Red Steel 2 Blames You For Low SalesPosted by Mitch on August 16th, 2010

One thing you hear over and over again is that the Wii is a waggle-laden fad, and real gamers prefer the precise input of a analog controller to wild arm flailing. Nobody ever considered that we might be at fault instead of the controller, though. At least, this is what Ubisoft Creative Director Jason VandenBerghe claims, saying that the testing phase of Red Steel 2 resulted in “absolute random chaos.” Testers couldn’t figure out how to use the Wii Motion Plus properly, and often resorted to uncoordinated thrashing in order to get the job done. One thing the Ubisoft team behind Red Steel 2 realized is that motion controls were boundless in their potential, limited only by the player utilizing the controllers.

Another factor that contributed to Red Steel 2′s lackluster performance is something VandenBerghe dubbed “audience willingness”, or the motivation to actually get up and move around when playing video games. VandenBerghe claims that no more than “20 percent” of people are going to get up off the couch and move, something that he thinks hindered Red Steel 2′s marketing appeal. Once motion control supplants analog as the main source of input for video games, “audience willingness” will go up, and games like Red Steel 2 will be better received.

Right now I’m wondering what you guys think about Mr. VandenBerghe’s statements. A lot of it seems to place the impetus on gamers to pick up the subtle nuances of game mechanics, something the developers should be attempting to do through in-game tutorials. While VandenBerghe did mention that the design team solved this problem during testing, it seemed to be too little too late. Though Red Steel 2 had decent reviews, it just hasn’t sold that well, barely passing 270,000 copies worldwide. Are we as gamers at fault for the game’s poor performance, or does it lie with the developers and the publishers to ensure that a fun experience is had by all regardless of whether or not they “understand” the controls? Tell us what you think!

Source: Edge

A Theory I Must Test To Keep My SanityPosted by Eddy on August 11th, 2010

Huh.

Sometimes you crazy lot of gamers surprise me. This happens in all kinds of ways. But nothing could prepare me for the Pokemon fest that happened in the top 10 bestsellers of 2010 thread the other day. I honestly had no idea that we had any Pokemon lovers in our ranks besides Mitch. Now I have to know if it’s more widespread or not.

Let’s find out.

I would like to make it known that I have nothing against Pokemon or its many (apparently) millions of adoring and crazed fans. I’m sure I would have loved it if I played it when I was 8, too. Did you see what I just did there? How I just burned all the Pokemon lovers? Get back at me by winning this thing.

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Review: Super Mario Galaxy 2Posted by Eddy on August 10th, 2010

Many of you may remember our Call of Duty: World at War review, which was written by a friend (and GS user) named Sean. Sean has stepped up to the plate again and offered to write us a guest review for Super Mario Galaxy 2! Enjoy!

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After Super Mario 64 came out, to me the Super Mario series has never had the same fun-factor as it did with that groundbreaking and stunning game. From Paper Mario to Sunshine, nothing really could compare in the level complexity and 3D world fun. Well, out came a new line of Mario games titled “Galaxy” with motion control and a new spin on the Mario 64 levels. After Super Mario Galaxy, we are given a whole new experience with Super Mario Galaxy 2, but what exactly does this game have to offer?

Here you are, it’s the 100 year festival in the mushroom kingdom, starbits are raining from the sky, Toads are everywhere, disaster has struck and King Bowser has stolen the princess from the castle and taken her deep into space! As the hero, Mario, it is up to you to take off after your beloved Peach and battle to the center of the universe to rescue your princess! Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That’s because it’s pretty much the exact same opening as it was in the first installment, Super Mario Galaxy.

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Current Top 10 Selling Games of 2010Posted by Eddy on August 10th, 2010

Maybe you haven’t noticed yet, but 2010 is almost over. Yes, for serious. While in most gaming years this might not be anything to take special note of, Modern Warfare 2′s release in 2009 ensured that we’ve had the kind of gaming we’ve always dreamed of, spread out over this current trip around the sun. I honestly can’t remember the last time we’ve had this many great titles to play before September, and maybe there’s never been another year like it.

Because there’s lots to play, there’s clearly a lot of people purchasing games. Yahoo has just released a list of the top 10 selling games of 2010 so far, and you might actually be surprised by a few of the results. Or maybe you are awesome, and you totally will predict everything on the list.

Anyway, feel free to hit the jump to see the full list of best sellers. Because I’m nice like that.

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Metroid: Other M Goes to the MoviesPosted by Mitch on July 30th, 2010

Nintendo and Team Ninja’s collaborative efforts on Metroid: Other M are coming to fruition at the end of August, and the game is going to be a bit different than what fans of the series are used to. Typically, Metroid games play up the feeling of loneliness and desolation on hostile alien worlds, but this time around Samus is going to be a lot more vocal and she’ll have a few characters backing her up. Because the game is focusing more on character interactions, Other M will feature almost two hours of cut scenes. Since you’ll probably spend most of your time looking for hidden items and blasting creepy bad guys, Team Ninja is doing you a service by giving you the option to watch Other M’s video segments strung together in a sort of “theater mode” once you’ve finished your playthrough.

A very nice gesture on the developer’s part, but I can’t help but feel that they’ve missed what makes Metroid the unique series that it is, outside of the whole being-hit-so-hard-your-items-fall-off gameplay mechanic. Metroid isn’t about long winded cut-scenes or being told hold Samus feels. Part of her mystery is that you don’t know anything about her, her motivations or what goes on inside her head. She’s a bounty hunter and a warrior. Do people want to know more about Samus? I might be alone in this, but I like Metroid when it’s dark and enigmatic, not when it’s beating you over the head with narrative. What about you guys? Are you down for some cinematic action, or are you a bit wary?

Source: Kotaku

Great Moments In Video Game Music: The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past – Hyrule Overworld ThemePosted by Anthony on July 25th, 2010

It occurred to me that I had not yet posted any songs from the Legend of Zelda series on here yet, an oversight I am about to correct. A Link to the Past was and is my favorite Zelda game. I’ve played it dozens of times and I know where everything in that game is at this point, but no matter how often I play, this stirring theme always gets my juices flowing. Just hearing it now tempts me to rush to my Wii and download it via Virtual Console. Do you feel the same?

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite Summer Gaming Memories?Posted by Eddy on June 29th, 2010

It’s the middle of the summer, just after E3, which of course means that video game news has largely slowed to a halt again. Things will pick up after a few weeks, I’m sure, but until then, expect lots of editorials and questions about your lives as awesome gamers.

As many of you are no doubt on summer break, I wanted to talk a little about summer gaming. When I was younger, I remember several days in the summer months where I would just get up and play the NES or Sega Genesis all day long, walking to Blockbuster to rent games and then promptly dispatching them as soon as I got home. It was a glorious schedule, and one I long for again. I think my favorite summer gaming memory, though, comes from the summer of 1997, when Star Fox 64 came out. I remember walking to the GamePower, a local video game shop, trading in several video games and then running back home with a copy of the game in my hand. I then beat the game in one sitting, and my brother and I played multiplayer matches with our friends nearly all night.

Man, that just made me crazy nostalgic. What about you guys? What are some of your favorite summer gaming memories?

New Kid Icarus Game Will Look at “Lack of Creativity” in GamingPosted by Mitch on June 29th, 2010

There’s a new Kid Icarus game coming to the Nintendo 3DS, and most of us are understandably excited. Aside from an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Pit has sadly been absent from the gaming scene since the NES. While we’re excited to just have him back in our gaming systems, Masahiro Sakurai the game’s lead designer, is using Uprising to address what he feels is “an overriding problem with a lot of game design.” The full quote goes like this:

“I’ve found that, in the established genres, the controls are always the same. For example, in shooting games, you find first-person-shooters utilize all of the buttons on the controller and always do the same thing — the stick is for moving, triggers for shooting and they’re always trapped in this very restricted framework for gameplay. And, that’s just not creative. It feels like people are taking this empty shell and just swapping out the story and art and whatnot. This time, with Kid Icarus, we wanted to address that certain problem and not only because I think the industry deserves it, but also because it’s a more satisfying experience personally.

That’s a very interesting perspective, and I can’t blame Sakurai-san for wanting to shake up the industry a bit. On the other hand, he cites first-person-shooters as an example, one that I feel isn’t that strong. Those games use a standardized control scheme because it works, and it’s what we’ve been using for a long while. Take the Orange Box, which used a different set-up for its controls, and how awkward that felt. They weren’t that different, but the buttons for reloading and melee were swapped around, and it took a few frustrating tries to get used to.

If you’re going to innovate in this industry, are controls the best way to go about it? Do you think that this idea has some merit, or is Sakurai-san barking up the wrong tree? Is the 3DS even the right platform to attempt this on?

Source: VG247

Great Moments In Video Game Music: Kid Icarus – Underworld ThemePosted by Anthony on June 26th, 2010

Well, in honor of the awesome news we received at E3 about Kid Icarus returning after a 20 year break, I downloaded the original NES game on Virtual Console. After receiving a few ass-whippings, which I attribute to 20 years or so of rust, I realize another reason I always loved this game: the music.

Specifically, the music of the first level, of which I am becoming way too familiar with as I try to remember how the hell to play this game. So here’s a taste, hope you enjoy. I personally can’t wait to hear a modern version of this when it releases on the 3DS!

Do You 3D?Posted by Eddy on June 17th, 2010

One of the big topics of E3 and around the gaming industry in general right now is bringing 3D to the gaming experience. It seems like everywhere you turn, there’s news of another game getting 3D support, or more demonstrations like Crysis 2 or Killzone 3 that are putting a big emphasis on adding that mystery dimension to the way you play.

Personally, while I don’t care if game companies start going after this, I don’t want to see a future where gamers are forced to have 3D TV’s in order to play what they want to play. Imagine having to buy several pairs of 3D glasses for everyone that wants to play multiplayer on your couch or watch a movie. In fact, EA boss John Riccitello says that 3D games could cost more than current gen games.

However, it doesn’t really matter what I think. What matters is the big honchos. So what do they think? Well, even though Nintendo mocks 3D glasses with their new 3DS promotions, they haven’t ruled out making the next Nintendo console 3D compatible. At Sony’s press conference, they pushed it as the next big thing. And Microsoft? They’re not sure it’s the future.

So, now that you know where all of them stand, it’s time to hear from you guys. Do you want 3D gaming? Go!

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