Ben's Week In Review: October 16
Ni no KuniSome great games already in for the fall, many more to come. Prepare yourselves!
This focus on the realistic and the gritty is hurting JRPGs
You know, we've spoken at length about the demise of the JRPG this generation. Recently, I've blamed critics for being biased against the sub-genre, thereby resulting in lower-than-anticipated sales, which in turn causes developers to second-guess the production of more JRPGs. However, if you look at the biggest (and best) games in the world right now, they tend to be either realistic or gritty or both. The success of colorful, inoffensive, mostly nonviolent games seems to only work for Nintendo these days.
Of course, there are exceptions to that rule (Ratchet & Clank, for instance), but the industry trends are very clear. If it isn't realistic/gritty, it's more sci-fi or darker in general; i.e., BioWare's productions like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. These bright, non-bloody JRPGs with younger-looking anime characters just seem to be falling by the wayside. So when I see Ni no Kuni commercials, or I hear about the Tales series, I keep thinking they just don't fit anymore.
Stop freaking out about the length of Uncharted 3
I almost didn't post the story because I knew what would happen. Firstly, gamers would immediately forget that both of the first two Uncharted games weren't longer than 12 hours; many gamers finished them in around 10 hours. Secondly, when you hear a critic or journalist give a length estimate, it is always on the short end. Always. Reviewers were saying Heavenly Sword was like 5 or 6 hours long, for instance, and that was crap. It was easily an 8-10 hour game for all normal players. And it's not that reviewers want to lie.
But it's the only number they know. All they know is how fast it took them to finish; they can only speculate how much longer it would be for everyone else. And many times, it's really hard to tell. When you're going fast and you just need to get it done, you'd be amazed what you voluntarily skip. You'd be amazed at what your brain automatically dismisses as unimportant just for the sake of progression. 8-9 hours from that sort of source? It's a 10-hour game. At the least. And that's hardly any different from previous iterations, so don't start freaking out.
Personal gaming update
As you might expect, I haven't had much time for myself, so I haven't even been able to finish RAGE or Catherine. The only good news is that I'm close to the end of both (I think), and nothing else is on my plate...yet. Batman: Arkham City arrives this week, of course, and that's hardly the end of things. I also have to deliver a review for PAYDAY: The Heist, and I have The Sims 3: Pets sitting here...although I'm debating on a review. I'm just not sure anyone will care about it.
Plus, we've got The Cursed Crusade, Okabu, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Sonic Generations, and GoldenEye 007: Reloaded to deal with. So yeah, it'll just keep getting busier. But thankfully, it only goes until Thanksgiving and then I can finally get a break.
10/15/2011 Ben Dutka
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Comments (77 posts)
Jawknee
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 10:23:03 PM
8 up, 7 down
Douchebaguette
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 10:28:48 PM
5 up, 5 down
Killa Tequilla
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 10:58:15 PM
EDIT: this wasn't supposed to be a reply :)
Last edited by Killa Tequilla on 10/15/2011 10:59:57 PM
6 up, 2 down
Gordo
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 3:32:46 AM
I would call that good value for money! Since I then instantly restarted them both and played through a second time that is special as I rarely do that anymore.
Played through the campaign of Killzone 3 four times. Played through Uncharted 2 four times.
Traded LA Noire and Crysis 2 half way through them both.
I know which ones I would call good value for money!
2 up, 0 down
kokoro
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 9:52:38 PM
Reply
6 up, 1 down
Dreno
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 10:09:51 PM
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I only ask because of the rpgs I've seen on the current gen are mostly realistic/gritty. But for jrpgs for the mosy part, I think keep the tradition "younger hero" colorful world and monsters setup that's been the selling point for that genre, jrpgs. I mean look at wkc 1&2. Colorful worlds, younger heros, magic etc...
But if you look at the flip side you get games like fallout, kind of the elder scrolls games, and dragon age. Yes I view dragon age as not being a jrpg.
Anyways, to me it seems like the jrpg sub genre of the rpg genre is still there. Although not as much as it used to be, look at what ff used to be as opposed to what ff13 is.
While I think the creators of great rpgs want to cater to the casual gamer I know that there are still those devs out there making jrpgs that are keeping what I believe to be what an rpg needs to be, alive. For that I'm grateful.
I say keep giving us the rpgs of yesteryear, give us the ff7,8,9 and 10s, give us the kh's, give us the chrono triggers and so on and so forth. Let the causal gamers get they're jollies with the fps's and action games. ( nothing wrong with the fps's and action games ) but keep the rpg genre what it should be.
3 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 10:11:01 PM
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I'm sure that Uncharted 3 will be of a decent length. What I find strange is that people seem to attack the nine hour statement then turn around and say ten hours is fine. Is it a double digit mentality, or are people just funny like that. I'm predicting that it'll take me ten and a half hours first time around on normal, and I'm okay with that. If it takes eight and a half, I'll be extremely disappointed, but c'est la vie, I'll just play over it again on Hard and enjoy it all over again.
PU:
Haven't made much progress with Paradise, but I'm getting through it slowly.
Finished Dante's Inferno yesterday, and it has issues, but it isn't a bad game. Just not a great one. Now playing Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and damn... dem grafix iz daaaated. Rest of the game still holds up well though from the half hour that I've spent back in that world thus far.
Been having trouble getting to sleep lately, which means that I've been cracking out the PSP to help me nod off. Made some more progress on FFIV!
Peace.
4 up, 0 down
PasteNuggs
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 10:14:40 PM
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As for JRPG's I see this as for so long all everyone seemed to talk about was pushing graphics. Making it look more real, better animations etc. That's why I think the best games from generations past were cartoony and non realistic looking. Developers knew they couldn't make stuff look real yet and they made it cartoony to make things look smoother.
PGU:
Working through Rage right now with eleven hours clocked. Does anyone know how long it takes. I really wanna get it and R&C finished before Battlefield but Rage keeps dragging on and on.
1 up, 1 down
Jawknee
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 10:29:34 PM
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I say who cares? I'm just happy we're finally getting some colorful, turn based JRPG's on our PS3. I absolutly cannot WAIT for Ni No Kuni. It's my most anticipated game of 2012.
In not worried one bit about Uncharted 3's length. I have always wished Uncharted games were a bit longer but 8 to 12 hours seems about right for their stories.
PGU: Since the GT5 update its been GT5 and RAGE.
8 up, 1 down
Underdog15
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 10:02:22 AM
Then we -NEED- variety and some form of artistic expression in games. If all we ever get is dark, dirty, gritty, and controversial... then gaming will eventually lose interest with mature adults and maintain it's negative stigma.
Yes, we need games like CoD, Battlefield, and Mass Effect... but we also need our White Knight's, Ni No Kuni's, Tales of, Heavy Rains, and Uncharteds. Without them, gaming will never evolve beyond the technical.
Rather... it will cease it's evolution. Because let's face it... gaming has been doing amazing things the last 2 decades. I would hate to see it lose momentum just because some people have a limited outlook on what dictates quality.
The industry needs more money placed into development so variety never suffers. (Can you imagine how much greater CoD would be if even 10% more of the billions made were placed back into it's own development?!?!)
1 up, 0 down
SoulController
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 10:40:29 PM
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For example, I'm a fan of funk music and Funk was at its height in popularity in the 70s and 80s and only lasted that long because of Prince taking it to another level. At the end of the day, thats what Japanese devs and artist need to do. Go up a couple more notches. They've done it before..
I think everyone, especially playstation fans have a lot of anxiety about Uncharted 3. We all want it to be great and average a metacritic score of at least 90. I have complete faith in Naughty Dog and know they wont let us down on the length, gameplay etc...
PGU: Dark Souls is crack on a blu ray!One of the best things about Dark Souls are the fans and its community. All of my friends who have it and a few of my PSN friends, were always helping each other and giving each other tips. I really believe its part of why the game is so popular.
I platinumed Ghost of Sparta last week & finished Dead Space extraction and now I cant wait for DS3.
3 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:06:53 AM
1 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:35:33 AM
1 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 7:44:06 PM
As for while JRPGs are simultaneously not as popular as they once were. Well that is a good question that I myself don't really have the answer to.
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 11:12:06 PM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:58:41 AM
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 1:02:57 AM
0 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 7:46:02 PM
The "cardboard cutout" thing you mention is actually better known as the Visual Novel style of presentation.
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 9:41:58 PM
I think that is a great illustration of the problems we face here. Jawknee sees that story telling style and uses the characterization "cardboard cutout" which, like it or not, has negative connotations. Rather than seeing the Visual Novel style for what it is, it's characterized in a negative manner. Just as so much else about the JRPG is - in the west - characterized in ways that have negative connotations.
1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 8:32:04 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/17/2011 8:33:13 AM
0 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 10:46:28 AM
No. The style that you're referring to with games like inFAMOUS is the Motion Comic style. The Visual Novel style is something entirely different.
0 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 10:53:48 AM
0 up, 0 down
JDC80
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 11:27:13 PM
Reply
Got a question people are asking me what I want for Christmas I already said NHL 12 but I'm not sure about NBA 2k12 from the things I'm hearing the players and owners are light years apart on agreeing on a new CBA. So I'm not sure I would want a game where the season doesn't happen. I already got most of the rookies that were in this year draft class in NBA 2k11. So should I still get it and hope the season starts at some point or ask something else?
0 up, 0 down
StubbornScorpio
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 11:30:36 PM
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For Uncharted 3, people just have high expectations and it's a matter of self-control to preserve the game's magic.
PGU: I finally got around to finishing ICO & Shadow of the Colossus. These games have had such a profound effect on me, easily moved into my top 10 all-time favorites list. Now onto the Portal 2 Peer Review co-op with my sis :)
2 up, 0 down
Alienange
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 11:31:51 PM
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Am I to think that the mp will add longevity? If that's the case then where are the adds? Where is the publisher's backing saying "hey, this is fantastic mp!"
It's not there. And that makes me think twice about spending that kind of money on a short adventure.
5 up, 7 down
bigrailer19
Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 11:39:29 PM
But I'm with you on some level. I think somewhere in there I get that if Uncharted 3 is a couple hours shorter than the first 2 then that will be a little frustrating. I know for me it will. But I will still enjoy it! ;)
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 10/15/2011 11:44:11 PM
1 up, 0 down
Alienange
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:02:59 AM
But who knows, maybe the mp will be fantastic and will make it all worthwhile. We'll see what the critics say.
1 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:10:30 AM
It insinuates that these games are somehow lesser in quality - which in my experience, is rarely the case - and it also makes far too many assumptions about any supposed "universality" of gamer tendencies.
Some people might want to try and get all the hidden treasures. Some people might play more defensively because they don't like to die as often. Some people might cut CGI scenes short. Some people might find particular situations and bosses more difficult than others, thereby increasing play time.
Open-endedness and freedom is not the be-all and end-all of interactive entertainment, regardless of popular belief. And just as easily as someone could normally finish Uncharted 3 in 8 hours, someone else could take 13. That's a huge difference.
7 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:13:02 AM
It's an entertainment experience and if the vision of the artist(s) in question can be satisfied in two hours, and it doesn't feel rushed or tedious, than two hours is the correct length. Whether a game is 5 hours or 20 hours, we still have to take the exact same elements into account.
4 up, 0 down
StubbornScorpio
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:30:19 AM
People seem so focused on numbers; the quality of the game shouldn't be impacted by the length of its campaign. ICO was one of the shortest (if not THE shortest) game I've ever played, yet it had the strongest emotional impact out of any video game I've ever played. I put huge value on that.
I mentioned it in the other article concerning Uncharted's length that basing your gaming habits on another person's play experience is fruitless, no two gamers will play exactly the same way. That's the beauty of it.
Last edited by StubbornScorpio on 10/16/2011 12:32:58 AM
1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 5:47:46 AM
Generally speaking that's exactly what you have to do: You *have* to move to a certain spot, have to take down the guards in a particular order to succeed, you have to step on those specific stones to climb the wall, you have to unlock that door to get to the next stage etc. Generally speaking players have to play the same way. That's the principle…
Let's use another game as an example of the opposite: Fallout 3. There you can start talking about "not two gamers" etc. They probably don't even look the same, or have the same skills. I spent an insane amount of time just to explore and figure out small things that often even were nothing. You just don't have these things in games like Uncharted. Therefore the playthrough of Fallout 3 can be something between (oh I don't know, picking random numbers here) 3 hours and 130 hours.
now I am not implying anything negative about linear games here. I am just pointing out an objective difference.
I think this is part of what the point Alien try to make too. He's not saying that the experience is any lesser in quality because of that. And it's not. It's just a property of these kind of games.
And with a "cinema experience" like Uncharted, why complain over 8-10 hours anyway? That's one hell of a long movie!
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/16/2011 5:58:34 AM
1 up, 0 down
StubbornScorpio
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:11:50 PM
I can see you make valid points for the way gamers play and how it's limited in linear games. But still, some players take longer on a certain puzzle or enemy firefight while others will just fly through the sections. It isn't just about the objective, it's HOW players get there.
3 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 7:12:57 PM
2 up, 1 down
Lairfan
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 7:54:04 PM
1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 7:47:21 AM
I did read your posts too, just didn't comment on them.
Of course your skill and offensive/defensive style will affect game length. Isn't that obvious? I just think that it will mean noteably *less* than in less linear games. I believe that is the point Alien tried to make. That's all, really. :)
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/17/2011 8:37:38 AM
0 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 10:13:04 AM
I half agree with out about length vs. quality. I definitely agree that using length as a factor to a good score only really affects replay values. If a game is good, it's good.
But I do think a game can be too short, regardless of the production values.
However, with Uncharted, based on my experience with the past 2 Uncharteds, I know that even if I beat it the first time in 10 hours, I know I'll go back for more. I know I'll want to beat crushing, and that I want to find all the treasures. I know it will get me something like 25 hours or more of playing bliss. So, for me, I don't see it as a 10 hour game.
However, if I wasn't into all that, and just wanted to play for the story, then yeah... 10 hours might be all I play. And then, it would be too short for me to make an early purchase. It would wait, no matter how good. I try to keep my gaming purchases budgeted by dollars per hour spent. I'm will to play a great game for $3 per hour. Anything from pretty good to less, I'd better get $2 per hour or less. So, if Uncharted 3 only gave me 10 hours, regardless of how good it is, I would be paying $6 per hour for a $60 game. I wouldn't get it until it cost $30.
But based on previous Uncharteds, I know I'll get 25-ish hours guaranteed, if not more. So I can warrant a $60 day one purchase.
I bought ICO/SotC day one this year, but it had a great price point to start. I also got WKC2 and MLB11 the show day one. MLB got me near 80 hours this year and WKC2 has already gotten me 50 or so hours this month, as it's been my exclusive game of choice...
Know what I mean?
1 up, 0 down
DazeOfWar
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:03:54 AM
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PGU: I just platinum'd inFamous 2 today. Really enjoyed the game. I started playing a little Ico and have enjoyed so far. I plan on starting something else which was going to be RAGE but now I kind of want to start Yakuza 3. Last but not least I can't wait to pick up Batman Tuesday. The game is going to be awesome.
1 up, 0 down
dmiitrie
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 1:13:17 AM
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And as far as JRPGs go, I don't see why they and gritty realism need to be mutually exclusive. Now, I understand that not everyone is a fan of that and I'm glad that there are alternatives out there for these people, but when I look at my favourite JRPGs of the last 4 gens (FF6, FFT, FFX, and Lost Odyssey), I notice that they all have things in common that are absent from today's games (I'm going off of reviews and screen shots as none of the more recent JRPGs have interested me enough to purchase. If I'm overlooking any game, please feel free to correct me): lack of the anime style, the main characters are adults, they have complex and mature themes, and their overall tone is fairly gritty.
Once again, I know there are people who like the things I dislike, and I'm glad they have games. But surely I'm not the only person who would enjoy something that looked and felt more like L5R and less like Innuyasha.
PGU: although I came back to DA:O briefly today, most of my free time (rare though that's been lately) has been spent with TW: Shogun 2. And once I've had my fill of that, I'll probably go to Dawn of War and then Dawn of War 2.
0 up, 0 down
Snaaaake
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 1:25:32 AM
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Ni No Kuni is already looking like a contender for RPG of the year aside from Mass Effect 3.
0 up, 0 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 2:59:36 AM
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About the length - why do people even care? Unless its un-reasonably short, theres nothing to complain about; it takes as long as it takes. I honestly never notice how long a game takes. That said, when going into the stats screen on Uncharted 2 after my first playthrough, I was at 13 hours. I actually though I had played more than that; I'm pretty sure I spent atleast half an hour on each chapter just walking around, admiring the landscape. Its actually a bit scary looking at that stat; I finished the game in 1 and a half days - that means I spent roughly 13/36 hours playing a game. :0
PGU: Stopped playing the UC3 beta as I'm enjoying it too much (lolwut). I want to experiance it first hand in the real game. Also, anyone else going to re-play Uncharted 1 & 2 before they play UC3? I am :D
1 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 3:46:22 AM
1 up, 0 down
CanadianGuy420
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 10:05:16 AM
PGU decided to celebrate GTA III's 10th anniversary (Next saturday) by replaying it so started that on my ps2 lastnight. 10 years later its still a blast to play holds up so well today.
Last edited by CanadianGuy420 on 10/16/2011 10:14:50 AM
1 up, 0 down
Gordo
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 3:36:06 AM
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Doesn't seem like jRPGs are keeping up evolutionary wise in this generation. I'm not sure if people have the time or inclination for a nice, traditional, cerebral, turn based adventure anymore...
(present company excepted)
Last edited by Gordo on 10/16/2011 3:36:40 AM
1 up, 1 down
Highlander
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 9:50:43 PM
"Doesn't seem like jRPGs are keeping up evolutionary wise in this generation. "
Why do any games in any game genre have to keep up with the 'evolution' of games in any other genre? That very comment betrays your own thinking that somehow JRPGs are behind the times, less evolved, less advanced. You know, once you get something right, it's 'evolution' tends to slow down - drastically. I don't see the need to 'evolve' here at all. Just about the only thing JRPG fans wanted out of this generation was higher definition graphics in the same styles that they were already happy with, and longer, bigger games that take advantage of the power and storage of the system. So far, very few have met that expectation. Ironically, WKC2 is one of the few that has.
So, what it the need for evolution, and how have JRPGs not 'evolved'?
0 up, 0 down
R3ZR
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 4:23:18 AM
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games, but i wouldnt want an Uncharted game to become tedious and tiring because the story doesnt seem to be progressing..thats just my peraonal opinion tho :)
PU: i have both nba2k12 and fifa12 that ive been going away at. both are rather solid sport sims if i could say. ive also replayed uncharted 1 and going to go through 2 this week..other than that just waiting for Batman to show up :) camt wait :)
2 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 5:31:36 AM
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1up: Why we play japanese games
Discuss the differences between wrpg and jrpg and their history.
http://www.1up.com/features/why-we-play-japanese-games
IGN: The Art Styles of Japanese & Western Games
A summary of the panel discussion at Comic Con hosted by Square-Enix.
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/120/1200401p1.html
They are both very good reads.
0 up, 0 down
Ultimadream
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 6:47:58 AM
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Catherine could be the suprise hit of this gen. It has everything, an engaging story, a puzzle gameplay system which never gets frustrating (Even if you die a lot.), a great cast of characters with superb voice acting. A soundtrack with variations of classical themes. Even a co-op mode which seems a sin for this gen as all multiplayer HAS to be online. This game just gets everything right, I'll post my review on the forum later.
Last edited by Ultimadream on 10/16/2011 6:48:18 AM
0 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 7:13:55 PM
Besides, it takes me a while to finish some of those puzzles; I'm not very good at it.
1 up, 0 down
Danny007
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 7:15:50 AM
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1 up, 0 down
frylock25
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 7:58:01 AM
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2 up, 0 down
Danny007
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 2:23:07 PM
0 up, 0 down
Kevin555
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 8:05:36 AM
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I am also trying very hard to avoid any spoilers & new gameplay videos on Uncharted 3 which isn't an easy task to do. I want to enjoy that game in it's entirety without some flog who rushes through the game in 8 hours ruining it for others just so he can say "i beat the gaem first lolz & it rawks!" I had to suffer that sh!t with Heavy Rain when some forum punk ruined it for me.
Uncharted 3 is a game that i am going to need just to chill out in & enjoy after all the fury & anger that Dark Souls causes.
3 up, 1 down
burnedknight
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 11:53:03 AM
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PGU after picking WKC2 i've been playing the first one before I start the second and I gotta say i'm enjoying it. Don't really see why the reviews were so bad.
Ni no kuni is now on my radar after seeing more video's. Level 5 looks to be jrpg king now
Last edited by burnedknight on 10/16/2011 12:00:56 PM
2 up, 0 down
Highlander
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 9:51:23 PM
0 up, 0 down
sirbob6
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 12:16:26 PM
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I'm enjoying every minute of it but something is really bugging me. The game seems way too easy. I went into the first five boss fights without dying once(I died in between the bosses though). The hardest thing in the game seems to be how aggressive all the normal enemies are.
Overall though I am loving it. The general enhancements of everything is fantastic. I love all the new attacks, moves, abilities, etc. And the enemy variety is amazing plus all the new weapons and armor is fantastic.
The online is an enormous improvement on a system that was already excellent. The addition of covenants was a stroke of genius. All the different perks they give you is so fun to play with.
Overall I love it and I will be playing this until Christmas and most likely a while after that.
0 up, 0 down
rell
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 1:46:08 PM
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1 up, 0 down
rell
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 1:57:20 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 7:14:28 PM
As for Journey, it's early next year, I believe.
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Looking Glass
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 7:52:47 PM
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True. The genre is not as popular as it once was. But it's far from dead. It's alive and well and that isn't showing any signs of changing. I hope you're looking forward to Tales of Graces F, Ni no Kuni, Atelier Meruru (hopefully that's going to get localized too), and perhaps to a lesser extent Neptunia Mk2.
1 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 8:18:59 PM
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 10/16/2011 8:19:29 PM
1 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 9:12:42 PM
Last edited by Looking Glass on 10/16/2011 9:16:00 PM
0 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 9:29:13 PM
0 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 6:38:35 AM
Inevitable and irreversible you say? I think not. I'm not entirely sure why you seem to continue to believe that the JRPG genre is doomed to die in spite of evidence to the contrary. But then again I guess there's no point in debating or arguing the point because I think it's a safe bet that time will tell which one of us is right.
0 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 9:55:41 AM
1 up, 1 down
Looking Glass
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 11:14:51 AM
And whether or not a game is a commercial success depends on if it actually makes a profit. And whether or not it makes a profit depends largely on how much money it's makers spend while making it. A JRPG may not sell like Call of Duty but depending on the budget it may not need to sell like that to be successful.
A good example of such a game is probably Hyperdimension Neptunia. That game got a lot of lackluster review scores but it was still financially successful. The trick is making a good game, or at least a reasonably appealing one, while keeping the budget relatively low. And by the way this is something that Gust Inc in particular is very good at. And sure enough Atelier Rorona has been a commercially successful game too. And while it might be too soon to make a definitive call with Disgaea 4 so far NIS has said that the game's sales have been going okay.
Or simply put, different games and different kinds of games have different standards of success. The loyal JRPG fanbase may not be particularly large but it doesn't need to be for the genre to survive. And I get the impression that a number of JRPG fans are learning not to care what reviewers think (no offense intended Ben) if Hyperdimension Neptunia is any indication.
I'm not saying that all JRPGs are necessarily doing well sales wise. But all things considered I firmly believe that the genre in general is doing well enough to survive, and maybe even thrive in some ways.
But, as I indicated before, time should tell which one of us is right.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 10/17/2011 11:20:42 AM
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BikerSaint
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 8:33:58 PM
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Anyways, I'd rather take my time moseying right along sightseeing through most games, if I can.
As for my PGU, haven't been gaming much as I've just finished up my gaming safari & I've been too busy doing my pain-in-the butt cataloging of everything I just got on this trip.
I've added a few more colored PSP's into my collection,
Hannah Montana - metallic lavender/lilac?
MGS - Camo green
MGS - metallic hunter green
Monster Hunter - metallic brown w/ dragons(Japan Import w/crossed x&o buttons)
G.O.W. - metallic red(this was one of the 2 ebay items that I had to harass the seller into finally sending, but after having to resort to veiled threats, he's finally sent it & given me the tracking #) Damned A-hole!!!
I also picked up a GS refurbed 60GB Phat Princess to replace the one the gorilla package bunglers smashed, & I promptly put a 750 GB HD in her, so she'll be quite the ever-loving glazed donut w/extra sprinkles eating fattie now.
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BikerSaint
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 8:44:37 PM
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I bought a 1T HD & a 750 HD for my 320 Move bundled Slim, but for some effing reason she won't allow me into the XMB screen with either of them, & not even with trying the 60GB HD out of my 60 gigger, saying that I have to update to FW(which I had done as soon as it came out).
I even did a quick re-format, and then also popped each of the new HD's into my older 60 & did re-format's with them in too, with no problems. but when I re inserted each one back into my Slim, I keep getting the same " you must update to the latest FW, which of course was already done. But when I put it's original 320HD back in, she's wonderfully OK with it & everything's back to normal(plus she shows that she was updated to the current FW).
GRRRRRRRR!
So now since I'm not tech-savvy, I don't know what else to do, so I've hit the longer full format button & my god, that's going to take 18 & 1/2 hours long just to do a full re-format.
So now I'm just sitting here for almost 2 & 1/4 hours in, and I'm beginning to steadily curse away because it's only at 11% done so far & I've got another 16 hours & 12 minutes to go before it's finished & then I can try swapping HD's out for another whole day wasted once again. "Yipee for me"
Any tips or Ideas why my new 320 slim isn't accepting another HD, when my older 60 phat princess will accept every since one, including 640, 750, a even a 1T HD(I've tried Toshiba, WD, Seagate, & Samsung, so I'm thinking that the problem is with my PS3, & not the HD's themselves)???????
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Highlander
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 9:29:34 PM
If I remember correctly, the full format option will put enough of the firmware that's in your system ROM on the drive to allow it to boot. Because there are elements of the firmware that reside on the HDD, I think that the system will want a full copy of the firmware downloaded and installed to ensure that the elements that reside on the HDD are valid. That will generally mean the latest revision is required.
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BikerSaint
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 1:14:59 AM
I've never did a full format with my Phat 60 gigger, just popped the new HD in, & it went right into XMB screen & which then asked for the smaller "quick" format.
I certainly hope the full re-format works, especially since it's 18 & 1/2 hours long to do it. Any reasons why it takes that long?
As I said before, I tried all the new HD's in my slim "first". And only then once none of them worked, my bright(or not so bright???) idea was to try formatting them through my 60 GB PS3 & hopefully that way they'd all show my slim that the 3.72 version was on them(BTW, they all registered their available GB's just fine on my Phat 60 gigger).
But once in my 320GB Move bundled slim, it won't even open up into the XMBscreen(or asking to do quick re-format).
Yet, if I put the original 320GB HD back in it, it zooms right into XMB, no problem t'all.
With this new slim, it won't even open to any screen, just a couple messages that lead me down the path to this final set.....
"If system can't be re-started, the system partition of the hard disk must be re-formatted & you must use the system software".
And then this....
"Connect storage media that contains update data of version 3.72 or later, then press start & select together"
Sooooo, I also went ahead & D/led the same 3.72 update once again, but this time onto a USB stick. But since I can't even get a screen with the 1T HD in it, how can using the USB stick even work???(but I will still give it a try after another 11 hours & 42 minutes are finally over with on this full formatting(if that dosen't fix it)....
Anyway, I'll keep ya posted on my results, I think this formatting should be finished somewhere after 2PM.
ARRRGGGHHHH, I'm so glad my hair's already gone to all grey!
Last edited by BikerSaint on 10/17/2011 1:21:37 AM
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BikerSaint
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 @ 12:28:50 AM
here's the results of doing the 18 & 1/2 hour long "full" re-format.
Nada, ziltch, waste of time, nothing....
..it didn't do anything to help at all.
But..... the good news in this whole story is that here's the super-easy fix for it....
1. Just D/L the newest update from the PSN onto a USB stick,
2. Then stick your USB stick into your PS3,
3. Then hook up your controller's charging/data cord up to the controller & the PS3.
4. Press the "PS" button on your controller
5. Once the screen prompts you, hit "Start" & "Select" at the same time
6. Then follow the "format" instruction prompts on your PS3.
AND YOU'RE ALL DONE!
BTW, Once you've inserted your USB stick into the PS3, the whole procedure should only take about 10-15 minutes from start to finish.
-------------
FYI, This whole situation certainly was a trying time for me these last 2 days, so I hope my own fiasco will at least help anyone else who get's into the same HD upgrade problem with the newer PS3 "slim" models as I have too.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 10/18/2011 12:30:56 AM
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Highlander
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 9:21:48 PM
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Are you turning in your JRPG fan card with this comment?
"These bright, non-bloody JRPGs with younger-looking anime characters just seem to be falling by the wayside. So when I see Ni no Kuni commercials, or I hear about the Tales series, I keep thinking they just don't fit anymore."
Seriously, if these bright, cheerful, non-bloody JRPGs no longer fit, then I can hang up my controller. I don't think that you can say they don't fit. It might be fair to day that the RPG genre has a new sub genre or two that encompass the dark, bloody and/or sci-fi RPGs. But the day that bright, non-bloody, cheerful JRPGs with their your cutesy characters and whimsy no longer fit in the RPG genre is the day that gaming dies to me.
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 9:28:07 PM
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Highlander
Sunday, October 16, 2011 @ 10:01:06 PM
So, why is the industry not segmenting and targeting that rather large group of gamers that are 30+ and have been gaming for 20+ years and like some of the genre of games that are less well catered to? You can't treat the entire gaming population as a single market, when you do you target the lowest common denominator. That leaves a lot of people out.
The JRPG is a genre that to me, seems particularly susceptible to the impact of this inability to see other market segments and cater to them. 'evolving' the JRPG towards the lowest common denominator moves it away from it's core audience. It effectively sacrifices the known audience for a potential audience that may not want JRPGs at all.
The other point that comes to mind is that JRPGs still fit very well in Japan. They might not fit so well in the western markets that are absorbed by their love affair with gritty, realistic, violent shooters and action games with dark or sci-fi themes. Seems like once again the western love of violence takes a victim.
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Beamboom
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 8:26:44 AM
And High, I believe the point you are making about generations of gamers are spot on, and thus the industry will change with it. Just look at other, older entertainment markets, like movies, there are plenty quality movies made for more or less all generations and preferences. I expect the same to happen with video games when the industry "mature".
We are just the first generation gamers, so we are "on the fringe" of the market in that sense (I assume you are more or less in my age category).
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/17/2011 8:28:03 AM
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Underdog15
Monday, October 17, 2011 @ 10:21:03 AM
If there were more top notch jRPG's like the PS1 and even PS2 days, I would be spending more money on games. I guarantee it. I know my personal circle of friends isn't the best case study to examine, but I can promise you the same is the case for them as well.
I'd like to think there are many more like us holding out... for.... something....
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bigrailer19
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Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 9:39:07 PM
Also I never ever rush through games except for trophies, heavenly sword I believe took me around 8 hours so... Yea reviewers rush through games.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 10/15/2011 9:39:48 PM