There was a time when E3 was a really, really big deal. Now, it’s simply a really big deal. One of the biggest factors of its whole big dealness comes from the console manufacturers’ press conferences. They typically range from the epic (introduction of the Wii) to the horribly, horribly wrong (introduction of the PS3 and real-time weapon changing). So how did this year go for Microsoft?
There isn’t a whole lot that can be said for the new Guitar Hero: Aerosmith expansion. The name basically explains it all. However, it does feel a bit like the Guitar Hero is just gouging fans when Rock Band allows for so much downloadable content without having to purchase entirely new games at full price. Perhaps some people just really, really want a digital Steven Tyler? Perhaps those same people really, really liked Revolution X.
The general economy may be down, but video game sales are up in a big way. Compared with the same period last year, games sales are up 40%. This is obviously a very good sign for the industry’s ability to weather an economic downturn.
Of interesting note among the numbers, the PlayStation 3 topped the Xbox 360 for a second month in a row. Of course, there are apparent shortages of the Xbox 360 in stores, but it’s still a good bit of positive news for Sony’s flagship console. The Wii, of course, continued to sell the best despite its scarcity in stores. (more…)
Whoever said nothing good comes of video games? With the rise of popular music titles such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero, so has there been a rise in the popularity of classic rock music. Everything from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Journey have seen a resurgence in popularity as a younger generation are exposed to the music for the first time. The developers claim it was all part of the plan.
Kids are listening to Journey, Megadeth and Deep Purple? Well, yes say their parents and single sales. Gary Wedbush says it’s a sort of way to connect with his two sons. “Not to over-simplify, but any time you find common interests with your kids it’s a very cool thing,” Wedbush said. “You get to connect in a way that’s different than the normal parent-child relationship.” (more…)
Bobby Kotick is a happy guy right now. With the upcoming Vivendi merger, which will bring Blizzard and World of Warcraft under the Activision umbrella, the sky is the limit for what Kotick’s company can do.
At the recent Morgan Stanley Technology Conference in California, the CEO of Activision discussed how they would use Blizzard’s expertise in the world of online gameplay to help open a new door for some of the company’s best selling titles. Starting with the Guitar Hero franchise, Kotick proposed using Blizzard’s “institutional expertise” to bring PC editions of Guitar Hero to the “roughly 300,000 game rooms between China and Korea.” This would be a feat definitely not insurmountable considering the popularity of the title and the fanatical gaming community in Korea. (more…)
Games are one area the major media companies have yet to quite figure out. While the third party gaming arena is still dominated by mostly game centric companies, it appears more and more that media conglomerates are going to force their way in. Hopefully this attempt is more successful than their attempt in the 1990s.
Paramount is the latest giant to ponder a move into gaming territory. They would join Warner Brothers and Sony (obviously) in the increasingly crowded market. This comes from an MCV interview with Paramount Digital’s general manager of worldwide distribution, Alex Carloss. Carloss sounds quite excited about the possibilities of Paramount’s move into gaming, saying (more…)
While it is certainly easy to pick apart games and gaming culture, it is just as easy to note the things done right by games. If you have a friend who just can’t wrap their mind around the idea that gaming can be good, let them settle in for five points on why gaming is not all bad for you.
They bring people together.
Say what you will about video games keeping kids indoors and away from outdoor sports and activities, it’s hard to argue that playing video games is not a group activity. Classic multiplayer titles such as Contra to modern multiplayer legends like Super Smash Bros. show that gaming is something best done with others. While the recent push into online gaming may have made many worry that gaming was soon headed back under the rock of isolation, it also welcomed new party games such as Rock Band and Buzz: The Trivia Game.
Madden Football is a party game with its own unique atmosphere surrounding it. Step foot into any college dormitory across the nation and you are likely to find a group of young men playing Madden tournaments. Just like real sports, it even invites onlookers and fans who root for either team. While real football games are in no danger of being replaced, many other social activities such as playing cards seem like relics of the past to many young people. (more…)
What does one make of a title like Band Mashups for the Wii? It seems like a cheap cash-in on titles like Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band. Yet, all of those titles are derivative themselves. It seems like another bad idea for a Wii music title, much like Boogie by Electronic Arts. Yet, Wii owners can’t really complain about original titles coming their way. It’s an enigma wrapped in a riddle.
Nintendo’s Wii Fit title has done pretty much what everything Nintendo has touched lately has done-turned gold, and then platinum, as the case may be. Wii Fit has sold 1,283,000 units and reigned at the number one spot in Japanese game sales for the past four weeks. That’s a pretty impressive feat for any game, but all the more so for one based on a peripheral.
There has been a long standing joke about peripheral based games-mothers’ attics across the nation are filled with them. Everything from the Power Pad to the Power Glove (are we noting a pattern developing here?) to the Super Scope 6 and more have come and gone almost in the blink of an eye. There was ROB the Robot, who occasionally turns up in games, and who can forget Sega’s 3D glasses for the original Master System? This is to say nothing of the add-ons that let you play different games, such as the 32X, Sega CD, etc. All of these have been failures, to one extent or another, so why not Wii Fit? (more…)
10) Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Puzzle games are a dime a dozen these days, and while particularly addictive ones can still get attention, it usually takes something truly innovative that breaks the mold to make everyone sit up and take notice. That’s exactly what this title did.
9) Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Isn’t it just another romp through the world of Ratchet and Clank? Yes, but it’s also an incredibly polished game to be released in a console’s first year of life. The story might be lacking compared to past installments, but if ever there were a game that took us one step closer to controlling a Pixar cartoon, this is it.
8 ) Pac-Man: Championship Edition
The announcement of this game drew laughs from many, including much of the gaming press. Once they played the actual game, however, all opinions changed. It’s the most addictive arcade game in years, and with the minor caveat of the time limits, it’s one of the few “perfect” games released all year. (more…)
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