The Horizon

Looking to purchase a game this holiday, and can't decide? I got you covered.

Summer's winding down, football is almost here, and so it my favorite season: fall.

Historically, this also marks the end of the "gaming drought". Where the movie studios make their most cash with blockbuster hits every weekend, gaming kinda dries up as it gets hot. Game companies save their big guns for the holiday season, and the first salvo's are already upon us. Madden dropped this week, which is kinda a biggie.

I like to think of this blog not just as a voice for gamers, but especcially for gamers like me. Guys that have played when there were only two buttons, all the way to no controllers at all. But more specifically, the cats who game when they can, despite all the responsiblities of being an adult and parent.

Listen if you have time to get to 10th prestige in a week, more power to you, I'm not hating. I just gotta keep the lights on and kids fed. And I'll still top your ass on the leaderboard by the way, so you're wasting your time. :)

So this time of year really drives home my "problem" with my favorite hobby: too many games, and not enough time or cash to rock them all! I need to be super frugal and selective with my game purchases. That means classics get traded in, and indy hits rarely get a shot.

It was easier when Blockbuster was around, I could give games a chance I wouldn't normally. There's Redbox, but it's usually just the big blockbusters in there.

 Maybe I'll try this Call of Duty thing
to see what the fuss is about.

There's Gamefly, and I've been thinking about going with them for years. But the monthly plan is still too expensive. But honestly, it's not the money investment, it's the TIME. Only the best and brightest make the cut.


And that's exactly why gamers out there should listen to guys like me when it comes to coppin games.  So here's what I'm currently playing, and what I'm defnitely getting this holiday. Fuck Metacritic, I got your real life reviews right here.


Transformers: Fall of Cybertron:

War of Cybertron was a great game, with underrated multiplayer. Plus SHOCKER it was a game based on a toy that was ACTUALLY GOOD. Let me quickly throw this out there too, there was another Transformers game for PS2 that actually was very good too. It didn't have an online component to speak of, but the single player was sick. Each Transformer had their strengths and weaknessses, plus their own "perks". Its never mentioned anywhere, but I believe High Moon studios cribbed a lot from that game, which was smart on thier part. Anyway, you don't need to have played War to play Fall. You just need to love Transformers and blowing the shit outta them. And that's like what, every person playing games today?? Buy this game now, if only for the multiplayer alone. It has all the standard modes (TDM, Capture the Flag etc.), and you can make your own Transformer. My nine year old prayers have been answered! It isn't Armored Core by any means, but it's fun, and very balanced. You unlock perks and weapons, you can "prestige" (Prime mode), and there's even a "Horde" style mode. The single player is dope too. You pick from real transformers, on both sides of the war, and kick ass. So you have a deep game with tons of replay value, which also happens to be based on my favorite toys of all time. SOLD. Buy it.

Madden '13:

 I know my last post kinda shit all over Madden, but in all honsesty this version looks dope. I personally haven't bought the full version yet, but the demo is sick. I love how the new physics engine, TV presentation and adlib commentary really capture Sunday Football. It's what MLB: The Show has been doing for years and Madden finally caught on. Pro sports is played within a defined set of rules, but it's the little things that make it interesting, and EA is finally starting to realize that.  Connected Careers seems very interesting too. I just need some like minded folks to really enjoy that though. I can't roll with some try hard randoms or something like that. So I'm gonna cop it. Shit, once the season kicks off next week I'll be jonesing bad, so I'll have to figure out a way get that in my rotation. Wait, I can take the JETS to the Super Bowl? And win? I'm in. Oh and, who's the top rated Defensive Player in the whole game? Derrelle Revis. #24  REVIS ISLAND BABY

Tekken Tag Tournament 2:

First of all, I love fighting games. Being that Law is the best Bruce Lee clone out of any of them (sorry Fei Long), Tekken is my favorite, so this is a no brainer for me. The original TTT was my favorite game in the series, and one of the best 4 player games EVER. I personally never thought we would see another, and I'm psyched this is almost out. Plus, they didn't fuck around with the roster. 56 fighters, spanning the entire series! And no bullshit on disc DLC (I'm looking at you SFxTK). This one is gonna be molton lava hot, and I'm going to love to rock 4 players on this again. I bought Tekken Hybrid, which included a small demo of TTT 2. The graphics are just as good as Soul Cali 5, and they added way more tag move options. The Law / Paul Deathsquad is back!

Marvel vs. Capcom Origins:

So yes, I love fighting games, and this little gem is definitly worth $15.00. It's got one of my all time favorites, Marvel Super Hereos, plus Marvel vs. Capcom 1. It sucks it's not an HD remake like SSF2: Turbo HD Remix, but I'll take the online play. I gotta break out the fight stick now and then to keep myself honest. Marvel Super Hereos I felt was underrated at the time of it's release. One of it's big gameplay hooks was inspired by one the biggest events in Marvel history: The Infinity Gauntlet. Thanos wields the Gauntlet, which grants him godlike power. Of course, he's using the guantlet to take over the universe blah blah blah queue awesome battles and general asskicking. Gameplay wise you can earn infinity gems that you can activate to buff your charecter or punish your opponent, such as flipping their controls. The VS. series is mad fun but a little too spazzy for my taste, but MSH allows me to kick ass as my favorite Marvel charecter in a more comfortable enviroment. This will be mine for sure.

HALO 4:

Just like the RB I picked up late in the 6th round of my fantasy draft, Halo 4 is the sleeper pick with big upside with XMAS season. Halo a sleeper pick? In my opinion it is. You gotta a lot of question marks surrounding this game. 343 studios is running the show on this one, as Bungie has moved on to new projects. I know we all heard the right things regarding 343: they are super Halo fans, handpicked to keep the torch glowing for M$. But still, it's a question mark. Call of Duty, and it's other "modern" war clones have replaced Halo as the gold standard in console FPS. Halo: ODST wasn't received well, and Halo: Reach, although fucking SICK in my opinion, catches mad hate from COD fanboys and the FPS elitest. Can 343 bring the series back to the throne? Time well tell, but the changes being made to the formula could be the difference, or it's deathnail. I'm voting for the former. Spartan Ops mode is basically free additional campaign content. Halo 4 will also feature loadouts, new weapons and armor abilities. I can't wait. I believe 343's tweaks will anger only the most stubborn Halo fanboys. Everyone else will welcome the changes as an eveolution the series is in desperate need of. I also think it might pull a few COD die hards away from their favorite series. Oh, and Master Chief is back. With the shottie. It's a wrap.

And that will do it folks. Only 5 games Flow? Yea. But these are safe sure bets that I won't feel I'm wasting $60 bucks on. They are all deep, replayable experiences that I can play forever if I want. Santa is coming afterall, and the kids need their stuff too! My lil man's been fiending for Skylanders: Giants (great game), so I'll be getting that too....and all the toys...and the extra adventure packs... As much fun as it is playing Gears with my boys online, nothing beats rocking out Skylanders co-op with the young prince. So add that to the list too.

And what game didn't make the list?

I love COD games ok? I'm still playing Modern Warfare 3. But I'm TIRED of Activision treating COD like a sports franchise. WE DON'T NEED YEARLY VERSIONS! I HATE COD ELITE! Activision is going to ruin COD with oversaturation just like it did with Tony Hawk, Guitar Hero etc. And this whole "future war" nonsense seems like a reach too. I'm going to be playing a future shooter. It's called Halo 4.

Then I'll play it, and want it of course. God Dam it! But I'm going to resist, just like I did with World At War. I got too many games, and not enough time. Until next time....

*buy Transformers.....

NOW!

Are you ready for some MADDENOPOLY??

Let me preface this rant by saying, I love sports. Honestly, sports is one of the only things worthwhile to watch on tv. I'm a huge Jets fan, and will watch any pro football game (and the occasional college). I bleed orange and blue for my Mets, despite getting shit on year after year. I challenge anyone to match my knowledge of MMA (best sport ever).

I run a fantasy football league, I'm in a few others, and I bet more on the NFL then I should say. You want me to join a suicide / knockout/ pick 'em league with keepers? I'm in. I even play MMA pick 'em on KOUNTERMOVE. So you guys get it, I love this shit.

You know what I'm not really into though? Sports games. For alot of gamers, we are about a week away from the most important release of the year. The next installment of Madden. Every year, I think about picking it up, and some years I do. I get home, fire it up, start a career (J-E-T-S of course), maybe even make myself the next big linebacker for gang green. I'll play for a game or two. Then, I'M BORED. For me, one the best things about sports is same thing that makes it shitty to play them virtually: it's the uniformity. Doesn't really matter what field I'm playing on, it's always the same between the lines. It's like, what if every game of COD TDM was played on the same board repeatedly, only against different teams. Sure, you need to develop different strategies, but it'd wear thin, fast.

That's sports games in a nutshell for me. I know there are tons of you that are reading this in utter shock and disbelief. I've watched Maddennation. I know the Madden community is just as hardcore as Street Fighter's, maybe more so. It's just not my bag. Well, it IS, but isn't. If I'm over a buddy's house and he wants to rock some MLB: The Show, or Madden, I'm down. It's mad fun to play against your boys. But then go home and play the computer? Or online? Not the same at all, and it gets boring quick.

BEST. MADDEN. EVER.

It wasn't always like this. I used to play Madden, or NFL Gameday, or the 2k games on the regular. Especially in high school and college. If you're crusty and old like me (33), every time you pop in the next year's Madden you want to relive those Genesis classics. I don't care how good Madden '13 is, you aint toppin '93 on the Genesis baby. With the useless yellow piece on the cartridge, word up! What did that even do anyway? Listen, the entire method in which you pick plays in Madden is basically still the same, based around the GENESIS CONTROLLER. A, B , C buttons bitches!

You know what I'd rather play? "Sports" games that use the video game medium properly. Something different. I know you don't play Madden for something "different", but I that's what I go for. MUTANT LEAGUE FOOTBALL. What? You never heard of it? Here, let me give you a taste.

In a word: BOMB. There's a play called "Kill the Ref", are you kidding? Why has there been only one version of this? (There's a Hockey one too)

 I love NBA Street, NFL Blitz, Base Wars, fuckin Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball.

Danger Dudes '91 Champs WHAT

 It was sports, and it was innovating in ways only a video game can. But straight simulations? They get old I'm sorry. I fuckin played FIFA 2002 everyday one year and I don't play soccer, I just wanted different!

I had a roommate who would play NFL 2k5 everyday until World Series Baseball came out then he played that everyday until NBA Live came out then he played that everyday etc. etc. etc. on and on and on. He'd play me, or single. Sometimes online. Every guy on the Jets, Mets, Knicks and Rangers were perpetual first ballot hall of famers with more rings then Jordan, Brady and Shaq combined. Fuckin crazy. That's a hamster on the hamster wheel.

Don't scoff and think I don't get it. I do. I was in a dynasty league in college for NBA Live '98, before dynasty mode even existed. So I've cut my teeth on plenty of sports games. I still get an itch to go play the latest and greatest. Madden '13 in all fairness looks sick.

Let's take moment of silence for the latest victim of the Madden Curse: Megatron

But you know what killed it for me? EA. Once they bought the exclusive NFL rights, the genre took a big hit. Is Madden the best NFL franchise ever? Of course, yes. But they didn't rule the roost every year. When the Dreamcast dropped and they premiered the 2K franchise, no one played Madden. Believe it or not, there was a time when Sony exclusive NFL Gameday was considered the best option for virtual pigskin. It didn't last long but it's the truth. And you know what happened? EA strapped up. They dropped what sucked, kept what worked, stole some stuff, and created their own innovations. They owned the exclusive NFL experience because it the best, not because it was the only option. Now, we have here a Monopoly. A MADDENOPOLY. And EA has gotten lazy.

With every new generation of consoles, there's the shock and awe of graphic and sound fidelity, and when Madden premiered on PS2 or PS3 it instantly was "Teh best evah" because of that. But then you play it for awhile, and the holes show through. Broken animations. Bugs. Missing features. EA was in such a rush to get their war horse onto the latest and greatest it sacrificed the details that made Madden great. Then there's the excuses, "Sorry about Madden '09 or 10 etc. We weren't used to the hardware, we are familiar now, watch out for next year!"

Or obscure (or obvious) new features being touted as the best thing since bread itself. "GANG TACKLE ANIMATIONS, ONLINE ROSTER UPDATES. COME AND GET IT!" Is the addition of shoe string catch animations, and an updated roster worth 60 bucks? For many of you it's a simple answer.

NEW FOR MADDEN '13: TEBOWING..as a JET

Here's something to think about. Why does every Madden from this past decade add features, only to cut out other established ones? Why does online play work better on certain years? Laziness? Yea, more then likely, in a way. But there's more. EA does this to fabricate hype for a new release. For example, online seasonal play was added, but no online career dynasty (but it was offline). The next year? ONLINE CAREER MODE. Why couldn't that have been there from the start? "We didn't have time." says EA.  No, it's just without any competition to spur them on, they drip new features onto the Madden faithful throughout the console cycle.

2012 is probably last great year for this generation. Wii U is coming, PS4 and 720 will be on the horizon. So of course, this year we will finally have the "greatest" Madden ever, '13. From all accounts, it appears to be the most robust, smoothest, epic gridiron experience ever. Every question has been answered, every concern taken care of. And I'm probably gonna buy it. Didn't expect that did you?

But is it such a coincidence that the last great year of this generation will finally have the Madden experience gamers have been waiting for? Everyone will deny it, but no it isn't. I'm a conspiracy theorist at heart and I know this shit was planned in a board room. Next year's Madden will disappointing, because it will premiere on the "outdated" console. It may be a launch title for 720 / PS3, but it'll be rough. It'll look nice sure, but everything that made '13 so awesome will be gone. And the cycle will start all over again.

Ultimate Arsenal or FloworCrash ARMORY vol 1

So between setting up my Fantasy Football league, and my wife's birthday it's been a little hectic since my last post. I try to get at least one post out a week but sometimes life gets in the way, you know what I mean?

Anyway, anyone ever read The Punisher? It's one of my favorite comics of all time, and it's really been a shame that after 3 movies they still haven't gotten it right. But whatever, that's a topic for another time. One of the many awesome things about reading the Punisher is that every couple months or so they would come out with issues of Punisher Armory. Basically it was pages of cool shit Frank Castle would use in his never ending quest for revenge. There would be a page with a modified sniper rifle, and Frank would describe in detail what it was, how he used it and maybe offer cool anecdote or two.
So let's take it a step further. How many shooters have you played? How much virtual death have you dealt out? Plenty right? I'm sure you had a few favorite weapons in your video game career. I definitely do. So I wanted to take a moment a create my armory issue. Or, how I would outfit my video game super soldier. Fuck balance issues. I'd drop this guy into any game and own it.

OK, so first of all my super soldier would need to be a Spartan. A handsome one at that. No Master Chief ambiguity here. Spartans have regenerative armor, superhuman, and can drive any vehicle and use any weapon. A key element in crafting a soldier that will use weapons from any video game. He would be a master of Jeet Kune Do, Brazilian JiuJitsu, and Muay Thai. And of course, he talk trash better then Cheal Sonnen and Ali on bath salts. Nothing's better then winning when you can let your opponent know HOW BAD they are losing, am I right? Let's get to it, but keep in mind, these are MY favorite weapons, but not necessarily the best in the game they are in.

Lightsaber. (Any Star Wars game) = The melee weapon of choice. Ol' Ben Kenobi said it best, "An elegant weapon for a more civilized age." No weapon is more sick then a lightsaber. Period. And there are plenty of original Star Wars games to allow inclusion in the arsenal.

Hidden Blade (Assassins creed) = Beyond sneaky. When disarmed it's nice to have a little surprise up your sleeve, literally. Fuck it, I would have one on each hand like Ezio.

M90 C.A.W.S. (Halo series) = 8 gauge pump action shotgun with a pistol grip. Ultimate badassery. The finest shotgun in any FPS ever. I love having a shotgun in an FPS, and there's no other I'd prefer then Halo's version. Depending on the Halo game you're talking about, the stats are tweaked a little here and there. Whatever, give me this shotgun over any other. Nothing feels or sounds better.

P90 (COD Modern Warfare) = P90 bitch. Nuff said. This thing may look weird, but it was specifically designed by a Belgium company to maneuver it tight spaces. It also boasts an insanely deep clip and high rate of fire for a submachine gun. In pure COD terms, ill also throw rapid fire on this mutha to create the definitive "lead hose". Fuckin A, on CSI a killer used the 90 to CHOP LIMBS OFF with it. Again, P90 bitch. WHAT

Spreadgun (Contra) = the first "super weapon" in the history shooters. Many pretenders but there's only one original. When you shot one of those metal footballs and saw that "S" you knew it was on. I'm not really considering this a separate gun, but ammo for the guns in my loadout. Imagine any gun on this list with bullets that fan out, taking out multiple targets at once?

M224-1A (Killzone) = I'm normally not a Light Machine gun guy. The ammo size is nice, and it's certainly intimidating looking. Who doesn't want to look like Rambo at the end of First Blood part 2? But usually rolling with an LMG means slower movement, big time kick and LONG reload times. Not with this baby. I wish this gun was in COD. The ISA or Helgast must have developed some space age ceramic metal cause this thing must be super light. No movement penalty and the kick is strong but feels good and definitely manageable. So you get everything you love about an LMG, but nothing you hate. So that means ownage.

Farsight XR-20 (Perfect Dark) = Looking for the perfect sniper rifle? Look no further. This baby has an X-Ray scope. Yea fuck your thermal sight. When you look down the sight of this monster, everything looks like the customs scene in Total Recall. And you can shoot them. Through the walls. Peace.

Hammer of Dawn (Gears of War) = So what's better then calling in an AC-130? Marking someone with a laser so a fucking SATELLITE can rain hot laser death on you from orbit. And I don't need to hide in a corner and count to 11.

So there you have it. My first Armory issue. Those are my all time favs, but there are plenty more. I'd love to hear yours, or how much you hate mine. Come see me online, I'd love to shoot you with one of these.

Vacation thoughts

Just got back from a great vacation with my family, we went down to Myrtle beach and it was awesome. There's almost too MUCH stuff to do!
Anyway I'm back refreshed and ready to go. The trip had me thinking of 2 revelations:

Myrtle Beach Revelation #1: Portable gaming systems are dead.


My man's pissed about it too.

There you go, I said it. I'm also not the only one. With the Nintendo botching the 3DS launch, reducing the price, and now re-launching an XL, the evidence is right in front of you. Playstation Vita, regardless of how sick it is, isn't doing as well as expected. Now, I unfortunately don't travel much, and my days of riding the bus to work are over (thank god, that sucked), so I never really see a need for portable gaming. My two and a half hour flight to Myrtle, and the 5 hour return flight home really opened my eyes to the big picture. It's not that the 3DS or Vita is a bad product, it's just not convenient enough. I got a Droid 3, and the thing does everything. We all know what smartphones can do. I'm listening to music while I play Tetris, stopping to check twitter, texts......Can a Vita do all that? No. Some of it, maybe all of it someday, but not now. Even my kids would rather play Fruit Ninja on my wife's IPAD then dust off their DS. I know that you really can't get a quality "console" experience on a tablet or phone, but I feel the group that really wants that experience is too small to make it a viable product anymore. When I was a kid, I was blessed with the big gray brick, Nintendo Gameboy. I was completely blown away and long road trips became a much quicker. Now there are so many options out there for us and our kids, and dedicated portable consoles are getting pushed aside. Playstation / Nintendo needs their next portable console to be pretty much a smartphone, or don't bother.

Myrtle Beach Revelation #2: Arcades are Dead. Long Live Arcades.

The Skywheel at night

In an earlier post I talked at length of the death of arcades, and my great memories of those days. I'm not going to rehash it here. But Myrtle had me thinking of new ways to invigorate them. We went to South Myrtle Beach at one point, and anybody who's been there knows it's a hot spot. Tons of sun, tons people, tons of stuff to do.
On our way to the Sky Wheel I spot a relic from the glory days. A glassed in storefront taking up almost the entire block. The large green and white sign above read, "Arcade". Simple and to the point.  Back in the day, this spot was probably the epicenter of the arcade scene on South Myrtle beach. Multiple Street Fighter cabinets, next to Dual Daytona 500 machines. Every SNK fighter represented. In short, heaven. Now its 90% ticket machines, crane games and skeeball. Outside of skeeball, it sucks. I give that place props for staying open, but it's a testament of where we were and where we are going.

Wonderworks: The Future of Arcades?

On the flip side we visited a place called Wonderworks, a cool place that teaches kids about science in a fun unique environment. They also had a cool arcade on the top floor, and with a little polish would be a great example of how a future arcade could be.
There was an air hockey game you played with only your hands. A pitching game where you pitch a real baseball against a real major league hitter. A snowboarding game that requires you to really ride a board. They had a slick racing game that takes your picture, and uses that as an avatar. Of course they had ticket machines, but some were real spectacles, like a giant two player Connect-4 game.

If things were a bit polished up, it would be epic. Let's take the all hands air hockey table. The puck was projected on a screen, but it was set at a very low speed. There should be higher difficulty levels, or a better physics engine so the puck changes speed realistically. Or the pitching game, which was awesome, but old. You select from a couple of real life mlb batters, and try to strike him out. You stand in an enclosed area and throw at a screen, which the batter is projected onto. It reads balls / strikes and how fast your pitch was. Sick right? Problem was the ball / strike reading needed to be calibrated, plus the roster needed to be updated. Bobby Abreau on the Phils? Yea right. Again, a little polish and that thing could even crazier. Improved hit detection and an updated roster would do that thing wonders. And let's go back to the Connect-4 ticket game. Listen, it's Connect-4, we all played it. But when you make it 15 feet tall, everyone wants to play it. The mundane needs to be a spectacle. That same philosophy needs to be transitioned to the rest of the games on the floor. Bigger Screens, bigger cabinets, crazier gimmicks. Ever hear of GyroZetter, the game where you can switch between a robot and race car on the fly, AND SO DOES THE CABINET.

My Childhood is crying.

That's right, the cabinet transforms depending on your form. That's what I'm talking about. Spectacle. Fighting games? Bigger and loader has been done before. So what's next? Online connectivity. Every machine is connected around the world, so you can play locally, or across the world. Display matches from around the world throughout the arcade. You see? Spectacle.

COME GET YOUR SHITTY PIZZA!

Dave and Buster's combined an arcade with a Bar / Restaurant with success. However, there's not enough of them. Plus, their food sucks, and it's mostly catered to adults. Chuck E Cheese is great for little ones, and no one else (and their food sucks). There's no middle ground. No family arcade for all ages. A place like Wonderworks showed what might be possible if someone had the balls and money to do it. Powerball is tonight. Maybe I'm that guy!

Used Up

Here's my biggest gripe with playing games nowadays: This talk of game developers complaining about used game sales. Basically, when you buy a used game from Gamestop, you are only paying them. It's pure profit. The developers, programmers, artists, only see money on new sales, not used.
Game companies want to eliminate middle men like Gamestop and get back their market share. I hate this shit! Listen, there's only so much money I can spend on games. With 2 growing kids, that budget (for me) is getting smaller. Used games allow me experience more bomb games, more bang for my buck.

Plus, THERE'S TOO MANY GAMES OUT ANYWAY!!

I mean, let's be real, how many games are on your "I def need to try that" list? How many games have you loved, only to drop it midway cause the next obsession came out?
I love strolling through Gamestop periodically. Sometimes I see a game that shouldn't have fallen off of the radar, like Uncharted, and boom, 15 bucks? Why not? This has happened to everyone reading this right now. Used games and the third party market cannot go away. 
I completely understand and respect where the Game Companies are coming from, but they need to see it from a consumer perspective. They say our game consoles will move away from disc media all together, and we will have to download everything we want to play. Brick and mortar spots like Gamestop will go away, and everything will be full price. In fact, this would be the best news for the EA's and Capcom's of the world. Non-existent packaging and shipping costs only mean more profits. I don't want to go on a tangent but I hope that day never comes. Since it seems we are safe from that scenario for at least for this next generation, I'm not going to go down that road.

Companies have steadily added extra content that can only be "unlocked" with a code. Multiplayer features for example. Every new game has it for free, by it used, and you will need to fork over 5 to 10 bucks to get your full game. Or, there's the subscription model. Pay a one time free for all upcoming DLC content. You will get all of it at a slightly reduced cost, and the developer just doubled its money very quickly.

Then there's the COD Elite service. A premium subscription that ties in all your COD history, plus providing optimized clan support, and in depth stat tracking. And first crack at DLC, or course. This will run you 60 bucks a year. So that, combined with the obligatory COD purchase every year, your 60 dollar game became 120. Boom.

I can't fault game companies for trying different ways to maximize their cash flow. These types of things will never go away. What should never go away however is the used market. If Gamestop and the like are robbing the development houses blind, take it directly to THEM! I have no love lost for Gamestop, being a former employee, but the "game store" has a place. I'm sure Gamestop would rather partake in some sort of profit sharing then risk out and out bankruptcy.

Instead of used sales going directly into a retail store's bottom line, 25% goes back to the developers. Develop a POS system that developers can share with their retailers. Take it a step further, and give back to fans. Is Joe Gamer trading in Modern Warfare 3 for Blops 2? Then that guy gets the first DLC for free. Or get competitive: Trade Modern Warfare for Battlefield and EA will take an additional $10 off.

Retailers will not let their profits go away without a fight, so there should be some give and take. A retailer should offer some sort of insurance that their game will sell. Let's say a super hyped game completely bombs, or is so short it gets traded in right away. The sudden turn around will have the game sitting in the bargain bin before you know it, and completely waste advertising dollars. In that case, the developers profit sharing percentage goes down, or is less on the next big title. Maybe the percentage can fluctuate between developers depending on Metacritic score and trade in sales.
Who knows?

Bottom line is that gamers need an affordable way to buy what they want on a budget, or they will create a way. Ebay, modded consoles etc. Gaming is a big pie, and everyone can have their fair slice, including US!

What do you guys think? Hit me up. Follow me on Twitter (@floworcrash) or you can rock some USED games with me on XBOX or PS3. It's all the same name. See you out there.

Wii Boo?

The next generation of consoles will be here before you know it, and the first of them is coming this holiday season from Nintendo. The WII U.

The WII U has been been demo'd at all the big video game expos since last year. Its big feature is its controller, also known as the Gamepad, which sports a full color display, among other things.

The processing and graphic power is said to be on par with the 360, which leads me to my point. WHAT THE FUCK IS NINTENDO'S ISSUE? The processing power of a supposed "next gen" console with the horsepower of a current one? It’s the perfect metaphor for how Nintendo conducts their business: arrogant and late to the party.

Let's put this perspective. Nintendo has legendary figures working for them. They have legendary franchises. Not good, not great. LEGENDARY. You could make a theme park based on Mario, Zelda and the like and even someone who has never picked up a controller in his life would recognize them. Nintendo's roster ranks up with anything Disney or Marvel has ever put out. If it wasn't for that however, I feel the Big N would out of the console business by now, just like Sega (R.I.P).

No question they are powerhouse, but they are simply a conundrum. Everything they do is a step toward innovation, and two steps away from being current.

The N64 introduced us to the analog stick for the first time, and used it to redefine platforming in Super Mario 64. They took a gamble with a casual market focus, introducing motion controls that actually work with the WII.

But, they held onto cartridges too long as everyone went to discs. Then they dropped the cartridge format, only to use "mini" disks, when people were using DVDs. Their online offerings have only recently taken on any sort of competence, but I only mean in the E-Commerce department. Forget DLC or playing with your friends.

Oh, wait let me get your 100 digit "friend code" so I can silently race you in Mario Kart.

No chat by the way.

Nintendo's has yet to adapt HD into any of it's past systems. The WII U is HD, but should've the WII just have had it to begin with?

These decisions are ones made in secluded arrogance. People love Mario and the crew, and there are a large number of gamers that will do anything to get their latest adventures. Nintendo knows this, but they overestimate this fandom. They feel they can provide a subpar product, but as long as they keep bringing awesome games for their iconic franchises, that will be enough reason to buy. Subpar is a harsh word, to be fair. N64, Gamecube, WII were high quality game systems. But they all had their fair share of faults. Eventually, this attitude will be their downfall.

The Wii U is another example of the Paula Abdul, "2 steps forward, 2 steps back" philosophy by Nintendo. Here we have a system with a unique, possibly revolutionary gimmick. The WII Gamepad is basically a controller with a full color monitor. The Monitor is touch sensitive, and has "near-field communication" abilities (like the Skylander Portal of Power). It has motion controls, dual analogs..It's sweet. But, the processing power is the same as the 360. That's fine for now, but what happens in two years when the "real" next gen consoles drop. Will we be expecting a WII U2? Third party developers have had a hard time with Nintendo's products since the N64. The WII U seems to be bucking that trend and it's getting AAA titles ported over with extra content utilizing the Gamepad. Initially, buying Assassins Creed 3 on WII U will be the more attractive option. Aliens: Colonel Marines, a game I'm pretty psyched about cause of my Alien fandom, will use the Gamepad to be the iconic Aliens "motion sensor". Sounds pretty awesome right? So what happens when the 720 or PS4 drops and COD 6 comes out? You wanna get it for WII U, where my radar and team locations are on the Gamepad screen, but the Graphics look subpar? Or do you wanna get it for XBOX 720, with mind blowing Unreal Engine 4 powered 3D/HD graphics, and seamless online features? The choice is clear.

Furthermore, the Gamepad is dope, but it can only be used by ONE PERSON!! I'm sorry, Nintendo recently announced you can connect 2 Gamepads to the WII U now, in a pure reactionary move. BUT, the controllers are like 150 each. And what if your boys wanna come over and check out the WII U? They get to use regular WIImotes. Yup, the same WIImotes you've been using for years. If you're going to make a system that based around a revolutionary tablet/controller, wouldn't it make sense to make them affordable and available for everyone to play with? The Wiimote should only be allowed to be used in cases of old school games and the like. Who wants to come over and wait your turn to try the ill controller? Lame move Nintendo. The WII movement really happened when all the first adopters had their friends over to try it out. It caught on easily, and now even retirement homes have WIIs. The WII U isn't like that at all.

Nintendo is banking on a head start in this generation, much like Microsoft did with the 360. It worked for Bill Gates and the boys, and the 360 has established itself as the number 1 player in the market. 360 isn't as powerful as the PS3, but the gap between them isn't as wide as the WII U and its future competitors will be. WII U's innovation needs to be a home run, and Nintendo needs to deliver an easy to use online component. A Party system, achievements, etc. etc. Drop the silly "friend codes". Even then, I feel what's under the hood will be Nintendo's undoing. The WII worked cause it was the most accessible gaming experience ever. The majority of folks the WII catered to could care less about framerates and color palettes. WII U wants to be taken seriously as a next generation game platform. It will be. But I think that audience will jump ship when given an opportunity.

Can I say this too? Could the announcement for WII U be anymore snooze inducing? At first, people didn't even understand it was a system! They thought it was some new tablet or something. As critics get their hands on it, we are hearing some favorable things, but I feel the hype machine should be in full swing by now. A console launch is an exciting time to be a gamer, and it seems no one is pumped for it. I know I'm generalizing but it's the truth. Remember when PS2, XBOX, WII etc. etc. came out? Everyone seemed to have an opinion on it. WII U? "Looks cool, I'd like to check it out first." That's the best I've heard.

You know what might help? Nintendo creating something NEW. Super Mario on WII U will be crazy. Zelda in HD will be beyond epic. But instead of rehashing the same tried and true characters and games, how about Nintendo puts the braintrust together and comes up with something fresh. An all new incredible experience built from the ground up to be on WII U. A game that can only be played on WII U. A killer app that doesn't have a mustachioed plumber, electric weasel or an elf dressed in green. Done well, it could be a game changer.

Will the WII U be a success? At first, I believe so. I even think after this holiday season, Nintendo will be wagging their finger at guys like me telling me, "I told you so." Just like they did with the WII. We will go over our friend’s house, or check it out at Gamestop, and be sold. Then at E3 next year, representatives of Microsoft or Sony will stroll to the stage, and pull the cover off their next big gun. And the countdown will begin when the WII U becomes a dust collector under the TV rack.

Street Fighter X Tekken or How my 2 favorite franchises double teamed me to rip me off

STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN 2010 PREMIERE


That video premiered in 2010 at E3. The improbable happened, Ryu vs. Kazuya, on screen! Street Fighter X Tekken was real, and it looked awesome! At least a few drunk conversations with my boys have discussed this match up, and now we get to play it out! There was a tag system, unique game features and modes, and with Capcom behind it, this is a can't miss.

Then I bought it.

Locally the game plays great, smooth framerate, awesome moves. It was really sick to see my fav Tekken characters on a 2D plane, holding their own. It was like they were always in Street Fighter.
The shine quickly wore away. Broken unplayable multiplayer, which after a couple of patches, is still
broken. Missing features like 4 player mode on the Xbox version (even though its written on the box). Then they got me where it hurts the most, my wallet.

Capcom loves reissuing its games. Street Fighter: Champion Edition. Street Fighter: Turbo. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. They always throw on more characters and rebalance the game. And I buy it! It sometimes pisses me off. MvC3 wasn't even out a year before they dropped Ultimate MvC3. I was going to boycott it, before I found out you can play as Ghost Rider. Fuck. SOLD. So it was a pleasant surprise when Capcom announced there would not be another edition to SFxT.

They weren't learning their lesson, they just figured out a new way to rip us off.

12 charecters, 6 tekken and 6 SF, were held off for download later. This isn't uncommon, but to find out that these characters are actually ON THE DISK, was appalling. Pay 20 bucks, and it would unlock. Not color palette swaps or weird novelties no one would use, but real classic characters you want to play with: Lei, Brian Fury, Cody, Guy etc. UNBELIEVABLE. As of this writing they still haven't "released" this yet either. So although the characters on disc, fans are still waiting for the full game.

But that's not all, they nickel and dime you for more "optional" content. Want more gems for SFxT's lauded "gem system" (basically buffs and perks for your fighter), you can't earn them. You gotta pay 2 bucks for each set. And there are tons. How would you like to pay 2 bucks for every new gun or perk in COD? Oh you don't have to, Joe Gamer, but every other guy did and he's shredding you. How about simple things like costumes or even extra colors for basic outfits. PAY UP. I can live without colors and costumes but it's just another thing Capcom wants you to pay for.

Listen, I'm not stupid. I've played games forever. I know all DLC is basically a slick money maker, but when something is so obviously a rip off I can't stand it. When something is worth paying for I'll buy it. More maps on Halo or Gears are welcome. I remember on Soul Caliber 4 the "exclusive" Star Wars characters had to be paid for. Darth Vader for 2 bucks? No problem. But when you promote a full featured game, wag your finger at your hardcore fans and say, "you wont be buying this again in a year" and then give us this?! I couldn't do it. I had been the most excited for SFxT then any other game this year, and I couldn't have been more disappointed. I feel like Capcom and Namco took my favorite characters and slapped me in the face. I brought it back to Gamestop for credit, and picked up MLB: The Show. Using the "Free to Play" model, where you pay for features as you want them, in a full priced $60 dollar game is a travesty to gamers.

Until next time guys. Hope you liked the return of The Code. If you want, catch me online PSN or XBL, gamertag: Floworcrash. Follow me on twitter @floworcrash I'm always talkin games, Mets, Jets, MMA. Hit me up. Talk to you again soon.

We're Baaaaaaack!

Man how does time fly? Its been nearly a year since I posted on code, and that's just uncalled for. I missed a couple of weeks and before you know it, its been forever. Slippery slope they say.

Rest assured I wont let this happen again. In fact this blog needs to grow like orginally planned, and it will.

Anyway, what happened? Being a Dad, working like crazy, my boy's jiujitsu, my little girls takes dance, and, games! It is what it is.

Currently playing Gears of War 3, Modern Warfare 3, Soul Caliber 5 and Ufc 3. Need to get back and beat Deus Ex, and Skyrim. Too many games, not enough time.

So I'm the code has been reactivated. Let's do it. Please join me.