@THUGWOMAN332 @Oloryn Oh, that's right...this article is potential troll bait, I should have known better than to try and conduct civilized discussions in the comment section of a console war debate...I'll claim fault in that, my bad...though with a name like "THUGWOMAN" I can't think of too many things you CAN read, so maybe I should cut you some slack. Trolls aren't known for their comprehension skills. Here, lemme help with the big words you don't understand. http://thesaurus.com/
TL;DR - You are what's wrong with the internet, and it's cute when you trollfail. :)
Nailed it again, Danny, videos like these are why I keep coming back here. I feel honored to have you represent me as a "hardcore" gamer, even if I wouldn't usually label myself as such...though what I love is that you distinguish the "hardcore" from the "softcore". I have no problems with casual games myself, I own several, but I love that you put the shooters and sports games in the softcore category...I'm the type who doesn't thrive on those types of games, but prefer experimenting with ALL genres. I don't sit in front of my TV cranking out match after match of CoD, but instead prefer delving hours into Dark Souls, surviving The Last of Us, adventuring in Ni No Kuni or Journey...I play games just as much as the shooter-crews, but I also follow sites and blogs, I pick apart pre-order lists for my next experience, and have been tired of being labeled as a gamer who isn't "serious" because I don't play my games down the barrel of a gun. With that all said, you are EXACTLY right, WE are the ones who have the keys to this upcoming battle, and I applaud you for reiterating the fact that if we speak with our wallets, they have to listen, that we don't just have to sit back and take what they give us. I have no plans to get an Xbox ONE, NOT because of blind fanboyism, but because Microsoft doesn't seem to know who I am anymore...and to be blunt, Sony seems to. I'm not hoping the XB1 fails, more power to those that will genuinely enjoy it, I'm just not interested.
...if I seem a lil' impassioned, it's because you're damn good at this, keep it up!
I agree with much of this, it's an interesting topic and I respect his opinions of the individual games...yet I can't help but feel like the jab at Skyward Sword was merely an unwarranted attempt to defend his personal view of the game, especially when he could have just as easily pointed out the upcoming pseudo-sequel to A Link the the Past or the Wind Waker HD re-release, or Ocarina of Time for the 3DS if the topic of nostalgia and Zelda were the focus. Skyward Sword, in my opinion, was phenomenal, finally doing more to create a context where we should care about why Link is a Hero or Zelda is important, or why he would care to save her and the world...and I feel it deviated enough from the rest while staying true to what a Zelda game is. This isn't a topic of nostalgia for me, but a topic of consumer expectations. Would I love a Zelda game that departed greatly from the previous ones? Maybe...if done right. If it still felt like the Legend of Zelda. Are people going to buy it? Hard to say, since the general opinion is often "When I buy Zelda, I want Zelda," a fair opinion, despite the countless barrages by media outlets (or Tom, anyway) that when we buy Zelda, we want something else, or something perhaps too different by an unrealistic margin.
Personally, I would have enjoyed it even if it weren't just a Zelda game. Having played it, it's one of the few Zelda games in recent memory that actually isn't as nostalgic as the rest. Link is not a hero of legend...Zelda is not a princess of Hyrule and Ganondorf isn't scouring in a nasty mullet trying to take it over...sure, there are monsters to kill and dungeons to crawl, but in almost ANY game, there are essentially re-skins of ideas portrayed in previous games...guys to shoot, monsters to step on. I guess my point is that in a year of Double Dragon Neon, a menagerie of Mario games, the recent news of Everquest Next, Baldur's Gate's remastering, Diabo III, etc...how is THIS, a game almost 2 years old, one of his prime examples for this article, and not clearly just a way to flex his editorial authority? I'm not speaking for everyone, and if someone didn't like the game, hey, I wouldn't argue, I don't believe in blind fanboyism, but I feel that the majority of players who played it would tend to agree that at very least, it was a high quality game, if all I had to go off of were the opinions of my friends, the vast amount of positive reviews or the amazing sales figures...I mean, comparing it to the Simpson's Arcade game? That just seems ignorant to me, and as such, makes the entire article lose credibility. I'm all for fresh IP's and attempts to create new game experiences, but to huff and puff and specifically use his often scandalously low score (compared to countless other outlets) for Skyward Sword as fuel for this otherwise really interesting topic just seems like wasted potential and self aggrandizement.
The irony is that having followed this site for years, this isn't his first time acting out this way...he must be into nostalgia after all.
@M3o5nster @Oloryn That's a fair question, honestly. I don't know...I think part of the charm comes from everything being so integrated. Nintendo games have the kind of heart not easily replicated...when other developers start getting involved, or if Nintendo made their games for other consoles, implying they need the money, then I can't help but feel some of that heart would be missing. I know it's not quite the same, but it's like asking if you'd rather see a painting painted by da Vinci that was commissioned for a patron, or painted purely out of his own mind for himself and those he thought would enjoy it most...if that makes sense.
@19James89 @Oloryn It's true...it would be nice. The Wii had some great 3rd party games, but often felt like needles in a haystack. Xenoblade and No More Heroes (before being ported) were great games that come to mind. I think a problem is that so many "hardcore" gamers aren't willing to take a risk on Nintendo without "hardcore" games, so developers aren't willing on taking those risks without those gamers to play them...classic rock and hardplace scenario. Also, the controllers scare people off as being gimmicky, but to be honest, done well, as often proven by Nintendo, they can work perfectly. Metroid Prime 3 or Skyward Sword pulled it off. Some people also pine for graphics, which is fair, though Nintendo is great at pushing their systems to look pretty amazing...and 3rd party devs aren't usually willing to try that hard. The whole scenario is tough, which is why I often buy my Nintendo consoles as perfect supplements to my primary consoles of choice, though I understand not everyone can do that.
I have a PS3 and a gaming PC, both of which I love and play often, for games hardcore or casual...to put things in perspective, one of my favorite games of all time is Dark Souls, not a Nintendo game...but I also own every Nintendo console. I buy Nintendo for Nintendo. I buy Nintendo knowing that whether it's for me, someone older or younger, whoever picks up that controller and plays a Nintendo made game is going to have fun. I was thinking about this just yesterday...if I were to plug in and play ANY of the previous Nintendo consoles and played a Nintendo game on it, I would have a blast. Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario Kart, Earthbound, A Link to the Past, Starfox 64, Pikmin, Wind Waker, Smash Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, Skyward Sword...Super Mario 64. With few exceptions, Nintendo games are almost all timeless classics, and I have no regrets sinking a couple hundred dollars into a system for the sole purpose of playing games by one developer, if that is what it often feels it equates to. I'm responsible with my money, and as such, have no problem supporting Nintendo as I can afford it. That isn't blind fanboyism. That's being a gamer open to the idea of having fun, who follows the games, and thanks a great company for great memories by investing in new ones.
@Pyrosa "Play campaigns exactly ONCE, on the hardest enjoyable level, with only as much completionist-OCD as is FUN. (Civ5 exception: Play 3-4 games per expansion.)"
Ha, this is pretty perfect...including my love of Civ5. I should never feel like I'm powering through a game just to do it, or just to complete things because of a checkbox in the top corner is telling me I'm a failure for not getting everything. It should be fun and challenging. Nailed it.
I grew up an overweight gamer, looking for anything to get my fix, including countless games that, quite frankly, were never really that great. Sure, mastering Goldeneye or Starfox 64 were great, but did I really need to power through Bubsy or Pit Fighter? I had to take a good look at my priorities and happiness, and have since lost 100lbs maintaining an active lifestyle of adventuring in real life, using the money I save on games I don't need and the junk food that goes with it to help save up for things like trips to New Zealand or a weekend away biking through mountain passes and climbing volcanoes. These make just as many great memories, are great for my self confidence and sense of real life fulfillment...but also great for when addictive games that I really do enjoy come along, like Dark Souls or Civilization, I don't feel as bad binging on what will always be my favorite pastime. Do what you love...and if you don't love it, don't do it just to do it.
Keep these coming, this was perfect! Extra points for bringing up Assassin's Creed 3...I may or may not have totally finished it to just simply finish it.
I'm excited, and cautiously optimistic. Everquest, while far beyond feeling completely dated now, delivered some amazing experiences, and is one of the very few MMOs that, as cheesy as this sounds, actually made me feel like I was going on an adventure with my friends. The massive trek from Qeynos to Freeport, in lands filled with wandering monsters (I'm looking at you, griffon), with the threat of nightfall, stopping for sanctuary in Highpass Hold to repair and reconvene...things like that, where you felt alone in the wilds of a virtual world, without the constant yells and shouts of inane number jargon "Looking for dps, 4k gearscore required" to pull me from my experience. Everquest had a sense of mystery to it, a sense of exploration and danger. Explore at your own risk, but to great reward. Like I said, it was dated, and definitely not perfect, but I miss that feeling in current MMO's, and have turned to single player games like Dark Souls for those experiences. I'm definitely interested to see if they can recapture that feeling, and looking forward to the news.
@kidflash2000 @Oloryn Agreed, not perfect (no game really will be), but definitely better, in part to the slower, long game that many of the ragers don't have the patience for, a much more enjoyable experience to me. Also why I enjoy games like PlanetSide 2.
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