Street Fighter 4 (PS3)

So after purchasing Street Fighter 4, I see now that my issue with its production value was unfounded. I had based my opinion on the still images that I had seen, which did not do the game justice. Viewing the thing first hand and in motion is an entirely different thing. For the style they chose, it looks awesome.

That said, after playing the game for a few days, I am afraid I have come to the conclusion that I just do not like the game. I realized that I was just not having fun. Who ever said SF4 was designed to be accessible for new or casual players is sorely misled. I am veteran player and I am lost. For example:

• There's a four part super meter that can be used for super combos or EX specials moves.
• There's a three part, circular revenge meter and orb that sheds flames which can be used for ultra combos.
• There is a tri level focus attack that splats ink about and can be used as a counter or as an unblockable attack if charged long enough.
• Sometimes I hear glass breaking when moves happen.
• Sometimes characters flash bright yellow at random times.
• There is mention in the manual of Super armor, whatever that is.
• The game will often report "Technical" or "Counter" or "Reversal"
• Final boss is a cheap and cheating piece of crap.

It is all a bit much.

On top of this, the control is TERRIBLE with the standard gamepad. But forget about getting one of the arcade sticks. Madcatz did not manufacture enough to meet demand; Regularly retailing for $140, I just saw that one was listed on ebay for a grand. Yup, $1000.

I have to single out the final boss, Seth. What a trajedy. I have been of the opinion for some time now that Japanese developers are way behind the curve on a number of fronts when it comes to game development. Seth only reinforces this position. His cheating (double walking forward sonic booms?) and cheap moves (repeated cross up instant teleports,) smack of early 1990's Japanese programmer mentality. It is almost as if these guys think "HA HA! I am so good at programming that no player will ever beat my AI!" (Itagaki of Ninja Gaiden fame is another one guilty of the same mindset it would appear.) No more for me. I do not have time for that frustration. I have more respect for Western developers who take the time to craft challenging but beatable gameplay, rather than abuse their customers.

So with heavy heart, I now realize that this Street Fighter is not for me. The game play is geared for a style of play different than I would have liked to have seen. I guess I am old school, but I miss the days where victory depended on your knowledge of the priority, timing, and ranges of each character's move set. Used to be that if you knew that, you could win without ever throwing a hadoken. Now a days, standard moves are marginalized, and spamming specials, supers, and ultras is the path to victory. Sorry, just not for me.

Score: 1

Street Fighter 4 and Production Value

Street Fighter 4 is out and it is lighting up Metacritic with some pretty stellar scores. Friends have asked me what I think of the latest version. I wish I could tell them, but I can't... because I have not purchased it yet. I probably will end up buying it eventually, but honestly I'm not sure when.

This has left more than one person flabbergasted. How could I, long time Street Fighter fanactic and former developer of one of the games in the series, not have run out and bought it on release day? Why wasn't I up all night, dragon punching like it was 1994 all over again?

The image attached to this post pretty much explains it. Take a second to click on the image and have a look at it in a higher resolution. On the left is Guile from Street Fighter 4. On the right is fan art of the same character, executed with 3dsmax and Zbrush.

Looking at this, one might conclude that I am some sort of "graphics whore." But, that isn't totally right. When I look at those two images, I don't see good graphics vs bad graphics. I see two different choices in style. But, most importantly, I see a discrepancy in production value.

Production value is a term often associated with the film industry. Movies that look like they cost a lot of money to make are said to have high production value. Think of it as "bang for the buck." This usually translates into more special effects, great sound, and awesome picture quality. Hollywood producers want the audience to feel like they have gotten their money's worth and have seen a volume of entertainment equal or greater than the cost of the ticket.

I have come to realize over the years that as I mature and my available free time and disposable income shrinks, I have become choosy about where my gaming minutes and dollars go. When I have free time to spend playing games, I want the best, highest quality experience I can get for my gaming dollar. In my mind, cell shaded, cartooney style characters with lighting painted into the textures, and devoid of normal maps, does not look like a game with high production value. A Street Fighter 4 with characters executed in the style and of the production value level of the fan art Guile on the right would have been a purchase outright.

Killzone 2 drops next week, and it is chock full of production value, and as such, itwill occupy me for the next few weeks. After that, if Street Fighter 4 drops to a price that justifies its quality level, I suppose I shall hadoken once again.

Our Industry is Broken. Part 01. Ship Dates

Every single Tuesday, for as long as can be remembered, something miraculous happens. Prerecorded music finds its way to retail shelves nationwide. Millions of albums, singles, EPs, compillations, boxsets, and remixes recorded by dozens and dozens of artists are ready to be purchased as soon as the stores open. Not during the Monday prior, not on the following Wednesday. Every. Single. Tuesday.

The same thing goes for movies as well: innummeranble DVDs and now Blu Ray discs are readily available on Tuesday morning for consumers to purchase. Not a few hours after lunch, not right before closing. Those movies are ready and waiting at opening time on Tuesday of every week.

When Hollywood announces a release date for its films, be it a typical Friday night or perhaps a Wednesday before a long holiday weekend, you can bet damn well that those movies will be at the theater on that date, playing at the time advertised on the marquee. Not a week before, not a day or two late, but on that very date.

When the television networks advertise a night and timeslot for a new show, it is magically transmitted to your boobtube at that very juncture. Not earlier in the day. Not some time the next night. You turn on the TV at the appointed time, and POOF! There it is.

So then why the hell is that when it comes to video games, we have to tolerate this ship date vs. release date nonsense?

It is always the same song and dance: a publisher gives a date for a game. All of the interviews, marketing materials, and websites push this as the release date, many even going so far to say "IN STORES ON XX-XX-XXXX!!!" But I'll be damned if I have ever gone to or called a store looking for said game on that date and actually found it. Instead, the retail employees only offer "That was the ship date. We should have it tomorrow. Duh." WHY!?!

But wait... how is it that a few of the big name releases DO manage to get into stores on the proper date? How are they managing this feat? Surely there must be a reason that the Halos, the GTAs, and the Gear of Wars make it to shelves on the advertised date while "regular" games might make it a day later than promoted, if we're lucky?

What is going on here? Why the discrepancy between video games and other forms of media? Why the discrepancy between the AAA titles and the also-rans? As consumers, why do we tolerate this? It is annoying as hell to not know when our purchase will arrive. As developers, why do we accept this? In an industry where success is measured on increasingly shorter time scales, surely there has to be a negative impact on sales when a consumer goes to the store expecting to buy a title only to be told "We might have it tomorrow, maybe."

This has been going on for far too long. If the video game industry wants to play in the big leagues and be taken as seriously as the legacy entertainment mediums, then we need to get our business fixed. Because right now, ship dates are broken.

Confessions of a Gaming Luddite

Flower (PS3)


Sorry, but I don't get it. Nice grass tech though.

Noby Noby Boy (PS3)


That, apparently is game play. I am dead serious. What do you expect though? It is by the same guy that created Katamari Damacy, another title I despise.

Want List

Every now and again I make a list of games I have been meaning to pick up, or that I am looking forward to the release of. Some are the big block busters, but many are the lower quality or less famous titles; you never know when you might find a diamond in the rough.

Fracture (360/PS3) I worked on this game for some time, but switched teams and then eventually left the company before the end of the project. I played the demo, but I am curious to see how it turned out. I am going to wait till it hits $15.

Legendary (360/PS3) Played the demo. Not great, but something about it intrigued me. Maybe when it drops to $20 I will pick it up.

Golden Axe (360/PS3) I heard this was not so great, but I like 3rd person action and am willing to give it a shot, at the right price. Why this game is still $60, I have no idea. I'm waiting for it to hit $15 or $10.

Killzone 2 (PS3) This is the game I am most looking forward to at the moment. Definitely getting it on release day.

Street Fighter 4 (360/PS3) Not sure about this one. Being a huge Street Fighter fan from back in the day I feel like I have to buy it, but I don't know... I think I am over it. I do not really find the graphics style all that appealing. I will be waiting for a proce drop at least.

Ninja Blade (360) I love games with ninjas. I love games with swords. I love games with monsters that get hacked up by ninjas wielding swords. I hate games with QTEs, and Ninja Blade features them extensively. However, I played the Japanese Demo and didn't think it was totally horrible. I enjoyed the boss fight quite a bit. I might even pick this one up at full price.

Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad (360) More 3rd person swords and monsters action. I imported and played previous installments on the PS2, and while they were obviously low budget titles, they weren't bad, all things considered. It would be nice to play them with decent graphics and in English, so I knew what the heck was going on. $40 is borderlinwe too expensive though. Maybe I'll get it at $30.

X-Blades (360/PS3) This might be too low budget, even for me. I despise the psuedo anime stylings of the main character. All that said, if it looks decent and plays well enough, I'll get it when it hits $5.

F.E.A.R.2 (360/PS3) I worked on a couple of the previous installments of this series, so I am kind of curious to see what the latest is like. Played the demo and thought it was competent, with a few nice effects and scenes going on. Not sure that I can justify $60 for it, what with Killzone 2 around the corner. At $30 I would pick it up.

Wanted: Weapons of Fate (360/PS3) The gameplay trailers of this look pretty decent, and remind me of Dark Sector, which I liked. The cutscene trailers look atrocious. I'm on the fence. Perhaps at $40, if reviews are good.

Looking back over the list, Killzone 2 is the only must buy title I see. Checking over Gamestop's coming soon section, I am not really seeing any must have games until October! 2009 is going to be rough unless prices start take a nose dive.