region coding?
 

I haven't seen word yet on a North American release date and I'm impatient... do you think I could order the xBox360 version from Amazon UK (on Oct 29) and play that on my US xBox360? Or are there region and/or PAL/NTSC issues that I should be concerned about?

As far as i know, there is region lock, an some games that are region free, and probably the problem you mentioned of PL/NTSC. But someone better knowledgeable should answer this.

I wouldn´t worry about it, the game will be released on US. The main consumer base, specially for Xbox, is in USA (not to offend my UK buddies).

It's possible. A lot of PAL region games are Region Free and just about every US release seems to be as well but I wouldn't pre-order until it's confirmed. Keep an eye out on the sites that track this stuff (like this one here: http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Region_Free_Xbox_360_Games) and order once it's (hopefully) confirmed to be region free. Personally I very much hope that it is as I really don't want to wait for a delayed US release...

As for problems with PAL vs NTSC as far as I'm aware most of those issues are things of the past related to display ratios/refresh rates/etc that aren't much of an issue with newer consoles and tvs.

People want to play this game on Xbox360? :crazy:

Don't get me wrong, I love console games, but this game was clearly designed for PC first and foremost.

I suppose it's a fair trade-off if you don't have a capable PC, but I can't imagine Gray Matter requiring terribly high system specifications.

So as of this moment we don't know if Gray Matter will be available on PC in the States? I figured we could at least get it through a download service like Steam.

Well I'm sure that if Gray Matter gets a digital release, it will hit The Adventure Shop and I'm pretty sure they don't region lock their releases. There are probably a few other download services that don't as well, although I know Steam and Direct2Drive don't allow certain downloads if you're in the "wrong" region.

You can always buy a hard copy from a UK site and it's guaranteed to work no matter where you are, but I'm sure it'll get a digital release. Maybe they're thinking of going digital-only in America?

:shifty: Excuse me, mister? SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. If there's one thing that the floundering and largely-ignored-by-the-mainstream-media adventure game genre needs, it's more exposure to a new gamers. And that requires it being introduced on platforms other than PC.

I am PROUD to be a console gamer who wants to see a lot more adventure games on the console and on the handheld devices (DS, PSP, iPhone, etc.). I very much look forward to playing Gray Matter on my X360. And I very much support games being on as many platforms as possible so that not only can they be discovered by more people, but also so that we can have a CHOICE on which platform to play them on.

For a devoted supporter of adventure games you're sure doing a lousy job of trying to help it be more out there for new people to discover. :pan:

Good info, thanks.

I'd love to get my hands on that Collector's Edition! But at this point I'm going to assume the US release will be digital only.

No worries, inm8#2.

Well, I agree wholeheartedly.

I was speaking in reference to the people that have the choice between PC and Xbox360. Of course it's fantastic when new people are exposed to adventures through a console release, but in the case of Gray Matter specifically, it seems apparent to me that it was first conceived as a point & click PC game, developed on PC, then later ported to the Xbox360. So it seems strange to me that anyone would knowingly pick the secondary platform, which is bound to have a less intuitive interface (which has already been talked about as being a big challenge by the developers, and one that lacks a definitive solution).

I know, some people prefer relaxing on a couch as opposed to sitting up in a computer chair, and to those people I apologise. Maybe I shouldn't have been so blunt.

Personally though, I'm proud to be platform agnostic. To be honest, I don't feel it's my mission to spread the word of the adventure game. That's up to the developers, and it starts by making better games. Plain and simple. Hopefully Gray Matter is one of those games that breaks through because of its quality.

First off, I will likely purchase it for both PC and xBox360, if only to get the sales numbers up, but also so that I could potentially play on my laptop in the future.

Second, yes, I prefer to play games on my 61" television with surround sound while sitting on my couch, and a controller beats a mouse under these circumstances. In fact, lately a controller beats a mouse overall, as mice have been giving me arm/neck/back pain after extended use.

Third, obviously having the game on consoles will increase potential exposure and therefore make it more likely that there will be a sequel or other AAA quality adventure games in the future because it will potentially help offset the costs of producing such titles with increased sales.

There is, of course, one obvious solution to all this debate, which is that the game should have been released on Wii:

1) the controls would be perfect (I just finished Secret Files 1 on the Wii and the control scheme was fabulous)

2) if the point is to expose the game to a wider audience, including non-gamers, the Wii is the perfect platform for this

I'm honestly surprised that we haven't seen more of a point-and-click Renaissance on the Wii, because playing on the Wii surpasses the computer when it comes to sitting on the couch, and also when playing with another person cooperatively. I would love to be able to purchase for the Wii many games that are currently available only for PC, including but not limited to: Monkey Island SE 1 & 2, Runaway 2 (looks like it only got released for Wii in France?!?), Still Life 2, Black Mirror 2 & 3...

Perhaps the solution is to get a Wii remote working with my PC........

For me (I haven't yet decided which I'll get it for), it's simply a matter of comfort - I just generally like it better to play on a console than a computer (various factors there) - and the fact that it's generally just easier to start a console game than a computer game, and that it's - for me - easier to have access to the console than the "preferred" PC.

Or something, it's just simply the preferred gaming platform (and environment generally speaking - and it's more ergonomic too! (-> comfort)). To me consoles are preferable, until they are clearly inferior to the PC (not just because something is made "with PC in mind").

The problem here, however, is whether they have chosen to implement an inferior control scheme where they could've easily done a just as good point & click. I'd rather do the point & click, nevermind them talking (rather questionable, in my opinion) about that difference between console and PC gamers (controlling and directing the characters and whatnot). But still I understand completely if someone wants to play it with the inferior (and who am I to say - I haven't tried it, I've just got a hunch) control scheme on the console, as long as the rest of the game is the same. Heck, I might still go with it as long as it's not completely awful. It's just that much easier on a console...

(Edit): Well, it was pretty much said above while I was writing this... I should say though that I feel that it doesn't require a Wii to make a brilliant p&c control scheme on the consoles. The Monkey Islands show that very well. It's just as comfortable as with a mouse, in my opinion.

And if it's not too expensive, I might as well get it for both. But I'm not at all sure I could afford it...

To be honest, while I'll be happy to own it for PC, what I'd really like to see is a port to Wii. That way, I can share it more comfortably with my wife, who prefers adventure gaming in front of the TV (although we've played a number of AGs together on my PC).

Looks like there might be a Wii port after all.... or at least Jane says she would like to see one:

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/02/ja...le-wii-owners/

I'm quite looking forward to GM. I'll admit I don't know much about it, but something's always intrigued me about it and it's been on my "to get" list since I first saw it.

I wonder if it's cheaper for the US PC gamers to get the import from Amazon.co.uk? It's only about £12 there, which is mindbogglingly cheap for a game, so surely it's possible to get it imported for less than the price of a "normal" game?

I stand corrected. Question is: will it be available in the US and UK?

I want!! Ah man I was so excited when I first opened this up, but then I saw 'euro' and then all the writing in another language, and then I was sad :frown:.

Please make a US/UK release of this...

Too bad it's not coming to the Wii (at least as far as we know). Still, the Wii is limited to non-HD. From what we've seen of the game in screenshots it's quite handsome. Naturally we'd love to see it in all its glory, and yet that wouldn't be available on Nintendo's console since it cannot go beyond 480p.

I seriously hope they fully optimize the graphics for HDTVs (720p and higher, widescreen) so I can enjoy its beauty on my X360.

Release date is now showing as FEB 2011 on play.com. Hope this is a mistake. Amazon still showing Oct.

Me too. But somehow i get the feeling it isn't...

ARGH, when is this game coming out? Yeah I know but really .... February 2011. Why oh why is it taking sooooo long? What to do with myself through February 2011?