Six Months Later - Tidbits of Interest

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.

Analyst Claims Wii May be in Hot Water
Industry Gamer 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 (Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: The Other M, 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.

Source: Industry Gamers


Music Gaming Sales Down
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 beatmania and persists into recent titles such as Guitar Hero: Van Halen. Solution? Change the formula to be fresh and new. Will Power Gig accomplish this? Time will tell.

Source: Billboard


Reggie Has Spoken
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.

Source: Forbes


GameStop Alternatives Going, Going, Gone?
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.

Source: The Lamron


This is Digital Stardust, signing off.

The Market - She's Dead, Jim. Or is She?

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.

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.

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 Peggle and Bejeweled. 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?

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 removed 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.

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 Guitar Hero and World of Warcraft 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 Final Fantasy XIII 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).

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 overall total effective buying power 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.

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?

There might be.

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.

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 billions 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.

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.

Where 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.

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, interested 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 confident 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.

But there's one problem.

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 Little Big Planet and Gears of War 2. 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 Mother or Stafy, Nintendo has kept silence on any plans.

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?



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.

Game Music? It Doesn't Suck as Bad as You Remember

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.

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 Kingdom Hearts Complete and Super Smash Bros Brawl soundtracks, which are my true loves of the week. While my lovers are fickle and change, I will always remember a few.

The Ballad of the Windfish - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Artist: Unknown
The earliest memorable piece of music that stands out in my mind is the final iteration of The Ballad of the Wind Fish from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. 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 The Ballad of the Wind Fish 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.


The Other Promise - Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix - Artist: Yoko Shimomura
Kingdom Hearts II 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 Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix and all the new additional content it was an instant purchase, and one I've never regretting, especially for the expanded music selection.

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 The Other Promise 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.


The Song of Healing - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Artist: Koji Kondo
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 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 The Song of Healing. The song also puts in appearances in other areas, but none quite do it like this one.


Fever - Puyo Puyo/Puyo Pop Fever - Artist: Unknown
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.


Gym Leader Battle - Pokémon Red/Blue/Green - Artist: Junichi Masuda
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? Pokémon Blue. 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.

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 Kid Icarus or melodies of unexplored caves in Crystalis jump you into fond recall. By all means, share your thoughts. You'll find a lot of others probably share the same memories.

Samba De so Close, Wii!

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 NiGHTS and Space Channel 5 than I do titles like in the Battlefield 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.

Sega's current risk on the market is the revival of Samba De Amigo 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 painfully obvious Samba De Amigo 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.

So what's broken? Gameplay, production, and marketing. Let's examine each and how they can be fixed:

Gameplay
In the original Dreamcast release Samba De Amigo 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.

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 backward, 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.

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.

Production
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 Samba De Amigo 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.

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.

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.

What happens if this is not done? Samba De Amigo 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.

Marketing
Some companies don't get marketing or aim for the wrong market entirely. Sonic needs 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 Wii Sports. 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?

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 really needs to break into something). It's a sure-fire recipe for success!

Let me be clear - I'm not declaring Samba De Amigo 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.

Somari Team Presents: The Ocarina of Piracy

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.

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 Super Mario 64 for Game Boy. How cool was that? Well, as it turns out, it was not cool at all. Super Mario 64 for Game Boy was some sort of hacked Super Mario Land 2 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 Super Mario 64. 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.

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 Ocarina of Time 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 Ocarina of Time 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.

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 Popeye and Excitebike, among many others. I knew something wasn't kosher for sure (bright kid, wasn't I?).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Has Nintendo Run out of Steam?

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 Final Fantasy. 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.

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.

Enter 2008. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is released after Super Mario Galaxy and is followed up with Mario Kart Wii. 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 New Super Mario Bros 2?). We're left in the inky blackness that is quiet.

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. Super Mario Sluggers just isn't going to make the grade against titles such as Little Big Planet. 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.

Nintendo World Class Service?

Rewind back to the late 1980s and 1990s and think of Nintendo. Besides crazy colored dinosaurs, mushrooms, Chozo Statues, hypersonic rocket cars, amazing 3D evolution, and a yellow rat, the house that Mario built seemed to be a generally friendly, customer-oriented company. Contact Nintendo today and compare it to contacts from 10 years ago - you'll find eroded customer orientation and a much stronger corporate mentality. Is Nintendo HQ taking the fun out of games?

One thing has traditionally been accepted by users of Nintendo's product: it is reliable but when it breaks contacting Nintendo for repair is a friendly, easy experience. Call 'em up, tell him what's broken, get a fix as quickly and friendly as possible. So prevailed this attitude from the beginning of Nintendo's video games through the 90s - it was even supported by the famous "Nintendo World Class Service Centers" with emphasis on "World Class". Despite Nintendo's failures in other areas (broken hardware promises and cancelled games), the repair process was always a pleasant experience.

Contact Nintendo for an repair today and you'll find much has changed. As Nintendo moves to a more corporate mentality, gone are the "World Class Service Centers" and in general the special "World Class" touch that made Nintendo a great company and replaced it with a good company. Callers are now pushed in the front and out the back door. Yours truly called upon the breaking of his DS's R-button to speak with Redmond. The representative I spoke with was polite, but she was definitely not "World Class". The conversation went something like this:

Nintendo: "Thank you for calling Nintendo, how can I help you?"
Me: "Hi! My DS is broken in the R-button region. I know it's out of warranty but I just wanted to know the cost of repair."
Nintendo: "OK, sir. A Nintendo DS costs $90 to repair out of warranty but it will get you another year warranty."
Me: "Wow, expensive. What are my other options?"
Nintendo: "You can purchase a refurbished unit for $X instead."
Me: "Also expensive. It's almost the same price as a regular retail DS. I would like to think about this."
Nintendo: "OK, thanks for calling Nintendo."
Click.

Nevermind the fact I actually had another question relating to my customer file with them and wanted to update some information. I never got the chance. I would also have liked to thank her for a moment of her time but I was not allowed this. A polite representative but definitely not the Nintendo of yore.

I had the chance to dial Redmond again when my Wii broke. The conversation was definitely better and I could tell the person I was speaking with actually enjoyed their job and had been with the company a while. He took the time to answer my questions fully and brief me on the fine points of my repair (you may lose your saves, Miis, etc.). I found the experience on the whole to be far more enjoyable than before. But I will still shocked from the other experience as I had never heard of this treatment from Nintendo.

Now I'm not a demanding fellow on the phone like consumers often are. I answer phones for a living too and understand it's easier for everyone if I just get to the point, say what I need, and move on. I don't dally or ask redundant questions. We all have more things to do in life. It's made my contacts for repair easy.

The second part lies in the repair itself. Nintendo made it easy for me by sending out a label via the internet...when before they'd send a box and a UPS fellow to take it from me. It was a nice personal touch. Whatever though, I can deal with it since the FedEx/Kinkos is so close. I boxed the Wii and sent it out for repair, able to track it online. Nintendo still delivered the fixed product earlier than estimate (I got my Wii within a week instead of two, like I was quoted). There was a small detail I noticed - Nintendo did not handle the repair themselves. The box itself was not from a company name! It was from a "John Trujillo" (or similar name) and listed some random California address. Creepy.

As I opened the box and pulled my console out I found my Wii had made friends with some muddy-looking handprint at some point during the repair process. This had never happened to me before on any previous Nintendo repair. The horrified gamer in my promptly cleaned the console, nevermind a photograph, I was far more concerned muddy handprints were inside the console too and I wanted to make sure the thing worked properly. (No I didn't actually open the console.) After plugging it in I did find a sweet note - Minitec, the third party repair company, had actually transferred the Miis and saves from my console to this one, including the locked ones. (You don't know the relief in knowing you don't need to play Subspace Emissary twice.)

After verifying everything else but the handprint seemed to be in working order, I decided I'd let Nintendo know what was up since I had simply never seen this come from their name before. I made the mistake of dialing Redmond a third time and spoke with someone with quality between call one and two. The conversation went something like this:

Nintendo: "Thank you for calling Nintendo. How can I help you?"
Me: "Hi! I had my Wii repaired and I wanted to share a few things with you regarding that."
Nintendo: "OK, what did you want to share?"
Me: "Do you change serial numbers when a console is repaired for easy reference?"
Nintendo: "Yes."
Me: "OK, well I am unaware if my console was outright replaced or repaired, but I guess someone you contracted for the repair handled it-"
Nintendo: "Yeah, we've had a lot of demand for the Wii and have contracted two other companies to help us with handling repair. One is in California, where yours went, and the other is somewhere else. It looks like the PCB[*] was replaced."
Me: "Oh! OK. Well that's good to know. I have some old and some new console. Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know that while I appreciate the repair and am happy to have the console back, the experienced was diminished."
Nintendo: "How?"
Me: "There was something that appeared to be a muddy handprint on the console housing."
Nintendo: "A what?"
Me: "Something that looks like a muddy handprint. Can you let Minitec know they're trading in your name and repairs like this really make me question if my repair is complete or reliable? I understand you did me a favor and I don't want to be the person who complains like an ungrateful person, but I just wanted to pass that along."
Nintendo: "Absolutely, I'm so sorry. I'll forward this along."
Me: "Thanks. Like I said, I'm not trying to be a nagger but you've traditionally been great to work with so I thought you might appreciate the feedback."
Nintendo: "I agree. Thank you!"
Me: "Thanks!"
*PCB is slang for motherboard in repair-world.

The call was ho-hum, but I was surprised when Nintendo called me a few hours later the same day.

Me: "Hello?"
Nintendo: "This is Nate from Nintendo, how are you?"
Me: "I'm good."
Nintendo: "I understand you were unhappy with a repair."
Me: "Yes, my Wii had what looked like a muddy handprint upon being returned to me. I thought I would share the feedback with you so it would not happen again."
Nintendo: "Oh absolutely. I'm very sorry this happened and I will let our third party know. You have a good day."
Click.

At this point several things went through my head. The first was "WHAT?! My issue was escalated and you didn't do jack!" The second was "What the hell happened to Nintendo?" The third was "I hope my Wii doesn't break again." The fourth? "I am going to request my repairs go to the factory only in the future."

Nintendo sent me a letter this week and asked for more detailed feedback. I fully intend to reply and let them know what happened, but my faith in them is waning.

So what happened at the big house of N? I learned a few other things about them in my conversations. Nintendo now has three call centers. Redmond is mostly Spanish-speaking, California has most of the English-speakers, and the third call center handles other calls (I believe French-Canadian, though I am not able to verify this). Nintendo's working beyond capacity, as stated when the representative indicated they're contracting repairs.

As Nintendo has grown and begun to relocate some operations to other locations it appears they're also moving call centers. In theory this makes good sense - you can spread your time zone coverage around easier and save your employees moaning and groaning about schedules, reducing turnaround and training costs for new employees. The downside is communications can be very slow to move about. I personally believe service was 100x better when it was all housed in Redmond under one roof. This isn't so much a commentary on bad service, there are plenty of sites on the internet you can go to for that. This is more an addressing of Nintendo's slow transition from being "World Class" to operating as an "okay" global company. I don't deny Nintendo needs change, but when changing it is critical to remember the things that make customers come back.

WiiWare: Now with 100% More....fun?

Nintendo of America has finally managed to release a new channel for the Wii - the Everybody's Nintendo channel. First I was excited about the channel and then I realized it's just stealthy way for Nintendo to collect usage data on their console and market to you. How lame is that? Digressions aside, one of the videos on the channel was a WiiWare video, intended to drum up interest in the upcoming feature. I was sorely unimpressed. Most games look fairly...well...boring. The only things that grabbed my passing interest were the Dr. Mario Online RX and the Final Fantasy title. Dr. Mario holds little interest because I've played it before and as for the Final Fantasy title.... Sorry, but the WFC has provided crappy service at best, so I'm hardly going to actually PAY to use it. No sir, the two remotely interesting titles have mitigating reasons to keep me from playing. If this is what Nintendo is going to offer for their original software downloads then I'm certainly glad I didn't go popping out for an SD card recently, my internal space will be plenty enough.

Do you Snort at the Wii Wheel?

Back when Nintendo introduced Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Wheel to the public I was interested in the game, but not so much in the cheesy new shell for the Wiimote. How many of these lameass shells have I seen for the Wii and associated controllers? Even the Wii Zapper looked like it was poorly thought out with the cords and sliding doors involved. It just seemed like Nintendo had really gotten the whole Wiimote down, but everything else after detracted from the experience. Third party addons were just cheesy shells that often did nothing to enhance gameplay. So is anyone ever going to get it right?


After picking up Mario Kart Wii at midnight last night, I've been taken from one extreme end of the spectrum to the other. The Wii Wheel is indeed just a plastic shell for the Wiimote, but the very nature of its design and the meticulous programming on the game software makes for a completely new way to play - the way Nintendo has been trying to push for a while. The fact is holding the Wiimote sideways makes you feel like you're holding a TV remote and you won't drive with the finesse of a real driver - the Wii Wheel drives this finesse. No, I'm not kidding, the Wii Wheel creates a brand new, more fun experience that I've been begging for a while. It takes the tacked-on feel of Wii controls and integrates them as tightly as possible. And it feels natural. The game feels as responsive as ye olde joysticks of yore and you honestly don't look like as big an idiot as you think playing with this new method. In other words - the Wii Wheel is an essential part of the new Mario Kart.

Personally, I'm kicking myself for only taking the wheel in the game package. I hope I can find some today before this peripheral's sales take off like mad and you'll have an easier time finding the Wii itself. I was a hard, hard skeptic and now I've been made a believer. If you've doubted as hard as I have when it comes to Wiimote accessories, try the Wii Wheel once and you'll be made a believer.

Dollar Hits Record Low Against Hylian Rupee

Maxim has reported the Dollar hit a record low against the Hylian Rupee and Power Ring during trading today. First Nintendo has an excess of Wii in Europe and now I can't buy my Lon Lon Milk!

Today's exchange figures can be found by clicking here ---> here.

Wii Shortage Caused by Weak Dollar?

Dallas News writer Victor Godinez thinks he may have stumbled onto the golden reason behind the Wii Shortage.

"With a weak dollar, foreign companies that sell their goods in the U.S. for dollars and then convert those dollars to their native currencies get a smaller profit than if they sell their products in countries with strong currencies of their own (such as Europe with the euro). In other words, Nintendo makes a bigger profit on Wiis sold in Europe than on Wiis sold in the U.S."

We think this could possibly be the most insightful piece of finance-game related news in years....except who knew Europe had an excess of Wii?

Review Postponed

I've been working my through the Subspace Emissary mode of the game for quite a while now, and I've come to realize there is a LOT more to this game than I've ever seen compared to most other games. Because of the sheer amount of content in the game I'm being forced to delay my review so I can accurately review all the content instead of partially review some content.

My impression of Subspace Emissary? WOW. Just WOW. And long!

No Smash Day

I've been playing Brawl so much I feel like I'm rushing the game. With that in mind today I am taking the day off the game. I will be back full force tomorrow.

Brawl Impressions: Day 2 (Spoiler Alert!)

Actually, it's still techincally impressions from day 1 but the day changes when I go to bed, so I feel like I've had Brawl for two days.

The game is coming along now, I've accessed some newer content (Luigi, Snake) and gotten some serious multiplayer in, which has greatly alleviated my initial concerns about the game. I'm currently avoiding playing in WiFi in order to avoid spoilers, but it's tempting. So far I haven't accessed any unknown characters, but I'm sure they're there.

What is with the super hammer in the game? Does anyone know? It's bizarre!

The game's killing me with it's sleep absorbing powers but I'm having a kick-ass time! And the soundtrack is simply murderous!

Super Smash Bros Brawl Week

Who is ready to play Smash? "After one soul crushing delay" and months of waiting, tonight (or tomorrow, if you like) at 12:01am, Super Smash Bros Brawl will be officially unleashed on the North American public.

Personally, I'm stoked like crazy and somewhat upset at the same time. I have a syndrome that periodically pops up - it doesn't have a name, but it is where I go spin crazy with anticipation of a release I've waited multiple years for. In recent years this has included Super Smash Bros Melee, Kingdom Hearts II (and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+), New Super Mario Bros, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. These are games that I get incredibly excited for - and with Brawl, I'm going to be taking some time off work (a first). Tonight one more title can be checked off the list. So why am I upset? I work tomorrow at good ol' 0800 - and it's time to kick the clock forward an hour to celebrate daylight savings time. The vacation kicks in half way into my day. But this is Brawl - so screw sleep - I have some asses to kick.

To help celebrate the release of Brawl I will be posting daily this week with small random thoughts, impressions, and tidbits that strike my fancy, culminating with a special full review of the game on Friday. If you want to get in on the action, feel free to comment on any posts (including this one) letting me know what your take is, or what you want to see through the week. The only rule: Do NOT discuss spoilers. So let everyone know - how excited are you? Are you having any parties to celebrate? Taking time off? Do you just not care at all? Are you buying a Wii for this game? Get excited!

Guess What I'm not Doing?

Oh Nintendo, why did you eschew marketing practices today and refuse us the original Super Smash Bros on the Virtual Console? Yup, yours truly is NOT playing it, despite wide expectations.

Turning to Smash Bros Brawl matters - anyone preordered it? Are you going to a midnight launch party? Excited?

Feel free to comment here on the DiS blog (RSS and LJers, please jump over to DiS proper) with your thoughts - but remember - no spoilers!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - A Prayer

Oh wise Nintendo Gods, we the followers of Wii, come before you today to beg your mercy. We present a sacrifice to you as a sign of our devotion and plead that you do not announce that Smash Bros Brawl is being delayed to March. 

Oh Gods, we grow weary of waiting and of the delays. Our Japanese counterparts receive your blessings so much sooner and after so much time we were true believers in your scripture of closely timed releases.

Please Gods, do not withhold your mighty blessings of ass kicking and face bashings. We understood the need for Galaxy but the time has passed.

In the name of Miyamoto, Amen.

Farewell Wavebird, We Knew Ye Well

With the Wii supporting most GameCube hardware it certainly came as a big surprise today to find out Nintendo has changed their Customer Service Center scripts to inform customers they do not intend to restock supplies of the best accessory of the last generation.

If you're anything like me you certainly are not a fan of corded controllers and can fondly remember the revolution brought on by the sudden freedom from worry and cords. No longer would anyone trip over the cord and bring your console rushing to meet the carpet (or worse, hardwood). Gone was the knot of cord formed by switching controllers in many multiplayer games. The Wavebird spelt a huge step forward for peripherals because not only was it sanctioned as a first party item, but it WORKED and damn well.

This only fit in better with the Wii. I popped the white panel off the console the day I bought it and firmly planted my three Wavebird receivers in the control ports. They don't go anywhere. It leaves me scratching my head as to why Nintendo would kill the Wavebird over the corded controller, which they state is still shipping, or at least wait for the Super Smash Bros Brawl rush to end. I'm left with once choice - get a fourth Wavebird while I can. Super Smash Bros Brawl will certainly kill off existing stock.

Hot Game: Super Mario Galaxy

The point of DiS is NOT to replicate IGN or Gamespot. No sir, the main point is to share opinion and commentary on the industry. That being said, I still maintain a soft spot for exceptionally high profile games or games that aren't normally available in the rest of the world except Japan. 

Today I would like to alert you to the exceptionally high profile Super Mario Galaxy. I didn't follow much about this game after the exceptionally poor Super Mario Sunshine, presuming that Nintendo would take a crappy formula and do it again. Mario is known for JUMPING, not playing with some piece of shit jetpack. Yeah, I said it - FLUDD sucked. I digress - Galaxy is NOT Sunshine. It is as far from Sunshine as you can get. 

I played the game a few weeks ago as a one-off demo trial at GameStop and within 5 minutes knew it was going to be the new Mario 64. I did not get that impression at all from SMS. Now that I have the full retail version of SMG I can confirm that Galaxy is definitely the new Mario 64 and is worth every penny. It lives up to the hype. Go get it. Now.