Games are great and they are my number one choice for entertainment, but with that being said there are a few things that seem to be happening that I never want to see.
1. A Halo movie.
I love Halo. Yes, I would marry it. There isn’t a video game franchise that I’ve played more often…but even I don’t give a crap about the story. As far as I can tell there are things in Halo and when I shoot them enough times they die…end of story. No offense to Bungie, but the character and world design isn’t going to attract much of an audience outside of Xbox 360 owners.
Master Chief won’t be able to give any emotion…he’s going to make Optimus Prime look like Laurence Olivier.
2. Digital Downloads.
Yes it’s great that I can download games without having to get off the couch, but eventually this is going to bite gamers in the ass. Publishers want to make money…all of them. EA, Activision, Bethesda…not one of them is less or more evil than the other. They are all looking to get the most money from their product and that doesn’t involve giving the consumer a break.
Cutting out the cost of shipping and manufacturing isn’t going to make games cheaper for us; it’s just going to save them money. No more selling old games, no more borrowing from a friend, and no more competing price drops from retail stores…hello saturated marketplace. Just look at the recently released “gaming on demand” downloads for the Xbox 360.
Not one of them is a deal, most are cheaper in stores…but you can play Dance Dance revolution without the dance pad….Finally! Battlefield 1942 is a decent game at $15 dollars but it’s a shallow shell of a game. Let’s see if they nickel and dime us to death with the updates.
It’s a slippery slope and while I might not ever get a game like Fat Princess without digital downloads, I don’t want the full fledged games to go that route.
3. Beatles Rockband
Yes the Beatles are great. The whole damn family can sing along and be happy. But why is everyone in the biz so hyped for this? Aren’t these the same people that a year ago were condemning Activision for releasing Aerosmith and Metallica games?
Weren’t we all in agreement that band specific music games were nothing more than a ploy to milk us for our hard earned money? Am I wrong in thinking that downloading Beatles songs would have been just as good as having to buy a whole new game?
Yes I’m aware that number 2 is about how I want to buy things in a store and not download them…this is different.
4. Playing Dollhouse
Yes buying clothes for your avatar and furniture for your home is going to make Sony and Microsoft millions of dollars and I don’t condemn anyone who partakes in these activities…but I can’t justify spending a dime on virtual plumage.
It makes me a little ill knowing that there will be people who spend more on virtual clothes than some people will be able to spend on real clothes. Do I really need to spend a dollar on a Quicksilver shirt for an avatar?
Aren’t Quicksilver shirts like $9 in real life? You’re telling me that Quicksilver wouldn’t have paid Microsoft to promote their products? Not only will you have to keep up with the Jones’ in your neighborhood, but the virtual Jones’ as well. I hope they let me run around naked.
5. Money Conversions
I’ve heard Microsoft’s argument that they have implemented the points/dollar ratio so that all the foreign markets will be paying the same price…bullshit.
No matter what they say, the only reason that Microsoft and Nintendo don’t let you just pay for what you buy is so you feel compelled to not waste the left over money you will have after making a purchase. They know damn well how much everything they sell costs in every market, and if they can’t figure it out they should not be in business. They somehow figured out how much Xbox Live should cost in all the markets now didn’t they?
Comments (4)
Yet, all of your points are valid, and I would not want to debate you on any of them!!
Next, why not write 5 things that the gaming world DOES need?
I DEFINITELY agree with #2, as I buy/play almost all my games well after they're released, and am able to get them for much cheaper (off eBay/Craigslist) as such.
I disagree with #3, but it's worth noting I might just be the biggest Guitar Hero nerd on this site. I've loved the band-specific games thus far, and I think The Beatles is bound to be a lot of fun.
No arguments with #4 and #5. Microsoft can be a big douche sometimes.
#2 This is a tricky one, but I'm leaning towards championing digital downloads rather than condemning them. Most of my better game experiences this generation have been with downloadable games: Wipeout HD, PixelJunk Eden, Everyday Shooter, Flower, Burnout Paradise... with the exception of Paradise and maybe Wipeout, it's doubtful that any of these games would have seen retail releases. Sure, making them downloadable essentially gives the publisher/download service way more control and ownership over the games than the consumer has, but it also allows us to see way more daring, interesting games from developers who aren't all about pushing out sequel after sequel to satisfy retail numbers. The already apparent good might just outweigh the potential evil.
#3 "But why is everyone in the biz so hyped for this?" Because it's The Beatles. "Aren’t these the same people that a year ago were condemning Activision for releasing Aerosmith and Metallica games?" Again: The Beatles. "Weren’t we all in agreement that band specific music games were nothing more than a ploy to milk us for our hard earned money?" The Beatles.
#4 Agreed. Why anyone would want to pay real money to change the shirt texture on their virtual avatar is beyond me.
#5 Agreed to the nth degree. I don't have a 360 and this still drives me nuts. It's absolute bullshit and I don't understand why people aren't more critical about it.
I agree on your point about being against a Halo movie, but millions of people play Halo and therefore millions of people would likely pay to see a Halo movie. Cha-Ching!
I fully agree with your fifth point about the money conversions. It really does seem to be a big scam. If money conversions was truly about accounting for the different markets, the consumer would be able to buy games directly, and not some odd point value pre-paid cards leaving consumers with odd left-over values. I guess that's the beauty of gift cards in general though...