• 25Jun 09

  My New Job in the Gaming Industry

  I have a new job. I am sitting at my desk right now in Wilton Connecticut. What am I doing here?

  
  

  I have a job with the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA). They are a video game lobby group lobbying for you, the gamer. Although I am working for the ECA, my job is to write up articles and posts for GamePolitics.com and the newly created GameCulture.com.

  

  At the present moment, I am really only working on GamePolitics.com. The site was founded by Dennis McCauley, a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and discusses all things about the politics behind video games. If you are serious about learning about the workings of the industry, this is a site you need to look at regularly.

  
  

  As I am writing this, my first article was posted on the site. There were a number of changes that needed to be made as I am not immune to some grammatical mishaps. Overall, I think it turned out well.

  
  

  Please read it here and let me know what you think!

  Thanks!

  -Doug

  • Posted Jun 25, 2009 11:59 am PT
  • 28 Comments
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• 10Jun 09

  Nintendo Shouldn't Feel Threatened by New Motion Control Systems

  Both Sony and Microsoft announced new motion controllers at E3 this year. After seeing a few of the capabilities and imagining the possibilities, many saw Nintendo's announcement of Wii Motion Plus as nothing special. More so, many people think that Nintendo will fall behind with motion control and may ultimately loose a part of their audience that will have different casual gaming options. However for all the hype surrounding Project Natal and Sony's motion controller, Nintendo shouldn't feel threatened by the competition as their position in the market will not change.

  
  At the Microsoft Press Conference the crowd was astonished by the capabilities of Project Natal. Not only did the system have fully playable demos, such as the full body brick-breaker and the paint feature, but Peter Molyneux and Lionhead's Milo application created an extraordinary buzz around the video game industry because of the possibilities for player experience. Not to be outdone, Sony showed off some technical demos of their new motion controller. Initially people saw the wand with a ball at the end as a huge step behind Microsoft's controller-less option. However, when they displayed the precision of the controller (especially when they wrote almost flawlessly) and the ability to picture yourself holding specific weapons, many thought that Sony's surprise created a three-way rivalry.

  

  Nintendo's Miyamoto is ready to fight, but it won't be a tough one

  
  Of course, Nintendo showed off some additional applications utilizing their Wii Motion Plus controller attachment, but the response from the crowd were less than satisfactory. Why didn't this come with the original product? Why will it only work with some games? These were just some of the plethora of questions about Nintendo's addition to their controller that has brought so many to gaming. With unabashed confidence, Nintendo execs described how they were going to continue to lead and how their system was going to create even more gamers.

  
  Nintendo's confidence is warranted. They have every right to think that they will maintain first place in the console wars. The Nintendo Wii has outsold the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 by a significant margin while Nintendo has also enjoyed enormous success with the Nintendo DS handheld. Although Nintendo is not foolproof (as Wii Music was certainly an enormous failure) they continue to turn out games that make non-gamers want to purchase game consoles. The vast majority of these people are playing Nintendo Wii. Despite efforts to draw additional consumers with more casual games, purchases of the powerhouse consoles by newly turned gamers pale in comparison.

  
  Nintendo really does not have to feel threatened by Microsoft and Sony's new motion controllers. If anything, it is validation that their enormous gamble creating a system almost solely based on motion control works. Many at Nintendo view new motion controllers as imitation, which they believe is the greatest form of flattery.

  

  Iwata supposedly said that Nintendo passed on camera controlled technology

  
  The Wii is so far ahead of the competition that the introduction of similar products will do very little to fetter their success. There console is perceived to be the cheapest of the bunch. It doesn't matter that with all of the additional controllers and attachments that the Wii becomes as expensive as the other consoles. The public, because of word of mouth and the mainstream media, sees the Wii as the cheapest, easiest, and most enjoyable of all of the video game systems. That is why everyone and their mother owns one.

  
  Unlike Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo has games that utilize motion control well. Wii Play is now the top selling, non-bundled game of all time and almost every game with "party" in the title sells a million copies. Publishers are making enormous profits off of games made for the Wii while development for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 are perceived as difficult and expensive (especially the PS3).

  
  What should be deduced from the status-quo and the implementation of new motion controllers by Nintendo's competition is that their business model works. That being said, Sony and Microsoft will not fail, but their motion control systems will take longer to implement and will be less likely to succeed. The consumer will be less likely to purchase another system for motion control specific games especially after so many have purchased Nintendo's console. Nintendo will have to continue to make innovative games and fun games, but their head start and reputation prevents Sony and Microsoft's motion controllers a real threat in the foreseeable future.

  
  

  -Doug Buffone

  Sound Off: Should Nintendo be worried? Do you want Microsoft and Sony's motion controllers to do well, or does that imply more casual games?
  

  • Posted Jun 10, 2009 11:15 am PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 6Jun 09

  What I played at E3 2009

  I want to do a write up about my specific thoughts and experiences at E3, but right now I am very busy with writing previews for TalkXbox. So without further ado, here is the stuff I played and other interesting information

  
  

  Hands Off

  Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

  Homefront

  IL 2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

  Brink

  Rogue Warrior

  
  

  Hands On

  MX vs ATV: Reflex

  Joy Ride

  Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

  Gran Turismo PSP

  Little Big Planet PSP

  Rock Band Unplugged

  Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

  Metal Gear Solid (PS1 on PSP)

  Final Fantasy VII (PS1 on PSP)

  Wet

  Left 4 Dead 2

  Halo ODST

  The Beatles Rock Band

  Order of War

  Final Fantasy Dissidia

  Scribblenauts

  Red Steel 2

  Batman Arkam Assylum

  Ghostbusters

  Trine

  God of War III

  Tony Hawk Ride

  New Super Mario Bros. Wii

  Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

  
  

  
  

  Eh... That is all I can remember.

  
  

  Press Conferences Attended

  Microsoft

  Sony

  Nintendo

  
  

  Favorite Games Played

  The Beatles Rock Band

  Scribblenauts (seriously, everyone needs to know about it!)

  
  

  Games I Didn't Play and I Wish I Could Have

  Assassin's Creed 2

  Splinter Cell: Conviction

  DAMN YOU UBISOFT!
  

  
  

  
  

  So, that is a bit of a sample of what I did. I didn't include parties because, frankly, I don't remember everything that happened at them

  
  

  Want to hear more about any game in particular? Just comment here and I will do my best!

  -Doug
  

  
  

  
  

  • Posted Jun 6, 2009 9:57 pm PT
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