Dishonored on Tumblr

The people who brought you Skyrim have created a Tumblr page specifically for their first person, stealth game, Dishonored. You can see pictures, gifs, as well as get links to the Twitter and Facebook counterparts. Enjoy!

http://dishonored.tumblr.com/

Also, if you want to catch a little synopsis of what the game is all about, check out my blurb about in on Romesblog.

OPINION Part 1: Console rumors

The rumor that’s been on my mind for a while is whether or not gamers will be able to play used games on the new Microsoft/Sony consoles currently in development. I’ve had plenty of debates with people about it, but I wanted to throw this out there to you dudes and dudettes to see where you stand on this. I want to start by saying that I’m completely undecided on how I will side if the rumor is true. But keeping in mind that it’s just a rumor right now, I’ll try to be objective in my opinions.

First of all, I’d like to point out that a big part of why new games cost so much at release is because developers are trying to re-coup some of their costs up front. It’s a sort of preemptive strike against piracy and third-party retailers buying and selling their particular game used. When you buy a used game from Gamestop or Amazon as opposed to a new copy, Gamestop and Amazon pull a huge profit from the sale because it’s legally theirs to sell. The gamer purchased the game, played through it, and sold it off in exchange for however much third-party retailers offer up for the various games that are out there.

From an outside perspective, it seems to me that third-party retailers are making more off games than the people who make them. Sure, developers pull in a decent percentage from all the new copies being sold $60 a piece, but as more people finish the game, they sell it to Gamestop where others who don’t want to pay full price lie in wait for a used copy (which is usually $5 less than the new copy if you buy it from Gamestop). They’ll purchase the game from a customer at anywhere from $15-25, by the way.

Gamestop then sells that used copy for $55, but they take a big percentage of that sale since it’s ‘their game’. After that, the scraps are sent back to the developers. If you are the person that purchases that used game, you may think you’re in the clear, but you’re not. Whether or not you paid less doesn’t really matter since developers have taken measure to increase their revenue and protect themselves against the sale of used games since they don’t make much after it becomes used. A big thing that developers are doing is inserting an online pass or implementing season passes for downloadable content.

An online pass grants you the ability to play the games’ multiplayer content online. If you don’t have the online pass, you have to pay for it or you can’t play online even if you buy the DLC. Season passes are a way for the company to make money in advance for future DLC when the game releases. For example, Gears of War 3 was the first game (that I know of) to promise five DLC packs with the next year, but charging player $30 upfront. So, when a new pack comes out, all the player has to do is download it.

The only ways to get an online pass are to purchase it from your retailer or to purchase a new copy of the game. And that pass only works for that game leaving you to buy a new copy of any other games you want, as well. Developers have been doing this a lot within the past two years, and the ways that they think of to sap your pocket are immensely clever (I’ll get into that later). But the point is that developers feel they have to protect themselves and their earnings by practicing these methods.

What would happen if Microsoft and Sony implemented a way for their systems to recognize new versus used and reject the used copy? Let’s say you had your Xbox Next or PS4; you just got a used copy of the latest Call of Duty. There wouldn’t be a need for online passes because as soon as you popped it into your console of choice, it would spit out the disc and the words ‘don’t even think about it’ would appear on your screen.

As amusing as that sounds, I can image how upset someone would be. But how would the big power players make this work? I can immediately masses of angry gamers because their lifestyle would change. They would be forced to purchase new games because used games would be rendered obsolete. My problem with this is that the third-party retailers, especially Gamestop, would suffer because it’s clear that a big part of their income is from the sale of used games and systems.

As upset as people would be about this if it does happen, how is it any different than buying a computer game? Gamestop doesn’t deal in used computer games. The installation code is only good for one computer. If you delete the game and reinstall it, that code will still be valid if only on that specific computer. But it’s impossible for a friend to borrow it because each game comes with its own installation code. If home consoles did it, the concept wouldn’t be that different.

When I worked at Gamestop, I wondered why the PC version of a game is less than the console version. I figured that the PC version has the one installation code, which actually makes sense. But then piracy is a lot higher with a PC title as opposed to its console counterpart. I believe the answer to that is Steam, but people still figure out ways to pirate things if they really don’t want to pay for it.

It’s also clear that a big reason why games are so expensive is because they only make a small profit on games once the hype has died down. A large component to the $60 price tag is covering someone’s bottom line And let’s face it, not every game is worth that much. 2011 was a big year for gaming and part of my enjoyment came from one blockbuster after another. But who wants to pay full price for a game they can beat in four to six hours? Also, who wants to pay full price for a less-than-par game?

Come on, we’ve all done it at least once. A game like Batman: Arkham City is worth the price of admission to ride, but what about Dark Void? Or Naughty Bear? Or Lost Planet 2? Or either of the Kane and Lynch games? Sports games come out every year like clockwork and fans pay $60 a pop for the same thing with a different player on the cover. I am, in no way, judging anyone who buys sports games (I enjoy Fifa and NCAA myself), but when they release it every year, it can stand to be at least $30.

I digress; the rumor of consoles not playing used games is interesting because of a few things. It’ll be something that helps both developers and gamers. Developers will make more money from each copy sold, and in theory, they’ll be able to lower the price of their games. And gamers will eventually pay less for the games they want to play. Again, this is all theory until the respective companies say otherwise. Thoughts?

2012 Wishlist: Transformers Fall of Cybertron

In the majority of the depictions of these rock’em, sock’em robots, I’ve never been truly immersed into the origins of the Autobot/Decepticon civil war. Think about it. A lot of adaptations of the franchise take place on Earth, which is where they end up after destroying Cybertron. I got the chance to play War for Cybertron last year, and it was exactly what I wanted to see from a Transformers game. I got to see how allegiances were made, who got betrayed and all the other juicy things that unfold in the plot. I also got decent gameplay for my money, and I appreciated the way High Moon studios pulled off the story as a whole.

The sequel, Fall of Cybertron, will hopefully cover then final days of the war on Cybertron before they land on Earth. I’m hoping this will result in another game that will begin what we are used to seeing: Transformers on Earth! By the way, no one seems to have address this: the dinobots weren’t on Cybertron according to television show. They were built on Earth to give the Autobots an edge over the Decepticons. I know the game is another adaptation, so they can do whatever they want… just saying… Fall of Cybertron should be out before Christmas 2012 if the world doesn’t end!

2012 Wishlist: Tomb Raider

I was never big into Lara Croft or the Tomb Raider series. I was never attracted to the character being obvious eye candy for gamers, and Angelina Jolie couldn’t sell be on the character either.

Since last year’s E3 convention, I’ve been drawn into this reboot of the series, and the more realistic-looking main heroine. It seems that she isn’t doing much treasure hunting as she is desperately trying to survive on an uncharted island. Nothing is more awesome than a strong, adventurous woman! And there’s nothing hotter, either! I’m pretty sure she’ll find the treasure she’s looking for, but the game won’t be glitzy and glamorous as it will be gritty and dark. Set for fall of this year, I hope Square Enix takes me further than Deus Ex did.

2012 Wishlist: Overstrike

A four-man group of degenerates must attempt to derail a ruthless syndicate’s plans for world domination. Aside from the fact that it will feature 4-player co-op, I have no other details to give. This mash up between James Bond and the Incredibles is said to come out this year, but without more details and a firm release date, I can only hope that this third-person shooter will be out this year.

Mass Effect for the PS3?

Commander Sheppard and his band of misfits, new and old, are on a continuing quest to save the galaxy from an inevitable threat known the Reapers, and that quest has solely been on the Xbox 360.

I can say that I’ve successfully gone through Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 a few times, and each time was better than the last. Each play through was on the Xbox 360, and I’m happy that it has been an Xbox Exclusive… until now, of course. I was just reading on IGN.com that Mass Effect 2 will be converted to the Playstation 3 early next year. This means that the series will be a multiplatform release when Mass Effect 3 finally hits stores.

That’s right! Mass Effect 2 will be made for those gamers who hate Xbox 360 with a passion, but heard that this game was fantastic and got their way. Not only that, but the game was such a fiery, glorious success and a well-oiled money train that BioWare and Electronic Arts had to cut a deal with Sony just to increase sales.

This reminds me of something comedian Lewis Black mentioned in his latest album, Stark Raving Black, when he spoke about the United States and her economic status.

“One of the things my country seems to have done is perfect greed.”

I think that rings true for any human being who can’t seem to get enough. Companies strive to make more money, and that’s how our little world works. So, when BW and EA sat down with Sony, I can only imagine how the conversation went;

“Okay, Sony. We’ve got a piece of gold here. Mass Effect 2 has been named the most ambitious science fiction game out there, but it’s not enough to just make the third game and continue to make downloadable content for the series. We want to put our already popular game on the Playstation 3 so it will be the most ambitious science fiction epic in the world. Oh, and the money would be awesome, too.”

It’s not enough that they are coming out with extra DLC that’s supposed to be released in a week, but now they want more and more money from the people that will buy it for the PS3. And people WILL buy it for the PS3 because it’s a freaking awesome game! Why wouldn’t they? This just shows that companies have no problem milking a successful series until it runs dry (Stargate, Friends, Law and Order, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who immediately come to mind).

This reminds me of how loyalty is important in the gaming industry. You wouldn’t believe how hard-up people can get over one piece of technology versus another. Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii are all battling against each other for supremacy, so there is bound to be tension between loyalists who have a certain playing preference. I’ve been in situations where I suggest Halo as a decent shooter, and the customer says, and I quote, “Fuck the Xbox and fuck Halo.”

I understand that some people aren’t fond of the series, but is it really that serious? In those moments, I found myself wanting to defend my beloved system and game, but I know better. I can’t afford to stoop to that level because I can’t afford to have a heavy bias between gaming consoles working at Gamestop. But when that happens, I find that it’s not the game itself… it’s the person. As I said, there is a certain loyalty factor that gets in the way of having a mature conversation between two adults that quickly turns into a who’s who of what’s better.

There are certain games on each console that are expected to remain on that console because of fans, loyalty, and licensing agreements. We all know that each gaming console has strengths and weaknesses, with respective games to go with them. For example, you will never see a Mario title on the Playstation 3, and you will never see God of War traipse over to the Xbox 360, etc.

Like Halo, I assumed that Mass Effect would strictly be an Xbox exclusive, but because Electronic Arts has a license with both Microsoft and Sony, they can do whatever they want. And because humans are greedy little squirrels trying to get all the nuts in the universe, I can’t blame them. The series is deep, expansive, easy to get into, and profitable, so it only makes sense for it to crossover. It doesn’t mean that I agree with it, but that’s the way life goes.

Writing, believing…

-V

Street Fighter X Tekken

I just got wind of the new crossover game that features the worlds of Street Fighter and Tekken together. According to IGN.com, it is being developed by Capcom and Namco and with be on both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. There is no release date, or information on a system bundle pack, but I wouldn't expect that info to be available if the game was just announced at Comic Con on Saturday.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/110/1108350p1.html?_cmpid=ign18

There is the link for the teaser trailer, so take a look! It's pretty appetizing, but that's why they call it a teaser trailer, right?

Now, I always had a little love for both series; more for Street Fighter than Tekken, with Ryu and King as my favorite characters from each. The Marvel vs Capcom series was a goody-bag of fun times, so I'm really excited for that release, but I'm curious to see if this will just be another mashup or if there will actually be a story to it. Not that there's anything wrong with a slugfest between your favored characters from different universes (just look at Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe). I only commented on the story aspect because it's becoming increasingly important nowadays for games to have in-depth narrative.

That said, I'm pretty sure Street Fighter X Tekken will be more than its predecessors. Keep an eye out for it!