Why no Sony, Chewie?

446200 Virtuoso Pyrotechnisist playing RocketMania on the easy level.:thumb:

Why no Sony, Chewie?

This reminded me Chewbaccus never got back on and answered... It's because Sony is evil. 100% pure evil. They make it very hard on game developers (at least, the developers who aren't THEM.) Our company actually had a very strong case for their theft of one of our game concept submissions, but we couldn't afford the lawyers so it never went forward.

You misspelled "Microsoft."

Hahahaha!

I suspect they'll drop Xbox down to under $100 by Xmas. If they do, I'll buy it...but I'm still loyal to Sony.

Don't get me wrong, they make great games... playing-loyalties and working-loyalties are different. But Microsoft is at least willing to play ball with American game makers. Sony automatically has disdain for an American game, even their American offices.

Plus, I've got another reason to hate Sony--Microsoft put almost state-of-the-art audio functionality in their state-of-the-art graphics machine. Sony royally fucked over sound designers everywhere with the PS2. A PS2 is literally nothing but two Playstations inside a single case, from an audio standpoint. More overall space for sounds, but a PS2 can basically only process the same number/quality of sounds as an original Playstation can. 8 fucking megs of audio RAM, and not even the ability to steal RAM from other areas of the game.

As a rule, we design our sounds for the Xbox, and then start chopping them down (to less than half the size) to fit onto the Playstation.

Whoa there. Sony's American HQ has ABSOLUTE CONTEMPT for the vast majority of Japanese games, leading to hordes of interesting titles getting the corporate overload thumbs-down when someone wants to release them stateside for their system.

The PSX's success is at least in part due to the variety of niche games and oddballs released for it, but it's the tip of the iceberg compared to what's available for it in Japan.

This may bother audiophiles, but since I'm definitely not one (I generally can't tell much difference between the same song on cassette and CD), it's not a problem for me.

There are exactly two (2) games for the Xbox that I'd buy that aren't also available for PC, PS2 and/or GameCube:

1) Panzer Dragoon Orta
2) MAYBE Jade Empire (which won't be out until at least next February).

On the other hand, I have a pile of worthy PS2 games that I _haven't played yet_ because I haven't had the time to get into them properly.

We got us a developer versus player war here

The PSX's success is at least in part due to the variety of niche games and oddballs released for it, but it's the tip of the iceberg compared to what's available for it in Japan.

That's why having a mod-chipped console is important. :) I've got no beef with the PSX, it's a great machine. It's when they decided to make the PS2 the way they did that I started to hate them.

Here's why developers (who aren't EA) hate Sony: Sony requires all games to be approved by them. They control the approval process, and often it can take 6 weeks or more. This is usually enough time for the competitor's product to get out on the shelf. Most often this is EA. EA has had games go on the market with bugs that other companies were getting rejected for--when the other companies DID NOT actually have those bugs. Sony claims there's a bug, the developer can't reproduce it, we sit in stalemate until EA's game goes on the shelf. Then they say "Ah, well, it seems to have been fixed, alright, congratulations, your game submittal is approved!"

Electronics Boutique and EA are also in bed, if you're curious who your corporations are sleeping around with. :)

We are in agreement that Sony's approval process sucks donkey balls, and is responsible for a lot of quality games never getting a US release. I've always held the view that Sony routinely tanked 2D games early on because Saturn 2D > PSX 2D graphics-wise (as anyone who's played the Capcom fighters for Saturn will attest).

If Tobal 2 had come out over here, it would've been an absolute smash hit, though that was more Squaresoft's fault than Sony's.

One of these days, I'm going to break down and mod my PS2, or at least get a flip-top mod for it. If I could mod my PS2 so that it'd play PS1 backups, I could retire my old PS1 for good.

EB has its share of strange business practices -- I live a mile from their corporate HQ and frequent their clearance outlets, so I've seen it firsthand -- but their customer service is miles beyond the typical GameStop experience, so I'll stick with them as a general rule as chains go. (There are some GameStops that are decent -- look for ones that are busy, so that the clerks don't have time to deliver the Before I Ring This Up, Allow Me To Give You A Ten-Minute Dissertation On Our Used Game Buyer Program, And Would You Like A Cleaning Kit? prepared speech.)

The GameStop up the street from my house seems pretty decent...the few times I've went up there, I haven't been hassled.

I'll take a sales pitch over the pretend-to-be-your-buddy routine they have going at EB any day. Doesn't matter what game you're buying... *dropped voice* "Naw, man, trust me, ok I'm not supposed to be biased, right, but you're gonna want to get insert similar EA game here instead."

I'd take an EA sports game over any other.

Give it only maybe 2 or 3 more years and you won't have a choice. :)

*shakes fist at stingy HR managers

To answer an all-too-regretfully negected question, I'm down on Sony because they don't impress me. Any game that Sony fields I'm either not interested in, or can find on GameCube or Xbox. The graphics, I feel, pale when set alongside GC/Xb, though I respect what THQ can do when they put out a WWE title. Audio, Clod has covered already. Overall, I've just never been drawn to the system.

And vsp's right, I got cornered last time I was at GS with their value card/GameInformer subscription deal. I'm at a weakness when I go in there - the cashier is this guy me and my friend on our site both know, and my friend continually drops E3 into every other sentence of conversations with him. I took the GI deal more out of penance than value, though value was present too.

It's so sad, I try to hide my connections whenever I talk to him, just to make him feel better.

(Guy picks up my copy of Rebel Strike to ring it up)
Guy: This is an awesome game.
Me: Yeah, I tried it out last year when I was in (bite tongue)...my friend's house.

(Guy shows off copy of GI with San Andreas as the cover story)
Guy: You know that they're making San Andreas a state, not a city?
Me: Yeah, I read that 'bout a week or so ago.
Guy: ...This issue just came out.
Me: ...Internet article.

Am I the only one that finds consoles just plain crap these days? I am yet to see a really immersive, deep game on a console and developers seem to be dumbing down PC games specifically for consoles (Deux Ex 2 comes to mind).

Goddamn, I feel old. I remember pumping quarters into the Pong machine at "Pietro's Pizza", Christ, probably before alot of you were born. Then there was Donkey Kong, PacMan, Space Invaders...............

Now, I know how the dinosaurs felt............

I feel like roadkill on the information superhighway................

1,423,200 on RocketMania
 

I scored 1,423,200 (Mystifying Sage) on the easy setting in Rocket Mania

BTW, I downloaded the standalone game and found the graphics distracting. I play on average 10 games a week. Each game now lasts about 30 minutes.

I find it more fun than Tetris ever was, and just as challenging.

I dunno Jag, have you played Halo for xbox? That is one detailed and very immersive game. you feel like youre actually on the ring fighting for your life. One of the rare games that got dumbed down for pc... example, worthog flying physics.

speaking of popcap games...

completely addiced to both Dynomite.. and Astropop deluxe..I don't know they are simple, funny games that pretty much 'do the trick' like old atari games...

as to immersive games.. hmmm has anyone here tried the new Final Fantasy? the online one? I know a couple of people who were left slackjawed and buggy-eyed and are hooked on it like some folks were on everquest (never tried it myself.. although Neverwinter Nights holds a spot in my blackenend little heart :)) )

also American Mc'gees' 'Alice' (for PC) is really cool... and well... if you've got a thing for knife weilding red-heads (and I do) it's pretty slick.. especially if you enjoyed the books

Amazing timing. Just this last Friday, I dusted off "Alice" and started playing it again. Last time I played it, my computer wasn't quite up to snuff. My new one handles it perfectly at maximum resolution/detail. Cool game.

I put it down a few months ago unfinished. I'm also stuck on Clive Barker's Undying and am deciding whether to consult a walktrough or keep on trying.

I have just started playing "Alice" today. I completed CSI: Dark Motives and allowed myself to install a new game. I'm trying to limit myself to one at a time, and playing them through to completion, otherwise I'll just never damn finish.

I'm liking Alice so far, though!

I'm a big fan of real time strategy and role playing...Warcraft, Pharaoh, Black and White, several "Age of (fill in the blank)", other Blizzard and Sierra titles, among other things, and I'm a longtime player of UO. Any Baja runners present?

Oh man cyber, you just hit my all time fav. genre. Specifically, the C&C series. I'm mainly a fan of the Tiberian Sun edition, but i do enjoy some good ol origional Red Alert sometimes. Blizzard and Westwood need to team up and make a good ww2 RTS game, since there have been no good ones to date :P

Tiber sun was ok....RA was amazing and RA2 was good.
I've been playing Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe of late, great fun and runs windowed so I can still attend to other things.

the gamer of gamers
 

video games are my life and my passion. I play all different kinds except for sports. i also play on pc and ps2. i really want to get into software development. my favorite games are: Crazy taxi, spider-man 2, Medal of Honor Allied Assault, Thirteen, Rise to Honor and a lot more.

Just finished Alice again. The Jabberwock was pretty cool.

Even though i didn't finish playing Alice, it was a great game

I just wanted to say something else that I have and have played Spider-man 2 and I don't know how it is on other systems, but on PS2, its wonderful. On the game review, look at what the subheading says. Its completely true, but more "grandma" friendly.

I'm more of a console gamer then PC.

I have a NES,Gameboy Advanced,PS1 and 2, PSP, N64,Gamecube. The following are my favorites.

Nes-(Super Mario 1,2 and 3, Legend of Zelda,Skyshark,Megaman,Kirby)
PS1-(Final Fantasy 7,9, Chrono Cross,Wild Arms 1 and 2, Tekken 3
Gamecube-(Metriod Prime 1 and 2, Paper Mario Thounsand Year Door,Super Smash Brothers Melee,Metal Gear Solid the Twin Snakes, SC 2, Super Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker.)
N64- (Super Smash Brothers, Legend of Zelda OOT, Paper Mario)
PS2-(Final Fantasy XI Online, Final Fantasy X and X-2, We Love Katamari, Timesplitter 1,2 and 3, Silent Hill 3 and 4, Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2, SOCOM 1 and 2 , Chessmaster,Wild Arms 3,Metal Gear Solid 3)
PSP-(Untold Legends, Metal Gear Acid, Burnout Legends)
Gameboy Advanced-Legend of Zelda the Minish Cap,Final Fantasy 1 and 2, Advanced Wars 1 and 2.)

I'm a huge fan of tactical, squad-based shooters. Right now BF2 takes up a lot of my time. BF 2142 should be released in the fall (October 1 is the current rumor) with Quake Wars being anxiously awaited.

Medal of Honor all the way. Also, Diablo 2.
Waiting patiently for MoHA, also for Quake Wars and Killzone 2.

I finished Oblivion in about 260 hours -in game time, not counting reloads. Awesome game. I play slow.

I finished Halflife Episode One in a day or so. Nice, but short.

I'm currently playing Galactic Civilizations II. Well made, but it seems somewhat simplified from the original. I'm not sure it's an improvement.

Age of Empires 3, a rollicking good time just like all the other "Age of" titles.

Seconded.

Im even older than that.... I dont like anything newer than 1986 or so.........

Now stuff on the computer like java and flash games I like but Clodfobble asked ab out VIDEOGAMES so I assuming she means stuff like arcade and console stuff......

I like early 80s aracade and these consoles

Atari 2600
Colecovision
Nintendo (But I dont like hardily anything on it (I think Super Mario Brothers is the only NINTENDO game I like)

In my opinion stuff just got worse and worse.......... Its sad but thats what happend.....

Is there a psychological condition that explains this?

a spectrum of them.

VIDEO GAMEs ARE DUMB AND IF U LIKE THEM U R DUMB

...


why are you guys bullying me??

No we arent buddy,its ok if you dont like em!!

arma 3 is cool steep lernen curve , but fun

It was humor.

Please consider stopping calling people you don't know in person/in real life "buddy". It's generally considered condescending and belittling. Google it if you don't believe me

I mean it in a good/friendly way :)

Been playing Wild Metal Country for like, what, hell, 15 years or so?

Rockstar gave it away for a really long time.