The past two years that I’ve been here with Co-optimus I’ve noticed one very important trend: Co-op games are coming in nice, affordable, downloadable packages. That being said, I’ve also noticed my hard drives filling up quickly - whether it’s my Xbox 360 250gig, or my PS3 80gig, space is running low.
So what is an avid XBLA/PSN gamer to do at that point? Buy new hard drives? Delete “completed” games? Start ignoring the titles coming out? What about the compiled discs that come out on a semi-regular basis? I know I have a few of those lying around based on the “best sellers” of Xbox LIVE Arcade, maybe developers/publishers could work together with Microsoft/Sony to take care of this problem using that very simple solution.
I have this idea where communication works with Microsoft and Sony. Here’s a bit how it goes.
Step 1: Developer makes great (co-op) game, like Castle Crashers or Madballs in...Babo: Invasion.
Step 2: Gamers enjoy great (co-op)games, like Zombie Apocalypse, or Deathspank.
Step 3: Gamers make a “Playlist” of games they’ve paid for, saved on PSN/XBLA.
Step 4: After the playlist is full, Sony/Microsoft offer to allow gamers to pay shipping and have their games sent to them on a disc.
Step 5: Gamer clears off their hard drive, but keep their games handy (without having to uninstall/reinstall/uninstall/reinstall/etc).
Okay, so it’s not a perfect plan - but it could be do-able. Especially for XBLA, or Playstation Plus members who pay a fee to be allowed to use the network. Do we have any developers or publishers out there who would like to chime in on this idea? What about straight from the gamers?
Don’t get me wrong, I love digital content. I love how it’s instantaneous (for the most part), always available, etc. But I also love my hard copies to display on the shelf and show off for all to see. This issue has been tearing at me for a few weeks now after my Playstation offered an error that said I was approaching my limit, and I don’t even save music or videos on my hard drives!
New in Download and DLC
First on the list is the game that pushed my PS3 hard drive to the limit when I tried out the new DLC, Soldner X-2 Final Prototype: The Last Chapter, which was recently released and reviewed by our site. The game features a lot of insane visuals and great controls in a spaceship shoot ‘em up style, but was missing the last bit of story. The Last Chapter gives you that story, and a whole lot of insanity in the space battles - I’d definitely recommend bringing a friend in on this one (PSN exclusive).
Dead Rising 2 is back on the radar with a few new chapters that will bridge the gap between Dead Rising 2 and the next installment yet-to-be-detailed, Dead Rising 3. The catch? The upcoming DLC pack is an Xbox 360 exclusive, much like the Case Zero Prequel DLC for Dead Rising 2. Sorry PS3 owners, not sure what happened there.
And finally, we’ve recently reviewed two great co-op downloadable games: The Undergarden, and Plants Vs. Zombies. The Undergarden is available on both PSN and XBLA, while co-op Plants Vs. Zombies is only available on XBLA (the PC version has no co-op).
Free For You
Instead of simply offering a free title, DLC, or trial game I am going to pitch an opportunity to end up on our front page without all the work from the Slave driver (kidding). Go write a blog. No. Better yet, go write a Co-optimus Community Voice blog. Each month we have a topic for you to write on, and we read the entries for consideration in a weekly promotional article (posted on Friday if I’m on my game, by the end of the weekend if I’m not). This month you should share your moments of sanity in gaming. Just do it!