Kefka

Bah, I didn't read your post before replying... Pretty much said the exact same thing. :P

Others have touched on both of these points, but here's what I think would be the most effective - and it works by rewarding the people who do the right thing, rather than hassling anyone.

* Make the game cheaper. Put out a good game at a budget price, and release a press statement that you're doing this in an attempt to combat piracy. If enough studios do this, it could just inspire change in the market and the culture surrounding piracy.

* Reward those who buy the game with artwork, collectables, developer-club points, etc.

Of course, unless these things are handled (and are accepted) well, it could mean lower profits for the game studio. The price point would need to be at the level where the profit of increased sales outweighed the loss of a lower price.

I think it's possible, but I don't see any big studios having the balls to try it.

Games like Metal Slug were designed as arcade games - games where lives cost money, and you weren't really expected to play it for hours on end.

Much of that is lost in a console/handheld version, where you can play it as much as you like for free. You enjoy playing it. You keep playing it. You finish it.

In an arcade, chances are you would play it once or twice, maybe buy a few continues, and still not end up finishing it. And if you eventually did, you'd savour that experience a lot more.

Arcade games (particularly linear games like shooters) which are fundamentally based around being arcade games will always suffer in some way when ported to consoles/handhelds.

Oof, a shame to hear the negative feedback on Trackmania DS... I quite like TMN, but if you cant make full use of the user created content, then I don't see much future for it. :(

Regardless, I'm not sure if a Trackmania game can fill the role of a full "racing/driving game"... It has quite a different vibe to it than most games in the genre. It essentially just gives you the core racing mechanic, and that's it.

I think people who play TM expecting something to compare with Mario Kart will be sorely disappointed.

Haha, another ending? Is that in addition to the 15 or so (I forget the exact number) it already has?

Will no doubt buy it regardless!

It's kinda sad - the DSi seems to be Nintendo's answer to the PSP - a handheld that you need to hack the crap out of before it's any good!

It would be nice to see DS Fanboy show just a little restraint and scepticism when discussing the DSi - I know it's a bit silly to suggest that given the name of the blog, but seriously - that first paragraph makes you look like the cringe-inducing die hard Ninteet sucking type of fanboys. Kinda makes a lot of the regular fanboys like me want to shuffle away and pretend we don't know you. :P

From another perspective, is the whole DS Fanboy staff (and yes, I'm aware that there isn't really an office) really that super happy about the DSi? I and most people I've talked to have been pretty meh towards it - a pair of super low quality cameras, so far undetailed SD card support and a few other tweaks, at the expense of the GBA slot and some battery life. Shmeh.

Essentially I'm just wondering if it's standard policy to act as if Reggie gives you a handjob with every announcement, no matter how good the announcement actually is.

Anyhow, as for piracy - As others have said, piracy is already simple. If Nintendo take decent measures to protect the SD card slot from non-legit content, I can see it becoming a lot harder. I wouldn't be surprised to see the SD capabilities crippled for the sake of anti-piracy.

Wait, "pulling a Sony"? Nintendo doesn't exactly have a clean record for re-releasing the same thing with a few extra features or aesthetic changes - particularly not when it comes to handhelds! ;)

It doesn't matter how much an Advance Wars fansite/community was involved in a stabbing, that doesn't draw any kind of causation between the content of the game and the incident.

Almost every stabbing that isn't accidental or done by a loon is the result of "someone got angry or upset enough about something to stab another person" - The something is largely irrelevantly. I expect the large majority of stabbings are about relationships or work, but we don't view those things are evil corrupting forces...

(that wasn't in response to the article, just media scapegoating in general)

As for the GTA drug selling minigame... Knowing Rockstar and the media, it does seem like something they've put in mainly for the free press coverage - it would have been just as "fun" and "mature" from a player perspective to include something not as extreme, such as suggested by Goshogun.

I mean in the end, anyone who wants the game more just because of this minigame would strike me as immature, rather than mature.

Oh wow, I wonder how long until it's banned in Australia? :P

Which despite living there, I wouldn't mind - I import all my games, it would help shake the DS's kiddy image, and IT'S GTA! CONTROVERSY IS WHAT THEY DO BEST! :D