Define "important" - January 21st, 2002 - Drew Cosner
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this column are those of the participants and the moderator, and do not neccessarily reflect those of the GIA. There is coarse language and potentially offensive material afoot. I, also, enjoy choking on pretzels. Don't say we didn't warn you.
After satiating my periodic craving for "creativity," as I define it, in yesterday's column, it's back to the old status quo. In other words, rather than flippantly disregarding the thoughts of others with nonsensical collages I threw together in Photoshop, it's back to flippantly disregarding the thoughts of others with plain text. I'm sure you can hardly contain yourselves.
But first, let's deal with the fallout from yesterday's column. I was surprised to see less criticism than I expected; what's with you guys, anyway? I remember the good old days, when I couldn't make a typo without somebody letting me know what a dickhead I was. You've all gotten soft, I think.
| Getting off to a pleasant start |
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DC,
Ants only have six legs, asshole.
-Red Raven
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Well, this letter isn't flaming me for a typo, but I guess it will have to do. My rebuttal is rather simple: do you really think I took the time to draw that ant myself? That's what Google's image finder is for. I'll let the kindergartner I stole that image from know what you think of his ignorance, though. May as well get children used to criticism of their artistic endeavors at a young age, I say.
| What friends are for |
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Drew, master of all things tangible,
A quote from yesterday's column:
"...If no monkeys/apes/chimps/really really stupid people are around, I
will permit you to hump a television set displaying Samba de Amigo..."
Well, Drew... I suppose now would be a bad time for me to tell everyone
about when you humped your TV while we were playing Mario RPG...
...
At least, I -think- we were playing Mario... it might have been FF9, I
can't really remember. I was pretty drunk (not that you weren't,
apparently...) but you could've at least bought that poor television some
dinner and a movie for the working you gave it.
Don't even try to deny that this happened, I have five witnesses who saw
you do it that night. Just be glad none of us had a camera.
There are only two ways you can wipe this kind of embarrassment from your
record: kill everyone who saw your "performance", or print this letter.
... Um, you're never gonna speak to me again after this one, are you?
-Gargoyle Sox - the ketchup bottle in your wine rack
PS: Radiohead's next album called, they said they wanted their mascot back
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Actually, we were playing Chrono Cross, and I was humping the TV to express my joy over the reappareance of Lucca's awesome theme. You act like I did it clear out of the blue; that would just be weird.
At any rate, the joke's on you, my friend: now you've associated yourself with a group of people who sit around playing video games when drunk, instead of macking on members of the opposite sex, per tradition.
| The question is... |
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The question is, what do you define as "important?" I'd say Suikoden 3, because the Genso Suikoden series has always been among my favorites, and I consider them some of the best RPG's ever, but the rest of America doesn't seem to think so, since very few people have even heard of the series or played it, and even a smaller fraction of those who liked the games and then bought them. I think it is about time Konami started getting a little respect outside of the MGS department. Where else but suikoden can you recruit 110 characters, including an octopus and an Iron Chef wannabe?
-Nick Herman
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Personally, I define an important game as one that has far-reaching impact on its genre, and on occasion the industry as a whole. But that's just my personal definition. If I'd spelled that out, I would've gotten around 2 letters, I think.
At any rate, I don't see Suikoden 3 revolutionizing the industry, but it will certainly be important to the fans of the series. Or something. My brain is on cruise-control right now; I'm just trying to make this column mediocre instead of a complete embarassment. we'll see how I do.
| One small step for RPGs...
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Hmm...what an interesting question. I would have to say that *if* it is succesful, FFXI will be the next important title for the PS2. Don't misunderstand, titles like Grandia (I refuse to add the extreme tag, it sounds like some hackney screwed up corporate schmuck tacked the title on to appeal to todays youth..ugh...), Xenosaga and Suikoden III will be big in their own right, but FFXI could be the most important break-through RPG for the PS2.
Getting a major title like Final Fantasy online is a big step, a HUGE step for the PS2. PSO did wonders for the Dreamcast, and you have to believe that FFXI can do the same (arguably, even better because we haven't seen a new Phantasy Star for years prior to PSO). There are a few hurdles, however. The biggest hurdle is getting the average gamer to plunk out money for a Modem AND the Game. Call it an oversight on Sony's (MS's and Nintendo's as well) part - or call it what it is, corporate thinking at it's finest, but the fact remains that Sony has to create an appealing modem. Something that is very cost-effective, *VERY* cost-effective. Anyway, back to FFXI. The most attractive option is to bundle FFXI with a modem and keep the cost no greater than $80. This may be a dream, but as the cost increases, the number of Square-whores who can plunk out the money decreases. This could be the first major sojourn into online titles for the PS2 and it is safe to say that online titles gain more appeal every year.
-Justin (keeps his fingers crossed)
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Agreed: if FFXI is successful, it will surely leave a mark on the industry. Online RPGs are hardly anything new on the PC, but putting together an online RPG that appeals to console fans is no small feat. If Square comes up with a formula that works, I expect to see it ripped off ad naseum. But the verdict is certainly still out.
| Loo-nar |
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I say the most important RPG for the PS2 will be.... Lunar 3! It's not be announced you say? Bah. I should be, hopefully on the PS2. Why? 'Cause I own it. *chanting* Lunar 3....
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I'm kind of curious to see what Lunar 3 would be like, should it come to pass. Will it drag the series kicking and screaming into the 3rd dimension? Or satiate old-school fans with an all-too-familiar brand of gaming. The former would certainly be a sign of the times. It would also get graphics whores like me intruiged; I've heard the series has charm, but 2D and ancient plot lines aren't really my bag. I'm such a jerk.
| I'm not that much of an asshole. Usually. |
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Well, I don't have a PS2 yet so I don't really read PS2 RPG news stories. Flawed logic perhaps, but I know it would just lead to psychological torture.. However, the news of Dragon Warrior Monsters I and II for the PlaystationOne excites me. It's too bad though. Chances are that gem isn't ever going to take the leap over the ocean...I might actually have to get one of those fancy modchips.
~I'd put my name, but I really don't want to be flamed...
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I don't understand the things people think I'll "flame" them for. As a general rule of thumb, I get huffy with people who insult myself or my readers; if you're not doing either, you can write in to let me know that you're eagerly anticipating Panty Raider 2 without fear of reprise. I may snicker at you, but that's all.
Anyway, you certainly have a unique outlook. I guess that's what happens to people without PS2s.
| That's okay, thanks |
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I just realized The GIA doesn't cover Pc games. Maybe it should.
Sincerely,
Redlof
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Then again, maybe it shouldn't. It's like this: most of the staff plays console games exclusively, and we're not going to extend our umbrella of coverage to include games the majority of us don't care about. We're doing this for free, and time is truly a concern. When you factor in compatibility issues, covering PC games becomes a bigger burden than it's worth.
| Fear the men in white |
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Drew,
Man, that was just insane. I am now thoroughly scared of Double Agent.
Oh, and Xenosaga will kick butt, if only because of the retroactive
Xenogears following. FFXI will be most important to all the /other/ systems
it gets released for, as they're in dire need of RPG's at the moment.
~Jason, who's now busy waiting for the Men in White to arrive.
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I'm with you on XenoSaga; I'm anticipating that game quite a bit, actually, I'm a big fan of the sci-fi, I am. And yes, I know that I hated Xenogears. I don't need to be reminded. I just think XenoSaga will be good stuff. So there.
| Things that suck |
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Drew -
Wah? Most important? Depends on what you mean by important. Final Fantasy XI
will be most important, in terms of gameplay innovations, if it indeed
suceeds in introducing linearity to the Online RPG genre. But, since many
don't plan on buying it, I'm guessing Xenosaga, with the semi-rabid following
it's garnered.
Of course, if the hints point to the hopeful, then Final Fantasy X point V
will be the most important. Why? Because then, I shall have my revenge on all
those who wined about how making a true Final Fantasy sequel would cheapen
the series blah blah blah.
Peace,
Ray Stryker
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I really have nothing to add here. I'll just move on.
| Head-to-head |
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Looking at the upcoming RPGs like Star Ocean 3, Suikoden 3, Wild Arms 3 ect. ect. I'd have to say that Xenosaga is the most important one. This game looks like it could become a RPG franchise that could rival other heavy hitters like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest in Japan and well, Final Fantasy in the U.S. It seems Namco is really pushing to do this. Of course, from what we've seen so far, it could just be pretty birthday packaging on a really ugly pair of socks. I have to give credit to Namco though for seeming to help this installment of the Xeno series along a lot more than Square seemed to do.
A close runner up would be FF11. While I hate the fact that they are trying to pass this off as a sequel in the series when it's really a side game, and I have no interest in online RPGs at all, I still hope it does well. This game can become a catalyst for online console gaming in general on the PS2. This will open the doors to making online gaming on the PS2 more viable if Square succeeds with this one, so I can have more fun beating the crap out of people in the online play of fighting and racing games.
Pendy the DQ/DW guy
P.S. It's been announced Gran Turismo 4 is going to have online play *drools*
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See, now GT4 has the kind of online play I'm interested in. head-to-head competition is always good fun, and sometimes you can't get a group of pals together to play against. Online competition remedies this fact. I just don't want to have to deal with people and their cyber-avatars online telling me I suck completely at random.
| Now that's funny! |
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Agent—
Some friends and I have been having some discussion about the Spring scene in FFX. After Red Raven’s complaint yesterday about the lyrical songs in FF, we decided to do an experiment, the results of which can be found at the link below. I found it amusing; your mileage may vary, naturally, depending on how much you enjoy soundtrack tomfoolery. Oh, and considering that’s (edited) game footage, that file should be considered a spoiler for FFX.
http://www.ryangregg.com/personal/files/FFX-Spring-GetItOn.zip
Abundantly obsequious;
Jason Love
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This is pretty funny. Although you should have been more fearful of the massive bandwidth hit your account is about to take. See how somebody else likes having large multimedia files send their server into a frothing fit!
| Good evenink |
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Good evening,
Personally I feel that the next most important RPG on the PS2 will be FFXI.
I feel that if a video game company is going to be successful at combining
deep storyline, with co-op game play Square is the company that will figure
it out. And I am going to be so pissed if I am wrong.
It defiantly going to be interesting to see how they port the story driven
franchise of FF to the rather chaotic environment of an online system.
Cheating will be rampant, and as a result I don't think FFXI should be able
to be played with out a hard drive in one's PS2. That way patches can be
applied as bugs are revealed, and those not using the most recent patch are
not allowed to play (do we really want to trust the beta testers, read
Diablo...). This may sound elitist, but I don't see another way to handle
it. In fact I am still trying to decide weather I will want to play FFXI on
my PC or my PS2.
What I want to know is how is replay ability going to be applied to FFXI?
If it is story driven there will have to be an end to it sometime. At that
point do I get to continue to exist in the game world a la everquest??? Or
will I have to just start over on a harder level, with my previous levels
advantages to accompany me, a la Diablo???
I don't want to pay $50 for a game, and then a bunch on money every month
after I beat it on the off chance I may want to play it again some day...
--The Thryll Killer, mmm Sapporo making my brain fuzzy tonight...
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All good questions. Good enough to inspire tomorrow's topic, in fact.
Closing comments:
Okay, so here it is: should FFXI fail, why do you think this will be? And should it manage to succeed, what will that take? I know everybody is interested in FFXI right now, so mail Erin and let her know what you think. Actual knowledge on the subject or insight is optional.
-Drew Cosner
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