ThunderPeel2001

What World of Goo promotion? Why didn't anyone tell me? Bah.

Good stuff. Want more!

People choosing to pirate a game or not on its price seems perfectly logical cause and effect... and something Activision needs to factor into their pricing. If games cost $1,000 each, would you just stop playing them altogether because you couldn't afford them? I don't think any of us would. The sad fact is that being unable to afford a game is probably the most reasonable reason to pirate software... (Not saying that's what these guys are doing, though.) Also, I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe that the people who are decrying pirates don't own a single pirated item. One MP3, one movie, one old game. Or didn't used to when they were younger... which, judging by the way these folks speak, I'm guessing they're pretty young?

Argh. This is too hard to read about an hour ago

Man, I'm getting the feeling that there's a split in the BL audience between those who have played against the AI in practice mode and learned just how brilliantly balanced the "RTS" gameplay actually is, and those that haven't (and probably won't). I didn't even realise there was a "Rally Flag", and I've completed most of the ingame battles... The RF is one of the most important and useful tools you have! (It tells where all of your newly spawned units to make their way to.) It really feels like Space Giraffe all over again: Incredibly well-balanced gameplay left impenetrable to most users due to a lack of a really good tutorial. Doh.

Apparently it had 191,000 pre-orders in the US (360 + PS3), whereas Uncharted 2 had 300,000 (PS3 only). Here's my complete, out my arse, guess for worldwide sales for week one of BL: 500,000+.

You would well be right, but surely they would have included a Led Zep tune if they could have afforded it? Also: "Every song in there is a completely sincere choice," he says. Also also: 10 Heavy Metal Covers that Inspired Brutal Legend I'm sure it's not the best list (where are the laser shooting panthers?) but notice Lita Ford! (Who also does the voice of the "Amazonian"/Kiss leader in the game.) Also also also: European sales... Brutal Legend is straight in at number 7. (Is this good or bad?)

I don't think so, I think he meant being around for the birth of it all: Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Motorhead, etc. I also think the song list was probably held back by budget more than anything, but I'm also glad that there aren't any songs I'm overly familiar with (excluding Through the Fire and Flames, which I never need to hear again).

Yeah, my ex used to say that Last Chance to See was actually Adams's finest book -- which is some compliment!

Yeah, I was losing horribly against the easiest AI until I changed my tactics. (Yes, that's rights... tactics! I really didn't think there was any strategy!) I didn't notice you could upgrade certain units for one thing, and I could really see how upgrading your stage could make a huge difference... Plus, as Schafer says, if you're using it purely as an RTS you're only going to enter a world of pain -- You need to get Eddie into the action, too. Dammit, thinking back, it really was actually good fun!

Somebody thought that the Special Effects got in the way of the acting in the 2012 trailer, so they edited it down so we could just appreciate the fine performances... iX6cfzDpd_o

Hmmm. I may have been too harsh in my criticism of the RTS stuff. I played a multiplayer practice against the CPU and it took me a while to realise that I haven't really been playing it properly (despite having not lost a battle in the game itself). I have to say, at the end of finally beating the most gentle AI (which took ages) I felt like I'd learned an awful lot... it really is a lot more structured than I previously thought. I'm liking the RTS stuff a lot more now... or at least understanding it a lot more. It certainly made me feel like giving it another go. If you're disappointed with the chaotic feel of the RTS, like I was, I suggest playing against the gentlest AI to check your tactics.

Good to know!

Here are my impressions so far (I'm currently ): Firstly: OMFG, this game is BEAUTIFUL. The world is so wonderfully realised. The characters, the lore, everything. I've never been a fan of metal, but I love the universe that Schafer has created from it... when the right song kicks in you can really feel it. This is some awesome stuff. Secondly: Arg! Stop telling me I've unlocked concept artwork! It's irritating and distracting! Also: I don't care! Thirdly: The "side missions" are incredibly dull. They're nothing like you'd expect from a Bioware game, for example. No new characters or stories and, as a result, it makes the game-world feel a LOT smaller. They're essentially the same mini-game... over and over (with occassional variations). Fourthly: The RTS game-mechanic can be frustrating and annoying. At its absolute best it manages to be neither, but it most certainly is NEVER fun. It just feels like it's getting in the way of stuff I want to be doing. If I were trying to be slightly more constructive about it, I'd say that I'd rather the main game was a hack n slash OR an RTS, instead of an uneasy mixture of both. Lessons learned: Tim Schafer is an absolutely genius when it comes to creating wonderful, unique, incredible worlds. The world's artwork is stunning, yes, but it goes beyond that: The entire experience feels so cohesive. The music, the characters, the mythology... I love watching the "Legends" when I find them as they add so much depth to the universe. I also love Eddie Riggs and all the other characters, too. LOVE them. Tim Schafer should not be inventing new types of gameplay. Ever. He should leave that to a fellow genius/team of geniuses that know how to create that wonderful balance that makes something fun and playable. Or he should stick to adventure games. I think that sums up my experience. Now I want to dip back into the wonderful world that is Brutal Legend... Yes, despite its flaws, it's still wonderful. Also: Lemmy cannot act. Rob Halford can act a bit more (and seems to get a little better as the game progresses). Ozzy is actually really good.

Congrats Marek! (What does the "head of content" do exactly?)

Just remember: The Black Dossier is more of a sourcebook than a normal "adventure". Very good, though!

Colour me sceptical. We'll see... Edit: Yup. It appears that Mr. Nelson is referring to Memory Units, not Hard Drives.

Yeah, I know what you mean, but I'm guessing it sounded even worse without it (ie. just letting them speak over the music clashed horribly).

Dicking around on Google Wave with Toblix and Nevsky was a tremendous amount of fun this morning... but I really don't know if this will be successful if there's no way to integrate your existing emails. I don't want half my friends on one system and the other half on another.

That sushi video was awesome! This is also awesome... zSgiXGELjbc

Did it arrive today, then? I actually picked up a copy with the idea of taking the copy I've ordered back if it arrives tomorrow -- couldn't wait!

Damn, that's good to know. I read Preludes and Nocturns and wasn't really drawn in. I should have kept going. I think there's 10 TPBs in total, with plenty of spin-offs for those interested in more. Wasn't a fan of 1602, though.

If this can't integrate normal emails then this thing is going to die a spectacular death... I don't want two places to check if I want to see if people have been in touch. Hmmm. Also: How do you "send" a wave to somebody??

So Brutal Legend didn't arrive in the mail today I knew I shouldn't have pre-ordered it online... Doh!

Let's catch some surf! (My username + googlewave.com -- pretty simple!)