U.S. Senators Gunning For Videogames … Again

Four U.S. senators, Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh, Sam Brownback and Hillary Clinton a current US Presidential candidate, have released a letter on Monday to Patricia Vance president of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The senators are calling for a “thorough review” of the system in the wake of Rockstar Games’ Manhunt 2 receiving a “Mature” rating and not the “Adults Only” rating some say the game should have received.

The letter the senators sent also went on to claim that the motion-sensitive controller used with Nintendo’s Wii system “permits children to act out each of the many graphic torture scenes and murders” in the game and suggests that ESRB take the controller’s advanced capabilities “into consideration” in rating future games.

[source: Video Business]

My Opinion:
The video game rating system is just like kids watching cable TV. If the parents are out of the room you know the kids will most likely be watching something they should not. Everybody knows the amount of sex and violence that can be found on cable TV even during the day can be staggering. Every TV in America has a V-Chip installed and it’s up to YOU as the parent to activate the V-Chip and use it. Just like it is your job to not give your kids $60.oo or more for a video game and not monitor what they buy.

Come on they are YOUR children not the Governments. Start taking some responsibility for your lack of action.

Do you want to allow the government to control what you and your family can or can’t watch or even what games people can buy? Then continue to do nothing to fight for your rites and that day will come, sooner than you think.

Nintendo: the company that cares

A Nintendo DS owner recently wrote into the Consumerist about his experiences with Nintendo’s customer service.

After being on hold for all of 20 seconds a very nice gentleman answered, and asked why I was calling. I explained that my son’s DS would not power on and before I could go any further he asked me to provide me with the serial number and after looking up my information (I register all my Nintendo products online) he told me that they would be sending me a replacement DS and all I had to do was ship the old one back to them, they even provided a shipping label. Already happy beyond belief I was even more surprised when they sent it 2 day UPS air!!!! GO NINTENDO!

This is in stark contrast to last weeks dusty PS3 affair when Sony gave another gamer the run around. What’s even more shocking are the other stories flooding the comments sections of various Web sites about the quality of Nintendo’s customer service. One user on the DS Fanboy site said:

We bought a used DS from family-in-law, they said nothing was wrong with it, but you know how it goes, they’re liars. The top screens color was off, only noticeable in game, and the touch screens sensitivity was screwed. Unplayable. We called up nintendo, explained what happened and they said they’d repair it. We get it back, the top screens fixed, but the the sensitivity issue was unsolved. One more call, they apologize and send us a brand new one.

Greatest customer service ever.

Even though Nintendo’s customer service is being highlighted right now, apparently this is nothing new, according to one comment left at the Consumerist.

Whatever your thoughts are regarding the ethics of the consumer mentioned in this article, Nintendo has a very long track record of superb customer service. In the last two years I have come across at least two dozen or so articles praising Nintendo’s treatment of their customers and I have no doubt that reports like these go back even further as I once had to return my old SNES for repairs way back in the day (they ended up sending me a new one instead of replacing a few minor parts that would have been much cheaper).

Now it is possible that the CSR in this article was “lazy” or “new” as some people have suggested, but if you had walked into one of their branch headquarters with the same problem and told the front desk (as many have), you would have probably received the same treatment–if not better, so I’m inclined to say that this is just how their customer service works.

Of course, I take everything I see on the Internet with a grain of salt, but what’s really amazing is that similar incidents were claimed by nearly every poster on both of these sites. Of course, there are a lot of posters arguing that it’s abuses like the original story that cause companies to start strictly enforcing their policies, but it seems to me that Nintendo not only knows about the abuses but is deliberately very flexible and accommodating with them. It seems as though good customer service, the kind which gives the customer the benefit of the doubt, is quickly disappearing, especially now that it’s easier to simply assign complaints a number, and make it easier to ignore those complaints, than ever before. It’s refreshing to hear at least one company knows how to work with it’s public and earn their loyalty instead of just expecting blind obedience.

Wii Virtual Console releases for November 19th, 2007

Wii celebrates its first anniversary today, and big stars from past consoles are coming out to help Nintendo celebrate. Luminaries walking the Virtual Console red carpet this week include Mario and Luigi, Sonic The Hedgehog and Zonk. So throw on your best tuxedo or finest gown, and get ready to party with these video game A-listers.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

Wrecking Crew (NES, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): In the days before Mario and Luigi became sports stars in their downtime between plumbing and saving the Princess, they tried their hands as one-man wrecking crews. With a hammer as their only tool, players take control of the brothers and set out to destroy ladders, rip out pipes, knock down walls and detonate explosive devices. But make sure to plan your path of destruction carefully, as each building is designed as its own clever puzzle—if you’re not careful, you can easily trap yourself in a dead end. Adding to the excitement and challenge are fireballs, enemies and an angry foreman roaming the buildings. They’re all trying to stop you from moving on to the next stage. With 100 buildings to demolish and the ability to construct your own, it’s a wonder Mario and Luigi ever got back to saving the Mushroom Kingdom.

Sonic 3D Blast (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): The evil Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik) stumbles upon an alternate dimension where some odd birds called Flickies have the ability to travel anywhere. In order to get help in his search for the Chaos Emeralds, Dr. Eggman transforms the Flickies into robots that will help him track down his coveted gems. Of course, it’s up to our favorite blue hedgehog, Sonic, to step in and save the day. Jump into this 3-D adventure as Sonic or his buddy Tails, and collect the golden rings to help free the Flickies and defeat the doctor.

Super Air Zonk (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, rated E for Everyone – Mild Cartoon Violence, 800 Wii Points): Zonk is back in Super Air Zonk, the sequel to the shooting game spin-off of the Bonk series, Air “Zonk.” Now moving to a rockabilly beat and able to transform into nine different characters, Zonk lets loose through seven action-packed stages in another battle against his arch nemesis, SandroVitch. Power up Zonk with the classic Meat item, eventually turning him into the champion of justice, Ultra Zonk, or the fearsome Tyrano Zonk in the latter stages of the game. After rescuing his friends from enemies, Zonk can also morph with them to combine powers. Fight enemies with killer tunes belted out from a trusty microphone. Hurl freshly made sushi at them. With its variety of wacky attacks, Super Air Zonk has a sense of humor all its own.

Ghostbusters Teaser Trailer

Vivendi Games is partnering with Sony Pictures to try and turn “Ghostbusters” into a videogame franchise. First title in what the publisher hopes will be a series of “Ghostbusters” games is set for release in fall ‘08 from Vivendi’s Sierra label. I don’t know why I am even posting this you will understand after you watch the vide.

Ghostbusters to be on six platforms by two developers

Variety has revealed even more information about the game based on the unmade Ghostbusters sequel. Apparently, in addition to the talents of the original Ghostbusters, Ernie Hudson, who played Winston Zeddmore, and Annie Potts, who played Janine Melnitz, will also be lending their talents. The article also says the game will be available on all the major platforms, with the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions being developed by Terminal Reality aimed at the “core gamer demographic,” and another version being developed by Red Fly Studio will develop a version for “families and casual gamers” for the PS2, Wii and DS.Terminal Reality, in case you aren’t familiar with the name, developed Terminal Velocity (a great DOS game), the Aeon Flux game, Blood Rayne and the Metal Slug Anthology. Red Fly Studio has started developing only one other game, Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars (I shit you not), though their about page shows some pretty impressive credits, including Deus Ex, Anachronox and the aforementioned Blood Rayne.

More players from the movies does up the chance of Ghostbusters goodness, but with two developers working on games for a total of six platforms, the liklihood these games will be anything more than a “But you used to love Ghostbusters!” holiday bargain bin title plummets much farther than Winston or Janine could hope to reach. Still, gotta keep the faith. Mushroom Men looks just wacky enough to be actually interesting, so you never know. Just have to keep our fingers crossed and see what happens.

(Found via Kotaku).

Kmart selling PS3 for $319 with coupon

Kmart is turning into a gamer’s paradise by selling Playstation 3’s for the low price of $319 with a 20% off coupon you can print out. The coupon is good from Nov. 11 - Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 - Nov. 21. No idea is the coupon is good for Xbox 360 or the Wii but reading the fine print it says nothing about game systems.

Various consumer coupon websites have reported that the above coupon works at select Kmart stores valid this week only (Nov. 11 - Nov. 17). No word if the coupon is valid for Wii or Xbox 360 purchases.

Regardless, prospective PS3 owners are encouraged to take advantage of this deal while they can. Enlarge the above image, print, and check with your local Kmart store to pick up a PS3 for a cool $319 before tax. Go on — get out of here. Shoo.

[Source Gamepro.com]

ATARI Stops Game Development

Atari CEO has resigned as the ailing publisher announces that they’ve ceased any game development. They will still publish titles apparently. Atari is only trying to put a positive spin on a really bad deal for us all.

Amidst concerns about the company’s lack of funds and ability to continue its business, Atari officials announced today that the publisher will “re-focus its operations on publishing and distribution in North America, completing its withdrawal from the production business.”

According to the release, Atari’s operations going forward “will involve title acquisition, sales and marketing, and physical distribution of products from [Infogrames] IESA, its 51% shareholder, and other selected partners.”

Atari has agreed in principle to terminate its Production Services Agreement with IESA in the near future. The company is planning to transfer certain employees and contract other staff on a project basis for a limited period of time. Unfortunately for Atari’s employees, this restructuring initiative will also reduce the company’s current workforce “in order to re-align the Company’s cost structure with its on-going business base.”

Along with the withdrawal from production, Atari CEO David Pierce has also announced his resignation. Curtis G. Solsvig III, Chief Restructuring Officer, has been appointed interim CEO and will assume Pierce’s responsibilities for now. Atari said that an executive search for a new CEO has already been started.

Wii still leading consoles, but for how long?

Video Game Chartz has released the hardware sales chart for America for the week ending Nov. 10, and once again Nintendo’s Wii is first and Sony has come in last.

The Wii came in first for the week at 192, 482, followed by the Xbox 360 at 173,895 and the DS at 142,299. Sony’s PSP came in a distant fourth at 75, 954 and the Playstation 3 came in an even more distant fifth at 63, 788.

All three next-gen consoles saw a jump in sales, though: 31 percent for the Wii, 25 percent for the Xbox 360 and 15 percent for the PS3.

I once predicted the Wii was the future of video game consoles. I said, since the Wii changes how we play games instead of just how we view them, it would be able to over take the Xbox 360 and PS3, which certainly go farther in terms of hardware power but don’t fundamentally do anything different than the original Playstation.

I think a lot of the industry on the console production side is focused on better hardware power for consoles because that’s what has worked before. If you look at the jumps from system to system, what what you notice most in the slide show is the change in detail, from 8-bit to 16-bit to 32-bit and the era of the Playstation, which by my estimation only ended with this generation. The real fundamental change, though, is the change in gameplay.

Indeed, much of Nintendo’s success comes from seeing where the next change in how we play games is going to come from. Likewise, their failure comes from not seeing these jumps. Sony won the last generation because all the other companies that got involved, Nintendo, Microsoft and to some extent Sega, were content to try to do more of the same, and the Playstation 2 just did it better, either because it was more powerful or more deeply embedded. If Nintendo, or anyone else for that matter, had figured out a new way to play games we probably wouldn’t have seen the Playstations dominate as heavily as they did, if they would have dominated at all.

Mario’s adventures across the consoles is a perfect example. Super Mario Bros. defined platforming in the 8-bit era. The next great change you notice is Super Mario 64 and the jump to 3D, which defined the 3D platforming genre. Where Mario failed most is Super Mario Sunshine, which didn’t do anything fundamentally different from Super Mario 64. It may be too soon to call Super Mario Galaxy yet another redefinition of platforming from a historical perspective, but that hasn’t stopped reviewers from doing so.

What really amazes me, however, is the public’s almost unquestioning acceptance of the Wii’s new terms of playing games. Usually people are very slow to accept change. Even though most of the games on the Wii are epic fail at fully utilizing the consoles innovations, the exceptions being first-party games, the console continues to sell out the day stores receive new shipments. Perhaps the public was already thirsty for something new after a prettier version of more of the same from last generation, even if the new doesn’t exactly work perfectly?

The real test for the Wii now is whether Nintendo will continue to string us along from one exceptional first-party game to the next, a third-party company will step in and finally get the motion controls as perfect as Nintendo does so the system can really show what it can do or the Wii slowly fades away into obscurity, something that could’ve been a revolutionary turning point in how we play games but turned into little more than a novelty for most people.

If nothing else, the Wii has shown there is serious money to be made in doing something differently. Hopefully console makers, and developers even more so, will take note.

Alone in the Dark Coming to Wii and PS2

Atari announces today some good news for Wii and PS2 users. Their upcoming version of the Alone in the Dark game will have Wii and PS2 versions. Developer Hydravision will port the game to those platforms while Eden Studios will continue work on the previously announced PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions.

Developed by Hydravision, Alone in the Dark for Wii and PS2 follows the same story as the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC version, where over the course of one apocalyptic night, hero Edward Carnby must uncover the earth-shattering secret hidden in New York’s iconic Central Park.

“Realizing the enormous ambition of Alone in the Dark is a huge technological challenge,” said Hudson Piehl, Vice President of Production, Atari, Inc. “Hydravision has risen to the occasion to ensure Wii and PlayStation 2 owners will be impressed by the gripping gameplay experience.”

The game still does not have a release date.

Championship Gaming Series World Finals

The details on the world finals for the first season of the Championship Gaming Series, sponsored by DirecTV have been announced today. The finals will take place Dec. 6-14 at the Sony Studios in Los Angeles with 12 teams battling for a total of $1 million with $500,000 of that money going to the world champion team. Counter-Strike Source, FIFA 07, Dead or Alive 4 and Project Gotham Racing 3 are the tournament’s official games. In addition a World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade 2v2 tournament will also be held for a top prize of $30,000.

CGS World Final prize distribution is as follows:

TEAM WORLD FINAL
1st Place $500,000
2nd Place $150,000
3rd-4th Place $70,000
5th-8th Place $30,000
9th-12th Place $15,000
MVP $25,000

INDIVIDUAL WORLD FINAL
1st Place DOA4 (men’s) $5,000
1st Place DOA4 (women’s) $5,000
1st Place PGR3 $5,000 (x2) CORRECTED
1st Place FIFA 2007 $5,000
1st Place CS:S $5,000 (x5)

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: BURNING CRUSADE ARENA 2V2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1st Place $15,000 (x2)

Grand Total Prize Purse $1,075,000

CGS WORLD FINAL EVENT SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:
December 6: CGS World Final press conference
December 6: First round day 1
December 7: First round day 2
December 8: WoW:BC 2v2 CGS Championship (Competition will be webcast on thecgs.com)
December 8: Individual World Final (Competition will be webcast on thecgs.com)
December 10: Quarterfinals day 1
December 11: Quarterfinals day 2
December 13: Semifinals
December 14: Final

The CGS official teams participating in the World Final are as follows:

Berlin Allianz
Birmingham Salvo
Carolina Core
Chicago Chimera
London Mint
Mexico City Furia
Rio Sinistro
Seoul Jinhwa
Singapore Sword
Stockholm Magnetik
Sydney Underground
Wuhan Dragon