Video Games Archives

11 pm → Blip Festival and 8-Bit

The Blip Festival hit NYC tonight and is sticking around through the weekend. It's a festival of chiptunes and many of the big names will be here including Nullsleep, Bit Shifter and Cory Arcangel.

On Saturday at 3pm there will be a screening of 8 Bit, a movie all about chiptunes. I saw it at MoMA a couple months ago and really enjoyed it. Hell, it's only $5.

I'm wishing I could see Cory Arcangel's new flim, Super Mario Movie, which will be played at 8pm on Saturday to start of the evening's festivities. I'd also recommend you check out Nullsleep's presentation about creating chiptunes, NES Music: From Concept To Cartridge, on Sunday from 2pm-4pm.

I think I might check out the show tomorrow night if anyone's interested.

Posted in Music\TV\Film\Media   &&  Video Games | Comments (0) | TB (0) |

1 am → Bob Dob's Video Game Inspired Art

Jason pointed out this great Nintendo-inspired artwork from Bob Dob. The paintings above are my favorite, but I also loved this one and this one. Lucky for us, we can buy some of his work here and here.

Posted in Art   &&  Video Games | Comments (1) | TB (0) |

8 am → Hello Onyx

Today, I am upgrading to a small, sleek DS Lite Onyx. I do love my Mario Kart DS, but it's a little too big and clunky. Time for something svelte. Since it's no fun to get a system without a game, I also picked up New Super Mario Brothers.

In other Nintendo news, I'm excited about the possibility of a $150 price point for the Wii. Although the leak is from Vibe magazine, I think this is more trustworthy than if the scan was from a gaming mag. It's often a non-industry publication that forgets us fanboys get the shivers when we hear the words Shigeru Miyamoto.

If the console ends up being $150, which we'll find out for sure on Thursday at Nintendo's Wii event, the Big N will sell a boatload of these consoles and take a dominant role in the console market again. Aside from always having Nintendo's back, I'm happy that a product that innovates while promoting fun over graphics is going have a major role in the next wave of video games.

Peace out Sony. Take your $600 PS3 and shove it.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (2) | TB (0) |

9 am → Edge and the State of Video Games

While home in Chicago a couple weekends ago, I happened upon a most welcomed surprise while browsing the periodicals: Edge Magazine. Edge is published in the UK and is one of the few video game magazines that isn't geared towards 12-16 year-olds. It's also the only game mag I still find tolerable since the departure of Next Generation (now an online magazine focused on industry news).

Previously, Edge wasn't available in the U.S. at all, even from newsstands, which is why I got all excited. It also turns out they're now offering stateside subscriptions for about $80 instead of what used to be $120. Issues are selling on the newsstands for eight bucks.

Edge caters to the video game fan who's looking for more than a three-sentence preview with a page of photos. Their analysis is in-depth and the reviews are thorough. In the two issues I've read this week, a lot of words were devoted to the soon-to-arrive Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Since Edge delves deeper than "Project Gotham Racing 3 will look sick," it's easy to get a sense of how these new consoles may not be all they're cracked up to be.

The Next Generation Could Disappoint

Each developer profiled in Edge mentioned that the cost of development for the X360 and PS3 will be significantly higher. One Japanese house said they'd have to charge $100 for games based on the predicted costs, even though they know that isn't feasible. If that's the case, we're looking at a dark age for creativity in video games. The system isn't really set up to support indie games and the major players aren't going to put $10 million down for an unproven commodity, at least that's the fear.

Hollywood is facing similar issues, the difference being that people can make feature length films for hundreds or thousands of dollars (and have) while that's just impossible for a console game. Does this mean we'll have to wait until the end of a new console's life-cycle before seeing innovative games from small firms? Hopefully the small studios have a strong fight-or-flight mechanism that'll help them innovate quickly.

My fears were realized this year when Madden 06 was the only football title on the shelves this fall. EA Sports purchased the sole rights to the NFL license for the next five years, which means no one else can have NFL players or logos anywhere in their game. Some were hoping this would prod the others to think fast and create unusual football titles. Well, the NFL season is upon us and that didn't happen. This isn't a result of rising costs but it is indicative of the lack of risk-taking.

So, We're Screwed?

I doubt it, but only because I think the five-year product cycle of consoles we know now will cease to exist. The new consoles are too expensive for most people—the Xbox 360 starts at $299, but the cheapest pre-order package at Gamestop is $699 and the PS3 will be at least that expensive—which means people will hold onto their consoles longer.* Developers will keep churning out Xbox and PS2 titles because they're cheap to make, they know the hardware, the upfront cost is lower and the profits will be greater. We'll then see the PS2 still going strong into 2007 and possibly 2008.

Although your casual gamer or gadget-freak will pine for the newest console, if a game is good it won't matter what console it's on (Halo certainly sold a lot of Xboxes), especially if prices stay high and new games go for $60. In other words, I don't think the new consoles will bring in the gamers' apocalypse, but it will certainly shake up the industry. Sony and Microsoft may get taught a harsh lesson, but everyone will come out okay in the end.

* This is also why I think Nintendo may be due for a renaissance. The Revolution should come in cheaper than the other two, and Nintendo historically has a much higher percentage of quality games.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (0) | |

5 pm → Man Killed Over Virtual Property

Jane at Gamegirl Advance reported on the slaying of a man over virtual property earlier today. As she put it, "The China Daily reports that a 41-year-old man stabbed an acquaintance who stole and sold his Dragon Sabre in the MMORPG Legend of Mir III." This could have just been the case of a crazy, obsessed gamer, but the fact that he reported this to the police first and was turned away changes all that.

Qiu, the accused, was told by the police that virtual property doesn't count, even though the sabre was eventually sold for $871. That sounds pretty real to me. It seems obvious that the police should have followed through and arrested Zhu, the man who stole the sabre, but I can see why they didn't. It's not very likely that they have someone on staff who knows how to determine whether it was stolen. This is aside from the preconceived notions they likely possess.

This is a great example because it is something quantifiable. If Zhu had stolen the sabre and traded it for money within the game, it would be much harder to rationalize for a lot of people. I would be curious what would happen if someone were to copy every music file I bought online and then deleted them from my computer. Forgetting about copyright issues, I would likely have to re-purchase those files but I doubt I would be able to file a report with the NYPD.

I also wonder if this would be connected to intellectual property in some way. I'm far from a lawyer, but it seems to be something else that has monetary value but can't be held in your hands.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (1) | |

10 pm → The PSP Diet

I broke down. I bought a PSP today. While staring it down at Virgin I realized that it was only a matter of time until I picked it up, so why not do it now? Before the part of my brain that deals with logic kicked in, my credit card was swiped and I was walking out with a PSP and two games (Wipeout and NFL Street, which I'll be exchanging for Lumines when they get a copy in).

As a result of my purchase, I'm going on the PSP diet. I've got to balance out my spending somehow. Until my birthday on April 14th, three weeks away, I will do the following:

• Eat out for lunch no more than twice
• Eat out for dinner no more than five times
• Buy the cheapest groceries possible
• Buy no DVDs and 1 CD (I need the new Beck)
• Go to no more than 1 movie in the theater

Obviously, that's not all food, but a gadget/media nerd knows that hunger isn't the only craving you have on a daily basis. If I stick to this, I won't feel as bad. I'll have birthday money by the time my diet is over.

In totally unrelated news, if anyone needs some freelance web work done, I'm looking.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (2) | |

10 pm → I'm Feeling the Handheld Hype

It's official, I will most definitely be buying either a Nintendo DS or a Sony PSP. As of right now I'm leaning towards the PSP, thanks to this video. All that's holding me up is the lack of a price or a release date. There's no way I'd pay more than $200 for a portable system, and even that would be a bit steep.

Still, I'm more than ready to welcome in some better looking games for handhelds. The color screens of the Gameboy Advance and SP were a step up, but I'm looking for more and these seem to have it. So, I'm going to wait until the PSP makes it stateside before I decide, butthe sexiness of the Sony device is pretty tempting. Don't you agree?

Posted in Video Games | |

10 am → Racial Stereotypes in Videogames

In today's Circuits section of the NY Times, there is an article about race and video games that tells us virtually nothing new. Just like television and movies, video games are introducing people of color in racially insensitive ways.

For instance, the new version of Grand Theft Auto is set in the early 90s, when gang wars were prevalent. Obviously, many of the gang members are not white. The other example is Def Jam Fight for NY, which depicts black and hispanic men fighting -- a lot.

Similar to past articles of this nature, the author questions whether games that promote racial stereotypes should be encouraged or even allowed. He quotes a parent-like figure, who says, "They are nothing more than pixilated minstrel shows." I think that's taking it a bit far, but you get the meaning.

Yes, these games promote stereotypes, but show me a single game that doesn't. This man is concerned about a 7 year-old kid, whom he helps to raise, and his exposure to these games. His, and many others, chief complaint is that despite the game-makers claim that this is meant to be a fantasy world, the kids can't make that distinction. I agree, but I think it the onus is on the parents to keep their kids away from these games. I am able to play GTA and understand that not every fat hispanic man in the ghetto sells guns and hand gernades.

The critics want to see a game that promotes positive depections of non-white people. Unfortunately, these games would likely be boring to their intended audience (people seventeen and up). Comedy and entertainment is based around stereotypes for a reason -- seeing something you can relate to is engaging. These games, shows, and movies are not going away, which is why it has to be up to the parents to teach their children and provide a positive role model. Kids will only relate to these negative stereotypes if they are surrounded by them.

I don't claim to be an expert on this issue, but parents should not expect media to conform to their expectations. We live in a free-market economy and the most popular item will sell, with few limitations based on morality. If you don't want your kids to play Def Jam Vendetta, that's fine by me, but don't tell me it can't exist.

Posted in Video Games | |

2 pm → ESPN Gamer

Today, ESPN launched ESPN Gamer, a mini-site devoted to sports video games. According to their introductory letter they plan to offer all of the usual stuff you expect from a video game site: reviews, screenshots, trips, features, etc. This begs the question, why does ESPN need to do this? There are sites and magazines devoted to video games that do a very good job. It makes me wonder how much money the game developers are throwing at them.

I explored the site a bit to decipher their motives. The reviews they offer are relatively crappy. It's broken down into six sections (graphics, gameplay, etc.), which doesn't leave much room for the writer to discuss what it's like to play the game. It's too rigid. If this is all they offered I would write off this site immediately. Thankfully, they have two well-written columns -- one of which is quite refreshing.

The first is an interview and showdown with Michael Vick (the coverboy for Madden 2004). The writing is good but the content is the same as every other magazine who was there on that press day.

The second is an article on Sega's newest football offering, discussing the first-person view. What's nice about this article is that the writer's knowledge of football is put to good use here. Video game magazines know video games, not sports, which means they miss some nuances of the game. ESPN will be able to pick up the slack here as they are (or at least should be) sports gurus.

That is the what the draw of this site should be. ESPN is able to offer a perspective on video games that will look at whether or not they are accurate or relevant to the world of sports. They can, and should, leave all of the technical stuff to EGM or Edge. This is why I'll be returning to this site. It's likely that they are trying to sell the new line of Sega games they're sponsoring, but if it means the potential for good content and a new perspective then I have no complaints.

Note: There are definitely other columns on this site that are quite good and some other content on its way, but I didn't want this to become a detailed review of the entire site.

Posted in Sports   &&  Video Games | Comments (1) | |

3 pm → The Dying Arcade

After my trip to the movies last night (see previous post) I went to Cold Stone Creamery to get some amazing ice cream and then to Broadway City, the only true arcade I have found in New York thus far.

While living at home in the Chicago suburbs I would often frequent Super Just Games (note: the link is to a Street Fighter competition page) quite often. Maybe once every couple weeks at high points. In college, I pretty much stopped going because there was nothing convenient and I didn't have any close friends who wanted to go (or maybe I was embarassed to ask). Now, I did find one in NYC but it is in Times Square and is amazingly expensive. (The cheapest games were $.75 and those were Galaga, Ms. Pac Man, and Metal Slug 4.) Where have all the arcades gone?

Sadly, I know the answer but I don't want to admit it. Arcade games are expensive to produce and don't have a great rate of return unless they're at an amusement park. Just look at my current favorite game, Time Crisis 3, and how much it costs. $15,495. Granted this is a shooting game with two screens, but it is an example of how much new games cost to produce. So, the neighborhood arcade is gone because kids would rather stay at home and play games from their couch.

What we lose is the sense of community that comes from playing people that you don't know. Even though fighting games aren't my forté, nothing can beat waiting in line to play the reigning champion of the game. Even though you don't know him/her, the two of you have a both a rivalry and a common bond already there. In a more basic way, we also lose to the ability to just hang out with like-minded people. I am not as obsessed with games as some people, but it's nice for me to visit that world and chat with people who know what they're talking about.

Another reason to keep arcades around is for games that can't be recreated on a PC or console. Racing games, gun games and Dance Dance Revolution cannot be recreated in the home setting. It is impossible. Now the only place to enjoy these games is at amusement parks that charge at least $1 per game. I don't expect things to still cost a quarter but I know that price can come down. I paid $1.75 per game last night and some of the racing games were $2.50. That is ridiculous.

The only thing that has come close to replacing the arcade is the converted movie theaters. (In some places movie theaters are being converted to LAN gaming areas.) You do get to bring back some of the community, which is nice, but you still lose the variety of games and some fun nostalgic factors.

I don't know if I'm ever going to get my arcades back but I do know that I can't be alone. There must be others out there who long for the arcade experience. I just hope that we are able to find some happy medium where I can play my games without dropping $30 per session.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (1) | |

1 am → Video Game Roundup

I've ran across a few good articles over the last couple days and I'll bring them up now.

The Game Industry Crisis
Greg at Games * Design * Art * Culture has posted a piece about the upcoming fiscal crisis in the videogame industry. As system power increases in accordance with Moore's Law, the cost of game development increases with it. Game sales and profits are increasing at a much slower rate. The industry will not be in a good situation until people from my generation turn 40, which is when video games will have a mass appeal. The point is, we will have a serious problem on our hands in a few years and beyond, unless we come up with a solution.

Video Games Good for You
Two American researchers have determined that video games can improve your visual skills. People who play games regularly, especially shoot-em-ups, fared much better in a variety of tests done by the researchers. Really, this doesn't mean much to me as any gamer could tell you that it improves their "visual skills." I guess it is good to have people from the world of science confirm this.

Matthew Barney vs. Donkey Kong
The immediate connection is the concept of climbing up a series of platforms to reach the woman and her guardian. The rest of this piece goes on to explain a lot of other interesting stuff. Now I want to see the movie in its entirity so I can see what exactly he means. Really cool piece.

Super-Duper PS2: PSX
It's a PS2 with a 120GB hard drive, DVD+/-RW, DVR software, USB 2.0, a memory stick slot and connections for the PSP (the upcoming Sony handheld). This machine sounds like a badass machine. I'm curious how much it will cost and what the response will be like when it comes to the states.

Posted in Video Games | |

1 pm → Women in Games

I just finished reading an article on women in games from the NY Times and I have a lot to say. Before I begin, it's important to know that the article discusses the way women are portrayed in games and not female gamers, as they are two very different topics.

The discussion is similar to the one that occurred when black people first appeared in television and film -- is it better to have black people on tv being portrayed inaccurately or to have them off tv completely? In regards to women, the critics seem to agree that women need to be in games, but there is argument as to whether or not the portrayal is acceptable.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is at one extreme, as women are often beaten or killed, usually after a helathy round of prostitution. Clearly, no critic approves of this. In a game like Tekken 4 the women are capable of defending themselves and often kick ass, but are still hyper-sexualized versions of real women (see image below). All of the games in the Tomb Raider series are also good examples of this. As the article points out, many women have applauded the heroism and stength of Lara Croft but have been disappointed by her incredibly large bust size. Few games give a totally positive portrayal of women -- even games like Super Mario Brothers show the Princess as a completely helpless person that a plumber can save from a hideously large and violent super-turtle.

The bottomline is that although women are being given a fair shake in fighting games and often given starring roles in other genres, it is under the wrong pretenses. They are put there and are shaped accordingly in order to appeal to the male gamer's labido. What's more troubling, and isn't fully addressed by the article, is that this accurately portrays real life. Yes, women are finally gaining some equality in society but they are still portrayed as feabile, sexual creatures. A quote from the article sums it up nicely.

At this point I would like to point out that men are also shown as hulking masses of testosterone, only capable of maiming and looting, which reminds us that games, like all fiction, allows people to live out fantasies. Still, we need to remember that authors of any form of fiction have a tremendous power -- the ability to shape our concept of reality.

Now, I challenge the video game industry, and all other industries as well as society, to think of women as equals in all senses of the word. I admit it is fun to visit a fantasy world where men can pretend they are 6'4", incredibly strong and unbearably handsome fighters who get to wrestle with unbearably buxom women, but if this is giving adolescents the idea that women can be treated like dirt then I think we can and should give up these images forever.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (5) | |

12 pm → Games to Movies

This is a relatively exhaustive list of all the video games being turned into films. Here are some of the highlights.

Metroid - I couldn't even actually read what they were saying. I was too excited. Hopefully this won't be the next Super Mario Bros.

DOA: The Movie - I can't believe they're making movies out of fighting games. For instance, this movie is set on an island where girls are forced to fight in a tournament. Um, yeah.

Crazy Taxi - The company that has the rights to this movie said it will be a "fun, PG-rated comedy that blends the action and car crashes of The Fast and the Furious with the drama of HBO's Taxicab Confessions and the comedy of Rat Race." I see.

Pac-Man - Woh. I am very curious to see how this will turn out. If they are at all faithful to the game, it will be a long ninety minutes.

Spy-Hunter - This movie will be starring The Rock. That alone piques my interest, but not necessarily in a good way.

Posted in Video Games | |

3 pm → Cel-Shaded Heaven

Finally, I got to spend some serious time with The Wind Waker last night. Right off the bat, I was blown away by the graphics. I am so happy that Miyamoto decided not to try and have a perfectly rendered Link on screen. This look is much more interesting and makes it feel like you are playing a cartoon.

More importantly, the gameplay is excellent. It is not terribly challenging, but it still forces you to think and rewards those who spend time in a certain area. I prefer this model because it lets a wide variety of ages enjoy the game at the same time. While I might try and spend time collecting a lot of rupees and buying a variety of things, a younger person could easily follow the instructions and make it through the game. I love being able to play games with my 8 year old cousin and have both of us retain interest.

My favorite part of the game has been the dialogue. It is especially entertaining for those who have been playing games for a long time as the writers are poking fun at conventions in video game writing. Still, the text is informative and rarely does it drag on. I found it especially funny when the grandmother's text was moving more slowly than other text. Also, you couldn't click through in those dialogues.

So far, this is the best videogame I've played since Mario 64, which engulfed my existence when it came out. If you have a Gamecube, you must own this. If you don't, consider buying one.

Posted in Video Games | |

4 pm → Cheaters Lose a Life

As you all know, there is a ton of cheating in PC Gaming. Ok, you probably don't know and may not care, but there is. Blizzard, the creaters of Warcraft 3, have decided to do something about it.

I think that is awesome. This is via 8bit Joystick, who mentioned that Xbox Live is a better solution for online gaming because it cuts out the cheating. I know that on Madden 2003 for PS2 people have found ways to cheat. I don't have any of the details, but I know that there are warnings when you get into the online section. I'm sure it's not nearly as bad as PC gaming, but console gaming is certainly not perfect.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (2) | |

10 am → My Wish Granted

A while back I wrote a piece on videogame journalism for Emmie Magazine. The post here was a call to arms, asking for help, and the piece itself looked at the state of videogame journalism.

In the last couple days I've found a number of sites that are writing about the things I want to hear. They are as follows.

Game Girl Advance - Apparently, this has been around for a little while. It mixes up theory with personal stories and reviews. I think this site is going to be a personal favorite.

Got Game? - A Corante blog, which is neither here nor there. It plans to look at everything from theory to games in academia to gaming with the kids. This will hopefully provide a constant stream of good writing as Andrew Phelps, the writer, is most likely getting paid.

8Bit Joystick - This is a gaming culture site that also does some reviews and whatnot. A lot of fun.

Ludology.org
Popular Gaming Culture

Posted in Video Games | |

4 pm → The Wind Waker

My favorite defender of Hyrule is making his way across the country en route to my front door. I am ridiculously excited. The demo of the game I played at the Cube Club was amazing and I can't wait to get addicted. Unfortunately, I still haven't had time to beat Metroid Prime or Mario Sunshine. Of course, that means I'm busy which is very good for me.

The three games I mentioned above completely and totally justify buying the Gamecube. Yes, it doesn't have nearly as many games as the PS2 and the Xbox is probably capable of better graphics, but these games look amazing and play even better. Aside from maybe the NES, I've never had a system where I've bought 3 games that I think are amazing. And so, the Gamecube has been worth the cash.

In a matter of days, Link and I are going to kick some serious ass.

Posted in Video Games | |

1 pm → Enter the Matrix (revisited)

In today's NYT, they run an article called "A Thin Line Between Film and Joystick," that is all about the new Matrix videogame, which I discussed earlier. In case you've forgotten, this game is a companion to the two upcoming movies. It will have additional plot and is based on a 244-page script penned by the Wachowski brothers. Oh, and a full hour of new film scenes.

This whole thing makes me very happy. It is great to see some strong writers (the brothers) work on a videogame because the story is often the weakest part of any game. The brothers, with game publisher Infogrames, have made a tie-in to a movie that isn't going to suck. Thankfully, this seems to be a growing trend. In the past, studios would license movies to game publishers and they would bank on the hype factor to sell games. This will only work a select few and will not work on die hard gamers.

Also, publications like the New York Times are beginning to discuss the blurring line between games and movies, which is great. Unfortunately, the piece isn't exactly very explorative, but this is a daily newspaper that is reporting and not synthesizing.

Once again, I am very excited to check out this game. Even without playing it and purely in theory, this game is revolutionary.

Posted in Video Games | |

1 pm → The Good Ole Days

Here is some good news. Ain't It Cool News has started Ain't It Cool Games, which is supposed to be a behind the scenes look at the video game industry with some occasional commentary. It's always good to have another source. Moving on.

Today a "manifesto" was posted about the lack of innovation in modern gaming. This is a common and potentially intersting discussion. The author claims that innovation is sparse and even big name games like Zelda or Mario are just rehashes of previously successful versions. I can't argue with that. What I think is more interesting is the reason this is happening.

As the video game industry grows larger it will start to model other mainstream industries (film, music, etc.) and focus its attention on big budget games. Most of the time they won't be innovative because innovation isn't guaranteed to be profitable. (Think about the proliferation of sequels in film. A proven commodity is always safer than innovation.) Does that mean innovation will be completely abandonned? Of course not. There will always be small development houses looking to make a name for themselves and many people in the industry are still interested in innovation, but since it is no longer needed like it was twenty years ago you will find that those in it for the money will stick inovation in the back seat.

I could go on for a few more paragraphs, but instead I'll say that it will be fun to watch the development of this industry. This will likely be the only medium that I'll get to see completely develop in my lifetime and I imagine it will be amusing to look back on this post in 20 years.

Posted in Video Games | |

6 pm → Digital Protests

A few weeks ago I mentioned an article on video game journalism I was working on, which will be in the next Emmie, and one aspect of the article concerned the availabilty of games that have a social conscience. An article released by the AP discusses how real life issues are invading video games.

Although many good points were made, what interested me were the political responses in online games. There was an online vigil in Everquest after September 11th, an anti-war protest at There.com and a suggested protest in the Sims Online for the addiiton of a McDonald's logo. Another hilarious one involved a patch to allow anti-war protests in an online war game. Granted, these weren't built into the game, but the fact that people are using video games as a conduit for political protest is an interesting step forward.

Posted in Video Games | |

11 am → Matrix Talk

According to the Shifted Librarian and Entertainment Weekly, we can expect two and a half new Matrix movies. The videogame, Enter the Matrix, will have over an hour of film shot while making the two feature films. The story will be independent of the movies and will intersect with the film's plot. So you'll have to play the game to understand parts of the movie and vice versa. Another interesting fact is that the game cost $20 million to produce, which is four times the cost of the usual high budget video game.

Obviously, I haven't played the game, but I am now really excited about these movies. The Wachowski brothers really know what they are doing. Between the movies, the videogame and the Animatrix, this is going to be an amazing new experience.

Posted in Music\TV\Film\Media   &&  Video Games | |

12 am → N-Gage

Nokia annouced the N-Gage today. It is their new phone..../portable gaming unit/mp3 player/radio. It does a lot and Sega has already signed on to make games. It sounds enticing, but someone on Slashdot noted that Nokia often makes very buggy software and this should be no exception. We are supposed to find out more tomorrow. Interesting.

Posted in Video Games | |

12 am → Shape up, Music

In 2002, there was interesting numbers.

According to Box Office Mojo, film ticket sales were up 5% and the total gross was up 8.6% from 2001. The ticket sales have increased in the last two years and the gross has increased every year since 1991. Things look pretty good.

According to NPD Group and via Gamespot, video game sales are up over 10%. Sales of games (not hardware) are up 15%. The industry grossed $10.3 billion, compared to the $9.1 billion grossed by the movie industry. Very impressive.

According to MSNBC and Soundscan, album sales are down 10.7%. They were down 5% last year. I couldn't even find the total gross, but I guess you could just multiply the albums sold, 681 million, by $15. Oh, country sales were up 12%.

So does this mean the music industry is right? Is our cd-burning sending the industry down in flames? I'm not sure, but you can't ignore the fact that their sales are down while the other two industries are clearly up.

Posted in Music\TV\Film\Media   &&  Video Games | Comments (2) | |

5 pm → Video Game Rentals

I had planned to do this entry almost two months ago, but I never got around to doing it. Today I ran across this post by Matt Haughey and decided that now was as good a time as any. So, here goes.

Video games are expensive, and we all know it. Some games can take as little as 5 hours to finish, so paying $50 for it seems absurd. This is why a lot of people rent most of their games and buy the ones that have a lot of replay value. Even if I take two weeks to finish a game, it still only cost me $12 to rent it. Now, imagine if there was a Netflix-like service that did the same thing for games. Sounds perfect, right? It must be only a matter of time before Netflix starts doing this, but until they do I have compiled a few sites that are a step ahead.

GoVoJo
1000 Titles PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, Gameboy Advance
1 game per month: $13.95, 2 games: $19.95, 3 games: $29.95, 4 games: $34.95
Despite the horrible name, I would say this is one of the best, behind only Red Octane.

Gamefly
360 Titles PS2, Xbox, Gamecube
1 game p/m: $13.95, 2 games p/m: $21.95
This one seems pretty good. I especially like the "keep it" option, which lets you buy the game at a used price if you like it. The site is also well designed.

VeeGeez
Titles - PS1, PS2, Xbox, Gamecube
2 games p/m: $19.95, 3 games: $24.95, 4 games: $29.95, 5 games: $34.95, 6 games: $39.95
I'm inclined not to trust this site, mostly because it is an eyesore. It's not too tough to navigate, but it is worth checking out for yerself.

Red Octaone
1500 Titles - PS2, Xbox, Gamecube
2 games p/m: $18.95, 3 games: $23.95, 5 games: $39.95
This is the best designed and seems to be the most reputable site.

Numb Thumb
Xbox, PS2, Gamecube
1 game p/m: $13.95, 2 games, $21.95
This one seems to be pretty stinky. A really good deal, but I just can't trust them based on the amount of information they provide.

Angel Gamer
PS2, Xbox, Gamecube
1 game p/m: $14.95, 2 games: $19.95
The design of the site is just alright, but it seems to be an interesting and affordable option.

Boomerang Games (No longer exists)
PS1, PS2, Xbox, Gamecube
2 games paid yearly: $19.99 p/m, paid biannually: $22.99 p/m, paid monthly: $24.99 p/m
I don't like this one. Anyone who has "I only wanted to try BoomerangGames's free trial, so why did I get charged?" in their FAQ, is probably not a good company. [link via Shifted Librarian and LazyWeb]

Added 3/4/03:

Spunel (No longer exists)
625 Titles - PS2, Xbox, Gamecube
1 game p/m: $9.99; 2 games: $17.99; 3 games: $24.99
This seems to be the perfect middle road. Some good prices, especially the 1 game option, usable design and a solid selection. I don't know if this is the absolute best, but I think these guys will do well. I recommend it. UPDATE: Nevermind. The website is no longer up right now--a domain holder page is there instead--and someone left a comment explaining that they were ripped off. I do not recommend them.

Trigger Fingers
PS1, PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, GBA, GB Color
3 games p/m: $19.95; 4 games: $24.95; 5 games: $29.95; game console rental for additional $19.95 w/ $100 refundable deposit
Well, they have a great deal, that's for sure. Unfortunately, the money you save in rentals was probably taken out of site design. If they can get a more usable site, this just might be my favorite. Good selection and cheap prices.

Added 3/13/03:

GetAnyGame
700 Titles - PS2, Gamecube, Xbox
2 games p/m: $20
These guys have an amazing, original idea. You can send them old games, which they'll rent out, and you get $2 every time it's rented. I'm not sure how well this will scale, but it could be very cool. Otherwise, the site is well designed and relatively easy to navigate (I like that they have forums). Very cool.

Game Lender
5,000 (!) Titles - PS2, PS1, Gamecube, N64, Xbox, Dreamcast, GBA, GBC, and more.
2 games p/m: $15.99/$17.99; 3 games: $19.99/$21.99; 5 games: $25.00/$29.99 (1 year contract/no contract)
That is an amazing amount of titles. This service is obviously for the hardcore gamer who refuses to give up his/her old systems. The design is fairly poor, but the number of titles make up for it. Definitely worth checking out.

Added 3/15/03

DVD Avenue
250 Titles - PS1, PS2
2 p/m: $14.99; 3 p/m: $19.99; 4 p/m: $24.99; 6 p/m: $34.99; 8 p/m: $44.95
I hadn't planned on doing the DVD/Game places, but now I am. In fact, it is probably a better overall deal to do something like this because you can split up your monthly rentals between games and movies. DVD Avenue seems to be a good service. It's no Netflix, but it's well designed and relatively easy to navigate. I'm perplexed that they don't mention games in their FAQ, but I assume you rent them like any DVD. If so, this gets my approval.

DVD Barn
130 Titles - PS2, Xbox
1 p/m: $8.95; 2 p/m: $14.95; 4 p/m: $23.95; 7 p/m $37.95; 10 p/m $49.95
First, the site broke in Safari, so I would not use the service. If you can't have a site that works in every browser, then you shouldn't have the service. Aside from that, it's just ok. They have a very small selection and clearly video games aren't their priority. The only positive thing here is the price. It costs $6 per week at Blockbuster to rent a game. For $3 more you can have it for a month. Can't beat that.

Note: This is a list of companies that only offer videogames. There are others that offer both DVDs and games.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (22) | |

12 pm → Destruction Derby

In Morgan, MN, a young boy went on a destruction rampage. He went down a street and plowed into cars with a plumbing truck and a pickup truck.

For once, I wonder if this was inspired by videogames. I have definitely gotten caught up in Grand Theft Auto and had moments on the real road where running into other cars sounding like a reasonable idea. In the end, I was able to distinguish real life from a video game. For this young child, like every other incident like this, the bottomline is that the person is nuts. Maybe his inspiration was from something digital, but in the end he was the nutjob who ran his car into other people's.

Posted in Video Games | |

1 pm → Videogame Journalism

This here is a call for help.

I am writing this piece for Emmie about the lack/decline of intelligent videogame journalism. The central theme is the lack of respect given to the video game in comparison to other artistic mediums. So I wanted to get some thoughts from my blog audience about why video games are not considered to be art. Here are some questions you can answer.

1. Do you consider videogames to be an artistic medium?
2. How does it compare to music, film, television, fine art?
3. Why do you think the public perceives video games as they do? What needs to be done to change this?
4. Finally, if you know of any magazines/websites/anything that has/had exceptional commentary on video games then let me know.

You don't have to stick to the questions, so feel free to talk about video games in anyway you feel would be helpful (or entertaining). Thanks in advance.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (1) | |

12 pm → Games and the Law

Two interesting things came to the surface today. The first is that there is a bill in legislation to make the sale of mature games a federal offense. The details are at this CNN article. Aside from being somewhat hypocritical, this bill seems to be completely unwarranted. First, is there any federal punishment for the sale of porn or R-rated movies to minors? I'm not positive, but assuming there is not, this is just absurd. Second, what will the government accomplish by doing this? If this bill is intended to help parents protect their children, then why don't they let the parents make some of the decision? I know that I don't always agree with ratings or think certain pieces of art are worth exposing a young person to mature themes. And in regards to the hypocricy, our government is offering up violent games to our youth in order to raise enlistment rates in the army. Real smooth.

In a win for videogames, the Supreme Court has refused to hear a case blaming entertainment for the murder of three girls in Kentucky. This case had been floating around since 1997 and the parents of the girls were seeking $33 million in damages. It's nice to know that the courts have decided that art cannot be blamed for the violent actions of people.

Posted in Video Games | |

12 am → GBA SP

Nintendo has brought us a brand new toy. This does the same thing that the current GBA does, except it has a light built into it. And obviously, it is shaped quite differently. Personally, I really enjoy the layout of the current GBA and this one seems to be uncomfortable, but the rumormill says that my assumptions are dead wrong. So, I'm going to check the thing out when it comes out on March 28th. It's highly unlikely I'll buy one, as it doesn't do anything mine doesn't do, and it has the same sub-par screen, but I want to take a gander.

More important that my lust, is the real reason behind the creation of this new device. Why does Nintendo need to come up with a new form factor and if the screen were really such a problem then why didn't they fix that? Well, some conjecture that the device may be used as a cell phone or another technological device. That seems to be fairly logical, even though Nintendo has been known to occasionally release dumb hardware. I guess time will tell.

On another note, I will give you more of my opinion on Safari tomorrow. I have used it exculsively over the last couple days and have definitely formed some opinions.

Posted in Video Games | |

3 pm → NES

Recently, I have been toying with the idea of buying an 8-bit Nintendo. Aside from the nostalgia, there are some really amazing games for that system, and you can find it for a good price on ebay. Still, I think I will save this for a reward when I finally find a job.

If living in the black, my own apartment and a sense of security isn't enough, then Baseball Stars and Super Tecmo Bowl will certainly push me over the edge.

Posted in Video Games | Comments (2) | |

6 pm → Price Wars!

Today, Nintendo dropped the price of the Gamecube to $150. Also, Microsoft announced details concerning their new online game network dubbed Xbox Live. The system will cost upwards of $1 billion. Yowsa.

This battle is starting to get ferocious. Sony is putting the pressure on Microsoft because they know they can afford to. Microsoft is thinking, "What the hell are these guys doing? We're freakin' Microsoft! Let's show them who's boss." And they tried to, with the new online gaming system. Nintendo, on the other hand, is just staying competitive and showing that they know who their audience is and aren't worried, but don't want to get left behind either.

The whole thing is just shaking itself out now and this is all going to be pretty interesting. I still think that Microsoft is in for a rude awakening. It's become clearer that a three horse race is a lot tougher than previously thought. Especially, when there is more than just a console war at stake. Sony and Microsoft are trying to position themselves to be the company for the 21st century and getting into our livingrooms with a console, media center, or whatever, is a big part of their plan. Oooh, this is all so exciting it gives me goosebumps.

Posted in Video Games | |