The 2010 Video Games Thread

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by whomario

thanks for that link. Have only marginally realized this was coming, since i´m getting a PS3 this Friday might as well start thinking about this one.

On first glance don´t see a huge need to get this, can anyone with a PS3 elaborate in how far this "makes sense" ? I almost never found any 360 online/Indie games worthwile, the 1-hour-trial is kind of stupid to me (1 day i could see).
You also don´t get to choose between free games but there´s allways only 1 available, right ?

The "Exclusive offers on select demos" will be the same as with the 360 i guess, getting demos 1 week early ?

kind of feels like the difference silver---Gold for the 360, only that you can still play online without getting PSN+. For now one could maybe add ? Guess at some point Sony might want to cash in here as well ...

EDIT : Then again i have bot Little Big Planet and Wipeout HD on my list of games i´d like to get used and cheap to check out, both would be included in the year-long membership. Hmm ...

Hulu Plus will also require a Playstation Plus subscription (and an extra $10 per month) so it seems like they're going the Microsoft route. I'd still be surprised if they make standard online play something you pay for this generation.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

So you guys try to sell me on whether I should get a 360 or PS3. Particularly pros and cons, prices, deals, bundles. Not 100% that I'm going to get one or the other, but I cashed out of poker and have some money to burn. Price *is* an issue, so good deals are good.

I also want non-RPG game recommendations. Must-haves, if you will.

Hit me. I know you guys know the ins and outs well enough to help me.

If you don't have a Blu-Ray player already (and you have an HDTV), it's a no-brainer - get the PS3. If you do have a Blu-Ray player already, it's more of a toss-up.

The vast majority of games are available on both platforms. There are a few notable exclusives on both sides, and if you have a particular attraction to any of them, that might be your tipping point. On the Xbox of course you have the Halo franchise and a great racing game in the Forza series. On the PS3 you have the God of War games, the 2 Uncharteds, the Gran Turismo series and Little Big Planet (plus presumably at some point the next game from the studio that did Shadow of the Colossus and Ico).

Xbox Live is a better online experience, but to fully take advantage of it you have to pay for the Gold level of service whereas the PlayStation network is free (though some games might charge for online play). I've found a few fun little games on Xbox Live, haven't really shopped the PlayStation network. If you have interest in playing online, you're more likely to find friends playing on Live.

Now that the new 360 Slim comes with the WiFi adapter built-in, there's not really any significant hardware advantage for either one (aside from the Blu-Ray aspect). While the PS3 technically has more horsepower than the 360, for a variety of reasons most games will look as good (and in some cases better) on the 360 than the same game on the PS3.

The new chipsets in the 360 also mean that the RROD issue is not nearly as big of a deal as it was early in this console generation.

I personally prefer the 360 controllers to the PS3 controllers, but I'm sure you can find some that think the opposite.

Regarding non-RPG games, the ones I've enjoyed the most recently are:

- Uncharted 2 (PS3)
- Red Dead Redemption (both)

These are both fantastic games. I'd mention the Rock Band series as well, but that's almost a whole separate ball of wax. Though it should be noted, if you like those games, it's worth considering whether friends also have those games and if so, which console they have bought them for.

[Kodos]

Another thing that can help you decide is how much you plan to play online. I've found there are a lot more FOFC'ers to play on the 360, so if online play against people who aren't total strangers is important to you, I'd say go with the 360.

I personally prefer the PS3 controller, and the PS3 has been a more reliable system. Blu-ray movies are a very nice perk. If the number of online opponents was equal (and the quality of the experience was equal) for both systems, I would tend to favor the PS3. But most of my purchases end up being for the 360, because of multiplayer.

[MJ4H]

OK so far we have this:
Weighting each advantage for my personal tastes with a max of 10 for each item.

Advantage PS3
-Blu-Ray (4)
-God of War (3)
-Uncharted (3)
-Gran Turismo (6)
-Little Big Planet (8)
-Lower failure Rate (10)

Advantage 360
-Halo (1)
-Forza (4)
-Online Experience (1)

Not a movie person so blu-ray isn't a big deal, though it would be nice. Can't give it too high a score for me personally, though. A few of those games on the PS3 list you guys have given me intrigue me, but a lot of games I don't know enough about to score. Just have to give them an avg to low score for now until I learn more about them.
As far as online, it is an interesting battle. I, personally, don't like playing online at all. However, that is mostly because you play with faceless randoms online. Not appealing to me, at all. However, I might be persuaded to change my mind if I could play with some people from FOFC.

Personally, I love playing multiplayer with others in the same room. Especially games with a co-op mode. Even split screen. Can you guys maybe list some games like that for each system? Those would be high-scorers for sure.

Thanks. So far, good stuff.

[Cringer]

THings that may not really matter much to 98% of people, but it's the only stuff not really mentioned....

PS3 has (or has soon, haven't paid attention much) 3D ability.
PS3 is supposed to get access to Hulu Plus sooner from what i saw yesterday.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Personally, I love playing multiplayer with others in the same room. Especially games with a co-op mode. Even split screen. Can you guys maybe list some games like that for each system? Those would be high-scorers for sure.

I don't believe we got into the each system part, but this thread had a brief discussion about split screen games starting about here and HB names quite a few in post 772, with a few more mentioned after that.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I don't believe we got into the each system part, but this thread had a brief discussion about split screen games starting about here and HB names quite a few in post 772, with a few more mentioned after that.

You can also check out: Co-Optimus - Your Prime Source for Co-Op Gaming!

It's a pretty good site to keep track of various co-op games. You can run a number of searches by different topics such as system, split-screen, co-op, vs., etc. It's pretty reliable.

About a month ago, I had a bunch of friends over for the weekend, since Lady H_B was out of town. We system linked two Xbox's and had 2 TVs. We had a lot of fun with L4D2 (two players per TV), though we all found it much, much harder than playing on the PC. We just weren't as good with the controls/aiming.

[MJ4H]

It looks like 360 leads the "couch co-op" race with 116 games to the PS3's 75 according to Co-optimus.com. I had forgotten about that site. Used it just the other day looking for Wii games. Thanks for reminding me about it.

I will have to do some research on specific games.

[cartman]

Put me in the camp that greatly prefers the controllers of the Xbox to the PS3. The controller was a big part of the reason I never got into the PS2. I played a bunch of RDR and UFC 2010 at my cousin's on his PS3, and it killed my hands. I can play all day on the 360 and not get any hand cramps.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

OK so far we have this:
Weighting each advantage for my personal tastes with a max of 10 for each item.

Advantage PS3
-Blu-Ray (4)
-God of War (3)
-Uncharted (3)
-Gran Turismo (6)
-Little Big Planet (8)
-Lower failure Rate (10)

Advantage 360
-Halo (1)
-Forza (4)
-Online Experience (1)

Not a movie person so blu-ray isn't a big deal, though it would be nice. Can't give it too high a score for me personally, though. A few of those games on the PS3 list you guys have given me intrigue me, but a lot of games I don't know enough about to score. Just have to give them an avg to low score for now until I learn more about them.
As far as online, it is an interesting battle. I, personally, don't like playing online at all. However, that is mostly because you play with faceless randoms online. Not appealing to me, at all. However, I might be persuaded to change my mind if I could play with some people from FOFC.

Personally, I love playing multiplayer with others in the same room. Especially games with a co-op mode. Even split screen. Can you guys maybe list some games like that for each system? Those would be high-scorers for sure.

Thanks. So far, good stuff.

How is Crackdown not on that list for Xbox 360?

[MJ4H]

I don't even know what that is.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

How is Crackdown not on that list for Xbox 360?

Same reason Resistance isn't on the PS3 list? Can't really think of that reason tbh.

[dubb93]

In all honesty if I had to choose one console I couldn't. I could narrow it down to the 360 and the PS3 since my Wii mostly collects dust(If Mario Galaxy 2 couldn't get me finally into the Wii nothing can). But if I had to choose one I couldn't. In the end for me it comes down to exclusives(PS3 kills 360 here IMHO) against online(again, not close, all my friends are on XBL).

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Same reason Resistance isn't on the PS3 list? Can't really think of that reason tbh.

The reason is because I don't know anything about any of these games.

[Passacaglia]

Everything you guys are bitching about is #9 on that list.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by dubb93

In all honesty if I had to choose one console I couldn't. I could narrow it down to the 360 and the PS3 since my Wii mostly collects dust(If Mario Galaxy 2 couldn't get me finally into the Wii nothing can). But if I had to choose one I couldn't. In the end for me it comes down to exclusives(PS3 kills 360 here IMHO) against online(again, not close, all my friends are on XBL).

I already have a Wii and neither of these consoles is likely to get as much use as my Wii, frankly. Just have some money burning a hole in my pocket right now.

[Cringer]

IF you are going to put Little Big Planet on a list for the PS3, I would suggest ModNation Racers as well. Much to my surprise after a week of renting it we bought it. It is probably the first game my daughter and I both sit down to play together and have a blast. If I had a second controller you can do split screen. I actually got into building cars and guys, haven't even jumped into tracks building yet. Online is rough so far, I haven't won a race, 3rd is my best finish.

[MJ4H]

Oh yeah I watched some videos of that. It looked interesting. I will add it to my list. I think the PS3 is way ahead of the 360 for my personal wishlist so far.

I really don't know a single thing about those other games you guys have listed. Well except that I think I remember seeing Resistance when the PS3 first came out and it looked like a generic FPS. Is that wrong?

[spleen1015]

The load times kill ModNation for me.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

I really don't know a single thing about those other games you guys have listed. Well except that I think I remember seeing Resistance when the PS3 first came out and it looked like a generic FPS. Is that wrong?

Two sequels, a rumored 3rd on the way, a comic book series and two novels all spawned off that game. Not sure a "generic FPS" would spawn all of that. Call it what you will, but the series is one of Sony's best, don't compare it to a bargain bin FPS.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Two sequels, a rumored 3rd on the way, a comic book series and two novels all spawned off that game. Not sure a "generic FPS" would spawn all of that. Call it what you will, but the series is one of Sony's best, don't compare it to a bargain bin FPS.

Well, I'm not, but I don't much like FPS games, especially with dual analog controls. So all FPS games are pretty much going to be the same for me.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

The load times kill ModNation for me.

IT is the big negative of the game. The second day of renting it (we rented because I was going to get a game and thought since my daughter likes racing games I would pick one so we play together, so it was that or Split Second) I told my daughter there was no way we would buy it, the load times were beyond liveable. A couple days later I was over it, love the game.

[dubb93]

I've been looking forward to ModNation for a while. How long are these load times?

[MJ4H]

for the record I have decided to get an ipod touch instead of a new console. Thanks for the input though. Sorry for the string along. Good info that I may use in the future.

[spleen1015]

Honestly, if you really don't want either one, I think getting an iPod is a better idea.

You like your Wii. Keep playing with it.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Honestly, if you really don't want either one, I think getting an iPod is a better idea.

You like your Wii. Keep playing with it.

I would agree with this.

[MJ4H]

Yep. You guys nailed it. More I hear and read about ipod touch the more I like it. Sorry to waste time in here.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Yep. You guys nailed it. More I hear and read about ipod touch the more I like it. Sorry to waste time in here.

To each his own. I picked one up in the Apple Store and tried it out, and I just don't get the appeal. And this is from someone who loves his iPhone and got the iPhone 4 on pre-order, so I'm no Apple-hater...

[spleen1015]

Do you need an iPod Touch if you have an iPhone?

[whomario]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Sorry to waste time in here.

at the very least this discussion brought this ModNation Racers game to my attention (will get a PS3 tomorrow, had an xbox360 for a few years so that game wasn´t on my radar) which sounds a lot of fun

Today saw a trailer for Enslaved odyssey to the west, sounds and looks really interesting.

Also, there will finally be another F1 racer, F1 2010 by Codemasters, which so far looks highly promising and is complete with a career mode, new weather system (complete with different amounts of rain on different parts of the track, drying ideal line etc), research (new parts) and more.

Played the heck out of the GP series (GP4 the most recent) but everything after was meh ...

[ColtCrazy]

It's funny, but the Xbox Live game of Snoopy's Air Duel or whatever it's called is a lot of fun (I have a six year old). Just a dogfight game with WWI planes with tons of tricked out weapons. For 800 points, it's a great multiplayer game (online or same room).


Anyone here have the new Lego game, Harry Potter? I'm planning on ordering it next week. It's gotten some great reviews over here (UK) and it just came out in the States.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

How is Crackdown not on that list for Xbox 360?

Evened out by the lack of iNfamous on the PS3 list. Both are very good and similar gameplay.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Do you need an iPod Touch if you have an iPhone?

Whoops - I misread his post and thought he was talking about the iPad.

That said, I'm not a huge fan of the iPod Touch, as I'd rather have a lot more memory in my iPod than the touch-screen interface.

[Cringer]

Just bought Mass Effect 2 for $39.99 at Walmart. Was surprised to see it down in price already, first 360 game I bought since GTA IV.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Any advance thoughts on Blacklight Tango Down? Release date (according to Major Nelson) is this Wednesday on XBLA, my son is hopeful/optimistic while I thought the graphics looked very weak based solely on the trailer. And graphically I'm thinking in terms of "hard to see = hard to play", not so much just pure eye candy stuff.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Not a good sign when a bored 12 y/o who is eager to spend money says your game is a pile of crap with only one decent game mode & says the one hour demo "had me looking forward to the end of the hour" and "I shouldn't be able to beat people 1 against 4, but with two auto-turrets it was easy to do".

Such is my son's take on Blacklight Tango Down.

[MJ4H]

Insta-purchase October 5th

[digamma]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

So you guys try to sell me on whether I should get a 360 or PS3. Particularly pros and cons, prices, deals, bundles. Not 100% that I'm going to get one or the other, but I cashed out of poker and have some money to burn. Price *is* an issue, so good deals are good.

I also want non-RPG game recommendations. Must-haves, if you will.

Hit me. I know you guys know the ins and outs well enough to help me.

I have the same inquiry, with maybe a few different opening facts and assumptions from MJ4H. I won a WC blind draw pool. Awesome Spanish lottery ball. So, I have a little money to waste.

I too don't care much about a Blue Ray player. I will probably use this mainly for sports games (principally NCAA football) and for a story type game like Dead Red Redemption, or whatever it is called.

Questions--How much of a hard drive do you really need, if all I'm going to be doing is saving NCAA dynasties or other saved games? Or maybe the better question is what else do you use your hard drive for? (The real question here is whether buying the base model xBox is the way to go.)

Which console has the most hidden costs (i.e., do I have to buy two new controllers and batteries)?

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by digamma

I too don't care much about a Blue Ray player.

Does this mean you already have a Blu Ray player and don't necessarily need another one? Or that you don't have an HDTV and don't think you'll get one any time soon?

Questions--How much of a hard drive do you really need, if all I'm going to be doing is saving NCAA dynasties or other saved games? Or maybe the better question is what else do you use your hard drive for? (The real question here is whether buying the base model xBox is the way to go.)

Saved game files take up very little room. But you might find you end up wanting to download additional data - add-ons to games, downloadable games, movies/TV shows.

Which console has the most hidden costs (i.e., do I have to buy two new controllers and batteries)?

Both are going to come with one controller. The PS3 controller can be re-charged via a mini-USB cable connected to the console, whereas the 360 controllers use either a battery pack with 2 AA batteries or a rechargeable battery pack that you can buy separately with a charger.

The PS3 and new slimline 360 have WiFi adapters built-in; the 360 Arcade does not.

The 360's all come with a headset, mainly used for online gameplay.

[RainMaker]

If you don't care about the Blu-Ray, I'd go with a 360. I like the games better and their online system is much more advanced. I own both and play mostly on the 360

[dubb93]

To be honest for the most part I enjoy the 360 controller more so multi-platform releases get played on the 360. That said Sony has some great exclusives. If I were you I would find a place that lists all the exclusives then I would research them and see what interested me more. I would go with that platform.

[dawgfan]

I'm guessing the pre-order deals with Gamestop for the new 250GB 360 are over. Anyone know what the general going trade-in rate is for a 360 Elite?

I have an old WiFi adapter for mine that no longer works, and when I see that the cost for the new "N" WiFi adapter is $60 and the 250GB 360 is $250 (prices via the MS Company Store) I'm thinking if I can get close to (or over) $100 for my Elite, I should just sell it and get the new 250GB model with the WiFi built-in.

[CleBrownsfan]

Maybe try selling in on Craigslist? You may (will) get more $$$ than a trade in...

[Kodos]

I think the going rate for the 360 at Gamestop is $50 now. I'm considering just giving my old one to a friend's kid rather than help Gamestop get rich off of their customers.

[dubb93]

Two things I have been playing lately that I thought I would share with everyone.

1. Toy Story 3 The Videogame

The game is absolutely fantastic. Anyone with a little one or looking for a a great way to pass the time should look into this game. I first heard about it in a magazine, the development team was talking about how all movie games suck because they follow the script of the movie. Movies are made because they watch good, not because they play good. The solution? Make the people who buy the game for that reason happy by tacking on a story mode that takes a couple of hours and hits most of the key parts of the movie while spending the majority of the dev work on a different mode that isn't limited by the source material.

The result? Toy Box Mode. They describe the mode as being played through the eyes of the toys as they are being played with. It is basically Grand Theft Pixar. You play as Buzz, Woody, or Jessie as the sheriff of a Pixar toy town. You build the town up and do quests for the towns people much as you would in any other open world game. It features all of the toy story characters as quest givers/townspeople and also have cameos from other Pixar movie characters. The mode is good enough to keep the attention of adult gamers, so I can only imagine what it would be like for kids. Don't think of it as just for kids though. I have had a fantastic time with this one playing with my girlfriend.

2. Deathspank

I haven't actually purchased this game yet but I noticed the demo on Xbox Live. It plays like a bargain bin hack and slash would but the humor in the demo so far has been fantastic. It apparently has the same writers and dev team as Monkey Island. Will be a purchase for me as soon as I get more Microsoft Points.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by dubb93

2. Deathspank

I haven't actually purchased this game yet but I noticed the demo on Xbox Live. It plays like a bargain bin hack and slash would but the humor in the demo so far has been fantastic. It apparently has the same writers and dev team as Monkey Island. Will be a purchase for me as soon as I get more Microsoft Points.

Kotaku gave it a really good review and I'll probably be picking it up when I have time to sit down and play the PS3.

[dawgfan]

I can get $100 in credit at Play & Trade, or $50 cash. I think I'll try selling in on Craiglist for more, and worst-case I'll take it in for $100 in credit.

[RainMaker]

Has anyone played Crackdown 2 yet? Tempted to get it and play co-op with a friend of mine.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Has anyone played Crackdown 2 yet? Tempted to get it and play co-op with a friend of mine.

Have not played it but have not heard good things.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Have not played it but have not heard good things.

This is what I've heard, too. I've heard it was a lot like the first one, but with less variety. Take that for what it's worth.

/tk