Looking for console video game forums with good info

[FulciLives]

Hello

We all know that VIDEOHELP.COM is the website for our hobby. Well OK there is the doom9 website as well :P

I'm wondering though ... what is the "best" forum website for console video games?

Right now I enjoy checking things out at ign.com and I often visit ebgames.com and gamestop.com even though the last two are retailer sites with limited comments (ala AMAZON.COM user comments).

Are there any other good sites?

One thing that really "bugs me" is that I rarely see a site like ign.com mention what platform a game was first created on when said game comes out for multiple platforms. For instance I know that RESIDENT EVIL 4 originally came out for the Nintendo GameCube and that the PS2 version was a "port" but I see many games coming out now for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 and it rarely is clear which one the game was originally made for and which one is the port. Obviously if a game was made for the Xbox 360 then ported to the PS3 then the Xbox 360 is the better version (usually) and it goes the same way in the other direction (a game made for the PS3 then ported to the Xbox 360 is usually better on the PS3).

Of course I suppose a port could be better than the original but that usually doesn't seem to be the case (knock on wood). So all I want to know is this: if a game is coming out for multiple console systems then I want to know which system it was "made" on or "programmed" on so I can decided which version I want to buy.

Is it me (perhaps not reading the right magazines or websites etc.) or does the industry seem to downplay the differences between the same game when on different systems?

Take OBLIVION for example. I heard conflicting things based on user reviews at either ebgames.com or gamestop.com (it was one or the other can't remember now ... they are basically the same now). Some people said that the PS3 version played better but didn't really look any better nor worse. Other people said that although it played better (as in less loading time) that the graphics weren't as good as the Xbox 360 version. Which kinda makes sense since this game was made for the PC/XboX 360 world.

I dunno ... get my drift? It can be a bit confusing at times.

So I guess I'm looking for some good general information type websites and forums but also wanting a source that tells more about the games in regards to what platform has the best version when multiple versions for multiple consoles exist.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Xylob the Destroyer]

Looking for console video game forums with good info

Good luck!
See the thread in OT about forum etiquette and refer LS and my comments.
Let me know when you find one.


With the newer consoles, games are now often times developed at the same time for consoles, so neither is really a port.
Back in the day, magazines would review a game and then tell you which console version was better and why. Which console version had which features etc. Now, there is usually little to no difference.
PS3 and 360 games that are currently coming out for both platforms generally hit the shelves at the same time, where developed simultaneously, and often derived from the same code. Differences are minimal, and usually involve on-line features.
The version for the Wii is obviously going to be a port of either the PS3 or 360 version, but sometimes is also developed independently.

As studios start to learn more about the PS3 and it's capabilities, this may change and differences in the various console versions may become greater, but there still may not be ports due to the difffering architectures of the platforms.
Then again, I really think ports are becoming a thing of the past.
As these consoles become more and more powerful, developers are finding ways to make them behave more like PCs. Development for consoles is becoming more and more like game development for the PC. Something the industry has wanted for quite some time.
Unfortunately, something I believe will hurt the gamers. I fear that this will result in console gaming becoming incredibly generic, much like PC gaming is now. RPG's, simulators, and the occaisional FPS that is nothing new but just slicker graphical effects.

I personally have found the most balanced reviews and info in the Ziff-Davis family of magazines -- Electronic Gaming Monthly, O.P.M, etc.. They have repeatedly lost advertising revenue due to their refusal to give a good review to a crappy game just because the advertiser asked them to downplay the crapitude of their latest $50 turd.
Online is hard because there are billions of idiots with internet access, myself included, and online user reviews tend to be fan-boy rants more than anything.
Also, most "gamers" today seem to be total graphics-whores. Gameplay means nothing to these idiots who love any game that has "kewl grafx". It could have a totally broken control scheme and only give you a total of 8 hours of gameplay with zero replay value, but if it looks shiny they give it a bajillion thumbs-up...

[rallynavvie]

I use GameFAQs for all my gaming research. They have links to reviews, personal user reviews, simple forums, walkthroughs, and cheats (if you want 'em) for all console and PC games.
www.gamefaqs.com

The litmus test of gaming for me is found at Penny Arcade. Their webcomic aside the blogs that they do uncover some really great gems of gaming that I may have otherwise missed.
www.penny-arcade.com

[Xylob the Destroyer]

i like gamefaqs for cheats...
penny-arcade pretty much kicks ass

[MackemX]

www.IplayvideogamesasIhaven'tgotarealgirltoplaywit h.com :P

[stiltman]

www.IplayvideogamesasIhaven'tgotarealgirltoplaywit h.com :P

Geez, that site Suuucks