Halo 3. Do I need to say more? But it looks like I'm doing it anyway, so here goes: already we're getting stories about how people have lined up for launch events and such, which doesn't surprise me in the least bit. I mean, given the money Microsoft funneled into the marketing of the game, and with all the pre-existing hype for the franchise, you know it's going to sell well. And of course, most review sites are jumping on the praise bandwagon with the lowest score (as of this writing) being an 88 out of 100.
But that's not to say I'm cynical about the game selling well. The franchise has become such a phenomenon that it's become recognized in the public eye for quite some time now, increasing recognition of the video game industry as a whole. And yeah, the series is pretty fun. Granted, I'm no big Halo fan, but Bungie got some stuff right. It was one of the first shooters to really bring a PC experience to a home console, and it's a pretty well polished game as well. Of course, it's fun, especially in multiplayer. I don't think the series is all that remarkable to me (it just feels like another futuristic shooter), but there's nothing really wrong with it at all.
Well, I'm sure some could argue that having Halo get all this recognition and respect takes away from other, supposedly better games, but I'm not going into that territory right now, mostly because I don't think that's happening. Halo is certainly popular among the more "casual" gamer types (I'm sure there are a lot that are really into it at my college), but hey, they're having fun, and we're having fun with both Halo and other games, so it all works out. Besides, a lot of the other games are marketed more towards a hardcore audience anyway - would you ever want a game like Deus Ex to have its own Mountain Dew flavor?
Monday, September 24, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
I read the news today, oh boy...
Sooooo...lots of stuff going on from when I last posted. Let's discuss a few things, shall we?
I'll try to actually get video footage and such up for you all soon, but I still need to get my equipment ready for it. Hopefully by that time I'll stop being such a writing hack and actually entertain you guys! A glorious day indeed...
- The ESA is ramping up their lobbying efforts, it looks like, and while I like some of what's being discussed (First Amendment protections yay), others are a little worrying to me. Virtual property taxation? The first sale doctrine? Since I haven't found out much more about it, I'm just hoping this'll turn out to be good rather than bad. We already know what happened when certain copyright owners lobbied to increase copyright terms...
- The Tokyo Game Show is going on, and lots of good stuff is to be had: Metal Gear Solid 4 playable, Metal Slug 7 (for the DS!) shows up, Soul Calibur 4 looks the same but different, Mr. Destructoid hangs with the booth babes there...lots of stuff going on, and it's too much to mention here.
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl is turning out better and better by the day: first we get a music selection feature, and then we have confirmed online play, and we're still getting all kinds of new characters out the wazoo right now, especially with Snake being reconfirmed today. His attacks look more tactical than we're used to with mines and rockets and such...this could get interesting.
- SNK Playmore USA announced a lot of great stuff: the aforementioned Metal Slug 7, another King of Fighters collection, a pack of old SNK arcade games under the moniker "SNK Arcade Classics" (I'm a sucker for retro compilations), and Samurai Shodown 2 for Xbox Live! Of course, we're getting Neo Geo titles for the Virtual Console as well, so hooray.
- Resident Evil 5 is now officially said to be set in Haiti. I honestly don't think this setting is racist, like some have said. After all, many of the original beliefs about voodoo and zombies originated in Haiti, so I think this decision makes some sense. I'd have to see more of the game before I make a final judgment, though.
- I think I'm going to buy a Sega Master System soon. It couldn't stand up to the prowess and console monopoly of Nintendo, but it still has some neat stuff for it. Of course, it's just going to add to all the stuff I already know...and God knows I have enough game clutter lying around already. But then again, I already committed to buy Zillion and the 2nd Alex Kidd game...so yeah.
I'll try to actually get video footage and such up for you all soon, but I still need to get my equipment ready for it. Hopefully by that time I'll stop being such a writing hack and actually entertain you guys! A glorious day indeed...
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
National Video Games Day!...wait, what?
Well, it's news to me: apparently today, September 12th, is National Video Games Day, at least according to the people over at Holiday Insights and American Greetings. Um, okay? So instead of celebrating games everyday (like I do), we can focus our attentions on one very specific and obscure holiday to send goofy cards to each other. What better way to prove your smacktalking deathmatch skills to your friends than by sending them this heartwarming sentiment! Yeah, this sure feels like a Hallmark Holiday to me, especially since there's another so-called gamer holiday already: July 8th's Video Games Day. Nope, not similar to each other in the least bit!
One last thing...about the weird card with the spaceship flying out of the screen. ("Nah, Mom, that happens all the time!") Well, the animation on it kind of syncs up with the Tears for Fears version of "Mad World." Don't ask me why I know that.
One last thing...about the weird card with the spaceship flying out of the screen. ("Nah, Mom, that happens all the time!") Well, the animation on it kind of syncs up with the Tears for Fears version of "Mad World." Don't ask me why I know that.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Gaming on the Rise
(NOTE: By "casual" games, I mean stuff that appeals both aesthetically and gameplay-wise to a wider audience, and that is more accessible and can be played with for minutes at a time. "Hardcore" games are your 50-hour long affairs with gratuitous blood and gore and more complicated controls. These are generalizations, but it's just to give you an idea by what I mean.)
I recently flew back to college again for another semester, and while I was waiting for my plane to depart at the airport, I noticed something peculiar: normal, everyday people playing video games on handheld machines. Now, you might ask, "why is this surprising? They're just passing the time away while waiting for a flight." Yes, this is true, but I've never really seen many other people (besides kids) playing games like this before, and I see it as the sign of a growing trend: gaming is on the rise in popularity among adults. I guess I've never noticed this before, and while I've heard about the rising popularity of casual games, I guess it's never really filtered through to me until now that non-gamers are playing games in their spare time. Perhaps being in this hardcore bubble for too long makes you forget about the world and the big picture. Gaming has started to become socially popular, and I only think it can get bigger from here.
What do we owe this rise to? Of course, casual games are a part of this. PC titles like The Sims and Internet games like Bejeweled have been captivating people of all ages for years now, but it's only been recently that console and handheld systems have been enticing consumers and non-gamers, in part thanks to a shifting focus on those who play games. The hardcore market is fairly saturated right now, but companies like Nintendo recognized the potential that could be tapped out of other groups. The meteoric popularity of the Wii and DS, the increased media coverage of consoles, the greater public exposure...video games are getting noticed more these days. Of course, we've been hearing and talking about games for years now, but not in such a way as this, and I think I know why: it lies in many of these games being more accessible. You don't need to spend hours learning how to play a game, and you can just pick up and play at any time. Traditional games just don't have that much appeal to working adults with so little spare time, but their greater disposable income still allows them to buy games, so in many cases they go more casual. The market's growing, and casual games account for one reason this is happening.
Maybe I should put my thoughts into context. At the airport, I saw a number of people playing games. Of course, you have your typical grade-school kid playing Pokémon on his Game Boy. This is nothing new. But there were older individuals playing games as well. A flight attendent, waiting at the gate among the rest of the passengers, was using his PSP to watch a movie and play a little. A college-aged student frittered her time away, if only for a little while, with her DS. And most notably, I noticed a couple playing together on some game with their own PSPs. Now, these people didn't seem like the hardcore gaming type to me. (Yes, appearances can be deceiving, but for the sake of example, bear with me.) They were normal individuals waiting for their flights, just like I was. But instead of reading a book or listening to music while waiting, they opted to play a few games and have a little fun while doing so. If there's one personal sign to me that games are getting more popular in the general public, this is it.
I'm aware that this is just anecdotal evidence. If you're looking for more hard figures, try researching the sales figures on games like Brain Age and Guitar Hero and tell me what you find. See what I mean? We're not just seeing your stereotypical gamers playing these: we're seeing moms, dads, sisters, music fans, elderly...we're seeing more varied groups of people legitimately playing games in their spare time. As much as some people proclaim this to be a foreboding sign of doom, I can't really see too much negative out of this. Even though casual games are getting popular at the expense of "hardcore" games, gaming is starting to be recognized more and more. We'll still have our Bioshocks and Metal Gears to fall back on, but those who won't play these games will get to enjoy themselves too. I'm wondering what the future will bring...
I recently flew back to college again for another semester, and while I was waiting for my plane to depart at the airport, I noticed something peculiar: normal, everyday people playing video games on handheld machines. Now, you might ask, "why is this surprising? They're just passing the time away while waiting for a flight." Yes, this is true, but I've never really seen many other people (besides kids) playing games like this before, and I see it as the sign of a growing trend: gaming is on the rise in popularity among adults. I guess I've never noticed this before, and while I've heard about the rising popularity of casual games, I guess it's never really filtered through to me until now that non-gamers are playing games in their spare time. Perhaps being in this hardcore bubble for too long makes you forget about the world and the big picture. Gaming has started to become socially popular, and I only think it can get bigger from here.
What do we owe this rise to? Of course, casual games are a part of this. PC titles like The Sims and Internet games like Bejeweled have been captivating people of all ages for years now, but it's only been recently that console and handheld systems have been enticing consumers and non-gamers, in part thanks to a shifting focus on those who play games. The hardcore market is fairly saturated right now, but companies like Nintendo recognized the potential that could be tapped out of other groups. The meteoric popularity of the Wii and DS, the increased media coverage of consoles, the greater public exposure...video games are getting noticed more these days. Of course, we've been hearing and talking about games for years now, but not in such a way as this, and I think I know why: it lies in many of these games being more accessible. You don't need to spend hours learning how to play a game, and you can just pick up and play at any time. Traditional games just don't have that much appeal to working adults with so little spare time, but their greater disposable income still allows them to buy games, so in many cases they go more casual. The market's growing, and casual games account for one reason this is happening.
Maybe I should put my thoughts into context. At the airport, I saw a number of people playing games. Of course, you have your typical grade-school kid playing Pokémon on his Game Boy. This is nothing new. But there were older individuals playing games as well. A flight attendent, waiting at the gate among the rest of the passengers, was using his PSP to watch a movie and play a little. A college-aged student frittered her time away, if only for a little while, with her DS. And most notably, I noticed a couple playing together on some game with their own PSPs. Now, these people didn't seem like the hardcore gaming type to me. (Yes, appearances can be deceiving, but for the sake of example, bear with me.) They were normal individuals waiting for their flights, just like I was. But instead of reading a book or listening to music while waiting, they opted to play a few games and have a little fun while doing so. If there's one personal sign to me that games are getting more popular in the general public, this is it.
I'm aware that this is just anecdotal evidence. If you're looking for more hard figures, try researching the sales figures on games like Brain Age and Guitar Hero and tell me what you find. See what I mean? We're not just seeing your stereotypical gamers playing these: we're seeing moms, dads, sisters, music fans, elderly...we're seeing more varied groups of people legitimately playing games in their spare time. As much as some people proclaim this to be a foreboding sign of doom, I can't really see too much negative out of this. Even though casual games are getting popular at the expense of "hardcore" games, gaming is starting to be recognized more and more. We'll still have our Bioshocks and Metal Gears to fall back on, but those who won't play these games will get to enjoy themselves too. I'm wondering what the future will bring...
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Of Copy Protection and Consumer Rights
Story updated: Things aren't all they seem to be. See the edit below for details, but the bulk of this blog post is still valid, I think.
I stumbled across this on Kotaku today: apparently a poster on the 2K Forums installed Bioshock on his computer under an admin account, and then his brother tried to play it on a different account. It sounds like a pretty normal and safe thing to do, right? Well, the game asked for the serial number again, presumably for one of the 5 allowed activations the game gives you. (If you're not aware, Bioshock uses SecuROM for copy protection, and only allows 5 "activations" to be active at one time. The game will prevent you from installing it anymore than that.) Now, this is pretty ridiculous. He bought the game, and most PC games allow people to install them under an admin account for use under normal accounts, so why is the game forcing him to use one of his activations? You can buy a DVD and let other people watch it without them having to buy it. You can buy the 360 version of Bioshock and have other people play it without buying it. So why can't you do the same thing on a computer? Well, according to a moderator on the 2K forums:
I'm astounded. I'm astounded that someone at 2K even responded in this way. After all the DRM issues Bioshock has faced since it was released, and after all the ire 2K has raised among PC users...you know, I'm not even sure it makes sense anymore. Using the game in this way is clearly fair use. No one is copying the game illegally, and no one is trying to con 2K out of a sale. It's just that no one in their right minds would buy a game, a DVD, a book, etc. again if someone in their household already bought the exact same thing. Why? Because it's right there. The other person can just borrow the copy of the item someone else has, use it for a while, and then return it. Society as a whole has this expectation, and I don't think it's ungrounded: it's an inconvenience to buy something again that someone close to us already owns. Imagine if your brother bought a DVD, but the company who made it wouldn't let you watch it because your brother was the one who bought it, not you. Imagine how that would make you feel. I am aware that these are not direct comparisons, as we don't own PC games, the companies just license them to us. But we do own the physical media they exist on.
I've been reading the thread topic on the original forum, and there's definitely a lot of discontent with what's going on here. Some people are refusing to buy the game because of this, and a few are even saying that they won't buy any games published by 2K anymore. After all this trouble, I'm not sure I want to buy the PC version of Bioshock myself. You have to be careful with customers and make sure you aren't trampling on their rights too much. If you do, your company will gain bad press, and that's the last thing any publisher wants. Well, aside from their games selling poorly, but you know what I mean.
I'm not sure DRM works too well most of the time anyway. Even with protection like StarForce and SecuROM, someone is almost invariably going to pirate the game and post it online for people to download. The way I see it, if the game is good, and if it's publicized well enough, people will buy it. I'm not usually one to say "the free market will decide what will sell well," but in this case I think it holds true. If handled the wrong way, DRM can cut into legitimate sales of the product and could make some players pretty ticked off. I'm very interested in the way developer Stardock approached copy protection: they didn't use it at all in Galactic Civilizations II, and company owner Brad Wardell said that most people who play the game illegally weren't going to buy it anyway. Even Bethesda decided to have just a DVD check for Oblivion, and look how well that sold. All I'm saying is that publishers should just have faith that if their game is good enough, people will buy it, and that DRM, while intending to prevent piracy, often leads to discontent and animosity in consumers. I do think publishers have a right to protect their work from piracy, of course, and I am in no way advocating piracy (I think copying their intellectual property is wrong), but the copy protection we have in place now just isn't working out. Maybe we need to think this through a bit, before we lose the good will of consumers.
I should also note that the message the moderator posted on the 2K forums was originally deleted. Make of that what you will.
EDIT: Apparently I spoke too soon, it looks like the moderator who made the comment was an outside contractor, not someone who works at 2K. This is still inexcusable, but at least it's not as bad as it seemed before. And 2K is investigating the guy, so that's something.
I stumbled across this on Kotaku today: apparently a poster on the 2K Forums installed Bioshock on his computer under an admin account, and then his brother tried to play it on a different account. It sounds like a pretty normal and safe thing to do, right? Well, the game asked for the serial number again, presumably for one of the 5 allowed activations the game gives you. (If you're not aware, Bioshock uses SecuROM for copy protection, and only allows 5 "activations" to be active at one time. The game will prevent you from installing it anymore than that.) Now, this is pretty ridiculous. He bought the game, and most PC games allow people to install them under an admin account for use under normal accounts, so why is the game forcing him to use one of his activations? You can buy a DVD and let other people watch it without them having to buy it. You can buy the 360 version of Bioshock and have other people play it without buying it. So why can't you do the same thing on a computer? Well, according to a moderator on the 2K forums:
"The other way to view this, is one USER has purchased the game. Not the whole family. So why should your brother play for free?"
I'm astounded. I'm astounded that someone at 2K even responded in this way. After all the DRM issues Bioshock has faced since it was released, and after all the ire 2K has raised among PC users...you know, I'm not even sure it makes sense anymore. Using the game in this way is clearly fair use. No one is copying the game illegally, and no one is trying to con 2K out of a sale. It's just that no one in their right minds would buy a game, a DVD, a book, etc. again if someone in their household already bought the exact same thing. Why? Because it's right there. The other person can just borrow the copy of the item someone else has, use it for a while, and then return it. Society as a whole has this expectation, and I don't think it's ungrounded: it's an inconvenience to buy something again that someone close to us already owns. Imagine if your brother bought a DVD, but the company who made it wouldn't let you watch it because your brother was the one who bought it, not you. Imagine how that would make you feel. I am aware that these are not direct comparisons, as we don't own PC games, the companies just license them to us. But we do own the physical media they exist on.
I've been reading the thread topic on the original forum, and there's definitely a lot of discontent with what's going on here. Some people are refusing to buy the game because of this, and a few are even saying that they won't buy any games published by 2K anymore. After all this trouble, I'm not sure I want to buy the PC version of Bioshock myself. You have to be careful with customers and make sure you aren't trampling on their rights too much. If you do, your company will gain bad press, and that's the last thing any publisher wants. Well, aside from their games selling poorly, but you know what I mean.
I'm not sure DRM works too well most of the time anyway. Even with protection like StarForce and SecuROM, someone is almost invariably going to pirate the game and post it online for people to download. The way I see it, if the game is good, and if it's publicized well enough, people will buy it. I'm not usually one to say "the free market will decide what will sell well," but in this case I think it holds true. If handled the wrong way, DRM can cut into legitimate sales of the product and could make some players pretty ticked off. I'm very interested in the way developer Stardock approached copy protection: they didn't use it at all in Galactic Civilizations II, and company owner Brad Wardell said that most people who play the game illegally weren't going to buy it anyway. Even Bethesda decided to have just a DVD check for Oblivion, and look how well that sold. All I'm saying is that publishers should just have faith that if their game is good enough, people will buy it, and that DRM, while intending to prevent piracy, often leads to discontent and animosity in consumers. I do think publishers have a right to protect their work from piracy, of course, and I am in no way advocating piracy (I think copying their intellectual property is wrong), but the copy protection we have in place now just isn't working out. Maybe we need to think this through a bit, before we lose the good will of consumers.
I should also note that the message the moderator posted on the 2K forums was originally deleted. Make of that what you will.
EDIT: Apparently I spoke too soon, it looks like the moderator who made the comment was an outside contractor, not someone who works at 2K. This is still inexcusable, but at least it's not as bad as it seemed before. And 2K is investigating the guy, so that's something.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
NOW LOADING
Give me a day or so to post something again; I'm back at college again and I need a little time to finish up all this moving in stuff before I can post some new entries. Not only that, but I plan to start posting some video features on here very soon! Stay tuned, and don't click that mouse away from here just yet.
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