Webimpulse

I'm sure someone else has said this already (I didn't read through all the comments, considering how many there are), but as this video demonstrates, Warcraft or Starcraft would be perfect for the Nintendo DS. Blizzard, please, PLEASE consider making a version for the Nintendo DS. Your fans will love you...or at least this fan will, anyway.

"But seriously, I figure it's just because they hate freedom so much."

Seriously, what's with assuming that ALL of those who sell and/or own the Xbox 360 are nationalistic jingoists who don't respect other cultures? Sure, there are some Xbox 360 owners who are chauvinistic and hold the naive assumption of American cultural superiority, but you can find just as many gamers who hold a similar chauvinistic viewpoint on any gaming platform, from Sony to Nintendo to PC. Assuming anyone who owns and enjoys an Xbox 360, and assuming those who make it and sell it, to be nationalistic, militaristic blowhards is nothing but silly prejudice. When did it get to be so in vogue to judge one's political viewpoints based on what console one owns? Owning an Xbox 360 doesn't make one a Bush supporter, or a supporter of any of America's policies for that matter. And I'm sure working for Microsoft doesn't automatically make one any of the above either.

Honestly, stop making assumptions about Xbox 360 owners and makers.

Who says American McGee was losing street cred? Last I heard his comments on how the Wii was the only "next-gen" platform earned him plenty of street cred amongst gamers.

Insert obligatory "yo' momma" joke here.

I must admit, I love that picture.

So how come when Joystiq, or anyone else for that matter, shows even the slightest iota of preference towards Microsoft, readers immediately cry that Microsoft is slipping them cash and paying for their coverage? Why is it that no one can show their preferences anymore without being labeled a "fanboy" or other derisive term? It used to be okay to like a gaming system - what happened?

Even journalists have their preferences and biases - journalists being human, it's impossible to remove them. Preferences, biases, and non-objectivity are part of the human condition, people. Deal with it.

Maybe I'm just crazy, but I prefer Xbox Live's openness to Nintendo's friend code system. I just think it's a real pain that in order to add anyone to my friends list and thereby be able to merely talk to them (and no, I don't randomly cuss people out) you have to enter a 12-digit code. Add in the fact that you have to do it for every single game you own and I officially dislike the friend code system more than whatever problems Xbox Live is plagued with.

I know Nintendo is trying to keep online play civil and family friendly, but the friend code system is a bit too extreme. Methinks Nintendo should find a happy medium, like having each player have a singular username and friend code, so that when you input said friend code it works across all your games without having to enter it in each time.

You know, one thing I always wondered about is exactly how the Wii will lower game development costs. I know the most obvious answer is because it has lower graphical standards than the Xbox 360 or PS3, but even with the lower graphical standards cutting costs at one corner, one would think that developing for such a complex control scheme as the Wiimote would be equally taxing on a developer's budget, considering how technically complex it is. That's one question I'd certainly like answered - just how much does it cost to develop for the complex control scheme of the Wii, and how does that compare financially to developing high-level graphics for the Xbox 360 and PS3?

Anyway, regarding in game advertising, in my humble opinion it would really depend on the kind of game the ads are in, as well as how the ads are used within the game. I know that's what other people have said before in this comments thread, but I can think of a few ways to sneak ads in that wouldn't be invasive but still serve their purpose:

-In a war-torn or post-apocalyptic setting, like, say, Gears of War, have a wrecked billboard, vending machine, lighted marquee, or other large format advertisement be displayed somewhere, as part of the ruins of the place. That way it could be part of the backstory, to express just what was lost during the war/disaster/big kablooie/giant enemy crab invasion, in much the way such ads have been used in other post-apocalyptic settings. (Whether or not such items are worth fighting for in a post-apocalyptic setting is another story, dependent on exactly what is being advertised...)

-Have the ads express some sort of message concurrent with the story, other than "buy our stuff." The best example I can think of, of how that can be accomplished, is in the movie Minority Report (yes, I know it has Tom Cruise in it, but the movie was still cool), in the scene where the main character is bombarded by ads that automatically tailor themselves to him via cameras that scan his eyes for his identity. Here, the ads in the movie are used to show just how invasive the surveillance in the paranoid society of the movie is (and how it can be possible in our future), in addition to being convenient product placements. I can see such a method of ad placement being done in some games to enhance their storylines and their messages, if done right. (I can't think of a good example of how it can be done in games right now off the top of my head.)

-Have the ads be part of something spectacular the player does, but indirectly. Example: have the player be confronted with a horde of bad guys, but conveniently place an ad billboard to blow up nearby, which the player can blow up at its base to have it come crashing down on said horde. (Of giant enemy crabs, possibly.)

-Have the ad be just plain ridiculous, to add an element of self-parody and thereby call attention to it without hitting the player upside the head with it. Best example - having the Burger King show up as a playable character in Fight Night Round 3.

Damn, I could be in marketing. Although if I found myself in a marketing position, I'd quickly shoot myself.

Can someone please delete the comments of #94 and #95? They are clearly in violation of the comments policy posted on the Joystiq site. They are not relevant to this blog entry and are most certainly inappropriate.

You know, after reading something like that, I'm tempted to destroy my Xbox 360 in disgust. Tempted, mind you...I'm still going to keep my Xbox 360 and still play it, though, to prove the point that not every Xbox 360 user is a racist nationalist conservative homophobe.

[-Z-], I feel your pain. I'm ashamed to be an American and associated with this country too. I'm all too painfully aware of the racism, sexism, and homophobia that permeates almost every facet of American culture. And I'm ashamed to be a part of it whether I want to or not. I have so many issues with Here Is the Problem's post that I'm not even going to get started on them.

It's one reason why I'm a gamer, I play video games not only to avoid those TV shows you speak of that make fun of gays and other so-called "minorities," but also to avoid all these real life travesties that permeate my life so. And the Xbox 360 just happens to be one of the game systems I play to try to keep myself sane and not let the racism, sexism, and homophobia in America drive me to become evil. I just want to play my games in peace, no matter what system they're on. Is that too much to ask for, people?