"Super Mario World"

When I saw this video I had to share it. I loved playing Super Mario World growing up and I love this song even more. It is always nice to see people showing a little love for the games, and songs, of yore. While the song is good, don't be confused. Louis Armstrong died about 20 years before the game was released, but the singer of this song sure did a great job!

New Games on Demand?

Yesterday I talked about the new dashboard and Games on Demand and how great the idea is. The real question is, will games be released digitally when released in retail stores? The answer is no, or at least not yet. In an interview with Fast Company, Microsoft's Shane Kim said:

"There are a lot of complex issues to deal with here, especially if you start talking about day-and-date release with retail availability--which is not something that we're talking about at all, today. And publishers have to do some technical work in order to enable this. There will be decisions that publishers have to make from a business standpoint. But when it comes to us saying we want Games on Demand to enable day-and-date release of new titles, then there's certainly a lot of work we would need to go through. We're not anywhere close to that world today. We have great relationships with the retail channel--they're important partners. We sell a lot of hardware and software through retail channels. We have to be smart about how we approach this business."

So, what does that mean for us? It means that we will still have to head off to Game Stop, Amazon.com, and other retail stores to get our games on the retail release date. Microsoft has created long standing relationships and they are not planning on burning any bridges in the near future. They still need these retail relationships for hardware sales. So, why are they doing Games on Demand at all?

"One of the benefits of what we're doing, that you pointed out, is that it can be a great marketing tool for publishers. And remember, this is not an exclusive to Microsoft Game Studios; it's a service available to all publishers. It can be a great tool to reintroduce their franchises, especially the ones they care about having long-term additions for. It really is about expanding the options and the choices for consumers, and will have great benefits for publishers and the entire ecosystem."

As I said in my last post, buying games on demand is comparable in price to buying used at Game Stop. There is a reason for this. The games that are available on demand are most likely games where the publisher is preparing a sequel. I still think Games on Demand is a great idea. This might be because I don't already have a lot of the games that are currently offered. Games are so expensive it is hard for most people to buy games when they first come out. Games on Demand will make it easier for people to purchase the games they may have previously missed before the sequel is released. Players will also be able to purchase or repurchase games that they rented or even sold back in the past.

There is something I do have to wonder about, this is PURE speculation, will this still be true after Microsoft opens their new stores? I am sure nothing will change right away, but what will happen if the stores become wildly successful? Will Microsoft rethink their need for their current retail relationships? For as much as I love wondering Game Stop, looking at boxes, and talking to staff, I would give that up in a heartbeat and probably even buy new games more often if I could do it from the comfort of my own home and have immediate access to my purchase.

Welcome to the Dashboard Preview

Yes, it is true. I got my e-mail last night informing me that I have been selected to be apart of the new dashboard preview. Too bad I didn't actually see the e-mail until 2:30am! So, it was a good morning for me when I got to explore the new features.

Games on Demand

I am such an instant gratification person. I really hate waiting, for what ends up being 8+ days, for my orders to arrive from Amazon. It is also hard for me to get out to the brick and mortar stores with a baby. Having games on demand is, in my opinion, brilliant! Not only can you get games that are comparable to used game prices at GameStop, but you can also download the manuals on your computer! Probably the greatest aspect of games on demand is that if you delete the game from your hard drive you will be able to re-download previously purchased games for free. While the selection is still small, under 30, it is bound to grow.

Netflix

I am very excited about the Netflix update. Netflix was one of the features I looked forward to using when I bought my 360. At the time I was pretty disappointed about Netflix, but all that has changed! Netflix users are now able to watch movies that are not already in their queues. Users can select movies to stream from several different catagories that include New Arrivals: Movies, New Arrivals: Tv, Drama, Sci-Fi, Classics, and more. There is also the option to watch movies with friends through the party option. Netflix users will be able to watch movies together, virtually speaking, and be able to interact during the movie.

Avatar Marketplace

I think we knew this was coming. What fun is it letting us dress our avatars for free? The avatar marketplace is where we can now purchase items for our avatars. In the marketplace users can purchase special items. These items include clothing and props from popular games, such as Halo 3, Fable II, and Monkey Island.I have to admit that I really did consider purchasing the rubber chicken with a pulley for my avatar. This is not to say that you have to spend money in order to dress your avatar. If you are running low on Microsoft Points there is still the option to "change my style" which is free.

Of course, this is not all the new dashboard has to offer. There are many changes and, for the most part, all are for the better. Possibly even more exciting is that this update is not the end of the road. The update will go public in August but will not have the already promised Facebook and Twitter applications. While I do look forward to Facebook and Twitter being available in the future, I have to admit I am really excited about this dashboard has to offer.

Freakout Fail

FAIL!
No seriously
FAIL!!

Ok. First of all, let me say that I have never played WoW. (After watching this I am not sure I want to!) Obviously, this kid is way out of control. I know toddlers that behave better when losing a favorite toy. After I stopped laughing about how ridiculous this freak out was (ok...I'm still laughing) I really had to wonder who's "fail" this really is.

1) How much was this kid playing to utterly freak out when it was taken away? I am ALL for gaming. Hell, I have no problem with people gaming on a regular basis. Of course, it is also important to have a life outside of gaming. (Or at least outside of ONE game!) Whether it be a job, sports, movies, bar, cooking, hiking, family, reading...hell! Watch some tv if nothing else!

2) Why the hell did this kid do to make his parents cut him off?! I mean seriously? Was it because he was playing so much? Did he loose touch with reality when the new Mountain Dew commercials came on? Did he forget to make his bed? I really want to know.

3) Why is someone over the age of five acting like that? This seems a lot deeper than just having his account canceled. There is no excuse for someone to act like that. Yes, I understand being upset, but his use for the remote is a little extreme. I think this is a prime example as to why parents need to set boundaries at an early age.

I really do wonder if this video is real since it is so extreme. If it is...then WOW! If it is fake then it is just freaking hilarious and major props to the freak out kid!

Peggle

Thank goodness for demos or I would not have played this gem of a game. While I am a very happy-go-lucky person, a game full of cartoon unicorns, smiling flowers, and rainbows would usually be a little too much for me. Within minutes of completing the Peggle demo I was on xbox.com, with credit card in hand, buying more Microsoft Points. What was going to be an early night, I had a 9am class the next morning, ended up being a late night full of cartoon unicorns, smiling flowers, and rainbows.


The Peggle concept is really easy to understand. There is a board full of multi-colored pegs and blocks and the player must shot balls to clear the orange pegs to complete the board. Of course, you only have so many balls to start with, but there are ways to get more. Depending on the game mode and the goals of the players it might also be beneficial to finding the many ways to wrack up those points before completing the board.


The adventure game mode will take players through the Peggle University where they unlock different characters. Each character offers a special ability that is activated by hitting a green peg or block. These abilities range in an extra ball to fireballs! After each of the characters are unlocked in the adventure mode you must also complete five "masters" boards. In these boards the player picks which character they want to play, thereby picking which special ability they would like to use.


If the adventure mode is not difficult enough, and yes it can be harder than it sounds, there is also 75 challenge boards! Challenges span different boards with different objectives, but players can choose which unlocked character they want to play as. Character choice might not matter so much on some boards, but on others, strategy in character selection can be very important.


The bad news is that the adventure mode of Peggle does not take too long to complete. The good news is that it really doesn't matter. Adventure mode is fun and players can always aim for a better score when playing again. If someone does not have that much time to play, there are also modes where you can pick and choose which board to play. The most important thing I can say about this game is that I am so very glad that you do not have to pay $60 for a game that is this enjoyable.

I Hate Cheaters

Today I read and RTed an article on how The Conduit is easily hackable. This lead to a twitter conversation which then reminded me of a complaint I made to Nintendo some time back about people cheating in Mario Kart Wii.

If you do not already know, ghosts are a representation of someone's game play. The basis of my complaint was that after a long period of time I finally connected my Wii to the internet. I was really excited to download ghosts to see how I could improve my game. Imagine my disappointment when I realized that most of the ghosts were hacks. (There were some that were not actual hacks, but did not actually run the race either, but exploitation is more tolerable than straight up hacking.)

I ended up sending Nintendo an e-mail. It seemed to me that they would have some way of deleting these ghosts from the servers. OR make it so that ghosts would not be posted if the time is lower than what is actually possible.

I stated in my e-mail that I think that people should be free to hack as long as it does not hurt anyone else, but in the case of leaderboards it really is just not fair for those of us who do not cheat. Furthermore, it seems to me that the point of being able to race ghosts is to help the player improve their own game. Keeping hacker ghosts up and running hurts everyone and make Nintendo look bad, imo.

That all being said, this is the response I got:

"Hello and thank you for contacting Nintendo,

Sadly, cheating in games (even board or card games) is an unfortunate fact of life. We do respect the fact that you, and many others, do their best to enjoy gaming without cheating. At Nintendo, we do our best to make sure that our fans are able to have a fun gaming experience.

One way we have been able to accomplish this is through the Friend Code feature. We introduced the Friend Code feature as a way of allowing gamers to build their own personal online gaming community by choosing to play only with those they know and trust. This way, players are able to create an arena where they can enjoy a fair gaming experience.

Rest assured that your comments about this very important issue have been shared with the appropriate departments within Nintendo for review.

Sincerely,
David Glover Nintendo of America Inc."

Ok. So, people cheat and the honest people are the ones that must seclude ourselves from the world and only play with our friends? Right. It seems to me that this response was more of a blow off. "People cheat...deal with it! Don't like it? Play with your friends."

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition

Have you ever wanted to play a game that you loved 10-20 years ago only to walk away because of the out dated graphics? Today The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition was released for Xbox 360 and PC. The game was originally released in 1990 and the graphics have been updated and are now much more appealing for current gamers. The really great part is that when they updated the graphics they did not change the style or the feel. You really get the sense that this is what the original designers would have created if they could have.


If Myst had a cartoon pirate for a cousin it would be this game. Monkey Island is a puzzle adventure game. The player must use their brain to solve puzzles (like get past the guard dogs to get into the mansion) in order to help the main character fulfill his dream of becoming a pirate. While some of the puzzle solutions are somewhat obvious you can use the help feature if you get stuck.


The best part of this game, in my opinion, is that it is very stress free. You do not have to worry about kill or be killed or doing anything wrong and if you get stuck the game will give you hints if you ask for them. If that is not enough the game is actually funny! I actually found myself laughing aloud several times while playing.


The Secret of Monkey Island is a great game with a very low learning curve. The cartoon graphics might make the game seem like a piece of cake, but it does take some thought to solve the puzzles. With a price of 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live this game is a great value. Now, if only we could get more games like this!

A New Fitness Game

Due to...well...life, I am not able to make it to the gym on a regular basis. While I know this is an excuse and I could make it to the gym if I really wanted, it really is just so much easier to workout at home. Considering the popularity of fitness games I am pretty sure I am not the only one. Now Konami, the makers of Dance Dance Revolution, are throwing their hat into the ring.

Recently Konamo announced that they are working on Walk It Out a new fitness game to help get us off the couch and moving. In order to track movement, Walk It Out will be compatible with the Wii remote, balance board, or the Dance Dance Revolution mat.

Just as music was important in DDR, it will be an important aspect here as well. Walk It Out is not just about walking, but walking to the beat of the background music. The game will contain over 120 songs that include "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas, "La La Land" by Demi Lovato, and "How Do You Sleep?" by Jesse McCartney.

Even with mini games, I am not sure if Walk It Out would hold my attention for a long period of time, but I do look forward to giving it a try. With a TBA release date, I am sure there will be plenty of other fitness games available to round out a workout program and keep people interested in getting fit. If nothing else, hopefully the music in Walk It Out will get us up and walking at least a couple times a week.

Wii's "Demo Play"

It is actually kind of funny to me that the day after I write an article about the learning curve of video games I read this. Obviously, I am all for helping new gamers learn the ropes, but I do not think the games should be played for them.

Do we really want to teach our children that if something is too difficult you can push a button and have someone do it for us. Is that honestly what we want for ourselves? I really hope that Nintendo reconsiders this new "help" feature. As I said yesterday, I am all for making games easier to learn, but I assure you I did not mean this. Gaming is a hobby that is meant to be enjoyable. We gamers know that there is a great amount of enjoyment when we beat a difficult part of a game for the first time. This sense of satisfaction will be lost with this feature.

The article says that Nintendo wants players to be able to play, "without purchasing a strategy guide or resorting to websites that list cheat codes." I really have to question their logic. At least with a strategy guide, the player still has to do a lot of the work. The guide might help by giving strategy suggestions or even maps, but it is still up to the player to actually do it. How is this new "demo play" anything other than cheating?

I sincerely hope that there was some sort of translation issue when conducting this interview. How about having a demo feature that acts more like an in-game strategy guide? In Mario Kart players were able to learn tips and tricks by unlocking the expert ghosts, but it was still up to the player to use this knowledge and their own skill to play. No one is an expert on the first try and I greatly fear that this new feature will only hurt the new and casual gamers in the long run.

The Learning Curve

I think I am starting to see why the Wii is selling better than other systems. If a person is interested in becoming a gamer, they might not know how much there really is to learn. New players can easily be drawn to titles like Fight Night, Madden, Halo, Call of Duty, God of War, or Infamous because of their amazing graphics and their general appeal. My question is, if you are truly a beginner, how long does it take to actually be a good enough player to enjoy playing?

Of course this question assumes that you have to be a good player to actually have fun. While some people really do enjoy learning, depending on the game/genre, I find that it can be really frustrating. I have often found myself pushing buttons and having no clue what I am doing and how I am doing it! Maybe I should say what I mean when I say good. A good player would generally be someone who has general knowledge of game basics and strategy to hold their own versus the CPU or human players on a non beginner level.

Simple, right? I don't really think so. A new player that decides to rent or buy used games can easily find themselves without even a game manual. This leaves the player without even basic information like controls, modes, or even concepts. Plenty of information exists on the web, but a lot of this information is not geared to someone who is truly a novice. Most are geared to making a good player an excellent player.

Even if the new player has the benefit of the game manual they may quickly find that a lot of games aren't so simple to play. The list of controls for something that is seemingly simple can be enormous. Some games require that the player not only remember what each of the buttons on the controller represents, but also what pressing several at once will do. Worse yet? Sometimes players are expected to hit several combination of buttons in a sequence. How is a new player expected to do this in a quick paced game such as most fighter games?

It is not that I do not appreciate what hardcore games have to offer, but I think the market is giving a not so subtle clue that more isn't always better. At least Sony and Microsoft are starting to realize that the controller is a major aspect of the learning curve for new players. Nintendo was lucky enough to figure this out before the others and I praise them for making games that are playable for anyone and everyone. With that said, I really like and generally prefer games on PS3 and Xbox 360. I just really wish for games, in all genres, that hardcore gamers will enjoy but is also easily picked up by beginners. There is nothing more upsetting than getting really excited about a game only to give up in frustration within the first hour.

G4...Gaming Television?

Just like last year, I got sucked into watching E3 on G4 for several days. Watching E3 always gets me really excited about games, new and old. One might think that I might get tired of watching shows about games after three days of straight gaming television, but it just makes me want more. So, of course G4 would help satiate my cravings, right? Wrong.

G4 is a television network that is all about video games. The show, "X-Play", gives viewers previews and reviews of the latest games along with tips and tricks and interviews from people in the industry. One of the things I love about "X-Play" is that they do reviews for the Wii separately from the others. Which helps players decide which games to buy for which platforms. The hosts, Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb, also make their reviews fairly humorous. So, even if they are reviewing a game a viewer has zero interest in, the review is still entertaining and funny.

"Attack of the Show" is another of G4's exclusive shows. AotS is more about tech stuff than gaming giving a nice balance to the network. This is not to say that it avoids gaming altogether, but it does feature a lot of the things that gamers care about such as gadgets, internet apps, and a segment called "Women of the Web." And, for those who are into that kind of thing, one of the hosts, Olivia Munn, was on the cover of a recent issue of Playboy.

While G4 has two shows that I personally find interesting, it really only fills up an hour of my day, meaning weekday. That is about it. Yes, there are some other shows like "The International Sexy Lady Show" and "Ninja warrior," but most of the other hours of the day are filled up with reruns from other networks. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE "Lost" and "Heroes," but I don't need to watch the reruns on my "gaming" network.

It seems to me that the powers at be over at G4 could find some more original gaming, that doesn't involve half naked women playing with hula hoops. Yes, sex sells, but lets be a little more creative. Why not do a reality-based show about some organization in the gaming industry? Or how about invent the "Scrubs" of the gaming world? How about an original show, reality or fiction, about a group of female gamers? In an age where networks are constantly trying to reinvent themselves, like Sci-fi changing to Sy-Fy (WTF?), it just seems to me that the G4 network could try a little harder to actually have programming involving video games.

New Super Mario Brothers: Preview

I don't know about you, but I grew up playing NES and SNES and Mario was a major part of my childhood. While I might have been too young to play the 1983 Mario Brothers arcade game, by 1985 I was more than capable of giving Super Mario Brothers a shot. I have many fond memories of Super Mario Brothers 1 & 3 for NES, Super Mario Land for Gameboy, and Super Mario World for SNES. Considering Nintendo's 2008 E3 presentation (it really sucked, didn't it?) imagine my excitement when New Super Mario Brothers for the Wii was presented in 2009!

I think the most exciting part of this game is that it can be played co-op! Up to four people can work together to get all the coins or you can choose to help your friends along to their deaths. While the screen zooms out as players spread out, the screen ultimately keeps up with the lead player. If a player does die they are brought back to life via a floating bubble. Just hope your friends like you enough to pop that bubble! While riding on Yoshi (Yes! He's back!!) players can eat and spit each other out. If you do want to play as a team, players will be able to use one another to reach hidden coins by riding on shoulders or even throwing each other.

Along with this new co-op play comes new levels and new suits. (Personally? I'll take that propeller suit over a cape any day!) While the game does have a new feel it is still everything we all love about "old school" Mario. You collect coins, find 1 Ups, and kill enemies by jumping on their heads. The best news? New Super Mario Brothers comes out November 2009!

Guild Wars: Factions

Guild Wars Factions is the second campaign in the Guild Wars series. Do not assume that this is an expansion. It is actually a stand alone game that can be tied to your Guild Wars account, so that when you play Factions you have the option to start a new character or bring over a character from another campaign. Factions has a very different setting than Prophecies. While the setting is still diverse it has taken on a Chinese feel which is represented in many aspects of the game. While Guild Wars Factions has the same game play as Prophecies, it offers new professions, skills, quests, and a new map.


If you choose to create a new character you will have two new choices in professions. The assassin, aka sin, is a new ninja-like melee character that uses dagger attacks to deal large amounts of damage in a short period of time. The second addition is the ritualist, aka rit, which seems to be a mix between a monk and a necromancer. The rit channels spirits and conjures ghosts in order to deal damage to enemies and heal allies. Of course the old professions are still available if the player prefers to stick with an old favorite. Or, as I said earlier, you can bring a character over from another campaign.



If you do decide to create a new character you will find yourself in Shing Jea Monastery. The Monastery is not only the tutorial area of the campaign, but is also where festivals, such as the Dragon Festival in early July, is held. As part of the tutorial players will have the opportunity to try all professions before deciding on a secondary profession. Trying the professions before selecting a secondary also gives the player the opportunity to unlock new skills to their account if they have not yet done so.



As the player continues through the story line they will make their way to Kaineng City where they will meet up with foreign players, characters from other campaigns. Kaineng City is a large region that consists of outposts, missions, and explorable areas. It is in this region that players learn of a terrible disease that has spread throughout the city and it is up to the player to find and destroy the evil that is the cause.


After leaving Kaineng City the player will soon learn of two factions of people, the Luxons and the Kurzicks. Even though the storyline forks at this point, it is still possible to play both sides. It is also now possible to receive Luxon and Kurzick faction as rewards. This faction can be used to purchase special items such as passage scrolls, skills, and rare crafting materials. In Guild Wars: Factions, guilds now have the chance to side with either the Kurzicks or the Luxons and team up with other guilds in order to create an alliance. Faction can be donated to your guild and thereby increase the total alliance faction. Alliances with the highest faction have control of different outposts and alliance battles force the border between the Kurzicks and the Luxons to shift within the region.


The features that Guild Wars: Factions adds makes it a great companion to the other Guild Wars campaigns. Factions is not as massive as Prophecies, but the map is still fairly extensive. While I personally did not like the Kaineng City region, multi-levels made it hard for me to follow the map, I did enjoy the other areas. I thought the concept of The Jade Sea, home of the Luxons, was both beautiful and particularly interesting. As I previously said, Guild Wars: Factions can be played as a stand alone game, but I highly recommend purchasing it as part of the Guild Wars Trilogy pack. It will not only save you money in the long run, but you will also have access to the skills, professions, and other benefits the other campaigns have to offer.