This is the new games thread

[bridgetosolace]

Eh, they both have tech ups and downs, tech wise.

Blu-ray alone, for example, with it's ridiculously higher storage capacity, would seem to make it a clear winner in specs. But the fact is that games are increadibly expensive to produce as it is, and generally aren't much bigger than around 5-10 gigs. Imagine how expensive it would be to fill twice that amount!

As much I don't care for the wii, it's actually doing some interesting things for the industry. Developers aren't so much bragging about the visual aspects of their games anymore. The big announcements made recently were pretty much all related to 'innovative' control methods.

As much as I love great graphics, I'm more excited by Project Natal than bitmap shading.

(which seems inconsistent with me not liking the wii. Innovative controls are no excuse for shitty games and last generation graphics. consol power doesn't just mean graphics, it also means gameplay possibilities. Good luck doing Red Geurrilla's fully realized archetectural destruction on a wii without buildings made of big cartoon blocks)

[Alex Mac]

I've always been anti-Sony when it came to gaming, but I just physically cannot believe it.

For the sake of discussion, I guess I should ask why. I mean, I could care less about Microsoft or Sony or whoever as long as quality games are being made. I've way more concerned about the individual products than the system or business practices of the companies behind them. When push comes to shove, it is the actual development studios I care about.

[TimBuktu]

I was a PS2 zealot and only bought the original xbox when it was dirt cheap...... at this point though, Xbox is just kicking ass. The project Natal demo just makes the new "wand" controller for PS3 seem like a total embarrassment.

I don't like the whole "console war" thing because it's really dumb to me to root for one giant corporation over another giant corporation.... but I just thing Sony has really screwed this generation up in a lot of ways..... I mean, how do you screw it up when your competitor launches a console with an almost 100% failure rate and people still prefer it?

Holy shit, I should go back and edit this. I need to go to bed. Sorry grammar!

[Berliner]

I think Sony has lost in everything; Samsung makes better TVs, Blurays are obsolete, their PCs are generally overpriced (and in my experience quite buggy), no one owns a Sony mp3 player. Honestly, the only people I know who buy their products anymore are Japanophiles who haven't realized that Sony has really fallen in terms of quality and innovation.

[ASR]

For the sake of discussion, I guess I should ask why. I mean, I could care less about Microsoft or Sony or whoever as long as quality games are being made. I've way more concerned about the individual products than the system or business practices of the companies behind them. When push comes to shove, it is the actual development studios I care about.

To be 100% honest, I really have no actual reasoning behind it. It's just that I was very loyal to my N64 back in the day and anything that wasn't Nintendo could suck it. That attitude has stuck with me even if I really couldn't care less nowadays.

[bridgetosolace]

Ps2 is probably the best console ever made, as far as library goes. The xbox was a bust.

[MrDys]

Good luck doing Red Geurrilla's fully realized archetectural destruction on a wii without buildings made of big cartoon blocks

I would actually celebrate the latter. What I want from games these days (along with new interesting gameplay opportunities), is fucking art direction. I LOVE LOVE LOVE TF2 because they actually hired an art director and gave it a very complete, well-defined style. Pixar can do photorealism with no sweat off their balls, but they opt to instead have a solid art direction and they end up creating some of the most gorgeous films out today. I wish video game companies would take a page from their book.

[Alex Mac]

Which, I guess, makes it ironic that for the most part the whole situation is switched. Though, I find that debatable. I think without a doubt right now Nintendo is on top of the market regardless of a lack of appeal to more hardcore gamers. I think that 360 and the PS3 are mostly tied, with a slight edge going to the Xbox due to a larger base and more support from third parties. Though, I enjoy the PS3 exclusives more.

[bridgetosolace]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE TF2 because they actually hired an art director and gave it a very complete, well-defined style.

Really? That's why you like it? Not because of the hundreds of hours spent balancing and tweaking the gameplay?

Unique art direction is neat, but content and depth is soooo much more important. The result of trying to make Red Guerilla on the wii is basically Boom Blox...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boom_Blox

...which, while fun, is very different. Just a basic physics engine rather than a full on simulated architectural destruction.

The first part of Wall-e looked so good because of the almost photo-realistic depiction of a trash-covered earth. Once you get into the space ship, you might as well be watching Jimmy Neutron as far as the visuals go. It's pleasant, but certainly not something to gawk at. Similar with Ratatouille, which is only really gorgeous when they depict food or something else realistic.

Pixar uses simplistic art direction for several reasons. Probably the most important is that no one wants to see a rat cook food or John Pinnette sit in chair. If you turn things into characture, they're much less disgusting or odd looking. Try making Saving Private Ryan with squirrels instead of people. You get Conkur's Bad Fur Day. Completely different.

Think about Mass Effect. About as realistic a visual style as you can get, and it's fucking gorgeous. Beowulf, on the movie side, is also really beautiful at points. I was never bothered and didn't really noticed thedead-eyed thing that people complain about, but that's just me.

[Cameron]

So I finally got on board the Call of Duty 4 bandwagon, but holy crap is that bandwagon awesome.

I've been waiting for it to come down in price (I'm usually way too cheap to pay the full $60 for games), and now that it finally has, I regret not just paying for it ages ago.

[man124]

So I have decided to get a tattoo and I want something related to the half life series, which is my favorite series of all times by far. Any suggests on what to get?

[Trial]

I suggest that you are making one of the biggest mistakes of your life, stupid kid

[Trial]

i got a tattoo of China Warrior for Turbo Grafix-16

Can you even comprehend how realistic this looked when I was like 9? I went home with the Guardian Legend for the NES the first time I almost got it

[Having Fun!]

I suggest that you are making one of the biggest mistakes of your life, stupid kid

He's not a kid he's a man124, baby

[Alex Mac]

So I have decided to get a tattoo and I want something related to the half life series, which is my favorite series of all times by far. Any suggests on what to get?

You could just get the handy dandy Lambda.

[bridgetosolace]

So I finally got on board the Call of Duty 4 bandwagon, but holy crap is that bandwagon awesome.

I've been waiting for it to come down in price (I'm usually way too cheap to pay the full $60 for games), and now that it finally has, I regret not just paying for it ages ago.

Gamefly is your friend. Even if you only buy two games a year, the 8.99 a month plan is still worth it.

COD: World At War is also a lot of fun. The multiplayer is of equal caliber, with in my opinion some more varied maps and neater weapons.

[dan telfer]

So I have decided to get a tattoo and I want something related to the half life series, which is my favorite series of all times by far. Any suggests on what to get?

Get a really long chase scene that occasionally has a moment of interesting puzzle solving and physics but is mostly just by-the-numbers shootouts in drainage ditches.

[Umlaut]

Should I buy Ghostbusters: The Video Game?

[MrDys]

Really? That's why you like it? Not because of the hundreds of hours spent balancing and tweaking the gameplay?

See, though, the art direction is the gameplay.

Their distinctive styles of strong silhouettes and shading to draw attention to specific details were adapted in order to make the models distinct, with a focus on making the characters' team, class and current weapon easily identifiable. Silhouettes and animation are used to make the class of a character apparent even at range, and a color scheme that draws attention to the chest area brings focus to the selected weapon.

...

The maps have little visual clutter and stylized, almost impressionistic modeling, to allow enemies to be spotted more easily. The impressionistic design approach also affects textures, which are based on photos that are filtered and improved by hand, giving them a tactile quality and giving Team Fortress 2 its distinct look. The bases are designed to let players immediately know where they are. RED bases use warm colors, natural materials and angular shapes, while BLU bases use cool colors, industrial materials and orthogonal shapes.

The result of trying to make Red Guerilla on the wii is basically Boom Blox...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boom_Blox

...which, while fun, is very different.

And different is okay. In the realm of destructive physics games, I'm going to pick the one that's more fun, not necessarily the one that can explode objects into the most component parts. That's just game engine handjobbery.

[TimBuktu]

Should I buy Ghostbusters: The Video Game?

I think you should rent it, sounds like it has pretty limited replay value.