Video Game News and Miscellany

Gamestop as we know it appears to be dying. They'll be closing a large amount of their stores and switching to selling cell phones and other mobile devices.

http://gamesided.com/2014/04/24/gamestop-closing-120-stores-focusing-mobile/
120 stores out of 6,600 isn't exactly dying.

But they will have to continue to diversify if they want to keep going. I like having a store dedicated to video games, but they've kind of made that hard to stomach when they're the only game in town, and that game wants you to pre-order stuff every visit.
 
Dying? They're still making money hand over foot in used sales.

The reason for the closings is due to the overflow from the merger with EB. In some areas there were 3 Gamestops within a 1 mile radius since they never closed the EB stores and just converted them. What they're doing here is converting one store per cluster into a mobile style store to still have massive game sales as well as dip into the mobile market.
 
Dying? They're still making money hand over foot in used sales.

The reason for the closings is due to the overflow from the merger with EB. In some areas there were 3 Gamestops within a 1 mile radius since they never closed the EB stores and just converted them. What they're doing here is converting one store per cluster into a mobile style store to still have massive game sales as well as dip into the mobile market.
In that case, one of mine may be closing. There's one in the mall and one across the street from the mall. They do specialize separately between consoles and handhelds, but if you're right, I'm guessing they'll kill one of them.
 
In that case, one of mine may be closing. There's one in the mall and one across the street from the mall. They do specialize separately between consoles and handhelds, but if you're right, I'm guessing they'll kill one of them.
Back where I lived before, we had 3 within a 3 block radius and 9 within a 10 mile radius because of the EB merger.
 
Maybe if the console market would stop being such ponces and give people what they want, they'll stop having to worry about the lack of growth.
 
They're also not seeing any growth in the current market and need to change or else their shareholders will bail.
Here I was referring to Gamestop and the choice to close up some shops and I was referring to the console game market.
 
IGN gave the new Kirby game a 6/10 and people are raging for some reason. Though IGN's review sounds stupid, people are acting like they gave it a 2 it didn't deserve. People need to stop treating the "out of 10" review scale as if it's the American school grading system where anything lower than 6 in this case would be failing.
 
IGN gave the new Kirby game a 6/10 and people are raging for some reason. Though IGN's review sounds stupid, people are acting like they gave it a 2 it didn't deserve. People need to stop treating the "out of 10" review scale as if it's the American school grading system where anything lower than 6 in this case would be failing.
It's when someone gives a 7 or 8 and everyone flips their lid that bugs me. Or the time Gamespot gave GTA V a 9/10 and people were angry. Or Last of Us an 8.
 
I'd condemn them for getting angry over scores, but this is apparently how bonuses get paid out now and a low score is basically not only taking money from your wallet but also risking your studio. The real issue here is that marketing departments at game companies are more important than developers now, yet they don't fired whole sale when their marketing fails.
 
I'd condemn them for getting angry over scores, but this is apparently how bonuses get paid out now and a low score is basically not only taking money from your wallet but also risking your studio. The real issue here is that marketing departments at game companies are more important than developers now, yet they don't fired whole sale when their marketing fails.
Does Nintendo really care enough about an IGN score to take it out on the studio that did work on Kirby?

Personally, I was gonna buy it, but I didn't feel like plunking $40 on what I'll probably only play for 10 hours, so I'm going to wait for it to be cheaper someday (or rent it). Had nothing to do with the score--in fact, more to do with Nintendo's announcing Smash Bros for 3DS this summer, so I didn't feel like I needed the Kirby multi-player battle mini-game to tide me over.
 
Does Nintendo really care enough about an IGN score to take it out on the studio that did work on Kirby?

Personally, I was gonna buy it, but I didn't feel like plunking $40 on what I'll probably only play for 10 hours, so I'm going to wait for it to be cheaper someday (or rent it). Had nothing to do with the score--in fact, more to do with Nintendo's announcing Smash Bros for 3DS this summer, so I didn't feel like I needed the Kirby multi-player battle mini-game to tide me over.
No, but Zenimax was certainly willing to do it to Obsidian over a tenth of a point.
 
Mario Kart 8 Nintendo Direct: I liked the Nintendo Directs where Reggie or Iwata would talk about new games and features. This one is full of amateur web-celebrity style shenanigans and it is PAINFUL to sit through at times. I don't even know what the new items are because I skipped that portion. Couldn't handle it. Nintendo, keep the gimmicks in your hardware, not your presentation.

Despite all that, the game looks great. I like the piranha plant item, the decision not to flip the screen during anti-gravity parts, the new online features. The music is gorgeous. The final new racers are Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach (Peach's counterpart to Metal Mario). Still on the fence as to whether I want to get it at release. If issues at work continue, we'll be strapped for income, and while I do have a bunch of Gamestop store credit, I'd be plunging all of it into this game.

But still, it's shaping up to be a solid game.

EDIT: Also, if you buy it and register it at Club Nintendo, you get a download code for a free Wii U game, choices being New Super Mario Bros U, Pikmin 3, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, or Wii Party U.[DOUBLEPOST=1398897679,1398897270][/DOUBLEPOST]In Super Smash Bros news, there will apparently be a huge tournament during E3, as well as being able to play the new games at Best Buy.

Nintendo had better step it up for E3 this year. Having a Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle with a wheel is a great idea, and will probably move consoles since Mario Kart is a big system seller anyway, but it'd be nice to hear about a new Zelda, new Metroid, etc. Something that makes me want to play my Wii U.
 

Necronic

Staff member
Someone mentioned Tera to me recently, some new MMO that is in Beta I think? It also has some scandal involving characters that look like 8 year old girls in lingerie. Apparently that's ok though because in the game they are actually 1000 years old....
 
Someone mentioned Tera to me recently, some new MMO that is in Beta I think? It also has some scandal involving characters that look like 8 year old girls in lingerie. Apparently that's ok though because in the game they are actually 1000 years old....
Tera came out like two years ago, and all I know about it is it has super slutty 'armor' on super busty character models. With wings, I think? I don't know... it's korean.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Someone mentioned Tera to me recently, some new MMO that is in Beta I think? It also has some scandal involving characters that look like 8 year old girls in lingerie. Apparently that's ok though because in the game they are actually 1000 years old....


Note, that this is only one of several possible races in Tera, and from what I've seen, the others are all very, very post-pubescent.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Also, this.

[DOUBLEPOST=1399064709,1399064478][/DOUBLEPOST]And now for a comprehensive, in-depth, eloquent review:




"Whoa. WHOAAAH! Ssshhhhhhit. I'm.. going to jail."
 
The Elin (the ones Gas posted) are actually censored outside of Korea. Sort of. They wear shorts in place of any revealing undergarment.

The other races all look old enough, but much like Lineage II you're lucky to wear more than scrap metal worked into fancy shapes. More skin than steel.

On the plus side, the combat is a lot of fun and pretty difficult, reminiscent of Monster Hunter with dodging, learning patterns and attacking (though you do get hotbar skills like most MMOs). It's F2P, and for the most part the store is cosmetic stuff, save for things like xp boost (no buyable equipment that's more than just a skin).
 
Man...so, Streets of Rage meets the drug fueled insanity of Hotline Miami that takes place during the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Yeah, I'm there.

 
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