Support NeoGAF

[refreshZ]

http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/driv3r.htm

Let's get one thing clear from the start. Medical science in the latter part of the 20th Century and the earlier part of the 21st has advanced at a dizzying speed. The average lifespan (at least in the First World) has been extended by decades in the last century or two, and the pace of the advance of that science is accelerating, not slowing. With stem-cell research, breakthroughs in cloning, keyhole surgery and more, humans will soon become all but immortal. There will be no illness, no injury, no trauma so severe that it can't be repaired, perhaps using replacement organs grown from your own cells, taken at birth and stored until they're needed. This is a good thing.

Because it means that, hopefully within our lifetime, it'll be possible to take the people responsible for signing off Atari's "Driv3r" as finished and ready for sale, imprison them in a dingy dockside warehouse, beat them to a prolonged, blood-soaked death over a period of several days using jagged rocks, then bundle them into a waiting car, take them to a backstreet clinic, have a corrupt surgeon quickly revive them before brain death occurs, carefully and diligently restore them back to health over a recovery period of weeks and months, probably involving lots of exhausting and painful physiotherapy, and then drag them back to the warehouse and beat them to death again. Except slightly more brutally.

Twice.

bwahahaha

 

[TheGreenGiant]

urgh. whatever. Driv3r is kicking all you GAF hataz with its sales. It ETM all over again.

CASUALS WIN!

 

[TekunoRobby]

Yeah really that sucks.

I guess it's better than me controlling the market. All these crazy oddball Japanese/American games would be getting top billing. The industry-wide insanity would never end.

I feel bad for ragging on Driver 3, I haven't even touched the game and yet I revel in this scandelous affair.

 

[Dujour]

I thought GTAII and Vice City were games for casual gamers. Won't the ones that already own those games realize that this is dry turd? Also, I just recalled there's a mission in GTAIII were you have to kill this old undercover cop named Tanner (he'd have to be old since the driver games are set in the 70's). It's pretty cool, Rock*'s cool jab at em.

 

[Fusebox]

Driv3r doesnt care, its selling.

 

[ravingloon]

I thought GTAII and Vice City were games for casual gamers. Won't the ones that already own those games realize that this is dry turd? Also, I just recalled there's a mission in GTAIII were you have to kill this old undercover cop named Tanner (he'd have to be old since the driver games are set in the 70's). It's pretty cool, Rock*'s cool jab at em.

How? Do you not know any casuals? They make their purchasing decesions based off of commercials (Of which Drivers is pretty impressive), the back of store boxes (which again seems impressive) and maybe the occasional magazine preview (assuming they have a membership at Gamestop or EB). I know a dude who buys tons more games than I do, yet his happiness ration sucks because he puts zero thought into what he's buying (going solely on perceived image).

 

[SolidSnakex]

I thought GTAII and Vice City were games for casual gamers. Won't the ones that already own those games realize that this is dry turd? Also, I just recalled there's a mission in GTAIII were you have to kill this old undercover cop named Tanner (he'd have to be old since the driver games are set in the 70's). It's pretty cool, Rock*'s cool jab at em.

The commentary for the "Two Faced Tanner" mission was great. He was a "strangely animated cop" who's "more or less useless outside of his car".

Driver 3 actually has a shot at GTA in it though. In each city there are some characters named Timmy Vercelli, who you have to kill to unlock some secrets. These characters are floaties on their arms in reference to Tommy inability to swim.

Considering how Driver 3 turned out, Rockstar is going to have a field day coming up with stuff to rip it in SA.

 

[Che]

How? Do you not know any casuals? They make their purchasing decesions based off of commercials (Of which Drivers is pretty impressive), the back of store boxes (which again seems impressive) and maybe the occasional magazine preview (assuming they have a membership at Gamestop or EB). I know a dude who buys tons more games than I do, yet his happiness ration sucks because he puts zero thought into what he's buying (going solely on perceived image).

Totally agree. I know people who buy games based on three factors: Graphics, hype and advertising. I mean what kind of idiot wastes his money without checking out first WHAT he's buying?

 

[Keio]

Things like this are a bigger problem for the whole industry than people like to admit.

This is what happens when a casual gamer sees the massive Driver 3 hype:

1) He/she buys the game.
2) He/she plays it: crashes into invisible walls, gets frustrated over and over by bad design...
3) He/she ends up thinking: is this what a great videogame is like?
4) He/she doesn't ever again buy a new game and tells his/her mates that gaming is for spastics.

I'll quote myself, because I think this is a very relevant issue.

Shite like Driver 3 gives gaming a bad name.

And for those defending the game on the merits of its sales --> shit&flies...

 

[SolidSnakex]

I doubt there's anyone that's going to play 1 videogame and then decide that's what they're all like. It's like someone listening to 1 song or watching 1 movie and deciding that's what they're all going to be like. It's not as big of a deal as some are making it out to be. If the majority agree that the game just isn't good then after the first month or 2 the game will just stop selling, much like State of Emergency.

 

[The Faceless Master]

i thought those J* billboards in True Crime were hilarious...

 

[DaCocoBrova]

I told you all would sell... The ads are good. That's usually all it takes.

 

[TTP]

What really scares me is the possibility that those who bought the game actually liked it. I mean, they may well be the same ppl that bought Matrix right? That didn't stop them to buy Driv3r.

 

[TheGreenGiant]

Well, apparnetly gamer reviews on either the Gamespot or IGn (can't remember) rated Dri3ver... 8.5 (or something)...

 

[dark10x]

This fellow awarded a nice 8.9 to DRIV3R. Let us read the full review...

Gamespot, shame on you.. i mean come on the game is amazing. I understand why xbox got a low low review.. to much glitches in that version of it. As u can tell I have the ps2 version and i only noticed about 2 glitches hands down. Its very fun and enjoyable although i have to admit i like driver1 a lil more. Great game and should be a high rating if u ask me. I wish they delayed it a lil longer to fix those glitches and make it smoother and away from glitching but no game is perfect. Gta, why freaking compare that to this.. this is more life like and i think driv3r is better in everyway. well i give it a 9 and if u play it and understand the story ull love it. but gamespots review shouldnt fool u at all just head over to www.dri3vr.com click forum and check out what ppl are saying about xbox and ps2 versions.

 

[SolidSnakex]

What really scares me is the possibility that those who bought the game actually liked it. I mean, they may well be the same ppl that bought Matrix right? That didn't stop them to buy Driv3r.

Well it's basically Driver with prettier graphics so it's not real surprise that people would like it. I don't think it's going to do 10 million, but it should do atleast half of that.

 

[TheGreenGiant]

:in best street fighter announcer voice:

Atari WINS

...

AGAIN

 

[Littleberu]

The hardest part is to know a friend who's a casual and bought Driv3r.

 

[Keio]

Have you checked out the Xbox Live videos that gamers can upload? Checked them out at a colleague and OMG! They are mainly glitchfests galore, making fun of the games shortcomings

Still, some manage to look good in the process.

There's a controversial one where Tanner harasses a bikini clad girl on the street, kills a few cops, watches the woman run away and wanks behind a tree (complete with a stained tree, thanks to the games bad texturing work) and goes back to chasing the girl... Poetry in motion.

 

[Ranger X]

I tried the Xbox version at my local EB and shit... this was terrible. I felt like i was playing the first one on the PS1. Ok the graphics are updated (duh) but they are freakin average for today's standard and there's no fucking draw distance. ( And i mean no draw distance JUST AS DRIVER THE FIRST!!!)


And Seraphitia, don't EVEN DARE to compare that shit to GTA3 or Vice City.
Vice City and GTA3 did sell well because it's one of the rare game that combines 2 things: appeal for casual yes but it's also a great game (very rare mix let me tell you. And that's exactly why it had so much sales.)

 

[chespace]

sad indeed. how do we know DRIV3R is selling? anyone have any numbers or can point me to anything concrete on a URL?

not that i don't believe y'all of course...

----

http://chespace.ogamo.com

 

[Fowler]

We should like, start picket lines outside of EB when something like Enter the Matrix or Driv3r comes along, deploring people not to cross the line and buy that shite. It'd be awesome.

 

[BuddyC]

sad indeed. how do we know DRIV3R is selling? anyone have any numbers or can point me to anything concrete on a URL?

not that i don't believe y'all of course...

----

http://chespace.ogamo.com

http://www.charttrack.co.uk/html/uk/Software charts/All Software (All Prices).htm

* 'Driv3r' becomes Atari's first All Formats No1 since 'Enter The Matrix' a year ago (week 20, 2003), putting last weeks broken launch position of No6 firmly behind it. The PS2 version has the 11th highest weekly sales of any PS2 game, while the Xbox version has the 5th highest weekly sell through of any Xbox title. 'Driv3r' on PS2 also outperforms the highest sales weeks of all other versions of Driver with the best sales week of any title this year.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

We should like, start picket lines outside of EB when something like Enter the Matrix or Driv3r comes along, deploring people not to cross the line and buy that shite. It'd be awesome.

It's useless if the hype train grabs you. My friend was pushing anything, everything...telling customers the game was bad, trying to get them to buy Psi-Ops instead, etc. All for nothing. The sales were huge at his store.

 

[Socreges]

I wonder if I could sell shit on a stick if the advertisements had fast cars and explosions.

*Now with 35% more shit!*

OMG WHAT A STEAL

 

[ge-man]

It's useless if the hype train grabs you. My friend was pushing anything, everything...telling customers the game was bad, trying to get them to buy Psi-Ops instead, etc. All for nothing. The sales were huge at his store.

That's quite sad. I'm glad your friend tried, though. It's nice to have people running stores who are willing to steer people in the right or better direction.