Consoles Are Fun!

[BlobVanDam]

I just played Sonic 2 on a PS2 compilation disc today. I've played the game a million times on my PC emulated, but it just feels so much better to be playing it on a TV sitting on a couch with other people watching. Even though the emulation on the PS2 version sucked, it was still more fun than playing it on a computer screen.

 

[Kemaiku]

Try Sonic CD though, if you have the Gems Collection for it as well, even tougher to get used to console wise if you've only played its PC/emu form.

 

[BlobVanDam]

How is Sonic CD different compared to the other Sonics? Every time I try to play it I am reminded of how bad it is and give up, so I don't know what you're referring to specifically.
But I have a good gamepad for my PC, so it's not usually a problem, although like every other gamepad in the world mine has the 4 button diamond layout like the emulated console versions would, not the 6 of the Mega Drive.

And unfortunately this was just a SEGA collection, not one of the million Sonic collections, so the only Sonic games it has are Sonic 1 and 2. Hopefully they've fixed the emulation in the Sonic collections, because the sound is garbage for this collection. The sampled audio intro is choppy, and the Mega Drive PSG chip is emulated so poorly that half of the sound effects just sound completely wrong, just like on the worse emulators.

 

[bigdaddy]

Someone who doesn't like F-Zero GX?!?!

A sad day in the world.

 

[Kemaiku]

How is Sonic CD different compared to the other Sonics? Every time I try to play it I am reminded of how bad it is and give up, so I don't know what you're referring to specifically.
But I have a good gamepad for my PC, so it's not usually a problem, although like every other gamepad in the world mine has the 4 button diamond layout like the emulated console versions would, not the 6 of the Mega Drive.

Its the choppy-ness that makes it annoying, on an actual console the game runs slightly smoother but the game engine is still crappy, Sonic tends to never go where you want him to, its very frustrating.
Sonic 1, 2 and 3K run much better on consoles, even the DS collection version is nice and smooth.

 

[BlobVanDam]

How is Sonic CD different compared to the other Sonics? Every time I try to play it I am reminded of how bad it is and give up, so I don't know what you're referring to specifically.
But I have a good gamepad for my PC, so it's not usually a problem, although like every other gamepad in the world mine has the 4 button diamond layout like the emulated console versions would, not the 6 of the Mega Drive.

Its the choppy-ness that makes it annoying, on an actual console the game runs slightly smoother but the game engine is still crappy, Sonic tends to never go where you want him to, its very frustrating.
Sonic 1, 2 and 3K run much better on consoles, even the DS collection version is nice and smooth.

I actually found the DS versions to be slightly choppy. Not unplayably so, but enough for me to notice.
And I didn't think of it at the time, but I think the PS2 Sonics I played were running at 60fps, so NTSC versions rather than the PAL ones at 50fps. I always played the PAL one on the console of course, but after playing it emulated for so long at full speed 60fps, I can't play the PAL version anymore. It's just slooooow.

 

[Amaris]

Someone who doesn't like F-Zero GX?!?!

A sad day in the world.

Yep. Just didn't appeal to me. My little niece loves it, though.

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

A mate of mine keeps throwing Japanese RPGs at me for my DS (tells me I must play Final Fantasy before I die) and now I'm in receipt of his PS2 and the promise of more turn based fantasy combat

 

[Vance]

A mate of mine keeps throwing Japanese RPGs at me for my DS (tells me I must play Final Fantasy before I die) and now I'm in receipt of his PS2 and the promise of more turn based fantasy combat

You're just getting a PS2 and will get a bunch of PS2 jRPGs thrown at you? Dear, God, we'll never see you again..

 

[T.Geiger]

I'm in receipt of his PS2 and the promise of more turn based fantasy combat

Be ready to walkaway from any given game if its not really working for you. While there are more than a few worth playing, JRPGs (and Japanese games in general) began their decline during the PS2 era. Its so bad now, I can firmly say I have only played one good JRPG in this console generation, and even it was over-burdened with all its little mini-systems and whatever else.

 

[zarkon]

I dunno, I've played quite a lot of good rpgs this gen.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Radiant Historia, Tales of Vesperia and The World Ends With You immediately spring to mind.

 

[T.Geiger]

Vesperia was the one.

Still, the primary point was about the decline. Even the Japanese developers recognize it, but they seem to think its because of changing trends and cultural drift. They're all still crapping out gems that everyone should love.

(Hint to Japanese developers: That ain't it.)

 

[zarkon]

I don't think creativity has taken a decline per se, I think there is an element of not being willing to take risks on the few big budget HD rpgs we do get which results in them being pretty generic. Some developers stuck pretty exclusively to the PS2 until only a couple of years ago, and then have all but moved to handheld because of the staggering dev costs in coding HD games.

Companies like atlus, nippon ichi and sting are still pushing out new concepts on the psp & ds, where the dev costs are a lot lower and the occasional failure can be absorbed.

 

[Rincewiend]

A mate of mine keeps throwing Japanese RPGs at me for my DS (tells me I must play Final Fantasy before I die) and now I'm in receipt of his PS2 and the promise of more turn based fantasy combat

Including Disgaea?!?

 

[Vance]

I don't think creativity has taken a decline per se, I think there is an element of not being willing to take risks on the few big budget HD rpgs we do get which results in them being pretty generic.

I think the most telling statement was from SEGA about the future of their RPG efforts on the big consoles. Effectively, they said, development costs for quality had gotten so high with the PS3 and X360 that they couldn't make any money on the platforms for an RPG. They're now relying more on the DSi and PSP.

It's actually one reason that I think we're really a long way off from another generation of hardware. Developers can't afford to 'max-use' the hardware that's available now. What's the point in upping the specs, costs, and difficulty even more?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I think the "next generation" of game consoles will likely not do anything revolutionary, the way the PS3 was a huge technical leap over the PS2. They'll probably take what they have now and just make it bigger and faster. Faster CPU, more RAM, more disk space, better GPU.

Honestly, I don't understand why Sony took the approach they did for the PS3. Sure, it was better than anything else out there when it was launched--but by the time most people could afford it, it had already been eclipsed by commodity PC specs.

Even so, I don't expect Sony and Microsoft to come out with new consoles for a couple more years yet.

 

[Amaris]

I guess they were betting the farm on "A Blu-ray player for less than $1000!", which is really shortsighted.

 

[Vance]

Honestly, I don't understand why Sony took the approach they did for the PS3.

Pushing the BluRay was part of the equation, it was a way for Sony to edge out the inferior HD-DVD format (much like how the PS2 pushed out the DIVX format). By getting it started, they created and expanded their own broader market... and, let's face it, it worked.

(Thanks in no small part to MS half-assing the HD-DVD format and Toshiba wanting high-royalties on each printed HD-DVD disc.)

Sure, it was better than anything else out there when it was launched--but by the time most people could afford it, it had already been eclipsed by commodity PC specs.

The other half of the equation was the XBox's rising success since it was more powerful than the PS2. Both companies really started to push one-another to get thier 'next gen' system out, well before they really needed to.

Keep in mind, though, that the Great Recession of 2009-Current was still a few years off and the new hi-def discs, players, and televisions were the major purchases for that year. At the time, both the X360 and PS3 were sold to the 'phile' market, not so much to the regular gamer. (Which is why the Wii trounced them both for a long time.)

Even so, I don't expect Sony and Microsoft to come out with new consoles for a couple more years yet.

Sony has no plans for an outright new console, but higher specs are possible with the next batch of systems. Microsoft is on record as saying BOTH that a new console is coming soon, and no there isn't...

 

[bigdaddy]

I guess they were betting the farm on "A Blu-ray player for less than $1000!", which is really shortsighted.

Bingo.

The PS3 killed HD DVD off, so they won the format war.

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

Be ready to walkaway from any given game if its not really working for you

I have, don't worry.

In fact the same mate confiscated his copy of Chronotrigger when I had only half finished it a few weeks after being given it to play.

Copies of Grand Theft Auto are thankfully cheap. Checking around on Ebay, many games made for multiple platforms are much cheaper on the PS2. I might get a chance to play a few games I never got round to on my GC.

I'd considered getting a Wii when they fell enough in price, but I just don't have the time and money any more. If I pick up a Wii now, it'll be the first time I picked up a Nintendo console after it became defunct, and not before.