Is the 3DS the New PSP?

Chris Kohler seems to think so. Universal praise, predictions of demise for its competitors, and a promise of "hardcore" gaming appeal - hardly typical of Nintendo, masters of mass-appeal gaming.

There is one difference in the position of the 3DS and Sony's yet-to-be-revealed new handheld (I await the day when the corporate masters deem it worthy for our eyes to feast on) is the position of Nintendo in the gaming market. Back in 2007, Sony was the dominant "home console" gaming company looking to destroy Nintendo's monopoly on the handheld gaming industry. Analysts and gaming afficianados alike predicted that Sony's PSP would force Nintendo into third-party game developer status. The reverse happened: Sony made a sizable dent into the handheld market, sure, but Nintendo sold more handheld machines than it ever had in the past. Now, Nintendo is unquestionably more dominant on both the handheld and home console fronts, with Apple's IPhone slowly emerging from it status as the "spoiler" competitor in the handheld gaming wars to a formidable gaming platform. And that's my prediction for the latest cycle of "console warz": Apple is going to take over the gaming market.

When Nintendo first unveiled it's "blue ocean" business strategy in 2006, gamers decried it as an abandonment of Nintendo's commitment to providing quality video games for a gradually expanding market. Analysts either dismissed it as a concession that Sony (and Microsoft to a lesser extent) had "beaten Nintendo at its own game" or predicted a massive drop in its stocks due to such a risky business venture. The rest is history: Nintendo usurped Sony's premiere status in a fashion no one thought possible.

But there's a funny thing about that whole "blue ocean" strategy Nintendo was bragging about circa 2007-2008. By targeting mainstream consumers as potential gamers, Nintendo may have put the nail in its own coffin. Since gaming has become so much more mainstream, it joins a list of other entertainment commodities that vie for the consumer's attention. Specialized products (think Amazon's Kindle) fall to "All-in-one" products like the IPhone and IPad. I believe the same will soon be true for gaming. The less "niche" gaming becomes, the more it will have to adjust to a market demand for multiple forms of entertainment. This is a bittersweet pill for gamers to swallow: it might mean a "decline" of hardcore games overall (not just for Nintendo, but for the industry as a whole), but it also means the days of social isolation for gamers are numbered. I believe that Apple is the company most poised to take advantage of this new "all-in-one" gamer demographic, especially given the increasing prevalence of downloadable content in all sectors of the marketplace. Nintendo is infamously negligent at utilizing the internet for its games, and as the above article shows, things don't look to be changing for the 3DS.

Thoughts?

Video Games and the Economy

In love with your iPhone? Thank your local video game nerd.

And for those of us (all of us?) who are now addicted to seeing our latest text message, facebook update, e-mail, blog comment, etc., well, you have video games to thank for that, too.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203418804576040103609214400.html?mod=WSJ_article_MoreIn_Opinion

CVG Christmas Game Guide (patent pending)

It's that time of year again! As much as I deplore the consumerist, materialist, fill-up-the-void-in-your-life-with-more-crap attitude that pervades Adventide here in America, this is a videogame blog, and as anyone who's got kids/young adults/teenagers/boyfriends/girlfriends undoubtedly knows, videogames are not only almost always on someone's wish list, but they can make a good "filler" gift, as well.

So, to make the secular side of the season a little more bearable, I'm going to use this post as a "catch-all" for those interested in discussing the various games available right now - want to know if a game is appropriate for your son/daughter? In a Christmas budget crunch and need to know how to get the most bang for your buck? Got recommendations for other readers on good deals? Bored out of your mind and just need to vent about the long lines and crazy soccer moms who apparently don't know the difference between Rock Band 3 and Epic Mickey? Well, here's your chance!

So there you have it: the first official authorized Catholic Video Gamers all-purpose awesomesauce on toast-fueled Advent-2-Christmas Game Guide. Post away!

Nintendo 3DS Conference

As usual, NeoGAF has all the information one could ask for.

Things I like:

- Tales of the Abyss DS (it looks just as good as the ps2 original)
- virtual console for game boy games
- release date: March 11, 2011.

Things I don't like:
- $250. Sadface, groan, etc. I spend too much on games as it is.
- lack of American developer support
- lack of F-Zero 3DX

Still pretty amped, though. Thoughts?

Tales of Vesperia rocks!

It's been over 2 years since I bought Tales of Vesperia. As is my habit with JRPGS, I managed to get about 10-15 hours into the game before getting slogged with work and/or bored with the game and moving on. Longtime readers may recall my ramblings on the early portion of the game here

Last week I decided to give the game another go. Let's just say I'm glad that I did.

While the game does revel in moral ambiguity and individualism at some points (ya know, the usual "Just do what you want to do! That's what's important" demagoguery), it also does a fine job of showing how "doing things your own way" can often have negative consequences. The ending, in particular, does a spectacular job of showing the follies of proportionalism - even with the archetypical "save-the-world-from-the-the-evil-lord-of-darkness" plot, there's something to be said about the theme of this narrative and unique "riff" it puts on this familiar plot paradigm.

Still, a game ain't defined by its story, as important as that is. What really makes Tales of Vesperia such a great game a (particularly for those looking for a good "entry-level" Japanese role-playing game) is its accessibility; it really doesn't try to be anything more than an anime-style role-playing game, and it knows this. It is easier to complete than most other role-playing game, and can be enjoyed by 4 players, something which distinguishes it from other games of its genre. While calling it "kid-friendly" is perhaps too generous, the innuendos are mild and the violence isn't really problematic except for the under 5 crowd, which might find it a tad too scary (not to mention too complicated). It's a tad lacking in the tutorial side of things, but Tales has always thrived on a real-time driven battle system - one can easily learn basics by "trial-and-error" experimentation at the exposition of the game, unlike turn-based systems which are brutally unforgiving of entry-level mistakes), and Vesperia is no exception.

Don't expect much of brain workout from this one, though - the thrill of combat is what this game's all about. It's a nice recreational diversion, not meant to be indulged upon en masse. It's basically the sushi bar of video games. Something a little offbeat (especially to American sensibilities), not perfectly healthy, but certainly worth trying out.

Halo Reach?

Xbots like myself are naturally abuzz about Halo Reach, which launched to spectacular fanfare last night. My brother Joe is currently playing his copy (or at least, that's what Xbox LIVE would have me believe) and many others have asked me if I've bought a copy of my own. I haven't, much to the chagrin of my brothers, who are growing tired of Modern Warfare 2 and are anxious to try a new remedy to cure their itching trigger fingers.

The reviews have been stellar, to say the least. One of my friends commented on his facebook this morning that Reach "has lived up to all the hype." I want to hear from the detractors. Pipe up, before I spend more money I don't have and give into the demands of the consumer culture!

Spiritual Warfare (NES)

Did anyone ever own the Christian NES game Spiritual Warfare when it first came out? It can now be played for free on the Wisdom Tree Games website. I messed around with it a little bit earlier, the game is very similar to the original Zelda. The plot is essentially that the people in a certain town have been possessed by demons and you must go around and, as it were, 'deliver them'- this is done by attacking them, and then destroying the demon as it flies out from them. Extra points are gained by answering Scriptural questions, so the game has an educative side to it but this probably restricts the audience the game can demand. For Nes the graphics are acceptable. I wonder how the game develops, does the game have much of a developing plot? I would be interested to hear.

Since the NES era there has been very little in the way of explicitly Christian gaming, isn't that odd? Was the audience more Christian?

I think Christian themed games deserve support from Catholics. As a young, unconverted, lad I wonder what I would have made of these games? When I was about 6, to my shame, I often purchased games based on the box! Spiritual Warfare's front cover would have appealed to me ;) It looks a little like Wizard and Warriors, with a tough looking character on the front. I wonder if the back would have put me off with all talk about religion. But then, surely, the company would want to make known the fact that the game was Christian to the presumably Christian parents trying to foist this game on their beloved child they nobly wished to catechise.

My dream however would be a fantasy RPG game that essentially looks at a world where the people in some way live according to an existentialist philosophy that does not explain the fragmentation and wickedness in the world. The main character discovers a secret, persecuted sect that holds a revelation that explains the fragmentation. Most modern RPGs seem to work the other way round!

Move straight over to 16 Bit Catholic to catch a review of Spiritual Warfare. I think he comes to the same conclusions as my first impressions. I wonder if anyone out there has actually completed this game though? I would love to hear if the plot develops in any way.