Back Around Again

So the whole news buzz this week is the US XBox 360 launch. It was even in one of my (non-gaming) lectures today. I had the opportunity to try one out the other day.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't too impressed. I mean, pixel and texture shaders yes, XBox Live yes, but, uh, games? Perfect Dark - a remake, and Kameo, which won't be a big seller because it's an RPG.

I mean, there's nothing really that new on it. Show me something very impressive and I'll be impressed, but now it's just graphics, graphics, graphics, and we need gameplay, people. A 360 degree turn is just pointing back the same way we started, albeit dizzy.

Then again, the same argument could be said about the Revolution, except in 3D space. That's an interesting tagline, actually.

Revolution - 360 degrees, in a new dimension.


Anyway. I know that DS launched with a remake, but - here's the clincher - it's proved itself so much just now. Mario Kart, Tony Hawk's and Sonic Rush are all amazing. I spent like an hour on Sonic Rush just now, just... whizzing through the levels. It's a return to form.

I have no doubt 360 will do the same thing. In a year or so, give us decently improved graphics, nice games that play well. But for now... well, it's launch. It's hype.


Speaking of hype, my copy of MKDS should arrive on Friday now, as predicted. Shouting gets you anywhere. :)