The morning Inbox is still conflicted on when exactly to join the next gen, as one reader decides to go back to the Dreamcast
To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
Call Of Lego
I’m curious. Not in a sexual way but as to the attitudes of gamers/parents. I think we all agree it would not be acceptable for young children to play Call Of Duty or Battlefield but how would people feel if someone produced a Lego first/third-person shooter that had the gameplay of the big first person shooter franchises with customisable characters, destructible environments (it’s Lego after all), comedy weapons, and deaths which portray nothing worse than a Lego man’s head being knocked off or arms and legs popping off (Chewie ripped arms off in Lego Star Wars III). Would a change of graphics be enough for it to be acceptable for children to play or is it more than that?
Chat functions would have to be disabled to prevent abuse (it seems usually its kids that are verbally abusing adults on Call Of Duty anyway) but would that be enough for most people to let their own children play kiddy Call Of Duty? I’m comfortable enough for mine to play Skylanders or Lego games like Batman and Star Wars so why would I feel different about a Lego shooter? I don’t know but I do like the idea of all kinds of different Lego figures running round maps (and with all the licenses there are plenty of themes that could be used) and there are plenty of Lego weapons with the real toys so why couldn’t it happen.
So basically I’d be interested to hear how other GCers feel about the idea of children playing this kind of junior shooter. A shooter you could play with your children rather than after they’ve gone to bed. Maybe it’s one for Inbox Magic.
Opt1mus76 (PSN ID)
GC: This is similar to the question of why has Nintendo never made a Mario shooter, despite making games in every other genre – including beat ‘em-up. Also, it always amazes us that the Lego games have a 7 age rating. And for ‘violence’ and ‘fear’ no less.
Probably unimpressed
Am I the only one not impressed by the new Mario game on Wii U? I know I haven’t played it yet (my thoughts of it might change if I play it) but what I have seen of it so far it seems like yet another linear platformer, which I’m getting tired of. I loved Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine but no matter how much I tried I just found all the 2D platformers, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario 3D Land boring.
Maybe, I’m missing something but many of my friends feel the same but I heard that Nintendo might be doing a Super Mario Sunshine HD remake. I hope it’s true with extra content, as that would convince me to buy a Wii U instead of just using my friend’s console.
robbie.j
Super trade-in
I was eagerly awaiting your review of Super Mario 3D World and now I’m bursting with excitement. It’s exactly what I was hoping for, the imagination and creativity as good as the Galaxy games but with cooperative and competitive multiplayer!
I’d be satisfied with my Wii U just to get to play 3D World and nothing else! One of my friends was shocked that I’d traded in my PlayStation 3 for a Wii U, wondering why I’m not getting a PlayStation 4. I just showed him the trailers for 3D World and said that’s why.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 was an incredible experience but it was really just single-player, the fact that 3D World is almost as good and my wife, family and friends will be able to join in means 3D World will probably be my most favourite game ever…. and for that I’d trade in just about anything!
wasimr34
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Previous generation
On the weekend at my parents’ house I finally fixed my Dreamcast from it randomly resetting all the time. The next few hours were pure gaming bliss! Sonic Adventure 2, Metropolis Street Racer, Capcom Vs. SNK. I felt like I was back in 1999. So much fun with none of the complications of modern gaming (microtransactions, never ending patches, etc). The graphics still hold up well today.
The next day I put on the big one: Shenmue. I got lost in its magic again. I still discover new things in that game. For instance, I went to the Tomato shop and bought a music tape for my cassette player and was offered a try at the lucky dip. To my delight I won Space Harrier for the Sega Saturn! When I got back home, after a good night’s sleep, I thought I’d try putting Space Harrier into Ryo’s Sega Saturn and it actually worked! No need to go to the arcade to play it any more.
I am so looking forward to my two weeks off over Christmas. I’m going to be playing the big catalogue of Dreamcast games that I have. I might even get Sturmwind for it which came out this year and looks really good. Has GC or any readers played it?
Billy Lee
GC: No, but you’re making us wish we had.
A step back
Perhaps it’s unfair to compare games produced at the end of a generation with the launch games of the next gen but over the past six months I’ve played The Last Of Us, GTA V, BioShock Infinite, XCOM, Halo 4, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, DmC, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Spec Ops: The Line, among others. And many were purchased for under £10.
I’m reading the next-gen game reviews with interest and was fully prepared to covet a new console but to my astonishment, I’ve not seen one game that makes me ‘have’ to get one.
It’ll only be a matter of time until the better games lead me to get one but the thought of spending £100s to play games that are seemingly vastly inferior to the games I’ve been playing and other ones that can be bought at a fraction of the cost of the new ones just seems a bit silly. I’ve also been burned in the past with immediate price cuts after I’ve bought consoles and even worse, been the ‘victim’ of design flaws that become apparent after the warranty has expired.
GC – is there anything you’ve seen that you’re desperate to play? Most sites cite Titanfall but as primarily a single-player gamer, it looks a pretty standard multiplayer game and doesn’t interest me based on what I’ve seen.
Aaron
GC: Titanfall looks good, but as we’ve stated before we’ve seen nothing to justify the hysteria some sites seem to have created around it. But we’re optimistic that it and Destiny will be a clear step above this Chirstmas’ launch games, even if they are still cross-generational games.
Changing sides
Since Sega left the hardware side of things my main consoles have all been Sony, although this is the first generation I have ended with only one format (last gen finished with Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and an Xbox).
I would not consider myself a fanboy but I have little doubt that once in the habit of instinctively choosing a certain format/brand first, there is obviously something subconscious going on beyond simply appraising games. Saying that, I was within a morning of buying an Xbox 360 early this generation through peer pressure basically, but a friend had his second Red Ring of Death experience on the day I was going console shopping, it put me off and I never did get one.
Basically for me to change ‘sides’ as it were I needed Sony to put forward something very unappealing and for Microsoft to offer something amazing. Kinect as standard, a multimedia heavy focus coupled with high price tag was never going to be enough to change my PlayStation habit. The exclusive launch games did not interest me at all (Forza Motorsport 5 maybe) and I am a bit of a Killzone fan so already had a good reason as far as I was concerned to get a PlayStation 4.
I don’t know if Microsoft will regret the Kinect/media focus or not – but many of us are brand loyal even if we don’t consider ourselves outright fanboys and many I know with Xbox 360s as their main machine are only considering Xbone as their next console, so I doubt it.
Albavar (PSN ID)
It’ll pass
I was perfectly happy not to be getting an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 until now. As well as working for Sainsbury’s I also work for separate company who merchandise all the games, books and DVDs in our store. I’ve spent all morning looking at Xbox Ones, the games, accessories and setting up advertising and displays.
Now I really want one! Any rich GCers out there who want to buy me one? No? Jenkins must have a few spare in the office I reckon. I’m sure the urge for new tech will wear off by next week. Well until I have to set up everything for the PlayStation 4.
@PjDonnelli
Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here
Great British Kickstarters
It’s been an interesting month for new games on Kickstarter, this time not from across the pond, but actually found right in our own backyard, in ol’ Blighty!
Her Majesty’s Spiffing, by Irish developers Billygoat Entertainment, is a 3D adventure game in the guise of LucasArts’ Grim Fandango. The game is based upon the premise that in the current financial banking crisis Her Majesty’s Government, in order to overcome its financial obligations and difficulties, needs to ‘expand the empire’.
Warfare and conquest of land and indigenous nations is frowned upon, so space becomes the next frontier for the British Empire to ‘conquer’. With highly detailed characters set in an exciting environment where you have to work through the game to solve the puzzles to get Britain into space, the game looks extremely promising.
Jason The Greek by indie dev Kristian Fosh (based in Reigate, Surrey) is another Monkey Island-style humorous puzzle point and click set in the ancient times. You are Jason (of the Argonauts) and stuck on the island of Lemnos, it is your job to find and return the Golden Fleece.
The question is, the island of Lemnos is populated with many women and you seem to be the only man around. No doubts as to what kind of high-flying capers might ensue afterwards when the game is planned for release next year…
middleman.one
Inbox also-rans
My Xbox One has gone bang already. Faulty disc drive. Not to worry I can still play downloaded games. Ace.
Dave
I’m very tempted to try XCOM now I have a working PlayStation 3 again and the original being only £12 on Amazon. Is Enemy Within worth the extra £13 in your opinion?
Gmez (PSN ID)
GC: That depends on your monetary situation, but it’s an excellent expansion and it means you get all the downloadable content from the first game too.
I asked Robin Newman from Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies about the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. They said, ‘It’s all about the G-A-M-E-S tee hee!’
half_empty80 (PSN ID)
Have been playing through Oblivion again recently, and of course, Sean Bean is in it. Spoiler alert: he dies in the end.
DMR
This week’s Hot Topic
The PlayStation 4 is released this Friday, which means there’s only one obvious point of discussion for this weekend’s Inbox: are you buying one and if not why not?
The Xbox One came out last week and now it’s the turn of Sony’s new console, but are you prepared to give it a go from day one, or will you be waiting until later – or not at all?
What are the most and least appealing elements of the console, and how do you feel about key controversies such as the questionable launch line-up and the lack of multimedia features? Do you think Sony has done enough for people to jump ship from the Xbox camp and if not what more needs to happen?
E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
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