When we cooked up the What We're NOT Playing concept here at Multiplayer, we knew we would be administering some strong, sometimes bitter medicine.
But, really, we're doing this as a service. We want the big gaming companies to understand why the little people sometimes aren't moved to play their games.
Or, in the case of today's entry, we want to tell The Man why at least one of us plays the interactive virtual fish tanks they offer us.
This week's entry, recorded in what historians will refer to as the pre-"Braid" era of Xbox Live Arcade, also includes kvetching about the state of Microsoft's XBLA downloadable games service.
To wit:
GeraldFlannory: Why oh why do they keep releasing crap original XBL games?
JasonCipriano: It's hard for devs to make games w. the restrictions that MS puts on the games
JasonCipriano: That seems like something she might like
GeraldFlannory: Devs didn't seem to have problems with 8-bit and 16-bit games!!!
JasonMitchell: Zing
GeraldFlannory: Hell, even DS and Game Boy games
TraceyJohn: "Arkadian Warriors"? Haven't played that yet
GeraldFlannory: And they use far less memory
GeraldFlannory: And power
JasonMitchell: Yeah, son!
JasonCipriano: That's cuz they are small already - it seems like current devs are trying to incorporate too many elements of modern day games into their downloads and they are forgetting about how games can be great and not advanced
GeraldFlannory: Agreed!
More of that invaluable, free focus-grouping (or is it just whining?) follows the break. Find out what we're NOT playing...
Photo Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
JasonMitchell: Hey everybody it's that time of the week when we talk about what we're NOT playing waka-waka.
JasonMitchell: So Tracey what game are you not playing this week?
GeraldFlannory: bort bort bort
GeraldFlannory: I don't think I'll be playing much
JasonMitchell: Yeah I'm still catching up
JasonCipriano: You guys are so far behind
GeraldFlannory: Aren't there like the usual licensed crap dropping this week?
JasonCipriano: Last week.
GeraldFlannory: The stench is still fresh in my head.
JasonCipriano: this is the week of the PS3 catch-up
TraceyJohn: "UT3"
TraceyJohn: "Orange Box"
GeraldFlannory: Ahhh "UT3"
TraceyJohn: "BlackSite: Area 51"
JasonCipriano: "Orange Box," "Area 51"
GeraldFlannory: The multiplatform attack
JasonMitchell: PS3 isn't catching up. The game industry is catching up with PS3... It's got cell processors and s--t.
GeraldFlannory: Well if I ain't touch them on the old box, I sure as hell ain't messing with them on PS3.
GeraldFlannory: Oh that's right, I don't have one
GeraldFlannory: I guess I win
JasonCipriano: Do ya really?
JasonMitchell: Whats the last game you played on your PS3
TraceyJohn: I'm guessing "Everyday Shooter"
JasonCipriano: Me? "Aquatopia" actually
JasonCipriano: HA
JasonCipriano: No one was expecting that
JasonMitchell: What the f--- is "Aquatopia"?
"For $2 you can basically turn your PS3 into a fish tank via the PlayStation Eye." |
GeraldFlannory: Yeah Cip, explain.
JasonMitchell: Oh really what is that?
JasonCipriano: For $2 you can basically turn your PS3 into a fish tank via the PlayStation Eye.
GeraldFlannory: Oh snap
JasonCipriano : Amazing, no?
GeraldFlannory: I bet your cats love that
JasonCipriano: Make that an interactive fishtank, actually
JasonCipriano: They were kinda intrigued
JasonMitchell: Don't you mean for $602 dollars you can do that?
GeraldFlannory: Can you feed them?
JasonMitchell: That is a bargain
TraceyJohn: That's such a great use for a $500 machine
JasonCipriano: Yeah you can actually
GeraldFlannory: Do they die as well?
JasonCipriano: Doubtful
JasonCipriano: In all seriousness - I will at some point play "Ratchet and Clank" - I just don't have it yet
JasonMitchell: So you just proved G right. The last thing you played is a screen saver
TraceyJohn: The real question is, will the PSN come out with a Yule Log for the holidays?
JasonCipriano: They said "Aquatopia" is the first interactive deally they released
JasonCipriano: So there's going to be others
GeraldFlannory: Anybody playing the new games that dropped on XBL?
GeraldFlannory: "Arkadian Warriors" or "Gripshift"?
JasonCipriano: I would totally pick up the fire one for a couple bucks
JasonMitchell: Aren't all games interactive?
JasonCipriano: It's a non-game
JasonMitchell: So next gen gaming is all about non-games. FUN!
GeraldFlannory: Graphics so advanced you don't have to play the game!
JasonCipriano: No - next gen is about HD
JasonCipriano: I now have HD fish
GeraldFlannory: That's right
GeraldFlannory: HD is better than real life definition! Hell, HD is better than your actual eyes!
JasonMitchell: I wish my eyes were HD
"HD is better than real life definition! Hell, HD is better than your actual eyes!" |
JasonCipriano: from the PlayStation blog:
JasonCipriano: Have you ever wanted an aquarium but didn’t want the hassle of cleaning the tank? Well show off the awesome power of your HD display with Aquatopia. Now, using your PS3 combined with the PSEye, you can have a virtual tank with both salt and freshwater fish. It’s virtual, so mix and match all you want. Remember when they said don’t tap on the glass? Well, feel free to with this tank. The action your PSEye captures will interact with the fish. You can even feed them by dabbing your hands in the top of the water. Get it from the PS Store for $1.99
JasonCipriano:
GeraldFlannory: Cip got a 600 dollar fish tank! Ha!!!!
GeraldFlannory: 2 bucks well spent!
JasonCipriano: Most fish tanks run a few hundred dollars
JasonCipriano: Esp ones the size of a 40in tv
GeraldFlannory: Anyone seen that "Arkadian Warriors" for XBL?
JasonMitchell: No what's that G
JasonMitchell: Please tell us
GeraldFlannory: Why oh why do they keep releasing crap original XBL games?
JasonCipriano: It's hard for devs to make games w. the restrictions that MS puts on the games
JasonCipriano: That seems like something she might like
GeraldFlannory: Devs didn't seem to have problems with 8-bit and 16-bit games!!!
JasonMitchell: Zing
GeraldFlannory: Hell, even DS and Game Boy games
TraceyJohn: "Arkadian Warriors"? Haven't played that yet
GeraldFlannory: And they use far less memory
GeraldFlannory: And power
JasonMitchell: Yeah, son!
"That's cuz they are small already - it seems like current devs are trying to incorporate too many elements of modern day games into their downloads and they are forgetting about how games can be great and not advanced!" |
JasonCipriano: That's cuz they are small already - it seems like current devs are trying to incorporate too many elements of modern day games into their downloads and they are forgetting about how games can be great and not advanced
GeraldFlannory: Agreed!
JasonCipriano: What was the last Game Boy game that look amazing in HD?
GeraldFlannory: So I'm not playing XBL games till the make something worth while
GeraldFlannory: HD ain't nothing if the game is wack!
TraceyJohn: What do you think about when they update the graphics, like in "Double Dragon"?
JasonCipriano: At the same time - I cant stop playing "Puzzle Quest"
TraceyJohn: I was gonna say
JasonCipriano: I'm so close to reassembling Sartek
TraceyJohn: I love "Puzzle Quest," and I have the XBLA version
GeraldFlannory: I'm not including titles that are remakes of orginal games
JasonCipriano: "Double Dragon" was a bit of a mistake - they should have left that alone
GeraldFlannory: because they already have solid gameplay
JasonCipriano: The Sega games are doing it right - just smoothing the graphics for HD
JasonMitchell: But you can play it with original graphics too
JasonCipriano: "Double Dragon" re-did them entirely
GeraldFlannory: I'm directing my hate towards the original titles on XBL
JasonCipriano: Yeah - that's not the default though
GeraldFlannory: When they first announced Live Arcade will be getting original titles
GeraldFlannory: I thought kats would drop some worthwhile games
JasonCipriano: there's "Cloning Clyde"
GeraldFlannory: So far the only title that are worth the money are remakes of classic joints
GeraldFlannory: "Cloning Clyde" was a decent start
JasonCipriano: There's a decent handful of original titles
GeraldFlannory: But I can't name anything since
JasonCipriano: You love "Boom Boom Rocket"
JasonMitchell: What about "Geometry Wars"?
GeraldFlannory: I'll give you that as well
JasonMitchell: Or the one I like more: "Mutant Storm"?
GeraldFlannory: But that's like 2 games
GeraldFlannory: Since the service launched
JasonCipriano: "Pac-Man CE" - the download of the year
JasonMitchell: That was amazing
GeraldFlannory: Again, "Pac-Man" is based off already solid gameplay from previous "Pac-Man" games
JasonCipriano: NO
JasonCipriano: It's so much better
GeraldFlannory: Yeah, but the foundation was already established
JasonCipriano: ....
GeraldFlannory: So it's more of a true sequel
GeraldFlannory: than completely new title from the ground up
GeraldFlannory: like "Cloning Clyde"
GeraldFlannory: compare that to many crap games like "Arkadian" are coming out
JasonMitchell: They should just start making some really good fun 2D side scrollers
GeraldFlannory: I agree
GeraldFlannory: Take back for a change
JasonMitchell: Like the Super Nintendo days all over again
TraceyJohn: I'm not playing "Showtime Championship Boxing". Because I practically had a hernia playing "Wii Sports" boxing.
GeraldFlannory: Other than that
GeraldFlannory: There's not much I can think of this week
JasonCipriano: I'm pretty sure this is dying a long slow death
GeraldFlannory: I won't be messing with
JasonCipriano: In summation -
JasonCipriano: Gerald - not playing "Arkadian Warriors"
JasonCipriano: Tracey - not playing "Showtime Boxing"
JasonCipriano: Mitch?
JasonCipriano: Cip?
JasonCipriano: Oh wait
JasonMitchell: Not playing "Unreal 3" because I don't have a PS3 and it's not enough to make me buy one
JasonMitchell: and I don't usually play PC games
JasonCipriano: and I won't be playing "Gripshift" ... mainly because I didn't enjoy the PSP one at all
JasonCipriano: So why would the XBLA version be any better?
JasonCipriano: And that should pretty much bring an end to this
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