Chris

...everything I wanted to say has already been said (and then some). I really hate being late. :/

All I can say is this:

Don't be so defensive about it. So the Pope said media should change? Of course it should! If you had read the entire message the article linked to instead of relied upon Joystiq's half-assed commentary you'd notice that 1% of his holiness' statement discussed video games in particular, the rest were about media in general. He also mentioned how important it was that parents be involved in teaching kids discernment of modern media, too! Same thing we've been saying all this time! HA!

I've done religious discussion all my life, especially Catholic discussion, and I've dealt with more vehement and holier-than-thou figures to delve into a big argument about everything. Besides, it sounds like none of the things here are of any interest to me. Arguing over something like the sabbath isn't my cup of tea...

This is the state of United States patent laws. Everyone and their mother has the ability to declare an item "intellectual property" and begin suing the pants off of everybody who has profited off a "facsimile" of their "patent".

Do patents have ex post facto clauses written into them or something?

If the book is good, I'm hoping it'll be turned into a movie.

@59, 80

...no, forget it. Sorry, it's the middle of the night and I don't want to write up an argument on why Final Fantasy is good. Besides, I think you guys deserve better than another defense of Final Fantasy argument. While I'm personally not as enthused by the series as I used to be (my first was FFVII and I basically skipped X and XI), Final Fantasy XII is a masterpiece. Except for that crap about the Zodiac Spear... It really pissed me off. Either than that, though, it's my favorite in the series. It's developed by the same team that worked on FFTactics and Vagrant Story, two games that were ironically overshadowed by the Final Fantasy series. Go figure.

As for my previous argument, it is true that Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy will not be able to carry the system alone. I think I mentioned that was only for my case, but I didn't put enough emphasis on it to make it stand out enough. Case in point: no, MGS and FF aren't able to justify a $500/$600 console purchase alone. From my purchasing experience and those of my friends and others I've talked with online, the "killer apps" act as the primary games people initially obtain with the console. But that purchase of the console opens up access to a variety of games they would not have played if the "killer app" did not convince them to purchase the system. It's a "Come for the killer app, stay for the sleeper hit" sort of situation. That's my theory... it isn't perfect, but its getting there.

and the only reason I used MGS and FF was because I didn't have an offhand list of the games being released for the system.

Watch how fast PS3s fly off the shelf when Final Fantasy XIII is released.

Here's a good way to look at the PS3: when you buy the console when it's released, you're buying it on the premise that a lot of good games will be released for it. In this way, buying a console is sort of an investment into future fun time. And when people see former PS3 exclusives going to the XBox 360, that's less incentive. If MGS4 and FFXIII went to the XBox 360, I'd buy it over a PS3. That's the only thing keeping me from buying an XBox 360, in fact. If I can only have one of the two, I'll take the one with MGS and Final Fantasy. Not only because of those games, but also because similar games for the PS3 are sure to follow. But if MGS and Final Fantasy jump ship, I'd go with an XBox 360.

But that's a personal example. Basically what I'm saying is that there is not enough incentive [for most people] to buy a $600 console (as for the $500 model, let's face it: practically no one wants it). When the good games come out that might be a different story, but only because at that point the ends (ie playing the good games) justify the means (buying a $600 console). So the PS3 isn't selling, huh? It makes sense.

I read the headline and thought "Whoa, someone is busted! Bad developers! BOO!" and then I read it happened in China and thought "Tch, whatever." If Microsoft can't stop the Chinese from buying 2 dollar copies of Windows XP, Namco can't enforce intellectual property rights.

If an online service gave me credit for beating the Emerald Weapon in FF7 without the Mime materia or the strongest summon, fetching 120 stars in Super Mario 64, etc., I know I would use it! It's like merit badges; you know you had one up against your friends when you've got proof you cooked a porcupine in the woods!

I honestly feel for the people out there who aren't earning points because they aren't playing every single game out there half-assed. Makes you wish lamers had something better to do, neh?

Everyone here has said what I wanted to say. But one little thing: if I ever get a chance to achieve my goal of becoming a game designer, I want to have an opportunity to work on or lead development on a good installment of the Sonic franchise. I doubt that'd happen, but I certainly would enjoy it (as much enjoyment as can be had in game development).

I knew I should've bought more Wii-Motes and Nunchakus the day I bought my Wii. It was 7:15 AM. I was the only one in the store. TENS of Wii-motes and Nunchakus in the back. And I only asked for one extra of each. The FOOL that I was. Damn >.<

At least it's easier to buy Wii-points and SD cards. Though that's not much consolation.

Nintendo has said it wanted to expand its user-base... I just hope they don't make a fake website and get dude to perform a poorly conceived rap song.