Buy Moon!

I heard some sad news today from IGN. The game DS "Moon" from developer renegade kid (responsible for "dementia: the ward", also for DS) has apparently sold fewer than 1,500 copies in it's entire first month. I haven't had a chance to play the game yet, but everyone who I have heard impressions from gave it unanimous high praise. Renegade Kid is a very small developer with a very small budget, and for them to continue making great games they need support from gamers like us. If you own a DS I encourage you to buy a copy of this game next time you need something to play. Even though one sale does not make a huge impact by itself, lots of game purchases are made by people who heard good things from a friend. Even if you are not interested in the game, just bringing it up in a conversation can make a difference to the developers who live off of the money games like this generate. I've read and listened to interviews with these guys and they are good people intested in making great games. If this game can sell more, we will assuredly see more from them. There are rumors of them being intested in making a Wii game, which given their pedigree of making intriguing FPS games with good stories, which would be amazing, but might not be able to see the light of day if publishers don't back them.
Sorry to go all activist on you, but I do think this is an important issue. Publishers make the decision of what games to fund based on sales, so buying a good game will send the message that we want more like it. So, while you're at it, buy a copy of "Beyond good and evil" and "Okami", will ya?

http://www.renegadekid.com/home.htm

PS3 price cut

Here goes another SONY rumor. Many analysts and industry insiders have been speculating for a while now that the PS3 will receive a $100 price-drop early on into this year. No matter how you cut it, the PS3 has not sold nearly as well as expected, and with the recession in full, the most expensive product is likely the one to get hit the hardest. The PS3 did begin to gain some momentum late last year, though it's sales were still much lower than the 360's or Wii's. A price cut would put SONY into a position where it would seemingly match Microsoft's prices (for a tricked out console that is, the $200 version of the xbox lacks alot of the features that make the ps3 attractive). Not to mention the fact that the now-$300 PS3 would have a considerably larger features list than the equal-priced 360. And with the great-looking exclusives SONY has lined up for this year, sales would be guaranteed increase substantially. Sounds like an easy decision, right? The fact is, SONY already looses money on each PS3 sold, and lowering the price would really hurt their ability to ever return a profit on the PLAYSTATION brand in this generation. Selling a console at a loss is common practice these days in the gaming industry. Companies loose a bit on the system, and then make that money back in games sales and licensing fees. However, loosing >$100 on every console sold this late in the game is going to be a big problem. Microsoft, on the other hand, is sitting in a much more comfortable position price-wise, and could likely give a price-drop of it's own to keep their lower price point. And if the past years have been any indicator, the Wii will keep selling no matter what the other two companies do. I think SONY will end up biting the bullet and drop the price, but they wont like it, and if they can't close the gap between them and the 360 even with the price drop, we might see some new faces at PLAYSTATION headquarters by the end of the year.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10172178-1.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0

My most anticipated games of 2009

Ok, so here's the list of games for 2009 that gets me most excited. It is in no way a complete list of games I'm interested in, just the ones that intrigue me the most. I could easily double this list, which is a testament to all the great things coming this year:

Bioshock 2

Mass effect 2

Muramusa: The Demon Blade

No more heroes 2

The conduit

Resident Evil 5

Madworld

Halo 3 ODST

Phantasy Star DS

Phantasy Star PSP

Rhythm heaven

I am alive

All Points Bulletin

Grand Theft Auto: China town wars

Motorstorm PSP

Punch-out

Street Fighter 4

House of the dead Overkill

Sin and Punishment 2

"The Beatles Game"

The list is a bit Wii heavy, but then that's my console of choice so it's the one I'll be playing the most by far. There are tons of other sure-to-be-great games coming, so be sure to take an in-depth look at these and the multitude of other games when you get the chance. I'd love to hear your favorites too, so post them in the comments when you get the chance.

Nintendo's big line-up

Earlier today Nintendo dropped a 120-game list of titles coming soon for the DS and Wii. Most of the list is pretty predictable, but there were some serious gems, including the announcement of "Excitebots: Trick Racing" in April and a release date of "Punch-out" in May. I feel very good about excitebots, despite the odd name. The only information we have is that it builds off of excite truck, which makes me a very happy gamer. Puch-out coming so soon is also very exciting, and I can't wait to find some hands-on impressions of that one. I didn't notice anything else new in the list, otehr than the very suprising ommission of "Mad World" from SEGA's line-up. It's a pretty odd typo, considering that game is likely their most anticipated wii game of the year (though "The Conduit" would definitely give it a run for it's money in my book). A link to the full list has been posted below. The list only goes through summer, so there are plenty more games to come, but this list is already more palatable than 2008 for me (on the wii front). I'll be making a post later tonight about some of the most anticipated games of the year, so be on the lookout :)

http://kotaku.com/5160711/nintendos-120-game-line+up-punch-out-excitebots-dated

Gaming Comaraderie

For all the steriotypes video games get for fostering anti-social behavior, I have to say I've never felt a quicker connection with someone then when I'm gaming with them. Ok, that sounds really lame, so let me explain. When you sit next to someone on a bus or in a class, talking to them always feels awkward. I'd like to think I'm a pretty social guy, but I admitt I've pretended to send text messages many a time while stuck next to someone I don't know. But no matter how awkward it feels to be in that position, once you have something to connect on, conversation is the most natural thing in the world. Like for instance, your in a crowded elevator and someone makes a joke. After that, everyone feels much more comfortable talking, and the awkwardness goes away. I was just playing an online game (galcon, it's my biggest weakness) with a coulple random people. During one game, me and another guy ended up as allies, and after winning the round, we started chatting as if we had known each other for years. This is probably the most random post I'll put up for a while, but the situation just struck me. I can remember times where I've been paired with someone in arcade games, or played halo at a party with people I'd never met, and I can't think of a time when I didn't finish the play-session without learning the person's name and recalling them fondly. I guess gaming is just a great equilizer, and really the same things can be said about sports. Have you ever thrown a frisbee with someone and come away hating them? Have you ever had a conversation with someone in an MMO and then gotten their facebook? Maybe I'm just going crazy (it is almost 4 afterall), but I'd love to hear any stories you've got on the subject.

More on the PSP redesign

http://kotaku.com/5160320/perry-psp-2-is-real-could-hit-this-fall

David Perry, chief creative officer at Acclaim, has apparently gone on the record claiming he knows that the PSP2 is coming, and could potentially come by the end of the year. This gives a lot more credibility to the rumors IGN posted earlier this year. It is not uncommon for people in the games industry to pass out rumors, but it seems to weird to me that both IGN and Perry, who's reputations are on the line in a situation like this, would make something up. That of course doesn't mean the rumors are true, but it gives a lot more credibility to the thought. once again, we should know relatively soon whether or not these rumors are true.

PSP redesign?

http://kotaku.com/5156291/sony-japan-looking-for-new-game-hardware-testers
http://uk.gear.ign.com/articles/948/948234p1.html
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/33063/PSP-2-rumours-are-nonsense
http://www.vg247.com/2009/02/23/source-psp-4000-has-sliding-screen-is-complete-aesthetic-overhaul/

The links above are the references I'm going to refer to in this post. I recommend reading them, but to sum it all up, earlier this year IGN reported on a survey SONY put out regarding features gamers would like to see in a future iteration of the PSP. Citing "several credible sources", IGN stated that the PSP2 was on the way, and that it wold feature a harddrive, multi-touch, and GPS, among other features. MCV responded to this article, saying that SONY had shot-down the rumor. Now, VG247 has reported that the believe a new PSP is in fact on the way, but not in the same fashion that IGN reported. They claim to be informed that the PSP-4000 (4000 referencing the fact that it is the 4th revision of the PSP) is coming, and that it features a sliding screen, as well as other cosmetic upgrades.
I am inclined to believe VG247's idea over IGN's in this case. While the prospect of a PSP2 sounds amazing to me, I just don't think it's a good time for SONY to make that move for a lot of reasons. First off, the PSP is not exactly dead yet. The system really came into it's prime over the last couple of years (thanks to titles like God of War and Monster Hunter), and is still selling well. SONY has made some good head-way int he handheld market, and while starting the next generation of handhelds while Nintendo is still fiddling around with the DS sounds good on paper, if they fail to capture people's attention they could become the next Dreamcast. SONY is currently a bit upset with the games division due to the issues with the PS3 (and their own predicted losses for this past fiscal year), so I find it hard to believe that they would get a green-light to release a new machine during such an unstable time. The PSP is already such a functional machine. For SONY to add enough features to constitute a new system, they would have to make the tough choices of selling at a high price, or taking a loss on each console, neither of which can be positive in this economy. Finally, I think a re-model would be a great way to try and get a leg-up on Nintendo. If they can use cheaper components in this new model, they could easily low-ball Nintendo on price for the DSi. The PSP currently sells for $199 with a game, movie and memory stick, so getting below Nintendo's $169 would not be hard.
Whether or not this rumor turns out true remains to be seen, but we should find out soon, since the rumors have E3 listed as the likely reveal date.

Nintendo DSi

So, the DSi has finally received a US launch date (April 5th). I'm honestly surprised at how quickly they're bringing it over here, despite the fact that IGN predicted it's arrival almost to the day, and other sites speculated likewise. The DSi gives me very mixed feelings. On one hand, I love the added features and the new interface. Applications and more online connectiviy should have been a day-one feature for the DS phat in my opinion, so I am thrilled that they are finally here. And the SD card slot is an obvious plus. However, the lower battery life, significantly higher price, and lack of GBA slot are killing me. While none of them are deal-breakers, they each hurt a lot and unless my DS lite breaks I feel no compulsion to buy one. My main issue with the system comes from how quiet Nintendo has been about the system. In the past, I would have taken this silence as assurance of cool new features to be unveiled, but as it stands I really think that nintendo is just resting on it's laurels. For one thing, the DSi apparently has a stronger processor and more RAM than the older DS models, but Nintendo doesn't seem interested in using those features. Games like Guitar Hero DS that require the GBA slot won't work on the new system, and games like pokemon, that allow for content to be unlocked by the game in the GBA slot lose that functionality. The DSiWare looks awesome, but where is the portable Virtual Console? I understand that Nintendo likely does not want to drop all of it's bag of tricks at once, but the system has been out in Japan for months with no mention of the no-brainer service arriving. I guess I just don't see where the draw will be to American Gamers. I am a long-time nintendo fan, but I buy their systems because of the games. The DSi has no software that sets it apart from the DS lite, other than the downloads, which look cool but not extremely compelling. If nintendo suprises us with a real killer app between now and launch, then I will retract my sentiment, but I just don't see that happening.
There's my rant for the day I guess.

2009

2007 and 2008 were great years for gaming. Bioshock, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, Metal Gear Solid 4, Little Big Planet... the list of great games goes on and on. The Xbox 360 came into it's stride, the Wii continued to sell like Hotcakes, the PS3 began to pick up speed. The New Xbox Experience showed us that a console can have a UI upgrade, and even a new image. Indy game developers racked in the accolades last year with World of Goo and Braid. And the iPhone gaming scene is apparently doing well:
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/02/shoot-is-iphone.html
But in my mind, 2009 stands to be a year head-and-shoulders above them both. Despite the bad economy and the backlash from a crowded holiday season last year, I really think that 2009 might end up being one of the most important years of this generation. As cliche as this is, here are some predictions on that front:
1. The Wii starts to earn it's install base:
While there were some gems in 2008, it was mostly a desert for wii gamers. In fact, the best part of being a gamer with a wii as their primary console (me) was looking at videos of 2009. Just this past week was better for Wii then almost any month last year. We got Deadly Creatures, House of the Dead: Overkill, and Tenchu. And over the course of the year we will see The Conduit, Madworld, Muramusa: the Demon Blade, Dead Space Extraction, and Punchout, along with tons of other great confirmed and unconfirmed 2009 games. And with EA supposedly shifting half of their development power toward Wii, we are guaranteed one hell of a year.
2. The PS3 gains on the 360:
The PS3 had a good 2008, and it began to gain momentum in the end of the year. With great games like Killzone and Uncharted 2, along with rumors of a price-drop and the fact that it still hold such a strong brand name, might just spell a bright future for the luxury gaming machine.
3. Download as an alternative to hard-copy games make huge progress
Ok, this one is obvious, but I still think it deserves a spot. Steam has been providing downloads for a long time now, but the iPhone is finally making downloadable games more mainstream. People have always preferred having a hard-copy of media over a file, but that preference can be broken by the power of the impulse buy. iTunes provided music listeners a way to pick out an individual song and buy it without the entire CD, and now the App store is giving small games to gamers at a small price. It's true that selling someone a downloadable flash game for $5 isn't equivalent to selling someone a downloadable console game for $60, but when the main thing keeping people from buying is a mentality, any progress is good progress.
4. New IP's become more prevalent
This one might be stretching it a bit, but I think EA and Ubisoft set some trends in motion with Mirror's Edge, Dead Space, and Assassin's Creed. These were all new IP's that sold very well and proved that a compelling, innovative idea can still perform well (EA has stated that Dead Space and Mirror's Edge underperformed, but they each sold over 1million...) in a market crowded with sequels. The strategy of pumping out quick sequels will probably never die, but hopefully this year developers will put more faith in new ideas.
5. Indy Games will become more common and better-recognized by the public
Last year two indy games, World of Goo and Braid kicked the crap out of a lot of big-budget titles in the awards category, and if they are just as successful in their sales, more will come. Digital Distribution of games is making it much easier to indy developers to release their own games without the pain of aquiring and working with a publisher. This years independent games festival (IGF) should be great.

First post!

Hey, so I guess this experiment starts now. Welcome to casually pro! I intend this blog to be a good resource for the average gamers opinion. Like it says in the description, I am most interested in major gaming trends, the games as art debate, and console gaming. I don't have connections in the games industry, but I do follow the industry pretty closely and would like to offer my opinions on happenings that affect you and me, the average gamers, that make up the backbone of the gaming market. The majority of my posts will be commentary, meaning this probably wont be where you first discover a major happening (like the announcement of a new console or game), and will focus on fleshing out the story and what it means to all of us who enjoy gaming.