The Official "Console War" and Video Game Thread

[ehenyo]

360 owners - with the update yesterday, PLEASE do yourself a favor: If you don't already have it for the original Xbox, GO BUY Psychonauts!!!!!!

Or for PC --- they've been a BigLots for about $4-$6.

Regarding the Blu-Ray discs, it took me about 3+ months to get them. Definately, a LOOOOONG time. Look for the URL that you can use to check the status of your order.

[Skullface]

Or for PC --- they've been a BigLots for about $4-$6.

Forgot about the PC version, as well as the PS2 version.

Either way, if you have a system you can play this classic on, pick it up!

[wolf-manj]

there are a few ps one games id d/l if they had em. Depending on costs of course. I never did get to play the Persona games.

Does anyone know if Nintendo has any plans to sell the zappers by themselves? I might like to get one for a second player but i dont need two copies of the link game.

[Skullface]

there are a few ps one games id d/l if they had em. Depending on costs of course. I never did get to play the Persona games.

Does anyone know if Nintendo has any plans to sell the zappers by themselves? I might like to get one for a second player but i dont need two copies of the link game.

Yeah - the PS1 selection on the PSN in the US is TERRIBLE. Japan has a MUCH better selection. Don't know what SONY US's problem is with the quality game rollout...... Guessing that it's got something to do with 3rd party support maybe? SOTN is *I think* the ONLY 3rd party PS1 game up for d/l on the PSN......

I dunno about the Zapper thing - I think Nintendo is firm on the Zapper's $20 price point, with Crossbow training as a FREE pack-in. Maybe eventually the pack-in will get dropped or replaced by something else. I'm sure you could always sell the extra game on ebay or trade it in somewhere.......

[markatisu]

I dunno about the Zapper thing - I think Nintendo is firm on the Zapper's $20 price point, with Crossbow training as a FREE pack-in. Maybe eventually the pack-in will get dropped or replaced by something else. I'm sure you could always sell the extra game on ebay or trade it in somewhere.......

Yeah I think like the Wii itself it will always be packaged with it, its only $19.99 so I would buy it and offload the game on ebay for $5-8. Even if it were to sell by itself at retail it would never go cheaper than $14.99 anyway (see the Classic Controller).

[PJMania]

SOTN is *I think* the ONLY 3rd party PS1 game up for d/l on the PSN......

If there's one classic game they needed to release, it was that. That is by far my favorite PS1 game, and one of my favorite video games of all time.

If only we could get MGS1 (maybe when 4 comes out)

But i agree, the current selection is god awful.

[GeologyMule]

Kudos to me, I finally broke 10K on my xbox gamerscore...w00t

[PanMan]

I just picked up Wii Play for 49.99 CDN, which is $5 more than the controller itself. Some of the games look fun for multiplayer but others look like garbage (Pose Mii?). Oh well, for 5 bucks it was a good deal (regular was 59.99 CDN).

[markatisu]

I just picked up Wii Play for 49.99 CDN, which is $5 more than the controller itself. Some of the games look fun for multiplayer but others look like garbage (Pose Mii?). Oh well, for 5 bucks it was a good deal (regular was 59.99 CDN).

Actually Pose Mii is the hardest game in the bunch and quite a bit of fun when you get to the higher levels

Cow Racing is great too, there were only about 2 really bad games in that entire thing (Air Hockey and Ping Pong)

Wii Play gets slammed way too hard, I would really like to see some of those games fleshed out and released with online play

[He-Lurker]

I just downloaded Beats for my PSP from the PSN store. Man, it rocks!! It's essentially a Guitar Hero/Gitaroo Man/DDR type game, but the real draw is that you can use your own mp3 files and then play them! So you can load up whatever mp3 you want to play, put it on your PSP, open Beats, select your song, and then play it. It works surprisingly well, I'd totally recommend it, especially since it's only $4.99

[wolf-manj]

for anyone who was thinking about getting Time Crisis 4 for the PS3 its on sale on amazon for 59.99 right now.

[D-Day V1]

Kudos to me, I finally broke 10K on my xbox gamerscore...w00t

And I thought finally cracking 3K was a big deal

[markatisu]

Updates to the Wii and VC today, I am sooooo getting Baseball Stars 2!

WII-KLY UPDATE: PHOTO FEATURE, GIFTING ABILITIES AND THREE CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Dec. 10, 2007

Get ready to celebrate the arrival of a bunch of fun new features on the Wii™ Shop Channel. This week marks the debut of the first Pokémon® game for the Virtual Console: Pokémon Snap™, which originally was a hit on Nintendo® 64. This Pokémon photographic adventure comes with a special Wii bonus: It now includes a special feature that allows players to post pictures they take in the game to their Wii Message Board and send them to friends with whom they've traded Friends Codes.

And let's not ignore the other sure-to-please titles: Ghosts'n Goblins and BASEBALL STARS 2. These three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. But wait – there's more!

Later in the day on Monday, Nintendo will make your holiday shopping just a little bit easier. If some people on your gift list have visions of classic video games dancing in their heads, you're in luck. Starting this week, Wii Shop Channel patrons can use a new Gifting feature to send games to other Wii owners with whom they've traded Friend Codes. It's an easy and inexpensive way to give your fellow Nintendo buffs the gift of a classic game—no wrapping paper required. And don't worry about duplication. If your friend already has the game you're trying to give, you'll get a simple message and be bumped back into the catalog to continue shopping.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Pokémon Snap (Nintendo 64, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): As one of the most unique games in a renowned series, Pokémon Snap was the first truly 3-D Pokémon game and introduced the phenomenon to the Nintendo 64. Travel to Pokémon Island and meet Professor Oak to begin a safari, taking the best possible photographs of 63 different Pokémon as they exist in the wild, undisturbed by humans. This is not as easy as it sounds—the island has many types of climates and environments to explore, along with secret activities and hidden passages to discover. Plus, some of the Pokémon can be a little shy and won't pose for the camera unless you tease them with special items. After you're done, submit one picture of each Pokémon to Professor Oak, and he'll judge it based on size, pose, technique and number of Pokémon captured.

Ghosts'n Goblins (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Animated Violence, 500 Wii Points): Ghosts'n Goblins was a popular arcade game before it made the leap to the NES in 1986. Like later games in the series, Ghosts'n Goblins presents quite a challenge to players brave enough to take on the role of Arthur and delve into the realm of demons and monsters to rescue the kidnapped princess. Choose your weapons wisely and take advantage of their strengths to deal with the situation at hand. Pass through the six gates that stand between you and Astaroth, and teach him a lesson in chivalry he'll never forget. Demonstrating a high level of technical prowess for a game of its era, Ghosts'n Goblins presents a unique and unforgettable universe. The stage for adventure is set. Are you up to the test?

BASEBALL STARS 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 900 Wii Points): Lace up your cleats and step onto the diamond with the pros of BASEBALL STARS 2. You'll find everything you'd expect in a classic game of baseball, but with an arcade feel and intense action that distinguish it from the pack. Pick one of six unique teams from cities around the world, then get ready for nine innings of excitement, whether you're taking on the computer in a 15-game tournament or squaring off against a friend. There are two modes of game play, so even the most inexperienced player can compete at the major-league level (with a little computer-aided fielding). Watch as the game develops through split-screen views and close-up shots worthy of any highlight film, and see if you can catch the numerous over-the-top animations of the large and detailed player models. Think you have what it takes to win the pennant?

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

[GeologyMule]

Ghost'n Goblins. That one was fun. Hard as crap and I don't think I ever beat it, but fun. I might have to get that one.

[Skullface]

Ghost'n Goblins. That one was fun. Hard as crap and I don't think I ever beat it, but fun. I might have to get that one.

I'd really like to get it, but I'm torn, as I already have the Capcom Collection for PS2 which has the arcade version included.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not destined to be able to conveniently watch movies on Blu-Ray in a nice, simple manner.

I received the 60GB PS3 that I ordered from the Warehouse Deals Amazon subsidiary last night.

The first thing I did was take it to my aunt's house to update the software/firmware for the machine, which went fine.

I then took the machine home, and hooked it up.

I popped in TMNT on Blu-Ray to test the machine out. At first the picture was kind of weird and jittery, though adjusting a few setting fixed that right up, and everything seemed good to go, or so I thought...

In the middle of watching part of the movie, the machine just shut off, with no lights on the machine lit up at all. I turned the master switch on the machine off and then back on again. The machine lit up in stand by mode, so I turned it back on, and started up the movie. Then, the machine turned off again, only a lot sooner than it did the last time.

After another round of this, I decided that I had enough, and that the machine is clearly defective. I then attempt to turn the master switch on and off again, to get the stand-by mode up and running again so that I can eject the disc. Only now it won't come on at all, and my disc is stuck in the machine. Oh boy... there's some good news.

So, then I'm trying to find a good phone number to get to a live customer service rep, which isn't going well as Amazon hides those very well in their website. So I do a search through yahoo for an Amazon.com customer service number, and finally found one posted on another website entirely.

I call it and eventually get through. After giving my info, the lady looks at my order and tells me that I need to contact the seller that I bought it from (since it wasn't bought directly from the main Amazon website). But I point out to her that I bought it from an Amazon subsidiary that directs people to Amazon customer service for problems, and that this is not just some joe-shmoe seller. Upon realizing this, she then proceeds to try and help me.

After a lot of back and forth and being put on hold for lengths of time, and after I explained to her that my disc was stuck in the machine, she tells me that she will email me instructions on how to get a prepaid label to return the item (and says that I will be able to pick between postal service and UPS... and I want UPS so that I can track it). She also says that supposedly when they receive the PS3 back, someone will somehow be able to remove the disc from the machine and send it back to me (I hope they can, and that the disc isn't damaged... if it is, then I will want a new one).

Anyway, this was all pretty late at night, so I went and checked the email this morning to see about getting this return label. Upon looking following the instructions, I find that there is no option for UPS, but only for Postal Service.

So, I call up the customer service line again, and talk to someone else who reviews the notes in my order about the problem, and I explain that I need a UPS label. She tells me that they cannot provide me with one directly since the item will be going to a different return center. But apparently I can go to a UPS store, pay for the shipping, put the receipt in the box, and they will reimburse me for it. Oh boy, this keeps getting better.

So, I'm going to try and do all this in the next few days or so. Hopefully it will all go off without a hitch, though I'm not holding my breath. I don't think I'll be buying anything from this Warehouse Deals place again.

I don't plan on trying to get another PS3 until this is resolved and the money I spent on this one is fully refunded. But now I'm stuck on what to do. I really don't want to spend more then $400 if I can avoid it, but I really don't want the 40GB model with no PS2/PS1 compatibility (and I don't care for the 80GB model since it's compatibility is reduced as well), and the 60GB models are now scarce, and are mostly being sold through the secondary market at pretty high prices. I may just suck it up and reluctantly get the 40GB model at some point, just to have a decent BD player.

But all in all this is frustrating. I guess I'm not destined to watch movies on Blu-Ray, particularly Pirates 3 (which doesn't even work with my current Samsung player).

I really just feel like smacking my head against the wall repeatedly right now. So much for the stellar reliability of the PS3.

[markatisu]

But all in all this is frustrating. I guess I'm not destined to watch movies on Blu-Ray, particularly Pirates 3 (which doesn't even work with my current Samsung player).

I really just feel like smacking my head against the wall repeatedly right now. So much for the stellar reliability of the PS3.

That sucks man, I wonder if there was an "issue" with it before you got it because I have never heard of it powering off (I would assume there is a problem on the board or the power supply). I have heard of some overheat problems but the thing has so many exhaust areas it has been tested to rarely overheat.

Since the PS3 is slot loading I dont think it contains a pinhole to force the disc out like old tray systems did.

I read online that you might want to try a pair of tweezers, the blu ray discs are very scratch resistant so you wont really damage it but you should be able to get a hold of it enough to pull it out.

Also what I would do is take their USPS label and add signature confirmation and insurance, it might cost you $5-6 overall but you will be protected if something happens to it rather than spent $20-30 (which it will cost you via UPS Ground) and then have to deal with he said she said issues at amazon.com

I also read that Samsung should be providing new firmware this weekend or next to take care of any Pirates of the Carribean At Worlds End issues, with that release Disney moved over to an upgraded Java that is similar to what was causing initial problems with FF4 ROSS and Day After Tomorrow. The issue apparently lies in the fact it worked with Samsung firmware 1.9 which the mass market never got (they went from 1.0 to 2.0, you have to call and ask them to get 1.9 on a CD) and so something in the internal "upgrade" from 1.9 to 2.0 killed the Java implementation.

[GeologyMule]

I feel your pain Dynamo. I got my second ring of fire on my 360 last night. It just dawned on me that my GH III game is still in there. hmmmmm.

I've had a really bad run of luck past year or so with Systems. Like I keep saying I take really good care of my stuff and I've now burnedup two 360's, two PSPs, and a Nintendo Wii. Nothing I really did...just hardware failure on all of them. My DS is the only thing going strong!

[Flor2099]

They just all need to stop putting useless java features on DVDs in the first place and no one will have the compatibility problem.

[markatisu]

I've had a really bad run of luck past year or so with Systems. Like I keep saying I take really good care of my stuff and I've now burnedup two 360's, two PSPs, and a Nintendo Wii. Nothing I really did...just hardware failure on all of them. My DS is the only thing going strong!

You are just a hardcore gamer

I think its the shoddy nature of the industry these days, for instance the Wii had a run of bad gpu's that overheated, the 360 has the RROD, and the PS3 can overheat. It must be easier for companies to replace them then figure out whats causing the problems.

But I don't remember problems like this in earlier generations, the only thing that comes to mind is the fact NES games got dirty or the tray lost its locking power and sometimes would not read unless you did the infamous stacking trick (put the game in and use another to keep it locked down in the tray).

Oh and before I forget, I must concur with hemanrep and once again recommend Uncharted to ANY PS3 fan, I implore you to buy this game!! It is the next evolution to the genre that Tomb Raider started and everything from the graphics to the mechanics are top notch. There is a 1.2gb demo of it on the PSN now so if anything just download that and try it for yourself.

I also rented the game Cruis'n for the Wii, supposedly according to most game review sites this thing belongs in the garbage (I think it got a 3 from IGN).

And for what it is (a quick port from the arcades Fast and the Furious) its excellent, it is what it is and I will not defend that. The graphics are a mix of really shiny PS2 alongside some basic textures for city models. But it has some pros, the game plays super fast and if you change the controls to motion (using the wiimote sideways like a wheel) and the tight control scheme its amazing. I was impressed in how I went from finishing almost dead last to being able to finish consistently in the Top 3 when I changed the control scheme (it ships having Motion Control and Loose as the default).

It should be noted that while IGN despised the game, they loved the control scheme so I can only hope that any developer who makes driving games on the Wii looks at the Cruis'n. This game was just on amazon as a daily special for $15 and I am kicking myself for not getting it.

I really hope Midway does not get deterred by low sales or really bad and negative reviews, they nailed the control scheme and with some actual effort on the graphics, an online mode, and maybe a leaderboard (not anything that would cost them an arm and a leg) they could have a superior arcade racer on their hands.

I despise games like Gran Turismo and Sega GT because I honestly suck at them, I prefer games like Mario Kart and F-Zero.

They just all need to stop putting useless java features on DVDs in the first place and no one will have the compatibility problem.

Java is the backbone of Blu-Rays interactivity, they stop using that and then all Blu Ray would be is just a really big disc with a really pretty picture compared to HD-DVD.

These hardware companies need to step up and support their machines, nobody paid $300-600 for a machine that they are told will play something only to hear later that the maker is too damn lazy to provide a update when they KNEW the platform they made the machine for is constantly changing.

Sony gets it which is why they release firmwares about 2-3 times a month, I know it sucks to have to download them but thats what happens with newer tech plain and simple.

[krosfyah]

you know my pirates 3 (regular dvd) doesn't work on my new dvd player - but it works PERFECTLY in my xbox - same with Narnia. is there something messed up with disney's dvds??

[GeologyMule]

you know my pirates 3 (regular dvd) doesn't work on my new dvd player - but it works PERFECTLY in my xbox - same with Narnia. is there something messed up with disney's dvds??

I got my parents a new dvd player about a year ago. It was a cheap one, about 35 bucks, but a brand new one. The thing sucks. They don't watch dvds, I mainly got it for when the grandkids come over they can watch a few dvds my brother keeps there for them, and when I come over to visit I bring a movie for me and dad to watch. However I've noticed with the few dvds we watch on it the thing lags. Every minute or few minutes it will get a second or so lag and go back to normal. I wonder if that has to do with the encoding? All the dvds work...well, did...work fine in my 360.

[ehenyo]

They just all need to stop putting useless java features on DVDs in the first place and no one will have the compatibility problem.

Do you know what Java is? The whole reason Java was invented was to provide compatibility across machines!

[markatisu]

Do you know what Java is? The whole reason Java was invented was to provide compatibility across machines!

And all it tends to do is cause incompatibility

Seriously the amount of problems we have at work with Windows XP, Mac OS X and Java is ridiculous. When it works its GREAT, when it has conflicts or is outdated then look out. Not to mention how slow it can make machines if its using an older version or the calls to it are not setup properly.

The problem with Blu Ray Java is that it constantly changes, I think it has went up 3 versions since the Spring and all these players were all built to utilize the 1st revision. This was blatently exposed with FF4: ROSS and Day After Tomorrow which flat out bricked some machines upon release.

[krosfyah]

I got my parents a new dvd player about a year ago. It was a cheap one, about 35 bucks, but a brand new one. The thing sucks. They don't watch dvds, I mainly got it for when the grandkids come over they can watch a few dvds my brother keeps there for them, and when I come over to visit I bring a movie for me and dad to watch. However I've noticed with the few dvds we watch on it the thing lags. Every minute or few minutes it will get a second or so lag and go back to normal. I wonder if that has to do with the encoding? All the dvds work...well, did...work fine in my 360.

it's funny that a dedicated dvd player won't work as well as a a video game system's player. the one I bought wasn't a cheap one - it's an average model. $60+ but still my xbox does a better job.