Playstation 3 - The New Dreamcast

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. Today the company reported a 95% drop in profits compared to last year. 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.

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.

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.

Also driving Sony’s severe downturn is the cost of investing in the cel processor. Some investors have indicated the company many never 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Samba De Doom?

Sega has finally released Samba de Amigo 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 - don't move your whole arm 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 much better.

Happy Dancing!

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.

Woah. A good Sonic Game?!

Sega may have finally stumbled upon a GOOD Sonic game. Kotaku has posted a humorous take on the new trailer but when it comes down to it, the trailer is COOL. I'm actually interested in this game. And you know it has a shot at being good since Bioware is developing it. Anyone else find it interesting?

Xbox Live Arcade Desires: Chu Chu Rocket! Live

The Xbox Live Arcade service has proven to be a great platform for revitalizing older PC and console titles and delivering them to a newer audience - however there are some games missing that may prove to be excellent additions to the service. Consider this....

Chu Chu Rocket! Live
Sega really has a hard time releasing their games. The Xbox 360 has little Japanese penetration, the PS3's price is still forcing slower-than-desired console sales, the PS2 has little online connectivity or unique style, Sonic has crapped all over the house, and cult-classic titles sell whimsically in the US. Seems like the Wii, with it's global popularity and unique control scheme to boot is a logical choice, no? This is very true for larger titles like Samba De Amigo and Space Channel 5. One would believe there is little case then, for Sega to release much on the 360. Believe it or not, a Chu Chu release for the 360 is probably one of Sega's best ways to get their foot in the door.

The Xbox Live Arcade service's games are typically smaller, more "compact" titles that are simple, yet engrossing. In essence, most games on the service play like a true arcade game - short 3 minute games that are fun but quick to end. Chu Chu Rocket! is very much like this - a truly fun but simple and short puzzler with some whacky multiplayer on the side. Sega doesn't need 500 reasons to release this - there's one simple reason: it would simply fit in perfectly with offerings currently available. Seem weak? Those same offerings are selling like hotcakes according to official Microsoft figures, which peg downloads at 25,000,000 and counting. On the technical side the game's base code is small and compact, likely easily placed onto an Xbox Memory Unit, and the GBA port from years past also means the code base has likely been placed onto a universal platform, which makes for easy porting.

The Xbox platform also lends itself to some enhancements to Chu Chu that would be the next logical steps for the puzzler. The mayhem of multiplayer simply screams to be taken online and could easily be integrated into the game without skipping a beat. Different board types and configurations could also be stepped up to create new ways of directing the rodents to their ships. Kapu Kapus could be expanded into a variety of different kinds with different traits, such as speed, ability to jump, explode, etc. Take these gameplay changes, combine them with the multiplayer level editor and then throw in the seamless Xbox Live experience and you've got a seriously killer package.

Where is it?
Chu Chu Rocket! Live is a simple concept but is tied down under a 400 pound gorilla named...Sega. While it certainly seems certain parts of the company have managed to pull their head out of their ass and get some decent titles into the pipe (including a quiet XBLA release of Golden Axe), there are still powers that be in the company that haven't figured out any sort of road map for the company. Sega still exhibits an extremely disjointed mentality where the left hand does not know what the right one is up to. Unfortunately fixing this problem likely entails literally breaking the company down to its individual parts and forcefully extracting some deeply penetrated people that have somehow managed to screw things up for ten years without anyone figuring out who they are. Oh well, at least we can dream...

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.

Prediction Confirmed!

One of the first things I did with Digital Stardust was predict that Sonic would be in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. As of today this has been confirmed. Sonic boasts a fantastic array of moves that include the spin dash and a Super Sonic final smash. Follow the link to check out a video of him in action. 

Prediction Score

Correct: 1

Incorrect: 0

Is Wii the new Dreamcast?

Sega traditionally has always been considered the more artistic video game company, particularly during the era of the Dreamcast. Some amazingly unique games came out for the system (Space Channel 5, anyone?) that are fondly remembered by gamers today. Unfortunately for Sega, their timing was just wrong and no one was receptive to the creativity that seems to be making a comeback today.

Sega has quietly announced that the cult hit, Samba De Amigo, is making a proud return on Wii. No dates have been announced, but I'm glad that for once Sega is taking a leaf out of my book and doing what the console was intended for. What's of note here is that SdA is joining another revived cult hit, Nights into Dreams, on the little console.  Rumors are also circulating that a new Space Channel 5 is also in development as well.  This begs the question - is Wii going to be the new, successful Dreamcast? Are Sega's creative juices going to flow again thanks to wide acceptance and a control scheme as unique as a pair of maracas? Only time will tell but I bet that some seriously unique games are going to be breaking TV screens from rogue Wiimotes.

Prediction: Mario & Sonic at Super Smash Bros. Brawl

A while back the world was taken by storm when it was announced that long time rivals Sonic and Mario would be meeting for the first time in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. This announcement was not made by chance or because someone thought it up.

In August 2006 Shigeru Miyamoto went on record stating that Nintendo had conducted a poll regarding which characters should be in the hotly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl with Sonic coming out on top as the most sought after character along with this buddy, Tails and that Nintendo had even gone as far as to ask Sega if the duo could be used. Nothing was ever heard since - even the blog on SmashBros.com has been slow to announce any new characters beyond previous characters from the Smash Bros. franchise. 

Between Nintendo's sudden silence and their request suddenly Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is announced, with Sega as the developer. While it's not unheard of for once rivals to suddenly become friends it makes perfect sense that Sega would allow Nintendo rights to their mascots if they got something of equal value in return. The outcome? Sega gets to develop a historical game and  Nintendo gets rights to Sonic and Tails for what will be one of the bestselling games of 2007. Sega gets the profits from Olympic Games and Nintendo get the profits from Brawl. It makes perfect sense.

Mark my words, Sonic and Tails will be in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.