Top 10 Reasons The Video Game Industry Is In Trouble

Yes I will do it! I’m the bearer of doom and gloom. Someone has to do it. While most publications are rife with BEST this and that about the industry, few are looking at what ails it. I intend to rectify this with my list and hopes for the fixes of my favorite hobby. Without further ado…

10. Sequelitis

Yes, the industry has gotten sick with it. Following Hollywood tit for tat video games, for the most part, have become wholly un-original. Before you come stampeding my way with torches, let me explain. I don’t mean original as in a new genre or way to play a game (ducking Wii-motes). I mean original as in a new IP (Intellectual Property). What happened to getting excited over new characters? All of the gaming icons we know were once new. Instead of creating new characters, we get the same ones for the fifth, sixth, and eleventh installments.  I subscribe to the financial reasoning of betting on a name that people know, but it also smacks in the face of how that character became popular in the first place. No! I don’t want to play as Dante anymore, at least not for a while. I’m tired of hopping around with Mario, can I get a new character? Everyone talks about how this year was so great for gaming, but virtually every game on the Best Sellers list is a sequel – GTAIV, MGS:4, DMC 4, GHWT, Rock Band 2, GOW2, Res: 2, Mario Kart, etc etc  (You know these titles so well I can abbreviate them) How about a year without any sequels and totally new IP? Wouldn’t that be refreshing… [Continue Reading]

Devil May Cry 4 – PC Demo

Woohoo, prepare your those fancy keyboards for DMC 4. Hands down, my PC gaming brethren know how to type-a-game and dial-a-combo. The southpaw clans of the world agree that its not that its something difficult to do, but rather that it takes guts to take on games like these with your keyboard. Rest assured, you can edit your keyboard layout any way you want in Capcom’s Devil May Cry 4, or chicken out for that cheap PC-360 controller. The click-able images show you that your brain may not register the possibilities of arthritis while playing DMC 4 on a high-end PC though.

The visuals are so crisp, it puts the PS3 and the 360 versions to shame. But, you knew that already. That taking these games to the land of higher resolutions and refresh rates always delivers on the viewable side of things.

Having spent over 50 hours (extras) with the PS3 version, I’m half shocked that it looks so good and damned afraid to spend that long with it on my keyboards. We can argue back and forth about graphic whores, but if you played GEARS OF WAR on the PC you’d know what I mean. You would also understand the loading issues associated with games like these are best describes as unwanted beasts. If the demo is anything like the final PC version, loading screens wise, great ready to make a cup of coffee, and perhaps a pull out some cookies from your mommy’s cookie jar. Yes, the loading in the demo sucked harder than a calf to cow-tits.

The game supports both Dx9c and Dx10. So, even if you didn’t have an SLI based Dx10 card, or a dual card setup with about 1GB of RAM, you can still expect a visual treat. Here’s a secret for you, these screens were taken in Dx9c mode.

I’ll save Dx10 for you to see if you download the new demo yourself or buy the game. Hot knife through butter!

Devil May Cry 4 – Impressions

Of course I got my reserved copy of DMC4 for PS3. For those of you wondering, yes, I’ve almost cleared it and I am itching to play Nero Must Die/Dante Must Die mode because the game just isn’t hard enough.

[Continue Reading]

New DMC 4 Trailer Shows off More More More

As if the fanboys of DMC couldn’t get enough [yours truly included] of DMC. After being thoroughly disappointed by the Bioshock ending [mumbles profanity at the ending], this has more than just perked up my day. Check it out -

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=25131" height="409" width="480" /]

DEVIL MAY CRY 4 Still Just as Tough

I thoroughly enjoyed going through DMC 3 on its highest difficulty setting, Dante Must Die. However, not all gamers, and new comers to the series, enjoyed going through the game on its Normal setting. That says a lot about how difficult DMC can be. However, God of War II’s Titan Mode far surpasses any bounds of reason, and sanity, with regards to a game being tough. With that, Eurogamer interviewed Hiroyuki Kobayashi, producer/director of RE4, DMC Series, Blinkx 2, and other titles, to tells us that ..

“… It’s interesting to know that someone would think we could create a game that would be more difficult than Devil May Cry 3! We had to learn a lesson there, actually, because DMC3 was really difficult. What we found was that people sometimes lost interest within the first two hours because the game just wasn’t giving them any chance whatsoever. So DMC4 will be about same difficulty level, but we thought that we would be a little bit kinder to the player, so we’re going to give a step-by-step guide on how to use the weapons and skills so that you should naturally progress to a better skill level a little more easily than in DMC3. “

Basically, the game may be just as difficult but at least it will be easier to learn. A plus for new comers to the series. In addition, Kobayashi-San points out that new comers can pick up DMC4 and not worry about its previous plot twists. Personally, the difficulty in games like DMC and God of War are a welcome, since the reward for completing their insane tasks, and engaging in a well placed Boss Beat Down, is awesome! Check out the full interview with the above link. Kudo’s to Eurogamer.net for a great interview & images.

DANTE GETS F’D UP

Wow, it’s good to see your favorite character take a solid beating, but this is too much … check out this trailer from the new DMC .. and watch Dante get a serious beat down from the new boy in blue. Oh yea, some new bosses are revealed as well … might I add boobies are in this winter ..they keep you warm and snuggly.

[quicktime width="500" height="300"]http://www.anyo.org/pspfanboy_com/LGC07/DevilMayCry4.mp4[/quicktime]