Gaming by GlossGreen

So there I was, driving down the autobahn at 130 KPH, and then it hit me. No, nothing actually hit me, I probably wouldn't be here typing this if anything had. What I meant was that I had a thought. I just so happened to be thinking about the Nintendo Wii and I had a revelation. Well, maybe not a revelation per se, more like a breakthrough.

In the beginning there were a whole bunch of consoles that not many people alive today have ever actually played, so let's jump forward a little bit. In 1985 Nintendo was ready to launch its brand new console to a game deprived public (make that good game deprived public, there were plenty of bad ones around), but there was a problem. After the videogame crash of '83 retailers didn't want to trust a new console, so Nintendo got sneaky. Enter R.O.B., that little gray guy that came boxed with the brand new Nintendo Entertainment System. Notice that videogames console is nowhere in its name, and that was the point. It wasn't a videogame console, it was a toy, hence the addition of the plastic paperweight. And therein lies the problem.

Since the console was marketed as a toy and sold mostly to children, Nintendo got a reputation of being just for kids. This is a reputation that Nintendo has tried to change, but with little success. And now my thoughts on this. Who cares? One thing that you can always count on with Nintendo is great first party games. Sure, they are generally really cartoony, colorful kid games, but guess what? There's nothing wrong with that. Besides, adults still play them too. Mario since the NES days has always been about exploring bright, blocky worlds with lots of not too terribly dangerous bad guys to step on. Super Mario Bros. is most definitely a kids game, but we still love it no matter our age.

See, the problem isn't that Nintendo makes games for kids (once you admit that Nintendo has ALWAYS made games for kids), it's that we grew up and changed but Nintendo didn't. They've always been about the pure fun of the experience, not about the blood or blown apart bodies (one reason why the SNES Mortal Kombat game had gray blood instead of red). I was 12 when I first played the NES and it was very influential to me at that age. When I got older, I looked less and less to Nintendo for my games. My tastes were changing, but Nintendo was still doing the same types of games they did during the NES and SNES generations. Was there anything wrong with that? No, but I didn't think that way at the time. I kept wondering why Nintendo didn't mature with me. Why didn't they make games for the 18 year olds, for the 21 year olds, for the 25 year olds? Why were they still making games for the 12 year olds, like I was in 1986? The answer? Because that is what they are good at and what gamers, true gamers, still want from them.

Nintendo consoles have never been about the same things that the PlayStation has. Or the Saturn has. Or the Xbox has. They are just about the enjoyment of the game, enjoyment for all ages, not just the gamer of average age. Whether we like it or not, Nintendo will always have children close to it's heart, kinda like a not so creepy Michael Jackson. And you know what? That's something I can live with.

It was the worst of times..."

I both love and hate this time of year. The love part is easy to figure out. The holidays are nearly upon us, good cheer and merriment abounds. My favorite time of the year is winter, I tend to sleep better in the cold. My daughter's birthday is next month. One more year closer to college (and out of the house) for her. And of course, a couple more months until my annual pay increase, yeah for more money. But, this time of year is not all good. There is a foul and evil side of this time of the year. What is it? The end of year gaming push by every single damn publisher in existence.

It's the same every year, the fall time frame is crammed full of great games, just in time for the Christmas buying season. Sounds good doesn't it? Well it's not, for the simple fact that games cost money. Lots of money. Money that I don't have is what I'm getting at. Sure, I could get a couple of games each month, but which ones. I have a vague idea of what I want, but damn, they all look so good.

The pressure starts on October 14th for me. I know I'm getting Dead Space. This game has had me interested since I first heard about it. Come on, something inspired by Alien, The Thing, and Event Horizon has to be good. I know some of you are looking to get Rock Revolution that day as well. I don't think it's for me though, I'm not really into the whole rhythm game genre, so that's a pass for me. This week also marks the return of a classic series to console gaming, Golden Axe. This is another one I'm not so sure about, and being such, is a pass at the moment. There's just too many good games coming out that I am sure about. Which brings me to October 21.

This is a day that I am dreading. This day marks the release of one of the biggest hits of last year for the Xbox 360 to the PS3, BioShock. I know some of you are thinking twice about this one due to all the press about the graphics, but don't. In my opinion, nothing that I've read is a deal breaker to me. A few textures that are not quite perfect will not deter me from buying a game with great gameplay and a fantastic story. It's still a buy in my book. But, my book also has many, many other games in it that I want to pick up. Here's my short list of must buy games: Eternal Sonata (another 360 port), Fable II, Far Cry 2, Legendary, LittleBigPlanet and Star Ocean: First Departure. Yeah, I'm not getting all those games, I just don't have an extra $320 lying around. I'd love to get them, but it's not going to happen.

Now, the 28th I can handle. Fallout 3 is the only game I have any interest in on that week. That one is pretty much a no brainer. I wish I could say the same for November, but that is not the case. Starting on the 4th I would love to get Resistance 2 and EndWar. Follow that on the 7th with Gears of War 2 and it would be a great month right there. But the cruelty continues. The 10th sees the release of Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe, followed by Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, Call Of Duty: World At War, Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, Eternal Poison and Mirrors Edge. ARGH.

Well, that covers the first month, and we're not even to December yet. With so many good games coming out the choices of what to get seem almost endless, and this happens every year. Oh, well. I'll just have to wait until spring to catch up, that being the start of the gaming drought of the year. What about you? What are your must have games for this holiday season?

Now this it truly amazing. Beta keys have been around a quite a while now and are used to help drum up support for an upcoming title, I don't think I've ever seen a beta as in demand as this one is. Why is this particular beta so sought after? I have seen no fewer then 6 different sites giving betas out in the last week, and all have been swamped. It isn't that LittleBigPlanet is a completely original idea. Forge in Halo 3, Dungeon Creator and RPG Maker all had a similar idea, but those attempts pale in comparison to this one. LittleBigPlanet is a title where, in fact, you get to create the game itself. How? By providing you with robust tools and numberous customization options, you are able to design and build your own game levels. Of course, if you so choose, you could just play the levels designed by the developers. But, where is the fun in that?

Now I'm not a really creative person, and designing is not my forte, but damned if I don't want this game too. Why? I don't know really, it's just a little hard to explain. Gimme a second to collect my thoughts on this one. OK, here goes. This game is all about using the imagination that you have. You are not required to have advanced degrees in game design or computer graphics to succeed here. All you need is a vision and the perseverance to make it happen, and frankly, it all boils down to having fun. From what I understand, having fun is pretty easy to do. Just take a look this. Even Adam seemed surprised at what he saw.

Now, it's not all about using the textures and objects that are included in the game itself. You can add whatever you want to the game, and it's only limited by your imagination. Now here's a video that any Xbox owner can relate to. I just love the warthog.

Having the tools and an imagination is not enough in itself to guarantee a game is going to be successful. It has to control well, have a learning curve that isn't too difficult, be fun, and having a bit of personality helps too. That's why I like this next video. This is a short section at the beginning of the game, the tutorial level as it is.

Media Molecule could have made a boring start like many games have done previously, instead, what they do is make you instantly part of the experience. Even though you play through the opening credits, you are getting an opportunity to become familiar with the controls. Not that there is much in the way of controls to grasp. You have run and jump, at least in the beginning. This is very much a pick up and play game.

As we've seen, this game is a little different from the norm. There are no violent deaths with spurts of blood. There are no bullets. And no one is going to cut off an appendage. There may be very little violence in LittleBigPlanet, but, with a game like this, you won't miss it.

I know I've touched on backwards compatibility just a couple of posts ago, but I think it's a subject worth going back to one more time.

It seems that every week I read a story on backwards compatibility and what it means for this and future generations of consoles. One of the latest articles I've read is from xboxoz360gamer.com. The article touches on the benefits and problems with making last gen games playable with this generation of hardware. Of the many reasons, price and technology are the biggest.

Price is the obvious one. First off, if a publisher isn't going to make any money off of an older game being emulated on new hardware what incentive do they have? Writing new software for an old program costs money, and there's no way anyone will spend money on a title that may not sell. Here's an example from the publisher's viewpoint. Of all last gen games on the market, say an Xbox title, are customers more or less likely to be able to buy a new game or a used one? The stores I frequent don't even sell new Xbox games anymore, so what recourse do I have? If I want an older title I have to buy a used copy from either a brick and mortar retailer or order it from somewhere online (Amazon marketplace is a favorite of mine). How much of that sale does the publisher get? Zero. So, why would they spend money making emulation software for a game sale that they probably won't get any money from, when instead, they could be selling you a current generation game for $60? I don't think I need to answer that one.


Hardware manufacturers see it a little differently. Sure, it still costs them money to make old games play on new hardware. And it's also true that they don't get any money from a used game sale, but there is still two ways profits can come in. Number one is having the option for games to be downloaded digitally. Emulation without a disc is a more profitable option for old games since all the software necessary to play the game is downloaded with the program itself, no need for a physical disc and separate software. The benefits for this method of delivery is that the cost of programming emulation software for an older game is offset by the fact that money will be collected and given to the companies that made the game instead of Joe Blow down the street. Also, there's no need to manufacture a physical disc and packaging, thereby saving substantially on distribution costs, but there's a catch. Only games that are projected to provide a profit will get this treatment. Here's the way I see digital downloads: This situation is a win for both sides. On the developer/console maker side, they get the profits that they need to stay in business without spending millions on developing, packaging and marketing a new game. On the gamer side, they get the last gen game that they might not have played otherwise that is guaranteed to work and at a reasonable price.

Now, number two. Having a console that is backwards compatible may possibly increase overall hardware sales. Don't underestimate the benefit of having the ability for core gamers to stick in their older favorites and play them. I know I wanted backwards compatibility when I bought a next gen console. That's why I decided to get the 80 gig PS3 instead of the 40 gig model. The 40 was cheaper, but I could play most of my library of PS1 and PS2 games on the 80. I would have been less likely to buy the 80 gig, the more expensive model, if that option didn't exist. As far as the PS4 goes, though, I don't expect support for PS1 games. It's even likely that PS2 games may not be supported (if any older generations are at all). I think that would be a mistake, as I thought dropping BC for the 40 gig was. But, that's just my opinion.

In this generation, I can see (if not agree with) why Sony didn't include support for older games in some of it's consoles. The PS2 is still selling strong and is still getting new games. With that kind of staying power and wide availability, if customers without BC really want to play a last gen game, they can pick up a new PS2 pretty cheaply. Microsoft is a different story, though. Support for the original Xbox has been abandoned and that makes the need for BC an important feature for the 360's survival. So, why is BC important for the 360? I'll use myself as an example. The 360 is my first Microsoft console. Having that be the case, since the 360 is backwards compatibility, I wanted to go back and get a few of the older games just to see what I missed. To date I have more older games then new. Now, how is this good for Microsoft? I'll tell you. Look at the install base on the old system versus the new. Knowing that current numbers for the 360 just short of it's third year are almost equal to the 5 year total of the original you have to agree that there is the potential for a huge audience out there that has not played any of the older games. Now combine that with the ability to put those old Xbox games on Live and what do you get? Instant, reliable, and possibly substantial, income.

For me, physical discs and backwards compatibility is where it's at. For the console makers, publishers, and developers, though, it's going to be digital downloads in the future. It's a cheaper, faster, and more reliable method of getting the games in the hands of gamers. Maybe I am a dinosaur. Maybe I'll come around in the future. Either way, the guys and gals that put out the games are going to tell me, whether I like it or not.

There's nothing quite like getting a brand new game. The excitement of trying a new game for me is kinda like when I was a kid on Christmas Eve, and it all starts at the store. First is choosing the perfect game. Then I get to take the game home, that 20 minute drive can be excruciating. After arriving home I get to open the package, with (for whatever reason manufacturers find it necessary) about four layers of plastic. Next comes the power and slapping the disc down on the try or sliding it into the slot. Then comes the waiting, waiting, waiting, through endless loading screens. Finally, I get to push start and play the damn thing. What happens next? One of two things. One, it's a good game that I play for hours. Or two, it's garbage that I play for a few minutes.

Thankfully, the big 3 allow us to try the games before we buy them. I'm talking about downloadable demos people, the best thing to come around since...oh, yeah, disc demos. I love trying out games that haven't even been released yet. It kinda makes me feel like the publishers and developers actually care. Here they are, letting us test out their game before it even gets released. Unfortunately for the people in line to make the money, this can go either way for them.

How many times have you played a demo just to delete it a few minutes later? Sure, it could just be a really early build of the game, but, how likely is it that you would give it a second chance? For me, not really likely. My opinion is that if they can't get it right by the time they've released a demo, it probably won't ever be right. I won't waste my money giving a developer a second chance that they possibly don't deserve. Granted, sometimes the developer will pull through, but getting me to buy a game after that will take a lot of convincing.

And that convincing takes the form of gaming magazines and websites. Both are plentiful out there and all have a different opinion. My advise? Find a publication that you are happy with and stick with them. I have my favorites that I've read over the years. Nowadays, I tend to pick up all the magazines I see in the store and read quite a number of websites, but I still have my favorites.

The bottom line is to find the method you prefer to get gaming info from. Whether from the publisher/developer directly, a trusted magazine, or maybe even an upstart website or blog (hint hint), find something that matches your attitude and style. We all have our favorites, go out and find yours.

OK, so anyone that's read this blog here knows that I picked up my very own Xbox 360 a few months ago. Having said that I decided to select a newer game for the system when I made my purchase. I was lucky that day and I happily added Mass Effect to my Elite purchase. Why not Halo? The store I purchase my gaming goods from has a very limited selection of games, so I got the best of what they did have at the time. Several months have past now, so what's on the plate today? Like I have for every system I've purchased, I decided to bone up a little on the Xbox gaming history with a few original Xbox titles. Two problems. One, due to my location, I can't download any Xbox Originals from Live. Two, I can only connect to Live once or twice a week due to my internet situation. My solution? Amazon.com.

I love buying used games. Why? Because I can pick up great titles (if a little dated) for a usually low price. Does that make me a cheap bastard? I don't think so, because for the $60 cost of a new game I can get 3 or 4 older titles shipped to me instead. With my non-existent budget here at Gaming by GlossGreen (I'll have to talk to my CFO about that) I have to picky about what I get. Simply put, by purchasing older titles I get to buy more of them. Granted, everyone else has played the game before me, but it's still a great opportunity to play good games. I still get the occasional new game, but there are plenty of excellent older ones to try also.

A couple of days ago I received my first shipment of older titles, the first two being Panzer Dragoon Orta and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Both, I understand to be, excellent games. I don't plan to stop there with the original games either. I plan to pick up Fable (in preparation of the release of Fable II) and Conker (a game that was release for the N64 after I had already given up on the platform) in the near future. Unfortunately for me, with my hectic work schedule as of late, I haven't actually had much time to play games, not to say that I've had no time to play. I currently have one of last years 360 games in my tray, Crackdown. Again, as an older title I picked it up pretty inexpensively and still had money left over for another game. Now, when I finish playing through that one KOTOR is next on my list.

What I'm trying to say with this is not to forget about the older systems. Every console has had at least a few must own games with it. Don't be afraid to buy a last gen game. Both the 360 and PS3 (most of them at least) support backwards compatability for a reason. Play an Xbox original. Play a PS2, or even, a PS1 game. But, don't get stuck on a game's graphics quality. Just because a game looks last gen doesn't mean it's not worthy of playing. Get them for the gameplay.