Lurker > Lightning Strikes

I would say use depending on situation.

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Zelda. Yuna. Tifa. Sora maybe, but he did have KH2 as stated (could've been both!)

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HaRRicH posted...
1) If your 2006-example's referring to Sora's success, I'd bet on KH2 playing a much larger boost. If not, I'm unsure what you mean.

2) Games aren't rivalries, but neither are characters. All we really have on them is that Gordon beats Phoenix/Miles one-on-one, HL2 trounces any of their games, and Gordon/Breen did okay as a rivalry in the vote-in. It's not enough info to fairly gauge, but it's the info we have.

The HL/Portal-connection wasn't meant to be a big point, hence the parentheses. This is still probably the biggest presence Valve/Steam ever had here though. Portal 2 leading GotY and Steam's growing popularity (including reaching Mac-systems this year) support that. It probably doesn't mean much for HL2 -- much less for Gordon/Breen -- but it can't hurt considering how many Valve-fans support basically their entire catalog.

1) Now it is I who is unsure what *you* mean! I'm lost!
2) Characters are parts of rivalries, though I will agree to an extent. There's more to rivalries than just the characters involved, but the characters involved are still important. And franky the rivalry aspect undeniably favours Phoenix/Edgeworth. And of course, you forget the other Half-Life character we've seen in a contest, Alyx Vance. Edgeworth may be weak, but Alyx is weak. I think a lot of the people saying Breen may come close to Edgeworth are forgetting how much she sucked. Seriously, Edgeworth did better on Big Boss than she did against Lara Croft. That is not good. Now, you're probably wondering what Alyx has to do with anything. Well, ask yourself. Is there any reason Breen would do better than a character who's in all the marketing, had just had a game release to back her up, and is more readily visible to the casual player? No? That's right. Seriously, if Breen ever got in on his own he may be one of the weakest characters ever. Like, Sandal or Tanner bad. I got a bit off track there, but it's basically Gordon vs. Phoenix, except the ball's in Phoenix's court. Phoenix has an iconic rival who may be weak but screams "RIVAL" just to look at him. Gordon has an old man who's certainly even weaker. Phoenix has a top division placement and a nice 1, Gordon has a slightly embarassing 8. Phoenix has a time advantage. And of course, Phoenix has one of the more beloved rivalries out there. What I'm saying is that there are so many variables that could go in Phoenix's favour. There are many conditions under which Phoenix could win, but only one condition under which Gordon can win, and that's that none of that matters and we really get Phoenix vs. Gordon 2. And even then, it'd be close.

And then, if smart voterFAQs ckicks in and they vote based on rivalries alone... Phoenix/Edgeworth still wins.

Those reasons are why I feel Phoenix/Edgeworth is more likely despite admitting Gordon/Breen is still possible: too many things that could go wrong for Gordon/Breen and right for Phoenix/Edgeworth.

Also, you overestimate these so-called "Valve fans". You do realise that there are many people who love Portal, but just don't care about the rest of Valve's catalogue, right? Especially now that Portal is mostly seen outside the Orange Box (and free) and Portal 2 is entirely its own phenomenon. I just don't think Valve really helps Half-Life by people buying completely different games.

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charmander6000 posted...
Seeding doesn't matter, look at the prediction percentages, we've seen 15 seeds have more brackets than 2 seeds. You're essentially saying that if everyone bracket voted a 12 hour 1/8 match would require every single bracket maker to vote in that time and have Phoenix Wright getting over 60% if the brackets against a character that tends to get decent bracket support.

I'm not going to say that seeding is all important, just that it matters. And 1/8 matches are where it matters most. I can also say with confidence that regardless of the actual outcome, Phoenix/Edgeworth will be an easy (though less so than other 1-seeds) favourite in that match.

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charmander6000 posted...
there's nothing statistically weird about either 2006 Gordon/Phoenix or 2010 Phoenix. Just an interesting estimate.

Zelda/Jecht? Or does Jecht give Tidus a scare indirectly?

Honestly? Yes. Hell, Jecht might give Tidus a scare directly. Remember, this is Tidus. He's already weaker than everybody else from his own game.
HaRRicH posted...
That comparison would be more fair if it accounted for Gordon's boost from the Orange Box in 2007.

I'm not going to say there was no boost, but there's no way of calculating that. It doesn't look promising however given his poor (and unusable thanks to Tifa) performance last year. It's a damn shame we have nothing quantifiable, but *I* certainly didn't notice Gordon turning any heads. I mean, in 2008, he looked a little stronger, but will he really have maintained that? And do we think (and there will inevitably be some lol 4-ways here) he can equal what he did on Tifa last year against Vincent? I doubt it.

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HaRRicH posted...
I see a lot of trust being given to select one-seeds here, especially Wright/Edgeworth. It's worth noting that our board had a big influence on nominations, and you can see that by just looking at the one-seeds; four of the eight had big board-rallies (MMX/Zero, Phoenix/Miles, Red/Blue, Squall/Seifer). It was also with our help that Frog/Magus got a two-seed while Crono/Lavos got a seven-seed. Those rivalries may still be strong, but I don't trust their seeding for a second -- several of them were there largely because of the board, moreso than most contests.

Phoenix/Miles provide a good rivalry to be considered, but I'll be shocked if their strength justifies their seed. Gordon beats Phoenix with ease one-on-one, HL2 wrecks any PW-game, Gordon/Breen did well enough in their vote-in, and Valve has a growing presence on GameFAQs (including the current-GotY which is loosely tied into the HL-universe).

Phoenix/Miles better hold onto their early lead and never let go if they want to win.

There are two key points here.

1. Seeding matters. Look no farther than 2006 for that one. Honestly, if Phoenix was a 1-seed and Gordon was an 8-seed in a 1-on-1 match, I'd probably take Phoenix, at least in a night match (I would otherwise take Gordon, albeit closer than last time).
2. This is the important one: Games are not characters. Sometimes characters are really close to their games (Phoenix) and others are much weaker (Gordon). And even moreso, Portal is not Half-Life. The connection between Portal and Gordon is incredibly tenuous. Yes, the games take place in the Half-Life universe. But I'll be honest, who really lets that decide their opinion of either. Hell, if you had only a passing familiarity with Half-Life you could play both Portal games and not realise it was part of the same universe, on account of the fact that the connections are nothing more than easter eggs. Yes, the games are made by the same company and take place in the same universe, but they are also completely separate entities. Actually they're so different, I highly doubt Portal 2's popularity on the site has caused a surge in Half-Life fans, let alone Gordon fans.

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So since people brought up lol xstats regarding Phoenix Gordon, it is worth noting that 2010 Phoenix is projected to get 49% on 2006 Gordon. Now, that's obviously not going to be a figure to take as the gospel, but I think the difference is significant enough to say that Phoenix has gotten a fair bit stronger, and there's nothing statistically weird about either 2006 Gordon/Phoenix or 2010 Phoenix. Just an interesting estimate.

Anyway, I would like to see Mario/Sonic in the bonus match. Maybe not if Mario/Bowser manages to win (unlikely but not impossible). Or maybe that would make it better?

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charmander6000 posted...
Gordon isn't even that much stronger than Phoenix to begin with. It was 58-42 5 years ago. Since then, Phoenix has had more games in his main series, has become more recognized, has two upcoming games and an upcoming reveal trailer for UMVC3. Gordon has had nothing. Half-Life 3 is vaporware.

2006 was when the whole OBJECTION meme was at its highest (also the website linked to GameFAQs though I doubt it made a huge difference) and before The Orange Box which Freeman got a decent boost from as well.

But it was also immediately after Episode 1, and before the Ace Attorney series really got popular, all memes aside. Also, Court Records rallying. I don't know if they still do, but they were pretty big from 2007 on, wouldn't have beaten Bomberman without them, and none of that for 2006.

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Well, maybe.

Hard to say which way the voters will go, most likely a bit of both.

But then, there isn't much to Alucard vs. Dracula either, so I would say that if you looked at it as rivalries only, Shepard vs. Saren would still win.

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Deserves every one tbh.

There are ways of getting the same interaction and character development across without making me embarassed to sit through it, not to mention the pain on my ears...

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Nope. It was an attempt at being awkward that wound up TOO awkward.

But this is still better than the other topic, which I refuse to post in.

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From: TheKoolAidShoto | #056
Oh goody, the Lightning Strikes predictions, always one of my favorite things about contest season

I have no idea why people say stuff like this when I'm usually right.

I know that sounds arrogant, but it's true.

In 2007 "hey I think Phoenix will beat Bomberman" "LOLOLOLOL LIGHTNING STRIKES"
In 2008 "I'd watch out for Kirby this year" "LOLOLOLOL LIGHTNING STRIKES"
Last year "I think Samus will come close to Cloud, would pull the upset in a day match" "LOLOLOLOL LIGHTNING STRIKES"
And my favourite "After the first two rounds, I don't think GSC has a chance at MM, myself" "LOLOLOLOL LIGHTNING STRIKES"

Of course there are many other examples. I'm not going to say I don't make mistakes, but the only really big mess-ups I've made are Zelos in 2007 (my greatest failure) and to a much lesser extent thinking NMH wouldn't get destroyed by Okami (in fairness, there was no evidence that Okami would win by that much). I can name some pretty outlandish predictions other people have made, and you don't see them getting loads of flak for it. What makes thing worse is that other than the two examples above, when I do get something wrong it's always be a narrow margin. I don't just make crazy outlandish claims, and I've had a lot of the ones people laughed off turn out to be right.

And hell, my contest record's pretty decent. Not amazing or anything, but I usually wind up with a pretty high score, and may well have won the 2008 guru if not for blatant Crono related cheating (depending on Snake) thanks to my man Kirby.

So, uh, want to explain why I get the attitude?

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From: FateStayAlbion | #004
PW got like 42% on Gordon back when PW games were relevant

Wrong.

New=/=relevant. The first Phoenix Wright match was back before the first game really took off commercially (in fact, the year after the game's sales increased several times in the US) and before the release of the rest of the series. Since then he's had an entire series of popular, well-received games, the latest of which coming out just last year. To top it off, Phoenix has quite a lot of UMvC3 hype. Gordon, on the other hand, was just coming off of Episode 1 during his match with Phoenix, and has had no games at all since 2007. Gordon's the one who's no longer relevant, and if anything Phoenix would be expected to do better now. Gordon's the only one likely to have weakened, Phoenix may well have gotten stronger.

Of course, there are other factors why Phoenix vs. Edgeworth will win, perhaps most notably that this is a competition of rivalries and voters aren't stupid. But your logic is completely backwards: Gordon isn't relevant, Phoenix still is.

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From: VincentLauw | #310
In an older Zelda where you had three hearts instead of six

still not seeing it

Do the math. 6/2=3. 3/2=1.5, so enemies would be hitting the equivalent of a heart and a half if they were in an older game. Also, it means a first dungeon miniboss that can kill you in two hits. Name me another Zelda with one of those.

Also, about the increased hearts count. Wasn't that just for the demos?

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The reason you get RPGs with breakable items and repair mechanics is to encourage smarter play, rather than just find one cheap weapon technique and stick with that. At least when done right. In this particular case, I think its to encourage either customising the shield, or using other tactics than just endless blocking. We'll see.

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From: VincentLauw | #210
If anything, there's more customization than there ever was in games. Just because you can name a few examples where there isn't (one being an FPS shooter that relies heavily on atmosphere), doesn't mean most games don't have it.

and since when was there 'outrage' about Mass Effect 2? I thought that game was usually perceived as a lot better than the first installment. I haven't played it yet, so I can't say if that's my opinion. Loved the first.

There really isn't though, and series which did have customisation are losing it. There's a greater emphasis this gen than ever on "cinematic" gaming, which in the eyes of less competent developers (i.e. most of them) means "make a film with gameplay parts". Fortunately, I think this habit is phasing out now, but many, many games this gen have been lacking in customisation. And sometimes, you get games like God of War or Final Fantasy XIII which ostensibly have customisation, but it doesn't really make much of a difference at all.

Edit: also, shooters can have customisation, they don't need to be well, films.

And about Mass Effect 2... What the others said. Everybody loved the rest of the game, but that change in particular was universally reviled. Some might say it's what led to Dragon Age 2 being so hated (well, one of the things). See, lack of customisation is an issue these days.

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From: transcience | #158
the cynical side of me is thinking "wow, Zelda finally decided to get with the times." literally every other action/adventure game is doing something like this. congratulations on joining this century, Zelda. maybe next time you'll have difficulty settings or a skip cutscene button.

This is what transcience actually believes.

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From: VincentLauw | #106
I'm baffled at the hyped response this aspect of the game gets

there's lots of stuff to praise (see: orchestral music, the atmosphere, the great looking graphics, ...) but the fact that people in 2011 still think it's amazing to have a 'customizable' Link is pretty laughable. I hate to be one of those guys, but just because your sword will be slightly different from some other dude's sword doesn't make the game more appealing to me. Maybe 10 years ago.

Not to say this isn't a great addition, don't get me wrong! It's nifty, it's just not something spectacular and that article makes it sound like it is.

Dude.

People like customisation, even in this day and age. This doesn't just apply to Zelda. Hell, the game is beloved but look at the sheer outrage Mass Effect 2 got for taking RPG elements out, and the praise 3 got for putting them back in. Customisation is not ubiquitous. Hell, a lot of RPGs are moving away from it. So when a game takes a step in the opposite direction, people are going to be happy. If anything this is especially true in the current age of CoD and FFXIII where games are becoming less and less distinguishable from films.

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Snake looked pretty silly.

But that's still the best gaming ad (hell, maybe ads in general) I've seen all year.

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Most hero/main villain combos can be interpreted as rivals.

Not this one, on account of the villain not even being sentient.

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A lot of people say The Simpsons has gone on too long, and while it has been good lately, it has to end some time. But not like this.

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Came in to say Fire Emblem, but was beaten to the punch. Kind of odd that considering how much that series loves its evil priests, the church is always on your side.

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Time to learn how to make Let's Play videos then.

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Lightning and Snow could be seen as rivals early in the game. Didn't last, but there was indeed a rivalry there-one of competing ideologies.

Also, there are three options on this poll which could be argued to be basically Nintendo (including Banjo/Gruntilda), one of which actually is Nintendo.

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Vlado posted...
Yeah, sure, it's got nothing to do with XIII being a sub-par entry in the series. Keep telling yourself that, man.

As sub-par as FFXIII was... that's right, really. The game isn't exactly hated on the site, it should at least be popular enough that it isn't getting killed in the poll. I think that just shows that these results are independent of game strength.

Hell, Banjo-Kazooie is going toe-to-toe with Final Fantasy X. People care about rivalries!

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I think it's more indicative of the fact that nobody cares about that rivalry. Largely because there's no rivalry there, why were people even nominating it? Yes Lightning is the main heroine of sorts and Barthandelus is definitely the main villain, but there's no relationship between the two. Hell, Barthandelus was more antagonistic to other characters than Lightning, though that isn't saying very much at all.

It losing makes me hopeful that this contest might be about actual rivalries rather than just good guy/bad guy tag teams.

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BerkeIium posted...
The best example that comes to mind is Final Fantasy XIII.

Critics give it solid scores and call it a great game. The fans spend the rest of the year whining about linearity or whatever and calling it a huge disappointment. Cue the critics trying to preserve their reputations at their annual award doohickeys by calling it one of the most disappointing games of the year and making it sound like they hated it.

Not universally good. A lot of critics panned it, though it averaged to good scores. And even at the time critics were calling it disappointing relative to the series.

This brings up another problem of critics only working on the scale of 7-10 a lot of the time. Fortunately, this is becoming less and less pronounced with the increasing popularity of publications like EDGE, Destructoid, etc.

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Except in the case of Twilight Princess, it really is a minority issue. If you look at this very site, with the MyGames scores and its contest performances, it's clearly considered one of the best games in the series. Likewise, with MGS4, a game I despise, its haters are in the minority. Of course in both these cases the hype since their release has died down somewhat, but I don't think the majority will say they aren't great games.

Of course, the minorities in both cases still exist and are large enough to make their voices heard. What we need to do is not think of fanbases as one entity with a collective opinion, but a group of people with differing opinions. You might ask why these people are rarely seen in gamerankings scores. The reason is simple: sample size. There are tens of thousands of people, maybe even hundreds of thousands, discussing these games on the internet. But only a few dozen reviewing them professionally. Minority opinions are more likely to be found as you increase the number of people giving them, and gamerankings gives you a comparatively tiny sample. The majority opinion is naturally going to be more pronounced.

I will concede a real case of disconnect in the case of GTA4, however. One of the highest reviewed games of all time, but scores comparatively very lowly on user aggregate sites. There are theories as to why, from reviewers focusing on technical merit to outright bribery.

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Liquid Wind posted...
Also, Wii Fit is a good fitness game

literally defending wii fit.

Saying Wii Fit is a bad game is kind of like going into a gym and saying a treadmill is a bad game.

a treadmill is a less than optimal piece of equipment actually and even worse could be said of wii fit. DDR type games are much better than wii fit both in terms of how much fun they are and the actual exercise involved, but either way you'd be better off *GASP* going outside for a while.

TWEWY is a top 5 DS game probably

and operation shadow is the best game on the n-gage

-Yes. I fail to see the problem. It's not like I called it a hardcore experience or something that's for everyone. It is what it is, and does a good job of it. Why do you hate it so much?
-DDR and related games are not designed for a balanced workout, and while exercise is involved, it's not great for fitness. Actual fitness games are made with the intent of a balanced workout, and are much better for you if that's what you're after. And frankly, I fail to see what's so bad about attempting to provide a fun alternative workout. You could get exercise other ways, but how does that devalue this one?
-Most people would agree that the DS has a fantastic library, while the n-gage does not. "Top 5 DS game" is high praise. Incidentally, poor as its library was, Operation Shadow is not the best n-gage game.

Speaking of which, I don't think you've played Wii Fit or Operation Shadow.

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Liquid Wind posted...
never backpedaled, TWEWY is a terrible game and b8 should be embarrassed that it is held in such high regard here. I've literally seen people defend wii fit on this board but you guys have the audacity to say that FPS is a bad genre and should die? -_-

Bolded the key word. That's where you're wrong. TWEWY is held in very high regard pretty much everywhere. It got rave reviews, most people would agree that it's one of the best DS games (and there's some pretty stiff competition) and the best thing Square have done in a long, long time. It's not a Board 8 thing. You're part of a vast minority. And you know, it's okay to have a minority opinion. It's not okay to act all high and mighty about it, like evryone else is somehow "wrong". But then, Liquid Wind.

Also, Wii Fit is a good fitness game. It's certainly not for us, but it's also not supposed to be. Saying Wii Fit is a bad game is kind of like going into a gym and saying a treadmill is a bad game. Fitness games have a right to exist. I mean, why shouldn't they? They exist to providea fun fitness regime for those that want it and can do a pretty good job. They shouldn't take over gaming, but that's true of any genre. Diversity is a good thing.

And you know, FPS games like CoD have it the same way. Not really my thing (I really like a lot of FPS games, but not really that type) but I won't begrudge them for existing. It is pretty annoying when games that really shouldn't start trying to imitate them though.

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...It removes one tenth of DBZ's sales?

On a serious note (not that people's inability to use decimate correctly isn't serious) One Piece's popularity is pretty much entirely dependent on Japan. Its manga sales are so huge because it dominates in Japan, but nowhere else, and Japan's manga sales are many times that of other countries. If we go by raw sales, then One Piece is more popular than Dragonball.

But it massively lacks the cultural impact, especially on a worldwide scale. One Piece is comparatively non-existant outside of Japan, while Dragonball actually wound up more popular elsewhere (though not represented in manga sales because lol-non Japanese manga sales). It's possible One Piece might be more fondly remembered in Japan (though I doubt that too, in spite of commercial success) than Dragonball, but as far as the whole world is concerned, One Piece is nothing compared Dragonball.

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Katherine Catherine
Samus Aran Ridley
Phoenix Wright Miles Edgeworth
Pokemon Trainer Red Pokemon Trainer Blue
Mario Sonic the Hedgehog
Travis Touchdown Henry
Ike Black Knight
Mega Man X Zero
Fox McCloud Wolf O'Donnell
Isaac Felix
Frog Magus
Commander Shepard Saren Arterius
Leon Kennedy Jack Krauser
Skier Yeti
Disease Madagascar

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Tranny

You do realise that Zelda games actually have plots right. This isn't Mario. Actually in the great scale of plot heaviness in gaming, Zelda's around the middle.

Speaking of which, I like those plot andgameplay details.

*kind of spoilers*

The implication that Zelda's dad may be that damn owl is hilarious to me. I didn't see that one coming.

*end kind of spoilers*

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Take back what I said about not working as well as an overarching season with the last episode. The way that handled The Doctor's character development was brilliant, and it really worked in the context of the rest of the season and the overarching themes. And of course, the last five minutes of arc stuff worked brilliant.

Not amazing as a standalone story, but I really, really liked the episode in the context of the season.

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Tali is a good choice for the vents, unless she isn't loyal or you messed up in the gameplay section.

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SemiFinal vs Belarus posted...
Ehh? I thought the finale was next week?

And yeah, this season has been, by and large, pretty bad. Gaiman's episode was one of the absolute best since the revival, and I really liked the first two episodes, but the rest mostly range from ehhh to ugh.

It is next week. GANON got it wrong.

Anyway, on an episode by episode basis, I feel that this series is certainly the best. The quaality of each individual episode has been mostly very high, with only the pirate episode being kinda iffy. However, I agree with GANON that put together, it just doesn't feel as cohesive as other seasons.

Still good though, if you watch it with episodic entertainment in mind.

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Even glitches cannot truly be called objectively bad. Wrong, perhaps, if they were unintentional, but some people will tell you that glitches improve the game.

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Liquid Wind posted...
brawl is objectively a bad game.

"This game is objectively a subjective statement"

MAKES SENSE TO ME

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Liquid Wind posted...
brawl is considered an "awesome game" by nintendo fans

pretty much tells you everything you need to know about how doggedly loyal they are, it really doesn't matter how ridiculous nintendo gets, they'll always buy into it.

Or opinions.

People like things you don't.

deal with it.

Nintendo, by the way. On account of them actually still existing.

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I get lots of free stuff from Nintendo. More than other companies. That's a pretty good way to win consumer affection, especially when it's not necessary, it's just an offering to the consumer. Also known as good consumer relations. And of course Nintendo are pretty good at opening a dialogue with the fans and responding accordingly. They've set up a ton of ways to get feedback from fans to advise future decisions. That's a good practise. Without Nintendo paying attention to the fans, a lot of more recent games, particularly their less mainstream offerings, wouldn't even exist. And hell, Nintendo of Europe localise risk-taking games based purely on fan-demand.

Few companies put as much effort into communicating with the consumers as Nintendo do. Nothing to laugh about.

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neonreaper posted...
Nintendo

Oh dear what at all the Capcom votes. I'm not much of a hater of anything, but they really seem to be trying to earn my ire lately. MML3 (especially the news about Inafune offering to stay on to do it), AAI2, Mercenaries 3D, RE4HD, UMvC3... Basically, screwing consumers over to cut costs. Which never works in the log term.

uhhh

The two do not even compare. I'm not going to say Nintendo are perfect, but recent Capcom borders on moustache twirling villainy in that regard.

Hell, for a counter point, Nintendo certainly didn't need to give 3DS owners 20 free games, but they still did, despite short term costs. Of course when you get down to it, consumer satisfation is a way of acheiving greater long term benefits, but that's a win/win situation. Capcom on the other hand seem to exist only to reap the short term benefits, without thinking about how their actions may effect them in the longer term. It's not just hurting consumers, it's self-destructive. Trying to stop used game sales with Mercenaries 3D will only devalue new copies. Not localising AAI2 will reduce the chances of success of future AA games, hurting a profitable series. RE4HD being a lazy port will only lead to lower sales because superior versions are available on other systems for cheaper. UMvC3 will only lead people to not buy their next fighting game, instead waiting for the ultimate version a matter of months later (and if this were years, it would be okay, but it's not). And of course, all of these, and especially the announcement and cancellation of MML3 (followed by the cheek to blame it on fans who were nothing but supportive) will annoy the consumer, making them less likely to buy future Capcom games.

Nintendo on the other hand are actually pretty good at the whole consumer relations thing. They admitted they messed up with the 3DS price drop thing, and to placate the customers they gave away a very considerable value's worth of free games at some cost to themselves. This obviously has long term benefits, and helps the consumers out as well. And Nintendo do that a lot, always being generous with free software and gifts. It's all a big marketing scheme, of course, but one that the consumers benefit from as well. The only thing Nintendo really dropped the ball on in regards to customer relations was the Operation Rainfall fiasco, and that at least was only one branch of the company making itself look bad (while another came out looking better than it did before).

The key to successful business is pretending to care. But Capcom have made it clear that they don't give a damn.

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Nintendo

Oh dear what at all the Capcom votes. I'm not much of a hater of anything, but they really seem to be trying to earn my ire lately. MML3 (especially the news about Inafune offering to stay on to do it), AAI2, Mercenaries 3D, RE4HD, UMvC3... Basically, screwing consumers over to cut costs. Which never works in the log term.

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Looks like more empty, mindess flashiness. So FFXIII again then.

And at least on paper, that game had a really good plot, it just translated to the actual product horribly. This just looks like a poor story from the get-go, and the unfitting music doesn't help.

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Nintendo

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Man, they're all terrible characters. I guess Dagger was okayyy, and Celes is great, but doesn't really fit the criteria (she's more of a main character than HER love interest). I won't rank them, because that would imply that I like any of them.

Man, so many great FF characters, and not one of them a love interest. I wonder what that implies.

...Unless we include non-main love interests. Rydia and Celes are awesome.

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Came in to post Deus Ex, but was beaten to the punch.

This'll have to do:



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What

No, seriously

What

I can normally see perfectly rational reasons for companies to do things which may make some people unhappy. Sometimes, a solution isn't ideal, but it's necessary. However, this has no motivation beyond selfishness. How the hell this is legal in the US I don't know.

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The game will do fine in terms of numbers, ut I won't be surprised if it's the lowest selling CoD since 3 (which still means millions, but not the crazy numbers of the others). Since Activision spend hundreds of millions on marketing alone, this could be a major loss for the company. Not surprising considering what they do to... all their properties.

By the way, the good CoD games are 1, 2, and 4. So the Infinity Ward games that aren't MW2. And Infinity Ward isn't really around any more so...

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