Time for me to piss off "teh hardcorz" by defending a "baby game" or "game that's ruining our sacred hobby" just like Angry Birds, Wii Sports, etc. I will admit there's some "evil casual" games I like such as some of those evil Wii games. All too often people like to hate on games simply because they don't appeal to their personal tastes and are popular with other folks going back to the TV Trope of "It's popular therefore it sucks." And I see a lot of you that do that. I'm waiting to see how long it takes for Minecraft to become "overated" given it's boom in populairity.
But back to Skylanders or rather Skylanders Giants. As I said my friend won the game in some online raffle he did and since he already bought the PS3 "Portal Master Pack" (basically a cheaper pack for those who already had the first game that just as the disc and Tree Rex the Giant figurine), he handed it off to me. As I said in my blog last year where I experienced the first Skylanders, it was an intellectual curiosity for me. Whenever there's a game that comes out that is super super popular, I want to experience it just to see what the fuss is. I did this with Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Nintendogs, World of Warcraft, Angry Birds, etc. I have yet to try the demo of Mincraft. It's on my to-do list. And my experience with the first Skylanders was brief but enough to see the appeal.
Of course as been the case with this gaming generation the "hardcore gamers" always get their panties in a knot when a game comes out that appeals to an audience other than them, it's not enough to simply ignore and not buy the game, they have to complain constantly about how it's "ruining" everything despite never playing the game. So what I'm going to do is essentially go through every argument I hear regarding this and making a counter argument to show how silly it all is.
"They're killing Spyro!!" Ok "Spyro fans" when was the last time you actually gave a sh-- about the purple dragon who was once a PS1 mascot that Insomniac left behind for the Lombax and Chimera? Pretty much all post PS1 Spyro games were medicore at best. Yes I know now that you see some kid talking about how he loves Spyro in Skylanders and a part of you dies inside but I think this goes back to a blog I read about "Other people like it so I don't now." refering to the hoopla over both the new Tomb Raider's multiplayer and Bayonetta 2 being a WiiU exclusive of how we like something until it does something we don't like then we pout. I also think it's jealousy of the fact that Spyro's more popular now than he ever was on the PS1. Have you see the insane amount of Skylander merchandise out there now? And Spyros on most of it. This is the same as Nintendo fans all butt hurt because they would've rather Nintendo went third party like Sega then "sell out" to the mainstream crowd to remain in the console market. To which I say GROW THE F--- UP!!
"It's just a marketing tool to get kids to buy cheap pieces of plastic." Fair enough. But how many of you did the following.
We are just as guilty as spending money on gaming stuff that we really didn't need or stopped using after a few times. The game industry is a business and a businesses exist primarily to make money. How much do we spend on DLC to get those extra maps, costumes, etc.? Most kids don't have credit cards for DLC and Activison found a way to compensate.
"I'm a parent and Skylanders is costing me money!!" Here's a brillant idea, next time your kid's at the store begging for another figure, just say "no." Or do what my friend does, when his daughter has a good report card or does her chores or whatever, he rewards her wtih a Skylander figure or sometimes a 3 pk depending. Or is this just making your child happy taking funds from the next FPS you wanted? Newsflash: kids are expensive. You think buying them toys is bad? Wait till you send them to college. I'm personally glad a company other than Nintendo is actually making somewhat of an effort to make a decent game for kids. I'd rather my kid play Skylanders than some crappy piece of lisenced shlock.
Also here's a quick rundown of what is actuallly required for Skylanders:
"It's a stupid baby game!!" Just like Mario and Pokemon and Kirby, hated by those who think the M rating means "quality." Most of us are intellegent enough to know that a game's rating is not a indicator of quality. There are excellent E rated games out there and horrid M rated games. But after spending time with at least Giants, it's actually challenging at times. I set the difficulty to hard and around bout the 4th level I was dying. The trick is when one character gets low on health you can swap it out for another.
And if the story mode feels too easy there's going back to stages to get the "find all the stuff" "finish in a set time" challenges as well as the Heroic/Arena challenges. Surprising amount of content actually. I'll get into that more when I get around to reviewing the game.
But guys, this isnt' going away any time soon. You know Activision will milk it for all they can and then there's this...
http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/c09sfc/disney-infinity-debut-trailer
Basically Skylanders
isney Edition and I am still convinced it's only a matter of time before Nintendo does this with Pokemon and makes all the money in the world. Look I'm not saying everyone go out and buy this game because it's the greatest thing ever but just get over it. It's like anything if you don't like it, don't play it and it won't affect your life aside from having to see it on the shelf at the game store.
Also those of you waiting on my "Top Five Worst MK Clones." I'm still doing the research cause there's a lot of them out there. Thanks for your patience.
I would like to say that action figure comment was uncalled for. I have been laid multiple times a month sometimes quite a few during the week. And I soon will be getting my second glass shelving unit filled with action figures. But I am guilty for most of the stuff you listed off.
I am guilty of having RockBand instruments in my closet although I still believe Angry Birds is a stupid and broken game that is evil!!!!
Skylanders is great! I keep seeing people say that they will never make a Pokemon game like this.... I highly doubt that! Pokemon will definitely hop on this even if its like Pokemon Stadium.
2 Like I love skylanders and my kids love it. They do care about collecting all the toys more than the game itself, so I can see the hook. But like you said I use it as a motivator.
What I like about the option of buying other figurines is that each new character, I'm assuming, has a different playstyle, therefore giving the player new opportunities. I like the business practise as a means of giving players different experiences, rather than the same one constantly.
Honestly, though: I just don't care for the game itself. If people like it, good, I don't mind.
@CamoBullo They each have somewhat of their own unique moveset. Each one has a basic attack, then a stronger attack and then as you level up, you can gain a third attack or in the case of Skylanders with wings, you learn a flight move that makes you hover and go faster. Next time you're at the store place a couple on the portal display and see you for yourself.
1 Like I actually think Skylanders is a very good idea. You get a toy that gives you a character in the game, right? So, instead of buying the game, and having the character in the game, then buying the action figure, you get both the game and the action figure together. Then, you can get more toys and get them in the game as well.
So, it's a great idea, especially if you're the company making all the money. Wish I'd thought of it!
I seen that they were going to release an Ezio figurine for Skylanders, did that ever happen?
@timdogg42069 I thought it was going to be a thing for the upcoming "Rayman Origins" where the WiiU pad functioned like the Portal of Power in that you would sit and item on it and it became something in the game. The early trailer showed a heart that becomes tons of hearts, a rabbid that opens a Rabbid level where Rayman could beat the snot out of those buggers and it fades to black as the player picks up an Ezio figure. But since then we never heard any more on that.
@kbaily @timdogg42069 Oh ok that's right. I couldn't remember for certain but thanks for that. If the peripherals and figurines didn't cost so much I think that could be a great addition for a lot of games.
1 Like First of all, let me say that I don't care about Skylanders or your defense of it. I came here to comment on your Xbox LIVE comment.
"Spend $60 a year for something everyone else gets for free....Xbox fans who still try to justify this?"
You don't get cross game chat, an updated GUI, frequent and speedy network updates with PSN or PSN+. I don't care how many free games you get or how many discounts you get. I want a hassle free multiplayer experience that is constantly updating and improving. You don't get what I get for free.
Xbox LIVE fans will always justify Xbox LIVE because it is justifiable. Compare Xbox LIVE to PSN's sluggish and infrequent updates, non cross game chat, and sluggish/outdated GUI. Free is nice but when you look at what you're paying for, and have actually used both services like I have, you can come to the conclusion that $40-$50 (non retail) or even $60 is worth it of you are a frequent online user. "
You get what you pay for" is a saying that is commonly used by Xbox LIVE fans such as myself that understand all of this. Maybe one day you will actually use both for a prolonged period of time and compare little things that seem to go unnoticed by a lot of people. Little things like the GUI taking like minutes to respond is quite annoying and is just one example. I use the same internet connection on both. If you have used both for a prolonged period of time and still can't see how someone could justify paying like $45 a YEAR for a better online experience then you must be very poor or don't care about your online experience that much.
I am an Xbox Live fan and don't own a PS3. I pay this every year. I am not saying it's not "worth" it , but I definitely think it's a ripoff and MS would benefit more by not charging or at the very most $19.99. If PS network can offer what they have for FREE no way the few more benefits is worth $50 a month. Just my two cents. BTW, Go Yanks!!
3 Like @YYankee For someone who only cares about playing online, (or just wants to use a streaming service they already pay for), they get everything they need with PSN for free. For them, paying for XBL is unjustifiable. If you want the bells and whistles, then ya, maybe XBL is the better route.
@JustPlainLucas @YYankee That was my thing. I am not that big into playing online and for me it wasn't enough to justify spending that. And honestly I have had no problems playing online on my PC or my PS3.
2 Like How is having a Playstation Plus membership as useless as the other junk you put on that list? The free games that are included make the PS+ status pay for itself. Large discounts, free betas. Really, you must be telling a bad joke.
@00LiteYear except from what I hear, you lose those free games when your PS+ expires, making them "not so free" after all.
@SR71halo Yes, the games expire the same day your membership ends, not unlike XBL. When you renew membership, every free item is playable again. On the other hand, you keep all your discounted games.
I forgot to mention that PS+ membership also includes the Cloud, which stores current progress of saved games onto your PS account. Very useful for continuing a story at a friends house or recovering all your lost data after the Playstation crashed.
@00LiteYear I had PS+ for a couple months and I've realized that with all the money I spend on games I'm actually losing money not getting PS+. Really, that service pays for itself.
2 Like Bought 2 essentially identical Pokemon games in order to "catch them all?" (Raises Hand)If Skylanders came out when I was 8, I would have been all over that shit lol
@RyanShazam Exactly it's easy to forget that we were all kids once and we would see a toy on TV and our little lizard brains wanted the toy. There were TV shows and movies solely created to make us buy toys Activision has taken this to the next logical step, video games that make kids want toys. Even as a girl growing up I wanted Ninja Turtles because I liked the cartoon.
@JustPlainLucas @kbaily @RyanShazam Bucky O'Hare or am I the only one who remembers that show?
I totally agree with you. It's so easy to hate something but apparently difficult to appreciate something instead. I haven't invested in Skylanders yet but it looks like a blast, and when I do finally give in and buy it, I will be very happy to have it sitting right next to my 'hardcore' collection of Bioshock, Battlefield and Mass Effect. Gamers need to realize that games are meant to have fun with...so do exactly that, not spread negativity.
1 Like This is a great post. Never played the game and probably never will but you have a great "voice" and do a very good job of making your points. Most of which I agree with. Nice blog, don't be surprised if people rag on you just because you were able to make a good argument about a game they want to hate.
so your okay with the industry ripping of childs fantasy and parents wallets ... awesome, more areguments plz
I dislike Skylanders because of their business practices but you made some serious assumptions I need to address.
The Spyro thing, I see you're point and I really can't say your wrong but I can't help and feel sad that kids today aren't experiencing Spyro how I did. Also I played a lot of the games for ps2 and gameboy advance. I was young so I kinda blindly loved them. Either way, at least kids today get to enjoy Spyro in some form so you're right.
Now I said I dislike their marketing and you have an argument for that, well here is my responses to your bullet points. No, I haven't. No, I don't. No, because no one I know has ever been hacked on Xbox Live and I'm willing to pay for the security and reliability. No, I haven't. No, I don't. And I do have a Rosie Big daddy figure. It was a gift though that my girlfriend bought me at Icon last year so ironically that pretty much refutes that entire bullet lol.
The point is, Skylanders has stuff that's already in the game and you have to pay extra for it. The ONLY time this is acceptable is xbox live subscription because for multiplayer you have to run servers which is expensive (if you have good security unlike a certain "network" which was repeatedly hacked, but I digress). But I HATE when pre-owned games have half the damn game locked unless you buy a pass. That isn't f--king fair. It's sleazy and offensive to me as a (not hardcore in the slightest) gamer. I don't hate Skylanders the game, I hate the business model and you said it, there will be more. THAT is why I hate Skylanders. It's successful because kids don't know they're being siphoned for money.
As for you're other two sections (parenting and "baby game") I completely agree. Parents should say no, and E rated games can be fun. Honestly, the only thing I disagree with you about is the marketing practice and it's the only reason I dislike Skylanders. (that and for stealing Spyro, I know it's unfair though so I try to ignore it)
I'm not a hardcore gamer, and for the most part I agree with you, but I think you're wrong about the marketing technique being valid.
How is the marketing not valid? if you dont' want the toys don't buy them. I had rather buy my kids this one game per year and spend some periodically on the toys as I had continually buy other kid games for $60 a year. I don't get what is "wrong" or "unfair" about their marketing practices. I think the toys and the games are awesome.
@kenny1292 "The ONLY time this is acceptable is xbox live subscription because for multiplayer you have to run servers which is expensive (if you have good security unlike a certain "network" which was repeatedly hacked, but I digress)"
I find it humorous that you think Microsoft's fee for Xbox Live has anything to do with their security. The 360 was hacked almost immediately upon release, the only difference is that Microsoft wasn't stupid enough to attack the hackers and make it a problem. Not defending the hackers, but Sony really brought it upon themselves after their tirade against hackers when the PS3 was cracked. If Microsoft acted the same way, they would have been hacked on that level as well.
Aahhhhh.... the good old days of Spyro on the PS1. Some good times and memories playing those games. As of right now, the images of some of the levels are popping back up.
1 Like Great blog. Loved it. Too bad people think this is a childish game where people still pokemon which we did in primary school. This one's better since you at least collect real figurines and use them in the game. IMO it is a great idea.
3 Like The game is basically the new version of Pokemon, Yugioh, and every other "collect em all!" type of merchandising aimed at children. I had no idea what the f*ck it was until literally a week ago. The reason I didn't is because I don't pay attention to things that do not appeal to adult men. The only reason I even learned about it in the first place was because I was searching for an auxiliary cable and happened to pass the aisle containing all the Skylanders sh*t.
Everybody b*tching about it now must not remember begging their parents for some dumb action figure that was part of a "collectable" line of figures. Or Pokemon cards. Or Magic: The Gathering cards, which I'd wager some of you man children still play around with. Or Power Rangers action figures. Or, Dear God, some of you may even buy Brony merchandise.
Its meant for children. If you aren't between the ages of 3-16, its definitely not meant for you and why would you complain about it?
The Spyro fan criticism also applied to the crappy PS2 ones. People weren't just annoyed because they weren't very good, but also because of some of the rather bizarre changes in tone, so there's not much difference with the criticism of Skylanders.
Meh, only thing I don't like being done here, is how Skylanders used Spyro to start, then ditched it with Skylanders Giants, that's what happened with Rayman, remember Rayman Raving Rabbids? After that, Rayman was ditched and Rabbids became its own thing and Rayman games died for a few years until Legends was released, which I haven't played anyway
1 Like Unfortunately I do not have time to read the whole blog but I will say this. I don't like skylanders because of the exploitative business model, that is why I blast it. I also don't much care for the gameplay, but that's not why I get angry.
@danielwd Well that was the whole point of said blog if you actually took time to read it instead of just posting to post.
For me the only real downside to Skylanders is that it limits children's potential: when I was a kid I used to create awesome adventures with my toys with the help of something called imagination!
Skylanders designs everything for you: the kid only has to move the character on a predefined path and push a few buttons. It is kinda lazy and sure doesn't help personal growth. It's detrimental.
Please, prove me wrong if it's the case.
@cinerius well ... for the creative part or imagination of children ... I think LEGO is guilty ... When I was a kid you had a medival theme, a space theme, a pirate theme and a city theme. None of them tied to any story at all ... now LEGO sell Harry Potter ( medieval ) Pirate of the Carrabean ( Pirate ) Star Wars ( Space ) and a City theme which will get a game too on the WiiU.
I have some doubt that a children will really create something of their own with a play set.
I would actually love if they sold just LEGOs, not all this movie themed give us money crap now.
@cinerius Doesn't God of War do the same thing? As well as Call of Duty? Walk down a path, killing enemies till the next checkpoint?
Unfortunately what you say is true. There is something inherently fun and relaxing/relieving in these "easy-on-the-mind" games, which we seek as they are empowering with little effort.
But that's a problem especially for children. I'm only afraid that they could get used to having everything already done for them, losing the motivation to actually create something original themselves.
1 Like @cinerius @kbaily Well this mostly comes down to the fact that all too often devs look at kids and think "we have to make this easy or kids won't play it" this mostly came with the advent of more complex controllers. And it's not entirely fair because I believe kids are smarter and think more deeply than we give them credit for but I'll save that whole thing for another blog.
4 Like @cinerius @JustPlainLucas If you want them to flex their creative muscles, why not give them Minecraft? The game forces you to think outside the box and allows you to build/do whatever you want.
It's like Legos, just not nearly as expensive or as threatening to your bare feet.
No way, I love videogames too much (and I'm only nineteen)! But when/if I have children I'll have them start with the old classics (at least ps1 era), where you had to fill the games with your imagination to make them more realistic/immersive and show them the evolution of the media in the hope of sparkling some interest in forwarding it. Or something like that.
