Gaming's biggest rip-offs?

Posted by Doug

12:53 PM, June 30, 2009

Mike Smith, from Yahoo's Gaming section, posted his list of what he believes are the biggest rip-offs in the video game world.

Read his article here.

I disagree with Mike's problem with the new Wii MotionPlus. I think it's cool and pretty cheap.

I have my own list of game rips:

1. Controllers for Xbox 360 and PS3. Seriously? $60? These should be around $39 by now. And don't get me started with the plastic guitars!!
2. Not being able to return a bad game. If stores would accept returns, maybe developers would stop making bad games.
3. Guitar Hero side games (Metallica and Smash Hits). These should be $29 or $39.
Aerosmith's version wasn't even a full game!

Permalink | Comments (0)
Add your comments

November 17, 2008

Embargoes making holiday shopping difficult

Posted by Doug

11:48 AM, November 17, 2008

I'm a savvy shopper. I can't afford to buy every game that comes out; and I certainly don't receive early review copies like others on this blog.

Personally, I trust a handful of critics, friends and reviewers to help me narrow my buying choices. But lately, as we delve into to the flood of holiday game releases, it seems that embargoes levied by publishers are keeping some reviews from getting out in a timely manner.

I've certainly been part of the embargo game in the few titles I have received from game companies, so I understand how the game works. It's usually: "please don't post full reviews until XX/XX/XXXX."

In the last few weeks, I assume, this has made reviews of some high profile releases very scarce. The lack of reviews could also be aided by the fact that some companies are holding review copies back. I'm just guessing here.

Whatever the circumstance, timely reviews of 'Shaun White Snowboarding,' 'Mirrors Edge' and other big-time titles were very scarce, especially from reliable sources, prior to their release. I still haven't found a decent 'Shaun White' review and it was in stores last Wednesday (and the Target-version last Sunday).

I've cancelled a few pre-orders and refrained from making others just from the lack of information out there. I wonder what gives?

I also thought that, by now, we'd have some early reviews of 'Need for Speed: Undercover', 'Animal Crossing: City Folk', 'Left 4 Dead', and 'Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams.'

'Gears of War 2' and 'Resistance 2' had "official" reviews out weeks prior to the games' releases.

Maybe it's last-minute production hassles, maybe it's an attempt to keep plot secrets from leaking out, maybe it's a promised exclusive, maybe it's a publisher's lack of faith in their titles... I can't be certain what's keeping reviews from reaching the public in a timely manner.

I'm probably making too much of a conspiracy out of this. It just seems, to me, that there are some companies that would love to get in a few hundred-thousand quick title sales before a review hits the internet, magazines or television shows.

I was totally psyched about picking up 'Shaun White' this weekend, as long as it got anything over a 7 / 70% / 3-star rating. But, without a review, I'm not buying and I've moved on. Sale lost.

Let's see what happens with 'Need for Speed' and 'Left 4 Dead.'

I know I'm not alone here, the boards are full of "what gives" postings concerning late or non-existent reviews. On the bright side, I'm saving loads of moolah.

What do you think?

Permalink | Comments (1)
Add your comments

Comments

It's because all the companies don't want people to say their game sucks. Word of a bad game travels fast, so all the major companies would like a bad review before a game comes out to affect their sales. I love left 4 dead btw, even though the content is a little bare (but the multiplayer component is excellent).

I love to hear an excellent review here and there, but with companies paying for ads on many of the reviewer's websites and magazines, they have the power to delay a crappy review of their game.

Posted by: Dallasfanboy | November 19, 2008 9:34 PM

August 18, 2008

Column: gaming with your kids

Posted by Victor Godinez

5:12 PM, August 18, 2008

As us gamers turn into moms and dads, a lot of us will struggle with the task of introducing our kids to our hobby.

My own kid has become quite a devotee of the Pixar-based games, with Cars and Wall-E currently in heavy rotation.

So here's my column that ran this past Saturday on what it was like for me growing up as a gamer, and some of the things I worry about and enjoy with regards to my son becoming a gamer.

Permalink | Comments (0)
Add your comments

Michael Pachter: One way or another, EA is going to buy Take-Two

Posted by Victor Godinez

11:23 AM, August 18, 2008

Michael Pachter, Wedbush Morgan Securities' gaming uber-analyst, just sent out a note on the ongoing mating dance between Electronic Arts and Take-Two.

In his opinion, EA will either buy Take-Two through a friendly, mutually-agreed upon deal, or Take-Two will spurn EA once again and EA will go into hostile-takeover mode:

In our view, there are only two potential outcomes: Either Take-Two negotiates a friendly deal at a price close to $25.74, or EA returns to hostile mode. In the former scenario, which we think is most likely, the parties should reach an accommodation within one or two days following FTC approval at a $1 - 2 premium to EA's current $25.74 offer. If Take-Two management overestimates its leverage and holds out for a price in the $30s, we expect EA to go hostile again, likely at a price closer to $20. We don't consider this likely, as we think that Take-Two management understands its lack of leverage, particularly given the dearth of other bidders. If Take-Two management remains realistic and negotiates a price below $27.50, we expect a deal to get done.

Permalink | Comments (1)
Add your comments

Comments

What a d*ck Michael Pachter is. I don't know why anyone listens to his words. Take2 reported excellent earning on 09/04/2008 with a FY08 earning of 2.05. A $20 offer from the idiotic EA would only value Take2 with a PE under 10. While EA itself has a forward PE of 20 for FY09. Take2 has beat the last 6(7?) quarters of expectation while EA has been losing money for the last 5 quarters. If the trends continue, Take2 will offer a $20/share to buy EA in 1-2 year time frame.

Posted by: Wei Zang | September 6, 2008 6:26 PM

August 12, 2008

Column: EA's response to my last Madden column, and the Midnight Gaming Championship in Dallas

Posted by Victor Godinez

4:14 PM, August 12, 2008

As I noted in a previous posting, Electronic Arts was not exactly thrilled with my last column on complaints about glitches and flaws in NCAA and Madden.

So I wrote a follow-up column, explaining that I found some of the responses from EA to be valid, but others less so.

I also wrote about the Midnight Gaming Championship -- a free video game tournament -- currently going on at various McDonald's restaurants around Dallas during August.

Here's the official MGC Web site.

Permalink | Comments (0)
Add your comments

August 4, 2008

Electronic Arts, NCAA 09, Madden 09 and gamer unrest

Posted by Victor Godinez

11:43 AM, August 4, 2008

In my Saturday column, I wrote about the growing number of complaints with EA's just-released NCAA 09 football game and the soon-to-be-released Madden 09.

In the column, I referenced a forum posting from a Madden developer who -- to me, anyway -- seemed to be acknowledging that the new Madden title was missing some key elements that a lot of Madden fans had come to expect.

Over the weekend, I received an e-mail from that developer who said that I had misinterpreted some of his comments, and he noted that he had posted a follow-up to his original comments.

Definitely go read the follow up if you're a hard core Madden fan, because it does seem to address some of the gripes gamers had with missing gameplay settings.

I never did hear from anyone at EA about NCAA, though.

I'll admit right here that I'm not a big football gamer, so I don't really have the expertise to say how critical these problems are (although the videos I've seen of NCAA's problems would be obvious to a catatonic chimp -- here's one, with plenty of profanity), but the unrest among the hardcore fans is undeniable.

Permalink | Comments (0)
Add your comments

June 18, 2008

Column: Companies starting to cater to disabled gamers

Posted by Victor Godinez

5:24 PM, June 18, 2008

I was surprised to discover just how many disabled gamers are out there.

Most of them are playing casual games, and I suspect that's because complex console titles are difficult if not impossible to play when you have almost any kind of serious disability (physical or otherwise).

One product that could help change that, though, is the one-handed Access Controller from modder extraordinaire Ben Heckendorn.

I'm actually interested in doing a larger follow-up story on disabled gamers at some point, so if any of you Punchbutton readers know a disabled gamer (ideally in the Dallas area) who would be willing to be interviewed and perhaps even photographed for an article in the newspaper, let me know.

Permalink | Comments (0)
Add your comments

May 9, 2008

Random thoughts: 'GTA IV' irritations, 'Speed Racer' (the movie) and why Microsoft is making a huge mistake

Posted by Doug

5:13 PM, May 9, 2008

'GTA IV' irritations

I'm irritated a few little things in 'GTA IV' and I wanted to know if anyone else felt the same way.

• I'm frustrated with the pre-missions in some of the main mission segments. These are the simple busy-work parts where you have to drive to a location, follow someone, steal something or chase someone before the meat of the mission begins. It's usually right after these early, easy-parts, that I'm instantly killed because I'm so worn out by what precedes the action... and I'm not paying attention. The real beating comes when you have to start the entire mission over... including the boring easy part. I wish the game would start right where you died.

• I'm tired of the music that plays when the game auto-saves: "Do - do - dum - do." It haunts my dreams.

• What's up with invisible props? I drove across what I thought was an empty patch of grass... then BAM, my car comes to a complete stop with a crashing sound of metal. Slowly, phantom playground equipment appears in front of my car. Where did that come from?

• The Russian clothing store.

• Toll booths

• Jumping a car up to a balcony or other small location where the vehicle becomes permanently stuck.

• Motorcycles seem vanish from Liberty City only when I want/need them.

Quick review: 'Speed Racer' the movie. Too much talking, awesome racing scenes and colors that will burn your eyes. Lop off the first hour and it's great!

Microsoft is making a huge mistake.

This is all anecdotal, but I swear Microsoft is killing themselves by not offering a Blu-Ray player in the Xbox 360.

After the release of 'GTA IV' I have had several friends tell me they were planning on buying a PS3 within the next few days. When I asked them if they had considered an Xbox 360, all of them said they really wanted the Blu-Ray player to watch movies. Every single person said the same thing. And these are non-gamers who are dying to try 'GTA IV' and watch high-def movies.

Even after I explained the virtues of Achievement Points, downloadable content and Xbox Live, the number one selling point for my friends was the Blu-Ray compatibility.

I guess you can point out that the Wii is surviving without a High-Def video player, but it has a broader appeal than both Sony's and Microsoft's systems.

C'mon Microsoft, bite the bullet.

Permalink | Comments (1)
Add your comments

Comments

Biggest gripe: Not being able to access my weapons quick enough & problems shooting in the middle of fist fights.

Doug note: YES! That's pretty awful too!

Posted by: colby | May 12, 2008 10:58 AM

April 12, 2008

Is Resident Evil 5 racist?

Posted by Victor Godinez

6:43 AM, April 12, 2008

As I discussed in my game column in the paper this morning, here's a link to the comments from N'Gai Croal at Newsweek about the portrayal of race in the upcoming Resident Evil 5.

And here's a video of the preview in question (a high-res version is available here):

You might also want to check out this video interview with the producer of RE5. He doesn't address the topic of race specifically, but does say the developers decided to set the game in Africa because the game explores the origins of the zombie virus and Africa is considered the birthplace of the human race.

So what do y'all think?

Permalink | Comments (5)
Add your comments

Comments

It's funny reading those comments. It always amazes me when people find elements that aren't there or overemphasize things. The Japanese didn't create black zombies on the game becuase they like seeing that race of people dying or fulfilling a stereotype. Resident Evil has had all type of zombies in the past. They've had many locations. Are they somehow barred from having Africa as a location? I mean Africa is the location where they found the oldest human remains. The individuals who dig up racist conspiracies are usually the people that are in themselves most racist of all. These people limit society from having fruitful discussions about race becuase if you disagree with any views of theirs it's countered by calling you racist.

Posted by: Anonymous | April 16, 2008 1:21 AM

This is utterly absurd to bring an issue like this up. I see nothing hateful nor racist from this preview nor noticed due to the fact that IT'S A JUST A GAME (Japanese at that). This game is simply geographicly correct and shows the gamers some reality of modern wartorn life in Africa.

Posted by: REfanatico | April 18, 2008 1:28 PM

many people like to say that no one was complaining when the zombies were white or spaniards. but blacks never enslaved or oppressed either group, or at least not on the scale that whites have. people who can't see that are just plain dumb.

Posted by: darthcomputer | April 27, 2008 5:00 PM

Wow! But high-res version not running

Posted by: Congo | April 29, 2008 3:15 AM

Obviously things depend on the broader context of the game and the plot. If the only black characters in the game are zombies, then yes, it becomes one of those ridiculous Hollywood tropes about predominantly white heroes trudging their way out of a dark savage continent (a good film example of this is The Congo, Indiana Jones films, and any action adventure movie set in 'exotic' lands).

The more ridiculous thing is though is how quickly people come to the knee jerk defense of just about anything that comes out and sold on a disc. I love video games, and I've been playing them since I first held an NES controller in my hands. But I don't feel the need to defend every stupid over the top game, and shill for multimillion dollar companies (I'm looking at you Take Two) just because they want to stir up controversy.

Posted by: Sean S. | May 30, 2008 1:03 AM