I see a possible solution on the horizon with this issue now that I think about it. Clearly, the industry is moving towards full downloadable games. With this system, publishers can keep down their production costs and charge less for games. Additionally, once a game is older it can be sold digitally for less with complete control of where the money is going, thus still benefiting the original developer AND the consumer. Just a thought.
This article fails to mention that "reexamining their business model" will likely lead to a huge change in the games we play through a hit in areas like quality, length, and/or general polish. That's not to say that there isn't a BETTER way to produce games, and some have even dabbled in experiments that have given us "episodic content" and DLC. But consumers need to be willing to accept that inevitable change if the producers can't get the financial support that they need from the people that genuinely want their product. If the Publisher isn't making money directly (and basically the ONLY way to do this is through purchasing their game new) then they don't have money to reinvest in future games that we'll want to play. It's really not all that complicated, and the best a publisher can do is make games that are worth every penny of your money to encourage smart gamers to spend the money on the games they trust and love. Consumers ultimately have the responsibility and power over what they play and who succeeds.
I don't see what the fuss is all about when it comes to HD. The way I see it is, a game is a game, regardless of how the minor changes in graphical "sharpness" factor into the experience. I can live without HD to be sure, but I hope Nintendo can keep the motion-sensing controller alive. Without the motion-sensing technology with Wii will die off fast. That's the only thing differentiating it from the competition, and no one will argue that the Wii is a vastly underpowered machine compared to the PS3 and 360. I'm excited to see what kind of an impact this has on the PS3 numbers. It's almost like Sony set itself up to be duped by Nintendo this time. Still, Sony is in such a high and lofty position that a comet could tear through the earth's core and send us hurdling into the sun and they'll still end up making a profit somehow. We're in for an interesting one...
Some of these picks have so much a nostalgia factor that I could play them for eons. 1.) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64) Call me crazy, but I've beaten this game dozens of times, and I still love every minute of it. This is one finely crafted game. 2.) The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion (Xbox 360) This could possibly be the biggest friggin' game ever made, and it's well done too. That's the kinda' game you want with you on an island. It also comes with a handy map, so that could prove invaluable should you end up crashing in Cyrodil somewhere... it could happen. 3.) Halo 2 (Xbox) Assuming some kind of ethernet connection suddenly spawns on the island, I could get thousands of hours out of this game. This is first person shooting at it's best, people. 4.) Guild Wars and Expansions (PC) This game provides a gargantuan game world, with added content every few months, which is a great bonus. The best thing about it though, is the fact that it's free! And seeing as I'll be trapped on a desert island, I'll probably be a litlte short on cash to pay for those high-rollin' MMORPGs like World of Warcraft. 5.) Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS) This is one of those games that never ends, and presumably, being trapped on an island never ends either. So you might as well live in a world with a little more life than a barren island. Granted, that life consists of strange blocky animals that are less coherent than Ozzy Osbourne with a bottle of Liquor in him, but they're lively nonetheless. If I show up with all of these games and by some strange stretch of the imagination there doesn't happen to be any gaming consoles and televisions scattered about, I can always use them to fend off the beasties that will probably be trying to devour me. Except Zelda...that's a cartridge.
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