GameCop vs. LameCop is a feature where Anthony and I argue about video game issues, playing the role of either the GameCop or the LameCop as we do so. We switch roles each time. The GameCop has your best interests as gamers at heart, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: a total loser.
This week, we tackle several issues including multiplayer in single player games, Nintendo’s lackluster GTA: Chinatown Wars sales and E3 predictions.
Enjoy!
Issue 1
GTA: Chinatown Wars may be one of the best games on the Nintendo DS, but has only been met with lackluster sales. Is this a sign of Nintendo’s theorized “casual market”?
GameCop: Eddy
I’m not really sure. I haven’t played Chinatown Wars, but from everything I hear, it’s a really solid GTA game, and those always do great in terms of sales. To be honest, it really could by a symptom of the problem that Nintendo could be creating for itself long term. This game in all rights should be a blockbuster title for their handheld system, and because of its adult nature, seems to have had lots of people shy away from it.
They insist that hardcore gamers use their systems, and while I’m sure they do, it seems that Nintendo may be creating a world where the only games they can make are light and easy. I hope this isn’t true, but you never know. Nintendo probably doesn’t care- they will still sleep easy on their bed of money tonight.
LameCop: Anthony
Casual market? Nintendo’s “casual market” is a fiction! Think about how scarce Wiis and DS Lites were for the longest time. You have to be hardcore to stake out the retail stores for days on end, calling the managers every day, bribing the UPS guys and bringing cookies for the stock boys in the back. GTA: Chinatown Wars failed simply because Nintendo fans have no idea what GTA is!
All they know is that lots of people die every year cause other people play GTA and they don’t want to become murderous bastards. It’s much easier to simply play Pokemon over and over than to branch out and try new things. That will teach Rockstar for trying to be the one company that succeeds with mature titles on the DS. How dare they expand their market base?
Issue 2
E3 is around the corner, and already we’re hearing rumors about PS3 motion control as well as 360 full body motion control. In addition, Microsoft claims that it will change the way we view home entertainment. Thoughts?
GameCop: Anthony
To be honest, I don’t think Microsoft and Sony understand what they are doing. The gamers have spoken. Those that wanted motion control games have all bought Wiis and those that don’t have either a 360 or a PS3. Those that wanted both, like me, have one of each.
Anything they do with regards to motion control will not sway the masses, who will view it as a cheap knock-off of the Wii and it will only anger their core customers and take resources away from more traditional games. I feel it is a mistake.
LameCop: Eddy
Are you kidding? A mistake? Look at all the money that Nintendo’s made with the Wii! It’s coming out of every orifice humanly possible, and they get to swim on that junk like Scrooge McDuck! I mean, maybe you don’t have the marketing “skillz” that people like I do, Anthony, but I can tell you right now that motion controlled 360 and PS3 games will be the “bomb”, “yo”.
First off, what soccer mom or old person wouldn’t want to play Super Halo Party 4: Cooking Edition Jumbo with their 4 year old kids every night? I know I would! Or what happy young couple wouldn’t enjoy a game of Metal Gear Bowling 3: Strikes of the Patriots before a nice evening out? The potential here is endless, and clearly, hardcore gamers are going to be all over that junk.
Issue 3
Recently, games like Uncharted 2, and other high profile and traditionally single player games have been caving to the pressure to add a multiplayer component for increased playability. Do these titles really need it? Fair/foul?
GameCop: Eddy
I think it depends on what the development time is for these multiplayer modes. Personally, I’d rather see a well-crafted and complete single player experience from an Uncharted 2 or even a Bioshock 2, which is also rumored to have multiplayer of some kind. I mean, have we really lost that much of an attention span?
Are games too expensive to just have a single player mode? I don’t know what the deal is, but I just miss the days of great single player story modes. Not every game needs a 10 man slayer or a capture the flag. Once I see Big Daddies tea-bagging little sisters, I’m done.
LameCop: Anthony
Oh, murdering Little Sisters to harvest their Adam is fine, but tea bagging draws the line? What are you, Keith Olbermann? Eddy, let’s face it, only anti-social losers want to play a game by themselves. I mean, so what if the multiplayer sucks on Uncharted? Look at Metroid Prime 2’s multiplayer: it was bare-bones and lackluster and all it did was piss people off.
Do you really think people have forgotten that? Naughty Dog obviously paid attention and is making sure that Uncharted’s online modes will be just as robust as Call of Duty 4’s or Halo 3’s. In fact, I am calling it now: Uncharted 2 will be #1 on Xbox Live by the end of the year. What’s that??? It’s a PS3 exclusive? They still have those??? Nevermind!
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Now that you’ve seen the GameCop vs LameCop stance, what are your thoughts on these issues?
“First off, what soccer mom or old person wouldn’t want to play Super Halo Party 4: Cooking Edition Jumbo with their 4 year old kids every night? I know I would! Or what happy young couple wouldn’t enjoy a game of Metal Gear Bowling 3: Strikes of the Patriots”
I lol’ed xD
Well, issue 1 I’m not so concerned about – Nintendo can be Nintendo, they’ve cornered their niche of the market…which is gimmicky things like motion controls and touch screens and cameras. Honestly, the DSi has probably sold more than the Playstation’s Eye Toy ever did. So, on issue 2, Sony and Microsoft probably understand what they-re doing; they just won’t be successful, because they’re trying to break into a market that Nintendo holds the keys to. And as for multiplayer, some games are built for multiplayer, and some can have solid multiplayer without too much trouble. But there are just some games that don’t need it and shouldn’t have it. Take Mirror’s Edge. How would that even work? People (read: reviewers) really need to stop blasting good games for not having multiplayer – just look what it’s doing to great formerly singleplayer games! (Uncharted 2, Bioshock 2, heck, even Bionic Commando.)
just thought of a interesting mmultiplayer mode for Bioshock, if they were to implement one.
there is one big daddy and he has to protect a little sister, and the other players would all be splicers going all out for them. and when the big daddy is dead it is a all out battle to harvest the little sister. who ever does gets to be the next big daddy. to make it interesting allow people to hack bots and security, buy stuff from the vending machines etc. and only the big daddy is able to get points.
so what do you guys think?
Issue 1 surprises me plenty. Why are the sales bad? It’s GTA! I’m not a fan but I’m very confused as to why this is happening. Damn Nintendo! Issue 2: Motion Controls Blow. Fin. Issue 3 hands down goes to GameCop moar single player! But Andy: well done. You made me lol. A LOT.
“First off, what soccer mom or old person wouldn’t want to play Super Halo Party 4: Cooking Edition Jumbo with their 4 year old kids every night? I know I would! Or what happy young couple wouldn’t enjoy a game of Metal Gear Bowling 3: Strikes of the Patriots”
The scary thing is that those titles might actually come out.
Meh, Nintendo doesn’t interest me anymore. There aren’t enough games that bring back the old generation’s awe and magic with its RPG’s, deep stories, sprawling new titles, and the innovation of the time. I think that across all platforms, this generation will be fairly lackluster. Not enough new titles, not enough innovation, too much of the same old team deathmatch. I hope next or later this gen, we see more innovation in terms of shooters and RPG’s and games that combine shooters and RPG’s. Hopefully more open-world games will come out and bring a new fad of open-world games with solid stories, and maybe once in a while one game will have an amazing multiplayer tacked on to it.
So essentially, I’m answering all three questions with: innovate, and bring back the good old times with games that appeal to older core gamers while still bringing something new. A little of the new and old, but more new.
DS and GTA – Honestly…could a GTA game really be fit for kids who own a DS? I dont think that most of the people with a kid who owns a DS would get them that game, unless they watered it down.
Motion Control – I am probably going to sell my Wii, because motion control didnt save it and I havent played it for longer than 10 min in over 4 months. Sony and Microsoft just want to try and be cool and make lots of money on something that really isnt that cool.
Multiplayer – Some games are not meant to have multiplayer. Like Oblivion. Not even as an MMO. There are just games out there that dont need multiplayer to be fun. Multiplayer functionality shouldnt be everything. Though I do agree that it does seem to be the thing people want more of.
Skuba,
It’s Anthony! Not Andy,lol! and glad you enjoyed it!
Motion control – I could never play a wii game for very long because the motion control is not as well developed. This makes it hard for me to want to buy a game system with an awkward control system and only a few games I want to play. So Motion control would ruin console gaming for me.
Multiplayer – Multiplayer has driven too many games to become storyless pieces of crap centered around multiplayer. I certainly believe that good single player really will make a game awesome.
I cant believe this is only #6, it feels like Ive read dozens of these things… good job though Eddy and Andy
Good stuff guys. The motion control stuff , if it really is more than a few rumors, will fail. Badly. But the multiplayer stuff really gets me. Uncharted 2 looks like a great game, but it doesn’t need to be bogged down producrtion and development-wise with needless multiplayer.
On the subject of Motion Control. Please watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw
I’m sure some/most of you have seen this before, but this is the kind of thing I think Sony would come up with. Imagine an FPS that you still used a normal controller to play, but you would literally use your head to peak around corners and duck for cover. – It would be like all those cute little kids who move their heads to try to see around corners: Now this would work.
This is, quite simply, the funniest “GameCop VS LameCop” that I’ve yet witnessed.
On the Issue of the DS and ChinaTown Wars, I must agree with GameCop and say that while Nintendo has expanded their market to more casual gamers, they have quite probably failed to see that the world runs on a yes/no / this/that system. They are trying to be both hardcore and casual, which, by law of nature, simply isn’t possible. If they are going to be anything in the future, it is going to be a combination of the two, and while it will be a combination, some things will have to be sacrificed in order to make that “combination” work, hence, the games being neither hardcore enough nor casual enough, and for Nintendo’s casual market, that’s just not acceptable for the masses.
On the topic of Motion Control, I’ve stated before that game companies should skip the motion control and do more VR research. While motion control may not be the preference for a set number of people, the prospect of the console companies not doing something with MC is remote, and while gamers may have spoken, and the masses may disagree, (in my opinion) the masses have failed to realize one thing: these people are making your consoles and hosting your games. (In my opinion) Even if all gamers cried out “NO! WE WON’T SUCEED!”, eventually (In my opinion) they would. If the only three console creators decided to make motion control their focus, gamers would have one of two options: be a part of the motion control gaming phenomenon, or abandon gaming. (In my opinion) the latter is unlikely, and while there may be many other possible outcomes (who knows what the future holds), gamers on a whole will (in my opinion) most likely simply accept motion control.
Single player games do not need multi-player.
Personally, I think that instead of the whole 16 person deathmatch in every game, the creators should look more at Co-op campaigns or implementation. What happened to the days where you could play through campaign multiple times with your friends just because of how fun it is!? To me, co-op is more important in story driven games than online multiplayer
[quote comment=”6550″]Skuba,
It’s Anthony! Not Andy,lol! and glad you enjoyed it![/quote]
That’s the second time you’ve told me off for that! I thought we were friends! :'(