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Who am I? I'm a guy who plays video games, talks way too much about comics and movies, likes Godzilla and Robocop, and lives up in Wisconsin. And yes. We get that much snow. Why should you read my blog? Because when I write I have fun, make up bullshit lists, and when I do get a little serious with some blogs I try to be insightful and use resources and facts to try and back up my opinion as much as I can. And if you don't follow my blog, I'll send you a picture of a sad kitten who wants some love.
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Who am I? I'm a guy who plays video games, talks way too much about comics and movies, likes Godzilla and Robocop, and lives up in Wisconsin. And yes. We get that much snow. Why should you read my blog? Because when I write I have fun, make up bullshit lists, and when I do get a little serious with some blogs I try to be insightful and use resources and facts to try and back up my opinion as much as I can. And if you don't follow my blog, I'll send you a picture of a sad kitten who wants some love.
Promoted Articles:
Expanded Universes: Halo, and why I give a damn
Those About To Die: Vergil
2010 Sucked: What the hell, Square Enix?
Motion Control: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
My Online Handles:
XBL: SephirothDZX
PSN: SephirothDZX
Steam: SephirothDZX
(I hope you're noticing a pattern there)
MY TOP 5 FAVORITE GAMES EVER
(In no particular order)
--Final Fantasy VII
--Super Mario Bros. 3
--Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
--Devil May Cry 3
--Shadow of the Colossus
Random other thoughts
--There's no way you can justify paying $60 a year for XBox Live when you can get the same service from Playstation and Steam for free.
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Let me say it right now and just get it off of my chest – I have no intention of buying Brutal Legend. Ever. I have zero desire to play it and I probably wouldn’t even take a free copy, I’d be taking a copy away from someone who would actually play the game. Anyone that’s followed my comments in articles about Brutal Legend are probably well aware of this right now, this blog I guess is my small soapbox to talk about why. Now that I’ve said that, I’ve come to an issue that has me confused – Why do I not want this game? In fact – for some inexplicable reason – I hate that this game exists as it does right now and I seriously don’t know why. It does make me feel guilty in a small respect because there’s a team of people working very hard on this game right now, and I would hate for someone to tell me that they have no interest in my work either, but there’s just something about this game that I just despise. Can I justify it exactly? No, because I haven’t played the game yet obviously. But very few people have played any bit of this game yet, so their own hype for it is equally unjustified. So let me at least try to explain why I have this odd urge to ignore Brutal Legend. 
Hype From the very moment Brutal Legend was announced it received way too much hype for a brand new IP. Absolutely zero gameplay was shown for a long ass time and everybody was drooling and fapping over a single pre-rendered scene that gave very little context to the story. Alright, so it comes from the Psychonauts people and it has Jack Black in it. Whoopy fuck, that is no guarantee for a great title what so ever. Unless your team comes from Kojima Productions or Team ICO you are not flop-proof what so ever. This is Exhibit A that bugs me about Brutal Legend, the ridiculous hype-to-released content ratio is far too high for a non-sequel, and that bugs the living fuck out of me. Slight Cash-In? Remember people... this game did start under the umbrella of Activision/Bizzard, the home of far too many Guitar Hero games. And when Brutal Legend was announced it seemed to be right at the initial height of the initial Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band battle and is scheduled to come out in what is currently the most popular era for the music game industry. I couldn’t help but think, “Is this game attempting to net some of the Guitar Hero/Rock Band music lovers by trying to use a rock oriented character?” Of course, the whole Jack Black/Roadie thing could also be viewed as an attempt to snare in Tenacious D fans. Pedigree Again, everybody gets their slipper fap-juice all over Brutal Legend because it comes from the Psychonauts people. Lets look at all of the other games put out by Double Fine Productions… oh wait… there isn’t anything else. So we’re hyping one game because of one other, totally unrelated, game and absolutely nothing else. Yes Psychonauts was a good, arguably great, game but it wasn’t that great – at least not enough to warrant all of the hype going into it. Double Fine doesn’t have a large enough pedigree to justify the hype the sans-demo Brutal Legend, and anyone who disagrees would be redirected to a much more effective pedigree. 
(The Game, much more interesting then this game) Drama! Oh The Drama! :-O 
The whole Activision legal battle with Brutal Legend was a giant dick move and it officially pushed Activision/Blizzard way beyond EA ever could reach in terms of being the one entity in the industry that everybody wishes would go away. They’re like the one guy nobody really invited to the party, but showed up anyway, got lucky with one easy chick, and then got drunk and ruined everything. But despite all of this, I’m really just fucking sick of hearing about the game especially if its just an update to tell us “Yes, this game is still about a roadie”. The legal battle over Brutal Legend seems to have turned everybody into a bunch of whiny bitches talking about how they MUST have this game and how their gamer lives will be ruined without it. I raise an eyebrow at them and go “why are you THAT emotional over this game? There’s just as much a chance this game could suck as it could rule, or it could just be another title you might forget about a month after playing it”. The Brutal Legend support group in my opinion is starting to rival the Left 4 Dead 2 haters in terms of way too much drama, except the L4D2 people actually have a decent reason to act the way they do. To a small extent, it almost just makes me wish Brutal Legend would go away for a little while. Am I going to hate anyone who buys Brutal Legend? No, especially if it contributes to sticking it to Activision, but I'm not going to contribute to a game that is getting - as i see it - unjust hype and attention this game is getting. Would I be more interested in this game if it was treated just like any other new IP? Maybe, we'll never know. But Brutal Legend has already worn out its welcome for me, and the game isn't even out yet.
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Living the dream since March 16, 2006
Living the dream since March 16, 2006
#1. Its Tim Schafer
#2. It has a metal theme and atmosphere
#3. Its Tim Schafer
i don't care if the gameplay will not be that surprising as Psychonauts was victim, but the writing, concept and setting is just absolutely incredible.
I mean, I really would avoid a game if it was another GENERIC space marine acting like a mindless macho man with guns. This one goes much beyoond from the fantasious atmosphere of heavy metal on the 80s.
TL;DR: You just don't have the eyes for it so I'll just tell you to shut up and suck my dick and go "lalalal i can't hear you"
<3
Although, the Guitar Hero thing gets me a little bit too. Eddie Riggs looks exactly like a GH character transplanted into another game. I don't mean just the clothes, it's the character model and everything. It's uncanny.
Well, I'm judging the pedigree from the start of Double Fine Productions to the present. I dont like giving one person that much credit (that even goes for Kojima). But I think you might have hit something, sorta. I guess the game just isnt up my alley?
@AgentBBJ
Like I said to Monodi, I dont like giving one man too much hype.
I do feel kinda bad for hating Brutal Legend, because it does come from a respectable lineage.. but this one game specifically is really just breaking all of my personal "pre-release rules". :-/
That, and the game just doesn't look that interesting to me.
I did, and it was wonderful. Simple, but wonderful. The voice acting/cut-scenes were some of the best I've ever seen in my entire life as well.
I would really want to actually play the game, if there's anything that would sway me into liking this game.
@Jack
I actually really like the 80's Rock/Metal stuff... but I just don't like anything much when it's vastly over blown. (Maybe that's why I was never fond of President Clinton....)
#2. It has a metal theme and atmosphere
#3. Its Tim Schafer"
That sums it up 100%
And by 'play the game' I mean play a demo of course.
Do you work for Activision?
The game did not in any way start development under the Activision/Blizzard banner. It was started long before the merger was even announced under Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Universal. In fact, the game was nearly done before Activision even saw it.
*badoom tish*
I see wut you did thur! Good stuff. I LAWLD.
Stopped reading right there. Fan-Fucking-Boy.
I've played Psychonauts. I found it to be a pretty solid game but something about it just didnt fully ignite with me. That doesnt mean I hated it.. it just wasnt my full cup of tea, like how a person can just not like a very popular TV show or something but still acknowledge it's quality. And I dunno, the whole rocker-game coming out right at the height of Guitar Hero's popularity (and, at the time, from the same publisher) is far too coincidental for me to ignore. I'm not expressly saying its a cash in (thus the ? in my blog) but the timing of it just kind of makes me sigh and /facepalm a little, kind of like when Wind Waker came out when cell-shaded graphics were the new big trend for a while.
@EVERYONE
But please, everybody if you can honestly give me solid reasons to at least want to play this game (besides Tim Schafer) then PLEASE mention them. I'm still a gamer and still want to reward good games, and it was DToid that got me to buy Valkyria Chronicles.
Nothing about this game interests me.
Find me one concrete bust that either of them have put out, fucking dumbass thinking i'm a fanboy for posting a truth.
Its comical
Its an original setting/premise
Its brutal
...TIM SCHAFER! TIM SCHAFER! TIM SCHAFER!
But you defend your article with the same argument people defend Brutal Legend.
People are excited about Brutal LEgend because of Tim Schafer.
And you argue that everything from Kojima is great, even if you don´t see gameplay, because Kojima makes great stuff.
Well I can go right now and write a blog on how I hate Metal Gear Raiden or the other 3 versions showed just because they tease and then over tease it, and no gameplay is showed and draws too muh attention, and it´s exploting the fact that people love war in videgames.
Same arguments you used, different name.
(Horrible English, I know)
The end.
Should I include the Monkey Island games in the playlist as well?
And no, you really didn't shoot down my whole Guitar Hero thing. Are you really naive enough to think that Schafer wasn't trying to make a smart business decision by trying to pull in another audience?
How many other games on the market right now are just like Brutal Legend?
Hype? You have at least 5 games - from a quick glance - on your favourite games lists that had far more hype before they were launched. If your talking about new IP's then the hype Halo recieved before launch was insane.
Cash in? If your going to make up conspiracy theories then you can say anything you want.
And you already admitted the pedigree point was not really valid.
If you don't like the look of the game then fair enough but you seem to be hating it for no good reason, especially as you haven't played it.
Even if the game does suck , it'll still be funny as hell , and that's a fact , it's a Schaffer game ;also , Jack Black , blood , demons , hot rods , magic guitars , axes , the game Tim Schaffer wanted to do since when he was born ...
Slight cash-in:
Schafer always wanted to do this game , but they only allowed for him to do it now that rock is "in" , so I guess that one is true ...
Pedigree:
Even if the game does suck , it'll still be funny as hell , and that's a fact , it's a Schaffer game .
Drama:
If you don't get at least a little bit more likely to buy it after Activision dick move you're evil , like , REALLY EVIL ; like , Scar from Lion Kind kind of evil .
I agree with most of what you said. Except my hype rule usually gets set aside in the case of sequels, because we usually have a good idea of what to expect gameplay wise. But for the record, I will only say a game is great if i've at least seen gameplay (thats why I can defend stuff like Zone of the Enders but not entirely support the Grim Fandango games). Although I'm with you, I didnt like the endless countdowns.
Like I said before, I really feel kind of bad for not wanting this game at all. Its honestly more of a case of me having nothing to get me interested in the game more than simply hating the game.
You missed the part where I say my hype rule is usually exempt from sequels.
@Jack of No Trades
--Go see Jesus H Christ's comment--
@Naim
I will admit, the Activision thing did make me at least forgive Brutal Legend a little.
@Jesus H Christ
Cant rent a game that isnt out yet.
Again, like I've said, I feel bad for hating this game. But my logic for IP games just gives me reason to not be interested in this title.
As for reasons to try it, for one it's original. Both on the artistic/setting level as well as gameplay. It's not just a hack n slash, it's got some slight RTS epic battle moments, it's sort of open world, and you even get minions to follow you around. I don't know. Just google "Brutal Legend E3 Impressions" and you'll find the numerous positive hands-on previews. That alone should at least earn a demo try out.
Otherwise just separate yourself from the hype and the drama (which seems to be your biggest problem with it). The drama isn't Tim Schaeffer's fault and the majority of the hype is coming mostly because this man's games never seem to get the publicity it deserves.
I know it's hard but just go in it without any expectations and I'd be surprised (based on the overwhelming positiveness of the hands-on impressions) that you'll still hate it.
Unlike Nanbu I at least give reasons for why I dont like something. But putting your fingers in your ears and saying the rise of Guitar Hero had no influence on the release of Brutal Legend? That's about as stupid as Yusuke Hashimoto saying Devil May Cry had zero influence in Bayonetta
And how does Double Fine not have a track record? Next you're going to tell us how Platinum Games' pedigree doesn't count because the people that work there only worked on Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Okami, God Hand and Viewtiful Joe and Phoenix Wright for other companies. Bayonetta must be crap, because the only other thing Platinum games has released is MadWorld, right?
Thank you for posting something beneficial.
In other words:
Cool story, bro.
Don't worry no one can be worst or equal to Nanbu , unless you're Scar from Lion King ...
Anyway, like I said your entitled to your opinion, I just normally judge things I hate after I've read,watched or played them.
Because the entire team should be rewarded, not just one individual. Same rule goes for Hideo Kojima himself, which is why I carefully said Kojima Productions. That's also why I look JUST at Double Fine's track record. Some of their people come from different backgrounds, yes, that at least warrants a little attention but in the end Double Fine is still a relatively new cohesive team and thus I will treat them like a new team. Because all new teams, even if great individuals are within them, is not a guarantee for success in any profession (ex: the LA Lakers when they aquired Karl Malone and Gary Paton).
Trev, you really need to re-read some of this because you clearly missed the entire point of what I was trying to say, and I must use bold text to stress how fucking much you missed it. I'm not hating on Schafer, Double Fine, or any of their previous work what so ever, nor did I say Brutal Legend is going to suck... Hell I've even acknowledged that they have some fine work. But the amount of Pre-E3* rabid fapping that has gone on for this one single game is rather silly. That is what turned me off to this game, it's that same silly craze that pushed me away from other titles I once was interested in but truthfully just got sick of hearing about. When some people keep hearing the same stuff over and over they go "okay cool", but other people eventually get sick of it and go "for fucks sake, enough I know about it already". Like GuitarAtomik, some people need to put aside all of the third-party fanfare (myself included) and try to just focus on the game. I unfortunately was unable to reach that point.
*I bookmark my opinion at Pre-E3, since gameplay demos actually came out.
"But please, everybody if you can honestly give me solid reasons to at least want to play this game (besides Tim Schafer) then PLEASE mention them."
That's almost like saying "hey guys, tell me why my towel is wet, and give me other reasons aside that it's got water in it"
Anyway, I will try. Hardly, but I'll try.
Brutal LEgend seems to be a game that also mixes different genres. It has beat 'em up action, some RTS elements (see the Headbangers) and that goes without saying it is an adventure game. THe cutscenes are witty as ever, Jack Black's voice is perfectly fitting and there is simply too much to explore
Oh also.
"Cant rent a game that isnt out yet. "
CAN'T WHINE ABOUT A GAME THAT ISN'T OUT YET EITHER ARGH! MY GOD!
I hate to debate about games too much but I feel obliged on this post.