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Cover Story: It Came From Outer Space!

Phil Butcher


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Sex: M     Age: 32
Ripon, WI

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Gears of WarFans Gears of WarFans
995 members

A club of people who love this game.

Frente! Frente!
36 members

This club will be closed until further notice.

200 members

Come here for info and debates over the systems of the future!...

The Gears of War Club The Gears of War Club
86 members

This is the offical 1up.com club all about Gears of War!! ...

the [360] Generation the [360] Generation
61 members

this club is one of the first xbox 360 clubs on 1up and is for...

Salutations and Salivation

Hi, my name is Phil Butcher. Like many of you, I have a lot of thoughts on the gaming industry. Unlike a lot of you, I put them into words. Trite, barely literate rants, that is what I do. Enjoy.


Placeholders Be Damned

Posted: August 20, 2005
Ok, It has been a busy week. Had gotten back from my girlfriends house and then had to help her move into her dorm. Since she is back in school, it means I have to be somewhat more social and less trollish, and so it took me a few days to update.

I do not think I will talk about soundtracks, as previously advertised, but I will in the coming days. I already have notes I have taken about it, so it will drop. Like anyone cares.

Instead, It will be random topic Wednesday.

Nintendo:Talking the...hmm, Nevermind
Just read an article on IGN (strike one for me today) between their GC guy and Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs, Perrin Kaplan. It is always somewhat interesting to hear what Nintendo, and in specific Kaplan, have to say one certain matters, this time the 360. I say specifically her because everytime NIntendo does something WACKY, like postponing Zelda, she is right there to make it seem as if nothing is wrong and that they are treading water just fine. I bring up this article because she said something that kind of got to me. [Talking about Microsoft's working with more Japanese talent this time around] "Microsoft has had no success in the Japan market and they were required to attract such developers in order to have a chance in the market. Further, those developers won't be making software for that system that are currently known and loved on other systems, such as Kirby."

Just let that sink in for a second. Nintendo thinks that they won't be successful because they are not rehashing the same franchises right out of the box? They will fail because developers who have proven themselves time and again are wanting to bring a new product to people? I don't know about anyone else, but those new franchises from Japanese giants (Square, Q!, Sega, ETC) are the reason I am so excited about the damn thing in the first place. Bring on the Blue Dragon! I think that the new collaberation, along with their [Microsoft's] new push in Japan will make a big difference this time around.

But really, let's not leave it to these unknown franchises to not sell the system, let's look at some other "risks" they are taking. Gears of War? No, please don't give us an innovative shooter (that will likely be cloned by every other company once it shoots off like a rocket and becomes THE killer APP in the American Xbox360 lineup). Please don't give us games like Condemned, where we might have to actually think and/or pay attention! Don't get me wrong, I am not meaning to trash Nintendo (a company that I have always loved and likely always will), but on the subject of your beloved characters, how many times can you whore out Mario, Link, DK before it stops being fun and "innovative." It is like they have they had a board meeting and said, "Hey, if they like Mario in this game, they will love him in these other 12. Maybe it will take their mind off of the fact that, besides Zelda, we don't really put out any truely killer apps anymore. Why put out a new Mario platformer when you can shoehorn him into some watered down sports title or force him to have another party?" Seriously. New franchises, please, or at least put your characters in a game worthy of their name (not just Link!) /rant (as the cool kids on the message boards say)

Revolutionary...maybe...someday...You'll see...
Another note to Nintendo (do you like how I talk directly to them even though there is more chance of a naked rejuvenated Raquel Welch falling through my ceiling directly onto my face than them ever seeing anything I have to say? Me too!): the 360, it's tech is locked. You know exactly the features it has. No time to put in anything new. PS3? They have their specs down. They might fine tune them (aka work to make them cheap to produce) a bit before their launch, but really, they are pretty much locked down too. So, it has to be asked, who are you afraid will steal your designs? The Phantom? If you don't have any concrete specs or a finalized controller, will you just tell us that is the case instead of playing this "Sony has ripped us off time and again and we don't want it to happen again game"? It is true that Sony has pretty unceremonially stolen your best gaming additions (shoulder buttons, analog, rumble), but really, they don't have time to do that anymore. So just throw us a freaking bone. How about a screen shot or 2, or would that be too much info? Seriously.

You just have to buy...no really
I was reading somewhere yesterday (when I find out where, I will link) that made a good point. It might seem like bad marketing to set the 360 prices and whatnot as they are, but really, in the game industry, they don't even need to try and sell the product anymore. They get you addicted one generation and know that, without fail, you will likely buy SOME game machine the next. It doesn't matter the cost (3DO?) most of the time, people will snatch it up. On the one hand, this is a sad realisation, but on the other, you know everyone and their cat is doing it, so why not you too. 360 preorders anyone?

There may be more. I have to go and get food, and so I am forced away for now. Be good.
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Gears of Woot

Posted: August 17, 2005
Much has been said about this game, Gears of War. I can do little but reiterate. I won't talk about the graphics, which are beautiful and imaginative. I will say, however, that is a nice change from standard FPS type (I am aware of the 3rd person over the shoulder perspective, but you know what I mean) fare.

It is nice to see a game that does not emphasize or reward run and gun, circle strafing, but doesn't immediately assume that it must become a stealth game. It is wonderful to see a shooter with some imagination, with great AI and a superb sense of strategy. It is delightful to see that someone would like to take a new look at horror in games and show that there is more than one way to do it. I am very excited to see updated movies that will show off more gameplay and the music that Mr. B talks about.

These are very exciting times, these next few months. This could be the IT game for the Xbox 360, though even if it were multi-platform, I could see it being THE IT game for every system it laid its Midas touch upon.

*Removes lips from surprisingly soft rose scented asses.*
Superb Job, Cliff and company. The game is shaping up nicely, as usual.

Not all News is New News but...
It is nice, as it has ever been, to see that Microsoft's new baby plays well with others, especially the competition. Much like we never thought we would see the day that a Sega game would appear on a Nintendo system, I am delighted (though surprised as ever) to see Microsoft embracing, rather than distancing itself from, the products of its competitors (Apple in the PC market, Sony in the console market). This is a very nice thing for its customers, which are sometimes a little more brand atheistic. See the love in action.
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Time to save up 40,000 pennies...

Posted: August 17, 2005
By now, everyone and the Pope knows that the Xbox 360 is being priced in the Americas at $400 (you can add as many 9's as you want folks, you aren't fooling me!). Notice I did not mention the stripped down model for $300. Why is that? Because I see it as a bit of a nonfactor.

The way the periphials are priced, if you wanted any of them, it would knock you up towards the $400 mark anyhow, so why not get the better bargain? I mean check it out, the 20 gigabyte hard drive is set at $99. Think about that. The 40gig (though worthless) PS2 harddrive was that much and it had a game on it. You can buy a 120gig drive for that much or less (as I have in the past). I cannot think of a reason for the drive being this much except for the fact that it could drive someone to buy the upgraded xbox 360 in the first place or for some reason form fitting the drive has made it exponentially more expensive.

Also, with the stripped down version they basically take away from you one of their big selling points, the built in Live service. That is right, with the 'Core Package,' you don't even get the Live Silver package. This is what some in the industry might call weak sauce, but there is a point to all of it, really!

They keep saying they want to offer people who don't want to spend as much a better deal, that they want there to be enough variety for the gamer who wants such things. But let's live in reality for a second. We can all see through this and realize that what they really want is for you to buy the upgraded or, as I like to call it, STANDARD Xbox 360 package. I mean, it comes with a non-wired controller, 360 Universal remote, ethernet cable, Silver package, it makes toast and curse herpes. Orrrrrr, you can buy, on the cheap, the box with no drive, a wired controller, and it gives you diptheria. Which you you pick?

But, you might say, why would they put the stripped down versions on sale when they won't sell nearly as good as the others. Simple. When the PS2 had a hardware shortage, we had to wait for more ps2s to be made/shipped. With the 360, what happens when they sell out of the standard package? You slap together some new ones out of its special needs sibling. It is, in my mind, a brilliant strategy.

I have begun, in my head, to switch things around. At one time I was avidly against the Xbox because I saw Microsoft as the evil empire. But when you get to know it and the motivations and history behind it, you realize that this isn't so much a completely seperate offshoot of the company, but a whole nother animal entirely. Instead, Sony has become that selfsame evil empire. They basically feel, because they have so much of the market (as nintendo once did, something they should think about), that they can do whatever they want, buy exclusivity, rag on the competition, whatever, and that it will only help them. I have a feeling that, starting next-gen, that they will be in for a rude awakening. There are people still a little tender after coming down off of all of the overhyped lies that were put out as fact before the ps2's release. I don't know if they can afford to let down the consumer again. I mean they will, and they will flourish, but in my head people will make a stand and say they don't want to take their patronizing 'eat what we give you' crap anymore. It's a pipedream, of course, but it's my pipedream...
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