PS3, XBox 360, and Wii

[theexorcist]

This seems like it could be a fun thread that might distract people from vivisecting our schedule.

One possible thread topic - realism. I hate realism. My favorite sports game of all time is FIFA 2000, where I can rack up a 3-1 win in three-minute halves as Singapore when playing Brazil. It's like lacrosse on speed. Every other FIFA game since is basically like real soccer, which means that you score once every vernal equinox.

Also on realism - it's beginning to get creepy. There's an XBox game called "Fable" that got a lot of press for allowing you to play either as a good, upstanding person, or as a vile one as you grow up. I played first as a the relatively good person, then tried for the different experience on evil. Very early on, to get considered as a bad person, you have to do beat defenseless little kids up. I tried once or twice and felt really dirty and eventually gave up.

Wii seems to have made this even more "realistic". It would seem much worse to take a controller and use it to perform a vile act than to just press A X Y B left trigger.

Other thoughts to tide us over until conference play?

[Deleted]

Whether or not I want/enjoy realism depends on the game/genre.

I'm sure most of us have gotten so good at sports games, every game is a blowout no matter who the opponent or difficulty level. For games like Madden, hoops games... I want "realism" in the sense that I can still run up crazy stats, but only to an extent (AI can average 40 and 20 a night, but the rest of the team has "normal," real world stats). Let me blow the other team out, but at least make it interesting. Pick me off once in a while. Force a few fumbles here or there. Dunk all over me and shoot the lights out for a victory once or twice a season.

For some FPS games, I like tons of realism. Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six do the best on that front. On the other hand, a game like BioShock (easily the Game of the Year, sorry Halo 3) has virtually zero realism... but is just as/more enjoyable nonetheless. A great part of that game is that the player is constantly given choices to make that effect (affect?) the outcome of the game (i.e harvesting/killing or rescuing Little Sisters, killing Sander Cohen or not). While the actions that take place aren't necessarily "realistic," it adds a disturbing quality to the game... which I like.

Wii won't ever have things like that. The closest they will come is killing bad guys in fantasy games like Zelda. Nintendo has created Wii to capitalize on the market of gamers who don't want to learn the new 9+ button controller consoles with their intricate games... it just so happens that's the largest market out there.

EDIT: I don't like OrangeBox being included on all these game of the year ballots... its three games!!!

[hoyatables]

At the same time, Wii brings a different sort of realism to the idea of sports. Wii Tennis is frickin unbelievable -- it is so simple yet so addictive and fun. They've carried over the motion concept to Madden, which I have played. It is a lot more fun to actually throw the football, though you still have a fairly complex set of controls. As I understand it, there is an NBA game for the Wii as well, though I haven't tried it yet. No college BBall planned this year, but if I could actually be jeff green, that would rock.

[vcjack]

You guys can keep all your realistic sports games, I'll settle for awesomeness:



Easily one of the greatest SNES games, plus there are 3 Hoya players included*


*4 if you knew the code to unlock Bill Clinton as a player

EDIT: Further YouTube searching unearthed this finish

[The Stig]

Whenever I see the Wii now I just have to think of this Southwest ad:

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

I agree Wii is potentially more realistic - but that doesn't seem to be the market they are going after. Wii is picking up a lot of casual gamers who have never owned a system before. 360 seems to market itself to more serious gamers who are more concerned with realism.