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GameCritics.com and N'Gai talk art, criticism and censorship
We enjoy hearing the opinions of GameCritics.com and N'Gai Croal is well-respected around these parts, so when the two come together, such as in this new interview, we think it makes for a darn fine Saturday read. The topics are of the hot-button variety you'd expect (art, Ebert, etc.), but we thought that some of their takes on the issues were more than compelling enough to be worth your time. Consider, for example, this chin-stroker from N'Gai: "I thought to myself, hell, Lester Bangs couldn't even be the Lester Bangs of music today, let alone videogames. The critic is going the way of the dinosaur and the dodo bird; he or she is an anachronism in an age where anyone can publish an opinion." Feel that tingling? That's insight. We hope this story will be a jumping off point for some good discussions today, the debate club nerd in us still longs for a little intellectual interplay when Saturday rolls around. So, let's discuss.
Nintendo takes wraps off of WiiWare
Nintendo is the latest on the indie console-development bandwagon with WiiWare, a "game-creation service that will allow developers large and small to create new downloadable video game content" that the company announced this morning. The company is making it clear that they're looking for little guys to make games for the console, though it's currently unclear exactly how that will be done. Interestingly, Reggie Fils-Amie told N'Gai Croal of Newsweek that the games would be checked for bugs but not vetted by Nintendo. Developers would be responsible for securing an ESRB rating (AO titles won't be welcome, sorry Manhunt 2.) Look for the first WiiWare to start appearing in early 2008.Nintendo will also be deciding how many points the games will be sold for when they're put on the Wii Shop channel. With this brave new world of indie development, who knows where the next big Wii game will come from now? Well, we do, it will come from Nintendo. But thanks to WiiWare, the search for the next big way to wait for the next big Nintendo game just got a lot more interesting.Read -- Nintendo's WiiWare Paves The Way ...Read -- What is WiiWare? Level Up Gets the Scoop ...
Marketing: N'Gai and his Playboy playmate
With cocktails in cheap plastic cups -- that's no way to treat a lady -- Newsweek's N'Gai Croal challenged Playboy's Miss May '98 to Madden NFL '07 on PS3. The hotel room gaming session was part of a special event set up for media and other people of publicity.Beyond the Super Bowl simulations littering the internet currently regarding who's going to win the Super Bowl today, the video game industry also brought their marketing prowess to the big game. Croal explains, "Electronic Arts is in town for its annual Madden Bowl challenge, co-sponsored this year by Microsoft ... The Playstation folks are still in town with Playstation Oasis, a series of day-long pool parties; a penthouse gift-bag suite; and the aforementioned Challenge a Playmate on PS3."Well, it's good to know that the Colts and Bears aren't the only teams bringing their A game.
