They say that Japanese and American gamers have different taste in games. Well, that certainly appears to be the case in Japan. Lair (or Rise from Lair, as it's called in Japan) has been getting a serious push by Sony's Japanese marketing team. They might have an easier job of selling the game in the territory, thanks to the fantastic critical reception of the game. Famitsu, Japan's leading gaming magazine awarded the game an impressive 34/40, which is far more generous than the current critical average of 55/100.
Will Lair be able to dominate the Japanese sales charts next week? With Halo 3 taking the top spot this week, it seems anything is possible.
Posts with tag lair
Japan loves Lair; Famitsu awards game high score
Lair soundtrack available for purchase on iTunes
All 26 tracks, which include hits like "Bridge of the Ancients," "Bridge Battle," and "Bridge Attack," are now available for purchase on iTunes for 99 cents each. The entire album can be purchased for a mere $9.99.
[Via PlayStation.blog]
Harrison: Sony didn't force motion controls on Lair
Maybe trying to distance itself from the critically lambasted Lair, Phil Harrison told GameTrailers that it did not force tilt controls in Factor 5's controversial dragon game. "[Motion control] was definitely not mandated by us. We've always said all along that the use of the Sixaxis is something that should be decided by the developer in tune with their creative vision for the game, so it's not something we would mandate." In spite of this, it appears that many first-party Sony titles utilize tilt controls in some way. Thankfully, many developers have learned from the mistakes of Lair, and include options to turn off the tilt controls and replace them with analog movement (for example, Ratchet & Clank Future.)
In addition, Harrison doesn't find fault with Heavenly Sword's length -- a deciding factor that has limited the game's score in many reviews (including our own). "You know what? Not that many people finish games, so I think we shouldn't criticize a game for being a story, which has an arc with a beginning, a middle and an end... and actually encouraging all gamers to see all of the story, I think that's something positive." Granted, the experience looks and feels big-budget. But at the end of the day, most gamers probably want a longer journey for the increased price of admission.
[Thanks, njkid1! Via GameDaily]
Lair dev critical of Warhawk's motion controls
"I see motion-sensing as a complimentary, additional new step in terms of controls and where it fits you should use it and where it doesn't fit, don't force it. Please don't force it," he said. You see that folks? Eggebrecht just redefined irony.
Note that Warhawk can be played entirely without using the Sixaxis' tilt capabilities -- hence, they are not "forcing it." Is this a sign that Factor 5 might resign themselves to releasing a Lair patch enabling analog stick flight, or do we need to tell the Emperor he is strolling through the village without any clothes on?
Gallery: Lair
[Via Joystiq]
Lair Reviewer's Guide is dummy text, add headline here
But what's really scary is that even the guide that Sony sent out is not very good either, or at least it was not proofread well. The image above is a clip from page 7 of the 'Lair Reviewer's Guide'. Yes, you read correctly, the Medium Dragon is described as "Dummy text, add new medium dragon txt here" several times over. Perhaps the "dragon-game curse" isn't done wreaking havoc on Factor 5 after all?
[Thanks, Stoo!]
Lair cursed from start to finish
Factor 5's Eggebrecht and producer Brian Krueger even admit in Lair's in-game commentary that there was a "dragon-game curse". Ranging from contrast problems with the very first trailer, to power outages during the writing of the master disk, nothing would go Factor 5's way during the development of Lair.
Eggebrecht and his team's struggle with the creation of Lair may be the exception rather than the rule in the video game development business, but it does help people outside of the industry understand just how tough making a game can be. The Lair director explains that "every single time there was a crucial delivery, something bizarre went wrong", even sickness and deaths within employees' families.
Maybe Lair is not everything PS3 owners were hoping for, but maybe they deserve some credit too for completing a game under such trying circumstances. It's good to know that even with all that they had going against them, the Factor 5 team still had time to have a little fun and hot coffee.
Lair's secret "Hot Coffee" code is exactly what it sounds like
Did you know that Lair has a secret "Hot Coffee" code? Inspired by the controversy sparked by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Factor 5 has included a video in the game that lampoons the ESRB's overly harsh decision. You can experience it for yourself by inputting code 686F7420636F66666565 (case sensitive) into the game. Or, you can take the lazy way out, and watch after the cut.
Continue reading Lair's secret "Hot Coffee" code is exactly what it sounds like
PS3 Fanboy review: Lair
As any Gamecube owner knows, Factor 5 is a team comprised of technical wizards. Their previous Rogue Squadron games pulled off graphical techniques on Nintendo's last generation machine that most Wii games still don't take advantage of. Factor 5 managed to rip out the most celebrated moments of the Star Wars films and make a captivating series that delivered action faithful to its inspiration. So, why does Lair feel like a retread from Factor 5's previous games?
Gallery: Lair
Confirmed: Lair can be played on PSP
Stay tuned for a video.
[Thanks, Nightz!]
Lair swoops into stores a day early
If you do go out and pick up a copy of Lair today, why not come back here and leave your impressions in the comments section? The reviews have been pretty controversial so far, so it would be nice hearing what the fans themselves think.
[Thanks everybody who sent this in]
Amazon will not honour "incorrect prices" on Lair and Folklore orders
As the old saying goes, "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you." Amazon yesterday started sending out emails stating that people's Lair and Folklore orders had been cancelled due to a pricing mistake. It seems weird to us that two games were priced wrongly for exactly the same amount of time and at exactly the same price. What are your thoughts?
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Deal of Yesterday: Lair and Folklore back at full price at Amazon
We don't know whether yesterday's prices will be honoured for those that pre-ordered the games, but are looking into it. If you've been in contact with Amazon about it, please let us know.
Deal of the Day: Lair and Folklore for £15 each at Amazon
This seemingly random deal has no explanation attached, nor an indication of when it might end. So if you fancy getting two PS3 exclusives for this incredibly cheap price, then do it now. Both titles promise to be excellent fun and we've thoroughly enjoyed our hands on time with both of them. The only problem now is, do you import Lair and pay full price, but get it a month early? Or order it from Amazon for less than half price and wait until mid October? Decisions, decisions ...
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of August 27th
US Games
-
Warhawk
- Lair
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
- Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
- No new releases
- Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War
- Mist of Chaos
European PS3 owners, worry not. As games are region free, you can import any of the games in the above list without fear. Your PS3 will gobble it up without caring where it's from. Also, don't forget the PSN version of Warhawk will be out this Thursday, with the retail box appearing on shelves in a few weeks. Remember, release dates are constantly subject to change. Constantly.
Factor 5's Eggebrecht annoyed at ESRB's censorship
He mentioned a cheat code in Lair that unlocked a "Hot Coffee" pot -- an actual coffee pot, which others at the GCDC got a kick out of, but he digressed from the humor behind the GTA: San Andreas fiasco. "If you cannot have satire about these things, that is approaching the realm of McCarthyism." Pressing further, he mentioned the movie Eyes Wide Shut, which dealt with relationship issues in marriage, among other things. Eggebrecht wants to see games with that much ... ambition hitting shelves, which require games to be placed on the same art pedestal as film.
Eggebrecht finally got to the meat of his argument -- censorship in Lair. Sony sought a "T" for Teen rating, since the game appeals to teenage gamers, but the ESRB continually knocked it to an "M" for Mature rating due to blood and visible "chunks" of other dragons getting slapped away in fights. In the end, Eggebrecht said, "they let us through with a Teen even though you can use fire - you can set up to five, six thousand people on fire. They burn, they run around and they scream, but of course that wasn't a problem [due to the absence of blood]."
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