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Greg is off to America to visit some football stadium, so Nick fills in for a huge episode that Karl foolishly volunteered to edit ahead of time. We're still building up a good pile of Listener Mail for next week, so be sure to send in your questions and comments!
In New Business: Nick is playing Nights on Wii, Jonny is in love with Call of Duty 4, James is in love with hating King of Clubs, and Jon is slightly befuddled by Bangai-O Spirits. Listen for the RFN-exclusive stage code!
An atypically wonderful week for DLC Mondays leads into a contentious argument over pricing of downloaded games, so we just made this its own segment. After a second break, Nick and Jonny dominate a special discussion of storytelling in video games, centering around their reflections on Indigo Prophecy but also pulling in other games like Eternal Darkness.
Credits:
This podcast was edited by Karl Castaneda.
Music for this episode of Radio Free Nintendo is used with permission from Jason Ricci & New Blood. You can purchase their new album, Rocket Number 9, directly from the record label, or download it from iTunes, or call your local record store and ask for it!
There's a difference between not being interested in something and bashing it. I liked the shooting gallery and billiards portions of Wii Play but would rather have them immediately available to me as channels than on a disc so the two games are perfect for me.
I don't think you can blame Nintendo for the lack of originality on the service apart from the lack of Nintendo-developed titles. Thanks to Nintendo's policy of letting anything on the service as long as it won't brick your Wii, shopping for WiiWare games is like shopping for retail games; there's going to be a fair amount of crap and a whole lot of mediocrity in addition to the good stuff.
We're being pirated!
SWEET
I am a true Internet celebrity! Actually I was laughing at the various boxarts. Good work!
Yeah, and it's not as hilarious as inconsistency can be, like if he were to continue on like this and then do a 180 and give Wii Music a 9.5 review.
Yeah, and it's not as hilarious as inconsistency can be, like if he were to continue on like this and then do a 180 and give Wii Music a 9.5 review.
That's not a 180, that's just crazy.
The problem I have with paying $15 for a WiiWare game is that it's using old tech. At least the games on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network need a little more development time (and cost) to be put into HD, have more intensive visuals, and are typically larger games in terms of size and scope. Therefore, I'll begrudgingly pay the extra cost, but I'm not a huge fan of paying $15 for Braid either.
This is the same problem I have with $34.99 and $39.99 Nintendo DS games...there's nothing you can do on the DS that would get me to pay more than $29.99 for a game, no matter what it is. I won't pay $39.99 for a PSP game, let alone a DS game.
I didn't pay more than $29.99 for the game though, did I? Peripherals are in a different class entirely.
The problem I have with paying $15 for a WiiWare game is that it's using old tech. At least the games on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network need a little more development time (and cost) to be put into HD, have more intensive visuals, and are typically larger games in terms of size and scope. Therefore, I'll begrudgingly pay the extra cost, but I'm not a huge fan of paying $15 for Braid either.Wow, no offense, but you REALLY come off as a graphics whore here. I can understand the WiiWare argument--the games so far seem very limited in scope due to file size restrictions and a general lack of effort. But I can't follow your DS comment. Portables have ALWAYS been "old tech," due to battery life and portability restrictions. I'd argue the DS's touch screen makes it "newer tech" than the PSP in terms of what it can lend to game design. Anyway, the DS (and even the GBA) are more than capable of providing a full-featured gaming experience (online gaming notwithstanding, I suppose). Even some GB(C) games can compete with 8-bit and 16-bit console classics in quality and depth. So unless you've never been OK with spending $35 on a portable game, and you can't enjoy games without whiz-bang graphics, your statement is bogus.
This is the same problem I have with $34.99 and $39.99 Nintendo DS games...there's nothing you can do on the DS that would get me to pay more than $29.99 for a game, no matter what it is. I won't pay $39.99 for a PSP game, let alone a DS game.
I guess my $10 price point comes from the investment that I've already made in the console, and the price of other software. And besides, like you just said, it's how I feel. I don't feel that any WiiWare game will be worth $15. I have yet to be disproven, but I'd love to be. Most Wii games aren't worth $50 to me, either.
I remember a time when you spent money on games you thought were going to be good, not what was technically superior.
I remember a time when you spent money on games you thought were going to be good, not what was technically superior.
Ya sorry, some of us, including myself started asking for more.
I don't subscribe to the techno blah blah group, I believe there is a balence though and I will damn well always ask for more from the market. It's my harsh love, really.
I remember a time when you spent money on games you thought were going to be good, not what was technically superior.
Ya sorry, some of us, including myself started asking for more.
I don't subscribe to the techno blah blah group, I believe there is a balence though and I will damn well always ask for more from the market. It's my harsh love, really.
DAaaMan and Lindy on the same page...CONFIRMED
I would really hate to be someone who judges a games merits solely on the technical aspects of the game when determining value. Guess that means I should hate Boom Blox. Heck I might as well say "Mario Galaxy should be 19.99 because Xbox 360 has better graphics!"
I remember a time when you spent money on games you thought were going to be good, not what was technically superior.
Ya sorry, some of us, including myself started asking for more.
I don't subscribe to the techno blah blah group, I believe there is a balence though and I will damn well always ask for more from the market. It's my harsh love, really.
DAaaMan and Lindy on the same page...CONFIRMED
I would really hate to be someone who judges a games merits solely on the technical aspects of the game when determining value. Guess that means I should hate Boom Blox. Heck I might as well say "Mario Galaxy should be 19.99 because Xbox 360 has better graphics!"
Thats a far stretch from what I said.
They way I see it, gameplay over graphics, of course. again something I shouldn't have to be saying, but I can always demand nice graphics and I love to see them. How I love me the market, but it is but sad harsh love.
Personally, I'd pay $20 for DWARF FORTRESS.
If I can have fun with a game and the price fits that fun, I don't care if it's on the PS3, DS, or Dos 3.1.
Heck, I went and bought River City Ransom for $15 at a Funcoland around ten years ago just because that game is an amazing brawler/RPG combo (with co-op!). God I love that game... totally worth it to plug it into my NES. Old technology? Bah. A unique, fun, experience.
... Oh, and uh... I'd pay $50 bucks for the Monkey Island games if they ever rereleased...
Personally, I'd pay $20 for DWARF FORTRESS.
If I can have fun with a game and the price fits that fun, I don't care if it's on the PS3, DS, or Dos 3.1.
Heck, I went and bought River City Ransom for $15 at a Funcoland around ten years ago just because that game is an amazing brawler/RPG combo (with co-op!). God I love that game... totally worth it to plug it into my NES. Old technology? Bah. A unique, fun, experience.
... Oh, and uh... I'd pay $50 bucks for the Monkey Island games if they ever rereleased...
Kairon makes a good point, what about those classic games that sell for $50-100? I mean that is the ONLY way to get the CD-I Zelda games. ;)
I'd pay $50 for Dragon Quest IV if I wasn't (probably) going to get it for free to review.
I currently own four Xbox 360 games but only paid full price for one of them (GTAIV). I got Crackdown for $15 used, Burnout Paradise for $20 new, and Call of Duty 4 for $40 new. I've also played through Gears of War and Assassin's Creed through GameFly for the equivalent of $5-10 each. I think the $60 price tag for HD games is too high, and it's one thing keeping people from buying those systems (but the hardware price is a much bigger issue).
I really think the $60 price point for 360 and PS3 is borderline retarded. It is hilarious when you get a BETTER version of most of those games on PC including better technology for $10-20 less.
I really think the $60 price point for 360 and PS3 is borderline retarded. It is hilarious when you get a BETTER version of most of those games on PC including better technology for $10-20 less.
True, but I'd rather game from the comforts of my home theater...
(http://www.winkk.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/what-your-cyber-mate-may-really-look-like.jpg)
I really think the $60 price point for 360 and PS3 is borderline retarded. It is hilarious when you get a BETTER version of most of those games on PC including better technology for $10-20 less.
True, but I'd rather game from the comforts of my home theater...
(http://www.winkk.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/what-your-cyber-mate-may-really-look-like.jpg)
PLEASE stop quoting that photo!
I am more than happy to buy the PC version of a game under two conditions:
1) Doesn't require a console-style game pad, because I don't own one. Plus, I would probably rather play that kind of game on a console.
2) The developer/publisher is known for quality PC versions. Some companies like Activision and Capcom do release their games for PC but in crappier versions.
but I thought I heard the 360 controller works with a PC out of the box.
That is fine if you are talking about graphics on the same system. What Lindy is saying is that a Wii game (or in his example a WiiWare game) is of less value regardless of its depth or even the work put into it than a 360 Arcade game.
Yeah, the extra money for console vs. pc games is a "convenience fee" of sorts. One that I don't mind paying. If I really want a game for PC (e.g. Oblivion), I'll wait until the Game of the Year Edition is released, and then get that for as cheap as I can.That is fine if you are talking about graphics on the same system. What Lindy is saying is that a Wii game (or in his example a WiiWare game) is of less value regardless of its depth or even the work put into it than a 360 Arcade game.
As a general rule, yeah. It's like how I expect to pay more for a PSP game vs. a DS game...because there's more development overhead involved on PSP, I can understand being charged a bit more for the end product.
but I thought I heard the 360 controller works with a PC out of the box.
It does not. There is a version 360 controller for PC.
This is an view of end-pricing driven by the cost of making the product, as opposed to a view towards pricing a product according to how much the end user wants it, and what the market can bear. Both are probably applicable, though I personally believe the market-oriented approach is and should be more dominant.
D_Average, I'm afraid my days were so full due to travel time (from Aurora where we were staying), various convention-related appointments and associated hanging around for things to begin that I had practically no downtime in Denver at all. It was all pretty gruelling in its own way, but it was certainly a very worthwhile experience nevertheless. In any case, I appreciate the thought and regret that I didn't get to see more of the city in my time there.
This trip was my fourth to the United States, and I've enjoyed myself there immensely on all four occasions, so yes ShyGuy it was predictably quite awesome. Hopefully it won't be too long before I can get out there again and catch aBillsFalcons game sometime (although I could also do that in Canada now, sigh).
This trip was my fourth to the United States, and I've enjoyed myself there immensely on all four occasions, so yes ShyGuy it was predictably quite awesome. Hopefully it won't be too long before I can get out there again and catch aBillsFalcons game sometime (although I could also do that in Canada now, sigh).
Edited for coolness
This trip was my fourth to the United States, and I've enjoyed myself there immensely on all four occasions, so yes ShyGuy it was predictably quite awesome. Hopefully it won't be too long before I can get out there again and catch aBillsFalcons game sometime (although I could also do that in Canada now, sigh).
Edited for coolness
My mind agrees with you. My heart rails against you.
Of course, even $30 is arbitrary...I might be getting screwed at that point too, but it doesn't feel like it because $30 has been the "magical" price point for portable games for a long, long time.
Of course, even $30 is arbitrary...I might be getting screwed at that point too, but it doesn't feel like it because $30 has been the "magical" price point for portable games for a long, long time.
That's interesting. I was about to argue that $50 was a magical price point for console games, but maybe the rise of used game purchases has lowered the expected price that some gamers pay for games? Or maybe a rise in budget games and value-priced re-releases (Player's choice, for example) has also degraded consumer expectations in terms of prices?
$50 is the magical choice because metacritic says PC has the best games in the WORLD and the other systems don't have that many good games. ;)
MMMAAAATTTIIIILLLLDDAAAAA
We'll be doing it on Tuesdays now. It's NFL football season, after all.