It's hard not feel like a mushroom in the games world
sometimes -- mostly in the dark and fed on constant BS, it's
not surprising that some people don't know which way is up.
Take recent product launches for example: the latest is
Xbox 360 and the most recent before that was Sony's PSP. We've
been deluged with claims of amazing sales for both. With PSP
have you seen one? In a shop? Being played? Not too many,
we'll bet. It is pretty early days for both but the main point
has to do with tthe quality of the things -- the gaming
experience. We're not quite sure why sales information (or
more likely, disinformation) is so fascinating to some people
and who knows, maybe it really isn't.
Anyway, most people have been pleased with the PSP and
its gaming experience but for us it is too big and the stink
from the continued corporate arrogance of Sony is too strong
for us to wish them anything other than a bloody nose... a
severe one. The business with music CDs is totally beyond
belief and we believe, further to other commentary on this site,
that if it was good enough for teenagers to see prison time
for similar exploits in the rootkit line, then that's
entirely good enough for some people at Sony. And no, sorry,
"we didn't know our idiot outsourced security people were
doing such nasty stuff" cuts absolutely no ice at all, particularly
when coupled with the other attitudes they've shown.
All this leaves Microsoft looking like the good guys and
you can be absolutely and positively sure that this will be
reflected in Xbox 360 sales ... even if Sony isn't there yet
and it will be ages before any useful comparisons can be made.
One thing is plain -- Surprise! The best of Xbox 360 games are
to come. Who would have guessed that? Early adopters have found
the gaming experience underwhelming but the platform is good
and the games will be there. In theory PlayStation3 should be
hotter still but will the games be? And will people want to support
the anti-consumer Sony in as big a way as before?
If they read the normal games press, full of puff pieces
for games they haven't seen properly yet (because if they don't do
the puff, they don't get the games) then, yes, they'll continue
as before.
It's also been a year when anti-games crusaders have had
their embarrassing moments. .. which is a little sad. There
are quite a few issues that need addressing and there seems to be little
in the way of intelligent discussion -- over-the-top views followed
by kneejerk rejection. Any fool can see that violent games of
a certain style are not good for kids. The results are plain in
their behaviour and attitudes. Some countries have labels to
protect against this and others have the codes and absolutely no
followup. This is PR style government where zillions of technical
crimes are created on the statute books and very little is done
to see that they are followed. It's true to say that crime is
a symptom of a problem rather than the problem itself but the
situation is distorted in these sort of cases. One thing is for sure,
and that is that some games publishers need to take a good luck at
themselves and their place in society. Is this a bit like the
talk of guns and their users? Yes, it is ... quite a lot.
Mstation is anti-censorship generally but we believe if people
absolutely must do evil things for whatever reason, greed, whatever,
then they should be stomped.
Nintendo has been quietly getting on with the job. It's DS
is very successful and it too is working towards a major new
console release. It's interesting and almost funny that some
of the big chains in different countries have stopped stocking
Nintendo because they reckon the brand is not big enough for them.
The funny part is that there they sit with empty display cases
because they can't actually get the stock they're supposed to have.
Heh!
One thing is for sure. There will be some great games in 2006
and there will also be a succession of franchise dross. Caveat Emptor.
Mstation Games Review
Thu, 01 Dec 2005
