Greetings, and welcome to another delightful edition of Burning Questions. I'm Rick Moranis' number one fan, Alex Navarro. This week's column is chock-full of PSP-related questions, ponderings on the future of the MMO genre, and the ultimate burning question that all people should ask themselves at one point or another: Do our lives have meaning? We attempt to tackle each and every one of these noggin knockers, so sit back, relax, and let the waves of knowledge crash over you.

Everything must go!

I just bought Silent Hunter III Saturday for the marked-down price of $29.99, plus tax.

The only reason I could get it at all is because a friend of mine who worked at the store held it for me. He can't keep it on the shelves, he says--mainly because he can't get any copies. He'll get one or two at a time.

OK. I'm from Fayetteville, AR, which isn't exactly a major market. Still, it's a university town of more than 60,000 that's in the second-fastest growing MSA in the country, behind Las Vegas, NV. We have a game that's getting very good reviews, is apparently in short supply, that obviously had very significant development costs and it's marked down after two weeks?

Doug Thompson
Fayetteville, AR

You know, reading this alarmed the hell out of me at first. Here was a game that by all accounts was one of the best sims put out in years, and then all of a sudden it was fire-sale time, and the price was being cut, just weeks after its release? Well, Doug, thankfully it looks like your situation may be somewhat of an isolated one. Let me explain:

Basically, it seems that most major retail chains I've researched are still selling the game for $39.99. In fact, a couple I found were selling it for more than that. Likewise, there might be some retailers that simply want to get it off shelves, for whatever reason, and thus are marking it down. Very strange, and not standard practice, when not publisher mandated, but it does happen. As far as we know, Ubisoft hasn't pulled a Beyond Good & Evil on Silent Hunter III yet and doesn't have any plans to do so. As far as there not being very many copies on shelves, that doesn't surprise me as much. The sim genre is such a niche market at this point that a lot of retail chains may not be ordering many copies. If the game sells well, they'll probably up the order in the future. If it doesn't, well, just be happy you got your hands on a copy, and at a discounted price at that. Here's to hoping this doesn't become more of a regular thing. -- A.N.

I might as well make this a PSP-only feature, at this rate...

One thing I found surprising when I got my PSP home on launch day was that the battery was packed outside the system. While this could've realistically just been a safety precaution, the installation process itself seemed unusually user-friendly (compared to other handhelds). Dare I hope that this suggests Sony will throw us some longer-lasting batteries in the future? I've been pleasantly surprised by the battery life as it is now, as it has been clearly underestimated (I've been averaging 5-6 hours per charge), but that certainly wouldn't keep me from throwing down some cash for a battery that would put PSP's battery life in the class of, say, the DS.

Patrick Mifflin
Logan, UT

GameSpot Hardware guru James Yu takes this one.

"I wouldn't take the fact that the PSP has a removable battery as a definite sign that higher-capacity batteries are on the way. Aside from one notable exception, most portable consumer electronics devices have removable batteries. That said, it's certainly possible that we could see extended-life batteries for the PSP, but Sony hasn't announced anything yet. The problem is finding a way to increase power capacity without outgrowing the tiny PSP battery compartment. I wouldn't be surprised if some third-party manufacturers started cranking out their own extended-life batteries first. -- J.Y."

Question: Compressing DVD movies for the PSP? That was a heavenly thought but suddenly I said to myself is that possible? Several things came to mind...

1.) What software do I need to compress the DVD movie?

2.) What size memory card would I actually need on the PSP since a 32 Mb came with it?

3.) After compressing the DVD movie with the unknown software, do I need software to open it on the PSP?

Bob Truong
Philadelphia, PA

If you're looking for software to rip your previously bought DVD movies to your computer, for the specific purposes of putting them on your PSP (and nothing illegal, dammit), then I've heard that DVD Decrypter is a solid enough program for doing so. As for any steps beyond that, well, hmm, if only there were some kind of magical feature we'd written to help guide people through these very steps. Yes, if only... -- A.N

In each review of a PSP game, when the game clips are being shown, we can always see the fingers of you guys playing, while the DS, as I understand, can be connected to the CPU and the video can be direct...ermm...well, I hope you understood what I mean. Doesn't the PSP have that feature and do you think it ever will?

Alexander Nichiporchik
A corn field in Latvia

As of right now, there's no way for us to get direct-feed footage of PSP games, as the system itself has no "video out" function. The DS doesn't either, but we have a magical device, made by the gods themselves, that lets us get video from DS games. Right now, no such device is available to us for the PSP. Believe me when I say that there's little more we'd like right now than to have a solution to this, so don't worry, we're going to keep on it. Thanks for writing, and it's good to know they have DSL hookups in Latvian cornfields now. The next time someone tries to tell me broadband penetration is relatively small, I'll be sure to let them know about you and your cornfield hookup. -- A.N.

Maybe it's the obsessive-compulsive side of me speaking, but the super-glossy surface of the front of the PSP, while aesthetically pleasing, is a design flaw. The magnificent looking screen serves well enough as a dust, scratch, and smudge vortex, but was it really necessary to make the black plastic surrounding it glossy? You know the places you actually touch? The screen being easily smudged is not a big deal, mainly because you don't typically thumb-ravage it like you do the face buttons. For example, I took my PSP with me while I rode passenger on a one hour or so car drive. The sunlight, upon hitting the PSP, apparently turns the PSP into a dust magnet, as I found myself constantly wiping it off with that little cloth they supply with it. I also find myself afraid to even take the PSP with me for fear of damage. Yes, the PSP is built quite well, but there's no denying how distracting a scratch would be, no matter how soft, across that monster screen. Am I the only one who feels the super-gloss front of the PSP makes it nearly unusable in certain conditions? I love my PSP, but 'PlayStation Portable' hasn't been too accurate to me, as I've used it at home a lot more often.

Jeremy Yerby
Trussville, AL

I think this is ultimately just another case of aesthetics taking charge over durability. I often think the same thing about my iPod. My first one got scratched all to hell within a week of owning it, and when I inevitably had to replace it (for unrelated software crashes), the new one got all jacked up too. In both cases, the PSP and the iPod, the hardware itself seems geared toward being a shiny trinket rather than something people are actually going to shove in their pockets, along with their keys, pocket knives, and ninja throwing stars, or whatever people are carrying that keeps scratching these things up.

So then, er, what was the question? Oh, are you the only one? Certainly not. However, I'll disagree with you on the whole nonportable statement. I think regardless of where you end up taking it, it's going to get scratched/smudged all the same. And I've found a near-infinite number of reasons to take mine places with me. Do you have any idea how rad it is to have the movie Heat to watch on your morning/evening commute? I'll take a few scratches here and there, so long as I get to watch that bank robbery scene at my personal leisure. -- A.N.

The Revolution gets touchy feely

Hey Alex. I wanted to know what your thoughts are on the possibility of the Revolution's controller using touch-screen technology. Ever since that Game Informer article, I have been worried that Nintendo might just be ballsy enough to try it. Personally, I hope not. I'm afraid that the controller will do nothing but alienate/frustrate the third-party developers (especially those who want to easily port software to the system). Then once again, Revolution will be another Nintendo system with little-to-no third-party software. Besides that, I just don't know if I would like a controller like that. For every different game, you might have to customize your button configurations/layouts. Which means that I will be looking more at my controller, than my TV screen. What are your thoughts?

Ron Savoy
North Carolina

As much as I want to believe this is just a wild-hair-up-someone's-ass rumor, the way Iwata keeps referring to the Revolution controllers as having an "interface" scares me to death. The DS, in and of itself, is no worse for the wear because it has a touch screen; quite the opposite in fact. The difference is that the DS can get away with being the quirky, inventive device that it is because it's a handheld, and most people understand that the handheld market is a haven for offbeat games. On a major gaming console, I can't see this touch screen idea as being anything but a terrible idea. Nintendo's been talking a lot of shop about how it wants to make the Revolution easy to develop for, but if it pulls something like this, then unless there's a magical solution that I'm not seeing, this is just going to make that system a royal chore to develop for if you're trying to make a multiplatform game. Granted, I'm perfectly willing to be wrong. Maybe Nintendo's ideas for this will turn out to be awesome. Or maybe this will all turn out to be rubbish, and we'll get a typical controller for the Revolution. I imagine we'll all know soon enough. -- A.N.

Legal shmegal

I was wondering if the cancellation of the PS3 press briefing that had been scheduled for March had anything to do with the Immersion lawsuit that Sony recently lost? If I remember correctly Sony is appealing the judgment, but would it adversely affect future courtroom proceedings for Sony to be showing off new hardware that (I'm assuming) uses technology for which they've already been found to owe licensing fees? Any idea if this will affect the PS3's appearance at E3 in May?

Sid R. Foster
Los Angeles

If there was any correlation between the cancellation of the press briefing and the lawsuit, I don't know about it, and I seriously doubt Sony would ever give a straight answer one way or the other (but that is an interesting theory.) Regardless of whether or not that was the reasoning, I can't see a situation developing where the PS3 won't make some kind of appearance at E3. Come hell or high water, Sony will likely make the PS3's presence felt--it's just a matter of in what capacity. -- A.N.

PC sequels abound!

I remember seeing an e-mail sent out to the CnC community way back in December from Mark Skaggs, a producer at EALA, which stated a new chapter in the Red Alert series was imminent, and an announcement was to be made shortly. Well, five months on and still nothing, and with the departure of various people from the team supposedly working on it, it begs the question, is this game still in development?

Marvin Snipes
Parts Unknown

I went and bugged our man Andrew Park about this, and he basically told me that the game is still officially in the works, and no official or unofficial word that we've heard says that it's been canceled. So, fear not, for Red Alert 3 appears to still be on the horizon. We'll bring you an update on the game as soon as we possibly can. -- A.N.

Any news on Sam and Max: Freelance Police? I recall the game's former developers making a teasing announcement that all hope for its release might not be lost, but that apparently isn't the case. Is there any chance Steve Purcell (Sam and Max's creator) might wrest control of his property from LucasArts? Also, am I insane in the membrane or was there a Sam and Max title announced for the Xbox years back?
On behalf of Salmonax fans everywhere, thanks.

Nick Leaphart
Roebuck, SC

Ah, yes, I remember all of this craziness. I have no idea, but I bet I know who does...Andrew?

"Unfortunately, there are no official plans on the books for LucasArts to revisit Sam & Max at this time. As you know, the sequel that was in development, Sam & Max Freelance Police, was canceled last year, just like the previous attempt at making a new Full Throttle game. The Sam & Max game was confirmed only for the PC--there was talk of the game coming to consoles like the Xbox, but that didn't pan out. Apparently, the team left the company to form a new studio, called Telltale Games, to work on an all-new game that has nothing to do with Sam & Max or any other classic LucasArts adventure game.

It seems possible, in theory, that the former developers might try to go after the Sam & Max license, but I wouldn't count on it, considering that LucasArts alumni seem to have moved on to all-new projects (both Telltale and Doublefine are working on original games). For other upcoming adventure games to look forward to this year, you might want to keep an eye out for games like Dreamfall: The Longest Journey and Myst V: End of Ages, if they aren't already on your radar. -- A.P."

Lamenting the daily grind

Ultima Online and Realm, oh so very few years ago those were great games in my opinion; Along comes EverQuest and Asheron's Call, also great games... but since then MMORPGs have changed so little in content, and mainly in graphics. Where have all the good MMO's gone!? Why can't developers make a game that isn't the same type of game I played 7-8 years ago on my AMD K6? Granted, Planetside was different, but can't call that an RPG. WoW is pseudo different, but mostly just quest based. I really enjoy playing games online with my friends and strangers, but can't developers be a little more creative? What do you have to say about this, Alex, aren't you just a little pissed?

Jared Eastman
Andalusia, Alabama

Honestly? No, not really. I mean, I'll be the first to admit that up until World of Warcraft, I'd never found myself engaged by an MMO. I'd toyed with EverQuest and Anarchy Online in the past, but never found myself able to get into them. I don't think you're giving WOW enough credit, honestly, but that's just me.

I do agree with you that the genre itself seems to have stalled out altogether creatively. Again, I think WOW, despite being largely based on the games that had come before it, managed to take those aging concepts and do something pretty incredible with them. But other games aren't following suit. Take The Matrix Online, for instance. Deep down, it's a pretty decent game, but it also offers up a lot of the same obnoxious problems that other games suffered from as well. Now, how many years has that game been in development? How long did the developers have to conceptualize the game? They had every opportunity in the world to take it in new directions, but outside of a few areas, they really didn't. That seems to have been the modus operandi for the MMO genre for the last several years, and it isn't showing any signs of serious change.

Again, it's hard for me to get pissed, as it's not a genre I've ever had a lot of love for, but I can certainly see why fans would be up in arms about how stagnant things have gotten. Though it isn't a traditional MMO, exactly, hopefully something like ArenaNet's Guild Wars will spin a little creativity into online RPGs. It seems like it's the only thing on the horizon that isn't the same MMO framework we all know and love/hate at this point--at least that I know of. -- A.N.

When suck goes gold

Drake of the 99 Dragons? Bad Mutha Truckers? How is it that some games ever get past production if they are clearly unplayable and unfinished? Sure there are semi par games, and I won't ever expect a perfect game from everyone since it is hard to hit the timing of technology and the market just right. I still can appreciate any game that might have a little heart put into it. What I really want to know is why there are games that surely suck, why the developers inhaled their pride to release a sucky game, and why any publisher ever thought it was worth the silver it was printed on to get the game boxed and on the market. I still see Drake of the 99 Dragons at Walmart!

Yellownumber5
Tucson, AZ

Why does any publisher release any game? Money, of course. Publishers sink cash into these crap games, just like they sink cash into the games they think are surefire winners, the reason being that a lot of times they don't realize until it's too late that the games are total garbage. By that point, they've already made a significant investment into the game's development and thus want some kind of return on the product, regardless of its state at the end of the development cycle. At least that's how it is in most cases. As far as Big Rigs goes (I assume that's what you meant, right? Not THQ's Big Mutha Truckers? Because that game wasn't so bad, just not that good), I'm still convinced that game is the product of Russian mob ventures or Satan...or both. -- A.N.

And thus another informative edition of Burning Questions is concluded. Complete members, get crackin' and use the form at the bottom of the page to send me your own burning questions. Basic members, you'll be left to your own devices, as I haven't time for the likes of you. Until next week folks, I'm Alex Navarro, and reading about Burnout Revenge is making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Burning Questions Archive

Burning Questions -- April 8th, 2005
This week's column is chock-full of PSP-related questions, ponderings on the future of the MMO genre, and the ultimate burning question that all people should ask themselves at one point or another: Do our lives have meaning?

Burning Questions Episode 5
This week, we discuss the joys of region-free gaming, wonder out loud about the future of UMDs, and discover that deep down we're all a bunch of lousy communists.

Burning Questions Episode 4
Nintendo-related questions come flying in: What's going on with DS games like Meteos and Another Code? Is the upcoming battle between the DS and the PSP the true handheld war? Is there a DS dead-pixel epidemic?

Burning Questions Episode 3
Willkommen to another exciting, riveting, and thrilling edition of Burning Questions.

Burning Questions Episode 2
Alex has emptied out the mailbag once again for our second installment of Burning Questions.

Burning Questions
The premiere episode of Burning Questions, a mailbag feature hosted by GameSpot's Alex Navarro.