I finished Xenoblade Chronicles! A while ago, actually! SPOILERS LURKNG HEREIN
Showing posts with label Xenoblade Chronicles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Xenoblade Chronicles. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Watch out for NERD RAGE!
So, I finished Xenoblade Chronicles, but I haven't written about it yet because I haven't been able to write anything very good. But while I've been trying to do that, a controversy appeared!
Seems that Team Nerd Rage is upset that GameStop (ok, yeah, I'll just say GameStop again) acquired some copies of Xenoblade, and is selling them for $90 a pop. Thus launched a bunch of Wacky Internet Conspiracy Theories about how the top secret GameStop cabal is printing up bootleg copies of Xenoblade in their basement to sell for a million dollars, all while cackling maniacally and twirling their mustaches, or something.
Honestly, I think this is another instance of The Interwebs being enraged by a process they don't understand.
GameStop buys old overstock from publishers and sells it as used all the time. It's really no different from the way they buy old games from the public to resell in the stores, just on a larger scale. The only reason this bothers people is that this time, the "used" price is higher- quite a bit higher- than the old MSRP. Of course, "manufacturer's suggested retail price" doesn't really apply here, because Xenoblade is no longer being manufactured. That said, $90 is not an unfair price.
$90 is what the game costs now.
Everyone saying that GameStop is ridiculous for charging $90 for "old Wii games" is just being disingenuous. Xenoblade is not "some old Wii game"- it's a very specific product, an import with a limited run that's hard to get now. My own copy was only $60 because of layers of employee discounts, and it's a busted old disc that some moron sold to my store that didn't come with a case. If GameStop had dropped the selling price back to $50 after buying up new stock, all the copies they have would have all been bought up by scalpers in a heartbeat, because the established market value of the game is much higher than that. And then everyone would be whining about how GameStop sells to scalpers. (A common complaint with Skylanders figurines.)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: GameStop (and other video game stores) are not some sort of gamer charity. They're a business, specifically in the business of selling video games for profit. If you, Angry Internet Nerd, were to go try to sell your copy of Xenoblade online, it's unlikely that you would ask less than $100 for it, unless you're stupid, or you need it to sell really fast. Why do people always expect corporations to be more altruistic than they themselves would be? If anything, you should expect the opposite.
Low supply and high demand means it's a seller's market, and GameStop can charge whatever they want to. (Of course, their ability to negotiate bulk purchases with publishers is a direct result of their size and buying power. If that's your issue, then buy from local shops. But then you'd probably complain that they charge more than GameStop, because you're an ass.) If you don't like it, don't buy the game from them. If no one buys it, the price will drop. Surprise! Also, since for now at least you can buy Xenoblade for $90 at an actual store, the eBay prices may drop somewhat.
Of course, that doesn't address the Wacky Conspiracy Theory issue, so let's do that, too. A subset of particularly intense Angry Gamer Nerds seem to have decided that GameStop has begun ZOMG reprinting Xenoblade Chronicles, an idea so stupid I'm embarrassed to write it on my blog.
GameStop is not printing up new copies of Xenoblade Chronicles.
First of all, they don't have the infrastructure for that, they're a retailer. Secondly, the Angry Gamer Nerds are correct in their assertion that doing that is illegal. Like, super mega illegal. Nintendo and The Law would be all up in GameStop's business in a heartbeat. I think these people assume that since GameStop had exclusive rights to sell retail copies of Xenoblade Chronicles in the United States, they're also a publisher? Because, no.
Now, Nintendo can do a reprint. But if Nintendo were doing a reprint, they would have made way more than a couple thousand copies, and they would be selling it themselves through their online store again. After all, everyone knows the game is in high demand. It's just not in high enough demand among a wide enough array of people for Nintendo to justify doing a re-release at this time. "Angry JRPG nerds" were barely enough of a market to get the game released in the US in the first place.
Is it kinda douchey to negotiate a large purchase of a product and then price the stock so high? Yes. But the moral of the story, I guess, is that I hate uninformed internet nerd rage more than I hate GameStop, and working in retail has given me little to no patience for people who willfully don't understand how retail works. I also have no patience for people who think they're entitled to rare, luxury items for cheap. When I can't afford something, I don't make up conspiracy theories about how the seller is out to get me.
I just don't buy that thing.
And yet somehow, despite this terrible hardship, I manage to carry on.
Seems that Team Nerd Rage is upset that GameStop (ok, yeah, I'll just say GameStop again) acquired some copies of Xenoblade, and is selling them for $90 a pop. Thus launched a bunch of Wacky Internet Conspiracy Theories about how the top secret GameStop cabal is printing up bootleg copies of Xenoblade in their basement to sell for a million dollars, all while cackling maniacally and twirling their mustaches, or something.
Honestly, I think this is another instance of The Interwebs being enraged by a process they don't understand.
GameStop buys old overstock from publishers and sells it as used all the time. It's really no different from the way they buy old games from the public to resell in the stores, just on a larger scale. The only reason this bothers people is that this time, the "used" price is higher- quite a bit higher- than the old MSRP. Of course, "manufacturer's suggested retail price" doesn't really apply here, because Xenoblade is no longer being manufactured. That said, $90 is not an unfair price.
$90 is what the game costs now.
Everyone saying that GameStop is ridiculous for charging $90 for "old Wii games" is just being disingenuous. Xenoblade is not "some old Wii game"- it's a very specific product, an import with a limited run that's hard to get now. My own copy was only $60 because of layers of employee discounts, and it's a busted old disc that some moron sold to my store that didn't come with a case. If GameStop had dropped the selling price back to $50 after buying up new stock, all the copies they have would have all been bought up by scalpers in a heartbeat, because the established market value of the game is much higher than that. And then everyone would be whining about how GameStop sells to scalpers. (A common complaint with Skylanders figurines.)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: GameStop (and other video game stores) are not some sort of gamer charity. They're a business, specifically in the business of selling video games for profit. If you, Angry Internet Nerd, were to go try to sell your copy of Xenoblade online, it's unlikely that you would ask less than $100 for it, unless you're stupid, or you need it to sell really fast. Why do people always expect corporations to be more altruistic than they themselves would be? If anything, you should expect the opposite.
Low supply and high demand means it's a seller's market, and GameStop can charge whatever they want to. (Of course, their ability to negotiate bulk purchases with publishers is a direct result of their size and buying power. If that's your issue, then buy from local shops. But then you'd probably complain that they charge more than GameStop, because you're an ass.) If you don't like it, don't buy the game from them. If no one buys it, the price will drop. Surprise! Also, since for now at least you can buy Xenoblade for $90 at an actual store, the eBay prices may drop somewhat.
Of course, that doesn't address the Wacky Conspiracy Theory issue, so let's do that, too. A subset of particularly intense Angry Gamer Nerds seem to have decided that GameStop has begun ZOMG reprinting Xenoblade Chronicles, an idea so stupid I'm embarrassed to write it on my blog.
GameStop is not printing up new copies of Xenoblade Chronicles.
First of all, they don't have the infrastructure for that, they're a retailer. Secondly, the Angry Gamer Nerds are correct in their assertion that doing that is illegal. Like, super mega illegal. Nintendo and The Law would be all up in GameStop's business in a heartbeat. I think these people assume that since GameStop had exclusive rights to sell retail copies of Xenoblade Chronicles in the United States, they're also a publisher? Because, no.
Now, Nintendo can do a reprint. But if Nintendo were doing a reprint, they would have made way more than a couple thousand copies, and they would be selling it themselves through their online store again. After all, everyone knows the game is in high demand. It's just not in high enough demand among a wide enough array of people for Nintendo to justify doing a re-release at this time. "Angry JRPG nerds" were barely enough of a market to get the game released in the US in the first place.
Is it kinda douchey to negotiate a large purchase of a product and then price the stock so high? Yes. But the moral of the story, I guess, is that I hate uninformed internet nerd rage more than I hate GameStop, and working in retail has given me little to no patience for people who willfully don't understand how retail works. I also have no patience for people who think they're entitled to rare, luxury items for cheap. When I can't afford something, I don't make up conspiracy theories about how the seller is out to get me.
I just don't buy that thing.
And yet somehow, despite this terrible hardship, I manage to carry on.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 2
No joke, there is a character named Juju in Xenoblade Chronicles. For realsies.
Um, please.
 |
| "Juju." From xenoblade.wikia.com |
Um, please.
 |
| THE Juju. From fuckyeahjuju.tumblr.com |
Friday, June 28, 2013
Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 1
So, someone sold my store a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles. I bought it. After my layers of employee discounts, it still cost me $55. That is how hard it is to find a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles. And now I have one! Thanks, guy!
I've been wanting to play this game for ages (I couldn't afford it when it came out, and I sure as hell can't afford what it sells for on eBay), but I specifically didn't read anything about it, so I thought it might be a fun exercise in Official Video Game Blogging to write my first impressions of the game, and see how they change as the game progresses.
Today I played the first few hours, through the intro and into the beginnings of the main quest. Here are my first thoughts, in a numbered list, because fuck coherent narratives.
1. I don't understand why the main character is named She-Hulk.
And he looks like an even less manly version of Vaan from Final Fantasy XII:
On the plus side, he has an enormous sword that's imbued with magical powers, so it kinda balances out.
2. LOOK AT THIS DIRTY FUCKING HIPPIE.
What is going on with this guy? Why is there a dirty hippie in my JRPG? I'm also happy (READ: not happy) to see that the practice of appropriating Native American imagery as a shorthand for "in touch with nature" somehow made it over to Japan.
This guy is She-Hulk's surrogate father figure, and also a dirty fucking hippie, so I'm placing bets on him either 1. being the evil mastermind behind the entire story, or 2. dying horribly to save She-Hulk's life, probably with some sort of betrayal subplot thrown in.
3. The game is way more sci-fi than I was expecting it to be.
Which is silly, because it's a Japanese RPG, and it has "xeno" in the title. I've played this game before, is what I'm saying.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to make the connection between the war between the humans ("Homs") and machines ("Mechons"), and the fact that civilization exists on top of two sleeping gods called Bionis and Mechanis. Looks like there's a nature vs. technology theme here. Typical JRPG fare. We'll see how that goes.We can compare it to Final Fantasy VII, or any of the Tales games. If I also have to destroy organized religion, it's a JRPG double whammy.
4. There is a Big Bad who is a giant robot who can shift between a humanoid attack form, and a plane form.
5. My girlfriend lady isn't really dead, I just haven't figured out how yet.
CORPSE OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!
But no, seriously. We spent too much time with Fiora for her to just die and leave She-Hulk to run off on a stupid revenge quest. Plus, they've already managed to establish that you can equip her with sexy bikini tops and things, and no way could they be bothered to write a second love interest, so she's definitely coming back.
The role of women in video games is a dismal state of affairs. At least Fiora got a badass giant robot fight scene before she didn't get fridged.
6. The control scheme suffers from a lack of buttons.
The fighting system is cool, but it's not a good fit for the Wii remote. There's a lot of scrolling through options and holding down different buttons that could have been avoided by using a more complex controller. I wouldn't say it's totally unwieldy, though, unless you've been spoiled by auto-aim.
I'm looking at you, Call of Duty bros.
7. Everything She-Hulk thinks he knows about his magical sword and/or the nature of the world in which he lives is wrong.
I mean, duh.
I've been wanting to play this game for ages (I couldn't afford it when it came out, and I sure as hell can't afford what it sells for on eBay), but I specifically didn't read anything about it, so I thought it might be a fun exercise in Official Video Game Blogging to write my first impressions of the game, and see how they change as the game progresses.
Today I played the first few hours, through the intro and into the beginnings of the main quest. Here are my first thoughts, in a numbered list, because fuck coherent narratives.
1. I don't understand why the main character is named She-Hulk.
And he looks like an even less manly version of Vaan from Final Fantasy XII:
 |
| A picture of "Shulk." From xenoblade.wikia.com |
On the plus side, he has an enormous sword that's imbued with magical powers, so it kinda balances out.
2. LOOK AT THIS DIRTY FUCKING HIPPIE.
 |
| Dickson, aka A Dirty Fucking Hippie. From xenoblade.wikia.com |
What is going on with this guy? Why is there a dirty hippie in my JRPG? I'm also happy (READ: not happy) to see that the practice of appropriating Native American imagery as a shorthand for "in touch with nature" somehow made it over to Japan.
This guy is She-Hulk's surrogate father figure, and also a dirty fucking hippie, so I'm placing bets on him either 1. being the evil mastermind behind the entire story, or 2. dying horribly to save She-Hulk's life, probably with some sort of betrayal subplot thrown in.
3. The game is way more sci-fi than I was expecting it to be.
Which is silly, because it's a Japanese RPG, and it has "xeno" in the title. I've played this game before, is what I'm saying.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to make the connection between the war between the humans ("Homs") and machines ("Mechons"), and the fact that civilization exists on top of two sleeping gods called Bionis and Mechanis. Looks like there's a nature vs. technology theme here. Typical JRPG fare. We'll see how that goes.We can compare it to Final Fantasy VII, or any of the Tales games. If I also have to destroy organized religion, it's a JRPG double whammy.
4. There is a Big Bad who is a giant robot who can shift between a humanoid attack form, and a plane form.
5. My girlfriend lady isn't really dead, I just haven't figured out how yet.
CORPSE OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!
But no, seriously. We spent too much time with Fiora for her to just die and leave She-Hulk to run off on a stupid revenge quest. Plus, they've already managed to establish that you can equip her with sexy bikini tops and things, and no way could they be bothered to write a second love interest, so she's definitely coming back.
The role of women in video games is a dismal state of affairs. At least Fiora got a badass giant robot fight scene before she didn't get fridged.
6. The control scheme suffers from a lack of buttons.
The fighting system is cool, but it's not a good fit for the Wii remote. There's a lot of scrolling through options and holding down different buttons that could have been avoided by using a more complex controller. I wouldn't say it's totally unwieldy, though, unless you've been spoiled by auto-aim.
I'm looking at you, Call of Duty bros.
7. Everything She-Hulk thinks he knows about his magical sword and/or the nature of the world in which he lives is wrong.
I mean, duh.
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