BioShocked Killed My Computer

Comments TheBard:

I was waiting when the first "Bioshock killed my *" threads started to pop up. People, hardware dies sometimes. In case of a Xbox 360, more than just sometimes. This could happen at any time, with any game.

But if you have a game like Bioshock, which 80% of all x360 owners will be, the possibility of an Xbox 360 (or a part of a PC) dying while playing this game is very high. But this is simple empiricism. Not a fault of the game.

Same thing will happen with Halo 3 and GTA4... can't wait.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Theme & Actresses Revealed

Comments Mirai Matt:

Saying the story in Metal Gear Solid games is "inconsistent" is ridiculous! Of course it's convoluted, but its CONSISTENCY is one of the things that makes that level of convolution awesome. Things make absolutely no sense, only to have something come later that makes them make perfect sense. It's great if you have the ability and desire to pay attention to such thing.

If you would rather play a game like Half-Life or Call of Duty or something, go full speed ahead and do so. Some of us think that that kind of game is boring, and would rather play a game that "convoluted" - because it's consistent, and it's WONDERFULLY realized.

Daglow Defines Next-Gen

Comments Hitlz:

Wii is next-gen. It's just a different kind because it disrupts the traditional method of what next-gen is considered to be. It hurts that we've grown so accustomed to the traditional concept and not being more open to the idea of exploring other ways to achieve next-gen status by using innovation over superior technology.

The Wii controls are not just an innovative hardware device. The Wii controls also provide a second advantage. It goes as far as giving developers the opportunity to explore new types of gameplay and work on a new level of player interaction with the most basic home console device: the controller. In essence, the Wii controllers as a hardware device give birth to new software ideas which makes for a special and exclusive relationship that the the PS3 and Xbox 360 are not easily capable of copying.

For the first time on a home console, it is the controller that defines the video game system.

Like it or not, Wii is next-gen.

New Halo 3 Map Unveiled

Comments SirToast:

@AlexTaldren: "Im underwhelmed."
And I am overwhelmed, so at least the universe is now in balance.

Cruis'n Is The Worst-Looking Wii Game Ever

Comments Sloopydrew:

Graphics aren't everything, but they're far more than they're cracked up to be (which is why I've never bought into this whole "graphics don't matter" Wii philosophy). I can't understand why the majority of Wii games look worse than GameCube games. Some are inferior to N64 titles.

Graphics don't matter? Try playing Bioshock with Super Nintendo capabilities. Graphics are more than pretty. They are AI, they are atmosphere, they are what make games great and I'm getting sick and tired of feeling like I'm somehow a "lesser" gamer because I actually value decent graphics in a game.

Nintendo has succeeded in the "looks don't matter" department where so many others have failed. But, like I've stated previously in this comment and many comments before — looks are just the beginning. Processing power can create a far better game in far more ways than some crappy last-gen joke of a title.

Imagine Ocarina of Time running on the Super Nintendo. Graphics aside, it wouldn't do the job would it? There is absolutely no way it would work. Cruis'n is just another jagged example of everything that's wrong with the Wii.

Harrison Sheds Light on US Plans PS3 DVR and PSP TV

Comments bangbangblah:

BIRD SHIRT IS BACK!

Fallout 3 Trying to Avoid Silliness

Comments dv8godd:

Humor itself is a big part of what made Fallout 1+2 great... but there's a pretty wide range of humor... and I'd say that Fallout had a lot across a the complete range. They certainly had silliness (crashed Star Trek shuttle in the wasteland as an example), but they also had a lot of "black humor" (not that the two are extremely different... but there is a balance between).

Fallout 1+2 kept a decent balance between seriousness and humor... and a lot of the best humor (at least to me) came from the absolute absurdity of the situation... like the kind you see in some Terry Gilliam films (Brazil, 12 Monkeys): where things are taken to the extreme until you laugh at the horrible truth of the parody.

I can understand wanting to cherry pick humor that fits in order to preserve the balance. Take for example some of the Terry Gilliam work I just suggested: you'll often see an undulating wave from drama to comedy that flows very natural precisely because the balance is well kept... but in comedies with no drama aspect you're free to go anywhere you want. Imagine South Park trying to be serious: every time it does you know it's just a setup for a punchline... it doesn't approach the humor in the same way, even if the humor is just as dark.

Personally, if F3 went with a mostly black-comedy approach, I'd be quite pleased... like walking through the gates of a wasteland town with the heads of raiders on poles as a warning all around, but with a big sign that says "welcome"... it's a subtle thing, it's not toilet humor though it runs the risk of putting people off just the same. It's horror taken to an extreme where it seems common and natural to everyone in the scene, but juxtaposed against something that just doesn't fit... at least to the player.

I don't need F3 to have dick jokes... and in fact, if that is the point that Pagliarulo is trying to make, I'd agree... but it certainly needs the humor.

PETA's Super Mario Bros. Poultry Platformer

Comments Mascott:

It's comforting knowing that KFC uses real chicken.

Sony Not Hip to Violence or Porno Association

Comments Tychoides:

I agree that the censorship issue regarding Manhunt 2 is ridiculous and that AO rated games should be allowed to be distributed on any platform, but there are two problems I can see with this whole issue.

1) It's Sony's/Microsoft's/Nintendo's console and developers know they have control over what appears on their hardware before they even begin development. Rockstar isn't dumb enough not to know this going into developing Manhunt 2 and they took the chance of pushing the envelope, justified or not.

2) Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo provide developers with tools in order to develop the games on their hardware. Therefore, technology they created and developed is being involved in the game development process and their name is associated with the end product in some fashion.

That said, Brian does bring up a great point. I can get pornography on DVD and play it in my PS2, PS3, or XBOX 360 and the companies wouldn't know. I think this is where the second point comes into play: games are created with Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo tools, DVDs are not.

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