very complex economic system that is constantly working. It's keeping track of what's selling where, at what prices and how it effects other things.
This comes at a price. Even though it's not graphical its taking a bit of the processing power, and they actually even scaled back the graphics for fable a bit to accommodate for this.
AI also can take up a significant amount of processing power depending on how complex it is. Physics also has the same deal.

So no, it's not all about graphics, it never was.

That's why I like the X-Box 360 and it's three very powerful processors. While one (or two, whatever) are working on the graphics and gameplay, another one can be working on something else entirely that's not even noticeable to the player.
I'm not really capable of really expressing my ideas I have for this that are in my head, but there are several ways of using the processors to make a really interesting and changing world.

I think if the Revolution is under powered they will really be taking away their chances of having really in depth games, which makes me sad because I think Nintendo could use a little bit more depth.

About commenting.

2006-03-15T23:30:00.000-08:00

So I've already had a few people comment on this blog, despite that so far I've only told three people about this ... I've had to delete them all.

You want to advertise your service? Good for you. Don't do it here.

I don't care about you selling old and new systems, neither do I care about your Spanish ... whatever.

If your going to comment on this place it better damn well better be useful. Comments such as "LOL!", "X-Box SUX! LOL!" and "Visit my site for cheap consoles! LOL!" will not be tolerated and deleted immediately.

Now I encourage discussion. It is the reason I created this thing to begin with. But if you don't have anything to add to this place, please leave.

PS3 world wide release in November!

2006-03-15T22:26:00.000-08:00

PS3 to all continents in November!

This ... this I did not expect from Sony.

So a few interesting things have come up, and a few of them have addressed some of my major problems with the PS3. First of all the hardrive, which is massive, can now apparently be used for games. At first it wasn't and that just annoyed me because it meant you'd have buy their stupid expensive memory stick things. So there goes that argument.
Second of all they will have a centralized internet network much like X-Box Live! Although this will be powered by Gamespy and be free. So far it seems like nearly a carbon copy of live with a few really unimportant features added on.

So, where does this leave me? The guy who really doesn't like the PS3?

I still don't like it. Regardless of this, it's still launching a year after the 360 at a price I'm still betting is going to be stupid expensive. Also I don't believe for a second they can pull of a world wide release better than Microsoft did, and I doubt even more than they can make the projected million PS3s a month.

What I find even more odd is that when the 360 came out I talked to a Sony rep. We were talking about the 360 shortage and she said something along the lines that it was because of the world wide launch, and that Sony would not be stupid enough to attempt a world wide release.
...
Yeah ok. We'll see how this goes.

PS3 delayed until November in Japan.

2006-03-14T22:33:00.000-08:00

PS3 wont be out until November in Japan.

Since you need to be a member or something in that site to read it, I'll just paste it here.

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will delay the release of its PlayStation 3 next-generation video game console until early November because the copy protection technology for the Blu-ray Disc has not been finalized, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun learned Tuesday.
The six-month delay could impact the Sony Corp. group's business rehabilitation plans because the PlayStation 3 is key to the group's business recovery.
Development of the copy protection technology has fallen behind schedule as consumer electronics makers and movie companies have been unable to work out the details.
Other core parts, including the Cell high-performance chip, are believed to have been developed on schedule.
Featuring the Cell, which came about through joint efforts by the Sony group, Toshiba Corp. and IBM Corp., as well as a Blu-ray Disc drive, the PlayStation 3 is expected to enable users to not only play game and movie software but also download and view high-quality videos on the Internet.
Sony Computer Entertainment announced last May that the successor to the PlayStation 2, the world's best-selling video game console, would be launched this spring. More than 100 million PlayStation 2 consoles have been s
hipped worldwide to date.
Among rival products, Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 was released late last year. Nintendo Co. plans to start selling its next-generation video game console, code-named Revolution, this year.

Now, I'm not surprised, and neither should anyone else be. I mean, it was supposed to come out in spring, which is a week away, and we STILL don't know squat about it. We don't know the specs, the price point, or even most of the games that are coming out for it. There is this huge question mark over the PS3s head.

In this case, Microsoft needs to take huge advantage of this opportunity and REALLY pimp out the 360. Get people to realize just how great of a system it is and make people forget about Sony. Sony has done nothing but step on my toes since about three years ago. I can't stand their business practices and just overall arrogance.

I think the PS2 did well just because of the name. The X-Box, and hell, even the Gamecube are much better systems overall. The PS2 did nothing but anger me, and I didn't even realize it until I got an X-Box and was like "Wow! I'm actually enjoying playing games on a Console! This is how gaming should be!"

Launching a system over a year after the competitor is going to really hurt them. This console war suddenly got a whole lot more interesting.

Squeenix to make new MMORPG

2006-03-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

New next-gen MMORPG in the works.

Not really a big surprise here. Althought hey don't really mention WHAT next-gen system they'll be working with.
I've heard they havn't really done anything for the PS3 yet, because they really don't know anything about the flippin' system. Which for me is a kind of surprise seeing as how it ... well it's SquareEnix, one of the biggest names on the PlayStation. If they don't know about the next big thing, then thats not really a good sign,

Now I already talked about how I hated FFXI in a previous post, so I wont comment on the MMORPG thing. Just that I hope it's actually ... you know ... fun.

EA looking to change.

2006-03-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

EA wants to make more internally developed original games.

This is awesome news in my opinion. EA definitely has the talent working for them, and if they really tried they could make some really cool stuff. The problem is that they've basically made nothing but sports and licensed titles for the longest time.
Besides some of the studios they've bought, I can hardly remember an original game they've made in the past several years. Spore looks to change that, but that's because of the genius that is Will Wright. I get the impression that the man has never had a not-brilliant idea in his entire life.

But yeah, this is great news. I've met people who work in the local EA offices here, and I get the impression that they are a little annoyed with just making sports and movie games. They've really got the talent, why not put it to some good use?

Shiggy knighted by the French.

2006-03-14T01:11:00.000-08:00

Shigeru Miyamoto receives France's Legion of Honor
French jokes aside, good for Shiggy. But doesn't this seem a little ... odd to anyone? I mean he was knighted with two other designers; Michel Ancel and Frédérick Raynal. Now those two makes sense because ..You know ..they are French.

But Miyamoto?

I dunno. It all just seems so random to me.

BioWare opens up Austin office and starts work on a MMORPG.

2006-03-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

Canadian Developer opens up second office in Texas.

So this is interesting news. Bioware is one of my favorite developers. KOTOR is one of my favorite games of all time, and I often got lost in the world of Buldars Gate II. Canada is really lacking of some really truly A+ development studios, so I'm glad BioWare is around.

That said, I hope they bring something new to the MMORPG world. I'm so sick of these fantasy world MMORPGs and really crave for something unique and interesting. I really think BioWare should have the ability to make their own cool universe.

We could really use some real info on this game. Although it seems like it could still be in the pre-production stage.

Gamers stand up for their rights!

2006-03-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

Gamers wont take the politicians crap anymore!

Finally, gamers are organizing to take on the politicians that seem to hate our favorite passtime for whatever reason.

I've been saying for a while now that gamers need to organize themselves together if we want to be able to fight back for our right to play the games we want. I've seen people complaining for years online about how these politicians know nothing about games and how they really effect the people who play them.
Finally it looks like someone is going to take a stand and go "Hey! We're not all crazy psychos!"

I'll admit that some games can get stupid violent, but most people realize it's just a game and whatever they are doing ends when they stop playing.

I'll say this, if a video game does turn someone into a killer, it's probably because there was something wrong with them to begin with, and the game had nothing to do with it.

FFXII gets perfect score from Famitsu

2006-03-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

The Japanese like Final Fantasy!

This really isn't a surprise. Anyone who's anyone can tell you the Japanese like their Final Fantasies.

I on the other hand will usually really only like about 1 out of every 10 Japanese RPGs. To recent date Xenosaga's battle system is very interesting, although having to sit through hour long cut scenes between each one really stretches my limit.
I could just skip them, but for some reason I get the impression that skipping by the cut scenes in Xenosaga kind of defeats the entire purpose of playing Xenosaga.

Apparently Grandia III has an absolutely awesome combat system, but a completely terrible storyline. Which I don't mind so much, because Grandia II stands on my list of four Japanese RPGs I've actually beaten, and that was because the fighting system was just so fun, not because of their silly little love story or whatever was going on in that game.
The fact that the story sucks just makes me feel like it's alright to skip the cut scenes.

Anyway back to Final Fantasy XII, and why I will never ever play it.
First of all, the game looks incredibly fruity. I'm sorry, but I just can't take a game seriously where the main male character struts around barely wearing a shirt and looking like a girl. Tidus in FFX was just barely allowable, but this is just ten times worse than Tidus ever was!
The second reason is that it's using basically FFXI's combat system, but turning it single player. Now I played FFXI ... it's terrible. I hated every moment I wasted in that god forsaken game. I got the impression that Square hated me personally because of how practically everything worked. This is a perfect example of why I just can't stand MMORPGs in general. Combat is no fun and it takes forever to do anything interesting!
The third is that, even if you want to, you can't skip cutscenes! To this I say "What the hell?" I distinctly remember a boss battle in FFX that I kept on dieing at, and then when I went back I had to sit through the same friggen' cut scene over and over again because it I couldn't skip fast enough. I can't imagine having to view the full cutscene every single time I died. I'd have probably just broken the disc in half!

So yeah, that's my general opinion on this whole ordeal.

And for those who are curious. Here is a list of Japanese RPGs that I have actually completed:
Final Fantasy X, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Grandia II

And now a list of Japanese RPGs I've bought and yet to complete:
Full Metal Alchemist, Kingdom Hearts, .Hack, Final Fantasy X-2, Xenosaga, Xenosaga II, Sword of Mana.
The list is longer still if I add in stuff I've just played, but haven't bought.

Ads on XBox Live?

2006-03-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

Microsoft to add ads to XBox Live, among other things.

So Microsoft are taking on Yahoo and Google to put ads on their services such as MSN and other stuff. This includes XBox live. Yay.

People are sort of pissed off about this, and I can understand. I mean, your paying for Live! You should not have to see ads. And if you do see ads, Live should either be cheaper, or better yet, free.

Yeah whatever you damn hippies.

I honestly don't care. I remember back in the days when IGN first went from totally free content to, mostly free contend, to full page ads with annoying sound and crap. People were pissed off back then, which I can sort of understand I guess.
The ads are sort of better now, and the complaining less noticeable. I think it's just the way some things progress. I'm pretty sure some people were pissed off when the radio and TV started getting ads or whatever.
It just shows that games are starting to become important enough to really advertise in.

Besides, I don't think they'd be stupid enough to put in full page screaming ads. I think the popularity of google ads has proven that's not really necessary.

[edit] I totaly misread the article. Edit for clarity.

New Super Mario Bros. Screenshots.

2006-03-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

Nintendo has posted some new screens of the New Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo DS.

This is good news 'cause nothing really has been released, and what has been released doesn't really show a whole lot. This on the other hand shows pretty much everything I needed to know to make me want the game.

It's a normal 2D side scroller
The fireflower returns (finally!)
that's really it.

After I had seen a few shots I was worried that they were going to turn this game into some crazy ass Mario vs. Luigi race game thing. Turns out that's just the multiplayer, which looks like it can be pretty fun, but I just didn't want that to be the actual game.

I recently re-played Super Mario Bros. 3 in all it's glory as well, and this game looks almost exactly identical to SMB3, just with 3D models instead of sprites.

So yeah, this is a definite purchase in my books. The DS constantly proves to me that it is an awesome little system with games like this.

Welcome to Games Ahoy!

2006-03-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

Hello, I am John Mackay.
I'm 22 years old, and am currently going to the Art Institute of Vancouver for Game Art and Design. I plan to one day be a lead game designer.
The game industry is something that has always interested me, and even when I was young and had no idea I would choose to go into this line of work I kept a close eye on it. Now that I am though, I am keeping an even closer eye on it.
Even among my fellow classmates I keep a closer eye on the industry. Of course because of this I've developed some interesting opinions on games and the developers that make them.
After having many discussions with fellow students and even professional designers, I have decided to take my opinions to the internet. I hope you have as much fun reading this stuff as I do writing, and that there will be plenty of fun, and maybe even slightly heated conversations in the future.

[edit] Oh yeah.
I do not claim this site to be proffesional, in fact expect it to be completly and totally biased. Thats the entire point of this blog. For me to tell my opinion on things and not hold back.