Here are six things the that were good in gaming recently and five that were not so good:
1. Halo 3's mulitplayer vastly improved over Halo 2's. No noob combo, sniping's not cheesy, the quick mute is amazing. Aside from those annoyance fixes, overall weapon balance is improved, and the new feature set (forge, theater) are amazing.
2. PSP redesign. Faster load times on a handheld are a great. The unit is also smaller and lighter. Now if they could just get the games to be better.
3. More original artist recordings in Guitar Hero 3. Cover bands suck.
4. The Xbox 360s with the 65nm chips released. Hopefully this is the end of the Red Ring of Death.
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl moved to February. This may look bad at first, but now Super Mario Galaxy will get the attention it deserves. Being overshadowed is bad.
6. Bungie splits from Microsoft. They are now free to spread their goodness to PS3 and Wii owners (just not Halo goodness, MS still owns that). Those guys are too talented to just be MS's Halo factory. Before anyone cries doom though, Microsoft has agreed to not farm the Halo series out to anyone else. Bungie will continue to do those exclusively on Xbox systems. They can just do other stuff now too.
And now the not so awesome:
1. The Xbox 360 Arcade. All it is is a rebranded Core. No one bought them before, what makes Microsoft think people will now? Their insistance of having a hard driveless package is mind boggling.
2. The PS3 bait and switch. They release the 60 gig (599) and the 20 (499) gig. Discontinue the 20-->drop price of 60 to 499-->Introduce 80 gig-->discontinue 60, effectively making the only available version 599 again after making a big to do about a "price drop". That doesn't really seem like a price drop. Then to make matters worse, they are bringing out the 40 gig version in november for 399 and dropping the price of the 80 gig to 499. Yes, now we have a price drop, but we also have FOUR versions of the same system floating around out there to confuse people., Come to think of it, multiple console versions are just bad. Sony: 20 gig, 40 gig, 60 gig, 80 gig. Only half of these have backwards compatibility, one of them doesn't have built in wifi or memeory slots. Microsoft: Arcade, Pro, Halo Edition, Elite. With these you have to worry about hard drive inclusion, hard drive size, wired vs. wireless, HD cables or not, headset yes or no, hdmi or not, and color scheme. JUST MAKE ONE DAMN SYSTEM. While you guys were having trouble deciding what kind of system to release, your competion (Nintendo, remember them?) put out ONE machine, with almost NO amazing games, and ABSOLUTELY no bells and whistles, and they're killing you two. Nice job.
3. Wii shovelware. See previous blog
4.Manhunt 2 controversy. We want to shut Joe Lieberman, Hilary Clinton, and Leland Yee up, not give them more to talk about. Rockstar made another lackluster game that they have to use shock value to sell, and it bit them in the ass. Nice one guys, now we all have to pay for your lack of commitment to real quality.
5. EA bought Bioware. Now instead of Mass Effect being some awesome sci-fi epic RPG trilogy, we'll get yearly installments with minimal updates and additions, all brought to you courtesy of Axe Body Spray and Burger King. Plus, this kills any chance of Bioware doing another KOTOR (remember, they did the good one), since Lucasarts will probably not be cool with EA, a competitor publishing their game. Now that I think about it, EA also bought Pandemic, effectively killing Star Wars Battlefront as well. Thanks EA, for taking out BOTH good Star Wars franchises, and killing the soul of nerds with Darth Vader tattoos and replica lightsabers everywhere.
If anyone has anything to add, feel free to comment. And by anyone, I mean Adam. since he's the only one that reads this.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Inaugural Posting!
My wife told me that this would be a good idea so I here goes. I'm very into video games, and in addition to what most nerds do (read previews, bitch, etc.) i also follow the industry closely and I care greatly about it. So I decided to start this gaming blog. My first topic: The Wii and its ilk.
I recently read an article about the videogame industry (non gamers may even now, no longer care about this blog) and it's trends. Everyone talks about "exclusives" For those not in the know an exclusive is a game appearing one company's machine and that machine alone. It went on to state that the Nintendo Wii has 23 exclusives games for the holiday season (Q4) Microsoft's Xbox360 has 8 and Sony's much maligned Playstation 3 has a measly 5.
But I think the article missed one big point and that's that the Wii's "exclusives" would tank if released on the PS3 and 360. "exclusives" don't count if the competetion doesn't need/want them. Name one completely awesome "oh I've got to get me one of those" exclusives for the Wii out for Q4 that isn't mario Galaxy or Smash Brothers Brawl. There aren't any. So I guess that puts the Wii at only 2 "exclusives" for holiday season. Looks like Eight and Five is looking pretty good. And for the most part I'd take that "familiar" lineup for the 360 and ps3 over all that kindergarten crap on the Wii anyday. One more thing before the Nintendo fanboys flip out: Galaxy and Brawl are not kindergarten crap. But almost everything else on that system is.
I say all of this out of sheer objectivity, so please don't brand me a Nintendo Hater. I don't have my Wii connected at the moment for the obvious stantments above. In fact, the only reason I haven't sold it off is because it was a wedding present from my closest friends. The PS3's lineup isn't tickling my pickle.
So all I play at the moment is 360, because honestly with the Wii targeting an obviously different demographic, I have no reason to play it. And with the PS3 not getting anything different from the 360 as far as my tastes are concerned, why buy one? Also, Xbox Live is the greatest thing since boobs.
I guess the only reason I could be a little embittered towards Nintendo is because I'm one of the people that thinks this "Casual Gaming" push will inevitably hurt the industry. There's the obvious "developers will shovel out more family crap for the Wii, and not publish totally B.A. Baracus games for the PS360" mindset (which I FIRMLY believe), but there's more to it than that that.
I'm a manager for Gamestop (go head and laugh. I don't push preoders when it's not necessary, nor do I sell unsealed games as new, unless it's last resort. But I will say that I do ask them if the unsealed copy is O.K., ahthankyouverymuch.) So now that've proved my game street cred to the Kotaku reading hardcore gamer crowd, peep this, devils: Casual gaming is ruining my job. Now more than ever, clueless Soccer Moms, Less-than-awesome Dads, braindead girlfriends, and straight out OLD PEOPLE are finding their way into my store, and not on accident. And with this comes the larger sales yes, but it also brings the stupid. Now as someone who as of now does not own Gamestop outright i view it this way:
less stupid>more money.
Also the corporate masters have coined, sang from the hills, and ran into the ground, the phrase "MOM FRIENDLY". So my completely visible all the time and totally awesome tattoos, that are still ok by handbook standards, are now to be covered. I'd hate to alienate these new all important customers, oh no, we mustn't do that. Let's make sure they're comfortable, and feel oh so loved. Nevermind the core gamers who got you Suit Monkeys where you are today.
"Let's create a whole new section for casual/music games." Well fine, but are you going to start carrying import RPG's and make a special little land for them too? (Just for the record I HATE Japanese rpg's so this is not a selfish motive.)
We are also now "encouraged" to give out hints on how to pass parts in games when stumped customers call in. Like I don't have enough to worry about with customers buying stuff, and stealing stuff, putting away new product, and saying "No we don't have Wiis. No, I don't know when we're getting them. I don't know who would have them." to every person that calls, now I have to tell you people how to save your game in Midnight club PSP. Yes that actually happened.
So while developers, publishers, and retailers are busy blowing this new holy grail of the gaming populice, they forget that in a years time or so, Half of these people may actually graduate to more complex and advanced games, but tragically, and more realistically, the other half may just hop on whatever then next new fad is after Wii. I've prepared a handy (but crude) chart to illustrate:
Pet Rock-->Cabbage Patch Kids-->Slap Bracelets-->Tickle Me Elmo--> Beanie babies--Wii-->Handlebar Mustaches
And when that happens, you guys in the gaming industry may wish you hadn't spent so much time cozying up to Johnny's mom, sister, and grandma (well maybe sister) by making "Barbie Hairbrushing Sim and Brain Game Sudoku", or whatever the hell Wii or DS game EA/Ubisoft/Activision crapped out this weekend, and worried more about making "Super Badass Machinegun Toting Guys with Butch Names 4" or "Incredibly Amazing Quest To Save the Universe In 120 Hours or More If You Must Find Everything XIV", or hell even "Any Sports Game But Madden 2057" for JOHNNY himself, you might not feel like such and Idiot. And yes some hardcore gamers DO play sports games. Just not this one.
Just like anything else, games have been dragged into the Mainstream, like for realz. And just like anything else, with mainstream comes what i have deemed THE PUSSIFICATION:
Comic Books:
Every awesome superhero ever has their own monthly series.
Comic Books movies make comic books "cool" again:
Every awesome superhero's GIRLFRIEND has their own monthly series about how they feel about their awesome boyfriend and their hair.
Evidence:
Spider-Man: Mary Jane <--actually exists
Movies<--mainly of the action variety:
John McClane says Yippie-Ki-Yay-Mother%(er
After the pussification of, uh, EVERYONE:
John McClane says Yippy-Ki-Yay-motherBLAM!
Music<--this could be the big one:
Punk rock gives us The Misfits, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and Black Flag:
Punk rock is then deemed marketable buy the Dreaded Suit Monkeys sometime in the 1990's (which did still manage to crank some AWESOME):
EMO gives us: Avril Lavigne, Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco, Good Charlottle and Hawthorne Heights. All of which NOT awesome.
And now gaming's gone mainstream and, I don't know if the combined might of Kratos, Dante, Hayabusa, Snake and Master Chief will be enough to save it.
I recently read an article about the videogame industry (non gamers may even now, no longer care about this blog) and it's trends. Everyone talks about "exclusives" For those not in the know an exclusive is a game appearing one company's machine and that machine alone. It went on to state that the Nintendo Wii has 23 exclusives games for the holiday season (Q4) Microsoft's Xbox360 has 8 and Sony's much maligned Playstation 3 has a measly 5.
But I think the article missed one big point and that's that the Wii's "exclusives" would tank if released on the PS3 and 360. "exclusives" don't count if the competetion doesn't need/want them. Name one completely awesome "oh I've got to get me one of those" exclusives for the Wii out for Q4 that isn't mario Galaxy or Smash Brothers Brawl. There aren't any. So I guess that puts the Wii at only 2 "exclusives" for holiday season. Looks like Eight and Five is looking pretty good. And for the most part I'd take that "familiar" lineup for the 360 and ps3 over all that kindergarten crap on the Wii anyday. One more thing before the Nintendo fanboys flip out: Galaxy and Brawl are not kindergarten crap. But almost everything else on that system is.
I say all of this out of sheer objectivity, so please don't brand me a Nintendo Hater. I don't have my Wii connected at the moment for the obvious stantments above. In fact, the only reason I haven't sold it off is because it was a wedding present from my closest friends. The PS3's lineup isn't tickling my pickle.
So all I play at the moment is 360, because honestly with the Wii targeting an obviously different demographic, I have no reason to play it. And with the PS3 not getting anything different from the 360 as far as my tastes are concerned, why buy one? Also, Xbox Live is the greatest thing since boobs.
I guess the only reason I could be a little embittered towards Nintendo is because I'm one of the people that thinks this "Casual Gaming" push will inevitably hurt the industry. There's the obvious "developers will shovel out more family crap for the Wii, and not publish totally B.A. Baracus games for the PS360" mindset (which I FIRMLY believe), but there's more to it than that that.
I'm a manager for Gamestop (go head and laugh. I don't push preoders when it's not necessary, nor do I sell unsealed games as new, unless it's last resort. But I will say that I do ask them if the unsealed copy is O.K., ahthankyouverymuch.) So now that've proved my game street cred to the Kotaku reading hardcore gamer crowd, peep this, devils: Casual gaming is ruining my job. Now more than ever, clueless Soccer Moms, Less-than-awesome Dads, braindead girlfriends, and straight out OLD PEOPLE are finding their way into my store, and not on accident. And with this comes the larger sales yes, but it also brings the stupid. Now as someone who as of now does not own Gamestop outright i view it this way:
less stupid>more money.
Also the corporate masters have coined, sang from the hills, and ran into the ground, the phrase "MOM FRIENDLY". So my completely visible all the time and totally awesome tattoos, that are still ok by handbook standards, are now to be covered. I'd hate to alienate these new all important customers, oh no, we mustn't do that. Let's make sure they're comfortable, and feel oh so loved. Nevermind the core gamers who got you Suit Monkeys where you are today.
"Let's create a whole new section for casual/music games." Well fine, but are you going to start carrying import RPG's and make a special little land for them too? (Just for the record I HATE Japanese rpg's so this is not a selfish motive.)
We are also now "encouraged" to give out hints on how to pass parts in games when stumped customers call in. Like I don't have enough to worry about with customers buying stuff, and stealing stuff, putting away new product, and saying "No we don't have Wiis. No, I don't know when we're getting them. I don't know who would have them." to every person that calls, now I have to tell you people how to save your game in Midnight club PSP. Yes that actually happened.
So while developers, publishers, and retailers are busy blowing this new holy grail of the gaming populice, they forget that in a years time or so, Half of these people may actually graduate to more complex and advanced games, but tragically, and more realistically, the other half may just hop on whatever then next new fad is after Wii. I've prepared a handy (but crude) chart to illustrate:
Pet Rock-->Cabbage Patch Kids-->Slap Bracelets-->Tickle Me Elmo--> Beanie babies--Wii-->Handlebar Mustaches
And when that happens, you guys in the gaming industry may wish you hadn't spent so much time cozying up to Johnny's mom, sister, and grandma (well maybe sister) by making "Barbie Hairbrushing Sim and Brain Game Sudoku", or whatever the hell Wii or DS game EA/Ubisoft/Activision crapped out this weekend, and worried more about making "Super Badass Machinegun Toting Guys with Butch Names 4" or "Incredibly Amazing Quest To Save the Universe In 120 Hours or More If You Must Find Everything XIV", or hell even "Any Sports Game But Madden 2057" for JOHNNY himself, you might not feel like such and Idiot. And yes some hardcore gamers DO play sports games. Just not this one.
Just like anything else, games have been dragged into the Mainstream, like for realz. And just like anything else, with mainstream comes what i have deemed THE PUSSIFICATION:
Comic Books:
Every awesome superhero ever has their own monthly series.
Comic Books movies make comic books "cool" again:
Every awesome superhero's GIRLFRIEND has their own monthly series about how they feel about their awesome boyfriend and their hair.
Evidence:
Spider-Man: Mary Jane <--actually exists
Movies<--mainly of the action variety:
John McClane says Yippie-Ki-Yay-Mother%(er
After the pussification of, uh, EVERYONE:
John McClane says Yippy-Ki-Yay-motherBLAM!
Music<--this could be the big one:
Punk rock gives us The Misfits, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and Black Flag:
Punk rock is then deemed marketable buy the Dreaded Suit Monkeys sometime in the 1990's (which did still manage to crank some AWESOME):
EMO gives us: Avril Lavigne, Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco, Good Charlottle and Hawthorne Heights. All of which NOT awesome.
And now gaming's gone mainstream and, I don't know if the combined might of Kratos, Dante, Hayabusa, Snake and Master Chief will be enough to save it.
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