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DS Daily: How about GTA, then?
Nintendo themselves would be the first to praise DS populairty with children and kindly elderly folk -- the polar opposite target markets for anything related to Grand Theft Auto. However, Cammie smiled that big smile of hers on stage at E3, spoke about Animal Crossing, Pokemon and Wii Music -- then casually slipped in the announcement of GTA: Chinatown Wars.Does the DS have a place for GTA? Or, more accurately, should the DS have a place for GTA? With such a family-friendly system, are you at all surprised that Nintendo has opted to include such adult material?
Anti-Aliased: Age of Con-troversy-an
I'm going to hijack my own column this week to cover a topic that I believe is worth spending some space on - Age of Conan and the buzz of negative media attention it has been getting. Age of Conan's controversy spans almost all aspects of the game, from fatalities, to nudity, to even such odd things like race selection.Now, I've written a few of these articles. I enjoy controversy as the next person and I'm always interested in seeing the opposite viewpoint. It wasn't until I started getting some very, very nice hate mail in my inbox that I began to wonder if anyone understood my own viewpoint on the matter. So, this column is dedicated to other people's opinions, my opinions, controversies and, of course, Age of Conan.
TurpsterVision: I am a real Barbarian
Every Tuesday think "T" for Turpster and take the "a" in "day", capitalise it, remove the little bit in the middle, turn it upside down and you get a "V". Put the two together and you'll have TV for TurpsterVision -- the best Internet video podcast on Massively! (Never mind that business about it being the only video podcast on Massively...)It is a well known fact that Turpamania is running wild, but before Turpamania there was Hulkamania; arguably not as widespread and with as many Turpamaniacs, but our lesson has to begin somewhere. You see, Age of Conan was released today, and with that it conjures up images of the greatest barbarian of all time, Hulk Hogan – don't pretend like you don't remember all the words to his song, "I am a real Barbarian".Anyway, I digress: AoC has been billed as one of the four horsemen to herald the end of Blizzard's evil tyranny over the MMO market, but can any game, or any group of games, really topple the giant that is World of Warcraft? No, of course not, but that doesn't mean that they aren't great fun!
Is this the age of the mature MMO?
In a recent interview with Funcom's Erling Ellingsen, he speaks candidly about the direction he sees MMOs taking in the near future, and how Age of Conan will soon be considered a pioneer in regards to more mature gameplay.His valid points include the fact that the average gamer is well into the mature category, and the younger MMO players who started out with World of Warcraft four years ago are now considered mature. So not only is the market maturing, but he sees much more upcoming competition for AoC in regards to the mature genre.Be sure to read the complete interview for more insight into the direction of the game, and how Funcom views the importance of a proper MMO launch, avoiding the mistakes of others.
Six reasons to be excited about Age of Conan
Everyone seems to be aware of one or two great features coming with Age of Conan, but we realized that not everybody has a complete view of some of the coolest ones -- which has led us to sort of a blind men and the elephant situation. So in an effort to give a more complete view of why Funcom's newest title looks exceedingly cool, we've gone and thought of six reasons to truly be excited about Age of Conan. Our barbarian urges are beginning to take over, so we'd better get to the good stuff before we run into the hills and slaughter a bear or something. Take a look by simply clicking the image above or the gallery link below.%Gallery-19114%
The Wii's M-rated offerings rounded up
Did you know that there are currently 17 M-rated games on the Wii? Some of them, like Target Terror, aren't out just yet, and some, like Escape from Bug Island, have already been largely forgotten to history. OMG Nintendo has an interesting look at six of the most important M-rated titles on the system, from No More Heroes to games that aren't No More Heroes. They also delve into some violent "classics" like Time Killers.Each game gets a short description and a score, but what's interesting to us is that there's a description of the gore content of each game. It reminds us of the bizarre fixation we as gamers (and the game developers) have with violence. If something is "made for adults," we all immediately know why, and are usually right: it's bloody.
Graphs point out Wii's immaturity
Gamasutra has taken the time to compare the distribution of ESRB rated games for this and last generations' consoles. But, the best part is, they took the time to make some delicious graphs for us.Some findings in this study are not surprising, such as the fact that the Nintendo consoles (the GBA, DS, GameCube, and Wii) have a significantly smaller percentage of mature games than their competitors. What is interesting, though, is that the Wii (so far) has a smaller percentage of mature games than its predecessor, the GameCube.The reason we find this of note is because the GameCube was largely regarded as a "kiddie" system by many of its critics, and yet it had a larger distribution of "M" games than the GBA, DS, or Wii. The GameCube was also the least successful (in terms of sales and arguably in other areas, too) of all the consoles in the study.As a Nintendo gamer, what is your take on the distribution of mature games for the Wii? Is it okay to be so largely outnumbered by games with other ratings, or do you wish Nintendo would find more balance? The small percentage of mature games certainly hasn't hindered the Wii's success so far, but can it alienate the "hardcore" gamers in the future?
Officers' Quarters: Zero-pressure raiding?
Every Monday Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership.For many WoW players, the prospect of seeing all the raiding content the game has to offer is just a dream. They don't want to be part of a hardcore raiding guild with all the attendance requirements, strict loot systems, and, for lack of a better word, pressure. But can zero-pressure raiding work? The writer of this week's e-mail wants to know.Dear Mr. Andrews,I found your column while searching for other information, and findmyself up at 6:30am after reading almost all of your articles. Theyare very informative and I thank you for sharing your experience.I am seeking advice on how best to move our guild forward. I shouldprovide some context and maybe it will provide you with some insightinto what I am looking for.I inherited our guild from a personal friend (outside of WoW). [. . .] After one to two months of managing a guild with about 30 players and maybe10-15 active, my friend decided it was too much work and handed itover to me.
TRU just says no to Dementium
Looks like Target isn't the only one turning down titles lately -- Toys 'R' Us is getting into the game as well by not carrying either Manhunt 2 ... or Dementium! We're terribly disappointed in the retailer, but we could understand the motivation -- after all, if any store was ever aimed at children, it's TRU, and Dementium is a mature title.However, it's not that simple. Word around the campfire is that the TRU folks made the decision not because of the game's rating, but because they didn't think it would be very popular and they didn't want to waste the space. Now, we're not sure what the gaming section is like at your local Toys 'R' Us, but we've seen some pretty questionable shovelware gracing the shelves down here. Is it an excuse to avoid any controversy, or is the retail giant planning to focus future shelf space only on release they feel are more likely to sell?Regardless of the reason, while we can again understand a retailer aimed at children skipping mature titles (if they were consistent about it, that is), but randomly deciding what will and will not be popular is pretty lame. We remember another little game that got such treatment at first ....
LotRO reps talk demographics, casual play, console plans
Yesterday Gamasutra published a five page interview about The Lord of the Rings Online with Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel and Adam Mersky.According to the interview, one third of LotRO players are over 35 because the license drew people new to MMOs -- people who came for "The Lord of the Rings first, the MMO second." Fans of LotRO often claim the game's community is more mature than that of competing games. "Sometimes game communities can be rough, just because of the nature of the competitiveness and the nature of the age range of people playing, and this is a pretty mature, fun place to be a part of," said Steefel.Steefel and Mersky also talked about the challenges of dealing with gold farmers, what the real definition of "casual games" might be, the pluses and minuses of adapting a famous work of literature, the competition, and Turbine's option to produce massively multiplayer games for consoles. As is the case with most Gamasutra interviews, the discussion is an excellent read if you want an inside look.
Revolutionary: This Revolution Hasn't Been Televised
Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities. Thought of by many as the "Disney of video gaming," Nintendo has crafted themselves an image of family-friendly entertainment. But to certain generations and classes of gamers, the term "family-friendly" is synonymous with "kiddy," and immediately sparks disinterest. But ever since publishing Rare's Killer Instinct, they've been working on broadening the public's perspective. Trying to appeal to the bloodlust of the Mortal Kombat crowd didn't give them any headway, and as generations progressed and they've garnered more "mature-themed" titles, they still haven't been able to shake the "kiddy console" stigma. Even after snagging the exclusivity to the Resident Evil series for a generation, Nintendo was largely overlooked by the Playstation-bred gamers that were brought up on the series. How much more will it take for Wii to be regarded as a platform that can satisfy the tastes of mature gamers?
Study: M rated games have higher scores, better sales
Two mothers are talking over a cup a tea. "I think my Billy is going to be well off," she said. "He's got the heart of a teenager. Doesn't swear or advocate violence or engage in promiscuous sex or any of that! He's going far in life."The second mother shakes her head. "Sue Ellen, that's just not how the world works nowadays. My son John is a foul-mouthed bully who dreams about rivers of napalm and who picks fights with the local church group. In this zany world, John will be richer and more well-respected than that wuss you bore."If that conversation makes no sense, replace the mothers with game publishers and the tea with, well, hot coffee. A recent study by the Electronic Entertainment Design and Research firm concluded that games rated Mature by the ESRB, despite being only one-tenth of the titles examined, "have both the highest average Metacritic scores and the highest average gross sales in the United States."What does this say about the average video game consumer? It's hard to say, but we're thinking the industry is learning to grow up with its audience.
Manhunt 2 trims down to Mature rating for October release
The New York Times called this one -- a slimmer, sleeker, and we can only guess happier Manhunt 2 will hit shelves, appropriately enough, on Halloween. The ESRB issued a new rating for the game, lowering the Adults Only tag to Mature, which clears the game for release. The game's fate in Europe, where it was banned in several countries, is as yet unknown, but we expect to hear some news on that front soon. The entire debacle, though cleared up, is still disheartening. With the number of adult gamers increasing all the time, and comparisons between game and film content demonstrating the vast difference in standards, we hope that someday, something in the system will change. For now, however, it seems publishers and developers, and indeed, all of us, are at the mercy of the ESRB and the standards of Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. [Via Joystiq; image found here.]%Gallery-3148%
Taking a deeper look at mature games
It's an old complaint -- Nintendo games are too "kiddie" and the systems don't feature enough mature fare. The problem is that all gamers tend to define mature games in a different way. For some, it's all about the violence and gore, while for others, deep, thoughtful gameplay is what makes a "mature" title, whatever the rating may be. Ishaan Sahdev has an interesting little post up over at Games.net that delves into this, in which games like Super Paper Mario and Zelda titles are examined as examples of mature titles -- as are Hotel Dusk and Trace Memory for the DS. Maybe they seem like lighthearted fare, as in the case of Super Paper Mario, or feature a youthful protagonist, as with Trace Memory, but they offer a memorable gameplay experience that can pull gamers into another world. Maybe that's not something maturity has a lock on, but Sahdev is right when saying that it usually equates to an enjoyable game. Is that really the kind of mature that we need more examples of? We're not one to shun blood and gore, but a game doesn't have to be Halo to be as engrossing as Halo. Sometimes, all it takes is an Ace Attorney, quirky characters, and interesting dialogue ... blood not required.[Via GoNintendo]
Breakfast Topic: Which faction is more mature?
In the age-old debate on which faction holds supremacy over the other, this topic arose on the WoW Ladies forum: which faction is the most mature, Horde or Alliance? Now, it seems to me that it's hard to pin this one down, seeing as how the population of servers varies greatly. And we're not even talking about the age level of players. It seems more interesting to me to discuss the maturity levels of WoW players on both sides of the game. In my personal experience, I haven't seen much in the way that would indicate a winner on either side, but I also play mostly Alliance on a PvE server. Yes I've seen my share of idiots, I've grouped with them, heck I've even been them on occasion. My horde experience mostly comes from playing in our blog guild, but the It Came from the Blog members seem to be a cut above the rest, so I am not sure I can count them as a slice of the general Horde population. In your experience, have you found Horde players or Alliance players to be more mature?[via WoW Ladies]
NEVES of steel required to play this puzzle game
Yuke's Company of America announced yesterday that it will bring its grown-up puzzle game NEVES (previously mentioned here as Hamekomi Lucky Puzzle DS in Japan) to the States. According to the press release by U.S. publisher Atlus, players must "think critically as they align pieces and build figures that correspond to a silhouette. Each puzzle features seven wooden blocks, requiring the player to combine them to form specific figures ranging from simple items like a sword or key to more complicated ones such as birds or airplanes." The concept reminds us of a tangram version of the Touch Puzzle mode on Tetris DS, and that was just a single mode in a much larger game. We commend Yuke's for creating games on the more cerebral side, but unique as the concept might be, we hope the title can pack enough variety to warrant more than a passing time investment. There is hope, however, since it will feature more than 500 puzzle pieces to manipulate and game modes including puzzle mode, time mode, versus mode, and count mode. (AH! AH! AH! One puzzle piece! TWO puzzle pieces! sorry, couldn't help it.) Regardless, the DS is looking to be the premiere platform for the puzzle genre, and NEVES will bring a more mature tone when it arrives on American shores later this year. %Gallery-5249%
Naughtiness on the Nintendo DS
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Naughtiness_on_the_Nintendo_DS'; The Nintendo DS's software library is diverse enough to satisfy almost every genre craving or niche interest. If what you're looking for, however, is a game with more mature themes -- nudity and sexual content -- it's doubtful that your needs will be met. Japanese dating sims and witch fondling titles notwithstanding, the DS doesn't have any Leisure Suit Larrys, Hot Coffee mods, or even porno-Tetris clones.But just like any other scene, the Nintendo DS has a network of people working outside of the fringe to create those illicit goods you'd never ask for at a respectable shop. They hustle their homemade software from the back-alleys of the internet, each downloaded bit transferred in a nondescript paper bag.We're going to take you through that DS underworld, previewing a selection of homebrew games that are sure to arouse your interest. So put the kids to bed, light those candles you've been saving for a night like this, and slip into your robe and wizard hat. This feature is for adult eyes only!
How would the ESRB rate your game collection?
I'm very open to all sorts of games, be it genre or game rating. That being said, I've noticed that, more often than not, I'm buying mostly M-rated games. It's not a huge surprise to me. If given the option, I'd rather shoot someone in a game than shake their hand. It is a bit unique to a portable system though, and while I don't only love the PSP because I can play M rated games on it, I do appreciate it. Are you similar to me in this regard? If the ESRB were to give a blanket rating to your PSP game collection, what would it be? Did you get the PSP partly because of the ability to play more M rated games?
Wii Warm Up: So just what do we want?
GoNintendo's Kevin Cassidy (perhaps better known as Rawmeat Cowboy) had some interesting things to say about attitudes in the Nintendo fanboy community. Cassidy believes that we refuse to be pleased; we moan about a lack of third party titles, but decry those we have as being too kiddie, or old ports that are late to the party, or just crap. Essentially, he seems to say that while we love Nintendo and Nintendo's games, for the rest, we would maybe rather have a library that more resembles that of other consoles. And we don't want them a year later.It's an interesting point, and over at big daddy Joystiq, Ross Miller countered with the notion that while "they" talk a lot, sales figures don't necessarily reflect this side of popular opinion. Still, Nintendo's uneven history with third party developers is a matter of record, and it's established that many people do think of Nintendo as the "kiddie" console. It's a lot to consider this early in the morning, but it does leave us with a few questions. Are we, as a fanbase, too demanding? Are we asking too much of Nintendo ... or has the bar merely been set so high over the years that we expect nothing less than the best? Are we right to snub most third party offerings? Like any form of media, only a small percentage of releases actually shine, after all.[Via Joystiq; image here.]
Wii Warm Up: Jacky-boy
O', Jack Thompson, thou art gold for gaming journalists such as ourselves. Your wacky hijinks and unceasing, irrational behavior fill our lives with joy. But amidst his juvenile catcalling, logical fallacies, and overall rejection of sanity, we look at the upcoming Manhunt 2 and begin to wonder. This game might be, with the inclusion of the Wii controller, the most realistically violent game in the history of mankind. Though we still firmly believe that a game will never be the true cause of mental imbalances and disorders, we still have absolutely no system in place to prevent the sales of these games to minors; whatever you may think about Jack Thompson, this goal is an admirable one.The industry is going to take heavy fire for this game regardless, but we feel as though his arguments hold a bit of water in this particular case. Do you feel strongly about the issue, and do you think we should have measures in place to prevent the acquisition of these games by kids who aren't equipped to properly process the violence in a nondestructive manner?
