It's the first "What We're NOT Playing" of 2008!
The new year brings us new games that we won't play -- and it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the quality of the games in question, but more based on our biases, quirks and wacky opinions.
In this installment, Jason Cipriano reveals his affinity for "Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law," poking fun at old man Totilo for not watching the animated TV series. Things get heated when Cipriano, Totilo and Jason Mitchell discuss 2D Sonic vs. 3D Sonic:
JasonCipriano: yeah - Sonic should have stayed 2D - even though the DS games haven’t really been that great
StephenTotilo: that's a hell of an argument, Cip
JasonCipriano: you want me to argue why Sonic should stay 2D … that's like the easiest thing ever
StephenTotilo: Cip, with the logic you’re using, I don’t expect you to win too many "Harvey Birdman" cases. You say that Sonic should have stayed 2D, but then acknowledge that recent 2D Sonic games haven’t been so hot.
StephenTotilo: So the problem with Sonic games doesn’t seem to be just because many are in 3D; there seems to be an across-the-board issue. And you say Mario had Miyamoto.
StephenTotilo: Well, Sonic had Yuji Naka, who did the early Sonic games you love and didn’t leave Sega until after some of the 3D Sonic games came out.
Oh, snap! Read on to find out where this argument goes...
[Photo Credit: Fox Photos/Getty Images]
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Here it is: the last "What We're NOT Playing" of 2007.
But don't be sad, dear reader. There's a whole new year of games ahead in 2008 that we here at MTV Multiplayer will be avoiding for reasons both completely logical and insane.
In this final end-of-the-year edition, we talk about games that we haven't played throughout the whole year. Guess which publisher took a hit from our resident Xbox 360 Achievement whore Jason Cipriano this year:
JasonCipriano: Sadly all my games come from the same publisher - this year I was not playing "God of War 2," "Heavenly Sword" and "Ratchet and Clank"
JasonCipriano: and I totally wanted to get to them all
StephenTotilo: Oh, let me now introduce our special guest for this week's installment, Phil Harrison. Take it away Phil...
TraceyJohn: Phil's not coming. Cip hurt his feelings.
StephenTotilo: Cip, I think you scared Phil off.
JasonCipriano: hey, if Phil wants to clear up my schedule, and sit me down with a couple copies of those games I'd love to go through them
Read on to find out why he avoided those hot Sony titles, why we think the PSP had a lackluster year, and why we're so afraid of clocks in our games...
[Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/ Getty Images]
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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...
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This week, it's bizarro "What We're NOT Playing."
Why? One, because today is Thursday and not Wednesday (oops!), and two, because when the Big Dog isn't around to bark orders like he usually does (heh heh), the rest of us go a little off-topic.
For instance, one of the games we're not playing is "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," which isn't on the list of new titles out this week. But our resident "Smash Bros." obsessive reminds us (or won't let us forget... ever) how the game was originally scheduled for release on December 4th:
JasonCipriano: this week I'm not playing "Wii Fit" and "Super Smash Bros. Brawl"
JasonMitchell: wtf
JasonMitchell: those games aren't even out
JasonCipriano: AH ... but this week marks what should have been the week "Smash Bros." came out
JasonCipriano: so I'm basically extremely bitter about that
JasonCipriano: and "Wii Fit" is out... and I could be playing it ... if ... ya know, I had a Japanese Wii and was able to import the game ...
TraceyJohn: Because we're obviously including Japanese versions of games in this.
JasonCipriano: you show me where the guidelines are for this
JasonMitchell: well then I'm not playing "Call of Duty 9," "Super Mario Universe," and the Atari 9 million system
Things get even more out of hand when we talk about movie-based games and books we think should be made into games. Buckle up...
[Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
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After enjoying a Thanksgiving holiday of playing tons of games, we return with a new installment of "What We're NOT Playing."
To any new readers out there, this is where we talk about new releases we're avoiding for our own particular (and idiosyncratic) reasons. This week, Totilo talks about how he won't be playing any one of the six versions of "Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008" he received, even though he likes real (fake) wrestling:
StephenTotilo: I don't enjoy fighting games in general.
StephenTotilo: But the bigger issue is that just because I like something in one medium doesn't mean I'll like it in the other
StephenTotilo: Like just because I like Star Wars doesn't mean I'll really like Star Wars games, you know?
StephenTotilo: What I like about wrestling (when it's good) are the crazy storylines and a well-choreographed match
GeraldFlannory: yeah, the stories in wrestling are a little to silly now for my taste
StephenTotilo: For storyline, I might as well watch some real (fake) wrestling rather than play along to a storyline of some fake (fake) wrestling
GeraldFlannory: ha
GeraldFlannory: you losing me there on that one
TraceyJohn: You just blew my mind, Totilo
We also gang up on "Cruis'n," Gerald for not wanting to touch "The Simpsons" game and yours truly for not caring about "Geometry Wars." Read on to find out why...
Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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So we're one day late on "What We're NOT Playing" this week.
Sorry... we've been a little busy. Not only with MTV Gamer's Week going on right now, but also with all the great games that recently came out. Games we've been waiting all year to play, like "Super Mario Galaxy," "Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles" and "Call of Duty 4."
And we could talk all day about the games that we've been itching to play (or are currently playing) -- but that's boring. Let's talk about the games we're not touching until a snowy day in January (or in Hell). This week, we send our apologies to the games we just can't get to right now, including the latest in the "Need For Speed" franchise:
TraceyJohn: I guess I won't be playing "Need for Speed ProStreet"
JasonCipriano: why not? it's supposed to re-invent the series
GeraldFlannory: i don't know about re-inventing the series, but the online additions seem pretty tight
JasonCipriano: the "Need for Speed"s really aren't too too bad
GeraldFlannory: they aren't, it just feels like every time you look, there's a new one out!
TraceyJohn: yeah, I have nothing against the "Need For Speed" franchise
TraceyJohn: but they're like "Madden" games
JasonCipriano: hahaha
See what other titles we're leaving in the plastic wrap...
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It's the holiday season.
Every game that comes out is contending to be a gift to the gamer that you love (possibly yourself).
While every title that comes out now is potentially a winner, there still has to be some losers (them's the rules). In other words, there are great games that will just have to take a backseat to the even better ones. Why? Because we can't play every game that comes out. This week, classic franchises like "Castlevania" go untouched. Totilo's reasoning? He thinks "Castlevania" is "cheesy." Get this:
StephenTotilo: I always found "Castlevania," well, to be honest... cheesy
StephenTotilo: which is weird, since I have a high tolerance for all sorts of other goofball games
StephenTotilo: The colorful gothic look, all upturned collars and purple robes, everyone acting serious while throwing exploding pumpkins in front of stained-glass windows. Cheese.
StephenTotilo: I feel like I could be playing "Metroid" side-scrollers instead and enjoying that fiction more
As if that wasn't enough, then the Jasons get into it over Sonic's superspeed (or lack thereof) in "Mario and Sonic at the Olympics":
JasonMitchell: the reason sonic was awesome was because he was fast. they took that away therefore he's not awesome anymore
JasonMitchell: if you took away all superman's powers nobody would read his comic anymore
JasonCipriano: so now you're saying i shouldn't play "Super Smash Bros. Brawl"?
JasonMitchell: now you're just being ridiculous
And oh wait, there's plenty more...
[Photo Credit: Brent Stirton/Getty Images]
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This week, in an all-new edition of "What We're NOT Playing," regulars Stephen Totilo and Jason Cipriano bow out due to excessive "work," but Jason M., Gerald and I take time to talk about some of the games we're avoiding.
There were plenty of great releases this week, so it was a tough one. But what we decided on boiled down to personal preferences. No one around here likes MMOs except for me. Why? Here's Gerald's reason:
GeraldFlannory: with no end, it feels like im running an endless marathon
GeraldFlannory: i'd like to have some closure to a long quest because, i just won't have the time to play something forever
GeraldFlannory: thats why I pretty much won't be playing mmo's
GeraldFlannory: until they have an ultimate goal that everyone has to reach to bring some closure or something
TraceyJohn: An MMO that ends?
GeraldFlannory: yeah
GeraldFlannory: i think it can be done
Photo Credit: Scott Olson/ Getty Images
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It's the time of the year when "What We're NOT Playing" winds up besmirching some of the finest games in the world.
I am sorry, "Half-Life 2: Episode Two," I just have no time to finish you.
There are just too many good games coming out. You're going on ice.
Witness below our weekly banter about the hows and whys we avoid the newest games. This is the world's only free focus-group, we think. Publishers should be thanking us.
Also included, a discussion of whether PS3 Trophies -- slated for next year's "Home" service -- can win over our resident Achievements fanatic, since Achievements are the reason he is not playing some fine, fine games:
StephenTotilo: Is your Wii also collecting dust? Or just your PS3?
JasonCipriano: both are - my love for achievements really hurts my other consoles
StephenTotilo: Do you think PS3 Home Trophies will hook you in the same way?
JasonCipriano: the hook with achievements is its a lot easier to quantify your accomplishments
JasonCipriano: i got 1000 points in that game
JasonCipriano: and i know right away you beat it
JasonCipriano: (at least by the developers standards)
StephenTotilo: So you would need each Trophy to be assigned a value. A certain amount of $onybucks
Photo Credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
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It's that time again! In the fifth edition of "What We're NOT Playing," we continue our weekly dissection of each other's tastes in games by discussing what new releases we're avoiding.
This week, Stephen Totilo returns to talk with Cip and me about our general thoughts on skateboarding games and how the "Donkey Kong" franchise could be re-vamped, among other things. Here's a sample:
StephenTotilo: I'm ok with Mario being put in every kind of game known to mankind. Because there is an essential quality of Mario-ness, if you know what I mean.
StephenTotilo: But Donkey Kong? What's the consistent characteristic there -- aside from his annoying supporting cast?
JasonCipriano: his tie?
StephenTotilo: You know how DC and Marvel occasionally just wipe out have their universe?
StephenTotilo: I think the Donkey Kong universe needs the same type of house-cleaning
Photo Credit: Stephen Shugerman/ Getty Images
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