Greetings Axeheads! We come, once again, to the end of a week full of insightful discussion and superb punditry. We’re going to close out the conversation on game delays with a Battle Cry that puts some pragmatic perspective on the high-profile delays of 2009. Were the rash of delays from late last year a good thing? Could we have afforded all those games anyway? Is the game industry harming themselves irrevocably by leaning on the delay crutch too often, rather than simply being smarter with their scheduling? AxedWheelie makes the case…
Read the rest of this entry…

Greetings! As the discussion continues this week on delays and whether they help or hurt the games we play, we bring you another stellar Member BattleCry. We’re seeing a lot of good points raised in the dialogue on this subject and many people are pointing out two situations; one where the delay helped and the other where not so much.

Coky14 checks in with not only two such examples, but also so insightful comments on how gamers perception affects their attitude about the delay as well as the psychological impact of  a firm street date being broken vs a vague release window changing. Let’s turn things over to him…
Read the rest of this entry…

Greetings Axeheads and welcome! We’re hitting the downward slope of the week and we continue our series of Member BattleCries on delayed games. Do delays irrevocably harm a game’s standing with players? Does a delay permanently derail the buzz train? Or do delays make better games? Guaranteeing a better experience for players by giving more precious time for devs to tweak and perfect their work?

Today’s MBC comes from Gun_Metal_Tiger and he’s sounding off on one of the most anticipated and delayed titles in this (and possibly any other) generation. After years of waiting, countless delays, Gran Turismo 5 has reached true infamy at this point. However, through the release of GT5 Prologue and the more recent Time Trial demo, we’ve also seen how the additional time has affected the game. Lets turn things over to Gun_Metal_Tiger to make the case…
Read the rest of this entry…

Well, it’s time to jump back on the BattleCry train folks as we feature yet another Member created Cry pertaining to this week’s topic; the impact of delays in gaming. We’ve got some great feedback on the topic thus far and with the long-awaited and often delayed Final Fantasy XIII hitting store shelves today, I’ve decided to use Axe Head Ares‘ MBC to sum up how some long-time Final Fantasy fans feel about the game. Now, this MBC is of the negative variety, but keep in mind that this is just ONE SIDE of how FF fans feel and to be honest, I would really like to hear from fans that are pleased with how Square Enix has handled the delay and overall game design if you’re out there. So, check out today’s MBC after the jump and then sound off with YOUR thoughts in the comments section below.
Read the rest of this entry…

No matter how hard I try, I can NEVER be TOTALLY fine with a game being delayed…I don’t know about you, but hearing about a project that you’ve longed for being pushed back once, twice, and maybe even more tends to dampen my sense of enthusiasm to the point where I almost give up. Sure, some delays prove to be SUPER BENEFICIAL and if the end result is an awesome game, then we as gamers should be patient enough to understand, but when a project falls into the delay abyss and releases as nothing more than mediocre…man…that pretty much just sucks.

If you haven’t figured it out just yet, we’re discussing the impact of delays on the gaming industry in this week’s Member BattleCries here on EpicBattleAxe.com. To be clear, we’re not just looking for NEGATIVE feedback, but also those cases where a delay helped to better a project and produce something that delivered beyond expectation.

While you certainly don’t have to provide an example of BOTH a positive and negative delay to be featured (either/or will do just fine), we’re gonna kick things off with a Member BattleCry that does just that. It comes from Axe Head PocketStation and deals with both Nintendo’s delay philosophy (or lack thereof) and a game that made a great developer feel all too human.

Hit the jump to check it out and be sure to chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below!
Read the rest of this entry…

What up ye Children of the ‘Axe?!?!? DK here kicking off another week of Member BattleCries where you can CRY HAVOC and LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! This week we’re tackling a pretty hefty topic…GAME DELAYS! Unfortunately, they’ve become a fixture in the industry, and with the oft delayed Final Fantasy XIII FINALLY shipping this week here in NA, we thought it’d be a good time to explore the different scenarios where a delay has either helped or hurt a particular title. This is where you come in…We’re asking you to rob the memory bank for all its worth and tell tale of game delays that were either tragic or triumphant! Think back as recent or as far as you like and let us know about the games delays that most impacted a project you were, at least at one time, totally stoked for. With that in mind, I pose the following question to you in this week’s MBC Topic Starter:

WHICH GAMES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED THE MOST, EITHER POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY, BY A DELAY?

Of course, you can chat up a title from any era of gaming (if you can remember back that far), but please keep in mind that we want both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE responses…We’re not looking to create a bitch fest or warm/fuzzy here…We’re trying to get your input as we evaluate how game delays TRULY impact the titles we crave.

Just leave your Member BattleCry in the comments section below and check back daily to see the featured MBC on EpicBattleAxe.com. Of course, we’ll feature the MBC of the week on the next skirmish of the EpicBattleCry podcast and we encourage you to sound off on WHATEVER you want, even if it’s a bit off-topic. Oh yeah, don’t forget to vote in our poll this week which deals with your thoughts on game delays in general.

Alright, I gotta a ton of crap to do this week, but I’m really looking forward to checking out your thoughts on the whole game delay thing…Does it help? Does it hurt? Should pubs/devs even ANNOUNCE release dates before they KNOW it will ship (thus eliminating “delays” all together…)??? CRY HAVOC AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!

Laterz,
DK

Here we are at the end of another work week gang, but before we light the weekend fires of freeloading, let’s conclude our week long look at your pics for favorite potential packed games. Today’s Member BattleCry comes from cardboardcutout who is anything but stiff in his expression of fondness for what is quite possibly one of the most-anticipated yet overlooked PS3-exclusives in the known galaxy. Of course, I’m talking about Team Ico’s The Last Guardian, but as today’s MBC expresses, there might be more to look forward to here than just the game itself…
Read the rest of this entry…

Hello and Welcome back. As you know, this week’s Member BattleCries are going out to games with the promise, the prospects, the potential to rise above the fold and be something truly spectacular. If you’ve got a title in mind, something your analog-stick-weilding thumbs twitching, head over to this week’s topic starter post and let us know! We want to hear your picks for the most anticipated, most potential packed game coming down the pike.

Today’s MBC, like most of this week’s actually, goes out to a new entry in a long-established franchise. A game series that’s had enough titles out to have a few that were truly epic and a few that were utterly fail. Whatever mixed pedigree it might come from, Axehead Aarogoth has got love for (and a lot of hope riding on) Castlevania: Lords of Shadow…
Read the rest of this entry…

Greetings! The middle of the week is upon us and its time for another Member BattleCry to help get you through work, school, or whatever it is that keeps you busy. This week, we’re raising the swords and the torches to potential packed games; titles that, we dare to hope, could be great. Recommendations are coming in fast and furious (better phrase than a movie) so head over to this week’s topic-starter post and share your pick.

Today’s MBC goes out to a powerhouse franchise that’s going to be seeing its latest iteration released later this summer. Between the backstory that the game should fill in and the unique control scheme being proposed, I think we’re all hoping Metroid: Other M lives up to the potential of its pedigree. Let’s see what Axehead Oath has to say on the matter…
Read the rest of this entry…

‘Lo Axeheads, as you know, this week, we’re exploring the potential-packed-picks (three times fast) we each have our sights set on in the gaming realm. Titles that may be unproven thus far, but that have dramatically cool possibilities. We’ve already seen a trove of great ideas submitted by the community in this week’s topic starter post, so head there and be sure to let your voice be heard if you’ve got a particular game that has the potential to deliver the kick-ass.

Since Reuben “EpicAxeMan” Moretz and I co-chair the EpicBattleAxe council on domestic Star Wars affairs related to awesome, I’m going to abuse my authority and use my position to advance an agenda for purely selfish reasons (just like your representatives in government). Today’s MBC , therefore, can be about nothing else but the game that showed zero gameplay, but conquered E3 2009 anyway; the game that mentioning the developer and the property in the same sentence is forbidden in 23 nations for fear it will drive the fanboy population to frenzy. I’m going to pass the mic to Bacbi to tell us why Star Wars: The Old Republic has the potential to bruise reality itself with its epicness.
Read the rest of this entry…