Voice
Module Playstation 3: Ready for Battle?
Its been a rough 18 months
since launch, with several high profile mistakes, but with several
high-profile releases such as Metal Gear Solid 4 on the way, Sony's
Playstation 3 looks to finally be ready to battle its rivals for at least
a respectable showing. The Laser examines the console's prospects and
discovers whether the system is finally going into its long awaited
comeback stage.
The past 18 months since
its launch has been surprisingly rough for the PS3, with the console
buffeted initially by a high price tag and a somewhat lackluster lineup.
Early titles such as Resistance: Fall of Man were impressive but their
impact was dulled with titles like Genji and Lair taking much of the shine
off the system. Of course, that $600.00 launch price didn't help, and you
can't underestimate the impact the Wii phenomenon has had on gamers'
impressions of the system. On the other hand, Xbox 360 had a very
impressive showing last fall, between Bioshock and Halo 3, the console
definitely built momentum, which helped other titles such as Mass Effect
build up a strong user base. Some of Sony's games last fall didn't quite
pull in the numbers expected with Heavenly Sword and Lair the biggest
titles that didn't deliver. There were several bright spots like Ratchet
& Clank Future and Uncharted that began to showcase the console's true
potential, but the Playstation 3 seems to have lagged behind the
competition in terms of not just sales but also perception. Many gamers
don't seem to see the value in the PS3, especially since many
multiplatform releases like Call of Duty 4, Guitar Hero and Assassin's
Creed offered nearly identical experiences on Microsoft's cheaper
platform. It seems that the PS3 has become a system that seems overpriced
on one hand, and underpowered on the other, in terms of expectations. Sony
has seemingly built a system that's ahead of its time, but also one that
feels a bit out of its era, thanks to the Wii. It's a strange paradox for
the formerly dominant company to find itself in, but things seem to be
turning around slowly but surely.
One of the year's key
events so far has been the folding of HD-DVD in favor of Blu-Ray. It
seemed like a sudden move, but the built-in advantage Blu-ray had was that
it came inside every PS3, which despite its somewhat anemic sales of PS3,
relatively speaking, still let the format dominate the other in a massive
way that made it almost impossible for the HD camp to compete. This seems
like a somewhat small victory but it will probably pay large dividends
down the road. With the support of all the major studios now onboard,
there's no stopping blu-ray, and having this technology built into the
console looks to have been a brilliant, forward thinking strategy. Owning
the only high-definition format will more than likely swing a few
consumers towards the PS3, especially once the conversion of regular
television to high-def begins in earnest. This seems like a smart, if
expensive, long-term strategy that has actually worked out. Of course, the
PS3 is still high-priced compared to the Wii and 360, but there should be
at least one major price cut before the holiday season this year, which
should make the console more competitive.
Sony's online strategy has
been a little anemic, and while there have been a few highlights like
Everyday Shooter and Flow that really showed the potential of online
gaming, the awkward interface on the Playstation Store has been a massive
hindrance to wider use, which is a real shame when you consider the high
quality of Micosoft's Xbox Live offerings, which are brilliantly
implemented, and the Wii's Virtual Console with its outstanding selection
of classic games that leaves the PS1 titles available lacking in
comparison. Sony seems to have listened to these critics and is
relaunching their store in a few weeks and the console is also beginning
to see more in the way of downloadable content with Guitar Hero and Rock
Band, plus Sony's own Warhawk leading the way. Sony's biggest hopes in the
online space seem to rest on two key titles, which are the virtual space
of Home, which could be impressive if it launches in the near future and
Little Big Planet, which could extend the console's appeal to mainstream
gamers. However, both of these still feel far off, but its what's in the
console's immediate future that has many gamers most excited.
After waiting and wading
through the hype for a very long time, three of Sony's biggest franchises
are set for their debut. First up, players who got a taste of things to
come with Gran Turismo HD are going to finally have their appetizer in the
form of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, a sampler of sorts that should show what
Polyphony can do with the much vaunted Cell hardware, though it might be a
bit short, having a high-profile on store shelves won't hurt. The year's
biggest game, Gran Theft Auto IV is also scheduled to launch at the end of
the month, and while it won't be a PS3 exclusive, this should also deliver
explosive sales. Of course, the Xbox 360's exclusive downloadable content
is probably going to be a sore spot, but we suspect it won't make a big
difference in the initial launch phase since it won't be available until
several months after launch, so it probably won't be too much of a blow in
the short term. The final piece of the puzzle is probably the most-eagerly
awaited by gaming fans, and that is of course, Metal Gear Solid 4 which is
going to be the console's biggest game to date and should really propel
Sony back into the race. Having three games launch weeks apart should help
the console's sales and push it at least back in contention, though
Nintendo is trying to negate some of this with Mario Kart Wii launching in
the same window. While nothing in gaming is certain, these three titles
are the closest things to sure bets we've seen in awhile and should help
the PS3 take at least a better footing in the market, giving players
something to look forward to at least. Its also a bit nostalgic for Sony.
Looking through these high-profile sequels feels like old times, and it
will be interesting to see if these standards can come to the rescue of
the Playstation 3 this year.
Voice
Module Unexpected Promise
We examine the rise of downloadable game content on consoles, such as
Xbox Live, which has ushered in a new era for gaming that has the
potential to change everything.
It's been interesting to watch the industry struggle to transition from
the long standing model of pre-packed physical content into one with a
more pronounced online element. While Xbox Live has been the biggest force
in this change, Sony and Nintendo seem to be struggling with how to adapt.
The Playstation Store has had some interesting content, such as Warhawk
and Everyday Shooter, but it seems to not have lived up to its potential,
offering mostly wallpapers, trailer downloads and the occasional
interesting demo. However, its clunky interface seems rather primitive
these days, especially compared to Xbox Live and many gamers are hoping
that a rumored upgrade will at least get the store up to speed. Nintendo's
most ambitious online component for the Wii seems to be the Virtual
Console, which offers hundreds of classic titles, surprisingly even for
systems not originally made by Nintendo including the Turbografx-16, SNK
Neo Geo and Sega Genesis. While there have been a few dud weeks, looking
at the broad catalog shows an impressive selection of titles, with
well-known games mixed with more obscure titles. For instance, you can try
and find a copy of The Dynastic Hero on ebay, and good luck matching the
downloadable price on the Wii Shop channel, which is a fraction of the
$300.00 US+ prices the game usually commands. So this service has really
been outstanding service for classic game fans, offering great value and
selection.
The other major benefit gamers are seeing from these online services is
the ability for developers to experiment and release odd and strange
titles that wouldn't ordinarily survive in the market. An excellent
example of this would be Geometry Wars on Xbox Live. A simple, addictive
game reminiscent of arcade classics, this innovative title probably would
never have seen the light of day had it needed to function as a $60.00
shrwinkwrapped title. However, thanks to the low overhead downloadable
gamers have, it was able to leap into the market and challenge the status
quo. There are also a few other cool things going on, and companies are
able to release new add-ons, expansions and packages of new items for
existing games, add enhancements and even entire game modes without much
effort. Unreal Tournament III is another prime example of what lies ahead
for games - the ability for user-created content and mods to be dpwnloaded
has been around for awhile, but this phenomenon is new to consoles, and
it's already changed people's percpetion of the console experience from
one that's generally static to a more fluid, lively
experience.
Retailers are a bit confused as to how they'll fit into the equation down
the road, but for now it seems like they're treating it like a novelty,
though everyone knows that the threat is growing. Anyone who doubts this
need only look at the rise of Itunes and music downloading, and what that
has done to music retail over the past few years. Its a new world that's
emerging, and while change isn't always for the better, this might be a
good thing. Offering a simple online experience of downloading is
incredibly convenient and sure beats the surly service and lousy selection
you usually find in national game store chains. Anything that breaks their
hold on the market is likely to be a good thing, for gamers individually
and the industry as a whole.
Voice
Module Re-Evaluating Sega's Master System
Looking through the console's selection of imports and obscurities shows
there was loads more unrealized potential than anyone realized.
I've been purchasing and playing a lot
of obscure and interesting imports on the long-forgotten Sega Master
System over the past few weeks and while I've always loved the system
despite its reputation, this new wave of games has caused me to change my
perception on what it was actually capable of. Many of the best games,
like Star Wars and Land of Illusion were never released stateside and this
is a shame, since they were well-designed and could have made at least
somewhat of a difference. The biggest surprise to me was Ninja Gaiden
which was actually quite excellent in many regards exceeded some of the
later NES versions, which makes it double shame that this lost installment
was never seen by the majority of gamers. Taito's Renegade is another
well-known title that shines on the SMS, with slightly better graphics and
smoother gameplay that makes for a superb version of the title.
You can also see some impressive special
effects with multiscrolling backgrounds in Disney's titles like The Jungle
Book, which is a shockingly good platformer. Other games I've been playing
have been surprisingly cool like an excellent version of Taito's Darius
spin-off Sagaia that's nearly as good as the Genesis version. There are so
many excellent games on the platform that weren't released and have become
genuine collector's items, which is a shame since there are so many good
ones. Any discussion on Sega wouldn't be complete with mentioning the
rarely seen US version of Sonic the Hedgehog, which can be had much
cheaper from overseas sources, while you're at it, you might want to check
out some of the sequels as well, which weren't released here at all,
despite the mascot's surge in the early 90's. Of course, there are a few
clinkers like Running Battle and Chuck Rock that really don't share the
same spark as other Sega titles.
Gaming history is littered with great
games that never got the respect they deserved from the early 80's when
titles like Zoo Keeper and Sinistar disappeared from gamers radars to more
recent examples like Psychonauts and Okami, this has happened again and
again. The Sega Master System had many innovative features, with its 3D
glasses some of the coolest technology that never quite caught on. As I
play more of these games, I am more and more convinced that this system is
one of the most under-rated gems in history, sadly a history that Sega
would repeat later on with the Saturn and Dreamcast. The good news is that
this system doesn't have the demand that other consoles have and there's a
huge number of outstanding games that can be had cheaper than you'd
expect.
If you've been reading closely, you may
have noticed something a little bit different about the Laser over the
past few days. After spending a great deal of time thinking and going back
and forth on this issue, we have decided to eliminate completely any
ratings or grading system from all of our reviews going forward. Many of
our most recent reviews have also had their grades removed retroactively.
While this is probably a minor issue in
terms of the overall review structure and style, considering it's only a
single line with a single character at the end of the reviews, it's
actually fairly significant to the behind-the-scenes things that have been
going on over the past few months as certain scandals and practices have
come out and presented gaming journalism in a negative light. You probably
wouldn't even notice this change if it wasn't pointed out to you, but some
of our industry contacts are more than likely to. What this means, we have
no real idea at this point but we hope that our friends at the game
companies realize that instead of relying on a single point score, we'll
provide a deeper more engaging review that will actually help them in the
long run - a single letter grade isn't nearly as descriptive as a thorough
recounting of a game's features, mechanics and options, which means we're
actually providing the same amount of useful information without the
needless distraction of an arbitrary score at the bottom of the page. This
might seem counter-intuitive on the surface, since so much focus is on
scores and the position of games inside a database average. Ironically,
for the first year or so of publication, we didn't rank the games, and
only added a fairly simple grade-rating to make things easier for our
readers. However, since that time, the emphasis on these scores has
increased to insane levels, to the point where developers are actually
being rewarded with bonuses based on whether or not their game meets a
certain average. Things have obviously spiraled out of control, when even
a very positive review of a high profile title is pilloried on forums
because it doesn't reach a certain arbitrary numeric threshold.
The inherent absurdity of this situation
has been brought into sharp relief by the emergence of the new causal
gamer paradigm embodied by Nintendo's Wii and DS. These systems offer a
radically different approach to games and their audience. This is where
the system of ranking and enumerating games completely falls apart. Does
the audience for Wii Sports have the same expectations as the Crysis
audience. Clearly, the answer is no. By implementing a phony rating
system, games journalism has set itself up for failure. These ratings
systems assume that all games are equal, and appeal to all gamers equally
and should be ranked equally. Clearly, this has been proven false, since
the expectations of the gamers themselves is completely different. Trying
to pigeonhole reviews into some asinine ten-point scale can only become
more confusing and present more problems as the audience broadens. Trying
to stay faithful to these outdated perceptions only sets up the game
review writer up for failure, muddling their communication with the
audience. Does a "Ten" for Wii Sports present the same
qualitative judgment as a "Ten" for Bioshock? Obviously, the
games are targeted at such different audiences, with completely different
expectations, that any comparison between the two literally becomes apples
and oranges. The may have come to rethink this rapidly becoming obsolete
approach and permanently put these old ideas out to pasture. What this
approach, and the excessive obsession about these scores has effectively
done, is place the cart before the horse. Instead of seeing a review in
its totality, many focus solely on its summary. This approach has led game
journalism into completely the wrong direction and has done a massive
disservice all around. Readers have superficial reviews that fail to offer
nuance or explanation, developers don't get accurate feedback and the real
quality of games themselves are shortchanged, becoming commodities where
reaching false check-points becomes more important than the overall
experience. Clearly this isn't working.
The problem with this approach to
excessively scrutinizing review scores in the long run should be
immediately evident to gamers out there. Instead of seeing each game as a
unique work of art, they instead become faceless commodities, measured and
ranked with no difference between them except percentage points. As a
life-long gamer, this doesn't even begin to become an effective measuring
tool and instead becomes a counter-productive exercise in false
measurements. On the other hand, many gamers like the quick reference a
review score provides, but this has problems too. Does one tenth of a
ratings point really make that much of a difference to gamers at the
score, or is it a nonsensical means to judge. With the advent of so many
review amalgamation sites, it seems to have become something much worse.
Instead of accepting a review that's a bit lower or higher than the
'average', many gamers seem to have instead become obsessed with an
average score that fails to take into account many factors, such as a
reviewer's taste, the game's relative position within the industry, along
with so many other variables to make these absurd comparisons seem almost
worthless.
The situation has gone on for several
years now, and after much thought, we have arrived at our decision. By the
reactions and actions we've seen, especially in the past year, we at the
Laser have come to the conclusion that running scores is
counter-productive. With that said, effective immediately, review scores,
whether numbers or letters, will not be published by The Laser going
forward. It would be easy to sit here and criticize other sites and the
industry at large over the various scandals that have erupted over the
past few months, then watch as those words vanish while nothing changes in
the long-run. However, by actually putting our words where our mouths are,
and ending completely all of these arbitrary rankings, we hope to achieve
at least some kind of mitigating solution to these problems.
While it's true that quotes can be taken
out of context, and other game sites probably won't follow our lead, the
harder path is to actually resist the temptation to reinstate ratings once
we have the inevitable loss of traffic. However, we're confident that over
the long run, keeping these numbers and grades off our reviews will
benefit our readers by allowing us to communicate clearly without the
crutch that has, ridiculously, become such a burden on so many gamers who
seem to have lost track of what really matters in the long run. By
reducing this false intellectual commoditization of games, refusing to go
along with the flawed philosophy that everything about every game needs to
be ranked down to the tenth of a percent, and instead look at each game on
its own merits. We can hopefully begin to once again appreciate each game
for the experience it provides for the player. In the end, its this
measurement that matters most. Obviously, we're not naïve enough to
think that merely removing the letter grade from the end of our reviews
will mark the end of game journalism's problems, but this will hopefully
be seen as a first step in the right direction.
Voice Module
Taking a Stand
In its latest editorial, The Laser examines the more active and physical
approach to gaming embodied by Guitar Hero and Wii and what its meant for
the industry and the general public's perception of video games. We also
point out how this new style has spilled over into our other gaming
experiences and how it might change other game genres not directly
affected by these new styles of play.
Ever since the arrival of Nintendo's revolutionary Wii console and the
complimentary Guitar Hero frenzy, gamers have finally gotten off their
couches and have finally begun to take a stand. While the phenomenon isn't
entirely new to electronic gaming, it definitely marks a completely new
style of play for consoles. Those old enough to remember the rows of
stand-up arcade games from the early to mid 80's will probably not be
completely surprised by this approach, but for many this new style of play
completely changes their approach. This lies in stark contrast to the
sedentary approach favored by home consoles to this point, with many game
genres such as shooters and role playing games affecting a kind of passive
gameplay approach. You probably won't find yourself standing and waving
around for hours playing titles like Far Cry or Halo 3, but this is
exactly what's required if you want to really get into something like Wii
Sports or Rock Band. Sure, you conceivably could play Wii Sports sitting
down, but this would be like trying to play soccer in bed, there's just an
inherent requirement to get off your bottom if you want to fully
experience what these kinds of games have to offer. Gamers who don't mind
exploring new things probably find this social, active style of play a
huge breath of fresh air, but many old-school gamers brought up on the PS1
and SNES era will probably find it a bit jarring. Unless gamers are
willing to adapt their play styles, it looks like things will leave them
behind. This new wave of social, physical games has definitely left their
mark, and it will be interesting to see how many of the more traditional
games, like shooters and racing games make use of this approach. We've
already personally changed our own habits after thinking about them for
awhile and now make at least a genuine effort to spend more time standing
while playing. The strange thing is that the very act of standing, instead
of sitting lends even typically passive games, such as arcade classics on
the Neo Geo or compilations a much greater feeling of intensity than
they'd otherwise have. These past few weeks have been somewhat of a
revelation as we've put new pieces into the puzzle we hadn't previously
realized, and this new more active approach seems to have added some new
energy into our gaming experiences.
Of course, previous to the past year, there was Dance Dance Revolution,
which seems now in retrospect to have unleashed these twin phenomenon of
music and physical games, though with very different results. It's been
strange but fascinating to watch gaming evolve and change over the past
year, and the games industry's wide embrace of new ideas and methods of
play has been heartening, since there was a creeping feeling that things
were becoming stagnant towards the end of the last generation of systems.
For those used to the old-style of play, there are always going to be
sedentary games, such as Mass Effect or Orange Box for this mouse and
keyboard crowd, but you have to wonder how the professional leagues are
going to adapt, or if they will at all. This sea-change is probably a good
thing in the long run, for the couch-potato stereotype has propagates
itself for far too long, leading to criticism of the entire industry that,
while not justified, needs to be changed. Its an unfortunate byproduct of
a passive-aggressive PR approach that has made the industry feel far too
insular for too long, where these clichés were allowed to fester without
response while the profits rolled in. You can argue about the relative
merits, that many other worthwhile activities, such as reading books or
painting are usually solitary and yes, anti-social by their inherent
nature. However, most people know these things have value while most
gamers are usually sneered at for wasting their time. The new, more active
approach that companies like Nintendo and Activision are taking is a
massive step in the right direction, one that should change the player's
experience and the perception of the players themselves.
Voice Module: The Laser's Best of 2007
It was a strange year overall. No one a
year ago would have predicted that the Wii phenomenon would continue, and
even though not every game on the system lived up to its innovative
design, many high profile titles did. It was also a good year for new
ideas and IPs and while some ended up being disappointing - Heavenly Sword
comes to mind, these let-downs were more than made up for with a few
surprises, the biggest of which was Bioshock, which seemed to come out of
nowhere to make a huge splash with gamers. The Xbox 360 had another very
solid year as well, while the Playstation 3 had a rough patch but
delivered some fairly convincing titles in the second half of 2007. There
were loads of high-profile releases from major developers, which made some
of the selections extremely difficult, but in the end, it was the most
memorable games, not the most hyped that seemed to win out thus year. For
gamers, this was an excellent year overall that generally exceeded our
expectations in many areas and so, without further ado, our picks for the
best of 2007 are listed below.
Game
of the Year: Assassin's Creed (PS3, Xbox 360)
No other title released over the past
year could match the immersive environments of Assassin's Creed. An
evocative take on the crusades, an intriguing plot and a cool protagonist
plus its sense of place and style, combined with its freedom of movement
made Assassin's Creed the most challenging and engrossing game released in
2007.
Game of the Year - Runner-up: Super
Mario Galaxy (Wii)
In a very Wii year, Super Mario Galaxy
delivered some of the most innovative, charming, brilliant and outright
fun gameplay on any system. The twisted outer-space form allowed new
levels of innovation in terms of presentation and style, but Nintendo's
endless diversity of gameplay was never more apparent than in this title,
which had the task of redefining a solid franchise while not alienating
existing fans and did so absolutely beautifully. If ever a game defined
'must-purchase' this was it.
Best Playstation 3 Game: Ratchet
& Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Sony's PS3 suffered from a severe
drought of truly exciting games until the end of the year, when a wave of
excellent games began to turn the tide. The return of this legendary duo
was a welcome relief thanks to its smooth controls, brilliant level design
and a seemingly endless array of cool and irreverent weapons. While many
games on the console only scratched the surface, this one showed off some
true potential.
Best Xbox 360 Game (TIE): Halo 3
This race was too close to call and
instead of flipping a coin, it's better to just call a tie and give credit
where it's due. Bungie's Halo 3 was one of the most-hyped, anticipated and
discussed games of the year. While the FPS didn't really offer anything
unexpected, it was so highly polished and featured the conclusion of
Master Chief's adventure in occasionally breathtaking fashion. Epic
visuals, fantastic gameplay and a brilliant storyline that finally reached
a a satisfying conclusion and those who wanted more would find hours more
adventure in its deep forge online mode. This was a complete, robust
package that mostly delivered on its promises, which is more than a few
other high profile titles could say.
Best Xbox 360 Game (TIE): Bioshock
In a year filled with new IPs, none
seemed to stand out more than 2K's brilliant undersea adventure, filled
with a ton of interesting ideas, and a brilliant overall design that made
it one of the most unforgettable experiences to date. If you wanted
something different from your first person shooters, Bioshock definitely
delivered one of the most innovative games to come out in a very, very
long time. .
Best Wii Game: Metroid Prime 3:
Corruption
Samus returned on the Wii with her most
impressive adventure to date. While the basic gameplay remained unchanged,
Corruption's brilliant use of the Wiimote added a sense of immersion and
drama to the experience. It's deep gameplay was both challenging and
sophisticated, showing that the Wii could deliver much more than simple
bowling games.
Best PSP Game: Syphon Filter: Logan's
Shadow
Another solid installment in Sony's long
running stealth-spy franchise proved that there was some life in the old
portable yet, with some cool new gameplay features and impressive
graphics, the latest adventure from Gabe Logan was a great, if
under-appreciated title.
Best Nintendo DS Game: The Legend of Zelda - Phantom Hourglass
The Gamecube's Zelda, Wind Waker was unfairly beaten down for its unique
cel-shaded look and somewhat simplistic gameplay mechanics. Those doubters
were proven wrong with the release of the superb Phantom Hourglass, which
showed undeniably that this approach was the right one. Its innovative
path-drawing and traditional Zelda action made it one of the biggest and
most impressive DS games this year.
Best Music Game: Rock Band
Guitar Hero started the trend, but Rock Band solidified it with Harmonix'
ambitious multi-instrument formula allowing players to feel like they were
on stage with an actual band. Seamless visuals, great gameplay and
excellent song selection made this one of the most innovative games of the
year. Rock Band was a bit expensive, but a relative bargain when you
consider all the options and promise it represents.
Best Sports Game: FIFA Soccer 08
Between its innovative 'Be A Pro' mode, sumptuous
HD visuals and unique 5 on 5 online mode, FIFA once again defined video
game soccer for the current hardware generation. FIFA's Intuitive
controls, generous selection of teams and clubs plus excellent music
didn't hurt. This definitely made up for last year's somewhat anemic
version, and set a new standard for on the field realism.
Best First-Person Shooting Game: The
Orange Box
Featuring five fantastic games in one
collection, Valve actually beat the big boys in terms of sheer gameplay
value. From the brilliant Half-Life games, which still stand as some of
the best FPS titles ever made, to the surprisingly endearing Portal and
the intense action of Team Fortress 2, this wasn't just a mere collection
but a revelation. The collective quality was so high, it beat out even the
mighty Halo 3, which should tell you something right there.
Best Role-Playing Game: Mass Effect
Knights of the Old Republic was quite an
act to follow, but the developers at Bioware did a superb job of bringing
a complete, coherent universe to life. Its multiple path dialogue system,
real-time combat and excellent visuals were wrapped in one of the most
epic, entertaining storylines to come around in quite some time. Things
stated slowly, but once Mass Effect got rolling, it was one of the more
immersive and impressive role-playing games to date.
Most Under-rated Game: Metroid Prime
3: Corruption (Wii)
Released at about the same time as
Bioshock, this was one of the most innovative and interesting shooters on
the Wii this year. MP3 used the Wiimote effectively to allow players to
more fully interact with Samus' visor and surroundings while maintaining
the unique exploratory and cerebral feel that made the last two Metroid
Prime titles so memorable. The puzzles were a bit vexing at times, but
Metroid Prime 3 definitely proved that Nintendo's Wii could deliver a
deep, satisfying and immersive experience as well as the casual party
games it's become famous for.
Worst Trend: Not Quite Limited
Editions
Game collectors were absolutely fleeced
by an avalanche of mass-produced limited editions this year, many of which
quickly plunged in value - a sure sign that these were destined to become
an albatross in gamers libraries. The biggest offender was surely Halo 3's
Legendary Edition, which completely saturated the market to the point that
by the Christmas season, these were on sale for half their original
exorbitant price. It's strange but, we thought Limited or Collector's
Edition releases were supposed to rise in value. A lesson learned for next
year.
Voice Module - Served
I have to apologize to all of you who've tried and failed to access the
Laser over the past week. We've had some serious problems with our hosting
company but, hopefully these problems are behind us. There are loads of
games coming out over the next few weeks, and subsequently, we'll have a
lot of reviews as well. Today, the flood begins with our look at Stuntman:
Ignition, and we're already well into other games like Castlevania:
Dracula X on the PSP, The Orange Box, Ratchet & Clank, Folklore, The
Eye of Judgment and of course, Guitar Hero III. This is likely to be the
biggest battle of the year, between Guitar Hero III and Rock Band - we've heard lots
of good things about both games, but which one ends up on top remains to
be seen. At this time, we're hedging our bets, though it looks like
the established Guitar Hero brand has the edge thanks to the lower price
and name recognition.
Of course, the new era of
downloadable content means that neither game is really going to be
finished this year, and it will be interesting to see how the competition
for music game supremacy plays out over the next year. The other major
battle this year seems to involve Tony Hawk and Skate - while Skate has
some solid reviews behind it, whether the sales will catch up to the
well-known Hawk brand is something we're interested in looking at as well.
In other news, the hardware front is going a bit haywire, with the
industry going nearly the opposite of what the industry's well-known
pundits predicted it would a year ago. It's strange how much things can
change in such a short period of time. This is what makes the game
industry so interesting, you never know what's going to happen next.
The server problems have
been really annoying lately, and it has put a damper on our plans to
launch a glossy magazine and a subsequent movie trilogy and toy line.
Maybe next year we can start on those projects.
