tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089450338789398792024-02-20T12:35:40.522-08:00Video Game Life As I See It.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-35737466854918632182007-06-15T06:47:00.000-07:002007-06-15T07:02:27.521-07:00Raw Danger: are natural disasters best left to real life?The <i>New York Times </i>has an interesting <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/technology/14game.html?n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fC%2fComputer%20and%20Video%20Games" target="_blank">article</a> about the game <i><a href="http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=281750" target="_blank">Raw Danger</a>, </i>and how it just doesn't feel like the game that it could be thanks to its meager budget. The overall theme is certainly interesting enough: players are thrust into the aftermath of a tsunami, and must relive the entire scenario through the eyes of several different characters. In realistic fashion,<i> </i>you'll find that what you do as one character greatly affects another. For instance, if you happen to meet someone else in distress and refuse to lend a helping hand, you just might find yourself playing as that helpless character later on in the game. With real life consequences such as this strewn throughout the game, what exactly is holding it back from greatness?<p>Well if you ask the author, all signs point to budget woes. It doesn't take a degree in nuclear physics to come to the conclusion that gamers are constantly expecting each new game to raise the bar on production values, graphics, and most importantly gameplay. Much like <i>Disaster Report</i> before it, <i>Raw Danger</i> just doesn't ooze the snazzy graphics of say, <i>God of War</i>, or the open-endedness of the <i>Grand Theft Aut</i>o games. However, if you ask me, something else may be at work here.<br /></p> <p>You see, most game makers are careful to shy away from controversial games or subject matter that might be considered a bit too sensitive for some. Now, I'm not referring to Rockstar, or some of those home-brew individuals who see a tragic event on CNN, and decide to design a flash game around it. I'm talking about the mainstream developers who usually manage to semi-keep their wares under the radar of folks like Jack Thompson. So what am I getting at? Read on.</p><p>It just might be that the average person who plays videogames has no desire to take part in an interactive movie -- a.k.a videogame -- where they take part in moral choices that you are likely to see on the morning news. I could be wrong, but maybe it feels a bit uncomfortable to many. Playing survivor in <i>Raw Deal</i>, and thinking back during that fateful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake" target="_blank">day</a> in 2004 when several hundred thousand people lost their lives during such an event. Much like the prospect of a 9/11-type game where you are fleeing skyscrapers in horror as terrorists strike on our native soil, people just aren't ready for this type of thing. If truth be told, they may never be -- and I can't say I blame them.</p><p>On the opposite side of the coin, we find ourselves playing war themed games like <i>Call of Duty</i> and <i>Medal of Honor </i>without giving them a second thought. After all, these games also reflect real-life historical events that ended with massive amounts of lost lives. Just what exactly is the difference? It's almost as if we place higher value on one tragedy over another, when each is horrific in its own right. Have we been conditioned to see war as something worth revisiting via videogames, yet cannot find reason enough to take interest in natural disaster simulators? After all, we can avoid wars -- but natural disasters are forever beyond our control.</p>In closing, it's still unclear what the real reason there aren't more games like <i>Raw Danger</i>, or why such games don't have better backing from developers. Perhaps these things are either too painful to revisit, or maybe they just aren't as exciting as overtaking enemy positions with weapons that were from a time when we didn't have access to laser guided munitions, or had to look down the barrel of an M1 Garand rifle. Whatever the reasoning, the few games we have like this appear to be uninspiring. With the proper backing and attention to good taste, these games could very well be the next great gaming frontier, which has yet to be tapped.<b> </b>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-56546357561203541912007-04-25T08:51:00.000-07:002007-05-03T10:43:45.585-07:00Don't Build It, and They Will Come AnywaySome things in life just weren't meant to be understood. Take for instance feel good stories of how a sick child is miraculously healed, or how a family in dire need is somehow blessed with a smile from lady luck at the last possible moment. We've come to write these sort of things off as blessed occurrences from a higher power, and that is enough for the majority of us. Call me a softy, but I've always felt that it's enough for me as well, and I leave it at that.<br /><br />However, <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13669" target="_self">this</a> article isn't one of those things. The blessed underdog going into this generation, Nintendo, seems to be struggling a bit too much under the weight of it's own sales, for my taste. Now the problem is, I don't know who to rip into first, about this. You see, we have one side an analyst (yes, I love to poke at these guys), who makes the outlandish prediction that Nintendo may have trouble meeting consumer demand for the Wii up until 2009. On the other side, we have the equally ridiculous concept that a hardware maker with many years of experience under it's belt can't figure out how to crank out a hot product while it's still hot. Like I've stated before, If we were talking about cutting edge technology here, I might be a bit more forgiving. Since we are talking about what amounts to an incremental step from the original Xbox a fair six years after it was released, the thought of it all just confounds me.<br /><br />For Pete's sake, Nintendo, you have amassed a legion of fans bested only by the yearly totals of American Idol viewers, in terms of sheer numbers. Okay, so maybe I'm embellishing this one a bit, but you can't deny how large the loyal followers of the Nintendo World Order have become. The point is, you could probably talk these guys into building a couple factories for you, and piecing together Wiis from spare parts lying around in any electronics store. If that weren't enough, I'm more than certain that there are enough Gamecubes left in the wild for you to simply gut and refit them with nice shiny white cases. Then all you'd have to worry about is making a few million remotes. You can do that before 2009, can't you?<br /><br />And as for the aforementioned analyst; your not off the hook either. Are you out of your freaking mind? You have somehow managed to convince yourself that while millions of manufacturers can crank out enough products every day to meet customer demand, that Nintendo will need the better part of two plus years to finally put a Wii in every household that wants one. I'm not sure what the drug of choice is for those in your industry, but I'm glad it's not found over the counter. God help our great nation when it becomes readily available on the street.<br /><br />So that brings us back to this whole enigma that has yet to be understood by anyone. There's a hot product out there with a niche market. The product seems to be fairly cheap to make, and it doesn't use any form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atwood_machine" target="_self">technology</a> in it's parts that have yet to be reverse engineered from future UFO crash sites. Like the great mystery of just how many licks it really takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop, the world may never know the why this hasn't been remedied as of yet. Until there, I fear that there's no shortage of analysts who will continue to make outlandish predictions about the equally outlandish positions Nintendo has put itself in, yet again.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-43186070438346765992007-04-23T18:47:00.000-07:002007-04-23T18:49:39.166-07:00Chasing Shadows On A Cloudy DayIt's become a real annoyance to me lately how much <a href="http://kotaku.com/gaming/original/thompson-calls-for-fbi-investigation-of-kotaku-254631.php" target="_self">Jack Thompson</a> has been targeting a favorite hobby of mine (video games), when there are much greater injustices in the world for a lawyer of his caliber to focus on. One only need to watch but a few minutes of the local newscast, or pick up a paper to see that the world is very much turning to shit at an alarming rate. Now it can be rightfully argued that bad things and bad people have been around since the beginning of time, and we now just get wind of it much faster due to Al Gore's greatest invention….the internet. Nowhere near as epic, but equally opinion swaying a power, CNN is due it's respectful nod as well, I guess. Rumor has it that some people still watch tv these days. The point is, you'd be hard pressed to find anything in the media that's considered uplifting for a change. If you don't think so, just keep a mental tally of the stories you hear about for the next couple of days, and you'll soon be drinking from the same cup of wine that the rest of us have been sipping from.<br /><br />So what does this have to do with video games? Well, a lot more than you may give it credit for. You see, the woes of the world is a complex philosophical puzzle. A puzzle with a whole slew of variables that make it pretty hard to nail down one driving force in particular that is the cause of it all. Sure, certain people in the media might like to jump in the spotlight momentarily and play the whole "The Code is Evil" angle to the fullest, but the truth of the matter is video games are about as harmless as a rain soaked kitten. By themselves, they are but a means of entertainment for millions of people. Millions of hardworking, trustworthy, and otherwise respected individuals who are just trying to get by in life like the rest of us. Although some in high places would lead you to believe that those that play them are horrible, socially withdrawn psychopaths in the making, it's just not like that in the real world. <br /><br />Sure, there are people out there in the population who fit that profile, but they would still very much be there whether video games were around or not. I can't speak from experience, but I'm fairly confident in making a wild assumption that brooding ,would be killers and the like are more focused on feeding their need to do "evil works", than busting through a few levels of Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt. They just have more important things going on in their minds, I guess. Which is why, I am puzzled by the (bowel) movement to try and associate video games and all sorts of sensationalized acts of horror. But I'm getting away from the point, here<br /><br />I'm going to say something as a self described lifelong game player that is probably going to surprise quite a few people. There is still hope for Jack Thompson. There, I said it. Now before you choke on your cold beverage of choice and "perch the bird " for me, give it some thought. The video game community as a whole is failing to step up to the plate and make our names synonymous with peace, harmony, and all those other beautiful words that conjure up visions of sugar plum fairies, wet nosed puppies, and the flashy smiles of third world children on those early morning "feel good" commercials. In short, we need to stop firing back with the same type of angry finger pointing, and make it a point to show Jack and his followers that there's a lot more to us than meets the eye. Let's get one thing straight though. It's going to take a little more than a few well placed commercials, internet petitions, and lobbying groups like the Video Games Voters Network. Yes, all these things play a part, but it's going to take quite a bit more than this.<br /><br />From the highest held positions in the video game industry, to the kid next store who holds the neighborhood LAN party on a weekly basis, we need to lead by example, and get back to the time when accusing a few million lines of entertaining code for enticing riots and other acts of insanity sounded like the most ridiculous thing in the world to associate together. We were doing so well, but somewhere along the line, a few aberrations from the social norm were tied to some less than spectacular things, and it just so happened that the guilty might have played a video game or two in their existence. They most likely ate a few hundred hero sandwiches, watched a few sunsets, and giggled at a few bad jokes along the way too, but these things were lucky enough not to be blamed by psychologists and lawyers as an influence second only to the Devil himself.<br /><br />The overwhelming majority of video game aficionados out there who have tasted the forbidden fruits of the video game world are as normal as the rest of us. It's about time that these people are showcased for their positive influence on society, and are able to rise above the bad rap that they've been tagged with. Now will some kind folks please take Jack out for a night on the town, and show him some great times filled with video game goodness? I'm convinced that the right mix of people could turn this train wreck around, and change a few opinions in the process. Even the Grinch, with his heart two sizes too small was able to see the error in his ways at the end of the day, and he stole Christmas! We'll be waiting for you.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-67735496931510695402007-04-21T14:48:00.000-07:002007-04-21T14:50:03.397-07:00Outsource CodeIf you caught <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060518/sheffield_01.shtml" target="_self">this</a> article back in 2006, then you were as surprised as the rest of us to learn that many of the games you've come to believe were from big name development houses were in fact products of a shadowy group of foreign outsourcing genius. Their name is Tose, and they found a nice market for doing a lot of the grunt work behind the scenes while remaining mum about the whole thing. Now whether or not you think this is a great idea depends more or less on how you feel about the whole <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsourcing" target="_self">outsourcing </a> of work debate. Although it has made us American's quiver in our boots at the mere mention of the word, it's quite apparent that the rest of the world (at least the Japanese) don't seem to share out limited view on it's practice.<br /><br />Now looking at this from a personal view as someone who's actually worked in a factory where such deals conjure up a great deal of anxiety and anger, as well as spent a little time in business school, I'd like to think that I can appreciate both sides of the argument. This one is a little more complicated though. We're dealing with varying cultures, who have strikingly different views on the subject matter. I'm by no means a historian (so correct me if I'm wrong), but I recall the Japanese being a little more about the individual being less important than the big picture. How this applies the topic at hand is quite simple. I'm guessing that if you were to approach a group of developers somewhere in the States, and request them to work on a high profile project and to not receive any credit anywhere on the game for doing so, it might not go over too well. Would this be the case for everyone? Probably not, but I have the nagging feeling that more often than not, things would fall this way. The climate in Japan is just more suitable for this type of thing to occur.<br /><br />This, of course, is taking into consideration that we're talking about some sort of software that doesn't involve national security, multiple aliases, and black sport utility vehicles with charcoal colored windows somewhere in the mix. Now don't get me wrong, as I don't want to paint the wrong picture about our great country, or artificially inflate the worth of another. I'm just using this example of a perceived social difference in order to make a point about the whole matter. So, back to the topic of contention.<br /><br />It appears that Gamasutra was able to do a recent <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070420/sheffield_01.shtml" target="_self">follow up interview</a> with some people from Tose again, and it's interesting to note that while things are very much the same, their name is starting to appear on a few games for a change; most recently Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. Of course they have stayed true to their name, and are still very much the "Ninja Developers" behind the scenes for the majority of their work, but now that word has gotten out about them, they have found the spotlight to be more friend than foe. Now that their name is in circulation, the Western market that they once sought to tap into now seems within grasp. Some publishers have begun using their outsourcing service (who, I'm not sure of), and it appears that many more discussions of future endeavors are very much on the table. So once again, you have to wonder…..What does this mean, and is it a good or bad thing ?<br /><br />It's common knowledge these days, that the costs for creating new games are pretty much off the charts. We're talking about Hollywood Blockbuster tally's here. What's becoming even more apparent, is that the profits at the end of day aren't what they used to be for those involved in all aspects of the game. This is why you hear talk of ads being placed in games (a practice that I still despise), and titles once thought to be bound to one console finding themselves spread across several platforms.<br /><br />As much as we all might hate to admit it, the whole outsourcing thing with games is more or less an extension of this, and another way for developers to their costs in order to remain competitive…and survive. With the way things are, and are heading towards, those costs are only going to get a lot worse. Having said that, it seems that there are only a couple things you can do about it. You can raise the prices of your product, you can make cutbacks, or you can use the outsourcing method. Oh yeah, you can opt out of the business too. I'm thinking the first couple options are a bit more feasible (and attractive) than the latter.<br /><br />I'm still not sure how to feel about the whole thing myself, and even though I'm sure it frees up some capital and time for things on the developers end (the one's paying for the outsourcing), who's to say that it will translate into more value and better games for the fans. As much as we would all like to think that the savings will be passed on to us, or the extra time will be spent on polishing a future gem, we just don't know at this point. As is the case with most other things in life, time will tell.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-91948161722760939102007-04-20T08:33:00.002-07:002007-04-20T08:34:28.301-07:00Exclusively Yours For The TakingAlthough it used to be a much bigger deal back in the day, it seems that having exclusive rights to a particular game or franchise still packs quite a punch in terms of how people perceive your relative strength in the console biz. As much as I hate to admit it, even I have fallen under it's spell a time or two. The question is, how much does this really gauge success, and does it doing anything more than stir up the hornet's nest….aka… gaming forums across the world wide web?<br /><br />Take for instance the fairly recent announcement of Devil May Cry 4 going multiplatform. If you follow video game news at all, I don't even have to begin to tell you about the "big deal" that was. The Capcom boards literally shut down momentarily over it, as rabid fans flipped out over the news. Even more astonishing, it spawned one of those useless internet petitions to boycott Capcom over it, and we all know how much bite those things have.<br /><br />Before this, there was the big deal over whether or not Sony would <a href="http://ncroal.talk.newsweek.com/default.asp?item=283473" target="_self">lose</a> it's power to leverage the next Grand Theft Auto, over it's enemies. Once again, news came to the forefront that the title was indeed going be shared with Microsoft on the Xbox 360. Now, it seems the Crown Jewel of the Sony brand, Final Fantasy, may be sneaking out for a little Microsoft <a href="http://www.ps3center.net/story-394.html" target="_self">affair</a> as well. So what does this mean?<br /><br />Well I'm no analyst ( to my favor, I suppose), but I wonder if it means anything at this point. I say that, since it is more of a reflection of changing times than it is a failure on Sony's part. Now I'm known to take multiple jabs at the PS3 at every opportunity I get, but even their own public relations nightmares (Sorry, Ron Workman, they got you beat on that one) can't be to blame for this new phenomenon of developers who don't know how to stay in their own yard. You see, these days video games are just too expensive to bear the burden of alone, and the grass just might literally be greener in multiple pastures. The costs involved are so great that these guys run the very real risk of losing it all, if enough people don't buy a particular title. Just look at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clover_Studio" target="_self">Clover Studios</a>, if you need an example.<br /><br />Although having a particular game on a single system sounds great for the console maker itself, it's a big disadvantage to the people that sell the game in the first place. That places them in a position in which they have only one outlet to reach customers, when they could go multi-platform and reach a lot more people. If you really stop and think about it, not only does this hurt them directly, but it hurts the console maker who has the exclusivity as well. If the developer can't make a decent profit, your hope of future games is going to go the way of the dodo bird anyway. Not only does this translate into a loss on your end, but gamers can potentially lose the joy of the endless sequels they currently enjoy on their boxes o' fun.<br /><br />Which brings me to the next point. When games start getting close to the double digits in terms of sequels (Final Fantasy, anyone?), does it even matter as much as news of a potentially new blockbuster game in the making going to the other side of the fence? Sure a loss is a loss, but come on! With the exception of first party titles that pretty much represent a company (Mario), I just don't see this as having as much sting as some would lead us to believe. Maybe I'm wrong; maybe I'm right.<br /><br /><br />So I guess the question remains. Does it mean as much (or more) to lose the rights to have a game stay on your console, even if it's for a limited amount of time? Much like the ingredients of scrapple, hotdogs, and the mysterious cream filling of a Twinkie, the world may never know.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-3436254609495332582007-04-20T08:33:00.001-07:002007-04-20T08:33:38.448-07:00My 360 No Go Ticky!While sucking up the lifeblood of the internet today, an <a href="http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070418/32642_id.html?.v=1" target="_self">article</a> decrying the plight of the marvelous beast we've come to worship as the Xbox 360 nabbed my easily distracted attention. As anyone who knows me personally can attest to, I view the 360 as a revolutionary breakthrough in science, second only to Tootsie Rolls, lint brushes, and Viagra. Therefore, it should be of no surprise that I had to read just a little bit more into the propaganda machine that was Yahoo's article.<br /><br />At first glance, it seemed fair enough. The author, Roger Ehrenberg made it very clear from the beginning that he was reviewing the track record of the Xbox/360 from a financial perspective only. While everyone and their brother seem to have one in their homes, and profess their devotion to the idol that Gates built, it seems that maybe the House of the Rising Sun is the real deciding factor in the pissing contest that is console gaming.<br /><br />Now I have the greatest respect in the world for Japan, and it's contribution to the hobby that I cling to like a scared child to his mommy's leg. It's just that I still have trouble believing why such a small country packs so much clout when it comes to the proverbial Caeser's Thumb pointing up or down disapprovingly at a game console's future. Yes they have a heck of a lot of people living in a limited amount of space, so do may other areas across the globe. But I digress. The real focus here appears to be on profits (or lack thereof) in Microsoft's Xbox division.<br /><br />So I skim over the article rather quickly at first, looking for the fuzzy numbers that analysts so adore (see an earlier blog for my thoughts on this), and the following sentence jumps out at me like the Kool Aid man at a librarian's conference…. "after five years and over $21 billion invested all they've got to show for it is $5.4 billion of cumulative operating losses, and Xbox 360 doesn't appear to be the silver bullet to turn things around."<br /><br />"Whoah Nelly!", I find myself exclaiming aloud. How in the heck can any company consider itself successful when dealing with those kind of numbers? Then I find my hand planted firmly on my forehead, smacking sound included, and I am thrust back into reality that we are talking about Microsoft here. Yes that is a considerable amount of money, but the company in question practically prints the stuff, and uses it to snort the ashes of its competitors. So now I dwell on this for a second, and I think back to when Bill Gates first announced that he was throwing his hat in the race in the first place. <br /><br />As I recall, he made it quite clear that he was in it for the long haul, and had no plans on backing out of the deal with his tail between his legs like a whipped puppy. He was more than aware of the fact that the Xbox was going up against one weakened industry veteran that still had teeth, and another semi- newbie that was the undisputed king of the console business for the past two generations. He knew that the Xbox was (unlike his other ventures) the underdog, and that it had an uphill battle that was going to lose him a lot of money. Yes he knew all of this, but he also had a hunch that if you build a decent game machine and back it up 110%, it would eventually see it enjoy a following. Would it take over the world and convince the fickle Japanese market that Amercians are more than capable of producing a gaming console that can stand toe to toe with any of it's own offerings? Apparently not completely, but that does little to lesson the impact the Xbox brand has had on gaming.<br /><br />So now we stand a few years since that November day that the original Xbox was introduced to the delight of gamers, and we see what can only be described as irony at it's finest. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who can't find at least one great thing to say about the Xbox and the 360. It has an impressive library of great games, and it's online infrastructure is unmatched , yet it still fails to secure a decent profit for the house that Gates built. What gives?<br /><br />Now some guy from Yahoo, and a country full of people might not think the Xbox is worth getting excited over, but I certainly have no regrets buying one for myself. Not sure what it does in foreign lands, but right her in the good old USA, my Xbox 360 No Go Ticky! Thanks Bill, Allard, Fries, and Bach. We still appreciate what you guys made. Now we just have to wait for the East to get with the program.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-85361986801459657542007-04-20T08:32:00.001-07:002007-04-20T08:32:59.666-07:00Eidos Lives in Bizzaro Land ?Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it not that long ago that the parent company of Eidos quoted as saying that all PS3 support would be delayed until the second half of 2008 ? If my memory serves me correctly, it had to do with something about Sony's lack of a sufficient <a href="http://ps3.ign.com/articles/777/777118p1.html" target="_self">install base</a> of PS3's in people's homes.<br /><br />Now just a <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">very</span></span> </span></span></span> short period of time later, I'm greeted with the <a href="http://www.mcvuk.com/news/26535/Eidos-banking-on-10m-PS3-bonanza" target="_self">following</a> headline that the Chief Financial Officer of Eidos seems to think that the PS3 will trounce the competition within a year. So I must ask, if you don't mind, Mr. Murphy….. Are you high? Label me an endless skeptic, but I feel to see what makes you think that Sony is somehow mysteriously moving forward at the speed of light, while the other two are frozen in time. Yes, I have little doubt that the PS3 will continue to gain momentum over time. I just have a hard time seeing how that momentum is going to be greater than what Microsoft and Nintendo have up their sleeves. For every gain in PS3 sales, there is going to be an equal and potentially larger jump in the sales of the Wii/Xbox 360 side.<br /><br />Nintendo already has a comfortable lead, and if they play their cards right ( *cough* A competent online multiplayer infrastructure and some decent third party support) for once in a long time, they will continue to enjoy that lead. And don't even get me started on my personal favorite, the Xbox 360. This console is kicking ass and taking names more and more each month. <br /><br />Even without going into great detail about how great their online component is, their current and upcoming game line up is anything but anemic (Bioshock, Forza Motorpsport 2, Halo 3, Mass Effect, etc…). So I ask you once again, Mr. Murphy….what is Sony's secret weapon in which they are going to make this happen?<br /><br />Oh, I got it. Your doing a little damage control to make up for Eidos's previous stance that Sony's game division was in a weak position at the moment, and not worth risking the bank on. What a big pile of poo you stepped in that time. Talk about letting the bad publicity genie out of the bottle. Silly me. And here I thought that you had some insider information that we were in some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro" target="_self">alternate universe</a> where the PS3 was priced reasonably, and had a library of games that could go head to head with the competition. I see a lot is going to happen in the remainder of 2007.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-27026693715333968532007-04-20T08:31:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:32:30.348-07:00I've Got You In My SightI recently saw an <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13505" target="_self">article</a> in which readers were asked which Nintendo game did the most to move the video game industry forward, and immediately, several favorite titles came to mind. The obvious answer that everyone jumped on was Nintendo's flagship title, Super Mario Bros. After all, that little mustachioed character with a bad case of fashion sense pretty much single-handedly brought the home console business back from the brink of death in the early eighties. I still have fond memories of the game, and how it had everyone in the house, heck the whole neighborhood, glued to the screen. Yes the mere mention of the Mario name is synonymous with mystical proportions these days, but it much more than some dressed up urban legend from some 30 something gamer with a Peter Plan complex rambling about on his game bog. You just had to be there, to appreciate how great it was to be a gamer back then.<br /><br />Having said that, your probably going to assume that I would nominate that little plumber guy. You know ,the one that could really benefit from a less needy girlfriend who has the uncanny ability to get herself continually nabbed by an oversized spiked turtle with a nasty attitude. As tempting as that choice would be, I'm going to go out on a limb here, and give my nod to the ever so classic, yet simple <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_Hunt" target="_self">Duck Hunt</a>. There, I said it. Now before you go about laying me out with a lengthy dissertation about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_gun" target="_self">history</a> of light gun games, and how much they pale in comparison to the almighty Nintendo triad (Mario/Zelda/Metroid), hear me out.<br /><br />If you've been following the current video game buzz, you've no doubt heard about the mighty Nintendo Wii; slayer of giants. It's been doing the unthinkable, in a Sampson and Goliath sort of way. You see, Nintendo is this successful, yet underdog sort of company that pretty much has all it's eggs in one basket…. Video games and video game hardware. While the other two juggernauts ( I sense and X-men 3 pun here) have other divisions to fall back on , good old "Ninty" ( that name added just to piss you off) relies solely on it's ability to leverage a profit off of it's hardware and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-party_developer" target="_self">first party games</a> to stay afloat. But I digress yet again. I swear, it's an affliction I wear like a bandanna dipped in Tabasco sauce and wrapped around a sun poisoned bald head. Anyway, back to my point.<br /><br />Back in the early NES days, Nintendo was wise enough to include a "B" side to their Mario hit (45 record reference, for those of you born before the CD age), in the form of an equally addictive light gun game. Although the light gun was hardly new technology, Nintendo somehow made it stick, and everybody was taking out Ducks, like they were going out of style. Much like the Wii, which is getting all the praise right now, that often overlooked light game game from many moons ago, was bringing the whole family together for multiple sessions of mindless fun. Duck Hunt was far from a thinking man's game, and the game play was anything but deep. However, it trimmed gaming to it's barest fundamentals, and it was a blast to play.<br /><br />It wasn't long after this, that light gun games started showing up in the local arcades, most notably the cream of the crop line up Virtua Cop, House of the Dead and Time Crisis . Each of these games still have a following, and they all pay homage to a humble little game that started out on a grey little box with an acronym for a name. That same little grey box, that kick started a new genre that legions of fans never tire of.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-59832050335243004632007-04-20T08:30:00.002-07:002007-04-20T08:31:36.573-07:00You Can’t Be Serious ?As a current article from Gamasutra points out, video games are indeed a serious business; serious to the tune of billions of dollars a year in revenue. Likewise, serious revenue streams tend to attract serious minded people in all aspects of business like a moth to a bright light. On the surface, this may look like it's not such a big deal, but it certainly can be.<br /><br />Take for instance the game <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal%C2%B2" target="_self">Postal</a> (and it's sequel), which was infamous in gaming circles several years back for it's supposed glorification of the buzzword it was named after. Not only was it attacked by everyone and their brother, but it found itself banned in several countries. Even the good old Postal Service, a normally benign arm of our government gave the games the hairy eyeball. In more recent times, we've seen the same treatment/hostility towards a couple other mature rated games with equally controversial themes…..<a href="http://www.rockstargames.com/manhunt/" target="_self">Manhunt</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_%28series%29" target="_self">Grand Theft Auto</a>.<br /><br />Now the crowning achievement of the shock game movement (at this moment) has to be the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Columbine_Massacre_RPG" target="_self">Super Columbine Massacre RPG</a> game. It takes on the very touchy subject of the infamous school shootings in 1999 that caused an entire nation to shudder. There's no need to delve into the details here, but I think you the reader are getting the gist of things.<br /><br />So now that you've had a list of controversial games to chew on for a bit, its time to ask exactly what this all means. Like <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13494" target="_self">Sharon Sloane</a> pointed out, games are following the natural progression of their movie counterparts .Now this whole concept of one medium being given the blind eye by the media, and the other one coming under so much scrutiny seems pretty ridiculous at first glance. After all, each showcases the same themes of violence, sex, and "creative" language. So why is that so?<br /><br /> The big difference, it seems, is that games manage to do something in the process that movies just haven't been able to do yet….. Make you feel like your part of the story. While you can sit back and watch pretty much anything on TV, and feel shielded from the moral and social implications of what's going on before your very eyes onscreen, playing a similar themed story in a videogame takes things one step further. You, the viewer, take part in the action by way of a video game controller. Yes, in both cases, the same potential for all the above mentioned taboos are very much there. Playing the game all the way through from beginning to end is the equivalent of watching a similar movie of the same caliber. So you may be thinking to yourself, what does an obvious video game player such as yourself feel about all of this? I thought you'd never ask.<br /><br />I view video games just like I view movies. They are two similar, yet slightly different forms of entertainment. While I feel that some subject matters are less tasteful then others, I really hesitate to label them good or bad. Would I be the type to take part in a game based on another's personal tragedy? My outright answer would be a resounding NO. Having said that, I've played my fair share of War themed games, such as Medal of Honor, and Call of Duty. Did we somehow forget about all the pain, suffering, and death that their subject matter was inspired by? What makes this any different?<br /><br />You see, just like anything else in life, video games have their own gray area that we must wrestle with. The line to draw in the sand isn't always as clear cut as we like, and it's very much a matter of personal interpretation as much as it is your own moral fortitude. Maybe we as a whole really need to step back from all of this, and take another look at the situation from all of its perspectives. As it stands right now, much time and money is spent zeroing in on the negative aspects of video games. In essence, some view in them in the same light as <a href="http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zzcens97.htm" target="_self">Heavy Metal Music</a> music found itself in back in the Eighties. Others like myself, just see it as another form of entertainment that the individual should take it upon themselves to decide what's right and wrong for them. If you like it, great. If not, that's okay too. No one is going to hurt you if you don't watch these types of movies, or play these types of games. Just don't be so quick to jump on the bandwagon and light the torches with the fellow villagers, and condemn those that do.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-88990019878912756252007-04-20T08:30:00.001-07:002007-04-20T08:30:57.299-07:00Make Sure to Squint at the PrintJust doing my usual virtual cruise around the internets, seeing what is going on in the gaming news and all, and found <a href="http://kotaku.com/gaming/circuit-city/circuit-citys-paper-mario-scam-251388.php" target="_self">THIS</a> unfortunate article. Yes, I know it has the usual mumbo jumbo in the fine print, but isn't that a bit of a shady practice to do to your customers? I guess it was only a matter of time before chain stores went the way of the used car salesman/ credit card mogul. Truly sad, but a lesson in life it seems.<br /><br />If I recall correctly, this isn't the first time that <a href="http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/sleazy-circuit-city-ripping-off-xbox-360-customers-198065.php" target="_self">Circuit City</a> has dealt the cards under the table, so to speak. Kind of breaks my heart, since I try my best to look at them with a positive attitude for the most part. I usually reserve the barbs for that unnamed video game specialty store, but it seems that CC is starting to slide further down the dark path. It's a shame, really. I have nothing but good things to say about the local Circuit City store. Pleasant staff, reasonable prices on games, and a halfway decent selection of goods.<br /><br />But enough about that. The moral of the story kids, is make sure to do a little research (that means read carefully) before falling for those too good to be true offers that dangle in front of you. That, and a little common sense will save you a world of disappointment.<br /><br />As much as we would all love to trust the one's that peddle the goods we so adore, a little caution is in order.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-75573416866533582162007-04-20T08:28:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:30:26.976-07:00How To Free A Wii, And Pound A Box At The Same Time!With it's killer lineup of great games, and it's unbeatable online experience, I was under the delusion that the Xbox 360 was going to be the console to keep up with this generation. Thanks to Gamestop , I now know I was hiding from the truth. In essence, I was living a lie. *Insert Emo Tear Here*<br /><br />After all, the 360 was the console that, by all appearances, seemed to have a lot of things going for it. Besides the plusses I mentioned above, it had the pleasure of being the console that was priced somewhere in the middle of the road. If you were to create a spreadsheet and mark the benefits of each (graphing out the results, of course), it would certainly look like the Xbox offered the most value for your hard earned dollar.<br /><br />That all came to a crashing halt when <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/11/gamestop-battle-is-between-wii-and-ps3-us-wtf/" target="_self">THIS</a> newsletter hit my inbox yesterday. You see, the Wii may have been selling like hotcakes on it's own, but it desperately needed that extra special touch that only a greedy multimillion dollar company can give it, to really compete with the "must have" console that Sony pushed out the door. Never mind unsold PS3's that I still see at all the major retail outlets. For all I know, I'm just delusional. It's really Sony's world, and the rest of us are just fortunate enough to live in it. But I digress..<br /><br />The bad news is that the Xbox 360 has been pushed aside by the only retailer that counts, and it hurts. Had I known this was going to happen ahead of time, I never would have waited outside patiently for the concave goodness that is the 360, on it's launch date. Instead, it would have been much wiser of me to have waited for Gamestop to declare the real players in the game, and waited eagerly for my overpriced bundles to arrive in the mail. Why I didn't just run out and buy a PS3 (even without any games to back up it's already unwarranted price tag) at launch is beyond me. What was I thinking?gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-9447028643844355322007-04-20T08:27:00.002-07:002007-04-20T08:28:20.014-07:00Do You Like Facial Hair On Your Plumber?Maybe it's the fact that Mario is their mascot. Then again, it could have more to do with the various incarnations of Pokemon that are the culprit. Oh I got it…. Kirby is responsible for the way in which we view Nintendo as the "kid friendly" name in gaming. Whatever the reason may be, Nintendo appears to be branching out even more, in an attempt to broaden their image a bit.<br /><br /> Maybe some of you have forgotten already, but this isn't the first time the Big "N" has gone out on a limb with a mature rated game. Besides the obvious Resident Evil games that found their way onto the Gamecube's excellent hardware, there was an equally satisfying, yet less welcomed game by the name of Eternal Darkness that somehow managed to sell fewer copies than it should have. With the way that customers seem to look towards competing game consoles for their mature gaming fix, I can't help but wonder where Nintendo went wrong.<br /><br />After all, the Gamecube hardware was easily superior to the PS2's. Heck, it was able to go head to head with my beloved Xbox, even if it was blue, and shaped like a little girl's purse. The truth of the matter was that Nintendo promised us something decent, and they delivered on that promise. As history shows once again, that wasn't nearly enough. Nintendo choked in the one deal breaker that really matters….games. It didn't matter that they had a couple mature rated first party games on the Gamecube. What mattered is the third party support just wasn't there. The million dollar question is why?<br /><br />Some would blame it on their constant excuses for avoiding the online world. Others would point to the look of the hardware itself. I guess it was a little of each, and more. Nintendo just wasn't able to convince the masses that they were much more than a family friendly console. You know, the kind that parents wouldn't be afraid to leave their kids alone for a few minutes playing, while they went next door to chat with the neighbors. Now this would seem like a perfect selling point. After all, who doesn't enjoy the images conjured up by the catch phrase "kid friendly", or "parent approved?" As it turned out, pretty much everyone. Sure, everyone gave the typical lip service of saying that the concept is the greatest thing next to apple pie and Little Debbie snack cakes, but the sales of the cube show otherwise. It seems that maybe Joe video gamer is a bit more complicated than that.<br /><br />So now we fast forward to Nintendo's newest (and quite successful) console, the Wii. It seems to have followed the same failed blueprint as before, yet this time it's flying off the shelves like milk, bread, and cat food right after a potential hurricane announcement. This is a bit puzzling. After all, the Wii doesn't have a real online service yet. I mean real, in the sense that you can't go head to head against players online in multiplayer matches. Yes you can download a few select games in Nintendo's vault for a fee, but that's taking into considering that you have a high speed wireless internet connection in the first place. Many households still don't have that yet.<br /><br />Much like last generation, Nintendo is still cranking out those kid friendly games. Yes, it's worth mentioning that the Wii has that new pseudo remote control looking, point and click controller that can be pretty neat at times. Is this the deciding factor that drives the Wii sales? I'd say price, but the Gamecube was one of the most affordable gaming consoles ever to sit on a store shelf. Towards the end of it's life cycle, you could find one and a game for under a hundred dollars. Now that's my definition of a value.<br /><br />So what is it? I'm completely perplexed. Now we have word that Nintendo is ready to embrace some more Mature titles, like <a href="http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/wii/game/news/article.jsp?sectionId=1006&articleId=20070405124537937011&releaseId=20070405104228296028" target="_self">Scarface</a> and Manhunt, and I have to wonder somewhere in the back of my mind if this is really what Nintendo's fans want. Sure I want it, but what about everyone else? Once again, we will have to take the wait and see approach to find out how kind father time has been to Nintendo in the long term. If you would have asked me the last time around, I would have told you that Nintendo really had a good shot and closing the gap with the PS2. Well what do you know….Maybe I should be an analyst after all ;-)gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-7488982902490174692007-04-20T08:27:00.001-07:002007-04-20T08:27:39.976-07:00Don't Get All Analytical On Me Now.What exactly is our fascination with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry_analyst" target="_self">analysts</a>? Do they ever really say anything that's worth the attention that we seem to give them? It seems for every new "trend" that comes along in the video game world and beyond, there's a whole team of "experts" more than willing to spout a whole lot of nothing and fill our deaf ears with what amounts to foam sealant. Much like their day to day brethren, the local meteorologist and the infamous traveling palm reading gypsy, it seems that these guys can pretty much say anything, and still manage to keep their jobs.<br /><br />I don't know about you, but perhaps the vast majority of us are simply in the wrong profession. When was the last time you or anybody you know were able to consistently pull bad guesses (and let's face it, that's pretty much what they get paid a lot of money to do) out of your asses at your job, and still manage to keep them? Unless your one of the above mentioned, I'd hedge my bet that you have never been so darn lucky.<br /><br />This of course, means absolutely nothing to one who is skilled in the voodoo art of smoke and mirror statistics. All a practitioner need do is wave around a couple spreadsheets worth of numbers, attach a few carefully placed buzzwords for good measure, and voila! Hook, line, and sinker…. Your target audience is wriggling at the end of your verbal hook. If you somehow manage to state the obvious while making your case, then oh boy, your really going to reel in the whopper! By now, you may be wondering just what exactly this has to do with video games. <br /><br />There isn't a day that goes by, that I don't see articles on the internet, or on TV where at least 2-3 analysts are trying to predict which console is going to be the "King of the Hill" at any given moment, or what game is the "must have" commodity that I should sell all my personal belongings for, and purchase. If that isn't enough, you'll even occasionally see them try and predict things years in advance. If these guys were really that good, don't you think they'd use some of that numerical, trend crunching power of theirs, to say, forecast some lotto numbers with a high probability of making them rich enough to quit the BS game they are playing with us now? You darn right they would.<br /><br />Take for instance the current state of the whole Nintendo vs. Sony vs. Microsoft thing. Did any analyst really expect the Wii to have taken over the world with their underpowered (but fun) hardware? Even more, did anyone think for an instant that Sony would be in the position of scrounging around for developer's scraps (or ports as we gamers call them) in last place, while praying to their arrogant God that another hit game series of theirs doesn't end up on a competitor's box of joy? The dedicated video game fan who scoured the internet every day for the latest news might have seen this one coming for quite a while, but the average consumer has to be surprised by it all. How much would you want to bet there's quite a few analysts with egg on their face over this whole thing?<br /><br />I guess the point I'm trying to make with all of this, is that the truth of the matter is nobody knows what's going to happen ten minutes down the road, let alone a few months or years. A lot of money and manpower is spent trying to do so, and sometimes we're even right at the end of it all. However, we really need to start taking all this stuff with a "let's wait and see" approach, instead of taking this stuff as the gospel. As much as we'd all love to glaze over and go all starry eyed over the numbers and predictions these guys give us, we should see them more as what they really are… educated guesses. And all of the polls, charts, and statistics aren't going to change that.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-87280949047823196082007-04-20T08:25:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:26:58.258-07:00Are Your Game Makers A Bit Too Happy?While doing my daily check of the various gaming related internet sites on the net, I found <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13344" target="_self">THIS</a> nice little gem tucked away somewhere (in the closet?), and thought I'd give it a few lines of commentary. Allow me to start this off by publicly stating that I have no ill will towards anyone who just so happens to fit the description of gay. Since what you do has zero bearing on my life, I am neither for you or against you. You do your thing, and I'll do mine. See? Now everybody's happy!<br /><br />Now that I've taken care of that nice little disclaimer, I have to ask the obvious question that crosses my mind when I see an article like this. Just what does a person's sexual orientation (like the way I got all PC with that one? Thought so.) have to do with making a great video game? Go ahead and mull it over for a bit. I'm sure there's a myriad of reasons you can name off the top of your head. Done? Great.<br /><br />So as I was saying before….. Are the two actually connected in some way that I'm obviously overlooking? Have we reached a point where up and coming developers of the fine art of video games will need to add the "I'm gay" tag somewhere on the resume in order to get noticed? I can see it now….<br /><br />*Somewhere behind the scenes at Rockstar*<br /><br />"We have two fine applicants for the next installment of Grand Theft Auto. Both have Masters degrees, and their work history is flawless. Each graduated at the top of their class, were captains on various sports teams, did missionary work overseas , and somehow managed to run the local chapters of the 4-H clubs in their respective hometowns. Most impressive.<br /><br />Now let me see….Hmm… This one guy is married with two kids, yet somehow managed to crank out a couple hits for Konami while doing his internship there during college. But wait; I spoke too soon. The other applicant is claiming to be homosexual. With that background, he's going to take our development house to new levels! Decisions, decisions. "<br /><br />Now I've played my fair share of video games, and I'd bet that somewhere along the line a non-heterosexual person was involved in the development process of a few of them. I'll even take it a step further, and state that they could very well have produced some of the greatest games ever known to man. *snicker* <br /><br /> The truth of the matter, is that the whole idea of it is pointless. It ranks right up there with talking about how many minorities or females are involved in the development process. When it comes down to it, developing a great game is a mixture of having a skilled group of people who know how to work together, with a little bit of luck sprinkled on for good measure. So to all the various game developers, I send you off with this. Leave the social baggage to the ACLU, and keep doing what you do best…cranking out those games we love to blow our paychecks on . No one really cares about the rest.gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-89018816586776261882007-04-20T08:24:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:25:12.950-07:00The Circle of Suck ContinuesEven as the strong advocate of all things Xbox that I obviously am, I can still manage to shed a crocodile tear or two for the PR Nightmare that is the PS3. Really kids, I don't hate Sony as much as I sometimes allude to. Okay, so maybe I'm a bit more vocal about it than I sometimes realize.<span style=""> </span>The truth of the matter is that I have fond memories of a time when Sony strolled onto the scene, and was the one wearing the white hat, so to speak, as opposed to Nintendo.<span style=""> </span>Some of you might not remember, but back during the pre N64 days, it was Nintendo that was getting a little too big for it's britches, and was being a real pain in the ass in terms of gaming. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Heck, it was a failed agreement on Nintendo's part that birthed the PS brand as we know it.<span style=""> </span>Fast forward a few generations of hardware, and we now find that Nintendo is all cute and fuzzy on us again (thank goodness), and it's Sony who has a major case of the ass on their hands.<span style=""> </span>Just like Nintendo's inability to let go of the cartridge format in favor of the superior (and cheaper) CD/DVD format that we all have come to enjoy,<span style=""> </span>Sony has found itself in a not so similar, yet contrasting<span style=""> </span>situation.<span style=""> </span>They've decided that the world really needs a new disk format to further complicate the already crowded video/video game market.<span style=""> </span>Now you may be rolling your eyes at all of this, and thinking that this groundbreaking piece of news is a few solar eclipses late to the party, but I'd like to point your attention to <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/30/eidos-holding-out-for-better-ps3-install-base" target="_self">THIS</a> nifty little article that gives a little street cred to my ramblings.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You see, the inclusion of the Blue Ray format meant that the PS3 had no choice but to price itself somewhere between a high end sports car, and a couple platefuls of a select caviar in order for Sony to hope to make a profit off the console in the next decade for so. I still don't find anything lacking in the current DVD format, but that's beside the point, it seems.<span style=""> </span>As a result of this pricing, the PS3 has been on the receiving end of many jokes (raises hand gleefully), attacks, and has sent at least several thousand people to the doctor in a rare case of sticker shock syndrome. Yes, we're talking about an epidemic here.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What this translates into in the real world, is that while marginally successful, the PS3 has not sold anywhere near as many consoles as the competition.<span style=""> </span>This may come as a big surprise to many fans, as the Playstation brand is synonymous with sell out crowds.<span style=""> </span>To their credit, they've literally crushed the competition during the past few generations of hardware.<span style=""> </span>These days, the big old Juggernaut of the electronics arena is more prone to be associated with "gnashing of teeth", and other not so pleasant Biblical references. Now I'm certain that part of this is due to the console still being new and not having a solid line up of games under its belt yet, but the condemning finger still points to the high price of the console, very much the bastard child of the inclusion of Blue Ray technology.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So now that I've managed to send yet another series of verbal jabs at the Playstation brand, I'd like to spend a slim amount of time pointing out the real message behind this piece of propaganda. Eidos has made it clear that they have no intentions of putting support behind the PS3 until sometime next year.<span style=""> </span>Their reasoning is that it just wouldn't be a wise business decision for them to do so at this point.<span style=""> </span>After all, the install base of the console is just too slim to justify the costs incurred on their end at this point in time. While this could certainly change, stances like this don't do anything to help matters. Eidos ends up with one less storefront to make money off of, and Sony gets to sweat it out even more as developer after developer starts looking at them with wary eyes.<span style=""> </span>If this chain of events continues to unfold and follows its natural/logical progression, the PS3 could be in some serious trouble.<span style=""> </span>We've already seen a couple staples of the PS era suddenly decide to go multi-platform, and I'm guessing that it's only going to get worse.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sony needs to sit down, and do something it hasn't done since it first threw its hat in the console business.<span style=""> </span>It needs to really, and I mean really start listening to consumers instead of dictating what they think we really want.<span style=""> </span>You out of all console makers, should know from first hand experience what happens when you get a little too arrogant, and decide that it's basically your way or the highway.<span style=""> </span>While you're sorting this mess out for the foreseeable future, I'll be enjoying the great support and games for my Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.<span style=""> </span>Think about it.</p>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-62220165092815817892007-04-20T08:23:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:24:16.368-07:00We're All Just Waist-ing Away<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:100%;" >Forget about all the classic Witch hunts that morally upright citizens have come to embrace as their own, in years past.<span style=""> </span>Heavy Metal music, Violent Movies, and even Pornography pale in comparison to the real Anti-Christ that is plaguing today's youth.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Brace yourselves, as you just might be taken aback by the beast that is really responsible for the decline of Western Civilization.<span style=""> </span>For all we know, every tragic event in our dear history might be interconnected to this in some sick, twisted, demented way.<span style=""> </span><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fall of </span><st1:place style="font-style: italic;" st="on"><st1:city st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place><span style="font-style: italic;">? Check. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Kennedy Assassination? Check</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Violence In the Workplace? Check</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Communism? Check</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Grand Theft Auto vs. Jack Thompson? Check</span><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">You see, the underlying causes of each of these things are hardly obvious. In fact, you could say that the real killer lives among us all, in the "Devil Boxes" that broadcast their propaganda to the masses.<span style=""> </span>Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, as<span style=""> </span><a href="http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/07/03/29/100wir_a4food001.cfm" target="_self">THIS</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> article rightfully points out; the real enemy is food advertisements.<span style=""> </span><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">There, I've said it.<span style=""> </span>Now you can let little Johnny and Bobby-Sue <span style=""> </span>back into the room.<span style=""> </span>Whatever you do, just make sure you keep tabs<span style=""> </span>on their dinner plates.<span style=""> </span>You never know what sort of sinister plans those folks in TV Land are cooking up next to destroy the Nuclear Family. <span style=""> </span>I don't know for certain, but rumor has it that the next Grand Theft Auto sequel is going to have subliminal messages of<span style=""> </span>Chef Boyardee, the Kool Aid Man, and Little Debbie <span style=""> </span>taunting us in the background.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span>If that isn't enough, there's going to be vending machines and liquor stores on every street corner. <span style=""> </span>You laugh now, but the Anti-Christ is going to hand out Twinkies and Ho Ho's to all, just before he obliterates our waistlines into eternal damnation.<span style=""> </span>Don't say you haven't been warned.</span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-91035697717079370412007-04-20T08:22:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:23:00.515-07:00Hey I Got Mine. Catch You Next Time?<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:100%;" >I've spent my fair share of time rotting away in business classes during college to at least be able to feign appreciation for some of the ridiculous laws of supply/demand, and all that other mumbo jumbo that they like to pass off as educational these days.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Having said that, I guess it goes without saying that <a href="http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5034&Itemid=2" target="_self">THIS</a> makes sense on some level.<span style=""> </span>After all, everybody knows that a good business really shouldn't focus on its customer's wants and needs.<span style=""> </span>What you <b style="">really</b> should be concerning yourself with, is keeping those pesky shareholders happy.<span style=""> </span>Don't you just love the business world?<span style=""> </span><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">So I'm sitting there thinking about the whole "You still can't find a Nintendo Wii sitting on a store shelf anywhere" fiasco that's still going on, and I'm half believing what this guy is saying.<span style=""> </span>Now don't get me wrong, as I actually enjoy my own, even if it gets less play time than my other consoles at the moment.<span style=""> </span>It just so happens that there is nothing released that screams "drop everything else and play me" at this point in time.<span style=""> </span>I'm hoping that will change sooner than later.<span style=""> </span>Once again, I digress<span style=""> ( </span>Nothing like a good case of writer's ADHD to send a blog careening off track).<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I can actually see Nintendo (or any other console maker for that matter) pulling this stunt on us, in order to make thing look great on paper for a particular quarter.<span style=""> </span>Still, I have to wonder if they actually give a care about how this affects their customers.<span style=""> </span>Certainly they realize that there's going to be large portion of people who simply write them off for a while, and spend their money on a competitor's goods that are very much in stock at the moment.<span style=""> </span>Now you might think that this isn't a big deal, as these same people can come back later and buy the Wii (or the console in question) <span style=""> </span>at a later date.<span style=""> </span>The big question is; will they feel the need to?<span style=""> </span>You sure better hope so.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">In this particular example, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to hold back the goods.<span style=""> </span>It's not like Nintendo is trying their best to crank out cutting edge technology that has a high failure rate (like in their chipsets, for instance). I just don't see anything that could reasonably be slowing down their production line, and I firmly believe that time is their greatest enemy.<span style=""> </span>As the PoS3 (yes, I meant to spell it that way) and the Xbox 360 continue to push the boundaries of their respective consoles, Nintendo is going to look worse and worse.<span style=""> </span>I have no doubts that the Wii is going to still sell like hotcakes for the short term, but we all know it's going to be considered everyone's back up console once history looks back on all of this.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">That is, unless Nintendo starts cranking these things out like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AOL_disk_collecting" target="_self">free AOL disks</a> that mysteriously showed up in my mailbox each day for years.<span style=""> </span>The key for Nintendo to save itself from a similar fate as the Gamecube is to actually make sure their console gets in the hands of customers who really want them, while these customers are still excited about the thing.<span style=""> </span>Maybe I'm wrong.<span style=""> </span>Maybe I'm right.<span style=""> </span>Only time will tell.<span style=""> </span>I still feel that this shortage (like most console launches that are years in the making) is a bunch of crap, and never should have happened.</span></p><p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Then again, what do I know? After all, I'm just a customer, and not a shareholder.</span></p>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-59757210651526682682007-04-20T08:21:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:22:19.305-07:00What Part of New Don’t You Understand?<p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">It's no big secret that GameStop is the whipping boy for the video game community, whether it is honestly earned or not.<span style=""> </span>Heck, they are probably ranked up there with Electronic Arts and Hitler <span style=""> </span>in terms of overall popularity when it comes to talking smack about what's wrong with the video game industry (or society) as a whole.<span style=""> </span>I've been known to rag on each of them myself, on occasion, but most of the time I try my best to judge their products and services on an individual basis.<span style=""> </span>Take for instance, the local GameStop, that I've been know to frequent (You Guys Rock!).<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">While I think the parent company could very well be led by a bunch of bow tie wearing douche bags, the guys that I see running the place on a daily basis are as decent a bunch of gamers as you'd see anywhere.<span style=""> </span>I've made it a point to give them my personal test that I sometimes use on other gaming departments or stores when I'm in the "feeling out" process of deciding whether or not I really want to spend my hard earned cash at.<span style=""> </span>Since I often make it up on the fly, the exacting wording is different each time, but the premise remains the same.<span style=""> </span>I'll walk into a store, and play the part of a complete know-nothing when it comes to video games.<span style=""> </span>Try this for yourself a couple of times, and you'll get a better appreciation for the people that take your money behind the counter.<span style=""> </span>If nothing else, you'll encounter a few amusing experiences to share with your friends.<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p>Most of the time, I've found these people to be fairly knowledgeable concerning the subject matter, and for that I'm quite thankful.<span style=""> </span>Nothing is worse than someone selling you something, with a smile no less, that they wouldn't ever dream of buying for themselves.<span style=""> </span>However, I've seen my fair share of people trying to sell me "insurance" on the game I was purchasing.<span style=""> </span>Insurance for what, I'm still trying to figure out.<span style=""> </span>Since DVD's don't seem to have too many moving parts, and I take care of my collection like a newborn baby, I don't see "protection money" being anything more than another useless marketing tool pointed at me.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">But I digress.<span style=""> </span>The real point of this senseless rambling is that while it's fun to poke fun at these jerks when they are <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/25/gamestop-shenanigans-sell-open-games-as-new/" target="_self">obviously</a> being less than honest with us, you can't blame the group as a whole for what transpires.<span style=""> </span>For every bad decision from someone up chain of command, there is an equally decent individual someone down the line that is just doing their best to get by and actually gives a shit about what they are handling, whatever that might be.<span style=""> </span>So what are you to do when you are dealing with places that seem to be less interested in you, and more about milking your dry?<span style=""> </span>Why you simply make a mental note, striking them off the list, and mosey on down to the next place of business to start the dance all over again.<o:p> Nothing like a little "role playing" of your own to satisfy the inner jackass in all of us.<br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">As a wise (and personal favorite) lyricist once said, "Life's a Journey, Not a Destination".<span style=""> </span>This person obviously never played through a timed section of a Grand Theft Auto game, but I think you get the picture.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-6495074970113650892007-04-20T08:20:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:21:25.169-07:00The World Just Got A Wii Bit Smaller.<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"> If ever there was a reason not to scoff at the fans of the Nintendo Wii, </span><a style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070323/wr_nm/videogames_retirees_dc_1" target="_self">THIS</a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"> is it. I'm a die hard Xbox 360 follower, and I have yet to see it turn retired folk into an older form of a video game loving junkie, such as myself. Love it or hate it, the Wii has done the unthinkable. It has managed to get large numbers of sedentary people who could care less about video games to pick one up and give it a fair shake.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;">Does this mean that the Wii will cure cancer, end famine, or bring in a new era of World Peace? Of course not. Everybody knows that only </span><a style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20060529203326/http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/" target="_self">Chuck Norris's</a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"> tears can do that sort of miraculous work. What it does mean, is that gaming in general is working towards greater acceptance, and it's audience is doing something it has done few times before.... making your grandparents bust out in funny poses while enjoying </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;">your</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"> favorite pastime.</span></span>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-57506141967552420732007-04-20T08:19:00.002-07:002007-04-20T08:20:19.177-07:00Do We Really Need More Than One Console?<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" class="postbody">Just for the heck of it, I'd like to see us play a little Devil's advocate for a while, and really think about the whole multi-console thing.<br /><br />Are we really better off having more than on console out there at a time, or is it in our best interests to have a single console? I know it's hard, but forget about what we've been spoon fed all of these years about how competition is the greatest thing ever, and how it fosters an environment of new ideas as one company continually does it's best to 1up it's competitors. I'm talking more down the lines of how it affects you on a personal level.<br /><br />If there were only a single console out there, the industry would not be as complicated as it is now. You could walk into a store, and pretty much pick up the hot new game you were looking for, and not have to worry about such things as how it stacks up against the same title on other game consoles, or if the version you have has extra content that the others don't. You wouldn't have to worry any more about spending hundreds of dollars on a rival console, just to get your hands on a couple of first party titles that you'll likely breeze through in a couple of days or weeks anyway. Best of all, you could pretty much guarantee that developers would support it. What other choice would they have?<br /><br />This would put an end to fanboyism, and would bridge the divide between gamers that grows wider each generation. I dare to say that having one console might actually strengthen the gaming community (from a certain perspective). This, of course, brings up its own set of possible questions and potential problems, such as who would get to be the dominant console maker? Why stop there? Who's to say that we only need one game developer? The list goes on and on.</span></span>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-59463444062012485592007-04-20T08:19:00.001-07:002007-04-20T08:19:38.025-07:00The Devil will not only make you cry, but causes blindness as well.<span style="font-size:100%;">As many of you know, it's no big secret that Capcom is my favorite video game developer/publisher. Since I'm such a fan, it's only natural that I want them to sell as many games as possible to as many people, right? After all, they will continue to make great titles and stay in business if they actually sell what they are offering. Are you with me so far?<br /><br />So you can imagine the giant "WTF" are these people thinking flashing above my head when I read about the petition some Sony fans are passing around the internet to Boycott Capcom if they follow through with making Devil May Cry 4 a multi-platform game. Way to go, "supposed" fans of Capcom and the DMC series. Let me get this straight...... you actually want Capcom to limit the amount of people that might get to play a potentially great game from the company you claim to support?<br /><br />I think you really need to step back from this, and reconsider what you're <a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/capcompe/petition.html" target="_self">DOING</a>. It's certainly not in your best interests, if you actually give it some thought.</span>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-70765281042975914902007-04-20T08:18:00.001-07:002007-04-20T09:11:31.421-07:00Forget Consoles, It's all about the handhelds?<span style=";font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:100%;" > I found <a href="http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15549" target="_self">THIS</a> article a little surprising, but I guess I really shouldn't have been taken back by what it's saying. Just when you think the PS2 is going to maintain a stranglehold on the record books for most successful console ever (after all, it's still selling games by the boatload), you take another glance at the DS, and realize you've got it all wrong. It's really about Nintendo's handhelds.<br /><br />I'm personally not a big handheld gamer, since the screens are just a wee bit too small for my liking. However, millions of other people all over the world don't share my limited view. In fact, analysts (just keep in mind that their name starts with anal, so we can't take them too seriously) seem to think that the DS is on track to sell over <span style="font-weight: bold;">10 billion </span>dollars worth in 2007 alone. Most impressive.<br /><br />Now excuse me while I continue to ignore the DS sitting on top of my tv, and go play some Xbox 360 for a while.<br /></span>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-1045012875203123172007-04-20T08:15:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:17:30.999-07:00Google wants to add to your games.<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"> After reading </span><a style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;" href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3158073" target="_self">THIS</a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"> article, I had to release yet another long sigh. A long sigh in a sea of many. I'm still not sold (or likely will be in the near future) on the idea of ad space being sold in video games. Something tells me that they will do more harm than good, and become as distracting as their cyberspace counterparts. After all, have you ever known a marketer who subscribed to the philosophy of moderation? I think not.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;">I first noticed the whole ad thing with Need For Speed Underground 2, which in itself was an ad dressed up as a video game, if you ask me. I cringe at the thought of what could be coming our way in the future, now that the Goliath known as google has a say. I swear to God, if pop open Resident Evil 5 down the road and see Zombies drinking designer bottled water, I just might lose it.</span></span>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708945033878939879.post-21097726795873101852007-04-20T08:04:00.000-07:002007-04-20T08:13:52.457-07:00Who Is This Gameboi fella ?<span class="postbody">Hello everyone,<br /><br />The screen name says gameboi (it’s a long story), but everyone pretty much knows me as Alan. I’ve been a video game fan since the days of the Atari 2600, and it was Donkey Kong that started me down the dark path of the empty wallet.<br /><br />I’m a big fan of Resident Evil(and survival horror games in general), but I play pretty much anything you throw my way. I’m not real keen on Sony these days, and I make no apologies about it. Needless to say, I tend to gravitate towards Microsoft and Nintendo when it comes to gaming. This isn’t to say that I won’t acknowledge a great game from Sony’s camp when I see it.<br /><br />My all time favorite games are as follows (but I could go on forever)…. <br /><br /> Resident Evil 2 <br /> Viewtiful Joe<br /> Shadow of the Colossus <br /> Tomb Raider- Legend<br /> Silent Hill 2 <br /> Earthworm Jim<br /> Super Mario 64 <br /> Knights of the Old Republic<br /> Donkey Kong <br /> Dragons Lair<br /> Metal Gear Solid 3<br /> Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time<br /> Bionic Commando<br /> Legacy of Kain- Defiance<br /> Max Payne<br /><br />I am also a pretty big Star Wars nut (Vader all the way), and I’m still PO’d over Firefly getting cancelled. Your probably bored enough as it is, so I’ll end that ramble here.</span><br /><span class="postbody"> <br />While fairly new to the blogging thing, it was on Amazon.com’s Computer and Videogame message boards that I cut my teeth, so to speak, in terms of talking and sharing opinions about video games in general. The board itself was a bit archaic, but I was surprised to find a few knowledgeable gamers who made the place quite interesting<br /><br />Unfortunately, Amazon wasn’t real keen on performing software upgrades (last one done in 2001), which meant spamming became a major issue for us as time went by. After a few years, I threw my name in the hat to help mod the place for free, since the paid mods had seemingly disappeared and moved on to bigger and better things (not that I blame them). You may recognize one of them as Mike Fehlauer of Penny Arcade fame. Another one, while not paid, is a pretty popular mod on Roosterteeth.com, known as Dark54555. Both are great guys.<br /><br />Right away, the remaining members and I banded together to try and curb the spamming, and do our best to kick start the community. As history now shows, that didn’t happen, and Amazon basically pulled the plug on the place in favor of miniature discussions on each product page. We fought tooth and nail, but it was not enough. A new board was made by one of our members, and most of the remaining holdouts moved over after Amazon stopped by for one last message that they were taking us down.<br /><br />I still stop by the new board to keep in touch, but the place has never been the same place since Amazon crushed a small group of hardcore gamers. Do I have hard feelings towards them for this? I did at first, but have since moved on. Looking back, they kind of did me a favor. Had they not done so, I most likely would not have moved on to my new home at Destructoid. Like the fond memory I will always carry of a few years ago, I have found another group of hard core gamers who share my vision of what a videogame forum/site should be like. Now I’m ready to write the next chapter in my gaming journey, at Destructoid.<br /><br /><a href="http://forums.prosperotechnologies.com/am-compgames" target="_blank" class="postlink">Here's</a> the link to the place if anyone wants to comb through the history a bit more on their own. You can't post there, but it tells our story in real time as it unfolded. Once again, I thank all of you for the warm welcome.</span>gAmEbOihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12942569416097262449noreply@blogger.com0