Curmudgeon Gamer
30 April 2007
360 Elite Has Issues.
In what should be received with little to no surprise by anyone, we're starting to see reports that the Xbox 360 Elite is (allegedly) the same clumsy old accident-prone oaf cheekily stuffed into sexy black casing. I can believe this, for various reasons, but mostly because it conforms to my cynical tendencies and a rather drab and pessimistic view on Microsoft's business practice.
Of course, the Elite is an SKU that has divided opinion since it was announced (a brief perusal of the comments attached to my last post about it should act as a friendly microcosm) and for a while - at least in my mind - there was hope that the hardware revisions were going to cut down on the allegedly extreme failure rates experienced by various poor 360 owners. To be fair, I think it's safe to say that it's far too soon to take these reports as definite, as no launch these days is perfect and various units will inevitably break down within the first few days. As things pan out, we might start to see that the Elite actually fails less then the current Premium. It could really go either way.
Yet, news like this can hardly help matters. I've said it before, but I still breathe a little sigh of relief every time I turn my 360 on and it doesn't break. I think it's safe to say that this isn't damaging to Microsoft's sales figures, or the success of the 360 as a whole, but it would certainly cheer up cynical and fearful owners like myself. First impressions are vital, as Sony will tell you after last years E3, and if the opinion of the internet cronies is that the machine is unreliable then it'll probably stick. The curmudgeons are not a significant part of the sales market, but keeping the fans on your good side can't be a bad idea for an industry that relies, far too often, on hype and fanaticism to get its sales.
Of course, the Elite is an SKU that has divided opinion since it was announced (a brief perusal of the comments attached to my last post about it should act as a friendly microcosm) and for a while - at least in my mind - there was hope that the hardware revisions were going to cut down on the allegedly extreme failure rates experienced by various poor 360 owners. To be fair, I think it's safe to say that it's far too soon to take these reports as definite, as no launch these days is perfect and various units will inevitably break down within the first few days. As things pan out, we might start to see that the Elite actually fails less then the current Premium. It could really go either way.
Yet, news like this can hardly help matters. I've said it before, but I still breathe a little sigh of relief every time I turn my 360 on and it doesn't break. I think it's safe to say that this isn't damaging to Microsoft's sales figures, or the success of the 360 as a whole, but it would certainly cheer up cynical and fearful owners like myself. First impressions are vital, as Sony will tell you after last years E3, and if the opinion of the internet cronies is that the machine is unreliable then it'll probably stick. The curmudgeons are not a significant part of the sales market, but keeping the fans on your good side can't be a bad idea for an industry that relies, far too often, on hype and fanaticism to get its sales.
--Martin at 11:58
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PSP, the new remake dumping ground
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Sure, there are a couple of nifty games on the PSP you won't find anywhere else. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is one but still consists of many ideas already refined on other platforms. Lumines started on the PSP, but has since been released on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation 2.
Don't get me wrong: I love good remakes. It's a weakness, and one I've not worked hard to eliminate. In my mind remakes like Ridge Racer and Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee were well worth my money. Even Ruffin, who normally chides me for indulging my appetite for these things, gifted me a copy of Resident Evil: Deadly Silence which consumed me for a couple of weeks.
But the PSP isn't doing much else nowadays. As far as the eye can see, it's remakes, rehashes, and retro collections.
In the next year we'll see the following on PSP:
Where is the PSP equivalent of Elite Beat Agents? Where is its Nintendogs or Brain Age? If Nintendo can pour money into original, unique projects and keep them exclusive to the Nintendo DS, why can't Sony do the same thing?
Sure, there are a couple of nifty games on the PSP you won't find anywhere else. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is one but still consists of many ideas already refined on other platforms. Lumines started on the PSP, but has since been released on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation 2.
Don't get me wrong: I love good remakes. It's a weakness, and one I've not worked hard to eliminate. In my mind remakes like Ridge Racer and Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee were well worth my money. Even Ruffin, who normally chides me for indulging my appetite for these things, gifted me a copy of Resident Evil: Deadly Silence which consumed me for a couple of weeks.
But the PSP isn't doing much else nowadays. As far as the eye can see, it's remakes, rehashes, and retro collections.
In the next year we'll see the following on PSP:
- Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
- Parappa the Rapper
- Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
- Final Fantasy I
- Final Fantasy II
- Taito Legends Power Up
- Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Where is the PSP equivalent of Elite Beat Agents? Where is its Nintendogs or Brain Age? If Nintendo can pour money into original, unique projects and keep them exclusive to the Nintendo DS, why can't Sony do the same thing?
--jvm at 10:35
Comment
[ 1 ]
28 April 2007
A bridge (of adapters) too far
When I mentioned that I could play light gun games with my one good hand I forgot an essential fact: I can't play traditional light gun games on the LCD HDTV I bought a couple of months ago. Oops.
There are newer guns that work with LCDs and plasma sets -- the RGT G1 and the LCD TopGun are two -- but they don't appear to work with older systems since they both use USB. (Aside: I'm told the RGT G1 is not very good. Their pages say there is a new model due soon, during Q2 2007.) Working with USB means that older systems like the Dreamcast and PSOne aren't really in the mix. Unless, of course, there is a way to hack together an adapter.
So here's my idea of how I might be able to play something like House of the Dead 2 on the Dreamcast using this newer gun:
LCD TopGun -> USB to PS/2 adapter -> Total Control 2 -> Dreamcast
That's PS/2 -- the keyboard and mouse interface -- not PS2 as in PlayStation 2. Anyone have ideas about whether this would work or not? Even better, anyone in a position to try it out?
Then again, I should be able to pick up a cheap CRT TV in a year or so as they're pushed out of the market, so maybe I should just wait.
There are newer guns that work with LCDs and plasma sets -- the RGT G1 and the LCD TopGun are two -- but they don't appear to work with older systems since they both use USB. (Aside: I'm told the RGT G1 is not very good. Their pages say there is a new model due soon, during Q2 2007.) Working with USB means that older systems like the Dreamcast and PSOne aren't really in the mix. Unless, of course, there is a way to hack together an adapter.
So here's my idea of how I might be able to play something like House of the Dead 2 on the Dreamcast using this newer gun:
LCD TopGun -> USB to PS/2 adapter -> Total Control 2 -> Dreamcast
That's PS/2 -- the keyboard and mouse interface -- not PS2 as in PlayStation 2. Anyone have ideas about whether this would work or not? Even better, anyone in a position to try it out?
Then again, I should be able to pick up a cheap CRT TV in a year or so as they're pushed out of the market, so maybe I should just wait.
--jvm at 22:19
Comment
[ 4 ]
25 April 2007
Tomb Raider Anniversary's note to the fans
Over at NeoGAF I ran across some images from the current build of Tomb Raider Anniversary which show a note to the fans from Jason Botta, the game's creative director. Here are the parts of the note I felt were important. (You can read the rest in the screenshots.)
Still, I'm a little concerned by the wording on the controls. I suppose most people do find the newer controls -- the ones used in Tomb Raider: Legend -- more forgiving and natural, but calling them contemporary strikes me as dodging the real issue: they've taken away much of the sense of danger.
I used to refer to those high, dangerous locations and jumps in the original game as "unnecessarily vertiginous". The heights were literally dizzying and more than once I felt my stomach turn over at the feeling of being mere inches from a deadly fall. (The only time I've felt like that in real life was when I was atop one of the two World Trade Center towers in New York in the late 1980s. Even as far back from the edge as we were, I felt so dizzy I wanted to crawl back to the door or risk blowing off the side and into open space.)
With the controls in Legend they've taken away that sense. Lara can -- and does -- save herself if you go off a ledge. Timing a jump is easy since there is a broad "safe zone" near any ledge and any jump initiated in that zone will be good enough. Compare this with the original game where you really felt you needed to pace out your jumps ahead of time. Even then, a twitch at the wrong moment would send Lara plunging to her death.
On the other hand, I'm excited to hear that the story has been respected. I've always felt that the plot was really quite well-done. As long as they've not belabored it with too much contrived explanation, it should come across well.
Tomb Raiders,That's a pretty nice note, and quite a bit more personal than what I'm used to getting from games nowadays. In a way it reminds me of the developer pictures and notes on the back of the old Activision games for the Atari 2600.
It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since the original Tomb Raider game was released and the world got their first taste of Lara Croft. At that time, games had just really started moving into 3D and Tomb Raider was hailed as a landmark achievement from both a technical and gameplay standpoint. A powerful heroine, epic environments, and a world that players could really immerse themselves into were all elements that helped Tomb Raider stand out from the rest of the gaming landscape.
[snip]
We wanted to recreate all the parts that people remembered and then throw in some new areas to keep veterans on their toes. We strove hard to find the right balance of nostalgia and freshness and to create an experience that captured the sense of isolation so prevalent in the original. The story was simultaneously expanded and tightened up so as to realize the full potential of the tale and provide more insight into the various characters. And while we almost duplicated TR in some regards, we took this opportunity to update some aspects of gameplay -- like Lara's movement -- to something a bit more contemporary.
[snip]
Jason Botta
Creative Director, Tomb Raider: Anniversary
[Emphasis added. Errors, if any, are mine. -jvm]
Still, I'm a little concerned by the wording on the controls. I suppose most people do find the newer controls -- the ones used in Tomb Raider: Legend -- more forgiving and natural, but calling them contemporary strikes me as dodging the real issue: they've taken away much of the sense of danger.
I used to refer to those high, dangerous locations and jumps in the original game as "unnecessarily vertiginous". The heights were literally dizzying and more than once I felt my stomach turn over at the feeling of being mere inches from a deadly fall. (The only time I've felt like that in real life was when I was atop one of the two World Trade Center towers in New York in the late 1980s. Even as far back from the edge as we were, I felt so dizzy I wanted to crawl back to the door or risk blowing off the side and into open space.)
With the controls in Legend they've taken away that sense. Lara can -- and does -- save herself if you go off a ledge. Timing a jump is easy since there is a broad "safe zone" near any ledge and any jump initiated in that zone will be good enough. Compare this with the original game where you really felt you needed to pace out your jumps ahead of time. Even then, a twitch at the wrong moment would send Lara plunging to her death.
On the other hand, I'm excited to hear that the story has been respected. I've always felt that the plot was really quite well-done. As long as they've not belabored it with too much contrived explanation, it should come across well.
Labels: PC, ps2, psp, tomb raider
--jvm at 13:17
Comment
[ 16 ]
22 April 2007
Typing of the Dead...2
So Sega has announced that The Typing of the Dead 2 is coming out this summer, which is exciting news (if you speak/type Japanese). Regrettably, there is no news about an English version, nor is there any report that it will play on anything but a Windows XP or Vista machine. But, with USB standard on every current console, I'm going to hold out hope that it will show up on a PlayStation 3 at some point. If it were on the PlayStation 3, in English, sometime this year I'd start planning my PS3 purchase as soon as possible...
Just for kicks, here's one of my favorite moments from the original The Typing of the Dead, where you get to see the absurd keyboard and Dreamcast-backpack gear that the protagonists are using to type down the zombies.
Just for kicks, here's one of my favorite moments from the original The Typing of the Dead, where you get to see the absurd keyboard and Dreamcast-backpack gear that the protagonists are using to type down the zombies.
--jvm at 22:57
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[ 2 ]
A loss of grand scale (and a whiff of adult themes)
A new trailer came out last week for the upcoming Tomb Raider Anniversary and I was dismayed by what appears to be the new Great Sphinx level. I found a picture on the Glidos site which conveys the sense of scale present in the original:
Here are a couple of shots from the new trailer:
It could be that the new Sphinx is just as big as the old one, relative to Lara's size, but I don't think so. It looks like they've scaled the Sphinx down, and I think that's a real shame. As I've stated previously, the original Tomb Raider conveyed the sense of being a small adventurer in a vast, unexplored space. (A similar feeling can be found in the more recent God of War, and reportedly in God of War 2.)
I hope that sense hasn't been lost completely, but this new evidence makes me pessimistic.
As the trailer ends it reveals that the ESRB has rated Tomb Raider Anniversary as T (for Teen), specifically for violence (expected) and mild suggestive themes (say what?). For all the hullabaloo surrounding Lara's attire and bust size, there was nothing remotely sexual in the original game. The first lurch in that direction came with Tomb Raider II. In particular, Lara does a quick clothing change from her usual outfit to a wetsuit which happens just out of view of the camera. Then after the game's climax, there is a brief coda with a voyeuristic camera view of Lara taking a shower. That bit ends with her saying "You've seen quite enough" and unceremoniously discharging a bullet right into the camera.
Everything I've seen says the remake is only the first game, not the second, so they've added something to earn that extra ESRB tag. I'll be curious to see just what that is.
Here are a couple of shots from the new trailer:
It could be that the new Sphinx is just as big as the old one, relative to Lara's size, but I don't think so. It looks like they've scaled the Sphinx down, and I think that's a real shame. As I've stated previously, the original Tomb Raider conveyed the sense of being a small adventurer in a vast, unexplored space. (A similar feeling can be found in the more recent God of War, and reportedly in God of War 2.)I hope that sense hasn't been lost completely, but this new evidence makes me pessimistic.
As the trailer ends it reveals that the ESRB has rated Tomb Raider Anniversary as T (for Teen), specifically for violence (expected) and mild suggestive themes (say what?). For all the hullabaloo surrounding Lara's attire and bust size, there was nothing remotely sexual in the original game. The first lurch in that direction came with Tomb Raider II. In particular, Lara does a quick clothing change from her usual outfit to a wetsuit which happens just out of view of the camera. Then after the game's climax, there is a brief coda with a voyeuristic camera view of Lara taking a shower. That bit ends with her saying "You've seen quite enough" and unceremoniously discharging a bullet right into the camera.
Everything I've seen says the remake is only the first game, not the second, so they've added something to earn that extra ESRB tag. I'll be curious to see just what that is.
Labels: ps2, psp, tomb raider
--jvm at 22:23
Comment
[ 7 ]
20 April 2007
Sexy is hard
Forget intricate plots. Forget memorable characters. Forget suspense and humor and adrenaline-pumping action sequences. At least a few games have managed those qualities, and done well. However, if game developers have a weakness, a part of life they just can't seem to get right in games, it's making a game that's sexy.
Sure, we all found Tomb Raider's Lara Croft rather fetching in 1996 and Maria was seductively mysterious in Silent Hill 2, but those games didn't focus on titillation. They had strong characters who also happened to be attractive. The games that do try to integrate arousal and gameplay are uniformly dreadful.
It's not like game companies haven't tried. There has been at least one titillation game per year since 2002, that I'm aware of, and they're almost all bad:
Sure, we all found Tomb Raider's Lara Croft rather fetching in 1996 and Maria was seductively mysterious in Silent Hill 2, but those games didn't focus on titillation. They had strong characters who also happened to be attractive. The games that do try to integrate arousal and gameplay are uniformly dreadful.
It's not like game companies haven't tried. There has been at least one titillation game per year since 2002, that I'm aware of, and they're almost all bad:
- BMX XXX (2002) - Average score: 54 (PS2) to 60 (Xbox).
- Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (2003) - Average score: 73 (Xbox).
- The Guy Game (2004) - Average score: 58 (PS2).
- Rumble Roses (2004) - Average score: 66 (PS2).
- The Playboy Mansion (2005) - Average score: 59 (PS2) to 61 (Xbox)
- Rumble Roses XX (2006) - Average score: 62 (Xbox 360).
- Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (2006) - Average score: 53 (Xbox 360).
- Pocket Pool (2007) - A 3.4 out of 10 from GameSpot and a 4.0 out of 10 from IGN.
--jvm at 21:07
Comment
[ 5 ]
17 April 2007
Gates: No strategy for a console (in 1996)
While I'm recovering use of my thumb, I've been doing some reading. I ran across this fun bit in a Next Generation interview with Bill Gates from June 1996.
We don't have a strategy to do a $200 game console that is a direct competitor to what Nintendo, Sega, and Sony are doing, and our business model isn't to charge software developers money. So if you compare a Nintendo game, where you've got to have that big ROM that's very expensive and pay a royalty, versus a CD-ROM on the PC, where there's a zero royalty, it's quite different.Just over a decade later and:
- Microsoft has released two consoles, one of which essentially was a Windows PC.
- Microsoft charges to develop for and publish on those consoles.
NG: So are the games Microsoft is developing primarily designed to showcase Windows 95?
Bill: No, it's to make money.
Labels: history, interviews, microsoft, xbox, xbox360
--jvm at 22:42
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[ 10 ]
11 April 2007
Everything You Like We Hate, And Vice Versa
Action Button is a contrarian game review site that seems to exist to give good reviews to old games, and bad reviews to new games (if they are not Gears of War).
Okay, I oversimplify there. They deserve much more credit than that. I actually agree, with the text at least, with most of their reviews, which almost never happens elsewhere. Zelda: Twilight Princess I enjoyed, but I do have to agree most of their reasoning on that one. (It is worth noting that their review of that game has garnered seventy comments, a fact that either speaks against the review or Nintendo fanboys, depending on your assumptions.)
I don't agree with all their reviews, mind. Their review of Star Fox: Command, a game that is by no means perfect, is over-written, smarmy, and ultimately shallow.
Yet I can forgive much on behalf of a site willing to utterly take the piss out of Final Fantasy VII. "He is torn between his childhood friend [deleted] and his newfound love, Aeris Dies."
Okay, I oversimplify there. They deserve much more credit than that. I actually agree, with the text at least, with most of their reviews, which almost never happens elsewhere. Zelda: Twilight Princess I enjoyed, but I do have to agree most of their reasoning on that one. (It is worth noting that their review of that game has garnered seventy comments, a fact that either speaks against the review or Nintendo fanboys, depending on your assumptions.)
I don't agree with all their reviews, mind. Their review of Star Fox: Command, a game that is by no means perfect, is over-written, smarmy, and ultimately shallow.
Yet I can forgive much on behalf of a site willing to utterly take the piss out of Final Fantasy VII. "He is torn between his childhood friend [deleted] and his newfound love, Aeris Dies."
Labels: actionbutton, finalfantasy, gearsofwar, starfox, zelda
--JohnH at 14:11
Comment
[ 6 ]
10 April 2007
One-handed gaming
It's not what you think.
I sliced up my hand while sharpening a knife and cut two tendons to my left thumb, one completely and the other about 20%. I've had surgery to repair them, and I'm expected to get full functionality back in a couple of months, but until then I'm not going to be doing much console gaming. Provided all goes well, I expect to reward myself with a play through Tomb Raider Anniversary sometime in June. (PS2 or PSP? Jury's still out on that one...)
My options for gaming in the near term, as I see them:
I sliced up my hand while sharpening a knife and cut two tendons to my left thumb, one completely and the other about 20%. I've had surgery to repair them, and I'm expected to get full functionality back in a couple of months, but until then I'm not going to be doing much console gaming. Provided all goes well, I expect to reward myself with a play through Tomb Raider Anniversary sometime in June. (PS2 or PSP? Jury's still out on that one...)
My options for gaming in the near term, as I see them:
- Stylus-only games on the Nintendo DS like Elite Beat Agents and Brain Age.
- Light gun games like Area 51 (PSOne), Virtua Cop (Saturn), and The House of the Dead (Saturn). Also I now have a good reason to buy a GunCon to go with my copy of Time Crisis and a copy of The House of the Dead 2 to go with my Dreamcast light gun.
- Keyboard games like Angband that I can theoretically play with my right hand.
- Paddle-only games using this Atari Direct-to-TV device I picked up recently.
Labels: meta
--jvm at 22:20
Comment
[ 14 ]
The World Series of WoW
Not to get too blogirific today, but I'll risk putting Jeremy to sleep (he should've dozed at the headline) and mention the World of Warcraft Arena Tournament. In just a few short days, the best arena teams on each server will meet on a "public test server" for a showdown.
What happens at the end of the first qualifying round?
Players will have until April 15 to achieve top rankings in their battlegroups. The top teams from each battlegroup will be invited to participate in the second qualification round, where they will compete with the top teams from the other battlegroups in their region. Characters on the qualifying teams will be copied to a public test realm (PTR) and will have two weeks (April 21 to May 4) to compete for the top eight spots and advance to the regional tournament. (emph mine)
This is a little like the World Series in baseball, at least before interleague play. As servers get full, Blizzard often does server splits, encouraging people to move their characters off of an older, populated server to a new one. I've "lost" acquaintances this way in the past, as I didn't really have much reason to talk to the folk outside of gaming. Now, characters that would have never seen each other -- like Major League Baseball's old system where the National and American Leagues never played except in the Series -- could even adventure together, if they were so inclined, for a few short weeks.
Popular players on each server might also draw a few spectators, which would be a neat way to move WoW into the realm of spectator sport. I'll be pulling for some Aussie Proudmoore folk, certainly.
What happens at the end of the first qualifying round?
Players will have until April 15 to achieve top rankings in their battlegroups. The top teams from each battlegroup will be invited to participate in the second qualification round, where they will compete with the top teams from the other battlegroups in their region. Characters on the qualifying teams will be copied to a public test realm (PTR) and will have two weeks (April 21 to May 4) to compete for the top eight spots and advance to the regional tournament. (emph mine)
This is a little like the World Series in baseball, at least before interleague play. As servers get full, Blizzard often does server splits, encouraging people to move their characters off of an older, populated server to a new one. I've "lost" acquaintances this way in the past, as I didn't really have much reason to talk to the folk outside of gaming. Now, characters that would have never seen each other -- like Major League Baseball's old system where the National and American Leagues never played except in the Series -- could even adventure together, if they were so inclined, for a few short weeks.
Popular players on each server might also draw a few spectators, which would be a neat way to move WoW into the realm of spectator sport. I'll be pulling for some Aussie Proudmoore folk, certainly.
--rufbo at 12:46
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Worth watching: The Making of Imagic
I've only just gotten through part 1, but would already recommend watching the documentary The Making of Imagic, discussed on the AtariAge.com forums. I really enjoyed hearing how Imagic's founder, son of a NYC policeman, heads west to make his coin. Great reprisal of the great frontier myth/manifest destiny narrative.
Outside of what it says about the *cough* afterbirth of console gaming, it is somewhat painful to be reminded how us kids dressed back then, but overall the flashback is enjoyable in and of itself.
Outside of what it says about the *cough* afterbirth of console gaming, it is somewhat painful to be reminded how us kids dressed back then, but overall the flashback is enjoyable in and of itself.
--rufbo at 12:37
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[ 2 ]
09 April 2007
On blogging and responsibility
This isn't about games, but it does affect this blog. Sorry for the interruption.
Tim O'Reilly and Jimmy Wales are proposing a sort of blogger's code of conduct according to the NY Times. This quote ties me in knots:
There is a contradiction here, unfortunately. If I disavow ownership of and responsibility for your comments, anonymous or not, then how am I empowered to remove them? That is, power over your speech implies some responsibility, does it not?
I will read the proposed guidelines and think about them as they might apply to this site. If the admins decide that there should be changes, we'll let you know. Feel free to sound off in the comments with your own take.
Tim O'Reilly and Jimmy Wales are proposing a sort of blogger's code of conduct according to the NY Times. This quote ties me in knots:
A subtext of both sets of rules is that bloggers are responsible for everything that appears on their own pages, including comments left by visitors. They say that bloggers should also have the right to delete such comments if they find them profane or abusive.Comments are deleted from this blog from time to time. I -- and the other admins -- reserve the right to do so, and use the power sparingly. I clearly don't agree with everyone who comments here, nor even my co-bloggers, and I hope that we've let critics have their say practically unfettered. I can live with some salty language, if you have a point, although I confess that Ruffin sometimes has to make me see past the profanity to get the point. Such is the value of honest friends. My weakness is that I tend to tune out completely if you are too enamoured of four letter words, especially if I feel they're unduly inflammatory.
There is a contradiction here, unfortunately. If I disavow ownership of and responsibility for your comments, anonymous or not, then how am I empowered to remove them? That is, power over your speech implies some responsibility, does it not?
I will read the proposed guidelines and think about them as they might apply to this site. If the admins decide that there should be changes, we'll let you know. Feel free to sound off in the comments with your own take.
Labels: meta
--jvm at 12:45
Comment
[ 6 ]
08 April 2007
Nintendo DS vs. Sony PSP: Game pricing update
With the basic PSP dropping to $169.99, I felt it was time to see what had changed since I did some rudimentary number crunching on Nintendo DS and Sony PSP game prices five months ago. Not only has the system price dropped, but publishers have abandoned $50 PSP games. Average PSP game prices have shifted down $2.16, although it still has more high priced games than the Nintendo DS. During the same period, average DS game prices have come down about $1.68.
Here's the key result:
Some of the drop in the average PSP game price can be attributed to the disappearance of $49.99 games. In November 2006, the PSP had one such game. Removing just that one game from the November data would have dropped the average price of a PSP game by $0.16.
The only PSP game that currently lists for $49.99 is the PSP version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, an unreleased game slated for a December 2007 launch. (As it is unreleased, it isn't figured in the numbers shown in this article.)
Other points of interest:
The disappearance of the $50 game makes things a bit harder for publishers on the PSP. Being able to charge $50 for a PSP game was one advantage that system had over the DS. It would be interesting to know if publishers have made a pricing decision based on market conditions or whether Sony has set a $40 ceiling on PSP game prices. I suspect that Nintendo generally won't let publishers charge $40 on the Nintendo DS, although an exception has clearly been made for Final Fantasy III DS.
Now that the $50 option is missing, the big name PSP titles launch at $40. Moreover, I suspect that some publishers are less likely to stay at $40 as long when there are no games in the higher $50 bracket. Notably, even Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories can command only a $30 price tag six months after it was released; by comparison, Liberty City Stories stayed at $50 for almost the entire first year after its release.
I look forward to examining sales data over the coming months to see if the hardware and software price adjustments affect PSP sales.
Feel free to download the data for yourself: OpenOffice ODS, plaintext CSV.
Here's the key result:
| Average Game Price | Mid-Nov 2006 | Mid-Apr 2007 |
| DS | $28.97 | $27.29 |
| PSP | $31.97 | $29.83 |
Some of the drop in the average PSP game price can be attributed to the disappearance of $49.99 games. In November 2006, the PSP had one such game. Removing just that one game from the November data would have dropped the average price of a PSP game by $0.16.
The only PSP game that currently lists for $49.99 is the PSP version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, an unreleased game slated for a December 2007 launch. (As it is unreleased, it isn't figured in the numbers shown in this article.)
Other points of interest:
- EB Games lists 102 new games for the Nintendo DS and 94 new games for the PSP. This doesn't count out-of-stock and unreleased games, so the numbers could shift 2-3 games either way in a day's time.
- The median game price for each system is $29.99.
- About 33% of all PSP games retail for under $25. Around 41% of Nintendo DS games are below the $25 level.
- About 1/3 of all PSP games retail for $39.99. Only one Nintendo DS game sells for that price (Final Fantasy III DS), while about 23% of Nintendo DS games retail for over $30.
- 18 out of 22 Nintendo DS games priced at $34.99 are Nintendo-published games.
The disappearance of the $50 game makes things a bit harder for publishers on the PSP. Being able to charge $50 for a PSP game was one advantage that system had over the DS. It would be interesting to know if publishers have made a pricing decision based on market conditions or whether Sony has set a $40 ceiling on PSP game prices. I suspect that Nintendo generally won't let publishers charge $40 on the Nintendo DS, although an exception has clearly been made for Final Fantasy III DS.Now that the $50 option is missing, the big name PSP titles launch at $40. Moreover, I suspect that some publishers are less likely to stay at $40 as long when there are no games in the higher $50 bracket. Notably, even Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories can command only a $30 price tag six months after it was released; by comparison, Liberty City Stories stayed at $50 for almost the entire first year after its release.
I look forward to examining sales data over the coming months to see if the hardware and software price adjustments affect PSP sales.
Feel free to download the data for yourself: OpenOffice ODS, plaintext CSV.
--jvm at 01:36
Comment
[ 7 ]
06 April 2007
Stallman's wrong about consoles
Richard "GNU" Stallman says that there is no Free Software for consoles, therefore using them is unethical. I disagree. The essential differences are:
(Aside: There is the issue that Sony provides the means to install GNU/Linux on part of the PlayStation 3 hard drive, but I don't think that completely negates the idea. It's essentially bi-modal: either a game machine, or a GNU/Linux device, and the two are cleanly separated.)
Consoles don't have general computing interfaces, don't run productivity software, and are intended for entertainment activity -- an area to which I've never felt necessarily compelled to apply the GNU principle of Freedom. A computer you buy in the PC area of a Best Buy, by contrast, portrays itself as a general computing device, capable of doing everything from word processing and taxes to movies and games. In those cases, data you create or depend on can be held hostage by a non-Free application.
In brief: consoles are appliances. (I suspect that when Bob and I had whatever previous discussion we had about this stuff, I said that. If I didn't, well, I should have.)
(Aside: How will Game 3.0 affect this? If I create a Little Big Planet level that Sony permits me to sell for real money on a Sony PlayStation 3 virtual marketplace...well, that might be a different situation. Of course, Game 3.0 isn't much more than a promise at this point, but it could present interesting differences.)
The other angle is that consoles are really platforms for perceiving creative works of entertainment. The software itself -- with sincere apologies to my friends who make games -- is kind of not the point. The point is the experience in which I take part. I don't really care how a video player decodes the video and puts it on a screen, but I do care about the creative work that is thereby displayed. I don't care whether a game is running the Unreal Engine 3 or the Quake 4 engine, but I do care how the game makes me feel.
Well, there you go. I fully expect everyone to disagree, possibly even myself at some indeterminate time from now. As Miguel de Icaza famously said: You can now flame me, I am full of love.
- They are not general computation devices
- They are platforms for perceiving creative works of entertainment. (Cue Ruffin telling me to get busy reading the literature on art and games. Sorry, I confess I haven't done it yet...)
(Aside: There is the issue that Sony provides the means to install GNU/Linux on part of the PlayStation 3 hard drive, but I don't think that completely negates the idea. It's essentially bi-modal: either a game machine, or a GNU/Linux device, and the two are cleanly separated.)
Consoles don't have general computing interfaces, don't run productivity software, and are intended for entertainment activity -- an area to which I've never felt necessarily compelled to apply the GNU principle of Freedom. A computer you buy in the PC area of a Best Buy, by contrast, portrays itself as a general computing device, capable of doing everything from word processing and taxes to movies and games. In those cases, data you create or depend on can be held hostage by a non-Free application.
In brief: consoles are appliances. (I suspect that when Bob and I had whatever previous discussion we had about this stuff, I said that. If I didn't, well, I should have.)
(Aside: How will Game 3.0 affect this? If I create a Little Big Planet level that Sony permits me to sell for real money on a Sony PlayStation 3 virtual marketplace...well, that might be a different situation. Of course, Game 3.0 isn't much more than a promise at this point, but it could present interesting differences.)
The other angle is that consoles are really platforms for perceiving creative works of entertainment. The software itself -- with sincere apologies to my friends who make games -- is kind of not the point. The point is the experience in which I take part. I don't really care how a video player decodes the video and puts it on a screen, but I do care about the creative work that is thereby displayed. I don't care whether a game is running the Unreal Engine 3 or the Quake 4 engine, but I do care how the game makes me feel.
Well, there you go. I fully expect everyone to disagree, possibly even myself at some indeterminate time from now. As Miguel de Icaza famously said: You can now flame me, I am full of love.
Labels: gnu
--jvm at 19:43
Comment
[ 15 ]
Richard Stallman speaks: no to consoles
Well, I'm going to have to have a long think about this one. RMS says don't use consoles -- it's unethical.
I saw the original quote at NeoGAF in this thread, but I had to find the original source on my own.
Q: One final question. We're seeing more and more devices, and I'm thinking specifically of games consoles -- I know that my kids have one in the house -- where there is no --Man, that stings.
Richard Stallman: I wouldn't. You have to learn how to say no to your kids.
Q: That's true, that's true, I wouldn't deny it. Now, there is no free software at all for devices like this [correction: Yellow Dog supports some console(s)].
Richard Stallman: That's why there is no possible ethical way you could use one, and so you shouldn't have it.
Q: All right, I think I'll take the kids out on the bike more often.
Richard Stallman: That would be much better for them.
I saw the original quote at NeoGAF in this thread, but I had to find the original source on my own.
--jvm at 13:37
Comment
[ 14 ]
04 April 2007
Sony the Copycat
In developing its online strategy, Sony ran a serious risk of being called a copycat since Microsoft had already covered the bases so well with Xbox Live. Given the blowback from the PlayStation 3's SIXAXIS controller -- which is motion sensing in a manner similar to the Wii remote -- they couldn't let it play out that way.
The GDC 2007 announcements of PlayStation Home and the Game 3.0 initiative successfully put Sony on the offensive. Phil Harrison and his crew pulled off what I'd considered impossible: planting the seeds of doubt in the Microsoft faithful. Maybe -- just maybe -- Sony's system would have features that they wanted, but couldn't have, in Xbox Live.
This doesn't mean that Sony isn't copying Xbox Live, of course. In fact, they should be mimicking every feature as fast as they can. As long as they keep the focus on what they (will) have that Microsoft doesn't, they can add the standard Xbox Live features with practical immunity from criticism.
Now, of course, Sony has to deliver. What some saw as pessimism in my recent column is actually my attempt to view the situation realistically. I encourage everyone, again, to go read what Sony announced for the PlayStation 2 in early 2000. They promised a boatload of features. Some of those features -- like downloadable movies -- still haven't materialized.
At least we have seen that downloadable movies can be done on Xbox Live. I'm sure Sony's busy copying that feature right now. If I'm right, then it will have a distinctive PlayStation Home twist when it arrives.
The GDC 2007 announcements of PlayStation Home and the Game 3.0 initiative successfully put Sony on the offensive. Phil Harrison and his crew pulled off what I'd considered impossible: planting the seeds of doubt in the Microsoft faithful. Maybe -- just maybe -- Sony's system would have features that they wanted, but couldn't have, in Xbox Live.
This doesn't mean that Sony isn't copying Xbox Live, of course. In fact, they should be mimicking every feature as fast as they can. As long as they keep the focus on what they (will) have that Microsoft doesn't, they can add the standard Xbox Live features with practical immunity from criticism.
Now, of course, Sony has to deliver. What some saw as pessimism in my recent column is actually my attempt to view the situation realistically. I encourage everyone, again, to go read what Sony announced for the PlayStation 2 in early 2000. They promised a boatload of features. Some of those features -- like downloadable movies -- still haven't materialized.
At least we have seen that downloadable movies can be done on Xbox Live. I'm sure Sony's busy copying that feature right now. If I'm right, then it will have a distinctive PlayStation Home twist when it arrives.
--jvm at 16:26
Comment
[ 3 ]
Ancestry of Game 3.0
A piece I put together on Sony's Game 3.0 is up today at Next-Gen. Consider this post a place to file complaints and other comments.
I would like to credit Josh at Cathode Tan for an idea I used in the piece, with his permission. Here is his original post in which I first read about NDAs being in the mod community, from which I drew the connection. The original forum thread that Josh is referencing is here.
I had a couple of comments about Game 3.0 that didn't fit in with the piece that I'll probably put into a later post.
I would like to credit Josh at Cathode Tan for an idea I used in the piece, with his permission. Here is his original post in which I first read about NDAs being in the mod community, from which I drew the connection. The original forum thread that Josh is referencing is here.
I had a couple of comments about Game 3.0 that didn't fit in with the piece that I'll probably put into a later post.
--jvm at 06:12
Comment
[ 2 ]
03 April 2007
GameQuest Direct and PSOne games
As I've voiced previously, recent consolidation of GameStop and EB Games and Rhino Games into a single corporation has diminished the quality of the videogame market in my area. Then I read a claim that GameQuest Direct had stopped reprinting PSOne games in response to GameStop's decision to liquidate its PSOne stock. That would be a disturbing result, if true.
In response to my questions, GameQuest's Kevin Baqai told me that the claim about their PSOne reprints was in error. "Our policy on reprints has been dictated by the consumer demands rather than GameStop or EB policies," he told me via email. So given enough demand, and successful negotiation with publishers, GameQuest would consider reprinting PSOne games. In fact, they haven't stopped talks with publishers over PSOne games, as Baqai continued: "At this moment, we are in discussions with various game publishers on PSOne titles but most resources are allocated to the PS2 since it has the largest user base which is actively purchasing games."
I continuously buy older games for every system I own, and I am pleased that GameQuest says it will continue to seek republishing older PSOne and PS2 games. However, I wonder what effect the GameStop decision had on demand for PSOne games. If a system is no longer stocked in the stores accessible to most consumers, demand may go down. GameQuest's choices may be influenced indirectly if the disappearance of PSOne software from GameStop caused a diminished demand for it among consumers.
Then again, perhaps steadfast PSOne owners will be driven to online resellers -- like GameQuest -- and demand for reprints will actually increase. After all, if a business like SongBird Productions can exist selling short runs of new games to the minuscule Atari Jaguar and Lynx market, certainly a boutique PSOne shop can make a living too?
In response to my questions, GameQuest's Kevin Baqai told me that the claim about their PSOne reprints was in error. "Our policy on reprints has been dictated by the consumer demands rather than GameStop or EB policies," he told me via email. So given enough demand, and successful negotiation with publishers, GameQuest would consider reprinting PSOne games. In fact, they haven't stopped talks with publishers over PSOne games, as Baqai continued: "At this moment, we are in discussions with various game publishers on PSOne titles but most resources are allocated to the PS2 since it has the largest user base which is actively purchasing games."
I continuously buy older games for every system I own, and I am pleased that GameQuest says it will continue to seek republishing older PSOne and PS2 games. However, I wonder what effect the GameStop decision had on demand for PSOne games. If a system is no longer stocked in the stores accessible to most consumers, demand may go down. GameQuest's choices may be influenced indirectly if the disappearance of PSOne software from GameStop caused a diminished demand for it among consumers.
Then again, perhaps steadfast PSOne owners will be driven to online resellers -- like GameQuest -- and demand for reprints will actually increase. After all, if a business like SongBird Productions can exist selling short runs of new games to the minuscule Atari Jaguar and Lynx market, certainly a boutique PSOne shop can make a living too?
Labels: business, game stores
--jvm at 10:43
Comment
[ 0 ]
Virtual Console Curmudgeon: Starfox 64, TMNT, Dragon's Curse
I usually end up reviewing new Virtual Console releases on whatever random website I read about them first, so I figured I'd just go ahead and start discussing them here, in a suitably curmudgeony style if the game merits it. Which is to say, often.
Starfox 64
Released by Nintendo. Originally for the Nintendo 64.
Rating:
Notable differences: Likely does not support controller rumble. Ordinarily this would be a minor point, except, if you'll think back, you'll remember that Starfox 64 was the original "Rumble Pak" game. Its exclusion seems very odd because of that, although not as bad as Ocarina of Time, in which arguably rumble is an important feature.
Hard to believe there's only really been two "real" StarFox games, isn't it? This is the second of the two, also only the second Starfox game ever, so it seems strange that they rebooted the story right off.
For an on-rails shooter, this is about as cool as you can get. While not as controller-smashing difficult as the original (which I never did finish on its hardest route) it is quite challenging, there is a nice variety of areas to visit, as well as secret missions to complete, branching paths to explore, hidden warp levels to find, "all range" areas where you can fly freely, dogfights with enemy fighters, a tank level and an underwater level, and a blisteringly-difficult gold medal to earn in each and every stage. And once you've done it all: Expert Mode! Argh! (I know all this because I've done all those things. Yeah, I be bad at N64 Starfox. I challenge you guys to beat my high score BTW, just shy of 1,800 points.)
For all these reasons, Starfox 64 is arguably the high point in the series. The SNES game was challenging but looks primitive now, and its framerate is difficult to put up with now. The less said about the first Gamecube game the better, and both Armada (GC) and Assault (DS) mix up the formula too much to seem really Starfoxy.
A great moment from the N64 game: Played properly, you can get an instant win against the boss on the tank level, worth an absurd point bonus. Once done the first time, it never feels "right" beating the boss the normal way again.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Released by Konami. Originally for the NES.
Rating:
It's back in the news for two reasons. First, there seems to be a movie floating around somewhere about its title characters. Second, it was the focus of an unusually rancorous Angry Nintendo Nerd video where he soundly trashed the game.
Folks, I'm hear to tell you he's 100% correct. For all his hyperbole and (probably facetious) posturing, the Nerd usually knows his games. The game has a lot of features, is very long, and a very very high level of challenge, but ultimately it's just not worth it. The turtles jump like they're underwater, the actual underwater level is frustrating beyond the realm of mere obnoxiousness, and if Donatello buys the farm, good luck getting anywhere else in the game.
But for the record I have beaten this one. I will save you all the trouble of fighting through these six levels of young, genetically-flawed, amphibious Eastern hell by spoiling the ending: Turtlephile April O'Neil, in a text box, offers to take the shelled warriors out for pizza. Ho! Ha! Ho!
But, if you do want to smash your head against something unforgivably unyielding, the game is here for you. I did beat it once upon a time, so there must be something there. If you happen to be an obsessive-compulsive, socially awkward teenager like I was, maybe you can find whatever it was that compelled me to finish it. If you are not, please, please, pass.
Dragon's Curse
Released by NEC (probably developed by Hudson Soft). Originally for the Turbo-Grafx 16.
Rating (provisional):
Notable differences: The Wii's reputedly-inaccurate TG-16 sound emulation would apply to this game.
Being a TG16 game, I didn't get the chance to try this at all when it came out. The lore around the game is that it's actually a port of a later sequel to Wonder Boy, a game of which the licensing issues surrounding it are the stuff of fanboy legend. (For more on the games, and the issues check out the excellent Hardcore Gaming 101 article.) Suffice to say the game is extremely similar, as in containing the same levels, to the Genesis game Wonder Boy in Monster Land. Similar enough that, if you've played one, apparently you need not play the other.
But oddly, it doesn't turn out to be a bad game, at least from a first-gen Genesis perspective.
You can see that Metroid's lessons were learned well, although they take rather a different form than usual. In Metroid games, you explore and beat bosses to find powerups, which you then use to explore new areas. In Dragon's Curse, when you beat a boss you get turned into a new form with an entirely different set of movement options, advantages and disadvantages as before. So it seems that you actually lose the ability to go to some places as you proceed (if I undertand correctly), which may make it important to search a well as you can for secret stuff before fighting bosses.
I'm finding it to be an interesting, inoffensive game, with simple graphics but decent challenge. It's not really non-linear, since while technically you can go wherever you can, that is arranged, your characters exploration ability, like in Metroid games, is strictly limited to stop you from going where you're not supposed to be. Since this is the TG16 version, it costs only $6 to get, instead of $8 as the Genesis version would, and that may be a better deal.
According to the Hardcore Gaming 101 article linked-to above, this game actually pulls off a Symphony of the Night at the start: the first level of this game is the last level of the previous game, with a character so powerful that he has no real chance of losing. Nice to see where that little idea got its start.
EDIT: Fixed formatting, added whitespace. (Also, last night I fixed the ANN link.)
Starfox 64
Released by Nintendo. Originally for the Nintendo 64.
Rating:
Notable differences: Likely does not support controller rumble. Ordinarily this would be a minor point, except, if you'll think back, you'll remember that Starfox 64 was the original "Rumble Pak" game. Its exclusion seems very odd because of that, although not as bad as Ocarina of Time, in which arguably rumble is an important feature.
Hard to believe there's only really been two "real" StarFox games, isn't it? This is the second of the two, also only the second Starfox game ever, so it seems strange that they rebooted the story right off.
For an on-rails shooter, this is about as cool as you can get. While not as controller-smashing difficult as the original (which I never did finish on its hardest route) it is quite challenging, there is a nice variety of areas to visit, as well as secret missions to complete, branching paths to explore, hidden warp levels to find, "all range" areas where you can fly freely, dogfights with enemy fighters, a tank level and an underwater level, and a blisteringly-difficult gold medal to earn in each and every stage. And once you've done it all: Expert Mode! Argh! (I know all this because I've done all those things. Yeah, I be bad at N64 Starfox. I challenge you guys to beat my high score BTW, just shy of 1,800 points.)
For all these reasons, Starfox 64 is arguably the high point in the series. The SNES game was challenging but looks primitive now, and its framerate is difficult to put up with now. The less said about the first Gamecube game the better, and both Armada (GC) and Assault (DS) mix up the formula too much to seem really Starfoxy.
A great moment from the N64 game: Played properly, you can get an instant win against the boss on the tank level, worth an absurd point bonus. Once done the first time, it never feels "right" beating the boss the normal way again.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Released by Konami. Originally for the NES.
Rating:
It's back in the news for two reasons. First, there seems to be a movie floating around somewhere about its title characters. Second, it was the focus of an unusually rancorous Angry Nintendo Nerd video where he soundly trashed the game.
Folks, I'm hear to tell you he's 100% correct. For all his hyperbole and (probably facetious) posturing, the Nerd usually knows his games. The game has a lot of features, is very long, and a very very high level of challenge, but ultimately it's just not worth it. The turtles jump like they're underwater, the actual underwater level is frustrating beyond the realm of mere obnoxiousness, and if Donatello buys the farm, good luck getting anywhere else in the game.
But for the record I have beaten this one. I will save you all the trouble of fighting through these six levels of young, genetically-flawed, amphibious Eastern hell by spoiling the ending: Turtlephile April O'Neil, in a text box, offers to take the shelled warriors out for pizza. Ho! Ha! Ho!
But, if you do want to smash your head against something unforgivably unyielding, the game is here for you. I did beat it once upon a time, so there must be something there. If you happen to be an obsessive-compulsive, socially awkward teenager like I was, maybe you can find whatever it was that compelled me to finish it. If you are not, please, please, pass.
Dragon's Curse
Released by NEC (probably developed by Hudson Soft). Originally for the Turbo-Grafx 16.
Rating (provisional):
Notable differences: The Wii's reputedly-inaccurate TG-16 sound emulation would apply to this game.
Being a TG16 game, I didn't get the chance to try this at all when it came out. The lore around the game is that it's actually a port of a later sequel to Wonder Boy, a game of which the licensing issues surrounding it are the stuff of fanboy legend. (For more on the games, and the issues check out the excellent Hardcore Gaming 101 article.) Suffice to say the game is extremely similar, as in containing the same levels, to the Genesis game Wonder Boy in Monster Land. Similar enough that, if you've played one, apparently you need not play the other.
But oddly, it doesn't turn out to be a bad game, at least from a first-gen Genesis perspective.
You can see that Metroid's lessons were learned well, although they take rather a different form than usual. In Metroid games, you explore and beat bosses to find powerups, which you then use to explore new areas. In Dragon's Curse, when you beat a boss you get turned into a new form with an entirely different set of movement options, advantages and disadvantages as before. So it seems that you actually lose the ability to go to some places as you proceed (if I undertand correctly), which may make it important to search a well as you can for secret stuff before fighting bosses.
I'm finding it to be an interesting, inoffensive game, with simple graphics but decent challenge. It's not really non-linear, since while technically you can go wherever you can, that is arranged, your characters exploration ability, like in Metroid games, is strictly limited to stop you from going where you're not supposed to be. Since this is the TG16 version, it costs only $6 to get, instead of $8 as the Genesis version would, and that may be a better deal.
According to the Hardcore Gaming 101 article linked-to above, this game actually pulls off a Symphony of the Night at the start: the first level of this game is the last level of the previous game, with a character so powerful that he has no real chance of losing. Nice to see where that little idea got its start.
EDIT: Fixed formatting, added whitespace. (Also, last night I fixed the ANN link.)
Labels: classic, dragonscurse, ninjaturtles, retro, starfox, starfox64, tmnt, virtualconsole, wii
--JohnH at 02:57
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[ 11 ]
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