Pre CBSi merger I would have scoffed at this idea, but now that they fall under the same umbrella of Gamespot... What is the likely hood of this happening?
(Also a Bombcast x 8-4 Play podcast would be quite awesome)
They haven't mentioned it and they would have done so by now. I'd venture that that shiny CBSi money you are talking about is going toward setting up website infrastructure and buying video recording equipment. Besides, September also has PAX Prime and the BLLSL, and the new site is going live in October. They're just dudes, not super men.
Would be cool... but I doubt it. Interest among the GB crew in Japan has never been especially high. I always hoped they would bring someone on who is familiar with Japanese games/language/media. (me! pick me!)
I also don't think the CBSi financial angle necessarily works out in favor of this - Gamespot is already covering TGS, so why pay for two crews to fly overseas?
No real need for them to. The information comes out at the same time for everyone else and they can always point to Gamespot for their coverage if asked. I'd rather have them in the office working on more Quick Looks or premium content.
Jeff: "MAN? WE GOTTA GO BACK TO JAPAN!" - TNT: Ridge Racer Unbounded & Burnout Revenge! @0:59:42
Brad: "At the same time TGS is so, kinda eeeeeeh..." - TNT: Ridge Racer Unbounded & Burnout Revenge! @1:00:00
If they go, they just gonna use TGS as an excuse to go to Japan.
They could just send Drew with a camera and let him go wild with whatever he could find. His Trip to North Korea and the show he did when he got back was some of the best content this site ever produced. Imagine if he could have took live video and he had the rest of the crew with him.
I'd rather have them in the office working on more Quick Looks or premium content.
We had the option to go this year but decided against it in favor of what you're talking about here. Between feeling out what's likely to be at the show and not finding anything totally mind-blowing and not having the infrastructure in place to go to TGS without essentially shutting down the site for a week, it didn't make much sense to go.
TGS isn't really all that relevant anymore unless you're interested in covering the next KH, Final Fantasy, Monster Hunter, or any other historic Japanese title which I don't really think any of the staff has or ever will be interested in covering. Half the titles at TGS probably won't ever make it to the US anyway and if they do journalists would probably see it at E3 or GDC.
The year they did go was pretty awesome. It was nice to hear about some Japanese antics, even if there weren't very many games to cover. I hope they go next year now that they got some of that CBSi money, and they'll be a little bit more set up (goddesses willing).
Next year would make more sense with maybe an early look at PS4 along with the second wave of Wii U games on the cards. I wonder if Microsoft will make another push for the Japanese market with Durango or have written that off as a lost cause?
Jeff mentioned that they have the money to do it but from what I gathered Jeff didn't sound super keen on the idea anyways.
Yeah. I think it was in a subscriber only video. He put off a real 'maybe next year' vibe about Gamescom and TGS. But money didn't seem to be the issue.
Until TGS regains its status, there's no point in going. Don't get me wrong here, Japan still makes good games. It's just that... well, you can't deny that Japan's gaming industry seems to be in a bit of a slump lately. They're not making as many interesting or new games as they used to. You can say (correctly) that the US and European Games industry also recycles a lot of ideas (Call of duty, indie platfomers), but Japan has been doing more of that stuff recently. Even Japanese developers lament the status of the industry over there.
Again, yes, I know that Japan still makes good games - like Dark Souls. But they're not making as many good games as they used to. Besides, virtually everything they showcase over there is showcased over here (at least for mainstream titles). I mean, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes debuted its trailer at PAX - not TGS. Because TGS is dying and there isn't that much point in going.
TGS was always the most exhausting show to cover. Massive jetlag, a horrendous commute to the show every day, and a punitively large crowd, not even mentioning the language barrier for everything. I went twice and I think that's enough for one lifetime.
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