• 30Aug 09

  Words from a 360 faithful

  Alright, I'll admit I'm not the greatest blogger in the world, Sometimes I'm pretty darn lazy. As most of you know I frequent the SystemWars boards, and occasionaly I run into a gem of a post. This came from VoodooHak when he replied to a threadby a PS3 fanboy asking people to defend the xbox. The fanboy claiming thathe pwns all his friends whoown a 360 in an argument about which system is the best.

  By VoodooHak:

  I was going to say it's all Xbox Live. But in truth, Xbox Live is only part of the picture. It's probaly the most obvious part, but only one part. The Xbox 360 has set up a whole ecosystem of gaming that addresses the whole gaming experience.

  While playing on a system like the PS3, it still feels very much like a solitary experience. Gaming is only really about being in a game proper. Not so with Xbox 360. On the console, I almost never just launch into a game. I check my messages first. I look at my friends list to see who's partied up and who's playing what. I'll check the Events section to see what's on tap for the night and next few nights. Maybe the Spotlight section has a cool Inside Xbox segment or IGN Strategize has something new. Oh look... they already have a tip for Arkham Asylum. Or maybe I'll check the marketplaces to see if any new demos, videos, add-ons.

  This brings me to the layout. It's not like I have to go far to look. Everything is at or near the surface of the dashboard. No need to launch a separate app.

  Then there's something like achievements which have been there from launch, so they're in every single game except for Indie games. The data's accessible any community developer that wants it, giving rise to sites like Gamercard.net or 360Voice which get update dynamically. There's no manual synching process. It just happens. Trophies on the other hand are now only standard since the start of this year, leaving a large gaps in the number of games that support them. The data isn't publicly available, so the services like TripleTags and AngelFire require you to manually update your trophies.

  Then you have the integration with Xbox.com. The gaming experience doesn't have to end when you turn off the console. You can keep up with your friends list via MSN messenger or manage your messages and your account through Xbox.com. Meanwhile, PSN's integration with Playstation.com is so rudimentary, it really offers little value.

  Xbox also has very visible and accessible community managers that not only go to industry events, but also set up celebrity meetups and play sessions with developers and address subsections of the community that otherwise get ignored (ie GamerChix, GamerParents, Ambassadors to help newbies).

  These are just examples of how MS and Sony approach gaming today. It would seem that Sony is stuck in the traditional, last gen mentality of what gaming is while MS has kept in step with the web 2.0 movement and focused heavily on creating a framework where a community can thrive.

  So yeah...you won't find these things on the back of the box or on some consumer product grid. These are things you can only experience by being part of the community.

  • Posted Aug 30, 2009 10:14 am GMT
  • Category: Games
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• 23Jun 09

  Sony's disregard for casuals spells doom.

  Name the number one selling console out on the market today, and whom does it cater too? Now name the second? And in 3rd place we have the Playstation 3. While the Wii went after the casual market, both Xbox and PS3 went after the 'hardcore' gamers. Almost everyone at SystemWars counted the Wiiout as it didn't cater to what we wanted, asystem that brings in a leaptechnological advancement, withbigger and longer games. The Wii took a side step and made a technological advancement, not in raw computing horse power, but rather in user interface, with smaller and shorter games. This of course got media attention and sold consoles.

  What did Xbox and PS3 do to answer the huge potential for sales in the casual market? Well the Xbox revamped their menu screen and introduced cute little avatars. While this is nothing new, the Wii had them since launch and the PS3 had HOME Beta. The xbox made it part of the new menu screen and have even released games where you can show off your creation. The PS3 only had their avatars as an optional download. Lets call that strike one.

  Next the Xbox revamped their user interface even more with the introduction of Natal. Given that this is a peripheral and didn't come included with the system, it will be a tough sale for the casuals to bite. The approach they are going for is that they are treating the Natal like a new system aimed at the "60 per cent of households where a videogame console doesn't exist", rather than current casual gamers "or even PS2 people who haven't upgraded". . It has received a lot of media attention since it's unveiling at E3. Just like the Wii, this can mean sales. The PS3 unveiled their project, still early in development as it still does not have a name. Sony said that they want"developers to create entirely new types of games that we believe have the potential to appeal to core gamers who, up until now, maybe haven't embraced motion gaming as much as casual fans." Lets call that strike two.

  And last we have is the biggest deterrent to casual gamers which is of course the price point. To this day the PS3 has been the most expense system. Talks about price cut have been rumored for years. But if the price pointfor the PSP Go is anyindication of how much they have learned from the past, than they have got a longway to go before casual gamers proclaim PS3 the must have system. According to Kaz Hirai, Sony really isn't to interested in the casual market. "If you go mainstream too quickly and don't support the core gaming audience then you lack the pillar to support your platform", says Kaz. "Without this pillar", he continues, "you end up with a fickle audience that might be big but will probably move on. This is fine if you're looking at a five-year lifecycle like all of our competitors, even looking back in history, have always done. The new console comes out and the old one is immediately disregarded." Lets call that strike three, and that's game.

  http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/natal-not-targeting-existing-casual-gamers

  http://kotaku.com/5283062/sony-explains-unnamed-new-ps3-motion-controller-a-little-more

  http://news.spong.com/article/18207/PlayStation_Hirai_-_Casual_Gamers_are_Fickle

  • Posted Jun 23, 2009 10:33 am GMT
  • Category: Games
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• 30Apr 09

  (BATTLE) Yojiro Hanma vs. Akuma

  Ok, I saw the full series of Baki the Grappler and most of the Street Fighter animes. This being a gaming site I would think most people would say Akuma would win in a fight. Maybe because he has fireballs and the Shin Goku Satsu. In my opinion there isn't a martial arts style that Yojiro hasn't fought against and won. Just seeing how he beats top tier fighters and doesn't even need to try. My guess is that he has already ran into Ansatsuken (Ken & Ryu style) and already knows all the weaknesses of it.

  Akuma has trained almost his whole life in Ansatsuken style martial arts. Now-a-days he trains by himself. Occansionally someone will challenge him, depending if they are worthy, he might even give them a warriors death. Yojiro Hanma has been training almost his whole life too, not just in one martial arts, but all well known fighting styles, including esoteric ones like udonde,Shinogi, and Shinshinkai karate, even the forces of nature itself. His day is not complete until he has put a world class fighter in a coma or has taken on an entire martial arts school and knocked everyone out, including the coaches and instructors. Small note the only known time that Yujiro has ever been knocked unconscious is when Tokugawa had him shot several times with tranquilizer bullets. Despite having enough trances in his system to kill ablue whalehowever, he made a full recovery after a rather short period of time.

  Now I heard somewhere that Akuma destroyed an island with his Hadoken, yeah thats pretty powerful, butYojiro fought bear handed in the Vietnam war against both American and Vietcong troops. After the war the US hired him as aliving weapon of mass destruction. Both have a sort of power up where Akuma will harness the power of the Dark Hadou and become Shin Akuma;while Yojiro when hefights for pleasure a demon's face will appear from the muscles on his back.

  For me, I picture a great fight , oth being pushed to their limits but in the end, Yojiro's vast knowledge of all the martial arts would be to much for Akuma to counter against.

  >>>>>>>>>>

  • Posted Apr 30, 2009 10:43 am GMT
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