Computerworld has published their 2007 Holiday Gift Guide. I provided the "family fun" page, which offers hardware and software suggestions for both gaming and PC. Due to the price of Rock Band, it was my original inclination to recommend Guitar Hero III (which also has the advantage of being available for more systems). But Guitar Hero II made Computerworld's 2006 holiday gift guide, and I was already taxing my article's originality by repeating their console recommendation of the Wii. Rock Band seemed like a good compromise.
It never occurred to me to suggest Mac games, too; even though I'm a Mac user, I've never used the system for that purpose (except for Civilization II). Fortunately, editor Jake Widman neatly filled that gap.
Over on Computerworld.com, I have an article entitled "You can run, but you'll only die tired: Gaming's 'baddest' villains". It was originally slated to run in mid-April but was pushed back to today in sensitivity of the Virginia Tech shootings. (Even though video games were not involved in that tragedy, Computerworld nonetheless considered it inappropriate to glorify violence in its wake.)
The structure of the assignment was very loose, and I enjoyed the opportunity to break it up into five categories (Most Persistent, Most Memorable, Most Creative, Most Sinister, and Most Terrifying), with two tiers per category. Being able to acknowledge my favorite computer was a bonus.
Despite the outlet where the article was published, it is noticeably lacking in computer gaming villains. My own background is in console games, so that is what I drew on. I'm not opposed to research, but any article that aims to rank the "best" or "worst" anything must almost perforce be subjective. Nonetheless, thanks to Rob Boyd, Arc Nova, Chris Lackey for their invaluable suggestions, and the fans at ChatterBox for their feedback.
Two insider anecdotes: the headline ("you can run, but you'll only die tired") was my "taunt" on XBAND, the Super Nintendo head-to-head modem service, where I played Super Mario Kart and Super Street Fighter II under the handle Xenon; taunts were exchanged between competitors prior to every match. My editors and I were scratching our heads over a good kicker, or sub-headline, for the article. Finally I looked to my own cubicle's décor for inspiration.
by Ken Gagne
As Santa prepared for his annual trip, he reviewed his lists. It's been a busy year for the video game industry, and while many publishers had been nice, the business had a few naughty players as well. Here's what they can expect from Kriss Kringle this holiday:
Nice
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Naughty
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- Nintendo, for pursuing a mature gaming demographic with titles such as Eternal Darkness and Resident Evil.
- Nintendo again, for renewing their legendary hallmarks with games like Super Mario Sunshine and the incredible Metroid Prime.
- Sony, for the PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor that supports dial-up, allowing the majority of gamers to get online.
- Microsoft, for including Internet connectivity in their Xbox, and implementing it with a simple, annual service package.
- All three hardware developers, for engaging in a competitive price war that benefitted all consumers this holiday season.
- Sega, for being fruitful and multiplying their franchises with their "platform agnostic" publishing scheme, allowing Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft fans alike to enjoy such popular icons as Sonic, Shinobi, and Shenmue.
- Square and Enix. The merging of these two powerhouses of role-playing games (RPGs) was unexpected, with more surprises sure to come from the joint teams.
- Capcom, for pledging five GameCube-exclusive games — four original titles in 2003, and Resident Evil 4. It's a positive step away from the rampant gluttony that produces the same game for every system.
- Any publisher with plans to feed the retrogaming craze with new games, be they Ninja Turtles, Transformers, Spy vs. Spy, or TRON.
- Microsoft, for buying development team Rare.
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- Nintendo, for selling Rare. Even if Rareware accounted for a only a small percentage of Nintendo's sales, those are now sales Microsoft will have. Hello, Perfect Dark X…
- Nintendo again, for delivering their online adaptors in such scarcity that not even fans of the GameCube's only online game, Phantasy Star Online, could enjoy it.
- Enix, for cancelling the PlayStation remix of the best RPG ever, Dragon Warrior IV. Sure, sales of the series' seventh installment were poor last year, but that's what happens when you release a game that's old before it even hits store shelves.
- Companies who practiced layoffs this year: Infogrames (60% of their European staff) and Konami (the dissolution of their West Coast operations, as well as subsidies in Kobe in Nagoya). Santa owes these worthy, but unemployed, developers something special this year.
- Parents who ignored ESRB ratings on video games, only to be shocked to find their children playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Be actively aware of what games are available and what they're about: your presence (and dollars) will speak louder to both publishers and gamers than your protests ever will.
- Acclaim, for spoiling their once-excellent Turok series; for their silly promotions that defaced gravestones and renamed children; and for BMX XXX. All this could've been avoided.
- Australia, for banning BMX XXX. This commercial venture cannot be accurately lauded or ridiculed if consumers and retailers aren't given the opportunity to sell, or not sell, it.
- Japan, for getting exclusives like Final Fantasy X International which will never be seen in the USA, and for titles they get before the rest of the world, like the new Zelda. True that it's not necessarily Japan's fault, but coal all around, just the same.
- Greece, for outlawing gaming in all forms, be it in arcades or on cell phones. The ban lasted only a few months, but remains as an outrage — and the height of ludicrousness.
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This article is copyright (c) 2002, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.
Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 23-Dec-02
by Ken Gagne
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) for video gamers is a mecca, but not a heaven. The very nature of thousands of gamers presented with just as many new toys for them to try creates a hectic atmosphere. Several years of E3s have made me more aware and critical of these irritants. Now that I've had time to recover from and reflect on my annual sojourn, I present in no particular order my top ten things E3 doesn't need:
- Contest lines
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- Tens of thousands of people pay airfare to travel to Los Angeles and stay in hotels., then wait in line for hours to compete for a Nintendo WaveBird wireless controller. Value: $35. Did all their money go to travel expenses, that they can no longer afford this additional expense? I'd rather wait in line at my local retailer for five minutes than spend all that travelling money to wait in Los Angeles for five hours.
- Unorganized masses
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- There was no semblance of order to enter the Sony press convention as hordes of reporters attempted to register at the main gates. In this case, lines would've been appreciated.
- Unorganized parking
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- The Convention Center garage offers parking for a very accommodating price, but finding an available spot requires winding through the many twists, turns, and one-way avenues. Parking in an overpriced outdoor lot is less hassle.
- Overpriced food
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- Maybe those potential WaveBird owners are strapped for cash after paying the exorbitant prices demanded by Convention Center food vendors. Is packing a lunch considered unprofessional?
- Continental breakfasts
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- The press is spared the outrage of commercial food by receiving free meals from our host, the IDSA — but how about some hot food to boot? A few flapjacks would go a long way.
- Lack of seating
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- Again, the IDSA goes above and beyond to feed the press, and this year's lunches were the best they'd ever had. But why do they offer food to feed hundreds of press corps members, and enough chairs to seat only dozens? It's diametric to lavish the reporters with fine food, only to ask them to eat off the floor next to the garbage can.
- Volume
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- With every booth competing to be heard, it becomes nearly impossible to pick out any single sound source. Even these efforts are sometimes wasted, such as with Konami, who presented videos with dialogue drowned out by the video's own music. The volume isn't deafening, just indistinguishable.
- Geeks
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- Video games are about fun, yet E3 is also a business affair. While a suit and tie may be overkill, the opposite extreme of fanboys wearing their favorite game cartridges like necklaces is unnecessary as well.
- Oblivious people
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- E3 isn't an RPG where you can kill those who annoy you, so please be considerate of them instead. If someone is sitting or kneeling to watch a demonstration, please do not stand in front of her. If a photo is being taken, please do not cross in front of the photographer. Pretend it's a survival horror game, and be aware of your surroundings; anything could be a threat.
- Booth babes
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- Except possibly for Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, there is little relevance between the exhibiting women, scantily clad or not, and the games they're demonstrating. This showcasing demeans these women, and produces little additional press for the company's software. The only real result I've seen are web sites boasting a plethora of testosterone-dripping photos of their staffers enjoying the bounties of E3.
See you next year!
This article is copyright (c) 2002, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.
Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 24-Jun-02
by Ken Gagne
As Santa filled his sleigh this year, he checked his list. Which video game companies were on his lists this Christmas? He moved his finger down the list, seeing who'd been naughty and who'd been nice…
Nice
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Naughty
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- Sony, for releasing a game system that combines video games with DVD capability.
- Nintendo, for creating a next-generation game system, the GameCube, which is developer-friendly.
- Sega, for getting SegaNet up and running with Quake III, NFL2K1, and NBA2K1.
- Konami, for all the games shown at Konami Gamers Day, especially Metal Gear Solid 2 and Silent Hill 2.
- Capcom, not only for porting their Resident Evil and Dino Crisis games to the Sega Dreamcast, but pricing them affordably, too.
- Enix, for reestablishing themselves in North America, and releasing Game Boy versions of Dragon Warrior, one of the best role-playing game series in video game history.
- Rare, for great Nintendo 64 games such as Perfect Dark and Banjo-Tooie; who says the N64 is dead?
- Square, for releasing so many RPG's this year, even if some of their sequels weren't as great as the originals.
- Working Designs, for shipping Lunar 2 in time for Christmas.
- Peter Moore, COO of Sega, for defending the video game industry after the FTC reported that violent video games are intentionally marketed to children.
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- Sony, for rushing the PS2 to market, making it difficult for developers to create games, releasing no "killer apps" in time for Christmas, and failing to ship as many hardware units as they promised. (how many lumps of coal IS that?)
- Everyone on eBay who sold PlayStation 2's for more than $500.
- Saddam Hussein, for taking 4,000 PlayStation 2's off American shelves and shipping them to Iraq.
- Microsoft, for Xbox. From the people who brought us Windows? God save us all.
- Paramount, Eidos, and Angelina Jolie, for the tragedy that is about to beTomb Raider: The Movie.
- Square, for releasing handheld versions of the classic Final Fantasy games — for WonderSwan, not Game Boy.
- LucasArts, for releasing the Nintendo 64 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine as a Blockbuster rental exclusive.
- Express.com, for shutting down the GameFan website and print magazine.
- Quebec, for forcing video game companies to release game manuals in French.
- Everyone who didn't buy Sega's A+ quality software, from Samba de Amigo to Shenmue; Sega reported hundreds of millions of dollars in losses this year. Sega got over their mistakes with the 32X and Saturn, why can't you?
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This article is copyright (c) 2000, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.
Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 26-Dec-00
