I am fortunate enough to earn a living as a web consultant while working from home. I'm a graduate from BYU's school of business ('04), a husband and father of one, a freelance writer, and avid blogger. Here are some highlights from my gaming past and present:
First game experience: I faintly remember scoring a used 2600 and a butt-load of games from my grandpa at a very young age. I also remember playing some soccer game on an unidentified multi-button white controller with a wooden console circa 1984; to this day I have no idea what it was.
Games that changed me: Pitfall (Atari 2600), Skee Ball (Arcade), Spy Hunter (Arcade) Golden Axe (Arcade), Kung Fu (NES), Super Mario Brothers (NES), Zelda (NES), Tecmo Bowl (NES), Tetris (GB), Black Cauldron (IBM PC Jr.), Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis), Mortal Kombat (Arcade), Doom II (PC), Flashback (Genesis), Donkey Kong Country (SNES), Jet Moto (PSX), Twisted Metal (PSX), Tomb Raider (PSX), NiGHTS (Saturn), Zelda: Wind Waker (GCN), Unreal Tournament (PC), Metroid Prime (GCN), RE4 (GCN), Shadow of the Colossus (PS2), Kirby: Canvas Curse (DS).
Potential sources of bias and conflicts of interest: (1) I blog for Infendo, which is a Nintendo enthusiast community that I consider myself a part of; (2) I blog for GigaGamez, which is a business-oriented game blog; (3) I fear monopolies and appreciate strong competition as a consumer; (4) I like precedence; (5) I have been known to be overly critical and a bit inflammatory at times but generally view passionate criticism as a good thing; (6) I tend to follow console news more closely than PC/Mac gaming news. (7) I quit playing video games in pursuit of rockstardom among other things from 1998-2000; (8) I don't take games too seriously.
Why I'm blogging about games: I am passionate about video games as an entertainment medium and enjoy voicing my opinion on the subject. I have consistently followed the industry (with exception to my aforementioned departure) from a young age when magazines were the only source of information on company happenings. Covering and following gaming, for me, is almost as fun as playing.
What are the hardest games to beat? IGN takes a stab at the question with a listicle of 10 doozies. Devil May Cry 3, Battletoads, MDK2 (awesome game), F-Zero GX, and Mega Man (take your pick) all grace the list. But the crown goes to non other than good 'ole Contra sans the Konami code, of course. If these were the only games to feature Achievement Points, you'd be broke.
Look out, PS2. One analyst says the DS may give you a run for your 115 million units-sold money. "The DS has the potential to be the best-selling interactive entertainment platform ever," predicted DFC analyst David Cole in a recent report on the expected growth of handheld gaming. But the lil' DS has a long way to go; it has only sold 40 million units to date. Cole also suggested that handhelds could ultimately outsell consoles by 2011 lead by the dual-screener. But will it happen?
According to one report, griefer complaints make up 25% of all game-related customer service calls. Said punks sabotage teammates, talk like dirty sailors, hail Hitler, and are in your screen, ruining your game. So what encourages such anti-social behavior? GamePro's aptly named Vicious Sid talks with a psychiatrist to get some answers.
The gist of griefer existence boils down to rogue leaders looking for attention. They are either a "defiant leader" not knowing where to align their objectives, or a black sheep (also called a "scapegoat leader") looking to disrupt a game's cadence or simply annoy. So what should you do next time you encounter one? Be nice or at least patient. That'll usually diffuse their desire contrary to reacting negatively. Read on for the full analysis.
During a promotional event celebrating Microsoft's twentieth anniversary in Mexico, Bill Gates lost to professional Mexican soccer player Rafael Marquez 2-1 in a virtual game of soccer on the 360 (FIFA?). The game was played in front of a crowd of Microsoft employees on three jumbo trons. We bet it was thrilling. And in proper fashion, the two exchanged signed product after the match; Gates giving Marquez a 360 with wired controllers, and Marquez giving Gates a Barcelona camiseta. Yet another example of rich/famous people getting more free stuff.
One of the greatest and bestest third-party devs revealed some good news for Wii owners yesterday in speaking with Game|Life's Chris Kohler. First up, Capcom confirmed the release of Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles this year. The game was first announced at last year's E3 alongside the most ridiculously short, 3-second muddy video. But that's three seconds more than nothing.
In addition to confirming RE, the company said there is "at least one" unannounced Capcom game coming to Wii in 2007. Gamers can expect the unveiling within the next few weeks. Don't you just love teasers?
In a note to investors today, Goldman Sachs analyst Yuji Fujimori predicted that Sony will drop the price of the PS3 by $100 dollars this October. So how will the price cut be justified? Volume! Kidding, Fujimori cites the reduction of good ole fashion parts; the fewer there are, the cheaper it is to manufacture.
For example, PSX was originally manufactured with 700 components, later reduced to 200. The PS2: 2,000 parts reduced to 600. A smaller cell processor should help reduce costs as well. So for those still sitting on the fence, would a $100 PS3 price drop sway you into buying; or would it take more than that?
Just because mainstream press won't entertain the alternative ("Maybe games don't 'cause all the world's problems..."), doesn't mean we can't. No, we're not suggesting that games kill, but you're foolish if you don't recognize the addictive power of gaming goodness.
Enter a 1UP feature examining the give-aways that you might be, um, playing games a little too much. The piece also offers advice on how to tame the beast if you have a problem. So, you might be obsessed with video games if...
You forgo paying the electric bill in favor of buying a new game or wait four days in line for a shiny new box (questionable priorities)
You read a newly purchased game manual while driving home from the store (lapses in judgment)
You throw a controller at the TV. In the olden days, you would have also hit reset right before your buddy was about to beat you in Tecmo Bowl. (anger issues)
Click over for the full list of signs. Gamers anonymous starts now... in the comments.
According to a new study by German researchers (who also make damn fine automobiles), people who play racing games with realistic driving environments are more likely to get into an actual wreck than those who don't play video games. The study questioned 198 men on women on their willingness to take driving risks. The ones that played driving games ended up taking greater risks and were more prone to reckless driving according to the study. Believe it or not.
Happy Monday, gamers. Got a healthy list of new releases for you this week. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hits just about every platform under the sun, Elder Scrolls Oblivion makes its way to the PS3, and hardcore gamers will be pleased to know that Cooking Mama has finally arrived on Wii. Finally. Check out the full list of games out this week:
Xbox 360 TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles UEFA Championships League 2006-2007 Tetris Evolution Armored Core 4 Earth Defense Force 2017 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Shivering Isles Expansion Pack Virtual Tennis 3
PS3 Armored Core 4 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion The Godfather: The Don's Edition Virtual Tennis 3
Wii Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII Cooking Mama: Cook Off Kororinpa: Marble Mania The Godfather: Blackhand Edition TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Wing Island
Amazon's Game Room has an interesting post exploring all the different factors that go into making a game purchase, outside of game play that is. Items for consideration include genre format, review scores, price, replay value, ESRB rating (for those with offspring), and loyalty (aka nostalgia or the fondness factor) to name a few. Click over to see the full description of all 12, and for the sake of discussion, which non-game play determinants influence your purchasing power? Be honest.
In commemoration of the PSP's second birthday here in the states on Mar 24, GamePro profiles 10 games they say you should either own or add to your library. LocoRoco and Lumines are at the top of the list including some honorable mentions. When the portable isn't flogging or trying to differentiate itself as a unique platform, it's busy selling shipping a solid 25 million systems, more than any other non-Nintendo handheld to date.
We're not sure if 1,816 comment Diggs rank as the most ever as this Diggster claims, but it sure is a lot. So just what do these 1,816 commenters share in common? They believe playing World of Warcraft won't help you score a significant other, contrary to what the opening thread alleged (click for full image). "Buried as inaccurate," is their mantra, sung in one accord.
Like the DS before it, it appears Wii will only support title-specific friend codes for online play according to GameSpy PR folk in an interview with Falafelkid from Wii: Definitive Speculation. When asked via email if Wii friend rosters were console specific (read: logical, usable, accessible, you know, fully operational), a representative from Nintendo's online partner replied by saying, "for the Wii friend lists are game specific."
Were not just talking certain games that also connect to DS here (i.e. Pokemon Battle Revolution), we're talking all games. Our team on the inside has yet to penetrate the GameSpy vault to confirm or deny the rumor, but what a rancid, partially substantiated rumor this is. Keep hope alive?
Wii's recent popularity (likely amplified by the online folk) helped increase Nintendo.com's unique visitors by 91% over last year, this in stark contrast to Playstation.com's 8% decrease of total unique visitors according to a Nielsen/NetRatings report released today. Xbox.com saw a 47% traffic increase over last year.
Site
Feb '06
Feb '07
YOY Growth
Nintendo.com
856
1,631
91%
Xbox.com
827
1,218
47%
PlayStation.com
1,105
1,016
-8%
That's a good metric showing how both Nintendo's and Microsoft's online audiences have grown as PlayStation enthusiasm (at least to its proper website) has dwindled. Web junkies click onward for the full skinny on all that traffic jazz.
Zelda co-creator Eiji Aonuma (pictured) confirmed in an interview with Game Informer on Friday that Phantom Hourglass will feature an online multi-player mode. Without disclosing any deets, Aonuma simply replied "Yes" when asked if the game would support "online battles over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection." Strangely, GI failed to press the issue for more information. Note to self: If/when Nintendo ever confirms online multiplayer for Wii in an interview with Joystiq, just say "okay" and move on to the next question.
I am fortunate enough to earn a living as a web consultant while working from home. I'm a graduate from BYU's school of business ('04), a husband and father of one, a freelance writer, and avid blogger. Here are some highlights from my gaming past and present:
