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*Official* XBLA thread • Page 573

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  • Gambit1977 12 Mar 2013 22:06:13 7,839 posts
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    Trine 1 and 2 are both very much style over substance IMO. The physics, of which most puzzles are based, and the controls are extremely shakey.

    Looks bloody lovely though.

    Edited by Gambit1977 at 22:06:59 12-03-2013
  • caligari 12 Mar 2013 22:11:38 16,350 posts
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    Thanks for that, guys.

    I have to admit that the Trine 2 trial didn't blow my socks off - I never bothered finishing the first one on my PC, so I suppose that should have set an alarm off.

    I've been playing the Shadow Complex trial again and it seems great - reminds me very much of Flashback.

    To be honest, I need more points. I STILL haven't purchased Daytona* (the Dreamcast version being one of my favourite racing 'experiences'), Costume Quest, Spelunky and Scott Pilgrim

    *do people still play it on Live, or has that 'moment' passed?

    Edited by caligari at 22:14:08 12-03-2013
  • Gambit1977 12 Mar 2013 22:18:40 7,839 posts
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    Flashback is a very good comparison, as would be early Metal Gear Solid even Super Metroid. Only of course, this stars everyone's favourite go to voice guy, Nolan North!

    Edited by Gambit1977 at 22:19:40 12-03-2013
  • RedSparrows 13 Mar 2013 07:52:05 16,982 posts
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    I think people forget that MS could very easily splunk a giant wadge of cash on new games for the next console, and all the fickle gaming world will love them for it. Seems possible to me, going by the 360. I think we forget how spoilt we have been by the 360, even as MS act like tossers.
  • crispyduckman 13 Mar 2013 09:12:02 1,816 posts
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    @RedSparrows Where the heck did that come from? Not a morning person, Red?

    PSN & XBL - crispyduckman

  • sanctusmortis 13 Mar 2013 09:16:50 8,582 posts
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    He's right though; I'm willing to bet all the shit we've had on 360 these last 2 years is because they've been ramping up to the new console, and don't massively give a shit any more. Exclusives have dwindled, there's not been a massive XBLA release in a while, the Summer Of Arcade has massively trailed off (judging by the Wikipedia page2010 was the turning point), and they're not even really pushing Halo 4 any more.The most I heard lately was "oh hey, final map pack next month".
  • evild_edd 13 Mar 2013 09:36:54 2,644 posts
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    @crispyduckman
    crispyduckman wrote:
    @RedSparrows Where the heck did that come from? Not a morning person, Red?
    Check the previous page for yesterday's (off-topic) discussion on MS, next-gen, and the state of XBLA :0)

    Why look, it's a blog:
    http://www.edwardlaven.blogspot.co.uk

  • evild_edd 13 Mar 2013 09:42:10 2,644 posts
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    @caligari

    "To be honest, I need more points. I STILL haven't purchased...Spelunky..."

    Sort it out!

    Best game of 2012. I'd give it a strong argument as not only being the best game on XBLA but also on 360 as a whole. Personally I've enjoyed it more than any Mario game. Ever. In fact, I'd be as bold as saying that Mossmouth have produced a better platformer than Nintendo have managed in their entire history. Sacrilegious but true.

    Why look, it's a blog:
    http://www.edwardlaven.blogspot.co.uk

  • NeverEatYellowSnow 13 Mar 2013 09:54:42 665 posts
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    @evild_edd

    That good eh?

    I must get round to playing this!! I've had it sitting on my HD for months and months.
  • Alipan 13 Mar 2013 10:02:13 736 posts
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    It is good but that is strong praise! Not sure I would go that far.

    It does make a lot out of very little - could probably have been done on the SNES if someone had the imagination.

    Its the randomness that makes it - if you can live with the punishing gameplay it keep's the challenge fresh every time.

    Edited by Alipan at 10:02:43 13-03-2013
  • kinky_mong 13 Mar 2013 10:08:22 7,968 posts
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    Turns out that as well as the 24th repeat of the GTA 4 sale there's also a much better Square Enix sale on at the moment, highlight being Sleeping Dogs for £9.

    Is anywhere doing any good deals on instant points at the moment?
  • evild_edd 13 Mar 2013 10:11:50 2,644 posts
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    (Apologies for thread spam)

    Going back to RedSparrows's comments.

    "I think people forget that MS could very easily splunk a giant wadge of cash on new games for the next console, and all the fickle gaming world will love them for it..."

    That's a fair point, and it's why I'm really interested in this year's E3 even though I won't be buying a Next Gen console for some time (if ever). I'm just curious to see how much the big publishers are willing to push original IP and big budget titles. Sony's bought some good will with the launch of some original IP late in the PS3's life (Beyond, The Last Of Us) whilst MS is half-heartedly pushing its latest sequels (Halo 4, GoW: Judgement).

    "I think we forget how spoilt we have been by the 360, even as MS act like tossers."

    True, but so much of that has come through XBLA. The big 360 franchises:

    Halo - carried over from Xbox
    Forza - original on Xbox, but came of age on 360
    Gears - born and raised on 360
    Fable - original on Xbox, but came of age (and died?) on 360
    Mass Effect - born on 360 but now multi-format
    PGR - now retired along with Bizarre?
    Kinect Sports - people needed to play something on their kinects, I suppose
    Dance Central - as above

    Then look at the exclusives that failed to catch on:

    Viva Pinata
    Too Human
    Kameo
    Various JRPGs - Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Infinite Undiscovery
    Lips

    Excluding the kinect tie-ins, only Gears has been successfully launched on 360. Some of those failures took a lot of investment as well (and I'm not even counting the unreleased True Fantasy Live Online). Will MS have the appetite to fund and promote all-new IPs, or will they just ready a raft of sequels to established franchises...?

    MS must be looking at how the 360's gone and see that they make a lot more from the likes of CoD, Mass Effect, Skyrim, Battlefield, and FIFA than those games they fund themselves, bar the few established franchises. I'd be surprised to see more than 1 or 2 MS-funded completely new IP announced for the Next Box.

    It's all a question of desire, and ResSparrows is right to point out that the next gen could reignite MS's desire. After all, it was only recently that MS proved it can be proactive with the Minecraft success. Despite generally turning its back on indie devs, MS courted Mojang and pushed for that XBLA release, even relaxing its rules on title updates. And it paid off - big time.

    If MS have the desire to fund new, exclusive IPs and court indie devs then the games will come and the hardcore will follow. It comes back to that unknown factor of how much MS feels it needs the hardcore gamer to support its new console...

    Why look, it's a blog:
    http://www.edwardlaven.blogspot.co.uk

  • evild_edd 13 Mar 2013 10:20:03 2,644 posts
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    @NeverEatYellowSnow

    I genuinely think so, yes.

    As Alipan said, the randomness makes it. That can lead to frustrating moments, but it also means it has near infinite replayability, even in SP mode. It's been said before, but the coding for the random level creation is a marvel; more often than not you'll play levels that seem hand-crafted as opposed to computer generated.

    The joy of the game is in figuring out how the weapons/ite,s/secrets all work together. Embrace the fact that death is a part of the learning curve and you soon find yourself improving dramatically, and what once seemed impossible becomes a rudimentary task of every run-through.

    The game's simple aesthetics only highlight the strength of its gameplay designs. I appreciate that it might not be for everyone (just as Trials or Dark Souls aren't), but it's one of those games where you can't imagine how they could have improved it without unbalancing the whole thing. A masterpiece.

    Why look, it's a blog:
    http://www.edwardlaven.blogspot.co.uk

  • Alipan 13 Mar 2013 10:27:35 736 posts
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    That is fair comment actually - it does feel 'complete' in a way very few games do nowadays. A masterpiece in design.

    One of very few games to remind me of the 'good old days' where you want to find out what comes next or what happens if you do x.
  • RedSparrows 13 Mar 2013 13:08:32 16,982 posts
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    evild_edd wrote:
    (Apologies for thread spam)

    Going back to RedSparrows's comments.

    "I think people forget that MS could very easily splunk a giant wadge of cash on new games for the next console, and all the fickle gaming world will love them for it..."

    That's a fair point, and it's why I'm really interested in this year's E3 even though I won't be buying a Next Gen console for some time (if ever). I'm just curious to see how much the big publishers are willing to push original IP and big budget titles. Sony's bought some good will with the launch of some original IP late in the PS3's life (Beyond, The Last Of Us) whilst MS is half-heartedly pushing its latest sequels (Halo 4, GoW: Judgement).

    "I think we forget how spoilt we have been by the 360, even as MS act like tossers."

    True, but so much of that has come through XBLA. The big 360 franchises:

    Halo - carried over from Xbox
    Forza - original on Xbox, but came of age on 360
    Gears - born and raised on 360
    Fable - original on Xbox, but came of age (and died?) on 360
    Mass Effect - born on 360 but now multi-format
    PGR - now retired along with Bizarre?
    Kinect Sports - people needed to play something on their kinects, I suppose
    Dance Central - as above

    Then look at the exclusives that failed to catch on:

    Viva Pinata
    Too Human
    Kameo
    Various JRPGs - Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Infinite Undiscovery
    Lips

    Excluding the kinect tie-ins, only Gears has been successfully launched on 360. Some of those failures took a lot of investment as well (and I'm not even counting the unreleased True Fantasy Live Online). Will MS have the appetite to fund and promote all-new IPs, or will they just ready a raft of sequels to established franchises...?

    MS must be looking at how the 360's gone and see that they make a lot more from the likes of CoD, Mass Effect, Skyrim, Battlefield, and FIFA than those games they fund themselves, bar the few established franchises. I'd be surprised to see more than 1 or 2 MS-funded completely new IP announced for the Next Box.

    It's all a question of desire, and ResSparrows is right to point out that the next gen could reignite MS's desire. After all, it was only recently that MS proved it can be proactive with the Minecraft success. Despite generally turning its back on indie devs, MS courted Mojang and pushed for that XBLA release, even relaxing its rules on title updates. And it paid off - big time.

    If MS have the desire to fund new, exclusive IPs and court indie devs then the games will come and the hardcore will follow. It comes back to that unknown factor of how much MS feels it needs the hardcore gamer to support its new console...
    Of course: what I said could very much be bollocks.

    I just won't write MS off until I know more about the next console, unlike all those who began yapping about Sony 'winning' after seeing the PS4 reveal. It's all tiresome bollocks, I'm going to play on my PC.
  • kinky_mong 14 Mar 2013 10:44:55 7,968 posts
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    kinky_mong wrote:

    Is anywhere doing any good deals on instant points at the moment?
    *COUGH* Anyone? Bueller?
  • agparrot 14 Mar 2013 10:50:29 11,818 posts
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    Usual suspects I reckon, kinks

    electronicfirst.com do 2000 for £14.99 or 2100 for £15.99 or 4200 for £30.99

    xboxliveuk76.com are usually as cheap, but at the moment they aren't

    Game and Amazon sometimes have £14.99 for 2100 deals, but again they haven't at the moment as far as I can see. So it seems like electronicfirst are cheapest at the moment, if you don't mind paying by paypal.
  • neilqpr 14 Mar 2013 11:15:51 2,652 posts
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    Started Skulls of the Shogun last night after buying it in the sale, so much more enjoyable with a proper tutorial. Prime example of a terrible demo putting me off a good game.
  • kinky_mong 14 Mar 2013 11:23:17 7,968 posts
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    agparrot wrote:
    Usual suspects I reckon, kinks

    electronicfirst.com do 2000 for £14.99 or 2100 for £15.99 or 4200 for £30.99

    xboxliveuk76.com are usually as cheap, but at the moment they aren't

    Game and Amazon sometimes have £14.99 for 2100 deals, but again they haven't at the moment as far as I can see. So it seems like electronicfirst are cheapest at the moment, if you don't mind paying by paypal.
    Cheers, I think my paypal account needs some pissing about with to reactivate at the moment but I shall investigate.
  • agparrot 14 Mar 2013 11:57:07 11,818 posts
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    neilqpr wrote:
    Started Skulls of the Shogun last night after buying it in the sale, so much more enjoyable with a proper tutorial. Prime example of a terrible demo putting me off a good game.
    I've been playing a little bit of it too - I think it's really neat, the 'story' is amusingly put together. Although I'm still making glaring oversights in my tactical preparations, the 5-unit move limit is very well thought through, and changes completely the balance of what you do in each turn.

    It's no Disgaea (What is?) but it's a very accomplished little tactics thingy.
  • TOOTR 15 Mar 2013 06:57:07 8,833 posts
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    I'm really enjoying Anomaly Warzone Earth but the ability (or lack thereof) to go back to earlier checkpoints a la Defense Grid is driving me mental.

    So frustrating.

    Especially when you get an automatic save straight after getting a squad damaged beyond repair and you have to repeat 40 mins+ game play.

    FFS.

    "Assimilate this!" cried Worf, firing a space bazooka at the Borg.

  • caligari 18 Mar 2013 01:23:42 16,350 posts
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    I'm very tempted to pick up Skulls of Shogun - gutted that I missed it in the sale.
  • dancingrob 18 Mar 2013 12:49:21 951 posts
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    it's a permanent reduction to 800, rather than a sale I think.
  • agparrot 18 Mar 2013 13:00:28 11,818 posts
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    dancingrob wrote:
    it's a permanent reduction to 800, rather than a sale I think.
    Yup, that's right - they reduced it from the 1200 starting price.

    Bit of an odd, high price to give it anyway, seeing as it is somewhat a niche thing.. also an odd time to reduce the price, during the GonD sale where nobdoy really noticed it happening.

    Viva la Digital revolution, in all its well organised glory!
  • RabidChild 18 Mar 2013 13:51:11 2,264 posts
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    Are there any upcoming XBLA games worth getting excited about? I haven't been paying attention for a while.
  • agparrot 18 Mar 2013 14:41:13 11,818 posts
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    RabidChild wrote:
    Are there any upcoming XBLA games worth getting excited about? I haven't been paying attention for a while.
    I'm looking forward to State of Decay and Blerk mentioned something called Monaco.

    There's also that slightly-rejigged Terraria port, but I don't know when any of these games are due, sorry.
  • imamazed 18 Mar 2013 14:42:39 1,800 posts
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    Any idea on this week's sale? Got some MS points burning a hole in my virtual wallet
  • agparrot 18 Mar 2013 14:47:07 11,818 posts
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    imamazed wrote:
    Any idea on this week's sale? Got some MS points burning a hole in my virtual wallet
    It's only on the page before this one!
    kinky_mong wrote:
    Current and next DotW...
    Deal of the Week

    Grand Theft Auto IV - 12-Mar to 18-Mar

    GTA IV GonD - Varies by region
    GTA IV Lost and Damned - 400 MSP (50% off)
    GTA IV Ballad of Gay Tony - 800 MSP (50% off)

    Ubisoft - 19-Mar to 25-Mar

    Assassin’s Creed: Revelations The Lost Archive - 400 MSP (50% off)
    Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Mediterranean Traveler Map Pack - 400 MSP (50% off)
    Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Da Vinci Disappearance - 400 MSP (50% off)
    Assassin’s Creed II Bonfire of the Vanities & Secret Locations - 280 MSP (50% off)
    Bonfire of the Vanities & Secret Locations Battle of Forli - 160 MSP (50% off)
    Beyond Good & Evil - 400 MSP (50% off)
    Rayman 3 HD - 400 MSP (50% off)
    Might and Magic Clash of Heroes - 600 MSP (50% off)
    Outland - 400 MSP (50% off)
    Prince of Persia Epilogue - 400 MSP (50% off)
    Splinter Cell: Conviction – Deniable Ops: Insurgency - 400 MSP (50% off)
    Mad Riders - 400 MSP (50% off)
    They don't give a fuck any more do they? Wouldn't be surprised if it was Bioshock DLC again the week after these.
    Edited by agparrot at 14:47:23 18-03-2013
  • Blerk Moderator 18 Mar 2013 14:51:06 47,754 posts
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    agparrot wrote:
    RabidChild wrote:
    Are there any upcoming XBLA games worth getting excited about? I haven't been paying attention for a while.
    I'm looking forward to State of Decay and Blerk mentioned something called Monaco.

    There's also that slightly-rejigged Terraria port, but I don't know when any of these games are due, sorry.
    I think Terraria's imminent - sometime in the next few weeks.
  • kinky_mong 18 Mar 2013 14:51:42 7,968 posts
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    Also there's the Squenix sale on at the moment (possibly ending today) which has a few good deals like Sleeping Dogs for £8.99.

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