Blinx: The Time Sweeper Comments by Kristan Reed

Ah, more than 100 posts again! :) Oh, it's mostly with console wars again... :(

I'm buying this. I'll probably live to regret it. Or not. I don't mind games being hard (I liked GunValkyrie a lot). But the camera and the aiming system being sh*t... that's a different story.

Anyway, to be honest, I'm more hesitant about Splinter Cell. I didn't like MGS2. I found it boring. And I'm not talking about the cutscenes. Played it for a couple of hours months ago and keep telling myself I must give it another chance. Doubt I'll ever will. So...

Nothing wrong with the review, btw.

Oh, and my consoles are better than yours. All three of them.

Jaa, I hated MGS2 but I like the splinter cell demo.

Jaa, Dirtbox, Tiitz are you aware of the new Eurogamer forum for on and off topic discussions? Both Game Ranking systems and the Splinter Cell demo have there own threads.

Yes, ssuellid, I'm aware of it. Too confusing. Too many threads. Read the "Has EG lost a bit of its charme due to the new forum?" thread for my opinion.

But I'll go there anyway. Oh, and about Splinter Cell: thanks for helping me go bankrupt. :)

jimbo - try looking at the Doom 3 alpha for something that beats Splinter Cell. Only just mind you because Splinter Cell's lighting effects are extremely good.

All those sales figures are making my head spin. Duc-- Why do you keep making things up? What do you use to make those estimates? Where are sources?

Doom 3 Alpha has not great lighting effects. Splinter Cell is better at the moment but im 110% sure Doom 3 will be much better at the time of release.

Jimbo, Halo 2 and the lighting effects (from the In Game Trailer) rock over both thus far.

Dont forget that Mr Carmack said himself that Doom III will come as good looking on the Xbox seeing as it's based on the GF3 hardware (which the Xbox uses) anyway but will have to cut sown on a few other things.

Is this the XBOX2
http://packweb.free.fr/sitexbox/la%20xbox/accessoire/xbox2.j
pg

lol razz

It's been suggested around here a number of times that the Xbox supporters are the ones that are starting the flame-wars.

I have to disagree.

When I first came to this site, it was well before the Xbox was released in Europe. There was already a lot of anti-Microsoft, anti-Xbox junk on these threads. I own consoles by Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft (not all current generation), and felt affinity for all of them (especially Nintendo). Then I came here and read over and over again about how the Xbox was going to crash and burn and how all these pissy Eurogamers were going to dance on the ashes of Microsoft. There was genuine vitriol. These Xbox bashers (and there were a hell of a lot of you - don't lie, damnit) weren't going to be happy unless the Xbox turned out to be a huge embarrassment to Microsoft in particular, and the United States in general. I found myself sinking into a pit of previously unrealized fanboyism. I was constantly reading posts from people that wanted to see my console FAIL. They didn't want to just profess the greatness of their gaming choice, but, rather, wanted to grind my fun into the ground.

I say many of you need to go back and take a long hard look at just how things ended up in their current condition.

p.s. I don't read as many different threads here as most of you do, so I can't really say what was being said all over the forums. However, this was definitely my experience.

"lol razz"

finally somebody understands my humour

Well, cyber nicco, you can be sure they'll will never be anti xbox bias from me. I long for the day when we just argue about a game's merit, and the idea of which platform is best isn't even on the agenda. When people discuss books, movies, or music, do you think they waste their time quibbling over the hardware?
For the record I've spent most of the evening playing Unreal Championship. On Xbox.
Sure, Xbox has more power, but in the end it's the games we give a shit about.

Mr. Doh,

You're missing the point...

I've said things I regret. It's the impression of being attacked that inspires these reactions. I'm only suggesting that there was/is a unprecedented number of folks looking for an Xbox failure - possibly stoking the flames of fanboyism.

This isn't meant to excuse my (or anyone's) over exuberance. It's merely meant to stab at an explanation.

p.s. Krudster, one has to admit that quality of games is a function of sales and quality of hardware. Logically, if everyone were to buy whatever hardware platform was the most powerful, over time those people would be rewarded with the best games. I am taken aback by the implication that these things are unrelated. I'm not even going to suggest what platform might meet any of these standards, but I think most of you don't need me to spell it out for you.

Just look at Sega Dreamcast: it was the best platform available for 2 years, with the best games, and it didn't do that well... I mean, Soul Calibur can still hack it with the best of next gen gfx.

So let's dump the "it's all about games" -argument shall we?

"It's the impression of being attacked that inspires these reactions."

I can completely relate to that.

It's funny Cyber, I feel like i'm in the same corner. All over the web there had been rampant Xbox bashing, not too sure why. Part of it's because it's Microsoft, another part is Microsoft's a U.S. corporation.

But atleast the entire time I knew that regardless of all the haters, plenty of people will still buy it. Xbox is doing quite nicely for a first console, and not just in sales but in software quality. It's got triple A games, my friends. It is a very good console backed by a very larger corporation. The promise of a future on Xbox is great. Microsoft's mountain of cash and profits and it's willingness to allocate so much of it to the industry is freakin' the best thing if you're an xbox gamer. We've got big-name sequels, and unheard of could be, couldn't be big hits.

There's a lot of new, exclusive software that is constantly released for Xbox. You'll have your misses (Blinx), but most importantly you'll have your hits (Deathrow, Halo, etc..)

BTW, quick Deathrow review. BUY IT. It's damn great and it is damn intense. Cyber-- go! Get it! Just don't choose the seacats, they're damn fast but your opponent will just kick your ass everytime. Love that game-- my favorite game of the year so far. Splinter Cell's demo is a close 2nd...hah

"So you are saying that everybody should always buy the newest PC hardware that is released? This sounds pretty expensive and not at all practical."

I'm beginning to wonder why you even exist. I think i've been cursed. Duc might be Otto's evil side. No, that was not at all what he was saying Duc.

These Xbox bashers weren't going to be happy unless the Xbox turned out to be a huge embarrassment to Microsoft in particular, and the United States in general.

It's nothing to do with the United States in general, why does the US currently have this persecution complex that everyone wants it to fail? It's just to do with Microsoft. I can appreciate the quality of some Xbox games, but I love to see Bill with egg on his face. Doesn't everyone? So you want to play the games, but you just can't help but keep on wishing that Bill would meet some nasty fate. What a dilemma! The answer? Microsoft should have set up a new company to create and market the Xbox and disassociated the product entirely from MS. I'm sure they'd have done a lot better.

why does the US currently have this persecution complex that everyone wants it to fail?

That's being carefully cultivated by the US media. Probably because the perception that the whole world is against you, leads people to more readily back hard-line governmental policies.

"Logically, if everyone were to buy whatever hardware platform was the most powerful, over time those people would be rewarded with the best games."

That is just untrue, having a standard to work on that is the most powerful does not make the best games, innovation and vision from games designers/developers is what makes a good game. The hardware has next to nothing relevant to the quality of the game, just the graphics.

Case in point is Morrowind vs Gothic, Gothic is by far the better constructed game, the story is better, the combat system is better and the overall feel is more fluid. However Morrowind looked a lot prettier and was by an established software house, so it sold by the bucket load, even though it's graphically inferior and actual gameplay superior Gothic was basically ignored.

Graphics does not a good game make.

XBox won't fail, imho.

Bill has too much cash and will throw it at the problem til its fixed

"Bill has too much cash and will throw it at the problem til its fixed"

Money however doesn't make good games, which is, lets face it, what a console is sold for.

on the contrary, cash can buy the earth.

i can see bill goats buying up everything, including paying us to take the xbox and the games off the shop's shelves (at this rate he's going to have to pay me to).

According to this weeks Japanese hardware charts...oh dear...

Xbox | 1,400 | (Annual: 267,800)
Wonder Swan Crystal | 1,300 | (Annual: 98,500)

BWAHA!!

Mumba - you do kinda have some points but the total sales are not down to Sly9.
You also missed a fatal thing. Cube sold the same total amount before 2002 I believe i heard. Yea the sales should have been more than Sony's seeing as Nintendo have a bigger and more stable background with consoles in the world, but is'nt that because the PSX came out before the N64? which is what started to put Nintendo in the Shadow of Sony? I might be wrong with that, as i never followed the N64 and PSX consoles, but i do know the PSX came out first.

oh and P.S. Mumba, dont get me wrong but you sound like a Fanboy to me ;)

Keep your fanboyism to yourself if you have to reply please LOL pot kettle black?

Mr. Sleep,

Wakeup! (Sorry - couldn't resist)

"That is just untrue, having a standard to work on that is the most powerful does not make the best games, innovation and vision from games designers/developers is what makes a good game. The hardware has next to nothing relevant to the quality of the game, just the graphics."

You've essentially misquoted me. What I said is that quality of games will be largely a function of the number of consoles sold (thus, stimulating development), and quality of hardware (which has to do with a lot more than graphics, btw - sound, harddrive, etc.)

You will find first(and second)-party development happen that's completely outside of this formula, because of obvious reasons (contracts, owenership, etc.) You will also find other factors become apparent - for instance, maybe some Japanese developers would prefer to develop for a Japanes console (pure speculation on my part). However, over time, simple free-market economics will prevail. Most developers will be inclined to develop for the platform that has the widest audience. If that platform is also the most technically advanced, this will result (on average) in the highest quality games available during that technology cycle.

I don't see how you can really argue against this, but go ahead and try.

"It's nothing to do with the United States in general, why does the US currently have this persecution complex that everyone wants it to fail?"

I'm not sure if that's meant tongue-in-cheek, or not. I'll assume you're being serious.

Yes, there is a lot of anti-American sentiment throughout the world - including in many European countries (even amongst our most staunch allies). How do I know this? Well, for starters, I had a lengthy vacation in England early this year, and saw plenty of it first hand. How else? I have a number of friends that either live in Europe, or have recently moved from there, and they tell me this is so (many of them non-
americans). All you really have to do is read the foreign (to me) press, and you will see this.

It's a seperate argument as to whether or not this feeling is warranted, but I think it's rather silly to suggest that it doesn't exist.

That being said, I don't KNOW that any of the anti-Xbox rhetoric that I experienced was due to anti-American sentiment, but the language often suggested it.

Furthermore, I'm constantly surprised by how much Bill Gates is disliked. Compare him to pretty much any other billionaire, and he comes up modest, unpretentious, the antithesis of flashy, and personally quite generous (by the accounts I've read). I'm not suggesting that he's Mister Wonderful, but I doubt he deserves the dislike he's often subjected to.

By the way, I'd be very pleased to find out that I'm wrong about the anti-American sentiment. Really.

Maybe it is largely a product of the media (not just ours - I saw plenty of English TV when I was there).

So, now's your chance to chime in all you Eurogamers. Here's today's question: Americans, love 'em or leave 'em?

cyber nicco, there's a great solo piano album by Bill Evans that might be of interest for you.

It's called "Conversation with myself".

"Here's today's question: Americans, love 'em or leave 'em?"

Could care less about 'em :)
Hope that answers your question.
Live and let live.

"Money however doesn't make good games, which is, lets face it, what a console is sold for."

Money makes good games. I don't have any money, and if I made a game it would suck. Square, Nintendo, Rare, Bungie, Enix, Konami, Sega, and Capcom have lots of money. They have good games. They tend to correlate, but not always, which I think was your point anyway.

And a lot of people hate Bill Gates, apparently. But I never really see any reason why. Sure, he bundled Internet Explorer and destroys most competitors, but he doesn't kill babies. He's evil because he has 50 billion dollars. Which is about 3.5% of the UK's GDP hehehe. He could buy 7 million of your citizens.

Mr.Do!, please register so I can block you.

Did someone say Vacuum welded pussy? Oh you've met "the wife" then?

Peej

"However, over time, simple free-market economics will prevail."

And you come to this conclusion how?

Numerous companies make games for whichever platform they want, not everyone does it to make money, some people actually enjoy their jobs and do them to be artistic. Are you going to tell me that the maker of Longest Journey who wrote, directed and VO'd (some of) it did it for money?

"Most developers will be inclined to develop for the platform that has the widest audience."

Perhaps, I think however you are confusing developers and producers. The development house make the game for the producers who then deal with distribution to however millions. The developers are hardly involved at all.

"If that platform is also the most technically advanced, this will result (on average) in the highest quality games available during that technology cycle."

Quality of story and game are not relevant to hardware abilities. Morrowind looked brilliant but the story and the gameplay were boring. Gothic looked pants in comparison but the story is interesting and the combat is somewhat dynamic. The point I am trying to make is that I have just as much fun on the First Street Fighter as the ten million suquels, all those upgrades to hardware and it's still in essence the same game...and it's boring. I think the Xbox is a good example of the high level technology not making better games, the few exclusives that the Xbox has are not very impressive and frankly I am more wowed by the PS2 and it's host of exclusive and interesting titles that have developed over time. I mean Blinx is excessively derivative.

Oh and btw, I can argue anything :p

@BGIE, yeah, sorry I should have explained that a little better, what I meant to say was that good games and a large finance are not mutually exclusive, there have been many good games on low budgets.

Heh, my longest EG reply ever!

I mean Blinx is excessively derivative

Not played it then. Cause as you know. I enjoy it as well has others.

Derivative as in it brings nothing new to the genre and it is a standard platform game just as Mario is. I am not saying that it isn't enjoyable, just that the game brings nothing new to a stale genre.

I'm with Tiitiz on this, obviously haven't played the game then Mr Sleep.

Nope, feel free to tell me it's differing facets :)

I assume for the record that you mean the time stopping issue, yes that is an innovation, well done to them, anything else?

The way I play Blinx the whole time control is used often. It plays and works very smooth.
For example, when you die you use a retry (if you have one) which rewinds you back like 5-10secs so you can correct the mistake you made. None of this pain in the arse Oh im dead, Oh! Ill start from the begining again and do the same damn thing, again. Not that i die a whole lot, but im now on world 5 stage 2 which is starting to get really hard and challenging. I know someone on 7.3 so i still have a small chance to complete it before he does :)) Raaa!

...initial sense of innovation and strangely addictive gameplay makes Blinx initially an enjoyable experience

Well that's exactly where I'm at. The first two worlds are superb and eminently replayable. The third world is more of a chore (sorry Geography fans). Is the best already over?

hi all.

Got myself a copy of Blinx today. and after initial, hhmpph i dont like this camera control, i must say im quite enjoying it. not too far in (only on the hourglass level) but so far its a fairly interesting platofrm romp. and certainly the best i have played on the xbx. bravo. oooh and that TORK demo on it looked interesting too :)

Xboxen.

I was always under the impression that this was derived from German plural forms. I faintly remember reading someone coining this term on this site before the Xbox launch.

Anyone else remember all this?

Re: Anti-american sentiment
In general, I think that there are many places in the world that this exists. I'll leave that to your personal reading.

In particular, there are a couple posters on this forum that leave some of their distate thinly veiled.

In general, on this site, I think it's rather neutral, all things considered. Perhaps why it remains my favorite site and place to post.

In corresponding US sites, there is rarely an intelligently articulated thread. I suspect it's partially a function of the increased internet access for younger persons in the states. It does, however make for colourful "discussion".

hhhmmm ok. played blinx a bit more last night. Im at the 4th world now. stage one.

got a bit annoyed i must say. i could be wrong, but this is twice this has happened now.... If u mess up the see-saw bit where u need to record urself, u are left with no choice but to restart the level. am i right? Same happened a few levels ago, where i had to stand on 2 buttons at once. bodged it up, and had no chance of doing it again. this one is worse tho, coz theres no where else to go!!

hhmm, that IS bad design... have been enjoying it tho, but u shouldnt get THIS frustrated playing a game with quite good potential. ooohhh and short levels :) Ive been dying for a game with short levels for a while now!

"at the 4th world now. stage one."

Same place I've got to. I think there are four record crystals in the two rooms near to the see-saw so you can get two goes at recording correctly.

I'm stuck (hell, running out of time) at the end, trying to hit that 'door spirit' when all I've got left is bombs.