Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Family Holiday Games

Christmas-time is here... which means "Santa Claus" will spend countless hours researching what games are okay for children and clock even more hours hunting the games down on eBay. But fear not... the articles provided below will definitely help cut down shopping time, so "Santa" can get some well-deserved rest. The articles list family-friendly, quality videogames for each major system.

Videogaming is a fun hobby. Let's share it ^_^

I want friendly, family games for...

*All of these articles are living documents and very subject to change. Check back for updates :D

Monday, November 26, 2007

Wii Holiday Games

Usually, the better question about the Wii is what games aren't family-friendly? Here's a short list of good Wii games to keep an eye out for this holiday. This list will definitely be fleshed out later, so come on back for more info.

The plus signs next to game titles will lead you to the game's Gamerankings.com site, which contains links to loads of reviews.

+Super Mario Galaxy -- $49.99 -- E for Everyone
This game is a must-own for sure. Classic Super Mario fun reincarnated on the Wii with a soundtrack that I hear is out of this world.

+WarioWare Smooth Moves -- $49.99 -- E for Everyone
Wario's oddball minigame series continues onto the Wii, calling on players to wave, wiggle and move with the Wiimote to complete various tasks such as hoola-hooping, moving a ball through a maze, picking up trash or trimming nose hairs (yep, basic hygiene is FUN). Completing these five-second minigames will allow players to progress through the game and unlock MORE minigames, until a multi-player mode is unlocked. In multi-player, you and your friends share a Wiimote (BONUS: don't need to buy extra $30-$50 controllers) and can compete in four different games. Good entertainment that will last at least 15 minutes :D

+NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams -- $49.99 -- E for Everyone
Another game that may turn out to be as fantastic of an adventure as Super Mario Galaxy, Remade from a 10-year-old Sega Saturn game that is highly revered to this day.

+Guitar Hero III -- $89.99 -- T for Teen
Activision's hot guitar playing simulation. Getting this game and maybe an extra guitar for two-player options is a great gift.

+Metroid Prime Corruption -- $49.99 -- T for Teen
Definitely for the older kiddies; This creepy, realistic space shooter with lots of aliens and Space Pirates follows bounty hunter Samus Aran's adventures. Aside from shooting action, the game also requires players to solve puzzles in order to progress in the game.

+Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn -- $49.99 -- E for Everyone
Strategy game that is the sequel to the GameCube title Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.

+Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure -- $49.99 -- E for Everyone
A delightful-looking puzzle adventure game that is getting some great reviews and attention. Looks like a great game for the kids.

+Wii Points Card -- $19.99 for 2,000 points to spend on Virtual Console games
NOTE: Your Wii needs to be able to connect to the Internet in order to buy/download games from the Virtual Console. Make sure your Wii has a working connection to the Internet before purchasing.
Click the here for the Virtual Console's official site, which includes a full list of games and point prices.
With this little card, your gamer can purchase anything their heart desires from the Wii's Virtual Console, an online store that vends old, classic games that are downloaded to your Wii. You can then play these games on the Wii. Virtual Console games can be classic games from the following systems: NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64 (N64), Sega Genesis, NeoGeo and TurboGrafx16. Games range from 500 - 1,000 points (N64 and Sega Genesis games tend to be more expensive). This is a great gift; got one for my friend last year and she wants another one ^_~

+Geometry Wars

Elebits?

DS Holiday Games

Handheld Holiday

The Nintendo DS--easily the most kid-friendly system out there (aside from the Wii, maybe) with plenty of safe games to choose from. Here's a list of DS titles, old and new, the whole family can enjoy for the holidays.

+Nintendogs
You may have finally found an answer to, "Mommmmm/daaaaad, can we please get a puppy?" This game has all the responsibility and fun of owning a dog with none of the mess. The DS's microphone allows you to give voice commands to your puppy.

+Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The latest installment in the Zelda series that gaming publications have been raving about. Zelda games are always a good ride--I've been playing them since I was eight or nine. This continues the story established in Zelda: Wind Waker, as Link sets out to sail the ocean again guided by your touch screen and stylus.

+PokeMon Pearl/Diamond
Another safe bet, especially if your kid loves PokeMon. This is the most expansive handheld version of the game yet, and with wireless/online capabilities you can battle or trade PokeMon your neighbor or someone across the globe.

+Zoo Hospital
It's Trauma Center for the little ones. Kids get to play veterinarian for zoo animals. Where was this game when I was six years old?

+LEGO Star Wars the Complete Saga - $29.99
Good, fun Star Wars adventure. It has cooperative modes, so 2 people who have DSs and copies of LEGO Star Wars CS can play together.

+Animal Crossing: Wild World
It was released two years ago, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a great gift. ACWW is addictive, fun and has wireless/online capabilities so you can play with friends near and far. Think of it as a mini-MMO for kids (well, ACWW can appeal to anyone, but it's kid-friendly for sure).

+Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
This might be too much for younger kids, but it's way too fun of a game to not put on here. You play rookie attorney Phoenix Wright as you defend various clients through five different court cases (FYI: All cases in this game are murder cases). You sleuth around crime scenes to gather evidence and then use your gathered information to pick out lies and contradictions in witness testimonies. The game is heavily text-based (the whole story is progressed by character dialogue), so it's a fun way to trick people into reading.

+Draglade
A fighting/action game hybrid from Atlus (who I know for their hit-or-miss quirky games). Previews look interesting, but wait until the game's release on 12/4 for more info before you buy.

+Ontamarama - $29.99

+Elite Beat Agents

These are all of the suggestions for now; check back later for more!

PSP Holiday Family Games

Sorry, for now this is another short list. Will update, add to, and flesh out later.

The PSP really is designed with older gamers in mind, at least that 15-16+ male demographic. But there are some clean, fun games out (well, mostly clean, anyway).

+Lumines -- E for Everyone
+Me and My Katamari -- E for Everyone
+Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions -- T for Teen
+Jeanne D'Arc -- T for Teen
+LocoRoco -- E for Everyone
+Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters -- $39.99 -- E for Everyone
+Daxter -- E for Everyone
+Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee -- E for Everyone
+Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness -- T for Teen
+Crush -- E for Everyone
+The BIGS -- E for Everyone
+Super Collapse 3 -- E for Everyone
+Sega Mega Drive Collection
+Gitaroo Man Lives
+Burnout Legends

PS3 Family Games

Oh, the PS3. What a frighteningly expensive system with such a troubled past. Maybe Sony can turn that around, and start turning a profit from it. But now is not the time to talk business strategies--it's time to talk about games.

PS3 and Xbox 360 (and even the PSP) are designed with older audiences in mind. That's not to say it doesn't also have some games your family can enjoy. Here are some suggestions you can look into for the holidays. Remember to look for online reviews or even test these games at a videogame retailer before you buy.

To look at an official catalogue of PS3, PS2 and Playstation Portable games, click here to look at Sony's online catalogue. It's got lots of nifty filters for narrowing your search.

Click on the "+" plus-sign next to a game title, to view its average review score on GameRankings.com.

All games are retailed at $59.99 unless otherwise mentioned.

+Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction -- E for Everyone
Quirky weaponry and gameplay as now-famous heroes Rachet and Clank travel the universe fighting evil. All of this, thrown onto a story about friendship. Awww.
+The Eye of Judgment -- $69.99 (price includes Playstation Eye camera) -- T for Teen
Remember Yu-Gi-Oh? That cartoon where the cards came to life and duked it out on a playing field? This is the exact same concept, except in real life and with different rules. You use physical cards and game board, and the Eye camera takes all of that in and presents it in its full-fledged fantasy form of dragons, monsters, etc. You'll definitely want to read through some reviews before committing to buy this one.

+Skate -- T for Teen

+Rock Band -- $169.99 for bundle (guitar, drums, microphone, game)/ $59.99 for game only --T for Teen
Pricey, but promisingly fun. Think of this as Guitar Hero with the rest of the band.

+Guitar Hero 3 -- $99.99 for bundle (game, guitar)/ $59.99 game only -- T for Teen
Not only does GH3 offer more songs, you have to duel rock legends to work your way through the set list. Not too mechanically different from it's predecessors, but it's definitely a little more difficult.

+Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga -- E for Everyone
Just fun. Everyone I know who's played these games have loved it and/or become addicted to it.

+DiRT -- E for Everyone
+MX vs ATV Untamed -- E for Everyone
+MotorStorm -- T for Teen
The three above titles are racing games, which you really can't go too wrong with as far as family gaming.

+LocoRoco Cocoreccho! (Downloadable Game from Playstation Store)
An well-rated action game dubbed the "interactive screensaver. If you've got access to the PS3's online store, pretty much all the games offered there are family-friendly. They also have some Playstation1 or 2 games available for download, but some of those may not be so nice (like Twisted Metal).

+Katamari Damacy / We Love Katamari -- Playstation 2 -- $29.99 / $19.99 -- E for Everyone
(^the slash separates two different games) A well-loved, quirky, cutesy little puzzle game series. Object of the game: rank objects' size and roll them into a ball collecting items from smallest to biggest. Eventually, your ball will grow big enough to pick up trees, houses, mountains and islands along for the ride. And the music is faaaaantastic.

Xbox 360 Familiy Holiday Games

Xbox 360... the system that's synonymous with the over-hyped Halo series. Here's a list of some more family-oriented games.

On their official games catalogue, Xbox 360 has a "family" search function that will display only family games for the Xbox 360. However, it doesn't give reviews or tell you if the game is any good ^_~ That's what this list is for.

NOTE: Not too long ago, Xbox 360 launched a family safety campaign to trumpet the new parental controls on the Xbox 360. If you'd like to learn more, click here.

Viva Pinata (Platinum Hits) -- $19.99 -- E for Everyone
Ever dreamed of having a pinata farm? No? Well anyways, here's your chance. You keep a garden with pinatas in it (of course), and whatever actions you do or don't take greatly affect your garden. You can control the pinatas daily lives or simply let them run free in your always-changing garden. Friendly, colorful, fun. (**Platinum Hits: essentially means this game has sold enough copies for Microsoft to be able to slash the price to $19.99)

Viva Pinata: Party Animals -- $49.99 -- E for Everyone
Lovable Viva Pinata franchise takes to the mini-game party genre. This is similar to Mario Party, except with pinatas. I really don't like to recommend party games because they tend to get old pretty quick and not have a lot of content (as was a big complaint in reviews of this game). However, with the quick, colorful gameplay and humor, kids may still enjoy this one, especially if they've played Viva Pinata before. For multiplayer/family gaming purposes, Scene It (below) might be a better choice.

Scene It -- $59.99 -- T for Teen
Scene It: Lights, Camera, Action! on your Xbox 360. Tests you on movie trivia. Comes with four big button controllers that are more conducive to trivia playing/answering. This may be a better choice than Viva Pinata: Party Animals.

Guitar Hero III -- $99.99 for bundle (game, guitar) / $59.99 for game only
Activision's hot guitar playing simulation. Getting this game and maybe an extra guitar for two-player options is a great gift.

+Rock Band -- $169.99 for bundle (guitar, drums, microphone, game)/ $59.99 for game only --T for Teen
Pricey, but promisingly fun. Think of this as Guitar Hero with the rest of the band.

Every Extend Extra Extreme: E4 -- 800points ($10.00) @ Xbox Live Arcade -- E for Everyone
Xbox Live Arcade, an option that can be accessed through online options when your Xbox 360 is connected to the Internet, has many cheap, friendly, fun games available. You could even allow your gamer a certain amount of points/cash to shop on Xbox Live Arcade (keep an eye on what they want to buy).

LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga -- $49.99 -- E for Everyone
Just fun. Everyone I know who's played these games have loved it and/or become addicted to it.

Super Monkey Ball Deluxe -- $29.95 -- Xbox, playable on Xbox 360 -- E for Everyone
An oldie, but a goodie. Includes all of the features, stages and multiplayer games from Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2.
NOTE: There's also a version of the game where a separate Sonic game is included on the same disc. The Sonic game was so-so, but if it's essentially free, why not? This is what the Sonic/Super Monkey Ball Deluxe game looks like.

Fusion Frenzy -- as cheap as $8 online (Amazon) -- Xbox, playable on Xbox 360 -- E for Everyone
I saw this on the Xbox game catalogue family section, and I just had to include it. I remember this came with our original Xbox at home (so yeah, it's a little old). It's a long list of challenging multi-player party games that are really fun to play if you have enough controllers (2 or more). The futuristic settings and cheesy, competitive one-liners from characters just add to its charm. The mini-games usually don't last much longer than a minute or two, but you can spend a decent amount of time on this game.

a waggle WHAT?

Years ago, when the Nintendo Wii was still a wee prototype, Nintendo gave it the sassy codename of Revolution.

As launch date crept closer, they bestowed the it with it's final, retail name: the Wii. Gaming magazines, online game communities/message boards, and the Internet in general exploded with laughter. Endless jokes ensued. The Wii was the laughingstock of the next-gen race.

And now it's being touted as not only last Christmas's, but this Christmas's hot thing to give the kiddies. It's fun! It's exercise!

And it's also being called "the waggle box" for some reason.

I looked at my Wii this morning. It's a solid white brick, with smaller solid white bars as remotes. No waggle, just white. I thought back to the ridiculous times my friends and I played WarioWare Smooth Moves. Now there had been some wiggling and flailing, but waggling? That makes me feel like a four-year-old who's getting their groove on to the Wiggles.

I first saw the nickname appear in a Gadgets We Want article on Forbes called Wii Rules, which was an article posted on November 16. Curious and wondering if I could find the term's origin (doubtful, considering this is the Internet after all), I ran a Google search. 527 hits at 8:30. 529 hits at 8:45. It's growing!

I guess I have to tip my hat to the smarty-pants who came up with "waggle box." Words we use construct the world we live in, and those two words definitely establish the Wii once and for all as a harmless, family-oriented, Wiggles-approved videogame system. [Note: Wii is not actually approved by the Wiggles, sorry]

= ?
_____________________________________________________

Just found an article from Kotaku from April 2007 that uses the term "waggle box" once. This phrase has probably been around for a while, but not used much.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Target's got game

This week, make Target a holiday target for your shopping list. At least, if you live in the same zip-code as I do ^_^;;

Target's offering eight Nintendo DS games for only $25. But only three of them can truly be called a deal: PokeMon Diamond/Pearl, The New Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

They all have an MSRP of $34.99, so stock up now, especially that the Black Friday stampede has calmed.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Backwards Compatibility

Backwards compatibility--the ability to play games from an older version of a console on its newest version. For example, you bought a Nintendo Wii. The Wii can play all of the games a Nintendo Gamecube (Nintendo's previous system) could play. So the Wii is backwards compatible with Gamecube games.

However, the Nintendo64 (N64) was Nintendo's system before the Gamecube. You cannot play N64 games on the Gamecube. Therefore, the Gamecube is not backwards compatible with N64 games.
"Backward compatibility is a nice secondary consideration, but it's far from the number-one priority."
Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, from an article on Reuters when talking about the release of the 40GB PS3, which is not backwards compatible with PS2 games
While backwards compatibility, in this case the ability to play PS1/PS2 games on the PS3, isn't the number-one priority when creating your next-gen console, I think it's pretty important for one HUGE reason that tugs at the heartstrings of gamers everywhere:

Nostalgia.

When I found out my old GameBoy and GameBoy Color games wouldn't be able to play on the new-fangled Nintendo DS, I was heartbroken. I was over it in about 15 seconds, but still--if I wanted to play through Zelda: Link's Awakening, PokeMon Pinball, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, I would have to keep my older GameBoys in reach. This can be a hassle, and a danger to the older handheld systems I'm trying to preserve and keep in working condition (which is surprisingly difficult over a 10-year span).

And the Playstation 2 has some truly incredible and now comparatively inexpensive games, especially if you hunt the used games sections. It's almost a waste for Sony to just turn their backs on this.

Then again, Sony's PS3 has been in the red for quite some time, and from what I hear has a long road to recovery. Opting out of completely working backwards compatibility probably help them cut a little bit of production cost off the PS3.

Wii, DS, Xbox 360, PS3 backwards compatibility

The Nintendo Wii can play all Gamecube games. Cannot play N64 cartridge games.

The Nintendo Dual Screen (NDS) can play all GameBoy Advance games. Cannot play GameBoy or GameBoy Color games.

Sony's 40GB PS3 can only play Playstation 1 games.
Sony's discontinued 60GB PS3 could play most PS2/PS1 games.
The 80GB PS3 can play an assortment of PS2 games, and PS1 games.
Go here to find out if your PS2 titles are compatible with your PS3: Sony's PS3 Compatibility Status.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 also lacks complete backwards compatibility. Here is Microsoft's official list of Xbox games compatible with the Xbox 360 and official backwards compatibility FAQ.

Monday, November 5, 2007

PS3 Price Cut - Buying Guide Prelude

A year after release, will the PS3's price finally be right?

November 2, Sony slashed the PS3 80GB model's price from $600 to $500. In addition, they released a toned-down 40GB version of the system.

To date, there have been four models of the PS3, including the two mentioned above. The remaining two, a 20GB and 60GB model have been discontinued.

So, let's evaluate. The mighty morphin' PS3 will have two versions to choose from (although you could probably purchase the discontinued 20GB and 60GB online)

What do the 40GB and 80GB have in common? Sony says:
Both the 80GB and 40GB PS3 models come standard with Cell Broadband Engine™ (Cell/B.E.), Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) player, built-in HDD, 1080p high-definition output, , free PLAYSTATION®Network access, Wi-Fi connectivity and SIXAXIS™ wireless controller.
This is the jargon that tells you that, either way, you are purchasing one very fancy-pants system. In short both have: some specifications that will make your game look very pretty, Blu-ray disc player, the ability to connect to the Playstation Network, wireless internet connectivity and a motion-sensitive wireless controller.

But what is the 40GB version missing?
  • can't play back Playstation 2 titles, but can play Playstation titles
  • instead of being packaged with a PS3 game like the 80GB version, the 40GB has Spiderman 3 on Blu-ray disc
  • the 80GB has 4 USB ports; the 40GB has 2 USB ports.
  • the 40GB does not have the "multi-media memory card slot" that allows players to transfer their PS1/PS2 memory card data to the PS3. However, Sony says players can use other accessories such as this doohickey to transfer their data through one of the USB ports
By looking at this list, it looks like they dropped some of the extras, slashed the price a bit and called it a new model.

So here are consumer options for the holiday PS3-purchasing*:

If you just want to play PS3 games, and ONLY PS3 games (also if you already have a PS2):
  • go for the 40GB model; it's got the bare necessities. The 80GB model is really geared towards the hardcore gamer who has to have all the extras.
If you don't have a PS2, but would like to play PS2 games AND have a PS3:
  • Well, you could get the 80GB model with PS2-compatibility, but there have been some issues where the 80GB PS2 has difficulty playing some PS2 games. You can check if your PS2 games will work with the 80GB PS3 at Sony's backwards compatibility status site. This article from HardcoreWare.net, shows the results of one man pitting his 90 game PS2 library against a 60GB PS3 and 80GB PS3. Results: 84/90 games worked perfectly on the 60GB, and 50/90 worked perfectly on the 80GB.
  • If backwards compatibility is a must then finding a used 60GB PS3 might be a better deal than buying the 80GB model. There are plenty on sale online, whether you prefer to shop on eBay, Froogle, or Amazon (just type in: 60GB PS3). Don't know if retailers like Gamestop resell them.
  • Or, you could buy the 40GB PS3, and a used/new PS2. It would cost about the same as the 80GB model, and you'd have a sure-fire way to play your PS2 games. (As well as the PS2's built-in DVD-player, so you don't have to commit to buying Blu-Ray discs for your PS3).
    • The Slimline PS2 is a great deal if you can find a used one for $99. Otherwise, it's a $129 MSRP.
    • On this note: There is a new PS2 on the horizon. It's not any slimmer, and I haven't quite found out what the difference/improvement is yet, but it's on sale in Japan for $114. The rumor mill suggests its a revision of the slimline PS2, has built-in power supply and will sell for under $100 when it hits the US in 2008. I wouldn't put too much stock in the rumored price-tag, though.
  • NOTE: On its backwards-compatibility status site, Sony said it is up to the game publishers and peripheral/accessory manufacturers to develop the appropriate hardware to play PS1 and PS2 games on the PS3. They did not/have not issued a date on when the backwards compatibility issue might be fixed.
That's a lot of options, and I realize it's intimidating to look at. But fear not. Just be confident in what you want. A PS3, like any game system is a big investment, and you should think carefully before purchasing. Please e-mail YFG if you have further questions about this post.



*(subject to change with any other price cuts that might follow :P)

Sunday, November 4, 2007

XMAS in November?!?!?

I had the TV on last night while I was working on a 5-page yoga take-home test, and during commercial break, found myself being confronted by a housewife bundled in fashionable winter clothing, standing in front of her house, which had white Christmas lights hanging off the gate that enclosed her front yard.



My face:

o_o

o_O

O_O !!!!

CHRISTMAS AD!

This ad was from Walmart. I saw it FOUR times within 45 minutes or so of having the TV on. Trust me, I know that the blonde-haired woman in the commercial is getting her husband an HD-DVD player, and her family's gonna like it.

Even Pepto-Bismol has their own holiday plug out already, and we're still a few weeks away from Thanksgiving.

I find it a little ironic this premature bombardment of Christmas commercialism bothers me.
Being a gamer who constantly has her ear to the ground for future games on the horizon, the holiday gaming season is usually a time of great excitement and expectations. Yes, everyone in the industry, gamers and publishers included, love Q4--the fourth quarter of the year that contains the holiday season.

I mean, you start hearing about Q4 games as early as the springtime, and holiday lists are usually solidified by sumertime. In essence, as a gamer, you're planning your Christmas in July.

I just can't understand why the rest of the world is feeling the need to hawk their Christmas wares so early. I've heard Walmart has already wheeled out their Halloween gear, and replaced it with an abundance of Christmas clutter.

Is Christmas just going to keep coming earlier and earlier? Do companies really have that much more to gain by advertising this early?

Speaking of which, I've got some holiday game suggestions to pull together.

A moment of silence for the lapse of time between Halloween and Thanksgiving that used to be noncommercial (comparatively, anyway).

Saturday, November 3, 2007

exploring game journalism

When I come across something with a title like "the problems with game journalism," I have to stop by and at least skim the content. It's always nice to know what's wrong with you and profession. (And as a journalist, you get that a lot... just about every one of my non-journalism classes finds a way to discredit the media... yes, even my Japanese class. But in some aspects, the news industry does deserve a bit of it)

The editorial I came across was on the Advanced Media Network, written by Michael Kelly:
Mainly that games journalism, in its current state, is largely a shill for moving product. It's either an industry that is so reliant on staying in the good graces of publishers that they sacrifice journalistic integrity, or phlegmatic enough that it is an unwitting branch of a publisher's PR.
This is true. I've seen it happen many times.
Until there exists a core of reviewers and publications that are consistently accurate and unswayed by their relationship to large publishers, there won't be any objective way to determine quality games. If gaming journalism stays reliant on the good graces of publishers, that will likely never happen.
I only wish I could rely on such "good graces." I know this is a double-edged buster sword. As a small blog, I haven't even merited any publisher's attention. Free games probably won't come my way for a long while, if ever. So for now, I have to pay $30-$50 per game to review. Not a cheap price for a non-profit blog. But let's step away from the "woe-be-me"s and look at how these costs may impact other publishers.

Then this got me thinking... what are the costs for giant video game magazines? Given their current popularity, ow much would their profits hurt if they had to pay for their own games? Granted, this isn't a very profound thought, but up until this point in my explorations of game journalism, I'd seen most of the American gaming mags, read over the disgusting "I'm a 13-year-old fanboy who likes to cuss because it's cool" attitude that pervades all of them. So I moved on, scavenging for my news/previews on the Internet, which isn't much better, but, hey, it's the Internet--it's supposed to be a wild'n'crazeh warzone.

I plan on looking into this more, so this is by no means the final word on this post. I'm gonna start with finding what company owns what magazine, and take it from there, keep the post as a reference for myself and any other person who's got an interest in game journalism:

EGM: Ziif Davis Media
IGN: Fox Interactive Media
GamePro: IDG Entertainment
Game Informer Magazine: Sunrise Publications [*couldn't find a link]
Nintendo Power: Future US/Nintendo
Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer, Playstation the Official Magazine: Future US
Edge (a UK gaming mag; my personal favorite): Future US
Hardcore Gamer Magazine: DoubleJump Publishing, Inc

If anyone has any tips, advice or working knowledge about the evolution process that is game journalism right now, let me know. E-mail or comment please :D

Wow, what a total 180 from how this post started. XD

Friday, November 2, 2007

ESRB investigation clears R* guilt from Manhunt 2 hack

For once, a videogame controversy is a) cleaned up in a non-controversial way with a very clear and appeasing solution and b) cleaned up within a day.

I tip my pink, artsy hat at you, ESRB.

To re-cap yesterday's craziness, hackers found a way to remove a filter placed in Manhunt 2's programming that would blur-out the ultra-violent scenes (this was one of the edits made to reduce Manhunt 2's rating from the kiss-of-death Adults-Only to the socially acceptable Mature).

Finger-pointing at ESRB and Rockstar (R*), the game's publisher, immediately ensued. Of course, Jack Thompson was already preparing his attack.

ESRB launched an investigation and its results today, all in a neat and tidy press conference. With all the negative hear-say swimming around the Internet yesterday, I have to say I am surprised at how things turned out.

ESRB had these important things to say in their results:
In the case of Manhunt 2, a) content that was programmed to be part of the game (i.e., visual blurring effects of certain violent depictions) is being modified, b) the content was previously disclosed to the ESRB, and c) unauthorized versions of software and/or hardware are required to play the modified content.

...the scenes in question were playable (not locked-out), programmed to include the blur effect, and fully disclosed to the ESRB.
This quote in particular is a great message, especially coming from the president of the ESRB, Patricia Vance:

Manhunt 2’s rating makes it unmistakable that the game is intended for an older audience. The unauthorized hacking into the code of this game doesn’t change that basic fact.

Very, undeniably true.

And I think I owe R* an apology for being so quick to shriek "Hot Coffee." I don't feel like a complete idiot though, because with its record, it was going to be very unlikely that I gave R* the benefit of the doubt.

And I still think they're completely like the Fox News of the videogame industry :P (I need to stop saying things like that if I ever hope to get a internship/job)

Let's all hope this is the last YFG will have to report on Manhunt 2.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Rockstar -- history repeats itself

Incredible. Manhunt 2 hasn't even been available to the public for 24 hours and shenanigans similar to that beloved episode of "Hot Coffeegate" (see previous post; hit CTRL+F and type "Hot Coffee") are already unfolding.

A hack allows a portion of the edited-out Adults-Only content of Manhunt 2 to become visible. This hack, according to a statement from Rockstar (R*) to GamePolitics, produces an illegal version of the game and is only playable on an unauthorized, modified PSP system.

After doing a minute's research in the Internet, I found all you need to access the hack is a homebrew-enabled PSP (meaning the PSP can play content made by your regular programming genius), and a few initialization files. Kotaku sums this up handily:

The hack, one that the general public will most likely never see, as it requires a disk image of Manhunt 2, software "back up" tool UMDGen and the editing of a pair of initialization files to explicitly turn off the added filter. No one will accidentally stumble upon this hack, unless they went through the above effort or happened to illegally download a modified version of the game.
Although R*'s statement to GamePolitics seemed very apologetic to the general public (unlike when they attempted to just cover-up the infamous Hot Coffee debacle). But still, I'm suspicious that this is yet another silly publicity stunt on their part.

If this hits the mainstream (i.e., an NBC News/Couric and Co. follow-up), it's gonna cause a huge ruckus. HUGE. Like the huge amount that was in Manhunt 2 to begin with huge.

Attorney Jack Thompson has already launched a comment on this on GamePolitics.

Ok, let’s get over the hatred of me. This is a huge news item, whether you agree with me or not. The ESRB made it REALLY clear that if a developer left code in a game that could be unlocked, then that would be a huge violation of ESRB rules.

If the ESRB allowed any code to be left in which could be unlocked, then the ESRB is a goner. That is not an exaggeration. Dennis, you know how serious this is.

1) Getting over the hatred of you is going to take wayyyy more than asking, bub.
2) Huge news item?... ja, it's all over the internets.
3) But yeah, this is probably bad news for ESRB... we may never know if they knew the code was there or not.

Remember: only a portion of the AO-edited-out bits have been found. And so far, Manhunt 2 hacks have only worked on the PSP--the Wii and PS2 versions remain locked. Knowing the devious side of the gaming community though, it may only be a matter of hours until more content is found.

And to R*: way to discredit the already under-fire gaming industry! Seriously, you're Fox News is to journalism, as your games are to the gaming industry!

I no longer feel sorry for you when you have Jack Thompson and a horde of angry parents beating down your door. That is all.
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Remember, as always, YFG is recruiting!

Mainstream media's manhunt of Manhunt 2


On October 30, 2007, I saw it. A preview for Katie Couric's evening newscast with mentions of Manhunt 2. I sunk into the couch a little further. Mainstream media (MSM) coverage of videogames tends to be awkward and painful.

When I watch the news anchors, it seems like they know what they're reading off the teleprompter, but every once in a while, you can catch shimmer of confusion in their eye, as they try to explain a world that often is not easy for non-gamers to understand.

Despite this, Couric's angle on Manhunt 2 is easy to understand and uncomplicated: Manhunt 2 is excessively violent, banned in Britain, but will be on sale in the United States where retailers have been know to sell violent games to minors. The children!! Won't someone PLEASE think of the children!

I have to say, the story wasn't too bad. Then again, it wasn't super-difficult subject content.

The big worry is Manhunt 2 on the Wii, where you wield the Wiimote to command actions like stabbing, and swinging weapons around.

"Unfortunately, it's probably not something that you would want your kids to get a lot of practice on," Mr. Steinberg, a videogame reviewer and author featured in the Manhunt 2 story, said.

I agree. This game is not for kids or the light-of-heart. I think one gamer from the interview summed it up the best.

"The game looks like they made it like this just to make it controversial, just to bring up something because there's really no reason for the amount of violence, the level of violence that was in this game," the gamer said.

This is kind of stunt is not a foreign idea to Rockstar (R*) or TakeTwo. R* published the contoversial Grand Theft Auto games, and not too long ago, got caught up in the Hot Coffee incident, which refers to a mini-game hidden within the code of GTA: San Andreas where the player's character could have sex with his girlfriend. While this game was not too easy to access, and the character's clothes were on the whole time, it caused GTA: SA to be re-rated as Adults-Only by ESRB. R* took the code out in later versions of the game, reducing the rating back to Mature. Some jokingly call this incident "Hot Coffeegate."

While violent games like GTA and Manhunt cause a short-term spike in sales and profits for R*, it tends to hurt the reputation of the rest of the industry. Way to be rude and really watch out for your own industry, guys.

Of course, the coverage on Couric's show also touched on the violent effects of videogames.

"I think we don't know at the moment, but I think this is the sort of game that's most likely to have an affect, games that actually have the players act out the things in a physical way are more likely to have one," Dr. Christopher Lucas, a child psychiatrist from New York University, said.

NBC News Reporter Daniel Seiberg followed up the statement, "Researchers have not found a direct scientific link between playing violent video games and carrying out those acts in real life. But some studies have show children who play certain video games become more aggressive and could become desensitized to violence."

Let it be known to the record that studies reporting such findings typically only study the short-term effects. I've talked to a few professors around campus here, and have been told there are hardly any videogame violence studies that evaluate long-term effects--especially in a way that is reliable and valid.

Regardless, Manhunt 2 is now out in the States. If you don't want it in your house, don't buy it and make sure your kid doesn't get his or her hands on it.

And instead of just decrying Manhunt 2 as a problem, YFG will offer a solution: look into buying other horror, first-person shooter videogames if you don't feel safe having Manhunt 2 in the house.

Resident Evil is easily the most renowned of the genre. Be warned, RE games still carry the Mature (17+) label, but are far less, shall we say, "sadistic" than Manhunt's recent offering. A new installment in the RE series, Umbrella Chronicles, is due out November 13. Resident Evil 4 was recently remade for the Wii as well, and can be found for around $20 now. The first RE game, orginally for the PlayStation1, was recently resurrected for the Nintendo DS as Resident Evil: Deadly Silence and can be found for under $20. And plenty Resident Evil titles are available for the Playstation 2 and GameCube.

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(copyright ESRB 2008)