xbox game.net info

[sterritt]

here is some info and confirmed games that are on one of the leading uk game sites...sounds impressive

http://shop.game.net/xbox360/

[Just a simple idea I had and threw together-if there's no merit in it as an article, that's fine. Let me know if you think it can be used, or improved if need be.]

Bridging the Generation Gap
by Luke Borrett


With only one full month remaining before the launch of the Playstation3, after much fervent waiting the UK will finally get ahold of some of the finest games to grace the last generation.

EDGE game of the year, ‘Final Fantasy XII‘, and IGN game of the year, ‘Okami‘, have been a long time coming but are set to make an impact. A highly anticipated sequel and a deserving fan-favourite that has taken the world by storm.

By now, gamers know what to expect from ‘Final Fantasy XII‘, but for many American and Japanese players to whom it is now a thing of a past, it was the instalment to bring the magic back to the Final Fantasy series. The graphics improve on the already impressive 'Final Fantasy X', with competent voice acting and an emotive soundtrack. The key difference in this volume seems to be in the unique battle system and subsequent character growth.

More of a dark horse, ‘Okami’ is as beautiful to watch as it is to play. It is hailed by many as the Sony exclusive answer to ‘Legend of Zelda’ and with the roaming puzzles and style of combat it‘s easy to see why. A traditional Japanese fairy tale plot sees you take up an epic quest as the wolf deity Amaterasu, where the style and emotion of the game world is as distinctive as the visuals. More than Zelda, though, the watercolour world of ‘Okami’ literally puts the brush in your hands to shape the world with a variety of abilities.

The obvious advantage is that during a time in which the consoles are still finding their feet, when the big titles are few and far between, the Playstation3 still has big exclusives of the last generation creeping out to pad the back catalogue. The Xbox and the gamecube both ground to an abrupt halt, the last big titles being watered down versions of the same games for the next-gen consoles.

Other exclusive classics of the last year have included ‘God of War‘, the other big Square Enix franchise ‘Kingdom Hearts 2’ and ‘Ico’ spiritual successor, ‘Shadow of the Colossus’. Worthy additions to any game library, regardless of the generation.
The Playstation2 is not only going out with a bang, but providing a key crutch to the successor console, with a platinum range before the actual PS3 games even hit the shelves.

For Europe, the trend looks set to continue with more PS2 games such as hot sequel ‘God of War II’ and sci-fi, pirate fantasy ‘Rogue Galaxy’ set to impress.

[KlawHammer]

I like where the editorial is going. It's a quick read...though that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I think we'd all agree that the way you should spell out PS3 would be "PlayStation 3."

I also think that you should mention Sony's goal of a 10 year console. And with the current streak of PS2 games and upcoming PS2 games, it seems like that goal is highly plausible.

Maybe you should also mention that a possible reason for lackluster PS3 sales is because most PS2 owners are still perfectly content with their last generation system?


Just a couple suggestions.

Thanks for the feedback-I'll take that into account and edit the article, get it updated later today.

Glad you think it's got potential though-think you could help me out with a source for some info on Sony's 10 year console plan? That'd be very useful :)

[Expanded upon and edited. Here's the second draft, which may require editing down now. Advice is welcome, if it's good to go as is, then that's great.]

Bridging the Generation Gap
by Luke Borrett

With only one full month remaining before the launch of the PlayStation 3, after much fervent waiting the UK will finally get ahold of some of the finest games to grace the last generation.

Whilst the PlayStation 2 still has so much to offer and with the PlayStation 3 (as all the next generation consoles have) coming off the starting line a little thin, will people really be prepared to make the hefty four hundred pound jump to the latest system? Perhaps this is an indication that the next generation has come too soon, that the last had only just reached a level that one could claim as mastery of the system.

EDGE game of the year, ‘Final Fantasy XII‘, and IGN game of the year, ‘Okami‘, have been a long time coming but are set to make an impact. A highly anticipated sequel and a deserving fan-favourite that has taken the world by storm.

By now, gamers know what to expect from ‘Final Fantasy XII‘, but for many American and Japanese players to whom it is now a thing of a past, it was the instalment to bring the magic back to the Final Fantasy series. The graphics improve on the already impressive 'Final Fantasy X', with competent voice acting and an emotive soundtrack. The key difference in this volume seems to be in the unique battle system and subsequent character growth.

More of a dark horse, ‘Okami’ is as beautiful to watch as it is to play. It is hailed by many as the Sony exclusive answer to ‘Legend of Zelda’ and with the roaming puzzles and style of combat it‘s easy to see why. A traditional Japanese fairy tale plot sees you take up an epic quest as the wolf deity Amaterasu, where the style and emotion of the game world is as distinctive as the visuals. More than Zelda, though, the watercolour world of ‘Okami’ literally puts the brush in your hands to shape the world with a variety of abilities.

The obvious advantage is that during a time in which the consoles are still finding their feet, when the big titles are few and far between, the PlayStation3 still has big exclusives of the last generation creeping out to pad the back catalogue. The Xbox and the gamecube both ground to an abrupt halt, the last big titles being watered down versions of the same games for the next-gen consoles.

Other exclusive classics of the last year have included ‘God of War‘, the other big Square Enix franchise ‘Kingdom Hearts 2’ and ‘Ico’ spiritual successor, ‘Shadow of the Colossus’. Worthy additions to any game library, regardless of the generation.
The PlayStation 2 is not only going out with a bang, but providing a key crutch to the successor console, with a platinum range before the actual PS3 games even hit the shelves.

It’s a trend that looks set to continue with more PS2 games such as hot sequel ‘God of War II’, follow up to one of last years most unanimous successes, so popular that the sequel is going to come with a bonus disc of extra material. Slated for a march release in the US, the game puts you back in the shoes of Kratos in this mythical brawler. Trailers have sparked rumours for fans, revealing strange new items such as Icarus-like wings indicating flight.

Also to look forward to is sci-fi, pirate fantasy ‘Rogue Galaxy’ set to impress, has just touched down in the states to a reception of good reviews. It’s your usual, anime styled RPG in a not so usual setting that Level-5 present us with. The battle system is action based, and integrated into the gameplay without any load times to speak of, barely even the occasional blank screen to denote area change. This combined with all the traditional RPG elements and a good story seem to bode good things for when it touches down on UK shores, later this year.

Until the highly anticipated titles (many of which, ironically sequels to some of the aforementioned games) are within the foreseeable horizon for the PlayStation 3, the continuing strength of the PlayStation 2 proves a mixed blessing. But at the end of the day, sales at launch have never had much reflection on the overall success of a console.

The original PlayStation to Playstation 2 transition was not all that different.
Sony is going for a slower approach, a gradual transition. The hardware is tempting, and the PlayStation 2 not only provides a staple of affordable, good games between the PS3 game release dates, but is pretty much a guarantee of good things to come for the future of the new console.

After all, the console wars is not a race. The fate of the Dreamcast should be proof enough of that.
Good things come to those who wait, as they say. Lucky we still have plenty of killer PS2 titles to play while we do so.

[KlawHammer]

It's quoted by various Sony PRs but here's an article...

http://www.homemediaretailing.com/index ... ewsid=9845 (http://www.homemediaretailing.com/index.cfm?sec_id=2&newsid=9845)

The very last paragraph...