This week’s episode takes a look at the excitement caused by Devil May Cry 5, as well as some more discussion about upcoming games.
The news includes:
Let us know what you think.
Bad economic times mingled with company acquisition spells disaster for many game titles but the story ends well, we hope, for Ghostbusters. The game was slated for a Holloween release, last year, but was given the boot by Vivendi when they merged Activision and Blizzard. There is only so much room for projects and management when two companies combine, Ghostbusters was given boot.
Atari picked up the franchise once it was slammed to the cutting room floor and the team has since been given a second chance. Not only did Atari give them access to a channel for publishing, they asked the developers for a wish-list of things they could have done different. They then granted all the changes, in effect, giving the developers a second chance to update the title and make the story telling and game better than it would have been if they hit their original date.
Being picked up by a developer and being given the chance to update the game in ways you really only had dreamed means we, as gamers, will be getting the real title. The biggest factor for a crappy game is the time and money to get the job done. Unfortunately time and money are in constant battle with money usually arriving as victor.
Now, developers are being given the time to do it right at the expense of a little more money in the investment. A once in a lifetime change that could put a “would be” dead franchise in the top spots.
(Thanks, BlendGames)
Nintendo is the main focus of this week’s episode, but we can’t discuss the company too much or they’ll sic their lawyers on the podcast. Other than that, there’s plenty of safe things to discuss.
This week’s episode includes:
Also, learn about who won the contest, which was decided by the roll of a die.
It’s amazing to think we’re in our third year of “next generation” console bliss. Three years have passed since the first Xbox 360 shipped, for good or bad, and it’s time to start thinking about the future.
Or is it?
Bobbie Bach, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices president, seems to believe this generation of consoles will expand out further than the typical four-year release cycle. Perhaps because the console developers have invested so much money in defeating each other in the market and making their console “number one” in the eyes of their investors.
Bach does not believe we’re cresting on the current generation, that is for certain, and we’ve yet to hear any hype over a new next-generation console from Microsoft. They were the first to market so, theoretically, they should be the first in the next-generation as well, right?
Their move to be number one was really a strategic attack which has paid out well, leading them above the past domination of Sony and Nintendo before it. However, they are holding strong with the Xbox 360 and there might be cause to sit tight and let this generation playout before bringing in another piece of hardware.
Bach stated that he believes consoles today are competing at different levels than ten years ago. There isn’t one clear winner, there isn’t one dominating console. There will be victors in different areas of the industry; casual consoles, top game sellers, best graphics and others. It’s not about sheer “units sold” it’s more about being profitable and building a community around your hardware, see Xbox Live as a great example.
Next generation will be full of fantastic new features, ways to connect and crazy hardware specifications, no doubt, but… for many of us, it will take years before we forget the pain and suffering we paid shipping our dead Xbox 360’s back to Microsoft for repairs. Would you be willing to buy into their next generation as their first customer?
(Thanks, 1up)
