Sleepy Gamer

It wasn’t too long ago that game exclusivity was king among “third party” blockbusters like Final Fantasy and Guitar Hero.  When games were only released on one system and one system alone.  However, with this console generation having no clear cut leader to shoulder the burden of millions of sales, like it was during the Playstation 2 era, the ideas of exclusivity are beginning to change.  But why move away from single platform exclusivity when it’s obviously much easier to develop for one system?  The sad truth is that game development costs are a lot higher now than they were a few years ago.  The move to HD graphics means much more detailed art assets are required and production quality expectations are at an all time high.  Just like the movie business, video games are turning into a big budget, blockbuster-obsessed industry.  So game publishers are finding little reason to stick to one platform when they could be selling to a much wider audience.

The concept of exclusivity is not altogether dead yet.  Although not an entirely new idea, timed exclusivity is one way Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are continuing to compete for dominance in the continuing console war.  Traditionally, when a game receives a timed exclusivity window of a year or more, sales are generally skewed heavily toward the first version of the game, since all the buzz and anticipation will have worn off by the time the ported game comes out.  After all, the Grand Theft Auto series became a timed exclusive for the PS2, which later appeared on both the PC and Xbox.  The same could be said for Resident Evil 4, which first debuted on Nintendo’s Gamecube and was later ported to PS2.  Today, the timed exclusive has all but replaced the “third party” exclusive.  Bioshock and Eternal Sonata were both timed exclusives for the Xbox360 and Unreal Tournament III was temporarily a PS3-only game.

Read more »

The successor to the ever popular Nintendo DS handheld, the DSi, is revealed.. Among some of the new features, the DSi boasts larger screens, an even slimmer form factor, standard web browser, 2 built-in 0.3 megapixel cameras (one aimed outward in front, one inside aimed at the user), and an SD memory card slot.  Also, be prepared to start downloading DS games from a new, online, portable store.  But if you live outside Japan, don’t expect to get your hands on one before 2009.

Flurry of announced Nintendo games, including a new Punch-Out!.. The new DS revision wasn’t the only news to come out of the recent Nintendo conference.  Other announced titles include Sin and Punishment 2, Fire Emblem DS, and Mario and Luigi RPG 3.  Also, get ready for even more Gamecube Wii-makes, namely Metroid Primes 1 & 2, Mario Tennis, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, and Pikmin.

Those pesky Wii HD rumors just won’t go away.. Seems the latest sources predict the next Nintendo console to launch sometime in 2011 and offer a more significant leap in hardware than the jump from Gamecube to Wii.  Yet to be seen is whether or not the new system will iterate on the “making you look ridiculous while playing” novelty that made the Wii such a truly unique experience.

PlayOn Beta for PS3 and Xbox360 gives the gift of Netflix, Hulu and other online video streaming.. Why wait for Netflix streaming in the upcoming Xbox360 dashboard update when you can do all that and more with PlayOn.  Sign up for the beta now!

Take-Two decides to remain independent after the failed EA hostile takeover attempt.. The mid-sized publisher behind such game series’ as Grand Theft Auto and the 2K line of sports titles avoids the consolidation that has become almost routine in the industry.

It’s no big secret that Will Wright’s next endeavor would be an incredibly ambitious project.  The game, which has won countless trade show awards over the past several years, was aptly called “Sim Everything” for a reason.

Creature Creator.. A Game In Itself

While you don’t immediately start off creating your creature, it’s an activity you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again, throughout your playthrough.  The software tool is easy enough to use for most novice players.  Adding body parts is as simple as clicking and dragging body parts to wherever your twisted mind wants them.  Each added part has several sliders to adjust orientation, size, and length, while the main body can be molded like clay to become longer or shorter, fatter or skinnier.  The only restrictions come in form of forced symmetry by the editor.  Regardless, the sheer amount of user-generated creatures that have already been made is a testament to the power, ease, and usability of the tool.  It should be noted that a free, standalone version of the Spore Creature Creator is available for anyone to try.  You won’t be able to test out your creation in-game, but you can tinker with the tool and get a small taste of what the creative aspect of Spore is all about.

5 Games In 1

Spore is divided into five evolutionary stages (Cell, Creature, Tribal, Civilization, and Space), based on mostly distinct gameplay types.  You advance through the game either by spending a predetermined amount of time in the current stage or by filling up an experience bar at the bottom of the screen, although each stage has its own way of awarding experience points (XP).

Read more »

Bungie countdown brings a cryptic trailer and possibly more Halo 3 content.. There is no doubt that this is the trailer Microsoft pulled from their E3 press conference, to make way for an even bigger announcement.  Looks like Bungie is teasing a new Halo 3 campaign expansion of some sort.  However, I’d love to see more updates like the recent title update to multiplayer though.

Early Mirror’s Edge tech demo is amazing.. The proof of concept that DICE brought to show EA is definitely an incredible showpiece for the first-person, platforming game.

It’s not even out yet and Little Big Planet is already remaking the classics.. First Mario, and now Tetris gets the LBP treatment, according to this video.  I’m glad these are being made, but hopefully the community downloads page won’t be overloaded with old sidescrolling remakes.

In addition to Halo Wars, Ensemble was also working on a now-canceled Halo MMO.. Throw this in with the prototyped Halo DS game as something you won’t likely see any time soon.

Wanna calibrate Rock Band’s audio/video setup the old fashioned way? This video shows how manually, without using the in-game tool or the fancy new instrument sensors.

Be careful of Sony’s restrictive PS3 video DRM.. Seems like you can copy purchased or rented movies off the PS3 store just fine.  But should you happen to delete a movie to make room on your hard drive, just be prepared to call up tech support for a one-time re-download.  At least with Spore’s DRM, EA is always happy to give you an activation reset.

WoW + Bejeweled = Farewell to any hope of sleep or rest.. Yeah, that’s right.  You can now play Bejeweled while waiting to group in World of Warcraft.  Good luck ever leaving your PC desk.

Play Fallout 1 for free, right freaking now.. GameTap is offering up the free download, so what are you waiting for?  Prepare for Fallout 3.

Apparently, everyone on the Internet hates Spore’s DRM.. First the anti-DRM fanatics bombed the Amazon review average.  Then they made Spore creatures.  EA responded with some changes, but more were needed.

Updated Fallout 3 site totally worth your time.. Bethesda officially launched the site with a bevy of ’50s era propaganda videos, subtly followed by relevant interactive content for each one.  Each button is a different video, so try them all out.  What does your “G.O.A.T.” psychological profile say about you?

Rock out with your friends, but don’t forget the code.. Just like any good party game (cough.. Super Smash Bros Brawl), you’re required to spend tons of hours unlocking things before the fun can begin.  Unless you use this temporary unlock code: Red, Yellow, Blue, Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Red, Yellow, Blue.  Have fun with these codes as well!

What’s better than yearly Guitar Hero games?  Try triple that amount.. Does that mean Activision big wigs also get triple the gold toilets.

Peggle Nights is out. Play it! Popcap should really be regulated by the FDA, because Peggle Nights is just as addictive as the first game.

Farewell to Jeff Green, former CGW/GFW editor-in-chief.. And farewell to the GFW Radio podcast, one of my weekly mainstays and always an enjoyable listen.

Oh and the next expansion to a little game called WoW is coming Nov 13th.. If you have any loved ones who play WoW, make the most of your time with them now.

Nintendo redefined what was traditionally thought to be the video game console life cycle with the Wii. They focused on getting a fun and affordable system into people’s houses, with the concept of “play, not graphics” being the primary driving force. In doing so, they were able to jump forward into the console life cycle at the point in which mass market acceptance becomes high and barriers to entry are low. Everyone became an early adopter of the Wii; hardcore gamers, families, young professionals, middle aged couples, and everyone in between.

One side effect of this swift change has been the reduction in quantity of game releases aimed squarely at the hardcore gamer. While Nintendo initially did an excellent job releasing their stable of beloved franchises (Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros, Mart Kart), since then we’ve seen a considerable decline in the amount of notable core game releases from Nintendo. E3 was a prime example of this, as Nintendo failed to deliver the excitement and promise of new games to get the hardcore excited. They did, however, acknowledge that these titles were being worked on. Recently, there was an article in Edge magazine about how Nintendo would have these core titles ready in approximately 2 to 3 years. But if the Wii software cycle started off toward the middle of what we’ve come to know of the conventional product cycle, does this mean we should expect these games on the next Nintendo console instead?

The rumors and speculation about an major upcoming Wii redesign are actually very plausible. Nintendo could still draw upon the incredibly popular Wii branding, perhaps naming the next console “Nintendo Wii Plus” or “Wii HD”, to keep the strong mainstream mind share alive. And just like the jump from Gamecube to Wii wasn’t a monumental jump forward in graphics, this redesign could continue this tradition, using multicore technology and the Bluray format, at a point when such hardware is much cheaper. It could easily include hardware-based backwards compatibility with all the existing Wii software and maybe even support the current controllers and peripherals as well.

Read more »