Now that a console system has a touch screen and can play FPS games just as well as a PC, I've played Halo, the best [FPS game], and the controls just don't seem like they will ever be as comfortable and intuitive as a mouse and keyboard, whereas the DS's touch screen needs only to allow for customized sensitivity, and it will be just as good (for simpler games that don't require lots of keyboard functionality) for FPSes as the K&M combo. Why is there only the one FPS on it?
For that matter, when you really consider the extremely obvious uses for the touch screen, why isn't anyone taking advantage of them?
The three most obvious places it can kick any other console's butt--I mean, even the normal ones--are in:
1) FPSes (already stated)
2) RTSes, and really deep turn-based strategies. One of your previous answers to someone mentioned that consoles were trying to get RTS games to work well on consoles. Well, here they go...the very best possible platform for them! You can also run strategy games that have more options and require more control than a console could give (without becoming far too clumsy to be fun), such as wargames.
3) Simulations. The touch screen (emphasis on screen) allows the creation of visual and responsive simulation controls in a way that even the PC just can't do quite as well with the mouse and keyboard, which, in the case of not being able to reach up and just play with the controls on the screen--even if you can use them just as efficiently--just isn't quite as cool as what the DS cando. [Furthermore, it] allows for games that are previously unprecedented.
I'm a longtime PC gamer. I love games on consoles. (The GameCube is my favorite right now because of games like Eternal Darkness and Metroid Prime, which never loses sight of being an adventure over an FPS game.) And it's obvious to anyone with two eyes and a reasonable IQ that the DS offers something that is not just unique but truly competitive!
Do you know what I would give to play X-COM: UFO Defense on that little bad boy? I mean, that alone should have anyone with sense drooling at the extremely obvious possibilities.
So why isn't anyone taking advantage of this?
David Scott
Houston, Texas
Hey, when you're right David, you're right. The DS is a unique system for a number of reasons. But I'll admit I hadn't given much thought to taking these sorts of sacred PC genres and putting them on the system. You are wrong in saying that nobody's doing them, though the current selection of stuff in development is scarce at best. There's GoldenEye: Rogue Agent and Metroid Prime: Hunters on the FPS side (though Hunters isn't really a traditional FPS in any way). And in terms of strategy games, there is a DS version of 2001's Europa Universalis II in the works (though the likelihood of it making it to the North American market is sketchy at best). And let's not forget the always lovable Advance Wars franchise, which is due to hit the system in October. Granted, it may not be the "deep" strategy game you're looking for, but you've gotta love Advance Wars.
Anyhow, I don't have a whole lot to say on the matter beyond this, as I don't really know why more developers haven't jumped on the notion of turning PC-centric genres into DS titles. Maybe they don't think they'll sell, or maybe Nintendo just isn't interested in going in that direction. Regardless, I think you've got a hell of a point, which is why you're this week's Revelation of the Week. Congratulations. You win a kewpie doll! -- A.N.
¡Saludos! And welcome to a post-Cinco de Mayo edition of Burning Questions. I'm that annoying guy who eats all the flour tortillas before anyone can make their fajitas: Alex Navarro. With the shadow of E3 looming ever larger over our quaint San Francisco office, we've had to keep our May 5th celebrations a bit more low-key this year. As a result, it was nuthin' but a small jar of Pace picante sauce, a bag of Fritos, and a couple of Boddingtons to keep me occupied. What's that? Why no Coronas? Because Coronas are for sorority chicks, people who've lost their senses of taste, and Jeff Gerstmann. Anyway... As I finish up the rest of my day-old chips and salsa, let's answer some questions, like: why Microsoft hasn't gone portable, the status of the N-Gage, and why developers haven't gone PC with the DS. You'll get all that and a piñata full of sarcasm, right here on Burning Questions. ¡Arriba!
The Power of X... In Your Hand?!?
It SOUNDS like the no-brainer of all no-brainers. Right? A portable Xbox. After all, the DS and PSP are so very powerful, surely Microsoft could magic up a way to fit an Xbox into a handheld...and now seems like the time to release it. With the DS and the PSP already out, Microsoft would be a little behind. But better late than never.
But all the Googling I've done says one thing: There is no portable Xbox, and there won't be one for an interminable time. Why not? Any light to shed on the subject? How long until I can play Halo in the car?
Michael Bennett
South Carolina
Put simply, Microsoft doesn't seem much interested in the handheld market right now. It appears perfectly content to let Sony and Nintendo duke it out, while focusing its attention solely on the console market. I can't say I blame MS, personally. With the DS and PSP battling it out right now, it would be tough to just throw in another device and make it something anyone would care about. Halo on a handheld sounds great and everything, but would you buy a handheld device just for that?
By the way, you're my favorite Minnesota Vikings running back. -- A.N.
I Like My Puzzle Games Pretty
How important are graphics and sound in puzzle games? I own both a DS and PSP. I'm a big fan of puzzle games, and hence, naturally, I have Mercury and Lumines for the PSP and Pac-Pix and Polarium for the DS. In my humble opinion: In terms of gameplay, all of these titles rank about the same. But these PSP titles have slightly better graphics and sound than these DS titles.
I'm curious to know if it's because of graphics and sound that Gamespot gave these two PSP titles above 7.0 in rating, while these two DS titles got below 7.0? Or was there something else to it?
Joe
New York, New York
In terms of your main question--namely, whether or not less impressive graphics and sound hurt the overall scores of games like Pac-Pix and Polarium--the answer is yes. But as an addendum, that's hardly the only reason either game scored lower than Mercury and Lumines. While it certainly didn't help that neither Pac-Pix nor Polarium had a whole lot going on aesthetically, neither game had nearly as much going on, gameplay-wise, as either of those two PSP puzzlers, either (especially Lumines). If you read the reviews for each game, I think you'll see what I mean.
As to the broader question of how important graphics and sound are in puzzle games, I'd say quite important, though not as important as, say, in a first-person shooter or an adventure game. Apart from the fact that it plays amazingly, Lumines is one of the most aesthetically-pleasing-to-look-at games I've seen in a while. It isn't pushing a billion pixels or anything, but it does so much with what it has. Same goes for sound. It's all about how these games present themselves as far as these categories go. Gameplay will always be the ultimate factor in a puzzle game's success or failure, but presentation goes a long way. -- A.N.
Big-Ass Robots and Even Bigger-Ass Controllers
Hey! What's up, G? I was one of the few people that invested in Capcom's $200 Steel Battalion, which came out a few years back. I liked the game but was disappointed by its short length. So, I picked up the online version, which is now, unfortunately, a buggy mess that has yet to be patched. I heard rumors going around that another Steel Battalion game was in the works for either the Xbox or the Xbox 360. However, it has been over a year now, and I am about to give up hope. Has Capcom abandoned their loyal followers, or is there a chance of us seeing another game that will put the $200 controller to use?
J.D. Hess
New York
What's up, G? Good lord. Look. I love bad hip-hop slang as much as the next person. But let's not bring it in to the workplace. OK?
Now then... As for a potential Steel Battalion sequel, I seriously doubt it. Given the ridiculous price tag of the original, coupled with the fact that neither the original game nor the online add-on sold anything in North America, I'd say Capcom would actually be downright foolish to make another one of those things.
I can't believe you actually spent $200 on that thing. As neat of an idea as it sounded, that thing was so dumb. Watching Jeff play the game with that kooky-ass controller had me in hysterics. Jeez, talk about your failed innovations. -- A.N.
Alternative Methods
Hello, Alex. In your Burning Questions for April 29, 2005, someone asked about a wireless adapter for his Xbox.
What you didn't mention was that there was a simple alternative that isn't wireless: using a simple adapter to send the Internet through his powerline(s).
It's called an Instant Etherfast 10/100 Powerline Bridge.
This method is good if you're just routing your Xbox because it's not wireless. But if you're planning on routing things other than your Xbox, wireless may be the best option.
Thomas Rega
Marietta, Georgia (aka "MayRetta," according to some of our in-house Georgians)
Fair enough, though I ran this by our man James Yu, and he noted that in the past, powerline networking featured horrific latency issues. Maybe time and technology have caught up to the point where this isn't so much an issue anymore, but it's something worth looking into before you make that jump. -- A.N.
Another N-Gage?!?
We all know that the N-Gage flopped. But that did not stop Nokia from releasing their N-Gage QD. And since there is still a small bit of support left, does it seem likely that--since Nokia just doesn't quit---they will release a new handheld to compete with the PSP and DS?
Spencer Guy
Hudsonville, Michigan
The N-Gage flopped. What an eloquent way to put it. Anyway... As far as another N-Gage system goes, my guess is no, at least not any time in the near future. There have been some rumblings about a new Nokia handheld for a while now, but we haven't heard anything definitive, and Nokia hasn't announced anything regarding such a device for E3. That's not to say that there won't ever be one, but the current outlook is doubtful. -- A.N.
What?! Are You New at This?
I heard that the PlayStation 3 will be unveiled at E3--and some people actually think a few days before--but it will be released in summer of 06. What exactly are they doing between the time from E3 to the release? Is the PlayStation 3 we will see at E3 an unfinished product?
Josh Lee
Ohio
Uh, well, of course this isn't the finished product. Every time there's a hardware launch of any kind, companies always "unveil" the product well ahead of time, even if it isn't the final, polished-up piece of hardware. Most likely, what Sony shows won't be anything playable. But rather, it will be a presentational look at the final design for the system, and some tech demos will show what the system is capable of. That's just how they do things in this crazy industry of ours. -- A.N.
Dare to Dream, Filipe
Hi, Alex. Way back in the day, when the DS was first announced, I distinctly remember seeing footage of Chrono Trigger running on the two screens. Are there any indications to when and if it's going to be released? Or am I just mad and saw nothing but what my head craves.
Filipe Araujo
São Paulo, Brazil
You saw the Devil's lies is what you saw. Square has announced nothing even vaguely resembling Chrono Trigger for the DS. You're relegated to pure, wishful thinking at this point. -- A.N.
Corporate Gaming Still Sucks
It seems GameSpot keeps adding new categories of content for gamers. One addition I think would be good is to add a section for indie games. The indie game scene is quite active. But most importantly, I think this would be good because many people wish they could make a game, but they don't realize that they already have the power to do so! Popular programs such as Macromedia's Flash, Blitz3D, and Multimedia Fusion allow gamers to easily get into game development without having to learn a really complex language, such as C++, to make a game. I realize that there are already Web sites devoted to such things, but I think it would be cool if GameSpot started covering the indie game scene. What do you think?
Shawn Seuferer
Lincoln, Nebraska
I'll let Bob Colayco handle this one, on account of I'm lazy. Bob?
"Indie games are definitely on our radar screen. Two years ago, we had an extensive feature on the Independent Games Festival. A few of those games, including Savage, Gish, and Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates, ended up becoming full-fledged retail products. Some of the finalists, like Dungeon Scroll, actually became staff addictions. As a matter of fact, we still can't get Brad to stop yapping about that one. For this year's IGF, GameSpot actually offered readers the chance to be a part of the process by voting on the finalists. We're definitely considering more ways to spotlight and promote the indie gaming scene. We're not sure whether it's through an entirely new subsection or periodic features on the scene, but we'll think of something...probably after we slug down microbrewed beers and eat organically grown food while watching indie films shot on Hi8 cams that won stuff at Sundance. You damn hippie." -- B.C.
There's nothing wrong with microbrew, Bob! I drink that stuff, and I ain't no patchouli-stinkin' hippie! -- A.N.
And that about tears it for this week. Come back next week for our überexciting pre-E3 edition of Burning Questions. I'm not going to have the time or the sanity to write this column during the week of the show, so next week's your last chance to get all your E3 queries out of the way. Complete members, don't delay! Basic members, ask your parents, or something. Once again, I've been Alex Navarro, and if I were a Transformer, I'd be Starscream.
Burning Questions Archive
This weeks mailbag contains questions about assorted small details of the Wii's launch, the reality of Twilight Princess' GameCube debut, wireless Guitar Hero controllers, and Japanese 360 games are on hand, as well as a bunch of other stuff.
Burning Questions: September 15, 2006
Andrew Park covers for Alex this week to discuss the WiiConsole24, Windows Vista and DirectX 10, suicidal game characters...and at least one or two more things.
Burning Questions: September 8, 2006
In this edition of Burning Questions, Alex tackles the European PS3 launch delay, sports games for the Nintendo Wii, the continuing controversy over game preorders, and much, much more.
Burning Questions: September 1, 2006
In this week's mailbag, people want to know about the viability and morality of Microsoft's XNA tools, the Wii launch lineup, missing in action PlayStation Portable titles, and what, precisely, is up with Madden this year. Oh, and once again, people want to nitpick my answers from previous weeks. Fine, be that way.
Burning Questions: August 11, 2006
Alex Navarro tears up this mailbag and I, Carrie Gouskos, edit it for the last time. Get your last glimpse of the censored Alex because he's going to tear it up from now on!
Burning Questions: July 28, 2006
The rising cost of gaming is just one of the many fantastic topics we'll be covering in this week's bag. Also included are some points about Blu-ray, various Blizzard franchises, Animal Crossing movies, and some dude who thinks James Yu is an elitist jerk. Maybe he is, and maybe he isn't! You won't know unless you read on!
Burning Questions: July 21, 2006
Kind of a shorty but a goodie this week. Between hittin' them skins on the 100th episode of On the Spot and a whole mess of other silly things, my time was cut a touch short this week. But we've still got nine gems from the likes of you, the reader. People asking about Wii technology capabilities, Intel sabotaging PC gaming, and horrible nightmares involving Halo movie rumors--we've got all this and more in this week's bag.
Burning Questions: July 14, 2006
Holy trucker's tan, everyone! Alex Navarro has returned from the desert wasteland of the Southwestern United States to once again take the reins of Burning Questions!
Burning Questions: July 7, 2006
Is it Burning Questions time again already? Didn't I just write this thing? Hello out there! I'm Carrie Gouskos, GameSpot's features editor, and I'm also the only person willing to pick up after Alex while he's out of town.
Burning Questions: June 30, 2006
Carrie Gouskos spearheads this edition of Burning Questions, talking about the possibility of a female lead character in the next GTA and Xbox 360 backwards compatability along with a host of other questions from the mailbag.
Burning Questions: June 23, 2006
Welcome to the mailbag everyone. I'm GameSpot's answer to Clark Griswold, Alex Navarro.
Burning Questions: June 16, 2006
Put down your petitions and stop calling your congressmen for a little bit, on account of it being time for another edition of GameSpot's mailbag, Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: June 9, 2006
Put down your petitions and stop calling your congressmen for a little bit, on account of it being time for another edition of GameSpot's mailbag, Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: June 2, 2006
Alex tears through the mailbag and helps one reader name his baby in this week's edition of Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: May 26, 2006
This is the time of year when the industry slows to a crawl, and almost nothing happens for like four months. For an adrenaline junkie like me, it's the most atrocious time of the year. Thank god I've got Burning Questions to keep me busy, otherwise I'd probably go nuts.
Burning Questions: May 19, 2006
Holy hell in a handbasket, E3 is over, we're back at work, and Burning Questions has returned to the weekly rotation. Welcome back to the mailbag, everyone.
Burning Questions: April 21, 2006
Welcome to the last edition of Burning Questions...before E3 2006.
Burning Questions: April 14, 2006
Welcome to one of the last editions of Burning Questions that I'm going to be able to churn out before we start hunkering down for E3. I'm GameSpot's number one booth babe, Alex Navarro.
Burning Questions: April 7, 2006
This week's mailbag features an exceedingly long-winded Revelation of the Week, as well as an even-more long-winded answer by me. Oh, and there's some other stuff about strategy games, Windows 2000, your mom, and whatever. Yay.
Burning Questions: April 1, 2006
From here on out, Burning Questions belongs to the GameSpot staff, and the GameSpot staff alone! Come hell or high water, we're going to inject some intellectualism into this mailbag, hot dammit!
Burning Questions: March 24, 2006
This week's mailbag is a shorty but a goodie. We (as in me, the royal we) will get you up to speed on the perils of bringing games to Europe, the feasibility of Blu-ray's success, monthly fees in MMOG's, and the whereabouts of obscure franchises that only one guy still cares about, apparently. Have at it.
Burning Questions: March 17, 2006
Hey fans of things that are burning and things that are questions!
Burning Questions: March 10, 2006
Welcome to corporate America's number one gaming mailbag, everyone. I'm the guy holding the cardboard sign that says "Will make snarky remarks that the 20-something demographics will find amusing for money."
Burning Questions: March 3, 2006
Welcome to Burning Questions
Burning Questions: February 24, 2006
Welcome to Burning Questions, where GameSpot won't answer your questions about Halo 3 or the 360-versus-PS3 argument.
Burning Questions: February 17, 2006
This week's topics range from the dangers of downloadable content, online multiplayer, and the digital-distribution model. You will enjoy reading these things. Or else.
Burning Questions: February 10, 2006
This week's topics range from the inconsistency of release dates to how truck drivers can get their online gaming on.
Burning Questions: February 3, 2006
Oh my stars and garters, it's another edition of your favorite gaming mailbag, Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: January 27, 2006
This week's mailbag is jam-packed with opinions--some valid and some worthless. Want to know about guitar heroism, video game antiheroism, Xbox Live gambling, and the clueless masses? Answers lie within.
Burning Questions: January 20, 2006
In this week's mailbag, a few people seem real interested in seemingly inconsequential matters as the PlayStation 3, Halo 3, and the sustainability of the MMO genre at large. To each their own, I suppose. Thankfully we have a question about mobile gaming to make this week's column seem at least marginally relevant and important.
Burning Questions: January 13, 2006
Happy 2006, and welcome to the distant future, everyone. I'm Dick Clark's illegitimate love child, Alex Navarro. It's the first mailbag of '06, and already it's something of a doozy.
Burning Questions: December 19, 2005
In the final edition of Burning Questions, Alex spreads the holiday cheer as he answers another batch of questions. Bah humbug!
Burning Questions: December 9, 2005
Want to get the skinny on Nintendo's online service, the PS3's launch lineup, and Zelda as a Revolution title? Well, I've got vague assertions that almost read like facts on all these things!
Burning Questions: December 2, 2005
Holy Games and Music Experience, Batman, it's Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: November 18, 2005
In Burning Questions, you ask the questions and we answer them, and it's clear that you guys all want to know about one thing this week, the Xbox 360. Well, fortunately we've been able to get plenty of hands-on time with the 360, so I thought I would answer all of your questions right here and now.
Burning Questions: November 11, 2005
Welcome to the mailbag, everybody. I'm the guy without an Xbox 360 preorder, Alex Navarro.
Burning Questions: November 4, 2005
It's Burning Questions. We've got answers for some Q4 game- and 360-related questions, as well as a few opinion pieces and a whole bunch of your responses from a question I put to the readers last week.
Burning Questions: October 28, 2005
This week we'll look at the German perspective on World War II shooters, the gay gamer's perspective on gaming's heroes, and the average PC user's perspective on broken-ass copy protection (Here's a hint: The average PC user doesn't like it!).
Burning Questions: September 30, 2005
This week's questions run the gamut, from the very topic of my reviewing habits to questions about illegal activities on the PSP. Bad readership bad! And yes, even after last week's Revolution extravaganza, there are still residual questions about the controller.
Burning Questions: September 23, 2005
TGS is done, the Revolution controller is revealed, and a bunch of sleep-deprived editors are slinking about the office. We've posted our impressions; now it's the readers' turn to say their piece.
Burning Questions: September 16, 2005
The Tokyo Game Show is now in full effect, and in the middle of all that, the release calendar has gone into full Q4 mode and is coming out of its corner swinging for the fences.
Burning Questions: September 9, 2005
It's Burning Questions time again folks, and I'm the guy with the...wait, I'm not a guy at all. I'm Carrie Gouskos, GameSpot's features editor.
Burning Questions: September 2, 2005
The end of the week is upon us once more, and with a three day weekend on the horizon, all I can bring myself to think about is the three H's: Hamburgers, heavy drinking, and Halo 2 multiplayer.
Burning Questions: August 26, 2005
It's the end of the week yet again, and as such, Burning Questions is back to knock some knowledge upside your head.
Burning Questions: August 19, 2005
With the week at an end, it's time for yet another exhausting edition of the only gaming mailbag that matters, Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: August 12, 2005
Thank God it's Friday, folks, which means it's time for another edition of the only gaming mailbag you care about: Burning Questions. I'm the guy with a permanent case of the Mondays, Alex Navarro.
Burning Questions: August 05, 2005
Howdy eh, and welcome to Burning Questions, where the checks are harder, the scoring's higher, and the pads are smaller.
Burning Questions: July 29, 2005
That's right folks, the vacation's over, and it's time for another proper edition of everyone's favorite gaming mailbag, Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: July 22, 2005
Welcome to a special hardware-only edition of Burning Questions, brought to you by GameSpot Hardware's very own Sarju Shah and James Yu.
Burning Questions: July 15, 2005
Well punch me in the throat and call me Ruth Buzzi, I do believe we've got ourselves another edition of Burning Questions!
Burning Questions: July 1, 2005
This week's edition covers questions about the Nintendo Revolution, graphics hardware, and the lack of new flight combat games in the market.
Burning Questions: June 24, 2005
Before you start hoarding copies of Battlefield 2, Conker, and Destroy All Humans to try to take you through the next few pathetically dead weeks, maybe you ought to check out this week's mailbag to see if there's anything you should be saving your money for, like Team Fortress 2, Day of Defeat: Source, a hard-drive-enabled PSP, or perhaps even a Gizmondo.
Burning Questions: June 17, 2005
This week's edition covers the Game Boy Micro, abandoned game franchises from Acclaim, and more!
Burning Questions: June 10, 2005
Howdy everyone, and welcome to a chance-filled edition of Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: June 3, 2005
In this edition of Burning Questions, we discuss the legitimacy of the Killzone 2 trailer, the lack of RPGs on the PSP, and what developers think of the CPU designs of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Burning Questions: May 13, 2005
In a mere 24 hours, I'll be behind the wheel of my truck, cruising down the I-5 on my way to the mother of all trade shows, E3.
Burning Questions: May 6, 2005
As I finish up the rest of my day-old chips and salsa, let's answer some questions, like: why Microsoft hasn't gone portable, why the N-Gage flopped, and why developers haven't gone PC with the DS.
Burning Questions: April 29, 2005
You know, everyone has pressure points. You just have to find something that's important to someone, and then squeeze. This week, we apply pressure to the next Xbox, dead pixels, Seaman, and the state of wrestling games.
Burning Questions: April 22, 2005
We discover the root of Soul Calibur III's PS2 exclusivity, figure out who's backwards compatible in the next generation (and who isn't), and root out a conspiracy theory of magic-bullet proportions.
Burning Questions: April 15, 2005
Did you know that every six seconds, someone sends me an e-mail, asking me if Nintendo is going to die?
Burning Questions: April 8, 2005
This week's column is chock-full of PSP-related questions, ponderings on the future of the MMO genre, and the ultimate burning question that all people should ask themselves at one point or another: Do our lives have meaning?
Burning Questions: April 1, 2005
This week, we discuss the joys of region-free gaming, wonder out loud about the future of UMDs, and discover that deep down we're all a bunch of lousy communists.
Burning Questions: March 25, 2005
Nintendo-related questions come flying in: What's going on with DS games like Meteos and Another Code? Is the upcoming battle between the DS and the PSP the true handheld war? Is there a DS dead-pixel epidemic?
Burning Questions: March 18, 2005
Willkommen to another exciting, riveting, and thrilling edition of Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: March 11, 2005
Alex has emptied out the mailbag once again for our second installment of Burning Questions.
Burning Questions: March 4, 2005
The premiere episode of Burning Questions, a mailbag feature hosted by GameSpot's Alex Navarro.
