2010: The Year Of Evolutionary Steps?
Heavy RainYou know, we're not quite halfway through the year yet, and I'm already thinking that 2010 will go down in history as one of the industry's best.
Now, I say this not because I believe there will be an inordinate number of fantastic games - in that respect, 1998 may never be topped, and 2001 is awfully impressive as well - but because we may see the industry take very big steps; evolutionary leaps, even. Perhaps it began with Heavy Rain, which in my eyes, redefined the nature of storytelling and player involvement in video games. It also represented a new, more mature presentation and style that could rival many movies designed for older, more intelligent participants. Now, this month, the "leaps" may continue with Red Dead Redemption and Alan Wake. For RDR, we've got a great team behind it and based on everything we've seen (make sure to check out our videos), this could very well become the single best Western-themed video game ever. No, we're not expecting a gameplay mechanic that's entirely new - sort of reminds us of Assassin's Creed and Uncharted - but the setting...it's just something we've all been waiting for.
And if you read some of the early reviews for Alan Wake, it could redefine the survival/horror genre; it reminds me of Silent Hill, only smarter and even more atmospheric and intense. Dead Space took a step in the right direction back in 2008 and the sequel might do it again later this year, only in a very different direction than Alan Wake. Fans of freaky games should have a blast, at the very least. Furthermore, there's Gran Turismo 5, which should be another benchmark for simulated racing games. Last year, we had fantastic games, no doubt about it, but as amazing as they were, they may not offer the evolutionary/revolutionary elements that some of 2010's best may feature. Even Final Fantasy XIII, despite the flack it takes, marks a turning point in that franchise (like it or not) that is designed to appeal to those who didn't grow up with the series, and who might routinely play other types of games.
We're really seeing some significant shifts. Call of Duty will go to Vietnam and Medal of Honor will tackle the war on terror. Even Alpha Protocol, set to launch in June, might surprise everyone with its decision-making aspects, and ModNation Racers will build upon the "Create, Play, Share" concept pioneered by LittleBigPlanet. Yes indeed, this could end up being a very, very interesting year.
5/5/2010 9:13:59 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (53 posts)
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 9:44:37 PM
1 up, 2 down
SmokeyPSD
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 9:49:11 PM
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Mornelithe
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 12:21:59 PM
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BlackBriar
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 9:40:24 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 9:42:20 PM
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BlackBriar
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 9:54:19 PM
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BikerSaint
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 10:32:30 PM
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And what's to follow should continue to be a diabetic-coma of gaming sweetness for the rest of the year too.
(So start taking those meds now)!!!!
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Milonakis
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 10:35:46 PM
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Mr Bitey
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 11:18:17 AM
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Alienange
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 10:39:38 PM
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Oh, and FFXIII was no revolution. Unless you call ditching the RPG standards as revolutionary. I call it sacrilege.
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WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 10:51:52 PM
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Alienange
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 4:29:38 PM
Damn. Coolest CoD character ever.
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FlyingKickPunch
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 6:40:41 PM
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BikerSaint
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 10:54:35 PM
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You're right, it's not just Vietnam, but a hop-scotching of other places too.
This was from Scrawl's site.
Call of Duty: Black Ops, announced today by Activision, takes players to the places other than just Vietnam, according to details leaked by UK retailer GAME today.
Now you will witness the birth of the Elite Special Forces and take part in off-the-record missions using unconventional weaponry to get the job done!
From Cuba to the Arctic and the jungles of Vietnam, Call of Duty: Black Ops features stunning cinematic graphics and intense gameplay that puts you right at the heart of the action!
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WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 11:32:08 PM
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CH1N00K
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 11:35:30 PM
Last edited by CH1N00K on 5/5/2010 11:37:02 PM
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Alienange
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 4:33:57 PM
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FlyingKickPunch
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 6:42:42 PM
...you really thought it was?
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NeoHumpty
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 11:01:05 PM
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CH1N00K
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 11:09:37 PM
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As for Heavy Rain I have yet to pick it up, but it's on the list for sure, as was FFXIII..which I did pick up. I'm about halfway through and I don't know about you guys, but I'm bored...
Yes it's a nice looking game, yes it's got lots of battles but there's something about the whole battle system that doesn't give me the anxiety of having to win like the old FF's did. To give you an example, I did a boss battle with one hand while I ate dinner the other night....you shouldn't be able to do that...Attack, paradigm shift, Heal, Paradigm shift..yawn....So I've put the game aside for a bit to play something else. That and everytime Vanille says something, my GF asks me if I'm watching Japanese porn..That character's voice grates on my nerves..lol.
GT5 I'm looking forward to, but I know it will be a game I will probably never finish..I've done the same thing with most of the GT's. Get the Game, play it like crazy, get tired of "simulation" racing, go play something like Burnout, put GT back into the system a few months later, rinse, lather, repeat. I think I'm half "Twitch", I'm not sure...Eventually I will finish it but it's going to take me a while.
But speaking of games that we've all been waiting for...when the !&#* are we going to get another Ace Combat from Namco? I may have to break down and go invest in IL-2: Sturmovik if something doesn't happen soon...
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SnipeySnake
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 11:18:07 PM
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Modnation Racers
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Last edited by SnipeySnake on 5/5/2010 11:18:30 PM
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kraygen
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 3:22:30 AM
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SnipeySnake
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 10:00:12 PM
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Robochic
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 11:19:47 PM
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Looking into the next months of the year are looking pretty good to, RDR looks and sounds really cool, GT 5 is going to be so much fun, Modnation racers is going to be great especially if you like LBP, and so much more I know is going to be announce @ E3 can't wait for that So all in all Sony is really kicking it into gear.
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CH1N00K
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 11:34:31 PM
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If that's the case then us PS3 users are going to get shafted again. Anyway to find out what she was talking about there?
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Shams
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 11:39:35 PM
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This year, I'm finally catching up on LBP, and am loving it. Modnation Racers may steal my appetite from my favorite racer, and I'm might just be all about Play, Create, and Share this year, until GT5 comes out.
RDR is gonna exude quality, no doubt (pretty much anything R* makes is guaranteed to be brilliant), but I see myself enjoying vehicles more than horseback riding for my open world tastes. Either that, or make me defy gravity (inFamous 2 is up there on top of my wishlist but I hope SP takes there time with it, so I'd rather wait for next year for it to come out). I'm done with AC. I liked the first one, despite most of the common criticisms against it. The 2nd one was impressive in many ways (mind-bogglingly so), but I guess the story kind of got too hokey for me, and a bit underwhelming (the final boss fight was just silly), and it lost the mystique that carried me through the first game.
That being said, I'm enjoying Liberty City again, these days, which is proof enough to me that R* will make me happy with RDR, despite me not being inclined to it. That's the thing about Liberty City (I didn't play any GTA's before IV). I couldn't call it my favorite game(s), but the presentation, immersion, and surprise, and varied gameplay I get every time I play arrests me from playing other games that clearly play, sound, and look better!
Heavy Rain was monumental, and if they managed to squeeze in more gameplay, it would've been perfect, but either way, the game was too depressing for me.
GOW3 didn't have the action of NGS2, nor did it have the beauty of U2, but it comes pretty close. So I won't be trading it in anytime soon.
So yeah, this year is solid. I don't really parse my gaming career in to years, only because holiday season rolls into the next year, and great game can steal your attention for even a couple of years (if not more). But yes, we have plenty to look forward to.
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Shams
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 5:47:24 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 12:26:58 AM
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Shams
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 5:52:35 PM
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Scarecrow
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 2:14:50 AM
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Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
And MAYBE Starhawk and the new Twisted Metal game
It's a packed year for sure. I don't know how I'm going to buy some of the great games I missed on last year :(
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___________
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 2:46:13 AM
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its not a survival horror, its a psychological thriller.
MASSIVE difference!
i really doubt it though, packed yeah but not revolutionary.
the only game i could call even the slightest revolutionary this gen is heavy rain and i really cant see that changing anytime soon.
whats so revolutionary about red dead redemption or alan wake?
both look very good and polished to within a inch of their life (which i would expect considering the time they have taken!) but neither look revolutionary.
the only game due out this year that i think could be considered revolutionary is alpha protocol.
thats looking really good, and ive never seen a game similar to it which is why im so excited for it.
its not every month i get to play a game i have not played before.
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Bjorn77
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 3:23:38 AM
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And this month I will add Prince of Persia and Red Dead Redemption to big pack of games that.
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kraygen
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 3:27:54 AM
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I've been wrong before, but I've got little expectations for alan wake.
Edit: Just watched the new trailer for Naughty bear, this game is making me laugh already, I am definitely watching to see where it goes. I have a dark humor and naughty bear could make me laugh till I cry.
Last edited by kraygen on 5/6/2010 3:32:26 AM
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Banky A
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 5:31:58 AM
;) haha just playing around.
1 up, 3 down
Deleted User
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 5:31:41 AM
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heavy rain....yawn....
gt 5....yawn.....
alan wake....this game might be out this month...yawn....
i can't wait for HAWX2 check out chatcc.com news feed. rdr, skate3 ufc 2020 undisputed will be the only gamesi buy this month
currenty playing
360 -Splintercell conviction
ps3 gta EFLC (TbOgT)
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Kevin555
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 5:58:54 AM
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Kevin555
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 6:07:35 AM
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DeathOfChaos
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 9:28:48 AM
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JackC8
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 7:29:29 AM
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And online FPS's? Oh gimme a break. The market is so flooded with those things it's pathetic. Of course they're moving on to Vietnam and Afghanistan - they've already made 30 games about every other conflict that's ever taken place. The setting doesn't make any difference in stuff that's mainly online anyway.
The only evolution I see is the trend towards rushing out incredibly buggy and unoriginal games to cash in on whatever is making money at the moment. Japanese developers are starting to remove what made Japanese games unique in order to cater to us dumb Westerners - to make more money. And the music genre is dying due to over-saturation. Other than that, we've still go a lot of great games, and even more good ones. Overall I'm very happy - but that's partially because I only got my PS3 about a year ago and have a couple years worth of catching up to do. If I was depending on new releases for all my entertainment, I'd probably still be pretty happy, but not quite so much.
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DeathOfChaos
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 9:26:45 AM
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Red Dead Redemption does look promising, though. I don't like shooters too often, but it looks like it will be good. I guess mostly because it's set in a time where shooting was a part of life, which makes that part of the game feel more natural. For the first time, I wouldn't mind being in a western gunfight online. In fact, it makes an online gunfight seem more epic and awesome. Why be a soldier who went through training when you could be a western cowboy who could shoot a rat from 200 yards away with buckshot?
You didn't even mention God of War III. Not even for it's stunning graphics or the amount of violence and blood you can spill, but the sheer size of everything. That game, I think, really upped how the scale of things can be done in games and how effective you can make those things work.
Final Fantasy XIII wasn't fresh and new, in fact, it was a step backward from what it should have (could have) been. I don't care who you are, FFXIII lacked probably about 25%-50% of what it should have been in the final product.
And FPS games are the cancer to gaming today, look at how FFXIII turned out. Linear as hell. No depth to the game and nothing that really makes you want to play through again. Hell, I didn't even mean to bring FF13 back up, that's pretty sad. I'm talking more about 70% of the games on the 360 and about 30% on the PS3, and there's so many of them that the genre has gotten stale enough that it's gone too far to revive the genre to ever be interesting to ever again.
Heavy Rain is awesome, still trying to get more endings along with the time I've been having trying to keep up with college work (It's hard to be a gamer in college :s). The way that game is played out in itself is a revolutionary genre creating aspect.
What about Lost Planet 2? This generation of gaming, I'm finding myself more into 3rd person shooters than I ever have been. The first multiplayer demo of Lost Planet 2 was really fun and the bosses are extremely gigantic. I'm not sure if the Titans on God of War III or the Lost Planet 2 bosses are larger, but I'm sure none of Lost Planet 2's bosses noses texturing isn't worth 1GB alone, lol.
The Last Guardian will be amazing, I'm sure. The gameplay graphics look amazing as far as gameplay of this generation goes. Ico and Shadow of the Collosus were both amazing for their times, and The Last Guardian should be just as amazing as Ico and Shadow of the Collosus were when they first came out.
Last edited by DeathOfChaos on 5/6/2010 9:27:32 AM
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 10:18:02 AM
And just because you think FFXIII is a step backwards doesn't mean it isn't a significant change. You have to get past your own opinions and biases if you're going to judge such things.
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 10:25:06 AM
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The market is not dominated by FPSs and they're not ruining everything. Killzone 2 last year was a breath of fresh air in a genre that needed refreshment, and other than Modern Warfare 2, what else was worthy of Game of the Year nods?
Third-person dominated. Uncharted 2 won everything; Assassin's Creed II, inFamous, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Demon's Souls won most everything else. Then there's the re-emergence of the fighting genre in Street Fighter IV (and others), Dragon Age: Origins, DiRT 2, and I didn't even mention the downloadable explosion featuring original titles like Shatter, Fat Princess, Flower, and others. You can argue Halo if you wish but Gears is just as big these days.
This year, it has been all about Heavy Rain, Bayonetta, God of War III, Final Fantasy XIII, Alan Wake, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Red Dead Redemption, Lost Planet 2, etc. thus far. Where is this supposed over-saturation of FPSs? Just because another CoD is coming out this fall...? You guys should probably be realistic about this because the FPS hate, while in some cases warranted, has gotten to the point where it makes little sense.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 5/6/2010 10:25:40 AM
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CH1N00K
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 11:24:15 AM
Given the popularity of COD, you can't really blame them but at the same time, it feels that for every great FPS that is released onto the market, there seems to be a dozen crappy games coming out as well hoping to cash in on the success of the genre.
Activision is even partly to blame with this as well. Whenever you turn around they are releasing yet another COD, and now with having signed a deal with Bungie, Microsofts FPS main team? Gee, I wonder what they are going to focus on making..
And most FPS's focus mainly on an Online experience, which leaves a few of us here at PSX a little out of the loop. Some of us are ex-Pats from the RPG days, which meant a game relied on an amazing story over graphics to suck a player into it's world. And now thanks to the focus on online run and gunning, stoylines have taken a back seat to multiplayer options.
Do I enjoy FPS? Yes, I even own a few, but I rarely go online to play them. I bought KZ2 for the story..Bought Resistance 1&2 for the story. Bought Far cry 2, well it was 15 bucks at walmart..so I figured why not? But once I've beaten those games on the hardest setting, I rarely go online. The games I do go online with? Burnout, Skate 2, Uncharted 2, and Socom.
Now I know a lot of people won't agree that Socom was a good shooter, but it wasn't because of the game mechanics, it was because Slant 6 made the thing glitchy as hell...which have mostly been resolved.
I mean look at all the FPS games that are coming out this year..Fear 3, Crysis 2, Singularity, Rage, COD Black Ops, Bulletstorm, Hopefully either R3 or KZ3... I don't know about you but that's a lot of games, all coming out probably in time for the christmas rush..
It is promising to see a nice dose of Racers are finally coming out though. But part of me has to wonder how many of those are just companies hoping to cash in on the popularity of the GT5 game and how many of those games will actually be worth the money...
I don't know but I think this fear of FPS, for some of us is justified. Go look at the shelves of the game stores, there's just sooo many. And more are coming. And the fact that they aren't winning any awards? Well, that just kind of proves that they aren't as great as the sales figures are making them out to be... A great game takes a while to develop..Yet every month there is another FPS that we knew nothing about being thrown on the shelves hoping to turn a quick buck. I think it's this Quantity over Quality Approach that has killed the FPS Genre for me.
I used to buy every game I could get my hands on. Now, I'm a little more careful, and when my hand hovers over a FPS on the shelf? I really think hard before I pick it up. Because 9 out of 10 times it's not worth it.
Last edited by CH1N00K on 5/6/2010 11:31:55 AM
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 12:27:59 PM
I mean, we all only have time to play the best titles available and a few games we personally enjoy, regardless of popularity. But look at me: I really like FPSs and I rarely buy one. Like I said before, there are so many other non-FPSs that are just better. What about the time when FPSs were the benchmarks in gaming? Half-Life, Unreal Tournament, Quake, etc.?
These days, there's a great conglomeration of genres and even the blending of different elements within genres. I really don't see a ton of FPSs all over the place and sales charts will tell you that action and sports games always rule (with the exception of CoD).
But I do agree about the emphasis on multiplayer alienating some of us, and that does have an FPS orientation, I believe. That part annoys me, as I've said before.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 5/6/2010 12:28:35 PM
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Alienange
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 5:21:46 PM
RPGs back in the day were just random battles out in the fields in order to level up so you could take on a more difficult batch of monsters.
Perhaps that's going too far back. Perhaps you played the Baldur's Gate series and FFVII and VIII. Have not the same people released new rpgs just recently that do not have your much despised multiplayer included? I certainly hope you bought them.
If there is something this site has is veteran gamers. Many played those old RPGs and were there when FPS started showing up. Were we upset back then? No. We were thrilled to get our copy of Wolfenstein. Why be mad at FPS now?
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Shams
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 5:38:58 PM
A few FPS's manage to break the mold (Killzone 2 for example), and of course I'm gonna get those.
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Shams
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 5:41:46 PM
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FlyingKickPunch
Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 6:26:12 PM
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lol, wut?
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Kevin555
Friday, May 07, 2010 @ 4:05:46 AM
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SmokeyPSD
Reply
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 9:39:31 PM
I absolutely loved Heavy Rain, but it's the lone beautiful woman walking down a dark dark alley right now. I am hoping Heavy Rain will have some effect on the industry at large, but games right now to me feel like hollywood, and like films, I just don't care about the majority of them. whether it's the next big dumb fps, or the next utterly ridiculous romantic comedy.