Open Forum #001
Open, off-topic discussion.
July 18, 2012 / 12:00 PM EDT / (@salromano)

Welcome, all, to the first of our weekly Open Forum. What is the Open Forum, you ask? Why, it’s anything you want it to be. Whatever you don’t feel is appropriate to speak of in other posts, you can speak of here, as it’s your domain for anything and everything. Want to talk about sports? Here’s the place. Have a random question? Ask it here. Want to poll the community? Do it here.

“But why is there a picture of Gotye up there?”

I was listening to the song and needed a header image for this. I’ll pull the image for the next Open Forum based off discussions in this week’s.

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  • xMCXx

    What, right here, right now?

    • Locksus

      Right here!
      Speak, guys! Get it off your chest!

      • xMCXx

        Alright! xD

  • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

    Is anyone else as excited about Sleeping Dogs as I am? http://gematsu.com/tag/sleeping-dogs

    I just saw this trailer that shows the voice talent in the game.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12WF48FxxSg&feature=player_detailpage

    A pretty impressive cast list I must say. And omg! Emma Stone! (I’m a huge fan.) Can’t wait to pick up the game next month.

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      I love Emma Stone! She was great in the new Spider-Man. Fun fact I just learned: if you’ve ever wondered why her voice is the way it is (not sure how to describe it), it’s because she had baby colic, constantly screaming as a baby.

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        I didn’t know that about Emma. I like her voice though. :)

        She was awesome in the new Spider-Man. What did you think about the film? Personally, I thought it was vastly superior to the previous films.

        I think Andrew Garfield is a far better Spidey than Tobey Maguire ever was.

        • Adam Meadows

          Yeah. Had some pacing issues I thought – and the Lizard was lame. But Garfield is wayyy better!

        • KingdomPersona

          I like the new spider-man to it was great Andrew Garfield did a great job to as Spider-man :)

          • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

            Glad to see others agree with me. I really enjoyed the film. One of my favorites of the year so far.

        • whiteferrero

          Actors aside, I think the new spiderman lacked the emotional connection I had with the previous one. A tad too many loopholes in the new one, and not enough scenes that made me care about the characters.
          Which means for me, the older one is better. Lizard is pretty lame in the movie too. Lacked the appeal of the Lizard in the comics.
          But I will admit the webbing action is much better here.

      • Malcolm Reynolds

        So her voice is raspy like Eliza Dushku, or Miley Cyrus even?

        If so…..sexeh!

      • Revorse

        She sounds like a temptress who just ran a few miles. But in a good way.

    • http://www.facebook.com/JaeWhy SasuleUchiha

      Yes, the game looks so beast. I’m happy they include Asian actor and the game also had Cantonese voice tracks. I think more video game should do this, DXHR also had some Chinese voice, maybe because it’s Square Enix touch? I dunno but it’s great.

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        I agree 100%. Why can’t more games have different voice tracks to choose from on the disc? I think they should.

    • Locksus

      I am! Though, frankly I’m worried about how it’ll sell. It looks to be this year’s sleeper hit and it has next to no hype. I will do my part and support the devs :) it looks like fun!

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        Very good point. I’m also worried about how many people will buy the game. I plan to pick it up at launch.

    • KingdomPersona

      Emma Stone is in this!! OMG I did not known that I’m even more excited for this game now :)

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        They kept it a secret! Yeah, it makes me more excited too. Like I said below, I’m a big fan. :)

    • bebestorm117

      Yes Im very excited! It will take care of my GTA cravings. Plenty of variety and a good cast. I always enjoyed the true crime series.

    • zakou

      EMMA STONE!! day one buy! not to mention the rest of the VA, holy shit O.O im shocked XD

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        Yeah! The cast list is very impressive. I was surprised when I watched the video.

  • Adam Meadows

    This is also a good place to perhaps provide site content feedback etc.

    • Malcolm Reynolds

      This single open forum could become a navigational nightmare where 50 conversations are running simultaneously.
      Any way to make the open forum a message board style where topics are posted and the convo’s happen in said topics?

      • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

        That would be great, but unfortunately, there is no way possible at this time. =(

        But here’s a tip: if you ever want to link to a certain thread, copy the link address of the time (example: “an hour ago” or “37 minutes ago”) of the parent comment.

  • Adam Meadows

    Has anyone seen the abomination that is Prometheus?

    • xMCXx

      I’m about to.
      But I already read everything about it xD

    • Locksus

      Yeah, I have. David was a great and memorable character. As for the others, not so much and the movie was full of plot holes! It had nice special effects, though.

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      Yeah. I thought it was decent. I’ll admit, the trailer and hype made it seem like a sure thing contender for movie of the year. It just wasn’t that good, plain and simple. I’ve seen much worse movies, but without Fassbender, it would have been more or less a complete disappointment.

    • KingdomPersona

      I have’t seen it yet but was it that bad?

    • bebestorm117

      Don’t say that Im going to see it this weekend.

      • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

        When you could instead be seeing The Dark Knight Rises?!

        (I haven’t seen Prometheus so I don’t know how good / bad it is, but I heard it was a real mindf**k.)

        • bebestorm117

          Oh I didn’t know it came out this weekend I love Christian Bale.

    • zakou

      I have, in 3D and umm well it’s a decent movie i will give you that, pretty cool to watch on a big screen with good setup, obviously bluray and 5.1 surround.

    • Rezar

      Yes I have seen it twice. Someone said try to see it as more of a sequel to 2001 A Space Odyssey than Alien Zero. I do believe the plot holes leave it more open for a sequel to take place. Since someone hasn’t seen it yet that’s all I will say about Prometheus besides that it was awesome.

  • zakou

    !! xD YEAH! ;P open forums mean OPEN! i will post what ever the f*** i want!

    Lols jk :P, we don’t have to sound mature here or do we? ^^

    Either way f*** yeah! open forums ftw

    Let’s talk about snacks, what do you guys eat for snack when playing games or watching dem bluray movies? :3

    Beef jerky?!! either way since this is open forum im going to openly admit that im a sucker for FF games XD even if they suck i still buy them, problem? :P

    • http://www.facebook.com/JaeWhy SasuleUchiha

      Only candy because it’s convenient and doesn’t make your hand dirty. About game, I’d say I’m sucker for JRPG, if it’s in English I’m interested.

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      I snack on barbecue potato chips pretty often. I typically try and take a break if I’m gaming to snack. I hate to get grease and stuff on my controllers and devices. I like to eat when watching anime/tv/movies. I don’t always have snacks though. I spend more cash on games than anything else, lol.

      I’m also a big FF fan. I tend to buy all the games as well. I haven’t really thought any of them sucked though. For example, FF X-2 wasn’t really my type of game, but I didn’t return it.

      I used to be really picky with my games, I’ve learned to be more open and give games I wouldn’t have in the past a chance.

      • zakou

        @zerorpg:disqus Nice to know that you are an anime/ff fan, btw loved
        Darker than black xD and Zero in your ign, is it from Code Geass?

        @SasuleUchiha:disqus Candy is bad for your teeth :P and makes you fat,
        eat something like rice cakes :D with different flavours.

        @salromano:disqus Well :P how about snacks when playing MGS4? xD DEM
        LONG CUTSCENSE!

        Seriously soon everone will play MGS4 cause of the trophies XD people
        will replay it, so snack time!

        • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

          Darker than Black is one of my personal favorites. I also loved Code Geass. Zero was inspired by a few different things, but CG was one of them, absolutely.

          Ha!, MGS 4 does provide some snack times. xD

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      I don’t think I ever snack when I play games! =o

      If I were to, I’d probably like one of those movie theater sized boxes of Gobstoppers or Runts. Though, I’d probably end up eating them all, which isn’t very healthy. (I’m a big health freak.)

    • zakou

      I think i broke the forum XD got a bunch of error messages when i tried to post

    • zakou

      @zerorpg:disqus Nice to know that you are an anime/ff fan, btw loved Darker than black xD and Zero in your ign, is it from Code Geass?

      @SasuleUchiha:disqus Candy is bad for your teeth :P and makes you fat, eat something like rice cakes :D with different flavours.

      @salromano:disqus Well :P how about snacks when playing MGS4? xD DEM LONG CUTSCENSE!

      Seriously soon everone will play MGS4 cause of the trophies XD people will replay it, so snack time!

    • whiteferrero

      NO FF games suck. A title may not appeal to everyone some, they may not be as good as other numbered titles, but no ff game sucks.
      (I don’t really eat while gaming – maybe an occasional juice drink)

  • Haruya

    So, yeah… I get that this is a videogame site and all, but since this is an open forum, I’d like to ask: aside from videogames, do you have any other… uh, “hobby”? Like, for example, watching anime? I notice how news regarding “Tales of Xillia” or “Toki to Towa” (or many JRPGs for that matter) are a big deal around here and it makes me wonder what else do you like about Japanland.

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      As you can tell from my other comments. I do enjoy watching anime when I have the time. I’m also a very big music person, I would probably not even function without music in my life. =)

      Let’s see. I enjoy watching some sports, hanging out with friends, and I do enjoy reading. If I didn’t like to read, I would not be reading your post. (lol.)

      I’ve also gotten into watching quite a bit of tv shows in recent years. Game of Thrones is a personal favorite. (Highly Recommended.) I’m also a very big movie buff, I actively go to the cinema on a regular basis.

      Okay, enough about me. How about you?

      • Haruya

        I agree with you 100% on the music factor. It may sound silly, but my mood can drastically change based on the music that I’m listening to, which sometimes helps when I’m playing a videogame with good soundtrack, haha.

        As for TV, I’m always gonna be a House MD fan, and I’m so sad there won’t be any new episodes coming again (lol).

        • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

          It isn’t silly at all. I love to play some of my favorite music when I’m feeling down. It can really help me get positive again.

          @gematsu-96055f5b06bf9381ac43879351642cf5:disqus I do like some J-rock. I haven’t listened to as much lately.

          • zakou

            Gazette is everything you need xD plus a new album is coming soon^^

      • Locksus

        What kind of music do you guys enjoy? Peronally, I love J-rock but I don’t know many else who do :p You know, D’espairsray, Dir en grey, Gazette etc. but generally I do listen to variety of genres but I don’t care for hip hop and rap, personally.

    • whiteferrero

      If you’re asking about hobbies from J-land I’d say I like their music. They sound so much better than a lot of western music, (even if I don’t understand a thing – at least I’m not listening to lyrics about money, cars, and pimping).
      Anyway, my favorite music are from Uverworld, Perfume, Supercell, and Bump of Chicken. I also like a lot of game music (I think a lot of people here are).

      I also like Jdramas. Mostly the ones that are funny, or with my fav actors/actresses. My fav actresses are Horikita Maki, Erika Toda, and nakama yukie. And my fave actors are abe hiroshi, ikuta toma, and oguri shun.

      • Haruya

        UverWorld is awesome, and I freaking LOVE supercell (“Perfect Day” is probably my favorite song from them). I’m also a big fan of BACK-ON, which is the group that sings the opening song for “Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2 & 3″. And I agree with you, they do sound better that a lot of the people I hear in this side of the world.

        • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

          UverWorld, has some recent stuff? I admit, I’m out of the loop when it comes to most J-music. What cd was their most recent?

          Edit: Feel free to give me some recommendations! Please do! Everyone, feel free to jump in and tell me what to listen to. =P

        • whiteferrero

          BACK-ON? 1st time I’ve heard of them. Any songs in particular you’d recommend?

          Nice to see a fellow uverworld fan, my favorite song from them is “kimi no suki uta”. How about you?

  • bebestorm117

    Where is Tezchi? I remember when I first joined here two years ago I enjoyed his posts. I haven’t seen a post from him in quite sometime

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      Good question. I Hope TezChi shows up again soon. We miss you TezChi!

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      That’s a great question. Whatever happened to Tez?

      I knew of his Twitter and YouTube accounts, and both appear to be deleted. ( twitter.com/tezchi and youtube.com/tezchi ). Very odd.

      • bebestorm117

        That is odd well hopefully he will come back here soon.

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        Wow! That is kinda spooky. It’s like (he?) removed them and vanished. I wonder if he was a secret agent or something? =P

        • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

          I was thinking the same thing!

          • whiteferrero

            he’s probably testing his wounded elephant skillz

  • Locksus

    Anime fans! share us your favorite anime series.
    I’ll start: Clannad. Man, it was so awesome and tocuhing ;_; probably the first anime that made me actually cry (Manly tears!).

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      Eden of the East (#1), Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, and Time of Eve are pretty good!

      You can watch Time of Eve on Crunchyroll – http://www.crunchyroll.com/time-of-eve

      Tokyo Magintude 8.0 can be streamed here – http://anilinkz.com/tokyo-magnitude-8-0-episode-1

      And Eden of the East, I’d really suggest buying on Blu-ray, because it’s amazing, or streaming on Netflix.

      • Locksus

        Thanks for sharing! I’ll have an anime marathon this weekend and watch those :p Also, have you seen Guilty Crown?

        • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

          I haven’t. Is it any good?

          • Locksus

            It is, haven’t watched but a few episodes but it’s promising.

        • ekka4shiki

          Ah, Guilty Crown …

          it’s promising at first but turned out not so good later on. It’s the laughing stock of the internet when it was airing if you didn’t already know. So i suggest don’t expect too much on this show. I admit the music and visual are impressive, though.

    • http://www.di.fm Spicy Chicken

      Angel Beats! I can’t think of another series that hit every level so well. The characters were fun (all of them!), the romance actually enjoyable (normally I hate that cr… stuff >_>) and the story was stunning. Oh, and the music is also excellent throughout.

      More than anything, I’d say it’s perfectly balanced. I can’t think of any series that managed to be so serious, funny, sad, happy, crazy and intelligent all at the same time. Yup, Angel Beats! is my favourite. ^_^

    • Akira

      Zero no Tsukaima and Tower of Druaga! I feel like Tower of Druaga is underrated, it’s a perfect combination of action and comedy (and a tiny bit of romance!)

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood is one of my favorites. Going back to some slightly older series. I think Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell SAC/2nd Gig are not to be missed. I’ll also recommend Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. (Keep in mind, some of these are best suited for mature audiences. Especially Higurashi.)

      I’ll also recommend To Aru Majutsu no Index, Baccano, Durarara!!, and Kaichou wa Maid-sama – to name a few.

      Many of you have mentioned other great series in here as well. I haven’t watched as many of the new shows, but I’ve just started Steins;Gate. So far it’s very good.

      • Locksus

        Higurashi is actually pretty good and the plot is really different from other animes I’ve watched. Kaichou wa maid sama is also pretty awesome. I’ve watched Steins; Gate and it’s among my favorite series ever!

      • Anime101210

        Man I LOVE Index! I’m hoping that a third season is announced for release later this year or (more likely) next year. I mean they have a movie coming out for it early next year, but I NEED more Index in my life :P

        Also love FMA:B and Cowboy Bebop! I really need to give Higurashi a watch as many people have said Clannad’s got nothing on that show! And Cowboy Bebop, what more can you say but BANG!

        • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

          I could probably talk about Cowboy Bebop all day. Higurashi is pretty dark. I mean, all you really have to do is try out a few episodes to see just how dark it can get. The second season is good too.

          Index is really fun. I enjoy so much about it. I feel like I’d be spoiling if I got into it anymore. (lol)

        • zakou

          No, no anime ever will beat Clannad, higurashi isn’t even comparable, two different genres, I still enjoyed higurashi.

          • Anime101210

            Oh, well thats good to hear, as I LOVED Clannad too! Its hard to think that a show has more tear jerking moments than that one had! I’m gonna give Higurashi (both seasons) a watch whenever time allows me to do so (which’ll hopefully be soon considering Im going on vacation (3 weeks!) in a couple of weeks! Its good to know that I have a trip to Vegas, quite a few games, and many anime to catch up on to enjoy my full vacation!

            • zakou

              Sounds good!

    • zakou

      Air, Kanon(2006 version), Clannad, Clannad: After Story, Clannad movie with Tomoyos/Kyous chapter xD and the PS3 Clannad game is what i can recommend, ok the game is only in japanese, i should not get over myself xD

      Also the most recommended from me: Code Geass 2seasons, Elfen Lied, Death Note, Guilty Crown, Darker than black 2seasons, Black Lagoon 2seasons, Tales of the Abyss, Kimi Ga nozoum ein.

      Belive it or not Naruto is actually good followed by some movies and shippuden.

      Edit: Obviously forgot the best looking anime to date on bluray: Angel beats and 5 centimeters per second.

    • Haruya

      When it comes to anime, I must definitely mention “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”. The artwork looks very weird at first glance, and you might mistakenly believe it is an anime meant for the younger audiences, but this couldn’t be more wrong. I will not say more. It is an anime that should definitely not be misssed.

      • ekka4shiki

        Shinbo Akiyuki + Gen Urobuchi + Yuki Kajiura = WIN

        Can’t wait for the movies ^_^

      • Anime101210

        This ^ right here also! Madoka is FANTASTIC! I almost didnt give the show a chance as I generally HATE the moe artstyle, but this show is dark and very unique. It takes the magical girl genre in a completely unexpected route that turns out to be a road I want many others to travel. Follow this mans opinion and give this one a go too.

    • Rezar

      I’m not really an anime fan but I do tend to watch anime based off of video games. I just finished Season 2 of Sengoku Basara Samurai Kings yesterday. I am just waiting for when the English Dub of the movie is released. Speaking of anime movies has anyone seen Tales of Vesperia The First Strike yet?

    • Locksus

      Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I’ll be sure to watch every one of them when I can! Also I recommend watching Sora no Otoshimono. There are 2 seasons so far and it’s very entertaining:)

    • ekka4shiki

      I like Clannad too. But my personal favorite is Kara no Kyoukai.

      KnK is the anime that start everything for me. I mean, i already watch many anime before, but this anime is the anime that makes me otaku-ish. I just love every seconds of it. My favorite seiyuu is Sakamoto Maaya, the one doing the voice of Ryougi Shiki, comes from KnK, and also my favorite anime composer is Yuki Kajiura, the one doing the background music for KnK.

      I also like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Bakemonogatari, Katanagatari, Eden Of The East, Honey and Clover, ARIA the series, Kino’s Journey, Cross Game, Mushishi, Tatamy Galaxy, Steins;Gate, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu and many more i considered great shows. But my personal favorite is still KnK :p

    • TheDarkCloud

      Mushi-shi Best anime ever. So different from other I liked the color palette used in the series, the story is also very good, although is not entirely linear or chronological and each chapter is a new story. Yesterday I watch Ghost Hound and it was amazing. There are many good animes like paranaoid agent, shiki, Aoi Bungaku Series (for those who like the horror) and so could give a long list.

    • EspadaKiller

      Code Geass, FMA, Death Note, Persona 4, Claymore, Fate Zero and the current one that I’m watching, Hyouka. Infinite Stratos is good too.

    • Anime101210

      Prepare to be overwhelmed ;) some of my top picks in no particular order!

      First of all Clannad’s (and the After Story) a very nice choice, its awesome and extremely touching!

      If you liked Clannad, you will LOVE ToraDora! Its about a guy who looks like a juvenile delinquent and a Tsundere girl who try to hook each other up with their respective best friends, but its also EXTREMELY charming in every since of the word. You have to give it a go if you havent seen it, its quite comedic as well :)

      A lesser known series Denpa Teki na Kanojo, its an OVA series and only 2 episodes in length. Its about a delinquent who pretty much just wants to be left alone. He is approached by this chick who says that she knew him in a
      previous life, and now wants to serve him as his “knight”. While it seems very typical at first, once you start watching, you realize VERY quickly, and by very quickly I mean in the first 5 minutes that this is something else entirely (let me tell you that while the first scene is kinda graphic, this is NOT a hentai series).

      Evangelion, if you havent watched it, its also a must! While I’m not that big into mecha anime, this is MUCH MORE than that! Its a trill ride for the psyche and gets much grander as the series goes on. I’m ashamed to admit that I didnt actually get into this series until the “rebuild movies” but since then, I’ve purchased all of the original series (Platinum release) the rebuild movies and End of Evangelion! Its a Fantastic show.

      Another mecha anime that I really love is Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann! There isnt much to say more than WATCH THIS NOW if you havent seen it! Its a Gainax original anime and the story, characters, and animation are all off the charts!

      An anime that isnt really out there but is very funny is Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, also an original by Gainax! Its a parody show that I found HILARIOUS, it parodies so many genres, games, and anime and does it in a way thats just goofy as hell!

      Hanasaku Iroha, a recent favorite of mine is (very strange for me) a show in the slice of life genre. Its about a young girl who is sent to work at her grandma’s spa. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I found it to be a beautiful story with a very likeable main character. I mean what more can you ask for than a main character named Ohana. If you watched Lilo and Stich, Stich says that Ohana means “family, and family means no one is left behind”
      that’s a pretty good summary of what this show and character is about.

      Steins;Gate, a story about kids discovering time travel through a
      microwave! Its a show that got critical acclaim and deserves every bit
      of it! Watch it!!!

      Elfen Laid, if you havent watched this yet, you are missing out. Its a show that deals with Freudian theories of the id/ego etc (while not delving too deep, that is the basis of the show). Its about a VERY sick in the head girl who is basically the evolved form of humans, there are others, but it is all extremely hush hush and not many know of their existence. Let me warn you the first episode is VERY graphic, but dont let that stop you from experiencing a great show!

      School Rumble is a romance comedy, and it does comedy justice! Do yourself a favor and give this one a go.

      Nadia the Secret of Blue Water is another gem by Gainax that often gets overlooked. Its another story about the mythical Atlantis, but it still manages to be a very unique tale and is a wonderful adventure anime.

      One of my old favorites that I’ve really been recently getting back into
      (especially with the recent re-releases of the manga, and the recent
      announcement of a new anime airing next year), Sailor moon. It was my
      first anime before I even knew what anime was. It may be cliched to
      hell and back with most of its characters types, but that doesnt stop it
      from being a very heartwarming story. While the “villian of the week”
      style may be boring to some, each episode is great!

      And last but nowhere near the least Samurai X (Trust and Betrayal OVA). This is a masterful piece of action anime and packs so much action, emotion, and animation into 4 episodes (or one movie depending on how you watch it) that you’ll be at the edge of your seat when you watch it! This series was simply BRILLIANT!!! Rurouni Kenshin’s second season also should get an honorable mention, as it is freaking fantastic from beginning to end, and when I say that I mean EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE. PERIOD. :P

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        Some great series in your post! I’m impressed at how many anime fans we have. I’ve watched Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, and Toradora. I enjoyed all of those shows. Don’t get me started on Shinji Ikari! I hate him with a passion.

        I need to check out some of those other series you mentioned. You mentioned Samurai X and Kenshin at the end of your post. I loved the OVAs, and I loved the anime up until the end of the Kyoto arc. I have the box set, and remember being shocked at how poor the remainder of the series was. (I like to pretend it ended at the Kyoto arc. And just picks up again in the OVAs.)

        Still it’s one of my favorite series. I’m a sucker for samurai anime.

        • Anime101210

          Well, Anime is part of my username ( ◕‿‿◕ ) I get excited talking about it, as its one of my favorite hobbies :P

          Yeah the Kyoto arc is what I’m referring to as the “second season”. The first season was good but the Kyoto arc was fantastic! I dont think I have ever been impressed as I was through Kenshins second season. It was a drastic increase in an already quality show!

          Everything after the Kyoto arc was filler though and not canon material, thats pretty much the reason it sucked so bad. They meant to animate the last arc of the manga, but ratings dropped so hard for that season that it sadly had to be dropped before they could finish the show out.

          I’m hoping that this sudden 90s “revival” stage we’re currently in (Kenshin movies, new DBZ movie, new Sailor moon anime) has something else in store for Kenshin. Like say them actually animating the Jinchu arc (the TRUE manga based last story arc of the manga) into an anime series and not a movie. I still dont know why they chose to redo the already well done Kyoto arc in the movies and not animate the Jinchuu arc, which has yet to be animated except for that bastardized OVA (Reflection) that even the manga author said he hated.

          • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

            I noticed they release a new Kenshin movie! I’ll have to watch it. :)

            Honestly, I haven’t read the Kenshin manga. I’d very much like to see them animate the final arc, just like you said.

            The entire series has a nice place in my heart. Like Cowboy Bebop and Gundam, Kenshin was one of my first anime series.

            Before the internet and stuff, and being a youngster, it wasn’t so easy to obtain anime to watch. I didn’t have the money to buy many boxed sets. Despite all of that, I remember those times quite fondly.

            In some ways they were better… you know? When you are younger, you don’t have so many responsibilities, so many things to worry about, so many things to do in life. It’s so much simpler.

            I suppose that might be what i miss most about my childhood, the simplicity of it all. If I wanted to stay in the house all summer and watch anime and play video games, I usually could. =)

    • http://www.facebook.com/JaeWhy SasuleUchiha

      I’ll confess!
      I love anime like Highschool DxD, Queens Blade, Highschool of the Dead, To Love Ru, you get the idea :P
      But I don’t really watch anime that much and all anime I mentioned above, I haven’t even finished them yet only watched for 3-4 episodes.

      And of course, not only those I watch. I’d recommend AnoHana, the story is great and relatable. My favorite old anime are Doraemon (does this count?), Slayer, Super Boink, B-daman, Digimon, Pokémon, Rurouni Kenshin, Inuyasha, Gundam Wing, Legend of Condor Hero and a lot more that I don’t remember. The funny thing I don’t finished watching most of those anime because it’s aired on TV and sometime I missed them or because they stopped airing after first season and then dropped the series.

      Btw, did anyone know what is this anime? I don’t remember the name but it’s about some sort of magical girl. The main character’s father was a warrior and retired(?) and then there are a girl whose father was a demon and the girl had a black skin.

      And also this one, it’s about schoolgirl and she had a magical creature that could help her, I think they’re stored in glass and after a few episode every other girl also got the creature of their own.

    • http://www.youtube.com/user/mirandalawson2?feature=results_main Miranda Lawson

      Eureka 7! I own and have finished watching the whole series plus the movie. I am currently in the middle of watching the series a second time because it is so awesome! I actually just got into the series/bought it because of someone on Gematsu forums telling me how good it is. Now it is my new favorite anime!

    • Kobracon

      Recently it would have to be Persona 4 Animation as well as Aquarion Evol. Fave of all time would be DBZ and GaoGaiGar

  • http://www.di.fm Spicy Chicken

    Hmm, I don’t think I’ve seen it mentioned elsewhere so, I just want to
    say I’m really impressed by Harada sans (he of Tekken fame) attitude
    towards DLC. I’m not even a huge fan of Tekken generally these days (I
    think Tekken 3 will always be my fave game in the series gameplay wise),
    but I’m tempted to buy TTT 2 just to show my support, let alone the
    fact the game DOES look like huge amounts of crazy fun.

    Also, his response to some of the sillier complaints (people complaining
    about voices changing from the T3 games… vehement character requests
    for characters already officially confirmed for TTT 2 etc.) was a work
    of concise, measured yet firm brilliance. So yes, respect to Harada san for all he’s done recently. I just hope he doesn’t work himself sick like Ono.

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      I agree. I remember during the Tales of Xillia 2 release date broadcast, he appeared and was complaining about having to pay for additional character costume DLC.

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      I really enjoyed reading his response on twitter. I agree with him too. Why not just have the outfits unlockable in the game? You know, like older games did it. I don’t like how every game charges for outfits these days.

      • http://www.di.fm Spicy Chicken

        Yeah, I used to love that! It’s almost like a lost art these days. I mean, it isn’t completely of course, and some games still have that or similar, but DLC has to an extent replaced the good old unlockable. If DLC was an ALTERNATIVE to unlockables, I’d be 100% okay with that. It’s kind of like paying a fine for cheating in that situation, which is as it should be. :P

        But making people pay extra for a costume (or bunch of costumes or similar ‘items’) by default with no alternative other than to forgo them completely… oh well. It’s nice to know there are those in the industry who at least feel the same way.

        • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

          I would love to see DLC like that be an alternative. DLC was supposed to be additional content for games that was released after the game had been out for a while. The idea was to bring players back to a game they had already completed.

          I’d say Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare is a pretty good example of that type of DLC. It does happen sometimes. Often times it is just a smaller side mission. And that is also ok in my book.

          All of the costumes, weapons, and characters should be unlockable in the game. Making them DLC is pretty lame.

          I understand why publishers do this, it’s about making more money out of a game. It makes sense from a business standpoint.

          That doesn’t mean I have to like it though.

          • http://www.di.fm Spicy Chicken

            Indeed, basically if it genuinely adds to the game and represents new levels/missions/worlds etc, and is reasonably priced, I have no problem with it. Especially if it adds significantly to the story in a way that enhances (as opposed to detracting from) the original.

            And the timing of it’s sale is also important as you alluded to, Day 1 paid for DLC for example is just cynical.

            But charging for smaller items is a sad way to go. It might be smart business if you can get away with it (and clearly, many can), but that doesn’t make it ‘right’.

            • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

              Agreed.

  • zakou

    Since Anime and Clannad was mentioned alot :3 i hope to see Clannad image on the next weeks open thread yes @salromano:disqus im looking at you lol!

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      Noted!~

      • Locksus

        I promise to be your personal servant for a year if you do :3

        • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

          It’s already been made. ;)

          • whiteferrero

            Clannad picture – themed Higurashi.

    • Anime101210

      man that show was AWESOME! I love me some Clannad, Nagisa, Ushio, Tomoyo, Tomoya, all of them were extremely well developed and great characters! That show made me fight the tears on several occasions, the music also fit perfectly with many of the scenes.

  • Locksus

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PZDgguzJvcg
    Do you guys remember when THIS was the sign of something special? :p Speaking of which, I think I’ll boot up my SNES and play some Donkey Kong!

    • FaithlessMr

      The SNES Donkey Kong games have excelent music!

  • FaithlessMr

    Awww yeah, open forum! Who’s getting Kingdom Hearts DDD? :D

    • http://www.facebook.com/JaeWhy SasuleUchiha

      Me!
      It’s the reason I got 3DS.

      • FaithlessMr

        Same here :D

  • LordKaiser

    There’s a situation between Level-5, Sony and D3 publisher that’s being going on and that we don’t understand. The particular it’s about a game called White Knights Chronicles II who was released by Sony in Europe and D3 in America that it’s unclear who controls the DLC and Servers. on February we got some quests and new weapons so we where happy with the Lux weapons, and Madoras weapons that we got to play with until the guilds reached Lv.8 giving us access to the Truth King Weapons and guild armors.But on may 3 we received bad news from D3 fb page.

    http://www.facebook.com/WhiteKnightChroniclesII

    “Thank you for your patience. Many of you have been asking about
    additional game content. We apologize for the delay in our response
    however we needed time to determine if these items were available to the
    North American market. Unfortunately, we will not be able to release
    any additional content, which includes guilds, quests, patches, DLC, etc
    in North America. That content was created exclusively for the
    Japanese game. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for
    supporting White Knight Chronicles II.”

    Anger and Sadness erupted between the fans. And Hackers began to dig inside the WKCII Disc and not Only did they found out that all quests Japan got where inside the disc but that the first 5 quests of the 10 quests of avatar story are translated in English. Avatar Story is a series of 10 quests who expand on the main story after the end of the main offline story who says To be Continued. avatar Story it’s the continuation that relates that the technology of the Ysenian Empire it’s of alien origin and that a being called Hydeya Anima was behind all of this.All of this it’s inside our discs. We feel cheated of a complete product and we deserve to have these quests released but we don’t know who of the 3 companies it’s our roadblock. The FB mentioned we will not get guilds but..,. We already have them so now it’s more complicated. The fans of WKC2 that don’t want the online game to die made a petition.

    http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/wkc2/

    On that petition there’s a link of Youtube that show evidence we have those quests on disc and that they’re playable. the quests where unlocked by a hacker.

    If someone could investigate this mater I would be happy.

  • FaithlessMr

    Currently playing: FF VI Advance (taking on the Dragon’s Den next!) and The World Ends with You.

    What’s everyone else playing?

    • Anime101210

      KHII FM! I’ve been going through a KH marathon to prep for KH3D! Already beat BBS, KH1, and KHReCOM (didnt replay Days or ReCoded though), now alls I got left to do is finish this game, ace the XIII data battles, and beat Terra’s lingering sentiment, and I’ll be ready for Dream Drop Distance!

      I actually replayed TWEWY a few months ago, and man was it as awesome as ever :P That game was just perfect in so many ways!

      • FaithlessMr

        I’ve been playing TWEWY for a while now, really wanted to finish the game in time for KH DDD but I guess I won’t be able to. The game definitely requires a person takes some time to get used to it, but it gets really good if you definitely set your heart into it.

        It’s a really weird game that grows you on. I don’t know what it is that keeps pulling me in, the story, the characters, the innovative gameplay….it’s a really weird game (in a good way)

        • Anime101210

          You forgot to mention DAT music! Honestly thought Its probably all of that :) and it only gets better with each coming week in the game. By the end of the game, you’ll probably be like …
          It literally does throw a LOT at you the last week of the game and the pins you start getting get really cool. Once you deck yourself out in the right pins, you’ll really start feeling badA!
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0569Wt-cZ0

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. But barley. The Office on Netflix has really hogged up most of my PS3 time. Started it a few weeks ago from the beginning (never watched it) and am 5 episodes till completing the latest season up on Netflix.

      • FaithlessMr

        Damn, I need to give the AC series some serious lovin’. I played the first game for a while, stopped playing it, but I need to get back to it, finish it and start playing the sequels, coz the upcoming game seems amazing.

        • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

          That’s unfortunate, because the first game is terrible compared to its sequels.

          • Anime101210

            Is it? its the same reason I never got into the series. The first game was absolutely terrible to me and I couldnt finish it (which for me is rare, because I beat most of the games I buy). Maybe I should give the sequels a shot, but it’ll be hard getting into a series and not finishing the first game.

            I’ve heard the Assassins Creed’s story line is a complete mindfreak, but then again you cant always trust most gamers as many seem to think anything with a story more thoughtful than Super Mario Brothers (the princess is in another castle) is convoluted and hard to understand.

            • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

              Yeah, the first game isn’t that good. It was kinda the start of something promising. AC 2 is one of my favorite games this generation. I’d say just give it a try, and you should have an idea if the series is for you or not.

              If need be, just youtube the stuff from the 1st game. It isn’t very long story wise.

              I remember playing the second game and really getting blown away by it. It’s everything a sequel should be.

              • Anime101210

                Cool, will do, I’ll try it out later when I have a little extra cash :P

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      I finally just finished Uncharted 3 the other day. I’m not sure what my next game will be, I have plenty to pick from in the back log, lol.

      I will be playing the Guild Wars 2 beta this weekend though.

    • http://www.facebook.com/JaeWhy SasuleUchiha

      Currently playing Hyperdimension Neptunia, already beat it yesterday but will do some clean-up to complete the trophy. After that would be KH3D :D

  • barklight

    So… Is there any Streetlight Manifesto fans in here?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-UTPKL-UGY

    • ekka4shiki

      Can’t wait for their next original album. It’s been a long time since SitB.

  • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

    Why is it called “digital download?” I mean, other than the metaphorical process of downloading, for example:

    Guy 1: “Alright, you got it? You can handle this on your own from now on?”
    Guy 2: “No problem, boss. Downloaded all your teachings into the ol’ noggin.”

    Isn’t a download ALWAYS digital? Or having something to do with the copying of data? So why put “digital” in front of the word? People write “DD” as an abbreviation and I think of Dunkin Donuts. It’s “DL,” man. DL.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/mirandalawson2?feature=results_main Miranda Lawson

    I am just wondering how many girl gamers, besides me, made an account on Gematsu? Also, does everyone who has an account on Gematsu like anime? Just wondering, because it seems like everyone on Gematsu talks about anime.

    • Anime101210

      First, Im a guy, but yeah, the general populace of Gematsu seems to be fond of anime! if you click this link, it’ll take you to my comment in the open thread where I list off on a few (I think 13 or so) of my favorite animes, I list some descriptions for quite a few, and if you havent watched them yet, I recommend you to give them a go :)
      http://gematsu.com/2012/07/open-forum-001#comment-591513196

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      (I’m also a guy.)

      I think we have a few girls who post comments on Gematsu. I hope as the community grows, we continue to get more and more people posting comments.

      What kind of people? well – guys, girls, lurkers, wimpy elephants, batman, ninjas, aliens, my cats, (woking on that) and many more!

      Yeah! I think this makes sense. (lol)

      Edit : And like Anime101210 said in his post. It seems like we do have lots of anime fans. =)

      • http://www.youtube.com/user/mirandalawson2?feature=results_main Miranda Lawson

        I think that you misunderstood me or maybe I worded it wrong, but in my above post I am saying that I am a girl gamer.

        • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

          I understood. I was trying to say I hope we have more (gamer) girls post on Gematsu. Obviously, we have more guys posting than girls, and it would be nice to see that balance out a bit more.

          • KingKelloggTheWaffleHaggler

            Theres quite a few,but many most likely dont want to go around blurting it as the internet is well….kinda creepy

            • http://www.youtube.com/user/mirandalawson2?feature=results_main Miranda Lawson

              I don’t see how telling people what gender you are will make people stalk you on the internet. It is not like they know anymore information about you, like where you live.

              • KingKelloggTheWaffleHaggler

                The internet is a far creepier place then you know

          • http://www.youtube.com/user/mirandalawson2?feature=results_main Miranda Lawson

            I agree, it would be nice to see more girl gamers on the internet. That way it balances out, It doesn’t really make a difference to me how many girl gamers there are on Gematsu, I am fine with talking with guys and girls on this site because everyone seems nice!

            • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

              I’m really glad you feel that way. I hope we can continue to build the community here in a positive manner.

    • zakou

      Well xD im a guy, also that’s exactly what I meant in my comment weeks ago that this community is almost one-sided.

      Don’t worry im including myself, I love anime but it really sucks to have the majority of users here be a anime/PS fan.

      People hate me when I say this although im not looking for trouble as this is the truth xD

      I’ll maybe change my avatar to make this site just a little less one-sided.

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        @zakou

        I think we have a good amount of people that like more than just the PS.

        As for me -

        I own a 360, PS3, and a Wii. I would very much like to get more hardware in the near future. I play games on a variety of platforms. I built my PC a few years ago, and I use it to play pc games all the time.

        • zakou

          And I agree with you, I said the majority, not everyone xD.

          Same here used to play frozen thrones mods, sc/2, Diablo games, fallout 2, magicka, farcry, tons of pc games ^^

    • bebestorm117

      Im a Girl Gamer!

  • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

    Looks like day one of the open forums has been a great success. Thanks everyone! Please keep the great conversations going.

    Time for me to check out. Need to take care of some work and get some sleep. I’ll be back~

    Edit : 112 comments! Nice!

    • http://www.facebook.com/JaeWhy SasuleUchiha

      It’s 11 AM here :D

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        Time zones suck. They annoy me. (lol)

        I have issues with sleep, it makes me unpredictable. You never know when I’ll show up to post comments. =P

  • Anime101210

    Guys! Look at dis rumor! Its everything I ever hoped for for Final Fantasy XV, and while it comes from an unknown website quoting an unknown source, it looks to good to be true, but GOD DO I WANT IT TO BE TRUE! Looky here
    http://thesilentchief.com/2012/07/18/gamesmaster-uk-rumor-final-fantasy-xv-four-years-in-development-will-release-on-current-gen-platforms/

    Hoping for something big at TGS later this year or at the anniversary museum thingy in August. I mean it DOES kinda make sense though, as I remember Ito saying that he was working on a big project a few years ago, and he has yet to release anything yet. And to add more to the rumor, remember when Square was rumored to be making a game with an airship here: http://www.siliconera.com/2011/12/05/rumor-square-enix-creating-action-rpg-for-ps3-and-vita/ although that was rumored to be coming for PS3/Vita.

    Man September cannot come soon enough! I need a Final Fantasy surprise! And hey, if this thing surpasses FFVII in sales, you folks may just get that remake you’re always asking for (me on the other hand would buy a remake, but am fine with the original VII).

  • KingOptimusOrigins111

    Can’t believe I missed this. :(

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      Don’t worry, it isn’t over.

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      It runs all week.

  • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

    Saw this pretty cool optical illusion today. Thought it was worth a share:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf1xFCcvadg

    Oh, and Spider-Man kid, found through Reddit: http://imgur.com/RIkGK

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      Spider-Man kid is awesome!

      The optical illusion video is impressive.

  • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

    Anyone else fans of the dancing Deadpool videos? Whoever is cosplaying does a great job of staying in character. (These videos have lots of dancing.)

    Here is a link to the one from this years comic con.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-m-KGgK5o4&feature=player_detailpage

    I love the videos. So entertaining. You can find a few more on youtube.

    • whiteferrero

      GALACTUS IS NIGH!
      (i lol’d)

  • FaithlessMr

    A rather sucessful first edition of the open forum, I’d say :D 150 comments? Is this the highest comment count this website has ever seen in any newspost/thread?

    Huzzah :D

  • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

    I hate to post something so awful. I’m sure some of you have seen this.

    12 people were killed, and 50 wounded during a Dark Knight Rises midnight showing in Colorado today.

    http://gawker.com/5927656/14-shot-dead-50-wounded-during-dark-knight-rises-premiere-in-colorado

    “Ten people died on the scene and two others died at nearby hospitals. Aurora is a suburb of Denver located just outside of the city. ”

    “Witnesses say that the shooter, dressed in all black and with his face covered, kicked open an emergency exit door in one of Century 16′s theaters. One witness placed him in “a riot helmet, goggles and bullet-proof vest.” He then set off a tear gas or smoke bomb and opened fire, reportedly during a shootout scene early in the movie.”

    I saw this on the news as soon as I got up this morning. It made me instantly want to vomit. It’s just such a terrible act of cowardly violence.

    I went online to read more about it and found this.

    “Jessica Ghawi, who wrote and tweeted about hockey under the name Jessica Redfield, was among the 12 people killed early this morning when a gunman opened fire during a midnight screening of Dark Knight Rises in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater. KENS5 in San Antonio received confirmation from family members. Ghawi had recently moved to Denver from San Antonio, according to the TV station. This was Ghawi’s last tweet:”

    @jessespector MOVIE DOESN’T START FOR 20 MINUTES

    — Jessica Redfield (@JessicaRedfield) July 20, 2012

    I went on her twitter page and started to read the tweets. Her last words, right there on my screen…she had no idea what was going to happen…Then it all hit me like a brick. I had chills going down my spine, I was shaking and had to just get up and walk away for a few minutes.

    https://twitter.com/JessicaRedfield

    It gets worse…

    “Jessica wrote for Busted Coverage and kept a blog of her own. Her last entry was an account of the Eaton Centre shooting last month in Toronto.”

    Here are a few small segments from the blog post. -

    “I can’t get this odd feeling out of my chest. This empty, almost sickening feeling won’t go away. I noticed this feeling when I was in the Eaton Center in Toronto just seconds before someone opened fire in the food court. An odd feeling which led me to go outside and unknowingly out of harm‘s way. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around how a weird feeling saved me from being in the middle of a deadly shooting.”

    “I was shown how fragile life was on Saturday. I saw the terror on bystanders’ faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath. For one man, it was in the middle of a busy food court on a Saturday evening.”

    “I say all the time that every moment we have to live our life is a blessing. So often I have found myself taking it for granted. Every hug from a family member. Every laugh we share with friends. Even the times of solitude are all blessings. Every second of every day is a gift. After Saturday evening, I know I truly understand how blessed I am for each second I am given.”

    “I feel like I am overreacting about what I experienced. But I can’t help but be thankful for whatever caused me to make the choices that I made that day. My mind keeps replaying what I saw over in my head. I hope the victims make a full recovery. I wish I could shake this odd feeling from my chest. The feeling that’s reminding me how blessed I am. The same feeling that made me leave the Eaton Center. The feeling that may have potentially saved my life.”

    If you want to read the entire blog post. You can here. http://deadspin.com/5927673/aspiring-sportscaster-killed-in-shooting-at-colorado-movie-theater

    I really just started to cry, I’m not going to lie. This was just to f***ing sad for me to take… What are the odds this would happen? Life can be so cruel sometimes.

    I’d like to take a moment to send my prayers out to everyone involved with this awful incident…. I think everyone else should also say a prayer, if you get the chance to.

    This entire situation is just so awful. People can’t even go watch a movie and be safe anymore?

    Everyone should take a moment today to call their family. Just say something good, and be thankful that all the special people in your life are ok.

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      I read all about this yesterday. It’s horrifying, to say the least. I watched an interview (I think it was Good Morning America) with one of the eyewitnesses in the theater who managed to make it out with his sister. He retold the event – looking up to see people bleeding and bodies on the floor.

      I got chills. And I wasn’t even there. I can’t imagine what would make a person so sick to do something like that. That man is scum.

  • Kobracon

    I have a rather serious question. In all honesty (any fanboy-ism and nerdrage apart), are the long running big name games from old companies (FFXIII, Diablo 3, Marvel vs Capcom 3, Street Fighter x Tekken, etc) honestly bad or are the current generation of gamers just jaded and lost the rose tinted glasses of our innocent childhood? or perhaps some people just find it fun to hate ultra popular things? What do you think?

  • z_merquise

    Hi! I’m new in this site. It’s good to discover another gaming site that I would frequently visit. It’s also nice to see an open forum here too.

    • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

      Welcome! Nice to meet you. =)

      We are glad to have you here at Gematsu. I hope you continue to visit the site, and share your thoughts in the comments.

      • z_merquise

        Thanks. I will.

    • Anime10121

      Yeah, welcome! While this community is still somewhat small, its budding everyday (and should be, its an awesome site)! I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay here on Gematsu :)

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      Welcome, Z_Merquise! Always nice to see new people come around. I hope you find your time here enjoyable! :D

      • Archvile78

        Welcome to Gematsu! Myself i joined yesterday but i’ve been browsing for news for quite a while now.

  • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

    This is a follow up to my post I made here…

    Link – http://gematsu.com/2012/07/deal-best-buys-july-video-game-blowout#comment-594943253

    …

    When you just can’t afford to get a good game new for full price, the second best choice is to hope they do a price drop on a website like amazon (etc.) fairly soon.

    For example, its becoming fairly common to see some games drop to $39.99 for a few days, typically about a month or so after launch.
    The thing to remember is, we might not like all the things publishers are doing these days, but without them we won’t be getting any games. Without supporting the games by buying them new, we don’t get possible sequels, and often times it hurts the developers, they get fired, and poor sales can even lead to an entire studio getting shut down.

    Every time I see a studio die, or a developer say we can’t make a sequel because the first game sold poorly, it really kinda hurts inside. It’s a reminder that video games have changed, and we have to support good games by buying them new as much as possible. When these things happen, and I haven’t purchased the game… I really start to feel partly responsible.

    Like what happened with the Kingdoms of Amalur studio… I remember saying to myself – “Man, the demo to that game was pretty fun.”
    I went over to a friends house, and he had purchased the game at launch. He told me – “I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it was not a bad game, not at all. In fact, I feel like if they could have made a sequel, it would have been vastly improved.”

    He tends to think about games the same way I do, so it kinda felt like a knife to the chest in a way. It was sorta another lesson to me, these smaller developers really need our support. They really need us to buy the games at launch. (When Possible.)

    Publishers feel like the first 3 months or so are where the bulk of the sales come from now days, followed by whatever revenue the DLC brings. I’d say this is fairly critical for smaller studios, another example would be when a publisher localizes a game from Japan.

    Tales of Xillia for example. -

    I’m willing to guess the launch sales for Xillia in the US and Europe will be critical. If they are good, the west will probably get Xillia 2. I guess I’m trying to say, be selective with which games you purchase, and support the smaller developers as much as possible. Try and buy games new when you can.

    Let’s put it this way, some of the publishers these days are most certainly not on my Christmas card list. I don’t enjoy some of the things they do, or some of their business practices.

    I understand how video games profits work these days, I understand what is considered a success. I don’t have to like it, but If I don’t support it, what good am I doing?

    I see tons of posts and comments every day about Call of Duty. Stuff like, “No one is buying that crap anymore.” – “Why do they not listen to the fans, we are telling them to stop.” – “I buy it used every year just to give them the middle finger.”

    None of that is really true, none of it really makes a difference.

    If 1 million gamers got together online and made a petition up that said, we are not buying Call of Duty this year. It wouldn’t mean much. The game would sell like 8 million copies at launch, instead of 9 million.

    It’s like wailing away at a brick wall with a toothpick. It’s just not the right action to take. Just acting is not enough, you have to accomplish something meaningful.

    And how many of those people (who signed the petition) would stick to it? How many would actually not go out and buy the game? It’s not going to be all of the people who signed the petition, I promise you that.

    Same type of thing with DLC. You can take a similar action, it’s going to get a similar result.

    (What about buying used? Well, you are just supporting whatever place you buy it used from. Just filling the coffers at gamestop or wherever. Is that accomplishing anything good? You tell me. I hear publishers complain about it, and say we need to go all digital. That doesn’t sound that good to me. I hear developers say they don’t get anything from used sales… once again, sounds bad to me.)

    The majority of consumers do not go to online gaming blogs, or websites, etc. The closest they get to that is liking it or following it on facebook or something. They go out and Pre-Order the game as soon as they can, every single year. Until those consumers, until they decide to move on… nothing much is going to change.

    That is where the people who are online complaining, they have to rethink how to act, how to make a point. They walk this path that is fueled by blindness. They believe they are the majority, and if they get all the other people who are part of online gaming communities to unite, they can make a stand by not buying the current popular FPS title on the market.

    I promise, you combine all of those communities, which are mostly the hardcore gaming crowd, you will end up with far less people than you imagined. It’s not just that crowd of people buying games these days. Until we start to accept that, we will always choose to act the wrong way.

    So, how do we really make a stand? I’m not sure… I think going out and supporting the smaller games is a start. Sleeping Dogs looks great, and I’m buying it at launch. I’ve been trying hard to tell everyone about it, we should be supporting it!

    I think talking with our less hardcore friends can help. Don’t try and demand they don’t support CoD or whatever. Tell them about other good games they need to buy. They probably haven’t even heard of them! Explain why they shouldn’t really bother with supporting bad DLC.

    Just because things have changed doesn’t mean we stop supporting it. We have to adapt and change with the times. If we don’t, then eventually we will have a bunch of games that are exactly the same. Publishers will tell us the truth, look, you were not buying those other games, you are buying these games, so we keep making them.

    I don’t want that. Even if I have to fight against that alone, I’m going to do it. I understand the battlefield you could say. I understand what I can try to do. I’m not the guy wailing at the big wall with a toothpick. I’m the guy who chose to avoid the wall altogether, I’m taking a different path and even if it still leads me to a future I don’t like. I’ll know I tried by best, my way, following my own path. I just wish others would join me.

    • rockman29

      Your post basically says “I want to run a charity for games publishers so everyone can have a job and live in la-la-land.”

      Wake up and smell the roses. Earning money isn’t about everybody being a winner. Want to make games? Learn how to make them, and learn how to sell them.

      You’re defending a broken pricing model.

      Your thought process defends a broken system that is the reason why we are heading towards a gaming crash.

      Your thoughts are seriously flawed. Today is not the only day to make games. This pricing model is not the only one that will ever exist.

      Open your mind a little and realize the present isn’t the only possibility, and change is part of the game. Change for the better.

      The bubble is already burst. No use in trying to reseal a broken bubble.

      • http://gematsu.com/ Zero

        If I could paypal my $60 bucks right to the developers of my favorite games, I damn well would, believe me.

        Not everyone can go to kickstarter and get a bunch of support.

        Sure, change can be good, but the type of change gaming is going through now… I’m not sold on it being for the better.

        You think the pricing model is what will lead to a gaming crash. I think the types of games people buy will. If we don’t support the good games, the innovative games, the ones trying to do something different. We will end up having a bunch of games that are more or less the exact same.

        That, that is what I think will lead to a gaming crash. Like I said in my other post. We both view another video game crash much differently.

        You seem to believe a crash would result in positive change, change for the better. I think it would result in a bad change. A change that would more or less kill the gaming I love.

  • Anime10121

    Hey @salromano:disqus , is there any way you guys could make like a permanent link to the open thread on the main page anywhere? It kinda gets buried after a couple days behind news articles, and stops seeing much use.

    Just a suggestion :)

    • http://gematsu.com/ Sal Romano

      Sure thing. Will work on it as soon as I get back to the house.

      Taking care of something this morning. Am kind of managing the site as much as possible through remote PC access on iPhone, lol.

      • Anime10121

        Cool good deal :)