A lesson learned

"Video games are a waste of time". If you're like me, you've heard this sentence many times throughout your life, often from someone's girlfriend who's upset they're not getting enough attention. Of course, this isn't the only instance where one might hear the phrase. Parents, teachers, and just non-gamers in general are fond of belittling our favorite pass time. I've never really let it get to me, as I feel that the same could be said about any form of entertainment, but also because I just don't believe it to be true.

Although most people play games for fun only, there are valuable lessons to be learned that can be carried over into real life. And I'm not just talking about self-improvement games, such as Brain Age or Wii Fit, but rather games in general, from first-person shooters to simple puzzle titles. There are many skills that can be acquired from video games, so I'm going to list a few that I feel are most common.

Hand-eye Co-ordination
This is the most obvious of the bunch, so I listed it first. I think it's clear that anyone who spends a significant amount of time gaming would improve in this area. As controllers have become more complex over the years, increasingly difficult and precise commands must be entered with exact timing. These skills can then be carried over into the learning of other machinery, or tasks that require finger dexterity. In fact, a study has shown that doctors who play at least 3 hours of video games a week make less errors in surgery, and perform operations faster.

Problem Solving
Many games feature logic puzzles, from Professor Layton right up to Tomb Raider and Resident Evil, but solving problems is a key component of many other titles too, when figuring out how to get to the next area or take down a difficult boss. Although real life is different because there isn't always a set solution to your problems, videos games can help you to consider things from other angles and try multiple times until you find the answer.

Multitasking
Not all games require you to pay attention to multiple things at once, but certain genres, such as Real Time Strategy, definitely challenge you to learn this skill in order to play successfully. Even a game like Viva Piñata has many things going on at the same time, and focusing on just one area can lead to your downfall. I've definitely noticed this skill carrying over to real life, as I now find it easier to plan and carry out multiple tasks when at work or home.

Teamwork
Not so much a factor in single-player games, this skill comes more into play in multi-player, team-based titles. Valve have made some excellent games that teach this lesson, such as Team Fortress and Left 4 Dead. Left 4 Dead is a good example, as trying to be a hero and running off on your own is a sure way to die very quickly. Instead, good communication and co-ordination are essential, and these skills can then be carried over into real-life activities, such as sports. Unfortunately, not everyone on Xbox Live seems to learn this lesson, but good players should realize that a well organized team will always beat a less co-ordinated one.

Perseverance
Anyone who's ever played a difficult game will know how important perseverance can be. Sometimes you know what you're supposed to do in order to advance, but just can't get it right. If you're like me, you may find yourself repeating areas over and over, refusing to give up until you get past. Learning to persevere is important for so many things in life, so getting practice in video games shouldn't be overlooked. It may not always be fun, but not everything in life is, is it?

Improved Memory
Again, not a skill essential for all titles, but necessary in some, such as racing games. Memorizing the track layout is the only way to succeed in these titles, and this can help with learning repetitive tasks in real life. Anyone who's tried speed runs or time trials in games such as Mirror's Edge or Prince of Persia should know that if you have a lousy memory, you're never going to get good times.

I'm sure there are many other skills and lessons that can be learned when playing video games, but this list should at least give you something to say the next time an ignorant person tells you you're wasting your time. I realize that I don't have a lot of proof that these skills carry over to real life, but it should be obvious that the more you do something, the better you get at it, whether it be real or virtual. Feel free to leave a comment telling us of any other skills you've picked up while gaming.

New DLC - Sweetness!

This week in Rock Band, we are treated to a selection of alternate-country, whatever that is. I guess it's country that's different, or something like that. Along with this, Jimmy Eat World give us a 3-pack of songs. Jimmy Eat World already have a song in the game, but it's one of the easier ones on drums, so I wasn't really too excited about the prospect of more music by them. The alt-country pack consists of 5 songs and can be purchased for 680 MSP ($8.50) and the JEW pack will set you back 440 MSP ($5.50), but each song can be individually bought for the usual price of 160 MSP ($2).
Here's what's on offer:

Alt Country Pack
Drive By Truckers - 3 Dimes Down
Lucinda Williams - Can't Let Go
Neko Case - People Got a Lot of Nerve
Old 97s - Time Bomb (Live)
Steve Earle - Satellite Radio

By Jimmy Eat World
Futures
Lucky Denver Mint
Sweetness
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos (except for Can't Let Go - I keep finding videos of the other song by that name)

So as far as I'm concerned, it was another duff week for releases. Even my girlfriend, who's a fan of country music, didn't care for any of the songs, so I just skipped them all. It's nice that they're catering to lots of different tastes, though, and I'm sure there are plenty of people who are happy with these tracks.

Also this week, Wii owners can enjoy The Cars' self-titled debut album. There are definitely a few classics on there, but nothing that's going to challenge veteran players. Unfortunately, there's no discount for buying the whole thing, so each track will cost you $2. Check here for my opinions of four of them.

In other news, Sony announced this week that everyone's favorite rhythm game will be making it's way to PSP, in the form of Rock Band: Unplugged (oh, I get it - unplugged from the wall). Unlike the DS version of Guitar Hero, RB: Unplugged won't come with special mini instruments, but will be controlled using just the buttons; at least, according to an article published on Primotech. Players will be able to switch between the different instruments using the shoulder buttons, while attempting to hit phrases of scrolling notes. In fact, it sounds very similar to Harmonix' previous games, Frequency, and Amplitude. However, unlike those games, your song selection won't be limited to those on the disc, but can be supplemented by purchasing additional DLC. They haven't stated if the DLC available will be the same as the full versions of Rock Band, but I imagine it won't.

Even though the PSP won't be able to replicate the feel of Rock Band proper, I'm always on the lookout for new rhythm games, and I trust Harmonix to deliver a solid product. I'll be sure to post more details as they become available.

Five times the fun

The Xbox Live Arcade is great. It offers fun titles at cheap prices, many of which have online play and leaderboards. Of all the unique and original games, though, the one that's probably taken up the most of my time is Uno. You remember that game, right? Of course, you do; everyone does. That's what made it such a perfect title for the Arcade. For only $5, we could all re-live a part of our childhood, even when seperated by hundreds of miles. But Uno certainly isn't the only game I played in my youth, and I've been hoping that some of my other favorites would find themselves on offer. Well, it's now been confirmed that, come mid-March, that dream will become a reality.

Hasbro Family Game Night has been known about for a while, but only now have we gotten specific launch dates. For those unaware, it will be a new channel within the XBLA that will offer a selection of classic board games, which can be played inside one's very own virtual lounge. New stuff can be unlocked while playing, to decorate this gaming space as you desire. So what can we expect to see? The first four games will be Scrabble, Connect Four, Battleship, and my personal favorite: Yahtzee (no, not that Yahtzee).

These will be followed at a later date by Boggle, Sorry!, and Sorry! Sliders. However, no there has been no mention of the oft-rumored Monopoly. Monopoly seems to be the title that everyone thinks of when talking about board games on XBLA, so I guess I'm the only person who thinks it's a terrible idea. I mean, games of Monopoly can go on for a long time, and I don't want to find myself all alone after everyone else quits, two hours into a round. Even Scrabble can go on for quite a while, which is why I think Yahtzee is ideal. With games that take just 5-10 minutes, there's no fear of everyone getting bored and going off to play Call of Duty instead.

Avatars will be supported, but there's no mention if the Vision Cam can be used to see the look on your buddies face when you hit the third Yahtzee of a round. It's a shame, as I bought my Camera to play Uno, but there has been virtually no support for it since, and this seems like an ideal application for it. Maybe they're worried that Vision Cam support would negate the whole Family part of Family Game Night. The last think worth mentioning is the price. Unfortunately, the games will each set you back 800 MSP ($10), which is quite a lot considering Yahtzee consists of just 5 dice and a scorepad, but the inclusion of online play could make it a worthwhile purchase.

Hasbro Family Game Night will be launching this March. Now I just have to cross my fingers in hopes of another of my favorite childhood games: Come on Virtual Pass the Pigs!

Price price baby

In this day and age, everyone is looking for ways to save money. Cutting down on their entertainment budget is often the last thing people resort to, but it's still something that's affecting video game developers and publishers alike. There are those who say that games cost too much money, and should be priced to fit this economic climate. Of course, there have always been people who say video games are too expensive. As a child, I often remember reading magazine letters from kids, hoping that one day soon they could purchase their favorite form of entertainment with pocket money alone, and not have to wait for Christmas and birthdays. So do games really cost too much?

Today, video games have pretty much standardized pricing: A brand new title for a current-gen system will set you back $60. This wasn't always the case though. Before the advent of disc-based gaming, everything was on expensive-to-produce cartridges. In the early 90s, a Super Nintendo game could cost upwards of $50, with some reaching $80 or more. If we take the cost of Chrono Trigger back in 1995 and convert it to current day value (using an inflation calculator), it works out to be around $112; about twice as much as we're paying these days.

It makes sense that we would be paying less though. After all, the cost to manufacture a DVD is far less than the cost of a cartridge, especially one with extra graphics chips inside. But while the cost of manufacture may have gone down, the cost of production has sky-rocketed. It's tough to find any solid info on how much games cost to make back in the day, but today a company could easily spend $20 million on a big-budget title, when you factor in things like marketing. So if the cost to produce has gone up so much, shouldn't we, in fact, be paying a lot more for new games?

We also get more value for our dollar these days. Sure, if I really wanted to, I could have played Sonic the Hedgehog for dozens of hours, but most old games can be finished in far less time than that. There have always been longer titles, such as RPGs, but the majority of 8 and 16-bit games are only a few hours long from start to finish. Of course, the structure of games has changed over the years. Challenge once came from having to start right from the beginning upon dying, where as these days every most every game allows you to save your progress and continue from where you left off. Even bearing this in mind though, most new titles are at least 10-20 hours long, which can be extended thanks to harder difficulties, achievements, and online play. In fact, online play can infinitely extend the life of a product. There are plenty of people on my XBL friends list who still play Call of Duty 4 all the time, having gotten more than a year's worth of entertainment out of that $60 purchase.

So what if we forget about what games used to cost, and instead just think about gaming next to other forms of entertainment. If we consider that many people will happily spend $10 to go and see a two-hour movie (which doesn't even include the cost of concessions), then spending $60 on a game that could last you dozens of hours doesn't really seem too bad. Sure, there may be a much bigger initial cost, but a good game could entertain for weeks, months, or even years, depending on how much you enjoy it. If you were to go to the movies just once a week, it would still end up costing $40 a month, and this is assuming you went alone and never bought any snacks. This would also only provide entertainment for a couple of hours each Friday night, where as that new game could provide fun throughout the rest of the week too.

Publishers clearly understand that not everyone is happy with our current pricing structure, though. One way to combat this is to drop the cost of games once they've been out for a few months, or offer them on sale for a limited time. Then there are companies who produce free downloadable content which can extend the life of a game and keep people playing it for longer. But probably the biggest way companies can entice low-income families is through cheaper-to-make downloadable games. These days, consumers have a wide variety of brand new games to buy for a large number of systems. Xbox 360 has the Xbox Live Arcade, with retro and original games for as little as $5. The Playstation Network is similar, offering cheap titles for both PS3 and PSP. Even Nintendo's WiiWare is starting to take off, with some very interesting-sounding games that can acquired for next-to-nothing.

So when we factor in inflation, production costs, value-per-dollar, and the fact that publishers are offering lower-cost downloadable games, is $60 really too much for a brand new, high-budget title? I personally don't think so, and worry that lowering that cost would result in lower-quality games in the future. In fact, with every new console generation, we're only going to see increases in production costs, so that $60 price will probably go up at some point. It's honestly surprising that the standard cost of a game is only $10 more than it was on Playstation 1, more than ten years ago, but we can't expect publishers to keep it that low if we want games to keep getting better. I know that increased cost doesn't necessarily make a better game, but people always expect more realistic graphics, sound, and physics with each new console generation, all of which take money to develop.

In the end though, we have to accept that gaming is a unique art form that offers thrills no other type of entertainment can provide. There will always be people who argue that the cost is too high, but video games are providing countless hours of fun to millions of people all over the world, and how can one really put a price on that?

Chinese tease

Most of the time, developers will release videos showing off their upcoming games in the months before they are due to hit shelves. This isn't always the case with DS games, though, as many slip under the radar, and we don't get much new info until shortly before launch. Then there are companies like Rockstar, who always seem to be very tight-lipped about all of their products, and show off just enough to keep people interested. So what happens when Rockstar develop a game for DS? We practically have a media blackout, that's what!

The game I'm talking about is, of course, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the first in the series to be released on Nintendo's duel screen system. Originally scheduled for last holiday season, it was delayed until first quarter 2009; a good move on Rockstar's part, as who really wants to compete with all the big-budget holiday titles? However, apart from some a handful of screenshots and features, surprisingly little is known about the game, despite the fact that it's due out in about three weeks. Yeah, you heard me correctly: Three weeks. Well, we finally have some footage of Chinatown Wars in motion, thanks to a Gamestop advertisement.

You'd think, what with the March 17th release date, that we'd have all sorts of videos to watch, but this little teaser trailer is about it. It may only have about 4 seconds of gameplay footage in the background, but it sure looks smooth, and harks back to the original top-down titles in the series. Plus, I have absolutely no problem with a story that takes jabs at corporate America. I hope that this is a theme dealt with more in the final game, and not just a throw-away joke concerning recent events in the country.

One other thing worth mentioning is the pre-order incentive at the end of the ad. Apparently, if you reserve your copy at Gamestop, $10,000 of in-game money will be yours, right from the start. This way, you'll be able to buy all the kick-ass weapons right away, breeze through the otherwise-difficult missions, finish the game before your friends, and be back at Gamestop to trade it in within the week. Very clever, you corporate bastards!

You never forget your first time

Right now, somewhere in the world, a Sony fanboy is telling his 360-loving friend, "You just wait for God of War 3. Then you'll see how awesome PS3 is". In fact, I was told this just the other day, by a kid who was trying to convince me that his system of choice was superior to my own. From what I've heard of the game, it sounds pretty good, and why wouldn't it be? After all, the original was one of the finest games on PS2, and the sequel was probably the aging console's last big hit after the launch of PS3. Even the PSP's Chains of Olympus was superb, bringing all the action to the small screen with controls that were, in some ways, better than it's large screen counterparts. Yes, each game in the franchise has been an improvement over the one that came before it. Or have they?

You see, God of War was fairly original when it launched back in 2005. Sure, we had seen modern 3D action games before, like Devil May Cry, and Ninja Gaiden, but Sony's game combined a good story with some kick-ass action and great cinematic gameplay elements, ending up with a something that felt unique. Discovering how to effectively use Kratos' Blades of Chaos took time to learn and produced great satisfaction every time you unlocked something new, or mastered another of his deadly combos. By the end of the game you had evolved into a whirling dervish of bad-guy decimation, not just because you had powered up your character, but because of all the tricks and techniques you had picked up along the journey.

God of War 2 came out in 2007. By all accounts it was better than the original. It had new magic, more combos, and a greater number of big boss fights, adding to the cinematic elements of the game. There was just one thing: It felt very familiar to me, having played the first one so much, so the thrill of discovering something new and slowly mastering it was gone. Right from the start I knew how to use Kratos' weapons, and which combos were effective in which situations. There may have been a few more of them now, but the basic fighting techniques remained the same. Therefore, God of War 2 didn't provide nearly as much fun as the original, despite it's improvements.

The point I'm trying to make really has nothing to do with God of War; I just used that as an example. It applies to every game franchise out there. I've noticed, over the years, that sequels are rarely among my favorite games, and I get a lot more excited to read about a brand new title than the follow-up to another. The reason for this should be fairly obvious: I find that the biggest thrill of playing video games comes from getting better at something I've never done before, whether that be mastering new fighting techniques, discovering how to effectively carve down a mountain, or learning how to play virtual guitar. Doing any of these things a second time around is never as much fun as the first time, as I know what to expect, and I'm already fairly good at it.

There's an age-old argument about which game is better: Streets of Rage 1 or 2. In fact, Shane Bettenhausen famously spent about 10 minutes singing the praises of the original on an old episode of EGM Live, while all his co-hosts tried to convince him that the sequel was superior. Let's put this argument to bed right now. Everyone who said SOR2 was better, you're right. It had more characters to choose from, better level design, and vastly-improved special moves. However, for anyone who played the games when they first came out (like me), SOR1 will always be the best, as it was a unique console experience at the time. Maybe some of this is tied to nostalgia, but what's wrong with that? I think this is the same reason so many people claim that Final Fantasy VII is the best title in that series, as for those who didn't grow up with Nintendo consoles, it was their first experience with Japanese RPGs, so can't be topped.

It's only when a company decides to completely re-start a franchise, such as with Resident Evil 4, that a sequel can truly rise above the original. Because this game was so far removed from those that came before, it required learning entirely new techniques, and wasn't simply a case of carrying over skills from earlier titles. This is the reason why so many people were a bit disappointed when they first saw RE5: It may have better graphics that RE4 and can now be played in co-op, but it still looks like something we've done before, so won't end up being considered as classic as it's predecessor, in the long run.

So what this all comes down to is: Sequels may often be better than the originals, but not to those who played the first ones when they were new. I've heard plenty of cool things about God of War 3, and I'm sure that it will be the ultimate game in the series so far, but unless they completely change the gameplay (which I doubt), I just don't think it will be quite as amazing as some people are imagining. Swinging around Kratos' Blades of Chaos in high-def, with dynamic, shifting levels sounds great, but in the end, I have a feeling that much of the game will feel very familiar. Maybe I'd be a little more excited if I owned a PS3, but I still don't think I'd be looking forward to it as much as some of the completely new games that are scheduled this year, such as Brutal Legend, or Scribblenauts.

Of course, there's one more factor that hasn't been mentioned: With all the big exclusive titles that have come out for Xbox 360 in the last few years, Sony fanboys may be desperately waiting for God of War 3 just so they can shove it in the faces of Microsoft lovers and say "Ha! You can't play this!", but that's a discussion for a whole other time.......

The DLC shall rise again

This week in Rock Band, hold onto your brains, it's a zombie invasion! White Zombie, that is, who bring us a couple of tracks. Seems like Harmonix are happy to jump onto the undead bandwagon like so many other games these days. Joining the group are Turbonegro, the band who's name might be considered offensive if they weren't Norwegian. So I guess this week's DLC is fairly black and white (is that joke politically correct? I'm not sure). There's no discount for buying in bulk though, so each song will set you back 160 MSP ($2).
Here's what's on offer:

White Zombie - Black Sunshine
White Zombie - More Human Than Human
Turbonegro - Wasted Again
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos.

After all the good releases recently, I knew that the week would come when we went back to stuff I had no interest in, and that week is now. So, as if you hadn't guessed, I skipped all of these songs. They look like they might be kind of fun to play, but I just don't want to listen to them. It shouldn't be long before we get some more decent tracks though.

Also this week, Wii owners get a chance to play seven songs from Nirvana's album, Nevermind. Unfortunately, the best two (as far as I'm concerned) are mysteriously absent, but as I've already been through this before though, I won't waste your time talking about it again. Check here if you want the info.

In other Rock Band news, Harmonix and MTV Games have announced plans to help sick and injured children by donating a minimum of $50,000 to the Starlight Children's foundation. Along with the money, they will also be providing 650 Rock Band kits to hospitals associated with the foundation. As if this wasn't enough, Starlight children will be given the chance to attend their Great Escape events, in which they can meet the developers and get a behind-the-scenes look at the game. Since it's already been established that rhythm games can cure disease, we may find some of these unfortunate kids on the mend a little quicker than expected.

All work and no play....

Sorry the posts have been kind of light for the last few days; I'm in the middle of another marathon work week and haven't had much time to write. To be fair, after the holiday season things always quiet down in the world of video games, but there are still things I'm looking forward to talking about when I get a chance.

First of all, the Mirror's Edge DLC that was delayed last month finally saw release today. It's a shame that it had to come now, when there absolutely no way I can play it, but I'll most definitely be picking it up on Sunday. Well, if I haven't collapsed from exhaustion, that is. It's been a few weeks since I last played the game (those speed runs are hard), so I'm excited about getting my parkour on again. Expect a review of the content sometime next week.

Next, I'm going to bring you a review of Lips, the semi-new karaoke game from iNiS, the developers of Elite Beat Agents. I already have Rock Band, so you might think it silly that I purchased another singing game, but since my girlfriend got it for free (I'll explain how later) I figured I should at least try it out. Besides, who could say no to a few free achievements?

Finally, I realize that I've been posting a lot of news recently, but not many editorials. There are definitely some things I have in my mind that need to be shared with the world, and I promise to bring you all some interesting opinion pieces on various game-related subjects when I have the energy top write them. Don't worry - the well hasn't been tapped dry yet.

So have no fear loyal reader (readers?). Your favorite place to turn to for video game news and info isn't going anywhere. Oh yeah, and I Game You Game isn't going anywhere either. See you all soon!

Death to the red ring

The Xbox 360 has a lot going for it: A great selection of games, a fantastic online service, and the cheapest price of any current gen console. One thing that's always been holding it back, though, is the unfortunate hardware issue that plagues so many units. I'm talking, of course, about the Red Ring of Death. Those dreaded 3 red lights have flashed on so many people's systems, stopping play sessions and prompting calls to Microsoft.

Thankfully, MS acknowledged the problem, and extended the system's warranty to 3 years when dealing with this issue, which some said cost the company upwards of a billion dollars. While this was clearly the right thing to do, it was small consolation to the millions of fans who had to do without their favorite console for a couple of months while a bunch of great games were being released. Then people started reporting the issue in their replacement systems, an extreme example of which is the case of Justin Lowe, who went though 11 of the things in the first year and a half of launch.

It may finally be time to put this issue to bed, though. While talking to Edge Online, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg discusses the problem and claims that "We've put the worst behind us on this". Of course, anyone who takes a minute to consider this statement should realize that this is an obvious thing to announce. After all, would we expect the company to say "The worst is yet to come"? I somehow don't think so.

Thankfully, MS are constantly improving the manufacturing process of their hardware, and their latest iteration, dubbed "Jasper", features a cooler-running graphics chip that may not suffer from the same degree of failure. Greenberg also claims that when a system breaks these days, "[Microsoft] will fix it with the latest [hardware] improvements that we've applied [to current Xbox 360s]. Obviously we're continuously improving the technology inside the box, not to get too technical. So they'll apply that when they make the increments to your system."

It will take a while before we see if this change gets rid of the RROD once and for all, but for those who are just thinking of buying an Xbox 360 for the first time, make sure you know how to spot the Jasper unit in stores. There's no guarantee that it wont break like everyone else's, but at least you stand a better chance than most. It's also worth mentioning that the new units have only been seen in the last couple of months; that's a month after the 3 year warranty ran out on launch systems. Very clever Microsoft, very clever.

Finally, let me take this opportunity to give you all an update on my own RROD experience. You may remember that my launch system occasionally suffered from this problem, which I discovered could be avoided by simply leaving it on. I left it on for months at a time, thinking that it would eventually burn out, at which point I could send it off. Well, it never did. In fact, now it seems to be working better than ever. I've started turning it off again, and I haven't seen the problem in ages. I still fear that one day it will break for real, but I'm happier keeping my semi-reliable console than sending it off and getting a replacement one that may crap out even sooner. Of course, my warranty period is now passed, so it's not like I have that option anymore, anyway. I guess I just have to keep turning it on with my fingers crossed.....

Keep your arm and leg, in more ways than one

Hey all you fans of zombie killing, put down that wallet and pick up that shotgun! Valve recently announced that the Left 4 Dead Survival pack we've all been eagerly awaiting will be free of charge. That's free on PC and Xbox 360. Players will be receiving a brand new mode, as well as the ability to play existing maps, Death Toll and Dead Air, in versus.

Secondly, they revealed a few details about the upcoming Survival mode. And yeah, I totally called it. It turns out that it will be very similar to Gears of War 2's Horde mode, in which players must survive an endless onslaught of undead, coming at them in waves. They haven't gone into details about how ammo and health will be handled, but I imagine those things will have to be carefully rationed out if one wishes to delay their ultimate demise for very long. Survival mode will take place over 12 maps, but before you get too excited, these are probably taken from existing areas of the campaign mode, as no new play areas have been mentioned.

I personally think it's great that Valve are managing to get this content to us without charging. Microsoft don't seem to like the idea of giving customers anything without making a few bucks off of it, but it's possible that they have some kind of rule about how much a company can release at one time for free. A couple of new modes and options are probably okay, but new maps, weapons, or achievements most likely require an exchange of Microsoft Points somewhere down the line. They don't seem to understand the concept that free DLC not only boosts sales of the game, but also discourages players from trading their copies in too quickly. It should also help Valve sell more of their "Critics Choice" version Left 4 Dead, which will include the extra content right from the start.

Of course, now that we know the DLC will be free, it kind of negates the need for another version of the game, as anyone could just pick up the regular edition then update it online. And yes, I realize that not all players have their system hooked up to Xbox Live, but if that's the case, what the hell are you doing playing Left 4 Dead anyway?

Lets search for tre-sha

The DS is home to some unique and original games, many of which take advantage of it's touch screen control and other features not found in the majority of gaming systems. Now a new title from Aspyr, known for their PC to Mac ports, will utilize the console's built-in Wi-Fi to make a brand new game called Treasure World. Announced recently on IGN, this title will challenge players to find real life Wi-Fi hotspots, each of which will unlock a unique item in the game. With thousands of different items to find and collect, you had better bring your DS with you where ever you go, as that local McDonald's may hold some very valuable treasure.

Unfortunately, not much more is known about the title, such as what you do when you're not searching for hotspots. Will it be an Animal Crossing-style adventure, where all the items you find can be displayed in your custom designed home? One thing that is known is that it will build up an online community where players can trade and share items. Hopefully this aspect won't be completely gimped by Nintendo's rather strict online policy which requires the exchange of friend codes to connect to others.

This isn't the first game that uses Wi-Fi to unlock in-game stuff. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops for the PSP allows players to gather new squad members by searching for hotspots. This was honestly my favorite aspect of the game, despite the fact that none of the unlocked characters were very good. The real thrill just came from pulling out your PSP while shopping at your local supermarket and discovering a brand new sniper to add to your band of merry men. It was a very clever idea that was completely unheard of before, and with a lot more items to collect, it sounds as though Treasure World may be able to pull it off even better. I just hope that Aspyr don't have to deal with lawsuits from parents whose children wandered into some dangerous areas while searching for loot.

Treasure World is scheduled for release this summer. I'll be sure to post any more details about it as they're announced.

January NPD - Mariowned

2008 may be over, but the console buying public is still hungry, so now it's time for the first sales data of the year, courtesy of NPD Group. Once again, Nintendo dominates, with over a million hardware units sold. Obviously the numbers are far lower than last month, but still double what they were this time last year. Analysts are calling this good, but lets look at it another way for a moment:

In December 2007 Nintendo sold 1,350,000 Wiis. Then in January 2008 they sold 274,000 - a drop off of 1,076,000. December 2008 saw a record breaking 2,150,000 Wiis sold, which went down to 679,200 in January 2009 - a drop off of 1,470,800. So by this logic Nintendo are actually doing worse than this time last year. Of course, I realize that more units sold is always a good thing, but I just wanted to demonstrate that statistics can be used for all purposes, and shouldn't always be relied on.

The rest of the numbers are fairly typical. The 360 is in a very respectable third place, followed by the PS3, PSP, and PS2. Sony fanboys may argue that the combined total for all three systems would put Sony above Microsoft, but even this number is lower than the number of DSs sold, so it's not that impressive.
Here are January's figures:

• Wii - 679,200
• Nintendo DS - 510,800
• Xbox 360 - 309,000
• PlayStation 3 - 203,200
• PSP - 172,300
• PlayStation 2 - 101,200

As far as software sales go, it's all Wii, DS and 360; sorry Sony. Wii Fit keeps the top spot, followed by Wii Play and Mario Kart. When you consider that New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart for the DS are also on the chart, it just proves my point that most hardcore gamers bought everything they wanted when it was first released, leaving the charts to be filled by parents who just got a new console for their kids. The fact that the Wii has only a handful of good games means that these are the ones that constantly chart. After all, what else are people going to buy for it?

All the other spaces are filled with Xbox 360 games. Call of Duty: World at War and Left 4 Dead tie for 4th place, and these are joined by newcomers Skate 2 and Lord of the Rings: Conquest.
Here are the numbers:

01. Wii Fit (Wii) - 777,000
02. Wii Play (Wii) - 415,000
03. Mario Kart (Wii) - 292,000
04. Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360) - 243,000
05. Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360) - 243,000
06. Skate 2 (Xbox 360) - 199,000
07. Guitar Hero World Tour (Wii) - 155,000
08. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) - 135,000
09. Mario Kart DS (DS) - 132,000
10. Lord of the Rings: Conquest (Xbox 360) - 113,000

With no big releases this month, I imagine that February's charts will look pretty much the same, but we'll have to wait another four weeks to find out for sure.

Feeling a little flat?

This week in Rock Band, we take a break from some of the well-known classic tunes of the last few weeks, and go a little more modern with The Fratellis. The Scottish band brings us a 3-pack from their first album, Costello Music, which I honestly know nothing about, not being too well-versed in popular bands. The pack can be acquired from the usual price of 440 MSP ($5.50) or 160 MSP ($2) per song.
Here's what's on offer:

Flathead
Henrietta
Creeping Up The Back Stairs
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos.

When I found out what was being released this week, I figured I'd be able to save some money. After all, I've never even heard of The Fratellis. Then my girlfriend told me she wanted the song Flathead, so I figured I may as well give it a listen. Oh..... It's the track off that iPod advert; kind of catchy actually. Listening to the others, I realized that I quite like Creeping Up The Backstairs as well, so my plan to skip the DLC this week didn't quite go as planned.....

Okay, Flathead fits into drum tier 3, so it's about half-way up the difficulty scale. The start is kind of like This Ain't a Scene It's an Arms Race by Fallout Boy, with just kick drum and yellow pad, but this quickly turns into a standard rhythm with some off-beat kick drum. The verse becomes a little more interesting part way through, with a slightly less obvious beat that has some double and triple hits with your right hand, but a steady foot rhythm. It still took me a couple of tries to get the hang of it though. The chorus mixes it up a little more, with hits that go back and forth between hands, similar to Joker & The Thief by Wolfmother. The rest of the song switches between these three patterns, so you never have to repeat the same thing for very long.

After this comes Creeping Up The Backstairs, which is up in drum tier 5. I bought this song as it's fun to listen to, and reminds me of Rob The Prez-O-Dent by That Handsome Devil. Most of this track isn't really too hard to play. If you can handle the verse, which has kick drum on and off the beat, you should be able to make it through this one without difficulty. The only real challenge comes from the constant little fills, which are usually short rolls on the red pad. I don't often have a problem with this type of thing, but I think I need to listen to the song outside of the game to hear how they're supposed to sound before I can play them well. The chorus is a nice little break, and there's a bit of variety towards the end, but nothing too original.

So, would they get my recommendation then? Eh.... I could take or leave them. Creeping Up The Backstairs should be nice practice for those short rolls, but overall it's not that fun to play. Flathead sure is catchy, which is almost worth a recommendation all by itself, but doesn't really contain anything overly exciting or original as far as the drum chart goes. Once again, it all comes down to your preference in music. Fans should be pleased, but for everyone else, I'd say this week's selection could be skipped without missing out on all that much.

Also this week, Wii fans can look forward to Rush's Moving Pictures album. This one came out a while ago on other systems, but the Wii library is just starting to take shape and there's a lot of catching up to do. Drumming fans should be pleased as all 7 of the songs provide a nice challenge (especially one.... groan), but unfortunately the album can't be purchased for the bargain price of $11 like on 360 and PS3, and must instead be bought one song at a time, costing you $14 in total. Check here for reviews of all the tracks.

In other Rock Band news, Viacom, the parent company of Harmonix, recently sued Konami over patent infringement. The funny things is, last July Konami tried to sue Viacom over the same thing, claiming that their guitar controllers were too similar to Konami's popular arcade rhythm games such as GuitarFreaks. Now it's Viacom doing the accusing, saying that Konami's Rock Revolution is too similar to Rock Band. It can't be denied that all of these games (along with Guitar Hero) are very similar to each other, but it's a shame that people feel the need to turn to lawsuits just to prove they had an idea first. Viacom are seeking compensation and hope to stop Konami from selling Rock Revolution altogether, which would be a huge disappointment for the seven or eight people who actually bought it.

A trip around the block

Puzzle games have been popular for a long time. In fact, I don't think there's one among you who couldn't hum the Tetris theme song if called upon to. That's why it's good when a developer takes a well known and popular genre, such as this one, and fuses it with an entirely different type of game to create some kind of hybrid. If done in the animal world, you would end up with a freaky mutant that could barely support it's fragile frame and only manage to whisper the words "Kill me...."; if done in the world of video games, you end up with Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure.

This unique sounding DS game was announced a while ago, but a brand new trailer helps to understand exactly what the deal is with it. For those unaware, Henry Hatsworth is a cross between a falling block puzzler and a 2D platformer. Enemies defeated on the top screen join the puzzle on the bottom screen. Switching between the screen allows you to start ling blocks up into rows of three, which converts them into energy. This energy can then be used by Henry to power his various weapons, most of which seem far too cool and dangerous to be wielded by a guy who sports a bowler hat and monocle. Take too long though, and allow the blocks to build up too much, and they will quickly find themselves back on the top screen to be defeated again.

I must say that this new trailer had gotten me even more excited. It's certainly interesting when developers mix genres together, and I just hope this combination works as well as recent others, such as Puzzle Quest. Also, with all the epic, 3D, open-world games these days, it's nice to take a step back and enjoy something a little more old-school. Will Henry Hatsworth be as fun as it looks? We'll all find that out when it releases on March 17th.

For now, here's the new trailer:

Thick as thieves

This week on Zero Punctuation, Yahtzee takes a look at Thief: The Dark Project, Eidos' first person stealth-em-up for PC. Hang on a minute. Didn't this game come out a long time ago? Well, yes: 1998 to be exact. No, this isn't a sequel, re-release, or other revisit of the game, but more of a retro review. Some people may accuse Yahtzee of hating everything, so I guess that's why he mixes it up by talking about about something he actually likes every once in a while. It's just a shame that he felt the need to go back ten years to find a game that fits into that category!

1998 seemed like the year of the stealth game, bringing us other titles like Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and Metal Gear Solid. Then every developer under the sun decided that stealth was the new hot ticket, and started shoehorning sneaking bits into every damn game, not all too successfully. Nothing breaks the flow of a good action game than having to slowly work your way through shadows, being shown the Game Over screen whenever you miss a step and allow a body part to fall in view of a watching guard. Either that, or you just have to sit there looking at your map until all the little triangles that indicate cones of vision are pointing the other way, then run. This doesn't mean that I don't like the genre, but there was certainly a little over-saturation for a while. I suppose that thief came out at the beginning of this fad though, so can't really be accused of copying anything.

So here's the review. As always it contains plenty of strong language, so is NSFW:

Check out the rest of his reviews here.

Time is on my side

"Our world, with it's rules of causality, has trained us to be miserly with forgiveness. By forgiving too readily, we can become badly hurt. But if we've learned from a mistake and become better for it, shouldn't we be rewarded for the learning, rather than punished for the mistake?"

The concept of punishment should be familiar to many gamers. Taking a wrong turn or missing a jump often results in a familiar Game Over screen, at which point one must start all over again from the beginning, hoping to avoid the same mistake again. But what if you could instantly undo your mistake, setting things right again, but still allowing you to learn from the experience? This is the central concept behind the game Braid, which was released for XBLA last year, but only just made it's way onto my 360.

You play a character called Tim (my girlfriend says he looks strangely like me), who's on a journey to rescue a princess. You do this by platforming through 2D worlds, jumping on the heads of enemies and avoiding obstacles. Sound familiar? Well, it should, because creator Jonathan Blow was clearly influenced by classic titles, such as Super Mario Bros, when making Braid. Scattered around each world are 12 puzzle pieces, and collecting all of them is where the challenge lies. It's only when you first mess up and die that you find out Tim has an ability unlike any fat plumber or blue hedgehog before him: he has the power to rewind time. I know what you're thinking - like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, right? Yeah, it is, sort of. For the first level, this is all your power can really be used for: correcting mistakes. Things begin to change as you progress though.

It's only from the second world on that things start to become really interesting. From this point, each level has an entirely new mechanic for you to master, all to do with the manipulation of time. I will give just one example, in an effort not to spoil too much. Throughout the world are objects that sparkle green, and these are not affected by your time rewinding. So, if you jump to the bottom of a pit to grab a green key, when you rewind yourself back to the top you'll still have it in your hand, where as a normal key would have returned to it's original position. This is an example of the most basic of puzzles, and once you get the hang of the concept, things start to get a bit trickier.

You see, each subsequent world introduces a different way of affecting time. I won't spoil any more of them, but they are all unique and clever, and allow for some very diverse puzzles. Everything is kept very simple, control-wise, though, with a jump button and a rewind button, and not much else. The challenge comes not from dealing with a bunch of buttons or commands, but from figuring out how you can use time to your advantage. It's tough to explain how clever and unique each world is without spoiling them, but the funny things is, they're not really unique at all. As well as drawing heavy influence from classic titles, many of the levels are re-treads of earlier ones, but as you're now shifting time in a whole new way, entirely different solutions present themselves to the puzzles.

So what's the driving force behind Tim's quest? This is explained, a little at a time, in books found at the beginning of each world. Unfortunately, this is where the game lost me a bit. I'm sure all the bizarre little stories are metaphorical for something, and I think if I studied them all thoroughly I would see some of the significance, but casually reading them as I played through left me with the same feeling I have at the end of certain David Lynch movies: kind of stupid, like I'm totally missing the point. This is in direct contrast with the feeling I had after solving all the puzzles, so I have to give Jonathan Blow credit for simultaneously making me feel like a genius and a moron. Not many games can do that.

So despite the weird story (or maybe party because of it), I would definitely recommend Braid. It's tough to discuss more of it without spoiling anything, so I would suggest any puzzle fans just pick it up and try it yourself. Even though I've finished the main quest, I will still be revisiting the world to try and beat some of the speed runs, and just because it's so good that I want to experience it all again. It's a reminder of how fantastic the Xbox Live Arcade can be, and shows that original ideas can still be found in this age of endless sequels and borrowed ideas. I only wish I could rewind time back to August, so I could have bought this wonderful title when it was first released. Thankfully, I've had a chance to correct that mistake, and will try really hard not to repeat it in the future.....

Turn your head and rock

Okay, so we already knew that playing video games could be good for post-traumatic stress, but how about other medical conditions? Could we use video games for those too? The Clem Burke Drumming Project suggests that, yeah, we can. Dr Marcus Smith from the University of Chichester and Dr Steven Draper from the University of Gloucestershire started this project to research the effects of rock drumming on the human body. For the past 8 years they have been performing tests with Blondie drummer Clem Burke, to see if playing the instrument could lead to better health, happiness, and well-being.

In the last couple of years though, we've seen the rise of a whole new type of video game. I'm talking, of course, about Rock Band and Guitar Hero: World Tour, which both allow players to re-create much of the thrill of real life drumming, without the expense and with less fear of driving their neighbors crazy. But do they offer the same benefits as the real thing? This is the question the team want to answer.

While playing, a drummer has a heart rate "similar to professional football players", and exerts a large amount of energy. We all know that exercise like this is good for you, so it would seem that playing virtual drums would provide much of the same benefit. Through experiments, they hope to find out if rhythm games can help out with medical conditions such as dyspraxia and stroke. Through personal experience I can definitely say that extended Rock Band sessions are tiring, and I haven't had any strokes yet, so their findings seem solid. Here's what Dr. Smith had to say about the project:

“We’ve been extremely impressed by the Guitar Hero World Tour drum controller,” says Dr. Marcus Smith, Principal Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, University of Chichester. “The Clem Burke Drumming Project is all about promoting the benefits of drumming, and we’re convinced those that learn the basics of the instrument with Guitar Hero World Tour can use those skills when progressing to an actual full drum kit. No other gaming controller comes close to simulating the experience of drumming, and we’re confident the game will breed a new generation of real-life drummers. Anecdotally, we believe Guitar Hero World Tour is a perfect introduction to the instrument – and we can’t wait to examine this scientifically and unveil our findings throughout 2009.”

I guess my only real problem with this statement is the line about no other controller coming close to simulating real life drumming. Ever heard of Rock Band, which emulated the instrument a year before World Tour was even released? Then again, I suppose the experiments took place in England, where the cost of Rock Band was probably too much for even the most well-funded Universities.

It will be interesting to hear exactly what their results are, and I'll be sure to post anything important when it's announced. Of course, there's one thing they failed to mention during the tests: Much in the same way as methadone isn't an ideal treatment for heroin addicts because it causes it's own addiction, rhythm gamers may find themselves irreversibly hooked to the genre after playing for extended periods of time. In an effort to stay happy and healthy, one may find themselves with a whole new habit, stealing money from friends and neighbors to buy downloadable content each week, and trying to explain away all the calluses and blisters that cover their hands. Or maybe that's just me.

The dead shall rise again

It started out as a rumor last March. Afterward, for a long time, people forgot about it. Then, last week, a strange shaky-cam video turned up, and folks asked "Is this for real?". It turns out that, yeah, it is. What we saw was the very first footage of Dead Rising 2, as confirmed by Capcom today.

It seems that zombies are really the hot ticket to success in the video game industry these days, as we have both Left 4 Dead DLC and Resident Evil 5 planned for release in the next couple of months, as well as undead outbreaks in all manner of titles, from Grand Theft Auto to World of Warcraft. However, Capcom should really get credit for releasing the first excellent zombie game of this generation, back in 2006, so lets see if they can re-create that experience a second time.

The only worrying thing is, we now know for sure that it won't be developed by the same team who made the first one, but instead by Canadian developer, Blue Castle Games. Not that I have anything against Canada or Western companies, but I fear that they may misunderstand what made the first game so great. Indeed, many of the aspects that people initially complained about, such as the strict time limits and stingy save system, turned out to be genius, and secured Dead Rising's place as my favorite game of 2006.

Not many details have been released about the sequel, but from what we can tell, it won't take place inside a mall, but rather in the "gambling paradise of Fortune City". Frank West is gone, to be replaced by some goofy-looking kid in a yellow jacket. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear to be carrying a camera, so it's possible that the photo taking aspect of the original will be gone. Apart from this, all we really know for sure is that the zombie outbreak has spread across the United States, and they must be battled, as in the first game, with whatever tools or weapons you can find. I really hope that the creators don't treat the zombie killing as the main focus though, as the original had you concentrating on many things such as rescuing survivors, killing psychopaths, and taking photos. In fact, the zombies were more like a distraction to slow you down when you were trying to get somewhere fast, and never required more than a swipe from your weapon to bring down.

So, despite the change in developer, I'm still looking forward to this game. We know that a number of people who worked on the first one will be helping out those at Blue Castle Games, including producer Keiji Inafune, so hopefully things won't be too different. One welcome difference though, is the fact that this title will be released on 360, PS3 and PC, so many more people will get a chance to experience it's awesomeness this time around. I just pray that they don't let any of the team who worked on Dead Rising Wii get within 100 miles of their studio!

Here's the video for you to check out:

I'm a survivor

Valve have released a few details about the upcoming Left 4 Dead DLC. Nothing too specific, but still worth mentioning. The first thing planned (note the word 'first') is a brand new mode called 'Survivor'. I could have sworn that surviving was the point of the game anyway, but I guess I was wrong. We will also be getting two new maps for versus mode, although these probably won't be brand new, but recycled from the campaign mode.

PC players will also be getting the free SDK (software development kit) allowing for full customization of the game. I wish such a tool were available on Xbox 360, but I realize that this would be very difficult, and besides, Microsoft aren't too keen on user-made content anyway. To top it all off, a "Critics Choice" version of the game will be available, which will come with all the updates and DLC built in.

Okay, so now it's time for a little speculation. What could this new Survivor mode be? I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that it may be quite similar to Gears of War 2's Horde mode, where players must survive endless waves of zombies for as long as they can. They could start you off in a room with limited supplies of health, then just keep throwing zombies at you, possibly in waves. Between waves you'd have a chance to grab some more ammo and heal up your teammates, but very soon those undead would be bashing at the doors in search of a feast. Survive as long as you can, then brag about it to your friends.

Of course, this is all just a guess. We don't really know exactly what Survivor mode will be, but it's bound to be cool. We also don't know how much it will cost, or whether it will incorporate new achievements, but I'm sure Valve will share those details, and more, as we get closer to it's Spring release.

The science gets done, and you make a neat gun

What you are looking at is a picture of a very lucky girl called Emily. Her boyfriend, Harrison Krix, devoted 150 hours of his time and $350 of his money to make her the world's only working Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. Well, as close to working as current technology allows, anyway. Using various materials, including florist's foam, wonderflex, bondo, PVC pipe, ABS plastic, LED lighting, an acrylic plunger handle, roll-feed paper spindle, an old drawer pull, rubber hose, and coaxial cable connectors, he crafted a very accurate replica of the device that features blue and orange lighting, pre-used "weathered" look, and even a blood splatter (damn those turrets!).

After showing his creation off to the world, everyone wondered exactly how he built it, so Engadget posted a number of pictures showing the 100-step process, and even a video (which unfortunately can't be embedded) so you can see it in action. I must say that it's the most impressive cosplay prop I've seen, and will probably earn her a number of envious stares from fellow video game fans at whatever convention she decides to show it off at. In fact, this is the reason why I'm adamant to attend one of these events in cosplay myself - compared to something like this, whatever I was wearing would probably look as impressive as when I taped an empty egg carton to my chest and pretended to be Darth Vader.

So the big question is, What will her companion wear when accompanying her? I mean, I can think of a pretty obvious costume, but while hers is the height of cool, his might be considered a little square.....

Hit me with your best shot of DLC

This week in Rock Band, Harmonix deliver a great song that should be included in any game about rock music. No, not Pat Benatar's Hit Me With Your Best Shot (which I can't stand), but rather Thin Lizzy's The Boys are Back in Town. It's a track, much like Call Me by Blondie, that I would never have thought of myself, but should certainly be offered because of how classic it is. In fact, Thin Lizzy have a nice 3-pack available this week, although neither of the other songs are quite as iconic.

Alongside these are some individual tracks by Pat Benatar, The Pretenders, and a couple by someone called Nikko (from the Nickelodeon movie, Spectacular). The Thin Lizzy pack is yours for only 440 MSP ($5.50), but all the songs are available individually for 160 MSP ($2), except for the Nikko ones, which are only 80 MSP ($1).
Here's what's on offer:

By Thin Lizzy
The Boys are Back in Town (live)
Cowboy Song (live)
Jailbreak (live)

Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot
The Pretenders - Precious
Nikko - Don't Tell Me
Nikko - Break My Heart
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos.

Okay, so the only track I bought was the Boys are Back in Town, which falls into drum tier 3. Some of the songs in this tier are really easy, while others are kind of tough. This is one of the tougher ones. The main challenge comes from the constant double-taps with your right hand, with the kick drum sometimes falling on the first hit, sometimes on the second, and sometimes on both, meaning you have to pay constant attention to what's coming up. It reminds me a lot of Don't Make Me Wait by Locksley, but is slower so not quite as hard. There are also a few fills in there may require a little practice, but mastering the verse should get you through this one.

So would I recommend it then? Well, sort of. It's fun to play, but not that fun. There isn't a lot of variety in the track, and there are better ways to spend your money, but it's just such a classic that I'd still suggest picking it up. Of course, if you're new to Rock Band, then there's other stuff you may want to purchase before thinking about this week's selection.

In other news, MTV announced that Pearl Jam's album Ten will soon be available in Rock Band, to coincide with the Deluxe and Super Deluxe re-release versions of it on March 24th. As an extra bonus, anyone who purchases either version from Best Buy will receive a code to download 3 free tracks: Brother, Alive (live), and State of Love & Trust (live). While I think offering free DLC is a fantastic idea, just bear in mind that the Super Deluxe edition of the album costs more than than the entire Rock Band set, so maybe, in this instance, it's not such a great deal.