We keep hearing how games instead of graphics sell consoles, that the upward thrust and rise of iOS gaming  and success of the Wii proves this, that customers are after innovation and convenience instead of horsepower and spectacle, but graphics, you already know, being a huge element of most games, don’t they still have a task to play? Can they still amaze the hundreds and sell a console or an otherwise ‘by the numbers’ videogame? While a game can certainly be sold on its gameplay alone, isn’t sheer graphical grunt still enough to shift units? After 8 years of the identical tech, I’m inclined to assert yes.

I crave innovative gameplay and new ideas as much because the next guy, but come on, who isn’t excited to peer just how pretty games are going to be running at the new hardware from Sony and Microsoft. Sure, iOS is convenient and yes, the present gen still looks pretty great, but there’s still something to be said for a brand new product that may, on a purely visual level, blow your bloody socks off. Without a doubt , balance is essential, and visuals alone aren’t going to sell a console ultimately, but as an introduction to its capabilities, I’d say that they’ll remain a major portion of the experience and a big aspect of every consoles marketing push.

Take Motorstorm for example. By the second one and third iterations, visual polish wasn’t enough to shift units as players got savvy to the truth that the gameplay was actual slightly, well, for lack of a higher term, ‘meh’. But return to the PlayStation 3’s launch and Mototrstorm was hot shit. Why? As it looked great and a was an excellent way for both PlayStation to teach off its new tech and players to point out off their (outrageously) expensive new purchase.

Will the leap in visual fidelity be so dramatic this time around? Not really, but that does not change the undeniable fact that improved visuals will still play an important role is selling the next-gen to the masses.they are the easiest way to show the jump in power and above all else, good graphics look great in adverts…..why do you think so many adds go to such great lengths to tell you that what you are seeing is “in game footage”.

In fact, given the popularity of the current-gen and the fact that we are likely to see extended support for both the 360 and PS3 and an array of cross-generational titles on both of Sony’s and Microsoft’s consoles, it will most likely remain the improved visuals above all else that will set, for example, a higher Call of Duty on 720 apart from the simultaneously released 360 version.

Again, I’d like to stress that innovation is paramount to the potential success of both the 720 (NextBox, SexBox…whatever) and the PS4 (Orbis thing), especially in the long term, but in the more immediate future, will graphics matter? Can they still be relied upon to work outl the subsequent-gen? You bet your ass they’ll.

1. To Grind or To not Grind, That’s the Question.
2. Brashcast: Episode 21 – 720? NextBox? SexBox?
3. No Second Hand Games? Really? Really?
4. Original Crysis available for download now on XBL and PSN
5. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to make use of an all-new engine
6. FIFA Sales Top 100 million
7. PES 2011 Downloadable Content Now Available
8. Medal of Honor Sells 1.5 Million in Days
9. SEGA’S Vanquish in Stores Today
10. Song Packs from Alternative Rock Bands Announced!

“[I] had an extended conversation with Motomu Toriyama and Tetsuya Nomura about which character we must always use within the third instalment of the series.”

“They thought we were going to should have a feminine one because we hadn’t had a sole female protagonist within the franchise before.”

Director, Square Enix, Yoshinori Kitase

What we predict:

Of all of the female characters that Kitase and Toriyama decided to flesh out for the aim of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, she is essentially the mostsome of the most interesting.

In previous interviews Toriyama has said that she is so cool a personality of their minds that she can have come off as a little bit aloof.

For us, she lacked a certain quantity of depth, so it will likely be very interesting to determine if the team be ready to flesh her out enough so she will carry the sport. That right there’s without equal test.

“In XIII and XIII-2, you should set a task in your character and also you switch between those different roles, but in Lightning Returns you are going to set styles for Lightning so that you can combine different elements to set up a couple of different styles, that you may switch backward and forward between […] You can also make your personal original Lightning.”

Character Designer, Square Enix, Motumo Toriyama

What we expect:

It’s all well and good allowing players to customize their character, but will the supposed selection of variety dim the sense of repetitiveness we experienced with Final Fantasy XIII (see below)?

Every player likes variety, so we predict this fresh addition to certainly spice things up a bit.

However, we’re curious to peer how hardened Final Fantasy fans react to the numerous changes the team have made for Lightning Returns. Will it’s an excessive amount of? Or is something like this an essential evil to reel in gamers who lack an affinity for JRPGs? Our guess is slightly both.

“The strategic elements and command battle elements, which have been the case with Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2, [are] still there on this latest instalment.

In this game you’ll find three Active Time Battle bars at the screen and you’ll become costumes for the proper customisation possible, so it is not entirely an action game; it isn’t action-game enough to be solely intuitive.”

Character Designer, Square Enix, Motumo Toriyama

What we expect:

From the gameplay we have seen up to now the newfound Battle System doesn’t seem that far far from the only we became acquainted with in Final Fantasy XIII.

The strategies are the similar: switch between skills and exploit enemy weak points.

The biggest difference after all is that Lightning can now dodge, block and move during attacks. What we wish to know is how deep the brand new system should be. Are brawls going to be repetitive, or possibly too long?

This was a difficulty with XIII, so lets hope that issue was addressed by the point the sport ships.

“[I’m] unsure concerning the way forward for the general Fantasy franchise itself, but obviously there are many other studios under the umbrella, and that i myself was communicating with creators in those studios […] i have been very impressed that these developers are very keen on making great games sooner or later.”

Director, Square Enix, Yoshinori Kitase

What we predict:

Interesting that Toriyama brings up the belief of a US collaboration considering there was talk during the past of different studios dipping their toe within the realm of ultimate Fantasy – namely the now defunct studio, Grin.

At one point there has been talk that this title, a spin-off called Fortress, was being nurtured by another announced studio, but subsequently suspended.

If the title is not any longer in development but Toriyama is chatting with Square Enix’s Montreal studio and Crystal Dynamics, it makes us wonder, is that this the possibly mooted project, or are they mulling the basis of something entirely different?

Yeah, but…

The multitude of gameplay and design tweaks that Kitase and Toriyama have worked to implement has certainly piqued our interests. We’re titillated by the chances of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, however the biggest question is that this: can she carry a game all on her own? Only time will tell.

We keep hearing how games as opposed to graphics sell consoles, that the increase and rise of iOS gaming  and success of the Wii proves this, that buyers are after innovation and convenience in preference to horsepower and spectacle, but graphics, you understand, being a major component of most games, don’t they still have a job to play? Can they still amaze the hundreds and sell a console or an otherwise ‘by the numbers’ videogame? While a game can certainly be sold on its gameplay alone, isn’t sheer graphical grunt still enough to shift units? After 8 years of an analogous tech, I’m inclined to assert yes.

I crave innovative gameplay and new ideas as much because the next guy, but come on, who isn’t excited to look just how pretty games are going to be running at the new hardware from Sony and Microsoft. Sure, iOS is convenient and yes, the present gen still looks pretty great, but there’s still something to be said for a brand new product which can, on a purely visual level, blow your bloody socks off. Needless to say, balance is vital, and visuals alone aren’t going to sell a console in the end, but as an introduction to its capabilities, I’d say that they’re going to remain a massive portion of the experience and a chief aspect of every consoles marketing push.

Take Motorstorm as an example. By the second one and third iterations, visual polish wasn’t enough to shift units as players got savvy to the undeniable fact that the gameplay was actual a piece, well, for lack of a higher term, ‘meh’. But return to the PlayStation 3’s launch and Mototrstorm was hot shit. Why? Since it looked great and a was an excellent way for both PlayStation to teach off its new tech and players to reveal off their (outrageously) expensive new purchase.

Will the leap in visual fidelity be so dramatic this time around? Not likely, but that does not change the undeniable fact that improved visuals will still play a significant role is selling the next-gen to the masses.they are the easiest way to show the jump in power and above all else, good graphics look great in adverts…..why do you think so many adds go to such great lengths to tell you that what you are seeing is “in game footage”.

In fact, given the popularity of the current-gen and the fact that we are likely to see extended support for both the 360 and PS3 and an array of cross-generational titles on both of Sony’s and Microsoft’s consoles, it will most likely remain the improved visuals above all else that will set, for example, the following Call of Duty on 720 apart from the simultaneously released 360 version.

Again, I’d like to stress that innovation is paramount to the potential success of both the 720 (NextBox, SexBox…whatever) and the PS4 (Orbis thing), especially in the long term, but in the more immediate future, will graphics matter? Can they still be relied upon to lookl the following-gen? You bet your ass they’ll.

1. To Grind or To not Grind, That’s the Question.
2. Brashcast: Episode 21 – 720? NextBox? SexBox?
3. No Second Hand Games? Really? Really?
4. Original Crysis available for download now on XBL and PSN
5. The Haymaker is Fight Night Champion’s cover athlete
6. John Lennon Headline’s Upcoming Rock Band 3 DLC
7. Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 Now Available
8. PES 2011 Downloadable Content Now Available
9. SEGA’S Vanquish in Stores Today
10. MySims return to avoid wasting the Skies

Bungie’s Destiny is breaking all kinds of rules. A ‘shared world shooter’ that has more in common with the MMO world than its been willing to confess, how Destiny will eventually play isn’t clear yet.

But, Bungie was answering questions and because it’s big reveal we’ve been capable of get a clearer picture what Destiny actually is. We caught up with Bungie’s Joseph Staten for X360’s issue 96 feature and asked him a couple of important questions.

Questions like:

Will there be competitive multiplayer?

“Destiny is built on a powerful foundation of co-op and competitive play, and it is a Bungie game.”

“We love competition; we adore that portion of the gamer.”

“We’re not talking about that portion of Destiny yet, but you need to assume that it is a Bungie game and we adore competitive multiplayer – in the event you love that then you’ll love Destiny, too.”

And:

Should players expect to have the identical character for the 10 years that Destiny is planned for?

“Well, the only real thing we’re saying at the moment is this is your character on the planet of Destiny.”

“For so long as that world exists you will be that person; we actually want it to be a situation that, yeah, the call you are making early on inside the game matters and [your character] sticks with you and truly grows over the years. That’s vitally important to us.”

“As much as we enjoyed switching backward and forward between protagonists, sometimes from the Master Chief to the Arbiter or an ODST, we’re much more thinking about this world where you will be a true person.”

“You could make interesting choices and you’ll follow this character. You understand it’s really important when you are in a social shared world to have an identity that folks recognise, that folk can remember.”

“You are going to be identified by the alternatives you’re making, so it’s really important that your character sticks around for a very long time.”

This week, Liam, Ross and a returning Murray (the artist formerly also known as Ross Jr) talk grinding, hummus, next-gen consoles and, as is standard in the interim, Star Wars.

Ross shows his true geekery, Liam his strange relationship with JRPGs and Murray his potential to become the third member of the Brashcast team.

With gaming galore and an outstanding little bit of movie chat for good measure, Brashcast again has you covered for all things geek……it’s ok, being a geek is cool….right?…..right!?

As always, please subscribe on iTunes, try out the web site, www.brashgames.co.uk and hit us up at Facebook and Twitter (@Brashcast).

Enjoy!

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1. No Second Hand Games? Really? Really?
2. Brashcast: Episode 14 – A Wii Little bit of Love