Having viewed the diverse, and often divergent, visions coming from 'the big three', it's time for us to editorialise. What do we like best about what we've been served up? Is there anything that leaves a foul taste in our mouths? And what else, if anything, would we incorporate into our dream service should there ever be a PALGN-branded console?
Chris - PALGN Writer
Just concentrating on the games, the biggest problem with the online services each of the three companies are running is catering for everyone’s needs. If you look at Nintendo’s Virtual Console, so far it has been a solid start. Games like Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, Super Mario Bros and Streets of Rage are the kind of games many will find it hard to resist handing their money over for. However, with such a vast library of games to dip into there’s no way of telling how long you’re going to have to wait to see your favourite games appear. On a personal note, Waverace 64, Lylat Wars and Super Metroid have been my most wanted VC games since the whole thing started. But with only a few games out of thousands being released each week it could theoretically be years before I can jet around Southern Island or fight Kraid again.
The Live Arcade has been a mixed bag. Doom, Streetfighter 2 and Lumines have been good re-releases of old games, while Marble Blast Ultra, Geometry Wars and Hexic HD have given us something new. But there just hasn’t been enough of it quite frankly. With just 1 game per week (and sometimes not even that) there’s not exactly much content given that the console has been out over 12 months now. Oh, and the price of some of these games are a little on the high side too. Bankshot Billiards should be 800pts, 1200pts for an overhead pool game is too much considering you can play a similar kind of game for free on Yahoo. Lumines is guilty of this too as you’ll need to fork out 2000+pts for all these skin packages that really should have been in there from the start.
And finally, we have the Playstation Network which is actually looking reasonably good for launch. GT:HD is a nice time filler and is something they could have actually charged money for but are offering it for free. Tekken: Dark Resurrection will be worth every penny while flOw is something for people looking for originality. If this is a sign of things to come then Sony could well take the lead when it comes to quality downloadable software. Whether they can sustain this quality is something we’ll have to wait and see…
Matt - PALGN Writer
I feel that each of the three services on offer have potential – but that’s pretty much it for the moment. I jumped onboard the Xbox Live Gold bandwagon last month after a year of um’ing and ah’ing, and don’t really feel as though I’m getting all that much for my money (though unification is nice). Microsoft needs to get its act together with Xbox Live Arcade; they need to have at least one new game ready to go every Wednesday. On top of that, they need some new content – Symphony of the Night and Alien Hominid might be good games, but many of us have been there and done that. Hopefully the new XNA community will be a valuable source of new games for the service in the future.
Nintendo are neither here nor there with their online service. The channels are a good idea – not only that, but people I know actually use them. It’ll be interesting to see what they’ll do next. Virtual Console – yeah, it’s pretty cool, but I do feel that I should get a little something extra for paying 5-15 bucks for something I’ve played before. There is a bit of concern about patchy emulation on Zelda, and that’s not good. As Chris said, many of the best games are yet to come, and it could be a while before we see them. But what about the original content – will Nintendo throw its hat into the arena, or will they rely on third parties to provide this type of content? As for the actual online gaming section of the Wii’s online service – what online gaming? Nintendo had a good debut for Wi-Fi Connect on the DS with Mario Kart DS, but they (typically) haven’t said a damn thing about the Wii’s equivalent.
I’m on the fence with Sony’s approach. They seem to have the right idea with the games on offer on the PlayStation Store – flashy titles like Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection and Gripshift, as well as retro titles like Mortal Kombat 2, and all for a relatively cheap price. The online gaming aspect is always a worry with Sony, so we’ll have to see how that goes down when we all get our consoles in 3 weeks time. I’m also a little disappointed that Sony decided against ripping off Microsoft’s achievement points system – they really do provide a good incentive for getting more out of a game.
Nintendo still seem to be playing their online strategy extremely close to their chests.
Tristan - PALGN Writer
The allure of random online play has alluded me since its very beginning. Even on PC I'd rather sit in a room playing via LAN with people I know and enjoy spending time with, safe in the knowledge that they're most likely not going to act like bots programmed to spontaneously blurt out the word gay or fag as a slur at any given chance. And much like Neil I'm constantly made to feel inept by the savant like skill of those playing most titles out there. In terms of improving this there is little that can be done. However performance of the actual games themselves could be improved greatly by providing hosted servers for all games - not unlike what usually takes place in PC gaming - rather than relying for the most part on peer to peer.
The ability of online to allow the release of games and other software an avenue for release that they would otherwise miss out on is what excites me the most about the Sony model of digital distribution intrigues me greatly and it promises to bring the luxury of smaller or more experimental games that PC gamers have enjoyed for years - but often for free - to the lounge room. Here's hoping the rumours of a Wii channel featuring the same sort of thing actual come to fruition as if developer's can get their head around game design for the Wii we could possibly see some very interesting stuff. Content is all well and good but in the reasonably closed nature of the online options, the console owner is a captive market and therefore pricing is the key.
Xbox Live still requires a little work in terms of ability to find things and although it is a great service it could do with a great deal of improvement in this area. Sony's model is still seems a little vague and although their stance is a reasonably hands off approach I believe that in order to create an easily accessible experience for the user a little more governance may be required. The Wii online functionality is still an enigma and it would definitely be nice to know where this is heading as I'm sure the the current lack of information is creating the impression for many that even Nintendo do not know.
Luke - PALGN PR/Marketing Director
Currently the online services for all of the consoles are extremely underwhelming. The Live Arcade has quickly become a dumping ground for Digital Eclipse, Nintendo's Virtual Console service is extremely expensive, and Sony's only got a few titles on their service.
The service that looks the most promising by far is Sony's PlayStation Network - with Tekken: Dark Resurrection, Gran Turismo HD and Gripshift all available at launch it's a great start. Sony will need to make sure they deliver these kinds of titles quite frequently, or the service will be dwarfed by Nintendo.
Which brings us to Nintendo. Whilst the sheer number of titles on the VC service is fantastic, none of them have been enhanced in anyway, and PAL gamers in particular have been stuffed around a little with substandard conversions. Nintendo will need to add some new titles to the service or drop the price; at the moment, paying 500 points for Ice Hockey is beyond ridiculous.
The real disappointment however comes from Microsoft. Live Arcade has been around for over twelve months now and we've only seen a few titles that have truely been worthwhile. Microsoft needs to find a way to speed up the certification of Live Arcade titles, as right now it's just taking far too long between the announcement of a game and the release.
Mark - PALGN Writer
You will not believe how much it irritates me that Microsoft charge a fee for Xbox Live, especially when most of the services provided are for free on my home computer. Pay to play multiplayer matches with other people, even though developers still don’t have an idea how to implement it correctly on consoles? Sounds like a complete waste. Additionally, it has taken the Xbox 360 online service well over a year to be at the point it is at the moment, only after the pressure from Sony and Nintendo started to kick-in. The premise for a good online system is there, but Microsoft is taking its sweet-arse time in making it worthwhile for its price.
On the other hand you have Sony providing its service for free. While I obviously haven’t looked at it enough to make a correct judgement on the service, I think that it equally matches what the Xbox 360 provides, and then some. The range of downloadable games dwarves XBLA’s in quality, and there appears to be much more to dive into (in terms of content). And when both the Xbox 360 and PS3 are providing almost identical services, I honestly believe that Sony has its head on straight and are pushing its service in the right direction. GT:HD for free is absolutely gold - I hope Sony provide similar services in the future. Game demos are a major bonus for me, and I’m sure for others too.
Nintendo’s Wii Channels are a complete joke though. They promised all these different channels, yet when the console launched we were stuck with three (possibly four?) standard channels. It took time before internet access, news and weather was available - just really sloppy. Then there’s the fact that they ensured that Wii Channels enabling people to create their own games and have them available for others would appear - although it hasn't - and then there’s the increasing popularity in game demos (a demos channel could easily be implemented to allow people to test out current or upcoming DS or Wii games). Honestly, I haven’t made the most of anything on the Wii. The Virtual Console games are interesting, but I’ve played a lot of them in the past. I’ll buy games that I loved and don’t have anymore, but I’d personally prefer to see a mix of new games (much like the PSN & XBLA) than purely old classics. Just Nintendo being Nintendo though: keeping gamers in the dark, with absolutely no promises of stronger online communities or improved services. Friend Codes will probably go down as one of the biggest 'online blunders' in history.
Parts of Xbox Live are much-loved, while others could do with a bit of a nip and tuck.
Jeremy - PALGN Writer
Even though I have the capabilities to access online services on most of the consoles that I own, I haven't exactly been the most active user. It wasn't until recently that I bought a wireless router, so Live consisted of extending a cable 10 meters and disconnecting my current connection whenever I wanted a demo or needed to play an online mode to assist with a review. Whenever I have played for fun, the fun has often been sullied by lag. Sure, you have one screen to yourself but didn't we all have some great times in 4-player split-screen?
The three next-gen consoles offer three differing services. Live is great in terms of content, downloading demos has saved me a few purchases but the XBLA is lacking in my opinion, in terms of a general level of quality. The PS3 network is rather similar to the Xbox 360, though I'm waiting for them to open the Australian service before I sign-up. The advantage that the PS3 has is that it can browse the net pretty much out of the box. This is extremely handy when there's only one computer in the house. Nintendo's Channels seems a little out-of-left-field at the moment but hopefully there are some substantial channels being worked on and the actual online service comes up soon - hopefully in time for Super Smash Bros Brawl. The VC is a great idea but two things worry me. Firstly, are there enough releases to keep it going for the next four or five years (two of the biggest N64 titles were released after only 3 months). Secondly, will the Australian service ever recieve titles that were never released here in the first place? If not, that's a black mark against the service that's otherwise brimming with potential.
So, what can be done in terms of improvements? Firstly, all publishers ought to scrap Microtransactions - unless they're at such a low rate that it's almost irrelevant. Hopefully, consumers will get smart and avoid the horse armour traps, hence giving publishers a hard lesson. Xbox Live could use some easier-to-find-things-in-then menus, good XBLA games (though some are on the way) and possibly harsher penalties for those who take the annonymity of the online experience to vulgar levels. The judge is still out on the PS3 network but word is that it's very similar to Live, so it may need to differentiate itself. Nintendo has stuff still in the works, but the sooner they get their online services, browser and substantial channels up and running, the better.
Patrick - PALGN Writer
I'm still sceptical about the online console experience. Ok, so it's pretty cool to have demos, trailers and classic games on the cheap via a few button presses, but I'm worried that we'll be seeing more and more incomplete software being shipped to stores because publishers can needlessly subject us to what is already anathema to most PC gamers: the dreaded release-day patch. As consoles increasingly merge with PCs in terms of functionality, we're increasingly going to see buggy, broken games reaching the consumer. I'm also not hugely impressed by the online marketplace structure as it stands, and this goes for all three systems. Prices are fixed pretty high, and new content through 'micro' transactions has gotten off to a pretty shaky start.
Joseph - PALGN Writer
Each console definetly offers a lot of prospect and variety that all gamers can take advantage of, so much so that at this stage there is no clear winner. Downloadable content including patches, new music tracks and race tracks certainly does expand the game in ways that were once only possiable via an expansion pack for a PC game.
Perhapes what has me excited the most are all the old school arcade and console game being avaliable to download for a small price. Finally, when there is a quiet period around in terms of new releases, you will simply be able to log onto your respected console's online service and download a game to relive those old memories of your childhood. Even better still, play the games you never got the chance too for whatever reason. Personally, I am waiting for the original Paper Mario to be added to the list of ever growing Virtual Console titles because I was unfortunate to never come across a copy in the stores so late in the N64's life.
As for who the clear winner out of the big three is, that answer is still a few years down the track - but from the current potiential each has shown, all services can be considered a winner.
Neil - PALGN Writer
Maybe I'm just an anti-social curmudgeon, but the wacky world of online gaming has always left me cold. Broadly speaking, 90% of my online experience has involved a prolonged mauling at the hands of the uber-skilled, or been in the company of that special brand of idiot that thrives behind the anonymity of the internet. The obvious solution is to only play with friends, but even that tends to fall foul of work, family and life in general. Not to mention the ever-present technical difficulties that chuck a spanner in the works when, by some miracle, everybody has managed to free up a Tuesday evening.
Which is a long way of saying that all I want from the online functionality of any console is to make my single-player experience better. Give me demos, trailers, cheap downloadable games, extra content - anything that doesn't involve those dreaded Other People. Besides, if you ask me, the best multiplayer experience always involves one console in a room with a bunch of people shouting at each other.
Lose all this online multiplayer bollocks and give me a console that can handle ten controllers, wirelessly connect to multiple monitors and let my real-world buddies beam their controller set-ups, hi-scores and homemade levels/tracks/whatever from their phones, usb drives or neural implants right into the machine. Then I'll be happy. Okay, maybe not happy, exactly, but slightly less irritable.
FlOw is amongst the most promising of the PlayStation 3's first batch of downloadable titles.
Nev - PALGN Writer
As far as online gaming goes, Microsoft's implementation is obviously leagues ahead of the competition. But at the same time, there are very few online games that appeal to me, personally. Halo 3 is going to be great and all, but will that constitute your nine thousandth game of Capture the Flag?
I'd like to see more original takes on online gaming. Not everything has to be competitive... There are other genres that could make use of online play than just racing games and shooters. Phantasy Star Online was always been one of my favourites, and Blizzard's excuses for not releasing a console version of World of Warcraft are starting to wear thin.
I remember seeing a promotional trailer for Shadow of the Colossus which was made about half-way through development. At that early stage, the game was looking very different. A group of 3 boys (very similar in look to ICO) were riding on horseback, working together to bring down the Colossus. It looked incredible, and gives a glimpse of how great co-operative online play can be.
Nintendo's going to be the last to the party with online gaming, but a title like Animal Crossing on the Wii (sans the friend codes, fingers crossed) could be a huge hit, along the lines of Second Life. Female gamers, especially, are more interested in the social interaction aspects of online gaming.
The fact that Second Life and WoW have such high subscription numbers shows that there's definitely a market out there for something other than "World War 2 Simulator Online 12."
Chris-Leigh - PALGN Executive Editor
This topic is a tad evocative for me, as it recalls one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time. Yep, playing the Dreamcast's Phantasy Star Online over my humble 56k modem was truly blissful. That particular game was a revelation for me personally, a landmark of sorts, primarily because it was the first time I managed to fully comprehend the wonder and potential of online play. It was the first time I truly understood the satisfaction and joy that could be gleaned from simply co-operating and working together in a digital world such as Ragnol.
A few years on, and I'm not utterly convinced that this avenue has been sufficiently explored by every competitor in the market.
Take Nintendo. Where the Wii is concerned, there's not too many areas where the big N has dropped the ball as emphatically as it has with online play. Resorting to its (admittedly very impressive) back catalogue of retro gems has increasingly felt like more and more of a desperate cop-out by the Kyoto company. Repackaging is just so very Nintendo, and whilst the firm is not the only one to be guilty of rewrapping old games in the industry (far from it), the lack of any online play whatsoever in the Western world truly hurts, and leaves us with... What? A selection of ten- to twenty-year old games, a barely substantial news channel and a laughably inaccurate weather section? So far Nintendo, its a D-minus from me.
The PlayStation Network meanwhile is shaping up to be a neat microcosm of the PlayStation 3 itself. How so? Well, it feels ever-so-slightly rushed, not entirely complete, and rather like a work-in-progress. Sound like any consoles you know? At least it will have online play.
Which leaves us with Microsoft. Ah, Microsoft. If one company has fulfilled the Dreamcast's visionary, admirable stab at online console gaming over the past five years, it is almost unquestionably Microsoft. Of course, the Seattle firm wisely laid the foundations of the current Xbox Live service with the original Xbox, an example that Sony and Nintendo should have followed.
So yes, I freely admit it: I am an Xbox Live junkie. I love almost everything about Xbox Live in its current state. The Achievement points. The ease-of-use and the accessibility. The Friends system. The Feedback system. The (largely) fluid, buttery-smooth gaming experience that's to be found there. It is, frankly, miles ahead of the competition, and Microsoft should be applauded for its decision to place so much emphasis on online console gaming five years ago, rather than in the past few months. And who knows - it could just have given them the edge in this latest home console race.
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So there you have it. It seems that for the most part we're interested in some forms of online functionality in our consoles but overall we'd only rate what is currently out there as fair to middling. It's still early days for this round of systems, and as we're constantly hearing the rhetoric that there's always the ability to update the functionality via a firmware patch. We've seen some of these improve services already, yet given the response from us here at PALGN, and many others out there, it seems that the console makers have their work cut out if they want to get our smiles to spread ear to ear.
. Stupid Nintendo, just use the systems code, which still is bad for them anyway.
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