Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to the 31st editon of Hey! Look! Listen!
Man, can you believe we’ve put out 31 of these things? I can’t. I say “we” because, shamefully, Ethos has been forced to step in at a few different times in the past. Regardless, it’s a fairly impressive feat. Let’s see if we can’t keep it up.
Introductions! My name is Oliver “Riddles” Motok, and I just got done eating some delicious Chinese food at Chef Wang’s. Silly name aside, that place is standalone proof that there is some culture in Murfreesboro. Or decent Chinese food, at least.
But I tarry. Let us proceed to the odds and ends I’ve assembled today.
New Final Fantasy XIII TV Spot
I figured I’d start today off with something exciting. This TV spot is short, uninformative, and in Japanese. However, it’s also quite pretty, and is composed of almost entirely new footage.
Shitty pop song is… shitty.
Final Fantasy XIII Is Not Perfect, According to Famitsu
Given how rarely they USED to award perfect scores, Famitsu’s gone a little overboard with the 40/40 rankings in the last few years, at least in my opinion. I think they know it too; and perhaps it’s just my suspicious little mind at work, but I almost feel like that’s the ONLY reason they awarded Final Fantasy XIII the just-short-of-perfect score of 39/40.
Three reviewers gave it a perfect 10, while one fucker just had to go against the tide and give it a 9. Here’s some of what he had to say:
“Unquestionably the highest echelon of event and movie scenes. Moreover, changing Optimas on a dime, the varied abilities and being able to use multiple magics at once bring real exhilaration to the battles. That high quality is unfortunately offset by a story that stays linear until the midway point. The lack of gimmicks during the middle of the game also worried me.”
Maybe we can chalk it up to a poor translation, but his complaint over a “lack of gimmicks” makes no sense. Neither does his comment on the “linear” storyline. Last I checked, FFXIII was a Square Enix RPG. Not sure what he was expecting.
I know it sounds like I’m angry that FFXIII wasn’t given the “prestigious” 40/40. I actually could care less, I’m just a little confused by the above paragraph. Also, I really do get the feeling that a 40/40 was purposefully avoided, for one reason or another. (Final Fantasy XIII.net).
Dead Space 2 Details Emerge from Game Informer
My life, people. My stupid subscription expires the month before the only cover story I’ve cared about all year is published. “Sigh” doesn’t even begin to describe it. But while I may not have a copy of the mag, IGN does, and they were nice enough to sum up the more relevant points of the article.
The biggest change, reportedly, will be the location. Instead of a cramped spaceship, Isaac will be navigating a massive space-station, aptly named Sprawl. A change in location is absolutely necessary; I just hope Visceral manages to create the same sense of unease that came with the Ishimura’s darkened hallways.
In other news, Isaac will, in fact, have a voice in Dead Space 2. Like, a voice that speaks lines of dialogue. ”He’s a little bit more of a veteran, and he’s going to have a voice,” executive producer Steve Papoutsis told Game Informer. “He’s going to relate through dialogue and story, and have more of a take-charge attitude this time around.”
Hm. I tentatively approve of this decision, I just hope Isaac doesn’t spend too much time talking to himself. It could work against the game’s atmosphere.
According to IGN’s paraphrasing, Visceral will be adjusting the pacing of the sequel so that players don’t feel “vulnerable throughout the entire game.” In fact, at times players will feel “superior.”
Maybe, hopefully, something was lost in translation, but that information right there is not entirely welcome to me. Correct me if I’m wrong, but a sense of hopelessness and vulnerability all but defines the survival-horror genre. When I play Dead Space, I don’t want to feel like I can take on anything; I want to feel like surefire death is around every corner. I recognize it’s a little early to get up-in-arms now, though. I’ll wait until I see more from the game.
Finally, the combat in Dead Space 2 will remain largely the same, utilizing the same system of strategic dismemberment. And as rumored, there will be an online component to the game. No details were offered, though, other than the expected – you’ll be able to strategically dismember your friends. And hey, that could be fun. (IGN).
PlayStation 3 Hardware Sales Still Unprofitable
We all know that Sony’s doing a lot better in the console race these days than they have in the past, but the question of whether or not they’re turning a profit has remained untouched until now. And sadly, the answer is still “no.”
iSupply, an electronic market research and consulting firm, recently came out with a report on Sony, their PS3, and all costs involved. And to be sure, what they have to say is largely positive. First, manufacturing costs for the PS3 have been cut down to roughly $336.27 per console, which amounts to a loss of USD $31.27 for each system sold. Now, compare those to numbers from October of 2008, when the PS3 cost $100 more, and Sony was losing $49.72 on each system sold.
“In light of these factors, the PlayStation 3 probably is already at or near the tipping point for profitability,” said Andrew Rassweiler, director and principal analyst for iSuppli. So yeah, Sony’s still losing money on the PS3. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and they’re shooting for it. (iSupply, IGN).
Arkham Asylum PS3 Sales Surpass 360 Sales
On that note, let’s have some more positive PlayStation tidings! According to the ever-watchful NPD group, the PS3 version of the AWESOME Batman: Arkham Asylum has sold about 10,000 more units than the 360 version has. Apparently the PS3 versions free DLC , which allows you to play as the Joker in challenge rooms, made all the difference. Makes sense, I suppose. I bought the PS3 version, but I never even looked at the DLC. I don’t really count, though, because I buy almost all multiplatform games for the PS3. (IGN).
Dante’s Inferno Gets Special Souped-Up PS3 Edition
Jeeze, the PlayStation 3 is just on a roll in my column today. EA has recently announced that PS3 owners will be receiving a “Divine Edition” of their upcoming action game based on the classic writings of Dante. The Divine Edition will come with developer commentaries, a Wayne Barlowe digital art book, the soundtrack to the game, and a digital copy of the complete Longfellow translation of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. And best of all, it keeps it’s $59.99 price tag intact. Yes, 360 owners, EA just told you to go fuck yourselves in the most graceful of ways. Be enraged. Oh, wait… I probably don’t have to tell you that. Anyway. Check out the FREAKIN’ SWEET boxart below. (IGN).
Seriously, this boxart makes me more excited for the game than anything else has.
Let’s End This on a Hilarious Note…
I’m guessing this video was from the late 90s, because if my memory serves me, that’s when every single parental figure in my life was trying to tell me that Pokemon was a craft of Satan himself. Lucky for them, I never really gave a shit about it anyway, but I still found their desperate attempts to make me despise it humorous. ALMOST as humorous as this video. Enjoy! (Everything is Terrible).
That’s all for now, Ladies and Gents. I enjoyed writing, as always, and I can only hope you enjoyed reading. ‘Till next time!
Tags: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dante's Inferno, Dead Space 2, Final Fantasy XIII, PlayStation 3, Pokemon, Sony
-That was the very first thing I thought of when I saw the FFXIII score! “C’mon guys let’s claw back some credibility … and then squander it on the next first party Nintendo release!”
-I’m usually the chief proponent of doing away with silent protagonists, but Dead Space, more than any other game, was perfectly suited to it, as it enhanced the loneliness of the experience … I guess it means that this time they intend to tell a story. Whether his voice is used for good or ill remains to be seen …
-Isaac already felt possessed of superhuman dexterity, I see no reason to make him feel any less vulnerable, unless they do so in order to lull players into a false sense of security. Even so, I felt that DS1 struck the perfect balance, surely tinkering around the edges can only hurt the series.
-I’m sure that liscencing is enough to ensure that Sony’s PS3 devision stays in positive territory, even despite their modest loss on PS3 sales.
I’m getting Arkham Assylum for Xmas, on PS3 of course! Also Modern Warfare 2 is also selling more on PS3 within Australia, I don’t know how it’s doing elsewhere (dial-up for the summer break means I do less online*).
That Inferno special edition was enough to ensure I’d buy it. I had been on the fence.
*Making HLLs suddenly more important.
LOL It’s not like it really matters that only PS3 owners get a copy of the Divine Comedy, what are Xbots going to do with it? Eat it?
- I’ll admit, Cokey looks a bit better in motion. Not much, but a bit (and, sadly, I found the song catchy. Sometimes, though, I like admittedly horrible music)
- Maybe the Famitsu review’s political, but really I don’t understand why people are putting so much clout on one review, regardless of how positive or negative it is. We’ll have plenty of reviews soon enough, hopefully with better translations (only 3 months until it’s released here!)
- Even if the Sony’s still losing money on every PS3, I think they really needed to get the price down to $300 before this holiday season if they wanted to start gaining back some of the ground lost to the 360. It seems like it’s worked out well for them so far, though, and like SN said, I’m sure they make the money back with licensing.
- Having not played the first Deadspace, I really don’t have any authority to comment on the DS2 story. That being said, it’s the internet, so I’ll so ahead and comment anyway. It seems like adding the voice could work if they limit him to only talking when a normal person would talk, like when interacting with other characters or screaming in horror. I think it would just be weird to have him talking to himself while he’s wandering along through a dark hallway or something like that, so hopefully they don’t go down that route. And I agree that making the player feel less vulnerable seems to go against the entire idea of the horror genre, so I’m not really sure what they’re going for here. Maybe it’ll work out well, though, who knows.
- Yeah, I hadn’t heard that the Inferno special edition was the same price as the regular edition on the 360 (I wonder how much Sony had to shell out to make that happen :F). That pretty much means if I do end up getting the game, I’m definitely picking up the PS3 version, though.
I dont know why , but when I see the guy talking nosense about pokemon and channeling spirit from the demonic world, the way he talks, the way he express his face, makes me remember dana carvey when he was in saturday night live impersonating bush father lol . while I was seeing the video I was laughing and laughing and laughing xD .
@SN – Ugh, and it wasn’t even the good Nintendo titles. Nintendogs and Super Smash? Really? The latter is fun, but not 40/40. And Galaxy, which would deserve it the most, got 38. Go figure.
And 40 bucks is modest by itself, but multiply it by millions and it’s not really too small. But I agree that it’s not really an issue in the long haul. I don’t expect another price cut any time soon, so the console will be profitable soon enough.
And MAN I almost forgot about those crazy Christians. Luckily, my Mom didn’t fall prey to that stuff, but I remember some of my friends from my Christian childhood re-spewing that crap.
That video just made me want to play Pokémon.
What’s up with the crappy FF JPop these days? FFVIII, IX, X, and X-2 had some of the best JPop ever seen in RPGs, perfectly refecting the themes of their respective games, and then Kiss me Goodbye was released and the rot seemed to set in … when I heard the Jpop song in the FFXIII trailer I couldn’t believe how bland it sounded … I just hope the other one is better … D:
Seems EA is telling 360 owners the same thing I have been for years”go fuck yourselfs”
@Noob: I agree with everything you said regarding Dead Space 2. I’ve never seen a silent protagonist fit a game’s setting so well, and I’m a little uneasy that he’s acquiring a voice for the sequel. I’m going to refrain from passing judgment until I see how it works in the final product.
I also agree that the original already had the perfect balance of vulnerability to capability. I honestly believe any tinkering at all will only hurt things, like you said.
Oh, and I’m glad I could assist in your decision making. Coincidentally, that’s what sold me as well.
And yes, Final Fantasy’s J-pop has been suffering of late. X-2’s 1000 words was the last good one, and even that was countered by the AWFUL Real Emotion.
@Darth: I’ll never quite understand why Famitsu’s word is held in such high regard, but it is, so I follow the crowd and report it as news :P
abe80: Hey! I’m a 360 owner!
And a PS3 owner and a Wii owner and a PSP owner and a DS owner…
Fanboys from any side can go fuck themselves, as far as I’m concerned. I’m all for console equality.
I’m all for console equality, but seriously Xbox owners can go fuck themselves!
@Oliver- I think the only real reason that people make a fuss about Famitsu reviews in the West is because they’re breif, which means that they’re easy to translate, which means that they’re often the first and only review that people have access to for games which are not getting a symultaneous US release.
P.S. I own an Xbox.
@riddles – I also own all of the above and would rather not own a 360…it is officially a dust collector
Mass Effect alone is enough reason to own a 360. But Lost Odyssey, and Forza 3 are more great reason. The Gears of War games are a blast too. Absolutely not a write-off system, although I will definitely admit that I’ve been playing far more PS3 lately.
@SN: There was jpop in FFVIII? Did I have a stroke and wake up unmedicated?
@Riddles: Real Emotion was a lot better in Japanese.
The song’s pretty fluffy, even for jpop, but the title’s got its heart in the right place. “Kimi ga iru kara” translates roughly to “because you are there” or “because you exist”. It’ll probably be relegated to the end credits, like with XII.
@Ethos: Mass Effect is also available on PC. Now if only NSMB were available on something other than the Wii…
Oh I’m aware it’s on the PC. But the PC doesn’t count. C’mon, you should know that.
I’ve been very equal-console-opportunity recently, splitting my gaming time between my PC (Dragon Age), PS3 (Vaklyria Chronicles, Persona 4), and 360 (Fallout) pretty evenly for the first time in recent memory (I usually prefer consoles to PC). All the consoles have plenty of compelling games for them, and with all the cross platform games I think it matters less than ever this generation which console(s) you have, which I think is great.
Except the Wii. The Wii can die in a scorpion-filled fire .
Note to self (and anybody else interested), don’t use fake HTML tags to point out when you’re kidding. It seems wordpress filters them out.
@ Andogo- Eyes on me!
@DG- Agreed about the Wii!
@SN: Well… I suppose it was composed by a Japanese guy… though it was in English and performed by an HK artist.
@Ethos: Dragon Age is so much better on PC. I think I’d set myself on fire if I had to play the entire thing on a console.
@DG: You can use LaTeX-style tags e.g. \end{sarcasm}
It’s Jpop! It’s not so much about the point of origin as it is about the style (though of course it was composed and orchestrated by Japanese musicians for a Japanese entertainment product, and used to build anticipation through it’s Japanese retail sales, and it’s presence on Japanese television and radio …). Jpop in games regularly has the original singer replaced by a western artist for the western release, that doesn’t make it any less Jpop.
@Andogo: If I’m remembering correctly, the PC version of ME1 was the one to get as well (provided you waited until after both were released)
@SN: I’ve always figured the classifications of “JPop” and “JRPG” are very closely related, in that the material doesn’t actually have to come from Japan to qualify. Also, while you’re right they usually make a western version of the main FF themes, they kept “Suteki da ne” in Japanese for the western release of FFX and I think the song was better for it.
@DG: Yeah, apparently the interface was completely redone, but the entire activation thing killed it for me. But I am picking up ME2 for the PC. I have to say, there’s something about a controller that makes character control more immersive. But I’d trade that any day for mods that boost your running speed. Mass Effect had waaay too many long corridors.
@SN: Well, Eyes on me actually resembles Faye Wong’s other songs more than any jpop song I know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRoA4EtNedQ
Suteki da ne I think was a special case, because it was meant to add a folk/ryukyuan flavour to the game, which is why they got rikki to do it and not some up-and-coming jpop singer. I suppose they might have been able to hire some hawaiian singer and have the lyrics redone, but that would have seemed disingenuine. But I don’t think any video game publishing company would ever pass up the chance to completely localize a game, songs included, because otherwise you’ll get people who’ll go online to whine about how no one speaks English in America. And depending on how slow a news day it is, it might get turned into a media shitstorm. And I don’t think there are otaku fanboys on CNN.
@DG- Yeah that’s why Magnacarta 1&2 and their vocal themes have been referred to as JRPGs and Jpop respectively, and then of course there’s Black Sigil which is referred to as a faux JRPG by those who know what they’re talking about, and a JRPG by those who don’t know any better. Bottom line is that JPop is a genre, not a regional designation. Eyes on Me is JPOP.
@Andogo: I actually heard an English rendition of Suteki da ne this past Saturday, and the lyrics made no sense (but that’s really true of pretty much any song that’s translated into English. Heck, and 1/2 the songs that are written in English). I think the solution is CNN needs to hire more otaku fanboys. They make everything better!
It looks like we can forget about SE crappy Jpop because according to Wiki at least one of them is being replaced by crappy licensed Wpop … D: #LAZY LAZY LAZY FUCKING SE