No no no. Re-review Lair AFTER reading the new manual

[RobertR1]

Apparantly someone spent a lot of money in developing this game and are trying very very hard to make some of it back...

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/818/818597p1.html

I hope there is a PS3 demo + manual. Would hate to get it wrong

 

[Crayon]

Oh my.

I called it. I knew the game would be trash!

But I had no idea it would be a disaster of this scale. And certainly no idea that it would lead to misguided acts of damage control like this.

 

[Scott_Arm]

The best part about that link is the comments about the guy in the photo.

That's a pretty lame way to try to get more positive press. As if they didn't know reviewers would take offense and start making fun of the "guide" that was sent out. They should just release some patches and try to win people over that way.

 

[Arwin]

Well, after watching the video review and reading the text review, it seems to me that at least the IGN reviewer really needed that manual. And probably not just him ...

The real question is are there going to be any reviewers who have the guts to say so if the guide made a difference.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Well, after watching the video review and reading the text review, it seems to me that at least the IGN reviewer really needed that manual. And probably not just him ...

The real question is are there going to be any reviewers who have the guts to say so if the guide made a difference.

Even if the reviewers are wrong, this is a HORRIBLE way to approach the problem. I doubt we'll see anyone revisit reviews. We'll just see more people trash on the game because of this guide that challenges them as reviewers. Maybe they were hoping people would go back to it now that that new firmware is out that's supposed to improve the motion sensitivity.

 

[AlphaWolf]

Even if the reviewers are wrong, this is a HORRIBLE way to approach the problem. I doubt we'll see anyone revisit reviews. We'll just see more people trash on the game because of this guide that challenges them as reviewers. Maybe they were hoping people would go back to it now that that new firmware is out that's supposed to improve the motion sensitivity.

Any reviewer that revisited his review had better have a different line of work in mind, he'd be seriously flamed by millions and every review he did after that where he didn't score something high, the first reply to his review would be, just wait for the real review after he gets the guide.

Whoever thought of sending a review guide out at this point was an idiot, no one is going to touch it. Perhaps you'll be able to buy one on e-bay to make fun of factor 5 for generations to come.

 

[Skrying]

Well, after watching the video review and reading the text review, it seems to me that at least the IGN reviewer really needed that manual. And probably not just him ...

The real question is are there going to be any reviewers who have the guts to say so if the guide made a difference.

You're kidding I hope... oh wait you're probably not. Honestly, the game is bad in the opinion of a LOT of people. It fell flat on its face and this is just extreme measures taken by Sony to give it one last shot in the arm. Really its kinda sad...

 

[djskribbles]

even if they learned the controls better, there are other things that made this a bad game. still, the controls were the biggest complaint of the game and reviews do affect sales greatly. if they update their reviews and even bump it up a few points, i think it will help sales.

 

[Arwin]

No, what I think is really sad is the response to motion sensing by a large percentage of the gaming population, including reviewers. Because of this, I'm finding my self not being able to rely on reviews nearly as much as I used to, and see games getting a 3/10 where I would give it an 9/10 (e.g. Super Rub-a-Dub). And people have lousy memories too. Warhawk's motion control for instance got the same treatment initially, but once people learning to handle it started showing some mad Warhawk skills in online games, it got pretty much vindicated and was accepted as a superior control method, even if it maybe wasn't always easy to master. So really, yes, I am in fact expecting reviewers to catch up with motion control eventually, no matter how mad you think I am. And maybe this guide won't help, maybe it will. But it will draw more attention to it, and that may be all it needs in the end.

 

[betan]

I hope there is a PS3 demo + manual. Would hate to get it wrong

I hope PS3 demo comes with a PS3 as well as a manual. The amount of interest in this game seems to be very high especially among people who don't own the console. Probably first system seller of PS3.

 

[ninzel]

You should never need a manual to play a game like this. It's a piece of interactive entertainment,it either grabs you or it doesn't and if the controls prevent that,that's the fault of the designers not the consumer.

 

[RobertR1]

I hope PS3 demo comes with a PS3 as well as a manual. The amount of interest in this game seems to be very high especially among people who don't own the console. Probably first system seller of PS3.

You know I do own a PS3, right?

 

[betan]

You know I do own a PS3, right?

No I didn't, nor I was talking about you or any other particular person.

 

[mrcorbo]

No, what I think is really sad is the response to motion sensing by a large percentage of the gaming population, including reviewers. Because of this, I'm finding my self not being able to rely on reviews nearly as much as I used to, and see games getting a 3/10 where I would give it an 9/10 (e.g. Super Rub-a-Dub). And people have lousy memories too. Warhawk's motion control for instance got the same treatment initially, but once people learning to handle it started showing some mad Warhawk skills in online games, it got pretty much vindicated and was accepted as a superior control method, even if it maybe wasn't always easy to master. So really, yes, I am in fact expecting reviewers to catch up with motion control eventually, no matter how mad you think I am. And maybe this guide won't help, maybe it will. But it will draw more attention to it, and that may be all it needs in the end.

I just don't get the sense at all that there is an widespread anti-motion control sentiment. What I see is a sentiment against poorly implemented motion controls. I chalk this up to this being a new frontier for game designers and we have yet to see enough good implementations for others to draw inspiration from (or just flat out copy).

I can't speak to your experience, of course, but I know that if I am playing a game there is a definite limit to the patience I have with controls that respond in unexpected ways (or not at all) to my control inputs. When you have Mr. Eggebrecht quoted as saying that even he can only pull off the 180' in Lair 8 out of 10 times that would be unacceptable to me and would severely affect my enjoyment of the game.

 

[Skrying]

I hope PS3 demo comes with a PS3 as well as a manual. The amount of interest in this game seems to be very high especially among people who don't own the console. Probably first system seller of PS3.

After all the reviews, I highly doubt that its going to make sales pick up.

 

[zed]

stop press: its got its first 10/10 review
http://www.sonydefenseforce.com/?p=122

Make no mistake, Lair could very well be this generation’s “Mario 64″. With greater use of motion control than any Wii game and better graphics than any 360 game I think it’s safe to say we have a candidate for game of the year right here.

SDF Score: 10/10

warning must have a sense of humour

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

That's a joke of course?

And I agree completely with Mrcorbo

I can't speak to your experience, of course, but I know that if I am playing a game there is a definite limit to the patience I have with controls that respond in unexpected ways (or not at all) to my control inputs. When you have Mr. Eggebrecht quoted as saying that even he can only pull off the 180' in Lair 8 out of 10 times that would be unacceptable to me and would severely affect my enjoyment of the game.

The lack of precise that motion control seems to inherently include is unacceptable.

And attempts to excuse poor implementation by saying that developers are still working with it falls flat. Motion controls have existed for ages.

The implementation of them has never been successful for the very same reasons that certain people are unhappy with the current iterations.

 

[RobertR1]

Justifying this, would be like saying if you pulled the trigger in a shooting games, your gun would only fire 8 out of 10 times. Not sure how many FPS would survive that one. Or a driving game in which input was accepted 8/10 times.

All I can gather is that Lair is a very expensive investment for Sony that seems to be going sour quickly.

 

[-tkf-]

Lair, a perfect example of how stubborn developers spoil their own games?

Still looking forward to the demo though, i would really like to try it and .. judge it by myself on the 1.92 firmware

 

[Acert93]

Well, after watching the video review and reading the text review, it seems to me that at least the IGN reviewer really needed that manual. And probably not just him ...

Not just him, but all of them really. They may be professional review houses that review 100's of games a year, but I just don't think they get the concept of SIXAXIS--Sony really needed this guide out earlier and Julian's motion control comments&hints before they sent out the review code.

I think we all knew a kid growing up who, when his move didn't get pulled off in a game, he threw his controller down in anger. Are the Lair review scores the equivalent of the bratty kid who is a motion control n00b throwing his controller down? Gamespot (45%), Gamespy (30%), EGM (55%), GameTrailers (60%), and Yahoo Games (50%) all had similar issues--they all obviously need the FAQ and to rereview the game. Even the PlayStation Magazine (PSM) gave Lair a 50%. This is a travesty. Thousands of combined reviews a year by these outlets doesn't mean they have a clue about SIXAXIS. They really should reread the manual and review guide and review it again, with Julian's and Sony's advice fresh in mind.

I thikn they should especially about being hardcore gamers. Sure, a hardcore gamer may get ticked off when 20% of the time your input is ignored by the game (as Julian noted). But casual gamers? They are so used to mashing buttons anyhow they would just assume it was a user error anyhow and just retry it. For them it is the experience of the game--the richness of moving your controller in freespace and the cool dragons and pretty graphics--that makes the game so much more important than a couple moves not being 100% responsive. Why reviewers are making such a big deal about game input when they work most of the time (and it is only one part of the game for crying out loud) reall tells me these review houses are too hardcore and are holding Lair/Motion Control to a review paradigm that only applies to other games.

I think as time goes on IGN & Co. will see the light. Sony and Factor5 are right.

Ps- Anyone know what the 5 in Factor5 means? My theory is: Their games review at a factor of 5... Starwars games 5-by-2 (10 out of 10). Non-Starwars games 5-by-1 (5 out of 10).