Tag: Videogames

Gran Turismo 5 Still Isn’t Out: Do You Care?

E3 2010 is just around the corner and Sony is set to reveal a ton of information, including the latest update on Gran Turismo 5. It feels like Sony has been talking about this game for 12 years. Yes, it’s finally coming out this year…but do you guys and dolls still care? (And yes, it’s fine if you say that you don’t care but still plan to buy the game — just admit it!)

EA Sports President Peter More Explains Online Pass…Badly

EA has been getting a lot of heat for its Online Pass, also known as “the $10 solution” that combats used-game sales. While it’s clear that it makes money for publishers and indirectly benefits developers, it also limits consumer choice and hoses retailers. EA Sports president Peter Moore explained the reasoning behind Online Pass to MCV and the his words were…interesting:

Online Pass is a way for us to frankly bring more digital experiences quicker. If it is going to be successful, it is up to us to create compelling, fresh, 365-days a year, digital experiences. And there is a cost to serve that we deserve to get paid for.

What our consumers are telling us, and the growth that we are seeing, is that the preference now is not to buy lots and lots of games, but to spend more money on fewer games. In fiscally challenging times, maybe a gamer won’t buy three games anymore, maybe they’ll buy two and spend the other $60 or £30 on extendable content, on experiences they know they love, rather than taking the risk on another product.

The first paragraph is reasonable, though certainly arguable. The second paragraph is just a bunch of crap. In a “fiscally challenging” time, EA’s strategy is to make games more expensive and less accessible? Really?!? My budget has been limited lately and I’m definitely buying less games. I’m definitely not spending more money on less games.

I have a ton of respect for Moore. He’s smart, approachable, and one of the coolest execs in gaming, but I can’t back his stance on Online Pass. I’d love to hear what you think of Moore’s comments. Shout it out!

Source

Coffee Talk #154: Best Addition to Gaming in the Last Five Years?

Gaming evolves at a ridiculous pace. Thinking about the videogames I played as a kid and what I play now…it’s just crazy! The improvements made in the last couple of years — just a few years! — are also impressive. Today I’d like to know what your favorite gaming innovation is from the last five years.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, having a perfect game ruined by a bad call, Japan’s prime minister resigning and asking people to keep following him on Twitter, or the possibility of foul play in Gary Coleman’s death, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Gaming evolves at a ridiculous pace. Thinking about the videogames I played as a kid and what I play now…it’s just crazy! The improvements made in the last couple of years — just a few years! — are also impressive. Today I’d like to know what your favorite gaming innovation is from the last five years.

For me it’s definitely digital downloads. I love that I can download games for $5 to $10. Whether it’s a board game, a new arcade title, or a treasured classic, making impulse purchases from the comfort of my couch is just powerful and awesome (and sometimes financially dangerous). Before digital downloads proliferated, I had to order games or go to a store — often spending at least $40 for a title. The cheapness and immediacy of digital downloads rule!

So how about it? In your opinion, what’s the best thing that’s happened to gaming in the last five years?

Project Natal Shown at D8: All Things Digital

Here’s a video of the Project Natal demo at D8, the All Things Digital conference. It’s interesting to see how the tech crowd reacts to the peripheral. Hosts Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher have a basic understanding of gaming, but are more interested in how Natal can possibly influence the future of general electronics. It’s important for Microsoft to show this product to a broad audience and the crowd at D8 is full important people that will probably not be at E3.

Here’s Captain America’s Movie Look!

Ain’t it Cool News has several illustrations of the Captain America costume that will be used in the upcoming movie starring The Human Torch Chris Evans. Obviously this look will be used in the related Captain American videogames as well. Check out the images and let’s discuss it! Do you miss the wings? Do you prefer this Ultimates looks? Or do you like the classic looks from the original comics?

Source

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus in HD: Do You Care?

There’s an interesting rumor floating around that Sony will release HD versions of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus on one Blu-ray disc. The bundle would be similar to God of War: Collection. The “Team Ico” collection would be a great way to introduce new players to two great games and generate buzz for The Last Guardian. What I really want to know is are you going to go my way do you care?

I would absolutely love a Team Ico compilation. I adored Ico and wish more people bought it. The game is one of my favorite examples of “games as art” — its use of music, color, and fictitious languages was truly unique. I’d love for more people to experience the game. Perhaps it will do better as a re-release.

What say you?!? Do you care about a possible Team Ico collection?

Does Steve Jobs Understand the Gaming Market?

I discussed this with a few of you last night, but I’m pretty sure Steve Jobs is pretty misinformed about the gaming market. This is disappointing to me personally because he’s one of the most fascinating people on the planet and second to Muhammad Ali on my “people I’d love to have dinner with” list. Considering how much money the iPad, iPod, and iPhone are making with games, you’d think he’d understand the market better. Last night at D8 he said (via Engadget):

Clearly iPhone plus iPod Touch have created a new class of gaming. It’s a subset of casual gaming, but it’s surprising how good some of them are. They’re almost as good as console gaming in terms of graphics. Console games the software is $30 or $40 a game. It’s cheaper on iPhone, so the market has exploded.

I love me some iPhone games, but I’ve yet to see one that was “almost as good as console gaming in terms of graphics”. I’ve also yet to see new home-console games that cost $30 to $40. Now, there are a few ways to write this off. You can say that he was speaking specifically about handheld consoles. Apple has always been weak with gaming, so perhaps this is something Jobs has never cared to understand on a deep level. As for the price difference, I suppose it’s easy to be $20 to $30 off when you’re a billionaire. At the end of the day I just get the sense that he doesn’t really know gaming or care to know it.

Some of you have already given me your opinions on the matter, but I want to hear from more of you. Does Steve Jobs know what the hell he’s talking about when it comes to games?

Virgin Returns to Games with…a Frickin’ Countdown Clock

For the last week, rumors have been swirling about Virgin’s return to the gaming world. Virgin Interactive was once a big player in the business, releasing several major titles in the ’90s. It didn’t keep pace with the rapidly changing market and quickly fell apart at the end of that decade. Fortunately Sir Richard Branson, chairman of the Virgin Group, is a billionaire and can afford to fund another foray into gaming.

A lot has changed since Virgin Interactive was around. It will be interesting to see how Virgin Gaming will be different than its predecessor. It certainly has the opportunity to take advantage of a weak market and shake things up with a huge infusion of cash. I just wish it didn’t use that stupid countdown clock gimmick.

What do you expect from Virgin Gaming? Does the Virgin brand mean anything to you? Will the company focus on consoles, downloads, or social games? Any guesses as to what (specifically) the clock is counting down to?

Source

Buy a PSPgo and Get Three Games for Free

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced a promotion for its PSPgo handheld gaming system — buy a PSPgo by March 31, 2011 and get a coupon code good for three downloadable games. The PSPgo is sexy as hell, but it hasn’t sold as well as Sony would have liked. Perhaps this promotion will give it a boost. Here are more details from marketing manager Kristin Neirinckx (great Scrabble score on her last name):

If you purchase a PSPgo system from today through March 31, 2011, you will receive an e-mail with a PlayStation Network voucher to download three games absolutely free! With premiere titles such as LittleBigPlanet, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters and SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3, the PSPgo “Digital Game Pack” offers you an $80 value while giving you access to a great variety of our biggest games to get you started gaming on-the-go. What better way to get started with an all digital, full-scale, console-quality handheld gaming experience?

Are any of you tempted by this promotion? Do you think it’s enough to give the PSPgo a significant sales spike? Or is the portable in dire need of a price cut?

Source