~*~*The Official Tales of the Abyss Community Thread (Tataroo Valley)*~*~

[Yggdrasill17]

Hello new page! It only took about 6 six months to get there.

I like how IGN puts this up: Experiencing Server Issues/Errors? Engineers are currently working to solve the situation.

Sounds like a very bad image macro.

Eww. That would be terrible. I mean these are make or break issues. Maybe E3?

Well, it looks like one of the most worrying rumors has been squashed. This is a huge sigh of relief because such oppressive DRM would have established a very bad precedent had it taken off on consoles.

Yeah I mean Iwata's 100 billion yen profit goal is essentially what he put his job on the line for, so I guess this sort of expansion of reach in his roles will allow him better orchestrate how to meet these goals. I have no idea how they expect to sell 9 million WiiUs for the fiscal year. Goodluck lol.

Me neither; 9 million Wii Us by the end of March is way too optimistic. The system will be in the pits until at least July/August, and I honestly don’t see anything but Mario Kart and EAD Mario pushing sales significantly. Even then, that’s a lot of Wii Us to sell over the holiday period and Q1 2014, and I’m not confident that the system will have the means to achieve that goal.

Yeah I just saw the 360 version not too long after. But it seems generally on ebay the PS3 version is cheaper. But ugh, I prefer the 360 controller. Decisions, decisions. I guess I need to play my PS3 more so might as well get it for that.

Lol one of my friends always gives me a hard time for neglecting my PS3 so much, but I too generally prefer the 360 pad over the Dualshock 3 for most games as well.

See? Told ya! The WiiU sales are unprecedented for Nintendo so unprecedented support is to be expected. I wouldn't be surprised if FIFA followed suit considering even the Vita versions outsell the Wii/U games.

Your last sentence is both hilarious and sad, but I recall the same being true for Madden 2013 as well. If EA’s really jumping ship, then I wonder how long it’ll be before Ubisoft, Capcom, WB, and Activision all follow suit. Hell, Capcom may have one foot out the door already, with the second following soon afterwards once Revelations is released.

Tell me about it! They focused on exactly the things hardcore gamers do not care about, and the E3 conferences are specifically for that demographic. Omg Nintendoland fireworks for closure. Lawd. This is why the lack of a press conference doesn't bother me on a personal level. It seems like Nintendo has lost relevance with the majority of that crowd so downsizing seems okay until they can truly get their acts together. Like you I don't think there are many real surprises, but I do expect Retro's new game to offer me a strong reason to invest in the console.

Nintendoland was such an oddly appropriate way to end such an ill-conceived and content-anemic press conference. All of the conferences were terrible last year(except maybe Ubisoft’s), but Nintendo’s was especially bad because it was the sales pitch for their next console. Hopefully they get it right this time with Nintendo Direct and deliver some great content to the people that will actually be watching this stuff.

 

[Steven_162002]

Hello new page! It only took about 6 six months to get there.

Achievement unlocked. Let's see if we can manage another page. That would be something - especially if it's just us two. *paging other regulars to at least say hi or something*

Sounds like a very bad image macro.

The good thing is it can be disabled. I do find it funny how posting had been such a headache for a while and the notice was never made, but now that posting is actually tolerable...

Well, it looks like one of the most worrying rumors has been squashed. This is a huge sigh of relief because such oppressive DRM would have established a very bad precedent had it taken off on consoles.

Yeah, that's a start, phew.

Me neither; 9 million Wii Us by the end of March is way too optimistic. The system will be in the pits until at least July/August, and I honestly don’t see anything but Mario Kart and EAD Mario pushing sales significantly. Even then, that’s a lot of Wii Us to sell over the holiday period and Q1 2014, and I’m not confident that the system will have the means to achieve that goal.

Sales are going to be in the gutter until at least fall, so it's really strange to see such an optimistic prediction - a regular Mario and Mario Kart are not going change the system's fortunes dramatically when they didn't for the GC. Then again even Sony expect the PSP/Vita to do 5 million this fiscal year which isn't happening. The 3DS' forecast may happen. I don't think it'll happen but they might come close.

Lol one of my friends always gives me a hard time for neglecting my PS3 so much, but I too generally prefer the 360 pad over the Dualshock 3 for most games as well.

The 360 gamepad is just a lot more precise for me. I feel like I'd enjoy Uncharted a lot more on 360. I actually need to finish off Uncharted 3. Started a while ago but stopped for no apparent reason.

Your last sentence is both hilarious and sad, but I recall the same being true for Madden 2013 as well. If EA’s really jumping ship, then I wonder how long it’ll be before Ubisoft, Capcom, WB, and Activision all follow suit. Hell, Capcom may have one foot out the door already, with the second following soon afterwards once Revelations is released.

The rest should bail out if Nintendo's strategic re-positioning of the system this fall doesn't bear fruit. With Capcom, the fact that a port of a 3DS game is all they have announced now already says enough.

Nintendoland was such an oddly appropriate way to end such an ill-conceived and content-anemic press conference. All of the conferences were terrible last year(except maybe Ubisoft’s), but Nintendo’s was especially bad because it was the sales pitch for their next console. Hopefully they get it right this time with Nintendo Direct and deliver some great content to the people that will actually be watching this stuff.

Did you hear of the new press conference that Reggie and Miyamoto will be presenting? Should be interesting to see if we get a livestream of that. Their strategy still isn't fully clear somehow. And yeah, last year was horrific. My brother just couldn't believe what he saw, but my expectations were really low, I just laughed it off. I knew the WiiU was a disaster waiting to happen even from then.

 

[Yggdrasill17]

Achievement unlocked. Let's see if we can manage another page. That would be something - especially if it's just us two. *paging other regulars to at least say hi or something*

Kirby and f0z were slain by Skyward Sword, while dani’s wounds were too grave and thus he perished shortly afterwards at the hands of E3 2012. It is funny how I can flip a few pages back in this thread and see our E3 2012 impressions – go another page further and there’s E3 2011 lmao. And now we’re just a month away from E3 2013. Here’s to another page!

The good thing is it can be disabled. I do find it funny how posting had been such a headache for a while and the notice was never made, but now that posting is actually tolerable...

Yeah now that you mention it, I haven’t had to button mash F5 to get posts to show up lately.

Sales are going to be in the gutter until at least fall, so it's really strange to see such an optimistic prediction - a regular Mario and Mario Kart are not going change the system's fortunes dramatically when they didn't for the GC. Then again even Sony expect the PSP/Vita to do 5 million this fiscal year which isn't happening. The 3DS' forecast may happen. I don't think it'll happen but they might come close.

I think some people(and perhaps Nintendo) are hoping for a similar turnaround like what the 3DS experienced when its big guns finally arrived. I don’t think that’s going to happen this time though. There’s simply more problems plaguing the Wii U than what the 3DS endured, and there’s more competition in the console space than just a handheld that may as well have not shown up to the race.

And lol that Vita/PSP forecast might just be even crazier. PSP is done and Vita’s upcoming software doesn't inspire much confidence that things will improve much in the near future.

So April NPD comes out this Thursday, so time for yet another exciting Wii U prediction from my ass. I’m going to put myself down for…53k in April.

The 360 gamepad is just a lot more precise for me. I feel like I'd enjoy Uncharted a lot more on 360. I actually need to finish off Uncharted 3. Started a while ago but stopped for no apparent reason.

The 360 controller is just about perfect for shooters as far as traditional gamepads go. I will say that I've had issues with the analog sticks after prolonged use(i.e. on-screen character moves slowly without any input from the player), which has lead me and my friends to buy new controllers numerous times throughout this generation.

The rest should bail out if Nintendo's strategic re-positioning of the system this fall doesn't bear fruit. With Capcom, the fact that a port of a 3DS game is all they have announced now already says enough.

I imagine most of them will if Watch Dogs, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Assassin’s Creed IV bomb hard on Wii U. I’m most curious to see how unit sales of Watch Dogs and ACIV compare between Wii U and PS4/Durango.

Did you hear of the new press conference that Reggie and Miyamoto will be presenting? Should be interesting to see if we get a livestream of that. Their strategy still isn't fully clear somehow. And yeah, last year was horrific. My brother just couldn't believe what he saw, but my expectations were really low, I just laughed it off. I knew the WiiU was a disaster waiting to happen even from then.

Yep, I wonder what they plan to show there. My friends actually enjoyed Sony’s E3 2012 conference somehow, which baffled me because I found the whole affair completely uninteresting outside of The Last of Us(and good god Wonderbook was fucking awful). Sadly, I went in with high expectations for Nintendo’s conference and couldn't believe how badly they fumbled the ball for the second year in a row.

 

[MightyChicken64]

Tales rocks my boxers!

 

[Yggdrasill17]

So, Wii U sold somewhere in the ballpark of ~35k in April...

I thought about going with 48k or 49k, but shit that still would have been overshooting it by a lot. Vita also sold less than 20k, which has to be a new low for the system. It seems like everything cratered this month.

Looks like your bat signal got one, Steven.

 

[Steven_162002]

Kirby and f0z were slain by Skyward Sword, while dani’s wounds were too grave and thus he perished shortly afterwards at the hands of E3 2012. It is funny how I can flip a few pages back in this thread and see our E3 2012 impressions – go another page further and there’s E3 2011 lmao. And now we’re just a month away from E3 2013. Here’s to another page!

R.I.P guys, until further notice. And that's hilarious about E3. Yeah race to a new page etc etc.

And lol that Vita/PSP forecast might just be even crazier. PSP is done and Vita’s upcoming software doesn't inspire much confidence that things will improve much in the near future.

There are now rumblings about the Vita having a good E3; now if it's good genuinely or good relative to the Vita remains to be seen, but I'd be surprised if it amounted to much besides more indie stuff and multiplat PS3 titles.

The 360 controller is just about perfect for shooters as far as traditional gamepads go. I will say that I've had issues with the analog sticks after prolonged use(i.e. on-screen character moves slowly without any input from the player), which has lead me and my friends to buy new controllers numerous times throughout this generation.

Really? Can't say the same though, then again I've had a 360 three separate times and have tossed the older controllers into some deep dank abyss or the like.

I imagine most of them will if Watch Dogs, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Assassin’s Creed IV bomb hard on Wii U. I’m most curious to see how unit sales of Watch Dogs and ACIV compare between Wii U and PS4/Durango.

Yeah, I think those titles will also struggle on PS4/Durango because people aren't going to transition overnight. These early cross gen titles should serve to offer a smooth, gradual transition process, but they'll all perform significantly better on PS360 initially. On WiiU, they will flop since that console is neither here nor there. Poor thing.

Yep, I wonder what they plan to show there. My friends actually enjoyed Sony’s E3 2012 conference somehow, which baffled me because I found the whole affair completely uninteresting outside of The Last of Us(and good god Wonderbook was fucking awful). Sadly, I went in with high expectations for Nintendo’s conference and couldn't believe how badly they fumbled the ball for the second year in a row.

Lawd, Sony's was almost as bad. A total snoozefest. That wonderbook crap was insufferable, but yeah Last of Us was interesting and I can't wait to get that in June.

Tales rocks my boxers!

A wild MIGHTY Chicken appears! <3

So, Wii U sold somewhere in the ballpark of ~35k in April...

I thought about going with 48k or 49k, but shit that still would have been overshooting it by a lot. Vita also sold less than 20k, which has to be a new low for the system. It seems like everything cratered this month.

Yep free servings of doom for everyone. Now your ass isn't reliable It keeps being sorta kind to the WiiU, but the WiiU challenges us in how low it can go every month. It at least impresses (or rather depresses) on that front! I would have expected 45k myself.

Vita is just dead. It's deader than PSP was dead in the US in 2010. Sony should just drop its price and relegate it to being a PS4 accessory outside Japan where they can at least hope to carve a niche.

And the PS4/Durango CANNOT come soon enough!

Also sad to see Dragon's Dogma underperform again. Something about the marketing isn't clicking with the target audience.

I'm excited for the new Pokemanzzzzzzz. First one I'll be playing since HG/SS. But apparently Gen 5 is so good.

Also we're getting Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (AA/GY5) but ditigal only - Crapcom at it again :\

 

[Yggdrasill17]

There are now rumblings about the Vita having a good E3; now if it's good genuinely or good relative to the Vita remains to be seen, but I'd be surprised if it amounted to much besides more indie stuff and multiplat PS3 titles.

The Vita had a decent presence last year on the show floor iirc; it was just that it had no presence at their press briefing. I don’t see that being any different this year, since the PS4 will undoubtedly be hogging all of the spotlight. We’ll see though.

Yeah, I think those titles will also struggle on PS4/Durango because people aren't going to transition overnight. These early cross gen titles should serve to offer a smooth, gradual transition process, but they'll all perform significantly better on PS360 initially. On WiiU, they will flop since that console is neither here nor there. Poor thing.

Most early adopters will be 360/PS3 owners looking to upgrade, and will pick up games like Battlefield 4 and Watch Dogs on the new consoles. But you’re right that those games will easily sell best on the 360 and PS3 due to their obvious advantage in install base. Truth is, cross gen games have never been done on this scale before(almost every next gen 3rd party game that has been announced is cross gen), which has me wondering if the PS4 and Durango will have a slower start than usual(though not DOA like Wii U is).

Yep free servings of doom for everyone. Now your ass isn't reliable It keeps being sorta kind to the WiiU, but the WiiU challenges us in how low it can go every month. It at least impresses (or rather depresses) on that front! I would have expected 45k myself.

I was personally saving Vita’s old throne for Wii U this summer but it looks like Nintendo has gone and claimed it early! And to add insult to injury, the 3DS also did pretty bad this month and is still struggling to find its footing in North America.

So one “unprecedented” partnership comes to an end, while a new one begins. Who needs FIFA, Madden, Star Wars, and Battlefield when you've got Sonic and friends all to yourself?

Vita is just dead. It's deader than PSP was dead in the US in 2010. Sony should just drop its price and relegate it to being a PS4 accessory outside Japan where they can at least hope to carve a niche.

That honestly sounds like a bad idea to me. The Vita would need a huge price drop to get enough people to actually buy it as a PS4 accessory to matter, and Sony would likely lose truckloads of money on every unit sold in the process. The Vita is simply beyond saving; all Sony can really do at this point is stay the course and try to get the most out of it until retailers stop carrying the system, or until Sony kills it themselves. There will be no happy ending for the Vita.

And the PS4/Durango CANNOT come soon enough!

Indeed, and hopefully they can stem the tide of zombie hardware that seems to be kicking off the new generation as we speak.

Also sad to see Dragon's Dogma underperform again. Something about the marketing isn't clicking with the target audience.

Japan seems to have taken a liking to Dragon’s Dogma, but it’s having difficulty gaining much traction in the west. DA’s April numbers were very depressing, but not surprising in the least. DD vanilla only sold 90k in its opening month, and there was even less awareness for Dark Arisen. They really should have released Dark Arisen as downloadable content in addition to a retail “GOTY” edition, so as to not piss off and screw over the people that bought the vanilla release.

Capcom’s going to have even more bombas later this year with Remember Me and Lost Planet 3 lol.

I'm excited for the new Pokemanzzzzzzz. First one I'll be playing since HG/SS. But apparently Gen 5 is so good.

Pssshh I haven’t played a Pokémon game since Red/Blue/Yellow. I'm pretty far behind the curve these days.

Also we're getting Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (AA/GY5) but ditigal only - Crapcom at it again :\

So Capcpom can’t be arsed with a retail release of AA: DD, while at the same time they release the new Dragon’s Dogma content exclusively as a retail game? I mean, why not do both Capcom?

 

[Yggdrasill17]

Alright, so let me get this straight:

-Xbox One has always online DRM after all; you must be connected to the internet at least once every 24 hours(or else no games?).

-Xbox One requires you to be online in order to activate games via serial numbers/CD Key.

-You get one license per game, which is attached to your user profile after installation(sounds like physical retail discs are for installs and that’s it). If you lend or sell the game, the
new owner will have to purchase a new license for the price of a full-priced game(holy fuck!). This makes buying used games pointless and pretty much kneecaps Gamestop, Gamefly, etc.

-Kinect 2.0 is mandatory and must be plugged in at all times for the console to function.

-Only 5GB of RAM is allocated for games, with the other 3 going to the system’s 3 OS’s.

-Microsoft's obfuscation regarding specs combined with what we know(8GB of RAM, embedded ESRAM) seems to confirm that the rumored specs are indeed true. Xbox One is a good deal weaker than the PS4 if this is the case.

Did I miss something here? So basically, all of the bad rumors ended up true, with some of them like the anti-used game one being even worse than I think anyone expected. The actual press briefing was pretty much a long-winded cable box commercial with Call of Duty and Sports stuff. This whole reveal has been a clusterfuck where the bad news just keeps on rolling in.

 

[hhafiz]

...Wow I had no idea about all that Xbox One stuff. =/ Well at least I had no plans to get one anyway...

I'm not gonna lie, I'm gonna miss watching Nintendo's E3 conferences...

I would've posted sooner but erm...strange events have taken place that have prevented my usual fangirling activities...stay tuned for more info in the next couple weeks!...

Meanwhile I just started a new Abyss playthrough, but this time the undub version~ Also using cheats to make everyone equipped with a Tutti core from the get-go because I can't be bothered to keep switching them around like I used to. Also thinking to hack Asch in from time to time but only when I'm certain that it won't glitch up my game.

EDIT: Forgot to comment on the Xillia ENG voices. So I'm actually pretty okay with most of them with the exception of Elize, Teepo, and Leia, although I have since then warmed up to Leia's a bit more. Contrary to popular opinion, Milla's voice is pretty much what I would've expected from her although there's already a ton of people claiming that it's going to ruin her character -- frankly it's not as big of a change when you compare Tear's voice actresses between their two versions (pretty much young schoolgirl --> older woman) and here you have: kind-of-an-older woman ---> older woman. Umm so yeah...and most of these are the same people who refused to admit that Tear's VA didn't make a difference to her portrayal...nice to get a taste of your own medicine, hmm? Well we'll see how well her transition goes over.

Tales rocks my boxers!

omg where have you been you need to get back here

 

[Yggdrasill17]

This past week has been an utter PR disaster for Microsoft - I've never seen so much backpedaling, doublespeak, confusion, and disarray after a new console reveal. Microsoft had to know beforehand that these rumors have been torn to shreds for the past few months, and yet their schizophrenic replies to the big questions show a degree of unpreparedness that strikes me as amateurish. Now everything has been officially relegated back to “rumor status” because Microsoft can’t get its answers straight, but it seems crystal clear to me that this ham-fisted backtracking is largely the result of the immense backlash surrounding the Xbox One’s draconian DRM policies.

Also, if this thread is to be believed, then Sony too has their own DRM measures in place that were initially planned for launch with the PS4. I guess we’ll have to see if they'll reveal their plans at E3, but I have a bad feeling about the next generation of consoles.

...Wow I had no idea about all that Xbox One stuff. =/ Well at least I had no plans to get one anyway...

My interest in the Xbone, and whatever goodwill I had left for Microsoft, is now pretty much gone after this reveal.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm gonna miss watching Nintendo's E3 conferences...

Well, their E3 Nintendo Direct is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11th at 7 AM PST, which is about the usual time that they've held their conferences in years past. It’ll be different without all of the pizzazz that comes with E3, but I think the ND itself will be better off for it. As long as they deliver the goods, it should easily be much better than their last two E3 conferences.

I would've posted sooner but erm...strange events have taken place that have prevented my usual fangirling activities...stay tuned for more info in the next couple weeks!...

Hmmm...is this you by chance?

EDIT: Forgot to comment on the Xillia ENG voices. So I'm actually pretty okay with most of them with the exception of Elize, Teepo, and Leia, although I have since then warmed up to Leia's a bit more. Contrary to popular opinion, Milla's voice is pretty much what I would've expected from her although there's already a ton of people claiming that it's going to ruin her character -- frankly it's not as big of a change when you compare Tear's voice actresses between their two versions (pretty much young schoolgirl --> older woman) and here you have: kind-of-an-older woman ---> older woman. Umm so yeah...and most of these are the same people who refused to admit that Tear's VA didn't make a difference to her portrayal...nice to get a taste of your own medicine, hmm? Well we'll see how well her transition goes over.

I didn’t have much of a problem either with the voices from what I've listened to in the video I watched, though I admit I've hardly been keeping up with this game. As for Tear’s Japanese VO, I just watched a few Japanese videos of TotA and can definitely say that there’s a noticeable difference between the two voice-overs(aside from the obvious fact that one is in Japanese and the other English).

 

[Steven_162002]

Sorry for not showing up a while...busier couple of weeks. Presentations, research etc.

Did I miss something here? So basically, all of the bad rumors ended up true, with some of them like the anti-used game one being even worse than I think anyone expected. The actual press briefing was pretty much a long-winded cable box commercial with Call of Duty and Sports stuff. This whole reveal has been a clusterfuck where the bad news just keeps on rolling in.

I knew it! Those rumours were far too rampant for them not to have any solid basis behind them. I'm afraid Microsoft have gone off the deep end a la Sony aka "$599 and please get a second job" and Nintendo aka "N64 is dealing with outdated and expensive Cartridges; comply of gtfo third parties".

This has to be one of the most underwhelming console reveals ever. Even the WiiU had a better unveiling - and to think I sat through that and carved out time to see it during a busy week!

Some of us do not live in the US Microsoft. Crazy, I know.

I would've posted sooner but erm...strange events have taken place that have prevented my usual fangirling activities...stay tuned for more info in the next couple weeks!...

Spill the beans! I'm impatient.

Haha, I logged unto my laptop and saw a message from you. I didn't even know MSN messenger still existed. I thought it was axed? Then I found out that my windows account was connected to my laptop. So I guess we can still chat there ^^

EDIT: Forgot to comment on the Xillia ENG voices. So I'm actually pretty okay with most of them with the exception of Elize, Teepo, and Leia, although I have since then warmed up to Leia's a bit more. Contrary to popular opinion, Milla's voice is pretty much what I would've expected from her although there's already a ton of people claiming that it's going to ruin her character -- frankly it's not as big of a change when you compare Tear's voice actresses between their two versions (pretty much young schoolgirl --> older woman) and here you have: kind-of-an-older woman ---> older woman. Umm so yeah...and most of these are the same people who refused to admit that Tear's VA didn't make a difference to her portrayal...nice to get a taste of your own medicine, hmm? Well we'll see how well her transition goes over.

Yeah, I'm not seeing a stark difference in portrayal compared to the dramatic one for Tear. But yeah, Hassy, I know those usual suspects by now, and it's sweet to know that they're getting that taste of their own medicine, lol.

This past week has been an utter PR disaster for Microsoft - I've never seen so much backpedaling, doublespeak, confusion, and disarray after a new console reveal. Microsoft had to know beforehand that these rumors have been torn to shreds for the past few months, and yet their schizophrenic replies to the big questions show a degree of unpreparedness that strikes me as amateurish. Now everything has been officially relegated back to “rumor status” because Microsoft can’t get its answers straight, but it seems crystal clear to me that this ham-fisted backtracking is largely the result of the immense backlash surrounding the Xbox One’s draconian DRM policies.

Also, if this thread is to be believed, then Sony too has their own DRM measures in place that were initially planned for launch with the PS4. I guess we’ll have to see if they'll reveal their plans at E3, but I have a bad feeling about the next generation of consoles..

DRM unfortunately is the future if gaming to progress the way the big publishers want it to. Microsoft and Sony need big publishers, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony join the fray, but they might leave that up to big publishers which would essentially still mean the same thing. Most of the revenue comes from them and they want the revenue that comes from used games.

But yeah, in a nutshell, next gen is looking pretty grim for me too, and I "look forward" to E3 now with trepidation. I might have to sit out both consoles and *gasp* opt for WiiU and a good PC.

 

[MightyChicken64]

omg where have you been you need to get back here

I was deployed for around 8 months but came back in May. It's good to see ya again, hope you're doing well. They ever finish that Symphonia anime?

To contribute to the topic I'm not too excited about the next gen consoles yet. I foresee myself sticking with PC and PS3 for the long run, might get a Wii U if there are some crazy deals during Black Friday or w/e.

So the general consensus is that Xillia is just decent?

 

[hhafiz]

Well I can probably tell you guys now, but...hmm, I think I'm digging the suspense more, mwahaha~

OH! And I forgot to comment on Tales of Festival right around the corner. I'm not sure if you guys heard the rumors about ToS/ToS 2 being remastered for the PS3? So yeah, that's like one thing that's been buzzing around since it's Symphonia's 10th anniversary...not sure what to expect. And most people are also expecting Tempest R to be announced since it would be right after Innocence R/Hearts R -- but I mean, no one really cares about Tempest, so yah. <.< Well the festival's this weekend, so we'll see soon enough~ I just want another Tales with Vesperia graphics but with Abyss' storytelling, is that so hard to ask?

Well, their E3 Nintendo Direct is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11th at 7 AM PST, which is about the usual time that they've held their conferences in years past. It’ll be different without all of the pizzazz that comes with E3, but I think the ND itself will be better off for it. As long as they deliver the goods, it should easily be much better than their last two E3 conferences.

Well I guess that's something...just want to get excited again!

Haha, I logged unto my laptop and saw a message from you. I didn't even know MSN messenger still existed. I thought it was axed? Then I found out that my windows account was connected to my laptop. So I guess we can still chat there ^^

Oh yeah heh, so basically Windows Live/Messenger is kaput BUT everything is transitioned to Skype. But yeah I saw you on and was like omg Steven's on but then you didn't respond so yeah. D: But yeah if you still have it then great! Hopefully we can start chatting again, though I don't get on too often besides the weekends.

I was deployed for around 8 months but came back in May. It's good to see ya again, hope you're doing well. They ever finish that Symphonia anime?

To contribute to the topic I'm not too excited about the next gen consoles yet. I foresee myself sticking with PC and PS3 for the long run, might get a Wii U if there are some crazy deals during Black Friday or w/e.

So the general consensus is that Xillia is just decent?

Oh wow well welcome back! And haha, yes they did Eleven episodes in total -- how many did you watch again?

And same, I haven't really been interested in any of them either...my PS3 still has a lot of life left, dangit! And I still have yet to get a 3DS.

Well there are mixed opinions on Xillia I guess...but most people really do like some of the characters like Milla and Leia (although Jude and Alvin gets a lot of hate, heh <.<) But just content-wise (as well as just how they designed the world map and dungeons), it seemed like there was a lot of room for improvement. I really feel like they did the "dual-protagonist/path" thing only because a single playthrough isn't as long as a typical Tales run usually is and you're pretty much forced to go through both paths to get the "complete" story.

 

[MightyChicken64]

The last episode I remember is when they run into Yiggy for the first time and proceed to get their butts kicked. But then Kratos arrives or something? I think it was in a mine.

I remember seeing that rumor about a Symphonia Perfect Edition or something but then I saw http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/27/tales-of-symphonia-perfect-edition-rumor-refuted-by-series-prod/

So wait, Xillia has 2 protagonists with their own playthroughs? That sounds pretty interesting. Interested in Abyss for the 3DS as well though.

Oh and hey, I also got accepted into Columbia University! So happy I got into a good school after the military but I'm kinda nervous about living in New York City. Never lived in a huge ass city before.

 

[Yggdrasill17]

My, my…this place almost feels alive again instead of just a one-on-one volley across the Atlantic.

I knew it! Those rumours were far too rampant for them not to have any solid basis behind them. I'm afraid Microsoft have gone off the deep enda laSony aka "$599 and please get a second job" and Nintendo aka "N64 is dealing with outdated and expensive Cartridges; comply of gtfo third parties".

This has to be one of the most underwhelming console reveals ever. Even the WiiU had a better unveiling - and to think I sat through that and carved out time to see it during a busy week!

Some of us do not live in the US Microsoft. Crazy, I know.

What?! How could you not be impressed with TV, sports, and Call of Duty?


The Xbox One is pretty much the “America Fuck Yeah” box, but as an American myself, it looks to be the most unappealing of the next gen boxes. Draconian DRM policies, Google TV with Kinect, and compromised specs for games isn't what I asked for in a next gen machine. Microsoft has definitely been channeling Krazy Ken Sony and Emperor Yamauchi Nintendo as of late, and hopefully they’ll fall on their asses just the same.

DRM unfortunately is the future if gaming to progress the way the big publishers want it to. Microsoft and Sony need big publishers, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony join the fray, but they might leave that up to big publishers which would essentially still mean the same thing. Most of the revenue comes from them and they want the revenue that comes from used games.

But yeah, in a nutshell, next gen is looking pretty grim for me too, and I "look forward" to E3 now with trepidation. I might have to sit out both consoles and *gasp* opt for WiiU and a good PC.

The AAA model is simply unsustainable, and instead of reevaluating their current strategies, publishers would rather strip of us our consumer rights and squeeze more money out of us. Wouldn't it be hilarious if game prices went up($70 as EA hinted at earlier this year) in addition to these new restrictions on resale and ownership of our games? The game industry seems all too eager to jump off of a cliff; what remains to be seen is whether or not we jump off with them.

I'm through with Microsoft, and possibly Sony as well if they too go off of the reservation. I can't imagine myself going Wii U only, so I guess the only other option would be PC gaming.

To contribute to the topic I'm not too excited about the next gen consoles yet. I foresee myself sticking with PC and PS3 for the long run, might get a Wii U if there are some crazy deals during Black Friday or w/e.

I’ll probably go Wii U and PC next gen as well if the PS4 turns out that bad, and also assuming that Microsoft doesn't change course.

Well I can probably tell you guys now, but...hmm, I think I'm digging the suspense more, mwahaha~

I’m on the edge of my seat already.

OH! And I forgot to comment on Tales of Festival right around the corner. I'm not sure if you guys heard the rumors about ToS/ToS 2 being remastered for the PS3? So yeah, that's like one thing that's been buzzing around since it's Symphonia's 10th anniversary...not sure what to expect. And most people are also expecting Tempest R to be announced since it would be right after Innocence R/Hearts R -- but I mean, no one really cares about Tempest, so yah. <.< Well the festival's this weekend, so we'll see soon enough~ I just want another Tales with Vesperia graphics but with Abyss' storytelling, is that so hard to ask?

I've heard about that rumor; kind of meh on it honestly since I don't have a pressing urge to replay ToS and KoR always looked like garbage to me. And lol@saving the worst for last with Tempest R if that turns out to be the case. What are the chances they announce a new PS3 Tales at this festival?

Oh and hey, I also got accepted into Columbia University! So happy I got into a good school after the military but I'm kinda nervous about living in New York City. Never lived in a huge ass city before.

That sounds great, congrats. I can imagine that moving to a huge city like NYC would be intimidating, but I’m sure you’ll get used to it in due time.

 

[hhafiz]

More news trickling in...the official Tales Facebook page will apparently have news tomorrow, and their European branch on Twitter is asking people to watch the Festival...hmmmm WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN and why would the EU branch be asking their fans to watch a JAPANESE-ONLY event?

The last episode I remember is when they run into Yiggy for the first time and proceed to get their butts kicked. But then Kratos arrives or something? I think it was in a mine.

Are...are you serious? D: Yah that was like...I think Episode 5? You have quite a ways to go, get to it!

I remember seeing that rumor about a Symphonia Perfect Edition or something but then I saw http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/27/tales-of-symphonia-perfect-edition-rumor-refuted-by-series-prod/

Yeah I admit he didn't make it seem likely, but then apparently there's a few other related ToS stuff that happened:

1) Lloyd and Emil are set to appear on the cover of the next issue of Tales of Magazine -- I can understand Lloyd if it just happened to commemorate the 10th anniversary, but why put Emil there? It'd make more sense if Lloyd was with Colette, or even Zelos.
2) They just announced 2 new figurines -- Zelos, followed by Lloyd soon after.
3) They've been doing other little Symphonia-related stuff, like releasing this Lloyd/Colette wallpaper as Tales' Channel's wallpaper of the month or something.

So it's just suspicious...although I do admit that #2 and #3 could be more attributed to their 10th anniversary, the fact that Emil is also appearing with Lloyd on the cover of their magazine just strikes me as a little odd. Oh well, we'll see in a matter of hours now.

So wait, Xillia has 2 protagonists with their own playthroughs? That sounds pretty interesting. Interested in Abyss for the 3DS as well though.

Pretty much, although they share about 85% of the same content, pretty much...it's just a few parts where the story diverges and/or is slightly different.

I'd have gotten Abyss 3DS long ago if they had at least added a few new things to it...sadly it's just an exact port of what we got in North America. So I'm in no hurry to get it yet (plus I'm not too thrilled at the idea of having to regain everything I had already earned from my PS2 copy [which took hundreds of hours]).

Oh and hey, I also got accepted into Columbia University! So happy I got into a good school after the military but I'm kinda nervous about living in New York City. Never lived in a huge ass city before.

Wow that's awesome! Congrats~ I went to NYC last summer and yeah, it can be pretty intimidating, but I admit there's like TONS to see and do. So, I think if anything, you'll have plenty of time to explore the area while you're there.

My, my…this place almost feels alive again instead of just a one-on-one volley across the Atlantic.

I'll admit, I'm mostly online because of all the Tales news going on XD But yeah, still nice to see this place active again!

I've heard about that rumor; kind of meh on it honestly since I don't have a pressing urge to replay ToS and KoR always looked like garbage to me. And lol@saving the worst for last with Tempest R if that turns out to be the case. What are the chances they announce a new PS3 Tales at this festival?

I agree somewhat -- as much as I still love Symphonia, I'm not too thrilled about playing it again if it's just going to get a graphics upgrade...I need a little more incentive than that.

I'd love to see a new PS3 Tales as well, but only if it's GROUND UP made from the PS3. Honestly I want to see what they can REALLY do on the PS3 and I refuse to believe that Xillia's the best they can do on the system.

 

[hhafiz]

...Double post, I know, but the announcement has finally come~!
Tales of Symphonia/ToS: Dawn of the New World HD is indeed coming for the PS3.

Here's the news in English if you prefer -- and yes, it's confirmed for localization!

Basically we're getting the PS2 port, so we'll be getting whatever extras that came with that. Along with new Tales series costumes for the cast -- Guy for Lloyd and Luke for Genis already confirmed (I love Luke to death but I'm still not sure what to think of Genis in his clothes...) Also getting new cut-ins for the MAs!

And special deluxe versions of the game will be released in Japan as well, though not sure what NA/Europe will be getting with theirs.

Aaaaand I need to go back to sleep, so good morningnight.

 

[MightyChicken64]

What, you didn't know about the steamy and sordid affair Genis and Luke were having? They have each other's names tattooed on their bodies and are known by their couple name "Lunis".


My body is ready to make Sheena my waifu again

 

[Yggdrasill17]

The PS2 port of Tales of Symphonia only ran at 30 fps if I'm not mistaken - it would be incredibly disappointing if Namco didn't bump it to 60(like it was on the GameCube version) for the HD release. Dawn of the New World looks as terrible as ever, so I don't have any interest in playing that.

I'd love to see a new PS3 Tales as well, but only if it's GROUND UP made from the PS3. Honestly I want to see what they can REALLY do on the PS3 and I refuse to believe that Xillia's the best they can do on the system.

I much prefer the art style of Vesperia over Xillia, and perhaps that's where some of that visual disparity comes from. Tales of Xillia is still more technically impressive in some regards though, with one example being the cutscene animation, which doesn't look absolutely horrendous in Xillia(Vesperia on the other hand...).

 

[Yggdrasill17]

Hmm double post, perhaps I spoke too soon.

I came here to post that I would be away from the boards for a few weeks(vacation!), but this CT seems to be limping along just fine in its current zombie state. It’s a shame that I’ll miss the E3 extravaganza as it happens, but it’s not every day that one gets to see the mountains and eat awesome food.

Hopefully some bombs get dropped at E3; I’ll be sure to watch the conferences when I get back home. Have a fun[hl=black]disappointing[/hl] E3 everyone!

 

[Steven_162002]

Soooooo I cracked my back tooth (molars) while eating cereal and had to go to the dentist. Apparently the tooth was just shy of decay enough to require an extraction, but thankfully they just had fillings done. Since it was a full check up though, they just had to find other issues and now I'm face with a huge bill and more appointments, ugh. I need dental insurance damnit.

My, my…this place almost feels alive again instead of just a one-on-one volley across the Atlantic.

IKR! That gif is hilarious btw.

The Xbox One is pretty much the “America Fuck Yeah” box, but as an American myself, it looks to be the most unappealing of the next gen boxes. Draconian DRM policies, Google TV with Kinect, and compromised specs for games isn't what I asked for in a next gen machine. Microsoft has definitely been channeling Krazy Ken Sony and Emperor Yamauchi Nintendo as of late, and hopefully they’ll fall on their asses just the same.

It's like, okay, since cable TV is so prevalent in the US why make it a selling point again? Of course all their draconian terms and conditions where conveniently left out of the reveal, but I must say, backlash has been funny to witness. The media isn't having it at all.

The AAA model is simply unsustainable, and instead of reevaluating their current strategies, publishers would rather strip of us our consumer rights and squeeze more money out of us. Wouldn't it be hilarious if game prices went up($70 as EA hinted at earlier this year) in addition to these new restrictions on resale and ownership of our games? The game industry seems all too eager to jump off of a cliff; what remains to be seen is whether or not we jump off with them.

I am really passionate about the industry even if I'm only looking from the outside mostly, but it's like, we, the armchair analysts are the only ones seemingly capable of witnessing the slow motion crash this AAA driven model is headed. I mean we can criticise Nintendo till dawn and heaven knows they have their own unique faults but at least they could see the potential pitfalls with this aggressive, cutthroat model. Maybe another crash is what is needed for proper reevaluation. I will not be paying $70 or whatever its equivalent is here for software...though I think early in the gen those were the prices down here if you currency convert.

Oh and hey, I also got accepted into Columbia University! So happy I got into a good school after the military but I'm kinda nervous about living in New York City. Never lived in a huge ass city before.

Wow definitely sounds both exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time, but it's new territory so embrace it. Goodluck with your studies and future endeavours!

Basically we're getting the PS2 port, so we'll be getting whatever extras that came with that. Along with new Tales series costumes for the cast -- Guy for Lloyd and Luke for Genis already confirmed (I love Luke to death but I'm still not sure what to think of Genis in his clothes...) Also getting new cut-ins for the MAs!

And special deluxe versions of the game will be released in Japan as well, though not sure what NA/Europe will be getting with theirs.

Given what we're getting with Xillia who knows...maybe we'll get our own unique special edition. Symphonia is the only popular Tales in the West so they might as well pull their weight.

Hopefully they're not porting the PS2 source code though. 30fps battles and a choppy overworld is not acceptable.

Regarding visuals, I'd say Xillia actually looks the most impressive so far though I haven't played it. But like Vesperia's engine while super polished was very limited in scope like the last gen games, which I think the Xillia games seem to have improved dramatically. I think they're on the right track but that's just me looking from the surface...


Have fun with the vacation Yggy!!! And, hopefully E3 doesn't disappoint.

 

[hhafiz]

I wanted this post this earlier, but anyways...NEW ENGLISH TRAILER:


I'd be more hyped if I didn't already play the game lol

Voices sound really good, and there's speculation that Gaius is Travis Willingham...seems pretty fitting so far!

The PS2 port of Tales of Symphonia only ran at 30 fps if I'm not mistaken - it would be incredibly disappointing if Namco didn't bump it to 60(like it was on the GameCube version) for the HD release. Dawn of the New World looks as terrible as ever, so I don't have any interest in playing that.

Yeah I'm also expecting them to bump up the framerate as well. That would be really upsetting if they didn't do that. Also have no plans to go through DotNW either. XD

I much prefer the art style of Vesperia over Xillia, and perhaps that's where some of that visual disparity comes from. Tales of Xillia is still more technically impressive in some regards though, with one example being the cutscene animation, which doesn't look absolutely horrendous in Xillia(Vesperia on the other hand...).

I seriously wouldn't even mind if every future Tales looked like Vesperia, no joke. Yeah cutscene animation was better in Xillia I guess, but at the same time I really miss the cel-shading and think that it fits the series more as a whole...I really wish they'd just stop "experimenting" with different styles and just focus on one that everyone loves. Don't fix something that's not broken, basically.

I came here to post that I would be away from the boards for a few weeks(vacation!), but this CT seems to be limping along just fine in its current zombie state. It’s a shame that I’ll miss the E3 extravaganza as it happens, but it’s not every day that one gets to see the mountains and eat awesome food.

Hopefully some bombs get dropped at E3; I’ll be sure to watch the conferences when I get back home. Have a fun[hl=black]disappointing[/hl] E3 everyone!

Oh well, at least you'll be on vacation and you can always catch up with everything when you come back.

Meanwhile I'll be at work every day so it's not like I'll be able to watch anything live...most likely.

Soooooo I cracked my back tooth (molars) while eating cereal and had to go to the dentist. Apparently the tooth was just shy of decay enough to require an extraction, but thankfully they just had fillings done. Since it was a full check up though, they just had to find other issues and now I'm face with a huge bill and more appointments, ugh. I need dental insurance damnit.

Oh dang that sounds brutal. Yeah I need to get my four molars taken out eventually, actually. Also kind of behind on my usual dental appointments...

Given what we're getting with Xillia who knows...maybe we'll get our own unique special edition. Symphonia is the only popular Tales in the West so they might as well pull their weight.

Hopefully they're not porting the PS2 source code though. 30fps battles and a choppy overworld is not acceptable.

Regarding visuals, I'd say Xillia actually looks the most impressive so far though I haven't played it. But like Vesperia's engine while super polished was very limited in scope like the last gen games, which I think the Xillia games seem to have improved dramatically. I think they're on the right track but that's just me looking from the surface...

Yeah I really hope we get some goodies! Though like Xillia I'm actually not picking up the CE, just going for the LE if I can manage to get that. And yeah, as I told Yggy I'm also hoping for some improvements on the PS2 version.

Honestly I think Xillia is just built off of Graces F's engine because they do share a lot of similarities, such as motion capture. It's only the battle system that is different and more "Team Symphonia's" style. There's still a lot that just seems like they skimped out on (Milla's hair for instance is just a big blob of hair that moves around as one).

 

[Steven_162002]

Sooooooooo.... E3 has come and gone.

Nintendo showed basically nothing new. Microsoft killed themselves with price and DRM policies. Sony got the victory by default because *gasp* you can actually own your games *roar of audience applause* and *gasp* it'll be reasonably priced too! :S

So basically Microsoft became the Sony of last gen and vice versa. Nintendo still being Nintendo except worse.

I'm kinda pissed at how Retro has only been working on a new DKC all along...and I love DKC games but I just expected something more ambitious. And it was doubly disappointing too to see a 3D Land approach going to the new 3D Mario for WiiU (gotta get it in time for the holidays I guess :\). Mario Kart 8 looked fantastic though. And yeah Smash Bros. 3DS was a no show but it's okay, they have Pokemanz.

Microsoft actually had the best conference for games, imo. Quite a few third party exclusives that I was interested in and the pacing was fantastic. Sony I thought was dull in comparison outside of FFXV and KH3 (which also will be coming to Xbox One anyway) and the Watch Dog demo (but also on everything) ... far too long demos and speech and nothing of note for Vita.

The Division looked FANTASTIC, as did MGSV and The Witcher 3.

I wanted this post this earlier, but anyways...NEW ENGLISH TRAILER:


Voices sound really good, and there's speculation that Gaius is Travis Willingham...seems pretty fitting so far!

Yeaaaaaah, it's looking splendid. What a fantastic trailer. It's kinda too bad that it doesn't live up to what is suggested there

DAY 1.

Oh dang that sounds brutal. Yeah I need to get my four molars taken out eventually, actually. Also kind of behind on my usual dental appointments...

HOLY S*** FOUR?!? How? That's incredulous. Too much sweeties? Dang. I only have fillings to do. I think one will eventually need to be extracted though, well either that or a root canal depending on how further it decays (or not at all, please God).

Yeah I really hope we get some goodies! Though like Xillia I'm actually not picking up the CE, just going for the LE if I can manage to get that. And yeah, as I told Yggy I'm also hoping for some improvements on the PS2 version.

Honestly I think Xillia is just built off of Graces F's engine because they do share a lot of similarities, such as motion capture. It's only the battle system that is different and more "Team Symphonia's" style. There's still a lot that just seems like they skimped out on (Milla's hair for instance is just a big blob of hair that moves around as one).

I expect basically ToS GC performance + PS2 content. Kinda like RE Wii Edition.

And yeah, I think you're right about Xillia building off of Graces. But I also thought Graces was a step up in scope and scale of engine compared to Vesperia :S I mean not technically since Vesperia is technically superior, but in terms of ambition, with the cutscene style, proportions, camera angles etc. I think they should keep improving it, because these two games improved the presentation somewhat. Vesperia's in-game cutscenes are much less interesting to watch.

 

[hhafiz]

Well seems like Microsoft is now cutting out the no-used-game thing as well as the mandatory 24-hour online connection, so that's good news for you guys~

I'm pretty hyped for Smash, but I really hope that the limitations of the 3DS doesn't limit the roster of characters -- and they said that each version of the game will have the same number of characters. Not sure when I'll get around to picking up a Wii U, though.

Yeaaaaaah, it's looking splendid. What a fantastic trailer. It's kinda too bad that it doesn't live up to what is suggested there

Well I'll be honest, they basically took the best scenes from the game and shoved them all in that trailer. XD

I'm also just hoping that my being able to actually understand the game this time will hopefully make me appreciate it more and gauge it better with the other Tales.

HOLY S*** FOUR?!? How? That's incredulous. Too much sweeties? Dang. I only have fillings to do. I think one will eventually need to be extracted though, well either that or a root canal depending on how further it decays (or not at all, please God).

Oh no actually, haha. Thank God I take pretty good care of my teeth. XD What it is is that my mouth is apparently too small for all my teeth, so they're just a bit scrunched up together. I've already had braces but it doesn't help with the limited space I guess. So they're hoping that by removing my molars (one from each corner of my mouth), it'll help space out my teeth better.

And yeah, I think you're right about Xillia building off of Graces. But I also thought Graces was a step up in scope and scale of engine compared to Vesperia :S I mean not technically since Vesperia is technically superior, but in terms of ambition, with the cutscene style, proportions, camera angles etc. I think they should keep improving it, because these two games improved the presentation somewhat. Vesperia's in-game cutscenes are much less interesting to watch.

Well I don't mind if they try to improve presentation, but I don't want them to start cutting other corners in the process either, like content and length of the story for instance.

(Oh, and I need to fix what I said earlier -- Milla's hair is actually divided into 5 bunches, not just one as I stated earlier. But they all basically move together, lol)

 

[Steven_162002]

Well seems like Microsoft is now cutting out the no-used-game thing as well as the mandatory 24-hour online connection, so that's good news for you guys~

Yep. Glad to see competition work out good for the end consumers yet again. That B$ would never have been tolerated at retail I think, so nice to see Microsoft revert. Now if they can fix the damn price, that'd be swell.

I'm pretty hyped for Smash, but I really hope that the limitations of the 3DS doesn't limit the roster of characters -- and they said that each version of the game will have the same number of characters. Not sure when I'll get around to picking up a Wii U, though.

I'm not sure why Sakurai didn't just make two different games tailored specifically for the strengths/weakness of the platform, it's not like there's cross play anyway, just some unnamed interactivity between the two. But well, truthfully he does work his ass off, and unfortunately has been in a lot of pain, so I should cut him some slack. I wasn't a huge fan of Brawl, but Melee, I wasted hours upon hours. I prefer the feel and speed of Melee, but it seems Sakurai is going for a happy medium between the two this time.

What do you think of the new additions? Megaman? YAY. WiiFit Trainer? Wat, wait...*watches vid* *reads memes*...I could get used to her! :o Animal Crossing Villager? OMG finally. *watches vids* *reads memes*...s*** this is good.

I'm also just hoping that my being able to actually understand the game this time will hopefully make me appreciate it more and gauge it better with the other Tales.

Haha...here's hoping. It's nice that we can have another Tales to all look forward to...and hopefully some old faces show up and add their own 2 cents.

Oh no actually, haha. Thank God I take pretty good care of my teeth. XD What it is is that my mouth is apparently too small for all my teeth, so they're just a bit scrunched up together. I've already had braces but it doesn't help with the limited space I guess. So they're hoping that by removing my molars (one from each corner of my mouth), it'll help space out my teeth better.

Ahhh, I see. That's so unfortunate and kinda sucks, but well in that case, I can see how taking it off would be for the best.

Well I don't mind if they try to improve presentation, but I don't want them to start cutting other corners in the process either, like content and length of the story for instance.

(Oh, and I need to fix what I said earlier -- Milla's hair is actually divided into 5 bunches, not just one as I stated earlier. But they all basically move together, lol)

True, with Xillia it sounds like they skimped on content because of the engine and new sense of scale. I too don't like that kind of compromise. DQVIII improved the sense of scale big time, but that game was hardly lacking in content for it. I think Xillia 2 supposedly improves on that front? And I'm sure there'll still be one final big Tales game that hopefully demonstrates the full capabilities of the console...sort of like how Abyss was a fantastic closure for the PS2.

 

[Yggdrasill17]

And I’m back! It looks like this place held up well enough in my absence.

IKR! That gif is hilarious btw.

Indeed, whoever made it did a great job with David Morrissey’s eye patch. I thought it was real the first time I saw it lol.

I'm kinda pissed at how Retro has only been working on a new DKC all along...and I love DKC games but I just expected something more ambitious. And it was doubly disappointing too to see a 3D Land approach going to the new 3D Mario for WiiU (gotta get it in time for the holidays I guess :\). Mario Kart 8 looked fantastic though. And yeah Smash Bros. 3DS was a no show but it's okay, they have Pokemanz.

I can’t help but feel the same, which is weird because I’m sure both 3D World and Tropical Freeze will turn out well enough. But at the same time, I guess I just expected something more…fresh, unique, etc. from a brand new 3D Mario for a brand new piece of Nintendo hardware. And I suppose I only have myself to blame for expecting something brand new from Retro, when the safest bet was a sequel to their most successful game ever.

Mario Kart 8 looked surprisingly good(weird that it blows away Super Mario 3D World visually), as did Monolith Soft’s X and Bayonetta 2. But ultimately, the take home message I got from this Nintendo Direct was that I don’t need a Wii U until sometime next year at the earliest.

Microsoft actually had the best conference for games, imo. Quite a few third party exclusives that I was interested in and the pacing was fantastic. Sony I thought was dull in comparison outside of FFXV and KH3 (which also will be coming to Xbox One anyway) and the Watch Dog demo (but also on everything) ... far too long demos and speech and nothing of note for Vita.

Microsoft had a lot more content at their conference, and they didn't waste time on TV bullshit and long, drawn-out speeches either. I was kind of shocked at how little Sony showed off from their first-party development studios, because I knew Microsoft was going to go all-out at their presser in an attempt to sell people on their now defunct DRM nonsense. Microsoft screwed the pooch on the price though, and now have the difficult task of selling Kinect 2.0 to the hardcore when their competitor’s more powerful system is launching right alongside theirs at $100 cheaper.

The Division looked FANTASTIC, as did MGSV and The Witcher 3.

The Division and Destiny both looked great, and I can see my friends and I having a great time with both games. MGSV looked sooo good too(the red band trailer is awesome), and I’ve had my eye on the Witcher 3 since it was announced back in February. Along with games like Infamous: Second Son, The Evil Within, and Lords of the Fallen, there's quite a bit that I'm looking forward to next year.

Well seems like Microsoft is now cutting out the no-used-game thing as well as the mandatory 24-hour online connection, so that's good news for you guys~

It’s good news, but the fact that they tried this shit in the first place still leaves me wary of their console. I’ll probably get it some years later after a price drop or two, but it won’t be my go-to platform of choice like the 360 was for me this generation.

Yep. Glad to see competition work out good for the end consumers yet again. That B$ would never have been tolerated at retail I think, so nice to see Microsoft revert. Now if they can fix the damn price, that'd be swell.

That would most likely require them to drop Kinect from the package, which I don’t see happening since it’s a vital UI component to their TV stuff(not to mention its focus in games). It’s amazing to me how Microsoft has effectively priced itself out of the mainstream, while simultaneously allowing it’s competitor’s more powerful system to have a huge price advantage($399 isn’t a mainstream price either, but it’s a hell of a lot better than $499).

What do you think of the new additions? Megaman? YAY. WiiFit Trainer? Wat, wait...*watches vid* *reads memes*...I could get used to her! :o Animal Crossing Villager? OMG finally. *watches vids* *reads memes*...s*** this is good.

The question's not aimed at me, but I’m digging them so far; I love the Wii Fit trainer and villager memes. Is it safe to assume that Sonic will be returning given Nintendo’s exclusive deal with Sega at the moment? I have a gut feeling that Snake won’t be returning though.

I also picked up The Last of Us, and it’s pretty awesome so far. Did you pick it up Steven?

 

[MightyChicken64]

This made me laff pretty hard

 

[Steven_162002]

So we have confirmation that Tales of Xillia 2 is coming to the West. Who is excite? I AM EXCITE.

I can’t help but feel the same, which is weird because I’m sure both 3D World and Tropical Freeze will turn out well enough. But at the same time, I guess I just expected something more…fresh, unique, etc. from a brand new 3D Mario for a brand new piece of Nintendo hardware. And I suppose I only have myself to blame for expecting something brand new from Retro, when the safest bet was a sequel to their most successful game ever.p
Mario Kart 8 looked surprisingly good(weird that it blows away Super Mario 3D World visually), as did Monolith Soft’s X and Bayonetta 2. But ultimately, the take home message I got from this Nintendo Direct was that I don’t need a Wii U until sometime next year at the earliest.

Exactly. I was looking to be surprised and awed in ways that I didn't expect; ways that remind me of why I love Nintendo games but the general message of the show was to expect the perfunctory for the most part. For a console that skimped on hardware power for "innovation", the latter was extremely lacking and thus that explains it all really. No element of surprise and thus a bad showing. Can't believe they blew it like that in the face of extremely superior competition.

That would most likely require them to drop Kinect from the package, which I don’t see happening since it’s a vital UI component to their TV stuff(not to mention its focus in games). It’s amazing to me how Microsoft has effectively priced itself out of the mainstream, while simultaneously allowing it’s competitor’s more powerful system to have a huge price advantage($399 isn’t a mainstream price either, but it’s a hell of a lot better than $499).

Yeah, they're positioned very poorly against the PS4 now, I think, but have you heard the rumours of the memory speed and the GPU upclock?

I have a gut feeling that Snake won’t be returning though.

Seeing as how the only Metal Gear game that's been on a Nintendo console since Brawl is a choppy 3DS port of MGS3, I'm thinking the same.

I also picked up The Last of Us, and it’s pretty awesome so far. Did you pick it up Steven?

Pretty much my game of the year so far and it would take something truly special to top it. Got it on release day and finished it shortly after. I'm playing on hard mode now. I didn't even bother replaying Infinite, but yeah, great game.

Seeing as how my reply is late...are you done with it? Let's discuss some things ya!

That Symphonia video gives me nostalgic feelings lol.

 

[Yggdrasill17]

This made me laff pretty hard

That was great. It's a damned shame that Shiloh Strong doesn't do voice-overs anymore.

So we have confirmation that Tales of Xillia 2 is coming to the West. Who is excite? I AM EXCITE.

I’m surprised they’re committing to the sequel so early when the first game hasn't even been released here yet. That’s pretty cool of them; seems like we’re swamped by Tales localizations these days. I’m still not that interested in Xillia 1 though.

Exactly. I was looking to be surprised and awed in ways that I didn't expect; ways that remind me of why I love Nintendo games but the general message of the show was to expect the perfunctory for the most part. For a console that skimped on hardware power for "innovation", the latter was extremely lacking and thus that explains it all really. No element of surprise and thus a bad showing. Can't believe they blew it like that in the face of extremely superior competition.

Speaking of “innovation”, I didn't see any new and exciting demonstrations of the Wii U Gamepad from Nintendo. Nintendo had to have this expensive controller as the key feature of their new console, but it doesn't look like they know what to do with it beyond using it as a map screen, inventory, off-TV play, etc. Now I’m not one for shoehorning in gimmicks for necessity’s sake, but I’m starting to wonder why they even bothered with it in the first place if this is the best they can come up with.

Yeah, they're positioned very poorly against the PS4 now, I think, but have you heard the rumours of the memory speed and the GPU upclock?

I have, and it all reads like wishful thinking to me. Digital Foundry has already stated that they don’t know where the 88% bandwidth increase comes from(Microsoft didn't give any details), and that peak bandwidth for the Xbox One was still 102.4GB/s(vs 176GB/s on PS4). A GPU upclock for a system that is 4-5 months away from launch, and is rumored to be experiencing yield issues(if we take CBOAT’s word over Larry Hyrb and Phil Spencer), sounds very unlikely to me as well.

Pretty much my game of the year so far and it would take something truly special to top it. Got it on release day and finished it shortly after. I'm playing on hard mode now. I didn't even bother replaying Infinite, but yeah, great game.

Seeing as how my reply is late...are you done with it? Let's discuss some things ya!

Yep, I finished it! It’s my GOTY so far and I don’t see anything else beating it out this year either. I’m not in the mood for turning this post into a classified FBI document, so unmarked TLOU spoilers below for the one or two people lurking here.

Spoiler

I really enjoyed the ending; it was properly bittersweet, but thankfully avoided the cliched route of killing off Joel or Ellie for a tear-jerking ending. The ending here is much more interesting for the moral questions it raises, and the interpretations and conclusions drawn from the ending has made for some enlightening discussions.

Spoiler

For me personally, I don’t think of Joel as a monster. He is a product of his environment, where the order of the day is survival of the fittest by any means necessary. He will protect whatever is his at any cost, and he wasn't going to let the one comforting flicker of happiness he had found in an otherwise bleak and hopeless world be extinguished. His choice at the end was beyond selfish, and may have potentially condemned humanity to extinction by depriving of it of a vaccine. It’s also completely understandable and relatable why he did it, as I imagine many parents would have done the same if they were placed in a similar predicament. Had he lost his daughter "again", I think he would have ended up committing suicide like Henry. In a sense, there was no choice for Joel – only Ellie’s safety and his own happiness mattered, everyone else be damned.

You sort of lose the moral high ground when you have to dissect a little girl to save the world, so the Fireflies were hardly paragons either. I don’t get the impression that Ellie was given much choice either, since she didn't seem to remember anything between nearly drowning and leaving the firefly base with Joel. She was likely sedated for surgery after the fireflies resuscitated her, so she wasn't even given the rundown of what was going to happen to her. That said, I think she probably would have consented to the operation had she been lucid. She clearly suffered from survivor’s guilt and PTSD, and Marlene would have manipulated her to do the surgery for those whose lives were lost.

Anyways, back to the ending. The other element of intrigue is the final scene, where Ellie asks Joel for the truth and he sells her another lie. The pained expression on Ellie’s face all but confirms that she knows he’s lying though, which makes me wonder if their relationship will be able to endure in the long term.

Naughty Dog did a great job of avoiding black and white archetypes for the most part. It’s just a whole lot of grey, whether it’s Joel, the Fireflies, David(Nolan North did an excellent job), the military, etc.

What did you get out of the story?

 

[MightyChicken64]

Haven't really played an HD Tales game yet, and boy does Xillia look purty

 

[hhafiz]

Man I really haven't posted here recently...I guess it's better though when I wasn't posting for like months. ^^;

Yeah I can't say I saw the Xillia 2 localization announcement coming so soon...really thought they'd wait to release Xillia 1 first. Well at least it'll stop the (non-stop) bickering fans from asking constantly about it. Oh wait, they still ask about Vesperia PS3 on every possible occasion so nevermind. Well I guess this means I won't have to import this one so yay. (After going through Xillia 1 JP without a translated script, I can't say I'll be doing that again anytime soon...)

OH OH, did you guys hear that ToS: Chronicles is confirmed to have dual-audio? Not something I quite expected although I suppose this is their answer to not having to put in new dubs for the PS2 exclusive content that we never got...now I have to decide whether I want to hear the fabulous Onosaka (Zelos' JP voice actor) or the badass Clarke (Kratos' ENG one).

They also revealed two new cameo costumes along with mystic arte cut-ins...DUN DUN DUN...

Yeah I can't say I didn't see Judith!Sheena coming (as I was really having a hard time picturing any other cameo costume remotely decent for her) but Rita!Colette is a bit surprising. It seems like they're going with "themes" for each pair of costumes they're releasing ('Best friends' for Lloyd and Genis, and now we kind of have a 'Rivals' theme going -- similarly how Rita wanted to protect blastia while Judith was trying to destroy them, but Colette here is trying to protect Sylvarant while Sheena does not -- although they really could've chosen Estelle for Colette and that could've served a similar purpose...what with Sheena/Judith trying to assassinate Colette/Estelle in their respective games and Estelle could've at least been a better fit for Colette [Namco never seems to choose costumes that seem *too* obvious, sadly...]). The new MA cut-ins look good though~ Can't wait to see the rest of the costumes, though I just hope they actually fit the characters. >.>;

Oh and I almost forgot but the recent issue of Tales of Magazine seems to hint at a possible new swimsuit costume for Marta:

I know you guys weren't looking at Marta there, just fess up already.

(And kind of a different topic but since a few of you here have played the MGS games, do you guys think the Legacy Collection is a good deal? I actually never owned the original MGS (PSX version--though I heard they only include a voucher or something) although I already have MGS: Twin Snakes, MGS 2: Substance (really wanted to finish this but still haven't, although I think I will start over anyway since I forgot most of it), and MGS 3: Subsistence (still in its shrink wrap...) And I've never played MGS 4 either and this seems to have the most "updated" edition of the game. It'll also be nice to have the original MG games as well (I actually did have MG on the NES but I never was able to beat it XD). I'm thinking this will most likely drop in price later on though, so maybe I should just wait a bit? Don't ask me when I will actually get around to playing them, I swear I will make time one day!

And last but not least...

[hl=black]Someone here is going to be a mommy!... [/hl]

 

[MightyChicken64]

*walks into thread*

HHAFIZ YOU'RE PREGGERS?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS! If it's a boy name him Kratos!












DAMN STRAIGHT I wasn't looking at Marta! Sheena's all over Collette and suggestively grabbin' Marta's fun bag as if to say "These are MY bitches!"

Those MA cut in's look awesome! Shit, I'm gonna have to buy this...

 

[Yggdrasill17]

OH OH, did you guys hear that ToS: Chronicles is confirmed to have dual-audio? Not something I quite expected although I suppose this is their answer to not having to put in new dubs for the PS2 exclusive content that we never got...now I have to decide whether I want to hear the fabulous Onosaka (Zelos' JP voice actor) or the badass Clarke (Kratos' ENG one).

Yeah, this isn't too shocking. There was no way that Namco was going to get the original cast back together; Shiloh Strong doesn't do voice-overs anymore and others like Scott Menville, Jennifer Hale, and Kari Wahlgren are unionized and too expensive to bring back.

I know you guys weren't looking at Marta there, just fess up already.

Hey now! It’s not my fault that my eyes just gravitate to the center of the magazine cover.

(And kind of a different topic but since a few of you here have played the MGS games, do you guys think the Legacy Collection is a good deal? I actually never owned the original MGS (PSX version--though I heard they only include a voucher or something) although I already have MGS: Twin Snakes, MGS 2: Substance (really wanted to finish this but still haven't, although I think I will start over anyway since I forgot most of it), and MGS 3: Subsistence (still in its shrink wrap...) And I've never played MGS 4 either and this seems to have the most "updated" edition of the game. It'll also be nice to have the original MG games as well (I actually did have MG on the NES but I never was able to beat it XD). I'm thinking this will most likely drop in price later on though, so maybe I should just wait a bit? Don't ask me when I will actually get around to playing them, I swear I will make time one day!

In your case, I’d say it’s a good deal. MGS1 and VR missions are indeed just PSX download codes for PSN, but the rest of the collection is on disc(including the MSX versions of MG1 and MG2). MGS2 and MGS3 are the Substance and Subsistence versions respectively, though some of the extra content and Easter eggs didn't make it into the HD collection(to name a few: Metal Gear Online, Snake’s Nightmare game, the secret theater, Snake vs. Monkey). On the plus side, all three games in the HD collection run in 720p and 60fps, which is a nice improvement over the originals(only MGS2 ran at 60 fps in its original release). Peace Walker benefited the most IMO, as it lost nothing from the transition to PS3(well, portability aside) and plays much, much better with a Dualshock than on a PSP. As for MGS4, it is to my knowledge unchanged from what’s currently out right now(Metal Gear Online was patched out and trophy support has been added in).

And last but not least...

[hl=black]Someone here is going to be a mommy!... [/hl]

Oh my, I’m guessing this was the interesting development that you alluded to a few posts back. In any case, congratulations Hasina!

 

[Steven_162002]

Sooooooo...who's getting Tales of Xillia? I hope that brings some...ummm...activity here? I know I've been away for a while too, but ah well, busier weeks.

So I finished TLOU on hard mode too, gonna try Survivor now haha! I'm addicted. Anyway:

Yep, I finished it! It’s my GOTY so far and I don’t see anything else beating it out this year either. I’m not in the mood for turning this post into a classified FBI document, so unmarked TLOU spoilers below for the one or two people lurking here.

Spoiler

I really enjoyed the ending; it was properly bittersweet, but thankfully avoided the cliched route of killing off Joel or Ellie for a tear-jerking ending. The ending here is much more interesting for the moral questions it raises, and the interpretations and conclusions drawn from the ending has made for some enlightening discussions.

Spoiler

For me personally, I don’t think of Joel as a monster. He is a product of his environment, where the order of the day is survival of the fittest by any means necessary. He will protect whatever is his at any cost, and he wasn't going to let the one comforting flicker of happiness he had found in an otherwise bleak and hopeless world be extinguished. His choice at the end was beyond selfish, and may have potentially condemned humanity to extinction by depriving of it of a vaccine. It’s also completely understandable and relatable why he did it, as I imagine many parents would have done the same if they were placed in a similar predicament. Had he lost his daughter "again", I think he would have ended up committing suicide like Henry. In a sense, there was no choice for Joel – only Ellie’s safety and his own happiness mattered, everyone else be damned.

You sort of lose the moral high ground when you have to dissect a little girl to save the world, so the Fireflies were hardly paragons either. I don’t get the impression that Ellie was given much choice either, since she didn't seem to remember anything between nearly drowning and leaving the firefly base with Joel. She was likely sedated for surgery after the fireflies resuscitated her, so she wasn't even given the rundown of what was going to happen to her. That said, I think she probably would have consented to the operation had she been lucid. She clearly suffered from survivor’s guilt and PTSD, and Marlene would have manipulated her to do the surgery for those whose lives were lost.

Anyways, back to the ending. The other element of intrigue is the final scene, where Ellie asks Joel for the truth and he sells her another lie. The pained expression on Ellie’s face all but confirms that she knows he’s lying though, which makes me wonder if their relationship will be able to endure in the long term.

Naughty Dog did a great job of avoiding black and white archetypes for the most part. It’s just a whole lot of grey, whether it’s Joel, the Fireflies, David(Nolan North did an excellent job), the military, etc.

What did you get out of the story?

Spoiler

Yeah, I'm with you pretty much 100%. I'll just add: Joel is a morally grey character living in a reality where morality is pretty much a grey scale and where it seems like the "caveman" instincts of humanity has been awaken in the wake of a post-epidemic world. It really does seem like the entire game is begging the question of what morality means? Is it some standard outside of set realities that doesn't change? Or does it bend at will and/or according to the realities of the world? It also does beg the question of what humanity is? As you say Joel isn't a monster but some would see him as such because if he was isolated from his environment he'd certainly be perceived as one. So yes, he's a product of his environment...when you play as Ellie you see the same traits borne in her. It's a really complex dynamic between the two that really makes the ending all the more poignant. They're both aware that they only just survived...nothing else about the world changed. I know people say Ellie would have sacrificed herself for the world, and Marlene suggests it too (but she has her own agenda)...and obviously when Joel asked if she was willing to turn back and go back to Tommy's, we saw her reaction: after all we've been through... but I think that same reason is also why it shouldn't be clear that she'll sacrifice herself. As she said: after all we've been through. She lost everyone dear to her except Joel. She'd want Joel's approval of her decision, I think. It's the least she could do, even though it's ultimately up to her.

The Fireflies robbed her of that choice, so it's hard to be sympathetic, and of course there are questions raised...is there really a vaccine? It all seemed purely theoretical. And if there was a way to reverse engineer a vaccine, in what quantity are we looking at? Will it make a difference? Will the Fireflies turn corrupt with this new found power and use it as another form of oppression? All these questions.

In the end though, my stance is Joel lied to protect Ellie and Ellie sort of knows (as you say), and the message of the ending is rather melancholic. I think Ellie feels like her time will eventually come, and she knows Joel is trying to protect her, so she'll try to spend the rest of her time with him and enjoy it. I think it'll be for the long term just based on the journey up until that point, but it is open to interpretation. But at least they're heading to Tommy's and there will be some well deserved down time. I hope. lol.

Anyway what did you think of her infection? Did it look like it had spread since the first time it was revealed?

And last but not least...

[hl=black]Someone here is going to be a mommy!... [/hl]

Yeaaaaah all the Tales tidbit is nice...but THIS. MEGATON! OMG...Congrats. So that's that mystery unraveled. So happy for you!!! <3

PS: I wish Symphonia would have gotten a remake instead now. The proportions look and feel soooo weird now.

 

[MightyChicken64]

Joystiq just reviewed Xillia....looks really good!

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/06/tales-of-xillia-review/

I'll get it when it goes down in price on Amazon

 

[Steven_162002]

Yeah the reviews are looking good so far. I'm surprised because the import impressions weren't exactly glowing, but it seems more or less on par with Tales of the Abyss' critical reception...then again Abyss was criminally underrated especially with being positioned alongside FFXII.

 

[hhafiz]

HHAFIZ YOU'RE PREGGERS?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS! If it's a boy name him Kratos!

Oh my, I’m guessing this was the interesting development that you alluded to a few posts back. In any case, congratulations Hasina!

Yeaaaaah all the Tales tidbit is nice...but THIS. MEGATON! OMG...Congrats. So that's that mystery unraveled. So happy for you!!! <3

Thanks for all the congrats~ Yeah it's a bit far along I guess, about 5 and a half months now~

(And no MC, it apparently won't be a boy... )

In your case, I’d say it’s a good deal. MGS1 and VR missions are indeed just PSX download codes for PSN, but the rest of the collection is on disc(including the MSX versions of MG1 and MG2). MGS2 and MGS3 are the Substance and Subsistence versions respectively, though some of the extra content and Easter eggs didn't make it into the HD collection(to name a few: Metal Gear Online, Snake’s Nightmare game, the secret theater, Snake vs. Monkey). On the plus side, all three games in the HD collection run in 720p and 60fps, which is a nice improvement over the originals(only MGS2 ran at 60 fps in its original release). Peace Walker benefited the most IMO, as it lost nothing from the transition to PS3(well, portability aside) and plays much, much better with a Dualshock than on a PSP. As for MGS4, it is to my knowledge unchanged from what’s currently out right now(Metal Gear Online was patched out and trophy support has been added in).

Ok thanks for the info~ Yeah I think I will definitely get it then. Just don't want to shell out $50 for it...but it SHOULD drop to at least $30 I'm hoping? <.<;

Sooooooo...who's getting Tales of Xillia? I hope that brings some...ummm...activity here? I know I've been away for a while too, but ah well, busier weeks.

Just got it myself but I haven't been able to get too far in it yet. Starting with Milla's side again as I did with the JP release. You guys should've gotten it over there by now too I think, right?

Yeah the reviews are looking good so far. I'm surprised because the import impressions weren't exactly glowing, but it seems more or less on par with Tales of the Abyss' critical reception...then again Abyss was criminally underrated especially with being positioned alongside FFXII.

Indeed, lol. Well I'd love to hear what you guys think when you play it! Apparently Sam Riegal's role as Jude actually helps his character a bit more (expressing more maturity and such compared to his JP seiyuu) so I think that's been helping Western players like him more. Milla on the other hand, hasn't been getting too much praise for her VA...pretty much similar to what happened with Tear (though as I already talked about before, Tear's change was a lot more drastic and one that I still haven't become 100% accustomed to).

I'd love to try getting through the game as quickly as possible but I have a feeling it's going to take me a while (if Graces F was any indication )

 

[hhafiz]

Aaaaand double post because apparently Funimation just got the license rights for the Tales of the Abyss anime. For those who remember, Bandai had already brought this over not too long ago, though it was sub-only.

Well, seems like we may finally get an English dub for the anime after all?? If so then I am totally double-dipping because yeah I got the first set anyway but I'm an Abyss whore/tool so yeah. I'd really love for most of the game cast to come back, especially Lowenthal, Bosch, and Thornton. They can totally replace Tear for all I care.

My body is ready for more Abyss~ Wait, you mean people have moved on to other newer Tales? Well lalala I'm not listening.

 

[dani_dreamcast]

First of all, congratluations to Hh!
I'm sure you're in for a wonderful experience!

If it's not out of line, let me say I'm extremely jealous!
I hope I can follow in your path and have a kid sooner rather than later (though it will probably be a few years away for me)!
I wish you all the best!

I actually started a few bigger posts a gooood while ago but I would l always procastinate finishing them, so I'd figure I'd just do a quick post to let you guys know I'm still alive and around, and hopefully later I'll get around actually adding something of worth to the thread.

I suppose I can say some stuff without going too in depth though, I adquired Abyss 3DS last year, played it for some 10-15 hours if I recall correctly, wasn't particularly impressed though, gameplay got repetitive and the fact that I already knew most of the story due to the anime didn't help on that regard. *Awaits painful punishment by the many members of this board.*
I haven't really been particularly interested in Tales games as of late, I know which ones are coming but that's about it, I'd be more inclined to play them if they came out for PC or handhelds since that's where I do the great majority of my gaming now a days.

As far as the Xbox One goes, I'm extremely glad that things turned out sour to Microsoft, and I hope the console struggles to find success as the people that made those decisions are still in their positions, and I have no doubt that they will try similar things again in the future.
In fact I expect many third party to release "always-on" games, and unfortunately I don't expect those to suffer the backlash that a full console did.

The Wii U situation is a mess, while the gamepad failed to ressonate with the market, I feel that their attempt to make a backwards compatible low powered small console was misguided to say the least, and it's now costing then any margin of mauver they could have in terms of pricing.

I don't expect PS4 or Xbox One to do as well as their predecessors, I think they will both suffer, perhaps not as much as the Wii U and the Vita, but I don't believe the market will be eager to support 400-500 dollars/euros consoles.

The industry is going to continue to be a lot of fun to follow in the coming times (even if not necessarly always for the best reasons).

I'll personally stick with handhelds and PC for the moment, and I'll pick up a Wii U (can't do without Nintendo games, and the addition of Platinum games makes it an irresistible console) and PS4 (mostly for the japanese games that won't make it to PC) down the road when they reach more appealing prices.

In the meantime, I wait for the release of SMT IV in Europe.

...Well that ended up being a longer post than I had antecipated.
I should just start doing that more often.

 

[Yggdrasill17]

Sooooooo...who's getting Tales of Xillia? I hope that brings some...ummm...activity here? I know I've been away for a while too, but ah well, busier weeks.

So I finished TLOU on hard mode too, gonna try Survivor now haha! I'm addicted. Anyway:

*crickets and tumbleweeds*

I picked up the Day 1 edition actually, but I’m finishing up Metro 2033 at the moment(almost done). Between The Last of Us, the Walking Dead 400 Days DLC, and Metro, I've been on a post-apocalyptic binge as of late.

Spoiler

Yeah, I'm with you pretty much 100%. I'll just add: Joel is a morally grey character living in a reality where morality is pretty much a grey scale and where it seems like the "caveman" instincts of humanity has been awaken in the wake of a post-epidemic world. It really does seem like the entire game is begging the question of what morality means? Is it some standard outside of set realities that doesn't change? Or does it bend at will and/or according to the realities of the world? It also does beg the question of what humanity is? As you say Joel isn't a monster but some would see him as such because if he was isolated from his environment he'd certainly be perceived as one. So yes, he's a product of his environment...when you play as Ellie you see the same traits borne in her. It's a really complex dynamic between the two that really makes the ending all the more poignant. They're both aware that they only just survived...nothing else about the world changed. I know people say Ellie would have sacrificed herself for the world, and Marlene suggests it too (but she has her own agenda)...and obviously when Joel asked if she was willing to turn back and go back to Tommy's, we saw her reaction: after all we've been through... but I think that same reason is also why it shouldn't be clear that she'll sacrifice herself. As she said: after all we've been through. She lost everyone dear to her except Joel. She'd want Joel's approval of her decision, I think. It's the least she could do, even though it's ultimately up to her.

The Fireflies robbed her of that choice, so it's hard to be sympathetic, and of course there are questions raised...is there really a vaccine? It all seemed purely theoretical. And if there was a way to reverse engineer a vaccine, in what quantity are we looking at? Will it make a difference? Will the Fireflies turn corrupt with this new found power and use it as another form of oppression? All these questions.

In the end though, my stance is Joel lied to protect Ellie and Ellie sort of knows (as you say), and the message of the ending is rather melancholic. I think Ellie feels like her time will eventually come, and she knows Joel is trying to protect her, so she'll try to spend the rest of her time with him and enjoy it. I think it'll be for the long term just based on the journey up until that point, but it is open to interpretation. But at least they're heading to Tommy's and there will be some well deserved down time. I hope. lol.

Anyway what did you think of her infection? Did it look like it had spread since the first time it was revealed?

Spoiler

Indeed, Joel would most certainly be perceived as a monster if you plumped him back into anything resembling modern society. It’s a running theme in most post-apocalyptic fiction that if you take away government, industry, agriculture, and infrastructure; deprive people of food, sleep, creature comforts, and jeopardize their lives over an extended period of time, you get...this.

Spoiler

Ignoring that the actual science behind the vaccine was complete nonsense, it’s difficult to say what would have happened had it come to fruition and actually worked. Did the fireflies even have the means to mass produce a vaccine? If so, how would they go about distributing it to the world? A vaccine wouldn't have cured the infected, and the rest of the world’s population is at war with itself over scarce, dwindling resources(good luck not getting shot on sight before you can even say the word ‘vaccine’). And yeah, the fireflies looked like a paramilitary outfit, so it’s certainly plausible that they would have used the vaccine as leverage against settlements/quarantine zones.

That’s a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts,’ which is why I think that speculation about the vaccine’s effectiveness and whether or not the fireflies would abuse it for nefarious means misses the point of the final conflict. I think the player kind of has to assume that it’s the real deal, just like Joel thought it was the real deal. It’s not like Joel suddenly thought, “Well, a vaccine probably won’t help anyway, so fuck this shit we’re going home” when he went on his rampage to save Ellie. He only wanted to save his “baby girl” and with that his only slice of happiness – humanity’s salvation wasn't even a factor to him at that point. I think that questioning the viability of the vaccine or the fireflies’ intentions only serves to help justify(from the player’s end) what Joel did.

I had forgotten that Ellie told Sam that her greatest fear was being alone, so she could have eventually gotten over it and stick it out with Joel for the long term. I can also see that Joel lied to protect her, to shield her from the reality and the guilt that she could have “saved” humanity, but didn't. I still think that the lie was more for his sake than hers; he was afraid at how she would react and didn't want to risk destroying their relationship(which he might have done anyway by lying to her, but as you said, the ending is left open).

The original ending was apparently more happy and optimistic than what we got. Ellie buys into Joel’s lie and that’s that, happily ever after lol.

I initially thought that her condition had advanced at the end as well, but some comparison pics on GAF showed that there was no change in the size of the infected area on her arm(epilogue vs. when Joel and Tess first discovered that she was infected).

29k Wii Us were sold in July...damn that has to be a new record.

Thanks for all the congrats~ Yeah it's a bit far along I guess, about 5 and a half months now~

(And no MC, it apparently won't be a boy... )

[hl=black]Mys[/hl]tear[hl=black]ica[/hl] it is, then!

As far as the Xbox One goes, I'm extremely glad that things turned out sour to Microsoft, and I hope the console struggles to find success as the people that made those decisions are still in their positions, and I have no doubt that they will try similar things again in the future.
In fact I expect many third party to release "always-on" games, and unfortunately I don't expect those to suffer the backlash that a full console did.

First off, welcome back.

I can only speak for my friends and myself, but none of us are getting an Xbox One anytime soon(if ever). I might bite after it has some nice exclusives and a few price drops, but I won’t be renewing Live after it expires and the XB1 won’t not be my primary gaming system like the 360 was for me this generation. Microsoft has mostly lost me as a consumer.
There certainly appears to be a growing trend among developers to distort the lines between single player and multiplayer. Always-online games are most likely going to gain more prominence over the course of next gen; to the point where I won’t shocked if anywhere from a third to a half of all games will require an internet connection to play.

The Wii U situation is a mess, while the gamepad failed to ressonate with the market, I feel that their attempt to make a backwards compatible low powered small console was misguided to say the least, and it's now costing then any margin of mauver they could have in terms of pricing.

Yeah, it’s for those reasons that the system is still being sold at a loss, which also means that a price drop is highly unlikely this year. No price drop, No Mario Kart 8 for the holidays, no 3D Mario World for Black Friday, and two next gen console releases will make for a very difficult Wii U holiday season.

I don't expect PS4 or Xbox One to do as well as their predecessors, I think they will both suffer, perhaps not as much as the Wii U and the Vita, but I don't believe the market will be eager to support 400-500 dollars/euros consoles.

Contraction of the overall console/handheld market is a given when 3 of the 5 next gen platforms are going to fall very, very short of their predecessor’s LTD(and in overall software sales). I think Wii U’s problems are largely of Nintendo’s own making though, and not necessarily indicative of a systemic problem with home consoles. Mobile devices have eaten a big chunk out of the dedicated handheld market, but it remains to be seen if the same can be said for consoles. Either way, I too am really looking forward to how things pan out later this year and beyond.

 

[Yggdrasill17]

Oh Nintendo...

...

 

[MightyChicken64]

Dawg, that shit's gonna sell like hotcakes with its price and being released at the same time as Pokemon doe

 

[Yggdrasill17]

Dawg, that shit's gonna sell like hotcakes with its price and being released at the same time as Pokemon doe

True, it’s a very smart move, though I do think the name ‘2DS’ invites brand confusion. This revision is clearly intended for western markets, where 3DS hardware sales, particularly in the U.S., have been thoroughly mediocre. Nintendo has up until this point done a very poor job of offering a low barrier of entry for the mass market(the XL and OG 3DS models are simply overpriced), and the 2DS might just be what they need to get 3DS sales out of the gutter over here.

 

[Steven_162002]

Just got it myself but I haven't been able to get too far in it yet. Starting with Milla's side again as I did with the JP release. You guys should've gotten it over there by now too I think, right?

Yeah we have, but I'm not sure when I'll be starting it, as I am clearing my backlog now...slowly but surely. I haven't even started Tales of Graces f...sob.

Indeed, lol. Well I'd love to hear what you guys think when you play it! Apparently Sam Riegal's role as Jude actually helps his character a bit more (expressing more maturity and such compared to his JP seiyuu) so I think that's been helping Western players like him more. Milla on the other hand, hasn't been getting too much praise for her VA...pretty much similar to what happened with Tear (though as I already talked about before, Tear's change was a lot more drastic and one that I still haven't become 100% accustomed to).

I guess that's one score for the English voice acting eh? Shame about Milla. Tear is funny because until I played the JPN version of Abyss I was totally fine with her portrayal. I sort of still am in a way because even though the VA completely betrays her real character and is just *way* too old for a 16 yo, I just love the voice acting nevertheless. It sort of fits in a weird...alter ego-ish way.

As far as the Xbox One goes, I'm extremely glad that things turned out sour to Microsoft, and I hope the console struggles to find success as the people that made those decisions are still in their positions, and I have no doubt that they will try similar things again in the future.
In fact I expect many third party to release "always-on" games, and unfortunately I don't expect those to suffer the backlash that a full console did.

The Wii U situation is a mess, while the gamepad failed to ressonate with the market, I feel that their attempt to make a backwards compatible low powered small console was misguided to say the least, and it's now costing then any margin of mauver they could have in terms of pricing.

Yay, good to hear from you Dani! Agree with both these points. The WiiU gamepad is the bottleneck of the hardware because Nintendo have thoroughly failed to justify the pad via software yet it's costing them a lot of money. I guess they were hoping for a share of the tablet market, but the pad is hardly portable and can't compete in that space. Microsoft may have officially backtracked but the intent was very clear and paints a very dark picture of the industry if things do not change drastically. I believe personally that Sony would have been in on it too, but kept mum about it and saw the backlash and just completely withdrew from it altogether. But anyone thinking both consoles won't have any crippling DRM issues in the future might be in for a rude awakening imo.

Either way my hype is pretty low for all three consoles. The software isn't there (to my tastes anyway) and the hardware isn't quite the generational leap we've grown accustomed to. But I guess it's good that PC gaming won't be held back tech-wise with the newer machines.

In the meantime, I wait for the release of SMT IV in Europe.

Probably next year by the looks of things...

Spoiler

Indeed, Joel would most certainly be perceived as a monster if you plumped him back into anything resembling modern society. It’s a running theme in most post-apocalyptic fiction that if you take away government, industry, agriculture, and infrastructure; deprive people of food, sleep, creature comforts, and jeopardize their lives over an extended period of time, you get...this.

Spoiler

Ignoring that the actual science behind the vaccine was complete nonsense, it’s difficult to say what would have happened had it come to fruition and actually worked. Did the fireflies even have the means to mass produce a vaccine? If so, how would they go about distributing it to the world? A vaccine wouldn't have cured the infected, and the rest of the world’s population is at war with itself over scarce, dwindling resources(good luck not getting shot on sight before you can even say the word ‘vaccine’). And yeah, the fireflies looked like a paramilitary outfit, so it’s certainly plausible that they would have used the vaccine as leverage against settlements/quarantine zones.

That’s a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts,’ which is why I think that speculation about the vaccine’s effectiveness and whether or not the fireflies would abuse it for nefarious means misses the point of the final conflict. I think the player kind of has to assume that it’s the real deal, just like Joel thought it was the real deal. It’s not like Joel suddenly thought, “Well, a vaccine probably won’t help anyway, so fuck this shit we’re going home” when he went on his rampage to save Ellie. He only wanted to save his “baby girl” and with that his only slice of happiness – humanity’s salvation wasn't even a factor to him at that point. I think that questioning the viability of the vaccine or the fireflies’ intentions only serves to help justify(from the player’s end) what Joel did.

I had forgotten that Ellie told Sam that her greatest fear was being alone, so she could have eventually gotten over it and stick it out with Joel for the long term. I can also see that Joel lied to protect her, to shield her from the reality and the guilt that she could have “saved” humanity, but didn't. I still think that the lie was more for his sake than hers; he was afraid at how she would react and didn't want to risk destroying their relationship(which he might have done anyway by lying to her, but as you said, the ending is left open).

The original ending was apparently more happy and optimistic than what we got. Ellie buys into Joel’s lie and that’s that, happily ever after lol.

I initially thought that her condition had advanced at the end as well, but some comparison pics on GAF showed that there was no change in the size of the infected area on her arm(epilogue vs. when Joel and Tess first discovered that she was infected).

Spoiler

Did Joel really think it was the real deal? I'm not convinced he did - there's a chance he didn't even consider it and as you say, acted purely on instinct but I don't think the game made it clear enough since we aren't privy to what goes on in his head and only have one scene to really extrapolate from. I mean even if I were to assume he did, the intentions behind his decisions may still be questionable but when a life is at stake, I think all options have to be considered nonetheless about what his actions ultimately mean. The practicality of the vaccine, in my opinion, has to be foolproof to justify the sacrifice of someone's life, and without their consent, we're speaking of homicide. But I do agree that it's pretty separate from Joel's own personal intention and more of a look at the 'bigger' picture and what weight his decisions ultimately carry in the grand scheme of things. If the vaccine wasn't feasible then not much was lost anyway. It won't justify his actions, but the weight of his actions wouldn't be as severe. I guess that's what makes the whole thing impressive. What his decisions mean in a micro and macro view.

I'm glad that ending didn't happen. The tinge of melancholy and poignancy of Ellie's reaction to the lie is the strongest image I have of the entire game, possibly.

And damn, so her infection didn't grow then? It kinda takes away the weight of showing it again, but at the same time it also suggests something happier in a subtle way.

True, it’s a very smart move, though I do think the name ‘2DS’ invites brand confusion. This revision is clearly intended for western markets, where 3DS hardware sales, particularly in the U.S., have been thoroughly mediocre. Nintendo has up until this point done a very poor job of offering a low barrier of entry for the mass market(the XL and OG 3DS models are simply overpriced), and the 2DS might just be what they need to get 3DS sales out of the gutter over here.

Indeed, my initial reaction was WAT too but I think this is a very smart move by Nintendo. As you say the price is finally in the acceptable range for dedicated handhelds and it's being positioned to take full advantage of the Pokemon launch. By removing 3D, it ALSO gets rid of the most costly thing about the system while at the same time also making it more palatable for concerned parents buying the latest Nintendo handheld for their kids. If this doesn't do well then the dedicated handheld market just might be on its way out.

 

[Yggdrasill17]

It’s great to see that there’s plenty of discussion about Tales of Xillia going on in this thread. Seriously though, am I the only one here that picked this up? It sold over 100k here apparently(which is pretty fucking good for Tales – that’s higher than Graces f or Vesperia’s openings and about on par with Ni No Kuni), so someone must have bought it lol.

Probably next year by the looks of things...

Brought to you by your new Sega overlords.

Spoiler

Did Joel really think it was the real deal? I'm not convinced he did - there's a chance he didn't even consider it and as you say, acted purely on instinct but I don't think the game made it clear enough since we aren't privy to what goes on in his head and only have one scene to really extrapolate from. I mean even if I were to assume he did, the intentions behind his decisions may still be questionable but when a life is at stake, I think all options have to be considered nonetheless about what his actions ultimately mean. The practicality of the vaccine, in my opinion, has to be foolproof to justify the sacrifice of someone's life, and without their consent, we're speaking of homicide. But I do agree that it's pretty separate from Joel's own personal intention and more of a look at the 'bigger' picture and what weight his decisions ultimately carry in the grand scheme of things. If the vaccine wasn't feasible then not much was lost anyway. It won't justify his actions, but the weight of his actions wouldn't be as severe. I guess that's what makes the whole thing impressive. What his decisions mean in a micro and macro view.

I'm glad that ending didn't happen. The tinge of melancholy and poignancy of Ellie's reaction to the lie is the strongest image I have of the entire game, possibly.

And damn, so her infection didn't grow then? It kinda takes away the weight of showing it again, but at the same time it also suggests something happier in a subtle way.

Spoiler

Yeah, I think I jumped the gun when I said that Joel thought that the vaccine was the real deal. He thought that Ellie was the real deal and the best chance for a vaccine that could save the world, but that in and of itself doesn't mean that he believed that the vaccine was a certainty(hell, they didn't even know for certain that the fireflies were still alive until after they nearly drowned). And in the end, it didn't matter whether it would've worked or not - he wasn't going to give Ellie up for anything.

Spoiler

If the player doesn't buy into the vaccine at all though(i.e. it just doesn't work), then that sort of absolves Joel of his actions doesn't it(from our point of view anyway)? The fireflies are assholes that are trying to dissect a little girl against her will and their efforts are all for naught anyway since the vaccine is bullocks. Joel’s selfishness turns out to be the right call even though he could have doomed humanity beyond the point of no return for it. That’s why I guess I feel that the vaccine at least has to appear legit(the key to humanity’s salvation vs one girl’s life), or else the weight behind those final scenes are a little too black/white rather than shades of gray.

It’s interesting that Naughty Dog focus-tested a similar scenario with parents(something along the lines of “would you save your child even if it screwed over the human race?”) and got a unanimous 100% yes to the question. Many parents will go to the ends of the world for their children, which makes Joel’s actions, despite how bad they appear, all the more relatable.

I think that scene in the epilogue was simply Ellie reflecting on their journey and how they ultimately got nowhere in the end. The state of her infected arm is simply a reminder that nothing has changed[hl=black]I just that made up lol.[/hl] The ending was a balance of good and bad; they both survived, but nothing about their circumstances had changed. It would have been a more firmly depressing end than what we got had her infection advanced(Joel's killing streak would look even worse than it does now and the vaccine would look even less like a game changer), versus the possibility of a happily ever after mixed with in uncertainty, doubt, and mistrust to keep it more open to interpretation.

Indeed, my initial reaction was WAT too but I think this is a very smart move by Nintendo. As you say the price is finally in the acceptable range for dedicated handhelds and it's being positioned to take full advantage of the Pokemon launch. By removing 3D, it ALSO gets rid of the most costly thing about the system while at the same time also making it more palatable for concerned parents buying the latest Nintendo handheld for their kids. If this doesn't do well then the dedicated handheld market just might be on its way out.

Yeah, I think it’s pretty obvious that Nintendo is targeting kids with this revision, and in particular, the kids that still play on the DS as cited here. What I’m more curious about though is how the 2DS/3DS will fare in 2014 with a so far announced software line-up that looks considerably weaker than 2013’s list. After Pokémon X/Y are out, the 3DS will have at least one game from almost every major Nintendo franchise(2D Mario, 3D Mario, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Pokémon, Zelda, etc.). For Nintendo sake, I hope they have a lot more planned for the 3DS next year than just Smash Bros., Yoshi’s Island, and Bravely Default – otherwise 2014 may continue the mostly downward trend of YoY decreases/marginal increases that we’ve seen throughout 2013.

 

[Yggdrasill17]

Double post yadda yadda yadda and The Last of Us ending spoilers below.


Holy shit, I'm dying here. Troy Baker and Merle Dandridge have some good singing voices and impressive improv skills.

And on a less lighter note, R.I.P. Hiroshi Yamauchi. He was a shrewd, cutthroat businessman, but his impact on the game industry is undeniable and Nintendo would not be what it is today without him. Salute!

 

[Steven_162002]

I haven't even touched Graces f so Xillia will still be some ways to go before I open it! And I have a big backlog of games it's unreal. I just don't have the time to play them like I used to. [hl=black]Even though I just spent nearly 50hrs completing GTAV, which btw is damn awesome.[/hl] Anyone played that?
But more importantly, I think I'm still recovering from general burnout -- I played way, waaaay too much Tales in the PS2 era and they just don't thrill me like they used to. Seeing everyone praising Vesperia (except Hassy lolol) and me feeling rather lukewarm about it, even after giving it a second shot, pretty much confirmed my suspicions.

That video was so funny. Amazing musical lmao. Gosh, did I love that game in its entirety. I even watched my brother play through it recently and it was still such an experience even as a mere spectator.

I was really upset and sad hearing about Hiroshi Yamauchi. A true visionary, industry legend and just such a strong personality and character with incredibly groundbreaking and bold business ethics -- even though I didn't always agree with him, and certainly not his quote regarding RPG gaming, I feel like his passing signifies an end of an era. Iwata simply pales in comparison. [hl=black]I know what he achieved with the Wii/DS but I never saw him as a true visionary and the WiiU/3DS seem to suggest that my suspicions weren't entirely unfounded.[/hl]

 

[Yggdrasill17]

The government shutdown is over and old news, but this .gif is so good it's worth posting.

I haven't even touched Graces f so Xillia will still be some ways to go before I open it! And I have a big backlog of games it's unreal. I just don't have the time to play them like I used to. Even though I just spent nearly 50hrs completing GTAV, which btw is damn awesome.Anyone played that?
But more importantly, I think I'm still recovering from general burnout -- I played way, waaaay too much Tales in the PS2 era and they just don't thrill me like they used to. Seeing everyone praising Vesperia (except Hassy lolol) and me feeling rather lukewarm about it, even after giving it a second shot, pretty much confirmed my suspicions.

No, I’m sort of waiting to see if GTAV gets the next gen treatment next year, not to mention I wasn't the biggest fan of GTAIV. It sounds like GTAV is the much better game though, and your praise for it lines up with what I've read about it.

I hear you on Tales burnout, in fact I’m probably hitting/already have hit that same wall myself(I almost skipped Xillia out of disinterest). Tales of Vesperia was the last Tales game I truly enjoyed, while Graces f and Xillia both fell short in different ways.

That video was so funny. Amazing musical lmao. Gosh, did I love that game in its entirety. I even watched my brother play through it recently and it was still such an experience even as a mere spectator.

Naughty Dog should totally have a musical mode unlockable for Uncharted 4/TLOU2/new IP. That Troy baker was able to play off that scene as well he did without any heads-up makes me appreciate him more as an actor.

I was really upset and sad hearing about Hiroshi Yamauchi. A true visionary, industry legend and just such a strong personality and character with incredibly groundbreaking and bold business ethics -- even though I didn't always agree with him, and certainly not his quote regarding RPG gaming, I feel like his passing signifies an end of an era. Iwata simply pales in comparison. I know what he achieved with the Wii/DS but I never saw him as a true visionary and the WiiU/3DS seem to suggest that my suspicions weren't entirely unfounded.

I read up on his past recently and his childhood sounded depressing, not to mention that having to take the reins of the company at such a young age must have been an unbelievably daunting task. He was responsible for Nintendo’s transformation into a gaming company and the industry would no doubt look very different today without that transition. End of an era indeed, and I agree that Iwata doesn’t hold a candle to him.

I feel I need to rescind some of my earlier comments about Super Mario 3D World. I've gone from “meh I’ll get this eventually” to “I fucking need this NOW!” in the span of three trailers - basically this game is the real deal(i.e. “real 3D Mario”). It looks like I’m getting a Wii U this year after all.

 

[Yggdrasill17]

Surprise, surprise(and double post)! Who would have thought that inferior specs would lead to inferior visuals?Shamelessly stolen from GAF...

What’s slightly more surprising, however, is the casual dismissal of said differences as “pixel counting” that “no one will notice” from numerous gaming journalists. Really? Apparently, a 56% deficit in resolution(or 125% in Call of Doggie’s case), a less consistent framerate, and less detailed/missing effects are somehow insignificant compared to the much smaller differences between 360 and PS3 multi-plats. Unbelievable.

 

[hhafiz]

...So uhh, hey there! I know it's been a few months but...at least I have a valid (and very physical) excuse!

It's going to be 35 weeks this Monday, so...not too long now! About 4-5 weeks till I say goodbye to life. ...Well considering the rate that I've been posting here, I'll probably have the little one already by next time. >.>;;

In regards to gaming news--yeah I was a bit surprised by the release of the 2DS but it does make sense now that I think about it (my cousin is actually trying to convince me to buy the 2DS over the 3DS/XL but I'd rather have some 3D functionality still in the system even if I don't use it much---plus I really prefer the fold-down set-up rather than just having it stay open flat). Actually as of this writing I'm trying to bid on the Zelda LE 3DS that released a couple years ago (not sure why I didn't grab it before 'cause I'm kicking myself now) -- and yeah I know about the gold Zelda XL one coming out but I'm reeeaaaallly not a fan of the XL's design.

I'm, of course, still playing Xillia--just got Rowen in my party so still in the early parts of the game. I'd love to finish it before the baby comes, but...well, we'll see.

Oh, and Symphonia Chronicles comes out Feb. 25! I'm glad they at least put some additions but I'd be lying if I said I wish there were more added. Anyway I'll be out on maternity leave then so I maaaaay have time to play it, but...baby will be here by then too obviously so double-edged sword/catch-22 there.

Also was sad hearing about Hiroshi Yamauchi. RIP.

OH, OH, did anyone get the latest Ace Attorney game?? Honestly that's probably the main reason I'm now trying to get a 3DS asap. >_>;

First of all, congratluations to Hh!
I'm sure you're in for a wonderful experience!

If it's not out of line, let me say I'm extremely jealous!
I hope I can follow in your path and have a kid sooner rather than later (though it will probably be a few years away for me)!
I wish you all the best!

Late reply, I know, but thanks~ (and hopefully it won't be too long for you either if you really want one! )

I suppose I can say some stuff without going too in depth though, I adquired Abyss 3DS last year, played it for some 10-15 hours if I recall correctly, wasn't particularly impressed though, gameplay got repetitive and the fact that I already knew most of the story due to the anime didn't help on that regard. *Awaits painful punishment by the many members of this board.*

Meh I'm a bit burnt out trying to make people play the game (you're not the only one) so I don't really care anymore (*cough*though you ARE missing out on a great game so nyah*cough* )

Yeah we have, but I'm not sure when I'll be starting it, as I am clearing my backlog now...slowly but surely. I haven't even started Tales of Graces f...sob.

Honestly I doubt you'll be impressed with Graces F. I mean okay, it probably has one of the more creative battle systems to date, but that's really all it has going for it so you might as well skip on to Xillia if you want. At least Xillia *kind of* has a somewhat interesting story going for it.

I guess that's one score for the English voice acting eh? Shame about Milla. Tear is funny because until I played the JPN version of Abyss I was totally fine with her portrayal. I sort of still am in a way because even though the VA completely betrays her real character and is just *way* too old for a 16 yo, I just love the voice acting nevertheless. It sort of fits in a weird...alter ego-ish way.

Heh, sometimes I wonder if I would've felt the same way had I played the ENG version first. I think it definitely would have made it harder for me to connect with her though...it's really her JP performance that I fell in love with (and I'm really not a weeaboo).

The government shutdown is over and old news, but this .gif is so good it's worth posting.

Lmao thanks for the laugh.