The Online Pass

It's no secret that EA along with many other publishers hate the money passing around for used game sales.

So EA has decided to start including a code with every new copy of its games called Online Pass, which would effectively make online multiplayer locked for every gamer until they enter the code. (article courtesy of Kotaku)

The used game market is flourishing, especially with a nostalgic interest towards classic consoles and the internet offering cheaper ways to get brand new games at lower prices. However there is also quite an annoying trend of sports games being exactly the same every year, and why pay full price when you could trade in last years game?

That is where gamers might become frustrated at EA, how often do sports gamers trade in their old copies of the game nowadays? Plenty. With this new strategy by EA, those trade in games become practically worthless. Replayability and popularity determine street value of a game, and for a series of games that is the same every year this online pass hurts used AND new games sales for EA.

Think about it, if online multiplayer is locked out without a code why buy a used copy of the game? EA will charge you $10 to allow online multiplayer on the used copies, so without it the game isn't going to sell as fast from the store. In a few years the game chains will give you less for sports games as well as many games since EA will probably push this onto all of their games in the future. So now theres a $10 dollar surcharge if you buy it at the store used, and its completely useless if someone is selling it online unless its still shrinkwrapped. Well the problem is that's a new copy not a used one, so that won't happen very much. It'll probably cost just as much with shipping as a new game from the store, unless the seller likes giving stuff away.

I'm not going to assume every game has to have multiplayer to be replayable, but after a couple of days sports games will certainly get boring. Xbox Live pretty much made going to your friends house unnecessary, and I don't think many will keep buying the game to resurge that interest in Lan parties. I would cheer on anyone who does though, but its inconvenient and it devalues games to lock out the replayability factor of most sports games. Will it pay off for EA? Sure it will because now less money is being made on the side, I can't really blame them for doing this either. Should gamers stand for this?

Not being a fan of sports games I say don't bother upgrading your copies of MLB and NFL ever year. Quite a few people do, and I wonder how much of a backlash this will present to EA, we'll see.

NES sells for $13,105

Many of you might wonder what makes this NES worth 10,000, well you can read the original article here or I can summarize what came with the NES:



Yes, this girl had a boxed copy of Stadium Events. A complete one, with instruction manual and everything, which according to sites only 10 full copies exist.

Jealous? Envious? I sure am.

Funny how the game is basically World Class Track Meet, but an earlier test version sold before the Power Pad came out.

X10: Halo Reach Vidoc

This is the first look we are getting at Halo Reach as a game, i'm liking it.

The "exploration" feel that they want to replicate from Halo: CE is a good move, with Halo 3 falling short in several areas the nostalgic take is a good move. I certainly enjoyed walking around the second level on Halo: CE, although I don't know if this enthusiasm to recreate the exploration feel will work. Halo was an alien world, with nothing you knew about. This is the planet Reach, where buildings make sense and are familiar to human design. If its exploration through a desolate side of Reach, which I bet it will be then maybe that strategy will work.

I also like their emphasis on the importance of the elites, they're so much more fun to fight than the brutes. Going back to the "Wort Wort Wort" babbling and alien language is a nostalgic step back, but this is sometime around Halo: CE so its continuity as well as something we wanted.

Customizable Spartans, I want more of that. I do, and I really also like the environments. The weapons look cool but can't say much until i've tried the beta.

Looking forward to the beta this May.

Sonic 4 Ep.1 Trailer

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

This summer, the first of many awesome sonic titles will arrived.

I am buying this day one on XBLA.

Leave your consoles home when flying

I've gotten into the habit of bringing handhelds or game consoles with me on a trip, short one day trips seeing as I value the idea of getting away from gaming on longer vacations. However, I can understand someone bringing their consoles with them, but you might wanna consider leaving any console you have home.

Seems that technology as "advanced" as the Xbox 360 is a flight risk, until they take it apart.

Apparently airport security takes apart things to find CPU sized explosives hiding in game consoles, and decided to rip out components of the noted Xbox 360. As much as that is drawing the line of paranoia, those security guards seem to make quicker work of the 360 than the Texas repair center does. (Okay, bad joke.)

So, as a warning to gamers out there. If you plan on flying and desire to take your gaming devices with you, do as Kotaku columnist Luke Plunkett says in this article. Carry on luggage only.

So you could fit a Nintendo Wii in your carry on, maybe your Xbox if you don't even have carry on luggage. I think that might raise a red flag to security though, and a "fat" PS3 certainly isn't going to fit in there.

Arc vs Natal

The motion control wars was supposed to start this spring with the Sony motion controller getting a 6 month or more head start over Natal with Arc. Arc is a suggested decision on the name of Sony's motion controller if you didn't already know.

Well I was curious to see what people would say about Arc, but Brutal Gamer brought to my attention that this has changed.

“We have decided to release the Motion Controller in fall 2010 when we will be able to offer an exciting and varied line-up of software titles that will deliver the new entertainment experience to PS3 users." -Kaz Hirai

While I don't agree with Brutal Gamer's article that this kills any chance for Sony to outdo Natal, it is a loss of a good head start for them.

Speaking of Natal, Brutal Gamer also lets us know about a possible November 2010 release (early birthday present 4 me?). They also speculate on this article from MCV about the supposed price and shipping details.

so after sifting through all those articles, i've let it sink in. 50-80 dollars for Natal?! Holy crap, what a good price. Almost a dirt cheap price when you think about it, and if it's just a little better than it was at E3 those 5 million units will disappear FAST!

So now you will have to decide if you have both consoles which to buy first, and single console owners will have yet another piece of hardware for the fanboy flame wars.

Aliens vs Predator: Kill Moves Trailer

Gore Gore Gore!

If the multiplayer has the same level of carnage, I am literally going to be exhausted after playing this game. I'm still debating over getting this game, but jeez it looks fun.

Razer's Xbox 360 Controller

Kotaku's Brian Crecente was drooling over Razer's new $50 Xbox Controller, a modified design with the start and back buttons being placed on the bottom. The D pad was also supposedly improved, I clicked the article thinking to myself there is no way I would b-



.....

W-Wow, I actually like this. It's wired, which seems like a step back but dang it reminds me of the original Xbox controller look. I might actually consider grabbing one of these when it comes out.

Project Needlemouse playable characters

SEGA has decided to tease people on their blog about the upcoming Project Needlemouse. The list couldn't be any more depressing for me but there are 11characters, 5 will be knocked off.

I'm a little nervous about this game now because it's supposed to be homaging the original games, but HOW could they not include Tails as a playable character? I know some don't like him, but he's a little higher up than say Amy. Why is there new characters on the list for a game that is trying to be like the old games?

Chip, Froggy, Charmy, Vector and Big better be coming off that list.

Also, Mr. Needlemouse is a new character?! why, WHY!

Oh well, this is just a guessing game SEGA is playing with us and i'll have to see the actual game. Sonic Unleashed wasn't too bad when I tried it, but the werehog concept was pretty stupid. However, I will have to acquire a copy before I properly slam that game as bad. I've been riding the bandwagon on Sonic Unleashed but I really want to believe Sonic Team did some good things that will carry over into Needlemouse.

One can hope the Sonic Team can get it right this time, the only good thing I can say is that Sonic Team seems to avoid canon. Well, I actually hate that they don't stay true to SatAM the tv show. I am glad I don't see characters like Cream on there as a playable character, she's a pretty pointless character. This also means we won't see the damn werehog experiment again, and being 2D I can't see the characters being voiced. Good, because having the 4kids actors doing them is something I don't want in light of the awful job 4kids did on Sonic X.

Once a Sonic fan, always a Sonic fan. If SEGA is trying to reach fans like me, they better have made a good game.

Halo Reach Trailer Impressions

It's long overdue, but I felt that better quality videos of this trailer needed to seed youtube before I actually posted one. So before you even consider my opinions on this matter, check out the trailer:



When viewing this trailer, I was pretty excited. The graphics/visuals are good, and Bungie stressed the importance of the cinematic scenes being on the in-game graphics capabilities. Good idea Bungie.

Visuals are all nice and everything, but among the ODST soldiers I did not see a single Spartan. True, Spartans like to act alone but seeing one would have been nice. Having said that, the encounters with the characters were entertaining at the very least. I noticed how different each ODST was dressed, i'm a fan of more customization for your character during online matches.

(rant)The helicopters in the trailer excited me, but for a different reason. Many Halo fans wish to drive the pelican, but i'm willing to forgo this in favor of aerial firing. It would be really satisfying to have a mission, where thousands of covenant litter a valley. Your Spartan/ODST would have to "spray" the field, then get down there and finish all of the rest. That is wishful thinking by me, and merely a rant.

For the most part the trailer was good, but there are clearly dissenting people who think the trailer was nothing special. Sure I would like to see gameplay, but it's quite unnecessary since we are getting a beta in Spring 2010 (at least that is what I have heard).

The Halo franchise brought me into gaming, Halo: Combat Evolved was the very first game I played on Xbox. So this early adoption of the Halo franchise makes me biased in many ways, and I get into arguments regarding Halo 3 and Halo: ODST many many times. Halo Reach is going back to the beginning of the fight, the brutes that dominated Halo 3 don't work with the covenant quite yet. So we're going to get more elite combat action, something I feel the lack of made Halo 3 and Halo: ODST disappointing.

So maybe the franchise has fallen in popularity with some, but would gamers truly consider a Bungie made game bad? No, they are a company who has made good games. We can hope Halo Reach is truly magnificent as a game, but we need to calm down when analyzing the trailer. It is just a trailer.

Microsoft Files Interesting Patent

It's become customary for gaming sites to report on patents filed for specific functions being done exclusively for one console. Most patents hardly interest me, but 1UP posted a patent by Microsoft called "User Created Game Guide".

Siliconera reports that the company's game platform strategy director Andre Vrignaud has filed a patent for user-submitted game guides over Xbox Live. According to the patent, the system detects where a player is stuck, and accesses a database with user-made tips for that section.


So an Xbox Live feature that replaces all those starter guides people buy for games, to help you get out of a situation you're approaching the wrong way or unsure what to do. Sounds pretty cool, but wait THERE'S MOOOORE:

The authoring features allow users to capture screenshots and video clips, and to use a digital pencil to mark them. It also may allow for audio commentary and tags, and developers can submit their own guides that will take precedence over user-created guides. There are obvious problems to be ironed out.

So if you're a gamer and you are a big shot with a certain game, you could help others. Just the thought of some random gamer recording audio commentary saying "Alright stupid ass, here's what you're supposed to do" sounds funny and potentially cool for some people to do. I welcome this interesting feature.

Although there is a concern it will make games too easy for people and discourage the "hunt" many go through for achievements and/or progressing through the game. Is the feature innocent enough to avoid abuse by cheap gamers?

Party Chat returning to MW2?

One constant annoyance to some is that if you are in a party when playing Modern Warfare 2, the game automatically puts you in game chat. While not a fan of this feature I didn't let it bother me, and fellow authors expressed their approval of the measure to avoid silent games. Silent being no one talks to you.

However, apparently Infinity Ward has had many complaints according to Analog Hype, they now are considering the idea of lifting the measure.

It's quite ironic since NG4 had an article declaring the race to disable Party Chat in future game releases, making the invention of the feature dead in less than 2 years. Now it might go the other way around, and even if Infinity Ward doesn't change the auto game chat feature other developers might avoid integrating it.

Public Opinion wants it gone, but shouldn't people be communicating with their teams? That is the argument for the supporters of this feature, and we'll see how it turns out.

1.21 Gigawatts of Modding Power

I seem to be attracted to mods in games today, but geez what a nostalgic twinge this one gave me.



That...is awesome.

1UP article

Game: Crysis, can be used for Crysis Wars too.

Left 4 Dead 2 16 player Co-op

Yes you read that right, someone designed a mod to allow 16 player Co-op on Left 4 Dead 2 for the PC.



As much as N4G highlights the chaos of having a crazy match like this, it looks pretty damn fun to me. There's so much going on that if you aren't pro then you would probably be beaten to every zombie that could fit in that game. I'm already laughing at how many people have a chainsaw in that match, and how "efficient" it would be if everyone stood in a group with chainsaws and cleaned out the rooms. Ha!

Here's the server if any L4D 2 PC owners are interested:
128.61.84.131:27015.

Funny Wii Game Satire

The controllers had me laughing, and the funny part is people took this seriously as an upcoming game.

The budget of Modern Warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 has made over 600 million dollars, with the game being so popular people tend to believe it was costly. THAT is what the game market wants you think, that good games take alot of money. Modern Warfare 2 is a defining example of this tactic.

VG Arabia has brought to my attention news from the LA Times that Modern Warfare cost 200 million to launch.

You may be wondering how much of the 600 million plus dollars that takes away, but before you do. Consider that only 40-50 million dollars was actually put into the development of the game.

Activision is definitely money hungry as any other company, and Bobby Kotick certainly does not help that. BUT WHO THE HELL SPENDS THREE TIMES THE COST OF THE GAME'S BUDGET FOR DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING?

We knew this game was coming, we were excited for this game. But with Activision, Ubisoft, and many other publishers in the industry speaking on behalf of the developers. They say the $60 retail standard for games isn't enough per game to offset costs for most games and make the gamble some developers make worth the risk.

I have heard many statements from Activision and Infinity Ward regarding development of this game, but the standard for game retail has slowly increased over the years. I for one do not want to see ridiculous things like the supposed $100 retail for Final Fantasy XIII, it will only be a matter of time before gaming falls because publishers more than developers do this to gamers.

It's alot to ask the gaming development and publishers to change the way they do things, even if its common sense. But for god's sake, NEVER spend more on marketing than the game. This happens with so many games, and when games disappoint we lose as developers scramble to bleed us more for every game. All because of hyping games that don't need hype in some cases, it's completey fine to market. But when you spend more than the game cost to make, that's pathetic.

Reggie Fils-Aime comments on Modern Warfare 2

Nintendo Everything plucked this comment by Nintendo of America's president

...We know that it’s a high-quality title. We know that it will do exceptionally well. Their challenge is going to be sustaining that. It was so big so fast, what happens next week and the week after? Versus Mario is going to sell for high numbers every day now through, really, for the next couple of years.”

And I thought Bobby Kotick was the only one who could look stupid when talking. Of course Mario will probably outsell Modern Warfare 2, but not for good reasons. I agree it could, but only because:

1. Nintendo had a loyal fanbase
Think about it, Nintendo was selling the Wii in great numbers. But with the lack of good titles without the name Mario in it, the introduction of this "version" of Mario with 4 player is going to sell. But how many people don't bother with their Nintendo Wii lately? Quite a few, and this is probably the first Wii game in a long time to be a must have. It's Mario, who doesn't know Mario?! Then again, who hasn't seen the tons of terrible games for the Wii that borderline on gimmicks for the Wiimote.

2. Mario has existed since the 80's
There are plenty of dedicated Mario fans that span across all ages, Modern Warfare 2 is a specific game franchise that doesn't have a specific character (unless you count Soap McTavish). Modern Warfare 2 technically has a smaller follow up if people actually followed the M rated warning on the game(which they don't),Modern Warfare is a growing franchise separate from the Call of Duty franchise as a whole in just several years. It doesn't have the "desperately loyal" fanbase of the Mario fans, the inert Wii owners who haven't bought more than 4 good games a year on their Wii, and the easy-to-manipulate young minds as much.

Heck Reggie should worry about this, because it means they will lose more than just hardcore gamers.

New Modern Warfare 2 gametypes

Blend games gave us the heads up on additions to one of the best selling games of the year. They are as follows in case you want an idea of what you're playing:

1. 3rd Person Team Tactical - "Third person perspective with Team Deathmatch,Domination, Capture the Flag, and Demolition" (6-8 players)

2. Team Deathmatch Express - "Team Deathmatch with shorter time between matches." (8-12 players)

3. Mosh Pit - "Mixed bag of many game modes in one playlist" (8-12 players

Hmmm, lets see. The first one has that third person perspective some gamers craved and awaited following rumors of its existence.
The second one makes camping on the map a losing strategy if you're losing, and also makes it ideal since people will be chasing each other around the map. I bet that gametype will be frustrating when teams are neck and neck.
The last one solves the oh-so-prevalent arguments of what gametype to play, and instead leaves the decision to a crapshoot courtesy of Infinity Ward.

Thank you Infinity :D

Rare Atari game goes for over 5K

I think back to a year ago when I bought an Atari 2600 with 53 games, the Atari was Jet Black instead of wood paneled labeling it the "Darth Vader" edition. Total cost was $60.

Now when someone pays a large amount of money for something they want, I don't flame about it. I would be hippocritical since i just spent $150 on monday to get the Prestige Edition of Modern Warfare 2 (no regrets). When someone wants something, they pay what is asked and thats all there is to it.

Now I take that logic and stand dumbfounded at this purchase of an Atari game for $5,000 reported by Kotaku.

I'm a little annoyed there isn't much to what the game is about, apparently it was sold in a religious store with "albums". So is it a music game? I couldn't figure that out so easily. But geez, five grand? Like I said I won't judge but god what I could do with $5,000.

Xbox 360's flood Craigslist

Take heed for those wishing to get a 360 on the cheap if they don't have one, or had enough with their RROD'd version. Avoid Craigslist.

Icrontic made me aware that due to the oncoming ban for modded 360's, you might notice more cheap 360's on craiglist

Selling for as low as $90 may be tempting, and if you have no intent on playing on Xbox Live be my guest. But if you want to connect to Xbox Live, cheaper does not always mean good value in this case.