Because it just ain't a world war without zombies

Some may recall this lovely footage released from Call of Duty: World at War (WaW) about Halloween time:

Upon beating the main campaign, this 'Nazi zombie mode' is unlocked, featuring four player co-op whereby each wave of zombies are more difficult than the last. For those wondering what the heck Nazi zombies were doing in their World War II game, the game's publisher, Activision, has let loose on the what and why. Executive producer Daniel Suarez, commenting:

“It was one of the pet projects of one of the designers. The seed of the idea came out of casual [tower] defense games online. It was something that they [developer Treyarch] had been working on for a while and went back to when they had time.”

“Nazi Zombies was sort of this rumor, and everybody would be like, ‘Nazi zombies? What Nazi zombies?’ The designers would sort of chuckle in the back corner and be like, ‘I don’t know what that is.’ And then one day it all of a sudden appeared in a build and it got so much traction internally.”

“All of the QA guys, the marketing guys, even the PR guys became big fans. So we decided to save it and announce it [the week of Halloween on GameTrailers]. It was a project of love that a lot of guys had a hand in.”

Nothing against shooting Nazi zombies or anything, but it does make the game's sensitive footage and serious approach harder to accept on those grounds. I'd never be one to say it should be removed or anything like that, but what do you think?

Everyone's Theater for Wii Channel in Japan is just a start, and a more hands-on approach from Nintendo is recommended

TDG (The Diffusion Group) last month sung the praises of the streaming-on-demand video content available on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network, predicting that 75 percent of the 190 million US households expected to have a next-generation console by 2012 will be accessing console-based video services "at least a couple times each week". Now the consumer technology research and strategic marketing firm wonders if Nintendo can afford to take a sidelines approach with its own video-on-demand services for the Wii.

Given the Wii’s explosive diffusion (over 35 million points of presence at year-end 2008) and cross-market appeal (helping to bring console gaming into the mainstream), Nintendo would seem to put be in an ideal position from which to launch a highly-competitive video delivery service. To date, however, it has remained relatively silent on the issue of Wii-based video delivery.

Back in October, Nintendo revealed its own solution for Japan in the form of the "Everybody's Theater" Wii Channel. Accessing the Channel will require a download of Fujisoft's Ulexit media player which costs 500 Nintendo Points. The Channel itself is expected to launch sometime this month with a selection of 500 programs which include movies, documentaries, music shows, anime and probably soaps.  Gotta have soaps!  TDG's Colin Dixon feels the popularity enjoyed by the Wii on its native soil does help increase the chances of success for the OTT (over-the-top) video service.

However, Dixon is bothered by the fact that responsibility for managing the service lies with Fujisoft, not Nintendo itself. In other words, unlike its competitors Nintendo isn't really quite in charge of operating its own digital video service, and this suggests that the company is not yet serious about Wii-based video distribution; at the very least, Nintendo does not expect to make a whole lot of money off of it.

In order for the Wii to remain competitive in the long-term, Nintendo must enable Wii-based OTT video services of some kind. TDG expects that within the next two years either (a) Nintendo will seek third-party partners in both the U.S. and Europe for Wii-based video delivery, or (b) Nintendo will work with a company like Move Networks to roll out their own service and thus compete directly with Microsoft and Sony. Either way, Nintendo will be forced to get into the video game, likely sooner than even they may expect.

As Nintendo itself is a big promoter of Wii activity that's not entrenched in "core" gaming trappings, Dixon believes the company is well positioned to profit handsomely off of pushing video services for the console. In fact, Dixon claims the move toward a Wii video gateway will come about whether Nintendo wants to or not, so the company is better off being prepared.

Set top boxes and the Web to take over?

Industry veterans Alex St. John, Chairman of WildTangent, and Sandy Duncan, who organized and ran the European Xbox business for Microsoft, proclaimed earlier in the year consoles will die out within 5-10 years.

At the recent Reuters Media Summit, Shane Kim, VP of Strategy and Business Development at Microsoft Corp’s Interactive Entertainment Business, stated it's too early for such predictions:

“This console generation will have a long life cycle. I think it’s way premature to say there will never be another Xbox,” he said.

St. John and Duncan's statements aren't entirely unfounded of course, as the prominence of set top boxes and emphasis on the Internet gain ground on this front. Kim wasn't shy about speculating on these things:

“What’s interesting to think about will be what will define the next generation. It is absolutely a possibility where the next generation is defined by what we can do online rather than the hardware,” he said. “We can reinvent the experience with the magic of software."

I've said it before: video gaming has a very exciting future. To extend on that, my Fallout binge lately has gotten me thinking about interactivity in the future of games. Will we reach the point where we no longer have to choose from a set of dialogue options in a given game, and can interact with any character as we would a person in "real life"? Obviously if we do it'll be many many years off -- I'll probably be in another realm by then. Hopefully they have video games there.

It's also topping weekly sales charts since launch, despite selling out on a regular basis

Nintendo managed to prepare around 200,000 DSi consoles in time for its Japanese launch at the beginning of last month, leading to around 170,779 units in actual sales within a week.  Fast forward one month to where we are today, and it appears the DSi's momentum has yet to let up.  According to Japanese magazine publisher and industry research analyst Enterbrain, DSi sales have reached an estimated 535,379 units since launch.

Enterbrain's figures won't be too far fetched if we consider the publisher's own weekly console sales data, which show the DSi topping the hardware sales chart each week since early November.  It's certainly been selling out consistently.  The strong DSi performance is naturally good news for the DS product line as well.  Lifetime-to-date sales for the hardware family in Japan are now over 24 millon units as a result.

DS gardening sim revealed, starring everyone's favorite virtual animal slaughtering momma

The kitchen isn't the only area no longer safe from the clutches of Mama, for the money-making matriarch now plans on flexing her green thumb in the garden. Majesco and Cooking Mama Limited, the folks behind the Cooking Mama game series, today announce "Gardening Mama" for the DS.

Just as Cooking Mama brought DS players to the virtual kitchen to emulate various cooking tasks, Gardening Mama opens up a virtual garden where Mama's good little thralls can grow and harvest various flowers, fruits and of course vegetables. See, local produce really is all the rage these days.  Cooking Mama Limited has the good sense to throw in some wireless communication elements between multiple players as well.

Gamers can manage their garden through the seeding, blooming and maturation phases, and then produce items from the plants they've grown (i.e. grow strawberries to make jam or raise pumpkins and then carve a jack-'o-lantern). A robust multiplayer mode lets up to four friends compete to grow the biggest harvest and Treasure Box mode lets players share items they've grown with online friends. Gamers can also decorate various gardens while creating goods like pergolas and hanging baskets. In addition, players can change Mama's outfit to their liking while customizing the screen design to their preference.

We all know how badly you wanted play dress-up with Mama.  Gardening Mama is currently scheduled for a Spring 2009, which works out for Mama and her gardening ways since most produce is either more expensive during the Winter months, or simply not purchasable at all.

On average, sells for $100 over retail price

Of all the wonderful things eBay has to offer, the Wii appears to be the most sought after.  The site has revealed that the Wii is their most searched for product across all categories.

eBay reported that on Black Friday, 3,171 Wiis were sold in 24 hours through their auction service.  On average, the consoles sell for $349, which is about $100 more than what retailers charge.

Second to the Wii is Wii Fit, which eBay sold 1,059 copies of on Friday.

"Results from Black Friday show that shoppers continue to turn to the web for their holiday shopping needs, especially for consumer electronics," said eBay's resident expert, Jim Griffith.

Wanted: Games for core gamers!

I'm not going to start laying out all the hard facts because people will play what they play, love what they love regardless of what others say.  And there's no need to argue which consoles are better because they appeal to different people, as we've come to realize.

Now I never thought the Wii was a bad console.  I was actually quite drawn to its white and blue scheme, compact design (looks like my cable modem) and affordability.  In fact, the Wii allowed me to better appreciate the Xbox 360's white and green motif.  But I was never the kind of person to dump money without a second thought, especially when price tags run in triple digits, but the console wars were upon me.

So what happened?  Two years ago as I was debating this gamer's dilemma, craving something new to fill that void left behind by completing Okami and Shadow of the Colossus, I saw an ad for a holiday rebate for an Xbox 360 Premium (they hadn't been renamed "Pro" yet).  The rest, as they say, is history.   Numerous friends did invest in a Wii, and I was able to experience the novelty of its motion sensing play, with Wii Sports being the greatest draw.  Cute, really, but what else was there?  At the time, there wasn't much.  Not that it mattered because I had Gears of War and my first "next-gen" console to keep me preoccupied.  Truly, the bright colors and bloom effects of Viva Pinata were astounding for my virgin eyes.  A month or so after the Wii launched, I purchased an Onyx DS, then scoured the lands for an appropriate protective cover of adequate quality.  Even then, popular DS colors were difficult to come by, meaning retailers sold out before new shipments had time to come in -- unless you were looking for Coral Pink.  I never stayed up late a few times following the legal adventures of Phoenix Wright while my 360 sat by silently.  Yeah, that lasted for about a month...

I don't like console stereotypes because like any other stereotype, they can hinder judgement and turn people into blubbering idiots, but it's no secret that Nintendo holds greater appeal to the masses, evidenced by their widespread success over the two more hardcore platforms with their smaller demographics.  But novelty gets old, doesn't it?

Considering Nintendo is still doing all right by themselves and are getting ready to launch their new DSi in North America and Europe next year, it appears that people really aren't getting tired of whatever gimmick the Japanese game company still has up its sleeves.  Who else gets away with selling millions of games that feature the same characters, same storyline, and same aesthetic?  No, I didn't mean Koei.  No, not Square Enix either.

I personally don't consider the Wii to be a direct competitor for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 because its fanbase is just too different.  I can't look at the Wii's collection of titles and bring myself to even compare them with the ones Microsoft and Sony now fight over for exclusivity.  No, Nintendo has placed their toy console in a league of its own.  But then we begin to consider the issue of time.  There is now a Wii sitting in my living room, where it was left for safekeeping by a relative who is out of town for a few months, and I admit I've been considering purchasing a game or two to try.  Those No More Heroes trailers certainly looked tasty.  Hell, chances are I'd find more titles to pique my interests if I bothered looking for them, but for working adults or anyone with responsibilities beyond gaming, there may not be enough free time for two consoles.

Handhelds are a whole 'nother story.  While you can argue that the DS, like its larger cousin, was made for a different breed of gamer -- the casual kind -- its success has no doubt held back the PSP a bit more than Sony would like.  Sales have picked up, but even non-gaming companies are seeing the beauty of handheld entertainment.  Phones and MP3 players now offer games as well, and though they aren't very advanced (or pretty), they keep people amused just enough.  Let's not forget Apple's aggressive marketing, claiming time and time again that their iPhone is the future of portable gaming.  It's working, actually, because I am ashamed to admit that during my two week trip to Taiwan, I didn't touch my DS once.  Instead, I was absorbed by Hexic on my Zune.

So beyond convincing you to purchase their machine, companies also need to ensure that you, the consumer, remains open to the various games they plan to shove down your throat afterwards.  That is where the Wii and DS lose me, and from what I've heard and read, many other gamers as well.  This only drives back to the sad question of whether Nintendo still cares about their loyal gaming following, or if the profits from those casual markets are getting in the way.  Have corporations ever stuck to loyalty when given another golden opportunity?  I'm not planning to get a DSi when it arrives in the US, but what's one less sale to those guys?

I'm not going to dismiss the Wii nor its little handheld cousin.  I've simply forfeited to the fact that I am simply not one of Nintendo's target demo(graphic).  While I grew up with an SNES and had a Gameboy Color to me occupied the first few years of high school, both remain in storage with my PlayStation 2 for purely nostalgic reasons.  I've heard countless complaints about Nintendo's inventory of hardcore titles, but does it matter when fans are willing to swallow their pride for the sake of brand loyalty?  I would guess not.  Maybe when my Xbox 360 finally breaks -- been over two years, but no doubt it will happen someday -- I'll look into some Wii alternatives while the great lovable brick is being shipped to Texas for repairs.

On another note, Neoseeker launched its Neoseeker Blogs this week.  Users must have 50 forum posts on our site in order to start their own Neoblog, but they really are a lot of fun for the Neoseeker community.  With them comes the question of whether I should move my Sunday Specials to my blog or keep them on the front page?  Some say these weekly editorials are kinda blog-esque, after all!

Edit The move from front page to blog isn't a sure thing yet.  I'm asking readers out of courtesy, but the Neo staff is getting their input too.  We'll see next Sunday what happens.

Nintendo promotes literature with new title

Some of you may recall a title called 'DS Novel' in Nintendo's release schedule last year. There's been no word since, it seems, until now -- an Amazon listing and a game page on the Nintendo of Europe (NOE) website have surfaced, so we can safely look forward to this one, which is due out Boxing Day (December 26).

Renamed the '100 Classic Book Collection', it contains...100 Classic Books, with additional selections available for download from the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection (Amazon says 10, whereas Nintendo doesn't specify). Hopefully more are added to the list, or at least once DSWare kicks in, Nintendo will start its own service for this kind of thing. Very neat is a bookmark feature and a 'suitability' feature which, like Cooking Guide, allows you to select a novel based on how much time you have and the subject matter. Text size can be adjusted as well, so even your grammy can read 'em.

A disclaimer reads: This product does not require age classification, but some texts include expressions, themes or elements that may be considered inappropriate for young children. Like, (cough), transvestites, (cough) murder, and (cough), eroticism. Fear not though, they're just books and therefore have no means by which to corrupt your kids (cough).

Here's the full list of books:

• Louisa May Alcott - Little Women
• Jane Austen - Emma
• Jane Austen - Mansfield Park
• Jane Austen - Persuasion
• Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice
• Jane Austen - Sense and Sensibility
• Harriet Beecher Stowe - Uncle Tom's Cabin
• R.D. Blackmore - Lorna Doone
• Anne Bronte - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
• Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre
• Charlotte Bronte - The Professor
• Charlotte Bronte - Shirley
• Charlotte Bronte - Villette
• Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights
• John Bunyan - The Pilgrim's Progress
• Frances Burnett - Little Lord Fauntleroy
• Frances Burnett - The Secret Garden
• Lewis Carroll - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
• Lewis Carroll - Through the Looking-Glass
• Wilkie Collins - The Moonstone
• Wilkie Collins - The Woman in White
• Carlo Collodi - The Adventures of Pinocchio
• Arthur Conan Doyle - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
• Arthur Conan Doyle - The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes
• Joseph Conrad - Lord Jim
• Susan Coolidge - What Katy Did
• James Fenimore Cooper - Last of the Mohicans
• Daniel Defoe - Robinson Crusoe
• Charles Dickens - Barnaby Rudge
• Charles Dickens - Bleak House
• Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
• Charles Dickens - David Copperfield
• Charles Dickens - Dombey and Son
• Charles Dickens - Great Expectations
• Charles Dickens - Hard Times
• Charles Dickens - Martin Chuzzlewit
• Charles Dickens - Nicholas Nickleby
• Charles Dickens - The Old Curiosity Shop
• Charles Dickens - Oliver Twist
• Charles Dickens - The Pickwick Papers
• Charles Dickens - A Tale of Two Cities
• Alexandre Dumas - The Count of Monte Cristo
• Alexandre Dumas - The Three Musketeers
• George Eliot - Adam Bede
• George Eliot - Middlemarch
• George Eliot - The Mill on the Floss
• Henry Rider Haggard - King Solomon's Mines
• Thomas Hardy - Far From The Madding Crowd
• Thomas Hardy - The Mayor of Casterbridge
• Thomas Hardy - Tess of The D'Urbervilles
• Thomas Hardy - Under the Greenwood Tree
• Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Scarlet Letter
• Victor Hugo - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• Victor Hugo - Les Miserables
• Washington Irving - The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon
• Charles Kingsley - Westward Ho!
• D.H. Lawrence - Sons And Lovers
• Gaston Leroux - The Phantom of the Opera
• Jack London - The Call of the Wild
• Jack London - White Fang
• Herman Melville - Moby Dick
• Edgar Allen Poe - Tales of Mystery and Imagination
• Sir Walter Scott - Ivanhoe
• Sir Walter Scott - Rob Roy
• Sir Walter Scott - Waverley
• Anna Sewell - Black Beauty
• William Shakespeare - All's Well That Ends Well
• William Shakespeare - Antony and Cleopatra
• William Shakespeare - As You Like It
• William Shakespeare - The Comedy of Errors
• William Shakespeare - Hamlet
• William Shakespeare - Julius Caesar
• William Shakespeare - King Henry the Fifth
• William Shakespeare - King Lear
• William Shakespeare - King Richard the Third
• William Shakespeare - Love's Labour's Lost
• William Shakespeare - Macbeth
• William Shakespeare - The Merchant of Venice
• William Shakespeare - A Midsummer-Night's Dream
• William Shakespeare - Much Ado About Nothing
• William Shakespeare - Othello, the Moor of Venice
• William Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet
• William Shakespeare - The Taming of the Shrew
• William Shakespeare - The Tempest
• William Shakespeare - Timon of Athens
• William Shakespeare - Titus Andronicus
• William Shakespeare - Twelfth Night
• William Shakespeare - The Winter's Tale
• Robert Louis Stevenson - Kidnapped
• Robert Louis Stevenson - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Robert Louis Stevenson - Treasure Island
• Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels
• William Thackeray - Vanity Fair
• Anthony Trollope - Barchester Towers
• Mark Twain - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• Mark Twain - Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• Jules Verne - Around the World in Eighty Days
• Jules Verne - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
• Oscar Wilde - The Importance of Being Earnest
• Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray

• Jane Austen - Northanger Abbey (Wi-Fi Download)
• Anne Brontë - Agnes Grey (Wi-Fi Download)
• Susan Coolidge - What Katy Did At School (Wi-Fi Download)

39 percent of gamers also intend to purchase gaming gift for women this holiday shopping season

The good news for gaming is that while consumers are expected to reduce holiday spending by around 6 percent this year thanks to current economic foibles, they still view entertainment-oriented products like video games and DVDs as viable gifts that offer value for the price.  According to market research and consulting firm PSB (Penn, Schoen and Berland) Associates, video games are fourth in their list of top ten holiday gifts, even as gamers admittedly cut back their own holiday spending by around 5 percent.  The firm's findings are drawn from their 2008-edition "Holiday Spending Survey" which quizzed 1049 consumers online for the period of November 14-18th.

Around 48 percent of consumers with some kind of video game budget intend to purchase a new console or handheld as a gift this year.  Nintendo's Wii remains the top choice, garnering 36 percent of their votes.  Part of the reason for the Wii's continuing popularity could be its resonance with female audiences.  The Xbox 360 barely beats the Nintendo DS as the second most popular gaming gift at 29 percent.  19 percent of gamers / gift-givers meanwhile had Sony's PlayStation 3 on their shopping lists, a sign the console's pricing still makes it hard to justify as a potential holiday purchase.

Gamers are warming up to the idea of purchasing for females, with 39 percent of these shoppers looking to get a gaming gift for women of all ages this year.  Breaking it down even further, 57 percent of those intending to purchase for females confirmed the female in question is under 13 years of age, so we're seeing a good mix of females getting into the soul-stealing hobby.

"Caaannn Yooouuu Diiiggg Iiittt?!?!"

If there's one game company that knows how to throw a party, it's Atlus (well, Tecmo, too) -- they're celebrating the recent release of the DS RPG Luminous Arc 2 with an online tournament, dubbed the LA2 Battle Royale.

Essentially if you're North American and part of their free club the Atlus Faithful or join by January 1, 2009, you have a chance of being picked to participate (48 will be randomly chosen). Naturally, you need a copy of the game, too.

All those chosen will get an extremely rare Luminous Arc business card holder, described as "the business card holder of choice for those looking to impress and/or confuse their friends and family". The winner, now, receives their choice of a signed copy of the Luminous Arc 2 art book, a title from the Atlus archives, or a large LA2 promotional poster. Second and third place contestants get the leftovers. A look inside the artbook from the first game can be found here, so you know what to expect. Mighty nice!

If you’re looking to sign up, here’s what you do:

• 1) Sign up for the Atlus Faithful newsletter before January 1. (It’s like Kaph’s B-Witched Faithful newsletter, but with far less stalking of Witches.)
• 2) Register for a forum account at Atlus.com. (This is where all the reporting of wins/losses will be done. The full rules will also be posted here.)
  
• 3) Answer the survey that arrives in your email later asking if you want to be in the tournament, and hope that you’re one of the lucky 48!

Tournament brackets will be managed on the Atlus Forums, and victories and defeats will be monitored via an honor system, so if you plan on losing and then lying about it, this is not your competition. There aren’t many online tournaments for Nintendo DS games, so don’t miss out... If you’re interested in participating, be sure to join the Atlus Faithful before January 1!

Ocarina of Time still fondly remembered by fans, which is a double-edged sword for the folks behind Zelda

The recent issue of long-running official magazine publication Nintendo Power features an interview with Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma. The game director/designer has most of the recent Zelda games under his belt, an admirable resume indeed for Zelda fans. Yet for the discussion that surrounded Twilight Princess (or perhaps because of them), Aonuma realizes a consensus is pointing toward Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64 as his current magnum opus. Aonuma admits OoT is going to be the one to beat if he's going to call any future Zelda title he works on his best yet:

"I'm happy that a title I worked on some time ago remains highly praised to this day, but that also shows how none of the subsequent games in the series have surpassed it.  As someone who is still working on the series, I have mixed feelings about that. Because I haven't yet surpassed it, I can't quit. Surprisingly, that simple motivation may be the reason I continue to work on the Zelda series."

Nice to hear dedication for such reasons.  You may recall that Aonuma originally took on Twilight Princess with the goal to surpass OoT.  It'll be a task to top the title that popularized enemy targeting in third-person action through console controls, but no doubt there are other factors which helped define OoT as an experience for series fans. Heck, OoT was probably the only game I bought over the past decade where I actually had to wait in line for over two hours at my local retailer just to get. And we were the people who pre-ordered!

(Image source: Zelda Universe)

New color and bundles for shoppers to choose from

Last we checked, the DSi isn't available in North America yet so this Black Friday, Nintendo will be pushing the DS Lite on rabid holiday shoppers.

"Nintendo DS is both the most affordable and the most popular video game system in this generation," says Nintendo of America's EVP of Sales and Marketing Cammie Dunaway.  "These limited-edition bundles make great gifts for first-time Nintendo DS players and collectors alike."

In November 2007, Nintendo released Gold and Metallic Rose DS Lite for Black Friday, along with The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Nintendogs bundles.  This year, they're introducing two Special Edition bundles for the special shopping occasion, one with Mario Red and the other with Ice Blue.

The Mario Red DS bundle includes a red DS with a Mario "M" on the corner and New Super Mario Brothers.  The Ice Blue DS bundle comes with the Ice Blue DS (of course), a carrying case (looking at the box), and Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day.

If I didn't already have the Onyx DS, I would personally go for the Ice Blue bundle.  The color doesn't appeal to me on a visual scale, but "ice" is such a cool word.

Be prepared to contact Customer Service if you lost / don't have an activation code for your new Wii Speak microphone

Animal Crossing: City Folk is already out in North America, and alongside it the new Wii Speak USB microphone which supports voice chat over the Wii Speak Channel.  Nintendo confirmed earlier this month that the only way to access the new Channel is through a special 16-digit "Wii Download Ticket" activation code, available only with the purchase of the Wii Speak microphone.  The Wii Speak Channel currently cannnot be installed through any other normal update, so you'll need to purchase the microphone if you want in; you probably wouldn't have any reason to check out the Channel without it anyways.

The obvious question is, what happens if a user loses their Wii Download Ticket number for whatever reason?  Nintendo today reassures that it will be able to provide replacement activation codes, but users will need to contact their nearest and dearest Nintendo Customer Service department and request one.  Which probably means they'll need to explain why they'll be needing another activation code, a likely scenario when the peripheral never came with one in the first place for example.  Still, it's not a change for the worse considering Nintendo wasn't originally planning on providing any replacement codes regardless of whether or not they were lost or stolen.

Project Lead chats about the remakes

The first two Ys games are coming to the Nintendo DS(i) if you haven't heard (check the related story at the bottom to get caught up if necessary), and Project Lead Sam Mullen offered some of his words in discussing the remakes.

A couple of interesting notes, first: the games were released as separate titles in Japan, so North American gamers get the happy end of the stick here, not only because of that, but because an all-new localization is in store.

“Early on, it became clear to us that we had an opportunity to do something very special with this—only the second time in nearly two decades—that the series has come to North America," said Mullen.

Contrary to earlier reports, Ys: Books I & II have been released in North America -- for NEC's TurboGrafx 16 (the PC-Engine in Japan and Europe). It is said the translation is "elegant in its simplicity and directness", but since so many other changes are being made for this package, they felt they should make it as special as possible.

“We understand how important this series is to some gamers," continued Mullen. "How for many it was their very first action RPG. We’re not taking this lightly, but we also see this as an opportunity to give the game a 21st-century localization, a new script to match the game’s remade features.”

Indeed, the first two games are often regarded as the greatest in the series, so it's lovely to see them getting the full treatment. Ys: Books I & II arrives February 3, 2009.

The merits and limits of genrification

In co-operation with Miss Lydia Sung and her Sunday Specials, I'll be reserving my more opinionated articles from now on for Saturday Specials, assuming they are received well enough (and judging by some past articles, I'm pretty excited). I won't be doing them every week, simply whenever I happen to have an idea on hand, so as to avoid staleness and contrived content. For this first official edition, the video gaming world's relationship with genres is explored. As a disclaimer: I don't believe there is any "wrong" or "right" with these Specials (or with anything really) -- essentially, only infinite speculations and possibilites. Debate and discussion are strongly encouraged in the comments for these!

I'm wary of labels in general. The term 'emo' frequently induces vomitting for me, and the parade of almost equally ridiculous societal labels do the same. Even the more logical ones like 'gay' I shy away from. Why? They're generally inaccurate, if only to a small degree, and are therefore limiting and not useful (at least not as much as we lead each other to believe).

Double standardizing

Now, genres (a form of label) I have the same feelings on, generally. I'm particularly fussy with them and music. But for some reason I have no real problem with genrifying -- yes I made that word up, and it is not to be confused with gentrification which is probably much more awful -- film or video games. So why the double standard? Well, firstly, while genres are useful on some level, they are still limiting on another, with games and film, too (just to get that out of the way). In short, they limit imagination on at least one level and therefore potential. But I think it's the nature of people and the nature of music that's the cause for my difference in idiosynracies. I think of people as infinite beings, and songs as such, too; Tori Amos describes her songs as “sonic children”. I know a fair few people think she's a nut, but then, hey, whatever, I'm a nut too cause most often she makes a lot of sense to me, even if it is unconventionally put.

And while I'm on the topic of music, I'd like to quote Tool guitarist Adam Jones who once said, "I think putting labels on [music] is just an easy way of marketing something you don't understand." To relate this to video games, I recall BioShock creator Ken Levine once saying they hadn't even called that game a first person-shooter, but once it started, its popularity took off. Helpful in a way, but not necessarily accurate or even too important...thankfully though, in most articles, it seems like the story, atmosphere and all that were inseparable from the gameplay when described, so I really can't bitch much. Of course, this attests to the design of it, in part, I would say.

The paradox of video games

Video games, now, while virtually unlimited in scope (as they can combine every other medium of art) are generally terribly limited in other ways, I suppose for this very reason. Let me explain. It's possible to make a great record for very little money if you know what you're doing and what to buy in terms of equipment (as in, under a few thousand dollars). Heck you can make some pretty great stuff on almost no money if you're creative enough. A video game however? Not so. Well, not a new one, anyway.

There are tons of factors at work – budget, engine, story, gameplay elements, music, artwork and lots more, all of which seem to require a focused cohesiveness in order for the game to be enjoyable. My speculation is by taking in every other form of art, it has to be limited in its application, at least for today's budgets, because a game combining the full experiences of say, a music concert, a film, visual art, and literature would 1) be far too expensive and 2) likely be too much for the average person to handle. So just by the nature of it, I think it's pretty tough to break out of the mould.

Yeah we've mixed genres which is awesome, but I don't think we've mixed genres together in many games, if any, to the point where we just give up in trying to classify it (something I always love). With music, this is easily possible if the musician/musicians is/are versed enough in a variety of styles and let themselves get lost. With games, it doesn't matter if you like most genres, if you make a psychedelic puzzle-shooter-action-rpg-steampunk-3D-platformer, noone's going to play it. Well, maybe the Japanese.

The future of genres and gaming

Still, it's a fun concept to toy with. Even if Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack had no idea what he was talking about (though I think he's on to at least a little something), I loved his idea of games in the future not being classified as action games or shooters or RPGs or whatever, but by something more akin to film (i.e. Drama, action, comedy, etc). Is film then, less limited than video games?

One thing is about as sure as you can get: video games have a terribly exciting future. Less than 40 years ago we were playing Pong, and while the rate of acceleration has slowed, we have come a very long way – flash forward to today and Gears of War 2's online 10-player team-based multiplayer mode, for example. Imagine another 40...

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Magazines of all sorts have a long shot at succeeding, we know this, but when media giant Ziff Davis is feeling the burn, you know something's up.

Earlier this year their print mag Games for Windows went online only after 27 years, having been struggling for some time, and now the news is in the same will happen with another of their publications -- PC Magazine (also after 27 years). The circulation has been declining since the late 1990s (when computers got cool, as it were), where its peak was 1.2 million. This year it's about half. The last print issue will be for January 2009.

“The viability for us to continue to publish in print just isn’t there anymore,” Jason Young, chief executive of Ziff Davis, said in an interview.

So what's happening exactly? Three main things: advertisers are doing less advertising (December issues are down 17% from last year), printing costs have increased, and demand is shifting to the Internet.

“Obviously, the macroeconomic condition is putting pretty significant pressure on all forms of advertising,” Mr. Young said.

As it stands, magazines are shutting down printing operations all over the place.

“If you look at the list of the magazines that have gone to online, almost all of them have been magazines in trouble,” said John Fennell, a professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. “Magazines in general are going to be dependent on print advertising for a long time into the future,” he said.

PC Magazine gets most of its profit (80+%) from its website anyway, and has for awhile, so there won't be much adjustment necessary.

“All content goes online first, and print has been cherry-picking for some time what it wants for the print edition,” said Lance Ulanoff, the editor of the PCMag Digital Network.

Seven production, circulation and advertising employees who worked on the website and print publication will be cut out of about 140.

Effectively, this leaves Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) as the only print publication left under the Ziff Davis banner, and they're considering chopping down that tree, too (ironically).

The future looks bleak for print and bright for online video game journalism, but there are advantages to this shift (more stories, increased length, immediacy of news, uncut interviews, more media, fewer costs, environmental friendliness, etc.), though of course there are disadvantages too (see: The state of the preview). Anyway, it's what most of us want, isn't it?

Capcom wants to know what you're looking for, and so do we

The lovely ScrewAttack put together another Top 10 list, this one inspired by Capcom's recent success with classic revitalizations like Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, and Mega Man 9. The jist of it is it goes through the ten games (some being Capcom) they'd most love to see brought back to life with a shiny coat of new paint. Check it out:

Have to concur about Power Stone, especially considering how online gaming has evolved since. NBA Jam! Almost forgot about that. How awful of me. Should've definitely put it in my Sega Genesis retrospective. A new version with online play could be inconceivably good. Super Mario Bros. 3: II was particularly hilarious, and as for the #1, well, fortunately that's already been given a "yes"! The future looks bright for retro-futuristic retro games, and stuff.

Now, Capcom it seems is a fan of ScrewAttack and were in turn inspired. A community blog post runs like this:

"After giving Capcom the props for revisiting games like Bionic Commando and of course Street Fighter, he mentions a few things I'd personally like to see (like Starfox!), as well as a bunch of choices from the Capcom stable, including Power Stone, Strider, and... I won't give away their #1 choice. 

But really?  People want that?  We had no idea!  Anyway, tell us, what games do YOU think Capcom should revisit?"

I just love it when developers and gamers talk to each other directly. We're all geeks, folks. Peace not console war!

There's already near 200 comments on the site, which suggestions range from Darkstalkers to Comix Zone to Duck Tales, for gosh sakes. It appears the retro community is alive and well, indeed.

Myself, I'd vote Breath of Fire, though honestly, that game couldn't get any more perfect. I also think a new Gunstar Heroes could rule, and none of that lame-o anime cheese stuff -- gimme the hard stuff. Oh, and for the love of god, a new Shining Force that is actually Shining Force (go to hell Neo, EXA, and whatever else -- even if you are decent, you're not Shining Force so stop pretending). Actually I'm going to just make a brief list of games that should be brought to life in their true spirit:

• Gunstar Heroes
• Shining Force -- modelled after the first two games, none of this Giant World Resurrection of the Dark Dragon stuff (great game, looked awful)
• Altered Beast -- just as creepy as the first, more transformations, hotter graphics
• Perfect Dark -- um, one of the best FPS' with possibly the greatest set of multiplayer options ever? Online? Hello?! Do it proper, Rare!
• Parasite Eve 3 -- more RPG, less action, screw lame-o side-story spin-off junk (see: Parasite Eve)

What are yours?

Judge sees no resemblance between game and "Dawn of the Dead"

Most of us remember the rather obvious disclaimers telling us Dead Rising has nothing to with MKR's Dawn of the Dead film.  It was on the box, and I believe it was even at the start of the game.

Anyway, that didn't stop the film production company MKR Group from filing their lawsuit, claiming Capcom stole from their 1978 zombie flick.  In February, MKR notified Capcom, Microsoft, and Best Buy of its intent to sue for Dead Rising's development, marketing, and distribution.

In addition to the lawsuit, MKR had repeatedly hounded Capcom about their alleged copyright infringements, forcing the company to eventually file a motion for relief from the legal harassment.

"The few similarities MKR has alleged are driven by the wholly unprotectable concept of humans battling zombies in a mall during a zombie outbreak," Capcom stated in their motion.

During the hearing, the Dead Rising developer and publisher provided "dozens of zombie movies and games" in order to establish certain conventions of the zombie genre and prove that any similarities between their game and Dawn of the Dead are purely coincidental.

United States Magistrate Judge richard Seeborg eventually ruled in Capcom's favor.  After finding several major differences between the survival-horror game and MKR's movie, he wrote, "The social commentary MKR draws from Dawn of the Dead ... appears totally absent from the combat focus found in Dead Rising."

Even if she's an omnivore like most of us

Animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) remains committed to its cause of defending those cannot speak for themselves in human tongue, but one of its stranger targets in recent days is Majesco's Cooking Mama video game series for the Nintendo Wii and DS. Lampooning the franchise with "Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals", an unauthorized flash game of their own, PETA lambastes the inclusion of meat dishes in Mama's virtual menus. Mama surely promotes the inhumane treatment of animals destined for slaughterhouses and subsequently, human consumption! Or least the turning of a blind eye away from the reality of where meat come from, and their cost to the animal kingdom.

PETA's discontent clearly reached series publisher Majesco, who takes the opportunity to promote their new Cooking Mama World Kitchen game defend poor Mama from accusations of ignorance.

Mama wants people to know that World Kitchen includes 51 recipes from around the world, ranging from vegetarian fare like miso soup and rice cakes to international delicacies like ginger pork and octopus dumplings.

"I would never put rat in my Ratatouille," said a feisty Mama while beating some eggs. "Like any accomplished cook, I create my recipes to appeal to a broad range of tastes and preferences. My only goal is to ensure you leave the table well fed."

And, while Mama is not a vegetarian, she fully supports the humane treatment of animals, particularly for her canine protege Max who makes his doggie debut in World Kitchen.

Mama knows best, especially if she's got backup from Max.  We certainly wouldn't want to blow out of proportion a situation which saw a worthy cause leveraged against perhaps the wrong target. So let's lighten up a little while doing what we can to appreciate the ethical treatment of livestock through animal rearing.

More cuteness than you can handle

If you didn't preorder Natsume's Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon from Amazon.com for this adorable squirrel (we think) plushie, that's too bad.  Oh, I didn't either.

But for those interested in the Harvest Moon franchise, the latest title is out for the Nintendo DS and available for around $29.99.  This fantasy action-RPG is rated E, not surprisingly, so it could be a nice little present for a younger relative if not yourself.

"We are thrilled to finally bring Rune Factory 2 to our fans who have been eagerly awaiting its launch," said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO at Natsume. 

"Rune Factory 2 builds upon the elements that made the first title a huge success, and expands the series' RPG elements while offering beautiful graphics, innovative Touch Screen controls, and an all-new, multigenerational plot."

Rune Factory 2 takes place several years after the first game.

Plus Wrath of the Lich King, Guitar Hero, Football Manager, more

Despite grumblings from the gaming community about Call of Duty: World at War, the game has sold vastly well. So well, in fact, it's more than doubled its already massively popular predecessor, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. More than that, the game is now the UK's third fastest selling video game of all time, behind Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Activision Blizzard (who published the game) continue their domination of the charts with World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, now the third fastest selling PC title, a record which has been held since March 2003 by Championship Manager 4.

Guitar Hero: World Tour meanwhile shoots up from #17 to #6, with the complete band packs no doubt being a factor.

Astonishinly, sales from just these three games accounted for one-quarter of all games sold last week. Dangerous, to be sure, but on the bright side, at least they're great games.

PC gaming is indeed looking up, as Football Manager 2009 comes in at #3, making it Sega's fastest selling game of the series. Meanwhile Gears of War 2 sales slip 64% (from #1 to #4), EA's FIFA 09 falls three spots to #5. Nintendo stays in the Top 10 with Professor Layton and Mario Kart Wii, which both fell one place to #7 and #8, but rose in sales, up 9% and 12%. Dissapointingly, (for Nintendo), Wii Music only hit #16, and (for gamers like myself, and DICE/EA, surely), Mirror's Edge got the #20 spot.

More of Liberty City made playable in upcoming DS game

Chinatown isn't the only area making the jump to DS.  In a recent issue of Nintendo Power, a feature on the upcoming Chinatown Wars revealed that four of Liberty City's five boroughs would also be making the transition.

Dukes, Bohan, Broker, and Algonquin will be playable in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, while the Jersey-inspired Alderney is sitting this one out.  In addition to these explorable regions, the game will also have a rotating camera that provides the player with a top-down view of the city.  Pedestrians and vehicles are making an appearance and will once again be at your mercy.

On top of displaying mini-games, the dual touch screens can also act as an all-in-one PDA, handling many of the computer functions found in GTA IV like checking email, viewing maps, GPS navigation, changing the radio, and game statistics. 

"This has the full weight and energy of a GTA production," producer Dan Houser assured GTA followers in his interview with Nintendo Power.  After the game was delayed, some fans might be expecting one hell of a game.

Activists asking for more vegetarian dishes

The folks at PETA must really have run out of things to do.  The animal rights activist group is now targeting Cooking Mama on the Nintendo DS and Wii in its latest campaign against animal cruelty.

With numerous holidays on the way, PETA is kicking into high gear to keep dining tables free of Thanksgiving turkeys and holiday hams.  Joel Bartlett explains the reasoning behind their latest attacks on Cooking Mama in a blog post on the PETA website:

"Why is PETA picking on poor mama?  Because the games are so heavy on dishes made from dead animals that the only things missing are the blood and the slaughterhouse. So in the name of accuracy and honesty, PETA decided to introduce a little of both.  So in the name of accuracy and honesty, PETA decided to introduce a little horror into Mama's kitchen!

In the original Nintendo Wii and DS versions, players score points for assembling a meal (yup, it's that simple). That also applies in PETA's parody, but with this Thanksgiving dinner, players also must go through the motions of plucking the turkey's feathers, pulling out the bird's intestines, and cutting off the animal's head (we like to paint the full picture of what goes into a "meal"). We also added this really disgusting mini-game—no, seriously, this should really gross you out—where you have to stick food up a turkey's butt. It's amazing the things we can come up with!

And all the while, a demonic, cleaver-wielding Mama takes delight in the agony. But the good news is that if you beat the game you might be able to give Mama a change of heart and replace her bloodlust with a craving for tofu-turkey.  Give it a shot if you think you have what it takes!"

Bartlett also encourages concerned activists to contact publisher Majesco Entertainment and ask for an all vegetarian edition of Cooking Mama.

For anyone interested, the PETA parody game really is a hoot.  I'm not a fan of animal cruelty either, but honestly, this campaign needs to be better thought out if they want to reach the masses without making us die of laughter first.  Better yet, how about laying off Cooking Mama and focusing on video games about hunting instead?  I genuinely want to take PETA seriously, but stunts like this one make that rather difficult.

Publisher looks to produce new IP in North America, perhaps for Xbox 360 and Wii?

Square Enix's recent acquisition of Gas Powered Games, the folks behind Supreme Commander, will just be the start of bigger plans to take their North American activities beyond localization of their celebrated Japanese franchises. Now the publisher confirms in new postings in their North American website that it will establish a new studio in Los Angeles, and its first project looks to be set in a new action-adventure franchise.

Square Enix is building a studio from the ground up. We are making an action-oriented original IP game here in sunny Los Angeles. We are looking for motivated master programmers to lay the foundation for a solid development team.

How often do you get a chance to make sure that a studio starts off in the right direction? How often do you get to be one of the starting members, but also have medical insurance? This is a rare opportunity to have the creative control of a start-up but the backing and funding of a major publisher.

The studio, to be based in El Segundo, is seeking applicants for several positions, including 3D artists and software engineers versed in the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii platforms. Perhaps this new IP appears destined for said platforms, based on this information.

Square leaks the goods

Blood of Bahamut -- the new DS game from Square Enix featuring arguably the Final Fantasy series' most popular summon -- was "confirmed" last week, but now it's really really confirmed (no quotation marks), with some details and a trailer spotted for the game.

I know what you want first, so I won't keep you...

The game is said to be a multiplayer action-RPG. As reported on GameGrep, two characters, Ibuki (male) and Yui (female) are confirmed to be in the title. In the trailer we see Ibuki fighting Gigant, one of the many giant beasts in the game -- what seem to be the main source of conflict. Gigant, as you may have noticed, is not your ordinary beast, and well, Ibuki and Yui aren't exactly ordinary people -- Gigant is a "castle creature" which the two "lived in". Not exactly the most stable of accomodations, and as we can see, Gigant doesn't make the best landlord...

The pair set out to tame the angry giants, though seemingly with no success. Borrowing from Shadow of the Colossus, the game sees you targeting weak points on the beasts; sometimes you'll have to break off parts to reveal them. More than 130 missions are yours to look forward to, which are split into story missions and free play, both of which can be played co-operatively with up to four people. Presumably, we'll be able to do this via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Very cool! Kind of makes me long for a new Secret of Mana game, or the original with Wi-Fi play, a la Chrono Trigger DS...