So, I bought it today and spent so much time playing it and now the frustrations are telling me to sell this game. Definitely not true 1:1 tennis gameplay. I play actual tennis and so my expectations were pretty high for this one since the hype of Wii-Motion Plus. I did get Tiger woods (Wii Motion) and that was cool. I hope Wii's Virtua Tennis is not like this.
Check out my review below for Grand Slam on the Wii
http://www.gamespot.com/wii/sports/grandslamtennis/player_review.html?id=663815
MICROSOFT
Grade: B
Highlights: Beatles RockBand, Tony Hawk Ride, Modern Warfare 2, Mass Effect 2, Forza 3, Metal Gear Solid Rising, Project Natal
So Microsoft starts off E3 with guns blazing with a nice stage design and some nifty demos - a few of which are Microsoft-exclusive games. Compared to last year, Microsoft has minimized the stat boasting and instead went straight into the meat of their upcoming products. Out of the obvious highlights listed above, two particular games caught my attention: Forza 3 and Tony Hawk Ride.
Forza 3 demonstrated car rolling as part of the Forza's new damage system - something the gamers have been asking for. High speed crashes can look spectacular now at high speeds instead of a pretty bad dent on your bumper. The developer also pointed out how much they nurture their Forza crazy community. Remember painting your own car in Forza 2? Well, imagine people building a business out of it painting virtual cars for the XBox community. The footage alone of these virtual painters giving their testimony eluded me.
As for Tony Hawk Ride, I was never into skating games but this one took the cake with its unique full-size skateboard controller. It took the Wii Fit concept further. I'm pretty curious as to how it would feel controlling the game with it. The footage they had of people playing the game looked impressive since the board demonstrated a wide range of control.
It's a refreshing take from what they did last year but then again, anything at this point is better than the bar that was lowered from 2008's E3. While these highlights were notable, they don't even come close to Microsoft's trump card.
Project Natal - Microsoft's new motion control toy.
You've heard the rumors of a camera detecting depth and motion and now it's here. Even though they were just concept demos but it was obvious what kinds of possibilities could come from this technology. The demos displayed impressive body tracking by doing a virtual version of body racketball and bucket painting. Then there's the Milo Demo.
Very impressive stuff.
Now that Nintendo has carved a new market with motion control games, Microsoft wants to blow it wide open and take away all the limits from motion control. Despite the revolution it could make, it kind of scares me. If this technology is as accurate as the concepts and demos, people will never go out anymore. They had even had Steven Spielberg jump on the new technology.
Crazy stuff. They're really trying to get the 360 to be the machine that allows people to experience a range of everything when it finally comes to market. The only question now is: How much is all this going to cost? What about the cost of game development? I guess this is all burning questions for 2010's E3.
NINTENDO
Grade: C+
Highlights: New Super Mario Bro for Wii, FF Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Wii Vitality Sensor, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M
Nintendo has always known to keep things simple and it shows on their stage design. It starts off with the usual montage of casual gamer photos and ending with the words "The Game in Everyone". It definitely set the tone for what was to come. Shortly, Nintendo's Sales/Marketing Vice President Cammie Dunaway comes out and starts talking stats, numbers and "Everyone's Game" but shows up with a nice surprise - New Super Mario Bros for Wii.
On the outside, it looks like a 4-player port from one of the DS' best selling titles. While it doesn't hold any candle to any of Microsoft's flashy demos had yesterday, it looked fun. Bill Trinnen from Treehouse then took the stage and began describing some of the games new features as it was being played on the stage. Too bad it was brief.
They started going into the Wii Balance Board and began boasting its sales. Funny thing is, I'm one of those 15 million that bought it and probably most of the 15 million that has also collected dust which I can confirm 10 people including myself. My gamer friends are mostly in I agreement. We'd rather snowboard or workout in real-life. They introduce Wii Fit Plus but it appears to be a small upgrade from its previous game. They also went into Wii Sport Resort which isn't too much a surprise but at least they treated us to some more brief footage of gameplay with the latest being a skydiving demo. As the Mii pulled the chute and landed into the resort island, Trinnen played an archery and 3-point basketball game. Looks very simple and plays as simple as it looks and I can see it selling tons of copies.
Nintendo claims that they have sold more 3rd party games for both their systems than any other system currently on sale. What they didn't tell you is how much of those 3rd party games sucked and how many unknowing casual gamers have bought it. See my previous gamespot post.
Now on to the DS platform. While we've heard about Bowser's Inside Story and Kindom Hearts which I have alot of interest in but Nintendo threw a small curve ball - Golden Sun DS. Cool.
Immediately after that Nintendo went downhill with James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion. *Ahem*. A couple of my girlfriends have heard of James Patterson and they also happen to be DS owners. I mentioned this game after hearing about it and even one of them was a reader of his books but isn't interested in getting the game. It gets even worse with ****Savvy - another hideous game all gamers should avoid. It boggles me why Nintendo would choose to announce these games in their conference when they could've just kept it at the floor. Any DS that carries either game deserves to be stepped on.
They then began talking about the Wii Vitality Sensor. Great. Sounds fun but where are the killer apps to demonstrate its potential? I can see some ideas around it but I'm curious over how it can be used but only from a fitness perspective.
Despite that, there was some good news. The announcement of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Based on the footage, the graphics looked great. I'm hoping that they will extend the gameplay on it. They showed a bit of Darkside Chronicles and Dead Space but you really can't see much under a few seconds.
Nintendo then ended it off with Metroid: Other M. The footage displayed the game as a impressive looking 3D side scroller or a game in 3rd person perspective. The nice CGI didn't hurt either. Even more interesting is that they joined up with Team Ninja - the developers behind Ninja Gaiden. The clip definitely showed Samus looking more agile and looks alot more fast-paced compared to its previous games.
Despite the lower grade, I think Nintendo is in good shape.
SONY
Grade: B
Highlights: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Final Fantasy XIV, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for the PSP
The Sony press conference for E3 2009 is set to prepare gamers for the return of a juggernaut. Sony's had a tough 2008, but things are looking alot better with all of these high-profile impending releases. This is Sony's year to make the most expensive console on the market profitable. With God of War III, Heavy Rain, Batman Arkham Asylum, Modern Warfare 2 and MAG on the horizon, this year's E3 press conference promises to give gamers a reason to pick up a PS3. As usual, Sony wows gamers with their stage designs and CGI. They want their PS3 and PSP (and PSP go) to lead the other big 2.
After watching the Nintendo conference, seeing PS3 graphics seems unfair. The sheer number of games both exclusive and cross platform is mind numbing. Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, Dragon Age, and Singstar Queen for the PS3 are just a few I'm looking forward to. There are quite a few kid friendly games mingles with God of War, and Modern Warfare. Yet, PSP is getting a makeover for younger audience with a Hannah Montana bundle. Why Sony? Why? I know you guys want to show versatility, but does it have to be on the E3 press conference? Why not a simple mention?
Following Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian is in progress. The main character is a boy with his very own bizarre dragon-like creature with feathers. It looks like a four legged bald eagle with a hyena head. However, a close look tells me that the scene is generated on the fly through PS3 hardware. Very impressive. So far Uncharted 2 and Last Guardian rank in the top 2 in E3 impressions scale.
Sony then demonstrates their new Playstation motion controller. It's a combination of two sticks and a camera. Their live technology demo wasn't too impressive after watching Project Natal. The concept product just seems like a higher fidelity version of the Wii Motion Plus. The motion controls demonstrated the use of flashlights, rackets, swords, and golf clubs. First person mode allowed guns, and whips. You'll be able to draw, write, and spray paint. Nintendo can already do this now.
At the end, Sony concluded press conference with a live demo of God of War 3. While it does not look as visually stunning as Uncharted 2 but that will be overseen by gamers through it's over-the-top violence on a mythically massive scale.
I'm sure most of you guys reading this were hoping that Sony would make a PS3 price break.
CONCLUSION
This year's E3 seemed at first to be a tad short in games that made us go, "Oh WOW". There are quite a number games that were first demoed a year ago at past conferences such as the GDC or TGS. In fact, some games that were announced last year at E3 didn't make an appearance at all this year. Overall, the new titles at first didn't excite me as much but that is to expected from just limited footage of gameplay. However, just from the footage alone, some new titles impressedme at this year's show. Keep in mind that last year's E3 Business Summit made things rough around the edges for these developers but these games were mostly shown under very controlled circumstances with the developer handling the live demo in nearly all cases.
Here are some notables that ended up in my wish list. It is in order of my own personal ranking just based on footage alone:
1. Uncharted 2
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Assassins Creed 2
4. God Of War 3
5. Modern Warfare 2
6.Metroid: Other M
7. Tony Hawk Ride
8.Final Fantasy XIII
9. New Super Mario Bros Wii
10.The Beatles: Rock Band
I've been a devout follower of Nintendo's products since the NES but their current library for their leading system is saturated with generic casual games that are appealing to their new base of customers - The casual gamer. They know their current library sucks but they are making tons of money out of it. With the Wii shortage becoming a thing of the past, the Wii continues to sell more units and more games than the 360 and PS3. While this maybe great for Nintendo's bottom line, nobody knows how long this will last. Nintendo understands that consistent buying power comes from the core gamer and getting casual gamers to transition into the core crowd of gaming isn't easy.
THE WII DEMOGRAPHIC (Based on my personal experiences with many Wii owners)
1. Parents who don't want their kids to play games but find the Wii acceptable since it requires movement.
2. People who are not accustomed to gaming or have never played games and want to try something new.
3. The core gamer - owners of Nintendo's older products.
Nintendo knows that a majority of their sofrware is going to become shovelware and casual game studios are milking this current wave of customers at the expense of the Wii's reputation as a real gaming console. Prior to this week's release of Punch Out, the last notable release was MadWorld. Between those releases about 20 casual games debuted. Half of those games used words like "Crayola", "Hannah Montana", and "Diva Girls". Just visit Gamespot's New Releases section and click previous weeks to get a feel.
I believe that veteran game developers have contemplated on taking advantage of Nintendo's newly discovered market but wanted to build relationships with their new gamers and not quick cash-ins. It's strange. In an earlier E3, I remember watching a video of developers become enamored by Nintendo's bold direction with the Wii to go cheaper and creative. Red Steel was one of Wii's first handful of games that debuted and it seemed to have set the tone for other releases. I think developers wanting to create much deeper experiences on the Wii felt limited and not comfortable with Nintendo's newly discovered market of gamers. So developers took a familiar route. Despite Nintendo's case for cost-effective game development, third party publishers and developers are still continuing to have lasting success on the other two consoles...even with games having high-production costs. More or less, you are seeing studios go multi-platform for PS3/360 and find themselves at a fork on the road - Create something entirely different for the Wii...or do nothing and I'm sure this scares Nintendo. As more core gamers continue to collect dust on their Wii's, Nintendo began tapping the game developer community on what the issue was.
YOUR CONTROLS SUCK
As casual game developers continue to swindle the money out of groups #1 and #2 of the Wii demographic list, EA and other reputable studios have complained about the lack of fidelity and inaccuracies of the Wiimote and this does not only come from developers but Wii owners as well.
Well, Nintendo has answered - somewhat.
WII MOTION PLUS - THEIR LAST RESORT?
We all know what the Wii Motion Plus can do. We know about its wonderful new sensors and gyroscopes but what will happen to Nintendo's casual market when it is released?
Will people embrace paying $20 for each Wiimote they own? 4 players = $100!
Will studios develop exclusively for these devices or will they just accomodate them?
What about the Wii Fit Balance board?
Why couldn't they have made the Wiimote more accurate to begin with?
These are burning questions I hope Nintendo has contemplated as they try to figure out what to do with this new market. This will affect Wii owners and the quality of games they can expect to see in the near future.
You may disagree but it's tough being a Wii owner right now. I have walked into many GameStops and in each of these stores I have met families who have built quite a library of shovelware. You can't blame them. Just look at the shelf holding all the Wii games. Count how many of them you'd actually buy. I'm willing to bet you'd still have enough fingers left over after you're done. Many parents who own these consoles play with their kids but find that their gaming experiences are very shallow. I've offered many recommendations to many parents and casual gamers new to gaming. I've armed them with the sites and the magazines to look for. Not only have they became grateful for my advice but they have befriended me as well. Their new experiences with better games has helped improved their knowledge and their choices in games in general.
There is a whole market of gamers outside of those visiting this site and it's huge. But it remains to be seen on how Nintendo will work this new market and keep its core gamers invigorated. I'm hoping that Nintendo will be successful in getting everyone on board Wii MotionPlus. It's tricky since Nintendo is doing the chicken and egg at the same time. Developers want to see how many gamers embrace the new attachment but the gamers will be looking for the games that use it...which there won't be many to begin with. I'm hoping that Red Steel 2 will be the first of many games that begin this trend since it is developed exclusively for WiiMotion.
E3 2009 - NINTENDO'S CHANCE
The longer it takes to get everyone on board the more fragmented their market will become. But if there is one opportunity where Nintendo can restore confidence in Wii owners, it's E3. This would be the best time to announce big projects that will get Wii owners excited and tolerant in buying a peripheral that should've been included since the beginning.
Nintendo can always flex the muscles of its most famous franchises but the real test comes from third party developers such as Capcom, Konami, etc. Hearing them talk about how great it would be to develop for WiiMotion would be nice buta demo of the next groundbreaking game in progress that tells me the commitment is there and you won't see me putting my Wii on Ebay.
In retrospect, Nintendo's gamble for the Wii paid off. They probably could've included 1:1 motion in their Wiimotes but (like all companies) they wanted to minimize as much risk as possible if somehow the Wii just didn't work out. Now that their experiment has proven successful, I'm just hoping that they are not resting on their laurels and riding this wave of record profits. This new market still has room for those other two more companies so Nintendo must stay on their toes.
I really do hope that Nintendo is keen enough not to alienate and test the patience of their core gamers. Appealing to wide audiences is acceptable but I hope they don't get too comfortable being the first to do so. Here's to Nintendo's success.
Subject: "Review emblem update"
Hello prolific writers! I have some interesting news worth sharing. - You are receiving this private message because you still have the user review emblem for the top 100 or 500 reviewers. Thank you for keeping your user reviews in good shape over the past year.
- The purpose of the top 1,000 reviewers emblem was changed to a Grandfathered critic. The scoop can be found in this week's weekly report. To get there, go to the community tab or forums directory and click the spam filter logo. - I contacted the inactive reviewers dating from December 2007 or earlier about their 100 or 500 emblem being removed. These users were given 2 weeks to play a game to write a review about it. If the users were still actively logging into the site they received the grandfathered critic review. - There has been talk about some future updates to the users review at the GS Headquarters. Because it's only under discussion, I'll have to wait for more solid information before I can PM everyone on the emblem review list!
- In case you haven't been noticing the weekly report, I've been pulling users from the best writers on the site; that's you! Don't be surprised if you write a user review and there is a mention about it. Please note that I am more likely going to link to the review if it's about a recent release, older game or if it's a not so popular game. Furthermore, if there are many people reviewing a high profile game, it is more likely that I'll feature an under the radar game in the weekly report.
- Do you have any friends that write awesomtastic user reviews? Stop by the Site Enhancements thread to let us know! http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=26677406
Thanks for reading and contributing!
-JodyR
This is sweet! I still remember seeing groups in gamespot doing reviews...I think they're still around. Those guys would write excellent reviews. It's really nice to see gamespot actively comb through accounts. I remember taking way too much pride on the "top 100 reviewers" badge until I started coming across way more users who attained that badge to the point where the value of that badge went down. Either way, I'm glad I get to keep it. But even if I didn't have it, I'd still like to write thorough reviews and hopefully others will find it interesting as well as informative.
I'm going to write a review now. =)
...review the RIGHT game and KNOW YOUR BASIC FACTS!
So basically, I've been browsing around the player reviews of several games and usually I don't mind people leaving garbage comments about my favorite games. Fine. I totally understand that. People are totally entitled to their own opinions....especially when it comes to the internet.
HOWEVER, what I see happening is people writing reviews on the WRONG game (and to a lesser extent) writing untrue statements as fact.
Examples:
Seriously! That's just lazy, stupid or both.
Games include:
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/radcastro
Resistance 2 and Skies of Arcadia Legends.
I'm hoping that the After-Thanksgiving shopping day will help me net some new games on sale.
Some of which are:
Tons of games already. Nuts.
Resistance 2 and Skies of Arcadia Legends.
I'm hoping that the After-Thanksgiving shopping day will help me net some new games on sale.
Some of which are:
Tons of games already. Nuts.
Let me know what you guys think.
I really enjoy this game alot. We all know it's nothing new but my friends and I were having a blast playing it during the baby shower!
Good stuff.
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