tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78462771508501353122024-03-05T08:51:49.823-08:00Digital StardustAnalysis and commentary on life and tech, with different bend.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-84187210664154250412010-11-16T18:50:00.000-08:002010-11-16T19:00:01.201-08:00Warning: EA is now a Sith Lord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/attachment.php?attachmentid=160391&d=1220548016" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/attachment.php?attachmentid=160391&d=1220548016" width="320" /></a></div>It's been speculated prior, but today's launch marks EA's making good on threats to cut into the used video game market. The problem: Autolog, from <i>Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. </i>Autolog, for the uninitiated, is the expansive online component for the aforementioned title, providing access to races, tracking your friends' statistics, and providing unique challenges as play the game. Simple, right? No. Should you buy this game used don't expect to find an unusued activation code for Autolog in the packaging. Without this code you cannot go online or do any sort of interactive gaming inside of <i>Need for Speed</i>. Additionally, if you should chose to upgrade your console, your Autolog access will not move with you due to the terms and conditions currently stated upon activation. $10 bucks, buddy.<br />
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Needless to say, this is an act of pure greed on the part of Electronic Arts. The only give here is the <i>first</i> console used to activate Autolog will allow all Xbox Live Gold members on said console to access and play online freely. Move consoles? You're screwed. Want to pick up a used game because your budget dictates as much? Add $10 to the sticker price. Paid for your year of Gold for the multiplayer? That is <u>so</u> 2009 - pay again. Want to loan the game out to a buddy? Hope they enjoy solace.<br />
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I am disgusted by this practice. While I understand publishers do not make money on used games - that's too damn bad. Consumers have, will, and are legally entitled (in the US) to sell their property at any time of their choosing, without the meddling of the manufacturer. The system has been designed to work like this - to allow a fair share of consumer rights to exist. EA's greed is spit in the face of every gamer out there.<br />
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Microsoft and Sony have an obligation on the part of all Xbox Live and PSN users to step in and put a stop to this practice, <b>immediately</b>. XBL and PSN multiplayer cost money and have little reason to allow this practice. To pay for multiplayer and then be slapped with an additional fee for the same multiplayer is not something that should be tolerated by the console manufacturers - used game or not. This is wrong. Period.<br />
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EA, you are (pardon my french) greedy assholes.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-26229768310656439562010-08-16T20:45:00.000-07:002010-08-16T21:38:17.745-07:001 vs. Chris Cashman: The Complete Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uhrCUZ84dbtGzoCeeoV8xilu3l4AKG2Z0DxBKEjd7qnUTxcZeeIjhSjXIDHpGXKg8ln6B4CCHNDRlXUU5R8NfFLV68s2cakWvafizFfdf3cSkXTtwdH0JHmoAYJ6q8q-i6qJjS8RFSKK/s1600/Chris-Cashman-Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uhrCUZ84dbtGzoCeeoV8xilu3l4AKG2Z0DxBKEjd7qnUTxcZeeIjhSjXIDHpGXKg8ln6B4CCHNDRlXUU5R8NfFLV68s2cakWvafizFfdf3cSkXTtwdH0JHmoAYJ6q8q-i6qJjS8RFSKK/s400/Chris-Cashman-Resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The complete audio for our interview with Chris Cashman is now available. <a href="http://download.digitalstardust.info/audio/interview/cashman/CashmanDiSCompleteInterview.mp3">Download it here</a>.<br />
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You can also read and listen to each individual part below:<br />
<a href="http://www.digitalstardust.info/2010/07/1-vs-chris-cashman-interview-part-1.html">Part 1</a><br />
<a href="http://www.digitalstardust.info/2010/08/1-vs-chris-cashman-interview-part-2.html">Part 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.digitalstardust.info/2010/08/1-vs-chris-cashman-interview-part-3.html">Part 3</a><br />
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<i>Hint:</i> You can right click > save as to download the audio to your computer.<br />
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We would like to give a final shout out to Chris for sparing us some of his time. Thank you!Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-1915767237582130362010-08-14T16:14:00.000-07:002010-08-14T16:14:45.145-07:001 vs. Chris Cashman: The Interview (Part 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uhrCUZ84dbtGzoCeeoV8xilu3l4AKG2Z0DxBKEjd7qnUTxcZeeIjhSjXIDHpGXKg8ln6B4CCHNDRlXUU5R8NfFLV68s2cakWvafizFfdf3cSkXTtwdH0JHmoAYJ6q8q-i6qJjS8RFSKK/s1600/Chris-Cashman-Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uhrCUZ84dbtGzoCeeoV8xilu3l4AKG2Z0DxBKEjd7qnUTxcZeeIjhSjXIDHpGXKg8ln6B4CCHNDRlXUU5R8NfFLV68s2cakWvafizFfdf3cSkXTtwdH0JHmoAYJ6q8q-i6qJjS8RFSKK/s400/Chris-Cashman-Resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On June 15, 2010 </span></span><a href="http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/1vs100/blogs.htm" style="color: #336699;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Microsoft announced the cancelation</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> of the highly touted Xbox 360 experience known as </span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 vs 100.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chris Cashman, host of the show, recently sat down </span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with us</span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> for a chat where he discussed a variety of topics. </span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the third and final part of our interview </span></span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">we discuss his successes as a result of working on </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1vs100</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and ask if he has a final message for fans of the show.</span></span></i><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Follow </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://download.digitalstardust.info/audio/interview/cashman/CashmanDiSInterviewPart3.mp3" style="color: #336699;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this link for our interview audio</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">or check out the interview transcript following the jump.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hint:</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> You can right click > save as to download the audio to your computer. Our full length interview audio will be available on Monday, August 16.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Tugs:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> So you felt pretty proud about being able to write Xbox Live Video Game Host on your resume, because no one else can do that right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that right?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Chris:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Yea, well anonymously, I would do local events and things, hosting events and award shows around the area, and that would always be a big part of the bio. The marketing is, “The host of 1 vs 100 on Xbox Live! Reaching over 20 million users around the world!!” Cause it sounds so sexy, and it is! It’s so cool! <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">And then</span>, I’d be like “Alright, how many people here have played along on 1 vs 100?!” And there’s be one guy in the back going “*slow clapping* Yeah! Wooooo!” Cause I realized that it was this thing that’s so massive and so reaching, and at the same time, a lot of these <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">I was at were</span> old grey haired guys that weren’t quite hip to what it was that I was doing. But at the same time, people were always very seduced by it. Like, “Wow! You’re the host of the … So tell me about this thing! What … what is it?” And a conversation I had with a guy the other day, that I’ll be working with on the radio, the same thing, he said he had been looking up my bio, and he was most impressed by this 1 vs 100 on Xbox Live. “That sounds so amazing! Tell me about it!” People were so curious about it, if they weren’t familiar with it. If they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">were </i>familiar with it, they got it! And they were jealous as they should be! Thinking, “No fair! That’s your job?!?”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">T:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Oh! Definitely! So, have you seen any other success then, as a result of your hosting? Or is it too early to say?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">C:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> You mean in terms of Xbox or with me?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">T:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> seen any direct success from 1 vs 100?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">C:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> For me, personally, it’s just been cool because it was too much fun, and I really hoped that it would be a long term relationship, because I just became so fascinated with, quite frankly, a lot of the culture that I was not totally hip to before it, and especially since, for a couple years, I was totally unplugged because my wife and I were having children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I mean I was, I’m either watching cartoons or sleeping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, all of a sudden I get to be a part of it, and to see what’s going on with ComicCon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just become so massive, and with PAX and these conventions, and I just very quickly became seduced, and I really said to myself, and to my wife, “If I could pick one avenue of radio/tv/all this stuff that I’m trying to do, to work, this would be it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really hope to be successful in this because it’s such a fascinating platform and a group of people, and the audience is so passionate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For better or worse!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it can work against you, but people are so into games and this world and any given night, I’d throw out any average question on the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They say, “Hey!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a couple of chat pads you can give away, Chris!” “Cool! Let me do a pop quiz!” “Alright!” And then I’d throw out a question and say “What do you think? Do you have an answer? E-Mail me at liveshow@xbox.com!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And within 30 seconds, they would turn the monitor around and I would see the inbox, and it would just be a constant reload.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a couple of minutes, we’d have 3,000 e-mails. In radio and TV, you have to wait for the ratings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to wait to hear, did that work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ratings are, let’s be honest, just a big guestamation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really is a completely inaccurate science, ratings. I was able to, with this game world, I was able to see it tangibly. First of all, I’d see 3,000 people just e-mailed. OK!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was fun, that was worth our time to do. I was also able to see how many people were logging on to play the game. It was immediate results to play the game. We were immediately able to see there’s 40,000 people playing right now. So that’s the part of it that was fascinating to me, totally overwhelming to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The part that makes me sad that maybe they weren’t able to monetize it, because I just think, the proof was right there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s the results! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was right there! There’s the people playing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So again, it was the very bittersweet part of the game to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">T:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Oh definitely. And I’m sure that a lot of fans would feel the same way if they were in your shoes, without a question. So, we’re running low on time here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the final question I want to ask you…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">C:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Yes, my chopper is warming up right now!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">T:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Exactly!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">C:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> I’ve only got fuel for the trip!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">T:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Do you have anything you would like to say to fans of the show, now that it’s been cancelled?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">C:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> There’s … to be honest, I don’t feel like I want to say this big sappy, “Thank you for everything! So long!” because I still think we were on to something, and I’m going to keep a candle lit that we will get to reunite one way or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really do, I just think that we were on to something, and I’m certainly going to be doing everything I can to be a team player and available in case something else surfaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it should be the case where it’s five years from now, and I think, “Bummer! We never got to do anything again!” I guess it’s almost needless to say, but needed. I really enjoyed it just like any dude or dudette at home who was playing this game, who would on many occasions, e-mail me and say, “You lucky devil! This has gotta be the coolest job in the history of the world!” And I agree, exactly! As much as some of you guys might have liked to go on and play, and people would say “I played with my kids, and I loved it because I try to get my kids off [to bed] and they wanted to [stay up], and so I’d have to bribe them with Xbox, but then we would play 1 vs 100, and it was perfect because they were learning something. We were doing it together, or guys who would say, “My girlfriend hated when I was on Xbox, but she would totally play 1 vs 100 with me, so it was perfect!” It’s like, I get it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was there! Exactly! It was just as much as you might have liked playing, I would get to drive into Microsoft Studios twice a week, and walk into this studio, and look at the same screen that you guys look at, and fire it up and know that I may not get to see you guys, but this was about to happen. This giant group entertainment experience was about to happen, and it was just this cool goosebump experience, twice a week! For that, I would forever be thankful to not only Xbox for the opportunity, but of course to the people because this could have been a dud! It could have been cancelled because nobody cared! It could have been cancelled because nobody played it. But they did!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the tens of thousands, every week!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to not paint it anything but a success!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really was!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was successful and it was a blast to do, and it only worked because people logged on to play, and they had fun, and they responded to questions, and they sent me funny pictures and videos! So for that, it’s just like, what can I say other then thanks, because it was just too cool, and I really do believe that because of how passionate the crowd was, and the people who participated every single week, and the people who have since kind of thrown a fit on the blogosphere, I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just got to wonder if something isn’t going to resurface, one way or another. Maybe a year or two years down the road. Maybe a whole other game! And maybe it won’t even be obvious that it was a direct result from this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people have been so cool and so passionate about it that I got to think that the guys sitting upstairs with the big tweed jackets, behind the mahogany desk, eventually, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eventually</i> this research is going to get to them, and they’re going to say, “Man, this thing is on fire! What can we do to fix this? People love this. Well, let’s fix it, let’s do something.” So I got to think that sooner or later, the cream will rise.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">T:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> And you know the technology is always there. They’re going to keep it, the capacity to run the show, or a variant of it, is always there. And you never know, Microsoft has done more surprising things in history, so there’s always that hope. So, I want to thank you for coming on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">C:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> You got it!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">T:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> I wish you the most success possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sounds like you’ve got great aspirations, let’s hope they come through!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">C:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Tugs, thank you man!<o:p></o:p></span></div></span>Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-49414930539473939022010-08-03T19:45:00.000-07:002010-08-14T16:26:09.282-07:001 vs Chris Cashman: The Interview (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uhrCUZ84dbtGzoCeeoV8xilu3l4AKG2Z0DxBKEjd7qnUTxcZeeIjhSjXIDHpGXKg8ln6B4CCHNDRlXUU5R8NfFLV68s2cakWvafizFfdf3cSkXTtwdH0JHmoAYJ6q8q-i6qJjS8RFSKK/s1600/Chris-Cashman-Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uhrCUZ84dbtGzoCeeoV8xilu3l4AKG2Z0DxBKEjd7qnUTxcZeeIjhSjXIDHpGXKg8ln6B4CCHNDRlXUU5R8NfFLV68s2cakWvafizFfdf3cSkXTtwdH0JHmoAYJ6q8q-i6qJjS8RFSKK/s400/Chris-Cashman-Resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i>On June 15, 2010 <a href="http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/1vs100/blogs.htm" style="color: #336699;">Microsoft announced the cancelation</a> of the highly touted Xbox 360 experience known as </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">1 vs 100.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i>Chris Cashman, host of the show, recently sat down </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i>with us</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i> for a chat where he discussed a variety of topics. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In part two of our interview with Chris Cashman we discuss the evolution of </i>1vs100 Live, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what it was like working with Microsoft, and some of his thoughts on the show’s cancelation.</i> </span><br />
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</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Follow </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://download.digitalstardust.info/audio/interview/cashman/CashmanDiSInterviewPart2.mp3" style="color: #336699;">this link for our interview audio</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">or check out the interview transcript following the jump.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i>Hint:</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"> You can right click > save as to download the audio to your computer.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><a name='more'></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i>Part one concluded with Chris mentioning his thoughts on the Xbox Live platform and his impressions of the technology used by Microsoft to power </i>1 vs 100<i>.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tugs: </b>Two questions come out of that - did you play 1 vs 100 Extended play when you weren’t hosting?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chris:</b> Tugs, we only have time for one question. You… You can’t be selfish with your questions, now. So you choose the most important question! Fire away!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> So, you don’t have any future plans with Microsoft right now, as far as you can tell us. Is that right?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> No. I’ll give you the political answer. No, my people were in touch with their people. There have been discussions with their camp and my camp, but at this point in time, no. They have been super cool to me and again, I’ll always make jokes and whatnot, but I have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">zero</i> animosity towards Xbox because they have been super cool to me and everybody there was like unbelievable to work with. And no, they have indicated nothing. I have no information on if I can be of use to them in the future, but I really hope so, and my gut tells me that if something appropriate comes up that they will call me because I think we had a really positive relationship and I really think I helped them grow 1 vs 100. It really was a pretty awesome thing on its own, but I think I was able to come in with a certain level of creativity and energy to where I really kind of helped push them. </div><div class="MsoNormal">A lot of things like phone calls and things weren’t a part of the original plan, but I just kind of forced it, and said “No, we got to do this, I’m telling you! Come on why can’t we do it? Can we pick up the phone, common!” You know and through having guests into their lab in the beginning, because I said “Look, I know some people! We can have guests on!” I think that at the beginning it was sort of a headache, you know, legally there’s probably hoops to jump through. [I thought] “Let’s just do what we’re doing.” I happen to be friendly with Joel McHale from E! and he was getting ready to come out with his NBC show, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Community</i>, and I said “I think he’ll come on. I can call him and I think he’ll come on.” And so we kind of did that as our test for that. And we had it and we saw - wow, there’s a whole new avenue here we didn’t even realize, you know, promotionally, to have guests on. Then I think they realized, “Man, we could have some of our Xbox folks on. Designers and people within our world, even Xbox Cele….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Video game celebrities…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Yeah, exactly! So I think that that was when I thought “AH HA! Now we’re <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> onto something!” ‘Cuz you know, I’m smart enough to know this is a business that’s got to make sense and there’s got to be a way to make, you know, enough money and whatnot. And I thought, “You know what? We’re on a promotional tool here that they probably didn’t realize. They can have the guys who are creating the next big game on as my guest!” It’s entertainment, but it’s also a commercial. So I thought, “This is cool, there is something here.” </div><div class="MsoNormal">And I think they discovered that as well, and we had more and more guests come on - and by the end of season 2, we had, Jimmy Fallon, and Jeff Probst from Survivor, and it was just sort of like, “Wow, this is really cool! This has become legitimate! You know, look at us, we’re almost going mainstream here!” And you know, I think we really kind of crossed over the threshold and for whatever reason, I’m sure when push came to shove there were reasons why whether it was forever or for just at this point in time. They decided that it just wasn’t something that they could continue doing. I really honestly was given nothing other than that they couldn’t continue - nor would I expect them to have to give me answers. It’s a bummer, but I’m - they’re a pretty sophisticated, savvy company, so I’m sure they had their reasons.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Well, they make much, much more money then you or I do, so I’m sure that they’ve got some good brains behind there. I think that for a lot of gamers, it’s just the end product where you look at the game. You play the game, it’s a good game, and you look at the [review] score on the Internet. But with a show that’s broadcast, you know, it’s only been done in Japan* until, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1 vs 100</i>, as far as I know. It’s really hard for, I think, a lot of people to see that perspective of other things in play - the big picture - the platform is doing this thing and that thing, and sadly sometimes, some things will fall by the wayside as a result of that. And, you know, not to say that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1 vs 100</i> is a result of that, but it does help to, see that perspective I think, a little bit.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Well, I - you know, think you’re onto something there and the sense that. Again, I have nothing but a positive relationship with the guys I worked with there. And frankly, the crew I worked with…these weren’t the decision makers. They too were sad and bummed out that this is going away, but a little teeny bit of me thinks that this very possibly will be one of those…one of those scenarios where they pulled the plug too soon. Where the after the fact thing, “Oh shoot! Maybe we should have kept that going!” Because I think that once the announcement came out, there was a great deal of buzz and chatter, and I mean it’s why I’m talking to you right now.</div><div class="MsoNormal">A lot of people kinda wanted to know, “What gives?” So, it was kind of flattering, on behalf of the show, to see that a lot of people cared, and wanted to know, “What do you mean? Why is this going away? This was working! I - I enjoyed this! This is part of why I paid for my Live membership!” So it was really neat to see that in articles and [underneath] a lot of people posting their comments and thoughts. It was just like universally bummed out people - and there were sad and even people pitching ideas - saying “Hey! Look, it’s about making money. Why don’t you try this that and the other…” So I was really impressed by how kind of how reactive and proactive people were being about this news. And I thought, “You know, I think there’s something there” The fact is that the two [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1vs 100 TV</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1 vs 100 Live</i>] aren’t related in the bigger picture, but a little birdie did just tell me that word on the street is that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1 vs 100</i> is coming back to TV very soon.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Oh, really?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Whether that’s true or not, I have heard it from two different sources that are totally unrelated to any of this. Just TV folks. So part of me says, “You know, I’m sure it [A TV revival] had nothing to do with our efforts, but…” Stranger things have happened, and, [with] this game going away…maybe 6 months from now, or a year from now, or two years from now, they say, “We’re bringing it [the TV show] back! Everything makes sense now, we’ve got everything figured out, we’re bringing it back!” Which is what I’m guessing happened with the TV show. You know, I think that they pulled the plug for whatever reason. And a lot of these shows have caught on fire - a lot of these quick gratification moments when people sit at home - the “Minute to Win It” and all these shows that are on right now. I think that at some point, the stars probably aligned and they said, “You know what? We’ve already got the platform, we’ve got the product, we got the logos, we’ve got the music. Let’s bring it back! It didn’t work right then, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now </i>it will work.” So, that’s pretty cool. It’s cool to hear!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Oh definitely, definitely. So, how did you follow news of the cancellation? Were you following blogs, Twitter…how did you personally keep up on that? Because according to your Twitter, you were keeping up on it plenty.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Yeah. A lot of folks would ask me on Twitter, “What do you know? What do you know?” and I try to have jokes all along. But, I was like most people, kind of twisting in the wind, wondering when are we going to get some news, what’s going on? But maybe, you must not have seen it, but I put my discovery of the news on YouTube, ‘cuz I thought…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> The controller drop?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Yeah. So I put it on YouTube, which was - full disclosure - a reenactment. But no, I got a heads up. I mean, I didn’t learn a whole lot sooner then everybody at home learned it. But they were nice enough to call me and say, “Look, the news is going out, and, you know, here’s the deal” So, I wouldn’t say honestly I was shocked because I know that it had been a while since season 2. I know in the business in general - the stuff I do in TV, radio, there’s just so…..the stars have to align on so many levels for things to work out that it always, honestly always, felt a little bit too good to be true. I really thought it was too much fun, this was too neat, and every time we were doing the show, I thought, “This could be the last time I do this, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or</i> this could be the beginning of a, like, 10 year run.” I mean…I really thought that. I thought that this could go either way. And so, when they announced it, I was obviously bummed because it just was pretty much the thing - just the thing hands down - that I was the most proud of, that I was doing and have ever done. It was just so neat!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Wow! Really?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> I felt like I was kinda the first of this whole new breed, and I thought that “This is too cool! How much fun is this?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This concludes part two of our interview with Chris. In Part 3 we continue our discussion and ask Chris if he has any words of wisdom for fans of </i>1vs100<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This interview is copyright 2010 to Digital Stardust, all rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">---<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Stone Tablets</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> was a broadcast title for the Super Nintendo’s Satellaview attachment in Japan. It followed a schedule function analogous to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 vs 100</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></div></span></div></div>Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-79370222459241456682010-07-29T20:09:00.000-07:002010-07-30T10:13:06.654-07:001 vs Chris Cashman: The Interview (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uhrCUZ84dbtGzoCeeoV8xilu3l4AKG2Z0DxBKEjd7qnUTxcZeeIjhSjXIDHpGXKg8ln6B4CCHNDRlXUU5R8NfFLV68s2cakWvafizFfdf3cSkXTtwdH0JHmoAYJ6q8q-i6qJjS8RFSKK/s1600/Chris-Cashman-Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uhrCUZ84dbtGzoCeeoV8xilu3l4AKG2Z0DxBKEjd7qnUTxcZeeIjhSjXIDHpGXKg8ln6B4CCHNDRlXUU5R8NfFLV68s2cakWvafizFfdf3cSkXTtwdH0JHmoAYJ6q8q-i6qJjS8RFSKK/s400/Chris-Cashman-Resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>On June 15, 2010 <a href="http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/1vs100/blogs.htm">Microsoft announced the cancelation</a> of the highly touted Xbox 360 experience known as </i>1 vs 100. <i>Chris Cashman, host of the show, recently sat down </i><i>with us</i><i> for a chat where he discussed a variety of topics. In Part 1 we discuss how he got involved with </i>1 vs 100<i>, how humor has influenced his life, his early gaming experiences, and his thoughts on the technology powering the show.</i><br />
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Follow <a href="http://download.digitalstardust.info/audio/interview/cashman/CashmanDiSInterviewPart1.mp3">this link for our interview audio</a> or check out the interview transcript following the jump. <i>Hint:</i> You can right click > save as to download the audio to your computer.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Tugs: </b>This is Tugs from Digital Stardust - bringing you commentary and analysis on the video game industry with a different bend. Tonight I'm pleased to be able to bring you a chat with a special guest. He's an accomplished television skydiver, he’s played an active role in setting a world record (if you believe Microsoft), and lives in Passamaquoddy while eating his kiwis - if you believe his twitter. But most of you know him as the host of 1 vs 100 for Xbox Live. Tonight I’m joined by Chris Cashman. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Chris, how are you tonight?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chris:</b> I’m doing fantastic! Thank you…You nailed the bio. You got it all in there.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> I know it was accurate - I pulled it from Wikipedia. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Which is always true. Not a lot of people know that, but it is abso… Whatever you read in there is true.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Absolutely. I read pigs could fly the other day, so I think they’re doing really well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> I know….and it’s under-reported. So, I’m glad you said it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Exactly. So! Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into the entertainment and voice-over business?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> You know, I, just like a lot of aspiring, I don’t know … actors and folks who want to be in entertainment… I just sorta was born with it. I really just, you know since I can remember just talking to myself and I would hear commercials in the car, and radio commercials, TV commercials, and I would sorta do this thing where, which I still find myself doing…where I kinda talk into my hand and I cup it to my ear so I could hear myself announcing directly into my own ear. And I would just always imitate commercials and kinda study voices and delivery, and the way they do things. And I just sorta had the bug, ya know? I just, I don’t know, I just did. I…I sort of, you know, stumbled into it, really.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> It runs in the family, doesn’t it?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Well, see, there’s a misconception on that as well, because I’m just an average dude who grew up blue collar, son of a hair dresser and a mill worker, and you know, my mom would go off and work at the mill and my dad would dress hair…six days a week, and now that I said that out loud it doesn’t sound right. Ummmmm, I guess that’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> that<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>typical. No, I was of course, not of course but of course to me, Yeah I was brought up in it. My father was in TV and radio and in particular was on a comedy TV show when I growing up and I think it was like Junior High when it finally hit, when I saw people looking a little weird at me at school and I had played a little roll of an actor in this little comedy show called “Almost Live” that he was on, and I saw kids in the hall looking at me very strange the next day. To me, it was like, “Woo hoo! A day off of school! Sweet!” And I was in this little skit, but then it aired, and people were looking at me in school. And even the teachers were kinda, like, high fiving me, and I thought “Man, this TV thing’s pretty cool! I guess my dad’s pretty cool!” So, yeah I did grow up around a father who was on TV and in radio, and my mother even did some stuff on TV as well, and my whole family, you know are just complete hambones, so I definitely grew up around it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Right, right, so you still host now?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> I do! You know, I got out of school, of college in about 2000, and started doing work on radio. I did like the weekend DJ thing, and then I worked doing copywriting and commercials and production. I wanted to know how to edit commercials and make commercials. ‘Cuz my whole thing was always that one day I would love to do it for myself. I would love for someone to say “Hey! We want to make a commercial or a video!” Ya know, “Can you do it?” and then I could do it all myself. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And so, that’s sort of what I’ve worked towards. Then after a couple years in radio, I got a job on a TV station - a local TV station in Seattle - that wanted <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">somebody </i>in radio, but who was pretty much unknown. In other words, somebody they knew could talk for a living, but nobody knew who were they were…that they could make kind of their local yokel guy who would stand out at a car dealership and say, “Come on down and see us! We got hot dogs for the kiddies!” And so I started doing that, and it went really well, and I pitched them some original ideas for TV shows and said “No no no… We don’t need a crew. You know, just a camera guy. Just, we’ll go out and it’ll you know, whatever movie you’re already playing on the weekend, just let me pop in around it. And I’ll… we’ll take the show on the road, I’ll edit it myself.” </div><div class="MsoNormal">And…and before you know it, it was like five six years, and I was there at the TV station and we had a lot of success, ya know, with no budget essentially, and you know was able to learn how to edit, and kind of really learned all of the skills in front and behind the scenes, and then parlayed that into doing a lot of live stuff, events, and you know, somewhere down the line got hooked up with Microsoft, and was able to do some jobs for them. You know, corporate videos and even some writing, and things like that. And you know, was what, a couple of years ago when I got a call for a new audition for Microsoft. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was through their division of Xbox and they wanted to do a game show, and a video game game show. And that was about as bizarre sounding to me as I’m sure it was to people when they first heard that they were going to get to play it. It was like “What does <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that </i>mean? What? What do you mean? What?” And so I went in and did the audition. They kind of put me through the meat grinder and, you know, they were really just looking for somebody who couldn’t get thrown off kilter too easy. You know, they could throw something bizarre at you and you could tap dance around it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And so that’s really what it was. And after a couple of times coming back to visit them, they called me and said. “Hey! We want you to host the show, 1 vs 100!” And so, it really wasn’t until we got into the beta that I really was able to figure out what exactly this was. I got to go on and see, ya know, the work in progress and got to see the game, “Hey look! Here’s the little avatar version of you!” and was like “Wow, this is crazy!” So, I was, a lot of it was really kind of just a learning on the job thing that was kinda an evolution that I already was doing. TV, radio, hosting, and a lot of you know, improvising. So it was really kind of, it felt like, ya know, everything had funneled down to this moment where it was like “Cool, I can use all of it with this one thing!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Excellent. So, you when we were setting up this little chat here, you mentioned that humor is your life and it makes life more fun. So how has that affected your outlook on life and 1 vs 100?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Well, I mean the most obvious example, I would say, also the most recent example… when I like, many people, discovered that they weren’t going to continue the game. You know, there was two ways to look at it. 1 is “Oh noooooo! Now what am I gonna do?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> I was one of those…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> …which was a couple of seconds. But then I immediately said, “You know what? The audience was so cool with this game”, and people, you know, on Twitter and what-not, have always been so cool that I kinda felt I immediately had to put that aside and I felt more obligated to, like, continue to fight in whatever fashion. I thought, “No! I’ve got to go on YouTube. I’m gonna do a goofy little farewell video.” Which I did and I stuck up on YouTube and then quickly…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> You dropped the controller in it…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Yeah just, yeah hey – see, every dramatic scene has to have the moment of so shocked that you dropped whatever is in their hand in slow motion.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Absolutely.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> So I worked that into it, and I just thought that, you know what, rather than ya know, mope and think, “Oh man! Woe is me!” I thought I’m gonna put some humor on it, have fun with it, and I know that even in a corny way, we can all have a little chuckle, even though a lot of folks I think were bummed and thought “Wait a minute, this was working! What happened?” So, I just, ya know, in all walks of my life, I sorta live and breathe humor and not because we need to, but I just find it that life is a whole lot more fun when you’re able to just laugh through things, you know?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Definitely! Positive outlooks always help. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T: </b>So, with 1 vs 100, was that your first exposure to video games or do you play games in your spare time? Are you a gamer at all?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> I wouldn’t say I’m a gamer. I hadn’t…there was a good gap from like the mid 90’s to maybe the early 2000’s where I was not playing games any more. I played games when I was younger, but, you know, I went off to college and the technology wasn’t what it is now. We don’t have these insane, you know, the Xbox Live, you know. If I had that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now</i>, if I was in college <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now</i> and I had Xbox live, you know, forget about class. I’d be in trouble. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, I mean, fortunately, the technology wasn’t where it is now, cuz I was able to be a bit more productive, from like the mid 90’s to the early 2000’s and I kinda just didn’t play games. I think I got over the Nintendo thing, I was sort of like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">[Mike] Tyson’s Punch Out</i> was sorta my thing. Like that was like about the level of games I like. It was just kind of like mindless goofy fun entertainment, and you know, Piston Honda really made me mad, and so he gave me something to strive for, to beat him. And once I did that, I thought “Good! Check! Next!” and I took, I guess a bunch of years off, not on purpose but, you know, I just did. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I went off to school, and you know, I mean, basically it was a little bit of heartbreak. We had a garage sale before I went to college, and I was trying to sell my Atari Lynx, which you may remember, or my …</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> Wow! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> Right? But at the time I was the coolest dude cuz I had it. And somebody stole it from the garage sale and I was heartbroken, because I wanted the at least, you know, the sweet money I was gonna make off of that thing, and I didn’t have it. And so that was like the last game console I had, I think, until you know, a couple, maybe four years ago. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And then I got back on with Xbox and Xbox Live, and once I saw the platform and Netflix and all of that, I was just like “Wow, this is unbelievable!” And I just found myself sorta preaching to my friends and family - even my wife who’s kinda looking at me cross-eyed, going, “Really? Video games?” You know, ‘cuz I have a small daughter, and we’re getting ready to have a second, and so it was sort of like not really conducive to the lifestyle. I need to be a good, more, you know, helpful with her, rather than trying to stack up achievements. So, but when she saw it too, she agreed, she was “Wow! I can’t believe this,” because of Netflix and you know, Last.fm and all these things, and they keep in folding in more with Facebook and all that. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So that’s when I really kinda got excited because the game was fun, I was excited to do it, but then I saw this platform, I thought, “Holy cow! I think… I think I’m on board the ground level of like the undeniable future of entertainment!” You know, I said “they’re gonna have TV on here! It’s gonna happen!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T:</b> They already do!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C:</b> They now they’ve already announced – yeah - and now they’ve announced TV shows, they signed the thing with ESPN, all this stuff that’s sorta like the tidal wave is coming, and I thought “Man, I think I’m on board! This is cool! I’m on the ground floor of this amazing new thing.” So, you know, that was the excitement and really, the biggest heartbreak part for me was, I hope this isn’t the end of my relationship with them just because I just think they’re on to something, you know. I just, I really, I would mortgage the farm that they are really leading the way.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Make sure to look for Part 2 of our interview with Chris, complete with more discussion on how the show came to be in its current form, and what it was like working with the team at Microsoft.</i></div>Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-30671386670725227762010-07-25T20:54:00.000-07:002010-07-25T21:02:00.052-07:00We've Moved!Digital Stardust has moved to a new domain! Please point your bookmarks to <a href="http://digitalstardust.info/">digitalstardust.info</a>. We've got great things planned, so keep your displayed tuned - exciting things are in store!Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-67087165689807140152010-03-29T06:47:00.000-07:002010-03-29T07:18:13.879-07:00Going....going....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.andrewpittsfurnituremaker.com/Works_in_Progress/TV_Cabinet/Sawing_sub-side_bevel_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://www.andrewpittsfurnituremaker.com/Works_in_Progress/TV_Cabinet/Sawing_sub-side_bevel_full.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
There was always a reason Garfield hated Mondays. Many owners of older PlayStation 3's will wake to the news of a late Sunday post over at the PlayStation blog <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/03/28/ps3-firmware-v3-21-update/">announcing the "Install Other OS" option will be removed from the system in the upcoming firmware update.</a> The reason cited includes being able to "continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a <b>more secure</b> system." (Emphasis added.) Users <i>can</i> continue to keep this feature by declining to upgrade, at the expense of the PSN, "future" Blu-ray titles, media servers with DRM, and future PS3 features. (*cough* bullshit *cough*)<br />
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Bad form Sony, bad form. The "Install Other OS" option was a touted feature at console launch, and despite this particular option falling into obscurity, it sets a nasty precedent for the future of "fat" PS3s. We fully expect Sony to make some sort of statement, be it official or otherwise, reassuring gamers backwards compatibility or other features will not be removed from older consoles. Problem is, Sony has <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/08/sony-answers-our-questions-about-the-new-playstation-3.ars">gone on record</a> stating they don't intend to "bring back" backwards compatibility, and it's reasonable to assume this potentially means not supporting existing BC as well - an argument further supported by the gradual phase out over the console's lifespan. In addition to this, there's the factor of the cost of supporting multiple firmware options on the same basic system - Sony stands to save a lot by standardizing the features offered across all PS3s.<br />
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Are we saying BC or other features are going away? No, but Sony has most certainly planted some very sinister seeds of doubt in the minds of many and unfortunately the Japanese giant seems to have a way of causing seeds to bear fruit.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-70584011313079208412010-03-13T10:15:00.000-08:002010-03-13T10:15:49.671-08:00Six Months Later - Tidbits of Interest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.aefreemart.com/uploaded_images/radarScreen-719485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.aefreemart.com/uploaded_images/radarScreen-719485.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Digital Stardust has been mute primarily for a single reason - we have had nothing to say for quite a while. Our stated mission statement remains "Analysis and Commentary on the Video Game Industry" but the problem is so little has changed in a significant way in the industry since our last post in August 2009. A few things have crossed the radar, but nothing alone has been enough to warrant a standalone post. Rather than continue to wait, we present several small items of interest we believe keep in line with our mission statement.<br />
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<b>Analyst Claims Wii May be in Hot Water</b><br />
<i>Industry Gamer</i> reports analyst Mike Hickey has been crunching the numbers and is predicting the Wii will "Fade meaningfully" during this year. Consoles typically last around four to five years in traditional lifespan, and the Wii appears to have been designed on this timetable. Nintendo is also releasing all their big-hitter titles this year (<i>Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: The Other M, </i>and Zelda), leaving a fog of uncertainty once the release cycle completes. Can Nintendo afford to announce and launch another console when the 360 and PlayStation 3 appear to have plenty of steam left? Hickey suggests Nintendo instead offer a console price drop and open the door wider to third-party support. <br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.industrygamers.com/news/wii-cycle-to-fade-meaningfully-in-2010-aggressive-price-cuts-needed-says-analyst/target=%22_new%22">Industry Gamers</a><br />
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<b>Music Gaming Sales Down</b><br />
Billboard reports music gaming sales are down about half when comparing December 2008 to December 2009 ($468m to $250m). Several commentators around the internet have speculated, and I have to agree, the trend is being caused by lack of real innovation in the formula employed across most music games - timing notes move toward a fixed point on the screen and you press a button, hopefully in time with the music. This has been the case since <i>beatmania</i> and persists into recent titles such as <i>Guitar Hero: Van Halen</i>. Solution? Change the formula to be fresh and new. Will <a href="http://www.ugo.com/games/power-gig-rise-of-the-six-string-preview">Power Gig</a> accomplish this? Time will tell.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i793156d6041aecbf9d5f51cafd1e83b2">Billboard</a><br />
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<b>Reggie Has Spoken</b><br />
One of DiS' biggest gripes is the lack of the Regginator's crowd-exciting speeches we heard back five years ago before the Wii launch. We're pleased to report Reggie has spoken with Forbes magazine. The results, however, have left us scratching our heads - for instance, Reggie indicates Mii clothing will not be made available as "it's not an idea that creates value for the consumer" (Nevermind the fact 360 Avatar clothing has made enough money to draw big names like Disney). He also states Nintendo is not interested in HD as it does not create new experiences for gamers. We smell a bit of Sony attitude here, and we don't like it. <br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/09/wii-xbox-playstation-technology-business-intelligence-nintendo.html">Forbes</a><br />
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<b>GameStop Alternatives Going, Going, Gone?</b><br />
Some shoppers love GameStop, some hate it (I do). It appears GameStop's position as one of North America's dominant game retailers has been strengthened with Movie Gallery's (owner of Game Crazy) filing for bankruptcy this week. Reports claim a combined 760 Movie Gallery, Hollywood Video, and Game Crazy stores will be shuttered. Several of my local Game Crazy stores have gone off into the abyss, so if you're inclined, check in with yours to ensure they'll be there when you need them.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://media.www.thelamron.com/media/storage/paper1150/news/2010/03/11/News/Credits.Roll.For.Movie.Gallery-3889036.shtml">The Lamron</a><br />
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This is Digital Stardust, signing off.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-19438507681661849502009-08-10T07:45:00.000-07:002009-08-10T11:37:50.349-07:00We like 1 vs 100, and also, Hackers Suck<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.taragana.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/hacker_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 400px;" src="http://blog.taragana.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/hacker_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Hackers just seem to ruin everything sometimes. Sure, hacking and homebrew have some legitimate purposes and have even pushed companies to make popular options once only available through grey market channels legitimate through official channels. All sorts of opinions exist on the subject - the consumer right to handle their property as they please versus what corporations feel is legitimate use of the product for their reasons. Sometimes it makes sense and sometimes it doesn't. It clearly does not make sense when the hacking is done with the intent to give one video game player a distinct, unfair advantage over another.<br /><br />Hacking video games at home to re-enable "lost" features (or hot coffee) can be an exiting adventure into the development process and the experimental worlds of what once was. Doing this in the days of offline gaming was a perfectly legitimate venture for most, as it was kept solely to the console it was on and affected no one else. But beginning with the earliest editions of <i>Pokémon</i>, hacking started to become a problem to those who wanted to play legitimately. It boiled down to making the playing field uneven and took the fun out of the game. Carrying the analogy further, video game hacking is like taking steroids in sports. It ruins the game for everyone who wants to play on a fair, competitive basis. (We should take a moment to note mods for titles such as <i>Team Fortress II</i> are not considered hacks for the purposes of this piece as their intent is to expand upon the title, versus simply grant an advantage to one player over another.) <br /><br />The need for fairness becomes of even greater importance when the reward for playing fair is so lucrative and the process of actually winning is so conspicuous that the game restricts the frequency any one player can hold the spotlight or win a large reward. The example we point to prominently is the Xbox Live implementation of <i>1 vs 100</i>. Players play an "extended" mode through the week to build up their stats for a live broadcast of the "show", complete with host and high levels of audience interaction. The stats players build up can influence their odds of competing during the "Live" show in the spotlight as "The One", who can win up to US $150.00 in Microsoft Points, or a member of "The Mob", who can win up to $25 in games and/or Microsoft Points. (There are other positions to play in during Live, however we suggest you pick the game up for more information). With real-world prizes on the line and a desire to give everyone a fair shot at the winnings, Microsoft has been taking painstaking steps to keep the game fair and the hackers out.<br /><br />Apparently this security was broken on the UK version of <i>1 vs 100</i> if <a href="http://www.consolemonster.com/newspost.php?id=0000005824">current breaking reports</a> are to be believed. (Note the show follows an identical format for the US and UK editions.) In short, a group of Xbox Live gamers claim to have hacked the game and been "The One" up to four times and in the mob consistently. The legitimacy of these claims lies in question, however there are a few points to consider that may suggest the validity of these claims are more than just someone blowing smoke over Live.<br /><br />First, we have the system itself. Microsoft claims being "The One" more than once per season of <i>1 vs 100</i> is not allowed. This is something that is likely enforced by some strict security measures, given the responsibility to paying advertisers to keep gamers interested by way of fair odds. (Yes, even on a Microsoft product good security is known to happen.) Historically, Microsoft has been very strict in maintaining the fairness of Xbox Live in the interest of creating an enjoyable (and lucrative) experience by banning consoles known to contain mod chips or cheating devices, or consoles that may not have cheating devices but that have been used with a cheating device in the past. Beyond the hardware, Microsoft has taken a very simple, but very powerful action by simply marking gamertags known to be associated with cheating. Users handle the rest of this by kicking known cheaters from game sessions - even pausing record breaking matches to remove them. The combination of these steps has resulted in Xbox Live accumulating a reputation for being a fair, enjoyable place to play in, worth the cost of admission.<br /><br />Continuing on then, let's compare the claims of the hackers to what has been stated by Microsoft. First we come to the claim the hackers have hacked the slot of "The One". A key problem here is the hackers have claimed to have been the one <i>with different gamertags</i>, all starting with the word "Defensive". Speaking on a technical level, this claim is not true at face value - no one has been "The One" multiple times. <i>Different, but very similar</i> gamertags have. Thus, it is <i>incredibly</i> unlikely anyone hacked into the Xbox Live servers to actually influence the game on a technical level in terms of game code, server processes, etc.<br /><br />The next claim the hackers have made is having gotten into the mob several times. As noted before, this is allowed and expected to happen, despite the low odds of it occuring. The "Defensive" gamertags getting into the mob several times would therefore be quite normal.<br /><br />So are the hackers blowing smoke? Probably not. Speaking as a player of <i>1 vs 100</i> who has seen over 4,000,000 knockouts and answered tens of thousands of questions, I have noticed some definite patterns in the game with regards to both players and random selection. For instance, you definitely get a feel for how "dumb" or smart the crowd/mob can be at times and where those limits lie. Yes, four people don't know what the McDonald's logo is - shocking at first, but something you see from time to time as a pattern. "The One" generally lasts nine to eleven questions on their turn in the spotlight. Certain avatars tend to show up in the mob after being "The One", and vice versa. These avatars are generally of the folk you tend to see in the highest lifetime stats and highest accuracy/speed results of the game. I'm not doing anything special to see how the game works, it's just something you notice if you play regularly and are paying a reasonable amount of attention to the entire game versus just the questions. <br /><br />Our theory? It is entirely possible these "hackers" have not actually "hacked" anything but have just figured out how the game works and learned to exploit it. It is also entirely possible quite a few other folk have figured out how the game works and exploited that knowledge from time to time. Does this mean Microsoft is to blame? Not in strict terms, but they absolutely ought to take steps to keep selection algorithms as fresh and random as possible. It is an easy fix and keeps the game going fairly.<br /><br />So perhaps it isn't strictly video game hackers who suck, but instead the schmucks who just can't play fair. The guys who attempt to get the upper hand by doing what it takes, by hook or by crook. Well, I would like to tell you something. You suck! Stop ruining my games! If your entire existence is based upon having an unfair advantage over others and affecting how they enjoy the fun things in life, go fuck a sheep! Seriously.<br /><br />This is Digital Stardust, signing off.<br /><br />P.S. If you would like to play a (fair) game of 1 vs 100, both authors of this blog are regular participants of the beta season's shows on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Hit us up in the comments for our gamertags.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-62308723454325824182009-07-08T09:38:00.000-07:002009-07-08T09:41:07.529-07:00The Market - She's Dead, Jim. Or is She?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hometalkusa.com/assets/uncle_sam.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 286px;" src="http://www.hometalkusa.com/assets/uncle_sam.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />You may have noticed Digital Stardust has gone mute for several months now. This is no accident. The intent of DiS is to comment on the game industry as a whole, with a focus on trends and topics affecting large portions of the community - developers and gamers alike - but when the industry stagnates, there is only so much you can say before you have become a broken record. Rather than become a site riding a dead horse, we've simply gone quiet in the meantime. Plans are in the works to change the situation and provide engaging content, however these things take time, so your understanding is appreciated.<br /><br />The time has come to momentarily break the silence and speak to the staleness that is slowly creeping through the industry, and possibly discover who could hold the blame for the situation the industry sits in. The results may surprise you, they may anger you, but they'll certainly get you thinking, even if you don't agree.<br /><br />What is causing the video games industry to stagnate? Before you can answer this question it is important to note the industry as a whole has not come to a grinding halt. Companies such as PopCap Games are doing very well with their famous casual titles such as <i>Peggle</i> and <i>Bejeweled</i>. The stagnation does exist, however, with powerhouse companies such as EA and Activision reporting slower sales and releasing fewer blockbuster titles this year as compared to years past. But what is causing this? Console and software pricing? The poor economy? Or is it something else entirely?<br /><br />The first argument in our discussion-gone-monologue sits squarely at the console price. Console price has become a hot topic of discussion among developers as available dollars to purchase consoles and increase total number of potential software buyers has decreased due to the poor economy. It just makes little sense to the unemployed consumer to purchase a pricey console, so the cost of entry has become of increasing importance to developers. Yet, the cost of entry has sat squarely in the same position since each of the current-gen consoles launched. The sorest point is named "PlayStation 3", exacerbated only by the moves of Microsoft as they position the Xbox 360 as the biggest bang for the buck on the block. Microsoft has done a good job of managing the 360 SKUs available to the consumer from the get-go, charging less for systems with fewer accessories and more for systems with more accessories, but keeping the basic console playability the same. Sony by comparison has <i>removed</i> functionality from their system in an effort to reduce cost, something the consumer is less concerned with when they see the system they've been eying does less for the same price. Nintendo makes a profit for each Wii sold, but they've attracted a market segment previously not known to exist, which allows the Kyoto-based developer to keep console prices the same due to their current market segment not being accustomed to price drops.<br /><br />No matter where you sit in the console interest matrix, the fact remains the fun boxes are pricey machines. Developers know this and have been increasing pressure on manufacturers to drop the price, especially Sony. It is no small potatoes when the president of the company known for <i>Guitar Hero</i> and <i>World of Warcraft</i> delivers a clear threat of stopping console development for the PlayStation 3 if the console does not become more accessible to the average gaming consumer. Square-Enix has taken notice in North America and Europe, by developing the upcoming <i>Final Fantasy XIII</i> for the Xbox 360, breaking the PlayStation 3's exclusivity on the title and marking the first time in the franchise's history a title will launch on multiple consoles. The Land of the Rising Sun is also showing troublesome signs for the market, as console sales in general are down 25% year over year, with a large portion of this being attributed to the high cost of the PlayStation 3. Sony may have billions to recoup from the Cell processor, but their current strategy is strangling the market in general. To cope, current console lifecycles are being extended (newer hardware over time becomes older hardware, which becomes less expensive to produce and develop for) and older technologies are being extended (case in point, the Wii is a souped-up GameCube).<br /><br />What about the global economic recession? Without a question this is a factor in the current equation adding up to the market situation. The average consumer is seeing a decrease in work or the same pay in a market where prices are higher than they ever have been, in effect creating less buying power power per dollar. What you could buy with a $1 now requires $2 or you get less for that same $1 (14oz. Coca-Cola, anyone?). Console prices are higher than they ever have been, but even those with the same total dollars available from before the recession are seeing their <i>overall total effective buying power</i> decreased, reducing the market's accessibility to them. This reduced buying power manifests itself through stronger sales of software for consoles already owned and fewer pieces of software sold for newer consoles. In short, consumers are getting more choosy about their games because they want the biggest bang for their buck. Developers often develop "throw away titles" - titles created with a small budget and a big license to generate sales with a high profit margin, which they use to fund their AAA-class blockbusting titles, however sales of "throw aways" are through the floor, reducing available R&D resources. This explains why only a handful of established franchises are turning out titles in the current market, as opposed to a more balanced mix of new franchises and established ones - with less money coming in developers are not as willing to risk their limited capital on a new franchise. Fewer new faces on the shelf create the impression of a stagnating market in the consumer's mind, leading to a circular effect of reduced interest in spending money on gaming as a whole.<br /><br />So is the market stagnating? If you count the slower pace at which flashy new gaming consoles and technology driving them is being trotted out, the strategy of developers to "play it safe" by sticking to established franchises and invest in fewer new ones, and reduced console and software sales as a whole, yes. There are a few shining examples where the recession has not hit, such as the iPhone App Store and casual gaming provided by companies such as PopCap, but the market in general is down and slowing. Consoles are pricey, dollars buy less, and software sales are on a slow slide. But is there a possible underlying cause to even these reasons? Did something sew the seeds of market slowdown even before the global recession hit?<br /><br />There might be.<br /><br />What is this possible underlying cause? Us, the consumer. Let's back up to 2004, when the PlayStation 2 was in an intense battle with the Xbox. The PlayStation 2 was an established powerhouse with a massive install base in the millions and heavy hitting titles blowing even the highest expectations out of the water. The Xbox was making waves in North America by releasing titles so gorgeous, yet playable, even though it was never expected the console would beat the PS2 (that honor was saved for the 360 vs PS3 race). Developers were releasing titles to great, beautiful success coated in a layer of eye-candy. <br /><br />If you have a good thing, doing more of it will be even better, right? This became a persistent cry from gamers - we want MORE beautiful titles, we want MORE powerful systems, and we want MORE fun. Manufactures responded by doing just that, creating powerful multi-core processors requiring <i>billions</i> in investment dollars. Gamers got what they wanted, but they had to pay the piper for it, and a lot of them weren't ready. The development investments needed to be recouped and the consoles were priced accordingly, bringing us into the pricey console era that exists today. The $400 console is a result of the demands of consumers and gamesmanship of the previous era, but at $400.<br /><br />So the next time you're visiting your local game retailer, take some time to consider where you're going to vote with your money. Do you want the $60 title, or might it be worth waiting for the title to become less expensive? What console do you want to purchase it for? The less expensive ones, or the more expensive ones? Digital download or physical disc? Memory unit or hard drive? In an era when developers are watching the market closely, they have, they can, and they will know when sales increase due to price drops. If it becomes a recurring trend, developers will have to rethink what the public is willing to pay for their gaming fix. Instant gratification has its short term expense, for sure, but the long term effects may be more important than ever.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-80141347608157294212009-06-25T06:54:00.000-07:002009-06-25T06:56:03.357-07:00Tales of Playstation 3 PurchasingI went to go buy a Playstation 3. It's still $400. 2 years later. I did not buy my Playstation 3. Way to go Sony.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://techbuddha.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/vader-fail.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 507px; height: 427px;" src="http://techbuddha.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/vader-fail.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-41050897888159382132009-02-05T22:34:00.000-08:002009-02-05T22:37:38.701-08:00Breaking Info on the Presidential WiiDigital Stardust is normally a blog where we don't try to write the news of the gaming day - that's something you can go to BILLIONS of other places for. We just specialize in stepping back and writing about the larger picture, for the most part.<br /><br />But when hot news about the Presidential Wii breaks, we talk about it.<br /><br /><a href=http://kotaku.com/5147670/presidential-wii-resides-in-the-white-houses-east-wing>Actually, we just link you to it.</a><br /><br />I <b>SO</b> want his friend code.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-73987001692036138802009-01-29T12:45:00.000-08:002009-01-29T12:55:21.150-08:00Playstation 3 - The New Dreamcast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413VUWWS3zL._SL500_AA280_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 280px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413VUWWS3zL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The economy is in a downturn. EA, Microsoft, Nintendo and even Disney are reporting down profits or planned layoffs. The world is on its ear, it seems. Then there’s Sony. EA looks like they’re set for smooth sailing compared to the former electronics giant. <a href=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gHqEoLle79Wp7nEztgSq6Hy8yHQAD960Q0MG1>Today the company reported a 95% drop in profits compared to last year.</a> This is not a normal piece of news. CEOs and executives are often removed from the companies they lead for reports like this. People killed themselves in the 1930s for such news. Due quick publication of this article, Sony has yet to show any reaction to this news from its earlier publish today.<br /><br />Driving this news is simply a case of Sony’s being out of touch with the market. The Playstation and Playstation 2 are some of the best consoles to ever hit the market and new PS2s still sell to this day. The platforms are easy to program for from a designer standpoint, and the install-base (which is used to determine potential sales) is incredibly large. Sony made the bad assumption of gamers just simply moving straight over to the most expensive console of all time – one hell of a gamble on just the Playstation name. They also exhibiting some of the poorest business decision making skills witnessed in business.<br /><br />Historically the market does not support any console over $399 – each attempt has failed. The Philips CD-i, TurboGrafx-16, NeoGeo AVS, and 3DO all died summary deaths based on the price point limiting the install base. Sony is also echoing a bad business decision repeatedly stated as the reason Sega died a manufacturer’s death – supporting too many consoles. Upon the launch of the Dreamcast a decade ago, Sega was still manufacturing and supporting the Mega System, Mega Drive, Sega CD, 32x, Pico, Saturn, and Game Gear consoles in combination for various markets around the globe. Splitting resources so many ways drives inefficiency and spreads resources thinly. Sony is supporting the PSOne, PS2, PS3, and PSP – when history shows only two consoles is what a company can support while still achieving significant financial success, as Microsoft and Nintendo do.<br /><br />Also driving Sony’s severe downturn is the cost of investing in the cel processor. Some investors have indicated the company many <i>never</i> make a profit on the processor and any feasible plan would require a significantly longer product lifecycle for the PS3 or a recycling of the processor for a theoretical Playstation 4. If this is done Sony cannot afford to market or let any sort of recycled product image enter the market or the console will suffer.<br /><br />But gamers rarely care about the business factors and historical trends associated with games – most only know of the premature death of the Dreamcast and the Sonic franchise. A majority of gamers care only about what the console can do for them, how much space it wants in the living room real estate puzzle, and how much it costs. Cost has already been addressed – it is simply too high for historical trends but it is also too high when comparing it to what the console some of the true factors involving console sales come to light. <br /><br />In an era of companies pushing high definition gaming and multifunction devices, gamers want consoles that play not only new titles, but their older titles as well. When deciding for one console or two, one will always win. Sony’s decision to remove Playstation 2 compatibility all currently-sold Playstation 3 models has left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths. PS3s that can play PS2 titles do a fantastic job of upscaling older titles and adapting them for HD on the fly and it once served as a significant selling point to potential buyers of the hardware. With this feature removed, gamers are not nearly as interested in placing an entirely new console into their entertainment centers without removing another. Yes, PSOne compatibility is there, but the PS2 era is where Sony’s titles began to shine and garner their dedicated following. Removing this option to play PS2 titles was just plain stupid when you consider Sony’s decision to cash in on the Playstation brand name. Couple this with the high cost for such a small usable library, and you’ve got a recipe for poor sales.<br /><br />So is Playstation 3 the new Dreamcast? Yes. Given Sony’s continued game of making decisions and correcting mistakes later versus anticipating and invigorating the market, it is likely the powerhouse console will likely die off completely a la Dreamcast, see some drastic hardware changes, or be refreshed as a different console. Trying to let Sony know how to change is like screaming at a brick wall, so I won’t even try it. Anyone want some popcorn? I’m going to watch the show.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-45387942738338464582008-12-14T20:10:00.001-08:002008-12-14T20:49:20.050-08:00Where the hell is Reggie?A few years back Nintendo retook center stage through the act of simply updating their executive roster. In May 2004 the iconic Reggie Fils-Aime blew the doors off the quiet Japanese company with a decidedly new face with a legendary introduction. "My name is Reggie. I'm about kickin' ass, I'm about takin' names, and we're about makin' games." It was simple, succinct, direct, and effected an aggressive attitude not seen since "Sega does with Ninten DON'T" was around.<br /><br />Nintendo did become aggressive, and very quickly - the Wii was born, and Reggie was all over the networks, providing a distinctive face and manner that made any viewer instantly comfortable and more importantly, <i>interested</i> in his products. Reggie also appeared at many trade shows and events to keep shareholders and interested parties informed and excited about Nintendo and where it was headed. But most importantly, he made us all <i>confident</i> in the company's success by simply saying it would happen in a believable way. Success came and the Wii is still a hard to find Christmas item three years later.<br /><br />But there's one problem.<br /><br />The cornucopia of Nintendo prosperity and goodness is suddenly AWOL. For the first time in years, Nintendo does not have any A-List titles hitting the market while companies like Sony and Microsoft are raking in the dollars with huge releases like <i>Little Big Planet</i> and <i>Gears of War 2</i>. Where's a Mario, Star Fox, Fire Emblem, or Zelda release for the holiday rush? Common shares of Mario's company are trading at near half the value of their peak about 18 months ago (still up from the pre-Reggie days), reflecting a lack of investor confidence amidst a global economic downturn. And a downturn in confidence is an accurate position to be of when considering The Big N. Instead of launching a new franchise to a wider install base demographic, such as <i>Mother</i> or <i>Stafy</i>, Nintendo has kept silence on any plans. <br /><br />This silence is detrimental to Nintendo's image in the quickly collapsing casual market. Beyond the fact a "casual" gamer plays different titles when compared to a "hardcore" gamer, Nintendo has put their eggs in a basket that isn't dedicated to their console - "casual" gamers. Nintendo is slated to be victims by the very nature of the demographic they tried to hard to capitalize on. It really just feels like someone's going to walk into my church and invite people to the new mega-church down the street (and be quite successful because they're "casually" interested in the subject at hand). "Hardcore" gamers are what may likely carry a company in this hard economy and Nintendo is nowhere near satisfying the demographic currently more likely to fill their coffers. This brings us to our point: all these new gamers have bought their consoles and want more to do, the dedicated fans have nothing, and Reggie is nowhere to be seen. Where the hell is Reggie?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2007/03/reggie_i_dunno.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2007/03/reggie_i_dunno.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Reggie has not been out in the public spotlight for quite some time and the public interest/confidence level is starting to drift. Instead, Ye Olde Hanafunda is advertising this holiday for the DS...headlining with titles that are at least a year old. This simply does not jive with the image Nintendo has tried so hard to build over the last year. Reggie needs to get back out in the spotlight, announce some major titles, and restore confidence in both shareholders and gamers alike. In an economy where perceived value of a product is carefully scrutinized, silence simply will not make a consumer feel their investment is worthwhile and this is no time for that high pitched Italian plumber to silence his whoops and hollers.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-89680196159586859532008-11-18T16:55:00.000-08:002008-11-18T16:57:26.059-08:00Game Music? It Doesn't Suck as Bad as You Remember<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.corycullinan.com/Images/Beethoven.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 640px;" src="http://www.corycullinan.com/Images/Beethoven.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Every serious gamer has, at one point or another, been struck by a video game in a unique way. Sometimes, it's emotional connections to plot twists. Sometimes, it is the evolution of a character. Still other times, the entire game comes together and is sealed in a crystal moment by the soundtrack. Soundtracks are some of the most endearing and often defining pieces of any video game. Be it an earworm, the aforementioned scenario, or some new way to view the song through an updated remix, game soundtracks will endure far beyond the cartridge and discs housing the game ever will. So enduring are these pieces, that entire traveling concerts and websites have been set up to help avid fans celebrate the legacy of music. <br /><br />My iPhone (which contains an iPod inside...do-do-dee-do) has been loaded with select game soundtracks, typically the sort that touch on many games. Currently flavors include the entire <i>Kingdom Hearts Complete </i> and <i>Super Smash Bros Brawl</i> soundtracks, which are my true loves of the week. While my lovers are fickle and change, I will always remember a few.<br /><br /><b>The Ballad of the Windfish - <i>The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening</i> - Artist: Unknown</b><br />The earliest memorable piece of music that stands out in my mind is the final iteration of <i>The Ballad of the Wind Fish</i> from <i>The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening</i>. As a child I had really played this game and it seemed the music perfectly complimented the gameplay - besides the obvious musical instrument element, the soundtrack was perfectly suited to the atmospheres of the dungeons and characters. It seemed to come to a head when Marin, a main supporting character you have bonded with through the game, is seen singing <i>The Ballad of the Wind Fish</i> faithfully, despite the entire island disappearing around her, certain to take her at the very last. This moved me as a child, as the song you tried to hard to fully complete through the whole game ends up being the very thing to destroy the world.<br /><br /><br /><b>The Other Promise - <i>Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix</i> - Artist: Yoko Shimomura</b><br /><i>Kingdom Hearts II</i> ranks among the highest of my video game favorites, and certainly has an incredible soundtrack to boot. While KH was a great title and certainly captured a certain magic I'd been yearning to see in video games for years, KHII certainly eclipsed and surpassed its predecessor in so many ways but one - side content. When I learned of <i>Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix</i> and all the new additional content it was an instant purchase, and one I've never regretting, especially for the expanded music selection.<br /><br />The KH soundtracks are incredible and it is difficult to pick a sole song as above the rest, however for me a particular piece stands out. One of the new pieces of content in KHIIFM was the extension of the cutscene in the original release in which Roxas returns toward the end of the game. Final Mix took this and extended it to a full on, if not extremely difficult battle, instead of a sole movie. Playing here was a much more intense and dramatic version of the original song Yoko Shimomura created for Roxas, heard in the original release as well as early parts of Final Mix. Perfectly composed and finely tuned, this song takes a battle that not only surprises you and fulfills the desire most gamers had originally (to see Roxas vs Sora), but jacked it up so high your emotions are drawn into the battle and it almost pains you to see Roxas fall, as he inevitably will. I've not quite yet heard a song that coupled so perfectly to it's game counterpart that it allowed you to actually feel the desperation and despair of a character fighting to not be lost to the wind. I'm loathe to spoil the entirely of the extended scene, but hearing <i>The Other Promise</i> and then hearing the soundtrack back down and return to Roxas' theme as key revelations are made creates an emotional and memorable experience like none other.<br /><br /><br /><b>The Song of Healing - <i>The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask</i> - Artist: Koji Kondo</b><br /><i>The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask</i> is my personal least favorite of all the Zelda cannon, however it had a soundtrack done in quite the unique style, never quite done the same in any other title. Scattered amongst the new tunes was a piece designed for a moment in which Link manages to reunite a daughter with her father, who link freed from being cursed as a Re-Dead for eternity. The two share an emotional moment in which they are reunited to the sounds of a soft piano interlude, conveniently called <i>The Song of Healing</i>. The song also puts in appearances in other areas, but none quite do it like this one. <br /><br /><br /><b>Fever - <i>Puyo Puyo/Puyo Pop Fever</i> - Artist: Unknown</b><br />Ah, the Puyo Puyo series. A massive hit in Japan running 15 years strong on many platforms and formats, the series has puzzled many and broken others. While the soundtrack itself won't stand out on many counts, my first exposure to the series led me to one song that inspired the weirdest chills down any known person's back. By countering another player's moves you can build up your fever meter and in turn achieve a mode known as fever. Fever itself changes your view to an alternate playfield filled with much easier opportunities to even the odds between you and an opponent. To be on the receiving end of this is never a good thing but hearing super cheery candy music certainly isn't what you'd expect to hear with the sound of pending doom. Yet you do. And you die. In a bright, cheery way.<br /><br /><br /><b>Gym Leader Battle - <i>Pokémon Red/Blue/Green</i> - Artist: Junichi Masuda</b><br />Go back with me to 1998 for a moment. Home to Boyz II Men in every car and Game Boys in black and white, this year saw the North American debut of the Pokémon franchise. As a young junior high student I was just beginning my personal video game carrier, breaking the habit of visiting my neighbor just to use his Nintendo. Kicking this off? <i>Pokémon Blue</i>. After spending a million days figuring out what the hell was going on (no, the instruction manual didn't help), I figured out I needed to go kick some gym leader's ass. So I began the journey, and after cursing myself for picking Charmander to use against a Rock type I made it to the gym. A few mandatory battles later and I was treated to a far more intense piece of music I wasn't expecting - the gym leader battle music. Gone was the "Oh yay, we're having a fight" sort of tone, we were getting serious. Brock cleaned up on me but I didn't care, the music was just awesome. While somewhat cheesy now, the music matched the feeling of discovery I felt intensely and the memory remains with me to this day.<br /><br />Those are but a few of my fondly recalled musical moments in gaming. There are plenty of other tracks that ring through my memory from time to time, some older than others, but each evoking a particular unique emotion I don't quite 100% duplicate anywhere else. We each have our own set and all carry sentimental value. Which are yours? Perhaps the tune of Sephiroth? Mayhaps the creeping of Death in <i>Kid Icarus</i> or melodies of unexplored caves in <i>Crystalis</i> jump you into fond recall. By all means, share your thoughts. You'll find a lot of others probably share the same memories.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-44928225022145277912008-09-27T12:09:00.000-07:002008-09-27T12:11:34.544-07:00Samba De so Close, Wii!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.gotparty.com/maracas2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.gotparty.com/maracas2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I think it's absolutely fantastic Sega has revived several of their more unique franchises - I'm a staunch fan of unique games that promote creativity in games and show me new ways to experience my hobby. I've found far more cherished gaming memories and creative stimuli in games like <i>NiGHTS</i> and <i>Space Channel 5</i> than I do titles like in the <i>Battlefield</i> series, which play in the same general sort of sense as many other games. It isn't that those titles are any less enjoyable or solid - it's simply a case of unique memorable moments and inspirations. In today's competitive market, there are less and less companies that can afford to be a "Working Designs" type company that are willing to bet it's business on bringing you unique products, which is why Sega's willingness to risk capital on more unique titles draws far more of my attention and hope for success than franchises like Smash Bros, which will always serve as a license to print money.<br /><br />Sega's current risk on the market is the revival of <i>Samba De Amigo</i> for the Wii console. A unique title bristling with crazy animal characters and dancing EVERYTHING, it blazed unique territory in 1999 by being a game based entirely on the shaking of maracas. Nothing else had been done like it before, and save for a similar Sega-produced tambourine game, nothing has ever been since - until now. With Sega seeming to not be in the best financial position, especially in a slowing world economy, releasing a title like this requires it to be developed, produced, and marketed in just the correct way so as to maximize the potential purchase dollars of the niche market it caters to. Despite being only two days into release in the North American market, I've clocked quite a few hours (killing my arms in the process), and it is <i>painfully</i> obvious <i>Samba De Amigo</i> will need a lifeline faster than the failing banks of Wall Street. The good news is that this CAN happen with the current release situation, the bad news is Sega's track record of responsiveness doesn't lead one to a conclusion in positive territory.<br /><br />So what's broken? Gameplay, production, and marketing. Let's examine each and how they can be fixed:<br /><br /><b>Gameplay</b><br />In the original Dreamcast release <i>Samba De Amigo</i> came with a sensor bar and two red maracas, the fruit of Sega's extensive research into near-perfect duplication of the title's arcade counterpart. The game requires the maracas to be shook based on rhythmical notations on the screen in a high, mid, or low position for each hand. It worked very well and is often praised as among the best translations of perfect arcade style controls to a home console. <br /><br />The Wii version is based on the Wii's wiimote and nunchuck technologies, not visual reflection as on the Dreamcast. This creates a situation in which a similar, yet entirely different mechanic is used to determine the wiimote, or virtual maracas', placement in gameplay. Instead of being able to triangulate positioning through infrared, the virtual maracas' position is based on the pivot of the wiimote. This goes completely against the human tendency to place the wiimote in a higher space or a lower space like is logical - instead one must make sure the wiimote is pointing in the appropriate direction instead. You can use your arm to help simulate a "dancing" feel but in the end most will throw their arms up, pointing the wiimote <i>backward</i>, causing a missed shake of the maraca. Repeated unintentional misses when following logical steps leads to frustration. Ever hear of a game that wasn't designed to be frustrating selling like hotcakes? I sure haven't in a long time, and the word of mouth this game generates based on this factor alone could be a deadly blow. The fix? This fix lies in correcting the game's production.<br /><br />A good deal of the problems could have been solved with the Wii Motion Plus, a device that should have been built into the WiiMote. This marvelous upgrade Nintendo held secret, causing a number of new titles to play worse then they could have, with Samba being a prime example. The WiiMote can't track the movements and shakes, when comparing how much accuracy could have been programmed into this game had Nintendo let developers know about the add-on. Samba is simply a victim of Nintendo screwing the pooch, er, monkey.<br /><br /><b>Production</b><br />A game where you pretend to shake maracas should, well, come with maracas. It only makes sense. I recognize Sega had no need to create an entirely new peripheral for <i>Samba De Amigo</i> on Wii when the controls were motion sensitive to begin with. Nevertheless the game positively screamed for some sort of maraca peripheral or add on to help make the game experience more authentic. <br /><br />Believe it or not authenticism is not the only reason for including a maraca shell with the game. Having played with a third party maraca shell for the Wii, I can confirm this simple plastic shell goes a long, long way in correcting the game's flawed basis for detecting maraca position. Having the ability to see and feel a large maraca in your hands inherently guides you to position the wiimotes accurately for position and shake detection. The difference was nearly night and day! On the hard difficulty level I was initially feeling frustrated and spending more of my mental processing power on making sure the game thought the maracas were in the place I wanted them to be, instead of focusing on actually playing. The second I snapped those shells on I was automatically in the right place due to how I had to hold it, and I shifted from focusing to actually being able to play the game, increasing my enjoyment ten-fold. Having the shakers in play also helped to sharpen my timing. Simply put, imaginary maracas don't lend themselves to easily being played with.<br /><br />Sega's out-of-the-box impression to consumers would have been sharpened so much had they simply included a maraca shell for the wiimote for the aforementioned reasons. The best part? They still can do this! Creating a bundle with a slightly higher price tag is not unheard of and has been known to happen from time to time. Making this sort of shrewd move could single handedly save the game from the path it is rolling down without abandon, as dropping $15 extra for a set of maracas as a separate purchase can deter a consumer while bundling would create a better impression of value while ensuring the gameplay goes according to plan at the same time.<br /><br />What happens if this is not done? <i>Samba De Amigo</i> on Wii will likely go down amongst Sega's worst DC to Wii conversions in history thanks to the lack of "built in" guide to shake your maraca just right. Even if it is actually corrected (a Sega first), they still need to get the word out.<br /><br /><b>Marketing</b><br />Some companies don't get marketing or aim for the wrong market entirely. Sonic <i>needs</i> to go fast, yet Sega slows him down and markets the title to the 18-40 year old demographic that purchases games, instead of marketing that sort of title to the senior population playing <i>Wii Sports</i>. Unfortunately Sonic is doing better than Amigo - and that's saying something. Sega needs to get the word out about this unusual title if they hope to sell it. The average casual, and even hardcore gamer, simply isn't going to fully understand a title of this nature based on the box alone - especially when the box has a bizarre looking monkey wearing a sombrero while holding maracas. Sega needs to get the word out about what this game actually is and how it is played. 30 seconds works for ordering some crap bug remover through voodoo, so why not a dancing monkey?<br /><br />Couple a marketing ploy with the maraca clasp bundle and suddenly you have a game that really works straight out of the box, letting you reach the hardcore market, but also the casual market that so many companies are so desperate to break into (and Sega <i>really</i> needs to break into something). It's a sure-fire recipe for success!<br /><br />Let me be clear - I'm <b>not</b> declaring <i>Samba De Amigo</i> to be dead two days into release. To make such a declaration so soon is not in the speculative nature of any well-informed gamer. What I am saying is the clear level of production values and effort that go into such a well-loved title are about to go the way of Sega's other recent failures - and that is what probably is the biggest loss of all. Let's all hope some Sega PR person googles for "Samba De Amigo" or "Samba De Amigo Review" and finds my page of suggestions. I know they'll go a long way.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-37440167541899651232008-09-24T17:09:00.000-07:002008-09-24T17:14:41.186-07:00Samba De Doom?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mynintendo.ru/blog/files/blogger273/SAMBA_DE_AMIGO-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.mynintendo.ru/blog/files/blogger273/SAMBA_DE_AMIGO-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Sega has <i>finally</i> released <i>Samba de Amigo</i> for Wii and yes, it's fun! Digital Stardust loves our readers and we love our Sexy Mexican Dancing Monkeys™ and want their success. That being said we've discovered how to overcome the game's one flaw - the controls. Simply calibrate and go? No sir, that's not it. Here's the secret - <b>don't move your whole arm</b> when playing. The maracas are based on the pivot of the Wiimote, not their location in space. Move your arms a little, but pivot your wrist a lot more. (Eg. Don't be throwing your entire arm in the air - just raise it a little but rotate your wrist so the Wiimote points straight up.) It worked for us and the game is <i>much</i> better.<br /><br />Happy Dancing!Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-87121577062200103062008-09-19T00:06:00.000-07:002008-09-19T00:07:37.330-07:00DRM WTF?Is it just me or am I the only person on earth who is sick and tired of DRM? Rootkits, Securom, malware-esque software - these are the things companies are doing to make sure I cannot make copies of their software. On the one hand I can see the need to curb rampant piracy, but on the other hand what happened to my single backup copy? Here's what I think the bottom line is - at some point some judge on a bench somewhere needs tell corporate America "No. No you may not take whatever measures necessary to protect your IP. The consumer has a right to basic technology that could be used for piracy, even though the intent is not to do that. You will just have to accept it." If this happened, I'd immediately move to wherever that judge is and vote him or her in consistently.<br /><br />I think perhaps the only DRM I'm actually okay with is Apple's Fairplay, and it isn't because I like Apple either. It's because it has to be the single best DRM scheme I've personally encountered - it doesn't ever actually bother me with questions and popups and firmware modifications. It just is there and does what it does best. It doesn't allow the files to be used on another person's computer without me logging in. It's brilliant! There's nothing else I have to do, the RIAA shuts up a little more, and I'm out just 99 cents, which is the cost of the hamburger I probably didn't need anyway.<br /><br />Sadly, Fairplay is Apple's baby and they keep it locked up tight so it won't be cracked directly. That just leaves all the other things that drive me crazy - Securom, Sony's Sekrit Rootkits™, and their family of viruses. With so many applications moving into "the cloud" (fancy speak for "internet") why not just implement a forward moving scheme that doesn't actually burrow into my computer like certain diseases associated with adult occupations? It's two-thousand-freaking-eight for cryin' out loud! <br /><br />Corporate America & Co.. I have news for you. We, your customers, don't like your digital rights management. No, you may not reach into my personal life in the name of the almighty dollar. No, you may not modify my system setup to ensure you get every damn penny you think you deserve. You know why we are pirating things these days? It's because you simply are too greedy to consider lowering the price of your goods to a point that doesn't require my left kidney. You're pricing your market right out of legitimacy. Stop turning out more and more crap that I'm not interested in that forces you to raise your price on the actual good content. Yes, I will vote with my wallet and yes, you will lose your money. And when that happens you will not have a right to whine that your profits are down and people are pirating your expensively priced good content. In this social contract I'm willing to support you if you stop being so greedy! Lower your prices, buy one less Porsche a year, and suck it up. You'd be surprised at how many more Porsches you'll get when you become affordable <i>and</i> higher quality.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-43789105503588910012008-09-06T10:19:00.000-07:002008-09-06T10:22:09.169-07:00Somari Team Presents: The Ocarina of Piracy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1107/568953378_1f37e19a1a.jpg?v=0"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1107/568953378_1f37e19a1a.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />For a small portion of my life I lived in Turkey. The first thing you learn about video games as an expatriate is they're notoriously hard to get for your foreign system and games on the market in Europe are disgracefully delayed in coming to market. The second thing you learn is you need a multi-system TV with automatic switching. Seeing NTSC running on a PAL TV for the first time is a nightmare that causes a mental breakdown, once you consider the thought of needing repair on your console from a foreign region. The third thing you learn is to cherish and love the Sony hologram, the Sega Swirl, and the official Nintendo Seal of Quality as piracy runs rampant.<br /><br />In North America, it is not very common to walk into a Wal-Mart or Toys-R-Us and see pirated games sitting on the shelf. I was blown away in Turkey to see <i>Super Mario 64</i> for Game Boy. How cool was that? Well, as it turns out, it was not cool at all. <i>Super Mario 64</i> for Game Boy was some sort of hacked <i>Super Mario Land 2</i> with Mario's hat carrying some sort of funny wings on it constantly. They weren't the carrot hat ears from the source title but instead I think they were some sort of ruddy ear thing inspired by the wing cap from <i>Super Mario 64</i>. At the time I thought it wouldn't matter that these obviously faked cartridges exist - people knew better, right? The biggest shock of all came when I visited Toys-R-Us once.<br /><br />Toys-R-Us had always carried legitimate Dreamcast titles and accessories, many of which I wanted after playing them on the in-store demo. They even had some Super Nintendo titles sitting around with some licensed controllers. Nintendo 64? Obviously someone had not gotten the <i>Ocarina of Time</i> gospel and come to the light of Miyamoto. I chalked it up to regional differences and some launch thingie things that needed to be worked out. Fast forward a few months and Nintendo had thrown a few <i>Ocarina of Time</i> ads on TV to promote the launch of the console. I decided I'd pop into Toys-R-Us to check to see how the European box art would be different. There were no Nintendo 64s. Instead I was greeting with the "Super Game!" or some such named thing. I examined the box curiously and saw "Cool 3D graphics!" depicting some sort of FIFA-type game along with some miscellaneous fighters. For $30 I figured it might be worth checking out and managed to procure one after nagging my parents.<br /><br />After getting home and eagerly sitting in front of the TV, I pulled out my shiny new console and realized it looked a LOT like a Playstation. Except there was no CD drive. There was a cartridge slot under the supposed disc drive cover. I knew something was wrong by now but I took the pack-in game "1,000 in 1" cartridge and stuck it in. The shock set in as soon as I hit the power button. Apparently "Cool 3D graphics!" in Chinese means "8-bit". Pirated, clunky Mario titles lived inside the cartridge along with heinous hacks of <i>Popeye</i> and <i>Excitebike</i>, among many others. I knew something wasn't kosher for sure (bright kid, wasn't I?).<br /><br />I managed to return the console to Toys-R-Us thanks to not being able to speak much Turkish. Nevertheless, my eyes were opened. What was all this junk out here? I kept an eye on Toys-R-Us for a while, watching as they stocked a large amount of consoles, quickly replenishing stock when running out. After a few weeks I was fed up and contacted Nintendo of America since there was no real central number for Nintendo of Europe I could find.<br /><br />Despite being overseas, Nintendo was keenly interested in listening to me and forwarded things onto their teams in Europe for handling. I kept tabs on the store, surprised when suddenly one day the entire stock of "Super Game!" was gone without being replaced for a few months. I took a small portion of satisfaction out of it, thinking maybe I had made a small difference in the video game world.<br /><br />I didn't win. The next summer Toys-R-Us started to carry more "Super Game!" while never picking up the Nintendo 64. Again the pattern continued of sell and restock. I called NoA again and reported once more. I was left on my own to conclude Nintendo had followed up with Toys-R-Us corporate in Turkey and had pressured them to stop carrying the console. Ostensibly this worked for a time but had ultimately failed. I was later informed via major game news outlets Nintendo would be withdrawing distribution of the Nintendo 64 from Turkey along with titles sold there due to the extreme piracy in the area.<br /><br />As a gamer, I felt sad at the news. Many titles Nintendo has published over the years are frequently considered great works of art that push the human sense of emotion. At the time I felt it was like being denied the opportunity to see a Van Gogh or Picasso. I was also angry at the pirates for using "Cool 3D Graphics!" to lure people falsely into purchasing a fake product. As I thought more about it I became outraged at piracy. It wasn't just a little here and there - it was a lot of little heres and theres that combined to drive a great product out.<br /><br />I never did keep tabs on the gaming scene in Turkey when I left. I do not know if the Wii ever made a successful launch there or if the Vii did. But now you know the story of a little black console that was driven out by piracy, despite a legitimate launch effort. Next time you consider grabbing a pirated copy of some title, stop and consider this little story. Maybe you'll change your mind.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-91836516482873248922008-08-23T09:51:00.000-07:002008-08-23T09:52:15.303-07:00Has Nintendo Run out of Steam?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://indiana-transit-museum.visit-indianapolis.com/steam-engine-587.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://indiana-transit-museum.visit-indianapolis.com/steam-engine-587.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />E3 2005 - Nintendo creates world headlines and places its cajones on the line as it announces the Revolution. Skeptics run rampant, believers come to Christ, and the end seems nearer than ever. Though there are many schools of thought on the console, one thing is apparent - it's Nintendo's <i>Final Fantasy</i>. They will either do or die. After a series of carefully timed news releases in which we learn more about the console, we not only become impressed, but we get a sense that Nintendo has a firm roadmap in place and is in control of what its doing. <br /><br />This sense of control is confirmed as Nintendo continues to ask the public to be patient for the things they want to hear - the new Marios, the Mario Karts, Smash Bros. After being asked for patience, the public is given the news over time for the things they want to hear. Sure, the console can't be found, but the games are just as awesome as we expected and the control scheme delivers.<br /><br />Enter 2008. <i>Super Smash Bros. Brawl</i> is released after <i>Super Mario Galaxy</i> and is followed up with <i>Mario Kart Wii</i>. Then...silence. Nintendo has nothing of major interest to announce - no F-Zero title, no StarFox, no hint of a Zelda, not even a gimmie such as a Pilotwings title. To boot, no major DS releases were announced either (Where's my <i>New Super Mario Bros 2</i>?). We're left in the inky blackness that is quiet. <br /><br />What happened Nintendo? One gets the feeling someone didn't think ahead this far. Has Nintendo become a victim of its own success? At this juncture, it's quite likely. Holiday 2008 is approaching and Nintendo has no major releases in the pipe for the first time in a long, long span. <i>Super Mario Sluggers</i> just isn't going to make the grade against titles such as <i>Little Big Planet</i>. Either way, the Big N has got to get it together - it's stock is down about $15/share from last quarter and is continuing in this trend, which does not bode well for gamers and investors alike. While Nintendo isn't going to coin heaven anytime soon, they're also not in coin heaven either.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-80687567391748687072008-08-01T23:37:00.000-07:002008-08-01T23:44:50.398-07:00Adults Are Gamers, Too<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3e1EOvEhB67PJsUeHvht6Jh9Atx2RN6xQCxpjJTmTpvPPTAMbAy4n32bLcM098bWtlbAUjmRQ4AMKFf6HdHPg0_EC_HX6-dbXd5ZMWw9hy4EiAwuxXhkypTYt3U6iNliE9qxLca2Y__d/s1600-h/srvideogame.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3e1EOvEhB67PJsUeHvht6Jh9Atx2RN6xQCxpjJTmTpvPPTAMbAy4n32bLcM098bWtlbAUjmRQ4AMKFf6HdHPg0_EC_HX6-dbXd5ZMWw9hy4EiAwuxXhkypTYt3U6iNliE9qxLca2Y__d/s320/srvideogame.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229807629394712162" border="0" /></a>So, some time ago at work, I was looking at the box to <i>Sega Rally Revo</i> for the 360. As I get my snail mail on the way out of the house as I head to work, it was in my bag, work was dead, and I thought I would poke around the box and instructions to keep me busy for a bit.<br /><br />A cow-orker comes into my office from wrapping his skids, sees the game on my desk, and he says to me, “You’re just a big kid,” smiling and chuckling in a friendly way. This backs up what I havee noticed for years now: Most people see gamers as being kids, or immature adults, and frankly, I wonder why more eyes haven’t opened up to the fact that the mainstream gamer - and target market - is a male of 34 years old. So, I am a few years younger, and slightly bumpier in the shirt then the average guy (Yeah, that means I'm a woman, kiddos) but I’m pretty close to that target. I’m just the one expected to be playing only puzzle games on her DS instead of beating someone up to steal their helicopter, then creating havoc in Liberty City.<br /><br />Jack Thompson, self proclaimed savior of the gaming world and soon to be disbarred lawyer, has a few actual good points, but he perpetuates the idea that games are only for kids. I actually agree with him that games such as “Grand Theft Auto” should not be marketed towards children - but here’s the key fact: They aren’t, and they’re rated “M” (in the US) to show parents. The simple existence of the GTA series is proof that games are not only made for children, even if Thompson thinks the people at Take Two/Rockstar are twisted evil people bent on destroying the world. They know what they made, and they know they are not going to be handing over a copy to a 12 year old themselves. People like Thompson make my mother cringe when GTA is mentioned, and make it so she would never even give the game a glance, as I sit in my own home enjoying the well crafted and deep storyline.<br /><br />I see this as a case of few people knowing where or how to treat videogames, and the people who play them.<br /><br />So what do I see as a solution? It’s hard to say. It’s hard to change the public consciousness to accept adults as gamers, but it will come in time, even if a comic book created for adults still is seen as a child’s pastime, and therefore should not exist. I think I’ll always be older then what the public sees as a gamer, as will millions of others. I do see a few things that could be done to keep things in the right perspective, however. Parents should be interested in what their kids are playing, and just like TV and movies, realize that they don’t have total control outside of their household.<br /><br />Games are not only for kids, as is the same with a movie or TV show. Many parents would not want their kids to be watching Family Guy or even Robot Chicken, even though those are animated programs. What we are seeing is that gaming is one of the newest popular forms of entertainment, and will be in the spotlight until something new comes around to take its place. The same thing happened with TV, comic books, and believe it or not, actual books.<br /><br />So why all this talk of parental guidance and such? It is me asking most of the world to not take away Grand Theft Auto and other adult oriented games. There are many adults gaming, and we want content that is in line with other entertainment we enjoy. We can’t all enjoy Disney Princess games, can we?<br /><br />Common, Niko. We’ll make them pay for what they did to Roman!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-85512376948471432422008-07-19T10:37:00.000-07:002008-07-19T10:45:13.889-07:00Feature: Konami V Roxor - The Suppression of a Dance Revolution <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial;" id="y2xt0"><p id="y2xt1"><span class="Apple-style-span" id="x:0_"><i id="rnoe">Editor's Note: Welcome to Digital Stardust's first full-length feature piece. Due to the length of this piece in an RSS reader, you may find reading this easier on DiS itself, where you may also choose to put in your two cents. With regards to the piece itself - this has been in the works for a few months now as we've been patiently tweaking and revising it to ensure we drive our point just right. This post only seems more relevant in light of Konami's current lawsuit over </i></span>Rockband<span class="Apple-style-span" id="fqug"><i id="rnoe0">, which bears some eerie resemblances to their past lawsuit against Roxor. Although the technical points of the lawsuits may be different, we cannot help but see the similarities between the two and hope the past does not serve as an oracle for the future in this case. So, without further ado, please enjoy Digital Stardust's "Konami V Roxor - The Suppression of a Dance Revolution".</i></span></p><p id="x:0_0"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="x:0_1"></p><p id="x:0_2"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt2">July 1, 2005 - a day infamous in music gaming history. A new press release showed up on Konami's global homepage indicating suit had been filed against Roxor games seeking "an injunction and damages against the manufacture of dance simulation game 'In The Groove'."</font></p><p id="y2xt3"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt4"></p><p id="y2xt5"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt6">Many fans of dance games were outraged. Konami, developer of the</font><i id="y2xt7"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt8">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt9"> franchise, was providing no updated legal arcade-based method to play</font><i id="y2xt10"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt11">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt12">in the North American territory and many were quick to point out all machines in the US were illegal Japanese imports, confirmed by the screen in game that indicates the game is "licensed for use in Japan only." Others simply felt that Konami did not want an up-and-coming competitor taking "their" market. But is this why? Or was it a simple case of patent infringement, as a majority of the lawsuit indicated? Could it have been a case of corporate greed? The outcome has been decided already but the unspoken influences of the two rivals live on. </font></p><p id="f2ty"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="f2ty0"></p><p id="f2ty1"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="f2ty2">First, let us take a look at Dance Dance Revolution.</font></p><p id="y2xt13"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt14"></p><p id="y2xt15"><b id="y2xt16"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt17">Dance Dance Revolution</font></b> <br id="y2xt18"></p><div id="gqnt" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 391px; height: 298px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_8dvpp3sg5" id="y2xt21"></div><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt22">Rewind to December 1997 at a thriving Japanese arcade. Amongst the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, a new machine is wheeled out with two speakers outlined in neon tubing, five keys arranged in a piano-like fashion with a scratch table, a display, and two smaller sets of speakers above that - also outlined in neon tubing. The machine is set down, plugged in, and left alone in a similar fashion to the identical machines being deployed in other arcades. Soon throngs of Japanese teens and young adults are playing this new machine, the "ultimate dj simulator", pressing keys in a timed fashion and "mixing" together a selection of specially composed tunes. This is</font><i id="y2xt23"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt24">beatmania</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt25">. The machines were wildly popular, spawning many new sequel "mixes" in addition to a game that would share much of the same music library -</font><i id="y2xt26"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt27">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt28">.</font><p id="y2xt29"></p><p id="y2xt32"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt33"><div id="c8rv" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 320px; height: 241.411px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_9f2687vfb" id="y2xt34"></div>Winter turned to spring 1998, which saw</font><i id="y2xt35"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt36">beatmania 2nd Style</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt37"> break sales records and even more widespread popularity. Spring became summer and as in August 1998</font><i id="y2xt38"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt39">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt40"> was released, drawing a majority of its music from the first two </font><i id="y2xt41"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt42">beatmania</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt43"> mixes. This was not a dj simulator, however - this time players danced to the music through a set of preset steps in the shape of arrows corresponding to locations on the "dance platform" ranging from beginner difficulty to extremely difficult, full blown aerobic routines. Just as</font><i id="y2xt44"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt45">beatmania</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt46"> was a hit,</font><i id="y2xt47"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt48">Dance Dance</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt49"> became a wild success and soon became known as "DDR" for short.</font></p><p id="y2xt50"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt51"></p><p id="y2xt52"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt53">The popularity and demand for <i id="y2xt54">DDR</i> in Japan lead to a quickly paced release schedule for the series - a 2nd mix in January 1999, then a 3rd mix in October 1999.</font><i id="y2xt55"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt56">3rd Mix</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt57"> made the jump across the Pacific to US arcades by year's end, taking on the name of "Dance Dance Revolution" sans a mix number. This release was notable due to the speed with which it occurred (just over a year after the Japanese 1st Mix release, unheard of at the time), the market it was being launched into (the North American market traditionally shows poor sales for more unusual or novel games on consoles, let alone the bust arcade market), and the expenses Konami asked of arcade operators in terms of cost of purchasing and maintaining an arcade unit. American audiences were slow to take to the game, but nevertheless a cult following quickly began and regular players would arrange coordinated playtimes to compete for bragging rights and social interaction. A year later in October 2000 Konami released</font><i id="y2xt58"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt59">Dance Dance Revolution USA</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt60">to arcades with an expanded song selection and slightly improved graphical interface. Konami would not release a new official US arcade edition until September 2006, a long six year wait.</font></p><p id="y2xt63"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt64"><div id="uy2p" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 320px; height: 246.4px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_10hpmvfkc8" id="y2xt65"></div>Back in Japan the Playstation market was well established and several home versions of DDR were released, prompting fans in the US to request a home version in their territory from Konami. After a two year period of silence Konami reluctantly released a home version based on the</font><i id="y2xt66"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt67">first</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt68"> US arcade edition in 2001 (</font><i id="y2xt69"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt70">DDR USA</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt71">had already been released a year prior to arcades). Despite the game being nothing more than port of a two year old game with "old" music, the game became a sleeper hit, with sales of the game well beyond expected levels as new fans were introduced to the home version. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial" id="zorz"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="zorz0">Driven by sales numbers, Konami released</font><i id="y2xt72"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt73">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><i id="y2xt74"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt75">Konamix</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt76"> for the Playstation in 2001, two years after the release of</font><i id="y2xt77"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt78">DDR USA</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt79">, which the game was based off of. A Disney-themed edition was also produced, which eventually saw an unmarketed US release prior to</font><i id="y2xt80"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt81">Konamix</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt82">, now a highly sought after Playstation collectable due to its perceived family-friendly selection of music.</font></span></font></p><p id="y2xt83"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt84"></p><p id="y2xt85"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt86">After what seemed like confident backing of the series by Konami USA, the company entered a period of lopsided releases, drawing the criticism of fans. Many arcades had benefitted from the widespread popularity of</font><i id="y2xt87"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt88">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt89"> to the point where major news outlets were asking if the US arcade was making a comeback. At the request of patrons many arcades sought to obtain newer releases from Japan, which contained many new features and much higher song capcity per unit. Despite many arcades being forced to obtain bootleg units due to the extreme difficulty in obtaining legitimate arcade units, many fans began to play the more "superior" versions of</font><i id="y2xt90"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt91">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt92"> with new features many were unaware of, leading to the criticism of Konami deliberately holding back newer features from the US market as well as the feeling of a "missing gap" in the series' progression. Another common criticism that arose was handpicking of particular songs for the official US releases. A common example is the ever-popular but still unreleased original version of Smile.dk's</font><i id="y2xt93"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt94">Butterfly</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt95"> in any US version of</font><i id="y2xt96"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt97">DDR, <span class="Apple-style-span" id="gps90">despite Konami's Jason Enos indicating on several occasions they had the rights to do so.</span></font></i></p><p id="y2xt99"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt100"><div id="kq81" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 320px; height: 239.628px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_11dkscm3gh" id="y2xt101"></div>During the introduction process of the series to the US and Europe the Japanese editions of DDR - considered the "main line" of the series - were sporting significant improvements.</font><i id="y2xt102"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt103">3rd Mix</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt104">introduced non-stop mode (no rest period between songs),</font><i id="y2xt105"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt106">4th Mix</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt107">introduced a battle mode in which 2 players compete for higher score,</font><i id="y2xt108"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt109">5th Mix</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt110">added full length songs (as opposed to the standard average 90 second song),</font><i id="y2xt111"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt112">6th Mix (or DDRMAX)</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt113">introduced "freeze arrows" and heralded the second generation of games in the series by making the jump from older hardware based on the Playstation 1 to hardware based on the Playstation 2 - resulting in significant graphical improvements and a much higher song capacity. An alternate branch of DDR games were also introduced under the</font><i id="y2xt114"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt115">Dance Dance Revolution Solo</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt116"> brand that featured six-arrows instead of four.</font></p><p id="y2xt119"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt120"><div id="mnxi" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 225px; height: 322px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_12f2jttsfb" id="y2xt121"></div>Fans of the series began to play the imported arcade versions, which generally were regularly updated annually with newer imported editions from Japan that boasted even more songs and better features.</font><i id="y2xt122"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt123">DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution 7th Mix</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt124"> was introduced to Japanese arcades in March 2002, featuring a new "Oni", or challenge, mode in which a player could only miss four steps out of a nonstop 5+ song series.</font><i id="y2xt125"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt126">Dance Dance Revolution Extreme</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt127"> was released in December 2002, featuring both the Oni an Nonstop modes in one game (the two had until now only been implemented in alternating editions), more music, and a better library of crossover songs from the</font><i id="y2xt128"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt129">beatmania</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt130"> franchise and other Konami-produced titles. Despite these innovations the actual gameplay itself changed very little in the sense that one was still pressing arrows when they reached the static arrows after scrolling up and additional criticism arose regarding Konami's consistent recycling of modes and features instead of innovating the series. Konami would not release a new arcade edition in any territory for four years.</font></p><p id="y2xt131"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt132"></p><p id="y2xt133"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt134">The home console releases in Japan were consistent and generally straight ports of the newer music introduced in the corresponding arcade mix, with fewer "revival" songs than in the arcade due to DVD-size constraints. All new features were intact. The North American home versions released also bore the name of the Japanese editions (confusing gamers further as no new official US arcade releases were occurring) but did not sport any of the newer music or features introduced. Gamers were left frustrated as they could not play their favorite songs from the arcade on the equivalently named home edition and were again stuck with "older" songs. Konami did attempt to remedy the issue, however, by providing a handful of licensed songs from North America in the game.</font></p><p id="umph"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="d_st0"></p><p id="y2xt135"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt136">With the arcade line of releases on hiatus Konami began to develop new console-only releases for both North America and Japan beginning in 2003, however these releases were not consistent in either name or content between territories. Japanese releases came on Playstation 2 and were generally updates of fan favorites through the series, or original songs brought into the newer generation of Playstation 2-based</font><i id="y2xt137"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt138">DDR</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt139">games. None were considered to be part of the main line of</font><i id="y2xt140"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt141">Nth Mix</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt142"> releases.</font></p><div id="lf3l" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 160px; height: 226.629px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_13hkbjg5d3" id="y2xt145"></div><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt146">Konami USA was finally able to bring athe</font><i id="y2xt147"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt148">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt149"> music library in North America current through various console releases.</font><i id="y2xt150"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt151">DDR Extreme 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt152"> was released for Playstation 2, confusing gamers somewhat as the arcade never recieved a second</font><i id="y2xt153"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt154">DDR Extreme</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt155"> title. Though different, the US and Japanese versions did share a common graphical interface, due to using the same base programming code to save costs. Konami USA also began to release a new line of</font><i id="y2xt156"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt157">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt158"> games for the Xbox, then later the Xbox 360 under the names</font><i id="y2xt159"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt160">Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt161"> and</font><i id="y2xt162"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt163">Dance Dance Revolution Universe</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt164">, respectively. Each recieved multiple sequels and have not been released in Japan due to poor uptake of the Xbox consoles. Note that gamers do not consider these to "compete" with the arcade editions as the game engine is a completely different build than the one used in the arcade.</font><p id="y2xt165"></p><div id="uw8l" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 575px; height: 323px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_14xnskz3gx" id="y2xt171"></div><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt172">North American gamers certainly appreciated the regular releases and music a constant criticism remained - they could not play their favorite songs in the arcade with any uniformity or preference due to songs being split into different songlists when comparing console editions and arcade units. Additionally, arcade machines were now considered "old" with no new machines being released in over 3 years and home releases outstripping arcade units due to having newer music. An additional constant criticism was</font><i id="y2xt173"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt174">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt175">'s percieved stagnation. No new methods of play had evolved since DDRMAX in 2001. Enter</font><i id="y2xt176"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt177">In The Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt178">.</font><p id="y2xt179"></p><p id="y2xt180"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt181"></p><p id="y2xt182"><b id="y2xt183"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt184">In The Groove</font></b></p><p id="y2xt185"><b id="y2xt186"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt187"></b></p><p id="y2xt188"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt189">In 2001 many gamers, frustrated with way Konami was handling</font><i id="y2xt190"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt191">Dance Dance</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt192"> games in North America, began to develop an open souce clone of the game for PC that would allow for custom music and step (or dance) patterns. This program became known as</font><i id="y2xt193"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt194">StepMania</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt195">. As fans of</font><i id="y2xt196"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt197">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt198"> became increasingly frustrated with Konami's release patterns the resources of the</font><i id="y2xt199"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt200">SM</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt201"> community grew as more fans became aware of its existence. Caution was at hand, however, as Konami was currently in suit with Andamiro over claimed patent infringement by</font><i id="y2xt202"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt203">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt204"> competitor</font><i id="y2xt205"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt206">Pump It Up</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt207">. The suit specifically dealt with a patent Konami held regarding the interaction of a dance pad with a computer. Because of this great care was taken to encourage independent music and step pattern writers to create original content for the game. To avoid the same patent infringement the program did not include or endorse a particular method of input during play. Although the suit was settled, the software's programmers did not change their stance in encouraging original content.</font></p><p id="y2xt208"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt209"></p><p id="y2xt210"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt211">Regardless of the officially encouraged movement by the authors of</font><i id="y2xt212"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt213">StepMania</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt214"> many fans assembled songlists identical to</font><i id="y2xt215"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt216">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt217"> counterparts in order to satisfy their desire to have consistent music selection between the different available software selections available. Programmers also added options to the software that would enable it to act as an arcade machine, but again did not endorse or suggest a method by which such a machine should be deployed.</font></p><p id="y2xt218"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt219"></p><p id="y2xt220"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt221">Once the arcade options were developed into</font><i id="y2xt222"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt223">SM</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt224"> a game titled</font><i id="y2xt225"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt226">In the Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt227"> was announced to be in development for the arcade by Roxor Games. Initial screenshots showed a highly stylized interface with a blue motif for the main menu and the in-game interface similar to</font><i id="y2xt228"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt229">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt230"> but changed, ostensibly to avoid confusion with</font><i id="y2xt231"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt232">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt233">. Fans of</font><i id="y2xt234"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt235">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt236"> and</font><i id="y2xt237"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt238">StepMania</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt239"> showed an immediate positive interest. After extensive development that drew upon the resources of the</font><i id="y2xt240"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt241">StepMania</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt242"> community in terms of soliciting feedback and requesting the assistance of several prominent music and step chart composers,</font><i id="y2xt243"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt244">In the Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt245"> was released to arcades in October 2004 - two years after</font><i id="y2xt246"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt247">Dance Dance Revolution Extreme</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt248">.</font></p><p id="y2xt251"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt252"><div id="ypn3" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 320px; height: 140.8px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_15f6mzr6dx" id="y2xt253"></div><br id="y2xt254"></font></p><p id="y2xt255"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt256">Reception of In The Groove was extremely positive due to the improvements the series boasted when compared to the</font><i id="y2xt257"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt258">DDR </font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt259">franchise. A connected USB drive could save player statistics, show the player's name in game (as opposed to "Player 1"), and save screenshots. The most significant feature, however, were the addition of many "modifiers" that would change the way arrows displayed as they progressed up the screen. While</font><i id="y2xt260"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt261">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt262"> used 2-D sprites for the arrows,</font><i id="y2xt263"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt264">ITG</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt265"> used fully rendered three dimensional arrows, allowing for modifiers that would make the arrows appear to be scrolling up the screen from an angle, pulse with the beat by means of stretching in and out, spin around during the scrolling upwards, float in a wave pattern across the screen, among others. These modifiers could be individually activated or be be enjoyed as part of the scripted step pattern through use of the highly popular marathon mode, which was</font><i id="y2xt266"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt267">ITG</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt268">'s answer to</font><i id="y2xt269"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt270">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt271">'s nonstop mode. Another popular change was the requirement to hit three or four arrows at once, forcing one to use their hands. The developers of</font><i id="y2xt272"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt273">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt274"> had repeatedly stated they would not allow this in the franchise.</font></p><p id="y2xt277"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt278"><div id="ybru" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_16g6sfm6gm" id="y2xt279"></div>While</font><i id="y2xt280"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt281">ITG</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt282"> was had a higher difficulty it was considered a significant improvement over the</font><i id="y2xt283"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt284">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt285"> franchise by fans, who enjoyed the newer difficulty options and refreshing mix of original soundtrack and licensed music (some of which was shared with DDR by coincidence). Response was positive and arcades began to purchase units based on patron demand. Both standalone units and</font><i id="y2xt286"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt287"> DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt288"> unit conversion kits were made available. Arcade operators reported better maintenance and support for ITG units as Roxor was based in America as opposed to Konami, who did not provide support for imported units as they were labeled for use strictly inside of Japan. Roxor provided regular support for</font><i id="y2xt289"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt290">In the Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt291"> in the form of actively participating in internet music gaming community discussion as well as providing regular software updates to machines in order to eliminate programming glitches.</font></p><p id="y2xt292"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt293"></p><p id="y2xt294"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt295">The following spring Roxor simultaneously announced a home release of</font><i id="y2xt296"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt297">In The Groove</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt298">as well as</font><i id="y2xt299"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt300">In The Groove 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt301"> for arcades.</font><i id="y2xt302"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt303"> ITG</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt304"> was released in June 2005 for Playstation 2 in partnership with Red Octane, a few short months after being announced and within a year of the original arcade release. Roxor had again beaten Konami to the punch by providing a 100% accurate port of the arcade game to the console, complete with duplicate song lists in addition to a few "preview" tracks and modifiers for the upcoming</font><i id="y2xt305"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt306">In the Groove 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt307">. This addressed a key frustration of many</font><i id="y2xt308"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt309">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt310"> fans and brought high praise to the franchise.</font></p><p id="y2xt311"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt312"><div id="srhn" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><div id="exlr" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 280px; height: 280px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_18c4v7cmdf" id="y2xt313"><img style="width: 160px; height: 221.053px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_17gsxs9mgz" id="y2xt314"></div></div></font></p><p id="y2xt316"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial" id="r06w"><b id="myej">The Clash of David and Goliath</b></span></p><p id="y2xt321"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt322">Shortly before the release of</font><i id="y2xt323"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt324">ITG</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt325">on the home console rumors began circulating on DDR Freak, a popular music gaming community, that Konami had filed suit against Roxor. While somewhat surprising to fans, many had speculated as to why Konami had not taken action earlier to prevent the original arcade release of</font><i id="y2xt326"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt327">ITG</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt328"> as the games were so similar. These rumors were confirmed on July 1, 2005 when Konami's homepage announced they were filing suit in Texas against Roxor games for copyright dilution through trade dress infringement, patent infringement, and injuring Konami's business reputation.</font></p><p id="y2xt329"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt330"></p><p id="y2xt331"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt332">Fans were frustrated and many declared this to be the final nail in the coffin from Konami in regards to the future of dance gaming. Fans expressed outrage and disappointment in many arguments - primarily that Konami was being hypocritical, as a majority of units in North America were illegally imported (all imported units clearly stated "For use" or "licensed for use in Japan ONLY"). Another argument was that Konami had not released an official US arcade unit in five years (the last being</font><i id="y2xt333"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt334">DDR USA</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt335">) and as such had demonstrated a lack of interest in the arcade product. Still others speculated about the timing of the lawsuit - Konami was attempting to stop release of the home platform edition, which would take more of their market. Others simply felt Konami had been shown up by a superior product and was now attempting to fight back to maintain a vice grip on the dance game market. Some fans felt Konami had a legitimate complaint and Roxor had "stepped on Konami's toes" by not "asking permission". Which is the correct argument? An examination of Konami's suit is critical in answering this question.</font></p><p id="y2xt336"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt337"></p><p id="y2xt338"><b id="y2xt339"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt340">The Lawsuit Itself</font></b></p><p id="y2xt341"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt342">Konami's lawsuit has three essential points: Roxor violated Konami's aforementioned patent that covers the way a dance pad functions and communicates to the arcade or console unit; That</font><i id="y2xt343"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt344">In the Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt345"> rode on the success of the</font><i id="y2xt346"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt347">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt348"> brand and caused monetary damages to Konami by diluting the</font><i id="y2xt349"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt350">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt351"> trademark; That</font><i id="y2xt352"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt353">In The Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt354"> has caused monetary damage by injuring Konami's business reputation. Note that these points were never decided as the case did not go to trial.</font></p><p id="y2xt355"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt356"></p><p id="y2xt357"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt358">The first point of the lawsuit is Roxor's alleged violation of Konami's patent on the dance pad interface. Roxor has claimed no patent violation occurred but it is widely held that Konami brings this argument due to the conversion kits that have been offered which turn</font><i id="y2xt359"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt360">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt361"> machines into</font><i id="y2xt362"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt363">ITG</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt364"> units. Konami argues this process violates the patent on the machine, which contradicts the common practice of arcades changing motherboards in arcade units routinely, allowing games to be changed. An example is changing a board in a</font><i id="y2xt365"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt366">Mortal Kombat</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt367"> machine to a</font><i id="y2xt368"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt369">Pac-Man</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt370"> board so the machine now is a Pac-Man machine.</font></p><p id="y2xt371"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt372"></p><p id="y2xt373"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt374">The second point is that Roxor deliberately rode on the success of the</font><i id="y2xt375"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt376">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt377"> franchise and damaged it in turn.</font><i id="y2xt378"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt379">ITG</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt380"> conversion kits came with a full marquee and array of decals and stickers to allow the complete covering of all</font><i id="y2xt381"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt382">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt383"> trademarks on the machine (these marks and logos are collectively called trade dress), however many arcade operators did not do this. Konami argues Roxor did not do their part in requiring operators to cover all</font><i id="y2xt384"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt385">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt386"> trademarks on the machine and as a result a layman would observe someone playing</font><i id="y2xt387"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt388">In The Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt389"> and assume it is</font><i id="y2xt390"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt391">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt392">. Konami further argues that</font><i id="y2xt393"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt394">ITG</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt395"> is an inferior product and that a layman would conclude the observed "Dance Dance Revolution" is also an inferior product.</font></p><p id="y2xt396"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt397"><div id="rt12" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 200px; height: 190px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_19cqrw2jfc" id="y2xt398"> <img style="width: 160px; height: 212.622px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_20fcdmvvfc" id="y2xt399"></div></font><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt400">The third point goes in hand with the second point. Continuing the example of the layman, Konami argues that because this person has observed "an inferior product" and assumed it is</font><i id="y2xt401"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt402">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt403">, they will also assume Konami's products are inferior. As a result Konami claims to have suffered significant financial damage. Konami alleges Roxor is aware of this and has deliberately continued to produce infringing product. As a result Konami requested the court award treble damages based on intent. Litigation and discovery were widely expected, and reactions were varied.</font></p><p id="y2xt404"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt405"></p><p id="y2xt406"><b id="y2xt407"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt408">Before Court</font></b></p><p id="y2xt409"><b id="y2xt410"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt411"></b></p><p id="y2xt412"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt413">Many fans educated themselves on the lawsuit, reading the lawsuit papers directly and drawing conclusions. Many persisted in the argument that Konami merely felt shown up by Roxor's product and was hitting back, possibly to ensure the dance game genre stayed within Konami's "vision" (control). Others lamented Roxor may have some fault, but that many claims could be dismissed.</font></p><p id="y2xt414"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt415"><br id="y2xt416"></font></p><p id="y2xt417"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt418">Summer 2005 turned to fall and</font><i id="y2xt419"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt420">In The Groove 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt421"> was released for arcades, despite pending litigation. It boasted even more arrow modifiers and more USB drive connectivity options in addition to a much expanded songlist that included all of the</font><i id="y2xt422"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt423">In The Groove 1</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt424"> songlist. Roxor pushed the standalone unit option, however continued to provide conversion kits for</font><i id="y2xt425"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt426">DDR</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt427"> machines in order to encourage sales of the game.</font></p><p id="y2xt428"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt429"></p><p id="y2xt430"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt431">In January 2006 Roxor announced</font><i id="y2xt432"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt433">In The Groove 3</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt434">for arcades, and</font><i id="y2xt435"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt436">In The Groove 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt437"> for Playstation 2 at the</font><i id="y2xt438"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt439">In The Groove</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt440">North American Tournament Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada. Roxor partcipated in several trade shows that year, however</font><i id="y2xt441"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt442">In The Groove 3 </font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt443">was not on display as expected, presumably due to development delays. With the lawsuit still weighing on the dance game community, speculation continued as to the final outcome of the case and the court trial.</font></p><p id="y2xt444"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt445"><div id="lhtd" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 160px; height: 231.214px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_21fskst9ht" id="y2xt446"></div></font></p><p id="y2xt448"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial" id="vstr"><b id="rnoe1">Final Verdict</b></span></p><p id="y2xt453"><b id="y2xt454"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt455"></b></p><p id="y2xt456"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt457">Despite a positive outlook for the</font><i id="y2xt458"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt459">In The Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt460"> franchise, a press release was put out by Konami and Roxor on October 18, 2006 indicating the matter had been settled. The cost? Roxor immediately transferred all rights and assests associated with</font><i id="y2xt461"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt462">In The Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt463"> to Konami, in addition to agreeing to "respect Konami's intellectual property rights" (read: Not make a new dance game).</font></p><p id="y2xt464"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt465"></p><p id="y2xt466"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt467">Fan reaction was mixed. Some fans expressed outrage at Konami and called for a boycott of Konami product while others expressed profound disappointment at the settlement, expecting Konami to squat on the rights to the</font><i id="y2xt468"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt469">ITG</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt470"> franchise. Still yet others agreed with the outcome and supported the resolution. Roxor's developers remained silent on the matter, except to request fans of the dance game community continue to support dance gaming. This sentiment continues in private conversation with developers.</font></p><p id="y2xt471"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt472"></p><p id="y2xt473"><b id="y2xt474"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt475">Aftermath</font></b></p><p id="y2xt476"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt477">A year and a half has passed since the settlement and lasting effects have come to light. Despite popular opinion, Konami has yet to issue a statement regarding the ultimate fate of the</font><i id="y2xt478"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt479">In The Groove</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt480">games. A possibility of continuation exists through integration of features into</font><i id="y2xt481"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt482">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt483"> or a completion of</font><i id="y2xt484"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt485">In The Groove 3</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt486"> for arcade or</font><i id="y2xt487"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt488">In the Groove 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt489"> for home console, as the fate of the alpha builds and source code for both games remains unknown.</font></p><p id="y2xt490"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt491"></p><p id="y2xt492"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt493">Sales of the standalone arcade unit of</font><i id="y2xt494"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt495">In The Groove 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt496"> also continue. Some speculation exists that an entity at Konami was sympathetic to the situation as Roxor released two more patches post-suit for</font><i id="y2xt497"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt498">ITG 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt499"> that enable custom songs and stepcharts to be used from</font><i id="y2xt500"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt501">StepMania</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt502"> - a sort of "last hurrah" for fans.</font></p><p id="y2xt503"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt504"></p><p id="y2xt505"><i id="y2xt506"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt507">In The Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt508"> for Playstation 2 is no longer on retail shelves. It is believed this is due to a combination slow intial sales in the general market in combination with the pending litigation at the time. The game is sought after as a collectors item.</font></p><p id="y2xt511"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt512"><div id="ts1m" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 315px; height: 445px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_22gd5jm3x3" id="y2xt513"></div></font></p><p id="y2xt515"><i id="y2xt516"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt517">Dance Dance Revolution</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt518"> finally recieved an arcade update through the form of</font><i id="y2xt519"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt520">Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt521"> in 2006 and </font><i id="y2xt522"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt523">SuperNOVA 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt524">.</font><i id="y2xt525"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt526">Konami V Roxor</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt527"> is widely credited with spurning Konami to finally release a new arcade edition worldwide (a first), complete with a matching Playstation 2 release featuring a corresponding songlist, also worldwide. The theory that</font><i id="y2xt528"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt529">ITG</font></i> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt530">spurned a release is furthered by the fact the EU release of</font><i id="y2xt531"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt532">SuperNOVA</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt533"> stated "The ORIGINAL and still the best" on the cover. There is minor variation in a few licensed tracks between the arcade and home editions, ostensibly to provide an incentive to play each edition.</font><i id="y2xt534"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt535">SuperNOVA</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt536"> was the first official US arcade unit to be released in six years, with the previous official release being</font><i id="y2xt537"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt538">Dance Dance Revolution USA</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt539">. </font><i id="y2xt540"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt541">SuperNOVA 2</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt542"> was released to arcades worldwide in late 2007. <span class="Apple-style-span" id="axxr"><i id="rnoe2">Dance Dance Revolution X, </i></span>a new title to commemorate the franchise's 10th anniversary, has been recently announced.</font><br id="y2xt543"></p><p id="y2xt544"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt545"><div id="csy7" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 250px; height: 179px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_23gkmx6rfs" id="y2xt546"> <img style="width: 160px; height: 152.96px;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=df9cxhw6_24d8p89hdv" id="y2xt547"></div></font><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt548">The developers for</font><i id="y2xt549"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt550">In The Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt551"> continue in new positions. Some remain at Roxor, others are freelance. Previously contracted staff for the development of</font><i id="y2xt552"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt553">In The Groove</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt554"> have used their talents in the</font><i id="y2xt555"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt556">Pump it Up</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt557"> series of dance games. It is also worth noting some of the music announced for</font><i id="y2xt558"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt559">In The Groove 3</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt560"> has found its way into</font><i id="y2xt561"> <font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt562">Pump It Up</font></i><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt563">, as one of the composers retained the rights to their music and was allowing Roxor the access through a license.</font></p><p id="y2xt564"><br id="y2xt565"></p><p id="y2xt566"><font face="Arial" size="2" id="y2xt567"><b id="y2xt568">And</b></font></p><p id="y2xt569"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial" id="e_70">So what's the future of music gaming? No one is certain as it is a constantly changing field a decade old. One thing is certain, however - <i id="y2xt574">In The Groove</i> will have a lasting effect on Konami. One can hope it is certainly for the better. This is Digital Stardust, signing off.</span></p><p id="y2xt576"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" id="y2xt577"></p><p id="y2xt578"><br id="y2xt579"></p></span> Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-33882084168427359772008-07-16T22:51:00.000-07:002008-07-16T22:54:51.863-07:00Rockband(s)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/band/images/band06-group-large.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/band/images/band06-group-large.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I sincerely hope at some point Activision and Harmonix get back in touch with the gaming public soon - we are TIRED of buying instruments in this area of $4.20 per gallon gas. Besides destroying available real estate within my house, I simply cannot afford to drop $200 everytime a new version of <i>Rockband</i> comes out. What happened to the good old days of allowing a peripheral to be used with several games before a new version is even considered? Is <i>Dance Dance Revolution</i> the only holdout that doesn't require me to buy a new dance pad with yodeling ability with every new mix released to the public?<br /><br />I speculate, but perhaps the developers of these hugely grossing games have massively large houses they purchased at the cost of a few mil. This could explain why they're able to justify the high cost of the "Mary Poppins Box of Band Instruments" with each new version of the game. Not to mention their massive houses could actually store all these toys, unlike my fair size apartment (as far as apartments go). If this trend continues buying an iPhone could actually be cheaper than buying a video game!<br /><br />As "authentic" as these games are trying to be, it's getting gimmicky to the point of ridiculous. A drum set that is velocity sensitive and can adjust the volume for the sound it makes in the game? Adding more things to hit instead of something manageable to a newer player? Excluding bands who won't provide master tracks? At what point do you throw down the controller and go start an actual rock band? Have we reached this point already? <i>Guitar Hero: World Tour</i> allows for a full electronic drum set to be used in place of the drum peripheral. Next the publishers will just provide sheet music, right?<br /><br />Activision and Harmonix - most of us like your companies and definitely get into your music games, but for the love of pete, will you stop with the oneupsmanship in the instruments and let us actually ENJOY them for a while? I don't think I'm the only one who is becoming turned off by these iconic titles due to the high cost of entry. You stand to make a lot more money by simply releasing a new version of the game that uses my current peripherals, instead of making me choose between money for groceries and a game.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-75142616574903220242008-07-06T20:32:00.000-07:002008-07-06T23:21:43.119-07:00Non-Japanese are SMRT!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://samueljscott.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/homer_simpson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://samueljscott.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/homer_simpson.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Video games have carried a tragic, but historic legacy of being unreleased or dumbed-down for release outside of Japan. The first prominent example of this is Nintendo of America's decision to not release <i>Super Mario Bros. 2</i> and instead create a faux sequel from <i>Doki Doki Panic</i>, citing American gamers would struggle too much with the greatly increased difficulty of the original sequel, hurting sales in turn. It took until 2008, roughly 20 years later, when the game was properly labeled <i>Super Mario Bros. 2</i> for release in North America. Europe got it even worse - they only had access to the title on the Wii's virtual console for a mere week or so before it was taken down as part of its promotional run. The fortunate upshot of this was a very unique title got a chance to show its face around the world when it would have wasted away, otherwise. However, I digress...<br /><br />Why is it a trend today to release games where death either contains no real consequence (because you have 2,000 other lives) or you just cannot die period? Is it some sort of hyperextension of Dr. Spock's theories or the fact companies really do think non-Japanese are impatient or something else entirely? Regardless of the reason, non-Japanese gamers are being denied many wonderful opportunities in gaming, either permanently or for extended periods of time.<br /><br />Point-in-case: Square-Enix and <i>Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix</i>. This title will likely never see the light of day outside of Japan, however it is one of the most masterful pieces of gaming to be released since <i>The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time</i> (Note: I am not speaking about the original KHII, I am speaking very specifically of Final Mix). When the original KHII was released in North America, <a href="http://ps2.ign.com/articles/698/698697p1.html">critics bemoaned the lack of a truly-difficult setting</a>, which turned the game into a button mash-fest. Despite having three difficulty settings included, many believed the hardest setting available was equal to a regular strength difficulty in other games. The updated <i>Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix</i> is only available through Japanese import, and by comparison contains a much more difficult game when set to the same "hard" difficulty equivalent of the North American edition. It is in this difference of difficulty-between-regions that a whole new level of appreciation can be gained. New bosses and much needed bonus material aside - the game demands incredibly precise timing to even score a hit on some bosses that was not even a thought to me when I played the American version. Clearly the US version's difficulty was noticeably lessened compared to the Japanese version. Final Mix even has a newer, even more difficult level of play, named "Critical"! Despite all this potential insanity, the sense of personal accomplishment in conquering the game was far better than any sort of Gamerscore achievement.<br /><br />There is a version of Tetris, rarely seen outside of Japan, called <i>Tetris: The Grandmaster</i>. Played in arcades, this version of the classic puzzler starts off like any other version, however it progresses to incredible speeds, eventually entering a mode commonly called 20G. Pieces fall instantly down and have slightly less than a second before they lock in place, creating an incredibly difficult but rewarding experience - after lasting a few minutes at 20G, you can earn the highly coveted, but rarely earned rank of "Grandmaster" and your name will remain on the high score screen for all to see. Interested? Unless you live by an intensely dedicated import arcade, you'll probably never see the game outside of some YouTube videos and an emulator. Reason for lack of release is widely believed to be the level of difficulty being too hard for non-Japanese.<br /><br />Sadly, it seems like the small details that made a game an AAA-grade title are going by the wayside in favor of not disappointing someone who cannot beat it on the first try. There is still something to be said in this day and age for the sense of personal accomplishment felt when after a few tries at timing a particular move against a boss it is finally pulled off and you progress a little further. Am I the only person who played NES games in the 1980s and despite becoming frustrated, knew I was making it a little further each time I died? Where, I ask you, dear game developers, have all the flowers gone? Japan?<br /><br />Perhaps all the flowers are being squandered on the new gamer. A school of thought has been established which dictates games must be fully accessible to every single person who picks it up. Death can't loom too close and game overs can't have full consequences. Certainly all games should be playable by everyone but catering so very hard to ensure everyone can play easily has resulted in the loss of the "oni"s and "critical" modes that didn't cost a lot of programming time and satisfied plenty of the old guard of gamers.<br /><br />I'm not arguing all titles released outside of Japan are dumbed down for the sake of other regions. I've participated in <i>Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Puyo Pop, F-Zero, Castlevania, Contra, and Ninja Gaiden</i> and pulled my hair out multiple times. While these games are testaments to the legacy of video games, there are fewer and fewer hard titles as time goes by, replaced with titles that are "softer" as they're localized. This isn't to say games that had problems, such as <i>The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask</i> and <i>Wind Waker</i>, which had the owl statues added and a greatly improved triforce locator implemented, are softer. These are necessary improvements and are <i>good</i> for gameplay.<br /><br />I'm also not arguing that all games should be made blisteringly hard, but there should be a good, lasting level of difficulty available for those who desire a challenge beyond the typical. Don't pull the "but the children!" card - Japan has children too, and American children of the late 1980s and early 1990s lived without severe defects after dying on the Mother Brain sequence for the 48th time. All I want is a good challenge to be available to me, if I so desire. It makes good business sense, too. It increases a good game's replay value and overall recognition among fans, and carries the side effect of me being far more likely to purchase a sequel title. <br /><br />Remember "Beaver Bother"? I do. The feeling of accomplishment was worth it.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846277150850135312.post-19775337726456809382008-06-24T22:48:00.000-07:002008-06-24T22:50:24.791-07:00The World is Moving for no Reason!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tripcart.typepad.com/tripcart_the_blog/images/warp_speed_by_ishrona_at_lickr.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://tripcart.typepad.com/tripcart_the_blog/images/warp_speed_by_ishrona_at_lickr.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I had a discussion with a friend the other day about platformers and he asked a question "What is the point of a scrolling screen? It doesn't make sense from the point of the character." I laughed gave the obvious answer: the challenge. He retorted "No, that doesn't make sense to me. If I'm supposed to be the guy on screen, it doesn't make sense to me." He had me. I couldn't answer. I mean, have you just been sitting around and had the world start to suddenly rotate so suddenly you're forced to keep moving to survive? NO! (If you're answering yes you need to stop reading this now and go nap.) Can you just imagine walking down the street and suddenly you're running as everything scrolls by at some uncontrollable speed and for no real reason? It makes no sense! Why do we retain this holdover from the 80s?<br /><br />Sure, there are falling ceiling tiles and moving floors, but those can make sense in fantasyland because they're still plausible. However, a scrolling screen makes little sense to the character, especially since the feat can't be replicated in 3D. Moving platforms just make more sense and can be used far more creatively - think Rainbow Ride from <i>Super Mario 64</i>. Let's bury this odd contraption we call the scrolling screen and move on. It had its time and I'm tired of it pissing me off.Tugshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06946676318999842399noreply@blogger.com0