Playstation Gamer UK

Alright folks, this one’s going to be a long one, I’ve got a ton of questions and a blurb subject that I know everyone either loves or hate. So, the topic this week is the whole pre-order reward system. What I’m talking about is the system that places like GameStop use, it involves giving an exclusive reward to people who pre-order a game from their store. The most recent example are the extra powers you get in inFamous (which review I just put up, here) when you pre-order the game. To be perfectly honest, I’m not even sure what the various stores have to gain from getting having people pre-order games at their store. I mean, pre-ordering something is no more expensive than just buying it so I’m not sure what they have to gain from it. But, they desire it anyway, and they pay a lot to get it. So here’s the problem with it. Exclusive content. Yes, unless you pre-order your games from certain stores you won’t get access to content that could easily be in game, and that’s the point that pisses gamers off. I really hate pre-ordering games so knowing that I can’t use a power in inFamous or won’t have a costume or another level in a game I like really pisses me off. I hope to see this practice die off in the future because I’m tired of having to go out of my way to get things that should be in the damn game to begin with. Alright, that’s it for my blurb, lets get onto the questions.

Are Call of Duty and Rock Band considered Xbox franchises?

I already know where this question comes from. I remember hearing this on one of the podcasts I listen to and my answer is yes, in North America. Unfortunately, among core gamers in North America every game that is multi-console is an Xbox Franchise. Grand Theft Auto IV, Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Fallout 3, and just about every other multi-console game. The PS3 install base is so small in North America that nobody even knows it exists. The PS3 is seen as a second rate console (despite being every bit as powerful as the Xbox 360) and it doesn’t get any credit at all. This is really quite sad but there’s no reason to lie about it, it is the truth.

Will Valve ever develop another game for the PS3?

Another simple answer, no. For some reason, people still say that saying “it’s too hard” is a valid excuse for a developer to avoid a console, but it’s just because the PS3 is not huge in North America. If Peter Moore came out and said that he wasn’t going to develop games for the Xbox 360 anymore because it’s too hard there would be public uproar and boycotts and death threats. But since it’s the third place console nobody cares about it and those who dare soil Valve’s good name by complaining about it are seen as whiners.

Will the PSP Go! succeed in breaking the PSP into the iPhone/iTouch’s market share?

No, are you retarded? Nobody buys an iPhone because they want to play games. They buy an iPhone because they want a phone, the gaming functionality is just an added plus. It’s the samething with PC gaming, it’ll never die because people will never stop buying computers. The thought that the PSP Go! is going to take away from the iPhone’s market share is completely ridiculous, they are completely different products with completely different markets.

What do you think of Michael Pachter’s comments about the PSP Go!’s price? and do you think the Go’s too much?

Well, to be honest, I think “industry analyst” Michael Pachter is a joke. Whenever he actually predicts something he’s wrong and whenever he’s right it’s about something that’s already happened. I don’t know why companies continue to give him the time of day. He’s not really good for much else than making good flame bait comments.

Where was Final Fantasy XIII Versus at E3?

Ya, this is quite an interesting question actually. It’s really weird to me that an exclusive Final Fantasy game was completely absent from not only Sony’s press conference but E3 as a whole. Does this mean it won’t be getting a North American release? I have no idea, and I don’t know why it wasn’t at E3. It makes no sense to me that Sony just completely ignored the fact that they have an exclusive Final Fantasy game coming to their system, and that it’s a final fantasy game that might actually appeal to the western audience.

What do you think about the May NPD Numbers?

I think the NPD group should stop releasing these numbers to the public. It’s really fucking annoying. I don’t care about the NPD numbers and haven’t even looked at them. If you want to go right a head, but I’m not getting mixed in with the fanboyish bullshit that always follows these numbers.

What do you think about Kaz Hirai’s comments regarding that Sony was looking to serve the core gamer first?

I think it was clever, and opportunistic of them to try to gain some good P.R. out of bad sales numbers but I think it’s complete bullshit. If you don’t know, what they said basically amounts to Sony not wanting the PS3 to have main stream success yet because they want to serve the core gamer first. Of course, as we all know, that’s bullshit, but it’s a nice thing thought… too bad they’d trade us for the Wii’s audience in a second.

What do you think about the fact that the PS3 has sold more than the Xbox 360 did at the same point in it’s life cycle?

Listen, I don’t care about sales numbers, I really don’t. I think that it’s nice that the PS3 is selling more, but I think that it doesn’t make a difference. The only people who should care about Sales numbers are the people working at Sony and Microsoft, the rest of us shouldn’t care, and I don’t.

So that’s all for this week, if you have questions for me you can always send them to me on my twitter account (here) or just leave them in a comment on this or any other article (but make sure to say what they’re for if they’re on another article).