
Microsoft 'Refocusing on Fun', Alien Hominid Comes to XBLA 33
C&VG offers up some news on Microsoft's next-gen games platform today. Most interesting are comments from Peter Moore indicating the company will be refocusing on fun, inspired by the financial and mass-market success of Nintendo's Wii. Says Moore "From a first-party point of view, it's not just about E-rated games, it's going to be about the experience that, quite frankly, Nintendo has done a tremendous job in capturing, in bringing back fun - if you will - to the gaming platforms." He's quick to point out that this is something they've had on the back burner for some time, and they intend to aim for 'experiential' games. The article wonders out loud, questioning whether this means Microsoft is planning to roll out a motion-sensing controller, or just more E and T rated games? Additionally, CVG points out that this week's Xbox Live Arcade release is The Behemoth's Alien Hominid . It's a tremendous side-scrolling 2d shooter, and well worth checking out.
Wild Limb (Score:3, Interesting)
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Also something to note, if you make a critically acclaimed game that fans cannot
Playing a game for months on end (Score:2)
If you're playing a game for hours, days, months on end - you're not exactly buying other games in that time-frame. Well, in theory you're not.
Explain Animal Crossing then. A player can beat it in two months [pineight.com], but you have to play it for a year to finish some of the optional objectives (golden rod, golden net). Yet Nintendo still sells other games. Does Viva Piñata also include calendar-based objectives?
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But the publishers WANT you to hang onto the game for a while, just so you don't sell it back...creating lost sales from the used market.
That's why multiplay is so important- longevity.
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Re:Like OMG wow (Score:4, Funny)
They'll call it Microsoft Sidewinder Freestyle Pro.
They put out Viva Pinata (Score:2)
Piñata Crossing (Score:2)
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So, I guess the lesson being learned here is... (Score:2)
Not that you can't have all of the above, but the latter can't substiture for the former. Very interesting that the "lower end" Wii doing so well by comparison.
You need to cynicism that up a bit... (Score:2)
That's not what they said! They're focusing on "fun". When game designers try to make "fun" we get games like Fusion Frenzy, Mario Party, Eyetoy and Buzz - stuff you'll probably enjoy if you're drunk at a party* but not exactly games for people who appreciate and enjoy quality gameplay.
*which is fine, but I'd much rather be at a spin-the-bottle party than a Mario Party party...
You mean like.... (Score:2)
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Define fun (Score:5, Insightful)
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In the same sense that your house is a cave with windows, yes.
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Um, next time try using the 'wait' command. Hit the back button. It'll go by quicker than the boot screens for FF IV.
My first XBLA purchase! (Score:4, Interesting)
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Personally the best part of these kinds of games is that my wife enjoys playing them with me. Give her a game like GoW and her character ends up staring at the ceiling performing some kind of extremely complex River Dance as my wife complains how her controller is "broken."
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Party Games (Score:2)
XBox Live Arcade (Score:3, Insightful)
Wasn't the one of the more advertised facts about Xbox Live Arcade was that developers could make experimental games at little/no risk? (Remember Geometry Wars?)
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Except Geometry Wars was done by an experienced game developer while working on one of the Project Gotham Racing games. My understanding is that the game (sans some effects) is also availble as an ulockable extra in one of the XBox versions.
Metal Slug (Score:1)
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=62433052119 56602090&q=Metal+Slug [google.ca]
The game looks nice, I suppose it plays nice too, but honestly: when the hell is Contra III: Alien Wars coming? We've had too many games without manly haircuts.
I think Ikaruga and Castlevania are going to redeem XBLA.