Gaming by GlossGreen

Because there are some pretty strange things happening with the Wii. OK, we all know the type of games that you can typically find on the Wii. There are plenty of kinda sports type games (no, bowling isn't really a sport). There are plenty of movie and TV tie in games. There are quite a few games that even try to make you smarter. And yes, there are even a couple of violent games there, too. Now here's something I never would have thought I would see. The Wii being decried for having violent games on it.

So, the number one family console in the history of video games is being criticized for having violent games on it, and it's all because of MadWorld. The National Institute on Media and the Family has issued a statement commemorating the game's release.

In the past, the Wii has successfully sold itself as being the gaming console for the entire family and a way to bring family-game nights back into people's living rooms. Unfortunately, Nintendo opened its doors to the violent video game genre. The National Institute on Media and the Family hopes that Nintendo does not lose sight of its initial audience and continues to offer quality, family-friendly games.

I don't know what's going through the minds of these people, but one violent game isn't going to destroy Nintendo's family friendly reputation. Relax people, there are plenty of cutesy casual games on the way still. By the way, about time you throw us real gamers a bone Nintendo. I may just pick up a Wii sooner than I planned.

Update-Well, it appears that my wish is granted. There is an excellent article on Wired's Game|Life blog about a hands-on playtime of the Japanese version of Metroid Prime for the Wii. A US release date has not been announced yet, although as the article states, it's "a shoo-in". 11 March 09

That, most assuredly, is the question. As you all know (all 3 of you that have read my blog, wife included), I own a PS3, a 360,a PSP and a DS. What you may not know is that I really do want to pick up a Wii. Why wait? Yes, I know that Wiis have been seen in the wild everywhere and there are a ton of new games announced all the time, shouldn't this be the right time? Maybe, maybe not. In my opinion, I honestly don't think that Nintendo had gamers like me in mind when they designed their latest offering and I've been waiting for something for me, the hardcore gamer. History shows that the Wii has never really been marketed to my demographic, and that's worked for Nintendo up to this point. I do think that Nintendo needs to embrace the core gaming community, which I don't consider the casual gamer to be. But to be fair I do think that Nintendo has been changing its focus lately. Well, they haven't done a 180 away from the casual market, but they are making progress.

Since the introduction of No More Heroes I've been seeing a shift by Nintendo of including more than just the standard kid friendly fare to the Wii line-up. I think it's good that the Wii has been including games that you typically wouldn't think to see on the Nintendo console. February saw the release of a couple of games geared toward more mature and hardcore gamers. Both The House Of The Dead: Overkill and Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop came out last month for the Nintendo Wii and show that mature games do have a place on this console. In the coming months there are several other popular games and series coming to the Wii. Starting with the very unique and interesting MadWorld later this month ,continuing to The Conduit in May and Dead Space: Extraction later this year. It doesn't sound like much in the line-up right now, but there are plenty of rumored or unannounced games coming out in addition to these.

Another announcement that has me excited about the Wii involved the re-releasing of Gamecube games to Nintendo's next gen system. That's cool, right? Yes and no. It's cool that the possibility exists that some of the better last gen games are coming to the Wii with possible graphical updates and motion controls added. Who wouldn't want to see the older Zelda games revamped for this generation? Or maybe have the Metroid Prime series ported over so you can play them all on the Wii? How about seeing (one of my personal favorites) the Rouge Squadron series updated and available today? The bad news is that only a couple of games have been announced for re-release so far and there has not been any news of new titles being added for quite a while, but I'm not concerned. Nintendo has always been slow to adopt changes, so I am going to be patient and hope for the best. At least for now.

Nintendo, hey Nintendo! It's me. GlossGreen. Remember me? We used to play together as kids. Remember the time we used to play Zelda? No? How about Metroid? You don't remember that either? I know, it was a long time ago, but you seem different these days. It seems like you're trying to be someone else these days. What happened to you? I remember first meeting you way back in grade school. You were there to pick up the pieces after the whole Atari thing. Damn E.T., why did it have to be that bad? Luckily, you were there to swoop in and pick up the pieces. Seeing you in the store for the first time, I think it was a Sears, I remember being excited (as only a grade schooler could). I used to spend hours looking at the box art of games, heck, I even thought R.O.B. looked cool. I know, I was young and didn't know better. Playing the games were great, I could actually tell the difference between my character and a rock. That was a huge improvement over the other guys stuff. We spent hours and hours having fun, and then things got better.

A few years later, you got a slight bit more mature and grew a tad bit bigger. You got smarter and became able to do some pretty cool things. Zelda looked better, Mario could do more things, and Samus had more toys. Those were the good old days, some say the best. I have many good memories playing through those years, but changes were on the wind. A new media for games was on the horizon and you tried to join in. CDs were going to be the next big thing for games. They were cheaper, had more storage, and hell, people just thought they were cool. Too bad you made the wrong choice.

I still stuck by you...for a while. I didn't care that you still used cartridges while the other systems started using CDs. You still had some great games. All the usual suspects were there, and some new ones too. I spent many, many hours playing Rogue Squadron, my favorite Star Wars game to date. Unfortunately, all was not well. At the time, I was starting a family and had a job that didn't pay so well, and there in lies the rub. New games for you ended up costing nearly $70. I couldn't believe it. Why the heck were you so expensive? I know things weren't going well for you against your former partner, but did you really have to cost so damn much? Were you trying to alienate all your friends? Let me tell you, price gauging is not cool. After that things got worse.

I didn't even recognize you the next time you hit the spotlight. You went from a cherished family friend to...a toy. That's what I thought. Sure, Resident Evil looked pretty good, but a cube shape? With a handle? Let's get one thing straight, you were not a portable system. The handle was just stupid. What really got me was the fact that you didn't learn your lesson from the last time. Hello, remember the CD fiasco? Anyone? Why the miniature discs? That's just like a racehorse on the track with a broken leg. You can get some mileage out of it, but it won't go far. I an not ashamed to admit that I turned my back on you then. I thought you'd be done for sure.

Revolution. Now that was a cool name and it showed that you were going to try something new. I was interested, even though I'd sworn you off the last time. You had some big plans and ideas that really impressed me. But you let me down again. What did you choose instead? Wii. What the hell were you thinking? Underwhelming hardware with a stupid name. Looking back at it now, I'd say you were in it for the money. Go cheap with the hardware and take advantage of everyone with garbage software. Even with the occassional Mario, Zelda, or Metroid game you have still lost me. I know you are making money hand over fist these days, but let's be honest. How long do you think this can possibly last? I can see it now, death by shovelware. With games like Gingerbread Man, who needs enemies?

Things aren't over yet, I know you are only half way into your second year and there is still plenty of time to fix things. First, get quality back. Remember the Nintendo Seal of Quality? I took heart knowing that you actually looked at the games that developers were trying to get on your system. Sure, the occassional bad game made it through, but nothing like the old 2600 days. Nothing like an E.T. to be seen. Second, get some games that people like me would actually play. Wii Sports? No. Cooking Mama? Hell no. Ging...Stop right there. You see my point? Remember the old days. Strive for excellent, fun games. Don't just do it because you can. I know Nintendo could slap the Wii name on a rock and sell millions of them, but it doesn't mean they should.

Shane Kim is confident and not afraid to speak his mind. We all know this because the guy loves to talk about the 360 and Microsoft Games Studio. He also tends to give out great quotes and sound bites. Reading an interview with Mr. Kim recently one of these quotes caught my eye and I just had to throw my 2 cents in about it.

"In no way would I say that Halo, or what we know of Halo today, is the peak of what’s possible. Far from it. It’s another benchmark, another milestone to exceed in the future.”

There's no doubt that Mr. Kim has a lot of confidence in his company and developers. It is also no secret that Microsoft has quite a few excellent game studios under it's umbrella. What is missing though, is just how Microsoft can top the biggest franchise - and the reason they're in the black - it's had? Ever.

“But if you look at the initial success of Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360, that’s been super, and we have exclusive [DLC] content coming too. Gears of War 2 is going to be huge, Fable 2 is going to be huge."

I have no doubt that GTA IV and all the other games coming out in the next few months will be impressive for the 360, where my doubts lie is in the success of these titles compared to Halo 3. Collectively, the Halo franchise has sold more than 20 million copies and counting. Looking at the upcoming line-up, I don't see the possibility of any of those titles achieving that kind of success.

I know I'm just the average gamer, but I don't see the possibility of sales number like those seen for the Halo titles ever happening for the 360 again. I know that Gears Of War 2 and Too Human will be big titles as well as the eventual Mass Effect 2, but there's nothing coming that has the immediate pull of a Halo title. Even with Halo Wars coming out sometime in the future, I don't think the old Halo magic will be there. Mr. Kim says it himself here:

“So I don’t know. I believe that we’re going to have just as big of a year in terms of content on Xbox 360. Maybe we don’t have a particular exclusive that’s as big as Halo 3, but I do think that Gears 2 and Fable 2 will be really big hits.”

Big hits? Sure. Bigger than Halo? Not a chance. I think what I'm getting around to here is that the possibility exists that the 360 has already peaked. Hardware sales are slowing in North America and virtually nonexistent in Japan. Rumor is now that the Xbox has another price cut coming or the possible announcement of a new hardware configuration out of E3. Either way, expect sales to increase in the short term. Long term, though? The Wii will own hardware sales, and with Sony bringing out it's big guns in late 08 and early 09 expect to see the 360's attach rate drop from that magic 7.7 number that they are touting today.

This is by no means the end of the 360. There are still several years to go in the life cycle for this Microsoft console. Just don't expect it to last in the marketplace as long as Sony's machine. On the good side, the 360 will definitely outlive the Wii.

Part 4

Finishing up my entirely too long series of posts on the history of gaming we arrive at the last generation. This generation, as have previous ones, had a significant impact during their time and will continue to have lasting effects for the future of console gaming. The true effects of these innovations may not be seen for years to come, but expect to see new and impressive ideas continue to arrive in this and the future generations.

This brings us to the current and seventh generation (2004-). This generation is marked by interesting changes to every console. As console manufacturing and competition became more intense, the field dropped down to 3 combatants. First out the gate was Microsoft with the Xbox 360. While adding more advanced hardware to it's console, the true reason for The 360's success has to lie with one of it's previous innovations. Live has proven to be king of online console gaming and has become the de facto standard for the industry. A standard that Sony, and to a much lesser extent, Nintendo have scrambled to emulate.

Both the Wii and the PlayStation 3 were released about a year after the 360 to widely different degrees of success. The PlayStation 3 was next out the gate, with a couple of features hidden up it's sleeve. The first was the inclusion of Blu-ray support for gaming and movies. Another was the inclusion of a consumer swappable harddrive, to compete with the 360's more expensive proprietary model. Sales of the PS3 were initially promising, but due to the consoles high price, soon began to slip. The next generation Nintendo console, the Wii, was released two days later. When announced, this console wasn't given much of a chance to succeed. They had an unusual and untested control scheme and a plan to target the casual market. The Wii immediately became a hit. With the novel controls and a low price (released at half the cost of the PS3 and $50 less then the 360 Core, $150 less then the 360 Premium). In the short term, Nintendo's gamble has paid off. In the long term, it remains to be seen if the Wii can continue to fend of the 360 and the PS3.

The handhelds also continued to change. The first release was the Nintendo DS in late 2004. The DS was similar in look to the previous SP model with one large exception. The clamshell design was similar, but the inclusion of a touch screen for input on the lower half was a major innovation. This touchscreen was activated by using a stylus, not unlike one found with PDAs. The DS would see a revision in mid 2006 known as the DS Lite. While the Lite has the same overall internal hardware as the original DS it did include brighter screen, extended battery life, and as the name suggests, smaller size and lighter weight. A few months after the original DS was released, Nintendo saw it's first serious handheld competitor in over 15 years.

Sony in early 2005 released a handheld console of their own, called the PlayStation portable. This is the first handheld system that has truly given Nintendo a run for their money. To compete with the DS, Sony included Wi-Fi connectivity to allow connections to other PSPs (something the DS can do) and internet browsing (something the DS can't do), an optical disc format, more powerful hardware (to provide near PS2 quality graphics), and the ability for firmware updates. Initial sales of Sony's new console were very strong, but due to a much higher price than the DS ($100 more) and the lack of a games library hurt PSP sales after the shortly after the launch. Recently the PSP underwent a DS style update by releasing a Slim and Lite model late last year. This redesign was not a significant change, but helped to reduce size, weight, improved loading times, and added the ability to output to a TV. Also, significant firmware updates improved the hardware's functionality and it's PS3 interactivity. Sales of the PSP are far behind sales of the DS, but recent numbers have shown a slowly shrinking gap in this regard.

As you can see, innovation has happened, to varying degrees of success, in every console in every generation. Sometimes that innovation hasn't been a hit or helped to see a console succeed. Sometimes it helps a console become a market leader. It's hard to tell what the future will bring, but based on what we've seen of the past, expect something innovative.

After looking through my past posts I noticed a little discrepancy. I have a lack of Wii or DS content on my blog. I don't have many Nintendo articles, I admit that, but it's not because I don't like the Wii or DS. I like Nintendo, I always have. I still have my NES. I've owned a Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Super Nintendo, and N64. I think I lost my interest after I first saw the Gamecube. Gamecube? Really? Why did they have to make it with a handle? I know the idea, take it to your friends house, get them to play it, and convince them to buy one for themselves. Overall the Gamecube was OK, but other then first party games, there wasn't much there that was decent to play. Before you go all fanboy on me, I know that it did have some good third party games. They just didn't have as many great games as the PS2 or Xbox. I realize that the PS2 had a huge release lead on the Gamecube, but Nintendo didn't help things by having a proprietary format that wasn't much better than a cartridge and lack of DVD support. The reasoning? They were making a games machine not a set-top box.

I understand the logic, I really do. The problem with that logic though is that the consumer wanted a little bit more then what they've had previously. While the PS2 and the Xbox had DVD capabilities, online possibilities and catered to the older generations of gamers, Nintendo stuck to the decision to just make games. That's all good and well, but when you are relying on first party support and don't have much in the way of third party support, you are not going to get many games out there. What they did have were some great first party games (you know the ones, the Mario , Metroid and Zelda games with a few others) and a bunch of kid friendly third party titles. I have no problem with games targeting younger gamers, that's where my daughter started, but you are not going to get many hardcore gamers (the primary game buyers of the time) buying your system with a line-up for children. That seemed to be one of the fatal flaws for the Gamecube. I know it was the reason I didn't buy one.

Fast forward to the Wii (the Revolution name was so much cooler). Like I said before, I do like the stuff from Nintendo, but I have yet to buy a Wii. I do plan on getting one, it's on my list. See, here is the previously mentioned list.

1. Xbox 360
2. Wii
3. DS

I do have the 360 listed first, but that doesn't mean I'll buy it first. It was just the first one I added to my list. Actually, I'm really considering picking up a Wii with my tax return money (if I ever get off my ass and file that is). I haven't played a Mario game in years, Zelda has always been and always will be a favorite, and the Metroid series was a dark breath of fresh air in Nintendo's bright and shiny world. But...I am conflicted. I've been a fan of more adult games for many years now, and for that reason, the conflict. I really want to play Halo (1-3), BioShock, Mass Effect and Gears Of War, games of that type are what I have been playing on my systems since the PS1 days. I haven't been into platformers for many years, but I really want to give it a shot again. Hell, that's why I'm into gaming, to play fun and innovative games. I tend to get bored playing the same genres over and over again. I'm ready to play something other than first person shooters.

The only problems I see with Nintendo now are the same problems I've always had with them, with one new one. First, when are the next series of first party games coming out? What's next with Zelda, Mario, and Samus? I know that Galaxy was released just a couple of months back, as was a Zelda game and the Metroid one, but what is next? The gap between first party games must be shortened, or risk failure like the last generation console. Personally, I would love to see a new IP come out of the minds at Nintendo. Next problem, and the new one, Nintendo has to get a handle on all the crap third party games that are coming out on the Wii. Before it was always a problem with a lack of developer support, now the problem is that every third rate developer and publisher are rushing half-assed games to cash in on the Wii craze. This will be a huge problem if Nintendo doesn't work on it. Ninjabread Man anyone? Oh, by the way, it's getting a sequel.

What's on Microsoft's mind lately? As I read through the gaming headlines over the last couple of days that was the question on my mind. I can't help but ask when I see that the PS3 outsold the 360 in February. Or when I see the drastic price cut in Europe, with a rumored one for the U.S. Is Microsoft desperate, or just playing a shrewd game to up their market share? I have no idea, and can only guess myself. But, I do know one thing. Microsoft has thrown down the gauntlet. What will they be doing next?

The first thing they need to do, which Microsoft has been addressing, is getting stock back into the stores. I know getting an Arcade or Pro is not that hard, they are both in stock at my local electronics store, it's getting an Elite that's the problem. If I'm going to buy a console, it's going to be the one with the most features and as future-proof as possible. Now I don't know how future-proof the 360 is without an HD player in it, but the Elite is the best we'll see this year. Microsoft hasn't been too concerned about their numbers as of late, well, some numbers at least. Microsoft says that the number of consoles they have sold (less then the PS3 for two months in a row) is a result of a great holiday season. Due to the fact that they sold more then expected in November and December meant a limited stock for post season sales. Now, how accurate is that statement? We'll never know, console manufacturers can be very...creative with the truth. That includes all the console makers, not just Microsoft.

Second, exclusives sell consoles. That has never been in doubt. Mario sells the Wii, Nathan has sold some PS3s, and Halo has sold one or two 360s. I know, it's probably more like 5 or 6. Microsoft has had some great exclusives in the past 2 years, and they have one or two coming this year and the next. With games like Alan Wake and Too Human coming out shortly, Microsoft is going to have a good year. I can't forget to mention the new DLC for Mass Effect. That is a huge title for Microsoft and will continue to be for years to come. The question is though, will it stay an exclusive? The same has been theorized for BioShock. I really don't think these two games will be going multi platform any time soon. Maybe we will see them ported in a couple of years, maybe not.

The last thing Microsoft needs to do to stay competitive is to maximize multi platform games on it's system. Grand Theft Auto IV is going to be a huge game for Microsoft, and they know it. They have spent a ton of money securing exclusive downloadable content for the game. They are betting that the lure of this DLC is going to be enough to ensure that the console of choice for GTA IV will be the 360. Now, the PS2 gave birth to the series (in it's modern form) and that is where a lot of loyalty lies with the game. Now, with the push for extra, exclusive content, we may see that change. Combine that with the fact that -for now- the 360 has more of an installed base, could make Microsoft the big winner with the latest GTA game. I would, honestly, not be surprised to see that happen. Just look at Call of Duty 4. It's still putting up huge numbers for the 360, much less in sales for the PS3. Eventually, the PS3 and 360 may have a closer installed base, but for now, the 360 is king.

What about the Wii you say? It is arguably the best selling console out there (with the DS) and absolutely in a class all it's own. Now, that won't change for a long time, but let's see what the numbers look like for the little white box next year. The one thing that always hurts Nintendo is the span between first party titles and the lack of good third party games. This generation looks to be even worse in that regard. Ninjabread Man is getting a sequel, need I say more? I still want to pick up a Wii of course. Being a gamer I can recognize the fact that there are some great games on that system, as there are on all the systems. Damn, I need a bigger budget.

However this fight turns out, it looks to be a great year for gamers. With plenty of exclusive content coming out this year and next, we will have plenty to keep us busy, I know I will be. I still have a stack of games to get through. I just managed to start Assassins Creed today, and I've owned it for over a month now. I'm not complaining though, I love to have great games sitting off in the wings waiting to be played. Heck, I even have a couple of PS2 games waiting to be cracked open. I need a vacation just to catch up.

Tax Return Season.

Well, it's that special time of the year again. Tax Return Time! Have you done your taxes like a good little taxpayer should? No, not yet? Well, me neither, so don't feel bad. Note for all you under 18s out there: Don't worry, you'll be paying taxes like a good upstanding citizen soon, too. Just don't be like Wesley Snipes or Leona Helmsley. Or even worse...Al Capone. Don't know who they are? Read a book. Since I expect great riches back from the government of the U.S. of A. I have a nice long list of games and hardware to buy (by "great riches" I mean enough to help expand my little operation here). WARNING: List to follow. Probably boring.

2008 is shaping up to be a fantastic year to be a gamer. Every time I go online I see another great game that I want to get. The number of games on my want list is getting very long indeed (and quite costly). Starting with my current console of choice (choice because it's the only one I have right now), here are some of my most wanted PS3 games.

Where to start? I guess the beginning would be a good place, such as early '08. First up on my list is Turok. Why? Because I'm a fan of the original N64 games, and maybe if I buy the whole game my daughter will stop playing the demo incessantly, and of course, I'll get to shoot dinosaurs. I know this game is out now, but due to lack of an operating budget here at Gaming by GlossGreen I'll just have to suck it up and wait. OK government, when I file I expect my money post haste. Pronto. Immediately. Now. Alright, I made my point clear. Looking at the next few months just makes my mouth water. I HAVE to get the Dual Shock 3 in April. I have no choice in this. I had it for my other PlayStation consoles, so why couldn't I have it with this new one? By finally releasing this controller Sony is just bringing the balance back to the force. Maybe this lone move will put Sony back into the average gamers good graces. I'll keep my eyes open for that one, but holding my breath is out of the question. I love first person shooters, so I have to add Haze and Turning Point: Fall Of Liberty to my list. This origins trailer has completely sold me on Haze. Prototype is also shaping up to be one interesting game (the character himself has me intrigued). As far at the end of '08 goes, I'm looking forward to Resistance 2 (for obvious reasons), Dead Space (survival horror in space. SPACE!), and LEGO Batman (I just loved the LEGO Star Wars games). Oh, and a couple of small endeavors called Home and Little Big Planet. I don't have to explain those two, do I?

Next up, the Xbox 360. I have one problem with my list for Xbox games. Specifically, I don't have an Xbox yet. So...that is obviously first on my list. As for games, again, I have to start at the beginning. Unlike the PS3, the Xbox beginning for me would have to be 2001, not this year. Since I have yet to play (with the exception of a brief try of Halo 1) any Xbox games, I would need to start there. I do have a number of the original Xbox games on my list that are must buys. But where to start? The Halo series is an obvious first choice. From there I'll just have to experiment and see what more I need to get. I won't talk about the other originals I want here. I'll primarily stick with the 360 games in this post. Now, as far as those 360 games I was talking about, I have to start with the no-brainers, specifically Halo 3, Gears Of War, BioShock and Mass Effect. I know there are many others, but those few will definitely satisfy me to start with. As far as the new games coming this year, I have to go with Halo Wars (duh), Fable 2 (have to get number 1 also), Too Human (if it makes '08), and maybe that Ninja Whatwhosits sequel, you know the one I'm talking about. Oh, there are a ton of other ones, too that I've forgotten to mention. Plus, I know my knowledge on past 360 and Xbox games is a little less then my PS3 understanding, but I promise to study hard and improve (as soon as Microsoft gets in gear and starts selling Elites again).

Yes, I even have some Wii games on my list. And yes, I have to buy one of those darn things too. So, how am I going to convince my wife I need a Wii in addition to a 360? I'll have to think of something creative and daring (or just buy it and show her after I set it up). As far as the games go, I'm a huge (HUGE!) Mario and Samus fan. Those original games for the Nintendo Entertainment System were some of the best gaming memories of my childhood (I have them in my closet to this day), so all the games that I don't have already are all on my list. Yes, that includes the Gamecube games. I also may give the Wii play and Wii sports games a shot. I hear they are good for physical therapy type stuff, and my shoulder definitely could use a workout. I promise to film myself and post any embarrassing videos here. No, I definitely won't break my TV (as previously stated, I have no replacement budget). Oh, and if what I'm hearing is true, I wouldn't mind trying a little Bionic Commando on the Wii either. A very interesting rumor indeed.

Finally, I have to throw out my wants for the handheld type stuff. I will definitely get a PSP. As far as a DS goes, I'll just have to see (the brain age stuff looks interesting). Why a PSP? Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. I stated above that I'm a huge fan of a couple of familiar Nintendo characters, well, my interest in those games pale by comparison to the Final Fantasy universe (honestly, VII started my on this path and the older games just reinforced it). If I get no other game for that system, I'll be happy. Of course, I'll get more than just that one, I just have to read up a little more on the games. Handhelds are something that I have (unfairly) ignored as of late. In years gone by, I did own and play a Gameboy, and even a Sega Game Gear. I loved both of those systems and I look forward to trying the newest gaming toys.

I know, I probably didn't mention your favorite game. To be honest, this post would be twice as long if I really wrote everything I wanted. Lists by people tend to be boring and suck, but it's kind of a requirement for any gaming outlet to do at least one. Here is my one shot at it, although I can't promise that I won't do another one for an actual holiday (like the one preceding the 2009 gaming season). Do me a favor though. Tell me what you want and why, specifically any Xbox or Wii games that have you interested. I promise, I won't call you names or think less of you for wanting Ninjabread Man 2. I may give you a funny look though.

And Speculation.

Last month I gave my thoughts on the upcoming year for all the consoles. I thought the PS3 and 360 could have a strong year. I also wrote that I thought the Wii was on shaky ground. Now we are hearing news and speculation from some of the other media outlets. Was I on the right track? Will the PS3 make a comeback? Can the Wii maintain it's momentum? Let's see what the experts are saying.

First up with the big announcements is EA. We all know EA is fond of making grand statements with regards to its competitors and partners. So them coming out with a statement from left field is nothing new. This is what they had to say about the coming year. EA thinks that the Wii will stay on top in 08, not much of a surprise there with the Wii's current sales figures. What is surprising is EA's prediction that the PS3 will outsell the 360 in the upcoming year. But, should that really be surprising at all? According to sarcasticgamer.com, the PS3 has already outsold the 360. Check out their article to see how they came up with the numbers.

If what they say is true, the PS3 outsold the 360 by 1.53 million in 07. If that comes as a surprise to you, join the club. All we've heard this year is how the 360 is trouncing the PS3. Are we being lied to or is this just something that no one has really paid any attention to? If it's a case of the first, I get that. Microsoft definitely does not want this to get out. But, if it's a case of the second, now that's a problem. We all know the ignorance the mainstream media has in regards to videogames, but what about the typical gaming media outlets? Why is this being reported only by sarcasticgamer.com? Are they way off base, or are they onto a story that has yet to break big? Definitely something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

As far as the Wii goes though, EA's assessment is not the only one out there. Microsoft has it's own ideas. Jeff Bell of Microsoft has said that the Wii is kinda like a gateway device to the world of gaming. His thoughts are that the Wii is getting people into gaming that may not have thought about owning a console before. Unfortunately for Nintendo, Microsoft doesn't think people will stick with it for the long haul, and will be looking for a new system when they grow out of the Wii. This is simplifying Jeff's statements quite a bit. Read the full interview with him here. Does his theory hold water? In a way it does. The theory of the Nintendo bubble bursting has been making its rounds on the internet lately and has been getting a lot of attention and speculation.

What? You haven't heard of the Nintendo bubble theory? Well here it is: The latest thoughts are that the Wii's game line-up can't support the sales the console have achieved as of late. What this means is that the gamers will realize that all there is to play on the Wii are the typical Mario, Zelda, and Metroid games, plus lots of crappy third party games. In the past Nintendo has had the problem of not being able to get consistent third party support. Nintendo doesn't have that problem this time. The new problem is all the really bad third party games that are on the console now. Aunt Trudy may buy that cool looking game for little Timmy, not realizing it's a complete disaster and pretty much unplayable. This may lead to a backlash of people not purchasing third party games, even the good ones, and stick to the first party games. That in turn, could lead to the third party developers pulling their support. The result being a drought of good third party games similar to what the N64 and and Gamecube were plagued with. The result will be less game sales, and then less console sales. The bubble, being the currently huge sales numbers, will eventually burst.

Overall, I think my ideas were pretty close to some of those in the industry. I was surprised about the bit of PS3 outselling the 360, but the Nintendo bubble bursting idea didn't surprise me at all. It just doesn't seem to have the credentials to hang with it's competitors. Game-wise, Nintendo doesn't have the library. Tech-wise, there's no contest to either platform by its competition. Even if it adds DVD support this year, I don't think it'll be able to maintain the top spot past 2008. I may be wrong, after all, I'm just the average gamer.

Today's word of the day* is HARD-CORE. Let us begin with the formal definition provided by Dictionary.com

hard-core [hahrd-kawr, -kohr]
-adjective

1. unswervingly committed; uncompromising; dedicated: a hard-core segregationist.

2. pruriently explicit; graphically depicted: hard-core pornography.

3. being so without apparent change or remedy; chronic: hard-core inflation.

Most gamers will know immediately what I mean by hard-core. I consider myself to be a hard-core gamer. I am dedicated to gaming and the gaming culture. I am uncompromising in my videogame consumption. I have to play. I go through withdrawals if I don't. Am I addicted? Hell yes. But I'm not the only one.

Gamers have been serious about their gaming habits since the beginning, starting with Pong and continuing to the MMO games of today. Spending hours a day in front of the TV or computer monitor, sacrificing a life outside in the real world, is something that hard-core gamers are willing to do in order to finish that level, or gain a few more experience points for their character. Not all gamers have that dedication though. And that brings me to the subject of this post.

In the beginning was hard-core and all was good. Then something happened. Games for people that didn't like games started showing up. The Mom that didn't really understand games started to play. My own Mother loved -and still loves- Ms. Pac-man. She didn't play all the time, nor did she even feel a need to finish a game or get very far. Then came the birth of mini-games. These are small games with little to no story and very simple controls. Soon, there were games released that were only collections of mini-games with a simple story to tie them together. Select a game, play for a few minutes, then leave without any thoughts of completing it or returning to it. We have a name for these people. They are the Casual Gamer.

Being a casual gamer is not a bad thing, but bad things tend to happen to the casual gamer. Oftentimes a game that just isn't good enough or too short to be a good gaming experience is marketed to the casual gamer. These games are very basic and frequently frustrating to play. The reason. The developers and publishers are looking to make a quick buck. Slap Mario or Sonic on a crappy game and chances are you'll make your money back off of it. We are seeing more and more titles that are just plain bad and a lot of those are on the Wii.

Is there anything the casual gamer can do to ensure they get a quality game, and not a cheap poorly designed product? First, do not buy a game just because it's cheap. Little Timmy might like that cheap game about dinosaurs, but not if his dinosaur dies every 5 seconds due to bad controls. Second, do a little research. There are plenty of gaming websites online and many magazines that will help sort out the crud from the gold. Granted, a lot of these sources are geared to the hard-core or mainstream gamer, but it is still presented in a way that most people will understand. Third, if you've done your research and have become familiar with the companies putting out games it'll be easier to find a quality product. Don't buy a game from the XYZ Fly-by-night game publisher. They are just out for the quick buck and their games are generally very basic and not worth any cost. Fourth, don't buy a game just because it's sold well. You very we may find a shovelware game that has squeaked past quality control.

The Wii is not the only console to suffer this blight of poor quality games. They are everywhere from the PS2 to the DS to the Xbox 360 and even cellphones. No system is safe from these shotty shovelware games. They are called shovelware due to the fact that the publisher will just shovel it out onto the market no matter the quality. With a little knowledge, you can prevent yourself from being taken advantage of. Look for first party software, being games that are published by the console manufacturer. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all put out quality games. Buzz is a quiz game that is very popular right now, and is available for most systems. Ask your friends what they play and play together. Have fun with games, but be careful what you buy.

*Disclaimer: In using the phrase "word of the day" I am not stating that I will, in fact, write about a word every day. It just sounded better than "word of the week" or "word of the whenever the hell I feel like writing about a word".

Now I've given you my opinion of what 2008 will look like for each of the console systems. Overall, the prognosis is good for all the consoles this year. Each one has highly anticipated exclusives. The PS3 has Metal Gear Solid 4, and Little Big Planet. The Xbox 360 has Too Human and Halo Wars. The Wii has Super Mario Brothers Smash Brawl, and Wii Fit. Each of these games is anticipated to have a huge impact on the console war. Now what's on your mind?

What's that? You are asking me my opinion about "console wars"? I'll be happy to answer that for you. A war is a struggle between two or more factions. War typically has a winner and a loser. We never want to be the loser. In gaming it's a little different, especially when 3 exceptional consoles are on the market. We want to win. So how does a gamer, a true gamer, win? By not fixating on a brand and look at the games themselves. You could buy an Xbox or a PS3, but without the little disc you stick in the machine, you might get a little bored. I know I would. These companies that develop and publish games all have one goal: To put their games in the hands of gamers, and they ALL have great games that are worthy of our attention. My point is that more then one system you will give you a bigger potential library. Personally, I wouldn't mind putting Halo up on the shelf beside Uncharted. There's nothing wrong with it. It's gamers being gamers and remembering why we do this. To play great and fun games.

So have fun this year. Get that game system you always wanted but didn't get for Christmas. Then save up your money and get your second choice, too. Play Bioshock and Heavenly Sword. Or get Warhawk and Wii Sports. Get something you think will be fun and have fun playing.

What do you think? Should we, as more and more developers are suggesting, switch to a single console enterprise? What are the benefits? Risks? Down right dirty stuff we don't want to know about? Which system do you want and why? What games are you anticipating for 08? Do you subscribe to fanboyism? I want to know what you are thinking about. Drop me a line and let me know.

OK, the Wii. I really don't know where to go with this one. I'm conflicted. The potential is there to make 2008 their best year since the late 80's, but will the software be up to the task? 2007 was a great year for Nintendo. They went from ridiculed underdog to the top of the console heap in less than one year. How they did it was no surprise. They pioneered an innovative control scheme, made the console cheap, and made it accessible to the non-typical gamer. The virtual console was also a great idea. Backward compatibility has been a buzz word with previous generations, something that Nintendo hasn't taken advantage of until now. Adding the back catalog of classic games was a must for the Big N.

First, the good. Any game released by Nintendo with Wii in the title is sure to be a huge seller. This trend will definitely continue well into this year, and possibly, extending through the entire life of the console. We will also see releases of all the current popular Nintendo titles. Expect to see sequels with Mario, Link, and Samus in them. Whether or not we'll see these characters in their natural environments is another story. We should see some changes within the third party developers as well. As the developer community gets more familiar with the Wii's wireless motion controls we will hopefully see more chances being taken, instead of just putting out the cookie cutter projects of the previous generations and bad ports. Everyone is waiting for the lightsaber attachment and a good Star Wars game to back it up, so get on it LucasArts. We want to duel with Darth. Gaming for the beginning of the year with the Wii looks promising. With some huge titles having been released in the last few months and constant demand, expect Nintendo to stay on or near the top for this year.

Now here comes the problem. Looking at this from the hardcore perspective: Games and release dates. Where are they? We have some vague idea when some of the games are coming out, but even the games with published dates have been getting pushed back. The games that are being released? Well, it's not looking so hot. Taking a look at this weeks releases I see no winners and no big games. The next big game on the horizon, Super Smash Bros Brawl, isn't coming out until March...maybe. See, here's the problem with Nintendo. The big, good games take a lot longer to be released. How many true Mario games did we see on the Gamecube? Not many. Nintendo fans have always been expected to be patient through the long gaming drought between the AAA titles, but unfortunately, not given many decent choices to play in the interim.

I took a look at the titles currently available for the Wii via Amazon. I'm aware that this is not a complete list, but looking at the sampling they have available, I'm concerned. Now here's how my list turned out. Games with either Mario, Link, or Samus in them: 10 (I didn't even count Donkey Kong, Pokemon, or the Wario Ware titles in that list). Fishing games: 4. Bowling games: 2. And games that I called WTF??: 20. Now what type of games were in that last category you ask. I'll tell you. I see games titled Ninjabread Man, Cranium Kabookii, Sea Monsters, and Chicken Hunt. Needless to say, these are not big sellers. With these games outnumbering the decent titles by a factor of 2, it doesn't look good. Where's the quality control? A better question is probably this. Where are the new intellectual properties from Nintendo? We all love Mario, Link and Samus, but that doesn't mean we want to see them in every game you put out.

Delivering derivative and uninspired games is by no means a new phenomenon. Nintendo has a problem with delivering innovative first party games to the gamers for the past few generations. Having to wait 3 or 4 years for the next Super Mario title is torture. Having to wait for the next big non-Mario Nintendo title is an eternity. If you are a casual gamer, you may be in better shape. Just don't expect the best in quality. Does Nintendo hate us? Do they think we'll stick with them no matter the crap they feed us? Maybe. I'm hoping they are able to pick it up for 08. If they don't, the bubble may burst and leave Nintendo all sticky. My last words? Just these few: Ninjabread Man. WTF?!?!?!

And Should We Care?

Today, we are seeing the same old ideas popping up again. This time with the very unreliable rumor stating that the 360 is getting a motion sensitive controller. I don't care who came up with the idea first, or even if the controller will ever see production, it's completely irrelevant. The practice of technology showing up on multiple competing systems is nothing new. Oh, sure, one company may say they came up with it first, but who has an original idea anymore? The consoles themselves prove the case. One console may have a different chipset than the next, but really, how different are they. They still operate in basically the same way. Electronic theory isn't rewritten with each new system generation.

Small innovations do appear every now and then, but what is more common to see are old ideas used in a new way. Take motion control. That tech has been around a lot longer than the Wii. Nintendo didn't invent the technology, they just used differently from the way it had been used before. Sony has implemented similar technology in the Sixaxis controller. Now Microsoft may be considering a unique idea to differentiate themselves from their competition and give their fan base what they want, or at least something that they think the consumers will want.

I believe that we are getting promising possibilities out of these rejuvenated ideas. One of the current innovations from the last generation seeing new life is the PlayStation Eye and the game Eye of Judgement. It brings old ideas to new concepts, and mixes a couple of gaming genres in to boot. Seeing what is possible with simple components will hopefully bring us a new and worthwhile experience. Another innovator, Johnny Lee, has an amazing video explaining his use of the Wii controller to put us in the game. Immersion is definitely something we expect while playing games and after seeing this creative thinker in action, I'm excited about the possibilities. I think that implementation of his ideas may be years way, but I can absolutely see this for the next generation.

We need to start celebrating the ideas of the competition. The Wii is, undeniably, different from any system that came before it. Both the PS3 and the 360 are substantially more powerful than all the previous generations combined. As I said before, the console makers guard their secrets, and try to make you want their system. Because of that you won't get everything you want with just one brand.

The only way to be able to get all the best in tech is to give up our long held prejudices against what we perceive to be the enemy. Xbots, the SDF, and whatever the Wii fanboys are called, are only hurting themselves by not accepting that each console, because of their differences, are worthy of purchase. Not all generations have been able to claim that, but I believe this one is as close to ideal as we're going to get. All the consoles were made by different people with different ideas, but with one ultimate goal. The goal is to give us games to play. Accept the fact that all the consoles are worthy of your attention. Each and every one of them has a game you will love to play. To not have the opportunity to experience the best on the PS3, the 360, the Wii, just because of the name on the box, will only hurt you. I don't have all the systems yet, but it is a goal of mine.

I don't believe in the concept of a console war. Wars do not have winners, just losers. I see it a different way, although, I do see a winner and a loser. The winner is the gamer, a true gamer, that believes in playing for the fun of it, experiencing the best of the industry, no matter the name. The loser, ah the loser. The loser is the one that limits the possibilities by sticking to one console. The loser misses out on about 2/3 of the good games available. I am not going to be a loser, are you?

Today's word of the day* is OPINION. Let us begin with the formal definition provided by Dictionary.com.

o·pin·ion [uh-pin-yuhn]
–noun

1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.
3. the formal expression of a professional judgment: to ask for a second medical opinion.
4. Law. the formal statement by a judge or court of the reasoning and the principles of law used in reaching a decision of a case.
5. a judgment or estimate of a person or thing with respect to character, merit, etc.: to forfeit someone's good opinion.
6. a favorable estimate; esteem: I haven't much of an opinion of him.

I will be using the second definition while discussing this topic. A personal view, attitude, or appraisal. Why am I mentioning this? How does it apply to the gaming world? Does anyone really care? Probably not, but I do have a point. I think.

We see opinions every day on the web. I have an opinion, you have an opinion, and of equal importance, game reviewers and analysts have an opinion. What is of certainty is that no two people will always have the same opinion. Take the blog section here. My opinion may differ from someone about the importance of sales numbers, but that doesn't mean that either one of us is wrong. Likewise, two gaming magazines may have rated a game differently. Is one of those two sources dumber then the other one? No, but I will admit, if the opinion is not an intelligent one the possibility is there.

So who's opinion do we listen to? The easy answer is the one that most agrees with what you do. To only listen to one side, though, has its risks. By ignoring one side you will probably not get the whole picture. One opinion may focus on, say, the visuals of a game, and rate it poorly because of it. Another site may have a different opinion based on gameplay, and give it high marks. Both sites may be right, but which one is right for you. In my opinion, listen to both places and make up your own mind. I'm big on people thinking for themselves. I will never agree with one side or another without listening to both sides and the only way I can do that is if each side has their own coherent and logical argument. I mean argument in the form of discussion, not trading insults or other such nonsense.

Which leads me to the point of this article. Fanboyism. Now this form of opinion is often entirely biased and ignorant. This type of opinion is the only one that I will completely disregard out of hand. To blatantly say that the 360, or the PS3, or the Wii is the best one just because you like it more, just shows how small minded some of these people are. I'm not saying all fanboys are bad. I happen to think the PS3 is the better system, but I'll be willing to back up my claims with facts, not just feelings. Unfortunately, ignorant fanboyism has been with us since the early days of the arcade and will continue as long as there are competing consoles. Just visit any gaming forum and you'll see what I mean.

In closing, I am not making any demands here. I'm not trying to change the internet or the viewpoint of any particular website or person. it's just my opinion.


*Disclaimer: In using the phrase "word of the day" I am not stating that I will, in fact, write about a word every day. It just sounded better than "word of the week" or "word of the whenever the hell I feel like writing about a word".