The Shrine

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>From Magicbox:

Monolith Soft has posted an official statement in their homepage, stating that the company is currently working on a new RPG, which will be heading to both GameCube and PlayStation 2.

For those of you who don't know, MonolithSoft is the ex-Square guys who left for Namco and made XenoSaga</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Damn, when you said "RPG news for Nintendo" I thought you might have meant Earthbound 2 =P</div>

<div style='font: 12pt "Cooper Black"; text-align: left; '>except that Don already said XenoSaga is pretty much crap, ex-square guys indeed.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Paying the full price for a game that's really more like 1/3rd of a RPG isn't making me want to buy the next installment, especially since they put in a lot of loops via super hard enemies to try to make the game look longer than it really is.

Not to mention that there isn't even plans to make the next 1/3rd of a RPG. Episode 2 has yet to be announced in Japan which means we've at least another year or so before it'll be out.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>You're aware that Xenogears is only good because it had Square's backing, and Xenosaga only sold well because it had Xenogears's name?</div>

<div style='font: 14pt "Times New Roman"; text-align: left; '>If it was up to Square we'd never even see Xenosaga. all they do now is pump out FF games.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>The team now has as good backing as before, if not better, with Namco, who isn't only concerned about FF games. As soon as they say "makers of Xenogears and Xenosaga", the game will get some good exposure. Besides, it's better than what the GC has now</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Gamecube had the best RPG last year (Animal Crossing), and also has an updated version of Skies of Arcadia. I like Xenosaga, but it's not as good as those two games =P</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Gamecube had the best RPG last year (Animal Crossing) according to AIAS and Famitsu, and also has an updated version of Skies of Arcadia. I like Xenosaga, but I don't think I like it as much as those two games. I just want my Earthbound =)</div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>Errr, I don't know why Animal Crossing really falls into the RPG catagory, but I know if I start a conversation, the only person to reply would be you, so I'll skip it.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>The news doesn't do much for me either. I'm more interested in FF Crystal Chronicles than an unknown game from a company whose latest game I had no interest in - and I'm less than mildly interested in FF Crystal Chronicles.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '><b>Link:</b> <a href="http://www.interactive.org/awards/6th_a ... ual.asp</a>

Finalists for 2003's Console RPG of the Year include:
• Animal Crossing for the NINTENDO GAMECUBE, published by Nintendo of America, developed by Nintendo Co. Ltd.;
• Kingdom Hearts for the PlayStation 2, published by Square Electronic Arts, developed by Squaresoft;
• Wild Arts 3 for the PlayStation 2, published by Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., developed by MediaVision;
• Final Fantasy X for the PlayStation 2, published by Square Electronic Arts, developed by Squaresoft;
• Suikoden 3 for the PlayStation 2, pubished by Konami, developed by KCET.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>BTW, it won</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>It won the AIAS award for Best Console RPG..</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>So, tell me again why I would buy a GameCube instead of a PS2?</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>That's nice. They can stick that award up their ass, because it's not an RPG.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>Only if you want to play the games exclusive to it. If you don't, don't bother.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt georgia; text-align: left; '>Fucking genres! The world would be better off without them.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Let's see... Famitsu and Super Famicon... coincidence?</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>Well, sorry, but that genre should be reserved for games that deserve an award, not Animal Crossing.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>Japanese version of Nintendo Power?</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>I really hate your use of sales figures and "awards", just to prop up anything related to Nintendo. You are such a Nintendo dicksucker.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>I'd guess it's probably one of the earliest magazines back when Famicon was the only system. Famitsu from what I've seen is fairly hostile to XBox which is not surprising since Japanese have strong resistance to foreign products. The scoring system in Famitsu is way too consistent that it has to be biased. Every Final Fantasy game seems to score in the low 30s. Every other Square game seems to get high 20s/low 30s. Every Nintendo game seems to score in the mid 30s. No company is this consistent, not even Nintendo.

In particluar the high rating given to odd ball games like Pikimin and Animal Crossing by their nature is biased. I'm sorry but they're basically all saying 'this game is great because I said so even though no average gamer would possibly even pick it up.' That is about as biased as it gets, even if you're right! The reviewers are supposed to be impartial, as in, what would the average gamer get out of this game, not Mr. Hardcore Game Reviewer.

It's really funny I'd see Famitsu give a mid 30s score to Pokemon whatever (about as high as you can expect), just because people like it. I don't deny Pokemon aren't good games and people obviously see something in them and that counts as quality. But have you ever seen Famitsu give a high score to Yugioh which is every bit as popular as Pokemon and of comparable depth (which is to say, not very much at all)? No, because Pokemon is from Nintendo so its sales means it must be good (which might be true) while Yugioh is obviously just a bunch of dumb teenagers buying some dumb game based on a manga.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Nintendo seems to only care about fattening their wallets with their 1st party games rather than making any genuine efforts to make the system viable</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>If Animal Crossings deserves RPG of the year, then so does however many number of Harvest Moon games out there</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>They have WAAAAAAY more 3rd party support than with the 64. At least 40% of the great games are from third parties, with more coming (all those Capcom games, Soul Calibur 2, MGS). It's just not as much as Sony</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>It must be more than that, I remember when I first got an N64 people here going on how there were only 60 some games avaliable at the time, the Gamecube has 200+ after about the same amount of time.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>I just happen to really like that game, and Famitsu and AIAS thought it was the best of its genre last year. I don't see what you're getting so worked up over.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>So they're biased towards Super Nintendo? I don't know, they've given top scores to Sega, Nintendo, and Square, and none of those games were on Super Famicon</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Nah, there haven't been any Harvest Moon titles yet that scratch the surface of what's gone into AC. Might as well say that Winback should have won game of the year a few years ago because Splinter Cell won it this year.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Why doesn't Animal Crossing deserve an award? It's quite an amazing title.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>> Every Final Fantasy game seems to score in the low 30s. Every other Square game seems to get high 20s/low 30s. Every Nintendo game seems to score in the mid 30s. No company is this consistent, not even Nintendo.

Wrong, all the Final Fantasy games are among the highest scoring titles of all time, and Square games often do remarkably well:

Final Fantasy 7 and 9 received 38's, Final Fantasy 8 and 10 received 39's, Xenogears received 36, Final Fantasy Tactics received 36, Vagrant Story received a perfect 40. Those are all very high scores, all are Platnum ratings.

>In particluar the high rating given to odd ball games like Pikimin and Animal Crossing by their nature is biased.

They're great games, have you ever considered that? A LOT of work went into the development of Animal Crossing. It also has that highly addictive factor to it. Obviously the fans love the game here as well, take a look at the IGN game boards and see which one is the most popular by 100,000 posts. There are a lot of people who really like the game, there are a lot of reviewers who really like the game. Famitsu is undeiably the most respected source in Japan, and you can't really claim that they're biased, the evidence you suggested wasn't even correct.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>It's more like you like the game if Famitsu and AIAS give it an award. Awards and popularity are definately no measure of quality.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>No, but it is quite a popular game with the people who actually play it, developers, and critics. I mean, look at how many people here play it</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>But, RPG of the year? They can't even name a real RPG to be RPG of the year?</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>That's because these guys care about the innovation thing.....maybe a little too much, but the fact that it was different actually earned lots of points with them</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>I really don't care, as long as I get to play their great games. I only buy a new game about every 4 - 6 months.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>Not general enough - anything he approves of.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>Use them for what they're good for - quickly communicating what a game's like - but don't get caught up in pidgeonholing what a game is. That's how I see it.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '><i>The reviewers are supposed to be impartial, as in, what would the average gamer get out of this game, not Mr. Hardcore Game Reviewer.</i>

I don't think so at all. Inherently, a reviewer is judging the game based on <i>their own standards</i>. All reviewers are biased.

However, reviewers can be honest about their biases, or dishonest. Honest is stating up front what they look for in a game, what they expect, similar titles they really like, etc. Dishonest is reviwing a game based on the company that put it out, how others have reviewed the game, who your advertisers are, etc.

I have never read a Famitsu review. These comments are about reviews in general.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>Just because it deserves AN award doesn't mean it deserves THIS award.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>I agree with that. It deserves more of a innovation award iMO</div>