I recently took a trip to see some old friends. I went from Chicago to Saint Louis and then Springfield. It was an unusual trip because I went for a wedding but It turned into a much needed gaming trip.
History: I have always been a gamer. My first gaming system was the Sega Master System followed by the Nintendo Entertainment System. After the NES I bought a Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64 and XBox. In the playablilty scale I rank them as N64, Xbox, NES, Sega Genesis and the Sega Master System. I am not loyal to any one brand (because the brand is not loyal to me) so I have always tried to buy the system I thought was the best.
In this new generation the choice for me has been difficult. Not only due to cost (my budget is very tight) but also due to choice of different technology.
Now back to the road trip: Chicago: In Chicago I hung out with one of my oldest friends. I spent about 2 days with him and played games for about 15 hours. The console of choice Xbox 360. I am not going to talk about the games I played or the graphics or anything. I am only going to talk about one thing and that is why he bought the 360. His answer Halo 3 and the fact it came out first. Ok, Fair enough. So I asked him if he had played other consoles and he said he had played all three. So I asked him, if he were to buy another console what would it be? To my surprise he said the PS3. I thought he would say the WII, but to him that isn't even a console. He Plans on getting the PS3 possibly as soon as the Killzone 2 launch...depending on if that game is as good as advertised.
Next Stop Saint Louis: In saint louis I visited two of my college friends who still room together. Here I spent 4 days. Gaming time- Wake to sleep. I have gamed more with these guys then anyone else in my life. In college their console of choice was Xbox and PS2. Now they own the WII and PS3. When asked about the Xbox 360, it was referred to as a "Piece of Sh&T." No explantation was given.
When asked which console was played the most the answer surprised me...PS3. I thought with the lack of games on the PS3 it would be the WII but that was not the case here. In fact, as the guest I was given the choice of which console to play and I immediately choose the WII. I had to see what all the hype was about. I played it for about 6 hours and then It was not touched the rest of the time. It was exactly what I suspected...a Gimmick.
Finally to Springfield: Here I visited many friends from college. All of whom I used to game with. I stayed with a friend with whom I have had a non-stop 20 hour marathon of Golden Eye on the N64. To my surprise he owns no console. He has completely switched to computer games. When asked why, he replied that there was only one console he wanted and it was the PS3. However there was no way for him to afford it. I visited three of his computer game friends and they had the same answer. if they could they would buy the PS3. ( FYI: one of them said he would never go back to console gaming)
Back Home: After coming home to a northern suburb of chicago I started asking my friends the same question and the answer was the same...PS3. It was on everyones mind weather they owned another system or not and the reason for it was always the same...the cost.
This made me come to only one conclusion: I cant help it but think if the economy was better or the PS3 was cheaper how many people would own it now. I know this was a small sample, but it was a sample of pure gamers and not fanboys. As I read all the love and hate for different consoles on this site I cant help but think its only a matter of time before the PS3 will wear the crown.
As for me, the decision became much easier. In the linage of greats- Sega Master System,NES,Sega Genesis, N64, Xbox, there will only be one to follow- The PS3. Long live the KING.
Adiba from NoobFeed writes- The pace might have been much better with a mid-run checkpoint system, more visual diversity, or a skip button for parts that were finished. Nevertheless, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a creative and captivating game. Even in the crowded rogue-lite genre, it provides a feeling of uniqueness.
In an industry with countless FIFAs, sorry EA Sports FCs, Sloclap’s Rematch is a brilliant arcade football game that feels incredibly unique. Putting players in the shoes of an individual player, the new multiplayer game is essentially Rocket League without the rockets and cars… it’s football.
TNS: Expedition 33 was the wake-up call Square Enix needed, telling it turn-based RPGs are still popular, but that shouldn't have been the case.
True, but if it does get it through their thick skulls, then that works.
Although, the Dragon Quest 1 + 2 HD remakes will be turn-based and (the worst kept secret) Final Fantasy IX remake should be turn-based I would imagine. Let's see if any newer games go turn-based too.
While it is true that Sqaure Enix has moved away from turn based games compared to how they were in the past, there is a good reason for it.
Older gamers will know this but during the ps2 era, we were flooded with turned based games from Japanese studios and this created a form of fatigue back then going into the next generation.
When Square released FF13, they received heavy criticism for making the game turned based like every other FF game and not doing enough to innovate. This is why they made FF15, FF7 Remake and FF16 have real time combat. It gave the series a fresh spin and has brought in new fans to the series.
I personally would be happy with either turned based FF or the real-time combat version we see today.
Only need to look at their own game DQ 11 approaching 10 million to show there's a market. And that's not as big of a name as FF
Another article about Expedition 33 and Square Enix and turn-based games? This is starting to sound like propaganda.
The game didn't sell because it's a turn-based game; it sold and is enjoyed because it's a really freaking good game that released completed at a good price without gamer drama attached to it. No Mtx, no wait-until-it's-patched, minimal bloat, a self-contained story, no multiplatform BS. Just a solid original game that absolutely nails what it intended to do.
Maybe try actually listening to the fans who have supported the series for decades. This habit of ignoring your core audience just to chase people who were never interested in Final Fantasy in the first place makes no sense. And when that approach fails, doubling down on it is beyond baffling.
The battle system has never been the main reason non-FF or non-JRPG players stayed away. Gutting the series’ identity to chase a broader market doesn’t attract new players. It just alienates the loyal ones.
Keep going down this road and we’ll end up with Final Fantasy Fortnite abomination or a F2P Battle Royale game.. Oh wait…
At the bottom I think you missed out the PS2, because in my view they were as good as each other, but XBOX had the edge in the technology side and PS2 had the games.
Great post, very nice to see actual gamers' opinions instead of fanboy rants. The price really is the stumbling block. Once Sony can lower the cost to 300, even 350 dollars it will start doing very well, not to say that it's not doing well as it is. But it'll do even better.
Okay this was my first and last time I check out these silly blogs.