Messages

1

TalkBack / Re: Comparing Wii U's Sales to GameCube, Wii

« on: April 26, 2014, 09:25:31 PM »

Complaining publicly is good. Sending direct messages of discontent through private means isn't a substitute for public discontent. You’re not actually suggesting that, therefore I must have misunderstood you. Apologies.

It is nevertheless a good suggestion that, in addition to public discontent on a not so random forum, sending emails directly to Nintendo is a positive. I’m sure some have done that already while others might do so on the back of your suggestion. For Nintendo, having fan emails that, upon closer inspection corroborate sentiments in the public domain (NWR) will undoubtedly have some impact.
As for the broken record remarks. Well complaining repeatedly is also a useful form of protest. Now we agree that all protest is not equal. Some are more tasteful than others, some more classy, while others might be downright abusive.

In this case, was it appropriate to regurgitate old criticisms under the article “Comparing Wii U's Sales to GameCube, Wii”? According to the context of article, the only answer which makes sense is a ‘yes’. Because omission from the discussion on what everyone’s best guesses are as to why Nintendo is currently in deep trouble with the Wii U, would be a massive oversight. Omission of the best reasons simply because they’ve been expressed ad nauseam in the past is nonsense. I don’t think anyone has suggested this so obviously I have misunderstood.

Bringing old but still valid points at appropriate times is the only way it can work.
At the end of the day, all of what I’ve said above is just beating around the bush. The heart of the matter is that criticism of Nintendo is not well received by some Nintendo fans who are happy with the status quo. This isn’t unique to NWR, Nintendo or gaming. It is a universal human trait. The solution is to not be excessively sensitive about it while still being sensitive enough that you can weed out bad arguments from the good ones.

However, what should be common and apparent to all here is that every single member here is asking for a better Nintendo. Some think that existing Nintendo is good enough as is. Ask Iwata and he would probably disagree with that notion himself.

Finally, those fans who’re happy with the Wii U but can sympathize with the other side. You are awesome!

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TalkBack / Re: Comparing Wii U's Sales to GameCube, Wii

« on: April 26, 2014, 01:34:53 PM »

Adrock, it's not a reasonable thing to - unilaterally or in a partisan way - request a moratorium on certain subjects. Nevertheless, your desire to see a stop to disgruntled Nintendo fans expressing negative sentiments on a Nintendo fan site won’t go unheeded, as some percentage of the people (me included) will inevitably take the hint.

However those who ignore your request, staying behind to continue to publicly petition for change within Nintendo, those are great fans and great people. Because by sticking around they’re doing the Nintendo community a major service. How so? Well as a general rule of life, as the diversity of opinion is reduced anywhere, there will be an inevitable rise in radical opinion. It was true for the Guyana tragedy in the 70’s, it was true for the puritan Massachusetts Bay colony in the 1670’s, and it is true for any totalitarian dictator in any part of the world, present or past. It rings true in political, religious, economic, military and entertainment circles alike.

Wishing for exclusion is not a healthy state. Seeking isolation from criticism is not forward thinking.

It is always disappointing to see the deleterious nature of some of the remaining Nintendo fans, especially because I know we all love the same company that gave us commonly shared and cherished experiences not matter our (i.e. everyone’s) age or gender differences.

When people choose to criticize Nintendo, the criticisms must always be judged by their own merits. Attacking the critic or showing discontent towards them rather than the merits of the criticisms themselves, is at best an asymmetric form of non-engagement and at worst a personal attack that contributes to a qualitative deterioration of the discussion. It is a Red Herring and an Ad Hominem.

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TalkBack / Re: Comparing Wii U's Sales to GameCube, Wii

« on: April 26, 2014, 05:18:40 AM »

Previous post @MagicCow64

PS: Why not edit button?

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TalkBack / Re: Comparing Wii U's Sales to GameCube, Wii

« on: April 26, 2014, 05:17:43 AM »

I wonder what kind of person you have to be in real life to write something so ill intentioned. It'd be great if you didn't take things so personally. Also, people are more important than a brand, don't forget.

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TalkBack / Re: Comparing Wii U's Sales to GameCube, Wii

« on: April 24, 2014, 11:16:54 AM »

What's your view Mario?

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TalkBack / Re: Comparing Wii U's Sales to GameCube, Wii

« on: April 23, 2014, 07:35:24 PM »

 

The reality is that the biggest Nintendo fans have been neglected the most by Nintendo. To not much drama or fanfare, Nintendo has turned its back on the real Nintendo fans, leaving behind either the most obscenely irrational fan or just the younger generation (say younger than 25) who have yet to tire of experiencing a half dozen sequels to an old concept rooted in the 80’s or 90’s while the rest of the world has moved on to full blown interactivity and fresh IP such as Minecraft, Dayz and Star Citizen.

 Although I probably will regret it, please cite examples of Nintendo turning its back and neglecting fans.

 Rather than pursue an avenue of discussion that’d fracture the conversation further, it’d be far more productive carrying a policy of just trusting that most people are honest to themselves. So for example when fans - perhaps such as yourself - who’re currently satisfied with the quality of Nintendo products say something like “Nintendo is at the top of their game at the moment, damn the naysayers!”, then those - such as myself - holding negative feelings about Nintendo must still listen to such sentiments because they are genuine. Because you are genuine. Alternatively there is no reason to suspect that people who used to be Nintendo diehard’s but have since deserted them are fake.
And those are two extremes. Opinions don’t have to be so clearly defined to be so mutually understandable.
As for why I bring up Minecraft, Dayz and Star Citizen it’s simple. All of those IP’s are brand new. They had $0 in marketing, zero brand recognition, and zero brand loyalty and became absolute hits. Both Minecraft and DayZ inspired new genres spawning dozens and dozens of imitations and offshoots, each selling truckloads themselves.  You are right in that DayZ alone has sold 1.8 million units but its sales trajectory easily leaves room for more than a doubling of that figure. 0 to 1.8 million in just 5 months and the game is still in alpha, broken, imbalanced and selling rapidly.
As for Star Citizen, there is a unique reason for mentioning it. Ever heard of the expression “don’t just complain, vote with your wallet”? Well, as of the time of writing the project has raised $42,807,552 with still no gameplay available. Star Citizen might fail or end up a scam but what cannot be denied is that there are a LOT of gamers out there and so starved of space simulation that they are willing to take a risk and back an ambitious dream project.
If you ask any publisher – including Nintendo - if they’re happy to have missed the opportunity of engaging with such a generous consumer base and passing up on owning a new widely ambitious IP, what do you suppose their response will be?
I don’t want to fixate on any of these games because it’s the idea behind them that counts. The Nintendo I knew and loved was the cutting edge of gaming and game design. They were pioneers of new genres.
One day - perhaps in the distant future - we’ll have games be like Avatar or Star Trek; entire worlds to explore, ecosystems to protect, tragedies to uncover, dramas to unfold, population to protect, opinions to manage and justice to fight for. Games like Minecraft, DayZ and Star Citizen, though rudimentary, are on that path. Nintendo must again show interest in big ideas.
Smash Brothers was a big idea in its day. Mario Kart was a big idea in its day. Pikmin was a big idea in its day. Metroid was a big idea in its day. Goldeneye was a big idea in its day, Mario Galaxy was a big idea in its day. But since those days Nintendo became much more profitable before the decline, and yet the proportion of games with big ideas has gone down to zero even though quality has arguably remained as high as ever (i.e. Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World).
 

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TalkBack / Re: Comparing Wii U's Sales to GameCube, Wii

« on: April 23, 2014, 10:47:08 AM »

 Ian Sane, you must be the most diehard Nintendo fan to still be around this place in 2014.
 
 To the younger Nintendo fans; the standards of support and loyalty you offer to Nintendo is much lower than the standards offered by Nintendo fans from the N64 era and before.
 
 The reality is that the biggest Nintendo fans have been neglected the most by Nintendo. To not much drama or fanfare, Nintendo has turned its back on the real Nintendo fans, leaving behind either the most obscenely irrational fan or just the younger generation (say younger than 25) who have yet to tire of experiencing a half dozen sequels to an old concept rooted in the 80’s or 90’s while the rest of the world has moved on to full blown interactivity and fresh IP such as Minecraft, Dayz and Star Citizen.
These days Nintendo simply makes great games of old concepts but back in the day they pioneered new genres and tread on unblemished snow. Back then they were leaders in cutting edge game design and consequently at the forefront of charting the future path of interactive entertainment. Not just a Nintendo making quality games like today but a Nintendo demonstrating to the world that gaming need not play second fiddle to other industries in the entertainment sector.
Despite the derision and the scorn that old timers suffer at the hands of newer more energetic fans, at this point it would be wise for the revival of Nintendo to adopt an internal policy of a ‘Fire Ecology’, and stick to it no matter the pains it takes.
It took Disney 19 years to go from Lion King to Frozen and I don’t want to have to wait that long before I can see Nintendo to move on from just making fun quality games.

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General Gaming / RE: EA sends out Warnings!

« on: December 28, 2005, 03:51:14 PM »

Burnout is Criterion. EA buying them doesn't mean they made the game. It's like saying that if GM buys BMW then all of a sudden, BMW becomes an American car. It might technically be true but technicality in this instance wouldn’t have much bearing in people’s minds. Same thing with Criterion and Burnout…

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

« on: December 28, 2005, 03:35:40 PM »

I’m 100% certain that some characters will actually speak in Twilight Princess. I was 100% certain even when Anouma (or Miyamoto was it?) flat out denied voice acting in TP in an interview. For better or for worse it's going to happen, let's hope it's for the better. And no I have no sources.

Regarding the grander issue of voice acting, I sympathize with the pessimists; however, voice acting has been successfully integrated in so many games. I don't see why TP couldn’t enjoy the same kind of success with voices. I’m sure that no matter how much people disapprove of voice acting in Twilight Princess, Nintendo will silence the doubters. No doubt about it.
 

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

« on: December 27, 2005, 01:42:22 PM »

I can have doubt in many things. For example I can doubt Nintendo for its management and policies. But one thing I certainly don't doubt is EAD. No other development studio in the world comes close to what EAD has achieved. Likewise being around since the birth of our modern games industry certainly doesn't hurt either. If they say that they've stumbled upon something "Amazing!" then that's what happed for sure!

In all my years as a gamer, I’ve probably never heard Miyamoto or any other Nintendo exec use the word “amazing” before! If that isn’t something to get excited about then I don’t know what it.

I’m personally hoping that our hero Link will be able to turn into an Eagle in this game. And I’m certain that voice acting will be included!

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: Rare working on 2 DS games

« on: December 27, 2005, 12:58:50 PM »

See the thing is, i'm so happy that you enjoyed it and i only wish i could do the same. You're one lucky guy Rellik!

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: Rare working on 2 DS games

« on: December 27, 2005, 12:45:01 PM »

I guess everyone's nodding in agreement with what i said just above! Great!

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Rare working on 2 DS games

« on: December 25, 2005, 03:50:01 PM »

As a supporter of all three hardware manufacturers, I come in peace.

I’ve played too many countless games (Over 150++) in the past 8 years on a multitude of consoles; Though I’ve never made a definitive list (though I should someday), I’d probably rank at least one Rare game in my Top 5 favorite games of all time list! (With Zelda: OoT being excluded from that list altogether for being a pioneering achievement) That definitely says a lot about my opinion on Rare! They used to be a heavyweight no doubt!

I’ve played all of Rare’s recent games. And I think that there is more then enough evidence to indicate that their quality and more particularly their output has been dwindling. They don’t “suck” but there is certainly an evidence of underachievement. Only a very tiny minority would flat out deny it.

Although I hate spitting on people’s fond memories of their games, I also hate being spitted on by the very companies I love and support.
For example: I hate when people are split into two camps about an ‘X’ game - love it or hate it. The ideal situation would be that the ‘X’ game is so truly amazing that everyone enjoys playing the game before going online and chatting about it. Thus the perfect game. But in reality such unanimity rarely happens.


Let’s take Star Fox Adventures as our prime example.
Was I excited about it before release? If you count as hunting down for every last picture and info on it as excited then, yeah, I was excited. Did I like the game? No. Did I have a bias against it? If I did, then why was I sooo excited about it before release? Was I faking the hype for myself? When jerking-off privately, do I prematurely tell my self “That orgasm was the best” even though I still haven’t climaxed? Do I fake my enjoyment to myself? Does anyone?

Do I like the fact that I bloody hate SFA? Do I like to tell someone who bought it and enjoyed it, that I hate the game? No and No. I’m firmly against jeopardizing happy memories of people. In fact, I hate the fact that some people can enjoy SFA where as I’m stuck in the “Hate camp” unintentionally. Rare caused the split in fans. I blame them for the fact that the game was wrongly hyped “You can go anywhere you see” (NGC Magazine) and wrongly advertised to many fans who were avidly waiting for years for the games release.

Going one step further, let’s look at the timescale for the game. It was in the making for approximately 4 and a half years, give or take 6 months. With the notion that time is money; should people look and base their opinions on the game solely on its own merits or should opinion be of a more relative nature? Now this is the topic it all boils down too.

To this day even top reviewers are mostly undecided whether to rate games on a more relative scale or “base your opinion of the game On its Own Merits (OiOM)” type of scale. Almost all reviews have elements of both types of marking system. But the type which is used most prominently is the “On its own merits” (Henceforth refereed to as OiOM) scale. I believe that a likely explanation for this is that OiOM the more lenient of the two. And since fans can be easily aggravated over bad scores of their games, most publications simply remain faithful to their own optimistic, let’s call it… ideals.

If however, the games industry had its own living breathing God and all he did was love and foster his own industry for its ultimate growth. What system would he employ? Many different people would answer this question relatively compared with where they are in their gaming life.
An entry level gamer would probably (not definitely) want games to be rated based on OiOM. Since this newbie gamer hasn’t played other games to compare, a criticism like “been there done that” wouldn’t necessarily apply to him/her. Thus it’s not a stretch to say that OiOM goes well with less experienced gamers. Conversely, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine a Relative system doing well with more experienced gamers.

Think about it this way, if game developers mutually agreed to stop making advancements in game design, then everyone would have ended up playing all types of games at some point or another in their lives. Everyone would have “been there done that”.

The conclusion that I want to get to is the following:
Did I enjoy SFA? Sadly I did not. Did I enjoy DK64? No, I honestly didn’t. I've been there and done that with both.
Did Rare return to form with Kameo and PDZ? According to me, ABSOLUTELY NOT. But will Rare ever make a game to justify their heritage? They most certainly will. Although I’ve been harsh on Rare for the last, I don’t know… 6 years; nothing is stopping me from loving their games again in the future except for Rare themselves.
Let’s not kid ourselves though; many people have lost confidence in Rare no matter who their owner is… whether it is Nintendo or Microsoft.

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TalkBack / RE:Resident Evil 4 Not GC Exclusive

« on: November 02, 2004, 01:30:33 AM »

[Two things really]

Number 1: There are too many "I will follow you to death, my Nintendo!" type people here. Too many blind fanboys of age 15 or lower. Everyone who is older and more mature, please bare that in mind! Nobody wants to be caught with their pants down arguing with a 15 year old, mommy’s boy.

And Number 2: Like some people have suggested already, the reality of life and true logic dictates that this is the incompetence of Nintendo and not Capcom. Capcom did indeed kick Nintendo in the nuts, yes! But Nintendo saw the kick coming from miles away and they did nothing. It’s a company’s job to kick people in the nuts for cash. Nintendo does it to us and Capcom does it to Nintendo. Facts of life!

[End of two things to consider]

If some of the following apply to you then, I feel your frustration.
-      I bought the Gamecube with the promise of innovative gameplay.
-      In addition to innovative software I expected Perfect Dark from Rare
-      Likewise I am a Jet Force Gemini fan.
-      I expected an excellent follow up to Turok.
-      I expected an excellent follow up to F1 world grand prix or World Driver Championship.
-      I expected an excellent Soccerl sim from Konami (Like the time on the N64).
-      I expected Resident Evil.
-      I expected an excellent Zelda.

Now some of what I wanted did happen but most did not. Some were up to Nintendo and some weren’t (such as Turok).In case you were wondering, I never got the excellent Zelda i was waiting for on the cube; I only got a very good one.

See? See? I got kicked in the nuts by Nintendo. Gamecube is the only specialized videogames console right? Nintendo is the only specialized videogames company right? Then how comes non specialized videogames consoles have games like, oh I don’t know, from the top of my head now ICO, Gran Tourismo #, Pro Evolution (aka Winning Eleven) #, Final Fantasy #, Halo #, Morrowind, Links Golf, Ratchet and Clank #, GTA #, Burnout 3, Virtua Tennis, F1 2004+, WRC,  Silent Hill, Katamari Damancy, MGS 2/3... Noticed what i was missing? See? Nintendo just kicked me in the nuts again. But hey, I love Nintendo and I am still loyal ...DMC, Ace Combat, Ridick, Ninja Gaiden... Not again? There goes my nuts!

Dear Iwata/Yaumuchi, is that a way of treating a loyal and a paying customer(s)? Where is your PR people? Oh i forgot... you don't have one! or you do? I am confused.

Nintendo, i can't thank you enough for Prime, It was an amazing experince. Again, many thanks. Thank you also for Eternal Darkness. Thank you for cooperating with Namco on ToS and BK. Thank you for your cooperation with Capcom, RE: Remake was oozing with atmosphere and no doubt RE 4 will be amazing too. But hey I just realized something; I can count all those positives using one hand and the great thing is… I’ll have two fingers left free! One for picking my nose and another to put in my mouth.

Nintendo, i'll follow your theme of inconstructive and confusing structure by adding in a paragraph that has nothing to do with the previous or next. I just wanna say that ofcoarse you can't have Halo on GC, nor Gran Tourismo, nor ICO and not even Ratchet and Clank. WHy not? Well if you haven't guessed already (yeah right!), those companies belong either to Sony or Microsoft. But these games carry a significant fanbase, some more then others. Not only that, but all of the companies responsible for the above exceptional games have less industry experience then Nintendo and yet look at quality of them. Bungie being the crown jewel of Microsfot and PD being the crown jewel of Sony. We didn't even mention Rare.

First you get $375 million by selling Rare without making up for it. Then you just stop cooperating with Silicon Knights without making up for it. And now you lost the 100% exclusivity of a mega budget triple A game? Sure it’s a time exclusive but that’s not the point now is it? Otherwise… why would Capcom need to announce the existence of RE 4 on the Playstation 2 now? You kicked my nuts again Nintendo. You kicked them many times. Now if I oly knew how easy it was for other mid sized companies to kick your giant corporate nuts then I wouldn’t have let you kick my nuts to begin with. See? You even failed to deliver on your nut kicking policy. But hey I won’t ever deny that you’re a great company, or used to be. Although I won’t let you kick my nuts again, there are a whole lot of good people who still have faith in you. For the sake of your few remaining fans, please get your act together.

One last thing... for all you short sighted people who are predicting that Nintendo will die because of this then just... well... oh well... I disagree. Nintendo is too stable financially, making hundreds of millions of net profit every year. Nintendo isn't going down. They are just slowly slowly retreating into a cave on the console front.  We can all comfortably assume that Nintendo aren't the forerunners in this generation of consoles with the gamecube.

By the way Ian Sane, what you say most of the time is dead on! You are my most respected PGC forumer. But i don't think taking an absolute negative tone is the correct approach to this piece of news.  After all we should at least be happy that more people will play the game. But still, it's a crying shame for the lies that Cubers have have had to put up with.

P.S. Nintendo did see this coming.

P.S.S If i had a third finger free, we all know where i could put it

15

TalkBack / RE: First Goldeneye: Rogue Agent Details

« on: May 05, 2004, 05:49:26 AM »

Did i miss something here?
I'm sorry, i really must have missed something here...
I'll go back to my Golden-bed and and rest my Golden-head on my Golden-pillow and, and.... rest Goldenly.

EA... no thank you.


Edit: Correcting typo's.

16

Nintendo Gaming / RE: If Nintendo could replace Silicon Knights with any developer, who'd you pick?

« on: April 28, 2004, 03:06:11 AM »

Nintendo should revive Boss Games Studios and its staff. Nintendo needs a killer racer.  Boss games Such a sweet memory.  

17

General Gaming / Jet Force Gemini

« on: May 07, 2003, 07:29:50 AM »

Anyone mention Jet Force Gemini? That game is... I don't know, it's just too much. Though i am not a big fan of non FPS Rare games i think that Jet Force is a masterpiece despite that lousy build of camera and control mechanics. The game itself is so good, that i can easily forget any shortcomings the game actually has. It's definitely one of the most enjoyable experiences i have had in games. For me it's just a true classic. A sequal to this game, if done right would be the most atmospheric and action packed game ever created. The thought of it just makes me wanna go crazy.

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Nintendo Gaming / OFFICIAL Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes Discussion

« on: May 07, 2003, 06:34:00 AM »

This might be wishful thinking but i wish they'd include some Formula1 action in there Just kidding. Being an absolute Metal Gear Fan-ATIC! What's  my opinion? I am so sorry to say this but i just can't resist: Rick, you were so wrong all along You were convinced that nothing good could come of MG: GC till you found out it was made by Silicon Knights. Shame on you Rick... and guess what? I was right all along Sorry but I just had to stick that in! As for the Twin Snakes, although there is nothing like a Metal Gear game made by Mr. Kojima's Metal Gear Team; I always knew that Metal Gear + Nintendo's Flair would equal to "Alien good"!!! People, whether you like it or not,  hype or not, this game will be the bomb! Hopefully MGS3 will be up to par with this.

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Nintendo Gaming / Midway losses, Blames Nintendo- less support

« on: May 07, 2003, 06:08:40 AM »

Look, as long as i get a remake of World Driver Championship i'll be cool.
Else, Spy Hunter was and still is a really, and i mean really a crappy port... it was sickening. It was just a massive disgrace. I really have no idea who was responsible for that. I didn't even know it was possible to downgrade a game so much... they must have really put effort into it. Or maybe they just had a time limit of 2 months to convert the code over to the GC, but seeing as they were too busy playing Luigi's Mansion, they only got underway with the crap-a-port the night before the game went gold. I can't believe i bothered to get out of bed and waste a single finger reflex on them.
Midway sucks on all the machines. Here's hoping their new batch of games is actually worth something. I am optimistic and really do hope for the best... there can never be too many good games. C'mon guy's you can do better, you most certainly can't do any worse (games wise)... or maybe you can

20

Nintendo Gaming / Anyone else find it strange ... MGS3

« on: May 05, 2003, 10:45:34 PM »

It is my firm belief that MGS3 will actually debut on PS2 first. If anyone has watched the bonus DVD that's packaged inside MGS2, one can easily see the PS2 love in the offices. Kojima's Metal Gear team are absolute experts when it comes to the Playstation 2 hardware... Whatever the case turns out to be, Konami will at least code the game for PS2 initially. They could launch it simultaneously with other version's but at this point that's highly unlikely. Will MGS3 be a multi-platform game? Eventually yes, initially no. I have to say though, i am simply too excited over the prospect of a Metal Gear remake, especially on the Cube and super coming from a second party. And yes, even though The Twin Snakes has a really good chance of turning out better then Son's of Liberty i expect it to be equally as good as MGS3. Having said that though, it's safe to say that MGS3 is a far more anticipated title. It would be interesting to see how it all turns out. E3 is gonna soar!

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TalkBack / Billy Berghammer Retires From Planet GameCube.com

« on: April 17, 2003, 10:36:42 PM »

Billy,
It's cold... a smiling breeze and heaps of rain. The charge winds from the side diligently revitalize the waker.
I never knew you but strangely, I feel oddly affected by your rather abrupt departure.
A fresh cold... a smiley rain and a gust of shadow in the firm flesh.
It sort of feels like a bullet wound to the leg. You have inspired so many of us.
Never did one stop boiling.
Heck, i had no idea you inspired me until today the of 18th of April 2003.
You're like one of those people... you are Billy Berghammer.
Your humbelness and modesty will always stick with me.
The ray and the gleam clamouring... a cell.
Your enthusiasm is simply unmatched.
The air... oops I'm late for collage. Rith Essa.

Anyways man, spending half an hour writing this stuff is the least I could do for a person that has acomplished so much. I'm just glad that you're moving up the ranks. Take care and have fun, it's not all work ya know. If this were an RPG, just today, you would have leveled up enough. Read understand and live There is just so much ahead of you.

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Nintendo Gaming / Why the poor FPS support on the Cube?

« on: April 16, 2003, 10:25:20 PM »

I am a part time retailer. I love First Person Shooters (FPS) to death... I am the biggest first FPS fan and I even did a collage research paper (for which I got an A) on them.  Having said all this, the owner of the shop has given me all responsibility on choosing and stocking up on the best Cube games. So, what i am saying is, I actively refuse to stock up the shop with FPS games for the Gamecube. They just don't sell and I don't want to take the heat for that. It simply doesn't sell. What i have brought has always sold, so I generally have at least a rough idea. Like just the other day someone came and ordered "Wolvarines Revenge" and completely skipped past the newly released "Metroid Prime". Even though Metroid is not a first per shooter people just don't see past that. And yes i really do love first person shooters.
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Nintendo Gaming / Why Is Eternal Darkness Regarded So Highly?

« on: March 26, 2003, 07:57:56 AM »

Ok, before I embark on an epic quest, I just want to say the following. I love Eternal Darkness to bits. It’s one of the very few game’s in recent years that has totally “enthralled me to the point where I can think of nothing else”. Although I really don’t like the thought of someone coming up with such brutal and evil storyline ideas, I think that the amount of attention given to it is totally “mind boggling”, which in itself is reason enough for many to play. But to put it bluntly, this game can be put on the same platform and ranked at the same level as classic movies such as Traffic and Scarface. Not so much on its content, but rather in tone and approach to its audience. Speaking of which, the (Metroid) prime reason why a teenager would ever watch those movies would be for either the erotic scenes or just to be delusionaly cool. Admittedly though, most people who have watched those movies and love their unmistakable genius are definitely not teenagers. Again, those movies are critically acclaimed not for their flash or instant appeal which most youngsters nowadays crave so badly for, but because of all things quality that are associated with them; all of which factor together and combine to create a complete unforgettable experience. Those movies can be watched again and again and again and every time you watch it, something new gets unraveled. Those movies are true adult movies in much the same way as Eternal Darkness (without the sex, foul language and to some extend gore).


In that case, who’s complaining?  My friend for one simply doesn’t like Eternal Darkness. He is 20 and loves Mario, Banjo Kazzoie, Warcraft 3 and GoldenEye. He only likes fun and cheerful games. But aside from him who else? Let the truth be said, some adults simply don’t like ED. There are various reasons, namely the content, which at times could for some individuals be considered as very offensive. The slow pace of the game could also be a deterrent. But more often the not it’s the younger people who complain. I am confident of the fact that many of you have bought and played Eternal Darkness illegally due to the fact that you are under aged. I’m even more positive that if everyone were to state their age and their opinion on ED, some surprisingly striking patterns (very surprising ) would start forming. What patterns you ask? Most people who absolutely love this game would in fact turn out to be older gamers. I can’t stress this enough… this game is not for children; it’s not for teenagers; it’s not for the weak of heart; and it’s not for some people period. This game has the evilest story, bar none. It is absolutely adult material that establishes little to no reference (as mentioned above) to sex, gore or foul language (There is some gore, but it’s not particularly emphasized other then two scenes). It’s just a one sickening alternate reality. Another difficult obstacle for younger gamer’s to overcome are the cut-scenes. The cinematics in the game do little to mouth-feed the player with the story. So if your vocabulary is limited and you generally dislike Shakespearian language then forget about the story. So, um… yeah! This is not for younger people.


In the end however, I just need to say that I love this game. Not enough to squeeze it in my signature but I love it nonetheless. True, the gameplay is story driven; meaning without the story the game is no fun, but the integration of plot and gameplay is so well done that any short comings on the play mechanics is easily forgiven. Needless to say that Denis Dyack is probably addressing these very issues on Too Human and perhaps even on Eternal Darkness 2: Sanity’s Redemption.

Of coarse there are exceptions to the rule… If you happen to be the exception, then by all means share your thoughts.


Now that I have covered my views on Eternal Darkness I’d just like to get off topic slightly. It’s about these boards. So if you don’t care fine.


Okay the first thing I’d like to say is:
It’s good to hear fellow gamer’s opinions, but everyone has to remember that this thread is very opinion oriented and occasionally for the wrong reasons. What I am saying is, for all we know the person who started the topic may simply dislike sadistic adventure games such as ED. He might have tried the game only out of curiosity or maybe to see what all the fuss about it was. Or he might have genuinely disliked the game. So there is no reason to bash or praise his opinion. However, giving comments to motivate him to play (…or not) should be made clear, coherent and constructive for the sake of everyone who wishes to participate in the thread. It’s only common sense to assume these boards will be more enjoyable if people behave more intelligently. Similarly people who say something like “that game was overrated” state then and there that the majority of professional game reviewers (who make a living on writing reviews) are undeniably wrong in their synopsis and that what you say is more correct then what “they” say. You could look at the preceding point form whatever angle you wish but ultimately you’re saying “I am right and everyone else is wrong”. I would like to point out that I have no problems with people who express their own opinions on games. In fact, you can write down any mindless irrelevant comment about a game, no matter how biased. But in doing so you’re 1- not going to get your message across to anyone. A direct upshot for that would be the wasted time for both the author and the reader. And 2- You’re not going to get any respect from you fellow gamers. In that regard everyone should reach to the same conclusion that ignorance won’t win over any supporters (in most cases anyway… ).


To all things said, I’d like to add something else. Generally speaking, this type of thread seemingly invites exaggerated comments. Why I say seemingly is because not everyone has time to write a gazzilion word essay consisting of a well rounded impression on a game (that’s why we have reviews). So if someone argues about gameplay only, it may seem like their comments are a little far fetched and in the minority. You can easily overcome this natural annoyance (which nobody is to blame for) by following up on the info you read on this message board… usually done by reading impressions and reviews of a game from great sites such as PGC and Co. rather then post discreetly dull  reply’s which cover no new ground. So if you want to say “for me, this game has some flaws and I don’t like it” or anything along those lines, then make sure you have time to back up your claims by providing reasons for your thoughts. In doing that you would have really contributed to the discussion and in the process helped undecided gamers to reach a conclusion, not to mention earn yourself respect.

I guess the reason why I am saying this is because I love Planet Gamecube. I think that the staff is great. They have made a great name for themselves. Any self respecting gamer would show some gratitude by at least abiding by the rules. These guys work really hard and what’s more is we don’t pay a dime. In the end I believe that Planet Gamecube forums have the best staff, really good readers and a very inspiring moderation. All of us on these boards should do our part to contribute. Let’s not waste Rick’s and everyone elses efforts on the boards. So please everyone, let’s help make this place even better.

By the way I never officially wished Planet Gamecube a Happy Birth Day. Great job guy’s you’re the best.

24

Nintendo Gaming / New Racing game

« on: March 19, 2003, 06:58:13 AM »

For the record, V-rally is not cancelled for the Gamecube. At the time of writing, the game is only cancelled in North America… The truth is V-Rally could never have been cancelled in Europe. Even when it was first declared as cancelled on Nintendo.com; the thought of it being cancelled here in Europe never even crossed my mind, as that decision would be totally illogical and stupid. Why? Because the Playstation 2 has had great autosport games like GT3, V-Rally, Colin McRae Rally and WRC 2 Extreme for far too long now. The same goes for Xbox… They have had Ralli Sport, Project Gotham and Sega GT for ages now leaving little room for killer racers. Basically European fans on either the Xbox or PS2 have no insecurities regarding the racing genre. In Europe if people want racing they buy a PS2 or an Xbox. On Gamecube however there is nothing serious… no contest whatsoever, as Burnout 2 is really, primarily suited for the American consumers (Just as V-Rally is suited mostly for Europe). Nintendo Europe has done everything they could to secure V-Rally 3 (even if sales will pale in comparison to anything). As a conclusion I am inclined to believe that there are no self respecting autosport and soccer loving gamers in Europe who have a Gamecube as a primary console.
             

On a side note, there is something that I have been meaning to get of my chest for a while now. No matter how much I love Nintendo, I hate them for not signing Boss Games Studios as an exclusive second party, especially since they still don’t have the genre covered. To Nintendo it was really like saying “we don’t care” to the fans. It really gets on my nerves when I think about it… and it’s probably the truth. The reality of the situation is, I still haven’t gotten over the fact that Nintendo simply let the happy family over at Redmond slip into the void of oblivion. Arghh…  


As for GT Cube, I really have no reason to doubt that it’s going to be a Gran Tourismo killer… but somehow I don’t think that my grand fantastic GT 3 A-Spec will be dethroned anytime soon… if ever, especially by a rookie developer (if you want to count GT Advance...)! The best thing that MTO (or the whatever publisher) could do to pique interest, is to stay quiet about this game, as any new publicity disclosed on the project can and will lessen its status. By the way, GTcube is supposed to launch in Japan in April, which is worryingly close.
 

25

Nintendo Gaming / MGS on GC - How Would it Handle?

« on: March 09, 2003, 09:40:08 PM »

Quote
I personally think that you're all being FAR too optimistic.

OK... (Restraining self, out of respect) . MGS on the Gamecube will be the best game of all time, period. I will definitely be fully exclusive. It will 100% justify my purchase for Gamecube.
Note: A remake of the PSone version would beyond doubt make me faint from “obsessive optimism abuse disorder”. Hehe…

But seriously dudes, the more optimistic the press and the fans are, the more aware Nintendo will be. Then they’ll be no excuses for them. I have finished MGS Integral, MGS Gameboy, Sons of Liberty PS2, and played with substance on Xbox for a reasonable time. What I am trying to say is, MGS on the Cube will be an absolute stunner irrespective of whether or not it’s MGS 3, Remake, or Gaiden. The Nintendo flair could do soooooooooo much more for this franchise. I mean, think about it, why would Konami out-of-the-blue give Gamecube their BIGGEST game? They could easily “test the waters” with something less “flashy”. I know that those who played the MGS series and genuinely loved them know how I feel. However they can’t be bothered to express their opinions because, um… they just can't contemplate... the possibilities…
On a side note, a moment that I’ll forever cherish in my gaming lifetime, is when I saw David Hayter and Pat Zimmerman (I am not sure about the spelling) in the end credits of everyone’s favorite Denis Dyack game: Eternal Darkness!!! That was pure magic