Whilst Ive been having a bit of a time-out from most GS related activities, I've been thinking about what I'd write about in my next blog. Now about 2 weeks ago, I got hold of a second-hand Time Crisis 4 on PS3 (which seems to be quite rare here in the UK) and started thinking about the possibilities for my newly acquired GCon3, combined with the PS1 back catalogue. The natural answer is, of course, Point Blank - the greatest light-gun games ever released on the Playstation systems. Back in the day, I had Point Blank and Point Blank 2 on the PS1, and I loved them. Absolutely perfect for when you had your mates over, and you could always pick it up for just a quick blast. For instance, this was the time when I was at school, and so I could pick it up and have a quick shoot about for 10 minutes before I had to set off in the mornings. So, I thought 'Right, I'll get on eBay and find myself a cheap copy of PB1/2', and I did. It would of ended up costing me around about £4 delivered. But alas, the GCon3 doesn't process the data from the gun at a level where any game can be played. I don't really understand the technical ins and outs of it, but basically the data that allows the game to recognize when you've hit or missed is interpreted in the actual game, which basically means that you can ONLY use the GCon3 on Time Crisis 4. So if another light-gun game comes out for the PS3, you have to buy the full package of the gun plus the game. Now, obviously companies need to make money in order to stay alive, but the majority of companies who partake in this fleecing of customers are big names in the industry, and allowing their peripherals to be used with other franchises will not harm their sales in a significant way. Most people who buy video games cannot afford to purchase game upon game upon game, as is evidenced by the popularity of the Wii, so by over-pricing and being quite over-protective of their own assets the same companies are risking alienating their core demographics.

And there is one major case of this that I think most people (especially in the UK) will be very aware of. Of course I'm talking about Rock Band. There are a few MAJOR problems with the (eventual) UK release of the PS3 version. Firstly, the pricing. Now, at the time of writing (14:34 GMT 26/05) amazon.com, is listing the PS3 Special Edition at $149.99, which works out at approximately £76. The latest news on the UK pricing is that the instruments will cost £130 and then to buy the game separately (who is going to buy either the instruments or the game seperately?) will cost another £50 so that's a total of $356 which is the best part of being 3 times the price in the US. Secondly, getting back to compatibility issues, why can't the Guitar Hero controller be allowed to be used with Rock Band as a second instrument, especially taking into consideration the amount of money we are already being asked to fork out for RB in the first place. I've already shelled out £75 on GHIII, the devs and all the execs at the companies have already got their money from me, so what's it going to cost them to save us relatively poor people a bit of money?

Now Guitar Hero 4 has been announced, and includes a drum kit as well. But again, another peripheral has been produced (albeit with slight differences) and so people will once again have to shell out what will probably be a ridiculous amounts of money in order to play what will likely be a pretty good game. Us consumers are being forced into making a choice between the two franchises, and the majority of people in an ideal world would like to have the option of having both, without the need to take out a bank loan. Why can't the companies involved in games that require extra peripherals just come to some sort of agreement that will allow this? It will surely only be profitable for them in the long run, as people won't be made to choose where to place their loyalties, and more importantly for everyone involved, their hard earned cash.