Sleepy Gamer

Ever popped in a DVD lately? I bet you’ve already seen those annoying Blu-ray commercials. Blu-ray, the ultimate hi-def blah blah blah. We’re constantly reminded that Blu-ray is so much better than DVD. But is it really?

First off, what is Blu-ray? Blu-ray is a proprietary media format produced by a little company named Sony. These are the same folks who introduced us to the failed UMD, mini-discs, and even Beta tapes. This format is called Blu-ray since these discs are literally made using a blue laser. DVDs on the other hand, are produced with a red laser. Because blue has a much shorter wave length than red, a blue laser can burn more data onto a disc. Imagine writing with a fine-tipped pen vs. writing with a highlighter marker.

From the naked eye, there isn’t much distinction between Blu-ray and DVD discs. But what makes Blu-ray so special is that it can hold about 6x more data than DVD. Dual-layer Blu-ray discs can hold up to 50 GB while a dual-layer DVD can only hold up to 8.5 GB. With DVDs, movie studios need to compress and reduce the video quality so that it can fit onto the disc. Watch a DVD movie on an HD display and you will notice quite a bit of pixilation and artifacts that degrade the picture quality. Blu-ray movies are clear as day since the video looks extremely vibrant and crisp. That’s because it also provides 6x the resolution of a standard DVD movie. The higher the resolution, the better the picture will look.
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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.

Based on Michael J’s request, I’ve decided to write this 101 on video cables. You’re probably thinking, wtf, why do I want to read about cables? Well, let’s all blame Mr. Michael J for that. =) Hopefully this will help clear up some of your long dying questions about cables.

Composite
Composite cables are denoted by the yellow, white, and red connectors, also known as RCA cables. Practically every device that plugs into your TV are compatible with them. The yellow connector outputs video while the white and red carries audio. These cables often come bundled with your DVD player or game console and they very affordable. However, these are the worst cables that you can buy. You can’t really notice the low quality visuals from SD televisions, but the quality is much diminished when viewed from HD displays. With composite cables, your television can only view 480i resolution.

S-Video
S-Video is the next step up from the crappy composite cables. In addition to the yellow, white, and red cables, there’s a fourth pin connector that provides substantial video enhancement. This fourth connector allows higher video bandwidth and carries 2 separate signals for color and luminance. This provides greater video quality when compared to the composite cables. You should see a noticeable increased in sharpness when using S-Video. Although S-Video is a step up from composite, you’re still only limited to 480i resolution. A lot of the older DVD players support S-Video, but this cable is definitely being phased out. Only buy this cable if you do not have a HD display.
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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.

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So you’ve bought yourself a PS3 or XBox 360.  But you have it hooked up to that old 19″ Sony Trinitron television that was handed down from your brother’s girlfriend.  The yellow, white, and red cables are plugged into your tv and you say to yourself, “What’s the big deal?  The graphics look just as good as my PS2.”  Hate to break it to you, but it’s time for a new television.  Here are some general tips and guidelines that you should look into when buying a tv.

Plasma or LCD

Any of these television types would be fine for gaming.  They provide excellent picture quality, and both of which are pretty affordable now.  There are lots of misconceptions that plasmas don’t last as long as LCDs, or that burn-in is a rampant problem with the plasmas.  It’s true that first generation plasmas were plagued with these problems, but the latest plasmas have implemented ways to get around that issue.  Current plasmas and LCD televisions are rated with a lifespan of about 60,000 hours, and a lot of plasmas have built in screen savers that help prevent burn-ins that may occur.  So you’ll be fine going either way.

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While PC gaming has enjoyed smaller downloadable games for just about as long as the Internet has been around, the console space has only just begun to embrace this concept.  The incredible ease of obtaining digitally distributed content along with the rising cost of game development for AAA titles has carved out a nice niche for independent developers to showcase their wares.

Sony has proved that downloadable games can offer large, retail game-sized experiences (see Warhawk , GT 5 Prologue and the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Quest For Booty), however, the space is primarily inhabited by more casual “pick up and play” games.  Titles like Geometry Wars Retro Evolved or Super Stardust HD are extremely addictive twin stick shooter gems, but they’re also great games to play for 10 to 15 mins, while you wait for your buddy to join you online.  In a way, they’re really more like palette cleansers that can be loaded up quickly while you’re in between game sessions.  These games also don’t require individual discs, which means you can turn on your console and then decide what you want to play, possibly after you’re glanced at your friend’s list.  And since they tend to be smaller, less complicated games, you’re more apt to find a local multiplayer game everyone can join in on.  Rather than entice your friends to come over and play Halo 3 or Madden, you can boot up N+ or Calling All Cars! to bring out some good old fashioned couch rivalries.

Creating these smaller bite-sized games also means you can charge less and still turn a decent profit because the development times are drastically lower.  Independent development studios like thatgamecompany or NinjaBee would have probably never existed or at least might not have been as successful had it not been for the smaller canvas and digital distribution.  Rather than deal with one of the incredibly massive multi-national publishers, Xbox Live Arcade, Playstaion Network, and Wiiware, offer direct channels for consumers to buy their products.  Since a lower cost of development means lower investment risk, developers are given more freedom to innovate.  The single-man production of Everyday Shooter is a great example of a game that seems unlikely to have ever existed on a console 5 years ago.  Such is the potential for this brand new medium.
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