Curmudgeon Gamer
31 August 2006
Earliest in-game advertisement in 1980?
This morning I came across these screenshots of the upcoming PSP release of Activision Anthology Remix and was a bit stunned to see the name Activision across the bottom of each screen.
Surely that wasn't in the original? I'm sure that Activision didn't slap its logo on every screen of those old Atari 2600 games.
Turns out, I'm wrong. According to screenshots of the same games at AtariAge, the Activision logo is right there at the bottom of the screen. Look for yourself. Here's Boxing. Here's Pitfall!. I guess that's a good instance of me having a less critical eye when viewing older games, for which I feel nostalgia, and a more critical one for newer games. I just knew they'd added it for this new release...
Now, maybe putting your company logo in plain sight for the entire game doesn't qualify for being an in-game advert, but it's pretty close in my book. If it were just on the title screen, that'd be one thing, but this is blatant self-promotion throughout the entire game.
Is there an earlier instance? I know about Mountain Dew in Tapper (1984) and later a bunch of companies (Ocean Pacific, Casio, Kawasaki) in California Games (1987), which are at least third-party adverts. Anything else?
Surely that wasn't in the original? I'm sure that Activision didn't slap its logo on every screen of those old Atari 2600 games.
Turns out, I'm wrong. According to screenshots of the same games at AtariAge, the Activision logo is right there at the bottom of the screen. Look for yourself. Here's Boxing. Here's Pitfall!. I guess that's a good instance of me having a less critical eye when viewing older games, for which I feel nostalgia, and a more critical one for newer games. I just knew they'd added it for this new release...
Now, maybe putting your company logo in plain sight for the entire game doesn't qualify for being an in-game advert, but it's pretty close in my book. If it were just on the title screen, that'd be one thing, but this is blatant self-promotion throughout the entire game.
Is there an earlier instance? I know about Mountain Dew in Tapper (1984) and later a bunch of companies (Ocean Pacific, Casio, Kawasaki) in California Games (1987), which are at least third-party adverts. Anything else?
--jvm at 12:07
Comment
[ 8 ]
Value of Simplicity ... how about making some sense?
Another day, another Eric Jon Rossel-Waugh post at Next-Gen.biz. Today we get The Value of Simplicity, which again laments (as do many of his pieces) how games were all so much more innocent and idealistic back in the 1980s.
The first paragraph bothers me a bit:
That's it for now; I haven't had time to read the whole thing but this was enough for me to complain about.
The first paragraph bothers me a bit:
So lately we've been swinging back toward thinking about games as a medium of expression. It's not a new concept; way back in the early '80s, companies like Activision and EA put all their energy behind publicizing game designers like rock stars - or better yet, like book authors - and their games as unique works by your favorite authors. This all happened just after figures like Ed Logg and Toshihiro Nishikado started to extrapolate Pong and Spacewar!, incorporating more overt narrative frameworks and exploring more elaborate ways of interacting with the gameworld. From this initial explosion of creativity came Steve Wozniak and the Apple II, providing an easy platform for all of the early Richard Garriotts and Roberta Williamses and Dan Buntens to come.Ok, let me get this straight:
- In the early 1980s game developers were thinking of games as a new medium of expression? Sure, games were getting to the point that they could tell more than just rudimentary stories, but did those folks really consider what they were doing a "medium"? Did anyone ever refer to the "medium of videogames" at that point? It strikes me as unlikely, and I'd like some references to back this claim up.
- More likely, in my mind, is that many games were (as they are today, to an extent) more of a case of "What can I make to play with using the new tricks technology has given me?" Those guys aren't thinking of it as a medium, but raw materials out of which to make entertaining toys. When you're working on the Atari 2600 with 128 bytes of RAM, I doubt you're doing much thinking about the narrative structures your new medium affords you...at least not in those terms.
- This new era of the early 1980s happened after Ed Logg and Toshihiro Nishikado did their stuff, building on Pong and Space War? This seems to be a reference to 1978, when Logg worked on Super Breakout and Nishikado worked on Space Invaders. Where is the "more overt narrative framework" in Super Breakout? Just that when the blocks are gone, the playfield resets and you get more blocks? Or getting a ball trapped above the blocks? Seems a stretch. And Space Invaders? Sure it stands atop alien invasion themes in science fiction, but where is the narrative structure in the game? Someone's fallen into his navel and can't get out.
- From fire generated by Logg and Nishikado's work comes Wozniak and the Apple II? Eh? The Apple II came out in 1977, a year before Space Invaders and Super Breakout. Perhaps they inspired the mentioned developers (Garriott, Williams, et al), but not Woz and the Apple II.
That's it for now; I haven't had time to read the whole thing but this was enough for me to complain about.
--jvm at 11:17
Comment
[ 3 ]
29 August 2006
Area 51 for PlayStation
The PlayStation port of Area 51, the arcade light gun game, is well-made and fun. It wasn't ever worth the $50 price back when it came out, but it's worth my $10 today. It definitely fills that need to make things go boom. That is all.
--jvm at 11:57
Comment
[ 1 ]
28 August 2006
Nothing new to hate, bash old game
As a kid I spent a lot of time in the library run by my mother, and it was there that I spent literally days with the Apple ][+ and Apple //e. Along with Sneakers, I got to play In Search of the Most Amazing Thing. This educational adventure game was one of my earliest disappointing game experiences.
I don't recall the exact details, but you could buy these wild gizmos in the game's store (some described here). It took me ages to save up for some astounding hoozawhatzit, and I still remember the excitement I felt when I finally bought it. I couldn't wait to see what it would look like in all its monochrome green glory.
Except, it didn't do anything. As far as I could tell, it got put on your ship and just sat there. I felt so ripped off, I put the game aside and never touched it again.
Having read the game ending spoiler at Wikipedia, I'm glad I gave up when I did. Boy, what a sucky ending.
I don't recall the exact details, but you could buy these wild gizmos in the game's store (some described here). It took me ages to save up for some astounding hoozawhatzit, and I still remember the excitement I felt when I finally bought it. I couldn't wait to see what it would look like in all its monochrome green glory.
Except, it didn't do anything. As far as I could tell, it got put on your ship and just sat there. I felt so ripped off, I put the game aside and never touched it again.
Having read the game ending spoiler at Wikipedia, I'm glad I gave up when I did. Boy, what a sucky ending.
Labels: apple
--jvm at 20:58
Comment
[ 0 ]
25 August 2006
Wire and duct tape
What in the world is going on in these "newspaper" photos? I like Floating Favre the best, I think.
So far, I've got to say the quality of Madden's interfaces, both looks and intuitivity, is pretty low. I wonder if other versions of the game are as bad. Perhaps more a game journal post than cg blog, but I hoped some readers might enjoy the shots.
So far, I've got to say the quality of Madden's interfaces, both looks and intuitivity, is pretty low. I wonder if other versions of the game are as bad. Perhaps more a game journal post than cg blog, but I hoped some readers might enjoy the shots.
--rufbo at 21:39
Comment
[ 7 ]
NCAA 07, the next Chase the Chuckwagon?
Despite not really caring for football games, NCAA 07 for the PSP just got very interesting to my inner collector. Check it out (emphasis added):
Could it be that NCAA 07 for the PSP is about to get a similar variation? I mean, we already know that low-run games are rare. Just look at how Final Fantasy Tactics or Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo were rare for the PSOne before they got a rerelease. Heck, Intelligent Qube's rarity is still driving people seeking an ISO to this very site.
In a decade we'll know, I guess. In the meantime, I'll be on the lookout for a used copy to send to EA...
Per my earlier communication, we have been working on a solution regarding the ball marking issue found in NCAA Football 07 for the PSP. If you are experiencing this issue, Electronic Arts can provide a replacement UMD disk for the one you currently own. Please send your current UMD (no packaging) to the following address:Games like Chase the Chuck Wagon (a Purina dogfood promotional game for the Atari 2600) are rare precisely because you had to mail in to get them. The silver label version of Gravitar for the Atari 2600 was rare for similar reasons, except there you had to be part of an Atari club and receive it in the mail.
[snip]
Once the disk is received by the EA Customer Warranty team, please allow up to 10 business days to receive the replacement disk. As a thank you for you patience we will also include a coupon for use at the EA Store [snip]
Could it be that NCAA 07 for the PSP is about to get a similar variation? I mean, we already know that low-run games are rare. Just look at how Final Fantasy Tactics or Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo were rare for the PSOne before they got a rerelease. Heck, Intelligent Qube's rarity is still driving people seeking an ISO to this very site.
In a decade we'll know, I guess. In the meantime, I'll be on the lookout for a used copy to send to EA...
--jvm at 10:49
Comment
[ 5 ]
24 August 2006
Steel Horizon: PSP and DS go head-to-head
Steel Horizon by Konami is a mixed turn-based and real-time strategy game set at sea with naval units. What's interesting to me is that it is the only third-party game developed for both the PSP and the Nintendo DS which is trying to be the same on both platforms. That is: we can finally compare apples-to-apples with the PSP and DS.
(There may be licensed games which try this, like some movie tie-ins, but I haven't seen anything like Steel Horizon trying the same 2D and 3D on both systems. I'm going to dismiss the licensed games out of hand. Leave corrections in the comments, as usual...)
So, let's do the apples-to-apples comparison with screenshots. These are all taken from GameSpot, with useless space edited out of DS images: DS here, PSP here.
Here's the first comparison:
The DS has what appears to be a more informative radar interface, but get a load of those graphics. The comparison with the PSP reminds me of comparing 3D games on the Saturn with 3D games on the PSOne. While the PSP version looks more modern (ooooh, textures!), the interface uses smaller fonts and icons to cram more on the screen. That second screen comes in handy on the DS, no?
This next comparison is more of the same:
That's just embarassing. In the PSP screenshot you can even see the little airplanes on the deck of that aircraft carrier! Sure, that's probably not a carrier in the DS screenshot, but do you think the DS version has tiny planes given the detail spent on that explosion? Awful.
Finally, it appears that both versions are using a sort of radial menu:
At least when it comes to 2D the systems look pretty comparable.
My experience with radial menus is limited to Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. They were clumsy and I hated them, so I hope Konami makes a better show of it this time.
I'm interested to see how the two versions are reviewed when Steel Horizon is released later this year. Should be interested to see what reviewers pick to complain about in each version.
(There may be licensed games which try this, like some movie tie-ins, but I haven't seen anything like Steel Horizon trying the same 2D and 3D on both systems. I'm going to dismiss the licensed games out of hand. Leave corrections in the comments, as usual...)
So, let's do the apples-to-apples comparison with screenshots. These are all taken from GameSpot, with useless space edited out of DS images: DS here, PSP here.
Here's the first comparison:
The DS has what appears to be a more informative radar interface, but get a load of those graphics. The comparison with the PSP reminds me of comparing 3D games on the Saturn with 3D games on the PSOne. While the PSP version looks more modern (ooooh, textures!), the interface uses smaller fonts and icons to cram more on the screen. That second screen comes in handy on the DS, no?This next comparison is more of the same:
That's just embarassing. In the PSP screenshot you can even see the little airplanes on the deck of that aircraft carrier! Sure, that's probably not a carrier in the DS screenshot, but do you think the DS version has tiny planes given the detail spent on that explosion? Awful.Finally, it appears that both versions are using a sort of radial menu:
At least when it comes to 2D the systems look pretty comparable.My experience with radial menus is limited to Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. They were clumsy and I hated them, so I hope Konami makes a better show of it this time.
I'm interested to see how the two versions are reviewed when Steel Horizon is released later this year. Should be interested to see what reviewers pick to complain about in each version.
Labels: nintendo
--jvm at 22:13
Comment
[ 7 ]
Ha! Nintendo doesn't GBASP me on the DS!
My wonderfully tolerant wife bought me a beautiful black Game Boy Advance for Christmas of 2002. Oh, how I adored that little machine.
Then in January 2003, Nintendo announced the Game Boy Advance SP ... with backlight! Oh, how I burned. In fact, I Afterburned, and I got over it. I still adore my little GBA.
Then a few weeks ago, I almost snapped up a Nintendo DS Lite. Oh, sure, I'd've rather had a black one. I'm not a fan of white, there were the complaints of hinge cracks, but I could live with it. Then I got busy and didn't have time.
Today, Nintendo announces they'll be putting out a black (Onyx...whatever) Nintendo DS Lite on 13 September 2006.
Ha! You didn't get me this time, Nintendo. I'm still going to give you all my money, yes, but I will at least get the color I wanted!
Then in January 2003, Nintendo announced the Game Boy Advance SP ... with backlight! Oh, how I burned. In fact, I Afterburned, and I got over it. I still adore my little GBA.
Then a few weeks ago, I almost snapped up a Nintendo DS Lite. Oh, sure, I'd've rather had a black one. I'm not a fan of white, there were the complaints of hinge cracks, but I could live with it. Then I got busy and didn't have time.
Today, Nintendo announces they'll be putting out a black (Onyx...whatever) Nintendo DS Lite on 13 September 2006.
Ha! You didn't get me this time, Nintendo. I'm still going to give you all my money, yes, but I will at least get the color I wanted!
Labels: nintendo
--jvm at 21:58
Comment
[ 5 ]
22 August 2006
You don't mess around with Jim
Earthworm Jim is coming back on the PSP and I just watched a movie of the gameplay at GameSpot. Let me save you the time and bandwidth: it's terrible.
The movie demonstrates a complete play through one level and takes about five minutes. The single thing worth watching was Jim dancing at a disco club at the end. Nothing has been added in the ten years or so since I played it with Ruffin on the SNES back in college! Same gameplay, same enemies. On the other hand, the sound effects are off, Jim's voice is wrong, and the music was unimpressive. They could have at least ripped off the "Groovy!" screen at the end of level, but that charming bit of the original actually didn't get put in this new game.
Furthermore, Jim himself is in 3D and the levels have some depth even though you can still only move in two dimensions. Bad move making Jim out of polygons, I think. The hand-drawn artwork of the original was better. Wasn't Alien Hominid using hand-drawn 2D sprites? I think that works better for this kind of game. (New Super Mario Bros. fans feel free to set me straight on that. Doesn't it use 3D?)
Unless something serious changes, I'm thinking my Earthworm Jim money is better spent on a SegaCD and my own copy of Earthworm Jim: Special Edition. Or I could pick up that only-released-in-Europe version of Earthworm Jim 2 for the PSOne. (I thought it didn't exist, but apparently it does. I wonder if it supports saving to a memory card, unlike every other version of EWJ2. Even the Saturn version won't save your progress!)
Another thing about the preview movie: it's recorded at 640 x 360 and takes up 136Mb when uncompressed. Who's dumb idea was that? The PSP only does 480 x 272, for crying out loud. Idiots.
The movie demonstrates a complete play through one level and takes about five minutes. The single thing worth watching was Jim dancing at a disco club at the end. Nothing has been added in the ten years or so since I played it with Ruffin on the SNES back in college! Same gameplay, same enemies. On the other hand, the sound effects are off, Jim's voice is wrong, and the music was unimpressive. They could have at least ripped off the "Groovy!" screen at the end of level, but that charming bit of the original actually didn't get put in this new game.
Furthermore, Jim himself is in 3D and the levels have some depth even though you can still only move in two dimensions. Bad move making Jim out of polygons, I think. The hand-drawn artwork of the original was better. Wasn't Alien Hominid using hand-drawn 2D sprites? I think that works better for this kind of game. (New Super Mario Bros. fans feel free to set me straight on that. Doesn't it use 3D?)
Unless something serious changes, I'm thinking my Earthworm Jim money is better spent on a SegaCD and my own copy of Earthworm Jim: Special Edition. Or I could pick up that only-released-in-Europe version of Earthworm Jim 2 for the PSOne. (I thought it didn't exist, but apparently it does. I wonder if it supports saving to a memory card, unlike every other version of EWJ2. Even the Saturn version won't save your progress!)
Another thing about the preview movie: it's recorded at 640 x 360 and takes up 136Mb when uncompressed. Who's dumb idea was that? The PSP only does 480 x 272, for crying out loud. Idiots.
--jvm at 21:23
Comment
[ 4 ]
Sony's anti-PSP-homebrew strategy? (or: jvm was wrong!)
Is Sony encouraging publishers to put out retro collections on the PSP? One might easily get that impression.
It has several retro collections already (Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play, Capcom Classics Remix, Namco Museum Battle Collection) and will soon have two new ones: Activision Hits Remixed with Atari 2600 games and the Sega Genesis Collection. Throw in Taito Legends (promised, but not previewed yet), Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins (covered extensively), Metal Slug Anthology (some previews), and Sony's promise of PSOne games (about which they've remained conspicuously silent lately), and the system looks like a paradise for retro gamers.
Is this part of stopping homebrew? The homebrew hackers are driven by different goals, among them emulation, media playing, and (sadly) piracy. Perhaps Sony has an idea that, if they give the consumer solutions which are good enough, they won't resort to things like firmware downgraders or potentially PSP-bricking hacks to get a media player or an emulator. Without the audience, the homebrew community shrinks.
You've always been able to play video on the PSP, and Sony will likely make more moves in that direction. If Sony sponsors enough emulated arcade and classic console games on the PSP, I surely won't be as interested in looking for MAME and Stella. Those are Sony-sanctioned solutions to two of the areas that homebrew hackers focus on.
This is where Ruffin usually points out I'm not the average gamer and so what I see doesn't extend to the larger crowd. Here, I'd argue that that makes me more likely to play around with firmware downgraders (which I actually have done) and hacks. The averge dude with a PSP isn't necessarily in tune with the whole PSP homebrew underground and isn't going to easily trust some hack he downloaded off a forum somewhere. Since PSP homebrew is nowhere near as easy as having a friend burn you a CD for your Dreamcast, the official options look tempting, not just for weirdo jvm, but even for Joe Consumer.
Now, this isn't to say that Sony gets it. They don't. While I'm hopeful that Activision will again include some popular homebrew Atari 2600 games in its PSP collection, I bet it will not provide the means to download new ones. Sony should be encouraging Activision to do just that. Not only would it give the PSP game some added life (a la downloads for Xbox 360 games), but it would make Sony look like they really do intend to use that wireless networking capability they spent so much money putting into their expensive handheld boondoggle.
The same goes with all the other collections. Namco could have extra games for its Battle Collection, for example. And, while I hate to suggest it, there is no reason that Taito Legends or the Sega Genesis Collection couldn't charge a dollar or three for downloads of games they ... ahem ... "forgot" to put in the version sold in stores. Show some capitalistic tendencies, for crying out loud! Does Microsoft have to be even more successful before you guys catch on?
Finally, I was wrong. There, I said it. It appears that there will be more emulation compilations. But as I should have realized before, these new collections should include network hooks to sell more games to add on to the system later. That splits the difference between Xbox Live Arcade and the old system quite nicely, I think.
It has several retro collections already (Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play, Capcom Classics Remix, Namco Museum Battle Collection) and will soon have two new ones: Activision Hits Remixed with Atari 2600 games and the Sega Genesis Collection. Throw in Taito Legends (promised, but not previewed yet), Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins (covered extensively), Metal Slug Anthology (some previews), and Sony's promise of PSOne games (about which they've remained conspicuously silent lately), and the system looks like a paradise for retro gamers.
Is this part of stopping homebrew? The homebrew hackers are driven by different goals, among them emulation, media playing, and (sadly) piracy. Perhaps Sony has an idea that, if they give the consumer solutions which are good enough, they won't resort to things like firmware downgraders or potentially PSP-bricking hacks to get a media player or an emulator. Without the audience, the homebrew community shrinks.
You've always been able to play video on the PSP, and Sony will likely make more moves in that direction. If Sony sponsors enough emulated arcade and classic console games on the PSP, I surely won't be as interested in looking for MAME and Stella. Those are Sony-sanctioned solutions to two of the areas that homebrew hackers focus on.
This is where Ruffin usually points out I'm not the average gamer and so what I see doesn't extend to the larger crowd. Here, I'd argue that that makes me more likely to play around with firmware downgraders (which I actually have done) and hacks. The averge dude with a PSP isn't necessarily in tune with the whole PSP homebrew underground and isn't going to easily trust some hack he downloaded off a forum somewhere. Since PSP homebrew is nowhere near as easy as having a friend burn you a CD for your Dreamcast, the official options look tempting, not just for weirdo jvm, but even for Joe Consumer.
Now, this isn't to say that Sony gets it. They don't. While I'm hopeful that Activision will again include some popular homebrew Atari 2600 games in its PSP collection, I bet it will not provide the means to download new ones. Sony should be encouraging Activision to do just that. Not only would it give the PSP game some added life (a la downloads for Xbox 360 games), but it would make Sony look like they really do intend to use that wireless networking capability they spent so much money putting into their expensive handheld boondoggle.
The same goes with all the other collections. Namco could have extra games for its Battle Collection, for example. And, while I hate to suggest it, there is no reason that Taito Legends or the Sega Genesis Collection couldn't charge a dollar or three for downloads of games they ... ahem ... "forgot" to put in the version sold in stores. Show some capitalistic tendencies, for crying out loud! Does Microsoft have to be even more successful before you guys catch on?
Finally, I was wrong. There, I said it. It appears that there will be more emulation compilations. But as I should have realized before, these new collections should include network hooks to sell more games to add on to the system later. That splits the difference between Xbox Live Arcade and the old system quite nicely, I think.
--jvm at 10:17
Comment
[ 0 ]
Madden 2007 for $27, not.
<rant>CircuitCity.com is advertising $12 off of "selected Maddens", one of which is the WinPC version, which is advertised for $27.99. Add it to your cart, and you learn it's over $25, so you get free shipping!
Problem is, they won't ship it to me and tell me to change my zip code for more options. They still don't ship if my zip code is my own, the neighbor's, the one where I used to live, nowhere.
That's false advertising, right?</rant>
In any event, it's a blessing. I'll have to wait longer than the one-week free shipping time before my life goes to heck.
Problem is, they won't ship it to me and tell me to change my zip code for more options. They still don't ship if my zip code is my own, the neighbor's, the one where I used to live, nowhere.
That's false advertising, right?</rant>
In any event, it's a blessing. I'll have to wait longer than the one-week free shipping time before my life goes to heck.
--rufbo at 05:06
Comment
[ 3 ]
21 August 2006
Robotron: 2084 with X-Arcade Dual, sorta...
Commenter adrian replied the other day to my comments on using an X-Arcade stick with Midway Arcade Treasures for Robotron: 2084:
Well, the answer was actually pretty simple, and I feel pretty dumb that I didn't think of it before -- just email X-Gaming themselves and ask!
Here's the reply I got:
Well, that's good and bad. I can't use the newest emulator, like the one in Midway Arcade Treasures, but I can use the one in Williams Arcade Classics (what they call Midway's "Arcade's Greatest Hits").
Regardless, simple solution and helpful support people. Definitely a few points in their favor, no?
The answer you seek might be in here :
http://www.x-arcade.com/service/images/Layouts/Playstation_1&2.htm
Well, the answer was actually pretty simple, and I feel pretty dumb that I didn't think of it before -- just email X-Gaming themselves and ask!
Here's the reply I got:
Your Customer Care Case # is NNNN.
You cannot use the right joystick on the 2-player controller as the right analog on the PS2, no.
Unfortunately you cannot use the dual joysticks to play Robotron on that "Midway Arcade Treasures" for the PS2, because the controller options in the game does not let you configure it that way.
Robotron can be played directly on Midway's own website with a PC or Mac for free here: http://www.midway.com/page/ClassicGames.html
You can also play dual joystick games on your PC/Mac with MAME: http://www.xgaming.com/service/Arcade-Center.shtml
Also with MAME on a modded XBOX or PS2 you could play dual joystick games: http://ps2emu.dcemu.co.uk/ps2mame.shtml or www.xbox-scene.com
Midway's "Arcade's Greatest Hits" for the PSX (which works on the PS2 console also) has Robotron and does let you configure the game for the dual controllers. You can find it cheap at:
eBay: LINK
Ebgames pre-played: LINK
Amazon pre-played: LINK
Well, that's good and bad. I can't use the newest emulator, like the one in Midway Arcade Treasures, but I can use the one in Williams Arcade Classics (what they call Midway's "Arcade's Greatest Hits").
Regardless, simple solution and helpful support people. Definitely a few points in their favor, no?
--jvm at 18:42
Comment
[ 0 ]
20 August 2006
What gives with the price of Black?
Why hasn't Black, the gun-porn game from EA, dropped in price? Six months ago it was released at $40 and it's still at $40 today.
Back when EA announced they were going to put the game out at $40 instead of $50, even though they'd sunk a ton of money into its development, I wondered what they had in mind. Could it be, I thought at the time, that a game that sits at $40 for a long time will make more money than one that initially starts at $50 but then slowly drops after a couple of months?
All the folks who'd pay $50 to $40 of course have already bought the game, and probably bought it when it was released. A few who would like to pay closer to $30 will rationalize a buy, figuring it's an early deal, while others will snap up the used copies priced just below $40, keeping the market for used copies tight.
Then I'd guess there are a ton of folks, like me, who'd pick it up closer to $20 but can't stomach the $40 price for new (or $35 for used). Over time some of us will become impatient and eventually fork over for the game. This isn't entirely irrational, since experience has taught me that I can't rely on my memory to be vigilant for a good deal nor the market to provide such opportunities.
The question is how long will Black stay at $40? I really would have pegged it for a price drop about two months ago, but EA has stubbornly kept it high.
Anyone seen any NPD data specifically for Black?
Back when EA announced they were going to put the game out at $40 instead of $50, even though they'd sunk a ton of money into its development, I wondered what they had in mind. Could it be, I thought at the time, that a game that sits at $40 for a long time will make more money than one that initially starts at $50 but then slowly drops after a couple of months?
All the folks who'd pay $50 to $40 of course have already bought the game, and probably bought it when it was released. A few who would like to pay closer to $30 will rationalize a buy, figuring it's an early deal, while others will snap up the used copies priced just below $40, keeping the market for used copies tight.
Then I'd guess there are a ton of folks, like me, who'd pick it up closer to $20 but can't stomach the $40 price for new (or $35 for used). Over time some of us will become impatient and eventually fork over for the game. This isn't entirely irrational, since experience has taught me that I can't rely on my memory to be vigilant for a good deal nor the market to provide such opportunities.
The question is how long will Black stay at $40? I really would have pegged it for a price drop about two months ago, but EA has stubbornly kept it high.
Anyone seen any NPD data specifically for Black?
--jvm at 23:47
Comment
[ 1 ]
Library status
There is a new link over there on the right which takes you to the MobyGames list of all the games I have in my library . I've got a list of about 30 games which will have to be added to MobyGames before they can be added to my library, but that will take time as the MobyGames vetting process is reasonably careful. I've got pending entries for Racing Gears Advance (GBA), Trap Gunner (PSOne), I.Q. Mania (PSP), and Pinball Hall of Fame (PSP). Those were the easy ones on my list, and right I can't imagine how I'm ever going to get all the required information for a game like Blodia (GameBoy) which is downright obscure (and not a lot of fun, to boot).
During my recent travel I got two games on loan from my brother, cgm: Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel and Exit, both for the PSP. If things go well, I should have impressions of those posted eventually.
During my recent travel I got two games on loan from my brother, cgm: Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel and Exit, both for the PSP. If things go well, I should have impressions of those posted eventually.
--jvm at 00:16
Comment
[ 2 ]
18 August 2006
I.Q. Mania (or: Please stop asking for an Intelligent Qube ISO)
Recently zakk pointed me to a Play-Asia deal for the Chinese version of I.Q. Mania for the PSP at the low-low price of $20, shipped. The I.Q. here is Intelligent Qube, as in the notoriously difficult to find PSOne game. This new I.Q. combines levels from the previous three (that's right, I said three) games: the original I.Q., I.Q. Final which was only released in Japan, and the also-Japan-only I.Q. Remix+ for the PlayStation 2.
The Asian version of I.Q. Mania is perfectly playable by someone who only speaks English, and except for the difference in button usage, is easy to pick up and play.
The price had jumped back up to $40 and is currently back down below $20, but even at the higher price it is still far below the going price for a complete copy of Intelligent Qube for the PSOne. The PSP game has everything you'd want from the original, and more, as long as you own a PSP. It even has a few demos for other PSP games, most of which we won't ever see over here.
So, all of you I.Q. fans with PSPs: stop asking me for an ISO of my copy of Intelligent Qube. And the first one to ask for a rip of my I.Q. Mania gets a knuckle sandwich.
The Asian version of I.Q. Mania is perfectly playable by someone who only speaks English, and except for the difference in button usage, is easy to pick up and play.
The price had jumped back up to $40 and is currently back down below $20, but even at the higher price it is still far below the going price for a complete copy of Intelligent Qube for the PSOne. The PSP game has everything you'd want from the original, and more, as long as you own a PSP. It even has a few demos for other PSP games, most of which we won't ever see over here.
So, all of you I.Q. fans with PSPs: stop asking me for an ISO of my copy of Intelligent Qube. And the first one to ask for a rip of my I.Q. Mania gets a knuckle sandwich.
--jvm at 23:25
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14 August 2006
Microsoft enables "homebrew" -- who cares?
Oh boy, here we go again: Microsoft is making homebrew on the Xbox 360 a reality! In a year no one will remember, much less care, that this happened. Microsoft has bought some cool PR, but the long-term effects of this will be minimal.
As the Microsoft fanboys fire up their keyboards to respond, let me explain:
This will seem even less important when Nintendo and Sony announce later this year that they've got similar programs. Then we can get down to the really important points like "Who has the best developer environment?" and "Which system has the best version of Freecell?"
As the Microsoft fanboys fire up their keyboards to respond, let me explain:
- Finally, console homebrew! - But before we had Net Yaroze for the PSOne and PS2 Linux for the PlayStation 2. Neither one amounted to a hill of beans when it comes to homebrew games for the masses.
- But this is easy homebrew on a console! - The tools have existed for homebrew on a Dreamcast for years. You know what they think is cool? A million different variations of Beats of Rage. Don't get me wrong: those Dreamcast guys are hardcore and dedicated. And while they did produce some excellent emulators, almost nothing original has come out of there.
- But this enables homebrew authors everywhere! - Done already. It's called a "computer". Depending on your operating system, you've been able to make games for years with a cheap copy of Visual Studio or a free copy of XCode and maybe Torque. For the GNU/Linux hippies, try SDL and go cross-platform while you're at it. It's not like Microsoft suddenly released tools that had been tied up away from the dirty mob all this time.
- But I could use Xbox Live! - And computers can use the whole of the internets. Big deal.
- But now gamers can create what they've always wanted! - Which, as you'll soon learn, amounts to 100 different implementations of Tetris, Sudoku, and Sokoban. More importantly, most people who pick this up will be simply copying games someone else already made. Look at the GNU/Linux games section of Freshmeat.
- You just hate Microsoft! - Yes, I do, but that doesn't figure into this.
This will seem even less important when Nintendo and Sony announce later this year that they've got similar programs. Then we can get down to the really important points like "Who has the best developer environment?" and "Which system has the best version of Freecell?"
--jvm at 22:50
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[ 8 ]
13 August 2006
Disguising over-indulgence as addiction -- for cash
I'd hoped to have more time to write up a detailed reply to this story, but for now, a quick FImp of sorts.
Doctor claims 40 percent of World of Warcraft players are addicted:
Now, Dr. Maressa Hecht Orzack, a clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, has come forward to claim that up to 40 percent of World of Warcraft players are addicted to the game.
For some reason, over the last three decades, we as a nation seem to have redefined addiction. That some reason is called money.
In addition, she feels that computer-related addiction (not just gaming, but also excessive chat and Internet use) should be considered to be legitimate mental disorders, and thus be eligible for health insurance. Currently, there is no entry for gaming or Internet addiction in the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
I imagine there are people who are legitimately addicted, but it's far fewer than 40%. I've played like mad for months, even though my character's only level 56. I thought about WoW much too often. I couldn't scale back with an active account. Several nights a week, late into the night, I'd play for hours. Kinda like I did with Civilization in college.
(Not coincidentally, the second of Firaxis' podcasts talks -- albeit with a humor that seems to be their corporate culture's way of diffusing things that can't be hashed out quickly (more on that in another post, I hope) -- about addicted players too. Here, two employees have a laugh at someone who blamed part of his failed marriage on Civ. I'm not so sure it's a matter for laughter.)
Regardless, neither that fellow or my WoW addiction likely is clinical. When I quit, cold turkey, um, twice now, I quit. After a week or two spending too much time at thottbot.com reviewing armor sets for druids, it's gone. No shaking, no lost sleep... not much. It's gone.
I don't, and I doubt 98% of WoW players do either, need dollars going towards "expert" medical treatment for them to exercise enough responsibility to simply stop playing. Look, many people are able to do that with cigarette smoking, which is truly physically addictive.
I guess what I'm trying to learn to say is that WoW players must find some old-school responsibility before they let their over-indulgence in WoW become some else's commodity. Don't become exploited by a system that makes you think your gaming is a serious problem. People like to hear someone say, a la Good WIll Hunting, but unearned in this case, "It's not your fault." In a way, going to a clinic to stop doing something that you could've stopped on your own is paying someone to give you a fish when you already knew how to fish yourself. (That was inelegantly said.) They would rather keep selling you fish. By selling you, "You couldn't help it," they really do make your lack of willpower into a sellable commodity. It's FUD for cash.
If you truly need help, get it. I have spoken to Matt before about games being a drug equivalent, and for many, I believe it is a form of self-medication, which will, I hope, be another post before too horribly long. But if you think you can quit, I bet you can. Try it. Cancel the account. Your character will still be there when you have a week or two to play later. Quit now, give yourself a set number of months off, spend the dough on something not game related, and watch the psychological "addiction" quickly reveal itself as a simple over-indulgence.[/soapbox]
Doctor claims 40 percent of World of Warcraft players are addicted:
Now, Dr. Maressa Hecht Orzack, a clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, has come forward to claim that up to 40 percent of World of Warcraft players are addicted to the game.
For some reason, over the last three decades, we as a nation seem to have redefined addiction. That some reason is called money.
In addition, she feels that computer-related addiction (not just gaming, but also excessive chat and Internet use) should be considered to be legitimate mental disorders, and thus be eligible for health insurance. Currently, there is no entry for gaming or Internet addiction in the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
I imagine there are people who are legitimately addicted, but it's far fewer than 40%. I've played like mad for months, even though my character's only level 56. I thought about WoW much too often. I couldn't scale back with an active account. Several nights a week, late into the night, I'd play for hours. Kinda like I did with Civilization in college.
(Not coincidentally, the second of Firaxis' podcasts talks -- albeit with a humor that seems to be their corporate culture's way of diffusing things that can't be hashed out quickly (more on that in another post, I hope) -- about addicted players too. Here, two employees have a laugh at someone who blamed part of his failed marriage on Civ. I'm not so sure it's a matter for laughter.)
Regardless, neither that fellow or my WoW addiction likely is clinical. When I quit, cold turkey, um, twice now, I quit. After a week or two spending too much time at thottbot.com reviewing armor sets for druids, it's gone. No shaking, no lost sleep... not much. It's gone.
I don't, and I doubt 98% of WoW players do either, need dollars going towards "expert" medical treatment for them to exercise enough responsibility to simply stop playing. Look, many people are able to do that with cigarette smoking, which is truly physically addictive.
I guess what I'm trying to learn to say is that WoW players must find some old-school responsibility before they let their over-indulgence in WoW become some else's commodity. Don't become exploited by a system that makes you think your gaming is a serious problem. People like to hear someone say, a la Good WIll Hunting, but unearned in this case, "It's not your fault." In a way, going to a clinic to stop doing something that you could've stopped on your own is paying someone to give you a fish when you already knew how to fish yourself. (That was inelegantly said.) They would rather keep selling you fish. By selling you, "You couldn't help it," they really do make your lack of willpower into a sellable commodity. It's FUD for cash.
If you truly need help, get it. I have spoken to Matt before about games being a drug equivalent, and for many, I believe it is a form of self-medication, which will, I hope, be another post before too horribly long. But if you think you can quit, I bet you can. Try it. Cancel the account. Your character will still be there when you have a week or two to play later. Quit now, give yourself a set number of months off, spend the dough on something not game related, and watch the psychological "addiction" quickly reveal itself as a simple over-indulgence.[/soapbox]
--rufbo at 18:55
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11 August 2006
The Last of the Great Emulation Compilations
This new collection of Sega Genesis games for the PSP and PS2 will be the very last big emulation compilation we will see. From here on out, the market will focus on sales of virtual copies of games, like those on Xbox Live Arcade.
See, I think I'm right on this. But if I'm wrong, I'll be pleasantly surprised.
I'm not wrong, though.
See, I think I'm right on this. But if I'm wrong, I'll be pleasantly surprised.
I'm not wrong, though.
--jvm at 22:58
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[ 4 ]
10 August 2006
AFK, and the Curmudgeon Gamer Library
I'm going to be on the road for a few days, so it's possible I won't make any new posts for a week. If history is any guide, though, I'll find a way to post something anyway. Maybe the others will take advantage of my relative silence and post up a storm.
Anyway, I've been taking an interest in MobyGames for a couple of weeks now and they've got a pretty decent Have List/Want List web interface. What makes it nice is that when you're adding games, you can type part of the name of a game and a dropdown list appears with games in the MobyGames database that match that string. By far, the most efficient such interface I've seen for this kind of collection tracking. (I'm sure better exists...)
The upshot is that you can now use the internets to browse the Curmudgeon Gamer Memorial Library (a.k.a. all the stuff I keep in my basement). At only 265 games (as of this moment), the list is less than half complete. When I get it up over 500 and nearing 600, it will be filled out completely. For the first time in a while, I'll be listing Commodore and Windows/DOS games, and I'll put up my two MacOS games too.
One surprising thing about the MobyGames database has been that I own several things that aren't listed. The list so far:
Fortunately, we've got a million monkeys plus one: I've submitted it as a new entry, and it's pending review.
Anyway, I've been taking an interest in MobyGames for a couple of weeks now and they've got a pretty decent Have List/Want List web interface. What makes it nice is that when you're adding games, you can type part of the name of a game and a dropdown list appears with games in the MobyGames database that match that string. By far, the most efficient such interface I've seen for this kind of collection tracking. (I'm sure better exists...)
The upshot is that you can now use the internets to browse the Curmudgeon Gamer Memorial Library (a.k.a. all the stuff I keep in my basement). At only 265 games (as of this moment), the list is less than half complete. When I get it up over 500 and nearing 600, it will be filled out completely. For the first time in a while, I'll be listing Commodore and Windows/DOS games, and I'll put up my two MacOS games too.
One surprising thing about the MobyGames database has been that I own several things that aren't listed. The list so far:
- Prince of Persia (PSP)
- Bookworm (GBA)
- IK+ (GBA, North America)
- International Karate Advanced (GBA, EU)
- Frogger (GB/GBC)
- Joust/Defender (GB/GBC)
- Action Bass (PSOne)
- Gekioh: Shooting King (PSOne)
- Jet Moto 3 (PSOne)
- Konami Arcade Classics (PSOne)
- Nanotek Warrior (PSOne)
- Nectaris: Military Madness (PSOne)
- The Three Stooges (PSOne)
- QIX Neo (PSOne)
Fortunately, we've got a million monkeys plus one: I've submitted it as a new entry, and it's pending review.
--jvm at 21:47
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Ah, the 3dfx memories...
Neat that one lucky person can own a Voodoo5-6000, but at $600+, I'll pass. Still, you can't say you don't get some big hardware for your money...
I think I still have my Voodoo5, but I'm not sure where it is anymore. Obviously, mine is a 5500, not a 6000.
(As seen on Reg Hardware.)
I think I still have my Voodoo5, but I'm not sure where it is anymore. Obviously, mine is a 5500, not a 6000.(As seen on Reg Hardware.)
--jvm at 10:20
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[ 1 ]
Curmudgeon hat
You know you want one.
Coke bottle eyeglasses sold separately.
Coke bottle eyeglasses sold separately.
--jvm at 01:59
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[ 0 ]
07 August 2006
What the...? (Pirates: Legend of the Black Buccaneer)
As an owner of the two New Millenium consoles (PlayStation 2 and GameCube) who didn't get Sid Meier's modern iteration of Pirates!, I'm always scanning the horizon for something along the same lines. So, when Next-Gen.biz wrote that there is a game called Pirates: Legend of the Black Buccaneer coming out for the PlayStation 2, I thought I'd check it out.
Only thing is, there is precious little information out there. GameRankings lists a single preview...from August 2005. When I mentioned this game on IRC my friend Marv tracked down the game's home page (which even Sony doesn't link to from their official listing). On the official Black Buccaneer site you'll find a trailer.
The first thing you'll notice is that the game's logo resembles the evil demon from the classic troll-management game, Dungeon Keeper, albeit with a gold top hat. Then you'll see in the trailer that this game has everything -- and I do mean EVERYTHING. Want a huge colossus? We got one for ya. Historically-correct giant crab? Right here. Prince of Persia jumping and flipping? Of course. Dark voodoo powers? You want 'em -- you got 'em. Magic sword fighting? Nothing goes better with dark voodoo powers than magic sword fights, so naturally they're included too.
But, wait. Something's missing. I can't quite put my finger on it.
Oh, right. It's that whole pirate thing. Where are the ships? The plank? The pubs and wenches? The grog? How about just a flipping eye patch?
I can't see one thing in this trailer that gives me any reason to think this game should be called Pirates: Legend of the Black Buccaneer. No wonder I haven't heard of it. I hate it and it isn't even out yet.
Only thing is, there is precious little information out there. GameRankings lists a single preview...from August 2005. When I mentioned this game on IRC my friend Marv tracked down the game's home page (which even Sony doesn't link to from their official listing). On the official Black Buccaneer site you'll find a trailer.
The first thing you'll notice is that the game's logo resembles the evil demon from the classic troll-management game, Dungeon Keeper, albeit with a gold top hat. Then you'll see in the trailer that this game has everything -- and I do mean EVERYTHING. Want a huge colossus? We got one for ya. Historically-correct giant crab? Right here. Prince of Persia jumping and flipping? Of course. Dark voodoo powers? You want 'em -- you got 'em. Magic sword fighting? Nothing goes better with dark voodoo powers than magic sword fights, so naturally they're included too.
But, wait. Something's missing. I can't quite put my finger on it.
Oh, right. It's that whole pirate thing. Where are the ships? The plank? The pubs and wenches? The grog? How about just a flipping eye patch?
I can't see one thing in this trailer that gives me any reason to think this game should be called Pirates: Legend of the Black Buccaneer. No wonder I haven't heard of it. I hate it and it isn't even out yet.
--jvm at 23:22
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The larger effect of the XBLA-Castlevania deal
I'm still reeling a bit from the announcement that one of Konami's crown jewels and heretofore Sony-exclusive, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, would make the leap to Xbox Live Arcade. The effect it has, however, goes far beyond this lowly blogger and his bruised expectations.
- Microsoft have succeeded in violently disrupting the status quo - We've been seeing indications of this for a while, but getting Konami on board with a title of this pedigree should be a huge red flag for Sony (and to a lesser degree Nintendo). Sony slowed Microsoft's momentum a bit at E3, but not as much as they should have. Now, in the long dry spell before the Fall launch season, Microsoft is the only company doing anything tangible: adding features, releasing games, offering demos.
Sony can't compete with that, and while they do have a respectable line-up of PlayStation 2 games, they won't hold a candle to the likes of Dead Rising. Until the PlayStation 3 actually gets into the hands of consumers, Microsoft will dominate the discussions simply because they're what people can play now.
(Yes, this should have worked for the Dreamcast. No, I don't know why it didn't. What's interesting is that Sony's "Dreamcast strategy" cuts both ways. The conventional wisdom about the 1999-2000 period is that people held off from buying a Dreamcast so they could get a PlayStation 2. Now, facing a similar situation, Sony's stuck with a pile of promises for a whole year -- a position of weakness -- while Microsoft gets real traction in the market. If that Xbox 360 gets attractive enough in the meantime, Sony has virtually no power to stop folks from jumping.) - Nintendo's stable of exclusives is more important now than ever - The third parties are now, officially, up for grab. I won't be surprised if Final Fantasy VII appears on XBLA sometime next year. Sony can rely on some games they own outright, like Twisted Metal or Jet Moto. Microsoft might have a couple of rabbits to pull, like maybe finagling an XBLA release of GoldenEye 007. But both of these will be at the mercy of the third parties who collectively own most of the games from the past three generations. On the other hand, Nintendo is in a position of power.
Whatever pile of games Sony and Microsoft can put together for download won't hold a candle to the likes of Nintendo's Super Mario 64 or any of the Zelda games. All those older platforms -- from the NES on up to the GameCube -- are a big, fat insurance policy to guarantee that a rather large audience will find the Wii and its virtual console a worthy purchase.
--jvm at 21:29
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Katamari Giggly
I'm no big fan of Katamari Damacy, but I will say this for it: I don't mind handing it over to my son to play on Eternal #3. Hearing him find new things and giggle uncontrollably when he smacks the katamari into a big obstacle makes it all worth it.
In some small way I hope this is to him what Sabotage, the first game I played, is to me. I still remember a group of teachers at Mom's school laughing at my earnestness, paddle in hand, so thrilled by the action I didn't care how poorly I played.
In some small way I hope this is to him what Sabotage, the first game I played, is to me. I still remember a group of teachers at Mom's school laughing at my earnestness, paddle in hand, so thrilled by the action I didn't care how poorly I played.
--jvm at 18:02
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06 August 2006
@ Play with JohnH at GSW
The first entry in JohnH's new column on roguelike games, @ Play, has been posted at GameSetWatch. While I still don't understand his affinity for Nethack, I am an Angband fan, so I can relate. Sorta.
--jvm at 15:12
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PlayStation 3 importing...for PlayStation 1 & 2?
My understanding is that Sony will make the PlayStation 3 region-free, meaning that normal folks like me can import games from Japan or Europe and play them without modifying the console. Good for Sony and good for us. Naturally, I want more.
Since it will also play PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, will the region-free treatment extend to those games? Seems like a natural thing to do, but I haven't seen it addressed anywhere. I know I can't read everything that's been written about this, but Wikipedia didn't offer a good answer, and those guys have way more free time than I have. The article they reference is this one by IGN which says, ambiguously, "the PS3 will be region-free for gaming". They later expound upon that, saying that PlayStation 3 games will be region free, but this doesn't address my question directly.
Anyone know if I'll be able to play Japanese and European PS1 and PS2 games with a PS3?
Since it will also play PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, will the region-free treatment extend to those games? Seems like a natural thing to do, but I haven't seen it addressed anywhere. I know I can't read everything that's been written about this, but Wikipedia didn't offer a good answer, and those guys have way more free time than I have. The article they reference is this one by IGN which says, ambiguously, "the PS3 will be region-free for gaming". They later expound upon that, saying that PlayStation 3 games will be region free, but this doesn't address my question directly.
Anyone know if I'll be able to play Japanese and European PS1 and PS2 games with a PS3?
--jvm at 01:20
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04 August 2006
How much money is there in them thar XBLA hills?
Following up on the million dollar download and Xbox Live Arcade posts, and Ruffin's comment, I saw Doug Walsh's blog post on some back-of-the-envelope computations of the actual money taken in by XBLA.
The short answer? Lots of money.
I have nothing to add to Doug's comments, but I did think it was worth publicizing.
[I misspelled Doug Walsh's name in the first version of this post. Sorry about that. Fixed.]
The short answer? Lots of money.
I have nothing to add to Doug's comments, but I did think it was worth publicizing.
[I misspelled Doug Walsh's name in the first version of this post. Sorry about that. Fixed.]
--jvm at 10:20
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XBLA grabs Castlevania, jvm cries
While looking for Call of Duty 2 sales figures over at the NeoGAF forum, I ran into a thread about this: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night headed to Xbox Live Arcade in 2007.
Ok, Sony, ball's in your court. The PSOne games for my PSP better be showing up, and quickly. I'm tired of waiting for you to do something more than release new firmware to lock out the nasty little homebrew hackers.
And your network better be up to snuff for the PlayStation 3, or I'm going to be one unhappy fanboy. *grumble*
Anyway, what say you, Baines?
Ok, Sony, ball's in your court. The PSOne games for my PSP better be showing up, and quickly. I'm tired of waiting for you to do something more than release new firmware to lock out the nasty little homebrew hackers.
And your network better be up to snuff for the PlayStation 3, or I'm going to be one unhappy fanboy. *grumble*
Anyway, what say you, Baines?
--jvm at 00:23
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I have seen the future and it is...$5 downloads
Reading over a report of Activison's finances, I was struck by this section (emphasis added):
For reference, the data reported here indicates that over one million copies of Call of Duty 2 have been sold for the Xbox 360. So they're getting, on average, an extra dollar per sale. Not a huge relative increase over the money they get from the retail sale, but it's higher margin revenue as it has no packaging and no retailer middle-man. Put out a few downloads like that over the first year of a game's life and then we're talking real money.
What does this mean for you and me? I'll tell you what it means: developers and publishers will be tempted to hold back a level or two just to squeeze you for a few extra dollars later. I can't wait.
During Activision's quarterly conference call, the company revealed that Call of Duty 2 downloads generated over $1 million in revenue. Kotick said that the game is serving as the "primary vehicle" that's spearheading Activision's experience with its supplemental online business model.That's right, the game has generated $1 million in revenue from just downloads over Xbox Live. Pure gravy, dudes.
Kotick said that he was "very pleased" with Call of Duty 2's performance in terms of downloads. Around half-a-million downloads were reported.
For reference, the data reported here indicates that over one million copies of Call of Duty 2 have been sold for the Xbox 360. So they're getting, on average, an extra dollar per sale. Not a huge relative increase over the money they get from the retail sale, but it's higher margin revenue as it has no packaging and no retailer middle-man. Put out a few downloads like that over the first year of a game's life and then we're talking real money.
What does this mean for you and me? I'll tell you what it means: developers and publishers will be tempted to hold back a level or two just to squeeze you for a few extra dollars later. I can't wait.
--jvm at 00:14
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03 August 2006
When a review fails to say what the game is...
GameCritics posted a review of the upcoming PSP game, LocoRoco, which never appears to say what LocoRoco actually is*. Here, go read for yourself. Am I wrong?
The author appears to assume that the reader has some existing understanding of the game, which I confess I really don't. So outside of the gushing about the soundtrack and cuteness, the review was kind of useless. I imagine other readers may have a similar problem.
Ah, but what about that Tomb Raider: Legend review I posted? As it turns out, I never actually explained just what that game is either. My defense, if I must put one forward, is that Tomb Raider is a generally understood game nowadays and, moreover, this is just a blog. I'm not trying to run a "big" news and review site here. My reviews don't get listed in GameRankings (since I don't assign scores). It's just a blog, for crying out loud!
Anyway, that said, I'll try to make sure I include at least one sentence explaining the game next time.
------
* Am I the only one who mentally hears Bill Clinton's voice saying "what the meaning of is is" when someone writes the word "is" with emphasis?
The author appears to assume that the reader has some existing understanding of the game, which I confess I really don't. So outside of the gushing about the soundtrack and cuteness, the review was kind of useless. I imagine other readers may have a similar problem.
Ah, but what about that Tomb Raider: Legend review I posted? As it turns out, I never actually explained just what that game is either. My defense, if I must put one forward, is that Tomb Raider is a generally understood game nowadays and, moreover, this is just a blog. I'm not trying to run a "big" news and review site here. My reviews don't get listed in GameRankings (since I don't assign scores). It's just a blog, for crying out loud!
Anyway, that said, I'll try to make sure I include at least one sentence explaining the game next time.
------
* Am I the only one who mentally hears Bill Clinton's voice saying "what the meaning of is is" when someone writes the word "is" with emphasis?
--jvm at 23:06
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TransGaming forsakes GNU/Linux gamers one more time
We now know exactly what TransGaming has been doing with the money its gotten from selling WineX/Cedega to its GNU/Linux customers: preparing for a future on MacOS X with a new product called Cider.
WineX/Cedega is a legal fork of the WINE project which came to prominence in 2001 with TransGaming's focus on making Windows games work on GNU/Linux and a promise to release code back to WINE after reaching 20,000 paying subscribers. A number of games now work well enough to be officially supported, but after six years the code promise isn't mentioned by TransGaming anymore. In the meantime TransGaming began working with Aspyr to port console games to other platforms; not a single one included a port to GNU/Linux.
This new Intel Mac product, Cider, is based on WineX/Cedega. With its promise of "Cider-vetted games", cleared by the original PC publishers, it appears to have support far beyond what TransGaming ever secured for GNU/Linux customers.
To all the WineX/Cedega supporters: this is your bitter reward. With your contributions, TransGaming will likely take its WINE-derived code, move on to MacOS X, and never look back. Unlike Loki who left us their installer, SDL, OpenAL, and much-improved OpenGL, a departure byTransGaming will not leave the GNU/Linux infrastructure any stronger. On the other hand, they did manage to make your wallets a little lighter.
My advice is this: cancel your subscriptions and buy a copy of a native GNU/Linux game, like DooM 3 or Uplink or Cold War. Give a donation to the coder of a Free Software game. Or donate to a Free Software project, especially one that's making GNU/Linux a better platform for games. Better yet, if you have the skills the community needs your help on any of a multitude of projects.
But whatever you do, spend what you have on real supporters of GNU/Linux, not parasites.
WineX/Cedega is a legal fork of the WINE project which came to prominence in 2001 with TransGaming's focus on making Windows games work on GNU/Linux and a promise to release code back to WINE after reaching 20,000 paying subscribers. A number of games now work well enough to be officially supported, but after six years the code promise isn't mentioned by TransGaming anymore. In the meantime TransGaming began working with Aspyr to port console games to other platforms; not a single one included a port to GNU/Linux.
This new Intel Mac product, Cider, is based on WineX/Cedega. With its promise of "Cider-vetted games", cleared by the original PC publishers, it appears to have support far beyond what TransGaming ever secured for GNU/Linux customers.
To all the WineX/Cedega supporters: this is your bitter reward. With your contributions, TransGaming will likely take its WINE-derived code, move on to MacOS X, and never look back. Unlike Loki who left us their installer, SDL, OpenAL, and much-improved OpenGL, a departure byTransGaming will not leave the GNU/Linux infrastructure any stronger. On the other hand, they did manage to make your wallets a little lighter.
My advice is this: cancel your subscriptions and buy a copy of a native GNU/Linux game, like DooM 3 or Uplink or Cold War. Give a donation to the coder of a Free Software game. Or donate to a Free Software project, especially one that's making GNU/Linux a better platform for games. Better yet, if you have the skills the community needs your help on any of a multitude of projects.
But whatever you do, spend what you have on real supporters of GNU/Linux, not parasites.
Labels: linux
--jvm at 21:05
Comment
[ 18 ]
What's wrong with "What's Wrong With Console Design?"
Thesis from today's Next-Gen.biz commentary on the design of consoles:
The whole commentary reads like a set-up to bash Sony. Sure, there's a little Microsoft smack here and there, but mostly it's lots of love for Sega and little gentle nuzzling with Nintendo. Someone's let fond memories bleed over into a facile commentary about superficial qualities of design.
Frankly, I find it hard to take anyone serious who says this (emphasis added):
Here is nondescript:
This is not nondescript:
Yeah, whatever.
The implication seems to still be, from the Sony camp, that videogames are either something to be afraid of or not innately worthwhile - which, considering how entrenched Sony has now become within the industry, strikes me as something of a problematic and silly position.The author, Eric-Jon Rossel Waugh appears to want to promote videogamer pride through some ineffable quality of the design of the hardware itself. I don't get it. I think very little about what the hardware look like; to me things like the selection of games and the ease of use and comfort of the controller are several orders of magnitude more important. I've thought about the aesthetics of my game systems about as much as I've considered the attractiveness of my Mazda's brake pedal.
The whole commentary reads like a set-up to bash Sony. Sure, there's a little Microsoft smack here and there, but mostly it's lots of love for Sega and little gentle nuzzling with Nintendo. Someone's let fond memories bleed over into a facile commentary about superficial qualities of design.
Frankly, I find it hard to take anyone serious who says this (emphasis added):
Doing the math, it would seem the ideal game machine would be clearly a game machine (Genesis). It would be distinctive and attention-grabbing (Master System), without being a nuisance (Xbox). Its appearance would suggest something of what it had to say to the world - or rather, perhaps, what kind of experience to expect from it. It would be warm and inviting (Dreamcast), without seeming trivial (GameCube). Failing much of the above, you can't go too wrong with simply being as nondescript as possible (NES, Wii) - though that's the safe route.For the record, here is distinctive and attention grabbing:
Here is nondescript:
This is not nondescript:
Yeah, whatever.
--jvm at 10:02
Comment
[ 7 ]
02 August 2006
Robotron: 2084 on the Atari Lynx
In the wee hours of the morning I had a strong desire to pull out my Atari Lynx and play a few games of handheld Robotron: 2084. Amazingly it fired right up after two years in storage and I dropped a good 20 minutes getting back into it.
Of all the conversions of Robotron: 2084 for the home, I like the Lynx version's firing controls best, despite it only having two buttons and a D-pad. Your gun fires continuously, as fast as possible, and you use the two buttons to rotate back and forth through the eight directions. Obviously not a perfect proxy for two joysticks, but close enough. (If I could figure out how to hook up a dual X-Arcade joystick to emulate two joysticks with something like Midway Arcade Treasures, that'd be ideal, but I don't see how to do that short of just building your own.)
The Lynx version runs noticeably slower than the original arcade game, and I'd like to know if this is intentional. With the smaller screen resolution, there is very little open space in which to work, so having the game run too quickly would actually make it nigh impossible. For example, check out the Robotron: 2084 screenshots over at AtariAge. So the added control precision permits this version to capture a good chunk of the claustrophobic panic of the original.
Finally, it is the one version of Robotron: 2084 that I know which has title screen music. It's aptly dark and it's my custom to listen to the whole thing any time I fire up Robotron: 2084 on the Lynx.
Of all the conversions of Robotron: 2084 for the home, I like the Lynx version's firing controls best, despite it only having two buttons and a D-pad. Your gun fires continuously, as fast as possible, and you use the two buttons to rotate back and forth through the eight directions. Obviously not a perfect proxy for two joysticks, but close enough. (If I could figure out how to hook up a dual X-Arcade joystick to emulate two joysticks with something like Midway Arcade Treasures, that'd be ideal, but I don't see how to do that short of just building your own.)
The Lynx version runs noticeably slower than the original arcade game, and I'd like to know if this is intentional. With the smaller screen resolution, there is very little open space in which to work, so having the game run too quickly would actually make it nigh impossible. For example, check out the Robotron: 2084 screenshots over at AtariAge. So the added control precision permits this version to capture a good chunk of the claustrophobic panic of the original.
Finally, it is the one version of Robotron: 2084 that I know which has title screen music. It's aptly dark and it's my custom to listen to the whole thing any time I fire up Robotron: 2084 on the Lynx.
--jvm at 16:17
Comment
[ 1 ]
01 August 2006
Sony pimps GameSpot, IGN, GameSpy...to pimp self
We're all familiar with claims that a videogame site is shilling for some videogame company, but how often do you see a videogame company shilling the videogame sites? Well, that's just what Sony's doing currently, although it is of course just shilling for itself by proxy.
Through the registration I have at the official PlayStation site, I get spam from Sony about PSP and PS2 games. Today, I got a link to a quiz which, if answered correctly, would put me in a contest to win some Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror swag for the PSP. Not interested, but I clicked through to see the quiz anyway.
The quiz asks about specific positive comments made in Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror reviews by GameSpot, IGN, and GameSpy, along with links directly to those reviews. The ratings are 8.8/10, 9.3/10, and 5 stars, respectively, all above the 87.3% average on GameRankings. The IGN and GameSpy reviews have, as we've now become conditioned to expect, links to sites which sell the game being reviewed. The link to the GameSpot review, interestingly, is a link to the printable version of the review which just has a small HP advert at the top (at least in my window).
Here is the quiz:
This relationship between the videogame media and the game companies is just too weird for me. If there is payola -- and I'm not saying for sure there is -- then this is just about as close to flaunting it as you could get, isn't it?
Through the registration I have at the official PlayStation site, I get spam from Sony about PSP and PS2 games. Today, I got a link to a quiz which, if answered correctly, would put me in a contest to win some Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror swag for the PSP. Not interested, but I clicked through to see the quiz anyway.
The quiz asks about specific positive comments made in Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror reviews by GameSpot, IGN, and GameSpy, along with links directly to those reviews. The ratings are 8.8/10, 9.3/10, and 5 stars, respectively, all above the 87.3% average on GameRankings. The IGN and GameSpy reviews have, as we've now become conditioned to expect, links to sites which sell the game being reviewed. The link to the GameSpot review, interestingly, is a link to the printable version of the review which just has a small HP advert at the top (at least in my window).
Here is the quiz:
- In Syphon Filter(R): Dark Mirror, you're given an array of different vision modes. Which mode should you use to find switches and other interactive objects in the environment?
- Interactive vision mode
- Low-light night vision mode
- "EDSU" mode
- "ICU" mode
- Where did IGN reviewer, Juan Castro, say he would not mind being stranded with a copy of Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror? (Click here to see the review.)
- E3
- A deserted island
- A European disco
- His local Department of Motor Vehicles
- According to the Gamespot review, which dart can "silently kill a single bad guy"? (Click here to see the review.)
- Gas
- Explosive
- Electric
- Gamespy wrote that Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror excels in: (Click here to see the review.)
- "The sensitivity of its characters"
- Depicting the benefits of compromise
- The range of emotions it features
- "Everything a PSP game should offer"
- What did Gamespot call Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror? (Click here to see the review.)
- "An outright early contender for PSP Game of the Year"
- "The best PSP action game to date"
- "An action packed PSP thrill ride"
- "The coolest Gabe Logan adventure yet"
This relationship between the videogame media and the game companies is just too weird for me. If there is payola -- and I'm not saying for sure there is -- then this is just about as close to flaunting it as you could get, isn't it?
--jvm at 23:36
Comment
[ 0 ]
Update: Tomb Raider Controversy Theory
Due to overlooking the importance of one detail, I must update my theory on the Tomb Raider: 10th Anniversary Edition debacle. According to the SCi/Eidos press release verifying that Crystal Dynamics would produce the game, it will be published not just for the PlayStation Portable but also for Windows and the PlayStation 2. The current Tomb Raider: Legend engine supports all three of these. That changes my reading of the situation.
Here's my updated speculation (updates in bold):
Here's my updated speculation (updates in bold):
For reasons unknown, Core and Crystal Dynamics were working independently on the same 10th anniversary game. Perhaps Core had been given a green light to try and after the SCi/Eidos merger, no one remembered that detail. Meanwhile, Crystal Dynamics successfully launched Tomb Raider: Legend and was considered by the management, especially in North America, to be the obvious team for the new game. Moreover, the Legend engine was already running on several platforms and a remake based on that engine and published on multiple platforms would be more lucrative. It also explains why Crystal Dynamics doesn't necessarily have PSP expertise in house; they're designing and Buzz Monkey Software is already under contract to handle a PSP release. (What is unclear at this point is why the Xbox and Xbox 360 are not included, as they also have ports of the Legend engine.)
For maximum effect, SCi/Eidos conspicuously didn't announce anything at E3, and then started some well-chosen leaks afterward. Crystal Dynamics were the first anonymous tip to Kotaku.