- Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?

Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?

July 9, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 11:27 pm

The same company that brought us the NES Advantage has proven the Wii control scheme isn’t as bad as critics speculated. The beauty of adding the “waggle” technology is limiting your button count to a reasonable level without overwhelming gamers.

We’re seeing casual gaming on the rise both in the press and in the public. Yet, each “next generation” console brings new features and functionality to the consoles, games and accessories. Since NES birthed the SNES we’ve seen button count increase on controllers.

Nintendo has usually been conservative on buttons, trying to work “shape” over sheer volume of buttons, barring the C button count on the N64 controller. Nintendo controllers change shape with each generation and they’ve evolved, not innovated, their way around with the Wii control scheme. Each function of the controller exists, on its own, in other products but nobody has built a fully functional controller in such a way for a game console until now.

Sony took pieces of this concept in their PS3 controller and its ability to detect “tilt.” Xbox 360 stuck with the beefy controller with lots of buttons and analog sticks. Not just a D-Pad but two analog sticks and a ton of buttons to press, some pressure sensitive as well. What of our next-generation console? Maybe a few new buttons?

Or, maybe a few new motions? Wii evolved the control scheme and Sony validated their decision, what’s next? Are the controllers just too damn complicated in today’s world? Or, perhaps limiting the buttons brings in more gamers, like Grandma and Grandpa, to play your console as well.

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PopCap’s Peggle Hits Retail ShelvesPopCap’s Peggle Hits Retail Shelves

July 9, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 7:21 pm

Since the release of Peggle on February 2007, gamers around the world have caught on to the addictive casual game. Now those that didn’t download Peggle on Steam, Popcap.com or other electronic download site can buy at packed boxed version in retail outlets!

Peggle hits retail stores and the world will never be the same! You can download it for your ipod, on your PC and on your Macintosh but never before could you purchase it in a local store. Although, it seems, boxed casual games are the rarity, not the norm, the more outlets a developer like PopCap gets the better.

MSNBC listed Peggle in the top five most addicting games of all times, PC gamers couldn’t get enough and, eventually, Xbox Live gamers will have that same experience. If you’ve never played Peggle I suggest you run out and buy it when it arrives in retail stores… or just buy it online the way you could do for the last year and some change…

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60GB Xbox 360 Rumor Flows60GB Xbox 360 Rumor Flows

July 9, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 12:56 pm

The current rumor is “later this month” Microsoft will announce a 60GB model of the Xbox 360 and phase out the old 20GB product line. This was intercepted (read: leaked) from an e-mail Microsoft sent to gamestop and Blockbuster, so you can only take it as “rumor” until a real announcement.

This new SKU would make the gap between 20GB (small) and the 120GB (big) smaller, allowing for consumers to pick a product in the middle without spending needless cash on the 120GB version. The larger disk is great for media downloads, movie rentals on Xbox Live, but for the typical gamer it might be a bit over-done. However, with Rock Band and Guitar Hero having downloadable content (DLC) having 20GB is getting harder each month.

The e-mail went on to say that stand-alone purchase of the 60GB hard disk would retail for $99.99. Great news, unless you recently purchased a full priced 20GB disk. The 120GB disk would also reduce by $30.00 in response.

Believe it or not, it’s a rumor that continues to flow from multiple sources. Undoubtedly Microsoft is going to deny anything about it until they actually want to announce it.

(Thanks, 1up)

TD Gaming Podcast 78: Isometric EmotionsTD Gaming Podcast 78: Isometric Emotions

July 8, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 10:44 pm

This weeks gaming podcast, emotions run wild while we talk about our initial reactions to Diablo 3’s isometric engine, gaming graphics and overall Diablo experiences. Doug admits to owning two copies of Diablo 2, but doesn’t really know why.

This weeks news round up:

PS3 Firmware Update Pulled from “shelves”
Diablo III “is possible” on a console
Microsoft stills see’s Wii as Novelty (eurogamer)
Nintendo Dismisses Wide Screen DS (eurogamer)

We take a stroll down memory lane and talk about River Raid for the Atari 2600 and also cover some more history on RPG’s including Magic The Gathering.

Don’t forget to DIGG IT!

Guitar Hero: On Tour Experience WebsiteGuitar Hero: On Tour Experience Website

July 8, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 1:15 pm

Guitar Hero: On Tour has launched a newly designed website dedicated to the On Tour experience. You can listne to the songs from the game, download new skins for your “controller” grip and learn a bit about the game.

The site is the landing point for the On Tour game, is very flashy and pays tribute to the typical guitar hero series websites with crazy animations and moving pictures. Of course you’ll find downloadable features for your computer such as wallpapers, icons and avatars.

Overall, it brings a bit more presence to the Guitar Hero experience for DS gamers around the world.

Elebits 2 Announced for Nintendo DSElebits 2 Announced for Nintendo DS

July 8, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 12:24 pm

How odd to release the sequel to a fun Wii game on a hand held device over the original platform. Introducing, Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero. Sure, the DS is a great staging point for an Elebits style game, but what happened to the Wii platform?

Video game attachment rate, that’s what happened to the Wii version. Konami has chosen to launch the second franchise title on the platform that sells more games. Unlike the Wii, the DS sells both hardware and software while the Wii sells accessories and consoles.

If the Wii could move hardware and attach software with the sale they may have a more stable launching point for other video game titles, both casual and hardcore. Perhaps Wii Sports was the worse thing that could have happened to Wii because Nintendo can’t get us to buy other games. For the most part, the Wii and the bundled game is worth the money; we need no other games.

Konami, a company that makes “other games,” probably wants to see higher volumes of sales. Now, we’ll have to wait until Fall of 2008 to get the DS release of Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, unless you’ve got a Wii and no hand held DS system than you’re out of luck! But, apparently nobody buys Wii games anyway so the chances are, neither would you…

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Retro Gaming Moves: Spinning Bird KickRetro Gaming Moves: Spinning Bird Kick

July 8, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 1:30 am

In 1987, Capcom created a new winner with the Street Fighter series. Knowing the demographic, they went for teenage boys with the desire to play fighting games in the arcade in competitive fashion. But is a good fighting game without some eye candy?

Chun-Li was the star, with her Spinning Bird Kick. Actually, Chun-Li never saw the first Street Fighter title… only Ken and Ryu (mainly Ryu) were available in the first series installment. This got our taste wet for battle, and Street Fighter II introduced us to a whole range of great moves and character designs.

Out of all the characters, Chun-Li held her own as a cute skinny yet muscular female with moves like no other. Her Spinning Bird Kick would allow her to flip upside down and whack the opponent upside the head a few times as they fall to their back on the stone.

Chun-Li, or “spring beauty” in Mandarin, was famous for her sexy anime legs and their spinning doom. Gamers would perform the move that the worse possible time for their opponent, such as in mid-jump when your opponent had nothing but death and peril awaiting their landing.

Ken and Ryu had spinning kicks too, but without the inverted impossible moves of Chun-Li it fell short of awesome. When it comes to animated violence, perceived hot chicks and young boys battling for ego and rights to be the winner, the Spinning Bird Kick and Chung-Li was a great choice.

The British rock band Arctic Monkeys have an instrumental song titled “Chun Li’s Spinning Bird Kick” and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance (wikipedia).

It does without doubt, every Street Fighter II player remembers the crazy spinning kicks of Chun-Li and this is what makes her have retro gaming moves!

Scrabulous Out, Scrabble InScrabulous Out, Scrabble In

July 7, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 11:05 pm

For those that are Facebook junkies, playing their hearts out of Scrabulous, you’re going to be hit with some reality: it’s not real scrabble. Hasbro has attempted to pull the Scrabulous game off of Facebook because they’re not licensing it from the owner, but it’s still there. Is Hasbro’s “real” Scrabble going to sway addicted Scrabulous players?

Now, Hasbro is launching the real Scrabble game on pogo.com and on Facebook for social networking purposes. Our own Casual Gamer Chick, Jennifer, will be reviewing the upcoming Facebook app later this week (once we get her to sign up for Facebook!)

This will be Hasbro’s first go at social networking, given their trying to beat out Scrabulous, it’s going to be a tough battle, let’s see how they do!

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Mega Man 9 – Actual Teaser FootageMega Man 9 – Actual Teaser Footage

July 7, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 12:49 pm

Here is the first teaser footage, badly encoded with tons of words overlying the action but you get the idea. It’s total 8-bit retro feel with classic NES style sound effects. This instantly rockets you back to your youth in front of the cartridged based square box of an entertainment system.

Is this going to have lasting appeal? Will development shops open up to re-create the retro style gaming platforms on new hardware? This WiiWare title should do well considering it is new content created using the old virtual console NES look and feel. If gamers are eating up classics this should do extremely well.

Or, is this effort a total waste of time. Mega Man fans should fall in love as Mega Man 9 is like going 80’s style..

Led Zeppelin Refuses Master Tracks for Rhythm GamesLed Zeppelin Refuses Master Tracks for Rhythm Games

July 6, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 8:13 pm

Rhythm Games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero will go without original masters of Led Zeppelin because the remaining band members don’t want to see their most valuable possessions in the wrong hands.

For Activision and MTV, original master tracks are the most valuable asset they can get their hands on. Cover bands work well and many do great justice (sometimes better) to the original artist but masters are where it’s at! What if those tracks are ever “lost” while mastering them for a video game?

Page and the crew aren’t looking to take that risk, no matter what Activision and/or MTV is ready to pay for those original tracks. Led Zeppelin is a classic rock band, perhaps stuck in old ways, but they’re lively hood is in those master tracks; it’s the heart of the Led Zeppelin sound.

To Led Zeppelin it’s not worth the risk in losing those masters just go get their songs in a video game.

The band isn’t comfortable with the prospect of granting outsiders access to its master tapes, a necessary step in creating the games. “It ain’t about the money,” Mr. Mensch says. (WSJ)

Can you fault them for the mistrust? Risking everything you’ve worked on since 1968 just to get your product in a video game isn’t an easy decision. Many folks, Aerosmith included, probably see this as a great opportunity to get their songs into the youth, market themselves on a new medium and make a few bucks while doing it. There is definitely going to be some ego involved with being able to see your songs grow on a brand new rock medium, but not everyone thinks the same.

To some artists, music isn’t all about marketing and popularity. To each his own, but it’s upsetting to know we won’t be rocking out to any classic Led Zeppelin with a wailing Robert Plant and beating the drums like one of the most respected drummers in the industry: John Bonham.