Rez said:
how can hardware be unimaginative? it sounds to me like you're complaining about the launch lineup, which history has shown over and over again to be the least interesting phase of any product's lifecycle. your complaints will be valid should the quality of the software remain the same in the next few years, but as of right now it sounds like you're complaining there isn't a slot that gives you an instant blowjob.
The situation really couldn't be any more exciting. What we've got on our hands is a good ol' hardware arms race - the 3DS with it's showy new display, and Sony's kitchen sink approach with the PSP2. It's a marvel that we're seeing this in the post Wii/iPhone era, when accessibility and social meta-ness has been shown to successfully trump sheer hardware grunt. With where technology as a whole is at right now, here in 2011, we're seeing two heavy contenders put (in varying quantity) examples of all the latest whiz-bang stuff like into a platform designed to be taken on the go. I think the handheld industry is up for a big shake-up, and there's going to be some losers, but I'm delighted to see the big names care so much for Joe Gamer.
evlcookie said:
Isn't that the point though? To show off something that only the system can do, that makes it unique? Nothing about the technology shown on either is interesting at all. We have all seen and experienced 3D and touch gaming.
What game(s) on the DS really make use of it's features? What were the games that didn't simply retool the button config to make you use the stylus? What game(s) really utilized the blow mechanic for most of the game instead of a simple mini game? What game made you go, holy shit, this isn't possible on any other system because of those two features.
Despite drinking willingly at the fountain of Kool-aid, I can't help but agreeing with this. Both companies have achieved to capture their audiences through wow-factor alone, with all the showy tech. In the case of Nintendo (with a few caveats) they've done well to invigorate the party faithful with what is largely the same handheld they've been making since the DS Phat albeit with a new display.
I got caught in their trap, I really did. As always, software is all that really matters, yet with the 3DS the hype has been built almost single-handedly around the 'OMG, it works!' wow factor. And it does work. I'm lucky enough to have played one and the initial impact is strong. Does the new display allow for any new innovative software? You know, it probably doesn't. The human brain already 'calculates' the 3D volume in the polygonal games we've been playing since the 90's, yet all the 3DS really does is explicitly amplify that effect. Beyond that, there's largely the same platform we've been playing since 2004 with a basic suite of all the mod-cons you'd expect like wireless and social networking fluff that would be suicidal not to include in this decade.
The only place you're wrong is with the initial DS - there's buckets of games that can really only be played with the stylus. A mouse wouldn't cut it for games like Ouendan/EBS and everything else VKS mentioned, and it's got the advantage of fidelity over the iDevices.
For the 3DS, my pre-order is placed, yet I found myself looking at the launch list thinking "Hmm.. I guess Ghost Recon will kind be like Advance Wars, I guess" or "I think I'll get Nintendogs just so I can show off my new toy to my family in a way that will appeal to them". It's the polar opposite to the months leading up to the Wii, when all I was looking forward to a new Zelda adventure.
At the end of the day, it's the 'Nintendo' branding that comes on the box and the pedigree I expect of their first party efforts that will ensure I buy a US and an AUS version come March.
If anything, I find the current situation rejuvenating - we're back to a oneupmanship scenario with the big boys trying to win over the middle ground with hardware as the emphasis ahead of software - just like when I was young and didn't have to shave every fucking day! There's also the lols and meltdowns to look forward too - Sony's new handheld is going to cost you your Nanna's kidneys and it's fucking hilarious just how much overkill they're trying to use to make the thing a success.
I know you're not keen on handheld gaming. There's something personal and engaging about having a system in hand that makes the experience feel a little more direct than the world of PC and consoles. The handheld experience is different - as it should be - and it leads to the development of games in genres that simply won't appeal to everyone. Handhelds also have the 'gizmo' factor, and that's always good for a buzz.
evlcookie said:
What boardgames did you play bern? How many people were there / what games available?
We played one round of possibly the best game available for both the experienced and uninitiated - a game called 'Small World' which channeled the same fantasy humour of a Terry Pratchett novel and had elements of games I was familiar with like Risk and Civ. Both parties were catered for: something the seasoned folk wouldn't get bored of, and something that boardgame neophytes like me didn't feel overwhelmed or confused with.
