4/23 - 4/29 Front Page News

Ken Kutaragi steps down, Kazuo Hirai steps up. Rumors of no PS4??

Dubbed "Father of the Playstation", Ken Kutaragi has just stepped down. Since 1994, Ken has been responsible for a hugely successful division of Sony by releasing 4 consoles in 13 years. We give him a moment of silence in gratitude for the countless hours of staying home and playing videogames when we should be sleeping/eating/working etc.

Now then, On to his successor, Kazuo Hirai. Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai has been a part of the playstation family since 1995, where he has since been an instrumental part of the success of the playstation internationally. He is regarded as having strong relations with game makers, which could be good news, but many have also speculated that the change could mean a general shift for Sony (much like Sega) going from hardware to software. Will there be a Playstation 4? With Sony losing its major 3rd party games to Microsoft and its lackluster sales, not to mention the fact that Sony is already losing so much money on each system sold.. who can really say?

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"Dammit!" - Jack Bauer (24: the drinking game)

24 has been a hit show ever since its debut in 2001. The show layout is simple.. each 1 hour episode is equal to 1 hour in the day. Jack Bauer, an LA CTU (Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit) Field Operations Specialist, is the main protagonist in the show. The audience follows Jack and others through a full day in defending the US from crisis. While there are obvious advantages to this form of layout (such as the suspense factor), there are many disadvantages as well. There aren't any flashbacks and it is hard to believe that there are so many things happening over the course of one day such as romances blossoming or dying. Another disadvantage, in my opinion, is that Jack is always the main character. With the show on its 6th season, its hard to believe that Jack has gone through so many horrible days in his life. An interesting side effect is that this has now launched Jack Bauer to legendary status. He is today's MacGuyver.. he can do anything and get out of any situation.

I saw a clip recently about a 24 drinking game for those of you legally of drinking age. Since the show is on FOX and must comply with FCC guidelines, cursing for the most part is not allowed. Writers of the show get away with some cursing by using "Dammit", and its in there A LOT. The drinking game is simple, drink when you hear the words dammit. Cheers and good luck!

4/16 - 4/22 Front Page News

Haloid

Saw a video early today on Gametrailers called Haloid. It's a video done with decent animation depicting the battle between a spartan soldier from Halo and Samus from Metroid. The story telling is very well done. The animations are ok.. but with a small group of animators it's a very good job. I do think that the spartan was not able to fight on even ground with Samus. I guess Samus is just too powerful, or the spartan was too tired from the earlier battle. Maybe if the creator could add an extended version where Samus gets beat up some more... but other than that its a great video to watch. You can also see the video here.

"Everyone Lies" - House M.D

I've been watching alot of House M.D lately (thank you internet television) and its really quite interesting. It's not really a series with a connected storyline (like Greys Anatomy). I've noticed that the show has a more 80's cartoon repetition to it. Each episode begins with someone getting sick. House and crew attempt to fix the problem while spewing out medical terms a mile-a-minute. Sprinkle in some outside storyline and character development. The illness somehow worsens and House must solve the case, usually with some breaking and entering. We find out the patient had lied or withheld information (clever writing device *cough* sarcasm *cough*) and now the patient is about to die. House and crew then get into giant cat-like robots, which form a singular giant humanoid-robot. Once in this form, a giant laser sword appears and easily destroys the evil alien with a single swipe... oops.. wrong show.

The point is each show is usually a seperate entity with barely any ongoing drama in the background to keep the show together as a whole. "Why would anyone watch the show?".. Well my guess is.. firstly, because Hugh Laurie's character is cool in a funny, sarcastic and hateful way. Secondly, because the illnesses the patient faces is usually interesting enough to stick around for. In the end, I kind of like the show.. but I'm not quite sure why I keep watching it.

Article: Do violent games cause violent crimes?:

With the recent massacre at VA Tech University, there has been alot of speculation as to whether violent videogames were a factor. Actually violent videogames have been blamed for the past 20 years.. but my argument is that violent videogames might be a factor, but is in no way the reason people do violent things.

Many will argue that videogames, especially violent ones, desensitize gamers to the notion of death and violence. There are some very vocal and influential people, who are just as ignorant, that say videogames are a major factor in some of these horrendous acts of violence. Some even say that violent videogames are the direct cause of it. Many also want game companies to stop making violent videogames. Well lets look at these statements closely shall we...

"Violent videogames are the cause of these violent acts because they desensitize gamers to the idea of death and killing."

First of all.. games are merely a tool/medium/artform that is open to the public who CHOOSE to purchase it. You know whats more a cause of the killings than videogames? THE GUNS! To say that videogames are solely to blame is saying that there weren't any violent crimes being commited before videogames were invented. More people have been killed in the name of religion in the history of mankind than videogames ever did, but I don't see anyone blaming religion... is it just too touchy a subject?

"Violent videogames may not have been the sole cause, but it was a major factor. Some of these acts were even done in a game to practice for the real thing."

Well.. I admit that gaming could be a factor, but everything can be a "factor". Simply being a factor will never get game companies to stop making violent videogames. The fact remains that the transfer from playing a videogame to actually pulling the trigger or stabbing someone has to go through something that is ultimately flawed. The human brain. Sometimes we cause this to happen by allowing children to see violence early on in life and thus desensitizing that person, but this does not put the blame on gaming. It puts the blame on people. Humans are flawed...The real problem here is that we don't see the signs of violence early on, and when we do see the signs of violence we either don't report it, ignore it or are too lazy or scared to say anything. As for people who use videogames to "practice" or mentally prepare for violence... well gaming is a medium. Like art.. it can be used for many things.. this doesn't mean that game companies make games purposely to cause violent crimes. How come we aren't looking at places like shooting ranges or martial arts dojos or anything else that can be twisted into something violent or malicious?

"Videogames have been found as a common link to many major killing or act of violence in the past X years."

Well what most of these people may not know is.. the gaming market is just as big, if not bigger than the movie industry in both entertainment and business. Saying that gaming is a common factor is like saying, "They've all had computers, seen tv, seen a movie, had cars, ate fast food, etc." Finding a link of videogames is almost inevitable in this day and age.

In the end, social deviance can only be caused by society. To say that videogames encompass society is ignorance. It is merely a tiny fragment of our society. Its our lack of neighborly conduct today. Its our lack of interest in what our children sees or hears. Its our need to blame that keeps us from seeing the real problems. Its not the medium, its the people.

4/9 - 4/15 Front Page News

Michael Bay to do Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

Not a bad idea, but also not a good one. Games like Prince of Persia and God of War were hugely successful, not only because of their stories, but their gameplay as well... Something tells me that this is going to be similar to "Pirates of the Carribean" set in Persia.

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Optimus Prime... HAS.. lips?!?!

Last week there was a unfinished TV spot for the upcoming transformers film leaked. The trailer looks as good as any other action trailer.. with exception of one major scene. Optimus speaks.. that, in itself, is not the problem. The problem here is that when Optimus Prime spoke, he didn't have his face plate on. OPTIMUS HAD LIPS!.. and not even regular lips.. these were bird-like beak lips. It demasculinated him completely! The Transformer crew should've been figuring out how to make all the other transformers seem more realistic (for example: Taking out their cartoon mouths), not giving Optimus weird looking lips. I am already wary of this film because Michael bay is doing it (Team America songs come to mind). So far I've managed to handle the new prime truck look, the new realistic transformer looks.. but this.. this might just be the straw that broke the camels back. Will I still see it in theaters? .. yeah probably.. *damn you Michael Bay! sigh*

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Cooking Mama?! Wheres Drinking Papa?

I am a little ashamed to say that I like Cooking Mama for the Wii/DS. Not only does it utilize the Stylus and Wiimote that in a creatively fun way, (read: linked mini-games a la Wario Ware) but it ACTUALLY teaches you how to do certain things.. such as dice onions, cut meats, mix ingredients, etc.. While playing this game, I thought to myself, "I feel like a loser." then I cried myself to sleep. The next day I thought "Why not make Drinking Papa!"... this would give Nintendo a decidedly adult game (no one under 21! We use the honor system.. ahem..) and this game would be fun and "informative".. it would also help in the quest to make every game a "drinking game" as well. So the premise would be the same, Papa wants a drink.. player does a bunch of minigames and creates the perfect drink. Pour the right amount of alcohol, pick ice cubes fast enough, shake that shaker. There could even be the endless mode (aka: bartender frenzy).. Plus.. I think alot of people are just as interested in making drinks as they are making food. Right? Cheers! GET TO WORK NINTENDO!

Article: Nintendo Wii-shuffle:

Nintendo is known for making really "interesting" choices in gaming. (Controllers, Game Software Mediums, Features, Game Content) Recently, people have been praising their innovation with the Wii and DS. Many people, including a lot of these people, not long ago were cursing Nintendo for their "mistakes" in the industry. Nintendo's choice to use cartridges on the N64, 3-inch discs for the Gamecube, Kiddie games, Weird controllers, lack of internet gaming, etc. Many people thought that these mistakes were leading to Nintendo's impending doom.
My argument is that Nintendo has done a wonderful job as a game company, although most of you will call me a Nintendo Fanboy and disregard this immediately, I will make my argument as objective as possible.

1. About Nintendo

There are 2 sides to any game company that needs to be looked at. First, the business side.. are they turning in a profit? Are investors happy? Does the company hold firm ground in the field they are in? etc. Secondly, there is the gaming/ product side.. Are the games fun? Is the hardware reliable? Are consumers happy with the product?

As a business, Nintendo has done a spectacular job. They never sell anything without making a profit off of it. This is VERY important for Nintendo as they do not have any other means of income. Sony has Consumer Electronics and Entertainment while Microsoft has Computer Hardware and Software. Investors are almost always happy with Nintendo's results and Nintendo continues to be a leader in the gaming market as a developer and console.

The Gaming side, however, is not as spectacular... but I still argue that they have been really strong in leading the market. Nintendo constantly innovates, thanks to the fact that they focus purely on the gaming industry and knows it has fanboys that will follow them wherever they go. Why does Nintendo have crazy "fanboys" you ask? Its because Nintendo caters to children.. If gaming was a drug, then Nintendo is that seemingly nice dealer that waits outside elementary schools and local arcades. The young, influential clients then become loyal "users" and constantly come back for more. Its that simple. Nintendo is also known for their excellent products (high quality games and sturdy hardware) and customer support. In the end, Nintendo has always made sound decisions in business which nets them huge profits, so they can experiment with innovation in the market. Brilliant.

2. My prediction: Wii-Shuffle

Believing that Nintendo makes sound decisions in the gaming market, I predict that the Wii is a design meant to last for 5 years, but stall for only 2. Like a child trying to walk in step with an adult, Nintendo has inevitably fallen "a step behind". So what does that kid do to catch up? Simple.. takes 2 steps in the same amount of time the adult takes for one. Nintendo doesn't have other areas to gather income, and does not have the means to throw money around to keep up with industry standards set up with giant companies like Sony and Microsoft.

I predict that this shuffle will happen in about 2 years. Nintendo would release another system around the year 2009, more akin to PS3 and Xbox360. This will do several things to give Nintendo an advantage. Any "non-gamers" who jumped on the Wii bandwagon will probably use this new system as a stepping stone, which will raise the gaming audiences for 3rd party developers. Nintendo will also be 2-3 years ahead of Microsoft and Sony because they can't afford to lose more money on new systems. Nintendo will also have access to cheaper and more reliable hardware... So they'd still make a profit off the systems.

3. Conclusion

Nintendo always has and always will make "different" choices.. some will fail and will be seen as huge mistakes in the industry, but the others will be accepted and successful, and most likely completely change the industry. Not a lot of gamers like Nintendo games or the looks of their controllers, but a lot of people do believe in Nintendo as a company. They have always kept the consumers in mind and try to bring the most amount of fun at the lowest prices. You just can't beat that.

Article: Game Development:

Statement: "I work at a videogame company."

Common Response: "THAT IS THE COOLEST JOB IN THE WORLD! That job must be so fun/awesome."

The truth is... Yes and No.

There are cons for every pro in the game industry. I'm sure some of you have heard of the EA_spouse letter. The truth is that most game development companies require alot of time and effort focused solely to creating these amazing/not-so-amazing/ ok/ crappy games. With the time constraints of holidays, summer, fiscal year beginnings/endings, etc. developers find themselves in a constant time crunch where work goes from decent to very bad then back to decent.. with a small break in between. How bad is bad you ask? I've heard of 100 hour work weeks. Seeing your coworkers more than family is the norm. The Developers and the Quality Assurance (Testers) both put in lots of hours into making sure a game can ship on time. Sometimes 12+ hours a day, 6-7 days a week, but I will talk more of the different phases of game development and the different departments in a company another time.

Since the game industry is a billion dollar industry today, secrecy is of the upmost importance. Each person is usually held accountable for their devbuilds (pre-release game versions) in the hopes of leak prevention. The QA testers are usually at the sh*t end of the stick as they are rarely trusted with anything. Devs are more relaxed, in my opinion, with how they handle builds in the office. So these stories of making up to $80 dollars an hour playing videogames from home are simply NOT TRUE. This just does not make any sense. Game companies are not going to trust you with their secret in-development games outside of the company walls. DO NOT APPLY FOR ANY JOB STATING YOU CAN MAKE MONEY TESTING CONSOLE GAMES FROM HOME.. (PC games.. I seriously doubt. Beta testing PC games is not a paid job.)

"Well.. every job has its down sides.. working at a game industry must be fun right?" It's true that there are also good aspects to working in the game industry. For the most part, game companies consist of a bunch of hard working, nice people. A strong sense of comeraderie is usually built up over the course of a project, and going to work is like seeing a second family. There is a fair amount of fun times to be had when working at a game company like Nerf dart wars, game tournaments, parties, etc., but it's definitely not like Westwood college's version of a game companies inner workings.

In the end, I must say that when working in the game industry is fun, it's really fun, and when it sucks, it really sucks. It's definitely a love/hate relationship. If you love everything about games and are passionate about it.. you'll probably survive the hard times and sacrifice alot.. but you'll most likely gain great friends, coworkers and will be making and playing the games all day. If you aren't passionate about games.. the simple answer is, you will probably need to change careers.