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Porygon

Strange Polygon Thing
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Anyone heard about this new thing Microsoft is using to get more of a younger audience towards the '360 crowd and get rid of that 'nothing but Halo' image? Considering I'm a huge Rareware fan, and they're the ones who are working on this game (most being done by the guys that did Banjo-Kazooie, etc. who in my opinion are the best of the best.) I can't help but be excited by it. Dosen't seem half bad of an idea, almost a blend of Animal Crossing and Pokemon - which I dare anyone to call not a genius idea. :p Not to mention the graphics, I've NEVER seen graphics this awesome.

And they're pulling whatever they can to get kids interested in this thing, they've got a merchandice program being set up and 4Kids doing a CGI show about it all. This sort of marketing attempt reminds me of early-on in the days of Pokemon. Normally I'd be a bit worried about 4Kids doing the show... considering their track record as of late. But the preview video they have on the official website is actually not half bad. (sorry, but I'm a sucker for innuendo in kids' shows XD) Although some websites report that game/TV show having a Friends/Sienfeld-ish sense of humor which I can't really see. Rare's humor in their games tend to be rather light, and seeing Sienfeld-like humor in a show done by 4kids is something I can't comprehend. But, so far (which is pretty much nothing) it looks good, and I choose to be an optimistic fanboy.

I just hope I can somehow get enough money for a 360 one of these days.
 
I think this is a good move on Microsoft's part to market towards a more broad range of gamers. The only game consoles that I own at this point are Nintendo ones. I've looked into buying different consoles for the longest time now, but I haven't been able to find enough games that I would enjoy for the PlayStation or XBox consoles to make it worth buying.

I am the kind of person that shys away from games like Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, and Tony Hawk Pro Skater. I enjoy adventure/action/roleplaying games that have many sequels and spin-offs, such as Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, Mega Man, Dark Forces/Jedi Knight, X-Wing, etc. Even my screen name here is derived from one of the oldest games around (Mega Man 3). So far, I have only found the Mega Man X series, and possibly the Final Fantasy series on the PlayStation consoles to be of particular interest. I am interested in seeing what happens to the PSP, especially when it goes down in price.

As you have mentioned, Sony and Microsoft tend to appeal towards more "mature" gamers ("mature" reflecting stereotypes; not intended to offend), with a few special exceptions (Final Fantasy, for example). The screenshots that you have provided, on the other hand, seem to possibly indicate a different direction of marketing towards audiences that have different tastes. If Microsoft were to produce 4-5 game series that I enjoy, I would consider buying the XBox 360 when it falls in price. At this point, there are not enough games for me to justify the large cost of the console.

It is rather difficult to say what Microsoft will do next. They may decide to continue making more games like this, or this may be a once-off thing. Considering that Rare is behind this, there is some hope for me. I like what Microsoft and Rare are doing and I hope they continue.
 
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