It’s kind of a negative week for me as I cover my indifference to game drama and my disappointment in Nintendo’s retro offerings. But there’s also time to talk about figmas!
Microsoft and Platinum Games – Gamers Love Beef
Microsoft has been a popular punching bag this whole console generation. Based off how many games were canceled or released to mediocre reviews, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were some real management issue here.
People kicked up a storm when fan favorite developer Platinum Games had their Xbox exclusive, Scalebound, canceled. However, Platinum Games recently made a comment that tries to equally split the blame between the two companies.
“Watching fans getting angry at Microsoft over the cancellation wasn’t easy for us to watch. Because the reality is, when any game in development can’t get released it’s because both sides failed.”
Is it a genuine comment? Are they simply trying to keep a good relationship with Microsoft? Who can say. But it does kind of remind me of how pointless a lot of game-related screaming on the internet can be.
It’s been about 15 years since I’ve become intensely involved in the online discussion of video games. I fully believe there’s nothing wrong with voicing your opinion on the internet, even directly at companies or developers. But I have learned that most people are over dramatic and probably place way too much emphasis on things that probably aren’t worth actually being upset over.
I’m sure we’ll always wonder, “what if Scalebound came out?” But Platinum Games isn’t hurting. If you want something from them, they have plenty coming.
(Quote Source: VGC)
(Image Source: Giant Bomb)
Covering Up Your Figma
I don’t know anything about the Fate series, but I think Miyamoto Musashi is really well designed for a figma.
Figmas are basically pose-able figures. The biggest complaint I typically hear is that their joints are highly visible. This is especially true on characters with large areas of solid texture or color.
In this instance though, a lot of the excess padding on her elbows, knees and other bendable joints do a great job of creating angles in which the joints are almost completely covered. The only exceptions are her shoulders and armpit.
I don’t think this is an original design, so I doubt it was made with being a figma in mind. But through a quick google search, it does show that this character has had variations on this outfit. If you needed to choose one, this is probably the best choice.
I have a soft spot for these types of figures. I love the ability to post them in any which way, especially since I’m typically not a huge fan of the exaggerated poses a lot of figures have.
That being said, my two figmas sit alone on top of my bookshelf… dusty and never re-posed. I wish I had a better place to stick them.
(Source: Inside-Games)
The Never-Ending Road to Official Retro Gaming with Nintendo
I’m actually pretty happy with the addition of CluClu Land and VS. Excitebike to the Nintendo Switch Online service. But in general, I’ve largely been disappointed in the company’s retro game offerings lately. This is mainly because of the limitation to one platform, their ongoing insistence that they must lead every Virtual Console-like launch with some of the oldest games for the NES, and because we’ve had better already.
The Nintendo Wii’s Virtual Console selection had a pretty solid chunk of the biggest classics and smaller niche releases. It took many years before that was the case, but it got there.
With the closure of the Wii Shop Channel earlier this year though, it feels like all the progress has been reset. Most of the Mario and Zeldas are around to buy, but often are broken up between the Wii U, 3DS and Switch. Outside of those franchises and the NES Black Box games though, the pickings can feel pretty slim.
I get that the Switch releases add additional functionality. But I just can’t help but feel like the service won’t be for me for another three plus years. I hope someday Nintendo finds a better solution to provide more extensive access to their library.
Star Citizen – Monetary Sacrifices
Crowdfunding is a really cool option for developers and I think it has done a lot of good. I feel like due to the nature of game development, the road will always be somewhat rough. But I’d imagine that’s impossible to fully plan around.
According to a Forbes report, Star Citizen has supposedly burned through most of it’s $240 million of crowd funded cash. It also sounds like the game is struggling to come together.
It’s honestly a title I’ve had zero interest in. Though even from the outside it always seems like a constant siren is going off warning “there are too many lofty promises here to be successful.”
If in the end it doesn’t work out, I think I’ll have a hard time being too sympathetic for those who invested tons of money into it. The reality is: you’re paying for something that doesn’t exist yet. Whenever you do that, there’s always a greater risk that you’ll never get the completed product or you’ll get something you didn’t actually want.
You’re basically burning your money. But if that risk is worth the chance of seeing a dream project come to fruition in some form, then there should be no shame in contributing. Just don’t be surprised if nothing comes of it.
