Some 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.
However, this 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.
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?
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.
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 technology 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.
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Chasing Shadows On A Cloudy Day
It's become a real annoyance to me lately how much Jack Thompson 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Outsource Code
If you caught this 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 outsourcing 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.
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.
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.
It appears that Gamasutra was able to do a recent follow up interview 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 ?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It appears that Gamasutra was able to do a recent follow up interview 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 ?
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.
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.
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.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Who Is This Gameboi fella ?
Hello everyone,
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.
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.
My all time favorite games are as follows (but I could go on forever)….
Resident Evil 2
Viewtiful Joe
Shadow of the Colossus
Tomb Raider- Legend
Silent Hill 2
Earthworm Jim
Super Mario 64
Knights of the Old Republic
Donkey Kong
Dragons Lair
Metal Gear Solid 3
Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time
Bionic Commando
Legacy of Kain- Defiance
Max Payne
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Here's 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.
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.
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.
My all time favorite games are as follows (but I could go on forever)….
Resident Evil 2
Viewtiful Joe
Shadow of the Colossus
Tomb Raider- Legend
Silent Hill 2
Earthworm Jim
Super Mario 64
Knights of the Old Republic
Donkey Kong
Dragons Lair
Metal Gear Solid 3
Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time
Bionic Commando
Legacy of Kain- Defiance
Max Payne
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Here's 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.
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