Typically, gamers like to migrate from one shiny new toy to the next. It’s the nature of the beast. However there are a select few games that can become a default go-to during a slow week or month. Modern Warfare 2 was one such title. Our community thrived on the gamenights and savored the discussion. We talked about Modern Warfare 2 so much before the game came out, we had to start calling it something else so listeners of the Post Game Report would stop sending us hatemail. I edited a 4.5 hour podcast devoted exclusively to Modern Warfare 2. (Technically it was in two parts). On any given night, I could count on the same core group of people to sign into Xbox LIVE and join me for an hour of mayhem.

As is the case with most games, enthusiasm eventually started to wane. Between the glitches, bugs, matchmaking issues, general Call of Duty fatigue, and new games being released, Modern Warfare 2 took a back seat. There was plenty of uproar when the DLC was announced and its pricing was discussed ad nauseum. And of course there is the whole ongoing legal issues between Respawn Entertainment and Infinity Ward. Clearly, it’s been an up and down year for Modern Warfare 2, but every now and then I can throw up a signal flare and enjoy a night of fun with the friends from the Talking About Games.

There is one other piece to this backstory: UncleGamer Radio. Prior to the game’s launch, and in the middle of our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare marathon sessions, Talking About Games Godfather, Parris Lilly was invited to check out the multiplayer component of Modern Warfare 2. Soon after, he recorded an episode of his gaming podcast, UncleGamer Radio featuring myself and Talking About Gamers podcast host, Robert Clarke. What ensued was nearly two hours of borderline irrational fanboy-ism. I really hate to use the ‘f’ word, but looking back, there is no other way to describe our enthusiasm for the game and our behavior on the podcast. I don’t think we were unprofessional and considering we hadn’t played the game, we only had speculation to go on. I think we could have been a little more reserved in our demeanor, but I suppose the counter to that is that you could tell we were genuine in our enthusiasm.

That was then, and this is now. Given the uncertainty and the turmoil, Treyarch has positioned itself to be the premiere developer of the Call of Duty franchise with their upcoming title, Call of Duty: Black Ops. But this game is being released in the same season as the final Halo game from stand-out developer Bungie Studios and to a market that becomes a little more fatigued at seeing things that look a little too similar to the past. (Note: “We” are notorious for asking for something new but flocking back to the same old stuff, so that might be working in Treyarch’s favor. Why else would they include zombies in this game?) Do I think Treyarch is a “bad developer” of course not. I think they are fully aware of the stakes and they have also been blessed with the prior generation of Call of Duty technology to serve as a baseline for their own product. Whatever you think about the online experience of Modern Warfare 2, in theory it can only get better. Other components like audio and visual fidelity start with Modern Warfare 2 quality and will likely be refined and improved (at least I hope so). I have high hopes for this game not because I want to get the taste of Modern Warfare 2 out of my mouth, but because Treyarch both deserves and needs this to be a success. They have been (wrongly) labeled as the hand-me-down Call of Duty developer and a studio prone to sub par quality. Granted, the people making those statements probably aren’t aware of the millions of map packs sold for World at War, but I can’t educate everyone. If Black Ops is a success, everyone wins. Gamers will win because they will have a quality product, Treyarch will win as they shed the Monkey named Infinity Ward off their back, Activision will win because they will make millions upon millions of dollars and will be one step closer to whatever master plan they have for the Call of Duty franchise. (CoD Online? CoD extra fee for multiplayer? CoD Third-Person? CoD…innnnn spaaaaaace?).

The point of all of this rambling to let you know that Parris, Robert and I will be joining forces again tonight (Friday, September 3, 2010) to talk about Parris’ recent trip to see the multiplayer component of Call of Duty: Black Ops. From what I’ve read on the Internet, people are enthusiastic for the changes being brought to the table by Treyarch, and this game has a real chance of turning Modern Warfare 2 into Modern Warfare Who. I’m not sure if that’s entirely necessary, but in this game, there can only be one Highlander. So be on the lookout for that episode. I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s out.

Have a safe holiday weekend.

Be sure to log in with your proper User ID and Password before continuing.

Real ID is a feature that would allow “players to add each other to their in-game friends list through a mutual agreement system that displays their real names alongside their Battle.net account names. According to a Blizzard employee post on the Battle.net forums [July 6th], that Real ID system will remain optional within games, but will be mandatory for both users and Blizzard employees when posting on the forums.” As reported by Gamasutra, “it is not clear how Blizzard plans to enforce the real name requirement” but at least on July 6, that was the path Blizzard chose to take. Sadly, the angry mob was not exactly leaping for joy upon reading this announcement.

I feel like part of the uproar over the initial decision to require Real ID was just the Internet being the Internet. I don’t want to complain about the people that complain because that would be an exercise in futility. But I feel obligated to mention this bullet point: A lot of people just have to be angry at something, even if they don’t know or fully understand the details. It’s a shame we couldn’t poll Blizzard’s finest to see if they understood what was at stake or if they could clearly quantify or articulate their grievances with this proposed policy. I’m not suggesting that every single person against Real ID didn’t know what they were angry at, but there is often a severe case of the blind leading the blind when it comes to Internet fervor.

For the most part, well-formed communities can police themselves. Moderators can step in and exercise executive power, but trolling is typically not appreciated by anyone. If you want to fix something, be part of the solution, not the problem. However, instead of inspiring change for the greater good, the majority is content to sit by and do nothing. It’s a shame people don’t stick to the golden rule any more. Engage an online community with a little respect and that same respect should be shown to you. I guess I live in a world of fantasy where something like that is actually possible. Blizzard, it would seem, does not.

And last time I checked, aren’t there privacy settings everywhere, for everything? Take a minute to see what information is public and accessible by Joe Browser and instead of complaining about lack of anonymity, why not take measures to ensure that truly private information stays private. Lock down your Twitter profile, secure your Facebook account. Don’t accept friend requests from anyone you don’t know. Don’t give your credit card and social security number to anyone that asks for it. These basic steps are the digital age’s equivalent of “Don’t take candy from strangers,” and “Look both ways before crossing the street.” This is Internet Behavior 101 stuff; it shouldn’t be that complicated, and Blizzard should be able to expect more out of its users.

Why is it that people automatically assume the worst case scenario with changes like this? Will every single person with a World of Warcraft account start stalking people in their guild? Will every single match of StarCraft 2 end in friending on Facebook? Of course not! There is potential to stop hiding behind anonymity and start forming genuine relationships. I’m not suggesting the Internet will be a better place once Real ID is implemented as it was initially intended, but I refuse to believe it will be the end of technological civilization as we know it. As Activision’s Social Media Manager, Dan Amrich, stated in his blog, “Real ID, for me, has the potential to validate online relationships and to remove some of the fear and misunderstanding that comes from unclear or guarded communication.”

Now I’m sure some of you are looking at me and saying, “Chris, or is it Sugar Free, or is it iam_spartacus? Why do you hide behind an alias?” I will admit that coming up with a catchy Twitter handle or Xbox LIVE Gamertag can be fun. Each one has a unique story that often ties back into who we are. But I’m not hiding behind anything. Just look at the author of this post: it’s not SugarFree, it’s Christopher Snider. I have enough faith in the people reading my content to not be creepy stalkers, but I also have faith in my own ability to protect the pieces of my identity that need to be guarded from everyone else. Maybe it’s a question of maturity. But if that’s the case and the consensus is to stay behind aliases then maybe all those things the uninformed say about us is true, maybe we haven’t matured enough yet. I hope that isn’t the case.

I hope all of these people aren’t on Twitter using their real names. I hope they don’t have LinkedIn profiles connecting them with coworkers, both past and present. This is where I’d make a joke about MySpace, but I don’t think anyone even knows what that is anymore. And of course, I hope these people aren’t on Facebook with hundreds of tagged photos linking them to family and friends that may not even know they’ve been linked in a photo. If someone knew your full name without Real ID’s help, all of this information would still be indexed on your preferred search engine. It’s the Internet, people. You can’t stop the signal.

Speaking of the Internet, this post is featured on Talking About Games.

So why not spend some free time with me and the rest of this post?

I remember when the PlayStation 2 first launched one of the big selling points was that it could also function as a DVD player, serving two noteworthy purposes out of the box. Do you remember how big of a deal that was? It plays movies too? Compared to offerings today, the PlayStation 2 feature set is rather barebones (although the Wii still can’t play DVDs), but that additional feature was the foundation of the breadth of features the current generation of consoles has placed at our fingertips. And despite the slow burn that is the rise of the Blu-ray disc format and the initial price point of the console at launch, Sony has been somewhat successful with that similar strategy with the PlayStation 3. Last I checked, the PlayStation 3 is, dollar for dollar, one of the better Blu-ray players on the market. The cool thing is, that while it is an acceptable Blu-ray player, it also plays some pretty sweet games.

Now with digital content becoming more and more accessible, these machines are doing so many more things than just playing games. Some might scoff at the new commercials for the PlayStation 3 featuring fake pitch-man Kevin Butler and the “It Only Does Everything” campaign, but the list of features available on the PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 continue to grow. While the quality of games continue to improve and that will always be a primary selling point for these consoles, these companies are working diligently to provide consumers with a well-rounded experience that may, or may not involve actually playing a video game. Spend hours voting in worthless polls submitted by users on the Wii. Walk around in Home for the night and see how many people you can annoy. Check messages and photos on Facebook, post to Twitter, zone out to some music from Last.fm from the Xbox 360 dashboard. This isn’t a sales pitch, just a glimpse at the different offerings available to you, before you consider playing a game.

Then there’s Netflix. One Instant Watch queue and a plethora of ways to access it. Streaming players, Internet connected Blu-ray players, Interntet connected HD Televisions, TiVo set top boxes, home theaters and of course, the major gaming consoles all offer access to Netflix’s vast libray of streaming content. Again, another excuse to turn on your console but not even think about playing a video game. During my little gaming “hiatus” my PlayStation 3 still got a lot of use but all I would do was turn it on and boot up my free Instant Watch disc. My Wii has spent more time being on in the past two months than it has the past two years and yet no Smash Bros., no Mario, no balance boards, no mini games – just Arrested Development and Firefly.

And now Hulu+ is coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3? It seems like as long as you are turning on their console for something, these companies aren’t too concerned with the reason just yet. Sure, software sales are great, but the games will still be there after you finish that last episode of ‘Man vs. Food’. Hulu on your video game console is just another gateway drug. While I don’t see Hulu and Netflix alone selling someone on a $300 piece of technology, word of mouth and second hand experience might be enough to spark interest. Bring in new consumers through something familiar like Hulu or Netflix and keep them around for Rock Band or even Halo. There’s no telling where an path starting with Hulu could take a prospective Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 owner, but these companies are banking on the potential of extended console use that may include video games, but it doesn’t necessarily have to.

As I said, it seems like these companies are caring less and less about the reason you are using their console as long as it’s their console you are using. There is a steady increase of content that doesn’t require twitch reflexes or a bluetooth headset to enjoy and I couldn’t be happier. I might not be turning on my Xbox 360 as much to enjoy Beast Mode or a legitimate matchmaking experience with my Firefight, but I know Microsoft can’t be too disappointed as long as I’m turning my Xbox 360 on for something. These consoles are true multi-purpose devices and as the number of additional features continues to grow, it’s likely that this combined repertoire might outshine the original intent of these devices. I’m not sure if that keeps Microsoft and Sony executives up at night or if it helps them sleep better. One thing is for sure though, each time we get a new feature to enjoy it makes me more and more excited to be a gamer. We get all the fun toys.

This post is featured on Talking About Games. Tell ‘em SugarFree sent you.

Be sure to stretch and clear out any valuables before continuing.

To be fair, this topic was initially put forth by Talking About Games’ Community Manager and Podcast Overlord JVB on an episode of the Post Game Report. His position in the discussion, while a bit of devil’s advocacy, had some merit to it: Are the same people that criticize the PlayStation 3’s apparent lack of success giving a free pass to Kinect over so-called potential? There has been a lot of talk about the potential of Kinect as a legitimate source of gaming entertainment for every gamer out there, enthusiast and less enthused. But there was also a lot of talk about the potential for the PlayStation 3 leading up to its own launch in 2006. Now, four years later, there is still debate about whether Sony has delivered on their promises. Some have argued that the quality and quantity of stellar games on the PlayStation 3 have not met the staggering expectations the universe put on then-CEO Ken Kutaragi’s shoulders. I’ll let you decide if the PlayStation 3 is worth your money.

But the real question is: Are the same people that were (or still are) hypercritical of the PlayStation 3 after falling victim to the Siren’s Song of Potential walking the exact same path with Kinect? The problem with this back and forth is that both fun and value are subjective. The Madden franchise lost me as a fan in 2004. I just stopped caring about it. But there are still plenty of people that will mysteriously become ill on a certain Tuesday in the middle of August when the next game is released. That’s their prerogative. And thus, when we look to analyze the success or failure of Kinect in six months or a year from its debut, please remember that your opinions are just that.

When we look at Kinect and what it will bring us immediately and what it will bring us in the future, will we have the same tolerances and wishful thinking or will the hand that fed us something truly unique have bite marks all over it? If you are going to take a wait and see approach with Kinect, then be prepared to wait and see. While developers have had access to this technology for some time now, I don’t think most of them really know what to do with it yet. Most of the first generation of software resembles polished proofs of concept while the real fun will come out in the second wave of Kinect-based gaming. I could remind you that “good things come to those who wait,” but you already know that, right? I’m not saying that gamers are impatient, but the demand for immediate satisfaction can sometimes be a bit much. Patience, after all, is a virtue.

If you really want my opinion, here you go. Yes, we all got caught up in the hype of the PlayStation 3. No, it has not cured cancer (or diabetes) yet. Yes, there are a lot of great games, regardless of personal preference, available exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Yes, Sony has a long way to go. And yes, I recognize the current capabilities of this device and believe that I don’t have to keep putting off the so-called potential of the system. It is realizing its potential right now. I have similar hopes for both Kinect and Move, and as a so-called gaming enthusiast I am willing to wait and see what materializes. I didn’t need my PlayStation 3 to do everything out of the box when it came to the store shelves and I don’t expect Kinect to do everything we were promised at this or last year’s E3. Honestly, I expect to be let down by a few broken promises before Kinect’s time has passed, but I am willing to be patient to find out.

If you are hypercritical of what Sony hasn’t done, you stand on very shaky ground if you are willing to give Kinect enough space and opportunity to succeed. Don’t back down from your convictions just because you can wave your arms and command your Xbox 360 from your couch. I’m willing to listen to an argument supporting the potential of Kinect, but not from someone that won’t stand behind their belief in the potential of the PlayStation 3. Anyone that has flip-flopped on Sony for the negative is someone with an opinion that is not worth my time. Grow a backbone. Have some convictions. Believe in something, even if it is only about a video game. It’s okay to believe that the PlayStation 3 is a worthwhile gaming machine just as much as it’s okay to think that Kinect might be the next big thing. Just don’t back down from your opinions because everyone else disagrees with you. Are people quick to dismiss the PlayStation 3 over unrealized potential? Sadly, yes. But those same people better be prepared to assume the role of hypocrite if they are just as quick to give Kinect room to grow. In my book, it’s all or nothing.

This post is also hosted on Talking About Games. They are good people.

*This video contains some NSFW (or young people) language. But it’s still funny.

And for what it’s worth, the rest of this post is free of charge.

Gamasutra’s Kris Graft succinctly summarizes “the ‘Humble Indie Bundle’ initiative, which ends this week, allows consumers to pay what they want for a six-game indie bundle, with the option of giving all proceeds to charity….buyers can choose any amount of money to pay for the pack. They can then choose to donate to Penny Arcade’s Child’s Play charity toy drive, the non-profit digital rights advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation or the game developers. Buyers can also decide how they want to split their contributions between the recipients.” Graft offers some additional analysis breaking down the fundraising efforts by platform (Windows, Linux, Mac) as well as a basic financial breakdown of the generosity of gamers; “Contributions to the “Humble Indie Bundle” exploded over the past week, as contributions grew from about $40,000 on May 4 to around $700,000 Monday morning. The total number of contributions grew from about 5,300 to about 82,000, while the average contribution grew from $7.59 to $8.51.”

Since I have the platform to make grandiose statements, I have a few for you to ponder. My theory is that true talent gets rewarded appropriately. Much like the Field of Dreams, if your game is good, it will sell. I know there are plenty of examples of games that deserved to be played by more of us but failed to achieve financial success (Psychonauts and Beyond Good and Evil come to mind). But word of mouth has evolved at an unprecedented rate, even if Psychonauts was only five years ago. Secondly, DRM sucks. The games featured in this “Indie Bundle” are DRM free. Coincidence? I respect a companies right to protect its intellectual property, be it physical or digital but the existing Digital Rights Management methods prevent legitimate consumers from using the product they rightfully own and do not deter those who wish to circumvent protection schemes. So I ask, what’s the point? Finally, gamers are sincere people. Discounting the bunch that will pay as little as possible because they think it is their Mario-given right, the majority of gamers know that goods and services cost money. Even if the price is solely dictated by our own conscience, the numbers show that we are willing to pay for the stuff we want. The key is to make sure these games are worth our time and money and not try to price gouge us with some kind of second rate shovel-ware.

Also, please stop treating gamers like criminals from the beginning and start showing a little respect and you might get some in return. We are, believe it or not, human beings and don’t appreciate being prejudged based on the tendencies of a small portion of gamers. Don’t talk to me about NPD reports reflecting the state of the industry, their numbers are incomplete – omitting digital sales and not including every retailer might provide a decent snapshot of industry trends, but the numbers we see every month are not complete so please do not treat them as an absolute.

I know the solution is not simple. Piracy is a legitimate concern for developers and publishers. Lost revenue impacts more than the bottom line. The effects of lost sales and send shockwaves through companies, impacting jobs and future development plans. I’m not denying that their concerns are real, but the argument is flawed. Last month the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that “difficult, if not impossible, to quantify the economy-wide impacts.” Furthermore, “three commonly cited estimates of U.S. industry losses due to counterfeiting have been sourced to U.S. agencies, but cannot be substantiated or traced back to an underlying data source or methodology.”

I needed to start a new paragraph to emphasize what you just read: the United States Government has concluded that most of the piracy estimates we hear over and over again from companies claiming to lose millions or billions of dollars are false.

I get it, the nature of a business is to make money. If the cost to make a product is X, then that business needs to make at least X to at least break even compared to production costs. Then there’s the matter of paying all of the people responsible, stockholders, taxes, bookies, loansharks, and of course the Mafia. Ok, part of that isn’t true, but I understand the seriousness of piracy’s potential impact on a business model. But if business are approaching consumer behavior with the preconceptions generated by false research then the rest of the equation is worthless.

Piracy is a problem, but it’s not the only problem. The Humble Indie Bundle proved that DRM-free content at a price of the consumer’s choosing, while not perfect is a solid example of proof that we are not the enemy. Give consumers a good reason to buy your content and they will. Approach consumers with the misguided belief that we are all thieves and your business plan will bare no fruit. Ask EA if the backlash from Spore was worth the hassle. Ask Ubisoft PR if their DRM scheme for their PC games keeps them up at night. Surely someone can think of a better way to protect content but not infringe on the rights of their consumers. There has to be a better way to do this, right?

This post is featured on Talking About Games.

Great news ahead, assuming you haven’t upgraded to a DSi yet.

First, some quick basics for the uninformed. Citing the American Diabetes Association, with “type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.” Simply put, if the pancreas cannot produce insulin, not-fun things can happen. Thankfully the technology exists to make living with this disease infinitely more manageable in than prior generations. Of course, if you really want to know more about what it’s like you can contact me directly. I know that I’m combining audiences and making some grossly general statements here, but I want to make sure that the most basic of basics are put out there so there’s some common ground with what I’m about to talk about. When it comes to managing diabetes, the almighty blood glucose test is essential. Depending on who you talk to, these simple tests are performed anywhere from 4 to 12 times a day depending on the person’s needs. This test helps us navigate tricky waters of proper blood glucose management. Each result, when factored with possible exercise or meal planning, determines the right course of action for a person with diabetes. Despite all of the electronics I own, my blood glucose meter, a.k.a. Bart Allen, is the most important piece of technology I own.

It is with that context that I approach the news of Bayer’s Didget. A blood glucose meter that is designed specifically to integrate with a Nintendo DS game. The meter functions like any other blood glucose meter with the added ability to plug into the Nintendo DS’ GBA slot to upload its data to the game, Knock ‘em Down – World’s Fair. Players are rewarded for the blood glucose data based on keeping a regular testing schedule and for having results within an acceptable range. Having not yet played the game, I can’t comment on the quality of the game itself, but the premise alone is sufficient motivation for commentary.

My first question is motivation. Not having children, I don’t truly know what it takes to motivate a child to eat, clean up, sleep, or do anything else. When it comes to something as serious as diabetes, I know that parents have to take a particularly hands-on role in the management of their child’s disease. This is a touchy subject so I’ll try to stay away from preaching, but I wonder if this is really necessary when it comes to teaching (or trying to teach) a child proper management techniques. Maybe the target audience for this device is too young to understand the seriousness of the situation, but is a video game really the right approach to getting them to check their blood glucose on a regular basis?

Thankfully, there is a good amount of customization with the Didget meter. Personal low and high blood glucose thresholds can be adjusted as well as a timer that will remind the child to test after a certain amount of time after a meal. This customization also factors into the key selling point of this device. Recorded blood glucose results impact the amount of “Reward Points” awarded in the game each time the meter is connected to the DS system. When I first heard about this system I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure if Bayer could positively reinforce good testing habits while offering a digitally-based incentive to use their product. What about the days when we are sick and struggling to see a number under 200 mg/dL? If the conversion system is not fair about the realities of living with diabetes, how can anyone expect this meter/game combination to be more than a cheap gimmick? According to the manual, “You earn more points if your blood sugar is within your personal LO and HI blood sugar targets, but you will never lose points for testing more often, even if your blood sugar is high or low.” Additionally, Bonus Points are awarded for testing on consecutive days, further promoting good testing habits.

As a person living with this disease, every blood glucose test matters. Even if numbers spike above 300 or are startlingly below 40, each test is a vital to how we conduct ourselves day-to-day. The reward system for using the Didget appears to support the necessity of testing regularly and embraces the fact that not every result will be 100. The ultimate question, though, is how will a child react to this device? Of course if the game isn’t fun, then all incentive is lost. What we really need is a New Super Mario Bros. game that integrates the Didget blood glucose meter. Bonus lives and power-ups for target glucose results, anyone?

Admittedly, this post is less about video games and more about testing a theory. Can diabetes be made into a game? Is a video game the right method to teach or reinforce good diabetes management? If this is successful, will other companies try to capitalize on the opportunity to combine real-world scenarios with fantasy-world settings? Can you imagine Commander Shepard’s powers being affected by blood glucose in Mass Effect 2? What about averaged blood glucose results used to generate an XP-multiplier in Modern Warfare 2? While I’m skeptical of Bayer’s Didget ability to positively impact blood glucose testing habits in children, I’m hopeful that this is only the beginning. Video games can be more than just an escape from reality. In this case, they can be a positive assist to it. Hopefully this is only the beginning.

This post is featured on Talking About Games.

Eager-reader, you’re on the clock.

First on the big board is Microsoft. As will be the case with Sony, a lot of the potential with Microsoft and the Xbox 360 is unknown. There is no ceiling of achievement set with Natal scheduled to be released this fall. Project Natal could revolutionize how we use the Xbox 360 and introduce a wealth of software to users that we could never imagine was possible five years ago. However, as of this post’s publish date there is still more speculation than certainty surrounding Project Natal. A favorable showing at E3 2010 is absolutely essential if Natal is going to have any chance at getting a favorable reception at launch. If Natal fails to impress, not even Kevin Butler can save Milo.

However Natal is not the only major push being made my Microsoft. With the recent update (read “concession”) to allow USB support for memory devices along with the introduction of a 250GB hard drive, it’s clear that the Xbox 360 will continue to be a source for digital content until its last breath. Full titles continue to be released, most recently Halo 3 and any game you purchase at retail can be installed to the Xbox 360′s hard drive assuming there is enough room. I think it is only a matter of time before a high-profile game will be released in stores as well as through Microsoft’s digital distribution platform. Every aspect of gaming is moving to the cloud, it’s only a matter of time before we have a Steam-like approach to games distribution for our consoles. Of course this will push the necessity for improved broadband access across the nation and the issue of ownership and DRM will be sharply analyzed but these are the types of scenarios we will have to be aware of as Microsoft tackles the coming years.

Which brings me to Nintendo. I think I’ve run out of clever metaphors for Nintendo. There’s no way to approach their business plan because whatever I think simply does not matter to them. Sure, there are still whispers of developers that have not abandoned the more enthusiastic gamer, but will they ever grow beyond that? Sure, Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be fantastic, but is one game this year enough to justify my owning a Wii? Among the many decisions made by Nintendo, one of them was to get the hardware out to as many consumers as possible. Wii Motion Plus, the Wii Balance Board, maybe even the Vitality Sensor sometime soon. All of these peripherals are great, but we are still lacking the software that takes these accessories and leverages them into a gaming experience that is memorable and unique. Now is the time for the software to shine for Nintendo. The install base is still growing, but there must be more out there beyond Wii Sports and Wii Fit Plus. There must be more out there than the traditional first-party mascots. There must be more.

Before you ask, no, I did not forget about the almighty Personal Computer. I accept that PC gaming is a foreign concept to me. I don’t twitch, while I can type without looking at the keys I still have to look down to find specific characters if prompted by the screen. And don’t get me started on hot-keys. But I get it, it’s not for me but that doesn’t mean that PC gamers aren’t people too. As far as the state of computer gaming is concerned, Steam potentially coming to Mac is a really, really big deal. Hopefully this untapped market will represent a notable boost in support for computer gaming as an industry. Of course for the tech junkies, 3D gaming will have a huge opportunity to shine. Gamers with a high-end PC already have a financial and intellectual investment in the latest and greatest technology. I don’t see any reason for 3D to not be accepted by this same crowd. I’d continue on about games like StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3, but that would exhaust my so-called expertise on this one, so let’s just move on.

Which brings me to Sony. There’s a lot of things to like about the state of the PlayStation 3, so let’s start with what we know – it plays Blu-ray movies, quite well. Wireless and bluetooth support come standard with every unit as well as the ability to easily upgrade the hard drive, offering the consumer options instead of limitations. We have raised our expectations about what this machine can do each when the next AAA title hits store shelves. Since its launch, the PlayStation 3 has continued to improve and evolve as a gaming platform and centralized media machine and there is no telling where the ceiling of potential is for Sony. Games continue to improve, firmware updates, while tedious, still increase the capability of the PlayStation 3. This week Sony announced a deal with Major League Baseball to stream out of market games to users through MLB.TV. These are the types of changes we can look forward to seeing in the future. And while these types of improvements may not be exclusive to one console, (see: Netflix), Sony is in the best position to capitalize on the digital market.

One phrase I simultaneously loathe yet love to hear on draft day is “tremendous upside potential”. Honestly I have no idea what that really means, but I interpret as a multi-syllabic way of saying “we’ll see”. At this point in the gaming industry’s life, the iPad is the epitome of tremendous upside potential. No, my position on the iPad has not changed, I still do not want, nor do I need one. But I can acknowledge the potential. I risk speaking without first-hand knowledge about the capabilities of the iPad, so I recommend you listen to Episode 132 of UncleGamer Radio for out-of-the-box impressions and a hefty dose of kool-aid regarding the possible future of this device. It seems like there’s a lot to like, and as I said, tremendous upside potential for future iterations.

We’ve seen what this year has already brought us – week after week of stand-out releases until our bank accounts screamed for mercy. It feels like this is the first year that the gaming industry is truly embracing the fact that there are twelve months in the year, not four. This small step towards progress is one of many that the industry will be making in the coming year and years. Each major platform has the opportunity to continue to expand the capabilities of what they can offer to an continually increasing audience. Whether it be hardware or software, there is plenty to anticipate as 2010 picks up steam into the fall release season. After all, E3 is only a couple months away.

Oh, and for the sake of the introduction to this post, here’s my big board: PS3, Apple, 360, PC, Wii.

This post is featured on Talking About Games.

I mean it, I’m not talking about video games. What? You don’t believe me?

I’m not going to talk about how the 3DS, while prematurely leaked, feels like a pat on the back after my rants about the DSi XL. Nintendo is notorious for their incremental upgrades on both software and hardware, especially in the handheld market. GameBoy Color, Advance, Advance SP, Micro, DS, DS Lite, DSi, DSi XL, and now 3DS? Who knows what will arrive in the next 12-18 months. I’m not discounting the advancements made by some of these devices, but did we really deserve such incremental upgrades and improvements year after year? Is that how we like to be treated as loyal consumers? Of course I’m not going to talk about how Nintendo will be able to leverage this new technology to its greatest potential with new Mario, Zelda and other notable first-party franchises to lure new and old gamers to spend their money on a new handheld device. I’m not going to talk about how all of this talk of a brand new Pokemon game built for the 3DS has me contemplating saving some money for the future, and I’m most certainly not going to mention the fact that I will be facing a moral dilemma when Pokemon Black/White comes out. When I’m told to only pick one – am I black, or white?

I’m not going to talk about how little I care about Respawn Entertainment right now. Yes, it is good to see that Mr. West and Zampella still have the drive to develop top-tier video games, but realistically how soon will we see any kind of progress from that studio? Maybe two years if we’re lucky. Until then there will be plenty of quality games to distract us while Activision continues to throw mud at West and Zampella and let Infinity Ward, and the Modern Warfare faithful get caught in the crossfire. After weeks of back and forth, I think it would be better for the industry as a whole if the next Call of Duty game did not shatter records as its predecessors did. I’m not looking for the staff of Treyarch or Activision to lose their jobs, but that everyone needs to have a piece of humble pie before the end of the year. After potentially gouging millions of gamers with the price of the Stimulus Package, Activision has raised their expectations for this fiscal quarter’s revenue. Instead of humble pie, Bobby Kotick and company will be doing things with hundred dollar bills that I most definitely cannot talk about on here. Consumers are told to vote with their wallets; now we will see what this round economic democracy will yield in the coming months. I’m not going to talk about the level of fear I have for the future of downloadable content. It is written on all our faces.

Oh, and I’m not going to talk about Gears of War 3 leaving the warmth and familiarity of November for a more reasonable launch window of April 2011. I get it, people spend more money around the traditional holiday season. More money spent means an opportunity for greater revenue, but video games aren’t released in a vacuum. Aside from the plethora of video games scheduled to be released between September and December, nearly every other product available is aggressively priced for your and my dollar. Specifically within the video game industry, there is typically a sharp increase in titles, regardless of quality, fighting for space on store shelves in those months. Common sense would suggest that if the end of the year is too crowded then the best policy would be to find a different release window that isn’t as hectic. It would seem common sense is a bit slow on the uptake, but there is a glimmer of progress. But let’s not talk about the successes of Mass Effect 2, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War 3, Heavy Rain, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Sure, some of these games are noteworthy enough by the name on the front of the box, but if there’s little to no competition, doesn’t that increase the chances of financial prosperity? And yes, I’m well aware that Halo: Reach — and more importantly Project Natal — are taking up Microsoft’s spotlight this fall, but doesn’t it just make sense for every concerned party to give Gears of War 3 its own time to shine? But like I said, I’m not going to talk about release windows, Gears of War 3 and especially not Cliff Bleszinski.

Truth be told, it was a slow week. There wasn’t much to talk about that you probably haven’t already read or heard a dozen times. There’s no way this industry could keep up the pace set forth at the beginning of the year. Consider this the calm before the storm picks back up. We don’t have to talk about Madden being the beginning of the traditional release season. We don’t have to talk about expectations going into E3. We don’t have to discuss the dominating presence Project Natal and PlayStation Move will have this fall and winter. There’s plenty of time to get into how the industry is evolving, but the time is not now. I’m not going to talk about any of that.

This post is featured on Talking About Games.

Bring a calculator, there’s lots of number crunching ahead.

Full disclosure: I didn’t pay for the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package. I received a download code from Robert Bowling after PAX East. Whether you think that invalidates my opinion for the rest of this post is up to you, but at least you know the facts. For those of you outside of the loop, here are the basics: Modern Warfare 2 is a very successful game, both critically and financially. Previous installments of the Call of Duty franchise have seen huge successes with their after-market support, specifically financially. Seeking similar financial success with Modern Warfare 2, and much to the chagrin of consumers, the Stimulus Package Map Pack was priced at $15. Internet rage ensued and we all waited to see what would happen. Would enough people “vote with their wallets” to send a clear message that this kind of aggressive pricing would not be tolerated?

In a word: No.

To put the Stimulus Package in proper context we need to take a look at the track record of downloadable content covering past Call of Duty games. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare only had one dose of anti-”mapathy” in their Variety Map Pack, but the numbers — over 9 million downloads in its first two weeks — speak decibels louder than words. Proving that our purchasing habits were not a fluke, three separate Map Packs for Call of Duty: World at War each sold over one million downloads within the first week. All priced at $10, it’s not hard to extrapolate a few assumptions based on the behavior of consumers over the past few years.

Which brings us to the Stimulus Package: five maps — two of them remakes — for $15. Sure, it was a big risk for Activision to bump up the price. But considering the data on past downloadable content, is it really that unreasonable to see why they chose to take this risk? Of course, it comes down to money. I’m sure there were plenty of people in Activision board room meetings hypothesizing revenue and feedback to pricing just one of World at War’s Map Packs at $15, but the timing was not right. But something this risky needed the backing of one of the biggest multimedia releases of all time to support the price point. Numbers do not lie. Consistently atop the Xbox LIVE Leaderboards, billions of hours logged on multiplayer, and now Day One records for downloadable content all belong to Modern Warfare 2. Over one million downloads in the first 24 hours and over 2.5 million in the first week. At the new price of $15, there isn’t enough time in the day to describe the stacks of money that are piled on top of the stacks of money in Activision’s vaults.

And what of the dissenters? As soon as the details of content and price were released, the most recognizable and immediate response was “booo.” I’m sure there were online petitions — just like the ones to boycott Modern Warfare 2 on the PC — and angry forum posts for as far as the eye could see. But none of that mattered. In this instance, the vocal minority has been put in their place. It’s not to say that Infinity Ward isn’t listening to complaints (about price points or game glitches) but the results speak for themselves. Welcome to the next stage of gaming; I hope you saved your pennies.

Infinity Ward’s Creative Strategist, Robert Bowling stated that the price was set by Activision and it was up to Infinity Ward to figure out how much content they could deliver. That kind of a mandate from above, along with the ongoing legal battles, doesn’t really show off the most engaging relationship between these two companies. I could speculate for days about this situation. Maybe Infinity Ward wanted to charge $10 for the same content. While we will never know what kind of discussions or debates occurred over this content internally, externally we are all witnesses to the results. Millions of dollars supporting Activision’s bottom line and a new acceptable standard for pricing after-market support has been set in stone.

This is what voting with our wallet has gotten us. Enjoy.

This post is featured on Talking About Games.

[One More Thing] I normally write these posts in a vacuum. Focus on the task at hand and move on to the next one as soon as possible. But something about this post made me think of an earlier editorial I wrote about DLC and Left 4 Dead 2. I won’t make you read the whole thing, but the conclusion is worth reading again, and not just because I wrote it:

“Have you heard the anecdote about a frog in boiling water? If you try to put a frog in a pot of boiling water it will jump out but if you place it in cold water and slowly turn up the heat it will not react to the gradual change. Now substitute gamers for the frog and the cost of DLC on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the pot of water. We have all been oblivious to the price creep over the years and are virtually helpless to do anything about it now that we finally notice something suspicious going on around us. Prices have slowly risen over the years to the point that we barely react to the fact that we are paying $15 for an arcade game and $10 for a map pack with almost no complaint. The debate over DLC is not about whether it should be available for a price, because we already lost that argument. The debate is about price point. How much should something legitimately cost? What is the value of 800 MS points? These are the questions we are forced to ask because we never spoke up in the beginning, because we didn’t know any better. I wish this weren’t the state of the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Network, but the water is already boiling. Our only hope is to pay as much attention to the market and properly respond when something is out of line: TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled says hi.”

-On Frogs and Finance. 8/7/09