First, please take a look at this video ---> Project Natal


With this latest development by Microsoft, I simultaneously had two thoughts: 1. Looks like Microsoft is taking Nintendo’s idea of abolishing the classic hand held controller to the next level. 2. What does this mean for Nintendo?

Rarely do I gloat, for I see it as a very elementary form of communication of success but… I told you so. I don’t care, call me a kid, I do still feel like one at heart anyways! As I have said before, “…the Wii is not an undying fad but rather a trend setter.” Now with saying that; Nintendo, it’s time to pull out all the stops at E3, cause if all you have are exclusive game announcements… well, it ain’t goin’ to be prêt-tay. Granted, Project Natal must still prove that it works as fluidly as Microsoft claims, but if it does, I fear not even the huge reset button of releasing Wii version 2.0 would save it from certain doom… at least not until the next generation consoles are released.

A word of advice: GIVE INFAMOUS A SPIN!

I was teetering between inFAMOUS and Prototype. Both games look somewhat similar --- free-roaming city (like recent GTAs), mysterious super-power main character, parkour abilities. But after playing this inFAMOUS demo, knowing the developer's experience in free-roaming games (Sucker Punch is known for the awesome Sly Cooper games) and the Metacritic compilation of the early reviews, I am convinced that inFAMOUS is the one.

As for the demo, it's a shockingly (*rimshot*) great demo. You get to play 4 missions. That's right, FOUR! This is the longest time I ever spent on a demo. You get to experience some of the earlier abilities that the main character has. You'll also see the different sides of the "morale system" (kinda like Jedi and Sith). All in all, I'm convinced. The graphics are tight. The controls are great (whatever you want to climb or crawl or whatever... the game detects it flawlessly). Camera play is great --- not a liability at all.

5 minutes after putting down my PS3 controller, I preordered this hotness. If you're not convinced, check out some gameplay.

PEACE!

After writing my previous post I've decided to challenge myself, the other blog writers, and anyone else out there to play 2 new games (not recurring titles that you've play before) in the next month and to think about why those titles aren't as popular as Halo, Mario Kart, or GTA.

Then...I'll do a post on my thoughts of why we're stuck in the land of reruns and we can all try and expand our gaming catalogs. Or at least be a little more open.

Ok time for me to throw my 2 cents into things.

@Obeng - you have a point, Nintendo's unique franchises do indeed drive its console and game sales. Clearly Mario is the strongest example with Zelda trailing as a close second (oh and up until the disaster that is Donkey Congo, Donkey Kong & co.). But honestly, are Microsoft/Xbox and the Playstation really cranking out unique titles that rake in the cash? Let's look at the 11 bestselling Xbox 360 games (numbers as of 2008 per Wikipedia):

1) Halo 3 (8.1 mil copies)
2) Gears of War (5 mil)
3) Gears of War 2 (5 mil)
4) Grand Theft Auto 4 (4 mil)
5) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (3.7 mil)
6) Call of Duty: World at War (3.3 mil)
7) Forza Motorsport 2 (2.7)
8) Fable 2 (2.6 mil)
9) Assassin's Creed (2.3 mil)
10) Marvel Ultimate Alliance (2.1 mil)
11) Guitar Hero II (2 mil)

If my calculations are correct....I see quite the number of recurring titles (I mean come on - GoW and CoD were on the list twice each!). And with Rock Band & Guitar Hero this is going to continute perpetuating.

Let's look at the Wii:
1) Wii Sports (45 mil - but we can even exclude this since it did come with the console)
2) Wii Play (23 mil)
3) Wii Fit (18.2 mil)
4) Mario Kart Wii (15.4 mil)
5) Super Smash Bros (8.4 mil)
6) Super Mario Galaxy (8 mil)
7) Mario Party 8 (6.7 mil)
8) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (4.5 mil)
9) Link's Crossbow Training (3.8 mil)
10) Mario & Sonic Olympics (3.4 mil)

Now, clearly Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Mario, Mario Party, and Zelda are all repeat offenders. But I cannot help but think that the success of Wii Play & Wii Fit - titles exclusive to the Wii that changed gameplay and the overall concept of what a "game" really is, in the Wii Fit's case, point to the fact that there is some originality and some credit due to the innovation of the Wii.

My point is this - across the board there are numerous recurring titles/franchise that pop up across all consoles/devices and spanning the lifecycle thus far of video games. Is this a bad thing? I would tend to lean towards yes, but honestly let's no knock just one company for doing that. All parties are guilty.

I relate this to the movie industry - we time and again as consumers question the need for a Rush Hour 3 or a 5th iteration of Bring it On or yet another "new" rebranding of a superhero franchise - but the reality is people go see those movies. Thousands or millions of people see these recycled ideas every year, particularly in the summer, as it's entertainment that, well, can be sort of mindless fun.

Is there harm in Harvest Moon #20? Probably not. Should we as video game consumers be looking for something innovative and fresh? I think so! Hence why the Wii is being touted as unique and original - when else have we changed the way in which we play (button mashing to standing up and using more than your thumbs)?

But, who's to say that just because a "hardcore gamer" isn't interested in shaking a wiimote that the Wii is just a passing fad? I say, it has in some ways been even more critical in changing the video game industry and its consumer base in a permanent way because it attracts a gamer beyond just a typical FPS player. Why not celebrate the fact that your grandma can play some Wii Tennis just as easily as you can? Is that not a success in and of itself? Certainly a different end of the spectrum but at the end of the day, the Wii did something gaming hasn't been able to do since the era of Pacman - attract all people regardless of their "gaming ability".

But there is a cautionary component to this tale. @neoeon - Nintendo has had a history of changing gaming as we see it, and as I've argued I don't think the Wii is any different. Where they are losing is in being able to continue to provide quality games that leverage their innovation take on gameplay - there are countless crappy games out there on the Wii (Wii Cheer? Littlest Pet Shop? Wii Music?) that threaten the overall creative value perceived by consumers. I'd rather see another Zelda that rocks everyone's world than 5 new titles that, honestly, suck.

Point is - video games are changing. Video game players are changing. Innovation in gaming is no longer constrained to graphic quality or storyline. Recurring titles aside, the real thing to keep focused on is the strategy each of the gaming giants will take on to continue innovating and providing better and better games, whether in the form of Fall Out #8 or some brand new franchise.

First, you need to ask yourself, “Where would gaming be without Nintendo?”

No, really, think about it for a moment…or two. - - - Okay, now that you have had time to mull it over, this is my take on any and all Nintendo progenies.

NES, Gameboy, N64, Wii: What do these all have in common? They are the first of there kind. They are collectively responsible for over half of all innovative advancements in gaming over the past quarter century.

The NES was released in 1985(NA) and revolutionized the gaming industry. It did, by the way, single handedly save North America from the “Video Game Crash of ’83.” Gone were the oversimplified graphics and game play of the Atari, no offense to the Atari, and in stepped “Super Mario Bros.” with “Duck Hunt.” Where was everyone else at this point; Sega, Sony, Microsoft? Sega Genesis didn’t hit North America shelves until 1989 and Sony’s Playstaion didn’t crawl onto the NA gaming scene until 1994! A SOLID THREE YEARS after Nintendo released their SECOND CONSOLE the Super Nintendo!!!

Game Boy fell into the sweaty palmed hands of North Americans in 1989. Bringing a rudimentary form of gaming, that had already been established, to a new mobile market. Now lets see here… when did our said named friends decided to get their, ah-hem, corrupt code in the bucket? Sega Game Gear lumbered onto the NA market in 1991 consuming 6 AA batteries every six hours and Playstation Portable… 16 YEARS! What were you doing Sony?!? Oh, that’s right, you had not even released an in home console yet, sorry. For you number guys and gals, try these on for size. Worldwide and up to date; the SGG has sold a measly 11 million; the PSP a respectable 50 million; finally the Nintendo Game Boy has racked in a grand total of 118.69 million. Oh, and for you Playstaion fan boys, who demand a fair fight, the Nintendo DS (Nintendo’s 4th hand held gaming system) which was released in 2004, 5 months before the PSP (Sony’s first), has sold 100 million.

Nintendo 64. Need I say more? I could go on and on about revolutionary 3D graphics/game play and how it only took Sony 4 years to answer back with the release of the PS2, but I am sure everyone reading this has heard it all before. So I will save you the torture of listening to a broken record routine.

Now for the grand finale. The whole reason I was inspired to write this specific blog entry was actually due to one of my fellow bloggers/friends (you know him as Obeng) entry. He recently stated that he believed the Nintendo Wii was the “longest freakin fad…ever.”

Now lets define what a ‘Fad’ is. Merriam-Webster says a fad is: a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal. If we apply this in a general sense then console gaming itself is the longest running fad ever. But lets not concern ourselves with generalities, I am here to approach the specific claim that the Wii is a fad. As with past Nintendo creations, the Wii has opened the door to a new way of looking at gaming. First, Wii’s homepage, Nintendo gave you the first chance to customize what you wanted to see for different channels, whether it be applications or classic games. The Wii’s controllers allow you to manipulate characters in ways that we have been only trying to emulate ever since falling into that first pit as Mario. I think a word that better describes the Wii, or Nintendo in general, is “Trend”. Trend is: to show a tendency. The Wii has set the trend for gaming in more than one way. Starting with homepages or ‘Dashboard’ as Microsoft likes to call it. In fact Microsoft liked the Wii’s customization of personal Miis so much that they have included the ability to make an avatar on Xbox’s latest Dashboard update. The one trend that has been barely elaborated on, mainly talked about, is using a 3D accelerometer remote control for game play. The Darwin controller has been in talks to be the Xbox and PS3’s answer to the Wiimote. Sadly though there has been very little advancement in this field, so the odds of seeing this technology come into play for this generation’s consoles are very low.

I know the general tone of this entry seems like a Nintendo vs. the world rant, but that is really not what I intended. The Wii needs some improvement too, downloadable content for existing games, online game play and hard drive space to name a few. Point being, my main goal was to debate the fact that the Wii is not an undying fad but rather a trend setter, I believe I did a good job extrapolating on that topic. If you think differently, let me know and I will be more then happy to elaborate further on this topic.

So you may not see it now. But ask yourself this question 5, 10 or 25 years from now: “Where would gaming be without the Wii?”

F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin
Monolith Productions
Warner Home Video Games
FPS Horror
PC, Xbox 360 & PS3
10 February 2009



I am going to start this review with a quick reference to a Xbox 360 Dashboard capability: Demo and Downloads. Reason being, is because it would have taken me much longer to pick up this great game, if I hadn’t played the demo. The ability to download and play F.E.A.R. 2’s demo convinced me to not only acquire F.E.A.R. 2, but also to go out of my way to find the ’06 release of the original F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Action Recon and F.E.A.R. FILES. I highly recommend playing F.E.A.R. if you want the full experience of F.E.A.R. 2. The references, alone, from F.E.A.R. make F.E.A.R. 2’s storyline all that more profound, although F.E.A.R. 2 is easily an enjoyable game all by itself.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I bring you a review of, truly, one of the scariest video games I have ever played.


In F.E.A.R. 2 you take the POV of Delta operative, Michael Becket, starting along the timeline 30 minutes prior to the end of F.E.A.R.. Becket is quite literally the best of the best, his reflexes are actually so high that he caught the attention of Armacham Technology Corporation’s “Project Harbinger”. After being knocked unconscious, Becket awakens to a team of surgeons operating on himself, and soon after, discovers the fate of his other teammates. While fighting your (Beckett’s) way out of the hospital you find that you have increased reaction speed and a friend with an eye in the sky named “Snakefist”. At this point the game opens back up to the governmental conspiracy game that F.E.A.R. was. You now have to find and destroy Alma, a telekinesis inclined individual, who is attracted to your brain wave pattern and wants to absorb you, which will indefinitely kill you. The game play really picks up from here. Using the enhanced reaction speed (slow-mo), coupled with the new ability to aim with weapons irons sights, you are able to surgically cut down each of your enemies with super-human accuracy and efficiency. The other added feature that really gives you the edge, especially when you are being swarmed by Replica forces, is the ability to flip and take cover behind certain objects; i.e. tables, gurneys, couches, etcetera. While being guided through an underground top secret hospital, the ruined city above and ATC Facilities, by Snakefist and your team, you will have ample amount of time to fine tune your skills and tactics on many enemy forces.


The graphics have gone under a massive redux. If you did not play F.E.A.R. you will not notice the difference but you will definitely notice the quality. The Jupiter EX engine and crisp graphics, really bring out the detail in every surface in the game. Additionally, this is where 5.1 Dolby Digital or a really good pair of headphones come in to play. The radio chatter of replicas, scurrying of rodents and the resonance of paranormal activities will make your skin crawl with anticipation. These refined aspects of the game make it all the more easy to believe you are actually, Beckett, traversing the horror house-like environment of F.E.A.R. 2.


Some argue that the changes done to the controls were made to “dumb it down” for console gamers. The same critics also stated that the levels become repetitive or predictable and that the game is set up to have a “vehicle segment” or a “sniper segment”, etcetera. What other games does this sound like? How about, all the CODs, GRAWs, Halos and on and on. My point is that any FPSs could be criticized in this manor, some more than others. I promise you, that even though F.E.A.R. 2 may not be the best FPS, out of the previously mentioned, it most definitely is not the worst. All and all, F.E.A.R. 2 is a well rounded game. It has more than enough action for FPS veterans, scare tactic for horror fans, and storyline for gamers who want to justify all the blood they are shedding.


I give F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, 4 out of 5 Almas

Just had to post about these awesome video game themed quilts, pillows and other assorted handicrafts!!!


Yes that's right, you can get a Raccoon Luigi quilt for $90 plus $16 shipping. Ridiculous or ridiculously cool??

CNN published an article today, "Developer explores the softer side of gaming", which basically reinforces the idea that (a) games are generally perceived as hyper-masculine or hyper-feminine and (b) that news sources really are out of touch with the video game industry. But let's start from the beginning.

The article highlights Kellee Santiago, a woman with pink hair who went to NYU Tisch, who founded thatgamecompany, a game development company that has created the games "Flower", "Flow", and "Cloud", all of which were very popular and are deemed "a gentler side of gaming" by the reporter.

The article goes on to describe Flower - "In "Flower," the player journeys through an imaginary landscape where they can blow breezes, collect flower petals and enjoy the colorful landscape of what Santiago says is a "video game version of a poem"".

Not that I'm saying I have a problem with these ideas - they are all visually very pretty games and obviously popular - upon Flower's release gaming sites like IGN gave it a 9/10 and Flow, as freeware, attracted 350,000 downloads within the first 2 weeks of its download. Not bad for a game that "involves the player guiding an aquatic microorganism through various depths of the ocean to consume other organisms and to evolve their organism as the player advances".

My issue with this article is that it suggests these types of games are a new wave - a movement away from what the article unfortunately describes as "slay and spray" games. Now I'm not a huge 1st person shooter player but at the same time there are games in between gore-fests and collecting flower petals. What about classic games like Mario, Zelda, RPGs, puzzle games, casual games, social games? Why is this woman being written about when honestly there have been plenty of developers with ideas like hers (Will Wright of The Sims and of sim games???)? Is CNN just interested in this woman's story because its so extreme? "A video game version of a poem? Come on. Gross.

The point is, while those 3 games are definitely worth checking out, we as consumers of media and video game players alike need to continue supporting a wide range of games and need to help push general media to understand that gamers aren't cut out of just two cloths - hyper-masculine "slay and spray" or hyper-feminine "video game versions of poems".

Columbine, Jokela, and now Albertville-Realschule; all have been settings of poignant acts by disturbed individuals. No one ever wants this to occur to friends, family or themselves. To prevent such tragedies from reoccurring we try to understand why the events played out as they did and what caused them. The natural tendency is to point fingers, at times without properly investigating the incident, and putting an end to those variables. Unfortunately due to such hasty assertions, when this occurs, the wrong persons or things are held liable.

I was following along on CNN, the events unfurling in Winnenden, Germany, when I came across an article written by Angela Merkel. Overall she did a good job of informing the reader of what occurred and how Germans are now dealing with the situation. Regretfully though, she made an either lackadaisical or calculated comment. She states, “Police said Thursday that 15 guns had been found at the killer's home and violent video games.” To me this accusation is completely and utterly appalling, especially considering the platform as to which this “journalist” was given to tell her story. This ad lib leads one to believe that the author of the story is insinuating that “violent video games” had as much a hand in the murders committed by this individual as the firearms.

This argument has been had time and again over the past couple of decades. And instead of “wowing” you with statistics comparing studies of video gamers and violent tendencies (which are low) opposed to low income neighborhoods and violence (which are high), I am going to give you my 2 cents.

If you read my first blog here on “8 Bits” you know that I grew up playing “Wolfenstien 3D” and “Doom”. I have also played many other violent video games; ranging from spray and plays like the GTA to strategic games like Rainbow Six. But why stop at video games? Why not blame TV shows like the “Sopranos” when ever they drag a body out of the Hudson River; or books like “The Catcher and the Rye” when a musician is assassinated; or Darudes music when a speeder commits vehicular manslaughter. I have watched, read, and listened to all of these medias and I have never committed a violent crime in my life, in fact, for four years I did the exact opposite. My point is that you can not blame anything or anyone else but the individual, and maybe, maybe the parents, for the acts committed. Over simplifying the situation to something as elementary as a source of past time, whether it be books, music, or video games, is not going to make the event any less tragic. And it will most definitely not prevent a violent episode such as this from reoccurring.

So when Angela Merkel decided to write that naïve sentence she helped no one, if anything, she actually misinformed people on two fronts: Those trying to understand what happened at Albertville-Realschule high school and those who are new to or do not totally understand the world of video gaming.