Skylanders and Disney: Infinity-Breaking the Mold

Hello fellow gamers! I am here to stay and promise to keep posting consistently. Today, I read an article about the new Skylanders game coming out. Skylanders: Swap Force will be coming out shortly, and I can't help but think how fun of a concept Activision has latched onto. Yes, some may see it as a marketing scheme (the article I read from Game Informer stated that you would have to pour $740 into the game to experience every nook and cranny of the full game. That part, I'm not the biggest fan of, to be honest). However, the concept behind this game is something that breaks the mold of the traditional video game. For those not familiar with the Skylanders titles, the games heavily focus on using toys to "upgrade" and "power-up" your gaming characters. Pog-like chips exist in which you place on a small power pad and they link directly to your character on the screen. It's almost as if my boyhood fantasy has come true: Your toys become "real". The link between the real and the imaginary worlds now have a physical connection. I think it's awesome. Skylanders does have competition. The likes of Disney is coming out with Disney: Infinity. The game works in the exact same way as Skylanders. However, with Disney's licensing, their toys will pull in the big names of Jack Sparrow and Mr. Incredible. Though it may be an overzealous financial investment, I believe these games do have some potential to do some good in the gaming world. I'm always eager to see and play new concepts in the video game world. This is one definitely worth checking out.

Halo 4 Going Back to Its Roots

Hello to all! Welcome back to another exciting reimagining of Jurassic Park in blog form! Well, maybe I'm not going to get that crazy with this post. However, I do have some exciting news to announce to all Halo 4 players. Beginning in early April, the ranking system currently being used will be replaced with a system similar to Halo 2 and 3's. It's being called "Competitive Skill Ranking" (CSR) and is harkening back to the competitiveness that made the early Halo titles ever so popular. I think this is a huge announcement and a major change to the game. My friend and I were just discussing this exact issue last night while tearing up in Team Doubles (it doesn't happen often, so I'll gloat when I can). What separated Halo 2 and Halo 3 from the later Halo titles (ODST, REACH, CE, 4) was the ranking system. In Halo: Reach, you progressed in ranking, no matter how bad you did in a match. You could lose 20 matches in a row, but would still earn experience points (XP) and continue to climb the ranks. The franchise that has glorified this system of ranking and leveling up, no matter how bad the performance, is the Call of Duty series. This is one of the major differences between the Halo franchise and the Call of Duty series. Both franchises decided to take two varying approaches to the concept of online chaos. The result is two vastly different styles of gameplay, as well as two different attitudes while playing the games. In Call of Duty, there's really no stress while playing. Sure, you play to the best of your ability and get stressed when matches come down to the last kill, but at the end of the match, you level up no matter what. That level 10 prestiege (MW 2, BLOP 2) is always attainable, even if you can't seem to get the win all that often. However, the competitive offering from the Halo games instigated an additional layer of tension into the multi-player experience. You lose the match, your rank will go down. The top Level 50 isn't attainable by sheer time spent in the game. The wins have to rack up and rack up well, or you're never going to attain that top level. I personally love both franchises and I see positives and negatives to both systems. Needless to say, this system has driven a wedge between players of Halo and Call of Duty. Many gamers side with one franchise over the other, and the differences that create this divide lie within gameplay and how the multi-player experience is set up. So, what is your opinion on the CSR in Halo 4? Is it a positive change or a step back for 343 Studios? Or, do you simply hate Halo and bleed Call of Duty? Let the debate begin!

Back to Basics

Have no fear, readers! I am glad to be back (been a bit busy writing for some websites...and the whole life thing can sometimes get in the way. But, I promise to keep your mind stimulated with all the video game news and ideas that you can handle! So, today I thought I'd hit on a topic I think you'll enjoy. It involves nostalgia, so you know it's good! I'm 24, and grew up in the 90's. Now, the 90's were an interesting time for the world of video games. A battle was raging (much like Sony and Microsoft today), the Internet hadn't effected the gaming landscape, and WCW was a company just beginning to hit its stride (Woooooooo)! During this time of square haircuts and Starter jackets (both of which are making a comeback), the landscape of multi-player was sparse to say the least. Most gamers focused on the single player campaign (I'm talking about consoles, of course). The main draw for the player wasn't interconnectivity or achievements. No, the focus of the player was simple: to have fun. I have recently been playing my N64 a lot and I am having an absolute blast reliving my childhood through classics such as Cruisin’ USA and Goldeneye. Cruisin USA has quickly become one of my favorites to play, and I noticed something when my friends and I were playing. We spent a solid three hours playing the game one night, and I can't describe to you the joy I had. Four friends just sitting around, racing some AI as we complain about the erratic driving of that one blue car. My point? The simplicity of these games is something that might be lost forever. I'm not saying this is bad. I love achievements and am a huge fan of accomplishing and completing challenges and getting rewarded for them. However, the 90's had an aura of simplistic game play that is something to be longed for. While playing Cruisin USA, I was almost relieved that I didn't have online leader boards to compete against. I didn't have to think of all my stats being piled up for me. In games of this era, everything is tracked and stored. When I turned on Cruisin' USA, I didn't have to worry about that. I simply popped in the game and started playing. I love it. This goes for most games of the 90's. The simplicity is something that could (maybe) be implemented in the future. When that happens...who knows where games could go. Sometimes, going back is good.

Big Macs and GTA: A Match Made in Advertising Heaven

Marketing has entered a new age for our generation. In the 1930's, marketers began to hit the radio waves. During the 1950's, these same marketers peppered the television screens of so many with images of cigarettes and beer. So, what's the next step? Well, there's online advertising. We all experience this when we peruse the Internet. Sometimes, we can't even get rid of these ads (thank you, Ad Blocker). However, an untapped market exists in which advertisers are just beginning to scratch the surface. I am, of course, talking about the virtual worlds in which Master Chief, Link, and Samus Aran call home. Yes, the video game is the next frontier for advertising and marketing. Numerous examples already abound within the video game world. Let's take a look at a few. First, we have one that, frankly, surprised me. My friend, whom I frequently play Xbox Live with, informed me about an in-game advertisement for the president. At first, I didn't believe him. Really? Obama advertisements in an Xbox game? Well, it turns out he was right. Voteforchange.com appears on the side of the scorer's table in NBA JAM (Xbox 360). Even more interesting is the fact that the advertisement only appeared in certain states (my home state of Ohio being one of them). This isn't the only game the president's face has graced the virtual playground. A billboard featuring the Big Cheese's head was placed in 2008's Burnout Paradise. Sports games aren't the only target for in-game advertisements. They even show up in the most serious of situations. Imagine: you're a CIA agent. You're sneaking through a top-secret facility to stop terrorists from annihaliting the world. As you creep through the offices, you peek around the corner to make sure no enemies are waiting for you on the other side. The bright light of the SoBe vending machine almost blinding you. Wait, what? Yes, in 2002, Sobe partnered with Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell franchise. Even secret government agents get thirsty. That was in 2002. Think of how it is in today's world. You can't escape ads, whether they're in your video games or on your computer. YouTube has even succombed to the marketing prowess of advertisers. In-game ads aren't going away either. According to Forbes, in-game advertising will double by 2016. The industry already makes 3.1 BILLION dollars. By 2016, that's going to exceed 7 billion dollars. That's a lot of money for in-game ads. You might be asking yourself why advertisers would spend all this money. After all, just becasue I see a cheeseburger on television doesn't mean I rush out to grab a Big Mac. However, Nielsen research would disagree with you. According to Nielsen, NBA Street Homecourt (2007) advertised Gatorade. Surprisingly, sales for Gatorade shot up 24%. Yeah, it works. Weird, right? I really don't have a strong opinion on the subject either way. I think if anything, ads could either create a more realistic experience in games based in "reality" (GTA, Burnout, NBA 2K, etc.) or they could bring the player out of the experience and distract them. They may find the ads confusing and be turned off by the concept of ads "cluttering" their games. What do you think? Leave a comment below if you want your voice to be heard!

The Delicate Fruits of Love

Peach and Mario. Link and Zelda. Sonic and...Amy? Yeah, we'll go with Amy. Hello to all fellow gamers out there in the harsh, cruel world of reality. If you haven't noticed, today is a special day. Today is the day in which card companies and chocolates make all their dough. Yes, today is Valentine's Day! In honor of this holiday focused on love (we all know it's about the marketing), I have decided to write about...love. What is love? What mysteries lie in the depths of our souls that ache to be let out? Well, maybe I won't go that far. I will, though, focus on love in video games. After all, love is everywhere. Here's how I like to think of it. We (as gamers) play games for a challenge. We like to overcome obstacles. We find this fun. However, when we play these games, we begin to get emotionally attached. Whether it be to a game from our childhood or a specific game character, love is always flowing out of us. According to this research study, real people become attracted to virtual people through three avenues: personality, usefulness, and looks (if you'd like to learn more, simply click on the link above for the entire article). Amazingly, we judge these video game characters just as we do real people. It also mentions in the article how we don't like the idea of virtual people realistically looking like humans. However, that's another topic for another day. As we form emotional bonds with charcters, we feel their pain. We feel their joy. We feel the indifference (RPG's, I'm looking at you here). I can attest to this concept of emotional bonding. I remember playing the game Dead to Rights when I was a child. In the game, you take on the role of a police officer in a K-9 unit. At the beginning of the game, your father is murdered and you have to track down the criminals in the city, trying to figure out who murdered him. You finally get your hands on him at the conclusion of the game in a bolier room. It's fisticuffs to the end, a one-on-one match. You might be wondering where this is going. Well, I clearly remember fighting him in the boiler room. My friend had come over and was watching me. I began to yell obscenites at the character. I remember my friend telling me to calm down and that it was just a game. I turned to him and said "I can't. He killed my father. He's got to die". That right there is a perfect example of the emotions I was feeling at the time. I legitimately cared for this guy and wanted this man who murdered my father dead. This emotional attachment is something unique to art. We see these types of bonds in books, movies, and television shows. A great example of a recent video game that has exemplified this type of emotional attachment is Telltale's The Walking Dead. The player is a convict that takes care of a small girl, Clementine. You then take on the role of a father figure to the girl as the game progresses. This relationship is one of the most popular of the year in gaming. Why? The fans have become so emotionally invested in her. According to this article from Game Informer, the craze of Clementine is structured. Everything from the character's appearance to the lines she says is carefully crafted to tug at your heart strings. With all of this in play, us as players can't help but get sucked into her struggle. This attachment goes beyond merely caring for her in-game. A Twitter account exists in which people share how far they would go to save Clementine. People even dress up as her for conventions. People genuinely care for her. I think it's amazing how far we'll go for virtual characters. And you know what? I think we all need a little bit of that. We could all use a little love, virtual or not.

Apparel and Video Games: The Perfect Mix

Video games are a force to be reckoned with. Raking in billions of dollars a year, the industry is a cash cow when it comes to merchandising. Everything from the actual video games themselves to items as strange as light fixtures and ceiling fans have had video game characters adorned upon them (the last two examples are courtesy of Mario). The endless possibilities and merchandising opportunities make the businessman salivate. Here in the United States, there are numerous stores that carry this type of merchandise, specifically clothing. Have you ever longed for a Mario necktie? How about a Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 t-shirt? You can’t go wrong with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 apparel. Having sold over 11 million units and counting for the Xbox 360, this is the hottest game on the market right now. From boys in their teens to men in their 30’s, this type of merchandise sells…and sells well. Now, what if you aren’t into the logo t-shirts? What if you’re looking for more than just a shirt saying “Call of Duty”? Well, you’re in luck. Even specific game modes have their own merchandise. Take, for instance, the Call of Duty mode “Zombies”. Here is a link to a “Zombies” t-shirt. T-shirts aren’t the only article of clothing video games grab a hold of. Pajamas with Mario’s likeness exist. Want a Halo hat? You got it. People want to identify with their games. Gamers are proud of who they are and what they do. What better way to express themselves then through their favorite video game apparel? The best part about video game apparel is the personal satisfaction you get when wearing it. Gamers who love Halo spend hours and hours imagining what life would be like if they were Master Chief (the main character). In reality, the closest thing people will get to Master Chief are movies, virtual reality games (fingers crossed), and apparel. When you stretch that Halo hoodie over your head, you aren’t just putting on a piece of clothing. You’re sending a message. You’re telling people that “I support Halo” and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Some Call of Duty fans might have a problem with it (the games often act as rivals to each other), but all gamers support their games with apparel…and that’s just awesome. As you go browsing the Internet today, searching for that perfect Zelda t-shirt, you may want to check out a website called JJGames. It specializes in old and used games, as well as systems and accessories. I know, I got your video game juices flowing and now you just have to go back and beat Super Mario Bros. for the millionth time. Having trouble finding it? Is it lost in the basement? No need to worry, this link will help you out…and will also help you save some cash! Thanks for reading!

"Contracts" and the Rise of Connectivity

Stealth. Cunning. Dangerous. Silent. Assassin. These words can best describe the franchise that has churned out five commercially successful video games, as well as a number of novels and a movie. The franchise? Here's a hint: you'll never see him coming, unless you spot the bar code on the back of his neck. Give up? Why, it's Hitman, of course. Hitman is a series focused on stealth game play. The object of the game isn't to rain down a hailstorm of bullets in every level. On the contrary, the game hones in on the player murdering people by indirect, and often silent, means. This type of game play, at least for me, is refreshing. I love FPS's (first-person shooters). However, I also like a fresh gaming experience every once in a while. This game gave me just that. It was a great feeling to have complete autonomy over how I killed the baddies in the game. I could cleverly poison them with their favorite drink. I could blow up their car as they were wondering over to it. I could even push them down a manhole. Any way that I felt fit to kill them, I did so. Along with the autonomy (free will), I would also like to point out the addition of a new feature to the franchise. The emergence of the "Contracts" mode has caught my eye. As technology evolves, the increase in online connectivity in all game genres is being felt (take for instance the addition of co-op and stat tracking on the single-player experience of Resident Evil 6). Possessing the ability to communicate with other players of the same game is a significant step for this particular franchise, since the games have always held a primary focus on single-player game play. The new "Contracts" mode allows players to create their own challenges and objectives in the game. So, not only does the player have a sense of autonomy (free will/creation), but they also have the ability to interact with other players online. We can connect with each other by challenging our fellow enthusiasts to garrote (strangle) the three selected enemies, shooting the place up, or stealthily poison the targets. Through these user-created missions, we grow closer to each other. This situation is similar to the rise of user-created content seen in other games. One of my first experiences that ushered in user-created content was the creation of custom maps and game modes in Halo 3 . This idea of customization is only going to grow in the coming years of gaming, and I think it is a great road to travel down. Hitman: Absolution took a risk, and for that, we thank you.