140°

Bring Back the Bots!

OXCGN looks at Bots in multiplayer and how current multiplayer without them is lacking. Includes poll of your opinion:

"There I was- in the middle of the desert in the presumed blistering heat with my rifle, waiting nervously for any sign of an enemy when, suddenly, one jumps out of the sand dune and shoots me in the head.

I was playing Far Cry 2 online with a group of people I didn't know, and despite having just been taken out, was having fun.

But it just wasn't the same as when I played local split-screen multiplayer with my friends and family at home- especially with extra game AI-controlled bots."

BadCircuit5185d ago

LOL I presume you mean X-bots....

gaminoz5185d ago

Well 360 does have a couple of games that use bots: gears of war 2 (horde mode), Perfect Dark Zero, and the Left 4 Deads. Does Sony have any games on PS3 that use bots in multi?

Though I don't advocate X-botism...just wondering...

PoSTedUP5185d ago

resistances, and i remember a few others, just cant think right now. it was ok but not as fun as old school bots. timesplitters, redfaction were some of my favorites.

Dutch Boogie5185d ago

Yeah we have enough of them here as it is.

aaron58295185d ago (Edited 5185d ago )

oh wait... oh you mean.. bots.. as in bots.. ok

Bathyj5185d ago

Yeah Aaron, but we cant shoot them.

edgeofblade5184d ago

Yep. KZ2 had bots and they were implemented very well, IMHO.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 5184d ago
-Alpha5185d ago

especially online split screen like Halo.

Ridiculous amount of fun, and in all honesty local multiplayer is sorely missed this gen.

BadCircuit5185d ago

I TOTALLY agree with you. Split screen is much better socially and like the article says one reason why the Wii is still going so strong despite its weaknesses.

But really you need bots like the author says to fill up some cannon fodder and add that frantic pace. 007 Nightfire and Timesplitters rule because of that.

XboxOZ3605185d ago

Definitely agree 110% there mate.

Too many developers are caught up in the wonders of online MP .. yet forget there is a huge market that does not want that level of involvement.

Notice the games that include the split screen and the bots do really good sales when compared to those that do not offer that. The article shows some very good examples of that . . .

PoSTedUP5185d ago

i have a lot of fun with socom online. but there was nothing as fun as playing redfaction2 and timesplitters3 with my cousin, split screen, with bots... we loved it.

Elven65185d ago

Bots are great, especially if they are used in online matches as well to make up for a missing player. In games like PDZ, Shadowrun, etc if a team member leaves a bot takes their place, once a human member joins the bot is removed and the team member is put in its place.

I remember having tons of fun with bots in on the first 007 game on the N64 by EA, Tomorrow Never Dies I think. Bots and local player support are two things that should never die.

socomnick5185d ago

Bots are a waste of developer time, they require complex ai and are just wasteful and not needed anymore.

They are better off wasting the time making new levels, weapons and polishing the game instead.

BadCircuit5185d ago

@ socomnic

You want to talk about wasting time and effort: unless you are one of the top shooters (MW2 etc.) your game isn't going to get much play online anyway after awhile. THAT's the waste when someone could be playing (and keeping) your game because it has local multi and bots.

5185d ago
STK0265185d ago

I'd like to have both split-screen and bots, like, you know, in the original perfect dark. Funny thing is, the only game since Perfect Dark to feature 4 players split-screen with "controllable" bots, co-op, counter-op and customizable weapon choices in multilayer, will actually be the Perfect Dark remake, atleast on consoles.

JonnyBadfinger5185d ago

For me Conkers: LIVE and Reloaded split screen multiplayer with bots was the most fun i had ever had playing a video game. Perfect Dark Zero did a decent job, but then again i didnt have Xbox LIVE when the game launched to had no choice but to use bots.

Seems RARE are the only developers who still slip them in every now and then.

Seriously i gunna go play some Conkers now.... if i can find it. Teddiz for the WIN! Love the names the Bots were given in Conkers as well...SCARLET ROMP, the inspiration behind my name.

Real Gambler5185d ago

9 games out of 10 are absolutely boring because the AI is bad (well, they are great the first time, maybe the second time, but after that?). We don't need more games with bots, but simply more games with better AI which, on the current console, is pretty hard to do without loosing something else. Until then, if I want interaction with somebody while playing, I attend a local LAN party. Sure I'm lucky enough to have Xbox and PS3 lan party in my area as well, so it does help.

raztad5184d ago

You can set up offline matches against bots in KZ2. Elite bots can be really though.

edgeofblade5184d ago (Edited 5184d ago )

I think bots are incredibly important. They let users experience the multiplayer game without immersing in the uber-leet environment that every game turns into within a week of release. Not everyone wants to learn the ins and outs of an online game while the veterans yell "noob" at them.

But when there is a robust online, bots detract from the online population.

It's a balancing act, to be sure. I especially like games that can drop bots into a game and then replace them with real players as the game goes on.

@raztad: Bots in KZ2 were great... BUT when GG decided to unlock all the upgrades in offline mode, I lost all drive to play online anymore.

raztad5184d ago

@edge

People were using bots to level up. It was a necessary fix.

I just used them to get used to the online gameplay, when I felt comfortable enough I jumped into the fray.

aGameDeveloper5183d ago (Edited 5183d ago )

There are a couple of issues I have with split-screen gaming:

1. Reduced and distorted screen-space: The visuals were designed with the full screen in mind (5:4 or 16:9). Horizontal or vertical splits for two-players do not preserve this aspect ratio. Four-way splits do, but at a serious loss of resolution.

2. Reduced performance and/or loss of graphic quality: Splitting the screen doubles, triples or quadruples the number of times the world needs to be rendered per frame. While there are fewer pixels to render for each player, this is still a significant performance penalty. Developers often disable rendering features to compensate.

Add to these the fact that bots take a good amount of CPU to simulate, as well as a good amount of memory to store the data structures needed to run them.

The performance/memory requirements are the main reasons you don't see a lot of split-screen-with-bots on modern consoles - developers tend to feel there is more payoff in devoting system resources to better graphics (for single player or online multiplayer). PC has performance to spare, so bots on PC games are much easier to justify. The PC control scheme is not friendly to split-screen, however.

So console-only games are the most likely to support split-screen. PC-only games are the most likely to support bots. And multi-platform games (where there's the most profit for developers) are the most likely to limit support to online multi-player with no bots...

+ Show (11) more repliesLast reply 5183d ago
XboxOZ3605185d ago (Edited 5185d ago )

Yes please!!!!

I prefer to play against them than half the idiots that infest XboxLIVE fro instance.

At least you have a fighting chance of playing a decent game, providing the developer has done their work properly.

Not everyone wants to play with mindless twits online, not everyone wants to submit their families to those people as well, especially if it may include a younger member of the family playing the game.

Bots server a greater purpose . . . they do need to be brought back.

gaminoz5185d ago

I agree that bots and split screen need to be more a focus again with developers. No matter how online has grown it still has its limitations and only a few games keep getting played. With offline and bots then the games's multi can be played forever.

Also I like how a couple of games (Gears of War 2 Horde mode and Left 4 Dead) are using bots within a co-operative multi (online or off)framework.

But definetly more offline split screen and with bots too to go with the online which could also use bots to fill up rooms and games or in co-op modes.

Umbrella Corp5185d ago

When the zombie apocalypse hits and im in my bunker 200 ft down I doubt Im gonna find anyone online so yeah bots and split screen should be a focus.

Show all comments (56)
320°

Most Offensive Video Games That Would Never Cut It Today

Times are changing, and these games would have never been made in today's climate.

Read Full Story >>
wealthofgeeks.com
thorstein35d ago (Edited 35d ago )

Every single time someone uses this phrase whether it's music, movies, books, comics, video games, etc it's always the same claim.

The ubiquitous "they" won't allow it to be made. And every decade these claims are made the claimant completely ignores all the "offensive" material that is published when the claim is made.

In ten years, you can write a new article about how you can't make games like Helldivers 2, Resident Evil VIII, Mortal Kombat I, Dragon's Dogma 2, Alan Wake 2 etc etc etc any more.

MrBaskerville34d ago

Yeah, people wouldn't be constantly outraged if there weren't games that people found enraging. The whole SBI discourse shit wouldn't be a thing if all games were inoffensive. A game like Starfield can make a guy froth at his mouth, so there will always be room for a list like this.

0hMyGandhi34d ago

Normally, I'd be inclined to agree with you, but there are massive caveats.
TV shows like Venture Bros, Ren and Stimpy, and Aqua Team wouldn't/couldn't be made today. Hell, Ren and Stimpy was a *children's* show, same thing with Rocko's Modern Life.

It's not for some arbitrary reason, either. It's branding and IP alignment. Companies are far more risk-averse than they were when I was kid in the 90's. Of course, you have companies coming out of the woodwork to hell spur on similar content, but remember: Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon and some incredibly provocative material.

And for movies? it's pretty obvious. American Pie/Wedding Crashers/Eurotrip among many other "raunch coms" have fallen out of style, and are absolutely outside what the modern day film industry is willing to stand by.
Ace Ventura 1 and 2, Dumb and Dumber, Freddy Got Fingered, Rat Race, Harold and Kumar, and Van Wilder follow suit.

Remember: I am not explicitly talking about films put onto streamers. I am talking wide-releases in actual theaters. Same thing goes for games: Carmageddon, Duke Nukem, Manhunt, Six Days In Fallujah (with their original concept), Hatred, and so on and so forth. Of course, I'd be inclined to mention most tactical shooters like Rainbow Six and Joint Ops as well, due to cultural sensitivity regarding *who* you are shooting and why.

And not all of it is bad (obviously). Tastes change, and perspectives change to fit the demographic.
I should add that I'm a lefty, living in L.A. Working in film.

thorstein34d ago

The Boys, Invincible, Jojo Rabbit, Deadpool, Gen V, Last of Us, Banshee... There are plenty of media being made today that people will claim "can't be made today".

Profchaos34d ago

Yeah but if you consider manhunt which was basically a snuff film could you seriously make that game with high than PS2 era graphics.

thorstein33d ago

The Outlast Trials just came out.

But the storyline of Manhunt was that you were executed. But then lived. And if you didn't do as you were told, you'd die. And the people you killed were not innocents.

It was all filmed by a psychopath.

As we speak GTA VI is being finished up for a release. You get to play a Bonnie and Clyde type of protagonist who run up against the law.

Bodycam looks so real.

People are making those games. Articles like this will always exist no matter how incorrect they are, no matter how many times they blame "them" for whatever it is "they" do to prevent "those" games from being made.

Number1TailzFan34d ago

The UK is the biggest junk country pandering to that nonsense as well, with laws against free speech and expression to match. It got so bad even Rowan Atkinson made a video on free speech about it.

Now the UK raises the age rating on harmless films like Mary Poppins, it's just a load of pansy weak ass nonsense.

MrDead34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

The right wing Tories have been in power in the UK for the 14 years you know the ones that are "anti-woke", blame them for your perceptions.

Killer2020UK34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

Are these snowflakes in the room with us now?

This is more faux outrage designed to get hits. The consequences are unfortunately creating hysteria amongst those willing to buy into it and blame "them" or "the left" or "liberals" meanwhile the left are kicking off about genocide, actual real world abhorrent acts. Nobody is campaigning to censor this shit.

Huey_My_D_Long34d ago

Not too mention the fact that some of these game are controversial for you know, underage porn and encouraging rape.

So either the guy just came in to comment snowflakes without reading anything, or he is calling people snowflakes for having a problem with said titles. Crazy how much brain rot someone can have.

banger8835d ago

Dead Island: "The early PC version of the zombie game swapped the playable character Purna’s Gender Wars skill with a prototype name, which shouldn’t be mentioned directly. The skill name made fun of both Purna as a character and feminists."

"Feminist Whore" lmao

gold_drake34d ago

ill add one more to the list.
drakengard 1.

its ridiculous tho, especially since they'd still be able to find their place in alot of places in the world. except america of course ha. and maybe Australia.

ppl are so sensitive these days. ha. but it is what it is.

Barlos34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

They're not offensive.

And we need another Fat Princess. Fantastic little game!

Some people just have no sense of humour if this sort of thing offends them. They need to lighten up and stop taking themselves so seriously.

Deeeeznuuuts34d ago

Would love a new fat princess game 🤟

CantThinkOfAUsername34d ago

Games literally about sexual assault, mass genocide, bombing civilians, and school shooting. None of which is satirical.

isarai34d ago

Actually it's about fat princesses

Huey_My_D_Long34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

Its crazy that people are fixated on Fat princess when clearly the list is going over controversies, and not all of them are equal. Like way worse examples but pretend the entire list is like that.

Show all comments (37)
190°

15 Xbox Games That Should Make the Multiplatform Jump

While there’s likely already a list behind closed doors, one can still speculate and offer logical suggestions for titles new and old that should find their way into the PlayStation and Switch libraries.

Read Full Story >>
technabob.com
GamerRN37d ago

Single A games and live service games. Those make sense

S2Killinit37d ago

None of it makes sense. But its happening.

Ps5conehead37d ago

That’s up to Microsoft they want return on there investment. From buying up those publishers. That’s what there in business for. And they made a mistake putting day one exclusive on game pass. So now Microsoft wants to profit any way they can.its called buisness . Just like Sony putting games on pc a year are two after ps5 launch.
So if they can make money off PlayStation and Nintendo. They will do that. And I bet soon real soon they will release some aaa exclusives .and I bet one day it will be same day release

TheEroica37d ago

Sony gamers begging for Xbox games.... Who would've thunk it?

BISHOP-BRASIL37d ago

Yeah, because random site off the internet represents all Sony gamers, they have the letter of attorney and all...

S2Killinit37d ago

Lol what a spin. You dizzy?

AsunaYuukiTheFlash36d ago (Edited 36d ago )

We don’t care about shovelwares. Get that junk out of PS5

StormSnooper36d ago

More like MS begging to put their games on PlayStation.

TheEroica35d ago

Keep begging Sony gamers!

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 35d ago
Friendlygamer37d ago

Some of these seem to be exclusive for lack of enthusiasm of the publisher rather than because of deals. A lot of cool indies skip ps for some reason like katana zero, el paso, elsewhere and gunbrela

S2Killinit37d ago

Even more indies skip xbox. We know that right?

Friendlygamer37d ago

Quality over quantity, Microsoft got some really interesting and curated niche games on their machines, maybe in part because of gamepass

S2Killinit37d ago

Quality and MS are not things you bring up in same sentence.

shinoff218337d ago (Edited 37d ago )

Alot of indies skip xbox to. It goes round and round. Personally I think your off base on that but no need to have the argument.

Friendlygamer37d ago

Between katana zero, valheim, Battletech, el passo... I don't feel off base. maybe ps got a million of light novel games that will never release on Xbox but like I've said, I'm talking about niche games highlights, the 10%.

  Heck, it's probably thanks to Microsoft that the s.t.a.l.k.e.r games came to console ps included, meanwhile Sony backwards compatibility continues to be extremely anemic.

And I'm sure most ps5 users are happy to ignore these games and just play wathever new 3rd person action game is trending but it's cool that Microsoft gives some love to smaller audiences and software preservation

shinoff218337d ago

Again your off base just to be snide. All it's showing though is your ignorance.

One light novels wtf is that even. Ps has plenty of pretty damn good indies.

Speaking of indies and ms being responsible. You know F.I.S.T. of course you do alot of you guys just support gamepass. Well here's a history of Sony being responsible for helping indies. Look up the China project from Sony.

Lastly lol your ignorance showing again. Sony has plenty of games. Personally third person is better then first anyway but that's besides the point. Sony gets so many games that xbox doesn't get because yall don't support the games. Jrpgs being a great example. I personally am not into every Sony first party game. Alot of us aren't. On the other side you don't get to eat often so you gobble up everything. Me personally God of War not my cup, etc. For me I'm into jrpgs and ms just can't touch Sony on those. Again because the Xbox base doesn't support it. Devs dont wanna waste their time or money. Hit me up when falcom develops a game over there.

Speaking of third person narrative games. Aren't yall drooling over hellblade 2. The first one was Sony exclusive at one point. Another not my cup game. Showing we don't have to fall in line and agree we love everything Sony puts out. The facts are they sell though unlike elsewhere(not nintendo)

StormSnooper36d ago

You are same person as GamerRN, yes?

Abnor_Mal37d ago

They really think PlayStation fans would want to play Redfall? Pfft.

Personally nothing on that list would be any game I’d want to play.

TwoPicklesGood37d ago

I’d absolutely love Hellblade 2, Palworld, and Quantum Break on ps5 as I’m sure tons of others would too. There’s nothing wrong with wanting games from another console and its sad that people try to act like they aren’t interested in them.

shinoff218337d ago

While indont agree with the games. I agree with the point. Your not wrong.

DarXyde37d ago

Sunset Overdrive makes very good sense. Palworld might.

Don't know about the others. Hellblade II does make sense given the original launched on PS4 first. Quantum Break was a massive letdown for me. I absolutely hated the whole TV show thing and I don't think anyone should have to relive that on modern hardware.

Show all comments (31)
160°

TimeSplitters 4 prototype found on eBay and gameplay may emerge soon

Somehow a PlayStation prototype of TimeSplitters 4 has been unearthed on eBay, and many are waiting for the package to meet its new owner.

Read Full Story >>
theloadout.com
XiNatsuDragnel49d ago

Excited to see these prototypes out there and I hope the internet can play them.

aaronaton49d ago

From the leaked screenshots, it looks better than the recent cancelled Timesplitters game imo.