GGCC #74 - It's Not a Demo, It's a Beta

[CyberKnight (mod)]

Bantha Skull, RPMDDS, and CyberKnight get together to talk about the big games coming up this year, whether or not a beta can make or break public opinion on a title before it’s released, and the future of Kinect integration. Will Halo 4 be another blockbuster? Will Steel Battalion prove the Kinect for hardcore gamers? Will CyberKnight ever have anyone to play Reach with again? The Geezers tackle these questions and more.

Community Cast #74

[JediChric]

Several things:

I loved the co-op gameplay of Borderlands more than the game itself. The fun you can have with four people just going to town on enimies is wonderful. My biggest dis-like is that you have to level up to a certain point before you become powerful enough to do real damage.


I think Demo's/Beta's can kill game sales because they can focus on the wrong aspect of a gametype. For instance, you mentioned Battlefield 3. I bought that after the crappy demo because I thought, "oh, it's a beta so they'll have things worked out upon release." Nope, they STILL had server issues a month after the release. Not only that, the co-op (think MW ops) didn't work well at all. I lost interest in the single player after one level. When Ghost Recon beta came out last week, I almost cancelled my pre-order because it was the MP gametype like MW3 (MP Deathmatch with timmies running around lone-wolfing). If I wanted to play MW3, I'd play MW3. After some discussion on the boards, it was revealed that there would be private matches and up to 12 friends can play a private match, my faith was restored.


Thank you for going over Spartan Ops. Before you talked about that, I was thinking they changed the MP to a MW3 type gameplay. With Spartan Ops, it's a definite buy. But the removal of Firefight caused me to cringe a little. I can remember me and three other Geezers (Bantha Skull being one of them) trying like crazy to get the Vidmaster Endure achievement on ODST. I have only had that much fun in a single gametype a couple of times since then. Firefight in ODST will be missed. (Reach Firefight was kind of cheating, because of the settings you could tone it too, but fun in its own way.)


I'm sure a number of people will buy Halo 4 just to because it's Halo 4, but it has some pretty big shoes to fill. Halo Reach Legendary campaign was not EASY, BTW! 4.5 hours just to complete the finial mission nearly killed me...literally.


Kinect is dead to me. I've been carrying the water for that thing like I was Gunga Din! I'm done...


Oh, and Cyber, I need more Reach achievements. Can we get a cheese room together?


Bantha, you love me. Just admit it.

[BANTHA]

Jedi, those few weeks that we were getting the Firefight achievements were awesome. I agree, it was some of the best times I've ever had on Live. I actually just listened to the 343 Podscast and they were saying that Spartan Ops is sort of an evolution of Firefight. They didn't get into it but I'm hoping that they are going to address what was my only dislike about Firefight. Like you said, in ODST Firefight was a real challenge. In Reach, for some reason it lacked a little bit of soul. After a while it was just mindless shooting of enemies. No real strategy was needed. I'm hoping that Spartan Ops will combine the desperation of fighting waves of enemies with the need for co-op strategy and a purpose other than just killing enemies. If they can do that, then it would be great and still have a firefight feel.

By the way, I'm short a few Reach achievements to so if we can get a room together, I'm in.

[JediChric]

Oh, and it was the movie The Core that the guy used a gum wrapper to get free long distance on a cell phone.

[CyberKnight (mod)]

The last level took me four hours as well; I still maintain it was easier than Halo 2.

The thing that bothers me about the loss of Firefight is that it's the one mode I know I can play on my own that's not campaign. You know, when I can't seem to get in a multiplayer game...

Any time I'm playing Borderlands, feel free to jump in. I still have yet to play multiplayer.

And of course I'll help out with achievements any time (so long as I'm not in a session already). What Reach achievements are left?

[JediChric]

Outstanding Halo Reach Achievements:
If They Came To Hear Me Beg - Can't help me with that one
You Blew It Up! - Noble 1: Blow up the research facility in a matchmade Invasion game on Breakpoint.
This has caused more stress due to being the cause to my un-even gamescore...
Offensive Driver - Noble 1: Earn a kill in a matchmade Rocket Race game.


All of the Anniversary Map Pack
Don't Touch That! - Defiant: Prevent the attacking team from touching the flag in a matchmade 1-Flag CTF game.
Paper Beats Rock - Defiant: Assassinate a player that just exited Armor-Lock in a matchmade game.
All Alone - Defiant: Be the last surviving uninfected player in a matchmade Infection game.
Top Shot - Anniversary: Get 3 headshot kills in a row in a matchmade game.
Emergency Room - Anniversary: Infect 3 players in a single round in a matchmade Infection game.
Stick it to the Man! - Anniversary: Stick and kill the flag carrier with a Plasma Grenade in a matchmade game.
Dive Bomber - Anniversary: Perform a Beat Down on an enemy player while using the Jetpack during a matchmade game.
License to Kill - Anniversary: Run over 5 people with a vehicle in a matchmade game.
Bounty Hunter - Anniversary: Capture 10 skulls at once in a matchmade Headhunter game.
From Hell's Heart - Anniversary: Kill an enemy with their own Plasma Grenade that is stuck to you in a matchmade game.


The only one I REALLY want is You Blew It Up!

[BANTHA]

Here's my list

Candy from a Baby - Defiant: Capture two flags from an enemy capture zone in a matchmade Stockpile game.
Don't Touch That! - Defiant: Prevent the attacking team from touching the flag in a matchmade 1-Flag CTF game.
Paper Beats Rock - Defiant: Assassinate a player that just exited Armor-Lock in a matchmade game.
All Alone - Defiant: Be the last surviving uninfected player in a matchmade Infection game.
Emergency Room - Anniversary: Infect 3 players in a single round in a matchmade Infection game.
Stick it to the Man! - Anniversary: Stick and kill the flag carrier with a Plasma Grenade in a matchmade game.
From Hell's Heart - Anniversary: Kill an enemy with their own Plasma Grenade that is stuck to you in a matchmade game.