July console sales numbers......

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Also, an interesting new game was announced for the 360/PS3.........a new dodgeball game. Screen shots included.

http://www.worthplaying.com/article....thread&order=0

Wow, that looks horrible.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Also, an interesting new game was announced for the 360/PS3.........a new dodgeball game. Screen shots included.

http://www.worthplaying.com/article....thread&order=0

Huh, where does it say 360/PS3?

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Huh, where does it say 360/PS3?

I think the slash there doesn't mean both for sure, necessarily, only that it'll definitely be out for one or the other. I mean, I guess it COULD be Wii-exclusive, but that doesn't seem likely.

[SackAttack]

Dola,

Also, the PS3/X360 bit is in the article's title as well. Little weird to do that and then say "yet to be announced" in the article, but there you are.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

More industry news.

First, the NPD numbers release was delayed for a week and will be released on August 23rd.

GTA IV continues to be pushed back. Current place holder on Amazon is now June 30th. Future release dates at month-end like that often indicate that it's only a place-holder date, so I wouldn't be shocked to see it fall even further back into the fall. MS has got to be smarting that they spent $50M for exclusive content for this holiday season, only to see the developers drag their feet and likely have to wait a year for its release. It will be interesting to see if MS tries to recoup some of that money due to the severely delayed release. They've got to really feel like they burned money in this case.

http://www.n4g.com/News-59312.aspx

Looks like the PS3 will likely be getting an equivalent of the 360's GamerTags. Slipped out via UT3 showing...........

http://www.games-digest.com/2007/08/...ard-spott.html

Good Heavenly Sword developer interview. Over 10 GB of HD sound available on the game, including 3 1/2 hours of original music, 1 1/2 hours of cut scenes, and dialog in 11 different languages. This one's going to sound great in a HD home theater. Also, nice to see that the developers took care of all regions in regards to language on the same disc. It will allow for a worldwide release on the same day with no region-specific language discs, hence no release delays in any regions.

http://www.developmag.com/tutorials/...Heavenly-Sword

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Dola,

Also, the PS3/X360 bit is in the article's title as well. Little weird to do that and then say "yet to be announced" in the article, but there you are.

Yes, that's where I took it from in this case. Good point.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

ROFL. I'd love to see your list of "good games" coming out every week for the next 3 months for the PS3.

EF27, wanted to keep this discussion out of the NCAA thread. Here's the list over the next few months in regards to titles being released weekly for the PS3......

August 20: GRAW 2
August 27: Warhawk
September 3: Lair
September 10: Heavenly Sword
September 17:
September 24: Skate
October 1: PlayStation Home, Hot Shots Golf, Sony/EA/2K NBA games
October 8: Folklore
October 15:
October 22: Ratchet & Clank
October 29: GH3
November 5: Mercs 2, COD4, UT3, Lego Star Wars
November 12: Army of Two, Assassin’s Creed, Kane & Lynch, Orange Box, SingStar
November 19: Haze, Rock Band, Time Crisis 4, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

[Eaglesfan27]

I'll copy my comments from the other thread: That is a huge leap of faith with some of the games on that list. Some weeks, no games are coming out for the PS3, so you couldn't try to hype them into "good games." I'm willing to bet that Lair will be a huge flop in comparsion to the expectations.

Edit: Also, a lot of them appear to be niche titles that will not have widespread appeal, which Madden does have.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I'll copy my comments from the other thread: That is a huge leap of faith with quite a few games on that list. Some weeks, no games are coming out for the PS3, so you couldn't try to hype them into "good games." I'm willing to bet that Lair will be a huge flop in comparsion to the expectations.

What?! You don't think a Dragonriding dog fighting sim will hit it big?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I'll copy my comments from the other thread: That is a huge leap of faith with some of the games on that list. Some weeks, no games are coming out for the PS3, so you couldn't try to hype them into "good games." I'm willing to bet that Lair will be a huge flop in comparsion to the expectations.

Edit: Also, a lot of them appear to be niche titles that will not have widespread appeal, which Madden does have.

I agree with you about Lair only because the expectations are ridiculously high. It will still sell quite a few units and will be a good game, but there's no way it could reach the hype.

In regards to niche titles, you could say that about most any games. The 360 is a no purchase for me because I simply don't like FPS games. The big games (Halo, Gears, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Lost Planet) are all in that genre. I think that there a large segment of U.S. users that are nearly exclusively sports and FPS gamers and Microsoft plays to that crowd (I don't think most in this forum are in that segment).

Sony has a huge segment of gamers that are into what those gamers would call 'niche' games. While not overly popular here, there are gamers here in the U.S. that enjoy those games and the overseas gamers absolutely eat them up. There's a reason that Sony is selling extremely well elsewhere despite the higher price. People love those games. Until Sony is able to get the games flowing a bit more and drop the price, the adoption rate is going to be a bit slower in the U.S.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

What?! You don't think a Dragonriding dog fighting sim will hit it big?

There's a lot of fantasy/sci-fi geeks that will eat that game up. I realize that many in this forum aren't into that kind of game and you're just goofin' around (actually this is the second time you've used that line in this thread), but there are plenty of consumers worldwide that want that game. However, I think it will see more success overseas than it will stateside.

Most didn't think a game about rolling up stuff in a ball was anything more than a niche game. Now they're multi-millionaires and Microsoft paid big money to make them a 360 exclusive. I personally think the game has reached its innovative limit and it's not a huge loss for Sony, but writing off games because they may seem nutty or niche is a bad idea, especially as it slows innovation and creation of new franchises, which are sorely needed.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mass Effect is not a FPS, it's a RPG. Unless, it's changed, you can pause the combat just like KOTOR 1 and 2.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Mass Effect is not a FPS, it's a RPG. Unless, it's changed, you can pause the combat just like KOTOR 1 and 2.

I was under the impression that it was first-person like Oblivion. If not, I stand corrected.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

There's a lot of fantasy/sci-fi geeks that will eat that game up. I realize that many in this forum aren't into that kind of game and you're just goofin' around (actually this is the second time you've used that line in this thread), but there are plenty of consumers worldwide that want that game. However, I think it will see more success overseas than it will stateside.

I agree with you that there is a big segment that would eat it up, if it was done well. However, with the release date push back and bad previews, I'm convinced the control scheme is going to turn off a lot of potential customers.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I agree with you that there is a big segment that would eat it up, if it was done well. However, with the release date push back and bad previews, I'm convinced the control scheme is going to turn off a lot of potential customers.

IF the control scheme is bad, I certainly agree. Also, the reviews that were done were on a previous build, not the final build.

I also have a big problem with writing off a game as not looking good because the game was delayed. As consumers, we all hate delays. However, I don't want developers to be in a position where they feel that they have to release a game unfinished or buggy just to get it out 'on time'. There's a ridiculous amount of pressure by execs (as dawgfan and gstelmack can attest) to get games out the door as quickly as possible, sometimes to the detriment of the final product. I'd rather they hold off and get it right. There's a lot of tweaking that the Lair developers can do in a month's time. If it's not ready, I'd rather they don't put it out and give me a better product.

GTA IV is another game in this category. It went from being release in a couple of months to delaying the release for at least 8 months, if not longer. That game must have been awfully rough around the edges (or outright broken) when they did the tech demo a couple of weeks back for them to delay it that long. Some have already said that they have a lot of concerns about that game and the developers. I say delay it until it's ready and don't judge it until then. I don't want to spend my hard-earned money on a half-baked game.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I don't really get this logic.......

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=27675

The Epic president is saying that the PS3 version will have more maps on UT3 due to disc size restrictions on the 360. Why can't they just put out a multi-disc release for the 360 that includes those maps? Would that cause too much disc swapping if the user repeatedly played maps on the second disc? Include an option to load the extra maps to the HDD?

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

There's a lot of fantasy/sci-fi geeks that will eat that game up. I realize that many in this forum aren't into that kind of game and you're just goofin' around (actually this is the second time you've used that line in this thread), but there are plenty of consumers worldwide that want that game. However, I think it will see more success overseas than it will stateside.

Most didn't think a game about rolling up stuff in a ball was anything more than a niche game. Now they're multi-millionaires and Microsoft paid big money to make them a 360 exclusive. I personally think the game has reached its innovative limit and it's not a huge loss for Sony, but writing off games because they may seem nutty or niche is a bad idea, especially as it slows innovation and creation of new franchises, which are sorely needed.

I am making fun of it. I think it is a bad idea for a game and I don't see what the draw is.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

I don't really get this logic.......

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=27675

The Epic president is saying that the PS3 version will have more maps on UT3 due to disc size restrictions on the 360.

Minor point of clarification: He says that the PS3 version may have more maps.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Rumor about the long-hyped, but rarely shown Afrika for PS3. Looks like its release may be moved up........

15.08.07 - Here are some messages from the rumor column of the Japanese Game Labo, of which none was so far confirmed.

- Of Sony, Africa(PS3) a kind “search/investigation software” should be, which uses pressure and touch-sensitive mat for the input. The developers got the order to bring Africa before Nintendo Wiifit(Wii) on the market.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

EF27, wanted to keep this discussion out of the NCAA thread. Here's the list over the next few months in regards to titles being released weekly for the PS3......

August 20: GRAW 2
August 27: Warhawk
September 3: Lair
September 10: Heavenly Sword
September 17:
September 24: Skate
October 1: PlayStation Home, Hot Shots Golf, Sony/EA/2K NBA games
October 8: Folklore
October 15:
October 22: Ratchet & Clank
October 29: GH3
November 5: Mercs 2, COD4, UT3, Lego Star Wars
November 12: Army of Two, Assassin’s Creed, Kane & Lynch, Orange Box, SingStar
November 19: Haze, Rock Band, Time Crisis 4, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

GRAW 2...about six months late to the game, as Xbox 360 has had it for a while. Good game, absolutely, but hard to see how much impact it's going to have.

Warhawk is online-only, much like Shadowrun. Also, I know Warhawk is going to be available via the PSN Store. I don't know if it will see a retail release.

Lair has the well-publicized shit reviews based on an "old" build. I will reserve judgment until the final game comes out.

Heavenly Sword looks good, but my fear there is "Kratos with boobs." I hope it's deeper than that.

Skate is going to have to compete with a well-established THPS franchise. It could be a great game and still flop in sales. We saw that with NFL 2k vs Madden before 2k went budget-priced.

Home should be awesome. Hot Shots Golf is always fun. I'm not a big NBA guy, but plenty of people are. The interesting thing to watch will be whether or not the NBA titles come out in 1080p (all of them) this year, and whether they do so for the 360 now that there's an HDMI-enabled Premium model out there. I expect sales to be fairly even on the third-party hoops games either way, but it will be interesting to see if the PS3 gets the better end of the basketball visuals after it got shorted relative to 360 on MLB2k7.

Folklore will be my first must-own PS3 game...and I don't even have a PS3. Seriously, that thing is awesome.

Ratchet & Clank will be my second. How scary is it that I don't own a PS3 and yet I'd still consider picking those games up, just to have them?

Guitar Hero 3...I think it will sell well, which obviates the discussion about whether it's any good, but it's basically got three weeks to get established, because once Rock Band comes out, that's an ass-whuppin'.

Mercs 2, COD 4, UT3, Lego Star Wars...which of these is not like the others? All four of them are good games, but two of the first three will be multi-platform, and thus at best can blunt the impact of the 360 getting those games this holiday as well. UT3 will actually be a timed PS3 exclusive, if I recall correctly, and so that one is likely to be a big seller. Lego Star Wars is, uh...making an appearance on about its 15th different game system, and is unlikely to be significantly different from its other iterations, excepting possibly that they might stick both games on one disc. Still. Unless they budget-price that one, it'll be cheaper to just pick up both games for PS2 and play 'em that way.

Army of Two, Assassin's Creed, Kane & Lynch, Orange Box, SingStar. I haven't played Army of Two, so I will withhold comment. Assassin's Creed I expect to have at least some effect at driving PS3 adoption rates, just because there are still people who think it's exclusive to that system. Kane & Lynch will sell very well for both platforms. I haven't played Orange Box, but like Army, it's multi-platform, so we'll see what we see.

SingStar had better be better than the PS2 versions, or Fozzie won't buy it.

Haze, Rock Band, Time Crisis 4, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune....Haze looks excellent, I'm completely ignorant on Time Crisis 4. Rock Band is going to be a phenomenon; I have no idea how to read which way the pendulum will swing here, though. There'd be more people to play it online with on Xbox 360, but rumor has it that the 360 bundle, while costing the same, might ship with a corded guitar because of Microsoft's wireless royalty (and if they can't see how that's going to bite them in the balls, oh well).

Uncharted will probably be my third must-own game.

Bottom line, I agree with EF there. Yes, there are some killer titles on that list, but most of it is going to be food for the starving men who own the system already; I see fewer than half a dozen games on that list that I believe have the potential to drive hardware adoption, and one of them - Folklore - while being damned awesome, is also going to be more niche as an RPG. We'll see.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Warhawk is online-only, much like Shadowrun. Also, I know Warhawk is going to be available via the PSN Store. I don't know if it will see a retail release.

.......................

Bottom line, I agree with EF there. Yes, there are some killer titles on that list, but most of it is going to be food for the starving men who own the system already; I see fewer than half a dozen games on that list that I believe have the potential to drive hardware adoption, and one of them - Folklore - while being damned awesome, is also going to be more niche as an RPG. We'll see.

Warhawk will be released in retail and online. Downloadable version is $40, retail version is $60 and it comes with a Bluetooth headset in the box.


I certainly agree that none of these games individually will be system sellers. MSG4 in March will be the first one to drive sales. The post was just to illustrate that there are games coming for the PS3 as EF27 had asked what games were incoming.

I also understand that some of them were timed exclusives for the 360, but a lot of the current PS3 owners don't have a 360, so these games are going to sell because it is new to the majority of the installed base. I picked up Oblivion when it came out on the PS3 and my experience wasn't ruined by any means just because it was previously released on another system. If anything, I got a better version of the game and knew I was getting a solid product when I bought it.

[spleen1015]

Sounds like I need to see what Folklore, Haze and Uncharted are all about.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Warhawk will be released in retail and online. Downloadable version is $40, retail version is $60 and it comes with a Bluetooth headset in the box.


I certainly agree that none of these games individually will be system sellers. MSG4 in March will be the first one to drive sales. The post was just to illustrate that there are games coming for the PS3 as EF27 had asked what games were incoming.

I also understand that some of them were timed exclusives for the 360, but a lot of the current PS3 owners don't have a 360, so these games are going to move some units because it is new to the majority of the installed base. I picked up Oblivion when it came out on the PS3 and my experience wasn't ruined by any means just because it was previously released on another system. If anything, I got a better version of the game and knew I was getting a solid product when I bought it.

Some of the "timed 360 exclusives," like Oblivion, were so timed because, well, PS3 wasn't out yet. My guess is, had PS3 been out at the same time as 360 originally, there wouldn't have been a gap between the two. Certainly not a one-year gap.

As for the multiplatform games, I think they're going to have decent sales numbers, but as I say, I attribute that more to the "starving man" effect than anything else. I can't see any games on that list that have been on 360 already where unaffiliated people are going to say "Man, I want to play that, but I'm going to wait for it to come out on PS3..."

Also: when I say "units" in my post above, I'm referring to PS3 hardware, not individual software units.

[Bee]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Guitar Hero 3...I think it will sell well, which obviates the discussion about whether it's any good, but it's basically got three weeks to get established, because once Rock Band comes out, that's an ass-whuppin'.

I read that the guitar that comes with the PS3 GH3 game will not be compatible with the previous ps2 GH games nor with Rock Band. I would think that might hurt sales to some degree.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Sounds like I need to see what Folklore, Haze and Uncharted are all about.

Folklore is an RPG where you rip the souls from your enemies once you defeat them. I had a blast playing that at E3.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Bee

I read that the guitar that comes with the PS3 GH3 game will not be compatible with the previous ps2 GH games nor with Rock Band. I would think that might hurt sales to some degree.

I would be shocked if the PS3 GH3 guitar isn't compatible with the previous PS2 games. Really.

As to whether the PS3 GH3 guitar will work with Rock Band, I don't know. I DO know that the Guitar Hero II axe will work with Rock Band 360, but having used both guitars, I'd rather be jamming on the Rock Band one instead.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Sounds like I need to see what Folklore, Haze and Uncharted are all about.

Folklore is a classic-style RPG. It's already out in Japan and will be to the states in time for the holidays.

Uncharted is Indiana Jones meets Tomb Raider/Prince of Persia gameplay. Action/adventure game that has shown really well at the trade shows.

Haze is a FPS. Currently listed as a PS3 exclusive, though it may come out for the 360 next summer.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/u...ies/80898.html

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

I certainly agree that none of these games individually will be system sellers. MSG4 in March will be the first one to drive sales. The post was just to illustrate that there are games coming for the PS3 as EF27 had asked what games were incoming.

Actually, I asked what "good games" were coming, since you said a "good" game is coming out "nearly every week for 3 months" for the PS3. I'll stand by my statement that your statement is a HUGE stretch.

[MikeVic]

I heard that the PS3 and 360 were in the closet. And then a baby popped out. And then it smiled at me.

[twothree]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Mercs 2, COD 4, UT3, Lego Star Wars...which of these is not like the others? All four of them are good games, but two of the first three will be multi-platform, and thus at best can blunt the impact of the 360 getting those games this holiday as well. UT3 will actually be a timed PS3 exclusive, if I recall correctly, and so that one is likely to be a big seller. Lego Star Wars is, uh...making an appearance on about its 15th different game system, and is unlikely to be significantly different from its other iterations, excepting possibly that they might stick both games on one disc. Still. Unless they budget-price that one, it'll be cheaper to just pick up both games for PS2 and play 'em that way.

I am glad Mercenaries 2 is also coming out on the PS2, the first one is still fun to play on the PS2 when you feel like blowing stuff up.

I don't plan to get either the XBOX 360 or the PS3 this generation. The Wii plus the DS and my PS2 should last me until the super elite ZBOX 9000+ and the 10TB PS5 hit the shelves. Maybe...

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FINALLY, Sony is addressing the RAM issues on the PS3. Developers and users have been fussing about this issue for awhile. I believe that the 7th SPU is currently strictly used for XMB and security processing. Sounds like they're going to open it up to be partially used for other processes now in addition to reducing RAM restraints...........

Presently, 64MB of XDR RAM, 32MB of GDDR3 VRAM, and the entire 7th SPU are always reserved for the XMB even during games. Firmware 2.0 will reduce the memory usage to 32MB of XDR and NO GDDR3. XMB will still run on the 7th SPU but the 7th SPU wont be reserved, other things can be run on the SPU besides the XMB.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by twothree

I don't plan to get either the XBOX 360 or the PS3 this generation. The Wii plus the DS and my PS2 should last me until the super elite ZBOX 9000+ and the 10TB PS5 hit the shelves. Maybe...

Given that many of the developers think these systems have a lot of room for growth and both systems are taking huge hits on their profitability early on in the console's life, you're likely going to be waiting quite awhile for another generation console. But, you will likely be able to pick one of these systems up for pretty cheap in a year or two if you wait assuming price is a concern.

[twothree]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Given that many of the developers think these systems have a lot of room for growth and both systems are taking huge hits on their profitability early on in the console's life, you're likely going to be waiting quite awhile for another generation console. But, you will likely be able to pick one of these systems up for pretty cheap in a year or two if you wait assuming price is a concern.

Price of the console is not a concern of mine. However, the price of the games is a concern. Currently, the vast majority of my game purchases are on the PS2 at $20 after the game has been out for over a year. For example, God of War II, dropped to $40 recently, but it is not a purchase for me until it hits $20. I do get the occasional game at $50, usually RPGs that won't ever be available, even used for $20, but that is my limit for a new game.

I won't pay $60 for a new game, XBOX360 and PS3. So, with new games on the Wii at most $50, the Wii will be my console for this generation. And, I haven't bought a $50 game for the Wii yet, though I have only bought two games so far. As an example, I am waiting for Paper Mario to fall to $30 or lower before picking up a copy. I know I will want a copy of Metroid Prime 3, but won't pick it up until a major price drop after a year or two has past once it gets released.

I am a Cheap Ass Gamer.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by twothree

Price of the console is not a concern of mine. However, the price of the games is a concern. Currently, the vast majority of my game purchases are on the PS2 at $20 after the game has been out for over a year. For example, God of War II, dropped to $40 recently, but it is not a purchase for me until it hits $20. I do get the occasional game at $50, usually RPGs that won't ever be available, even used for $20, but that is my limit for a new game.

I won't pay $60 for a new game, XBOX360 and PS3. So, with new games on the Wii at most $50, the Wii will be my console for this generation. And, I haven't bought a $50 game for the Wii yet, though I have only bought two games so far. As an example, I am waiting for Paper Mario to fall to $30 or lower before picking up a copy. I know I will want a copy of Metroid Prime 3, but won't pick it up until a major price drop after a year or two has past once it gets released.

I am a Cheap Ass Gamer.

I've honestly not paid full price for any other game than Resistance in my case. Even on the relatively new PS3, there's still very solid discounted games. NBA2K7 and NHL2K7 are both $30. Several other games are now at the $40-$50 price points. The 360 has a TON of games that are in the $20-30 price range that are not year specific like sports games. The games for both systems usually drop in price quickly. Also, Circuit City has a lot of the new releases on the day of release for $50, which is $10 off the list price.

[twothree]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

I've honestly not paid full price for any other game than Resistance in my case. Even on the relatively new PS3, there's still very solid discounted games. NBA2K7 and NHL2K7 are both $30. Several other games are now at the $40-$50 price points. The 360 has a TON of games that are in the $20-30 price range that are not year specific like sports games. The games for both systems usually drop in price quickly. Also, Circuit City has a lot of the new releases on the day of release for $50, which is $10 off the list price.

So far, there has not been a game on the PS3 or XBOX360 (or PSP for that matter) that I have wanted to get at the price that the game was being sold. Every game so far that has had my interest has come out on a console that I already have, and at a lower price. That was why I was glad to see Mercenaries 2 coming out on the PS2. In a year or two I should be able to pick it up for $20.

The closest I have come to buying a PS3 or XBOX360 was when I was considering getting an XBOX360 if Viva Pinata got to $20 after I saw it fall to $30, but then a version (port) was announced for the PC and the DS, so I will probably pick Viva Pinata up if I am still interested in the title (from the bargin bin, of course ) on one of those platforms. One good thing that comes from waiting a year or two for a price drop on a game is that I can see if my interest in playing that game has been maintained.

Waiting a year before buying a game after a price drop also stops me from buying most of the yearly sports games. It is usually only when the new version gets really bad reviews compared to the previous year's version that I end up buying the previous year's version on the cheap. I can't think of the last console sports game I bought. But, I know the first version of Football Manager, made me hunt down and purchase the 03/04 version of Championship Manager. I still haven't purchased any yearly version of Football Manager because they keep getting better each year. I also bought OOTP 6/6.5 when OOTP 2006 came out.

I guess that makes me a patient cheap ass gamer, or just a weird non-impulsive consumer.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by twothree

I guess that makes me a patient cheap ass gamer, or just a weird non-impulsive consumer.

Nothing wrong with being a Cheap Ass. Hell, I'm a regular CAGcast listener.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Lots of gaming news. Unfortunately, most of it is bad for the companies mentioned.

First, a link to a trailer with Folklore footage for Spleen1015......

http://gamevideos.com/video/id/13971

Next, Take Two now faces pretty severe fraud charges for stock improprieties. This will likely only further fuel the rumor that a deal by Sony to purchase Rockstar could be in the works as Take Two is facing a load of fines and possible breakup of the company.......

http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...AKETWO-SEC.xml

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO.O: Quote, Profile , Research), maker of the "Grand Theft Auto" video game franchise, said on Wednesday it received a Wells notice from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission indicating that the agency may file charges against the company following an investigation of its past stock options practices.

It was the latest in a string of blows to Take-Two, which earlier this month delayed the release of its most important upcoming title, "Grand Theft Auto IV," and warned it would post a loss for the year. The company is also still reeling from a shareholder coup that ousted its former management earlier this year.

In an SEC filing, Take-Two said the SEC staff informed the company that it plans to seek authority from the Commission to file charges and pursue a civil monetary penalty.

The Wells notice gives Take-Two a final chance to respond to the SEC and convince the agency not to file charges.

In the filing, Take-Two said it expects "to resolve this investigation by means of a settlement rather than a contested litigation of charges ... the 'Wells' call represents a significant step forward towards that resolution."

Take-Two said in April it had received a formal order of investigation from the SEC.

The New York-based company had said a review uncovered a significant number of option grants that were backdated during a period of more than six years to August 2003.

In February, former Take-Two Chief Executive Ryan Brant pleaded guilty to criminal charges over backdating options, becoming the first ex-CEO to do so in recent probes into options irregularities at dozens of U.S. companies.

Take-Two shares closed at $12.60 on Nasdaq.

Three articles about EA, none of which are very flattering to the company. First, EA has been caught doctoring pictures of their upcoming NBA title. Not a terrible shock here as this game has been awful over the past couple of years and they likely haven't done much to improve it.......

http://www.ps3center.net/story-821.html

EA Caught Altering NBA Live PS3 and Xbox 360 Images
by Victor Dangelo on 16/08/2007 Views: 151

EA has been notorious in the past for making their upcoming games look far better than they ever actually could and that appears to be the case again with NBA Live 2008 on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Wired.com is reporting that EA has been caught tampering with a screenshot for the upcoming NBA Live 2008 release on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

It is no secret that the NBA Live franchise has been a total disaster since moving over to the next-generation as the game sold poorly compared to the NBA 2K franchise for the past two years. NBA Live 2007 performed so poorly that EA did not even bother releasing it on the PS3 when the console launched.

There will likely be absolutely no response from EA Sports on this but it is clear in the screenshot released that a lot of touch-ups were done.

You can see in the picture that EA Sports definitely used some visual add-ins to the screen when you look at the basketball itself as well as the player to the far bottom left corner as he is literally cut in half. You can check out the screenshot below...

Wikipedia has determined that EA staff has been altering the Wiki entry for EA from the corporate headquarters on multiple occasions.......

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/show_blo...stnews;title;0

And in a move that is ***gasp*** a total shock to the gaming world, EA will be releasing the PS3 version of NHL 08 at 30 frames per second. Developers from other companies have been taking multiple pot-shots at EA, noting that many of the PS3 games run at 60 FPS without any issues, yet a company with a budget as big as EA can't find the means to get it done.

http://www.2khockey.net/forums/index...c=17201&st=930

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

I don't really get this logic.......

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=27675

The Epic president is saying that the PS3 version will have more maps on UT3 due to disc size restrictions on the 360. Why can't they just put out a multi-disc release for the 360 that includes those maps? Would that cause too much disc swapping if the user repeatedly played maps on the second disc? Include an option to load the extra maps to the HDD?

http://forums.epicgames.com/showpost...74&postcount=7

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

http://forums.epicgames.com/showpost...74&postcount=7

Yeah, DL content seems like a no-brainer... he doesn't mention the Wii though! Stupid Epic and their stupid games. What do they know!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Yeah, DL content seems like a no-brainer... he doesn't mention the Wii though! Stupid Epic and their stupid games. What do they know!

The problem with downloadable content is the HDD size on the 360. The vast majority of the consoles have 20 GB or no HDD space at all. My guess is that they'll phase out that Core system as quickly as possible to push their users towards options that have a HDD and allow that DL content.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

The problem with downloadable content is the HDD size on the 360. The vast majority of the consoles have 20 GB or no HDD space at all. My guess is that they'll phase out that Core system as quickly as possible to push their users towards options that have a HDD and allow that DL content.

Are there numbers out there that show most 360 users don't have a HDD? I was under the impression everyone bought the Premium... what do they save games on, memory cards??

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Are there numbers out there that show most 360 users don't have a HDD? I was under the impression everyone bought the Premium... what do they save games on, memory cards??

Even the 20 GB HDD is relatively small if you start filling it up with content for a few games. Hence the reason they brought out the Elite. Another good move would be to move to a cheaper price point on the proprietary (sp?) HDD for the 360. If they can get a 80 GB HDD around $100, that would at least allow people to easily upgrade.

Yes, there are memory cards available for the Core users, but they're pretty expensive for what you get.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Even the 20 GB HDD is relatively small if you start filling it up with content for a few games. Hence the reason they brought out the Elite. Another good move would be to move to a cheaper price point on the proprietary (sp?) HDD for the 360. If they can get a 80 GB HDD around $100, that would at least allow people to easily upgrade.

Yeesh. How much do the HHDs cost now if 80GB for $100 would be cheaper?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Yeesh. How much do the HHDs cost now if 80GB for $100 would be cheaper?

I mistyped 80 GB thinking about the new PS3 HDD. The big HDD available for the 360 is a 120 GB version that is used in the Elite machine. It runs in the $170-180 range. That is the one I meant to cite. The problem with the 360 HDD right now is that it's only manufactured by Microsoft. PS3 users can use any 2.5" HDD for their console. With the wealth of competitors, the prices are much cheaper when compared to the Xbox 360 equivalent. MS would help itself quite a bit if it could find a way to reduce the price on their HDD's

[Pumpy Tudors]

I was under the impression that the 120GB HD was put out there so people could download movies and TV shows. I'm pretty sure that the 20GB HD is fine if you're just downloading game content. At least it's been OK for me so far. I still have over 11GB free on my drive.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I was under the impression that the 120GB HD was put out there so people could download movies and TV shows. I'm pretty sure that the 20GB HD is fine if you're just downloading game content. At least it's been OK for me so far. I still have over 11GB free on my drive.

The original discussion concerned the UT3 maps and mods. If you are UT fan and want to get your hands on a lot of the maps/mods that are going to be available on the PS3 and PC, it's going to take up some space. It won't fill your drive by any means, but it all adds up if you're a gamer that is interested in a lot of different games.

Also, the lack of a HDD on all 360 consoles is hindering the developers somewhat. They have to design for the lowest common denominator.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Just leaked that the PSP 2000 will be released on September 10th and will have a list price of $169.99.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Just leaked that the PSP 2000 will be released on September 10th and will have a list price of $169.99.

Just leaked? You've been able to preorder it on Amazon for awhile now.

EIther it in black or 2 different kits. Saw the details at CAG, don't remember them off the top of my head.

Edit to add: I'll be keeping a close eye on this one, as I'm definitely interested. The only reason I haven't pre-ordered yet is that I'd much rather have the silver one (it looks really pretty) but that's only available on Amazon in a kit with Daxter (which I already own) and some Family Guy UMD (which I'm not interested in). Also at amazon you can pre-order the black one and I think a white one with Darth Vader on it and probably some SW game. I guess at this point I'm probably not going to pre-order but if the improvements to the loading time and the button feeling are as good as people are saying, I'll be picking it up (probably trading in my original PSP).


/tk

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Also, the lack of a HDD on all 360 consoles is hindering the developers somewhat. They have to design for the lowest common denominator.

I dunno - I'd strongly suspect there's a much higher percentage of 360's with hard drives out there than without. If the Core system is a small percentage of the overall 360 install base, then publishers won't feel a huge need to ensure their game will run on the Core. And Microsoft won't really mind either - it provides more incentive for Core buyers to break down and buy a HD (sold at a profit by MS).

[Pumpy Tudors]

Just out of curiosity, does anybody reading this thread personally know anyone who has a Core 360? Anybody?