Musings of a Gamer XXII
1. Nintendo Direct - E3 in January
Last week, Nintendo confirmed what we have long
suspected: E3 is rubbish and mid-January Wednesdays are where it’s at. In the
latest Nintendo Direct, Iwata-san gave us an unseasonal helping of announcements,
though little news of the immediate kind. The first half of 2013 is short on
Wii U releases, lacking the first party games that have traditionally been so
vital to the success of Nintendo consoles. Iwata must have apologised half a
dozen times for the “launch window” slim pickings, and the overall message was
clear: we have plenty to offer, but almost none of it is ready yet, sorry.
The Wonderful 101 offered some near-immediate gratification
for Wii U owners, so long as you don’t mind that grating style of voice acting.
Platinum had very little to show of Bayonetta 2, other than leather trouser
textures, which makes you wonder when exactly it’s going to be ready. There was
very noncommittal talk about a new Zelda, which will arrive at some point this
gen, and the reveal for Wind Waker HD caused the Nintendo part of the internet to get very excited indeed. Virtual Console is coming to your tablet, and to the
surprise of absolutely no one, there will eventually be a new Super of the
Marios and also go-karting on the U. Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei are to
join forces for a new project, and Monolith Soft (Xenoblade Chronicles,
Xenosaga) is working on another game beginning with the letter X, which looked
rather impressive.
There was definitely a hint of panic to this most recent Nintendo
Direct, as if it had only just dawned on Iwata and co. that they had no games in
the present, and needed to sell the Wii U on future promise by making the kind
of announcements that would normally be reserved for E3. Still, I'd rather see proactive
panic than a damaging nonchalance - I'm looking at you Sony.
2. The End of THQ
Having filed for bankruptcy and forced to shed the vast
majority of its assets, THQ is no more, and now serves as another
unfortunate example of the widespread demise of the mid-sized developer. THQ
made some quality games over the years - my favourites include the PS1/PS2 era
WWE titles and the Red Faction series - but they went too long without a smash
hit, somewhat of a disaster when you are trying to compete with the EAs and
Activisions of the world. The majority of THQ's big franchises and studios were
snapped up at auction a few days ago, and the remainder will most likely be
absorbed into other studios in the coming weeks. However, I was sad to see that Red Faction went unclaimed and will most likely expire with the THQ brand. While the Martian Revolution may have come to an end, I’ll be interested to see how THQ’s other former
franchises evolve in their new homes.
3. Rising Space
I don't tend to play demos anymore. I prefer to spend my
time on full games and don't like the idea of having to play through a twenty
minute section of gameplay twice, should I purchase the full version. I know
what I like, and will have decided well in advance of the demo whether or not
I'll consider buying into the full experience. Despite my aversion to demos and
the annoyance of PSN's painfully slow download speeds, I was eager to try last
week's Metal Gear Rising and Dead Space 3 samples.
I have mixed feeling towards Platinum Games. I didn’t
like Bayonetta, though I can appreciate why other people enjoyed it, and Vanquish
was silly fun, but I cannot understand why the press have latched onto Platinum
as the saviours of Japanese development. However, Metal Gear is Metal Gear, and
Rising was pre-ordered long before I touched the demo. The teaser was short and
stylish, and Platinum has succeeded in putting its stamp on the MG universe,
while preserving some familiar elements from Kojima's franchise. That being
said, the demo bored me senseless and brought back unpleasant memories of
Bayonetta button spamming. Blade Mode was gimmicky, unsatisfying and destroyed
the flow of battle, yet my pre-order remains. Metal Gear is Metal Gear, and I
know it's what Big Boss would've wanted.
The other half of my three hour demo download was Dead
Space 3. I really enjoyed the first game in the series, but thought the sequel
was too much of the same and ran at least two hours too long. Dead
Space 3 is not a game that I'm anticipating, and the demo did little to change that.
It still does the same things really well - great atmosphere, perfect sense of
weight, interesting weaponry - but I'm in no rush for more Dead Space, even
with Phil Collins.
4. Japan's Best Sellers 2012
The numbers are in! There are few surprises in Famitsu’s
list of 2012's 100 best-selling games in Japan (as translated over at NeoGAF).
Eight of the top ten titles are for Nintendo systems - six for the 3DS, one for
the DS and another for the Wii. The lone DS title, Pokémon Black/White 2, took
the top spot, shifting 2.79 million copies and proving that the Japanese love
of pocket monsters and portable devices is unaffected by aging hardware. Animal
Crossing New Leaf (2.28m) and New Super Mario Bros. 2 (1.78m), both on the 3DS,
are the only other million sellers. Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland
3D (3DS) took fourth place, followed by One Piece: Pirate Warriors (PS3), Mario
Kart 7(3DS) and then, most depressing of all, Resident Evil 6 (PS3). Monster
Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS), Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) and Dragon Quest X (Wii)
round out a top ten which further highlights the preference for portables in Japan,
specifically of the Nintendo variety.
Outside of the top ten, Dragon's Dogma did well for
Capcom, being the highest charting new IP at number 13, moving just under half
a million units. In at number 25, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is the
highest ranked title developed by a Western studio (Slant Six Games), closely followed
by Black Ops 2 at number 31. Persona 4 Golden was one of only two Vita titles
in the top 100, Hatsune Miku: project Diva F being the other, selling just over
229,000, good for number 42 on the list. Halo 4 is the best-selling 360 game of
2012, but at only 39,000 copies it wasn't even close to breaking into the top
100 - the hundredth best-selling game of 2012 moved 102,000 units.
5. The Persona 4 Golden Halftime Report
Three weeks into Persona 4 Golden, and I think I might just be
in love. I'm twenty hours in and progressing at a snail’s pace, but this is by
far the best game I've played on my Vita and could end up being one of my all-time
favourite portable experiences. I usually struggle to put long hours into handheld titles,
as I find it too convenient to drop in and out and float between different games, and it doesn’t help that I often get pins and needles in my hands if I play for
more than 30-45 minutes at a time. Still, Persona 4 is so good that I have all
but abandoned my PS3 over the last fortnight, which is the highest of
compliments in a house where home consoles rule supreme.
I love the colourful visuals and have really warmed to
the characters, even bloody Chie. Although at times the humour can be a little
too Japanese-Variety-TV (poking fun at fat people, homosexuality etc.) I have
been laughing out loud in places. I'm finally starting to figure out the ins
and outs of Persona fusion and I think Social Links are a great growth
mechanic, especially when it is so easy to invest in the blossoming
relationships between very likable characters. My only complaint is that
levelling-up through combat is a bit of a drag, thanks to uninteresting dungeons
and the simple fact that managing your social life is so much more interesting and
rewarding. Otherwise, I've fallen head over heels for P4G and am glad that I
finally gave this series the time of day.
I just started playing Persona 4 and really like it. I feel the same as you about the the dungeons. I kind of put if off until I have to do it. Spending way too much time on my social links. I tend to be under powered because of it. Love the game though.
ReplyDeleteSkipped both the Metal Gear and Dead Space demos. I have both pre-ordered. I love Dead Space but am a little worried about the co-op and micro transactions. Also worried about Metal Gear. Pretty much only buying because it's Metal Gear even though I am not a fan of Platinum. I don't understand all the love they get. One of the most over rated developers on my opinion. Their games just aren't that good.
Sucks that so many people at THQ lost their jobs but I just don't think their games were very good. Wish them the best though.
Those dungeons are so repetitive and don't really fit with the overall visual style of the game. I don't mind visiting them the once, to save whoever is trapped, but I have little motivation for a return visit.
DeleteWe agree on Platinum. They make some interesting games, but I can't understand the fuss. Perhaps a lot of the attention they receive comes from the resumes of the lead designers, which include some of Capcom's best games.
Cheers