Random Video Game Talk

[JeffHCross]

Reporting on game sales is increasingly becoming more and more difficult for the media.

Earlier this morning, industry analyst Michael Pachter from Wedbush Morgan Securities sent a note to the media saying independent U.S. games retail tracker NPD has requested that he and his associates refrain from publishing sales data in their monthly reports sent to press members.

"Going forward, we are not permitted to send our NPD results note to anyone associated with the media," Pachter said. "I have been distributing the results in a note to the media, and will not do so going forward."

Wow.

[souljahbill]

Video games is the only entertainment industry that I can think where everything is a big secret. We know a movie is going to be made years before it goes into production and we know an artist is in the studio well before an album drops. We also know much movies make every weekend and we know how many albums sell or how many singles were downloaded every week. Games? We're not allowed to know anything about anything.

[JBHuskers]

Remember when EA Sports was vilified for Online Pass, oh look Warner Bros. is going to do it with Mortal Kombat

[steelerfan]

Remember when EA Sports was vilified for Online Pass, oh look Warner Bros. is going to do it with Mortal Kombat

Yeah. I was ganged up on by mods at another site (who don't even own a console) for saying it was a smart business decision, it was here to stay, I don't buy used, my $ goes to the people who make the game (not some corporate pawn shop, like Game Stop) etc. I still think it's a great move. Eventually, they should make the disc $10, a key to unlock the disc $45, and an online pass $5. That would take care of Game Stop. Of course, it can't happen until everyone is online.

[JBHuskers]

Ganged up by mods at another site who don't own a console....doesn't ring a bell #sarcasm.

[cdj]

Yeah. I was ganged up on by mods at another site (who don't even own a console) for saying it was a smart business decision, it was here to stay, I don't buy used, my $ goes to the people who make the game (not some corporate pawn shop, like Game Stop) etc. I still think it's a great move. Eventually, they should make the disc $10, a key to unlock the disc $45, and an online pass $5. That would take care of Game Stop. Of course, it can't happen until everyone is online.

I don't have a huge problem with it either, but that is because I buy my games new. It may be when they drop to $40 new on Amazon or eBay, but I tend to not buy used very often, though when I do it is on eBay - I cut out the middleman (EB Games/GameStop). I'd rather the initial buyer get more of his money back from me directly.

THQ and EA SPORTS did it at the same time last year with the releases of UFC Undisputed 2010 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10. Most reports include both companies, but I see some that only mention EAS. IIRC, EA announced TW's Online Pass one month before release while THQ announced it for UFC just eight days before release.

[JBHuskers]

Yeah places like Amazon have definitely easied the pain that it might have caused with people....people just like to target EA Sports for no reason, and then when THQ did the same thing shortly after, there were not multiple pages of posts trashing them....

[SmoothPancakes]

I don't have a huge problem with it either, but that is because I buy my games new. It may be when they drop to $40 new on Amazon or eBay, but I tend to not buy used very often, though when I do it is on eBay - I cut out the middleman (EB Games/GameStop). I'd rather the initial buyer get more of his money back from me directly.

Same here. I will always buy new (like you, maybe a couple months down the road when it's $35-$40), because I have been burned in the past with used games that then wouldn't work right. So I stick to new so I know it will work. Also because I'd rather my money go to those making the game than someplace like Gamestop. The only time I'll buy used, is when it's an older game from from 07 or 08 or something and it's cheaper, easier, and quicker overall just to buy it from one of the local game stores than it is to buy it online and pay shipping and whatnot.

[steelerfan]

Ganged up by mods at another site who don't own a console....doesn't ring a bell #sarcasm.

Yep. Unless you've lived under a rock for the last decade, I paint a pretty clear picture.

[JeffHCross]

Yeah places like Amazon have definitely easied the pain that it might have caused with people....people just like to target EA Sports for no reason, and then when THQ did the same thing shortly after, there were not multiple pages of posts trashing them....

THQ technically did it before EA. UFC released with an Online Pass, but THQ had purposefully not talked about it until right before release ... or maybe even after. EA took the brunt of the complaints because they announced first -- well, and we're all talking about the complaints from a certain community. Because of the sites that we all frequent, we're more likely to hear EA take the brunt of anything, since they're largely EA-focused sites.

For example, I haven't heard a whisper of complaining that Mass Effect 2 had a freebie code for some DLC that was $15 otherwise. Other than from my friend who tried to borrow the game from me.

[JBHuskers]

THQ technically did it before EA. UFC released with an Online Pass.

Yep, but yet still there wasn't pages and pages of threads trashing them

[JeffHCross]

Yep, but yet still there wasn't pages and pages of threads trashing them

There was. Just not on the places we frequent.

[JBHuskers]

Minecraft got into the April Fools today.

[JeffHCross]

Thought-provoking column on IGN about how meta/macro games (Trophies, Achievements, Collectibles) are dictating gameplay.

[morsdraconis]

Very interesting and I agree wholeheartedly. I HATE the achievement/trophy/whatever game (it's time consuming and really, just isn't fun) and I usually never bother with it. It's sad that games have gotten to the point where some people only play them to get the achievement/trophy/whatever out of them and not because they are a good game. It really sucks that that is what is starting to trend for games, but, then, in my opinion, too many game companies are around (even still after the economy has broken down like it has) that's it's really started to be quantity over quality with quite a few game companies/franchises (looking at you Call of Duty).

[SmoothPancakes]

Yeah, while I like whoring out achievements (just because it makes me feel like I actually have completely beaten the entire game), I buy games based on if I want to play them. I don't look at achievements for a game until after I've bought it.

[JBHuskers]

EA Sports announces the return of NBA Jam. The "On Fire Edition" will be available for download for PS3 & XBox 360 in Fall.

[morsdraconis]

So, I've been super interested in the Total War series and, specifically now, Shogun 2: Total War. I've never been huge into RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games as I really just don't have the mental facilities to keep track of some much shit happening at once, but, the great thing about Total War is it really comes down to controlling individual aspects of a much larger single army and it doesn't make you juggle all of that with building, upgrading, gathering, and all that shit so it lets you concentrate on the strategy aspects of the game without having to juggle a million things at once.

Pretty interesting stuff and as soon as I upgrade my computer (parts are on the way!) I'm going to be diving headfirst into it.

[gschwendt]

According to quite a few sources on twitter this afternoon, NBA "Elite" will not return until 2012.

And here's an article about it from ESPN_JRob
http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/vide...ame-franchises

[SmoothPancakes]

So, I've been super interested in the Total War series and, specifically now, Shogun 2: Total War. I've never been huge into RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games as I really just don't have the mental facilities to keep track of some much shit happening at once, but, the great thing about Total War is it really comes down to controlling individual aspects of a much larger single army and it doesn't make you juggle all of that with building, upgrading, gathering, and all that shit so it lets you concentrate on the strategy aspects of the game without having to juggle a million things at once.

Pretty interesting stuff and as soon as I upgrade my computer (parts are on the way!) I'm going to be diving headfirst into it.

I still have yet to buy Shogun 2. I've got Rome, Medieval II, Empire, and Napoleon all installed on my computer, but haven't gotten yet to getting Shogun 2. I definitely love the series. I have wasted TONS of hours on the various editions, with Rome and Empire being the ones I have spent the most time on of them all.