The Video Game Thread

[distance]

i've had rock band for like six months, i've played it quite a bit.  i played it a bunch this afternoon and i've been coming to the realization that i don't really enjoy it that much.  i will definitely say that the amount of fun is directly proportional to the number of people playing (the game is not fun in single player mode), but these are my issues with it:
 
 a) the rock band equiment that it comes with is garbage, but i'm sure basically all the reviews have said that.  poorly made and the stuff breaks easily and frequently.
 
 b) i don't like the layout of the drum set.  not that i'm great at drums, but i feel like i could do better if my arms and the other pads weren't necessarily in the way at times.  it doesn't feel 'natural' and everything is kind of crammed together.
 
 c) the drums are really fucking loud.  if you're going to play and hear over the drums, you have to crank the volume.
 
 d) i don't like the difficulty level.  i have played GH games quite a bit and they are harder.  i don't have a problem with RB being easier, but it gets to the point where the songs are mind-numbingly boring (not just because of the notes to be hit, but some of the song choices are really questionable and they just suck, IMO.  i don't mind playing songs i dont like i they're fun to play in the game).   even on hard/expert, a lot of the stuff is really easy, but then all the sudden you hit one of the one or two songs that are just ridiculously hard.  i don't know if it's just that my style of playing isn't suited to some songs, etc.
 
 e) i don't like that you have no choice but to play the same songs over and over and over again.  it seems like no matter what, when the songs are randomly picked for you (either from a random setlist or the ones that pop up that you're forced to play as individual songs), you end up playing the same tired songs (in bloom, that garbage song, that ok go song, etc) over and over and over again.
 
 i have higher hopes for GH4, but i hope that they don't make it "artificially difficult" like they did GH3, where the arbitrarily added in extra notes to be played just to make songs harder.  i'm most of the way through both hard and expert in GH3, but there are songs i just can't beat.... like raining blood.  my fingers just do not do what the game requires me to do to pass certain parts.  i think it's a bit ridiculous to go from being able to relatively easily 5star the song on medium to failing like 30% in on hard when you've already beaten every other song on hard mode (without too much of a problem).
 
 the drum set for GH4 looks a bit nicer (and sturdier) from what i've seen, but i still don't 100% like the way it's set up.. but i suck at drums anyway, so i'm sure i'll just be doing guitar/bass anyway.
 
 the DLC is nice for rock band, but i feel like the stuff is coming out pretty slowly and it's relatively limited, though i have to say i am interested in playing some songs from dolittle when i get around to downloading them.
 
 DLC for gh3 was absolute shit.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by distance:
  i will definitely say that the amount of fun is directly proportional to the number of people playing (the game is not fun in single player mode

This part is absolutely true.  I haven't played the solo version in months, and have much more fun when people are rotating instruments and the singer chooses the song they wish to sing.  Makes for a lot of variety.
 
 And I agree with much of what you said.  My thoughts:
 
 I am totally in the minority here, but I prefer the RB Strat to the GH3 Les Paul.  I actually use the solo notes and prefer the feel of the strat to the Les Paul.  Mine is also still as responsive as it was the day I bought it, which I hear is rare.
 
 On the drums and quality, we have broken a drum pedal and I couldn't recommend the steel drum pedal plate any more than I already do.  It just feels better as a drummer and it's stronger.  My one concern about that GHWT drums is that the bass pedal is not attached to any corssbar.  I see that sliding across the floor and falling over.  Otherwise, I think the GHWT drums will be an improvement.
 
 The drums are a little loud (supposedly GHWT is going to fix that) however, we play in surround sound and it is always cranked up.  It is funny when the drummer fucks up and the rest of the band gets screwed up though.
 
 I don't mind the difficulty. We treat it as a party game, not a challenge so it's fun more than anything else.  In tour mode we have run up against huge jumps between levels, so I wish that was more evened out.  What I do like about RB that I think you were saying with GH3 is the fact that RB tries hard to make it still feel like you're playing the song on a guitar (the progressions, the notes all make a little sense) unlike GH3.  I stopped playing Gh3 when I couldn't play a song in the game that I could nail in real life.  You were spot on when you called it "artificially difficult."
 
 I agree with the repitition of songs, which is why I was warning the wii folks about the lack of DL content (we're over 100 songs now).  It will get boring fast without new content (not to mention the SigOth's that don't enjoy it as much as you do will really start to bitch).  However, I have no problem with three new songs a week (even if they suck) as long as there is one new album a month that doesn't suck.  Boston, The Cars and The Pixies were GREAT choices.  
 
 I've also really enjoyed the game more after I took on the drums with a mission.  It did get boring after a while when all I did was play guitar and all venerable did was play drums.  After I decided to practice the drums and he decided to take on the guitar, I think we both enjoy the game much more when we switch back and forth.

[proudestmonkey22]

nice

[walkonby]

ps3 is going through what ps1 went through.  almost as if the past is the present into future.  nintendo and genesis were battling it out while i was still in high school while playstation sat quiet and waited.  waited to take over the world.  
 
 playstation gurus now got greedy and were sure they would win again, but people changed and playstation said a big screw you to the customer with the original ps3 price tag, and wii took everyone by storm.  now ps3 is gaining the most ground in consoles.  metal gear solid 4 will go down as the best game ever made, i'm sure.  and when bioshock comes over and then ff13 is rolled out, and then finally the xbox360 fades into the--everybody has online multiplay now--sunset (video game magazines barely cover the the xbox system anymore), playstation will once again rule.
 
 hell, super fanboys are already saying that the mario creator's invention of the wii fit is spelling the downfall of videogames in this country, like it is doing in japan.

[distance]

FF13? please.  it's been over 10 years since a good FF game came out.

[walkonby]

Originally posted by distance:
  FF13? please.  it's been over 10 years since a good FF game came out.

ffxi was indeed a stinker (rouge galaxy was a better game), but xii was back on track.  i see the next evolution of the series to be the final integration of a living epic, graphic fictional novel.  you may be correct about it all, though.  when one even says the final fantasy name anymore, it almost seems like "yawn, next."  overexposure finally?  like the last few seasons of the cosby show when the brat raven come on.

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by walkonby:
 
 hell, super fanboys are already saying that the mario creator's invention of the wii fit is spelling the downfall of videogames in this country, like it is doing in japan.

Why?
 
 The people buying wii fit aren't your typical video game buyer. They are looking for something that provides a casual entertainment experience vs spending hours playing the latest First Person Shooter or Grand Theft Auto.  
 
 As it while Wii HW sales are soaring Wii SW sales are lagging because many of those buying Wiis stick to only playing Wii Sports included with the console.  The video game industry needs to figure out how to create games which appeal to the casual  player.

[paul3mac]

My wife and I received a Wii and Rock Band [pre order] as wedding gifts a few weeks ago.  It's true the Wii version of Rock Band isn't as good as XBox because of the lack of downloadable content/creation of characters/etc., but it's still the same basic game and we have a lot of fun playing it.  Would rather have the XBox version, but only have a Wii, so it suffices.
 
 Boom Blox is just ok... to me at least.
 
 Has anyone played Wario Ware: Smooth Moves?  Looks like it could be a fun multiplayer game.

[kosmo vinyl]

i was super geeked about rock band on the wii, but in the end realized that i just don't have the friends interested in coming over and jammin' out on it. definitely did not need another guitar controller laying around and have zero interest in the singing part.  so the announcement of the new guitar hero drums was timely and i may buy into that instead.
 
 right now it's lego indiana jones for me and i dig it...

[K8teebug]

I just played Rock Band this weekend, and I thought the guitar sucked, compared to Guitar Hero.  
 
 I am also still the champion Guitar Hero player among everyone I know...

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Rock Band and Guitar Hero are for posers. The true fans of music-based video games play:
 
   <img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513az-FZKkL._SS400_.jpg" alt=" - " />

[kosmo vinyl]

Is anyone using their PS3 to primarily watch Blu-Ray movies?  I was considering getting a Blu-ray player in the near future but it would appear that the PS3 is the best bet going at the moment.  Also, is worth spending the extra money for PS2 compatibility.
 
 I should of course hold off on Blu-ray until Lord of the Rings arrives, maybe by then the price of players will have come down a bit.

[Got Haggis?]

i have both a 360 and PS3 (and wii).  I pretty much only use the PS3 to watch Blu-Ray movies.  I use the 360 to play games...and the Wii has become a paper weight.

[chaz]

Originally posted by kosmo:
  Is anyone using their PS3 to primarily watch Blu-Ray movies?  I was considering getting a Blu-ray player in the near future but it would appear that the PS3 is the best bet going at the moment.  Also, is worth spending the extra money for PS2 compatibility.
 
 I should of course hold off on Blu-ray until Lord of the Rings arrives, maybe by then the price of players will have come down a bit.

I'm pretty sure the PS3 will only send bitstream of new hi res audio codecs, so if your reciever can not internally decode the formats you can't take advantage of them  In the case that you're reciever can't decode you'll need a player with 5.1 analog outs.
 
 If audio is important to you (and believe me if it is you'll love the new codecs when done well they sound amazing)and your reciever can't do this i'd pass on the PS3 as a BR player.  That aside, it is by all accounts a really good player for the $$, esp. considering it doubles as a gaming console.

[vansmack]

I wouldn't buy a blu-ray player at all, but that's a topic for a different thread.