I bought Beyond Good and Evil at EB a few days ago because it was so cheap, and I have come to the conclusion that it is a good game for the price. $50 dollars is a little steep for a game of this scope, but I believe that $20 dollars is more appropriate for this game. Do you think that hype received by a game in the video game media can justify a high price?
I know that I heard all sorts of good things about BG&E in magazines and on the net, but from what I've actually played the price I paid seems to suit the game. I don't want to imply that all of the work that went into the game somehow isn't good enough to justify the price, but I think there is a glut of these "good games" out on the market, and none really shine above the rest. More games like this come to mind (Mario Sunshine and Soul Calibur 2) that seem to put the shiny package on the old concept. Don't get me wrong. I love these games, and own many of them, but I don't think that some of them deserve the credit they receive.
This is one of the many reasons I love to buy used games. I think the game is much better when I pay half as much as I would buying it new. The same day I purchased BG&E I bought 3 used games and I have to say that for the price they are magnificent.
Monday, January 19, 2004
Saturday, January 10, 2004
I've got a lot lately I've been considering, maybe this will get some stuff going.
1) I've been wondering how much of an impact peripherals are having on the console market. Gimmicky controllers have always been part of consoles, and lately there's been a rush to use peripherals like headsets (SOCOM, Rainbow Six 3), cameras (eyetoy), dance pads (DDR games). I have always thought the light gun was a good controller, but I think the demand for games like this has dwindled.
I wasn't necessary to have, but I recently bought an EyeToy for my PS2 the last trip I took to Best Buy. I've had a lot of fun playing with it, but what lies in the future? I don't have a need to send pictures to anyone that I can't already take care of on my PC, and the games, while fun, aren't exactly of the deepest gameplay.
Which brings me to another query that I have made to myself...
2) What about the "mini-game"?
Lots of games lately have got me wondering about how complicated games are lately. I have been playing Wario Ware on the GBA for over 9 months now and I still don't tire of it. I've noticed that the mini-game portions of role-playing titles on many systems have become a major selling point (at least that what I've concluded from the fact publishers use space on the back of titles to advertise the fact). Finally there has been a addition lately of the "Classic" versions of newer games included as hidden features (i.e. Metroid Prime including NES Metroid, SpyHunter on Xbox including the classic arcade edition, and, one of my personal favorites, Animal Crossing including a myriad of old NES titles as unlockable features).
Don't get me wrong, I like the inclusion of the classics. What brought this about? Nostalgia of older gamers? I thought this might be the case. Maybe companies are trying to include these features to make an extra buck or two on players that haven't experienced the games before. This is also a possibility.
I would like to think of this phenomenon as a throwback to when the games were only about high-scores and not about completion. A running joke I hear from friends sometimes concerns an Ultima title on NES. The way the game ends is somewhat anti-climactic saying "Congratulations, you have completed Ultima" or something to that effect. I like the replay factor that only a high score or timed run provide in games. The mini-game system provides this feeling of accomplishment to me.
Another idea I have always wanted to persue was finding out the preferences of buyers when it comes to used v. new and old v. new. I like to think of myself as a collector and archiver of games and look at used games (in good condition) as a benefit, where others look at them as a curse on humanity. I kind of want to know what others think about these sorts of things.
1) I've been wondering how much of an impact peripherals are having on the console market. Gimmicky controllers have always been part of consoles, and lately there's been a rush to use peripherals like headsets (SOCOM, Rainbow Six 3), cameras (eyetoy), dance pads (DDR games). I have always thought the light gun was a good controller, but I think the demand for games like this has dwindled.
I wasn't necessary to have, but I recently bought an EyeToy for my PS2 the last trip I took to Best Buy. I've had a lot of fun playing with it, but what lies in the future? I don't have a need to send pictures to anyone that I can't already take care of on my PC, and the games, while fun, aren't exactly of the deepest gameplay.
Which brings me to another query that I have made to myself...
2) What about the "mini-game"?
Lots of games lately have got me wondering about how complicated games are lately. I have been playing Wario Ware on the GBA for over 9 months now and I still don't tire of it. I've noticed that the mini-game portions of role-playing titles on many systems have become a major selling point (at least that what I've concluded from the fact publishers use space on the back of titles to advertise the fact). Finally there has been a addition lately of the "Classic" versions of newer games included as hidden features (i.e. Metroid Prime including NES Metroid, SpyHunter on Xbox including the classic arcade edition, and, one of my personal favorites, Animal Crossing including a myriad of old NES titles as unlockable features).
Don't get me wrong, I like the inclusion of the classics. What brought this about? Nostalgia of older gamers? I thought this might be the case. Maybe companies are trying to include these features to make an extra buck or two on players that haven't experienced the games before. This is also a possibility.
I would like to think of this phenomenon as a throwback to when the games were only about high-scores and not about completion. A running joke I hear from friends sometimes concerns an Ultima title on NES. The way the game ends is somewhat anti-climactic saying "Congratulations, you have completed Ultima" or something to that effect. I like the replay factor that only a high score or timed run provide in games. The mini-game system provides this feeling of accomplishment to me.
Another idea I have always wanted to persue was finding out the preferences of buyers when it comes to used v. new and old v. new. I like to think of myself as a collector and archiver of games and look at used games (in good condition) as a benefit, where others look at them as a curse on humanity. I kind of want to know what others think about these sorts of things.
I put up my e-mail address, maybe that will help get me some results. I really think I could make a pretty good forum about some gaming ideas. I'm mostly interested in what people think about news lately like Half-Life 2 and the CES. I'm also thinking I may post some reviews of some of the games I own.
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