The Busted Controller: February 2006

This is an article I originally posted over on Blowin’ Smoke 1.0 shortly following the launch of the xbox 360 back in November of last year. I figured it would be a good inaugural post for The Busted Controller.

Instead of cutting and pasting verbatim from what has gone before, and since some pertinent info has since leaked with regards to both the Revolution and the Playstation 3, and now that the 360 has had a few months to age – I’ve decided to edit and revise the original article some. My thoughts haven’t changed drastically in the interceding months – but I felt some clarification was in order on my part, and perhaps some elaboration on my part to better share with you, dear reader, my impressions on how things may or may not shape up in the coming years. I’m no Oracle, I own no Crystal Ball, but what I bring to the table is a decade of involvement in this crazy little industry – and more than a little “closed door” info on how these companies run. That said, this is pure speculation on my part based on the tidbits I’ve received.

So without further adieu, I bring you the first in what will hopefully be a long running series of informative writings:

War is coming!

Musings on the Next Generation of Video Game Consoles:

Microsoft – The XBOX 360

Microsoft gets the dubious honor of being the first out of the gate this go around. Their system is a powerful piece of kit, and the software lineup is coming together nicely, with some solid exclusive titles in the pipeline, and at least one high profile series (Resident Evil/Biohazard) guaranteed on the system simultaneously with the PS3 version. The launch however has been less than rosy. There’s been nothing in the way of a truly “killer app” for the machine – No Halo in particular – and much of the first gen software has paled in comparison to the previous generation gap. Much like Sega’s late entry, the Dreamcast, we’re getting many current gen games “ported” to the new machine with ever so slight graphical upgrades. There have been shining stars, Project Gotham Racing and Perfect Dark Zero give us a glimpse at new technologies in action, but there isn’t quite enough. To Microsoft’s credit, they have made some very strong leeway with the XBOX brand, and that particular platform was still on the rise when they announced the 360, while Sega, in the Dreamcast days, were trying to compete with the original Playstation and it’s stranglehold on the industry. This fact alone gives Microsoft a somewhat better chance of success – as long as software does materialize, and materialize quickly. Other problems include the near microscopic scrutiny paid the MS crew by the internet gaming clique – each and every system failure (I’ve seen a handful first hand) or whispered rumor of melted discs (which is total BS) causes more and more people to jump ship. The Microsoft haters will use these reports as ammunition in a smear campaign, and the fence sitters who didn’t buy into the initial wave of hype will be swayed away from the MS camp. System failures are to be expected – and I haven’t really seen anything too out of the ordinary – hell – half of the Dreamcast units shipped at launch couldn’t read half of the launch software (luckily for Sega, Soulcalibur wasn’t affected!). What’s alarming is how quickly these stories appeared. Perhaps there is some truth in the rumor that Microsoft rushed things in the Quality Assurance department in order to make their November launch. This sort of practice could come back to bite them on the behind if these reports of defective systems become more frequent.

What Microsoft needs to do to succeed is get some AAA exclusive software out there. Sure Elder Scrolls: Oblivion looks amazing, but it’ll be available up PC’s – likewise with the launch lineup (perhaps the most praised title, Call of Duty 2, was available on PC’s a month before the 360 launched). Microsoft needs to get titles like Gears of War out into the market, and they need to do it ASAP (and still keep the quality up there). They need to iron out any kinks in the hardware, and they need to demonstrate that their system can hold it’s own with Sony’s upcoming PS3, which is certainly no slouch, and is backed by the Sony name, which up to this point was a video game juggernaut.

What’s Microsoft doing right? Well, the hardware is impressive to be sure. The idea of connectivity to Windows Media centre PCs is a brilliant concept – being able to stream video and music over a home network into your 360 is a sweet proposition. They also have the best online infrastructure in existence in Xbox Live. The Xbox360 iteration of live, with it’s marketplace and Arcade features is a sweet thing – anyone with a high speed connection can get into Live now – with movie trailers, music videos, and Game demos all downloadable (though you still need the pay-based “Gold” subscription to actually play most multiplayer games). The way the system manages user profiles is brilliant as well – allowing you to create default options based on a unique profile and have those options apply to each and every game you play (no more navigating option screens every time you pop a game in!). Much thought went into the engineering of the system’s interface, and it shows. These features definitely add some luster to the package as a whole – imagine surfing your computer for some Fu Manchu whilst playing a race or two – or getting some Call of Duty 2 multiplayer on the go with the Band of Brothers soundtrack blaring as your in game music – I’ve done it – and it kicks ass! There are some issues with the Media CenterMedia Center extender functionality, but on a wired network you’ll have no trouble. Software wise, there’s a lot of solid stuff out there, the problem is that it’s not entirely new or impressive compared to what’s come lately on the current machines or the PC. That will probably change over time. functionality, if you’re the sort who loves to download divx – the 360 will balk, but say you have a few AVI’s? Well the 360 can play that stuff right over your home network. You need one hell of a wireless network to sustain the

So should you bet on Microsoft? Risky – The 360’s initial hype has carried it thus far, and while not at all a disappointment, the system is hardly the harbinger of the next generation… yet. On the other hand – Microsoft has built itself enough of a fan base with the original XBOX, and the brand has that “cool” factor that benefited the Playstation all those many years ago. While none of the Microsoft franchises of the past generation have eclipsed the elite of the PS2 franchises, games like Forza Motorsport, Crimson Skies, Fable, Amped, and Mechassault did generate loyal followings, and next gen sequels to these games are virtually assured at this point – and there’s still an 800 pound gorilla by the name of Halo, which will almost assuredly be making an appearance sometime in 2007. If they can give “we the gamer” between five and ten triple-A titles a year, they’ll be set.

Sony – The Playstation 3

Sony would have to try awfully hard to screw up the PS3. The PSOne and PS2 were resounding successes, the most popular video game consoles of all time – selling over 100 million systems each. The Playstation brand has become synonymous with some of the most loved video game properties of all time, and many a new blockbuster franchise has been birthed on Sony hardware. From a technology standpoint – the system simply dominates anything currently available with its BD-ROM (blu-ray) storage medium, support for up to seven Bluetooth wireless controllers, Support for every memory format under the sun (Smartmedia, compact flash, and Sony Memory stick ports all come standard)and built in wireless network support. As far as raw power is concerned, Sony’s new Cell based processor is a beast to be sure, but reports as to how it stands up next to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 have been conflicting, at best it’s capable of 3-4 times what the 360 can do, at worst it’s ever so slightly the lesser. Regardless – these system wars will be won with software, and with new entries in several popular franchises, including Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Resident Evil, Gran Turismo, Devil May Cry, and (of course) Grand Theft Auto already confirmed to be in development for Sony’s next machine, the outlook already seems pretty apparent. Those people who bought into the PS2’s ability to play DVD movies may also be swayed by the PS3’s support for the upcoming Blu-Ray DVD format – but it remains to be seen if this format will become another DVD, or go the way of the Laserdisc. If anything, the PS3 will benefit Blu-Ray far more than Blu-Ray will benefit the PS3.

Sony is also reportedly working on an online structure very similar to Xbox Live. It’s being bandied about that Sony’s infrastructure will allow for multiplayer gaming, friends lists, clan structures, all the usual trimmings, but it will also provide an I-Tunes like system where users can pay for digital downloads, be it music, movies, or television. This definitely takes things up a notch. There’s also talk that the machine will interact with Sony’s PSP in a big way, from being able to take your PSP online through your PS3, to being able to use your PSP as an additional controller for the PS3 – complete with an added screen (an idea pioneered by Nintendo with it’s Gamecube/Game Boy Advance). At any rate – Sony looks to have an online option in place that is every bit as robust as Xbox Live – if the rumors are all true.

The big question mark right now is price. Sony are not idiots, they will not price themselves out of the game… and if a $399 or $499(US) price tag is eventually revealed, there’s little doubt that they’ll stack the package as they did with the PSP system (including accessories and the like) so that it appears, outwardly at least, that the consumer is getting a solid deal for their buck. It’s been confirmed that, while there will be an expansion bay, no hard drive will come internal in the system. This is sure to be an issue to some, but with the rapidly expanding capacity of flash memory, and with the PS3’s support of pretty much every memory format under the sun, the hard drive may be a non-issue. As long as save game file sizes remain small and manageable, a simple 32 mb memory stick would probably do just fine, but once you get into digital downloads – that space will disappear in an awfully big hurry.

The other grey area is software… As of yet, we’ve seen some very pretty proof of concept demos and not much else. About the only real game footage has been the (rather stunning) look at Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – but if other big name series like Final Fantasy and Grand Theft Auto can be equally impressive – then there should be no issue. There’s also a lot of Japan-centric stuff coming, which isn’t really en vogue in North America at the moment. We really need to see more – perhaps at E3 ’06 – before we can safely say that the PS3 really brings the goods in the software department, and to be perfectly honest, the big guns probably won’t start showing up at the party until the fall of ‘07. And remember those internet gaming circles we talked about whilst discussing Microsoft? Well they will be twice as judgmental with Sony. Being the leader up to this point adds additional scrutiny, and people will look for any and all weak spots, and exploit them. Early on, several reports about programming difficulty were blown into a big issue – though much more recent accounts pin the PS3 as a nice flexible development platform, on par with the 360, and no-where near the beast that the PS2 was.

So do we bet on Sony then? Well – at this point it’s more of a sure thing than Microsoft. A new Grand Theft auto game already in development is reason enough for North Americans to get behind this one. Microsoft still has Halo up their sleeves, but it’s doubtful that even the almighty Halo can stand up to the holy trinity of GTA, Metal Gear AND Final Fantasy. To top it all off – the capabilities of Sony’s machine, outside of the hardware’s “guts” are probably far more appealing to the mainstream gamer vs. what the Xbox 360 can do (the aforementioned wireless controllers, broader range of HD support, support for next gen DVD’s, built in wireless and interactivity with PSP vs. Microsoft’s Media Centre compatibility). The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and until Sony can give a clearer indication of what the system launch - and more importantly the crucial first year – can bring to the table in terms of software, the decision is a slight advantage in Sony’s favor.

Nintendo – Nintendo Revolution

Nintendo is in a very precarious position right now. Having barely made a dent in the last two generations, they’ve shied away from the mainstream market and into niche territory. Their new entry, the Revolution, is a curiosity really – hinged entirely upon the concept of a motion sensitive wand-style controller. Hardware wise, the system is rumored to be barely a fraction more powerful than the first generation XBOX, and Nintendo’s silence on that particular issue (the fact that they may never release detailed specs on the Revolution to the public) speaks volumes. On the one hand, this design may indeed be innovative enough to give the industry a shot in the arm, really revolutionize interactivity with video games. More likely, we’ll be stuck with niche titles with limited mass appeal and gimmicky gameplay features (as we’ve seen with the DS, and to an extent the gamecube) and half assed ports of software from vastly superior hardware.

The other big selling point is access to a library of classic Nintendo titles from the company’s heyday (NES and SNES eras). It’s not yet known to what degree this classic software will be available – weather it will be first party titles only, or complete libraries – and more importantly, weather or not the end user will have to pay per-title, or perhaps a monthly fee for the service. The concept is very similar to Microsoft’s XBOX Live Arcade program, only with a vastly superior selection. Also still in the air is the medium on which all of these downloads will be saved. At any rate – a broadband internet connection is almost assuredly a requirement. Old school Nintendo die hards, those still fanatical enough to be loyal after being kicked around by the N64 and Gamecube, will undoubtedly gobble this feature up.

Software is a huge problem right now – As much as we’ve seen from Sony, we’ve seen little to nothing from Nintendo, not even so much as a finished proof of concept demo. Will we actually see truly immersive next gen titles? Or will we see more rinky dink gimmick titles like Wario Ware and Under the Knife. Will we get conceptual titles with some intriguing gameplay mechanics, but no depth whatsoever? Or will Nintendo pull the same trick they have with their handheld market, and rely heavily on retro-gaming through ports of classic titles.

If nothing else, the Revolution is guaranteed to be cheaper than either of its competitors (barring a Microsoft price drop), which helped the Game cube immensely. Parents will gobble up the little buggers simply because they are cheaper, and because they have Nintendo sprawled on the box. There has been nothing said about any sort of online infrastructure, and I doubt very much Nintendo will be willing to sink the resources into such a plan. The biggest problem is the seeming lack of concern from the company itself. Fans are screaming for new titles in Nintendo’s flagship series’, but they want them how they remember them. No gimmicky gameplay elements like in Super Mario Sunshine. Has Nintendo listened? Well find out I’m sure.

So where does Nintendo stand? They aren’t even in the race… They’ve chosen a different route altogether – head to head against the XBOX 360 and the PS3 is not a road they’ve taken. There’s a slim chance that Nintendo’s third party developers could be genuinely interested in cooking up some new, original, and most of all involving content, but that possibility seems unlikely. The big companies like EA, Activision, and Ubisoft look to maximize profits, and spending a fortune in R&D and creating original concepts based around Nintendo’s new controller would wind up costing them more than they’re willing to gamble on what will ultimately be a niche system. What Nintendo hopes to do is filter some of their handheld market over to their console, particularly the slowly growing cult of DS fans enamored with that systems offbeat quirkiness. Combine those with the die hard Nintendo followers, who will simply follow the name, and the curiosity seekers intrigued by the Big N’s new controller, then there’s the kiddie-friendliness of the Nintendo name and budget conscious parents grabbing the cheaper system. If you’re betting on which system will be successful, the Revolution is a sure thing, if you’re betting on it taking down Microsoft or Sony – put your cash back in your wallet.

The Busted Controller

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Game Reviews - something a little different.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Capcom heart Playsation Portable

Friday, February 17, 2006

War Is Coming - Musings on the next gen

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