US PSN Update 10/22

[Mason]

The level in the Ratchet demo is pretty large and detailed. And one of the side effects of aiming solely at a Blu-Ray-based system is you can afford to be lavish with the assets.

It was definitely a good demo. The visual style when you're in Clank's brain is pretty great, and the time puzzles actually seem pretty well done. The demo only has two-pad puzzles, and reviews have said that it will get up to four pads, which seems a little daunting. Since you can choose to skip the puzzles, they can afford to make them rough.

Did anyone else read Eurogamer's Crack in Time review? It's really strange. They spend the whole review talking about the innovative weapons and puzzles...and then conclude by wishing that the game had "a proper selection of exciting new weapons, original puzzles and a bit of innovation." Did they even read their own review?

Europe, man.

[mister slim]

Was I the only one throwing out time grenades just to watch the flying bolts slow down?

So very sparkly.

[OldJadedGamer]

Critter Crunch. Demo = Buy. Put my money down, super cute and love the rainbow vomit. When are more PSN only developers going to learn?

[Chris_D]

Originally Posted by Kelegacy

Fuck digital distribution (mostly) in the goat ass.

Btw, your comment reminded me of Iron Past's blog and my comments on digital distribution.

Thoughts on Digital Distribution, and Why It Won't Happen Soon

My comments:

As someone who lived in Australia and now living in Japan, digital distribution has been a nice option to have.

In Australia, it allowed me to bypass hideous price markups by local suppliers. I also imported games but this provided me with another tool in my arsenal.

In Japan, the language barrier is too high for most games. However, on the 360 Japan marketplace, any content that has been localised for the West, automatically includes the localisation in the Japan marketplace release. There are occasionally games that aren't released in Japan like SF2HD but those are rare.

PSN is a little trickier, all the content is Japanese language only. However, PSN allows me to create a US account and by ordering PSN cards online I'm able to buy content.

The ability to buy games dirt cheap from stores sadly rarely applies to me. Even if a game is being dumped at $5-10 at Gamestops in the US, that price saving is rarely passed onto me via, say, eBay. Add $6-20 international shipping and forget it. Also, discounts I experienced in Australia never were half as good as what Americans seem to take for granted.

I'm also not particularly concerned about a perceived monopoly in digital distribution on consoles. I can afford not to be because I own all the consoles (that I want anyway) and there will always be good games that I want to play, and more than I have time to. So I will always just go to where the best deal is.

[Kelegacy]

Originally Posted by Mason

The level in the Ratchet demo is pretty large and detailed. And one of the side effects of aiming solely at a Blu-Ray-based system is you can afford to be lavish with the assets.

It was definitely a good demo. The visual style when you're in Clank's brain is pretty great, and the time puzzles actually seem pretty well done. The demo only has two-pad puzzles, and reviews have said that it will get up to four pads, which seems a little daunting. Since you can choose to skip the puzzles, they can afford to make them rough.

Did anyone else read Eurogamer's Crack in Time review? It's really strange. They spend the whole review talking about the innovative weapons and puzzles...and then conclude by wishing that the game had "a proper selection of exciting new weapons, original puzzles and a bit of innovation." Did they even read their own review?

Europe, man.

G4's review (saw it this morning) gave it a 5/5, which set a fire under my heels to start and finish Tools of Destruction.

I think the best comment for the series came from Morgan after the review. She said no one is really doing games like these anymore. That's true. And Insomniac COULD be milking the genre by just putting out generic entries in the series year after year but they seem to keep bettering themselves and mining new gameplay elements in the series.

[Gorvi]

Originally Posted by Mason

The level in the Ratchet demo is pretty large and detailed. And one of the side effects of aiming solely at a Blu-Ray-based system is you can afford to be lavish with the assets.

It was definitely a good demo. The visual style when you're in Clank's brain is pretty great, and the time puzzles actually seem pretty well done. The demo only has two-pad puzzles, and reviews have said that it will get up to four pads, which seems a little daunting. Since you can choose to skip the puzzles, they can afford to make them rough.

Did anyone else read Eurogamer's Crack in Time review? It's really strange. They spend the whole review talking about the innovative weapons and puzzles...and then conclude by wishing that the game had "a proper selection of exciting new weapons, original puzzles and a bit of innovation." Did they even read their own review?

Europe, man.

Yeah, that was kinda weird. I can't wait for the game, great platformers are so few and far between these days (you pretty much have to wait for the next Ratchet or Mario, that's it), and the tone is a breath of fresh air. It's light hearted fun, at least the tone, which is a nice change of pace from constantly going for head shots or stabbing skeletons in the back.

Also, I'm very happy that they've started adding a difficulty option. My one problem with the games is that they've been a bit too easy, but the Hard mode in Quest For Booty felt just right, aside from one segment on a beach with a pirate attack.

[OldJadedGamer]

I downloaded the Clank demo... didn't see the Ratchet one. While it was typical R&C gameplay, I will say that the game was very, very pretty.

[Gorvi]

Originally Posted by OldJadedGamer

I downloaded the Clank demo... didn't see the Ratchet one. While it was typical R&C gameplay, I will say that the game was very, very pretty.

The Ratchet demo is next week. While it felt similar, the puzzles were pretty unique. R&C is comfort food for me, so I don't mind the familiar feel, I welcome it.

[OldJadedGamer]

Originally Posted by Gorvi

The Ratchet demo is next week. While it felt similar, the puzzles were pretty unique. R&C is comfort food for me, so I don't mind the familiar feel, I welcome it.

I played it just for a bit, till the puzzle where he told me to step on this marker, make a clone of yourself then step on the other marker to open the door. I've done this a billion times in various games and I just turned it off and went back to Critter Crunch. I knew what I was getting, just wanted to see how it looked.

[Gorvi]

Originally Posted by OldJadedGamer

I played it just for a bit, till the puzzle where he told me to step on this marker, make a clone of yourself then step on the other marker to open the door. I've done this a billion times in various games and I just turned it off and went back to Critter Crunch. I knew what I was getting, just wanted to see how it looked.

There's a bit more to it than just that, they get interesting when you're making multiple clones of yourself to open a door.

[Purple Santa]

Originally Posted by Kelegacy

Fuck digital distribution (mostly) in the goat ass.

I can't wait when your son has a digital only library

So much stuff I want! I can afford demos only though Critter Crunch and Clank here I come...

[MagGnome]

Originally Posted by Gorvi

It was always $20. At least it's better than on PC, the MSRP was $30 there I believe. And like you, I think I'm going to wait on a sale.

It was $30 on the PC, but now it is $20. I'm going to pick it up sometime when I have a gaming lull, as the demo was a lot of fun.

Originally Posted by Kelegacy

Fuck digital distribution (mostly) in the goat ass.

Yeah, it pretty much sucks on the consoles. Still, I'm glad that more PSP and PSX titles are becoming available on the PSN. Hopefully the prices will become more reasonable as time goes on, although I wouldn't hold my breath. Unfortunately there isn't much competition to drive down prices or promote sales.

[Spigot]

OJG: Critter Crunch is sweet! I'm probably going to buy it based on that demo.

I understand some reluctance on devs to put demos up on PSN if the statements about Sony charging publishers for downloads of anything off of PSN is true. That said, all it takes is a great demo like the one for Critter Crunch and you've got yourself a sale.

You can only take so many risks with PSN games before you adopt a gunshy approach and wait for someone else to take a chance.

[menage]

Originally Posted by Spigot

OJG: Critter Crunch is sweet! I'm probably going to buy it based on that demo.

I understand some reluctance on devs to put demos up on PSN if the statements about Sony charging publishers for downloads of anything off of PSN is true. That said, all it takes is a great demo like the one for Critter Crunch and you've got yourself a sale.

You can only take so many risks with PSN games before you adopt a gunshy approach and wait for someone else to take a chance.

Yeah, I would have bought more stuff on there but without a demo it's an immediate pass for me. Like Mushroom Wars or something. I would have tried it out and see if I would buy it or not based on the demo. Like I do with Live. But now it just get's pushed of the store withing a week or 2 and I will totally ever forget it exists.

Critter Crunch however I already bought in my head now. It just needs an EU release.

[OldJadedGamer]

Originally Posted by Spigot

OJG: Critter Crunch is sweet! I'm probably going to buy it based on that demo.

I understand some reluctance on devs to put demos up on PSN if the statements about Sony charging publishers for downloads of anything off of PSN is true. That said, all it takes is a great demo like the one for Critter Crunch and you've got yourself a sale.

You can only take so many risks with PSN games before you adopt a gunshy approach and wait for someone else to take a chance.

Then these developers shouldn't be making PSN only games or Sony should eat the cost if they do make them exclusive. Btw, three people that I know (myself included) bought Critter Crunch because of the demo.

[Spigot]

Originally Posted by OldJadedGamer

Then these developers shouldn't be making PSN only games or Sony should eat the cost if they do make them exclusive. Btw, three people that I know (myself included) bought Critter Crunch because of the demo.

Add me and you'll have a fourth. I'm going to be buying it as a reward for finishing Uncharted 2... once I finish Uncharted 2