Saturday, November 28, 2009

Excessive Merchandising?

So, it's no secret that Japanese RPG behemoth Square-Enix likes to create tie-in products for their Final Fantasy installments. Gamers have seen it all before: first with Final Fantasy X and then in somewhat greater force with XI Online and XII.

It stands to reason, then, that they'd go the same route with the soon-to-be-released Final Fantasy XIII. Sure enough, we've got the ever-present FF-themed soft drinks, the collectable figures, and even a pretty sweet-looking special edition PS3 console.

But good old Squeenix always has something bizarre and financially questionable in store for us. Always. This time? Perfume. Yes, friends: now you, too, can smell like a rosy, peachy, feminine video game character with this wonderful Lightning perfume.

Oh, Japan...

Monday, November 16, 2009

A Few Bits of News

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's IWNet service has been cracked, allowing people who pirated the PC version to play online multiplayer with those who legally purchased the game. I'm going to reserve comment on this one... I think I've thrown more than enough vitriol at Infinity Ward and Activision for this game already.
  • Thief 4 is underway at Eidos Montreal. Or perhaps I mean Thiefourf. Wonderful logo work there, Eidos. Anyway, they made this announcement months ago, but I'm just hearing about it now, so... so... yeah.
  • Martin Sheen did some voice work for Bioware's upcoming Mass Effect 2, proving once again that big-name celebrities just do not fit in video games.
  • And finally, some unknown German video game magazine has hopped on the they-tried-to-pay-us-off-for-a-good-review! bandwagon, this time with Ubisoft and Assassin's Creed II. Knowing Ubisoft (of late), this one's probably legit.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Modern Warfare 2: GameStop's hottest seller... of all time.

A few weeks ago, I'd have taken this news in stride. After all, Call of Duty 4 was an utterly fantastic game, and the guys at Infinity Ward have made nothing but critically acclaimed stuff.

But now, after all the dumb controversy and the dedicated server fiasco and Activision's moneygrubbing, I can't help but be a bit disgusted by the fact that Modern Warfare 2 is selling like cocaine-laced hotcakes. Infinity Ward really screwed the pooch this time by giving their PC gamer fans a great big "f-you" salute... and what do they get for it? A pile of cash to swim in.

I don't mean to act the doomsayer, but I really think Modern Warfare 2's sales figures will spell the beginning of the death of PC gaming as we know it.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Strange Indeed.

"Hold Your Wee For a Wii."

Yeah, there's no way that could end unpleasantly. No way at all.

Except, you know, it did. Bravo, KDND-FM. You killed a woman with your brilliant contest and now you're paying for it. In millions.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

A storm is coming...

I'm trying not to have a glee-induced heart attack. It's tough, with Borderlands being released for PC tomorrow. And let's not forget all the other juicy AAA titles on the horizon: Assassin's Creed II, Dragon Age: Origins, Left 4 Dead 2, Modern Warfare 2 (which I will not be buying... thanks, Activision!)... and then there are the bombs dropping early next year: Mass Effect 2, BioShock 2, and, with any luck, StarCraft II.

Looking at that list makes me chuckle. The video game industry really is all about sequels. Oh well. It's not like I care---after all, Borderlands is about to be mine.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Modern Warfare 2... crashes and burns

For any non-casual fan of one of the more hardcore online PC first-person-shooters, I could simply post this link to Joystiq's article on the subject and rest my case there. However, I think this travesty merits a bit more explanation for those who aren't too familiar with PC games and dedicated servers.

A dedicated server is just what its name describes: a machine dedicated solely to serving clients and nothing else. In the context of PC gaming, this equals a place for a large number of gamers (usually between 8 and 32) to play a game together online. For the last ten years or so, nearly every sizeable online gaming community has purchased dedicated servers for the purpose of uniting the members of their community in yet another way. Clans, teams, and guilds often have dedicated servers for their members to play on. Over time, these servers can even develop their own micro-communities.

This is the way things have been for the juggernauts of online PC gaming for as long as there have been juggernauts to speak of. And now Infinity Ward---or shall I say Activision, their ever-greedy publisher---have come along and decided they'll do away with that system and instead decide that they know what's best for you when it comes to online gaming. This is an incredibly insulting move on their part. Dedicated servers have flourished in the PC gaming scene because they work. People like them. People enjoy having a friendly, competitive community to participate in. Why mess with a winning formula?

The answer to that question breathes life into the conspiracy theorist in me. But before I discuss that, I think it's time for a little background information. Until a few years ago, Electronic Arts (EA) was seen as the evil corporate bully of the video games industry. Well, the age of EA is over, and now Activision seems to be filling their shoes. One man in particular pulls the strings of this software giant: CEO/president/board member/mascot/dictator Bobby Kotick.

If nothing else, Kotick deserves a small amount of respect for his guts. The man tells the truth when speaking publicly about his company and his business philosophy. Unfortunately, the truth is ugly. His wonderfully eloquent bashing of gamers and everything they hold dear has yet to reach the subject of Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer experience... but I have no doubt he's the man behind the idea. Kotick probably hates the idea of an online community he can't exploit for more money, and thus he is doing everything in his power---which you will see, if you look at Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's sales figures, is approximately a whole damn lot---to crush dedicated servers and the communities surrounding them in favor of a matchmaking system that probably embraces microtransactions and other such money-grubbing nonsense.

This is a bad omen for all gamers. I am very afraid of what this man can and probably will accomplish in the future. And all I can do is boycott Modern Warfare 2. I feel so powerless.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Oh, by the way... Tim Schafer is my hero.

The folks over at the Escapist were kind enough to report on Brutal Legend and Psychonauts creator Tim Schafer's appearance on The Late Late Night Show with Whoever's Popular in the TV Comedy Scene These Days. Many thanks to them. I'd almost forgotten Schafer was scheduled to be on the show, so this came as very welcome news. I've never been one to turn down a chance to see Timmy flex his godlike muscles of comedic awesomeness. The guy's a Real American Hero™. No lie.

Try this direct link to the YouTube video if you, like me, reach Hulk-like rage levels when your search for the fullscreen button in an embedded video ends in vain.