Jeremy Horwitz: VR's Super Mario 64 Moment is ASTRO BOT for PSVR
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Is Knack playable?
No but in relation to the Venture Beat guy:
What did people expect him to say, if he wanted to convey the fact that controls are revolutionized through hardware?
Wasn't the fact that Mario 64 was such a huge thing because of the analog stick? Likewise, this is something new because of VR.
I get that people think it's a hyperbole because Super Mario 64 is the GOAT, but he explained on Twitter why he made the comparison, and I can't think of another game he could have drawn parallels to.
It's a valid comparison considering the premise. He didn't say it would sell like Mario 64, 'nor that it have the same industry impact. He talked about the gameplay and controls, and how he thinks it's a gamechanger for the hardware!
I suspect people forget that Mario 64 was a natural progression of an established genre. Now someone is trying to push it further, because a new platform allows for new gameplay. I doubt it will make the same change, but there's a good chance this is a function of VR going forward. I don't know the outcome though. Nobody did with 3D Mario either, back then.
No but in relation to the Venture Beat guy:
What did people expect him to say, if he wanted to convey the fact that controls are revolutionized through hardware?
Wasn't the fact that Mario 64 was such a huge thing because of the analog stick? Likewise, this is something new because of VR.
I get that people think it's a hyperbole because Super Mario 64 is the GOAT, but he explained on Twitter why he made the comparison, and I can't think of another game he could have drawn parallels to.
It's a valid comparison considering the premise. He didn't say it would sell like Mario 64, 'nor that it have the same industry impact. He talked about the gameplay and controls, and how he thinks it's a gamechanger for the hardware!
I suspect people forget that Mario 64 was a natural progression of an established genre. Now someone is trying to push it further, because a new platform allows for new gameplay. I doubt it will make the same change, but there's a good chance this is a function of VR going forward. I don't know the outcome though. Nobody did with 3D Mario either, back then.
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Mario 64 outsold every single Playstation 1 game.
No single game can ever sell a console on its own for long but Mario 64 is just about as close as any single game ever has to doing such a thing, after only Wii Sports and Super Mario Bros really.
Just playing the playroom demo you could see that if Sony invested and got the right people on the job it could easily be the first game Sony created that could actually compete with Mario in terms of platforming and charm. My first thought after playing was that it was a Mario prototype. Just watching the trailer you can see a lot of inspiration from the series but clearly doing a lot of stuff never before possible.
The demo was overly simple but was obvious how much potential the framework had if developed properly.
The demo was overly simple but was obvious how much potential the framework had if developed properly.
You say this as though it's like some badge of honour. It isn't necessarily a good thing. In the case of Wii, it was a very bad thing thing.
Not the game itself, but the idea that yet another 3D platformer will have the impact of Super Mario 64 in any meaningful way, even as far as VR gaming goes.
Basically this:
I expected to be disappointed with this guy's ridiculous claim, but I did not expect that he was meaning it so literally either.
Releasing on Steam and being compatible with a wide variety of VR headsets? But now I see that it's a Japan Studio game, so obviously that wouldn't happen.
It was. But we're talking about a different platform, in a different year. And as an expensive, unperfected platform in the year 2018 I think VR really needs to stay as "open" as possible in order to earn mainstream appeal. If this game really is the wondersong of VR, then it doesn't really help the medium for it to be locked exclusively to Sony's proprietary platform. But of course, it's a Sony game, so when you get down to it really is the exact same situation. A Sony game exclusive to a Sony platform makes perfect sense and is nothing new. I had originally thought this was an indie project or something.
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I agree with this. But hey, at least he had the sense to not make us wait a whole week to say: "surprise! It's Astrobot!"
This is totally off topic but what are you talking about? Wii Sports sold the Wii but Wii has a very healthy attach rate of 9.1 games sold per console as well.
Yeah, that's a negatory on this. It maybe a good game but yeah, Mario 64 monent comment is ridiculous.
I'm not sure it has the required appeal. It doesn't look very compelling to me, but if I had a PSVR I would definitely get it. Doesn't make me buy one though, not just now.
I haven't played Astro Bot, but I have played similar titles (Lucky's Tale, Robot Rescue) and I can confirm that it isn't disorienting. If you want the robot to move towards you, you push down on the analog stick. You can tell from the horizon that this leaf is infront of you vs directly above you. Forwards will move you into the scene, down will move you towards the camera. Things like 'how far up am I looking?' are less disorienting in VR, because you know from your head position if you're craning your neck backwards or not.I feel like knowing which way to push the joystick will be super disorienting because the camera and your reference of which direction to push is totally dependent on the camera position.
Like in most 3D platformers, the camera smoothly follows, so you know how to tilt and adjust your control stick to compensate, but with this, and with the camera constantly moving around paired with the general instability of a camera tied to a player's head (in relationship to the game world, not the user itself), I feel it's going to completely destroy the playability.
In this screenshot, the player is the shadow on the leaf above - which direction do I push the stick? ESPECIALLY if I try to look at it from higher up.
I want to be hopeful, but from being a developer on 3D platformer style stuff and also playing them quite religiously, man this looks to be confusing.
Also this is just straight up Mario with the FLUDD lol
I think he's selling the game well. I wouldn't have known about it if it wasn't for these threads.
It looks like this game needs strong word of mouth, since he is right that the screenshots don't represent it in the best light. The art style isn't doing it any favors (although I think that's partially because of his screenshots being so uncomposed.)
It looks like this game needs strong word of mouth, since he is right that the screenshots don't represent it in the best light. The art style isn't doing it any favors (although I think that's partially because of his screenshots being so uncomposed.)
I think Astro Bot is gonna be fucking awesome. A fully fleshed out game from the robot rescue mini game is what we've all been waiting for since day 1. I don't know whether the original statement will be hyperbole or not but I have no doubts it's gonna be a great game.
He's just throwing a lot of HUGE comparisons around, and from my experience that's a horrible idea that will backfire on his own credibility and the game's image. For many, this game will be the one associated with that "next Super Martio 64" hype, and it really wasn't needed. He could have said it's the best platformer for VR and that it's a revolutionary experience for the tech, but he had to start namedropping Mario, Donkey Kong, Nintendo, Rare and so on. He knew what he was doing because he doubled, tripled, quadrupled down on the concept. At least it's not the dev that made such a bold claim (see Lawbreakers with its self-imposed Dark Souls comparison).
Ok you're confusing one guy's personal opinion as some sort of declaration of objective fact. That, in my own experience, is a horrible idea.
Era ain't gonna like this one
Usual suspects downplaying in here. Can't let people get excited now can we.
It is a bit of an unfair comparison tbh. Mario games are uninteresting and basic, while this actually looks new.
Why should this game be any different from any other Sony developed game?
1 guy is saying it's VR's "mario 64" moment. Most people with at least 1 foot in reality know from the demo that was available 2 years ago that this will probably be an 8.5 game on metacritic
Well to be fair, it's quite difficult to fully show off a VR game with stills on a flat screen.
The robot rescue level was pretty cool but more importantly to my surprise my non gamer friends fell in love with it. The co-op aspect(which I hope is retained in this game) sold it even further with couples. I couldn't sell them on the PSVR at the time because they had no interest in games like skyrim or Resi7.
This game and Moss will help bridge that gap.
History books report the sources of their time. Reviewers are one such source. Other reviews sing a similar tune and Robot Rescue has been lauded by customers ever since PSVR launched.
History is in the making. It is decided right now. By critics and the audience. There is a clear trend with this game and you won't be able to name a VR 3rd person platformer more deserving of the title it has been claiming.
Lol well I told you so to everyone in that last thread that doubted it was about Astro Bot. It was clear as day to me. Game is going to be special.
I didn't realize it was a Japan Studio game. I originally pegged it for an indie title based on the looks. My mistake.
There should be no difference then. Obviously Sony makes exclusive games for Sony platforms. Carry on, lol.
His continuous reference to this game as 'Astro boy' is really making me want a good Astroboy game.
I do want to play Astro Bot though. It's a bit of an unfair comparison to Mario 64 of course. Every 3D game where the player controlled a 3rd person character was HEAVILY influenced by Mario 64 after its release. Even things like camera controls were introduced to console gaming with Mario 64 (along with specific buttons on the n64 controller for the camera). The analogue stick pretty much got its introduction along with the game and it was handled so perfectly that it became inevitable for all future 3D games.
Astrobot looks like it has a lot of thought put into it, with controlling a 3D platforming character while at the same time using your own hands and head position to interact with the game, but those aspects are not new even in vr, and invoking the Mario 64 comparison pretty much implies that astrobot has leaped on to the vr scene with all these new innovations out of nowhere, which is pretty insulting to all of the other vr games that are out already.
Maybe he should have said it's a super Mario bros. 3 level event for VR?
I do want to play Astro Bot though. It's a bit of an unfair comparison to Mario 64 of course. Every 3D game where the player controlled a 3rd person character was HEAVILY influenced by Mario 64 after its release. Even things like camera controls were introduced to console gaming with Mario 64 (along with specific buttons on the n64 controller for the camera). The analogue stick pretty much got its introduction along with the game and it was handled so perfectly that it became inevitable for all future 3D games.
Astrobot looks like it has a lot of thought put into it, with controlling a 3D platforming character while at the same time using your own hands and head position to interact with the game, but those aspects are not new even in vr, and invoking the Mario 64 comparison pretty much implies that astrobot has leaped on to the vr scene with all these new innovations out of nowhere, which is pretty insulting to all of the other vr games that are out already.
Maybe he should have said it's a super Mario bros. 3 level event for VR?
I dunno know, for me Onward is currently the go to game in VR, unless this guy is talking strictly the style of game when saying "M64" moment....
Not sure how that is the only thing you take away from my relatively lenghty post. I'm just saying that throwing "Super Mario 64 moment", "phenomenal artstyle like Donkey Kong Country" and so on you risk undermining the entire point you're trying to put across, because instead of making people think it's just an excellent platformer, you're suggesting to people this game is some kind of revolutionary piece that will change the gaming world and that is as good as the all-time classics. Could have been slapped a 10/10 on it and call it the best VR platformer ever and the finest 3D platformer he's played in years and nobody would have been shocked, it would have simply been generating (probably deserved) hype. But when every 2 phrases he needs to make bold claims and comparisons it's not a good look. Imho that is. I would personally not write a review like this.
Yeah, this looks sick. Given how well put together and tight Robot Rescue was (despite being made at the end of the Playroom cycle with a team of 5 or 6) and how much effort it seems they've put into Astro Bot, it's hard to think this game won't be received very well.
GTA5 is the Wii Sports of this generation, fwiw. Tetris was also this for the original GB.
I totally buy into the Astro Bot hype. And it was fairly obvious to me what Jeremy was referring to in his earlier tweets. The game always looked terrific and was, just like he wrote, a week away from release.
Highly unlikely - how many platformers (especially new IPs) hit 90+ on MC? Especially VR, you are going to have those who just don't like VR down scoring...I'm expecting 75-80 myself.
What I do say is that anyone who can at least try the game please do it - it really is great.
Gotta love the anti-PSVR/Sony brigade tho...all those experts who never even touched PSVR let alone this game writing it off.
The basic problem with using terms such as "Mario 64 moment" is that there is no consensus definition on what constitutes a Mario 64 moment - if anything, the consensus would be a combination of several market shocks, while this here comes close to describing one.
On the other hand, a clearer setup would be less clickbaity.
This obviously does not mean the game is bad or anything.
On the other hand, a clearer setup would be less clickbaity.
This obviously does not mean the game is bad or anything.
You are a community resettler and you're saying shit like this?
I knew it was going to be something stupid.
Grow up dude. You haven't even played the game yet and are calling it stupid.
You're whining because a Sony-developed game is PSVR exclusive? Take the L.
The game does look pretty great. But we already had similar platformers like Luckeys Tale and I feel like Moss did maybe more interesting things? What is the Mario 64 moment?
Imagine being this upset over someone being excited. Can't allow people to be excited because of history or some shit and I'm not a big VR guy myself and am still very skeptical of it, but I'm not going to take away from people's enjoyment or how they express said enjoyment. What you're doing is being pretentious. I doubt you've even played the game so who are you to say?