Opinion: When Multiplayer Fails

I'm playing The Club on the Xbox 360 right now. It was released in February 2008 so it's less than 4 months old. There are 15 multiplayer achievements totaling 310 gamerpoints. Ten of these achievements are in Ranked games only. The problem? Nobody is playing online.

Honestly, I can understand. The game is not that engaging. Even in single player, it pretends to have a story, but it really doesn't. But my post isn't actually about The Club. What happens to people who buy these games that expect a big multiplayer community and that community doesn't show up?

This is one of the reason I prefer games that concentrate on the single player, sometimes even abandoning the multiplayer altogether. If I buy/rent/borrow a single player game months or even years after its release, I don't have to worry about it. The game will still be the same. But if that game has a big multiplayer component, I have to worry.

Are there still gamers playing the game? Even if it's good, is it good enough that people are still playing it so long after release? This is a reason I disagree with some current developers who are starting to concentrate primarily on multiplayer. Yes, multiplayer is fun. But only when there are actually other people to play with!

Opinion: Xbox Live Marketplace Needs Reworking

With the news that Microsoft is delisting some arcade games, I decided to go online and look at some of these games. And the Marketplace is definitely a mess. I don't think that delisting games is going to really make the Marketplace more manageable.

There are a lot of good things on the Marketplace. The problem is finding them!

There are so many things on the Marketplace and the navigation system is terrible. Even when you find things that look like they might be decent, you can't usually tell from the description.

I downloaded the full version of Warlords, thinking it was the PC game Warlords I remembered from high school. Instead, it was some other game called Warlords. Is it too much to ask for a screenshot or two in the description area?

Also, why do only some of the Gamer Pics have pictures of what pictures you are actually getting? Many of the Gamer Pic packs make you just guess what the pictures will be or do a search on the internet to try to find it.

The categories themselves also need work. There should definitely be at least a "Free" category. And I could use a search feature or a page scroll option. Sometimes I know exactly what I'm looking for, but I have to scroll through hundreds of titles to get there.

LucasArts Layoffs

Kotaku has a story about LucasArts possibly laying off 75-100 employees. This includes developers, some big wigs, and QA after the new LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures game was released.

According to Wikipedia, they employee over 350 employees, so this is a huge chunk. The layoffs included the producer of the popular Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Shawn Storc.

There is a really funny comment on the Kotaku page, where one of the readers says "May the force be with them".

Bioshock 3 On Its Way

Only three months after announcing Bioshock 2, Take Two Interactive announced today that there are already plans for Bioshock 3. Looks like Bioshock will be a trilogy.

It seems like the announcement was made somewhat off-hand. The actual statement was about the Bioshock movie. Chairman Strauss Zelnick said that the movie would not be released at the time of Bioshock 2 but would probably coincide with the release of Bioshock 3. No further details were released.

Bioshock 2 will be created by 2K Marin Studio and is scheduled for release 4th quarter fiscal 2009(July-September 2009). Rumors indicate it may be a prequel to Bioshock.

GTA IV DLC Delayed

Take Two has announced that downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360 will be delayed from 4th quarter fiscal 2008 to 1st quarter fiscal 2009. What does that look like in real people time? Probably somewhere from November 2008 - January 2009.

No word on DLC for any other systems or what the DLC will actually be.

New Saint's Row 2 Trailer Calls Out GTA IV

The developers over at Volition have released a new trailer that makes fun of some of the new aspects of GTA IV which gamers have found annoying. The trailer definitely throws down the gauntlet and lets the gaming community know that they plan on trying to beat GTA IV(plus it's pretty funny).

In particular, the trailer makes fun of GTA IV's bowling, watching TV and hanging out with friends at the cabaret. The trailer also shows some of the aspects of upcoming Saint's Row 2 like hijacking septic tankers, robbing liquor stores, disguising yourself as a cop, collecting insurance claims, flying barnstorming airplanes, base jumping, car surfing, working security for a rock band, underground fight clubs and just general mayhem.

Watching the trailer might give you an idea of why I've been looking forward to Saint's Row 2 for so long.

Sony Cancels Eight Days and The Getaway

Sony has announced that they are permanently shelving two games that were being developed at their Sony London Studio - Eight Days and The Getaway. Both games were slated for release on the Playstation 3. Sony says they will be redistributing the resources and budgets for both games to other projects.

These games were being developed under the umbrella of Sony Worldwide Studios which recently underwent a change of presidents with Shuhei Yoshida taking charge.

Eight Days was originally announced at 2006's E3 and looked to be a shooting/driving game that took place in the Arizona desert.

The Getaway was a continuation of The Getaway series. The series has been described as GTA's retarded cousin. It was originally shown at 2005's E3 and then again at 2006's. However, then it faded to the background. Apparently, it never really got too far in development.

Itagaki Quits and Sues Tecmo

Game Developer Tomonobu Itagaki has announced that his last day with Tecmo will be July 1st, and he is suing the company he has worked for since 1992. Itagaki is the creator of the Dead or Alive series and the Ninja Gaiden series.

Itagaki is suing Tecmo for about $1.4 million, claiming unpaid bonuses and mistreatment by the Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda.

Itagaki claims he was promised a bonus for the completion of Dead or Alive 4. When the time came, Tecmo refused to pay. At this time, Itagaki says Yasuda became defiant and told Itagaki to basically deal with or quit and sue the company.

Looks like Itagaki is taking his soon to be former boss's advice.

I'd imagine Itagaki will have no problem landing on his feet. Look for him possibly working for Microsoft since he has made no secret of his like of the Xbox 360 and dislike of the PS3. Of course, he also likes some things about the Wii...

Review: CSI: Hard Evidence

I rented CSI: Hard Evidence for the Xbox 360 last week from Gamefly. The only thing I knew about it before playing was that it had to do with the show CSI.

Game Score: 6 out of 10
Story: You’re a new CSI investigator, helping the team solve 5 different cases.
Graphics: Not really next gen. The environments are okay, but the character models are somewhat creepy, especially when they talk to you.
Sound: The sound is fine. The other CSI members are voiced by their respective actors.
Gameplay: Overall it works well. Sometimes you know what you want to happen, but getting it to happen in game can take trial and error. Luckily, these instances are few and far between.
Replay Value: Little to None
Recommendation: Possible rental

This game puts you in the role of a new CSI member. Each case will team you up with one of the investigators from CSI Vegas. While investigating, you’ll be able to gather and process evidence and question suspects.

It is a decent concept. I like the investigating and processing evidence. If you watch the show, you know that it is somewhat inaccurate with the CSI members constantly interrogating suspects and helping arrest people. The game is the same way.

One thing that I find very lame about the game is that you can’t falsely accuse suspects. You have to just keep processing the evidence until only one suspect remains and they confess. In this aspect, the game is very linear and it’s just like a somewhat interactive episode. I never really felt like *I* was solving the case. I was just pushing buttons, moving everything forward. If you ever do get stuck, you can ask your CSI partner for hints(although this counts against you in your evaluation(which means nothing)).

Another annoying thing is that they have little cutscenes of shots of Vegas when you change locations. You can easily skip them with the push of a button. So why is this annoying? Well, they happen *whenever* you travel. So if I travel from inside a house to the backyard, I see a cutscene of the Vegas strip. Am I taking the super long way to the backyard?

Overall, the game is an interesting attempt but fails as a blockbuster. It has 5 easy achievements for the 360, netting you all 1,000 points. But I would not pay retail for this game. Rent it if you’ve got some spare time or money. Or better yet borrow it from a friend.

Release Date: 9/27/07
Platforms: Nintendo Wii, PC, Xbox 360
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Telltale Games

June Game Releases

Summer is here. And the kids have free time. Will gaming developers be able to fill that void? Let’s find out…
 

DS Titles
June 3
• Kung Fu Panda
• LEGO Indiana Jones
• Summon Night: Twin Age
June 5
• Incredible Hulk
June 10
• 1 vs. 100
• My Fashion Studio
• Looney Tunes: Cartoon Conductor
• Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles
June 17
• Arkanoid
• Code Lyoko: Fall of XANA
• Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard
• Imagine: Rock Star
• Pet Dogz Fashion
• Puzzler Collection
• Space Invaders Extreme
• Tamagotchi Connection Corner 3
• Wacky Races: Crash and Dash
June 22
• Guitar Hero: On Tour
June 23
• American Girl: Kit Mystery Challenge
• Top Spin 3
June 24
• Cake Mania 2
• Final Fantasy Tactics A2
• Gourmet Chef
• Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker X Ninja
• Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker X Saurian
• Midnight Play Pack
• My Weight Loss Coach
• Wall-E
June 30
• Garfield Gets Real
• Journey to the Center of the Earth

PC Titles
June 2
• Stronghold Crusader Extreme
June 3
• GRID
• Kung Fu Panda
• LEGO Indiana Jones
June 10
• Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm
June 16
• Political Machines 2008
June 17
• Incredible Hulk
• Spore Creature Creator
June 23
• Luxor 3 with 7 Wonders Ancient World
• The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff
• The Sim City Box
June 24
• Alone in the Dark
• Baseball Mogul 2009
• Elements
• Supreme Ruler 2020
• Wall-E
June 30
• The Immortals of Terra

PS2 Titles
June 3
• Kung Fu Panda
• LEGO Indiana Jones
June 5
• Incredible Hulk
June 10
• NASCAR 09
June 24
• Alone in the Dark
• Wall-E
June 29
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

PS3 Titles
June 3
• GRID
• Kung Fu Panda
• LEGO Indiana Jones
• Robert Ludlum’s: The Bourne Conspiracy
June 5
• Incredible Hulk
June 10
• Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit
• NASCAR 09
June 12
• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
June 23
• Battlefield: Bad Company
• Top Spin 3
June 24
• Hail to the Chimp
• Hellboy: Science of Evil
• Overlord Raising Hell
• Wall-E
June 29
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

PSP
June 3
• Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2
• LEGO Indiana Jones
June 17
• Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity
• Secret Agent Clank
• Space Invaders Extreme
June 24
• Hellboy: Science of Evil
• Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2: The Phantom Fortress
• Wall-E

Wii
June 3
• Cabela’s Trophy Bucks
• Kung Fu Panda
• LEGO Indiana Jones
June 5
• Incredible Hulk
June 10
• Backyard Baseball ‘09
• Blast Works: Build, Trade & Destroy
• Carnival Games
June 17
• Wacky Races: Crash and Dash
June 23
• Top Spin 3
June 24
• Alone in the Dark
• Big Beach Sports
• Purr Pals
• Wall-E
June 29
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
June 30
• Garfield Gets Real

Xbox 360
June 3
• GRID
• Kung Fu Panda
• LEGO Indiana Jones
• Robert Ludlum’s: The Bourne Conspiracy
June 5
• Incredible Hulk
June 9
• Don King Presents Prize Fighter
June 10
• Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm
• Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit
• NASCAR 09
June 23
• Battlefield: Bad Company
• Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath
• Supreme Commander
• Top Spin 3
June 24
• Alone in the Dark
• Gears of War Refresh
• Hail to the Chimp
• Hellboy: Science of Evil
• Operation Darkness
• Wall-E
June 29
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith