For anyone who adamantly watches the comment sections of blogs as I do will have seen Caleb’s opposition to me on numerous issues concerning the next generation. Caleb and I seem to look at the world of video gaming through entirely different prescription lenses.

“It’s funny that you mention graphics whenever you talk about the next gen. Is this a big must for you? Does the next gen have to look realistic or should it have games that differ from what we’ve seen this generation.” - Caleb

In my eyes, a good game is judged by its immersiveness. Photorealistic graphics and a storyline that is both believable and engaging are required in any game I play. Traditionally, I shy away from sports games, and fighting games - they lack the substance of story. As a precaution, I rigourously avoid simulation games as well, namely The Sims, which I feel is the first iteration of the Wachowski Brother’s apocalyptic future of The Matrix. Otherwise, most games are tolerable in my eyes. The story merely has to engage me, and the world of the game must have enough depth to actually feel one with the story. Originality is necessary, however, it is only necessary in regards to story (Myst) and in-game mechanics (Prince of Persia Wall Running, Metroid Prime Morph Ball/First Person switch, GTA’s absolute freedom).

Naturally, the interface is an important facet of gaming, but I have had no problem with certain actions assigned to various keys. Nintendo’s idea to fashion the future of gaming around the controller is a very limited plan. Gamers will not be easily entertained by modest graphics and story if developers put an incredible emphasize on the control style. Interactive swings, thrust, jabs, shots, punches, and other bodily movements may sound cool, but does it really add anything to the game experience? When you watch a movie, do you insist on acting out every movement of the actor on screen? Do you even desire to manually rotate your finger over and over as the VHS tape fast-forwards, or to make the DVD jump ahead? No. It isn’t necessary. It is like using two sticks to make a fire instead of the chemical advancement of lighter fluid.

Nintendo’s new controller is merely leading us to an age where we will virtually be smashing a chisel against a rock in an effort to discover the wheel.

Caleb’s brutal slanders of the XBox 360 in his recent comment were completely unfounded. While most of the early releases for the XBox 360 are sports games, the system has been out for less than a week. Let us not forget that when the Nintendo DS came out, it had a gaming library consisting of…Super Mario 64 DS. The only high-rated game. And it was just a revamp of an older game.

Yet, Caleb’s complaints about the XBox 360 gaming library stem from the fact that it consists of sports titles and sequels. Well, let me ask, what is wrong with a sequel?

Sequels are not the same as their predecessors. They merely carry on the same name, characters and familiar characteristics associated with the original. Sequels are great! Developers collaborate to shed the flawwed game features of the elder game, in order to carry over only the best to the sequel. A sequel presents a new engaging story that is interwoven into the reality of the first, and allows us to relive an entirely new experience with familiar characters.

Looking over the XBox 360 “early launch” gaming library, it is evident that there are some sequels. No harm, no foul. There are some sports titles, but face it, those sell really well to an adult demographic. There are also three original titles. THREE. In a launch library of seventeen titles. That may seem like a small percentage, but no system can unveil all of their original concepts at launch. Any gaming company will tell you that some of their best gaming ideas are kept under wraps to act as fuel to get through the five-year console lifecycle.

So, the XBox 360 lacks 100% originality in their launch titles. Yet, look at the launch titles scheduled for the Revolution. Metroid Prime 3. Super Smash Bros. Revolution. Those are sequels, are they not? This is because Nintendo is notorious for milking their successful franchises. Look at Mario Party (7)? Four versions of Nintendogs? If Nintendo continues milking, the tit will be shrivelled and lifeless.

This brings me to what is seemingly, the biggest difference between Caleb and I. Caleb is a huge Nintendo fanboy (who jumps to the conclusion that Nintendo will save gaming when the PS3 has such potential). I, on the other hand, am willing to look at all three big gaming companies and criticize the holes in their strategies. These holes are doomed to continue into the next-generation.

The future of gaming lies with handhelds, where competition is centred around story, concept, in-game mechanics, and graphics.

It would seem that the comments Caleb made in regards to my previous post were a tad naive. In Stratford, there are very few stores that deal in gaming (and all things related). Microplay is available, as well as a freshly opened EBGames. These two locations - taking preorders for the XBox 360 - discovered that the supply would not meet the demand. Disgruntled consumers turned to their last refuge - Zellers.

On the eve of November 21st, at approximately 11:30 PM, the first XBox 360 consumer arrived at the doors of Zellers and began to wait it out. Early on the morning of November 22 - at about 4:30 AM - a legion of consumers arrived at Zeller’s red gates excited for the hunt that was sure to begin. Anticipating the arrival of the new system, there were upwards of 30 people furiously crammed on the front porch.

When they were finally released inside, a platoon of six Zellers employees was on staff in Home Entertainment to ensure that a riot would not ensue over the coveted system. Amongst these were the Merchandise Operations Supervisor, and the Sales Supervisor - as well as four other Zellers associates. The consumers approached the counter anxiously; they had failed to comprehend that Zellers had received only 6 of the Standard XBox 360s, and 4 of the Core Systems. The thirst for blood and conquest was evident in the consumers.

After the assault, Zellers quieted down. This syncs up with the time of my arrival. During my afternoon shift, I received no less than twenty-two calls about the XBox 360 and whether we had it in stock. To each person, I chuckled and explained that “those went to the people who were here at 4:30 in the morning”.

All in all, it was quite interesting. Frankly, I cannot understand the allure of the XBox 360…it is a foolhardy investment. The graphics on Perfect Dark Zero betray the next-generation’s intended visual goal. Frankly, I will abstain from getting a next-gen. It is likely my gaming will be restricted to portables: a breed of gaming that - when coupled with wi-fi - knows no limits. After Christmas, I will purchase a PSP for my gaming pleasure. Andreas already got a Giga Pack, as well as Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Socom.

Indeed, the future of gaming is in handhelds. I am aware that I’ve bashed the PSP and DS for lacking titles, but frankly, they have time to shine. And handheld gaming is too damned convenient to ignore any longer.

Later.

It was a scant few hours after my previous post that I managed to get Nintendo Wi-Fi up and running. After quickly searching through Nintendo’s online router FAQ, it dawned on me what the problem obviously was. The transfer rate of the Nintendo DS is only 1-2 mbps, whereas my router was motoring at a solid 11 mbps (or so). A quick click of the mouse fixed that unsightly blemish, and I was off to the races (quite literally).

Last night, I raced against a few guys (one of whom was Japanese), and proudly kicked their asses. Unfortunately, my score has lessened lately as I battle more experienced players. I’ve resolved not to race online unless all Internet activity in my home is minimized. With the laptop, desktop and DS all running off the same internet, there is occasionally a lag hiccup that bumps my finishing placement down one or two spaces. Earlier today, I smoked a guy with a red shell and crossed the finish line to get 2nd place, only to be bumped down to 3rd. It infuriated me to no end.

Since purchasing the game, I’ve unlocked everything there is to have - except Level 7 of the missions…which I’m endeavouring towards. The four hidden characters are Daisy, Dry Bones, Waluigi and R.O.B. The first three are familiar favourites (Dry Bones, not really) but R.O.B. is a character that I have never seen in any Mario game ever. All of this is irrelevant of course, because I only play as Luigi. My high score rankings are plastered with Luigi’s face, and his stylish vaccuum-shaped car. Go Loogie.

The thought has crossed my mind to absent myself from the racing circuit for a while. Perhaps I need to clear my head, do some homework or attend my job. On the other hand, I could labour to get amazing times on the Time Trials so that Caleb can bask in the power of my superiority over him. Yet, if I truly wanted to leave the racing circuit, I could always save some planets or vanquish evil as I wait for my intergalactic adventure (scheduled for March). Somehow, the DS has made a complete turnover with only a few key releases. Bravo. Encore. Hurry up and release Worms DS!!!

On another Nintendo related note, I’ve made an effort to register all of my games on MyNintendo. Due to a new contest they are holding, I will receive three FREE issues of Nintendo Power (starting in January) and a year’s subscription for a measly $15. This perk to registering my games is most welcome, since it will allow me to keep on the “up and up” with all Revolution news. Why? To further criticize Nintendo. In a future of unaffordable and unappealing consoles, my enjoyment will have to stem from criticizing the runt of the litter.

The XBox 360 craze approaches. Zero hour. I am wondering if I should purchase a 360 and sell it at an inflated price. I would get it discounted too. Oh boy. Think of the way people would beg.

IGN recently posted another Nintendo Minute up on their website, where a loyal viewer of IGN asked the question, ”Do we know everything there is to know about Revolution? And on a related note, when will you reveal the final pieces of the puzzle?”

In response, George Harrison - Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communication - replied:

No, we have not entirely pulled back the curtain on Revolution just yet. There are lots of exciting details about its capabilities and the unique gameplay you’ll experience on it that we’re keeping under wraps – for now. We know you’re very anxious to learn the full potential of the system, and soon we’ll be able to share more with you!

Keeping some Revolution cards close to our chest is a strategic decision on Nintendo’s part. Every Nintendo console launch in the past has been shrouded in some level of secrecy due to Nintendo’s desire to innovate and provide new gaming features and technology. With Revolution, this could be the most innovative product Nintendo has ever created in the history of the company. So even though we’ve already shown you the basics on Revolution, you can be sure that there are still a few more surprises we’re holding for a later date.

When? You’ll slowly begin to know more as we enter 2006 and as the year unfolds, and especially at E3, you’ll be immersed in Revolution news.

So, Nintendo has a few more surprises in store beyond the retro gaming experience and that abomination of an interface. Yet, we should not expect to hear anything from them until E3 2006. What Nintendo fails to realise - and I’m not surprised in the least - is that people will be cozy and warm in their homes with their XBox 360’s and Playstation 3’s. Quietly, the Nintendo Revolution will approach the living room window, look in, and see it has been replaced. There is no room for you in this home Revolution. No room here either. And after a while, the Revolution will just be sleeping in the cold.

Good business strategy.

Now, because Caleb is a pusher, I’ve purchased another game for my Nintendo DS. None other than Mario Kart DS itself. After a few hours of solid play, I unlocked Daisy and Dry Bones (a character with an obscure history who - for whatever reason - has gained stardom in Mario Party 7 AND Mario Kart DS. Professor E. Gadd, on the other hand, has still not been featured in any game but Luigi’s Mansion. For shame Nintendo.)

Growing slightly fatigued by monotonous computer gameplay, I endeavoured to hook up my Nintendo DS to the wireless worldwide network of vidiots just like me.

The router was set up properly. The DS was calibrated with all the right settings. Test Connection. No dice.

After two hours, there was still no online satisfaction. I returned to playing the 100cc circuit, but found myself bested by the computer characters I had unlocked. Curse my foolishness. My thoughts strayed to Meteos, until I glimpsed the orange light blinking incessantly at the base of the system. It is now enjoying a quick nap to recharge its batteries.

And thus, I’m here.

TANGENT

I’m sorry to go on a tangent. As I write this, an advertisement for Indigo Prophecy appeared on IGN. At the end of their brief photo montage, it flashes up “8.4 out of 10” - IGN. This is followed by a comment from XBox Magazine which reads, “Much to clever to pass up.” Hilarious.

Strangely enough, that tangent - to the curve - has led me to my original topic. The XBox 360. It is officially released on Tuesday, although companies have been selling games and peripherals for the past few days. It seems that no matter where you go, everyone has “over pre-ordered”, which forces people to retreat to the humblest of places - the Hudson’s Bay Company. On the Tuesday of release, I am fortunate enough to be working in the afternoon. What does this mean? It means that I will have to deal with all the people who couldn’t come at 9:00 AM and are wondering where their systems are. Sounds like good fun.

The entire “core system” and “standard system” idea that Microsoft has going is - to put it bluntly - retarded. The core system is $100 cheaper than the standard system, but the core system requires the purchase of memory cards and other peripherals to run effectively. Those add-ons will sum to an amount greater than $100, meaning a safer investment is the standard system. Unfortunately, Microsoft has expertly catered to the casual consumer/gamer who will not even realize the prices. A man and woman came into Zellers once to purchase a Gamecube. I explained that the Mario Pary 7 pack was the same price as a regular Gamecube, but it came with two controllers and a game. It took her twenty minutes to grasp the value. When I told her she would still need a memory card to save, I suggested the 251, since a 1016 has more space than the casual gamer would ever need. Her husband hastily clutches a 1016 in his sausage fingers and heads to the checkout. His action embodies the entirety of the next generation of consoles.

Throwing money away.

To be entirely factual, this is not necessarily my one hundredth blog entry. If you briefly glance back to the first entry, you will notice that an entire volume of entries surrounding the summer of ‘04 has been completely eradicated from existence. However, when you factor in the amount of “half-assed” posts I have under my belt, it probably equates to 100 anyway.

For the past two weeks, I’ve slowly been frolicking through a realm of mathematical non-fiction as I read Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife. On the whole, the book is a fascinating piece of work that combines all three of my passions: the written word, historical intrigue, and the seductive language of numbers that is mathematics. Spanning two millenia and most of the world, Zero has been an extremely entertaining book. It is the gateway text that is slowly nudging me into a life-changing obsession with mathematics, in anticipation for what will surely be an enjoyable experience at the University of Waterloo. The next book I intend to read is on the topic of Cryptography, and is entitled The Code Book: the Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh. Undeniably, I am looking forward to it.

Caleb - a Nintendo pusher - recently influenced me to purchase the addictive puzzle game known as Meteos, one of the few interesting titles currently available for the Nintendo DS. After playing it wirelessly with Andreas and Caleb, I found it difficult to resist a game that delivers such a mind-bogglingly enjoyable multiplayer experience. How could I refuse the look on its cute little face? Like a fanatical cult member, I religiously return to my DS everyday after high school gets out to play for a few hours and acquire some of the most rare and lucrative Meteos available. After much collecting, my Meteos are spent like squandered dollars on fusing planets, items, sounds or rarer Meteos. I’ve purchased nine planets or so, including the rarest and hardest to obtain - Meteo. The final boss anyone? Booyah. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Caleb.

Although I may be absurdly proud of me meagre accomplishments in that game, it seems to be devestating to my health. When I close my eyes, I see stacks of those coloured blocks just waiting to be rearranged into a game winning combination. Such a disturbing vision that haunts me seems to lend credibility to Jack Thompson’s claims of mind-altering video games. On the other hand, Jack Thompson huffed aerosols in high school and it made him a little cuckoo.

Another startling development is the creation of a podcast - featuring myself, Joshua, Binks, and others discussing the hottest topics in video games, computers, and other facets of technology. The entire endeavour is being spearheaded by a mutual friend of the three of us, Brendon, who is a big techie and will surely talk a lot in the show. There will also be other hosts. Names suggested for the podcast included my witty suggestion of “The Box Company”, intended to be a direct tie-in with my own slice of the Internet. Unfortunately, it is already a registered domain name. So, we have decided to go with the less superior name of Red Card Group - or something ludicrous to that effect. All because a damn shipping company took “The Box Company”. I should sue.

A few final things to conclude with.

The Chocolate Box is nigh. Waterloo, I’m comin’! New layout soon.

Cheers to 100 posts behind me, and many more before me.

Later.

It was with a twisted interest that I recently read through the speech of Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo’s vice president of sales and marketing, as it has been transcribed on IGN. After sifting through the tremendous amount of spelling and grammatical flaws, I began to consider the comments that Reggie was making about the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo Revolution, and the future of the company itself.

Frankly, after hearing his ideas, I don’t agree.

In his speech, he draws a rigid analogy between the movie industry and the video game industry. For the past few decades, people sitting comfortably in their theatre seats have - as he states - been captivated by the increasingly improving special effects budgets in modern movies. People first found themselves frightened by a mechanical Jaws, only to be terrorized later by a gruesome insect-like alien. Through the use of special effects, the movie going public has seen every major city in the world destroyed, ancient wars in Middle Earth, a digital prison for mankind, a nuclear bomb detonated in Los Angelos, and the entire world fall victim to Mother Nature’s torrential destruction.

Indeed, this was so appealing to movie-goers because the images on screen were so real. Reggie claims that movie ticket sales have decreased because the “razzle-dazzle” of special effects is no longer as entertaining as it was when it was new. Perhaps he is correct. Even still, this is actually the point where Reggie’s analogy implodes. For years, the movie industry has shaped their special effects into more and more realistic displays of human conflict. This is the point Reggie neglects. Realism. Special effects have become so real that many viewers are indifferent to their improvement. Video games - on the other hand - have not even approached a photo-realistic environment with which a video gamer can fully interact. This is - in reality - what the majority of gamers crave most of all.

Look at the more extremely popular video games of our time.

The Grand Theft Auto series is reputedly popular for its violent content. On the contrary, it is popular with gamers due to the freedom and diversity game scenarios represent. In past generations, never could you have imagined a 3-dimensional game that combines the facets of a third person shooter, a racing game and RPG asset acquiring. With the Grand Theft Auto series, you get the complete gaming package coupled with an immersive story that highlights the gritty reality of modern-day mankind.

Following along in the trend of near-absolute freedom comes Halo, a shooter series that offers so much to the gamer. An immersive experience all-around in respect to graphics, story and gameplay. The freedom between weapon usage, vehicle usage and online gameplay makes this game extremely popular. Halo is - in fact - a game that takes “razzle dazzle” and inflates it to explosive preportions.

Surely that 16 percent decline in revenues we saw in September, and the 24 percent drop in game sales, were flukes.

No fluke Reggie. In fact, that decline in revenue and sales is likely due to your companies ineptness to maintain your foothold at the top of the food chain. After the fall of Atari, Nintendo swooped in as the only gaming system. Nintendo - at that time - worked dilligently to make their company name synonymous with video gaming. When people think of cola, they think of Coke. When people think of tissue paper, they think of Kleenex. When people think of in-line skating, they think of Roller Blades (yes, that is a brand name). And for a time, whenever people thought of video games, they thought of Nintendo.

However, as more competitors move into the fray, Nintendo cowered in the corner. Even until recently, handheld gaming and the Game Boy were one and the same. Now, Nintendo has had that throne usurped from them as well. Nintendo needs to regain their former position; not by rethinking what video gaming is, but by constantly raising the bar in graphics and gameplay innovation. When did Nintendo have any “revolutionary” gameplay concepts in this generation? Was the F.L.U.D.D. your innovation? More characters in Super Smash Brothers Melee? How disheartening. In the meantime, the competitors of Nintendo were coming out with more Grand Theft Auto-style games, and innovative concepts like Shadow of the Colossus.

And this is - in fact - Nintendo’s greatest weakness. Software. The Gamecube was a decent system and yet what games did you release on it that were different? Metroid Prime 1 & 2? Everyone loved those. Pikmin 1 & 2? Sure, you captured some sales there. But what else? The highest rated games on IGN are comprised of sports games (not innovative), ports, or multiconsole releases.

Nintendo, your problem was never your hardware. It was your software. Even now, on the DS, you are releasing games that allow you to compose music and answer trivia questions. Those seem like they should be mini-games in a much grander gaming experience. We need more innovative adventure games like Castlevania. A gripping story, intriguing method to improve abilities, weapon customization, etc. Brilliant. Utterly brilliant.

However, your Revolution will be your downfall. The next-generation of Nintendo gaming is utterly disappointing. I’ve played every Nintendo console since the NES - including all iterations of the Game Boy - but I will not be getting the Revolution. The ability to relive ages past is an intriguing perk, but the control scheme and massive amounts of peripherals is discouraging.

While reading throughout Reggie’s speech, I got the impression that Nintendo had stopped caring about the gamers and begun to only care about profit. While I understand that profit is the need of every company, it should be noted that revenue is reached by pleasing your target demographic.

In that aspect, Nintendo, you have failed.