what i think ST should do that they havent in there prevoius phantasy star games.

[Zipzo]

Same mistake ST Makes with PSO/PSU's is they dont have commercials on tv for it in america canada or europe....hopefuly when PSO2 comes out in america they make a commercial. and give us the same updates as japan...then PSO2 might be big in america/EU. anyone else agree?

I think this has been said before but...I don't believe Sonic Team is at all involved in the development of PSO2.

[RemiusTA]

I dont think they are either. The game would look significantly more appealing if so.

[Mag-X]

I remember when the Dreamcast was out, they barely ran any commercials at all. I can't see them starting now.

[Macman]

I dont think they are either. The game would look significantly more appealing if so.

Isn't that what Sonic Team specializes in these days? Making games LOOK appealing, then they release and it plays like total garbage?

[RemiusTA]

Both Sonic Colors and Generations were amazing

[NoiseHERO]

To me? Everything just looks the same now.

For example, i saw people talking about Star Ocean and Final Fantasy recently. Do me a favor. Do a Google Image search for Star Ocean 1. Now, do the same for Star Ocean 2. Now, do the same for Star Ocean 3. When you get to 4, you're going to notice a change in the character designs that's obviously different than the other 3, ASIDE from the fact that they're pre-rendered. They look shockingly similar to a game we're all very used to. Oh, and speaking of Phantasy Star, you can go ahead and do the same for that series as well. Around the time of the current generation, the art style slowly shifts from "unique" (PSO, some of PSU) to "ive seen this somewhere before". (AotI, PSP2). You could do the same with Final Fantasy, but they have exclusive artists, who for the most part can switch it up very well; but to say Final Fantasy hasn't fallen victim to this same dieline that other japanese things have would be a stretch. SO much focus has been put on CHARACTERS and ACTION that the series has almost become completely disconnected from itself, with Final Fantasy XIII only consisting of...well, a cast of characters and a bunch of action. And that's it.

But you can do it with any long running japanese franchise with a recent entry, and you can tell me whether or not somewhere down the line, the overall feel of the game just completely shifts.

Pretty much, it's just like everything else in media, do what you can to hold people attention. The easiest way out is looking like what's popular more and more. I'm sure popular Japanese game characters didn't start making all of their characters look like shounen jump and kingdom hearts characters on accident.

I'd say it works even at first... But after decade of this I'm sure everyone is waiting for games to look more original again. OR the other easy way out, going for the classic throwback look. I'm sure if Nintendo were on a desperate budget, Mario's overalls would turn red again.

[RemiusTA]

Yeah, you know i think thats why i enjoy retro games. I think we're a bit spoiled by the increased graphical power of newer games, but i really am starting to believe we've finally hit the maximum in terms of graphical capabilities. These days i'd much rather opt for lower graphics and better use of the processsing power for gameplay elements, like physics and whatnot. Although, many developers seem to fail at using that as well. I haven't played a single Tomb Raider game that was as impressive as the first.

[Kazzi]

Isn't that what Sonic Team specializes in these days? Making games LOOK appealing, then they release and it plays like total garbage?

Not gonna lie, I laughed because it's mostly true ;_;

Getting the right balance of aesthetics and gameplay isn't as easy as it sounds though. Modern games are much easier to play than the retro games, but they're also more difficult in terms of coding etc. It's a strange irony when you think about it.

But at least ST are actively listening to their userbase and making the changes people request. So who knows, by the time it's released we could end up with something quite awesome. It's nice to have a bit of optimism. The greatest tool in advertising is word of mouth.

[RemiusTA]

Like i said, both Sonic Colors and Generations were amazing.


In fact, Unleashed was a damn good game as well. The biggest issue i had with that game was the terrible framerate issues and the werehog fight music playing over the godlike stage BGMs.



Regardless of how you decide to overexagerrate Unleashed's issues, Sonic Team hasn't made a bad game since. They said during development of Unleashed that they basically hired a whole new team, and they've been RAPIDLY improving. Even if you were to somehow view Sonic Unleashed as complete trash, Sonic Colors came out only like a year afterwards, and pretty much everyone loves that game.

Generations is either amazing or shit depending on how retarded of a sonic fan you are.

[Kazzi]

Generations was amazing, but it's was painfully short with no re-play value unless you were desperate for achievements. Should have had another set of stages in my opinion.

But it's true, Sonic Team are really trying to improve and make great games again. This is why I'm not too worried about PSO2 at all.