Bioshock - Reviews @ Eurogamer, Games Radar

doctor_kaz said:
Don't count your chickens... Jade Empire got these same early reviews and had a much bigger hype machine, and it was only a moderate commercial success.
Click to expand...
But the inherent audience is much *MUCH* larger for a game like Bioshock - you get the 1% of SS & SS2 fans, and 99% XBOX action gamers ... the ones who have already preordered over a million Halo 3's ...
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
14,951
Well I don't know about other Aussies but the high prices means I investigate and buy the best of the best rather than impulse buy. Except for Bioshock perhaps - I'll buy that straight away.

Oh - and Gamespot lists the developer as 2K Boston - nice to see the Oz Irrational getting no recognition at all.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
57
Location
Sydney, Australia
JDR13 said:
That doesn't make any sense, if the conversion rate is $1AUS=$.85US, then why are you people paying $80-$90 for pc games?!? Shipping isn't THAT expensive.O_O
Click to expand...

It's... Tradition! We aussies love paying obscene prices for our games. Or so those selling them here tell us.
 
Lucky Day said:
Can we expect to see System Shock 3 after all the cash Bioshock will be seeing?
Click to expand...

Exactly. Im happy for the hype because it will earn them money to make more great games. System shock 2 sold so poorly. Allthough I cant imagine yet another station infiltrated by computer virus thats about to destroy the world.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
3,160
Location
Europa Universalis
The X360 demo has been running a lot here at the office lately, and from what I've seen it does indeed look very interesting. I'm certainly getting it at release day myself! It's probably not one for the RPG-only guys here, but it does looks like an interesting action game where you have some choices other than simply blasting your shotgun to get past each obstacle. And the graphics looks cool!

Hype is a dangerous thing however. People has to remember that this is still just a game! It might be a very good effort, but it does not magically solve every problem that games have or suddenly look completely photo realistic at 60fps on the same hardware that G3 stutters on. I'm afraid that too much hype might bring the expectations of this game up to a completely unrealistic level. But as long as people remember that this is just the latest computer game - then they might have some serious fun with it..
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
453
And now at EvilAvatar there is a discussion "Bioshock best game ever?"

There is a part of me that is repelled by the mega hype ... but another part of me knows that I will at least get a good shooter out of it (as happened with HL2, not up to its' hype but pretty good anyway).
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
14,951
Everyone should be jaded with all the BS we gamers have to put up with from the likes of bethseda and m$, but if anyone could/can do it, it would be Irrational.

Their abilty to tell a compelling story, diverse combat, one of the best graphic engines, an adult game and the company prides itself on have old school roots mostly from Looking Glass, sounds like a recipe for a great game.

That's alot of positives, and with most of the potiental console port problems dealt with, ie we have seen and read about the work the Aussie team has done, I am not sure where the game could go wrong.

Personally I don't have a single reason to be jaded about Irrational, hell if they have the game at 90% complete, they beat most games in the last 4 years. :)
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
2,772
15th said:
It's... Tradition! We aussies love paying obscene prices for our games. Or so those selling them here tell us.
Click to expand...

Of course I respect your tradition ... but why do guys don´t import your games?
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
7,830
JDR13 said:
That doesn't make any sense, if the conversion rate is $1AUS=$.85US, then why are you people paying $80-$90 for pc games?!? Shipping isn't THAT expensive.O_O
Click to expand...

We used to pay that sum for games a loooong time here in Germany as well, only in D-Mark, not Euros. But the current Euro price here is cabout the same ...

Another example: I terms of Star Wars collecting (which I do a bit), Europeans usually pay double the price than US-Americans do.

This is usually argumented with the high amount of taxes and the overall difference of economical systems of both areas.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,952
Location
Old Europe
Make the flight from Honolulu to Sydney, and you'll understand why stuff is so expensive down there. Holy crap, I had cobwebs growing on me by the time we got there. Australia is an amazing place, but it is definitely in the boondocks.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
852
Location
Columbus, OH USA
What does "in the boondocks" mean? Something similar to "at the arse of the world"?
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
7,830
This will be teh bestest game eva because it got a 10/10 at Eurogamer, a 10/10 on games radar, and a 12/10 on Reviewers without Brains!!!
 
Joined
Dec 21, 2006
Messages
758
Gorath said:
What does "in the boondocks" mean? Something similar to "at the arse of the world"?
Click to expand...

From Wikipedia:
Boondocks or diminutively "the boonies" has since evolved into a more general American slang term for "the country" or any rural/wilderness location in general, regardless of topography or vegetation that is isolated and away from "the action" or the comforts and variety of urban life.
Click to expand...
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
14,951
PC games are probably one of the few things we're not seemingly paying over the odds for in the UK.
Usually £30, so about $60, which I believe is almost the same as what US customers pay. Knock off VAT and it's about $50.

Back to the topic at hand, what a shock. Way back when I thought it was going to be great, then the "It's an FPS, not an RPG" dampened my spirits, and I thought it'd just be an atmospheric, above average shooter. Novel setting, bit of fun, but nothing revolutionary. I reckoned the usual 8/10s from the reviewers, with a smattering of 7s and 9s as is usual for most new releases.

Strong 10s and gushing praise though, a surprise for August. I'd like to think Levine's star is truly in the ascendant and his team's hard work has paid off, but I just don't trust full marks from the gaming press any more.

I'll probably pick it up next Friday all the same. If it's really the Second Coming they're saying it is, my pessimism will reward me with the fuzzy delight that surprise brings.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
122
Location
United Kingdom, London
The Aussie Dollar was down to less than 50 US cents a few years back. Games cost much the same now as they did then. CDs seem to be cheaper now, but I suspect that has more to do with Itunes and other cheap online music download apps.

Anyway, I think it was the Games Radar review that really mad me want it. If the game I get is anything like the game they describe, it'll be money well spent.
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2007
Messages
473
Location
Australia
I dunno about being so leary about the hype Bioshock's getting.... Eurogamer tends to be pretty no-nonsense, so a gushing 10 from them means a little more, imo. I know that I respect their reviews more than the average.

As for "it's just a game", well, yes, of course. But in that context, I don't have a problem with folks gushing, if the game deserves it. After all, video games are arguably the most complex entertainment/art forms (from hence forth called artitainment) ever. What else combines:

Visuals
Sound
Music
Choreography
Intensive audience interaction
Story-telling
Character development
Player determined outcomes (a la sports) that change with each run-through

Nothing. There isn't a single form of artitainment that tries to do so much at once.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
850
Location
CA, USA
Saw on Blue's, looks like the Street Date has been Broken, by some retailer.
http://kotaku.com/gaming/ken-levine.s-bioshock-advice/save-often-290030.php

Did anyone else notice that one of the negitives Games Radar posted is oppisite of what Levine says happens, bug or did they just miss the secret?
I am thinking the way they worded it they missed the secret and had a much shorter total end game.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
2,772
Sir Markus said:
Make the flight from Honolulu to Sydney, and you'll understand why stuff is so expensive down there. Holy crap, I had cobwebs growing on me by the time we got there. Australia is an amazing place, but it is definitely in the boondocks.
Click to expand...

I actually will be doing that someday. Me and my girlfriend are moving to Honolulu within the next 2 years. She's originally from there and most of her relatives live there.

Not too mention that I've always wanted to check out Austalia.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,334
Location
Florida, US
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom