This week’s podcast includes the following news items:
Let us know what you think.
Because you asked for it, the podcast features four guys, including Jonah Falcon, Paul S. Nowak, Jordan Lund, and Dan Quick. This is the no frills edition, however, as due to travel to PAX East, there’s no Gaming Flashback, and only a few news items.
They include:
We also include Reader Feedback. We’ll have a Question of the Week next week, we promise.
If there is one time this year to pickup a PlayStation 3, it’s going ot be on October 21st when Sackboy jumps onto the scene with Little Big Planet. You don’t have to be a casual gamer to have a desire to play Little Big Planet and we’re sure to see that in upcoming reviews.
The question really comes down to, will Little Big Planet move consoles off the shelf? In theory, had the console been more reasonably price, you’d probably get a huge pop in sales. As it stands, you’re asking customers to spend above and beyond on a console just to play a 2D-Style platformer. No matter how fun the product is, and it will probably be fun in epic proportions, John Q. Public isn’t going to run out and drop large bills for the game.
Proof of that can be seen in the huge sales increase when Microsoft dropped their pricing structure. Gamers who were not current generation compatible ran out to pickup the console and the shelves went empty. No doubt Little Big Planet will move a few consoles, for those on the edge of PS3 readiness… but it won’t be long lived and it won’t be as epic as this title will.
Imagine that, the USD $139 Gears of War 2 bundle includes a life-sized plastic gun that goes “zoom zoom bang.” It comes with a removable handle clip and an adjustable side-handle but… in the end… it’s a plastic toy gun manufactured for adults.
Gears of War 2 is “Mature Audiences” only but apparently that doesn’t mean these adults aren’t ready and willing to go out and buy a bundle that comes with a collectible plastic weapon. It’s listed as an Amazon top-seller and plenty of mature audiences are going to be chasing each other around the house going “boom boom, I got you” this November.
Seriously, isn’t this just going over the top in terms of stupid toys? Somehow people seem to think this is “cool,” but how many would be straight-faced walking into a Starbucks and seeing a 40 year-old man sitting at the table sipping apple juice while playing with his GI Joe’s and He-Man action figures?
In my mind, this is a piece of junk that’s going to end up in a box under your staircase or packed in the attic within a month or collecting dust hiding from your grown up friends. But who am I to judge, Amazon #1 top-seller says it all.
