Opinion, analysis, babble...

• 2Sep 08

  Skate 2 Trick Request List...

  If it were possible to embed videos within blog posts I would have but I digress. I'll make this simple: I want the ability to do everything found in this youtube video.

  That is all. Thank you.

  • Posted Sep 2, 2008 1:13 pm PT
  • Category: N/A
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• 17Jul 08

  The Divorce Has Been Finalized...

  by former NSider カゾク

  All too many relationships end in heartache, no matter how great a start they get. Boy meets girl. Boy courts girl. Both fall in love and marry. Twenty years and five consoles later girl feels underappreciated and 'wants to expand the market.'

  Wait...what?

  Yeah, you read right. I'm talking about the big N. Nintendo. Ninty. Home to gaming's greatest icons. I mean, really! After the love is gone, how could you lead us on? What used to be right is wrong!?

  But seriously, though, doesn't this seem like a really bad break-up. For twenty years thing went along just fine. Admittedly there've been a few issues and a few rough patches here or there. All things considered, though, it was a really good run. And what relationship doesn't have issues.

  If any fan of videogames in general previously held any doubt about Nintendo's desire to maintain a working relationship with gamers who were never part of their rabid fanbase (you know who you are), and seemingly even with those who are, you need look no further than this year's E3. That isn't all, though. For months top executives at Nintendo of America have shown a general disconnect with the gamers that helped get them where they are today. Instead they've decided to focus their efforts on attracting 'new,' 'casual' gamers.

  Where I come from we call that adultery. Oh, it doesn't have to be. There are many companies that have shown themselves capable of reaching out to new consumers while at the same time maintaining their appeal among their mainstream fanbase.

  Take the automobile industry. (Yes I know they're tanking right now, just bear with me.) A few years back Ford released a redesigned Mustang. A lot of enthusiasts liked it. Some weren't too thrilled by it. Now, did they then stop producing minivans, SUVs, CUVs, and sedans? Absolutely not. On the contrary they continued to revise those models as well to maintain their appeal to people who don't like Mustangs. It does us well to mention that when the redesigned Mustang was released it was believed that the coupe market was dead. That is no longer the case.

  Nintendo could very easily show those of it's fanbase, rabid or otherwise, that they still have an interest in developing games that appeal to them while at the same time 'expanding the market.' A great opportunity to do that is at E3, of all places.

  Now cite E3's being primarily a business summit as the reason for Nintendo's lackluster showing. That is absolutely correct...except for a few things. If E3 were for businesses only, all that would be discussed would be sales figures and profit projections for the next fiscal year. Or do you really believe businessmen and -women are itching to get their hands on the next Kirby game?

  I'll go ahead and submit my opinion now and you can take it however you want: If Nintendo didn't intend to show off any games for gamers, they shouldn't have bothered to have a press conference.

  *sigh*

  We were so good together...

  • Posted Jul 17, 2008 9:07 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 1Feb 08

  My First Review

  My review of skate. Head on over if you'd like to check it out.

  • Posted Feb 1, 2008 7:45 pm PT
  • Category: General
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• 14Jan 08

  The Fab 5 Returns

  It's been a long day's night

  Revered developer Factor 5 is currently working on a non-Virtual Console title for Wii. If no one remembers their last title for a Nintendo platform:

  
  
  
  
  
  

  Finally, someone to show the third party developers how it's done. It's not a concrete set of standards for quality but I hope it's a start. (Source: IGN)

  • Posted Jan 14, 2008 3:08 pm PT
  • Category: News
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• 8Jan 08

  Best. Review. Ever.

  Some developers just don't know when to quit

  Wow. Ninjabread Man scored unexpectedly high on IGN. Thanks again, Data Design Interactive.

  • Posted Jan 8, 2008 7:57 pm PT
  • Category: Games
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• 31Dec 07

  Shovel-where?

  by former NSider--カゾク
  

  The enormous success of the Nintendo Wii caught many developers completely off guard, causing many to scramble to get their projects up, running, and on the market. This mad run has included even many well-known publishers, including the likes of Activision and Ubisoft. Some developers have been able to produce a few gems. Others have created what can only be described as shovelware. Yet none tops the efforts of Data Design Interactive (a.k.a. Popcorn Arcade).

  Previously, however, the consumer, and more specifically the demographic who regularly played videogames and could make the distinction between a quality game and a load of crap, was able to serve as a sort of 'filter' for the kind of software these publishers are pushing out into the market. What has been the situation regarding Data Design Interactive's products? Consider the following:

  Mini Desktop Racing, IGN's review:

  

  Mini Desktop Racing is another shovelware title that simply needs to be ignored at all costs. It's better than its partner in crime, Offroad Extreme, but only by a hair, as the racer's controls are still extremely uncomfortable, pretty unresponsive, and completely lackluster. Mini-games in Wario Ware, Wii Play, or EA's Wii Playground run circles around this game, and offer a ton of other modes on top of basic slot car racing. Mini's visuals are a joke, and if this game was available on Wii Ware rather than on physical media we'd still recommend it for absolutely nobody, as it's nothing short of insulting. The back of Mini's box labels this game as "A perfect combination of miniature Mini mayhem and madcap multiplayer madness." We'd say that alone doesn't do the game justice though, as it also "Musters magnificent malignant migraines and manages to make marvelous must-play moto-racing for masochists with moronic monetary management." The fact that Nintendo even puts its official seal on this game is nothing short of laughable.--score 1.2/10

  Offroad Extreme: Special Edition, IGN's review:

  We would rather shoot ourselves in the knees than play this game.--score 1.0/10

  Again, normally games like these would be filtered out by the market.They would be rejected almost unanimously by gamers that knew anything about games. However given the vastly different nature of the current state of the market in comparison with previous generations, how have games like these fared? Here's a quote from Data Design Interactive's website:

  Stewart Green MD Popcorn Arcade, said:
  On the Monday I tried to order some promotional units and was amazed to find that Koch were already out of stock, we knew there was a market for family friendly titles that weren't overly complicated, so kids can pick up and start having fun within minutes. At an affordable price we expected a sellout at Christmas for stocking fillers, but having to reorder double the quantities in the first week is beyond our expectations. The Wii is going to be a big success at Christmas, and for us, Christmas is coming early!
  
  Alison Fraser, Product Manager Gamestation, said:
  It's great to see the release of a budget range on the Wii console which is attracting the more casual gamer. Popcorn Arcade games are fun titles which will benefit from the growth of the Nintendo Wii Market.

  These titles have flourished under current market circumstances. I would venture to argue that Nintendo's irresponsibility shown by the lack of quality checking is having a negative, yet paradoxically profitable, affect on the industry, with all of the benefits being enjoyed by lazy publishers while frustrated gamers hold out, reassuring themselves by repeating the release date of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
  
  Meanwhile deserving third party publishers, like Capcom, among others, are suffereing because of some Wii owners' lack of desire to buy third party games. With Nintendo green-lighting projects developed by teams of accountants who can blame them.

  • Posted Dec 31, 2007 4:13 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 16Dec 07

  Quality is Subjective?

  by former NSider--カゾク
  

  Recent comments by top executives at Nintendo of America (president Reggie Fils-Aime and outgoing marketing VP George Harrison, namely)seem to suggest the presence of recreational drugs in the workplace. It's difficult to believe that the conclusions these two executives came to were the result of logical, well-thought-out investigation and analysis of the evidence. What conclusions, you ask? Let's take a look at two statements released over the last few weeks:

  First up is Vice President of marketing Goerge Harrison. In a story that broke on November 29, Harrison was quoted as stating that 'Western publishers', or third-party developers, are "doing a great job on...Wii," and that the products they provide "tend to be more in tune with Western tastes." Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but that comment seems way off base. Granted, there have been a few publishers that have appeared to possess at least a very basic knowledge of game development, but the Wii has also seen it's fair share of shovelware. Some might even conclude that third party developers aren't capable or willing to make a solid game for Wii.

  Unfortunately the scores of a great host of games for Wii have seemed to support the latter claim. Consider the following: in the last six months, 112 third party titles have been released. That's a pretty impressive number for starters. 39 of those titles scored over a 5.0 according to Game Rankings. Of the few that actually scored perfect 10.0s, none of them had over fifty reviews. Now that doesn't seem too strange until you consider that one of those games was High School Musical, with a grand total of seven reviews.

  What's bad is that is isn't just the low-profile titles that are plagued by a striking lack of workmanship. Some games that deserve more praise are suffering as a result of the reputation of third-party titles on Nintendo consoles. (Think Zak and Wiki.) Let's not forget Spider-Man 3, which, according to Activision was developed for Wii 'from the ground up', despite having an identical counterpart on PlayStation 2. This all too apparent lack of quality brings us to the next quote via an interview from Kotaku.

  Reggie Fils-Aime, current President of Nintendo of America, said in an interview with the aforementioned Kotaku that quality is "subjective" and that Nintendo does not filter for quality. What he did reveal is that they are working closely with publishers to aid them in understanding the technology. Given that Miyamoto is earlier quoted as stating that the Wii's architecture is basically the same as the Gamecube's with the exception of the controller, of course, it would seem they would need very little help in making a working piece of software. We all remember the Gamecube being touted as easy to develop for.

  Is the reasoning of Nintendo's top executives the result of recreational drugs or good old-fashioned greed? You decide.

  

  • Posted Dec 16, 2007 4:58 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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